"Time is not for those bound to the mortal coil"
Gwenaries, Goddess of Time, later regretted her decision and is now looking to establish a proper presence in the world.
"Old Dwarven design fortress huh, are those lava lakes I can feel from here?" Catarina asked as Idun and William gave her a tour of the Fortress, now that the Knights had their Headquarters back many were back in the city minus a select few who showed interest in Magi-Tech and stayed behind to learn it.
"Aye, We have converted most of it into workstations, and Lady Lucrezia helped us even."
William grinned "That was nothing, your people did half the work" he took off his coat and placed it under his arms "are the crops here enough for you all?"
"The crops aye but the men have been asking for more meat..." he opened a door to the big workshop where all the items William had come up with and waited for William and Catarina.
"I must say I'd never expect to actually meet the only clan that follows Raa’Tyrius. I heard of your exile and I must say it is a shameful display by the dwarven elders. To scoff at the God who merges both Science and Magic tsk tsk"
William spoke "Loads of old blood interests there, set to lose enough coin that it could hurt their finances. Plus the priesthood doesn't wanna deal with new upcoming Gods, even if said God is the son of their creator."
Idun perked up, unaware his plight had made news to other nobles of the kingdom "The journey has been hard yes Lady Silverbrand, but we aren't ones to run away from adversity. Raa’Tyrius may be a minor God today but with our Lady's help, I'm sure we will rival the big churches in due time. Not to say spread Magi-Tech to all corners of the world"
"Is that your dream Master Idun?" Catarina asked her tone a bit more serious.
"Aye, it is Miss. Raa’Tyrius knows how many are out there just waiting to unlock the gift. They may not have the skills for traditional magical arts or sciences, but with Magi-Tech they will unlock their full potential."
William couldn't help but feel a bit of pride. Here it was someone who even, after all, he went through still kept the faith, both in himself and in the mission given by Raa’Tyrius. And that even if the Gods had meddled with them. The fact he was able to support the Dwarf was worth something. something good that would not just bring death and destruction but life and peace.
God knows he needed a little bit of good karma.
"So this is the machine then?" Catarina pointed to the 10 huge bodies of steel and mana crystal. They looked like boxes with a tall pyramid top on them. According to Idun, the mathematics of the shape helped with the optimization of mana usage.
"Yes, as long we have the raw goods which you can see on those long tables there" William pointed them out "Also a Magi-Tech invention. as they effortless bring the goods to be processed to the machines" Catarina nodded impressed "As for people making the operation, you need at bare minimum 5 Raa’Tyrius acolytes and 10 or so Magi-Tech trained individuals. Of course, if you can get a church permit that can be slashed down unless you upscale the operation"
The bait was set.
Catarina gave William a wide smile. he knew getting a church permit was akin to waste a solid month in the bureaucratic machine of the kingdom, who even after 2 reforms by the church of All-Father's whose sphere englobed bureaucracy was still not up to par when it came to speed.
But the Silverbrand woman knew whose palms to grease and who to talk to get that rolling in less than a week. Catarina nodded and said "It would be my pleasure Lady Lucrezia"
"Idun, do you have people ready to preach the good word?" the dwarf nodded and said "Aye we can spare as much as 15 people without losing manpower down here My Lady, with the city folk coming in we, might be able to spare more"
Catarina said "More than enough Master Idun, trust me on this Vermilion will welcome Raa’Tyrius with open arms, as long you don't mind sharing said arms with a plethora of other Gods that is" she laughed as Idun and William smiled. William was happy he would get a Raa’Tyrius church down in the Capital. It would be a FOB should need be when he has to make his way to the Academy next year.
"To think I wanted to fast forward time so I could enjoy my life in the Capital as a spoiled brat, and now I want to learn godsdamned Necromancy and Mind Magic."
"It's not damned, Martius made enough progress to hunt and eliminate almost all rogue necromancers and mind mages out there. The Unbroken and his followers may be a bit morose yes but they are still people Lucrezia. "
William could feel the young woman roll her eyes deep down "Cry me a river, William. I need not hear the good deeds of the one God that can and will probably see what is up with me and you and sic us to some divine punishment. And don't you start with the sob stories and "good quests" I do not like him and that's not changing"
William sent her an image of him raising his hands, he had touched in yet another sore topic.
