Valerian, The Legendary

Chapter 388: Reunion.

A silver dragon emerged from the horizon and flew toward Valerian like a streak of lightning. However, when Shiba and the two feared the young man would die, the huge dragon turned into a beautiful young lady and punched Valerian.

The young man raised his forearm and withstood the attack. The collision sent ripples in the void. Valerian smiled and said, ’I missed you too.’

Fortuna was about to turn her head when the young man embraced her. The girl did not hold him at first, but she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled on his shoulder when the warmth seeped in.

She asked, ’What took you so long?’

Valerian did not reply to her but kept holding her. He could feel the proud dragon queen crying over his shoulder. The young man said, ’I could speak and cry in that world.’

Fortuna shivered. She was aware that even if he never said this, he wanted to feel how it felt to cry when he was said and what it would be like to talk to people normally. As the two were hugging each other, and landed on the ground.

Valerian said, ’These are my friends. They helped me a lot when I was there. The one with golden hair is Shiba, the male is Captian, and the curiously blinking one is called Viney.’

Fortuna nodded and glanced at the two people, and she said, "You all are his friends, and he told me that you you helped him a lot. I am grateful to you."

Shiba regained her senses and asked, "But miss you, who are you?"

Fortuna smiled and said, "I am Fortuna. I am a dragon, and Valerian is my magical pet."

The young man smacked the back of her head and glared. Fortuna sighed and said, "Fine, he is my magical companion. We have a magical bond with each other."

Shiba nodded in understanding and made introductions. Valerian said, ’Let’s go. Your roar must have alerted everyone.’

Fortuna nodded, and then they walked ahead. However, they had not reached too far when a loud shrill squeal sounded. Valerian stopped, and Fortuna asked, "Are you ready to grovel on your knees? Her Excellency has been very angry these days?"

Valerian stuck out his tongue and said, ’We shall see.’

Linea, the thunder falcon, slowly landed on the ground and off jumped a silver silhouette at Valerian. The young man was surprised and hurriedly caught the figure in his arms. The next thing he knew was a loud chain of cries echoing in his ears.

Valerian looked down at long silver hair and a pair of cat ears and shivered as he held the girl tightly in his arms and patted her back gently to console her. He gazed at Linea and asked, ’How are you, Linea?’

The bird flapped its wings to express excitement and said, ’Welcome home, Master.’

Valerian smiled and patted his beak. Shiba and the two were surprised. After all, it was the first time they had seen a beast this big outside the dungeons. Valerie calmed down after a few minutes, and Valerian used sign language to apologize and coax her. The young lady told him the Empress was waiting for him and then hopped onto his back.

She was ten years old, but she was still afraid that Valerian would vanish if she let go of him. The young man had no trouble and took her with him. Fortuna asked, "Shall we just fly over?"

Valerian shook his head and said, ’Although I want to, let me get used to the feeling of home. For years, I have dreamt of this moment. But now I do not know what to say.’

Fortuna nodded and then began talking to Shiba and the rest, asking and telling about both worlds. She was surprised to learn how Valerian had faced so many troubles with just his strength. She respected her magical companion and his friends a lot after this.

When they reached the western gates, the guards of the military camp saw people approach and wanted to stop them when one of the captains recognized Valerie and said, "Open the gates. It is Princess Valerie."

Valerie smiled at the Captain and said, "Captain Stix, look who I bought."

Stix looked at the visage of the young man carrying the Princess on his back. He gazed at the silver hair and eyes. He was paired with the breath of nobility and bold demeanor.

The Captain opened his eyes wide, dropped the spear, and knelt on the ground. He even touched his head to the ground and shouted, "Welcome home, Fourth Highness."

The rest of the guards were surprised; some even gazed at Valerie, who nodded, and then, in just a few seconds, the entire military unit posted at the western gate was kneeling and chanting welcome home for Valerian.

The young man was taken aback. He did not know what to do but did not say much to the people. He just waved his hand, and strong gusts of wind lifted the people.

Shiba was surprised and asked, "So this is magic?"

Fortuna chuckled and said, "Well, you can say so."

Valerie said, "My big brother is the strongest mage in the world. He is also the strongest battlemage."

Viney asked, "I don’t know much, but he is the strongest human in Avarium. He chanced upon the rarest combination of herbs, and his physical body is as strong as two elephants."

Fortuna let out a hollow laugh as the group entered the city from the western gates. Valerie said, "This is the special passage for the royal family. I will take you to visit the city after we are done meeting Her Excellency. Oh, that reminds me. The second brother has been waiting for the most for you."

Valerian asked with a gesture, "Why?"

Valerie chuckled and said, "He took a liking to a young lady from the east. She is a warrior, and her skills are so awesome that Priscilla could only achieve a tie. He wants to marry her, but she states it clearly that she will only marry if Lord Valerian is present to witness the scene."

Valerian furrowed his brows, and Valerie said, "She wants to fight with you before she marries him."

Valerian shook his head as the people entered the western gardens. All the beasts in the western room were now residing in the garden, and when they sensed someone arriving, they became alert. However, upon seeing Valerian, they all let out cheering sounds and bowed to him.

Fortuna remarked, "They never gave me such respect. If not for my bloodline, they would rather turn faces. Where do they get such attitude from?"

Valerian chuckled and let out a few beast voices from his mouth. Captain said, "He told us about this skill of his, but we thought he was joking, but it turns out it is true."

Fortuna sighed and gestured for them to stop. She waited for Valerian to leave earshot, with Valerie giggling and chuckling, before she said, "You all might be thinking that Valerian is extremely privileged. However, let me correct this perception. These abilities he has, for him, are a curse. He would rather give up all his power to cry once at his mother’s grave."

Shiba and the two knew the story’s outline but not the details. Fortuna told them about him, and they all followed Valerian in the distance. Suddenly, the young man stopped, and the trio spotted a lady dressed in an elegant gown, looking extremely beautiful, standing before him.

Valerie jumped off his back, and Valerian walked closer to Fragrantia. He did not hug her but knelt on the ground. He tapped the ground with his head and stayed bowed like that. Fragrantia had tears trickling down her cheeks, and she bent down to raise him. Valerian’s face was stained with blood—this sight she had witnessed before but could never get used to.

She tore the sleeve of her gown and wiped his face, saying, "All these years, I waited for you, and now you come bleeding? Is that how you will meet your mother?"

Valerian embraced her, and blood kept dripping from his cheeks, staining the white gown of the Empress. The lady also cried, holding him in her arms. The two had no barriers, and Valerian had longed for this warmth all these years.

Azula waited for a few minutes before she said, "Mom, I am also waiting. Look, he will bleed out before you finish the meeting."

Valerian and Fragrantia chuckled. The young man made Azula a few gestures, ’If you crack bad jokes no one will marry you.’

The princess chased after him and the young man ran away. The whole palace of Lumen seemed to have come alive. A few maids saw Valerian and they rushed out to the city and the word spread.

The entire city gathered to see the prince who changed their lives. The prince who allowed the poor to have a chance to dream and make them come true.