The companions and Aiden at this point had concluded their eating and Liora approached their table, leaning forward to gather the empty cups and plates. As she worked, her breasts pressed together as her bodice shifted with the motion, drawing Tam's unwavering attention—he hadn't blinked in what must have been ten seconds, his gaze fixed somewhere far south of her face.
She straightened slowly, catching his stare with a knowing smirk, and said "Careful now, love—keep starin' like that and I'll start chargin' by the bounce."
Having cleared their table, she turned with a deliberate wink, the sway in her hips entirely intentional as she walked back toward the counter. This time, every man at the table, including the naive Aiden, found their eyes following her retreat, until Alaric's voice cut through the focus. "Swear down… I'd let that one rob me blind and thank her for it."
Aiden immediately realized he'd been staring as well and straightened up, heat rising in his cheeks. Ingrid simply shook her head with a scoff—men would always be men, regardless of age or station.
When Liora reached the counter, she raised her right hand and announced, "Your lodgings are ready." The upper floor of the tavern housed bed chambers for travelers and those seeking a night's rest.
Alaric had also paid for an extra bed to accommodate Aiden, who would be joining them for tomorrow's dungeon raid. Then they all rose from their seats, and as Alaric stood, he clapped Aiden on the shoulder. "C'mon, kid—tomorrow's a big one!"
This prompted Aiden to hurriedly follow his temporary companions to the upper level, eager to rest his head after such a day, one that started with what felt like the end of the world for him.
They were assigned shared quarters, with Alaric and Aiden bunking together. Once they entered their modest room, Alaric pointed to one of the beds in the corner. "Alright, posh lad, that one's yours."
"Thanks," Aiden said simply, moving to his designated spot. As he settled onto the bed, it dawned on him that this was the first time in fourteen years he would sleep somewhere other than the castle. There was nothing thrilling about it but he would rather this than spend another waking hour at Dragonhold..
He laid back, staring at the rough wooden ceiling, and found his thoughts drifting to his destination. "I'd like to know," he said to the Xathian, "is there an academy in Xathia?"
"Academy? You mean that school for magic folk?" Alaric replied as he settled onto his own bed. "Aye, there's a big one in Xathia."
"Hm, okay," Aiden said simply, and they both settled in for the night.
A plan began forming in his mind—admittedly naive and riddled with unaccounted factors, but a plan nonetheless. He would join the academy, and if Xathia's system was anything like Dragonhold's, there would be guilds as well.
That way, he could learn his magic properly and perhaps one day return to challenge his father. It sounded foolish when laid out so plainly, but Aiden's determination burned bright, and that resolve was all he needed right now.
...
Meanwhile, Ursla sat alone in her dimly lit chambers within the Starry Maiden's guild building. The earlier experience still troubled her, but dwelling on troublesome thoughts would yield nothing.
The only reason the dragon would have blocked her divination was if the king's son had some connection to the beast—but what involvement could Prince Aiden possibly have with Thyrak that would warrant such magical protection from her magic scrying?
She rose from her chair and walked to the windows, drawing both shutters open. In a voice barely above a whisper, she commanded, "Answer me." Her eyes glowed light blue, and somewhere in the wilderness, the eyes of an owl mirrored that ethereal glow.
The owl took flight toward a specific destination, and Ursla watched through the magic crystal embedded in her staff. The bird flew across considerable distance before arriving at a pathway lined with scorched trees and scattered bones, the approach to Thyrak's domain.
Then Ursla exclaimed at what she witnessed through the crystal, "That's impossible!"
The owl was looking directly at where Thyrak's lair should have been, but all that remained was a solid wall of stone. No entrance, no cave mouth, nothing.
She had the owl scout the area more thoroughly, ensuring she hadn't missed the lair's actual location, but the search turned up empty.
Earlier, Ursla had theorized that perhaps something unusual was happening around the lair, maybe the prince was nearby, and the dragon had taken offense at divination being performed with connections to its territory. An unreasonable explanation that Ursla had thought up to try and justify why she would receive that kickback from the Black Dragon, even if she only wanted to locate Prince Aiden.
However, there was one problem that perhaps surpassed even her frustration with the failed divination: Thyrak's lair was gone, and with it, apparently, Thyrak himself.
...
"I gave you until tomorrow, Ursla," King Jarius said as he slowly entered the grand hall from a side entrance that led to his private chambers. He wore his sleeping robes, indicating he had been preparing to retire for the night.
Queen Helena followed behind him, with an expression that looked troubled. Although it was likely that she was still affected by her earlier disagreement with the guild captain.
"I'm sorry, Your Grace, I'm sorry, my Queen, but this couldn't wait," Ursla said urgently. The moment she had witnessed what she did, she had immediately left the guild building and rushed to Wyvern's Keep with all haste.
"So what is it then? You found him?" the King asked.
