"Fine." Dagon resented. "My reason for fighting is not just revenge. It is true the Four Kingdoms killed my father, but I also desire the freedom of the dragons. I intend on bringing down the royals, though, I won't kill them unless I have to. Once they have been defeated, I will create a world in which humans and the Dragonic races live in peace. That is my end goal."
"That's it?" Ald laughed. "That is a silly goal. The idea that humans will live peacefully beside us is not plausible. Humans envy us. They fear power, yet they also desire it. Their souls are warped by greed, and as long as they live, they will never be at peace with us. They will always resent us. They will always desire our strength."
"And what is your point? Is it wrong to try? What do you suppose I do instead? Kill every last human in Seryad?" Dagon asked.
"If it came down to it, would you?" Ald asked.
"No. I wouldn't. It is wrong. All beings deserve to live, corrupt or not. The actions they make will always have consequences, but you cannot kill someone just because of what they are. Not all humans are corrupt."
"And how would you know that?"
Dagon was silent. Ald made a good point. Dagon had no experience with humans, really. Other than when he was a child, he once had a friend, a human girl. But he hadn't seen her in many years, for all he knew she could be just as corrupt as the royals.
"And there you prove my point."
Dagon's eyes narrowed.
"Fine. Then I will free the dragons.. and I will take all of them and we will leave Seryad."
"Leave Seryad? And go where? Azeala? Miruk? All the other continents are run by humans. This land is our home, our origin, and it once was our sanctuary. The humans do not belong here." Ald spoke.
"Then I will chase them out. And if they refuse to leave this land…" Dagon clenched his fists, "I will kill them."
"Are you sure you could bear having that much blood on your hands?"
"You keep saying things that contradict yourself." Dagon said, picking up on a pattern. "You keep saying that to reach my goals I'll have to kill… then you ward me against killing. What are you getting at?"
Ald smirked. "To be king, you have to be able to have a balance." He held up one hand. "One hand holds kindness, mercy, and benevolence. You treat the people with love and care and show respect to them as they do to you." He held up the other fist. "On the other hand is your iron fist and will, you can lead your men to war knowing they will die. You can cut down those that would bring chaos to your land, you are merciless and wrathful." He then clasped his hands together. "These together create a good king, light and dark, one without the other leads to only destruction."
"I know that." Dagon said. "That's why I said I won't kill unless I have to."
"But in this case you do." Ald frowned. "There will never be peace between the dragonic races and humans. There will always be darkness."
"Then it is just as you said." Dagon spoke. "You can't have the light without the dark. The greater the light of peace, the longer the shadows of death and bloodshed will be cast. And that's just how it is. If the humans didn't exist, what makes you think there would be peace? How do you know the Dragonic races would not war on one another as humans do in other nations?" Dagon frowned. "Where there is life and prosperity, death and poverty will always be in toe."
Ald grinned. Then he began to chuckle, which then became a hearty laugh. "Well, you seem to understand the way of the world. That's all I wanted to know. You pass!" Ald clapped a large hand on Dagon's shoulder and squeezed. "I am glad that you have the right idea about what it is to be a king. You cannot prevent death and despair, no matter how peaceful it is. Death is woven into life, destruction is woven into creation, and sorrow is woven into joy. That is life, an ever shifting scale that will forever be in balance."
"So that was a test, then?" Dagon asked.
"Yes, and you passed with flying colors. It was a bit rough at first, I thought I would have to kill you for a moment, but it is all fine now."
Dagon stared up at the man before him. His smile reminded Dagon of his father..
"So. What is your name, boy?" Ald asked, turning away and heading back towards the river.
"Dagon. Dagon Maddris. My father is Ayden Maddris."
Ald turned to Dagon in surprise.
"Oh? How… interesting.." he mumbled. "Whether it be fate or coincidence, it seems you were meant to come here."
"What? What do you mean?" Dagon asked.
"I know your father, kid. Actually, I don't think there is a single Dragon or Kin who does not know of Ayden." Ald spoke.
"What… do you mean?"
"So. Remember how I said the Dragon Gods can forge Kinships? Well, they aren't like the usual Kinships. They are much different, and they are actually called a Kin Sworn Pact. One who has a Kin Sworn Pact can still forge a Kinship with another dragon. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"
"Not.. really? No I don't.." Dagon said.
"Mm. How about this, do you know the Dragon God King, Elderren? Do you know of how he created the three gods, as well as the egg? And about the Queen?"
"Yes. I know of them, I actually learned of them recently. Elderren gave parts of himself and his own power to make the three gods and the Egg of Chaos." Dagon said. "What about it?"
"Dagon. Your father… was the Dragon Kin bonded with Elderren."