Chapter 4:
Kael stepped out of the throne room. Beyond the grand doors lay the serene and majestic garden. His steps were light, yet the echoes of his father's rebuke still rang in his heart. "I made Father angry..." he thought. "My peers have already mastered shape-shifting. But I'm still stuck in my beta dragon form. Why should I rush? There's no war now, after all…"
As he walked, the sky was clear, the air filled with a mix of the cold nobility and peace unique to dragons. "Why should I abandon my joyful youth, my games and laughter, to drown in endless training?" Kael asked himself. He still loved stargazing, still felt most free embraced by the melodies of nature. Yet today, he felt the weight of a truth he had just come to grasp.
At the end of the garden path, under the shade of an ancient tree, stood Arya — Queen of the Ice Dragon Clan and Kael's mother. Her white hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her sky-blue eyes gleamed with calm and deep wisdom. She smiled as soon as she saw Kael.
"You returned quickly, Kael," Arya said in a gentle voice.
Kael ran to her, embracing her and kneeling at her side. He still felt small and protected in her arms.
"Yes, Mother... I did," he whispered.
Arya tilted her head slightly and asked:
"What did your father say?"
"He scolded me for not mastering shape-shifting... He told me to hurry. Mother, is it really that important? I'm only five years old. Is shape-shifting truly that vital?"
Arya listened to her son's words with a mixture of calm and pain on her face. She gently stroked Kael's hair and began to speak:
"Don't be disheartened, Kael. In ancient times, dragons fought in bloody wars and battled against dark galactic forces. Many dragons lost their loved ones, their clans. From that suffering, they learned to live by combat and vengeance. After such brutal experiences, dragons came to believe that strength and swift shape-shifting were keys to survival."
Kael listened intently. His eyes, filled with air and wonder, met his mother's sky-blue gaze.
"That is why," Arya continued, "dragons begin learning the arts of war, tactics, and control of power from a young age. Shape-shifting is the first sign of that great power. The earlier a dragon awakens this ability, the more capable they are considered. But you, my son… even if you're two years late, that doesn't mean you're weak."
Kael lowered his head. Something inside him felt tight.
"Mother… does that mean… I'm an incapable dragon?"
Arya smiled, though there was sorrow in her eyes.
"No, Kael. You are never incapable. That's a false notion. True strength lies in your will. True ability is revealed when you overcome yourself and show who you really are. You haven't started your flight yet, Kael. But that doesn't mean you don't have wings."
Kael took a deep breath. A spark lit in his heart. He held his mother's hand and said:
"You're right, Mother. I'll work hard. I'll work very hard! I won't fall behind the others!"
Arya's words echoed in Kael's heart. His face showed a blend of reflection and determination. His mother's calm yet profound gaze gave him confidence. He slowly stood up, his clenched fists expressing the will beginning to rise within him.
"I'll make you and Father proud, Mother. I won't hold myself back anymore," Kael said, his eyes shining.
Arya stepped closer. Her white hair softly fell over Kael's shoulder. Her voice was low but resonant like a seal:
"Kael, remember this: every dragon carves their own path. Some are wreathed in flame from their first breath, others grow their power quietly under still waters. You are the latter. Your time will come. And when it does — the sky will recognize you."
These words gave Kael strength. Something trembled within him. A strange, yet familiar warmth enveloped his heart. He embraced his mother again — not as a child this time, but as someone sensing a change within.
Just then, a subtle but noticeable wave of power passed through the air. Kael instinctively looked up at the sky. All was still, yet his heart was alert.
"What was that?" Kael asked cautiously.
Arya was silent for a moment, then said in a tone void of melody:
"That... was a distant call. Perhaps your destiny just took its first step."
Though Kael didn't understand the meaning, he felt something stir within him. From that moment on, he felt he was stepping out of the shadows of childhood and beginning his path on the way of dragons. He was still in his niva form, but now it felt less like a limitation and more like a foundation.
Arya looked at him one last time.
"Go now, Kael. Everything in its time. But never lose your heart."
Kael nodded and turned around. Each step he took now felt purposeful. The sky remained calm. Yet behind that calm, there seemed to lie a great, sorrowful truth.
Kael walked toward the training hall. As usual, four attendants silently but cautiously followed behind. As he passed through the palace corridors, his steps were no longer light — the determination in his heart and his mother's words gave him new weight, but also new strength.
As he approached the hall, the doors opened, and he was immediately struck by the heat and energy inside. All around, warriors were training — some in dragon form, trying to control their elements; others in niva form performing complex physical exercises. Some struck with such force the walls trembled.
Kael paused at the edge of the room and observed for a moment. A strange feeling rose in his chest — not jealousy, but a readiness to stand among them. His gaze grew firm.
At that moment, one of the large dragon-form warriors suddenly shifted back to niva form. He was the head training instructor — Commander Darion. He noticed Kael and was surprised. He immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Welcome, Prince. Do you require anything?"
Kael nodded in greeting and replied seriously:
"I want to train. What phase do you recommend I begin with?"
Darion stood silently for a moment. Thoughts flashed like lightning in his eyes. He looked Kael up and down — a wordless, deep evaluation. Then, in a soft but astonished voice, he said:
"Training? So… you wish to do this of your own will?"
Kael nodded firmly.
Darion stepped back a few paces and said calmly:
"In that case, it's best to begin with the fundamentals of strength. Feeling the harmony between body and spirit — that is the first step on a dragon's path. Please, I will guide you."
Without hesitation, Kael followed him. Darion thought to himself: "Is this truly our Kael? The boy who for years avoided training, who chose play over discipline? Something has changed… or someone has awakened him…"
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🏛 In the Throne Chamber…
At that moment, the inner throne chamber of the imperial palace was filled with elders — the wisest and most ancient members of the dragon realm. Within the golden-pillared hall, the air was thick and solemn. White-haired, lavishly dressed aristocrats — each the head of a distinct clan — were discussing Kael.
"Your Highness, you know as well as we do — the prince is irresponsible and weak. Even children from minor dragon families are stronger. They've already mastered shape-shifting," said one, his tone mixed with discontent and concern.
Another continued:
"We are worried, Zagn. A weak heir could lead the empire into decline. Doubts are growing among the people."
Emperor Zagn, silent and heavy with thought, looked at them. He seemed uninterested in debating their words. Finally, he spoke — his tone steeped in iron resolve:
"Do not worry. He will be the Seventh Emperor."
A hush fell over the hall. No one dared challenge the statement. One of the elders bowed slightly:
"Yes, Your Highness… We know what that title means."
Zagn lowered his gaze, then looked up again at the dome's intricate carvings. Though he said nothing more, something stirred in his heart. "They doubt him… the aristocrats, the elders, even the people… They don't believe in Kael. But they don't yet know — what power lies hidden within him..."