Book 14: Chapter 58


    Inard looked at the woman leaning on him. He softly sighed, and then gazed at the moonlight overhead. Before he was captured, he never imagined living with a dragon. He thought he was doomed to die; he never thought hed be holding the sleeping dragon in his arms.


    The dragon didnt need much, but she seemed very satisfied. It was evident she had never experienced it before, so he managed to get her to sleep with just a couple of tricks. She didnt want to let him leave from the start. The desert was her territory; she could detect all of his movements, so he knew it was impossible for him to leave the desert. He assumed he had to live there forever.


    Inard thought living with the dragon wouldnt be so bad. The dragon wasnt as violent as he imagined. In fact, she could be considered gentle and considerate. She found a ce to take shelter from the winds in the centre of the desert. She travelled great distances to bring water back, to make him a small pond and even nted trees for him. She did everything she could to keep him despite having every means to lock him up. She also did her best to convince him to develop a fondness for the ce so that hed be happier living there. She wasnt just after amodity to relieve herself with.


    I guess she really does want me to be her family. She believes the reason Im so miserable is because Im lonely. If I had a family and a lover, I wouldnt feel lonely. Ive lived with her for some time; shes no longer a wild beast to me. To the contrary, shes just a lonely young girl. I feel an odd sense of redemption and obligation with her. I dont know when, but I stopped plotting an escape. Instead, I was worried shed be despaired if I did. Ive stopped caring whether or not I die or whatever else. What Im now worried about is if shell feel lonely. After all, lying on a boulder must be very lonely. Its the only boulder around in the desert, and shes the only dragon nearby to the elves. The struggle in this desert isnt hunger but loneliness, Inard thought to himself.


    Thou not sleep? The Dragon in Inards arms opened her eyes.


    He gave her gentle pats on her back to calm her down. Though she could ensure Inard couldnt escape, she was still afraid. She wasnt afraid of him running away, but that she couldnt keep a single man in spite of all of her efforts. She wanted to keep somebody to keep herpany. She didnt want a ve but a family member, which was why she tried to please Inard. She didnt want to let him leave. She was truly afraid; she didnt know how to be nice to him. If she couldnt keep him despite her best efforts, she would be ovee with despair. She genuinely felt she was bound to never have family members. If all of her efforts couldnt win his heart, she was out of ideas.


    Inard patted her back. She probably thinks Ill run away at night if I dont sleep, he thought. He caressed her skin and calmed the panicking young girl. He softly said, Its all right; I was just thinking to myself.


    Stop!! I do not allow thou to think!! I do not allow thou to!! Thou must be thinking about how to escape! I forbid thou from thinking! I shall fulfil thy wish. Thou are not to think!!


    She misunderstood me just as I thought, Inard said to himself.


    Inard hopelessly smiled. He leaned in to kiss her lips, and then tightened his arms around her. The young girl softly moaned, and then began to clumsily respond to his kiss. Nobody taught her how to kiss, but the dragon was very assertive and craved it. Therefore, her kiss didnt feel good. She thought that putting her tongue in his mouth was enough and the deeper the better. That was why kissing with the dragon didnt feel good. However, the Dragon really enjoyed the warmth of skin contact. Perhaps the warmth of another could reassure her. They eventually separated. Inard whispered, I dont want to run. I really didnt think about running. I was just thinking about the future


    Confused, the Dragon repeated what he said, The future?


    Inard nodded.


    The dragon was slightly baffled. For her, the concept of the future might be something very distant, but for Inard, it wasnt very far away. An elf had a very long lifespan, but from the perspective of a dragon, it was a weak life that ended in the blink of an eye. s, the nave dragon before him was unaware of that. Inard knew hed never be able to leave if he didnt escape, but he was already mentally prepared for that.


