Aurelian rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly while trying to decide what to do.
Following their proclamations of his supposed greatness, Karsys and Zylara had both been desperately eager to make up for what they thought was a grievous lapse in proper protocol when dealing with him, and it had taken every bit of cajoling, convincing, and even a bit of yelling to make them see reason and at least stop referring him as ‘Your Majesty’.
They’d been leery about ‘Aurelian’, but ‘Reclaimer’ or ‘Lord Nephilim’ had been compromises they’d been willing to make. He still had hope for the use of his name, and had reinforced that where he came from it was relatively normal to refer to people by their name as a general rule, but the pair had adamantly insisted that doing so was a breach of the highest levels of protocol.
He had relented with an aggrieved sigh.
They had managed to reach a nice equilibrium after that, and he had even extracted from them that they’d been dispatched by the Regent to find the Fallen Star in accordance with the ancient dictates of Lucius Tollarius, the Imperator that had reigned over Elysea during what they called the Fall, when the Godsworn had rampaged across everything.
He had also learned that the modern Godsworn were called the ‘Grand Ascendancy’—which was an immediate red flag to anyone from Earth—and had conquered the vast majority of Terra. Small nations in a final alliance still stood defiant against them, but they were too far to be of any help in the so-called Elysean Remnant’s struggle against the adherents and their dogmatic legions of so-titled Anointed.
All of that had culminated in an impatient, and more-than-a-little-grumpy Bahamut making his presence known the same moment the three of them had evacuated the Skarnid Sac chamber.
Which was why he stood, in the current moment, with his fingers massaging away the promise of an oncoming headache; while Zylara and Karsys all but worshipped at Bahamut’s feet.
Unsurprisingly, the dragon was highly approving of their awe.
You see, Aurelian? This is how dragons are meant to be treated.
Yeah, well, don’t expect me to start genuflecting any time soon.
I would be a benevolent overlord. Bahamut stated primly.
I’m sure you would, bud. Aurelian responded dryly. I’m sure you would.
“Okay enough of that,” he said out loud to Karsys and Zylara, who were still on the floor with their foreheads pressed to the marble. “Seriously. He’s not even the Dragon King yet, just a hatchling with an ego the size of Jupiter.”
I will defeat this ‘Jupiter’ in due time. Bahamut vowed.
“Jupit—?” Zylara began, before Aurelian cut her off.
“Nevermind.” Aurelian grunted. “Just… get up. Please.”
Both elf and human rose slowly to their feet with continued looks of awe for the dragon, who was quite literally preening at the attention. For a dragon, that took the form of him flexing his wings, and tossing his head in an impressive manner so that his scales caught the afternoon sunlight from the Arboretum above.
One of the benefits of meeting the two scouts had been the ability to finally add an accurate clock to his HUD, which helped immensely.
“Let’s keep moving,” Aurelian said firmly. “I don’t want to waste more time than we have to, not if we’re going to beat the Necrolord’s army to Sanctuary.”
“I still find that hard to believe…” Zylara murmured while she and Karsys fell in behind Aurelian, with Bahamut bringing up their rear at a leisurely four-legged gait.
“It beggars belief.” Karsys agreed quietly. “Forty thousand, and so many of them are Corrupted Blightmen…”
“You aren’t freaking out as badly as I assumed you would, given the forces threatening your home.”
“Sanctuary is not defenceless.” Zylara said with matter-of-factly. “And even if they breach the valley, Last Hope is not so easily besieged. The entire population can shelter inside the mountain Hold behind the citadel’s gates for months, if need be. Though…” her voice turned bitter while she continued. “Your revelation about traitors is concerning, though not entirely surprising.”
Aurelian didn’t poke at that, but he did note it for later discussion.
“Especially if they have revealed our contingencies,” Karsys agreed grimly. “Though I, too, am confident that Last Hope can weather a siege; it will mean nothing if there is not enough warning to evacuate the city. If the godsworn have truly penetrated as deeply as Marius reported, then it is very possible that there will be little to no advanced warning.”
