"Arzhen…" Ruby whispered then. "I still need to bring this news to the world. It's too important, too monumental to hide. The passing of such a being… it will shake the foundations."
A pause, laden with meaning. "But I'll only tell you, only you for now, where you can find his remains. And… as you know…" her voice dropped to a breathy, intimate hush, "…dragon remains are very… very strong. The bones, the scales, the heartstone… You could forge them. Into a weapon the world has never seen."
His blood had ignited then, a roaring fire of ambition and vindication. A dragon's hoard was mythic, but a dragon's body was a forge of divine power.
"Quickly," she had urged. "Find it before anyone else catches wind. Or… or you'll miss your destiny."
She hadn't told Nikolas first. His cold rival was kept in the dark. But she was the Saintess, after all. She would have to tell everyone, eventually. The Temple, the Empire, the noble houses… and yes, even Nikolas Delanivis.
