A massive dragon opened its eyes.


    "Hmm?"


    Letting out a grunt as its head lifted away from the rocky ground, it felt a strange pressure in the air.


    Then, out of nowhere, a portal opened.


    This familiar breach in space reminded him of someone.


    And, out of it, emerged the figure he wished to see again.


    "Orion!"


    Monolavir suddenly forced himself to stand and approached the man, who had a smile on his face.


    "Mono?"


    Awakening from her sleep, Ruminona glanced in the direction of the commotion. As she was protecting her eggs, she remained in her nest.


    "Hey. How are you doing?"


    He tried to wave at him, but both of his arms were tied by Tetra and Orianne.


    "I cannot believe it! You are back!"


    "I am. As you can see, I am healthy."


    Lifting her head too, the green dragon opened its eyes wide.


    "He had returned, Rumi! Orion is back, alive!"


    The excitement in the Azure Dragon''s voice was a new experience for Orion. He quite enjoyed it, but he also was glad they were fine.


    "Can you let go?"


    He asked the two women at his sides, who nodded before letting him go.


    Both dragons were too focused on their returning friend to notice the two others.


    Orion walked up to Monolavir and suddenly warped on top of his nose.


    With a smile, he crouched and placed his hand on his scales.


    "It''s been a while."


    "It truly was. I never thought time would affect us so much while waiting for you."


    Dragons were a long-lived faction. They would sleep without a care for the world in normal circumstances, but these days, it was different.


    "Feeling lonely?"


    After a moment, Monolavir grunted, giving an answer without speaking.


    "Haha~ Never change."


    Orion jumped off his nose and dropped rapidly, reducing the speed of his descent as he approached the ground.


    "You''ve become more powerful, that I can tell."


    "I''ll tell you later. For now, I have to recover a friend who is sealed deeper in this mountain."


    "Oh? Intriguing."


    Without hesitation, Orion approached Ruminona.


    Surprisingly, her instinct as a mother wasn''t activating in front of Orion, as she could feel the genuine feelings of peace coming from him.


    She let him approach her nest before dropping her face near him.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Can I?"


    He placed his hand on the side of her head and gently caressed her green scale. Before walking inside the nest, he asked for permission.


    "Promise me to be careful."


    "I promise."


    Closing her eyes, she let Orion enter the nest. He climbed over the steep slop without much effort and slid down the interior of the nest.


    After walking a bit, he found the three large eggs she was incubating. They were twice Orion''s size, which was a true sight to be granted.


    "How did humans manage to steal such large eggs?"


    His involuntary question didn''t bother Ruminona. She turned her head to look at him and answered it.


    "These eggs are larger than normal. I have no idea why, but they were exhausting to birth."


    "I can believe that."


    Truly intrigued by the eggs next to him, Orion observed them. Then he placed his hand on one of them.


    "Warm..."


    He felt the life being created inside of it. The beating heart of the dragon inside echoed with his own.


    "Thank you, Ruminona."


    "It''s nothing. I trust you enough to allow this."


    Moving his hand away, he thanked the green dragon and warped away. Particles of void magic seemed to touch the egg, but as dragons were already magical in nature, nothing happened to them that could damage them.


    Ruminona returned to protect her eggs but remained awake to listen to what he had to say.


    Then the two dragons noticed. They noticed someone they recognized instantly.


    "You... I never thought I''d be seeing you again."


    Squinting their reptilians eyes, they stared at Orianne.


    "Took you long enough, blue lizard."


    Monolavir bent his head toward Orianne and groaned, releasing a cloud of ice on her.


    "That way of speaking... There is no doubt about it. I''m not hallucinating."


    "I chose not to come and see you voluntarily. I''d rather not bother you anymore with the past."


    She shrugged and wiped the snowflakes glistening on her shoulder. Her natural heat melted the rest away.


    "Well..."


    Monolavir glanced at Ruminona, who was barely reacting.


    "You''ve changed. Normally, I would already be chased away. I cannot blame you for doing that anyway."


    Orion, who had returned next to the two women, glanced at his mother with confusion in his eyes.


    ''What happened between them?''


    The Azure Dragon walked backward toward its original spot and laid down next to the nest.


    "It''s not that we forgive you."


    Ruminona suddenly talked to her.


    "There is nothing to forgive to begin with. It was his choice, not ours."


    Orianne opened her eyes wide.


    "Don''t you hate me? I was persuaded you did."


    "Why would we? You''re still the little girl who came crying because she needed power to marr-"


    Her face suddenly crumbled in shame.


    "Ah! Stop! Not in front of Orion!"


