After an hour or so I pulled myself from the canal onto a bank not far from the shore directly below the depths of the slums. The darkest place of the slums where not even the nobles would look towards. Ironically it was also the cleanest part of the canal for how much was sent through. The prostitutes cleaned their clothes here and yet it's cleaner than most nobles' homes. Trying my best to stand, I felt the tension of my healing wounds still being eaten by the eldritch magic inside my body like a fucking parasite.
“What the fuck!” I laughed aloud covering my eyes and feeling the coarse surface of my arm currently burnt to fucking crisp. The charred surface elevated through the cracked skin. I pulled at the rock-hard skin, coming off in large fleshy chunks of hanging muscle. I screamed out in agony pulling each piece of skin off of my body just hoping I could bear the pain. The muscle underneath was unresponsive, the muscle and blood had a rubbery-like texture and began to be solid the further I reached into the charred arm. The blood red colour looked almost black with a slight tint of greenish blue.
Trying my best to stand on my own feet I locked my drowsy eyes with the mistress of the brothel, who didn’t look pleased quite frankly horrified seeing my charred arm not to mention my other arm. That was completely caked in human blood. As soon as I stood on my own two feet I fell back down onto the sand at the same time as falling unconscious. My vision was elapsed as I sank In and out of awareness, constantly losing track of time from the minutes to the days of how long I kept elapsing. Due to my lack of mana, my draconic power slowly ate away at my core.
…
After a couple of days near enough a week, I awoke inside a room. The room was minimal in design but had enough to keep anyone from feeling bored. Books lined the walls to my right, a painting hung on the crimson wall to my left. The ceiling had a hand-drawn painting on it with a chandelier hanging from the centre. The floor was covered in fur of exotic animals along with petals of roses. ‘Ah, shit. I’m here, aren’t I?’ I questioned my surroundings rolling over to the side of the bed to touch the ground.
As my feet placed themselves on the ground. The door cracked open slightly with a head popping through it. The face was mostly covered by darkness but I recognized the porcelain white skin, the fair pale blonde hair, and the azure violet mixed eyes. The clothing was distinct compared to most people in the slums. From what I could see it was the clothing of a prostitute. I rolled my eyes seeing the mistress smile with a sly glint flash across the azure of her gleeful violet eyes.
Aleas was her name. A commoner with no last name, even her life in the past was a mystery to everyone.
“Hey. How are you Siffy?” Aleas asked stepping into the room with her arms behind her. No doubt hiding something I smiled but didn’t say a word until she showed what she was hiding. “I didn’t think you would wake up yet… so I brought you…” she paused showing a bouquet of roses from behind her back. “These. I didn’t know what flowers you liked.” She seemed nervous going from the door to placing the flowers on the bedside table beside me.
Without hesitation, I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down making her squeal in a playful voice. Aleas placed her smooth porcelain white hand just under my eye, I hadn’t noticed that scales were present until she ran her finger over them. Unintentionally I pulled away from her as I subconsciously showed discomfort that showed even the slight twitch of my eyes, along with the burning pain of my bandaged flesh-ridden arm.
“Ah, I’m sorry!” Aleas exclaimed, her northern accent becoming high as she practically squealed holding my wrist and stopping me from pulling away completely. I stopped for a moment looking at her with somewhat of a sorrowful expression that didn’t help whatsoever as I sat back down on the bed with my head in my hands. Flashes of a previous life went through my head in droves reminding me who I was exactly. A beast seeking a way out I always told myself.
But truthfully, it was something that shouldn’t have been looked for. That was the only thing I could tell myself and others through my many lives of taking and giving. I wanted to redeem myself but, in every life, I always fell short even going so far as to not look a certain way.
“Sifta… look at me. Tell me who you really are.” Aleas got on her sitting in a position where she could easily stand, she watched as I changed my form. In reflection of her eyes, I could see the scales and the golden, green tint of my eyes along with the hollow see-through green antlers that formed upon my forehead on either side of my scar. I tried to look away averting my eyes. Aleas held my head in her hands watching as my humanoid dragon appearance showed.
After a bit of persuasion on her part, I told her who exactly I w--no what I was. “I’m a primordial dragon-like Akron. But not of chaos rather I’m the primordial dragon of fate along with time. In the beginning, there were five of us along with the primordial gods and the two realms. Babylon and medium. Myself and my siblings Akron, reclaimer… Aries and Quinn.” I thought about my siblings # thinking about whether they would accept me now.
They didn’t betray our creator, unlike me who betrayed our ‘master’ for a good reason. Akron as a punishment sentenced me to lose my power to change forms, which fell back into all my siblings after Vritra became lost in the realm-heart. Trying to retrieve this power I did everything I could. This included making pacts with primordial gods even going so far as to kill my kin to steal their souls. The greatest disrespect one of our kind could ever do was kill our kin yet I believed I had to.
“So, you took this body from the owner?” Aleas asked speaking up for the first time.
“No. I don’t take bodies unless there’s consent or the soul is already gone. In this case, the soul was already gone.” My words got caught in my throat. I explained further that unlike my siblings I was the only one forced to take different bodies to stay alive, as long as I walked the path of the dragon. Death or redemption… Akron called it. Having multiple bodies over time I grew a hatred for many things including magic.
