ASTHIA DARCK'S POV:
I ran down the main avenue towards the outer gates, Diana by my side as we zipped through the oncoming traffic of people.
Something had happened.
It had already been three hours since the beginning of our plan, and the eerie silence that I felt from my link scared me. There was no way Jay could've been killed considering he would've used the Integrate ability as a last resort, but for some reason, I felt like I wouldn't see him for a long time.
"Do you know what happened?" asked Diana as we dashed through the crowd. My eyes glanced at the first princess, her face full of worry.
"I don't," I responded as we passed through the dark archway, appearing outside the city. My senses immediately realized that Jay's presence was missing, something that was extremely unusual.
My eyes shot towards an incoming source of energy.
I sighed in relief as Mia came running out of the forest, a small girl by her side.
"Alice?" I asked, confused. Why was Jay's little sister caught up in all of this? Tears were running down her face, Mia's eyes averting my gaze.
"Where's Jay?" I asked, my voice resonating with power. I closed my eyes, calming myself. There was no reason to frighten the two innocent girls in front of me.
Mia understood my mistake, nodding reassuringly.
"Hugo took Alice hostage. Jay had no choice..." muttered Mia, the words refusing to come forth as her voice cracked.
"He's gone!" cried Alice, her emotions chainless as neverending waterfalls flowed down her cheeks. "Brother gave himself up!"
My eyes widened in horror, the pieces of the mysterious puzzle slowly coming together. Did he offer himself up as a prisoner? If Hugo was to even consider the proposal, that meant that Jay also revealed his identity to the entirety of the Liech family...
"Is it true?" asked Mia, looking at me right in the eyes. I knew exactly what she was referencing, the answer flowing out of my mind immediately. There was no point in hiding anything, and if Jay had already revealed himself, then there was no way I could deny it.
"Yes. Jay Cadmium is a dragon," I confirmed, my words shocking everyone around me. I waited as silence ensued, a question arising within me. "Where's Hugo?"
"He's gone. He left for the Dwarven kingdom a few minutes after Jay," said Mia, her mind still processing the undeniable fact about Jay's race.
I gritted my teeth, the desire to take out all my built-up fury upon the individual behind this entire mess slowly consuming me.
"Let's take Alice home for now. I have someone I need to speak with," I said, relaxing my aura as Alice grabbed my hand. The young girl had already met me before, allowing her to at least somewhat trust me. I could tell she was skeptical about everyone around her. Had she recently been betrayed?
We walked back towards the center of Eloria, my mind racing as I focused my vision on the massive castle up ahead.
Let's have a little chat, Mother.
JAY CADMIUM'S POV:
I knew Hugo's threat about the check-ins was a complete bluff, but I never intended to fight back either way. The young boy was probably a few thousand mels behind me in a different convoy, making his way towards his haven.
Bronze-orange rays of light beamed through the windows of the carriage as the Dwarven capital came into view. My eyes widened in awe, the scenery completely different from my home back in Eloria.
Vapor escaped from dozens of buildings, massive gears turning as the entire city roared with motion and machinery. I guess they weren't called technologically advanced for nothing.
"We're the Liech family. We're transporting a prisoner for the King," said one of the riders at the front, his words barely audible from my current position.
"Very well. Take the prisoner to see his Majesty immediately," ordered the guard.
The convoy passed the walls surrounding the capital, random passerby stopping to observe the unknown vehicles making their way through the kingdom of Schild. The massive fortification at the center of the city was completely different from the castle of Eloria, the towering building resembling a battle station rather than a luxurious palace.
This city was no joke when it came to defenses. My eyes could already make out advanced ballista on the walls of the castle, a technological achievement that the human empire had yet to acquire.
"Welcome to Thorria, capital of the kingdom of Schild," announced a figure sitting on a stone throne, his brown eyes looking at me with disgust. Large golden plate armor coating his body, a massive battle hammer at his side. A thick brown beard covered the bottom of the king's face, a golden helmet protecting the top of his head.
"It's an honor to meet you, King Glad. I am Jay Cadmium, royal knight of Asthia Darck," I said politely, bowing down in respect. I knew polite manners wouldn't earn me any favor with the king, but I wasn't going to disrespect the figure representing the entirety of the Dwarves because of his views.
I was well aware of the contempt the Dwarven King held towards the Dragons, and I was already prepared for harsh treatment during my imprisonment. As long as those back in Eloria remained unharmed, I didn't care what was thrown at me.
"You will be kept here until I am satisfied with your use. Rest assured, I will not mistreat a prisoner solely because of their race. You will be considered a guest under constant supervision," explained King Glad, his words surprising me ever so slightly. I didn't expect him to be this honorable, even if it was the correct thing to do with a prisoner of war when there was no war.
"I thank you for your kindness," I said.
"Take him away," ordered the king, two guards grabbing my arms as I was directed towards a room. My eyes glanced towards a source of overwhelming bind, a tall figure meeting my gaze.
An S-rank adventurer.
His long black hair contrasted with his bright orange eyes, a long garment consisting of a mix between a jacket and a robe dignifying his appearance. I could immediately sense the difference in power between him and Jean, but Amelia's own power wasn't that far off from this individual.
I sighed.
The chances of winning this war were extremely slim. If two S-rank adventurers similar to the figure I had just witnessed were to attack Eloria, only a joint defensive with Jean and Amelia would be able to stop them. If we were to suppose that the Elven kingdom was in possession of two other S-rank adventurers on similar standing, there was no possible war to defend Eloria against a two-front attack.
That being said, the massive walls of Eloria would allow Jean and Amelia to hold off the armies for a certain time period, converting the explosive war into one of attrition. King Glad believed that holding me captive would delay the outburst of war due to the risk of me being caught in the crossfire, but his own plan would soon backfire.