All Chapters of Dawlya’s Dragon: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

82 The chamber the royals used for private military briefings was dim at this hour, lit only by a ring of wall sconces whose flames flickered against stone. Brie and Trace sat together at the long table, neither wearing their crowns now but radiating the unmistakable weight of authority. Trace’s sentinel waited at the door; Kyle stood behind the queen with arms folded, alert. Chance entered quietly. He bowed not perfunctoryly, not ceremonial, but with a gravity that made both royals straighten. “Report,” Trace said. No softness. No preamble. Chance exhaled once. “Sire. Majesty. I am here to formally confirm that Avin has taken Seppa’s Circle.” Brie’s hand froze halfway to her cup. Trace didn’t move at all, but the air thickened around him. Chance continued, pacing once not out of nerves, but because the words themselves felt heavy. “She is not merely a Keeper. Her circle merged with her dragon. I have never seen, felt, or read about anything like it. Dawlya magic was never meant

84 Far beyond Draynor space past starless reaches and broken asteroids the Sanctuary of Dawlya lay veiled in an eternal dusk. The great stone rings hummed softly, their ancient runes half-asleep, their wards undisturbed for centuries. Until now. The ground shuddered. Every lantern in the hall of circles flared upward at once, gold fire twisting into spirals. The elders froze. No meeting had been called, no invocation spoken. Yet the room pulsed—alive, waking as if something pressed against reality from the outside. High Mother Zairesh rose slowly from her throne, her breath uneven. “Who has touched the Circle?” she demanded. But none answered. Because every Daughter initiates, acolytes, full sorceresses had dropped to their knees, hands pressed against their chests, eyes wide in fear. A surge ripped through them, raw and ancient, older than their order, older than Seppa’s line. It was not Seppa herself. It was her Circle. Claimed. Awakened. Merged with something it had never to

86 The royal communication room had been cleared, its crystalline walls dimmed for privacy. Only three people remained inside: Brie, Trace, and Morgan, who stood off to the side with his arms folded, silently absorbing every detail. Brie exhaled slowly, fingers drumming a deliberate rhythm on the holo-table. “So the Dawlya have sent an emissary,” she said at last. “And a splinter faction of their own people wants to follow Avin.” Trace nodded, jaw clenched. “Their council must be desperate. If they could have taken the Circle, they would have. The fact they failed and the Circle chose her changes the entire balance of power.” Brie’s eyes narrowed in thought. “They aren’t coming here out of courtesy. They’re coming because they need something. Answers. Leverage. Maybe even permission.” “Or to kill her,” Trace said bluntly. Morgan cleared his throat. “Unlikely, Sire. If they wished to strike, they would have done it when she was still untrained, before the Circle fully merged. Sen

88 The emissary bowed before the throne, her dark Dawlya robes folding like a living shadow around her feet. The air in the throne room felt taut, charged as if the very stone beneath them waited to hear her words. Brie sat straight-backed, regal. Trace’s hands were folded, but Cain stood just behind Avi, ready to move at the slightest threat. Mikan’s gaze was cold steel. The emissary lifted her chin, meeting Avi’s eyes. “Circle Keeper Avin,” she said, voice soft but carrying. “The Dawlya Council has learned of your… awakening. They request no, they insist that you come to us. The Circle must be housed among its own. And…” She hesitated. “…there is a faction forming. Many believe you may be the rightful heir to Seppa’s legacy. Some whisper "you are more.” Avi’s heart lurched. Her dragon stirred uneasily beneath her skin. The Circle that newly awakened presence pulsed like a heartbeat behind her eyes. Cain’s hand hovered near her back, ready, protective. “She’s not going anywhere,

90 The last trial dawned cold and sharp, the kind of morning that made even seasoned fliers check their wings twice. Avi stood with her squad on the wind-scarred plateau, the rising sun throwing gold along the edges of their armor. Today everything was determined everything, placement, rank, and whether they would be treated as equals among the elite. Avi couldn’t feel the Circle at all. It had gone quiet the night before, slipping into the background of her mind like a predator settling into the dark. Chance said that was a good sign that it was learning restraint but Avi still found herself waiting, wondering, bracing for its presence. Commander Verek strode before the trainees. “Final assessment,” he announced. “Team operations. No solo heroics. The course will shift under you. Adapt or die.” He paused, eyes flicking briefly to Avi. “Begin when the flare fires.” Kael, Joren, and the others exchanged quick nods. No hostility, no hesitation after weeks of grueling training and th