Bellphine stands on a small hilltop watching the fading column of ash, dirt, and smoke set against a slowly-illuminating sky.
I had those visions… But,... She tries to speak softly, “I-I-I s-still c-c-c-c-can’t…” The young Dawnseer trails off. The visions showed her speaking normally with Daniel around this time. And, although she learned well that Dawnsights aren’t guaranteed futures, she did admittedly get her hopes up a bit.
“Are you doing alright, Bellphine?” asks Veiranoei as she walks up beside the young woman.
Bellphine turns and bows slightly, giving a nod to the gatonine’s question. Everyone in Daniel’s immediate circle knows to be patient with her and not expect verbal responses to everything, and Veiranoei is friendly, but will carry the conversation herself, doing her best to ask yes or no questions as much as possible.
“It played out just as your Dawnsight predicted, didn’t it?” asks the grey-toned brunette as she looks out over the massive crater obscured by distance, the reach past the horizon, and the haze from the settling ash and dust.
Bellphine gives a horizontal, flattened hand that she wavers slightly, a gesture Daniel told her to use for ‘middling’, when it’s neither a complete yes nor no. She can elaborate if need be, but for the immediate answer…
Veiranoei scoffs at this and she replies, “Yes, I suppose it’s easy to just claim the big picture fit, so it must have been exact. But, I really was hoping… we would be able to win a different way.”
The young Dawnseer nods in agreement with that. Everyone hoped for it, but it didn’t play out favorably in the end.
“Have you foreseen anything since the detonation?” asks the gatonine next, facing Bellphine now, rather than the destroyed horizon.
The young Dawnseer starts to shake her head, but her eyes widen as she makes the realization. She locks eyes with Veiranoei, shaking her head seriously and slowly to emphasize the importance of that fact.
She hasn’t lost control over her Dawnseeing connection since Daniel’s bomb. Now that she thinks about it, she was floating in and out erratically due to the intense mana coming from the mana fire, even from far away. She was evacuated early as non-essential personnel, so she didn’t suffer the worst of the weapon. But, she also knew at once what the flash and the column of fire were instantly, having finally seen with her own eyes what was foretold so long ago.
Veiranoei states, “It could be due to the mana-suppression, then. We’ll have to find out if your erratic visions have been stopped once we’re free of this area.”
The two notice a line of dragons walking across the ground on all fours, slowly catching up to the current encampment where huge crowds of people are resting for the moment. A few thousand people have been scooped up by the Fievegal’s relief trucks and whisked away to Mattarglos for the time being, but many more remain, waiting their turns.
The gatonine Martial Empress remarks, “Neith, Jeavana, Magnir, and Roetta… Looks like they retrieved the Chi’rinnis and quite a few others.”
Bellphine’s eyes are drawn to Senn, who is riding on Jeavana’s back with a handful of people, primarily Stalvaltan guardsmen. The sorceress seems to be meditating or resting.
I should ask Senn if she knows why I would have seen that… If there was some way to cure me, and I missed it…
Bellphine shakes her head, strengthening her focus. Daniel and the Empresses all treat her well, and are very courteous to her when it comes time for them to be especially intimate. In fact, she has very little responsibility as a ‘Lady-in-Waiting’ to Daniel, since she was a nobleman’s daughter, but Daniel doesn’t care to be waited on by servants. He’s generally dressed and groomed before Bellphine could ever have a chance to try to do any of it for him. Even when she did try to wake up earlier to help him dress, Daniel asked her to sleep until a normal time. She has only helped him generally with bringing him snacks or meals when he’s working.
In other words, she has a very luxurious life, other than dangerous moments like the last few days, and she is treated very well when her own family disowned her because she instantly lost her role as Dawnseer, and her stammer makes her ‘unmarriageable’.
