Location- Duskrane Castle, Duskrane County
Date- 26th, Month of Zephyris, 2007 A.G.
All the eyes turned to Vincent.
"He said he wanted to give them a gift too," Orianne translated with a bright smile.
"Very good, son of mine!" Henry clapped Vincent's back proudly.
"Go on, grandson!" Thomas beamed like a proud grandpa at a talent show.
Amelia crouched with a warm grin. "Little cupcake, you're already becoming such a good big brother."
Sophie leaned in dramatically, "Cinnamon roll, you're all grown up now. Auntie is so proud of you!"
Vincent gave a solemn little nod and marched forward like a wizard about to perform a great ritual.
As he neared the boys, he reached into his purple coat with theatrical flair. A deck of cards emerged, the leather glinting with a gem in its center.
Alexander squinted. "Is that… a game?"
Edward frowned. "He's giving them Uno?"
TAP!
Vincent lightly tapped the gem.
WHOOSH!
The deck flared to life, cards whooshing out and circling the room in a blur of magical energy, before assembling neatly in front of him.
"Okay, definitely not Uno," Edward whispered.
FLICK!
With a flick of his hand, the cards were divided into two swirling groups, which stopped mid-air in front of each baby. The backs bore the Duskrane County crest—crossed swords and hammers.
TAP! TAP!
The boys, now gleefully giggling, each smacked a card at random.
GLOW!
The cards shimmered and grew, enlarging until they were the size of slim books. All other cards zipped back into the deck, leaving just the chosen two.
"Vincent, what are those?" Sophie asked, peeking nervously.
"Are they enchanted?" Amelia added.
"Please wait, Auntie." Vincent gave a mysterious smile, hands behind his back like a magician about to say abracadabra.
Thomas nodded seriously. "Just trust the boy."
"Since when were you this supportive of magic tricks?" Alexander asked him.
"Since they didn't come with a fireball explosion," Thomas muttered, crossing his arms.
The cards glowed once more, then with a gentle POP!, two eggs emerged, floating softly in mid-air.
One was blue with purple spots, the other purple with black streaks.
A collective gasp filled the room.
"Are those—?" Orianne whispered.
The blue egg gently descended toward Raphaeldor. As it neared, it shimmered and changed colors—turning midnight black with glowing green spots.
The purple one drifted toward Leonatus, its shell shifting to a deep brown with mossy green stripes.
Henry pointed. "Are those… beast eggs?"
Alexander blinked rapidly. "That better not be what I think it is."
"Well…" Vincent cleared his throat and puffed his chest slightly. "The black one—" he nodded toward Raphaeldor, "is a Thunderbird."
A pin could've dropped.
"Thunderbird?" Amelia squeaked. "As in the storm-bringer? The one that flattened Skywatch Peak during nesting season?"
Vincent nodded innocently. "That's the one."
"And the other?" Sophie gulped.
"Ah, that one?" Vincent said casually, like pointing to a loaf of bread. "That's a Basilisk."
Alexander nearly choked. "What the—OW!" Sophie jabbed him in the ribs before he could finish.
"Language!" she hissed. "There are babies!"
"Don't worry," Vincent reassured, as if giving a weather update. "Now that the eggs have synced with their masters, they'll be totally obedient once they hatch."
"When will they hatch exactly?" Orianne asked, eyeing the eggs nervously.
Vincent tilted his head. "Any minute now."
Right on cue—
CRACK.
A small line formed across the Thunderbird's egg, followed by a delicate rumble — like thunder grumbling in the distance.
Everyone leaned in.
Then —
CRACK-CRACK!
A small black beak poked through, followed by a head adorned with tiny, wind-swept feathers. The baby Thunderbird emerged — its feathers a smoky grey-black, lightly streaked with silvery-blue that shimmered like rain on stone. Wisps of static buzzed playfully around its crown, and its round eyes sparked with faint green light.
It flapped its stubby wings.
ZZZT!
A bolt of electricity zapped Henry's tea cup, which exploded with a pop.
"Mother of—!" Henry jumped.
The Thunderbird blinked innocently and chirped — its voice like a static-filled whistle.
"Aww! Look at him!" Amelia cooed. "He's like a flying puff of thundercloud!"
"Puff?" Thomas narrowed his eyes. "That 'puff' once nearly lit my hair on fire!"
The baby waddled toward Raphaeldor's crib and hopped in, curling beside him, wings buzzing like a sleepy lightning bug.
"He's bonding…" Vincent said proudly.
Then the second egg began to shake.
The Basilisk's egg cracked more slowly, with a hiss that rolled like wind through leaves. Bits of the shell crumbled, revealing a smooth, earthy-scaled head. The creature slithered out — small, elegant, with a soft green-brown sheen across its back and a mossy fringe around its tiny horns. Its eyes were golden slits, curious and calm. It flicked its tongue.
Sophie stepped back. "It looks like it's judging me."
"Don't worry," Vincent said, "He's just thinking."
