CHAPTER 13

Our story continues… The next adventure is on the horizon, but matters of the homestead press upon the Dragon Prince. The moment he had stepped foot on Dragon Haven, his council was there to discuss the business of the island…

‘To be a leader is to be the one that must balance the scales of burden and privilege at all times.’ Radais remembered the saying as he, Zhanatos, and his three council members entered the meeting hall. Well, it was called the ‘meeting hall’. Really, It was just a carved-out room in the island's underground cave network with a long table and lots of chairs, and a single wooden wall with a door. It was a humble beginning, but a beginning nonetheless; every castle is built by first laying down a single brick.

“We promissse we won’t take up too much of your time, my Princcccce. We know you’ve jussssst gotten back from an adventure and need your resssst but there are ssssome presssssing mannersss that need your judgment.” Councilwoman Aedi, a lizardfolk explained.

“Fret not my friends. I got plenty of rest on the ship, but let us see to business quickly. I can see our island has grown quite a bit since I was here last.” Radais mentally draped himself in the familiar princely mannerism he had worn so many times before as he sat at the head of the table. He watched as Zhanatos took the seat to his immediate right.

The Prince preferred to have at least one of his guardsman friends on hand for official council meetings, just in case they were needed for whatever reason. Usually, it was Xion due to her wisdom and compassion, but she had made it abundantly clear she needed a break. Larxene would have been the second choice; while she was by no means a political leader, she was a good captain, and that would do in a pinch. However, she was busy with the new ship and directing the expansion of the harbor with Dock Master Balasar. Which left… Zhanatos, who… well… There were exceptional thinkers in the world, there were exceptional fighters in the world, and in some rare exceptions, some people that were both excellent thinkers and fighters… Zhanatos was not one of those exceptions, just an excellent fighter, but on occasion, he could be surprisingly insightful.

“So when do they bring the menus?” Zhanatos asked earnestly, which drew a look of confusion from the gathered council as they took their seats.

“This is a council meeting, not a restaurant, Zhanatos,” Radais explained with a sigh concealed by a polite smile. “Just pay attention and ask any questions you think are worth bringing up. We can go for some wooly mammoth after this, should we have any in stock.” Wooly mammoth being a stable food among dragons and a favorite for both Zhanatos and Radais. Luckily due to the odd mana currents and strange magics around the Forbidden Archipelago, there were some islands with tundra-like conditions (as well as just about every other biome type, will the gods, one supposes) despite being close to the equator.

“Oh, you're in luck! Hunters caught one a few days ago.” Councilman Deti squeaked. He was one of the rare Hiborn Kobolds, an offshoot of regular Kobolds that are occasionally hatched. They possess much greater intelligence than their kin, to the point of being able to learn to speak the common language to a degree.

“Let’s get to the first item on the agenda then shall we?” Ratheo, a Dragonblood and the newest member of the council inquired, then looked over the list on his clipboard. “First item is the new currency proposal. As our island has grown, so has our level of commerce. We are reaching the point the barter system is no longer viable. Since we are effectively our own isolated economy, it makes sense to forgo the efforts of trying to get a supply of gold coins and simply mint our own local currency. We’ve discovered a rare type of red rock in the mine, ‘Crimisonstone.’ It is magically inert and non-magnetic. Should make for excellent coinage material. Now we just need a press…”

Radais sighed internally; it did not show on the outside. He had to balance the privilege of ruling with the burden of it, but it only served to make him more eager to get back out into the world and to his next adventure.

Meanwhile, above ground, Xion hummed a happy tune to herself as she approached the smithy, an old friend of hers was finally restored…

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Xion smiled when she noticed the new sign, ‘Fuel, Fire, and Hammer Smithery’ It read, and there were cute little pictures of the smithy’s three half-dragon workers using their magics. The building itself was a simple thatch wood hut that covered the mouth of the cave where the actual smithing was done. The thick black smoke floating out of the hole carved through the cave roof and the sound of banging metal indicated the Ironscale siblings were hard at work. As she approached the door she could hear something else… something in time with the rhythm of the hammer, singing perhaps? As she tilted her head to listen, she could almost make out the voice of Methiz singing a line, a metal clang, and then his sisters Aerogri and Pyraxia singing the next. The sign on the door read ‘Don’t bother knocking, we probably won’t hear ya. Just come on in.’ So she pushed through the door.

