It took another day to travel back to where it all began. Moribus finally arrived at the Dagaean Shore. An intercom system told me so. They never used it before, I thought.

I tried to stretch my arms out, but something got in my way.

“Agh!” a voice squeaked out.

“Oh, sorry Darrell. But you really should just use another bed.”

“Gosh, don’t you know the importance of nostalgia, mister? This bed is important to me!”

“Yeah, yeah. I get it.” Sheesh.

Dans told me she was going to be waiting at the front with Mark, so I took some time to get my old clothes from the wardrobe and walked on over.

They were, as expected, early.

“You're late,” Dans replied. “And what’s with the clothes?”

“My personal identification badge!” I hoped the green and blue clothes helped Merlovak recall his memories of me. He better not be colorblind. The last thing I wanted was to be burned alive for being mistaken as one of the sakonian soldiers. Those burned body parts floating inside the crematorium still haunted me a little.

“Well, whatever you need to do to get an audience.” Mark started to open the top hatch of the sakoar.

“Wait! You’re gunna flood the place!” I covered my head in terror, waiting for a flood of water to spray in from the hatch.

Mark looked at me judgingly as he opened the hatch slowly. I could see sunlight spraying through from the top.

“Um, nevermind?”

“Don’t worry.” Dans reassured me. “Moribus doesn’t have to be underwater this time. We’re not here for reconnaissance.”

We got out of the sakoar. I didn’t know how, but Dans and the crew somehow managed to park this thing on top of the sands like a beached whale. How it was supposed to go back into the water, I didn’t know. And honestly, that was the least of my concerns.

Last time sakonians came to shore, Merlovak and Yntri knew immediately. It shouldn’t take long for them to find us.

…

A few minutes passed with no signs of dragons. We continued to walk across the sands, finally reaching more solid ground inland.

That’s odd. The place was too quiet even for only two dragons.

I took the lead and hiked through the familiar path towards Dagaea Castle. As we strolled through, I noticed the architecture. Nothing seemed to have changed much from the time I was away, but the place felt different. Much quieter than before.

I turned a corner and recognized the rainbow hut that was supposed to be Dagaea Castle. This is it. Merlovak should be here.

“That’s… quite unpleasant.”

Right. This was the first time Dans had seen something like this. I couldn’t say the sakonians were extraordinarily creative, but their architecture was a lot more unique than this hut.

“I believe quite is an understatement. That’s worse than your painting, Cap’n.”

Whoa, Mark? That’s a low blow.

“Excuse me?” Dans glared at Mark.

“Oh, no. That’s not… I’m so sorry. I just—”

“Drop it.”

“Yes, Captain. Apologies.”

I walked over to the entrance. The interior of the hut was surprisingly well protected from the sunlight. It was very dark.

“Merlovak?” I called out. “Hello? It’s me, Mel!”

A low rumble sounded from inside the hut. “Ho, Mel… Is that you?”

Merlovak! I rushed inside the hut. As my eyes strained to adjust in the dark, I saw him. The pale scales, beard, and bone necklace. It was definitely Merlovak.

“Merlovak!”

“Ho, child,” he weakly spoke. “Wh-where are you?”

“What? I’m right here!”

“Ah, yes. I can finally smell you. Welcome back, young one.” He smiled warmly.

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I sat down in front of him. “Merlovak, what’s happened to you? Why’re you so tired?”

“Ah, just age catching up to me, I might say. No need to worry.” His head suddenly jerked up. “Wait, I sense others.”

“Oh, it’s fine. They’re sakonian, but they’re my friends, Mark and Dans.”

Mark spoke first. “Hello…” He waved awkwardly at the dragon.

Dans didn’t speak at all. She eyed the dragon suspiciously and crossed her arms tightly around her chest.

“Oh, they’re um…”

“Ho, why that’s alright,” the dragon responded. “I expected much worse.”

Merlovak kept speaking with his head angled slightly away from me. When I stared into his eyes, it was murky white; it wasn’t sharp like before. Something seemed wrong.

“Merlovak.” I softly touched the scales on his neck. “Are you alright?”

“Yes… yes, I’m fine.”

“What happened to your eyes?”

He smiled again. “It seems I’ve lost my vision.”

What? In the span of a few days? “Wait, how?”

“Perhaps, I shouldn’t have killed those soldiers.”

“Huh? What are you talking about—”

“Young Mel, I know why you’re here. Let us not dawdle. Speak. Ask away. You’ve heard from Sakon, yes?” He lowered his head to the ground and rested it on top of his scaly hands. He faced the light at the entrance of his hut; the warmth made his pale scales sparkle like opals.

I took a deep breath. “Okay.” I brushed off some debris and lifted my body up from the floor. “Let’s start from the beginning. Why didn’t you kill me?”

He exhaled deeply. “Why, you weren’t sakonian. I could tell by the smell.”

“The smell?”

