Gersius knelt over the egg that contained his child, marveling over the miracle that had occurred. He now had two children encased in eggs waiting to be born. Thayle was confused over the idea that even though she had passed the egg, the child still wasn't born. She found it amusing but agreed that the child's official birth would be when the egg hatched.
The whole camp was swept with a sense of awe to hear a human had laid an egg. Lilly and Sarah had to speak to a mass gathering to display the egg and explain how it had come about. They left out the details, only highlighting that since Thayle shared a soul with two dragons, she had been changed. She was now a blend of human and dragon, tipping close enough to the dragon side to lay an egg. Lilly also suggested that Balisha had a hand in this, giving them the ability to reproduce despite the mixed races.
The followers of Balisha were filled with wonder and tasked with protecting and caring for the egg. Since it wasn't in a deep cave where the temperature was constant, it had to be monitored at all times. Six guards stood around the small tent that contained it, and a member of the faith tested the temperature every hour. If it was too warm, a blessing was used to cool the space, keeping the egg comfortable. Gersius thought it odd that dragon eggs had to be kept cool when all other egg-laying animals struggled to keep them warm.
Sarah explained how all dragons laid eggs that were naturally warm. Thus it was to their advantage to keep them someplace cool, like the lower chambers of a deep cave. The fluctuation of temperatures was detrimental, so keeping a constant level was ideal. Deep caves never changed; their dry coolness was always the same, no matter the temperature outside. It made sense to Gersius that dragons would have a reproductive need for such a place, as they always lived far underground.
He ran his hand over the egg, feeling the bumpy texture and pitted surface. He longed to meet the child inside and deliver them into a world without war and chaos. The egg was a blessing to his life, but it came with a measure of worry. Word would eventually reach his enemies, and when it did, they might fly into a rage. The dragons of Solesta opposed the idea of humans and dragons mixing their blood. Now two dragon eggs of mixed blood existed, one safely hidden away but the other well known by many. Sarah was concerned that their enemies might strike at them by attacking the egg. They might steal it or simply destroy it, inflicting a wound that would linger forever.
He didn't want to think of the possibility nor let the fear of what could happen cripple his ability to act. The egg would be well protected as they traveled north, looking to position themselves closer to the north. Their tent would be in the center of the camp, guarded inside and out by layers of battle priests. An enemy would have to overrun the whole army to reach the egg and then get past Lilly and Sarah. He was grateful for Sarah and the change the egg had brought over her. Sarah had been suffering terribly over Rose and the death of Numidel. The egg had given her new purpose, and she had put those pains aside to focus on its well-being. She was now attentive and determined, urging the others to move ahead and put an end to this terrible conflict.
Sarah was also mothering Thayle like never before, teaching her about the care of young dragons, much to Thayle's horror. Some of their methods were very different from how a human handled a child, and Thayle had trouble with the suggestions. To make the moments more humorous, Gersius suggested that Sarah teach Thayle and Mingfe together as the desert woman would eventually have a child of her own. Sarah thought that was an insightful idea, so Mingfe was forced to endure the lessons as she and Thayle gasped and groaned.
Lilly was also fascinated with the egg, constantly talking about their growing family. She was careful to mention it around Sarah, but she often included Rose as one of their children. Gersius was proud of how Lilly saw things but noticed a twinge of sadness in her aura. The egg brought out some sadness that she didn't want to talk about.
Oddly, Lilly was spending a lot of time in prayer or with Ayawa. She said that Ayawa was teaching her about her people, and Lilly was teaching Ayawa about dragons. Gersius was surprised that Ayawa was working with Lilly, but he considered it an encouraging sign. Ayawa had strong reservations about dragons and humans forming relationships, but perhaps she was changing her mind.
He thought about the road that had led him this far and how many terrible hardships they had endured. Yet, the blessings kept coming as well, and this egg was proof that there was hope for a better future. It acted as a healing light to their family and sparked a renewed interest in building their home in peace.
Gersius stepped away from the child growing inside the egg and uttered a quiet prayer. He pleaded with Balisha and Astikar to protect his child until the time came when that protection was no longer needed. With that left the wagon that transported the egg and looked to the morning's preparations. Soon the army would be marching again, heading to its new position in the north. Hopefully, this would counter the threat of the missing army, but they couldn't be sure until they knew where it was.
