Richie’s addition to the group was a welcoming for the group. The fact that a dragonborn was real did not seem to be that big of a deal for the Ternorians, who did not have any prior knowledge of draconic mythology or even anything Main in general. Hans and Adeline usually just asked Ulster for reference, for he was the first to know a lot about the continent. Keeshar just went along, having no interest in the myths beyond what his small island had, though he appreciated it, considering that his guardian’s homeland was more colorful than he thought.

But colorful wasn’t exactly the right way to describe Main at the moment. With the blinding Pillars of Light becoming common sight and the dangers that came with it became more frequent, everyone believed that life in Main was harsh and unforgiving, in addition for being horrifying despite the vibrant countryside compared to Ternor. With Ternor also having its own problems, nothing felt safe until they understood what they were facing.

And finding out about Qeveriyt could give them the thing they needed, even if it was cryptic at best.

After Richie and the village, the group continued their journeys while being vigilant for the monsters that came out of the light. Before long, they reached the region border, with the lush, green grass replaced with dry grass and sparse trees; a savanna that was the entrance to the desert region. Just like the first time Hans and Azureath saw the desert from the sky, the Central Region was mostly sand stretching to the horizon as far as eyes could see and was dry and searing hot. Considering that he also experienced the desert at night, Hans also knew that it was chillingly cold when the sun was out, even if he was covered in fur. It was worse under the sun.

“You know,” said Elyse. “You two should’ve just turn human while you’re at it. We won’t get any shades out here unless we get to an oasis.”

“How about your oasis?” suggested Hans. “Azureath might know where it is.”

“Well…it’s artificial, so the anti-magic effect might’ve withered the plants there.”

“Won’t know unless we get there.”

“In regards of turning human,” said Richie. “Maybe it’s not the best idea. Got sunburned while relaxing at a beach. Not a desert, but it’s still the same thing.”

“You know, I still need to process that you were once a human and not a true dragonborn of myth,” said Ritik. “It won’t change my opinion of you, of course. I mean, you still proved that you are a dragonborn, just not…”

“Not hatched from an egg?” remarked Richie.

“Well…that, too.”

As Ritik and Richie continued their conversation, Hans found himself conversing with Elyse as Adeline was chatting with Keeshar and Zenithia. The werewolf wasn’t sure if Elyse was alright after seeing her being tormented by the corrupting nature of the light. She seemed to be doing fine, but her caprine face still showed a pained and serious expression, completely different from when he first met her. She seemed to have a brash personality, enough to show no restrain when kicking Hans into the air. Wasn’t exactly the best first impression, but at least, for Hans, Elyse apologized to him about it.

He had no insight on what she was before the pillars came. Maybe she was a confrontative person, or maybe she was overly careful, considering what she was based off. Now, she looked like she was constantly in pain, and twice, Hans found how sensitive she was to changes in nature, considering her druidic background. The fact that all that changed into an anguished satyr did not sit well with Hans.

He never liked seeing someone in pain. Like when he first met Azureath, he knew someone was in pain, but tried to hide it. Others might not see it, but Hans could at first glance. He was always that good about people, so much so that he was actually offered by the master of the village’s pub to be a bartender instead of a bouncer. He knew Hans was a good listener and a better judge of characters. Unfortunately, Hans might not be able to consider the offer, now that his village was gone and the master possibly dead.

But at least he could try using that skill, possibly to try and comfort Elyse.

“Hey, Elyse,” said Hans. “You can always talk to us about your problems.”

“What makes you think I have a problem?” she said.

“Your anguished expression, for starters? Look, I know I am more used to human and canine expressions, but goats aren’t that far off. Considering satyrs doesn’t look like a goat, it’s not a problem for me.”

Elyse sighed. “Yeah, you’re right,” she said. “Shouldn’t have keep it to myself, now that I’m travelling with people. Someone’s bounds to know, anyway. Still, I’m surprised it’s you, of all people.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I don’t know…maybe it’s because you’re a wolf and I’m a goat? You know…predator and prey?”

“What? You think I’m going to eat you or something?”

