The chaos at the high pens had dragged every senior committee member and guard toward the eastern quadrant. With dead drakes on the stones and an elder’s spell still ringing through the night air, no one was looking at the small window of the lower clinic.Eryx walked out the front door unchecked. The corridor was empty, the twin guards long gone to secure the perimeter around the dragon enclosures.He moved through the foggy courtyard with a steady, quiet stride. His conduits were quiet, the high-grade spirit jewel energy having settled the wild golden liquid in his chest. His right palm was wrapped tight in dark leather, hiding the red brand beneath his skin.When Eryx pushed the door of his dorm room open, the latch clicked sharply against the frame.The two noble roommates froze instantly. The lead noble, who had been leaning against the table with a grin on his face, lost his posture. Both boys looked at Eryx, their eyes darting over his clean stance, the focus in his gaze, and t

A deep, cold vibration hummed against the base of Eryx’s skull."Vessel. Wake up. It is time."Drogo’s voice cut through the dark fog of sleep like a blade. Eryx’s eyes opened in the pitch-black room as he stayed still, letting his senses spread through the damp air of the lower quarters.The uneven breathing of his two noble roommates came from the far corner. Outside, the night was quiet. The second watch had passed.Eryx sat up slowly as the dark strip stayed wrapped tight around his right palm. He swung his legs off the cot and stood. His boots made no sound on the rough floorboards.He took a step toward the doorway, then stopped.Both roommates were sprawled across the narrow entry. Their cots had been dragged together, blocking the path, as their bodies stretched straight across the floorboards in front of the latch. A deliberate wall of meat and oak.Eryx’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t waste breath asking why.He stepped carefully over the first boy’s tangled legs. He planted his

The courtyard was a mess of shouting guards, coughing recruits, and ash floating down like dirty black snow.Up on the ruined roof, three senior officers were picking through the smashed slate and broken timber with lanterns. They weren't looking at the armory fire anymore…that was just spirit-oil and poor luck but this was different."It wasn't a structural collapse," one of the officers called down, his boots crunching on stone. "The rafters were snapped inward. Something hit this building from the sky with real weight."A small crowd of lower-block recruits was gathered near the stone fountain, shivering in their tunics."I saw it," a boy from the third floor muttered, his voice shaking. "It came out of the smoke from the armory. It had massive wings, black ones. It looked like a dragon.""Shut your mouth," a guard snapped, shoving the boy back into line. "There are no wild dragons inside the inner grid.""I saw it too!" another recruit chimed in, leaning over his friend's shoulder

The noon sun beat down on the central courtyard, turning the wide flagstones into a pale, blinding furnace.Eryx was dragged down the high stone steps by two guards, the iron chains wrapping around his legs clanking with every uneven step he took. They hadn't allowed him to wash off the dirt from the sub-level cell, nor had they given him a tunic. He wore a rough, threadbare rag tied at his waist, his bare chest bruised, pale, and covered in dried soot.Around the perimeter of the courtyard, hundreds of recruits stood jammed behind the heavy wooden barricades."Look at him!" a noble recruit yelled from the front row, cupping his hands around his mouth. "The little stray thought he was special! Thought he could keep a monster under our noses!"A stone flew from the crowd, clipping Eryx across the side of his jaw. Blood welled up instantly, trickling down his neck, but he didn't flinch or even lift his chin."Murderer!" a girl shouted, throwing a handful of coarse gravel that stung agai

The guard’s hands shook as he unbuckled the runic collars from Drogo’s jaw and wings. The iron fell away, hitting the flagstones with a clatter.Drogo let out a low, deep breath, his obsidian wings expanding full width as black scales caught the harsh glare of the afternoon sun. The dragon stepped close to Eryx, lowering its broad snout until it rested firmly against the boy's shoulder.Eryx didn't smile or look up at the sky. He just stood there in his torn rag of a tunic, blood drying on his collarbone, his hand resting heavy on Drogo's dark neck.Up on the dais, the Head Elder cleared his throat, adjusting his silk robes as two elite guards stepped in front of him with raised spirit-shields."The tribunal has heard the evidence," the Head Elder announced, his voice amplified by the resonance spell, though a noticeable tremble undercut the volume. "In light of the Vault Keeper's confession, Recruit Eryx and his shadow spirit are cleared of all charges regarding elder Vane's death."