Eryuentiu.
500 years ago, this city was said to be the capital of the Eight Greed Kings, and is one of the few remaining pieces of evidence to suggest they ever existed. Though that question was still debated upon to this day, this cities existence is often the main reason why the myths haven't been completely dismissed as false.
Both from a logically and magical standpoint, this cities very existence seemed impossible. Despite the fact that it exist within a extremely inhospitable dessert that was filled with all manner of monsters, the city flourished with life, not hindered in the slightest by these issues. The sole cause of that is the barrier of magic that surrounds the cities perimeter. Not only does it keep the scorching heat of the wasteland at bay, but it also acts as a illusion, which causes anything viewing it to simply see nothing but a plain of sand.
And even if some beast manages to stumble its way into its walls, 30 armed golems stand at the ready, each possessing weapons beyond mortal comprehension.
When looking at both the military might of its centurion army, and the shield of magic that surrounds the city, it was plain to see why such a city would be seen as proof of their existence. No magic to date, not even the most powerful, could even approach such a feat. But this alone was not the cities only wonder. The haven of the kings, their floating castle in the sky, poured a endless stream of fresh water for the populous down below, and magic items within its walls could produce food in exchange for materials, which gave them all they needed to survive.
Though many wondered at what treasures could be within the domicile of the beings that reigned over the world, it was impossible to reach. Not only was it's height an issue for anyone who did not posses flying magic, but even those that did could not breach the walls of the castle. Either their mana would not last the trip, or they would be told to leave by a platinum clad knight, and so to date, no one knew what lay within. Even teleportation magic was disabled.
The cities culture was also unlike the rest of the world. They possessed a myriad of strange weapons and clothing that only the city knew how to produce, such as katanas. Though they were simple weapons in design, they were rather formidable in battle. They were stronger then the average magic weapon and possessed formidable sharpness, which naturally, caused it to possess a equally formidable price.
And though they population does consist of those who traveled to the city on there own pilgrimage, most of the population were descendants from the cities first inhabitants, so certain traits – Such as black hair - are common among them, and are often used to identify those that live there.
All of this made those who heard stories of the cities grandeur hope to venture out to it one day and live the rest of there lives in luxury. A reward for those willing to risk everything and trek into the wild to face dangers to obtain. and because of this, those that managed to make it to the city rarely returned. Either because they found what they wished, or it was to much of a hassle to leave.
Despite all of these wonders however, there is a reason why it is seldom traveled to.
Disregarding the dangers in trekking across the dessert to find a hidden city, there was a larger issue for most people. Those who worshiped the six great gods saw this city as a monument to the beings that destroyed them. Thus they would not associate with the city in any capacity. In fact, if it were not for the looming threat of the golems, the Slane theocracy would have razed the city to the ground long ago. Therefore the city was often referred to as a "Dirty paradise". A refuge for those who had abandoned the gods in exchange for pleasure in the mortal plain.
Which was why a group of people who were walking through the city streets we receiving many strange looks and glances. They numbered 10 in all, and other then the fact that they appeared to be guarding two of the individuals in the diamond formation. Though this drew some suspicious gazes, the truly strange thing was their outfits, or to be more precise, what was on them.
As all of them bore the symbol of the Slane theocracy.
"While I understand we agreed to talk with it since the stakes are so high, it still disgust me to have to walk through this city of fools who would rather waste there lives indulging in pleasure then give faith to our gods."
The currently outraged man – Raymond – began to vent his frustrations to his comrade. Though they were on a mission to save humanity, they could not escape the anger that boiled up inside of them from being in a city that disregarded their very reason for their existence.
"I understand your feelings well Raymond, but we have no choice. Besides, we would never be allowed within the council states borders, nor do we want to be, so at the very least we should be thankful we are still in a human nation."
If they would have had to step within that nation of savages to plead their case, he would not have even considered asking him for help at all.
"Still, asking assistance from him of all people... I hope you know what your doing Pontifex."
upon hearing his friends worry, his thoughts began to drift back to the day he brought up the suggestion of siding with the dragon in question.
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"I have decided that in order to avoid the possibility of failure, however slight, we should request assistance from the Platinum Dragon lord."
A uproar.
What else was to be expected when bringing up such a ludicrous statement? The Slane theocracy prided itself as the saviors of humanity, carrying out the legacy there gods began. Therefore asking help from another species, not to mention one of rulers of their countries antithesis, was truly out of line.
