With a heavy heart, I stepped into the Council Chamber. The first thing that caught my eye was the large, imposing figure of a blue-scaled dragon sitting in the middle of the room on a small elevated platform. The dragon's presence was overwhelming, its deep blue scales shimmering in the light filtering through the grand stained glass windows. For a few moments, I stood in awe, my eyes tracing its majestic figure, from its powerful wings to the regal sweep of its curled horns.

image [https://i.imgur.com/wQVt0hB.png]

Gathering my composure, I began to walk forward as I forced myself to look away from the dragon and take in the rest of the room. To the right and left of the dragon were six large seats, arranged in a semicircle, three on each side. I noticed that all the seats were empty except for two.

On one seat to the right of the dragon sat a figure dressed in black garments. Like Elyra, she wore a blindfold, but her attire was embroidered with golden decorations, adding contrast to the silver details on Elyra's garments. As I approached, I noticed she wasn’t a luminar, nor a mokmire or any other races that I had encountered so far. Her skin was of a translucent and reflective color, giving it almost a metallic feel. Her posture was calm and composed, her attention fixed on me as I approached.

The other occupied seat was to the left of the dragon, where a dwarf was seated. Unlike the others, the dwarf wasn’t looking at me. Instead, he was engrossed in reading a few scrolls in his hands, his brow furrowed in concentration. His robes reminded me of the military uniforms I saw at the Azure Fleet’s headquarters, yet they were more ornate, indicating his higher status.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. The silence in the room was profound, broken only by the echo of my footsteps in the vast chamber. My heart pounded in my chest as I approached the center, standing before the dragon and the two council members.

The silence was broken by a deep, resonant voice that seemed to fill the entire chamber.

"Welcome," the dragon said, his voice both commanding and comforting. "I am Thuban, High Chancellor of Gearford."

I stood frozen for a moment, the gravity of his words sinking in. Thuban's presence was awe-inspiring, and his voice carried a weight of authority and wisdom that demanded respect.

He continued, gesturing to the blindfolded figure to his right. "Allow me to introduce Seraphine, the Warden of Knowledge."

Seraphine inclined her head in a slight nod, her blindfolded gaze somehow piercing through the darkness. "It is an honor to meet you," she said, her voice melodic and serene.

Thuban then turned his gaze to the dwarf on his left. "And this is Grand Marshal Royden of the Tholovan household."

Royden finally looked up from his scrolls, his sharp eyes meeting mine. "A pleasure," he said gruffly, nodding once before returning to his documents.

I took a deep breath, feeling the significance of the moment. Here I was, standing before some of the most powerful figures in Gearford, each one embodying the strength and wisdom of their respective fields. I looked back up towards Thuban, who kept looking towards me in silence, seemingly expecting something.

“R-right! Uhm… pleased to meet you,” I started, gathering my resolve, “my name is Juniper.”

Thuban smiled and spoke again, his eyes fixed on me. "You have been summoned here because of your unique nature, Juniper. As one of the few dragons left in our world, and a newly born one at that, your existence holds great importance."

I perked up, finally expecting some answers, yet before Thuban could continue I heard rustling from the side as Royden had finished putting away his scrolls and stood from his seat.

“No need for me to stick around for the next part, I’ve seen all I needed.” He turned towards the other councilors and gave them a nod, before swiftly leaving the room and disappearing into the hallways where I had come from.

“Please do not worry about the Marshal,” Thuban started again, “He read the report on your arrival to the city and probably just wanted to take a look at you before going back to his duties.”

“But let us get back to our conversation.” Seraphine spoke, “you are here to help us untangle the mysterious web of your existence, Juniper.”

“Right,” Thuban continued, “you may not know this but there hasn’t been a newborn dragon in many centuries. In fact, we didn’t think there could be one before your appearance.”

There can be no newborn dragon? That doesn’t sound so great for my future peaceful life of exploration…

Seeing as Thuban had once again paused his speech, I decided to speak up. “Could you tell me more about dragons? Why are there so few of them?”

Thuban let out a sigh and turned to Seraphine. “Would you do the honors?”

Seraphine nodded, “I suppose a little history lesson is in order, it has been a while since I have done this.”

With a gesture of her hand, a large black figure appeared in the middle of the room. It was translucent, almost like a hologram, and I recognized the distinct and macabre traits of the demon I had seen in the painting moments earlier.

“Demons,” she began as she stood from her seat, “they are vicious creatures whose sole purpose is extermination and destruction. Born of the grief and anger of a dark and forgotten deity sealed in the heart of our world, they aim to consume all life.”

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

She followed up with another gesture which displayed seven of those demons, all of them of varying shapes and sizes. “These are the primordial demons. Each one representing a vice, they are Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride. They led the armies of demons to spread their corruption upon the land.”

She paused as she made another gesture with her hand and the demon disappeared, making place for a mighty dragon.

“To combat the threat of demons, dragons were created. The first few were molded by the hands of the goddess Runa, Deity of Life and Secrets. We call them ancestral dragons, by far the most powerful and ancient amongst your species.”

