The Endless Forest

Oralyn sat there, feeling numb. More numb than she ever had. But, it wasn't the bad kind. It wasn't numbness through pain. No, it was something vastly different.

It was raw.

It was exposed.

It was relief.

It was cathartic.

She felt electric, alive. The bottle of repressed emotions shattered and spilled everywhere.

She held back nothing and cried until even tears could no longer flow out. And, by the end of it, she was a new woman. She was a new person, a being who had a new understanding and appreciation for the world.

And she had Morzan to thank for it all. Felix too…

Indeed, none of this would have happened if not for the human. He saw something in her, something she missed. Something that everyone missed and gave her a chance.

From now on, I owe everything to him. She meant it. Every negative thought she ever had about him, she would apologize for. She would spend the rest of her life making it up to him, and she had a long life ahead of her. If we make it through the coming storm…

Oralyn swallowed thickly and quickly shunted the thought away. Whatever may come, let it. We can handle it. We must, else there will be nothing left to worry about.

She felt a snout bump her arm. It could have only been Morzan.

You okay? he asked, an edge of worry in his voice.

I am– Thank you for listening to me, she answered with a smile.

He let out an exciteful little yip, his tail wagging. I listen always!

Chuckling, she reached under his snout and gave him a new round of scritches. The little dragon seemed to love that and let out a surprisingly deep purr.

A thought occurred to her. Honestly, I never thought I'd be able to hatch anything, let alone a dragon… I wonder what my father will say. He always loved the stories of our ancestors, even going to great lengths to make me memorize them…

She thought fondly back to her childhood self, spending evenings going over and reciting every story. At first, she hated it and found it boring and pointless. Yet, the older she got, the more she had realized their importance.

They weren't just stories. No, they were history. History that one could glean insight and learn. They had lessons, they had knowledge… They had wisdom.

It was during those years where she had felt a new passion forming, a dream. She had wondered: Why haven't we rebuilt? What is stopping us from trying?

As she found out, nothing. There wasn't any particular reason, only a lack of leadership. No one had stepped up and proposed such a venture. Well, not until now.

When she found out that she would be one of the candidates, she knew that this was not only her chance, but their chance. All elvenkind depended on this–

A laugh escaped her, causing Morzan to cock his head in confusion.

Sorry! But I just realized something.

His head tilted the other way. What you find out?

All of us, everyone, depends on Felix. We depend on him.

Is that bad? her partner asked.

She shook her head. No, no it is not…

***

Oralyn wasn't sure how long it had been since she had entered the Hatchery, nor how long it had only been her and Morzan. But, at some point, there came a knock at the door.

"Oralyn?"

It was hard to distinguish the voice through the door, but it was definitely feminine.

"Who is it?!" she called out, hopefully loud enough for whoever it was to hear her.

"It's me, Noria! May I come in?!" the person responded, this time far louder.

Noria? Her eyes widened in realization. She knew who that was, but it had taken her a moment. In fairness, we haven't exactly spoken much before or since… Since the day Calinna died.

She took a deep breath, she wanted to cry but she was still mentally exhausted. Instead, she wiped her face as best she could before answering.

"Yes! Please come in!"

The Hatchery's doors slid open, revealing the petite mage and…another dragon.

Immediately, Morzan went on alert. This was his first time seeing another of his kind and it was clear he was being cautious. Unfortunately, this 'new' dragon had no such issue. They bolted the moment the doorway cleared.

"Azelea! Stop!" Noria shouted, setting off after her partner.

Right… Azelea is the dragon's name. Oralyn shook her head, realizing the problem that was about to start. She jumped to her feet.

Morzan! Don't–

It was too late.

Suddenly, the two dragons charged each other before leaping into the air. They collided before crashing into the ground, rolling over on top of each other.

"AZELEA!"

"MORZAN!"

The two dragons froze with Azelea winning while Morzan was belly up and pinned to the ground. But, instead of snarls or hackles raised, they had a gleeful look plastered on their faces.

