"You are Rumunaga."
Jason said the name with absolute certainty since he knew that he was not wrong. But that didn’t mean Jason wasn’t skeptical. There were hundreds of questions running through Jason’s mind at this moment, and he didn’t know how to even go about asking them! But the one question that was the most prominent was: Why in the world is Rumunaga under the Yellow Ash Mountains and not in the Flaming Forest like everyone thought! It was almost like Rumunaga could hear Jason’s thoughts because he smiled and nodded.
[Yes, I am Rumunaga. I am the First and greatest dragon born to Radagan, as well as the vindictive being who drew the anger of the gods. Many stories you’ve heard about me are true, but there are many more stories that hold no truth to them at all. All I can say is that I have learned and grown from my mistakes. But as for why you are here, that is entirely because of your actions. That power you used to infiltrate my prison seems to hold a part of your consciousness within it, and by grabbing hold and pulling on that power, I managed to bring you in here with me so we could have this conversation.]
Jason simply had to ask.
"If you’re Rumunaga, then what are you doing here? Everyone believes that you were imprisoned in the Flaming Forest. That’s where all the dragons and even the priestess made their home. So why are you here?"
Rumunaga smiled, and at that moment, Jason realised that he wasn’t dealing with someone who was simply wise! Rumunaga’s expression showed that there was a serious joke being played here, and for some reason, Rumunaga was the only one who knew about it. Rumunaga spoke up calmly.
[The Priestess and the dragons are fine just where they are, so there’s no need to worry about them. And as for me being buried in the Flaming Forest, well, it is not a lie. I really am buried in the Flaming Forest, and although the exact location is not something I would disclose to you, I can assure you that my Priestesses are not praying to an empty forest.]
"Then what is that behind you?"
Jason gestured to the large dragon behind Rumunaga distrustfully, and Rumunaga turned around and snapped his finger! Jason watched in surprise as the large body of the dragon slowly began to vanish from his sight, and it turned into millions of falling blue lilies! In its place, a giant ball of pure energy that was nearly a mile long in circumference was left to float gently in the air! The ball of energy pulsed at regular intervals like a heartbeat, and it glowed with a red, fiery light that showed that it was brimming with power!
"A Magic Crystal."
Jason was able to recognise the Magic Crystal at first glance! He had eaten so many Magic Crystals over the past few months that he would have recognised it even with his eyes closed! Rumunaga smiled at Jason’s words, and he spoke.
[Yes, you Avarans are especially sensitive to these things, aren’t you? This is indeed a Magic Crystal, and it is mine. You see, the gods were especially crafty when they created the prison that would hold me for millennia. They knew that I was far too powerful both in body and mana, and no amount of magical restraints would be able to prevent me from escaping their hold. So they devised a plan to separate my body from my magic core and imprison them both in separate regions. Together, my body and my core possess power that surpasses even the great Primordials, but separate, I am only strong enough to be regarded as one of the strongest TITANs. They placed my body in the Flaming Forest, just like the legends say, but my core was placed here under the Yellow Ash Mountains, and this is where I have been since the dawn of Radagan.]
Jason suddenly felt another headache coming on as his mind began to race once again! This didn’t make sense! It made no sense at all! If what Rumunaga was saying was true, then there were a lot of holes that Jason still needed to fill out! The most obvious hole here was the fact that this was the first time Jason was hearing about this! No one had ever spoken about the fact that Rumunaga’s core was separated from his body, and no one knew that it was under these mountains! Shouldn’t Riyala have known? Or even if she didn’t, then one of the previous Priestesses should have known! The fact that they didn’t know was a big deal, but the fact that Rubik had somehow managed to learn about this was an even bigger deal! Because that was the only conclusion that Jason could reach right now! Jason always knew that Rubik wanted these mountains for a reason, and Jason was certain that he was currently standing in front of that reason! Rubik had found out that Rumunaga’s core was located here, and he wanted Riyala to sign over the mountains so that he would take his time to look for it!
Jason looked over at Rumunaga and asked these questions, and Jason saw Rumunaga’s face sour before he sighed wistfully and spoke.
[Well, I suppose you are right to question the current state of things. There is a reason why I did not allow any of my Priestesses or dragons to know of this location, and it is simple: they revere me far too much.]
"They revere you too much? What the fuck does that even mean? You think it’s a bad thing for them to look up to you?"
Rumunaga chuckled.
[No, no, please. I love the prayers and praise they send my way, and I always find joy in listening to them. But it is also true that they hold me in very high regard and care about me too much. Tell me, what do you really think Dragonstone is? Do you think that Dragonstone simply appeared from nowhere and became the major resource for this world? No, Dragonstone is a mineral deposit that comes into existence due to the presence of extremely potent dragon mana over a very long period of time. Yes, I am sure you’ve figured it out now. It is my presence deep in the core of this world for so long that has allowed Dragonstone to become such a prevalent mineral in these regions. I have blessed these lands with great wealth, and it is my hope that the people of this world will continue to reap the benefits for years to come. But I can assure you that the moment they learn of my presence here, all of that will change.]
Jason listened attentively to everything Rumunaga had to say, and it didn’t take long for Jason to figure out exactly what Rumunaga was trying to get at.
"The dragons will chase the dragonborn away, won’t they?"
[Very astute observation, young child. Yes, you are exactly right. Just like the dragons chased the Tumani away from the Flaming Forest millennia ago after they learned that my body was located there, they will most definitely chase the dragonborn away from this land upon discovering that my core is located here. These mountains have been bathed in my mana for hundreds of thousands of years, and my power has allowed great deposits of Dragonstone to reside here. The mines that the dragonborn are currently working on are simply the tip of the iceberg. Those mines are nothing compared to what the dragonborn will find here in the next fifty years, or even the next one hundred years. This land will sustain my people for generations. I cannot allow religion and reverence to destroy all of that. If the dragons chase the dragonborn away from this land due to their love for me, then they will doom the dragonborn to poverty. Therefore, I must hide my presence from them and allow my world to thrive. That is what a king must do for his people.]