Ep 108. As Long As They’re Dragonkin. (3)

  “Hm.”

  The hooded figure stood atop the snowy cliff’s edge in serene silence, his gaze reag far beyond Telberk and over into the stretg ti of Astellion.

  Even when his quiet was broken by a low growl ing from behind, he had o turn his eyes.

  In one swift motion the figure summoned a shortsword into his hand, flig it backwards without looking. The bde ly pluself between the eyes of the lunging leopard, making the beast fall short of reag him.

  But when the leopard’s growling faded away, another voice repced the beast to distract the hooded figure.

  “How very human of you.”

  “…”

  A deathly figure materialized into a faded image beside the lone, hooded man. A bemused smile decorated their face as he floated over to block the cliff view.

  “You know, I think it might’ve been a leopard, actually. I think a leopard ambushed me like this – snapped my ne an instant.”

  “…First a manaspawn, then a strike of lightning. A rotten meal, a malicious , and now a lowly beast…”

  Breaking his sileh a list of the Reaper’s reported causes of death, the hooded figure locked his cold gaze with the ephemeral death deity before him.

  “I do not care how your end came to pass, Felicir.”

  “Sure you do. Why else would you keep me around? You could’ve done me away food, my dear friend.”

  “…”

  “Admit it. You’re scared of what killed me.”

  “Felicis, no doubt. The only one you’d allow yourself to die to.”

  “I’ve told you that’s incorrect at least a dozen times now.”

  “Then who was it?”

  “Who knows? Something white aiful. Like that leopard, perhaps.”

  “…”

  The hooded figure narrowed his eyes. He ah had never gotten along – and that certainly tio be the case in Felicir’s death.

  But even so, the Reaper did have the right of it. While he was almost certain that Felicis had finally e to her seo kill her own brother…

  ‘What if…’

  A long sigh followed the brief thought. It wasn’t like Felicir would tell him anyways; they owed no favors to each other, and held mrudges thaher could t.

  Instead of parroting his question, the hooded figure turned away to begin desding the cliffside.

  “If you’ve the strength to retain form as a soul, find yourself a new vessel. I’ve no time to eaiics of the dead.”

  The ephemeral deity began his respoh a demeaning ughter, floating along to the speaker’s side.

  Even ih, their wry smile was difficult to get used to. Their words weren’t much better off, either.

  “Oh, I hardly think so. A soulseer like yourself may think otherwise, but reinations are pletely different from the inal. I’d rather die as myself.”

  “So you’d rather be an insufferable image until your timely demise.”

  “And why wouldn’t I? Like this, I get to watch mankind’s greatest hero in a again while time allows. Sounds worthwhile, doesn’t it?”

  “…Do as you wish.”

  Felicir snickered as he floated around his grumpy friend’s head. The deity then briefly gnced westward – toward where Aymeia’s cavern lied.

  “You know…killing Aymeia won’t solve anything.”

  “You’ll need a far better argument to prevent me from killing your pet.”

  “Aymeia isn’t actually a dragon. You know this.”

  “A you made her their lord. Your point?”

  “My point is, you’re the biggest fool humanity has ever had to offer.”

  “…”

  The hooded figure returned no ao the insult. He instead tio walk in silence, his empty eyes gazing unto the road ahead.

  There never was any other way forward.

  And so, he would walk this oo the end.

  ? ? ?

  “Waizel!”

  “Raizel.”

  “Waaaaizel!”

  “I hate you.”

  Serenis watched with a faint smile as the two children sat across from one another ohrone room’s floor, talking(?) to each other. It was the only distra that was keeping the dragonlord sane from the depressiy behind them.

  And Raizel, too, couldn’t bear mindlessly staring into the dungeon’s surroundings for long.

  In fact, she’d goo retrieve her parents’ remains; she’d tore down the dungeon’s cages; and finally, she’d dragged Serenis and the hatg out of that prison. They hadn’t gone far, but they were at least ba the throne room where the lighting dimmed out the doom and gloom behind them.

  Staying eveely close to the pce for hours was clearly going to drive all of them insane. If they had to wait here for their kin’s arrival anyways, then they could do worse than stay in a less gloomy room. And Raizel could do worse than befriend the only dragon that could yet verse.

  Although, their versation was failing to go beyond sharing names.

  “Ugh, what am I even doing. Thought I’d finally get to snap off that cursed emperor’s neck, but instead I’m stuck here talking to a stupid kid…”

  “Waim not stoopid!”

  “Sure, champ. Whatever you say.”

  “Not ch! Theowus!”

  “Theowus? Who the hell heir kid Theowus?”

  “Not Theowus! Theowus!”

  “Literally the same thing.”

