The Dracomancer

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: NALDRSHOLL

The following days went by so quickly, Alex had trouble keeping track. About a month after he started training with Shadowsbane, Jaden deemed him ready to fight the Demon King. Alex then went and told Serena about it, and she replied by saying that they would begin the journey the following day. Alex agreed. He felt ready to start the journey then, but he didn't want to be flying during the night. He then told Felicia, and she was shocked by the news. Alex put his hand on her shoulder and brought her into a hug to help her get over the initial shock.
"Thank you for telling me," she said as she recovered.
"You're most welcome. I thought that I should be the first to tell you, so that you won't be as shocked when Serena brings it up later," he replied, kissing her.
"You were not wrong," she responded, returning the kiss.
"I love you," Alex said, kissing her again.
"I love you, too," Felicia replied, returning the kiss again. It became mutual, and gained more passion as they kept it up. "Meet me at the tree again," she finished, looking at him like she wanted to do more than that. He would be there, but not before he told Artemis about the journey.
Alex found Artemis where she used to train him in attack spells. He got the feeling that she missed training him. She was staring at the practice dummy with nostalgia. He touched her shoulder to let her know he was there. She looked up at him, happy to see him.
"Hey, Alex. What's up?" She asked.
"We're going to be heading out tomorrow, so that I may fulfill my destiny," he answered.
"Jaden told me that you had completed your swordplay training, but I didn't know Serena would decide to go tomorrow. She must be eager to get things underway," Artemis responded.
"So am I," Alex replied truthfully.
"I'm glad that you came to tell me before Serena called the meeting. I would not have been ready if I hadn't known."
"Should I tell Nick? Jaden might be better prepared, but Nick might want to know."
"Don't worry about it. Nick is always prepared for these things. Jaden told him that you had completed your training, so I wouldn't be surprised if he takes the news of the journey with a grain of salt."
"Good to know," Alex finished.
Alex made sure to meet Felicia at the tree before going to the meeting with Serena and the others. Felicia ran up to him and kissed him passionately. It became mutual, but only briefly before they went to third base. Afterwards, they both cleaned up before going to the meeting that Serena called, but Felicia looked like she hadn't had enough. Alex felt the same way, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Alex hoped the journey was long enough for them to set up camp somewhere on the way.
They met with Serena and the others in the main hall of the shrine. Everyone seemed prepared for what Serena would say, which was good. Artemis smiled and waved at Alex, and he returned it.
"Alexander already knows what I have planned, and he may have already told some of you, but I'm going to say it for those that don't know, but may be prepared," Serena started. "We will be setting out for Naldrsholl tomorrow. That is where the Demon King resides, Alexander," she continued.
"Just out of curiosity, who was Naldr?" Alex asked. Artemis, Jaden and Felicia looked confused, as if they had never thought about why the place was called that. Nick looked at Alex as if he was surprised that Alex knew that it was named after someone whose name was Naldr.
"Naldr was the first king of an ancient people that have long since vanished. They were the dwarves. Until they fell, they were the only beings capable of stopping a corrupt Dragon God. Unfortunately, they are no more, so we are hoping that you will be able to control your Dragon God if it activates. However, you should try not to activate it unless the situation is dire," Serena answered.
"So that's why none of the worlds have been destroyed yet," Alex replied. The three younger dragons looked at Alex as if he had asked a question that they should have thought to ask, especially Felicia. Nick looked as if he had already known it, which he probably had.
"Yes," Serena responded. She was surprised that Alex knew what those names meant, but then, he was full of surprises. Nevertheless, she had become quite adept at hiding her surprise, so that wasn't an issue. "Right now, I suggest we all get some rest. We're going to need our energy for the journey," she stated, bringing the meeting to a conclusion.
After the meeting, Felicia took Alex's hand and led him back to the tree, where they picked up where they had left off. Afterwards, they fell asleep there, in each other's arms. A few hours later, Felicia shook Alex awake. He had been having a nightmare, and was writhing around while keeping his arms around her. When he awoke from it, he took deep breaths, then kissed her before falling back asleep to much better dreams.
The next day, Alex got up early and got prepared for the journey. A little while later, Felicia approached him and put her arms around him as she passionately kissed him. He had a feeling she had something to tell him, and waited for it.
"I...I love you, Alex," she said, though that wasn't what she was going to say. Why was it suddenly so difficult to tell him? Maybe it was because it had happened too recently. Maybe it was because of the upcoming journey and the battle that would follow.
"I love you, too, Felicia, but I sense that there's something else you wanted to say," he said, returning the kiss.
"You know me well. Alright; I'm pregnant," she said in answer to his indirect statement. It was almost as if she had dropped a bomb. The look on his face was one of pure shock. She had never seen that on his face before.
"So I'm going to be a father," he said, regaining his wits. Of all the things that could happen, this was the one he had been least expecting. It had caught him completely off guard and he wasn't prepared for it.
"Don't worry. You'll make an excellent father. I've noticed that you are patient, protective, and you would stop at nothing to ensure the people you care about are safe. Those are all qualities that make a good ruler and a great father," Felicia said, trying to reassure him.
"I hardly think I'm prepared to be a father yet, but we'll certainly find out in time," Alex replied. "Even so, I think it would be wise for you to stay here with Nick so the child isn't lost," he added.
"I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself," she said, kissing him again.
"Alright. Just don't come to save my neck if I get into trouble," he said, returning the kiss again.
"I won't," she replied, kissing him passionately. It became mutual, and they kept it up for about two minutes before breaking apart from each other. "Anyhow, I'll let you finish getting ready for the trip. I'll see you later," she finished.