The Everlight, with their newest member, Auoun Doreinberg, exited the cave.
"It's been long since I see the outside world!"
Auoun let out loud yell as he stretches his body and took in a breath of fresh air. Meanwhile, the dwarf who brought them there notices them exit and came to greet them.
"You're back, how did the battle go? Wait...why is he out!?"
The dwarf pointed at Auoun and shrieked. He went forward and tried to pushed him back but Raye simply raised his right hand and block the dwarf for doing so.
"No need, he's our member from now on, no need to feel hostility towards him,"
"What...?"
The dwarf was taken aback by Raye's words. Looking at Raye then at Auoun then Raye again, he sighed and shrugged it off.
"Fine, it be better if he's gone,"
The dwarf brought the Everlight back to the settlement. The dwarves were shocked upon seeing the cursed child returning to the settlement.
"Why bring him here? He is banished from this place!"
"Get him out of here!"
"Pipe down will ya, that hero party is doing us a favor by removing him from this mountain,"
The dwarf that leads the Everlight back to the settlement whispered into one of the dwarf's ear.
"I see...shall we tell the head clan?"
"No need to,"
Suddenly, the head clan appeared behind the dwarf. They were shocked but they salute and stepped back.
"Why bring him out?"
"He is our party member now, there's no need to restrain him anymore,"
"I see, are you planning to take him out of this settlement and onto your journey?"
"Yes, he make a great defense for our party,"
"...well then, he is all yours,"
"Thank you Lord Reinzbell,"
"Well then, shall we escort you to the exit?"
"Yes, we will be taking our leave today, but before we do so, please give our dwarf a set of armor, I will pay,"
---------------------------------
The dwarves walked the Everlight party out of the settlement.
"Well then, farewell,"
"Farewell to you too,"
The dwarves bid goodbye with the Everlight and vice versa, taking their leave to the volcanic mountains belt.
"Lord Reinzbell, are you sure about that dwarf leaving?"
The head clan stroke his beard and said:
"He got a life to live, he has the freedom to choose how he live, its not us to judge, his strength may be a curse to us, but he might be in greater use for others,"
"We are the true bastard who lock him up, who took away his freedom, I've decided to let him live his life, enjoy it while it can last,"
-----------------------------------
There is a long wooden bridge that connects the mountain where the Doreinberg clan settlement resides to a few other bridges and at last the volcanic mountains belt.
The bridge was old and some steps were broken. It shook whenever the Everlight party to a step, especially Auoun. The dwarf who was in rag clothing is now in full set armor, shoulder pads, from head to tail, all are armored with metal that increases defense in battle. The only thing is that the armor was old, the head helmet was rusty that it could shatter with a single hit.
"Stop jumping around, Auoun, we are gonna fall if you do!"
Amethia yelled at Auoun, begging him to maintain his attitude.
"I'm sorry Miss Ametiya,"
"It's pronounced Amethia!"
Suddenly, a loud roar can be heard from above. The Everlight look up to find themselves a large brown dragon with grass and trees around it, making it appear green. Armor around the neck made 'clinking' sound and the Pale Jade Dragon appeared from it.
"This is interesting,"
Raye could hear Loki's words as the Pale Jade Dragon changed into human form. A fit body wearing a white hanfu male clothing with light green within the outside robe. He has golden eyes and a blue horn sticking out of his left forehead (His left so it would appear at the right from our perspective) while the right horn was perfectly cut with just the base left on it. He has long jade green hair that reaches until his upper back.
"Loki!?"
"You can't face him with your current strength, he is too powerful for you guys to handle,"
Amethia was amazed at Loki's beauty. Loki let out a smirk and shouted at the dragon above.
"The true green dragon, how are you doing?"
The Everlight were shocked when they heard Loki's speech.
"True green dragon are one of the top 6 strongest dragon in the world, the fact that we were to encounter one right now is crazy!?"
Al exclaimed in shock as Raye and Amethia draws out their weapons and took their stance. Auoun simply raised his hammers and smack it together, shaking the bridge.
