Denodia had initially swum down from her elevated throne to eagerly exchange words with them, clear up some misunderstandings, explain her future sight skills a little, and make some minor agreements with Nessyra, inquiring about a wide assortment of topics in more detail. Then, she addressed the matter of her people joining the Ryser Clan.
"I have four demands that need to be fulfilled. Once these are met, I and the rest of the people of Nautilis will join the Ryser Clan as full members without reservations," Denodia said in an almost businesslike manner, quite different from her previous demeanor.
"And what are those demands?" Riseth asked.
Denodia raised her index finger. "First, Alistair will act as a prospective champion and slay the poisonous sea wyvern that is killing my people. He will receive one of my best works as compensation, satisfying our cultural demands for a champion."
Raising her middle finger, she continued, "Second, you will help us create an anti-scrying formation for my people as quickly as possible."
Stretching out her thumb, she said, "Third, I expect two contracts to be made, the first stating that the Ryser Clan will protect us from the Blackmarket Syndicates and other threats to the best of their abilities. The second contract is a secrecy agreement for those aware of our existence to prevent them from disclosing our location to outsiders."
Finally, she curled her thumb back into her palm and extended her remaining four fingers. "Fourth, I expect fair treatment of my people and a leadership position as governor of Nautilis."
Alistair thought all of these agreements were more than reasonable and were things they would have likely done either way. Looking at the sisters, he saw that they were both in agreement.
"We accept these terms, though I will need an exact definition of what is considered the best of our abilities and how far you expect us to go," Nessyra replied as she started to pen a magic contract.
After only half an hour, she led them to a large, water-free dining room, transitioning effortlessly and levitating above the ground. Most of their party was sampling various kinds of seafood, surprised by their early arrival and the Empress's casual demeanor. After giving their group a quick update over the Akashic Link, they relaxed and began introducing themselves. Oconoe's offspring was the first to approach, but before she could introduce herself, Denodia spoke up.
"Greetings, Nanalo. I look forward to working with you," she said with a wide smile, shaking the armored hand of the newly named crab woman, who radiated happiness at being named so quickly.
"Thank you for this amazing name, Your Highness. I love it!" Nanalo said excitedly.
"I know," Denodia replied casually before turning to Karrut, looking him up and down.
"You'll be popular. Try not to get involved with too many of our ladies," Denodia said with a sly grin before turning to Simon. "The same goes for you," she added with a wink.
Alistair and Riseth stood to the side, observing the exchange. They snickered as Simon made excuses for himself, watching Denodia dismiss the conversation to greet the rest of the group.
"Why did you decline her? She seems like a fine piece of tail," Riseth whispered teasingly.
Alistair chuckled. "Just like Simon said, I wouldn't even know how the logistics of that would work, and I stick true to my commitments."
This earned him a passionate kiss from Riseth. "She is a cute one, though. I love her hair," she added thoughtfully, playing with her hair, which temporarily took on the same blue color as Denodia's. "But I can always just borrow her looks," she added with a mischievous smile.
Alistair panicked a little as he noted that Denodia had noticed their exchange. She approached them, her tail transforming into a long pair of legs, her lower body covered by her armor as it extended into a medium-length, asymmetrical skirt adorned with decorative metal scales.
"We can change our forms to go on land. We just prefer our tails, so the logistics aren't an issue," she said to Alistair before turning to Riseth. "I don't mind you taking some aspects of my appearance, but at that point, you might as well invite me every now and then," she added teasingly.
This time, it was Riseth's turn to respond. "Sorry, but he's all mine," she said, wrapping herself around Alistair's arm.
Denodia laughed good-naturedly. "What makes you think I don't want to steal you from him?" she teased. Seeing their surprised expressions, she waved them off. "Apologies, I shouldn't tease you two too much. We mermaids are a bit lax in such matters because our chances to bear offspring are quite low, which keeps our population growth limited. This is only offset by the fact that we don't age. It's actually a bit of an issue, as mermen, while long-lived, do age." Her voice carried a hint of sadness before she glanced at the rest of the group, who were busy talking among themselves, occasionally glancing their way, particularly Nessyra, who had facepalmed upon noticing Riseth's blue hair.
"Just how old are you? You shouldn't be that old, as the local natural gods would have halted time acceleration once this planet had too many Grade 8 individuals or advanced too far," Riseth inquired, her confusion evident.
"Indeed they would have, so I worked on my foundation and crafts a lot, spending long periods lazing about with different mates, who all eventually died. Meeting individuals who might live as long as I do is exciting. My role as empress and prophet allowed me to convince others to hold back on advancing their grades. Being able to see the future helped me avoid death and stretch how far I and the others could advance before they caught on and put a stop to it," Denodia said with a sly smile.
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"Care to get more specific with your age?" Riseth asked curiously.
"I kind of stopped paying attention, but I'd say closing in on half a millennium, maybe 300 or 400 years, give or take," she said casually.
Alistair couldn't imagine pretending to do nothing for hundreds of years just to extend the periods during which she could refine her skills. This made him more wary of Denodia and her abilities. While he doubted she had malicious intentions, he knew he had to be prepared just in case. He wasn't even sure if she was serious with her flirtatious attempts, as her aura veil was impenetrable, revealing only the emotions she chose to display.
As he mulled over the abilities she had explained, he suspected that seeing the future must have its drawbacks. She could see possible outcomes, some more likely than others. Perhaps she was pushing and probing for unlikely events just for the thrill, which would be concerning. Dwelling on the term prophet also reminded him of Adam, who had shown similar abilities and aimed for an evolution with 'prophet' in its name. Initially, he thought it had religious or no relevant connotations, but now he realized it branched into a different aspect of the term. As he mulled over these topics, her aura veil, which had shielded her so tightly before, suddenly dropped completely.
