“Must you leave?” Nur hesitantly asked.

“Indeed, I do. I am sorry for doing this so suddenly, but the elders have summoned all of the red dragons back to our home, that includes me as well.”

Just an hour ago, a commanding almost too strong for human ears resounded, but somehow only Aida and Nur reacted. The cab driver and Sariu seemed to be not affected at all. It was almost like someone stuffed cotton in their ears.

“ALL OF THE RED DRAGONS RETURN TO YOUR HOME! YOUR ELDERS SUMMON YOU!” a voice that was audible enough to make anyone nauseous.

Nur knew that the message was intended for Aida, but he managed to intercept it. It must have been what Mrakus told him in his dream, soul staining, due to the fact that his soul has been mutated by dragon blood, he now had a red left eye and he could hear the true voices of dragons.

He pretended to be surprised when she told him she was leaving. The reason he needed her was in order to stay safe and not experience more deaths, in a sense a bodyguard. But he could not say that out loud.

She was the first living being he chose to save, in order to prevent the red dragons from swarming the city, he chose to enable her to survive, but it was a mystery to him why she kept following him instead of just leaving him. He only knew her for less than two weeks, but to him that time might as well have been years.

“Well then, have a safe journey.” Nur said with a fake smile.

“Still sticking to formality? Oh…Come here…” Instead of doing anything harmful like I expected her to, she hugged me. On that spot. Until she hugged me, I did not realize, I was shivering. She most likely sensed that I was shivering. She whispered. “Thank you”

“I…I don’t know what to say.” Nur replied.

“Your face says enough.” In her eyes, Nur saw his own reflection, he was crying. Tears streaming down his face like tiny rivers. Ever since he arrived in this city, he had no one he could rely on, but then Aida came in to his life. She might be a monster that terrorizes the world, but she also became the first friend he had here.

He might have only saved her just in order to fulfill his selfish desire to survive, but the time he spent with her was real. All those nights he woke up with her wings wrapped around him for comfort, he did not forget that. The fact that she helped him ambush the knights with her physical strength, the fact that she hunted down beasts while he could do nothing but be frightened of them due to their enormous size. She helped him find the witch, she helped him escape this city, and she even found a carriage in order to sneak out of the city unnoticed. She was his partner in crime, and her valued her contribution more than anything else. Sariu might be a pawn who would be used and disposed of, but Aida…she was a friend.

After having Desolai and Kunjarik taken away from him, the only person he could count on was Aida, but now she was leaving as well.

“Our time together was short, but I am glad to have met a tiny one like you, Nur.” She said in a comforting tone.

“I know I shouldn’t say this, but do you have to go? I…I will manage, but still…I will miss you.” That was the truth; this dragon had become the closest thing he ever had to a friend.

“The feeling is mutual. That is why I am giving you this.” She let me go from her warm embrace.

Now in her hand was a patch of red scales. She put it in my hand.

“These are my scales. For red dragons, giving someone else your scales is an ultimate proof of trust, a trust you more than deserve. The scales of dragons have a special property for they are connected to us even after they are detached from our body. I am a red dragon, so the scales are affected by fire. If you set the scales aflame and step into the flame, the flames shall transport you to where I am. It can only be used once, so be wary of not having it stolen.”

“Yes, I will keep it safe.” Nur answered.

“MAY OUR PATHS AND FATES CROSS AGAIN, NUR FINNERMAN.” Aida resumed her true form of a gigantic red dragon and proceeded to fly into the sky.

Nur watched on as her large frame disappeared into the clouds; it was the middle of the night. The cab driver and Sariu were sleeping.

Now a voice sounded out.

“Mr. Finnerman, where did Miss. Aida go?” Sariu asked with obviously sleepy expression.

“Home.” Nur answered, his voice sounded somewhat strained, but his eyes just wouldn’t stop leaking tears. He did not know what was wrong with him, why he would all of a sudden want to cry so much. But he knew one thing for sure, the one being he considered his friend had just left him.