"Garon, show me the Sun Princess you captured," said Yuna, now awake in the Eternal Hall's dragon lair.
The young power dragon's eyes shone brightly, large and round with curiosity. She was somewhat curious about the Sun Princess, who held high prestige among the elves.
Beside her, the silver dragon hesitated, then nodded under Yuna's gaze. "Sure, this trophy is indeed more precious than those of other elf demigods," he said as he opened a dimensional space and retrieved Princess Solina.
Sealed within the amber of time, Princess Solina was unaware of her surroundings, unaware that she was being displayed like a toy for the enemy's amusement.
"A golden elf," Yuna remarked upon seeing Solina, her face showing admiration. However, she soon noticed something amiss.
"Garon, why isn't she wearing any clothes?"
Yuna turned to Garon, her question direct.
The silver dragon, candid as always, replied, "Because all her artifacts are on her. I couldn't be sure unless I removed them all before sealing her."
"Oh, I thought you had some other, more colorful ideas," Yuna teased, licking his faceplate before giggling, "Mmm, tastes honest. I believe you."
Garon, his face now wet, shook his head helplessly.
Yuna praised the appearance of Princess Solina, commenting for a while before Garon sealed her away again. At that moment, Yuna's gaze shifted subtly.
In a shimmer of light, the enormous dragon form began to transform. Within seconds, the power dragon disappeared, replaced by a slender, golden-skinned female elf with captivating curves—mirroring Princess Solina.
"My Lord True Dragon," the transformed Yuna cooed, sitting half-upright, one hand on the ground and the other covering her chest in a vulnerable pose. She looked up at Garon with big, pitiful eyes, tears forming.
Garon felt a stir within him.
After all, his body and mind were mature.
His tail, powerful yet nimble, wrapped around her waist, caressing gently.
The 'Sun Princess' blushed, holding onto Garon's tail, her breaths growing heavier.
In the spacious dragon lair, the two true dragons began a playful game of shapes, shifting between their true forms and those of various races.
It must be said, the joy of true dragon mates, especially those adept in transformation, is beyond the imagination of ordinary species.
As time quietly passed, the dragon lair eventually returned to silence and calm.
The two dragons lay together, surrounded by disheveled piles of gold and gems, no longer in their usual orderly arrangement.
Both Garon and Yuna appeared tired, languidly resting.
But even as their bodies rested, their eyes sparkled, and they radiated vitality.
After a brief rest, months since their last departure, Garon and Yuna left the Eternal Hall.
The two dragons went to the place where they had last practiced becoming colossal, resuming their training.
Yuna repeatedly summoned the world's force field, perfecting her colossal form under the convergence of endless power, while Garon acted as her protector, waking her from accidental slips into the force field.
As their training progressed, Yuna's mastery of her colossal form improved significantly. This time, she rarely encountered issues that required Garon's intervention.
Legendary dragon species seem to have no small aptitude for learning. After some time, Yuna had become proficient in maintaining her colossal form for about an hour at a time.
At this point, she no longer needed Garon's protection to practice.
Once Yuna could freely initiate and stop her colossal form, she would truly master this powerful ability.
This wouldn't take much longer.
Soon after, exhausted by the mental strain of her colossal form, Yuna returned to the dragon lair to rest.
Meanwhile, a thread of divine power descended upon the Dragon Court plane, entering the Eternal Hall and reaching Garon's ears.
The Dragon Mother summoned Garon, asking him to come to her divine realm.
A portal to the Five-Color Realm, Tiamat's divine domain, opened directly.
The Dragon Court plane, not being a primary material world, was under the protection of various dragon deities, allowing them to exert their true might.
Opening a portal through space was a simple matter.
Having visited the Five-Color Realm before, Garon did not hesitate.
He even found himself missing the scenery of the golden seas, gemstone mountains, and silver forests of that realm.
Glancing at the sleeping Yuna, Garon withdrew his gaze and quietly stepped into the portal to the Five-Color Realm.
This time, he didn't emerge under the dark red skies of Avernus but arrived directly in the Dragon Queen's realm.
Inside the enormous crystal palace temple.
The immortal Dragon Queen, with her five heads—red, blue, green
, black, and white—lay lazily on her divine throne, her eyes half-closed in a languid pose.
But as soon as Garon entered the temple, his attention was drawn to another dragon.
A sinuous dragon covered in majestic platinum scales exuded an aura of majesty and sanctity.
His eyes, like a midsummer night's sky, reflected the newly arrived Garon.
