Undisclosed Location

00:30 am. 22nd Banem 1092.

"To think you would complete the pact in two days."

The Sword Spirit looked at the youth sprawled on the ground with a large egg tightly clutched to his chest. In spite of itself, a smile tugged at the edge of its lips. "Since you passed this stage successfully, I suppose it is time."

Hektor panted heavily, unwilling to move an inch of his body. His bones and muscles ached like he'd been massaged with a mallet. Strangely though, he wore a broad smile despite the pain and fatigue. Why? Because he could feel the power thrumming in his blood. It was unlike anything he had felt in his life! "...Time for what?"

Crack!

A tiny crack answered that question. To the sensitive Hektor, that crack was akin to the angry peal of a thunderbolt! The youth instantly sat up, red eyes glaring at the egg in his hands. Crack! As expected, he did not hallucinate the sound! A small crack did indeed appear on the shell!

Seconds passed. Hektor attentively watched as the slowly increased. He could sense the anger frustration of the baby within as it struggled to push the tough shell out of its way. Hektor swallowed hard, and, affected by the baby's mood, could not help but tense up.

"Ease up!" The Sword Spirit ordered. It looked at the egg, a trace of anticipation evident in once empty eyes. "You are emotionally connected to that dragon. If you panic, it will panic too. You need to soothe it. Let it believe in its strength."

Hektor stiffened, but then nodded and relaxed his nerves. He sighed to release his frustrations and then began to coo at the egg. "You can do it, little one. Do your best." As Hektor soothed the baby, he was taken back to his childhood. His father would watch over his sword practice with a stern, but kind gaze. Mother would come over with a snack from Madam Guchu's pastry shop when the sun was at its highest. She would praise him, saying he would definitely surpass his father one day.

Yes. This was before the war brought the bandits to Hektor's home. Before his parents perished protecting him. This was before an angry six-years-old child joined the army in search of revenge, thanks to a large body that convinced the quartermaster he was twice his age.

Hektor swallowed in an attempt to push down the sorrow bubbling up his throat. Suddenly, he felt something warm in his heart and mind. It was like a warm fireplace on a cold and snowy night. Almost like someone was trying to make him feel better. Hektor rapidly blinked as he looked at the egg. 'Could it be?'

CRACK!

As if to confirm his thoughts, a small, silver head broke out of the shell. The little reptilian cried out both in joy and frustration as the rest of its body broke past the restricting eggshell. A pair of tiny, furled wings broke through as the dragon stumbled on four, short, stubby legs.

"Gotcha, big guy." Hektor gently caught the dragon before it fell over. The beast sniffed his hand in curiosity. Pleased with the scent, it purred and then rubbed its head against the young man's hand. "Heh. You're a cute one, ain'tcha?"

The dragon raised its head. "RAAAR!"

Hektor almost burst out laughing. The little dragon was already trying to establish its dominant pride. Unfortunately, its roar was closer to a baby chick's chirp than anything else. Hektor pet the dragon's head. "Don't worry. We'll work on that. By the way, aren't you hungry? What kind of food do baby dragons eat?"

At the mention of food, the baby dragon immediately raised its head and sniffed the air. Its nose caught the eggshells and it struggled out of Hektor's grasp. The dragon waddled over to the shells and then, revealed a set of razor-sharp teeth which it used to crunch down on the tough shell.

Hektor watched as the dragon crushed the shell to little pieces which then swallowed. Once it finished, the dragon let out a yawn and then crawled back to Hektor. It cried and then raised its front paws onto the youth's lap. Hektor, in turn, laughed, picked up the yawning beast and then cradled it against its chest.

The dragon yawned once again, and for a brief moment, its eyes cracked open, revealing a pair of wonderfully violet eyes. While Hektor was overcome by its beauty, the dragon let out its largest yawn yet and then shut its eyes. Shortly afterward, its breathing evened out as it fell into a deep slumber.

Hektor caressed the dragon's shiny head and rose to his feet. He looked at the Sword Spirit, who had a strange look in its eyes.

"So, he was born in the end." The Sword Spirit gazed at the dragon with a thin smile.

"He?" Hektor looked at the dragon. "It's a he? You can tell?"

The Sword Spirit nodded. "Yes. It is a male child." It made to reach out its hand, but then hesitated, and ultimately pulled it back. Instead, it fixed Hektor with a strong gaze. "You must take good care of this child."

"Definitely!" This was a dragon! There was no way Hektor would be careless with it. Besides, he had already formed a mental bond with the dragon. He would never feel comfortable if anything happened to it.

"All right then. Do you have his name?"

"His name?" Hektor paused. Just then, a series of words appeared in his subconscious. He opened his name to speak, but the Sword Spirit's sharp glare shut him up.

"Do not easily disclose the name in your mind." The Sword Spirit cast a solemn gaze at the sleeping dragon. "That is the child's true name. It carries tremendous power over him." He then looked at Hektor. "Choose a name for the child. One which the rest of the world can use." The Sword Spirit paused, and then added, "If you do not mind, I can offer a few suggestions."

"Ah. No, I've got it." Hektor felt a chill creep up his spine. He did not know why, but it felt like allowing the Sword Spirit to name the dragon would be a terrible idea. Instead, he gazed at the sleeping dragon and then said with a smile, "Rex. I'll name him Rex."

"Rex?"

"Yes. It was the name of my Instructor in the Army." Hektor's gaze grew wistful. "I would not be here were it not for him."

