Herrscher

The spirits watched nervously as Ardiel entered the bamboo hut. They had seemed to scatter earlier, but they had only hidden their presence, surrounding the clearing, showing how eavesdropping was part of their curious nature.

"That kid somehow looks like Lord Exzhen himself when he was still in his first growth stage," a golden-feathered eagle spoke to Undine.

"It was the same for the previous Dragon Herrscher," the water spirit replied.

While the spirits observed from outside, Ardiel was clueless about how to interact with the man before him. The man, looking around his mid-20s, seemed to enjoy giving the kid a hard time.

"Ahmm, Lord Sir, what do you mean by Soul Bond?" Ardiel broke the silence, shaking off the words he had heard earlier.

"You don't know? I assumed you would, given that Dragon Mark of yours," the man said.

"No, my family never explained it to me."

"Ah, then I'll have to fill in the gaps your family left out," the man clicked his tongue in annoyance. "That Dragon Mark ties you to me," he said, gesturing to himself. "My name is Exzhendrich, but you can call me Exzhen. They call me the Herrscher of Dragons, though I prefer 'Dragon Lord.' It's more straightforward, don't you think?"

Ardiel nodded, still grappling with the revelation.

"Surprising, isn't it? While others are merely Dragon Vessels, you share your fate with me. Lucky you, but it means more trouble and work for me," Exzhen said with a wry smile, annoyance flickering in his eyes.

"What does that mean, Lord Exzhen?"

"Forget the 'Lord.' Just call me Exzhen. It means that while your father and other vessels can access their dragon pair's powers, you can summon me directly into your world and wield my powers. I can use yours too, but honestly, I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick. How can I possibly benefit from you?" he ranted, sounding exasperated, as if cursed with an unwelcome companion.

Ardiel's eyes brightened momentarily at the implications of Exzhen's words, brushing aside the latter's less-than-graceful manner.

"Anyway, you were summoned here because your Dragon Mark resonated with mine," Exzhen said, pulling down his shirt to reveal a matching dragon mark etched onto his chest.

"This mark links us. If I die, you die, and vice versa. It's a bit of a raw deal since, despite being the next Herrscher, I'm bound by a pact made between your ancestor and my predecessor. And to top it off, you look just like me, well before—it's as if life is mocking me."

"Ha, that old man really did me dirty," Exzhen muttered, glaring upward as if addressing an unseen adversary.

"Then, you can help me get strong so I don't die," Ardiel suggested, trying to be helpful despite feeling as powerless as ever.

"Don't think I haven't considered that," Exzhen snapped. "This situation is more complex than you realize, and it means a greater threat is looming over your world. The Herrscher of Dragons is supposed to guard your realm. Usually, we stay out of direct involvement, but this time is different. My pact with you is meant to be the solution. Ha, see? Here I am, stuck playing security guard!" Exzhen sighed heavily, frustration evident in his voice.

"Do you mean demons?" Ardiel asked.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to know that, but it's only part of the problem. Beyond Abyss, where the demons reside, other realms are on the verge of clashing with yours. This puts your world at a great disadvantage. The rise in Spirit Summoners is one sign. The Spirit Realm we're in is slowly merging with yours, along with Abyss, Blood Coven, Eden, Wildhaven, and other realms beyond the Dragon's supervision.

The World of Pandora, blessed with Mana, was born alongside the Spirit Realm, which serves as its source. Abyss is a demonic dimension. Eden is its counterpart, while Wildhaven is home to beastfolk and monstrous creatures. Blood Coven is a sanctuary for vampires and other bloodborne beings. These higher-tier realms are unintentionally resonating with Pandora, causing the current collision.

"And even what I know is limited. This is as much as my predecessor learned after centuries of hopping between dimensions, trying to find a way to avoid the inevitable. My job now is to help you, your world, and find a better solution," Exzhen said, his tone softening.

"If we can't stop the collision, why don't we just make everyone stronger?" Ardiel suggested, his voice filled with determination.

"You make it sound so easy. You humans go to war to get what you want, and you talk like you're living in a time of peace? Your Empire is already preparing for war. This realm fiasco is the least of your worries for now."

"I don't mean that. I'm just a kid, so of course, I don't know much. But as you said, there's going to be a war. We could use that to our advantage, right?" Ardiel offered with a proud smile.

"Well, that's feasible, but before talking about others, think about yourself first. You were just lamenting about being useless, and now you're talking big. I like that you're addressing the situation, but don't get ahead of yourself. Process what you've heard first. It's not your place to make decisions. That's my job as the older one." Exzhen hissed, trying to hide his satisfaction at being paired with a quick-witted child, despite the boy's young age.

Exzhen himself wasn't old, just twice the boy's age. But he would take his time enjoying the company of his soul bond.

"Then tell me how I can get stronger. I feel like you're still hiding something from me," Ardiel said, his desire for strength burning brightly.

"Like I said, don't bite off more than you can chew. Since you're technically behind your siblings in handling dragon powers, think of it like learning magic. A dragon's power has unique attributes based on its nature and behavior."

"Reno's contracted with an Ice Dragon, but he's not cold-hearted." Ardiel said, trying to match his understanding to what Exzhen said.

"Listen, Take this for example, your father is contracted with a Lightning dragon, but that dragon is the gentlest among lightning dragons. It's not something the more aggressive dragons would appreciate, but it fits well with your father's disposition. It's the same with the dragons your siblings are contracted with, but that's probably something they didn't know since it's rare for dragons to converse with humans, they simply treat that soul pact as lending powers to you without much more than that"

"Well, are you the same as them?" Ardiel cautiously asked, hoping that Exzhen would match his expectations.

"What do you think? We mirror each other," Exzhen said with a hint of amusement.

Ardiel looked at him, noting the resemblance between their faces. Exzhen appeared a few years older, but the resemblance went deeper.

"Oh, I see. Then that must mean that you're quite a handful too, just like my mom said," Ardiel chuckled, realizing that Exzhen might not be as intimidating as he first thought. Perhaps the dragon was just hiding behind a facade, much like Ardiel did with others.

Exzhen couldn't refute those words, and his blushing cheeks gave him away.

"Hehe, so tell me about the Dragon Mark. Is it the same as when vessels try to manifest dragon powers?" Ardiel asked, eager to learn more about his abilities.

"Ahem, moving on. Using our powers involves different forms depending on your mastery. For now, you should know that you can use Materialization, which means you'll follow a similar training method as other vessels. As for the other forms..." Exzhen continued to discuss the various ways of manifesting his powers. Although Ardiel wasn't ready for all of it yet, it was important for him to understand the challenges he would face in the future to be worthy of being his Soul Bond.

The discussion lasted for quite a while until Ardiel reluctantly agreed to return to Pandora.