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Because of the turn of event two days ago, I decided that staying on the island is not going to do me good. Dajrin and the others were giving us the blessings to the new continent, and suggested that we departed through the southern part of the island. We know what he's talking about.

At the south part of the island, there's an abandoned port. It's overgrown by the vegetation and some of it has crumbled to the sea, yet it still looks convincing enough to become a port of some kind. We are astonished by it, except Azureath.

"It's from those wretched jailers...," said Azureath when I ask her about her mood. "Tell your superior to make haste. There's nothing to admire of except history."

We left the island after watching the ancient wreckages around the port, which add to the mystery of our continent. I just wish that we can go back, safe and sound, with everyone alive, that is.

After that daring stunt I did to free Azureath, I have a trouble keeping warm. It's like I'm still encased in a block of ice, which is what happened back then. If not for Azureath to break me out of it, I might not survive the cold. Even though it's a tropical climate, I need to drink more and more alcohol to keep warm. Eventually, after two weeks of freezing body, I can overcome it and resume my regular activities around the ship.

Most of the crew is not fond of having a dragon around. Spence, Tim, and the others still think Azureath as a hallucination, while some are clearly scared of her. James and his helmsman are more concerned than scared, with a reason I know is realistic.

When I meet James in his room, he said, "Hans, I must say, being a dragon rider is a great legendary honor out of storybooks, but the problem is, this is not a fairy tale. Now that we have a dragon in our crew, it's only a matter of time before we run out of food feeding her. I suppose she can hunt by herself?"

"I must ask her about that."

"Just please do it, Hans. Her dependence is the chance of survival of this crew."

Because of knowing that Azureath's presence can scare the crews to lose concentration, I talk to her at night. She doesn't mind about it. Because of the big ship and a clean deck over James' command room, she sleeps on the roof, since she's not that big. I mean, not 'storybook' big. Her size is around a third of Ice Breaker.

I found her on the roof. I try climbing up to her with my Lycan agility. When I managed to, I turn to her and said, "Hey, Azureath..."

"What is it, little one?"

"James asked me if I can...you know, ask you about how's your hunting skill?"

Azureath snorted. "Bah, just tell your human leader that I'm capable of sustaining myself..."

"I can hear that, you know!" exclaimed James from the window. "Next time don't chat while I'm opening the window!"

When James closes the window, I said, "Sorry, he's more concerned to pull this through than to feed you. To be honest, this is the first time the crew from Ternor continent had ever sail this far out to the sea. We can't see any mass of land anymore and we have a hard time keeping supplies. As far as I can see, the unknown land is still not on the horizon yet."

"Don't falter your hope, Hans. I can sustain myself without concerning your crew."

I wish I can say that. I'm a Lycan, goddamn it. I can bloody sustain myself. The problem is, I can't actually swim, and if I fall overboard, it's all over for me. Good thing Azureath is covering me, eh?

Azureath can actually hunt for food, and in the process, she helps me overcome my fear of drowning by intentionally diving while I'm riding on her back. She claims that she needs to find fish underwater, but I see through her innocent reasons to see a mischievous young-hearted dragon that likes to play with someone they like. She may be thousands of years old, but she's still kicking.

Then...another shit happens...

I am sleeping one day when I hear a thunderstorm outside. I thought, damn that's quite close, yet when I wake up, I realize that it's hailing, and like before it's a storm in the middle of the sea...again.

Unlike the previous sea storm, this one is far stronger and far more dangerous; dangerous enough to actually be able to rock this ship and flood it more than before. The turbines are still working fine, but it's starting to stress and we won't be able to hold it if a big wave comes crashing down at us. I run to the top deck to find the crew hastily tries to secure the loose loads on the deck, which is hard with all the waves and the hail. The hail is more dangerous than inland as it's consisted of bigger ice chunks which can leave a mark if you get hit by one. Spence got a nasty bruise near his back when one of them hit him. Coupled with the sea wave, rough wind, and icebergs around us, this is the worst kind of storm ever.

