Chp.43: The dragon and the mage

"So that's what you really look like. I have to say it's really… peculiar" Isaac said in an attempt to break the ice. Maldor didn't even answer him and just stared at him with a very angry look.

After being dragged into that corner of the world, which even he didn't quite know where it was, Isaac hadn't known how to act. After all, it was certainly not in his plans to end up on the bank of a river who knows where, who knows how many kilometers from the capital! He wasn't even sure he was still in the Jurao Kingdom. And to top it off there was no way to get back quickly, since the portable gate had been destroyed. Maybe if he had studied the fragments he could have built another one… but he doubted that a lifetime would have been enough to even decipher the magical connections that allowed that object to function. So he'd quickly shelved the idea and decided to talk to Maldor, since that was technically his main focus, but then he'd seen her among the dragons and seen how happy she was, and he hadn't had the selfishness to disturb her in that moment of reunion with her family. So he had decided to wait for the dragons to end their reunion and for her to be available to talk to him.

He had to admit he was surprised by the amount of dragons there. Seventeen dragons… he knew Maldor had a family, but he didn't expect it to be so large! Seventeen dragons living together was something no one had ever heard of, at least not in the age Isaac lived in. And judging by the way they behaved, they must have had a really strong bond of affection between them. Surely they were all brothers and sisters (they were the same size, so they were the same age, and it was unlikely that two litters of dragons had been born at the same time and in the same place and had casually met. After all, dragons, at least normal ones, were extremely isolationists), but it was still amazing to see so many dragons hugging, cuddling, laughing, smiling and crying. It was almost like a children's story. It was really true that reality sometimes surpassed fantasy.

Thus, he had tried to mix with the other people present. He didn't feel very comfortable around the gladiators, since not only they were skilled warriors but they were, at least according to the law of the Jurao Kingdom, also criminals, but he still helped them to light a fire and cook food using its magic. The gladiators had been kind enough to him (or at least the few he had interacted with), but when the party got into full swing and they started a series of bizarre fighting games Isaac felt too out of place and decided to leave. So he had moved on and gone to the place where the slaves had camped. He expected them to be in trouble, since unlike the gladiators they weren't warriors or survivalists, but to his surprise they had managed to adapt to the situation quite well and had already started cooking food even better than the gladiators. Evidently, years of working in the arena had prepared them for any situation. Isaac had considered joining them anyway, but by then Maldor had arrived and asked him to speak. Or rather, she had told him 'we need to talk' in a very authoritative tone and then she had grabbed him with her tail and dragged him away with such force that she had almost ripped off his arm.

And so they had arrived at that situation. After taking him to a secluded place (a sort of stone circle away from the others), she turned and stared at him with a not very reassuring look. When he saw those eyes Isaac swallowed; though he doubted Maldor would hurt him, now she looked like a predator ready to tear him apart. Which wasn't too far from reality, technically…

Finally Maldor spoke. "Why the fuck did you follow me, you idiot!?"

Isaac had only heard Maldor curse a couple of times while they were at the academy, and both times it was because she was really frustrated. The fact that she had become so vulgar so it was a sign of how angry she was at the moment. "You had only one job: to stay passed out!" she growled. "If I'd known it was going to end like this, I would have hit you harder! I shouldn't have gone easy on you!"

Isaac instinctively touched his chest, where his ribs had been broken. If that was going easy for Maldor, he didn't dare imagine what she would do to him if she wanted to be serious. "You know I have a hard skin. I recovered in a short time"

"And why the heck did you follow me!?" Maldor nearly screamed. "I made my decision clear: I am a dragon and my place is with my family! What kind of abysmal imbecile after such a declaration and after being brutally beaten would follow me? You have rats instead of a brain, perhaps!?"

"Well… about the fact that I am an abysmal imbecile, you're absolutely right. Deny it would be a lie" Isaac admitted. "As for why I followed you… I wanted to let you know that I approve of your decision"

Maldor was silent for a moment. "What?"

"You heard me. I approve of your choosing your family" Isaac repeated. "I… didn't know you had siblings. I didn't think your plan was to free your brother. In your place, I probably would have done a very similar thing. And while I'm sorry you had to leave the academy, I understand that this is more important to you. So... don't feel guilty about your choice, or for hitting me. You made the right choice, and I fully support you"

Maldor was staring at him as if he'd just said the sun was blue. After a few moments, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "You rushed after me, after I hit you, thus putting your life at risk since I might decide to kill you if I ever see you again. Then, when you caught up with me and saw me surrounded by a dragon and a hundred gladiators, in the middle of an arena filled with the blood of the guards they had killed, instead of turning around and running away you threw yourself into the fray and let yourself be dragged away by the portable gate. Now you are here, alone, on foot, with no food or weapons except magic, surrounded on all sides by extremely dangerous beings, and the only reason my siblings didn't eat you alive as soon as they became aware of your presence is because Kotaru and I told them that there was anything to worry about… you may have thrown away your job, your reputation, and possibly even your life… and all of that to tell me that!? To tell me that you're not mad at me and that I don't have to feel guilty about sending you into a wall!?"

Isaac shrugged. "I preferred the way I said, but... essentially, yes" he replied. "I know it may sound silly, but it's important to me that you know that I still consider you a friend"

"Seriously, what's wrong with your mind!?" Maldor exclaimed. "This isn't a game, you idiot! You can't put your life on the line just to... to tell me that you consider me a friend!"

