Two days later, after Sile made all the necessary preparations, a group of 25 persons, and a dragon, left Gerlic City unceremoniously. Their destination was the Northern Plains, a journey that could take them half a year going and returning.

A few days later, Sile’s group were traveling by small mountain path. The sound of horse hooves crunching dried autumn leaves and the occasional shrieks of terrorized wild beast was the only thing that could be heard. As for why the wild beast were shrieking in terror?

“Lengsat, get down!” Sile yelled towards the sky in a somewhat irritated tone.

“Why would I? The sky is MY dominion.” Lengsat replied with a light chuckle while diving down towards Sile, who was riding a horse. However… that light chuckle in his true form, that of a shadow dragon around 15 meters long, was a totally nefarious roar for the weak minded horses and wild beast. If it wasn’t for the fact that they were Paladin mounts, they probably would have fled long ago.

“We are approaching and encampment, and there are citizens in there, they cannot see you like that or you will produce a huge commotion!” Sile yelled while biting her rosy lips with the back of her teeth in anger.

“Fine, fine…” Lengsat said calmly, and then his figure started changing and shrinking while in midair to that of a young dark elf. When he landed near Sile, his lower half mystically blended with the shadow left by her horse, allowing him to catch with the pace of Sile’s group without needing to ride a mount.

Those paladins and soldiers who were following Sile could only laugh silently in their hearts, trying not to draw her attention. Although not all of them were close to Sile, those who have seen her, especially the Paladins, instructed the rest to remain silent each time that a scene of this type played between Sile and Lengsat, after all, things like this has always happened since Sile was just a child.

Sile’s great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, a famed warrior of the western kingdoms, saved from a life threatening situation and adult shadow dragon named Lafrit.

Lafrit made part of the Northern Dragonflight, and as a means of repayment, he promised Sile’s ancestor that he would protect him and ten generations of his bloodline with his life. Sile’s mother, a beautiful bard named Theresia, was the eight generation.

Her husband was a famous Arch Mage from the Blue Rod School called Antuan. He died during the warfare with the Northern Star Academy, and after the Blue Rod School was completely flattened, Theresia was pursued, suspecting that she could have the treasures that Antuan possessed in life.

Lafrit was already old, and he could only muster about a tenth of the power he had in his glorious days. Because his pride as a Dragon, he never requested any help from his brethren. Theresia didn’t put any blame on him, she had heard many times the tales that her fathers and grandfathers had told her about how fiercely Lafrit had fought in order to fulfill his promise, and she knew that the debt of gratitude was paid many times over.

With a broken heart, an old dragon, friends of his husband with thirst for vengeance, and any other ally she could muster, Theresia mustered her courage and headed to the Northern Star Academy, not with kind intentions.

In the midst of a battlefield Theresia sang her last ballad, a ballad of hope and despair, a ballad of life and death, a ballad which she sang with her soul. In the midst of a battlefield, she died.

She didn’t live long enough to see the conclusion of the battle, but she didn’t regretted that. With her last breath, she commended Lafrit one last mission: To take her sole daughter to a land far away, where the peace prevailed and the flowers bloomed. She died smiling, singing for a future full of happiness for Sile, with eagerness to reunite with his husband.

The moment the last shine vanished from Theresia’s eyes, Lafrit was completely enraged, beyond mad. Burning his own life force he entered in a frenzied state, the mad roars of a dragon could be heard in the soul of each one of those who were in that battle, and would never leave the hearts of those who survived. Disregarding his own safety, he attacked savagely without caring of incoming attacks if it meant killing someone.

Lafrit’s true nature shined. For a dragon, their biggest form of glory is dying in the midst of a formidable battlefield. With his own power he tipped the scales of the battle completely and in the end, Theresia’s side won. The price, his own life.

Fatally wounded, Lafrit made a beckoning, which in turn was answered by Lengsat, his own son. He didn’t need much to convince him to fulfil the last part of his promise and protect two more generations of the bloodline of that famed warrior who saved him. Although Lengsat left the shadow of the protection of his father long ago, the true bond between dragons is as strong as their pride.

By instructions of his father, Lengsat found Sile in Carunder, the capital of the kingdom of Sergeria, one of the five western kingdoms. She was only a five years old child, and a beautiful one at that. He traveled with her towards the Holy Empire of Ivalice, a journey that lasted for almost three years.

In the midst of their journey towards the Holy Empire of Ivalice, Lengsat sensed that Sile had an excellent affinity towards the alignment auras. Sin he is a shadow dragon, he naturally had a high affinity towards alignment auras instead of the elemental essences, and without thinking it too much, he linked his own soul with hers, awakening her hidden potential and infusing her with part of his own power.

When Sile turned ten, she entered a second rate school of paladins. However, not much time passed until the masters of the school discovered that Sile’s prowess was extremely high for her age. She was recommended to a more prestigious school where she shined once again. Then another, and another.

At the age of twelve, she participated in the national jousts of the Holy Empire of Ivalice… in the bracket for 18 to 20 years old. Many thought that whoever let her participate was crazy, until she displayed her strength which left everyone on scene completely astonished. She won easily every match without a single scratch in her armor.

Her display called the attention of the elders of the Order of Exalted Paladins. They extended an invitation to her for joining the most elite school in the empire, which was famed as the most powerful circle of paladins in the world.

At the age of eighteen, she became the direct disciple of the former master of the Order of Exalted Paladins, Isiurem Sicer. Two years later, her master disappeared, and the elders appointed her as the new True Paladin of the Order of Exalted Paladins.

And now, using an scouting mission as excuse, she is looking for the whereabouts of his masters to return the confidence of the upper circles of the kingdom to the Order.