Carrying on my story telling Aleas that none of my family know the truth about my father’s death. My mother thinks it has something to do with a godly, red-eyed figure. However, it’s something a lot closer to our family. I lied to my family of course to hide the truth doing as my father told me, I knew he wanted it all hidden so he could save us from the pain of the truths he knew. So, we couldn’t carry the burden after his death. When I came to the end of my truth from the beginning to the now Aleas spoke up again taking my hands in her own.
“Your father told us that you and your sister were the pride that kept him going and why he created the rebel group which is named Dum Spiro Spero. I don’t know its meaning but when I asked him about it as a child, he just said something along the lines of hope.” Aleas said placing a pocket watch into my hands. My father’s pocket watch.
“That name is a phrase which translated from Pthulminthian means while I breathe, I hope.” Retorting back to Aleas who smiled opening the door to the corridor outside, waving for me to follow. I obliged and walked just behind her placing the pocket watch in my trouser pocket while hiding my horns and the scales. The clean crimson halls covered by the squalid moans of the men and women made my walk through the corridor seem crowded. It wasn’t a rare feeling if I was being completely honest.
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“So, the rebels why contact me now?” I asked Aleas who seemed to be their leader. Passing numerous individuals, I watched as they greeted Aleas by saluting or placing their hands on their chests. Aleas explained that after my father’s passing the person who took up the role was her mother who was nurturing Rias to take over when she was old enough as she was interested. Unfortunately, the king was able to kill Aleas’s mother soon after Rias was executed meaning Aleas had no choice but to take over.
“Think of me as a backup in that regard. Your sister helped us a lot, especially in the slums. The reason we can all afford food and drink in the markets is because of her and your father giving us resources like being able to learn from books. We used these methods to become more efficient.” Aleas said turning a corner towards a single red door. ‘I guess I know less about my sister than I thought.’ I thought reaching the door I could feel the aura of something behind us but I paid it no mind. The bronze handle of the oak door churned and creaked as the hinges swung the door wide.
Five people greeted Aleas then me. Two older gentlemen, one older woman and two young girls dressed like queen’s guards. It seemed these five figures were high-ranking members of the rebellion, the elderly woman having the highest rank of the five individuals with the queen's guard knights being the lowest of the high ranked.
Aleas seeing my apprehension introduced them one by one. The two older gentlemen were blacksmiths, groad and grena two twins who had a thing for using their fists as hammers. ‘Shocker.’ The older woman was nicknamed Z. The two older gentlemen and the woman looked like your typical elderly who were in manual labour jobs that have seen the worst sides of the trade.
The two young girls were named. Tera and Sine, like their appearance, suggested they were queen’s guardsmen who served Anne directly. Whom I had only realised looked like one of artura’s knights. ‘What was her name.? Percival?’ I thought looking at the two queen’s guards who eyed me carefully. It’s not like I could do much as I had little to no mana at all plus the fact, that I was still recovering from my charred arm which seemed to be still healing.
I was in turn introduced to them by a name I used quite a bit while I was in these parts.
“This is sifta but while she is here call her Roan.” Aleas placed her hand just below my heart. After the introductions, we all looked towards a large map of amaranth with symbols where each noble family resided. The Leonharts and pendragons had the least area yet still a large portion compared to lower-ranking nobles. The archduke whom my sister killed did have the most area until his ‘sudden’ passing.
“So what now? The king knows that the pendragons can’t trust him and the Leonharts have withdrawn support what are we meant to do?” Groad asked puffing his chest out to seem bigger potentially to intimidate me. “To be honest you shouldn’t be here.” Groad continued eyeing me with a certain savageness that I respect. Who couldn’t when someone of his age seemed like he’d go through hell and back with little will to live.
“Groad. All of you I know your hesitant to accept that I brought her, but she sought us out on her own. Besides we could have never known her brother was going to show up in the bar let alone with the princes. He’s already started to the subjection of our people.” Aleas spoke looking at me directly. I agreed with her points of them being hesitant and I couldn’t have suspected my brother turning let alone fighting almost to the point of sending me into my draconic state.
“The king… is doing what?” I asked eyeing the two queens, especially those who seemed to recoil at the aura subconsciously leaking out of me.
“Missy. You’ve been out for two weeks. It’s been roughly two months since your sister Rias was executed. Ever since the execution, Lyron has been rounding up people making them either conscript or forcing them into manual labour jobs. Forging weapons and the like. If they are woman… they are trained to be submissive and do anything the men desire noble or not. Your brother commands a unit of king’s guard used for execution.” Grena spoke hoarsely waving his black hammer around in frustration.
“I’m… I don’t think saving sorry will prove anything will it?” I asked them all in turn. Taking a deep breath, I continued to speak more clearly than before. “I know I’ve got a lot to learn from you and I’ll help in any way I can… erm well- ah fuck. For one I’ll help with teaching magic I suppose. I hate it but there is no harm in teaching it… ah. Oh, I won’t ask for anything in return for this. You’ve already lost enough.” I muttered my wording and speech was all over the place, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were a little confused.
