2-66 Izayl


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What?” Aedan asked upon noticing Erin’s lingering stare.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Didn’t think you were capable of sentiment,” she replied with a shrug. She turned her gaze away. “I’m even doubting my eyes.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Whatever gave you that idea. I’m not devoid of emotions. I just don’t bother with them much.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Just can’t imagine what kind of person he must be to be able to put up with you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“She,” Aedan corrected. “Izayl is a she.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, it clicked in Erin’s mind. “Ah, I see. So the two of you were an item, is that how it is?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan’s gaze narrowed against Erin’s smirking eyes.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Am I wrong?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No, you’re not wrong.” Aedan admitted. “She was my best friend and she gradually became more than that. She was… different from most. She returned every jab I threw with her own but she was more prudent than me. Knew how to hold her tongue but when she unleashed it, there was no stopping her.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sounds like you admired her too.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You would admire her too if you knew her. I’m sure the two of you would get along well. Too well, I dare add”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin noticed a drop of tear was forming in the corner of his eyes but she said nothing of it. It would be boorish to.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s ironic. She’s the Abyss Dragon. She bore a pitch ck color but she had a heart of gold.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What happened to her?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know,” Aedan said. “We didn’t part on good terms. It was during the reign of Zarkoth. Terrible time. We had conflicting ideas. She wanted to stay and help the war victims and refugees but I wanted to fight on the front lines. It was the angriest I have ever seen of her. We parted ways then and I never heard from her since. I thought she returned to her homnd. To think that she had met her demise here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin stepped closer to Aedan and ced her hand on his shoulder. She wanted to say some words offort but she realized this was the first time she was consoling someone not out of obligation. She couldn’t find any words to say.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Do you think she was killed?” Erin asked but she immediately regretted it. “Wait, I didn’t mean—”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan chuckled. “It’s alright. That was a good question. One that I don’t even have the answer to. She’s an Ancient Dragon. Even though she’s not a fighter, her natural prowess makes her a terror to be trifled with. Considering she met her demise in such a ce, out of the sight of everyone, she might have fallen for some scheme that ended in her demise.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“But if that’s the case, the clues would have already been washed away by time. There’s no telling what actually had transpired.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I am sure about one thing. The Singrity was a result of her death. This means that she may have died with a lot of negative emotions. Her death is not of her own ord.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin flinched. It was only for a brief moment but she felt rageing from him. That split second of wrath was enough to let her know that the pinnacle of his strength was something she could neverprehend. In her former world, such power was impossible. The magic advancement of this world made it possible. She doubted she could amount to much in this world even in her prime.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry,” Aedan apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I was not scared,” Erin asserted. <i><span style="font-weight:400">“Much.”</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan tittered behind his palm. “If you say so, missy.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“And you’re back to being an arse.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It has its moments,” Aedan muttered. His gaze fell to the small body of water that separated them from Izayl’s corpse. Ripples appeared on the surface asionally.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“There’s something in the water,” Erin said.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Evidently.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You know what it is?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I do,” Aedan answered briefly. He then spoke in anguage that Erin couldn’t understand even a single word of it. The speech had a certain tune but Erin was certain it was no song.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What manner of speech is that?” she asked after he stopped.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“An ancientnguage. Dragon tongue, to put it simply.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I almost thought you were singing.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Trust me, you do not want to hear a Dragon sing, at least not in their own tongue.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ripples began to form incessantly on the small body of water. Bubbles also began to surface. Soon, a creature broke through the water surface.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin took a step back and put her hands on her sword. As she noticed the indifference in Aedan’s eyes, her grip loosened on her sword’s hilt. Nevertheless, she focused her sights on the creature that had just emerged from the depths.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The creature resembled a Dragon with one ring difference, it was humanoid but only on the upper half of its body. The lower half was a snake’s. It was wielding a spear with an undting-shaped tip. It slithered its way tond all the while maintaining its body upright.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“A Naga?” Erin blurted out her Appraisal result.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Met one before?” Aedan asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Campfire tales,” she answered. “But I don’t recall hearing about them having ck scales and being creatures of dark nature.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hmm, me neither,” Aedan said, curiously.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“There’s a lot of miasma inside its body.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I notice.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Are they even alive?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“They look alive.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Naga looked at the two with a dubious re. It raised its spear and pointed it at the two. It spoke with a melodious tongue that sounded soothing and threatening at the same time.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What did it say?” Erin asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The usual, “who are we”, “what do we want”, those kinds of questions.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Aren’t you going to answer it back before… you know, it starts to attack us.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It won’t attack us. See how his hands are trembling? It knows what I am.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Wait, he?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, he. It’s a male. See that tiny hole under his belly. When a male Naga gets aroused, their—”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Continue that sentence and I’ll make a hole under your belly.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedanughed. “Well, you get the point.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Naga, seemingly offended by the fact he was ignored, began raising his voice.