"Miller, turn the ship hard to starboard! There's an iceberg dead ahead!"

"I can't! It's too damn close. I'll ram through it!"

Then Azureath flies over us and she lands on the iceberg. Her front legs are made for grabbing, and when she does, she breaks the iceberg into two, right in the middle. It creates a wave hitting the ice walls, but she manages to push one side with a roar that enabled Ice Breaker to pass through.

"I will clear the path of the ices," said Azureath while flying near me and James. "Make sure you steer to ship right."

When she leaves, James said, "I thought dragons breathe fire."

"The real question is, where did she get that kind of strength?" I said to James. It is true. The iceberg is big enough to hold this ship and she pushed one part of it as if it's just a plaster block. Dragons sure are insane creatures.

My thoughts are again distracted by another problem. A big wave struck the port side of the ship and almost turns this ship upside down. We managed to hold on something sturdy, but some of the crews are not that lucky. The hail stops, followed by a rainstorm that comes from nowhere. I want to help, but I can't swim. The least I can do is to throw a rope to them, until I got an idea.

I called Azureath to me. I said, "Azureath, how many people can you carry on your back?"

"I never know, Hans."

"We have to rescue those people who fell off. I've thrown a rope to them, but the waves are too strong. We have to help them secure the line themselves."

"Then, I have a way to help those humans. Climb onto my back."

I climb on her and she takes off quite quickly that I forgot to grab her neck. I've never flown on her before. I only ride her when she's on the water, and in the middle of a storm like this, it's even harder to grab on her. Not to mention it's painful to sit on her back.

"Next time, I'll find someone to make something for me to sit on!" exclaimed Hans. "Sitting on you back gives me a bloody ache on my arse."

"Worry your own kin before talking of personal matters!"

She swoops down with a turn that almost throws me off her. Luckily, her back is not completely smooth, and I grab hold on the ridges of her scales. Despite of that, I still can fall and if not for my strong grip, I'll be thrown away.

She found two of the crews. Azureath flies low enough for me to grab his hand, while he holds on the other. With a skilled flying like the dragon, I can guarantee that I can save them all. I lead them to the ropes and Azureath flies off to find the rest of them.

After half an hour helping those who falls, we finally returns to the ship, yet Azureath is clearly straining to even fly. With extra measure of low flying and the extra weight from the crews, it exhausts both of us that I quickly drop onto the deck, not minding it to be very wet.

"Nice...flying you got there," I said while panting like an exhausted dog.

"I can't carry more than three, then...Arkfast..."

"What is that?"

"Nevermind. It's draconic. You won't understand it anyway."

The storm gradually calms until it's only a small rain, followed by snow. By then, it's night already and we turn in for the night. The next morning, we set sail in full speed since the supplies are almost out. This causes the left turbine to stop functioning when one of the gears breaks, forcing us to use the sail for the remainder of the journey.

The shortage of food caused James to impose an eating rule. We can only rely on Azureath's hunt and the remaining uncontaminated water, which, considering the storms, have only a little portion left. Some, like James, chooses not to eat anymore, only eating a small portion of them. I follow him, despite Azureath's offer of finely caught fish. Her ice power keeps us from getting thirsty.

By the third day, we can't hold on anymore. The ship is still going to the right direction, but we can't rely on Azureath's ice anymore since she, too, is exhausted to hunt for most of the crew. I walk into James' room and see his condition. He's thinner than the first time I met him, but he's still strong to walk.

"This is bad...," said James walking to the window. "We followed the rumored route to the east, but we can't find anything except sea. I guess this journey, too, is a failure, huh?"

"Just wait a little longer, Jim. We can't give up now."

"Your dragon is also at her own limit. This ship is heavily damaged and we are only sailing by what's left of our sail. It's impossible to turn back to Ternor now, and I'm afraid we're in the middle of a vast sea."

