You've misunderstood, Human

…

"The Ice Dragonian, Taizun…!" Sean gashes. "What should we do?" he thought to himself, "There's no way we can win against him! He's a solid Level 4 Ice elementalist. Unless we have Fire element of the same level to counter him, we're doomed!"

"…hmph." Taizun leaps off the ice crystal he has casted and landed near Marco. The explorer felt distraught, his eyes shudder in hysteric, knowing that he won't be able to see the sun anytime soon.

Taizun glares at him, staring coldly. He then speaks out.

"I am ultimately sorry, human," said Taizun unexpectedly while bowing down a little in front of the explorer. The battered explorer is surprised.

"My colleague has caused a massive trouble for you and your good ally…" the Dragonian added. "For this, take these ample healing items. It will quickly heal your burnt wounds."

"W-What? What do you mean?" said Marco not understanding. "Mm? 'What do you mean?' As I had told you, I am apologizing on behalf of my stupid dummy barbaric colleague. What part do you not understand?"

"WHOEY! Herr Taizun, thou art very mean!" Zeugen shouted from beneath the ice shield. "Silence, you dumb fool. Because of you, our mission must come to a fail, you know?!" Taizun retorted angrily.

"Aww… don't be silly. It ist impossible zat ze 'demon' could escape, ja?" Zeugen replied in a friendly tone. But Taizun doesn't share the same expression. He turned at the icy shield, touching it with his right hand and blasted it into pieces, making chunks of ice to fall into the Steam Dragon.

"The demon has escaped you fool."

"VAT?! THOU SERIOUS?!"

"Just look at the skies, airhead,"

Marco and Sean did not understand the situation. What really happened? The Dragonian in front of them apologized instead of aiding his friend.

Taizun turns at Marco, "What are you waiting for, human? You want to die in this cold magic of mine? Drink that potion." He commanded.

Marco picks the potion bottle, which has a unique shape. The color of the potion is also not like any potions he had drunk before. "That's just a High Potion, by the way, but with a purely refined liquid." The Dragonian added.

Without any further ado, Marco drinks the potion as commanded, although he was reluctant at first. He soon recovers from the scald damage.

Taizun then walks to the vanguard, "You… why are you here?" he asked in a cold voice. "I remember you were supposed to be cooped up with those Azulies, what you were doing here?" he asked coldly.

"None of your business." Sean replied harshly.

Taizun's eyelids lower cynically, "Huh… as usual you were unfriendly. It doesn't matter. Take this potion and heal yourself." Taizun threw a bottle of High Potion and walks back to the collapsed ice shield. Upon reaching there, he breaches through the ice chunks and grabbed Zeugen's collar.

"C'mere you piece of shit." He yelled. "Fein, fein!" Zeugen yielded to his actions.

Again, Marco and Sean didn't understand the situation. Good thing is that both of them have been recovered entirely. Marco still ran out of mana energy, though.

"Oh, right… once again, I apologize for the matters you experienced. I am also thankful that you don't kill this… hm! Fool!" he bashed Zeugen with his iron boots. "Yeouch!"

"At any rate… we will forget what happened here. Our initial plan has gone haywire, there's no point for us to stay here any longer." Taizun explained seriously. "Moreover, I am also sorry that we didn't notice your presence here in the forest, thus you're stuck in this forest."

Marco's mind flickers, "Wa-wait! What do you mean?!" Marco shouted. "Weren't you guys are here to trap and kill us all?" he asked seriously. Taizun looked confused.

"Why would we trap you humans? There's no merit for us in doing that." Taizun discloses. "We Dragonians were all against killing humans, unless if they want to kill us, then we answer their will." Taizun added.

A silence, it's so quiet that even the blowing winds can be heard. Marco, as an Istinggar, as a descendant of his father, and as his son… he believes that the Dragonians are no doubt evil. They are the reason why the world has not meet peace.

Upon meeting Zeugen, Marco was ready to give all he had to annihilate the dragon. But when encountering another one, a stronger dragon… he felt hopeless, knowing that he would be killed. But in this very moment, he is stormed by a shattering truth. The dragons denied his belief.

Marco feels a horrifying perplex. They who shared the blood of that dragon which slaughtered many of explorers and his parents were acting like this? His blood boils a little, "Don't mess with us!" he shouted.

"Letting us go just like that… are you toying with our lives?!" Marco asked hardly.

The ice dragon feels confused. He barely understands the human. Reflectively, his mouth gets opened slightly. He tries to comprehend his meaning.

