Chapter 393:Walk around.
The following morning arrived.
Atheline woke to sunlight spilling through the enormous windows of their room, painting long golden patterns across the stone floor. For a moment, he simply remained where he was, staring at the ceiling while the events of the previous days slowly returned to him.
Then he felt Lilith shift beside him. She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"You’re awake."
"Unfortunately."
She stared at him.
Atheline smiled.
"I’m joking."
"You’d better be."
Their little fox was already awake as well. She sat at the edge of the bed, staring expectantly at them as though waiting for breakfast.
Lilith glanced toward it.
"Apparently someone is hungry."
Atheline sighed.
"That creature eats more than I do."
The fox immediately turned away as if offended.
Lilith laughed.
After breakfast, they decided not to spend the day inside the palace. They had been given permission to explore the island, and with the official meeting still two days away, there was little reason to remain confined to their quarters.
Neither of them wanted another day filled with politics. They wanted to see Dragonic Island.
So they left the palace without any attendants.
The palace itself stood on a massive mountain ridge overlooking a sprawling section of the island. From the elevated road leading downward, Atheline could see the settlement below.
Unlike the palace, the city wasn’t particularly refined.
It was rugged.
Stone buildings stood between enormous cliffs, their walls reinforced with metal and thick timber. Many had wide entrances and high ceilings, clearly designed to accommodate dragons who might shift between humanoid and draconic forms.
Atheline looked around curiously.
"Everything here is built differently."
Lilith nodded.
"It has to be."
They continued down the road.
As they approached the city, the number of people increased.
Dragons were everywhere.
Some were humanoid, walking through the streets with horns, tails, scales, and wings openly displayed.
Others had completely taken their dragon forms and were resting on enormous stone platforms built along the outskirts.
Nobody seemed particularly impressed by their presence. It was simply normal life which Atheline found fascinating.
The city itself was busy; merchants shouted from stalls, children ran through the streets and blacksmiths worked on enormous pieces of metal.
Food vendors sold roasted meat that Atheline suspected had been prepared with dragon-sized appetites in mind.
There were also many shops selling things he had never seen before.
Dragon scales.
Not taken from living dragons, as far as he could tell, but naturally shed scales that had been polished and turned into ornaments, armor pieces, jewelry, and even writing instruments.
One merchant had an entire display of small horns.
Atheline stopped.
"What are those?"
The merchant looked at him.
"Old horns."
"Old?"
"Shed naturally."
The merchant picked one up.
"Young dragons shed them occasionally."
Atheline examined it.
"People use these?"
"Everything has a use."
Lilith smiled.
"That’s very practical."
The merchant laughed.
"Dragons don’t like wasting anything."
Atheline ended up buying a small polished scale for their fox. The moment the fox saw it, she sniffed it suspiciously, then she walked away.
Atheline looked disappointed.
"She doesn’t appreciate culture."
Lilith laughed.
"She appreciates food."
They continued through the market.
The longer they walked, the more Atheline began to understand the differences between Dragonic culture and the kingdoms they were accustomed to.
Dragons valued personal territory heavily. Even among families, personal space was important. Buildings tended to be separated rather than packed closely together.
There were also very few enormous public gatherings. Instead, people gathered around specific places for specific reasons.
One of those places turned out to be an arena. They heard it before they saw it. The roar of a crowd echoed through the streets.
Atheline turned toward the noise.
"What’s that?"
A nearby merchant laughed.
"The arena."
"Fights?"
"Dragon fights."
Atheline’s eyes immediately brightened.
Lilith noticed.
"No, we’re not going there."
"I didn’t say anything."
"You were about to."
"Come on... please darling."
She sighed.
"Fine."
The arena was built into a natural depression between two mountains.
It was enormous.
Stone seating surrounded a large circular battlefield, and protective barriers covered the entire structure.
The crowd was already loud. Dragons were fighting inside. One was a massive crimson dragon with black horns. The other was a dark blue dragon with silver markings.
Both were enormous and the moment they collided, the entire arena shook.
Atheline stared.
"They’re actually fighting."
Lilith folded her arms.
"What did you expect?"
"I don’t know."
The crowd erupted when the blue dragon managed to bite into the crimson dragon’s wing. People shouted as coins changed hands without hiding it.
Atheline looked around.
"They’re betting."
"Of course."
He turned toward Lilith.
"Who do you think will win?"
