Chapter 829 — The North

The earth dragon beast beneath him shifted its neck somewhat irritably. This pack animal, unique to the Far North, seemed to sense something of its master's unrest; it began to scrape its forehooves against the ground in small motions, emitting from its throat the faintest rumbling growls from time to time.

Though its name contains the root "dragon," the "earth dragon beast" of the Holy Dragon Duchy has in truth no connection whatsoever to dragons. They are merely a gentle, herbivorous species domesticated by the dragonborn—only on this land ruled by the dragonborn are many animals and plants with no relation to dragons at all given the "dragon" root.

It is a stubbornness outsiders cannot comprehend, yet the dragonborn have long since grown used to it.

After a long while, Sir Golosh turned back, glanced at the procession behind him, and nodded to the red-haired woman at his side, likewise mounted on an earth dragon beast. "Lady Ashalena, let us set out."

"We should have set out long ago—many days ago," said the red-haired woman called Lady Ashalena, frowning, unable to hold back her complaints. "Those councilors and elders with ice and stone stuffed in their skulls... their panic over the 'outside world' is simply laughable. I truly don't know why even His Majesty Bayangar would be swayed by such people, to suddenly order us to stand by the very day before the mission was to depart, and keep us waiting all this time..."

Sir Golosh glanced at the red-haired Ashalena. He knew this dragon-seal sorceress had always spoken without restraint, and that the sudden postponement of this mission was itself unlike the Dragon-Blooded Duke's usual way. Still, he spoke gently: "His Majesty has his own considerations. It is not only we and the Duke who keep the Holy Dragon Duchy running, but also those councilors and elders you say have 'ice and stone stuffed in their skulls.' Their opinions must be taken into account."

Ashalena listened to Sir Golosh and shrugged indifferently. "In any case, let those councilors, full of nerves and worry, keep on worrying. May the ice and stone of the mountains effectively shield their frail hearts and livers and spleens and kidneys, worn thin by their anguish for the nation—we shall have the chance to witness the outside world, and in the future it is we, surely, who will be written into the annals of history, and not they."

The corner of Sir Golosh's mouth twitched upward slightly, and then the whole procession, under his lead, set out on the road south, gradually leaving behind the high mountain where Dragonrest Keep stood.

And just before crossing the last checkpoint at the foot of the mountain, Sir Golosh could not help but look back one final time at the summit shrouded in wind and snow.

Though he had soothed the dragon-seal sorceress with his words, the doubts in his own heart were not one whit fewer than hers.

Many days earlier, the Holy Dragon Duchy had resolved to send a mission to Cecil; the personnel and supplies of the mission had even been fully assembled, and he himself had been ready to lead it out. Yet the entire operation had suddenly been ordered halted, and the whole company had, for no discernible reason, stood by until today.

For this, the Holy Dragon Duchy had even been forced to send a special letter to the Cecil Empire explaining the situation—adding an unnecessary step.

It was the Dragon-Blooded Duke who had ordered the mission sent, and the Dragon-Blooded Duke who had suddenly ordered it to stand by. For the second order, the Duke's stated reason was that, in consideration of the advice of conservative members of the council, more assessment and deliberation were needed regarding this visit.

But Sir Golosh knew Bayangar. That Duke rarely changed an order already issued for such a reason—it would undoubtedly damage the Dragon-Blooded Duke's authority and leave many people perplexed.

Though such a small effect meant little to that Duke, without sufficient reason he would not suddenly do something so pointless.

So then... what reason could it be, that made him suddenly change the order?

Golosh withdrew his gaze from Dragonrest Keep, pressed all his questions down into the bottom of his heart, and fixed his eyes once more on the south.

...

The blazing braziers drove off the bitter chill of the Far Northern mountains. Within the palace of rough-hewn, piled stone, the Dragon-Blooded Duke Bayangar left the terrace that overlooked the mountain's foot and walked alone back to his grand yet lonely throne.

The entire throne hall stood empty.

All the courtiers had dispersed, and the attendants and guards had been dismissed earlier still—everyone knew that the Grand Duke of Dragon Blood often preferred to be alone in the hall, that he required quiet to think things through, and no one in the palace found this the least bit strange.

The silence held for a moment before Bayang'er let out a soft breath and curled his fingers to tap lightly upon the armrest of his broad throne.

Amid that crisp tapping, the wards of the entire hall were quietly activated, an invisible barrier enshrouding the whole space.

Bayang'er's steady, solemn voice broke the silence:

"Code AZ-689, the Exile calling Omega."

A pale golden communications interface swiftly unfolded before the Grand Duke of Dragon Blood's throne, and the image of a ring with a trembling edge appeared before Bayang'er.