Chapter 180: The Eyes of Essence

The Eyes of Essence, how had Cleenah obtained those Eyes?

It had happened long, long ago, on the worst of times and a day Cleenah hated deeply.

The sun had only just risen then.

Golden light shone over the mountains stretching far into the distance, while the morning mist still wrapped around the trees along the hillside.

The air felt cool, and the sound of birds could be heard now and then from among the trees.

It was a beautiful morning.

But for Cleenah, that day became one of the worst days of her life.

"Lady Clyne!"

A girl’s voice rang out from atop the hill.

Cleenah ran with great difficulty, looking at the figure of a large Dragon lying not far from the edge of the hill.

The Dragon’s body had beautiful pink scales. But some of those scales were now damaged, and wounds of unknown origin covered parts of its body.

Even its breathing sounded very weak.

"Lady Clyne!"

Cleenah hurried closer.

She didn’t know what had happened. By the time she found Clyne, the Dragon was already in this condition.

And what was worse, Cleenah could feel that Clyne’s life was slowly fading away.

"No... This can’t be..."

Cleenah shook her head.

She tried to look over the wounds, searching for something she could do to help.

But the condition was too severe.

Even without knowing what had caused the wounds, Cleenah understood that Clyne’s body was on the brink of death.

"Lady Clyne! What happened!? Who did this!?"

There was no answer.

Clyne only moved her head slightly, then looked at the little girl beside her.

"...Cleenah?"

Her voice sounded very weak.

But when she recognized who had come, Clyne showed a small smile.

"Thank goodness... You came."

"Don’t talk!"

Cleenah quickly shook her head, while tears began to stream from her eyes.

"We have to find help! I’ll call Garph! He’ll surely be able to do something!"

"Cleenah..."

"No! You have to hold on! There must still be a way to heal you!"

Cleenah tried to say all of that with conviction.

But even she knew that her hope was almost impossible to fulfill.

Clyne was too weak.

And the wounds she had suffered weren’t something that could be healed easily.

Even so, how could Cleenah give up just like that?

The one lying before her wasn’t an ordinary Dragon.

To Cleenah, Clyne was like a mother.

Someone who had cared for and looked after her, even when many other Dragons thought Cleenah had no promising future.

So how could she accept that such a person would simply die?

"...Don’t cry."

Clyne spoke again, gently.

"I’m sorry, Cleenah. It seems I don’t have much time."

"I don’t want that..."

Cleenah kept shaking her head.

"I don’t want it! Lady Clyne can’t go!"

Clyne looked at the girl for a while.

She wanted to say something to comfort her, but her body was already too weak to do much.

In the end, she only let out a small sigh.

"Cleenah, there’s something I must tell you."

"...?"

Cleenah lifted her head.

Tears still streamed down both cheeks, while her hands kept clutching a part of Clyne’s body.

"I’ve prepared a few things for a long time now."

Clyne paused to steady her breathing.

"Including who will lead the Qiezhuran after I’m gone."

Cleenah fell silent.

She didn’t understand why Clyne was suddenly talking about that.

Shouldn’t they be finding a way to save her first?

But before she could say anything, Clyne continued.

"I have chosen you, Cleenah."

"...Eh?"

"You will be the next Clan Leader of the Qiezhuran."

Cleenah froze.

For a moment, she even forgot about the tears still flowing down her face.

"M-me...?"

Clyne nodded.

"That’s right."

"B-but, why?"

Cleenah didn’t understand at all.

She was still so weak, and even her growth in strength hadn’t gone well. How could she possibly lead a Clan filled with Dragons far stronger than her?

"Why does it have to be me...? Isn’t there still Garph?"

Cleenah began to cry again.

"Garph is much stronger! He’s also more experienced! If he becomes the leader, everything will surely be fine!"

Clyne listened to those words calmly.

But she shook her head.

"...No, Cleenah."

"Why...?"

"Garph won’t be able to bear it."

