Gratia passed through the checkpoint, having spewed her story of getting separated from her group. After asking for immediate shelter from the looming snow storm, the guards on duty took pity on the shivering girl dressed in nothing but worn-down rags. Given directions to the nearest temple in town, Gratia pretended to struggle through the dimly lit streets. As the snow grew thicker and became more compacted, her pace quickened, reaching a wooden steeple in no time. Nanami had unknowingly left her shadow after entering the town, undetected by the dragon.
Ushered inside by an elderly clergywoman, the scent of burning incense was the first thing she noticed. Humbly thanking the religious woman, it was not long after she entered that another knock sounded from the wooden doors. Guardsmen with holy regalia and white dragon symbol on their uniform accompanied the dragon priestess' aides, leading Gratia away not half an hour after entering the city.
There's no sense in fighting back, so she compliantly trailed among them without any resistance. Steel lanterns lit the snowy path the guards took her on, eventually leading to an ornate monolith. Gratia guessed she was at the capitol building, reserved for the highest ranking noble in the city, which the priestess had commandeered the position for herself. It seems this particular city didn't separate between church and state, becoming one and the same.
Following the singular pathway through the main entrance, Gratia's instincts picked up on the sheer size of the walkway. Meant for something much bigger than a human to pass through, the tapestry lining the walls were all about their savior and protector – which, of course, was the dragon. Reaching the end of the impromptu pictorial history lesson, the stone hallway opened up to a large dome excavated from the mountain itself.
Green crystals shone brighter than the earlier man-made lanterns, while the centerpiece was a stygian throne where a golden-haired beauty sat in the jagged and soft hellish red pulsing cathedral. Despite the freezing cold air, the priestess wore a thin, fashionable golden frock, woven with jewels and precious metals. An onyx crown adorned her perfectly straight hair and her fingers each had a different beautiful ring.
Resting her head on the knuckles of her hand, the beautiful priestess stopped the dragon-girl with her voice, "This is quite an unexpected visit, Gratia. I never knew you to be the type to dress up so… poorly."
Gratia immediately stopped to assess what she had just heard. There was annoyance in the priestess' voice, as if she had just been inconvenienced. However, the most worrying part was the familiarity she had spoken to Gratia with. She had no memory of who this priestess was, but she clearly knew who Gratia was. Not used to doing anything on her own, the servant-girl did not know if she should go along with the narrative.
"I can smell your father's blood in you from a mile away; don't think for a second another Dragon Lord can send his offspring to my domain without my notice. How many times must I…"
The dragon priestess trailed off, distracted in thought. However, Gratia was mentally frozen. For so long, she had wondered about her heritage, but soon after letting go of her forgotten genealogy, the topic suddenly reappeared in front of her. Still, a warm gentle hand brought her back to reality. Too lost in her thoughts to notice, the priestess was now right in front of her with the back of her hand on Gratia's forehead.
"Are you not well, child? Has something happened? Where is your father?" She questioned the out-of-place girl. Dragons so rarely get diseases, even less so for a Dragon Lord and their offspring, but she could never be too careful. The daughter of a fellow Dragon Lord was on her doorsteps, yet acted like a frightened child.
"I… I-I don't know… Who are you? How do you… know me? How do you know who my father is?" Gratia asked back.
"Do you not remember me, child?" She asked calmly, staring directly into the dragonkin's eyes. The ongoing silence, followed by a shake of the head from Gratia, caused large alarm bells to ring within her head. There was no mistaking who was standing right in front of her. The blood of Nyx Al-Shun ran strong in her veins and his familiar scent was with his child, yet Gratia didn't have the slightest clue what was being asked of her.
"I am Ioa Pylli Aggosso, Dragon Lord and Priestess of Rixia. Your father is Nyx Al-Shun… and you are his daughter, Gratia Al-Shun. Do you remember now, child?" Ioa asked again, her sense of urgency rising by the second. However, her only answer from the lost child was a distraught look as if she were a crazy lady spouting random names.
