Page 30 of Beneath Scales and Shadows
As they ate, he found himself watching her with growing fascination. The elegant precision with which she handled unfamiliar foods, the insightful questions she asked about clan activities below, the way light from the glowstones caught the emerging scales along her temples—each detail further cementing her place in his world.
“Your council will be waiting,” she noted eventually, setting aside her goblet. “I shouldn’t keep you from your duties.”
“You are my duty,” he responded simply. “And my greatest privilege.”
Color rose in her cheeks, the scent of cinnamon and moonflower intensifying. “I’m still not comfortable with this... designation. This role you’ve assigned me.”
“I’ve assigned nothing,” Ignis countered gently. “The stars wrote your path long before either of us drew breath.”
Her eyes flashed with familiar defiance. “I don’t accept that my choices are predetermined. It’s foolish to follow whatever your prophecies state blindly.”
“Nor should you,” he agreed, surprising her. “Destiny opens doors—it does not force you through them. The choice to embrace or reject what fate offers remains entirely yours.”
The tension in her shoulders eased slightly. “Then you acknowledge I might choose differently?”
“I acknowledge your will is your own,” he said, leaning forward, wings shifting with his movement. “Though I admit hoping your choice might eventually align with prophecy... and me. You did offer to help me, after all.”
“You’re right, I did.” A smile tugged at her lips despite her obvious effort to maintain seriousness. “But you seem very confident in our future.”
“I’ve waited over a century for you,” he replied, truth resonating through every word. “I can be patient a while longer.”
Their gazes held across the table, something unspoken passing between them—challenge and invitation, wariness and longing. The pull between them had only strengthened since her arrival, yet Ignis maintained the careful distance he had promised. Her acceptance would mean nothing if coerced by instinct alone.
The moment shattered as Ember appeared at the entrance, her expression tight with urgency. “My king, scouts report movement at the western border. The humans have begun testing our defenses.”
Duty reasserted itself instantly. Ignis rose, scales darkening with focused intent. “Gather the council. We must coordinate our response.”
Sora stood as well, determination evident in her stance. “I want to attend.”
Ember’s eyes widened slightly, but Ignis merely nodded. “Your perspective would be valuable. Particularly your knowledge of human military formations.”
The strategic chamber hummed with tense energy when they arrived, council members clustered around the three-dimensional map of their territory created from crystal and living stone. A recent new addition, in which they had to carve into the mountain to make room, gifted to them from the elf kingdom, Cythralis, their neighbors to the north, more isolated than them.
Blaze manipulated glowing markers representing troop movements, his copper scales reflecting crimson patterns across the table’s surface.
“The humans advance in three divisions,” he reported, indicating the western valleys. “Light cavalry scouts with heavier infantry following. Standard Celestorian formation, but their weapons...” He faltered, concern evident in his expression.
“Some are omega essence infused,” Asher finished grimly, setting a recovered arrow on the table. Its tip gleamed with unnatural opalescence. “Designed specifically to penetrate dragon scales.”
A low growl rumbled through the assembled dragons. Ignis studied the map with narrowed eyes, decades of tactical experience assessing possibilities with cold precision. “Their approach is too obvious. This is meant to draw our attention while their true strike comes elsewhere.”
“The southern caves,” Sora suggested suddenly, stepping forward to indicate a network of tunnels on the map. “If I were planning an infiltration, I’d use them as cover for a smaller force.”
The council turned to her with varying expressions of surprise and skepticism. Cinderfell’s ancient eyes narrowed. “Based on what tactical experience, Luna?”
Rather than withering under the elder’s doubt, Sora straightened. “I specialized in medieval warfare strategies at Earth’s leading university,” she explained, her voice taking on the confident tone of an experienced lecturer. “I believe the basic principles are consistent across both worlds—advert attention, divide forces, create vulnerability, exploit weakness.”
To demonstrate, she moved markers across the map with precise confidence. “Queen Marcille’s approach mirrors Isabella of Castile’s flanking techniques. Create visible threat to the east, while the true objective moves undetected from the south.”
Her movements caught Ember’s attention. “The prisoner mentioned collection equipment at the southern caves used for harvesting Omega essence.”
“A diversion within a diversion,” Ignis realized, respect deepening for Sora’s insight. “They’re torturing omegas while distracting us with conventional military movements.”
Asher nodded, his finger tracing the southern approach. “The royal alchemist would need access to the caves’ natural magic for the extraction process to work properly. They’re not trying to breach your mountain—they’re harvesting power from its periphery.”
“We should strike immediately,” Blaze urged, wings flaring with battle readiness. “Crush their forces before they establish positions.”
“And play directly into their expectations,” Ignis countered, circling the table to stand beside Sora. “No. We’ll respond differently. Ember, take your elite guard to the southern caves—silence, not spectacle. Capture their alchemist if possible.”
