Chapter 26 - A Thunder of Dragons

Much later, the group are standing at a raised dais made from the bricks of the attic rooms. It was a twisting tower which wound up into an open platform on top.

"Are you sure we won't get into trouble for this?" Dorin asked again.

"Rest assured, there is nothing to worry about," Lady Lucille smiled at him. "All the mortals in the dormitory are currently in a deep slumber."

"It's that green dragon," Sebastian whispered to Dorin. "That's a wind dragon, it has the ability to put others to sleep..." he pointed at a huge blue dragon next. "See that one? That is an ice dragon... And that one," this time, he pointed at a gigantic red dragon with golden scales on its chest, much like Johan's Dragon. It had sharp golden horns framing the top half of its head like a crown, and 3 pairs of piercing red eyes. "That is an adult Czar dragon."

"They have come to welcome the new hatchling," Lady Lucille said beside them. "It's been so long since a new Czar dragon was born into this world..." she looked at Sebastian and smiled. "I see you know your dragons."

"Yes, my lady..." Sebastian mumbled, "I love to read about magical creatures."

"Are these all the dragons in your world?" Johan looked at the sky where several more dragons of different kinds and sizes were flying and gliding.

"Of course not," the white dragon answered, "these are just some of the important ones."

They watched as Damien lifted Dragon up. He was in his dragon form and stretched his wings, flapping it to raise himself into the air.

"It's his first flight," Lady Lucille told the three young mages. "Now the eldest in their clan will name him..."

The gigantic czar dragon made to land on the raised platform, as it did, its body seemed to shrink and to turn until it was in the image of a man, tall and thick chested. He landed on the platform with the rest of the humans. He had thick reddish gold hair that fell to the ground, as well as a long mustachio and beard that reached to his abdomen. He wore a general's coat and uniform with red and gold motif and a thick golden chain across his chest.

"Welcome, Lord Titus." Damien greeted the person with a small bow.

"So, this is the hatchling?" The czar dragon said, his voice booming like thunder. He held the small dragon in one hand and placed a forefinger on the little one's emerging horn. "I bestow upon you the name Aidan. Child of fire, bringer of fire, dweller of fire. May fire be your weapon and protection."

With that, a blue flame came from the elder czar dragon's forehead and descended upon the little one. It seemed to seep into Dragon's head and made him tingle. Lord Titus gave the dragon child back to Damien and looked around.

"Where is his caretaker?" His gaze scanned the platform and stopped at Johan's direction. He went closer to Johan's group and looked at him closer. "Hmm... Nald's line," he said with huff. "Where did you find him?" he asked Johan.

"F-from the mines... near the borders..." answered Johan, trying to look brave.

"Ah, yes..." Lord Titus gave a far away look. "There used to be a spawning ground thereabouts... probably a runt who was late to hatch," he harrumphed. "Still, you did well in hatching him. Your flame is true."

With that, the dragon lord turned his back and spread his arms. Red leathery wings emerged from beneath the cloak he wore. As he rose in the air, his size got larger and larger until he towered over the whole dormitory.

"The mana in this area is getting thin." Johan and the rest heard the words in their heads. "It is a gift that dragons have come for a visit. This would probably grant the area about 5 years worth of extra mana." He raised himself even higher with a flap of his enormous wings, sending a gust of wind down the platform.

"It seems it is time to leave," said Lady Lucille. She leapt in the air and turned into a sleek white dragon with golden eyes. "We will be in touch, young Dragon Blood," she said to Johan. "In the meantime, take care of the little one. Make us proud."

She flew around the platform and dipped her long neck towards Lord Ombra who still stood with Damien in his human form. Ombra looked at Dorin's group and scowled before rising into the air to follow his wife. He turned into a gigantic dragon, so black that he seemed part of the darkness.

The biggest yellow dragon then made a figure in the air and spoke a language alien to mortal ears. A bright light emerged from the darkness and opened into a portal. The other side showed purple skies, where more silhouettes of dragons dotted the horizon. The dragons entered the portal that immediately closed behind them.

Johan ran to Damien's side as soon as the dragons left and held the newly named Aidan in his arms. Aidan turned and happily hugged him back.

"I guess you're called Aidan now?" Johan said with a frown.

"Dagon!" the small child chirped.

"Eh? What did he say?" Dorin asked.

"Dagon!" Aidan said again, thumping his chest. "Me, Dagon."

A small laugh came from Damien's direction. "It seems he prefers the name you gave him," he said.

