Chương 90: 157 - Fix

White flames washed through the [Cage of the Sunless Sanctum] with exactly as little resistance as Vivi had expected, puncturing that super-durable hull with no more effort than sound passing through air. When the primordial power met the Faceless Legion, the flames didn't engulf the creature and leave it writhing and twisting in agony—instead, the black sludge vanished. Consumed in an instant.

What was more interesting, though, and what she watched with continued amazement, was how those white flames ignited on previously invisible spider-silk strands spreading outward from the Cataclysm. Several dozen pricks of light zipped past and around her almost faster than she could track. Hunting down the other parts of its body, I assume? Vivi's eyes traced the paths as they shot off into the distance. Or essence, or whatever the thing was. She had suspected from the start it had some sort of diffuse existence.

Here was proof of the theory. And also a demonstration that even its distributed nature couldn't save it. What a terrifying power. With the Cataclysm dead, Cinereus released his hold on the pale fire, and the world returned to its normal color. Everything felt fake when no longer exposed by that brilliant light, false and full of artifice. The uneasy sensation faded by the second, but she half wished it wouldn't. She had learned something by glimpsing those flames, though she couldn't say what. Something useful.

No doubt Cinereus had expected her to draw insight from witnessing that magic. He'd specifically framed the event as 'paying her back.' Cinereus's hands dropped to his sides, and he swayed on his feet. The sight shocked Vivi, though it shouldn't have. The Dragon King had already been exhausted before she had peeled out the Cataclysm from his mind and forcibly awakened him. The way he'd carried himself since then, with his unwavering authority, had made her forget.

She didn't know what kind of toll commanding primordial powers took, but wielding flames that could unravel phoenixes probably came with a cost. He steadied himself, wiping away the flash of weakness, then turned to look at her. Had his hair gone grayer, and were the lines on his features deeper now? Was it regular tiredness making him seem frailer, or a drawback of the power he'd used? There did have to be a drawback. She couldn't ignore what she'd seen, or the implications.

An ability that could eat through anything in the world, and certainly her own most powerful magic. Why wouldn't he use it more often? Perhaps a desire to keep the trump card secret? Maybe he possessed a limited supply of that fire? But why not use it on the other Cataclysms, for example? Cinereus had fought the Ashen Hierophant, once, and nearly died while turning that ancient monster away.

According to the timeline he'd given, he'd stolen the Fires of Creation more than eight thousand years ago, well before that encounter. To be fair, conjuring those flames had taken considerable charge-up time, and while the offensive capability was unmatched by anything she'd seen, she would've had little difficulty dodging. But how much of that buildup had been Cinereus making a statement, letting the Cataclysm squirm as it saw its demise manifest in cupped palms? How functional of a weapon was it?

If the two of them were to fight, could he mix that fire into his spells in real time? No matter the answer, if I stood still and let myself get hit, or was otherwise disabled… There was a real way she could've died if she'd fought the Faceless Legion earlier, if the Dragon King hadn't hidden his best abilities. A chilling thought, and one that prompted her to yet again chide herself for being an idiot.

"Well done," Vivi finally offered, since they had been silently appraising each other for too long.

"Seems like things worked out." The Dragon King had sent a clear message with that display as much as he had 'paid her back' with insight into a primordial power. It didn't take a savvy politician to figure out that much.

'You might've beaten me while I was possessed, but make no mistake, that pathetic creature wasn't me.'

"Thank you for your kind words, Sorceress." His tone was neutral, and she couldn't read anything from it. Her thoughts were still reeling, but she was saved from having to follow up on the discussion by Embralyne flying in. Vivi had almost forgotten about the other dragon. A glance around showed the rest of the palace's subjects remained unconscious. Or were pretending to be.

"Father. Are you…" She seemed to think better of finishing that question.

"Is it over?"

"The threat has been dealt with."

"I see." A brief hesitation, then Embralyne surged forward. Even Cinereus looked surprised when his daughter hugged him. A slightly disapproving expression followed—he did seem to stand on proper decorum more than Embralyne—before he sighed and returned the gesture, pulling her close. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"No father enjoys looking weak in front of his children. I'm glad you're all right, little cinder." Vivi politely averted her gaze. The embrace didn't last long. Embralyne pulled back.

"What were those flames? And what was that thing controlling everyone?" Cinereus's attention shifted to Vivi.

"Might we have a moment? There is much we need to discuss." Like the Fourflame Amulet and why Embralyne had accompanied Vivi in the first place—and a lot more besides. They had skipped explanations since there had been an immediate threat, but that no longer applied. Vivi could give her own account of events, but he would want to hear from his daughter first.

"Very well." Vivi had some cleaning up to do anyway.

"I thank you yet again. Though, Vivisari?" he asked as she turned to fly away.

"Yes?"