Smooth as always.
"I must say Lady Lucrezia, Master Idun. I'm impressed with how clear and smooth the operation is being run here, but that storm I saw coming here worries me, earlier you told me about tunnels? I saw one being built right in front of Highway..."
William nodded and said "An understandable concern Lady Silverbrand, please follow me" they walked towards Idun's office and William plopped down a map he had ready "As you can see it connects the entire city to the Fortress down here, the tunnels will also serve as a way to pipe hot air to the homes of my citizens as the storms rage on. Together with food and other supplies" he pointed around the entrances and pathways "Together with Idun is Arch-Druid Gabriel and his druid circle of Winter Elves"
"Oh? Winter Elves? how interesting! Tell me Lady Lucrezia would you know if those elves are interested in trading as well? I know their kind tends to isolate themselves to worship the spirits in peace..."
"I'll speak with Freya and have her give you a tour of the place then."
William and Catarina stayed in Idun's office ironing out some other details while the dwarf in question went back to his work, William then saw two orcs and a human plop a huge apparatus in the middle of one of the workshops. He then noticed the pipes coming out of it
"Is that one of those weird musical instruments your planet has where you press keys to make a sound?"
Lucrezia was right it was a Magi-Tech church organ! goddamn they actually managed to build it from his sketches
"That is amazing I must say, Raa’Tyrius's miracles are nothing to scoff at, even if you and he aren't actually creating anything new"
William heard one of the orcs clear his throat and began playing the massive instrument, a steady and even rhythm began filling the whole Fortress, the other orc and human began to sing in an unknown language to William, and soon the entire place was deep in music. The sound had a clash and mixture of both Classical and Electronic music for William's Terran ears but when he took a look at Catarina he realized he had another source of revenue to tap into it.
"I can feel it in my bones! Tivir's Scales that's one powerful musical instrument!" Catarina had to speak loud thanks to the music "Lady Lucrezia is that Instrument for sale?!"
"And a few more Miss Catarina, for the right price that is" William flashed the woman a grin.
"Keep this up and we will get nailed by a merchant's blessing William"
"Rare is the day when a non-member of a merchant family gets blessed by them, even up and coming entrepreneurs have to make do with other Gods to close the gap" William was reminded of a particular quest chain in-game where the protagonist had to help a Classmate who was born and raised as a warrior but his true passion was in being a merchant.
Lucrezia paused, William felt some hesitation flow from here before she steeled herself and spoke again.
"Does this...The protagonist has a name?"
"Hope, her name is Hope Morgan Fritz, yes the Fritz of mercenary fame"
Lucrezia cursed loud in his mind "Fucking the bloody Ironhound's heir? Unbelievable, you know their parents are holders of the Rage-that-Dwells right? does that...Shit"
William could feel Lucrezia's panic at the particular piece of info she had just discovered.
"The third Prince as well, both at the same level as our Queen at the end stages of the game, that's right three individuals with the power of an Abyssal Champion walking around in the world" He laughed at the absurdity of it, now that he was living in this world it hit him just how strong Hope could become.
"With an All-Father's blessing on top of that, what's next she can turn copper into gold? don't answer that William I know gameplay conventions demand the protagonist to be special but this is too much!"
William himself was excited at the prospect of helping Hope in learning how to tame her powers, if everything goes according to his plan the young woman will be pivotal in saving the Arch-Duke's daughter after all.
"We are also bound by the Rage-that-Dwells Lucrezia" William decided it was time to reveal it.
Lucrezia didn't speak for several seconds, he could feel her emotions tramping one another before she got her act together and asked.
"When?"
"Your final boss battle before the Academy part of the game is over, you are the one who teaches the player how to tap into it at first due to how the Blessing of the All-Father works"
"How does that work again? something about letting one become whole with the world?"
"It shortens the time to learn anything, be it languages, skills, schools of fighting and magic, even prayers and benedictions, plus every God even Fallen will bend themselves over it to get a bit of that power for them, I'm sure you can see why the protagonist has such power from a gameplay perspective right? same for story reasons as well as world-building."
Lucrezia stayed silent for a while. The game knowledge she had acquired and processed so far allowed her to understand what William meant, but that didn't mean she was happy with the conclusion she had gotten from the conversation.
