1 year later...

"So, what's our latest report?" I ask Rowan as she enters the room, adorned in her green leather armor along with a golden scarf. I smirk silently to myself, for it was what I wore when I took this town for myself, now made into the standard uniform.

"Lord River, our sales have dwindled by another thirteen percent, we are struggling to keep up with maintaining our ammo capacity for the ballistas, especially with the increase in dragon attacks. And with the basilisks being hunted in the west... it's gotten a lot more expensive for the purchase of Thanatos venom." She explains while reading from a scroll she had placed down on the table.

I let out a long and heavy sigh before looking up at her. "Anything else, Commander Rowan?" Any other problems I have to deal with? Any other things wanting to take this town from me, to put all my work in vain? What other shit is gonna be thrown at me?

"Yes actually,"

I frowned, it wasn't that I didn't expect it, but of course there had to be more obstacles, why wouldn't there be? If she wasn't here, I'd probably punch the table or wall again.

"I know it's been hard, especially since Stream died just a couple weeks ago..." I winced at the mention of my mother's death, it also reminded me I'd have to check our water purifiers. "Just know River, we're all rooting for you, you know that right?" She asked.

I just tapped the table with my fingers, the only sounds being the soft tapping of my fingers, and the soft sounds of their breathing. "You're dismissed, Captain Rowan." I said softly. "I have other matters to attend to." I dismissed her while I redirected my attention to the books on my desk. I had integrated so many designs from this book into the town, and they had made this prosper, they had made this town safe. Now with his spies from the Indestructible City, with Midas passing the designs for his own product to be sold, he was running us out, and there was no doubt. the Invincible Lord wants us to fail, because he knows that he and I are the same. He will not wait for war, he'd rather slaughter us all if the other villages didn't depend on us trade, therefore making them all a threat. Once the other villages don't need us, don't care for us, he will strike.

"Alright, I... I'll report back next week." She said before exiting the room and leaving me in the dimly lit room. I sighed before looking down at the books again and opened up to the page I marked earlier. I run my hands through the text, before placing it on the drawing of the weapon, a weapon Pyro had attempted making to the fullest. If I could mass produce them along with their type of ammo then I'd definitely be able to take any market by storm. The weapon that could turn any man into the Dragonslayer. "I just need that damn powder." I groaned as I let my head fall onto the table. With the powder, not only will I take the market by storm, I will take the city as my own. And then when I have the Indestructible City in my grasp, maybe I can lead us to a future where the dragons would no longer be a threat, where there can be harmony once and for all for humanity.

***

I sighed as I rinsed my face in the sink before looking at myself in the mirror. I took another deep breath as I grabbed the knife and started to cut away at the hair on my face. "Those sideburns aren't doing you any favors." I muttered to myself as I got rid of the hair on the side of my face. I watched as the hair I cut off fell into the drain, draining away like the hopes of this town, hopes of a better future.

I let out a laugh as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, "We're the only with this stuff, we have revolutionized so many things in this town, so how the hell are we still struggling to survive?" I laughed at my reflection. "You will fail, you know that, right?"

Silence.

I shake my head. "I need to take a ride."

***

I had been riding for about an hour, up and down the delta, passing by where I first met Berry and where the tombstones lay, the mission to clear my mind had failed as usual. I yawned as I got off my steed and went to go to the riverbed, taking off my boots before dipping my feet in. I let out a long sigh as I felt the water pass along my skin. It was freezing at first but it didn't take long for me to get used to it, it felt natural. I remembered when my mother brought me out here after I returned home. We'd talk for hours and hours about everything that's happened, thinking about it put a smile on my face, but only for a moment. my face fell again as I looked to where my mother's ashes were spread.

"Clear your mind, clear your mind so you can see." I muttered as I laid back on the grass, gaining view of a tree that had fallen. "I remember that, Scarlet." I smirked as I recollected the memory of when she panicked from the sea critters. I chuckled at the memory before letting my eyes close. "What would have happened if she never took me from the Indestructible City?" I asked myself as I took out one of the fragments of the teardrop jewels. "I wouldn't be a lord, but maybe I'd be content to just be like everyone else." I sighed as I let the piece of the jewel fall into the water, being carried away by the current.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

The water was a light blue, the sky was another shade of an even lighter shade with beautiful white streaks of cloud in the air, making the sky seem like a painting spread wide over my head.

"I should probably get back soon." I mutter as I take my feet out of the water. I start to get on my knees when I hear some random splashing in the water. I quickly load my crossbow and aim it at the River, believing it to be another crab.

