Drageria
Ch.5: The Dark God's Six Children
In front of the two kids was a night and day foyer compared to the front! In simple words….it was breathtaking! The whole place shimmered like the scales on a koi fish; it was a mixture of golden and white marble! The floor was made with an intricate pattern of tile, and the ceiling was just plain stone, but it had six massive golden chandeliers dangling from it in a straight line to the farthest back wall; the walls were lined with golden patterns in the stone and held huge paintings and tapestries.
The floor had a single large carpet colored a bright purple that separated into two parts and led to two large doorways that were at least 20 feet tall. The ceiling had to be at least 50-70 feet tall and was supported by huge white marble pillars that numbered 12 on each side of the room! Each pillar had a set of two heavily armored guards on each side.
On the farthest sides of the room were staircases that were almost hidden away from view. They followed up to a platform that wrapped around the whole wall to meet in the back and even parted into an even higher section of stairs and platform above the first connection. Each platform that wrapped around the perimeter had a doorway opening lining the whole section; where they went was anyone's guess.
There was enough space between every pillar for an above-ground garden box. Big enough to hold two trees, some bushes, and several dozen kinds of flowers. In the middle of the garden boxes were fountains with statues of dragons spitting out the water. Each dragon differed from the others, totaling six fountain statues with six raised garden boxes.
Some other little details and decorations were too many to number and take in at once. But the main and most out-of-place feature was at the farthest back wall of the place, where the carpets diverted away from. It was a huge door! Huger than the others! At least 50ft high and 20ft wide! It was so prominent that the double staircases and platforms were built to cover its massiveness. Then there was the fact it was held shut by a huge log on a chain that was raised into the ceiling. It was the only part of the room that wasn't decorated or clean, as it had black marks all over it. Izuku found this part not only odd but worrying.
After Izuku had taken in most of the layout, he immediately noticed the dozens upon dozens of maids, butlers, and other servants dotted all over the area in straight lines and groups—going from the length of the carpet to the stairs, the platforms, around the pillars, everywhere! They were everywhere and bowing in front of them!
"Welcome home, Lord Tachibana.", Said all the female servants in unison.
"Welcome back, my Lord Tachibana.", All the male servants said in unison.
Izuku's jaw gaped in awe of…well, all of it. His mind was so blown he couldn't even move his head to see more of this area! He was so focused on taking it all in that he didn't notice Deskin sneaking beside him and whispering in his ear in a prideful and condescending tone while snickering.
"If you think this is something, then wait till you see the throne room, the offices, the meeting room, the kitchen, the dining hall, the cellar, the storage hold, the armory, and the-.", But he never got to finish as Arete smacked him upside the head once again.
She scolded him, "Stop harassing him, Deskin! He's already shell-shocked by the foyer alone; there's no need to make it worse."
Deskin growled and yelled while holding his head, "Don't you hit me, you titless harlot!"
Arete grabbed Deskin by his collar, lifting him off his toes, and demanded, "You take that back, you immature brat! My tits are not only big, bouncy, and perfectly shaped, but real too! And you will show my feminine beauty some respect!"
"Respect my cock and balls, you fake boobied bitch!", Deskin managed to choke out while grabbing her boobs!
The two of them then went face to face, growling and burning each other's retinas with their stares of pure malice! This created a very awkward atmosphere, making the many smiling faces of the servants falter and sweat awkwardly.
Luckily, Tachibana stopped them once again as he yelled, "Will the both of you SHUT UP! RIGHT NOW!"
The two of them took a moment to glare at each other once more before they let go of each other, bowed, and simultaneously said, "Yes, Lord Tachibana. Sorry, Lord Tachibana."
Tachibana sighed while rubbing his forehead and angrily told them, "Now return to your work and don't interact with one another unless needed."
They both nodded to a bow before walking off in opposite directions.
"Welcome back, Lady Arete. Welcome back, Master Deskin.", All the servants said in unison to the two of them.
Once they were out of sight, Tachibana rubbed his face while saying in a quiet tone, "Now, with those two out of the way.", He then turned to Izuku and Eri, spreading his arms and wings while saying, "WELCOME TO MY HOME! I hope you like it here."
