With three months before his wedding – and the Hundred Years Ball only two weeks after that – Jurao thought it was best to take his trip to Scagesmaes sooner rather than later. Exmarre was happy to oblige and planned to shop for fabrics and gemstones as the King sought Mahen's Tears on Gevonar.

"Are you going to fly, Your Highness!?"

Jurao turned to see Souar – the yellow dragon with red and white stripes – bounding up to them in his smaller form. He nodded and said, "Petty Prince Exmarre is flying me to Scagesmaes."

"That's where I was going!" Souar said, bowing down playfully like a hound would as Blue – Exmarre's wyvern – shifted to face the dragon with a cooing sound.

"Blue does enjoy flying with Souar," Exmarre said with a chuckle, securing his husband in the saddle by strapping down his legs.

As Blue was only bobbing her head and butting it gently against the small-form dragon, the rest of her body remained still enough not to interfere with the preparation.

"Maukul and Lave aren't as agile as Souar," Oresti agreed, "So Blue finds him the most fun to play with."

"I wonder if wyverns would survive in the Dragon Realm," Souar said, scratching Blue behind her crest, "I know my sisters would love to have them as pets."

"If you would step up next, Your Highness?" Exmarre said, gesturing to the saddle while giving the dragon an amused look.

"Wild wyverns do tend to live in the mountains," Oresti said, appearing unbothered by Jurao's proximity in the saddle, "The main issue would be safely transporting them."

"Ugh, yeah," Souar huffed, "The empire restrictions are such a pain. We almost had to fight our way out of the gate!"

"Really?" Exmarre asked – swinging up into the saddle behind Jurao once the King took over strapping his legs down.

"Maukul thinks the only reason we didn't was because some big fancy guy with celestial energy radiating off him said it wouldn't be worth the effort to stop us, or something," Souar replied, "Do you think he knew dragons are magic-resistant?"

"You are," Jurao asked – as he had not heard so before.

"Well, not resistant," Souar said, stepping back from Blue, "More like. We generate so much magicka, we just absorb most any magicka thrown at us below a certain level."

"Ah," Jurao said – as that did make sense.

The King watched as Souar shifted into his large form – his first time witnessing such a shift. His anthropoid torso was absorbed into a four-footed reptilian form some thirty feet long and ten feet high at the shoulder, which made Souar slightly smaller than the wyvern. It was fascinating to watch the smaller dragon form erupt into a much larger one, and Jurao wondered how the transformation worked.

"Where does it go," he asked.

"My body mass, you mean?" Souar asked – voice much deeper and louder, even as he spoke in a whisper.

"Yes," Jurao confirmed.

"We get that question a lot," Souar said, flashing a grin, "I have no idea. It just. You know. Works?"

Oresti chuckled and said, "Maukul said there was some form of sub-realm that their larger mass is stored within until they take their larger forms."

"Well, Maukul is boring and likes knowing how things work," Souar said, though his tone was clearly teasing. Then he cackled and said, "That's why they liked Meir so quickly."

"Are we all ready?" Exmarre asked.

Jurao and Oresti pulled their respective flight goggles down, and once they both agreed, Exmarre had Blue take off.

The wyvern charged over the edge of the cliffside, plummeting towards the ground before snapping open her wings to glide up into the sky with a loud cry. Jurao gripped the front edge of the saddle in surprise – and Oresti patted one of his hands in reassurance.

Souar let out a roar as he joined them in the air, rolling over Blue before banking around in the direction of Scagesmaes.

Jurao could just hear Exmarre chuckle before he asked in a shout, "Would you be alright with a more exciting flight, Your Highness?"

Watching Souar dip and weave through the air ahead of them, the King replied, "Yes, I am fine."

With the close quarters of the saddle, the petty prince tapped Jurao's side with a lower hand before taking up a second set of reins and urging Blue after the dragon.

The pair dodged and rolled around each other, making the ride dizzying and – yes, exciting. Jurao was impressed that Exmarre was able to guide the wyvern through such tight turns and fast dives, and could see what Oresti had meant by Souar's aerial agility.

The flight to Scagesmaes took a little over an hour and a half – though Jurao suspected it would have been closer to two if Blue and Souar had not been racing each other. Exmarre had smoothed out their flight when the air grew darker with the ash and smoke from Gevonar, the massive volcano rising up beside them. It was large enough that it could be seen from Caslavven, though it was certainly an impressive sight up close as well.

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As he had in Caslavven, Exmarre circled the city a few times before leading Blue to land in Old Scagesmaes.

The current city was one of the few that sat at the bottom of a canyon – as the original city they landed in was prone to being covered in lava from time to time. When it came to Blue's need to dive in order to take to the air, however, it made more sense as a landing spot than the current city.

Exmarre unstrapped himself first, with Jurao doing the same as the petty prince helped his husband with his straps.

"That was so much fun!" Souar declared, shrinking to his small form as he landed, and immediately bounded over to give Blue head scratches.

The wyvern was panting, but cooed and butted her head into the dragon in affection.

"How was your first wyvern flight, Your Highness?" Oresti asked – unhooking a large waterskin from the saddle and moving along Blue's neck as soon as he was on his feet.

"Very exciting," Jurao said, taking a moment to stretch his legs after the flight.

Exmarre chuckled, pulling out dried meat from another saddlebag as he said, "I usually don't put Blue through her paces with new riders, but with your background, I didn't think it would be too hard on you, Your Highness."

"You also did not scream when Blue dropped," Oresti said, smiling as Souar helped him give the wyvern a drink, "as many new riders do."

"It was a long drop," Jurao agreed, looking up towards the volcano. It was very warm here, and above them sat the Great Temple to Cegae, built within the side of Gevonar. Small eruptions were occurring closer to the summit, but that was common of the mountain, as far as the King knew.

