Ep 175. Get To Work. (4)

  Aymeia stood awkwardly iaring at the looming structure with unease.

  - ‘Here, this is as far as I take you. Good luck!’

  “…Eugh.”

  The former deity longingly stared up towards the sky Ilias had fled to. It looked so distant from the valley’s lowest floors.

  Frankly, she didn’t know what to expeside: other than the fact that a bunch of elder dragons would be ih Serenis, Aymeia had little knowledge of how the dragonkin haheir affairs. Things may have been different whe possessed her divinity and Vulka’s memories, but those days were now long gone.

  A, she knew she’d never hear the end of it if she went back empty-hao Raizel.

  …In fact, she wasn’t sure if she could even climb out of here on her own.

  ‘It ’t be that bad, right? The dragonlord’s there too, it…should be okay…’

  Aymeia tio reassure herself internally, repeatedly drawing up the dragonlord’s figure in her head like a mantra. If another dragon decided to stomp her underfoot, Serenis was the only individual that could possibly staween them.

  But before she could steel herself to a satisfactory level, a voice from behind caused the former deity to jump.

  “…Excuse me, young dy.”

  “Eep?!”

  Aymeia abruptly turned around to find her first elder dragon. In trast to their bleak, greyish hair, a pair of holden horns jutted forth from his head – quite unlike all the darker shades she’d seen in Serenis and Ilias. Though, that didn’t necessarily make the elder’s gaze any less pressuring.

  But before Aymeia could step aside or pretend she was dead, the elder looked to her with a gentle smile.

  Only then did she notice their unsharpened gaze.

  “I believe…a questioning was being held…is that correct?”

  “I, uh, I’m not- I mea, the elders are all gathered here!...I think!”

  “Har…thank you.”

  After a brief aowledging nod, the elder seemed to stare into Aymeia’s eyes for a long while.

  But instead of studying her features, the elder’s gaze remained fixed in pce, as if to make out what he was even looking at.

  “Mm…apologies for my staring. My sight hasn’t been the same these past few years…”

  “Oh…is that why you’re…?”

  Aymeia spared a brief g the elder’s golden horns. It didn’t need much expining that they were a dragonkin.

  Ahey’d seemingly walked here instead of flying like Ilias had done so easily.

  “Indeed. I’m afraid flight has bee a luxury I o longer afford, lest I take to the air half-blind. Why, summoning my wings alone has bee a chore.”

  “Oh…”

  “Of course, that’s no excuse to arrive so te to a gathering…if I may, would you be so kind as to take the lead, young dy?”

  “I…I would, but…I’m not actually a dragon like you. Is that okay?”

  Again, the elder only returned an aowledging nod. Instead of bag down and showing pt, he only beamed back at the former deity.

  “Har, it’s quite alright. One does not need sight to see the goodwill of others.”

  ? ? ?

  When Bruton aher had called Serenis to the guest hall, they were well aware of Xerun’s i. They were well aware that the dragonlord would be brought to question, and asked to return the heart she’d taken from her son’s grave.

  What they hadn’t expected were all the preparations Xerun had made in advance.

  The twons looked to each other, then at their lord standing iween them. Despite the numerous dragons surrounding them with a deadly spell of their own, Serenis remaiatic, as if nothing had ged at all.

  But as much as they wao ask Serenis to say something ialiation, with Xerun’s threat looming overhead, askio speak was out of the question.

  In the end, all Bruton could do was turn to speak to the elders’ representative himself.

  “…Xerun, you are out of your mind. Retreat the kin.”

  “And allow a human child to py king among us?”

  “What do you care?! Lord Serenis hardly held us to her will! The only times she’d done so, she’d done so for noble reasons!”

  “The importance of our as lie not in its fun, Bruton. The importance lies in preserving who we are.”

  Xerun’s eyes soon drifted back towards Serenis.

  And, even as the two gred at each other, the elder beamed a soft grin.

  “The kin does not serve; we have never needed a king, nor will we ever live to need one. If there truly lies a treasure that our predecessors possessed, it belongs in the hands of our kin, not in a human child’s.”

  “…”

  “You seem hesitant, dragonlord. Even in the absence of words, surely you could yet return what you’ve stolen.”

  In fact, Xerun was right: Serenis was indeed hesitating.

