Chapter 20
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The suffocating pressure that came from the dragon felt like trying to stand under a waterfall for prolonged periods of time. Every part of Draylen's body began to ache, from head to toe. The old man fared a lot better though, whilst he was also kneeling from the pressure, he showed no visible signs of pain.
The aching was significantly dulled by the strange tingling in his blood, it wasn't painful nor pleasurable, just very odd. It could be described as a milder pins and needles all over the body, like having boiling blood.
The dragon which had appeared before them had a serpentine body, it coiled around the wooden throne like a python constricting it's prey. Draylen was sure that the dragon wouldn't fit length wise in the large room, it was probably hundreds, maybe even a thousand metres long!
Not only was the dragon long, it's body was as thick as a tree trunk, a fully grown man wouldn't be able to wrap his arms around it. It's scales were each the size of a man's palm and whilst being big, they were also very smooth.
The dragon had smooth facial features as well, with it's snout pointing inwards. It had feminine qualities and the dragon's glowing blue eyes seemed to enhance that. The dragon's upper body floated, whilst the lower was coiled on the floor.
A green glow surrounded the eastern style dragon, giving it a spectral appearance. The dragon slowly lowered it's head to look at the two humans before it.
As it got closer, the pressure seemed to increase, up till the point where Draylen's skin seemed to be crawling!
Eventually, the dragon returned to it's original position with a satisfied look. The domineering aura almost instantly disappeared. Along with it went the aching and the boiling blood.
"Ngh."
Draylen couldn't help but gasp as the aching was replaced with a sense of weakness, as if he just had an adrenaline rush, but much worse. Small pools of sweat dripped across the floor, giving off a sour smell.
The dragon seemed to pay no attention to the smell, in fact, it seemed to be unable to smell altogether. It slowly nodded it's head in a pondering manner, before leaning closer, causing Draylen to instinctively shuffle back slightly.
The dragon chuckled in amusement.
"Congratulations on passing my trials." A gentle feminine voice came from the large dragon.
"W-who are you?!" Draylen blurted out.
"I am Gaia, or at least, the spirit of Gaia." She replied slowly.
Her voice was like a soothing lullaby, completely different from the suffocating aura that was emitted earlier. If it were a different scenario, Draylen would have wanted to listen to her voice to sleep, it was simply too comforting!
Just as Draylen was about to speak, the old man spoke first.
"Forgive our current states, your grace. We are honoured by your presence however would like to know why exactly you have come now?" He asked with his head down low.
Draylen kept his mouth shut. He had never seen the old man bow down to anyone, let alone a dragon. Even the title he used, 'your grace', seemed a little over the top.
'Oh, it may be because she's a true dragon, whatever that is.' He thought to himself.
Gaia shifted her vision in a relaxed manner to the old man, before nodding once more.
"I am a true dragon." She said slowly.
There was a pause before she continued.
"I once fought along side the Dragon Knight Draaklen against the 5 Draconic clans."
"Branded as a traitor amongst my clan."
She paused a second time.
"However, as we subjugated our enemies, I grew stronger and stronger. I defeated the true earth dragon Terrestia, absorbing her core and becoming a true dragon."
"I became an almost invincible entity, with no match amongst my race or any others on the continent."
"Yet, I also had no successor."
Draylen was confused.
'What does all this have to do with us?'
The true earth dragon turned her head to look at Draylen.
"This boy passed my most challenging trial, with a strength of tier 4 and the age of 5. He is truly worthy."
The old man nodded his head slightly, to signify his understanding, whilst Draylen was purely confused.
"Draylen, lad." The old man said solemnly.
"Yes?"
"In the entire world, there can only be a single true earth dragon. There can be only one true fire dragon, one true water dragon, one true metal dragon and so on. A true dragon represents the absolute apex of it's element and carries the laws of it's element upon it's shoulders."
Draylen nodded.
"Each true dragon is a pillar of elemental magic, in exchange for near undefeatable power, they have to carry the burden of the laws of the universe."
"And one of these pillars has recognised you. This means that you are destined to become someone great." He finished.
Draylen's eyes were wide in shock. If it were a king who had recognised him, then of course he would feel good, but being commended by an entity which literally carried the weight of the universe on it's shoulders was like being recognised by the universe itself.
Gaia began to speak once more.
