(Previously :)
"ARE YOU RELATED TO ONE OF THOSE GODS ?" Ancalagon asked her calmly, but also sternly.
At those words, all dragons stiffened at this, looking at Salem with narrowed eyes. Knowing that she was now walking on thin ice, the Queen of Grimm took a deep breath to calm herself before bowing respectfully at the mighty being in front of her.
"Your Majesty, to answer your question, I am not related to any of these abominable beings !" Salem began to say before raising her head to stare at the Dragon King, adding
"However, I do know of them… as they had cursed me millenniums ago !"
If the great Dragon was shocked and surprised by these words, he did not show it as his expression remained firm and emotionless. However, his emerald eyes showed intrigued and curiosity.
"YOU GOT MY ATTENTION… TELL ME MORE !"
00/(Present Time)/00
And the Queen of Grimm did just that.
For the next few minutes, Salem told her entire story to the great king of Dragons. She hid absolutely nothing: not only did she talked about her curse, but also WHY she was cursed in the first place… along with what she did afterward.
Summer, although already knowing her friend's story, could not suppress a look of pity and sorrow towards her.
The other living beings present, for their part, remained silent, not wanting to interrupt the Queen of Grimm in her story.
As the story progressed towards its end, the Black Dragon's face remained firm and emotionless. However, if someone analyzed his eyes, they would be able to see these true feelings: anger, frustration, horror and pity mixed in his huge, blazing emerald green eyes.
After a few minutes, Salem stopped talking, exhausted by his story. Summer approached her to gently place her hand on her shoulder while giving her a small smile. Salem, upon seeing this, returned the gesture while nodding in gratitude for her support.
Meanwhile, the dragons were all staring at the Queen of Grimm with mixed expressions with Aurora as the only exception as she already knew about Salem's history but even her, was not unaffected after hearing it once again. The males all looked at Salem with solemn expressions on their faces, showing no emotions.
What about the mighty Dragon King ?
He was deep in thought, his mind processing what he just heard… and he didn't like how the story turned out. He had met the two Gods millenniums ago and while they had acted politely toward him. He had a lot of respect for them but now… this respect had diminished a bit. While he could understand why those Gods acted this way toward both Salem and Humanity, they went too far !
Sure, Salem had tricked the gods but it was to bring back someone she loved from death. Anyone else in her place would have done the same ! She was surely not in right mind when she did this and yet, they cursed her without hesitation ! As for what they did to Humanity… they also went too far. From what Salem said, a good number of humans back there were as arrogant as the ones he was accustomed with millenniums ago, and they deserved their fate… but what about the innocents ?
The children ?
The ones who wanted no part in this ?
They didn't deserved to die…
Even if he wasn't a big fan of humans himself, Ancalagon was not a heartless being: he knew very well that some humans were good and generous... and the two little beings in front of him were. the proof.
Of course, Salem had committed massacres in the years that followed, but could he blame him?
This Ozpin kept sending soldiers to kill her and she had been forced to kill them to defend herself.
Once again, it was an action that many would have done in his place.
And although taking a life was anything but commendable, the reason was justifiable although regrettable.
However, Ancalagon couldn't help but internally smiling at the very last part of her story : her friendship with someone who had been her enemy.
Summer Rose had been sent by Ozpin to fight against Salem and would be dead if it weren't for their earthquake. Once again thanks to his earthquake, the two enemies slowly turned into friends the longer they experienced the Hidden Realm.
It seems like friendship will always find a way to flourish…
But soon, he remembered his current moment and the reason of their presences here in Shadowed Mountain : to seek his help…
He knew what he had to do…
Shaking his head to regain his senses, the mighty Black Dragon cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention, before saying in a deep, resonant tone with his emotionless face.
"AFTER HEARING YOUR STORY AND AFTER SOME CONSIDERATIONS, I, ANCALAGON THE BLACK, KING OF DRAGONS, ANNOUNCE MY DECISION..."
Time seemed to stand still as his words echoed through the air. Salem, Summer, and Aurora looked at Ancalagon the Black with anxiety and nervousness. Our two heroines hoped that the Great Dragon would help them. After all, according to Lord Scalanis, Ancalagon was their only hope of returning home...to the Surface World.