"To think we will be outshined by an upstart peasant tsk, I thought with your-"
"Don't you dare speak of her in that tone"
Lucrezia got alarmed, her emotions going from smug to pure shock then to shame.
"Forgive me, William, I've overstepped my bounds" He felt the young woman raise her hands, William returned to Catarina to take his mind off it.
He knew he cared a bit too much when it came to the game, he had caught himself defending its less than strong points several times online after all. The attachment that was there was beyond normal and definitely not healthy. But goddamn it was his favorite game! it kept him going even at his lowest! surely that had to account for something right? it had to mean something!
There would be no satisfactory answer for that question and he knew it, he decided to focus on Catarina for now, giving her a more detailed tour of the fortress.
Nothing like exploring magical underground castles to brighten the mood after all.
In the dead of the night, grunting sounds could be heard from one of the training grounds in the castle, a cadre of young men and women all in Squire garbs doing a series of exercises and mock combat, amidst them a fair figure lied there, her silvery gray hair tied in a neatly done ponytail and azure eyes staring defiantly towards Erwin.
The man couldn't help but feel a bit weird out by that stare, it felt like there was something more to it, a hunger even that threatened to devour him whole. He shook these thoughts out of his head as he barked more orders to the ones doing push-ups, Lucrezia included.
"At Ease!" Erwing spoke out loud
They formed up and straighten themselves out, a few stealing glances at the young woman. Erwin shook his head once again and spoke "Recruits! I'm sure you all have noticed our new arrival, but make no mistake you maggots, inside this grounds I AM IN CHARGE, is that understood?"
"YES KNIGHT-COMMANDER" they at the top of their lungs and Erwin got to it, barking orders as they went through the motions, not once Lucrezia complained about him pushing her thrice as hard. Erwin knew about the innate powers of Magnetism, having fought against one Arcane Knight in the Grand Arena years past so he was comfortable with it.
He could also feel the waves of Lucrezia's Battle Fever slowly but surely mutating into Battle Lust, the variant that made many a warrior lose themselves in sheer orgasmic pleasure in taking lives on the battlefield.
Master Gabriel's potions better work he thought, he saw the young woman chugging them like they were water given to a man who just walked out of the desert, Erwin barked another order and the cadre went back to push-ups. he walked to Sigrún and sighed.
"How bad is it?" he asked
She shook her head "Greater Blessing for sure, and I'm willing to bet an offer to become a High Succubus from the lady herself"
Erwin laughed humorlessly, A High Succubus as Duchess? crazy times he lived in indeed.
"At this rate, Uumaries might send her Paladins together with the Prince's forces whenever that asshole gets here. Anyway, you think that ritual she told us about will hold until the Blessing Ceremony?"
Sigrún nodded "It should yes, but I'm afraid of the backlash it will cause, usually even for ones Cursed by that detestable Goddess they have to grow into the Curse before it turns into a proper Blessing..."
Erwin asked "What are the perks of it again? Saal'Xhirs blessing I mean"
"The usual, High Libido, Fleshwarp into the blessed's views of what beauty is, total knowledge of everything related to love, the Greater variant will also boost her stamina and mana reserves ten to twenty-fold depending how much the Lady is feeling when the day comes. And in Lucrezia's case she definitely getting a bad case of Battle Lust, not much we can do to stop that Erwin"
Only delay, as Master Gabriel said earlier when he gave him the potions.
"It will change her" Erwin spoke in fear, he had heard the horror stories of people who couldn't handle the blessing, it was too strong even to long-lived species like elves or vampires.
"Lady Lucrezia has shown time and time again she has the resolve of a titan Erwin, I believe she will be able to weather the storm, if that fails Saal'Xhir is not one to scoff at pleas, she would need to go the grand temple in the capital to plead her case, I've seen the Goddess remove blessings before when it came to nobles.
They watched as the Cadre moved to mock combat, Lucrezia easily handling 5 other squires on her lonesome, but her cheeks were already flushing red. a telltale sign of the woes Erwin had just spoken of.
"Have faith dear, that girl will lead us to a better tomorrow even with the weight of the world on her shoulders" Sigrún spoke softly while holding Erwin's hand. He calmed a little and returned to the Squires, telling them what they were doing right and wrong and helping those who needed it the most. Sigrún helped the others and even had a mock fight with him to show them how to properly use Ki to coat their shields and swords.
