"What the fuck?" Atlas frowns after the replay ends. "Seriously? He just- who is leading the dwarves now? Oh, hell nah."
Still zoomed in on the globe, he saw two dwarves riding what looked like regular dragons in comparison.
"Flying fucking dwarves..." Atlas said with disbelief, his gaze returning to the panels.
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(CDIM) Central Landmass
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Dwarven Leader Ignis Firebeard Dwarf Population 6000
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"1500 are missing. I'll assume those are the ones that left the landmass."
"Fire Firebeard...?" Atlas glares at the name, his finger hovering over the disaster button for a moment before exhaling sharply.
"It's not the kid's fault... but this is seriously messed up."
"Also..."
His gaze shifted, resting on a warning in the event log.
***Warning: Native species population has decreased by 35%***
Too many Primordial dragons remained on the landmass.
The dwarves had learned basic animal husbandry, but the food consumption needed to sustain them and the dragons was too much too soon.
And now, on top of the existing Primordials, it seemed regular dragons were being birthed. Lesser creatures with lesser stats, but still intelligent enough to communicate.
Sighing, Atlas opened his divinity menu and toggled Oracle, selecting the Primordial Dragon Queen as the recipient.
"I have to sound like an authority figure," Atlas muttered.
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Oracle -10 Divinity Divinity 90 (-10)
Message:
You've done well and have exceeded my expectations. Spread your children out across the world. The land you reside in isn't ready for so many and is being consumed too quickly.
Please refrain yourself, Regina, and the other Primordials from having kids until the world can support it.
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Atlas's eyebrow twitched after rereading his own words. "I feel like I would be punched in the face if I said this to a lady..."
From the side, he heard Wisp chirp angrily before hitting the deliver button. The blue interface holding the message flickered and vanished.
"You named her?" Wisp chirped disapprovingly. "She isn't a pet."
"She doesn't have a name after almost five hundred years though?"
"No, but naming isn't a good idea either."
"Why not?" Atlas countered. "I don't want to walk around calling you 'bird,' and I don't want to keep calling her 'Primordial Dragon' all the time either. Especially after 500 years, a name is the least she should receive. I just don't have the divinity points to give her more."
Wisp chirped again, still disapproving. "It's just different. Humans don't name farm animals for slaughter to avoid becoming overly attached. This world-"
"Is my world," Atlas cut it off, his voice firm. "So it's my decision- especially if I have to live with it after it's all said and done... if any of this is real."
The two locked eyes, tension lingering for a moment before Wisp shook its head and fell silent.
Atlas didn't like how cold the bird was when it came to this, but judging by its behavior, it had likely witnessed this before.
Or at least he hoped that was the case.
His gaze returned to the monitor, "Can I see a live feed of her receiving it?"
Wisp motioned toward the globe with a flick of its wing.
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"Just zoom in like you did before."
Atlas refocused on the central mountain peak, his fingers brushing the surface, spreading his arms wide to zoom in once more.
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Like a funnel, lightning arcs streaked across the sky. They swirl like water, crackling loudly as a rush of air drew the eyes of every living creature across the landmass.
In a brilliant display of light, visually like a whirlpool forming, this strange phenomenon spirals above the Primordial Queen resting atop the mountain.
The younger Primordials and dragons backed away with uncertainty, but the eldest among them, the original eight- the true Primordials- watched with eager anticipation.
Closing her eyes, the funnel descended and enveloped her. With a deafening roar, and unimaginable power, many of the dragons are swept back.
Some dug their claws in, trying desperately not to be swept away while others took to the sky, allowing winds to carry them.
Chaos descended swiftly upon the land.
Dwarves looked up see swarms of dragons circling the peak with glints of light falling from the peak as gems are scattered like falling stars.
When it finally ends, the rock around her pulsed golden with divine energy.
Her appearance was untouched, and all eyes rested upon her.
Twin screams erupted from the mountain's edge from a pair of dwarves who were delivering gemstones for trade. They had barely managed to take cover behind a large boulder, but their eyes were burned from their sockets from the divine radiance.
Yet, as if to answer the suffering, their bodies shimmered- the same golden light radiating from the stone beneath the Primordial Queen now engulfed them as well. Their eyes materialized, and their pain faded.