  But it wasn’t the gesture of returning her heart that she was hesitating on.

  No, what Serenis was hesitating on, was…

  - ‘An adult ought to fight other adults, not children. I’ll take care of them.’

  Serenis beamed a soft smile as she reflected on what would’ve been.

  A thousand years ago, Arkrana would’ve been standing at her side to say those exact words.

  Had Raizel been here, the youngling would’ve said much the same.

  …Of course, they were the odd ones. Bruton aher’s reas were the normal kind: uneasy and uain of what to do .

  After taking a deep breath, Serenis hovered a hand over her chest, as if tn her very own birthright.

  But trary to Xerun’s expectations, the dragonlord’s hand then shed outwards, sending a ring of light spreading outwards.

  “…!”

  The surrounding dragons wideheir eyes in surprise. Some even released their magi retaliation, unaware of what Serenis had done.

  Unfortunately, none of their spells were properly executed as the dragonlord’s spell began to corrode their form, killing the spells within.

  “What-“

  Xerun’s eyes darted from er to er, looking for even a single dragon that had been able to execute their magic – to which he found hey remained as dazed as he was, staring at their own two hands in fusion.

  With the looming threat gone, Serenis quietly opened her lips.

  “Did you truly think I were powerless without my speech?”

  “…”

  “…Do you still take me to be a mere human child?”

  Before Xerun could return his answer, Serenis approached the gold-horned elder with heavy steps. Prismatic lights formed over her head, and the stone floor ched beh her foot.

  Xerun reflexively took a step back, though he quickly realized the absurdity of his own as. He soon raised his own hand into the air, densed lightning gathering into his palms.

  “Whatever sorcery you may have at disposal, we will not-!”

  “My, it does seem we’re te. My si apologies, young dy.”

  As an elder’s leisurely voice cut through the air, everyone’s attention instantly shifted over to the hall’s entrance.

  There, they could see another dragon – a bearded elder seemingly limping their way iogether with a human girl holding their arm for support.

  Though, as much as the elder was holding onto Aymeia for physical support, she was seemingly holding onto him for dear life.

  “No, it’s…it’s pletely fine…”

  “Har. Did I interrupt something, elders?”

  Despite his casual voice, the te dragon wore a satisfied smile – as if his interruption had been well-intended.

  In response, Xerun narrowed his eyes, gring at his two guests.

  “…Elder Ardion. I see you’ve mao get on your feet for once.”

  “Mm. A struggle still, but I do seem to be managing.”

  “…Who is that human with you?”

  “Ah, a kindred soul I’ve asked fuidance.”

  A heavy silence followed suit as Xerun stared down at the elder dragon.

  But as if he couldn’t evehe pressuring gaze, Ardion only let out another hearty chuckle towards Xerun.

  “Har…I apologize for my te ing. But I do wish I was given an invitation beforehand.”

  Xerun scoffed at the elder’s sarcasm. They both kly why Ardion hadn’t received an invitation – as well as the fact that the cil wasn’t expeg their appearao begin with.

  “…The elder cil is currently discussing an important matter. We’ve no time for your interruptions, Ardion.”

  “Elder cil? Strange. A dying brood like myself must not t as elder anymore, then.”

  “…Ardion! This is a formal gathering. Watch your words.”

  Serenis pursed her lips at the sudden shift of focus. Despite her presence, Xerun didn’t seem half as ed about her as he was regarding Ardion’s sudden appearance.

  And, using the small window, she leaned over towards Bruton to whisper in his ears.

  “Bruton. Who is that dragon with Aymeia?”

  Bruton paused for a moment to properly make sense of the dragon he was beholding. It was almost as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes.

  Then, he finally turo Serenis with a stuttering answer.

  “That’s…E…Elder Ardion. The eldest of our kin, I believe.”

  “Eldest? How old are they exactly?”

  Bruton pursed his lips at the dragonlord’s sed question.

  And, soon enough, he regretfully shook his head.

  “…My apologies, but…I’m not so sure. Elder Ardion’s been an elder since my hatg days.”

  “…?”

  Serenis made a quizzical frown at the answer.

  Bruton was an elder himself. Judging by appearance, he was at least 400 years old, if not more.

  Then…

  ‘…How old is this elder exactly?’