Don’t think about the stammer. If it could be fixed, I’m sure everyone would help me fix it. So,... Maybe… I could research the library more…
“Y-Y-Y-...” starts Bellphine, and Veiranoei smiles. “Please feel free to skip the formalities. Do you want something to write on? I’m not in any hurry right now, so take your time…”
Bellphine smiles with slightly glistening eyes, since she is thankful that she is so well-respected by the Fievegal when her own family threw her away.
She takes a breath and focuses on keeping her voice as steady and stable as possible. “M-May I… ha-h-have… p-p-p-p-permi-mission to a-a… mmm… use-se-se l-li-libr-brary?”
Veiranoei cocks her head, genuinely confused for a moment. “Are you talking about the Citadel’s library?”
Bellphine nods once.
“Were… you not allowed to?”
The young Dawnseer blushes a little and averts her gaze. She genuinely doesn’t know because she was just trying to be useful, and she didn’t know if she could ask. By the time she realized Daniel would let her do pretty much anything, she was settled into her routine.
The gatonine chuckles and replies, “I know I’m the least official Empress, but I will write you a personal note giving you permission, just in case.” She pats her belt and pockets, but realizes she doesn’t have most of her ‘Knight’ equipment from when she served as her Grandfather’s guardian knight. Even if she did, she doesn’t always carry something to write on or with the way Wenlianna does.
“Where’s Wenlianna when we need her?” murmurs the feline woman.
Bellphine giggles, getting a smile out of the ‘Empress in name only’. Veiranoei then says, “Remind me when we’re back at the Citadel, and I’ll talk to everyone on your behalf.”
“Th-Tha-Thank you,” replies the young human sincerely. Veiranoei grins, and she does a uniquely Fievegal gesture, at least on this world; a thumb’s up. It makes Bellphine feel warm and accepted.
She looks at the nearest crowd of civilians from Urflasdat resting. Some are weeping, others are sprawled out on the ground in complete and total exhaustion, and others have solemn or sullen expressions as they eat simple soup, some kind of crackers or other baked good being delivered, or drinking water.
That’s right. Many people have lost everything, and even now, I’m gaining more.
She looks back to the crater again, showing absolute reverence for the forces that clashed only moments ago in the grand scheme of the world. This event will live on for generations, thanks to the elves, the dragons, and even the Dawnseers who know of it.
If I can discover a cure, maybe I can help others like me…
Bellphine makes a realization as she thinks this. It’s not always clear how or why Dawnsights happen. Many theories revolve around the thought that the world of Zenkon itself has a sort of ‘soul’ embodied by its mana, since the soul and mana are often considered directly linked. And, because Zenkon is the source of all mana, it stands to reason that it has a sort of soul that gives it conscious will, even if more simple or ‘detached’, compared to what a person’s explicit will is.
So… what if Zenkon was using me to help other Dawnseers? If others were in the midst of Dawnseeing like I was… Yes… All the more reason for me to pursue this.
Veiranoei remarks out of the blue, “It seems like the library is pretty important to you, huh? Looks like you just had an important inspiration.” The gatonine Empress nods approvingly, as if she has it all figured out.
Of course, it’s accurate, and Bellphine can’t help but blush at being read so easily. She used to be a very outgoing and bright person, and though she tries to remain happy and content, now, a part of her heart still feels very grey at times.
The young Dawnseer replies softly, “Y-Yes-ss…”
“Good. Then, I suppose we should get you back there as soon as possible so you can begin.”
Bellphine appreciates the sentiment, but she can’t be excited about it. Her gaze goes to the displaced people of Urflasdat, and Veiranoei looks as well.
The gatonine replies, “There’s only so much we can do for them. If our otherworlders are correct, these people will be able to go home in a few days or weeks. And, Gra-Grand Premier Kalegrynten has experience dealing with large numbers of people like this. He’s probably only remotely matched by Grand Duchess Aramellianna and Vaergraes. So…” Veiranoei turns back to Bellphine, giving her a reassuring smile. “I have a lot to learn as a sudden Empress, so we’ll just have to do our best to do what we can, right?”