Shocked and in bewilderment, the dwarves blinked and looked around as the dragons sniffed and watched them curiously.
"The Sky God has spoken to us for the first time in nearly 500 years," the Primordial Queen spoke, the strength of her voice causing the ground to shake. "He has bestowed upon me the divine name Regina, and has delivered us commands."
A hushed silence fell over the gathered dragons and dwarves alike.
The golden and sapphire Primordial females, who had been by her side since the dawn of time, lowered their heads in reverence.
"It is a great honor to have been given a name by the Sky God. Our jealousy knows no bounds," The golden female Primordial speaks, her voice steady but tinged with envy.
The sapphire Primordial lifted her head, her piercing gaze locked onto Regina.
"What is his will?"
-------
Over the months that followed, Primordials- flanked by their dragon kin- depart the landmass, heeding the Sky God's will.
Upon witnessing this divine intervention, many who were doubtful before now believed.
There were still nonbelievers.
Some dwarves, deep within the mountains, had not seen the spectacle firsthand. Others simply ignored it, whether out of stubbornness or a refusal to accept what was beyond reason. There was also the small fraction, centuries later, that still distrusted dragons.
And a small fraction- though quiet in their voices- leaned toward skepticism, claiming the event was a natural phenomenon, misinterpreted as the "Sky God’s message."
But faith, overall, had taken root.
Shrines were erected, drawings created and sculptures crafted, all with the mountain as the core image, bathed in divine light.
Regina, the Primordial Dragon Queen and Messenger of God, also became their symbol of newfound devotion.
This year, Year 478, became the first recorded date on a new calendar- one shared between dwarves and dragons alike.
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Event Log Minor Heal - 25 Divinity Minor Heal - 25 Divinity Divinity: 40 (-50)
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Year 478 Divinity Deposit 186 (22 Years Remaining)
Believers: 6419 Common: 6239 ( +6 Divinity per Century, + 0.000006239 Gene Points per Century) Special: 180 ( + 180 Divinity per Century, + 0.0000018 Primordial Points per Century, + 0.00000018 Gene Points per Century)
-----------------------------
Atlas tapped his fingers against the console, irritation flickering across his face.
"I didn't know it would be that flashy and dangerous," he grumbled, watching the two dwarves pat themselves down in stunned relief.
"Is it always like this?"
"Yes," Wisp replied matter-of-factly. "You can restrain the display by allocating more divinity points next time."
Atlas frowned. "How does that make- whatever," he sighed, rolling his eyes before turning his attention back to the believer count. "It was worth it for the long term."
"I love those Primordials," he beams brightly, his gaze settled on the Specials with delight.
The boost inflated his ego in the moment. A six hundred percent increase. Winning that made him feel like a genius, like a good stock trade or a winning gamble- until the next one.
Atlas exhaled happily, the irritation completely forgotten as he spun the planet beneath his fingertips, watching the continents shift under his touch.
"Oh yeah, the Eastern continent requires attention?" Atlas asked, his mind drifting back to what Wisp had been nagging about earlier.
"Yes, Weaver Atlas," Wisp sighed. "Thankfully, this time, you still have time."
Atlas nodded, smirking to himself, choosing to continue at a leisurely pace.
Zooming in on the eastern continent, which is mostly desert across the central parts, his eyes widened in surprise.
Dark skinned elves and dwarves had taken root in different regions. The black-scaled Primordial dragon and a grey Primordial, who left disgruntled, also made their homes on the continent.
Atlas tilted his head, his thoughts drifting.
‘Where did the other one go?’
With a mental cue, the globe spun rapidly, the interface zooming in on a different region.
‘Ah, there it is.’
The third and final Primordial, its scales a deep green, had claimed a mountain on the western continent, similar to his original home 478 years ago.
Unlike the others, this one appeared more peaceful.
Atlas rotated the image, scanning the terrain.
‘None of the land looks desolated or heavily damaged... Good sign. But no guarantees.’
Nodding to himself, he refocused on the Eastern continent, pulling up the CDIM. He still needed a basic understanding of what had transpired.