Delzah's Story

The sun was high and the air was warm while a gentle breeze blew through his hair and caressed his face. The breeze was unnatural, he knew, but it was a welcome feeling in the warm sunlight.

Delzah was standing in an open field about ten feet from the treeline with a dirt path leading to a small town called Liaas ahead of him. The town itself contained a population of three thousand people, not much given the level of expansion by the humans in recent centuries. However, Delzah had no ill will toward the human race. Where as many of his kind did not enjoy the presence of humans, especially in the forests they called home, Delzah had known a few people who turned out to be very kind and compassionate in life.

From behind him came a sudden gust of wind which forced him forward a step and a half before he regained his balance and looked back with a smirk towards the forest.

"... Alright already, I'll be off now." He said, somewhat annoyed.

Delzah had come into contact with two Dragons years back when he was younger and had entered the Dragon's Heart Pact. Now, Delzah's mortal body was both more powerful and more resilient than most others his size and age thanks to the power of the Dragon's Heart Pact. What most did not understand, unless they'd either witnessed it or been a part of it in the past, was that the mind and body of the Dragon and its mortal partner contained a metaphysical link of pure energy which flowed from the Dragon's heart to that of its partner. Hence the name "Dragon's Heart" Pact. Most alive simple knew it by name, not by function.

Aura, Delzah's Dragon, was impatient for him to get moving so she could take to the air once again. They had been traveling through forests and jungles for over two weeks, during which time she had remained grounded for Delzah's safety. In this open plain she could see miles both ahead and behind him and provide whatever assistance she had to, be it physical or mental. She was eager to take to the air again and stretch her wings.

When Delzah had walked about one hundred feet away from the treeline there was a mighty burst of wind and a Delzah had to hunker down and defend his eyes and ears as Aura's mighty wings lifted her body into the air from her hiding place in the forest. The Leviathan Dragon, the largest breed in the world, now hovered above the trees flapping her large and powerful wings before giving one more giant flap as she ascended towards the heavens and disappeared after reaching a certain altitude. Aura was a light shade of white/blue on her underside and a slightly darker ocean blue on her top side which made her difficult to see from the ground or the surface of the ocean. In most instances, you'd never know she was ever there.

Delzah had to smile once the dust cleared and he could start moving again.

"Well Aura, I hope you're happy. You got me covered in dust and now I have to get this outfit cleaned... Again!"

Then you should have run further away from the treeline and out into the open plains before I ascended. You can't blame me for your clothing's state and condition! The Dragon countered mentally.

Delzah shook his head and pursed his lips as he continued walking towards Liaas. It would not be more than a couple hours before he arrived, and when he did, he hoped that he was able to find either another outfit for his travels or a kind stranger to give him a place to rest while he cleaned and washed his clothes.

An hour and a half flew by like it was nothing and before he knew it Delzah had arrived in Liaas. The town itself was bustling with excitement to the right and left. People darting too and fro in the market place and in the streets taking care of both business and family matters.

Within the realm of Eden families of noble birth could call on a family of some value from any city, town or providence within the nations borders. When these families were called it was almost always for arranged marriages to either join two different and successful businesses together or to help join the two families by blood to ease tensions and bad blood. Though it didn't work 100% of the time, it was typically a successful venture though it never ended well for the children involved who had to carry out the duty.

Delzah had come across a few people like that in his travels. Men and women who were unsatisfied with their arranged union, citing infidelity, sadness, neglect and frustration as causes for their misery. The nobles argued that if you couldn't make it work then it was your fault and that you should accept your misery and learn from it. A solid argument to be sure, but Delzah always felt that if the chemistry between the two was not right then nothing good could come of it.

Have you found a new outfit yet Delly? Perhaps that pink one a few meters ahead and to your right. Aura happily teased.

"Delly" was a name that Nirlanna, Delzah's childhood friend, had come up with when they were little. Aura picked up on the name and used it primarily to push his buttons, but also sometimes used it simply as a term of endearment. Delzah could only roll his eyes and pucker his lips in frustration, because this time it was meant as a joke. Delzah could always tell the difference when Aura used that name, but no matter how many times he ordered her to just call him Delzah she ignored him.

