The Blue Mage Raised by Dragons

Prika stared at Tafel, the red dragon’s eyes practically glowing with hunger. “You’re telling me there’s a whole roost with hot, single dragons around every corner?”

“That’s not what I said.” Tafel shook her head. “I said there’s a roost, and there’s a bunch of dragons gathered there, and some of them are single.”

Prika blinked. “That’s what I said.”

The demon exhaled and placed her hands on her hips. “You should lower your expectations,” Tafel said. “If they get too high, you’ll be disappointed when things don’t turn out your way. Some dragons much be scared away by too much enthusiasm.”

“Are you really lecturing me about managing my expectations?” Prika asked, tilting her head to the side. “Do you know how young you are compared to me? I’m much wiser than you by matter of experience.”

“Alright, O wise one,” Tafel said, rolling her eyes. “You can step through this portal and find a mate while I go over to my”—she gestured towards Vur and emphasized her next word—“husband and his family.”

Volearden turned his helmeted head to the side, glancing at Tafel. Across from him, Vernon was sitting next to Vur, who was in his human form. The three were sitting in silence, and Vur and Vernon turned their heads to look at Tafel as well, following Volearden’s gaze. The demon’s footsteps faltered, and she wondered whether she wanted to throw herself into such an awkward atmosphere or not.

Tafel glanced beyond Vur at Grimmy and Leila. The portal to the tower had established itself on the southern continent, not too far away from the cursed and holy dragons’ vacation home. Gloria was sitting next to Leila, and the small black dragon didn’t seem too pleased at the guests gathering near her home judging by the miniature snarl on her face. The demon made up her mind and took a seat next to Vur. “So, what’s happening here?” she asked. “A touching reunion between grandpa and grandson?”

Vur shook his head. “They’re having a reunion, but it’s not touching.” He tilted his head. “It’s very slow.”

Tafel raised an eyebrow before glancing at Vernon. The golden dragon was staring mostly at the ground, his gaze shifting from side to side at the marks in the dirt. The demon looked at the armored dragon. Volearden was staring back at her, and Tafel had a feeling the dragon expected her to breathe some kind of life into the conversation. It was hard to tell, considering she hadn’t learned the armored dragon’s color chart of emotions.

“So…, where’s Sera?” Tafel asked.

“Sleeping,” Vernon said, his eyes still staring at the ground.

“Oh,” Tafel said. After a bit, she added, “So, she’s not coming then?”

“No,” Vernon said. “She needs her rest, so I didn’t wake her up.”

“Not even to meet your grandpa?” Tafel asked, raising an eyebrow.

Vernon shrugged. “I’d rather have her rest than meet my grandpa,” the golden dragon said. “She’ll be happier that way too, and you know what they say about happy mates.”

Tafel tilted her head. “What do they say about them?”

“They hit you less.” Vernon nodded.

“Oh.” Tafel blinked. “I see.” She turned her head towards Volearden. “Don’t you have a whole spiel about domestic abuse amongst dragons?”

Volearden perked up before sidling over to Vernon’s side. The armored dragon placed his claw on Vernon’s shoulder. “Are you suffering from domestic abuse?”

Vur and Tafel exchanged glances. The demon tugged on Vur’s arm, and the two slipped away as Volearden’s claws waved, moving through the air as the armored dragon spoke. Tafel turned her head to the side where Malvina was spreading her wings, embracing the young phoenixes—including Emile and Susan—Minerva had brought along with her through Tafel’s portal. Then, the demon focused on the last individual to come out of the tower other than Malvina and Volearden: Kim Hajun. She tugged on Vur’s arm, bringing him over to the dazed man’s side.

“Hey,” Tafel said, waving at the well-dressed man.

Kim Hajun blinked, his eyes shifting to look at the demon. “This is Erde?” he asked. “It is easier to sense mana in this area compared to inside the tower.” His brow furrowed. “I can’t seem to remember how we got here though. What happened?”

“Well,” Tafel said. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I sold my soul to get Vur to defeat the severed hand,” Kim Hajun said.

Tafel looked at Vur before nodding at Kim Hajun. “The third Oebu Sin, the cephalopod showed up,” she said. “It had the ability to eat memories. Thanks to your contributions, we managed to work something out with it.” The demon smiled at Kim Hajun. “It won’t attack the tower anymore, so you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done.”

Kim Hajun’s brow furrowed. “I can’t seem to remember the locations of hidden pieces either,” he said. “What else have I forgotten?”

“I’m not sure,” Tafel said, “but don’t worry. Since you’ve lost a lot to help out the tower, we’ll make sure you’re properly compensated for all your efforts.”

“Can we start by returning my soul to me?” Kim Hajun asked.

“I’m pretty sure you still have it,” Tafel said, looking at Vur. “Auntie takes it after he dies, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Vur nodded.

Tafel beamed at Kim Hajun. “See?” she asked. “Also, she’s not here right now because she doesn’t like hanging around dragons, but when you meet here again, you can definitely negotiate with her to purchase your soul.”

Kim Hajun scratched his head. “So, the tower’s completely safe now?” he asked. “There aren’t any more Oebu Sin ready to show up to destroy it? Everyone’s saved?”

“That’s right,” Tafel said. “The tower is completely safe under Vur’s ownership. You fulfilled your friends’ wishes from your prophetic dream and accomplished what you set out to do. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Kim Hajun said, a slight furrow on his forehead. Everything that needed to be accomplished had been accomplished, but he still felt like he had failed—perhaps it was the emptiness that accompanied someone when they reached their dream and realized they had nothing else to live for. Either way, he had achieved his goal. It was finally over.