    Inard rationalised, I fail as a father. I like my son, Troy, but Im full of guilt toward him. Ive turned my innocent infant son into a boy with berserk mana. He was originally healthy and cute, but hes going to have to live a life of suffering, because of me. Ive even started to hate my own power. My magic seems almighty. In reality, it only curses my family with pain and suffering. Im not a King who is convincing in the opinion of the people, either. My sister far surpasses me. I have caused my own son to suffer, and Ive lost my lover forever. I have lost everything of mine in the elvennds. I lost everything that I value as a man a long time ago


    If I disappeared a little sooner If I couldve disappeared a little sooner what happened afterwards, wouldnt have happened My sister couldve be a qualified ruler sooner, and Troy would be a normal child. All of this was my fault. I desperately wanted to prove myself, only to hurt my family. If I stay here, however, I can give the dragon my time to save her from loneliness. As opposed to saying that she uses me to save herself from loneliness, perhaps I should say that I found my purpose in life here with her.


    Inard answered the question with, Uhm, Im thinking about whether or not I can protect you in the future.


    Protect me? asked the Dragon.


    Inard tried to scratch his head to reduce the awkwardness. He just blurted his thoughts. He felt arrogant after saying that. He realised, Shes a true dragon, not the foolish Earth Dragons. Shes a pure descendant of the esteemed dragons that have roamed this continent since ancient times. Im a failure of an elf, and yet here I am blurting out that Id protect her. Im so arrogant that itsughable.


    The dragon didnt mock him withughter. She reached her hand out to hold his hand that was somewhat smaller than hers. She looked at Inards hand and, in a quiet voice, said, Protect me That is the first time I have heard that There is almost nothing that I cannot destroy, but I cannot protect anything. Thou are the first to say that. I am very happy. Very happy.


    Though she said that, she didnt reveal a smile. Perhaps it was because what he said made her feel a little anguished.


    So, let me protect you, stated Inard.


    Inard decided he might as well go through with it. He pressed his hand on her head. Puzzled, she raised her head to look at him. When she took on her dragon form, her entire body that was covered in scales was invulnerable to all magic. However, in her human form, her head was the one and only spot that wasnt covered with scales. Inard took in a deep breath. He looked at her and cast his magic.


    The spell that Inard was talented with was Time Reversal. His spell allowed him to return the state of something back to a certain point in time. There were many ways for him to use it. The spell was the one he was proficient with and a one and only skill that he had. He didnt have the absurd mana purity Vyvyan had, but not even Vyvyan was capable of employing it with his level of proficiency.


    This is mumbled the dragon.


    This is all I can do for you, replied Inard, with a softugh. He stroked her head and, with a smile, borated, You know, Im actually a failure of an elf. I failed to protect what I shouldve protected. I failed to protect my nation, my sister, my wife and my child, but I have you with me this time. This time, I want to protect you properly. I dont know what will happen in the future, but you can rest assured. When youre in danger, Ill appear by your side to protect you no matter where I am or what Ive done.


    Perplexed, the dragon touched her head. She felt Inard cast magic on her. It was a simple matter for her to undo the spell cast on her, since magic could be erased using blood with higher mana purity. The dragon didnt remove it, though. Her instincts as an animal urged her to remove the spell of unknown origins, but she didnt, for she was more willing to trust the elf in front of her than her instincts as a wild beast in the moment.


    In her subconscious, the dragon thought, I never knew what spell he casted, and I never bothered to concern myself with it. My life didnt change, either. Heter on died in front of me. This was thest thing he left with me. I was very careful to not erase the gift, besides his time, that he gave me.


    That was why the spell had alwayssted until then, when his son came to search for him.


    She, previously, didnt understand what Inard said, but she finally did. She tried countless times to see him again. She thought hed return when she was in danger, but she never seeded in bringing him back. That day, however, I finally seeded. Nevertheless, the one she saw wasnt him.


    Inard cast Time Reversal on the dragon. The activation condition was her death. She died, thereby triggering the spell. She travelled back to more than ten years ago, but he was no longer around