Izuku looks around at the extravagant exquisites, beautifully decorating every inch of the foyer. He idly wonders just why someone so seemingly humble and down to earth would ever want such a lavish and loudly eccentric interior.
Yet again knowing what he was thinking, Tachibana asked him with a smile, "I bet you're wondering why such a seemingly humble and down-to-earth person like me would decorate myself in such a lavish and loudly eccentric castle?", Izuku went to answer him with mumbled words, but he cut in and explained, "Well to answer; this place used to be cold, dark, and dreary. A little too on the nose for someone with the title of Dark God. So I had it spruced up a bit, but then, as time passed, I accumulated more and more, and it eventually got to this. I can't say I wanted it, but it's nice, no less. Shows my status as a ruler. So what's to say about you two?", He asked them both excitedly, almost like a small child showing off to their parents.
Izuku couldn't bring himself to describe the beauty of this place in words. But with her young innocence, Eri summed it up pretty well in one word: "Pretty."
"I think so too, Eri.", Tachibana agreed while flexing his wings with a smile. He then turned to the many servants and announced, "Everyone listens up! This is Izuku and Eri. They'll be living here from now on. I expect you all to treat them the same as everyone else who lives here."
"By your command, Lord Tachibana. Welcome, Master Izuku and Lady Eri.", All the servants said in unison, welcoming the duo.
"New permanent guests? I feel rather indecent at this news. I would've prepared a proper welcome if I had known.", A new voice cut through to all three of their ears.
They all turned to the side and saw a man approach them with a nonchalant walk. He was tall, thin, pale, and had very fine-looking clothing that made him appear as a person of power. His hair was long and bright red while being tied off in a loose braid that was slung over his shoulder. His eyes were closed, and he had a very neutral expression on his face but still gave off a pleasant and friendly aura.
"Ah! Cherry!", Tachibana said in a friendly tone, going over to the man and padding him on the back.
"Welcome home, my Lord Tachibana." Cherry greeted the dark God in a soft, quiet, and friendly tone.
"Hahaha! Don't worry about formalities! This came up at the last minute, even for me!" Tachibana exclaimed while patting the man's caped back. He then leaned into his pierced ear and whispered, "I'll explain the finer details later." Cherry nodded slightly.
"Um, Lord Tachibana? Who is this?", Izuku finally piped up.
"Oh! Cherry, these two are Izuku and Eri." Tachibana introduced Cherry to the two kids. He then turned to the two kids and introduced them to Cherry, saying, "Izuku, Eri, this is Cherry. He's my right-hand man, my second in command, my other voice, my extra opinion, my…my…", The god trailed off, trying to find the phrase.
"My subordinate who runs Drageria while I sit as a figurehead.", Arete called out from the staircase in a teasing voice.
"Yes…..wait-HEY!", Tachibana yelled out at her with an embarrassed and angry look on his face as she ran up the stairs and disappeared into a doorway. He then sighed exasperatedly and explained, "Basically, he's the one in charge of the country if I'm out of commission or out on business. He's one of the few people I can truly trust the most."
"Nice to meet you, Cherry-san.", Izuku and Eri greeted the man with a bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Master Izuku and Lady Eri.", Cherry greeted them back in a soft and pleasant voice.
"You don't have to refer to us by titles.", Izuku waved it off to him with an awkward sweatdrop.
"Very well.", Cherry agreed.
After a brief moment, Izuku asked the man, "I don't mean to be rude, but is Cherry your real name?"
He nodded and explained, "No, it is only a nickname Lord Tachibana gave me because my real name was too hard for him to pronounce."
Izuku looked at the Dark God, who looked back at him, offended for accusing him. His ears perked up, his body tensed, and his wings bristled as he defended himself, exclaiming, "It…is hard to say. I can't even do it in my head! Even after all this time…", he deflates while poking at his fingertips. He then backs up by saying to no one all animated, "I mean, there's so many stinking vowels! How can there be so many vowels in one name?!"
Cherry chuckles softly and says to the frantic God, "It's quite fine, my Lord. I have no problem with it." He turns to the kids and tells them, "And the same goes for you too. You can call me Cherry. I've grown rather accustomed to it."
