CHAPTER 15 - OGNIL THE NOIR

They were all huddled up in bed, Korra was wrapped around Roe’s back, while he spooned Constance. Laureline was facing Roe with Constance’s head under her chin. The room was delightfully cool making their warm bodies very cozy.

Constance had just started to softly snore when Laureline opened her eyes and called out to Roe.

“We need to talk about Tabitha, Roe.” She said. Roe opened his eyes, they glowed slightly in the dark.

“Let her go, Laurel. We have supported her more than necessary.”

“This game you play isn’t fair Roe. Don’t think I didn’t realize you tricked me when we first met.”

Roe smiled good-naturedly remembering Laureline nursing him back to health.

“I'm not sorry about that, getting to know you was a pleasure. Being a Dragon Lord is a huge cheat Laurel, no one is going to deny me if they knew the truth. It’s better this way.”

“Not for her, she’s now second guessing and kicking herself constantly. You were interested in her, so accept her. I swear sometimes you don't know how the world works.”

“Laureline, I went after Constance. I only bought Tabitha because I liked how she grasped an opportunity, I respect decisive thinking.

When a new possibility opened up, she jumped at it, her idea of full independence. Both you and Constance tried to tell her being independent doesn't mean you have to go at life alone, but she has her beliefs, and I respect those too.

This world has taught her that being a part of a Dragon Lord's harem is like winning the lottery, so she wants back in now that she knows what I am, but in truth she is traumatized by her experiences with men and she chose what's best for her. Unprejudiced by what I am.

Regret can be an impossible wall or an unstoppable motivation. If she lets it stop her, she won’t amount to much, either way, not my responsibility, and not yours either." Laureline became contemplative. Roe saw she wasn't fully convinced.

"Tell you what, I'll keep an eye on her, when she finds a mate I'll stop, ok? Until then no harm will come to her, that's my best offer." He smiled as Laurel pouted, but nodded her head.

The rest of the night went by in bouts of comforting rest and naughty fun.

Over breakfast Laureline, Korra and Roe told Constance everything. She was ecstatic to find out Roe was a Dragon Lord. They spent the morning telling each other how they met Roe.

Afterwards Constance got a tour of his Realm and finally saw Roeg-Hiam the Midnight in all his Draconian glory. Roe plucked a scale off of his arm to gift Constance in the seconds it took the scale to regenerate, it occurred to Roe that his scales were the perfect proxy for the Magic tower’s cards. When it came to accessing his vaults. He was already using them for keeping in contact with his women. He quickly stitched spells together to give functionality to the scales Laureline, Korra and Constance had.

By the time all their business was concluded it was well after noon. Korra made them a sumptuous lunch which they enjoyed on the beach of his realm, it was nearly evening when Laureline returned to Roeg-Hiam's territory to check on Tabitha and do some paperwork. Constance had decided to follow Archmage Roe as a secretary until she could think of something she'd rather do.

Around Constance’s neck sat a delicate looking silver choker with Roe’s scale seated in it like a precious gem. The accessory could pass for a very expensive slave collar, this would deter people from harassing Constance when she was alone. Beastkin slaves that belonged to the wealthy were treated well since few could afford to offend such noble houses.

As they headed about the city, enjoying the good life Roe felt a familiar fluctuation, he had walked into a Dragon Lord's Rules. Unlike him, most Dragon Lords never deactivated their rules. While playing in the God lands they would avoid staying in populated areas for too long, thus avoiding a divine visit like the one he had.

Roe followed the fluctuations to their source, the royal library. While not as extensive as the Magic Tower’s library this one held many books about other subjects including all of the Kingdom's non-classified military reports.

It was in the section of court reports that Roe found an unassuming young Elf male pouring over a massive tome. His eyes moved rapidly back and forth as he read and his ears twitched happily. So engrossed was he that Roe and Constance’s arrival went totally unnoticed until they sat down.

He jumped in his seat before bringing his Dragon will to bear.

"I'm not here, you don't see me, move on!" He intoned.

Constance swooned in her seat before a pulse from the scale on her choker washed over her negating the order.

