#in fact methinks he would take her image as more reason to dwell here? under the thought of an emblem not being far behind

[fellmonarch]

The peaceful passing of days, the smallest joys of life, the monastery offered her education and a somewhat average life—which she welcomed with open arms, of course. But unfortunately, not everything was rose colored and the bliss of a peaceful day turned into an unsettling nightmare she did not want to believe.

On the outsides of the monastery as she went for a walk, she was welcomed by the giant figure of an enemy resting alongside the peaceful beauty of the world.

Alear fought the nightmare with a rub of her eyes, a hard blink and uncertain eyes looked towards a villain that should have remained as such.

Unfortunately the dragon who stood here could not be any of her Fell Dragon friends, the shape of his body so snake-like, the size, the way her heart froze at the sight—it could only be Sombron.

Wide eyes, furrowed brows and her reach for the ghost of a sword expressed anger at a second chance given to a man who only cared for himself and never his children. It was unfair when so many had to suffer from his actions and would never get to live with their loved ones—unfair that he got to live while the portal he opened was the reason the Emblems would never get to enjoy how the peaceful Elyos would look like in their eyes.

That he got this second chance to roam in this world freely without consequences for his actions.

Yet she did not let the anger at life's strange twists to take control of her. Instead she took a deep breath, clenched her first and approached with a distant expression.

"Sombron." The dragon spoke spoke to another, then a moment of silence fell between them. What was she supposed to say to someone who would never care for her words, not even as he drew his last breath? Alear remained unsure, but a heartbeat later she continued. "I don't know how you revived another time, nor why you're here of all places. But i know your selfishness did not end in your death."

Red and blue gemstone shone as he brought her hand to her chest. Expression filled with a Divine Dragon's will to fight for the people.

"I will keep my eye on you, i promise that. If you ever cause any harm to any innocent person or put to risk this land's peace, i won't fear raising my sword on you once again. No matter what happens to me afterwards."

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘, 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍, 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐏𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐒. Beneath the lure of looming branches, where trees nearly arched inwards from a foreign perturbation, Sombron remained soundless and, if upon a far glance, caught in the lifeless twitching of decay. However, to the delight of none, and the scorn of plenty, it breathed as did all ugly, living beings, even if every inhale was delayed by the strain in its lower belly.

The Agarthans had not explained this pain, nor had its assigned agent seemed complacent enough to offer any semblance of a rational answer. Their folk were evasive in the likes ; cowardly, it'd prefer to describe, for any creature hellbent on disguising their identity over decimating the foreign eye of morality was—

Flippant, its tongue jerked past its teeth, teasing a taste of the surrounding air.

—Divine.

A bloodshot eye snapped open at the smell, its vision blurred through the faint haze of fatigue yet no less concentrated. The fragile heart of man would disprove this occurrence under the feeble guise of an apparition, but Sombron was no fool, simply a beast not satisfied by entertaining such delusions. As predicted, its one - eyed gaze was met by the incredulity darkening the Divine Dragon's countenance into a grimace of unpleasant emotion. Mayhaps a messy overlap of horror and confusion. Whatever it was, the expression could not please the Fell Dragon to abide by the unspoken discipline of its agent.

Another exhale left its nostrils, though swiftly followed by the spread of its forelegs, claws sheathed into the earth as it rose from its stagnant rest. Fatherhood would never be absent of pesky children, no matter of death or abandonment, no matter the lacking desire of connection between sovereign and offspring ; a sorry sentiment met with the whisper of a hiss amid its throat, stretching into the beginnings of a growl.

“ Alear, ” Sombron uttered, as unimpressed as it was monotonous. Elyos, and all it stood for, meant little to the beast, for both the land and its people represented the very weakness he sought to rid of. But resilient, this Divine One was. A lousy confidence that would spell her death, once over, until the heart her people loved wholly turned into stone. And at the stark righteousness of her words, Sombron became bored, entirely, and lowered back into a curl of himself ; retracting all acknowledgment henceforth.

After a purposeful silence, he hissed, the gruff of his annoyance muffled by the shudder of his neck, where its hood refused to lower or shrink. “ Your hero's squabble never ceases. I was, and remain, finished with your barren world ; death nor revival will not change this. ” The scholarly wonder of how and when would lead to an inevitably frustrating, endless cycle of untended confusion, thus he dismissed the thought of hers with ignorance. Mocking, he tempts, “ But, of course, your hunger for vengeance is inevitable despite all. As would be, for a spawn of my blood. ”

Because she was, and always would be, even if the thought spurred discontent deep in his belly. Children. . . unfettered by all purposes if not spilling the blackened blood of a continued legacy ; how simple of a task to be met by their dour incompetence. If it came to it, he must reign a tighter grip on any future offspring, allowing the chance of defects in this second life will simply repeat this dreaded cycle.

To that, and Alear's dedication, the Fell Dragon King scoffs. “ Empty threat. A fool's promise, ” His mighty head tilted as if to taunt, scarlet dilated irises narrowed in contempt, “ I cannot be killed wholly, thus your efforts will never bear fruit. Your hope is unnecessary, as always. ”

The Agarthans would not care deeply for the disappearance of a foreigner, surely not. Especially not a foreigner who— hooded gaze flits to the fingers clenched over her chest— was worth little if not for possession rather than purpose. His following words were not so much a threat as they were a declaration of prophecy, “ Leave me be, Alear. I have killed you once and a measly death will not hinder me from doing so again. ”

But optimism twisted sharp within him, jagged in all aspects fortunate ; where a sovereign sought to exist, an Emblem, whether as concept or truth, would accept a space at their side. All was only a matter of time.