Chapter 433: Lost

"Hi! I'm Lost!" She said, her cheery voice, was almost contagious.

"Oh, so are we!" Essie said as she landed in front of the newcomer with a smile.

"You're Lost as well?" She said, her eyes widening in shock.

"Yes! We don't know where we are! I'm Essie, what's your name?"

"My name?" Confused, the Dragoness continued, "I'm Lost."

"Uh—" Essie's expression turned awkward as she glanced at me with puzzlement clear in her eyes.

"Your name is Lost?" I asked again for confirmation.

"Yes!" The Ice Dragoness confirmed.

"Wow, that's a cool name!" Essie chimed in.

"Thank you!"

"I'm Aether, these are my siblings, Essie, Sidus, Immy, and Ynos," I paused and motioned to Breta before continuing, "The Goddess over there is my friend, Breta."

Lost nodded slightly at everyone, before asking, "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well," I hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"We were trying to find our way to a planet called Aynezh, when we lost our way," Immy suddenly spoke up, and I nodded in confirmation.

"Oh!" Lost's eyes lit up before she replied, "Newcomers!"

"Newcomers? Does that mean, that here is—" Sidus began to speak but was stopped by Lost.

"No, not here. But I'm originally from Aynezh!"

"Is that so," I replied.

'Is this also the doing of the cosmic mana?' I inwardly wondered.

"Then this place is?" I asked, waiting for her to continue.

The Ice Dragoness's expression turned hard, and she seemed to hesitate for a second before speaking, "Aynezh is not that far away from here. The only problem is, the void."

"What's that?"

"How about you all come with me first? Let's go to a more comfortable place."

I turned to look at the others, Sidus shrugged, and Immy simply nodded. Ynos was strangely fascinated by the scarlet flowers, and little Essie was already settled on top of my head.

I glanced at Breta and the Goddess gave a silent nod.

"Then, please, lead the way."

"Great!" She replied and shot to the sky, with us quickly following in tow.

*****

"Are you sure you know where we are going?" I couldn't help but ask, as my eyes wandered to the scarlet field below.

I was sure that this was our third time flying over the same field. I even left a strand of cosmic mana, just in case, and there it was.

The Ice Dragoness seemed nervous as she kept mumbling to herself, "It can't be, it was right here, no?"

"Umm, where are we going? M-Maybe I can ask the wind for help?" Little Essie asked hesitantly.

Lost turned to her and replied with an embarrassed face, "M-My lair. It's at the peak of a massive mountain, with pink trees and violet flowers…"

"Okay!" Little Essie then closed her eyes, and I could feel the wind moving gently around her before it grew in intensity and expanded outwards.

Soon enough, she opened her eyes and spoke, "I think I found it!"

"Lead the way," I smiled.

Essie nodded with a proud expression and jumped off my head. Lost's face was ashamed as she followed after her.

'Lost… Is she just terrible with directions?' I wondered.

It didn't take long before I had my confirmation. The mountain she was speaking of wasn't even that far, yet somehow, the Ice Dragoness managed to fly us in circles for hours.

'Is this really okay?'

"Yes! It's here!" She said excitedly as we landed on the side of the mountain.

The landscape unfolded in breathtaking beauty, where harmonious hues intertwined, crafting a tranquil tableau of the mountain. A gentle brook meandered its way down the slope to our left, while on our right, an expansive field stretched forth, its grass ablaze in a scarlet hue.

Upon our descent, the Ice Dragoness swiftly made her way to her so-called lair, nestled atop the mountain's pinnacle. I prepared to follow her, yet my attention was arrested by the uncharacteristic silence of Ynos.

"What's wrong?" I approached him and asked.

"The earth mana," he said, digging his claws into the earth before continuing, "It's strange…"

"Strange?" I asked again while scanning our surroundings. I was no longer connected to the elements the way I was before, so I couldn't feel anything wrong per se.

"The wind is strange as well," Essie who was walking next to me added as well.

I turned my gaze to Sidus and Immy, who both shook their heads.

"I can't feel anything wrong," Sidus replied.

"Me neither," Immy added.

"Breta?"

"My divinity, it's— I'm not sure. Something isn't right," she said.

"Alright, everyone stay close, and keep your guard up. We don't want any sudden surprises," I said and began walking towards the cave.

The moment I stepped inside, a frigid gust of icy wind assaulted my face, prompting a slight furrow of my brow. The cavern exuded an icy chill, a fitting domain for the Ice Dragoness.

It was expansive and vast, and it rivaled our own cave back home, save for its lack of additional entrances beyond the main one. Walls adorned with shimmering blue crystals emitted a soft azure glow, casting ethereal light throughout the cavern. Towering sculptures depicting dragons, monsters, and mortals adorned the space.

Some were intricately crafted, while others bore the marks of amateurism. Amidst the array, the Ice Dragoness busied herself, maneuvering a sizable sculpture from the center to the rear of the cave. Her latest creation, a self-portrait, appeared to evoke a sense of embarrassment as she turned it to face the wall before acknowledging our presence.

"U-Uh, sorry for the mess! I wasn't expecting guests," she said.

"Not at all, excuse us for intruding," I said.

"Please, make yourself at home," she said and motioned for us to come inside her eyes nervously glancing at her latest statue.

"You made all of this?" Immy asked as she approached a beautiful statue depicting a short human, with a long beard.

"Ah, yes I did. It's a… hobby, you can say," the Dragonnes replied nervously.

"It's pretty," Immy answered.

A wide smile bloomed on Lost's face upon hearing the compliment, "Thank you! I can make one for you as well if you want!" She said, suddenly enthusiastic.

"I would love that," Immy replied with a smile.

"Me too! I also want one!" Essie jumped in.

"Of course!" Lost, gaining more confidence nodded with a grin.

"So do you live here?" I asked while walking around the cave, my eyes admiring the various ice sculptures.

Lost hesitated before answering, "It's complicated. I crash-landed here, and I can't leave."

Her words made me stop and I subconsciously glanced at Breta. Our eyes met for a brief moment before I turned to Lost and asked, "I'm going to need you to elaborate on that."