Tachibana, pulling himself out of his self-defensive panic, states, "Well, with all current introductions out of the way, how about I introduce you to the kids?"
Izuku and Eri perk up at this, Eri especially, and the green teen says, "Sure. I'd love to meet your family….where are they?", He asks after looking around to see no one out of the ordinary besides the many servants.
Tachibana smiled and explained while pointing to the farthest wall, "Oh. You see that huge locked door at the farthest end of this hallway?", Izuku did see the huge door before and nodded. "That's where my kids are."
Izuku feels panic rush through him, and Eri even tenses up at the news! He knew this guy was called the Dark God but didn't think he would be….dark!? To put your kids behind reinforced locked doors? It just doesn't seem like the person Tachibana proclaimed himself to be.
Izuku gulps fearfully and asks, "You….lock up your kids?"
Tachibana nods and explains nonchalantly, "It's mostly for everyone's safety and theirs. I can't have them running around freely; otherwise, they'll destroy everything. Plus, they rather like it where it's cool and dark.", He then walks out a bit and yells, to what Izuku thought was the gatekeeper, "Open the Gates of Drakes!"
Immediately after saying that, all the servants scatter like cockroaches in the light. They rush up the stairs, hiding behind pillars and guards, even ducking into open rooms on the stairs and rushing into the two smaller doors on each side of the big ones! This sends a fearful chill of primal dread up Izuku's spine, and he wonders just what kind of children Tachibana has sired to his name.
"Open the gates!", The gatekeeper shouted to someone.
"Open the gates!", Another person shouted.
"Opening the gates!", another person shouted from the inside of the ceiling, where the chain was suspended.
In a matter of minutes, the log was lifted off its holders and suspended in the air. Several dozen guards grabbed huge chains attached to the doors and pulled them apart. The doors slowly creaked and slid open on the tile floor as a loud horn from outside was blown for several seconds in one note. Then everything went quiet. Almost after the doors parted, Izuku felt a massive rush of cold air climb out of the darkness and into the foyer.
He and Eri shivered while warming their hands, as Izuku stated, "Cold."
"As I said, they like it cool and dark.", Tachibana told him.
The Dark God then placed both pinkies into his mouth and blew three long, loud whistles that echoed into the dark tunnel! Then everything got uncomfortably quiet again. Nothing happened, as everything was still as….well, a rock. The only sound of movement came from the servants, who peeked out from their hiding spots.
Izuku looked up to Tachibana, who said to him without looking at him, "Give it a minute."
Not even a minute had passed when the sound of rumbling could be heard from the deepest part of the caver. Then, said rumbling could be felt through the ground as the running water and non-anchored down objects began to shake and jolt! Izuku and Eri became increasingly nervous as everything began to shake, and the sounds from the cavern turned from rumbling to other stranger noises—animal noises. And Izuku stood just a little bit closer to Tachibana.
"Here they come!", Tachibana said excitedly.
Izuku kept his eyes pinned on the open doorway as the rumbling and noises grew louder! He felt his breath hitch, and everything else around him seemed to go dull as his ears only picked up on the sound of the blood rushing through his fast-beating heart and heavy breathing! Then, without warning, six enormous monster-like creatures burst through the door with such force that the heavy stone doors were flung open all the way! The creatures ran into the huge foyer, jumping over one another, pushing, shoving! All just to get in the front as they all barreled down towards them! Eri screamed and hid her face in Izuku while he hid behind Tachibana's wings!
Izuku knew the dreams you had where a monster was chasing you, but no matter how fast you ran, you couldn't get away, but he never expected to experience it awake! And worst of all, there were six of them! They all screamed, roared, snapped, and hissed at one another as they barreled down, their huge bodies occasionally hitting against the marble pillars! Izuku felt terror coming over him, so much so that he screamed and hid his face behind Tachibana's back! He waited for the part where they would either barrel down and crush them or just eat them! He wished he was dreaming right now cause he wanted to wake up from this nightmare!
But after a few minutes of nothing happening, it dawned on him…..nothing had happened. Everything was quiet again, apart from someone breathing heavily. He ruffled his face against Tachibana's feathers, hoping the god would notice him, which he did.
