Chapter 27

The Opportunist- Yes and no. The whole Archaon stick will show up when the Chaos Gods come to take their champion back. That's probably when things start to shift over to Diederick/Archaon. As for Tenrou Island, right now, the warring factions are the Dark Elves, Chaos Warriors/Demons of Tzeentch, Fairy Tail, and Grimoire Heart.

Naestra and Arahan's home

Night

"Diederick is going to apply to his new school soon." Said Naestra as she inspected an arrowhead while Arahan sharpened her spear.

"I know." Said Arahan as she placed the spear on a weapon rack. "What of it?"

"We have to be there." Explained Naestra as she picked up another arrowhead. "This is a big event for him, Arahan. We should be there for him."

"He has that friend of his with him when they go to apply for that school." Said Arahan as she looked at her sister's back as she finished inspecting her arrowheads. "We don't need to be there."

"We do." Said Naestra as she looked at her sister in annoyance. "He's our son and he deserves to know that we support his decision to go to this school. It's what Daxter's parents are doing for him. We should do so as well. Unless you like to see them beat you over something." Arahan growled at that, annoyed with her sister, before relenting. Thanking Arahan, Naestra got up and went to the kitchen to ready something to eat for everyone. "Besides, it's not like we need to go for jobs that day, we have more than sufficient money in our names to handle one day of no work."

It was true, they still had dozens of bags full of gold and silver from both the Empire and Bretonnia when they came to this world, Earthland as they call it. Even after the expenses of getting Diederick into school and getting all the essentials they all needed to survive, including Gwindalor and Ceithin-Har, they still had millions to their names on account of the gold and silver. So, they really didn't need to go out on jobs, but Arahan and Naestra wanted to set an example to Diederick. That one has to earn their place in society, even if they have the monetary value to never need to work. Also, it gave them busy and excitement in their lives.

"I still despise doing it." Said Arahan as they went to the kitchen and Naestra began cooking a meal for them and their son. "Nothing to do but talk with humans and stand around. There's no excitement in it."

"Life isn't always about excitement, Arahan." Said Naestra as she cooked. "You should know this, yet you always waste energy vocalizing your hate when it happens." Arahan glared at her sister for that. Before she can speak, Naestra spoke up. "Diederick is spending time with Ceithin-Har and Gwindalor. Tell him that dinner will be ready soon and that he should come home now." Arahan scoffed at that before walking away. Jumping down from her home, Naestra went towards the mountain cliffs that Ceithin-Har resided in. No doubt Gwindalor was there as well as since he had to take Diederick there on account of how high Ceithin-Har made his home, both because he wished to avoid contact with humans and because he loved the skies. Walking towards the mountainside, Arahan summoned Gwindalor with a special flute made by Lord Dafe, the master artisan of Athel Loren, for both her and Naestra along with an extra copy, which was used by Diederick to summon Gwindalor in the first place.

The flute emitted a sound that only Ceithin-Har and Gwindalor can hear. Though its range was short, it would instantly attract them and have them speeding towards whoever emitting the sounds, knowing that only their owners can have possession of it. However, to prevent anyone from using it to trap the two great beasts, both Gwindalor and Ceithin-Har will only respond to certain songs that one can make with the flute, all of which the Twilight Sisters and Diederick knew by heart. Currently, there were only three songs in existence that the two creatures listen to. One was for summoning either of them individually and the last for summoning them both at the same time. Without knowing either of those songs, the flute may as well be junk.

After playing the flute and the song summoning Gwindalor, Arahan waited a few seconds before she saw Gwindalor arriving towards her, landing just in front of her. Waiting patiently, Gwindalor allowed Arahan to ride him before taking her up towards Ceithin-Har and Diederick. Upon arriving there, she spotted Diederick riding on Ceithin-Har while the dragon feasted upon some mountain goats that made the unfortunate decision on approaching the cave that Ceithin-Har made his home. Upon seeing Arahan, Diederick spoke.

"Is dinner ready?" Asked Diederick as he got off Ceithin-Har after stroking the dragon's head, making the dragon grunt as he feasted.

"Yes. It's time to get back. You'll be able to spend time with Gwindalor and Ceithin-Har later." Said Arahan as Diederick got on Gwindalor, holding onto his mother as support. Ceithin-Har gave a glare to Gwindalor as he was able to fly but he couldn't. Gwindalor ignored this and took both Arahan and Diederick away. As the great eagle flew, Arahan remembered the days when the two met Diederick.

