Her golden eyes sparkled as she stood taller, her huge wings stretching out a little, casting a long shadow on the lake.
(Your bloodline holds a bond forged long ago, a bond that connects you to my kind. It was the first connection between humans and me…one of power and mutual understanding.)
Kash still struggled to make sense of it, so he started engaging in a conversation.
"How can that be true? Generation after generation, our family grew weaker, and our connection to the Star of Myra faded more and more. It got to the point where I, the firstborn of my family, couldn't summon anything for years."
If their bloodline was powerful enough to summon a dragon, then the fate of their family just didn't make sense at all.
(You think the Star of Myra was some kind of gift, don't you? That it's a blessing passed down through bloodline?)
Kash nodded. It was the truth everyone believed for ages. It was literally incorporated in everything; culture, education, and more.
(The truth is darker than you realize. The Star of Myra… it is not a blessing. It is a poison to make humans dependent.)
"A curse? How can that be?"
Sera's gaze grew distant, recalling old memories.
(Long ago, your ancestors made a deal with me, becoming the first summoner of mankind. He wanted to save the woman he loved. A goddess, locked away by her own kind.)
Kash's brow furrowed . "This sounds familiar... it's the same as the tale about the two moons."
(It's not just a story. I am the dragon, trapped inside the second moon.)
He almost lost his footing at her claim, but she didn't look like she was lying.
"This is too much revelation at once. So you're telling me the goddess is the evil one… and you're what? The real god?"
Sera didn't answer right away. Her golden eyes watched him. The moonlight shimmered off her scales, making her presence feel even more surreal.
(I never claimed to be good,)
(But those beings are too full of themselves. They bend the world to their will and call it destiny. With my help, you can break the cycle. Take that control away from them.)
'She wants me to fight the gods?' He swallowed hard. Just thinking about it made him tremble. It was blasphemy.... complete madness. Not even the most deranged soul would dare consider such a thing.
"This is way too much," Kash scratched his head. "I'm not some chosen hero. I'm just… me. I'd be happy just being a decent summoner."
He looked at her, unsure if he should keep going, but the words came out anyway.
"You already lost to them. So what makes you think things will go any different now?"
He wasn't trying to argue. He just needed to say it out loud, because none of this made sense to him.
(Good. Speak your mind. That's the first step in being more than a puppet by those beings)
Her wings folded slowly behind her as she lowered her head to meet his eyes.
(You're right. I did lose.) She paused, letting the words sink in.
(But that happened because your weak-hearted ancestor gave up at the last moment. They threatened to kill his lover, and like a fool, he believed them. He died... and his final command left me exposed. Even so, they still couldn't destroy me. That alone should tell you…I was always stronger than they could ever be.)
He was taken aback by her bold claims, but didn't believe her right away.
People said things all the time to get what they wanted, and from the way she spoke, it was obvious she needed him for her grand plan.
The real question was whether he was willing to let her mess up his life. Summoning a dragon sounded great, but if it meant getting dragged into crazy situation, that was a whole different story.
And how could he be sure that she wasn't the real villain here? Maybe she just wanted to use him for her own evil plan.
Still, having her power might be the only chance he had to restore the respect his family had lost.
'Stay calm. Think this through.'
Just as he was trying to cool his nerves, Sera transformed back into her humanoid form.
Ironically, it didn't help at all. If anything, it made things worse.
She looked so stunning, he almost forgot how to breathe.
A part of him honestly wished she just stayed in her dragon form. It was easier to keep his thoughts straight when he wasn't being visually attacked by her tantalizing eyes and kissable pinkish lips.
He shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. No matter how distracting she looked, there were more important things at stake.
"So, let's say I agree to make a contract with you. Does that mean I can order you around like my ancestors did?"
She shook her head.
(I already learned my lesson after being betrayed by your good for nothing ancestor. So, while I'm willing to lend you my power and resources, I want this to be a partnership, and not a master and servant deal.)
There was a few seconds of silence between them.
"And what exactly do you want from me?"
Sera raised her right hand, and golden particle swirled around her palms.
"First, help me escape. Right now, while I can communicate through projections, you're still too weak to open a portal strong enough to bring my physical body through."
Kash's jaw dropped, and he couldn't help but feel being taken advantage of. "So, you want me to help you, but you can't even help me? How is that fair?"
(Calm down,)
(I can't help you directly, but I can guide you to certain places where I've hidden my treasures to aid you.)
"So that's it? I risk everything for a treasure hunt that might help me, if I'm lucky? Sounds like a deal with no real guarantees."
(Let's help each other. I promise the treasures will be enough to boost your power and bring you more wealth than you can imagine.)
(Not only that, I'll teach you the Dragon Arts to protect yourself from dangers.)
Kash looked tempted by all the offers.
Treasure meant his family could finally live better.
In addition, from the way she spoke, there had to be magic artifacts hidden among it too.
Then came the mention of dragon arts. He didn't recognize the term, but anything tied this mythical beings had to carry real power.
BANG!
A sudden force slammed into his stomach. Before he could react, the world twisted around him, and he dropped to the ground.
"ARGHHH! What happened?" The cry tore from his throat as he clutched the aching spot on his abdomen.
When his vision cleared, he found himself surrounded by a group of young nobles, all of them laughing at his expense.
"Look at this failure," one of them sneered, "Staring into the moon like a halfwit."