Chapter 3: Limgrave - 2

With drive in their every movement, Ashborn and Melina strolled down Stormhill. They were arm-in-arm, Then, it suddenly occurred to Ashborn how odd he and Melina's arrangement was. In the Lands Between, a cute, wholesome couple walking arm-im-arm was a concept lost far before the Shattering, so he couldn't help but feel a little odd, being so close with Melina.

One of the best parts about having Shadows was that they'd handle all the combat and allow Ashborn to take it easily. This time, Ashborn allowed his Shadow Maiden, Omen, Crucible Knight, and Lion Guardian lead the combat, and they did so effectively enough that Ashborn didn't have to lift a finger.

That allowed Ashborn to speak to Melina, who was keeping herself so close.

"What is this about?" He asked, feeling no need to pay attention to the fairly obvious oddity. Melina was not a horribly affectionate individual, and he'd gained the knowledge that she showed her admiration through other means, like guiding him whenever she'd get the chance. And because Ashborn knew Melina's tendencies well, he knew this fell outside of the norm.

For a second, Melina didn't respond, and he thought she'd ignore him entirely, but then she spoke, her voice calm and rational. "I must present to Roderika that I am your first companion. She may take her position as your second companion, but only if she respects our bond."

Melina's casual claim to be Ashborn's first companion sent his heart aflutter with accompanying butterflies in his stomach. His face reddened, but he didn't specifically try to hide it. Rather, his head was stuck on the second half of Melina's words.

"Second companion?" He repeated. He understood what she meant, but something about her words Ashborn couldn't easily comprehend.

"Yes. If you want to take someone else as your companion, whether that'd be Fia, or Roderika, Nepheli, or Latenna, I will happily accept them as mine. I wish for your happiness," Melina explained. She sounded quite determined, but Ashborn was somewhat hesitant about the idea. He opened his mouth, but before he spoke, Melina interrupted him. "Of course, I understand having more… um, lovers, may not guarantee happiness, but I feel as if you would take joy in making others happy, as you have in the past."

Ashborn was pretty surprised to hear Melina stumble over her words. In all the time he'd known her, she seemed very experienced in… everything. However, with something as simple as the word, "lover" — which is what they were, just without much physicality. They were still very romantic, even if they weren't very physical with one another — caused her to nearly stutter.

Oddly enough, a flash of memories shot through Ashborn, as he looked at Melina's red hair. That hair was inherited from Radagon, Melina's father. Melina's mother was Queen Marika. And those two were actually one being, by way of their spiritual union.

With parents like hers, Ashborn could understand why she'd be most inexperienced in love out of everything. Even now, holding Ashborn's arm, he could feel her shaking. If she had a body, he was pretty sure he could feel her heart thumping, but as she was bodiless, that wasn't the case.

Refocusing on the current situation, he coughed lightly, trying to push his blush away. "I'll… remember that. I don't believe I'm particularly valued as a lover by more than just you, but if the situation — heh — arises, we should think about it."

The two stopped talking just as the Stormhill Shack came to their view. Despite her original words, Melina let go of Ashborn and allowed him to move forward on his own. She understood that Roderika wasn't in much of a state to think about love as she was and didn't feel like it was her place to be present for Ashborn's conversation with her.

Sensing her intentions, Ashborn gave her a hug, causing her to tense up. However, after a moment, she eased into it, hugging Ashborn back. It was an odd feeling for the woman, but one that filled her with satisfaction and warmth.

Ashborn slowly entered the shack. Roderika didn't notice him, her head lowered as she looked at her crossed legs.

Roderika was a talented Spirit Tuner, allowing Ashborn's Spirit Ashes to be upgraded as long as she was provided with the proper materials. With Hewg's guidance, her talent was something invaluable for Ashborn. And now, more than ever, if she could help his Shadows, her presence would be more valuable than ever.

She was a blonde, blue-eyed traveler wearing a red hood and form-fitting Noble Garb. She wasn't from the Lands Between, but she'd traveled there with soldiers to be grafted. To them, the process of being grafted seemed positive, like the transformative state between being a chrysalid and a butterfly.

