Lyrax's eyes widened. "Was that a threat just now?" he asked, disbelief lacing his tone.
Silva slowly shook his head. "A threat?" he repeated softly, his golden eyes narrowing to thin slits. "No. It is a fact."
There was a dangerous calm in his voice, one that carried more weight than shouting ever could.
Normally, Silva would have avoided unnecessary attention from the big figures of the Arcane Council. He preferred to stay low, to observe from the shadows, to work quietly within the system for now. But they had called him out—forced him into their light. And the Pride Dragon within him refused to bow.
Backing down simply wasn't in his nature.
Lyrax stared at him, still stunned. But what surprised him more was that the Council didn't react with outrage. Instead, faint laughter echoed from the seven flames.
Low at first, then louder.
Lyrax's stomach twisted in disgust. Their laughter grated on him, every note deep and arrogant. Why were they laughing? Why were they so casual when someone had just challenged them?
He clenched his fists. This was what he hated about them,. their detachment. They treated everything like a game. If he were in their seat, he would've struck Silva down instantly for such audacity. But he wasn't. He was just the messenger.
And the messenger obeyed.
Silva looked around, unimpressed. "Is there anything else they want to ask?" he said, voice flat, "or can I leave now?"
Lyrax inhaled deeply, forcing composure back into his tone. He waited until the whispers of the flames shifted, then spoke.
"They're saying…" he hesitated, his voice stiff, "…they'd like to see you more often, to observe you. They'll be watching you closely. Your presence here is… suspicious. Until they understand you better, they'll treat you as a potential threat. After all—"
He paused, fumbling slightly. "The Dark Dragons do not have a good history around here. Wherever a Dark Dragon appears, chaos follows."
Silva raised a brow. "If they already know all that, then why question me at all?"
Lyrax snapped before he could stop himself. "Because they can! Because they—"
"Enough, Lyrax," a sharp voice thundered in his head, silencing him instantly.
Then one of the Council members spoke directly through the flames, their voice smooth and powerful, echoing faintly in Silva's ears.
"Dark Dragons have always been a mystery," the voice said. Lyrax repeated the words aloud, his tone hollow and mechanical. "Each one, much like you, has hidden their identity. People only see them appear once in a generation, and every time, chaos follows. It's as if chaos itself lives within their souls."
The flames flickered, their tones deepening. "No one has ever known the Dark Dragons' origin—not their world, not their god. Only the higher beings beyond our reach know what they truly are. Even we, the Council, cannot measure the threat you represent. We only know that you are unique—and dangerous. That is why we will watch you. We must understand what makes a Dark Dragon… a Dark Dragon."
Lyrax lowered his hands, signaling that the Council had finished speaking.
Silva chuckled quietly. "Then you'd better watch fast," he said. "Because once I'm done here, I'll be moving on."
He looked around impatiently. "Now… where's the door? I'd like to leave."
Lyrax scowled. "You can't leave until the Council dismisses you."
"Well," Silva said with a smirk, "I'm dismissing myself. The only thing I want from you now is my ranking within the Council, and permission to carry out missions. Oh, and one more thing: I'd appreciate it if my identity as a Dark Dragon stayed secret. Since it seems to… cause quite the stir."
"You're making demands to the Council?" Lyrax barked, incredulous.
Before he could finish, one of the flames pulsed brightly, and a calm, authoritative voice spoke directly to Silva.
"As long as you cause no trouble, there will be no reason for anything spoken here to leave this chamber."
Lyrax froze, his face twisting with shock and fury. They had bypassed him, spoken directly to Silva. That was unthinkable.
His fists trembled, anger burning in his chest. He could feel his pride cracking under the weight of the Council's silence and Silva's smirk.
Since the Council had decided that Silva could go, Lyrax had no choice but to comply.
With visible reluctance, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. A door of light materialized beside him, glowing softly in the garden's still air.
"Walk through there," Lyrax said, his voice flat but controlled. "It will take you back to the main lobby of the tower. Once you're there, a rank suitable for your skills will be assigned to you."
Silva gave a single nod, the same faint smile still lingering on his face. Without another word, he turned and stepped through the portal of light. The doorway shimmered for a moment, then vanished completely, leaving only silence.
Lyrax exhaled slowly, turning back toward the seven hovering flames.
"Lyrax," one of the Council members spoke, their voice deep and resonant. "You are to observe this Dark Dragon closely. Find ways to interact with him. He could become a useful asset in the future."
Lyrax's jaw tightened. He opened his mouth to respond, but another voice interrupted him before he could.
"Ensure you do as instructed," said the calm voice of the female Councilor. "Bring us regular reports of his actions. We understand it will be difficult to monitor someone like him at all times, but do what you can. Keep it subtle. He must never know he's being watched."
Lyrax lowered his head, forcing the words out between clenched teeth. "As you wish, my lord."
He hoped that was the end of it, that the flames would fade, that he could finally be dismissed. But just as he thought the meeting was closing, another voice spoke from the circle, smooth and curious.
"Oh, and one more thing," it said. "There appear to be two others of interest in the tower as well, the one from the Fairy Race, and the one from the Vampire Race. Both seem to have some connection to the Dark Dragon. Gather information on them, and report back to us."
A faint click of annoyance escaped Lyrax's tongue. He quickly masked it, bowing low to hide the irritation twisting his expression. The source of this content ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
More people of interest… he thought bitterly. They never see the work I've done, the progress I've made. Always chasing something else, something brighter, something stronger.
Still, he forced his face into a mask of obedience. "Understood, my lords."
The flames flickered once, then slowly dimmed and disappeared, one by one, until the garden was left in silence.
Lyrax stood motionless for several seconds, staring at the space where the lights had been. Then minutes passed, his hands trembling faintly, his jaw set tight.
Finally, with a sharp exhale, he turned away. His form shimmered briefly before vanishing from the garden entirely.