Aura... Call me that again and we're off to the forest for another two weeks.

The Dragon was silent for a moment, but then responded.

You really need to find a sense of humor my dear. Nirlanna never caught this kind of attitude from you, so why do I? She asked.

Delzah didn't bother to answer that question because the answer was perfectly obvious and he knew that Aura just wanted to hear him say it.

Nirlanna was a close friend of Delzah's and was the one who created the nickname "Delly" when they were children. She had since stopped using it after they both grew to a certain age. Another thing was that Nirlanna used it only as a term of endearment and a sign of friendship, while Aura used it to push Delzah's buttons. That distinction was quite obvious, but Aura still liked hearing him talk about Nirlanna since Aura had never met her before and was curious as to what she was like and who she was.

Delzah found his way through the streets to the market and found a clothing vendor where he purchased a very dark forest green Tunic and a pair of black pants. His brown leather belt was still clean and fully functional so he didn't bother to replace it. His boots, however, were completely worn and useless and so were replaced with new black traveling boots. Once he was finished shopping for new clothing, he searched for a place where he could wash his clothes, but didn't find anything in the immediate area so he decided it was best to put them in his pack and just move on. He had plenty of food for the journey towards Eden's capitol city, where he simply hoped to get a better idea of the suffering of the people the closer he got to Girotos.

It was interesting to Delzah that the farther away from the capitol city he got, the less suffering and crime he saw on the streets. Being a few days hike away, Liaas wasn't quite so overcome with such matters but there were signs of break ins and a few obvious locations where serious fights and scuffles had taken place. Being an accomplished swordsman, Delzah didn't have much to worry about from common thugs. However, against more skilled adult fighters he was at a serious disadvantage and so relied a lot on Aura being close by.

Despite standing approximately ten feet at the shoulder and being nearly sixty feet long, Aura could fly with grace and silence over fast distances thanks to the formation of the wings of her breed. While not meant for constant flapping, she could open them up and glide over huge areas, sometimes hundreds of miles if her altitude was sufficient and the air currents allowed for it. It was how Delzah had visited other continents in recent years to see the effect of Girotos's evil reign overseas, but he could never stay away from Eden for long.

Delzah stopped outside the towns western gate and sat down on a boulder as he watched he sky and scanned for Aura's presence. There was a sudden flash of a shadow on him which vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and his eyes instantly tracked to the ground where the shadow soon disappeared. Delzah smirked a little to himself as he shook his head and stood up, ready to resume his trek. It would be another couple days until he got to the capitol city, so the sooner he hit the road, the better. Also, he wanted to talk to Aura up close, but being this close to a populated town like this he dared not call her down. It was now law that any and all Dragons found within Eden's borders be killed on sight if able, and Delzah didn't need the attention that came with being a wanted fugitive.

He'd bide his time until they were safely away from the city to call her down to him.

Larien stirred from a stupor she had ended up in. She could sense a strong presence nearby. Scanning the surrounding area and found nothing headed her way, she looked up and saw a large figure flying in the sky. She smiled widely and quickly put away the gemstone-like egg. Larien stood atop the stone pile and reached out with her mind to see if the dragon would be willing to speak with her. And just maybe, the dragon would have a companion with it.

"Oh mighty dragon, I mean you no harm. I am a High Elf of the Elendil clan that resides in Auxeris. My clan and I have always revered dragons. If it would not become a trouble, I would like the chance to talk with you and perhaps meet with you." She projected the thought toward the dragon in the hopes for a response of some sort.

As Larien looked up at where she last saw the dragon, she wondered if it had been rude to send out the thought. Ever since the dragons had been fleeing Eden, she has missed the sight of one and this was her chance to perhaps meet with one. She continued to search for any sign of it.

Aura picked up on the message that was sent her way and flew up higher to avoid letting her profile be too easily visible. If this High Elf was able to see her despite her camouflage, then others could too.

