XXI - The Awakening of the Dawn Wing

The Wyrm moved its wing, blocking Aria and the hatchling from Aurora's sight, almost…protecting? Maternal, but why did the same dragon appear on their trial? But why is it doing, and someone uses it for hidden purposes?

"W-w-what's happening?" Quincy whispered to Sarah, observing the dragon.

Aurora flaps her feathered wings, her mismatched eyes narrowing in suspicion. 

She refrained from attacking, instead lowering herself on the ground, her awakened wings remaining wide, unsettling the apex predator even though it didn't glance back.

Why is it protecting my sister? she thought to herself, slowly lowering her fans.

The hatchling lifted its head, it let out a low chirp.

Grrr…chirp! 

As it sounded almost it was calling out—Mama! Mama!

The Wyrm piercing gaze softened a brief moment at the sound of chirp, it moved its neck, sniffing the scent of damp stone and gravel near Aria.

Aria flutters her lashes open. She realized the Wyrm hadn't devoured her. Instead, it let out a low purr.

"H-Huh?! W-w-why didn't you attack me?" she asked softly, her mismatched eyes remain wide, even she blinked several if it's just a dream, neither at all.

Aurora's eyes widened in disbelief, almost slipped her war fans from her grip, staring at the Wyrm just…purring at her sister? Was that a sign it was no longer a threat?

Quincy and Sarah's jaw dropped, their gaze remains focused between Aurora's awakening of her Dawn Wing, and the massive Wyrm blocking Aria and the hatchling.

W-w-what is HAPPENING?! W-w-why didn't it hurt Aria? Sarah whispered, her both hands clasped over her chest as they hid behind the debris to stay out of the Wyrm's sight.

Charlotte observed alongside them, her gauntleted hand remained flat on the cold surface.

She remained silent, ignoring Quincy and Sarah's voice in the background, her brown-golden eyes wide and didn't move from Aurora's Dawn Wing.

The Dawn Wing… she wondered to herself, her bangs sticking out to her damp face due to temperature suddenly increasing.

Aurora… y-you did. You'd finally awaken...

I-I have no idea either… but something's hidden between the sisters… Quincy added, adjusting her glasses anxiously.

"Something strange…"

"Hm? Sarah, w-w-what's wrong?"

"There's something odd…"

"Odd? What do you mean? Just spilled it and I need you to tell everything about Aurora and Aria's hidden secrets and this unusual behavior of this Wyrm."

"B-But I-I have no idea what kind of aura is this… they're the hidden weapon"

"R-Really? But Sarah, please just explain it right now!"

"Okay, okay, fine! J-Just give me a moment…"

"…O-Okay, I'll be waiting."

"…Ugh, come on… w-where is it?" Sarah stammered. Reaching out to her bag, pulling the thick—bound leather—tome book, the rarest volume that few laid ever eyes on. 

The pages were thick, almost the height of the sachet, and took several days, months or decades.

"I found it!"

"Oh, sweet! Finally, it took so long for the Dawn Wing! Now go! Find the page that you've talking about." Quincy exclaimed, clasped her hands together, her glasses slipped from her face, landed directly on the stone floor.

Then, her eyes lighten up in excitement, for the first time like she'd never seen the rarest book on Sarah's hands, scratching her head nervously then she adjusts her glasses, almost slipping from her nose.

"Woah…S-Sarah, darling?" she asked, staring at the dense text in the ancient parchment.

"Y-Yes? What's wrong?" Sarah asks, looking up from her book.

"Where on earth did you find a book like this? I-I thought it was illegal to buy that?"

"Ah, I almost forgot."

"Forgot? W-w-what do you mean?"

"My father was an alchemist. He handed me this book to figure out the hidden secrets and supernatural tales." Sarah explained, while flipping the pages, though it was heavy, but she knows everything, even spells and mana. 

She pressed a single finger flat on the paper as her eyes scanned the dense text.

"So this is about everything. Unique yet I didn't understand dragon language yet, only mage's, casting spells, and the rest of the contents exist in a single book."

Quincy nodded at Sarah's explanation, looked down as her friend kept mumbling, while flipping the pages, scanning in a single page, carefully lowering her finger as she read different languages and instructions. Then she froze.

"S-Sarah, w-w-what's wrong?"

"—I-I… uh…" Sarah stammered, her eyes widened in horror, realization hitting her—the Dawn Wing didn't exist.

Despite flipping back every page, it wasn't here which made Sarah's stomach drop.

"Oh no…"

Aurora snapped her fan shut, crossed her arms, unamused. 

She didn't trust the Wyrm easily, since she had trust issues—it might just be feigning affectionate to hypnotize her sister.

