Author's Preface
As the egg pulsed with energy and life, one of the elders rushed over to Ryan.
"You are him. By the gods. Come. Come."
The elder led him to the egg. She reached down, took the egg, and placed it in Ryan's hand. "This is yours now."
Ryan took the egg and stared at it as it sat in his hand. His system came to life.
[Shadow Dragon Egg linked to Mana Reserves]
[Mana drain enabled - 150 mana/day]
Ryan read his system screen and immediately dropped the egg out of shock. Fyz and the other elders all gasped as Ryan stared at the egg that now rolled on the floor.
"Why the hell is this thing draining mana from me?" Ryan pointed at the egg.
"It is a Primordial dragon. It needs mana from the Man of Shadows to hatch." Fyz walked up next to Ryan.
"Well, can we make it hatch sooner? Because I don't need it leeching off me."
[System notification]
[Shadow Dragon Egg]
[Mana drain now set to 500/day]
"That's not what the fuck I meant!"
Ryan turned to Fyz. "What the hell is going on? Someone needs to explain all of this to me right now."
"As you wish, Master." Fyz bowed and gestured for Ryan to take a seat. As he did, she reached down and placed the egg in front of Ryan. He could feel his mana being drained and pulled into the egg. He shoved it to the side.
Fyz sat down next to him. "Master, you have fulfilled a prophecy that is as old as dragons themselves."
Ryan put his hand up in Fyz's face. "Wait, that's twice you've called me Master." Ryan shook his head.
"You awakened the Primordial dragon."
"My mana did, apparently."
"You truly know nothing, do you?"
"Lady, I didn't even know your clan existed yesterday."
"Very well." Fyz snapped her fingers. One of the elders approached the table and unraveled a scroll, stretching it across the entire length of the table.
Fyz looked at Ryan. "This is the tale of the dragons." She pointed at the first drawing of a massive white dragon. "Our mother, the Dragon God, once roamed the cosmos alone, searching for a place to call home. That is when she met him. The God of Shadows." She pointed to a picture of the white dragon standing next to a faceless figure painted black. In front of them sat an egg. "She fell in love with this god, and they had a child. The first Primordial dragon, a Shadow Dragon. They had a few more children after that, the progenitors of our clan." She pointed to the next picture. The white dragon sat crying as she looked over a planet full of Shadow Dragons. "The God of Shadows left her one day to fight a war and demanded she not follow him. He told her one day his power would return and awaken the Primordial egg. When that day comes, the Shadow Clan must follow the one who awakens it." Her finger traced the paper as it showed the Dragon God creating the other clans and Primordial dragons with other gods. "This is how the dragons came to be on this world."
Ryan stared at Fyz. "I am no god, though. And it still doesn't explain why you have isolated yourselves."
"We were commanded to. Our mother god blamed us for the Shadow God leaving. She forced us not to leave this region until he returned. We have been in exile since, unable to join the society that the other clans have created."
"I am no fucking god!" Ryan yelled.
"Maybe not, but nonetheless, you have awakened the Primordial egg, and now you are our leader. We will follow you."
One of the elders walked up to Ryan and bowed, followed by the others. Fyz stood and placed the egg in Ryan's hand. "Follow me. Let me show you what this egg means to us."
Fyz led Ryan, Olar, and the elders outside the chambers. Outside, hundreds of Shadow Dragons all stood on the street in their humanoid forms. Fyz didn't say a word. She simply stepped to the side to show Ryan. She gently lifted Ryan's right arm, raising the egg into the air. Every dragon of the Shadow Clan instantly transformed into their dragon form. In unison, each of them gathered shadow magic into their throats. They looked to the sky and fired. The sky turned purple in an instant. Ryan looked on as hundreds of pillars of shadow magic filled the sky. As each pillar collided high above the clouds, they exploded in a brilliant display of strength.
Fyz turned her head to Ryan and smiled as his jaw was still on the floor. "With this, we have announced our return."
On a mountain on the opposite side of the Dragonlands, Ixur sat on his throne with his brother and other generals, discussing their next move. Ixur stopped speaking in an instant. He stood from his throne and looked outside. He saw the explosion in the air from the Shadow Clan. His hand started to tremble.
"So you felt it too. Soon he will come, and it will be the end of you... brother," Turux said as he sat chained beside the throne.
"SILENCE!" Ixur turned. "Gather every ally, every dragon here right now!"
Back at the Shadow Clan, Ryan stood still. He was unable to move. The amount of magic that had just been shown to him was overwhelming, unlike anything he had ever witnessed.
"Master has dragon. Meatloaf ride Primordial dragon into battle."
Ryan laughed. Olar looked at him. "What's so funny?"
"All of this. Every bit of it is hilarious. I had a plan to help Alyssara and her mother. Now my mana is being drained by the damn egg. I am the leader of a dragon clan. What a fucking day."
Fyz turned to Ryan. "If you give us a few hours, we would love to hear your plan to defeat Ixur. Our generals are out hunting right now. When they return, we will hear your plans."
Ryan nodded. "I wonder if this will work." Ryan placed the egg on his shadow and watched it slowly disappear.
"Meatloaf... take care of that egg, okay?"
"Meatloaf best caretaker."
"Tch."
"Veyra, did you just scoff?"
"I did."
"Then, would you mind helping him?"
"As you wish, Master."
Olar led Ryan down the street as the Shadow Dragons made way. As Ryan passed, each dragon lowered its head to the ground.
"Well damn, maybe I am the main character." Ryan smiled as he walked past every dragon.
Olar led Ryan to a tavern, and they took a seat. A female dragon rushed over and bowed. "Can... can I, uh, get you anything?"
"Two plates of boar meat and two glasses of mead," Olar said.
Ryan's eyes went wide. "Dragons drink?"
"We do. The dwarves gave us their recipe."
"Fuck yes!" Ryan smiled. "Hey, Olar. How strong are you guys compared to everyone else?"
"Well, Ixur and others before him, even other kings in the past, have tried to wipe us out. They wanted to be able to claim they defeated the shadow clan and claim they were the strongest. But we are still here."
"So you're stronger?"
"We are."
"So why do you look so sad?"
"Well, you have given me a chance to see my father again, and my sister."
"Ahh, that's right. I almost forgot about that."
"The other clans hate us, but my father never held any ill will toward the clan, and neither did Alyssara. She always treated me properly, even when the others hated me." Olar paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "Even here in the Shadow Clan, I am but a half-breed, a disgrace to the Shadow Clan. My power is half fire, half shadow." Olar looked up at Ryan. "I am despised everywhere. Mother always said to follow your heart, which led me to that council meeting. I knew I couldn't just sit back while my father was probably being tortured. That led me to you, and now look. It has led to this." Olar smiled as the waitress brought over the mead. Olar took a big gulp. "So it is not merely sadness you see in me, it is also gratefulness. A chance to see change is never something to be sad over."
"Well, that's... a lot. I will do my best to help find your father and get rid of Ixur." Ryan tugged at his empty left sleeve. "But it won't be easy, and I'll need that strength you say the Shadow Clan possesses."