Valerian, The Legendary

Valerian came out of his daze and replied, “How far have I come from that child in the orphanage? How did I manage this journey? You know, there was a time when I thought that only if Mother Diligentia accepted me would I be content.

Now that everyone around me accepts me for what I am, I feel unsatisfied. Why is it like this? I was pondering over the changes in reality.”

Fortuna hummed in response and said, “You have worked hard, Val. However, I believe that those watching over you would want you to look at the future, not the past. The point of a journey is to enjoy and learn from it and not brood. Unclear as it may be, you made it this far.”

Valerian nodded, and the two continued to fly above the clouds. The young man sorted his thoughts and was looking forward to the kingdom of dragons.

Suddenly, he asked, “Fortuna, why are we flying so high?”

The queen of dragons replied, “Dragons always fly the highest.”

Valerian sighed, “You are missing out on the various landscapes of the world, are you not.”

Fortuna replied, “The continents are divided by thousands of miles covered with water. Are you sure that is a landscape?”

.....

Valerian shrugged and said, “I have never seen it, so how would I know?”

Fortuna did not reply and directly dove through the clouds, and Valerian leaned closer to her massive body. Then, he complained, “Ever heard of giving a heads up?”

The dragon queen did not reply, and Valerian cast an air shield before them to fend off the strong wind pressing against his face. Finally, the young man could only open his eyes and look at the scenery below. Soon, Fortuna stabilized, and the wind calmed down.

Valerian sat up on her back, and, looking around, he sighed, “To think this scenery is boring to your eyes. I wonder how your brain works, Your Majesty.”

Fortuna asked, “What do you mean by that? This water and the sky full of clouds look good to you?”

Valerian sighed and shook his head as he said, “The boundless ocean and the unbound sky. Do they not make give you a sense of freedom? But look at the horizon. It seems as if the ocean is surging to meet the skies when the clouds are diving into reciprocating. This balance between the elements does not look good to you.”

Surprised, Fortuna said, “I never thought you would be so articulate.”

Valerian shook his head and said, “It is not that I am articulate, just you, who is indifferent to the harmony of nature.”

Fortuna did not reply to him. After all, she was a magical being, and it was said that the dragons were the closest to nature, and to think that the queen of dragons would be called ignorant.

Valerian looked over her shoulder and said, “See, the world is full of life. I always wondered what the highest level of magic was. Looking at nature, I think creating life is the highest level of magic. No?”

Fortuna was surprised to hear such thoughts. It was not hard to make such a remark, but sincerely understanding such a thought at a young age was unheard of. Even the magical creatures did not understand the true meaning of magic.

She asked, “How did you reach that conclusion?”

She wanted to test his intellect. The understanding of magic was more comprehensive than understanding the magic runes. Moreover, magic existed in every part of the world. So, she wanted to ensure that Valerian had scratched some profound truth.

Valerian fell silent and then said, “I do not know, but when I was in the world of Clar-awks, I read and heard about the legends of the world. One related to Vita and how she used her magic to create our world.

Is it possible to create life out of mana? The answer was yes. I think that Vita is a mage who had complete mastery over the balance of different elements, and by combining all these elements in the scale, she created life. Well, just my hypothesis.”

He scratched the back of his head when he heard this. Fortuna felt her heartbeat fasten as he spoke. This was not something a young man of Valeria’s age would think on a typical day. Yet, it made her excited for the young man to understand all this.

She said, “You are not wrong, but you are still somewhat short of understanding the complete truth behind your words.”

Valerian was taken aback and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Fortuna replied, “I think it is about time you know a little something about your father, Divinus Magnus.”

Valerian was shocked, he was aware that Fortuna had some knowledge regarding his family, but she never took the initiative to tell him anything. However, the dragon queen could sense his emotions. She said, “I only know a little bit about him. Like he was the only mage, who managed to master the seven elements, he was looked up to by many people, had a gentle nature, and was forgiving.

However, unlike you, he was not blessed with the ability to use seven elements. He worked hard and used his knowledge to master the seven elements. Many people before had tried this, but they have yet to succeed. So, you can imagine what his reputation was.”

Valerian asked, “Why could not anyone else succeed?”

He was very curious to know what made his father different from him. Fortuna replied, “The people never really understood the elements completely. They took them for what they were. So, this might be the reason.”

Valerian looked into the void, took a deep breath, and asked, “I wonder if I can surpass him?”

Fortuna said, “You can. Just work hard.”

Valerian nodded, and the queen of dragons continued flying toward the center of the plain. The young man leaned back, enjoying the calm, cold wind brushing past him. Gradually, the comfort made him slip into slumber.

The young man had not been dreaming lately. Training consumed all his time, so he had no other thoughts in his mind. But, as he was sleeping, he recalled his mother talking to him. Although he could not hear her voice, he could make out the words from the shape of her lips.

Flos seemed to say, do not be as na?ve as your father. Valerian always wondered what made his mother always say this. Finally, after a few hours of repeatedly dreaming the same thing, he woke up when he heard a few roars.

Opening his eyes, Valerian was shocked. He found several dragons circling Fortuna. Their eyes were locked on himself, and Valerian asked, ‘Fortuna, what is this situation?’

The queen did not reply to him but let out a roar. The sound was so loud that it sent visible shockwaves. Valerian could sense her anger and authority in the sound. The surrounding dragons all backed off with fear visible in their eyes.

‘Nothing, just showing some ignorant ones their place.’, said Fortuna.

Valerian wanted to ask what happened when the scene below caught his eye. At this moment, they were flying over an island. The place was vast, covered with greenery, and surrounded by water. The shore of the island seemed to be made of gold.

The young man could make out the features of a few peaks in the island’s center. He asked, “This is the dragon island?”

Fortuna nodded and said, “Wanna explore?”

Valerian nodded and said, “I would love to explore, but it is not good for me to take her majesty around as a guide.”

Fortuna clicked her tongue and said, “You think too highly of yourself, young man. You have my mana over you, so you can wander around and be safe. Also, you aim to reach the island’s center and climb the tallest peak. This is your cure.”

Valerian was surprised and asked, “Wait for a second. Are you telling me that climbing a mountain will fix the issue of a partial soul?”

Fortuna nodded and said, “You will know when you complete it.”

Valerian thought about it and asked, “How would I know which mountain I must climb?”

Fortuna said, “The place where you feel the most concentrated mana is where you have to go.”

The young man was still confused, but the queen had decided. She flew high and then flipped herself upside down. Valerian was utterly unprepared and was flung off her back. He yelled, “Fortuna, you brute!”

The dragon queen seemed to be enjoying his screams and laughed loudly. Then she flew away from the place. Valerian was experienced in dives, but his balance was all over the place from this height and pressure. However, thinking about what this place held in store for him. The young man calmed down, and his silver eyes flickered excitedly.

“Kingdom of dragons, huh? Let’s see what you have to offer.”, mumbled the young man falling from the sky.