"Keep in mind, the Council serves the People, not egos.
I will not warn again."
With those words, the Matriarch walked out of the Hall and the eting ended.
And inside the Elders Hall—
There was silence.
Complete Silence.
Draksis continued to glare at Kael.
The rest of the Elders too, seed lost in their thoughts, but no one said anything out loud. Even though Aelindra had planned to talk to Elder Draksis, seeing the look on his face and sensing the tense air, she decided to remain silent for now.
Sothing told her that with things as they were right now, if she tried to do sothing, it would only make everything worse.
And as she saw the complicated looks on Tarevian’s and Nyris’s faces, she could tell that they were thinking the sa thing.
Creek
After a ten second long, pin drop silence, a sound was heard.
It ca from Kael’s chair, that had dragged behind after he stood up. He then stared at Lavinia, the Mage nodded and stood up as well, the two then nodded at the rest of the elders except Draksis and turned around, preparing to leave.
But then—
"Yes! Leave after spoiling the Council’s eting, this is what I expect an outsider to do!"
Draksis shouted.
Kael paused at those words, his fists clenching in anger and frustration, Lavinia however, held his hand and cald him down.
This was enough.
He had already done what was necessary, they didn’t have to make any more moves, everything would happen on its own.
Kael glanced at Lavinia, who nodded again, gently rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb and in the end, he nodded back and continued walking.
An action Draksis did not like one bit—
"Hah! Typical Outsi—"
"That is enough, Human."
Suddenly, a frightening cold and heavy voice was heard, a voice that surprised all the Elders and even Kael and Lavinia.
The two stopped and Kael felt his Sanctuary being opened forcefully.
He turned towards the direction the Sanctuary was being opened in and his eyes fell on Draksis, or more accurately, the place right in front of Draksis.
A sudden black-purple portal opened in mid-air and in an instant, the cold hall beca warm.
Usually, in a cold weather like this, such sudden heat would plunge everyone into a sense of comfort, but this heat was different, even in this cold weather, this heat felt... threatening.
The Elders widened their eyes in shock, especially Draksis, who was seeing everything unfold right in front of him.
The heavy voice still rang in his head and before he could think or react—
A massive, fiery-red head pushed through the Portal that had ford in front of him.
Its scales glowed like hamred copper fresh from the forge, and those big ember eyes stared right at him.
Fsssss
In an instant, the temperature in and outside the Hall rose even further—snow on the window’s edge hissed into steam.
It almost felt like Winter was over, the Elders even began sweating, though it wasn’t clear whether it was because of the heat or the sheer shock and terror they were feeling.
Slowly, the Dragon ca out of the Portal, standing three ters tall, with his head hovering right in front of Draksis’s.
Crack
Suddenly, the round council table cracked under the sudden heat, wood blackening at the edges.
The Elders unconsciously shrank back; every single one of them felt the Bonds in their Sanctuaries shivering nervously despite not being physically present here.
And out of everyone, the one who had it the worst was Draksis.
Seeing the massive Dragon standing in front of him, he froze, sweat rolled down his forehead continuously, as he felt his legs weaken, even he didn’t know how he was standing upright when the Dragon was staring right at him.
"You have disrespected my Father ti and ti again and I have stayed silent—but that will not be the case any longer."
Igni spoke, his frightening voice made even Kael blink. He had never heard his adorable Igni talk in such a manner.
"It must not happen again, make sure of it."
The Dragon ordered.
What’s surprising was that seeing the Dragon order around an Elder of the Council felt so... natural that none of the elders that were present seed to have any complaints regarding it.
Complaints? These people were barely holding the urge to lower their heads and nod furiously, doing exactly what the Dragon wanted them to do.
The Dragon’s presence was simply that overwhelming.
But...
A Human’s pride wasn’t sothing to scoff at either.
When Draksis realized he was being ordered, that too, by the Bond of his ’enemy’, a strong feeling of dissatisfaction rose in his heart.
Instead of Igni, he pointed his right arm towards Kael, the presumably ’weaker target’ and shouted.
"So this is what you have resorted to? Bringing out your Dragon since you cannot deal with yourse—"
FWOOOOSH
But before the Forge Leader could even complete his sentence, the Dragon unleashed a stream of blazing flas straight at Draksis’s outstretched arm and—
"AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Draksis’s eyes widened in shock as he scread in agony in a raw, piercing voice.
He staggered back, clutching his burning arm with his left hand, but the flas licked higher, charring his sleeve to ash in seconds. He tried to put out the flas, but no matter what he did, the flas didn’t disappear.
"AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
The Elder scread even more hysterically, the sharp and sickening sll of burning flesh filled the air. The entire limb was covered in fiery red.