Both Noria and Oralyn stared in shock, unable to say anything more.

What? We play!

Oralyn blinked. "Huh?"

Azelea hopped off of Morzan and whimpered.

"S-sorry about that… Azelea got too excited– Is… Is, uh… Is he alright?" Noria gestured to Morzan.

Realizing the petite woman was talking about him, Morzan flipped onto his feet and let out a proud, but weak, roar.

I okay! That fun… Do again?

You're…not hurt? Oralyn pressed, not believing him.

He peered down at himself and answered. Only scale missing, it grow back though.

Relief caused her to sag where she stood. "He's okay…"

"Thank the Gods. Azelea is used to roughhousing with the other Jewels and not with one smaller than her. I apologize on her behalf."

Oralyn nodded. "Well, so long as no harm was meant… I accept."

"Thank you…" The mage gave a bow before approaching. She extended a hand out. "I know we've met before, but that was…" She trailed off, before tempting a smile. "I am Noria."

Taking the offered hand, Oralyn returned the smile. "Nice to meet you– Properly. I am Oralyn, Eri's aide."

They finished the handshake and Noria gestured to her partner. "This is Azelea–" The dragon let out a cheerful yip. "–she is my bonded partner."

Oralyn once again repeated the smaller woman, only she gestured to her partner. "This is Morzan. He's only just hatched."

The mage kneeled down and, without fear, began giving him scritches. "Look at you! Such beautiful and impressive colors!" she cooed.

Morzan ate it up and flopped onto the ground, rolling onto his back. Meanwhile, feeling left out, Azelea approached and whimpered.

"Oh please, I give you plenty of scritches."

The yellow gemstone-colored dragon huffed and peered up to Oralyn. The look on her face said, "Will you pet me?"

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

With an amused expression, Oralyn obliged and sat down. She gestured for the dragon to come closer.

A few moments later, both dragons were receiving affection…

"So, are there any questions you have?" Noria asked after a little more time had passed. By then, Azelea and Morzan decided they wanted to play some more. The two dragons took off and chased one another, leaving the mage and Oralyn alone.

Oralyn gave her a curious look and she explained, "Felix asked me to come check on you. He said he told you some things but you might've been overwhelmed. If you have any questions, even personal ones, please ask. I don't mind telling you so long as you don't share anything."

Hearing that, Oralyn felt something she hadn't felt since Calinna's death. The woman before her, the mage who had been there on that very day, who had tried to save her friend… She was opening up, offering to share her experiences.

She is trying to be my friend…

That feeling, it was warm and comforting. Oralyn wasn't alone. She had someone here who she could confide in. In fact, now that she thought about it, Solanna too. And Yedril and… She quietly cursed herself as she tried to remember the last of the four. It eventually came to her. Lorem!

They were there too, and they had stood with her. They might not have known each other well but that could easily change. Especially now.

Her gaze fell upon Morzan. Him and Azelea were still play-fighting and, while it looked vicious, she could feel his elation. He was having the time of his life–

He's barely been hatched!

A chuckle escaped her, causing Noria to give her a confused look. "Everything okay?" the mage asked.

She responded instantly. "Yes, actually. Thank you."

"For…what?"

"For offering to help. However, I think I will decline."

The mage looked surprised by that. "A-are you sure? I really don't mind…"

"It's not that I don't want the help, but I think I want to learn with Morzan. He and I– I don't know how to explain it," she admitted.

Noria calmed down and gave her a reassuring look. "No, I understand completely. Azelea and I, we're constantly learning and figuring things out together. Even Felix and Zira are still struggling."

"Perhaps that's part of it then, to struggle and make this work. Really, it's like any relationship, rather it be romantic or not."

The petite woman blushed. "Y-yeah… Maybe you're right? Lorem and I sometimes have our little arguments as well. And then… There's Felix. He did something to frustrate me not too long ago– Not that I am angry with him anymore! W-we settled that already."

