A couple days after the attack Caelum returned, with the villagers 'replacements' in tow.
Caelum was leading a line of short, reptilian humanoid creatures through the village. Their scaled bodies were brown and dull compared to the true dragons', and their expressions were almost disturbingly joyful.
The villagers, who were being released from their servitude and were giddy with excitement, still paled in comparison to the sheer joy on the faces of these scaled creatures taking their place
The creatures, which Kain found out were kobolds, chattered excitedly among themselves, their large, expressive eyes darting around the village with undisguised glee.
"Praise the dragons! Glorious masters of fire and might!" one of them exclaimed, its voice high-pitched and grating.
"Finally, we get to serve them directly!" another shouted, practically hopping as it scampered to keep up with the others.
The Elorians and remaining members of the Order exchanged puzzled glances as the kobolds flooded into the area, their energy filling the previously sombre atmosphere with an odd, chaotic buzz.
"Caelum," a member of the Order, a tall plain-looking woman from the Lunar Veil, responsible for espionage, asked skeptically, "why does the Empire even have kobolds?"
Caelum, who appeared exhausted after being the sole individual responsible for transporting the Kobolds (after all, it's not like they'd try to escape), sighed. "They weren't exactly invited..."
"They broke into the dragon housing area for the royal family—repeatedly," Caelum explained, rubbing his temples. "You know, the area where uncontracted dragons are kept for potential royal contracts."
There was a collective intake of breath at the apparent determination of these Kobolds. The dragon housing area was heavily guarded, practically impenetrable to anyone without clearance.
"They begged to be caretakers for the young dragons," Caelum continued. "We shooed them away a few times—because they're noisy and annoying—but they just kept coming back. Eventually, the caretakers got fed up and let them stay." He gestured to the kobolds, who were now gleefully scrubbing a nearby green dragon as though it was the greatest honour within several generations of his family. "They're obsessive, but they're also surprisingly good at what they do. Dragons don't seem to mind them either."
"Convenient excuse to get rid of them," Kain muttered under his breath, earning a smirk from Serena.
"Exactly," Caelum said, clearly hearing Kain's comment. "This was the perfect opportunity to relocate them somewhere they'd be happy and out of the royal family's hair."
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Later that evening, the remaining members of the Order gathered in a large hall assigned to them within the village.
There were originally 51 members of their group, 10 representatives from 5 departments plus the sole representative of the Night Hunt Cassian. But the once-bustling group of 51 had dwindled to 42 after the attack, and the mood was sombre despite the dragons' victory.
Conversations buzzed quietly around the room.
Most of the members had either formed bonds with certain dragons like Kain and Galadriel, or picked up enough from their interactions to piece together the situation. Rumours about the Abyss, the entrance, and the dragons' role in containing it were spreading like wildfire.
Kain and Serena sat near the back, observing the others.
"It seems like we weren't the only ones who noticed," Kain said softly.
The door to the hall opened, and Caelum entered, his expression grim. The room fell silent as he moved to the center, standing tall as he addressed the group.
"I know many of you have questions," he began. "And while I don't have all the answers, I can confirm some of your questions."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the room.
"Firstly, yes, the dragons have been fighting this threat—the Abyss—for centuries. Their mountain range is built atop one of the entrances, and their immunity to the corruption makes them the best possible guardians. But even they can't hold out forever. They've been losing ground lately due to their decreasing numbers and the seal weakening."
Murmurs rippled through the group.
"And the Order?" one member asked. "Did they know about this?"
Caelum hesitated. "Those higher up or who have been in the Order for a long time were aware. There's been... debate among our leaders. Not everyone agrees that aiding the dragons is worth the risk. After all, humans are far more susceptible to Abyssal corruption than they are. But the argument against helping them is short-sighted. If the dragons fall, the corruption will spread unchecked, and we'll all be in danger."
Another murmur swept through the room, this one laced with unease and tension.
Caelum's expression grew darker. "What you might not know is that the Abyss isn't just affecting this region. Reports have been coming in from across the continent. Isolated villages—Elorian, human, even nomadic tribes in the south—are turning into dead zones filled with the corrupted. Just in the time I was bringing back the agreement of the dragons, there was news that an entire town in the Southern Region had been wiped off the map."
Kain's heart skipped a beat. His family lived in the southern region, in a relatively isolated city. Honestly, Brightstar City was so tiny, to those from the big cities they may call it a town…
"Was there..." Kain's voice wavered slightly before he steadied himself. "Was there more specific information on what town it was?"
Caelum looked at Kain, likely seeing something from his expression, despite Kain's attempts to hide his unease. "The town was called Starspire Village."
Relief flooded through Kain, but it was short-lived as the weight of Caelum's words settled over him again. His family was safe currently, but the next outbreak of the corrupted could very well be in his hometown.
He had previously asked the orphanage director to consider moving closer to the college or even to Starfire City, the largest city of the Southern Region, but he'd been reluctant to leave home and all of their neighbours behind. However, now Kain didn't think he could continue to take no for an answer.