Chương 1238: 1268 - Miuna's Gathering

"Power is often acquired through dedication and focus. Refining one's intent and backing it up with power. With the Eye of Calamity, forget all of that. It is not the advanced mind that brings it out, that conjures it, directs it, backs it up with power. No, it is the inner mind, the one connected with one's truest nature, the core being, that controls that power. The Eye is not to be controlled but unleashed. Not shackled, directed." Committing every word to memory, Leon listened to the Great Black Dragon speak.

The Eye of Calamity was still beyond his ability to consciously call upon, but if what his draconic Ancestor was saying was true, then it would never be under his control. Unable to contain himself, Leon succumbed to the urge to interrupt, asking, "Are you saying that it's impossible to control? You seem to control it easily enough…"

"What I'm saying, child, is that you think too much like a man." Scorn suffused the Great Black Dragon's tone so completely that Leon could almost touch it.

"You must think like a dragon! Let yourself go, unleash your instincts, resonate with your blood, and be a dragon!" Sighing, Leon gazed out over the mountains and forests of his soul realm, far from his Mind Palace, where all of his more sensitive objects were secured. His soul realm was generally safe from the damaging effects of his own power, but he wasn't going to chance training with the Eye of Calamity around anything that might be genuinely damaged by such practice.

"What is a dragon, then?" Leon inquired.

"How should I 'resonate with my blood' if you can't tell me what that means?"

"It is not something explained but felt." The answer was as unsatisfying as it was vague, and Leon made his disdain for it clear by rolling his eyes and groaning.

"Impudent whelpling," the oh-so-dark dragon beside him scoffed. With a deep scowl, he lowered himself, crouching down to brush his fingers through the few blades of grass that grew on the mountaintop they stood upon. As he did, the skin of his fingers hardened into black scales, and his fingernails turned to vicious claws. All the rest of his human body remained the same, however.

"I was content to never pass on my blood," he quietly admitted, causing Leon's head to whip around in surprise so quickly that his neck popped.

"My brothers coerced me into it. They wanted a Clan, to leave a legacy, have a community around them. They were not satisfied with our family and wanted more. A notion destructive enough on its own, but that they wanted to mate with humans was another thing entirely. I never hid my disgust, even as they found me a partner who bore my only child." Pausing, the Great Black Dragon gave Leon a baleful look.

"Humans are not dragons, I told them. They will never be dragons. We, who exist at the apex of life, are so far beyond them that we are incomprehensible to them. Still, they insisted, and for my brothers, I relented."

"You sound so joyous about it," Leon sarcastically grumbled.

"Not a single speck of regret to be seen, anywhere… Some would kill for children, for a legacy." Scoffing again, the Great Black Dragon growled, "I regret not standing by my principles. I gave in out of love for my brothers, to ensure that the Clans they made would never be left wanting for my power. Or so I thought; not one of my descendants since then— not one —inherited the Eye of Calamity. You are the first.

I have always been vindicated in my views; since none of my descendants have ever inherited my greatest power, none of them have ever been worthy of calling themselves dragons. None … until one mongrel boy, born to a wild girl far from home, in clear defiance of all the precepts I laid forth myself, met the gaze of a Primal Devil, and made the Devil blink." Through the dragon's short speech, Leon remained silent, fascinated and deeply insulted at the same time.

He remained silent even as the Great Black Dragon rose to his feet and glared out over the deep, forested valleys, and the pure rivers that flowed through them.

"If you intend to be the first to prove me wrong, whelp, then you are welcome to try. But you think too much like a man to do so. You must think more like a dragon. The universe is violent, primal, and unforgiving. Do not concern yourself with thought; let your instincts take you. Sense the flow of magic in the universe, how it strums and resonates, and let your blood sing in the same tune. You've done it before, if only briefly."

"You're asking me not to think?"

"I am telling you that you think too much. The Eye of Calamity is not an enchantment; it's not a magical scheme that you can analyze and predict—" A response that had been forming in Leon's head froze as the Great Black Dragon suddenly halted in his explanation, his eyes scanning the valley before them. Golden eyes turned slowly back to Leon, a strange glint sparkling within. In a flash, the Great Black Dragon appeared behind Leon and kicked him in the back, hard.

Though he was barely more than a specter, his kick had great physical force, and Leon went flying off the mountain so fast that he was barely able to loudly curse before he righted himself and arrested his fall. Turning back, anger already spiking, he found the Great Black Dragon in his natural form, immense, four-winged, scales shining like polished obsidian, pursuing him.

Jaws that could swallow a small mountain opened, and a roar that shook Leon's entire soul realm slammed into him like a tidal wave, sending Leon careening downward. Another curse formed upon his tongue, but Leon held his jaw shut as he shot through the valley, pursued closely by his draconic Ancestor.' This is how you want to play? Fine, we can play…' This was Leon's soul realm, and within, he was as good as a god; storm clouds appeared overhead in an instant, and silver-blue lightning coursed through the sky.

Leon refrained from using his power directly on his Ancestor, easily able to pick up on what he intended, but this manifestation of his power threw much of his power stored in his soul realm into turmoil. The chaotic wind of his summoned storm whipped around him and was soon joined by thick sheets of freezing rain.

