Ashes and Kingdoms

The Midsummer Mountains are full of greenery, winter memories are like lies, colorful flowers are blooming. The snow is almost gone, except for some of the summits, and neither birds nor beasts are busy singing short summers.

It was two days after Finn left Nanais that he arrived at the summer camp of the Sarda tribe. Finn could have gotten there sooner by himself, but with Nellis and Mac, we couldn't rush it much.

Even for the sudden visit, the blue fog did not show how surprised it was. As usual, settle down and greet the Guest with a slight grin.

"Long time no see, Mac, Nellis. Happy marriage."

"What... Oh, thank you. Did you know?"

All greeted normally, Mac eats face-to-face and gets stuck in words. Blue fog nodded lightly.

"I heard rumors from the merchants. They have a grand wedding in Nanais, he said. But it doesn't look like you're here to report it."

That's what he said. He turned his gaze to Finn. Finn always responds with a tough face, yes.

"You've also noticed that the dark beast seems to be attracting on the national side since this spring. I could feel the identity of what was drawing them."

"Unbounded hunger. No life, no vitality, no hope, no resentment, no even despair, any swallowing Nara"

The blue mist is pale and depicts it as a whisper. Finn glanced at her surprise.

"Did you see that, too?"

"Oh. The dwarves brought me news from the Great Forest. So I went down a little south. At that time, it was still just a matter of time, quietly and secretly operating. If there was any trigger, it would overflow all at once. I was wondering if I should let you know or not."

What was long, came out of his mouth, and Finn swallowed it on the verge.

"How can you be so calm? Even now, there's a bad influence up to the north, but if that happens,"

"I guess the country will perish. Utier says he's trying to expand the Great Forest to protect even a little more land from erosion. I, too, drew a partial, but borderline along the southern foothills of the mountains. I don't think there's any erosion in the mountains."

So the blue fog accompanied Mac and Nellis.

"That won't expand until the north side of the mountain range. Eat yourself up before then and vanish. Don't worry, the people of the North will be fine first."

…………

Really, I can't even say, the two of you are out of line. I couldn't believe what the blue mist said too lightly, the country would perish, etc. Slightly, Nellis somehow regains his mind.

"I mean, then... if we let the natives escape to the Great Forests, the mountains, or the North, it would help, wouldn't it?

Oh well, Mac just turned to me and turned around Finn.

"My brother and Lena could fly a long way ahead and let me and Nellis know from the nearby field and we could make it.... brother?

Neither had Mac's suggestion reached Finn's ear. He was staring at the blue mist, stood up. Being so close to each other, I can vaguely feel what we think of each other. You don't have to have strong emotions, you don't have to talk with thoughts.

Blue fog just shuts up and stares back at Finn calmly with his gold-scattered grey eyes. Not saying yes or no to Nellis or Mac's words, nor thinking with what to do.

(Nothing, I'm not going to do)

It is not in the blue mist that we intend to take any action to help the human beings of our country. Utier surrounded the land with a little forest, and the blue mist built a breakwater to protect the mountains. All you have to do is wait for that “hunger” to destroy itself...

"Why not?"

When Finn asked in a blurred voice, the blue fog tilted his little neck and inquired.

"You're the reason. I will protect the mountains, and Utia will protect the Great Forest. The dwarves have already begun their evacuation, and those who have ears to hear and eyes to grieve will be taken for granted. All you have to do is wait for the disaster to come to an end alone."

"I think tens of thousands of people will die by then!

Blue fog smiled bitterly against Finn, who accidentally vandalized his voice.

"When the majority of the country turns into barren land, let those tens of thousands survive, what will it be? If a lot of people survive without any luck or self-help to escape the crisis, the devastation will only last a long time. If humans now scattered all over the country concentrate on that narrow land that didn't have to be fed, that would be the more tragic result than being swallowed by Nara"

"That's...... but you should be able to contain the damage! If that thing is going to overflow, it's going to surround it so it doesn't expand, or at least direct it in one direction..."

In the middle of persuasion, the power disappeared from Finn's voice. Because Lena's fears have been conveyed. Without having to be told anything by Blue Mist, Finn realized he was overconfident in the power of the Tenryu.

Dragon Marquis, who has bonded for just a few years, and a dragon who is still young and inexperienced. What are you going to be able to do when Dragon Horses, who have spent far more time together than those two, say they are all avoiding confronting that “hunger” directly?

Finn chewed his lips and nodded, gripping his fist all the time. Blue fog still says nothing.

Nellis and Mac exchange anxiety for a swordswallowing vibe. Slightly Finn groaned, squeezing it out.

"So, is that mighty?"

