“So, do either of you have any idea where we have landed?” Asterios asked, glancing at Umbra and Abyss standing side by side. “Since I was focusing on just getting in here, I had no concept of the specific place we would show up at.”

The mocha-skinned lady lightly shook her head. “Do not consider me a viable guide. Too much has changed since my last gaze upon these lands. I might be able to recognize some of the more unique landmarks and regions, but this plain does not bring up any meaningful memories.”

“If I’m not mistaken, we aren’t that far from the closest village of Darklings.” Umbra hummed thoughtfully. “This is not a place where I would hang around normally, but I recall witnessing a challenge somewhere near here. While the shadowy grass isn’t that peculiar, it doesn’t appear this close to the rocks in any other area that I know of.”

“Darklings?” Miria’s eyes shone with curiosity at the unheard before term. “What are those?”

“How should I put it…” The Lord of Shadows stroked his smooth chin. “They are like dark-skinned Goblins about twice taller and much more clever. I wouldn’t call them monsters, but to you, all of us here might be considered to be. What I mean to convey is that they aren’t as mindless and do follow their own societal rules. Which, naturally, doesn’t make them any less violent and aggressive like most creatures in this world.”

“And is that by design?” Althea raised a scholarly brow at their gracious host.

“Not in the slightest,” Abyss replied calmly. “While some of the entities I have breathed life into might have shared slightly more forceful tendencies, I did not intend to fill this realm with only battle-seeking maniacs. Over the decades I have watched this world over, many evolved, combined, died out, changed, but there seemed to exist a frail balance between predators and prey that shifted towards either side from time to time.”

“And, obviously, you didn’t interfere,” Tina pointed out.

“That’s correct.” The mysterious lady nodded. “And even without my influence, the creatures calling this place their home seemed to grow within a set natural order. That applied to the last day I gazed upon my creation, studying a territorial battle between two titans. I wasn’t here after that so I can’t speak about anything from that point onwards.”

“Then, it all went downhill afterward,” Silvia commented. “The forced magical isolation must have somehow affected this world and its inhabitants. Possibly it was also due to your absence. Even if you haven’t directly influenced this place and these creatures, their creator simply existing in close proximity might have made a difference. Cut that connection off and the dimension is thrown into chaos.”

A thoughtful expression showed up on Abyss’ usually still face. “I admit I did not consider that prospect. But, you speak wisely.”

“It’s like a mother with her child,” Selene added. “In our community, it’s believed that the family shares a spiritual connection. Even if the parents are withdrawn or intend for their offspring to develop on its own without their aid, the baby can still feel their presence in its heart. We have observed differences in such regard within cases of orphaned children, even if they have found themselves under the care of close relatives or any other guardians.”

“It should start getting better now that Abyss is back, no?” Tina wondered out loud.

“Perhaps not immediately, but I think so too,” Asterios agreed with her. “We might have to do something with the curse, spell, barrier, seal, or whatever first, though. If it blocks her deeper link with the core of the realm, the spiritual relationship might still be subdued. After that, who knows?”

“I would be glad if things returned onto their proper path without me having to help steer them there, but I shall do so nonetheless if the moment or situation requires it,” Abyss said. “I can acknowledge that my life’s work is already poisoned by that person’s malicious intent and schemes. Yet, if you manage to solve this issue without that happening, I shall be eternally grateful to you.”

“And so will I, alongside most likely the majority of the realm.” Umbra’s chuckle echoed throughout the plain. “Regardless of the way the end result is achieved. I care not if the Creator gets involved, only that this sickening imprisonment finally ends for good. Especially if it truly is the reason behind many of us losing our minds to insanity.”

“Well, some of that could be your own fault.” Althea shrugged delicately.

“Oh, I’m well aware and I don’t deny that.” He spun his cane in amusement. “Some guys are just destined to become assholes in a century or a dozen. Yet, I dare claim that when the majority develops like that, there’s something truly wrong out there. And our Goddess has declared that we weren’t all meant to be bloodthirsty monstrosities.”

“Should we check the village, then?” Miria inquired, her tail dancing excitedly behind her back. “Or what else are we going to do around here?”

They all thought about it for a moment until Asterios nodded in agreement. “I say we go meet these Darklings. Worst case scenario, we have to pacify them with some words or actions. Best case scenario, they know something about the ailment causing this world to suffer. Because you don’t have any ideas on where to go first, right, Umbra?”

“I’m still browsing through my memories in search of any notable points of interest. But, believe me, this realm bears many unusual anomalies and weird areas. It’s not that easy figuring out which ones might have been caused by some kind of external energy. We would waste a lot of time going around in circles. I think we have better chances of finding a lead from the inhabitants of such regions,” Umbra replied.