Elyse chuckled. “Someone might put that out of context. But…yeah. Nature’s being tortured by those lights. Not destroyed, tortured. I can understand the pain of people cutting down forests or using destructive spells, but those lights corrupted them, turning them into something different. The trees I know are no longer the same trees. They’re twisted and dangerous, almost as if evil made the tree its home.”

“You really do have that high sensitivity, huh?”

“It’s a bit of an anomaly, even among my own people. I was considered gifted, especially since most of them can’t even sense life energy without considerable effort and training. Well…not everyone appreciated that fact.”

“Being special can draw unwanted attention, especially if jealousy is considered.”

“Yeah.” She sighed.

“So, is that the reason why you chose to stay away from Bracken Woods?”

“Part of it. Other reasons are more…personal. The forest is vast and ancient, but it can also get boring if you happen to be in the same village all the time. I longed for an adventure. Something grand, like the satyrs of old. Well, I got my wish, in a way. Just didn’t expect having to deal with…everything, and to actually have something to be feared about.”

“Everyone have something to be feared.”

“I don’t…well, maybe I do, but not as much as I fear the pillars of light. Hans…those pillars are unfathomable horrors. I can’t…I can’t tell how much it instilled fear in me, more than anything else. One’s already bad enough, but a barrage of them? It’s like I was forced to see everything being turned upside down, inside out, and I couldn’t do anything about it. Why is this happening? Who would have such hatred?”

Hans had no answer to that, nor would anyone else. If someone was doing it, then that someone must be so evil that they hated everything that was right and tried to change everything. Maybe they held a grudge to everything alive. If not that, then what? No one would be willing to cause so much horror unless they were unrepentant and enjoyed it.

Almost as if they were the embodiment of evil themselves.

But Hans did have an answer to Elyse’s problems, and that answer was a grab on Elyse’s small hands. It was strange enough for him since his fingers were long and his claws were razor sharp, along with the fact that Elyse’s own clawed hands (weird enough for a caprine race like her) was so small. However, Hans tried his best to tell Elyse that he cared for her and would like to help her forget all the pain, even if only for a moment.

He half-expected her to rebuff him or even misinterpreted his actions. However, Elyse understood what Hans was trying to do, and accepted his hand. She wasn’t sure why, but somehow, despite of everything, she trusted a werewolf that she barely even knew.

“Funny,” said Elyse with a dry chuckle. “To think that I trust a wolf man more than I trust my own people. Life is full of irony, isn’t it? Why…why can’t anyone understand me like this? Was it that hard to…live as a normal satyr girl?”

Hans stayed silent and listened to her. He knew she wanted to open up, but he also knew she was still hesitant. So, the best he could do was gently hold her hand and calm her down.

“Maybe it was as my sister once joked”, thought Hans as he let out a chuckle. “I’m just a sheep in a wolf’s clothing.”

***

They group finally found the oasis Elyse previously used. Just as she said, the anti-magic in the air ate the mana barrier and dimming the magicite crystal, also causing it to lose its magical properties. With the crystal also situated under the basin, it muddied the water enough to make it look different than what Elyse knew.

“The water wasn’t even this muddy when I first came here,” she said.

“Anti-magic caused the magicite to behave contrarily,” said Ritik. “A little cleanup will do. I also need to clean the carriage’s magicite, too. Good thing the anti-magic here’s not as bad as the Western region.”

Ritik proceeded to start cleaning the crystal on the car while Elyse prepared to dive into the basin to fetch the crystal. Richie saw this, but then questioned why she would dive into a muddy water when it was clear that it would be hard to see a crystal.

“I can sense the crystal,” reasoned Elyse. “Even when it’s dirty, it still emits a weak magic energy. That, and I also put a druidic spin to it, so I always know where the crystal is even without magic energy.”

“Druidic spin, huh? You know, I wonder. Do druids in this world have abilities to control nature? Like control plants and stuffs like that? Or maybe even a woodlands friend. It’d be cool if you happen to be a beastmaster, too.”

Elyse chuckled. “Plants, yes. Animals, no. I still need a bit more training, though I suppose that means going back to Bracken Woods. My clan…doesn’t really like learning druidic magic from other clans. I prefer not to talk about it.”

