"What do you guys think?" I turned to ask my siblings and Breta. Grandmother and Mother had just left, presumably to attend to some pressing matters. According to them, they would delegate our tasks once they returned, and for now, our orders were to remain here, left to grapple with the weight of what we had just learned.

"I-I don't like it," Immy hesitated for a moment before voicing her concerns.

Essie, still perched on top of my head, nodded in agreement. "Me too! I think it's too much," she said in a soft whisper, almost as if she were afraid of being overheard.

"You heard Grandmother, it doesn't matter if we like it or not, it's the King's orders," Ynos replied with a deep frown.

Sidus silently nodded in agreement beside him, adding, "Ynos is right. We can't go against the King's orders."

Immy turned to Sidus with a creased brow, her eyes filled with a troubled determination. "Even when it's obviously wrong?"

"Watch your mouth! It's the King we're talking about," Sidus hissed, defending the authority of our monarch.

Ynos redirected his gaze to me, his eyes searching for my perspective. "What do you think, brother?"

A sigh escaped my lips as I contemplated the difficult situation. "I understand both sides, which makes this even worse. I don't like it, and I believe it's a needless genocide. But it's still the King's orders, so what can we do?"

Sidus's gaze shifted to me, and his frown deepened. "We follow the orders, brother."

But Immy wasn't ready to back down. She turned to Sidus and challenged, "Don't you think that maybe, just maybe, those orders are not right?"

"The King's words are the law. If he says it's right, then it's right," Sidus insisted, unwavering in his loyalty.

Immy clicked her tongue in frustration and voiced her discontent, "It's like talking to a damn rock."

"What did you say?" Sidus retorted, his temper flaring.

"You heard me! Perhaps even a rock is an overstatement when it comes to you!" Immy shot back, her own frustration boiling over.

Sidus's aura surged, and I intervened hastily before the confrontation could escalate further. "Enough! Now is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves!"

Both of them turned their irritated gazes toward me but ultimately huffed in annoyance, choosing to ignore each other for the moment.

"Sidus has a point, Immy. We cannot simply go against the King's words, especially after hearing it from Grandmother," I said as I turned to my little sister.

"But—" She began to protest, but I stopped her.

"I understand what you want to say, believe me, I'm sure we all do," I reassured her. "But, as things stand at the moment, we don't have the necessary power to do anything about this," I explained, causing her to lower her head in reluctant agreement.

Turning my attention back to Sidus, I continued, "And although we have to follow the orders, that doesn't mean we need to do so blindly. I believe it's better to be aware of what is right and what is wrong; otherwise, what difference is there between us and mere beasts?"

Sidus lowered his head, acknowledging the truth in my words, and refrained from further argument. Meanwhile, Breta remained uncharacteristically silent, her thoughts hidden behind an inscrutable expression.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I turned to her and inquired, "What do you think the Gods' stance on this will be?"

The Goddess shook her head lightly, her eyes reflecting uncertainty. "I'm not sure, but if the order came directly from the King, then I doubt anyone has the courage to stand up to it," she said, her words laden with the weight of our dilemma.

"I-I don't understand, aren't we supposed to keep the balance?" Essie asked hesitantly, her voice filled with innocence and confusion.

Stolen novel; please report.

None of us had a ready answer to her question, and so a solemn silence descended upon our gathering as each of us grappled with our own thoughts, lost in the labyrinth of uncertainty.

"How do you think they'll separate us?" Ynos suddenly asked, attempting to shift the focus away from the weighty topic at hand.

"The Elders and older Dragons and Deities will probably lead the frontlines," I began to explain, breaking the silence. "I doubt we will be able to join those battlefields. Maybe they'll have us clean out some worlds?"

Breta added her perspective, her voice calm and measured, "I don't believe they'll send everyone. They'll likely keep a few behind to protect the main plane and strategically important worlds."

"Whatever it may be," I muttered with a concerned sigh, "I doubt it'll be pretty."

Sidus, seeming frustrated, clicked his tongue and turned around, making his way back towards the cave, perhaps to brood in solitude. Immy, on the other hand, rolled her eyes at the discussion and moved to the edge of our floating home, closing her eyes as she rested under the warm embrace of the sunlight.

Ynos watched them for a moment before shaking his head. He nodded at me and then made his way down to the base of the mountain, where he used to conduct his golem experiments, seeking solace in his work.

With only me, Breta, and little Essie remaining, the atmosphere turned somewhat more harmonious, the tension momentarily lifted. No words were exchanged as we all gazed out over the horizon, our thoughts drifting through the vast expanse of uncertainty.

"Brother, I want to join the fight with you," Essie suddenly said, her voice tinged with determination and a touch of longing.

I offered her a comforting smile, gently patting her head with a hand imbued with mana. "I know, Essie, but you've heard Mother. We'll have to wait and see what they have in plan," I replied, my tone reassuring and protective.

Breta observed us with a faint glimmer of curiosity in her eyes before she averted her gaze, her golden spear still held firmly in her hands, a silent sentinel amidst our contemplation.

****

It took a couple of days before Grandmother made her way back to our floating home. This time, her imposing Dragon form graced our presence, and the sight of a short wound tracked across her side, with a few missing scales, sent a jolt of concern coursing through me.

"Grandmother! Are you okay?" I asked, my voice trembling with worry as she landed before us. Essie, ever the caring soul, leaped towards her, unable to contain her anxiety as she closely examined the wounds.

"Are you hurt?" she inquired with genuine concern.

Grandmother, despite her injuries, managed a wry smile. "Heh, I have grown old if I have you two children worrying about my safety. This is nothing; I simply had to teach a few brats who forgot their place," she said, her tone carrying a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Her words triggered a memory I had long since tucked away. Grandmother had once mentioned that she had been expelled from the Elders' council, but the details had always remained shrouded in mystery. She had never told me why or how, but it was evident that her relationship with the council was fraught with tension. Was this skirmish the result of her clashes with them, or had another party stirred the conflict?

As I looked at her, a formidable and enigmatic presence, I couldn't help but wonder how much I truly knew about my family. The current situation had unveiled layers of complexity, leaving me with a lingering sense of uncertainty about the secrets that might lie hidden within our family's history.