"Don't worry; while I did pick up some odd habits due to my affinity and longer lifespan, I have no twisted intentions. This is just me messing around," she said with a wink before her veil reemerged, and she walked off toward Nessyra, who had been observing their exchange.
She must have seen his worried expression and used her skill to predict different outcomes of the conversation. In one of those scenarios, he must have revealed what was troubling him. Although not truly reliable, It was still an incredibly fearsome social skill that he was sure Nessyra had been eager to acquire the moment she heard about it. From what Denodia had told them, her affinity proved highly versatile, allowing her to use variations of her future sight in crafting and combat to achieve the best results. However, it didn't always work in her favor, especially in combat against significantly more powerful opponents, where she could become overwhelmed by possibilities and dead ends, unable to react effectively, and get too distracted by possibilities. Alistair was pulled from his musings when Riseth addressed him over their Akashic Link.
"Dealing with someone who can have half a dozen conversations ahead of time is weird," Riseth commented as she watched Denodia leave.
"She does have a habit of overusing that skill of hers," Alistair agreed.
The rest of the day proceeded less eventfully as more mermaids and the occasional mermen joined their gathering. They exchanged friendly banter, with some mermaids flirting with the male members of their group. Alistair waved them off when Simon and Karrut gave him questioning looks.
Karrut, in particular, wasn't sure how to handle the situation as two very attractive mermaids relentlessly flirted with him. Alistair, observing his student's plight, sent a message over their Akashic Link.
"You don't need my permission. You've recently reached maturity, so it's your decision to make. Just remember the consequences of your actions. Their empress gave you a green light, too. Just remember Nessyra will tear you a new one if you create problems for the clan, so try not to upset them."
Suppressing a chuckle, Alistair watched as Karrut, the large bull-like demon, was dragged off by the mermaids, looking both excited and apprehensive. Alistair was tempted to ask if mermaids laid eggs but thought better of it, considering it might actually be true. A quick search in his Akashic Link confirmed that mermaids indeed laid eggs, typically one to four, which required protection until the embryos matured and were ready to hatch. Conception, however, was the same as for humans and demons. Alistair would have found the prospect of humanoid beings being born from eggs strange some mere months ago, but now it was just another Tuesday. Before he could think too hard on it, Denodia approached again, and he worried she might chide him for his thoughts.
"The beast is approaching. Please head to the small city of Areus, which is a few kilometers to the east. Time is of the essence; I didn't get much forewarning this time," Denodia hurriedly said.
Alistair was about to ask how Denodia knew what a kilometer was, as unlike usual, the system didn't translate it from a different measuring system, but he shook his head, dismissing the thought as he hurried outside the palace. He blitzed past Dexter, who was busy hunting the fish circling around the palace. Seeing Alistair, Dexter decided to tag along, effortlessly keeping pace as he swam on his back.
"Where are you going?" Dexter asked telepathically, casually matching Alistair's speed.
"I'm supposed to go out and kill a beast," Alistair responded.
"That sounds fun. Let's go! It's adventure time!" Dexter's excited voice rang through the telepathic link.
Alistair chuckled. "Alright, you can tag along, but don't interfere with my fight. I need to defeat the beast on my own."
Alistair sensed slight disappointment in Dexter, but the Yagan still decided to tag along.
As Alistair approached the new structures near the city, his eyes were drawn to an enormous dome of swirling water rising up to shield the city. Mermaids and mermen, clad in armor, manned the sea quartz fortifications lining the perimeter. While their defenses lacked traditional turrets, the crystalline structures they guarded hummed with energy—likely their version of heavy weaponry.
Before he even saw the threat, he could feel its rabid bloodlust closing in on the city. Instead of taking a position with the defenders on the wall, Alistair flew forward to intercept the incoming beast. Strange orbs shot out from the city behind him and began to orbit his position. He glanced at them curiously, suspecting they were the local equivalent of scout drones.
Before he could ask through the network what they were, Riseth’s voice echoed in his mind via the Akashic Link.
"Denodia's got some Palantir network—it’s like their version of TV, but massive crystal balls instead of screens. You’re live, so try to smile for the audience," Riseth teased, her tone laced with playful mischief.
Alistair shook his head, amused by the antics, and focused on the task at hand. In the distance, over the sandy dunes, he spotted the creature. A massive red lionfish with an elongated, eel-like body surged toward the city. His [Identify] skill confirmed its name: [Vozorid - lvl 125]. If he had to guess, it was a form of sea wyvern. But with Dexter, his dog-like companion, beside him, there was no need for guesses.
"Hey, Dexter, what is that thing exactly?" Alistair asked telephatically.
"That's a Vozorid, a sea wyvern or sea serpent. It's a wyrm subtype known for its incredibly potent poison spines and not much else," Dexter replied absent-mindedly as he looked at the strange orbs circling them.
Alistair buffed himself and browsed his library for some suitable boss battle music as the creature rapidly approached. The Vozorid only spared Alistair a glance before fixing its eyes on the nearest mermaid on the fortifications, swimming past him and ignoring the sacred rules of epic stand-offs.
"Did that fucker just ignore me?" Alistair asked, surprised and mildly annoyed. He then converted Qi into power, using his telekinesis to rip the beast towards him, completely overpowering it and slamming it into a moderately sized, sharp-looking coral reef in front of him, which earned him the wary attention and ire of the beast.