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Morning had risen, the sun as bright and hot as ever. Slace was gone from the inn room when Vira woke up.
Kisei was still in the same spot, just focusing on themselves, talking to themselves again. Vira didn't pay much attention to it, assuming Slace went on his own to the castle.
Vira glanced over at Kisei, suggesting they do something.
"Do you want to go out and do something? Anything works with me honestly." Vira asked with a flat tone.
Kisei twitched suddenly before snapping their neck to look back at Vira, nodding before it contorted back into place.
And well, looking at the wall now and not at Vira, Kisei said.
"Yes... would like… food."
Vira agreed upon it without hesitation, but there was one problem: they had no money; Slace had it all after all.
That's when Vira saw some Fiarials on the table. Did Slace leave that on purpose?
Of course he did, and it was quite obvious from the note he left there.
The handwriting was somehow elegant despite his rough exterior; maybe that was one of the perks of being from a clan, learning how to write well.
"Don't spend it all on useless shit." That sounded very much like Slace to Vira.
Vira took the Fiarials without a second thought, the thought to thank Slace not even occurring to her as she counted the Fiarials.
"35… that should be enough for food and more." Although Vira would rather not waste the rest considering what Slace said.
There wasn't much need to get ready since the Fire Kingdom clothing was quite convenient, but Vira did wait for Kisei to get used to their new cloak.
Kisei got up, looking in the mirror at their look. They lifted the cloak over their head, and a wave of relief washed over them for a moment.
An obscured face, an obscured body—Kisei could finally avoid criticism. Even if this would be a short-lived relief.
Vira opened the door, waiting for the Kisei as she called them over, her tone as blank as ever.
"Let's go, Kisei."
Kisei nodded rapidly, following behind Vira, leaving the inn room.
———
Slace was heading towards the castle of the Fire kingdom.
Two thoughts went through his head.
What if the Fire King recognized him?
What would he do if the Fire King refused?
Slace thought to himself, walking through the chatter of the fire kingdom people; the singing and the sounds of fire were being heard everywhere.
He knew he would have to submit to the Fire King in order to get what he wanted, and he hated that fact, having to submit to a king who destroyed his clan.
Slace groaned out loud, not drawing much attention because so much stuff was going on.
He then murmured to himself, grumbling almost.
"Guess I have to do it… what a pain."
Before Slace knew it, he had already arrived at the castle; compared to the rest of the kingdom, this was a more subtle, peaceful area.
People were walking around, hanging out, and sitting on benches, and there were even people lying in the sand watching the sky. You could even find some people painting or playing calm music, obviously with magic instead of instruments, a magical skill anyone could learn but Slace never found fundamentally important.
Slace noticed the castle, medieval-like in design but also very culturally built, layered in colours of the fire kingdom, ancient dragon statues near and on the castle, everyone representing a different ancient dragon, and even art of ancient dragons and flames on the castle walls themselves.
But what was most interesting to Slace was the moat the castle had, filled with water. It is said that the ancient water dragons blessed the fire kingdom with water, and that's why the land of the deserts contains lots of water underground now.
"This place hasn't changed one bit." He said observing the place, not reminiscing but rather seeing it more as a fact.
Slace took a deep breath; he was really going to do this—walk into that castle and submit to a king. Well, now or never.
Slace took his steps, walking on the bridge across the huge mount, arriving at the castle gate.
To Slace's surprise, though, it was wide open, and the guards weren't even paying attention; they were just playing board games.
Slace had thought this would be harder, but I guess it was free property for anyone to walk on.
He walked past the gates; now people were touring around the castle, but only outside; getting inside was another matter.
Slace walked to the entrance of the castle, and there he saw him, the Fire King. Hatred glimmered in his eyes for a moment before calming down.
It seems the Fire King was kneeling down talking to a kid. Slace couldn't quite tell what he was saying, but it seemed like a friendly interaction.
As the Fire King finished talking to the kid, the kid hopped away excitedly with a huge smile on their face. The king then turned to look at Slace getting up.
