Chương 77: A Promise of Trust

The egg erupted mere moments after the initial cracking noise echoed through the cottage, but the shell shards halted mid-air before rocketing throughout the room. Each of the shards remained suspended, enveloped in a faint violet-blue coloration that appeared to be controlled by the Weave. Orion and Aurelia both gave the spectacle their full focus. After a few seconds, the shards lost their glow. As soon as they did, they all plummeted to the ground as gravity took back over.

Sitting where the egg once sat was the egg's previous inhabitant. It was around the same size as Nimbus or Clover, but looked vastly different than any of the drakes they had yet seen. Its body was sleek, with deep indigo scales and lavender plating along its chest and underside. Its most striking feature was the broad, mothlike wings with violet membranes. It remained perfectly still, and stared at the sibling with amethyst-colored eyes.

After taking in the new drake's presence, Orion let out a breath that seemed to contain significant frustration. The new drake peered at him curiously, as if it had already done something wrong.

"Orion…" Aurelia's eyes narrowed in his direction.

"We're not having a repeat of Clover's hatching."

"I know, I know," Orion put his hands up defensively.

"It's not anything bad… We just already had quite a bit going on." Aurelia glared at him for a moment longer before turning her attention to the new drake. As soon as she did, her expression became a heartfelt smile.

"There's always room for more family members, even if we do get crazy busy. At least, that's what the Caretaker thinks!" Orion sighed. He looked to the new drake, then looked to one of the nearby egg shards. He crouched down and picked it up, examining it as if it were a foreign object.

"There's nothing special about the eggshell," Orion noted.

"Which means our new companion here must've been the one to stop the shards from blasting throughout the house."

"It seems so," Aurelia walked forward and knelt down.

"It seems really similar to Lilly's telekinetic ability." She reached down to pet the creature, but it pulled away somewhat skittishly.

"What's wrong?" Aurelia pulled her hand back instinctively.

"Orion didn't mean to be rude - he's just always like that." Orion narrowed his eyes at Aurelia, but it only lasted a moment before everything changed. The drake's wings fluttered a couple of times, and something within Orion's mind seemed to shift. It was a sensation unlike anything that he could describe - as if a new sense had suddenly opened up in his mind." Please be careful. Physical contact could damage my scales." Orion heard the words clear as day, but they were not spoken out loud.

He looked toward Aurelia, who clearly had the same wide-eyed shock on her face as he did. Both of their attention turned slowly to their new companion.

"You…can speak?" As if to answer Aurelia's question, a Status message appeared over the drake's form. [[Psionic Drake has adapted mental frequency to better communicate with the household]]"Mental frequency?" Orion considered, scratching his head." It means that I am working to communicate in a way that you will all understand."

"But you aren't speaking out loud."

"Correct. Nor do the other drakes, I imagine." Aurelia thought about it. When Kindle had taken on his human form, he had mentioned that he was already able to understand them and tried to communicate with them via growls and gestures. Typically, Aurelia could get the gist of what each drake may have been thinking in a given moment, even if she couldn't literally understand them. This one, however…

"It's like you're speaking to us through the Weave rather than out loud…"" Close enough," the drake shook once, releasing an almost unnoticeable cloud of powder around her." My scale spores carry faint traces of my Weave, allowing me to maintain communication even across large distances."

"Scale spores…" Orion repeated it aloud as he watched the powder settle to the ground around the drake. He then thought about the egg's initial explosion, which had likely spread a great deal of the stuff throughout the room.

"So you can speak into someone's mind from great distances," Orion continued.

"So long as they've been exposed to this powder?"" They can also speak back to me,"the drake explained." I can even connect two people who have been exposed, although that is significantly more strenuous."

"That impressive!" Aurelia noted.

"I'm guessing that your 'spores' have something to do with the eggshells too, then?"" Yes. Things coated in my spores can be controlled via telekinesis…" To demonstrate his point, a handful of the eggshells nearest Aurelia regained their faint glow and lifted a couple of inches off of the ground. Both Aurelia and Orion watched with a wide expression.

