The Elementiels

Ch. 33: THE VEIL OF FIRE

Jack and Jason stepped out of the castle, the warm afternoon sun casting long shadows over Camelot’s grand courtyard.

Jack stole a glance at Jason, noting the tense set of his shoulders and the sharp focus in his eyes.

“So,” Jack began, breaking the silence. “Any ideas on where to start?” 

Jason exhaled, his gaze fixed ahead. “There’s a friend of mine who we have to show this book to first.” 

With that, they made their way toward the knights’ training grounds, where rows of tents stood, flanked by wooden dummies and sparring rings. As they walked past, murmurs arose among the knights. 

“Who is that?” one whispered. 

“He’s so tall…” another muttered. 

A few female warriors blushed as they stole glances at Jack. “He’s so handsome.” 

Jack sighed, slightly amused but ignoring the attention. Jason, on the other hand, walked forward without acknowledging the chatter. 

That was, until he accidentally bumped into Beatrix.

Jason barely glanced back before continuing forward. 

“Hey! Not even an apology?” she called out. Beatrix dusted off her armor with a scoff, her brows furrowing. 

Jack turned to her and inclined his head. “I apologize. Are you alright?” 

Beatrix looked up, meeting Jack’s glowing green eyes. For a moment, her breath hitched. She quickly turned away, trying to suppress the slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. 

“I… I’m fine,” she muttered. 

Jack nodded and walked after Jason. Beatrix let out a small breath before shaking her head. “Focus.”

Further into the camp, Adam stood in deep discussion with Frank and Ben. Their conversation halted as Jason approached. 

“Jason, you’re back already?” Adam greeted, glancing at Jack with curiosity. “And who’s this?” 

“This is Jack,” Jason introduced. “And there is something you need to see.” 

Jack gave a respectful nod. “Jason tells me you might have some insight on our situation.” 

Without hesitation, Jason handed Adam the worn, dust-covered book. “We know why the dragons are gathering in the south.” 

Adam’s expression hardened as he flipped through the pages. Ben peered over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing at the strange symbols. 

“This is ancient text,” Ben muttered. “I can understand some of it.” 

Adam rubbed his chin. “This changes everything. If this egg is what’s drawing the dragons south…” 

Frank crossed his arms. “But we already searched the entire southern region. We didn’t find anything.” 

Jack thought for a moment before asking, “If a dragon were to lay an egg, where would it be?” 

Ben perked up. “That depends on the type of dragon. An earth dragon would lay its eggs underground. An ice dragon? Somewhere freezing.” 

Frank studied the sketch of the egg, his brow furrowed. “Judging from this, it looks like this new form is a fusion of different dragon types.” 

Jack turned to Ben. “Any guesses on where the egg could be hidden?” 

Ben exhaled, deep in thought. “Well… if we assume the egg is enormous, then it would need a place capable of sustaining it. A hot environment, maybe… like a volcano.”