Chapter 26

Ignorance and Cowardice

“Mighty Kingdom of Pendragon?” Arthur’s eyes squinted, tracing the words from the picture book they read last night. It was an hour before the afternoon. They just finished their early lunch a while ago and he was sitting in front of the dining table while Katarina washed the dishes in the wooden sink.

“Pendragon?” he repeated, examining the word very closely. He tried to recall if he stumbled upon it, but nothing came to mind. The place sounded so familiar, yet so foreign to him. “Is that where we came from, granny?”

Katarina spun slightly to the side and met the boy’s curious stare. “That’s only half correct,” she answered with a delighted smile. “While your mother and I came from Pendragon, your father originated from a different country…”

The boy’s brows furrowed together. “What country is it?”

Katarina didn’t say anything for a few seconds as she finished her chore. Once done, she wiped her hands on her apron and sat beside Arthur. “The Kingdom of Hanzo’Metea… that’s where your father came from.”

“Hanzo’Metea?” His brows furrowed again. “Doesn’t that mean Serpent Dragon?”

“That’s right, Arthur...” She nodded, brushing his hair in delight. “Hanzo’Metea, the land of the Serpent Dragons.” She paused for a moment, thinking solemnly. “Well, we’ve been calling them that, but they’re more known as the Kingdom of Mondragon.”

Arthur's heartbeats stopped for a second. Mondragon…, the word kept repeating in his head. He heard it behind his ears like a broken record.

Two years ago, he kept pondering - how on earth did he bore the same name, Arthur, that he had in his previous world to this magical realm. However, every time the question popped out, he’d always end up crying from overthinking. In the end, he convinced himself that it was merely a coincidence. Not to mention that he had dismissed the fact that his mother's name was Lady Mondragon. He thought that it was a leap of fate - a cunning coincidence. Now, hearing his last name for the second time as a country where his father came from, the thoughts of him being reincarnated in this world as a coincidence began to fall apart. He wanted to connect what he knew, only to fall into great anxiety that there are no dots to connect. He barely knew anything about this world, about himself, and even about his grandmother. In desperation, he resorted to his first deduction when he first woke up in this world. “Am I dreaming?” he unknowingly asked, his voice cracking. “Is this a dream?”

Katarina’s grimace grew even further as she watched the boy’s blank expression. He had been staring somewhere unseeingly, not blinking for almost two minutes. “Honey, are you alright?” She asked in a worried voice, cupping his cheeks. “What is this dream you're talking about?” Her eyes searched for his attention, however, he still didn’t respond.

“Arthur!” She called out, her voice high and stiff; even shaking the boy to pull his awareness.

Arthur blinked numerous times as his mind returned to the dining room. “Yes? Granny?”

“Arthur, you’ve been staring somewhere for too long…” She heaved a mouthful sigh. “What are you thinking? Is there something bugging your mind?”

He didn’t speak, only giving her a hesitant look.

“Tell me… ”

Arthur thought for a bit. Should he tell her everything? After all, he trusted her to take it seriously. She might be upset, but he trusted her enough. Besides, she might help him find the reason why he retained his memories. Arthur forced himself to smile and failed. Terribly. It appeared as though he was in so much pain.

“Tell me… ” urged Katarina again.

Arthur took a massive breath and spoke. “I found out a week ago that I would get to tame a dragon once I turn ten, is that true? I just thought that it was too good to be true… Maybe, I was dreaming when-”

Katarina grimaced, her expression sending a fiery glare. All her concerns a while ago had disappeared. “Who told you that?”

The boy cursed himself as he looked away. Not only did he lie, but now, he had turned the stick for worse. His statement came out so smoothly that he almost believed it.

“It was Duliri, wasn’t it?” asked the old woman.

His hands involuntarily clasped hers. “Please, don’t get mad at him! I was the one asking him too many questions!”

“Alright…” She sighed, softening her expression. “But from now on, if you have anything you want to know, tell me. Understand?”

He nodded in silence.

“So... do you have anything you want to ask me?”

He nodded again “I have lots of questions about this picture book you read for me yesterday...” He smiled innocently. “But I’ll ask them tonight when you return.”

“Alright…” She nodded before looking away, beaming a wicked smile. She was looking ahead, her expression turning obnoxiously threatening. It was so scary that Arthur felt goosebumps for a second. “Though I guess, I need to talk to Duliri about his blabbering. Maybe I should take away his ability to speak so-”

“Granny!” Arthur protested, pouting.

She merely laughed as she looked at him again. “Granny’s just joking, honey....” she said in between her subtle snickers and pinched his cheeks before standing up. “I’m going to my room now. I need a change of clothes before going out.”

“Okay…” Arthur stood up as well. “I’ll go to Azeah’s. She may need some help.” He then proceeded to exit the dining room but before he could, Katarina called him one last time.

“That’s a promise, Arthur…” She said with a serious face and tone, catching the boy off guard. “You can ask granny anything. You can tell me anything… and whatever happens, I’ll always be on your side. Granny loves you and I always will. Always.”

Before he could even respond, Katarina had already overtaken him and went silently to her room without uttering another word.

“You haven’t changed, Arthur,” he whispered after a while, biting his lower lip. “You’re still a coward.”

***

“Have a safe trip, your ladyship, Vlanca,” Hula spoke courteously, mimicking Duliri’s voice. It was a mystery for Arthur how Hula effortlessly did it, given that the timbre, tonality, and pitch of their voices were different. Hula then lowered the top of the staff as though he was bowing.

Vlanca smiled at him awkwardly while Katarina gave him a cold stare. “We will, so I expect that you take care of Arthur while we’re away. We’ll be back before dusk. And…” Katarina paused, her eyes aflame. “Don’t tell him anything unnecessary.”

“That might be hard, your ladyship. The boy’s very curious about a lot of things. He always asks many questions.”

“I know…” She sighed. “But I’ll leave that on your judgment Duliri.”

Arthur watched in silence, a relieved grin marked his lips. At least for now, he knew that Katarina trusted his partner. Though he also felt a thorn in his throat, knowing that they were lying to her; that they were deceiving her.

“Understood.”

“And Arthur...” She spun sideward and looked at Arthur - who’s riding behind Pirro’s neck, his hands clinging on both its short horns. His grip tightened still, forcing himself to forget his worries for now. “We’ve talked about it, so don’t be upset if Duliri won’t answer your question, okay? Be a good boy...”

He nodded with a feigned smile. “I will!”

Thus, the two women departed the clearing to begin Vlanca’s magical and hunting training in the forest.