Chapter 14: How to Raise a Dragon! (3)
"Ohhh, so this little dragon is a girl!?" Lyra gasped, her eyes sparkling with discovery as she crouched beside the snoring creature.
"Then we need to give her a pretty, feminine name!" she declared with full conviction.
She looked up at Naoki and Cierra with the kind of seriousness only a child could summon over something so adorably important.
Cierra leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm, smiling. "She's too special to go unnamed for even a day longer."
Naoki sat nearby, arms crossed, studying the dragon like he was trying to solve a riddle.
"Let's make it beautiful! Something soft and majestic… like moonlight! Or melody! Or… meatball!" Lyra offered excitedly.
Naoki blinked. "Meatball?"
"She's round," Lyra whispered in her defense, puffing her cheeks proudly.
Cierra laughed softly. "Let's think of something that suits her wings. Something dark and mysterious, but still graceful."
Naoki nodded thoughtfully. "Something short. Something with weight. Like… she could roar it once and shatter a mountain."
They all sat in silence for a moment, eyes falling on the dragon. so small, so peacefully curled, her wings rising and falling with every breath.
Then, with a rare softness in his tone, Naoki spoke:
"…Sol."
Cierra looked up. "Sol?"
Lyra tilted her head. "Like the sun?"
Naoki nodded. "Yeah. Sol means sun… but also solitude. She came to me from the dark, but when I first saw her... she felt like light. A quiet kind of light."
The dragon shifted in her sleep, as if stirred by the sound of her name.
A faint smile curved on Naoki's lips. He looked at the two girls and added, voice steady and final:
"Her full name will be Solmira von Noctvain. In short Sol."
Cierra blinked, surprised by how noble it sounded. " Noctvain… your family name?"
Naoki nodded once. "Yes..She's part of my story now. Might as well carry my house."
"Solmira…?" Cierra repeated, intrigued. "That's beautiful. What does it mean?"
Naoki leaned back slightly and explained, "Sol, for the sun. Light. Warmth. Hope."
Then he glanced at the sleeping dragon and added, softer this time,
"Mira... from the old tongue. It means wonder. Or miracle."
Cierra's eyes widened slightly.
Lyra whispered in awe, "So… she's a miracle of light?"
Naoki nodded. "Something like that. Solmira von Noctvain. A name that sounds noble and strong but also gentle."
Lyra gasped in delight. "That sounds so cool! Lady Solmira! Like a knight's dragon! Or a royal pet!"
And then, from the corner Lina, who had been silently observing with a faint smirk murmured just loud enough:
"…Solmira, Queen of the meat table."
There was a pause.
And then
laughter exploded through the room.
Naoki covered his face, shoulders shaking.
Cierra doubled over, clutching her stomach.
Lyra fell onto the pillow next to Sol, giggling uncontrollably.
They all shared a laugh as the newly named Sol let out a tiny "Kyuu…" and rolled over in her sleep, her wing wrapping around her like a blanket.
* * *
The air inside the Noctvain family's private training hall was thick with heat and focus.
Forged centuries ago using Mystrium Blackstone, a rare mineral said to resist even the most concentrated aura. it stood as a testament to the house's martial legacy. The obsidian floor shimmered faintly under the morning light, its surface uncracked despite generations of sword strikes, elemental blows, and aura bursts.
Here, power wasn't displayed, it was honed. Silently. Mercilessly.
Naoki stood alone in the center of the hall, his shirt damp with sweat, chest rising in steady rhythm. In his hand, a training blade dulled for safety but even dulled steel could break bone if handled improperly.
Clack.
His foot shifted forward.
Slash. Pivot. Step. Reset.
He moved like a machine, each strike fluid and precise, forged from repetition.
He raised the sword again but
Creeak!
the towering doors behind him creaked open.
Naoki paused, blade frozen mid-swing.
From the entrance, Cierra stepped inside, sunlight catching on her long, flowing purple hair like violet silk. Her pale white skin glowed faintly under the light, and her striking purple eyes locked onto Naoki with playful mischief.
In her arms, the tiny dragon Sol lay curled like royalty, tail swaying lazily.
"Well, well," Cierra called, smirking. "Brooding all alone again?"
Naoki blinked. "This isn't exactly a tourist spot. What brings you here?"
Cierra strolled in without hesitation. "Thought I'd stretch a bit.
Naoki stared. "…You?"
Cierra smiled sweetly, but there was fire behind it.
"What? You think you're so high and mighty just because you got lucky last time?"
"I didn't say that," Naoki muttered, shifting his stance.
'Wait… lucky last time?
She's sparred with him before?'
Naoki hadn't known that.
Another quiet reminder
'This isn't my body.'
The real Aether had trained with her. Shared moments Naoki had no memory of.
Just then
Cierra's purple eyes narrowed, and with a graceful motion, she called out, "Fire ball!"
A blazing fireball erupted from her palm, streaking toward Naoki.
Lost in thought, Naoki barely registered the spell, until the heat rushed past him, snapping him back to reality.
'Wait… she's a mage.'
He barely had time to react, rolling aside as the fireball exploded against the far wall, sending sparks and smoke into the air.
The duel had begun.
Naoki drew his sword, muscles coiling.
Cierra's lips curled into a confident smile as she prepared her next spell.
Before he could recover, a sharp wave sliced through the air
[2 star magic: Water Cutter]
Naoki jumped back, shielded only by quick reflexes.
Branches and leaves erupted suddenly from the ground, Wood Whip lashed at his legs.
[ 2 star magic: Wood bind ]
Sweat dripped down Naoki's brow as he blocked and dodged, struggling to keep pace with the relentless magical assault.
Cierra's eyes sparkled with fierce determination. "I reached Third Star not so long ago. Let me show you your place, husband."
She raised her hands, chanting softly as a massive ball of fire ignited between her palms.
"Ignite!"
The blazing orb surged forward, growing larger and hotter with every second.
Naoki's breath caught as the roaring fireball barreled toward him.
He tightened his grip on the sword, eyes wide.
' I'm doomed.'
The heat was overwhelming. He braced for impact, ready for whatever came next.
Just then
Crackle...FWOOM!
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To be continued.....