As Ashborn understood it, their understanding was immensely flawed.

Her shoulders slumped as she murmured to herself. "What will I do? My craven heart stops me from joining my men as a chrysalid. I'm just too scared." She noticed Ashborn, looking up. Her teary eyes shimmered. "Oh? Are you on your —"

Roderika suddenly froze. She suddenly looked away from Ashborn, her eyes shooting to the ground at his feet.

Ashborn didn't know why, but he suddenly remembered when Roderika warned him about the howling spirits around the Dungeater. He didn't sense any similar agony or even dissatisfaction from his Shadows, but Roderika may've had a better understanding. If so, he needed to know. If he was torturing the spirits he was summoning, he'd need to rethink how he'd move forward.

"What's wrong?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't be too afraid to tell him.

She sniffled, before beginning to prostrate to Ashborn. It completely caught him by surprise, and he could barely react as she began crying out.

"I'm sorry for my incompetence, I didn't mean to meet your eyes! Please forgive me, my Lord!" Roderika cried. "Those spirits… they love you so completely I shouldn't even look!"

Ashborn blinked. He never expected it, but it turned out to be the exact opposite of what he thought. Unlike the Dungeater's pained spirits, Ashborn's Shadows held nothing but love for him. It was reassuring, but he didn't quite understand why Roderika was referring to him as a Lord.

He took a very cautious step forward, and Roderika remained in her spot. However, as Ashborn got closer to the woman, she quivered and trembled. He slowly lowered himself down and laid his hand on her shoulder.

The woman let out a moan. Ashborn really couldn't tell if it was out of pleasure or agony, and while he didn't want it to be the latter, he didn't know how to feel about the former. Regardless, he spoke very cautiously to not to scare Roderika off.

"I'm… not a Lord or anything," Ashborn told her. He hoped that'd be the right thing to do, but when she rose her head to face him, he realized it may've been a poor decision.

Her eyes were teary enough that it was only a guarantee the tears would overflow soon. However, her eyes were filled with passion. "Those spirits, they… they adore you so wholly!"

Then, her eyes widened, she shut her mouth, and returned to her position. She said, "O-Oh my, I'm sorry, my Lord. I've forgotten myself."

Ashborn stared at Roderika for a moment, trying to recenter himself. In his past life, Roderika was kind and personable, but she also wasn't constantly bowing her head to Ashborn. She was shy, certainly, but this was an entirely new level.

However, he didn't have to be dragged by this shift. He remembered Roderika's plight, and suddenly realized that no matter what he did, Roderika would probably see him as her Lord. Still, that didn't change the fact that he needed her, and that he would feel better if she was protected properly.

"Your men, they were grafted, correct?" He asked.

Roderika nodded profusely but didn't move from her spot. "Y-Yes, my Lord. I, too, should be grafted, but I am too scared. The process seems to hurt, although I am getting used to this… pain thing."

Ashborn wondered if this was being manipulative, but then remembered that hadn't ever changed him in the past.

'Besides, I am telling the truth here,' he silently noted.

He began. "I've contacted your men's spirits, and they don't wish for you to go through the grafting. Rather, I have somewhere else you can go to. The Roundtable Hold will take you, and it will give you a path forward."

Roderika whimpered, trying to stifle a cry. However, she did nod, showing that she understood, even as her shoulders trembled. Ashborn sat a hand on her shoulder once more before rising and beginning to walk from the shack.

"If you please, my Lord," Roderika called quietly. He turned back to see her head still down, but now she was holding a small box above her head. It was the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes, and Ashborn had called its aid a few times in the past. "Take this spirit with you, her name is —"

"Aurelia," Ashborn softly interrupted. It wasn't intentional, but he remembered Aurelia's plight well. She and her sister were separated, and she was searching for the Stargazers' Ruins, which was once her home. She simply wished to be reunited with her dear sister, something Ashborn could somewhat relate to. "I'll take her with me. Arise."

At Ashborn's word, the Jellyfish rose from the Ashes, completely black with traces of purple energy. Ashborn felt the spirit's joy to join him while she gave a silent, bittersweet goodbye to Roderika. Aurelia slunk into the Shadows, satisfied with her goodbye.

