Chapter 68: Marina's Dilemma
The big ball on the ink black sky, a mixture of various natural colors, faintly glowed in a mysterious aura. It felt like gazing at a carelessly mixed paint basket from above.
Marina silently stared at the ball that had replaced the sun and moon for over a week.
She had to admit by now, she was now standing on the moon. And the place she once lived was far away where she couldn't reach. Only allow to gaze at it from a far.
This experience was astonishing. But what's more astonishing was the situation she was in right now.
Marina couldn't help but recall 'that day'.
That day…
The sight of two collosal dragons and dozens of adult Dark Elves with strange weapons staring at the survivors the moment they crossed through the gate was still vivid in her mind.
The way the two dragons looked down at them without a word, as if they were an insignificant creature crawling at their feet, the way they excluded an aura that paralyzed them of their mind and body, it was overwhelming.
It would have been better if it had ended with that.
But before a few minutes passed, something more brain-melting happened.
Three golden dragons; two adults and one identical to Kyriaki, roared above them, flapping their enormous wings. Then, they transformed into humans with breathtaking looks and without any delay, cried and hugged Kyriaki until she passed out in their arms.
From then on, Marina's memories were a bit hazy. As if she was walking in a dream.
Whatever Kyriaki had said to the terrifying dragons and the rest of elves, they treated the survivors as guests.
They were allowed to go out, albeit with an escort always accompanying them. They were allowed to eat anything, use anything, talk about anything. Simply put, they were given freedom as long as they didn't cross the dragon's bottom line. What is that bottom line, no one among them knew. And they felt it was no good to find out either.
The people on the moon didn't speak to them much. There were only short and unclear answers to the questions they asked so far. And when they talked among themselves, they always used unfamiliar languages. To the survivors, it felt like they were surrounded by puzzles and riddles.
It was a bit frustrating, but they had to endure it.
This much could be accepted as long as they could go home.
Besides, this was much better than the Void Plane, where gloom lingered even in the dust.
Knock-Knock-Knock.
The sound she was expecting echoed in her luxurious room.
Marina got up from her massive bed, glancing one last time at the planet afar.
Her eyes then landed in the direction of the knocking sound. She slowly walked towards the door, absentmindedly stroking her belly.
"Miss Marina, I'm here to escort you to the audience room." A tall and handsome Dark elf fluently spoke to her in the common language. The sword on his waist was undeniably intimidating, along with his unusual armor. But Marina just nodded.
After all, those elves had never threatened her life. They had never raised their voice, never had gotten angry.
Just…cautious.
These dark elves, known as one of the rarest races on the Primal Plane, were filled to the bottle neck in this enigmatic city on the moon. Not with just a few hundred, but over millions. Frankly, calling it a Kingdom instead of a city felt more fitting. A society mostly made of dark elves, hidden from the prying eyes of many.
'No wonder they are rare. I think all the dark elves are on the moon.'
Even after seeing it, Marina couldn't digest the facts.
Dragons and Dark Elves, living on the moon. It sounded too much like a fairytale a mother might tell to a child as a bedtime story.
And this fairytale was currently her reality. Although everything here felt so unfamiliar and unrealistic to her, she also found joy in merely observing the everyday life of a fairytale city.
Marina walked behind the escort, enjoying the scenery as always.
The hallway was luxurious and spacious. Everywhere she looked, rare jewels, metals and minerals caught her eyes. High end technology she had never seen before, paired with architecture from heaven gave off an otherworldly and dreamy atmosphere.
Nothing in this place felt ordinary.
'They say Kyriaki is royalty.'
And that this enormous Palace belongs to her. The most comical and hilarious part of this was that none of the survivors were surprised after hearing it. After all, the first impression they got from Kyriaki wasn't mere royalty but unforgettable divinity. So accepting her status felt more underwhelming.
Now that she thinks about it, the golden girl that fainted the moment they crossed over from another plane did receive utmost respect from those who knew her identity.
Yesterday, Marina got the news that Kyriaki finally woke up.
Although there was a bit of a commotion—as Marina believed—she was set to meet Kyriaki soon thereafter.
"Oh!" Oscar, coming from the opposite direction, beamed the moment he spotted Marina. His brown eyes glowed like a desert under the sun.
"Miss Marina!"
"Hello there, Sir Oscar."