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan answered his question with a few lines of words. The Naga immediately lowered his spear and stared at Aedan, unmoving.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What did you just say to him?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I told him my name and that I’m an acquaintance of Izayl.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin looked at him doubtfully but she understood there was no reason for Aedan to lie.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Naga turned to the water and began uttering words that could only be interpreted as a call to others. Not a few seconds passed, more Nagas emerged from the water.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“There are dozens of them…” Erin gasped. “How did I not sense them?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“They’re aquatic creatures. They excel in the water. Unless you’re really concentrating, you could not perceive them from above while they are underwater.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Naga looked towards Aedan and began telling him something.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan’s brows furrowed as he listened to what the Naga was saying.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin was dying to know the contents of the conversation but she remained prudent and waited for them to finish. The conversation went on for quite some time before it ended. Aedan had a look of astonishment and relief.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Interesting… but as expected of Izayl,” Aedan mused.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Come on, don’t keep me waiting.” Erin urged. “What did he tell you?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“He was very descriptive and poetic about his story so I’ll just summarize it. They belong to a tribe that was attacked by Zarkoth’s forces. Izayl saved the whole tribe and brought them to safety but she exhausted almost the entirety of her strength and the Demons hunted them down without rest. She lured the Demons down here where she fought them to herst breath.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“She died fighting the Demons?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan nodded. “To show their gratitude, these Nagas volunteered to stay and guard her corpse for they knew a Dragon’s corpse would be the greed of many unsavoury individuals.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“But how did that lead... to this?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“A warlock came.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“A warlock?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Mages who had reached the epitome of magic and somehow managed to turn themselves into magic too. Magic zealots of the highest order, that’s one way to describe them. They’re no longer beings of flesh and blood but of magic. Anyways, a warlock found Izayl’s corpse with his magic and began conducting all manners of unsightly experiments. Of course, the Nagas tried to fend the warlock off but they were all defeated.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin’s eyes widened.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The Warlock found a way to harness Izayl’s powers but the Nagas managed to steal the power from the Warlock when he wasn’t looking and used it on themselves. They killed the warlock with that newfound power and they became beings that are neither living nor dead.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Just like the monsters of The Singrity… but they are still sane.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“By staying close to Izayl’s corpse. Her dying will was so strong that it remained even after her death. This dying will of hers helped the Nagas retain their sanity. And they have been defending Izayl’s corpse ever since.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What about Ba’al? Did he not try to obtain Izayl’s powers?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“ording to our friends here, Ba’al didn’t seem to know how to harness Izayl’s power. They fought but… there was victor or loser on either side. Ba’al gave up but I’m pretty sure it was only for the time being.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin arched an eyebrow. “He gave up a Dragon’s power? Can’t imagine a person like him would give up.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“There’s a misconception that therger a Dragon is, the more powerful they are. Most likely, Ba’al didn’t know Izayl was an Ancient Dragon. He thought it was just a Dragon and if I had to venture a guess, he probably thinks his divine gifts were inarguably better and decided it wasn’t worth the trouble with his current strength.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I see...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Although, what’s interesting is that Izayl had told them much about me.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Well, that exins it,” Erin nodded.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“She wasn’t just telling my tale,” Aedan said, his voice turning soft. “She was singing praises of me endlessly. She told them nothing but my good sides...” His voice was trembling.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sounds like she has forgiven you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan was silent. He shed a tear but he wiped it off before Erin could notice. Little did he know, Erin already had noticed.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Nagas gathered in a circle and began whispering to one another.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What are they saying?” Erin asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You want me to eavesdrop on them? Oh my, Erin. How boorish of you.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin rolled her eyes. She began counting one to ten in her head. Otherwise, she would sock him right here and now.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Nagas finished their discussion and turned back to the two. The one that had been leading the exchange approached Aedan with one knee on the ground and a hand on his left chest.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Wow,” Erin eximed softly. “They knew how to do that?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Probably Izayl taught them.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Naga spoke solemnly and Aedan listened attentively.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, that’s… a little difficult,” Aedan muttered after the Naga finished.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What did they ask?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“To relieve them of their duty and make sure no one would ever get their hands on Izayl’s corpse.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I see… Can’t say I didn’t expect this. I would request the same thing too if I was in their position. So, how do you intend to go about this?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan stuck his hand inside the space beside him and pulled out a cyan gem. Erin could feel a great deal of energy emanating from the gem. Even the Nagas pulled away from the gem.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Is that… some kind of explosive?” she asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s a Spell Gem. There are many ways to house a spell. Magic Scroll is one of the ways and this is another one, using a Spell Gem. The Magic Scroll method is the most conventional but it has its limits. As for a Spell Gem, this manner of gem is rare but it could house spells that a scroll couldn’t.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“And there’s an explosion spell inside this gem?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Essence Nova. It’s basically Essence re but on another magnitude. It will erase everything of dark nature in thiswork of underground tunnels.” Aedan exined. He also gave the Nagas the same exnation. The Nagas looked at each other before giving nods of approval to Aedan.