Oh mighty dragon, I mean you no harm. I am a High Elf of the Elendil clan that resides in Auxeris. My clan and I have always revered dragons. If it would not become a trouble, I would like the chance to talk with you and perhaps meet with you.

It sounded a heartfelt plea, but she was not sure what to do.

Aura was a young Dragon, only twenty years old and was about half of her full size. She had much to learn and much to experience despite all of her time with Delzah. She had no choice in the matter, and so she reached out to Delzah to find out what he had to say.

Delzah... Someone just contacted me. She says she is a High Elf of the Elendil clan from Auxeris. Does this name mean anything to you? What should I do? She asked.

Delzah froze mid stride when Aura contacted him. A High Elf of Elendil, that was something Delzah hadn't seen or experienced since his childhood.

"... Well Aura, tell me what you sense from this one." He said calmly.

Aura took a moment to look down and see who it was who was contacting her through her enhanced vision. There was indeed a beautiful young High Elf standing atop a stone pile a short distance of about two to three miles away from where Delzah was. She honed in on the young High Elf, looking her over and listening to her thoughts and processing what she had heard from the previous message.

Delzah, I sense no malice or foul intent. Also... I'm sensing something, familiar coming from her. Speaking with her may be fortuitous to our journey, so I highly suggest making ourselves known to her. With your permission, I'll tell her to meet you at the fork in the road about a half mile to the west of your position.

Delzah nodded, more to himself.

"Very well Aura." He said with a smile as he continued to walk forward to the fork in the road.

Aura, meanwhile, looked back towards the young High Elf.

Greetings High Elf maiden... My master, Delokzarah Sirenall of Godecca Forest, will be waiting for you at the fork in the road about two miles northeast of your current location. If you wish to see me, you must first meet my master and travel with him to a more suitable location for my touchdown. As it is we are too close to a human settlement for me to come below a certain altitude lest I attract the wrong kind of attention with my... somewhat overbearing presence. I offer my most humble apologies, maiden of Elendil.

Larien smiled. She quickly gathered her things and headed in the direction that the dragon had told her about. As her feet pounded on the ground as she rushed, her thoughts were elated about actually getting the chance to meet with a dragon. To finally see one with her own eyes! Her smile grew wide as the fork in the road was just up ahead. Perhaps as well....this dragon may be able to tell her if the gemstone-like egg really was a dragon's egg as well. Oh so many questions and so little time.

She stopped at the fork in the road, first one to arrive. Out of breath, she drank her last sip of water to help her parched throat. She sat down on a nearby boulder, scanning the sky and the surrounding area for any sign of the person or the dragon. She hoped that she wasn't being led on. She felt as if she was a very young child again when her father use to tell her stories about the dragons and the different kinds and how it was said they came to be.

Delzah walked along the path towards the spot that Aura told him about and as he drew nearer he began to make out the shape of a person sitting on a rock close to the fork in the dirt path. Obviously they were in a rush to meet Aura, otherwise they'd have never beaten him to the location given the fact that Aura said they were two miles away and he was a half mile away. They had great stamina, that was for sure.

The closer he got the more clear the image of the young High Elf became, and Delzah began to feel comforted by the fact he was going to be meeting a fellow High Elf. While only a half breed High Elf, Delzah carried more of the High Elf traits such as light colored hair, mildly pointed ears instead of highly elongated ones, and a touch of the ability to heal though it was nowhere near as powerful as that of a full blood High Elf.

Finally, Delzah made it to the appointed location in full and stood before the young High Elf maiden Aura spoke of. He bowed as was proper, and stood up straight to introduce himself.

"Greetings High Elf of Elendil, I am Delokzarah Sirenall of Godecca Forest. I am told that you heard the voice of my Dragon and that you wish to meet her face to face. That can be arranged, but as she said we must find a more suitable location before that can happen. As you know, humans now fear Dragons and will kill them on sight. Please, this way." He said calmly and with a friendly smile as he turned away.

He began taking the forked path to the right, as it was a slightly longer journey to the capitol city of Eden, but it was far less populated by humans and so was much safer for Aura to follow and even land for short periods of time.