“Oh, clan secrets. Gotcha,” said Richie. “Though seriously, are you actually going to dive into a muddy water that might end up concealing something dangerous? Even if you can sense them, that doesn’t mean you are prepared enough.”

“I think that’s a good point,” said Elyse. “But we still need to get that magicite.”

Richie then remembered the first time he manipulated electricity in his body, and using that innate knowledge that almost felt like muscle memory, the dragonborn’s hands were crackling with electrical arcs.

“There’s nothing a little electricity can’t fix,” he said with a smirk on his dog-dragon face.

Richie then unleashed a very strong burst of electricity that flow over and under the water. A short while later, dead fishes floated to the surface, electrocuted. There wasn’t any monsters hiding in the mud, fortunately, which prompted Elyse to say, “Safe enough.”

“Not until the electricity dissipates. Don’t wanna end up like those fishes, now, would we?”

As Elyse waited for Richie’s go, Hans walked around the oasis as the others set up a camp near a rock formation, which was a good enough shelter for the searing hot desert sun. He just hoped it was enough for a night’s warmth. But that wasn’t actually his primary concern. Aside from helping Elyse got over the tense situation, he still had lingering doubts about their objectives. Was chasing after a mythical city really worth it? Considering how devastating the pillars of light were, and what horrors spawned from them, trying to find a mythical city sounded almost like an elaborate prank. What was the connection, anyway?

He was, however, even more surprised that everyone aside from him seemed to agree that it was the best course of action. Except Richie, who only joined after they heard the call, Hans clearly saw that the others were too easy to agree. It was as if whoever said that gave them a hypnotic suggestion, presumably with magic.

But that did not explain how magical creatures like Zenithia and Azureath, both dragons, readily accepted it. Was it powerful enough for that? He really did not like it at all. So, he walked to Azureath, and said, “Do you really think finding this…Qeveriyt will help us?”

“It’s much better than staying in Pol Hain wondering about when the pillar’s coming back,” said Azureath. “I understand your doubts, little one, I really do.”

“Then why did you even bother agreeing with the others about it?” asked Hans. “Did that voice put you in her grasps?”

“No, she did not,” said Azureath with a growl. “And be careful of what you said, Hans. You know how I hated being manipulated. I only agree, because I know someone or something was trying to influence me. You happened to be the only one who questioned it.”

“Then why…?”

“Because our interest still aligns. She wants us to find Qeveriyt, and I want to know what happened to the dragons that fell victim to the Mark. Either way, we still need to go to Dracokin to find out.”

“And almost got us killed by those bloody things?”

“You know the risks as well as I do, Hans. Didn’t you want an adventure?”

“Yet not the danger! This is different from the sea, Azureath. We are facing dangers we don’t even know.”

“I think this is not as bad as the sea. You only think so because you were incapacitated throughout the storm.”

“But at least we are prepared for that. The pillars are a complete mystery. We might end up dying before we even know what the hell is happening around here. I don’t want to be uncertain while my sister’s life is as uncertain!”

“You may have been thinking too much into the matter. In regards of your sister, didn’t she—”

“I know she survived the village’s destruction, but she’s the only family I had left. What happened afterwards is beyond anyone’s guess, and that’s terrifying. I can’t be worried for everything. I need one simple certainty in this whole madness.”

“Then why don’t you ask her yourself?” said Azureath. “Come out, dark one. I know you’re there. You owe us an explanation for this potential wild goose chase of yours.”

“Eh?”

Hans was confused by Azureath when he suddenly saw a black dragon appearing in the middle of the camp, surprising everyone except Azureath. Everyone quickly assumed that she was an enemy when Azureath said, “She means no harm despite of her appearance. Do not be hasty.”

The dragon’s appearance was unusual and peculiar, even for a dragon. In addition to being draconic in appearance, she also had avian features, almost like a Raptor. The most obvious feature was the pair of feather-covered wings and feathers on parts of her ebony-black scales. She had a pair of short, white horns that seemed to be the only things that weren’t ebony black aside from her yellow eyes. The top of her draconic head was covered with tufts of feathers, giving her some sort of ‘fur’ or ‘hair’ from how the feathers were styled. It reminded Hans of a raven.