Bellphine relaxes, and she nods in agreement.
She can’t peer into the future right now, she wasn’t needed for handing out supplies, and her Liege lord to whom she’s supposed to be a Lady-in-Waiting is already back at the Citadel.
Thankfully, Bellphine has a goal now that will let her be helpful, even when she isn’t needed right away.
***
Daniel, Hekate, and Baeka reach the control room of the Citadel, where a pair of golems are standing watch over the doorway from the transportation circle. They aren’t armed. Instead, the golems are dressed in simple and dapper attire to signify them as servants, rather than soldiers. All golems can fight, of course, but the purpose of these ones is to warn anyone attempting to enter.
“Pardon me, your Graces, your Greatness; her Grace Ryuogriar has Fal, and she has asked us to minimize all who enter that may be affected by his Highness. If you only need to deliver a message, I can relay it for you, your Greatness.”
Hekate looks up at Daniel, and the human pets her head gently. “I can make it across the room, Sweatpea.”
“I wanted to check on her, too, you know…”
“I know… But, if you’re willing… I’d like you to go to the kobolds and ask them to make something using the plates we gave to Floria, connector lines, and… a box or something. Anything to make a quick and dirty containment for Fal so Ryuo and Emerald can get some rest.”
“I… Sh-Shouldn’t you explain it to them?” asks Hekate.
The mechanic chuckles. “I can, but I trust you. You’ve been watching what we’ve been doing. If nothing else, I can relieve Ryuo so she can sleep while you work.”
“I’ll help you,” adds Baeka. “We can always check with Wenlianna and Ahok for advice if we need to.”
Daniel nods in agreement, and Hekate blushes a little. “I… You’re not allowed to leave this room. If you do, I’ll… I don’t know what I’ll do, but it will be bad.”
The mechanic laughs, ruffling her hair. “Don’t worry. I suspect Ryuo is going to share the same sentiments as you.”
The feldrok teen grins, and she points at the golems. “If he tries anything, tell me immediately. And if Fal does start… doing his thing, I may not like it, but I can probably withstand his power too, right?” The ravenette looks at Daniel and he nods. “It should be fine, though.”
“Right! Then, I’m off!” Hekate bounds about three steps away excitedly before stopping. She says gently, “Um… Be careful, Daniel.”
“We’re home now, Hekate. I won’t do anything risky again without telling you.”
She nods sheepishly, saying, “Let’s go, Baeka!”
Baeka says gently, “Daniel… after all of this is settled,... I’d like you and I to have a conversation.”
Daniel nods once, having some idea of what she wants to talk about. And, the near death experiences have definitely given everyone a lot to think about.
The mechanic then turns to the golems, saying, “I’m going in.”
“Of course, your Grace. We’ll remain here.”
Daniel walks between them into the room, since they have to obey his orders. Xyreko is the only one with enough personal authority to question Daniel or otherwise operate in a ‘rogue’ state, because she asked for it. She can override some of Daniel’s orders for the others, but otherwise, the Master of the Citadel’s orders are absolute.
The mechanic slowly walks into the control room, which has minimal light at present. Almost everyone in the Fievegal has some level of dark or night vision, distinguished between the ability to see in pitch black caves or outside with some minimal light from the stars or moons, respectively. As such, he has no doubt that Emerald and Ryuogriar can see him long before he’ll be able to see them, but he walks cautiously forward, since there is enough light for him to make out the right direction and not trip over any of the furniture moved into the control room, since it is a primary retreat center if the Citadel falls under siege.
As the shapes of the two women and the donation altar become distinguishable to him, he notices green eyes turn towards him. Giving some additional credence to the notion that the eyes are the window to the soul, the mana of powerful magic users tends to cause their eyes to glow the ‘brightest’, which is still dim, but has a sort of cat-like distinctive appearance in the darkness that makes it obvious that they’re watching him. Additionally, Daniel once heard that a major reason green is used for night vision goggles, typically, is because the human eye can distinguish more shades of green than any other color, meaning it can be easier to make out details, especially because the rods of the human eye responsible for night vision are even more sensitive to certain low-levels of green, even if they aren’t responsible for distinguishing colors themselves.
