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Interlude Before the End

"(Hello, little one. Have a good night's rest)?"

That voice was a voice that Zardes had wanted to hear for a while now. He quickly woke up and opened the tent to meet the draconic face of his friend and partner, Itresil.

The hell dragon never looked better. Her crusty dark red scales reminded Zardes of the general scenery of the world below them, and her bright yellow eyes were so different compared to the other dragons. She was the size of a regular dragon, so she was big enough to carry two to three people on her. Still, it was not enough for her to carry everyone to Qeveriyt, as Zardes had planned.

Then as the hellhound walked out, he spotted Belial walking alongside her. He was now wearing a set of simple clothes presumably borrowed to him by someone in the camp. His physique was similar to most people, so he could borrow most people's clothes. It made him less conspicuous, although everyone would still think why a demon goat was casually walking around the surface world like nothing happened.

Belial walked towards him and said, "I think you need to know her more before you ask her to carry stuff like a carriage, Zardes."

"I know what you're saying. Itresil has her choice, Belial."

"That's what I've been trying to explain, my lord," said Itresil. "I am living in the surface now, and I am working with Zardes as a partner and a mount."

Belial sighed. "Alright. Have it your way. Remember that you're still a Circle demon, so don't let him get too much out of you. And Zardes, you're lucky to have her as a friend. I hope you stay that way, or she's going to fuck you up."

"Fuck me up? What...?"

Belial made a sly smile before he walked back into the ruins. Zardes turned his head to Itresil, confused.

"What does he mean?"

"You know Circle demons. They can be very short," said Itresil. "But I think prince Belial is talking about something more...intimate."

"Well, if that's the case, I'm a little too small for you."

"I'm sure the prince is just playing with you. Even so, that's not how I imagine a Fifth Circle demon prince would act. What did you do?"

"Nothing. Well, maybe it's the prison suit. Even then, I know his change is genuine, just like a demon I know."

Zardes then turned towards Itresil and smiled. She smiled back.

"I hope he does not change that much, little one," said Itresil. "I hope you know the consequences of that."

"I know, Tresi. I know."

"Glad you understand our way," said Itresil. "Now, I think you have something say about giving the reports to the Order, so I'll take you there."

"Do you think you can take the others, too?"

"I can take you, Malkar, and one more. The rest must ride another, I'm afraid. I can ask a dragon to accompany me if you want to go with me to Qeveriyt."

"I think that's a good idea."

"Then hop on."

Zardes had the biggest smile on his face as he climbed up Itresil's wing towards her back. She was wearing the saddle she wore to carry riders around, which was designed to be easy to take off. Unlike other beasts, dragons had comparable knowledge with an adult human and a free will, so their saddle was designed so it was easy to take off like a backpack.

For Zardes, he had missed this sensation, even if it was only for a month. Flying with Itresil always calmed him for some reason. Like all dragon riders, having a friendly relationship with dragons was the best thing one could have, for a dragon was loyal and smart once they had given a permission for a rider to ride them. Some dragons demanded more respect, and in the case of Itresil, a respect comparable to the world below the surface where things were different than what was on the surface. Zardes had earned the respect of both Belial and Itresil, so he was a force to be reckoned with, at least in the eyes of his dragon.

After a while, the main group got a ride from a dragon who was Itresil's friend. She took Gehen, Damos, and Ammon, while Zardes, Malkar, and Belial rode Itresil to Qeveriyt city, otherwise known as the City of Dragons.

Qeveriyt was not the first City of Dragons that was established. Dracokin city held that distinction. The partially underground city was once an ancient headquarters of the Order before it was attacked by the Dragonsbane, a group of humans who did not wish to share the world with dragons and only regard the flying reptilians as mere beasts like horses. They were mostly dragon slayers that was also as ancient as the Order, with different ideologies. One wished to conquer by friendship, while other wished to conquer by annihilation. Both had their own truth backing them, for some dragons were not as noble as many pro-dragons would think.

Due to a misstep, and possibly desperation, the Dragonsbane lost their control of the situation when Seraphor, then a young silver red dragon, destroyed a concentration camp for these dragons and crippled their operations in the South. Then, they were completely annihilated when a group of Northern dragons, bend on humanity's subjugation, tricked the Dragonsbane to open a prison for their brethren, which massacred the remaining major Dragonsbane camp left in the Northern Region. The rest of them either surrendered or killed during the final skirmish against these Northern dragons.

