Vivien's voice carries a playful note as she addresses Eddie's ambitious request, "Oh, you're quite the greedy one, aren't you? But remember, divine artifacts aren't so easily swayed. They choose their owners, and loyalty is to them alone."
Unfazed, Eddie jests back, "Then how about a hundred divine beasts? I'm not particularly choosy."
With a soft chuckle, she teases, "And risk being gobbled up by your own army? Dear, relying on borrowed strength is a fool's errand. Imagine, with your unique power fully harnessed, even the mightiest beasts would be no more than ants to you. Why seek far and wide what you can cultivate within?"
Her voice then mellows, adopting a nurturing tone, "Consider yourself like a fledgling or a cub at the brink of discovery. The vast heavens and the expansive earth beckon to you, inviting you to soar and roam. Be bold, be yourself. And ask yourself, does your proud heart really need my assistance? In your presence, I'm not a queen, but a mere shadow of a woman."
Eddie, slightly taken aback, murmurs, "A weak woman, you?"
"To the world, I may be formidable, but here, in your company, I admit my vulnerability. Just as you inadvertently touched me earlier, I was powerless to stop you," she confesses, her divine features softening into an expression of tender vulnerability.
Feeling a mix of confusion and remorse, Eddie concedes, "I meant no disrespect. It was curiosity, nothing more."
Vivien exhales a wistful sigh, her words laced with a deep yearning, "I sometimes dream of being no more than a mortal woman, to run under the sun, free and unburdened, even if it means losing it all. Such is preferable to this endless, lonely vigil in the abyss. Should you depart, the seal might strengthen, and it could be decades or more before you return. And I, I will remain here, alone with my thoughts."
Eddie feels a surge of sympathy for the queen, recognizing the horror of her captivity. The thought of being trapped for ten thousand years, still far from freedom, would drive anyone mad. Seeing the sorrow in Vivien's eyes, a protective urge wells up within him. Despite her grand title, she's lived a prisoner's life, and the millennia of sleep alone is a fate too grim.
"Do you need help? Is there anything I can do?" Eddie asks, moved by her plight.
"Become stronger," she responds. "Stronger than me, than the one who created this black hole seal. Only then can you break my chains."
Eddie's heart sinks at the monumental task. It seems easier said than done. He decides it's best to leave the void before he too becomes a permanent resident. "How can I get out?" he inquires urgently.
Vivien's face flickers with a brief shadow of reluctance, but she quickly composes herself and nods with a smile. "I can send you back immediately, but it will drain a significant amount of energy, potentially sending me back into a deep slumber. Are you sure you wish to leave now?"
Her voice carries a melancholic undertone, akin to a damsel watching her protector depart. Eddie feels a momentary pang of guilt. She's been kind, tolerating his transgressions and even offering to expend her limited strength to help him leave.
But staying is out of the question. "Is there anything you wish for on the outside? Perhaps I can help fulfill it," he offers, hoping to ease his conscience
Vivien speaks with a hint of melancholy laced with dignity, "After ten thousand years, my kingdom is surely no more. And you, a human from the Dragon Ascendant Continent, might find it impossible to fulfill any wishes of someone from the Demon Abyss. My sole yearning is for freedom."
Her smile, imbued with a poignant beauty, captivates Eddie, leaving him spellbound.
Before initiating his return, a spark of remembrance lights her eyes. "Your bloodline is almost divine, mysteriously potent. Perhaps it could bring her back."
With a wave of her hand, she conjures an iridescent pet egg, its colors dancing like light through a prism. Eddie watches in amazement, realizing the tactical advantage such a skill could provide.
"What is this?" he asks, his curiosity piqued by the radiant object before him.
"She was my devoted guard captain, who fell in battle defending me. Unable to revive her, I reverted her to her original form. Should your blood awaken her, she might be of some small service to you. But whether her memories or battle skills remain is uncertain,"
Vivien explains with a somber grace. After drawing a cryptic rune with her blood, she gestures for Eddie to come closer.
She slices a small cut on his palm and gently places the glowing egg upon the wound. The egg greedily absorbs his blood, nearly exhausting him.
As he teeters on the brink of consciousness, a dazzling light erupts, conjuring a brief vision of a formidable snake warrior before being swallowed by the surrounding darkness.
The egg dissolves, leaving a serpentine tattoo that slithers across Eddie's arm and chest, forming an intricate pattern of a six-armed warrior with a twisting tail. Before he can fully grasp the sight, the tattoo animates, sending a prismatic beam straight into Vivien.
"Good heavens!" exclaims Vivien, as her six arms instinctively rise, as if to ward off the vibrant cascade of rainbow light. But after a moment's hesitation, she allows it to permeate her being.
Almost immediately, Eddie is enveloped by a refreshing fragrance emanating from her, a scent that mingles with the radiant light. From the intricate tattoo on Vivien's abdomen, a tiny figure emerges, a miniature replica of Vivien herself.
This little loli, a perfect albeit pint-sized likeness of Vivien, has the same six arms and serpentine tail but carries an aura of innocence and youth.
Barely reaching Eddie's waist, she's as small as little Frost, wobbling slightly as if unsure on her feet. She reaches out with her many arms to cling to Vivien's waist, her waterfall of golden hair cascading behind her.
She then turns to Eddie with large, sapphire-like eyes, her gaze filled with a mixture of recognition and longing, reminiscent of a little girl seeing her father return home after a long absence - shy, hopeful, and endearingly timid.
"What is this?" Eddie utters, completely taken aback, his mind whirling with bewilderment at the enchanting yet perplexing occurrence before him.