The Master Scout jumped to the air "laiptelis oro skraidyti!" and landed a foot onto a light platform, climbing his way higher and higher into the skies and over the swooping limb of the cyan dragon. Smoke billowed from the orange behemoth's mouth that he charged to as it inhaled.
It closed its mouth, cheeks puffing outward.
Arctus stood in front of its face and lifted the greatsword back, taking a step onto two more platforms and slamming the steel into the mouth of it. The blade cut deep, a nod to its smith, and severed the top and bottom lip of the dragon as he swung down, cutting clearly out.
Fire seeped slowly from the dragon's now parted lips as his body was sent rocketing to the rock below.
He looked to the cyan dragon, seeing a recognizable fear in its eyes behind the rage and anger.
It hesitated and that's all Arctus needed. The light platforms gave out and he fell down to where the blackened steel plummeted the orange dragon. His greatword sank, point first, into the orange dragon's head, piercing skull and slowing his fall suddenly before the hilt touched and Arctus' feet landed.
"Ugnis primasti sprogdinti!" His body was flown upwards as he focused the spell through to the tip of his weapon.
In a great show of fire, gore, and blood; the dragon's head had splattered everywhere and Arctus holstered the now normal and magic free greatsword of his.
He needed to pay that smith even more.
He spread all four of his limbs as he still flew into the air.
"Kirtimas audra ant vienas," wind began billowing behind him.
"Sustiprinti burtazodis sunaikinimas!" He empowered his spell, one he learned for war.
Dragons had enclosed to watch the spectacle, dozens around. Arctus floated from the wind in the air.
And with booms behind him, slashes of gale forces zipped from behind him, whistling through the air to create a deafening symphony.
One landed on the rocks, slashing it two or even three feet deep, the others landed throughout, raining pebbles about and slashing limbs off foes, cutting and bleeding them deeply. The dragons began fleeing, dying as they went and the farther off ones flew off quickly, heading to a giant large rock to the southeast.
Arctus' spell came to a close and he slowly fell from the sky, the wind landing him safely.
Though he needed no oxygen to function and didn't feel any exhaustion, his mana was just about done.
Arctus looked around at the bloody carnage and the lack of dragons, taking his hatchet he cut and butchered a lopped off arm, hauling the meat across the splattered rocks.
Not a single creature was around, they were all too busy fleeing or hiding.
He went all the way back to the alcove, throwing the meat down to it. He used a gout of flame to roast the meat, finishing his remaining mana reserves. He ate.
Tomorrow would continue out his plan.
After his rest and large meal, Arctus scaled the rocks again, finding no sign of dragons where he was. The black plume even looked to be thinner. His plan was in motion and so he started to watch as he skulked in the duck light that concealed him well. Far away in the distance, he noticed a flash of light, orange sparks flying through the air.
So he moved swiftly, sprinting and keeping his steps rather quiet for his speed.
As he enclosed, these sparks were not from fire, but from steel. A warrior here was certainly far from home.
But the fighter clad in steel was fending off an adult dragon, even besting it slowly. It was another human which meant it could be and likely was the Aeternian that was present here.
Arctus took to a rock, peeking over it to watch this singular duel go on while he observed the details.
The fighting style.
The weapons of choice.
It was all too familiar of a fighter reported dead in the field. A hero proclaimed by the citizens and military.
The Master Scout watched as burly steel figure dropped his longsword, the steel clattered on the rock, and drew a sica with a exagerrated curve that was almost a right angle. The cutting edge was on the inside from the glint of light Arctus could see.
That grip confirmed who it was. This soldier held the sica like a hook ready to catch and hang a cow carcass for further butchering. The claw of the cragon came down and he caught it against the dagger before hooking the flesh onto it and roughly pulling.
It was a tactic of pain and the smaller adult dragon caved, falling into a hunched stance as the sica was switched to the left hand of this familiar figure.
A massive blade left his back, gripped by his right hand and then left, the removal revealed Aeternia's symbol of volcanic peaks and stars in the sky.
A shriek of agony resounded, a scaly arm was lopped off and the veteran followed with a pommel that crashed upon the dragon's nose, forcing it to daze.
A quick swing and the neck was slashed apart, not all the way through, but blood quickly poured down the dragon's front and it fell onto its left side, landing with a loud thud while the sica was reclaimed.
Arctus knew this man and knew it would be a long night catching up. He left the rock, drawing his spear and inching quietly. The Master Scout swung his spear once close enough and it was just barely caught by the curved dagger, inches from his face.
"I know that blue spear head when I see it. In this land of legendary beasts, you walk too?" Arctus withdrew his spear, his attack was sloppy, but he never intende dot kill.
"I do, you're still wearing your incredibly heavy armor as well."
"I wouldn't be half the person I am today if I didn't wear it, you know damn well how long it took smiths to make it. I see you're a Master Scout now, might be a higher rank, but I'm never going to humble myself in front of you, Arctus," the man laughed as he sheathed his greatsword onto his back and his longsword to his side.
A saber hung from his hip, a rather long and well sharpened blade.
"Savus, I know you enjoy pleasantries, but I have an important task I'm on now. I'm conscripting you into it as well."
"We're not even in Aeternia and you're using legal code on me?" He laughed again, holding onto his sica still, "can it wait until after I cook up this behemoth, I have some wood at my camp in the forest just three miles that way," his dagger revealed the direction.
"That present a good opportunity, I'll discuss with you then."
Arctus was rather sure these dragons were some kind of sentient, but they were dfeinitely different from the griffons and ponies. They lacked some kind of intelligence so they were just beasts with a complex social heirarchy for now.
After butchering and cooking, they both sat around the campfire, watching more meat drip juices into the roaring orange, "so, what was it you need me for?" Savus asked.
"Before I get to that discussion, do you know where we are?"
"Shitting Stars, Arctus, just explain it to me."
He sighed after emptying his mouth of food, "we're not in Aeternia, we're in another world," Savus was unmoved from the information he just received, "I've aligned with a different nation here, one that is across the ocean."
"You always kept your head on even if Aeternia was in a commotion. I'm not surprised that you found a new home here."
"Savus, I'm here on order from that nation. I'm here to cripple these dragons and I've already started, perhaps with unseen help from you, but I'm killing all the parents and culling the children's numbers."
"Hahaha, that's a task I'd gladly join! Does this nation have the same Scout Necessity code?"
"Yes."
Savus smirked, taking another bite, "doesn't seem like I had a choice anyway."
"Did you want to join me in that nation?" Arctus posed.
"And bring glory alongside you again? I had been fighting for my life for three whole years on the other side of the Drein Ocean, I would lose my right thumb before I let an opportunity to do meaningful battle slip me by."
Savus did go missing during that naval battle and Aeternia won, but the scounts dispatched afterwards didn't make any reports back so no one knew if they were dead or still fighting. Every Aeternian assumed they were still over there fighting and when Savus didn't report back he was presumed dead.
But the Sacred Star General was right in front of him, the head of all military in Aeternia, an old friend.
"The ruler will make the decision if you can be trusted to live there, she has an intuition of her own, very unlike the priests."
"Good, a nation not headed by a greedy pseudo political figure would be a lovely change. How do you intend to get back?"
"I have a canoe stashed away. I might have to modify it to account for all your equipment. I did want to stress a point."
Arctus took a bite.
"What is it, friend?" Savus lowered his food and looked to him.
"This nation I'm working under means more to me than a lot of Aeternia did, don't make me regret taking you there."
"I see. I'm a man of my word, I won't pose them any threat, by Reba's bloody body I swear on it."
"Good," and Arctus went back to eating.