The Elf paid very close attention to that choker before his eyes snapped to the seemingly human Mage that was equally unaffected by his command.

"Greetings brother." Roeg-Hiam said, shedding his human guise for his Dragon Newt form and activating his Dragon Rules.

Stolen novel; please report.

The young Elf hid behind his tome, peeking over it to see the more imposing form sitting before him.

"G-greetings… I-I haven't created one of those forms yet.

Just now, you had your Dragon Rules off. Isn't that dangerous?"

Roeg-Hiam smiled.

"Excessively, but it's the only way to truly avoid the Gods. Besides, I've managed to master the human magics, which offer me some protection."

"I see. I've tried the human magics but the way they move mana is so convoluted, your mana control must be impressive." The Elf stated. As they spoke he slowly came out from behind the book.

"I am Roeg-Hiam the Midnight, this is Constance one of my women." Roeg introduced himself first. The Elf blinked wildly, realising his faux-pas.

"I am Ognil the Noir. Forgive my manners, I only awakened about a year ago and you are the first Dragon Lord I have met."

" 'The Noir?' Good brother are you a Black Dragon like myself?" Roeg-Hiam was delighted, since finding Bo-Gradoom the two have been in contact almost daily and had quickly become the best of friends. Adding another member to their flight would be fantastic.

Ognil nodded. His Dragon Lore let him know how flights worked and that the Dragon Lord before him would be someone he would be able to rely on.

"Well that’s good. I'll have to arrange your introduction to the other Dragon Lords. But let's put that aside, what are you doing in the God lands? They tolerate us but don't like us."

"There is nothing to read in my territory. I haven't even claimed it." Ognil said in disgust. It turned out Ognil's territory was dominated by nomadic beastkin. The Underdark in his territory was sprawling Dwarven farms growing tubers, mushrooms and raising moles and grubs for protein. There were few scribes and less documentation. With so little literacy, there were definitely no libraries.

"I realise I'm weird, Brother, I have no interest in treasure. I just want to read books."

"You are not weird, brother, your horde can be whatever you want it to be. If yours is knowledge, so be it.” Roeg-Hiam’s acceptance of his quirk made Ognil very happy.

“Be that as it may,” Roeg-Hiam continued. “it is only a matter of time before the Gods confront you about being here.

Let me offer a proposal.

We build a Grand Library in your territory, we get help from the other Dragon Lords in gathering knowledge. Then it will be up to you to read, catalog, save and arrange it.”

Ognil’s eyes lit up.

“A repository for all knowledge." He smiled at his love of the idea.

The two black Dragons were deep in discussion, Ognil had finally put down the tome and was gesturing animatedly when there was a shift in the air.

Reog-Hiam recognised the fluctuations immediately, they had company. Goddesses Zuriel and Asturiel walked around the corner. Reog-Hiam could feel the other 5 Gods concealing themselves.

"See Lady Zuriel, I was correct. There is more than one of them." Asturiel pointed out huffily.

"Well met Dragon Lords." Zuriel greeted politely. "You are once again in the God Lands. What is your business this time Roeg-Hiam the Midnight?"

Roeg-Hiam leaned back in his chair, his relaxed body language infuriated Asturiel.

"Welcome Goddess, grab a seat. You know my brother Ognil."

Constance leapt to her feet and held the seat for Zuriel. Dragons didn't care about class differences but some Gods did, she didn’t know how the two goddesses believed, so while Constance understood her standing had changed she still decided it was best to be as humble as possible.

Zuriel accepted the gesture, Asturiel decided to remain standing, but she assessed Constance.

“It’s been a while since you prayed to us Constance.” Asturiel began. “Just because you’ve been taken into a Dragon Lord’s harem doesn’t mean you have to give up your faith.”

Constance looked to Roeg-Hiam for guidance.

“Speak your mind Constance, they no longer control your fate.” Roeg-Hiram assured her. Constance took a deep breath to steel her will before replying.