Seeing Noria squirm as she explained made Oralyn glad. It felt like some sort of embarrassing secret was being shared, whether or not that was the case. I think I like this. Having a friend I can just chat with.

The mage stood up and dusted herself off. "Well," she said awkwardly. "I need to go for now. But if you do have any questions, feel free to come see me. I don't mind, really."

She glanced over to Azelea and let out a sigh. "Do you think you can keep an eye on her for me? I know it's asking a lot–"

"Sure! Her and Morzan are getting along, so I don't see the problem. They'll eventually tire themselves out."

"Oh certainly! And she's quite easy going, she'll listen to you or else." There was a certain heat to the last of her words and her partner let out a yelp as if in response.

"She said she'll be good," Noria added with certainty in her tone.

Oralyn couldn't help but to crack a smile. "I don't doubt it and besides, I know who to go to if she doesn't." She added a wink before she too stood.

"Indeed– And thank you. I know this is all new to you and I hate asking this, but I don't think I'll be able to drag Azelea away…"

"Again, it's fine. This actually might be a great opportunity for me to watch and study myself," Oralyn explained.

"Then I will leave her in your care, until later this evening anyway. I might be able to come back sooner though."

This evening? It took a moment for her to remember. "Right, this evening. Felix said he wanted to make an announcement and introduce Morzan to everyone."

"Yeah, and now I need to go and help with that." The mage slumped her shoulders. "I don't mind, but today has already been quite tiring… I hope I can get some rest soon."

"Then go!" Oralyn said with a laugh. "And don't worry about checking up on us!" She began to make a shooing motion, slowly guiding the mage to the Hatchery's doors…

As Noria made her exit and the doors slid closed, she slowly looked towards the bedding. It was still covered in shards of Morzan's egg. Something tugged at her, something not her new partner. It was another feeling, a yearning to approach.

So she did.

She came to a stop and kneeled down, sifting and searching for something. She knew not what she was looking for, until she found it.

A small shard of the dragon egg. It was the size of her pinky, yet it felt incredibly sturdy. Without another thought, she pocketed it and made an unconscious decision.

I will make a pendant out of it.

Felix scanned the growing crowd, noting how fast word had spread. He had told the Sages and a few of the Chiefs and in a scant few hours, everyone seemingly knew.

Of course, there were already rumors… He let the thought trail off as he felt Eri tighten her grip around his hand. Though, unlike before, this wasn't out of stress or tension. She was rather looking forward to all this.

He dared himself to smile. It was a relief to see her not be so concerned, to see her actually be happy. And it wasn't just from the dress incident earlier in the day either. Eri had kept close to him ever since they finished speaking with Calinna.

She had told him everything she had learned about their…son. That was clearly wearing her down and, he had to admit, that news was alarming. He hated the fact that his son's future was somehow pre-ordained. That was not at all what he wanted for his child.

I will do everything in my power to see that not happen. Felix meant it. I want him to live his life. To do the things he wants to do. Fighting, killing…war, none of that is something anyone should want or be forced to do.

Even with the looming threat from the Holy Triumphant, there was hope that he could end things there. It was hopelessly optimistic, he knew. But can you fault me for wanting to just live in peace?

He deliberately forced those thoughts away to focus on the here and now. Before him was a large crowd and behind him were his friends. Lorem, Noria, Solanna, and Yedril stood off to the sides of the Hatchery's entrance. Their partners, save for Azelea, sat like guard dogs.

Curious… He could not find the citrine dragon anywhere and a part of him wanted to ask Noria where her partner ran off to. However, there were too many people watching. It would be better to simply wait until later.

Unbeknownst to him, he would soon get his answer anyways…

Standing directly in front of the doors, blocking the path and view for everyone, were Kyrith and Zira. The two dragons were actually guarding the doors and staring down the entire crowd. It would have been menacing if not for the fact Kyrith was shivering with excitement.

Calm down, you will get to meet him soon, he whispered to both. Zira was doing a much better job at hiding her emotions but he could feel her growing anticipation just as well.