"I have long searched for a successor, so long that my body became dust and I had to preserve myself as a spirit instead."
"You, boy, show strength and wisdom far beyond your age, I would like you to do me a favour."
"Of course, what is it?" He asked respectfully.
"Find me a young earth dragonling, worthy of becoming my successor and bring them to me." She said.
'What?'
'What do you mean, 'worthy of becoming your successor'? I don't even know that many dragons, let alone worthy ones. How am I supposed to find you one?'
"Pardon me, but why exactly are you asking me?" He asked.
"Because although I do not want to admit it, I am not invincible. My body has turned to dust and over the thousands of years, I have survived in spirit form solely by consuming my own life force. Originally, I should have lived close to the end of time, but now, I have merely years left to live."
"So you have no other choice than to ask me? What about the old man here? He definitely has more connections than I do." Draylen refuted.
However, just as he was about to continue, Gaia interrupted him.
"You mortals do not know, but to a dragon, your bloodline is much more attractive than his. They will be more inclined to believe you than this man."
"I don't understand."
"You posses a powerful bloodline, one which has been related to dragons since the beginning of history. Most dragons will be able to sense it like me. Trust me when I say that you will be more convincing than him."
"Of course, I won't let you do this without reward."
Draylen's ears perked up slightly. He originally wanted to decline because of how many plots and schemes he had been dragged into simply by leaving the old man's cave, but the reward from a true dragon can't be too shabby can it?
"In order to help you with the search, I will bestow my 'Life Sense' eyesight to you. This is the ability of all true earth dragons, which allows the user to see the potential and strength of every life form they want."
-Gasp
The room was silent and Draylen held in his breath. Although the dragon placed a lot of importance on a successor, why would she offer her true dragon ability to him? Why not just give him some riches or even an inferior spell of some sorts? It was like going to an auction, where the minimum price was ten gold but someone immediately bids ten thousand.
"It's because you wouldn't be able to find a worthy successor without it." She added quickly.
"Ah."
Draylen nodded dumbly.
"Well, I agree then." He said, after a moment of thought.
The old man, who had been by the side just watched the proceedings without interrupting. This was the chance for his boy to gain such a powerful ability, what would he benefit from being jealous? Parents always want the best for their children and this was one of those cases.
Gaia nodded, before closing her azure eyes. They shone brightly underneath the scaly eyelids, before a bright green/blue light flew out from each eye and entered Draylen's. As soon as they entered his eyes, an invigorating feeling rushed through his body making him feel fresh and clean, as if he had just washed.
The moment he opened his eyes, they emitted a blue and green glow just like Gaia's. Before, he saw her scaly draconic form but now he saw a golden outline and a golden aura. Just as he was about to ask, Gaia answered his question before it left his mouth.
"Different colours represent different strengths. Gold, which is what you see right now represents a true dragon, whilst dim gold represents the potential to become a true dragon." She said.
"Right."
"So... How do I turn it off?" He asked hesitantly.
"Just concentrate on the mana flowing to your eyes and return it to your heart, like any other Dragon Summoner spell circle."
He did just what she said and sure enough, the golden glow faded, once more revealing a smooth draconic form.
Draylen bowed towards the true dragon.
"I am deeply grateful for this gift, I won't let you down!" He said loudly.
The old man bowed too, before the two hurriedly left the room.
After Gaia could no longer hear their footsteps, she grinned slightly.
"Should I tell them that I can give away as many of those Life Sense eyesight as I want? Oh well." She shrugged, before dissipating into the air as if she had never been there.
Meanwhile, the old man and the young boy were having a conversation.
"Right, I know about ten or so earth dragons, four- no, five of which whom have young children. Er, I think three are male and two are female? Whatever. Once we get back, I'll look at my contacts list, I can't remember where they all live off by heart. Oh, I also need to send a letter to the emperor, well, that can be done later." He muttered, spitting words out at rapid speeds, causing Draylen to feel slightly lost.
"Are you okay?" Draylen asked in a worried tone.
"Eh? Yes, never better. We just met a true dragon! You just got acknowledged by a true dragon! I'm just thinking of all the different dragons I know of who may fit Gaia's criteria." The old man replied in an excited voice.
If before, he seemed like an educated wise-man, the old man was now an overexcited kid who had received a new toy for his birthday.
