"Today, we're visiting Dad's side of the family!" Ashborn announced loudly, smiling .
"Well… his dragon family."
He paused for dramatic effect, nodding to himself.
"Turns out, Dad's parents passed away when he was thirteen. They say it was of natural causes… but Dad did say he has his doubts."
He rubbed his chin like a detective deep in thought.
"So, to protect dad, the family of our great-great-dragon-ancestor-grandma came here!"
"Long name, I know. I just don't actually know her name yet."
With that, the family entered into the secret underground path beneath their castle. It was a stone passage with hundreds of traps and magic circles that led them into a massive dungeon-like chamber. At its center, an orb pulsed with light, it floated above a network of glowing magic circles. But these weren't ordinary magic circles.
Ashborn felt it.
Something was… different.
Ashborn looked closely. "Dad! These magic circles—they look different, and they feel—"
"Nice? Yeah, I know." Gray Dragonheart smirked, as if enjoying his son's curiosity. "These circles come from ancient ruins. This is a security system. To activate it, you need to say the right phrase in Dragon Tongue. (The language, not an actual tongue)"
"But why does—"
"It feels nice here because of draconic magic," Gray explained, as he worked on unlocking the security code. "Since we have dragon blood, its energy resonates with us, that's why it's soothing. As for most people, though? They'd pass out from the sheer presence of dragon power."
"Ohhh, that makes sense—WAIT! What about Mom?!"
Gray chuckled. "She's fine. If you have any connection to dragons, the magic reacts accordingly. Besides, she already met your great-dragon-uncle—the one who built this teleporter."
"Whoa," Ashborn was amazed, his eyes widened with wonder.
"So, Dad… does this mean I can learn Dragon Tongue too?!" His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"You already know it."Gray replied with a smile.
"Huh?! No, I don't—"
Gray ruffled his son's hair. "All dragons and dragon-blooded beings know Dragon Tongue by birth. Your case was just… special. But don't worry. By the end of today, you'll remember all the Dragon Tongue you'll ever need."
Ashborn grinned. "Come on, Dad, hurry up!!!"
"Bahh! Bahh!" Aelwyn, his younger sister, called out too.
"Hurry up, honey!" Feronia called from behind.
Gray sighed. "Alright, alright. On it."
Gray spoke a phrase in dragon tongue, thought Ashborn didn't understand it, the ruins responded to his voice. They started glowing with golden light and in the next instant, the family was swallowed by the magic
They teleported to a new place.
A dragon's nest.
A massive shadow loomed over them. Towering high above them, a black dragon with piercing golden-green eyes gazed down at them, its voice rumbling like thunder, strangely felt friendly.
"Look who we have here. I thought you had forgotten me."
Ashborn stood frozen. He felt something. A strange connection. Like meeting someone he'd known forever, even though he had never seen this dragon before.
His body reacted.
A strange power surged within him, his heart started beating faster. His deep-sea-blue eyes flickered, turning slightly golden. His pupils sharpened, taking on a more draconic shape.
"Sorry, Uncle," Gray said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Things have been… busy."
"Enough. I know that. Now hurry up and introduce me to these kids." The dragon's tone was impatient, but there was a hint of amusement in his gaze.
Gray nodded. "Ashborn, Aelwyn—this is your dragon uncle, Amaya."
Ashborn stepped forward. "Nice to meet you, Uncle!"
"Bahh! Bahh!" Aelwyn giggled, waving at the dragon.
Amaya looked at them closely, then let out something that almost looked like a smile.
"They will grow strong," he mused. Then, his gaze locked onto Ashborn. "This young one… his aura has changed. It's gotten a lot stronger."
Gray's expression slightly darkened. "I guess the World Tree's blessings weakened the seal. At this rate, he would've broken it on his own in two or three months."
Ashborn blinked. "Seal? What seal?"
Gray exhaled. "Your birth was… unique. When you were still in your mother's womb, your draconic aura became too strong. To make sure you were born safely, your uncle sealed away your Dragon's Authority."
Amaya nodded. "It's also why you don't remember Dragon Tongue. But your sister does."
Ashborn's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! Aelwyn knows Dragon Tongue?!"
The little girl just smiled, giggling innocently, almost as if she perfectly understood what was going through Ashborn's head.
A wave of jealousy hit him. "That's so unfair!"
Amaya chuckled. "Come. I shall remove your seal now."
He reached out, one massive claw pressing gently against Ashborn's chest. In a deep, ancient voice, he spoke the words of Dragon Tongue.
The air trembled.
Magic circles ignited beneath Ashborn's feet, they kept growing, expanding in layers, until they covered the entire cave. Then—
*CRACK!
The seal shattered. Releasing a sound which resembled that of breaking glass.
A huge wave of power flooded Ashborn's body. He gasped, his mind filling with memories, knowledge that felt like it had always been there, waiting to return. His connection to the world sharpened—he could feel the laws of nature, the pulse of magic around him itself.
Golden light flared around him, taking the form of dragons swirling through the air, it was a mark of his majestic lineage.
His eyes snapped open. His vision was different. It was sharper. He could now see things he hadn't noticed before.
"You'll need time to adjust," Amaya rumbled. "Until then, control your power."
Then, the dragon's gaze shifted focusing on something unseen to AshBorn.
"You! Come out! He can see you now. No point in hiding."
A tiny, glowing orb floated into view, letting out a dramatic sigh.
"Man, I wanted to observe a little longer," the spirit whined. "Things were just getting interesting too!"
Ashborn tensed. "Who are you?! How did you get here?"
"Hey, hey! Chill out, little guy!" The spirit waved its tiny hands. "They already know about me."
Ashborn glanced at his father for confirmation. Gray just sighed with a slight nod.
"I am a spirit of the World Tree. You can call me Apollo," the spirit introduced itself. "The World Tree sent me to look after you and teach you about spirit magic."
Feronia nodded. "He came with you when you received the World Tree's blessings."
Ashborn still wasn't sure how to process this, but before he could question anything further—
"Enough introductions." Amaya's deep voice cut through the conversation. The dragon's eyes bore into Apollo, it was a silent warning not to interfere further.
Apollo chuckled nervously. "Alright, alright. I'll leave you guys to it." He retreated into the world tree mark on Askborn's forehead, curling up in Ashborn's mind realm.
For the rest of the day, the family spent time with Amaya talking, laughing, and playing in the vast dragon's nest.
Then, as the sun began to dip below the horizon—
"Ashborn," Amaya called. "You want to learn more about Draconic Magic, don't you?"
"YES! PLEASE!" Ashborn nearly jumped in excitement.
Amaya's lips curled into a grin.
"Then fight me."
"...Huh?! Fight?!"