“Your majesty… just what are those things?” Gregar asked as his eyes glowed brightly white.

Actually, everyone's eyes were glowing. From bright gold to green, they all shined brightly.

[The Noladmet. Beings from beyond the bounds of our reality. I… I have spent the last ten thousand or so years trying to study them but they have never revealed any of their truths to me. I don’t know the truth about where they are from or why they are eating away at Loç.] Sagathon said.

The red woman said something with crossed arms.

[Hlulueno is wondering if the Noladmet are perhaps her children.] Sagathon said but the woman said something else shortly after.

[Oh- she wants us to refer to her as Eno. Also, I suppose they could be her creations but why would they eat away at their own mother?] Sagathon asked.

No one spoke afterwards as they all gazed upon the strange scene.

[Oh, well. Take us back to Lanceberg so that we can get everyone else.]

Luno nodded before teleporting everyone back to Middlen.

They were greeted by countless knights but Luno dismissed them before teleporting everyone to a certain manor in Southern Aurenia.

“What in the world…?” Luno gasped upon seeing that the once Regal outer appearance of the manor had been completely ruined.

The tall marble and iron fences had been torn to shreds and the ground around them looked like it had been gouged out.

The once vast grassy planes beyond the walls had also been torn asunder.

Surprisingly, the manor itself was in relatively good shape although clumps of mud covered its roof.

Luno led everyone to the front door where a group of exhausted silver knights could be seen having lunch by the stairs.

One of them stood up and walked up to Luno revealing his broken armour.

Strangely enough, the knight’s body was mostly unharmed.

Just dirty and covered in abrasions.

“Good afternoon, your majesty. Is there anything we can help you with?” The knight wheezed. His eyes weary and his posture slouched.

“W-what happened here?” Luno asked before looking at the front door as the sound of something breaking filled the air.

The door then suddenly flew open, revealing one of the Platinum Knights only he was dressed rather casually in a pair of shorts and an unbuttoned shirt.

“Where are going, idiot?” Amartía asked while tightly holding the golden gown that losses hung from her body.

“Trust me! I’ll be back within a week, tops.” The Platinum knight yelled while stretching his arms.

Everyone watched silently as Amartía grabbed his large arm.

“Ugh! Come on, it’s not like we need any of that stuff anyway. Although we really should have brought my ship.”

“Exactly!” Mávros scoffed.

Amartía rolled her eyes before turning to Luno and company, all of whom shuddered in response.

“What do you want?” She snapped.

Luno explained everything while the other four Platinum Knights gathered behind Amartía.

“What?” One of them asked.

“How do we know this isn’t a ploy you devised to kill our Amartía?” Another hissed.

[Trust me, his words hold nothing but truth.] Sagathon said but this only made Amartía’s frown deepen.

She then said something in a language only Sagathon and the Platinum Knights understood.

[Yes. I know what was taken from you. Although, if I can be frank, you had more than a hand in the way things turned out.]

Amartía’s eyes lowered a little.

She then sighed before turning around to look at the Platinum Knights who all stood proudly behind her.

Astír, who stood taller than Amartía, saw that she was looking at the Platinum Knights with an expression that reached even her.

Amartía turned back to face Sagathon before waving her hand.

“Please come back later.”

Luno nodded before teleporting everyone back to Medelona only they were in front of a certain gigantic black sword.

“What is thine plan for if one of the hosts decides that they do not want to die?” Luno asked.

[I am prepared to do whatever it takes to conduct the Ritual of Eight. I will not let one or two people condemn the possible trillions upon trillions that live across the cosmos.] Sagathon said but he turned his head to Eno as she said something.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

[What if doesn’t work? Well… then at least we’d have tried.]

Luno nodded before looking down at the pale grass below.

“The Dragon Prince rests below. He most likely harbours a deep hatred for mankind so I will need thee to subdue him should he turn his rage towards the kingdom.”

[Alright.]

Luno nodded before raising his hands.

The world then shook and in the next moment, Luno and company found themselves in the shadow of a titanic being.

A dragon that dwarfed the tallest towers.

Standing at almost two hundred meters, the Dragon Prince raised its head and turned its eyes to Luno and company.

Its eyes, eyes which were made of every imaginable colour, looked everyone over before settling on Caligo.

[Hello, Caligo.] The Dragon Prince greeted and as he did, he let out a low drone that shook the world.

“Hello.” Caligo greeted with eyes that glowed brightly.

[The War?]

“It has long been over.”

[My kin?]

“They are supposedly thriving on the distant continent of La-Alha. I speak unsurely because I have not been there myself.”

The Dragon Prince let out another world-shaking drone before turning to Sagathon.

[Uncle.]

[Greetings, boyo. It would seem as though Káminos the hatchling is no more.] Sagathon said while walking up to Káminos, who lowered his head.

The two then touched snouts for a moment.

[Oh, how I’ve missed you, boyo.] Sagathon said with a shaking voice.

Káminos raised his head, assuming his proud stance once more, even though his body was covered in large scars and his what was left of his wings was a set of stumps.

Sagathon explained everything and Káminos nodded before turning his gaze to Caligo once more.

[Take me to my people.] He demanded.

Caligo turned to his father who simply nodded.

The group then found itself on the side of a dark mountain which was being pelted by harsh winds.

Astír’s face twisted as she saw the source of the wind.

A hurricane of smaller dragons that flew in numbers that Astír dreaded counting.

