I sat on a chair in the corner of Thneia’s room as she changed. Her body lit dimly by the handful of floating orbs on the roof.

Everything in the room was gigantic to accommodate her size, but the pillow on her chair allowed me to sit comfortably.

I watched as she buttoned on her pants, which snuggly fit her proportions thanks to the skilled tailors of Coh.

Coh…

My home…

“Why did you chose to serve me?” I asked.

It’s here that I decided to drop all pretences.

Thneia looked up while buttoning her shirt.

“Mmm… what other option was there? If we had gone our own way, we would have had to watch as you fought desperately until the end. Whether you would have ultimately won or not is not up to me to even imagine, but it all felt so… tragic.” She said as she slipped into her blazer.

“This marks the second time that mankind’s actions led to the burning of the world. I was there when that arrogant brat demanded that mankind rule over the majority of land on the continent. I was there when the Queen bathed the mountains in fire. All that golden twat had to do was accept that three nations could coexist and that humanity was not the supreme lifeform it often saw itself as. Life comes in so many shapes and sizes but all man ever sees is himself. Everyone and everything else comes second. I fell into a… hollow state after the battle that closed the war between mankind and we dragons. I was grateful that the Rendaro saved Llana, Rix and I but I served them merely out of obligation. Maybe that’s why deep inside… I didn’t mind when Rahadiya fell. To me it was just the repetition of an unending cycle. How do I put this differently… two people will always have something that they disagree on. Three people will have more things they can’t have in common and the more people you have, the more lines and divides are born and these lead to conflict. But don’t let my words shift the blame entirely to mankind. We dragons were guilty in our own way. After all, it was the Dragon Queen herself who suggested that we dragons were the superior existence. Our pride and greed was definitely a key factor in how everything turned out.” Thneia said as she walked up to me. The darkness of the room made her glowing reptilian eyes that much more scarier.

“And let me guess, I am just another victim in this endless cycle.” I said but Thneia shook her head before offering me her hands.

I accepted them and she picked me up before sitting down and placing me on her lap.

“No, you are actually very similar to the Great King Rahad. You see, where the golden wretch would’ve conquered, Rahad would’ve befriended. I sometimes think he knew that he wasn’t the best military strategist and so he spent most of his time talking to everyone he could. I don’t even partially hate him for initially siding with mankind during the early days of the war, but there’s only so much one can do when their opponent is extremely stubborn.” Thneia said. Her deep voice shook my small frame, but I didn’t mind.

“So in order to deal with an opponent who can’t be reasoned with, we will have to use means beyond the bounds of reason. We might even have to become far more stubborn than those who choose to perpetuate these dark ages.” I said with a deep frown but Thneia wrapped her arms around me before pressing me against her stomach.

“Please do not make that face, lord Katsíki. Let the last flickering ember of hope remain alit. Do not give in to hatred, lest you be turned mad and violent like we who lost to those feelings all that time ago.” She said softly.

I nodded while trying to break free from her hold.

“Am I interrupting something?” Yna suddenly asked from the centre of the room.

She was still in her armour meaning she’d just gotten back from the front lines.

I tore myself free from Thneia’s hold before walking up to a narrow eyed Yna.

“Nope. She was just giving me a quick history lesson.” I said but her eyes narrowed even further.

“Do usually get your lessons while sitting comfortably on someone else’s lap?” Yna asked but I shook my head.

“Nope. This was a one time thing.” I said with a grin.

Yna scoffed before teleporting us to the heart where her change of clothes sat in a pile.

I wasn’t dirty, so I simply sat on the grass as the night’s chill winds blew by.

“So… you have a thing for oversized women?” Yna asked as she got undressed.

[Yes.]

“No. Also, is that a hint of jealousy I hear in your voice?” I asked while playfully plucking at the now pale, dead grass beneath me.

“Maybe. There is a saying about special things. They are only so because they are rare. If anyone could find them, then they wouldn’t be so special.” Yna said as she stepped into the stream.

