Mark of the Dragon - Chapter 8
Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi
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Chapter 8
In the dragon’s realm, it was widely known that the climate exhibited irregular and abnormal changes. However, at the moment, it seemed to be in a temporary period of calm. She wondered if the presence of the dragon next to her, Sican, had something to do with it.
Glancing sideways at him, who held her hand, Lix smiled and bowed her head again.
As Viridine, the wind dragon, concluded his words, he swiftly departed from the room where she was staying without waiting for any response. The wind outside seemed to mirror his emotions as a breeze infused with the fragrance of flowers playfully tousled her hair.
Although over a month had passed in late winter, the region’s coldness persisted, possibly due to its naturally frigid nature.
Lix was dressed in thin clothing unsuitable for the winter weather.
Although she was worried about the cold, it was surprisingly comfortable being next to the dragon, which was nature itself. The atmosphere seemed to warm exclusively around her, creating a drowsy sensation akin to a springtime slumber.
Even after having slept quite a bit, she still felt lethargic, as if she were still dreaming.
The wind dragon, capable of controlling the winds, moved swiftly.
Leaving Lix momentarily, he transformed into his dragon form, at times soaring so far that his figure became obscured by the size of her little finger, only to return shortly after. Each time he moved, the wind danced around the hill where they stood, and Sican’s expression brightened with delight.
Puzzled by the dragon’s behavior, Lix gazed at Viridine, who had flown away again, his face expressionless, only to find herself suddenly embraced by Sican.
“Lix…”
Sican lowered his body and rubbed his forehead against her neck like a puppy.
“I can go out.”
Lix was silent.
Even though she caught glimpses of what the dragons were saying, for some reason, she couldn’t figure out what was going on. At first glance, she could only guess at the words expulsion, withdrawal, and just being able to leave.
Seeing that he didn’t hide his joy, it seemed that something good was about to happen.
When he asked her to follow, she blindly followed.
In no time, Lix got tired. While she didn’t walk on her own feet and flew in the arms of a dragon, this place was quite far away.
She was very nervous about falling from the air when they moved, and she had significantly less physical strength than ordinary people, befitting the nickname of a defective product from the beginning.
Besides, just because she looked fine on the outside, her body hadn’t moved for a month, so it couldn’t have been normal.
Seeing no reaction, Sican examined Lix’s expression.
After hesitating a bit as he tried to reach out to her, he met her eyes. Sican held out his hand as if to inform her before touching it and gently rubbing it all over her body though he looked slightly puzzled.
It was still in a flux state.
It was rather strange. Since they were far from having a satisfactory successor, they needed to divide their energy a few more times. It probably wouldn’t grow properly even if they took it out now. Even so, the Elder’s barrier that his brothers couldn’t cross was now broken.
As Sican thought that far, the ground suddenly rumbled.
As soon as the wind dragon, which had been flying happily, changed its shape and came down to the ground, he tripped on the shaky ground and fell on his back. The dragon could not even sense the foreshadowing of the earthquake.
Even though it seemed like this had happened many times before, he couldn’t fathom how long ago it was.
The loud rumble stopped, and the earth, which had been intermittently shaking a few more times, became quiet. He felt a lump from the depths of his heart. He could feel not only the dragons but also Lix, who shared their energy.
Lix sighed. In the meanwhile, Sican and Viridine were silent.
It was because of the sudden downturn.
It wasn’t a very long silence. Lix didn’t see another dragon flying in the distance until a great shadow fell where they stood. Eventually, the shadows broke into small pieces, and the golden dragon, Kardam, took on a human form and stood in front of them.
“I thought you’d be here.”
“Brother.”
Viridine glanced at Kardam and gave a complicated look. The look in his eyes was slightly expectant, but he seemed to know that he would soon be disappointed.
When Kardam shook his head and uttered the next word, the wind dragon’s expression collapsed.
“No. It’s temporary.”
Kardam then turned his attention to Lix, who was close to Sican. Her eyebrows raised, and the corners of her mouth raised subtly, seemingly a little surprised at what was happening. When his eyes met hers, she lowered her head.
The same voice soon spoke one more word. He wasn’t talking about Lix.
“Elder Aurem has returned.”
This meant that there were fewer than five golden dragons left in the world, including him.
Dragons, originally crystal manifestations formed by condensing energy, spirit, and magic emitted by nature, were akin to gods. They possessed the ability to assimilate with the elements, manipulate nature, take on various forms, and intermingle with other creatures.
However, when a dragon reaches the end of its lifespan, it will cease moving and undergo a process called ‘return,’ returning to its natural state.
Inside her body, Lix felt the fluctuating gold aura, signifying the element that had returned after momentarily losing control. It was a peculiar sensation, as if something that had been together for a long time suddenly disappeared or as if a long separation had come to an end.
It was such a strange feeling that she couldn’t describe it in words., as the feeling was neither entirely good nor bad.
The five energies swirling within her remained dormant or would occasionally surge vigorously. Each time this happened, she would place her hand on her chest, pondering whether her heart had stopped or was beating too intensely.
Clearly, there wasn’t enough energy to create a successor just yet. From a human perspective, it might have been an immense amount of magic though compared to the dragons, it fell significantly short.
This also meant that there were more affairs for her to endure.
The events of last night kept replaying in her mind. Whenever she glanced at any of the three present, their gazes seemed to pierce her, causing Lix to lower her head in response. The intensity of their stares was unsettling.
After waking up, she couldn’t hide her hunger, although she didn’t voice it directly. Her loud rumbling stomach was enough to convey her message to everyone around.
Dragons, which were magic and life itself, didn’t require constant meals. So, Sican looked rather sorry and said that he would grab something before he led her inside and left for a moment.
The wind dragon, who had been observing her closely ever since she woke up, also followed suit. Unlike Sican, the wind dragon enjoyed eating and playing, and he discussed with Sican what would be good for her.
Lix, who was somehow left alone with Kardam, touched the sleeves of the clothes that felt alien to her.
The patterns embroidered on the sleeves reminded her of famous paintings hanging in the imperial castle. The attire seemed similar to what she had seen the fairies wear. Though they were a rare species, such clothing wasn’t uncommon in the capital city and even within the imperial castle.
Everything in the room, the bed, and the clothes, seemed designed to cater to human convenience.
In this chilly place, the sun set early, its light slowly fading.
Kardam remained silent as he guided Lix to the room where she had been asleep for a month.
Since a mere human wasn’t qualified to dare to speak first in front of a dragon, Lix was even more tired from the tension. The emotions swirling inside her body made her unusually sensitive to feelings she didn’t usually experience.
Seeking a brief respite from the tension, she turned her gaze towards the window and observed the somber sky painted in hues of yellow and dark blue.
“Human, Lix, I already said.”
Lix averted her gaze from the window and turned her head.
There, she found the golden figure of Kardam looking down at her from up close as the fading sunlight scattered through his blonde hair.
When their eyes met, a slight crease formed at the corner of the golden dragon’s eyes.
“I should have told you not to keep your head down.”
He gently hugged her.
The soft smile that melted and a tickling voice that brushed her ears… Still, she couldn’t forget his appearance immediately after announcing the elder’s return. It was Kardam who had been unable to hide his uncomfortable feelings until now.
She thought she knew what he wanted now. Even though he sighed weakly, she obediently followed suit.
“You don’t talk much.”
Laying on the bed, she avoided Kardam’s gaze.
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