6.2

“Angeline.”

“Yeah, what’s the matter, John?”

“Don’t you wear a pair of glasses? You had them on that night in the pub but I don’t see them today.”

It was John’s third day enrolled to Moxnet Academy, he was now walking with Scywell’s party on their way back after a theater play in a nearby town of the academy.

“You’ve just noticed?” she purposedly placed a hand on her dainty mouth.

“Well…I wanted to ask earlier in the charm shop before the play.”

Earlier when John casually asked her recommendation for presents to send back to the Harvests, Angeline became so eager that she dragged John to one of her favorite charm shops around and bought a few good luck charms for him.

“I mean, we were rushing then, so I forgot to ask. Still, thanks for introducing me to the shop and paying for them even though I said no….”

“You are most welcome!” she replied happily before she continued. “Those glasses were just an artifact I wore for that particular day and yesterday, they give me information on people’s personality, behavior, mindset, things like that with just a glance. It helps me to identify enemies, allies alike, and it never fails to predict.”

“For example?”

“When I look at Randolph, the glasses tells me his obsession for pretty girls is actually an outwards façade, one would think he can only be satisfied with many women, but if he actually gets one, he will end up rejecting every single female in existence.”

Randolph who overheard them rolled his eyes, “Those glasses again? John, that thing is bogus, none of us can get it to work accept for Angeline. She’s saying that about me because I work with her duh.”

“That’s not true! You know it saved us more than once, like that time with the sudden appearance of the hellhound.”

“Blah, blah, blah. That’s because hellhounds were supposed appear around that area.”

“Not 10 kilometers away from our mission point!”

“Ten or zero, whatever meters it doesn’t matter, we were given information about them. If you claim your bogus glasses to be working, then what do you know about John boy here?”

“I— That’s...information I can’t disclose. You know it reveals more than we can understand…"

“Nothing huh? I suppose it’s bogus after all.”

“…” Angeline was quiet for a second before she took a deep breath “Don’t hate me for this John.”

“It’s fine Angeline, just prove Randolph wrong. I don’t think I will be offended by anything you are going to say.”

“I don’t understand why but it said to me that John is neither an enemy nor a friend but at the same time…he will become very close to us in the future, not just me, each and every one of us, you, Gobbert, Scywell, and Helen. However, it does not constitute anything that resembles coworkers, partnerships, or even allies…”

“…”

A eerie silence grew between the three of them when she finished, the way that Angeline phrased herself did not sit well with them.

“T-that’s, just normal with new people you get to know w-with, doesn’t mean anything. If he isn’t a friend or an enemy but close to us, doesn’t that mean he is just family? R-right, John?”

“Yeah, I am sure that’s what it means, family doesn’t need to be blood related as far I am concerned”

Angline shook her head, “The glasses never told me something like this, it is always specific when it describes ties. Believe me, I have tested the artifact on my immediate family members.”

Helen who was walking in the front with Scywell noticed Angeline’s sudden shift in tone “Don’t think about it too deeply Angeline, reading too much into the future is not your job, or any of ours, and since you haven’t appraised that artifact, it might mean something different than what you think.”

“Is that so… Maybe you are right, something from the Age of Gods can behave differently than what I think it is supposed to…” Angeline nodded to that statement. Suddenly, her eyes shot open as she remembered something, “Hang on, what day is today?”

“Friday.”

“Friday huh? Good, good, we still have another week for that…” Her hazel eyes opened wide in shock just as she remembered something, “Wait! No! By the angels! We are supposed to take on a job tonight, we have to get to the capital now!”

“Relax, Angeline, the sun is only setting, I did the calculations that we can make it if we depart now,” Randolph said naturally. “How long do we still have before we really have to leave, Gob?”

“An hour might be pushing it, but we still have time to look around.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. My bad… But what about John?”

“I told him about our plans today. He is aware.” Scywell said.

Angeline dropped her shoulders and a visible frown was drawn on her lips. “I promised to show him to a good place to get some clothes for the coming ball dance. Sorry, John”

“Oh that? It’s fine, I will manage something. We still have until next week. Just focus on your mission, don’t worry about me, it is just clothes.”

