Hey guys! Here's another super descriptive, research-laden chapter for you guys! This one features the dream sequence Viktor had with the Ice Dragon God. Here's a document with pictures and colors and details and such. Enjoy!

document/d/16m8kmLkOd4k_6Le7GD_x6RjPUZMqNmHDpUF4jMFyO7s/edit?usp=sharing

Chapter Text

As the Emperor had been living out his encounter with a goddess, the King was having his own brush with a heavenly entity. The circumstances of his dreamscape were very different, however, with the only similarity being that the ruler from Occidentis had also found himself wearing priestly robes. He was clothed in a metallic silver silk brocade Sticharion, a band of gold spanning the full circumference of the hem and a line of golden embroidered leaves right above it. Next was the Prussian-blue Epitrachelion, a double stole bordered in gold and featuring a design of alternating golden stylized dragons and crosses. Over that was the sapphire-blue Zone, or belt, a band of gold along the top and bottom. There was a single cross at its center, and it was flanked by golden snapdragons on either side. On his left hip was a Nebedrennik and on his right hip was a Palitza. Both ornately decorated, and proof of his rank as high-priest. Each was an award earned and symbolic of his status as a master spiritual warrior.

Worn over it all was a stunningly intricate Phelonion, also in Prussian blue, with a solid band of gold running along the hem and the collar, as well as across the chest. Just above the solid golden band was another band, this one in white and featuring a delicate vine with leaves branching out from it and a few loose ones falling around it. Between the hem of the Phelonion and the golden band was an expanse of navy blue fabric. On it was two elegantly embroidered silver winged dragons, facing each other. The dragons were surrounded by silver and leafy vines and were the crowning jewel of the masterful final piece. The King obviously couldn't see that back of the garment but imagined that it was as dazzling as the front. On his wrists was a pair of matching Epimanikia, or cuffs. Each had a solitary golden cross-stitched onto it and bordered in gold. On his head was a Prussian blue Mitre with golden trimming, its base rimmed in sapphire blue and silver.

When he'd first opened his eyes, he had found himself standing in front of the Храм ледяного дракона, a building he had hastily been taken to when his premature inheritance of the dragon sword had occurred. His breath had caught in his throat as he'd stood in front of the massive main gate. It had been over ten years since he'd last been there, and it seemed even more magnificent than the first time he'd seen it. He had always wanted to return, but his royal duties kept him very occupied and close to home.

The gates had opened for him, seemingly of their own accord, and he had walked into the main foyer of the giant castle. He'd felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of hallways and passageways stemming from the open space and had worried that he would get lost. His memory of the place was quite fuzzy and he didn't think he'd be able to find his way back to the holy chambers. Thankfully, he didn't have to rely on his memory, as he'd felt an overwhelming pull toward the inner sanctum of the castle. He allowed the sensation to guide him and walked the eerily empty halls, the sound of his echoing footsteps the only thing keeping him company. As he'd approached the center of the castle, the pull grew stronger and he knew that he was close. As he came upon a set of golden double-doors, he knew that he'd finally arrived at the right place.

Once again, the doors opened of their own volition, a blindingly radiant light pouring out of the room as they did so. The King shielded his eyes with the billowing sleeve of his Phelonion and he pushed forward and walked into the room. There was such an aura of power in the room that it literally brought him to his knees. A warm male voice was then heard, its kindness filling the entire space and shooting straight into the monarch's heart.

"Welcome, Viktor Dimitrievich Nikiforov, to the temple of your God. I have taken a form you will be able to gaze upon and perhaps easier to relate to."

When the King had opened his eyes he saw before him the earthly representation of the Occidentis god Род. On a gilded golden throne sat an older gentleman with long white wavy hair that fell past his shoulders. His matching white beard was quite long and luxurious, blending in seamlessly with the hair around it. A long and thick mustache flowed into the beard and gave him a very distinguished look. Sitting atop his head was a striking golden winged dragon circlet, a dragon head carved at its center and its long wings extending beautifully upward. He wore a robe in a streaky blue opal tone with golden dragons spanning the hem and cuffs, cinched with an ornate golden belt adorned with dragons around its circumference. The belt featured a dragon head buckle, a fierce expression on its face. On the celestial being's shoulders sat a glistening red satin cape, golden dragons embroidered along the edge and offset by a heavy golden clip on the right shoulder.

The King was in absolute awe as he stared at the deity before him. He was rather surprised to find himself standing before the Ice Dragon God Draconikus himself. He had, of course, known about him since he could talk, and had heard all the stories and lore behind the intervention of the gods and the creation of the ice dragon sword. He was curious as to what the God would want with him.

"You are masterfully sublime, Lord Draconikus. I do not know what you normally look like, but I can honestly say that this aspect suits you perfectly."

"Thank you, King Nikiforov. I am pleased that you find my form acceptable. I'm afraid that we must cut the pleasantries short and get right to the heart of why I came to appear before you today."

"Yes. Lord Draconikus."

"Let's start at the beginning then, when the gods decided to intervene in the fate of humankind…"

The King was in absolute shock. Souls and swords, his destiny and the Emperor's entwined?

"Forgive me My Lord, this is all…a bit overwhelming. A fragment of your soul, which cannot return to you, exists in my sword? And a fragment of the Goddess Lady Elianna's soul exists in the same predicament in the Emperor's Sword?"

"That is correct, young Ice Dragon. There are other complex dynamics also at work here, as even before you inherited the Божий коготь, you were destined to be the closest human incarnation of myself."

The King's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he fought to keep from sputtering and gasping aloud.

"I…I'm…incarnation… of god…you?"