They had a welcoming smile and a kind tone to their voice.
"Howdy there, you must be a foreigner, yes? My name is Pyrrhus, and I'm the king of this beautiful nation; if you need anything, come right to me."
Pyrrhus the Fire King had an aura to him, not one of a typical king, but instead one that was warm, peaceful, welcoming, and kind.
Slace was relieved to find out the king didn't recognize him, but he was still cautious.
"Tell me, where can I talk to the ancient dragons?"
Pyrrhus was quiet for a moment before giving a hearty laugh.
Slace got a bit irritated but didn't say anything as Pyrrhus spoke, calming down.
"Sorry for my behaviour; it's just that every tourist asks for that, so by chance it has become quite the joke."
Pyrrhus walked towards the entrance, signalling for Slace to come inside.
"Come on now, we can enjoy some tea while we're at it."
Slace followed behind; he now understood why the people of this kingdom were so kind. Back when he tried to get his revenge 6 years ago, he never saw the kings for who they truly were, and now he was seeing that firsthand.
The Fire King Pyrrhus wasn't wearing anything fancy; actually, he was in a huge soft coat with bed clothing underneath. It seems the Fire King didn't care much for attire, but it was surprising how he was seemingly immune to the heat.
Everything about this guy gave way to kindness and compassion; Slace could see why people liked Pyrrhus even if Slace didn't want to admit it.
They both walked through the castle while Slace contemplated to himself about the Fire King. The walls were layered with stone and vibrant yet calm colours of red, yellow, and orange, and candles were lit all around the place.
Slace was brought out of his thoughts as Pyrrhus asked Slace a question with a curious tone, just seeming genuinely interested.
"If I may ask, why did you feel the need to come to my kingdom? Was it just to meet the ancient dragons or something more?"
Slace decided to answer, thinking it was the best option available.
"To talk to the ancient dragons and for a quick stop to gather supplies."
"Sorry if this is barging in on your privacy, but what are you gathering supplies for?"
Slace was about to groan, sigh, or faceplant—anything that showed annoyance—but resisted the urge.
"Travel."
Pyrrhus seemed quite engaged in the conversation; he seemed to be a man who liked to talk a lot.
"And where might that be?"
"The nature kingdom."
Because Pyrrhus could continue, Slace continued on with a question of his own, almost picking at Pyrrhus.
"How come you're not on the battlefield when your kingdom is currently at war?"
Slace looked up and down at Pyrrhus's clothes, noticing the lack of any gear or weapons.
"Especially since you seem so lax."
Pyrrhus didn't sense the harmful impact of Slace's words and just laughed it off, but when Pyrrhus spoke, Slace could sense true belief in his voice; for his people, he wasn't worried.
"I could, but I know I don't have to. I know my people are strong and want to show me that they can prevail without my help."
Pyrrhus's voice deepened; he seemed concerned.
"And I don't feel particularly safe leaving my kingdom; I feel as if the Knight King Sloane is after something more than just my kingdom."
Slace didn't know what Pyrrhus particularly meant by that, but it was just all the more reason to be cautious of Sloane.
Before Slace could comment more on it, they arrived at a room, the door opening to reveal a big outdoor area of the castle where two ancient dragons were lying and talking.
It seems they were discussing the questions the children asked them today.
"The questions those children asked us today were odd indeed."
One of the ancient dragons spoke, seemingly a female ancient dragon with luxurious glimmering red scales, and seemed to be the older of the two.
"I agree. Then again, I liked when they asked us if we drank tea; that one was quite humorous."
The other ancient dragon chuckled a bit; this one was a male ancient dragon with black scales just like Drmin, and it was the younger of the two.
The two then noticed Pyrrhus and Slace turning their heads; the female one took initiative and spoke.
"Oh, greetings, Pyrrhus. Sorry we didn't notice you earlier."
Pyrrhus waved out his hand dismissively with a kind smile on his face.
