"... and many other generals of the Imperial Army did not trust Gardon, he had a reputation as "untrustworthy", "sinister", "cruel"..."
Oh, I delight in the irony.
"Their opinion would not matter, Gardon did not care if they'd change it once he had won this war for them. He did not do this for recognition or reputation, he did it because the Demons had to be stopped. Let them all hate and mistrust him if they desired to do so, he did not care. Their opinion was the last thing he cared about."
And it is exactly because of this that Gardon is my favorite human in all of Arkain!
No concern for personal validation or recognition. After all, what is the point when facing a foe that seeks to either enslave or kill everyone?
"She wore a dark dress with golden decoration. Expensive jewelry seemed to highlight the decoration. Around her neck, she wore a golden necklace that carried a ruby. Her skin was pale, almost as white as milk. Her face was beautiful, covered in long, black hair, and Gardon had little doubt that, if this woman would appear in any court, the nobles would throw themselves at her. He knew that she was ancient but from looks alone she could be in her twenties or thirties. Her orange eyes seemed to study her visitors with little to no interest. She radiated an aura of superiority, an aura of power and knowledge."
Oh, the Dragon Queen is a beauty. But then again, since she is royalty and her human form is due to her magic, of course this is to be expected.
"If you know our history, however, then you should also know that we and the humans are no longer allied. We no longer have any interest in the fate of mankind. The Kingdoms and your Empire have nothing in common with the nation we lend our aid to once. Zyainor has fallen, our former friends and allies are long dead."
It is good to see that the Queen doesn't hold a grudge towards humanity in general. She still remembers fondly the men of Zyainor despite the mistakes that their descendants made.
"What if we could bring it back? What if the Kingdoms were no more but Zyainor was to return - along with its dragon cults. You were worshipped by the old Zyaise, we could bring your golden age back. Join me, not the Kingdoms, not the Empire, and I will bring back Zyainor - as vassal state of the Empire. The Emperor will not care about who is worshipped on this continent as long as it stays loyal during his lifetime and pays its taxes."
Gardon supporting religious tolerance? I like him even more
"This is Thanok. He will from now on serve as your right-hand-man. He will train your forces to perform even better on the battlefield and support you in your battles - and not only watch you for us, he will also help you find the true heir of Zyainor. Unless you changed your mind, that is." Kasraazs said. Gardon nodded.
"We have a deal, dragon queen." he said and looked at Thanok.
"I wonder, however, what qualifies him to train my forces?" Gardon asked. Now Thanok's eyes met his.
"I have trained black dragons. Trust me, I know what I do." he said.
And thus, the greatest commander - right hand man bromance began...
