Ainz and Buku strode through the corridors of the fortress with the two dragons in tow. The expansion of their power base and worldly influence was an unexpected but pleasant surprise that needed to be addressed immediately. Ainz brought everyone to the fortress's penthouse area and used one of the empty rooms. The two dragons watched curiously as Ainz cast [Create Item, summoning a sleek round table of black marble and ten matching seats, their surfaces polished to a shine. He motioned for everyone to sit, allowing them to sit first.
Ainz then settled beside Buku and sent a message to Edwin ordering him to appear before him.
"Let's start with the quick version of what you two and the black dragons in general are up to and we can go from there," Ainz stated as he summoned a map, unrolling it on the table, ready to put up-to-date notes.
Nefarian leaned forward, his eyes alight with pride. "I rule over half of the Blackrock mountain and control the Burning Steppes to the south of the mountain." He pointed to a spot on a provided map."Currently, the orcs and ogres I rule over are pushing into the Redridge mountains and waging war on the Firelord Regnaros' forces who control the other half of the Blackrock Mountain and territories to the north." His voice was measured, every word carefully chosen. "With the help of Onyxia, I am not only trying to rebuild our Dragonflight but infuse our children with magics of other aspects and make them stronger than any other Dragonflight."
Ainz nodded thoughtfully, his fingers steepled before him. The idea of breeding dragons infused with powers from various aspects intrigued him, especially with necromantic energies to convert enemies to their side without his presence being needed. It was a bold strategy, one that could yield an army of unparalleled strength if handled correctly.
Buku, however, got straight to the point. "How many black dragons are there?" Her tone was sharp, demanding efficiency.
Onyxia's eyes flicked to her brother before she spoke. "Only one hundred and forty adult ones are accounted for. The rest went with our father to outland, but only he returned. Additionally, there are six hundred children and a few hundred unhatched eggs."
Onyxia's gaze lingered on her brother, her expression a blend of irritation and concern. "Unfortunately, with Nefarian now being undead," she added, her voice tinged with bitterness, "I will need a new consort and there are… slim pickings among the rest of the adult black dragons."
The air in the room grew colder, an unspoken tension crackling between them. It wasn't just about power or territory; it was about survival, about legacy. Onyxia's need for a new consort wasn't just a personal matter; it was a matter of ensuring the future of their kind.
The sudden turn in conversation caught Buku completely off guard. Her usually composed demeanor twisted into an expression of pure revulsion. She blinked, trying to process the words that had just been uttered. "I'm sorry, what? You two are… mating?" Her voice filled with disgust, her gaze snapping between the two dragons.
Onyxia, in her human guise, shifted slightly in her seat, folding her arms defensively. "Yes. My brother is… was the strongest available male black dragon." She met Buku's stare with a flicker of defiance, her lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, don't look so disgusted, mistress, we are not the only clutch mates that have produced offspring. It is not rare among dragons, for we live long lives and have comparatively lower numbers and reproduction rates compared to the inferior races."
Buku's eyes widened, the pieces clicking into place in the most horrifying way possible. "And that hasn't produced some defective freaks?" Her voice was sharp, incredulous, and utterly repulsed. She glanced between Onyxia and Nefarian, both of whom seemed disturbingly nonchalant about the whole incest affair. Worst of all, if she understood the term "clutch mate" correctly, it meant they were essentially twins, with the same genetic material; the worst type of incest.
Nefarian tilted his head, the faintest hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Why would it? Dragons are artificial beings created by titans. We do not have lesser blood of mortal beings." His voice was calm. "But Onyxia does raise a valid point. As an undead, I cannot impregnate her, but I am curious if workarounds exist. We may have to experiment-"
"Just stop." Buku cut him off, raising a hand as if to physically ward off any further explanation."I don't care what you do in private, but for fuck sake, don't discuss it here!"