"Actually, I think I may have a solution. We already know a young earth dragon, who is close by, right?"
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The suffocating pressure that came from the dragon felt like trying to stand under a waterfall for prolonged periods of time. Every part of Draylen's body began to ache, from head to toe. The old man fared a lot better though, whilst he was also kneeling from the pressure, he showed no visible signs of pain.
The aching was significantly dulled by the strange tingling in his blood, it wasn't painful nor pleasurable, just very odd. It could be described as a milder pins and needles all over the body, like having boiling blood.
The dragon which had appeared before them had a serpentine body, it coiled around the wooden throne like a python constricting it's prey. Draylen was sure that the dragon wouldn't fit length wise in the large room, it was probably hundreds, maybe even a thousand metres long!
Not only was the dragon long, it's body was as thick as a tree trunk, a fully grown man wouldn't be able to wrap his arms around it. It's scales were each the size of a man's palm and whilst being big, they were also very smooth.
The dragon had smooth facial features as well, with it's snout pointing inwards. It had feminine qualities and the dragon's glowing blue eyes seemed to enhance that. The dragon's upper body floated, whilst the lower was coiled on the floor.
A green glow surrounded the eastern style dragon, giving it a spectral appearance. The dragon slowly lowered it's head to look at the two humans before it.
As it got closer, the pressure seemed to increase, up till the point where Draylen's skin seemed to be crawling!
Eventually, the dragon returned to it's original position with a satisfied look. The domineering aura almost instantly disappeared. Along with it went the aching and the boiling blood.
"Ngh."
Draylen couldn't help but gasp as the aching was replaced with a sense of weakness, as if he just had an adrenaline rush, but much worse. Small pools of sweat dripped across the floor, giving off a sour smell.
The dragon seemed to pay no attention to the smell, in fact, it seemed to be unable to smell altogether. It slowly nodded it's head in a pondering manner, before leaning closer, causing Draylen to instinctively shuffle back slightly.
The dragon chuckled in amusement.
"Congratulations on passing my trials." A gentle feminine voice came from the large dragon.
"W-who are you?!" Draylen blurted out.
"I am Gaia, or at least, the spirit of Gaia." She replied slowly.
Her voice was like a soothing lullaby, completely different from the suffocating aura that was emitted earlier. If it were a different scenario, Draylen would have wanted to listen to her voice to sleep, it was simply too comforting!
Just as Draylen was about to speak, the old man spoke first.
"Forgive our current states, your grace. We are honoured by your presence however would like to know why exactly you have come now?" He asked with his head down low.
Draylen kept his mouth shut. He had never seen the old man bow down to anyone, let alone a dragon. Even the title he used, 'your grace', seemed a little over the top.
'Oh, it may be because she's a true dragon, whatever that is.' He thought to himself.
Gaia shifted her vision in a relaxed manner to the old man, before nodding once more.
"I am a true dragon." She said slowly.
There was a pause before she continued.
"I once fought along side the Dragon Knight Draaklen against the 5 Draconic clans."
"Branded as a traitor amongst my clan."
She paused a second time.
"However, as we subjugated our enemies, I grew stronger and stronger. I defeated the true earth dragon Terrestia, absorbing her core and becoming a true dragon."
"I became an almost invincible entity, with no match amongst my race or any others on the continent."
"Yet, I also had no successor."
Draylen was confused.
'What does all this have to do with us?'
The true earth dragon turned her head to look at Draylen.
"This boy passed my most challenging trial, with a strength of tier 4 and the age of 5. He is truly worthy."
The old man nodded his head slightly, to signify his understanding, whilst Draylen was purely confused.
"Draylen, lad." The old man said solemnly.
"Yes?"
"In the entire world, there can only be a single true earth dragon. There can be only one true fire dragon, one true water dragon, one true metal dragon and so on. A true dragon represents the absolute apex of it's element and carries the laws of it's element upon it's shoulders."
Draylen nodded.
"Each true dragon is a pillar of elemental magic, in exchange for near undefeatable power, they have to carry the burden of the laws of the universe."
"And one of these pillars has recognised you. This means that you are destined to become someone great." He finished.
Draylen's eyes were wide in shock. If it were a king who had recognised him, then of course he would feel good, but being commended by an entity which literally carried the weight of the universe on it's shoulders was like being recognised by the universe itself.
