Chapter 67- The Tiny Gods Have Spoken

POV War Room, Aurealis Castle

The air was tense as Rhiannan stood at the head of the crystal war table, her six mates fanned out around her like celestial bodyguards. Sasha's holographic form flickered above the center.

"Reports say the ley lines near the southern cliffs have stabilized," Kaleb muttered, still typing. "But there's movement near..."

A sudden giggle echoed through the chamber.

Everyone froze.

On the wall behind them, Faenet shimmered to life unprompted. Three small glowing figures danced across the surface, chubby cheeks, divine sparkles, and mischievous eyes.

The triplets.

Lyrielle, Nyxira, and Caelum.

Floating like little magical angels. Cooing and blowing kisses.

"Oh shit," Liam whispered. "We're being baby hacked."

Then came the vision.

The bone circle. The ritual. Lorelei's bones exploding. The babies' voices echoing through the void. The smoking chamber. The rattle. The BOOM.

Rhiannan gasped, hand to her mouth.

"They… they did this," she breathed. "My babies stopped her."

Azarion stepped forward slowly, eyes wide. "They didn't just stop her. They reversed the ritual."

Sable crossed his arms, muttering, "They're not just divine... they're lethal."

"Best babies ever," Mo whispered tearfully.

The babies giggled again. Lyrielle blew a kiss and winked.

And that's when the air shimmered and Nythera appeared like the goddess she was, radiant in moonlight robes, her eyes ancient and full of pride.

"Hello, my loves," she said, her voice curling through the room like silver wind.

Rhiannan dropped into a curtsey instinctively. "Mother?"

Nythera smiled. "That ritual backlash? That was your children unlocking their divine inheritance. It wasn't supposed to happen for another seven years… but the threat forced their evolution."

Reyna's eyes were huge. "So they're just… fully powered now?"

Nythera nodded. "Not fully. But let's just say you'll need more than baby gates from now on."

CRACK!

A burst of violet light exploded beside them.

Lyrielle, still chubby, still giggling, was now the size of a baby horse. Glowing. Covered in gorgeous purple scales. With wings.

Dragon wings.

Elisha let out a sound between a gasp and a growl. "That's, That's impossible."

"She's… dragonborn," Nythera confirmed. "But not from an egg."

Rhiannan blinked at her baby. "She was born… live."

"Live and legendary," Liam muttered. "We're gonna need a bigger playpen."

Kaleb leaned in, murmuring to Sasha, "Update the royal protocol. We need flameproof furniture. And possibly armor."

"Already ahead of you," Sasha snapped. "I just added a nursery warding matrix with anti possession failsafes and flame repellent charms. You're welcome."

Elisha dropped to his knees, tears in his eyes, looking at his daughter. "You are the future of my kind," he whispered.

Lyrielle just sneezed and let out a tiny puff of purple smoke.

The war room still crackled with leftover magic.

Reyna clutched the edge of the divine map table, eyes wide. "She sent that to us," she whispered. "The babies showed us what they did to Lorelei."

Rhiannan was trembling. Kaleb hadn't stopped pacing. Sable was standing silent, arms crossed, face pale with rage. Azarion kept watch near the door, sword already drawn in case anything else came slithering through reality.

And then, just as the dust was settling...

"...Wait. Where's Lyrielle?" Elisha asked, looking down at the shimmering bassinet in the corner.

The answer came with a sudden blast of heat and a shriek that echoed off every stone wall.

Her body warped in a shimmer of purple scales and raw, divine power as she launched herself down the hallway in full baby dragon form.

"Oh HELL," Elisha choked. "She's on the move!"

Rhiannan bolted to the door just in time to see her daughter barrel roll down the royal hallway like a rogue comet, tail whacking a priceless painting off the wall.

"THAT WAS A REMBRANDT!" Sasha screamed through the intercom. "YOU TINY GODDAMN LIZARD!"

From down the corridor came two more shrieks. Gailia's baby girls, already glowing, burst into mini dragon form and shot after their cousin like flying chaos grenades.

"Oh no no no no," Draven muttered. "They're joining her?!"

"Of course they are," Fenix groaned. "Pack mentality."

Within seconds, all three baby dragons were divebombing the main hall, wings flapping, crashing into decorative armor and sending a poor footman ducking behind a potted fern.

Back in the war room, Caelum let out a slow, deep growl. His blonde curls fluffed with rage. His tiny face scrunched into a scowl so intense it could curdle milk.

Nyxira kicked over a candle with one socked foot, her violet black eyes glowing dangerously. Her chubby hand slammed the table, and she let out a shriek so loud it shattered a goblet nearby. Her tiny undeveloped wings fluttered dangerously.

"They're pissed," Kaleb said, breathless. "The ones left behind are furious."

"They should be," Rhiannan whispered, scooping them both up. "I'd be pissed too."

Sasha buzzed through. "Uhhh we've got incoming."

The doors to the war room slammed open. The baby dragons swooped in, three streaks of gleaming color that circled the ceiling once before shifting midair, and flopping hard onto the floor in a giggling pile of drooly toddlers.

Lyrielle sat up first, crown of scales glinting, cheeks rosy. She let out a puff of smoke and giggled.

And then, just behind them, a soft shimmer of moonlight.

Nythera appeared again, in the corner of the room, glowing and radiant, watching her grandbabies with quiet joy.

Everyone turned to her at once.

"Are you leaving again?" Rhiannan asked, clutching Caelum closer.

Nythera nodded. "I must. But I had to see them, one last time."

She approached the pile of dragon babies and knelt. "You," she said to Lyrielle, brushing a glowing finger across her cheek, "are the spark of stars."

She kissed each baby gently. "And you two are the echo of legends yet to come."

Then she turned to Caelum and Nyxira, still brooding in Rhiannan's arms.

Nyxira refused to make eye contact. Caelum pouted, sucking on a fist.

Nythera laughed softly. "Don't worry, little ones. Your time is coming."

She leaned down and kissed them both, brushing her hand over Rhiannan's hair before pulling back.

"To all of you, stay strong. The light grows brighter, and so do the shadows."

With one last glance, she vanished in a pulse of moonlight and stardust, leaving behind only warmth and the faint scent of lavender.

Rhiannan stared at the spot where she'd stood.

"Okay," Liam said, from where he was sitting on the table. "So we're just... doing midair dragon battles in the castle now. This is fine. This is all fine."

"Gods help us when they start talking," Arwen muttered.

Rhiannan just smiled, holding all three babies close.

"They don't need to talk," she said. "They already speak louder than the gods."