She realized it now: Nyx Al-Shun was dead.
One of the most unkillable Dragon Lords she had ever known… was dead, and his daughter had been sent as the messenger. Clearly, his killer was cruel beyond belief, their identity very much less than a single handful: a rival Dragon Lord… or a Player. Yet the thought of either one was nigh impossible to Ioa. The hydra was a powerhouse even among fellow Dragon Lords, having killed more than double digits of Players.
The only being to ever come close to matching Nyx was that Player in black draconic armor…
Gratia's shy voice broke Ioa's concentration, "I… don't know who Nyx Al-Shun is… My name has always been 'Gratia'. I've never had a surname…" She spoke it like it was the absolute truth.
Ioa was mortified, as she felt the coldness of the air for the first time in her life; however, the night was still young. A silent alarm rang in her mind as something had broken through her perfect anti-teleportation barrier. Priding herself as the strongest defensive Wild Magic user among her kin, her barrier had stopped the likes of other Dragon Lords from teleporting in or breaking through with sheer force. Yet… that very notion, just like Nyx's apparent invincibility, had just been shattered.
Toreii flew leisurely, having broken through a complex anti-teleportation magical barrier . Even at her daughter's current levels and specialty, Nanami was not able to detect the anti-teleportation magic shielding the city. The deity would have to praise the Dragon Lord for such proficient prowess, if they were able to have a conversation at all, for the fact said daughter never notified her of its existence. The woven paintings she passed, too, had beautiful craftsmanship, perhaps even on par with Yggdrasil.
Teleporting herself directly into the temple with the [Bifrost], Toreii was thankful for the broken World-Class Item at her fingertips. There were both perks and headaches to being the Allfather, yes, but for the first time in a long while, she was thankful to the devs for their negligence to Asgard's game balance. Still, even with all of Odin's power at her beck and call, she still had to be cautious around Wild Magic.
After her self-promise on her friend's grave, Toreii had strongly believed a violent relationship was her only option with the Dragon Lords. Given several days to reflect on her emotional actions, Ai contemplated if further violence was truly what she was seeking. Differentiating between 'wants' and 'needs' was not hard for her, but deciding if she could be greedy and selfish was always her moral dilemma.
How many times could she give diplomacy a chance before it got her killed? It was a hard-hitting question she did not want to risk her life to find out. All she'd ever gotten for trying a peaceful conversation were several mouthfuls of magic shot at her. The likelihood of being attacked on sight was definitely still high, but then what example would she be setting for her kingdom? Toreii, as Odin, had personally asked and set into law the quelling of aggression from all Asgardians. If she were to start a war now, hypocrisy would be all she was known for.
Her prospect with future Dragon Lords dimmed while she continued through the hallway. Not only were massive egos being thrown around, but powerful magic as well. If neither side was willing to capitulate, a deathmatch would be the be-all and end-all of their warring. Toreii had talked the talk with all her Agardians as witnesses… and now, payment was due. Resigning her personal problems with the Dragon Lords, she stepped forward with the weight of Asgard on her mind.
A young dragon-girl and a beautiful woman came into her view as Toreii exited the pathway. At her appearance, Gratia had immediately placed herself at the deity's floating feet in a genuflect, disregarding her closest kin. Still weirded out by people bowing to her, Toreii landed and beckoned for Gratia to rise.
"Thank you, Gratia. Please return with Nanami when you can," Toreii instructed. The dragon-servent did as she was told, leaving the young child and a backpedaling Dragon Lord behind.
"Would you mind staying for a bit? I'd like to talk, if you don't mind. My name is Toreii," she introduced. The last time she did this, more than a dozen spells fired at her without warning. Still, she wanted to give the disguised dragon the benefit of the doubt. Vy had been right about dragons in this world hiding their appearance behind a human form, but all Ai could think about was if Wild Magic could give herself a couple of inches more height.