Roderika looked up slowly as Ashborn turned away, and before he walked out of her sight, she asked him a question. "My Lord, will we meet again?"

Ashborn smiled, "Of course, Roderika."

Roderika's eyes widened. She'd never told him her name, and yet he said it with full confidence. There was always the chance that Aurelia told him, but she had a very different feeling. She had a feeling he knew exactly who she was before they'd even met. The realization only solidified her thoughts of Ashborn being something otherworldly, out of her reach.

Ashborn returned to Melina with slumped shoulders. She tilted her head, and he let out a deep sigh.

"I wasn't expecting her to think I was a Lord or something. Her acute spiritual senses led her to a conclusion before I could refute it," he groaned.

Melina gave him a very soft smile. "Oh Ashborn, you must realize, she may be the most accurate thus far."

"Huh?"

Melina gestured for Ashborn to continue following her, down Stormhill, and he did so. She began, "Your position as a successor to an Outer God makes you a presence far beyond even my mother. So, Roderika may've been the most accurate understanding of who you are."

Ashborn hummed, letting that information sink in before he furrowed his brows and huffed, pursing his lips. "Hm. I'll have to make it clear to her that I consider her a friend then."

"Indeed."

With that, the two continued onwards, until they approached the location of Boc the Seamster. They heard a voice calling out to them, despite being surrounded by trees and bushes. There was no one else around, and that was where Boc the Seamster's tale began.

"Oi! You two! Won't you help me out? Why won't anybody look me in the eyes…?" Boc cried, causing Melina to look around confusedly.

Ashborn tsked dramatically and walked up to one of the trees. It was a bit smaller, but it didn't look out of place in the slightest. Ashborn looked down to the tree with a warm smile.

"Boc, you have to remember, we can't see you if you're a tree," Ashborn couldn't help but smile. Boc was one of the few individuals with a shining personality that deserved more recognition.

Ashborn failed to show Boc his worth in the past, and he was reborn by Rennala. He became human, but due to the imperfect nature of Rennala's rebirths, Boc lost his personality, and Ashborn could no longer speak to the demi-human in times of need.

Ashborn flicked the tree lightly and it flickered away, revealing Boc underneath. He was a less-than-average height demi-human, with more of an animal than a human appearance. He bore a feathered bowler hat and peasant's clothing that left his hairy arms revealed to the world.

"A-Ah, oh, I remember now! Some clod turned me into a tree. I apologize, sir. A-As you know, my name is Boc. I was pushed from my home, and then I was turned into a tree, so thank you for breaking that curse. I'm really lucky for you, Master," Boc hummed, bobbing somewhat in place. "Boc the Seamster is at your service. O-Oh, but I can't help much right now. When they threw me from the cave, they took everything I had. B-But if you give me a bit of time, I'll be of some real use to you! Until then, take these, they're all I've got."

Boc tried to hand Ashborn some mushrooms thankfully, but Ashborn shook his head gently, sticking a dozen Shadow Infantry's to Boc's protection. "Boc, thank you, but I'm okay. More importantly, just stay safe."

Ashborn had a feeling telling Boc that he'd handle it would be a poor decision, as Boc's confidence was already low. And with his Shadows, he was positive Boc's safety would be guaranteed. However, just in case, he stuck a dozen more Shadow Infantry on Boc as well, just in case something went horribly wrong.

"Master, oh thank you! I will, I promise! And… and that woman, is she…?" Boc looked over to Melina, who was looking at the scene blankly. To Ashborn, it was an inquisitive gaze, but Boc sensed that she didn't like him.

Ashborn smiled. "She's… my companion."

Melina looked away, her face growing a very faint blush. Boc understood Ashborn and approached Melina, bowing lightly. She looked at him with a confused expression.

"M-My Lady," he said. And then, to Ashborn and Melina's surprise, Boc presented Melina with a simple rose. "To match your beauty."

Melina glanced at Ashborn, who shrugged happily. She softly took the rose from Boc, bowing her head lightly. "I thank you, seamster."