Tachibana let out an amused giggle and said, "It's okay now, Izuku. They're not gonna barrel into you. They're standing nice." Suddenly, the sound of something breaking rang in his ears, and Tachibana corrected himself, saying, "Mostly. It would be rude of you not to meet my kid face to face."
Izuku finally gained the courage to lift his face from the Dark Gods' back and peeked out from behind him, only to nearly feel his heart drop into his leg at what he saw! Tachibana's "children" weren't even people at all! They were the monsters that Izuku saw come barreling out of the huge gate! The ones he thought would do him in! He shook uncontrollably in fear at the huge things that looked down on him, and then it dawned on him. The six children of The Dark God were…..dragons!
Izuku looked up at the mighty beasts and saw that there were six in total. Each was vastly different from the others in terms of shape, color, and size. All of them were huge but not big enough to reach the ceiling. Like any other dragon, they had scales, claws, fangs, horns, and wings.
"Your kids are….Dragons!?", Izuku hesitantly asked in fright.
Tachibana laughed as if the question was funny and obvious and replied, "Well, of course they are. How do you think Drageria got its name? I mean, it was kind of being built up to this reveal the whole time.", Izuku still said nothing as he tried to hide behind the god's wings once again. But Tachibana pushed him out in front with Eri still burying her face into him and stated, "Well, come on, introduce yourselves, don't be scared. They wouldn't hurt anyone unless I told them."
As if to prove him wrong, one of the dragons, the one who looked most like a European dragon, opened its gaping maw and began to generate flames in its mouth! Izuku panicked and froze in place at this, fully expecting to be torched, until Tachibana stepped in and stopped it! Izuku felt an ice-cold fill the area and saw Tachibana come at his side with his hand appearing to generate ice. He threw an ice ball at the dragon's face, causing it to whirl off to the side and put out its fire breath! The dragon, now looking like a dog that got yelled at, whimpered and dropped its head down like a baby as Tachibana yelled at it.
"Bad Fafnir! Bad! You are not supposed to do the opposite of what I say! That's a bad Fafnir! Bad!", The dragon, Fafnir, whimpered again and curled into itself, moving its body sideways and looking over its shoulder. Tachibana sighed aggravatedly and stated, "Since you want to be a smart ass so bad, I'll just introduce you lastly to our guests."
Just as Tachibana was about to introduce the dragons, he felt none other than Izuku and Eri hide behind him once again! Trying to cover themselves in his wings.
Tachibana resisted the urge to laugh and pushed them out from his back while reassuring them, "It's okay. It's okay! They won't hurt you, I promise. Fafnir just likes being a smart ass. He thinks it's funny.", Tachibana straightened himself up and exclaimed, "Izuku, Eri. Allow me to introduce you to these six little shits that I call my children!"
Izuku and Eri look up at the dragons, who all look down on them with varying expressions.
Izuku stared at the dragons for a while before asking, "Um, are they gonna change anytime soon?"
"Change into what?", Tachibana asked, confused.
"Human. Like the Dragoon Hero: Ryukyu.", Izuku replied.
"BWA HA HA HA HA! ", Tachibana and the six dragons also seemed to be laughing. The Dark God quickly realized that Izuku's expression was not joking. He deflated as he asked back, "Oh wait, you're serious? Izuku, they're not six people with quirks that let them become dragons. They are dragons!"
"W-What?", Izuku asked in shocked surprise.
"Or, more specifically, six lizards with quirks that make them look like dragons. I found them as eggs.", Tachibana explained, going into a reminiscent expression. You saw that Izuku was about to ask more questions, but he quickly cut him off and stated, "How about we ask questions later and start with an introduction?"
He then turned to the first dragon, who appeared to be the smallest, and introduced the two kids: "The purple one with the goofy expression is my youngest son, Ladon. He's a Poison Dragon."