Now the Dragonsbane was a thing of the past, and dragons could finally co-exist with humans, as humans had done with hellhounds and Lycans from the neighboring continent. Qeveriyt was the symbol of that union, with the rebuilt Dracokin served as the second major hub for this relationship.

Itresil and the other dragon landed on a designated landing pad within the city center. They could land outside the city, but they had a pad free for the two of them, so they did so. Qeveriyt, unlike the urban sprawl of Xici, had no tall buildings to accommodate the dragons. Instead, most of the city was built underground, while the ground level was for the dragons. It was not really a problem, given that magic and technology had made the underground city as livable as it was on the surface. In fact, both Dracokin and Qeveriyt boasted themselves to be the only underground cities that worked throughout all the Main Continent, except maybe if anyone considered the Underworld.

As they landed, the group was astounded by the dragons and their riders walking around without worry. The dragons were quite big, but they were not obstructing the lives of the people around them. The city was designed with dragons and humans in mind, after all. Zardes then hopped off Itresil as she landed, along with Malkar and Belial. Ammon flew down, while keeping most of his body under the cloak, knowing that slight exposure to the sun could burn him. Gehen and Damos simply hopped off the dragon carrying them.

"Thank you, Solanir. You are a great help," said Itresil to the female dragon.

"No sweat, Itresil."

Then Solanir walked away to meet a human who was presumably her rider.

"(Alright, so, I need to talk with the Order about our current situation. Meanwhile, Malkar will take you around the city and meet me at my home later this evening)."

"(I'll go with Zardes in case the surface dwellers need something to convince them)," said Belial.

"(Uh...)."

"(And I don't mean intimidating them. You have my word)."

"(Yeah, I...guess so. Anyway, enjoy yourselves. We've earned this rest)."

The rest of the group seemed alright with this as they walked with Malkar towards a building directing them underground. As they disappeared under the stairs, Zardes turned towards Belial.

"I think it's a good idea to take you along after all. Some of the Council members are hellhounds and they know the danger of a hellish invasion as good as you and I do. We don't want to cause our relationship with the surface break due to another invasion we don't start."

"What do you think I'd do?"

"I don't know. Intimidate them?"

"I might do that, but what's that going to work for us? They won't like a demon barking orders like he is the one who knows everything while he clearly does not understand most of things."

"At least you learned how we do things up here."

"You think I don't know how to be courteous?"

"Well, courteous is another thing. If you're already on that level, I think you're better off a mortal."

"Guess I'll keep myself good, then."

Zardes smiled. "I know you can do it."

The two walked into a building near the landing pad, one with a logo over the door. This logo was the logo of the Order, and it had always been their coat of arms for years since is inception. It held true for everyone, and it was a symbol of hope to some.

It was only a short walk from the reception area to the Council room, which was a giant circular room where the Council would usually meet. There was not session that day, and Zardes knew that. So, like many riders who wished to have a meeting with the Council but with no appointment, they could leave a message. It may sound too simple, but that's how things work. The Council members also had a second job, so they would held a meeting two days per week.

Still, Zardes knew that their situation was far more serious to be ignored, so he decided to meet one of the council members he personally knew: Ashten Schelkz. The old hellhound was in the building when Zardes left a message for the Council, and he walked to where Ashten was.

Ashten had an office on the ground level of the building. His second job was as a trainer in close combat. Knowing that each dragon riders had their own preference to their own weapons, he instead taught them on how to fight when unarmed, knowing that despite of the weapon's durability and efficiency, there was always a chance that those weapons would not be available in many situations. Zardes had not had this kind of problem during the course of this journey, but he still appreciated Ashten's training and the fact that the hellhound was his mentor during his early rider days.

Ashten himself was old but was not nearing the end of his life. He was still a fit old hound who could tear a man's throat out if he wanted to. Still, for a hellhound, he was a kind old hound who liked to smile whenever he met anyone.

As Zardes and Belial walked into the office, however, Belial quickly stood in front of Zardes, keeping him behind while he looked at the old hound. Zardes also noticed that the old hound became aware and quickly turned towards Belial.

"What's wrong?" asked Zardes.