But… How much longer are we going to wait?! Kyrith responded, barely holding back a whimper. Zira, for her part, merely sighed through her nose…

Not much longer, just waiting for the stragglers, he answered, glancing over to where the elven Chiefs and Sages were standing. They were up near the front of the group and, Chief Herrin in particular, looked to be waiting impatiently.

Felix couldn't fault Oralyn's father. He understood, this was a big moment and even he wanted to start things right now. But we must wait. Let everyone gather first–

The last few stragglers made it and Aluin gave him a subtle nod. The time was now…

"Everyone!" he shouted, loud enough for the entire crowd to hear him.

All conversation ceased.

"I know that there have been rumors flying around all day. I know many of you were curious. By now, you all should have heard the news. Oralyn has hatched a dragon!"

There were cheers and Felix waited until the crowd began to settle down. "I have to admit, things moved faster than I could have predicted. And while I will not speak on how we arrived here today, I will say this: Oralyn was deserving of a chance! A chance to hatch an egg!"

As more cheers erupted he focused his attention on Chief Herrin. "I knew she could do it. I knew she was of the right…character. However! Do not mistake my words! She was given a chance, it was not guaranteed.

"She succeeded, but that doesn't mean everyone will. Besides, for the moment, I have no intentions of letting anyone else hatch another egg. Not until we finish the Dormitory!"

The excitement of that news was mixed, but it appeared most understood.

"Now, I have kept us all waiting long enough…" He faced and approached the Hatchery, Kyrith and Zira moving out of the way without needing to be told.

His hand hovered in front of the doors. "Let me introduce you to Oralyn and her new partner, Morzan!" With a simple touch, the doors slid open and revealed…a yawning Azelea.

She walked out and went straight to Noria, only to collapse at her feet. A look of horror was plain on the mage's face.

Silence. Pure silence… Felix was stunned, not ready for something like that to happen.

"Is that him?" someone whispered from the crowd. The words reached him and brought him back to reality.

He peered into the Hatchery, towards where he had originally thrown the bedding down. It was there he found Oralyn and Morzan, curled up together and sleeping peacefully.

"Uh… One moment everyone!" Thinking fast, he stepped inside and swiftly shut the doors behind him.

Carefully walking up to the sleeping pair, he kneeled down and gently shook Oralyn awake. "Are you okay?"

Her eyes fluttered open and she stretched before realizing Felix was staring down at her. She suddenly went rigid.

"W-what time is it?" she asked nervously.

He gave her a look. "It's, uh… It's evening–"

A terrified look appeared in her expression as she shot up, disturbing Morzan and waking him. "Gods! It's time, isn't it?! I only meant to close my eyes for a moment!" She turned to her partner. "Are you ready?"

The poor dragon eventually stood up and shook the sleep away. He let out a tired chirp.

Felix decided to say nothing and got up as well. He made his way back to the doors before he finally spoke up. "The crowd is waiting. Let me know when you are ready and I will make my announcement."

"W-we're ready!" she responded hurriedly, quickly straightening out her clothes.

Unconvinced, he glanced back in her direction but already she had replaced her expression with her normal, stoic one. There was, however, a difference. The cold indifference he usually felt from her wasn't there. Instead, there was a sort of pride in its place.

He gave her a nod. "Very well, give me just a moment…"

Felix slipped out the door, making sure it closed behind him. He faced the crowd once more and cleared his throat, gaining enough attention that they all began to settle down.

"Let's try that again… Let me introduce you all to Oralyn and her new partner, Morzan!"

This time, as the doors slid open, the elven woman and the right dragon appeared. The crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer as Morzan practically strutted out. That is, until he was suddenly surrounded by three of the four Jewels.

Before anyone could react, the dragons suddenly took off, chasing one another and disappearing into the crowd. There were yelps of surprise as they ran into people…

Well, Felix thought as four elves set off for their respective partners. It could have gone worse.