Ladon was perhaps the second smallest and weirdest-looking dragon Izuku had ever seen. He wasn't like any typical dragon; he looked far more like a chameleon, and a cobra got mixed with a European dragon. A purple and white hide covers his body, and his head ends with a protruding horn at the tip of its nose. His eyes are similar to a real-life chameleon's: giant and orb-like, with the ability to control eye movement individually. A long, elastic, chameleon-like tongue can be seen from within and hanging outside his sharp-toothed mouth. Its wings are purple with grayish-white membranes with strange orbs at each fingertip. His large tail is reminiscent of a leaf with a curled, spiraling tip. (He looks like Chameleos from Monster Hunter)
Ladon is also the most energetic of the dragons, acting almost like an energetic toddler or excited puppy. His body was practically vibrating with each moment he stood still. His tail wagged and slapped the ground, his claws dug marks into the tile, his wing ruffled, his young hung out of his mouth, and his eyes were farting all over as he drooled a foul smell.
"And he's my daddy's boy!", Tachibana exclaimed while holding out his arms.
Ladon made a strange noise like a toad and dashed into the Dark God! Oddly enough, Tachibana didn't get a pile driven into the wall, instead being able to take the full girth of the dragon and stopping the momentum of his body where he stood.
Tachibana then began to rapidly and lovingly smooch the dragon's large and excited face while making a baby voice, "Yes you are! Oh yes you are!", He cooed while rubbing the dragon's scaly face!
Ladon landed on his side, kicking one leg in the air and panting like a dog with the goofiest smile on his face, making all types of strange high-pitched creaks and squeaks. But then the dragon suddenly vomited up a huge purple globular that nearly hit Izuku and Eri! Luckily, Tachibana was quick and caught the globular midair with some kind of telekinesis. He then made the globular vanish, which Izuku quickly realized was poisonous, by generating a ball of mist that caused it to dilute and evaporate.
"Sorry about that. When he gets excited, he randomly spits poison. If that had hit you both, you probably would have been reduced to skeletons.", Tachibana apologized bluntly, making Izuku gulp dryly.
After finishing his love of Ladon, he moved to a dragon with ocean blue scales and said, "This is Apalala; he's a Water Dragon. And the most chilled out of my kids."
Apalala was the third smallest and longest of the dragons and the most piscine-looking. Instead of scales like a lizard, he had scales like a fish, along with fins, gills, and even webbing between his toes. His wings were much smaller than the other dragons, most likely used for movement in the water instead of flight. His face was rounded, and even he didn't have any horns, and he always seemed to be dripping wet.
Of all the dragons, he was the least expressive and, as Tachibana said, the most chill. He didn't even look interested in what was happening; he mostly looked around before finding something else to catch his attention. When Tachibana petted him, he released a cold breath that froze part of a pillar.
Izuku was shocked by this, but Tachibana explained briefly, "He can control Ice, too."
He pointed over to another dragon and introduced them to him, saying, "The absolute unit over there looking extra tired is Nidhogg; he's an Earth Dragon."
Nidhogg was by far the largest dragon in terms of mass, possessing a very round body that made this head look small. He was different shades of brown, from obsidian black to sand white and bronze. He had small, stumpy legs with three claws, big brown eyes, and a mouth full of a mixture of sharp and blunt teeth. He had three horns: one that came out of his forehead like a rhino horn and two that went off the sides like the mandibles on an insect. His body was covered in stone-like plates that made it look like it was made from rock, with sharp quills between each plate. He had a surprisingly long tail that came to a flat club at the end and two wings that looked just big enough for him to fly. (He looks like a combination of the Buffalord and the Catastrophic Quaker)
He also was the dragons' most relaxed or laziest looking, even more than Apalala. Nearly laying down the whole time and making many deep, long yawns. He even looked like he was about to drift off to sleep several times.
Tachibana walked over to the half-asleep dragon and scratched him under his chin. Making him let off a rumbling, purring noise.
"Everyone thinks he's lazy, but in reality, he's the hardest working on the island! He and Fafnir help make more land.", Tachibana explained before going full baby-loving mode and cooing to the dragon, "Oh yes, you are the best working boy!", Nidhogg responded by making heavy breaths with more purring.
He then moved to a smaller dragon with feathers and a dark expression, introducing them, "And this is my youngest daughter, Quetzalcoatl. She's a Storm Dragon."