“With all due respect Goddess, I was born in captivity and from the time I was old enough to understand what that meant I have been praying for salvation. Salvation from the whip when I was a child, salvation from the male farm hands when my body started to develop, salvation from the brothel when I was sold there, salvation from plague I caught, and finally salvation from death as I stood at its door. The Gods never answered.”

“You believe you were treated unfairly, but that was just your fate. You would have found peace in death, joining us in the heavenly plane.” Asturiel replied.

“Temporarily,” Roeg-Hiam interjected. “No soul stays on the heavenly plane permanently, they are usually reincarnated within a decade. Life is a lottery, with the ratio of nobles to peasants to slaves; the chance of being reborn a Noble is low while the chance of being reincarnated a slave is astronomical.”

“Humph, that 10 year respite on the heavenly plane is a fantastic boon. Those that forsake Gods to follow Dragon Lords don’t get that, Dragon Lords don’t have heavenly planes. When their followers die they go straight into the cycle of reincarnation.” Asturiel argued.

“A respite that you do not remember is no respite at all.” Roeg-Hiam rejoined. “We Dragon Lords offer real benefits, we attach fortune to the souls of our vassals. The lifetime following service to us is a charmed one. No matter what status they are born into, things will go their way. Whether it’s the slave wanting to be free, the knight wanting to marry a princess, the merchant looking for business opportunities or the noble seeking true love, their desires will be attainable.”

“I knew none of these things.” Constance said, bringing the conversation back on track. “All I know is that the Salvation I needed came from a Dragon Lord. I’ve stopped praying to the Gods because… putting faith in them, in you, is … a bad investment.”

Asturiel had no comeback for either of their statements so she dropped it for a different subject.

“This is the third time we’ve found you in our territory, does the accord mean nothing to you Dragon Lord Roeg-Hiam?

At least Ognil has the shame to disguise himself. You are so bold to come in your Dragon-newt form." Asturiel pointed out.

Roeg-Hiam waved his hand as if shooing a bug and ignored Asturiel's words, focusing on Zuriel instead.

"Lady Zuriel, let's make a deal. I've decided what I want to buy with some Orichalcum." He said.

Zuriel raised her hand stopping any further protest from Asturiel.

"Please Lord Roeg-Hiam do not keep me in suspense."

"I want to buy mundane knowledge." Roeg-Hiam replied. The two Goddesses looked confused so Roeg-Hiam clarified.

"My brother wishes to create a repository for knowledge, a grand library in his Territory. What I want to buy is all the records and reports from the mundane Kingdoms in the God lands. Past, present and future. Although they have no true value because of how much it will be I'll pay a third of the Orichalcum I got from the attack."

Zuriel thought it over. She had a mind to push for more, but Roeg-Hiam was asking for something the Royals of the Kingdoms would sell him for cheap gold.

"You are offering too much, what's the catch." Zuriel asked.

"I'm paying for efficiency. I want a God to deliver a Croncrystal every month with the information on it. Otherwise it would be a tedious task."

Zuriel agreed. She turned to the troublesome Asturiel.

"Lady Asturiel is the Goddess of knowledge this task is well suited to her." Asturiel looked aghast.

'You would have me work with these wyrms?' She hissed mentally to Zuriel.

'Yes, the book wyrm to be precise. Maybe interacting with them more often may tone some of this hostility you seem to have.' Zuriel replied with one perfect raised eyebrow.

Roeg-Hiam and Ognil exchanged a look of their own. Noticing the silent exchange.

"Since we have an accord." Roeg-Hiam turned this hand and produced the Orichalcum sphere, handing it to Zuriel while Asturiel conjured the Croncrystal with the past records. This one would be the most arduous, as such it glowed with a lustre not often seen. It was also very large. Ognil took possession of it immediately.

"I look forward to your future deliveries, Goddess. We'll be leaving your territory now. Sorry for the intrusion." Ognil replied, he spoke with eloquence that hid his earlier shyness.

The Dragon Lords and Constance took their leave heading to the center of Ognil’s Territory.

Asturiel watched them go. She paid special interest in Constance. She would have to talk to her former master to find out how she ended up being in a Dragon Lord's harem.