As they descended through the clouds, Von shouted at the top of his lungs, "We're finally here, Horizon!"
Horizon squinted as they approached a random location below, taking in the sight of the vast landscape. "But . . . where exactly are we?" he muttered, noticing how only a few dragons had managed to arrive in this location like they did.
In the distance, other dragons soared through the skies, scattered across various parts of the land.
"It doesn't matter!" Von hollered, a grin splitting his face. "We made it! WooOhHoOo!" His exhilaration echoed as their long-awaited return after a year in Drakha finally became real.
The massive form of the Dracolich descended, breaking through the towering, dangerous mountain range that framed a breathtaking landscape. Below them, a sprawling, wooded valley came into view, beckoning with its serene beauty.
The first thing they noticed was a faint melody — hundreds of voices singing in unison, the sound carrying through the trees and bouncing off the rocks. It was the very sound that had inspired the name of this deceptively peaceful grove.
The valley was a vast, forested region bathed in soft light. From above, it looked tranquil, with beeches, elms, maples, and oaks growing in wild abundance. Sparkling rivers cut through the greenery, waterfalls cascading gracefully into secluded pools. Scattered throughout the land were quaint hamlets, villages, and trade posts.
Towering rock formations rose in the northern distance, standing like silent guardians.
As the Dracolich landed with a heavy thud, Horizon and Von finally took in their surroundings. Von wasted no time, falling to his knees and kissing the ground. "Ah, Eternia! It's good to be back!"
"Get up. You're embarrassing yourself," Cappy said with a roll of his eyes.
While Von kissed the earth, Horizon checked the map. His eyes widened, and a relieved sigh escaped him. They were indeed in Eternia. Specifically, they had landed in Singing Grove, more precisely in a place known as Sky Talons. Not a bad place to start.
~GrRrRRr . . .~
Horizon turned, eyes locking with the Dracolich, which was now resting on its four limbs, its long tail lazily thumping the ground while its massive head lowered toward him.
"Oh . . . I almost forgot about you," Horizon said, eyeing the creature.
Now, for the first time, he had a chance to examine his very own dragon, and to his surprise, its stats were nearly identical to his.
A grin spread across his face. This Dracolich would be a great addition to his strength.
|| D R A C O L I C H ||
Race: Dragonborn
Class: Dracolich
HP: 100 000
Luckily, Horizon had been saving up his attribute points. He opened his stat screen. 575 AP. He dumped them all into MP. Unlike other stat which was 1AP = 1. 1AP added 100 to his HP/MP, giving him a whopping 5,750 MP boost.
With that settled, Horizon turned to Von. "Alright, what should we do first? Should we head to Crown Jade Woods? Isn't that where you're from?"
Von froze, blinking rapidly as he forced a laugh. "Ahaha, uh, maybe not right now."
"Why not? Don't you miss your family?"
Von scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact. "Let's just say I'm not in a hurry to go back there."
Horizon raised an eyebrow, but Von quickly changed the subject. "So, how about we go where you want to go?"
"I don't really have anywhere in mind," Horizon replied.
"What do you mean? Don't you have friends in the ARK? Shouldn't you want to find them here?"
Horizon's expression darkened, and Von immediately noticed the shift. "Uh . . . did I say something wrong?"
Horizon took a deep breath. "No. It's just . . . I don't have any friends."
Von felt there was more to it, but he didn't press. Instead, he offered a quiet nod.
"Friends, they're just another way to get yourself killed. Or worse, they're someone who asks you to borrow money."
Both of them were startled at the sudden voice.
"What the–?!"
"Where's that voice coming from?"
They both turned to see a tiny skeletal dragon perched on Horizon's shoulder — a miniature version of Nixis.
"What? Did you forget about me already?" the little dragon asked, flicking its wings as it hopped onto Horizon's head.
"N-Nixis?!" Horizon and Von gaped in unison. They almost forgot about her.
"Just call me Nyx now," she corrected, making herself comfortable on Horizon's hair. "Now, onward! Adventure awaits!"
Horizon and Von exchanged exasperated glances. With a sigh, they realized Nyx had no intention of leaving them alone anytime soon.
It was like Nixis was still with them — whether they liked it or not.