Page 422
Story: The Dragon of Dreams
Early Morning - Mid Winter : Eastern Coastline | Eastern Bahamut
-----
"So.. you mean to tell me that Bahamut..
the god every dragon hails.. wasn't even a dragon.
.?" Staring out over the ocean while waves filled the air with stars, Krystallo's eyes, laden with hesitancy, slowly drifted toward the bright orange sky before she continued.
"He still had the body of a dragon though.
. he still grew up from infancy with it.
.. Doesn't that mean he had to learn how to be a dragon. .?"
Catching her glance, I was quick to shake my head.
"Not necessarily." Looking out toward the golden sunrise, I continued somewhat softly.
"Bahamut had no parents. He was a human god who stumbled across a lost egg and took the body for his own.
In his time as a dragon, he learned to survive, not live.
.. It's why everyone who knew him called him 'eccentric', because he simply lived how he was taught in his last life. "
"Which wasn't as a dragon..."
"Correct." A pleased curl quickly found its way into my tail. She was handling things better than anticipated, staying calm and calculative without letting her curiosity get to her.
"That really does.. explain a lot..." Looking back toward Hera, she fell into thought for a moment before her gaze fell and made its way back to the sunrise.
"I remembered wondering what you guys meant by calling Eikasía a draconic city, but looking back now.
. every other city on the continent really is.
. human-like..." Pausing, she fell deep into thought before turning back to me.
"But even with that... I'm not sure I see where your negativity is coming from. .."
-Hm?- A curious whip in my tail thumped the ground as my gaze steadied. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, sure, Bahamut did make our culture more human, which doesn't really fit our species, but I'm not so sure that's a bad thing like you're making it sound.
Human architecture is beautiful, their culture is close and cohesive, and if the texts we studied in school are true, the concept of 'the family' was a truly beautiful foreign he granted us.
Mothers used to only raise their young till they were old enough to fly, then leave them to fend for themselves.
I just don't see how humanizing our race a little bit is a grave enough sin to warrant your-"
"Krystallo..." Not wanting to get onto the topic, I let out a sigh. "Draconic culture didn't start 'valuing' the concept of the family as a whole until we had no other choice. Because of Bahamut, our population's growth flatlined."
Her expression quickly turned troubled. "W..what is that supposed to mean..?" Looking at Hera, she wore a mix of worry and skepticism.
Hera was quick to lay it on her though. "Bahamut, worried that we would grow too strong for 'other intelligent life' to survive after uniting us and establishing our civilization, essentially put our necks under a guillotine.
" Seeing Krystallo's eyes go wide, she continued.
"As you know, we can only lay one clutch in our lifetimes, however, that was not always the case.
He, under the guise of blessing hatches in the early days of his rule, crushed any hopes the draconic race had of growing and left us one disaster away from extinction. "
"B-But he must have had some other motive, right-" Knowing where Hera was going with that, Krystallo looked at me for solace.
But I could only shake my head. "His motive was to make sure the draconic race didn't wipe out humanity.
In the end, that was his true motivation, to thin the gap between humans and dragons.
From burying our mana wells and giving them to the humans, to destroying our population, he did whatever it took to put us on a more level playing field. "
Clamping her wings to her side, her tail curled with anxiety. "T-Then what about the Acardi? He helped us there, didn't he?"
Shrugging my wings, I looked out over the water. "The Acardi weren't just a threat to us..."
Her gaze instantly fell to the ground with guilt.
"You make a good point in saying that even if Bahamut did questionable things, but you must also look at the full picture when saying that. It is also up to you to form your own opinion on how you feel about it all. Just because I dislike him doesn't mean everyone else must as well."
Pausing, Krystallo fell into thought before her wings and tail finally started relaxing. "But if you, the one who knows the most about him, dislikes him.. doesn't that mean he's bad?"
Catching her gaze, I let out another breath before looking away.
"Everyone is different. I'm sure in the eyes of many I'm just as bad as I believe him to be.