"You need not wait for us, Your Highness," Exmarre said, giving Blue the dried meat as well, "We'll get Blue settled before heading down to the city proper."

"As you wish," Jurao replied, holding up a hand in farewell as he took the stone-carved path through the old city. Though abandoned as a living space, it was not empty – with dancers and drummers holding impromptu sessions in the streets. Many would be priesti of Cegae, and the King stopped in the Great Temple first to pay his respects to the God of Fire before entering his mortal seat further.

"Good morning, Your Highness."

Jurao blinked in surprise at the soft voice, pausing near the entrance to reply, "Good morning, Petty Prince Gakke."

Gakke hummed an acknowledgment, stepping over to take one of Jurao's hands. When the King sieged Naovojo, Petty King Nao had explained his brother did so because it could trigger a vision of extreme events, most often tragedies – which Gakke enjoyed preventing. So he thought little of the unusual gesture despite their mere acquaintance.

Gakke the Prophet was as Jurao had seen them last – a traditional demon with skin a dull black like basalt with patches of light gray, likely inherited from a beastly demon parent or grandparent. Their eyes were a dark gray that almost blended in with their black sclera, their long mop of curly white hair still unkempt as it fell around their shoulders. They smiled as they released Jurao's hand – no tragedies in the King's future then, most likely.

"Gakke, who is… ah, Your Highness," Mame Orugasierges, Gakke's younger sister, dressed in her white vestments as a priestess of Naosuli, God of Death, greeted with a bow.

Like her brother, she too had black skin – though her white markings were wavy, and her curly white hair was pulled half into a bun. Her eyes were also white, standing out starkly. She was also a beastly demon, with thick avian legs and a tail to match, feathery tufted ears, and small antlers instead of horns.

"Good morning," Jurao replied.

"Highness?" the person next to Mame asked.

"Grand Priest Mapek, may I introduce His Highness, Demon King Jurao?" Mame replied, holding out a hand to the King.

"Ah," the Grand Priest said, bowing as he added, "Good morning, Your Highness. What brings you to our temple today?"

"My romantic partner and I are marrying in a few months, Your Grace," Jurao replied, "I came to seek Mahen's Tears."

"You should go to the top," Gakke suggested – and looked past Jurao and tilted their head.

"What's this place?" Souar asked, bounding up beside the King.

Mapek arched a brow and replied, "This is the Grand Temple of Cegae, young dragon that hunts on the slopes."

Souar frowned and tilted his head as well.

"Gevonar is the mortal seat of Cegae, the God of Fire," Jurao replied, "It is considered polite to offer respect at the temple before proceeding higher up the mountain."

"Oh," Souar said, then shrugged, "Well, he didn't seem mad about it."

Mapek opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and looked to the King.

"Dragons are accustomed to greeting gods directly in their home realm," Jurao replied.

Gakke stepped over and took one of Souar's hands.

"Hm?" Souar said – and leaned forward to sniff the Prophet's hair.

Gakke flinched, then chuckled and said, "That tickles."

"How do you smell like paint?" Souar asked, pulling Gakke closer to smell them more.

"Are you alright, Gakke?" Mame asked.

Gakke nodded and said, "He's nice."

Mame nodded and said, "My brother was granted the gift of prophecy by Mahen – ce, who is also the God of Artisans. Perhaps that explains why they smell like paint."

"Ooooh, a Blessing smell, yeah, that happens," Souar said, nodding and continuing to hold Gakke against his side. After a moment, he asked, "They?"

"I feel like man is mostly right, but not entirely," Gakke replied, appearing content to lean into the dragon, "So I like when people use he and they when they refer to me."

Souar hummed, then nodded and said, "Makes sense to me!"

Mapek took in a breath, though Jurao did not think his smile was strained as he asked, "You have spoken to Lord Cegae, then?"

"I mean, I didn't know about the temple thing," Souar said, "but it's common sense to say hello to a god when you see them in their territory, right?"

"… fair enough," Mapek said, chuckling.

Jurao considered and asked, "Gakke, did you see Cegae at the peak."

Gakke nodded – then turned and asked, "Can I climb on your back?"

"Huh? Oh, sure," Souar replied – leaning down on his front paws to make it easier.

"Was that rude to ask?" Mame asked, though she also appeared unbothered.

"Maybe? I think it would have been more rude not to ask first," Souar replied.

Mame smiled and bowed her head. Then she turned to Jurao and said, "My brother had a vision that we should come to Scagesmaes – I believe this was why."

"Are you and your brother intending to represent Naovojo," Jurao asked.

"We are," Mame said, "And I believe Gakke would like for us to return with you, if you would not mind."

"I can carry them if it's too much for Blue," Souar said.

"I have no issue with that," Jurao agreed.

"I suppose someone should send word to the petty king, then," Mapek mused. He bowed his head as he added, "But it will take time to send word down, so I see no issue with you heading up to the peak in the meantime, Your Highness. And, if you intend to pay your respects directly," the grand priest sent Souar an amused glance, "then I also see no need for you to do so here."

"Thank you, I will do so," Jurao replied, inclining his head to the grand priest.

"Can I go with you?" Souar asked.

"You may," Jurao said.

"Gakke-" Mame started.

"I want to greet Mahen," Gakke said, wrapping his arms around Souar's anthropoid waist.

Mapek flinched, then cleared his throat and said, "Mahen is with Lord Cegae today?"

Gakke nodded and added, "We won't interrupt them."

Mame snorted and asked, "May we also join you, Your Highness?"

"Of course," Jurao said – thinking his quest for Mahen's Tears was very likely to be successful with the deity cerself present.

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