Ainz sat there in silence, his skeletal visage giving nothing away, refraining from commenting on the matter. Internally, he was considering the cultural norms of dragons and making plans on how to handle them accordingly. As a being who had shed his human form, his sense of morality and cultural standards were more fluid, more adaptable, more primitive almost. Dragons, he reasoned, were incredibly different from humans in almost every way. Their ways were alien, ancient, and not bound by the same taboos and approvals. Still, the revelation was unsettling, especially considering how nonchalant Nefarian and Onyxia were about it. It was a reminder that even in their human forms, these creatures operated on a logic far removed from that of mortals, a logic his own wife had yet to shed.
Nefarian, picking up on the tension, turned to Ainz, his tone becoming more formal. "Understood. Lord, would you prefer if I avoided details when reporting?"
Ainz paused, considering the question. "I prefer to be informed about your plans to increase the number of dragons and what resources are required for the task," he said slowly. "but keep it in writing, and only report to me."
Nefarian nodded, a small, respectful bow of the head. "As you command, Lord."
Onyxia remained silent, her gaze darting between Buku and Ainz. She seemed to understand that while she and her brother found nothing wrong with their practices, this was a delicate subject in the presence of their new masters, particularly the former.
Ainz shifted the conversation back on track. "Moving on, is there anything else?".
Nefarian hesitated for a moment, as if weighing whether to bring up another potentially controversial topic. Finally, he spoke."The rest of the dragons will need the same cleansing that I and Onyxia received and, even if freed from whispers, some may decide to remain loyal to N'Zoth. The same goes for lesser races under my command. There are a lot of cultists worshiping the Old Gods and might oppose your goals, especially among those close to the front lines." A twisted smirk curled at the edges of his mouth. "I believe you will get mountains of corpses to work with after I cleanse my… your new domain."
Ainz leaned back, fingers steepled in front of his face, a contemplative look on his skeletal features before speaking, "Carry it out- " He was cut short as the door creaked open. "Ah, Edwin, Vanessa, glad you could make it. Take a seat." He gestured toward the empty chairs.
The atmosphere in the room shifted the moment the VanCleefs entered. Edwin froze, his eyes narrowing in disbelief as he caught sight of Onyxia. "Prestor? Is this a joke?" He tried to pull back, but Vanessa dragged him forward with an exasperated sigh, clearly annoyed by his reluctance.
Onyxia's lips curled into a sadistic smirk, her eyes glinting with malevolence. "My my, if it isn't my favorite unwitting toy? We serve the same master now."
"Don't gloat, beast," Edwin shot back. His gaze burned with a mix of hatred and helplessness as he stared at the dragoness, fully aware now that the noblewoman he had been so close to bringing down was one of two dragons that had just attacked their base. The realization was like a dagger to his pride, twisting and tearing at the remnants of his defiance. He had never stood a chance.
Onyxia couldn't resist twisting the knife further, her amusement evident in every syllable. "I guess it's my turn to explain my dealings." She took perverse pleasure in watching Edwin's composure crumble, knowing that his dreams of revenge against her and the rest of the Stormwind nobility were now impossible and little more than ashes in the wind.
"Go on," Ainz replied, his tone flat, though his red eyes gleamed with interest. He shot a glance at Edwin, a silent command to listen and learn where his true place now lay.
Edwin sat down beside his daughter, his posture rigid with suppressed fury. His hand rested on the hilt of his blade, knuckles white as he fought to maintain his composure. His eyes bore into Onyxia, but he knew better than to act on his immense rage.
"Let's get the past out of the way so the little mortal man knows where he stands in the pecking order," Onyxia began, her voice syrupy sweet with an edge of menace. Her gaze flicked to Edwin, relishing the tension in his posture, the way he hung on her every word with a mix of hatred and helplessness. She reveled in it, the power she held over these lesser beings, and now she even had proper backing to do it without fear of failure or repercussion.
"I was the one who orchestrated the Stormwind riots," she continued, her tone casual as if discussing the weather. "It was my agent that killed the queen to make way for me to marry the dimwitted king, carefully planted among stonemasons." Her lips twisted into a sneer. "Unfortunately, the fool refused my generous order and needed to be reeducated."
