My stomach twisted.But we need them. We need their strength.
And they know it,Kaelith said.
Norven stepped forward, his dull violet eyes sweeping across the gathering. His voice entered all our minds like a steady pulse.
The allegiance will require sacrifice from us all,he said.But the truth remains—those dragons born on the lost continent have adapted to the darker magic. We have learned how to navigate the warping storms, the poisoned winds. But dragons from Earendall…
He paused, and the silence was heavier than before.
…will perish during the crossing, unless they have a rider and an escort from our horde.
Shock rippled through the group.
I turned toward Norven, speaking aloud now. “Why?”
Because the crossing is not only physical. It touches the soul. The corrupted magic in the chasm between our lands twists the essence of all that pass. You need two anchors—a rider, and a dragon who has already survived it.
A low, unsettling hiss passed through a few dragons clustered near Narvea. I spotted Hein’s massive frame shift subtly, his gaze locking on Kaelith. Even he seemed unsure.
Another voice joined the mental thread, older, rough-edged.And what of those of us who do not wish to return to bonds?
Norven didn’t flinch.Then do not. No dragon will be forced. But this alliance is not simply for riders. It is for all of dragon kind. The disease that spreads across our continent will not stay contained forever. Our threat is yours. It is why we have come.He looked at me then.
She will lead the fight here. If we fail, then both continents are lost.
I stepped forward, the air thick with the burden of unspoken truths. The dragons were quiet now, still and listening, even the most restless of the unbound. Kaelith’s warmth pulsed behind me, but she didn’t speak.
I looked at Norven. “What happened to the Lost Continent?”
The gray Striker’s gaze turned distant, old sorrow flickering through the link that connected us.
We fought… and we lost,his voice was rougher now, hollowed by memory.The enemy came from the east—twisted magic, older than anything we had prepared for. At first, we resisted. Alone. Proud. We did not trust the native humans born with magic in their blood. We thought we were enough. By the time we made a treaty with them and chose our riders, it was too late.
His tail swept low over the dirt, etching a dark curve into the earth.
The darkness had taken root, not just in the land, but in the minds of our kin. Many fell to it. Others became corrupted by it. Those of us who survived withdrew into hiding. We learned to adapt. We changed.
“And now your lands are ruled by this… darkness?” I asked, barely able to imagine it.
It sleeps beneath the surface, but yes. Our home is no longer safe. And eventually, it will spread beyond the sea.
“Then… why now?” I asked. “Why come to us?”
Norven’s gaze sharpened.Because you are already at war. And your enemy’s roots reach deeper than you know. If we help you win, then you will owe us. When the time is right…
“When will that be?” I whispered.
When the Chosen One emerges,he said, voice like stone cracking under pressure.
“Who is it?” I asked, heart pounding.
Norven glanced at Kaelith, then at me.We do not know yet. But they will be marked by both light and darkness. A soul tied to both dragons and magic. And they will decide the fate of two continents.
Silence. No one dared speak—not even the dragons.
Then Siergen’s mind brushed against us all, steady and firm.
It is time. All dragons of the isle will cast their vote. This is not a command. It is a choice. Do we honor the allegianceoffered by the lost horde… or let them fade from memory once more?