So, Daniel could attribute it to the fact that his eyes would see green more easily than red, as red was used on naval ships on Earth because it doesn’t carry very far at night, and the limited human night vision is least affected by red light to begin with, making it both harder to see from distance and also, for those serving on the ship, preserves their actual night vision when they do step out of the red light into total darkness.
Also, he’s down an eye, now, so he’s even further handicapped in the night vision department, since his right eye was the mechanic’s ‘good’ eye.
But, he realizes when she stirs that Ryuogriar was simply asleep, and her ruby-red eyes noticeably open and track to him just as their actual faces are becoming visible enough to him.
Stolen from Freewebnovel, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
She notices him approaching and wakes up groggily. Daniel knows Ryuogriar has been too afraid to leave the donation altar for long periods of time since it’s their only option if Fal goes out of control, and from what he has been told, he did so at least four or five times already.
Emerald sits up as well, and as Daniel approaches, the human greets them both; “Mukori,” with a warm tone, and then a neutral tone for, “Emerald.”
For her reply, rather than a harsh tone Daniel is used to, the green dragoness uses a much more tender, soft tone; “Your Grace, I’m glad to see you’re well, all things considered.”
Daniel is stunned out of his words for a moment, surprised by her apparent sudden change. He immediately and painstakingly slumps down to hide behind Ryuogriar, looking at Emerald suspiciously with his left eye while the exhausted Ryuogriar scoffs. “Mukori… What are you doing?” Daniel almost falls flat on his face when he does so, but he does manage to catch himself on the donation altar and make the bit seem composed and under control.
“Didn’t you hear that, Mukori?” ‘whispers’ the human facetiously, in spite of his ragged voice. “I think she’s plotting something.”
“I-I swear I’m not, your Grace,” murmurs Emerald, suddenly worried. She is the one holding Fal at the moment, and she keeps her voice low and quiet.
“She’s going to kill us all,” whispers Daniel. “We need to imprison her.”
Emerald is horrified, but Ryuogriar simply snickers. She replies sincerely and a bit tenderly, “While I would have taken a far harsher stance a week ago, Mukori, you can rest easy…” She kisses her beloved Emperor, and he reciprocates, making her happy. She then adds softly, “Emerald has made efforts already and wishes to continue to repent. I am willing to give her a chance if you are.”
“I see…” murmurs Daniel as he leans his forehead against Ryuogriar’s shoulder gently. He adds somewhat sarcastically, “I think I know the perfect test. We’ll put her on laundry duty. For me.”
Finally realizing that she’s being pranked, Emerald’s fearful expression turns more neutral, but with hints of exasperation. Ryuogriar simply giggles as she grins at the green dragon. Fal stirs a little, and Ryuogriar gingerly reaches over, petting his belly softly.
The platinum matriarch then replies with a playful smile directed at Emerald, “Indeed, Mukori. Though, I do worry that she might become obsessed with your smell after she overcomes her disgust in favor of desiring our Dragon Emperor…”
The metallic green dragon lets out a somewhat irritable sigh. She growls in a soft voice as to not disturb Fal, “I did vow to show my utmost respect to his Grace, Emperor Daniel, and I agreed to share my true name. I know you’re doing this to taunt me,...” She looks them each directly in the eyes, growling, “But, regardless of my change of heart, I will not end up some sort of… ‘laundry degenerate’. Your Grace… I… still… object to the thought of being subservient to a human, of all people… But… I… I acknowledge that you have pursued a better future for everyone, including us. S-So… I’ll do your laundry if you demand it. I’ll wash your feet and run your errands. I just… I ask for a chance to return from the dark place I was in… From the hatred I unfairly directed at you, who didn’t deserve my ire.” The junior woman carefully shifts onto her knees, mindful of Fal, and she bows her head. She adds softly and sincerely, “Please forgive my atrocious behavior. I will not blame you if you decide not to free me, but I ask you to at least cure me of the curse and… allow me to have a mate.”
