POV: Jarred
Jarred never thought he'd lay bricks again.
Not since the fire that tore through his old tavern, not since Marla was taken and the world seemed like nothing more than cruel laughter echoing in an empty alley. But here he was—knees dusty, sun on his back, trowel in hand. Each stone he laid wasn't just part of a house.
It was part of a promise.
"Lift it from the bottom," he told Harro, one of the younger villagers. "Easy now… good. That's it."
"Thanks, Mr. Jarred."
He chuckled, waving the boy off. "Just Jarred. We're all neighbors here."
A few feet away, a couple of the other villagers—Lana and Tun—were already raising the support beams. The wood came from trees felled just days ago on Sierra's recommendation. Duncan had marked the land with chalk and stone for optimal wind buffering. The dragons had even blessed the area, with Elysia leaving behind a polished obsidian shard—called the Heart of Flame—to be placed beneath the hearth.
Because this wasn't just any home.
It was Ryuuji's.
And Ryuuji wasn't just a hero to these people. He was their hero.
"Don't forget the ridge for the upper beams," Marla said, stepping up beside him, a cloth-wrapped bundle in one hand and a noticeable curve to her midsection.
Jarred immediately took the bundle, eyeing her stomach with concern. "You shouldn't be out here. Not in this heat."
She rolled her eyes, but her smile was gentle. "I'm pregnant, Jarred, not fragile."
"Still," he muttered, glancing at her belly. "That's our baby in there."
Marla pressed a palm to her bump with a quiet chuckle. "She's going to grow up in a world that's finally safe. Where dragons protect the skies, and children can run barefoot without fear."
Jarred wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He still couldn't believe it—how their lives had shifted from chaos to calm. From clinging on, to building.
As they sat on a flat stone, watching others hammer and saw, Kiko sprinted toward them with a little bundle in her arms.
"Uncle Jarred! Auntie Marla!"
"Whoa there, little flame," Jarred said, catching her before she tripped. "What have you got?"
"I made a blessing stick!" Kiko beamed, holding out a decorated stick adorned with carved symbols and fresh wildflowers. "It's for Papa's new house!"
Jarred turned it over, eyebrows raised. The runes were rough but right. Basic protection glyphs, ones Elysia must've taught her.
"That's beautiful, sweetheart," Marla said, crouching as best she could to meet her eye level.
"I'm gonna put it in the front wall," Kiko said proudly. "So it brings smiles to everyone who visits. And when Auntie Reina and Uncle Raphtael come, I'll make one for them too!"
Jarred exchanged a glance with Marla. "Planning ahead, huh?"
"She even asked Rhaegon for extra stone," Marla whispered, eyes wide with amusement.
"He said yes!" Kiko added with a hop. "Uncle Raphtael needs a sun window, and Auntie Reina needs quiet for reading."
Jarred chuckled. "Smart kid."
"She's got the Hero's heart," Marla whispered. "Just smaller."
As Kiko ran off again to play with the other children near the spring, Jarred found himself staring out at the rising beams and foundation stones. The village was changing fast—evolving into something more than just a safe haven. It was becoming a home. A legacy.
"Do you ever think we're dreaming?" Marla asked.
He turned. "How so?"
"This place. The dragons. Magic in the air. You—us—being part of something this… this good."
Jarred thought for a long moment. Then he shook his head. "If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up."
She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. The curve of her belly pressed against his side, grounding him. Real. Tangible. A symbol of the future. Of their future.
A shadow swept across the clearing—one of the dragons circling above, watching over them all. Rhaegon's deep rumble echoed briefly across the cliffs, a sound of assurance. The dragons were here. And no one would harm what Ryuuji protected.
"Do you think he'll bring them back?" Marla asked.
"Reina and Raphtael?" Jarred nodded slowly. "He will. If anyone can find them, it's Ryuuji."
She hummed. "Then we'd best start planning where their houses will go."
"Let's finish his first," Jarred said. "Then we'll carve out the rest."
"Don't forget the clinic," Marla added. "Kiko said Uncle Raphtael will be the village healer."
"Of course she did," Jarred said with a grin.
They stood again, brushing off the dust. Around them, the clearing buzzed with activity—hammers clanging, saws whispering through wood, laughter and chatter floating through the air. The village was alive.
Jarred placed his hand on a beam that would soon hold up Ryuuji's front porch. "This isn't just a house. It's a symbol. A promise. He gave us all a new beginning. This is us giving something back."
A short pause.
"Also," he added with a smirk, "I'm going to make damn sure that kid of ours has the best view in the whole village."
Marla chuckled. "She already will. Her Papa helped build the Hero's home."
They kissed briefly before heading back to the workers. There were more stones to lay. More walls to raise.
More stories to build.