Chapter 3 – The Dragon Who Bowed
831 Words
The wind howled around Nora as the great dragon glided over the floating islands.
She had never imagined a place like this.
Massive waterfalls poured from cliffs suspended in the clouds. Crystal bridges connected towering castles carved into the mountains. Dragons of every size circled through the sky, their scales flashing gold, silver, emerald, and crimson beneath the morning sun.
"It... it's beautiful," Nora whispered.
The dragon remained silent.
As they descended, a loud horn echoed through the Sky Palace.
One blast.
Then another.
Dragon soldiers poured into the vast courtyard below. Some wore gleaming black armor, while others carried long spears tipped with glowing crystal. Nobles in elegant robes gathered on marble balconies, whispering among themselves.
"Why has His Majesty returned so soon?"
"Who is that human?"
"Is she the sacrifice?"
Nora felt every eye settle on her.
Her stomach tightened.
The dragon landed with a powerful thud that shook the courtyard.
Dust rose into the air.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then dozens of dragon guards dropped to one knee.
"Welcome home, Your Majesty."
Nora blinked.
Your Majesty?
The dragon she had ridden all this way...
...was the Dragon Emperor himself.
Before she could gather her thoughts, a tall woman with silver hair stepped forward. Her crimson gown flowed behind her like liquid fire, and a jeweled crown rested upon her head.
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
She smiled at the emperor.
"My Emperor."
Her voice was gentle, but her eyes were sharp.
"You have returned safely."
Kael gave a small nod.
"I have."
The woman's gaze shifted to Nora.
The smile on her lips disappeared.
"And who is she?"
"A human sacrifice," one of the guards answered.
Several nobles laughed.
"So the emperor brought back his dinner?"
"I expected someone prettier."
"She doesn't even have magic."
Nora lowered her eyes.
She was used to those words.
Powerless.
Worthless.
Nothing special.
The silver-haired woman walked closer until she stood only a few steps away.
She looked Nora up and down.
"Poor thing."
She sighed dramatically.
"You must be terrified."
Nora lifted her chin.
"I am."
The woman looked surprised.
"But fear doesn't mean I stop walking."
A few nearby guards exchanged glances.
The answer had not been what they expected.
The woman folded her arms.
"You have spirit."
She smiled again.
"That will make your death slightly more interesting."
Nora swallowed but refused to answer.
The emperor finally spoke.
"Enough."
His voice was calm.
Yet every person in the courtyard immediately fell silent.
Kael stepped toward Nora.
Each movement was slow and deliberate.
He stopped directly in front of her.
Nora looked into his golden eyes.
"What happens now?" she asked quietly.
"You have one question."
She frowned.
"One?"
"I will answer one question honestly."
She thought for a moment.
Finally, she asked the only thing that
truly mattered.
"Why me?"
The courtyard became completely silent.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Kael studied her face.
His expression softened in a way no one present had ever seen.
"Because..."
He spoke so quietly that only those nearest could hear.
"...I finally found you."
Gasps spread through the crowd.
The silver-haired woman's face lost all color.
"What?"
Kael turned toward the gathered dragons.
His golden eyes swept across the courtyard.
"Bear witness."
The ancient words echoed against the palace walls.
Every dragon present straightened.
The emperor slowly lowered himself onto one knee.
The entire courtyard froze.
Nora stared in disbelief.
The strongest dragon in the world...
...was kneeling before her.
Kael lowered his head.
His deep voice carried across the palace.
"I, Kael Drakon..."
"...Dragon Emperor..."
"...offer my eternal loyalty..."
"...to my destined empress."
Silence.
No one breathed.
Then chaos erupted.
"Impossible!"
"The emperor has knelt to a human!"
"This has never happened!"
"It's against tradition!"
The silver-haired woman staggered backward, her face twisted with shock and rage.
"No!"
She pointed at Nora.
"She has no magic!"
Kael rose slowly to his feet.
"I know."
"She's a peasant!"
"I know."
"She's human!"
"I know."
"Then why?"
For the first time...
The emperor smiled.
It was faint.
Sad.
Filled with memories no one else could understand.
"Because she is the only one I have searched for across three thousand years."
Nora's heart pounded.
Three thousand years.
How could that be?
She had never met him before.
She had never even seen a dragon.
Then why did he speak as though he had known her forever?
Before she could ask another question, an elderly dragon in white robes pushed through the crowd.
His eyes widened the moment he looked at Nora.
He stared at the birthmark on the inside of her wrist—a faint silver mark she had carried since birth.
The old dragon's hands began to tremble.
"It cannot be..."
He fell to his knees.
"The Mark of the First Flame..."
The courtyard fell silent once more.
Every dragon turned toward Nora's wrist.
Confused, Nora looked down.
The faint silver mark was glowing.
And with each heartbeat...
It grew brighter..
- Writer