"No, you mustn't worry; it is quite fine. I like watching you two partake in your talks anyhow."
The two seemed happy to hear that. Pyrrhus then started to leave the room, asking Slace a question before he left.
"What type of tea do you prefer?"
"Black tea that is especially bitter, or tea with clumps of sugar is fine too."
Slace's preferences were quite weird, but Pyrrhus didn't mind leaving.
As the door closed, the two ancient dragons looked down at Slace.
"So you're the reason Pyrrhus came here?"
The male one asked as Slace nodded.
"Well then take a seat, or stand, whichever you prefer."
Slace simply nodded and stood there; he wasn't going to be here for long anyways.
"You two must know me, no?"
They stayed silent for a moment before solemnly nodding.
The female one spoke, sensing Slace's magical presence; there were fractures in it.
"Yes, we do know of you… Slace of the Kurai, I suppose you're here for something from us then."
Slace thought for a moment.
"When Drmin told me where you were, I gambled… on the bet that one of you was an Ancient Fire dragon."
The name Drmin was very familiar to the two, an old friend; either way, Slace continued.
"I hate to ask for help; I prefer doing things alone… but if I'm going to be able to achieve my goal."
Slace looked down for a moment before looking up at the female ancient dragon, those red scales telling Slace it was a fire ancient dragon, and as he looked up at her, he hesitantly formed a request with his words.
"Could you help me get control of my fire magic…?"
The female ancient dragon thought for a moment, remembering Drmin; she respected him deeply.
"Drmin… if Drmin told you where we are… I suppose I could assist you."
"But first, could you demonstrate your fire magic?"
The female ancient dragon was interested in seeing what was wrong with Slace's magic; the male ancient dragon was interested too, watching from the sidelines.
Slace let out a heavy breath before bringing out his hand; this was going to hurt.
Slace began to manifest fire within the palms of his hands, fire forming within them, but not regular fire… black flames. It had an intimidating, powerful, distorting aura to it.
As the two watched Slace's display, they became increasingly more intrigued; they instantly knew what this magic was.
"Endland's magic…" they both said.
Slace stopped the flame as he coughed some blood, worrying the two ancient dragons as the female one spoke with concern.
"Even a member of the Kurai has a hard time using those flames."
"Well then it's settled; my name is Ignis. It's nice to meet you, Slace."
Slace nodded, not fully agreeing as he wiped the blood off his face. Slace knew something about Endland's as magic and those black flames; he knew of the drawbacks and their eternal effect, but he knew nothing else.
"If you know more about my abilities, tell me."
It was more of a demand than a plea, but Ignis delivered with answers anyhow.
"Endland's magic enhances regular magic by a catastrophic rate, but it cannot be used by humans or other species without corrupting them completely."
"I already know that—"
"Listen…" Ignis sighed. "The Kurai have the ability to use it without such effects, but usually they're very well versed in it… and well, you're not."
Slace agreed with that, admitting to his inexperience.
"It is true, I was a child when my clan was destroyed, so I didn't know much."
Ignis noticed Slace's sword, the Shadowblade, a blade forged in the Endlands, one that stayed in the Endlands for centuries before the Kurai eventually took it out.
"I believe even if the journey to master such magic seems difficult, that blade will guide it."
Slace looked at his back, his blade held there in its holder.
The other ancient dragon spoke, sensing the bond between Slace and his blade; he was quite proud of Slace for that.
"That bond you have, it will help you greatly; hold that sword dear to you and never let it go."
Slace averted his eyes, a faint blush on his face as he was flustered a bit.
"I don't intend to; that should be obvious."
Ignis then spoke again.
"Come closer, Slace."
Slace decided to listen and slowly walked closer.
"I'll teach you how to control and switch between the fire you possess."
"I'll teach you how to control and switch between the fire you possess on one condition."
Slace sighed; of course everything had to come with a price.
"What is it?"
The other ancient dragon intervened.
"You take me with you on your adventure."
