An oppressive silence filled the cavern after Scarlett spoke, as though she had challenged the very sky itself.

She found herself unable to suppress the surge of indignation and defiance that had risen up inside her. The stifling pressure seemed to assert its authority, feeling like a direct challenge to her very essence — an affront her instincts said was nigh unforgivable.

The atmosphere intensified, the temperature around Scarlett climbing. For a moment, it felt as though an entire mountain weighed down on her, yet her legs held firm. This pressure only served to fuel the fiery spite building up inside her.

Just as all of that anger and umbrage was about to boil over, Scarlett caught herself, narrowly avoiding uttering some words she really would regret.

Taking a deep breath, she worked to force down as much of her temper as possible.

It probably wouldn’t be wise to provoke an ancient dragon any more than necessary.

With a bare minimum of regained composure, despite the unrelenting pressure, Scarlett focused on the glowing red stone wall before her.

“Greetings, Ayrlazkreh, esteemed guardian of the molten peaks. I am Baroness Scarlett Hartford, a noble of the Graenal Empire. Forgive my earlier outburst, but if I may inquire, is there a reason why you asked me to halt?”

A hint of sharpness in her tone betrayed some of her efforts at remaining diplomatic.

A tense quiet followed. Then the cavern shook, as if some massive entity within the depths of the volcano had stirred.

Scarlett was slightly surprised by that. It seemed the dragon was more awake than she thought it would have been at this point.

“…I have not heard of you before,” boomed a voice, now echoing around the cavern rather than inside Scarlett’s mind. “Why does a human noble trespass in my domain? Your presence has disturbed my slumber.”

“I was investigating matters at the Zuverian outpost on this isle and seized the opportunity to visit. My intent was driven solely by curiosity. Legendary lairs such as yours are a rarity within the empire.”

“They are not rare. They are nonexistent, excluding mine.”

“Perhaps, but then you would have to ignore Olgolzkreh’s lair,” Scarlett said.

She could almost swear that the cave itself scoffed in return. “He is but a shadow of what he once was.”

“Hmm. I suppose that is true enough.”

After ravaging the empire’s lands seven years earlier, Olgolzkreh had become significantly weakened, after all.

“It is,” the dragon continued. “It is also irrelevant to your presence here. You justify your intrusion with mere curiosity. If this is the truth, then you should be prepared to face the repercussions of such frivolous reasoning.”

The tyrannical force bearing down on Scarlett increased. She steadied herself, jaw slightly clenched as her gaze remained resolutely on the wall. “If you deem yourself capable of enforcing those repercussions, then so be it. I am ready.”

Ayrlazkreh already confirmed that it had just awoken from its slumber. The dragon couldn’t do anything without actually leaving its lair, and doing so wasn’t exactly straightforward.

The temperature around Scarlett soared, while the cave trembled ominously, like it was on the brink of collapsing. Scarlett had to focus even more on her pyrokinesis to deal with the heat, but she wouldn’t let herself yield here.

Then, suddenly, the pressure lifted, and the cave stilled.

“…You are an arrogant one,” Ayrlazkreh rumbled.

“It is a trait often remarked upon,” Scarlett replied.

“…I will overlook this slight, but tread carefully should you consider deceiving me in the future, mortal. Do not presume my tolerance infinite simply because I have allowed your attendant to abide within my realm.”

Scarlett’s prepared response was delayed, slight confusion etching a furrow into her brow. “My attendant? To whom are you referring?”

“The little ones behind you.”

Turning, Scarlett’s gaze fell on Nol’viz, her frown deepening. “…She is not my attendant.”

“No?” Ayrlazkreh’s surprise at that was evident, even through its booming voice. “Then that is even less reason for you to roam this place, Baroness of Hartford.”

Scarlett faced the glowing wall once again. “What led you to believe I was associated with her?”

“They bear your stain.”

Her expression hardened. “…I am afraid that I do not understand what you mean by that. Could you elaborate?”

For a short while, there was no answer. Finally, Ayrlazkreh spoke. “It appears I was mistaken. While there are similarities, the marks differ. You are not of the Cabal.” The overbearing pressure on Scarlett returned in full force. “What are you?”

Scarlett weathered this new onslaught, her forehead knitted in thought.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

It seemed as if Ayrlazkreh could sense her fate-altering abilities, similar to how Godwin could. That’s likely why it mistook her as a member of the Cabal and assumed Nol’viz was her attendant. Was this perhaps also why her presence here had caught its attention even while slumbering?

Glancing back towards Nol’viz, she caught the girl studying her with a penetrating look from near the cavern’s entrance.

“…As far as you have to be concerned, Ayrlazkreh,” Scarlett began, addressing the dragon again, “you can consider me simply another human noble. Our paths are unlikely to intersect again, rendering any further details about me of little consequence to you.”

That response only earned her an increased burden on her shoulders, testing her resilience. A faint grimace flickered across her face as she stood firm, until eventually, the force ebbed away. “You should consider yourself fortunate that my time has yet to come.”

“Fortune plays no part in it,” Scarlett said confidently.

The dragon’s voice held a hint of disdain. “Take your leave, mortal, or whatever you claim to be.”

Scarlett paused briefly. “…My intention was to depart before you yourself asked me to stay. I would be happy to leave, but first, your earlier remark has piqued my curiosity.” Her eyes narrowed. “What did you mean to imply when you said you had allowed the girl to abide in your realm? You are aware that she is a member of the Hallowed Cabal, are you not? Do you have an arrangement with them?”

The cavern shook again. “Accusing me of such alliances? I maintain no ties to that pack.”

“Yet you have acknowledged permitting one of their numbers to stay in your domain?”

