Outside the elvish capital, Arad stood with everyone and looked toward the sky. “This is far enough. We’ll fly after we cross the mountain.”
Aella approached him, “Let’s hurry. We shouldn’t keep Mira waiting any longer.” She smiled.
“Are we going to walk there?” Jack looked at Arad, “It would take half a day,” He looked around.
“I can’t exactly carry you all,” Kayden said in the back, “I don’t have any long-distance teleport magic. What about your void step?”
“You’re too much to move,” Arad replied, “I tried teleporting you, but you don’t budge.”
Kayden’s six eyes opened up, looking everywhere as he thought. “I’m not that versed in magic, but I know that the soul’s weight can hinder control.”
Arad approached him, “What are you talking about? I should be able to move anything as long as the total weight is less than my draconic weight. Why can’t I move you?”
“I can’t explain any better than the soul’s weight. I only trained with the blade. And how to swing it alongside my demonic powers.” Kayden replied with a sad face.
“Don’t worry about it.” Arad sighed. Thinking about it won’t help. He turned toward the trees. “Let’s get moving,”
BAM! A surge of magic rushed across his veins, his skin turning black as his scales expanded. CRACK! His bones grew bigger as two wings burst from his back. The large tail swatted the trees like a steel whip, ripping them apart.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! A deep growl came from Arad’s chest, akin to a cat’s purr but far more violent, like an engine rumbling with fire. His body felt strange. Something heavy rested inside his chest.
Aella blinked, noticing Arad’s body shaking a bit. “Are you okay?”
Arad’s vision blurred momentarily. Surges of exhaustion coursed through his mind as he felt his heart shake. CRRRR! Arad shook his head like a dog shaking water from his body, growling to wake himself.
[Your body is on the verge of evolving. You won’t be able to shift back into humanoid form before that,]
^What? I’m stuck like this?^
[You can force a shift, but that might hurt you badly. I recommend you fly back home and rest till Roberta and Sara get you the cursed metal.]
“You injured anywhere?” Lydia approached him, “I can’t say I know how to heal dragons, but I might be able to help.”
“I’m not injured. I will be fine. Get on my back.” He lowered his wing, and they started getting up.
Aella approached Arad’s head, staring at his black scales, “They lost their glow. You don’t look well.” His polished scales now looked stale, losing their mystical glimmer.
“I should be fine flying home. We can think of everything else later.” Arad nudged her with his nose toward his wing, “Get up. The sooner we get home, the better.”
Aella nodded with a worried face, climbing above his neck and sitting on her saddle just behind his horns.
Arad looked forward, his eyes scrying the forest for gaps between the trees that he could slip through. It didn’t take him long to decide on a route and lung forward like a big cat.
One claw forward, and one back, each time he stepped, his knees absorbed the shock and kept his back stable. His wings clung close to his torso, allowing him to slip between the trees.
Aella grabbed onto his horns, seeing the trees zap behind them as he got faster and faster.
“You move better than a horse. I can’t feel any shaking.” Jack smiled, patting Arad’s back.
As Arad rushed forward, a bear jumped out of his cave, growling. ROAR! He glared at the approaching dragon, swinging his claw.
“A red bear!” Aella gasped, pulling her bowstring and firing an arrow.
BAM! The arrow stuck to the bear’s hide. But it didn’t get deep enough to harm it.
“Arrows won’t kill it,” Kayden said in the back, his eyes still closed as he sensed the air around them.
Arad opened his jaw, and without stopping, he chomped the bear’s upper torso in one go.
The bear’s lower half fell on the ground as the dragon raced across the forest, and quickly reached the other side of the mountain.
FLAP! Arad expanded his wings as he got away from the city, taking into the sky in one leap.
***
Back in Alina, Merlin walked down to her lab carrying a basket full of alchemical ingredients. Standing above the wooden door, she reached for the doorknob.
CLICK! As the door opened, she could feel the room’s dry air. A sense of danger washed across her body as she saw Cain sitting on the chair, staring at the ground with a distant look on their face.
“I got the plants,” She approached him, looking at his face.
