Ashes and Kingdoms

The air clears up refreshingly as the land enters deep into the mountains and gets a little higher. The scent of autumn is crisp early on. In a row climbing from the harsh lower reaches of the heat, I felt like I had skipped one of the seasons in the last few days.

More than seven days after the request for blue fog was made. In the end, Finns had entrusted Farnein to Oria and Nix and asked the neighbors to manage the windmill and move to the Purma Mountains. Former legion soldiers reduced to ten, along with Finn's family, and Mac. And, of course, Lena.

Finn, who had been concentrating at his feet as he walked on a rock with no road-like path, stops breathlessly, uh-huh.

At the end of his gaze, which looked up at the high blue sky, he saw the likeness of a petal of one hiragana, surrounded by white clouds, dancing with pleasure. As Finn narrowed his eyes, it fluttered up and disappeared into the clouds, then suddenly, appeared over a line.

"Finn!"

With a voice that can play with joy, the white petal grows louder to see and looms. By the time I could tell it was actually a creature with huge wings that seemed flickering, it was already almost full of vision.

Even though we know no harm can be done, the rest of us get up and rush away from Finn. On the verge of seeming to ground in an empty place, the white giant dragon vanished in an instant, and it was it that fell in the wings, but without flutter and sound, and stood down beside Finn in the figure of a girl.

"Look, it was in the clouds! Here!"

Inside his hands, which made his cheeks tide and flicker, was a small crystal of ice. It is exposed to the heat on the ground and dissolves during viewing. Oh, and to Lena, who looked sorry, Finn laughed small.

"When it's winter, you'll get tired of watching."

"So is that."

Lena quickly smiles and walks out in the footsteps of dancing beside Finn.

When she went into the back of the mountain and stopped worrying about being seen by others, Lena almost became visible all day. And even if he was seen, he could tell it was a dragon. In other words, even if he did, he wouldn't know until the Dragon Horse existed. When Finn was convinced, he was jumping around the sky and enjoying his freedom.

Lena's pleasant mood contagious to a single line made her legs a little lighter walking along the rugged mountain path. Only at first, some still showed confusion and reluctance, but soon everyone began to look at her and narrow their eyes.

Fluffy and light to come and go, sucking in the green air all over the place, or dipping your hands in a splash of spirals to cheer. It looks like an innocent toddler, until the hearts of men completely rubbed into the world, when they change softly.

Blue fog, who was leading the way and guiding the way, lowered his mouth and told him to take a break. Walking stitched between rows with his hips down to a place of thought, he came to Oandus and Fauna.

"You did something I'm sorry about. I heard you were just finally getting a job and a place in that town."

"Never mind," Oandus grinned bitterly. "At any rate, in autumn and winter, there will be less work on powder grinding. Especially in winter, there are days when the wind is too strong and we just have to fold our wings. If you try this way, you haven't lost anything."

"But I didn't have to force myself to follow my son. The winter in the mountains is tough. I wonder how much you don't trust us Sardas, or... overprotective."

Oandus became annoyed by the blue mist that showed signs of teasing him with his verbal butt. Fauna answers on his behalf from the side.

"Of course I'm worried about that kid, but more than that, I'm afraid he'll be separated. 'Cause there's no guarantee that you'll be back safely after work in the spring, right? On the contrary, even if she's safe, we might be more inconvenient left in town. We need to stay as family as possible and help each other out. I don't trust you or anything, that's not what I mean."

To the compelling words, I just look at Oandus and wonder if I understand. Blue fog nodded convincingly "I see" at first sight. But...

"Family."

In his eyes, where he said to twinkle and turned towards Finn, a slight, sarcastic colour appeared.

Finn at the time didn't notice that gaze and was looking at Nellis and Lena. Nellis is just explaining to Lena about the herbs that were there.

"This is going to be a blood pill. You can even use it raw, you can wet and paste it dry and powdered, or you can condense the broth with beeswax and use it as an ointment. I have a little ointment, too."

"Nellis made it?

"Yeah. Because Master Fentas taught me"

Nellis is still an apprenticeship cleric and lacks knowledge and experience, but Lena is still impressed even with the taught content as it is received and sold. Finn was smiling at those two.

And when Nellis turned around and wondered if he had a strange look, he came and sat down by Finn. Before Finn asked what was going on, Nellis whispered, remaining ambiguous.

