Supreme Magus

Kellar Region, Golden Crown Mountain, at the same time.

Ghirslak the Wyvern, the new patriarch of the Wyvern bloodline, took his time flying back home from the umpteenth Council meeting since his election.

'I hope that wherever you've gone after your death, you are paying for your crimes, Father.' Ghirslak snarled, a puff of smoke and fire erupting from his nostrils. 'With your madness, you have destroyed the reputation of your clan and no one trusts us Wyverns anymore.

'No one wants to buy our Origin Flames now and because of that, we lack the means to buy ingredients and acquire powerful equipment. Everywhere we go we are treated as deranged traitors. Didn't you worry about us before joining Thrud, Father, or did you just not care?'

Ghirslak had become the new patriarch because he was a self-Awakened who had also reached the bright violet core and mastered Origin Flames. Also, he was the only one who still prided himself on his species enough to shoulder that burden.

The role of patriarch came with a few perks and the residence was one of them. Thrud had cleaned up Xedros' treasury and library before leaving but she couldn't take the arrays away with her.

With their previous owner dead and as the new patriarch, Ghirslak had imprinted the arrays and made them his own. Over time, he had learned them all and added a few of his own creation.

The Golden Crown Mountain also had a sentimental value to the Wyvern's bloodline. It was the place from which the glory of the Almost Dragons was born and Ghirslak hoped it would also become the place of its rebirth.

Ghirslak was working hard to rebuild the reputation of the Wyverns, but no matter what he said, words had little weight when compared to Xedros' treachery.

He landed on the peak of the mountain, close to the secret entrance to his lair. The moment his talons touched the rock, the connection with his arrays warned him of the presence of an intruder.

"Come out, there's no point being shy." Ghirslak said. "If you wanted to attack me, you would have already done it. Unless you had other plans, of course."

"I'm surprised you managed to spot me. My cloaking is impeccable." Meln Narchat, the Undead King appeared from behind a stone big enough to hide the presence of his human form. "Still, I'm glad you understand your situation.

"Fighting is pointless and I have no time to waste."

"The Incontinent King?" The Wyvern snarled, taking a deep breath and weaving his best spells. "We may be outside my lair, but I'm not easy prey!"

The Golden Crown Mountain hummed with power as countless arrays became visible on its snowy walls.

"Don't call me like that!" Orpal snarled back, his mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth and brimming with fire. "I'm just here to talk, but if you want a fight, I'll give it to you."

"Then make it quick." Ghirslak whipped his tail in fury to hide his attempt to take his communication amulet and alert the Council. "I don't trust you and your presence on this hallowed ground sickens me."

"How can you say that to a brother?" Orpal replied. "I'm one of the few people on Mogar who knows how you feel. We both have been discarded by our family and called names.

"We both are treated like criminals just because we tried to take what's ours by birthright. The Dragons treat you with spite and the Awakened with indifference but together we can change it."

"How so?" The Wyvern's interest was piqued but he kept the arrays at the ready and the amulet in his tail.

"As you should know, I'm now the Horseman of Night and Dusk. I'm a Vurdalak! I'm power incarnate!" A deep violet aura burst out of Orpal's body while fire and silvery lightning wreathed it.

"Spare me the theatrics, mister power incarnate." Ghirslak's mouth curled up in disgust as the arrays showed him that it was Dusk's essence that produced the Origin Flames, not the Vurdalak's body. "What do you want and what do you offer in exchange?"

"There have been… complications." Orpal's pride was hurt by the Wyvern's lukewarm reaction and being forced to ask for help instead of commanding it. "I possess Dusk's crystal but have no idea how to use its powers.

"You are a Wyvern and one of the greatest experts on Origin Flames. If you teach me, I'll master them in no time and be ready to face my traitorous brother. In exchange, I can offer you one of my prisms and my blood.

"The former will allow you to use Life Maelstrom and Doom Tide, even making you impervious to the darkness element. The latter will bestow upon you the might of a Divine Beast.

"You'll gain part of my bloodline abilities and your body will be strengthened beyond what any lesser Divine Beast can do. With a bit of luck, my blood might even open for you the path toward evolution.

"Even if that doesn't happen, you'll still have the means to unlock whatever power the Father of All Dragons intended for your race on your own." Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire

Ghirslak pondered the offer, tilting his head left and right. He could smell there was something special in Meln's blood. Something that stirred his greed and hunger for power.

"You have my attention." He said. "We can better discuss this inside, with a bottle of Red Dragon and a fine meal."

"And enter your lair?" Orpal sneered. "No way. It's too dangerous."

"I can't believe it." Ghirslak's mocking laugh made Orpal's blood boil. "You are not even here in person yet still act like a coward, Incontinent King!"

"I told you not to call me that!" The Vurdalak's deep violet aura burst out and his wings unfolded as he tried to hide the unease he felt.

'This is impossible. I've kept my distance because I couldn't risk Ghirslak noticing my secret and doubting my abilities. Wyverns are my first pick because they have Origin Flames, a massive inferiority complex, and no Dragon Eyes.

'Ghirslak wasn't supposed to suspect anything until he took my blood. The mere offer of power should have been enough to entice a lizzie and get him to share with me the secrets of Origin Flames and Light Mastery.

'With that, I would have come another step closer to Leech and Dawn. Once I assimilate her crystal as well, I'll become unstoppable.'

"I call you however I want, Poopie." The arrays surged from the mountain and wrapped the thing wearing Meln's face.

The magical formations sealed the space, chained his limbs, and suppressed all elements.

"Your first mistake was challenging me in my home and the second was thinking I wouldn't have noticed the revolting smell you've left on this thing. It seems you don't know that Wyvern's have inherited the Dragon Nose from our progenitor."

"The what?" Meln had never heard of such thing because it didn't exist.

"You heard me." Ghirslak lied through his teeth.

Wyverns were expert Dimensional Mages, Wardens, and Light Masters. Ghirslak had used what was left of Xedros' legacy and his own expertise with arrays to develop a magical formation that he had added to his lair's defences.