Page 62 of Oath of Rebellion

"The druids of the forest served the Feral King. But the in-fighting among the other dragon siblings brought devastation to every corner of the continent. Whole cities were razed to the ground, which caused the people to rebel. The Hunters were created to kill the dragons, eliminating them from the land."

Knox shook his head, leaning back in the chair and staring at the egg. "That doesn't make any sense. The royal families still claim to have draconic heritage. They're drakin."

Olive nodded. "The smart drakin, the weakest of the dragons, hid. They assimilated into human culture and hid their dragon abilities, or at least disguised them to be acceptable."

"And use them to seize power and rule?" Knox said.

Olive nodded again. "Exactly, with the Hunters backing them, they've been ruling both nations ever since."

Except the Hunters were just a mercenary guild now. They didn't work only for the ruling families anymore. The Robins had grown in just a decade to rival them as one of the leading guilds in the kingdom, but their missions were completely different. The Robins were about freedom and protection; whereas, the Hunters were for hire to the highest bidder.

Silence settled, the crackling fire and the thunder booming outside the only interruptions. After Knox thought through the importance of it, he asked, "What's all that have to do with me?"

Olive leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She wasn't used to the late nights, or rather the early mornings. It was now almost three in the morning.

"When the Feral King was hunted down, he enchanted the forest to protect his home. And his faithful druids swore to watch over his heir."

She pointed to the egg in his lap. "Honestly, most of us assumed it was an old wives' tale. The egg sat on a custom made egg cup on my parents' mantle while I was growing up. They used to tell me bedtime stories about the dragons and our duty to protect the egg."

She chuckled. "I think I actually slept with you in my arms when I was about six. I held you like a stuffed doll and even put the egg in a tiny dress."

Knox smiled. "And then one day I just hatched?" It boggled the mind. It didn't make sense. "After hundreds of years of not being nested, I just decided to break free?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Actually, there was an attack on the cottage by the Growlers. Everything was busted up, and your eggcup fell off the mantle. The egg rolled near the fireplace. It was several days of cleaning before I found you. By then, the first crack had appeared. Lailant thinks there was a spell on the egg to protect you."

The fire had kept him warm enough to make him want to hatch. He nodded, trying to process.

"So that makes me... a dragon?"

Olive stared at him, her lips thinning. "A dragon king," she corrected.

Knox scowled. "I'm no king."

Olive stood, taking the egg gently from his hands and putting the pieces on top of her knitting in the basket. "Not yet, but you will be, if Lailant's prophecies are to be believed. It's why I've hidden you in the forest, why I wouldn't let you go off with Scarlet and her father as they ranged Busparia. What else did Lailant say?"

Knox rubbed his head, scratching at his scales. "Go to the heart of the forest, eat the golden apple, and find answers. Then go back and see her."

Olive nodded. "Then it's a plan. Scarlet will go to the king tomorrow with a heart. You will go to the heart of the forest and find your destiny."

Knox stood and stretched, yawning as he finally grew tired. "I'm going to see if I can find an animal before turning in. The storm will make it extra challenging."

Olive frowned and rolled her eyes as she stood and stepped to him, wrapping him in a hug. He froze. It'd been a while since she'd hugged him.

She was the only mother he'd ever known, but he'd been on high alert his whole life. Always afraid that he was going to make a wrong move or hurt someone.

But all of that could change. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and took a deep, calming breath. Perhaps it was alright to hope in a better tomorrow.

Eirwyn was safe upstairs, and he might break his curse after all. He might find a home and family of his own.

He kissed the top of Olive's head and grabbed his cloak from beside the door.

"I don't want you to catch a chill, so don't stay out all night." Olive said.

He turned, pulling his hood up once more. He couldn't leave without asking one more question.

"What about fated mates among dragons?"

Olive's brow arched. "You want to know even though you don't believe in them?"

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