“Those are unrelated matters.”

Scarlett turned her attention back to Nol’viz. “What connection do you have with Ayrlazkreh and this place?” she asked.

She couldn’t recall anything in particular related to Nol’viz and this location from the game. That raised the question of whether this was a new development or not. Given that the girl had probably inherited the fate-defying power that some of the Cabal members purportedly had, deviations from the original narrative weren’t impossible. Scarlett just didn’t know exactly how such changes might take shape.

Nol’viz tilted her head, the girl’s trio of violet eyes blinking in sync. “We do not know,” she replied simply.

Scarlett eyed her closely, but before she could press further, Ayrlazkreh’s voice thundered through the cavern.

“These matters are not for you to meddle in,” the dragon warned. “If you withhold your own truths from me, then expect none in return.”

“…Very well,” Scarlett conceded, though reluctance tinged her voice. “Nevertheless, you should exercise due caution in anything that relates to the Cabal. Their intentions towards you, should they get the chance, might mirror the fate that befell Olgolzkreh.”

“Do not presume me a fool, Baroness of Hartford. The ambitions of the Cabal are clear to me, as is their contempt for me and my kind. I bear no affection for them or their nametaker, so your warning is unnecessary.”

“If that is your belief, so be it,” Scarlett replied, her tone cooling. “Simply do not forget your own words.” After a moment, she added, “I shall now take my leave. As I said, I do not expect our paths to cross again soon, but this encounter has been…enlightening. Farewell.”

“We shall see whether fate attempts to bring us together again. If it does, I expect you to have tempered your arrogance in my presence,” Ayrlazkreh resounded behind her as she turned. With that, the dragon’s imposing aura began to wane, and it felt as if a valve inside Scarlett finally relaxed.

Approaching Nol’viz, she stopped to consider the girl for a couple of seconds. Nol’viz’s impassive mask looked back at her in silence.

“It seems you hold secrets beyond what I anticipated,” Scarlett remarked.

“So do you,” the girl responded in her echoing voice of whispers.

Scarlett walked past her, headed towards the cave’s exit, though Nol’viz soon followed. She continued keeping an eye on the girl just in case, but at this point, she felt increasingly certain that Nol’viz posed no immediate threat.

Emerging from Ayrlazkreh’s lair through the narrow ravine outside, Scarlett reflected on the encounter. When coming here, she hadn’t expected to engage in dialogue with an ancient dragon, no matter how short the actual conversation might have been.

She realized that it hadn’t exactly been the best first impression. The other party was an incredibly formidable creature capable of annihilating her with a mere gesture under normal circumstances, but Scarlett’s conduct hadn’t really reflected that gravity.

She had made an effort not to offend Ayrlazkreh — at least up to a certain point. But it was difficult holding herself back when it was almost ingrained in her very nature to confront any and all who believed themselves her better.

That went even for when they probably were superior to her in most regards.

This encounter could potentially come back to haunt her later on, especially when Ayrlazkreh fully emerged from its slumber. It would likely be prudent to factor this into her plans concerning the dragon.

Ideally, she hoped to avoid any sort of fight with Ayrlazkreh in the future. Such an event would be disastrous on multiple levels. Sure, she had entertained the notion of facing off against an ancient dragon at some point, but Ayrlazkreh was not the dragon she had in mind.

Her sights were instead set on Olgolzkreh, the ‘Dragon of Devastation’. After all, Olgolzkreh was already nearing the end of its life, and it already had history with Fynn. A confrontation with it, in some shape or form, was inevitable.

As for Ayrlazkreh, Scarlett would be perfectly content keeping her interactions with the dragon to an absolute minimum.

Once she’d exited the ravine, standing on the rocky outcroppings nearby and looking out over the vast lake surrounding the Resting Eye, she turned to regard Nol’viz. The girl stopped, looking back at her.

Scarlett had achieved her objectives here, leaving nothing else to explore before her return to Freybrook. This trip had revealed more surprises than expected, including the increased possibility of a player-like character and the unforeseen meeting with an ancient dragon.

Where all of that would lead was unclear, and Scarlett knew she would have to wait for more information before making any conclusions.

She found herself watching Nol’viz closely for a few seconds.

It would have been nice if she could at least have learned more about why the girl was here. All Scarlett had managed to uncover was that her presence was somehow linked to Ayrlazkreh, but apparently not directly related to the Hallowed Cabal. That offered little insight, though.

“Do we confuse you?” Nol’viz asked, giving her a questioning look.

Scarlett studied her for a moment longer before shaking her head. “I hope shadowing me around today has been enlightening for you. I will be taking my leave. I doubt we will see each other again soon.”

Nol’viz stayed silent for a bit, meeting Scarlett’s gaze. “…We did not expect you here today.”

“I was not under the assumption that you did.”

“You were not as dangerous as we thought.”

Scarlett paused, staring at the girl. Then a soft chuckle escaped her. “Perhaps not. For now. Do not be surprised if that assessment of yours changes eventually.”

She produced the translucent crystal that functioned as the anchor for Dean Godwin’s teleportation spell. As Nol’viz watched with an eerie stillness, Scarlett lifted the crystal in the air.

“I presume that you will report today’s events to the Cabal. If so, advise them not to think too deeply about my reasons for coming here. Such inquiries will likely only lead them into a labyrinth of speculation, and I would prefer if they did not grow too paranoid of me. Everything has a balance.”

Though Nol’viz gave no reply, Scarlett suspected the girl would convey her message word-for-word anyway.

“Thus I take my leave.”

Shattering the crystal, Scarlett broke the spell that had brought her here, and the scenery around her transformed.