A/N: I've really been putting this chapter off. I'm making it my goal though to have Dragon's Heart done by the end of February (hopefully before then). But that all depends on how distracted I get. So, let's cross our fingers.
"How long is it until we get there?" Red asked.
"Just a few more minutes," Aoi answered.
Red sighed and continued to fly behind the two white dragons. They had been flying for well over an hour now and the black dragon was starting to think that they wouldn't reach the Domain of the Dragons in time. He looked over to Azul, who had yet to say a word to him after they had left the den. The white dragon was ignoring him on purpose, not that the black dragon had a problem with that.
His thoughts briefly went back to his mate. He could feel his eyes start to water at the prospect of his mate possibly dying. He couldn't live without his mate. Blue meant everything to him and without him, the light in his world would disappear. Red shook his head quickly. He wouldn't let that happen if it's the last thing he'll ever do. He'll even sacrifice himself just to make sure that his mate would live, if the situation called for it.
His eyes caught sight of something in the distance. He looked over to Aoi, who sighed in relief. "Alright guys, we're coming up to the Domain. Now Red, stay behind us. The Domain Guardians know who we are and if they see a stranger, they will attack you," Aoi said in a serious tone.
Azul and Red nodded their heads in understanding. Red slowed down his pace, trailing behind the two white dragons. He watched as the structure grew closer. He took in a deep breath and started to mentally prepare himself for what's coming up ahead. He had to admit though, he wasn't ready at all. He had heard horror stories of the monsters that had traveled to this part of the Duel Monster Realm- all of them ranging from mild violence to extreme mutilation of monsters. The black dragon shivered in fear.
Once they were at the entrance of the Domain, Red let out a shuddering breath. It was large, bigger than the mountain range where he lived at. He stretched his head up to see the top of the structure, but it was so tall that it seemed to go on forever.
Looking straight forward, his observed the format of the building. It looked almost like a temple. However, instead of being in perfect shape, like had imagined it to be, it was crumbling in some places. Several pillars were lying on the ground in a large heap of crumbled stone while other pillars were barely holding their own weight. All in all, the temple looked as if it were in ruins. Add the fact that it smelled like something died, and it was completely unappealing. Not at all like his image of how the Domain of the Dragons would be like.
"Who dares trespass on our Domain?" A loud voice rings throughout the air.
Red, Azul, and Aoi all flinch before looking at each other. Red and Azul made eye contact with each other before both of their eyes narrowed. A gleam entered Azul's eyes and Red tilted his head to the side. His eyes widened before he nodded his head in understanding. Both Red and Azul looked towards Aoi before pushing him forward.
Aoi looked at both dragons in shock before snapping his head forward. Swallowing deeply, Aoi stepped forward and said, "My brother and our friend wish to obtain entrance into the Domain of the Dragons, your honor."
Aoi bowed and signals the two other dragons to do so. Azul and Red quickly follow his lead and dipped down low in respect. A deep rumbling could be heard and felt before the sound of wings flowed through the air. Peeking up from his stance, Red saw three dragons flying towards them. His heart rate picked up slightly and he quickly lowered his gaze.
"You dragons may rise. State your business in our Domain."
Aoi, Azul, and Red all stood up and looked up at the three dragons. Red gasped softly. He had never seen dragons like them before. The dragon in the middle was a beautiful shade of turquoise, but that was offset by his harsh facial features. He looked strict, yet wise at the same time. His eyes were a deep shade of grey. They seemed to be searching deep inside of his soul.
His eyes then moved to the right, where a crimson dragon was standing tall. Horns and scales were poking out from the red dragon's back, making him look fierce. His eyes were even more scary than the first dragon. They were narrowed drastically, taking the shape of small slits. Shivering in slight fear, his eyes moved over to the far left to see the last dragon.
The last dragon was a slick black. He didn't look as dangerous as the other two dragons. In fact, he looked calmer. His eyes were soothing, yet striking at the same time. His calm demeanor was putting Red off slightly. He wasn't sure why, but this dragon scared him even more than the other two. Looking over at Aoi, he noticed that the white dragon seemed to be cool and collected.
"I will not ask one more time. What is your purpose here?" The turquoise dragon growled out menacingly.
Aoi looked back at Red and signaled him to walk up. Tensing up slightly, Red started walking up slowly. He took in several deep breaths, although it did no good in calming him down. He picked his head and near buckled under the pressure. All three dragons were staring at him with sharp eyes.
"I am here because my mate is dying. I've heard of something that could possibly save his life that resides here at the Domain known as the Dragon's Heart," Red said timidly.
The three dragons observed the black dragon before they turned to each other. They let out soft growls and grunts, talking to each other in their native tongue. Red recognized some of the words, since he had dabbled in the ancient language of his ancestors. But he could only pick up bits and pieces, since the dragons were talking too fast for him to translate. All he could pick up was 'trust' and 'suspicious'.