Some may still value the current state of our race because of the good things that did result from his actions, like a sense of unity, comfort, and convenience.
.. However, for me, his good deeds will never sit right because of his motives.
As the leader of a nation, you should look to improve the wellbeing of your people, yet while many put their faith in him, he simply used them as tools while tricking them into thinking he was doing it for them. "
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
*Tap* Curling and relaxing her tail, she followed my gaze out to the golden sunrise before speaking softly. "I see..." Recognizing that was the peek I promised, she fell silent.. falling into thought while watching the sun rise over the horizon.
Until eventually, after nearly an hour of silence, she spoke.
"Could I.. go fly on my own to try and clear my head?"
Hera and I were obviously quick to agree, giving her time to think on her own was the best we could give her now.
Even if she couldn't fly totally alone.
Following her up, cloaked in the clouds behind her, I watched in silence, pleased by how maturely she was handling everything while my anxieties about her making a rushed decision melted.
After all, it was a decision that would change the direction of her life.
Although many didn't take the saying seriously, ignorance is bliss to most, the deeper you looked into the truth, the darker the world would become, and the bleaker the future would appear.
But while I was now certain she was not one to let the truth destroy her, she still had to make the decision for whether that was the kind of life she wished to lead.
She could either live a life where she must climb a mountain with the added weight of the truth, or live entirely in the present, remaining just high enough up the mountain to see over the trees.
As I watched her glide just over the surface of the ocean though, peering into the blue abyss beneath her, I knew her answer.
Even if it was something that would never actually matter.
*VWOOM* Feeling an unfamiliar presence approaching at a speed only a god was capable of, my divinity accelerated, and I cleared the clouds with enough antimatter to flatten a kingdom in order to get to the ground as fast as possible.
*WOOM-CRRRACKLE* Turning the water into plasma as I landed, I put up countless barriers around Krystallo and heightened my senses to their limit.
But by the time I got everything set up, he was already there next to me, waiting.
It was a tall man who looked more like a barbarian than any of the gods I knew of, with a long, gruffy beard, no shirt, and a thick fur garb draped over his shoulder and around his waist.
He was a god I didn't recognize in the slightest, yet he clearly knew who I was. "~To think you really did reincarnate yourself...~" His tone was rather reminiscing, carrying more nostalgia than hostility.
"~I don't believe I recognize you...~" Not lowering my guard a hair, I looked him over countless times before noticing the odd paleness in his eyes.
It was a trait not uncommon among the Aesir, but his were especially cloudy. "~Ah, I apologize for my rudeness then. I wasn't keen on believing the rumors that you lost your memories.~" Gently bowing, he lowered his head completely. "~My name is H?er, an old acquaintance of yours.~"
My pupils instantly thinned. -One of Odin's sons, huh...- "~Calling yourself my acquaintance is quite daring.~" Speaking with some bitterness, I closed my aura around him, ready to open a gate around him on a moment's notice.
But he didn't budge. "~It is, but I like to believe I was the only one who could truly call themselves that.~" Raising himself from his bow, a smile spread across his face.
But I wasn't buying the act. "~The times have changed. Until I get back more of my memories you are the same as the rest of the Aesir. What business do you have with me now?~"
His expression instantly morphed to a frown.
"~I had hoped you would at least remember my relationship with my father, but I guess not.
..~" Pausing, he moved backward slightly.
"~I apologize for making you jump, but I'm not here for that missy behind you.
I am simply here to inform you that my brother has discovered the true identity of that girl behind you, as well as your family, and is planning to take them from you in an attempt to gain Odin's limited favor. ~"
Tensing up, the hair on the back of my neck flared up. "~Is that so?~" Seeing him nod, my expression turned skeptical. "~And what do you gain from telling me that?~"
"~A better show, of course!~" Spreading his arms like a proud conductor, he smiled with his teeth.
"~In the past, I never could have dreamed that you'd intervene with the balance of this world, but now, I can watch as the Aesir lights their own asses on fire!
~" His expression progressively turned more crazed as he spoke.
