Twenty minutes earlier, Neera leaves the lab complex and heads straight up to the throne room, entering without knocking to find the Magister on the balcony, looking out over his kingdom.
"Priestess Li," the Magister greets overly formerly. "It was my understanding that you had left my employ."
"There is some truth to that," Neera admits. "Certainly, I currently consider myself a free agent. However, these are unusual times. Allegiances come and go. Loyalties change. New threats arrive, and they must be extinguished. That is why, even though I do not trust you, I come seeking your assistance."
"If you do not trust me, how can you make use of any assistance I give?" the Magister asks.
"Because events are not unfolding as you expected," Neera explains. "You kept the truth buried for a century, expecting that Merga's return would lead to the desired purification of the dragon race. However, there is now a wildcat‑shaped spanner in the works, and the threat has expanded beyond the impure dragons to cover not just the Origin Kingdoms, but the whole of Avalice."
"The presence of Corazon Tea in this situation is as vexatious as it is unexpected," the Magister admits.
"Even the best laid plans of princesses and magisters can go awry."
"That is indeed what has happened."
"The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
The Magister replies with silence.
"There's one thing I still don't understand," Neera continues. "The way you described shutting down Cordelia's operation, it sounded like you'd never met Merga. Yet she knows you, and you know her. That means you met. Explain."
"I did not order the termination of Princess Cordelia's operations," the Magister admits.
"Then who did?"
"Shuǐmù Shìzú and Yěmāo Shìzú."
"The Lilacs and the Teas‽"
"Correct. They also had assistance from Húlí Shìzú."
"Why did you not order the mission?" Neera asks.
"Because I did not agree with it," the Magister admits.
"Excuse me‽"
The Magister turns to face Neera. "I did not believe that Princess Cordelia's research was against the interests of the citizens of Shang Tu. I thought that the more the dragons fought amongst themselves, the less they'd interfere in Avalician life. In a way, I was correct: after Cordelia's operation was shut down, Shuǐmù Shìzú faded into obscurity until two years ago, when Sash and her friends stood against Lord Brevon."
"You were happy to stand idly by while your own kind tried to erase each other."
"I was not happy to do so. I felt it was necessary."
"Why?"
"At the time, resentment towards dragonkin was at an all‑time high," the Magister explains. "That is why, when I ascended to the throne, I kept my true identity secret. The citizens were happy to serve a ruler that is granted authority by the Great Dragons, but they would not serve a ruler who was a dragon themselves."
"Confusing."
"Quite."
"Which side were you on?"
"Originally? Princess Cordelia's."
"Why?"
"Because I believed her to be correct about draconic purity," the Magister explains. "However, over the intervening century, I have come to learn a lot more about what it means to be a dragon."
"Enlighten me."
"Princess Cordelia, like Merga, was a pure dragon in the literal sense. Her DNA was one hundred percent draconic, although she was less primitive than Merga, for want of a better term. By this definition, Sash is an impure dragon."
"So Merga's right."
"Yes… and no. As Princess Cordelia found out to her cost, being a pure dragon is to be in an evolutionary dead‑end. Any population of dragons that breeds entirely among its own will succumb to disease and genetic degradation, and eventually die out. There is only one way to avoid it, and that is to breed with other species. The resultant hybrids may not have an obviously draconic form, but they are still dragons, and their hybrid nature allows them to live much longer without fear of disease or genetic degradation. This makes hybrids like Sash Lilac true dragons."
"Wait… Let me get this straight: Merga is a pure dragon, and Lilac is a true dragon."
"Correct."
"I don't believe you."
"I do not blame you," the Magister accepts. "I have shown much dishonesty recently."
"Do you have proof?"
"I do not," the Magister admits. "But there is an entity who does."
"Pangu," Lilac guesses.
"Correct," Neera confirms. "She originates from when the first dragons landed on Avalice and contains more information than we could ever hope to fully digest. One part we have digested however is the nature and genetics of dragons, a section which you have yet to stumble upon."
"That's how she knew to accept me as a true dragon," Lilac recalls. "I… I am a true dragon after all… How on Avalice could I forget‽"
"We all make mistakes," Neera assures. "Like two years ago, when I had you and your friends locked up instead of investigating that fragment right away."
Lilac blinks in surprise. "That's the first time I've heard you admit that was a mistake."
"I've learned much over the last two years," Neera replies.
"Speaking of Pangu, we should go fetch her," Lilac decides. "I want to be sure our second assault on the Sigwada hits hard and fast."
"I figured you'd want her by your side," Neera replies.
As if on cue, a white‑and‑blue twin‑tentacled cephalopod robot appears by Lilac's right shoulder. ++I am ready to kick some serious tail,++ Pangu greets.
Lilac jumps as Pangu appears, but quickly recovers her composure. "Let me guess: Neera radioed ahead."
++That is correct,++ Pangu confirms. ++I like your new look.++
"Thanks, but I'm still getting used to it," Lilac admits. "Pangu, can I ask you something?"
++Anything.++
"How did you know I'm a true dragon in Pangu Lagoon?"
++Easy: you defeated the Holodragon,++ Pangu explains. ++Only true dragons can defeat the Holodragon.++
"Is that it?" Lilac asks. "Nothing else?"
++DNA scans reveal you to be a hybrid, which has been known for millennia to be the state best enabling the survival of the dragon species,++ Pangu continues. ++Genetically pure dragons have never numbered more than ten percent of any dragon population, and frequently succumb to disease and/or genetic decay before reaching the age of one hundred. Hybrids are far more resilient and live longer, often leading three or four centuries of active life, as they combine the best of draconic DNA with the best of other species.++
"Hmm… Which is the Magister?" Lilac asks.
++I have not performed a DNA scan of the Magister,++ Pangu admits.
"Worth a shot," Lilac shrugs. "And thanks, Pangu: you've made me feel a lot better about who I am and what I'm made of."
++Glad to be of service,++ Pangu replies. ++Can we go kick some tail now?++
"By the Ancients, you're nearly as bad as I am!" Lilac chuckles.
"Sally, do you have a pair of supercharged crystals ready?" Neera asks.
"Just finished the second," Sally confirms. "Good timing too: the machinery just burnt out."
"Did you record what the solution was?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't have to," Sally smiles cheekily.
Neera decides it's not worth arguing. "Lilac, I know you don't want to take them, but take them anyway, just in case."
"If I must," Lilac acquiesces, accepting a small hemp pouch containing the crystals from Sally and clipping it to her belt. "I'll take a few spare regular ones too, though if Sally's predictions are true, I won't need them."
Sally places four regular charged crystals in another pouch and hands it to Lilac, who clips it onto her belt next to the first pouch.
"Let's get back to my ship," Neera decides.
"We'll come with you," Danny decides.
"We will?" Sally asks, surprised.
"Technically, we still have a mission," Danny reminds.
Sally sighs in resignation. "I'm going to need a lot of coffee in the morning…"