The Guardian Angel of the Seventh Heaven, Master of the North Wind, Holy Dragon of the Heavens, Lord of Platinum, God of Metallic Dragons... This was none other than Bahamut, renowned across the multiverse just like Tiamat, the god of good dragons.
However, this was just an avatar.
Garon could tell.
A true form of this deity would not lightly enter Tiamat's divine realm.
Despite being fellow dragon gods, the history of grievances between these two could be traced back to the dawn of creation. Since the aftermath of the Dragonfall War, the smoke of battle between Bahamut and Tiamat had lessened, but it had never fully dissipated.
Every true dragon knew from birth about the discord between these two dragon deities.
"Good day, Immortal Dragon Queen."
"Good day, Master of the North Wind."
Garon greeted each deity respectfully.
"You've grown stronger, little one, and your fame has spread far and wide."
"Even the Seraphim of Mount Celestia are discussing your existence now," Bahamut added after a pause, his tone serious. "Tiamat has already informed me of your agreement and plans."
"I am happy to help."
Bahamut turned to look at Tiamat, who lay across her throne, and added, "I offer my assistance for the love of our kin, the Time Dragons, not for you."
"If the circumstances weren't so unique, I wouldn't set foot in your realm."
Tiamat's heads swayed in irritation, "Do you need to state that a hundred times? I get it."
"If I didn't need you, I wouldn't have invited you here."
"Do you think this place welcomes you?"
As the tension between the two dragon gods mounted, Garon quickly intervened, "Dragon Queen, Dragon God, you called me here for a reason, I believe."
With a huff, Bahamut dismissed Tiamat's comments, "In the presence of a fellow dragon deity, I'll spare you my usual remarks."
He didn't wait for Tiamat's response, turning his attention back to Garon, "I look forward to the day you ascend to godhood and join us in protecting our kind. The death of the elf gods of fate and history could also serve as a turning point to end this war."
Tiamat interrupted Bahamut abruptly, "Garon, the gods of fate and history are now in the Star Realm."
"Life Goddess, Fate and History Gods, Archery God, God of Hatred... These four elf deities are currently engaged in battle in the Star Realm, fighting against our kin."
"It's not easy to bring down a true deity. The gods of fate and history have survived countless crises."
"We were waiting for the right opportunity."
"But now, that opportunity has come directly to you."
Realizing what Tiamat was implying, Garon asked, "Are you referring to the Sun Princess I just captured?"
Both dragon gods nodded.
"The higher the life form, the harder it is to produce offspring containing their own bloodline."
"Both Korylon and Anges are very fond of their daughter, the Sun Princess."
"Given the chance, even if it's an obvious trap, they might try to save their daughter."
"Especially under the gaze of a demon lord seeking to exchange for their daughter."
"If the Sun Princess were taken to the abyss, then Korylon and Anges would also be helpless. The Bottomless Abyss is not a place one can easily enter or leave."
In the abyssal environment, demons can exhibit strength beyond their level, while simultaneously, the environment weakens the powers of visiting deities. This disadvantage, coupled with the united front of numerous demon lords, means even a powerful god risks serious injury if they venture into the abyss carelessly.
Demon lords are constantly at each other's throats.
However, if a celestial deity were to descend into the abyss, they would not hesitate to pause their conflicts and join forces against the intruder. Under such circumstances, while a powerful god might not fall, they would certainly pay a heavy price.
Garon licked his lips thoughtfully, "What should I do?"
"Prepare your divine avatar and ascension rituals, and leave the material realm for the Star Realm battlefield."
"Leave the rest to us."
With a shared glance, both dragon gods assured him, "With the attention of dragon deities, including myself and Tiamat, this venture poses no danger to you."
Heading to the Star Realm... Garon considered briefly before nodding slowly.
With the
protection of dragon deities and his own growing strength—especially his deepening connection with the River of Time, which ensured his ability to summon his future self as a powerful god—he faced little threat to his life.
Moreover, seeking godhood inherently involved some risk.
If Karsus could seize divine power with less than demigod abilities, aided by a goddess of magic, a magical empire, and ancient fae—all while merely human—Garon, with the Pact of the Dragon Court, could gather the power of numerous legendary dragons. Supported by a dragon god, he was well-equipped to handle this challenge.
Garon was ready to seize the entire divine essence of the god of fate and history, replacing them entirely. After this, he suspected he would need to seal away the ritual of ascension.