Plunged into anxiety, Salem and Summer began to imagine the worst. If Ancalagon refused to help them, then they would be forced to remain in this world.
Summer was even beginning to imagine this possibility...and it horrified her. The mere idea of never seeing his children again filled him with despair and fear. These children (and her husband of course) were everything to her... and without them, she had no reason to live.
As for Salem, just by glancing at her companion, she could tell that Summer's worry was growing by the seconds and, once again, she putted a hand on her shoulder in comfort while also hoping that Ancalagon would help them. Although the idea of living in this world and discovering its secrets was tempting, she knew that Summer would rather die than be separated from her family any longer.
Plus, she promised Summer to help her find her loved ones...and damn if she doesn't keep that promise !
Fortunately, as if a deity had heard their prayer, the answer they received from the King of Dragons filled them with joy and hope.
"I'VE DECIDED TO HELP YOU RETURN TO YOUR WORLD !"
Hearing this, Salem and Summer looked at each other with happiness and joy; with the huntress having tears of hope in her eyes; before the two kissed, under the eyes of the Dragons who could not help but smile at such a touching scene. Even the guards, who usually have firm faces, were not indifferent.
Then, after a few seconds, the two women broke their embrace before facing the Dragon King again, bowing at the waist in gratitude.
"Thank you very much, Lord Ancalagon !" Summer said to the mighty Black Dragon with a tearful smile.
"Your generosity and kindness will never be forgotten..." Salem added in a respectful tone even if her eyes shined with gratitude and joy.
The Dragon King smiled at those words before nodding his massive head in acceptance to those words.
"YOUR WORDS HONOR ME, LADY SALEM AND LADY SUMMER… ALTHOUGH THEY ARE USELESS… WHAT KIND OF KING I WOULD BE IF I DID NOT HELP THOSE IN DISTRESS ?"
Then, his expression turned serious again as he added
"YOU MIGHT BE HUMAN… AND FORMER HUMAN… BUT YOU HAVE BOTH PROVEN THAT YOU ARE NOT LIKE THE HUMANS OF OLD… MY FRIEND, QUEEN SHANYRRIA, HAD VOUCHED, ALONG WITH LORD SCALANIS OF MALON AND AURORA…EVEN BETTER,FROM WHAT I HEARD, SOME CREATURES TOOK A LIKING TO YOU !"
For a moment, the two women couldn't stop blushing in embarrassment but before they could say anything, the Dragon spoke again.
"SINCE THE LAST WAR, THE INHABITANTS OF THE HIDDEN REALM HAVE BECOME HATEFUL TOWARDS HUMANS… AND FOR GOOD REASONS… AND YET, YOU HAVE WON THE HEARTS OF SOME… THIS SHOWS THAT YOU ARE BOTH PURE SOULS AND WORTHY OF OUR HELP !"
Those words, spoken with respect and admiration, had an impact on our two heroines and they both looked up at the mighty Black Dragon with wide eyes of shock, surprise and awe. They never thought that their actions in this world could have such an impact on a creature as powerful as the Dragon King himself... to the point that he would show them such respect !
Seeing that Ancalagon was no longer speaking and they were looking at him like idiots, the two women quickly shook their heads to regain their composure before bowing again to the mighty Black Dragon, saying
"We thank you again for your help, Great Dragon King..."
Ancalagon shrugged his shoulders dismissively, calmly saying
"THERE'S NO NEED FOR THANKS...BUT I WILL ACCEPT THEM REGARDLESS…"
Then, the mighty Dragon King looked at them again before saying
"NOW, I WANT THE TWO OF YOU TO LEAVE THIS ROOM… I NEED TO CONTACT SOMEONE… HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN TAKE YOU TO YOUR WORLD AND HELP ME WITH SOMETHING..."
Despite their curiosity, the two women knew it would be a band move to question the Black Dragon, so they merely bowed at him in respect and deference. Guided by Aurora and the guards, the group made their way out of the gigantic room, leaving behind the Dragon King to do his own business.
As they left, Salem and Summer couldn't help but looking at one another with smiles : soon enough, they will be back home.
It was just a matter of time.
00/(Time Skip)/00
Time passed for a long time for our two heroines as they waited to be called by Ancalagon.
Since they left the Dragon King's large room, our two friends were taken to what looked like an anteroom which apparently served as a waiting room.