"Perhaps shed the disguise. It is unnecessary." Vivi looked down at herself. While she'd worn her real body in Cinereus's memories, she'd been sporting her halfdragon form throughout that fight. She nodded and flew off, returning to her demonic self. Cinereus erected a sound barrier, which she also didn't blame him for. They were allies of convenience, but not more. She might have bought favor with the dragons for… preventing their kingdom's destruction and mental enslavement…

but she doubted that meant Cinereus or his subjects would be swearing fealty to her any time soon. A little more goodwill never hurt. With nothing better to do, and a healthy mana pool, she set to work cleaning up the mess she'd made. The mountainside had seen extensive, deep scarring throughout the fight, and while she wouldn't use [The Clockwork Unwinds] to fix it all, the least she could do was smooth the craters and gouges out with a few geokinesis spells.

She flew around and tried to return the swathes of Thronemont she had abused to their former natural glory. In the process, she collected all the unconscious dragons she'd strewn about. While her healing magic wasn't great, she could patch them up. She laid them in a line afterward. All were knocked senseless. They would remain so for a while longer. The only reason Cinereus was up and about was because she'd used [Awaken] on him. And, of course, because the King of Dragons was a little hardier than his subjects.

Taking care of the palace would be trickier. She had time spells to rely on, though that magic had limitations. For example, it didn't interact properly with living beings or enchanted materials. She couldn't snap her fingers to fix her robes. While the physical cloth would stitch back together, the enchantments would stay damaged, and those were what she cared about more. But, minus any enchantments, time magic could serve wonderfully for putting together the throne room.

While the magic was mana-intensive, she hadn't exhausted herself in the same way she had with other, more extensive fights. She'd squeezed herself dry against void monsters, but that was thanks to the sheer deluge. There'd been an endless flood of the creatures, each as strong as if not stronger than the court of dragons she'd dealt with. While the Dragon King and his daughter spoke—which Vivi tried not to stress about—she patched the holes and blast damage she'd left scattered across the palace.

She really could've been more thoughtful about the collateral damage. All she would have needed to do was fly farther away. That lack of care was one of the larger reasons she was going through the trouble of fixing everything. Cinereus could handle these chores himself, but she was technically here as a diplomat. Basic reconstruction abilities worked fine on most of the palace. The upside with Cinereus having built one of the most titanic structures in the world was that he couldn't feasibly fill all that space.

Most of the holes she'd put in the palace were in massive empty hallways, not vaults of precious items like she had feared. The throne room was worth fixing the full and proper way. The dragon skull behind the throne had been pulverized, since she'd punched a hole through it by blasting Cinereus backward. The royal seat was also destroyed. She couldn't cast [The Clockwork Unwinds] infinitely, but a single throne room? That didn't pose much of a problem.

Cinereus's subjects were unconscious too, so she didn't have to worry about showcasing sensitive magic. Once she'd finished flexing her magical muscles and had restored the opulent and imposing area to its former glory, she turned to Cinereus, who had teleported behind her a few moments after she'd begun the spell.

"I appreciate your continued benevolence, Sorceress," he said, sounding as neutrally polite as usual, "but I ask that you avoid casting temporal magic within my domain." Briefly, she was confused why he would make that request. It hadn't occurred to her that reversing time in the Dragon King's personal abode wasn't the best idea, even as a friendly gesture. Then she remembered that time magic was notoriously unstable… and took mild offense at the implication.

"I'm more than capable of stabilizing an area this large." She gestured around. The Vexaria estate had been several times bigger.

"Even so." He dipped his head in apology. She guessed she should have asked first.

"Are you done talking with Embralyne?"

"The urgent matters, yes. I have a basic picture now."

"And as for Embralyne herself?" she tried asking without sounding like she was fishing. She was still worried about the princess's fate, considering how she had defied her father at Prismarche. A small frown tugged at his lips.

"I will give it thought. A ruler's judgments should never be rushed, when they need not be." Not the most assuring answer, but at least he wasn't immediately putting his foot down.

"And I have more important concerns," he said with a dryness creeping into his tone.

"I owe you a brief discussion at the very least, Vivisari, though I'm afraid I can't afford an extended one. This was the greatest show of weakness my rule has seen, and my rule indeed relies on might more than politics—though the politics are unfortunate in their own right. Three dozen of the strongest of our kind lie defeated at my doorstep, and only a handful are what I would consider strict allies." A sigh.

"Moreover, I am in a weakened state. I have work to do, preparations to make. As soon as I can." Vivi winced, sympathetic. She hadn't considered recent developments from that angle.

"A quick chat is fine for now. I understand." In many ways, she'd prepared for the Dragon King dismissing her outright. The Cataclysm had worked in her favor, funny enough. This sequence of events was maybe the only way she could have procured a candid conversation so soon. He nodded.

"Follow me, then." He teleported away.