Through it all, Leon flew, swiftly dipping and diving through the valleys and over the mountains, the Great Black Dragon just behind him, jaws agape and titanic teeth glinting sharply, forcing him to move faster and faster, to not think, to only move. Were he in his physical body, Leon would've turned his attention inward, gauging how magic flowed through his body using his blood as a medium.

As he was in his soul realm and inhabiting his magic body, however, he paid more attention to how magic flowed through his soul realm as a whole. He could feel the chaos of his storm spreading, tearing through the normally silent and serene mountain ranges, filling the soul realm with the sounds of whipping branches and ripping leaves.

So greatly did the wind blow that the air even started to feel less stale, and even loose stones and boulders in the mountains were thrown about, adding the crashing of innumerable avalanches to the cacophony filling this magical space. Through it all, he forced himself to think less and less, to let his power 'fall in tune' with the flow of magic around his magic body.

This was the Great Black Dragon's intention: to force him to do as bidden instead of trying to explain and getting caught up trying to use human language to express draconic ways—or so Leon hoped; he could hardly tell when it came to this particular Ancestor. At some point, he became aware of both Xaphan and the Thunderbird taking to the skies and following at a distance, but aside from the brief mental acknowledgment, Leon paid them no mind. Instead, he focused entirely on the exercise.

It was, initially, discouraging. He felt naught but the expenditure of power and the 'physical' strain on his magic body. But as he lost himself in the chase, paying less attention to where he was going and only letting his instincts guide him, he thought he felt some kind of spark. He couldn't identify it, but he certainly felt… something. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

It was all he would feel throughout the chase, and the Great Black Dragon didn't elaborate when he finally slowed and confirmed that this was his intent, but at least he confirmed that this was, if nothing else, a promising enough start.

As always, Leon's wives looked stunning. Dressed to impress, they made him look far more refined and dignified than he could ever hope to be without them. Given where they were going, such attire was necessary, at least according to Elise and Cassandra—Valeria would've been more than comfortable in armor, while Maia was so uninterested in it that she would've skipped it entirely if she had her way.

Given what it was, however, skipping was not an option: Miuna had not only finished organizing a party, but had sent out hundreds of invitations to notables all over Belicenion. The nature of the Belicenian Games ensured that there was always some social event happening somewhere, if not dozens or hundreds at any given time, but given who Miuna was, this one was expected to be properly large.

And she'd explicitly told Leon that she'd personally made sure that at least one invitation had made it to one of the Great Dragon Clans. She couldn't guarantee that any would accept, but the Great Blue Dragon Clan was the friendliest with her father and had some trade connections with the King's Ocean, at least. With this possibility opened, there was no way in any hell that Leon was going to skip a party, no matter how much political nonsense he had to endure.

If anything, he was happy to accept someone else's efforts, his patience having been worn down significantly over the past few days. Archelaus, Gwarim, Realiz, and even Illum and Nuertis, on occasion, had aided him considerably in dealing with the cavalcade of Storm Lords who wanted introductions after his duel against Mikaela, but much of Leon's free time had still been spent in a courtyard close to Storm Herald, meeting countless Strategoi, dozens of Despots, a handful of Basileis, and even a couple of Anakes.

Thankfully, little of substance had been discussed, but much like with Jericho, there was quite a bit of interest expressed not just in his clear descent from the Thunderbird but also in the materials he produced, most notably thunder wood. Jericho would not be his only high-tier visitor when the Games were over… Now, he and his family had left Storm Herald with his Paladins and a host of Tempest Knights in tow, some of whom were giants, and some were encased in gleaming Ulta suits.

Despite the size of Belicenion, there was a vast network of arcing bands of Lumenite that made getting anywhere easy, and so they quickly reached their destination: a vast palace complex owned by the Ocean King, which Miuna had decided would be the venue for her party. She still preferred to spend most of her days within her palace connected to her jellyfish, or otherwise in Storm Herald, but since she couldn't get away from being her father's daughter, she handled all her official business here.

The palace itself was a panoply of color: the palace itself was covered in multicolored coral, while the sharp spires and wide courtyards were made of sparkling sea-green stone. Statues of heroic figures and monstrous leviathans, all carved from green jade, sapphires, or emeralds, were everywhere, while pools and artificial rivers divided each wing of the palace and large segments of the expansive gardens.

When Leon and his family arrived, there was already a large collection of guards and transport arks either hovering over the forecourt or parked within, but when the all-female staff handling arrivals spotted them, Leon's entire entourage was waved inside. A good thing too, since Leon could practically feel the eyes of everyone outside covering him like a thick, smothering blanket, and leaving his people outside to deal with that wouldn't have been his first choice.

He and his family and entourage were led through halls of coral and jade, passing countless works of sublime art and even more servants moving to and fro, until they were brought to Miuna herself, sequestered in a palanquin and overseeing the other early arrivals gathered in an enormous ballroom.

