290. The Key to the Nine Thousand Worlds (6)
Abel, who had been sitting cross-legged on a magical formation scattering purple magic, suddenly opened her eyes. She turned her gaze toward the horizon visible through the window and spoke.
“Fernandez.”
“Why do you ask?”
“A dragon is coming.”
“…What?”
Fernandez had been focusing on amplifying the divine aura of the goddess within Abel and the presence of the dragon she harbored. It was no simple task. He had to reveal only the presence without consuming her lifespan or power.
Fernandez opened his eyes without stopping the beastman. Abel’s gaze was trembling. The dragon’s energy began to surge from within her. Fernandez quickly reached out and grabbed her slender wrist.
“Calm down.”
“Fernandez…! I… I…!”
“It’s not certain yet.”
“No, I can feel it. This feeling… this familiar sensation… It’s the dragon. Was it still there? Was it still alive…?”
Abel looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment. It was only natural. Fernandez could understand the shock and sorrow she was experiencing.
Once, she had described her situation as that of a drifter. A wanderer who had left her rightful place and drifted aimlessly through time. It was a sad but true statement.
In this era, the remnants of the past she had seen since reopening her eyes… the words of those who remembered her were utterly miserable. Her kin had been annihilated, and Karadfellin and Sadarkelisa, who remembered her, had died in a distant dimension.
Now, the only thread holding her was Fernandez alone. Blindly, but understandably. He was her only proof of origin left in this reality.
If a long-lost kin were to appear before her. Conversely, if Fernandez were to encounter his reincarnated son or Aria. Could he maintain his composure? No, it would be impossible.
“We can confirm it directly. Not yet.”
“Fernandez…”
“Let’s go.”
He grabbed her wrist and left the spire. On the deck, numerous people were gathered, running around.
* * *
“The dragon is coming!!”
“Cannons!! Prepare the cannons!! Ready the fire!!”
“Load the live rounds! Not blanks! Load the live rounds!!”
The Wild Princes were rallying the crew amidst the chaos. Finding Leia amidst this was not difficult. The priests and mages were casting numerous protective spells around her.
Their near-paranoid obsession was something only an elf could understand. The only being capable of damaging the King’s Flagship was approaching. And from the direction of a hypothetical enemy nation. Whether it could be stopped or not, for the sake of their race’s fate, it had to be stopped.
“It’s coming!!”
A red dot appeared on the horizon. The moment it was recognized as a dot, it grew to the size of a coin, and by the time its approach could be gauged, it was already as large as a palm. An incredible speed, yet its size made the distance seem unbelievable!
“Fire!!”
“Stop!!”
Fernandez quickly ran forward and shouted. At his words, the elves flinched. Even the elves, driven to near panic by their survival instincts, hesitated at his command.
The slayer of two Serpent Kings. The dragon’s rider. And the beloved of Queen Leia. Such titles held an authority among the elves, who regarded their sovereign as a god, that was impossible to resist.
“Queen Leia! Calm the people!”
“Are you certain that dragon is not an enemy?”
“No! But we must attempt dialogue first! Evacuate the people below deck.”
“The dragon’s breath could pierce the flagship’s defenses…”
“I will!”
Fernandez extended his hand. As his fingers twisted the air, a black halo began to burn behind his head. Leia closed her mouth at the sight. Ah, that man… is also one who could destroy the elf king’s flagship.
“I will protect it. Trust me?”
“Of all humans, the most.”
“Then only you and your retainers remain, evacuate the people.”
“Understood.”
The most important figure, who should be in the safest place, remained. None of the elves resisted her command. It was one of the noblest postures of a sovereign. Watching the queen regain her composure, the chaos on the deck quickly subsided.
-Swish.
Leia sheathed the longsword she had drawn for command. Sss… She took a long breath in, then exhaled. Placing a single index finger lightly on the sword hilt, a seemingly defenseless posture—
All the Wild Princes assumed the same posture, half-closing their eyes as they watched the approaching dragon. It was the stance of the elf martial arts. That defenseless state was like the fangs of a snake, poised for the most intense strike.
Thus, serpents. These are sea serpents. Even if it were dragon scales, these venomous snakes, filled with malice, watched the approaching dragon.
-Whoooosh!!
The dragon’s wingbeats created a strong wind pressure, causing waves to rise. Numerous griffins hovered near the dragon. Fernandez narrowed his eyes and observed them.
Suddenly, it was close. The figure riding atop the dragon’s head became visible. Jerolen… A young elf wearing a splendid, tilted crown looked down at them. Around him, elf knights riding griffins were visible.
* * *
-Kwaaaaang!
The red scales glowed fiercely under the midday sun. The flagship’s deck was large enough to accommodate an army, but the dragon’s massive size and presence made it seem as if the entire ship was sinking.
Leia’s knights placed their hands on their sword hilts, watching the dragon. If its mouth opened, and its breath was drawn in, they were prepared to shatter at least one scale, even if it meant their death.
A sharp killing intent swirled. Even from the griffins soaring in the sky, the same killing intent flowed down.
Then, the dragon lowered its head.
It scanned the surroundings with its icy blue eyes, then stopped as if pinned to a certain spot.
At Fernandez, and Abel standing behind him.
[Abelesas……?]
“This voice…… Lisir. It’s you.”
[How…… are you still alive?]
No hostility could be seen from the dragon. Some knights, startled by its rumbling voice, hastily gripped their sword hilts, but no one dared to make a rash attack.
