The Flame Riders: Dragon Hunt

League of Kingdoms Chronicle — Part 2

Flame arose, coloring the field scarlet orange.Ash and smoke covered the sky with a thick black cloud.

Kiera tried to lift the dead horse on top of her, but it didn’t budge. She looked at the icy glacier that was standing in front of her like a wall. As she raised her head, she could see a Drago coming down from the sky.

It had wings covered in ice and a set of eyes that were blazing in flame. Its body was hardened with the rocky carapace. The Drago landed in front of Kiera, and their eyes met amidst the air.

One Day Ago

As the regiment of soldiers marched across the open fields, the sound of their footsteps echoed loudly in the crisp morning air. They were veteran soldiers of the kingdom dispatched to hunt a dragon that was terrorizing the outskirt region. Hunting a dragon is a feared task for even the best of the best, but this time they had two rare allies joining their fight.

One was the Flame Riders — a band of mercenary riders famed for hunting dragons. Clad in their distinctive black armor, they rode their own horses with ease and grace, each one a skilled warrior in their own right.

The other was a peculiar creature accompanying the regiment: A Drago. It was lying on top of the general’s carriage, covered in its wings of ice.

Three mercenaries of the Flame Riders, Kiera, Jerek, and Rylan, rode together beside the general’s carriage.

“I heard the Drago ate the general’s son.”

Jerek, the new recruit of the Flame Riders, said while narrowing his eyes toward the Drago.

“There’s no way it still lives if it killed the general’s son.” Said Kiera, the senior rider among the three.

“Fair enough. So what’s the difference between a dragon and a Drago, anyway?” asked Jarek.

Kiera spoke up first. She was known for her knowledge of Drago.

“Well, one of the biggest differences is in their physical appearance,” she began. “Dragons have four legs, while Dragos only have two.”

Jerek scratched his head, clearly confused.

“They still look awfully similar to me. What about their behavior? Are they similar in any way?”

Rylan, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up. “From what I’ve heard, dragons are much more aggressive and territorial. Dragos, on the other hand, are more in tune with nature.”

Kiera nodded in agreement. “That’s true. Dragons are descendants of the tyrannical dragon Magdar, who was known for his greed and violence. Dragos, on the other hand, are born from elemental forces like earth, ice, fire, light, and darkness. Each one represents the force of nature they come from.”

Jerek and Rylan listened intently as Kiera told them the fabled legendary Dragos.

By the time she finished, Kiera realized that she scared them too much. Jerek and Rylan were eager to put more distance from the Drago.

“How do we know if it’s angry or not?” Said Jerek, who was trying his best not to stare at the Drago.

“No need to worry too much. They are mostly indifferent. Like a flowing river that cares nothing but its way to the ocean. When they feel threatened, they can get ferocious like a flood wiping out villages. But if you treat them with respect, they will respect you in return.”

Kiera casually turned her head toward the Drago and realized that it was watching her. Two pairs of eyes met. She gently bowed her head. Drago made a purring sound like a sleepy cat and closed its eyes again.

While they continued marching through the field, Kiera contemplated what just happened. Her knowledge of Dragos mostly came from the books, and it was nothing like seeing it with her own eyes. She didn’t know what to make of it, but she must admit that her heart was mesmerized by its glowing red eyes.

As they stopped to make camp for the night, Kiera couldn’t resist the urge to approach the Drago once again. It seemed to sense her presence and turned its head toward her. Its fiery eyes met hers again.

“Hello there,” Kiera whispered, reaching out to stroke its icy wing.

“You are truly a magnificent creature. I hope one day we can be a friend, and maybe……”

The Drago let out a low growl, but it didn’t seem to be angry. It almost felt like it was communicating with her in some way. Kiera smiled to herself, feeling a sense of connection with the powerful creature. She had already given it a name in her mind — Frostwing, for its icy wings that glittered in the moonlight.

As she turned to head back to her own campsite, Kiera couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, there will be a chance that she could one day ride it.

On the next day,

the regiment entered the last reported location of the target — a green dragon. It wasn’t that difficult to find traces of the dragon. The air grew thick with tension.

Out of a sudden, a loud roar shook the ground beneath their feet. The green dragon appeared, looming over them with its massive wingspan and ferocious gaze. The regiment sprang into action, each formation moving into position as they prepared to engage the fearsome beast.

At the center of it all, the Flame Riders took the lead. With a shout of

“For the Flame Riders!”,

they spurred their horses on and charged into the fray.

Their horses galloped towards the dragon as they aimed their specialized crossbows. The iron bolts, each linked to a long, sturdy chain, stuck around the dragon’s jaw and neck.

