Luca, that dragon you're speaking to, it must be Azgralos.

Leona's voice continued to ring in my mind.

He is a malevolent being who had been locked away for devouring hundreds of phoenixes in his foolish quest for eternal life. This evil being had eaten many of my ancestors' longtime friends.

I felt the hairs on my arms stand up, my mouth go dry, and a knot of unease tightened within my stomach.

Thank goodness I didn't bring Leona down here with me, I thought for the third time.

I glanced nervously at Azgralos, his red eyes fixed upon me with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine. He seemed oblivious to Leona's telepathic communication and continued to observe me with a curious and patient gaze.

"Azgralos, did you consume phoenixes to extend your life to live so long?" I finally mustered my words.

"HAR HAR HAR HAR!" The dragon's sudden laughter boomed through the chamber, reverberating against the ancient stone walls. His sharp teeth became ever more pronounced.

My whole body tightened as vibrations moved through the stone chair I was sitting on.

"HAAAA.… Oh, indeed I have," he replied, his voice laced with amusement and arrogance. "Is that why you asked about phoenixes? Are you hoping to extend your own life as well, young one? But, alas… you would be hard-pressed to do so. The phoenixes, you see, are no more."

His words struck me like a blow. I had really hoped that was not the case, for Leona's sake.

"There must still be some," I suggested. "They couldn't have all been eaten."

"Ah, is that what you humans call hope?" Azgralos' gaze intensified, his eyes narrowing with a glimmer of amusement. "Don't tell me…. You hope to save your grandmother using one of them?"

I scrunched up my nose. A strange concoction of disgust and guilt filled me.

Azgralos wasn't wrong. Had I never met Leona, I would have gladly used the phoenix egg to save my grandmother. However, now that I had formed a connection with Leona, it felt morally wrong, even if it meant preserving a loved one's life.

"No," I firmly replied, shaking my head. "I'm not here seeking to eat or feed phoenixes to anyone."

As Azgralos continued to regard me intently, his dark eyes bore into mine, and a sinister smile curled upon his lips.

"HAAAAAA... What a curious expression you have there, Luca Frey," he chuckled, his voice filled with a blend of intrigue and mockery. "But what hypocrisy it is. It was you, humans, who brought the phoenixes to their end, not I. A chapter in history that humanity would rather forget. The truth is… after locking me away, humans hypocritically pursued the very immortality they had condemned me for. Phoenixes were hunted down, each and every one of them. Once revered and protected, their magnificent flames became the target of covetous desires, leading to their extinction."

His words hung in the air like a heavy shroud. The poem's verses I had read earlier today echoed in my mind, the words resonating with a newfound weight, now confirmed by this ancient dragon.

My eyes wandered over to the faded protective circle separating me from Azgralos. A realization struck me.

"Is that why you have been stuck here for four millennia?" I pointed toward the faded markings, recalling how the poem spoke of the evil ones being locked away.

Was this what it meant?

"HAAAAA... Indeed," Azgralos replied, a hint of resignation seeping into his voice. "Dragons are very hard to kill, you see. So in their human wisdom, it was decided that I shall live out my life in these ancient caves."

So it wasn't that he didn't wish to leave. He couldn't.

My eyes narrowed.

Azgralos had suggested in the previous round that his remaining down here was a choice rather than imprisonment. However, that was clearly a lie. Or perhaps purposeful misleading.

"So…. Luca Frey, if you didn't come down here to learn how to extend your life or your grandmother's life, what did you hope to learn about phoenixes?" Azgralos asked.

I bit my lip. I wondered how helpful this dragon would actually be in answering my questions.

Azgralos observed me, a smile remaining on his dark lips.

"Interesting… if not to eat… it must mean the opposite," he began, his voice dripping with dark amusement, "HAAAAAA… You possess something quite rare, don't you? A phoenix, if I'm not mistaken."

A surge of anxiety coursed through me. I did not expect, nor now did I wish for this dragon to be aware of Leona's existence.