She alone had teleported straight into the home of a Dragon Lord, yet Toreii feared more for Ioa's safety than the Asgardians if she brought some. She switched her gear should she need to enter combat, but with the woman's attention focused solely on [Gungnir] the entire time, it seemed Dragon Lords could sense the power of World-Class Items.
One step after another, Ioa unknowingly creeped backward from the unknown child, before tripping on her throne and falling over. There was no pain for someone as durable as a dragon, yet she felt herself going numb in the presence of an adolescent wielding more than enough power to kill a Dragon Lord. Flinching back at Toreii's outstretched hand, Ioa became inevitably aware of her mortality.
Having done nothing but introducing herself, Ai was at a loss why the dragon-lady was wincing as if she was being bullied. There was nothing in her character she thought was remotely intimidating… unless for some reason Dragon Lords were afraid of lolis. 'Ahh… Maybe she doesn't want to be seen as a lolicon… I can understand that.'
"Are you okay?" Toreii asked. Although she reached a hand out to help Ioa up, Ai started to question if someone of her height could even generate enough leverage to naturally do so.
Inside her panicked mind, Ioa's thoughts raced toward nothingness, having forgotten all her precaution and strategy should her barrier ever be broken. Having spent countless decades expecting a brute force attack, she was unable to comprehend how anyone could just ignore the anti-teleportation shield altogether. How could she have expected this outcome? Had her magic been defeated by the deathly, golden spear, she would understand and accept, but her greatest achievement had merely been glanced and skipped over without trouble.
Prideful as one of the most accomplished Dragon Lords to ever live, all of her self-given praise came crumbling down. The young child was more than likely a Player, considering the strange clothing as well as the weapon she wielded. Such refined crafting power was unachievable with Wild Magic, even if she had another thousand years to perfect it. Against her blue eyes, golden death was now merely inches away from her.
The eternity she was meant to live out seemed so far away now.
"Was Nyx your friend?" Toreii tentatively asked.
Ioa realized the finality of the child's question. She had always been a neutral, never siding with Players or Dragon Lords and their cause. The black hydra was at best a distant relative – since most, if not all of the Dragon Lords had their own domain and were very territorial about it. The closest thing to friendship among them was a truce to not kill one another on sight. Forcing herself upright with what little draconic pride she still had, Ioa shook her head no.
Clearing her throat, Toreii wanted to steer away from the hostile atmosphere, "Even if he wasn't, I'm sorry to say, but he is probably dead, maybe… I didn't stay long enough to confirm it," she admitted.
"P-Pr-Probab-ly?!" Ioa stuttered shrilly, finding her unsteady voice at last.
"Well… The last time I saw him, he was burning up on the surface of the sun… So…" Toreii tailed off. The hydra had a very hardy healing factor, but did not adapt against the same killing method. If the heat did not outright incinerate his flesh, then the atomic fusion and crushing gravity should have ripped every cell apart, molecule by molecule.
"T-Th-The s-sun?!" Ioa shouted this time, fearing the unfathomable truth. She was sure the child had misspoken. The humans who worshiped her had many incarnations and personification of death, but for the grim reaper to now actually be an adolescent child seemed too cruel of a joke.
"Yes," Toreii answered with a straight face, "That's what I said."
Trying to force her uncontrollable shaking to stop – and failing – Ioa mustered as much mental strength from her remaining pride. Planting her feet and standing straight, she looked death incarnate right into her golden eyes, "I-I will not die s-so easily as Nyx did! Dragon Lords are not to be trifled with! Our Wild Magic is superior in every way to your tainted arcana!" Ioa boasted.
Pleased she did not have to bring up the subject for the Dragon Lord to talk more about it, Toreii finally found an opportunity to learn about Wild Magic. "I've only seen your dragon magic once from Nyx. Was his regeneration a part of his special Wild Magic?" Toreii asked, excited to discover new forms of magic again.