“So… I shouldn’t sit on the laps of other women?” I asked with a cheeky smile.

Yna rolled her eyes before splashing me with some water.

I chuckled before deeply sighing.

“Worry not, fair lady! Thine laps shall be the only ones I rest my buttocks upon!” I said needlessly loudly and this made Yna splash me with more water.

“I heard there was an attack.” Yna said as she actually began bathing.

“Yep. Sun Spears. Pretty sure they’re all dead now.”

“Part of me misses when I was the strongest person in the Expanse.” Yna said with a pout, but I shook my head while clicking my tongue.

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“You still are the most powerful person in the Expanse.” I said prompting Yna to look at me with a confused frown.

“How so?”

I sat up, crossed arms and cheekily smiled again.

“Have already forgotten what I said? Thine thighs-!”

Yna grew sick of my antics and so she grabbed my little goat legs and dragged me into the stream, clothes and all.

I swam up and took a deep breath before laughing at Yna.

“Haha! Look at you. Yna herself, worried about such trivial things. You’d think she’d be above all that what with how old she is- ouch!”

Yna punched the top of my head pushing me back into the water, but I wasn’t done.

I swam up and took another breath before dismissively waving my hand.

“Hey, don’t worry. I heard maturity comes at different points in people’s lives.” I said and surprisingly, Yna didn’t clobber me.

She simply stared at me while making the sweetest smile.

Her eyes then stared glowing like they used to with her iris burning bright gold.

“Ah, shit…” I muttered before trying to swim towards the riverbed, but Yna grabbed my leg again as massive flares of light shot of from her body.

She then pulled me towards her as we were engulfed in a ball of light.

“Wait! I’m sorry! You’re actually really mature! I didn’t know what I was saying!” I cried as Yna’s body rose from the stream.

“WAIT! I’M SORRY FOR TEASING YOU! Although you’d expect a golden knight to have thicker skin.” I cried.

Yna’s body then suddenly fell back into the stream and like all that time before, it wasn’t her light that hurt me, it was the steam that came as a result of her touching the water.

“AHHH!” I cried while desperately swimming towards the riverbank where I plopped onto the grass while awkwardly convulsed in pain.

Yna joined me on the grass before poking me in the cheek with her finger.

“Are you dead?” She asked teasingly but I groaned in response.

My pain eventually lessened to the point where I could move and so we got dried and made our way to our cabin where we assumed our sleeping positions.

“Kenos might take over tomorrow. He has some work to do with the ACO.”

“Oh?” Yna whimpered as I rested my head on her chest.

“Yep. I’m still trying to figure out a way to make it more… deadly.”

“Mmm… how about we combine our ideas from back then. Why don’t we combine both the gigantic dark sword with countless smaller ones.” Yna suggested.

“How?”

“You’re the smart one, figure it out!” Yna said after giving me a light smack on the head.

“Mmm- Oh!” I sounded after picturing a gigantic shotgun shell.

What if we created a gigantic hollow sword and filled it with shrapnel?

This would mean that by destroying it mid descent, the knights would be dooming a large chunk of Lanceberg to jagged rain.

Diabolical.

Truly evil.

But this was just a ultimatum. Just in case Caligo broke our agreement.

.

..

“Mmm?” I sounded upon opening my eyes to find that I was still sleeping on Yna’s lap.

If Kenos had switched with me, we’d have been sleeping on the floor.

Kenos? I called.

[Yeah?]

I thought you wanted to get some work done.

[Meh. You take care of it. I’ve been working my ass off too recently and I deserve a break, don’t you think?]

I mean… if you think so-

[I know so! Anyway, goodnight. Gonna catch some Z’s.]

I sighed before sliding off Yna’s thighs.

I then got dressed before sneaking out of the cabin.

Yna must have been hella tired and so I wanted to let her rest a little more.

I made my way to southern Coh before running into Mikael.

I had made sure that two Kommáti followed him at all times since I still didn’t trust him, but it didn’t seem like he was up to anything.

