“Do you feel better now, Master Levin?” Idyia asked while we both sat atop Renala. Dragon riding was something she enjoyed immensely, and it was one of the few times she allowed a smile to grace her face. She leaned back against me while taking in the scenery.

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“You grind your teeth in your sleep when you are stressed.”

I ran my tongue over my teeth by reflex.

“It was hard, learning how powerless I was.”

“You speak of the other Heroes? I did tell you, you were the weakest of them.”

“Ha-ha-ha.”

“There is something else on your mind.”

“It’s been eating at me since we attacked Calais.” I couldn’t avoid this conversation forever, and this moment of peace was the best time to ask. There was no way I could easily broach the topic once we started our march to the Rift.

“Idyia, do you enjoy killing people?”

Idyia closed her eyes. “Yes.”

She placed a finger on my lips before I could reply.

“But I have never once slain a child. I have always kept my darker impulses in check. I do not torture, and I do not prolong needless suffering. I do not commit cruelty for cruelty’s sake. Those are the rules I choose to live by.”

She stared at my face, searching for something. I gently pulled her finger down and laced my hand with hers.

“I’ve learned that a person is more than just what they do - they are also what they refuse to do. Idyia, you aren’t a monster. You refuse to become one.”

I, on the other hand, will have to become much, much worse.

I glanced at my Experience bar. Even after a month of semi-active hunting, I only gained a single percent. It didn’t bother me as much as it did before, but I still had to acknowledge my weakness and the scale of destruction I would have to wreck to gain enough strength to kill a Demon God. A part of me hoped I could simply level up purely on killing demons, but I doubted my journey would be so clean and simple.

“There it is, Master,” Idyia said, drawing my attention to a brilliant white citadel carved from a small mountain overlooking a city. “Camelot, the capital of Avalon, home of King Arthur Pendragon and the Knights of Avalon.”

I spied several large birds circling over the citadel and magnified my vision to get a better look.

“Griffons?” I asked out loud and sent Idyia a telepathic image of what looked to be an enable with the body of a lion.

“I have heard the mountain Camelot was built from is used as a roost to breed griffons as war mounts, but I did not know for sure until now. I believe your assumption is correct.”

I narrowed my eyes as twelve of them seemed to break their patrol formation and flew toward us at speed. They soared through the air like a flock of migrating geese. Most would be intimidated, but I was just cautious. Renala could crush one griffon with each claw and swallow one whole. Her breath weapon now reached almost 200 meters; 300 if she focused it into a stream. Not to mention her scales hardened considerably since she inherited her mother’s Legacy. In terms of aerial combat, Renala was overwhelmingly superior.

“Renala, just keep gliding. Don’t antagonize them.” I said, patting her neck. She craned her head to roll one eye at me. I think she really wanted to fight them. As far as I knew, this was the first time she ever encountered another flying creature worth her attention.

It took almost 20 minutes for the griffons to get to us.

“Halt, dragon riders!” The griffons and their riders were equipped in full plate armor with long halberds and crossbows strapped to their saddles. The one at the forefront of the formation charge lifted his visor. His gaze locked on Idyia and his eyes narrowed dangerously. Renala growled but I mentally ordered her to keep quiet.

“I am Sir Anduin, Knight of Avalon. Aerial travel this close to Camelot is restricted.”

He was brave. Not many could squarely stare down Renala without flinching. I wondered what his Class and Level were.

“Sir Anduin, I am Ranger Levin of Renalis. I come on behalf of Queen Lydumillia of Renalis and seek safe passage into your city.” This was a line Lydia wanted me to recite if this sort of thing ever occurred.

Anduin’s gaze drifted from me to the dragon and eventually, he curtly nodded.

“Your reputation precedes you, Ranger Levin. Bards have spoken of how you razed an entire city with nothing but a quiver of arrows and wyrmling. We Knights have been expecting your arrival since His Majesty King Arthur Pendragon announced you would come. Lead us to Her Majesty Queen Lyudimilia of Renalis’s royal procession. We will pay her the proper respect and escort you and her retinue into the city.”

“May I continue flying?” I asked. Anduin reminded me of a soldier just doing his job, so I saw no reason to cause unnecessary conflict. He even kept his distaste for Idyia to himself, which was a rare show of discipline as far as I could tell.

Anduin nodded again. “We will follow after you, Ranger Levin.”

Let’s go back, Renala.

I should have been more specific on how, because Renala flaunted her superiority by pivoting in mid-air and then accelerated to full speed toward Lydia’s procession. I looked over my shoulder to see Anduin and his fellows tumbling through the air from the sheer force of Renala’s wing flaps. Their mounts stabilized after descending a few dozen feet and made to follow, although I could see the glint of annoyance on Anduin’s face even without visual magnification.

Great. Any goodwill I just built up flew away faster than Renala.

“Lydia, I’m coming back with some Knights of Avalon. They are going to escort us to the capital. Tell the procession to stop.”

“Is that so? Thank you for warning me. I will dress up to meet them.”