Daniel is quiet for a moment, and he glances at Ryuogriar. She nods in approval. The mechanic from Earth starts with one last joke, “It’s not working, Mukori… Should we have sex in front of her? Will that punish her?”
Emerald groans a little, still in her bowing position, and Daniel and Ryuogriar both scoff.
The human has been giving it some thought, since he never really liked the idea of an indefinite slavery of anyone, regardless of the reason. He just didn’t know a better alternative, and unlike a typical isekai hero ‘taming’ an endless supply of waifus or otherwise having an army of willing slaves for his harem, Daniel isn’t strong enough on his own to protect himself if they turn on him. That said, Emerald does seem to be sincere, and her words have never really bothered him that much, since he understands where it was coming from.
“I have an idea for an experiment that I’d like to try, and you’ll be the first subject.”
“Your Grace?” murmurs the green dragon.
“Mukori?” asks Ryuogriar, surprised by this.
The otherworlder asks softly as he touches Ryuogriar’s lap, “May I, Mukori? I… I’m running on fumes…”
The platinum dragon nods, helping Daniel lay down onto her lap. She even moves her tail to help support him, hugging him a bit as he gets comfortable on his left side to keep his right eye free of all contact. Ryuogriar murmurs as she touches his forehead, “You will be explaining all of this, Mukori… But first… this ‘experiment’.”
Daniel nods against her thigh, getting comfortable. He doesn’t gush or get bashful over it, since he has done far, far more with Ryuogriar than simply laying against her leg, and she’s more than happy to cuddle with him, though she is also lethargic and subdued due to exhaustion.
Daniel explains his plan as best as he has thought it out so far. “I’ll exchange your contract, which makes you effectively a slave as it is, for a debt instead. This debt will be a finite, unchanging number valued in the Fievegal’s felarc currency, and you will be permitted to hold a job with a salary in order to pay down that debt. I won’t give you a shortcut ‘get rich quick’ job like Jeavana, but you can do pretty much anything else and negotiate for your salary from whoever employs you, which may include myself or the Empresses. The only exception to this ‘unchanging’ debt will be if you commit new crimes, which will have weighted values for increasing the debt, and, if the crime involves money, such as theft, embezzlement, or counterfeiting, you’ll lose the credit of that ill-begotten money used to pay down your debt in addition to the weighted value of the crime itself adding back onto your debt.”
Both dragons are momentarily lost in thought about this ‘experiment’.
“What if she doesn’t pay off the debt at all?” asks Ryuogriar after pondering it.
Daniel replies seriously, “Her and her children will not be considered citizens of the Fievegal.”
This surprises Emerald just as much as Ryuogriar, who both expected him to say that she wouldn’t be cured of the curse. Emerald is one of the last dragons still afflicted because of her refusal to accept help from a human, though they’ve confirmed that the inoculation does prevent ‘re-infection’, thankfully, so she doesn’t have to be isolated from any of the dragons or dragon-descendants, like the Stalvaltan daughters.
“S-... So, you’re going to cure me? E-Even if I don’t pay down the debt?” asks Emerald cautiously.
“Yes. And, you’ll be free to go. But, if you try to live in the Fievegal’s territory and refuse to pay any taxes, that will be a crime, which will raise your debt proportionally for all unpaid taxes.”
“So, if she simply leaves the Fievegal, she’s completely free? Without repaying anything?” As she’s saying it out loud, this realization perturbs Ryuogriar a little bit.
Even so, Daniel replies sincerely, “Yes. She has some internal knowledge that we should try to protect, but I promised many people, including Vaergraes and you dragons, that once the curse is lifted, I don’t need or want to keep you. I went as restrictive as I did on the contracts because I couldn’t just chase you guys out. Once I feel like I have enough power around me, and that you guys are ultimately trustworthy, I am willing to free you and let you live your own lives.”