“Sounds good.” Selene took a look at their surroundings. “A few legends or stories might have been passed down by the previous generations if some of your people are capable of forming functioning societies. I don’t think Abyss’ friend would be capable of stealthily preparing such a massive technique. Especially if his main element is light.”

“Yeah. I doubt he would have been willing to dabble in darkness if he hated it so much to go as far as undermine Abyss’ efforts from the inside. He was going for the long game, slowly gaining her trust,” Silvia added. “I also vote for a parlay with the locals. Maybe there are a few established governments around. I’m sure the leaders would be thrilled to welcome the Dragon Emperor in their domains.”

Asterios rolled his eyes as the ladies chuckled mirthfully. But, they weren’t exactly wrong. Since in this place power equaled respect, he might as well introduce himself as such. If some of the species living here were aware of True Dragons, it might make things a little bit easier.

And if they weren’t, well, there was always the first time, right?

Casting one last gaze at their landing spot, they made a few final checks to prepare for the upcoming trip and readied themselves to go ahead. Umbra led the party from the front as the only person familiar with the way. Unfortunately, they couldn’t just transfer themselves there for multiple reasons, as the Lord of Shadows explained during the walk.

First of all, he hadn’t yet been there directly, only passing nearby. Second, his shadow movement worked slightly differently in this world than how it did in other realm. Here, he wouldn’t become practically invulnerable, hiding in the darkness. Since that darkness made up almost everything around, he could only shift into a formless shape and move more fluidly and at faster speeds. He could be seen as a blur on the endless night sky. Third, someone could take notice.

Therefore, they chose a more conventional method of transport. For now, Ast’s group simply strolled through the silent, spooky plains. Later, they planned on flying on his back, but the village was supposedly not that far away from where they had entered Umbra’s realm, so they could take their time sightseeing such a unique world.

Various small creatures slinked through the dark smoking grass and ominous bushes. Thanks to the power the ladies and Asterios emanated, hardly anything considered them easy prey. Umbra’s presence definitely helped too. He looked fairly plain, but visual looks could be very deceiving. This was his home, his turf. And, sure, there might exist beings equal or greater than him in different corners of the shadowy dimension, but some risks were necessary as they had agreed earlier.

Soon enough, the misty stalks thinned out before completely disappearing at one specific point. Their edge drew a straight line that separated the plains from what looked like a perfectly flat stone surface. Naturally, it might not be stone in this world, but the general idea was the same. A smooth rock-like mineral spanned far and wide. It was almost pretty but mostly eerie. Miria joked that someone must have spent ages polishing this barren land.

As they stepped onto the new terrain, their shoes echoed pleasantly, no matter if they were made of harder or more flexible stuff. Tina chuckled and started hopping around to create an almost musical beat. The others quickly joined, with Silvia leading the impromptu orchestra alongside the blue-haired girl. They seemed to possess the most accurate sense of rhythm, saving the echoing melody from being accidentally ruined by slightly less graceful individuals like the overly excited Miria.

Then, with no prior sign, the sound simply ceased. The girls took a few more steps while confusedly exchanging glances, but the echo was gone. Their jumps didn’t create any more noise. Selene examined the ground for some kind of a change, but the transition was seamless, with no noticeable changes in the smooth dark surface.

“Bummer.” The panthergirl sighed softly. “That was so much fu—“

Suddenly, they all stumbled as their feet sank into the ground, with only Abyss and Umbra saved from the unexpected turn of events since they both technically hovered through the air. The duo floated higher to look at what was happening while everyone else became wary of any upcoming attacks.

Yet, even after a few seconds passed, nothing seemed to jump at them.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

The only thing that happened was the appearance of a swirly pattern on the previously clean surface. It spun counter-clockwise and was made up of two colors, a slightly brighter than black and a deep dark gray. The trap extended far enough to prevent anyone from reaching out past its edge. Judging by how much Asterios and the others struggled to pull their legs out, it was intended.

“Guys… I don’t think I can go on…” Miria let out an anxious chuckle. “I don’t think… I should be here…. With how weak I am compared to someone like Selene or Silvia… I’m just a burden to Master…”

Asterios frowned at her, confused at where that abrupt bout of self-depreciation had come from.

“Same here, honestly…” Selene followed with a tired sigh and a dejected shake of her head. “I should have stayed behind too… Master is fully capable of protecting himself, and he even has Althea by his side… Meanwhile, I only introduce unnecessary risks to this journey… I might not be cursed anymore, although we can’t be so sure with these external circuits, but having the descendant of that murderous battle maniac by your side isn’t the best idea… Someone could recognize me… Maybe I should actually split from Master even outside, just in case… He might be too kind to say it, but I’m sure he hates being associated with someone like me…”

“Curses!” Umbra’s voice boomed from above. “It’s a Pit of Despair! My shadows won’t be able to pull you out!”