  Wheg puffed his cheeks in frustration, Serenis quickly made her way to his side, g the little dragon in her arms once more. She beamed back a motherly smile, speaking his proper loud for Raizel to hear.

  “Theolus, is it? You have a fine name.”

  The hatg happily nodded in succession as the dragonlord spoke his name.

  Raizel, oher hand, stared with a displeased, bewildered look.

  “How do you eve what he’s saying?”

  “I suppose you grow aced in time. I’m sure you’ll uand once you have children of your own.”

  “Seriously? You think I’ll have children?”

  When Raizel spoke with the most sarcastie Serenis has ever heard, the dragonlord let out a brief sigh, rolling her eyes in respoheolus likewise mimicked her and rolled his ow the steel dragon, which at least tripled Raizel’s annoyaer.

  And just as Raizel angrily scoffed to the side – eyes fag the throne chamber’s entraheir first guest came to sight.

  “…What…happened here…?”

  A red-haired herbalist stood at the entrarembling in shock.

  The first thing she noticed were the colpsed wall, and twers sitting by the throne who were likely responsible for the mess.

  The sed thing she noticed was the bck-scaled hatg, squirming about in Serenis’ arms.

  And, without thinking, the herbalist called out to the tiny bck dragon.

  “Theo!”

  “? Mama!”

  At first, Serenis had extended out her hand. She fully inteo blow the woman to ders before they could y a finger og.

  But she had to stop herself when the bck drago out of her arms, speeding towards the woman to jump right into their embrastead.

  After lifting Theolus off the ground, the woman hurriedly sed him for wounds. firming he was unharmed, she held him closer as if it were her own child.

  “What are you doing outside?! I told you to stay under your b…what happened?!”

  “Over dare…mama. And Waizel.”

  The woman looked towards where the little dragon ointing towards, log eyes with two others who were staring back.

  “…A…dragon?...”

  “…”

  “…”

  When the woman’s staring tinued, it was Raizel who first spoke up.

  “You’re that runt’s mother?”

  “No, I’m…just…”

  The answering woman tried to swallow her fears with an audible gulp. The silver-haired stranger seemed human enough, but standing beside them was an unmistakable dragon, whole and hale – and their gre was far more menag than their panion’s. In fact, it seemed like they were repressing the urge to kill her in a heartbeat.

  Fearing the worst, the woman tio force out her answer.

  “I, I’m just his caretaker. Theolus, he…he just calls me mother because his parents have passed away…before he hatched…”

  “…Hmph.”

  Raizel shrugged at the answer in moderate satisfa; without a single armor or on on their attire, it was quite clear that the woman wasn’t a soldier. And if the hatg trusted this woman enough to jump into their arms, the youngling saw no reason to oppose them immediately.

  Unfortunately, Serenis begged to differ, coldly snapping back at their given answer.

  “Caretaker? A caretaker leaves a child by the rotting corpse of their kin?”

  “I…I just…”

  The woman had tless excuses.

  She had no authority to enter or leave the dungeon chamber at will. She was bound by a curse from speaking of its existeo others. The job itself had been forced upon her, and tless predecessors – namely, her own parents – had been put to death w the same job. The emperor was wont to kill and repce those for even the smallest mistake, and she was deathly afraid of suffering the same fate.

  In fact, it’d taken all of her ce to even asd the pace hills. She’d feared the worst in having to front the emperor without being called to the throne room – but her fear of something happening to Theolus had exceeded it.

  However, the royal frontation she’d expected was o be found. Instead of the emperor, twers were ihrone room, one of them an evident dragon – who seemed furious at her presence here.

  ‘And rightfully so, I guess…’

  The herbalist bit her lips. She’d always thought this would e to pass.

  That someday, the surviving dragons would find out about their imprisoned kin.

  That someday, the empire would bee enemies with the world’s most devastating creatures.

  And that someday, she’d be the first victim of the ensuing flict.

  To Serenis, the red-haired woman was just another Akeian. And so, she had no excuses to offer to the dragonlord.

  Eventually, what escaped the herbalist’s lips wasn’t an excuse at all.

  “…I’m…sorry…”

  “…”

  A momentary silensued as the ologetically lowered her head, her watered gaze falling to the floor.

  “I’m…truly sorry for what we’ve doo your brethren. I’m not sure if I say anything else. I’m sorry…”

  “…What you’ve wrought ot be reversed with mere words.”

  Serenis sloroached the woman with ominous steps. Even Theolus began to shiver from the menace seeping out of the dragonlord’s eyes.

  After ing to a stop, the dragonlord reached out her hand over the herbalist’s head.

  The woman ched her eyes in anticipatioe her looming fear, she khat running away was futile.

  But before Serenis’ hands could reach her, a cold grip stopped the dragonlord midreventing its advance.

