《The Cry of Dragons》 Chapter 1: Denali 1 Denali ¡°You¡¯ve done it you wondrous creature, you¡¯ve done!¡± Denali shouted triumphantly, wrapping her arms around the head of her beloved Queen. The pair were at the Hatching Grounds, Priyana nestled comfortably near the clutch she had just laid. Amidst the other colors lay a large, pearlescent white egg with veins of pastel rainbow colors intermixed. It looked very much like a large opal, and everyone had known instantly what that egg represented. After ten long years, the first Queen egg since Priyana had been laid at last. ¡°A cause for celebration certainly, but it is one egg in ten years,¡± Ralph grumbled from where he stood next to his dragon, Mazanth. Many had thought Ralph¡¯s temper to worsen with his age, but strangely enough it seemed that it had mellowed instead. He wasn¡¯t quick to anger and far more contemplative of his actions and words than before. It was a strange miracle for the people of Dragonspire Fortress. ¡°We take what we can and be glad we have anything at all,¡± Denali replied, her joyful mood impossible to ruin. She was now twenty-seven years old and had grown into an extremely beautiful woman. Her hair, once long, now came to only brush her shoulders and she had put on some weight. She had become a staple figure in Dragonspire, her voice and authority guiding the people forward as they whispered behind her back. Many questioned why Priyana, who had been praised since her birth, had failed to lay a single worthy egg in all these years. Others spread conspiracies about how Priyana had laid Queens and Princes, but they had been stolen away to prevent an upheaval of power once more. ¡®It¡¯s all so silly,¡¯ Priyana agreed with her, spreading her wing out over her clutch protectively. ¡®As if I would leave my unborn unprotected, unaware of anyone that might lurk about. I can no more control it then your species can in having a male or female¡¯ ¡®No one truly blames you, sweet creature. You¡¯ve done so much, why, your clutches alone have been numerous. You¡¯ve lain nearly six-hundred eggs over these last ten years!¡¯ Priyana, as always, preened under the praise. She had reached her final size many years ago. One-hundred-and-eighty-five feet from wingtip to wingtip. But she was not the largest dragon in the world anymore. That title had been passed over to another also many years ago. Priyana¡¯s head lifted alongside Mazanth, both sensing the arrival of the newcomer before their flyers. A large shadow fell over the opening into the Hatching Ground before a black dragon entered, following his sprinting flyer. When the man arrived before the two, his face was full of smiles. ¡°Truly, my congratulations to you both. May I see her?¡± he asked the golden Queen. Priyana cocked her head to the side, taking in the appearance of the two-legged creature she had come to know well alongside her beloved Denali. He had grown taller, though what was his size in comparison to hers? His hair had grown longer as well, now reaching his lower back. He often had it tied up halfway with a red ribbon. But it was his golden eyes that truly captivated the dragon¡¯s interest for it reminded her of her brethren. Those golden eyes seemed to glow, much like theirs and in it was hidden power. She could see it even if others could not. ¡®Don¡¯t keep Hyun waiting, love, give him your permission,¡¯ Denali admonished her dragon after a minute had passed with no acknowledgement. Priyana swayed her head to and fro, almost as if saying no before pulling her wing back slightly, allowing access to her precious eggs. Hyun cautiously approached, not coming too close, but enough to have a good look at the clutch. This was Priyana¡¯s largest clutch to date with forty-six eggs, including the large Queen one nestled in the middle. There were many greens, a few purples, and a small sprinkling of reds and blues mixed in. ¡°Looks like we will have a lot of War Furies from this one,¡± he remarked casually despite being slightly troubled by the sight before him. ¡°Which means we will be looking for a lot of female tributes.¡± ¡°It seems our War Masters have been dwindling a lot more lately,¡± Ralph said, frowning. ¡°Over these last few years, more and more Specialists have been laid and now we have nearly all War Furies in this one. Even if we have Queens, who will fly them if there are no War Masters?¡± ¡°Changes such as this have been here before Priyana. It isn¡¯t something new. For centuries now we have had dwindling clutches, smaller dragons, and fewer Queens. We should be grateful that this clutch has at least dragons within the War class.¡± Denali¡¯s words echoed between the three as they stared down upon the glistening opalescent egg in the middle of the rainbow. ¡°We can indeed turn our heads away today and be grateful for what we have, but just know that we will lament our lot in the future,¡± Ralph finally spoke before turning away. ¡°We must prepare for the Tribunal. We should call a meeting with the Council and have Lucian begin preparing all Sentinels.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Agreed. I¡¯m sure Julian has already sent out notices to all the other fortresses regarding news of the new Queen egg. They¡¯ll be preparing their best candidates.¡± ¡°And hiding away those they do not wish to send,¡± Hyun finally spoke, giving the other two pause. ¡°Let¡¯s not pretend like the fortresses and keeps follow the rules of the Tribunal. I¡¯ve known many lords or ladies to hide away the children they value, and sacrifice others in their stead.¡± ¡°It is their loss in the end. The glory of having one of yours rise as a dragonflyer is worth the price of one¡¯s life. That is what I believe, at least. Though I¡¯m surprised you would voice such thoughts freely as I¡¯ve come to known you as the one to speak out against what you call, ¡®outdated barbaric behaviors,¡¯¡± Ralph sneered as he turned back slightly to face the pair. ¡°I do believe some of our customs are outdated, this is true. But this practice, though dangerous and bloody as stands, is a necessity for our survival and something we cannot avoid. If we must make sacrifices on our end, so should they. All valid and able candidates should be made presentable to any Sentinel out on Tribunal. I will not run the risk of potentially losing this Queen because we missed her Bonded who had been hidden away.