Cleenah was a little shocked.

She had never imagined hearing those words from Clyne.

After all, Garph was one of the strongest Dragons in the Qiezhuran Clan. Even Clyne had known him for a very long time.

But Clyne still looked certain of her decision.

"He may have enough strength. But there is something he will not be able to endure."

Clyne smiled faintly.

"If that happens, Garph will surely be crushed. And in the end, he will give up."

"..."

"But you’re different, Cleenah."

Cleenah still didn’t understand what those words meant.

She wanted to ask more, but Clyne’s breathing suddenly grew weaker.

"Lady Clyne!"

"...It’s alright."

Clyne looked at the girl gently.

"I made this decision long ago. So you don’t need to question whether I chose wrongly."

Then, the large Dragon’s body began to emit a very soft light.

Cleenah fell silent when she noticed the change.

Clyne’s body slowly shrank, leaving behind her large Dragon form and taking the shape of an adult woman.

Long pink hair fell down her back, while her skin looked so bright under the morning sunlight.

Her face was very beautiful, with a gentle smile still visible even as her condition worsened.

And her eyes...

Instead of vertical pupils like most Dragons, Clyne’s eyes showed a very lovely star shape.

Cleenah recognized those eyes.

Eyes that had always looked at her with such affection.

But now, even those eyes were beginning to lose their light.

"Lady Clyne..."

Cleenah moved closer, trying to help support the woman’s body.

Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do.

Clyne’s body slowly began to turn into particles of light, starting from the parts closest to the ground.

And along with that, something strange happened.

Small flowers began to bloom around them.

At first only a few, but their number kept growing until part of the ground on that hillside was filled with brightly colored flowers.

Cleenah watched it all with wet eyes.

She had heard about that phenomenon.

A very rare occurrence, when certain Dragons reached the end of their lives.

But Cleenah didn’t feel happy at all to see it.

Because it meant that Clyne was truly going to leave her.

"...Cleenah."

Clyne called her name again.

"There’s one last thing I want to give you."

"...What?"

Cleenah looked at her in confusion.

Clyne raised her hand, then touched her own face.

"These eyes have been with me since I was born."

She smiled faintly.

"They are called the Eyes of Essence. And I believe that one day, you will need them."

Cleenah quickly shook her head when she understood what those words meant.

"No! I don’t need them!"

But Clyne didn’t change her decision.

With her own hands, she gouged both eyes from her body, which was slowly disappearing.

Cleenah could only stare at her, tears still flowing.

"Lady Clyne..."

"It’s alright."

Clyne was still smiling.

After all, she didn’t have much time left.

The two Eyes of Essence became the only part of her that did not turn into light.

Clyne then handed them to Cleenah.

"Keep them safe."

"..."

"You will surely need them, Cleenah."

The little girl accepted the gift with both trembling hands.

She still wanted to refuse.

But when she lifted her head again, most of Clyne’s body had already vanished.

"No..."

Cleenah moved closer at once.

"Lady Clyne, don’t go..."

Clyne only showed her one last smile.

Then, together with the morning sunlight, her entire body slowly disappeared.

"..."

Cleenah stayed where she was.

The flowers that had just bloomed filled the ground around her, while the morning wind moved gently among their petals.

But Cleenah paid attention to none of it.

"...Lady Clyne?"

There was no answer.

She called that name again, then finally cried even harder.

The one who had been like a mother to her was now truly gone.

And all that remained were the two Eyes of Essence in her hands.

A few moments later, the sound of footsteps came from behind her.

"...Clyne?"

Garph had just arrived atop the hill.

The old Dragon stopped when he saw Cleenah crying in the middle of a field of flowers.

Then he looked at the last light slowly fading from the place where Clyne had been.

"..."

For a while, Garph said nothing.

His face showed disbelief, but no tears flowed.

He simply stood there, staring at the place where his old friend had vanished.

Meanwhile, Cleenah kept crying, clutching Clyne’s final gift tightly.