Chapter 2. The Northen Lights 13

Rashid had already arrived at the top of the castle.
Rashid found a tremendous creature there, and he was really amazed. Blue
colored scale, a pair of huge wings, thick four legs, long neck, and the big
head… it was the legendary frost dragon!
However, the dragon was bleeding and complained of
severe pain. 
“Kwaaaa!!”
“Oh! Is the dragon already dead?”
Rashid came to the dragon closer and closer.
“Kwaaa!!!!!!!!”
“Oh my! The dragon got seriously injured! And even he
couldn’t breathe well.”
At that time, the dragon talked to Rashid,
“Who are you, the human?”
“Wow!!! I didn’t know you can use our language!”
“Kwaaa!! Aren’t you afraid of me, the human kid?”
Rashid smiled and shook his head,
“No, I am not! I really wanted to see you!”
“Haha, you wanted to see me? kwaa….”
“Are you alright?”
“I am immortal…. But I am dying now…”
The dragon seemed downbeat and Rashid was shocked,
“No!!! We are just about to be friends! You cannot
die!”
“Friend…? Then you will be my first and last friend of
my thousands of year’s lifetime.”
Rashid tried to use healing magic, but his magic power
was too weak to heal the dragon.
‘I…. I have to see others dying again…?’
Lots of paladins, especially Randel who died for him suddenly
came into his mind. They all were not saved because he was too weak and young.
He was eager to save, but he couldn’t.  Rashid got into deep sorrow. He felt helpless,
and he felt his heart broken.  So he
started to pray because it was only thing he could do. He desperately wished
and prayed for the dragon.
‘Please…. Please…. Save him!!!!’
At the moment, a teardrop from him was falling down on
the dragon, and there was big white light was scattered all around at the same
time. 
“Kwaaaa! The light is…?”
The light covered the dragon’s whole body and started
to heal the wounds. 
“Is it healing magic? My  wounds are being healed slowly….”
“How can I do this magic….?”
 “You really
care for me this much…?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You care for me. Your purely wished, and prayed. It
would be the origin of all magic. Your pure heart saved me, human.”
“Then, are you alright now?”
“I still need time to be healed, but at least my life
is not risky anymore. Thank you.”
Rashid looked really happy, he brightly smiled and his
tears were still on his cheeks.
“Great! Great! Really great!”
“I have never ever been helped like this even from
gods. I really want to give you the rewards for this.”
“No! I never wanted those things. And now we have just
become friends, haven’t we?”
“Haha, Ok. What is your name?”
“I am Rashid!”
“Rashid… Rashid… it is a good name. Ok. I am Xavier.”
The dragon closed his eyes for a while, after that
there was a blue light came out from his head. The light flew to the Rashid.
“What is it…?”
“Now your spirit has been linked to my spirit.”
“Huh? Linked?”
“Even though it is impossible right now, but you will
be able to share your conscious with me when you surpass your limits.”
“Then what will happen?”
“You will know when the time comes.”
“By the way, why were you seriously injured?”
When he asked, the dragon showed his rage,
“Beradin! He did!”
“Beradin? Are you talking about the Imperial
Chancellor?”
“You know him?”
“I do!”
“We are really fate… Anyway, he attacked me and took
the Statue of Shiva from me.”
“The Statue of Shiva?”
“Yes.. it is….hmm….”
The dragon felt something, and said,
“Now, it is time to say good bye, Rashid.”
“We just became friends, and now saying good bye?”
“The people who are looking for you are already around
here. I don’t want them to see me. So now you go.”
Rashid nodded,
“Alright, I will leave…. And… can we ever meet again?”
“If the fate lead us….we will….”
“Good bye, Xavier!”
And Rashid came out of the room and went upstairs. He
found Eiolin and Gray there. 
“Rashid! Are you alright?”
“Sis! Gray!”
“Are you Ok, Rashid?”
“Sis, I am sorry to make you worry.”
Suddenly, Eiolin pushed him away, and said,
“Rashid! If you will keep doing whatever you want,
just stay here. You do not have to be with us!”
Rashid was shocked, and said,
“Sis!!!”
“You are the prince. All Pandragon people are waiting
for you to rebuild the kingdom. You are their hope and they expect you to be a
great king someday! If you just do whatever you want, there will be many people
disappointed. So, it would be better to stay here to live as an ordinary
person!”
Gray was just looking at them, and finally he said,
“Apology, your highness. I have a different thought. It
is a turbulent age. To be a great king in this age, he needs to experience as
much as he can to have the pioneer spirit. After that, I bet he will be a great
king everyone is waiting for!”
Eventually, Eiolin blew off steam. 
“Haaa… Ok. Rashid! I forgive you. But it is thanks to
Gray! And it would be your last chance!”
“Ok… sis….”
And Eiolin asked Gray,
“By the way, where is Locarno? We haven’t seen him
here…. I worry about him.”
Meanwhile, Locarno was struggling for fighting against
countless slimes in the trap.
“I hate slimes! I really hate!!!!”
Locarno managed to defeat all slimes around him, but
he saw there was another group of slimes coming. 
“Ha!!! Again????”
After 3 days, Locarno returned to Ryka
village.
Paladins were climbing mountains with Gray. Endless
uphill roads, attacks by monsters, changeable weather, all of the things were
bothering them, and making them exhausted more and more. But nobody complained
and they all just endured. 
Suddenly, Gray started to run fast, and rest of them
also ran after him. And they finally arrived at the peak of the mountain. There
would be no uphill roads anymore. Gray looked down and said,
“Welcome! We finally get to Da’ghal!”
“Hooray!!!!”
Everyone gave shots of joy. Gray told Eiolin,
“Eiolin, the suggestion, I will accept. I will help
Rashid as much as I can.”
Eiolin smiled brightly,
“Thank you Gray.”
On 7/10, 1207 Esgel Calendar,  Eiolin Pandragon and Paladins finally passed
the snow field and arrived in Da’ghal.
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