2026-08-24 21:35:32
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Chapter 209
The dragons came at dawn.Not slowly. They came with the kind of coordinated assault that meant they'd been planning this approach for longer than anyone realized. The alarm bell had barely finished its first ring when the first dragon hit the north gate with enough force to crack the stone itself. The impact reverberated through the entire garrison like a shockwave.Draven was at his assigned position on the western perimeter. He felt the vibration through his boots. Felt the shift in the ground beneath his feet. Understood immediately that the battle they'd prepared for had started."Full mobilization," Charles's voice came through the garrison communication network, steady and clear despite the chaos beginning to erupt. "All positions. Engage on contact. Hold the line. No retreats unless ordered."The western perimeter exploded into action.The dragon coming toward them was massive. Thirty feet at the shoulder. Maybe more. Its scales caught the dawn light like obsidian reflecting f
Chapter 208
Three days to wait.That's what Garrett had said during their conversation at the perimeter. Three days until the dragons arrived. Maybe less. But three days was the estimate the experienced warriors were working with, and Draven had learned to trust their instincts more than his own desperate hope.So the garrison settled into a rhythm that appeared routine on the surface but was desperate and tense underneath. Everyone understood what was coming. Everyone understood that the calm was temporary. Everyone understood that when the dragons returned, they would come harder, meaner, with better tactics learned from the first assault.Day One.Draven woke before dawn and helped organize supply deliveries that had arrived from the capital overnight. Food—dried meats wrapped in cloth, grain sacks heavy enough to require two people carrying them, preserved vegetables in oil, fresh bread that was already beginning to harden. Ammunition for archers stacked in organized piles. Medical herbs bund
Chapter 207
They arrived at midday.Three horses, riders moving with the confidence of people who'd survived battles. Three figures that the garrison soldiers recognized immediately and stood straighter for.Charles Meridian was first. Imperial Champion. Sword master. The best warrior the empire had produced in a generation. Dark hair, efficient movements, eyes that assessed terrain and people with equal precision.Xavier Vane was second. Legendary archer. Every arrow infused with magic. Every shot calculated. Smaller than Charles but carrying the same weight of competence.Garrett Ashworth was third.Draven felt something shift in his chest when he recognized his oldest brother. Garrett moved like their father.. kind of controlled, with the bearing of someone who'd made peace with the reality of death.Fire and combat master. Top warrior of the standing army. Their father's protégé and successor.The garrison commander met them at the gates."Welcome," the commander said. "The Emperor sent word
Chapter 206
Gordon found him in the garrison courtyard an hour after the dragon was brought inside."Explain," Gordon said. No greeting. No preamble. Just demand.Draven didn't turn around. "Explain what?""Your fire. That wasn't learned magic. That wasn't academy training. That wasn't anything normal."Draven finally turned to face him. Gordon was still shaking. Adrenaline from almost dying hadn't worn off yet. Embarrassment was layered underneath."Family training," Draven said simply. "Ashworth tradition. My father taught me. My brothers learned it. That's all.""You're holding back," Gordon said. "In everything. In garrison training, in sparring, in normal combat. You're not fighting at your actual level. Why?""Because I don't need to prove anything."Gordon's hands clenched. "That's arrogant.""That's fact. And you know it."Gordon turned away. Walked a few steps. Came back."If you'd been fighting at full strength during that dragon encounter," Gordon said, "you would have killed it before
Chapter 205
The alarm came at dawn.Draven woke to the sound of the bell and was on his feet before consciousness fully caught up. Clothes. Weapons. Out the door.The garrison was mobilizing. Soldiers moving with purpose. No panic yet, but the understanding that this was the moment everyone had been preparing for.Commander Vale was at the center, organizing response. When he saw the Academy students emerge, he pointed."Western perimeter. Defensive position. Something is approaching from that direction."Draven moved with Sera and the others toward the western gates. The garrison was already taking formation when the creature appeared.It was massive. Thirty feet long, maybe more. Reptilian. Wings folded against its body as it moved across the grasslands toward the garrison.A dragon.But wrong somehow. Too small. Moving like it was inexperienced. Panicked even.A baby dragon. Immature. Probably fleeing from something larger.Rachel and Gordon appeared beside Draven, both moving toward the gates
Chapter 204
They appeared on the fourth day.Draven was at the western perimeter with Sera, working on reinforcing the stone barriers when two figures approached from the garrison center. One moved with purpose and precision. The other moved like he owned the space around him.Rachel and Gordon Vale.Commander Vale's children.Rachel was seventeen, with dark hair and eyes that assessed everything they touched. She carried herself like someone trained in combat but not bound by it. There was flexibility in her posture, adaptability in the way she moved.Gordon was sixteen, golden-haired and charming in the way that only young, confident warriors could be. Fire mage. You could see it in how he carried heat around him like a second skin. The air warmed when he walked past."Academy students?" Rachel asked. Direct. Not unfriendly, just efficient."Yes," Sera answered. "Defensive support positions.""I'm Rachel. This is Gordon. We're posted here as well."Sera nodded acknowledgment. "Sera. This is Dra
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