Bery rode on Valerie's back. The dragon puffed steam from her snout, and she flapped her large wings. The two of them flew through the sky, heading towards the north once more. Only, this time they would not stop in the granchin's territory.

Several hours after Yuri showed her invention, a courier had arrived at the castle gate. A letter was delivered, addressed to Valericae. It was a letter with only a few words.

Come see me in my domain.

And even though there was no name of the sender, Valerie assured Bery that she knew who it was.

The dragoness puffed. "I have no intention of hurrying there, but I suppose this is a good chance to see you in more outfits."

"What about the others we're leaving behind?"

"They'll be fine. I've left instruction on how to deal with any affairs, and Yuri already has the capability to take over the territory."

"I am worried about them."

"I know, kitten. If this was a request from anyone else, I would set it aside. I expect that she does not want me to be there posthaste, but it's rare for her to want to speak with me."

Bery rubbed her hands against Valerie's smooth scales. "I don't mind. I am surprised that you would feel obligated to do anything. It makes me kind of nervous."

"Do not worry about it, kitten. In truth, I have owed her a favor for centuries, so she's probably cashing out. I have no intention to rush there. I made a promise to see you in different outfits, and there is a place I'd like to visit. You liked the beach before, right?"

Bery grinned. "Of course!"

"Then, I am sure you will enjoy this place even more. Though, I don't want to spoil the surprise."

The kitten nodded. She thought about what it meant to visit The Eternal White. What would happen when the two of them saw each other? Bery knew that they'd known each other for a long time, and it sparked a bit of jealousy in the kitten's core. She probably knows things about Valerie that I don't.

Getting some more free time from the others was a good thing. She would be able to answer even more of Valerie's past, and the two would spend a lot of time together. Bery didn't want to be stuck in one place forever. She realized that moving around ignited her creative spark even more.

Yuri found a way to increase the efficiency of her magic as well, but what about Bery? She knew that going about it the same way as the golem would not work. No, she needed to find her own way.

The kitten placed both of her palms together and closed her eyes. She still didn't have a good image of water. She imagined that it would be easy to cast water magic. Surely all I need to do is think of water, and it will appear?

However, that was not the case at all. If it was simple as that, then everyone would become a mage. Most average people didn't have the capacity for basic magic. Until recently, Bery never conjured up a single spell. Even the bandits that pursued her on that fateful day hadn't tried to use some magic to stop her.

The feeling within her stomach churned, and she felt nauseous yet again. A small puddle of water appeared in her hands, and she took a sip.

It's worse than river water but better than still lake water. She wondered if it would be possible for her to become an expert water mage. Maybe it was all some dream that couldn't be achieved?

She sighed and gazed at her surroundings. Something about flying through the sky made her feel peaceful. Even her thoughts of inferiority wouldn't completely still her heart. They flew over trees that seemed like little specks on the ground. If she looked to the east and the west, she could see mountain ranges.

Ahead of them, she saw the vast ocean, and she faintly saw the Granchin city in the distance to the west. However, as Valerie said, they didn't stop there.

The dragoness's wings continued to flap, and they reached the shoreline. The dimming sunlight shined on the water's blue surface. Before long, they reached the deep, and the east, the west, and the north became only rolling seas. Even the south continent started disappearing behind them after a while.

Still waters became the only backdrop, and Valerie lowered herself towards the surface. When they were beyond all sentient life, it was normal for the dragon to fly lower.

Bery peered over her dragoness and gazed down at the water. If this was Bery from a few months ago, she'd be far too afraid to do something like this. She had implicit trust in her dragoness.

Beneath the surface, Bery saw schools of fishes pass by. Many of them were small, and others were gigantic.

A blue water drake slithered beneath the surface, and it launched into the air, taking an enormous fish in its mouth. Lightning erupted from the serpent's gills, and it shocked the fish to death. The drake splashed back into the water with its catch and chomped down, blood flowing into the open ocean.

Bery's eyes widened at the scene. "Nature is so violent and beautiful. I think I understand more where Kanai comes from."

Valerie chuckled. "A long time ago, those creatures didn't exist. I have no idea what they are called in the common tongue, but in dragon tongue we called them Cae-Seropis. Draco Ocean Serpent."

Bery flinched. "I had no idea that your tongue would be so different than mine."

"Yes, our tongue is one of the earliest. It sounds different than most of the modern languages, yet many words are derived from it. Those serpents are not that old, all things considered. They are still much older than all of the other drakes."

Bery pet the dragon's scales and smiled. "Do you know how they came to be?"

The dragoness chuckled. "There used to be more primordial dragons before there were only three. In the early days of this planet's existence, there were many of us. Many fell in battle, and some of those battles formed the terrain here. One of the primordial dragons was an ocean goer, and he spawned many other dragons like him. Those serpents came from the offspring of lesser dragons. Though, I cannot say with what they bred."

"Do you think it's possible that some other primordial dragons survived?"

Valerie shook her head. "Of this, I am certain there are no more. After all, many of them were felled by my own claw, and I do not forget the kin I've slain."

Bery frowned, and her stomach twisted. "I am sorry."

"There is no need to be sorry, kitten. It was many ages ago, and they were deserving of death. Had the world gone the way they wanted, there would be no more world to walk on. The three of us banded together and stopped them for the sake of all living creatures."

"Doesn't that make you like a hero of legend? If not for you then nobody else would exist today…"

Valerie puffed more smoke from her nose and chuckled. "I am not a hero. Perhaps, I am just weaving the tale in a way that makes me look good. I am sure that those other dragons, if they were still alive, would call me tyrant. As do many of the others."

Bery sighed and pressed her head against Valerie's cool scales. "You are no tyrant. You saved me, and you allowed Emary and Elanore to stay in that castle. If not for you, we would have never had a body for Yuri. You've done a lot of good things, so you're not allowed to think of yourself as a tyrant."

"Thank you, kitten. One way or another, I will make myself the most worthy of you."

Bery giggled and shook her head. "In many ways, we are the same. In a lot of other ways, we are different."

The kitten realized that they shared a horrible trait. Neither of them actually thought they were worthy of the other, yet they chose to love each other. Bery knew that Valerie's past was likely soaked in blood and devastation. Even still, the kitten wanted to know more. Just as Valerie wanted to shoulder her burdens, she wanted to let the dragon lean on her.

A storm approached, but Valerie's magic created an erasing field around the two. The turbulent waves below and the cracking of thunder wouldn't deter their advance.

Bery closed her eyes and clung to the dragoness. Even if thousands of storms approached them, even if there was a storm in their relationship, and even if Valerie created turbulence to block away her heart, the kitten would not let go. She would cling to Valerie's body, and she would learn everything she could about the person she fell in love with.

After all, that is what it means to love someone.

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