Ignis nodded; that was the condition.
"I'll let Iml speak for himself."
That seemed to be the ancient male dragon's name.
Iml started speaking of his fantasies, what he wanted to experience, with stars in his eyes; he desperately wanted something in life, and he wasn't going to let this chance pass by.
"I was born during the extinction period of my kind… I have never been on a adventure before… I sought for that chance my whole life… That's why I must take that chance while I still can."
Slace thought it over before letting out an exasperated groan of mild annoyance.
"Fine, this is going to cause me a bunch of trouble, but whatever."
14.1
Vira and Kisei were in the guild house ordering food; Vira again ordered pancakes, and Kisei ordered steak, both simple.
They didn't speak to each other; it was kind of awkward actually for how silent it was at their table.
Either way, Kisei was pretty relieved and calm now since their appearance was concealed now since no one was judging them now.
Moments went by, and their food arrived. As they started to eat, when Kisei took a bite of their food, their face instantly lit up; Vira could tell they hadn't eaten in a while.
Well, they were eating, and Kisei was scarfing down their food. There was commotion going around the guild board where missions were hosted.
"What an insane cash amount for a mission."
"It makes sense; it's a dangerous ass mission, man."
"It'd be a waste of time to even try it."
"I just hope nobody actually tries to take it up; it'd be too dangerous."
And a bunch of other voices could be heard; a crowd formed at the mission board.
Vira was slightly interested as she got up, walking over there thinking to herself, "Extra money could be good."
She got through the crowd of people seeing the mission or quest.
["S rank
Mission: Stop this elemental dragon (not ancient dragon) from terrorizing villages.
Bounty: 50000 Fiarials"]
Ranks are basically what they sound like: S being the hardest and F being the easiest.
One of the people in the crowd spoke intimidated and scared.
"Why'd they even leave this mission to guild members? That's an elemental dragon! A dragon that can use all elemental magic!"
Vira didn't see what the big deal was, maybe because she didn't have the emotional capacity to be afraid of it.
Either way, she snatched the piece of paper off the board and walked over to Kisei, grabbing them by the hand and walking over to the guild receptionist.
Kisei was confused, but at least they finished their steak in time.
Vira then put the piece of paper on the receptionist's counter, asking in the flattest tone ever.
"Could we take this mission?"
Everyone in the guild house was shocked, really? Just two people taking on a mission that would take a whole team of professionals?
The receptionist looked at the two skeptically, as if wondering if they were looking for a death wish, fooling around, or just being dumb.
"Are you sure you want to take this mission…?"
Before Vira could say yes, she heard hard footsteps behind her, a huge silhouette covering hers, but it was a familiar silhouette.
"A chance for an amazing battle to pursue? Vira, you have good taste."
Vira turned around, looking up at the tall man; it was Bjornulf.
"Oh, hello, Bjornulf."
Bjornulf glanced down at Kisei kneeling down slightly.
"Who's this cloaked fellow? A friend of yours?"
Vira didn't know how to respond to that, but Bjornulf just assumed that Kisei was a friend.
"Their name is Kisei."
Bjornulf nodded, waving at Kisei's face with a big smile.
"Greetings, Kisei, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Kisei didn't say anything… that was awkward. Bjornulf just ignored it as he stopped kneeling and stood straight up, looking around for someone.
"Vira, do you know where Ecals is?"
"The castle."
"I see then; truly a shame he isn't here with us." Bjornulf walked forward to the reception counter, wrapping both of his arms around Vira and Kisei. "We three will be taking this mission."
The receptionist sighed, not believing in the three of them to get the job done, but she still let them do it anyways.
"Alright then…"
Bjornulf moved his hands back to their original placement and started walking forward as he took the piece of paper, laughing excitedly.
"Well let's go; let's hunt this beast down in the glory of battle!"
Vira and Kisei simply just followed, not nodding nor making any gestures as the three left the guild house.
Vira's pancakes were not even finished as the guild members were in utter confusion and shock.