Dragon Days MxM (Staten Krown)

9

When I was a kid, my brother and I used to play by the banks of the river Ivanik that flows through the Wilds. It was the only source in water in the whole Wilds. 50,000 square miles and only one source of water. The local wilds believed a water dragon swam underneath the water, but Ivan would get upset at the thought.

"There is no such thing as a water dragon," he'd tell them, "All dragons are fire dragons. I know real dragons. My mother has a REAL dragon. If it doesn't burn, then it isn't a dragon. Until the river burns and boils...don't tell me there is a dragon under there."

He was all burns and boils.

And pride.

I remember he always wore the symbol on his chest. A pin. A sword with flames surrounding it.~

"The Glabber sigil," Maxim states, "I saw it in the notebooks. A sword with flames surrounding it. It's a sign of your family, Nikolai. All the paintings of her in the texts have her wearing the same sigil."

I'd just told my story to the room. I told the story of my brother. The only other child that my mother had.

"I thought my brother was dead."

"What was his name?" Maxim asks.

"Ivan. He was named after the river," I state.

"Could it be him?" Maxim asks, "Did you ever see his body in the ruins?"

I think deep back. I remember the day. The day something took over the Dread and burned down all the Wilds. The Wilds were not like other cities. We were all tree huts. The people lived naturally. They didn't live in stone towers. Everything was dry because we only had the Ivanik river. So it all burned. All of it.

"I didn't see much. Not much but ash."

"But your brother was brash and willful, right?" Maxim suggests, "That's what you said."

"He must not have met anyone else from the Glabber bloodline if he thinks that's unique," the soul of the Dread marks, "Tell Maxim to shut up. He's not helping."

I look over at the Dread. Luckily, I am the only one that can hear him so no one can be offended by the things he says all the time.

I look at Lady Arwen. She has been quiet this entire time while her son has been speculating. The elves definitely don't seem like they are much for words. She seems to be so distant just completely in her thoughts. I wondered how much of the rumors about Arwen were true. Looking at her next to Maxim I can see how they are related even if he hasn't inherited the elf ways.

I sigh, "It's possible that Ivan did it. But why? What motivation would he have?"

"Mother, you had a vision that a child born of a Nikoletta will awaken the Great Immortal Dragon to end the world, right?" Maxim asks.

The Lady Arwen nods, "Yes."

"Did you see what that person looked like?"

"The visions don't work that way. They aren't clear all the time."

"What if you're wrong?" I ask.

"Excuse me?" Arwen asks.

I look at how Maxim looks at me. I think he's concerned that I might offend his mother. I'm concerned as well. I want to challenge her. I want to say it's all bullshit. Her stupid prophecy had caused all this chaos. The only reason that I've not completely lost it with her is because of who she was to Maxim.

"I'm just concerned about accuracy. That's all," I state.

"If you're asking am I sure, then yes. I am sure. Nikoletta's child, a survivor of the Wilds will be responsible for the End of Days. My visions come true. There are those who want this to happen."