Marina greeted him warmly.
The survivors each were given a luxurious room to stay, so they met only when visiting the city, indoor garden or the artificial beach a dark elf boy named Netzer introduced them to.
Putting aside the fact that there were indoor beaches on the moon, Marina found it fascinating to interact with the people she used to survive together in a different environment.
"She finally summoned us, huh?"
"Yeah. I feel nervous."
"I wonder if she's okay."
"Who are you worried about? Sir Oscar, did you forget who she is?"
"...Right, how dare a mere deer harbor such feelings." Oscar sulked, ignoring the others who joined them from time to time.
"Pfft…that's not what I meant." Marina giggled. "I don't think even a fellow dragon should worry about her. I heard she's the strongest in her generation."
"Duh…that's no secret."
While they were talking, they soon reached the audience room.
The two dark elven guards opened the door with stiff expressions. Marina secretly wondered how handsome the elven race was, whether they were dark or light, as she entered through the massive golden door.
The audience room was a massive hall about 100 meters in length. The red carpet leading to the throne far away had a six winged golden Archdragon holding the galaxy embroidered in golden thread.
The banners, flags and even armors and other kinds of tools often had the same symbol engraved, prompting Marina to realize that it was the scarred symbol of the dragons.
She looked straight ahead.
At the far end of the hall, a throne rose above them. It was a majestic throne with a tall backrest. Yet the seat was so low it was enough for a child to sit comfortably.
On either side of the throne two chairs were placed neatly to show the status of the people who'd sit next to the throne. Although moderate in design compared to the throne, those were also very fancy.
Marina had to admit once again the two different worlds she and the people who live here come from.
"Miss Marina! Good to see you again!" Mrs.Romanov squeezed out of the crowd and welcomed Marina as she neared the waiting survivors.
All the survivors were gathered together, mummering among themselves. Their former shabby appearance was gone. No bones and skin, no dark circles under eyes, no dazed and given up expression on the faces.
They had changed so much in a short time period.
"Mrs.Romanov. It's been a while. We hadn't seen each other in about five days."
Mrs.Romanov laughed sheepishly. Her ruby eyes glittered under the fancy chandelier light as she gazed tenderly at Marina.
"My husband had to meet with many people. I had no choice but to follow him. This is my first time on the moon after all."
"Does that mean Mr.Romanov has been here before?" Oscar's already large eyes widened more as he glanced at the wolf King, who had sneaked up on them without a sound.
Mr.Romanov simply nodded.
Since he wasn't the type to talk, they had to take his gesture as affirmation.
"Wow!"
"If you are of royalty, you can enter, is that it?" Marina's curious question was met with a light giggle.
"No," Mrs.Romanov shook her head. "Dragons have closer ties with higher races. And for lesser races, they select the most influenced and cooperative ones to interact with."
"What's higher and lesser races?" Oscar tilted his head.
"There are nine Higher races including dragons. Humans call them mythical beings only recorded in history or fairy tales. As for lesser races, you, me, Marina…everyone belongs to that category."
"But why aren't humans involved?" This time too, the question was from Oscar.
"Because humans aren't cooperative." The answer came from a human herself.
"... can't argue with that." Oscar sighed, seeing Marina's smile as she answered his question.
Just then, a loud bang rang through the throne room.
"Behold!!! The Pride of Dragons, Crown Princess Kyriaki, the Glory of Dragons, Prince Kyrios and Lord Euclid of House Agyris are entering!!!"
The hall hushed in an instant. All eyes turned to the golden door that opened like a gate to another world.
Tak.Tak.Tak.
Golden hair fluttered like the tail of a golden star. The sweet fragrance of Azalea and grapes swiftly overtook the warm atmosphere inside the audience hall. The first to step into the hall was none other than Kyriaki.
She confidently walked straight towards the throne. Her dignity and elegance was proven in each of her small gestures. Her golden yellow eyes, the same color as the summer sun, were fixed ahead.
Besides her, Euclid, full of enigma in his ocean blue eyes and indifferent on his charming face, escorted Kyriaki with effortless grace.
But what made the survivors so astonished was the child next to them.
Golden hair so radiant it was breathtaking, golden eyes so beautiful it was bewitching, gentle mannerisms so tender it was refreshing; no one could resist the charm he excluded. If not for the length of the hair and the innocence in the eyes…one might have mistaken him for Kyriaki. He was the perfect male version of her.