Quetzalcoatl was by far one of the biggest dragons and the most avain looking. She possesses feathers mixed with her scales and a beak, with sharp blue eyes and talons on her feet. She had feathers and scales colored different blues, greens, and white. Her body was thin and muscular with a defined keel. Her front limbs were much shorter than her back ones, so she supported herself on her wings, which are connected to the base of its tail, making them appear larger and fan-like. Some of the feathers, which form a crest on her head, have drooped over its face, giving her a very rebellious teenage look.
In terms of attitude, she was how her head feathers looked, like an edgy, rebellious teenager with many emotional issues. Izuku could practically hear her saying, 'It's not a phase, Mom!'. Looking at Izuku and Eri, she snorted through her beak and looked away.
Tachibana laughed and said jokingly, "She's my emo child." At this, Quetzalcoatl rolled her eyes and looked away, dropping her head and shoulders.
He then motioned to the tallest and most visually pleasing dragon present and introduced them to them, saying, "Then there's my oldest daughter, Tanit; she's a Light Dragon."
Tanit is by far the largest Dragon in terms of height. Holding her posture and head above all, looking down at everyone with strict and judgmental multicolor eyes. She held herself up with a strong, confident, and yet feminine posture of dignity or some kind of royalty. Like her younger sister, she was more avian than a lizard and even more so than her. She was covered in pure white feathers all over her body, from around the edges of her face to the very tip of her tail, which was shaped like a fan at the tip, which she used to fan herself while standing, in addition to a beak filled with sharp teeth. Her horns were far more like antlers and were colored gold like her talons. A ridge of spines trailed down the back of her neck to the base of her tail. The spines all looked like crystals growing out of her back, and they would change in color depending on where the light hit them. Her wings were large and powerful-looking; the membranes were colored like the ridges on her back, and they would change color depending on how the light hit them, but they mostly stayed grayish-white. The featherings around her ankles and her face were a beautiful crystal blue. She also had ears, which was odd.
In terms of her general attitude, Izuku could tell she was judging him like some strict critic or benevolent queen. Everything about him and Er was imperfect or wrong, and she made that clear with her expression: turning up her nose, snorting, and making a deep grunt in her throat. She just didn't like them for not living up to whatever she considered a standard.
Tachibana saw what Izuku noticed about her and said to him in a hushed voice, "She's also such a little diva cause she thinks she's a princess.", He said this mockingly while forming a feminine pose and shaking his hips.
"She technically is.", Cherry said from the side.
Tachibana quickly dashed over to him and covered his mouth while saying with a hiss, "Don't tell her that, Cherry!"
They all looked back at the dragon and saw her with a self-absorbed smile on her beak, which Tachibana frowned at.
He then smooths his short hair, walks over to the last dragon, Fafnir, and introduces the kids to him properly, saying, "And lastly, we have my oldest son, Fafnir; he's a Fire Dragon."
Fafnir was the second-largest dragon from Tanit but also the only one who looked like….a dragon, a European dragon, to be exact. He had the whole kit and kaboodle: leathery armored red-black scales, huge wings, long spear-like tail, four horns sweeping back, two of which were smaller, orange-red eyes, huge sharp teeth that had been scorched black, a ridge of small spines running down his back, four ridges of finding alone his neck, sharp talons, everything! Kike his younger sister, Quetzalcoatlus, also supported himself on his wings as opposed to his stumpy front legs. (He looks like Drogon from GOT but with front legs and the face of a drake from Middle Erath: Shadow of War.)
His personality was hard to pin down for Izuku. Sure Tachibana told him he was a smartass, so he was no doubt cocky, arrogant, and intelligent. But knowing he was a fire dragon, he could also have a very short temper and be quick to commit violence. But Izuku could see there was more: he wasn't just intelligent, but he was smart, very smart. He was also determined and strong...probably even stronger than all the siblings.
Tachibana came up to the dragon, who was licking his lips teasingly at Izuku, and playfully slapped his shoulder while saying, "He's a real smart ass and loves it but doesn't know when to stop. He also helps make more land with Nidhogg."
He then walked away from Fafnir, walked in front of Izuku and Eri, did a spin, and spread out his arms before proclaiming excitedly, "And that's all my kids! Whaddya think?"
Izuku took a long moment to think his words, though, as all the dragons had their eyes on him in a severely judgmental way, except for Ladon, and said, "They're…...nice."