As the dragon prepared its deadly fire, the Flame Riders pulled the chain to draw the dragon’s attention. As expected, the dragon’s fiery breath was directed toward the Flame Rider who was pulling the chain. The Flame Rider expertly rode their horse to avoid the flames, looking as though they were riding the flame itself.

This was the sight where they got their name — the Flame Riders.

Jerek was in awe at the sight, having never seen anything like it before. Rylan struck his back softly with the blunt end of his spear and shouted.

“Let’s go! Don’t let Kiera take all the fame!”

Kiera was riding in the spearhead of the Flame Riders. Jerek and Rylan held their leash firmly and raced to the battlefield.

As the Flame Riders continued to distract the green dragon, the rest of the regiment had their part to play in the battle.

“Attack! Aim for the eyes!” the General shouted, his voice booming over the sound of battle.

The archers aimed at the dragon’s head, hoping to land a shot in its vulnerable eyes. The archers let loose their arrows, and a few managed to find their mark. The dragon roared in pain and anger, its attention now turned towards the archers who had dared to strike it. It opened its jaws wide and prepared to breathe a stream of fire toward the archers, but the Flame Riders were quick to act.

They pulled on the chains attached to the bolts stuck in the dragon’s scales, causing it to shift its aim away from the troops and towards the Flame Riders. The dragon’s flames narrowly missed the Flame Riders.

“30 seconds before the next breath!” Kiera shouted to the main force.

The Flame Riders knew that it usually takes about 30 seconds for a dragon to prepare the breath. This is the window of opportunity.

The archers continued to shoot their arrows, trying to find another weakness in the dragon’s defenses, and the spearmen rushed to spike its weak belly and hind legs with long spears. The fierce clash of fire and steel went on for hours until, finally, the green dragon let out one last roar before collapsing to the ground, defeated.

The soldiers cheered in triumph, not long before a long echoing roar was heard from afar. Before they even noticed where it came from, a massive creature landed with a thud, sending up a cloud of dust. Two giant wings spread like opening a cape, and a horrifying figure revealed itself from within. A massive red dragon had joined the battle.

Amidst the chaos and destruction, the red dragon unleashed a torrent of flames upon the main troops. Troops faltered, scattering into the woods. With a powerful swing of its tail, the red dragon crushed half of the Flame Riders, sending them tumbling to the ground. The whole field was blazed with fire.

Jerek saw Rylan falling from his horse and landing with a sickening thud. Jerek quickly rushed to his aid, managing to pull him up onto his horse just in time to avoid the red dragon’s next attack.

As Rylan rode behind Jerek’s back, clinging to him, his heart sank as he saw Kiera’s horse fall to the ground, crushing her leg beneath its weight. Panic set in as the red dragon turned its attention toward her, preparing to unleash another deadly blast of fire.

But then, through the thick cloud of ash, the Drago appeared, its icy wings beating furiously as it flew toward the flames. With a fierce roar, it summoned a powerful gust of wind, creating a massive ice glacier that shielded Kiera from the fiery onslaught.

Rylan breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Kiera safe, but the battle was far from over. He turned to Jerek.

“Jerek.”

“Don’t worry Rylan. I’ll get you out of here.”

Rylan groaned in response. It’s getting hard to keep himself awake.

“Help her.”

He murmured between his lips before he faded to black. The roar of the raging red dragon was echoing through the burning battlefield.

The Drago landed in front of Kiera, who was trapped under a dead horse. The Drago gently removed the horse from on top of her, and Kiera watched, fascinated. She couldn’t even feel the pain of her broken leg. She picked up some sticks and made a splint to support her injured leg.

After watching her get back in shape, Drago lowered its wing to allow Kiera to ride on its back. Kiera stood silent, hardly able to believe what was happening. She softly touched the icy wings of Drago and was surprised that it felt not cold to her. Kiera felt an indescribable bond forming between her and the Drago as she rode on its back. She could feel its every movement, and it seemed to understand her intentions without a word being spoken.

“Do you mind if I call you Frostwing?”

Kiera asked, and Frostwing answered by opening its icy wings wide.

As they soared through the sky, Kiera spotted the red dragon below them, still wreaking havoc on the ground. She felt a surge of determination and suddenly she felt the air growing colder.

A small gathering of icicles appeared in front of Kiera’s hand. They swirled and danced before coming together to form a gleaming spear made entirely of ice. Kiera grasped it tightly.

Two pairs of eyes were fixed on the red dragon. Two spiked down through the red dragon’s wing, punching a hole into it. The dragon burst flames into the sky, but they were no easy target.

The battle was intense, with flames and ice clashing in the air. Kiera and Frostwing seemed to have gained the upper hand, their movements coordinated and swift.

Frostwing landed within the reach of the red dragon, with its legs planted firmly on the ground. The dragon crushed the site with its front leg, but only to realize that the Drago turned the ground into quicksand, trapping its legs. Now the dragon was just a big target.