“But I wanted to help…” Angeline’s complaint became a murmur that disappeared into the wind.

“I’ll try to find a more suitable schedule next time we get together,” Scywell gave John his word for the abrupt end to their activities.

John parted with Scywell’s party and a somewhat unhappy Angeline, then proceeded to move to the other end of the town, where his ride back to the academy was.

His mind lingered to the dragon girl as he proceeded to walk, obviously excited about what he had in store for tonight’s activities. The two of them agreed to meet up later in the night for a small meal.

“I wonder if she likes fish.”

He stopped by the closest family restaurant and ordered portions for two to go. After paying for it with a few copper coins, he placed the bag of freshly made food into his bag and resumed moving towards his destination.

It was his way showing his gratitude to her, part of it for teaching him what he could not have learned from the books and the other for being able to have someone he could talk to in earnest.

John arrived at to the arranged spot where the carriage was waiting to bring him back, even with him taking his own time to grab some food, he should make it back to Moxnet with minutes to spare before their proposed meetup time.

But now, there is a problem, a huge one. His ride was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is the coachman?”

He was at the opening of a mid-sized inn, the designated spot for carriages from and to Moxnet Academy. Aside from the spare carriage that was allocated for emergency purposes, his ride that he ordered was nowhere to be found, only bare bricks and a trove of trees were there to greet him in its place.

Then, the shrubs to the nearby trees rustled.

“!!!”

He moved took a large jump backwards, his right hand drawn to his hips where the dagger that he acquired from Miros was sitting in its sheath, preparing to face what monster might appear from beyond the forest that the shrubs were part of.

His shoulders relaxed when he saw a small brown creature with a bushy tail jumped out from it.

“Ah…it’s just a squirrel...”

“But it was sitting on the tree so quietly before you came here,” a gentle voice came from behind him. Gentle fingers found their way and covered his eyes, “Guess who?”

“Hey!” he instinctively moved his own hands and removed the soft hands that were obstructing his vision. “Evie? Why are you here? I thought you said you were going to be in the academy.” Face flushed at her sudden appearance, he almost shouted. “And you told me that you weren’t interested in joining us when I asked you yesterday, so why?”

“You wanted learn more from me, correct? That’s why we have agreed to meet up again. So, I came to see you, before our proposed time, given that you are free from any activities.”

“Yes, that is correct— Hey, don’t change the topic! You obviously knew where I was, why not join us earlier?”

“I don’t like them. It’s simple as that. If you enjoy their company, that is fine with me, but I do not wish to associate with people with conflicting interests.”

“So, you are saying I don’t conflict with your interests.”

“Who knows?” she followed up with what seemed to be a giggle. “I have dismissed your ride back to the academy. And now, you are stuck with me in this place and with those interests of mine which you speak of.”

“Yeah, thanks a lot for ruining my plans. Personally, I don’t want to spend any more time outside, especially when I’ve made up my mind on going back to meet with you. But you know, we are stuck here,” he shot an irritated look at her. “Please tell me you have something planned.”

“Ufufu, I thought you would say that. I understand how it feels when something doesn’t go as planned. If you allow me to make it up to you…” she leaned in closer to him, raised her eyebrows with a high dose of cheekiness in them. “How about we fly back to the academy?”

“Flying? I don’t see any wyverns… Oh! You mean...” he looked towards Evie who had a smug grin on her face, nodding to him like they were a pair of kids who was in agreement to pull a hilarious prank on an unsuspecting victim.

She grabbed his two hands and looked him in the eye, the spark in her blue eyes glittered ever so happily.

“Yes. Come soar the skies with me.”

For Ephinelyth, and every other Elder Dragon, the act of someone riding on their backs for any shape or form of air travel meant that it represented a high level of trust for that individual.

The action of exposing their back to other races, a spot where they normally had no vision to whenever they are in their dragon form, meant that the Elder Dragon humbled themselves to such a point that they willing to put their own life in the rider’s hands.

Though they were not so weak to die from an attack directly launched to their backs, this act of submission was their way forming strong bonds with the other.

“Evie, isn’t this a big thing?”