“There would be enough time to sound the alarm once they breached the valley itself,” Zylara said confidently, “especially with the Seraii on watch, but—”
“Seraii?” Aurelian interjected.
“Loosely translated, my lord, it means Shadows.” Karsys explained in his ever-patient, and rumbling voice. “It is part of the Elysean olde tongue, inherited from the first Calamity. She was the one that ordained all the orders, sects, and imperial structure.”
“Huh. Okay.” Aurelian said with a nod and glanced back at them. “That sounds convoluted, but I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s always convoluted.”
“I do not understand. What is?” Zylara asked.
“Isekai,” Aurelian said while knowing they wouldn’t understand.
When they exchanged bewildered glances, he simply chuckled.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just me complaining,” he reassured them while he stepped through the entrance to the arboretum when they approached it, and felt as much as heard his boots crunch on lifeless bones when they exited into the corridor beyond.
Both Karsys and Zylara, to their credit, did little more than cast surprised looks at the skeletal remnants before following, though with decidedly less crunching than him.
“You said they have five Master Tier defenders in Sanctuary, right?”
“That’s correct.” Karsys confirmed.
“Vasilia, Nicoli, Alyria, Maar, and Asher, right?”
“Yes.” Zylara answered approvingly. “All five are incredibly powerful, but…”
“It’s still forty thousand undead, a Necrolord—whatever that is—and twelve Vasiri who are probably Expert or higher, right?”
“Yes.” Zylara answered with a more openly worried tone. “Even with five Master tier warriors, it only takes one bout of contagion and—”
“They’re compromised and rapidly deteriorate. Damn. Vasiri are kind of overpowered, huh?”
“An odd but apt turn of phrase, my lord.” Karsys said with a nod.
“Might have to break out the big guns…” Aurelian muttered.
“The what, my lord?”
“The—oh,” he glanced at Karsys in realisation and then smiled apologetically. “It’s an, uh, turn of phrase from my original world, to borrow your words. It essentially just means I may need to use a powerful weapon I hadn’t thought would be necessary, but the question is whether or not the weapon is even viable. He may not have the strength.”
“Weapon? He?” Zylara pressed insistently. “Is this something unique to Nephilim?”
“You might say that in this case, yeah.” Aurelian answered while leading them down the corridor. “But we should probably make haste the rest of the way, yeah? I assume you can both keep up, since you’re Initiate Tier. Follow me.”
Without another word Aurelian threw himself into a sprint through the corridors of the palace proper, and heard as much as sensed Zylara and Karsys ramp up immediately to match him. Bahamut, of course, launched himself into the air—and with the spaciousness of the palace corridors, was able to keep pace with them from above without incident.
So, they ran, with Aurelian using his HUD’s map to keep track of their progress, and even deviate down shorter access paths that he had avoided previously, for worry of alerting Marius—then the ‘unknown enemy’—to their presence during his and Bahamut’s approach. His decision was vindicated quickly by the sight of collapsed clusters of bone, armour, and weaponry at various different key junctions and intersections; and allowed him to quietly bask in the latent achievement.
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Tactician is now Level 18!
Exploration is now Level 10!
Congratulations, Exploration has reached Novice Tier!
You have gained Experience!
Aurelian dismissed the notices as soon as they appeared, and continued to wind his way through the corridors. At their current pace, he estimated he might have been able to keep up with a car during moderate traffic in Oxford, and that struck him as bizarre. The sheer scale with which the System enhanced a person’s physical capabilities bewildered him in many ways. It was moments like the current one that truly highlighted how insane it was, though.
While he ran his eyes tracked toward his Longsword Mastery, and again he contemplated the skill. He only had one Upgrade Point left, and the temptation to use it was… considerable. He had no idea whether or not he’d ever be able to upgrade the skill otherwise, given the fact that his runesword hadn’t triggered any kind of change, and the potential that his draconic traits and growing Nephilic bonuses would interface well with a Skill Evolution was very tempting.
Especially given his acquisition of Dragon’s Sanguination, Resolve, and Gaze.
Then of course there was Pain Tolerance and Mana Control, both of which had proven incredibly potent, and both of which were probably the more logical choices for improvement.
