NOVEL ONLINE FREE 286. Relaxing for a Change
Ruby circled over the familiar mountain before swooping low, toward a broad clearing on one side of the mountain's face that Ike could now tell was just big enough for a dragon to land. Ike checked over Ruby's shoulder, just to make sure there were no mages on the horizon, but it seemed that dragons could outspeed even high-rank mages. And to be fair, it had taken him weeks to cross the desert at Rank 3, but Ruby had crossed it in minutes. If he kept getting faster at the same rate he'd been getting faster as he climbed Ranks, it would have still taken him days to cross the desert, or at best, a day. Ruby had cut the distance down to nothing. Of course the other mages, who weren't even as specialized in speed as Ike was, couldn't keep up.
He was almost a little whiplashed at how fast she'd traveled. This same day, he'd almost died to that flaming figure, acquired King's Reign, and barely clawed his way back out from under the skill's control, and now he was back at the fox's resort, about to have a nice dinner and a long, warm bath under the stars.
This got him no closer to solving the problem with his new skill, or answering any questions about what had happened to his System, or help them figure out what was going on with Brightbriar. But it did help take a load off his shoulders. And after they'd suffered in that trial realm for so long, he really, really, really needed a little chance to unwind. A little relaxation, so he could take on everything else with renewed vigor. Since he hadn't truly gotten to enjoy the facilities the first time, what with the humans constantly attacking the foxes, he was looking forward to his second visit. Hopefully it was a little less exciting than his first.
As the rest of them climbed off Ruby, or, in Mag's case, fluttered, Ike leaned toward Scar. "So… do we have a dragon on our side?"
Scar grimaced. "I'd love to say yes, but that's Ruby's call, not mine. Me and her are close, but she doesn't really understand human things like grudges, and it certainly wasn't her peak that got destroyed a few hundred years ago. She's happy to come along to provide a quick escape and hang out for a bit, have a good bath and a nice meal, but to call her part of the team…"
"Got it," Ike said. If Wisp and he talked past one another sometimes, he could only imagine how much a being on a fundamentally different power scale like a dragon would have a hard time understanding humans. Wisp at least was held to more or less the same constraints as human mages, and if anything, she'd started weaker than Ike—though he was pretty sure she'd never admit it, and probably didn't see it that way. Dragons… well, he knew nothing about them for sure, but if the rumors were true, they were born at Rank 3 or 4, if not higher. And their lives were measured in millennia at the shortest, while beasts and human mages struggled to attain hundreds of years of lifespan.
To Ruby, this whole thing with Brightbriar was probably no more than the blink of an eye, something it was better not to bother with and simply wait for it to die out in another thousand or two years. Like interfering in an ant war. Sure, you could decide the winner and the loser, but you'd probably get ants all over you and suffer a few bites to do it, when you could also simply ignore it, let the ants do their thing, and enjoy the same end result in the long run when both nests inevitably died out.
He didn't agree with it. But he did understand it.
Ruby's huge form shimmered and folded back into a much smaller human one. She threw her hands up. "Who's ready for some rest and relaxation? 'Cuz I know I am!"
"What? You didn't even do anything," Scar returned, shaking her head at her friend.
"Nothing? I did nothing? Who rescued you? Who flew across a whole region and a nasty desert just for you? I've got sand in my scales. Sand in my everything. Of everyone here, I probably need a bath the most!" Ruby replied.
Scar thumped her on the back and laughed. The two of them led the way into the resort.
"Watch out, kiddo. This is a den of foxes. You know foxes eat pretty birds like you, right?" Wisp teased Mag.
Mag hopped in the air for a moment, just long enough to transform his legs and bare his claws at her. "I'd like to see them try. I'm the King of Magpies. They won't get far before I eviscerate their weak, furry stomachs!"
"Alright, you two. Come on. We're guests here. Let's try to act vaguely civilized," Ike said, gesturing for them to follow.
"Yeah, because you're the king of civilized," Wisp snarked.
"I said 'vaguely,'" Ike pointed out.
"You guys coming, or what?" Scar asked at the door.
"Coming, we're coming."
The lodge was just as beautiful as Ike remembered it. The foxes gave Scar hungry looks, but when they saw Ruby standing close to her, they quickly averted their eyes.
"Dinner, a bath, and two rooms. We have humans, so human-friendly meals," Ruby ordered outright, careless of the foxes' reactions.
Rather than hostility or derision, as Ike had expected, the hostess bowed. In a simpering voice, she replied, "Of course, Madame Dragon. It will all be arranged. As a warning, we have some guests who might be displeased sharing the resort with humans—"
"Huh? Aren't you guys renowned for your hospitality? Does that only apply to beasts, then?" Ruby asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"N-no, I'm merely offering a friendly warning…" the fox replied, bowing deeper. Her ears appeared and laid flat against her head in fear.
"Then why don't you go offer those human-hating guests a friendly warning, huh? I'm paying good money for my friends to stay here. I want them to have a lovely time. You understand?" Ruby said. She thumped a bag on the table. It glowed faintly with a blue-green light.
The fox hostess' eyes widened. Before she could touch the bag, a door swung open behind her. A powerful, older fox woman in robes more ornate than anything Ike had seen yet and several gilded hairpins dangling from her hair stepped forward. She glanced at the hostess, who bowed and stepped aside.
"I did not realize we'd be hosting a dragon today. I will see to it that Madame's stay is satisfactory in all ways," the older woman assured her.
Ruby nodded, as if she'd expected it. "Of course. I knew I could count on an establishment this fine."
"Marle, go inform the other guests of our new guests. If they are unwilling to share the resort with humans, refund them and remove them immediately," the older woman ordered.
Ike scratched the back of his neck, feeling a little self-conscious all of a sudden. He hadn't really asked for anyone to go to this extent. Honestly, he was starting to feel like maybe they should have gone somewhere else.
Then again, this was all Ruby. And it wasn't as if he'd get to stay with a dragon again in his lifetime, in all likelihood. Might as well sit back and enjoy the ride, he reasoned.
The hostess, Marle, bowed and rushed off. The rest of them stood awkwardly in the lobby, waiting for her return.
Ike looked around, but there was no sign of Mont. He hadn't really expected it. The man was probably doing whatever mountains usually did, which probably wasn't flaunt around the resort atop them. Still, he would've liked to see him again. Show him how Shawn was thriving, even if he wasn't thriving the way mountains were supposed to.
"Then, if you'll please come this way?" the older fox asked. She led the way into the dining room, and the rest of them followed.