“From what I gathered at your reaction towards my outwards appearance yesterday, you wanted to see me in my dragon form did you not? So, I decided to let you fly with me.”

“But…”

“You are worried about the reasoning behind this act of mine?”

“Yes. I mean, you shouldn’t lower yourself to accommodate my comment that day. I already know you are a dragon, you showed me your claws...” his voice became soft.

A soft emotion that he once shown to another girl welled up in him, a person that he did his best to not allow their race difference cause problems for despite how much she had adored him. He remembered what happened to that person who placed many of her efforts in him, and how it ended up in the end.

Exiled. That very incident that followed stills sting his heart, even now.

“This is a bad idea, let’s not go with this, Evie. I…”

…don’t know I can.

Evie paused for a moment then continued, “Then, do you suggest we walk back hand in hand? You could have just told me you wanted to grab my hand, John.”

“Hand in hand— That’s not what I am saying. Do you even get what am I saying?”

“I do,” Evie slid herself around his arm, gotten herself so close that her chest firmly sandwiched his forearm.

“H-hey! Don’t just come up to me, I am being serious here!”

“It is you who don’t understand my intentions. I wanted to stretch my wings for you since you were so eager a few moments ago. Maybe this will show you what I intended to show by soaring with you in the skies.”

Not a moment later, she rubbed her cheek longingly against his forearm and let out a little whine,

“This is how dragons show their affection. Let’s stay like this until a carriage to comes to pick us up…”

“Evie, you clingy girl. Are you seriously hugging me like this in public? Even if you use your excuse as an Elder Dragon, I won’t be happy if you do this.”

Once she heard him, her grip on his arm loosened, “Y-you left me no choice. I thought you would understand my intentions…” face hesitated, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come off that way, it’s just, I was responding to your courting by inviting me to dinner today.”

“Courting? I…” he became a loss for words at Evie’s confession.

Did I think of her in that way? She is cute, in fact I want to put my hands around hat dainty face of hers and just keep looking into her blue eyes. But… That would only be him using her as an emotional crutch to replace the void that grew in him.

She fidgeted at his silence, even if she was said to an Elder Dragon who had big egos like all dragons, she could still be embarrassed if he told her that he was still unable to give her an answer to what she said. The fact that she apologized to him while remaining soft spoken was proof of that, John cursed himself for making a big fuss over everything.

“…Fine, fly me back. Just…” he grumbled, “…don’t stick to me like you are some loveless puppy. You should have more composure as a girl first and foremost. That’s just my concern on how you should present yourself to be dignified, Elder Dragon or not. I don’t hate you, Evie, nor affections or any sort, I just… I need time to think about things like this.”

When she hugged him, he did notice.

Her chest… They are in very good shape…

Even with John Sarvod and his collected self, he was also a very healthy young man who bore carnal desires. They were kept in good control almost all the time, but it did not mean that they are non-existent and won’t nudge him to enjoy the soft sensations.

His face was covered with a light shade of pink when he looked towards the dragon girl.

“Ufufu, you are awfully kind, John. It is as you say, I will keep myself in check, so you will have no need worry. I will live up to your expectations to be a dignified maiden,” she pulled herself away from him with great reluctance before she lifted the hems of her skirts and gave a light bow.

And then he heard it, a little whisper with a voice that very well suited that expression of Evie’s.

“My heart is only set on you…”

“Ahem, you mind repeating that?” he faked a cough and asked her.

“Hmm?”

“The sentence you spoke earlier.”

“I will keep myself in check so you don’t have to worry?”

“No, the one after that.”

“I don’t recall speaking after that.”

John squeezed his face and looked at Evie closely, that sentence he heard was spoken with feelings so intense that whatever emotional dam was holding those feelings were broken beyond repair.

“Are you sure?”

“…I am positive.”

“Well, I must be hearing things then,” decided that he won’t ask her anymore, he let the topic slide.

It was not that he did not know who muttered those passionate words to him, the answer was simple, the voice belonged to the dragon maiden, however for John Sarvod, so much has happened to him, that he could not make an absolute decision if he was presented with such a situation where Evie confessed such feelings to him to his face.

