"Walker didn''t hesitate to pull out arge piece of dried smoked boar for the three dragons and Midnight to eat. He knew that food was the best way for the three to bind and be ankle to rest well. There was also the fact that he knew the three dragons would be a little tired and possibly nap after ying in the air with him.
"That smells interesting. I will have to try it when Ie to your vige." Ventus was very interested in what Walker had shared with her children.
"Who said you had to wait? I have more so that I can share with those that need it. I have enough to give you an entire smoke boar. My mother smoked them in a special oven so that she could sell pieces to adventurers. She did that even when we were in Diamond. She really cares about people having the right food to keep them going." Ventus seemed to soften seeing how fondly Walker cared for his mother.
"I would not turn that down. Especially if it was made especially by your mother." Ventus paused for a moment while she changed in to her dragonkin form. "Unlike many dragons, wind affinity dragons have strong familial ties. We stay with our parents for much longer than other dragons. I can understand your value of family more than others might."
"I didn''t know that. Thank you." Walker felt a little closer knowing this about wind elemental dragons. He feared that many had the same feelings as the earth dragons.
From what Walker had learned about earth dragons was small. But it did cover their young. They would leave the eggs to hatch and grow on their own. That would toughen them and allow them to return to the vige stronger than they would if they were coddled.
"Just to get to the important parts of what I asked…What did you see?" Walker felt bad changing top[ics, but he had to prepare.
The map that Walker o[ened up and created a temporary earth table using his skills for was easily understood by Ventus. Dragons rarely used maps because they were able to memorize many features of the areas they traveled. Their instincts helped them do so since they were very close to monster races. That was why they were able to be the monster rogue dragon.
"Here, here, and here. These three viges have many demons around them that are not in a made state. These two are just ashes. And this one ispletely abandoned. I would say it has been that way for months." Ventus had found two viges that Walker didn''t have on the map. It was incredibly impressive.
"Then I believe we will move to the abandoned vige to set up a base. That should help with the soldiers moving deeper in to the demonnds. It also makes certain that demons will have a protected ce to flee to within their ownnds." Walker knew that some demons would always be morefortable in thends that they grew up in. And that was not at all an issuer. He felt safer when he was in his own homends as well.
"I would watch out for the packs of monsters here and here. They haverge nests that no one should mess with. Unless I go with the army, you will lose many men." Ventus was deadly serious. She knew that some of the demonic monsters could care less about living. They were driven by instinct and anger oftentimes.
"I see…" this didn''t bode well for what Walker was considering. He hated that he would have to make the entire army change the way that they were moving. However, he did not want the army to deal with monsters. He wanted to avoid disrupting the natural border of the demonnds while they freed the demons. They could worry about monsterster.
"I believe this was a pack of demonic buffalo. The entire group is seemingly calm until you approach them. From there you will feel the fury they have. By that, I mean the lightning. Demonic buffalo follow thunderstorms and absorb the lightning. As a herd, they are able to channel it. One is weak. Many are strong." Ventus had seen them before and knew they had power in numbers.
"It sounds like you have seen them while following the air currents. I will be mindful that we avoid thempletely." Walker knew the danger that came from multiple elemental manasing together to form lighting. It was a main reason why he avoided using it. Lighting was unpredictable and came with a high mana cost. Unless he mastered mana better, he would not forcefully learn about lightning. It had to be the right moment with the right control.
"My brother is a multi elemental dragon. He was born of two hybrid dragons that left me and another vige. He has a unique affinity and only eats lightning monsters. That is why I am able to understand such things. It is a rare instance in nature." Ventus had opened up a lot more. It was clear that she saw Walker for more than he was telling.
"I understand. I hope to meet more of your family one day." It would be a very interesting encounter. Even though Ventus had not said specifically, she had made it sound like her brother was a lightning dragon. Something that was even rare in storybooks because of the devastation they were said to cause.
"I believe my family would like to meet you. The wind dragon viges are small but powerful and close." Ventus smiled softly. Walker could easilypare Ventus to the winds. Soft and peaceful when in a good mood. He was sure that if provoked, a vicious hurricane could be created.<sub> </sub>
"Before you go and meet with your family, can I ask you a question?" Ventus was very unlike the other dragons. She asked permission to ask something. It was odd but a wee change.
"Of course. I won''t refuse much. Ask anything you want to know." It felt to Walker that this was more important than what they had spoken about before.
"If you need to, will you kill demons? Are you prepared for that? I know you are human, and you wish to save all races to live together and grow. That is respectable and I believe it to be a cause that represents nature. All thingsing together to form one world. But I need to know yourmitments." Part of Walker expected a question like this. It was straight forward and serious. But it needed to be asked.
"I wish I could say no. I wish I could say I never killed anything or anyone…But this is for the betterment of an entire race. For an entire future. If there are those that wish to harm others without any care, they may not be able to be locked away in prisons. They will perish. If it is my hand that does it, I might cry. I might scream. But I will ept my burden."
The pain that Walker felt epting this was great. His heart felt like it was being torn in two. The closer he had gotten to natural mana the less he wanted to see something hurt. Yet, he also understood that such things were necessary. The forest would not grow if some trees died off to make room and fertilizer. Nature didn''t just epass life.
"Good. then I have no tissue remaining by your side for this. But you will personally give me a tour of your vige when Ie after this battle." Ventus left Walker to think. She knew she had put him on the spot. But she had made the same decisions about her own viges at a young age. Sometimes someone needed to make a person ept it.
Walker moved toward the party that had climbed from the carriage and started to stretch. They had waited calmly while Walker spoke with Ventus. "So, you finally came to see us?" Gil was a little teasing but also questioning. He wanted to know what had happened.
"Well, Midnight beat you all here and is with Ventus''s children. They are eating. Ventus looked around at demon viges so we have some ns. And I have spoken with themander here. We will move again soon."
"Should we still stay?" The healers that came with them looked to the party for answers."
"No, we will need you at the thirteenth wall. The other two sections dealing with demons are the fourteenth and twelfth. They will all need healing to save lives and bring demons back to their senses. I just hope that the army is in time…"
Walker''s hopes were not unfounded. He had no idea where the armies were but they were marching. Scy had gathered people from the tournament when they were eliminated to leave with king Rorick. The first wave was on the way.
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