"This hellhound...he's a half-Infernal," said Belial.

"It's not a secret, you know. Everyone knows he's a half-Infernal. I mean, the Schelkz family has a history with Infernals."

"Yes, we do." Ashten then walked towards Belial. "And that blood makes us aware of other Infernals, especially if said Infernal happens to be a prince."

"You...know Belial?" asked Zardes.

Ashten chuckled. "I know many things about Infernals. Let's just say it runs in the family, along with the fact that part of my blood is also Lycan. Anyway, I hope my presence here does not intimidate you."

"No. You're not."

"And I'm sure your return has something to do with trouble brewing down in the Underworld. If it's not, you would not come a seek me for my authority as a Council member."

"I guess I'm really that easy to read, huh?"

"No. He's easy to read. You do not involve a demon prince if it's nothing more than having a chat. Anyway, what I can do for you?"

And so, Zardes explained his former mentor about the brewing chaos in hell, about the schemes of a rival Fifth Circle demon prince, about the possibility of another invasion (though Zardes wasn't sure if an invasion was imminent if there was only one Crossing Gate on each continent), and the Infernal Texts that started it all.

All the while Ashten listened intently, sometimes taking notes of what Zardes and Belial were explaining. Then, after a while of talking, Zardes stopped, apparently reluctant to say what he had to say until he said, "Is...there any news about Atmell and Arcturus?"

"No," said Ashten shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Zardes, but no one ever saw them. It's like they vanished without a trace. Atmell is a good man. He wouldn't neglect his duties even if that wyvern of his persuade him to. Just...believe that one day, he'll return home, alright?"

"Oh. I see," said Zardes slumping. "Well...I know Atmell's a strong kid. His wyvern partner's also out of this world, so...."

"It's a shame, though. That pairing is one of a kind. A human rider with a wyvern from beyond Earth? It feels like what they'll write these days."

"Oh, you mean that new 'invasion from beyond the Earth' kind of thing? Well, we have an invasion coming from within the Earth, so we'll stick with something we know."

"I guess so." Asthen then turned to Belial. "Zardes, would you mind leaving us alone? I have something to talk about with the prince."

Zardes was confused as to what Ashten was talking about, but he obliged. Before he walked out of the room, Zardes said, "Be nice" to Belial, who grunted in response. Zardes then walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, intending to join the others in his apartment.

Belial and Ashten stared each other for a while before Belial said, "Your cousin is one kinky son of a bitch, you know."

"Adre? If he is, he never told me. I guess that explains the collar around your neck, huh, prince Belial?"

Belial scoffed.

"Still...I guess I owe you an explanation as to why our family has quite a relationship with the Infernals."

"Well, hellspawns such as you are not uncommon. I know as much since Infernals who are found to sire a child are instantly demoted to low-level demons, just close to be a damned. If one of your parent returns to the Fifth Circle...you know what their fate is. A demon cannot escape their true self even after death. In fact, it was worse for them."

"Are you the one making those rules?"

"Blame my father for giving this rule. Which is why, despite your student's beliefs, I will not neglect my duty as a prince. Yes, I do have trusted underlings that tried to stab me in the back, but they are not yet worthy."

"I hear you, prince Belial. Still...the Schelkz family is not always a family of Lycans and half-Infernals. My distant relatives were descended from half-frost demons, and Lycans and humans."

"Man, your blood is not that thick, huh?"

"Well...being unfaithful and death of our monarchial system will do that to you. Still, are you sure you never heard about the Schelkz family before? How about Ifrit Schelkz?"

"Ifrit Schelkz." Belial smiled. "Now that's a name I've heard before. Ifrit is a half-Infernal who is the first demon I've ever known to get up in rank in just 20 years. He was a damned when he died, but as a half-Infernal, he easily challenged the low-ranked demons and raise up in rank until he took my attention. He is still a long way to go to take my throne, but a hundred years is a short time for an immortal demon."

"So, it is."

"I was not aware of the fact that he was also a Schelkz."

"Now you know."

"And I got the explanation on why you're a half-Infernal. Still, I have a whole day if you want to talk about other things. I...need pointers on some sensitive matter."

"I have all day, prince Belial. I have all day."

***

As Zardes walked out of the Order's building, he was greeted by a familiar old voice.

"Oh, hello there," said the voice. "Haven't seen you around for a while."

