Ruling as the Next Dragon Sage!

"You said we were fakes, phonies, tales conjured up to get Dragonkind in shape after the Dark Age, Cloudjumper." I say, my eyes narrow down to her recovering state as we floated amidst the estate. Her large wings beating slowly, but still keeping her afloat.

"Doesn't sound like you really detest us all that much, does it?"

"N-no…! You are just another Dark Dragon in my way. I'll kill you, then…then—I'll become stronger! Yes…I can feel it."

She promotes it as if it's an EXP kill during a quest, but it's not. She's Pre-Alpha, but you don't become Alpha by killing another one, if that's what she's trying to get at.

No…it's starting to sound more like delusion now.

Heavy delusion.

"Cloudjumper, there's something not adding up. Why be pent up all over this single dragon? I haven't done much to you, really I haven't." I add-on.

"Sultan is going to plunge a nation into chaos if he wins this election. Your fight of me right now is irrelevant. Meaningless. Koga would only aid him, do you not see how—"

"Shut…shut the hell up!!"

A massive mana surge occurred, wind gusts conjured as red static flowed off of her. My eyes squinted, she's becoming uncontrollable now. A large mental block I would assume. Pair that with her inability to shift mindsets and double down.

As the closest thing to an Ancient Dragon, Cloudjumper's going back to the one instinct all of us have.

Power.

And when it comes down to Dragonkins, say I add there's another factor.

Pride.

When I was younger, or maybe when I got stuck here. I always had it in the back of my mind, Dragons were strong. Mentally strong. Emotionally strong.

But no, we aren't.

We aren't any different from humans, really.

Just as how strong as we can be, so too our emotions.

If anything else, we are just as emotionally rigid as them.

Her mana signature was spiking crazily; anybody could sense it. Her hands went straight to her head, thrashing around. She's doing it again. What Vaniti and I saw her do before.

"Meaningless…?! What do you know of it, huh?!" She yelled out, her voice and tone reaching me. No longer laced with venom…no.

It sounded…hurt.

"Spend most of your life chasing power, only to spend more of it chasing it endlessly! Believe you were the strongest, only to find others marvel at power they had never seen before from myths alone!"

She continues to speak, but whatever grin or smile I might've passively had fell. I might've never understood Cloudjumper in the beginning to begin with…but I was starting to get it more and more.

I never realized the full extent of what the Dark Ages had on the Golden Age we are living in right now.

"I've only been surpassed once in my life, and now twice. So…so humiliating, tell me, Sovereign. How could you live with that? Your sole purpose in life is to chase power, only for it to be trampled by others…! I won't have it! I can't have it!"

I hesitantly flew back, her raw mana causing atmospheric challenges. Thunder conjured just from her mana alone. Her power was rising at such a level…no, it's not rising—it's climbing. This unchecked power alone could—

Is there even a chance I could calm her down anymore?

To be a strong Dragonkin, to have ferocious power, only for those around you to not even acknowledge it, but the ghosts of the past instead. It's not a problem about humility or humbleness, it's a direct challenge towards Dragonkind as a whole.

They were so worried and focused about the past, they never thought to see the present, much less the future. And this is what happens when you don't.

You don't acknowledge the gift of the strength you have today.

Maybe Cloudjumper could've turned out different. Wouldn't have been so prideful as she was before. Perhaps more calm. More confidence, and less ego.

But that's not the case here. Not now.

It's not like she was asking to be revered the same way as Sovereigns was, no.

She just wanted to be recognized for her strength. Was that so hard to do? And when she couldn't get it, she painted her hatred towards us—towards me.

Wait…then…what she said before…it all makes sense.

"If Sovereigns are real, I would've been one already."

That comment, wasn't basked in dripping ego or blind arrogance—it just wasn't. Because, at that time, she just managed to make a Sovereign of Strife and Ruin useless. She outsmarted me, and even I would admit that.

Which tells me all along.

She never truly didn't believe in them, in us. Once I was living proof, she made sure it was her life's goal to win against me, and when she did, she became even more detached and surprised about the recognition she was owed but never handed.

But all of that broke away once Vaniti came around and punk'd her. Because now she realizes that I was holding back, and if someone like Vaniti is under me, just goes to show how far my strength goes.

She's willing to test it all right now. Cloudjumper is willing to throw away an entire nation with perhaps thousands of people living to see if she can live or die against a Sovereign.

Is this why she she also wished she had my True Name as well? She thinks becoming me is the only way to get recognition?

Then, she looks right at me. Her cherry eyes sparkling…no, glowing. Right from the seeps of her fingers. I figured she would've been more mentally distressed, but no.

She's entertaining it.

And from there, was the most devilish smile I've seen from her.

"All my life…I've worked towards this goal. And when the moment finally comes, I told myself, I wouldn't run away. I will do anything…and anything, to get there! I won't be held by this ceiling!"

"Because, Sovereign, if you can do it…" She trails off. Her words slowly becoming calm and less erratic…thought it's slightly eerie.

"I can do it too."

Then, she holds out her hand. Towards where? I follow it, not towards Vaniti holding her ground against Koga…but at the estate? Why the estate…? There's nobody in there anyways? Why would…

Then, it hit me.

The guards. The maids. Multiple, and multiple of Sultan's camp who have nothing to do with this. At all.

She's going to—

"Cloudjumper don't—!"

But I was too late, the large fireball cast and emitted from her hand shot out towards the estate, and created a large explosion that destroyed the vicinity of the building. It went up in flames, wood shot outwards as she only looked directly at me.

My body twitched, but became still. As if I was in stasis.

She…she just did that.

And I know the direct reason why.

She's going against the Sovereign of Strife, Ruin, and Death. So, in those steps…Cloudjumper imitated just that. And just…

No…way.

I slowly turned my head towards her, and there it was. That manic smile. I didn't know if she was home anymore in that head of hers. But it was clear, she's too far gone.

And…and if I let this go on, it might become even dangerous.

Can…can I really afford this fight right now?

If I don't stop her…she'll become what the world once accused me of being.

I have a chance to stop this, the last thing the world needs, is a fully realized dragon capable of doing all of those things.

Strife, Ruin, Death, Calamity, and Catastrophe.