The Last Dragon's Hoard

Chapter 1

Mateo's Vision

"My loves, are we prepared for the festival tonight?" Malik asked as he prodded himself to wake, he had felt the gazes of his mates on him.

"Hmmm," Alexis yawned, "I will set up the barriers by noon and will fortify it again before the festival commences at night."

"I had a vision last night," Mateo said as he crawled into bed with his mates, throwing his legs over one of his mates and his hands on another of his mates' waist pulling them close to his body, "Something or someone is going to find us tonight. I don't know if it is bad or good, my vision wasn't clear,"

"But your vision also never lies," Malik said, "I think we should prepare. The New Moon Festival already holds a huge significance on the land, we have to be careful,"

"The reason that we allowed the people to celebrate the New Moon Festival is to allow them to celebrate the peace we gained from the last battle, thank the gods and it also serves as a new beginning, a new cycle," Louis added.

"New cycles are dangerous though, especially when you know that battle isn't truly over," Alexis said, "We have to take your vision as a warning, I will fortify the barrier to a high degree,"

"I will help you," Mateo added,

"Thank you, baby," Alexis responded,

"You both should be careful and don't overwork yourselves and don't rile up your magic too much, you don't need me to remind you what happened the last time you riled up your magic too much," Cypher spoke up for the first this morning,

"That was only one time," Alexis whined, and we all laughed at his antics. Alexis was adorable when he whined.

"Okay!" Cypher stood up, "Let's start the day, Alexis and Mateo you both are on breakfast, Louis you are on laundry, Malik baby, you will accompany me to meet with the town's elders. We have to make sure that the final proceedings and preparation for the festival are well done."

"Breakfast will be ready before your return," Alexis said with a sheepish grin on his face as Mateo clung to his arms,

"We are having breakfast before we start our chores, so if I were you my loves, I will go get started on cooking, and no defiling the kitchen," Cypher said,

Alexis murmured incoherent words as he dragged Mateo along with him to the kitchen, to the amusement of everyone.

"You are the only one who defiles the kitchen, baby," Malik said after the other two were out of sight.

Cypher shrugged and smirked.

After making sure of everyone's activity, he retired to his room to pick out an outfit that he will be wearing when he steps out.

He had a fond smile on his face as he walked casually to his room. Yesterday night he and his mates had spent the night watching the moon before they all retired to sleep in the master room.

The master room is where they sleep when they all want to be together with each other, they all have their different rooms though for when they want some time for themselves.

Cypher got to his room and even though he tried not to show it, he was worried about the vision that his mate had. Malik was right, Mateo's visions never lie, they always come true.

Cypher knew without being told that all his mates were going to be on high alert for the rest of the day and particularly during the festival, Alexis' barriers are strong and almost impenetrable, but if something or someone is going to find them, does that mean that they could slip through the barrier…unnoticed?

The boys had their breakfast an hour later and then set out to go about their different activities.

Cypher and Malik went to the town's elders' courtroom and were given a warm welcome, which is not surprising, Cypher and his mates were one of the key people that fought and won the war. The whole town holds them in high regard and respect.

"Greetings young ones, seeing as you visit us so early on the eve of the festival, that only means one thing," The elder said,

"The festival will bring in only peaceful tidings," Another elder added and the rest hummed and nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for your kind words, Elder Asam," Cypher responded, "But the peace tidings are because of the hard work of everybody. It is unfair that you give the praise to us alone."

"Always so humble, the whole town knows how much you and your mates contributed, you were at the forefront of the battle, and this town wouldn't enjoy the peace we have now without your sacrifice and hard work." The first elder, Elder Asam said,

"Well, it was our honor. All we ask is that we be able to maintain that peace, fighting another war would cause so much damage, and not many magical beings are left, and many are the last of their kind. Fighting a war without much magic at your disposal is almost a losing war," Malik muttered,

"Is something the matter?" Elder Asam asked, "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing that you should worry about, at least not yet…"

"Not yet?" The elders whispered among themselves,

"My son, what do you mean by not yet?" Elder Asam asked,

"One of my mates had a vision last night, he said that something or someone is coming to us tonight, but we do not know if it is good or bad," Cypher said,

"So what you are worried about is…?"

"The prophecy, Elder Asam, the prophecy of the last priestess, if what she said is true, then this is the year that the war will happen again," Cypher explained,

"The prophecy of the Unsettled." Elder Magnus, the second elder muttered, "I never thought I would stay alive to see the year that it will unfold, I guess tonight's festival will be the real beginning of a new cycle. The Gods are very unpredictable,"

"We have been waiting for the prophecy for so long and we have prepared for it for so long and now that it's here, I suddenly feel like it's a foreign language, the thought of the peace that we are enjoying right now is short-lived and can be taken from us very soon if we are not careful, that makes me fear." Elder Asam added.

"What I am saying is that we get ready and prepare our minds for anything, this is only a speculation, we will know for sure after the festival tonight," Cypher said, "We won't let harm come to the people of this town. We made a promise and we intend to keep it."

"Even though the promise was centuries ago?" Elder Asam asked,

Cypher looked at him and the faces of the rest of the elders in the room then took Malik's hands and laced their fingers together, then muttered,

"Even though the promise was made years ago, I am a dragon, my mates are my hoard and we will keep our promise to the people of Edremit."