At least communication is possible. Leia let out a deep sigh and stepped forward.
“Let’s postpone the reunion for now, Atailatl. There’s something more important. Come out, Jerolen!”
“You’re quite bold for a youngster.”
From behind the dragon’s head, soft golden hair swayed. A tall elf youth leaped down and stood proudly on the deck. His dark blue cloak, embroidered with intricate patterns, fluttered in the wind, making his sturdy frame appear even more imposing.
“Are you the Serpent King of this era? Hmm…… Guimerin, I presume.”
“……That’s correct.”
“Is your father dead? That guy, trying to pass down the generations in such a way, ended up losing his head to his own child.”
He looked around and chuckled.
“This is a first for me, but for a trap, it’s quite courteous. Wasn’t it you who called me out?”
“Yes, Jerolen. I…….”
“Wait.”
He turned his head to the Wildriders, who were still glaring at him menacingly. To the elves, the Serpent King is akin to a god. The eternal kings who have led their people since the Celestial War. Looking at his kin, who hadn’t lost their spirit even in the face of such a being, he smiled deeply.
“Impressive. Though I don’t know your martial skills, at least your spirit is no less than in the old days. But this is a meeting between sovereigns. Shouldn’t we act with dignity, regardless of friend or foe? Soldiers, sheathe your swords and step back. At least today, the blood of our kin will not stain the ocean.”
His words were quiet but powerful. The Wildriders flinched and looked at their sovereign. Leia glanced at Jerolen with a complicated expression, then shook her head.
“Prepare a feast. We’ll hold the talks after that.”
“Haha! To think a daughter like you would emerge under that stubborn Guimerin. Truly, the world is full of surprises. Lagras!!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!!”
As he shouted towards the sky, the knights who had been hovering above the deck, gripping their weapons, responded in unison. Jerolen spread his arms and called out.
“Come down and enjoy the feast! Let’s see how splendid a meal our foreign kin can offer!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!!”
Feathers scattered in all directions as the griffins began landing on the deck one by one. Amid the rain of griffin feathers, Jerolen walked straight to Leia and extended his hand.
“I’m delighted to face the new era of my kin. Serpent Queen Guimerin.”
Looking at the eternal king’s smile, Leia took his hand and shook it. It was the first diplomatic gesture between elves since the Celestial War.
* * *
Even as the elves headed to the banquet hall, some remained motionless in their places. Two dragons on the deck, staring at each other, were among them. Unfazed by the commotion around them, they stood still, gazing into each other’s eyes.
[Abelesas…… You’re really alive.]
“My neck hurts, Lisir. Is this how you treat an old friend after so long?”
[I…… I must have lost my mind.]
With a whoosh, flames covered the scales, and from beneath them, a woman with red hair emerged. She approached Abel, slowly placing her hand on Abel’s cheek and closing her eyes.
“I missed you, Abel. You, and everyone else.”
“You’ve endured a long time, Lisir. The child has grown so much, it’s hard to recognize.”
“I…… thought I was abandoned. What happened? Why were you alive, yet…… you never told me? How did you survive?”
Many things had happened since the Celestial War. It had been a long time. A thousand years, even for immortals. Even dragons, who enjoy eternal life, are not immortal. As time accumulates, memories become fragments akin to madness, buried deep in the heart.
Many dragons had declined. Even without aging, that doesn’t mean they are immortal. Dragons who fell into madness were slain by mortals called “dragonslayers,” and those who didn’t succumb cursed their own degeneration and perished.
And so, the dragons disappeared. Slowly, over time. For a species whose lineage had been severed, it had been a long time. The last trace of a dragon vanished over five hundred years ago. A time closer to myth than legend.
“I was dead. I came back to life. Two years ago.”
“Are the dragons returning……?”
“No. I am the product of a near-miracle, a coincidence. Lisir, the era of dragons has already ended.”
At Abel’s words, Lacrisir burst into tears. Hope is crueler when it finds traces of absence. It would have been easier not to know, not to have it. That’s how she had lived.
But the finality declared by her kin, who had returned to life, weighed heavier than the moments she had never heard.
“I…….”
“When I was born, there were over a hundred of our kin left, and when you were born, there were still about fifty.”
Caradfelin, Sadarkelisa, Abelesas, Lacrisir. Four dragons remained in this era…….
“When I die, you’ll be the last one left, Lisir. I find that…… hard to bear. How lonely it must have been. How sorrowful.”
Abel stroked the back of Lacrisir, who was nestled in her arms, with tearful eyes. She hadn’t witnessed the extinction of her kind. She had already fallen dead by that time. Though she had known extinction was imminent, she had never taken it seriously.
But Lisir, this young dragon, must have faced it all. She had lived through every moment, watching her siblings, parents, and kin fade away over time. And she must have faced the moments when no more descendants appeared.
The dragons younger than her couldn’t withstand the changing world. Those older than her rusted away under the weight of the world. Was her survival a blessing, or a curse? Abel found it hard to answer.
“How did you come back to life?”
“It was the power of the Eye. A miracle woven together, a moment that can never happen again.”
As Abel turned slightly, Fernandez stepped forward. He looked at Lacrisir’s tear-streaked face with an awkward expression.
“Nice to meet you. It’s an honor to face the last dragon of this era. I am Fernandez Sernerd.”
“Perhaps it’s a trait of our kind to have our hearts stolen by mortals.”
As Abel teased, Lacrisir blushed and lowered her head. Abel stroked her hair and said.
“Shall we talk about your lover too?”
“Gladly.”
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