On entering the room, Kael was imdiately greeted by a flurry of motion. A small, silvery blur leapt through the air and latched onto him.
Kael didn’t even flinch. As if instinctively prepared, he spread his arms and caught the little creature in mid-air with practiced ease. The soft, cool touch nestled warmly into his chest as a lodic chiming began to ring out.
"Papapa... Papapa... Paa... Elfie missed you..." The tiny dragon cooed, her silvery scales shimring faintly like fresh snow under moonlight.
In a few days it had managed to pick up words by hearing from others.In terms of learning it was quite fierce with the intelligence of a 5 year old human kid.
After all,it was a dragon.
Soon,it might be able to pick up many things.
Kael chuckled, cradling the warm, squishy dragon in his arms. Her big round eyes blinked up at him innocently.
"Ohhh, Papa missed you too." He grinned and rubbed his cheek against Elfie’s soft, snow-kissed body. The little dragon giggled and flicked her tongue out to lick his cheek.
It started licking Kael softly with a satisfied expression.
Startled, Kael pulled back and stared at her with a mild frown. "Oi, why do I feel like I’m raising a dog? Aren’t dragons supposed to be majestic?"
Elfie tilted her head, tongue still hanging out adorably, entirely unbothered by the complaint.
Just then, Ramos entered with huh a scoff. "It’s only been a few days and she’s already speaking. Damned terrifying."
"Elfie is a fast learner. Obviously, she takes after ," Kael said with a laugh, perching her gently on his shoulder as he followed Ramos deeper into the room. "So, what’s this gift you ntioned?"
Ramos smirked and with a small flick of his hand, a sword shimred into existence mid-air and slowly descended toward Kael.
"Here," Ramos said simply.
"Huh!" Kael blinked, startled at the sudden appearance of the weapon. His hands reached out instinctively, grasping the sword by the scabbard.
The scabbard was dark blue with delicate silver engravings that rippled like frozen rivers across its surface. Embedded along its length were faint sapphire runes that shimred with cold light, and just holding it, Kael could feel an icy presence seeping into his skin. A refined and commanding aura cloaked the weapon, like a blade that had slept beneath a glacier for centuries.
Kael’s eyes widened. "You’re giving your dear nephew a gift?" he asked, half-joking.
Ramos snorted. "No, not . It’s from your old man."
"What? Seriously?" Kael’s expression flickered with disbelief. "Why would he..."
"He said you deserved it. For what you did up North," Ramos replied, tone calm but eyes asuring.
Kael shrugged and glanced down at the weapon again. Elfie leaned closer on his shoulder, eyes sparkling with unrestrained curiosity. From the side, Lyria’s calm gaze also shifted to the sword—sothing about it clearly stirred sothing in her too.
"Well then," Kael muttered, gripping the hilt. "Let’s see what this dearest gift has inside."
He slowly unsheathed the sword.
Shing—
The mont the blade was drawn even halfway, a sharp hum vibrated in the air like a dragon’s low growl. A sudden burst of frost erupted around him—an icy wave that swept across the room in a swirling miniature snowstorm. Frost curled over the windows and coated the walls like crystal vines.
"Wwww-WHOA!!" Ramos howled, stumbling back, hair practically standing on end.
Kael’s eyes widened as he stared at the magnificent blade now fully exposed in his grip. Its core glead with a glacial glow, and mist curled from its edge like the breath of a winter dragon.
The sheets of icy waves ford a layer of ice over his hands.
Then—
"Kieeeee!!"
A high-pitched squeal cut through the icy silence.
"Elfie—?!" Kael yelped.
Before he could react, Elfie leapt from his shoulder straight at the sword. Eyes shimring, she flapped her tiny wings, trying to latch onto the icy weapon with her baby claws.
"No, no, no!" Kael reached out, barely managing to catch her mid-air by the tail.
He held her away from the sword, panic rising. "You’ll hurt yourself! This thing isn’t for play!"
But Elfie squealed louder, squirming and swiping her baby paws toward the weapon. Clearly, sothing about the sword was calling to her—or just fascinating her beyond reason.
"Elfie, my darling, Papa will show it to you! Calm down, yeah?" Kael tried coaxing, but she wasn’t having it.
Just then, Lyria moved in quietly from the side. She gently took Elfie from Kael’s grip, pressing the little dragon against her chest with soft, swaying motions.