"Have you lost your damn mind Pontifex!?"
"From the likes of them..."
"Surely That's not Necessary..."
"That overgrown lizard..."
The groups demeanor was completely unlike their usual behavior, which just showed the extent of their shock and wrath. The normally calm and composed cardinals began grinding there teeth in anger, trying and failing to keep there anger in check.
Well, its not as if I don't feel the same way... He thought to himself.
The theocracy could be considered a perfect nation in various ways, such as there religious and governmental institutions being closely linked, having the undisputed strongest military force in the surrounding human nations, and so on. However the theocracy's problems lay with their merciless way of dealing with issues.
Their practice of human supremacy that they would so often preach about had helped it become what it is today, that much was true. however this also became a fatal flaw to them over time. Their ruthless nature combined with their almost cultish slavery to the gods will had given them tunnel vision that caused their emotion to cloud there judgment. Though not everyone shared this flaw, it was quite common among the masses, and even the heads of the state were not immune, thus they often fell into emotional outburst whenever certain topics came up.
"While I understand your anger we can't deny the threat the sorcerer king faces. Let me say this as matter of factly as I can. If we lose, humanity is doomed. And though the god-kin will most likely win, I wish to avoid even the faintest hint of defeat. Even if it means working with him. Though I am unable to make this decision by myself. So though I most likely already know what your thinking, I still wish to hear your opinions on this."
Berenice was the first to speak her mind on the matter. "While I understand your concerns, don't you feel like your lack of confidence could be seen as lacking faith that the gods artifacts and power are not enough? I personally feel that as long as we hold onto our faith, nothing can go wrong." though her smile and presence were warm, and often made him feel at ease, it was having the exact opposite effect on him this time.
"Umu, Ginedine?"
"I am in firm agreement with Berenice. Now is not the time to lose faith, nor question whether we can. The gods panoply have never failed us, and we posses weapons and abilities beyond the imagining of that damn undead." Due to his age, he tended to be more stubborn on his beliefs, as he was under the mindset that he had figured everything out already. Though in this case, he was not alone, as the two remaining cardinals nodded there heads along with his statement.
"Now is exactly the time to be questioning that. While I have no doubt that the gods weapons and powers can slay the undead and whomever follows it, the amount of a opponents has me on edge. Not to mention he may have a trump card hidden up its sleeve. I do not wish for us to fail at the last moment from something we did not expect. So we should prepare an ace in the hole just in case."
The room went silent as everyone entered a state of deep thought. Though good points were made, they could not help but feel like even questioning the effectiveness of the gods power was disloyal. How could they make any headway with this discussion if any doubt was seen as treachery against their faith?
"Raymond, how to you feel about this? You've remained silent this entire time? Do you also agree that we should attempt to receive aid from the dragon lord?"
"On the contrary, I actually agree with the Pontifex's assessment." that single statement almost shocked the room as much as the initial query had. Even the Pontifex was stunned, as he had expected unanimous opposition.
"I have been thinking about this for some time now, but defeating the sorcerer kingdom may be nigh impossible to begin with. Though I also have a great deal of faith, I can't help but think rationally. Even if we deploy all we have at that kingdom, we may only be eking out a victory by the skin of our teeth. And we would still need to worry about other nations while we repair during that time as well. While I'll would rather not have to rely on the power of another nation, much less a non-human one, we are out of options. Doing nothing but waiting will only increase our chances of failure."
The Pontifex felt some relief that he was not alone in his assessment. Though he had planned the persuade them all from the beginning, having one on his side would certainly help for the future. Now that he had a backer, it would be far easier gaining their trust.
"Thank you Raymond, your thoughts are almost the exact same ones as mine. And trust me when I say this fellow members of the theocracy, I take no pleasure in this. In fact it disgust me every time I even think about it. But this is not the time to decide what is faithful and what isn't. We need to take action. If you have any objections, I will listen to them, but I need you to understand, this is no longer something we can just "Deal with when the time comes." we must strike the first blow in this war, because I fear if the opposite occurs, it may spell our defeat then and their. So I implore you please... listen to me when I say we need his help."
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Though his heartfelt plea had turned a few minds, it still took effort to get them all to agree. Eventually a vote was cast, with the Pontifex being excluded, ending in a vote of 4/2. which is what lead them to their current predicament. Yet even though they had come so far, one thought would not seem to leave his mind.
are we making a huge mistake?