She paused, savoring the look of horror on Edwin's face. His eyes were wide, disbelief mingling with the dawning realization of just how deeply he had been manipulated. Onyxia's gaze bore into him, her eyes glittering with sadistic amusement. "I used my agents to help form the Defias brotherhood from the ground up, guiding them to build the dreadnought and planting the idea to destroy the city in retaliation." She chuckled darkly. "Oh, don't look so surprised, I knew about your plan to kill me. You're too weak to ever do so, and as for the men you trusted so much…" She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You have no idea how many of them work for me."
Edwin's face turned ashen, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow. The room seemed to close in around him, the walls pressing in as the weight of his failure crushed down on him like the fathoms of the deep oceans. Every plan, every carefully laid scheme, from over the years unraveled before his eyes, exposed by the intricate web of manipulation spun by the very creature he had sought to destroy. His grip on his blade tightened, but he knew it was futile. There was no striking down a dragoness of such power, especially not in the presence of Ainz, who seemed indifferent to the unfolding drama or at least not interested enough to interrupt anyone.
After all, Edwin knew he hadn't earned enough favor yet with his direct superior, unlike his daughter who had managed to get in Buku's good graces almost instantly and displayed signs of near-psychotic loyalty towards their common masters.
Vanessa placed a calming hand on her father's arm, her eyes flickering with a mixture of anger and something more calculating. She understood the game better than her father, the subtle dance of power and control, especially now with new pieces on the board. This was not the time for rash actions, not with their new position so precariously balanced.
"Lady Buku caught them." Edwin spat, each word was a knife aimed at Onyxia's pride.
Onyxia, unflustered, tilted her head slightly, her expression one of mild amusement and condescension. "Unimportant detail. Of course, someone like Lady Buku would catch them. I now know my mistress is far superior to me." She dismissed the notion as easily as one might swat away a bothersome insect. "But let's carry on. My goal was to destroy the Kingdom of Stormwind and provide fertile grounds for my kind while we worked on ways to free the Old Gods, given its rich lands and abundant prey."
Ainz watched the exchange with an air of detached curiosity. Onyxia's revelations were intriguing, if not entirely unexpected. He had suspected that her influence ran deeper than she let on during their initial meeting, but to hear it laid out so plainly was enlightening of the schemes this world's inhabitants could do. It also served as a stark reminder of the ruthlessness of the world they were now entwined in, reaching decades if not centuries into the past. This wasn't a realm for the faint-hearted or the weak-willed. The mention of the Old Gods served as a reminder of just how deeply their tendrils had rooted themselves into the world's politics and power structures, suggesting anything alive was susceptible to their influence.
"Where is the King of Stormwind now?" Ainz asked. This was the most pressing question.
Onyxia's confident facade cracked for the first time. She shifted nervously, her gaze faltering. "With the naga on an island called Alcaz off the shore of Dustwallow marsh." She paused, her eyes flicking towards the map, seeking refuge in its lines and symbols as she pointed out the geographic location. "They are direct creations of N'Zoth and would never change their loyalties."
Ainz's gaze dropped to the map, his eyes scanning the area she mentioned. His mind worked swiftly, weighing options, calculating outcomes. The naga were a known factor; ruthless, fanatically loyal to the Old Gods, and exceedingly dangerous to the common soldier across most races. "Does the former king of Stormwind know you are behind his kidnapping?" he probed.
"No. He has no idea. But it would be safer to eradicate the naga and recapture Varian." She suggested, a hint of self-preservation masked beneath her offer of advice.
Nefarian, sensing an opportunity to curry favor, spoke up with eagerness that belied his usual stoic demeanor. "I will make preparations to deal with the naga and send some of my best to do the job. We must be careful and a quick but efficient eradication of the entire island population is required, otherwise these creatures will just disappear between the waves and strike at a later date." Nefarian offered. He was eager to prove his worth to his new master as now, unlike with the Old Gods, he felt a genuine connection with the Overlord and wanted to excel among Ainz's servants and take the position of his trusted advisor and the number three rank right after his master's wife.
