The Runic Artist Chapter 28: Chapter 347 - Contest of Fire

Read chapter 28 of The Runic Artist by Ellake on NovelPedia.

Nate stood lightly on the hot sands of Fortuna. In all directions stretched nothing but flat sand dunes as far as his eyes could see. In the sky above, a towering pillar of flame descended like a meteor, scattering the few wispy clouds that dared to mar the clear blue vista. He hadn’t been certain if Belori would answer his challenge, but he had hoped. Along the sand, in every direction, tendrils of water flicked upwards like tiny tentacles. The runes in the rock structure beneath that were powering the miniature lake slowly drenching the desert were never going to be enough to stand up to Belori. They were merely a taunt. One that Nate had hoped the dragon's pride could not abide. The pillar of flames struck the desert like an atomic bomb going off. The small amount of water that Nate had managed to fill the field with was instantly vaporised and blown away in a gale of wind. Beneath his barrier, Nate weathered the storm, runes of Light and Life flaring to protect his body from the radiation even as Barrier and Space kept him anchored to his location. The explosion of sand washed over the area like a wave and then continued on into the distance in the form of a sandstorm that Nate was confident would stretch for hundreds of kilometres. At the epicentre of the blast a titanic red dragon bared its chest proudly, its size rivalling even Ankh’aris. Belori’khan’andur, the Lord of Flame, had come. Nate lifted his chin, intentionally matching the dragon’s pride. He needed to be seen as an equal, or, at the very least, not lesser. Not ignorable. Because the moment that happened all opportunities for diplomacy would be out the window. Nate knew that attempting to make a deal with Belori was likely a ship that would never set sail. It would linger in the harbour until the storm hit and then sink beneath the waves. But he had to try. Not because he didn’t think he could win, though he acknowledged that was a possibility. He wanted to try diplomacy because turning Belori would be something that Ankh’aris would look upon favorably. His mentor had lamented more than once how few dragons remained in their Reality. Many had left apparently, somehow fleeing into, or at least exploring, other Realities. Others had died due to taking up The System’s offer. Sparing one more seemed like the right thing to do, but only if Belori could be reasoned with. “I wasn’t sure if you would come,” admitted Nate as he attempted to stall the dragon before it decided that making an immediate attack was the best possible solution to dealing with the problem. “So, you are the little pest that has been stripping me of what is mine,” retorted Belori, a simmering anger in his deep voice. “You know that it’s not only me. You know, at least, of two others. And, surely, you know what one of them is .” “I do,” agreed Belori. “And her I shall spare. In time, she might grow to be a suitable mate.” Belori stalked forward, the sinuous movements both deadly and sleek, which Nate thought looked odd on a being the size of a jumbo jet. Nate frowned, staring directly into Belori’s slitted yellow eyes. “Surely by now you’ve realised we are Unbound…” The ancient red dragon froze for a moment, on all fours with wings slightly flared. His eyes narrowed as they stared at Nate. “Not possible. The System claims all newborns now. There is no freedom from its grasp. Only the Old Masters remain Unbound and you are not one of them.” “And yet…” Nate opened himself up, dropping Soul Barriers and letting the dragon see for himself. “...I have no Class Core. Nor does my sister, or Luci’Nil’Fai’Deravian.” The last name hit the ancient red dragon like a heavenly hammer, rocking him back as he reared up and roared at the sky. “That name…you lie!” The air was growing hotter by the second, fueled by the dragon's anger and his mastery of all things related to Fire. The shimmering in the air started to warp Nate’s vision as though he was looking at Belori through ripples in water. “I tell no lie. Luc