Renala cut through the sky at over 100 miles per hour, so we left Sir Anduin and his griffon riders in the proverbial dust. They still trailed after us; Renala was large enough to fill an entire football field now, so she was hard to miss even from afar. The sun glinted brightly off her golden scales, making it even easier to spot her, so I wasn't worried about them losing sight of her. I ordered her to slow into a descending glide and Idyia and I leaped off once she was close to skimming the road. Renala then circled above the convoy and unleashed a gout of fire every so often.

She’s getting antsy. Renala was still a child despite her size, so she was desperate to burn off all her excess energy. I need to ask King Arthur if there’s anything she can hunt nearby.

Lydia and Anna greeted us as we strolled up to them, flanked by Lydia’s royal guards. Lydia was dressed in a less ornate, purple gown. It tightly hugged her curves and left little to the imagination. Outside of Renalis, she wore a tiara instead of her crown. Her appearance reminded me of when I first met her; as a princess. Nostalgia consumed me and I kissed her cheek. She smiled and linked one arm with mine. Idyia bowed once, continued past, and entered the carriage. She came out a few seconds later in her maid uniform and then stood behind me.

“There they are,” I pointed up at the flying dots in the sky.

We stared up, anticipation building as they slowly grew larger and larger until we all could see the full majesty of their griffons.

“This is way more intimidating without Renala,” I quipped. Now that I didn’t have the daughter of a Dragon God nearby, I could appreciate the size of these lion-eagle hybrids. They were twice the size of a standard warhorse, with a wingspan that could fill the entire road. If this was just a small fraction of Avalon’s military strength, then I could only guess at their true capabilities. I easily believed Avalon truly was the strongest nation in the Alliance.

Anduin and his fellow knights dismounted.

“Her Royal Majesty, Queen Lydumillia of Renalis,” Anna said from the rear once Anduin and his knights formed up in front of us.

Anduin bowed at the waist and swept one hand over his breast, as did the others.

“Forgive us, Your Majesty,” Anduin solemnly intoned. “The King of Avalon forbids his knights to kneel before any other monarch. I can only offer you this much.”

Lydia blinked. Her lips fell into a small frown but she quickly banished it.

“All is forgiven. I know King Arthur to be a severe man. Raise your heads and speak at ease.”

“Your magnanimity is matched only by your beauty, Your Majesty,” Anduin praised as he stood up. “My men and I are here to escort you into the city and to the citadel.”

“You have my gratitude, Sir Anduin.”

“By your leave, Your Majesty.”

“I shall leave the details to you, Sir Anduin.” Lydia bade him to return to his mounts while she, Anna, Idyia, and I returned to our carriage. I looked over my shoulder to see the Captain of the Royal Guard coordinating the rest of the trip with Anduin. Their chosen formation would be on foot, trotting at a brisk pace, with six Griffon Knights in the front, including Anduin, and six to pick up the rear. The side flanks would be guarded by Lydia's men.

Meanwhile, I drew the curtains on the windows and let my lovers wipe off their bodies in peace. Using their towels and fresh water from my Flask of Flowing Water. With great reluctance, I doffed my gear and donned my black suit. Having watched them dress and undress several times before, I decided to help lace their clothing. They were ready just in time to catch the sight of the massive gates leading into the city.

I had to agree with Idyia's assessment months prior: Veles was a backwater in comparison to Camelot. The streets were wider and cleaner. The buildings were taller and more ornate. The commoners were jubilant and lively. There was a different festival every few city blocks. Griffon Knights flew in formation overhead. Avalon's standard of living was an entire magnitude higher than Renalis.

I felt Lydia’s jealousy and displeasure through our telepathic link. It proved how shaken she was since her mental defenses were extremely strong.

“This is the kingdom I want to build, Levin.”

“We’ll make it happen.” I wrapped one hand around hers as we took in the sounds and scents of the festivities.

After a short jaunt through the main streets, we arrived at the citadel courtyard and dismounted at the sound of trumpets. A crier announced Lydia’s arrival and a woman in a silver-white dress with long, raven-black hair was topped with a golden tiara full of diamonds. Her beauty rivaled Lydia’s; I couldn’t help but stare. Was this King Arthur’s wife, Guinevere? What happened to Lancelot?

“Welcome, Your Royal Majesty, Queen Lyudmila of Renalis,” the woman curtseyed gracefully and spoke again after she recovered. “And Ranger Levin, the Queen's betrothed.” She gave me a once-over. Her smile deepened. A sudden wave of lust came over me but it receded just as fast. The ravenette blinked once, her smile faltered for a moment, then Lydia stepped between us before I could speak.

“Your warm welcome honors me,” Lydia replied. Her tone was glacial. Her expression, severe.

“Your Royal Majesty, I am an advisor to King Arthur Pendragon, Morgan le Faye. Or Lady Morgan, if it pleases you.”

My face fell. Suddenly, I thought every one of her words was laced with poison. I knew she existed as a Hero, but what was the woman who caused the downfall of King Arthur's entire kingdom doing here, of all places?

Avalon was the safest country in the world, my fat ass. What the fuck did I just walk into?