I Received System to Become Dragonborn

The thought became a terror to Erend and Eccar now. Before, they believed they were only here to witness Thar'Zul-Vekar's final moments and see the cause of the god's death and the forest's destruction.

They thought they had learned everything once the Fire Dragon Maelric appeared. But what they saw next made them tremble.

If a Dragon with power like Maelric was being controlled, then what did that mean for them?

It meant they, too, could be bent and turned to unleashed destruction against the world.

"Shit. We have to know more about this!" Eccar said, panic creeping into his voice.

Erend mirrored his urgency. "You're right. But how the fuck do we know about that? This is just a memory so we can't just ask him!"

Maelric let out another sound. Not a roar or a growl, but a groan. Low and cracked and full of misery.

His body was changing again, but not like a Dragonborn calmly reverting to human form. His Fire Dragon body was unstable. Scales began to melt like slag. Heat shimmered around him unnaturally. Then with a sickening shudder Maelric collapsed to the ashen ground.

A shockwave rolled through the ash-covered earth as his massive form slammed down. Then slowly in the ruins and dust he lay curled. He was crying.

His long red hair tangled and matted with ash and clung to his face. His body trembled.

Erend and Eccar watched in silence before glancing at each other.

"We should go to him." Eccar said.

Erend nodded.

Lightning rippled around him while wind swirled over Eccar's wings. In seconds, they both returned to their human forms. Slowly, they approached the Dragonborn.

Erend knelt down beside Maelric. "Maelric," he called gently. "Can you hear me?"

No answer. Just the sound of muffled sobs against the dust.

Erend looked around, scanning the shadows. The sky above remained cracked and red, but there was nothing else. No movement, another creature, ir being lurking in the edges.

"Something did this to him. It has to be here somewhere," Erend muttered.

Then Eccar stepped closer and gave Maelric's side a nudge with his foot. He expected nothing.

But instead, he felt it. A real physical impact.

"I hit him," Eccar said, stepping back in disbelief. "I felt it when I hit him, Erend!"

Erend's eyes widened. He reached forward and shook Maelric's shoulder gently. "He's real. We're connected somehow."

But Maelric mental was too far gone to respond.

"We need to go deeper," Erend said. "This isn't just memory anymore. We can touch him. Maybe we can talk to him if we push further."

Then, like a sunbeam cutting through a storm, a golden rift tore open in front them.

It shimmered and pulsed then expanding.

From the radiant opening stepped a man in a black robe adorned with intricate golden patterns. He had long golden hair that glimmering as if woven from sunlight itself. His skin was pale and ageless, and his eyes held the weight of endless time.

Eccar's stance shifted as power coiled around his limbs. "Who the hell is that?"

But Erend took a step forward, his eytes blinked in recognition. It was the figure he haven't seen in a very long time

"Wait," he said. "I know who he is."

Eccar shot him a frown. "What? Who?"

"His name is Krono. The Time Dragon." Erend said.

Hearing that, Eccar couldn't help but turn toward Erend with confused eyes.

"Time Dragon?" Eccar echoed, the words foreign in his mouth.

That name was beyond his understanding like something that felt more myth than fact even though he was a Dragonborn himself. He had never heard of it before and if what Erend said was true, then that meant this was also a Dragonborn, with the power of time.

Krono, the Time Dragon, walked closer with calm steps. His golden robes whispered against the scorched earth and his expression remained cold and silent.

"Krono," Erend said. "You came here because you want to tell us something. I don't think we have much time, so just tell me what you know. Who the hell controlled this Dragonborn Maelric?"

"Don't worry," Krono answered, his voice as smooth as flowing sand. "Time is not going on while you are here. So we have plenty of it."

Erend realived hearing that. But then he narrowed his eyes. "Was this your doing? Sending us here into this memory?"

"No," Krono said simply. "Thar'Zul-Vekar wanted you to see this. I only came when the moment was right to speak with you both."

Eccar frowned. "You… invaded this memory?" he asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately, yes," Krono said without shame. "I had to. Because what controlled Maelric is a powerful beings that has been manipulating events across other worlds as well. So we have to talk as soon as possible."

Erend's jaw clenched. "Who are they?" he asked. "Is it… the Praetoris?"

Krono nodded. "Yes."

"That was the name we saw in Laston's note," Eccar muttered, more to himself than anyone. "Damn… so that thing really exists."

"They do exist," Krono confirmed. "They are powerful and dangerous beings. Even I can't reach them with my power. Every time I try to observe their movements, they block my power."

Erend grit his teeth, the weight of it settling deep in his chest.

"They can block the power of a Time Dragon…" he said gravely. "Then how do we stop them?"

Krono looked at them in turn and for the first time, something softened in his expression. A trace of sadness and maybe helplessness.

"I don't know," Krono said.

That answer hit them hard.

Erend and Eccar froze with their grave expression knowing that even a Dragonborn who wielded time itself had no answer.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Erend and Eccar looking at Maelric who were still sobbing on the ground with his guilt and pain.

Then Maelric said, "I have a proposal. From now on, we have to work together. Because I can't see the future where the Praetoris can be stopped and it terrifies me."

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