The Sword Spirit nodded. "I see. Rex. It is a good name." He then snapped his fingers. A thin pamphlet-like book appeared in his hand. He glanced at the book, and then at the youth. "The Dragoon Technique is very short. There are three phases, one for each of a dragon's growth phase. You will perfectly memorize these techniques, after which I will destroy this book." The Sword Spirit's gaze then narrowed as he warned, "For your sake, refrain from carelessly sharing these techniques. You will end up on the wrong end of a Dragon's Breath."

Hektor accepted the notebook with a solemn expression. Indeed, if the Dragoon technique became common knowledge, it would not be long before dragons were seized or stolen from their homes as mounts. To prevent this, the Elder Dragons would definitely snuff out all traces of the leak, himself included.

"So I just read this?" The youth clasped the notebook and then looked at the sleeping dragon. "What about Rex?"

The Sword Spirit glanced at the sleeping dragon. Its gaze then hardened as it looked at Hektor. "You will care for the dragon for the next three months. He shall not leave your side for even a moment. You will hunt together, sleep together, live together, and if it comes to it, die together."

Hektor frowned. "Three months? I cannot wait that long. Kashi has something big planned, and I need to be there for him."

A smile tugged at the edge of the Sword Spirit's lips. "That is for you to decide. If you choose to aid the daeben, then you must take Rex along. In the meantime, however, your days will consist of hunting with Rex, and training with me. When the time is right, I will send you on your way." The Sword Spirit observed Hektor's antsy eyes. "Do not worry. I will let you go in two weeks. Shorter, if you can complete everything you need to learn at that time."

"That so?" Hektor cast a skeptical glare at the Sword Spirit. However, considering he had been given a dragon and training, it did not appear the Spirit wanted to harm him. So, Hektor carefully sat on the ground and then, with his free hand, began studying the book given to him by the Sword Spirit.

The Sword Spirt's gaze held a peculiar light as it observed the hardworking youth. Its gaze then softened as it glanced at the sleeping dragon. "Rex, huh," it muttered under its breath and then turned towards the North. "...Wait until you see this."

Redmont Manor

1:03 a.m. 22nd Banem 1092.

Bzzzzt!

A bolt of lightning zipped over the city's rooftops and then stopped a few blocks from Redmont Manor. The lightning bolt descended onto the sparsely populated street and then revealed itself to be Kashi and Syèl on Drixlia's back.

Drixlia, upon hitting the ground, slowed to a canter as it approached the Manor's main gates. The manor guards recognized the unique lightning clad kirin and its daeben passenger. They, therefore, made way without much fuss, allowing the trio to enter the mansion without incident.

Kashi rode up to the front door and then dismounted, while Syèl alighted from the cloud he had attached to Drixlia. Syèl dispersed the cloud, while Drixlia returned to Orez.

Syèl then walked into the mansion, but to his surprise, Kashi remained outside. "Not coming in?"

Kashi shook his head. "Nah. I think I'll wait for the sunrise." A heavy shadow hid behind his smile. For some reason, he could not bring himself to cross the doorway. "Got some paintings I need to work on anyway."

Syèl's brows furrowed. "It can't be? Lune—"

"No. No. That's not it." Kashi shook his head, a bitter smile plastered on his face as he looked at the building. "I just got something to work on. I'll see you guys in the morning." Before Syèl could respond, Kashi jumped onto the manor's rooftop. Upon the roof, he gazed at the night sky while various thoughts ran through his head.

Moments later, Kashi sighed and shook his head. He needed to clear his thoughts. Between Suzuki, Lunette, and Razznik, far too many things had happened that night. He needed some time to process exactly how he felt – time away from them.

Kashi thus removed an easel and canvas from his inventory. Finally, Rosario's brush appeared in his hands. Since its upgrade, the brush produced its own ink, so he could paint as he liked without worry.

Kashi set everything up. But then, when he tried to paint a line, his hand froze. So many things. So many emotions wished to cry out at the same time. The complex battle took shape in the increasingly large blot at the canvas' centre. The brush would not move, as the turmoil in the daeben's heart intensified. Eventually, Kashi stopped.

The daeben looked at the dark sky and let out a long sigh. So, it seemed he would not be getting anything done this night. What if he le—

"Hey. So, this is what you guys call art."

Kashi looked over at the smiling halben who had appeared beside him and was examining the blob point with a sly grin. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Syèl pointed at himself. The halben's eyes went wide with mock-shock. However, moments later, he relaxed and said, "I just want to get a portrait done."

"Portrait?"

"Yeah. A portrait of my awesome self!" Syèl jabbed a finger at his chest, a disgusting grin on his face. "It's not every day you get to meet a Vampire Prince, you know? Don't worry. I'll pay you well for your services."

Kashi sneered. "How much?"

"Blank cheque."

"Million Syros?"

"Done."

"Oh?"

Syèl chuckled. "Just charge it to the corporate account. Hopeful Maggots that is. This is a business transaction for the benefit of the guild.

Kashi rolled his eyes. However, when he saw Syèl's shit-eating grin, he could not hold back a chuckle. "Fine." Kashi laughed and pointed ahead of himself. "Sure thing. Just stand there." The daeben bit on the end of his brush and gave Syèl a once-over. Seemingly pleased with what he saw, he then sent the brush flying across the canvas.

This time, however, the brush was much smoother. No mistakes were made, and before long, Kashi was humming while Syèl struck ridiculous poses. All the while, the night wore on.