Boc nodded profusely, seeming overjoyed by Melina's words. Then, he turned back to Ashborn and bowed once. "I will be back soon, Master. With this incredible motivation, nothing will stop me!"

Box ran off towards his destination, the Coastal Cave. Ashborn hoped his Shadows were speedy enough to have cleared the entire cave out, but if not, Boc still had protection on him, which he knew would be sufficient.

Ashborn whistled, ready to move to the next location, the Church of Elleh, but Melina was stuck looking at Boc's gifted rose. It took him a moment to realize it, but her eyes were almost tearful. She clearly wasn't saddened, and the smile on her face was one of the rarities Ashborn cherished.

"A flower. I've never had a flower gifted to me," she said, stunned. Ashborn blinked, and it slowly caught up to him that Boc was currently one point ahead of him in making his lover feel appreciated. A fiery passion and determination were lit aflame by her words.

"In this life, I promise, you'll experience things beyond your imagination. Just make sure to appreciate the small things too," Ashborn smiled, his brain already beginning to work overtime to think of a proper gift for Melina.

The woman ripped her eyes away from the rose, smiling to Ashborn. He softly took the rose from her and placed it in her hair, allowing the scarlet flower to complement the red of her hair. She just stared at him, silent and reddened.

He ran his knuckle gently down her face, smiling.

"That fits you well," he spoke gently, and her face became redder. He laughed, pulling away from her and pulling her along with her hand. "Come, we've got Kale to see."

Melina couldn't even speak as she was pulled along. Ashborn's actions almost entirely caused her to shut down. She wasn't used to such gentle physical touch, and it only occurred to her that she felt physical touch several times since this new life. She thought of bringing it up, but by the time the thoughts properly formed, the two had arrived at the Church of Elleh.

Or, what used to be the Church of Elleh.

Instead, it was all burnt to the ground, clearly done recently. The ground was singed black, and traces of Madness lingered.

Ashborn's heart ached. Last he saw Kale he was driven by despair. After his dream of learning the history of merchants was shattered by reality, he lost everything. And Ashborn didn't follow the Frenzied Flame, instead restarting the world with the assistance of an Outer God.

So, if Kale was like any of the other people he'd encountered, he should've been here. But he wasn't.

Something had changed, and despite having no proof of it, Ashborn had a feeling it had to do with the other Outer Gods, specifically the Frenzied Flame. If it told Kale the truth and manipulated him….

"Please be safe, Kale. We'll meet again, I promise," Ashborn murmured, and Melina spoke up. She seemed mostly recovered from her earlier embarrassment, although her cheeks were still faintly red.

"It seems the Outer Gods are already acting. What shall we do next?" Melina asked, before she looked out into the distance, at the Erdtree. "If you'd like, we could return to the Roundtable Hold. Gideon, Hewg, Fia, Corhyn, Diallos, and more reside there. It may be beneficial for us to go there before fighting Godrick. The Weeping Peninsula is also an option, as Castle Morne and Irina lie there."

Ashborn nodded, pulling his eyes away from the ruined spot where the Church of Elleh once stood.

Both paths — the Roundtable Hold or Castle Morne in the Weeping Peninsula — were viable. Even beyond that, he could probably go meet Sellen at Waypoint Ruins or Blaidd at Mistwood Ruins.

He could take down the Flying Dragon Agheel at the lake of the same name. If he did, he'd get a chance to meet Hunter Yura, and the annoying Patches. And he'd get a dragon as a Shadow, which seemed like a fair enough reason all on its own.

With so many valuable options, Ashborn didn't see much point in hyper focusing on Godrick. The demigod wouldn't be going anywhere, unless Ashborn's raiding of his castle spurred him to action. And while that seemed logical, he knew Godrick to be quite cowardly.

Godrick was the type of demigod who would wait for combat until it fitted him most. And with all the fallen bodies around the castle, he would probably attempt to graft some of the stronger ones to his body.

So Ashborn would have some time to act, even before Godrick could act. In that time, he could defeat Agheel, find Yura and Patches, help Irina and raid Castle Morne, meet Blaidd, and introduce himself to Sellen.