The bright smile was as horrible as the child's acting skills. No… Ioa was being taunted. Her magical barrier which necessitated a constant stream of human souls was not even a bother. It had kept out sieges from her fellow Dragon Lords for decades, yet broken through in an instant by a child. She wasn't goading Ioa into willful submission, but doing so out of shame.
Ioa had made a bold bluff about her Wild Magic. Although that type was certainly powerful in its own right, the special magic of the Dragon Lords was not cost-effective. Sacrifices were refreshed at a much slower rate than the mana Players used. A decade of souls stored up could be wiped out in a single encounter against a Player, who only needed several hours to replenish their reserves.
Had the child wanted to end her, Ioa would be dead on the floor by now. As a last respite, she hoped to learn how her magic was so easily defeated, "I have no business with you Player! I and my home have been neutral to your war with other Dragon Lords. Whatever means you've used to break into my domain makes you no better than a lowly thief!"
'I was attacked first…' Ai distinctly remembered. Still, if what she was being told was true, breaking into a neutral party's home would most likely cause her to lose favor among other neutral parties quickly. If there were good, bad, and neutral players in Yggdrasil, then the odds of a neutral Dragon Lord existing did not seem too far-fetched.
"I'm sorry for entering without notice," apologized Toreii with a slight bow. Being a responsible sovereignty meant respecting other powers, including those who could become a threat later. She wanted to be less pessimistic and not only see others as potential enemies, but countless experiences have told her otherwise. "I didn't realize you were a neutral, Ioa."
Attacking the bowing child had crossed her mind for the briefest of seconds, but the golden spear of death reminded her of her place. She was not hostile to every Player, but when one was standing mere feet away with the capacity to kill her, Ioa's survival instincts were fighting against her draconic nature. "Had you entered my city properly, you would have been informed," Ioa chided, rolling the dice against the adolescent grim reaper.
"Forgive me, but the last time I tried to be understanding of a Dragon Lord, he had proceeded to fire every single spell he could at me with malicious intent. Please understand, I mean you no disrespect, but my history with your kind has not been pleasant," explained Toreii. "I can't be risking my life every time for a chance of a normal conversation."
"Your very actions fit the description of why Dragon Lords are hateful of Players! The first sight of our kind, and you immediately killed him! You're the invader – and thus far, have only brought death to our world… Am I to be your next victim?" Argued Ioa, putting her own life up for ante against the reaper.
Pausing ever so slightly to give herself time to think rationally, Ai forced her emotions from taking over. Anger for her lost friend was telling her to end all Dragon Lords without any remorse, yet it'd tarnish all their trust in her. Worse, she would be proving the Dragon Lords right. Remembering her promise of peace for her Asgardians, Ai repeated to herself, 'Actions have consequences!'
"Nyx had killed one of my friends, so I took his life in return. There is blood on my hands, and this cycle will no doubt continue until either one of our kinds is no more… Still, I am trying for peace with you. I've already lived through one world with endless war, where atrocities were commonplace and life less sacred than dirt; I don't want to live through another," reasoned Toreii.
Ioa heard the child loud and clear, almost like she was pleading for peace. Despite her youthful look, Toreii had spoken with the sobriety of an undertaker. Although her Wild Magic needed human sacrifices, Ioa had made sure only the old or deathly sick were used to spare them the pain. She knew well the guilt of taking an innocent life, and so did the Player in front of her. It was small, but the common ground between them had to mean something.
"Then do as you should have done; announce yourself and meet with me properly. If peace is truly your wish, Player or not, I will hear you out. However, when my fellow Dragon Lords hear of this meeting, I will no longer be able to remain neutral. The peace I have built for my people will be annihilated to deter others from speaking with your kind," Ioa explained sadly, knowing how low the other Dragon Lords could stoop to.
Glad her growing kingly skills had defused the hostile mood, Ai had learned just enough to read the emotions of a singular person in her vicinity. Ioa's words were somber and dejected when speaking about her own kin. Thinking of a risky plan, she needed more information first, "Can other Dragon Lords tell if you're inside your barrier or not?"