“Well, we ain’t like most but thanks. We could use the help… one thing I want to know what’s that?” Groad pointed to the small four-winged bird that appeared on my shoulder.
“This is a bird… they are called penquin. Not to be confused with a penguin. It was a gift from my father. He should be safe to be around.” I said stroking the bird just below its beak. The bird wasn’t much to look at as it looked like a four-winged magpie and was slightly smaller in size but in contrast, it was a lot quicker especially less annoying. The penquin is bonded to me like Luna to Rias. I can communicate with my bond, but they mostly give me the silent treatment. Penquin’s are a species of bird guardian beasts that were good at gathering information yet the downside they were incredibly lazy to the point calling him a shut-in was being nice.
“Well, that’s comforting I suppose.” Tera rolled her eyes whilst clicking her tongue in frustration eyeing the map.
“Mhm… it talks. I thought you queen’s guard were the silent type whilst being pains in the arse.” My bond said aloud cocking his head to the right with a sarcastic chirp. The room fell silent as my bond just assessed the room. “Gods this is why I never show up randomly. Carry on just act like I’m not here. Gods above.” My bond scoffed nibbling at his feathers paying no attention to his surroundings.
“All right then let’s continue with this meeting.” Aleas clapped her hands to get all of our attention. She seemed to start going over the general layout of the city and the district changes since the execution and the falling of many noble houses. The remaining nobles in Amaranth were the pendragons, Leonharts, evernights and few ducal houses and baron lords allied with the king. It seemed that my family along with the Leonharts have lessened themselves to not seem threatening to the king.
I knew my mother was probably doing this to keep her people safe, but the Leonharts I couldn’t wrap my finger around their reasoning but the evernights I had no clue as to their role. All I know is Valentina Evernight was the acting leader of the vampires and aide to Artura Pendragon. Of course, no one knew this fact apart from those in the Pendragon family and artura’s closest such as Tristan and Percival. Who in my eyes were reincarnated into Anne the queen’s guard commander and Corvus a half-human dark elf.
As I listened in the meeting it seemed that the king along with his three sons were readying themselves to fight a large war in onrath that would most likely plunge the realm into utter chaos but there wasn’t much that could be done currently. The rebels were weak in numbers and arms opposite to the king who had lots of knights and weapons ready just to even throw away in an attempt at something. There wasn’t much to be done.
“It would be useful if she came back. Rias could help us.” Sine the queen’s guard mumbled staring at the map. ‘It looks like all of these rebels have used my sister’s image as hope and strength, since her death it’s all fallen apart.’ I thought looking at them all became sad remembering my sister. Looking around everyone I stayed quiet staring at one place in particular the old caverns that Rias and I used for hide and seek.
“What about if we use this place? Rias and I used it for hide and seek… when I became an adult, I used this to gather all sorts of materials and even store the wealth that I earned through monster contracts.” I smiled pointing at the beach beside the slums and the keep that was above it. The entrance wasn’t easy to get to as it was covered by crashing waves whilst rocks were prone to fall frequently.
“I do believe that is the only entrance to the cave. It has multiple pathways, but they all lead back to the one room which has a large enough area to house a boat maybe a two-hundred-passenger ship. I’m surprised the King hasn’t found it.” I chuckled drawing a rough layout of the cave system of which I could remember from memory.
“I mean it would be good to use. Seeing as it has one entrance that does mean one exit if we don’t swim underwater through those rough seas, right? We can send a couple of people to check it out. Using it to hold provisions even materials at a push to keep people safe yet the one entrance and exit does worry me.” Z spoke worryingly shaking her head. I did further point out that we could make man-made exits using earthen magic to places that the king wouldn’t search unless he was desperate. The plethora of large rooms would be helpful but just like the others, one thing was worrying me.
“It’s not the entrance that I’m worried about but this statue.” I pointed at a statue right above one of the tunnels that was also right below the courtyard of the keep. If the courtyard was blown to pieces that would mean the tunnel would no doubt be exposed or even closed off from the others. “If I’m perfectly honest it’s our crutch as well as our best result.” I repeated raising my hand.
“Yes, very true. If we put a barrier up to be sure. That could cause the king to find out! Ah fuck what do we do!” Z groaned placing her head in her hands as we all tried to think of things that wouldn’t make the king suspect a thing, but nothing came to mind at first.
“I have one idea. But it sounds stupid for how advanced we are. Scaffolding or support rafts strong enough to keep it up until it erodes on its own.” I gave a nervous smile that seemed to work on helping them at least think of the possibility of it.
“Yes, that could work. It would take time to transport the materials and get it all built without using mana to help us, but we could do it the conventional way. All those in the faith of this plan raise your hands.” Aleas smiled. Everyone raised their hands at this proposal. As we all seemed to agree. Though it was something I thought of on the spot it felt like something that could help us in the future.
Having faith in the plan I told everyone of the woods and metal best used to keep the tunnel up without causing further damage to its structure. A sudden knock sounded on the door drew our attention to the single red door ‘That’s a light knock.’