“Yes, you did not smell of the sea. And when I conversed with you for the first time, I realized you were an outsider. There was no hostility in your voice, only a hint of fear. You were somebody who knew nothing of my past. Ho, why I was so thankful for such a visitor…”

Ah, I treated him so badly though… Now I kind of feel worse for just leaving him.

“I’ve lived most of my life being avoided or pursued by others. Of course, I could not blame them; they only knew of what Sakon had told them.”

“Wait, so Sakon lied?”

“No, young Mel. Most of it is still true. I have killed dragons myself, and I have killed many… many sakonians. But I merely could not forgive Sakon for slaughtering my dragons for such trivial soul crystal generation! Famine was simply a well-timed excuse. He sold most of the soul crystals to other neighboring kingdoms for profit! My very own creations… sold for such trifling reasons…” Merlovak smiled softly. “Ho, but that is surely in the past. Although Sakon has done much to deserve my hate, those soldiers that I have burned… All those sakonians I have killed in the past were my responsibility. Without realizing, I had become the one I despised most. Even an outsider such as you found my actions gruesome and simply barbaric. I was so blinded by rage… How could I have been so naive?”

“Well… I mean, Sakon technically tried to kill you too—”

“No, I cannot fight violence with violence anymore. I do not wish to become like Sakon. Young Mel, you have opened my eyes once more. I will vow to never kill another sakonian again. That, I will promise with—”

“Enough.” Dans pushed me aside. “I can’t accept this. Vowing not to kill won’t change anything! Have you not seen how your actions have affected Sakoria? I don’t know what your research means to you, but those soul crystals have saved lives during the famine! Yet you focused more on those dragons! And killed more people because—”

“Wait, Dans—”

Merlovak raised his hand in the air. “It is fine, young Mel.” He bowed his head in response to Dans. “Yes… I have made many mistakes. I have killed many. But I cannot change the past. Instead, I wish to atone by changing the future. But if you cannot forgive me still, I will gladly accept whatever punishment you deem fair for my past actions.”

“I see…” Dans’s tense shoulders seemed to relax a little. “There’s only one thing we want—the cure to the dragon morph serum. Then we’ll leave you in peace. I give you my word as Captain Dans of the Moribus.”

“Ho, why that’s quite the lovely offer… But the morph serum…” The dragon sighed. “There is no cure, young one. I cannot return them to their former selves.”

Dans stood still for a long while. Her face seemed to drain of color. “No…” She stumbled a few steps back, almost tripping on her own feet.

I quickly lent her my shoulder.

Mark responded in Dans’s stead. “I don’t usually say my opinion on things that I don’t have a clear understanding of, but I’m not sure deciding not to kill anyone after all you did is considered atoning. You seem apologetic, but—”

Dans suddenly cut Mark off and snapped at the dragon, “Tell me! Don’t lie to me! Tell me how to cure them! My father… I-I need to save him!”

“Dans…” I tried to calm her.

She shook me aside. “Tell me! Now!”

“Cap’n, please. You have to calm down.”

Merlovak blinked slowly. His murky eyes seemed full of grief. “Perhaps if I had never lost control over my emotions, none of this would’ve happened…” He blindly faced the direction of Dans’s voice. “You are right. I must be punished more justly for my crimes… But I cannot save them, child. I’ve already tried many times.”

Dans took out a vial that looked almost exactly like the one I had. It was pink with a light glow.

The truth serum?

She threw it before I could even react.

Wide-eyed, I stared as the glass vial flew towards Merlovak. It shattered, the pink liquid splashing all over him.

Suddenly, he roared loudly as if in pain. “What… what is this?!” He started thrashing around in agony as he spat large balls of fire in every direction. “It hurts! The pain! It’s… unbearable!” The entire hut and the earth beneath us started to rumble from his outburst. Everything around us went up in flames.

Panicked, I looked over at Mark, then at Dans. “Dans, what’s happening?!”

“I-I don’t know. The truth serum shouldn’t—”

Before I could hear the rest of Dans’s words, Merlovak’s tail smashed into my stomach. I gasped for air as I went flying. I crashed into one of the bone pillars of the hut. A sudden surge of intense pain in my ribs made me yelp out as the pillar—unable to withstand the force of my body—snapped in half. The hut ripped open and my body went hurling through the air into the morning sky.

I tried to grab for anything—a tree, a rock, a bone, something! But I only managed to swipe at the empty air before I flew over the cliff that I once looked down from. The sight reminded me of the burning soldiers. It was still etched into my memories.

And then I felt like I was floating. Time seemed to slow down. The floating sensation… It was somewhat nostalgic. I thought it was a little calming.

Is this what it feels like to die?

But the pleasant emotions quickly dissipated, and I started to fall again. Fast. I thought I heard someone call out my name, but the sandy beach beneath me was speeding towards me faster and faster. The sand was only inches away. And then…

Nothing.