    Waving her hands in front of her, she stopped Ruminona from speaking further of her past.


    "Hmpf."


    Snorting, the green dragon stopped and simply stared at her.


    "I get it. It was my mistake for misinterpreting everything. Please don''t bring that up."


    Her son was giving her the side eye, which she knew she wouldn''t be able to ignore for long.


    His interest in her past was greater than her shame, and it was unavoidable.


    "A-Anyway, shouldn''t we go search for that friend of yours?"


    "Sure, mom."


    With a sneaky smile, Orion nodded. Pivoting his body toward the exit of the large cavern, he began to walk.


    "Orion."


    Hearing Monolavir call his name, he glanced over his shoulder.


    "Are you going near the entrance?"


    "I am. Why?"


    With a solemn expression, the dragon answered.


    "When you exit the tunnel and find yourself at the exit, take a turn right immediately."


    "That''s all I request from you."


    After pondering a moment, Orion nodded.


    "If that''s all you ask for, I have no reason to refuse."


    "See you later, you two."


    Waving at them with his back turned, he walked down the tunnel.


    ...


    "You''re quite popular with the dragons, aren''t you?"


    Orianne was impressed by her son. Every dragon that greeted them was glad he had returned.


    "I have trained with them in the past. They all went easy on me, but we had a great time. They are good and protecting beings. All of them."


    Arriving at the end of the wide tunnel, they ended up entering the giant cave, where the Tree of Life stood thousands of years ago.


    "Didn''t that dragon say to turn right?"


    Tetra, who knew about the language of the dragon thanks to her time inside Orion''s core, looked toward the tunnel to their right.


    "Yes. We''ll see why in a minute."


    Orion was wearing a concerned expression, which both women picked up. His mother glanced at him and asked.


    "Why the long face? Something wrong?"


    "Some dragons are missing. I remember just about every nest along this path, and a few dragons are nowhere to be found."


    "Maybe they''re outside?"


    Tetra pointed at the opening in the ceiling. With a nod, his face relaxed.


    "You might be right. I hope it is that."


    He couldn''t fully get rid of the strange anxiety in his heart, but he tried to ignore it as he walked down the path Monolavir asked him to go down into.


    The further Orion went down the tunnel, the worse his feelings became.


    At last, what he feared appeared in front of him as he entered a large cavern, bigger than any cave in the den of dragons.


    "..."


    "What happened?"


    Inside this large cave, supported by massive pillars, hundreds of skeletal remains of ancient dragons rested.


    But, halfway through, perfectly preserved corpses of dragons, who needed to have their flesh removed by flames, were sticking out.


    "Orion?"


    Tetra frowned as she turned to Orion. His expression was one of confusion and disbelief.


    "I see. That''s what Monolavir wanted you to come here..."


    Orianne nodded with a solemn gaze.


    As they walked toward the dragons, Orion''s gaze observed each one of them.


    "They are... the missing dragons I couldn''t find."


    Thorns of heartbreaking pain wrapped themselves around his heart.


    Taking it upon herself to explain, Orianne grabbed his shoulder.


    "This is something that happened a year ago. It happened when Deveralna and Olivia went to protect Lahro from the corrupt beasts sent by Miasma."


    ...


    She explained what Deveralna and Olivia told them in the past.


    That those dragons were the ones who died protecting the continent.


    "I should pay my respect to them, then."


    With a heavy gaze, Orion turned around after hearing the entire story.


    "There''s no reason to lament their death. They chose to act even though everyone was terrorized by their presence."


    "They did what they thought was best for them and weren''t sacrificed by any means."


    "A war with no death is inconceivable. Yet, I wish it was real."


    Orion spoke those words, convincing himself at the same time. It was easier to believe it was the case than see them as victims.


    Bending his upper body forward slightly, he dropped his head.


    "Thank you. I will never forget the greatness each of you possesses and will strive to make this world one that accepts you so that your legacy will remain in this world."


    At the same time, Orianne continued past him and walked alone toward the very end of the cave.


    "Mom?"


    Surprised, Orion followed her. Tetra also went with him, keeping an eye on his expression.


    ''He''s recovered. Good.''


    With a faint smile, she was glad he didn''t let this discovery affect him.


    ''Honoring the death in their family... Dragons do that only between them.''


    ''I guess Orion is one of them now.''


    As they came to the back wall, Orianne stopped and looked to the left.


    "I see you''re still here."


    The largest skeletal remain was proudly exposed, held perfectly intact even without its ligaments.


    "Right? Old friend."


    With a longing smile, Orianne stared at the skeleton.


    For the first time, Orion noticed an emotion he never knew existed in his mother.