The sky above them darkened as they continued umbrar, the perpetual bright night Brian had grown accustomed to in Valteria gradually faded. He found it odd that although everything appeared dimmer compared to Fort Luminar's skies, he could still see the surroundings clearly. Was it due to Valteria's main star, or perhaps his superhuman sight? He shook his head.

"Feels strange, doesn't it?" Serdna commented while his fingers idly plucked the strings of his lyre. "This part of Valteria is always so gloomy–" Serdna stopped abruptly with his mouth agape.

"Whoa," breathed Sophia. "It’s beautiful."

Mandrix’s usual bravado was momentarily silenced by the sight. "I’ve never seen anything like this before. Brian, do you know what it is?"

“Man, I’ve only lived here a few cycles. If you don't know what it is, how should I know?”

“With your Valtite Shitstem or whatever.” Mandrix said. “What about you Ilex?”

“No.”

They had stumbled upon a massive form adorned with bioluminescent scales that flickered like a living rainbow. A ridge of iridescent spines ran down its back, each one flickering hypnotically like fiber optic cabling. It boasted an elongated neck and a slender, tapering head. Massive wings sprouted from its sides, wide and feathered like those of a giant bird. The vibrant display cast prismatic shadows across the ground, dancing with each subtle movement of the creature. The source of this spectacle was a Dragon.

[Lumivyrn Alpha (Glow) - lvl ??? : Amplification]

A low growl emanated from the dragon-like creature as it turned its gaze towards the group.

Serdna squinted at the creature. "What is that?" he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Never seen a monster like it before."

"Stay on your guard," Mandrix said as he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

But Brian stepped forward, curiosity drawing him closer. He felt a sudden tug on his arm and glanced back to see Sophia. "Brian, be careful.”

"Relax, I’ll be fine," Brian said, trying to sound confident as he took another step toward the dragon. "It seems weak, and it doesn't look harmful." Brian moved closer and the dragon recoiled slightly, causing him to take an involuntary step back.

It was hard to explain, but he felt a strange sense of connection with the beast, as if it, too, only wanted to avoid harm."Hey there," Brian called out to the dragon. "Can you understand me?"

The dragon's eyes abruptly snapped open, and she stood to her full height. "I am Solara, the Lumivyrn Matriarch. How is it that you can speak to me, alien?" As usual, the others exchanged puzzled glances, unable to comprehend the conversation between Brian and the dragon. Sophia had described it as listening to someone speak a foreign language, one which you didn’t even know existed. But to everyone's surprise, the dragon’s voice was melodic and soothing. Although the magical communication didn't allow Brian to hear an accent in the traditional sense, something about the creature’s timbre resonated in his mind, evoking what he might describe as a peculiar New Zealand note.

Brian chuckled nervously. "Funny, everyone asks me that. I have this ability to understand any creature in Valteria, using the valtite between us."

"Does it want to kill us?" Mandrix asked.

"No," Brian replied. "She doesn't seem hostile," he added, emphasizing the word 'she'. “Are they able to tell I’m not aestari? Why do they always refer to me as ‘alien’?”

“That’s because we are aliens. Aestari are not originally from Valteria,” Serdna explained.

Sophia looked pensive before speaking. “Yes, I think I read something like that while at the academy.”

The revelation about the aestari origin intrigued Brian, but he thought it best to turn his attention back to the lumivyrn before him. Despite being a fierce creature, this dragon's face wasn't scary or frightening. Rather, it was gentle and elegant.

"Are you hurt?" he asked Solara, his voice carried concern. "You seem... troubled."

Solara's eyes narrowed, and she regarded Brian with suspicion. "Why would you care, alien? We’ve seen your kind. It is often more focused on self-preservation."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"We're not all like that," Brian said, attempting to build trust. "And besides, you're injured, right? It wouldn't be right to leave you like this."

"The world isn't as simple as right and wrong, especially not here," Solara responded.

"I know it's complicated," Brian said softly, "but I…” Brian looked around him. “We are not going to leave you here. I know this world sucks, but with some trust, we might just be able to make it a little better.” Brian was proud of that one. He thought it sounded profound, especially for him.