Gaia began to speak once more.
"I have long searched for a successor, so long that my body became dust and I had to preserve myself as a spirit instead."
"You, boy, show strength and wisdom far beyond your age, I would like you to do me a favour."
"Of course, what is it?" He asked respectfully.
"Find me a young earth dragonling, worthy of becoming my successor and bring them to me." She said.
'What?'
'What do you mean, 'worthy of becoming your successor'? I don't even know that many dragons, let alone worthy ones. How am I supposed to find you one?'
"Pardon me, but why exactly are you asking me?" He asked.
"Because although I do not want to admit it, I am not invincible. My body has turned to dust and over the thousands of years, I have survived in spirit form solely by consuming my own life force. Originally, I should have lived close to the end of time, but now, I have merely years left to live."
"So you have no other choice than to ask me? What about the old man here? He definitely has more connections than I do." Draylen refuted.
However, just as he was about to continue, Gaia interrupted him.
"You mortals do not know, but to a dragon, your bloodline is much more attractive than his. They will be more inclined to believe you than this man."
"I don't understand."
"You posses a powerful bloodline, one which has been related to dragons since the beginning of history. Most dragons will be able to sense it like me. Trust me when I say that you will be more convincing than him."
"Of course, I won't let you do this without reward."
Draylen's ears perked up slightly. He originally wanted to decline because of how many plots and schemes he had been dragged into simply by leaving the old man's cave, but the reward from a true dragon can't be too shabby can it?
"In order to help you with the search, I will bestow my 'Life Sense' eyesight to you. This is the ability of all true earth dragons, which allows the user to see the potential and strength of every life form they want."
-Gasp
The room was silent and Draylen held in his breath. Although the dragon placed a lot of importance on a successor, why would she offer her true dragon ability to him? Why not just give him some riches or even an inferior spell of some sorts? It was like going to an auction, where the minimum price was ten gold but someone immediately bids ten thousand.
"It's because you wouldn't be able to find a worthy successor without it." She added quickly.
"Ah."
Draylen nodded dumbly.
"Well, I agree then." He said, after a moment of thought.
The old man, who had been by the side just watched the proceedings without interrupting. This was the chance for his boy to gain such a powerful ability, what would he benefit from being jealous? Parents always want the best for their children and this was one of those cases.
Gaia nodded, before closing her azure eyes. They shone brightly underneath the scaly eyelids, before a bright green/blue light flew out from each eye and entered Draylen's. As soon as they entered his eyes, an invigorating feeling rushed through his body making him feel fresh and clean, as if he had just washed.
The moment he opened his eyes, they emitted a blue and green glow just like Gaia's. Before, he saw her scaly draconic form but now he saw a golden outline and a golden aura. Just as he was about to ask, Gaia answered his question before it left his mouth.
"Different colours represent different strengths. Gold, which is what you see right now represents a true dragon, whilst dim gold represents the potential to become a true dragon." She said.
"Right."
"So... How do I turn it off?" He asked hesitantly.
"Just concentrate on the mana flowing to your eyes and return it to your heart, like any other Dragon Summoner spell circle."
He did just what she said and sure enough, the golden glow faded, once more revealing a smooth draconic form.
Draylen bowed towards the true dragon.
"I am deeply grateful for this gift, I won't let you down!" He said loudly.
The old man bowed too, before the two hurriedly left the room.
After Gaia could no longer hear their footsteps, she grinned slightly.
"Should I tell them that I can give away as many of those Life Sense eyesight as I want? Oh well." She shrugged, before dissipating into the air as if she had never been there.
Meanwhile, the old man and the young boy were having a conversation.
"Right, I know about ten or so earth dragons, four- no, five of which whom have young children. Er, I think three are male and two are female? Whatever. Once we get back, I'll look at my contacts list, I can't remember where they all live off by heart. Oh, I also need to send a letter to the emperor, well, that can be done later." He muttered, spitting words out at rapid speeds, causing Draylen to feel slightly lost.
"Are you okay?" Draylen asked in a worried tone.
"Eh? Yes, never better. We just met a true dragon! You just got acknowledged by a true dragon! I'm just thinking of all the different dragons I know of who may fit Gaia's criteria." The old man replied in an excited voice.