Goddess willing this would drill enough into Lucrezia's mind to help her in the tribulations to come.
William stood proud looking at the Magi-Folk from the Diamond Reefs work in the repairs together with his own people, he could hear the smiles, laughter, and even some happy crying here and there. Families with big smiles on their faces buying seafood and merchants hugging each other as this big reunion happened amidst the repairs. It made him feel a joy he had rarely if ever felt before.
"I didn't...I didn't know the people here were this connected, I must confess when we broke the deal with the Diamond Reef Queen it was mostly for the economy of the Duchy. To think these people know each other this well. It's almost like watching old friends reunite" Lucrezia said.
William smiled "It is exactly that Lucrezia, you might've missed but the bounds you allowed to be made here were very much felt in the Mermen population under the sea. Think for a moment, it wasn't so long ago their cousins were at war against the nobles in the west due to the many dams that were built in that region. The mermen here aren't fighters and warriors, they are simple folk who are more than happy to make ties with the earth walkers"
Lucrezia whistled " It pleases me you have such an affection for all of this you know, even if it means..."
"Means the melding must've gone up a little you mean? I don't think so Lucrezia, I haven't had more memories from you in a while. Plus you do know I did love the game by now, don't you?" William said.
Lucrezia hummed "I sure hope so"
Hraax showed up together with a guard of Shark Mermen, huh William thought, he didn't know the beastfolk and magi-folk had joined hands at this stage, in the game it took the protagonist's interventions to get the beastfolk to work together with their magical brethren.
William walked along the beach into the water, using a panel of iron to float towards Hraax he bowed when he reached her and said "Princess Hraax, I'm glad to see you. Let us make haste for the grand opening for our new deep-sea port!"
"My Friend Lucrezia, before we begin I have a gift from my mother" she called one of the sharks following her, who bowed and pulled a bone war ax from his back.
"Carved by my father himself one of the best weaponsmiths of the Reefs, this is pure Sea Dragonbone, there won't be steel or iron that will stop its blade" William doubted that since Dragonbone weapons were mid-tier at best with sharp drop-offs late game once the player had access to divine enhanced gear but still, free loot was free loot.
He took the ax and tested a few swings, it worked perfectly. He passed the weapon to Saa'ryu who had come with him today taking some time off her duties as treasurer, Catarina had asked to walk around the city, apparently, she loved to sightsee whenever she was dispatched far away from her hometown.
Hraax and William walked around for some time, talking with the people and eating from food stalls, then they went to the edge of the repair site, and with the help of an out sight Acolytes William announced the official repairs of the port with fireworks, cheers and claps followed as many bowed or muttered small prayers.
"Mother says you will be able to visit after she is done with the lunar celebrations. My husband is dying to meet you, he's still mad he lost the fight due to his injury at the rite of courtship haha" Hraax said with a smile. William knew about the rite, something about fighting Krakens in the deeper reaches.
"Is that the one where one must fight a Kraken?" He asked
Hraax nodded "Yes, usually it's aunt Xakraz but she and her wife are off on a spiritual journey last I heard, so old man Yellowbone was awoken to fill for them. and lemme tell you Lucrezia, he wasn't happy"
William had to laugh, he had heard about the Yellowbone, the meanest Kraken there was in this region of the world but he had grown old and lazy, he also remembered that there was a suit of armor and staff named after him that you would gain at the end of a side quest where one has to clear a shrine that worships him, only for the lazy Kraken muck it all up when giving the rewards.
"You think the port will be done before the storm hits?" William asked
Hraax hummed "Mayhaps, we got the best of the best working here but I don't know if the port will be ready for any ships after the storm blows past us, we might need to deploys defensive wards and that will take time,"
"Do it so, If you need crystals. talk with Saa'ryu or Master Idun at the Fortress and they will set you right" Willam said
"Ahh, I heard about your little Mine inside the castle Lucrezia, fascinating stuff I must say. I will certainly take you up on that offer. Gods know the spell weavers we have under the waves are wasteful when it comes to magical wards...Forgive my rant friend, learning magic from those old barnacles was not fun" Hraax lost a bit of the glow reminiscing those old times. William pat her in the back and said.