"~It's finally time for karma to catch up to those arrogant bastards! How could I not be excited!~"
Watching as his insanity spread and grew, I lowered my stance. Such insanity couldn't be faked, he wasn't lying.
But I also felt like a pig being led by a carrot to believe everything he said.
Unfortunately though, I didn't have the time to pick and choose what to believe.
Before his maniacal laugh could end, a series of presences appeared on the horizon.
It was Baldur, with three of the Valkyries in tow.
Read up to 5 chapters ahead of schedule, and get early access to artwork on My Patreon!
(In case Embedded Link doesn't work: /TDOD )
-------------
Also, please feel free to check out our discord for all updates related to TDOD releases! https://discord.gg/Dv7G5bQD4v
All are welcome!
---
Also if you are looking for a new story, check out my new novel! The System's Harvester
On RR and SH
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235
- Page 236
- Page 237
- Page 238
- Page 239
- Page 240
- Page 241
- Page 242
- Page 243
- Page 244
- Page 245
- Page 246
- Page 247
- Page 248
- Page 249
- Page 250
- Page 251
- Page 252
- Page 253
- Page 254
- Page 255
- Page 256
- Page 257
- Page 258
- Page 259
- Page 260
- Page 261
- Page 262
- Page 263
- Page 264
- Page 265
- Page 266
- Page 267
- Page 268
- Page 269
- Page 270
- Page 271
- Page 272
- Page 273
- Page 274
- Page 275
- Page 276
- Page 277
- Page 278
- Page 279
- Page 280
- Page 281
- Page 282
- Page 283
- Page 284
- Page 285
- Page 286
- Page 287
- Page 288
- Page 289
- Page 290
- Page 291
- Page 292
- Page 293
- Page 294
- Page 295
- Page 296
- Page 297
- Page 298
- Page 299
- Page 300
- Page 301
- Page 302
- Page 303
- Page 304
- Page 305
- Page 306
- Page 307
- Page 308
- Page 309
- Page 310
- Page 311
- Page 312
- Page 313
- Page 314
- Page 315
- Page 316
- Page 317
- Page 318
- Page 319
- Page 320
- Page 321
- Page 322
- Page 323
- Page 324
- Page 325
- Page 326
- Page 327
- Page 328
- Page 329
- Page 330
- Page 331
- Page 332
- Page 333
- Page 334
- Page 335
- Page 336
- Page 337
- Page 338
- Page 339
- Page 340
- Page 341
- Page 342
- Page 343
- Page 344
- Page 345
- Page 346
- Page 347
- Page 348
- Page 349
- Page 350
- Page 351
- Page 352
- Page 353
- Page 354
- Page 355
- Page 356
- Page 357
- Page 358
- Page 359
- Page 360
- Page 361
- Page 362
- Page 363
- Page 364
- Page 365
- Page 366
- Page 367
- Page 368
- Page 369
- Page 370
- Page 371
- Page 372
- Page 373
- Page 374
- Page 375
- Page 376
- Page 377
- Page 378
- Page 379
- Page 380
- Page 381
- Page 382
- Page 383
- Page 384
- Page 385
- Page 386
- Page 387
- Page 388
- Page 389
- Page 390
- Page 391
- Page 392
- Page 393
- Page 394
- Page 395
- Page 396
- Page 397
- Page 398
- Page 399
- Page 400
- Page 401
- Page 402
- Page 403
- Page 404
- Page 405
- Page 406
- Page 407
- Page 408
- Page 409
- Page 410
- Page 411
- Page 412
- Page 413
- Page 414
- Page 415
- Page 416
- Page 417
- Page 418
- Page 419
- Page 420
- Page 421
- Page 422 (Reading here)
- Page 423
- Page 424
- Page 425
- Page 426
- Page 427
- Page 428
- Page 429
- Page 430
- Page 431
- Page 432
- Page 433
- Page 434
- Page 435
- Page 436
- Page 437
- Page 438
- Page 439
- Page 440
- Page 441
- Page 442
- Page 443
- Page 444