The Dragon Kingdom ♚︎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 38 | ♚

"Now that I know you exist, how do I not love you?"

𝐒𝐲𝐟𝐚𝐬

The grand library hushed with soft questions passed about from person to person. The golden scroll was opened on a polished oak table, and its cryptic verses stood in contrast to the weathered scroll.

Kyras' eyes were fixed on the parchment, her mind absorbing the weight of the words in front of her while I stood near for comfort, hopefully becoming her anchor in the midst of uncertainty.

Axel, Alfred, Lexa and my father also circled the table, their expressions a blend of curiosity and concern. "This is way worse than hummingbirds," Axel mumbled and Lexa's eyes rolled in instinct. He watched one horror movie and now we'll never hear the end of it.

"We can't ignore the warning in these verses." Alfred stated, breaking the contemplative silence that enveloped the room. Axels useless chatter doesn't count.

Alexa studied the scroll intensely with her brown eyes, yet it was not merely enough scrutiny to how Kyra is looking at it leaning over the scroll with an intensity that never failed to captivate me. Her green eyes, so full of depth and intelligence, were fixed on the parchment as if trying to decipher its secrets with sheer force of will.

I nudged her arm slightly,  her gaze momentarily leaving the scroll as she acknowledged my presence. But even then, I could see the wheels turning in her mind, the gears of her thoughts whirring away behind those piercing eyes.

There was something about Kyra that set her apart from anyone else I'd ever met. It wasn't just her intelligence or her beauty, though both were undeniable. It was the way she approached everything with such fierce determination, the way she threw herself into her studies with a passion that was both inspiring and intimidating.

"The mention of wings, scales, fire and light- these could be symbolic, or refer to specific factions of mystics. We need more information."

While the opportunity to lay down another secret was there, I withheld it. What Goddess Aine said and what Kyra and I had discovered were secrets we intended to keep.

"This is all we have, and I'm sure we can decipher more from the scroll if we try." I added, rubbing my hands on Kyras' arms. She mind-linked me her thoughts, informing me of her opinion, which is factual to me on any cause.

My father stood stoic, folding his arms as his piercing gaze on the scroll continued. "It speaks of a war between species, we need to identify potential allies and adversaries. Knowledge will be our greatest weapon."

My hand stopped above Kyras, tightening it as her thoughts continued to pour into my head. "If we think the sword will rebirth at Kyras ceremony, we must break tradition and call for a small circle instead."

The people of Aetheria would eventually find out about the nature of the sword, and causing a mindless panic about war is simply not affordable. They had to be kept in the dark.

"I agree." A new voice called out from behind, shutting the door a moment later. We all turned to face my mother, who waltzed right in, giving us all a little stink eye for not inviting her to our little midnight shenanigans. "Hello Dominic, thanks for the invite."

"Sorry, darling, I thought you were already asleep." He sheepishly admitted, clearly not impressing my mother with that lame excuse.

"We can fill you in now." Kyra offered sweetly and my body melted at the sound of her voice, my head resting on top of hers.

"Thank you, Kyra, but there's no need; I heard everything." She stated, now circling the table with us. "So what's the entire plan? We can't see this war as just beginning only because we realised now."