Chương 119: The Queen Mother Meets the Green Dragon

In the Frozen Lands, in the small village of Iskaeryn, Felicity and the others had spent the night at a local inn. The sun had just risen. Felicity got up, wrapped herself in her cloak, pulled the hood over her head, and stepped outside. An icy wind tousled her long black hair as snowflakes fell relentlessly, covering everything in a silent blanket of white. She leaned against the wooden railing that ran along the edge of the inn and gazed at the village below.

The small houses were still wrapped in the silence of morning. Beyond them flowed the river, now completely frozen, transformed into a long expanse of white that reflected the faint light of dawn. There was an almost surreal calm. For a moment, the cold seemed to disappear, replaced by the beauty of the landscape. A short while later, Ethan joined her.

"Good morning", he said with a smile. Felicity gave him a slight nod in greeting.

"You look worried", Ethan observed as he stood beside her.

"I am, a little. I'm thinking about how we're going to retrieve the last two swords…especially with Xia in that state", she replied, without taking her eyes off the horizon.

"We'll find a way. We already have five. We can use them to defeat whoever possesses the other two". Felicity sighed.

"That's true. But what if those swords are stronger than ours?" Ethan crossed his arms.

"Stronger than a sword capable of stopping time? I doubt it. But if that's the case, we'll have to rely only on ourselves. And considering that both you and I are excellent swordsmen, we can do it".

"You're very optimistic".

"I can't afford not to be". The smile on Ethan's face faded slightly.

"I lost someone important in these lands. And the thought of losing Agnes…I can't even bring myself to think about it". His voice grew slightly quieter.

"Optimism is what gives me the strength to keep going. It makes me believe in myself even when I have no reason to". Felicity looked at him for a few moments. Then she gave a bitter smile.

"Optimism, huh? Optimism can't save you from death…" She turned back toward the snow-covered landscape. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"But maybe we'll die with a smile". Ethan smiled as well, understanding the irony in her words. Xia was sitting on the bed in her room. One hand was extended toward the sword resting beside her. She tried several times to lift it with magic. Nothing. The sword remained motionless. Xia sank back onto the pillow and ran a hand through her hair, exhausted.

"I thought it was just a dream…" She took a deep breath.

"But it's all real". She remained silent for a few seconds.

"I've lived for more than a thousand years, yet my memory seems to have stopped when I was thirty. But then why did the version of me who possessed those memories decide to give up her memories and powers?" She clenched her fingers.

"What was so important that she wanted to achieve that it could justify such a price?" Her gaze fell upon the sword.

"The swords? Her son?" She stopped.

"Talking about myself in the third person makes no sense…" She lowered her gaze.

"That Xia is me. I should say my son, even though I've never had one". She touched her face, growing increasingly confused.

"Enough. There's no point tormenting myself over this". She closed her eyes.

"It's impossible to enter the mind of the me who no longer exists. It would be like trying to understand what another person is thinking". She slowly inhaled.

"Now I just have to live in the present. Maybe, with time, everything will start to make sense". Meanwhile, Teresa and her guards were still hiding among the rocks, not far from the Green Dragon's eggs. They had been waiting for three painfully long days. They were now at the end of their strength. The water had run out hours ago. The sun burned their skin, and the scorching air made every breath feel like a burden. Teresa was panting, her skin red and painful. Naomi placed a damp cloth on her forehead.

"Are you feeling well, Your Highness?" Teresa looked at her. She was about to answer when a powerful beat of wings tore through the air. Everyone froze. The sound grew louder and louder. Then, from the clouds, a green figure finally emerged. Enormous. Unreal. There was no doubt. It was him. The Green Dragon. Its scales were a deep, dark green. Long, sharp teeth protruded from its jaws, while its yellow eyes, crossed by vertical pupils, carefully surveyed the surrounding area.

It landed near the eggs, sending a cloud of sand and debris into the air. Then it lowered its snout and began sniffing them insistently. Several scents reached its nostrils. The dragon let out a low, threatening growl.

"It noticed us…" the gnome whispered, terrified.

"We have to go, now-" Naomi began. But Teresa stood up.

"Your Highness!" one of the soldiers shouted. She did not stop. She slowly walked toward the dragon. Her heart was pounding. And yet, strangely, it wasn't only fear making it beat so hard. It was adrenaline. It was excitement. After all this time, she had finally found it. The creature raised its head and noticed her. Then it slowly approached. Menacing. Every step made the ground tremble. When it was close enough, it opened its jaws wide. It was ready to incinerate her.

The soldiers remained motionless, unable even to breathe. Teresa, however, continued looking at it. There was no fear on her face, even though her legs were trembling slightly. The dragon seemed confused by her behavior. It hesitated. Teresa took another step. Then she slowly extended her hand. And touched its head, right beside its mouth. The dragon remained motionless. Teresa looked into its eyes. She was overwhelmed with emotion.

"I've been waiting for you…" Her voice trembled slightly.

"You have no idea how long". She continued looking into its eyes.

"You're not alone anymore". The dragon hesitated. Then it slowly closed its mouth. It lowered its snout and sniffed her. That same scent. It was one of the scents it had detected near its eggs. It belonged to her. The dragon could not speak. It could not reason like a human. And yet, it understood something. That woman had been near its offspring. She had watched them. She had spent days beside their eggs. And yet, she had not harmed them. She had not attacked them. She had not fled when it arrived.

On the contrary, she had stayed there. And now she had caressed its snout. It was an unusual gesture. A gesture that only Ugly would have made. For several moments, no one dared to move. The Queen Mother and the Green Dragon stood motionless, facing each other. Finally, after so much time, they had met.