He left to meet with Lilly and join her in prayer. He wanted very much to be at the side of the woman who had been there from the beginning. Lilly was his fountain of love, and he went to drink her waters often, basking in her simple appreciation of what love was.
He found her sitting in meditation before a simple statue of a dragon with a moon set behind it. Gersius had it crafted to act as a way to sanctify the temple tent and give the followers an anchor of sorts. An empty tent didn't inspire thoughts of the goddess, but the statue reminded them who this place was set aside for. He sat beside her and cleared his mind, searching for the connection to his goddess. He wasn't surprised when Lilly got up and sat in his lap, leaning into his chest to share the connection.
Together they reached for the divine and their golden cords of light twisted around one another, unifying their prayers and intentions. For all intents and purposes, they were inseparable, speaking with one voice and will. They joined in the connection of power that was the goddess Balisha and in many ways, they felt as if she was yet another of their loves. She may as well have been another wife, a part of their union and love. Gersius and Lilly held a deep affection for her as it was she who made the sacrifice that allowed them to have this family. No words were spoken, only a sweet song sung in two voices, paired together in praise. This was the greatest union he could share with his wives, together in power with the divine.
When the song was done, Lilly leaned her head back and kissed his cheek. She whispered her love with sweetness and asked him to hold her for a bit. He wrapped his arms around his wife, feeling her warmth as her body pressed into his. He wanted to cry for how beautiful she was and rubbed his cheek on her hair. She closed her eyes, feeling as safe as if she were hidden in her cave. In his arms, nothing could harm her, and she was free to let her defenses fall away. He could sense that in her thoughts as she hovered on the edge of sleep, so happy to be where she felt she belonged.
He decided to carry her away, taking her through the camp in his arms. The tent needed to be broken down anyway, and she had a long day ahead. They would ride on her back today, the three of them sitting in her saddle as Lilly strode along in her dragon form. Shadros would carry Mingfe beside them, using a smaller saddle they had made in Calathen.
When he reached the head of the forming army, he found Sarah, Thayle, and Mingfe having an animated conversation. Sarah insisted that Mingfe consider herself a dragon and would one day have an egg of her own. Mingfe protested the idea sternly, insisting that Shadros would not be doing that to her. The exchange amused Thayle as Sarah did her best to encourage Mingfe to accept the truth. Sarah offered to mother Mingfe as another lesser dragon, helping her navigate the future her new path would bring.
Gersius arrived with Lilly asleep in his arms and handed her off to Sarah. Sarah cradled the gentlewoman to her chest, and the love that filled her aura drowned out all other feelings. Gersius then asked Mingfe to prepare Shadros as he wanted to march within the hour.
Sarah woke Lilly and took her aside to get her ready. Gersius spent his time holding Thayle and thanking her for the child she had born. She insisted he stop thanking her, but he refused as he understood the sacrifice she had made. When Lilly arrived in her dragon form with Sarah already on her back, they finally parted and joined Sarah. Thayle sat before Sarah, who in turn sat before Gersius. Shadros walked up to stand beside them, with Mingfe looking annoyed on his back. Gersius called the march, and they headed off, moving north to find the hidden enemy. The army marched behind them, giving the dragons a good head start so as not to frighten the horses. As they walked along, they began to talk and enjoyed each other's company until Sarah cornered Mingfe.
“So, have you given any thought to what I said?” Sarah called to Mingfe, who looked decidedly uncomfortable.
“I will submit to letting you guide me,” Mingfe sighed. “But I do not like this idea of having an egg.”
“Well, you will need to get over that,” Sarah grumbled. “It is clear those of you born to human blood are changed by the dragon. If Thayle had an egg with another dragon-touched human, you will certainly have one, mating with a pure dragon.”
“Honestly, I have become rather fond of the idea,” Thayle said. “A three-month pregnancy that ends with me being fine and on my feet a day later. Why wouldn't you want to have an egg?”
“Why are we even talking about this?” Shadros asked. “She can’t get pregnant by me without Balisha’s blessing, and we have not asked for it.”
“But you will someday,” Lilly insisted as she looked back. “I am sure Mingfe will desire to have one sooner or later.”
Shadros looked surprised and turned his head around to sniff at Mingfe. “Is she telling the truth? Will you desire a brood one day?”
“I am not having a brood,” Mingfe insisted.
“Of course not,” Sarah quipped. “I think it is safe to assume that a single egg is all you can manage since you are so small.”