Melina's eyebrows rose as she read his expression. "More Limgrave?"

Ashborn looked out to the vastness of Limgrave, mentally noting the locations as he scanned over them. "Agheel, Yura, Patches, Sellen, Irina, Castle Morne, and Blaidd." He didn't feel like giving much more of an explanation, and because of his relationship with Melina, he didn't have to. She understood what Ashborn meant, whether it was about people, enemies, or locations, in Castle Morne's case.

Melina slowly nodded, understanding Ashborn's path. "Will you be able to defeat Agheel? Grace no longer guides you, so the guarantee of second chances is no longer."

Ashborn smiled at Melina before shrugging nonchalantly. He pointed out towards a Tree Sentinel, a horseback riding knight that wielded a golden halberd. At one point, the knight killed Ashborn hundreds of times.

As Melina's attention fell on the knight, Ashborn disappeared. The ground didn't crumble behind him, but Melina couldn't recognize his speed until after he'd landed, a gust of wind following him. He cracked his neck and Melina into his hand, seeing a blade, covered in blood.

On his path, the Tree Sentinel's head flew as the body slid off its horse. The horse's lifeforce was connected to the Sentinel's and as such, the horse fell to the ground, dead.

Ashborn gave Melina a thumbs-up, "I think I'll be just fine."

The Maiden of Destined Death bowed her head, "Good."

With a word, the Tree Sentinel rose, and with a gesture, Ashborn and Melina began journeying towards Lake Agheel, confidence in their every movement.

-----

Arriving at Lake Agheel, Ashborn gathered up his army's strongest Shadows. Due to Agheel's position as a Flying Dragon, most of Ashborn's Shadows wouldn't be able to touch him while he was in the air. However, Agheel was not airborne 100% of the time, so Ashborn's land dwelling Shadows would have a few chances to wail on the dragon.

He gathered a Flying Squad, composed of Stormhawk Deenh and 9 Warhawks. If his plan worked correctly, he'd be able to pressure Agheel even while it was airborne.

As he looked out onto the Lake, his Shadows readying themselves underneath him, he felt his body shaking. A little bit was nervousness, another bit was anticipation, and the last bit was out of excitement.

Agheel was the first real threat he faced on his journey, one that made him face his weakness. He was also the first threat Ashborn truly enjoyed fighting, so going back to such an enemy would certainly be like traveling through memory lane.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Melina reading a tome they found in the Dragon Burnt ruins. The Dragon Burnt ruins were found in Lake Agheel, and in the past Ashborn would've worried about waking the dragon. Now, he just took out all the enemies in a few moments, without waking the menacing enemy.

The book was a spell or incantation about the Fell God. He had no idea what it would do, and he just prepared to give it to Corhyn, but Melina expressed a desire to read it for herself, so he encouraged her to do so.

He observed her for a moment, taking in her stunning beauty. Then, he continued to observe Agheel, noting the dragon's sleeping form. He was still using the Ornamental Straight Swords, but Ashborn could tell they were beginning to fail him a bit. Without Grace to assist him, the blades were starting to falter.

He'd have to get the swords to Hewg as soon as possible, or better yet, find a more effective weapon to use overall. He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside, he'd have all the time to worry about weapons after killing Agheel.

He glanced at Melina, "Don't miss me too much." Without waiting for her response, Ashborn began dashing towards Agheel, holding his swords in a reverse-grip.

"I won't," Melina responded, and despite her words, a small smile was beginning to form.

The shallow lake water was scattered and transformed into constant rain as Ashborn blew through the lake. Even before he arrived, Agheel began rising from its slumber, laying its eyes on Ashborn. It began flapping its wings and Ashborn was pushed back as air whipped around, the dragon beginning to fly, just as its namesake suggested.

Ashborn fell into a roll, and his shadow spread out in all directions, and a few of his soldiers began to rise. From head to toe, they were all cloaked in black, with purple energy rising from them every few seconds.