"No, it's not that, Your Grace. It's about Thyrak…" she said, her face etched with disturbance.
"What about a sleeping dragon is so important at this hour?" Jarius asked, his expression visibly contracting into a frown at being disturbed for this.
Ursla glanced around the throne room, noting the knights standing at various corners. "Your Grace, I would much rather give you this information in private."
The King motioned with his fingers. "Leave us," he commanded, and the armored men filed out. "I'm sure whatever it is, you can say it in front of the Queen as well."
Helena also waited in anticipation, her eyes fixed on the guild captain. Once the throne room had emptied of guards, Ursla delivered her shocking news: "My King, the dragon and its lair are gone."
Jarius chuckled briefly as it sounded like the ravings of a fool to him. "This is what you requested an audience for? What nonsense, Ursla? Have I become so familiar with guild captains that any of you would come to my throne room to make unreasonable jokes?"
The Queen studied Ursla carefully. Having once been a member of the Starry Maidens herself, Helena knew that Ursla wouldn't make such a claim without solid reason. "Is there more to this?" she asked genuinely.
Out of reverence for the one who sat upon the Wyrm Seat, Ursla remained silent during the King's rebuke. But after the Queen's question, she bowed her head slightly and continued, "Your Grace, earlier when you asked me to divine the Prince's location, I attempted to do so, but the dragon cut me off as if I had tried to divine the dragon itself rather than the Prince."
"What? What are you trying to say?" The King looked confused now, as did the Queen. They understood how Ursla's divination worked, Helena most especially, but what the captain was describing made no sense.
Ursla continued, "When I returned to my chambers, I decided to survey the area myself, and when my vision reached the dragon's lair, there was nothing there. Thyrak's lair wasn't there anymore—in fact, it looked as if it had never existed, and I couldn't find the dragon anywhere either. Your Grace may send his most trusted men to verify this themselves."
Terror and awe struck Jarius so forcefully that he had to sit heavily upon his throne. Helena turned to look at her husband briefly, then walked closer to Ursla. "You're certain everything you've just told us is true?" she asked, seeking reassurance that they had heard correctly.
Ursla met Helena's gaze with unwavering certainty and nodded firmly. "I don't think the Prince's and Thyrak's disappearances are mere coincidence, and I'm afraid the dragon might kill me if I attempt to divine Prince Aiden's location again."
Jarius fell silent for a long moment. His worry centered more on the significance of the dragon abandoning its lair—or if Ursla was correct, the lair disappearing entirely. It sounded absurd, but she was a guild captain; she understood the weight of everything she had just revealed.
The history of dragons was well-taught in the academies. Before humans settled on Dragonhold, the land had been home to the Seven Great Dragons—the most powerful creatures in all continents, who dwelled among the few humans who worshipped them instead of the gods.
Then came the war a century ago, and these magnificent creatures stood at the forefront of humanity's defense against the Demon King. Humanity emerged victorious, but not without certain costs. At war's end, only Thyrak returned. No one truly knew what had become of the other six dragons, it was as though they had simply vanished from history itself.
However, Thyrak had not returned alone. He came back with King Augustus Crowley, Jarius's ancestor and the first human king of Dragonhold. People said they behaved like old friends, and with the Great Dragon by his side, Augustus had unified the nine kingdoms under the rule of the Wyrm Seat, though his reign lasted only a decade before his son Leopold—Jarius's father—inherited the throne.
Thyrak had been the foundation of Crowley power for the last century. Though the Crowleys didn't have direct control over the dragon, but whenever invaders felt powerful enough to challenge Dragonhold's supremacy, Thyrak would rise and vanquish their enemies.
It was basically the dragon protecting its territory, and It mattered not the size of their armies, their magical power, or even if they possessed grand magus-level mages, all crumbled before the Great Black Dragon.
But with Thyrak gone, they were suddenly vulnerable to attacks and potential overthrow by any of the kingdoms that had only grudgingly submitted to Wyrm Seat authority, as well as kingdoms that stretched across the continent's seas.
Jarius then leaned forward, his first question direct and urgent: "Who else knows about this?"
"Just you and the Queen, Your Grace," Ursla replied.
"Good. We'll keep it that way for now. I'll go myself at first light to confirm whether everything you've told me is true, and then I'll summon the Grand Magus."
There was a brief pause before he continued, "For now, Ursla, speak no word of this to any of the guild captains until after my consultation with the Grand Magus is complete. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Ursla said with a bow.
Jarius, overwhelmed by frustration and worry, simply waved his hand dismissively. Ursla bowed once more and departed from the throne hall.
Helena immediately moved to her husband's side, taking her seat beside the throne. "What shall we do now, my king?"
Jarius shook his head and held up his hand, indicating he needed solitude. He was lost in thought, trying to understand why all of this was happening now and what connection it might have to Aiden's disappearance.