The aftermath of the sparring session left Lance both exhilarated and reflective. His newfound strength, while a source of pride, ca with a weight he hadn't fully considered. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the jagged peaks, Kaelthara approached him with a serious expression.
"Lance," she said firmly, her golden eyes sharp as ever. "Co with . We need to talk."
Lance followed without hesitation. Kaelthara led him to a secluded ridge overlooking the dragon lands, the wind carrying a chill that matched her tone.
Kaelthara turned to face him, crossing her arms. "You've co far, Lance. Farther than I ever expected. But with strength like yours cos responsibility, and consequences."
Lance nodded, sensing the gravity of her words. "I understand. I won't use this power recklessly."
Kaelthara shook her head lightly. "I don't think you do. Not yet." She said.
Lance listened closely, confused as to what she ant.
"That's why I'm going to make this very clear: you cannot afford to misuse your strength. The strong have the natural tendency to want to protect and fight for the weak, seeing it as a sort of responsibility, and that is not at all a bad thing, in fact, it is good as much as it is natural. But for soone who possesses the kind of strength you do, that may not be ideal. You have to understand that the weak will always exist in this world, and it's not your job to save them from every hardship." Kaelthara explained.
Lance exhaled, his expression unreadable, her words catching him off guard. "But isn't helping others what strength is for?" he asked.
Kaelthara stepped closer, her imposing presence even when she does not wish for it, forcing him to hold her gaze. "Helping others isn't wrong. But helping too much can cripple them. If you shield the weak from every struggle, they'll never grow stronger. They'll beco dependent, helpless, and when a real threat cos, they'll collapse. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Her words sank deep, and Lance's expression grew thoughtful. "So... you're saying I should only step in when the stakes are high enough, when lives are truly in danger?"
Kaelthara nodded. "Well, sothing along those lines. Use your strength wisely, Lance. You should be aware of what can happen when power is misused. If your actions cause a problem so great it threatens the world, I will hold you accountable. Rember, dragons have existed in this world right from ancient tis, we've seen a lot of things happen, a lot of change."
Her voice carried a weight that made the air feel heavier, and Lance couldn't help but shiver despite himself. He swallowed hard, nodding. "Understood. I won't let that happen."
Kaelthara's expression softened slightly, though her tone remained firm. "Good. You've co too far to let arrogance or misplaced heroism ruin you. Rember what you've learned here, and keep growing."
…
Later that evening, Lance sat by a glowing crystalline fire in the heart of Aelyndra's private enclave, a place he hadn't been to for a while. The warmth was comforting, and the shimring flas cast dancing shadows across the stones. Aelyndra approached, her golden eyes filled with excitent.
"Lance!" she called, her tone lighter than he had heard in days.
He smiled as she sat close to him, her energy contagious. "You're in a good mood." He said.
Aelyndra grinned, her wings folding neatly behind her. "Why wouldn't I be? Look at you! You're practically glowing! I an, you were always strong in your own way, but now... you're incredible."
Lance chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Thanks. Though, I think your mother would argue I still have a long way to go."
Aelyndra laughed. "Oh, she's always going to say that. But don't let her fool you, she's proud of you."
Her expression grew softer as she leaned closer. "And I am too. You've worked so hard for this. It's inspiring."
Lance tilted his head, curious. "What about you? How's your training going?"
Aelyndra's smile widened. "I've made a lot of progress. Elder Naerys says I'm on the verge of achieving a breakthrough in my strength. Just a little more, and I'll finally be able to gain my human form and finally be able to blend seamlessly when I visit the world." She said, laughing in a sowhat hushed tone, her cheeks tinting a faint shade of pink, if only imaginary… "Well, we'll see soon enough."
Lance's smile softened. "You're not thinking of anything devious, are you?"
"Of course not, of course not. That aside, you should co let's visit a small feast of actual at brought back by an elder." Aelyndra said, getting up to leave. Lance followed behind her imdiately, as it had been a very long ti since he was able to taste anything else other than the fruit he normally ate.
…
As the days passed, Lance found himself with more free ti now that his grueling training sessions had slowed. The younger dragons, curious and eager, began to approach him more frequently.
At first, back when he trained under Kaelthara, they would encourage him, and slowly as ti went by, even they started to believe that Kaelthara's thods might not be too bad, but of course, they all threw away that notion soon enough.
Lance shared his stories of his ti with the goblins, and even a few stories from earth, though masked perfectly not to reveal the fact that it was another world. For example, he would share stories that didn't involve the ntion of technology or probable scientific advancents, and he did so with a mix of humility and humor, earning even more of their admiration. The young dragons were fascinated by his perspective, and many of them saw him as a bridge between their kind and the other races.
That aside, the re fact that Lance had survived Kaelthara's training was sothing short of a legend now, and the dragons who had been there to witness it were sure to tell the tale for a long ti. Not to ntion, for the dragons in Aelyndra's generation, herself included, none of them could match Lance in strength, even though they were yet to face in actual combat. Then again, they didn't need to do so to understand the disparity in strength.
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