Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend

Raegar nodded, piecing everything together. The southern conflict had been a slow-burning disaster, pulling resources and attention away from the heartlands and northern frontiers, allowing the raiders to breach the empire's defences.

He thought of the villages all across the north now at the mercy of ruthless warbands. His grip tightened on his mug, the warmth of the cider doing little to ease the chill of that thought.

''What's the Duke's plan?'' he asked, glancing at the Vampress.

She shrugged, her expression grim. ''Reinforce the garrisons, fortify the passes, and pray the raiders don't break through before more troops can be marched north. Father says it's a war of attrition now, and it's looking like it will be an annoying few years.''

Dominique's words hung heavy, and for a moment, the table fell silent; each of them was lost in their thoughts of home, war, and the fragile line that held the realm together. Raegar leaned back, his mind already drifting to the letters waiting for him.

He'd read them tonight, he decided, and write back, maybe even ask his brother Jasper for advice on how to help as the conversation shifted to lighter topics. Raegar kept eating, unfazed, as Zahara turned to him, her face alight with curiosity.

''Aren't you ever scared when you charge into battle against those vile Devils or monsters from the dungeons?'' she questioned.

He grinned, swallowing a bite. ''Sure, sometimes. But speed's my edge. Elara taught me how Tiger Demi-Humans blend agility with power. It's tough on my human body, but I've been honing it since I was six.''

When Raegar mentioned a woman's name, the three girls' heads whipped toward him, their eyes sharp like lionesses sizing up prey. He chuckled at the intensity of their stares, but a prickle ran down his spine.

Rune and Vienna burst into laughter, while Luna tossed out a playful tease. ''Look at that,'' she said with a knowing grin. ''Maybe there's another woman you girls don't know about?''

He gulped at her question as Valentina popped into his mind, but he wouldn't say anything until they were official. Before he could reply, Drusilla appeared from his pocket after resting for a while.

''Yes, I'm his woman,'' she muttered in an adorable voice.

A radiant glow burst from the Dark Fairy as she transformed into a human-sized girl, stunning the dining hall into utter silence. You could've heard a pin drop. With a smug grin, she plopped onto his lap. ''See?''

Zahara, Dominique, and Selene stared, dumbstruck, as if slapped with a wet fish. Rune's booming laugh shattered the quiet, joined by Caspian, who begrudgingly handed over a few gold coins.

''You win, you giant oaf,'' he muttered.

''Shut up, Cas,'' Rune shot back, pocketing his winnings.

He turned to Raegar with a wide grin. ''Keep making me rich, my friend!''

His eyes narrowed at the giant boy, but Drusilla returned to her little size after kissing him on the cheek and landing on the table. Zahara was the first to recover as she glanced at him with curious grey eyes.

''When did you get a big form?'' she questioned.

''Not long ago,'' she answered cheerfully. ''I'm not competing with you three at all. And I also know Yuki allowed him to have more than one woman, thanks to the memories I've seen due to our bond, but I think we need to meet her first.''

When the trio heard this, they nodded, but Selene questioned. ''Will she visit you here during the summer, or are you going home?''

Raegar shrugged before replying. ''I'm going home. With how things are across the empire, I'd rather not risk her travel when she'll be safe in the Blackwood Mansion thanks to being heavily defended since the war.''

The girls bobbed their heads in agreement, but Caspian jumped in. ''Isn't your home on the border with the Southern Lands?''

''Yes, it was hit hard,'' he said, his tone heavy. ''The enemy ravaged several villages, forcing my mother and Yuki to flee to my grandparents. It wasn't safe at home thanks to the armies closing in on Southwood City.''

Raegar sipped the juice Zahara handed him and pressed on with his tale. ''I crossed paths with them on the road just as bandits ambushed their carriage. I dispatched the attackers swiftly and reunited with Yuki, who was stunned to see me.''

The group fell silent, stunned by his words, but he shifted gears and changed the subject with a big smile. ''That's in the past now. My mother helped rebuild, and I'm sure the County's thriving now.''

