Chương 1250: 1280 - Leaders of Dragons

"You know the other Great Dragon Clans far better than I do," said Leon thoughtfully.

"How should we play this?" His mother gave him a slight frown.

"Do not approach this as a meeting with an enemy. Even my father, for all he's done, shouldn't be thought of as such."

"He locked you away, preventing you from finding me and Father," Leon argued.

"He…" Serana began to protest, but she trailed off, offering no further argument. Instead, she shifted the focus.

"Our brother Clans have no incentive to do the same. Treat them as friends. Or if not as friends, then at least as potential allies." She walked over and laid a hand on Leon's cheek.

"Follow my lead, my son." She smiled sweetly before turning away. Over her shoulder, she added, "I'll be expecting the rest of your story, too, Leon. Maybe you should write it down?" With that, Serana walked out of the room, leaving Leon thinking over her last statement.

'That… wouldn't be the worst idea,' he thought. It had occurred to him before, but he'd never had the time to truly sit down and put to paper his story. The runes and decorations on his armor were as far as he'd gotten, and they were vague and stylized, keeping the full picture from anyone who lacked the proper context. But if he wanted his full story to be known, even if it was only for his family to know, then he'd have to record it somehow anyway.

With that thought taking root, he followed his mother out of the private room a moment after her. When he emerged, he found Serana standing there with Elise and Anzu, his wife making some overdue introductions.

"… is Anzu, my husband's adopted brother."

"My greatest pleasure," Anzu said with a short bow.

"Though we are not blood, Leon has always treated me as part of his family. It has been the highest honor of my life to aid him in whatever way he's asked."

"No need to lay it on so thick," Leon said as he walked over and threw an arm over the albino griffin. A stolen glance showed Serana giving Anzu a scrutinizing glare, a contemplative look flickering across her face, and he thought it best to lay out all the details right then and there.

"I found Anzu only a little over a year after leaving the Forest of Black and White. We can get into it later, but he's a griffin who has been my constant companion ever since." With his words, Serana coolly said to Anzu, "Dragons do not accept others into their households easily. You are quite blessed." She turned to Elise and said, "The other Clans are waiting. I'd rather they not wait any longer than is necessary."

Elise's smile froze, and Leon could read in her body language that she wasn't happy with Serana's attitude toward Anzu. Anzu himself didn't seem enthused, but neither was he particularly put out.

'Going to have to work on that later, too,' Leon thought as he kept his arm around Anzu. Aloud, he said, "Let's welcome the other dragons in, then…"

Leon stared at the dragons across from him, all wearing their Clan's colors proudly, making identifying them easy for him even if it weren't for the scales that most exhibited. Serana stood beside him, almost defensively glaring at the six leaders of the Great Dragon Clans as if daring any of them to try and separate them again. Jennifyr and Varon, meanwhile, were in the middle and to the side, looking like they were ready to play mediators if the need arose.

The rest of Leon's friends and family weren't present, as this 'wasn't an issue for them', as the Red Dragon openly stated. When the door closed and sealed them in, Leon expected some kind of challenge, as he'd come to expect from the Great Dragon Clans. His personal experience with them so far had largely amounted to posturing and arrogance.

As if to confirm his preconceptions, the dark-skinned Great White Dragon Patriarch stepped forward, a serious frown on his handsome face, saying, "A long conversation was had with our everdark brother, my dear niece. We've been given his side of the story, but it didn't explain nearly enough, and has left us with many questions about why this young man displayed Doomfire in that duel. Perhaps you'd like to add your side so that we have all the details?"

Leon held up a hand just as his mother was about to respond, and, taken aback by his boldness, she remained silent.

"You're a guest on my ark," Leon said, drawing the man's attention, as well as that of the other five. It was clear enough that these six were fifteenth-tier mages, and that made their attention heavy, almost too much for Leon to ignore. However, after his ascension, he startled himself by how well he managed to weather it. He continued, "Perhaps we ought to have some proper introductions? My name is Leon Raime."

Smiling, he met the Great White Dragon Patriarch's gaze, not flinching even when his eyes narrowed slightly. He heard his mother almost inaudibly snort in amusement, but it was Jennifyr who charged into the conversation, looking like she was trying to head off a terrible clash.

"Please, there's no need for such… direct words. Let's all relax and… yes, some introductions are necessary, aren't they, Leon? After all, you're kin." Her sea green eyes swiveled from Leon to the blue-dressed Patriarch, and under her withering stare, his straight and formal posture relaxed slightly.

"Brother," he whispered, and the Great White Dragon Patriarch clicked his tongue but followed suit.

"Leon," Jennifyr continued, eager to move quickly past any friction in the meeting, "this is Prasinos, the Patriarch of the Great White Dragon Clan, and one of the most measured and sincere voices throughout our Clans." The White Dragon nodded in agreement, and after being so called out, he relaxed further. Jennifyr continued with introductions, identifying first her father, Ouros, the blue-dressed Patriarch, then red-clad Kallon, gold-bedecked Rayos, and gray-attired Tiir.

