“Yes the goddess! She’s going to be reclaiming her divinity any moment now and we can’t miss it, let’s go!” Lyrria screamed before running out of his cave and taking off into the air with her magnificent wings.

“Really?!” Theodore yelled with wide eyes before he too flung himself into the air, following Lyrria as she made her way up the Dragon Mountain “Why didn’t you say so earlier?!”

“I did, you idiot! Multiple times too!” Lyrria said as looked back at Theodore with a look of disdain.

At this, Theodore chose to be silent. He was just a Stage 4 Magic Beast with no special bloodline so his cognitive ability wasn’t all that great, and he was fully aware of how worse it became when he was just waking up, so it was probably true that she had told him earlier, but it flew over his head in his drowsiness.

‘Tch, the fact that she also wacked my head a few times must have made it worse. Maybe I would have heard if she hadn’t shaken my brain so much. Hmph!’ Theodore thought in an attempt to console himself.

“Theo!” Lyrria called out. She had stopped moving forward and was now looking back at the grey Dragon whilst she suspended herself in the air with a few periodic flaps. There was an awkward expression on her face as she looked back at Theodore’s eyes and it was clear that what she was about to say next made her uncomfortable.

Theodore slowed to a stop and sighed. But before the inner turmoil in his heart could show itself on his face, he put on a grin and said. “I know, I know! Don’t worry about me, just go! It would be bad if your Father saw us together so you should go first. I’d rather not die just yet~”

However, Lyrria seemed to see right through his façade. “Theo, you know-”

“Yes, yes, I know. You love me and I love you, blah blah blah. Look, the goddess won’t wait for any of us so just go already!”

That seemed to get her. She blinked with light surprise, almost as if she had forgotten about the goddess, before she sighed and turned around, flying off into the distance with greater speed than before.

Theodore too sighed as he started counting in his head, however, the soul-stirring sight of Lyrria in flight was too distracting so he closed his eyes.

The truth was that both Theodore and Lyrria were in a romantic relationship. After a mystical encounter in the Forest below, both Dragons had gone from a relationship that was filled with despise, hatred, and sexual tension, to a loving romantic relationship with only a few clashes here and there. But that was their thing.

Lyrria was a Fire Dragon and they were renowned for their volatile and often violent personalities, and he was a snappy, grumpy, rebellious Dragon that resented the World for his lack of inborn talent. And although he sometimes regretted how terrible his personality could be, he couldn’t deny the chemistry that he had with the fiery Dragoness, and he wouldn’t trade that away for the World.

However, the problem was that… Lyrria was the daughter of not just an Elder Dragon, but a Supreme Dragon! The Supreme Fire Dragon, Osmont, to be exact.

Osmont was often regarded as the right hand of the Dragon King himself, and had a large influence over the dwellers of the Western Forest, Dragon or not. So how could he allow his own daughter to entertain a talentless trash like Theodore? It would never happen!

So for this reason, Theodore, brave as he was in even knowing this and still retaining his relationship with Lyrria, still made sure that their relationship was never found out. So in situations like this where they would be seen in public, it was best to act like they didn’t know each other.

That was why Lyrria had flown ahead. It wasn’t the first time and it… wouldn’t be the last.

Theodore gritted his teeth and focused on waiting for the appropriate time to start moving.

‘Soon… No matter what I have to do, I will grasp power with my own claws and proudly raise my head above the clouds with Lyrria by my side for all to see. So please, Lyrria… Don’t give up on me just yet!’

…

Soon, Theodore had reached the lower mid-levels of the Dragon Mountain, but he wasn’t looking nearly as excited as he was at the start of this journey. Instead, an aloof and grim was worn on his face. Looking very much the part of the lone Wolf. But it soon became clear why.

“Wow, would you look at that guys~, look who’s finally decided to show his face.” came the distant jeering voice of a male Dragon.

‘Fuck, it’s him.’ Theodore thought with rage and a tad bit of fear, but he did not let it show on his face.

All this time, as more and more Dragons who had the same destination as him came into view, they would stare at him like as if he were one of the lowly creatures that lived in the Forest below, gossiping silently with their friends and laughing each time his flying became a little turbulent (He wasn’t a great flyer either). But even if he was used to it, it still managed to irk him each and every time, which was why he was so sullen. However, for the most part, they had left him alone.

Until now.

Theodore had no doubt that the Dragon that he hated the most, wouldn’t be willing to leave him alone with just a few words.

“Hahaha~ why are you flying so fast, my friend? It’s been so long so Let’s have a chat, shall we?” came the voice of the same male Dragon, but this time from a much closer distance. And the few deep laughs that followed after signified that he wasn’t alone.

‘Lo and behold’ Theodore thought bitterly.

WHOOOSH!