Alexander The Great Mage

"Uh, well the contract it has with me also binds it strongly to me, and I can feel its sense of obedience towards me too. What an incredible feeling! It's like having a strong hold over someone, yet at the same time you know that the other person is still an independent thinker." Liz'An said in a rare moment of eloquence.

"So you can ask it questions, and it will answer?" Shira asked.

"I think so." Liz'An replied uncertainly.

"Try asking it why it came here!" Shira urged Liz'An.

"Alright, here goes... " Liz'An nodded and tried that. "Well, it was from the forest filled with beasts… It woke up yesterday when the sun was high in the sky, feeling like it had to go in a certain direction. And so it did and it flew at full speed for an entire day until it reached this place. It felt extremely lucky to be able to meet… the cat?!"

"Yesterday afternoon? Around the time I met with Lyra perhaps? And around the time I promised her the 10,000 Wyverns?" Alexander exclaimed to himself.

"So the gears and cogs of luck started turning almost immediately after I got Fluff-fluff into my possession. Doesn't it mean that many other events are also happening around the world right now that would bring an immense amount of luck to me and my objectives? Then, could Bucce- I mean Flamewing's sudden recollection of her memories also have to do with Fluff-fluff?"

"I think so. There's too much coincidence." Flamewing said suddenly.

"Hey, are you alright?" Alexander asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes. Now that I remember a little bit about my past, I need to get my body and my mother back from those people. I used to only know that there was a dragon somewhere in this little continent, but I never would have imagined that it was my own physical body. This makes this mission much more important than before. To me, at least."

"I understand. We will definitely free your body and your mother. But before we do that, please also try and remember as much as you can about the group of evil people you mentioned. A wise man once told me, forewarned is forearmed. Know yourself, know your enemy, and the battle is half won. We cannot blindly rush towards them, do you understand?" Alexander said.

"I understand. Alexander, thank you. Thank you for being willing to free my mother and me, even though there is no benefit for you." Flamewing started to say.

"Hey, hey, don't say that. We've lived together for so long, you're practically a part of me. If I benefit, you benefit, remember? The reverse is true too. If you benefit, I do too! Do not worry about it." Alexander comforted Flamewing.

"Hmmm. Alright. I know this throws a hammer at your plans to fuse with a dragon, now that the dragon is… well, me." Flamewing said.

"Do not worry about that as well. There are many paths to power. I will reach the apex one day. I would not sacrifice my friends and those people important to me in my journey. It would be my life's greatest irony and joke if I reached the apex and found that I am surrounded by only enemies who wanted nothing more than to see me dead." Alexander smiled internally at Flamewing. Not that she could see it, but he smiled anyway.

"Think where a man's glory most begins and ends, and say that my glory was I had such friends. My life's greatest glory was being sent here to… to be with you this way." Flamewing said gently to Alexander.

"Thank you, Flamewing. I count it one of my life's greatest luck to have you this way with me too." Alexander said.

Alexander and Flamewing shared a short and beautiful moment before Alexander finally exclaimed. "Hey, that was really beautiful. Think where a man's glory most begins and ends, and say that my glory was I had such friends. Beautiful! Flamewing, I didn't know you're such a poet!"

"You…" Flamewing sighed helplessly. Trust that goof to ruin a beautiful moment so quickly with such a comment. "It wasn't my own words. A famous poet who lived thousands of years ago said that after he survived a ferocious battle, but his friends who covered for his retreat didn't."

"Ah, I see. Truly a beautiful poem to commemorate fallen comrades!" Alexander nodded in approval.

Flamewing merely sighed. Men.

"So what do we do now?" Flamewing asked.

"So, what should we do now, Alexander?" Aleyria asked almost at the same time.

Mutter. Mutter. Mutter. Flamewing muttered under her breath. "She's gonna jinx this entire operation to death."

Alexander smiled at both girls. Uh, both females. One of them is a dragon, he reminded himself.

"Well, now that we have the Wyvern, I believe we could speed up and accomplish more things at the same time. I would like to quickly meet with the people over at the Temple of Magius to ask for… certain things. I would also like to begin an extensive redesign and expansion of Rin-Turah's economy and military structure. We will need to convene the Royal Court as soon as possible to get this done quickly. However, we also need to go over to the Forest of Elgar and raise our Wyvern army.

So here's what we'll do. Aleyria and I will continue on to the City of Turah. You three girls will go to Zan on the Wyvern. Meet Dubaza and immediately start work on building the Wyvern army. With this gorgeous beast right here, there should be no problems bullying the weaker Wyverns into submission. Princess Aleyria will teach you how to form Beast Contracts.

Also, tell Dubaza to inform King Biruz that I will be giving Zan 5% of the income we get from the mines, tax-free. However, he would need to supply the workforce to get those mines fully operational. I expect those mines to begin operations in one month. Tell him in no uncertain terms that this is not a request, but an order."

The three girls looked at each other doubtfully for a moment, before turning to look at Aleyria together all at once, as if they had made some sort of mental agreement.

Aleyria nodded at the girls. "Do as the King commands."

"Yes Mistress." The three girls replied in unison.

Aleyria then touched each of the three girls' foreheads in turn and sent into their minds the information on how to form beast contracts.

After she was done, Shira hesitated for a moment while looking at Aleyria meaningfully.

Aleyria smiled at her and said, "Give voice to your concerns, Shira."

"What if the Troll King rejects your offer? What should we do then?" Shira asked gratefully.

Alexander laughed. "Do not worry about that, he wouldn't. If he shows signs of reluctance, just tell him that 5% of the income from the mines is probably more than 10x Zan's annual income. He is basically receiving a boon from me. He'd be a fool and absolutely unfit to be a King if he rejects this offer."

"Alright, that should be clear enough. Pack up and quickly go." Aleyria urged them.

The three girls gave her a formal bow and left with the Wyvern.

Aleyria looked at the departing Wyvern with a slight look of regret. She would have loved to keep riding that beast. But it had more important things to accomplish than just indulging her in some aerial acrobatic fun.

After the three girls had left, Aleyria turned to Alexander and said, "Now, tell me what's going on."

Alexander smiled ruefully. "Nothing escapes your sight. What gave it away?"

"Uhh that's a tough question to answer. Maybe it was the look on your face earlier that might have mildly suggested you want to kill the entire world and drink their blood? Maybe I was wrong, maybe that's just your standard, "Hey, I'm hungry!" face." Aleyria said dryly.

Alexander gave her a grin. He had never been good at keeping secrets. That was why he preferred the clarity and directness of battle compared to politics. I'm here to kill you and all your friends. You're here to do the same to me and my friends. So, come!

"Flamewing? Are you okay with Aleyria knowing the truth about you?" Alexander asked internally.

"Yeah, it can't be helped, I guess. She's your main pillar of support. Even I know to make sure that main pillars receive the utmost confidence from Kings." Flamewing quickly agreed.

Alexander nodded internally.

"Well, it's about Buccephalas. She's not actually Buccephalas, she's Flamewing, a dragon. Flamewing and her mother were captured by a group of highly detestable people and were forced to undergo fusion under threat of death for the other. Somehow during the fusion, her soul got transported into mine when I was on Earth. She merged with the Artificial Intelligence I told you about when the Symphonians abducted my soul and moved me into King Aloxandros's body. And now we want to think of a way to rescue them." Alexander dropped the bombshell straight out in his now signature and notorious way without preambles or prologues.

As usual, Aleyria's mouth dropped open. Her mind was simply not prepared to receive such shocking news.