NOVEL NEXT Chapter 90: Drake kin!
The Drake let out a low grunt. Its golden eyes locked on him, and for a brief moment, something flickered behind them—understanding.
It understood him.
But it couldn't speak.
Ethan exhaled slowly, already suspecting the truth.
'So even at this stage, it hasn't acquired communication intelligence, huh?'
He wasn't frustrated. Just thoughtful. He turned his head slightly toward Kaeryx.
"Grant it communication intelligence," Ethan ordered plainly.
Kaeryx's head lowered ever so slightly in acknowledgment, his eyes glowing with divine flame.
[As you command, Master…]
A low hum pulsed in the air, subtle and strange. It wasn't magic in the traditional sense—it was something higher.
A divine command from a being that stood above natural law.
The Thunderwing Drake suddenly jerked. Its body tensed as if a rush of new sensations flooded its mind all at once. Its breathing became erratic. Eyes widened. Shock rippled across its draconic face.
And then… silence.
Realization dawned within the beast. Awareness took root.
It understood.
Its massive head slowly lowered in reverence—first to Kaeryx, and then to Ethan.
A sacred bow. A gesture that, by all natural order, should have been impossible.
Ethan looked up at the Drake, now kneeling before him, and began again.
"Why did you attack me?"
For a moment, nothing. Then a voice, deep and guttural, echoed directly into Ethan's mind—clear as thought, but with the weight of something ancient.
[I… felt the urge to do so.]
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "The urge disappeared, didn't it? Once I was covered in the cocoon."
A pause.
[Yes…] the Drake answered.
[The moment the cocoon formed, the urge vanished… but…]
Its eyes drifted downward, the memories flooding back now that it could process them clearly.
[But I… I felt drawn to it. The cocoon. It smelled… it smelled like divinity. Like power. Like something that would evolve me—if I consumed it.]
A faint growl of self-loathing followed. The Drake's wings twitched with shame.
[I thought it was food.]
[I thought it would grant me ascension…]
Its head lowered fully to the ground, pressing against the earth.
[Forgive me…]
[I did not know. I did not realize… it was you.]
[I—we—sought to devour your egg. Your divine shell. We were ignorant. Please, forgive this one's offense.]
There was desperation in its voice now. Genuine regret. A creature once driven by primal instinct now bowed in reverence to a higher force it had only now come to understand.
Ethan looked at it, expression unreadable.
For a long moment, he said nothing. The wind passed through the grass. Kaeryx's wings shifted slightly. Mia stirred gently on his back, unconscious but at peace.
Then Ethan finally spoke.
"…You're forgiven."
The Drake's body trembled with emotion.
Ethan continued, his voice quiet but firm.
"But if you ever raise your claws against me again…"
Kaeryx let out a low growl beside him.
"…You won't get the chance to beg."
The Thunderwing Drake's head remained low, heart thundering within its scaled chest. The weight of the moment settled like gravity—final, absolute.
Ethan turned slightly, intending to return to Kaeryx and leave with Mia, when—
Thud.
The Drake suddenly dropped to all fours and kowtowed, its massive head pressing against the ground.
"W-We of the Drake Kin," it rumbled with trembling reverence, "would be… eternally honored… if Lord and the Supreme Dragon could grace us with your presence. I am certain my Drake Lord would be overjoyed to receive your blessing…"
Ethan paused mid-step.
His eyes narrowed slightly. A realization stirred within him.
"…It wasn't your entire group that came to attack me, was it?"
The Drake lifted its head slowly, as if Ethan's insight was beyond what it expected.
"Of course not, Lord," it said with clear respect. "I am but one of the five generals under the command of the Drake Lord. Each general commands their own division. When we all felt the… call… the compulsion to come here, the other four were held back under the Drake Lord's orders. Only I was permitted to investigate—along with the forces under my control."
Ethan's expression didn't shift, but the weight of this information was not lost on him.
Five generals. Each commanding their own troops.
And they all felt the urge to attack… me.
He nodded once, slow and thoughtful.
'If it were just me,' he mused, 'I'd follow them now. With Kaeryx's authority, it's not far-fetched to bring the entire Drake Kin under control… That kind of power is too valuable to ignore.'
But his gaze softened slightly as it turned to Mia, resting atop Kaeryx's back.
Her breathing was even, but her complexion remained pale. The bruising. The torn flesh. The internal trauma.
Even with his best healing potions, her condition wouldn't improve much. Healing potions required stable internal channels and organs to process their magic—but Mia's body had taken too much. If he forced the potion into her now, it might do more harm than good.
She needed real treatment.
She needed Valeron Cross.
And she needed it soon.
Ethan looked at the Drake again.
"Kaeryx," he said calmly. "Mark him. I want to be able to communicate with this one… no matter the distance."
[Done, Master.] Kaeryx's voice echoed in his mind.
Ethan stepped forward, his tone measured—like a monarch addressing a faithful envoy.
"Inform your Drake Lord that I'll be paying him a visit. Soon."
The Drake bowed low again, wings spreading wide in a display of respect.
"Yes, Lord! I shall deliver your word. We await your presence."
Ethan turned without another word and climbed onto Kaeryx's back, sitting gently beside Mia. Her head leaned against his shoulder, eyes closed, a faint sigh escaping her lips. The comfort of his presence was enough to keep her calm, even in sleep.
Below, the Thunderwing Drake watched them ascend, a new light shining in its eyes.
It had witnessed the touch of divinity.
And it knew—this was only the beginning. If Ethan was to visit the entire Drake kin would recieve immense benefits... Their future prospects would be unimaginable...