^^ Victor The True Sorcerer ^^

— Alice —

I approached the Ancient Dragon and his Knight quickly, and smiled as Amoj the Ancient Dragon sniffed me. "Hmm... you are a Demon Queen now? How fitting... and do I smell radiance?" Amoj asked.

"I'm a Heroic Dragoon and a Demon Queen, Yes. Plus a Merchant Queen, but honestly that was a given." I grinned up at him, and he snorted, amused.

"A Hero and a Demon Queen... that will be interesting to watch." He laughed at Lukira's stressed sigh, apparently unconcerned.

"Mm. Now, what types of beasts should I feed Zara? What type of meat is best? She's hungry, and now so am I, after all of that nonsense." I focused the Ancient Dragon's attention back on task.

"You can't really tell, at first, the difference between Meats. It's only later that we develop peculiarities in our diets. But, as she has evolved into a Storm Dragon and a Blood Mage... very curious mix, that... perhaps some sort of Predator, not Prey. She may be capable of hunting on her own, but you should get into the habit of fighting together. It builds camaraderie." He explained.

"Uhm, does that go for us, as well?" Buri asked, approaching while carrying Gillian on his shoulder, and Lena followed, winking at Lukira saucily.

"Yes, I imagine it does... if course, an Oceanic Dragon would prefer Fish of some sort, or snakes, and a Magma Dragon actually eats unworked iron and coal, amongst other ores and crystals, not Meat. It is entirely vegetarian... or, uh... Metalitarion? I'm not sure of the proper term, but they don't eat meat. They can be persuaded to eat fruit, at times." He sniffed the small female dragon, and she swiped at his nose saucily, lashing her tail in a whiplike movement when he dodged easily.

"Alright, thanks! I know where to get all of that; Blue River!" I grinned. "By the way, how are those other two, the elves and their dragons?"

Lukira answered, after a moment of thought. "They have decided to join your Guild as Hunters, actually... it is a good life-experience and good training, and as I said, there is no guidance from your elders, during this time, so they are free to do as they please."

I grinned. "Cool... I don't mind if they want to stick around, but Pay is pretty low, compared to being a Knight, I imagine; if they're alright with that, then so be it!"

He chuckled and nodded. "True... now, you said Blue River? We can give you a ride, if you'd like? The Dragons should experience flight very soon, so as to understand it."

We all agreed readily, and I built us a wooden canoe with a wave of my hand, which Amoj lifted once we were all inside it.

Flying over the forest... was a different experience than I'd expected. I loved heights, so that wasn't an issue, (I'd grown up a thousand feet from the ground, after all,) but there was something else about actually flying, not just being high up, that made the experience extra magical.

Of course, I took the time up close to examine the average flight speed of a 150-year-old Ancient Dragon, and the magical spells his wings were imbued with to allow his massive frame and weight flight, which should've become anatomically impossible once his weight rose above 8000 tons, considering his wings were only two times his length of sixty feet, and as wide as his back, 1/4 of his total length, meaning he could carry, -due to the muscle strength and surface area of said wings,- up to 8000 Tons, maximum encumbrance.

Considering Dragon Bones were not hollow, their standard body density would be about ten times that as a human, plus their skeleton and scales, averaging about fifteen times that of a human, as far as body-mass-index is concerned; thus, at Sixty feet long and twenty feet wide, with a height at the shoulder of thirty feet, he occupied a space of 36,000 feet cubed. His wings, tail, and neck would all fill in the space between his legs almost perfectly, and so that 36,000 can be compared to the human scale, -on average 60 pounds per cubic foot, x15, to adjust for density-. That meant he weighed around 32.4 million pounds, or 16,200 Tons. He was double encumbrance, which meant that the spell on his wings could possibly be used in a dragon that wasn't that heavy, -or a person...- to effectively double their speed by halving their weight.

"Amoj, how can I learn that spell you're using to fly and jump around despite weighing twice your wings' maximum output?" I asked, curious.

He bent his head down. "You've been doing math for a few minutes now, but I hadn't been aware of why... for your information, dragons possess innate pockets of helium, interspersed throughout their body, which develop as they age. I currently only weigh about 1,000 tons, and I'm only using the flight spell to go even faster than the normal eight times my supposed 'maximum output'. We're currently traveling at about 350 miles an hour, far faster than most dragons could dream of; I am something of a master flyer, you see!" He boasted for the young dragons, letting his scales shiver as he chuckled heroically, and then dipped down towards the ground, as suddenly the river came into view.

I hummed and calculated the time we'd flown and the distance, then smiled. "Closer to 300, but adjusting for acceleration, you're not too terribly far off. Very impressive, either way, and I'm surprised I've missed these helium pockets in my dissections... now that spell?" I asked.

He landed on the bank of the river, and chuckled. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt..." he traced a magic circle into the mudbank, and once I'd written it down he destroyed it. "Make sure no one who isn't a dragon learns that Sigil, please... it is Ancient Dragon Magic." He warned me quietly.

