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Travelling back to the West wasn't something that's as hard as it was travelling down South. With the route being known, it was only a matter of time before they return to the West. But as always, it's easier said than done.

Though the route was known for both Xiciro and Avet, the Dragonsbane in the area were relentless and even more dangerous than before. The attack on one of their outposts made them think that Western dragons were trying to invade their territory, which prompted heavier patrol and more dragons being posted, presumably coming from the dragon prison.

In the end, their travel dragged on for two weeks, in which the season in the West had already changed. Gone was the spring bloom, replaced by the hot summer that was scorching hot, both in the West and the Center.

Xiciro had experienced this summer three times since coming out from his confines in the Dark Dimension, but as always, he never would've thought that the weather wouldn't stay the same every year. There's cold summer, and there's hot summer. The hot summer in the desert area was far more prominent, and was affecting him and his young companion.

"Fuck...how hot can it be here?" said Avet. "If I'm one of them cold-blooded reptiles, I might not complain."

"Do not whine over trivial matter, Avet. It won't look good with the humans who admires our race."

"Yeah, I know that. Not everyone is living in Nia Baleth, you know."

They reached Qeveriyt late at night. The town had less dragon than it was in spring due to the heat, with most going to the West near the sea. Xiciro didn't care about that; all he cared about was the dragon that he wanted to talk to.

After searching through the town, he finally found the dragon. Yort was sleeping in the outdoors being surrounded by a body of water. He also noticed Cyril near the millennia-old dragon. The ice dragon was tending on Yort's weak body ever since the portal between his world and their world opened and connected with each other.

The ice dragon noticed Xiciro, who approached him and said, "Never felt a summer like this in your world, eh, Cyril?"

"Ah, Xiciro, my counterpart." Xiciro didn't mind being called a 'counterpart', especially by a dragon with vast knowledge like Cyril, and the fact that he was him from another world. A parallel, to be exact.

"To be honest with you, this world is...quite ordinary, unlike our world. In our world, each island has an isolated weather system, which can go on forever, if not disturbed."

"Yes, how intriguing. But, Cyril, I'm not here trying to discuss on trivial talks." Xiciro then looked around. "Has no one realize that we're gone?"

"I know," said a voice behind Xiciro. The old Argoon turned around to see a golden-scaled draconian who looked like a golden scaled dragon he once saw.

"So, this old dragon had spilled the truth," said Xiciro. "I should've known a secret is not permanent."

"I need to talk to you. Just you and me," said the draconian. Xiciro was going to lash out and remind him of his place, but seeing his eyes was enough. The draconian was trying to talk to him on a serious matter.

Going into a building, Xiciro quickly put a shield that dampened noise, which the draconian appreciate. But, then, his intention was quickly known.

"I am going to warn you, Xiciro. I don't care if you're her father or not, but if you think I'm going to forgive you for what your group had done to Ray, then you're wrong."

"So it seems it's no longer a secret. Who or what told you this? Is it one of those Dragonsbane?"

"Yort told me about you. Everything about you," said Richard.

Xiciro wasn't trying to be mad. Instead he smiled. Even after living for such a long time, the old earth dragon still had his sharpness. He was, however, confused as to why he was still trying to be friends with Xiciro if Yort knew that he was once a Defiler.

"I won't deny my association with the Defilers, but I assure you that I was not the one killing this 'Ray' you're talking about."

"Raithorakh's killer was shrouded in the mist produced during the fight with both Seraphor and Avila," said Richard. His hand was on the hilt of his sword. "I couldn't see what, but I knew it was one of you."

"Then I owe you an apology, for indirectly being a killer."

"You don't need to," said Richard. "I won't even forgive you anyway."

"So what are you going to do? Using that dragon treasure against me? You know very well that I am not going to hold back, even if this is a grudge. I have been able to live a normal life thanks to my daughter's level-headedness, and also because of Yort's tolerance. I won't let this peace go to waste just because a mythical being told me to."

Richard grimaced, knowing very well that he was mocked by the dragon. But, even with modern technology and a powerful rail gun, it wouldn't be enough if the dragon in front of him was serious. He knew an Argoon dragon was stronger than most dragons, and he was only a half-dragon. It would be suicide.

"I know you don't want to fight me," said Xiciro, surprising Richard. "By the look of it, you are also a father. How many eggs have hatched?"