If before, he seemed like an educated wise-man, the old man was now an overexcited kid who had received a new toy for his birthday.
"Actually, I think I may have a solution. We already know a young earth dragon, who is close by, right?"
The suffocating pressure that came from the dragon felt like trying to stand under a waterfall for prolonged periods of time. Every part of Draylen's body began to ache, from head to toe. The old man fared a lot better though, whilst he was also kneeling from the pressure, he showed no visible signs of pain.The aching was significantly dulled by the strange tingling in his blood, it wasn't painful nor pleasurable, just very odd. It could be described as a milder pins and needles all over the body, like having boiling blood.The dragon which had appeared before them had a serpentine body, it coiled around the wooden throne like a python constricting it's prey. Draylen was sure that the dragon wouldn't fit length wise in the large room, it was probably hundreds, maybe even a thousand metres long!Not only was the dragon long, it's body was as thick as a tree trunk, a fully grown man wouldn't be able to wrap his arms around it. It's scales were each the size of a man's palm and whilst being big, they were also very smooth.The dragon had smooth facial features as well, with it's snout pointing inwards. It had feminine qualities and the dragon's glowing blue eyes seemed to enhance that. The dragon's upper body floated, whilst the lower was coiled on the floor.A green glow surrounded the eastern style dragon, giving it a spectral appearance. The dragon slowly lowered it's head to look at the two humans before it.As it got closer, the pressure seemed to increase, up till the point where Draylen's skin seemed to be crawling!Eventually, the dragon returned to it's original position with a satisfied look. The domineering aura almost instantly disappeared. Along with it went the aching and the boiling blood."Ngh."Draylen couldn't help but gasp as the aching was replaced with a sense of weakness, as if he just had an adrenaline rush, but much worse. Small pools of sweat dripped across the floor, giving off a sour smell.The dragon seemed to pay no attention to the smell, in fact, it seemed to be unable to smell altogether. It slowly nodded it's head in a pondering manner, before leaning closer, causing Draylen to instinctively shuffle back slightly.The dragon chuckled in amusement."Congratulations on passing my trials." A gentle feminine voice came from the large dragon."W-who are you?!" Draylen blurted out."I am Gaia, or at least, the spirit of Gaia." She replied slowly.Her voice was like a soothing lullaby, completely different from the suffocating aura that was emitted earlier. If it were a different scenario, Draylen would have wanted to listen to her voice to sleep, it was simply too comforting!Just as Draylen was about to speak, the old man spoke first."Forgive our current states, your grace. We are honoured by your presence however would like to know why exactly you have come now?" He asked with his head down low.Draylen kept his mouth shut. He had never seen the old man bow down to anyone, let alone a dragon. Even the title he used, 'your grace', seemed a little over the top.'Oh, it may be because she's a true dragon, whatever that is.' He thought to himself.Gaia shifted her vision in a relaxed manner to the old man, before nodding once more."I am a true dragon." She said slowly.There was a pause before she continued."I once fought along side the Dragon Knight Draaklen against the 5 Draconic clans.""Branded as a traitor amongst my clan."She paused a second time."However, as we subjugated our enemies, I grew stronger and stronger. I defeated the true earth dragon Terrestia, absorbing her core and becoming a true dragon.""I became an almost invincible entity, with no match amongst my race or any others on the continent.""Yet, I also had no successor."Draylen was confused.'What does all this have to do with us?'The true earth dragon turned her head to look at Draylen."This boy passed my most challenging trial, with a strength of tier 4 and the age of 5. He is truly worthy."The old man nodded his head slightly, to signify his understanding, whilst Draylen was purely confused."Draylen, lad." The old man said solemnly."Yes?""In the entire world, there can only be a single true earth dragon. There can be only one true fire dragon, one true water dragon, one true metal dragon and so on. A true dragon represents the absolute apex of it's element and carries the laws of it's element upon it's shoulders."Draylen nodded."Each true dragon is a pillar of elemental magic, in exchange for near undefeatable power, they have to carry the burden of the laws of the universe.""And one of these pillars has recognised you. This means that you are destined to become someone great." He finished.Draylen's eyes were wide in shock. If it were a king who had recognised him, then of course he would feel good, but being commended by an entity which literally carried the weight of the universe on it's shoulders was like being recognised by the universe itself.Gaia began to speak once more."I have long searched for a