Chapter 69: Of Scales, Silver and Blue
EIRLYS‘ POV
+25 Points
I woke when I felt Kierygan shift beside me, his arm tightening briefly before slipping away. For a moment, I lay still, eyes blinking open to the faint gray light creeping into the cave. The stone
ceiling loomed above, rough and dark, but somehow I felt…rested.
Strange. I hadn’t slept this well in weeks–not since the nightmares began. And certainly not in a
damp cave on a bed of conjured hay. Even more surprising was the absence of dreams. No dark
forests. No horned shadows. No seven fading figures. Nothing at all.
Maybe… maybe the dreams stop when he’s beside me.
I shifted slightly, feeling the warmth of his body rad ating against my forehead. From deeper in the
cave, I heard quiet voices–Ulyanna and Evander murmuring to each other, their tones hushed with
sleep.
Then Kierygan’s low voice vibrated through his chest, rumbling softly against my shoulder blades. ” Are you awake?”
I hummed in response, my voice still thick with sleep. Slowly, I pulled away and pushed myself
upright. My hair fell in tangled waves around my face, and I tucked it behind my ear before glancing down at him.
His blue eyes were already open, watching me with that quiet, unreadable intensity that always made my chest tighten. He looked rested too, and there was a softness in his gaze–something
that almost looked like relief.
I sat there for a while, listening to the quiet drip of water from the cave roof, my eyes fixed on the
thin sunlight creeping in through the cave’s mouth. let the strange, unexpected calm wash over
me, anchoring me in that silent moment.
Evander stretched his arms overhead, his golden eyes glinting in the dim cave light. “We need to
move if we want to reach Morvanya by nightfall.”
I glanced at him, then back at Kierygan as he pushed himself to his feet beside me. With a flick of
Ulyanna’s fingers, the hay and blankets beneath us vanished instantly, leaving only the cold stone floor. Nibbles let out a startled squeak, his little paws scrabbling for balance.
I giggled softly and bent down to scoop him up, cradling his warm, quivering body against my chest. “It’s alright, Nibbles,” I whispered, scratching gently behind his ears until he calmed.
We stepped out of the cave together into the morning light. The storm had passed, but the earth still smelled of wet stone and moss. A thin mist coiled low among the trees, the air fresh and cold
against my skin.
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Chapter 69 Of Scales, Silver and Blue
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Ulyanna paused in the clearing, her gaze lifting to the blue sky. “Before we set off, it would be wise
to check the roads,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “Make sure there are no floods or fallen
trees blocking our path.”
Kierygan nodded once, stepping back from us. Without a word, his form began to shimmer, the air rippling around him with barely contained magic. Scales erupted across his skin, silver–blue and
gleaming like polished glass as they spread over his arms and chest. Wings unfurled with a deep, resonant crackle that vibrated through my bones.
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In the blink of an eye, the towering silhouette of his dragon loomed before me, its massive form so
close that the ground seemed to tremble beneath its weight. I froze, unable to move, as his wings
lifted in a slow, powerful sweep that sent my hair flying around my face. Awe and terror twisted in
my chest, stealing my breath.
His long tail curled briefly along the earth before lifting fully, and then, with two mighty beats of his
wings, he launched into the sky. Leaves scattered in a wild flurry around us, the rush of wind tugging at my cloak.
I gasped, my heart leaping to my throat as his enormous form flickered–then disappeared
completely into the mist–veiled heavens.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Evander’s voice came from behind me, smooth with quiet wonder. “His scales
can bend the light. That’s why he disappears when he’s up there.”
I just nodded, unable to tear my gaze from the empty sky where Kierygan had vanished. My chest
still fluttered with the sight of the magnificent creature he truly was.
It didn’t take long before I heard it again–the low, rhythmic flapping of colossal wings cutting
through the crisp morning air. Though I couldn’t see him yet, I knew it was Kierygan. My chest
tightened with anticipation.
Then, out of the thinning clouds, he emerged. His massive form rippled back into sight as he
descended, scales gleaming silver–blue in the dawn light. With one final powerful beat of his wings,
he landed gracefully in the clearing, his taloned feet sinking slightly into the damp earth. The sheer
force of his arrival sent a gust of wind barreling toward us.
Evander’s polished hair was blown straight back into disarray. He let out a long, annoyed sigh, raking his fingers through it. “Show off,” he muttered under his breath.
I bit back a small laugh, but it died in my throat when I felt sudden movement in my arms. Before I
could react, Nibbles squirmed free and leapt down, darting across the grass straight toward
Kierygan’s towering dragon form.
My heart seized. “Nibbles–no!” I gasped, stumbling forward after him, terror pulsing through me. What if Kierygan didn’t notice him? What if–heavens forbid–he thought Nibbles was food?
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Chapter 69 Of Scales, Silver and Blue
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But Nibbles didn’t slow. He ran until he was directly beneath the dragon’s massive snout, then rose up on his hind legs, his little chest puffed out. For a heartbeat, he looked almost brave–defiant, even–as if telling the Dragon King himself that he wasn’t afraid.
My steps faltered. Slowly, I crouched down beside him, my hands trembling as I scooped his warm, quivering body back into my arms. When I stood again, I found myself staring directly into
Kierygan’s enormous eyes.
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