His Shadow Maiden, Stormhawk Deenh, his Omen, his Lion Guardian, his Crucible Knight, the Tree Sentinel, 9 Warhawks, and all 169 Exile Soldiers rose. It was a formidable army, and while numbers weren't everything in a fight, Ashborn knew they could make a massive difference. All at once, the ranged Shadows took aim at the dragon.

The Exile Soldiers with their bows and the Shadow Maiden with her magic. They didn't release their attacks, simply waiting. At the same time, Deenh and the flying squadron began splitting up to harass the dragon at any airborne location. The Crucible Knight rode Deenh's back, also able to fly, if only for limited periods of time.

As soon as Agheel took a breath in — the telltale sign of the dragon's incoming flames, the attacks went flying. The sky was covered in black arrows, no longer limited by the Exile Soldier's physical arrows. At the same time, a large blast of blue energy led the pack, the Shadow Maiden's work.

The Crucible Knight had the Shadow Maiden on his horse, allowing them to flee from the inevitable wave of fire. The Omen rode the Lion Guardian, following Ashborn, who was beginning to make his move.

Ashborn dashed through his incredibly organized Shadows, emerging from the other side, and continuing to race underneath the dragon, all while the arrows and magic hid his escape. His three Shadows barely managed to keep up but manage, they did.

Before the sea of black arrows could hit Agheel, his signature flames appeared. The sea was destroyed in mere moments, with the flames destroying many of the Exile Soldiers underneath. The Shadow Maiden and Tree Sentinel managed to skid by, by the Flying Dragon's attention landed on them because of that.

It flew overhead towards them, breathing more flames even as the Shadow Maiden created a magical shield and bore the brunt of the attack. As Agheel's flames ended, his end began. He began to land, attempting to destroy the Shadow Maiden and Tree Sentinel with all his might.

'Now should be good!' Ashborn slid to a stop, turned around, and grabbed the Omen and Lion Guardians' hand and paw respectively. It was an awkward movement, but he ignored it. He stepped forward and slung them towards the dragon, accounting for distance and drag with his throw.

At the same time, the flying squadron plus the Crucible Knight dove towards Agheel. Then, Ashborn leapt into the air, gracefully using the flying Warhawks as steppingstones to his goal. He kicked off the last one and went soaring. He took his blades into his hands and, as he slowly began to fall, he simply waited.

Agheel bit and clawed at the Shadow Maiden and the Tree Sentinel, and he successfully managed to destroy the magical shield, only to be confronted by the Tree Sentinel's large physical shield but before he could push any further, something slammed into him, taking him to the ground.

It was the Lion Guardian. It began to claw at his eyes with an animalistic viciousness, and, while Agheel could only roar and swipe at the lion, the Omen landed, beginning to stab the mighty dragon in its legs. At the exact same time, the majority of the Exile Soldiers finished regenerated and fired another menacing volley at Agheel.

As the arrows began biting into the dragon's weaker underbelly flesh, revealed when the Lion Guardian knocked the dragon over, the flying squadron and Crucible Knight swooped in. However, before they could do much, the dragon flapped its wings repeatedly and began to take off.

The Lion Guardian and Omen were knocked aside, into the Shadow Maiden and Tree Sentinel. The flying squad ended up being knocked back too, although the Crucible Knight summoned a pair of golden wings and continued to advance, even against the intense winds.

With so many enemies lower than it, the Flying Dragon Agheel didn't even think to look up.

And from above, Ashborn looked down with glowing purple eyes. He smiled, and with all the strength in his body, he brought his swords down, biting into the Flying Dragon's neck. He got about halfway through, sending blood spurting just about everywhere, mixing with the raining lake water. The flying Dragon's attention fell on Ashborn, and it began to struggle in order to get Ashborn off.

Ashborn easily fell off, smiling. "You really shouldn't be worried about me," Ashborn tsked.

Of course, the warning would be useless for the dragon, as the Crucible Knight closed the distance and began slicing at the exact same spot as Ashborn, just from the other angle. The knight's sword moved with incredible strength, cutting through the dragon's weaker flesh easily.

It met Ashborn's cut quite easy, and the Flying Dragon was easily decapitated.

