The three made it outside into the Guild District. They began to walk and discuss Damien's astonishing achievement. He was officially the youngest Sky Realm swordsman currently attending in the academy. Cal was adamant about going out to celebrate on his dime. At first Damien did not want to make a big deal about it, but Cal was relentless. Damien had no choice but to give in which made Cal jump in excitement. They decided to go to a fancy restaurant near the Academy. It just so happened to be a popular spot for StarPoint students, who wanted time away from the academy walls so they could mingle with others.

Cal walked merrily until he froze in his spot. Damien was confused at his sudden change in behavior. He was jumping in joy just seconds ago. Yuki realized what was going on as she shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“Cal, are you okay?”

Cal looked up to Damien with tears welling in his eyes. His face was full of despair trying to word out the problem.

“I-I…… I’m broke. I said I would treat you but I don’t have any money and I know you don’t either.”

“That’s fine, like I said we don’t have to celebrate anything. It’s already a reward that I broke through!”

Cal did not yield to Damien. He went on how it is important to celebrate the good things in life so they can make happy memories. By the end of his tirade snot was flying out of his nose with his exaggerated movements. Knowing Damien could not stop Cal from whining, Yuki decided to intervene for once.

“Fine, let’s go stop by home. I can ask our father for money, but let this be the last time Cal. You always waste your money on useless things.”

Cal instantly stopped crying and wiped the mess off of his face. He started to hum a jolly tune as he skipped by Damien. He gave him a quick wink and whispered to him as he passed by.

“Never fails to work.”

Damien was confused at what he just learned. He believed that they were a thing since they were always together at the academy. It never crossed his mind that they would actually be related, siblings at that too. They are the polar opposites of each other. On top of that they looked nothing alike.

“You two are brother and sister? I thought you two were dating!”

The air surrounding the three turned awkward. Yuki turned away from them both while Cal was repulsed at the thought.

“Eww, why did you think that! I could never think of her that way!”

Yuki hid her reaction from them, but if they could see they would know she was visibly upset. Her face was slightly flushed causing her pale skin to turn red. Her eyes turned watery but she didn’t let any tears fall.

“Even though I’m her foster brother, we grew up together. There was no difference from a real family, so I just can’t see it that way. She will always be my sister in my eyes!”

Yuki pulled herself together from slightly breaking down. She turned around with her usual appearance and backed Cal’s statement as well. She began to explain to Damien their family history so he would not be confused from now on.

According to Yuki, her father was a great Azure Ice Dragon. After a long arduous life her father wanted to settle down to find the joy of having a family. He went many decades unable to produce any offspring with any of his mates. He was on the verge of going insane until one day he found a baby abandoned in an alleyway. He took the baby in as his own and cared for it like so. He found real joy in his actions that led him to adopt many kids in his life. One day he was given a great surprise. His current mate was pregnant with his seed. After all his years of fostering, he felt that he was gifted his own from the heavens. That baby turned out to be Yuki who was born to a human mother, making her half dragon, half human.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Her father put on the most amazing, extravagant celebration possible and invited everyone he knew. His bliss knew no bounds as he bolstered others everyday. At the end of all of his celebrations he was left a surprise at the entrance of his estate. A baby was wrapped up in a blanket inside of a carriage. He was left all alone with no note. Her father being the way he was decided it was also a fateful gift from the heavens, so his daughter can have a sibling to grow up with. That little blonde haired, blue eyed baby that was left turned out to be Cal.

Cal and Yuki were raised together and stayed close to each other everyday. They did everything together and their father couldn’t have been happier. Yuki was the one who had to look after Cal because he was the crybaby of the two. Their opposing natures balanced their relationship out. He was the only one Yuki could get along with, opposed to Cal who got along with everyone.

With the help of Cal chiming in every so often, Damien was able to understand the full nature of their family. He couldn’t help but be surprised that their father was an almighty dragon that he has read about in books, and now they were on their way to go see him. Damien visibly became giddy and skipped along with Cal. Yuki could only sigh as she followed behind them. She knew Cal’s goal from the start but she could not help herself when it came to her foster brother.

They walked for a while passing through many districts to reach the Noble District. Damien was familiar with this area as he came here to visit his grandfather’s mansion. This time around the guards in front of the gates did not pay them any attention. Their uniform was enough for them to know that they were no problem.