"Right," Hmm, Blue Mist showed her a thought. "I don't know exactly, my partner doesn't. But at least, it would be dangerous for a dragon to come close by alone. If you want to try something, don't stop it, but leave it to the humans. It's ridiculous to go out of your way to the abyss of death and throw stones."

"... Yes"

It wasn't exactly a convincing story, but I can't answer anything else. Finn nodded like swallowing something bitter. Whether you like it or not, as the enigmatic prophecy suggests, the word blue mist is one instruction. I have no knowledge or experience enough to reject it, nor am I irresponsible enough to be allowed to reckless.

Lena gently touched the depressed Finn's heart. The gentle warmth makes me twitch and tingle. I didn't know Finn leaked his exhale.

(But yeah, there's still something I can do)

Not everything went to waste. Quick to give up. When he looked up, he turned once again to the blue mist.

"Your predictions are the best, and I think we need to take action. But even though we haven't cut through the immediate disaster, worrying about the later won't start. Which Michi..."

He said that much and looked up. Mouth it like you don't want to say, then continue like you gave up.

"No matter what kind of hand you hit, you won't be able to help everyone. You'd rather be happy if so many survived that your fears became real. Tell them to run because it's dangerous, and how many people will truly take it"

"Good if you know that," Blue Mist smiled. "Because it's about you, I was afraid I would go into the crisis itself by myself, trying to help everyone, including those without ears to listen to"

Seriously though, Mac and Nellis laughed out of the blue. Finn gets a complicated face and puts his eyes on it for a while. Blue fog continued while he couldn't get his mind back on.

"But again, I'm not going to actively help those in the lower realm. If you evacuate the Lowlands to the mountains, I won't refuse, but if you decide to do us any harm, I'll throw you out immediately. Don't count on our cooperation."

It's a chilling word to ask, but Finn just responded, "Okay." He also understands the problem of increasing the number of new residents after three years of rebuilding Nanais. It's not just about food and shelter.

"You said the dwarves were already starting their evacuation. Are you spreading the news a little bit to other people?

"Ayfanes - oh, about the dwarves - isn't as blatant as their interactions with each other, but they say rumors are circulating. Focus on people who have connections with them."

Blue Mist said and told me a little about the dwarves. They don't really live in the north, but not only in the great forests and mountain ranges, but they also live in mysterious secrecy in people's societies. Even when it comes to dwarves, they have variations in their physique, so small people, those who are perceived to the extent, may be in business with ordinary people.

Yeah, and Nellis leaked her impressed voice.

"If the people that live with you that way start running away with the sleaze and a bunch of people, you realize it stinks, even if you don't know you're a dwarf or something, right? Right...... After the war, we were all under the illusion that we were human beings, but the truth is, we all lived in the same place."

"That's the thing. Mac, we're not talking about you, are we?

The blue mist speaks a little ill-spirited to Mac, who has no place for himself just now. Mac was stuck in reply, blurring his shoulders and deceiving.

Finn moved on with a strange face when he slapped his brother-in-law on the back instead of telling him not to get sick.

"Anyway, so you're all getting some kind of sign or rumor for a little while. Even if you say it's dangerous, you may not have to think of it as clap-free bullshit. I'll go find out for once which neighborhood is the most dangerous. Perhaps... the western side of Quanos."

"I guess. Originally it was a place where the family of darkness was sealed in the earth. It's easy to accumulate all sorts of extras."

Um, and the blue fog nods. When he saw it, Finn looked anxious and questionable.

"Um... for you, what do you think? If the Dark Families sealed in the Ancient Wars are going to rampage to clear up their grudges..."

"Don't worry. Sure, I'm the Dark Dragon Marquis, but I'm not like the Dark Families, and I'm not in tune about their hatred and revenge. And in the first place, the darkness itself, sealed in the earth, has already returned little by little over the years to its original place."

"To heaven - to the world where the gods and dragons and spirits exist,"

"That's right. Only the distorted starch was later left behind, which I guess was further degenerated by my own hunger. No longer will the family of darkness, nor the dragon, nor the dragon marquis, nor even the Narug God one of them, call that darkness. That's a threat to me too."

"Very well."

Finn nods with a serious look. And the blue mist added in a slightly murky tone.

"That's why you don't have to be nice to me to do something about that for me."

"No way," Finn laughs unintentionally. "I'm not going to think about it that way. If I think that much..."

"Will you be stuck down by the blue leaves,? As always, your position seems weak."

…………

Shit. I dug a grave. Nellis sighed at the silent Finn.

"Ben, I wonder how Brother Finn would expose the last, poorly dressed part"