“But that is still a broodling,” Shadros insisted as his gaze locked on his wife.
“Why must you think about this?” Mingfe asked. “I am a female. Of course, I will want a child someday.”
“But I don't want you to go away,” Shadros said as if hurt by the idea.
“What? Why would I go away?” Mingfe asked. “If you think I am going to raise your child alone, you have rocks in your brain.”
Lilly laughed as did the others until Sarah interrupted and explained Shadros's concern. A female dragon did not stay with the male after breeding. In fact, she wanted nothing to do with him, and would likely kill him if he tried to follow her. Mingfe balked that dragons had a very poor concept of family. She then addressed Shadros and assured him that if she were to carry his child, she would expect him to stay and help care for it.
That made him flinch as he asked why he had to care for it. What erupted was an argument Thayle had heard a thousand times as a husband and wife disagreed over whose role it was to care for the child. The two argued back and forth, with Shadros claiming he provided a lair and gold for her to nest on. He would even hunt to bring back food so she could spend all her time caring for the child. Mingfe was incensed at his point of view and pointed out she wasn't living in a dark cave. That sparked a whole new argument about where they would live and how their lives would be.
“I can see they haven't spent much time discussing the future,” Sarah said as the two argued.
“Mingfe said Shadros has been suggesting they should go back to his cave and live there,” Thayle said. “She hasn't taken the time to discuss it with him properly.”
“They are discussing it now,” Gersius said as he tried not to laugh.
“Why can’t they build a house like we plan to?” Lilly asked as she turned her long graceful neck to look down on her loved ones.
“I am sure they will,” Gersius replied and looked up into those beautiful blue eyes. “They just haven't had a chance to think of it yet.”
“I don't care how much gold you have,” Mingfe shouted. “I am not sleeping on a pile of rocks. If you have that much more, buy a bed suitable for your wife.”
“Wow,” Thayle laughed. “I am glad we never went through that.”
“We got close several times,” Gersius reminded.
“He can't possibly expect her to live like a dragon,” Sarah sighed and cut the two off to end the argument. She explained to Shadros that if he wanted to share his life with Mingfe, he would have to live as humans did. She suggested they find someplace in the mountains where they could build a modest home, while also providing a cave to hide his hoard.
Shadros asked when Mingfe was going to develop the dragon form that Gersius and Thayle had, prompting Sarah and Lilly to share a glance.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Do you have any of the dragon gifts?” Lilly asked a nervous Mingfe.
“I have some of them,” Mingfe said as her aura flashed with a lie.
“You may as well come clean,” Thayle laughed. “We can all see you are lying.”
“Alright,” Mingfe growled. “I have the sight, and the cold does not touch me. I have no compulsion to eat, and I am fond of gold now.”
“I hope you are sleeping with some gold nearby,” Sarah said. “I feel it is important for dragon-bonded humans to feed as we do.”
“She hardly sleeps,” Shadros cut in. “She spends most of her nights awake with me.”
“Aww,” Thayle cooed. “That egg should come along any time now.”
“It will not!” Mingfe insisted. “I have many of your gifts, but I have not called to Balisha for the blessing.”
“Please don’t drag them back into that,” Sarah scolded and gave Thayle a shake. “Now then, Let’s focus on the dragon gifts. I would expect that you have the blended form by now. Gersius and Thayle demonstrated it in just a few months of being bound to Lilly. Have you tried evoking the transformation?”
Mingfe looked horrified by the idea but didn't dare lie. She admitted that not only had she not tried it, but she had been avoiding finding out how it was done. Sarah quickly scolded her for being so hesitant and insisted the dragon form was an evolution. Mingfe was becoming something greater than a human and joining the order of scale.
“Sarah, you can’t expect somebody to be eager to evolve into another being,” Thayle said. “It is scary for a human to think they are losing their humanity.”
“Even Gersius had trouble with it,” Lilly reminded. “Remember, he didn’t like to take his form.”
“Neither did I until we learned to fly,” Thayle said. “Then I started to love it.”
“All of you are being foolish about this,” Sarah scolded. “You aren't losing your humanity and you will always have this form. Instead, you are simply gaining access to a blood that is sacred and rare, a gift given to very few.”
“And you have no idea how liberating it is to fly,” Gersius said. “It is amazing to fly on Lilly or Sarah’s back, but to spread your own wings and soar the skies is indescribable.”
