A Quest For Victory

The ship was small and inconspicuous, so it didn't attract much attention. I didn't expect any aggression since we were a merchant's vessel. Upon arriving at the harbor of the Dragon Lineage, I noticed several people approaching the ship. Secretly, my companions and I managed to disembark and enter the Dragon Lineage's nest unnoticed. We didn't want to reveal ourselves due to the ongoing wars.

Disguised in black cloaks, we made our way to my uncle's house. Along the way, we saw many destroyed buildings and injured people lying on the ground. It became clear why we hadn't attracted much attention - there had been another attack by the Fourth epic. People were not aware of the events outside because of their suffering.

I needed to reach my uncle quickly to inform him of my mission and put an end to the rule of the Fourth Epic. I was determined to do whatever it took.

When I opened the door, there was no warm welcome like before. Instead, my uncle was slumped in a large armchair, fast asleep. Babu, Rose, and I entered quietly, but my uncle woke up with our first step. He wasn't aggressive like before - just sullen and hopeless.

"Ryuu," he said, "what are you doing here? Who's with you?"

I wanted to explain everything to my uncle slowly and in detail. "Uncle," I said, "these are my friends. I've come to ask for your help once again."

My uncle looked despondent from the recent war. "Help?" he said. "How can this broken man help you when I can't even protect my own descendants?"

I knew how strong the enemy was, but I wanted to motivate him and show him that we still had a chance. "We saw the enemy," I said. "There was nothing you could have done then, but now we have another opportunity."

"Opportunity?" he asked.

Before telling him about the opportunity, I had a question of my own. "Yes," I said, "but where is Ronk?"

"He left after the war," my uncle replied. "Said he had urgent business in the Fifth Kingdom and nothing more. Now tell me, what is this opportunity that has come our way?"

"The kings have raised an army to fight the Fourth," I explained. "We will fight with them, but we still need the dragon to defeat the beast."

My uncle stood up with a huff. "It's impossible," he said. "The dragon hasn't been awakened from its slumber for years."

"Uncle, I know it's difficult," I said, "but if we don't do this, we can't win the war."

"You will do it?" he asked incredulously. "You are a wolf, Ryuu. Wolves are not welcome here. And even if they were, it would be impossible for you to do it."

Rose was knowledgeable about the dragon bloodline. In response to what my uncle had said, she seemed to know something. "Ryuu may be of the wolf bloodline, but he also has the blood of the dragon bloodline. According to the legend of the dragon bloodline, anyone who has the dragon's blood not only has control over the dragon, even if it's an enemy but also has full authority over its people."

My uncle turned his head to Rose and smugly retorted. "Let me guess, you realize that Yores' son has dragon blood and wants the dragon."

The fourth epic was of dragon blood, just like me. Although I had only just learned this, it explained a lot. But I still needed to learn a few more things.

"Is that why he keeps attacking here?" I asked.

"Yes," My uncle replied. "But he can't take the dragon easily."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The dragon lineage needs a leader right now," My uncle explained. "He wants to take both the lineage and the dragon, but he needs to control the dragon completely in order to rule."

"How can he do that?" I asked.

"There are two ways," my uncle said. "Firstly, he must devote years to bonding with the dragon. Only then will he be one with the dragon. But the Fourth Epic will not waste time on that."

"What's the second way?" I asked.

After a short silence, my uncle answered my question.

"The second way is that he must pass the test of a thousand flames," My uncle said. "He must withstand temperatures almost as hot as the sun's fire and awaken the dragon from its slumber. Not everyone can do this test. But if you can show that your intentions are good, the test will allow you to pass."

Babu was trying to put our minds at ease by telling us something we all knew. "Fortunately, there is no favor in the fourth epic," he said.

Uncle was very clear in what he said. "If your intentions are not good, you will die during the test," he warned.

I realized it was quite difficult, but I hadn't come all this way for anything. Although it was hard to convince my uncle, I still wanted to keep talking and get his approval.

"I'd rather die trying here than die failing in the Fourth's war," I said. "I've come this far. You must let me try for the sake of everyone, uncle."

My friends and I knew that the reason I had come here was to convince the dragon to join our battle. If it meant jumping into a volcano to win the battle, I was willing to do it. I couldn't leave empty-handed while the others waited eagerly for me.

If we won this war, not only would all the kingdoms be saved, but also the dragon lineage.

I wanted to make my mom proud, just like I had tried to make my dad proud. So with the help of my uncle, I was determined to help her lineage no matter what.

I didn't care who I was fighting, I cared what I was fighting for, so I wasn't afraid of the dragon's test.

Whatever happened, I was ready.