"HAAAAAA… fret not, young Luca Frey." Azgralos' demeanor shifted. His red eyes softened, but his voice continued to carry a hint of amusement. "I have no interest in consuming any more phoenixes. After four millennia of existence… I have grown weary of chasing the elusive dream of eternal life. My hunger for immortality has long been extinguished."

"Is that so?" I said.

However, I didn't put much faith in his words. He had shown already that he was willing to use misleading words, if not outright lies. And this was, after all, a dangerous dragon that had devoured hundreds of phoenixes and then was locked up for thousands of years.

But then again, looking at the ancient dragon, perhaps time and isolation had tempered Azgralos' insatiable desires. There may have been some good in there after all that had sprouted with enough time.

Azgralos nudged his large talon toward me playfully.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"But enough about my past," he interjected. "Tell me, Luca Frey, what is it that you require? What brought you to my cave? If there's something within my power to assist you…. I'd be happy to lend a claw, as I had for your mother—yes, I recognized Yelena's scent on you the moment you came down here."

Huh.

That was the second time he mentioned my birth mother. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but perhaps my mother found some of Azgralos' knowledge helpful, despite his evil past.

Azgralos, for all his dark history, had lived far longer than anyone or anything else I knew of. If there was one creature that might possess the knowledge or abilities necessary to ensure Leona's safety, he was it. At the very least, he knew how to think like the wicked mage I hoped to protect Leona from.

[ Perception: +1 ]

[ Perception: 52 ]

A flicker of hope reignited within me at the System’s blue screen.

Encouraged by the hint, I met Azgralos' gaze and spoke earnestly.

"Yes, I have a phoenix I wish to protect," I began, my voice steady. "It seems she is being targeted by a powerful mage. In the previous round, the mage realized what she was despite her disguise. I fear that might be the case in this life too. So I need guidance, protection, anything you can offer to ensure the phoenix's well-being."

Azgralos leaned back, his expression a curious mix of contemplation and intrigue. His red eyes bore into mine, assessing my sincerity and the gravity of the situation.

"HAAAAA... So I was right?" he mused, a hint of fascination coloring his words. "And from the sound of it, your phoenix is utilizing magic to disguise herself."

I nodded.

"HAR HAR HAR…." Azgralos chuckled. "Phoenixes, for all the lives they're reborn into, still never learn. Let me guess. She is in the form of a bird of some sort—yellow, most likely?"

I blinked. "That's right."

In my mind, the image of Leona's fluffy yellow form appeared.

Azgralos shook his head as if in pity. "And I presume she has an appetite like no other?"

I frowned. I had thought this to be a unique characteristic of Leona's but were all phoenixes such gluttons?

"Yes," I replied.

"And they wonder how I managed to catch so many…." Azgralos sighed. "It's a miracle they didn't go extinct sooner."

The dragon rested his large head on one of his front paws.

"There is one final part: her phoenix eyes. No matter what form she takes, they will remain golden," he said. "Which is the case with you and anyone else possessing such eyes."

I blinked.

"Is there no magic to disguise them?" I was hoping there might be something I could utilize for myself as well.

"I'm afraid not," Azgralos replied. "For all their excellent characteristics, that is one of phoenix eyes' flaws. But, you can certainly hide them physically."

"Such as with eyeshades?" I recalled Chase Daylan's reflective spectacles.

The dragon shrugged.

"That's certainly one way. I wouldn't put that on a bird, though. However, let me tell you…. as long as your phoenix takes on the form of something other than a bird and stops stuffing her face every chance she gets in public, she'll be able to go undiscovered by most," Azgralos relayed.

"That sounds too easy," I said.

Azgralos' lips widened into a large toothy smile. "It is. But she won't do it, that I can promise you."

"Why not?" I frowned.

Azgralos rolled his red eyes. "Pride? Indulgence in the pleasures of life? Or perhaps just simple foolishness that all phoenixes share?"

I couldn't believe it to be true. I was certain if I suggested this to her, Leona would amend her appearance for her safety's sake.

<> I called out telepathically to her.

She had been quiet for some time now. However, she didn't respond, even after I called out several times.

Did she leave? But why would she leave? Maybe someone shoed her out of the library? Or perhaps…

I didn't like to even think about the third option.