She paused as she dismissed the dragon figure with another swift motion. “Centuries of brutal fighting followed, which we will not cover in our short lesson today. What you should know is that at the climax of the conflict, the ancestral dragons gave their life to seal the primordial demons deep under the earth. Without their generals, the demonic armies fell into disarray and a united army of dragons and the mortal races exterminated what was left of them, putting an end to centuries of conflict. This period of history is known as the Age of War.”

She paused again as she displayed a giant map of the continent, just like the one Admiral Morag had shown me.

“The rest of what I am about to say is mere theory and speculation, albeit widely accepted in our scholarly institutions. The day the primordial demons were sealed, the magic that was released upon our world was both powerful and destructive.”

I looked at the map as it displayed a wave of energy originating from the north-west of the continent and gradually spreading all around it.

“It is believed that it temporarily weakened the seal upon the dark deity, allowing it to cast a powerful curse upon the dragons.”

I began to put two and two together as I widened my eyes.

I think I see where this is going now…

Seraphine paused and looked towards me with a slight smile, yet I could sense a hint of sorrow in her voice as she continued.

“After that day, no new dragons were ever born.” She concluded with a hand gesture and the image of the world faded away as she slowly walked back to her seat.

I was quite overwhelmed by the amount of information I had just received. Thuban gave Seraphine a respectful nod as she returned to her seat.

"Thank you, Seraphine," Thuban said, his voice gentle but firm. "Juniper, now you understand why your existence is so significant. You are the first dragon to be born in centuries, a miracle we could hardly have hoped for."

I lowered my gaze, feeling a mix of apprehension and anxiety.

But why me? I do not wish for this responsibility… I never asked for anything like this…

Thuban exchanged a glance with Seraphine before he spoke again, his voice carrying a weight of wisdom and compassion.

"Juniper," he began, "we do not choose the moments we are born into, nor the burdens we must bear. But we can choose how to face them, and in doing so, we define our legacy."

His words resonated deeply within me, yet I still felt like this was not my fight. A responsibility that felt shoved onto me without care by some higher power.

"You have been given a gift, not just of life, but of purpose. The world may seem overwhelming, and the path ahead fraught with uncertainty, but it is within you to rise above.”

He paused, seemingly collecting his thoughts as he moved closer to me.

"But remember this," Thuban said, his voice softening, "your life is your own. The choices you make, the paths you walk, they are yours to decide. You have the freedom to forge your destiny, to choose what kind of life you want to lead."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "The responsibility of being the first dragon born in centuries is great, but it does not define you. You are free to find your own way, to seek your own happiness."

I looked up, meeting Thuban's gaze, and felt a newfound resolve building within me.

He’s right, I am who I am. This changes nothing, I will not allow it to shape my future.

Our discussion continued with some small talk about my origins and the circumstances that brought me to Gearford. Most of the same details I had told Admiral Morag earlier that day. As our conversation seemed to draw to a close, I looked up at the Council members and spoke.

“I think I understand the situation. It is quite a lot to take in so I hope you do not mind if I take my leave for now.”

I stared deeply into Thuban’s eyes, almost like challenging his gaze. I felt a great pressure emanating from the two figures in front of me. Both were probably powerful enough to end my existence with a snap of their fingers, yet I didn’t lower my head.

After a few moments, Thuban spoke again. “Of course. The purpose of this meeting was mainly to introduce ourselves, Juniper, you are free to go. Elyra will take you to the exit.”

As he finished his sentence I almost jumped as I turned and saw Elyra right behind me, one hand folded behind her back while the other cordially pointed towards the exit.

You’ve got to stop doing that!

“Right, uhm… It was a pleasure meeting all of you,” I mentioned as I turned back to face the two Council members.

Thuban smiled, “the pleasure was ours, Juniper.”

“Until we meet again, young dragon,” Seraphine concluded.

I nodded and turned around, following Elyra as she led me out of the Council chambers.

POV: Thuban

“Your words were quite kind, you are giving her a choice, something your kind has never had before.”

That was true. Us dragons were born with the sole purpose of fighting the demons, and none of us were ever given a choice, nor did we ever ask for it.

“But I hope you realize that she may very well be the most important living being in the entire continent right now. The rifts are spreading, and your numbers run thin, Thuban.”

I looked at Seraphine. “I am aware, but we can’t burden her any further right now, we do not want her to distance herself from us,” I paused, an inkling of a smile forming on my snout, “you were quite kind yourself, Seraphine. You omitted quite a few unpleasant details in your little history lesson.”

She turned to face the doorway where Juniper had just walked away. “She is young and inexperienced. She does not need to know everything, not yet at least.”

I silently agreed with her words. “In any way, we cannot allow her to leave the city, not until we get more answers,” I continued as I turned to a corner of the room, looking at an oddly placed shadow, “I assumed you listened to the entire conversation.”

I watched as the shadow protruded itself and sprung upwards, forming a humanoid shape. “I did,” the shadow responded with a deep and distorted voice.

I nodded and continued, “send your stalkers to the Gleambog Vale. We must investigate the forest where she was born, that will be our starting point.”

The shadow remained motionless as it replied. “They are already on their way.”

“Good, we will convene again when they have news. The Council is adjourned.”