Following that, everyone continued talking until the table buzzed with excited chatter about Drusilla's transformation, the girls peppering her with questions. The Dark Fairy flashed a mischievous grin, crediting his mastery of all the elements.

She playfully sat on an upturned cup that Zahara had set for her, adding to the lively spectacle. Following that, Raegar got up and went to get more food before sitting back down, catching the girls' attention.

Selene turned to him with a smirk. ''You're going to get fat by eating so much food,'' she teased.

Raegar returned her smirk with a grin as he answered. ''Maybe, but would that stop you four from looking at me the way you do?''

The girl's face flushed crimson at his words. ''Rae, nothing's gonna stop them now,'' Luna teased, adding fuel to the chaos. ''It's not a matter of when, but if.''

Selene turned to the green-haired girl and playfully swatted her, earning a giggle in return. Rune and Caspian roared with laughter. Raegar shook his head, pulling out a piece of campfire bread and dunking it into the steaming stew.

He tore off another chunk of bread, dipping it again as the hall hummed with the chatter of students. The clatter of plates and bursts of laughter filled the air, blending with the girl's ongoing teasing and Rune's booming voice recounting some exaggerated tale.

Drusilla's grin was unwavering as she tossed playful jabs at Zahara and Selene. Luna leaned forward, her green hair catching the light. ''Come on, Rae, you've got to admit, Drusilla's transformation stole the show. What else are you hiding up your sleeve?''

Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief as Raegar shrugged, chewing thoughtfully. ''Just eating my stew,'' he said, dodging the question with a half-smile.

The group erupted in mock groans, and Caspian tossed a napkin at him, which Raegar deftly swatted away. ''Man of mystery, eh?'' Caspian said, leaning back with a smirk. ''Bet you've got a whole arsenal of tricks we don't know about.''

Zahara, recovering from her earlier embarrassment, chimed in. ''He's too busy eating to spill any secrets. Look at him go!''

She gestured at Raegar, who was now sopping up the last of his stew with bread, unfazed by the attention. Drusilla laughed, hopping off and turning into her bigger form to grab a piece of Aether Fruit from a nearby platter.

''My boy doesn't need to say,'' she winked, biting into the apple with a dramatic crunch as she sat back in his lap.

The hall's energy surged as more students joined the buzz, some craning their necks to catch a glimpse of Drusilla's new form. Rune clapped him on the shoulder. ''My friend, you're gonna have to teach me how to pull off stunts like that. My bets are getting pricier!''

Raegar chuckled, wiping his hands on his tunic. ''Keep dreaming, Rune. You'd owe me more than gold for that lesson.''

The table roared with laughter as the lively chaos of the dining hall swirled around them. While everyone enjoyed themselves, he pulled out the letter his mother sent him and started reading it.

Raegar sat back, the warmth of the bread and stew still lingering on his fingers as he read the letter's contents. The news from Blackwood County, the region, was not only holding strong but flourishing, its people safe and rebuilding after the scars of war.

His father remained in the north, commanding the frontlines. What caught Raegar off guard was learning that his younger brother, Jasper, had joined him, marching alongside the Dawnfire Army.

A proud smile tugged at his lips. Jasper, always the eager one, stepped into the fray and got into the thick of things. 'You better not get into trouble or I'll have to rush north to save your ass big brother,' he thought with a chuckle.

The letter also carried whispers from the capital, where his sisters, Lila and Mara, were thriving. His mother made it out like the gossip painted them as the talk of the court, their wit and charm turning heads at every gala.

They'd been asking after him, wondering when their wayward brother would return to regale them with tales of his adventures. He couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of Lyra's teasing about his messy hair or Isabella's insistence on dragging them to some stuffy noble event.

Raegar was shocked by the final revelation that hit like a thunderbolt. His mother was pregnant. The battle-hardened young man who'd faced bandits and beasts without flinching was going to be a big brother.