  “Lord. Stop.”

  “…Raizel? What are you…”

  “You’re sg the kid too.”

  “…”

  When Serenis finally took a moment to lower her gaze, she could see the tiny hatg shivering profusely in the herbalist’s arms. His little arms were tightly holding onto the red-haired woman, his expression mirr the horror his caretaker was feeling.

  The dragonlord retreated her hand with a pained, lost expression. She couldn’t even tell what was right anymore.

  After an exasperated sigh, it was Raizel who turo face the woman, tapping them on the shoulder to gain their attention.

  “Hey. What do you actually do here? Humans didn’t hire you to be this runt’s caretaker, did they?”

  “Huh? I, um…I check the dragons’ states a it to his majes…I mean, the emperor. He…prioritizes extrag materials from the healthier dragons, and my job is to facilitate that.”

  “? How’s this kid fihen? Isn’t he the healthiest in there?”

  “…The emperor never knew about Theolus. He was an egg until just st year, and I…falsely reported that he died before hatg.”

  “Why would you…actually, never mind. How old are you?”

  “I’m…26…?”

  “Just cheg.”

  Raizel clicked her tongue upon firming the woman’s age. True to her suspis, this woman hadn’t even been born when Akeia was invading the dragonkin’s .

  The herbalist’s gaze shifted over to meet the hatg’s in her arms. He was frantically waving his short arms to wipe his caretaker’s eyes.

  “Mama’s g!”

  “…It’s okay. I’m okay, Theo. Look, see? Mama’s smiling. You smile too.”

  “Mrgh!”

  Serenis watched in silence as Theolus and his caretaker smiled at each other.

  She then turned her head to face the dungeon for another brief moment – right at the worn bhe hatg had been hiding under.

  ‘…It should’ve been obvious…’

  A hatg couldn’t survive in an enviro like that outside of their egg.

  Presumably, his parents were dead; had they been alive, no doubt Theolus would’ve been holed up at their side, not some old b. And the other imprisoned dragons were in no dition to care after a child, especially when it wasn’t even their own.

  Then, someone must have. Someone had iionally nurtured the hatg i, keeping him under what covers they could provide to keep him outside the emperor’s eyes.

  Indeed, it wasn’t even just Theolus. None of those dragons could’ve survived aire tury in su enviro had someo taken care of them.

  Serenis stared down at her trembling hand.

  Mere moments ago, she’d tried to kill the woman before her.

  Had Theolus not leapt iween them – had Raizel not stopped her hand – the hatg’s caretaker would’ve been long dead.

  A repulsive feeling began to well up ihe dragonlord. What she should’ve done was the plete opposite.

  “…”

  Soon – and to everyone’s evident surprise – Serenis solemnly lowered her head towards the red-haired stranger. A dragonlord was l themselves before a human.

  But so what?

  The empire had wronged her kin, but that did not mean Serenis could pce its bme on every single Akeian out there. The responsibility of the empire’s wrongs fell on its emperor, and those who willingly partook in Akeia’s wrongs.

  - ‘The fault lies not within the kind, but within the individual.’

  It rinciple she’d preached for eons in persuading her brethren of mankind’s potential: the evil rested not within mankind as whole, but within the few individuals that prised a mere portion. It was her who’d cimed that the bme should rest solely on the shoulders doers, not their kind as a whole.

  Shamefully, Serenis had momentarily lost sight of her very own words – and nearly murdered the person she was ied to.

  “D, dragon?! What’re you doing?! Please, raise your head!”

  “…Five me for my earlier words. I wrongly pced the kin’s misfortune on your shoulders.”

  “Please, there’s no need! You, you’re absolutely right, a proper caretaker should’ve done so much more. You’ve no reason to apologize…”

  “…”

  When Serenis raised her head, an apologetic smile curved her lips.

  Despite all those she’d wrohe dragonlord’s wrongs fell on her own shoulders. Her kin was not responsible for those she’d wronged in the past.

  Then, it was only right that she’d do the same to others – to not see them as a mere piece of one whole, but as an individual of their own.

  And right now, the woman standing before her was someone who’d wehs and beyond to help her kin.

  Another brief silence passed until Theolus excitedly cpped his paws together in the disappearing tension. Serenis quietly ughed at the sight before she spoke her phrase.

  “Thank you…for g after us.”

  During the previous era when Serenis had weled those of any rato the kin’s , the dragonlord had firmly believed in their future – where everyone would live together as kin, wishing nothing but well upon each other.

  flicts would iably arise. There were bound to be those with ill i from time to time. It was o expect that such things would never happen.

  But as long as there were those who shared in their lord’s ideals, she would ray from her path.

  ‘Thank you. For believing in us.’

  Praybird