Chapter 3645: Death Rites (Part 2)More importantly, the Fire Dragons couldn't afford to offend Menadion and risk her enmity. She had refused to give them lessons, but she might still be willing to clear their doubts about how to use the Eyes and Ears properly. Maybe, Menadion would craft Blade Weapons for them in the future. "Then what about the materials to craft an armor?" Lith said. "As you know, my sister has recently evolved into a Divine Beast. Her old equipment is now useless, and collecting the resources for an enchanted armor of that size is beyond my means." "I understand." Erghak nodded. "Yours is the hurdle all newborn bloodlines have to face. Our bodies are strong, and our size makes us Dragons among mice, but at the same time, it's a weakness. "While the other races need but a few drops of powerful metal and ingredients to increase their prowess, we need a kingdom's treasure just to cover a Wyrm. Aside from my sympathy, however, there's not much I can offer. "My clan is indebted to you, but not that much. Unless, of course, you are willing to take a Fire Dragon as your wife and join us." "Thank you for your offer, but no." Lith dismissed the idea with a sweep of his hand. "I was thinking about a Dragon's corpse." "A Dragon's corpse?" Erghak echoed with fury, his eyes narrowing as black smoke blew out of his nostrils. "Don't get me wrong." Lith raised his hands, realizing how his words might be misunderstood. "I'm not asking you to desecrate the tombs of your warriors or plunder the remains of any respectable member of your clan. "I assume that even among noble Wyrms like the Fire Dragons there are scoundrels and criminals. If there is the corpse of a murderer, a traitor, or anyone you have executed rotting in a ditch, I'd be happy to take it off your hands. "Beggars can't be choosers, and my sister wouldn't mind wearing a Syrook like I do." "Thanks for the clarification, it makes your insult to my clan less severe, but it's an insult nonetheless." Erghak snarled, his eyes still smoldering with outrage. "How did I insult you? Do you have laws to protect dead criminals?" The honest surprise in Lith's voice reminded the Wyrm how young and ignorant of the Brood's customs the Tiamat was. "Hasn't your master, Faluel, taught you that we don't wear our dead kin's scales unless we receive their permission?" Erghak asked. "Yes, but she also specified it was restricted to people who had the time or opportunity to leave a will." Lith nodded in reply. "Knowing how prideful Dragons are, I assumed criminals had no right to a will and that no one would claim their corpses." "And you are right on both accounts." Erghak replied. "Wearing the scales of a traitor like Syrook would be akin to carrying their shame. The greater the crime, the more despicable a Wyrm is, even in their death. "Yet you arrived at the wrong conclusion. Dragons don't keep the corpses of their criminals. They deserve neither a nameless tomb nor a mass grave. After their execution, a convicted Wyrm is burned into ashes with Origin Flames. "It's our way to purify our clan from their crimes and purge their memory. We leave no trace of the criminal's existence. What you propose is an insult to the victims of the Wyrm and a mark of shame on his living family. Is that clear?" "Crystal." Lith bowed in apology. "I'm sorry for being so harsh, Lith, but be grateful you made such a blunder with me. Had you mentioned your Syrook armor to Ananta, his matriarch, like that, she might have beaten you to a pulp or declared you an enemy of the Black Dragon clan." Erghak said. "Thank you, patriarch." Lith bowed deeper, swallowing hard. "Why didn't anyone warn me about this kind of thing?" "I suppose it was overlooked because it's considered common sense." Erghak shrugged. "How would you react if someone asked you to wear your mother's skin in battle?" "I'd be angered, sure, but I've asked for criminals." Lith replied. "If you ever find Meln and kill him, feel free to do whatever you want with his corpse. Wear him as pajamas, make sock puppets from his entrails, I don't mind." "I guess we have different values, little brother, but I'll keep that in mind." The Fire Dragon had a good laugh at the image conjured by Lith's words. "That said, there is something I can offer you, but it won't cover half of what you need." "Half is good." Lith replied. "But I thought noble warriors would leave their remains to their families, and you just said criminals go up in smoke." "True, but there's another case you haven't considered." The patriarch lowered his gaze, and his voice took a somber timbre. "A young Fire Dragon died a while ago. He was nowhere an adult, barely reaching twenty meters (66') from horns to talons." "How is that possible?" Lith could almost see Elysia or Valeron lying in a coffin, and the thought alone seemed to rip his heart out of his chest. "Dragons are powerful, no matter the age. "I refuse to believe Fire Dragons might have kicked out a youth and ignored his calls for help." "Fire Dragons are indeed powerful, and the parents did no such thing." Erghak nodded. "Sadly, Lith, no matter how much you care about your hatchlings, sometimes there's no way to split a young mind from its dumb ideas. "Ishka, that was his name, thought himself invincible and died in such a stupid accident that I still can't believe it myself. "What matters to you is that he always dreamed of becoming a great warrior and being crowned Champion of Fire. Death stopped him forever, but his parents want to fulfill his final wish.𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶 "Ishka can't fight anymore, but he can still accompany another warrior in their journey. Your sister's glory would be his, and her achievements would keep his memory alive." "I'm sorry, I mean no disrespect, but why are you giving him to me?" Lith rubbed his chin. "There must be someone in his family or at least in your clan who wants to honor his dream and memory." "His family is still grieving Ishka's loss." Erghak replied. "Using such equipment themselves would mean keeping their wound forever open. It would be a constant reminder of this tragedy and keep them from moving on. "As for the rest of the clan, Ishka's remains are useless to them. All our youths are at least twenty meters (66') tall and they will keep growing. There is no point wasting precious metal and priceless resources on an armor that must be changed upon reaching the violet core. "Even recovering the metal would require incinerating the remains, which would be no different than spitting in the face of Ishka's family." "I see their point and I'm willing to take your offer." Lith's stomach churned as he was forced to consider the dead Wyrm as both a beloved person and a mere crafting material. A Dragon would grow with their mana core, making Ishka's corpse too small to Forgemaster a good armor.