I nodded and looked at the water next to us. "Alright... and here's where you'll find fish, Buri, and metal for you, Lena! Five gold should get you a proper amount of coal and iron, and another five for you should buy some of those fish off the docks!" I handed each of my siblings five gold pieces. When they stared at me incredulously, I explained. "I know, it's a lot of money, but they'll eat a lot, I'm guessing. Also, you guys are going back to the academy soon, so it's best to stock up now, while you've got a bunch of people who know dragons nearby."

They nodded, satisfied with that answer, and rowed their canoe towards the docks, while I turned and walked into the woods.

Zara examined everything she could see, capturing several small animals, -studying them for a moment, and then releasing them,- as well as a few birds and one small Dragon-Fly.

I showed her notes I made of her studies, and she cocked her head, purring. "Left wing... bigger?" She pointed out a mistake I'd made in the drawing, and I fixed it easily.

"Drawing isn't really my strong suit, dear, sorry." I chuckled.

She purred again, and used a claw to gently move the pages, reading through the section on dragon anatomy. She examined it, and then her own claws, and hummed again.

"Can you... read this?" I asked, realizing something.

She nodded, and poked my chest, then her own. "Sharing... Everything."

"Ah, so your vocal cords are still catching up, but you understand me perfectly, huh?" I smiled.

She nodded again. "Yes... mostly. Wyrmling Instincts are... debilitating."

I pet her head gently, and looked up at a Black Panther monster with golden stripes, a reincarnated beast. "Ah, and here's your first meal! Watch from here, my dear." I placed her down on a nearby tree-stump, and whistled at the Monster. "Hey Catnip! Com'ere!!!"

It perked up and stared at me for a moment before cowering, and slowly approaching, rolling onto its back in front of me. It moaned piteously, and I hummed, confused.

"As a Demon Queen, monsters or dragons weaker than you will instinctually obey you, and are nonviolent to you and your companions; your scent is enough, even if you are not visible or present." A human sat on a fallen tree trunk nearby, leaning against a staff with a raven atop it. He looked to be about twenty-five or so, with a short black goatee barely visible under his wide hood. His robes were a charcoal grey with silver filigree, and across his lap sat the biggest book I'd ever seen.

"That's a mighty big book you've got there... care to tell me who you are, or are you just a creepy guy waiting to talk to little girls alone in the woods?" I asked archly, raising an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled softly. "We both know you're not a little girl, Alice Violetta Pendragon Mecia Tauros..."

I paused for a moment, and examined him closer. "Intriguing... regardless, don't be a creep. If you want to talk, you'll do it on my terms, at my tower, where you will have an appointment. Good day." I stated pointedly.

He tilted his head for a moment, and chuckled again. "It's been a while... since someone has dismissed a True Sorcerer... I cannot say that it displeases me that you are so bold and yet foolhardy... it means you are not perfect. Perfection is... frightening, for those who have seen it... you have seen it, haven't you? Those beings between the realms of life and death..." he raised an eyebrow.

I snorted. "Perfection doesn't exist, and if you're talking about the Administrator, they were no more intimidating than this panther to me. Gods or Beings, they're no more perfect than any human or long-lives creature. If you're hinting that you've been reincarnated, good for you. This is my third trip, as you know, and I've lost my interest in you who is afraid of a little Power, which is all they really are. Off with you, and make an appointment next time." I dismissed him in a huff, and grabbed the panther, dragging it over to Zara.

"Food? Food?" She began chirping, clicking her jaws together rapidly.

"Yes, food; here's how it works, okay, watch me." I bit the ear of the panther, pinning it to the ground with raw strength, and drew out its mana in its blood, drinking it in.

She cocked her head a little, and then nodded, biting the throat of the panther and wrapping her body around it when it began to struggle, drinking deeply of its mana and spirit, then its entire body began to turn to dust, as she moved on from the blood to the meat and bones and fur.

When she was done, and nothing was left, I nodded. "Well done!!! Very good job!!!" I pet her head happily, and she purred loudly. "Now, in the future, we like to leave the hide of the creature, so we can sell it; good money can be made from hides and the armors made from them."

She perked up. "Moneys?!? Hoards?!?!?" She hissed incessantly.

"Yes, my dear, Hoard. I'll show you mine, when we go back to the tower, Alright? For now, we hunt some more, and fine-tune your abilities. If you manage a perfect pelt, I'll give you its weight in Silver and copper and shiny crystals, my dear!" I smiled at her reflexive excited shiver.

She immediately started skimming through the tall brush, looking for more prey, and I followed, hiding my scent (and hers) with a little bit of Air Magic, which pushed the scent directly up, not out. That way, the dragons above could track us if need be, but the monsters down here would not smell us coming.

She paused, coming to a perfect statuary halt, and stared at a massive dappled green snake, wrapped around a tree.

"The lungs of that one are valuable, not its hide... have at it." I smiled, speaking very softly.