“Now, do you see why I was so upset about my wings?” Lilly asked.
“I have always understood it but gained a greater appreciation the day Thayle and I flew,” Gersius replied.
“Speaking of which, I never did get to fly again,” Thayle said. “We shared that magical moment, and then our life has been so hectic we never had another chance. I badly want to fly again, just for a little bit.”
“Hmm,” Sarah said as she smiled at Mingfe. “Perhaps it is time for another flying lesson.”
“None of us needs to sleep,” Gersius said as he smiled at Mingfe. “Why not fly tonight?”
“I wanted to sleep tonight,” Lilly interjected nervously.
“Whatever for?” Sarah asked as Lilly turned her head back to stare at them. “I wanted to practice entering the dream.”
Sarah sighed and nodded as she remembered her promise to teach Lilly and Shadros how it was done. She apologized for her lack of attention to their training, then widened her thought to include the rest of them. They decided that since they were all dragons of a sort, they should all learn how to enter the dream. She would begin teaching them once they reached their final destination and settled in the camp.
Gersius noted that this didn't seem to appease Lilly, who insisted she wanted to sleep tonight. Now that he thought about it, Lilly had been sleeping almost every night, even if the others were awake.
“She has,” Thayle agreed as she listened to his thoughts.
“Probably just her dragon needs catching up on her,” Sarah suggested. “She has been awake and away from her hoard for far too long. The little gold we pack around the bed is probably not enough to sustain her.”
“I am fine,” Lilly insisted.
“Child, you channeled much of your power into a weave that blasted the gates of Calathen from the walls, then channeled the power of two dragon hoards into a healing spell that brought our husband back from the dead. After that, you were so depleted of power you could barely move for three days, and I had to cover you with gold to get you that far.”
Lilly seemed to relent and agree with her point, suggesting that a little more sleep would be good. Sarah suggested she sleep for several days, but Lilly didn't want that unless they were with her in the dream. Gersius said no to that as they were marching in a war camp, and all of its leaders could not be asleep at one time. Some of them had to be awake to ensure they were not taken by surprise.
Sarah ended the discussion by pointing out they would not be flying all night. Perhaps an hour while the tents were set up, leaving Lilly plenty of time to sleep. That seemed to placate Lilly, who changed the conversation back to teaching the others how to enter the dream. She wanted to know if all humans could learn to enter the dream and how they could avoid the dangers. Sarah assumed they could and reminded Lilly they had spoken about this before. With enough training and a strong will, a human should be perfectly able to enter the dream. They already did it by accident and often appeared for short periods like phantoms but never noticed others.
Lilly pried Sarah for more information, asking if dragons ever interacted with the phantoms, but Sarah said no. Not only did dragons not care about the human presence, but the humans were seeing their own events and not the wider world around them. The dragon would have to expend a large amount of energy to force the human to notice them, and the shock would likely wake them up. Even if they didn’t panic from their dream suddenly being invaded, they lacked the ability to maintain the dream. They would simply fade away, drifting out of the dream to another of their own. The effort would be worthless except to annoy the dragon.
Just for their sake, Sarah decided to begin teaching them on the march, going over all the ideas of how one willingly entered the dream. It was all a state of mind and a matter of focus. You simply needed to understand you were letting go of the waking world and entering the dream. The more strongly you understood and believed your consciousness was intentionally going into this other world, the better. Then you focused on a place or point that was extremely well known or meaningful to you. The more clearly you could see that place in your mind as you left the waking world, the more easily you could enter the dream. The biggest pitfall was maintaining awareness that you were in the dream and not simply dreaming. She believed this was the largest hurdle for humans whose minds appeared to be busy, flitting from thought to thought rapidly. As they passed into sleep, they forgot what they were doing and were carried away in a flow of randomness.
Gersius surmised that practice and discipline were the keys, and Sarah readily agreed. She also reminded them that emotion was proving to be critical to the process. She cited how Gersius brought Lilly to the temple of Ulustrah in the dream and how Lilly forced Rose into a garden. It was their discipline that brought them there, but it was emotion that gave them power.
“Speaking of power,” Lilly said as she looked ahead. “Why doesn’t Ayawa want you to train Tavis?”
“I heard about that,” Thayle said. “She is afraid of something.”
