Watching the closed barriers a moment longer Xing Lei finally turned his attention to Velusa. While her rank and file were numerous, the kin that gathered behind Destorianaxe were easily thrice their number. With the element of surprise gone was the green dragon a match for Destorianaxe? He did not believe so. Her humanoid form followed the way of his old life where beasts would take human form to better integrate with cultivators. While aspects of their true nature were always present it then came to their own levels if comprehension to determine who was stronger.
Destorianaxe however had stayed truer to her draconic heritage. Her dragoness body gave her obscene strength compacted into a large humanoid form that was undeniably more favorable to her true nature. Were these two to fight, Destorianaxe could likely easily overwhelm the smaller green. Wether that held true for her true form, he couldn't know. He'd never seen a green dragon. He'd only seen Destorianaxe's true form before this day and while Palathinarious and Galdraniae had both easily outstripped her in size and power, it seemed their hearts were weaker.
Velusa could be much stronger in her dragon form, and her ability to not turn tail and run spoke volumes about her guts. As both his mate and Destorianaxe stepped up beside him Velusa strode forward not backing down before the three. While another all out brawl was not impossible, he kind of doubted Velusa was one to lead from the front. Her efforts had been driven to circumventing his presence, with that plan foiled, did she have any more plans to swing things in her favor? "So, with our friends gone how do we conclude the trial?"
Velusa's features darkened, the kobold treated her continued presence like a non-issue, though he wasn't off the mark really. Even she had realized, while her troops were better trained she'd have to face off against Destorianaxe and her two most powerful children. Her emerald gaze swept Osilliaice then shifted to Xing Lei, to say a deep seated rage was festering in her breast would be a gross understatement but he punched Galdraniae unconscious! Could she fare better while also dealing with a true dragon and a dragonfolk? This realization made her mood even more dour, she had been so close!
Exhaling softly she looked aside to the distant ice tower, "Well if the others are dead, I just need to concede. Destorianaxe will win but what happens then, I don't know. Yet I'm loathe to hand this immature brat the title of Dragon God!"
Destorianaxe snarled, her eyes narrowed to knife like slips as she pushed against Osilliaice's restraining arm, "Conniving wretch! I dare you call me a brat again! See if I don't rip off your scrawny tail and beat you to death with it!"
Velusa looked to Xing Lei with a rather deadpan stare, "See what I mean? There's no denying the Dragon God favors her after all she has both Fleet Spear and you. Yet, one would think the favor of a patron has grown into... this. The mere hint of scorn and she is rage and violence. Deity material? I think not."
Xing Lei chuckled his yellow eyes rolling, "To be fair all you dragons are easy to rile, plus from what I've seen of them thus far, the gods I've come to experience are not exactly buddhist monks who have foresworn being petty emotional beings. Look at the two you, yourself, called on. Did any of their baring resemble detached and aloof? A little pain and inconvenience and they are quicker to run than scared monkeys, screeching and swearing swift vengeance."
Velusa frowned, she could hardly deny what the two had acted like, but likewise, she could hardly blame them. It was not everyday that they were called upon to oversee the truth of an imposed contract and being summarily dismissed by the target of the artifact. While such items were rare, she'd had the pleasure of holding another, the matching twin to the earring that had melted. She had used it two thousand, six hundred and twelve seasons ago, to ensure the truth of her intended mate's true designs naturally.
Grimacing still she exhaled a long breath. "Fine." Glaring at Destorianaxe she snarled back at the black dragon, "Then I'll have your oath that if you ascend you will not use your station to clue up scores with your opponents here! The Dragon God is ALL our patrons, if its to become the Dragon Goddess we don't want to be licking your claws from now until whatever forces you out!"
Destorianaxe snorted dismissively, "You think me that petty?"
Velusa said it sharply that covered over Xing Lei's own mumbled answer, "YES!"
Destorianaxe grunted turning away and crossing her arms, her thick tail tapped against the blood soaked ground in a agitated rhythm. "Alright, you have my word."
Velusa pushed closer snarling out, "Not good enough, your oath Destorianaxe, swear on that which you hold most precious!"
Sighing Destorianaxe turned and grumbled, ", Destorianaxe, do by swear I'll not carry grudges into divinity from this plane, this I swear... this I swear on..." The dragoness growled and hissed the oath through her clenched teeth, "This I do swear on my children and bloodline."
While there was no huge fan faire to the oath the lizardfolk and kobolds at her back stared at her deeply, Xing Lei however was privy to more. The spectral image of a halfling hovered over Destorianaxe's shoulder writing in a ledger. Glancing warily at Xing Lei, he winced a bit noting the kobold had seen him and quickly vanished giving the strange mortal the evil eye as he withdrew. Turning to Velusa he chuckled, "So the midget is in charge of those deals as well?"
The green dragoness blinked regarding the troublesome kobold giving a drawn out reply, "Yes...?"
Xing Lei shrugged seeing Destorianaxe looking his way warily and also asked, "You didn't...?"
The kobold nodded, "I saw him. No he recorded your oath, just another thing I'll bring up between him and I if he seeks trouble with me after breaking that meat bun of a nose of his..."
Both Velusa and Destorianaxe groaned and looked to each other, both could see the exaspation in each others gaze before giving a soft, helpless chuckle. Velusa shook her head, "Definitely one of your brood."