"But...let me ask Azureath to find any land for us to rest up a bit and gather necessary supplies. We are going to make it, Jim."

"I admire your optimism, Hans...but I'm still glad that this is the furthest exploration we have ever undergone. If we have to fall now, we still have the record. I'm glad you're still fighting on, but there's always a time when you must give up."

"But...Lilac..."

"I know she'll understand the risk you've made with your Lycan companions. I'll be proud to go down with this strong ship, and when a new expedition finds it, we will be a legend."

"No..."

"Strong heart, wolf boy. We'll be in each other company..."

"Hey, there's a ship here! What is it doing this far from the port?"

"It's not from our port! What kind of ship uses paddle like that?"

That's not the voice from our crew. I never heard of them, but this gives me a ray of hope. I walk out of the room and jump to where Azureath is sleeping, and I found something very, very impossible.

There's a pair of dragon rider and his dragon hovering over us. His dragon is of a greenish blue color, while the man has black hair and lean body. He's wearing some sort of armor, while the dragon is in his harness, which looks comfortable to fly.

"Hey, you there, wolf guy!" said the man. "Where are you from?"

"This ship hails from the Adaline port in Ternor continent."

"Ternor? Wait, are you...from somewhere far away? You're not from somewhere in Main?"

Main? Is that the unknown land called? Anyway, I shouted back, "We'll appreciate the help of food and water to be brought on our ship. We're drifting on the sea for three days without supplies."

"Damn that's harsh.... Is your dragon okay?"

"She's exhausted," I said. "Let her rest."

The dragon and his rider exchange some conversation I can't quite hear with the wind. By now, some of the crews have seen the dragon, including James, who is astonished by it. After a while, the human bows down and said, "Ardrin can pull this ship to the Pol Hain port! Just talk to one of the harbormasters to get food. Ardrin, are you ready, bro?"

"Let's give it a pull, shall we?"

The sudden jerk from the dragon's tail pulling the front part of the ship is enough for Azureath to wake up. The dragon is far more muscular than her, and of course, bigger than her, but unlike her, the dragon is shimmering under the sunlight. I wonder if there are more of them of the continent.

By minutes, I can see the land on the horizon, and the port they mentioned, surrounded by birds. Yet, upon closer inspection, they aren't 'birds', they are dragons flying around the port area watching over the ships. Some are swimming on the sea while some helps with docking the ships. Unlike our sturdier ships, their ships are not designed for intercontinental trip, which is why no ships from this part of the continent ever reach us. We are the first explorer to actually find the unknown land of dreams. It's like a fantasy came true. The port city is full of people wearing colorful outfits. The dockhands are helping with the ships, while the dragons help with the cargo. I can see the port itself is big enough for a dragon to walk.

By then, meeting Azureath is like a small portion of the dream we are experiencing. I can say some of them are thinking that it's just an illusion because of the lack of water, but some of the dockhands who walk on platform to the ship and throw them a fresh batch of water might've make them awake. James himself cannot believe what he saw, and he laughed after a while of silence. I am concerned that he's gone crazy, but instead, he pulls me to him and exclaimed, "We did it, Hans! This journey is a success! You're a fucking strong-willed kid, and I won't forget it! This is the new world!"

A harbormaster comes into the room and said, "Are you the captain?"

James quickly returns to his formal position and said, "Captain James Hemarson of Ice Breaker, requesting permission to dock."

"You're more than welcome here in Pol Hain, Captain James," said the harbormaster with a smile. "Your ship comes from a place unknown, and you have quite a unique mix of a race in here. We will be delighted to find out about the continent you've come from, in a hope that we can do the same in the future. And you are, dragon rider?"

"I'm Hans Rezmirn...but how do you know I'm a dragon rider?"

"Because...it's a mutual respect between riders. Come on, the city has known. Welcome, to Main Continent."

