BOOK ONE: Chapter 6: The Four Seeds
After disposing of Diana, **Marcellus** took absolute control of the entire Western Island of Europa. His mind spells were a powerful, efficient tool, ensuring the exiled mages living there would not question the **disappearance of Diana**.
He had a task for his four hybrid children whom he called **One, Two, Three, and Four**. They had no idea he was their father, only their fearless leader. He had trained them ruthlessly, and they were now all of age, able to transform into their **Third Stage Dragon body**—a colossal $\text{10}$ meter ($\text{32}$ ft) tall dragon form. They were monstrous, but terribly flawed: their wings were disproportionate to their bodies, meaning they could **not fly naturally and had to rely on Air Magic to take flight**.
Marcellus commanded the four enormous hybrids to cleanse the island. They could use all elements just like humans, but each had a different primary affinity: **One (Water), Two (Air), Three (Light Magic),** and **Four (Fire Magic)**. Strangely, and something Marcellus would soon realize was very unique, they all **inherited a high affinity for Earth Magic from birth** like their mother, Diana.
The $\text{10}$-meter dragons flew to the corners of the island that were not yet under the First Dragon's control. They decimated the opposition.
The Drakain returned from their feast of the scattered humans, The ones that couldn't escape to the other islands, that is. Happy and fulfilled, genuinely believing their leader cared for them. They had no memory of being his children; all they knew was that they existed to serve the First Dragon.
Marcellus looked at the four colossal hybrids. They had fulfilled their purpose. He was pleased with the carnage and the successful test of the Drakain abilities. He told the four $\text{10}$-meter dragons to guard the valley. It was time for his $\text{1}$-year hibernation. The four Drakain didn't question the command, and the entire year passed without issue. The whole planet Europa was just happy that the other two islands were still a safe place to be.
Marcellus settled into a deep, year-long slumber. He transformed into his mile-wide **Titan form**, feeling a final, pathetic pang of the old Marcellus, shame over this primal, reptilian necessity. But the Titan form's instinct was deafening: the eggs must be protected. He curled his colossal body around a small, secluded valley, his **Dark Energy** forming an impenetrable dome of shadow and heat.
In his dreams, a horrifying dichotomy played out:
### The Whispers of the Past
First, he was a boy again, trapped in the memory of his past. He heard his mother's vicious words, the dark whispers in his ear: "*Nuisance. Worthless. Obstacle.*" He saw the hatred in her eyes as she performed her dark rituals. She would practice **Dark Magic** relentlessly around him, even when he cried for her to stop, terrified of the shadows swirling around his crib. She was focused only on becoming the best; the boy was merely a nuisance, his fear irrelevant to her ambition. The trauma was a deep, rotting wound.
### The Legacy of Zoth
Then, the dream would violently shift, and he was **Zoth**, soaring in his three-mile-wide Titan form. Below him, the ancient lands were teeming with hundreds of dragons—a breathtaking spectacle of cosmic power. Dragons of every color—gold, purple, white, even those with multiple heads—flew alongside him. They looked down on cities built by giants, and through Zoth's eyes, Marcellus saw the world like never before. These were eyes with an ability he didn't possess: they could **zoom in on a single person thousands of miles below**, bringing them into crystal-clear focus as though he was standing right in front of them. He could even **smell each individual person** in his dream, a sensory flood that confirmed the richness of this ancient world.
He looked to his left at the dragon flying next to him. This dragon had a **red body, a tail with vibrant green scales and green claws, and deep green eyes with red irises**. The dragon looked back at him, its eyes blazing with shared purpose, and simply said: "**Brother, are you ready?**" The dream was a relentless reminder of his past and the terrifying, powerful future he was building.
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### The Unwelcome Anomaly
He awoke precisely a year later. The dome of dark energy around him dissolved into the morning mist. His four colossal $\text{10}$-meter hybrid children stood before him, bending the knee in absolute obedience.
His new, golden eyes, now attuned to his reality, looked down at what he had created. He had expected three eggs, a perfect triad of power. Instead, there were four.
Marcellus roared in confusion and a strange mixture of joy and disappointment. His obsession with the power of three, a subconscious drive inherited from Zoth, made the sight of the fourth egg an unwelcome anomaly.
The largest of the four was an emerald green, pulsating with a quiet, scholarly energy—the undeniable sign of **Earth Affinity**. Just below it was a crimson-red egg, hot to the touch and shaking with a fiery, restless energy—the essence of **Fire Affinity**.
The final two eggs were smaller and concerningly dull. One was a flat black, the other a stark white. They looked as though they needed more time to develop, a complete contrast to the vibrant life thrumming from the green and red eggs.
As the Drakain looked upon the four eggs, large, visible tears began to stream from their monstrous eyes.
Still, Marcellus's mouth, now a terrifying maw of fangs, curled into a smile. His experiment had gone overwhelmingly well. The four eggs were a triumph, a testament to his new power. But his obsession with the number three, a profound desire for symmetry and a true, perfect triad, took over.
He had no need for four mouths to feed, not when he only needed three for his grand design. His decision was swift and chilling: he would wait for the two undeveloped eggs—the flat black and the stark white—to hatch. Then, he would have them **fight to the death**. Whoever proved strongest would survive and be worthy of the dynasty he was preparing to create. This was the true beginning of his obsession with the power of three, a legacy he had unknowingly inherited from the dying dragon.