Page 13 of Stolen By Dragons

Before I could dwell on that thought, a hush fell over the room. Elowen had risen from her seat, her presence commanding attention without a word.

"Now," she said, her voice carrying easily to every corner of the hall, "I believe it's time I explained why you've all been brought here."

I sat up straighter, my senses on high alert. Finally, we were going to get some answers. I glanced at Aria, seeing my own mix of anticipation and apprehension mirrored in her eyes.

Elowen's gaze swept across the room, seeming to meet each of our eyes in turn. "Within each of you," she began, "runs the blood of the ancient Dracarians, as Eirian has aleady informed you. Diluted through generations, yes, but potent nonetheless. This blood, this heritage, is why you are here."

Elowen's voice, clear and commanding, continued to fill the hall. "For millennia, our realm has been mostly sealed off from Earth, our existence fading into myth and legend. But now, a great threat looms on the horizon – a darkness that seeks to consume both our worlds."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Aria tensed beside me, swallowing uneasily, and without thinking, I placed a reassuring hand on her arm.

"The shadow creatures some of you encountered are but a taste of what's to come. They are the vanguard of a force we call the Void – a malevolent entity that devours magic and life itself."

The room erupted in a chorus of confused and frightened voices. Someone near the back of the hall called out, "Whatexactly is this Void? What are we up against? Why are we even involved?”

Elowen raised a hand, calling for silence. Her expression grew grave as she explained, "The Void is a darkness unlike anything you've encountered before. It is not simply an absence of light, but an active, malevolent force that seeks to consume everything in its path. It destroys not just life, but the very fabric of reality itself. As for why you are involved, it is because you hold the blood of ancients, magic still courses in your veins, dormant for centuries.”

Aria’s face paled as I flicked my gaze to her. The urge to comfort her, to pull her close and shield her from this terrifying reality, was almost overwhelming. But I held back, knowing that now wasn't the time. My wolf grumbled in response, displeased by my unwillingness to obey its desires.

Another voice rang out, "How can we possibly fight against something like that?"

"That is where you come in," Elowen continued. "The Dracarian blood within you holds the potential to awaken great power. Power we desperately need if we are to stand against the coming darkness."

Elowen's expression grew even more serious as she continued. "There is something else you must understand. For now, there is no way for you to return to your old lives."

A collective gasp rippled through the hall, and our group stiffened.

"The portals we used to bring you here were opened through a collective magical effort," Elowen explained. "It was a one-time opportunity, made possible by pooling all of our remaining strength. But now, with the Void touching the edges of Dracaria, our magic has been weakened. These portals have crumbled, and our access to earth is gone, for now.”

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "We will not be able to open such portals again until the Void is defeated. Your return home depends on our success in this fight."

Elowen's voice grew even more somber as she continued. "But know this: even if we could return you now, you would not be safe. The blood you carry makes you targets. These dark creatures, servants of the Void, would hunt you relentlessly in your world, intent on extinguishing the one force that could stop their master. This is why we moved so quickly to bring you here through the portals."

She surveyed the room, her gaze intense. "You are not many, but you are the last of a rare and powerful bloodline. Your safety, and the awakening of your powers, is crucial to the survival of both our worlds."

Beside me, Zephyr muttered, "So, in a way, we're all slightly related." In any other circumstance, I might have chuckled at the thought, but the gravity of our situation crushed any hint of amusement.

Elowen's voice rang out again, filled with a mix of determination and what almost sounded like regret. "I know this is not the future any of you envisioned for yourselves. But our choices now are limited. We must fight – not just for ourselves, but for everyone you left behind in the earthly realm, and for all of Dracaria. Only by defeating the Void can we restore our full magical strength and reopen the portals to your world, and save both realms.”

As Elowen finished speaking, a tense silence fell over the hall. Then, suddenly, voices erupted from all corners of the room.

"This can't be real!" someone shouted.

"You expect us to believe this fantasy?" another voice called out. “That we’re some special bloodline?”

“This is madness!”

The hall dissolved into chaos, with people arguing and shouting over each other. Some were adamantly denying the reality of the situation, while others were trying to reason with them.

My attention was drawn to the high table as Eirian's face darkened with irritation. He rose from his seat, his powerful presence immediately commanding attention.

"Enough!" his voice boomed across the hall, silencing the crowd. His eyes blazed with barely contained anger as he surveyed the room. "You doubt the truth of our words? Then perhaps you'll believe your own kind."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the gathered crowd. "Those of you who were attacked by shadow creatures before you were brought here, stand up."

There was a moment of hesitation, then slowly, people began to rise. Aria stood, her face pale but determined. Across the room, the dark-haired vampire also got to his feet, his expression grim. In total, about a dozen people stood, scattered throughout the hall.

Eirian's voice was softer now, but no less intense. "Look at them. Your fellow people. They've seen the threat we face. Will you call them all liars?"

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