Kiera and the Frostwing pierced the dragon with the ice spear. The red dragon thrashed out of pain, and it managed to get itself out of the quicksand. Its eyes were burning in vengeful red. Kiera firmly grabbed her spear to deliver the final blow.

Suddenly a searing pain shot up her leg, causing her to wince in pain. With her focus broken, the red dragon seized the opportunity to lunge at her and the Drago, its massive jaws snapping dangerously close.

Just as the dragon’s teeth were about to close in, a bolt from a crossbow hit its neck, causing it to roar in pain and turn its attention toward the attacker. It was Jerek, who had returned to the battlefield after assisting Rylan to join the wounded in retreat.

The distraction gave Kiera and the Frostwing enough time to recover. Kiera noticed the chain and glanced over at Jerek.

“Jerek! Hold it tight!” Kiera shouted to him.

Jerek nodded in agreement, and Kiera signaled Frostwing to fly higher.

As they soared, Kiera aimed her spear toward the red dragon’s eyes. The red dragon was too focused on Jerek below and didn’t notice Kiera and the Drago until it was too late.

Kiera’s spear pierced the dragon’s eye, and Frostwing used its ice wings to freeze the dragon’s other eye shut. With both eyes blinded, the red dragon thrashed around wildly, trying to shake off Kiera and Drago.

The remaining troops witnessed the whole battle, and a spark of hope blazed in the soldier’s eyes. One by one, they began to rally and join the fight. Arrows and spears poured against the beast. The Flame Riders joined Jerek to distract the dragon’s attention. Despite the dragon’s size and strength, they finally managed to defeat the red dragon.

The troops cheered and celebrated. Kiera smiled as she watched the cheering troops down below, and she slowly fainted from the exhaustion and pain. Frostwing softly landed on the ground, as if not to disturb her sleep.

After the victory against the red dragon, a medal ceremony was held to honor the heroes of the battle. The ceremony was held in the main square of the capital city, and it was attended by the soldiers, their families, and the people of the city.

As the ceremony began, the General stepped forward and began to speak.

“Today, we have defeated a great enemy. ……”

On the side of the stage, Kiera and the Flame Riders were waiting for the medal, all dressed up in suits.

“Ugh, the neck is too tight,” Jerek whispered.

“Can’t believe these people wear this all day long,” Rylan added.

Kiera remained silent, but she mostly concurred with what they were saying. She’s not the kind of person who enjoys ceremonies. She was only here in the hope to see Frostwing once again, maybe for the last time.

“… But it is not only our strength and courage that led us to victory. It is also the bravery of one individual who stood out from the rest.”

The general turned to Kiera. She walked forward and stood in front of the general. Before the general could continue his speech, a shadow lay over the crowd.

It was Frostwing!

The Drago flew over the crowd and landed gracefully on top of the wall near the ceremonial stage.

“That Drago belonged to my son until he met his day on the battlefield.”

The General stepped forward and pinned the medal on Kiera’s uniform, and said in a voice that only Kiera can hear. Kiera was puzzled and didn’t know what to say.

The general continued. “I hope the Drago serves you better this time. It is yours now.”

Kiera’s eyes were wide open from surprise, then turned to gratitude and excitement. She couldn’t help herself but look at Frostwing, who was already watching her as well. Kiera smiled back at it.

As the general stepped back, the crowd cheered and applauded. Kirea knew that she will never forget the day when she became a Drago rider.

About League of Kingdoms

League of kingdoms is a massively multiplayer strategy game that is centered around building kingdoms and governing the world. Here the player can build a powerful kingdom and army, forge alliances, compete against others, and trade digital assets across the blockchain.

The LANDs are NFTs transparently and verifiably stored on the blockchain network, so players can own and trade freely. Gamers can not only own a parcel of Land, but various resources therein, and the future growth of the game company.

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About League of Kingdoms Arena (LOKA)

League of Kingdoms Arena (LOKA) is League of Kingdoms’ native governance token and will be the cornerstone for the game project’s expansion into metaverses where a community of gamers can own and thrive.

The LOKA will be utilized as the currency inside the League of Kingdoms game franchise for all in-game store purchases, such as purchasing packages, skins, and goods. Additionally, the LOKA token will act as an NFT booster to create, upgrade, and acquire special NFT assets, including but not limited to Drago and Skin NFTs. The token will be also used to propose and vote on on-chain governance proposals to determine future features, policies, content, and/or parameters of the game. Last but not least LOKA tokens can also be earned by playing the in-game competition and/or achieving special tasks — for example after each Continent vs. Continent (CvC) battle, winners will be rewarded with LOKA tokens (and potentially rarer NFT item rewards) depending on the performance during the battle.

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