Soaring through the sky on the dragon king's mighty dragain, she couldn't help but admire the world below her. The wind blowing through her hair, the scent of nature, and the birds flying alongside in the sky — all of it was beautiful, to say the least.
What made everything feel even more beautiful was the sensation of the dragon king right behind her, incredibly close. She could still feel her back pressed against his hard body, which made her feel a mix of discomfort and a sense of comfort at the same time. What was the dragon king's plan for her? She couldn't understand at the moment. It was as if he had been deliberately seducing her ever since he asked her about wanting her to be his wife.
Was he truly serious about that? Sylara questioned in her head, trying to find answers. Never once had she imagined herself getting married, let alone to a mortal — or should she say a demigod, as he is the son of a powerful castaway goddess. He wasn't human, but still, the idea of getting married to him felt somewhat wrong, like a sin.
Suddenly, the dragon began lowering itself, prompting a confused expression on Sylara's face. However, she decided to refrain from asking questions until the dragon landed on the outskirts of the Dread Lands.
Reagan touched down on the ground, extending his hands to assist Sylara, who rolled her eyes and retorted, "I can dismount a dragon myself; I don't need your help." With that, she gracefully jumped off the dragon, almost tripping on the long, elegant black dress she wore but skillfully prevented that from happening.
A small laugh from Reagan reached her ears, causing her cheeks to flush in embarrassment. She turned to glare at him, and he promptly composed himself. Inhaling deeply, Sylara queried, "Why are we at the outskirts of the Dread Lands? Why not inside?"
"Having a large flying creature soaring through the sky when we're attempting to ambush our enemies will only alert them of our presence, even from miles away," he explained. "As you can see, Zarathus' wings are quite loud." She nodded in agreement, surveying the thick forest with towering trees ahead, known as the Dread Lands.
"Shall we continue our journey, or should we wait for the others?" Sylara asked, while Reagan took a deep breath.
"We're uncertain how long it'll take for the others to arrive," Reagan replied, glancing back at Zarathus. "Stay here, no matter what, and guide them to us upon their arrival."
"How will he know our location?" Sylara queried, to which Reagan responded, "We're connected; he always knows where I am." Without another word, Reagan ventured into the Dread Lands, prompting Sylara to take a deep breath and follow suit.
Together, they traveled the thick forest in silence, encountering no potential enemies or threats along the way. Sylara continued to move closer to the source of the magical energy, her determination strong.
"So, what do you intend to do with the humans performing the ritual?" Reagan suddenly asked, suddenly curious about Sylara's plan.
"I will make them atone for their sins and administer punishment," she said indifferently. "And if they aren't willing to atone, that's why we have you, Dragon King, to slay them."
Reagan scoffed, retorting, "Did you even bother to ask me if I enjoy slaying people?"
"You've slain thousands of men before in battle with your bare hands, as I've heard. What makes it any different now, Dragon King?" Sylara questioned.
"It was absolutely necessary then, which is why I did it," Reagan stated firmly, while Sylara wasted no time in responding, "It is equally absolutely necessary that you do it right now." With a sigh and a deep inhale, he nodded, and they continued their walk in silence.
"Can I ask a question?" Reagan inquired, to which Sylara promptly replied, "No, you cannot ask a question."
Ignoring her response, Reagan pressed on, "As a guardian of humans, do you even like the mundane?"
Sylara continued walking, stating, "I don't."
"Why then protect them? Why are you here in the Dread Lands defending a species you dislike?" he questioned. Sylara sighed and explained, "Hate is a strong word, and having a duty, or should I say a task, that we don't like is what I consider normal. Humans are selfish, unforgiving, and cruel. Extreme darkness lies in the heart of men, bringing demons to their lands. The same darkness compels this group we are looking for to awaken the demon Delora, likely for their own selfish reasons, disregarding the lives they endanger and the impending destruction."
Reagan countered, "Why not give up your role as a guardian then? The heart of men is inherently evil. Having a supreme being like you look after them seems more than they deserve, doesn't it?" Sylara considered his words before responding.
"The very day I stop being a guardian is the day I have no purpose anymore. It is what I was created for, Dragon King, and it doesn't matter if I like this role or not; I must fulfill it," Sylara stated, inhaling deeply. "Besides, there are some good humans out there, ones with the purest of hearts. Their goodness prompted the gods to create supreme beings like me and other Vedans," she added, while Reagan simply sighed.
As she was about to continue speaking, Reagan suddenly grabbed her wrist and yanked her back, causing her to collide into his chest. They locked eyes for a moment before he showed her something he had grabbed from a nearby tree.
