Departure

“Okay, then what we have to do now is…” Nathanael looked at his friends one by one, waiting for an answer.

"Looking for Erick.." Damian said.

"Making sure he's okay... wait, wrong huh(?) no way he's okay..(?) saving him from danger.." with a cute face Ryota answered.

“catch fake Erick(???)” Andrew tilted his head, a bit dubious.

“restore the condition of Draecorona, Groilandia, Nereida.. and other chaotic kingdoms yeay..!!!” Cyrus replied with a happy tone like a child.

"But... do you really know where Erick is? Before seeing Dawson I've been flying around looking for him all over Draecorona but I can't find him .. " Ziel asked suddenly. Yes, he already knows that the person he is looking for first should be the real Erick. But because he was desperate and couldn't find him, he went to see Erick's friend.

"... oh, yeah you’re right"

“You know.. I can use the same method as when I sent five Pegasus to pick you all here.. I mixed a little bit of your Magia that I got from the things you gave me into a small crystal, and a simple directional spell then... Tada..!! searching magic complete with directions in one spell..” Nathanael demonstrated how he used his magic. His long fingers look so cute when they intertwine with each other while splashing a little bit of Magia.

"Wow.. then come on, what are we waiting for?? Do any of you still have the item Erick gave you? I have it... but I didn't bring it.. " Peter asked the others.

"I also have .. but I saved it in my room for fear of missing .." Ryota replied. Everyone had the same opinion as him, worried that the valuable object would be lost.

"I'll take mine, I'm going back to my room first, okay?" Cyrus got up from his chair and immediately flew to his room on the 3rd floor of Blumengarte. After the grief ceremony, Erick gave him a silver ring. Because Cyrus rarely wears jewelry, he keeps it in a closet drawer along with his other jewelry.

"What did Erick give you, Cyrus?"

"A ring .. but the Magia dimmed as if it would disappear .." Cyrus handed him a small velvet box where he kept the ring given by Erick. Nathanael took the ring and felt the Magia stored inside.

"Ah.. you're right, I almost didn't feel anything in it.. but I'll try .." Nathanael reached into the pocket on his waist, took a searching crystal that he had brought and put it closer to Cyrus' ring.

Unfortunately now the crystal does not respond as before. He put a searching spell. The Magia in the silver ring had completely dimmed.

“Ah… no.. Erick’s Magia.. is gone..”

"don’t joking, Celestial.."

"This crystal is supposed to glow silver, according to Erick’s Magia... but look, it doesn't glow even a bit..."

"Then.. how do we find him now?" Andrew was getting worried. There is a possibility that Erick's Magia is weakened due to the owner's condition which is also in danger. In the midst of his confusion he remembered..

“Broken Compass…”

"Hmm?"

"I can use my Broken compass to look for him.. right.." Andrew hastily pulled out his magic compass. After a long time, the clear glass ball finally showed its shape again.

"upon me who show the way.. tell us.. where he is.." The Earl closed his eyes, followed by turquoise Magia which slowly glowed brighter. The arrow in the Broken compass rotates very fast.

"nghh.. you're a habit huh.." Nathanael held Andrew's hands, preventing him from wasting Magia.

"If you use Broken compass, the spell will be slightly different.. we have to chant it together because the compass is yours, right.. it will only listen to you.." Nathanael continued again. The flow of Andrew’s Magia stopped, as well as the rotation of the arrow in his compass.

“hhh… sorry, this panic is making me lose control.. just tell me what to do..” Andrew held his head, replied Nathanael with a sad tone. He would do anything as long as Ninefinity could regroup.

"You guys, please bring us scarf, gloves, coat, anything to warm the body .." Cyrus ordered his servants, preparing to leave for the north pole.

"okay, Your majesty.."

The servants came in neat rows, bringing a pile of warm clothes to lend to Cyrus' friends. Nathanael and Peter took a scarf, Ryota took a glove, and Cyrus himself took a thick warm white fur cuff.

"Everything ready? Let's go.."

They also prepared to set out to find Erick, together from the Blumengarte. Nathanael and Andrew held the Broken Compass together, enchanting it with searching magic to find Erick.

"Now Andrew, recite your previous spell .."

"yes..

upon me who show the way... to guide us, to meet him."

".. guide us to meet him.."

Nathanael's yellow Magia fused with Andrew's Turquoise Magia. The compass arrow started circling but then stopped pointing in a definite direction. The Broken Compass then flew through the air.

“Get on my back.. Ainsley, Lawrence, Cerise, Takahiko, Dawson..” Ziel transformed into a Dragon, spread his wings wide and bent down so that the Kings could climb onto his back. The 5 names that were called obeyed, climbing onto the fire dragon's back.