The turquoise dragon narrowed his eyes before he looked over to the white dragons. "Blue Eyes White Dragons, stand outside while we talk with your friend."
Azul opened his mouth to protest, but Aoi stopped him. He placed a stern claw on his brother's shoulder and gave him a look. Azul face was becoming purple in rage, more than likely due to the fact that he had just been commanded to leave and the fact that he had just found out about his brother's possible death. He sent death glares at Red before flying out of the Domain in an angry huff. Aoi looked back at Red in disappointment before walking out behind his brother.
Red watched as Aoi and Azul left and he felt his heart skip a beat. Without the two dragons, he suddenly felt more vulnerable and weak. He slowly turned his head back to the three Legendary Dragons and gulped. His eyes flickered back and forth between the dragons, not completely sure which one to focus on.
"Follow us, Red Eyes Black Dragon. We must first test you to make sure that you are worthy of receiving the Dragon's Heart," the turquoise dragon said.
The three dragons turned around and spread their wings. They took flight, causing a large gust of wind to hit Red right in the face. He fell back due to the force, closing his eyes in response. The gust blew by him and rocked the walls of the Domain before it calmed down. Dust floated down from the ceiling and Red looked up in apprehension. He wasn't sure if the foundation of the old temple could be trusted, especially after the strong gust given off by the dragons.
Red opened his eyes slowly before he stood up. Looking around to where the dragons could have gone to, he saw the figures of the Legendary Dragons flying up ahead. Red clenched his claws together. He had to prove that he was capable of keeping up with the Legendary Dragons. Uncurling his wings, Red flew up into the sky, trying to catch up with the other dragons.
They all flew through twists and turns throughout the temple. Through the course of the flight, Red was starting to becoming lost. He wasn't completely sure if he would be able to find his way out, but he would worry about that later. For now, he just followed the figures of the larger dragons in front of him.
His eyes widened when he was suddenly transported into what seemed like another world. Instead of the temple, they were now in a circular room. It looked as if it were just built yesterday. The walls were a stunning white color and there weren't any cracks anywhere. And despite the fact that there weren't any lights inside or any windows, the room was perfectly lite.
Red slowly walked towards the center of the room and looked up at the three dragons timidly. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next, so he just stood where he was. And luckily, that's all he had to do.
"Red Eyes Black Dragon, you are here to be judged on your character. You have requested the Dragon's Heart, is that correct?" the turquoise dragon asked loudly.
Red nodded his head before opening his mouth. "Yes, I have," he croaked out.
The turquoise dragon nodded his head before signaling the other dragons to go to opposite sides of the room. The crimson and ebony dragons moved to another part of the room where they were standing by themselves. Looking around, Red noticed that he was surrounded on all sides by the Legendary Dragons. His shivered in slight fear before pushing it down.
"Now's not the time to be showing fear, Red," the black dragon thought to himself.
Once he effectively calmed down his body, Red looked straight into the turquoise dragon's eyes. The other dragon smirked before raising his head up.
"I am Timaeus, the dragon of honor. I shall judge you on your wisdom, honor, and your trustworthiness," the turquoise dragon roared.
"I am Hermos, the dragon of courage. I shall judge you on your bravery, love for others, and your honesty," the crimson dragon roared.
"I am Critias, the dragon of war. I shall judge you on your fighting prowess, your skills, and your strategic ability," the ebony dragon roared.
The three dragons' roars molded together until it was a single, harmonized roar. It nearly caused Red to fall off of his feet. Luckily, his sense of balance decided to stick with him a little bit longer. The roar caused the room to start trembling. Red looked up in shock as the three dragons started to glow brightly. He shielded his eyes to block out some of the brightness.
The roars grew progressively louder until suddenly, they stopped. Red felt his body tense, expecting something to happen. However, the silence remained. When nothing happened for the next few seconds, Red slowly opened his eyes. He looked around the room in confusion before looking up at the Legendary Dragons. All three of them had a grave expression on their faces, causing Red to look around in worry.
His eyes caught Critias' movement as the ebony dragon stepped forward. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, you have passed my test. Your skills are above any of your race and you are a force to be reckoned with."
Red let out a small breath in relief before looking over to the other two dragons. Hermos stepped forward next. "Black Dragon, you have passed my test as well. You are a courageous dragon that cares deeply for your friends and your mate. I would be honored to give you the Dragon's Heart."
Red felt the pressure in his chest leaving him steadily. "Maybe this will be easier than I thought," Red thought to himself.
He watched in contained excitement as Timaeus stepped forward. His gaze was sharp, causing Red to frown slightly. "Red Eyes, you are indeed honorable and wise. However, it is due to your carelessness that your mate is in the predicament that he is in now. And as the protector of the Dragon's Heart, I cannot allow you access to the heart under any circumstances," Timaeus said gravely.