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Ron died.
One of Cale's people has died for the first time since he became 'Cale Henituse.'
...
Ron Molan, Cale's ever-frightening benign butler died at the ripe old age of 72.
It wasn't from battle, nor was it from disease.
He died from old age.
And Cale?
Cale Henituse doesn't look a day older than when he stabbed the World Tree's Dagger into his heart.
"Human."
"...Ah."
Cale finally lifted his gaze from the floor onto the teary-eyed dragon, who was now 16.
Despite Raon being right in front of him, Cale couldn't bring himself to focus on the not-so-little dragon. No, Cale could only think about a singular thing. The thing that he'd be trying his very best to avoid acknowledging ever since he first noticed it.
'I'm going to outlive everyone.'
He'll outlive On, Hong, Beacrox, Rosalyn, Alberu, even his people who have long lives.
Cale Henituse is going to outlive them all.
One of his people has died, and the number will just keep on increasing as the years pass by. It doesn't matter if he keeps them safe by any external dangers, age isn't something you can prevent.
There's nothing he can do about it.
Even this still young dragon right in front of him looks slightly older than when he was 6, and Cale barely looks a day older than 20 despite ten years passing.
That damned World Tree.
He'll burn it to ashes. Cale swears his life on it.
It's no better than cursing him with immortality if he ages so God damned slowly that he's going to outlive a baby dragon. How could that motherfucking tree say that it's just make him healthier?
He's going to be that last alive. The last alive, just like when-
"HUMAN!"
Cale blinked out of his daze, the records that had been beginning to intensify simmering down for the moment.
"...Raon."
Cale slowly took in a shaky breath. His hands that were previously shaking—when did that happen?—were now mostly still. At that moment, he cursed himself.
How could he show Raon that? Kids needn't think of things that trouble the adults.
"Let's go out," Cale suddenly declares. "Where's On and Hong?" He carefully asks, wiping the little tears on Raon's face.
Raon, usually so quick to speak, hesitates.
"...They're with Lemon Gramps."
Cale blinked once.
"Oh."
Oh.
The image of a carefully decorated grave slowly drifts into his mind, but just as quickly was pushed down into the deepest crevices of his mind.
He still remembers the sounds of the kids sobbing so loudly.
"We're joining them." Cale states, voice quieter than he'd like to admit.
Without waiting for Raon to respond, he abruptly stands, striding towards the mirror and looking at his reflection.
Cale wasn't the kind to care about his appearance, but he really looked like shit.
He ran a hand through his hair, quickly fixing it to look at least half decent. Over the years, Cale has more-or-less been forced to acknowledge how much his appearance matters to those around him; so he could do this much.
Raon flies over, landing on the wardrobe. He stares at Cale for a second, before voicing his thoughts.
"Human, you look bad."
Cale sighs.
"I know."
Raon, surprised by the response, continues.
"And sad."
Cale pauses for a moment at those two words.
Staring at the mirror, at his own nearly dead expression, he decides not to lie.
"I am sad."
Of course, that doesn't mean that he's giving Raon time to linger on those words. Instead, he quickly turns to the dragon.
"And you are too. Stop holding in your tears, that's something the adults should worry about. You still have to grow happy and healthy, so you should process your emotions well."
"..."
Cale raises an eyebrow at Raon's silence, before flinching a little at the vicious dragon's sudden shout.
"...If my Human won't, then neither will I!"
Cale doesn't immediately respond, but he frowns. Picking up the dragon, (with some struggle—Raon's tail even drags on the floor a little, longer than it used to be.) he exits the bedroom and begins to walk down the hallway.
"I will, so go ahead. A great and mighty dragon shouldn't hide their emotions." Cale says, slowing his steps a little to give Raon time to speak.
Naturally, Raon narrows his eyes at Cale's words; raising a claw and pointing it at him.
"Liar! That doesn't work on me anymore!"
"That's true, I do lie a lot." Cale easily admits. Truthfully, he's reminded of his first talk with this kid just from those words.
'I've been reminiscing too much.'
Cale's frown deepens, thinking that his thoughts were really unnecessary. His people are right in front of him, why was he doing such an annoying thing?
His body instinctively makes the twists and turns needed to get to his destination, listening to Raon try to retort against his replies as he easily countered. Despite the fact that it's been over twelve years since Cale's met the dragon, it strangely feels hardly any different to how it used to be.
Eventually though... Cale's forced to freeze in place when the great and mighty Raon Miru starts breaking out in sobs.
"W-hic.. H-Human! Y-you're bad!"
Raon cries, gently hitting Cale's chest in fear of actually hurting him.
Naturally, Cale is absolutely still like a deer caught in headlights. It stays that way a moment longer before he finally moves to sit down and lean against the wall to soothe the little dragon.
Of course, Cale is absolutely aware that he's absolutely horrible at it, but he tries anyway.
"..H-hic... Humaaan... I wanna -hic- see Lemon Gramps...!" he babbles out, no longer hitting his chest and simply squeezing Cale's shirt.
Naturally, Cale attentively listens.
He pats Raon's head, even when he was internally growing more and more panicked at the crying dragon in his lap.
"We will." Cale states with an even voice, thumb smoothing over Raon's ever shiny scales on the dragon's face; which were still plump--albeit a little less--as usual.
"Beacrox will be there, and he'll have a delicious meal ready like usual. On and Hong will greet you, and Mary and Choi Ha..."
Cale went silent, flinching violently when he notices the long-time teenager standing at the end of the hall with a worried expression.
'This vicious..! Didn't we agree that everyone shouldn't hide their presences in here?!'
Sucking up his surprise, he gives Choi Han a deadpan look and immediately stands up; walking towards and past Choi Han. It's unsurprising to the dragon or the ex-Commander that the Swordmaster immediately follows barely two feet behind.
"As I said, Mary and Choi Han will eat with us just like usual. Eruhaben-nim, too."
Cale silently stares into the wide, blue eyes staring back at him.
"...So don't be sad."
Twenty years.
It's officially now been twenty years since Cale has seen Ron's face in something that was not a picture or a record.