After about three hours of traveling with his new companion Delzah took a look around as they came to a stop just a short distance away from a wooded area. No doubt Aura would refuse to land and walk through, so he thought it best to let her stay airborne since they wouldn't be in the woods for long.

So Aura, what do you think? Anyone following at any distance that would be dangerous to you? Delzah asked.

There was silence for a short time before an answer came.

I see no signs of followers master, though the town of Liaas is now being approached by soldiers. Obviously, rumors of our coming reached the ears of Girotos before we reached Eden. It would be wise that I not descend below a certain altitude for long.

Delzah nodded, more to himself as he heard the mental message.

"Very well then." He said out loud.

Delzah looked to his new companion and gave a small tilt of his head as a bow.

"Maiden of Elendil, I would like you to meet someone very special to me. Please prepare yourself for her arrival as she is quite... large." He said as he knelt down and put both hands on the ground for support.

It was at that moment that Aura swooped down and forced herself to a sudden halt with one mighty flap of her wings. Had Delzah not braced himself his small frame would have been sent flying with such a huge gust now cascading over and around him. Aura flapped her wings a few more times to get rid of the dust storm she had crated as she set her feet down and folded her wings and set her front feet down just after. There was a slight tremor underfoot as she did so, but then all around them was quiet as she took a few steps forward. Her frame dwarfed Delzah's as she stood behind him, casting him into her shadow as he stood up and her head down next to his body.

Her crown carried five horns, one in the center and two on either side. Her snout was more akin to that of a Sinister Dragon than a Leviathan Dragon, and her crown's five horns were unusual since they typically had seven. However, Aura had been unique in many ways despite these subtle physical differences so Delzah had never thought too much about it. She was a confirmed Leviathan Dragon, pure of both blood and form. Delzah put a hand on her cheek as her eyes slid over to meet his before sliding right back to gaze at the High Elf before them. She raised her head slightly, leveling it out just above and to the side of Delzah's body as she spoke "out loud" for both of them to hear in their minds.

Greetings High Elf Maiden. I am called Aura, a Leviathan Dragon with whom my master, Delokzarah, shares the Dragon's Heart Pact. I sense something familiar about your presence, though I cannot yet distinguish whether it is you or something you carry on your person. Were it not for this familiarity, I would not have requested to meet with you here today and my master and I would simply have continued our travels. Our trust in strangers is not very strong, so for your sake as well as ours please disclose to us your identity and help me identify whatever this familiar sensation is.

Aura's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the egg in Larien's hands, and so too did Delzah's as they both looked at each other for a moment before their eyes once again landed on the egg in her arms. Aura brought her head in close and smelled the egg with two small sniffs before backing away and staring at it long and hard for almost two solid minutes with absolute silence.

Eventually, her eyes slid from the egg to Larien's eyes.

That is most certainly a Dragon's egg Larien, but I am concerned as to where you found it and how. Dragons are all, by nature, fierce protectors of their offspring and I cannot imagine a Dragon simply leaving their egg to the elements unless they thought it was dead. The infant within is alive and well, and has a very strong heart beat from what I can hear.

Delzah took a step forward at that moment.

"Larien, it is imperative that you tell us exactly where and how you came across that egg. If its mother is alive you can be certain she's looking for it. According to Aura, Dragons have a very powerful bond to their offspring similar to the Dragon's Heart Pact and can sense exactly where they are. Your life may well be in danger by carrying that egg if the mother is still alive."

Aura's head came up and turned towards Liaas as Delzah spoke and she sniffed the air while gazing back in the direction of the town. Though it was a good two and a half to three hours away, she could still faintly make out the town's silhouette on the horizon.

Master, we have run out of time. Liaas is now infested with soldiers who are marching through and towards this path. We must press onward if we are to remain ahead of them. The two of you can discuss this matter as you walk, but you must move now.

With that Aura took off, being as gentle in her take off as possible and facing away from the two Elves as she began ascending towards the heavens and out of sight.

"Aura's right Larien, we must move now. Tell me everything that you know about that egg. Can you feel the pulse of the infant within?"

