"No duh, genius, it happened three days ago, right outside the Belin caves. The humans and the undead battled against Scourge and got their asses handed to them. Remind me to not hit on his sister on the rebound in case things go badly with Quylla.
"The girl is hot, but it's not worth the trouble of messing with a guy like that." Morok said.
"Wait, I know neither of those girls, but Scourge? I sent him to those caves and they are barely an hour of flight from here if you're slow. How the heck did it take you so long to get here?
"I can't believe you're able to shapeshift and yet you've never learned how to fly!" Ajatar felt a headache coming on.
"Of course I know how to fly! It's just that on my way here I stopped in a few cities to vent and have some fun." Morok replied.
"Three days on a bender is not having fun. You've got problems." Ajatar said.
"You'd be depressed as well if after months of work, after risking your life to save your damsel in distress, all the thank-you you received was the flip of the bird. Scratch that. What could you possibly know about women?" Morok sighed with such honesty that the Drake had a hard time not killing him on the spot.
"I can send you to the Ernas Arch Duchy, but it's the middle of the night there." Ajatar said. "I doubt anyone will receive you so late, especially while in such a state."
"You're right, man. I need to clean up and get some sleep. Do you mind if I crash here for the night?" A wave of Morok's hand cleaned his face, hair, and hands.
"Actually, I do." Ajatar's left eye twitched at the idea of having to put up with his "guest" for one second longer. The Drake couldn't wait to get rid of him. "There's a cozy little village…"
"Okay, thanks." Morok cut him short and fell asleep on a pile of enchanted clothes that the Drake had realized as prototypes of a new kind of armor.
Ajatar's eyes became two fiery slits brimming with mana as he took a deep breath that filled his mouth with black flames. It was the first time in centuries that someone dared to barge in his house and disrespect him like that.
'Either he's really heartbroken or there's something wrong with his head. I'll cut him some slack and wait until tomorrow morning before kicking him out. Who knows, maybe Invigoration actually failed and he's still drunk.
'Gods, I never thought the day would come that I would wish Invigoration failed me.' Ajatar thought.
The following morning, an annoying voice woke up the Drake and reminded him that no good deed goes unpunished, no matter the world you live in.
"What's for breakfast? I'm starving here and I'm on a clock. Dude, only lovers and sick people spend all day in bed. Do you have a fever or just a fetish for gold piles? Is your shiny pillow supposed to be your girlfriend or what?" Morok asked.
Like most lesser Dragons, Ajatar slept on a small mound comprised of his most prized possessions.
"Gods, it wasn't a nightmare." The Drake whined while getting up.
The two had breakfast together and during that time, Ajatar casually asked Morok about the events in the caves. No matter how obnoxious he was, the Tyrant had yet to tell a single lie.
If there really was a crystal mine nearby and Baba Yaga resided there, it was worth the trip. Digging out crystals would take too long, but her knowledge could save Ajatar months of research.
Despite her obsession with resurrection, Baba Yaga was considered an honorable character second in wisdom only to Leegaain. Getting her help would more than make up for all the troubles Morok had caused the Drake.
The Tyrant didn't leave out any detail. Especially those meaningless like how hot Baba Yaga was in her Mother form, how the Crone resembled a prune, and how smelly Nandi was.
"The guy needed a bath even more than you do and I don't say it lightly." Morok conjured a small breeze to clear the air. "You should do something about that nervous tic."
Ajatar's left eye kept twitching in anger, but his tone was polite.
"Did you really refuse her offer? In exchange for your help, you could have asked Baba Yaga the secret of her white core or at least to Awaken you."
"To what end?" Morok asked.
"My old man is over 600 years old and believe me, he has more bad memories than good. Nandi seemed more ancient than my grandfather and even more bitter. Baba Yaga was nice, but I think she's just like her creations, broken.
"She must have lost something or someone important to her, so she desperately tries to give others happiness just to fill the void her past trauma created. I'm not interested in a long life unless I've got something to live for.
"Be honest with me, did becoming an Awakened make you happy?"
Ajatar was taken aback by Morok's unexpected burst of wisdom. He pondered the question deeply before answering.
'I don't have a companion in years, most of my friends are dead, my kids hate me because I refused to Awaken them, and I spend most of my days accumulating power and knowledge that I probably will never use.' The Drake had just woken up and his mood was already ruined.
"Of course I am." Ajatar lied through his teeth before sucker-Warping the Tyrant to his destination
It took Morok seconds to reach the gates of the Ernas Household, where the house staff had been carefully instructed to not invite him in nor to ash him to wait for Jirni's return.
The guards gave him an envelope containing a smaller envelope, a map to Faluel's lair, and the following note.
"Dear Baron Eari,
"Thanks for your loyal service and for protecting my daughters. My word is my bond so I can assure you that I'll honor my part of our deal. Give the sealed envelope to my daughter Quylla who is currently residing at the marked location and I'll do the rest.
"PS: break the seal at your own risk. If you do it, I'll consider myself free from my obligation."
Jirni had signed the note using all of her titles and names to stress how she considered their contract to be over and done. After checking the envelope against the light in the hope of reading its content, Morok gave up and reached Faluel's lair.
"Who are you and what do you want?" The Hydra didn't like unexpected visitors. Especially those who robbed her of the little free time she had before starting her lessons.
"My name is Morok Eari and I've got a letter for Quylla Ernas. Are you Faluel, the Lord of this Region and the woman who's mentoring her?" He had never told Ajatar his name nor asked that of his host, yet this time Morok introduced himself properly.
Not because he actually cared but because, according to all his drinking buddies, making a good first impression on Quylla's friends would improve his chances after their rough goodbye in Kulah.
"I've never heard about you and Quylla is not here. Leave me the letter and I'll make sure she receives it." Faluel could smell both Eari being an Emperor Beast and some odd enchantment on the letter.
