The sun was slowly rising high in the sky while birds could be seen chirping and singing in the trees. The wind caressed the leaves, creating a sound like a whisper.
Currently, we are in a forest where large trees rise so high that they seem to touch the sky. Their roots intertwined with each other form a sort of circle... in short, it gave the impression that these plant lords of the forest were holding hands. The birds opened their beaks to release a melodious and magical song which immersed us in a fantastic and soothing world. The ground was littered with leaves, living and dead, spread out like a carpet and the smell that spread in this magnificent nature was a mixture of chlorophyll, earth and wild fruits. Some animals like squirrels or rabbits can be seen scampering here and there.
But then, they quickly fled the are when a trio of figures appeared in their sight, stepping out from bushes… and among them, were two people we love greatly.
"So who is this 'Lady Aurora' ?" Summer asked their 'guide' as she and her huntress companion followed him.
"She is an important figure for the Queen… Perhaps as much as the Dragon King himself !" the guard, whose name was still unknown, answered calmly but still focused on the road ahead.
It had been 2 hours since they left the royal couple and right now, Salem and Summer were walking through the majestic forest bordering the northern part of the city while following the guard assigned to escort them to someone called 'Aurora'. After leaving the courtyard, it took one hour (give or take a few minutes) to leave the great city of Lelfalion and they had to walk through the streets while hiding their faces.
Why, you ask ?
Because, even though the people of Malon and the royal couple had accepted their presence, some elves still held a strong grudge against humanity, and it would create chaos and panic if their existence was somehow discovered.
Thanks to a hood and a little magic, the trio were able to cross the streets of Lelfalion without being disturbed. However, despite being forced to hide their faces, the two women got to see how lively the city was and they hoped that, one day, they would be able to see it in detail. Seeing the children laughing, Summer had felt a pang in her heart thinking of her daughters who probably thought she was dead or worse, that she had abandoned them.
As if she had felt her friend's grief, Salem had comforted her by gently placing a hand on her shoulder while whispering that she would find her little ones, to which Summer thanked her warmly with a smile. After some time, they reached a large arched gate and after a brief conversation between their guide and his fellow guards guarding it, they were allowed to leave.
After passing through the gates, the journey passed in silence...until Summer decided to break it, her curiosity no longer able to be suppressed.
Which bring us back to present…
"Really ? How come ?" Summer asked him with a curious raised eyebrow.
Beside her, Salem looked just as intrigued by those words : how can someone be as important as the Dragon King ?
"Because Lady Aurora saved her from a Chimaera many years ago..." the guard answered her after a few seconds of silence, his voice betrayed his sorrow and… was it shame they were hearing ?
Summer and Salem nodded in understanding, already aware of the terrible fate of the former king and queen of Lelfalion. But then their minds returned to what he had just said…and what they had been told about the incident.
"Wait a minute : we were told that the Queen was saved by a dragon ! Are you telling us that we are going to meet one ?!" Summer blurted out in shock and surprise.
Salem's red eyes widened in the same shock, but she said nothing, remaining silent.
The guard glanced back at them, with what looked like slight surprise on his face before his features returned professional again as he answered calmly.
"We are, indeed..."
Summer and Salem looked at one another with wide eyes before looking back at their guide to ask more questions… only to see him walking again.
"Jeez, that was rude..." the silver eyed Huntress grumbled with narrowed eyes while glaring at the Elf's back.
"It was, indeed… but regardless, he is still our guide… So, let's just go after him..." Salem said to her companion with a nod and a sigh before walking after the guard, quickly followed by a grumbling Summer.
Soon enough, they managed to catch him but the guard seemed to ignore them all. However, if you looked closely, you could see how his eyes were scanning the area for any threats. He seemed rude but he was only doing his duties aka, escorting the two to Lady Aurora.
"What do you think this Lady Aurora looks like?" Summer asked her friend while walking.
"I don't know for sure… But, after having seen the Gods in their Dragon forms, I imagine her with large wings, four legs and capable of breathing fire… As for the color, I don't know at all...Beside, we are going to see her soon enough anyway… " Salem answered with a frown and a shrug.
"Fair enough..." Summer retorted with a shrug of her own.
But just as the silver eyed Huntress finished talking, their guide abruptly stopped walking, looking around with narrowed eyes and as silent as a carp. The two women could swear they saw the tips of his pointy ears twitching every now and then, as if trying to catch a sound, like a cat would.
The two women looked at one another for a moment before looking back at their guide with confusion.
"Is something wrong ?" Salem asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"She is here..." was the only answer she got from the guard.
Then, ignoring the two women behind him, the guard cleared his throat before speaking loudly, his voice echoing throughout the area.
"Lady Aurora ! I have a message from Queen Shannyria !"
For a few moments, nothing happened, but then they heard it: footsteps. Not small, light steps but heavy steps that made the ground shake as their owner approached them. Soon, a MASSIVE silhouette appeared in front of them between the trees and our two heroines found themselves facing a living Dragon !
