The revelation of the duke's current state caused shockwaves throughout the castle. Miranda's unconscious body was carted off to her room by Clad and the junior maids. Many inhabitants were happy to hear their lord still lives, while others were confused by what this could mean for the future of the duchy. Ariellia tactically keeps her mouth shut, unable to voice answers she herself doesn't know. For now, what matters is Castle Garrod still stands, their barriers are still intact, and there's nothing needing her immediate attention. A perfect time to excuse herself to get some much-needed rest.
The crazy adventures of the day are finally catching up to her, making her brain feel sluggish as all the adrenaline drains away. Perhaps it's the comfort of being home that finally puts her at ease, letting her lower her guard behind these familiar walls. Either way, she can barely keep herself standing on two feet for much longer. The urge to sleep can no longer be delayed, the question is will she be able to voluntarily make it to her bedroom on the east wing of the castle or follow Miranda's lead and pass out on the spot.
Her foggy mind automatically tries to lead her towards Orym's tower, on the east side of the castle when she suddenly stops. Her mind once again racing as she rubs the egg in her arms. Is it alright for her to carry off the egg like this? How will they get it to hatch? What if it rolls off her bed while she sleeps and it breaks? Distraught by her lack of knowledge on dragon rearing, she turns back to the only living dragon lord she knows.
"Uncle Jasper, how are we to take care of my father's egg?"
The older Bastian smiles, clearly excited about the topic. It's understandable since this is his lifelong dream finally coming to fruition. "Come with me, I have something to show you two."
He leads them towards Myran's tower on the west wing of the castle, taking them up several winding steps to the very top floor. It's common knowledge that the west wing belongs to the duke, most inhabitants of the castle hardly come here without permission. This particular floor has always been strictly off limits to anyone but David. Even Arie, despite her mischievous nature as a child, never tried to access this area. She watches in suspense as Jasper lightly pricks his finger with his sharp nail before placing a drop of blood on the door handle. The metal handle heats up momentarily before reverting to normal, followed by the audible sound of a lock unlocking. He twists the handle and opens the heavy metal door with ease, unveiling a beautiful night sky.
"Woah!" Ariellia rushes into the spacious observatory, amazed that such a room even exists. Her large amethyst eyes follow the tall white columns up towards the large arched glass dome, captivated by the perfect view of the stars and moon. The walls and floor are almost entirely covered with flowers and precious gemstones. In disbelief she reaches out to touch the soft petals of a succulent moon blossom with a dazed look. If she didn't know better, she might have mistaken this for a natural enclosure somewhere outside in the forest. At the center of this ethereal scene is a large cozy bed under a floating canopy with swaying spider silk drapes and several plush pillows. The entire space is wide enough to house a half-grown giant.
"What is this place?" The awe in her voice is unmistakable.
Jasper smirks, very proud to see her reaction. "This is my nest, your father had this floor redone so I could comfortably rest here in my true form. The gems and mana stones you see here are from my vault."
For the second time today, he sheds his false human skin, becoming a red dragon the size of a bahamut. Standing proudly on four legs, he moves over to the bed with serpentine grace. He lowers himself to his belly with practiced ease, unfurling his large wings in a welcoming manner. Unlike before, he isn't angry but even when he's in a pleasant mood, the weight of those large serpentine gold eyes still feels very heavy for the ones subjected to his stare.
"Come, bring the egg to me." Like before, they can hear his true voice in their minds and not through spoken words.
Ariellia stumbles towards him, feeling jittery for reasons she can't explain. It's different for Rei, he looks to be a bit uncomfortable. His stubborn expression reminds her of a puppy forced to share his area with another dog. There seems to be an initial sense of rejection on his part, but they are soon sitting on the bed in front of jasper.
"Your father and I would often come up here to watch the stars. I would return to my true form and watch over his dreams while he sleeps. Being a duke, he was often bound to his land and duties. It's only while he slept that I could share all the scenes from my travels through our shared dreams. With my gift, we could experience them together like he'd been right there with me."
"Shared dreams?" Rei has a sinking suspicion.
"Yes, a dragon lord has dominion over the dreams of those with close ties to him."
"Then my dream-!"
"Haha-ha-ha took you long enough. Yes, that was my doing as well. Otherwise, how could a dull green brat like you who was raised by a nun imagine such an exciting scene." Jasper laughs, a harmonic sound like the gentle swaying of chimes emits from his belly as his red and gold scales softly vibrate.
"You sick old man!" Rei's face becomes completely distorted, his eyes flash gold just thinking of the intolerable humiliation he went through that day. A hint of horns begins to sprout from his head as though he was about to transform on the spot to seek revenge.
"What dream?"
At the sound of her voice his transformation abruptly stops. In his anger he'd completely forgotten they're not alone, now he's left looking panicked and distressed. For her part, Arie is completely lost. She's curious to know what kind of dream can get Rei so worked up.
"In my defense, I do not know the full extent of your dream. I only gave a nudge to your subconscious to trigger your lust. As if a self-respecting elder like me would want to know what goes on in the dreams of a repressed youth like you."
…
The two men quietly agree to settle the score when she's not present. Jasper gently wraps his spiked tail around the egg, shifting it to the crook of his arm. Ariellia and Rei watch in wonder as he lowers his head, letting his inner breath shower the egg with his warm mana.
"Hatching a dragon egg is not easy. It can take months, even years, for an egg to hatch. The egg must always be under a steady shower of mana from an older dragon. I won't be able to move freely once the process passes the initial stage."
"Then for our trip to the capital?"
"I can't go in person, but I can give you this" a light appears before them, morphing into a small doll that looks a lot like Jasper.
Rei frowns at the miniature version of his annoying uncle. "And this is?"
"My avatar. While I won't be able to travel with you, this avatar can act as a medium. I can answer any questions you have through this. You can also access my storage ring with it, of course I've put some limitations in place for your own safety. You won't be able to take out any items beyond your current level, and redistribution of my items to others outside your group is prohibited."
'Ha as expected of the living treasure chest!'
'Hush, have some dignity Eren. Am I so poor that I lack items?' Arie rolls her eyes at her other half's shameless fawning.
'Maybe not, but certainly not the items Jasper has. They are all precious, one-of-a-kind items you'd be silly to miss out on.'
'…perhaps I will take a peek at his collection later.' As much as she would like to argue, Eren has a proven track record on such matters. Regarding their development, his input has been undeniably valuable. To think Jasper amassed such a unique collection all this time while seeking the spell to transfer her father's soul, what a fortunate coincidence. It's almost like he was pushed by fate.