Chapter 24

24

EIRIAN

T he Great Hall, once a place of solemn ceremonies and dignified gatherings, had descended into chaos, devoid of the statues we had grown accustomed to seeing. Dracarians from every corner of the Keep had converged here, their voices rising in a mess of fear, anger, and confusion. I stood at the center of it all, trying to maintain some semblance of order, but it felt like attempting to hold back a tidal wave with my bare hands.

The absence of my parents, King Alaric and Queen Isolde, was keenly felt. They had been called away to the outer regions of Dracaria, where reports of Void incursions were becoming more frequent and alarming. Their departure, so soon after the unexpected dragon hatching, had left a power vacuum that I was struggling to fill.

But they'd said without their presence in the outer regions to offer some hope, we'd risk the populace losing hope.

And, right now, hope was all we had.

My father had told me that this was a big moment, one where I needed to prove my power as a Prince of the realm.

Elowen stood beside me, her face a mask of calm that belied the tension I could sense radiating from her. Her presence was a small comfort, but I knew that in the eyes of many Dracarians, we were poor substitutes for the King and Queen.

We'd had to lock down the Keep after a sighting on the edge of the Kingdom, right after my parents had left no less.

Thankfully, we'd come to discover it to be a false sighting of a shadow creature, but I was pleased with how quickly the people of the Keep had moved to lock everything down.

"Silence!" I roared, my voice enhanced by a touch of draconic magic. The hall fell quiet for a moment, all eyes turning to me. "We must approach this situation with calm and reason."

But the peace was short-lived. Lord Caelum, our military commander, stepped forward, his face flushed with anger. "Calm? Reason? The ancient prophecies have been turned on their head! We expected awakened dragons, not... not infants!"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. I could see the panic in their eyes, the way they looked at each other as if seeking confirmation that this wasn't some elaborate nightmare. But the statues that had long stood around such gatherings here, those of the ancient dragons, were gone.

I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. As the one tasked with overseeing the Earthern people in my parents' absence, I felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on me. "The Seer foresaw this," I reminded them, my voice steady despite the turmoil in my gut. "We must trust in the old magic, in the wisdom that has guided our people for millennia. We were not entirely aware of how the dragons would be awakened, but it has happened."

Elowen stepped forward, her voice carrying across the hall. "Prince Eirian is right. The Seer's visions have never led us astray before. We must have faith."

But our words did little to quell the growing unrest. From the back of the hall, a voice called out, "It's the impure blood! The tainted ones have corrupted the ancient magic!"

My jaw clenched at the slur. 'Tainted ones.' The term left a bitter taste in my mouth now. I'd stopped using it the more I'd been around them. I thought of Aria, of the determination in her eyes as she faced each new challenge. There was nothing tainted about her spirit. I shoved the thought aside, still unsure why it was her that always sprung to mind.

"That's enough," I said, my voice sharp. "The Earthern people are not to blame for this. If anything, their unique heritage may be the key to our salvation."

Lord Thorn, ever the diplomat, stepped forward. "But surely, Your Highness, you must admit that this outcome is unprecedented. Perhaps we should have cast our net wider, brought in more potential candidates from across Dracaria."

I shook my head, frustration building within me. "We exhausted all Dracarian options," I reminded them. "The Seer was clear - it had to be them. The mixing of their blood with our ancient lineage has created something new, something powerful."

"Something dangerous," someone muttered, loud enough for all to hear.

I felt my patience wearing thin. "Enough!" I shouted, allowing a hint of my dragon form to show through - eyes glowing, scales shimmering beneath my skin. "What's done is done. The fate of our world now rests with these hatchlings and their bonded people. We can stand here arguing about what might have been, or we can start figuring out how to move forward."

Elowen placed a calming hand on my arm, her voice soft but firm. "We must unite in this time of uncertainty. Our King and Queen are fighting to protect our borders and provide stability in the outer regions. It falls to us to prepare for what lies ahead until their return."

A hush fell over the hall, the Dracarians looking at each other uncertainly. I pressed on, seizing the moment of quiet. "These dragons may be young, but they are still dragons. The bond they share with their companions is unlike anything we've seen before. Instead of fearing it, we should be studying it, nurturing it."

Lady Aurelia nodded slowly, a smile on her lips. "The magical potential... it could be extraordinary."

"Exactly," I said, feeling a glimmer of hope. "We need to focus on training both dragons and their people, helping them grow into their powers together."

Lord Caelum frowned, ever the pragmatist. "But the Void won't wait for hatchlings to mature. We need a fighting force now."

I met his gaze steadily. "Then we'll have to be creative. The earthlings have already shown remarkable adaptability. Combined with our Dracarian knowledge and the unpredictable nature of these new dragons, we might just have a chance."

As the implications of my words sank in, I could see the shift in the room. Fear and anger gave way to determination, to the stirrings of hope. We were Dracarians, after all. Adapting to impossible situations was in our blood.

"What would you have us do, Prince Eirian?" Lord Thorn asked, his tone respectful.

I straightened, feeling the mantle of leadership settle more firmly on my shoulders. "We need to reorganize our training programs. Lady Aurelia, I want you to work on understanding the unique magic of these hatchlings. Lord Caelum, start thinking about how we might incorporate young dragons into our battle strategies."

As I continued to give out assignments, I felt a sense of purpose replace the earlier chaos. We had a long road ahead of us, filled with unknowns and potential dangers. But for the first time since the unexpected hatching, I felt a spark of real hope.

Once the hall had cleared, I allowed myself a moment of vulnerability. Leaning against a pillar, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. By the ancient fires, what had we gotten ourselves into?

Elowen approached me, her face etched with concern. "You handled that well, Eirian. Your parents would be proud."

I nodded, grateful for her support. "Let's hope we can live up to their expectations. The fate of two worlds may well rest on the decisions we make in the coming days."

"Yes, and on those baby dragons and their people."