Excerpt from the Diary of Jonathan, found 45 years after his death

  I had done something that I didn't even dream of doing before. Even before going into the Azbokeus dungeon, I had thought about how to remove Meriel. Perhaps I could have offered him to leave somewhere where he would never bother me again... but it left one single problem: I would never sleep well knowing that he was out there, somewhere.

  I had also begun thinking of ways to hinder the mages of Lavarza. If anyone knew of my plans, they would probably think me a traitor. By the Taker, I probably was a traitor.

  Magic was the only thing that kept us safe from the surrounding countries. But it just wasn't right. How could being born with just one certain part make someone a better species, a better being? The Alighter must have made a mistake.

  And so when nobody watched, and I had Meriel all alone, I threw him down into the ravine in Azbokeus. I knew first-hand that Meriel never learned a spell that would save him from deathfall. He had never shown an ability to fly, after all, and even complained several times a week that he should learn one, but never had the time. And just like that, I was rid of my biggest nuisance.

  Sadly, I had to block Azbokeus from anyone who would try to search for his body, but that was a simple task. Just a shame I’d not recover the corpse of the dragon. Maybe one day.

  After returning to Mura, I just proclaimed that the monsters inside were looking for revenge, and the mayor immediately agreed, much to Elsa's protests. She disappeared the morning after, but I would find her one day. I’m not sure when, but one day. Just like that, I was moving on with my other plans: my plans to kill his legacy.

  I did feel a big amount of regret, sure, but it was the right step. I knew that, deep inside. And now, I would have to change the ways of the mages. It wouldn't be a simple task, but the king seemed to turn his respect upon me now that Meriel and the dragon were both dead.

  I also managed to convince Vivien of the fact that mages simply weren't something that would get this country forward. And I already had my answer ready for what to do next. We would use the King and we would use the Church. We would do all in our power to change the perception of magic and what makes a strong mage.

  What better way to change the ways of people than to make something look old fashioned?

  The fact that most mages were far inferior to Meriel only gave credence to my claims about the fact that they are a hindrance in their current form. Something that the army always had to protect. Power that wasn’t worth the resources. The mages protested, of course. But the army? The soldiers who had to live under their command? They ate up my every word.

  Lavarza was known for its strong swordsmen, and it was my basis for the idea of sword mages. I could never be one, true, but I could prepare the path for the others to tread upon. It would be a long time until I would be able to finish my quest, but I would achieve it nonetheless.

  No longer will mages rule this kingdom. Their age is over.

  Meriel stormed out of the classroom, not bothering to even look behind him. He could care less about the drivel that they were speaking. All that mattered now was the quick pulse in his temple and the words of Viera that came minutes before.

  He remembered every word almost as if they were engraved into his soul.

  "Jonathan and Vivien changed the former magic system and began teaching what we now know as spell-swords. Not only did they combine the previous teachings of normal swordsmanship and magic, but they created a completely unique school of magic only focused on enhancing the swordsmanship.

  All of you here are being taught this new form, so you all know how potent this form of fighting is.

  So, finally, you learn its history. The complete basis was drafted by the great swordmaster Jonathan himself. Viera, the Bishop of Mura, helped with the transfer of this academy, and then they brought this up to the King.

  And so, in just 25 years after the Dragon of Mura had been slain, all of the academies of Lavarza had begun teaching this method over the old one. It has seen Lavarza enter a new era and has brought us many new opportunities and advancements.”.

  "But what about the old mages? Did they just begin learning this new form of magic?" One of the older students asked from the first row.

  "Oh no, no, no," Viera replied, shaking her head calmly. "The old mages mostly refused to transfer to this new school of magic, but the King called them old-fashioned and required that they just change their ways. They refused, of course, and it resulted in one of the largest emigrations that this country had seen. The largest emigration of mages for certain. A lot of them fled to surrounding countries, though a large number of them fled towards the Empire as well."

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  Meriel didn't bother listening anymore. He needed to go find Elsa now. Not only did Jonathan betray him, which was known to him for quite a long while, but also one of his other teammates joined in on that.

  What of Beryl? What of Elsa? Did they treat him like something that should be forgotten as well? Answers that he wanted to find since day one needed to come to him now. He would wait no longer.

  He kept the discussion with Mary and Ziggy brief. There was no use telling them of when he'd return exactly, for he had no idea himself. He just knew that he would travel for several weeks at best, and though he didn't want to leave them here, there was no other option.

  Him leaving would already be suspicious to the headmaster, surely, and having three students and their mate disappear from minute to minute would arouse more suspicion than he'd have liked.

  They also needed to practice. He left them with the knowledge of how to create spells and even taught them what to improve. They would need to train with each other first and then go into some training with others. Actual scruffles.

