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I tucked behind a tree when we were further from the castle and changed into the tunic and pants Orios brought me. I shoved the heavy gown into a bag he also threw my way, and although I twiddled the ring's box in my hands a moment longer, I tossed it in and cinched the sack shut.

"Why were you all dressed up?" he asked when we continued our journey. We had to go by foot, and when the sun started to tuck beneath the horizon, each shadow set me on edge as we passed the wooded pathways.

"Our beloved king requested my company for dinner," I said between heavy sighs.

"That can't be good," he murmured and lowered his gaze to the path in front of him. I gave him a sidelong glance and nodded. "What did he want?"

I found it difficult to find my words, so I simply shrugged. When I cleared my throat, I answered. "He wanted to... thank me for all I've done."

"How out of character. I have seen him say five words, maybe, in the last week."

"Three of those were to me," I joked with a grin. Orios let out a chuckle and adjusted the bag over his shoulder. We walked the rest of the way in silence, and when I saw the vibrant flowers extending into the darkness, I knew we had arrived.

"We can set up a camp in the meadows," Orios said and nodded. "You said they were just past the flowers, yes?"

I nodded, digging my nails into the meat of my palm. I caught a whiff of that metallic tang, even from where we stood, and forced myself to focus on anything else. "How do you plan on getting rid of it?" I asked.

Orios grunted as he drove a post into the ground, completely destroying one of the flowers, and started to set up the tent. "Well, first I have to collect a sample. Zhanzinite was largely myth to me before you came around, miss Dragonborne."

I snickered and dropped my bag to the ground. I knelt down and helped him pull the material over the posts. "And then?"

"I need to study it. Everything has a weakness—something that counters it naturally in our world. Especially something that is rooted in magic. Give me a few days, and then we can return with our very own zhanzinite poison."

I looked at him, watching how his runes glowed vibrantly against the dim air that surrounded us. The sun was all but gone now, and each shadow that cast on his face was enticing. Terren's offer resurfaced, and with it, the idea of leaving such a beloved friend. I tore my gaze away and laid down in the meadows.

The sky was still partially cloudy and dull, unimpressive starlight littering the gray space with an unenthused glow. Soon enough, the moon would be high enough to overtake the mountains and dance between the clouds.

After Orios had the tent set up, he made a fire with some materials from the castle and called me over. I huddled near the flames and held my hand near it, closing my eyes as the warmth soothed my aching bones.

"So, Ness, what were the dragons really like?" he asked after a moment of silence.

I stiffened. "I told you. They were protectors, until one day... they weren't."

He smiled. "Stories of betrayal are best told over a campfire. Come on, now, tell me."

When his beaming grin lit up the meadows like a nightlight, my muscles eased. I rested on my backside and bounced my head from side to side. "I don't know where to start..."

Orios cocked his head and folded his hands over his lap, that glistening, golden eye carousing me like I was fine wine. He was so patient, and I knew that if I were to tell him a story of my past, he'd memorize every word. Perhaps even have a vision of it... Often, he would tell me of the visions he had that were irrelevant, and small, but took up his headspace like a roaring goliath.

"When I was two-hundred-and-twenty, I was in the Frostlands to investigate a pest issue..."

━━━━━━༻♔༺━━━━━━

200 Years Prior

"The gentlemen said they saw the Drasp nest here?" I asked, turning a mindful eye to the mercenaries that joined me. Normally, I'd handle an issue as small as this on my own, but given my unique bloodline, such a pest could serve fatal with the right type of poison.

There were two gentlemen with me—one had dull, gray eyes and messy hair, and the other a more well-kempt version. These Dragon Court twins served me well many a time before.

The scraggly one, Jerot, nodded. "The witness said he witnessed three of them crawling into their nest before the sun rose."

I hummed and turned back to the empty fields. On the horizon, I saw the endless shores that stretched to the rest of my kingdoms. I ruled so many heartless lands—ones that had creatures twice the size of these supposed Drasps—but the fact that they were so close to my dragon camp meant I needed to address them.

And fast.

