The fires had long been doused, but the heat of the day's events still lingered.
Inside the Ilagron estate, a quiet feast stretched across the long oak tables—not one of celebration, but of uneasy civility.
Platters of roast boar, spiced vegetables, and warm bread filled the air with a richness that could almost distract from the thick tension clinging to the walls.
The delegation from Nozar dined in silence broken only by the clinking of cutlery. Their faces were careful masks, expressions neither grateful nor hostile, simply… observing. Some whispered among themselves between bites, wary of the place that had welcomed them with a public beheading and murdering one of their party members who turned out to be the prince's advisor.
Velena moved between them with all the grace of a queen, despite the dried blood that still stained the edge of her temple. Jesse followed behind her, offering wine with a smile too polished to be real. They played their part well. They were none the wiser.
Outside, beneath the sharp silver gaze of the moon, Lukas stood with Katrina and the Kraken; wind tugging at his cloak. He'd asked to speak to them alone because the two of them would be the only ones who would be with him to find Rodan.
Jesse would need to stay with Velena, to keep up appearances and this would also allow him to look over the growth of the Merchant Guild.
Valkari Ishtar was still someone who Lukas didn't really know if he could trust. Despite her swearing fealty to him to repay him for saving her from the House of Fortunes, he felt unsure of what to make of her. Additionally, the girl was still recovering from all that she had been through. Behind the brave face and bravado she displayed, it was clear that she still had a lot to heal from mentally. It was better if she stayed here in Ilagron for the time being for both her and Lukas' sake.
They stood near the courtyard fountain, the splashes of water the only thing competing with the low murmur of their conversation.
"It's time," Katrina broke the silence, glancing up toward the stars as if they might point the way. "We've waited long enough. We need to find my father. We have to find him before anyone else does, especially Nozar. If it's true that he's killed one of their Admirals then you know they're going to be after him and they are going to want him dead."
"I know," Lukas replied, arms crossed. "We set sail tomorrow. We've done what we can here. It's time to find my brother." He'd already decided that long ago. Now that he was sure that Nozar would not attack Ilagron, he knew that there was no point in stalling because time was not on their side.
Katrina was right. Nozar was after Rodan and they would be gunning for him with a vengeance.
It was then the sound of approaching footsteps broke through the night air.
Lukas turned.
Prince Darren—now draped in the deep blue and silver robes of Nozar's royal line, the sigil of Oceanus glinting at his collar—walked toward them with calm deliberation. He was alone, not even with a single guard accompanying him. And Lukas knew where that confidence came from. This was a man who knew damn well how to take care of himself. He was probably the strongest one among the entire group of soldiers and mages that travelled with him. Their presence would not add to his safety at all. If someone were to threaten his life, them being here would not change whether or not he escaped with his life.
He stopped a few paces away. "I see that you've done away with the mask."
Lukas didn't respond immediately.
He studied the prince's face; clearer now without the pomp, without the misdirection.
There was a quiet intensity behind those eyes. Not malice, not deceit… something else. Something calculating.
"May I have a word?" Darren asked, voice steady. "Alone."
Lukas raised an eyebrow. "And if I say no?"
"That would be quite disappointing." He didn't seem fazed.
Perhaps because he knew Lukas wouldn't refuse him. The dragon was curious. He wasn't sure what to make of the young prince but Lukas had already been meaning to talk to the prince for a while now but never got the chance to do so.
Katrina and the Kraken both tensed slightly, but Lukas waved them off with a subtle gesture.
"Fine," he nodded at the Prince and gestured for him to lead the way to somewhere quieter. "Let's talk."
He followed the prince down the quiet garden path, the lanterns casting long shadows behind them.
They walked a little farther, the gravel path crunching softly underfoot, until they reached a small stone archway overlooking the lower fields of Ilagron.
The moon hung low above them now, casting its cold light across the silent land.
Lukas leaned against the stone. "Alright, Your Highness. What did you want to talk about?"
Prince Darren came to a stop beside him, folding his arms loosely, his royal cloak fluttering faintly in the breeze. For a moment, he simply looked out across the fields, as though searching for the right words.
Then, with the faintest of smiles: "That magic."
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
"I've spent years," the prince continued, "fighting rogue mages, bandits, mercenaries from the fringes of Khaitish and Easthaven— you name it. I've seen all kinds of sorcery. Brutal, clever, explosive. But I've never seen control like that."
Prince Darren Ittriki. He was not the type of royal who had been holed up within a castle, protected from the horrors of the world. he was no spoiled brat. He was scarred from many years on the battlefield, hands that were rough and calloused from wielding a sword for decades.
Lukas said nothing.
