Chapter 391: Final Goodbyes

The journey back to our plane was a blur, shrouded in the heaviness of sorrow.

Grandmother bore my father's lifeless body with unwavering strength, while Mother trailed behind, her eyes still smoldering with anger and grief.

Upon our return, we encountered other elders, each carrying their fallen kin. There were no words exchanged among us, only the silent understanding of shared loss. The army that had followed us dispersed, their footsteps fading into the distance as they returned to the Royal Road.

We found ourselves standing once more atop our floating mountain peak home. Sidus, Ynos, Essie, and even Breta were already there, their expressions a mix of sorrow and solemnity. Grandfather joined us shortly after, a somber presence.

Our collective gaze turned to the dragon statue, standing at the peak of the mountain. It was here that Grandmother gently placed my father's body down, signaling that this would be his final resting place.

Her eyes, a reflection of millennia of wisdom, shifted to Ynos. In silent understanding, he summoned his earth mana, invoking the very essence of the land we called home. The earth beneath our feet trembled, yielding to his command, as a massive grave took shape.

Grandmother's gaze encompassed us all, and her voice, tinged with both sorrow and the weight of tradition, spoke softly but with a resonance that echoed through our souls. "Go on, place him down."

I stepped forward, my heart heavy with the realization that this would be my final act of filial duty to my father. Grandmother gently transferred my father's body into my arms, the weight of his lifeless form a burden I would carry with honor. Together with my siblings, we approached the open grave, the place where father will find his eternal rest. With reverence, we lowered him into the earth, bidding our final farewell to the Dragon who had led us, taught us, and protected us.

Grandmother's descent to the grave was a moment of profound tenderness. She hovered above my father's form, her gnarled fingers gently caressing his draconic face. Her ancient eyes held a depth of sorrow that words could not convey. With a final, loving gesture, she pulled away and ascended back into the sky.

In stark contrast, Grandfather remained a stoic sentinel, his gaze locked onto his fallen son. His somber countenance betrayed none of the emotions that must have swirled within him. It was as though the weight of responsibility for our kind rested upon his massive shoulders.

Then, it was Mother's turn. Her usually unyielding demeanor was shaken, her steps faltering as she approached the open grave. The vulnerability she displayed was something we had never witnessed before. She had always been the embodiment of strength in our eyes, but grief had a way of humbling even the mightiest.

As Mother neared the resting place of her mate, Grandfather acted. His colossal tail swung with deliberate grace, positioning itself between us and the grave. It was a silent yet powerful message: this moment was intimate, a farewell not meant for our eyes.

None of us protested or questioned Grandfather's decision. We understood, on a primal level, the sanctity of this moment. It was a private exchange between a grieving mate and her fallen partner, and we respected the boundaries of their connection.

Following her farewell, Mother ascended from the grave, her visage now bearing an icy determination. Her resolve seemed renewed, as if this parting had steeled her spirit rather than broken it. We watched her in silence, recognizing that something had shifted within her.

Grandmother's gaze shifted to Ynos, her unspoken instructions clear. Without a word, my youngest brother channeled his earth mana, and the massive grave was slowly but reverently covered. His control over the earth element was evident in the tenderness with which he completed this final act for our father.

Once the grave was concealed beneath the earth, the space next to it shifted and two Chronicles emerged. With grace and reverence, they carried a smaller lifelike statue of my father, and it was gently placed at the head of the grave. It stood as a fitting tribute to his memory, a silent sentinel watching over his final resting place.

As the Chronicles departed, they faded into the ether, leaving us to our solitude. The wind whispered through the mountaintop, carrying with it the weight of our shared grief and the memory of a father, forever honored in stone.

We lingered there, our hearts heavy with the weight of the moment, until Grandfather broke the silence. His gaze shifted to our mother, Iver, and he offered her a pivotal choice. "Iver, you can join the upcoming raid when you are ready."

Mother, her resolve steeled during the solemn farewell at Father's grave, bowed her head in respect and responded firmly, "Thank you, Grandfather, but I'm ready."

In response, Grandfather simply nodded, acknowledging her readiness to rejoin the battle. He then turned to glance at each of us one final time, his ancient eyes holding unspoken emotions, before he departed, his immense form disappearing into the skies.

Grandmother chose to remain with us. She walked at Mother's side as we descended from the mountaintop, a silent support for our grieving matriarch. While we couldn't hear their words, their presence spoke of a shared understanding and comfort.

We followed them down the mountain, but when they reached the cave entrance, they ventured inside, leaving us siblings in an awkward silence. Breta, after a brief nod of acknowledgment, retreated to the edge of our floating sanctuary, leaving the rest of us to grapple with the complex emotions that lingered in the air.

"Why do you think they suddenly attacked?" Ynos broke the silence with a question.

"They never stopped, the bastards were constantly attacking us," Sidus answered.

"No, I know that, but why an all-out attack all of the sudden?" Ynos asked.

"It's not the first time," I shook my head as I recalled the past. Back then, it seemed like the end of the world with the sky changing colors, a Shade even made its way here.

The mood turned solemn and Essie slowly made her way closer to me. I opened my wings and pulled her closer to me as she asked, "M-Maybe something happened?"

"Whatever happened, it's for sure not a good thing," Immy replied with a sigh and I couldn't help but nod in agreement.

'Could there really be traitors in our midst?' It was a serious accusation, but it didn't make sense otherwise.

"So does this mean we will all join the next raid together?" Essie suddenly asked, her eyes shining in expectations.

"Perhaps," I replied.