"Telekinesis… and telepathy." Orion's gaze at her sister became curious.

"Those words mean something to you?"

"Lilly explained it before. Telekinesis is what she uses when assisting with construction. She explained that telepathy is a similar form of "mental magic", but allows for talking rather than carrying." The drake chirped happily.

"I am glad someone in our family has a grasp on the concept." Aurelia finally decided to take a seat on the ground rather than remain kneeling there. She looked at their new psychic friend, and her expression changed into curiosity.

"Roy's going to be so sad he just left this morning…" she commented.

"He'd probably have a field day with all the possibilities."

"It sounds like it would've been an unpleasant experience." Aurelia couldn't help but giggle at the statement. Orion might've seemed amused as well - if his brain wasn't already racing with other concerns.

"What do you require to be properly taken care of? Do you require food, water, or sunlight like the other drakes do?" Aurelia looked toward him.

"Do you have any idea how cruel that sounded? You make it seem as if we won't take care of him!"

"That's not what I'm concerned about," Orion admitted, approaching and kneeling down to get on their level.

"Like you said, this creates several more opportunities for our settlement - possibilities that Sevrin has no idea about. We have no idea yet how Velkaryn's going to respond to what happened with the caravan, so we need to keep as many advantages hidden as we can." Aurelia did not look pleased, but she also didn't offer any form of counterargument." I understand,"the drake spoke into both their minds, interjecting into the dispute."

I can remain stationed here in this cottage until you feel it best to reveal me publicly."

"Are you sure?" Aurelia asked, her concern apparent.

"You should not be a prisoner here if you don't want to be. If you need something for survival, we need to provide it."" I will be fine. My primary sustenance comes from nearby telepathic energies. If I'm in an area with a lot of people - or near people who tend to have significant mental activity - I can sustain myself just fine."

"Well you're in luck then," Aurelia glanced at Orion again." He never stops overthinking everything, and Kindle always seems lost in his own thoughts as well."" Kindle? As in big brother?" Aurelia turned back, unable to help but smile.

"Yes. He recently became more human, and has been quietly learning to navigate the world since then."" I see. I suspect that will be sufficient, as well as the ambient energies of the others within our hamlet." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Glad to hear it," Orion noted, earnestly.

"In the interim, we need to behave as if nothing has changed. We'll introduce you to a couple of others privately so that they can be part of your tele-whatever ability."

"Telepathic," Aurelia corrected. Orion sighed.

"After that, we'll have to put our brains together to figure out how to make the most of this."

"I can talk to Garrick about it while we are off visiting Ironvale," Aurelia noted.

"I can leave informing Talia and Roy to you." Orion nodded. With that decided, Aurelia turned her attention back to the Psionic Drake.

"Now comes the most important part," she continued.

"You need a name."

"How about Telly?" Orion asked. Aurelia's response was perhaps the flattest expression Orion had ever seen her give. He couldn't make out the drake's expression, but it didn't look particularly pleased.

"Like telepathy." he added"Explaining it didn't make it better,"" If I can request a different designation, I would prefer to." Orion shook his head. Aurelia thought while the Psionic Drake whispered his words into their thoughts - and that's when it hit her.

"Whisper."

"How is that better than Telly!?" It was too late. The psionic drake chirped acceptingly, and the prompt appeared in front of Aurelia. [[Psionic Drake; Whisper]] [[Confirm Name?]]"Yes!" ─── 🐲🐲🐲 ───"So…this is Whisper?" Garrick knelt down to examine the Psionic Drake up close. As he drew near, Whisper shook once, releasing a cloud of powder into the air that immediately swept over Garrick.

"What the…?"" Pleasure to meet you, Knight." Garrick stared wide-eyed. Aurelia and Selene watched from the dining table as Garrick investigated their newest draconic family member.

"Oh wow," Garrick commented, turning toward Aurelia.

"He can speak into our minds!"

"Brilliant deduction, Garrick," Selene commented flatly.

