All Chapters of Dawlya’s Dragon: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

52 The journey to Osca was longer than Avi expected. The shuttle rode smooth currents through the upper atmosphere, then dipped below the cloudline toward a world washed in deep cobalt skies and silver terrain. Osca’s single metropolis, Lusern City, shimmered beneath the protection of its colossal biodome, a crystalline sphere large enough to house mountains, rivers, and sprawling architecture. But it was what surrounded the dome that caught Avi’s breath. Shadowy shapes swept through the blue haze below—massive, serpent-like bodies banking in unison. Grenon dragons, their wings spanning nearly twice that of a Draynor, moved in effortless formation. Some glided low over the rocky plains, others skirted the dome’s surface, their bodies so large that their passing cast the city beneath into momentary shadow. They were majestic. And unlike the draynor they never shifted. Avi pressed a hand to the shuttle window. “They’re beautiful.” Trace’s voice drifted from the seat beside her quiet

54 Avi stood before the tall mirror, smoothing the deep indigo fabric over her hips. The dress Cain had commissioned shimmered like starlit water; when she moved, it looked as though nightfall itself flowed around her. The fitted bodice framed her shoulders, embroidered with threads the shade of burnished gold reminiscent of Cain’s dragon fire. The skirt fell in soft waves that swayed with her every breath. For a long moment she simply stared. It wasn’t just a dress. It was Cain’s heart, quietly placed in her hands. A gentle knock at the chamber door pulled her from her thoughts. “Princess Avin?” her assigned attendant called. “The carriage is preparing. Are you ready?” Avi exhaled. “Almost.” The attendant nodded and stepped away. Avi let her hands fall to her sides, but her chest still felt tight, full of anticipation and something dangerously close to fear. Tonight she would tell Cain her choice. He knew the stakes. He had left the decision entirely to her. And yet… she felt h

56 The moment they stepped into the Ashbarrie royal compound, Cain took Avi’s hand and guided her past the main hall, down a long outdoor walkway lined with crystal-leaf trees that chimed softly in the wind. “I told Mikan we’re not to be disturbed,” he murmured. Avi blinked. “You actually told him that?” Cain smirked. “He laughed. Then he agreed. Then he threatened to come back early ‘if the walls start shaking.’” Avi covered her face with both hands. Cain laughed low and warm and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I intend to ignore him completely,” he whispered against her ear. “These nine days are ours.” And they were. Their private suite overlooked the waterfall, and Cain insisted on showing her everything: the glade where he used to train the hidden pool beneath the falls By afternoon they found themselves on the soft moss banks near the water, lying side by side, fingers laced. Avi ran her thumb over the ridge of scales along his arm. Cain brushed a curl of h

58 The next day’s drills were already brutal high-altitude sprint flights, blind-descent maneuvers, and precision hover control but the final exercise was supposed to be simple: Pair gliding. Two recruits. Two dragons. One synchronized descent pattern. Avi was partnered with Kael. Of course she was. He didn’t speak as they walked to the launch platform carved into the cliff. His wings crimson with streaks of gold shivered with restrained impatience. Other recruits gathered behind them, sensing trouble before it even started. Avi kept her expression calm; inside, her stomach was a knot. She shifted first, her dragon form unfurling in a shimmer of black and violet. Wind rippled through her scales. Kael shifted a heartbeat later, towering beside her, significantly larger, older, more seasoned. His crimson scales glinted like molten metal. Commander Verek stood at the edge. “You will glide from the cliff,” he instructed. “Match wingspan pacing. No aggression, no dominance displays. T

60 Evening drills ended with a final command barking across the courtyard “Dismissed!” Boots pounded in practiced rhythm as the Wing Corp broke formation and scattered toward the barracks. Avi collected her gear in silence, feeling the faint buzz of exhaustion in her muscles a good ache, earned honestly. She sensed him before she saw him. Kael. He lingered near the shadowed edge of the training platforms, arms crossed, wings still bound from discipline. His stance was rigid, but there was no aggression in him now. Only… something unsettled. Avi debated walking the long way around. But he stepped forward before she made her choice. “Sunner,” he said quietly. Not hostile. Not mocking. Just… Kael. Avi exhaled. “Lieutenant.” He glanced around, making sure no one else loitered nearby. The stragglers were far enough away to ignore them, but he still lowered his voice. “Don’t get comfortable,” he said. Avi lifted a brow. “Meaning?” “That challenge yesterday?” He shifted his weight,