Never once leaving the safety of her home, Ioa was completely confident of her immaculate shielding spell … until today. Not only had it prevented any teleportation in or out, but it had also blocked any scrying. Information was strictly controlled, as was who entered and exited her city. "Only you have broken through my barrier," Ioa reluctantly admitted.
"If you fear the other Dragon Lords making an example of your city because of me, then let me extend an invitation to you, instead," suggested Toreii. She was finally making headway into a brighter future, with possibly less bloodshed. Although she wielded an army capable of ending entire realms, the challenge was rising above it to become a world leader…
Victory was now in her sights.
"An invitation to what? Where?" Ioa asked. Toreii had been the first Player she encountered personally, and also the first to ask for peace.
"I have a flying castle," answered Toreii, remotely activating the [Bifrost].
"A wh-"
Blinking away the blurriness in her eyes, Ioa winced at all the vibrant colors forced upon her senses at once. A rainbow had struck them, and a myriad of new sensations jumbled her internal workings. Vertigo swirled in her eyes and ears as she braced her fall onto a cobblestone path. No longer in her familiar chamber, whatever magic the child wielded was more powerful than Wild Magic… and could be used on command instantly. Anywhere, anytime.
Surrounded by a meadow of flowers, a clear sky of moonlight shone directly onto a wooden gazebo. A gentle breeze carried the aroma of the flora as Ioa finally shook off her initial shock. Toreii once again offered a helping hand, which Ioa delicately accepted after some hesitation. Wherever they were, seasons did not affect the locale. Perplexed how she could be teleported without acknowledging or consenting, Ioa soon realized the powers she was dealing with.
A gentle smile in the distance immediately caught her attention while she got back onto her feet. Serene and alert, prideful emerald eyes watched over them from inside the gazebo; the presence extruded was worse than the killing intent of their most bloodthirsty Dragon Lord. Like she was being pierced through her heart, Ioa knew for sure her life was undergoing judgement, and at any time, the noose could grow taut.
"I hope I didn't make you wait long, Frigga," apologized Toreii.
"Perish the thought, my beloved," said Frigga. She watched her one true love returning to Asgard again… with another woman in tow. Why Odin kept bringing back women who were less beautiful than the Queen of Asgard, she would never know. "Welcome to Asgard, the Eternal City of the Æsirs."
The welcome was definitely not welcoming, nor was the smile Frigga was putting on. Only ever feeling such hostilities from her fellow Dragon Lords, Ioa would have easily mistaken the being in front of her as a fellow dragonkin had Toreii not proven herself a Player. Keeping a generous distance away, Ioa watched the unlikely duo exchange pleasantries.
Returning her attention to her unexpected guest, Ai was glad there was no immediate hostilities between her Asgardian and the Dragon Lord. Although the original plan was to gather more information about the northern city and their dragon priestess, Ai had the perfect opportunity to test one of her theories. Leaving Nanami behind to stake out the city, her daughter would watch for signs of other Dragon Lords.
Their kind were able to sense the powers of a World-Class Item, but this was to see if they were able to detect the usage of one. Should they be able to, Toreii would have to up security around Asgard and limit future usage of her [Bifrost]. She might have been able to ask Ioa, but she doubted she would get a truthful first answer.
If the city of Rixia were to be attacked in its greatest defender's absence, Toreii would swoop in to save the day after Nanami stalled for time. It was a basic screenplay of a hero arriving just in time to save the day, but only a select few know the hero created the problem in the first place.
Ai was nervous. Usually, these kinds of mental tasks to more qualified personnel like Viridi or Frigga, but Ai felt she had grown overly reliant on them. Creating problems where you were the only solution sounded good on paper, but Ai had yet to gain such large scale, successful experience in deception. Tricking a kingdom of elves was easy when she could weave the narrative however she wanted. Convincing a Dragon Lord to trust a Player and to rely on her was another matter, and easier said than done.