This single sentence had clung to the two of them even since they embarked on this trip. Though they had resolved themselves to do so for the sake of humanity, they still found themselves doubting its necessity.
He shook his head to clear it of his thoughts. Thinking like that right now was unproductive, and pointless as they had already committed to doing it. If he started doubting his decision now, he would be a hypocrite of the highest order.
"You said it yourself back then. We are out of options at the moment, and we need to obtain anything that will help us succeed. Even if that means temporarily teaming up with him."
"I still can't believe its come to this. I hate it with every fiber of my being! If we make it through this, I may just give up my position of cardinal to the next generation. Going against our faith so harshly is not the mark of a religious head."
"I might just join you in that path. But enough talk. It seems were here."
While a large portion of the city remained dark from being in the shadow of a giant castle, the very center of the city was almost pitch black. Only the few ring of light surrounding the perimeter shed any radiance within this blackened world.
Unlike the rest of the city, the very center was bereft of any infrastructure or buildings, but was a simple, smooth floor. Its speculated that its purpose in the past it was for religious rights, in order to pray to the greed kings, or give offering in their name. And right now the leaders of the most staunchly religious country were standing right in its center.
And that thought disgusted them to their cores.
"Lets get this over with..." The Pontifex pulled a small item out from his robes interior and threw it into the air, causing it to vanish, living rippling air in its wake. In truth it was a item passed down by the gods. One would simply need to input a message into the item, pick a recipient, then when thrown, it would automatically send it to them. It worked very similarly to the message spell, yet had less risk involved, as it was instantaneous.
After much study and research, the theocracy could produce the same item, but not very efficiently, and thus were only used for extremely important info that needed to be passed.
The message this time however was quite simple. It was a simple demand to meet with the dragon lord, along with other simple details, such as their current location, and other basic requirements.
"Now all that's left for is to wait."
Since they were already so close, it was not long before they could see a silhouette moving towards them. While the darkness may normally impede this, the composition of their visitor made that a non-issue.
Soon enough, a humanoid landed in front of them, clad in Platinum armor. It was obvious at a glance how valuable it was, as well as powerful, as it exuded a presence that was unique to the strong. One that would instill a primal fear in the weak.
"Members of the theocracy, what brings you to my masters abode?
"Enough with the façade Vaison. We are well aware that you are simply projecting yourself in that ancient weapon of yours. We wish to speak to you directly. Though I know it is sudden, the matter is urgent, and I feel it would be beneficial for us all to drop all pretenses and speak face to face." It took everything Raymond had to hold back his disgust with the being in front of him, though he managed to barely reigned himself in to give a somewhat polite response.
Barely.
"Hmm, knowing you it must be important, as I doubt you would throw away your pride to speak with one such as I. To be honest I would have expected all of you to perish before asking my help. Very well. Out of respect for your resolve, I shall grant your wish."
Though his remark only served to annoy them further, they could do naught but hold their tongues for now.
[World Teleportation!]
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The group was silent as the surrogate of the Dragon Lord began to walk them through the halls of the castle. though they belonged to the tyrants of old, they still held a beauty that not much could compare to. If one was unaware of its previous owners, one may even call it divine.
Even though they were somewhat enchanted with the architecture, they took no pleasure in being here. The fact that this was once the abode of the Greed kings made them feel disgusted with themselves for even breathing the same air as them. And the fact that that dragon had choose this place of all places to be his home only intensified there hatred of him.
How the hell can you sit up here in this den of filth, ruling over the scum of the world, and call yourself its savior?
The Dragon lords self proclaimed title of "The Worlds Protector" was quite vain, and was rather insulting to those who prided themselves on protecting their race from the rest of the world.
However these thoughts faded into obscurity as the reached the end of the long hallway, and into a extremely large room. Its dimensions would be rather sizable for any creature, both horizontally and vertically and could easily fit thousands of people. A large dais at the rooms center was a clear focal point, and immediately drew the eye to it, ladened with golden framing. It was easily over 10 meters, with only a pearl white staircase to ascend its imposing height.
Everything within seemed to sparkle with light from the moons glow, which flitted through the large stain glass ceiling that made up the towers roof. Though they could only guess at what this room was used for as no clear purpose was evident, it clearly held significant meaning to be this extravagant.
