Chapter Ninety-Six

Soon after Ikarus appeared in the large tent, many skeletons scrambled toward the exit. Relassa, the skeleton who summoned the large dragon in the first place, stumbled backward in fear and shock.

"Shit, run!" One skeleton shouted in fear as he ran toward the exit. Many other skeletons reacted in kind, each screaming for their lives as they pushed each other out of the way. The only ones who hadn't moved yet were Brandon, Leila, and Markus. Edward was hopping on the balls of his feet as he gazed at Ikarus's new size.

His heart cheered in excitement and anticipation, so much so that he hadn't recognized the fear in the reactions of the people around him. Edward stepped forward, his arms spread wide as he moved to hug the large snout of Ikarus's head.

"You've grown so much!" Edward laughed as his arms met with Ikarus's scales. His fingers slid across the warm platinum coating as he gently caressed Ikarus's throat. The dragon purred loudly as he slowly lowered his body to meet with Edward's hands. By now, Edward finally looked around and noticed the horrified expressions of the skeletons surrounding him. Even Markus and Brandon— who had already gotten used to Ikarus before— stood still as they stared at Ikarus's large size with trepidation in their eyes. Only Leila appeared as excited as Edward was, yet she hadn't charged forward to meet with Ikarus.

"He's… a little big," Markus said with a wry smile, "That'll cause some problems, won't it? He's too big to fit on the streets. His wings will clip the tops of every tent we walk by, won't they?"

"That's right," Edward sighed as he returned his gaze to Ikarus. Then, in the draconic language, he began to speak to his scaly friend, "Are you able to tuck in your wings? You won't be able to fit in the street if they're as open as they always are."

Ikarus nodded, then began to shake his body like a dog after a bath. His four wings, which usually hung off his body and drifted to the ground like a cape, were lifted into the air before folding into his body. Ikarus tried his best to pull them as close to his body as possible— until they were so compact that he almost appeared wingless.

Ikarus was still as large as a van, but now he could walk in the street without worrying about bumping into anything. He would only have to be careful as he walked amongst crowds. Edward turned away from Ikarus and looked to Baleagon, who was standing on the opposite side of the tent while surrounded by three guards. Each of the guards looked at Ikarus with fear in their eye sockets, but the armored skeleton stared at Ikarus with a pondering expression. 

"Balaegon, now that we've all gathered, shall we talk about the strategy?" Edward suggested. After a moment of silence, the armored skeleton nodded and turned his gaze to meet with Edward's.

"That's a good idea. Let's meet back in my tent, where the floor map is. We'll talk strategy once we're there," Balegon suggested. Then, after he finished speaking, he and his three guards left the tent and began to walk toward the center of the large encampment. Edward and his friends followed just behind them. As they all left the tent, they gathered the attention of everybody on the streets. They stared at Markus and the others with curiosity and wonder. Most of them must've never met a human, so they could only stare from a distance. When Ikarus, who tailed behind the group, emerged from the tent, almost every skeleton watching turned around and relocated to another part of the encampment.

Within two minutes, the streets were clear and barren. No skeleton dared to stand within breathing distance of Ikarus or the humans he followed. Thanks to this, it was easy to walk back to Balaegon's tent. Soon after they arrived, Balaegon and his three guards walked into the tent and waited for Edward's group.

"The tent isn't big enough for you, Ikarus. Wait outside for now," Edward told his dragon. Ikarus nodded, then walked to a small patch of dirt beside the tent before laying down. Edward returned to the tent and stepped inside while Leila, Brandon, and Markus walked alongside him. The tent hadn't changed since the last time he was here, yet more people were waiting for him.

Besides Balaegon and his three guards, there appeared to be two other skeletons already waiting next to the map table. Balaegon looked at Edward as he entered the tent, then pointed at the table. One skeleton wore a thick rusty metal armor covering every inch of his body. Upon his back was a large greatsword strapped to his chest. The other skeleton wore a heavy set of brown robes, the hood obscuring everything other than the bottom half of his face. He held a wooden quarterstaff at his side and leaned against it like he was almost ready to fall asleep.

"These are my closest aides, Malcolm and Volund," Balaegon said as he pointed to the swordsman and the mage. Edward nodded, then walked forward. As he and the others began to stand in their respective places around the table, Edward turned to the two new skeletons standing before him and appraised them.

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Malcolm - Frozen Skeleton Juggernaut (ELITE) (NAMED MONSTER)

Lvl 21

HP: 750 | DMG: 134 | DEF: 171

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Volund - Frozen Skeleton Sorcerer (ELITE) (NAMED MONSTER)

Lvl 21

HP: 250 | DMG: 239 | DEF: 71

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"Rather strong, aren't we?" Volund chuckled. Edward slowly nodded, then turned to Balaegon. He didn't need to say a word as the armored skeleton turned to the map before placing his finger near the blue figures on the board.

"The plan is simple."