Elder Dragon...

A deep inaudible rumble stirred within him when John recalled that encounter.

What if the someone with power as great as that monstrous being that he encountered in Reperane Woods were to turn their back on him, just like how the elves did?

Will he bend to Ephinelyth’s will if she wished to use him as the other Elder Dragon he encountered in Reperane Woods? Were they related and theywere just conspiring to use him for what he is worth? What is to say, that in her eyes, he was just a demon that is waiting to be used for his abilities?

The seeds of doubt had not left his mind ever since he was forsaken by the elves.

These were questions that he dared no to dip his toes too deep in, for the sea of curiosity lurks a kraken that would consume his ego if he was not careful, his trust in people, or whatever was left might never recover from something like that. Physical scars may not be visible on his skin due to his incredible healing magic, but he could not attest the same for his mental state.

Even now, he still was prepared for the day where the Harvests would cut all ties with him if they knew about the cause of his exile.

It ate him away in the late of night, such fears inflict their crooked claws and gnawed at his very sanity the moments before he falls asleep, warning him of the horrors that came placing his complete devotion into others.

It was his hope that the passage of time will soothe those wounds in him, healed slowly with wholesome interactions with him and his newfound family. That perhaps, it was as Mera had told him, that the elves were inhumanely cruel to him, that not everything was as grim as he perceived.

“You look tired, John. Do you perhaps, want more of a soft embrace to put your to sleep? Ufufu.”

“Gah, you are overthinking things, I just have a lot on mind lately... Ah, let’s just go back for now, we’ll continue this later or the food will get cold.”

Evie nodded and moved to the open space in front of them. She took a deep inhale, closed her eyes and transformed.

The 155 centimeter figure of a well endowed girl grew into a three meter dragon in front of him. Her milky white skin was replaced with scales that could be said to be the exact of the moon’s silver. Her beautiful blue eyes morphed into a much sharper glare, one that was fitting of a predator, a creature that bore superiority over others.

The accurate word to describe her was elegance.

Unlike the Elder Dragon in Reperane Woods, this form of hers bore did not make John to turn the other way and run for his life, instead a fine harmonic hum in the wind was sung to the depths of his soul when she transformed.

Sleek silver horns from her head grew backwards, aligned themselves finely with her long serpentine facial features that she now bore. Bat-like wings extended from her back and flapped themselves in her attempts to stretch them before their flight together.

“Y-you aren’t sacred of me, are you?” a shy voice came out from the dragon who stood in front of him.

John who was stunned at how different she looked from the one he encountered—since that was the only model that he had for reference—quickly replied her.

“Cute form—I mean, elegant, that’s right, elegant form with those scales of yours. I honestly thought you would become larger than a building or something along those lines.”

“I can be larger if you want, but we don’t have much space here.”

“R-right, there is that too,” he scratched his head when he realized that someone like her had complete control over her own appearance, it was only natural from someone as powerful as her. “What about the people? Won’t they see you in this form? How would the empire—” When he attempted delay his ride with the questions that he had answers to, Evie the silver dragon moved one of her arms and gently scooped him to her back.“Wooaaahh, wait, warn me before you do something like that!”

“You were telling me that we needed to get back quickly, I simply complied. Ufufu, that was thrilling was it not?”

John who was placed on her back had his hands twitching in the air, unsure of where to place them on her. Even in her dragon form, he needed to strategically place his hands, or he won’t be able to face her if he touched somewhere sensitive.

“I did say that. That one is on me, now…um...where do I touch you? Or do I just sit like this?”

“O-oh, j-just put your hands wherever you like, I think. I am not too sure myself…”

“You don’t know?”

“I-it’s my first time giving someone a ride in this form o-of mine. I told you I may be an Elder Dragon, but I do not transform into this form unless I am needed to.”

“Oh yeah…” John then moved his arms around her neck, planted his torso, then his face on her. “This is fine, right?”

“Yes, feel free to hold me tighter if you desire,” she commented before she turned her head to check on him one last time before taking off. “Here we go.”

Evie pushed her hind legs against the brick ground and they took off to the skies.