"But wait, you aren't the true green dragon, that's your mother ain't it? Shouldn't you be with your mother instead of goofing around here?"
The green dragon was taken aback at what Loki said. Not recognizing its Loki, the green dragon put on a tough act and threaten to end the Everlight party.
"You have murdered my friends back there on that mountain, you shall now pay for what have you done,"
"Friends? You mean those forest drakes we fought back there?"
Raye questioned the green dragon which he nodded.
"Rakash, the strongest of them all, have been slaughtered by you, I had placed him to protect that mountain, but now you will pay,"
The Everlight were frighten except Will. Are they going to fight the child of the true green dragon?
"Hey hey!"
Loki grunted as he transformed into his dragon form. His white scale becoming obvious and his whiskers started growing. He ascended into the air as he turned into a drake. He let out a loud roar and faced the green dragon.
"Wait, you are the Pale Jade Dragon!?"
"Glad you know your place,"
"Why are you here?!"
"Same could be said for you,"
The green dragon look behind the Pale Jade Dragon and noticed Raye holding his sword tightly.
"Is that knight your master?"
The Pale Jade Dragon didn't reply. He said something else and started fighting the green dragon.
"You have threatened my master, you shall face the consequences for doing so,"
"What?"
Jade appeared above the green dragon and falls onto him. The green dragon looked up and saw Loki in front of him and breathe out light beam at him. The green dragon casted earth spell which summoned rock to block the attack. The green dragon casted many earth spells at Loki which all aimed at him. Loki didn't take damage and summoned more jades at it. The green dragon then create a few large roots from his back to trap Loki but he opened his scale which slices those large roots off him. The green dragon uses magic to break apart cliffs from the mountains but Loki sent jades as a retaliation.
"What's wrong? Aren't you tougher than that? Your mother wouldn't be proud of you,"
Loki uses his tail to smack the green dragon's face. The green dragon casted a large spell that summoned a huge rock at size of a small hill inside the magic circle and shoot it at the Pale Jade Dragon. Loki just breathe out light beam to destroy the rock and swirl around the green dragon, he then squeezed the green dragon, trapping it with his serpentine body. As Loki was about to breathe out another light beam at the green dragon, a loud yell commanding Loki to halt his action.
"Stop!"
Loki look down to see Raye with his sword sheathed.
"Release him,"
The gaze of Raye reminded Loki of a certain someone which made him broke a sweat. He then looked at the green dragon and sighed, releasing him from his grasp. Loki then transformed back to human and landed in front to Raye.
"What's wrong master? Why'd you stopped me?"
Loki gritted his teeth at Raye but he didn't reply to Loki but spoke to the green dragon.
"I'm sorry for the loss of your friends, we didn't knew anything about it, but you can't blame us for something we didn't start first,"
The green dragon listened and sighed. He looked over at Loki which has a deadly glare at him which gave him a cold shivers.
"Loki, he did nothing wrong, he was just trying to repay his friends, there's nothing to get riled up about, and I know you wanted fight,"
Loki was surprised that Raye knows his true intention but Raye just stared down at him. Raye then stayed silent and never uttered a word.
"Would you let us pass this bridge?"
"...,I guess it's not your fault for killing them, it's my imprudent and I apologize for that, you may pass,"
The Everlight passed that bridge and reached to another mountain. As they were walking to the next bridge, Loki finally speaks and complains at Raye.
"I don't get it master, why don't you let me kill him!?"
"Cause he don't deserve to die, nor to be beaten up,"
"But he threatened you guys!"
"It doesn't matter, he did nothing wrong, doing something rashly without second thoughts makes you in the wrong,"
"Then what if he actually kills you guys?"
"There's nothing to be afraid of, after all, I got you by my side,"
Loki stared into Raye's gaze and realizes one thing, the feeling of fear does not linger in him anymore, that gaze was different from what he felt before, maybe his master wasn't the person he thought he is, the man who brought him fear 3000 years ago, maybe, his master is someone he could trust and put his faith in, someone he could rely on.