Her tail was thin and long and similarly covered in feathers. It looked like an elongated piece of tail feather that birds had, only longer and more reptilian than avian. Only the tail base was covered in feather; the rest were covered in scales. The tail tip, however, was undetermined, with everyone wasn’t sure where the tail ended. It had no definite end and was formed in a way that seemed to suggest it was far longer than it should, or shorter than it looked. She looked like a mix of a dragon and a raven, leaning more to the dragon part, with an undefined tail length that felt almost like a dream-like illusion.

Keeshar, especially, considered her beautiful, given that she looked almost like a Raptor if it wasn’t for her dragon-like body and bird-like wings. For others, her raven-like appearance made her look like she symbolized death, much like how ravens were associated with. This possible association did not seem to make others fear her. Instead, they admired her beauty. Even Azureath admired her sleek appearance, though she wasn’t sure if she was built for anything other than agility.

“I must say,” she started. “You have quite an observation, azure one. Not all dragons have such ability, but it is a big continent, after all. When have you known?”

“Ever since the village,” said Azureath. “I saw you standing in the middle of the village, observing us.”

“I see. I don’t regard it as a failure of my presence concealment. The light, foreign in origin, shone brighter than the sun, eating the darkness lurking in the shadow.”

“Supposedly a fitting end for a villain in normal circumstances, but then again, not all darkness is vile. Or rather, the role has been reversed” Azureath then fashioned a draconic smile. “Well met, dark one.”

“As well as I, azure one,” said the dragon before she looked around. “And to all of you, too.”

Everyone nodded awkwardly, including Hans. They weren’t sure how to react. She sounded so…serene. So, calming. It was as if her voice had a certain charisma that charmed everyone around her, this time including Hans, who had always been the doubter in the group. It was as if she was the most trustworthy dragon they ever met.

The dragon then turned towards Hans, who tensed. Somehow, her soft gaze was intimidating despite of not actually showing any aggressions. It apparently felt as if she was staring directly into his soul quite literally.

“The lingering doubt in your heart is strong, along with the worries of all the uncertainties in your life up to this point,” said the dragon. “That doubt can be a great defense, but a mortal’s heart is easy to corrupt as the seed of darkness grows. Trust is as important as doubt, and it is up to you to find the proper balance.”

She talked so eloquently, like a noblewoman. Hans wanted to be reminded of Adeline, but from the first time he ever knew her, she never talked with such wisdom and with such calm demeanor.

“But surely all of us has doubts, too,” said Adeline, who had been listening. “So, why only Hans being the odd one out?”

Because you wanted hope to escape the despair you witnessed and experienced. As of right now, you have no proper direction except to go to Qeveriyt, which I provide. Otherwise, you will stay in Pol Hain, fearing the light, waiting for a possible hope of returning to your homeland.”

“Did you study us, then? Was that the reason why we are the ones who could hear you, and not everyone?”

“You can say it that way.”

Then Adeline’s ears caught a growl under her. When she looked down, she saw Zenithia growing at her, as if agitated by her presence. The red-furred werewolf simply grabbed her and tried to calm the cat-sized, white-scaled dragon, though to no avail.

“What’s wrong?” asked Adeline.

“Her,” said Zenithia as she was growling. “I don’t like her. She reeks of death.”

“How so? I don’t smell blood on her.”

“You won’t understand, Adeline,” said Zenithia. “It’s…more of an instinct. She’s dangerous, yet her presence is that of serenity. The contradiction is a threat.”

Adeline did not understand how a hatchling dragon like Zenithia would suddenly understand something that would only be natural for an older and wiser dragon like Azureath. However, the werewolf only assumed that a dragon’s life could be completely different from a werewolf or a human. She could be older than she looked.

Then again, Adeline did not ask. She was still entranced by the dragon’s presence. She could not question her motives, for some reason. In fact, she did not want to. There was no resistance, only trust.

And she would really need it. Everyone would need it.