"Cheer up Princess, today you are a hero, not a little girl learning how to conjure water for the first time. Go out there and have some fun! and don't forget to boast about your part in the battle" Hraax nodded and went off, this time with a little more spring on her step, her shark escorts followed her but the one who gave the ax stayed behind and said with a deep but oddly melodic voice.
"Thank ye human, the Lady has been in a dour mood as of late due to the injury her mate sustained and the earful she got from the Queen for being in that battle of yours without proper help from us" He extended his shark hands towards William "Graax son of Gra, should the Duchy need a few heads smashed and eaten you can call me and my boys" William took the hand and gave the merman a hearty handshake.
"I will take you up on that Offer Graax, a pleasure meeting you" the mermen smiled and walked off towards his Princess.
"How in All-Father's name are you able to have a casual talk with that...that Monster! he's thrice our size William! and that smile"
William felt Lucrezia shudder in fear.
"I could see the teeth gods above and below, fucking spirits couldn't you give them normal regular teeth?!" Lucrezia hissed in his mind.
"I didn't know you were afraid of sharks, or mermen shark for that matter" William said smugly.
That got Lucrezia angry.
"I. AM. NOT. AFRAID."
William sent an image of him raising his arms in defeat and waited for Lucrezia to calm down.
"So much for that" he muttered and wondered off
"Big feller that one, you gonna call for aid from the Diamond Reefs when the prince comes?" Saa'ryu spoke
"If they break into the city maybe, I don't know about fighting further inland. I would need crab and other amphibian Beast and their Magi-Folk variants there"
William brought a pair of crab legs and dipping sauce from a merwoman cart and sat down on a bench overlooking the festivities.
"I never understood why the Spirits felt the need to create two separated species since Regular beast-folk can use magic and even get inborn traits ala the magi ones," Saa'ryu said
"Gods knows what was going on in their heads when they made them Saa, you would need to ask one to get an actual answer" William took a big bite from the leg and continued "Don't ask Winter, they are very touchy about the subject, Summer is your best bet when it comes to Spirit lore, or you can read the books in the library in the castle."
Saa'ryu sighed "The fact Winter Spirits cast aside their Names always made me a bit sad you know? I know they had a closer relationship with those who lived here before All-Father came, but even then, it's been what eons? I only wish we could do something for them. Give them closure"
William smiled thinking of a particular side quest from the game, one lone magical theory professor working tirelessly in the Grand Academy, and the temple hidden in the northern wastes.
"According to a book I found in my parent's library" a good lie as any since they had a huge personal library "There is a grand temple of these ancient ones deep in the wastes. Maybe we could find something there?" William set the bait hoping Saa'ryu would pick it.
The maid smiled but it didn't reach her eyes "I'll dispatch some of my own then, anything to help these ageless beings to find some semblance of closure..." Saa'ryu shook her head "I'm sorry Lu, I'm being a downer mid celebrations"
"It's ok, I didn't know you cared for the spirits. You don't strike me as a druid after all" William laughed softly at the thought of the hardened assassins in front of him turn into a peace-loving forest defender.
"I have no love for the Gods Lu, they are too unpredictable for me. Plus you know even the weakest out there can return to the Sacred City of the All-Father." she took a pause and drank her mead "The Spirits? they don't have that luxury, the beast and magi-folk they created either turned to the gods or disregarded them in most cases, Druid circles like Gabriel's are rare for a good reason."
"It doesn't feel right, they were abandoned together with the Ancients by their Goddess. All-Father should've hunted her down and made her at least see the destruction she brought to this world before he came and fixed it all up" Saa'ryu lost steam as her rant ended, her head going down.
It was a shame the game never gave information on where the Ancient's Goddess went or why she left in the first place, for William had read this very same argument from other players before, and the fact they would the Ancient's fate as a hook for DLC or a sequel.
A young Beastfolk woman approached them, Wiliam's eyes noticing her cat ears and tail, and the horrible scar that crossed her face into the left eye and cheek, he also noticed Saa'ryu drop her left hand to her hidden blade but after checking that the woman meant no harm she went back to drinking.
The young woman bowed and produced a small medallion. One William recognized as a late-game item that boosted luck, she placed it in his palm and with a heavy nod and what he was sure was a few tears left.
"You find that medallion in a burned-down home on the way to the castle," Lucrezia said her tone heavy. "We can't have a moment of joy can't we?"