Behind them walked the Dark High Elves named Levana and Netzer.
The survivors silently parted like the red sea, allowing them to advance forward.
Levana soon broke out from the group with an overwhelming otherworldly aura and joined Marina's group discreetly as the rest climbed the podium. Others were too busy paying attention to the Holy Trinity—as EESOP students say—to notice Levana's retreat.
Meanwhile, Kyriaki confidently reached her destination. She held nothing the other could read as she threw a glance at the throne. She then elegantly turned around and sat on the throne as if she was born to sit there.
The other two dragons sat on the seats on her sides. No one spoke and none of them seemed to be any different from their usual self despite the burden of official duties they were fulfilling right now. Netzer on the other hand, stood between the two golden dragons, a few steps behind.
A golden gaze swapped up the crowd in seconds. Marina felt a strange tightness in her heart as she held her breath, receiving that godly gaze.
The same girl who looked up at her to speak was now looking down at her from above, sitting on a throne. Although the girl's gaze and demeanour was always the same, Marina couldn't help but feel small in front of the overwhelming aura before her.
"Hmmm…" Kyriaki leaned back, a relaxing smile playing on her lips.
"There's no need to introduce ourselves, is there?" She asked.
Her tone was the same as always. And her gaze immediately returned to that same protective and curious filled eyes Marina was used to for months. Marina felt a small relief in knowing Kyriaki hadn't changed that much.
"If there's much of a difference…" Kyriaki dragged her words, glancing at the boy that looked exactly like her. "This is my Twin brother, Kyrios." She announced.
"Hello?" Kyrios smiled at them kindly, like a benevolent deity bestowing blessings upon mortals.
"Oh." Marina nodded. She now understood that uncanny resemblance.
"Alright," Kyriaki didn't beat around the bush, she pushed back the curious and awe filled gazes of the survivors and spoke frankly. "I suppose you all have many questions for me. I'll do my best to answer, so one question at a time, please."
That earned a reaction different from before.
The survivors looked at each other, hesitating. Only the sound of breathing and the rustling of their clothes could be heard. Suddenly, the presence they could sense was silence.
Kyriaki patiently waited. Her eyes didn't force them, they didn't hint at them to hurry. She watched them from above with curiosity of an indolent observer.
Unable to contain his curiosity, one person broke the hesitating silence in the end.
"Umm…What'll happen to us now?"
It was none other than Oscar. His voice trembled at the edge as soon as Kyriaki's gaze settled on him. Ignoring the details, Kyriaki flashed a gentle, acknowledging smile.
"Good question. I take it that His Majesty King Paul hadn't told you anything?"
All eyes turned to Mr.Romanov. Now, It was no secret that he's the Wolf King. He, with his usual unreadable expression, shrugged his shoulders. Kyriaki laughed sweetly.
"Here is what will happen. Tomorrow, you all will be sent back to your respective regions on the Primal Plane. Simple and effective."
"R-really?"
"Gasp!"
"Thank God!"
"Finally! Ah God, thank you!"
The moment she dropped that statement with words and visuals that transcended common sense, the hall stirred. Some began to cry, some hugged each other and some knelt on the spot, praying to unseen gods. Marina clenched her fist, inhaling deeply. Even in a confined space, a fresh and cool air filled her lungs.
"But there's one condition."
A dreamy voice flowed through the noisy hall, immediately summoning a deep silence. Like someone had poured ice water over them. They all looked at the source of that voice—Kyriaki.
One condition…
Of course, Marina knew nothing in this world was free. Not only her, everyone in the hall knew that fact. Help wasn't something anyone could demand without giving compensation. However, no one could understand what a dragon could ask in return for help.
In the past few days, they had seen these mythical creatures—dragon's wealth, prowess and influence.
What could someone with everything ask from someone with almost nothing?
Cold sweat ran down Marina's forehead. She felt her toes and the top of her fingers going cold. She desperately glanced at the Wolf couple. However, they silently stood there, calmly watching, as if they saw this coming.
'Of course, they are close to dragons. So they must have known.'
Marina's deep green eyes trembled ever so slightly as she looked back at Kyriaki.
Suddenly, their eyes met. Marina flinched. Kyriaki smiled gently in response. Seeing that unbelievably lovely smile, Marina mustered her courage.
