Somewhere in the castle of Lord British...From the depths of the underground, A secret dungeon...

Three shadows meandered through the dark, lifeless corridors.

Silently, they slid towards a hidden room behind the throne.

At a table, standing, Lord Blackthorne looked over his reports and the results of his influence on the virtues and the increase of the three vices...

He had become a Lord of corruption, well... his public face.

The three specters walked through walls and doors and stopped in front of Blackthorne.

They held out a scroll.

"Killing Ancient Heroes... They know."

Then on it was the blade of brilliance to bring Exodus, Mondain and Minox back from the underworld.

Blackthorne: "Do you have any idea where the blade is?"

A dark voice: "Find the lair of Exodus".

Then the three shadow lords disappeared as they appeared.

A few days after the ceremony, it was the Call.

It was something special...

There were dragons with a rider but some were without one, their rider having died. There were also young dragonets and many eggs.

There was a huge meadow where all the students were gathered and behind them, a dungeon with a maze.

In the underground dungeon, eggs were hidden in such a way that it was impossible to find them by chance or by trickery.

Everyone hoped or feared.

All skills were represented. Mages, ranger, clerics, warriors and apprentice knights and even locksmiths...and also bards.

Sylon was as impatient as he was worried.

It was a hellish lottery with its own set of unpleasant surprises.

I had Valtrax and I didn't want to disrupt the ceremony. I felt that something was going to happen...

Cedric suddenly turned and ran to the building behind. Beth turned and ran, Henry stayed. Saphie also stayed, and then both of them went back near the buildings.

Manu ran to the dungeon

I looked out the window and Master Gamblin spoke to my back.

"Why don't you go down and look for your dragon? I know and I feel it. You have a subtle connection, otherwise you wouldn't be here..."

"I already have a dragon...but it's a secret.."

At these words his glasses fell off his nose, held on by a chain.

He remained pensive...

"And why don't you call him?"

...

"Well... you have your reasons... But don't forget, the academy is also a refuge. No one, not even the king, has the right to raise a hand on a student. No nobleman either;

"Thank you Master.."

Saphie and Henri opened a door and ..2 dragonets came timidly towards them.

A bond was forming between them.

They went quietly into the back woods to meet their new friend.

The others went through all the corners of the dungeon until they found the trap doors where the eggs were hidden.

My friends couldn't believe it.

Others got dragons too, but my group had the most success.

Then all the dragons lined up downstairs and I finally decided to go and see.

It was chaos and the nobles were protesting. There was no way that non-nobles could have a dragon, but the rector was unperturbed.

Blackthorne himself had moved and his face showed no expression.

But he still looked disappointed in his elites.

He grumbled, "Ungrateful beasts... you will pay for this in time.

My friends ran to me! "We'll be together again!"

But his dragonet, which turned out to be a dragonette - (it was pink and had wings with feathers. It looked like a live Japanese cherry tree) - jumped into my arms and licked and reeled me in.

"You're sweet, you...!"

The dragonette purred then fell asleep in my arms.

"Here, Salphie... She is very nice. Take good care of her!"

Saphie was jealous that her dragonette was attracted to me.

Henri too, her dragonette (again!) wiggled and jumped on me and nibbled on my head. "You... you want to play..! It was yellow and full of scales but also had a stinger.

"Be careful, my little girl. You promise not to hurt anyone?"

She purred and then climbed back into Henry's arms, but not without a little whimper.

I was plastered with dragon saliva!

Then, a dozen dragonets jumped out of their master's arms and ran towards me. Even juveniles

Some were my size and others were bigger

The humans were in a circle and didn't know what to do or act. Some dragons were too big to be mastered by force. Moreover, they were not listening anymore.

One of the dragons who was my size stood up to me like a jar and pulled my face back. She wanted to put her tongue right in my mouth! And she rubbed her chest against my chest. Luckily I was strong. But another one from behind grabbed my chest and squeezed. Her long neck arched over my head and she snarled at the first one and gave her horns a kick.

Her muzzle was pressed against my lips and she forced her tongue into my mouth.

I flinched and...I...got out.

A third one pushed the group forward and I toppled over and the first one lay on top of me, her steerage getting excited on my bent knee. The other little ones were chirping and the next moment they were grunting and blowing their horns and tails. The dragons were fighting each other... never seen before!

The humans and the girls were open-mouthed.

I had to run and hide so that the young dragons could get their minds right.

I was not disgusted, unlike the others, because I considered dragons as thinking beings like us and not as beasts.

Then...the mages and organizers dispersed everyone and the ceremony turned into chaos and ended... with me in the principal's office...

I was embarrassed. My friends were laughing in the dining hall, groups coming and going. Everyone was talking about me... For discretion, it was a failure...

Gamblin...he was looking out the window of his office and I was waiting, sitting on a bench, for my turn, in the corridor. I was not alone. Sylon was there.

"You pig! It's unnatural what you just did in front of everyone...letting yourself be touched by an animal, a reptile.... you must have gotten off on it..."

I stood up and slammed into the wall right next to his head. The brick exploded, scratching the nobleman's cheek.

"How dare you raise your hand on a noble!!!"

Me: "Your father is a baron. The title will be yours when he dies. For now you are nothing. You are nothing but future dragon shit because insulting them like that, one day they will settle your account!"

he turned as he saw the impact.

"Next time it will be an accident..."

Sylon: "We'll see... We'll see who has the last laugh! We're watching you and your family. I don't know what you're hiding, but I'll find out one day."