As Ashborn fell to the ground, rolling against it, he let out a relaxed sigh, cracking his neck. "Easy enough," he grinned.

And then, the corpse hit the ground, more lake water being thrown into the air. The head came down a second later, as rain pelted Ashborn's head. He took a long look at the fallen dragon, feeling immensely satisfied with the outcome of the battle.

Without the largest threat to worry about, many of the Exile Soldiers began flanking out, continuing to search the area without fear or worry.

Ashborn approached the dragon's corpse, a large plume of black energy rising from the monster's corpse. It was a sight Ashborn felt like he'd never tire of. Before he could get within summoning distance, he was stopped by his very excited Lion Guardian, who ran around him quite happily, wanting to be pat.

Ashborn happily obliged, giving the beastie a much-deserved round of pets. The monster happily ran off, determined to continue its hard work elsewhere.

His Tree Sentinel, Omen, Crucible Knight, and Shadow Maiden all bowed their heads in eerie synchronization before splitting up, all equally determined to work harder than the others. The Crucible Knight held his head up high, quite satisfied about being able to do Agheel in.

The flying squadron stayed together, as their efficiency rose when they could pick off enemies together. They all flew with a determination that said they wanted to work harder too.

"Jeez, you're all very useful," Ashborn sighed. His words heavily boosted the morale of his soldiers, and he could see they were all excited to move forward, even as they disappeared from his sight.

Ashborn was left with the dragon's body, and after retrieving his weapons, he happily extended a hand to the dragon.

"Arise."

Unlike before, Ashborn was nearly blown off his feet by a burst of energy from the corpse. He felt his smile widen, "So you're a fighter, huh? Good. I need that. Now, arise, Agheel."

At first, there was silence, but then there were shivering booms of energy, and Ashborn took a step back to see the view a bit better. One arm at a time, the monster's spirit rose from its corpse, its black, scaled body revealed itself.

[Shadow Dragon]

[Agheel]

[Rank: 5]

It didn't look much different, with two wings that were still attached to its arms. It was technically a Wyvern, but everyone called it a dragon, and Ashborn didn't care to disagree much. The dragon's horns were extended, but beyond that, it looked about the same. Not that it mattered much, for what Ashborn cared most about, the dragon was incredibly strong, and it was big enough to fit both Ashborn and Melina on its back.

The monster met Ashborn's eyes and bowed its head entirely, resting itself softly on the ground. Ashborn laid his hand on the dragon's snout, and he felt a sense of elation run through the beast. To his side, he felt Melina appear, with her book tucked under her arm.

"I suppose you're done here?" She asked, as if it wasn't the coolest thing in the world for Ashborn to have a dragon under his rule. That, of course, wouldn't stand with Ashborn.

"Pshh, yes, of course! But look at Agheel! Isn't he cute?!" Ashborn rubbed the big dragon's head ferociously, causing it to break into a large dragon grin as its tail whipped from side to side.

Melina spent a moment simply staring in disbelief. She hadn't even noticed when her mouth had fallen open. She barely recollected herself when Ashborn looked back at her. She said, "I suppose… that would be an appropriate observation."

Ashborn continued patting Agheel, and in a baby voice, he said, "She's just jealous, Agheel, she wants to get all my attention, but I'm giving it to you, oh yes I am!"

Melina's face reddened and she turned away, quietly saying, "I'm not jealous…."

Ashborn giggled, having heard Melina. He stopped petting Agheel, smiling. "More importantly, now our travel speed has totally increased. If we wanted, we could probably head to Volcano Manor right now, actually."

Melina frowned, facing Ashborn once again. "However?"

Ashborn shrugged, "Well, we probably won't be going anywhere that far out just yet, but still, it's the thought that counts."

Ashborn spun around and gestured towards Murkwater River, a path on the lake. That path would lead to Murkwater Cave, their next destination. The enemies would've already been defeated by Ashborn's Shadows, so he held no worries in his heart. He pumped his fist into the air. "To Yura and Patches!"

Melina pumped her fist into the air with a quarter of Ashborn's enthusiasm, "To Yura and Patches."