"There, there... It’s okay, Elfie. Mama’s here... shhh," she whispered.
Her voice was warm and calming like a lullaby. Elfie whimpered, but slowly relaxed, resting her head on Lyria’s collarbone while sniffling.
Kael sighed, running a hand through his hair as he turned back toward the sword and knelt.
He laid the weapon gently down in front of Elfie and knelt beside her. "Elfie, you can see it, alright? But no touching. It’s dangerous."
He pointed to his chest. "If you’re hurt, Papa will be very sad."
Elfie looked at the sword, then at Kael. Her eyes shimred again, and she teared up a bit. "Papa... hurt..."
But this ti, she didn’t struggle. Her baby paws twitched but didn’t lash out. She sat there obediently, sniffling and occasionally glancing toward the sword with restraint.
Kael blinked in surprise. "Well... that was unexpected."
From behind, Ramos chuckled. "She’s got brains too. Maybe she does take after you, brat."
Kael rolled his eyes. "Let’s not start comparing intellect with dragons. I don’t think I’d win."
And for a mont, the icy silence of the room lted under the warmth of laughter and childish squeals.
"However, why did it react like this..." Ramos asked, eyes narrowing as he looked at Elfie’s earlier obsession with the sword.
Kael, now more serious, glanced at the weapon again, then back at the little dragon snuggling in Lyria’s arms. "Uncle... What exactly is this sword made of? It’s clearly infused with high-level ice elental properties."
Ramos scratched his head, not thinking much of it. "It’s forged from the remains of a northern frost dragon that you all took care of."
"After you left the carcass was transported here and the remains of the dragon bones are used for this."
The mont those words landed, Kael’s expression dropped.
He looked at Elfie—who was quietly staring at the sword with large, sad eyes—and then back at Ramos with narrowed eyes.
’You... You made her mother into a sword,’ Kael thought, holding back the urge to curse. ’And now you’re asking why she was reacting like that?’
He blinked slowly. ’Hell, I wouldn’t even be surprised if she suddenly turned and blasted you with a frost beam.’
Kael exhaled, shook away those thoughts, and approached the sword. Wrapping his fingers tightly around the hilt, he focused his aura. A crimson glow flared around him as he pushed his energy into the weapon.
The cold pressure that had previously oozed from the blade roared up in defiance—as if rejecting his presence.
But Kael’s aura surged, wild and unyielding, pressing down with the weight of a storm.
The sword shivered under his grasp... and then relaxed.
The violent frost intent subsided, and instead, a faint, humming vibration echoed—soft, like a purring. It was as if the sword had accepted him. No—welcod him.
Kael let out a slow breath.
"...Marvelous sword," he whispered, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he stared into its pale, icy glow.
Ramos grinned smugly behind him. "Of course it’s marvelous. It was crafted by the top blacksmith of the duchy. Only a weapon worthy of the Veydron na."
Kael gave him a side glance. "Yeah... a weapon that’s likely made from Elfie’s distant relative."
Ramos’s face stiffened slightly. "W-Well... dragons don’t really keep family trees, right?"
Kael didn’t reply. He just sheathed the sword quietly, eyes falling once more on Elfie—who now looked at him with a mix of longing and curiosity, but no pain.
’She feels it too... A part of her lineage resting in my hands.’
He reached out and gently patted her head.
"It won’t be wasted. I promise."
Saying this he extended the sheathed sword towards Elfie who hugged it dearly as if grabbing soone she was familiar with.
She didn’t know why but despite the sword emitting freezing cold her heartfelt warmth as if the sword conveyed many things to her and speaking sothing but she wasn’t able to grasp it.
Seeing this,Kael’s gaze softened and he patted Elfie who just stared at the sword lovingly.
.......
The practice chamber raged like a battlefield.
Blades of wind slashed through the air, crashing into the walls with booming intensity. Dust and stone fragnts scattered as storm-like bursts of sword energy erupted from the center. Each strike was violent—raw, desperate, and filled with wrath.
Amidst the chaos stood Adele—her golden eyes burning like twin suns, her raven-black hair soaked in sweat and whipping wildly in the turbulent wind she herself had conjured. Her cloak had long since been shredded, and the floor beneath her feet was riddled with deep gashes and smoking cracks.
"DAAAMNNNN!"
"Next ti we et,I will kill you."
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