"I don't understand what are you saying, human."

"Why wouldn't you spare my parents lives long time ago?! Killing them outright, slaughtering the rest of my father's expedition group…" Marco screamed loudly. Sean who was behind him felt perplexed no less. He couldn't understand both Marco and the Dragonians in front of him, now.

"Marco… what are you saying?" he asked in confusion.

Seeing the human screeching in immense sadness and desperation, the ice dragon tries to understand, coercing himself to do so. Finally, Taizun realizes something.

"…I see the situation now." Taizun said while closing his eyes. After a short while, he opens them again and stares at the human explorer, "The soul of yours is marred no less with the losses of your allies in the far past, correct?" Taizun asked coldly. Marco backlashes with an angry snort. "Yeah… I believe the Dragonians were the ones responsible. I believe you all know what happened that day…!"

Taizun opens his mouth a little. His eyes shudders slightly, "…Such painful tragedy." He said simply.

"What are you—

"But we never did such thing." Taizun added, cutting Marco's raging voice. "As far as I live… from which I was born… I never heard or even know that any of us would do a massive slaughter like how you said it."

"Impossible, you're lying! My relatives told me that! Not only that… that steam dragon also want to do the same to us, what say you?!"

"…." Taizun got silenced. He then holds his face, but not in anger. He pities the human who is raging in front of him.

"You've misunderstood, Human."

"H-Huh?"

"I swear on my life. I am an informant of the empire. Not even a single important event regarding Dragonians that I shall overlook or I shall forget in my entire life. I even know how the emperor's habitual pose when sleeping."

Marco felt even more confused and angry in the same time. He doesn't know what or how to react.

"Zeugen… I expect you to apologize as well, for making this situation seem unbearable for us," Taizun said while looking at his colleague. Zeugen doesn't give any reply. He scrunches his face and throws his sights.

"…Tsk. I swear, human." Taizun looked at Marco again. "None of our kind has ever done a massive slaughter, let alone killing the important explorer clan."

"However…" Taizun adds, "As far as I concerned about such things. We Dragonians do have a strange yet unkind relation with the explorer clan of Areda. Among them stood a family of greatly experienced and impressively strong willed explorers, they're the ones that opposed us… under unknown reasons. They showed hostility for years, if not ages. One of the family possibly the leader of the explorer clan, declared hostility towards us, not so long ago."

"…If I wasn't wrong. That declarer's name is… Rogers."

Marco's heart felt like stopped. His father's name was mentioned clearly by the Dragonian. He backlashes by stepping back a little. Taizun soon realizes his sudden move. Zeugen saw the explorer's twitching move. He whispers to the Ice Dragonian about something. "…Is that so?"

"On second thought, I just realized something. Based on the last reports, you were also an Istinggar, correct? Then it explains your rather unfriendly looks on your face."

Sean stood beside Marco, backing him up. "You Dragonians had no idea how terrible his life has been." He's just spewing out random words. He had no actual idea on what really happened with Marco in his childhood.

"In the past… I still remember it, though vaguely. A dragon…" Marco said with his hand shivering. "A … gigantic dragon…"

Taizun and Zeugen flinched instantly and ask, "How big?" they asked seriously.

"I don't know for sure… its big mouth can fit a single basilisk monster, I guess." Marco stated while looked uneasy.

Taizun unexpectedly calls out, "Human. That kind of monstrous being is not a part of our race."

"Not a single being… hath I seen wearing ze cloaks of a giant dragon." Zeugen added. "Sure. The biggest dragon from our clan… is Xadrios. Moreover, he can only be in the ocean."

Marco can hardly believe the two Dragonians confession. He wants to refute to their confessions as he thought it was wrong. Not only that, the Dragonians blamed his father for making the relation between Areda and the dragon race worse.

All of sudden, a shouting voice shatters the tense atmosphere.

"MAAAARRRCOOO!!!"

Everyone in the open field flinches at the source of noise. Taizun scrunches his face. He must leave now, or else the entire operation of his mission will be compromised.

"Tsk, I thought things would get interesting. No, it IS getting interesting." He said to himself. He then turned at Marco and Sean. "This is where we part ways. As I said before, I will think this day never happens and the fight between us was nothing but draw.

Once again, on behalf of my Dragonian colleagues… I am sorry, for the troubles you've been through. Your mind has been tampered, no… it's more like indoctrinated by someone, unfortunately."

