Joan's face fell.
Such an elegant, beautiful, powerful Blue Dragon was female?
Wait. Who had she said she was? Illymoyas?
"Weren't you in Free City? What are you doing in the Broken Mountains?" Joan cried.
"...I have nothing to do with that place anymore."
Joan's curiosity flared. She immediately imagined a story about a beautiful Blue Dragon whose heart Annan had broken, forcing her to hide deep in the mountains and nurse her wounds alone.
Then she remembered all the stories she'd heard from Bards: a beautiful countess betrayed by a prince who became a dark countess and slaughtered everyone in his Manor, sparing not even a dog...
"Actually, Annan and I aren't that close," Joan said carefully.
"I can tell."
Joan hadn't even recognized her. Clearly, she wasn't one of the people closest to that man.
Now Joan felt a little indignant. She'd known Annan back when he was just a minor lord in Star-Moon Bay!
But she was soon glad she'd distanced herself from him. The "evil Dragon" Illymoyas's voice suddenly turned chilling, and that prickling sensation returned.
"Did Annan send you to find me!?"
"No! I only came here to do business! Did you see those people who ran off and abandoned me? They kept me prisoner. I escaped, but they nearly caught me again. You saved me!"
Joan recalled the heaps of bones outside the cave. The Illymoyas before her was a genuine "evil Dragon," not the Mascot-like Blue Dragon of Free City anymore...
Illymoyas bared her teeth and said in a low voice, "If you dare tell anyone I'm here, I'll crush your bones and grind your flesh into pulp..."
"You saved my life. I'd never tell anyone you're here!" Joan promised loudly.
Illymoyas drew her head back.
Joan blinked, realizing Illymoyas meant to let