"Training with the Knights was fun, even if those potions tasted like foul cold medicine" William was complaining but the drinks did work in the end, allowing him to get a good dosage of workouts and grunt training.
They stood watching as the sun went down and people began lighting bonfires to ward off the night. it felt peaceful in a way William and Lucrezia knew they wouldn't have after today. for their tasks and responsibilities grew by the hour and the threat of the storm was ever-present.
But today they would relax, they earned that much at the very least.
Catarina was under heavy worker garbs as she, Idun, Lucrezia, and the elven twins went around the worksite in the main cave system that would become a city underground. She was honestly impressed with the speed and efficiency of the druids and dwarves who were already connecting the whole Duchy to this underground hub.
She also could feel the heat coming from the pipes all around her, getting those into every home would take time and effort but Lucrezia assured her she could do it before the storm was due.
"As you can see Lady Silverbrand my people and the Dwarves here have this under control, sure it is being done on a timetable that's rushed due to Winter's End but in my honest opinion, the circle has grown rusty of late. And this is the right proper workout for them" Gunn the elven twin sister of Freya was very talkative with Catarina, she was the one most interested in breaking deals for goods from the Capital as well.
Very intense and focused woman Catarina found, she was used to aloof elves in the Capital, as they were some of the oldest beings there but not this Winter Elf she met, Gunn was sharp and grounded which proved a lovely chance of pace.
"I must say it is simply marvelous how these Magi-Tech enhanced pipes work Master Idun, to take inspiration from the system employed by the High Elves of Kehheim and also supply heat together with water and sewage? a stroke of genius" Catarina said.
The dwarf had a proud smile on his face, to which Catarina could only find how sad it was that people like Idun and his flock were banished from their homes. Here it was something that with the right investments and care could revolutionize the world but since it wasn't tradition it was thrown out like garbage.
"I'm humbled by your praise Lady Silverbrand, truly this is not just me but Lady Lucrezia and the elven druids, even the Magi-Folk of the Diamond Reefs sent a few of their mages to help us if you can believe it."
Catarina had seen the squids earlier, they warped around in huge cubes of saltwater and talked directed into your mind, that took a while to get used to but they were very nice about it.
"By our calculations, we will have this ready just as the storm hits us If everything goes to plan that is," Freya said as she checked some of her notes "I'm afraid of the entrance to the Highway on the other hand will take more time than the timetable allows it, we gonna need to fortify the entrance there Lady Lucrezia"
Catarina looked towards Lucrezia who was staring at the distance, a curious thing with the young Duchess that, every once in a while she would go silent and just stare into the nothing.
She had asked Leanu, the Head Maid of the castle if this was some sort of variant on the Silent's Curse since Lucrezia had fought in many battles for someone of her age. The maid didn't confirm it but she did say it was something quite common nowadays.
"...Mayhaps a sickness of the mind, The Unbroken has been on a roll with mental healing spells lately..." Catarina muttered to herself as they went along the tunnels.
After a fair bit of walking, they reached the entrance to the Highway and went outside to check the construction there. It was in Catarina's view all standard procedure stuff if a bit rushed due to the aforementioned storm.
They spent the next few hours talking about many things regarding the operation and Catarina had to give it to the young ruler, she was so far keeping everything running smoothly.
"Lady Lucrezia I must say you have the makings of a fine merchant. Mayhaps you even get a blessing from Tivir eh?" Catarina said back at the castle, they were having her final diner before going home back to the capital, Lucrezia had come up with a new dish called a calzone, which was just as good as her pizza.
The goodbyes were fast, as Lucrezia had much to do, after being in the duchy for a week Catarina was coming home with enough inventory to supply every VIP client the clan had in its lists, all she needed to do now was get the grain back to the north. And pray to the gods the storm didn't kill this veritable gold mine she had found.
It was an overcast day in the lands that belonged to the Dragoness Kallista, a curious sight for anyone that had eyes to see was taking place in one of the many villages of Dragonkin that lived in it, a tall human girl play fighting with little Dragonkin children who were small balls of pure chaos and energy. At first, the parents were wary but once they found out the kids weren't crying for them 24/7 they all decided to let the human be.