The newcomer had a muscular but lean body covered in thick, armored green scales. Its under-scales had a lighter color. It had four well-developed legs and four digits on each foot, with an opposable thumb on the front ones making them look like hands. The claws were hooked and sharp looking. The tail was long, about the same size as the rest of the body combined, and appeared muscular and lithe.
Clinging to a sturdy neck, the beast's head was broad, pointed, and wedge-shaped, with razor-sharp teeth and thick, curved horns. Its eyes, which were locked on them, were purple in color with what looked like yellow rings around the pupils.
Salem and Summer were looking at the Dragon with awe and slight fear : this beast was, at least, around 32 feet in height, 65 feet in length and 72 feet of wingspan !
"Greeting, Lady Aurora…" the Elf Guard said while bowing to the waist at the Dragon.
The green Dragon merely nodded her head in acceptance to the gesture.
"You said you had a message from dear Shanyrria... What is it ?" the Dragon asked the guard in a clearly feminine tone, despite the cavernous undertone.
Despite how intimidating she looked, her voice was soft and gentle… almost musical in a way. The voice alone dissipated the fear in the heart of our heroines.
"Indeed… I was tasked to escort Lady Salem and Lady Summer to you so you could take them to the Dragon King..." the guard explained calmly despite being in the presence of such a mighty creature.
"Is that so ?" the Dragon said while turning her head to look at the two women behind the elf.
"Am I right to assume that you are Lady Summer and Lady Salem ?" she asked the two with slight curiosity.
"Y-Yes !" Summer answered with slight nervousness while Salem merely nodded at the mighty scaled beast before them.
"Don't be afraid, dear ! I am not going to hurt you~" Aurora said with a gentle smile, once again dissipating Summer's dark thoughts.
"If this is the will of the Queen, then I will take it from here… You can go back to Lelfalion..." the Dragon then said to the guard who bowed down at her before leaving the scene but not before wishing good lucks the two women he escorted all the way here.
The three females watched in silence as the guard left the area and, once he was out of sight, the mighty green Dragon turned her large head to look at the two women before her.
"Well, I don't know if you were told, but my name is Aurora… and it is a pleasure to meet you…"
"The pleasure is ours..." Salem said while bowing her head slightly.
Summer, meanwhile, didn't say anything and instead, simply bowed her head in respect for the creature before her.
"Pardon me for this question, but what are you ? For you are clearly no elves… nor anything I have seen in my life..." Aurora asked them with her curiosity, her eyes shining a bit.
"Well…Salem and I are humans…or former humans in my friend's case…" Summer said in a soft tone.
"You are humans ?!" Aurora cried out in shock while rearing her head back, her eyes wide.
Both women instantly stiffened as a feeling of fear and dread coursed through their bodies.
But who can blame them?
After all, from what they had read and learned during their stay in this new world, humans remained a sensitive subject for the inhabitants of the Hidden World.
Although millenniums have passed since their last encounter with humans, no one in the world has forgotten the horrors their people suffered... and for some, the hatred towards humanity was still present.
They were prepared for it… but instead they got something completely different.
"It's amazing ! I never thought in my life that I would get to meet humans !" Aurora squealed like an excited child as she looked at the both of them with shining purple eyes.
Salem and Summer blinked in surprise at that and shared a glance at one another, completely taken aback by this sudden behavior.
"Oh, I have so many questions ! For example: is it true that you have a short lifespan ? Is it true that you don't have a soulmate ? Oh, and is it true that you are capable of making unimaginable things ?!" Aurora asked so quickly that their mind went down for a moment.
This Dragon, who can easily kill them on the spot with her claws alone… was currently acting like an excited cheerleader ! It took them a few seconds to regain their senses but once they were back to normal (for lack of better words), the two women looked back at the Dragon who was looking at them patiently, as if waiting for an answer.
"How about a deal ? You take us to the Dragon King and in exchange, during the trip, we will tell you everything we know ! Does this seem fair to you ?" Salem asked the mighty scaly created with a smile on her face.
Summer glanced at her friend with a tiny smirk on her face before looking back at the dragon to see her reaction to this proposal.
At those words, Aurora released a little roar of pleasure and excitement before looking down at the two smaller beings in front of her legs.
"Deal !"
After these words escaped his mouth, the mighty dragon lay down on the ground before saying to the two
"Climb on !"
Summer squealed excitedly at them before lunging forward, using Aurora's left front paw as a ladder to help her climb onto the dragon. Salem looked at her comrade with amusement before slowly following her. While Summer settled comfortably at the base of Aurora's neck, Salem calmly climbed onto the latter's front paw, pushing on her own legs to propel her forward and thus allow her to find herself alongside the huntress. with silver eyes.
As she made herself comfortable, Salem couldn't help but analyzing the scales beneath her : despite how hard and thick they were, the scales were smooth to the touch. It wasn't slimy like a snake's skin but it was as soft as a cat's fur.
It was in between.
"Is everyone well settled ?" Aurora asked them while turning her head slightly to look at them.
Summer gave her a thumb up while Salem answered politely "We are, Lady Aurora !"