While waiting, Salem and Summer struck up a conversation with Aurora, the green dragoness with purple eyes, to kill time.
The two guards, for their part, left to continue their job... namely guarding the entrance to the Mountain.
In short, during the minutes that followed their entry into this waiting room, our two friends questioned Aurora about not only the Dragon King, but also the mysterious character who must come to help them.
Aurora had been quite evasive about the identity of the stranger but had answered all their questions regarding the King. Salem and Summer had asked her many questions regarding Ancalagon's family and were shocked to hear that he had no one… not even a wife.
Questioned on this subject, our two friends were horrified by the response of their dragonic friend: Ancalagon's parents were killed by an evil sorcerer when he was very young and he has no relatives.
As for why the Black Dragon wasn't starting a family, Aurora calmly explained that dragons have "soul-mates" and that until they find theirs, they might wait a long time to have hatchlings.
Usually, it didn't take long for a dragon to meet its soul mate: when a dragon reached childbearing age, the parents would take it to an island to the west where they would meet countless other young dragons. It was a meeting place for dragons from all around the Hidden Realm so… the chance to find their beloved soul-mate was high.
Sometimes, dragons from different species were soul-mates and while it was a surprise, it was accepted.
As for Ancalagon the Black, although he had met countless dragonesses, he was still single... since none of them were his soul mate. Many dragonesses were sad not to be the chosen one because many dreamed of becoming Queen of Dragons…
Salem and Summer were saddened for Ancalagon and could not help but feel pity for the mighty Black Dragon. They silently hoped that one day he would meet his other half, because no one deserved to live alone forever.
Aurora, who was about to thank them for their kindness and sympathy to her king, suddenly stiffened and after being asked about it, the Green Dragoness explained that Ancalagon the Black had contacted her to take the two of them back to him. Apparently, the one he contacted had just arrived.
Surprised by happy by the news, Salem, Summer and Aurora made their way back toward the massive room where the Dragon King lived and after opening the doors, they found themselves facing the Black Dragon who seemed to be waiting for them.
Once again, the three of them bowed at the mighty being before them.
"THANK YOU FOR COMING..." Ancalagon said to them with a nod of acknowledgement.
"You summoned us, your Majesty ?" Salem asked him with respect and deference while straightening back.
Summer and Aurora were quick to follow her example, looking up at the Black Dragon.
"INDEED, I DID… AS YOU KNOW, I CONTACTED A FRIEND OF MIND TO NOT ONLY HELP YOU BUT ALSO MYSELF… HE IS IN THIS ROOM AS WE SPEAK..." The Black Dragon explained while looking at them with his luminescent emerald eyes.
At those words, the two women blinked in surprise before looking around. Much to their dismay, there was no one else beside them, Aurora and the mighty Dragon King.
"Forgive me your Majesty, but there is no one else here..." Summer said with confusion and slight disappointment while Salem nodded in agreement.
Aurora and Ancalagon grinned toothily, which didn't went unnoticed by our two heroines as they glanced at one another with slight nervousness and dread.
"I CAN ASSURE YOU, LADY SUMMER, THAT MY FRIEND IS HERE…" The Dragon King said with a chuckle before speaking again
"YOU CAN COME OUT NOW, OLD FRIEND !"
As these words were spoken, in a burst of flame and fire, a magnificent and majestic bird appeared. At the sight of it, Salem and Summer couldn't help but gasping in awe and admiration at the gorgeous creature flying into the room.
The swan-sized bird had crimson feathers on its body and a golden tail as long as a peacock's. Its claws and beak were gleaming gold in color while its eyes were black. As it opened its sharp beak, our two heroines were stunned by once again by the beautiful sound coming out of it. Summer felt like she was going to cry as the sound calmed her in a way only a parent would.
What about Salem ?
When the bird first started singing, she had felt pain but slowly, it disappeared to turn into something else : calm and kindness. Tears were slowly falling from her eyes as she gazed at the magnificent bird peacefully flying above their heads, singing majestically.
It was the first time Salem had heard such a melodious sound or seen such a magnificent creature. However, through her ties to Magic, she could see that this bird was a powerful creature... but also intelligent.
"ARE YOU DONE PARADING ?" Ancalagon asked the bird with a huff of fond annoyance while rolling his blazing eyes.