"Why not?" Isaac asked. "What do you know about my priorities? I care about you, Maldor, and I don't want our friendship to end just because you're a dragon and I'm a human! It's important to me that you know that I approve of your decisions!"

"More important than your life? Are human males really that stupid?" Maldor asked.

"Yeah. Sometimes we're even more stupid…but that's not important at the moment" Isaac replied. "Tell me, would you be okay to be separated from one of your siblings indefinitely, and the last memory you would have in common was an argument?"

Maldor found herself a little unprepared for that question. "It's different. Family is one thing, you and I are..."

"Family isn't just dictated by blood, Maldor. It's created by the choice of its members. And the same goes for friends" Isaac interrupted. "I know you probably don't know this, since you haven't had many experiences with anyone other than one of your brothers or sisters... but the bond of affection that develops between two friends is also very strong. And for me, made up with you was important. You can continue to scold me if you want, but I won't regret my decision"

Maldor seemed undecided whether to yell at him or let it go. It was clear from her gaze that she considered his motives idiotic, but Isaac didn't mind that. In the end she shook her head. "You're really absurd" she grumbled. "Okay, we've cleared up now, so you have no reason to stay here anymore. Tomorrow I'll give you some supplies and direct you to the nearest town. When you get back to the academy, you'll say you tried to stop me but I first hit you and then taken you as my hostage, and that later you miraculously escaped. This will be what everyone will believe. You will go back to your life, with no regrets or tears"

"And you?" Isaac asked. "I mean... what will you and your siblings do? Will you stay here or...?"

"Of course not, we're too exposed here. Even though this area is quite safe since it's far from the road and the city, we're still too close to the newcomers' establishments" Maldor replied. "Tomorrow we too will leave. We will cross the desert and finally leave this place"

"The desert? Oh, I get it. You want to go to the Thul Oasis" Isaac said. "There's not much food over there"

"We've been preparing for this" Maldor explained. "We have enough supplies to sustain us for a very long time"

Isaac was silent for a moment, then he asked: "So… is this your plan? To abandon everything and everyone and go away?"

"What is the problem?"

"Do you really have to ask me? This isn't even a solution! It's just avoiding the problem! Sooner or later you will be forced to interact again with humans or with another race!"

"When that happens, we'll be adults"

"So what? Will this perhaps prevent humans from attacking you? Will it allow you to have a safe dialogue? Will it allow you to have a life that isn't just based on survival? Now I understand why in the academy it seemed like you were tasting freedom for the first time. If this is your way of life, you and your siblings have turned your entire life into a prison of fear and insecurity!"

"Isaac, if you have another solution that doesn't involve the risk of being hunted and killed all the time, I'd be happy to hear it!" Maldor snapped annoyed.

Isaac was silent. Indeed, he had no idea what to answer. After all, the world they lived in wasn't very tolerant with dragons, even if they were as kind as Maldor. "Then I'll go with you" he said resolutely.

Maldor closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Please, tell me this is a joke"

"Of course not! I will come with you and keep you company at the oasis! In this way, I will constantly remind you that we humans are open to dialogue and that friendship between us and you is possible! And when you will become adults, I will be your intermediary with my people! With a human speaking for you, it will be easier to build trust!" Isaac explained. "And then you might need the help of a mage. Sure, I don't doubt you already have all the tools you need to get by, but some extra help won't hurt, will it? We could..."

"Isaac, do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into!?" Maldor snarled, and as she did it she lifted her right paw and showed her enormous claws. "These are the weapons of a predator! Do you think that just because I was nice to you I won't eat newcomers? I ate ogre and fairy meat just now! What makes you think that in the future I won't eat you too? It would be enough that I had a bad day, or we'd fight, or our friendship would fade, and I'd never see you any other way than prey! This is what are dragons, Isaac! We're predators! And even if I don't eat you, do you know what would you face if you came with me? Can you imagine what it's like to cross a desert, face dangers of all sorts, abandon your entire civilization and all the people you know? No. I'm sorry, but I won't let you"

Isaac sighed. He had already thought about it: he knew it would be difficult. To begin with, standing next to seventeen dragons was dangerous: even if for the moment he was stronger than them, since he was a level mithril mage, while dragons of Maldor's age only reached the level diamond, against all of them he would have had little chance. But he was sure Maldor would never eat him. And as for the long hard journey, and the abandonment of all he knew… well, mages often set out on journeys to better explore their magic or philosophy. Besides, it wasn't technically goodbye to civilization, it was just some times spent far away. "I don't think I asked your permission, Maldor" he replied. "I will go with you whether you like it or not. I won't abandon you, not at this crucial moment in your life"

"Why?"

"Because that's what friends do"

Maldor looked at him indecipherably, then she turned and began to walk away. "Do as you like. Don't come crying to me when you'll regret your choice"

"Oh, I don't think I'll regret it" Isaac said with a smile. "Your family is amazing, Maldor, and I'm sure you'll do great things. This is a story that people will tell in the future, and I intend to be a part of it. You won't get rid of me easily, I guarantee it"

"A story that people will tell? Of course, I'm sure that kids will love the story of a ferocious dragon family that was constantly trying to find a safe place to live" Maldor said skeptically.

Isaac shrugged. "Who knows. I don't know why, but something tells me that your story will be much more interesting than you and I can even imagine"