Meera's first instinct was to duck behind Drania, but she was already descending to land on the mountain top, which was littered with dragons. Dragons of all shapes and sizes. Some were bulky, while others were lithe. Some were thin and elongated, resembling snakes, while others looked like overgrown bats. She had seen all shapes before, but seeing them out in the open, just waiting for their king's signal to pounce, sent a shiver up her spine.

Not unlike the few times that Meera had seen him, Ignis did not look the least bit angry. The dragon acted like a true king. Though the flames dancing in his mouth conveyed all the anger that he needed to. But there was one dragon that was nowhere to be found—the king's brother. The angry one, the one who would blast her out of the sky first and ask questions to her ashes.

She figured he would be the easiest to spot, given all that snow, but he was absent from this assembly. That meant he was sleeping in one of the caves below or was off hunting. Either of which worked perfectly fine for Meera. If Tigris were not around, then she could reason with the king and let him explain to his brother that she wasn't lying.

"Your Majesty—" Meera started, but Ignis immediately cut her off.

"I warned you what would happen if you returned here," he stated. "Your life is forfeit."

The dragons roared and hollered as they readied to take flight and chase Meera out of the sky. This was the last thing she had expected when she came here, but if it came to a fight, then so be it. She was prepared for one.

"I would not be so swift in passing judgment, wise king," Drania said, and all the dragons calmed. Meera didn't know what the dynamics were for these dragons, but when Drania spoke, it was almost like a command. The rest of the dragons looked to their king for confirmation.

Drania went on. "I would listen to what she has to say, and I would do so alone."

Once again, the mountain top was eerily silent. Save for the howling wind, no sound could be heard. Ignis stared at the rainbow-scaled dragon intently, who gave a nod. The dragon king made a guttural sound, which must've been a command for the rest of the dragons as they all took to the air at once.

Meera readied herself for a fight, but then the dragons dived. Almost every single dragon glowered at her as it flew past. She was sure that if it weren't for their king's presence, they would've liked to take a bite out of her. More than one had smoke billowing out of their mouths. But thankfully, they all descended the mountain peak without incident.

Once they were gone, Ignis turned his head to her. "Let's hear what you have to say, Meera, and then I'll decide how you'll die for your transgression."

"Thank you." She didn't know what else to say.

Meera landed quite some distance from him. She bowed her head, which felt pointless because he was so large that she had to crane her neck so high up to look up at him that it was badly straining her neck.

She had trailblazed here so fast that she didn't have much time to ponder how she should begin this conversation. If she came out to say that she needed her help in exchange for information on how to turn into an archdragon, he might reduce her to ashes on the spot.

She gulped and began. "Your Majesty—"

That was all she had gotten out, when a dark, almost imperceptible dragon shot up from the west. Its red eyes shone like rubies as they beheld her, and hate radiated off them. Yes, she had killed dragons, but not because she wanted to, and that was the first hurdle she would need to get across.

Tigris landed with a mighty thud that shook the entire mountain top. It was nothing short of an earthquake. The mountain shook so violently that it nearly triggered an avalanche.

"What is she doing here?" Tigris roared. Then he stomped his way to her. "How dare you desecrate our home with your presence?"

Meera backed up as the dark dragon nearly trampled her underfoot. She was only saved because of his brother.

"Stop, brother," Ignis stated calmly. "Drania says that I should hear what she has to say. If I don't like the news that she brings, you are free to do with her as you please."

Tigris snapped his head to his brother, who gave him a nod, and he backed off a couple of steps, but as far as Meera was concerned, he was still a little too close to comfort. But she had no other choice. At least, he wasn't trying to actively kill her.

Meera stood, dusted the snow off her, and began. "As I was saying, I've come here bearing a truth that you must know, information that you cannot pass up, and a proposition."

Ignis's expression didn't change one bit. Though Drania, who knew what at least one of those three things was, looked intrigued. And Meera couldn't read Tigris at all. He might as well be a rabid dog who wanted to tear her apart.

Meera peeled her eyes away from Tigris and looked to Ignis. "Your Majesty, I am currently waging a war with the Cult of Aetheron with the Princess of Varsha on Ealisto. We have cornered the Cult in their home, but Elrasil has raised a wall with runes in the tongue of the Cosmarians, which we cannot take down, no matter what we do."

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Tigris scoffed. "And you've come here asking for our help. Why should we go to war against the only people that worship our grandsire?"

"Because it was the Cult's leader who was responsible for what befell your mother. It might be hard to believe and will be a sore topic for you, but Veridiana was right. She didn't kill your mother because she wanted to."

Tigris stiffened at the mention of his mother. The snow around him melted away, but he didn't make any moves to attack her.

"Oh, so we just imagined that she turned our mother to stone," Tigris barked.

Meera kept her calm composure and didn't let them see the fear that was roiling inside her. "Like I said, she didn't want to kill her. She was forced to, because she wanted to save everyone else. Your mother was indeed poisoned, which drove her into a murderous rage."