"My parents have weeded out scum like you in the past and make sure you watch your ass. Dragons hate nobles..."

In the midst of this racket, the regent opened the door and heard my threats...

"TORINNN! Apologize! On your knees!"

Sylon laughed his head off as I got down on my knees to apologize.

"I am sorry, Lord Sylon... My words have gone beyond my thoughts..."

Sylon: "Lick my boot, you scoundrel!"

I straightened up and turned my back on him... "You are noble only in title... because you are nothing..."

Then he took his glove and slapped me twice. I did not flinch.

My aura exploded and he stepped back... disturbed... afraid... this wave of hatred went through the whole academy and every human could feel my aura... almost palpable.

He stepped back and left without telling the rector of his claim...No dragon wanted him and he was given a shadow one, on principle, given to him by Lord Blackthorne to his father.

It was a monster, small but a wild beast. He too had felt my aura.

As he walked out of the building to the fancy dormitories, dragons snarled at him and threatened him, and for the first time he was afraid.

His dragon had plans for him....

"TORIN!" Master Gamblin shouted...

"What's gotten into you???? Do you realize who he is?"

I clenched my fists and looked at the ground but from the window, the "little" dragoness who had managed to kiss me, despite the collar of submission, was watching us.

Once again, she had escaped from the dragon stable. They were actually free "prisoners" with a submission collar. They could go hunting but could not harm humans and had to obey them.

And when they were called back, no matter how far away, the collar was there to remind them. And... as a result, the dragons stayed together, the older ones to watch over the younger ones and serve their human masters.

But Rubyx had other plans, other ambitions and did not accept her condition... A rebel.

She was considered by the trainers as a calculating, devious and surly "Rosse".

She had already bitten several trainers "unintentionally" by diverting the collar of submission.

She was a red with fiery eyes and everyone was looking for her but she was "there" without being there because she had climbed several floors with her "arms" and "legs" to spy on me.

The idiots had not yet lifted their noses to see the young dragoness on the 2nd floor outside.

The other dragons were a bit complicit and waved, admiring the courage of the little creature.

When we say small, her hind legs were well developed, she was able to stand "upright" and balance with her tail like a raptor or a carnosaur, arching her neck backwards to have her head at the same level as a young human.

With her neck not arched, standing on her hind legs, she reached 2m. but in the arched neck position, to see forward, it was about 1m70. She was quite a character.

She didn't miss a beat of the conversation and, unlike the other dragons, she tried to understand their language.

She was 4 years old but her growth was normal for her species. As a teenager at 6, the growth doesn't stop. As an adult, she will be at least 25 meters tall.

"TORIN! Look at me when I talk to you... It is because I know your condition, and that your father is a hero. Another rector would have sent you away!"

"But what did these nobles do when Mondain and Minax ravaged Britannia? Where were they?"

Gamblin lowered his head and took me by the shoulder with a friendly pat...

"I understand your resentment, but this is all a comedy drama. The good King Lord British cannot rule alone... he cannot solve the problems of the North and the South alone..And settle the disputes. The days are too short...

Sylon's father, Melak, led the soldiers to contain the monsters that were pouring out of the dungeons that were overpowered by the 3 calamities...Mondain, Minax and Exodus...., Yes, I know you are defending him...but the result was there and there were many lives to save. That's why Valtrax didn't take it out on us.

We've seen that a lot around here lately, especially in Cove.

Me: "You're not going to hunt her, I hope!!!"

"No, as long as she hasn't broken our laws, we have no reason to hurt her.."

"And you're not going to try to subjugate her?"

"Valtrax? She's too smart...she's not like some 'rosses'.

Turning sharply and catching the dragoness in the act of spying.

Our eyes met and she turned her head, as if embarrassed, and went back down the tower, whining.

From below we could hear the caretakers shouting "There she is! What is she doing here? "

then I heard the whip cracking

"Come on!!! get inside... and faster than that!"

Clack

"Wiiii.." she whined..

"Master Gamblin... why all the violence?"

"You seem to really love dragons...but I don't understand why the young beasts rushed at you..It's senseless.."

"I have some dragon blood in me..."

He looked into my eyes and put down his glasses...

"What do you mean? "

"Dad told me that when I was born, my placenta was soaked in a broken egg. Before it stopped working, when my parents took me, I had to absorb some of the strength of a dragon.."

He turned to the window, holding his beard in one hand and the other behind his back.

With his hat, he looked like Merlin the magician.

He turned around in the room and stared at me.

"Yes... Yes... that explains a lot..."

Then he stopped.

"Your dragon... don't tell me it's..."

"Yes... "

"It incubated you while you were kidnapped?"

I nodded.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Not a word. Never! Do you hear? Even to your friends. Do they know about Valtrax?"

"No.."

He breathed a sigh of relief..

"But, master, she's trying to tell me something but I can't. We can't talk to each other, but she's super nice."

He put his hands on my shoulders.

"Look, Torin... It's a devastating effect of the mystical arrow...Confusion, isolation...despair..It's a corrupting arrow but it's no longer active.."

Then straightening his head..

"But then you know the lair of Exodus!!! "

I don't know where it is but if it's the shining blade, she gave it to me..

"Brave beast... She knew. She tried to heal you. She saw the arrow too..."

"So it wasn't runes she was drawing. It was the arrow she wanted to break. That's what she was carving in the ground!" I exclaimed

Gamblin: "Ohh time flies...go eat quickly your comrades are waiting."