Larien started to walk with Delzah, keeping pace easily despite her exhausted condition. "Before I talk about the egg, may have some water from your waterskin? I have exhausted mine it seems and haven't had the chance to refill it as of yet." She asked as she carefully placed the egg within her pack, in a pocket that was lined with soft linen.

Once she had a drink of water, feeling better, she looked at Delzah. "Auxeris is a very large forest. Thick, tall trees. A canopy that from the air, you cannot see the ground. Well, I was just starting to leave my clan home when I came upon a glade, beautiful and filled with many different kinds of flowers, all potent for healing. I was going to pluck some and dry them because it would be more powerful in healing salves. Well....among some of the flowers, I saw what looked like a dragon's claw sticking up from the ground. Nearby were some broken pieces of what I thought were stone and....the bones of something small." She had began to explain.

She took a moment, trying to calm herself as she was a bit upset at that particular part of the memory before continuing. "I could sense the pain that had occured. As I started to walk away from the scene, something caught my eye as the sunlight had shined down on what appeared to be a large gemstone-like object. Somehow, I felt drawn to it. I carefully put it into my pack with the soft linens I had with me. Over time, I could feel an essence, a pulse like you said, becoming stronger. Like me taking it with me had started to awaken it from a long slumber." She finished.

Again, Larien took a few moments to catch her breath, and calm herself, bringing her mind back to the present. "I wasn't sure of what it was at first." Larien admitted to him, looking him in the eye.

Delzah listened intently to her story and was able to piece together what had happened. There would be no worry of a Dragon mother claiming this egg anytime soon, unfortunately. However the fact that the egg had found its way into the hands of a kind hearted and compassionate High Elf was a good sign for the infant's future, and Delzah could sense the growing life force within the egg despite it being tucked safely into her pack and smiled.

"... I am sorry to hear that the finding of the egg came with such a saddening memory..." He said as he looked her in the eyes.

"I can tell you this much from what I have heard from you Larien, this Dragon has already begun to bond with you." He said as he reached over and gently placed his hand on her pack.

"From the moment you touched this egg the infant within has been connected to you. Its a self preservation technique that all Dragons are born with. If you close your eyes and release your mind to the infinite, you can actually "see" the energy from the egg merging with your own."

Delzah closed his eyes, and in the blackness that was his new state of mind he could see Larien's energy swirling and mixing with the energy of the egg. However, the energy of the egg was larger than he had expected and seemed to be almost engulfing Larien's. Delzah opened his eyes in shock and took a small step away from her.

"... Larien..." He asked as his eyes found their way to hers once again.

"How long have you had that egg?" He asked.

Larien had to think. How long had it been since she found the egg? A month? Maybe two? She didn't know. She looked at Delzah, feeling confused. "Perhaps anywhere between a month. Maybe two at most. I haven't been in my First Journey for very long. Its been in my pack most of the time. Why do you ask? Is something wrong?" She asked him. She felt concerned now for the safety of the egg.

Placing a light hand on her pack, she made it to where she was just out of reach of Delzah, just in case he tried to take the egg. "Please Delzah, if something is wrong. I must know." Larien said, her voice full of concern.

Delzah looked into Larien's eyes for a few seconds before taking one final inward look at the egg's energy as it began to warp and churn. Delzah backed away a step to make her more comfortable and looked to the skies.

You know well what's about to happen master, as do I... The infant within must be placed over an open flame right now if it is to survive!

Delzah nodded towards the skies as he walked away from Larien to the edge of the treeline, taking branches and other pieces of wood wherever he could find them and brought them back to her. He placed them on the ground in a circle almost like a teepee but with a section on the top that the egg could sit on.

"Larien, the egg will hatch within the hour and you must put it over an open flame or the infant will die!" He said in a clear and confident voice.

At the same time Aura descended upon them once again, gently landing a short distance away as she walked over to them and lit the small teepee of sticks and branches Delzah had made.

"It's time Larien, whether you're ready or not that egg is going to hatch. Place it over the flame, or else the infant will not survive its final push to freedom." He said as both Delzah and Aura backed away to give her room.