“Ah, good morning, lord Katsíki. May I walk with you?” He asked and I simply nodded.

“Say… could you reconsider what we discussed before? Seeing that you are now fully engaged in a war with Lanceberg. Do you really think that working alongside us could escalate things any further?” Mikael asked as we entered lower Coh.

I sighed at his words because I knew exactly what he wanted.

He wanted us to work together so that he and his order would get so spend time with Thneia and her men.

This in itself was not problematic but the Flamouriá wanted to take down mankind, I wanted peace.

I stopped before facing the rising sun.

“Listen, I have no problem with you or your order practicing your faith, but I will not ally myself with you. That being said, Thneia is free to do as she pleases. Go ask her and see what she thinks.” I said as we walked towards the southern gate.

“I have and I see now that she holds you in quite high regard.”

“So you were hoping that I would talk her into following you back home?” I asked with a raised brow while walking towards the spot where I’d created the fleet of ships.

They were gone, meaning they were in Rahadiya or on their way to the shattered remains of the city.

“Precisely! I am also willing to do whatever it takes.” Mikael said.

“Fine. I’ll keep that in mind when I speak to her, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“Of course!” Mikael said with eyes full of hope.

I then waved him away before looking up with crossed arms.

“Go see if Serylea is busy. If not, ask her to come.” I said before calling down what could only be described as a weapon of mass destruction.

It was covered in frost and was about the length of the Eiffel tower.

I could tell that everyone in Coh would be taken aback upon seeing a sword of this size, but I had no choice.

I needed to increase its lethality and so I tore the sword open and hollowed out its insides.

Ower then suddenly appeared next to me.

“Unfortunately, Serylea is busy with building the town in Rahadiya. She sends her dearest apologies.” He said but I shook my head.

“Its fine. Tell me, what do you think?”

Ower looked up and let out a scoff.

“It is still only the third most impressive sword I’ve ever seen.” He said surprisingly curtly.

“Hoh? Which are the first and second?” I asked with a jealous smirk.

“The blade’s which lady Yna uses.” Ower said with a raised chin.

I wondered whether he thought the swords were impressive or Yna was just that amazing.

I chuckled to myself before created countless smaller sword and neatly placing them into the sword.

I then created a sheath for the megalith and made it so that when the time was right, I would pull the sword to the surface of the planet all while using the sheath to hammer the sword down, giving it more force.

This was all so devastating to even think about and so, after the last of the darkness settled and crystallized, I sent the sword back up.

If Caligo dared to interfere, I would destroy the continent without hesitation.

I sighed before making my way to the Dragon Borrow.

It was still quite early and so I assumed Thneia was still in her room.

I knocked on the gigantic door and a wide eyed Thneia opened the door shortly after, revealing that she was in her pyjamas.

A large loose fitting shirt and some comfortable looking pants…

I wish I still had normal legs.

“Hello, lord Katsíki. What brings you here?” She asked while allowing me inside.

I told her what Mikael told me while seated on a certain chair.

Thneia nodded thoughtfully before pointing down.

“Why don’t we ask them to come here?” She asked.

“Elaborate.”

“They clearly hold an intense amount of animosity towards Lanceberg and although their hatred comes from a laughable place, I still think they could be useful. Especially if they became a part of the Expanse. Think about it. If they have other individuals like Mikael, then they could help us in our ultimate battle against mankind.” Thneia explained.

“I see. Mmm… bringing an entire order of people here won’t be easy. Then there’s the fact that they most likely won’t come until they see you, but can’t just waltz into Medelona.” I droned.

“Good point. Why don’t we send Mikael back with Rix?”

“Would he be fine with that?” I asked.

“Yes. Then once they get back, we could find a way to Integrate them into the UEF.”

“Your words… they reek of unchecked optimism.” I groaned, but Thneia deeply bowed in response.

“My only wish is to lessen the burden that lowers your brows so, even if it’s by a little.” Thneia said before standing upright and staring at me with glowing eyes.

“I see. Let us move forth with operation [Retrieve the Lizard Lovers]!”