Much like the sisters, the mounts were divided on how they viewed Diederick until eventually, they became what they are now. Gwindalor found the boys potential to both be a champion of light and darkness worrying, but was willing to give the boy affection so that, when he has to choose between being a servant of Chaos or a warrior against it, he knew that they did all they can to prevent it. Ceithin-Har, at first, disliked the boy and wished to devour him, much like what Arahan wanted to do when she first had the boy in her possession, but eventually, after living with the boy for years, Ceithin-Har wished to protect him from the Forces of Chaos, much like Arahan did when she became affectionate for him. Now if only he was allowed to fly and fight. And, as a sign of their ultimate trust in the boy, the two were willing to become battle mounts for Diederick should the need come to arise. Something that was never allowed by either beast as their only riders to date was the Sisters of Twilight, showcasing the trust they had with Diederick.

Landing upon the ground, Arahan and Diederick got off Gwindalor. After Diederick promised Gwindalor to spend more time with him and Ceithin-Har, he went with Arahan to eat dinner. As they walked, Diederick spoke with his mother.

"Mother, how was your time with the council?" Asked Diederick, referring to the time that she had to spend time in a mock trial of the Magic Council along with Erza.

"It was a terrible waste of time." Said Arahan, annoyed with the mentioning of the Magic Council. "I should be fortunate that fool Natsu was caught by Naestra before he could storm the Magic Council building."

It annoyed her, but Natsu had tried to sneak off to stop the magic trial, despite the assurances of both Makarov and Naestra that it wasn't a real trial, against Arahan and Erza. Fortunately, Naestra caught him and kept him from leaving along with Makarov by literally knocking him unconscious. Naestra regretted hurting Natsu, but Arahan found it needed if he wanted to live. That fool would have ended up making her time with the Magic Council last even longer and that would have caused her to literally disembowel him for doing so. She didn't say it to anyone, not even Naestra or Erza, but she would have done it if he made her spend even a single more moment with the incompetent idiots that made up of the Magic Council along with that Siegrain.

"I see." Said Diederick, knowing how much Arahan disliked the Magic Council. "So, I have to apply for Orchid High soon. And I was wondering if you and Naestra will…"

"We'll be there when you apply." Said Arahan as she walked with her son. "You don't need to worry about that." Diederick smiled at that and thanked Arahan for being so considerate, causing her to scoff. As she walked, she wondered what the rest of Fairy Tail was doing right now.

Meanwhile

"Let's get going!" Yelled Natsu as he took Lucy and Happy towards taking an S-class mission that Happy stole from the job board. Lucy, laughing a bit at Natsu, followed him and Happy towards a port city so they can take a boat towards the mission's destination.

Arahan

"Probably something stupid or boring." Thought Arahan as she saw her home in the distance.

Meanwhile

Athel Loren

Deep within the lands of Athel Loren, Ariel was inside the great Oak of Ages, the heart of Athel Loren itself and where she holds her courts, trying to decipher the future of Be'lakor's child. And, despite her best powers as well as that of Athel Loren, she cannot decipher it.

The child's future was…erratic. One moment, she saw the child destroying the world, wearing the heavy plate armor that every Chaos Warrior wore, but in the next moment, she saw him fighting against the Forces of Chaos, fighting valiantly to defend the war from the corruption of the Chaos Gods. As much as she tried, she couldn't get a hand on if he becomes a champion of Chaos or Order.

It left her both relieved and worried. Relieved because it meant his future wasn't set in stone but also worried because it meant the child was unpredictable. And, considering that he can destroy the forest of Athel Loren if he becomes a servant of Chaos, was concerning to Ariel.

It made her wonder if she made the right choice to spare the child and have her most trusted servants care for her. That it would have been easier to simply kill the child and kill all those that Be'lakor spawns. It was a decision that Orion, her husband, and co-ruler of the Asrai, believed her foolish to not take and she wondered if he was right.

Sighing, she prayed to Isha that she made the right choice in the end and that the child will not become the next Everchosen of Chaos. For If he did, then all life in this world and the world he currently resides in, would fall under the influence and whim of the Dark Gods.

Unbeknownst to her, all four Chaos Gods were searching long and hard for their champion. They were all displeased with the Wood Elves for daring to deny them their ultimate victory and were subtlety, those that could anyway, developing ways to turn both the Empire and Bretonnia against them as well as sending their most hated enemy, the Beastmen, against them. In time, things will be long and hard for the Wood Elves as enemies from all sides will emerge to destroy them, some from even the Empire and Bretonnia. Though they will endure, many will die, both elves and men from both Bretonnia and the Empire. Lives that would have been better spent defending their territories from the Forces of Chaos and other threats to their civilizations, such as the Orcs and Druchii.

One Chaos God, however, is gleefully planning his next moves. If all goes according to plan, then he can not only become the greatest in the Great Game but also allow him to discern the location of the next Everchosen, taken from him by the pesky Wood Elves. It was an outcome that surprised even him, but that didn't matter to the Chaos God in the slightest. Not when it gave him an opportunity to find the Everchosen and mold him into becoming his champion.

Laughing, or something akin to that an incorporeal entity can manage, Tzeentch, the Chaos God of Fate and magic began his next great set of plans with nearly all the outcomes benefitting him in some way or form.