Ainz nodded slightly, acknowledging the offer calmly. "Carry it out. For now, you both will halt all advances and deal with the reorganization of your forces with information we will send you later. Edwin, you will work with both Onyxia and Nefarian and make sure there is no inner conflict."
"As you command, Lord." Edwin bowed his head, not daring to protest the decision. His pride had taken a severe beating today, but he wasn't foolish enough to challenge the overlord's command. It was plain to see that Ainz and Buku put a much higher value on their dragon subordinates, as each was worth hundreds of men, and all he could do was keep his head low and carry out orders without protesting. He was now only minorly important, only useful for keeping a few ogres and the fragile humans in line.
"I will do as told." Onyxia nodded. The game was far from over, and she knew that her master's favor could be as fickle as it was absolute. Her gaze lingered on Ainz for a moment longer, calculating as she turned with great malice to smirk at Edwin.
"There might be a slight problem with halting all advance, my Lord," Nefarian noted. He folded his arms, the sharp glint of his eyes betraying his unspoken concerns. "The Burning Steppes is a wasteland and as much as I prefer to replace the mortal worms with easy-to-control golems and undead, they are useful for now. But to keep them in line, they must be fed. The resources are… scarce, at best, and raids keep their numbers culled and resources flowing."
Ainz leaned back slightly, tapping a skeletal finger thoughtfully against his chin. "I see." he mused, "In that case, I will leave it to your discretion for now until I have a clear picture of how to proceed."
"We should go take a look at our new domain. Blackrock Mountain sounds like a place we could use as our capital. We did want an underground palace after all if we could get it." Buku chimed in, breaking the momentary stillness. Her voice carried a spark of excitement, a contrast to the somber mood of strategic planning, at the idea of the new.
Ainz nodded. "True. I think we can do it right now. Can either of you use teleport or cast a gate?" he asked, turning his gaze toward the dragons.
"I can," Nefarian replied eagerly.
"Yes," Onyxia chimed in with equal enthusiasm.
"Great then-" Ainz began only to be interrupted by Buku.
"Darling, we have two freaking dragons, we are NOT teleporting there!" Buku interjected, her voice rising with incredulous excitement. The prospect of flying through the skies on the back of an ancient dragon was simply too good to pass up for her.
"I would be honored to carry you, Lord." Nefarian gave a solemn yet prideful offer, unwittingly adding even more fuel to the fire.
"In that case, I will carry Lady Buku." Onyxia joined in, her voice laced with eager competitiveness.
Both dragons, despite their fearsome reputations, had become nearly obsessively eager to serve in such a short period of time. 'Is this the result of replacing one master with another?' Ainz could only speculate on the matter. But as they said, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. He and Buku had gained two loyal and relatively powerful servants to use as they saw fit.
"Let's go." Buku grinned, tugging at Ainz's arm with childlike enthusiasm. Her earlier calm demeanor was replaced by barely contained excitement.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Ainz replied, chuckling softly at how impatient Buku was to fly again.
Once outside, once they passed through the destroyed gate, an unsightly mess that would need to be repaired and hidden as soon as possible, Onyxia and Nefarian reverted to their natural forms.
Ainz climbed onto Nefarian's back, gripping the jagged, bone-like spikes protruding from the dragon's neck. The texture of his decayed scales felt cold and brittle beneath Ainz's skeletal hands, but they held firm under his grip.
Beside them, Buku excitedly mounted Onyxia, who appeared far more pristine in comparison to her undead brother. Onyxia's obsidian scales shimmered like polished onyx, catching the light as she flared her wings, eager to take off. With a powerful flap of her wings, she launched into the sky with reckless abandon, sending even more wind into the destroyed entrance. Buku let out a delighted laugh as Onyxia executed a sharp spiral, twisting through the air in a dazzling display of aerial prowess.
Nefarian, sensing that Ainz wouldn't appreciate him showing off, took flight in a more level-headed manner with a single straight push, following his sister who was already making loops around them.