Delzah and Aura watched with happy anticipation as the little egg began to crack and split from the top down to the sides. Aura brought her head down to within a few inches of Delzah's and slowly tilted her head until hers touched the side of his.

Master... I feel strange watching this egg. It's almost like it belongs to me and I'm watching the birth of my first child. Is this strange? She asked him silently.

Delzah looked over at her with a smile.

No Aura, it is not strange. When my friend Nirlanna was born, my mother was present and said that it was like watching another daughter come into the world.

Aura looked back at the egg as the first sign of the little Dragon's nose came forth from the egg, followed by the rest of its tiny body as Larien picked it up in her arms and cooed to it.

"How can you tell if its a boy or a girl?" Larien asked.

Delzah looked to Aura with a smile, who straightened her neck and looked at Larien in the eyes.

The gender of the Dragon can be determined by a few different factors, but the easiest way to tell is to look into its eyes. Believe it or not, we Dragons can be distinguished by differences in the eyes. If the sunlight is direct and the eyes are slits like mine are right now, it's a female. If it's a circle, it's a male. So look now into your new infant Dragon's eyes Larien, and see for yourself what its gender is.

Delzah leaned in closer, putting his face a few inches from that of little Volos and smiled. The little Dragon looked at him and tilted its head a few times as it tried to figure out what and who he was.

"We'd be happy to help raise him Larien." Delzah said as he continued looking at the young Dragon with a smile on his face.

"Given the colorations I will guess that it's a Whispering Dragon. What do you think Aura?" Delzah asked out loud.

Aura knelt down very closely, putting her face within a foot or two of Larien and Volos as she looked into the little ones eyes and sniffed it a few times.

Yes Master, it is without a doubt a Whispering Dragon.

Delzah smiled.

"You are a very lucky woman Larien. Whispering Dragons are the most physically powerful of all Dragon species when fully grown and have the strongest telepathic abilities which can reach for hundreds of miles. Even Aura can only communicate with me for up to about ten miles before her telepathy is not strong enough to reach me. Also, though he is but an infant little Volos here could easily pin either one of us on the ground if he wanted to, but I doubt he will do that to his new mother. Me, however..." He started to say as little Volos was already lining him up for a pounce.

Master, this is going to hurt. Aura said quietly.

Delzah gave a nervous smile before little Volos leaped from Larien's arms and onto his chest, pinning him to the ground as he looked into Delzah's eyes and sniffed his face. He gave a little baby roar and turned around, looking back up at his mother before stumbling off Delzah's chest and to his mother's feet.

Delzah chuckled a little bit as he let out a single cough and sat upright.

"... Saw that coming..." He said as he stood up slowly, hoping not to entice another pounce.

Larien couldn't help but to laugh and picked up Volos. "No no Volos. Delzah is a friend. We don't hurt our friends." She said, hoping that little Volos understood her. She gently rubbed her cheek to his. She opened up the pack to which she use to keep Volos' egg in and modified it so Volos could look out while carrying him. "This should be good so that way he can be carried easily with me."

Volos was staring at Aura. He blinks a few times. Big sis! He yelled telepathically. He was so excited that he realized that Aura was similar to him. He tumbled out of Larien's arms and landed on his butt with a thump. He was doing some baby steps to Aura, his tail wiggling as he made tiny roars.

Aura looked at the tiny infant Dragon as he waddled towards her letting off his little roars. After being called "big sis" by little Volos, she couldn't help but laugh inwardly as she watched the baby come to a stop in front of her right front foot. The little Dragon continued its little vocalizations as he waited for her to answer him.

Aura reared her head to the skies and let loose a mighty roar towards the heavens which shook the ground and sent a sonic wave through the air. The wave of power coming forth from Aura felt like a hammer hitting Delzah in the chest, though it was not so bad as to knock him off his feet but it was uncomfortable. Thanks to their skin and scales Dragons didn't feel the same kind of pressure that humanoids did and so little Volos simply roared and wiggled with glee at her answer.

