> Chapter occurs around the time of the events of "Interlude for Slaughter" and is meant as a soft chapter to catch up with Aldia and Co.> Bear with me for the messy timeline, I'll get it fixed soon.---------------------------Gwynnen prepared himself for an important time, the time to train Midir.Midir had always been a lone beast, never helped by anyone, always the first on the abyssal frontier, eating away at the void.No matter the place, no matter the event, Midir was always there as a guardian.And now, he was officially going to be a rider dragon.Gwynnen's old dear dragon from his nameless days was no more, it perished in battle against a Certain Someone.So, they got to work.-"...I beg of you, cooperate to your best ability.Off we go..!"Gwynnen steeled himself onto Midir's back, and Midir took off.The special thing about the dragons from their world is their ability to comprehend, they were not mindless creature of legend.Midir instantaneously seemed like he was part of Gwynnen's conscience, following his every word, his every thought even.It was a majestic moment, flying over the Dragon's Peak, it threw Gwynnen far back into the past, into deep, almost forgotten corners of his brain. The moment seemed so far-fetched, so out of place, for what they have been doing and thinking for the past while.It was the first time Gwynnen had ever felt "Inner Peace" at its core.Maybe they were destined to be like this? A dragon's destiny, you could say.Gwynnen decided to explore further, he needed to get a simple layout of the lands surrounding the Dragon's Peak.Not much detail surrounded Gwynnen in his old days, but, from what you could gather from the barely left behind evidence of his existence, you could obviously tell he loved dragons, that's the whole reason he was exiled in the first place.An old bard's tale even has someone who is in obvious parallel to Gwynnen romancing with dragons, though, even that tale was long lost.Flying closer to the ground now, though still at immeasurable heights, Gwynnen realized how awfully vast these lands are, they could easily dwarf the lands of his father's rule.Hours and hours went by of them just spending time in air, and Gwynnen had begun to realize that it was time to return, though, he had not realized he was already spotted by a civilization or two.In the east of the continent, where the darkness gathered above a mighty castle, the nation of Jistav laid.On his route through the continent, Gwynnen passed through the Great Jura Forest, slightly missing a newly found settlement that was bustling.He took a turn west, and kept going that way, eventually reaching the aforementioned land of Jistav.Jistav; the land of complete silence, ruled by the infamous Demon Lord Clayman.Well, silence wasn't exactly that, it's just that compared to the rest of the world, Jistav no longer possessed the role it once used to fill.Once it was glorious, now, a shadow of its former self.Had Gwynnen known the backstory of Jistav, he would have steered clear from it, for it would have given him bad memories.Now, on the topic of Clayman, he had noticed the massive dragon flying in the skies, even if it was brief, and had stood up to investigate.His plans to subjugate the Great Jura Forest were already in motion, he couldn't have reconnaissance just appear suddenly, that would mean his plan was flawed, and that they have caught on.So, he gave slight chase, only to be outsped by Midir.But, his mind was engraved with a new revelation.The monstrous dragon that was just flying around in his territory, he needed it.Clayman was a man of greed.And, when he gathered around with his partners, the "Moderate Clown Troupe" for an emergency meeting due to recent events, he put forward this proposal.He had tracked down the line of flight, and came to realize it was in the Dragon's Peak.He wanted to go there, to find that dragon and put it under his control via his manipulation skills.So, when he put that proposal forward, he was asked, "Would you fail?", to which he arrogantly replied:-"No, I would win."With no further backing to how he spotted that dragon, no backing as to how powerful it is or how he would even defeat it.But, his friends trusted him, and continued their talks, delivering reports. Laplace, the black-masked clown, went first.-"So, about what had transpired... I have a good idea on where to go next.."
The clowns spoke for a long, long time.
Returning home through the cold winds, Gwynnen didn't seem to comprehend the weight of his actions just earlier.Midir aswell, they both gave no thought to the fact that multiple beings know of their existence, and might give chase sooner than later.And when they arrived back at the sparse mountains of the Dragon's Peak, Aldia and Seath were the first to meet them.Aldia's tone of voice seemed the same, but, Seath was conveying slight anger.-"You... Fool!I don't know how you could be any more dense!Have you no idea how dangerous your movement is?"-"What do you speak of? Training my saddle is the first step forward, is it not?"Aldia separated them, and spoke.-"Descendant King, your actions might have brought foil to our plans, if not now, that foil will come later.It is not a burden that we would bear forever, but, you might have just revealed our existences as a whole.From what I gather from this land and its rare-sighted populous, this land is sacred ground to the universe itself.It's a relic of creation.Our mere standing here might be heresy to those of the lower ground."Gwynnen finally understood the meaning behind their words, and took to looking down on the world below.-"I see.. So that's what the scaleless meant."Gwynnen said his piece, not really reflecting on his actions.Aldia sensed the growing arrogance in the former nameless one, though, arrogance might be a blessing in this day and age.Arrogance and ignorance, to be exact, is what constitutes a great king.One who seeks all for himself but also has his actions reflecting the world he commands.That is what the former nameless one should desire to be, in Aldia's imagination.-"Enough for now, gather round, we have much more talking to do.Since you've already left the nest, perhaps I should give you a mission or two to the outside of this vicinity."Seath and Gwynnen followed Aldia, which caused Seath to question Aldia's intentions for now.-"Worry not, Seath, I am now going to explain what my full power is, and how we need to utilize all of your abilities to their potential.Aldia paused for a second, then let out a sentence in a shiver-inducing tone."It is time to move."