"What kind of a jest is this?" Tigris stomped his foot, sending another quiver through the ground. "Who in the three worlds would hold the knowledge to poison an archdragon?"

"Rothedon," Meera said, stilling the dragon. "It was the Cosmarian King who provided the knowledge to the man called Elrasil Krasir, the head of the Cult of Aetheron. The same Cult that spread the false information that it was I who was hunting the dragonlings, when I wasn't even on this world."

"Oh, so now, you're denying killing our kind, too?" Tigris snapped. "So, we just imagined that you killed all those dragons in Drurith and the war."

"I only fought to survive as you would've done, when you are attacked unprovoked," Meera retorted. "I have no enmity with the dragons, and I still don't, or I wouldn't risk my life coming here. I'm telling you, I've met this Elrasil, he's as treacherous as they come. He even tried to fool me, but I learned the truth about him. He was a Keeper of the Wild, but he only did that to gain power so that he could free Rothedon and gain immortality. Thankfully, he failed in that endeavor, but somehow part of his deal with the Cosmarian King was that he would give him knowledge on how to kill an archadragon. But as you know, he did far worse. You are proof of that."

Tigris radiated so much heat that it evaporated the nightly chill altogether.

"Don't tell me what I've lost, girl." Tigris shook with rage.

Meera readied herself for an attack. She almost shot out mirrors from her armor, but thankfully, it didn't come to that.

"What are the other things you wished to tell us?" Ignis spoke in his ever-calm tone. Whereas Tigris's voice was heavy like a mountain's, Ignis was firm and yet calm. Of all the kings and princes she had met, he sounded like a king.

"As I said, Your Majesty, I'm currently in a war to rid the worlds of the Cult of Aetheron, but we cannot get past their wall. For only an archdragon can bring down the Cult's walls. Believe me, I would not be here if I had another way of getting past the walls."

"But we have no archdragon here," Ignis said. "Save for our father, who did enough damage when last he woke."

"And if you so much as think of waking him again, I will eviscerate you where you stand," Tigris warned.

"Trust me, I would not go to him, even if all the worlds were dying and only he could save them. And if you recall, he wanted to kill me, too."

"So, we cannot help each other," Ignis stated. "For we cannot travel to Ealisto with any means. You came here for no reason."

"Not without reason, my lord," Meera replied. "I know how you can ascend to an archdragon."

That stumped the brothers. Even Tigris was silent at that for a second before he erupted.

"Another human lie!"

Ignis was up on his feet, staring intently down on Meera, as if trying to will the truth out of her.

"It is no lie," she replied. "The reason I've come here is because this is the only place I know of with dragons who are close to ascending." She intently looked at the two brothers, in turn.

[Charred Scale Dragon – Level 996]

[Regal Sun Dragon – Level 1005]

"Brother, don't tell me you believe this human's filth," Tigris said to Ignis. Then they conversed in their dragon tongue, which Meera didn't understand, but it was clear what Tigris was saying. He was trying to convince his brother that Meera was lying, that there was no way she could have the secret of the archdragons. Ignis replied to him in his ever calm manner, but she could tell from his expressions that even he had his doubts.

Then, finally, for the first time since Meera began talking, Drania spoke, silencing the brothers. "The girl speaks the truth. I've used my Damning Eye on her and she passed the test. The girl knows the secret of the archdragons."

The two brothers turned to her, and the rainbow-scaled dragon nodded. Then, as one, they turned their heads towards Meera, staring at her as if she had grown horns.

"How did you come by this information?" Ignis asked.

"I learned it from the same Keeper of the Wild who divulged the truth of Elrasil. I do not know why he was compiling this information, but he gave it to me when I told him of my plight. Only an archdragon could bring down the Cult's walls. So, my lords, that is why I'm here, for there are no other dragons in the worlds who have greater reason to kill Elrasil than you. He not only poisoned your mother but also soured your relationship with your Raasai."

Meera purposely chose that word to signify Veridiana. For that is what Ignis had called her when they met her before the war between the dragons and the sorceresses. And it had the intended effect. Both the dragons looked at her with an intent that even she could read.

"I spent a short time with Veridiana, but the way she spoke of you and your mother was nothing but with love. She regretted what she had to do till her dying day, but she didn't regret saving you two. I'm giving you a chance to avenge them both," Meera said.

Ignis lowered his head to look Meera in the eye. "What is your proposition, Meera?"

"I will give you the information, no, I will help you evolve into an archdragon, if you will help me take down Elrasil and his Cult." Meera wanted to say more, but she stopped.

"And?" Ignis waited.

She drew a deep breath. There was nothing to it. She had to get the words out, and depending on how they were received, she might have to run for her life. This was always going to be the hardest part of this ordeal.

"And, before we begin the ritual, I will need your dragon names."

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