"Thinking what? Whether or not to poison us?" Alexander said, inching behind Sophie.
The Basilisk baby gave a slow, unbothered blink… then climbed up into Leonatus's lap like a coiled rope, flicked his nose gently with its tongue, and settled there, its tail wrapping around like a living scarf.
"...Alright, that's adorable," Edward admitted, arms crossed.
"I hate how majestic it looks," Thomas said. "Even the babies have style now."
The Thunderbird sneezed — BZZZT! — a stray bolt shot up and fried a chandelier.
"...Son, did you at least read the manual before giving them a living lightning bolt and a venom noodle?" Henry asked.
"Manual?" Vincent tilted his head. "They are imprinted. That's better than a manual."
"Any more of those cards?" Edward asked, half hopeful, half terrified.
Vincent gave a dramatic sigh, "Yes, and they had dragons, yes… but nooo, of course they pulled the thunderstorm bird and death serpent. Absolute luck."
The babies giggled.
"They like them!" Orianne laughed.
"Of course they do," Sophie said. "Chaos clearly runs in the blood."
"Vincent-" Olivia motioned with her hands- " to the drawing room."
The drawing room had been swiftly transformed into a courtroom. Rows of chairs lined up in dramatic fashion. The babies were placed in the witness box (aka the comfiest blanket pile). Everyone had a role. Everyone, that is… until—
THUD.
The door opened. Silence fell like snow.
Lady Olivia Duskrane stepped in.
Long coat. Gloved hands. A single eyebrow raised to the heavens.
"...I heard there was a trial?"
Her voice was smooth like silk over steel. Deadly polite.
Everyone shuffled aside. Thomas quickly removed the ridiculous wig. Henry stood up like a schoolboy caught cheating. Sophie dropped her notepad.
"Yes! Yes, of course, your honour," Thomas said, bowing too low for someone with a bad back.
Olivia took her seat at the head of the room—a high-backed armchair, now unofficially The Seat of Judgement. Her presence changed the mood instantly. This wasn't just a playful mock trial anymore.
This was a reckoning.
She folded her hands. "Begin."
Sophie cleared her throat. "Vincent Duskrane is accused of summoning two mythical beasts from a magical deck, failing to disclose his arcane abilities, and exhibiting a level of composure not found in most world leaders."
Vincent stood in the center, hands behind his back. "I plead adorable."
"Overruled," Olivia replied without blinking.
Raphaeldor giggled.
Leonatus clapped.
Thomas chimed in, "Your Honour, I'd like to submit Exhibit A—this child's casual summoning of a Basilisk and Thunderbird."
Olivia didn't even glance at the creatures—both now curled up near the babies like loyal puppies. The Basilisk had grown leafy vines down its spine. The Thunderbird was now perched on a cushion, trying to electrocute a cookie crumb.
"So noted," Olivia said.
Henry stepped up. "Young Vincent, tell the court how you came to possess such… rare creatures."
"I bartered at the Astral Market," Vincent said, completely serious. "Traded a nightmare and my ability to mispronounce 'hippopotamus.' "
"...You could pronounce hippopotamus wrong?" Thomas asked.
"I used to say hippopottamissle," Vincent said solemnly.
"Tragic," Henry whispered. "So young."
Olivia nodded slowly. "That explains the strange energy I sensed in your sleep last month. I thought you were just dreaming about dragons again."
"I was," Vincent said. "But then I got one as a bonus."
Olivia exhaled through her nose. "Of course."
The room waited.
A pause.
She tapped her gloved finger on the armrest. "You are five, Vincent."
"Almost five," he corrected.
"That does not strengthen your case," she replied.
"Fair."
Sophie whispered to Amelia, "She's terrifying."
"I know. I love her."
Henry nudged Edward. "She's giving me flashbacks to when I got caught stealing a muffin at age ten."
The baby Thunderbird sneezed again—BZZZZT!—and a cushion burst into harmless sparks. The Basilisk quickly coiled around it and hissed it out like a water hose.
Vincent pointed proudly. "See? They're already house-trained."
Olivia raised one brow again. "Vincent Duskrane, the court acknowledges your resourcefulness, your courage, and your... disobedient genius."
Vincent braced himself.
"But your actions were reckless. Dangerous. And worst of all…"
Her voice dropped to a deadly hush.
"...you hid your potential."
Gasps. Real ones this time.
"That is the gravest offense of all," she said. "You are a Duskrane. We do not hide."
Vincent shrugged. "Because if I told you I had a deck of mythical beasts and astral market privileges… you'd take it away."
Everyone exchanged glances.
"...He's not wrong," Sophie muttered.
Everyone was silent. Even the Thunderbird chirped solemnly.
"Your punishment," Olivia said at last, standing with regal command, "is thus:"
"You shall train your beasts responsibly… and you shall report to me every week for a full update. In writing."
Vincent blinked. "...Like a homework?"
"Exactly like a homework."
"Cruel."
"Effective."
She smiled faintly. "Dismissed."