Richard was hesitant to talk about it, but after a while, he grudgingly said, "Three."

"Then let it go. The one that killed your friend is already dead anyway, or unable to even face you," said Xiciro. "You cannot bargain your family with vengeance."

"I've been thinking of killing the dragon that killed Ray and you want me to drop it off? I can't let his death to be in vain! I have been thinking about this for 15 years! Fifteen fucking years! I can't just casually drop it!"

"Even if you try to strike me down, I won't fight you," said Xiciro while turning his back. "It's a waste of my time, and it will be another soul gone. I won't risk that. I know you are a good draconian, and you have a family to care for. Do not let your personal vendetta take those away."

"Is this because of Avila? Is this because of your daughter that you don't want to fight me?!"

Xiciro didn't want to turn around. He just said, "I'm not a good father myself, and I tried to kill Avila. If she is willing to forgive me, then it's enough. Even if the world hates me, as long as I have her, I can endure. Now get out of my sight if you still regard me as an enemy."

But as Xiciro walked out of the sound-dampening barrier, Yort, already woken up, approached the Argoon dragon and said, "Xiciro...Richard is just trying to make things right with you."

"By killing himself? Besides, how can you even tolerate my presence if I'm a Defiler?"

Yort smiled. "Oh, I've known a dragon far worse than you. And, I suppose you're back here because of a reason, right? Have you found the reason why there are Southern and Western Argoons?"

"Yes, I think I am, and how fate had entangled us in its threads. You are the last dragon known to have witnessed the curse given to the Southern Argoons, and you are also the only one that can lift the curse."

This statement surprised Avet to the point he said, "What?!"

"Yes, young one. I was once Valutja's friend." Yort's face became solemn. "Oh, I wish my sin can be forgiven by your brethren, young one."

Richard was also surprised, but he kept silent when all this unfolded in front of him. He wasn't well-versed in draconic history anyway.

"So, can you lift the curse here?"

"I'm afraid it's not possible," said Yort. "While a simple forgiveness can lift the curse, I need to be near the thing that we gave to the Argoons back then. It was a 'lock' for the 'wall' that divided us, and I am the final 'key'."

"That means..."

"I must fly with you, to the place where you put the 'lock'. I think you know which is it, Xiciro."

Xiciro knew what he was talking about, but he was more concerned with the old dragon's health. Avet, seeing the condition of the dragon, also sympathized with the dragon.

"C'mon, old one, it's fine," said Avet. "Besides, no one knew about you anyway, so it's fine if you can't fly there. I know it's impossible from the moment they..."

"There's no such thing as 'impossible', young one," said Yort standing tall and opened his furled wings. They were tattered due to old age, but overall, was enough for gliding. His face had a resolve and pride that Xiciro had never seen before, as did Richard.

"If it is going to be my end, then so be it, if it can welcome a divided race," said Yort. "Besides, I was also involved in the battle of Pol Hain, or have you forgotten, Richard Andaluvia?"

"Uh, no, but...are you sure about this? That fight with Salke exhausted you..."

"This is nothing compared to that!" exclaimed Yort. He was getting impatient. "So what are you doing? I'm not some pitiful old fool! When do we start?"

"Not tonight, my friend," said Xiciro with a smile. "We have been flying for weeks without any stop. Some days of rest will do."

"Don't blame me if I suddenly die because you wait."

Xiciro laughed. "Oh, I will make sure that you are not."

***

Richard was conflicted about his decision that he couldn't sleep for two nights. He needed action aside from Qeveriyt, but he knew travelling to an unknown region was suicide. Besides, even if the skirmish had died down from the past one month, it would surely start again when the draconians went away.

This conflicted decision also affected his behavior, which Juagar noticed, as did Seiglet, who was close with them as he was Juagar's brother-in-law. He noticed Richard's behavior for a while.

"Oi, Juagar, wanna talk with him?" said Seiglet when they were together. "He's not doing grand, isn't he?"

"Why don't you try talking with 'im? You're his friend, too."

"If he doesn't want to talk to you, then I have not the slightest chance," said Seiglet with a shrug.

Juagar nodded. He didn't want to see his brother-in-law and best friend be entangled in the conflict of the world he clearly had no place anymore. But he would not give up. Even if Richard wanted to be alone, Juagar would be the only one who would give his friend good vibes.