The human turns his gaze to Emerald again, adding seriously, “I’m not arrogant enough to believe the Fievegal is perfect, so certainly, if you feel like you will live a better life elsewhere, I won’t stop you. I’ll even ask Hekate to negotiate with you if you want to purchase land from the Fievegal. But, I’m also not against us working out a more formal system for titles of nobility, which dragons tend to have unique prowess to warrant important titles and roles in the Fievegal, such that we would give you land to manage. Eventually. And, of course, I mean my ‘eventually’, not Ryuo-Mukori’s or Hekate’s ‘eventually’.”
The two dragons scoff and laugh lightly. While Ryuogriar and the other Empresses have a goal of preventing that eventuality, or at least delaying it by a very long margin, Daniel’s perception of his time is based on a pragmatic ‘eighty Earth years or so’, which is numerically much ‘fewer’ years on Zenkon because of how much longer the days and years are. Still, as uncomfortable as Ryuogriar finds it, she can still laugh because Daniel is still being a warm and humorous person, even with whatever has brought him with bandages over his right eye, exhausted beyond belief, and smelling of the foul scent of scorched flesh and incinerated hair, which familiar, but far across the spectrum from the appetizing odor of properly-prepared meat.
For her part, Emerald ponders Daniel’s words. He’s saying that taking on the debt and subsequently paying it off will automatically make her a citizen, and if she makes enough efforts to benefit the Fievegal, she stands to earn a title of nobility just like Jeavana, even if it won’t necessarily be as high ranking as the golden dragon who was never an enemy of Hekate, specifically. Because the dragons are so powerful, they can fill many roles at once, typically speaking, and they more easily command respect from any other race, though that same respect comes with the burden of fear in many cases as well.
The aristocracy is a system Daniel plans to phase out in the future, or shift to a more democratic equivalent, but he’s giving Emerald the choice between her own personal freedom –severing ties with the Fievegal, but losing all of the benefits–, or to serve the Fievegal directly starting from a negative position and earning her way as high as she can go through the efforts of her own mind, body, and will.
“W-... Will my children… inherit my debt?” asks Emerald.
“No. If you earn your citizenship before they become adults, which I’m still working out how I’m going to handle it based on how quickly everyone matures, they’ll automatically become citizens under your banner. I’m content with eighteen across the board, but I need more information before I convince Hekate to make a hard rule for everyone. In your case, Emerald, you resisted citizenship at the beginning, so I want to see commitment from you, personally, before you get the benefits others didn’t have to work as hard to earn. You implied through your words and actions that you don’t want to be a member of the Fievegal, and that you might even be our enemy. But, I’m willing to give you a chance to prove that you actually will be a loyal citizen of the Fievegal above and before anywhere else.”
“I… I understand…” She smiles softly. “But, to clarify,... my children won’t be punished for their mother’s misdeeds?”
“Only if they help their mother in those misdeeds,” warns Daniel. “But, be warned. Even in my country, if parents proved themselves unfit through various crimes or neglectful behavior, the state would take those children away from them. If you think you can try to cheat…”
“N-No-no!” urges the green dragon quickly. “It’s just… reassuring that it will only be my burden.”
Daniel nods, losing some of the imposing effect of an Emperor as he lays against Ryuogriar’s thigh while she pets his shoulder and hair, avoiding his bandaged cheek. But, it’s an informal meeting, since they’re all exhausted, and looking after Fal was a huge priority that both dragon women fearlessly took responsibility for.
Daniel looks up at Ryuogriar’s face. “Do you object to this system, Mukori?”
The dragon Matriarch sighs. “Not at all, Mukori. If anything, it isn’t that dissimilar for how it worked out for the rest of us. It sounds like you’re just putting an amount of currency to it instead of the nebulous ‘when you felt the time was right’ for the rest of us.”