"Leon!" the Princess called out as they arrived, drawing much attention from the other mages present—some two hundred notables, most of them being Strategoi but with a few Despots and even a couple of Basileis if Leon guessed rightly. Leon's Paladins—aside from Anzu, who remained at his side—and guards posted up at the edge of the ballroom with the large contingent of guards accompanying Miuna, while Leon himself and his family went to Miuna.

It seemed this was special treatment, made all the more apparent by the fact that Miuna's palanquin had been placed above and out of reach of the ballroom floor, ensuring that not only could no one truly get a good look at the Princess, but they also couldn't hope to approach her, either. A few of her favorites were present, including A'Rei, but Leon noted that the friends she'd brought to meet him on Khosrow's Fane were mingling with the crowd instead of beside her.

"I'm always afraid that you'll simply not show up to one of these," Miuna admitted as Leon and his family halted beside her palanquin.

"I'm always tempted to not show up," Leon admitted.

"That was a joke," Elise was quick to add.

"I'm sure it was," responded Miuna playfully, the faint shadow within her palanquin seeming to raise her hand to her mouth as if to hide a smile even though the Princess was already next to impossible to see. Lowering her tone, Miuna informed them, "I was informed that there will be interesting guests today. It will be a gathering to remember, I believe."

"What kind of guests?" Valeria directly asked.

"That's what I love about you, Val," Miuna said, "always straightforward. To answer your question, if I were you, I'd be on the lookout for Fenlen Sharpfang, Pack Father of the Heavenly Wolf Clan. Basileus Panros, too, as he is the Lord of the region north of your Nexus lands. I also received confirmation that Princess Jennifyr of the Great Blue Dragons intends to join us, but with Great Dragons, who can say for certain? Fickle they are, all of them, to a fault…"

Her tone turned teasing by her final statement, and Leon could feel the weight of both her gaze and her smile.

"We'll keep an eye out," he said to her.

"Thank you for the invitation, by the way. It was most generous of you."

"Of course," Miuna happily replied.

"But… there is one more person who might show up, too: Deianira. If she does, she'll be looking to make a scene."

"We can deal with scenes," Cassandra responded, a knowing grin spreading across her face.

"Of that, I already know," Miuna stated, and with that, Leon and his family made for the ballroom's main floor. Almost as soon as they did, they began fielding Lords, most of whom said little more than a greeting and offering Leon their congratulations for defeating Mikaela, an event now a week old yet still on everyone's lips.

It wasn't until a rather bullish man walked over to them, exuding personability and affability, with even his heavy aura, at least thirteenth-tier, feeling light and hardly burdensome at all, that Leon felt his stomach truly drop.

"Leon of House Raime," the man said as he approached, other Lords looking to make their introductions backing off as he made his move.

"That is my name," Leon replied as he and his family turned to face the man.

"A pleasure to meet you, I've heard so much." He extended his arm in greeting, which Leon took, Elise momentarily releasing her hold to allow. At the same time, an eighth-tier mage beside the man, practically walking in his shadow, formally introduced him.

"Despot Leon, before you stands Basileus Triton, trusted friend of the Ocean King, Lord of Abyssal Halfdeep, Icemount, and…" Titles and titles and more titles followed, but for Leon, the man's name was the most important for consideration. Basileus Triton, one of Kamran's most trusted supporters—or at least, one of those identified by Justin, alongside Basilissa Antipatra and Basileus Aeschylus.

Leon's blood all but froze as his brain processed the introduction, and it was all he could do to maintain a straight face and a clear aura.

"Sometimes," Triton said as his attendant finished his long spiel, "I crave the days of yore, when I had few titles to my name. Immortal though we may be, I still rue the time spent on introductions these days. Years I've lost by now, without doubt." Not many words, but Triton took long enough to speak them that Leon reasserted control over himself and managed to respond.

"I've always found them tedious, myself. My people insist on formal occasions, but it's a pleasure to be without the more insistent among them, as I am today. Makes introductions much smoother."

"Of that, I find myself envious." Triton smiled with such affability that had Leon not known he was connected to Kamran, he would never have guessed.

"I bore witness to your duel with Basilissa Mikaela; a fine showing that was, fine indeed! May all the gods and her Ancestors smile upon Princess Miuna for brokering peace between you and the King's Ocean. It takes great foresight and wisdom to set aside hostilities and make peace with an enemy, transforming them into a friend and ally. Should you ever require anything at all, please don't hesitate to reach out to me; I would be happy to lend my services to you, Despot Leon!"

'I'd rather my own sword…' Outwardly, Leon didn't let his thoughts influence his expression and instead plastered as natural a smile as he could over his face and replied, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Basileus Triton. Such a generous offer—" A rising din in the ballroom interrupted him, and he, his family, and Triton all glanced in the direction of the commotion. A pair of guests had arrived, their very presence making a stir. Dragons, as the whispers around them so helpfully informed— two Dragons!

For a moment, Leon entertained the thought that he was about to come face-to-face with his mother, but that thought soon vanished when he laid eyes on the two guests and found neither to be her. Still, he readied himself to meet more of his extended draconic kin, hoping against all hope that he'd have greater luck with them than he did with Nyra…