¡± ¡°Let us have no more talk of this, at least here. Priyana needs to rest, and she cannot do so with us hovering so closely. Let¡¯s have a meeting tonight and plan. We have a few months before the eggs will hatch. We have time yet,¡± Denali suggested, beginning to walk towards the entrance of the cave. The two men glanced at each other before following, quiet all the way. When they reached the fields, they separated. Hyun left in the direction of the barracks while Ralph and Denali made their way to the fortress. The two were quiet, finding little need to speak to one another. The relationship between them had at best developed into an uneasy truce. He had long given up hope of finding his way into her bed since that very first night, finding Hyun to be a solid wall against his attempts. He knew she shared her bed with him. He knew that everyone else knew as well. But he didn¡¯t try to create a disparity in their image to the public as he had with Sibilla. He worked to present a unified front as much as possible and she, thankfully, did the same. After what he did, he was indeed grateful that she still tried to work alongside him as best she could. He knew she had never and would never forgive him for that night, but he ultimately did not regret what happened. It was a natural thing to occur between the two when their dragons came together. It would have been hard for either of them to deny the call to each other. Yet if he could fight against his basic instincts, he¡¯d find happiness in the miserable life he forged for himself he genuinely thought. Denali tolerated his existence alongside her, but she did not do much more than that. She found him to have aged into a quieter man, though the rage that had simmered so easily behind his eyes ten years ago was still there, flashing about when he was extremely displeased. More controlled, but there. She had turned away his advances over the course of time and he had given up rather easily. In that, she had been surprised to say the least. But she had found out that it was because of Hyun that Ralph had decided the fight was not worth the risk. His eyes had wandered elsewhere, and she found some reprieve in the solace of her empty bed. That is until Hyun had found his way into it. She did not regret their nights, but she knew there was nothing there. At least nothing to further develop. Their conversation on that night in the fields so many years ago had changed their relationship forever. He didn¡¯t treat her differently, at least openly, but he had distanced himself in a way she couldn¡¯t quite describe. They had watched and helped each other grow over these last ten years, and yet with it so too did the gap in their relationship continue to widen. Why did she continue to share her bed with him? She did not have the answer to this. Maybe it was because her heart wished for a different outcome, to change the future and have a life with him. Would it have happened if she had given in those many years ago? But she had chosen her duty over him. And she knew she had hurt him deeply. That she had influenced his current state of mind, his personality, and his approach to not just his duties but also his interactions with others. Cold and distant. He had reciprocated in kind at her growing busyness, throwing himself into his duties. If he wasn¡¯t at the barracks training and helping Lucian, he was in the library with Julian, pouring over musty tomes and disintegrating scrolls. Her only true companion and light in this dark world was Priyana, her beautiful Queen. Priyana had always uplifted her when the dark hole threatened to swallow her whole. Chased away the shadows and gave her wisdom and insight into matters she didn¡¯t have the answers to. Now her Queen had finally done it, laid another Queen. She was happy for her, truly. But she also knew what this meant. Once her father heard this, everything would be set into motion. If she could just pause time, savor the peace while it lasted¡­ ¡°I can hear your thoughts,¡± Ralph finally broke the silence as they reached the entrance to the fortress, poised to go down separate paths. ¡°I know it¡¯s about your father. You only get that expression when you¡¯re thinking of him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m imagining his reaction upon hearing the news,¡± she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure he has long since been made aware. With his many eyes and ears everywhere.¡± ¡°Your father is an immensely powerful man, Denali. Without him, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am here today. Despite how he treats others, he cares about his family, his children. Otherwise, many of you wouldn¡¯t be in the powerful positions you are in today. Yet why does it always seem as if even mentioning him will break you?¡± ¡°You speak knowing only the skin of my father. But you don¡¯t know what lies underneath. How his dark lungs breathe, his twisted heart thumps, and his ever-turning mind enshrouded in darkness hungers and reaches for things far beyond his control. One day, when the world is burning and those creatures walk amongst us once more, you will understand why I shudder at his mention.¡± She left him with those final words, her heart beating so fast she feared anyone she passed would hear it. But no one spared her a second glance after the cursory greetings, minding their own business and oblivious to their incoming doom. She walked amongst the people, interacted with these people, and was charged with protecting them yet she was the bringer of destruction. But that one egg could throw everything into chaos. Should the woman who forges a Bond with that Queen win the next Enthronement, perhaps that would buy the world some more time. Perhaps she could enjoy the peace for a little while longer.