The empty shell in the form of a knight motioned the two forward, prompting them to climb the steps to meet with his real body. Seeing no other choice, they complied. though each step they took felt like they were inching further and further from their ideals, they continued still.
The closer they reached to its peak, the more of his body became visible. While everything in the room may have been shining, the light reflecting of the pure platinum scales of the beast was beyond that, and they could feel their eyes begin water from the sheer brightness. Yet they pushed forward and eventually reached the top, and his body was on full display for the two cardinals to behold.
Upon seeing his form, their hairs began to stand on end. Though all the cardinals had seen there fair share of battles from there time servicing their nation, and had been on the edge of life and death countless time, they could not help but feel utterly helpless before him. They now stood with what was unquestionably the most powerful being in the world. For all there rage, they were not clueless to the fact that he could erase the theocracy of the face of the earth if he so chose.
His massive body began to move, and despite laying on his stomach, his head still towered over both of them. While he may have lowered it to their level as a show of good faith, he had not done so. This was most likely to make the superior/inferior relationship as clear as possible.
And he has the gall to call us prideful!?
He moved his chin upward, as if bidding them to speak.
Though he was non-human, and the leader of one of the most hated nations of the Slane theocracy, he was still a dragon lord, thus they had to show the proper respect before him. Or at the very least, feign it. So they had to show him there sincerity by praising him
"Oh great and mighty dragon lord, you honor us with your presence." After saying so, both Raymond and the Pontifex knelled before him.
"We would like to thank you for taking the time to meet us, and we are extremely grateful that you would listen to our proposal, considering the unfortunate feud between our countries. But we wish to put that aside for the time being to
"Hm..." He narrowed his eyes at the two, as if appraising them though it was impossible to tell what he was thinking, as it was hard to judge the facial expressions of a dragon, it was most likely not contempt or anything similar. The Platinum Dragon Lord – though the theocracy would beg to differ – was a rather benevolent being, and was unlike his brethren who saw themselves as above all other creatures, and would allow discussions to be held to those who sought it. Though this was not to say he didn't think he was superior.
"While I understand that you wish to get in my good graces, your country has already shown time and time again you have a strong hatred for the country I have built, and by extension, me. I would ask you to dispense with the meaningless formalities and tell me why you have come here."
They did not despair, nor fall into shock upon seeing their plan fall through. They had already predicted this would happen, so they already prepared themselves for that answer. It would have been more surprising to them if that ridiculous displayed actually worked.
Seeing their time for flattery and pretty speech had come to an end, they abandoned there façade and rose from there kneeling positions, barely managing to hide the contempt from their faces. This was no way to treat the ruler of a nation, let alone the lord of all dragons. However they did so to show they no longer had anything to hide, as it was pointless to hide true feelings when both parties knew exactly how they felt about each other. Though I minor feeling of regret still lingered.
"You did say to drop all pretenses for this did you not?" his taunt only fueled there rage.
"Very well then. I'm certain that we don't need to explain why we are here, but for the sake of discussion, I will do so anyways."
Raymond took in a deep breath to prepare, and let forth the speech he had been going over for the past few days.
"As you are no doubt aware, the sorcerer king has begun expanding his territory, and in the process destroyed an entire nation of the face of the earth. With every passing day, his strength increases, and as much as we hate to say it, his gains more followers to his nation. Everything has fallen into place for him, and we must stop it as soon as possible, before he grows even stronger. which is why we have come to you."
He took a deep breath, and continued.
"Though we possess great military might, even we are worried that it may not be enough in the face if the sorcerer kings might, both when looking at his nations armies, and his individual strength. So to ensure that he vanishes from the face of the earth, we have come to request your aid. When the time comes to lay siege on his kingdom, we want to borrow your power, to leave no possible chance of its victory. For one such as you, the sorcerer king is no issue at all correct? So we implore you to assist us in taking down this menace! We may not be fond of one another, but we are willing to throw that to the side for now to ask this of you."
the two waited with baited breath, awaiting a response to their plea, only to be met with a sigh.
"Indeed, I agree with your assessment. The sorcerer king is a threat to the entire world, and it is troublesome how large his sphere of influence has grown. So yes, I might be persuaded to helping with your plan. However I would like to ask a favor in turn."
"is that necessary? While we may comply with whatever request you have, does the sorcerer kings presence not take priority?"
