The flames flickered in the hearth, casting long shadows against the rough stone walls of the knight's encampment. Outside, the cold wind of the approaching winter whistled through the trees, carrying with it the scent of pine and the promise of snow. Inside, Sir Eamon sat hunched over a table, poring over an ancient scroll. His weathered face was set in a deep frown, and his hands, scarred from years of battle, traced the faded ink as if trying to wrest meaning from the crumbling parchment.
Kaelen stood by the fire, his mind racing with the events of the day. The dragon egg had hatched. A living, breathing dragon now slept in a hidden chamber beneath the ruins of Eldorath, a creature long thought extinct. Even now, the memory of the dragon's molten eyes burned in his thoughts. But the dragon's awakening was only the beginning. The chamber where he had found the egg was old, older than Eldorath itself, and the carvings of runes and symbols hinted at something far greater. Something dark.
Across the room, Aeliana, the sorceress who had joined their company some months ago, leaned against the wall, her eyes closed as if deep in thought. Her long dark hair framed her pale face, and her robes of deep blue shimmered faintly in the dim light. Kaelen had always found her presence unnerving. There was a coldness about her, a distance that made him wary. But there was no denying her power.
It was Aeliana who had first spoken of the prophecy.
"I can sense the tension in you, Kaelen," she said softly, her voice smooth but sharp as the wind outside. "You haven't spoken a word since you returned from the ruins."
Kaelen turned to her, his face lit by the fire's glow. "It's not every day you find a dragon. But it's more than that, Aeliana. The carvings, the symbols—they weren't just decoration. There's something else. Something I don't understand."
Aeliana opened her eyes, her gaze piercing. "Did you see the sigil of the two dragons?"
Kaelen nodded slowly, recalling the strange carving behind the throne. "Yes. There were two dragons, one wreathed in flames and the other in frost. They were coiled around an egg, but it wasn't the one I found."
Aeliana pushed away from the wall, her steps silent as she crossed the room. She moved with the grace of someone who had spent her life in the study of arcane arts, her every motion deliberate and precise. She stopped in front of Sir Eamon, who barely acknowledged her presence as he continued to study the scroll.
"It is as I feared," she said quietly, more to herself than to them. "The Prophecy of Fire and Ice."
Sir Eamon finally looked up from his scroll, his eyes weary but alert. "You've spoken of this prophecy before, sorceress, but never in full. Now is the time for answers."
Aeliana's face was unreadable, but there was a tension in her that had not been there before. She glanced at Kaelen, then back at Sir Eamon. "The Prophecy of Fire and Ice is one of the oldest and most dangerous prophecies in the annals of magic. It speaks of the end of the age of men and the return of the age of dragons. Two dragons—one of fire, one of ice—are born from the same brood, but their fates are intertwined with the fate of the world. One is destined to bring salvation, the other, destruction."
A heavy silence filled the room. The crackling of the fire was the only sound as the weight of Aeliana's words sank in.
Kaelen's voice was tight with disbelief. "You think the dragon I found is part of this prophecy?"
Aeliana's gaze was steady. "I know it is. The signs are all there. The timing, the carvings in the ruins, the awakening of the dragon beneath Eldorath—it all points to the prophecy being fulfilled. But there is more. The second dragon, the one of ice, has yet to be found."
Sir Eamon rose slowly from his chair, his tall, armored frame casting a long shadow. "If this prophecy is true, then we must prepare. Where there are dragons, there is power. And power attracts both light and darkness."
Aeliana nodded. "The Dark One knows this prophecy as well. His agents have been seeking the dragon of ice for decades, though none have found it. If they succeed in turning the dragon to their cause, it will bring devastation unlike any the realms have ever seen."
Kaelen felt a chill crawl down his spine. "How do we stop it?"
Aeliana's expression softened, but only slightly. "That is the question, isn't it? The prophecy doesn't tell us how to stop it. It only tells us that the dragons will rise, and that their fates are bound to ours. We must find the second dragon before the Dark One does. If we can, perhaps we can tip the balance in our favor."
Sir Eamon paced the room, his brow furrowed in thought. "But where do we begin? The realms are vast, and we have little time. Already, the forces of darkness are moving. There have been rumors of strange happenings in the north—sudden storms, unnatural cold. Perhaps the dragon of ice lies there."
Aeliana's eyes glinted with the faintest hint of anticipation. "Yes. The north is where we should start. The Elemental Peaks are known for their harsh winters, and legends say that the cold there is unlike anything found elsewhere in the world. If the dragon of ice sleeps anywhere, it is there."
Kaelen felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his chest. The Elemental Peaks were a dangerous and treacherous place. Few who ventured there ever returned, and those who did spoke of towering mountains wreathed in blizzards, haunted by creatures of frost and shadow. But if that was where the dragon of ice could be found, then there was no choice.
"We leave at dawn," Sir Eamon said, his voice resolute. "Gather what supplies you can. This will be a journey unlike any we have undertaken before."
Kaelen nodded, though a part of him still grappled with the enormity of what lay ahead. Dragons, prophecies, ancient forces of darkness—these were stories told by fireside, tales to frighten children or inspire the hearts of bards. But now, he was living in one of those stories, and the weight of it pressed down on him like a leaden cloak.
Aeliana moved toward the door, her face lost in thought. Before she left, she turned back to Kaelen. "The dragon you found, the one of fire—it is bound to you now, Kaelen. You may not fully understand what that means yet, but the bond between a dragon and its rider is as ancient as time itself. You must be prepared for what lies ahead."
Kaelen swallowed hard. "What if I'm not ready?"
Aeliana's expression softened slightly, though there was still an edge of caution in her voice. "None of us are ever truly ready for what fate has in store. But destiny does not wait for us to be ready. It comes whether we are prepared or not. You must rise to meet it."
She slipped out of the room, leaving Kaelen standing by the fire, the weight of her words hanging in the air. The dragon of fire was bound to him, and somewhere out there, the dragon of ice awaited. A part of him felt exhilarated at the thought of being tied to such a powerful creature, but the other part—the part that still felt like the orphaned boy who had grown up in the shadow of Eldorath's ruins—was terrified.
Sir Eamon walked over to Kaelen, his face grim but steady. "The road ahead will be perilous, lad, but you were chosen for a reason. The dragon chose you. Remember that."
Kaelen nodded, though doubt still gnawed at him. "I'll do what I must."
Sir Eamon placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. "We'll face this together. You are not alone."
As the night deepened and the fire burned low, Kaelen lay awake, staring at the dark ceiling of the encampment. Outside, the wind howled through the trees, and the stars twinkled coldly in the sky above. Somewhere in the distance, he could almost hear the soft, rhythmic breathing of the dragon beneath the ruins.
The Prophecy of Fire and Ice had begun, and with it, the fate of the realms would be decided. Kaelen only hoped that when the time came, he would be strong enough to stand against the storm that was coming.
In the stillness of the night, the wind whispered, and for the first time, Kaelen wondered if it was speaking of destiny—or doom.