With a nod, the Dragoness slowly went back on her feet, while trying to not disturb the two people on her back before spreading her wings. With a loud roar, Aurora rushed forward while flapping her wings. After a few meters and three beats, the Dragoness took off from the ground and began her ascent towards the sky. It wasn't the first time Salem and Summer were flying (after all, they did it while escaping the winged serpents and while riding the Hippogriffs) but this time, they were riding a Dragon !
For a minute, neither of them said anything (unless you count Summer's excited scream) until Aurora stopped her ascent to fly normally. The Dragon no longer flapped her wings because she was letting herself be carried by a warm current.
"Now, let's talk !" Aurora said calmly but with clear excitement and curiosity as she glanced at her two passengers on her back.
"Very well…" Salem said with a sigh while Summer nodded in understanding. They had a deal to respect after.
00/(Time Skip)/00
"…and here we are: heading towards the Dragon King, hoping he can help us get home!" Summer said while finishing her story.
Thirty minutes (take or give a few minutes) had passed since they started this aerial journey and the two women had firstly answered all of Aurora's questions. They told her everything : about societies, the people, the habits and Remnant's history. Needless to say, the Dragoness was intrigued and amazed by their answers would be like saying that the water wet. Then, Aurora asked them of the reason of their presence in the Hidden Realm as Humans weren't supposed to be here.
In response, the two women shared with their new friend the tale of their trip from their short battle at the Surface to the trip to Lelfalion on Hippogriffs. Once again, Aurora had calmly and politely listened to them, not interrupting them once despite how intrigued and curious she was.
Regardless, once Summer stopped talking, a long silence followed. Aurora was thinking about what she had just learned and internally, she felt pity for these two beings who found themselves in a completely unknown world, while their family (at least in Summer's case) was surely alarmed by their disappearance.
"Wow… You sure saw a lot..." Aurora said while breaking the awkward silence between them.
"We know..." Salem replied with a sigh while Summer merely nodded her head in acknowledgement.
"I know the King will help you…You are both good people..." The Dragoness told the two in a caring and soft tone while shooting them a small smile.
"Thank you, Aurora..." the silver eyed Huntress said to the Dragon before noticing something.
"Wow…" she gasped in awe.
Turning her head to see what had caught Summer's attention, Aurora simply smiled proudly when she realized why, while Salem's eyes widened in shock and awe.
There, in the distance, was a mountain but it was HUGE !
Wide and high, it literally dominated the entire area ! However, if you looked closely, you could see that the peak seemed to open… like a large hole. Around this mountain, the landscape was beautiful to look at : on one side, there was a large river which opened into the ocean, on the other, there were large grassy pastures and woods.
"Impressive, isn't it ? This mountain is called the Shadowed Mountain and this is where the Dragon King resides !" Aurora said to the two with a smirk while looking at two stunned people.
With a soft roar, the Dragon batted her wings and she moved faster, heading toward the mountain and as they came closer and closer to its base, Salem and Summer were once again stunned by the sheer size of the mountain, probably the biggest they had ever seen in their lives… but then, their eyes landed elsewhere.
Despite the impressive and majestic mountain before them, our heroines' attention was focused on something else : at the base of the mountain, there was a large arched entrance. The gates themselves (along with its architecture) were truly about the most majestic and beautiful structures they had ever seen, towering high above buildings like Beacon Academy, and the massive statues of snarling Dragons standing on each side of the entrance only added to the gorgeous scene.
The two women were so focused on this breathtaking spectacle that they didn't even notice that Aurora had landed... at least, not until the latter called them out, breaking them out of their trances.
"Terminus, everyone get off !" said the Dragoness as she crouched on the ground, giving her passengers the opportunity to get off her back… which they did.
Once their feet touched the ground, Aurora went back on her own feet before the three of them faced the gates.
"Alright, follow me..." the Dragon calmly said to the two before walking forward.
Salem and Summer glanced at one another before slowly following after Aurora. The trio approached the gates and were stopped by a duo of Massive brown dragons, whose physical was similar to Aurora's but stronger. Clearly, they were males because they were bigger than the dragoness.
"What is your business here ?" one of them asked in a strong tone while narrowing his hazel eyes at them all.
"I am here to escort these two to the King !" Aurora answered in a formal tone while looking at the guards dead in the eyes.
At those words, the two dragons showed recognition in their eyes and bowed their heads slightly at them.
"We have been warned of your arrival… Follow us !" the other male said before roaring loudly at the gates.
Slowly, the gates opened, revealing to our friends a large tunnel leading deeper into the mountain.
"Come on..." the first male said to them before entering the mountain, followed by his fellow male.
Salem and Summer looked a bit nervous for a moment but then they looked at Aurora when she spoke to them in a gentle and comforting tone.
"Everything will be fine~" she said softly to them before slowly following after the males.
The two women staid behind for a moment, but after one last glance shot at one another, they quickly went after Aurora, entering the mountain where the Dragon King, the only one who might help them in their plight, resided.
(To be continued…)