Origin (Scales 'n' Spells 1)

That’s what he should be doing. Not dreaming of what-ifs and maybes.

Alric stood in what he’d always thought of as the royal plotting room. His father had called it the War Room. Alric swore he could still feel his father in here, even after five centuries. But in those last days, it was the room he’d most frequently seen his father in as he met with the other clan leaders and strategized against Kaiser and the Jaeggi.

The room faced the south, and while large windows lined one wall, there never seemed to be enough light to fight back the dark shadows and brighten the space. The walls were a cool grey and covered in old weapons from eras long gone. All of them were battle scarred and told the stories of his clan. In the center was a long, dark wood table surrounded by chairs. Its surface brightly gleamed as if calling them to its sides.

For Alric, there had been no wars to strategize for, which made it all the worse since he felt like he was losing. But time was an enemy no one defeated. Not even long-lived dragons. With no mages, time was slowly eating away at their numbers, at their hope.

Cameron and his family could change everything for them. He had to believe that Cameron would not only find a mate within his clan, but that he could be the key to unlocking how they found more mages. If Cameron and his family existed with no knowledge of their heritage, then there had to be others just like them. And the Noh Clan excelled in seeking magic. If they could recover that lost knowledge, then they had a better chance of finding others.

For now, Alric just hoped Cameron was happy in the castle and wanted to stay.

The door opened, and Dieter stepped inside, followed by Gunter. The tall, lanky dragon with the fall of blond hair across his forehead looked flushed with excitement, his slate blue eyes sparkling as they darted around the room.

“Why am I the last to hear you’ve found a mage?” Gunter immediately demanded.

“Because you never pull your nose out of those dusty books. You need to crawl out of the dungeon more than once a year,” Dieter teased.

“It’s not a dungeon. It’s a library,” Gunter snapped.

“There are no windows.”

“Natural light can destroy old parchment, and most of those books and scrolls are several centuries old.”

“When was the last time you let your dragon fly?” Dieter demanded, and Gunter suddenly turned quiet, refusing to meet Alric’s or Dieter’s eyes.

“It’s a new moon tonight, Gunter. Stretch your wings over the mountain peaks. The fresh air will be good for your mind and body,” Alric said. Gunter’s head immediately popped up, and he opened his mouth to argue, but Alric just stared him down. “As your king, I ask that you stretch your wings.”

Gunter’s mouth snapped shut, and he gave a little grunt, not looking happy about it in the slightest. Dear god, was there no dragon in all his kingdom who wasn’t incredibly stubborn?

“I want your mind to be clear and sharp when you meet Cameron.”

“Is it true he also has a sister? Has she used magic yet?” Gunter asked. His displeasure about being away from his books seemed already forgotten in the face of their newest discovery.

“Yes, he does, and no, she hasn’t. But Cameron and Cassie are twins. I feel confident she just needs to be trained like Cameron.”

“Is she being brought to the castle?”

“Not yet. Right now, we are focusing on getting Cameron adjusted to the idea of being a mage and how he fits in our clan.”

Gunter huffed. “Hasn’t it been explained that this—being a mage—will be her work, her life? That Burkhard Castle and her clan are where she belongs?”

“Yes, it’s incredibly logical to toss your entire life aside because complete strangers have told you to,” Dieter said sarcastically. “Her brother was nearly kidnapped. Other than seeing Cameron safe, how much should she trust us with her life?”

Alric pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger before rubbing his eyes. Gunter could argue with the wall if he was in the mood. The dragon needed to fly, feel the cool winds racing across his scales and lifting his massive wings. Maybe Alric would send Baldewin or Ravi with him. It was clear he’d spent too many hours alone in the dun—library with his books.

Alric’s own dragon grumbled about stretching its own wings, and Alric hushed it.

The door opened again, revealing Baldewin and Ravi. They were all gathered at last. Alric pulled back his seat at the head of the table, while Dieter took his place on Alric’s immediate right. Baldewin took his normal place beside Dieter while Gunter and Ravi settled into seats on Alric’s left.

“Have you met him?” Gunter asked, looking over at Ravi.