Destorianaxe rolled her eyes, "If you want to buy him, I'm considering selling him cheap, just too much trouble this one."
Velusa shook her head and waved her hands in denial, "I don't have enough favors to cover his antics, you'd need to pay ME to take this black cat in." Looking at Xing Lei who watched over this discussion with amusement in his eyes the green dragoness shook her head, "Just what did you do to sire him? That I'll pay you for to avoid getting on of my own."
Destorianaxe shook her head, "Sadly that is also hidden by an oath. Were it my choice I'd shove this trouble over to his father, but he's absent these many years."
Velusa shrugged helplessly before whirling and whistling, shouting out, "Alright boys and girls! Shows over! You lot are coming back with me, so haul your asses!"
While there was distinct disagreement with Velusa's order the mixed group turned to escort her away, they were promised revenge against their former sires but now they were being told to retreat. It would be a wonder if there wasn't some disgruntled ones amongst her mercenary army, especially with those who were now likely to be barred indefinitely from their homelands by the dragons who had fled. Still, Velusa carried enough influence to turn her forces around as they left defeated. Exchanging their homelands for the unknown was painful but at least the green dragon had not simply abandoned them.
The blackscale forces cheered watching the ragtag army withdraw, even Destorianaxe had a rare excitement that increased all the more when the pass to the greenscale region sealed itself. The rumble as the pass sides converged were echoed by the wild cheers of Destorianaxe's people, the black dragoness herself stood out proud and victorious. The cheers grew even louder as a pass to the distant south rumbled closed as well. The light dragon representative had also conceded, chances were good Velusa had struck a deal with them and now without their ally, acknowledged their loss. Destorianaxe could hardly blame them, the light dragons were also called crystal dragons favoring scales that resembled precious stones like diamonds and rubies... they were a newer and weaker faction so their withdrawal without taking the field was no surprise.
As the cheers subsided Destorianaxe glanced around in confusion, shouldn't the trial end? Or was there another part after ascending the peak of her kind? Glancing to Xing Lei she cocked her head. While it was rather unreasonable to assume the stalling of the contest was his fault she reminded herself this troublesome childe and one time mate had had contact with gods. Had he also beaten up the Dragon God at some point?!
Xing Lei felt her accusing gaze and rubbed the side of his muzzle. He honestly had no idea what was going on. While yes, he did meet the Dragon God at one point, he never did anything worthy of expelling Destorianaxe from this trial. Just as the dragon was about to try throttling him for information, a scream and alert rose from her forces. Turning her gaze southward again she stepped back warily. Another large force was on the move... but by all rights they should not be advancing!
Across the base of the windswept icy basin, thousands of lizardfolk marched silently through the drifting snow. The only sound was the crunch of heavy footsteps crushing through frost clad drifts. As for why they should not be moving... the army was the frozen members of the red and blue armies. Still encased in ice the horde was trudging slowly towards where the blackscales were gathered... and no one thought this chilling force was friendly!
Stretching back towards the icy tower the mob of frozen figures was trudging silently onwards, the only sounds being the heavy foot falls crunching through the fallen frost and snow, and the soft grind of frozen limbs against frozen bodies. The rays of light cast its brilliance down upon this army, shining of frozen faces caught in the instance of a brutal, unheralded death, blank eyes staring out of each icy tomb, no longer staring at the unreachable tower but upon the lizardfolk in the distance!
"What are they? Undead? Elementals?" Osilliaice asked glancing between Destorianaxe and her mate. Her fingers clenched her spear tightly wondering just how effective it could be against animated corpses protected by mystical ice. Somehow she doubted any of their weapons would prove effective on the silent frozen corpses that stalked towards them.
Destorianaxe shook her head even as her body shivered, great wings erupted from her back as the dragoness shed her humanoid form to once again stand proudly as her draconic self. Her neck shifted as she inhaled deeply and thrust her muzzle forward, her jaws splitting wide as a stream of hissing acid erupted from her mouth spraying the from ranks of the advancing army in the sizzling, burning stream. Xing Lei watched warily as a few hit directly were instantly reduced to puddles, the ones that were only briefly sprayed maybe lost an limb or a head, yet still the icy statues moved on, even if a leg dissolved under them the frozen arms would drag the body forward, or the ones that lost both legs were trampled and crushed beneath the ones behind.
The 'injured' ones emitted no sound, even if the ice around the face melted the mouths did not open in protest or complaint. The eerie silence made more than one of the remaining lizardfolk backtrack a bit, the unnerving sight was grating on each beings heart and courage. Facing death against a similar being that understood pain and fear? That was easy. Face something that completely disregarded wounds, even crippling or maiming ones? Much harder since such a foe would just keep coming, never flinching.
Xing Lei glanced at the frozen armies of the redscales and bluescales. His eyes swept these frozen horrors unmoved. While his regular kin balked at the monsters, what cultivator had not seen zombies or spirits? He did not fear them. What concerned him is what he trained his eyes on towards the distant rear. Flying upon the ice phoenix, Alustriea stood tall and proud looking back at him, the cold indifference in her eyes made her look so unlike her usual self in his memories. Sighing he pulled from his ring a spear and readied his stance. The armies of dragon-kin and the forces of the ice queen were set to clash...