Ingi watched his sons and Nerathis stand, their resolve hardening like cooling steel. But as they turned to leave the hall for the training grounds, the Patriarch let out a heavy, weary sigh that stopped them in their tracks.
"Wait," Ingi commanded. His voice wasn't booming; it was quiet, laden with a secret that seemed to press against the very walls of the palace. "Fafnir is right. You cannot beat them with the magic I taught you. But there is one among you who was never taught—because she was never meant to be found."
The dragons looked at him with confusion and etched on their faces. Luviyah felt a sudden, sharp chill in the room that had nothing to do with the blizzard outside.
"Father?" Terragon asked, his voice a low rumble. "What are you talking about? We are all here. Except for... except for Zarathorak."
