Chapter 32
The day had been a wild rollercoaster of events, leaving the children physically and mentally exhausted.
As night deepened, they succumbed to a deep slumber, falling asleep on a makeshift bed of sheets and cloths.
Dimitra refused to leave Draco's side, setting up her own bedding right next to his.
He had positioned himself closer to the lower area where the lava fountain was located.
He didn't want any of his family getting hurt from the molten rock, so he took that strategic position to protect them.
He made a barrier of earth to block out the excess heat, leaving enough space for ventilation.
Draco remained awake, his mind racing with worries and plans for the next day.
'Sigh, where exactly are we going to go? We have no map or any idea where this town is even located,' he pondered, brow furrowed in deep thought.
He didn’t want his siblings to worry, so he put up an all-knowing facade.
The last thing they needed after such an event was an unreliable adult.
He knew they needed to scavenge other intact houses and gather supplies.
'I don't know how long we will have to travel before seeing the next settlement. I remember Grandpa Marcus saying this place was originally a frontier village, so it's terribly isolated,' Draco contemplated, anxiety building in the pit of his stomach.
His reasoning was sound - their current residence was indeed a frontier town, far removed from most surrounding settlements.
'Aah, the village chief's house. If it's still intact, I can at least find a map there,' an idea suddenly popped into his head.
'If there is one, it would be best to find a place to settle immediately. I needs time to acclimate to my new abilities and the others need time to solidify their training. They also needs time to grow both physically and mentally,' Draco surmised.
'Sigh so many things to worry about, being the adult sucks,' he thought.
There was a lot to do starting from the next day.
He was now the only one to make the big decisions in what was left of his family.
He also pondered on how to cater to their mental health as well as his own.
He was definitely going to get his revenge on the One-eyed black dragon, but he contemplated if leading his family on the path of revenge was the right thing.
He was well aware that his actions were going to influence their young minds, so even if he planned to do it on his own.
They were probably going to follow him.
The One-eyed black dragon was a monster that couldn’t be taken lightly.
'A level 9 isn’t enough, maybe even a level 10 might not be. Perhaps my fully grown future dragon form might provide enough of a boost to rip its head off, but that’s all speculation' Draco deeply pondered.
‘No I will need help in the future, maybe I can try saving the Astraea familia and any other useful characters that died in the series. Their help might be invaluable in the future. Additionally who is to say a threat greater than the one eyed black dragon doesn’t pop up’ Draco deeply considered.
With some rudimentary considerations made, Draco finally decided to turn in for the night.
The air was still warm from the molten rocks created by the black dragon's attack earlier that day, isolating them from the cold of the night.
It still hadn't cooled down despite several hours passing, and was even hitting an underground water source, which should have cooled it down, but the lava remained.
Draco couldn't be bothered thinking about anything related to the black dragon now.
The memory of it killing his family only served to make him sad, restless and angry.
He needed some mental peace right now. Just like that, he drifted into a deep sleep.
While Draco slept, he suddenly woke up, but not in the hole that he and his siblings were residing in.
"Where is this?" Draco questioned, eyes wide with surprise and confusion.
Looking into the distance, he could see various beings, some humanoid in shape, almost like fairies, some like animals, and the rest in forms he couldn't begin to describe.
They had an ethereal, otherworldly feel to them, their auras resembling the elements.
"Spirits," he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, awestruck by the strange and wondrous sight before him.
'Am I in the spirit world?' Draco thought, heart pounding in his chest.
"No, you are not," a feminine voice replied, causing Draco to immediately react, jumping back to distance himself from the source.
"No need to be wary. This is but a dream, brethren," the voice said, a calming, soothing quality to it.
Draco looked to the source of the voice, and what he saw left him breathless.
Before him stood a stunningly beautiful water spirit, her form seemingly made of cascading waves and glimmering droplets.
Her eyes sparkled like the surface of a pristine lake, and her flowing, ethereal hair danced as if moved by an unseen breeze.
"Who are you?" Draco asked, his voice barely above a whisper, transfixed by the spirit's mesmerizing presence.
"I am Undine, a spirit of the water," she replied, her voice melodic and enchanting.
"I have known of you since your birth, young Draco. I came to you because I sensed the great fury you carry, the weight of loss and the fear of the unknown future," she said.
Draco felt a strange sense of calm wash over him, as if Undine's mere presence was soothing his troubled mind.
"How do you know about me? And what do you mean by brethren?" he asked curiously.
Undine smiled, her expression radiant and serene.
"How could I not know you, A dragon kin, the last real one to the boot. Are you not aware that you are part spirit?" she asked.
‘Oh, I did remember reading something like that in my race description,’ Draco thought.
“The spirits themselves have taken an interest in your journey, for you possess a great power, one that has not been seen in many generations,” she said.
Draco's brow furrowed in confusion. "A great power? What do you mean? I don't understand." he asked.
‘Is it my elemental skill or is it my high elemental affinity that drew the spirits to me,’ Draco wondered.
"In time, all will be revealed," Undine said, her voice lilting with a mysterious quality.
“I see,” Draco replied.
“We had tried to warn you about the coming of the one-eyed black dragon. But your connection to us was not yet strong enough. The best I could do was mask your presence with mine. You might even forget what we are speaking about after waking up,” Undine said, caressing his cheek with her soothing hands.
“So the bad feeling I had that day and the dragon suddenly leaving was because of you and the spirits,” Draco muttered.
His mind thinking about how everything would have changed only if he was strong enough to hear the warnings of spirits.
"For now, know that you are not alone. The spirits of this world, and the elements that they govern, are with you. We will guide you when the time is right." Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Undine raised a slender hand, silencing him.
"Rest now, young Draco. You have a long journey ahead, and you will need your strength. When you wake, you will surely find the way forward," she whispered.
Before Draco could protest, a soothing, lullaby-like melody filled the air, and his eyelids grew heavy.
As he succumbed to sleep once more, he heard Undine's voice, soft and reassuring,
"Sleep well, child of the elements. Your destiny awaits. Head to Orario and find the dragon goddess Bahamut. She will be of help to you along the way. Till we meet again, brethren.”.
Draco's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself back in the familiar confines of the makeshift shelter, his siblings sleeping soundly beside him.
The air was still warm, the lava's heat enveloping them in a comforting embrace.
Draco sat up, his mind racing with the fragmented memory of his strange dream.
"Was it real? Or just a figment of my imagination?" he wondered, his brow creased with contemplation.
As he shifted, a glint of light caught his eye, and he looked down to see a small, shimmering puddle of water right beside him.
‘Is this water or did Dimitra pee on herself, wait did I…….’ Draco panicked, checking himself.
Carefully, he brought his nose closer and took a whiff of it.
“Phew, It’s just water, but how did it get over here,” Draco sighed in relief.
“Where did it come from?” Draco questioned, frantically looking around for a source, but found nothing. It was almost like if appeared out of nowhere.
"This wasn’t here before so how?. Could it be Undine? Is my dream real?" he questioned.
‘Strange I can’t remember what I saw, but I can’t help but feel that my dream was real. Our conversation is so vivid in my head but the location, her appearance and everything visual is blank’ he pondered.
‘Ah yes, Bahamut, a dragon goddess that she mentioned. I should definitely remember that name. It must be very important’ Draco thought.
“Hnnn, Mama, Papa,” he heard Eleni call out in her sleep, drawing his attention. It looked like she was having a terrible nightmare.
Draco quickly got up from his bed and rushed to her side.
Gently, he stroked her head, trying to soothe her; he didn’t know what else to do.