The Dragon King's Heart

Not only would they be in close vicinity of one another, but they would also be able to spend the holidays together. Across Gaeia, during the winter season, a festival known as Log Day was celebrated during the Winter Solistice. 

Since they had gotten close to one another, Laina and Dante made it a point to celebrate Log Day together. Whether it would be in Kinshearth or in Dracona, they would spend the day in each other's arms while the snow fell outside their windows. As per tradition, they would also exchange gifts with one another.

They've been trying to one-up each other with an increasingly outlandish gift. This year, they had come to a truce. They could only gift each other something they made on their own. A gift from the heart. 

But that was the least of their worries right now. For now, they were focused on what Dante needed for his training and preparation. 

"I'll train with you," she said to him. 

"What?" he was surprised at her declaration, "But what about The Goldie Finch? What about-"

Laina cupped Dante's face in her hands, "There is nothing more important than you right now. The Goldie Finch will survive without me. Besides, Margaret can step in and help if something goes wrong. Lady Wilma would be able to assist too."

The gears of her mind began to churn and turn. She had it all planned out. If she trained alongside Dante, she would be able to monitor his condition. Furthermore more, it meant they would get to spend more time together. 

"Are you sure you want to go with me?" Dante asked, his voice was full of worry. 

"Yes, I'm sure of it. If I don't go, who's going to watch your back?" Laina grinned. 

"Watch my back? I'm not a damsel in distress," Dante rebutted. 

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"Well neither am I," Laina responded as she folded her arms, "Who knows? I might end up becoming stronger than you." 

"Is that a declaration of challenge?" Dante asked as he narrowed his eyes. 

"I think it is," Laina played along. 

"Very well, we shall grow stronger together and see who comes out on top," Dante agreed.

Preparation for their trip up the mountain came along well. Margaret and Marius wanted to follow but they kindly rejected the offer. 

"You two should take this time to have some fun together," Laina said to Margaret as she continued to pack.

"At least take Kol and Florin with you," she pleaded. 

Laina shook her head, "Don't worry, we'll be fine. Besides, Dante would be there to protect me if necessary."

Margaret knew that she could not argue with Laina any further. So she threw up her hands in defeat and made Laina promise her to be safe at all times. 

"How is that possible when we're going to be training up in the snowy mountains?" 

Margaret placed her hands on Laina's shoulders, "I know, I know. Just be careful, alright? I won't be able to come to your rescue if I'm not there." 

Laina placed her hand on Margaret's arm, "Don't worry. I'll be fine... We'll be fine."

Dante and Laina packed up the last of their belongings before heading out together. Everyone came to bid them farewell. For the trip, Titan went along with them. His thick fur coat allowed him to keep warm even in the harshest of weather. Plus, he had a great sense of smell. 

Laina looked up into the cloud-covered sky. Fresh snow fell all around them as they made their way through the forest.  Small snowflakes danced in the air, landing softly on Laina's gloved hand. 

She admired the snowflake carefully before a puff of air blew it away. A smile appeared on her face. Winter was one of her most favorite seasons. The weather was cool and fresh snow blankets the earth. 

Dante held onto Laina's hand and pulled her along, "Come on, let's get going. It's going to get dark faster than you know it."

Laina quickened her pace to match Dante's as they made their way down the path. Eventually, they were going up on an incline with no clear path ahead of them. 

"Is this the right way up?" Dante asked as they trudged through the snow. 

The snow was getting thicker as they got higher. Laina looked around them. Based on the information she had received from Lady Wilma, they were on the right track. 

After she found out that Dante and Laina were going deep into the mountains, she gave them very important pieces of information. Their first destination was a hunting lodge often used in the summer months. Since it was winter, it was empty. 

Lady Wilma gave them permission to use it. As for their training, she had a few suggestions for them as well. There were three mythical beasts that roam the mountains in Luzernia. Not many had seen them before, let alone captured or killed one. 

Hunting them would be a test of endurance, ability, and instinct. It was perfect for their training. Lady Wilma gave them a map filled with notes and routes already drawn out. With it, they will never get lost. 

But as the day went on, it was as Dante had feared. It was getting darker by the minute. While the both of them could see well in the night, the weather conditions were less than ideal. The last flicker of light would diminish soon enough. 

"May be we should camp here for the night," Laina suggested as she pointed out a nearby cave. 

Dante looked over. It was a good location for them to camp for the night, but he did not want that. With a bit of quick thinking, he turned back to Laina. 

"Would you like to see my dragon form?" Dante asked with a sneaky grin. 

Laina was stunned. For a moment, she could not speak. She did not know how to respond. While it had been a legitimate question in her mind, she never really wondered much of it. 

"It would get us to the lodge quickly," he added in an attempt to convince her. 

"But isn't this supposed to be part of the training?" she asked. 

Dante bit his lip. He knew she was right. However..., "That is true. But the trainig starts tomorrow."

Dark blue wings sprouted from his back as he took a few steps back. 

"So, what do you say?" he asked.