He chewed his lower lip in thought while he ran, and ignored the quiet conversation between Zylara and Karsys at his rear while he considered his options.
It made no sense to sit on any potential benefit any longer.
It had been okay when he was walking into the relative unknown and needed to have something up his sleeve, but now that he knew the stakes and was facing down the potential of engaging twelve Vasiri, and whatever a Necrolord was—likely a Master tier, knowing his luck—perhaps within close proximity to one another… Pain Tolerance seemed to be the more useful of his options, though admittedly not by a significant margin.
Unlocking a second Chakra with an improved form of Mana Control could help too.
Aurelian bit back a curse while leading his companions toward one of the hidden doors, and Bahamut seemed to pick up on his mood.
Exploration is now Level 11!
Something is bothering you, Aurelian.
Yeah, it’s just my skills. He replied with frustration. I can’t decide how to move forward.
You are feeling the pressure of the upcoming confrontation, and worrying over your readiness for the challenge.
Got it in one, yeah. Aurelian agreed with an internalised sigh. Pain Tolerance and Mana Control are what I’m looking at right now, and I could in theory get either one to Epic—with a unique evolution—or Mana Control to Epic and Pain Tolerance to Rare, but…
Bahamut was quick on the uptake. But evolving and upgrading a skill may only occur once for each, and you are concerned that you may be rushing into something that could occur naturally given your unique bonuses.
Yes. Aurelian confirmed. It’s an annoyingly consequential decision even if I do nothing with my upgrade or evolution points.
Perhaps you should ask your new subjects.
They’re not my—
Spare me your emphatic denials and self-doubting prattle, Aurelian. Bahamut cut him off with clear impatience, but absent any ire. I have little time for the pretence of humility you insist on wearing, like a poorly fitting cloak. You are Nephilim, Calamity, Reclaimer, and the bonded rider of a Dragon King. A Monarch must know his due, not languish in the false insistence of delusional equality with the masses.
Aurelian was silent while they slowed to a jog, and then eventually a walk, and finally a full standstill in front of one of the several hidden access points. He turned to look at Bahamut when the dragon came down to land, and frowned at him. Zylara and Karsys looked between them, and promptly took a step back when Bahamut approached to stand unbothered before Aurelian.
For a long moment there was only silence between, them while Bahamut’s golden eyes met Aurelian’s red, and their emotions swapped back and forth in a dizzying wave of wordless communication.
Then at last, Aurelian sighed and reached up to scratch the dragon’s skull between the eyes, where his scales were smallest. “I get it,” he said simply.
Bahamut growled in agreeable appreciation and flexed his wings, while Karsys and Zylara exchanged confused looks.
“Bahamut was educating me on the finer points of authority,” Aurelian said when he caught their looks of bewilderment. “Namely, my need for some measure of normalcy as it relates to my old life. I guess I need to accept that may never be the case again, though I can’t say I’m thrilled with the idea. I was just a person where I came from. Another random citizen in the streets, and an unremarkable one at that.”
He looked back at the pair of them, both of whom were watching him with open fascination.
“It’s strange for me to have to deal with people giving me, uh, deference, I suppose. At least, deference to the degree you two do. Logically I understand it, but it feels strange. I suppose I’ll adjust to it eventually, but that comes with its own problems,” he turned back to the wall and searched quickly for the rune he knew would be there.
“What manner of problems?” Zylara asked when he went silent, and in a tone that seemed—for perhaps the first time—genuinely empathetic.
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Aurelian said with a shrug while willing his right gauntlet to fold away from his hand, “and I am not so arrogant as to assume I’m immune to that adage. What concerns me is that I’ll forget the whole reason I’m doing all of this.”
“Forgive me, but is the Calling and Reclamation not your purpose?” Karsys asked in his gentle rumble. “Because I do not see how you might forget that, simply by accepting your proper title.”
Aurelian shook his head while digging his still-manicured nails into his palm, and drawing blood without reaction.
Pain Tolerance had long ago grown beyond such paltry injuries.