“Yes. Emerald, you’ll be the first in this sort of experiment for paying a literal ‘debt to society’. It should be a bit more overtly fair than my feelings, since you haven’t committed any actual crimes to my knowledge since Hekate and I… uh… defended the Citadel. And, I’ll still need to give thought to a fair value that is reasonable for you to be able to pay, but also fair to the Fievegal, such that you don’t get to pay it off in, like, a week.”
Emerald is silent for a moment, seeming to deliberate something rather serious. Ryuogriar growls, “What is it? Do you have some sort of objection?”
“N-No! No, your Grace. It’s just…” Emerald looks down at Fal for a moment. She closes her eyes and seems to swallow a lump in her throat.
“What if… the amount you choose is something I can already pay off… W-With… my personal belongings from… the Hoard?”
Ryuogriar starts, “What makes you think anything in the old Keep is yours after…”
“Mukori…” interrupts Daniel. He’s had to do a lot of interrupting of his consorts, who have been a bit overly-zealous. He understands their feelings, and he does value them greatly. But, he doesn’t want to be some sort of draconian emperor that believes his number twos smell of roses and his pants are put on head first or something crazy.
“Mukori?” asks the dragon in turn. “You can’t possibly… If she is to be treated like a criminal… Why would she still have any belongings?”
“You’re right, Mukori. We could easily say that all of her belongings are confiscated, just to keep her down. But, that’s not justice to anyone. I was not an Emperor when you all came to the Citadel, and I have repeatedly said that words alone are not a crime, barring imminent threats of harm, which Emerald never did. She said heinous and very hurtful things, but she never committed treason with her words. She is only a slave right now because it was a defense mechanism for me while the dragons who don’t support me live as refugees, essentially, within the Citadel. She’s not truly a ‘criminal’ in my eyes, and she hasn’t received a fair trial to be convicted anyways. So… I hope you’ll understand and hear out my answer to her, since she briefly thought about hiding it, only to give us a sign of trust. Yes?”
Ryuogriar nibbles her lip, looking at Emerald for a moment. The green dragon is silent, making no defense or protests to the direction the conversation went. She doesn’t make any pleas or appeals. She simply waits for Ryuogriar’s answer, knowing that the Dragon Matriarch holds the green-haired woman’s fate in her hands.
The platinum Dragon Empress could push back, since she has her own beliefs, and at one point, she was allowed to make harsh decisions, so long as it had nothing to do with nor undermined the authority of Morthybargaron. But, Daniel is trying to push the Fievegal towards something more like his home country on Earth. At least, he’s aiming for as much of the good with as little of the bad as possible. Everyone in his inner circle knows that well, and they know it is important towards building the future they claim to desire.
Ryuogriar lets out a soft sigh, gently sifting her fingers through Daniel’s hair. “Mukori… I am curious, so I will hear your explanation. But, if I don’t like it, I will insist we deny her. She should have to work harder to make up for her mistakes, even if they are not true ‘crimes’.”
“I understand,” replies Daniel with a smile, and he gingerly kisses an exposed portion of her thigh thanks to the damage her dress sustained when they were fighting the mana-mutated Keeper woman. He then turns his attention back to the green dragon still cradling Fal, but facing the two of them on her knees.
“Emerald, the price will be steep, and for any items that need converted into value, it will take time for us to find appraisers capable of fairly assessing their value. But, if you do wish to diminish your private stockpile to shortcut the process, I will allow it. However, since this brings up an excellent point, as part of the experiment, I intend to add two more stipulations; a minimum ‘parole’ time, which will be a limited status, but still considered a citizen, and also, an assessment program that we’ll need to work out so we can question your intentions and sincerity with your behaviors. Additionally, since I also want to shift how we handle our aristocracy to something that allows titles to be ‘bought’ legally, but requires a level of professional behavior beyond simple etiquette, it will be clear that the large amount of money paid to clear your indentured status will not count towards the amount needed to buy a title, nor the sustenance fees required to keep the title.”
