Song of the fireborn

moor. His face was carved with deep lines, each one a testament to the years he had spent telling this same story. His voi

tightening around his wooden staff. "For this is the st

nd fascination. I had heard this tale many times before, yet still, I

lled, dragons ruled the skies. They were massive creatures, their wings spanning wider than the tallest t

The fire before us crackled, casting

ver they flew, ruin followed. They set villages ablaze with a single breath, their talons tore through homes li

ly. His sister reached for his

feat creatures of flame and might?" He lifted his hand, his fingers curling as though grasping something unseen. "The gods took pity on us. They blessed our greate

nst the ground, making s

shed to the earth, their fire dimming forever. The sky, once darkened by their wings, became clear once more. The final dragon, a beast of black and c

oup. Even the wind seem

Wastes are cursed, tainted with the remnants of the dragons' evil. They say the land still whispers with their rage, waiting for a

my throat s

d. "Stay in the safety of our village, and you wil

crackling of the fire and the distant hoot of an owl. Then, one by one, the

nce. My mother, Lirien, placed a gentle hand on

ward the dark horizon. The Forbidden Wastes.

that was what

. "If I had been alive back then, I would

eyes. "Oh,

t. "Dragons are just overgrown lizards. With t

pointed out. "How do you know they'

meant to scare children. They make dragons sound like demons, but i

Kael. Arrogance is as

but said

e evening breeze. The walls, made of clay and wood, showed the marks of time-cracks that had been patched up over the years, but the structur

chen, with a wooden table at the center surrounded by three mismatched stools. A few clay pots lined the shelves, and in one corner, there was a small cook

p with sweat, clinging to his forehead. His eyes, once sharp and full of life, were dull. He had

spered, kneel

med on his pale l

is grip, once firm and strong, was light, almost as though

cup filled with a dark liquid. "It's t

at the bitter taste, swallowing slowly before lying back down. The medicin

one who held everything together, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. We all feared the same thing, even if we

ful words and herbal remedies. None of them knew what was wrong with him. For months,

m, brushing a soft hand over his forehead befor

e we can do," Kael said, his

. "I've tried everything I can think of. W

The weight of helplessness presse

ly sound. The village was quiet, the world around us continuin

and Seraphina. Rest, I'l

t glance toward the sleeping figure of father, his chest rising and

e him-not like

make sur