Chapter 30: Northwind Eagle Guard (Part 1)
Boom!
Boom! Boom!
Several massive boulders crashed down in succession, slamming into the ground with thunderous force.
Kai Xiusu twisted through the air with impossible agility, his movements defying belief—few would have guessed, from the sight, that this was a Red Dragon, renowned for his bulk and sluggishness.
Crack!
A sudden snapping echoed from above.
As Kai Xiusu streaked through the sky, he lifted his head slightly—only to witness the cavern’s ceiling beginning to collapse.
The Red Dragon’s expression hardened. His wings snapped inward tightly, limbs tucked close to his body.
Whoosh—
Like an arrow released from a bow, his body plunged downward in a straight, deadly dive.
At the very last moment, as the rubble tumbled into the abyss, Kai Xiusu burst through the mouth of the cave—his tail brushing past a falling boulder by mere inches.
Boom—
The impact followed instantly, a roar of dust and debris filling the air.
Then—silence.
The mausoleum was buried beneath tons of rock, sealed forever. No one would ever peer into its depths again. Though in a way, the act had destroyed a grave, it also fulfilled the long-forgotten wish of the Elder Storm Giant, finally laying his ancient spirit to rest.
“Rest in peace,” Kai Xiusu murmured, casting one final glance at the entrance now swallowed by earth and stone.
He brushed his claw across the ancient runes carved into the stone pillar, then turned and walked away.
The Red Dragon opened his massive paw. The Blue Eye of the Storm Sovereign lay quietly within, glowing faintly.
“This thing’s power is too immense to swallow directly. I’ll need a vessel.”
Even now, the memory of the storm that had nearly torn him apart still sent a chill through him.
---
Storm Ridge, Ashen Hollow.
On the walls of Rockfort, the bodies of Goblins and Goblinoids littered the ground—along with several Ogres, all felled in a single, precise arrow strike from above.
In the sky, a Two-Headed Dragon roared, its twin heads bellowing in fury. But even more alarming were the forty-plus colossal eagles circling the battlefield.
Their feathers gleamed like polished steel, their bodies armored with overlapping scales, their wingspans stretching over six meters.
Closer inspection revealed a rider on each eagle—clad in heavy plate armor, only their eyes visible through slits in their helmets.
On their chests, each bore the emblem of an Eagle and Sword.
This was the Eagle Guard of the Lakanman Family.
The Lakanmans earned their title, “Northwind Eagle,” from their ancestor Tegai Lakanman, who once stole a giant eagle egg from the storm-lashed cliffs of the highest peak. He raised the birds within his domain, training a legion of elite Giant Eagle Knights as his personal guard.
These knights could repel invasions by Frost Giants and Two-Headed Dragons, and were also feared weapons in the wars between noble lords.
The Eagle Guard had endured for centuries, their legacy passed down through generations.
The battle raged above.
Forty-plus Eagle Guards—some drawing bows, others gripping lances—danced through the air in perfect coordination, encircling the eight Two-Headed Dragons in a tight, relentless formation.
They had ample experience fighting such beasts. They knew they couldn’t stand toe-to-toe with their size and strength. But they also knew the monsters’ weaknesses: their bulk made quick turns in the air nearly impossible.
Their own speed and maneuverability was their edge.
So they employed the Circular Formation—a rotating, interlocking strategy where each knight protected the one behind, forcing the dragons into dizzying spirals.
Any dragon that lunged forward was met with a volley of arrows. If it missed, it was impaled from behind by a lance.
On the ground, the Goblin forces were helpless. Their arrows flew weakly into the sky, only to be deflected by the armor like feathers tickling skin.
The Ogres roared, hurling massive stones blindly into the air. One, without aim or calculation, flung a rock upward—
Boom!
It arced through the sky with surprising precision… and struck a hapless Eagle Guard dead.
“Ohhh! Got him!”
“Nice shot, Daitou!”
“Take down those little flies—those meat sacks!”
The Ogres cheered, surging forward to tear the fallen eagle and rider apart.
Standing atop the highest tower, Lanpu raised his massive club toward the sky.
“Fireball Spell!”
A searing orb of flame shot upward—only to be narrowly avoided by the eagle, who twisted in midair under the expert control of its rider. The fire grazed the eagle’s chest, leaving behind a trail of blackened, scorched fur.
Though it missed, the threat was clear.
The Eagle Guard snapped to alertness.
“It’s a spellcaster!”
“Stay away from that section of the wall! Damn it—how did a Cannibal Magician get here?”
“Watch for the caster!”
Lanpu’s face darkened. The Giant Eagle Knights were too fast—by the time he finished weaving his spell, they were already soaring into the clouds.
Even when he managed to strike down one or two with rocks, it was sheer luck.
He adjusted his small spectacles, muttering to himself:
“Goblins are useless. These brainless Two-Headed Dragons won’t do it either. We’ll have to rely on the Beast… or wait for the master to return.”
“No,” he thought, gritting his teeth. “Just a few dozen humans. This is nothing.”
“The master will be disappointed in me.”
With that, the Cannibal Magician roared into the cavern mouth carved into the rock wall, his voice echoing in Dragon Tongue:
“Chimera! If you don’t act now, you’ll be torn apart by the master himself!”
Roar—
From deep within the darkness of the cave, a furious bellow erupted.
A monstrous creature burst forth—its body a fusion of goat, lion, and dragon, three heads snarling in unison. With wings like a dragon’s, it soared into the sky.
“It’s the Chimera!”
An Eagle Guard cried out in alarm.
“Break formation!”
A calm, authoritative voice rang out from above.
It belonged to Alje Yoman, commander of the Eagle Guard, a warrior with decades of battle experience.
Beneath his thick Standard Plate Armor, his eyes remained cold and calculating.
Unlike the others, he wielded not a lance or bow—but a Heavy Battle Sword, its blade etched with intricate Eagle Wing Engravings.
The Chimera soared to the highest point, letting out a deafening howl.
Then, with practiced precision, it plunged into a steep dive, unleashing a torrent of Fiery Breath from its maw.
The Eagle Guard abandoned their formation instantly, scattering to avoid the inferno.
But even so, three knights were too slow.
Engulfed by flames, they screamed as they burned in midair—then plummeted, lifeless, into the earth below.
Seeing his comrades fall, Alje barked:
“That Chimera is mine! You, continue the encirclement of the Two-Headed Dragons!”
He leaned forward, gently stroking the feathers of his eagle.
“Igler… it’s time.”
The eagle and rider had fought side by side for years. No words were needed—understanding flowed between them like breath.
Screee—
A piercing eagle cry split the sky.
(End of Chapter)
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