The majestic bird thrilled at the Black Dragon, and our two friends could tell that it was smug about it, before landing on a rock near them, its black eyes staring at them. Under its gaze, the two women felt like children again. Salem, for her part, could tell that the bird was ancient… more than the Dragon King !
"LADY SUMMER, LADY SALEM… ALLOW ME TO PRESENT YOU AN OLD FRIEND OF MINE : FAWKES THE PHOENIX !" Ancalagon said while looking back and forth between the two women and the fiery bird.
At the word 'Phoenix', the two women stared at the bird with wide eyes of shock and admiration while Fawkes thrilled loudly in amusement and pride at their look. Salem and Summer had been told about Phoenixes but they never thought that they would get to meet one of them !
Aurora, for her part, couldn't help but being amused by the faces her fellow females were doing at the moment… even if she could understand it. After all, herself had acted the same when she first saw a Phoenix back when she was a hatchling. The same could be said for Ancalagon the Black who was watching them all with slight amusement shining in his eyes… until he decided it was time to return to the matter at hand.
Clearing his throat, he waited until everyone was focused on him to speak again.
"I'M SURE YOU ARE ALL WONDERING WHY DID I SUMMON MY OLD FRIEND HERE ?"
Salem and Summer both nodded their heads while Aurora secretly shook hers. Sending a little glance toward the green Dragoness, Ancalagon then looked back at the two women to say calmly
"FAWKES IS HERE BECAUSE HE CAN TAKE YOU TO THE SURFACE… THROUGH APPARITION… OR TELEPORTATION AS HUMANS USED TO CALL IT..."
Summer and Salem looked at one another for a moment, hope shining in their eyes, before looking back at the Black Dragon.
"BUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE, THERE IS SOMETHING HE AND I MUST DO..."
Those words caught the curiosity of our two heroines as they looked up at the Black Dragon with anticipation and intrigue.
"What is it ?" Summer asked him, no longer able to restrain her curiosity and Salem shot her a look of amusement, even when herself almost did the same.
"HIM AND I ARE GOING TO GET RID OF A CURSE..." Ancalagon said in a mysterious tone before his green eyes landed on Salem, adding
"YOUR CURSE..."
At those words, Salem, Aurora and Summer all gasped in shock and surprise at the sudden declaration before the huntress and green dragoness looked at the Queen of Grimm whose red eyes were locked on the Dragon King.
"You… You can heal me from this curse ?" Salem asked him softly but with an undertone of hope in her voice.
"WE CAN… AND WE WILL, IF YOU WISH, ALSO GET RID OF THE DARKNESS WITHIN YOU..." Ancalagon answered her with a nod.
Near them, Fawkes the Phoenix opened his beak to release another thrill and our heroines instantly understood that it was agreeing with his large black friend. Salem, still in shock, looked back and forth between the two powerful beings, thinking about this proposal.
Ever since she befriended Summer and learned about the Black Dragon, the Queen of Grimm dreamed of ridding herself of this terrible curse inflicted on her by the Twin Gods millenniums ago. And today, this dream will come true… along with getting rid of the Grimm part of her.
Internally, she was a little conflicted about giving up her Grimm powers, as they represented a large part of her magical prowess. However, she thought of the opportunity she was being given: without the darkness within her, Salem could live a new life. She would no longer be Salem, the Immortal Queen of Grimm, but simply Salem.
Beside, even if she loses her Grimm power, the creatures themselves would never disappear anyway. They will just return to their own way before she became their Queen.
It was not a total loss.
Shooting a glance toward Summer, Salem could see that, like everyone else, the Huntress was waiting for an answer. Summer had a smile on her face and, when she saw Salem looking at her, she said gently
"No matter what you choose, you will always be my friend..."
Hearing these words, Salem couldn't help but smiling tenderly at her friend before turning back to the Dragon King and Phoenix who were waiting patiently.
Salem then opened her mouth to answer.
(To be continued…)
Note : Yeah I finished this chapter with a CLIFFHANGER ! I JUST LOVE ANNOYING YOU, PEOPLE ! Despite this, I hope you enjoyed not only this chapter but the whole story so far ! Don't hesitate to favor and/or follow it if you hadn't yet !