Zardes turned to meet the bright teal eyes of a silver red dragon, a living legend with a lot of stories to tell.

"Seraphor," said Zardes with a smile. "Visiting a friend?"

"No, not really," said the dragon. "I'm just walking around Qeveriyt. It's Rhaynis who's visiting a friend. Still, it's nice to have a companion around. I'm not as nimble as I used to be."

"I know, I know."

Zardes and Seraphor then walked through the landing pad area to the main city. Seraphor, despite of his almost impossible feats since youth, had lost all of those drive ever since he lost one of his children to a curse and his mate, a black dragon with feather-covered wings, moved on to the other side. The female dragon was also a hero of her own merit, as she was Avila, the Angel of Death. Zardes was always reminded that demons had their counterparts, the angels. Avila, and the Argoon dragons of the Southern Region, were the prime example of angels, even if their appearance was not like the supposedly divine beings.

It was a wonder for Zardes that Seraphor could still live up to that point. He was known to be a flightless dragon, in which his wings were not fully developed and did not have membranes needed for flight. Also, ever since the last fight with the Northern dragons, he burned out one of his lungs creating a powerful fire akin to a hellfire, rendering him unable to breathe fire. One of his legs was also damaged beyond repair, and he was limping as he walked. Even worse, his over-assertion during his youth finally took a toll on his body as he started to become blind. Zardes, a dragon rider, would know if a dragon was slowly losing his sight.

But, the most obvious explanation to this was because of his sub-race. Seraphor belonged to a race of dragons called dragonets, which were also called 'dwarf dragons'. Their adult size was only two times a hellhound's size, which was only a third of an adult-sized dragon. His kind was very rare, and it was even rarer if it was a hybrid. He had complete control of five elements of Earth, though nowadays he only had four due to losing his ability to breathe and control fire. Zardes sympathized with him. A dragon's element was like a part of their life, and Seraphor's loss of his fire caused him to lose his strong will and resigned to fate. The hellhound felt sorry for him, but it had been done, and he could not change that fact.

They moved to a monument, a sculpture of a certain Earth dragon who seemed to be someone who Seraphor was close to. The sculpture was dedicated to Yort, an ancient Earth dragon who was killed on the spot where the sculpture was standing. Zardes had no recollection about the dragon since, during the Northern dragon invasion, he was still a child around 7 of age.

Seraphor looked at the sculpture and said, "You know, I always wondered what death feels like. Is it the cold embrace of an Angel of Death, or is it as warm as many has hoped? I think I may never know until my love come and visit me for the last time."

"Avila, right?"

Seraphor nodded. "She's a fine dragon, and always will be. I've lost many during the course of my life, but I cling to the fact that she's going to take me back to my ancestors."

"I hope you're not in a hurry, Sera."

"Oh, no, no. I'm not that desperate," said Seraphor with a chuckle. "If I am, Vila will never forgive me. Or even my friend. He may have returned to his own realm, but I know he'll be mad if I chose a shortcut. I envy him, you know. His life has been...reignited as he grew into a fine adult and have children as purple as he is. Life does hold a lot of surprises. You may never know when an excitement will come. Who knows. It might be around the corner."

"I sure hope you find that drive, too."

Seraphor chuckled. "Kinda hard if you happen to have way shorter lifespan compared to a dragon. Anyway...Zardes, right?"

"Uh-huh?"

"I do not pretend to know anything about hell or whatnot. I had a demon friend, too, but even she was sometimes very cryptic. Still, if hell breaks loose, always remember one thing. You always have a partner to rely on."

"I'll...keep that in mind."

"Good. And, Zardes, thank you for accompanying me."

"You're welcome, Seraphor," said Zardes with a smile.

Seraphor smiled back as he said, "Are you done, Rhaynis?" as a similarly silver dragon (but with black stripes instead of red) came to him. She talked a bit to Seraphor before they both walked away. Rhaynis gave a wink to Zardes, who simply waved goodbye to the dragons.

"I do hope that old dragon finds his peace," thought Zardes. "And I'll make sure he gets it."

Knowing that Zardes had his own responsibility, he turned towards the direction of his apartment, and paced there. Seraphor's advice rang true in his ears. He had a partner to rely on. No...he had more than just a partner.

He had his friends to rely on.