Delzah chuckled a little bit, but his laughter was cut short when Aura's head turned swiftly towards the direction of Liaas once again. This time though, they didn't need Aura to tell them what was coming as a band of soldiers rounded the corner of the treeline and spotted the large beast as she snarled and pounded one of her claws into the Earth with a roar in their direction, stopping them cold.

My brother, return to your mother this instant! Aura demanded telepathically to her tiny companion.

The little Dragon didn't waste any time listening to the order as he scampered back to Larien's feet.

Delzah's eyes widened as he tried to get his head around how they covered so much ground in so little time until he saw an Elf leading their ranks. Transportation magic was not uncommon for traveling by Elves of any breed. The lead Elf came forward a few steps as Delzah took a protective step to the front of the group, even in front of Aura as he and his new opponent came face to face, though Delzah had to look up since he was over a foot shorter.

"All Dragons within the borders of Eden are to be killed on sight. Step aside brother, or you will die with it." He said coldly.

Delzah looked him dead in the eyes as the red hazel flex began to glow and churn within his emerald green eyes.

"Turn back now, brother, or you'll face the full extent of her wrath." Delzah said in an equally cold voice.

Aura snarled again and brought her head down behind Delzah's body with her eyes locked onto the lead Elf as her pupils dilated until they were almost too small to see. The rest of the men began to back up several feet as they tried to find a way to align themselves to her in a way where they could attack without retaliation but it was no use. With Aura standing in the middle of the pathway in between two different forested areas, there was no clear range or angle of attack except the direct approach which was suicide against any Dragon.

The lead Elf looked back up towards Aura and back to Delzah with a smile.

"I see, well then I guess I've no choice but to call your bluff young one. You may be protective of your Dragon, but you will not kill innocent men doing their job and that is why you can't stop us from carrying out this duty. Now I say again, step aside or you will die with your Dragons." He said.

Delzah's eyes changed and lost all emotion as he took a few steps back and under Aura's chin as he continued to stare at the Elf before him.

"I'm sorry brother, but you leave us no choice..." He said before turning towards Larien.

"Please turn away Larien... You and Volos shouldn't have to see this." He said without emotion as he too turned his back to what was about to happen.

Aura reared her head and began to gather energy for an attack as the men, including the Elf, began to panic. Aura's mouth began to glow white as her energy began to pool and leak from the corners of her mouth. With one final lunge forward of her head, Aura unleashed her rage upon those who had threatened her, her master, and her new friends. The white beam of energy erupted forth with tremendous force and lit the ground engulfing the small platoon of soldiers and vaporizing them nearly on the spot and cutting off their screams of terror.

Leviathan Dragons had the most powerful of the pure energy attacks among Dragon species, and though Aura was only half grown she still packed more than enough power to annihilate humanoid species in a single breath. This small platoon of soldiers was nothing to her, and she felt no remorse about what she had just done as she looked at the scorched Earth before her and gave a grunt of satisfaction.

Delzah opened his eyes as he turned towards the burned Earth before them and walked towards it a few steps as he knelt down and took a handful of the burned dirt in his hand and gazed at it. His eyes watered slightly as he silently mourned the loss of his brother Elf and the men who had come to kill Aura and Volos, though he was not sad about stopping them from accomplishing their goals. However, Delzah was not without mercy and sympathy in his soul, but Aura had yet to learn such emotions and so could not be reasoned with whenever her anger reached a certain peak. Delzah could only agree with her and let her have her way in that state, but he had made a silent vow to teach her about sympathy and mercy in the near future.

He let the handful of dirt return to the Earth as he stood up and let out a sigh.

"... Farewell brother... I am so sorry." He said quietly.

He turned towards Larien.

"I am so sorry that you had to witness that Larien... But as you can see..." He said as he gestured towards Aura who was still seething with anger and snarling at the scorched Earth a short distance away.

"... I had no choice but to acquiesce to Aura's wishes, otherwise we all would have paid a very heavy price as there is no reasoning with her in this state. Before we continue we will have to wait for her to calm down."