I follow Azureath down after the rest of the crew are greeted with a warm welcome. Instead of being welcomed by the humans, we are both greeted by dragons and other townspeople. They are particularly amazed by the both of us. Azureath is black scaled, while I'm a Lycan. Some younger dragons actually fly around and say hi to us, which is nice, and satisfying, though the part where the 'legendary dragon rider' one must sadly pass away. There are so many young dragon riders that makes me almost cry.

I can see that Azureath is more or less happier than before. I am curious, then I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Do you see what's in front of you? Humans and dragons live in harmony of each other. The war is not lost, we've won. And, Hans, you're wrong. I'm not from Ternor continent. I am from here, the Main continent."

"What?! But, you even don't know where you're from."

"Like I give a damn about it now. Come on, Hans, we must go find something of a memorial about the wars, and how long have I been..."

"A memorial?" said the greenish blue dragon from earlier. Ardrin, I guess? "Are you talking about the recent Anti-dragon uprising?"

"Yes, can you take me to it?"

"Hmm...I guess I can take you there. How long have you been out, girl? You're like...from a different era..."

Ardrin talks with Azureath along the way. His rider is not present, but Ardrin himself is enough. After a while, we stop at a city center, where I can see a bronze statue of two young dragons standing proud on the pedestal. Upon closer inspection, I can see that they're old.

"It has been here for 75 years now," said Ardrin. "It is the statue of the heroes of Pol Hain, Avila and Seraphor, when they finally end the uprising after killing the dragon betrayers with the rest of the group. They disappeared after it, and are considered legends. Until now, there's no mention of where they are and why they are gone. All I know is, despite of the young age of 35, they can give a strong hope to the dragons to oppose the anti-dragons, and, especially Seraphor, dragons admire him because of his disability. He can't fly, you know."

"Wow..."

"But then...despite of that, there are things you can forget eventually, for example, those who died sacrificing their lives for this peace, when it lasts."

Ardrin steps away and what I see now is a brown-furred wolf sitting near the statue. The dragon is called by his rider, leaving the two of us with this talking wolf. Is he also a Lycan? If so, why do I get a feeling that this wolf is not what it seems?

"You come from a land far away, yes? I must warn you, though. This place is a place of constant problems and surprises. You might be surprised by the events around you, and how you'll face it depends on you. So, there's also a Shifter on your land?"

"Shifter?"

"You might call it with a different name there, but that's not important right now. I'm just glad that the sea is crossable, and with your crew safely reaching the port, we might just conduct our own expedition back to your continent. Oh, by the way, my name is Rainer, Gordon Rainer."

He offers one of his paws to me, which I reluctantly accept. This Lycan has some kind of aura of him that I can't quite sure. It's like...a jolt? Nah, maybe it's just my imagination.

At night, the Ice Breaker is being repaired and the rest of the crew are partying hard with the townspeople. They are pretty nice folks, to give us foods and drinks just with some gold coins, saying that the currency there is different. I sit at the harbor with Azureath eating roasted venison, which made her happy.

"Hmm...this is a taste of wonder," said Azureath. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I...want to wait here, until I get a chance to return to my sister. Now that we've finally reached a new continent, I always wonder, what kind of experience and things we can get here?"

"I can guarantee it's a life full of excitement and fantastical things you won't find back in your land. I'll always be there for you to ride me, and we'll go together in this continent."

"For me. You're a native."

"I'm adventurous myself. Who knows? Maybe we can get new different things to see."

I make a smile, then said, "But first, I want to get you a proper harness for me to sit on you comfortably. Let's go find someone to fit you with something comfortable, and then we'll find a place to stay."

And so, my journey to the unknown land ends here. It's fun, considering the fact that I've found a trusted friend in a place she grew up in. I may lose the legendary status, but for me, being with Azureath is like a dream come true. Like what she says. Who knows? Maybe we can get new different things. Our journey has just started when one ends, and it will be bloody good adventure.

THE END