She studied the two dragons.
"The blue one."
"Really?"
"Better movement."
Atheline watched carefully.
She was right.
The blue dragon was smaller but much faster. It avoided the crimson dragon’s attacks and constantly attacked from the sides.
Atheline smiled.
"Interesting."
A few minutes later, the blue dragon won and the crowd erupted.
Lilith looked at Atheline.
"You should have bet."
"I didn’t know they were taking bets."
She smiled.
"Then you’re fortunate."
"Why?"
"Because you would have lost."
Atheline stared at her.
"The blue one won."
"You would’ve chosen the red one."
He paused.
"...Probably."
They both laughed.
They remained at the arena for another hour. They watched several fights, ranging from younger dragons sparring to more experienced ones displaying elemental abilities.
Atheline was particularly interested in the way dragons used their elements. Some used fire, others lightning,and one enormous green dragon used earth magic to reshape the battlefield itself.
Lilith quietly observed the fights.
Atheline noticed her expression.
"You want to fight one."
"No."
"You do."
"I don’t."
"You absolutely do."
Lilith glanced at him.
"Maybe."
After leaving the arena, they returned to the city center. By then, they were hungry. They entered one of the restaurants they had noticed earlier.
The establishment was built around a large open kitchen, where several chefs were cooking meat over enormous flames.
They ordered several dishes. Atheline was surprised by how good the food was. The meat was heavily seasoned but tender, with a faint smoky taste.
Lilith enjoyed a dish made from roasted vegetables and spiced meat. Their fox received a small portion of cooked meat and immediately became much more enthusiastic about the city.
Atheline stared at her.
"So that’s what gets your attention."
The fox continued eating.
Lilith laughed.
"Don’t insult your companion."
"My companion has no loyalty."
After lunch, they continued walking.
They visited a small tea shop, then a clothing store. Then a shop selling jewelry made from naturally shed dragon scales.
Lilith stopped there.
She found a dark bracelet decorated with a single polished silver scale.
Atheline noticed her looking at it.
"You like it?"
"A little."
He bought it before she could object. Lilith stared at him.
"You didn’t have to."
"I wanted to."
She smiled.
"Thank you."
He gently fastened it around her wrist. They continued through the streets. By late afternoon, the atmosphere of the city began changing.
More people were arriving.
Atheline noticed several unfamiliar banners being carried toward the central district.
"More guests?"
Lilith nodded.
"Probably."
They eventually learned that the remaining representatives from the other continents had arrived.
Ships had reached the island throughout the day, and several teleportation circles had been activated to bring the guests to the palace.
The city was becoming noticeably busier. Representatives from the Human Continent had arrived, and so had additional members from the Beastmen Continent.
Atheline noticed dwarves among them.
"Looks like everyone is finally here."
Lilith nodded.
"Then the meeting really will begin soon."
They continued walking until the sun began disappearing behind the mountains. The city gradually became illuminated by glowing crystals and lanterns.
Dragonic Island looked different at night. The rocky streets reflected the warm light, while enormous dragon silhouettes occasionally passed across the sky.
Atheline stopped and looked upward as one massive dragon flew across the moon.
Lilith stood beside him.
"Beautiful."
"Yeah."
They remained there for a moment, then Atheline looked toward her.
"Another restaurant?"
Lilith smiled.
"We just ate."
"I know."
"And you’re hungry again?"
"No." He paused. "Maybe. It doesn’t hurt to sample the cuisine."
She laughed.
They eventually found a quieter restaurant near the edge of the city. This one had a balcony overlooking the mountains. They sat together and ate while discussing everything they had seen that day.
Atheline leaned back comfortably.
"I like this place."
Lilith nodded.
"So do I."
"For once, we’re not searching for something."
"Don’t say that too loudly."
He laughed.
"You’re right."
They finished their meal and began walking back toward the palace. The streets were still busy with arriving guests. Somewhere above them, dragons flew between the mountains.
The island felt alive with just the two of them wandering through an unfamiliar city, eating good food, watching dragon fights, and learning about a civilization they had previously only heard about.
By the time they reached the palace, Atheline realized something. There might be important and pressing matters around then but moments like this were worth remembering too.
Lilith glanced at him as they entered the palace.
"Tired?"
"A little."
"Good,because tomorrow you’ll finally have to behave like a king."
Atheline groaned.
Lilith laughed as they walked toward their quarters.