Narvea’s head tilted as Ferrula’s green Clubtail watched me curiously. Kass flared his wings once, and I saw Cordelle’s gentle influence in the motion.
But I was the only rider.
I swallowed hard.
Kaelith lowered her head beside mine.
Walk proud, Ashlyn Rebec. Tonight, you speak for more than riders. You speak for hope.
I stepped down from Kaelith’s back, my boots sinking into the soft, trampled earth of the clearing. The murmurs of gathered dragons quieted as I approached the trio of gray-scaled beasts—Norven, Olzar, and Alteth. Their colors were dull compared to the gleaming brilliance of the other dragons, but there was an ancient gravity to their presence, like stone carved by centuries of wind.
“I have come as requested,” I said aloud, my voice steady despite the way my heart pounded.
Norven lifted his head slightly, and his voice slipped into my mind, calm and lilting.
I offer an allegiance.
Why now?I asked.Why after so long?
There was a pause, a beat where even the air seemed to hush.
The lost continent has changed over the last fifteen hundred years,Norven said.After the Blood Fae war, it became too dangerous to travel between continents. We were cut off. Forgotten. The journey across the great divide is long, and before the war, we could rest on the Fae Isle. Now…
His eyes darkened, scales shimmering with memory.
Now we must stop only briefly on the rock outcropping that remains. It is dangerous to linger. Many who tried… did not survive.
“We are aware,” I said softly.
And yet,I continued,why did no one know your horde was still alive? Not even the dragons here…
Because we did not want to be known,Norven answered.For centuries, it was safer that way. But your call… your bond… reached us.
He stepped forward, slow and deliberate, until his great head was level with mine.
You are bound to Kaelith, who is not merely a dragon, but a Shiftling. One of the rarest, most ancient bloodlines. That magic—your magic—pierced the veil that separated our realm from yours. Without it, we would still believe ourselves forgotten.
I felt Kaelith stir behind me, her pride a low hum in the back of my mind.
So this… alliance,I said, lifting my chin.It’s more than strategy.
Yes,Norven replied.It is destiny, drawn by blood, fire, and truth. The lost horde will return to help you, but only if the realms stand united.
I glanced around the summit, all eyes on me.
Then let’s make sure we do.
The clearing buzzed with low vibrations, not of sound but of thought—dragons speaking mind to mind.
I stood in the heart of it, Kaelith coiled behind me, silent but ever-present. Her breath was steady, but I felt her tension through the bond, like a taut bowstring.
Why should we bind again?one voice murmured across the mental web.We have tasted freedom.
We were made to choose once before,said another.This time, we choose ourselves.
I glanced at Kaelith.What are they saying?
They want to stay unbound,she answered simply.