Unlike the other districts, no one walking by seemed to care about them. Eventually they arrived at a massive plot of land that had various houses scattered throughout the property. Besides StarPoint Academy it was the biggest piece of owned land Damien had seen. There was no end of sight that this place encompassed. It made his grandfather’s place seem desolate in contrast.

They arrived at the fortified entrance that was attended by a single guard. He was a tall scrawny man wearing simple blue garments. His inky black hair flowed down to his calves. His arms were lanky, nearly reaching to his knees. He towered over everyone there reaching double their height. No sign of any strength emanated out from his person. It appeared like a strong gust of wind would knock him down and send him tumbling.

He noticed the presence of their group long before they had reached the area. He was already prepared for them and stood there waiting for them to approach him. Only his amiable smile was visible on his face due to most of it being covered by his hair. He opened the gates as they neared him and he gave a playful bow specifically towards Yuki.

“Honorable Sister… and brother Cal. Lord Father will definitely be ecstatic to have you two visiting. Now who is this friend you brought along? I’m delighted to see that you have made your first friend, Yuki.”

To Damien’s surprise Yuki’s face lit up with joy. This was the first time he had seen Yuki genuinely smile. She proudly showed off her fanged canines and put on the brightest smile. Her face scrunched up revealing her dimples. She ran up to the scrawny man and grabbed him by the arm. Damien was stumped for words to describe what he had seen. He always thought of Yuki as emotionally cold, with a hidden warmth inside of her.

Seeing her truly expressing herself with that beautiful smile caused him to stir up an unknown feeling inside of him. He had no words to describe what he felt, leaving him confused. The feeling was drastically different from when he talked with his professor, Izil. He stood there staring at her like a fool, watching her happily interact with the man before him. The sounds in the background seemingly disappeared for him at this moment.

It wasn’t until Cal nudged him awake that everything returned to normal. Cal had a mysterious smile on his face as he gestured for him to walk ahead.

The scrawny man realized he neglected Damien while talking with Yuki.

“Where are my manners, I am Will Azurith. A friend of Yuki is always welcome here.”

“Thank you very much, I am Damien.”

They both reached out their hands for a handshake. Damien was surprised the moment he shook his thin hand. He felt an unbounded amount of strength ingrained into Will’s bones. What was even more astonishing was the fact that even with all that strength at his disposal it felt like Damien was grabbing a feather. It was a quick interaction but it made a lasting impression.

Altogether they walked deeper into the vast estate. They passed multiple houses of varying sizes and styles. It was like a tiny town was imported onto the land. You could see children running around playing with each other as their mothers watched on. It was a cozy environment without any care in the world. Everyone appeared to be living a fulfilling life here. Damien stared at each family’s interaction with great interest. He slowly lost himself with each step he took. He imagined being put in the shoes of the kids around him. He pretended he was being scolded, playing with other children, and feeling the warmth of a mother’s love.

Even though his grandfather smothered him with love, it was a childhood of hardships. His first memory was of him picking up a wooden sword. He would train everyday until he collapsed and then study until the night. He couldn’t help but long after a feeling that every child should have. A longing for parents who would shower him with concern, hope, forgiveness, and unconditional love. While he was lost in his imagination, his inner core sprung to life. The white flame pulsed outwards sending a familiar warmth throughout his body. It was the same feeling he received when he was in his inner world.

Damien snapped back to reality as he was immersed in a special kind of warmth. He enjoyed the moment, viewing his surroundings in a different light. As they continued Will came to a stop to bid his farewell.

“This is as far as I go, I need to go back to my post. Lord Father should have already known you were here since you arrived at the gate. I’ll see you later Yuki.”

Yuki was saddened he was leaving but she knew his temperament well enough to not make a fuss. Will nodded at both Damien and Cal as he walked back to the gate.

The three continued to walk down the path until they came upon a hill. The hill overlooked a small cozy cottage that was surrounded by many trees. No other house was anywhere in sight beyond this point.

“That is our father’s residence. Let’s go.”

Yuki pointed it out so Damien was prepared mentally. She led the way to the seemingly peaceful cottage that housed an almighty, terrifying dragon of legends.