"Scary.", Eri once again said bluntly, with fear in her tone as she stared at the huge animals.
Izuku nearly freaked out as he exclaimed to her, "E-Eri, d-don't say that in front o-of t-them!"
Tachibana waved it off and said while glaring at his kids to keep them from acting on the comment, "It's alright. Perhaps they didn't make the best first impression, barreling towards you two from their room. They were just really excited to see me. They love spending time with dad.", He then turned to all the while spreading his arms and wings and saying in his baby voice, "Don't you! Don't you all! Oh yes you do! Oh yes you do!", Almost immediately nearly all the dragons piledrives into him and began to rub, lick, and several other gestures of affection all over him as he tried to hug, kiss, rub, and pet all of them. "I know you six have been cooped up in your room all day; how about some fly time?", He asked them, to which they all stood up from him and let out their distinctive roars of acknowledgment.
Tachibana smiled warmly at this, then turned to the front door and yelled, "Open the gates!"
Another set of voices all repeated the Dark God's demand, and within a few minutes, the front doorway they came through suddenly began to open up into an even bigger gateway than the smaller doors had been built into!
"That wasn't the front door!?", Izuku exclaimed, flabbergasted along with a stunned Eri.
Tachibana shook his head and explained, "No, I had two doors built into one another. One for people, one for dragons. It would be a pain if I only had one door for dragons.", He then rolled his eyes as he huffed and ranted off, "It would take forever to open and close, and don't get me started on all the AC we'd lose."
After the doors opened, a horn was blown from outside, this time far more clearly and in three sets. When the gates opened all the way, the six dragons all looked at their dad, who simply waved them off. They all roared excitedly and bounded away to the open! Each of them tried to get ahead: pushing, jumping over, snapping at each other just to get to the front.
Once there, they all came bounding out of the huge gates, spread their wings, and took off into the air after jumping from the mountainside platform! Izuku watched on as the dragons roared into the distance and flew off in all directions, becoming specks on the horizon. The green teen felt dread and fear as he watched the dragons go out of sight and earshot.
He turned to Tachibana and asked nervously, "Is….that okay."
Tachibana did not vigorously say, "Of course! They're just stretching their wings; they won't cause any harm. And if they do, I'll spank their butts."
Izuku looked behind him and noticed that one of the dragons had yet to leave. He didn't move at all. Izuku pointed to the one that lagged and said to the Dark God, "Nidhogg didn't go."
Tachibana turned around and saw his son standing there, half asleep. He smiled, chuckled at his son, and walked up to him to pet him. "I guess he's really tired today, " he stated, coming up to the side of the dragon's face and rubbing him on his cheek and under his chin. "Are you tired? Do you wanna go take a nap?", He asked the large dragon in his baby voice. Only to get a low, rumbling yawn and reply. "Okay, you go nap, my hardest working boy!", He told him while patting his side.
The large dragon then got up from his spot and slowly lumbered back into the dark cave that he and his other five siblings had come out of and disappeared out of sight. Once inside, the cavern was closed back up once more, but the lock was left off. Then, the front gate was also closed, and everything returned to normal in the castle, with the servants doing their business and cleaning up the damage from the dragons.
After a sense of quiet and normality entered the area, Izuku turned to Tachibana and stated, "Your kids sure are destructive."
"And that's why I keep them under the castle.", Tachibana replied nonchalantly.
"Well, with the introduction out of the way, I think it's time we-.", Tachibana began to say until someone interrupted him.
"Lord Tachibana.", A man dressed like a chief holding a covered platter addressed him with a bow. The Dark God looked at the chef as he said, "Your 3:00 cake is ready."
The chef removed the cover and revealed a small plate with a single fork and a slice of chocolate raspberry cake.
Tachibana's eyes glittered as he exclaimed before wolfing it half down, "Ooo! Cake!"
"Lord Tachibana, we talked about this.", Cherry protested from the side while trying to stop the dark God with a firm hand on the shoulder.
Tachibana stopped his wolfing and looked back at the red-haired man, mouth half full and covered in frosting, and said, "Calm down, Cherry. I'm a god, remember. Plus, I can control my metabolism, so there's no worry about my weight.", He then proceeded to wolf down the rest of the cake as the chef held the platter!
