In a dim, quiet chamber of the Ilagron Estate, Lukas, Katrina, and Jesse sat in a loose circle around a low cot. Resting upon it, unconscious but alive, was the red-scaled dragon girl. Her body was wrapped in clean cloth, the wounds slowly healing with the help of enchantments and salves.
Velena was helping the rest of the slaves settle into their new residence and for once in a very long time, it seemed that the Ilagron Estate was full of life again.
"I recognize her," Katrina murmured, brushing a strand of red hair behind her ear as she watched the girl breathe slowly. "Her name is Valkari Ishtar She's the younger sister to the Dragon Lord of the Flames, Rysenth." Her voice carried a note of unease.
Lukas' eyes glanced over towards Jesse who seemed to recognize her as well but his demeanor didn't suggest that he was glad to see her. In fact, the boy who always seemed to be able to maintain his composure could not mask the venom in his eyes as they bore into the girl who'd Lukas had saved.
But he knew why.
There was not much recorded in the libraries in the Palace of the Seas about the Great War but he knew much from the stories Selene would tell him.
Since the creation of Linemall, there had always been three Ruling Houses.
House Drakos, the Dragons of the Seas.
House Teralyon, the Dragons of the Earth.
And finally House Sterling, the Dragons of the Skies.
Yes.
Jesse's family had once not just been a noble family but one of the three great Houses that ruled over the Kingdom of Dragons since the dawn of its existence.
During the Great War, the Sterlings were the ones who were hit the hardest for they were the first ones to engage in battle with the Kingdoms of Humanity.
The skies they once ruled turned into bloody expanse as the armies of Nozar and Easthaven attacked. The region burned, its people slaughtered, and the proud banners of House Sterling were torn from the wind.
Only one of the Skies survived the fall. Samuel Sterling, Jesse's father; smuggled away by wyverns under cover of storm and shadow.
Lord Rodan, the man who they were searching for, was the one who took him in even when none of the other Houses would.
House Ishtar, once a lesser bloodline of flame-touched dragons, saw an opportunity in the chaos. Led by a young Rysenth Ishtar, they wove webs of manipulation, alliances, and deals struck in shadow.
Where the Sterlings fought and died for principle, the Ishtars adapted.
They bent the knee when it benefited them, withheld aid when others cried for help, and struck swiftly when the moment was right.
But it would not be fair to say that their rise was built on scheming alone. In fact, few are aware of Rysenth's trickery.
Why?
Because it is undeniable that Rysenth Ishtar is the strongest that Linemall has to offer. A draconic figure of such overwhelming force that even the other Dragon Lords hesitated to oppose him. When Rysenth claimed the region of the Flames as his own, none spoke against it.
Through fire and fury, House Ishtar became the Third Ruling House of Linemall, replacing the fallen Sterlings and rewriting the power structure that had stood for centuries.
Many whispered of betrayal and blood-soaked ambition but none dared challenge them — for in the era that followed the Great War, it was not the sky, nor the sea, but flame that ruled.
"I have no idea how she could have ended up here though. Rysenth wouldn't have allowed her out of his sight to roam outside of Linemall, let alone allow her to be sold into slavery." It seemed like Katrina was more than just an acquaintance to the Ishtar girl for she seemed genuinely concerned for the young dragon, Katrina's hand never leaving hers.
Jesse didn't say a word.
Still, beneath the bitterness, Lukas sensed a trace of internal conflict.
Jesse might've loathed her lineage, but he wasn't one to leave an injured girl to die, no matter her last name.
Then came the colder silence, not of discomfort but disapproval.
Jesse turned to Lukas, his arms folded tightly across his chest.
"You shouldn't have revealed yourself," Jesse finally muttered, voice low but sharp. "That was reckless."
Lukas, seated near the bed where the dragon girl rested, took a moment before answering him. "She would've never trusted us otherwise."
"She didn't have to trust us. We're not here to make friends, we're trying to survive. Build something. Yes we could establish the Merchant Guild here and make something of it. Fine. Use her. Trade with her. But this?" Jesse turned to face him fully now, eyes fierce. "Revealing you're a dragon—one of the last of our kind—to someone who grew up under the Kingdom that started the Great War? They're fucking neighbors with NOZAR, you think the past is going to change the fact that they see us as monsters? Have you forgotten what they did to us?"
Lukas stood, his voice calm but edged with steel. "If we want to build something real, it has to start with truth. With trust. Velena had no reason to believe we were any different from those who would've sold her to the highest bidder; until I showed her who I was."