I'm sorry to hear about Olya.

"... no, I'm not"

Finn blinked. Yes, indeed, it was unfortunate that the dream of having a belt with Oria in the peaceful southern countryside was crushed at the same time. But it was such a short dream that there was no time in him for his thoughts about Oria himself to grow. Once you give up, there's no remaining untrained.

To his attitude like that, Nellis looked frigid.

"Brother, are you serious about that?

"Oh."

"Huh..., Park Min-Jen's stupid brother"

Oh, and all the while, Nellis roared and shook her head. No treatment, I suppose you want to say. Finn shrugged his shoulders.

Immediately Nellis regained her mind and stretched out.

"Well, it's your brother, so I can't help it. If you do it, you don't have to be tough and old and tasteless."

"Am I an ancient bread from the shop?"

"Oh, that might be good. It doesn't feel like it was eaten."

Nellis laughed off Finn's tannic side, then turned around Lena.

"Hey, it's really a wonder to make, but where does Lena like your brother?

I didn't expect a reply, it was just a question for irony. Even if there is an answer, it is decided, as always, because it is beautiful. but.

"Eh."

Why, today, Lena blinked stuck in words and suddenly turned red. Nellis and Finn also squeeze their eyes at that reaction. Nellis tilted his neck wondering if he had been caught unmeshed again in a long time.

"Uh, I mean, look, I'm really not convinced that your brother's pretty,"

Explained, Lena replied softly, "Oh, you know what?" while still feeling agitated.

"It's hard to put it into people's language. What does Nellis think is' pretty '?

Asked the other way around, Nellis now got stuck responding. Um, roaring and arming, hazelnut eyes to heaven. Lena was small and relieved. Finn, who was observing such an attitude, questioned his voice, suspiciously.

What's wrong with you?

As soon as Lena jumped up. Not only in consciousness, but actually to the body. Finn turns his eyes round and Lena turns bright red.

We were about to get worse from each other, and unexpected help came in.

"Hey, lady"

Valt calls, Nellis twists herself and responds sarcastically.

"You have two ladies, don't you?

"It's the lady who can fly."

Come on, come on, call me. Nellis turned her mouth into a letter to her, blurted softly, "Call her a name," and then rose.

"I'm calling you something, Lena. Let's go."

Lena nodded all the time saying she was helpful and hurried towards Valt for a small run. Finn also followed later, tilting his neck.

Valt looked up at the three of them and looked frightened.

"What brings you all the way in the end? Sort of good...... hey lady, can you spark a little fire?

"Fire?"

Lena tilted her neck properly. Seeing, dead grass and twigs are gathered before the valt. He stabbed a slice of cheese at the end of the knife and let it hang out.

"I'm hungry, so I thought I'd pinch something. But the only thing I can eat right away is old cheese from Katicochi. I thought it would taste better if I broiled it a little better than just hanging on to this guy. Fortunately, the wind is mild today, and I don't have to worry about a mountain fire around here in the rocks. I thought your daughter would blow it gently."

What do you say, Valt peeks into Lena's face. Nellis shrugged and tried to say he was disgusted that I should lend him the firestone, but earlier Lena spilled a bewildering bitterness.

"Then one side of this neighborhood will melt to the earth. And of course you, and that cheese."

"... then I'm in trouble"

Valt was flashy, staring at the cheese and conceived. Do you want to grab the cheese like your brother or do you want to take the trouble of pulling out the firestone and the mouth of the fire?

I didn't have to worry about it for long. Lena looked back at Finn and said an unexpected word.

"Finn can do it."

"Huh?"

Everyone but Lena listened back to him with a different accent. Mac, who happens to be sitting nearby, and even the Oandus, look this way. Stared at him at the same time, Finn turned into a troubled face.

"It was in the literature that... the old Loflus Dragon Marquis was able to manipulate the flames, but Lena, you must be Deia's dragon, right?

Of course, in Finn's case, if the light can be manipulated, it is still no.

But as a dust, Lena gently pulled Finn's hand and brought him in front of Valt.

"Light and flame are very similar. Of course, I can't handle it as well as Master Gence's clan, but I can do it if I want to start a little fire."

It's okay. Finn, focus on bonding.