He thought that maybe this was the reason why he was the only one on the entire planet who could speak to every race. Perhaps his purpose was to unite the Aestari and all of the monster races. But then again, he knew he might be just indulging in a naive hero complex.

The dragon hesitated for a long moment, her eyes searched Brian's face. “The Chronovores have attacked our sanctuary, and my kin are dying. But why should I trust you?”

"Because we have no reason to harm you, and every reason to help. We’re tired of fighting monsters, so we hope you won’t attack us after we assist you. And who knows? Maybe you’ll get to help us later."

"Very well," she finally said, a note of desperation in her voice. "I will trust you, for now. I have no other choice."

Brian glanced back at his companions for a moment before replying. "We'll do everything we can to help."

"Wait, wait, wait," Mandrix interjected. "I know we all want to help, but don't commit us without getting more context first."

Brian grappled with the thought of drawing his team into this mess. Not that they couldn't handle it; each of them were the strongest beings he knew, a fact that had proven itself over and over again. Darius, of course, was in a league of his own, potentially capable of taking down an alpha single-handedly. Yet, his friends had fought and taken down two alphas as a team before.

"You're right," Brian conceded. "I just... think the Lumivyrn could be an ally to the aestari."

“Alright, fuck it, but I’ve got my sword ready.”

“Solara, why were you here?”

"Without any other choice, I went out to try and find the source of the attack," Solara lowered her elongated neck. "But it was a foolish decision, given my current state."

After translating Solara’s words Brian turned to Serdna. "Can you help them?"

Serdna rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It depends on how bad they are. I definitely don’t have enough valtite to heal more than twenty or so. But if it is only buffing, I could do one hundred maybe."

"Take us to Radiant Sanctuary," Brian told Solara, his voice resolute. "We'll do our best to help your people."

The dragon slithered back and hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I've never met an alien who can communicate with the Lumivyrns.” Solara took a long breath, then exhaled for an equally long time. The force of the air sent Sophia’s dark brown hair streaming behind her, fluttering and undulating like a flag caught in a strong breeze. “I’ll take another risk. For my people."

Everyone followed Solara as she led them nightward, or to the north. The detour took them off the path to their final destination, but Brian was alright with this. It seemed to be a lead in uncovering the source of the Chronovores' disruption, one of his two objectives.

"Stay alert," Mandrix warned as they trudged through the dense forest, his eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of danger. "We don't know if we can trust this monster."

"Trust me," Brian replied. "I'm not taking any chances."

Venturing deeper into the foliage, the air around them became even more refreshing. And then one by one, the decimators were stopping dead on their tracks.

“These are not in any maps I’ve ever seen,” Serdna croaked.

“Woah,” was the only thing Sophia said.

Brian looked at each of his companions as they stood with their mouths agape, but it was only when he looked up that he noticed something truly extraordinary. Massive rocks floated high above them—no, not rocks, he realized, but mountains. He was in awe of the magical realm before him, he had in fact been transported to another world – Not that there was any doubt in his mind.

"Radiant Sanctuary is above the floating islands," Solara explained. "We usually keep our lands higher, out of sight and out of reach, but the Chronovores' temporal disruption has weakened our realm. Unfortunately, I don’t have the energy to fly you up."

Brian relayed her words to the others. With some apprehension, Serdna suggested he could buff Solara to help her recover some more of her strength, and Brian translated the offer. Solara agreed, saying that she would carry them to Radiant Sanctuary.

Serdna gave her another boost of energy, and with a grateful nod, Solara lowered herself to the ground and gestured for them to climb onto her back. Brian, Mandrix, Serdna, Ilex, and Sophia braced themselves atop the dragon-like creature. He couldn't believe this was about to happen; Valteria was already fantastical enough. In a million years, Brian would never have imagined that he would one day ride a dragon.

“I don’t like this one bit, how do we know we aren’t walking to our deaths?” Mandrix grunted. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. Did everyone miss the part where she is an alpha?”

"Manny, let loose a little. Whoa, we're so high up!" Sophia yelled over the wind, her voice tinged with nervous excitement. "I can see everything from up here!"

“Relax? We're putting our lives in the hands...err, claws of this beast!” Mandrix mumbled to himself.