Taelin slightly moved back in his chair. The dragon's maw was ever so close to his face; if he made one more comment, he knew no gold could save him. No status could shield him.
Despite that, he still held onto his confidence and his pride. He was a Rutherford, not some low-level commoner—who had nothing.
He carefully chose his next few words. He understood that no one could tame the beast before him besides Dorian himself, but what if he took a different approach that didn't need strength?
"I remember, you know, Dorian Tenum—your name is getting quite popular within this city, isn't it?" he asked.
Dorian's patience was running thin. "Take back what you said." To add to his authority, he mentally commanded Emrys to take a step forward, just enough so that Taelin was constantly under the dragon's jurisdiction.
"I'll take back what I said, sure, though I want something from you. First, put away that wretched beast, and then I will consider fixing your mistakes. Guards will be rushing in any moment now, and if you want any closure on this matter, then I suggest you heed my advice."
Dorian looked at the door—the door that Emrys' wing was guarding, as per his command. He looked down at his peers: Aya, who was frightened; Vanessa, who was holding onto Dorian's sleeve with a look that told him it wasn't worth it; and Tully, who was in total awe.
Dorian decided to hear him out. If there was any chance they would get through this, it would be now.
"Emrys, fall." The dragon collapsed into a shadow that covered the room in darkness for a single moment before trailing back to Dorian's sword.
A moment later, there were knocks on the door, and a guard opened it slightly. Taelin gazed at the door and shook his head, which prompted the guard to close it.
Dorian then sat down in his chair as Taelin adjusted his tie. He began to propose a solution: "I know about you, Dorian. I've read about you. Tell me—are you a Fedradian?"
"Fedradian? No, I'm from Layne. Through and through—this is my home."
Fedradia was a land in the east, a small country established under its own rule. The reason this question was asked was because sword users similar to Dorian came from this land.
Instead of using 'mana' in conventional ways, they all had a mana focus—most commonly a sword. The way this was done was through a specific mineral native to Fedradia.
There were said to be four legendary followings within Fedradia: the Sword of the Dragon, the Sword of the Kraken, the Sword of the Griffin, and the Sword of the Basilisk.
This was what made Taelin curious about the boy. He didn't claim to be Fedradian, yet he had qualities that resembled one of them.
"So you say? Well, put it like this—leave the Crossed Seas Guild and work for my adventuring association. I'd be glad to have someone with talent, with dedication, and with passion—the passion being fuelled by a fallen comrade. It's so poetic, don't you think?"
"How about it, dragon boy? How about you start playing with real fire? Then, I can begin helping your friend. Hell, I'll even bring this matter up with some of the top-ranking members of the Court of Kings."
This was a chance neither side could let slip. Once Dorian's dragon had grown—which would take less than ten years—it would be on such a level that entire kingdoms would fight for it.
There had once been an abundance of dragons in Fedradia, though reaching them wasn't easy. Not only that—not everyone could tame a dragon.
As for Dorian, this was his biggest chance at figuring out what had happened to Xerxes. If he gave up this offer now, could it be the catalyst for something worse? Another war between beast and man?
Would Xerxes' death ever have closure?
The room was silent in anticipation as Dorian looked at Aya. No words were exchanged, but despite their ambition to get the answers they needed—would it be worth working for someone like him?
Someone who seemed to act only in self-interest, offering favours only when they benefited him?
No.
Next, Dorian looked at Vanessa and smiled. She smiled and nodded back.
"You see, Taelin, my family has already lost someone of their own. I can't just leave them as well and work for someone like you. I need to be there for them, to grow with them. I won't abandon them."
"So, for your deal, to hell with it and If you've heard about me, then you clearly haven't heard enough. Because I'm the sort of person—when something needs doing, I'll get it done."
"Remember this Taelin: you'll come to regret not helping us today. Whether it's tomorrow, a month, or even years from now—the jewellery, status, and men you hide behind won't save you."
They all stood up as Taelin put his hands together, grinning. "I like you, Dorian Tenum. So, when false ideals like companionship don't cloud your head—come visit me. I'm sure then we'll see eye to eye." Mockingly, he threw a pouch of gold towards Dorian.
Dorian clicked his tongue, holding the pouch. "I don't need your money, Taelin." He threw it back onto the table.
The group walked out, finding somewhere more private to talk.
Immediately, Tully, who had been shaking, scolded, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DRAGON-INFESTED MIND, DORIAN, MY BOY?" He didn't understand the sheer consequences his words might have held.
Dorian just shrugged. "Master Tully, I can't handle disrespect. It's just who I am—certainly not towards Aya, or Xerxes, or anyone I care for."
Tully began pacing as Aya held Dorian's hand.
"Dorian," she whispered, her face showing signs of colour and warmth.
He looked back, eyebrows raised at her change in demeanour.
"Thank you. Thanks for standing up for me. Without a doubt, what he said was correct, I was incompetent and I was foolish. Yet, you defended me. So, I promise I'll start changing. I'll learn to stand up for myself again."
Vanessa looked down at Aya. "Come here, my love," she said bittersweetly, holding the girl who had just been frightened and traumatised by something that would haunt any adventurer, regardless of age or experience.
Aya and Vanessa hugged while Dorian smiled and Tully sighed, wiping sweat from his face.
They walked through the town, observing the different foods and markets on display. Grabbing some cheap but tasty treats, they ended their day on a lighter note before returning to their wagon, which would take them back to the Crossed Seas Guild.
"Nessa?" Dorian asked.
"What is it, Dorian?" she replied.
"After all these months of training, I think I'm plateauing. My sword skills are good, but I need to strengthen my body so I can handle more advanced techniques."
"What are you getting at? You're probably one of the strongest kids this guild has seen. Are you implying you need physical training?" she questioned.
"Well, yeah. If I can train physically, that'd be great. And I think Aya could benefit from an elven mana trainer—they specialise in wind mana, which she uses. If we both improve, we can get stronger. After that, I want to form another party. It requires at least three, so I'd like to find one more person."
Aya nodded. "Dorian and I discussed this. With three, we can take on more quests, build our reputations, and carve out more opportunities. I've decided—I want to join the Court of Kings."
Tully jolted awake. "YOU WANT TO WHAT?"
Aya spoke seriously. "Dorian and I will train for a year, then spend another year completing quests, working up to B-rank. Even if we don't reach B-rank, we'll earn enough to pay for Indonyia Magic Academy. At fourteen, we'll enrol. After progressing, I can trial for the Court of Kings, and Dorian will meet more swordsmen like him."
Dorian finished, "Then, we'll have real power—real influence. And as a bonus, I'll make that pompous prick Taelin choke on his words." He smirked, waving a hand.
Vanessa watched them. This was what they'd raised them for, wasn't it? She'd paused her own dreams so her family could carry them forward—to become great, renowned adventurers. It didn't sound so bad, she thought.
The fiercest dragon-sword user and the most elegant wind mage. She chuckled at her own little fantasy.
"I might know the right person for you two. He's a drunkard elf who trained my brother years ago."
Tully looked at her in horror. "Don't tell me, Nessa—you're talking about him. About Bale, The Tempest."
Vanessa gave a thumbs up.