"Your country has done nothing but wish death on my people, and incite massacres on all those whom are different from yourselves. So why should I freely give my power to you? Did you think that I would just drop everything to become your secret weapon? So yes, I will ask a favor, as I will not assist you otherwise."
The two gulped, deciding in that moment what he might ask and what terms to reject.
"If you wish for me to help you, then I want your country to stop assaulting the demi-human villages that surround the perimeter of other countries."
"Y... You can't be serious?!"
"Very. Just as you dislike when human settlements are attacked, I find it displeasing to see what are essentially my citizens attacked by your people, especially when you invade countries that are not your own to do so. You said yourself that you are willing to throw aside our hatred in order to focus on the major problem in front of us. Prove it to me by accepting this deal. If you cannot even do that, then I see no reason to help your country."
His words were laced with power that allowed for no negotiation. They both tightened their hands so much that their knuckles began to turn white. Yet there was nothing they could do in this situation. So with a voice that sounded like it was forced out of their souls, they had given him an answer.
"V... Very well. We will accept your demands to defeat the sorcerer king."
Though they knew the stakes, they could not help but be outraged by such a order. They wanted nothing more to spit in his face and curse him to hell. But they could not. They had come to him because they had no other options. It would be paramount to receiving a life preserver as you drowned, only to throw it away because it was given to you by a murderer.
He had them cornered.
And they hated that.
"If that is all then there is nothing more to discuss. However I will leave you with a warning. Do not attack the sorcerer kingdom straight away. I am also thinking of a plan to defeat him, so do not act until I have given you permission. Understood?"
They said nothing, only turned away with there head lowered in anger. And as they did, the thought they had plagued them since they left came back stronger then ever. All the while pledging themselves to slay him one day. And in doing so, ensuring humanities future.
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After ensuring the cardinals were a far enough distance away, the mighty dragon let out a deep sigh through his nose as the room returned to its tranquil state.
"Dealing with that country is always so tiresome"
"I'm sure you'll manage somehow." the sudden reply was made with a youthful voice that was full of full of energy. Completely at odds with its owner.
"You can never resist making a jab can you Rigrit?"
"Oh come now, I'm sure the strongest being in the world can handle a few jest. Unless those scales are the only tough part about you?"
"Haha, I do love these relaxed conversations we have. With the current state of the world, I can so rarely indulge in them. But as much as I would like to believe now is one of those times, we can't at the moment. Tell me old friend, what do you make of their plea?"
She simply returned his question with a smile. "I'm sure you have the same opinion Tsa. They're fools."
"Indeed, but dangerous fools."
If the theocracy thought logically about things, they would know to look for a opening to attack, such as Tsa had, and exploit it. But from what he could gather form their plan, they simply intended to rush him with overwhelming might in one go.
Don't they realize that it may prompt the sorcerer king to use them as a casus belli for his future goals? What if he uses there foolishness to convince other nations to join him?
That was the truly troubling part about him.
Unlike the previous players, the sorcerer king was not a show off. He played smart, and only acted when needed. That made dealing with him much harder. Especially now, since they may even require justification for there attack, now that he had gained supporters.
Brains and brawn. How does one best something like that?
The answer of course was quite simple. He just needed to be even smarter and even stronger.
He was confident he could win in his real body now they he knew the sorcerer kings power, and with the false name and info he had on him, it may yet be possible to win this war of worlds once more.
"Before we continue Rigrit, can I ask if you were able to get into contact with your friends of old? Right now we need as many allies as we can get."
"Indeed I have. I sent them a message a few days ago, so they should be here soon enough."
"Thank you. I have something I require of them. Me must play every card we have available if we want to win, and secure our worlds future."
"Indeed. Must we truly deal with such a threat every century or so? I hope one day this cycle ends, and the world returns to what it once was."
"Yes..."
The two said nothing more. They both simply held on to that simple wish in their hearts, whilst staring into the stars above. Praying for the worlds safety.
A/N Yeah the sorcerer king may have a trump card or 1000, but hey, they still have a chance to win right? Also, I do apologize that these chapters are taking so long lately, I'm just sorting some things out in life at the moment. This won't go on forever, and I'll return to my normal schedule soon enough. Also P.S, if it wasn't clear, you are free to ask questions about the story, and I will answer them to the best of my ability.