"I know it was you," Darren chuckled, glancing at him. "No man I've met— not even the Royal Mages— could do what I just saw hours ago. Not without months of preparation and a dozen incantations. But you?" His eyes gleamed with something close to amusement. "You turned their own spells against them in a matter of seconds. It's like nothing I've ever seen. If you really wanted to, you could have my whole party killed on the spot. And I wanted to thank you for showing us mercy."
Lukas gave a slow shrug. "I don't know what you mean. It was Velena."
The prince laughed. "And I'm a fucking Dragon Lord."
Lukas smirked, knowing that Prince Darren would never know the irony of his joke. If only he knew who Lukas truly was.
After a brief pause, Lukas asked, "You close to the man you had playing the part of prince? The one Velena—" he gestured vaguely, "—put down?" He didn't shy away from what had happened. In fact, he was purposely trying to see if he could get a rise out of Nozar's prince.
Darren's lips twisted slightly. "Not in the slightest. My father put him in place to keep an eye on me. Thought I needed a leash. He was loyal to the crown, not to me. I didn't give the order to strike Velena. He chose to do that and he paid the price." He looked pissed.
He let out a slow breath, as though shaking off the last of his irritation.
"If she hadn't killed him, I probably would have. I was already making arrangements to... replace him."
That caught Lukas off guard.
"You don't sound too fond of your father. The King of Nozar." Lukas noted.
The prince looked at him sideways, a hint of a smirk returning. "That obvious?"
Another beat of silence passed between them. The wind shifted.
Lukas, never one to waste an opening, went straight for the throat.
"So," he said casually, "you gunning for the throne then? Trying to replace your pops as the rightful ruler of Nozar?"
Darren smiled but shook his head. And it was a genuine one. But Lukas could never be sure because the guy knew how to act.
"Gods, no," he said. "You think I want to be King, listen to advisors squabble over grain prices, and pretend to care about nobles stabbing each other for prestige?" He shook his head. "Let my brothers have a go at it. Whoever wants it badly enough to bleed for it."
Lukas tilted his head, intrigued. "Then what do you want?"
Darren's expression softened. "I want to go home. I'm just here because it was on the way and I might as well appease my father. He's had his eyes on Ilagron for a while now but I suppose he'll have to do without the village now. I want to return to my family. None of those Ittriki bastards. I have a son. He's around the Countess' grandson's age now. I have not seen him for years. I've done my part for Nozar. I've fought and it's about time I lay my sword down. Now, I will be a father. A husband. Nothing more. For that is all I need."
For a moment, there was silence again.
A strange calm settled between them—the kind that came from two men who, on paper, should've been enemies… but somehow understood each other far too well.
Lukas felt…envious of the prince. Because he knew his words were real. The emotions he felt for those people, his wife and his children, those emotions were real. Darren had discovered what truly fulfilled him, something that Lukas had only come to know before his dying breath in a past life. That was the life he wanted.
But then he realized, he could have that life. This was his second chance. Right now, in Hiraeth, as Lukas Drakos. But did he deserve that? What if he was just taking away someone else's chance at that life? The true Lukas Drakos, the original possessor of this body. What if he would have gone on to wake up and start a family of his own? Fall in love with somebody and raise a family with them? It wasn't right. That feeling would not go away.
The feeling of guilt.
As Darren turned, he paused — just a step away — and said without looking back, "I overheard you earlier."
Lukas raised a brow. "And?
"I would say safe travels when you set sail on the morrow but I don't think there's anything out there who could threaten your safety," the prince replied, finally glancing back. "I hope you find your brother."
Lukas didn't deny it. "...Thank you, Prince Darren. But the seas aren't as safe as they used to be. I've heard that the seas have actually become quite treacherous. I will need whatever luck I can get."
Darren raised an eyebrow before understanding dawned on him. "You must be talking about the Leviathan. Rodan, was it?" He rolled the words around in his mouth like they left a sour taste. "I don't think you'll have much to worry about any longer. He won't be a problem that you should be wary of by the time you set sail."
"And why is that?"
The prince turned to face him fully now. "Haven't you heard? Oh I suppose the news hasn't reached Ilagron just yet."
Lukas frowned. "What news?"
Darren offered a half-smile, eyes distant. "My father must be truly irritated with the Leviathan—the man has grown too bold, too loud, too much of a nuisance in his waters. Especially after he killed one of our admirals. That must have been a massive hit to his pride. As of last week, my father has finally sent out Nozar's strongest admiral. Hell, he's the strongest man who's ever walked the face of Hiraeth. The only man he trusts to bring back Rodan's head…the one they call The Hero From Another World."