A drop of sweat dripped across his face as a smile crossed his face.
Thud! Jemima appeared behind Cain, touching his shoulder. “Master, I’m here.”
Cain blinked, slowly lifting his head and looking at her, “Jemima, sorry, I’ve zoned out a bit.”
Merlina stared at Jemima. ^Where did she come from? I’m sure she wasn’t in the room when I got in.^
“How did you get in here?” Merlin asked with a smile.
Jemima looked at her, ignoring the question and taking the plants from her hands. “Thank you.” She handed them to Cain and walked toward the counter, pouring a cup of water and bringing it to him.
“Thank you,” Cain drank the water and took a deep breath, standing up. “Let’s make the potions,” He looked at Merlin with a smile.
“Are you okay?” She looked at him and then at Jemima, “I know you’re a renowned alchemist and a retired mage, but I felt your magic flutter for a moment.”
Cain looked at her, “Forget about that. I’m fine. I need you to learn how to make the greater mana potions as soon as possible.” He picked a glass tube and filled it with magic water.
Merlina picked the flowers and took them to the grinder, “Fine, but let’s have a healer check you later. Magic instability can be dangerous. What if you had a wild magic surge?”
Cain looked at her, “There is no cure for the damage done by time. And be assured, I won’t have a wild magic surge.” He smiled, “If I had one, the world would crumble to dust.”
Merlin giggled, “Yeah, let’s hope you don’t blast my lab with fire or lightning,”
Jemima looked at them and then walked out of the lab with a worried face. She walked into the darkness, putting a finger on her ear. ~Lilia, another dose. He almost had an episode.~
~Shit! It’s been fifty years only. Was it bad?~
~No, just a passing moment, but I could feel his magic getting loose.~ 𝐞𝗻𝐨𝘃𝗹.𝐜𝐨𝗺
~I will act immediately. We can’t have him slip from our hands.~
Jemima closed the line and went back to the lab, seeing Merlin and Cain busy making potions. She stood outside by the door, feeling a cold hand on her shoulder.
Jemima shuddered for a moment. She looked to the side, seeing a shadowy figure glaring at her. “Staying outside helped him relax, but I believe he should return to my home.” The shadow said.
“Mistress Gracie, we agreed to let him relax outside. Your domain might provide him with the best time, but it can’t allow his mind to relax.” Jemima gasped.
The shadow stared at her with glowing pink eyes, “Sofia planned this, didn’t she? Does she really believe that void brat can stop Cain?”
Jemima lifted her hand, “That isn’t for me to think about. Speak with her directly.” She clenched her fist, and the shadow disappeared.
She looked down, sweating, “There are still some years ahead. Let’s hope everything remains fine.” She turned toward the door, stopping as she sensed a surge of magic coming from afar.
****
FLAP! FLAP! Arad landed beside the mountains, rushing toward his house as fast as he could, stopping by the garden.
Mira stared out of the window with a smile, “Arad! You’re back!” She waved her hand, lunging out and rushing toward him.
“Don’t move like that!” Arad cried, lowering his wing for everyone to get down.
“Arad, guess what!” She said with an excited smile.
Arad looked at her, lowering his massive head. He was about to speak, but he felt something squeezing his throat. ^[Don’t say it. Let her speak,]^
“What’s happened? I was told to come as fast as possible.” Arad replied.
Mira smiled, her face slightly red, “You know, I might be…”
CRACK! A muscular, tanned hand burst from the ground. Everyone froze, staring at it. THUD! The hand grabbed the ground, pulling up as a huge woman emerged from the dirt. “My Lord! You’re back!” The woman lunged at Arad, hugging his neck so hard she brought him down.
Arad was in his draconic form, but he couldn’t breathe in her grasp.
Thud! Mira touched the woman’s back, “Let him go,” She said with a smile, and the woman let go of Arad with a scared face.
Just by the smell alone, Arad could tell that the woman was the ant queen. And most importantly, with a single glance at Mira, he could see the magic surging in her body. There was no mistaking it. She was pregnant.