She then allowed Varon to introduce the final Great Dragon Clan leader: his mother, green-robed Merenni. Presenting a united front, none of them spoke or even so much as nodded. [The arrogance of dragons,] the Thunderbird whispered pointedly from his soul realm. [Some things never change. I wonder how long it will be until that particular trait leads to their downfall…] [Your Clan is nearly extinct, while mine and my brothers' thrive,] the Great Black Dragon shot back.

[You, Reacher, are not nor shall you ever be in a position to judge us.] Tuning out their bickering, Leon returned his attention to the matter at hand. Serana took a step forward and cast her golden gaze around the room, making eye contact with all eight of Leon's other guests.

"Many years ago," she slowly explained, "my father allowed me to venture out into the universe. It was my first time away from home, and I… I loved every second of it. The lack of strict rituals to observe, the people I could talk to without pretension, the lands I could see, the works of the people who lived there… And… the man I fell in love with." Draconic eyes widened, and Leon heard several muffled gasps.

"I married that man," Serana admitted, startling the others even further.

"He bore a bloodline of his own, though I hadn't known it was so illustrious at the time. Artorias Raime, one of the last scions of the Thunderbird Clan, was the man I took as my husband, the man I gave my heart entirely to. Given our bloodlines, I hadn't expected any result would come from our union, at least not so soon, but not even a year later, a miracle happened…" Stolen novel; please report. Golden eyes turned to Leon, warm and loving, and Serana smiled.

"My Leon," she said.

"My son." Basking in her gaze, Leon felt the next moment pass as slowly as it could, but it ended sooner than he would've preferred. Serana's gaze sharpened, and she turned back to the Dragon Lords patiently waiting for her to finish.

"What did my father say?" she demanded.

"What lies has he spread about my son? It looked like all of you were ready to execute my boy when you arrived or at least drag him off to be hotly questioned!"

"My dear girl," Merenni placatingly said in a motherly tone, "don't mistake our concern for hostility." Tiir added, "By ancient custom and the bonds of kinship, we will bring no harm to any who bear the blood of dragons."

"We are curious," Kallon stated, "about this new nephew of ours. That is all."

"Tell me what my father said," Serana repeated with less patience.

"He said the boy is a bastard," Rayos bluntly stated. Leon appreciated his direct attitude, at least, even if the meat of the statement set his heart aflame.

"He said that you were taken advantage of, dear niece, and that this young man had made undue demands of you."

"Demands?!" Serana almost shrieked.

"Bastard?! Has my father lost his mind?! This is my son! I was dragged from the villa I shared with my husband when we were attacked by Kamran's cowardly, weak-kneed boot-lickers by Ryker and Fain, and they abandoned my son and husband! My father placed me under house arrest to ensure that I couldn't return to find them!" That accusation silenced the room, and a heavy air settled around Leon and Serana. Stepping forward, Prasinos spoke for the others when he asked, "Such denunciation…

I know my everdark brother well, and he cares for nothing more than his family. He always told me that you had been affected by the loss of your mother and had immersed yourself in training."

"He lied," Serana spat.

"He didn't want to be judged for what he did to me! And now… because I wasn't there…" Grief broke through her anger, nearly keeping her from finishing, but she fought through her cracking and quivering voice to say, "My husband was killed. And my son… was forced… to find me on his own!" Jennifyr moved to her side so quickly Leon almost thought she teleported. Merenni joined her, too, abandoning her position with the Patriarchs.

"And you, Leon?" Ouros asked, the Blue Dragon's gaze meeting Leon's.

"What have you to say to this?" Leon cocked his head in exaggerated surprise.

"You're asking me? Not just going with an immediate assumption? Please forgive my shock…"

"This is a grave matter," Prasinos cut in.

"I ask that you do not treat it so flippantly."

"I'll try," Leon cheekily responded.

"My mother has the right of it. I was raised with my father alone, always looking over our shoulder for any sign that those who attacked our home and caused my mother to be taken away might come back. And they did, with my father laying down his life to ensure that I kept mine. Over these past two and a half centuries, I have trained and conquered, ensuring that when this moment came, I would have the strength to ensure that my mother and I could never be parted again."

He crossed his arms over his chest, punctuating his statement with severe intent, hammering the point home. There'd be no compromise, not in this case.

"We would never part mother from son," Rayos said.

"You bear the power of our everdark brothers, that much is not in dispute. But it leaves us with a conundrum: if your allegations are true, then that means Fargrim lied to us."

"Or he told the truth as he saw it," Tiir stated.

"What matters most is Clan unity; no matter his intentions, he separated his daughter from his grandson. That is… disturbing to hear."

"It's unprecedented," Kallon added.

"Never before has one of our blood been so abandoned!" The Red Dragon took a step away from the others and glanced back at Leon.

"Leon, my everdark nephew… you have languished in obscurity for so long… will you return to Arushae with us at the end of the Games? A new addition to the Clans is a rare thing and must be celebrated!" Murmurs of agreement came from the others, but Leon quashed them, saying, "I can't. I have a Kingdom to manage, and after the duels I've fought since leaving the Nexus, there likely won't be a Lord in the Storm Lands who won't have heard of me.

