I silently followed Elyra through the hallways of the Council’s headquarters. My meeting with Seraphine and Thuban had been… eye opening, to say the least. Not only had I found out that I was the first newborn dragon in centuries, but I also had a little history lesson from none other than the Warden of Knowledge, that had to be something.

I began going through all of the information I had received. As I let it all sink in, the picture of the seven primordial demons resurfaced in my mind. I couldn’t explain how, but I felt a weird repulsion to those figures, and it wasn’t only because they were hideous beings. When picturing them, it was like my emotions began to stir with a mix of anger, sorrow and all manner of other unpleasant sentiments.

I shook it off, trying to focus on other memories. Focusing back on my surroundings, I noticed we were now traversing a new area of the building, this one far less decorated, yet still looking well kept. I also finally noticed other people, all of them going about their business, even though sometimes I still got the occasional curious glance.

Never seen a mighty dragon so up close huh?

I thought as I faintly smiled. Then I thought about Thuban again. I wondered just how old he was, and those wings…

Damn it, how could I forget!

The most pressing question of all still burned heavily in my mind, yet in the pressure of the moment I had forgotten about it. Maybe I could ask Elyra, she was probably well educated to work with the Council…

“Uhm… Elyra?”

“Yes?” She replied as she slowed down, allowing me to catch up to her side.

“I couldn’t help but notice the similarity between your robes and Seraphine’s, is she your boss or something similar?”

“You could say that, yes.”

“...Right, so you must be quite knowledgeable,” I continued, keeping up my pace through the increasing crowd of workers in the hallways. “Her being the Warden of Knowledge and all…”

She finally glanced down at me without halting her pace, “I sense a burning question. Ask away.”

“Yes! Uhm, I mean, I was just wondering… do all dragons have… uhm… wings?” I finally asked, with a somehow embarrassed tone.

She finally stopped in her tracks, turning to look at me. She let out a small chuckle and then continued, “No, Juniper, not all dragons have wings.”

“Good! Or maybe… not good? Does that mean I won’t get any when I grow up?” I continued, somehow relieved and disappointed at the same time.

“You must understand that each dragon is very unique in its physical and magical abilities. Some have wings, some don’t, there are even records of dragons with four wings…”

“Four? That’s a bit much isn’t it? I would just be happy with a couple…”

Elyra chuckled again as she continued. “Know this, Juniper, during the Age of War, some dragons flew, others didn’t, yet they were all terrifyingly strong creatures. But do not despair, if you wish to fly, do know that there are also records of wingless dragons soaring through the skies.”

So there is still a chance!

“How?” I asked, my excitement growing with every step.

“I’m afraid that is beyond my knowledge. Records of dragons and their classes are few and very secretly kept by the Council. Even I don’t have access to most of them.”

I was a little disappointed by her answer, but at least I had found that even though I wasn’t going to grow wings, there were other ways for me to fly, other ways tied to the system.

Wait a minute, System! What are the classes that will allow me to fly?

Answer. Here is an exhaustive list of classes sorted by rarity that would allow User to fly, glide, or similarly remain off the ground for prolonged periods of time.

[/error/] /error/, /error/, /error/, /error/, /error/

Clarification. Currently, User meets the requirement to acquire [0] of the above classes.

Damn you System! You are supposed to help me out!

As I inwardly swore against System, we finally reached the entrance of the Council building. As we walked through the bustling crowd, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of anticipation and anxiety.

I followed Elyra out of the Council building and was, for the first time, met with the overwhelmingly busy streets of Gearford. While I had seen the city while traveling with the airship, this was my first experience from the ground. The view from above hadn't done justice to the vibrant chaos that lay before me now.

The streets teemed with life. Vendors lined the sidewalks, their colorful stalls overflowing with goods, each more eye-catching than the last. Street performers competed for attention on every corner, their lively music and acrobatics adding to the blend of sounds that filled the air.

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People from all walks of life hurried past me: merchants in finely tailored clothes, laborers with grease-stained uniforms, and scholars with their noses buried in piles of scrolls. It was a melting pot of races, each individual contributing to the city's pulse.

I turned to see Elyra smiling at me, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" she said, her voice barely audible over the din.

"Welcome to Gearford," Elyra said with a grin. "There's no place quite like it."

I nodded, my eyes wide as I took in the sights and sounds. "I had no idea it would be like this," I admitted, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation.

“Now, before I leave you,” she continued, prompting me to turn to face her, “these are for you.”

I watched as Elyra pulled out a small bag of coins. “Firstly, this bag contains 10 orins,” she said as she held it out towards me.

I had never heard of an “orin”, but as I grabbed the small bag, the familiar tingle of coins made it clear as to its contents.