Taizun then raises his left hand and casts a teleportation spell. As the portal opens up, he saw three humans rushing into the area. "Hm?!" his eyes pinpointed on the twins, "Weren't they…? Not only that… that man over there… isn't he…?!"

Slowly, as the portal dissipates, making both Taizun and Zeugen disappear, the Ice Dragonian makes a slight grin and chuckles. "How amusing,"

With that, the battle of both strength and wit between humans and dragons end…

…for now.

..

.

Aily quickly hops into hugging Marco. "Marco, Marco… are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked relentlessly. The sweat on her face can be seen quite clear, she was running hurriedly. "Marco… hah… is everything alright?" Nina exhales a lot. She is not used in running longer distances. Scias however, appeared not even a bit fatigue in his stature.

"Geez, Scias… how on earth you were so fast yet you don't feel exhausted?" Aily asked while remaining her cuddle. "Hey, Aily, let… go!" she pulled her away. "Marco, tell me, are you hurt?" Nina asked calmly.

"Yeah…" Marco answered lowly, as if no sign of life within his body. His voice sounds so empty and soulless.

"…I see. I'm glad to see you in one piece." She glanced at Sean, "I'm happy you look fine, too, Sir Sean."

"…yeah. Thanks." Sean gave a slight forced smile to her, in which Nina can tell whether by just looking. In her heart wonders, what happened to them?

"Marco…" Scias calls out to his buddy. "You good, bud?" he asked. "…" Marco nodded slightly.

Suddenly he tells everyone, "Guys… let's go back. Let's not talk here. Remember what Sean said before… that we should not hang out in this forest during daytime. Let's go."

Marco walks back to the forest, followed by Scias. Nina wanted to call out to his deepest thoughts, but she felt that this isn't the right time to do it so she halts her will and stayed silent. She then walked behind Scias, followed by her unsuspecting younger sister.

Sean watches as Marco's party went back into the forest. He says, "I should've not bothered with your past life, eh, Marco…?"

"At any rate… we defeated that Dragonian and opened up a path for us to go into Alidia Kingdom. I gotta find my sword first."

…

…

Meanwhile, the two Dragonians were teleported into a wooden hut somewhere far to the north. Zeugen is then treated to his wounds by two Imperial medics while Taizun leans against a pillar in the hut.

"…"

"Vat dost thou think of those humans, Herr Taizun?"

"I expect you to explain your actions first, you doofus."

"Ay… don't get irritated so quickly, Herr Taizu—ahyayayayayayyyy! It hurts, hurts, please be gentle, ja?" said Zeugen in reaction as his wounds are treated. "…Bah… ze emperor had given command zat none shall be allowed to see our work, ja?"

"Hm." Taizun nodded. "…Und zat any intruders or unknown personnels to be executed on ze spot shouldst they caught sight of us doing our mission?" Zeugen added.

Taizun nodded again. "Zen zat's exactly vat I hath done. No falsities hath I done. I attempt to execute those humans who had caught me off guard while letting out steam mists."

Taizun shakes his head in disappointment, "You damn moron… the word 'execute' here means that you were supposed to tell them to go away. Make them forget you and whatever it is you're doing… but DO NOT KILL THEM!"

"Ayayayayayyy! Izzatso?! I was wrong in deciphering ze Prinz's command?!" said Zeugen shouting in disbelief.

"Agh… Emperor Xelderon won't be so pleased with this end results… our plan to subjugate the Demon General, Dantalion has come to a fail," said Taizun disappointedly.

The medics stated that they're done and bandages the poor Dragonian. "Ey, Herr Taizun… why I canst not use those High Potions for mine body?"

"That is, because, we, in fact, are Dragonians. It will be very hard for us to be recovered by a mere potion. The effectiveness drops far." Taizun explained. "Greeh… zee art true. I hope zat someone shalt invent an effective potion for us to use." Zeugen grinned.

Taizun lets out a tiring breath. He stood up and walked into the wooden window frame. He watches the outside…

It's calm and a treat to anyone's broken mental. It also serves really well in recovering someone who just got 'heavily injured' in battle. The calm air blows into the hut, speeding the circulation process.

Taizun then asks, "Zeugen… what do you think of those humans you just fought?"

Zeugen loses his grin and talks seriously, "They're all crazy."

----------------------------------------------------

Character RPG-ed Stats

Name : Zeugen von Xenostra

Class : Dragonian Servant

Magic : Offensive Magic

Element : Wind (With water vaporization and heat properties)

Element Level : Level 3 – Level 4

Proficiency : Close range melee battle

Thanks for reading :)