THE ELEMENTIELS

Ch.10: CALL TO THE SOUTH

“There is something important we need to discuss.” Commander Elijah began, his gaze fixed on the captains gathered before him.

He paused, then continued, “I recently received a report from the southern outpost of an earth dragon attack. A young woman lost her life, tragically, but the dragon was found dead. What’s unusual is that another dragon appeared and killed the earth dragon before it could do further harm.”

Captain Will’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s… highly unusual.”

The commander nodded gravely. “Indeed. However, the knight on site suspects something more. The scale of destruction left behind was staggering—far beyond what we’d expect. It could have been a middle or high class dragon, but that doesn’t seem likely.”

One of the captains spoke up, frowning. “Dragons fighting each other is rare, but not unheard of. What I don’t understand is why the second dragon left without causing harm to any of the nearby civilians.”

“This confirms a pattern.” Captain Sasha replied, folding her arms. “The dragons have been gathering in the South. But the question remains… why?”

“We don’t know yet,” Elijah admitted, his voice firm. “But we will find out. The final-year students will be dispatched to assist Camelot’s southern army in their examinations. Meanwhile, a select team of knights will conduct a deeper investigation in the southern region.”

“Understood, sir!” The captains responded in unison, determination lighting their faces.

The following day, the students assembled in their classroom for a final briefing. As Captain Will entered, they straightened in their seats and greeted him warmly. “Good day, Captain Will!”

“Good day, students!” He replied with a smile. “Your performance at the recent exhibition was outstanding. But as you know, your final examination is only two days away. Today’s session will mostly be a revision of what you’ve learned.”

“Yes, sir!” they chorused.

“Let’s start with a simple question. Who can list the types of dragons known to us?” He glanced around, and Ben, shot his hand into the air. Captain Will nodded. “Yes, Benjamin, go ahead.”

Ben rose to his feet, his voice steady with confidence. “The types are earth dragons, fire breathers, acid spitters, ice dragons, light dragons, and lightning dragons.”

“Well done, Benjamin! Always sharp, I see.” Captain Will said with a grin.

“Wait,” Cynthia interjected, a thoughtful frown on her face. “Isn’t there a queen who controls all the dragons?”

“Ah, yes.” Captain Will replied, his tone softening. “The Dragon Queen—a Highborn. She hasn’t been seen in many years. Some say she perished long ago, like the other Highborns, which could explain the dragons’ disorder and frequent attacks.”

He cleared his throat and continued. “Now, as you know, each dragon type has its own classes:

Low Class (A, B, C) 
Middle Class (A, B, C) 
High Class (A, B, C) 

The dragon you encountered yesterday was a low-class A. Typically, a creature of that level would require a whole squadron of knights to subdue. But with our newly enhanced armors,” he added, pride gleaming in his eyes, “a single knight is more than enough to bring it down!”

The students murmured in awe at Captain Will’s words.

“Our new armor, is crafted from a unique metal called the Griff, forged by none other than the House of Griffith. Alongside it, a crystal that takes our strength, speed, and durability to a whole new level.”