"Aurelia explained that when we got in here, though." Aurelia did not speak right away. She instinctively took a look toward the front door, but it remained closed. Orion had gone outside to wander the hamlet. His pretense had been patrolling before bed, but she knew his primary goal was to make sure Sevrin was not in observation range of the cottage. That way, the three Ironvale travelers could speak in private before their trip began tomorrow morning.

"I know that," he shot back, standing up.

"It still surprised me. Makes me wonder what type of Concordance could come from him." Aurelia finally looked toward him.

"You mean there isn't already one?"

"That's not how it works," Garrick admitted.

"I have to actually have a meaningful bond with each drake I have a Concordance with. I just met Whisper, so nothing's going to appear immediately. I still don't have one with Therma or Quill yet, either." Quill chirped assertively, though he remained in his ledger form as he sat in the center of the table. Selene looked from Quill to Garrick.

"I guess you two will have plenty of time to become buddies after we arrive in Ironvale."

"Speaking of which," Aurelia chimed in.

"You haven't explained how exactly you intend to get over there since we'll be riding Zephyr?"

"Like I said, I've got it handled. Especially now that I have my Second Seal, I don't think it'll be a problem at all." Aurelia narrowed her gaze.

"We'll see."

"I'm more interested in what we're going to run into when we arrive," Garrick asserted, claiming one of the remaining dinner chairs.

"You said you've been there before, Selene?"

"I have. As was mentioned previously, it is a village filled with smiths. Their culture is very guild-like in nature. Status is heavily influenced by who is the best craftsperson. A triumvirate sits at the top of their structure, not that dissimilar to Bellhaven's Council. The wisest miner, the wisest smith, and the wisest combatant always contain a seat."

"The wisest combatant?" Garrick questioned. Selene nodded in confirmation.

"The smiths take pride in their armor and weaponry, but the craft can only be truly honored if someone of adequate skill can bring the armor and weaponry to its full potential. Whether a piece is low or high quality is irrelevant if it isn't wielded by someone who can meet its capabilities. That is the philosophy that holds in Ironvale."

"Sounds interesting," Aurelia looked toward Garrick.

"Don't get yourself into trouble looking for a fight."

"You say that like I intentionally go looking for them." Aurelia smiled.

"Just covering my bases ahead of time."

"If you're worried about covering bases, then you should be thrilled," Garrick smirked.

"While we're in Ironvale, you can give me your daily 'thing I wanted' report face-to-face." Aurelia's eyes became daggers after Garrick spoke. Garrick did not back down from his teasing, prompting Selene to look between the two.

"I'm missing context, I presume?"

"We came to an agreement after our last date was cut short by the Velkaryn assassination attempt."

"It was not a date!" Aurelia stood as she blurted it out, but her cheeks had the faintest red tinge to them. That fact alone was significantly more unsettling to Garrick than had she just denied it flatly. Before the awkwardness could grow further, the front door opened. Everyone turned, expecting to see Orion enter and warn them that Sevrin may be nearby. Inside, they were met with Kindle as he entered.

"Good…evening?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"Seems like there's some tension here?" Selene gestured to the older pair.

"Garrick and Aurelia were just explaining to me about some date that took place previously?"

"Oh…that," Kindle's expression flattened, as if he had suddenly lost all interest.

"Don't worry too much about it. They're not sure what they are to each other - you'll get used to it."

"Kindle!" Aurelia spoke with a horrified expression, but Kindle ignored her. He instead turned his attention to Whisper, who currently sat in the central area of the main room. Upon seeing him, his eyes suddenly became much more curious.

"I didn't know we had another sibling."

"This is Whisper," Garrick introduced, suddenly eager to switch topics.

"He's a … what did the status say … a Psychic Drake?"

"Psionic Drake," Kindle corrected, walking over and kneeling next to Whisper.

"Telepathy and telekinesis are his primary abilities."

"You already knew all that?" Kindle nodded.

"I can tell you the species of any of my family that has been born - as well as what their abilities are. That is part of the connection we share."

"That's…unusually useful."

"I suppose," Kindle turned his gaze back to Whisper.

