CHAPTER 59: DRAGON MATERIALS

"Difficult, not impossible," Alaric corrected, settling back onto his bench. "You have advantages that others lack. Your divine blessing, your unique magical affinity, and your talent grades. But advantages mean nothing without the will to exploit them fully."

The duke leaned forward, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "The dragon slaying proved you have the power to threaten existing political structures. But power without the skill to use it effectively is just a target painted on your back. Every ambitious noble, every foreign kingdom, every religious fanatic who thinks they know better than you do, they’ll all come for you eventually."

Jack’s hand moved unconsciously to where Draven’s pendant lay hidden beneath his shirt.

"So what do you suggest?" Jack asked.

"Training. Intense, focused, relentless training in every aspect of combat and leadership." Alaric’s voice carried the ring of absolute conviction. "You’ll need martial instructors to teach you proper technique, magical tutors to help you advance through the star ranks, political advisors to navigate the complexities of noble society, and military strategists to help you understand large-scale conflict."

The scope of what his father was proposing was staggering. Jack felt simultaneously excited and overwhelmed by the possibilities.

"But first," Alaric said, standing with renewed purpose, "let me show you something that might put our discussion in perspective. Come, walk with me through Sorne. I want you to see what your actions have already accomplished."

They left the gardens through a side gate that opened directly onto the city streets. The transition from manicured estate grounds to urban environment was jarring, but what struck Jack most forcefully was how different everything looked.

The streets that had been muddy and pothole-ridden during his childhood now showed fresh cobblestone work. Buildings that had displayed peeling paint and cracked facades now gleamed with new construction and careful maintenance. Market stalls overflowed with goods that Jack remembered being scarce or prohibitively expensive just a month ago.

But it was the people who showed the most dramatic change. Citizens who had walked with the hunched shoulders and downcast eyes of the perpetually hungry now moved with the confident stride of prosperity.

Children played in the streets wearing clothes that were clean and properly fitted. Merchants hawked their wares with the enthusiastic energy of those who expected customers to actually have money to spend.

"The dragon materials," Alaric explained, his voice carrying easily over the sounds of bustling commerce. "Spiralus provided resources that have transformed this city’s entire economy. Dragon scales for armor and construction, dragon bone for tools and weapons, dragon blood for alchemical applications. The list goes on."

They paused at a corner where a group of children were playing with wooden swords, their laughter ringing through the morning air. Jack watched them with growing amazement, remembering how different these same streets had looked during his youth.

"The beast core and dragon heart are gone," Alaric said. "They just magically disappeared. The dragon eyes I’m keeping for my own purposes. But there’s one piece that I’ve been saving specifically for you."

Curiosity piqued, Jack followed his father through increasingly prosperous neighborhoods until they reached a warehouse that he didn’t remember from his previous explorations of the city. The structure was new, built from the same high-quality stone that characterized the recent construction boom.

Inside, the warehouse was a marvel of organization. Crates and containers filled the space in neat rows, each one labeled with symbols that spoke of valuable contents. But it was the object in the center of the space that drew Jack’s attention like a magnet.

Spiralus’s tail lay coiled in a specially constructed case, its scales still gleaming with the deep blues and silvers that had made the dragon so beautiful in life. Even severed from the rest of the creature, the appendage radiated a sense of barely contained power that made the air itself feel thick and oppressive.

"Dragon tails are among the most valuable materials in existence," Alaric explained, his voice filled with professional appreciation. "The scales can be worked into armor that’s virtually impenetrable. The bones can be forged into weapons that hold magical enchantments indefinitely. The muscle tissue contains alchemical properties that boggle the mind."

Jack approached the case slowly, feeling an almost physical pull from the massive appendage. This was power made manifest, raw material that could be transformed into artifacts of legend.

"It’s yours," Alaric said simply. "Do with it what you will. Sell it, trade it, have it crafted into equipment. The choice is entirely yours."

Jack’s mind raced with possibilities. The tail represented wealth beyond imagination, enough to fund armies or purchase kingdoms. But something held him back from making any immediate decisions.

The weapons and armor he’d seen in the Tartarus Spire had been leagues beyond anything that existed in the mortal realm. If he could find a smith within the Spire itself...

"I’ll hold onto it for now," Jack said finally. "I have some ideas about what might be done with it, but I need to explore my options more thoroughly."

Alaric nodded approvingly. "Wise. Hasty decisions with resources this valuable tend to lead to regret."

Jack pulled out what appeared to be a simple storage cube, its surfaces smooth and unremarkable. To his father’s eyes, it would look like an expensive but standard magical storage device. In reality, it was just a polished rock that Jack used as a prop when accessing his system storage.

He placed his hands above the dragon tail, concentrating on storing it within his dimensional space. The massive appendage vanished, leaving behind only empty air and the lingering scent of dragon.

Alaric’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. "I didn’t realize you had acquired a storage cube. Those are expensive pieces of equipment, especially ones with that kind of capacity."

"I managed to acquire it during my adventures," Jack said carefully, tucking the fake cube back into his pocket.

His father studied him for a long moment, clearly sensing that there was more to the story than Jack was revealing. But Duke Alaric Kaiser hadn’t survived decades of political intrigue by pressing for information that wasn’t freely offered.

"No matter how you acquired it, having access to dimensional storage will be invaluable for what comes next," Alaric said instead. "Which brings me to the final matter we need to discuss today."

They left the warehouse and began walking back toward the estate, the late morning sun casting long shadows across the newly prosperous streets. Jack could feel tension building in his father’s posture, the way his shoulders set and his stride became more measured.

"The training I mentioned earlier," Alaric said as they walked. "It won’t be something you can accomplish alone or with just family instruction. The level of skill you need to achieve requires specialized knowledge that comes from experience fighting against the best opponents in the world."

Jack’s pulse quickened with anticipation. The way his father was building up to this revelation suggested something significant was coming.

"I have several candidates in mind," Alaric continued, his voice taking on the formal tone he used for important announcements. "Each one represents a different aspect of the training you’ll need. Combat technique, magical theory, political maneuvering, strategic thinking. Together, they could provide you with the foundation necessary to achieve the freedom you desire."

They had reached the estate gates, where guards snapped to attention at their approach. Jack could see servants moving about their duties in the distance, the familiar rhythm of household activity providing a backdrop to their conversation.

"The first potential mentor," Alaric said, pausing dramatically as they entered the estate grounds, "is someone you’ve already met. Someone whose knowledge of the darker aspects of power could prove invaluable for what lies ahead."

The duke’s smile was sharp as a blade, carrying implications that made Jack’s blood run cold with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

"But that," Alaric said, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper, "is a discussion for tomorrow. Tonight, I suggest you rest and prepare yourself. The path we’re about to embark upon will test every limit you thought you possessed."

With that ominous pronouncement hanging in the air like an unsheathed sword, Duke Alaric Kaiser turned and walked toward the main house, leaving his heir standing alone in the courtyard with nothing but questions and the growing certainty that his life was about to change in ways he couldn’t yet imagine.

The raven settled onto Jack’s shoulder with a soft rustle of feathers, its glowing eyes reflecting the afternoon sun like tiny stars.

’I wonder who these instructors are?’