"Indeed you are, and the Emperor is the incarnation of the goddess Elianna. My dear wife and I believe that our soul fragments became impatient after waiting for over 500 years to be reunited, and called out to their souls for resolution. Our actual souls then felt the need to embody themselves on Earth to speed up the process."

The King was floored. There was a lot to take in and process, and he wasn't sure where to even begin. Everything he'd ever known was suddenly upended and he found himself at a loss as to what it would mean for him and his life from there onward.

"I see the confusion and affliction clearly written on your face, young Ice Dragon. Fate and destiny are fickle creatures and even we gods are subject to their whims. We are deeply sorry that you got dragged into this and became involved in all our problems. We ourselves were unaware of what had transpired with our souls and the swords."

The King sighed heavily as he rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger.

"Fate and I aren't on the best terms, My Lord God. Fate first took my mother from me, and then my father shortly thereafter. I know all too well that it is futile to struggle against it or try to run from it."

As disappointed as he was that yet another aspect of his life had been hijacked by 'fate', the King preferred to remain optimistic and tried to find the silver lining in it all. If he was absolutely destined to be mated to someone, he could not think of a more suitable candidate than the Emperor. He had felt an instant attraction to him physically and become impressed by who he was inside and what he stood for. He had been, as Mila had correctly surmised, 'smitten' with him since even before their swords reacted to each other and the soul fragments had activated. Back before he even had the slightest inkling that he was the human incarnation of a god seeking out its soulmate. He was rather certain that he'd sensed a mutual attraction coming from the Emperor...from Yuuri…and clung to the hope that they would be able to get past the initial awkwardness of the fate business and perhaps even find happiness.

While the King had been lost in thought, the god's eyes began to glow white-hot and he seemed to go into a trance for a few seconds. The King watched the curious display quietly, wondering what was going on, but too polite to inquire about it or comment on it. The glow then gradually dissipated and the celestial being's eyes returned to their original ice-blue color.

"I apologize for that, King Nikiforov. Goddess Elianna and I share a powerful telepathic bond, and it allows us to communicate with one another, regardless of the distance, plane or dimension."

The King was rather impressed. Being able to connect with your mate at any place and any time would be a very useful and comforting skill to have. Imagine, simply reaching out and getting in touch with them whenever you wanted!

"The Goddess Elianna has offered a solution to the Emperor and has instructed me to do the same for you."

The King was confused. Solution? To what?

The god reached up with his right hand and plucked some hair from his head, his mustache and then his beard. He placed the strands on the palm of his left hand and rolled them between his two palms until it formed a ball. He then pressed his two hands together firmly, a bright flash of light momentarily filling the room as he did so. When he

pulled his hands apart, a shimmering and pearlescent opal was revealed. It was dappled with flecks of aquamarine, coral, and sapphire and glittering beautifully. God Draconikus held out the precious stone and it floated effortlessly toward the King, and hovered in front of his face. He reached out tentatively and took it, feeling a nearly-overwhelming pulse of power as he did so.

"This gemstone here; Dragon Mane, has the power to save any mortal being from a fatal wound, cancel out any enchantment or blight...whether the source be from a human, demon or magical creature. More importantly, it has the power to disjoin your link to my soul fragment from your destiny."

The King could not hold in his gasp as he stared down at the shiny jewel, stunned by all the power and influence contained within it. He was suddenly very uneasy about holding such absolute authority over life and death in his hands.

"I sense your trepidation at having access to a god's influence, but fear not young Ice Dragon, the jewel may only be used by you. In the hands of anyone other than yourself, it will be immediately rendered into a simple decorative item."

The King breathed a sigh of relief. Glad that there were contingencies in place to prevent such power from falling into the wrong hands.

"Will the Dragon Mane only work on me or can it be used on the behalf of others?"

"It will work on any living creature you choose to direct its power at. It may only be used once, however, so choose wisely."

"Forgive my ignorance, Lord God, but what will happen to the Emperor if I use it to go against my fate, but he does not?"

"Ah, yes. Allow me to explain. The Emperor will continue to be bound to the soul fragment and carry on searching for his 'other half' until the day of his death. He will live out the rest of his life alone."

The King brought a hand up to his mouth, eyes growing incredibly wide before they overflowed with tears.

"No…no, no, no! That is…simply too cruel, my Lord God!"

The King looked down in horror at the innocuous little gem in his hand. He looked up at God Draconikus and shook his head vehemently.

"I'm sorry Lord God Draconikus, as much as I appreciate the generous offer, I am unable to accept something that has the power to bring such misery to someone I care about. Please take it back. I don't want it."

Genuinely shocked for what was likely the first time in his immortal life, the Ice Dragon God stood speechless as a mere human just turned down the most powerful artifact in the known world.

_terminology_

Sticharion: vestment worn under other vestments, and is a form of the baptismal garment.

Epitrachelion: the double stole worn around the neck of every priest or bishop during liturgical functions.

Nabedrennik: a rectangular piece of cloth worn on the hip. First award the priest will receive for service to the Church.

Palitza: a diamond-shaped piece of cloth worn on the right hip. This award in the Slavic traditions is conferred after the pectoral cross.

Phelonion: the large vestment worn over all of the other vestments.

Epimanikia: are cuffs made of thickened fabric, usually brocade, that lace onto the wrists of a bishop, priest, or deacon. There is usually a cross embroidered or appliqued to the center.

Mitre: an award given to an arch-priest after many years of service.

Храм ледяного дракона (Khram ledyanogo drakona) – Temple of the Ice Dragon

Род (Rod) - is a conception of supreme God of the universe and of all its gods in Slavic Native Faith (Rodnovery).

Божий коготь (Bozhiy Kogot) – God Claw