Cyrus surged upright despite the pain lancing through his body.
"What exactly do you intend to do with the hatchling?"
Elias straightened from his crouch beside the obsidian case.
"The ritual requires a living draconic spirit capable of channeling divine resonance."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Crimson energy flickered around Cyrus's clenched fists.
"You will not destroy him."
"I have no intention of destroying anything so valuable."
Elias lifted the case with careful hands.
"The egg remains intact. The hatchling will serve his purpose and survive the forging."
"Serve his purpose how?"
Cyrus stepped forward, forcing his battered frame into a defensive stance between Elias and the obsidian shell.
"That information will be disclosed once we reach the facility."
Elias's amber eyes glinted with amusement at Cyrus's protective posture.
"You agreed to help me forge the Crystal. The specifics were never part of our bargain."
Fury burned through Cyrus's exhaustion.