“She is afraid he won’t be able to control the flame, and it will consume him,” Sarah replied and pulled Thayle tightly to her chest. “I have made some inquiries of the weavers in the empire and learned that few dare to attempt fire. Humanity has lost much of its knowledge of weaving, and fire puts them at great personal risk. They channel it through themselves, and they can't stop the flow if they draw too much. It grows and grows, becoming an uncontrolled storm of flames that destroy everything around them and ultimately kill the user. They say the weaver burns from the inside out, becoming a pillar of ash that blows away in the wind.”
“I can understand her concern then,” Thayle said.
“Such a practice should be outlawed,” Mingfe added.
“It doesn't need to be outlawed,” Sarah corrected as she turned her gaze on Mingfe. “It needs to be taught properly. If I could spend a good year teaching him regularly, he could master the art and be free of danger. Then he could return to his people and teach them, bringing their mastery of fire to heights not seen since the dragon war.”
“May such a thing never come to pass,” Mingfe rumbled, drawing odd looks from the others.
“Why wouldn’t you want them to be able to use fire weaving safely?” Lilly asked.
“Because I fear where they will use it,” Mingfe replied.
“Your people and the Cellics have fought several wars where fire weavers were used to turn the tide,” Sarah said. “I have done a little digging and discovered your culture has tried to destroy the fire schools on a number of occasions.”
“I do not deny that this has happened,” Mingfe agreed.
“And your people don’t use fire weaving?” Lilly pressed.
“No, her people are distrustful of nearly all weaving. They focus primarily on air and a specialist school called dust,” Thayle replied.
“She is correct,” Mingfe agreed. “But how I wish that was all my people dared to touch. My people use a practice we call shadow dancing, though only the unscrupulous use it. It is considered a cowards method, and only those with no honor stoop to its embrace.”
“Like the assassins,” Thayle said.
“Exactly,” Mingfe agreed.
“Ayawa had some first-hand experience with a shadow dancer,” Gersius said with a nod. “So did Thayle.”
“Yes, that woman who held you in the keep,” Sarah agreed. “She was able to walk through shadows like they were doors.”
“Yes,” Mingfe replied and leaned over as they all listened intently. “It is said in my lands that wherever the shadow falls, so to do the feet of the dancer. No one is safe unless they can stand in the heart of the sun. So the dancers only fear the ones who can call the flames, for when they burn bright, no shadow remains.”
“The light the fire generates removes the shadows,” Gersius said with a nod. “They are natural enemies then and don't dare meet each other in a fair fight.”
“No, the dancer will strike from ambush lest the fire weaver turn everything to ash,” Mingfe replied.
“How do your cultures manage to survive?” Sarah growled. “You all seem to be at each other's throats.”
“It is the way of things,” Mingfe said dismissively. “But if I may dare to suggest, it has gotten better. Since the faith of Ulustrah spread east, many have been taken with its gentle teachings. Home and family has become the hope that many aspire to, and the warring princes of my homeland have found it hard to stir the people.”
“I wonder what is happening in the east with so many priestesses away?” Gersius asked. “With their influence gone, things might be changing.”
“I dare not think about it,” Mingfe said sorrowfully.
“And you would rather live there than in my cave?” Shadros asked.
“I never said I wanted to live in my homeland,” Mingfe countered with a pointed finger. “But I want to live in a house where we have proper shelter and a bed. I will even cook for your lazy hide when you choose to be awake.”
“I sleep because there is nothing else to do,” Shadros argued. “You are always busy with your faith and command. So I have nothing to do but talk to the women of the dove shields.”
“Your talking to the dove shields?” Lilly asked.
“They see him as their protector,” Mingfe grumbled. “They have been coming to see him and bringing him gifts since he protected them in Calathen.”
Gersius and Sarah started to snicker as Thayle did her best not to join in. Lilly looked confused until Mingfe snarled that they had better stop laughing.
“Why are you so upset?” Shadros asked.
“Because strange women are bringing my husband gifts,” Mingfe shot back. “You are mine and should not be entertaining other women.”
“I am not entertaining them,” Shadros insisted and tossed his head. “They annoy me, and I can't get any peace when they are around. I did not mean to gain their attention; I was simply trying to do as you told me. It isn't my fault they were on the causeway with me.”
“No, that was my decision,” Gersius laughed. “But I am grateful that you protected them so selflessly. It was truly a heroic moment, and you deserve to be acknowledged for what you did.”