successor, so long that my body became dust and I had to preserve myself as a spirit instead.""You, boy, show strength and wisdom far beyond your age, I would like you to do me a favour.""Of course, what is it?" He asked respectfully."Find me a young earth dragonling, worthy of becoming my successor and bring them to me." She said.'What?''What do you mean, 'worthy of becoming your successor'? I don't even know that many dragons, let alone worthy ones. How am I supposed to find you one?'"Pardon me, but why exactly are you asking me?" He asked."Because although I do not want to admit it, I am not invincible. My body has turned to dust and over the thousands of years, I have survived in spirit form solely by consuming my own life force. Originally, I should have lived close to the end of time, but now, I have merely years left to live.""So you have no other choice than to ask me? What about the old man here? He definitely has more connections than I do." Draylen refuted.However, just as he was about to continue, Gaia interrupted him."You mortals do not know, but to a dragon, your bloodline is much more attractive than his. They will be more inclined to believe you than this man.""I don't understand.""You posses a powerful bloodline, one which has been related to dragons since the beginning of history. Most dragons will be able to sense it like me. Trust me when I say that you will be more convincing than him.""Of course, I won't let you do this without reward."Draylen's ears perked up slightly. He originally wanted to decline because of how many plots and schemes he had been dragged into simply by leaving the old man's cave, but the reward from a true dragon can't be too shabby can it?"In order to help you with the search, I will bestow my 'Life Sense' eyesight to you. This is the ability of all true earth dragons, which allows the user to see the potential and strength of every life form they want."-GaspThe room was silent and Draylen held in his breath. Although the dragon placed a lot of importance on a successor, why would she offer her true dragon ability to him? Why not just give him some riches or even an inferior spell of some sorts? It was like going to an auction, where the minimum price was ten gold but someone immediately bids ten thousand."It's because you wouldn't be able to find a worthy successor without it." She added quickly."Ah."Draylen nodded dumbly."Well, I agree then." He said, after a moment of thought.The old man, who had been by the side just watched the proceedings without interrupting. This was the chance for his boy to gain such a powerful ability, what would he benefit from being jealous? Parents always want the best for their children and this was one of those cases.Gaia nodded, before closing her azure eyes. They shone brightly underneath the scaly eyelids, before a bright green/blue light flew out from each eye and entered Draylen's. As soon as they entered his eyes, an invigorating feeling rushed through his body making him feel fresh and clean, as if he had just washed.The moment he opened his eyes, they emitted a blue and green glow just like Gaia's. Before, he saw her scaly draconic form but now he saw a golden outline and a golden aura. Just as he was about to ask, Gaia answered his question before it left his mouth."Different colours represent different strengths. Gold, which is what you see right now represents a true dragon, whilst dim gold represents the potential to become a true dragon." She said."Right.""So... How do I turn it off?" He asked hesitantly."Just concentrate on the mana flowing to your eyes and return it to your heart, like any other Dragon Summoner spell circle."He did just what she said and sure enough, the golden glow faded, once more revealing a smooth draconic form.Draylen bowed towards the true dragon."I am deeply grateful for this gift, I won't let you down!" He said loudly.The old man bowed too, before the two hurriedly left the room.After Gaia could no longer hear their footsteps, she grinned slightly."Should I tell them that I can give away as many of those Life Sense eyesight as I want? Oh well." She shrugged, before dissipating into the air as if she had never been there.Meanwhile, the old man and the young boy were having a conversation."Right, I know about ten or so earth dragons, four- no, five of which whom have young children. Er, I think three are male and two are female? Whatever. Once we get back, I'll look at my contacts list, I can't remember where they all live off by heart. Oh, I also need to send a letter to the emperor, well, that can be done later." He muttered, spitting words out at rapid speeds, causing Draylen to feel slightly lost."Are you okay?" Draylen asked in a worried tone."Eh? Yes, never better. We just met a true dragon! You just got acknowledged by a true dragon! I'm just thinking of all the different dragons I know of who may fit Gaia's criteria." The old man replied in an excited voice.If before, he seemed like an educated wise-man, the old man was now an overexcited kid who had received a new toy for his birthday."Actually, I think I may have a solution. We already know a young earth dragon, who is close by, right?"