"Tell me William, what in the All-Mother's name drove you to spent the last 5 hours "play" fighting with these...these devils in flesh! even with just their claws and scales they can take and dish out punishment akin to a trained soldier!" Lucrezia who had woken early from her soul sleep was beyond mad at William for his reckless plan, she kept complaining the whole time they were fighting with the kids.
"Dragons were tailor-made for war and battle, even these kin who are thin when it comes to dragon essence are still a force to be reckoned with that's why. As for the why I've already told you, we need to buddy up to Kallista for her artifact" William said in a matter-of-fact way.
A week had gone past ever since Catarina left, the grain was already being delivered via the Highway and according to Saa'ryu's calculations, it should be more than enough to keep the city fed as long they manage to finish the underground network of tunnels and pipes. William had begun giving more incentives such as better pay, land that belonged to Lucrezia's family inside the city but was not used among other things.
"I understand the Arch-Duke's daughter means a lot to you William I do but are you sure this will work? the ritual in the game took multiple Gods and rare items to heal the poor woman-"
"Because the item was Unviable at the time, Kallista in that stage of the game was half crazy after your parents attacked her brood and she had already used it past its breaking point" William cut her off, they had already gone through this twice but Lucrezia insisted that the bloody thing wouldn't work and that he was being too naive for trusting what was basically game flavor text.
William finished play fighting with the dragonkin and told them to scamper off, they did so while winning and asking for him to come back tomorrow which he would but not for them. he then started to trek across an old animal trail going up the mountain to a secluded grove, in this quiet place there was a grand white tree, even its leaves were white and it was said Kallista loved the thing.
An old Dragonkin greeted William and asked "Halt human, what are thy designs upon the tree?" William recognized the keeper and without a word pulled a waterskin from his bag.
"Waters blessed by the Arch-Druid?! All-Mother's scared scales how did you know Human?!" he rushed over and took the waterskin, pouring into the tree's roots.
The white tree glowed in ethereal light and the old Dragonkin spoke "Thanks to thee the Tree is saved, come join me in meditation under its leaves" he walked and William followed, both sat near the Tree and William felt the world around him dimmer until all he could see and feel was himself and the Tree.
With his eyes closed, he heard a soft voice whisper on his ears "Thank you Lady Lucrezia" Kallista's voice had a sad undertone he felt.
"Lemme guess, they also burned the tree?" Lucrezia asked.
"Yes, yes they did" William answered.
"This artifact, what is it? how can you be so sure it works?"
William took a deep breath and told her.
"You know how All-Mother and her Dragons are the first lines of attack when the All-Father expands his domain yes? These dragons fight their whole lives for eons without stopping, unrelenting in their love for All-Mother. That was what they thought at first, alas eternal war broke them and broke them hard. In desperation, All-Mother consulted with numerous Gods and they all came together with knowledge on how to combat this..."
"Post-traumatic stress disorder? the Dragons had The Silent's Curse on them?" Lucrezia interrupted William, he was surprised she used PTSD, he hadn't told her that particular piece of information after all.
"Don't be so surprised William, your memories are my memories now, this was just one of them, now continue" Lucrezia said.
"In essence, yes but it was in a magnitude not even Martius the Unbroken could've fixed with his then newly mastery of mind magic, it took centuries but the Gods cracked the code and All-Mother figured out a way to heal in body and spirit with her Artifacts" William took a pause "They, the prince and his people I mean, they didn't just harm the Arch-Duke's daughter in flesh but soul as well, all of them are rogue necromancers after all. The ritual you saw was the Protagonist using her status as a Blessed of the All-Father to jury-rig the same ritual the All-Mother had to do to create these Artifacts"
"Is that enough of an explanation to you Lucrezia? just so you know, very few are privy to this information. If words get out we are liable to get killed by one of All-Mother's Hidden dragons around the world" William finished
"Hidden dragons? that's fairytales told to spook children William, they can't be real...Ah shit they are real aren't they?" Lucrezia said in defeat.
"There's a gear set in the game that belongs to one but we the players never found an actual living breathing one. Even after the data mining, hmm the meditation period is about to end, let's go Lucrezia we still got a dam to build and dire goats to kill.
"I hate you, William this was supposed to be a nice afternoon you know?"
"I know" He spoke out loud, ready for the next quest in Dragonkin land.
Hope your dogs better I can’t have one myself
nice chapter. thanks