Methiz swung the hammer down striking the steel using his metal magic to help shape the bar into a sword blade. The metal had cooled to the point of needing reheating. “Ready, sisters?”

Aerogri, the youngest of the three, eagerly jumped up and readied her wind magic. “Ready!” She called out in her adorable voice.

Pyraxia, the oldest of three, shaped her fire magic into an orb and held it in the metal tube below the open hole in the ceiling that was their chimney. “Ready.”

Aerogri made blowing noises with her mouth as she channeled her wind into her sister's fire, acting as forge-bellow, causing the fire to burn brighter and hotter.

Using a pair of long tongs, Methiz held the workpiece in the fire orb for a few moments allowing it to warm back up. “Alright, that should do it!” He called out the others and they ceased their cast. It was then he noticed they had a customer. “Oh, lady Xion. A thousand pardons, I did not see you there. Give us another moment to finish this, and I’ll get Draco Kami for you.”

“Don’t rush on my part,” Xion replied with a smile. The magical forging and smithing setup was quite clever, especially given coal was in short supply at Dragon Haven.

Methiz brought the white-hot metal to his hammer and anvil and began applying precise hammer strikes. Normally the process of smithing a sword would take hours, but thanks to his ability to use Metal magic, the fully shaped sword was quenching a large barrel of water after a mere half hour; it was just a simple bar.

Pyraxia went to the back of the shop and returned a moment later with something Xion was expecting: a bracelet of rose-colored beads with a dragon cross emblem dangling from the bottom a ‘rosary.’

“Now, I know you’re surprised, Lady Xion. Allow me a moment to explain. You mentioned Draco Kami got damaged because it fell out of your grasp while you were flying. After fixing it up I took it over to the Magicians tower, and they gave it a new enchantment. Just slip that on your wrist and say the weapon’s name.”

Xion nodded, slipped the rosary onto her wrist, and spoke the name “Draco Kami.” She was surprised as the small dragon cross emblem grew into her full-sized weapon, the two-handed staff topped with a magical cross. “Amazing!” She declared with a smile, then gave her weapon a few practice swings and felt the mana being channeled through it. This is going to help you so much. Thank you all! How can I repay you?”

“No need. Honestly, we’ll never be able to repay you and the Prince for saving us after the Tal’dartherian attacked our home.” The big half-dragon teared up suddenly. “I just wish our partners were here with us.”

Little Aerogri hung her head and nodded. “I miss mommy and daddy….”

Eldest sister Pyraxia was quick to step in to cheer the two up, “I miss them as well, but they sacrificed themselves so we could live, and you remember how we agreed to honor them, right?”

Methiz nodded and composed himself. “By working hard every day…” He trailed off and looked to his younger sister to queue her.

“... with song in our hearts and swings!” Aerogri finished the slogan with a happy note. “But what if the empire comes as the people say?”

“Wait, what about the empire?” Xion asked as she willed Draco Kami back into its shrunken state.

Pyraxia winced and frowned, seemingly hesitating to speak of it, but with a nod from her brother, she did. “There’s been talk around the island and few arguments… one was serious enough, Methiz, and I had to step in and break it up.”

“Fights about what?” Xion asked with concern heavy in her voice. She had a feeling she already knew but hoped it wasn’t the case.

“It’s about the Dragonbloods,” Pyraxia explained. “The Tal’dartheria Empire nearly wiped them all out when the Firefall Isles we conquered. We know the empire hates all dragonkin, but the Dragonbloods, in particular, were at the top of their kill list. Now that some of them are living on the island… Well, people are worried the Empire is going to find us because they’re still hunting them. And there’s one other major thing. There's been a rumor going around about a curse related to that Dragonblood woman that works at the tannery and the child she is about to bring into the world….”

Xion’s eyes shot wide open as she leaned in to listen. “Tell me everything you know about this curse.”