They all slowly sank deeper and deeper into the malicious pool, already buried up to their knees. Ast’s eyes met Tina’s, who was looking his way with an apologetic smile, a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Ast… I just wanted to say sorry… Sorry for being such an obsessed stalker… You must feel so uncomfortable by how I forced myself into your life, so if you would like—“

“Stop!” He interrupted her, intent on not listening to any more of this depressing talk coming from his beloved mates. “This is… This is wrong…”

A strained groan escaped his throat as he grabbed his head. Similarly dark thoughts began worming their way into his mind. Was he even worthy of such immense affection from so many incredible ladies? What if his draconic urges won one day like when he had been young and he would hurt those he cared about? Perhaps it would have been better if he removed himself from their lives. Perhaps he should just lay down and simply end this, making sure everyone was safe from his violent lineage.

“No!” Asterios pierced into his thigh with the sharp claws of his dragonified hands, drawing a bit of blood. “You will not harm them while I still draw breath!”

The vicious energies coursing through his circuits answered his enraged declaration as a reverberating half-roar half-warcry surged out of his lips. A powerful current of mana caused everyone’s clothes to flutter and even created faint ripples in the evil whirlpool. The louder he shouted, the more his aura pushed outwards. The longer he continued, the more his crimson scales darkened.

Reaching crescendo, Asterios shoved his hands into the swirling surface, curling his fingers into fists, tightening his grip on the mysterious entity or phenomenon affecting them, not sure if he could even be considered holding onto it. Regardless, he growled in fury at the black-gray pool, letting his Onyx bloodline fight back while the Crimson one supported it from the sidelines. In a matter of seconds, his scales were almost completely black, an ominous dark mist seeping off him.

Then, the dangerous pond began bubbling like boiled water while the rotations of the interchanging colors slowed down. Soon enough, they halted completely. The central point where all the segments connected unhurriedly moved closer to Asterios, shifting towards the spot he was grasping at. Not without fighting back, it seemed, as Ast’s growls grew louder the closer the conjunction got.

When it arrived above his wrists, he slammed his hands together. A shuddering buzzing noise exploded outwards, tickling everyone’s insides rather uncomfortably. The entire pool quivered and trembled, spikes of its viscous substance shooting vertically into the sky. Everyone briefly lost their balance, looking around in distress, their thoughts noticeably less clouded.

The whirlpool began spinning again, though in the opposite direction. As it swirled faster and faster, its diameter shrunk. Bit by bit, it crawled back from its edges, revealing a sloping sinkhole beneath its treacherous surface. Ast’s figure descended lower and lower alongside the level of the lethal pond. After a few long seconds, the last bits of it gathered between his palms, reduced to a tiny orb with a flattened protrusion at the height of its center of mass.

Asterios panted heavily as he fell to one knee, the high from the released spiritual pressure coming off him. He stared at the weird floating object hovering above his black-scaled palm. A few pained groans dragged his focus away from it and he hastily scanned over all the ladies.

“Is everyone alright?” he asked, noticing from the corner of his eye as the gray ball fizzled out of existence.

Tina was the first one to rise from the ground and directed a wry smile at him. Wasting no time, Asterios ran up to her and wrapped the short girl in a genuine hug. After a moment, he cupped up her cheeks and joined their lips in a delicate kiss. She sighed contentedly, hugging him back with her fingers grasping at the material of his coat.

When they separated, she looked deep into his caring, troubled eyes. “I’m okay… It’s already passed…”

“I know.” He placed an additional peck on her forehead. “Just making sure you understand how much I appreciate you. Regardless of how we have come to be.”

A rosy blush tinged Tina’s cheeks as she nodded bashfully. With another soft smile, she stepped away so they could check up on the others. Asterios found Miria and Selene, walking up to them next. Before they could say anything either, he pulled them both into his embrace. They had heard everything he said to Tina, so all three of them just basked in each other’s presence.”

“Do I still have to say it out loud?” He chuckled quietly.

“No, Master.” Miria purred into his cheek. “I understand that you would have offered me a chance to stay behind if you thought this trip might be too much for me. Can’t help those silly thoughts, though.”

“None of us could,” Althea said from the side. “Dare I say, it’s been a long time since I last doubted my capabilities to share knowledge and experience with others.”

“What even was that Pit of Despair?” Silvia asked. “Was that a monster?”

“No, albeit it does possess a limited consciousness.” Umbra descended to them alongside Abyss. “The easiest comparison you can quickly grasp is that of a fly trap. The Pit of Despair is a natural phenomenon that forms in areas often treaded. It locks its victims in place just like quicksand while bringing out their deepest fears and insecurities to dampen their will to continue living.”