  They asked a lot of questions, even about how the spell-swords were worse than them, and he kept his explanations brief. It wasn't like any of this was a large mystery that they wouldn't solve if they thought about it long enough.

  But they shouldn't focus on that now. Instead, they should focus on how to improve themselves. And he trusted that Ziggy would guide the two to do exactly that. He also discreetly told him not to go into the city or leave Mary alone.

  Meriel liked Mary, but he had to admit to himself she took up too much of his focus, and he didn't like transferring the burden upon Ziggy now. But he was sure that she was a tree that would bear its fruit. She would be useful to them someday. He just knew that somewhere deep in his soul.

  And he liked being reminded of having a younger sister. It made the whole experience of living in Mura more tolerable than it would be otherwise.

  But all of that mattered little now.

  He stood in front of Mura, the cover of night hiding him and Aurelia leaving the city, and they only walked a short distance away, just far enough for the trees to cover them. He listened to the sounds: the soft chirping of birds, the beating of wings of nearby birds, some small critters nearby jumping from one bush to another. All of it was so serene, yet it didn't calm him one bit.

  "Sorry for making you travel through the night, Aurelia," he said, and although he apologized, he didn't ask her for an opinion. They could rest later, but he trusted that she would live through not sleeping one night.

  "Your wish is my command, master. I have no objections," she said calmly, a soft smile placed upon her lips.

  He didn't have much time to bond with this dragon in particular, so he actually looked forward to getting to know her more. He knew her personality in some ways, of course; he was the one that created her. But knowing one's personality from a magical circle and from an actual being was very different.

  He dropped his satchel on the ground, inspecting if he had everything he needed: some cheese, cured meat, and some bread. He needed nothing else. All of it could be secured with just one spell, should there be any need for something.

  "You can transform now, Aurelia. It is time we depart," he said, putting the items back into the satchel again, but he did turn slightly so he could watch the transformation. He didn't see it many times and it still amazed him how the clothes seemed to shift into the body of the dragon as it enlarged. It was a strange thing to see Ziggy do this, but Aurelia, who was much larger, was even stranger to watch. Her arms, already fairly muscular, enlarged to an unbelievable degree.

  Her scales and the rocky protrusions came into the night, and Meriel was once again amazed at how regal she looked. Not that Ziggy didn't look regal himself, of course. The leaves placed in between his scales did leave an impression, but there was something more dangerous in the air when he looked at Aurelia in her full glory.

  Finally, her transformation was complete, and she inclined her head slightly, lowering herself onto her belly so Meriel could get on.

  "Thank you," he said quietly, and began ascending slowly, careful not to pull on her skin. Immediately he realized that there was a problem—there was nowhere he could actually grab unless... unless he moved more to the front and grabbed onto her wings.

  They seemed strong. Twice, no, three times as thick as his arms! Or… arm. Surely she wouldn't feel anything if he held onto them?

  Wrapping the stub of his arm around the stem of the wing would be weird, though. He rarely though about replacing his arm, but it was really a hindrance in situation like these.

  Later.

  "Aurelia, I'll hold onto your wings. Try to only fly slowly at first, let's see if it can be comfortable for me. Only speed up at my command, understood?"

  She let out a soft chirping sound that must have been approval, he thought.

  "Let us go then," he said once again, now moving his bottom to secure himself and locking his legs around her back as strongly as he could. It was time to go into Egoros and find Elsa.

  Her wings stretched to their full reach and she shook herself after standing up. Not strongly, but a little shake, probably to get the twigs from the trees to stop sticking to her body. She turned her head once again looking Meriel in the eye.

  And then she looked forward and began running. She sped up way faster than Meriel expected, immediately going into full sprint that was far quicker than any horse could achieve. Her wings beat once, twice, and then they flew. She continued beating her wings, the leathery skin in between the bones taut, stretched to the max.

  Meriel felt the air whipping him into the face, but he held on for his dear life. Never before had he experienced something so strange and terrifying. Yet, after a while, the beating of her wings slowed, and he took a look around. The clouds were just above them, and as he looked at the tiny stretch of land that must have been Mura below them, he felt himself smile, and his former anger momentarily forgotten. At least for a little while, he simply couldn't focus on it.

  The sight was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

  He looked above again and stretched his hand to try to catch the clouds, but they were still a bit too far above.

  He wasn't sure if Aurelia had felt him move or if she took a quick look behind, but she immediately began ascending even higher. They flew through the clouds, and he was surprised to feel that they weren't as solid as he thought they would be.

  While he expected them to feel like going through thick mud or something of the like, they felt as if they weren't there.

  And above, the sight was somehow even more magnificent than before. He laughed... and could swear that Aurelia was smiling, too. He would need to learn that flying spell really soon.