Some of them fell from the stormy grey skies above and it seemed as though they were flying in to attack the group but Káminos raised his head and let out a roar that made Astír bite her teeth from pain.

It also made all nearby dragons turn to face him.

The storm of dragons then parted prompting Káminos to glance at Luno who raised his right hand, creating a bridge that led to the gap in the process.

Káminos stepped forward and although the air was filled with the sound of a million clapping wings, no dragon dared speak.

Astír and company followed Káminos across a wall of tall mountains.

They eventually arrived at the top of the wall where they beheld something that made Astír’s eyes shake a little.

Paradise.

A seemingly never-ending plane of grass and sky-reaching trees. Lush forests lived at the foot of those trees and within those forests lived countless animals.

Astír then frowned as three dragons suddenly appeared on a platform that sat at the bottom of the wall.

Káminos led everyone to them as they bowed. Each of them was covered in different scars and although they looked very similar to Káminos, they were about half of his size.

[Welcome, my lord.]

They said in unison.

[Mmm…] Káminos droned.

[Shame. I would have loved to stay a little longer.]

[What do you mean, your majesty?] The foremost dragon asked. Her eyes wide.

[How much time do we have, Uncle?]

[I don’t know. The end could happen at any second. We could have a day, a week or even a year. One thing I know for certain is that it will be around ninety eight percent less time than the usual five hundred years- err… so we really don’t have much time.]

Káminos nodded before lowering his gaze to the dragons before him, all of whom lowered their heads.

[Hello, uncle Hereclahn, Gerahn, aunt Çarethon. How have you all fared over the years?]

[We… have spent our every waking moment trying to save our kind. Those… monsters nearly snuffed us all and so we fled, as shameless as that was, here to Damnations End. And here we have patiently awaited your grand return. Please, follow us. We prepared a throne for your majesty.] The foremost dragon said.

Káminos nodded.

[Alright, but I would like us to walk. There is much I’d like to hear about and learn before the end.]

[W-what end do you speak of, your majesty?] The foremost dragon asked.

Sagathon explained everything but for some reason, the three dragons turned their hateful eyes to Caligo who lowered his head.

They then led everyone down the mountain and into what they called Damnations End all while dragons of all sizes lined the path that Káminos would tread. Their heads all to the ground.

[What would you like to know first, my lord?]

[My first question is actually for you, Caligo. What did you do to my father’s corpse?]

“I… am not too sure. Although, if I were to guess, I think it was absorbed of its life and used in research.”

[I see.] Káminos said as he walked past countless kneeling dragons.

The group entered the great forest and ascended the mountain in the forest’s heart.

At its summit stood a grand temple built from massive slabs of marble that were in a circular formation. Tall pillars lined the temple which shook with Káminos's every step.

Also, kneeling within the temple were several dragons but what caught Astír’s attention was the countless Haneem who knelt before Káminos.

The Dragon Prince reached the front of the temple and, after turning around to face everyone, he let out another low drone making almost everyone kneel.

[When will we be conducting this ritual?]

[As soon as we have gathered all hosts.]

[How many are currently present?]

[Seven of the eight.]

[I see. Go, retrieve the eighth. I will spend what little time I have left with my kin.]

Sagathon gave Káminos a curt nod before turning to Na-Ahn who had walked over to the other Haneem.

They all exchanged hugs and kind words for a brief moment.

Na-Ahn eventually turned to Sagathon and beckoned him, prompting the Dragon to walk towards them.

Astír glanced at Caligo, whose brows were in knots.

She walked up to him and crossed her arms.

She tried saying something but no words came to mind.

She was far too overwhelmed which she found puzzling considering that she was a Helma.

Caligo must have felt her distress because he glanced at her and weakly smiled, dousing the frenzy in Astír’s mind.

Sagathon and Na-Ahn eventually returned and, after bidding the Haneem and dragons goodbye, Luno teleported everyone back to Middlen.

He then instructed his knights to accommodate Sagathon, Tybo and Eno after agreeing with Sagathon that everyone needed some rest.

Astír followed Caligo back home and she joined him in entering the boys’ room where Adia slept.

After hearing that Zuri was missing he cried for nearly an entire day before eventually falling asleep.

Caligo walked up to his bed which was bathed in the light of the setting sun.

“Adia.” He called and although the boy was visibly awake, he did not respond.

Caligo reached out to touch him but stopped partway.

His eyes fell, along with his shoulders and, after glancing at Astír, he left the room.

Astír, however, remained.

For some reason, even as her heart began to race, she remained by Adia’s side.

She walked closer to the bed and placed her hand on his shoulder only for the boy to smack away her hand.

“Don’t touch me!” He cried. His voice hoarse.

“But you haven’t eaten in quite some time,” Astír said but Adia refused to even face her.

“I’m sure your mother is just as worried about you as you are about her, so please.” Astír pleaded.

“I hate you,” Adia whispered but his words were clear to Astír.

“Pardon?”

“I HATE YOU!” Adia cried while sitting up. This revealed to Astír his swollen eyes and cracked lips.

“I HATE THIS PLACE!” He said while kicking Astír’s thigh.

“I HATE THIS WORLD! I JUST WANTED TO GO HOME WITH MOM!” He coughed all while hitting Astír who could bare watching him cry no more and so she wrapped her arm around him.

“Let go!” Adia wheezed but no matter how hard he pushed, Astír didn’t let him go.

Even as his screams faded into pained coughs, she held on.