ERI, completely confused by what was happening, tilted her head, asking innocently, "What's cake?"
Having finished his cake, Tachibana stared at the girl, her cheeks still full and her mouth covered in frosting. He then raced over to Izuku while swallowing quickly and asked in a deadly serious tone, "Please tell me she's joking!", Izuku anxiously and rapidly shook his head. Tachibana then got uncomfortably close to Eri's face and stated, "I am personally going to introduce you to every damn desert on this planet!", Without turning around, he shouted, "Chef! Prepare every dessert or sweet that can ever be cooked up from your cookbooks!"
"Yes, my Lord.", The chef said with a bow.
But before he left, Cherry grabbed him and said calmly, "Chef, please don't." He then turned to Tachibana and told him, "Lord Tachibana, we'll be having dinner in two hours."
Tachibana groaned like a teenager and said begrudgingly, "Oh, all right! I'll wait till then! But for dessert-!"
"I don't see any problem with that.", Cherry quickly interjected, causing Tachibana to do a fist pump of victory.
"But in the meantime, let's get you two cleaned up before dinner.", He said before calling out into the castle, "Oh, Arete!"
The silver-haired woman came from one of the doorways, slid down the railing, and quickly paced herself on her heels while bowing before Tachibana and saying, "Yes, Lord Tachibana."
"Take Eri and get her cleaned, dressed, and settled into a room before dinner.", Tachibana instructed her.
Her head immediately shot up with an excited smile and sparkles in her eyes as she exclaimed, "Of course, Lord Tachibana! I thought you'd never ask!", She dashed over to Izuku and snagged Eri from his arms before he could react! She held the confused Eri in the air, spinning around and cooing, "Oh, this is going to be so much fun! I've always wanted a little sister! I'm going to dress you up in so many cute outfits!"
"AHEM!", Tachibana stated the sound effect aloud with a severe and wide-eyed expression at her.
"After dinner, of course, Lord Tachibana.", Arete deflated with a close-eyed sweatdrop.
Arete then placed Eri on her hip and walked off with the young girl looking over the mature woman's shoulder at Izuku with a concerned look. Only to get a nod, awkward smile, and thumbs up from him. Which seemed to be enough to keep her from panicking. Once they were gone, Izuku suddenly started to wobble on his legs before nearly talking over it for no reason!
Luckily, Tachibana was quick and managed to grab him before he hit! "WOAH THEIR!" he shouted while holding the boy under his arm and asking, "Are you okay, Izuku?"
Izuku shook his head and shrugged, replying in a weak tone, "I-I don't know. Suddenly, I felt this weight lift off of me. It's like I've never felt at ease before until now."
"And now you're completely spent. I've been there before." Tachibana added his two cents in a sympathetic and understanding tone.
"Lord Tachibana, would you like me to take him?", Cherry offered with a slight bow.
Tachibana thought it over momentarily, looked down at the nearly limp boy he was holding, looked back up at the red-haired man, and told him, "No. I think I'll help Izuku out before dinner. You just ensure everything's in place and that my kids don't destroy anything….. again."
"As you wish, my Lord.", Cherry replied with a bow as he walked off.
Tachibana carried Izuku off in the opposite direction, and as they walked, the green teen said to him, "It's okay, Tachibana-san. I know you're busy."
Tachibana raised a skeptical eyebrow as he asked back, "And you would prefer someone you barely know to help clean you up as opposed to me?"
"You're kind of also in the same category.", Izuku told him bluntly.
Tachibana sweatdropped and replied, "Eh, good point. But my point still stands."
Izuku mulls it over and tries to say shyly, "I wouldn't want to be a bother-."
But Tachibana waves it off and tells him, "Nonsense. I haven't personally taken care of someone since my kids learned how to fly and hunt on their own." Izuku couldn't help but smile at his kindness until Tachibana added something else. Besides, I haven't had a bath in almost 200 years. " He slipped in there at the last second.
Izuku's eyes went wide, and he tried to pull himself away from the man as he complained, "Ewwww!"
Tachibana laughed as he prevented the weak boy from breaking free. Then he said, "Well, I don't need to bathe! Can you blame me?"