Nathanael and Cyrus opened their wings, following the direction the Broken compass was flying. Their departure for Draecorona was accompanied by the waving and prayers of the Pixies.

"Be careful, Your majesties..."

“You guys too.. Spirit of Darkness.. Guardian of Chaldene.. everyone..”

The Broken Compass guides the Kings northward across the sea that separates Nereida and Draecorona. Cold air began to blow as they approached the north pole. Slowly the view of the clean and blue sea turned into a snow-covered white land.

"It turns out that our guess is right... from the start Erick didn't leave his kingdom..."

"I don't understand.. what part of Draecorona is he in .." Ziel himself was confused, because he felt that he had been around his kingdom several times.

"Yeah.. let's just follow where the compass is flying first."

When entering the border, you can see many dragons guarding the beach. Their eyes watched as far as they could see. The size of the Dragons' bodies was the cause of those who saw them with goosebumps.

".. Sam, Xaviersky, get on my back first.. and bow down all of you so they can't see .." Ziel asked without changing his flight speed.

"Is that so? Okay.."

Those who fly with their own wings obey. Likewise those who are on his back.

"Look at that, the former King who had previously opposed .."

"Hahahah... still dare to come back here.. I think he left Draecorona and has no intention of coming back again.."

There was the conversation of the Dragons who were guarding the border. Most of them are fire dragons. Ziel didn't get emotional and continued to fly into Draecorona, making sure he could bring in the 8 Kings who were riding on his back.

“D… Dragons…”

Ryota's breath was heard shaking at that time, Adryan who was sitting in front of him noticed and handed his tail to hold. Ryota also understood, Adryan's thick tail feathers calmed him down a bit.

Nathanael closed his wings tightly, so did Cyrus. Don't let any part of their body spark the suspicion of the guard Dragons.

After crossing the border the atmosphere was not as tense as before, Nathanael and Cyrus were allowed to fly again.

".. looks like it's safe.. please fly again if you want.."

“They don't suspect you, Ziel?”

"yes.. as long as they don't see you.."

"So this is it.. Draecorona.." Damian looked down at the white expanse of snow and clear ice.

"You've been here once, haven't you... when looking for the key to the Gate of South..."

"Yeah.. we started from the oldest civilization in the Arc chaestra.."

“Eldest civilization? Actually Draecorona and Groilandia are not that far apart in age.. not long after Draecorona was founded, the Beast clan establish their own kingdom.."

"is that true? There seems to be a missing record in our history book.." Adryan replied. It could be that Ziel knows what he doesn't know.

"Yeah.. there's even news that Dragons and Beasts used to live together you know... but they went to war and eventually separated to establish their respective kingdoms..."

"It's another war.. why only war.." Peter shook his head, surprised.

".. there was one incident in the past.. an incident that reportedly killed half the population of the Dragons clan.. but unfortunately we also lost that part.. an incident thousands of years ago that was lost to records.."

".. seems like 9 clans have a very long history huh.."

"Of course.. and history is what led us all to arrive here.. at this time..."

The atmosphere in the first town they entered was rather deserted, due to the large number of flying dragons spreading across the Arc Chaestra. The residents who did not participate in the attack, but hid in their respective homes. They were most likely on the side of Ziel, who noticed Erick's oddity. Those who succumb prefer to hide to avoid conflict with each other.

Some distance away they entered Draecorona, Ziel suddenly slowed down.

“... th-this place..” He didn't expect to arrive at such a place..

"What's wrong Ziel..??"

"This is.. the graves of Dragons.. the dragons who know their end will soon come, will come to this place to quietly wait to be picked up by the angel of death.. dragons that are still alive will never come here.."

Ninefinity simultaneously looked down. A very quiet and eerie place. Many dragons bones were seen scattered about. Some were still intact lying on the snow, some were half crushed, buried or frozen in the ice. Their throats constricted especially when the Broken Compass they were following descended on to that place.

"oh no…. It is not good"

Ziel immediately dashed after him. Damian bit his tongue. Adryan's eyes didn't blink. Their hearts skipped a beat at the thought of what had happened to Erick. No one said anything when Ziel landed following the Broken compass.

The glass compass stopped and fell on the snow. The yellow and turquoise magia that covered it slowly faded away. The compass fell right in front of a lump of ice where Erick's body was frozen inside. The dragon king's eyes closed unconsciously. His lips were pale, disguised by the color of his white skin. The King's prestige froze in the ice that encircled him.

Ziel landed right in front of the block of ice. The fire dragon's descent make a quite shock on the earth as its four feet hit the ground. His eyes widened at what was in front of him.

“What is this, Silverstream..???”