The gavel slammed—this time, wielded by Olivia herself.
The courtroom exploded with quiet murmurs.
Vincent turned to the others, stunned. "...Did I just get promoted and grounded again?"
"Yup," said Edward.
"And that," said Amelia, scooping up the Thunderbird with a squeal, "is why she's the scariest person in this family."
Olivia walked away gracefully, coat fluttering, the Basilisk respectfully slithering behind her like a clerk escorting royalty.
As the family gathered in the grand dining hall, the clatter of cutlery and cheerful laughter echoed like a melody.
Plates were passed, jokes were cracked, and stories flowed like wine.
"Haha—Amy, do you remember when Henry was chased by wyverns?" Sophie snorted into her goblet.
"How could I forget?" Amelia smirked. "He was running for his life, screaming like a banshee."
"What?" Orianne blinked. "Henry, you never told me about this."
Henry flinched mid-bite. "Ah, wife-of-mine… That's because it was... ancient history."
Orianne's eyes sparkled with curiosity and something much more dangerous—interest.
She turned to the sisters. "Do tell."
Sophie and Amelia exchanged a look. A mischievous grin formed between them.
Sophie leaned forward like a campfire storyteller.
"Well. What happened was…"
Flashback — 18 Years Ago
Ten-year-old Henry woke up with a singular, brilliant idea: prank his sisters. Again.
That morning, he marched to the Veilspire Mountains, towing Amelia and Sophie's favorite bunnies. He tied them to a tree using one of his bootlaces, giggling at his own genius.
Later, the sisters spent hours tearing through the county like storm clouds, their wails echoing across the fields. When Henry returned expecting rage, he was met instead with tear-streaked cheeks and quivering lips.
Cue guilt.
So, in full panic mode, Henry confessed and took them to the mountains. They were halfway down when—
SCREEEECH!
A cluster of wyverns spotted them. Their wings unfurled. Their eyes gleamed. Their teeth... not friendly.
Henry went pale. He picked up both sisters like sacks of potatoes and bolted.
"HELP! …..I'M SORRY!.... I'LL DONATE ALL MY POCKET MONEY TO THE TEMPLES!" he screamed, legs flailing, heart exploding in his chest.
Flashback Ends
"I swear, sister—you should've seen him," Sophie howled, tears in her eyes.
Henry turned beet red. "You're enjoying this too much."
Amelia added with mock solemnity, "He was bargaining with the gods. Making dramatic vows between gasps."
"Do you remember what happened next?" the Countess asked, a sly smile playing on her lips.
Amelia nodded.
"Our rabbits were... crushed under the wyverns' feet."
Sophie added mournfully, "Rest in fluff."
"The wyverns got close. We were panicking. Then suddenly—Henry tripped on a rock."
Henry buried his face in his hands. "Not again…"
"We flew out of his arms, and—well, we thought it was the end. But Henry got up, pulled out this tiny belt-knife, and yeeted it."
Vincent blinked. "What's yeeted?"
"Threw it really hard," Orianne whispered like a translator.
"And somehow, the knife lit up—turned into an aura blade!" Amelia gestured wildly. "It stabbed the wyvern right in the eye. Boom. Dead."
"The rest of them looked offended," Sophie said, giggling. "Like, how dare this scrawny gremlin hurt Gary?"
"Their names were Gary and crew?" Alexander asked, trying to hold in his laugh.
"No idea," Amelia said. "But Henry—he went berserk. Aura surging, laughing like a madman, slashing through them like a mini tornado."
Edward whistled. "Were you, uh… on something, brother-in-law?"
Amelia glared. "He was ten."
"Just checking," Edward mumbled.
Amelia continued, "He fought off four of them before collapsing. But just when one wyvern swooped in for a kill—"
She looked toward the edge of the room.
"Uncle Jonathan appeared."
Jonathan, quiet in the corner, simply nodded.
"He saved Henry's life," Amelia said softly. "Henry passed out… covered in cuts, dirt, and wyvern goo."
Thomas added, "The girls wouldn't leave his side. Cried so much the healer said the room was 'emotionally flooded.'"
"When I woke up," Henry muttered, "my face was covered in dried snot."
He looked at the sisters. "You guys were human tissues."
Both sisters turned red.
"We were worried, okay!" Amelia said defensively.
Sophie added, "Also, you almost died. We were allowed to be gross."
Orianne leaned over and kissed Henry's cheek. "I'm proud of you, husband-of-mine.."
Even Vincent looked at him, wide-eyed with awe.
Then—
Vincent raised his hand. "Umm… Grandma?"
"Yes, Vincent?" Olivia said without looking up from her cup.
"I have a question of great historical importance."
Olivia lifted an eyebrow.
"Did Father actually donate his pocket money to the temple?"
Henry gulped.
Thomas burst out laughing. "Nope!"
Olivia calmly added, "He claimed that since Jonathan saved him and not a divine being, the deal was void."
The room erupted.
Even the Basilisk let out a confused happy squeak.