"Wh-what kind of condition?"
"Simple," Kyriaki readily replied. "You must lose all the memories related to dragons."
"Huh?"
"From the moment you met me, to the moment where you are transferred to your home, everything will be erased."
"...Is there a reason for this?" Oscar asked in a timid, small voice.
Kyriaki's gaze shifted to Oscar. She silently gazed at him for a while before opening her mouth.
"Sir Oscar…why do you think that people call dragons mythical creatures?"
Instead of answering his question, Kyriaki asked another question. Oscar stiffened under her questioning gaze. Chuckling, Kyriaki popped her chin on her palm. Her eyes shone with the intelligence of someone superior.
"... Because they are rare?" Oscar meekly fidgeted with his fingers, replying softly.
"Oh, are they?" Kyriaki feigned surprise as she looked at her brother and Euclid. The three of them shared meaningful looks as they smiled knowingly.
"Well, indeed. We are very few in numbers making us rare. That's true." She admitted. "But Sir Oscar, that doesn't necessarily mean we must be rare to you. Dragons are long living creatures. Yet, tell me when was the last time someone had seen an actual dragon?"
"I don't know." Oscar shook his head with a defeated expression.
"Right? They call us mythical creatures mainly because they don't see us very often."
"Are you saying that you want to erase our memories to keep the reputation of being a mythical creature?" Marina, unaware she was frowning, asked in a subtly stern tone.
Oscar widened his eyes, but Marina easily ignored him. The wolf couple as well the three dragons glanced at her with interest. Like tempting her to speak more.
"I couldn't care less about reputation." Kyriaki shrugged her shoulders, carefree and relaxed.
"Then?"
"Miss Marina. Tell me, what do you know about Dragons?"
"..." Marina had nothing to say.
It was true that she'd seen dozens of dragons so far, but apart from their otherworldly appearance and the culture and technology they showed her, she knew nothing about them.
"Ah, I apologize. That question isn't what I meant to ask. What I wanted to ask was; Do you know what kind of duty a dragon carries, acting in the shadows?"
"..."
"A dragon's duty is to protect the Primal Plane from external threats. Whether the threat comes from another plane or a whole different dimension, we are here to protect the balance so that this world wouldn't crumble. As long as the balance isn't broken, we aren't very keen on revealing ourselves"
Kyriaki looked at each person below her as she spoke word by word, as if she was teaching something extremely important to a child very young.
"We do our best to keep a balance in the world. But what would happen if a dragon appeared somewhere near where you live? Think objectively. You'd first think it was nonsense, but if you saw one of us in our true form, you'd get scared out of your wits."
Kyriaki leisurely spoke her mind, her tone soft and gentle, never betraying any disdain or hatred.
"Fear leads to many tragedies. That's why there are things called dragon hunting, dragon slayers, dragon elixirs, weapons and tools as well as wars and massacres."
"Ah…" Marina unconsciously inhaled a deep breath.
She realized what Kyriaki was trying to convey.
"And one more thing, Dragons only appear when the world is in danger. Whether from war or something else entirely. The appearance of a dragon always means disaster. Be grateful that you live in a peaceful era without dragons."
With Kyriaki's final words working as a nail to their minds, she shut her mouth, observing their reaction.
Some took sharp, deep breaths. Some shivered under her gaze. Some, pale and weak, avoided everything and looked away with complicated minds. Everyone had their own reasons for their reactions. They huddled together, mummering among themselves. And Kyriaki let them do as they pleased.
"Even if we disagree, you'll erase our memories anyway. Correct?" Marina was the only courageous person left to ask questions. And so she did.
"That's just how life is. It's filled with a collection of things you don't want to do." Kyriaki nonchalantly replied.
Marina lost her words. Every word Kyriaki said was logical. What else can a mere human do to keep an argument with a dragon?
"Then…once you erase our memories, you'll definitely take us home?"
"Miss Marina, just who did you take me for?" Kyriaki got up from her seat.
"Huh?"
"I'm not a fraud. And even if I am, I see no value in you for me to keep you here. I promised to take you home, I won't break my promise. So be ready, you'll board the spaceship tomorrow morning."
With that, Kyriaki left the throne room, leaving behind the survivors. The last thing they saw before the golden door shut was the two dragons and one elf tailing behind her like ducklings.
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