My eyes widened as I saw a body floating down the river, soon followed by a second.

"Oh shit!" I exclaimed as I took off my armor and dove into the water. I gasped at the sudden shock of the freezing water but quickly regained my senses as I started to propel myself forward in the blue. The currents sent waves that started to beat against me, as if trying to intentionally knock me off course, but I managed to push through till I reached the first body. I started by grabbing their arm and pushing them up on my shoulder so their head was out of the water. She had short hair, that seemed to have been created by someone weaving gold. She had a slim figure yet still, the top of my body only reached her chest. I quickly kicked my feet against a rock to grab the second body, dodging some rocks while struggling to keep the first above the water. She was taller than me and had white and grey hair while also having a similar figure as the other. They were both surprisingly light, almost as if their bones were hallow instead of full, making it somewhat easier to carry them.

"Come on, work with me here!" I cried out as I managed to get my foot to push off some of the rocks in the river to the shore. I let out a yell as I pushed both of them out of the water, before getting out myself. I panted as I then quickly looked at the pair, both didn't have any clothes on and their bodies were shaking badly. "Probably from the Indestructible City, thrown away for either treason, or to be made an example of." I muttered to myself.

I quickly grabbed some of my winter clothes from the pouch on my steed and quickly wrapped them in the new clothing. I checked their pulse and to my relief they were alive and breathing, they were freezing to touch but their bodies weren't cold enough to suggest they had been in the water for too long.

"You'll both live. but what in three moons happened to you two?" I asked, but both remained unconscious. I quickly put them on the horse, before getting on and getting my steed to race back towards the village.

***

"Healer! I need a healer!" I yelled out as I passed through the gates. I was quickly met with a group of people in red and white painted leather. "Here." I said as I got off and helped them get the two girls off my steed.

"What happened?" One of them asked, it took me a minute to realize it was Berry.

"Found them in the river, managed to get them out but they were completely uncovered, I don't know how long they were stuck in the water before I pulled them out of the water." I said as they started carrying both to the healer's tent. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

"They're stable for now, we'll try to keep it that way." They said as they rushed off.

"Hey, can you-"

"Yes, we'll let you know when they wake up." Berry finished for me.

I nodded, "Thanks Berry."

"No problem."

***

"Lord..." Berry says.

I drop my blueprints and instantly start sprinting to keep up with Berry as he leads me to the tents.

The first thing I see when I walk in is the two girls sitting up, seeming to gasp for air as they frantically look around as the other healers try to calm them down.

"Where am I? What happened?" They yelled at each other before letting out panicked gasps and cries as they noticed the large amount of people around them.

"Hey, it's okay," I try to assure them as I look at the others in the room. "Are they stable?"

"Yes my lord." Berry reports.

"Please leave us, I fear that so many people will overwhelm them." I say calmly.

He nods. "Everyone, get out, we have other patients to attend to!" The others quickly follow his orders and start to leave. "Out! On the double!" He barks at them until it is finally me and the two girls, both of them now in rags.

"Where... what..." The one with blond hair pants till the other one pulls her attention. "Hey, look." She says as she points to me. Both go silent as they sit up from their beds and stare at me.

I give them a wave as I lean back against the wall. "Hello and welcome to Medallion." I try too say cheerily but there confused faces made it clear my attempt was wasted.

They just both stared at me blankly for a few awkward and silent moments.

"I... I apologize for how it must have been to wake here, especially with no idea what's going on, but we mean you no harm. We will in fact provide you aid and you are welcome to stay if you are willing to answer some questions-" I start till I'm suddenly interrupted by the girl with purple eyes, and white and grey hair.

"Can we ask you some of our own?"

It takes me a moment to realize my mouth is open before I use my hand to close it. "Of course."

"Who... who are you?" The golden hair one asked me,

"My name is River, I am the lord of this..." Once, "Beautiful village."

"You sound sarcastic." Goldie says.

I shrug. "Well business hasn't exactly been great, what about you two, I rescued both of you from the river but how exactly did you end up there in the first place?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

"We... it's so confusing, sorry." The dark haired one said as she held her face in her palm. "Can we... I want-we want time to recover, then you can ask us your questions, okay?"

I nod before starting to head out the doors. "Very well, I'll see you at nightfall, yes?"

"Yeah, thank you." I couldn't tell which one said it as I walked out the doors.

All I could hear next is one of them say to the other, "What is this?" Before hearing the rustling of clothing.