Any Other Era

Sebastian walked toward the mouth of the cave.

He placed his hand against the cold stone wall.

A white-golden aura began to form around his body.

It grew brighter.

Then larger.

Above him, dark clouds gathered across the sky, swallowing the blue and turning the afternoon almost black.

Two bolts of lightning suddenly struck the cave.

BOOM!

The thunder was loud enough to echo across Donnerfels.

In the palace garden, Miroslav looked up at the darkening sky. His hands rested behind his back as he watched the storm gather over the mountains.

In her guest room, Gritsia simply smiled.

She lifted her cup of coffee and took a slow sip.

---

"The sky turned dark," Zelda said, looking upward. "I wonder what's going on."

"This usually happens when a new Chief is about to take the throne of Chiefdom," said a stranger nearby.

Another man looked toward the mountains.

"The gods of Dragonia have spoken."

He smiled.

"Donnerfels shall rise once more."

---

At the mouth of the cave, Sebastian stared at the entrance.

"There was no lightning the last time I was here."

The cave suddenly began to glow.

White and gold light spilled from within.

Sebastian stepped forward.

And entered.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the world changed.

Green grass stretched endlessly across the ground.

Flowers and roses bloomed between the fields.

Above him was a clear blue sky.

Butterflies drifted peacefully through the air.

It was nothing like the dark cave he had expected.

Sebastian slowly looked around.

"Who goes there?"

A mythical voice echoed across the land.

Golden dust began falling from the sky.

The clouds above suddenly darkened.

Lightning struck the golden particles.

The voice echoed again, sending waves through the entire field.

"Indra... is that you?"

The smoke from the lightning slowly cleared.

A gigantic creature emerged.

Two enormous wings stretched from its back, and scales as large as boulders covered its body.

A dragon.

It stared down at Sebastian.

Its expression slowly hardened.

Anger.

Then disappointment.

"It's just you again."

Sebastian swallowed.

The dragon lowered its enormous head.

"What brings you to my domain, son of Miroslav?"

"I've come to claim the weapon Vajra."

Sebastian clenched his fist.

"My village has been dry ever since the weapon was taken back by you."

"Vajra, you say?"

The dragon stared at him for a moment.

"In any other era, you would have been worthy of wielding Vajra."

Sebastian's expression changed.

"But this is not one of those eras."

The dragon's eyes narrowed.

"You already know you cannot claim it."

Sebastian looked down at his right hand.

The memories returned.

The pain.

The burning.

The blood.

---

Two Years Ago

"I am Sebastian Heywick, the son of Chief Miroslav of Donnerfels."

The young Sebastian stood before the dragon.

"It is my duty as the firstborn son of the Heywick family to wield this power and lead my people."

He reached for Vajra.

His hand closed around the weapon.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

FWOOM!

Vajra became unbearably hot.

Sebastian screamed.

He refused to let go.

He gripped the weapon as tightly as he could, desperately trying to prove that he was worthy.

But the heat continued to rise.

His skin burned.

Blood dripped from his hand.

Finally, he could endure it no longer.

He released Vajra.

The weapon fell.

Sebastian collapsed to his knees, clutching his burned hand.

"Why?"

His voice trembled.

"I am the only son of Miroslav."

He looked toward the dragon.

"If I cannot lead... then who?"

---

A few days later, Sebastian sat alone in his room.

His right hand was wrapped tightly in bandages.

He stared at them silently.

He kept thinking about what the dragon had said.

One word.

A name.

"Indra..."

He lowered his head.

"Indra..."

Again.

"Indra..."

The dragon had repeated the name over and over.

---

Present

Sebastian looked back at the dragon.

The creature's enormous wings shifted slightly.

"The one whose body is made entirely of lightning has already been born."

Sebastian's eyes widened.

The dragon's voice echoed across the field.

"Nobody else other than him can claim Vajra."