"Dagon Aidan." Sebastian said in his whispered voice. "He shall be called Czar Dagon Aidan," he repeated.

"That is something you should not say out loud, Silver Tongue," said Damien. "A person's real name should remain hidden, lest someone takes it away."

Sebastian went silent. "I apologize," he mumbled.

"No need," Damien replied. "You are still too young to know the repercussions of such actions." He looked around the platform and took Sebastian's hand. "Now, it is time to put things back to what it was before."

"I'm still wondering how we might be able to pull that out..." said Dorin, scratching his head. "Sebastian sure is something, though..."

"You don't know half of it, golden one." Damien took Dorin's hand and looked at Johan. "Dragon blood," he called to the fire mage, "Do you mind giving us a hand?"

The four of them held hands and formed a circle.

"Shall I order the bricks to go back, Damien?" Sebastian asked.

"Before, we had 2 adult dragons with us," answered Damien. "Now there is merely their essence, but that is enough. He looked at Dorin who was eagerly waiting for Sebastian to start speaking, then at Johan who was scowling as usual. "This building is old. Old things remember. Call them and tell them to return."

Sebastian closed his eyes in concentration. Words came into his mind, words that turn into names. He called brick and mortal, glass and iron, wood and stone, and commanded them to return.

The platform rumbled and wound back into itself, the bricks lining up to build the individual rooms, the glass fixing itself into windows, the wood into floorboards and doors. The four kept their hands held together as the part they stood on became part of Dorin's room once more. They looked around at the place. The wall that was burnt now looked good as new, as well as the window and the door. Johan hurriedly stepped outside to look at his bedroom and saw that his door was fixed as well.

"Woah, you can even fix broken stuff, huh?" he told Sebastian.

"On the contrary," Damien answered him, "Things when broken, can not be returned without fault." He went to the door and opened it, Johan noticed a notch on the wood that wasn't there before. "These are probably doors from the other rooms," Damien explained. "I believe that there will be 3 doors missing in some of the rooms on the same floor," he looked at Dorin's wall. "Some of the bricks as well," he added.

"At least we wouldn't need to tell the Dorm head about what happened tonight!" Dorin said brightly.

"Wait, what time is it anyway?" Johan said with a gasp as he noticed the view outside the window getting brighter.

"It's past 5 already?!" Dorin exclaimed. The two hurried into their rooms and rummaged in their stuff. Good thing that there were still clothes inside the closet that were spared from most of the fight. Dorin sighed at the sight of his burned bed which still stayed burnt. Only the frame remained.

"I'm taking a bath first!" Johan called as he ran towards the bathroom.

"Wait for me!" Dorin called, taking a towel with him.

"They seem to be in a hurry?" Damien asked Sebastian who still stood by the hallway.

"They have cooking duty," replied Sebastian.

"And you?"

"I have already paid off my debt... that debt that changeling accumulated in the 3 days we were with you..."

Damien laughed. Sebastian was surprised at how young he looked as he threw back his head in laughter. His straight reddish black hair flowed like waves and fell back in place when he got his composure back.

Sebastian's eyes opened wide as words came to his mind.

Words that turned into a name.

"You..." he gasped, "You are a Ravante..."

"Hush." Damien's eyes rolled to face the Silver Tongue. "What did I say about real names?"

Sebastian fell quiet.

"I know that there are hundreds of secrets hidden in your heart," the groundskeeper said. "Let this be yet another one."

"But..." Sebastian hesitated, "Lady Chantrell... she is very sick right now, and the issue of succession... There are no other Ravantes left in the royal line..."

"The succession rightly belongs to her son." Damien stared straight at Sebastian who fell silent once again.

Damien looked at the living room where Azra sat perched on the couch in her bird form. "How is she doing?" he asked, changing the subject.

"She's fine... she seems to get along well with Dra... Dagon..."

"All's well then," Damien said. He turned around and looked at the open window in Dorin's room. "It is time for me to leave."

He looked back at Sebastian. The young mage stared at him, though his face showed no reaction, his eyes spoke a thousand words. A thousand questions wanting to be answered. Damien gave a sharp cry which was answered momentarily by a large eagle who perched on the roof outside the tall windows.

"You know how to call me," he told Sebastian. "No matter where you are, just call my name, and I shall find you."

Upon saying that, Damien opened the window and stepped out. He held on to the eagle's taloned leg and gave a series of chirps. Soon they were air bourn and were disappearing into the lightening horizon.