"It's not like we keep it hidden once we hatch." Kindle sat down on the ground. Whisper investigated briefly, sniffing the air around Kindle as if confirming his identity. Once Whisper realized who he was, he promptly plopped down and nestled right up against him.

"Orion asked us to keep his presence hidden for the time being," Selene chimed in.

"I assume he's told you that since he let you enter?"

"I mean…I do live here." Selene didn't seem thrilled to have her typical flat tone thrown back in her face by someone who appeared younger. Again, Kindle ignored it.

"But I understand the concern with the dark elf," he continued.

"I do not need much convincing from Orion if he believes it's best for keeping us all safe. He is the Protector, after all." Selene's expression softened.

"It seems you have quite a bit of trust in your family."

"Of course," Kindle looked toward her.

"What good is a family whom you aren't certain you can trust?" He said it as nonchalantly as he said everything else, but its effect was immediate. For a split second, a painful grimace flashed across Selene's expression. It was as if his words had sliced through a very obvious wound. She put it away almost as quickly as it appeared, but Aurelia saw it before Selene could completely hide it.

"Anyway," Aurelia interjected.

"We got together to meet about our plan once we got there. Selene - you believe you have an idea of what they would want from us." Selene nodded, her composure fully returned.

"The information Vision provides is the obvious one that Dorian brought them into negotiations with. I intend to lead with that, although something agricultural is a great fallback plan. Maybe not food directly, but I'm willing to bet they could benefit heavily from Blackloam. If push comes to shove, we might be able to make an agreement involving Spark and Shimmer's connection given how remote they are." Garrick leaned forward.

"That seems like quite a bit to offer just for some metal."

"That's because it's not just metal," Selene noted.

"Transporting the metal here is useless in its raw form, except for whatever Roy could make of it. We would need their expertise to turn it into something meaningful. Weapons, armor, tools - and the like."

"That's true," Aurelia thought aloud.

"We don't have our own blacksmith… Maybe we can convince one of them to take on Kindle as an apprentice." Kindle didn't even look up.

"I'm not being transported across the land to learn some hobby."

"I never said you had to go. Maybe they'd come here to teach you."

"Doubtful…" Kindle paused for a moment before continuing.

"... But I'd consider it." Aurelia smiled at his interest. She then turned that positivity toward Selene.

"It sounds like you've got a solid plan in mind, then. Given that, I'm happy to leave the negotiating to you." Selen's eyes narrowed.

"Is that wise? I have experience, but I am not a member of this community."

"Even at thirteen, you're far more knowledgeable about this than Garrick or I will be."

"That doesn't make it wise to trust someone you barely met." Garrick chuckled.

"That sounds like a similar logic to what Velara uses."

"Of course it is," Aurelia stood, a big smile starting to form across her face.

"Maybe that's the best thing Selene can learn from us - how to openly trust others." Selene's brows furrowed.

"That sounds completely antithetical to everything I've learned."

"Velara's tactics most certainly have their place," Aurelia admitted.

"They did also, however, almost get her neck snapped by a Storm Dragon not too long after we met." Selene didn't seem to need further explanation on that. Aurelia took the silence as an opportunity to continue. She crossed the dining room, knelt down next to Selene, and put both hands on her shoulders.

"You do not need to treat me like a child," Selene insisted.

"I've had a good deal of experience working with people."

"I know that… but have you ever been given one person who you can trust wholeheartedly?" Selene opened her mouth, but closed it again. She did not seemed stumped per se, but no answer appeared to exist that would appease Aurelia's concern.

"Very well then!" Aurelia stood.

"You don't have to decide now, but I want you to think hard about it while we're together in Ironvale."

"If agreeing will make you feel better, then that is fine," Selene looked up at Aurelia.

"And if I decide to agree." Aurelia made her way back to her chair and sat. She could already here Orion and Roy screaming at her for what she was about to suggest. She also knew that the three of them couldn't constantly convene over every decision. Whether or not this qualified as important enough to debate, she would just have to leave to chance.

"If you end up agreeing wholeheartedly," Aurelia replied.

"Then I will tell you your aunt's single greatest secret."