Meld felt Gronn's scaly back shift and rock under her with an undulating chaos far more intense than the wildest of horsebacks. Winds buffeted her, making her figure length black cape flutter wildly. She kept a hand atop her head, holding down her broad brimmed hat so that it did not go flying off. 

This was the first time Meld had ever traveled on a dragon, and though it was not the first time she had ridden on a flying mount, she had to admit this was far different. There was something about the scale of it.

Standing atop a creature that stood at the pinnacle of the food chain whose every grunt shook her like an earthquake, whose every wing beat sounded like explosions, gave her a sense of security.

Meld filed the experience into her memory, taking note of Gronn's physical dimensions. The hardness of his scales. The speed of his flight. All details she could reference other dragons with later if they became enemies to her. Or to use against Gronn in the case that he became her enemy, for there was never such a thing as being too careful.

Which made her mind wander to Li. 

Meld narrowed her eyes. Or the equivalent of the motion, considering her eyes were perpetually shrouded under her blindfold. She sensed the darkness of night around her in a way that could only be described as supernatural, feeling how the shadows covered and gave shape to everything around her. 

How long ago was it that she had given up her eyes? Of a world with colors bright and beautiful instead of outlines of muted black? Was she ten? Fifteen? 

She did not remember too clearly. Nor did she care much. It was just one of many, many things she had sacrificed for the good of the realm. 

"It is a wonder you are able to stay so balanced," came Cicero's voice. It was magically projected or otherwise the speeding winds would have completely drowned it out. The aged elf was hanging on for dear life on one of Gronn's scales, his eyes squinting as they struggled against the buffeting wind. 

It was a miracle that the elf had not fallen off, but that was not due to his own physical strength. A mound of hardened earth covered the lower half of his body, anchoring him to a few of Gronn's scales.

Meld noted Cicero's capabilities. The old elf was surprisingly quick on his feet in terms of magic. Not too surprising, considering he was a scholar who also learned of the magical arts. Specifically, Cicero was an elementalist, being a graduate of Novus, the top academic institution among the elves.

If Meld recalled the history of the academy correctly, then Cicero would have gotten his elementalist degree during a time when Novus was more focused on magic than technology, making him not too shabby with the arcane arts.

Right now, he was using [Rock Tomb], normally a movement suppressing spell, to bind himself down to Gronn.

But nothing that would pose a significant threat should he become one.

"The shadows anchor me," said Meld as she nodded down to her feet. Her voice, too, projected with Cicero's magic. Her legs were halfway sunk into one of Gronn's black scales, twin ripples of shadowy space circling around them, like she was sinking into portals.

"Curious how the powers you heroes possess work," said Cicero. "Not a single bit of mana do I sense, and yet, it would seem that whatever you are doing is magical in nature."

"Not everything revolves around magic," said Meld. "As you must be much familiar with. The elven defense strategy for this invasion utilizes little of the old magic, no?"

"Correct. Fortified artillery lines and mine fields across the western edges of the Republic should easily scatter any charging mass of demons. Then there are the seventy-five wings holding twenty aircraft each. A rail system with steam-trains equipped with heavy cannons that will help in supplies and bombardment. All of this too equipped with ATD shells and explosives."

Meld could sense a slight hint of pride when Cicero listed out his country's military capabilities. A little surprising, considering that the elf was one who seemed more in favor of the Republic when the elves were more known for their magic and wisdom. But she knew that national pride could run deep in the veins. 

"Quite formidable," said Meld. She was one of the very few individuals from the south who would have known about anything Cicero said. Isolated as the north was from the south, the average Soleilan knew of elven machinery only in outdated terms such as 'golems' or 'flying vessels'. 

It had only been a month since Meld had contacted Cicero, but in that time, she had learned a massive amount about the elves and their military capability. In fact, she had probably learned more than what she had gleaned in her past five years working espionage across the northern border. 

And from this sentence, Meld gleaned that ATD, or anti-demon weaponry was now more widespread, indicating that the elves had some way to reverse engineer aspects of the Purgatorio they still had as one of their greatest war assets.

It was one of the theories that Meld was working with. That the elves had some way to reverse engineer their technology and standardize it, for they would never have been able to advance the whole of their society this much in the span of just over a century. 

Either an object or an entity, and so far, though she did not have much to go on, she suspected it was an entity, and her primary suspicion lay with the mysterious figure known as the Chronicler.

Though that suspicion raised so very many questions.

Did the Chronicler hail from a different realm where this technology existed? And yet, if it did, it seemed to be able to engineer technology across many realms and disparate states of advancement. Was it an entity then that could travel across many realms? 

If so, then why was it here? Why did it help the elves? What was its purpose? 

But all questions for later. To ponder when she had more available evidence to work with. 

"Mobilizing all of that military might would have easily razed most of Soleil," said Meld. "And that is not to mention the missiles you speak of. I must wonder as to why the Imperator has not made a move against us yet."

"You know as well as I do why not," said Cicero. "You heroes are the largest deterrent out there. And Sunstar, especially. Bombs and bullets may destroy cities and their citizens, perhaps even kill the duchess, but they will not kill him, and a rampage from him is one that none in this continent would dare to risk.

And that is not to mention that magic is unpredictable, particularly the old and divine power that some pockets of the south still wield. A full-scale offensive would be devastating for both ends, nor would Lucius consider one. Knowing him, he would prefer a more peaceful alternative for an union."

"Perhaps that is why the conflict at the border has never escalated," said Meld. "Magical barriers and artillery standing against each other across mountains, but no troops or vehicles ever passing through. A deadlock for as long as I can remember, no, from even before I was born. 

A permanent state of war between north and south, and yet, not a state of war so real that it affects either country."

"Having an enemy to war against gives Lucius much justification for his power," said Cicero. "I would imagine that your duchess has reached the same conclusion with her populace." 

Meld nodded. "That is the conclusion I have reached. When you reached out to me for the first time a month prior, letting me know that the conflict between our people was essentially orchestrated, I rationalized the revelation as such. 

Yet, I must wonder to what end? Surely, the goals of the crown and your imperator will diverge someday, for neither will give in to the other."

"Lucius seeks for peaceful assimilation. After all, he does not even recognize that Soleil has seceded from the Republic. Bombing what he considers to be rightfully people under the Republic is not something he will easily consider."

"Peaceful? Your imperator, as I am aware through my investigations, has culled much of the beastman people. He packs the rest into reservations or inducts them into cities as laboring second class citizens. Surely, Soleil will only suffer a similar fate, and surely, you understand that the duchess will never allow that to happen."

"I…know Lucius. He is a good elf at heart, dedicated strongly to not only our people, but for the good of the world. Though the years and pressures of rulership may have warped his principles, making him more extreme, I have no doubt that his end vision is one of perfect unification. The beastmen will be uplifted into our progressed society when they are ready, and so too will the south." 

Meld saw Cicero grimace and close his eyes.

"But Lucius cannot be allowed to trample over the fundamental balance that we elves have upheld for millennia. We value innovation and progress and tomorrow, but we do not do so by sacrificing the fruits of yesterday. His experiments with the source bring progress at the cost of ruin to the world.

It pains me to say this as one who once considered him a dear friend, but his rule must end."