“Orin? The coins I saw before were called glims…” I said as I stashed my new coins with the glims I still had from my journey with Ryone.

“Correct, glims are the most used currency for common purchases. An orin coin is valued at 10 glims.”

So in total I now had 10 orins and 20 glims in my satchel… which effectively means 120 glims. That’s not bad!

“You should see to a replacement for your… bag.” She continued while eyeing my satchel made of vines and leaves. “It doesn’t look very sturdy, you do not want to lose it in the crowd.”

“Right… Thank you Elyra…” I began, but she interrupted me before I could finish my sentence.

“You should thank the Council, I merely follow orders. Now, there is one more thing I was instructed to give you.” She mentioned as she pulled out another item.

As she held it out to me, I noticed it was a bracelet, and I inwardly rejoiced as I realized its purpose. It wasn’t as ornate as the one I was given at the Azure Fleet’s headquarters, in fact this one looked made of copper or bronze, but I assumed it wouldn’t matter as much for its functionality.

“As you may have guessed, this is an enchanted bracelet. Wear it and you will be able to convey select thoughts aloud. Do you need me to explain how to use it?”

I slid the bracelet on and shook my head.

“No, I have used one before.”

“Good, this bracelet is new, its enchantment should last you about one month, after which you may sell it or ask an alchemist to enchant it again.”

I nodded at her statement.

So these have a set duration? Like an expiration date?

“And that would be it, Juniper, I’m afraid I must return to my duties now.”

“Right… I won’t keep you any longer then, thank you for everything, Elyra.”

“My pleasure, Juniper, take care now.” She concluded as I nodded and turned to face the bustling roads ahead of me.

As I began descending the stairs, a daunting thought began to creep into my mind.

Where the hell do I even go….

“Hey Elyra, do you happen to know where…” I turned to look behind me, but Elyra had once again disappeared without a trace.

Just like that, gone in the blink of an eye…

I turned back towards the streets of Gearford, gathering my courage. I wanted to find my way back to the Azure Fleet's headquarters to find Ryone. The thought of finally being able to talk to her filled me with excitement. The mental map given to me by my Explorer class provided a rough idea of where I came from, so I knew the general direction of my destination.

Looking around, I decided to take one of the main roads that led in the direction I needed to go and began walking through the crowd. The road was filled with stalls and shops, each more interesting than the last.

As I walked, I passed a blacksmith's shop with the clanging of metal and gleaming weapons displayed outside. Further down, a shop selling vibrant spices and herbs filled the air with fragrant scents, and a cart displaying fine leather goods had a craftsman busily polishing boots.

I marveled at the variety of shops and stalls as I kept walking down the road, until a new fragrance led me towards another streetside kiosk that seemed to be grilling various kinds of meats.

The stall owner was a friendly looking mokmire busy tending to a couple of guests. As I approached, he noticed me and smiled.

“Hello there big fella! Just a moment and I’ll be right with ya!”

Big fella?!

I nodded as I patiently waited for my turn. I looked as the owner handed a couple of skewers to the couple of mokmire in front, who were stealing occasional worried glances towards me.

I’m not going to eat you ok? Just get your skewers and go so I can have my turn.

Eventually they were done, they paid and hurriedly left as I walked up to the kiosk and the owner greeted me once again.

“Alright then big fella, not every day that we see an awakened around here, what can I get you today?”

Again with the big fella… he’s not wrong technically, but I didn’t like being called that. Also what’s with the “awakened”? Never heard that one before…

“I wish to try one of the skewers that you just sold, and please, just call me Juniper.”

“Right! Uhm… sorry about that!” He began, sort of embarrassed, “anyways, it’s 2 skewers for 1 glim, that alright with ya?”

“That’s fine.”

“Great, 2 skewers coming right up!”

I only had to wait a couple minutes for the skewers to be ready. The scent of grilled meat made my stomach rumble. I hadn’t eaten anything for the past couple days, yet somehow I only started to get hungry recently. I wondered if that had anything to do with a dragon’s metabolism.

I took a small bite and was immediately delighted by the juiciness and flavor of the meat.

“This is great, what is it?”

The kiosk owner smiled at me as he replied, “just simple jaspin meat with my secret seasoning!”

“Jaspin?” I asked with a curious glance.

“You don’t know what a jaspin is? Uhm… let’s see they are small, fast moving animals, powerful hind legs, short tails. The males have small horns on their forehead. They are not too menacing, but they can pack a punch at full speed.”

Right, so just a fantasy hare of some sort…

I quickly devoured my skewers and ordered two more. After I was done, I paid 2 glims, said goodbye to the store owner and went back on my way.

With my stomach full and a newfound appreciation for jaspin meat, I continued my journey through the bustling streets of Gearford, eager to reach the Azure Fleet's headquarters.