“Thankfully, it looks like you managed to overcome its influence without me having to aid you,” Abyss added, some kind of violet mist slowly fading away from between her fingers.

“Ah, right, it’s all thanks to Master.” Miria giggled proudly, then did a double take after glancing at Asterios. “Woah, Master! I didn’t know you could go all black!”

He snorted while spreading his arms to show more of his dark scales. “Neither did I, but it seems that my Onyx side was somehow brought forth by the struggle in the pit. Perhaps it’s due to the shared affinity or something. It’s a bit weird that I can switch colors like a chameleon.”

“Makes sense when you are technically the inheritor of both bloodlines.” Selene nodded approvingly. “I too thought the black one was going to show only as darker accents like we have seen it do previously.”

“Well, all well that ends well, and you fit the theme much more like this Master.” Umbra snickered lightly. “I would be overjoyed if this quest helped you master your other half.”

“We’ll see about that.” Asterios smiled warmly.

“What happened to the Pit?” Tina glanced around. “Did you evaporate it or something?”

~It’s here, next to me,~ Tia chimed in.

“Oh, gods. Are you alright?” Asterios’ eyes widened.

~There are no reasons for concern. It appears to be harmless, subdued even. I don’t think it can do anything untowardly to me and my Tree,~ she replied.

He touched his chest and closed his eyes, trying to spiritually peer into himself. Noticing a dark swirling spot, Asterios tried to get a hold of it. His right palm prickled and he brought it forward, facing up.

~Ah. It’s gone now,~ the Dryad noted.

“That checks out. It’s right in Ast’s hand.” Tina giggled.

“That’s so neat!” Miria jumped in place. “Can you do anything with it, Master?”

“From what my instincts tell me, I can throw it out or set it down and it will grow into its previous size once more. It seems to be linked with my dark side,” he explained.

“Feels like a fairly useful trap for your enemies if it can mask itself like before,” Althea noted. “Worthy spoils of war, I would say.”

Asterios made it disappear again, transferring it back to Tia’s side of things inside his soul. “I’ll keep it in mind during our future encounters. Now, should we rest a bit before continuing?”

“The village is just ahead. I think we should be able to find some respite there. Its inhabitants should be rather grateful for getting rid of a concealed threat located right at their doorstep,” Umbra said and they all agreed to his suggestion.

Climbing out of the smooth pit, they gazed at the unexpected trap once more and set a new pace forward. During the brief trek, Asterios exchanged a few words with all of the girls, even those who hadn’t had the chance to voice out their insecurities while affected by the mental pressure. Naturally, in turn, they then ganged up on him, as Tia betrayed his secrets and shared what she had seen go through Ast’s head since she was safe from the unusual ailment.

The discussion devolved into an argument whose insecurities and worries were the most unfounded, with all of the ladies submitting votes for each other, which Asterios realized was their unique way of cheering the people they cared about up. So, he didn’t interrupt and instead even chimed in now and then.

In less than fifteen minutes, they spotted the first signs of civilization. The eerily smooth stone continued onwards, but suddenly, perfectly square buildings jutted out of it, just as even and polished. The openings for doors, windows, or anything else followed the same rectangular trend. For a few seconds, Asterios wondered if their inhabitants would be quite geometrical too.

But, his unvoiced question was answered right away as an impressive number of creatures sprinted past the edge of their dwelling. As Umbra had said, the entities were rather short, barely reaching up to a common human’s chest, and their skin was dark gray, bordering on black, slightly sagging over their entire forms. Their general beauty resembled that of a humanoid rat that emitted wisps of smoke from its frame, and whose beady eyes swirled with a trillion stars. They wore simple cloth pieces and sets, clearly not meant to be armor.

“The Goddess! The Goddess has returned!” The first runner shouted repeatedly and the rest chanted almost religiously with squeaky voices.

Selene snickered while raising a teasing brow at Abyss. “Looks like someone does remember their creator.”

But, she stepped back with placatingly raised hands when the small folks began literally jumping down to their knees and pressing their faces to the very ground right before her. In a flash, most likely the entire settlement was prostrating itself before her, save for the initial speaker, who instead remained standing while bowing so far forward their forehead almost grazed the floor.

“Oh, Goddess of Conquest and Retribution, we have long awaited your return!” the male Darkling announced. “Please, accept this humble declaration of fealty from your loyal subjects and bless us with your divine protection!”

“Bless us! Bless us!” the choir chanted.

To say that Selene looked stricken would be an understatement. The fox lady blinked in a complete stupor while everyone else chuckled quietly amongst themselves.

This was going to be interesting.