She nodded and proceeded to slink up to the tree, but the moment she touched it, the snake's head whipped towards her, and it hissed, showing sword-length black fangs and gums. "This is a monster-version of a Black Mamba... very poisonous, don't let it bite you, and if it sprays gas at you, dodge!" I gave some small assistance from the side, holding a throwing dagger to interfere from afar if necessary.

She hissed back at the snake saucily, and spat a spark of lightning at him. It impacted and made him recoil, but other than a small scorch mark on his face, it didn't harm him. Seeing this, she growled and launched herself at him like a bullet, so fast I couldn't even barely see the movement, before hugging his face and biting at his eyes. She began drinking his blood away as soon as she got her fangs into him, and he dropped from the tree slowly, limp and weak, but not dead.

I watched as she snapped his neck, then began carefully cutting open his body, finding his lungs and removing them slowly. "Well done, my dear!!! Masterful!!!" I laughed, petting her and setting the lungs in a sack to be given to whichever alchemist would like them.

"I am unaccustomed to being so rudely dismissed." The Sorcerer hummed, holding his massive book and reading a passage nearby.

"My Dragon is more important to me than you; get accustomed to that. And go make an appointment, I wasn't joking." I shooed him off calmly.

He gazed at me calmly for a moment, and then looked up as the raven croaked. "The Dean would Like a Word, Victor." A surprisingly Human, deeply masculine voice came from the raven atop his staff, and then it began cleaning its feathers again.

He nodded, and turned to a different page. "Understood... I will make an appointment, Duchess Taurus, for tomorrow morning, perhaps 8 o'clock?"

"That is agreeable, Sir Victor." I nodded.

He smiled and waved a hand, creating a magic circle instantly, which I hadn't seen before; most magic circles had to be drawn ahead of time. I threw the dagger in my hand as an experiment, and stabbed one of the runes before they all activated; both he and Zara flinched when his entire spell shattered with an audible sound, much like breaking glass.

"Huh... Interesting." I retrieved the knife, and grinned at the astonished Sorcerer. "Sorry about that, was testing a theory."

"Yes... is that knife Magical?" He asked slowly.

"No? It's just some scrap iron I shaped into a knife with my Alchemist Sub-Class? Why?" I asked.

"You used magic, then... non-magical items cannot interfere with Runes." He hummed.

"Ah... well, I'm a Magic Duelist and Elemental Swordsman, through the Hero Class, if that helps?" I shrugged.

"Ah, Yes, I'd forgotten... hm. Good day, again." He chuckled and cast the spell again, disappearing.

"Hm... he was interesting, wasn't he, Zara?" I asked, and continued with the destruction of the snake, feeding its spirit to the Amphiptere, who ate it greedily.

"Mm." She nodded, and then trotted off in search of more food.

—

I settled the dozens of large pelts into the carriage, taking almost half of the available room, and paid Damir the 25 Silver for passage with cargo less than one ton, while my siblings placed their own packages, much larger and better wrapped, on top of mine.

"So tell me again where you... how, you got these pelts?" Lena asked as she sat down and the doors closed.

"Zara hunted them. When do you have to return to the Academy? Is there a Term Schedule?" I chuckled, changing the subject smoothly.

"Ah, Yes, we return tomorrow, but Term doesn't start until the day after that, for Freshmen... you are going to the Academy, yes?" She asked cautiously.

"I don't really want to be connected to any one kingdom just yet, so I've got to think about it. And there's that True Sorcerer fellow who made an appointment with me tomorrow morning-... oh hell, I'm an idiot; Do either of you know the name 'Victor the True Sorcerer'?" I rubbed my face tiredly, pissed I didn't make the connection.

"Uhm... yes?!? He's the head of the Magical Classes in the Academy? How did you meet- you made him make an appointment?!?" She smacked the back of my skull sharply.

"First of all... ow. Second of all: I make everyone make appointments except mother and father. No one will ever respect you if they think their time is more valuable than yours, so if you make them make an appointment, you're very clearly stating that 'I don't have time to wait for you, but you can wait for me.' This means my time is more valuable- OW!!!" I glared at her, rubbing my head where she'd smacked me again, too fast to see.

"HE'S THE STRONGEST MAGE IN THE ENTIRE CONTINENT YOU FUCKING MORON!!! HIS TIME IS MORE VALUABLE THAN YOURS!!!" She snapped at me loudly.

"Well he doesn't have to know that." I muttered saucily.

"I do not agree with beating our sister upon the head for making no mistake at all, Lena..." Buri hummed.

"No mistake?!? Did you hear what she said differently?!?"

"Apparently so. She was approached, in the woods, alone, with no witnesses, by a man who claimed to be a Sorcerer, and instead of blindly trusting him, she demanded that he come to a secure location with guards and magical defenses before continuing to speak to him." He answered back blandly, but she flinched.

"Ah... well, when it's said that way..." she blushed and patted my head gently, before flinching as Buri punched her shoulder with a solid 'WHACK!!!', rocking her to the side.

"And that's for slapping our little sister. You're not her mother, and you don't get to slap her." He admonished seriously.