Instead lunged forward to shield her sister, tucking her wings as she took a slow, deliberate step forward.

"Hey! Get away from my sister!"

"Ggrr?" the massive Wyrm snorted, tilting its head in confusion. Immediately shift its attention toward her, its piercing gaze glowing faintly in ember.

Aurora steps between Aria and the Wyrm, her arms stretched wide with her war fans snapped open, shielding her younger sister from its keen sight.

"—W-what's wrong, sis?" Aria asked softly, her own mismatched eyes glistening despite her mischievous demeanor vanished instantly.

"—D-do you want to kill it? Because I-It was the key to get us out of here, right?" she sobbed, clutching the hatchling close on her chest.

Aurora glanced over her shoulder, she could see her younger sister's tear-streak face. The hatchling trembling against her chest, behind them both, the Wyrm's massive form remains still. Not attacking, waiting.

She let out a breath, lowering her fans, the feather-shaped blades glinting from the glowing fungus.

"Fine…"

Aria sniffled, her ears lifted. "R-Really?! Y-You won't kill it?"

"Hmph, absolutely, yes. I didn't mean to kill it, because… you care about it so much more than anybody else." she said, spun around as her wings remained tucked behind her, her own mismatched eyes staring at the opposite one's.

The Wyrm let out a low mournful howl.

"!?"

Aurora shifts her attention from her sister toward its form, she might be going to attack them. 

Instead, it lowered its massive head, resting its chin flat against the cold stone floor and looked at her.

What the—?!

It's ember eyes no longer burning—not in malice, not in ember glow from earlier of the predator sizing up prey, instead, something almost…relief?

"…?" Aurora's fan wavered, staring at the unusual dragon in front of her.

Suddenly, it gave her a faint nod—deliberate, unmistakable before its eyes dimmed into nothing, as it finally let itself rest eternity.

Aurora's heart ache, lowered her weapon, guilt curdling where suspicion had been only sitting for a seconds ago. 

It didn't mean to hurt her… thank you, for protecting my sister.

As she watched the Wyrm's lifeless body began to unravel, not ash, nor dust—petals. 

The translucent one, drifting upward, like the creature had never belonged to gravity at all. Its form dissolving into the same cascade turned into nothing.

The hatchling on Aria's arms let out a mournful whimper, its tiny claws hooked in the fabric of her sleeve as it was afraid to let her go. 

It nuzzled beneath her chin, seeking warmth that there's no coming back.

"Hey." Aria whispered, stroking its scales. "It's okay, I've got you."

Nothing left of the apex predator, but drifting petals and an empty space where it's last resting place.

Five of them settled, remaining untouched from the wind scattering the rest.

Sarah crept forward first, her book still hugged to her chest, and stood beside them careful, relevant yet scanning the cave already abandoned.

Then her eyes widened at the shining object—the portal.

"Guys… look!" she gasped, pointing her finger.

"Huh? What is it, Sarah?" Charlotte asked, tilted her head in confusion.

There, nestled in the hollow where the Wyrm left before its final moments, the fractured of light hovered above the stone. It wasn't the same from the harsh light of the scale's summoning.

But this one was gentler than earlier—pale, rippled like sunlight caught underwater. The five remaining petals drifted lazy around them, though reluctant letting it fade by its own.

Quincy steps closer, adjusting her glasses while studying the shimmering seam in the air.

"It wasn't there before…"

"—H-Huh? W-w-what do you mean, Quincy?"

"The Wyrm—I-I think it must have guarded this place for a long time ago." Quincy explained, her glasses deflect the intense light, thanks for casting another spell to protect the party from blinding.

Aria shifted the hatchling higher on her chest, peering behind Charlotte.

"Do you think… t-that's why it didn't force us to see it, right?" she startled, swallowed nervously.

"Not just me—"

"Not just you." Aurora finished, her voice becoming quieter than usual, she stepped forward at the portal, both fans remained on her grip as its blade caught from the binding light.

"Now come on, we have to get out of here and explain this later until we're home."

Four of them nodded, as they stepped at the opening, the intense light enveloped them with the Wyrm's Valor secured on Sarah's hands before she handed it to Aurora.

Charlotte rubbed her neck and mumbled under her breath.

This is exhausting… at least we're coming home.

"What was that?" Aurora interrupts the silence.

"I-uh… uh, n-nothing!”

As all of them live in the abandoned temple, leaving the entire cave completely pitch-dark, glowing fungus began to dull, except the faint sound of hissing from the vipers nearby.

They finally return home, after the intense mission yet emotional after realizing—the Wyrm didn't just attack, it seeks someone to save it from the curse that only was someone who understands its feelings.

A hope.