“Are we sure they are married?” Lilly asked as she lowered her head to look Thayle in the eyes.
“Oh, Sweetheart,” Thayle laughed. “Trust me when I tell you that this is very much how human relationships work.”
“Yes, because the man has rocks for brains, and the poor woman has to grind them into sand to get him to understand,” Mingfe cut in.
Gersius cleared his throat as Sarah turned her smiling face back to regard him. He bid her turn that gaze someplace else and insisted that he was easy to get along with.
“Actually, you are only hard to manage when you have chosen a course of action, and I want you to consider another option,” Sarah admitted. “Otherwise, you are very easy to live with.”
“I find him easy to live with,” Thayle agreed. “His entire focus is building a home where his wives can be happy. Who wouldn't be happy about that?”
“See, why are you not thinking of our home?” Mingfe scolded Shadros.
“Because I already have a home,” he countered.
“I am not living in a cave,” Mingfe said for the fourth time that day.
“And we are back to this,” Thayle laughed. “Do you need to sit down with a priestess of Ulustrah for some counseling?”
“Don’t you start that with me,” Mingfe insisted.
“I have a question,” Lilly said as she interrupted the exchange. “What did you mean when you said only people with no honor learned how to shadow dance?”
Mingfe explained that the skill was often used to kidnap and murder people. It was a terror weapon because its practitioners could go almost anywhere. High walls and guards were useless to somebody who needed only the shadows to move about. They used it to blackmail families, spark wars, and cause chaos, often selling such services to the highest bidder. Then switching sides when it was convenient, or the other side offered more money. She explained that one who had honor did not strike from the shadows, and if they agreed to a contract, they kept the terms to the end. One should never make a promise they have no intention of keeping or will discard for money.
Lilly asked more about honor, and Gersius answered, reminding her they had already discussed this. Her honor was why people respected her. She kept her promises, did what she said she would do, and always strived to be just in all her endeavors.
“But what if you have to break a promise?” Lilly asked.
“It would be better not to make a promise you can't keep,” Gersius replied. “But to illustrate a point, I broke my promise to serve Astikar the rest of my life. When my brothers turned on me and hurt you, I turned away from my promise.”
“One can hardly blame you,” Sarah said. “They attacked the very foundation of your faith and broke their promise to stand at your side as your brother. They released you of your obligation.”
“So a promise is like an obligation?” Lilly asked.
“Yes,” Gersius replied. “When you give your word to someone, you are now obligated by that promise. Therefore, you must do all you can to uphold what you agreed. To do any less is dishonorable.”
“Unless, of course, the one you promised has broken their agreement first,” Sarah said. “Or in very rare cases, they led you into a promise under false pretenses in order to trap you.”
“I see,” Lilly said and lowered her head. “What if you made a promise to somebody, but that promise prevents you from doing something good?”
“I don’t see how that would happen,” Sarah replied.
“I do,” Gersius replied. “Sometimes obligations conflict, and you are forced to choose which is the more important path. In that case, it is often the heart that matters.
“Like you promised to meet somebody for a special event but stumbled on an injured traveler on the way,” Thayle said. “Do you keep your promise and abandon somebody who needs your help, or do you do the kind thing and help them?”
“That is a good example,” Gersius agreed. “But in that example, only one promise is at play. A better one might be Lilly promising to meet Sarah for a formal function but then finding out she is needed for a temple matter. She has promised Balisha to always come to her aid; thus, she now has to choose which promise to keep.”
“Of course, she keeps the promise to Balisha,” Sarah replied. “A promise made the divine is more binding than one made to me.”
“So it matters who the promise is made to and why you might have to break it?” Lilly asked as they passed a small farm.
“It does,” Gersius agreed. “But always remember this. If you break a promise for good and just reasons, the one you broke the promise to will often understand.”
“And sometimes you simply have to break a promise to do what is right,” Sarah added.
“Sometimes you have to break a promise to do what is right,” Lilly repeated as her mind wandered. They walked off talking about the future and guessing the gender of Thayle's child. None of them could say if it would be human or dragon, but they all agreed the child would be loved. As the sun began to set, Gersius ordered an end to the march, and the camp started its construction.
Mingfe was practically dragged away to begin her dragon training while Thayle laughed. Lilly and Shadros went with them, and it wasn't long before a new dragon took to the skies, flapping her small wings, and she learned just how wonderful it was to fly.