"And we confirmed that he saw an egg with one of them?" I asked.

This time, the brother, Kiro, responded. "Yes, Your Majesty. He knew it to be a dragon egg, too."

Another hum. I took a few steps into the clearing before the ground shook. I halted, holding a hand over my sword with eyes that grazed each blade of grass like it was deadly. Before me, the ground split open, and skinny, hairy insect legs punched into the ground before a large, winged creature hissed into the open air.

It buzzed up, two more coming after it, and circled us like hawks. Their wings were translucent and the sunlight seeped through them. Their big, black eyes glared down at us like we were tastier than the dragon egg I was sure they had locked beneath my feet.

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"And you were certain he said three?" I said with shallow breaths and unsheathed my blade.

"By the Dragon, I hope so," he cried and joined me in a defensive stance. They each pulled their bows out.

I stiffly nodded. My weapon glistened beneath the dying light. Whatever sun that remained dared to vanish and leave us vulnerable. Alone. But, something about me favored the darkness.

That was when my foggy, gray eyes flashed wildly. I felt it in my headspace—like a string of lightning that led me to my victory. There weren't many Dragonborne like me, if at all, so I never got an answer to what this intuition truly meant, but I always did my best to listen.

It tugged me to the right. I swiftly rolled just as one of the Drasp's darted down with a large stinger pointed at my head. Beads of venom dripped from it, and if I even let it touch me, I'd be in for a beating.

Before I could hoist myself up, the one in the middle zigzagged to me. With it came a string of poisonous spit, and I could do nothing but dip backward and dodge out of the way. Turning to look at my guards, I scowled and bared my teeth. "Make sure you do not falter," I commanded.

Without another word, they armed their bows with arrows and aimed them at the sky. Large, tan wings extended from my back, bones cracking with each and every move. Once upon a time, this would have caused me so much agony.

Now, I craved that pain—even if for a few moments.

Soaring into the air, I lunged at the closest Drasp and hollered as I reached my blade back, swinging it forward to slice the abdomen. Gruesome, green ichor mixed with puss flowed out. Before it fell to the ground, it shot its stinger out of its spine and at me in one final attempt at defense.

It was a desperate, failed attempt. As I turned in the air, my wings flapping wildly to lift me up higher, I watched my bowsmen release another set of arrows toward the remaining creatures. One was hit—non-fatally—and the other was sourly missed. I felt the blood within my veins warm, and for one of the few times in my life, I knew the gift divinely granted to me would set us free.

I held my hands out in front of me, one palm facing flat, the other tightly wrapped around the handle of my weapon, and yelled as the heat grew red hot and angry. It boiled within my core and ached to feel a release—my heart sought out an end to its tiresome race, and my eyes burned with tears as adrenaline shot through my veins—and then it happened.

A blast of crimson magic shot forward, exploding into the air like a mushroom. But, from that came red stalactite-shaped shards, and before my guards could attempt another shot, I had fatally ended both of the Drasps. They disintegrated before I could make my own descent, wings retracting as soon as I knelt on the floor.

I reached up, rubbing my nose after sniffling, and caught sight of blood staining my finger. With pursed lips, I turned to the guards and stood upright. "You were certain there were only three?" I asked.

They simply blinked at me—face pale and lips as thin as paper—but eventually, they nodded. I twisted toward the crack in the earth and approached carefully.

I sheathed my blade before entering, snapping my fingers together to ignite a fire between the pads. I loosed the quietest breath, and as we each stepped further into this black pit, silence consumed us. The flames that danced over my fingers cast shadows across the walls made of dirt and rock. An egg glistened just a stretch away.

I stilled. After blinking, my vision welcomed the darkness and it became clearer than daylight. Blues, grays, and blacks turned mundane shades of green. While my guards scrambled to follow my light, I walked without fear.

When I reached the egg, I noticed the cracked top. The thin shell shifted, and more of it collapsed to the ground before vibrant silver scales came to view. Those large eyes slicked back to reveal irises the color of gold, and when it tumbled out and to the floor, its wings were twice my arm span already.

