Chapter 109: Returning Home [1]

The heavy, sacred air inside the subterranean sanctuary remained still, filled only with the soft, rhythmic pulsing of violet light emanating from the four unhatched eggs.

Chaosbringer, Soul Dreamer, and Dark Sister gathered in a quiet, majestic semicircle behind Craig.

Their massive, reptilian heads were lowered in absolute silence, six glowing eyes watching their master with a deep, reverent trust.

There was no anxiety, no maternal aggression, and no protective roar; the soul bond that bound them to Craig reassured them far more than any physical shield ever could.

Craig reached down and unslung the sturdy, enchanted leather bag resting against his hip.

Specially woven from high-grade spatial-thread fabric and padded with thick velvet lining, the bag was designed to absorb immense kinetic shock and regulate ambient thermal energy.

With slow, reverent precision, Craig reached into the ash nest.

His bare fingers wrapped around the smooth, warm shell of the first violet egg.

The shell radiated a gentle, thrumming heat—a testament to the fierce life developing inside.

Though a dragon’s eggshell was naturally harder than reinforced steel and capable of withstanding extreme physical pressure, Craig handled each one as if it were the most fragile porcelain in existence.

He carefully lowered the first egg into the bag, securing it against the padded corner.

One by one, he lifted the remaining three eggs from the warm nest, balancing their weight evenly within the leather compartment to ensure they would not shift or collide during long-distance flight.

When the fourth and final egg was safely cradled inside, Craig pulled the leather drawstrings taut and fastened the iron buckles.

He slung the bag securely across his chest, resting it snugly against his ribs where his own body heat could help maintain its warm internal environment.

He looked up at Soul Dreamer, offering her a reassuring, quiet nod.

"Aethel-tor, Soul Dreamer. Moran infantis kael’is."

(It is done, Soul Dreamer. Your children are safe.)

The 4th-Tier dragon let out a soft, contented warble, nuzzling her snout lightly against his shoulder before stepping back to give him room.

It was time to return.

Craig turned on his heel and began his exit from the deep cavern.

Behind him, the process of departure was orderly, quiet, and full of ancient discipline.

Soul Dreamer took the lead directly behind her master, her massive purple body glided smoothly through the high stone tunnel without her scales so much as scraping the cavern walls.

Chaosbringer followed closely in the middle, his heavy, crimson-plated tail lifted slightly off the ground to avoid making unnecessary noise.

Dark Sister brought up the rear, her slender dark-green frame blending effortlessly into the shadows of the cave until the dim light of the tunnel gave way to the blinding brightness of the outside world.

One after the other, the three apex predators emerged onto the scorching volcanic ledge, their massive forms silhouetted against the harsh mountain sun.

Stepping out into the open air, Craig exhaled a deep, long sigh, feeling the cool high-altitude wind cut through the lingering sulfur heat of the cave.

He raised his eyes to the heavens, watching a stray 2nd-Tier wild dragon soar through the clouds far above them, its shrill cry echoing off the jagged peaks.

He turned back to face Chaosbringer.

The colossal 5th-Tier dragon did not wait for a formal command.

Understanding his master’s intent through the quiet pulse of their bond, Chaosbringer gently glided closer.

He snorted out a small puff of dark smoke, lowering his front left shoulder and bending his massive, crimson-scaled neck down to the stone floor, creating a natural, sweeping slope for Craig to climb.

Craig stepped onto the dragon’s bent foreleg, gripping the heavy ridge of Chaosbringer’s shoulder scales, and swung himself smoothly onto the saddle-like hollow directly behind the dragon’s crest.

He adjusted his posture, securing the leather bag of dragon eggs safely against his stomach before wrapping his left hand firmly around the reinforced leather strap anchored to Chaosbringer’s hide.

Once fully balanced and settled, Craig looked back toward Soul Dreamer and Dark Sister, his golden-crimson eyes glinting with absolute authority.

"Vael’is, Soul Dreamer! Dark Sister! Kael-tor valaris!"

(Follow us, Soul Dreamer! Dark Sister! Keep close behind us!)

Both dragons lowered their heads in unison, their tails sweeping through the ash as they accepted the command without question.

Craig turned his focus forward, tapping his heel gently against the warm, thick hide of Chaosbringer’s neck.

"Taverus des Myrain, Chaosbringer!"

(Take me to Myrain, Chaosbringer!)

The moment the command left Craig’s lips, Chaosbringer let out a high-pitched, thunderous roar that shattered the quiet of the mountain range!

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The crimson dragon flexed his massive hind legs and launched his colossal body directly off the cliff face!

The sudden, violent thrust of his takeoff shattered the stone ledge beneath his talons, sending a massive shockwave tumbling down the valley.

His vast, crimson-and-black wings unfurled to their maximum span, catching the rising thermal currents and cutting through the air with terrifying speed.

Within seconds, Chaosbringer rose high above the volcanic peaks, punching cleanly through the thick layer of ash and cloud into the open, endless blue sky.

Directly behind them, two massive rumbles echoed through the heavens.

Soul Dreamer and Dark Sister spread their colossal wings and leaped from the mountain, surging upward into the sky to join the formation.

With Chaosbringer leading at the apex, flanked closely by the iridescent violet form of Soul Dreamer and the dark, shadowy silhouette of Dark Sister, the three top-tier dragons carved a magnificent, terrifying trail through the clouds.

Craig leaned forward against Chaosbringer’s neck, the fierce wind whipping his long dark hair and snapping his black coat violently behind him.

He kept one hand firmly anchored to the dragon’s hide and the other protective over the bag of unhatched eggs at his chest.

Below them, the majestic, burning peaks of the Temple of Dragons rapidly shrank into small dots on the horizon, replaced by the vast, sweeping green plains and winding rivers of the Western Continent.

The Dragon Lord was returning home to the Myrain Viscounty.

And with three apex beasts soaring at his back and a legacy of unborn dragons secured in his grasp, the political storms awaiting him in the West would find a sovereign fully prepared to claim his domain.