It began when a hungry boy saw a smaller creature suffering and opened a door no powerful man had the courage to touch.
Peace did not arrive the morning the king lost his crown. Villages had buried relatives on both sides, and many humans still saw every dragon shadow as a threat. Young dragons smelled royal iron and remembered cages. Tomas traveled first to the border settlement where the war began. He carried no banner, only Elara's pendant and Lyri perched awkwardly on his shoulder.
The villagers refused to meet Avaron. Tomas listened while they described burned fields and missing livestock. Then Avaron projected memories of dragon nests destroyed by soldiers wearing stolen northern armor. The king had staged attacks against his own people to keep the war popular. Human blacksmiths recognized the rivets in the false armor and testified before the council.
The revelation created another trial. Commanders who claimed they merely followed orders were required to identify the routes, prisons, and merchants involved in egg trafficking. Confiscated royal treasure rebuilt both villages and nesting grounds. The largest jewel from the fallen crown was sold to purchase grain; Tomas joked that it finally became useful.
The warden expected the new government to execute him. Tomas opposed it. He wanted a public trial and a sentence that preserved the truth. The warden was condemned to spend his life cataloging the names of every prisoner erased from Blackstone records under constant supervision. Each recovered name was carved into the open courtyard.