Not even bothering with the slightest of nods or even a curtsy, the Asgardian regally marched past her beloved to meet the disguised-dragon. "I am Frigga, Queen of Asgard," she greeted as she would any New World native.
The queen stood tall at half a head taller than her despite the heels Ioa wore, making her question the relationship between the child and the matriarch. A mother-daughter relationship was possible, but their familiarity did not suggest so. Ioa had once believed her chosen form was the peak of human perfection, but she was clearly mistaken now after gleaming the beauty of the Asgardian Queen.
"I am Ioa Pylli Aggosso, Glacier Dragon Lord," she stated, returning the same courtesy as Frigga had given her. Although Ioa stood toe-to-toe against her, they were clearly not eye-to-eye. Whatever an 'Asgard' was, their inhabitants were not weak like the humans were. Seeing as she was now in their land by the use of their magic, Ioa knew better than to stay headstrong now.
The child had killed Nyx Al-Shun.
If a youth from 'Asgard' was capable of killing a Dragon Lord, she feared what their queen was able to achieve. Dying just to save her pride was the lowest thing on her priorities, as Ioa bowed before the foreign queen. In order to remain a neutral in this personal war, she had to become a survivor, first and foremost. Her peers would no doubt call her a coward and a traitor if they saw Ioa right now, but she worried less about their ire in comparison to the 'Asgardians'.
"A Dragon Lord? I have the head of one mounted on a wall somewhere… Can't say it looks very prized, compared to the other trophies," replied Frigga, trying to solicit a response. She shrugged with nonchalance, creeping closer and invading the priestess' personal space.
Even without visual proof, the queen's tone was all the evidence Ioa needed to confirm Nyx's death. She had her suspicions earlier after sensing the golden spear of death, and now Ioa had the second confession to seal the final nail in the hydra's stellar coffin. Without looking up, she was sure a smirk was waiting for her; the Asgardian Queen knew right away what to say to set the power dynamic between them up from the get-go.
"Frigga, be nice. This isn't how we treat our guests," reminded Toreii as she watched the bullying occurring between the duo. There had been some malicious feelings for dragons ever since the first day Yggdrasil became real, but she could not let it continue if peace was her goal.
Realizing her overstep, the Asgardian Queen bowed lower than the dragon she was trying to mock. "My deepest apologies; please forgive my transgression," Frigga hurriedly said.
That exchange was the moment Ioa awkwardly realized their relationship was not the dynamic she had presumed earlier at all. Far from a normal mother/daughter pair, perhaps she had guessed wrong who was the mother and who was the daughter. As she had a magical disguise herself, Ioa could understand if the child was actually a much older woman wanting to preserve her youth. However, if the Queen of Asgard was bowing right beside her, then whatever title the child had held much more weight than what Ioa initially thought.
Toreii tiredly sighed, but still happy her Asgardians were slowly transitioning from physical aggression to mere passive-aggressive attitudes. From attacking-on-sight to verbal jabs, Ai had successfully managed to curb their previous unrestrained mentality. Peace was still on the table, but whether it was still achievable after this verbal exchange was another issue she was going to have to deal with.
"Please follow me, Ioa. I'm sure there are questions we both have for each other," said Toreii, leading them away from the garden.
Keeping herself on high alert, the Dragon Lord prepared to teleport herself away at a moment's notice. Seeing the aftermath of what had happened to Nyx's daughter, she was not keen on having the same thing happening to her. Nodding her head, Ioa was made painfully aware of the red, double-head blade behind her. Inside, her draconic nature spiraled further out of control, stuck between the cold death of the golden spear, the hellish inferno creeping closer from the sword.
Ioa wondered if this was the closest she ever was to seeing gods.
A/N: I hope everyone is having a good holidays. Sorry for the short hiatus, but we should be back to regular uploads soon. I hope Toreii isn't too much like Ainz. Dragon Lords do deserve what is coming to them, but not all of them are bad.