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The Dawn of Renewed Hope

The night was a restless one for the townspeople of Xici kingdom. Aside from cleaning the damage done, they were treating the wounded and cleaning many body parts littering the clean streets. Most of the townspeople were grateful for the timely arrival of so many dragon protectors and the reinforcements from many of the kingdom's allies, but some of them resented the effort, believing that the slayers only spared them instead of trying to massacre a dying group of dragons.

"They are just lucky," said a man with a scoff. "Slayers kill more than dragons do."

"Now don't be such an asshole and help me clean up this mess. You're lucky for not getting killed in the first place, unlike those soldiers up at the wall."

The Order of the Dragons' timely backup gave the young-looking demon dragon a heartfelt gratitude, both from the dragons and the humans. While only some of his friends knew of his real identity, Sannourah was glad he could become a help more than a menace to his friends so he could leave the title of 'The Guardian of Oblivion' and lived a normal dragon's life. He had found it in another world, though, not in Dark Realm like he wanted to be.

Since that night, rain washed the whole kingdom from its grimes, and the rain only stopped two days later, leaving most of the place muddy and wet. Since the cobblestone roads were only inside the kingdom, the outer wall farms were damaged more than anything, and the farmers felt they lost a thing worth living for. Some of them were the Order agents, and they helped those weren't any agents by making a new farm for them, with the help of the Lost dragons.

The rebuilding took only two days as the damage made by the assaulting horde was minimal with no war machines involved. Replacing the destroyed wall, however, took more than just two days, and the dragons couldn't do anything without any architecture skill, except helping the humans carry the chiseled stones intended for the wall.

After the failed skirmish, the place was never the merrier as they had gotten another victory from the anti-dragons. The night three days after the war, the people of Xici kingdom celebrated it with ale and foods despite of the food shortage. The whole kingdom was celebrating with the king and his royal mount involved in it. They particularly had many questions to the draconians, Dark Sentinels, and even some other dragons they had just known.

Xiciro stayed in the dragon district's living grounds while the other dragons made the place like a night party, having a chat with each other. The elder dragons stayed in the shelter talking to each other while the younger ones showed off many things from elemental prowess to wings. What the black Argoon dragon seemed to see interest in was Spyro. He was the only dragon there drinking a barrel full of human's ale while talking with the other dragons, but of course especially with his red scaled friend named Flame. Xiciro had a better conversation with Cyril, though. Being a prideful dragon from a royal court made him a little arrogant, but Xiciro had lived with that too many times.

"So, I happen to see Ignitus in his room trying to light a candle when his overly powerful fire breath burned the whole candle instead. What a humiliating experience, I must say. He even asked me to freeze the whole damn thing," said the ice dragon.

"Yes, yes...you really like to joke, aren't you, Cyril?"

"I take that as a compliment, yes? It's the gift of a royal blood, so nothing off the place." The dragon then shifted his vision to the sky, but his expression was more to a fascinated expression than a normal one.

"Your world's star...they're beautiful. They seem to tell me about how this world was formed, and how the light and the dark fused very well in the lives of the dragons and the humans in this world."

"But it also gives us the reason of the instability of the current situation," said Xiciro while watching the sky. "Death comes sooner to the beings in this world."

"Hmm...you have exceptional skill in reading the star, Xiciro. Ah, maybe I have occupied you enough. Terrador and that small bird dragoness want to talk to you about something." As Cyril left them, the black dragon saw the earth guardian was with Cynder and Avila, wanted to speak with the dragon. Seeing Avila now felt strange after knowing that she was his daughter, but nevertheless, he wanted to keep the revelation a secret.

"Oh, you're that black dragon helping us in treating the wounded, right?" said Terrador with his usual calm tone. "For that, I thank you, and also if you would forgive me for being a rude dragon by mistrusting you while I trusted Cynder."

"You don't need to be sorry, Terrador. I've lived with that suspicion long enough."

"Then, Avila wants to talk to you privately. Better to not bother both of you."

There was an awkward silence when Avila and Xiciro refused to talk first, with each other having their own reasons in their heads. Xiciro couldn't hold the silence and while flapping his wings to clean some dirt, he said, "Look, Avila, it wasn't your fault. Your love..."

"No, I can't forgive myself for letting Seraphor go while he is near me," said Avila while putting her head down. "It's not the dragon's fault."

"Avila...you don't need to be a solemn Argoon dragon to be in character. Be proud, for you have driven off all of them slayers without having the dragons to sacrifice their lives. You have given them hope like how you gave me the hope to live on."

Xiciro went silent for a while before saying, "I guess I need to go back and tend to Legna."

"No, please, don't go. I'll ask San to take her here. I...I forgive you for what you have done to me. You're a nice dragon, and you like to talk to me and many of the Orders believe in you."

"My past actions cannot be forgotten that easily, Avila. It's better if I go."

"But, I...I have almost thought you can be a better dragon, even a better friend to me, not as nemesis like we use to be."

Xiciro stopped walking after standing up on his four. He was clearly taken by what Avila talked about. The black dragon had been thought as a nemesis for the death dragon but now she, here, in the middle of a celebration, asked him to become a friend while he couldn't talk about the fact.

"Please...don't go. I need your protection like Seraphor used to be for me. I don't know how ironic this is. My one old enemy can be one of my closest friends, much like Cynder. You're also a healer."

Now the black dragon didn't want to go again. He turned his head back to Avila and made a smile. "Yes...I will guard you as a friend."

"Thank you...Xiciro."

As Avila went to sleep under the shelter, he remembered what Manara had said to him, and he was glad he made a correct decision. Xiciro found Sannourah trying to create a portal for a dragon to go back to Qeveriyt, and after he finished, Xiciro asked, "Hey, little one. Can you do me a favor?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Can you open the portal to the ruins of Dracokin city enough for two dragons to get in? I want to retrieve a good dragon."

"Oh...I can manage that."

As the portal opened with a big slit Sannourah made, Xiciro found his new lover, Legna still catatonic, but had recognized Xiciro when he showed up on her. In Xiciro's heart, he didn't want to betray his old mate, but of course Avila would understand his decision.

"Hey...you're back," said Legna. "I feel like I can kill an army. I can see them now in front of me. Wanna help?"

"Sure...let me help you cure yourself," said Xiciro with a smile.

As he returned to the kingdom, he saw the signs of light coming from the east. He left Legna with Sannourah while he flew up and saw the sunrise, a new dawn of the new month.

"So...it's fall," said Xiciro to himself. "It's a renewed hope to all of us, to this whole kingdom, and to all pro-dragons. I feel this is the time where I must fight too, for the glory of this realm."