I heard my guards shuffle back, but I knew they were not fearful. Dragons existed as one with us, but it was so rare for even I to watch a hatchling get its wings. I leaned down, knees popping with each move, and watched as it pushed itself up and look at me. A low, purring growl radiated from the back of its throat. I simply grinned and extended a hand.

It neared—painstakingly slow—but when it took a single whiff of my skin, it nudged its snout into my palm and accepted me as a friend. Something was special about this dragon—something that I had never seen on any of the hundreds of dragons I helped raised before.

Nestled between its eyes was a gem, one that glistened and shone even in the shadows. Before my finger could even graze it, I felt the wicked burn and familiar rusty tang. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, chest tightening at the thought of something like this being born.

"Now, what created you?" I said out loud.

Created.

It had to be.

One of the guards behind me shifted and cleared his throat. "What is it, Your Majesty?"

When I mustered up the energy to respond, it was but a weak, floundering whisper. "This cruel little creature has Zhanzinite in its head, gentlemen. I think it's time we brought it back and made sure something this powerful does not spread."

Although I felt their initial defiance—it was in their still breaths, pounding hearts, and stammering groans—they eventually led me out of this cave and into the open air again. My dragon swiftly followed, not daring to stay a beat too far from me, and when we had all exited the ground closed right back up.

My night vision vanished as soon as it met the light. When I turned to the dragon, I smiled sadly. This thing could be the death of me. There was no telling what would come of a dragon that grew one of the most poisonous minerals from its skin, but I knew it was safer under my watch than out in the open.

I just hoped it would not be my end.

━━━━━━༻♔༺━━━━━━

I had blinked a few dozen times before I escaped that reverie. With eyes set on the campfire before me, I drew my legs up to my chest and rested my chin there. Glancing at Orios, I caught him staring at me with wide, glistening eyes and a parted mouth.

I watched how the golden runes glistened on his face—it reminded me of that dragon... of the way it grew to be the most powerful and beautiful thing I had ever raised. Orios was a beautiful creature, and he was one that could see the world burn in his mind and be forced to live with it.

The burden of a seer.

"You raised a dragon with zhanzinite in its skin?" he asked.

I arched my brows. "I'd imagine it was more so part of his skeletal structure, Orios... I think it was part of her."

"Her?" he repeated and leaned forward. The orange shadows danced across his tan skin, those narrow eyes drinking me in like I was feeding him nothing more than scraps. "What did you name her?"

I grinned. "Venysa."

Orios let out a roaring chuckle before falling back into the thick stretch of grass, eyes lifting to the sky with a sigh. "How dangerous. Is it wise to name yourself after your dragon?"

"Who knows?" I sighed and crawled next to him, resting my back against the ground to stare at the boring sky, too. "Perhaps I want to be caught."

"What happened to her?" he asked.

Whatever smile that littered my features faded. I simply closed my eyes, sighed through my nostrils, and shrugged. "Where do all of the evil things go in this world?" I asked.

I didn't have to look at Orios to know he was looking at me. "To the Gate?"

To the Gate indeed. I shuddered at the thought and nervously picked at the grass beneath my hands. "I think it's time to get some sleep," I murmured and sat up. "If we want to capture a sample of the zhanzinite, we need to get up before the sun has fully risen."

I disappeared into the tent with my bag, and although it was hardly big enough for both of us, I nestled into a corner and pulled out the engagement ring box. I opened it just wide enough to peer at the zhanzinite gem, letting the foul stench reach my nostrils before I slammed it shut.

I just hoped that Terren was not playing some cruel trick... or, worse. He could be after my demise if he had found out who I truly was.

But when the firelight that bled through the thin fabric of this tent vanished, and Orios joined me, I tucked it back into the bag and closed my eyes. I dreamt of the Gate, and how I sent so many things there to their demise.

With those tragic creatures, though, were innocent souls littered amongst the rest. I killed them, and perhaps the world was finally ready to enact some revenge.

Perhaps this was my own punishment for not letting the Gate swallow me whole, too.