Damn it. I shouldn't have left her on her own.

I tapped the communication ring that Ben had given me.

"Ben, can you come to get me?" I asked. "I'm down below the library in the caves with Azagralos, the dragon."

"Of course, young master Luca," Ben's voice sounded on the other end. "I will personally come down. You haven't stepped past the protective circle, have you?"

"No," I replied. "I'm sitting in the chair."

"Good," Ben replied. "Make sure not to cross the protective circle and go near the dragon."

I lowered my hand with the ring, my communication with Ben complete.

"HAAAAAA…." Azgralos let out a long yawn. "I suppose you will be leaving me now? It may have been brief, but I look forward to chatting with you in the future…."

"Say, Azgarlos, what would have happened if I had gone past the protective circle?" I asked. Ben never explained, even in the previous round.

The giant black dragon chuckled. "Why, I would have given you a tour of my caves, I suppose."

"You wouldn't have eaten me?" I asked.

"HAR HAR HAR HAR!" Azgralos roared with laughter. "No, there wouldn't have been any point…."

I wondered what he meant, but he didn't bother sticking around much longer. With a series of loud thuds, he turned around and walked back into the depths of the cave, leaving me alone.

"Young master, Luca?" Ben turned up soon after Azgarlos disappeared.

However, this time, I didn't bother with any questions as we went back out of the underground and back into the library. My focus was getting back to Leona as soon as possible.

Besides, Ben wouldn't have replied anyhow, as last time. I'll ask my grandmother more about Azgarlos when I see her for breakfast tomorrow.

"PEEP!"

LUCA!! I thought the dragon ate you. You stopped responding.

A ball of yellow fluff lunged right at me as Ben and I returned through the secret passage.

<> I responded <>

"Peep!"

Perhaps there's a limitation with the necklace??

I frowned. I didn't see that on the item description. Still, I already knew that the descriptions that the System brought up didn't necessarily include every detail.

<< I'll ask the System more about it, but we should test its full capabilities and limitations ourselves.>> I suggested.

"Peep!"

Agreed!

***

Knock. Knock.

"Young master Luca," Ben's deep voice sounded from outside.

I opened my heavy eyes and gazed about my bedroom. Leona was soundly asleep on a cushion.

Just how late were we up?

Leona and I had practiced dead into the night to figure out the limitations and capabilities of the Whispering Necklace, and we stumbled upon quite a few surprising nuances. For example, as it turned out, how hungry Leona actually affected the reach between us. The moment she had some cake in her as a late nighttime snack, all of a sudden, her voice and my voice could reach one another farther.

I suppose keeping her satiated is more important than I thought.

"You can come in," I called out. My voice sounded slightly hoarse.

Ben entered with a golden trolley with small pastries and tea on top.

"Peep!"

Breakfast?

Leona awoke from the noise.

She fluttered over to the trolley and inspected the pastries cautiously.

Ah. I'm not making the same mistake as the previous round! I remember how atrocious these were last time. This is why saving a cake for a rainy day is so important.

She hopped off the trolley and onto a nearby table.

I expected she'd produce the cake that Chase Daylan gifted me when Ben left the room.

"Young master Luca, were you perhaps awaiting any letters from Natalia Ashford?" Ben asked.

I winced. I forgot to inform the staff in this round to expect one from her.

"Yes," I replied.

"I'm afraid we shot down her dove, but the message had been secured." Ben pulled into his jacket and presented an unsealed letter. "I'm afraid for your safety; we also had it opened."

I sighed.

It completely slipped my mind.

I suppose I owe Natalia a new messenger dove.

“Thank you Ben. I’ll come out after getting dressed; no need to help with that,” I said.

Ben bowed and left the room.

I unfolded the note. As my eyes scanned the contents, a smile grew across my face. There was still hope yet for Duncan Genuiver despite his previously lacking reputation.

Now, all I need to do is find him today and set him on a course to take over the dukedom instead of his sister.

I leaned back and closed my weary eyes.

One of my chess pieces was finally being set up against the upcoming Kobar invasion. And luckily, no one I cared about had yet died unexpectedly in this round.