{ The Mistress and my sister seem to get along well. } Nefarian commented as both he and Ainz observed the dragoness perform all sorts of reckless tricks in the sky while Buku squealed in unrestrained delight, urging her to be even more reckless. Onyxia's antics were flashy and frivolous, the kind of behavior he had always considered beneath his more dignified nature while he glided around her.
{ Seems so. Has your sister always been this reckless? } Ainz asked as the pair whizzed by. Onyxia's latest stunt had her skimming the treetops with reckless precision, narrowly avoiding a collision with a particularly thick oak tree.
{ She is more, how to put it… hot-headed than me. This reckless behavior is not too much out of the norm for her, but it is clear to me that Onyxia is desperately trying to butter up to the mistress. } Nefarian replied with an annoyed grunt. All he could do was match his master's calmer and calculated demeanor which came more naturally to him now as they were connected through the bond of a master and servant, coupling with his already calculating demeanor and new undead physiology.
Ainz chuckled inwardly, finding a certain charm in the whole situation. { Buku's got her match then. } He couldn't help but suspect that Artemel might have had a hand in orchestrating the events and causing them to meet. His own servant seemed like a good match for him as Nefarian provided a smooth and pleasant ride moving through winds with ease and even shielding him with magic, almost too good.
The landscape below them quickly transformed from the vast, golden fields of Westfal into the thick forest of Elvynn. Ainz sighed as Onyxia dove down and disappeared between the trees, only to re-emerge with a cow dangling from her jaws. She made a show of it, tossing the creature into the air and catching it in a single gulp, much to Buku's delight.
{ I do not require food anymore, master. Though a snack wouldn't hurt. } Nefarian commented with a hint of envy in his voice.
{ Go on then. } Ainz permitted, tightening his grip on the dragon's spikes.
The mighty dragon dove down and flew just above the large trees with frightening mastery, soon reaching a tiny farm. There was a brief, panicked moo as a cow glanced upward, its eyes widening in terror, but it was too late. Nefarian's jaws closed around the beast with a crunch that resonated through his entire form, the sound of bones splintering and flesh tearing as blood flew past due to how quickly they were moving.
{ It's so rare I feast on cows these days. My domain has slim pickings when it comes to meat. } The dragon commented.
{ We'll resolve that problem in due time. } Ainz replied, assured, his grip firm as Nefarian's wings unfurled once more, catching the air in a powerful sweep that launched them back into the sky. Nefarian's speed was frightening, far surpassing the gryphon he flew from Ironforge to Southshore and was easily the fastest he had ever traveled besides through portals.
As Nefarian gladly chewed on his treat, they reached a mountain range and flew up revealing ashy plains devoid of vegetation. In the distance, a mountain that dwarfed everything Ainz had seen before slowly entered his line of sight despite the high speeds they were traveling. If hallowed out properly, it probably could put the great tomb of Nazarick to shame with its sheer proportions, including all of its floors and extended rooms. The terrain below was barren, covered with little more than ashen winds and tonnes of gravel. In the distance, the massive form of Blackrock Mountain dominated the horizon, its jagged peaks stabbing into the sky like the teeth of some ancient beast. Rivers of molten lava snaked down its slopes irregularly, their crimson glow casting an eerie light across the place that flickered and danced like the fires of Hell itself.
Beneath them, the lands were teeming with activity. Orcs, both green-skinned and grey-skinned, flowed like swarms of insects across the ashen plains. Their settlements sprawled in every direction; ramshackle towns, crude fortresses, and watchtowers stood like sentinels against the bleak landscape. Orcs numbering in the thousands went about their business, seemingly indifferent to the dragon soaring above their heads. To them, the sky was just another battlefield, and dragons were not an uncommon sight as their rulers.
{It's like watching ants moving about an anthill,} Ainz thought, marveling at the sheer scale of life teeming below. The ominous black peak would be the seat of his power. This mountain would become the capital of the Empire of Nazarick, he could already see it.
Editing by NabeisWaifu and aidan_lo.
Proofreading by IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, I AM THE STRING CUTTER, and aidan_lo.
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