Ethan woke before sunrise to the low rumble of Emberclaw pacing outside his tent. The drake’s claws scraped patterns in the dirt and its wings twitched as if bracing for a storm. Ethan stepped outside pulling on his coat. The air carried a faint metallic scent and a thin haze drifted over the northern fields. He knew instantly that it was not natural fog. It was residual mana discharged from ritual spells. The Ember Priests had been here during the night

He followed Emberclaw toward the boundary rocks where the glowing sparks had appeared the evening before. The guards reported seeing shapes moving across the ridge but could not catch anyone. Ethan crouched near the stones searching for clues. Emberclaw sniffed a point on the ground and let out a low growl. Ethan lifted his lantern and found strange symbols burned into the soil. They were circular patterns with jagged edges and a central flame shape. Not decorative. Ritualistic. He remembered the threat written with ember marks. Fire that bows is fire that dies

He touched the edge of a symbol. It pulsed faintly with warm energy. A lingering echo of a spell meant to influence Emberclaw’s instincts. When he stood up he saw Aradine approaching with several mage apprentices. She examined the burned symbols and her expression darkened. She said the marks were indeed from the Ember Priests. A call to ignite the dragon’s core. Ethan understood immediately. The cult wanted Emberclaw to lose control. If the drake unleashed a wild burst during a test the project would be blamed and the ride would be shut down. The cult did not want to destroy the track. They wanted to destroy trust

Ethan walked beside Aradine as she surveyed the field. She said the Priests believed dragons embodied pure chaos and that any attempt to guide or structure dragon power was blasphemy. Ethan asked if they were strong. Aradine said they were few but fanatical. They were unpredictable because they did not follow Conclave laws. She warned that the cult might try again soon. Ethan nodded and said they needed stronger defenses but not walls or soldiers. They needed understanding. A way to prevent the cult’s influence from affecting Emberclaw at all

He spent the morning analyzing the burned symbols and mapping how they affected Emberclaw’s behavior. The drake paced more quickly when near the soil marks and breathed unevenly. Ethan calmed Emberclaw with steady touch and rhythmic verbal cues. As the drake relaxed Ethan noticed something subtle. Emberclaw’s fire pulses changed slightly when influenced by the symbols. Not enough to be dangerous yet but enough to disrupt timing. Ethan realized that to protect Emberclaw they had to integrate shielding spells directly into the track area. A magical firewall of protection not against fire but against mana manipulation

He met Aradine again and asked if it was possible. She said shielding against direct manipulation was easier than shielding against physical spells. She gathered her apprentices and began outlining a runic perimeter. Ethan observed carefully. He had no magical skill but he understood patterns. He saw where the runes connected like circuit points in an electrical grid. He pointed out gaps where energy might leak. Aradine looked surprised but found his analysis accurate. She let him help mark the safety zones where runes would be placed. By midday they had created the kingdom’s first anti tampering field around a magical creature

Ethan admired the glowing perimeter lines. They shimmered with soft blue light forming a protective web around Emberclaw’s training area. The drake stepped inside the boundary and inhaled slowly. Its breathing stabilized almost instantly. Emberclaw nuzzled Ethan with the tip of its snout and he smiled. For the first time he felt like the project had a shield strong enough to resist outside interference

In the afternoon Ethan resumed operations team training. He introduced a new safety protocol. A role he called the pulse watcher. A staff member assigned to stand near Emberclaw during launches and track the glow of the drake’s fire core. This would allow detection of abnormal behavior before fire bursts began. The workers practiced taking positions and calling out pulse levels. Some struggled at first but grew more confident as they learned to read Emberclaw’s rhythm

During the exercises Ethan noticed a young worker named Lina who moved with unusual precision. She memorized whistle patterns instantly and reacted to Emberclaw’s breathing changes faster than others. Ethan approached her and asked if she wanted to become assistant lead of operations. She froze in shock then nodded with determination. She said she had grown up studying minor magical creatures but never had a chance to work with something so extraordinary. Ethan felt she would be vital to the future park

Late in the day the king arrived unexpectedly again. He said the nobles were discussing the project daily and he wanted updates. Ethan showed him the anti tampering field the new operations routines and the improvements made to the track. The king was impressed but worried. He asked if Ethan thought the cult would escalate. Ethan answered honestly that he believed they would. The king sighed then said he would send more guards to patrol the fields. Yet Ethan felt guards could not solve the core issue. Only progress could. If the ride opened successfully the cult’s influence would weaken

As evening came Ethan walked the site alone. The rails glowed faintly with mana. Emberclaw’s silhouette stood peacefully inside the protective field. Lanterns flickered against the distant ridge but no cult members appeared. The world felt quiet for now but Ethan knew this peace was temporary

He looked at the sky and whispered that he was ready for whatever came next. Because the park was more than construction. It was a statement that magic could be shaped for wonder not fear. And he would not let anyone stop that future from rising