Ed's plan in the orc plains had to continue even with the humans' lack of a fighting bone in their bodies. Though he first had to confirm if this was a reality, maybe they still had a fighting pinky.
Once night came, Ed made plans with Bob. He was called over to a more secluded area of Aspiration through the spiritual mark.
The deranged man scuttled through the base aiming to reach that spot unseen. Once there, he stood around looking like a busy body. After just a minute of waiting he was feeling rather anxious. There was definitely bowel movement. He was just about to relieve himself when suddenly…!
The soil seemed to shake beneath Bob's feet and a hand shot out of the ground causing him to jump up in fright.
Before he could scream out in fear. This green hand rocketed towards his mouth and blocked it from letting out a single yelp.
'Bob, how'd it go?' Ed transmitted in questioning before quickly retreating his arm.
'Wha- What the hell?!' Ed transmitted disgusted. Bob's relief was not interrupted by Ed's sudden action. One could say it even helped him.
"I- It was a fear reflex!" Bob said defending himself. Ed didn't know what to say, so he said nothing and showed it with his actions. He took several steps back, MULTIPLE, and then quickly dug back into the soil.
This was to remain unseen, originally he wouldn't have come out in his entirety. He only wanted to make himself known to Bob but his reaction had been extreme. He was also feeling very sorry for Bob and ashamed of his own actions. Ed had really tortured the poor knight too much, Bob had gone mad.
'The only way I'll feel better is if this gets the humans to attack Sanctuary for revenge' Ed thought sighing inwardly. Was it that difficult to be targeted as a mob? Weren't they really brazen at the start?
After enough idle thoughts, Ed finally focused back on Bob who had started to tell him the news he collected. Unfortunately, the conclusion of this listening session was inconclusive.
"Well… they seem to be moving things but they didn't actually tell me anything…" Bob muttered to Ed who was beneath him taking in this information. It made sense for the people to be suspicious. He had been a bit naive to think things would work out so easily.
'Bob definitely can't probe for information either' That would be just as suspicious as the fact that he had snuck out in the middle of the night to a secluded corner.
Well, Bob could always claim he was relieving himself. There was definitely enough evidence. Following this train of thought, Ed decided to let Bob go.
'Go back, if any emergency occurs remember the signal. I'll be back in 3 days for a briefing' Ed transmitted to Bob who nodded obediently.
If the humans wouldn't come to Ed… Ed would have to go to them. Though that didn't mean he would be planning a frontal attack. He needed a new scheme. Preferably one that excluded Bob entirely.
***
In the snowy peaks illuminated faintly by distantly glowing hot lava, the emperor of Volcan was wading his way through the snow. It was time for another meeting with Pyre.
Things were now progressing much more smoothly and the chaos in the Bosque Kingdom was just about to erupt. He was sure that the next day the ruler would be formally changed to the younger 3rd prince.
As the one who contracted with Pyre, he was the only one with the authority to report these things to the dragon. Pyre was also his master and he kept many things hidden from him so it wasn't to say that Mite was unwilling to climb a mountain to see him.
It wasn't long before Mite Volcan was faced with the fearsome fire dragon Pyre.
"Pyre" Mite said simply. The dragon returned his greeting with a simple nod of acknowledgment from his bone-melting hot tub.
After a brief period of silence, Mite began his recounting of the report he himself had received.
"You finally show some utility" Pyre mocked with a huff. The steam that burst out of his nostrils made it clear that he was previously dissatisfied. But from hereon, the conversation seemed to have come to a standstill. Neither spoke.
For a dragon who usually exuded a sense of grand majesty, it was normal to maintain this regal silent indifference but the mental state of Mite was unknown. The boy would always ask Pyre a fair bit of questions.
"Why- No… What did my mother leave to you?" Mite asked after weighing his options and thinking about which of his many questions to propose.
For the first time, Pyre's eyes seemed to have gleaned with interest. Dragon's were not rumored to be friendly and this was true to an extent but Pyre was without a doubt one of those jerk friends. He loved to tease and make fun of Mite at every opportunity.
"She left me nothing." Pyre said, "No… She left me something else that was tacked onto her by an acquaintance" He corrected for some reasons seriously answering Mite's inquiry. It left the young emperor surprised.
Mite still tried to decipher these words though. He tried a variety of ways to interpret the words but it seemed there was only one answer.
"A dragon left you something" Mite muttered audibly.
"Cymatilis" Pyre added.
Ignoring the presumed name of the dragon which was foreign to Mite, he latched onto a strange point of Pyre's words.
"Then… why did you raise and teach me?" Mite couldn't understand. If his mother didn't leave Pyre a task, will, a promise he had to fulfill, or… just anything. Why take care of him?
Pyre looked away.
"I have my own selfish reasons" Pyre said. There was truth in his statement but it was sad to say he had by now grown attached.
"Can you tell me?" Mite said probing. He asked out of a sense of duty and a sense of curiosity.
If raising him was helping Pyre complete some sort of goal, then perhaps he could assist further if kept in the loop. As for the curiosity… Mite was one to always want to be in the know.
"It's the dungeons" Pyre said to Mite who instantly wore a befuddled expression. Did he have to always speak in unfinished sentences?
"The dungeons?" Mite asked back hoping Pyre would elaborate.
"Mite, do you believe in the end of the world?" Pyre suddenly inquired. It was all but proven that dragons spoke in riddles. Though perhaps there was no such folk tale and Pyre was just an oddity.
Regardless, Mite took the question seriously and tried to tackle both its reasoning and answer. Many problems plaguing the world flashed past his mind but none seemed sufficiently world-threatening.
Except for dungeons.
They spawned without rhyme or reason and grew stronger alongside humans as time passed. They could develop quietly if never discovered and break out unsupervised. The slew of monsters that could exit and spawn en masse would be a catastrophe for any powerless community that may lay in the vicinity.
But no, even large cities could fall victim to the dungeons.
"I, I did not" But now he was believing there was something. So if he could tell there was something wrong with his superficial knowledge… the vision of Pyre must be far-reaching.
"I do now…" Mite murmured.
The dragon Pyre had lived for at least a couple of centuries. While he doubted Pyre had experienced such a world-ending event, he still felt he had to ask.
"Have you, have you seen what that might look like?" Mite asked the dragon.
"I have" Pyre responded. This simple response quieted even the bubbling magma. The implications were great. One could ask how, where, why but realization dawned on the emperor instead.
Pyre's insistence on the supremacy of dragons and the need for their rise was all but explained. In a world of humans, only humans could openly exercise great power and even then, the humans would still come knocking with swords in arms.
The only piece missing for Mite was where his mother fit in this puzzle. Why had she become a sacrifice? Because, while Mite did not think she was a traitor to the Volcan Empire.... he knew deep down that she had done something.
"Pyre… final question…" Mite said weakly, his hands trembling slightly.
"Did- Did my mom contact the Galeburst dynasty under your orders?" Mite said feeling pained. He was hurting because he was afraid of the answer but also because of the distrust. This question he posed so arrogantly to a dragon who had been at the very least amiable.
"No" Pyre said not flustered or angered by the question. He must have felt it was a natural worry and curiosity of the impertinent humans.
"She did it herself" Pyre responded causing Mite's heart to chill. His mom was no traitor! It was what he wanted to yell out.
Nonetheless, Mite bid farewell and turned to leave. He would trudge down the snowy peak thinking deeply on the answers he received.
As for Pyre, the dragon was gazing at the resplendent moon barely visible at the peak of the volcano questioning his earlier decisions.
"There might not be enough time…" The gears of time kept on churning like clockwork.. The coldness of this fact was mechanical in nature.