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The Dragon God's System
Chapter 102 - Bargaining with the Blue Dragon

Chapter 102 - Bargaining with the Blue Dragon

I was a little annoyed that I had to travel so far to reach each of the dragons. I even had to backtrack and fly past the silver and gold dragons' cities again. At the moment, though, I was flying over the mountains that separated the main continent and the Desolate Lands. It was mostly made up of deserts and coastlands. However, I definitely wasn't feeling the heat of the desert yet.

Then again, it was because I was flying high enough that the air was thin and cold. It was a stark contrast to the humid swamps I'd left behind. My wings caught an updraft, carrying me above the snow-capped summits.

This time, I had to travel quite a distance. Fortunately, I hadn’t needed to travel to the western part of the continent. As far as I knew, there were no dragons that lived there. Somehow, I doubted that. More than likely, the dragon was just hiding. If I had to guess, it was probably a younger dragon that wasn’t confident enough to expose itself yet.

Thinking about the different dragons, I couldn't help but reflect on how different each dragon's domain had been. I was struck by yet another dramatic change in scenery that was present on the continent. I was very confused why there were not more dragons considering how large the continent was.

Soon, I flew over the mountains and noticed a desert stretched out below me. I was a little confused why the blue dragon chose to make her home in such an unforgiving place. My thoughts drifted to what I knew about Blárdynja, which was nothing.

All I knew was that they were known for their cunning and their love of manipulation. They also weren't as openly aggressive as their red or white cousins. This did make me wonder, Since blue dragons were supposed to be manipulative, why did she choose to make her lair in such an uninhabited land?

The heat rising from the desert created visible distortions in the air, making the horizon waver like a mirage. I scanned the ground carefully, looking for any sign of the blue dragon's lair. Unlike the last few times, this time I didn't waste time circling aimlessly. I doubted that I would see her unless she decided that she wanted to be seen.

A glint of movement caught my eye. Something massive shifted below the sand. I slowed my flight, hovering cautiously as the surface of the desert began to ripple. Then, with an explosion of sand, Blárdynja burst out of the sand and into the sky. She was slightly smaller than the other dragons, but not by much. Needless to say, she was massive when compared to me.

"Well, well," she said as she flew up to hover in front of me. "If it isn't the twilight god himself. I wondered when you would come to visit me."

I blinked in surprise. Not only did she know who I was, but she had been expecting me. "You've heard of me?" I hadn't expected that since she was living in such a remote location. I had to ask myself, Who had told her? How did she find out?

She laughed, "Of course. News travels fast when someone starts convincing dragons to swear allegiance to them. Especially when that someone is as... special as yourself."

At least she hadn't assumed I am female, I thought with relief. "Then you also probably already know why I'm here," I said.

She motioned for me to land on the sand below while she did the same. However, this didn't stop her from speaking as she descended to the ground. "You want me to join your little pantheon and swear an oath like the others."

The way she said it made me feel like I was talking to someone who wanted something from me but was going to make me pay for it. Because of this, I was on guard. "Yes," I admitted. "But there is more to it than that. I'm also offering you the chance to become a god."

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"And what makes you think I want that?"

I met her gaze steadily, tempted not to even respond to such a stupid question. "Because you're smart enough to see the big picture. The world is changing. Dragons can't survive alone. Unity gives us strength, and the system I created gives us what we need to thrive instead of survive."

"Interesting," she said, although she didn't sound like she thought it was interesting at all. "And what of the rules that come with this unity? I've heard something about that as well."

I explained the conditions, which were the same ones I'd laid out for the others. No attacking fellow dragons or their followers, standing together against outside threats, facing consequences for breaking trust. As I spoke, I could see her analyzing every word, weighing every possibility.

"Your rules seem reasonable," she said finally. "Almost too reasonable. What's the catch?"

"No catch," I said. "Just the understanding that we're stronger together than apart. You keep your independence, your territory, your followers. You just gain the power to do more with what you already have."

Blárdynja considered this for a long moment. settled Her tail curled around her feet like a lounging cat. "Tell me more about this system of yours," she said. "How exactly does it work?"

I explained everything that I thought she needed to know. Afterall, I wasn't going to explain about my own system. I did tell her all about the draconic contracts, the bloodline essence, and the potential for godhood, though.

She listened intently, only occasionally interrupting with sharp questions that showed she understood the implications better than any of the others had. I resisted the impulse to frown, since I had assumed either the silver or gold dragon would have been the shrewdest one.

"Clever," she said when I finished. "Very clever indeed. You're not just building a pantheon. You're creating an entirely new power structure. One that benefits everyone involved, while still maintaining control at the top."

I nodded, impressed by her insight. "That's exactly what I'm doing. And I want you to be part of it."

She smiled, showing rows of gleaming teeth. "You know what I find most interesting about all this? You're not trying to deceive anyone. You're being completely honest about your intentions, which is either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish."

"Sometimes honesty is the best strategy," I said.

"Indeed," she agreed. "Very well, twilight god. I accept your offer, with the same conditions as the others. I will follow your rules and join your pantheon, but I retain my right to act according to my own judgment."

The oath-taking was almost anticlimactic after our discussion. Blárdynja spoke the words, although her voice had more dramatic flair than the others had shown. When it was done, I handed her the scroll containing the Ritual of Apotheosis.

"Welcome to our pantheon," I said. "Do you mind if I ask which divine spark you have obtained?"

There was no doubt in my mind that she had one in her possession. If the other dragons could obtain a divine spark, the blue dragon definitely could as well. As for the white dragon, I sincerely doubted that she would possess one. I just didn’t know what to do about that. Offering her the Ritual of Apotheosis wouldn’t be very useful without it. Because of this, I needed to think about how to solve that problem.

She tucked the scroll away with a knowing smile. "Thank you. Since you will find out soon enough either way, I might as well tell you. The divine spark I possess is that of Lauss, the god of freedom."

This time, I failed at hiding my surprise. However, she didn't mention it. Instead, she said, "And Nóttormr?" She caught my eye as I prepared to leave. "Don't worry too much about Skjallgarganíss. The white dragon may be aggressive, but even she can be reasoned with, if you approach her correctly that is."

"And what would that correct way be?" I asked curiously.

"Take food and diamonds. She'll agree to anything after that."

I snorted, amused. Apparently, good food and diamonds were always desired by females. At least the blue dragon had been smart enough to see the benefits I was bringing and didn't demand anything from me. Maybe I should stop and get some flowers too, I thought. I nodded, though her words did ease a little of my anxiety about facing the white dragon.

Apparently, she might not be as difficult to deal with as I had imagined. Despite this, I was still worried about the fact that she might not have a divine spark. This made me wonder if I could discover any other divine sparks and give them to Geyma or Alsvartr. That made me wonder if Alsvartr could even become a god.

The Ouroboros System had given me the divine spark of death. However, why did I also become the god of twilight? Was it because of my bloodline? Could I get other divine sparks from the system? I had a lot to think about as I started making my way north.