THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

When I sit near Cissa, the fire crackles a bit. It really seems like we are in some glade, enjoying stories around a fire. Ah… Excafol. How I missed your stories about stars and battles and politics. All those weird stories that I didn't understand, how I wish you would narrate them again.

"Are you listening?"

"No."

"Then why did you come?"

"To have some things explained to me."

"Then listen."

"Okay, okay.."

"As I said. STAMPEDE allows me to take a physical form and help you. But to a certain extent only. If I am defeated or destroyed somehow by attacks unrelated to Regas, all the draconic energy will simply come back to you. But if a Longinus defeats me, our soul will suffer from it and there is a high probability that you could even die from it."

"Ah? Why?"

"Because I am part of your soul. If I am damaged, the impact on you is uncertain and great. From Regas at the very least."

"I see. Then Stampede I a last resort as well, I suppose?"

"No, just become strong enough so that our soul will be fortified. That way, even if Longinus defeats me, we won't suffer from it too much. But for now, indeed, it is too early to use it."

"Then why did you have me use it earlier?"

"Because I wanted you to see how it works." Only that? Cissa, you sometimes act just like us humans.

But I must admit, she looked cool when she appeared out f thin air and started slicing through Longinus with her raizen.

"Thank you."

"Eh?"

"I heard it, of course."

"Of course… Anyway, about Sceras."

"What about my brethren?"

"Why was he chained up? Why was he there? why-"

"Are all those questions important?"

"I…No, they aren't. But I still wish to know. Please, tell me."

"Ah…" Cissa sighs for a long moment. Then she looks at the fire and her eyes turn yellow. Wait, is this still…

"Are you still-"

"My brethren's soul arrived on Schamerin five hundred years ago. Unlike me, which was gifted to a god and fused with your soul, he came through spatial and time distortion. A special power of one the gods who are fighting with us."

"So a god helped him move here?"

"Yes. He came together with another one. The second one we must find. When he arrived, his soul didn't belong to this world and therefore was rejected. As he grew up, the body which contained his soul became subject to hatred from the people of this world."

"Wait, his soul got rejected?"

"Yes, each world has a god that manages it. each god decides on the type of livings beings that he wants to survive in his world. Though Longinus can trespass that absolute power because of Regas. Stronger living beings like us can still survive in a world where we aren't welcomed."

"But then, the god of that world..."

"Will brand us as an anomaly? Of course. But too much is at stake to care about such things. After my brethren got captured, he had been tortured, for long, centuries until his jailors eventually forgot about this place, about him. That's when he started refining his soul up to the point where you have received it. Another century and he could have become an Arch dragon."

"…So, I prevented him from…"

"My brethren wanted you to end it. There is no need to feel bad. But I thank you for your feelings."

"I don't understand. Why would you guys go so far to save worlds when even gods don't seem to care?" If the gods really wanted to save their worlds, they would let dragons come everywhere and help since they managed to defeat the Longinus."

"When you own a house, would you call for somebody else to teach you how to clean it?"

"If I don't know how, then of course."

"What if you thought you know?"

"I… I see." So it is a matter of pride? Such foolishness.

"You can say that again. But in the end, we can only do what we can do. That's why I want you to understand how important it is to use to that you who has received our gift and wish, realize the task at hand and do what you have to."

"I told you I did already. But no matter what you say. There are things I must do as well, and on those, I won't ever give up."

"I was just reminding you."

"I know. Me as well."

"Then, is there anything else you wish to know?"

"No, that was already too much information for one night."

"I see. Rest then."

"Wait. Do you ever sleep?"

"What need is there for the soul to sleep. Or do you want to die?"

"N-no. I was just wondering if you don't feel lonely here."

"If so, then come here more often."

"Argh… Okay, I understand."