The rest of the elders froze in horror, their faces pale. Aelindra stumbled back, bringing her hand over her mouth.
"What in the..."
She gasped.
And it wasn’t just the elders, even Kael himself was shocked.
"Igni! NO!"
He yelled as he rushed towards Igni, standing right in front of him and the screaming Draksis who was writhing on the ground.
"AAGGGGGHHHH!!!! STOP THIS!! STOP THIS!!!"
He scread even louder as the flas ravaged his arm, his skin blistering and bubbling under the intense heat.
His flesh peeled away in blackened strips, exposing raw muscle that sizzled and smoked. Veins popped and burst, blood boiling and evaporating in the flas. Bones cracked from the extre temperature, turning brittle and dark. The arm twisted unnaturally as tendons shrank and snapped, leaving it a mangled, charred ruin from shoulder to fingertips.
"AELINDRA! WHAT ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR!?
PUT OUT THE FIRE!"
Korvath was the first to get into action as he crouched next to the screaming Draksis and ordered Aelindra, who, he knew had affinity with Water.
"Y-Yes!"
His scream brought Aelindra out of her shock, she rushed towards Draksis as well as Seven Circles appeared around her, a wave of cool water burst from her palms, rushing toward Draksis like a river.
But...
Hssssssss
Just as the Water hit Igni’s flas, the water hissed and turned to steam instantly, evaporating in a cloud of white mist.
The fire didn’t weaken—no, worse—
"AAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
It beca stronger and Draksis’s agony multiplied.
"I-It isn’t working!!"
Aelindra shouted in a frantic voice.
She tried again, summoning a bigger torrent, but again—
Hsssssss
FWOOOSH
The Water vanished into vapor and—
"STOP THIS!!
STOP YOUR MAGIC!!"
Draksis scread in agony, rolling on the floor as if trying to get away from the Mage.
"Aelindra! Do sothing!"
Tarevian shouted.
"I-I can’t! My magic isn’t working! It is only making the flas stronger!"
Aelindra answered in panic.
"W-What kind of fla is that...?"
Tarevian questioned as he stared at Igni, who had currently turned his head away from Kael, not answering his questions.
But then—
FWOOOOOSSH
A stream of cool water was poured on Draksis, pretty much drowning him in it.
"W-What are you doing!? Can’t you see!? Water isn’t workin—"
Aelindra shouted in panic, turning towards the one who summoned the Water, but she soon realized it was Kael’s bond.
Yes, Nyrri was out.
Aelindra turned back towards Draksis again and this ti, under Nyrri’s constant push, the Flas finally died down, leaving only smoldering embers on Draksis’s ruined arm.
"Haaahhh... Haaaahh... Haahhh...."
The Hall was completely silent, only Draksis’s heavy breathing and whimpering could be heard.
His right arm hung limp, it was a horrifying sight—completely blackened, flesh lted away in places, revealing glimpses of bone charred to coal. It was twisted at odd angles, muscles torn and useless, skin cracked like dry earth.
He couldn’t move it at all; it was dead weight, nerves fried beyond repair. Blood trickled from open wounds, but most had cauterized shut from the heat, leaving a scarred, puckered ss that would never heal right.
Lavinia knelt beside Draksis, her face grim.
"We need healers,"
She said urgently.
"Now."
"...we do not have any."
Elder Nyris spoke in a low voice, still shaken by what happened.
And just then...
"What in the God’s na happened here?"
Another voice was heard, Morvain had returned.
The Matriarch rushed in, she first glanced at the fallen Draksis and then at Kael.
"Kael wha—"
However, before she could say anything—
"I gave him a warning, he didn’t listen."
Igni spoke, staring at Morvain.
"You... warned him?"
The Matriarch raised her eyebrow, clearly not buying those words.
But...
This expression of hers may work against the Elders or even Kael but...
"Do not look at with that gaze, Human."
Igni answered, moving his head right in front of the Matriarch, making her freeze where she stood.
The Dragon then looked right into the Matriarch’s eyes and—
"I do not care what petty gas you play, but I will not see my Father being disrespected again.
And I will burn every single one of you to ensure that if I have to."
Igni threatened openly and Morvain...
She just stared at the Dragon in front of her, wide eyes, pale face and trembling body.
All the grace, authority and power she showed and held as the Matriarch had... completely vanished in Igni’s presence.
But then—
"Igni."
Kael raised his voice, glaring at his child.
Igni turned towards him and seeing his Father glare at him like this, his eyes turned moist and...
FWOOOOSH
The Dragon unleashed another stream of flas on the stone ceiling, lting the thick stone building that had stood tall and survived more than twelve hundred winters within seconds and—
Flap
He flew off alone, leaving his father behind for the first ti in his life.
User Comments
0 comments from readers