Delzah tried to smile for her but it was not working. After allowing such a thing to happen he couldn't bring himself to truly smile and so he simply sat down and took out his sword. He began to draw pictures in the dirt as he tried to calm himself down after witnessing Aura's rampage.

It took several minutes before Aura finally took in a breath and let it out with a stream of smoke.

She looked over at Delzah and tilted her head as she walked toward him and looked at him.

Master, is something wrong? She asked.

Delzah was silent for a moment but soon turned his head around and looked at her.

"No Aura, don't worry about it. We must press on now, as there will be more soldiers coming before long." He said as he stood up and sheathed his sword.

He turned towards Larien.

"Let's go Larien. We have seen enough violence for one day and I'd rather we not have to deal with more soldiers for a while."

He turned back towards the path the led to Eden and began to walk as Aura began to follow him. He turned his head over his shoulder and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

No Aura, you will take to the skies. Your attack will have surely alerted the soldiers in the distance of your attack and they will be looking for you. You must take flight now, and I will call you when and if we need you again.

Aura simply nodded to him as she looked towards the skies and leaped into the air. As she disappeared into the vastness of the heavens above Delzah watched with sadness as he tried to figure out how it was that she had not learned to understand mercy and sympathy. They had been together for over twenty years but she hadn't changed since she was an infant. He guessed it was because her mother was killed by humans and her guardian Dragon who had taken over her care was also killed by them and so she couldn't bring herself to forgive them or anyone else who threatened to slay her kin for any reason.

Delzah nodded back to her and slowed his steps to walk beside her.

"It's alright. It'll take a couple days to reach Eden from this path so make sure that you have plenty of supplies. If we need to make a side stop for anything just say so."

He wanted to lighten the mood and take their minds off of what had just happened so he kept his head high and a half smile on his face.

"And... It's not your fault at all. There's no way we could have known that an Elf would lead their ranks and transport them over such a distance so quickly. What has happened today is done, and there's nothing we can do about it so the best move for us now is to continue moving forward and make sure that we take precautions to not let it happen again if we can help it. Sound fair?" He asked pleasantly.

Delzah smiled and looked up to the skies.

Aura, it's time to go hunting. Find whatever you can to fill your belly and bring back as much as you think we'll need to supply Volos's stomach on this two to three day trip.

Yes, master. She replied.

Delzah checked his pouch and weighed it in his hands real quick and discovered that he was running slightly low on funds. Humans enjoyed the sound of gold coins, and he carried a decent amount with him but it would only last to buy enough food for about two days and they needed more just in case. Luckily there was another small town ahead called Shere that would provide the food and water they needed. Volos would eat what Aura brought for him which would more thank likely be either cow, sheep, or some other form of farm animal since Aura knew Girotos hated it when Dragons managed to steal from him right out from under his nose.

"Let's make a stop in Shere. It's a few hours away but it will serve to supply us for the journey once I sell a few trinkets." He said.

About three and a half hours later and the sun began to set on the horizon as Delzah and Larien finally arrived in Shere. Delzah led her to the market and took a quick look around as he searched first for a stall where he could buy a pack that was large enough for the supplies they needed as his was too small and needed to be replaced.

"Hmm..." He said quietly as he continued to look about.

"Larien, see what you can do about food and water while I look for other supplies such as a bigger pack, rope, and such. I'll meet you at the south gate in one hour." He said with a smile as he began to wander off.

It took him a few minutes to find a stall where he found a suitable pack and bought it on the spot, selling his old one and a few small items that he no longer needed for some extra coin. He also bought a slightly larger water jug for himself and one for Larien just in case as he continued his search for other materials he'd need. Eventually he found what he was looking for and bought forty feet of rope, a lantern, a more detailed map than the one he had before, a large blanket, a tarp for keeping rain off of him as the rainy season was fast approaching, and a working compass since his had been destroyed a few weeks ago.

Once he had everything ready to go and packed in his new travel pack, he headed towards the south gate and hoped that Larien was doing alright since she had a young, innocent, and and defenseless Dragon in her pack which could potentially cause her a lot of problems.