"Purple tail Scorpion?" she asked in disbelief, to which he replied affirmatively, pulling out the huge scorpion's stinger before incinerating the creature in his hand with his fire powers.
Looking down at Sylara, still pressed against his chest, he remarked, "Do you plan on staying there forever? I don't exactly mind."
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she moved away, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Don't get the wrong idea; you were the one who dragged me against your chest."
"Yes, that scorpion. It was deliberately trying to sting you, like someone sent it. They know we are here," he explained.
Sylara's eyes widened in surprise. "The purple tail can't kill me. It can kill lesser Vedans, but not me."
"Yes, but it can make you very sick, and that will only slow us down. Whoever sent it didn't want to kill you; they just wanted to slow you down," he remarked. "What are the chances whoever is in charge of this isn't someone you know?"
"I don't know any humans personally," she replied nonchalantly as they continued walking.
Finally, they arrived at what appeared to be an ancient temple, filled with tall statues of gods.
"What is this?" Reagan asked, surprised, turning to Sylara.
"The Temple of Celestial Confinement," Sylara replied. "This is where castaway gods are imprisoned for years until they atone for their sins," she explained, admiring the statues of the gods before her.
"That statue over there belongs to Malgarius the Cursed, Lord of Shadows," Sylara pointed, her gaze fixed on the statue. "And that one over there is for Lilitha the Banished, Mistress of Temptation," she continued, marveling at the statues. "That one over there belongs to the god Morgath the Betrayer, Sovereign of Betrayal, and that one is for Vortekar the Forsaken...." Sylara abruptly stopped speaking as she noticed Reagan's attention had shifted elsewhere.
He was staring at the statue of a goddess, beautiful and divine in appearance. "Oh, that is Elysia, your mother," Sylara said, her tone filled with sympathy as she watched Reagan fix his gaze on his mother's statue for a while before inhaling deeply.
"Let's move on," Reagan suggested, and Sylara nodded before walking forward. Reagan followed, scanning the temple. "Now I can sense the strange magical energy coming from around this...." She couldn't finish her statement before stepping on something, causing the ground to open up underneath them. They fell into a somewhat deep hole, landing on the ground with a hard thud.
"What was that?" Sylara asked, waving off dust while landing on her feet.
"A temple meant to imprison gods, and you couldn't consider walking slowly since there might be traps everywhere?" Reagan remarked, earning an eye roll from Sylara.
"I will get us out of here," Reagan declared, attempting to use his powers, but they suddenly felt drained. "What is going on here?"
"Your powers stopped working as soon as you entered this temple; you can't use them," Sylara explained, and Reagan responded, "What, you use your powers to get us out, then?"
"I can't use mine either," Sylara confessed. "This temple is meant to imprison gods, so it has an unusual spell cast around it. We can't use our powers, no matter what," she explained, while Reagan sighed.
"Zarathus will come very soon; he will sense that something is wrong and come," Reagan reassured himself.
"Remember, you told Zarathus to stay there no matter what and that he should come find us when the others are with him," Sylara reminded him, prompting Reagan to groan and sit down on the floor in frustration. He stared up, realizing the hole was too deep to climb out of even if he wanted to.
"It's unfortunate that I'm supposed to be stuck in this hole with you until the others arrive," Sylara remarked.
"You say that like it's the worst thing to happen," Reagan retorted, prompting Sylara to roll her eyes.
"Am I suppose to be happy to trapped here with an idiot like you."
""I'm not exactly thrilled to be stuck in this hole with a lunatic old woman," Reagan quipped, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Sylara's eyes narrowed. "Lunatic old woman? I may be over eight centuries old, but I still look as radiant as the dawn."
Reagan chuckled. "Radiant, huh? You look more like a thunderstorm ready to strike."
Sylara's lips twitched. "Only when dealing with insufferable dragon king like you."
"Insufferable? I prefer the term 'charmingly unpredictable,'" Reagan countered with a smirk.
"Charm? That's a stretch," Sylara shot back, crossing her arms.
"Age doesn't always guarantee wisdom, you know," Reagan countered, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And you do have that air of lunacy about you."
"Watch it dragon King," Sylara warned, her voice low and dangerous. "Or you'll find yourself regretting your words more than being stuck in this hole."
Reagan chuckled, unfazed. "Be calm, old woman. We will get out of here eventually."
Sylara huffed, turning away to hide her frustration. "Just remain quiet and let me think of a plan. Your incessant banter isn't helping."
"Fine, fine," Reagan said, leaning back against the wall with a grin. "But you have to admit, being trapped in here with me adds a bit of excitement to your otherwise dull guardian duties."
Sylara rolled her eyes, begrudgingly acknowledging the truth in his words. "Just don't expect me to thank you for it."