“Mukori, this sounds like things we need to be discussing with the others, as well as Aramellianna…”
“You’re right, Mukori,” agrees Daniel. “I’m just speculating out loud to keep my mind distracted. The medicine Doephluev made me is working, but if I stop for too long, it feels like an army of benkis are continuously headbutting my skull; not that painful, but continuously annoying…”
“That woman made you medicine?” asks Ryuogriar skeptically. “Is… Has your magic…?” The dragon matron trails off, continuing to fidget with Daniel’s hair, and likely knowing that she can’t detect a shred of magic from him.
Daniel sighs a little at her address of Doephluev. He knows Ryuogriar has been extremely forgiving with her own dislikes and disagreements from the very beginning, and she doesn’t protest when the archoneldwyn prances around like she owns the place, proudly showing off her own pregnancy and acting well above her own station. She all but literally ‘slept’ her way into a status virtually equal to any of the Empresses, even though she’s technically still bound by magic contract herself.
“Not magic. You won’t like the answer, probably, so I’ll explain it alongside everything else. By the way, do you want some rum? You look like you could use some rum, Mukori…”
The dragon grips Daniel’s hair simply by closing her hand a bit, and she tugs only slightly, causing the mechanic to wince and hum as he squirms his hands. She deflects for a moment to finish with Emerald. “Emerald, do you accept your Emperor’s ‘experiment’?”
“Yes…” replies Emerald softly with a gentle smile. “I don’t wish to sound greedy, but… if my assistance helps perfect this system… I pray it will help restore my own honor as a dragon. I vow to behave myself, and… while I can’t always promise to watch my tongue or my expressions, I will never cause harm to the Fievegal that… I hope my children will be able to call home.”
Daniel smiles and nods as well, particularly once Ryuogriar relaxes her ‘warning grip’. He reminds the green dragon, “It will be a learning process for all of us, and as I said, I will try to make it fair for both sides, so that, when it is used for actual crimes, justice is served while preserving human, er… uh… hmm… well, uh… we’ll need a better word for it, since ‘human rights’ is pretty narrow here, so… sapient rights? Rights that we will apply to all sapient races, not just citizens of the Fievegal.”
“You are quite the idealist, Mukori,” teases Ryuogriar. “You could and should probably just spoil yourself and us and forget about all of these policy and social changes…”
“It took centuries, but the home country I am so proud of eventually blazed to the peak of economic, military, and libertarian standards for the world. It remained this way for generations afterwards, and the worst thing to happen during my generation is that we had it too good for too long, so people started imagining problems where none existed. Many conspiracies speculated on why, but it certainly lent credence to the notion ‘good times lead to weak men. Weak men lead to hard times’, the latter part of a quote by G. Michael Hopf, I think. I know I’ve touched on some of it, but we haven’t even scratched the surface of the luxuries and comforts I think we can implement…”
“Yes… I’m looking forward to each and every one of them, Mukori. So,...” She leans way over, holding her hair back from her face to kiss Daniel’s temple gingerly. She adds in a low, warning voice barely above a whisper, “Now might be a good time to explain what all happened to you, while I’m too exhausted to get truly angry at you, my beloved, reckless Mukori. If you think getting me drunk is necessary, then I believe you have a genuinely interesting story to tell.”
“Mukori… Have I told you how much I love you, yet?”
Emerald scoffs as she takes a seat again to rest against the donation altar. Fal squirms a little in her arms, but he remains peacefully asleep, showing no signs of distress right now, thankfully. Ryuogriar gives a very devious grin at Daniel’s playful deflection, since he always intended to be honest with her, but he’s certainly playing like he has something to hide.
That said, as he starts to tell the tale of the last few days since he left the Citadel, he knows pretty quickly from Ryuogriar’s expression that his convalescence in the magical castle will last quite a long while.
***
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