Amelia sat back, legs folded under her, her eyes reflecting the dim light from the glowing stone as she watched Spark for a moment, her expression thoughtful.
"Even the Barbarian King respects you," she said softly, her tone curious. "Do you come from a powerful background?"
Spark was silent for a beat, his gaze distant, as if he was carefully considering his answer.
"I guess you could say that," he finally replied. "But aren't you the same? Everyone here respects you too."
Amelia shook her head slowly, a faint, almost bitter smile touching her lips.
"It's not the same," she murmured, her voice a little quieter. "They don't respect me, they fear the background I come from."
Spark turned to face her, tilting his head in curiosity.
"What's the difference?" he asked.
Her gaze drifted to the floor.
"Respect born out of fear feels empty," she said quietly. "They don't see me, only the power I'm tied to, the family I come from, the influence I represent. It's not real respect."
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of frustration and resignation. "When others bow their heads, it's not because of who I am or what I've done. It's because they're afraid of what might happen if they don't."
"But isn't that still respect?" Spark asked. "Even if it comes from fear, they acknowledge your position, your strength."
Amelia sighed, shaking her head. "It doesn't feel like mine. It's like living in someone else's shadow. No one sees me. They only see my family's name."
Spark's gaze softened as he tilted his head, looking thoughtful. "But I see you, don't I?"
"That's because you're strange," Amelia replied, smiling slightly. "And you don't know my background."
"Oh? Then tell me about this background that everyone fears so much," Spark said, his curiosity piqued.
She paused, choosing her words carefully. "My family has lived in the mountains for as long as anyone can remember. They keep to themselves, disconnected from the outside world. If something bothers them, they destroy it. If they want something, they take it."
Spark raised an eyebrow. "I don't see anything wrong with that. What's the point of having authority and power, if you're not going to use it?"
Amelia frowned a little. "But they don't see power as a responsibility, only a means to control and suppress others. They don't view anyone as equals, just as people to dominate."
Spark hummed thoughtfully. "And... do you want to change that?"
Amelia nodded, her gaze distant. "Yes, but they've been stuck in the mountains for so long that their way of thinking is trapped. Their view of the world has become narrow."
Spark chuckled lightly. "Maybe it's the mountains themselves squeezing their perspective into something so small."
And with that, they soared into the sky, leaving the Bloodfang tribe behind as they flew toward the towering mountains.
As they flew toward the towering peaks of Amelia's homeland, the mountains were already visible even from afar.
Just then, Amelia broke the silence, her voice soft, almost hesitant. "About last night..."
Spark glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm? What about it?"
"I'm sorry for venting my problems on you and for trying to dig into your secrets," she admitted. "I said all that because... you feel like a mystery. The more you talk, the less I seem to know."
"I can see why you'd feel that way," he said with a grin. "Maybe my unparalleled charm is affecting you too."
Amelia glared at him, but before she could say anything, he shifted the subject.
"if your family's as narrow-minded as you say, won't they see me as some sort of pest, flying into their territory like this?"
She chuckled, the tension easing. "Why worry about something so small? Aren't you supposed to be the strongest?"
"Good point," Spark replied with exaggerated confidence. "If they give me trouble, I'll just flatten the mountain. Maybe then they'll understand."
Amelia smiled at his bold claim, but her expression quickly shifted.
She stopped mid-air, her hair swirling in the cold wind as her eyes turned sharp.
The air around them seemed to freeze, and without warning, she formed a solid cocoon of ice, encasing both of them in a protective shell.
Just in time.
A wave of crushing energy descended from the sky, smashing into the icy barrier like a hammer from the heavens.
The impact sent them spiraling toward the ground, the force immense, but the cocoon held strong, absorbing the pressure as they plummeted.
With a deafening crash, the cocoon hit the earth, creating a massive crater.
The energy kept pressing down, melting the outer layers of ice bit by bit, but Amelia's creation didn't break.
As the wave of energy finally subsided, cracks appeared in the cocoon, and soon, Amelia and Spark stood unharmed within it.
Spark casually dusted off his sleeve, glancing around with amusement in his eyes.
"These impatient bunch," he said, his voice light despite the destruction around them.