He considered his words while placing his naked, bleeding flesh to the wall, and only spoke when the runic matrices activated. “I’m not here to be anyone’s messiah or chosen one, Karsys. I’m just a guy who has the ability to help people, and that’s what I’m going to do. I can accept that this Nephilim stuff seems tied to some sort of position of grand authority, and I’ve read enough stories to know fighting it only leads to more bullshit, but…”
Aurelian shrugged while he watched the wall move backward and begin its smooth slide to the right.
“Honestly? I’d rather just walk away and explore the world.” he admitted candidly. “I’m not going to, but that’s because my mother and father taught me to hold to your responsibilities, and to help those in need where you have the power to—but I won’t pretend that it’s the more appealing choice. It’s just, well, the right thing to do.” he looked back at them while idly squeezing his healing palm.
“That is magnanimous of you,” Zylara said with what Aurelian thought might have been her first genuine compliment, outside of what she saw as obligated reverence for the ‘chosen one’. “Hearing you put it that way, I think I better understand your burdens—and the impossible nature of the task you’ve been given. To be torn away from everyone and everything you love is—”
“A burden beyond imagining,” Karsys finished with a nod for Zylara, who nodded as well. “We didn’t realise. Though, is it truly just because of what your parents taught you? Or are you doing this for your own reasons, too? Beyond those stated, I mean.”
“The gods are assholes.” Aurelian answered simply. “They deserve to die, and I’m the only one capable of doing it.”
His gauntlet covered his hand again with a flex of will, and he smiled mirthlessly at the pair of Terran natives. “It doesn’t mean I’m not going to wish I could just fly off into the sunset with my dragon, and leave all this uncomfortable bowing and scraping, ‘prophesied Emperor’ shit behind me.”
The human and elf were silent when they followed Aurelian into the passage, and then toward the stairs he immediately started descending. In fact, they barely reacted when Bahamut chose to simply launch himself into the air, and vanish into the darkness while they descended.
Aurelian also noticed there was a lack of light to reveal Bael’tharax, and couldn’t help but assume it was intentional.
The old dragon was playing tricks again.
Not even his colossal runes were visible.
“Far be it from me to be presumptive,” Zylara said suddenly, “but I suddenly recall your statement about finding some comfort in informality.” she appeared to be weighing the words and when Aurelian looked back at her, her beautiful features were regarding him with an unreadable expression, somewhere between consideration and apprehension. “I would not be entirely opposed, I suppose, to using your name as I would a party member… but I would not be able to do it outside of our small group.”
She frowned after she spoke, but her intense blue eyes never left his face.
“You may not fully agree with our approach, Aurelian, and I understand that; but for us, it is almost a matter of religion to give due respect to the Calamity. Our nation, what little remains of it, has awaited your arrival since the time of ancestors I can only name thanks to quite literal ancient records.”
“Zylara is right,” Karsys said after the elven woman was done, “and you have made your own valid points, my lo—Aurelian. We cannot break protocol in front of others, but I too am willing to offer you what I can in the privacy of our impromptu party, if only to ease the burden you bear on our behalf—and with such selflessness at that.”
Karsys smiled wryly, and shook his head as if in realisation.
“What we are asking of you is no small thing. It’s unprecedented, really, save for the first Calamity herself, and It would be selfish and ignorant to not respect your own desires; especially for such relatively minor matters as a simple form of address.”
Aurelian raised his eyebrows at their words, and felt a warm surge of relief roll through him. “Would it help if I officially made us a Party until this is all over?”
The pair exchanged glances, and then turned to him with shared smiles. Zylara’s was more of a hesitant thing, while Karsys seemed genuinely touched.
“Yes.” The elf maiden said with a slightly more approachable gleam to her eyes. “I think that would be nice.”
“Then consider it done,” Aurelian said decisively. “And on that note, I have a question for you both.”
“Of course, Aurelian.” Karsys responded in a voice that was already more comfortable.
“Ask it,” Zylara agreed.
“First, let me show you my sheet…”
Their reactions, when he did so, were exactly as expected.
It made for a very entertaining descent into the Dragon’s Lair.