But as Juagar walked towards Richard, a menacing black-scaled dragon walked in front of him. Looking at his visage made the green draconian intimidated and he immediately pulled his crossbow, but once the black dragon started talking, Juagar felt compelled to stand down.

"I am sorry to disturb you, little one," said the dragon with a smooth, accented voice. It was similar to Seiglet's, but very soft and well-spoken like his wife.

"O-oh, it's fine, noble dragon. I'll just walk..."

"Wait, you're that golden scaled draconian's friend. Am I right?"

Juagar was somehow compelled to give an answer and he nodded, truthfully.

"Then I can see his problem right in front of my eyes. Little one, he needs your counsel on his decision, which I know will impact your relationship with him."

"What's the matter?"

"It's just a guess, but I can say that he's trying to travel with us to the Southern Region, to accompany the old dragon."

Hearing this made Juagar surprised. Personally, he didn't care about Richard's indecisiveness. Even if it was dangerous, they would go, unless it was proven to be risky.

However, he was wondering about how far it would take to go to the so-called Southern Region. He dared to ask the dragon.

"Roughly two weeks or so, but we can travel with less time because of me," said the dragon. "Do you have transportation?"

"Yes, a 4x4 we parked near the town. We'll gonna need more fuel to last through that journey."

"Then I suggest you take whatever supply you can carry, including your weapons. It will be a long journey ahead."

The dragon then left Juagar to talk with Richard, with him talking with a similar-looking black dragon with a bandage over a side of its head, somehow coming from the same race. The green draconian understood that Richard was conflicted to risk his friends, knowing that even if the group agreed, it would be a dangerous task that could result in death.

Of course, by the time he explained this to Richard, he scoffed while chugging a pint of beer, even though he knew that his body wouldn't be able to get drunk with a human's level of alcohol anyway.

"That bastard told you, huh? I should've known his traitorous butt when I see one," said Richard, half serious. "So, still wanna go? I wasn't trying to coax any of you into it since, well, this is not even a storybook. It's real, and you might all die."

"Ah, don't worry mate," said the white-scaled draconian. "I bet they are not prepared for what's coming. Besides, we don't even know the danger might be that tough. We just need to look out each other's back."

"He's right, buddy," said Bestreid, the brown-scaled, one-eyed draconian. "They ain't got nothin' with my guns."

"Besides, shouldn't we be more concerned with not having any worthwhile adventure here?" said Orozco, once was Richard's commander. "We have gone through dangerous situations, right?"

"It's not that! You don't understand! This is the land of magic and dragons, not technology and guns! We won't be able to survive without...help."

"And you are assuming that I'm not a help, Richard Andaluvia?"

Yort's giant visage walked near the group. He apparently heard all about their conversation.

"It's your only chance to travel to the South, anyway, before your small gate closes."

"But our family..."

Yort then turned towards the direction of the West, in which the group looked at a visage of familiar figures in shock and surprise. They were speechless and their family walked towards them. Richard recognized Cernelesh's appearance as soon as her whole feature was shown to him. The dark green-scaled dragon walked with his teen-aged soon, who was clutching his little brother's hand.

"So you can't travel because of us, huh?" said Cernelesh as she approached Richard. "You afraid of dying?"

"I still have a family to care for, and a job!"

Cernelesh then moved towards him and kissed his snout, surprising, but at the same time relaxing the golden-scaled draconian. It also acted as a signature of sorts to an agreement.

"Just come back safe, okay? Just because you want to go doesn't mean your household problem must go with you too. Take some time off. Maybe kill some monsters for all I care. We'll hold the fort."

"Cernelesh..."

"Just bring back some souvenirs, alright?" she said with a smile. "I'd love to have something from your world."

Seeing how optimistic the people from the draconian world made Richard felt optimistic himself. He had never felt like this since starting a new life back when he was not accustomed to the modern world and his new draconian existence. He felt the same thing again, but this time was to find a new world instead of trying to fit in.

Aside from that, knowing that Argoons were split into two different factions was intriguing. He wanted to see Avila's kin, even if they would not accept the presence of mythological creatures around their town, or maybe city.

Besides, with friends like these, what could possibly go wrong?