    <span style="font-weight:400">One of the Nagas dove back into the water and swam over to Izayl’s corpse. He plucked a few of the Mist Pearl flowers before diving back into the water and swam over to Erin. It got up close to her and kneeled on one of its knees, presenting her the Mist Pearl flowers in its palms.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Umm...” Erin was hesitating. She was surprised that the Naga knew what she wanted but she reasoned that Aedan had most probably told them of their purpose of being here. She nced towards Aedan who was gleefully smiling and enjoying her predicament. “A little assistance please?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“She had already taken the trouble to pluck them for you. Just take them.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin didn’t know how the Naga before her was a female but she didn’t dare to ask lest she got another picturesque exnation. “Y-you sure? Won’t that be… disrespectful? This is desecration, is it not?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan gave a smile, one that was formed naturally out of memory. “To save the life of a child, I’m sure Izayl would even give her life for it. She won’t mind.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Take,” the female Naga said, shocking Erin. “Please,” she added.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Hesitatingly, Erin graciously epted the flowers. Only after she had taken it, she discovered she had no way of storing them. She did bring a pouch with her but she guessed it must have been left behind when the Wights came and dragged her into the tunnel when she was unconscious, or rather, when she was dead.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Seeing Aedan’s grin, she sighed and handed him the flowers, which he ced inside his subspace storage.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I hate you,” Erin said.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I know.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Should we take some of these Nightspring grasses too?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t,” Aedan warned with a firm tone. “They are known to only grow in dark ces which are extremely rich in miasma. Half a kilo can be sold for twenty gold. Surely I don’t need to tell you why you shouldn’t take them.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">With all those points listed out, Erin could only nod.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I guess this concludes our business here...” Aedan said. He gave the Nagas the Spell Gem and instructed them on the usage.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That’s all? You don’t want to stay longer and… mourn?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I may have only a few friends but I have a lot of them over the course of my unending memories. Never have I stopped mourning for those losses. Besides, I will be disrespecting her memories If I stay and mourn. And you, have a life to save.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Nagas said something in which Aedan frowned a little.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m guessing it’s nothing good?” Erin asked.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“They’re giving us an hour to get out of here before they activate the Spell Gem.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It’s just Essence re, we should be fine, right?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The me itself can’t hurt us but the force from the unleashing of the spell would definitely… crush us.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m guessing it’s toote to tell you that I do not know the way out?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Aedan grunted and took out a scroll from his subspace. “This cost hundreds of gold,” he groaned.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin pretended like she heard nothing, though she couldn’t pretend his arm wasing her way. He was fast and strong. Even with her speed, she couldn’t avoid having his arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her close.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Stay close. We’re teleporting,” said Aedan, almost as if he was whispering.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Erin tried to make some tiny space between them by pushing him away but to no avail. Once again, she was being reminded of the difference in their power. It felt like she was up against a giant stone wall embedded deeply to the ground.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Magic Scroll glowed. Aedan waved the Nagas farewell and they returned the same gesture. Both sides exchanged onest smile before the space contorted and swallowed up the two.