Lena's voice whispers. Finn, bewildered, relied on his voice to become conscious within himself. When I quieted my heart like when I practiced my sword, the door opened to the back of my spirit.

Now there was a deep fountain that lasted endlessly everywhere. From the distracting side, the light is gushing out.

"Yes, feel the power. Look... in you.

Finn was unconsciously closing his eyes. It is vividly felt that the flow of light crosses every corner of one's body. Aware, the flow shook and made a pleasant noise.

Let's go out a little bit. Thin flow... yes, gather it all together.

Even though I didn't open my eyes, Finn knew what the outside world was like. The presence of rocks spreading at your feet, every single piece of thin grass, even the heartbeat of the nearby humans, feels like touching your skin. Lena gently guided Finn's consciousness toward the unknown.

Mountain of dead grass in front of Valt. There Finn shifted his consciousness and gently and carefully gathered the light flowing within himself.

Eventually the light stirred between the dead grasses, and at the next moment, the flame nodded slightly. When Finn, who overheard the blurring, opened his eyes, a small incendiary fire had already made a patchy noise. Everyone, including Finn at the time of the fire, was staring at it with astonishment, as if his soul had been plucked - but

"Ah, cheese! Mr. Valt, come on, come on!

Nellis shouted back to me, so Valt remembered, and rushed to flame the cheese. It wasn't meant to light the fire in the first place, but it was more important afterwards.

The smell smelled delicious and spit in Finn's mouth. The same goes for Mac, who rides himself out and stares at the tip of the knife like he wants. Valt suddenly realized that his surrounding interest had shifted from the strange power of the Dragon Marquis to his tiny cheese and began to soften his guard.

And the blue mist made a bright laugh behind me. He was watching the whispers.

"Valt, you've rocked everyone's stomach. I can't help it, let's just say we cook this together."

Speaking of which, he explored his luggage and took out something that seemed to be a solid bar.

"It's a kakakal," he said frankly, putting it on fire. "You army soldiers carry it, it's like double baked bread. I have sunshine and I can manage without fire or water"

Where it smelled fragrant and slightly sweet, the blue fog took it out and broke it into small pieces and handed it out to everyone. The last time he handed it to Finn, he smiled and said.

"I did well for the first time"

"Can you start a fire, too?

Finn asked as he rolled the hot cakal in his hand. No, Blue Mist answers.

"You can turn it off, but it's not very practical."

He was prompted with his eyes to eat without worrying, and Finn grabbed Kakal. They worked out beans and nuts with butter or something, not wheat bread. It's got dried sugar and wild rice in it, sweet and sour. Thanks to the warmth, it is a little softer.

Finn looked at the fire he had caused and Lena before turning his eyes back to the blue fog.

"How long have you been bonding with dragons?"

"Longer than you. So there are some things I can teach you. Right, sure..."

I guess I'm talking to his dragon with my heart. After a little while, he nodded.

"Yes, sixty years. Fifty-nine years and eight months, to be exact."

…………

Finn turned his eyes round and put an end to it.

Sixty years? But the blue fog is still in its thirties, no matter what you think. The wrinkles are noticeable due to severe natural exposure, but where that was because of age, in the forties at best. I can't see above fifty by mistake.

Besides, sixty years after bonding, that means his own age...

"At my age, I guess it was eighty-seven this year. I'm not sure it's time."

"No, but"

To the wandering Finn, the blue mist looked off.

"I hear the king of the Fidae tribe living in Orgenia has not been replaced by the first dragon marquis. If so, it should be close to a thousand years old. I wouldn't be surprised about eighty."

"I'm surprised, usually."

It was no longer beyond the realm of imagination, and Finn responded half relieved. I can't believe there's a dragon marquis who's been alive for a thousand years. Can't that be the same person anymore?

"You won't be surprised in the future. You've gotten one smarter too," Blue Mist laughed. "Looks like Lena's still young, too. There will be a lot of confusion about both of them I don't know, but I have nothing to worry about. There's plenty of time to get used to it, to know it."

Are you optimistic or are you trying to comfort me? The hawkeye tone doesn't hold with either of them. Finn was blurry and looking at his family at the bottom of the slope.

Plenty of time. of years beyond human common sense of longevity.

He was still not sure whether that was a thankful gift from the dragon or a burden that had to bear the price of bonding.