Tecnomagic Engineer

- "Damn... I can't believe so many things are happening so quickly... Things I didn't even know about... What can I do from now on?" I asked, visibly disturbed by everything Ignarion had said.

- "Well... From what I noticed since the first time I saw you, your mana veins are very narrow. Probably, when you go through what they call the arcane flow, you won't be able to expand them. In other words, magic won't be your strong part. You have felt this, haven't you? Even deep down in your soul," he replied.

- "However, there is something else I noticed as soon as I laid my eyes on you... You possess knowledge that this world would take centuries trying to understand but would never comprehend. After all, you exude something that belongs simultaneously to this universe and to a completely different one..." said Ignarion, with an enigmatic smile.

For a moment, I was speechless. He knew. Ignarion had perceived everything about me, and that made him, Elyndra, and me the only ones who knew my secret.

- "W-wow... Y-you understood all this just by observing me from afar?" I asked, astonished.

- "Yes. As you might imagine, dragons have an extremely keen spiritual and physical sense. We can unravel many things, even if they are not said..." he replied.

Elyndra then caught Ignarion's attention.

- "Ignarion, it is almost time. We must tell him," she said, with a serious tone.

- "It is almost time, huh?... Well, I will miss this place," he replied, with a nostalgic smile.

- "W-what are you talking about? Almost time for what? And tell me what?" I asked, intrigued.

- "Dravyn, as I already said, we can fully trust you. Since the day I saw you in the forest, I knew it... However, Elyndra's time is also running out. Our most precious ones are now alone in this world, without even having been born... I know it's an immense responsibility what we are about to ask you, but... Please, take care of our hatchlings from now on," said Ignarion, while he and Elyndra bowed before me.

- "What?" I murmured, almost unable to believe it.

- "Please, Dravyn, help us one last time," asked Elyndra, her voice full of emotion.

At that moment, both were bowing before me, imploring.

- "Both of you, stand up. You never need to bow to me... I will take care of your hatchlings with the utmost honor. I promise I will do that..." I said, while this time, I bowed in respect to them.

They looked at each other and smiled, relieved.

- "We know you will, Dravyn... Our time here is ending, so we need to give you some important tips to care for them while they are still in their eggs and when they hatch," said Elyndra.

Elyndra then began to explain to me the necessary care for the hatchlings when they were born and while they were still in their eggs. As she spoke, I felt a tightening in my chest like never before. I could see, in her tear-filled eyes, how much she wished to be present to see her hatchlings grow. But with no choice, she had to entrust that mission to another, without ever having the chance to know the faces of those so precious to her.

As I listened to her, my eyes also filled with tears. I felt her sadness and remorse. After a few minutes, Elyndra finished her instructions.

- "Dravyn, finally, keep in mind that dragon eggs take much longer to hatch than any other. We are talking about years. Mine will probably take at least another eight years to be ready and finally hatch... And that is what makes us so vigilant and so rare..." she completed, her voice trembling.

- "I-I understand, Ms. Elyndra. I promise that, wherever you are, I will not disappoint you. You will see them grow in the best possible way," I said, smiling, trying to comfort her.

Seeing my smile and hearing my response full of conviction, any doubt that might still linger in her conscience seemed to disappear. Elyndra widened her eyes, surprised, and letting the tears fall, she smiled.

- "I know they will, Dravyn... Thank you so much... for everything!"

- "Dravyn, it is almost time. But before we go, I want to give you something. Something that will be of great help," said Ignarion, extending his claws towards my chest.

A sharp sound echoed.

- "W-what is this?" I asked, surprised by it all.

The moment Ignarion's claw touched my skin, an intensely bright light engulfed everything around me. I instinctively closed my eyes to protect them from the brightness. When the light finally faded, I opened my eyes and realized there was something new on me: a symbol marked on my chest.

It was an image resembling a dragon skull, encircled by a ring. It was engraved into my skin as if it were part of me.

- "It is done. This is the greatest gift we can offer you before we leave," said Ignarion.

- "This mark is unique. It is a symbol that demonstrates to all other dragons that you are trustworthy. Additionally, it will allow you to converse with any dragon and understand their language. This mark will also give you the ability to identify magical properties just by looking, as we do. And there are other things... that you will discover over time. Our time here is truly ending," he concluded, as he and Elyndra began to shine again.

- "W-what? You're leaving already? But I haven't asked the names you want to give them, or what you want me to tell them about you, o-or still..."

I was interrupted by Ignarion, who laughed heartily.

- "HAHAHA! Dravyn, calm down. We trust you. Give them names you believe we would like. Trust your heart, and it will be fine. As for what to say... Tell them who we were and what we did for them. Say that we loved them deeply and that we will always be with them, even if not physically."

The glow around them intensified, along with a rising hum that began to fill the air.

- "And, Dravyn... please, if you can, do one thing for me," Elyndra said softly, approaching my ear.

- "W-what? Are you sure?" I asked, surprised.

- "Yes. I want them to have at least something of mine with them when they are born," she said, as tears flowed freely down her face.

Ignarion enveloped Elyndra with his wing, as if in a final embrace. She moved even closer to him, seeking solace in her final moments. The glow around them became almost unbearable, and the hum turned into a deafening sound.

With my hands over my ears, I screamed with all my might:

- "YOU TWO BETTER WAIT FOR US, BECAUSE AS SOON AS WE COMPLETE OUR MISSION HERE, WE'LL JOIN YOU! I PROMISE... PLEASE, BE WELL!"

Ignarion and Elyndra looked at me one last time, smiling. Then, they became a light so intense that it nearly blinded me.

When it all ended, I woke up, still lying on Elyndra's inert carcass. My eyes were wet with tears that seemed never to stop falling. My arm was outstretched, as if trying to reach something that, deep down, I knew was unreachable.

Thousands of thoughts invaded my mind, but at that moment, I did nothing but cover my face with my hands and cry. I cried until the morning finally came.