On the next day, the warmth of the sun couldn’t be felt by the small group of people attending Geoffrey’s funeral.
They all wore black suits. As the coffin was lowered, Arthur watched while Christine comforted Melania who had almost soaked her handkerchief with her own tears.
Ivy stood there with vacant eyes. She had lost Isolde and now her own brother. It shook her confidence in her family.
They were supposed to be untouchable, how could dragons die such an ignoble death? Isolde was found with a hole in her chest, lying dead in her own pool of blood. A wretched end for a woman of her status and future, and now this.
Her brother’s summon was killed by a corrupted dragon and he was one of the unfortunate few whose backlash was so severe they died along with their summons.
Dragons were apex creatures, they represented the insurmountable skies.
Right?
Ivy wasn’t so sure anymore. As she stood there, clothed in black, holding a small bag, her lithe body trembling, albeit too gently for anyone to notice.
Her eyes went to Arthur Pendragon, the pillar of their family. He stood there, with a broad back, still emanating that same power he always had but was this real or a façade he was putting up?
He nearly lost his wife after losing his daughter.
After the body was lowered and all the rites were performed, it was completely covered and a grave marker was placed above it.
Members placed their flowers as the funeral came to an end. They eventually scattered, some speaking to the family of the deceased, some in other circles, discussing the corrupted dragon.
While Arthur stood beside his wife who spoke to Melania and her husband, James walked over.
"I’m terribly sorry for your loss, Melania." He sighed softly before turning to Arthur. His eyes sharpened.
"You should have considered my request to develop this entire island, all of it. If that was done, we would have spotted an anomaly before your wife almost lost her life and a young Pendragon lost his."
Arthur glanced at him and James stared back. "I’m disappointed in you, brother."
He turned and walked away.
Christine forced a smile to hide her anger while Arthur looked at James leave, his figure reflecting in his eyes. Most parts of the dungeon were left wild because dragons were part of the Pendragons.
A good portion was already developed, the other part was for the dragons, it was their hunting ground. Where they could train and gain experience from the spawning dragons and other creatures.
Following James’s advice would be reducing the dragons to just pets as they might only be confined to their soul space or would not be able to enjoy their own time without flying over a metropolis with millions watching them.
That aside, Arthur knew what his brother had done. He wanted nothing more than to end James right here and now but Isolde had demanded she do it.
Christine turned to her husband after Melania and her husband left. "It’s obvious he received a mana fruit. But to think he would blame you right before Melania when he’s behind it all."
She calmed herself. "What do you think Isolde will do?"
"Do what the next in line to lead must do. Deal with whatever or whoever spills Pendragon blood." Arthur replied.
***
After everyone had left the graveyard, someone stepped out of a dark violet portal. She wore a black blouse beneath a black blazer, high-waisted pencil skirt and thigh-high boots.


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