Kamran will soon know my name, too, and he played no small part in the fall of my father's line. He'll move against me at some point, and I must be ready."

"The Storm Lands don't matter," Rayos declared, the gold scales adorning his temples seeming to sparkle in agreement.

"Leave them and put them out of mind." Such a question was hardly worth considering in Leon's mind.

"No," he said without hesitation.

"I have built too much to abandon. I will not cast away those who pledged themselves to me, nor will I ignore the responsibilities that that has left me with. I am their King, not a parasite that will stop sucking up their wealth when a juicier host comes along."

"You would be no parasite on us," Rayos insisted.

"No bearer of draconic power could ever be described as such."

"Correct," Leon replied, "I will not be a parasite. Because I'm not joining you on Arushae. Let me make this clear: I am the last of the Thunderbird Clan. While I am flattered by your offer, it is to that Clan that I have to see to first." Within his soul realm, the exchange between the Thunderbird and the Great Black Dragon had gone quiet for a while, and that didn't change, but Leon could almost feel the pride coming from his avian Ancestor.

It was somehow more powerful even than the judgment he could feel from the other one.

"That is…" said Prasinos with uncertainty.

"Give us some time, if you would. This situation is unprecedented. It has been many cycles of Reconstitution since anyone has shared a bloodline with one of ours. It's been so long that I don't believe any of us are old enough to even remember it."

"The strength of a dragon bows to nothing," Kallon declared as he fixed Leon in his fiery gaze, though his tone wasn't as hostile as his words implied.

"Take care not to neglect it."

"I give my blood all due attention," Leon said. [Liar,] the Great Black Dragon hissed. The Thunderbird responded with loud and boisterous laughter.

"That… can be debated later," Prasinos said, heading off what looked like an imminent argument.

"For now, Leon, we have met you. We know you, now. And you can rest assured that you will not be forgotten. Let us part ways and come to grips with this new reality, and speak later. Serana, will you come with us back to the fleet?"

"No," she immediately said.

"I've been parted from my son for too long; I'm not leaving him again." A smile pushed its way onto Leon's lips, and he didn't have the will to fight it.

"Very well," Prasinos said. No more discussion was had; the other dragons left in short order, leaving Leon alone with Serana. She looked equal parts furious and ready to cry, but when she turned back to Leon, she had only one thing to say: "Your story. Keep going."

Ever since that damned duel, a bitter tension had clenched around her heart, ensuring that no matter what, she couldn't relax.

'A damned dragon?! How did that bitch find him?!' Deianira marched through the halls of the prison like it was a parade ground, legions of guards and attendants ready to fulfill her every whim. This one, however, she wasn't sure how to fulfill… Troublemakers were no strange thing on Belicenion; when millions of Lords and their followers gather on the plane, there are always some who disturb the peace or ignore her father's laws as well as good sense.

Rare was much attention paid to them, but the plane was dotted with prisons of all sorts, ensuring that no matter the offense, the offender could be properly punished, or at least removed from the populace until the Games were over. The prison she found herself in was one of the deepest and most remote; it was the place where post-Apotheosis mages went to if they defied her father's peace.

"… and he's been silent since his arrival," the prison warden beside her said quietly, their voices not carrying far. Her guards could hear them, but she'd handpicked them for their loyalty—and their looks, though she wouldn't ever admit that out loud.

"How sharply has he been questioned?" she asked.

"We've given him to many of our most skilled interrogators," the warden answered.

"Still, he refuses to answer why he sought out Princess Serana." Deianira scowled. Even after a week, this damned beast hadn't revealed anything more than what he'd said when Deianira had first been made aware of him. She knew his master and what he'd been sent to do, but beyond that… the creature remained tight-lipped. And now, with the reveal of just who his master was connected to and how strong he was, it left Deianira with a problem: how to handle the prisoner.

"What are our options for getting rid of him?" she directly asked the warden as they paused before a set of Adamant doors at the end of the hall. Runes had been etched into every surface of the doors, both modern and ancient, commanding oceans of power to ensure that the prisoner within couldn't escape—all the other enchantments within the cell were made nearly redundant by the power of the doors.

"Releasing him would be the easiest thing to do," the warden bluntly said, the speed with which he said it making it clear that this was his preferred option.

"Other than that… the death of a post-Apotheosis mage is no small thing, and his master…"

"It's not your place to worry about that mongrel," Deianira said. A contemplative look spread across her face as an idea that had remained in the back of her mind until that moment came to the fore.

"Never mind. Transfer him to my palace. I'll handle him personally. He'll be left with no choice but to do what I command once I'm finished with him…"

"By your word, Princess," the warden replied. He began giving orders to the prison guards following at a distance, and put her command into motion. The prisoner—'Clear Day', if he wasn't lying about his name—was now to be placed in her direct custody. A toothy grin spread across her face as she imagined what she could do to him; there were plenty of benefits she could reap if she could successfully infiltrate one of her playthings into the retinue of a Great Black Dragon.

From that vantage point, she might even be able to strike at the bitchy heiress…

'Wait for it, Father. I'll show you something that even you could never accomplish!'