Valerian, The Legendary

However, what made the child gawk was a silver ball on the Empress’s head. He asked in a gentle tone, “Aunt, what is that?”

He had forgotten to channel the mana in his eyes to observe what it was, but he could tell that this silver ball was nothing else but the cause of his constant worry, Fortuna. The lady rolled her eyes at his expression and said, “What do you think? Can you now please have her come off my head? It has been like this for the past two days. Ever since I brought her to my room, she has made my head her throne.”

Valerian wanted to laugh but he could sense the helplessness in her voice so he did not dare, who knew if this lady got offended, how she will punish him? Thinking about it, Valerian walked closer and the empress said, “Do you know, I cannot go out because she will start throwing a tantrum as soon as I even move closer to the door?”

“What tantrum?”, asked Valerian. He was surprised by this.

Fragrantia sighed and said, “Look at the fireplace.”

The child quickly shifted his gaze and found the exquisite carvings engraved around the fireplace were now filled with claw marks. He said, “Those marks are very smooth and clean. Fortuna is strong.”

As soon as his words dropped the silver ball uncurled slightly and a pair of moist eyes came into Valerian’s sight. Fragrantia sensed movement over her head and said, “Indeed, she is very strong.”

The young child asked, “It is fine, you can treat these claw marks as antique. After all, not many people can have dragon claw marks in their bedrooms. In the future, when Fortuna becomes known all over the world and is stronger, you can show off to the other nobles, that you had a dragon in your bedroom.”

.....

While speaking he has already moved closer to Fragrantia. He was not even a meter away from her. However, since the dragon did not move, he did not bother her and leaned over to hug Fragrantia gently. The empress sighed at his sudden display and patted his back. She asked, “How have you been child?”

Valerian was about to reply when his shoulder sank a bit. He could tell that Fortuna had moved her throne. He did not bother and said, “Slightly tired and slightly bored. This whole trip can be summed up in three words, search, battle, and exhaustion.”

That said, he stood up straight and gazed at the top of Fragrantia’s head, indeed the dragon was gone. The empress said, “You sit down and tell me everything. Did Vertex give you a hard time?”

Valerian shook his head and narrated the events to her slowly. He was sure that the second prince was also doing the same to the emperor. It took them an hour to get done with the narration of things. Fragrantia nodded and praised, “You have done well, my dear. Now tell me the truth, was that berserker in the forest a grade six for real?”

The silver-haired boy was surprised, he did not understand how did she find out but she did. Fragrantia had a suspicion, but watching the surprise on his face, she knew that her guess was correct. She urged gently, “Val, tell me. I will not tell anyone else.”

Valerian could only sigh and reply, “It was a grandmaster, but it underestimated me, and I exploited his opening, and using the power of decay, I killed him.”

Fragrantia was expecting the person to be a grade seven but this guy actually faced a grandmaster. She shook her head and said, “I will not hold you accountable for what has been done. But you better not try something like this again. What will I do if you were to be harmed? What will you do? Did you not tell me that you wish to fulfill your mother’s wish? Is this how you will do it?”

Her words were laced with sincere concern and the silver-haired boy could sense it. He sighed and said, “Yes, aunt, I will keep it in mind.”

Fragrantia nodded and said, “Oh, yes, Fortuna has a surprising innate ability. You will be shocked if she did it in front of you.”

This statement made the child curious about what sort of ability might this dragon have. He smiled and gently patted the back of the dragon and said, “It is good that she has skills. As for performance, she will do it on her own accord. I will not push her.”

A dragon was said to be the noblest of all the magical beasts in the world. Their majesty was not to be demeaned, or their wrath would make you crumble. A lot of such sayings existed in the world. As Valerian sat on a chair and looked at the silver dragon that had slid down to his lap, he could not help but ask, “Why do I not see or hear anything about the dragons? If they are so strong and well known, then why is there no mention of them?”

Fragrantia said, “At first, even in our empire, there used to be a few dragons. However, something happened a decade ago. The matter is not very clear to me, but upon asking a priest from the dragon temple said that the dragon king decreed all of his kin to go into hiding. The dragon king fell on the eastern continent.”

Valerian was shocked, he asked, “How can that happen?”

Fragrantia shrugged her shoulders and said in a calm voice, “It was said that Dracos, the king of dragons had chosen a companion, but they had also incurred the wrath of a person. That person managed to kill the companion of the dragon king, who later issued the decree before his fall.”

This story provided Valerian with a basic understanding but nothing in detail. He did not ask the empress anything more. She did not seem to be hiding purposefully and the events of the eastern continent were indeed too distant for them to hear. Suddenly it came to him that Dracos was the king of dragons, and Senium was the queen of dragons.

Fortuna came from an egg laid by Senium, so that meant, the beast in his lap, was royalty? That too dragon royalty. He stopped patting the head of the dragon all of a sudden, and Fortuna could not help but take a look at him. Then she raised her claw and gently tugged at the corner of his sleeve. Only then did the boy regain his calm.

He continued caressing the scales on the back of the dragon and the little thing lay there in peace. Fragrantia said, “This girl is very temperamental, Val. She did not allow me to touch her back at all. I wonder how will she be when she grows up.”

Valerian chuckled and said, “Is it so difficult? She will be prideful, just like other dragons I have read about in the book you gave. However, it is also said that when the dragons grow up, they also develop distinct traits to their personality like their unique magic.”

Fragrantia nodded and said, “Seems like you have finished reading that book.”

Valerian nodded, the two continued to chat around until it was evening, and Fragrantia said, “Val, come along, it is time for tea.”

This surprised the boy, but he nodded. He looked at the little ball curled up in his lap and said gently, “Fortuna, I need to head out. Can you rest somewhere else?”

The little dragon raised her head, and very humanely, shook it. She was clearly indicating that she did not want to move at all. Fragrantia watched this and gloated at Valerian. She said, “You thought she was very obedient, didn’t you?”

Valerian scratched the back of his head, feeling embarrassed. The empress said, “Fortuna, if you do the trick, Valerian will take you out in the garden.”

The dragon gazed at her, and then at Valerian. She was clearly asking if what the lady said was true. She had been longing to go out but Fragrantia would coax her to stay inside in the name of safety. It was when she was tired of Valerian’s room, that the dragon did the trick and followed the empress.

Valerian understood the meaning and said, “Yes, what she said is true.”

The dragon stood up and jumped down from his lap. The wings were still sticking to her body, they were not yet strong enough. She walked around for a few more moments before her body glowed with silver light. The glow dimmed as quickly as it came. Valerian opened his mouth wide enough to fit an egg in it.