Otherwise, attracting the enmity of all celestial beings would prove too great a threat, even for the dragon race and its gods.
After a brief discussion, Garon understood that both dragon gods shared his view.
Soon, Bahamut departed.
Only Garon and Tiamat remained in the crystal palace temple.
With the metallic dragon god gone, Tiamat shifted into a more comfortable position and looked over at Garon with a wry smile.
"Who was behind the Netheril Empire in the past?"
She asked casually.
"The ancient god of death," Garon replied without hesitation.
Tiamat nodded, not surprised. "I suspected as much."
Her expression turned playful as she seemed to recall something amusing. Noticing Garon's attention, she chuckled and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Weavers?"
Garon paused, "The blue dragon demigod, the Weaver of Magic?"
In the dragon pantheon, there was a blue dragon demigod known for his mastery of magic, revered as the Weaver and often associated with such lore.
However, Tiamat shook her head in response to Garon's guess.
"The Empire of the Weavers, a very ancient empire."
"This empire's records have been washed away by the river of time, not even a trace remains."
"Of course, I witnessed its rise and fall with my own eyes."
Garon looked puzzled. "A magical empire from the material plane?"
"Yes, but this was the most powerful magical empire ever known."
"It was formed by wielders of primal magical energy, beings who called themselves Weavers. The Empire of the Weavers was named after them."
"The Weavers once had their portals, symbols of their imperial domains, spread across the multiverse."
"Not just in the material plane, but in various outer planes as well."
Garon blinked, impressed. "Sounds very powerful."
Tiamat laughed heartily. "Indeed, it was. But its fall came in an instant, and it was related to Yege."
Garon's eyes widened.
"Was Yege the orchestrator behind it?"
Tiamat smiled cryptically, hinting at a deeper story. "Not exactly, but let me tell you—it's quite interesting."
Garon listened intently.
"In the Empire of the Weavers, there was a gifted individual who rose to become the even the avatars of mighty deities who descended to the material plane. However, as time passed, he witnessed the deaths of friends and family, which greatly troubled him."
"In those days, only true deities possessed immortality. Driven by a desire to escape the relentless grip of mortality, he conceived a daring plan."
"He sought to seize the unclaimed mantle of death itself, to ascend to godhood and transform his entire nation into divine beings, creating an eternal empire where they would live forever as aspects of a death god."
Garon listened intently as Tiamat continued, "He mobilized his entire empire for this grand endeavor. Countless Weavers performed the ritual of eternal death simultaneously."
Tiamat's expression grew somber, "He succeeded and failed at the same time. A new god of death was born in the multiverse that day, but only the will of one Weaver survived—the chief."
"Except for him, all other Weavers perished, their consciousnesses obliterated."
"The once-glorious empire of Weavers crumbled to dust in an instant."
Garon was struck by the gravity of the tale, "Was that Weaver... Yege?"
Tiamat nodded solemnly, "Yes, that was Yege. Unbeknownst to many, his rise to power was marked by such a tragic and monumental event."
Garon found it hard to imagine the loneliness and weight of existence that Yege must feel, being the sole survivor of his kind, bearing the collective legacy and the divine mantle of death.
"That is why Yege holds the mantle of death in such high regard," Tiamat explained. "It's not just a source of immense power; it represents his past, the memories of his people, and the immense sacrifice they all made."
Garon reflected on the irony of the situation. "So, the very ritual that gave birth to Yege as a god of death eventually became his vulnerability, exploited centuries later by Karsus with his spell of ascension."
"Indeed," Tiamat said with a slight smirk. "Even gods cannot escape the whims of fate. The very power they wield can sometimes lead to their downfall."
Garon pondered this lesson on the nature of divine power and ambition. "Thank you for sharing this, Dragon Queen. It gives me much to consider about my own path to power and how I choose to wield it."
Tiamat's eyes twinkled with a mix of amusement and respect. "Just remember, Garon, that power is a tool and a burden. How you use it will define your legacy among the gods and in the annals of the multiverse."
With a newfound sense of the complexities of godhood, Garon bowed respectfully to Tiamat. "I will bear your words in mind, Dragon Queen."
As he prepared to leave, Tiamat offered one last piece of advice, "And Garon, be wary of those who seek to manipulate or challenge your ascent. The path to godhood is fraught with peril, not just from mortal enemies but from divine ones as well."
Nodding solemnly, Garon stepped back through the portal to return to the Dragon Court, his mind alive with thoughts of his future and the intricate dance of power and consequence in the realm of the gods.
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