CHAPTER 32: 50,000 GOLD

Two days had passed since white lightning split the sky, and Sorne had become a city transformed by death and providence.

Alaric stood on the balcony of his study, watching the citizens below. People understood they were witnessing a once in a lifetime opportunity. It wasn’t everyday you had hundreds of dragons, laying, waiting to be butchered.

The massive corpse of Spiralus dominated the scene like a fallen mountain. Even in death, the ancient dragon commanded respect. People of Sorne were not ones to waste such a gift.

Each scale was worth more than most families earned in a year. Dragon scale armor was prized by knights and nobles across all four human kingdoms.

"My lord," Adrian approached, his armor still bearing scorch marks from the battle. A thick bandage covered the left side of his head where flying debris had caught him.

"The harvest proceeds well. We’ve collected over three hundred scales so far, and the butchers estimate at least two tons of usable meat."

Alaric nodded without taking his eyes off the work below. His hands gripped the balcony railing so tightly that the stone had begun to crack under the pressure. "And the other materials?"

"The alchemists are beside themselves, my lord. Dragon blood, powdered bone and organs are quite valuable. Estimates put the total value at..." Adrian paused, checking his notes. "Somewhere around fifty thousand gold pieces."

Fifty thousand gold was enough to buy a small city, or fund an army for three years. Under normal circumstances, Alaric would have been pleased by such windfall.

His people would be fed and protected for decades to come. But the only thing that mattered was that his son was beyond the reach of any amount of coin.

Below them, a group of children had gathered at the edge of the crater, pointing in wonder at the dragon’s massive head.

The creature’s eyes, once burning with ancient malice, were now empty sockets that reflected the morning light like dark mirrors.

"The people are calling it a miracle," Adrian continued quietly. "They’re saying Jack is blessed by the gods themselves. There’s talk of building a statue, declaring today a permanent festival."

"Jack isn’t here to see it," Alaric said, his voice carrying an edge that made Adrian step back.

Dark mana had begun to seep from his body like smoke, turning the air around him cold and bitter. "Our celebrations mean nothing if my son is in chains."

The sound of approaching footsteps made both men turn. Lady Genevieve emerged onto the balcony, followed by her three daughters.

Her eyes were cold, calculating, and utterly without mercy.

"The preparations are complete," she announced without preamble. "We leave for the capital at dawn."

Octavia stepped forward, a leather satchel slung over her shoulder. "I’ve packed medical supplies and emergency provisions. If Jack is... if they’ve hurt him, we’ll need to be ready for anything."

"They haven’t hurt him," Celeste said firmly, though her voice wavered slightly. "He’s too valuable. They need him alive and well."

Anabelle, the youngest of the three children, had said little since Jack’s disappearance. Now she spoke with a quiet intensity that made everyone listen.

"When we get him back, what then? The whole world knows what he can do now. There will be no peace for any of us."

It was a sobering thought. Word of the dragon slaying had already begun to spread beyond Sorne’s borders. Merchants spread tales of white lightning and divine wrath to every town and city they visited.

Soon, every ambitious noble and power-hungry kingdom would want to either recruit or eliminate the young man who could kill disaster-class monsters single-handedly.

"Let them come," Lady Genevieve said with a deadly calm. "They’ll learn why people fear our family."

The sound of heavy boots on stone announced another arrival.

"You’re planning to march into the lion’s den," Finn snarked. "All of you, walking straight into King Eric’s hands."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Alaric’s voice could have frozen someone’s blood.

Finn leaned against the wall. "I have information." He paused, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "But first, you need to understand what you’re truly up against."

Lady Genevieve crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. "And what makes you such an expert on royal politics?"

"Because I used to be where Jack is now," Finn replied simply. "I was a chosen once. Before the gods took my eye and cast me down, I served at the pleasure of kings."

Even Alaric turned to stare they had known only as a prisoner and a weapon.

"You never mentioned this," Octavia said, her voice carefully controlled.

Finn’s laugh was bitter. "Would you have? Being a former chosen one isn’t exactly something you advertise, especially after you’ve fallen from grace. Most people assume you’re either dead or mad."

He touched the patch covering his missing eye. "Sometimes they’re not wrong."

"What god chose you?" Annabelle asked with the curiosity of a scholar.

"I was given the gift of foresight, the ability to see potential futures branching out like the limbs of a great tree. It was magnificent and terrible, knowing the consequences of every choice before it was made."

"Then what happened?" Celeste pressed.

"I tried to change the future I saw. A dark timeline where war consumed all four kingdoms and millions died." Finn’s voice grew hollow. "The gods don’t appreciate it when their chosen ones try to rewrite fate. They took my eye as punishment and stripped away most of my power. The king decided I was no longer useful and had me imprisoned for treason against the divine order."

The balcony fell silent except for the distant sounds of work from the crater below. The implications of Finn’s revelation hung heavy in the air like storm clouds.

"So you know what Jack is going through," Lady Genevieve said finally.

"Better than anyone." Finn straightened, his posture becoming more formal. "Chosen ones exist in a world apart from normal nobility. We’re weapons, symbols, and political assets all rolled into one. The crown will treat Jack well, they have to. But they’ll also never let him go. He’s too valuable, too dangerous to leave unchecked."

"Tell us about the other chosen ones," Alaric demanded. "Who will Jack face at court?"

Finn closed his eye, accessing memories he had tried to bury. "When I served, there were three chosen ones in addition to myself. Aurelius was always the king’s favorite, blessed by some war god whose name escapes me. Ruthless, efficient, completely loyal to the crown."

He began counting on his fingers. "Lyra Moonwhisper, chosen by Artemis. Deadly with a bow, can hit targets from miles away. She’s quiet, calculating, and has never failed a mission. Thinks chosen ones as a superior breed of human."

"And the third?" Octavia asked.

Finn hesitated. "Sera Nightshade. She’s... complicated. Brilliant, powerful, and completely unpredictable. She could be Jack’s greatest ally or his worst enemy, depending on how the wind blows that day."

"Five chosen ones, including Jack," Adrian mused. "Then who is the fourth, you left someone out."

"That I do not know. I was replaced at some point. So I wouldn’t have the slightest idea who the other chosen one is." Finn said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Anything else I need to know?" Alalric asked calmly.

"Yes I suppose there is." Finn smirked.