Jesse scoffed, pacing now. "And what if she sells us out? What if this whole thing is a trap? You've seen the way she looked at you—like you were some beast! What happens when she's the one who's bringing Nozar to our doorsteps, who are definitely gonna come running once they hear they have four right here in this fucking house?"
Lukas stepped forward, unblinking.
"That's why you're staying here. You aren't coming with us to find my brother." He held up a hand before Jesse could interject. "You will be responsible for setting up the Merchant Guild here in Ilagron. Focus on rebuilding the economy. Get the people moving again. But more importantly, you will be keeping an eye on Velena."
Now it was Jesse's turn to take a moment to pause, considering Lukas' words.
Jesse paused. "And if she turns on us?"
Lukas didn't hesitate to answer. "Then kill her."
The words hung in the air like a blade suspended above them all.
Lukas allowed himself a breath, the tension easing just slightly. "I'm not blind, Jesse. I want to believe in people…but I won't let that belief get any of us killed."
After a long, heavy silence, Lukas straightened, the glow of the fire reflecting in his eyes.
The tension between him and Jesse had settled—fragile, but understood. They all stood on uncertain ground, but at least now, they stood together.
Lukas turned to face both Katrina and Jesse, even though they had settled that argument, they still had much more to discuss.
"We leave when we let Nozar know that they won't be able to take Ilagron without a fight," he told them. "We need to make sure that, in our absence, they won't try to take this village by force. Then…" His gaze shifted, landing softly on Katrina. "We find Rodan."
There was a pause.
They had not brought it up ever since Jerry had made it known what Rodan had been up to since his disappearance. They'd skirted around it, like an open wound they all knew existed but none dared touch. Lukas actually had no idea how Katrina felt about it because she didn't bring it up herself.
But Katrina didn't flinch. In fact, she didn't seem fazed at all. She seemed more determined than ever.
"Good," she stated quietly but firmly. "It's about time."
For a moment, Lukas saw the storm within her—grief and anger twisted together like twin blades. Her father, once a hero to their kind, now the most wanted pirate to ever sail the seas, had betrayed them all.
But there was no pain in her eyes.
Because Katrina Drakos still believed in her father and Lukas just hoped that her belief held true when they finally found his older brother.
The red dragon girl suddenly bolted upright on the cot, eyes wild and alert, her crimson hair sticking out in all directions like a wildfire untamed.
Lukas and Jesse flinched in surprise, not expecting her to have such a violent awakening but Katrina immediately tended to her.
Her body trembled, clearly not from weakness, but sheer pent-up fury and life surging through her veins once more. She seemed almost fucking feral which made both Lukas and Jesse take an instinctive step back.
"Katrina...water….please..." she rasped, then immediately snatched the flask Katrina offered her and chugged it in one go.
She didn't stop there.
With barely a breath between swallows, she tore through the dried meat and bread Katrina had prepared beside her, her eyes darting around the room like a caged beast seeing how it could escape its captors.
But it wasn't escape she wanted.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, eyes locking with Lukas'.
Valkari rose from the bed and stumbled. Katrina immediately caught her and urged her to stay in bed for she was still weak and needed rest. Yet she persisted, shrugging Katrina off then with great effort, she dropped to one knee before Lukas.
He didn't even know what to make of it and before he could help her back up to her feet, she spoke.
"You saved me!" She shouted, her hands clasped in thanks. "And as you have given me a second chance at life, I must repay this debt I owe you."
Lukas blinked, momentarily stunned. "What?"
"I swear fealty to you, my saviour. From this moment forth, I serve you alone! I renounce the name Ishtar and everything it stands for."
All three of them stared at her, the room stunned into stillness. She didn't even know his fucking name and she was out here swearing loyalty to him and him alone. Were all these dragons a bit off in the head, Lukas wondered. First Katrina had pulled up on with a large ass hammer swinging down on him. Then he had Jesse gaslighting and manipulating him. These dragons were weird as hell.
"Wait," Katrina finally said, stepping forward. "You… You're just going to throw away your House? Don't you want to return to the Flames? To Linemall? Your brother Rysenth must be looking for you or at least more than happy to welcome you back home, knowing that his sister is still alive."
The red dragon girl's eyes narrowed. Her voice dropped like a blade.
"Oh, I do plan to return to the Flames."
She stood now, fierceness in her eyes.
"But it will be to kill my brother. Nothing more."
She turned, eyes gleaming with barely-restrained fury. "He's the one who sold me into slavery. To ensure that no one would have a claim to his power. And for that, I'll carve his heart out and make sure he burns into ash!"
Lukas gave her a long look, then nodded once. He was honestly so done and he definitely needed some sleep after the long ass day he just had. He'd worry about all of this tomorrow.
"Welcome aboard, my friend."