Chapter 346: Assimilation
Early Evening - Late Summer : The Tree of Prayer, Valtivar | Siratha
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"So, you're going to finally reveal yourself, huh?"
There was a short pause before the air next to my ear gently vibrated, relaying a deep draconic voice. "I was originally going to give it some more time, but there is no point in delaying it further."
I paused before turning my head slightly and shooting a gaze up into the branches of a nearby treant, meeting the stare of a beautiful draconic woman confidently sipping a glass of piotita on the roof of the most expensive tavern in town, overlooking the base of the Tree of Prayer. "Is that so?" It was Hera.
Taking a casual sip, she leaned up against the railing, cloaking all but two of the wings sprouting from her back to avoid people raising suspicions of her. "Well, as you said the other day, I should strike while the iron is hot."
It had been about a week and a half since the ceremony began at that point, and with me not feeling comfortable leaving Lief alone after the appearance of Baldur, I had simply loitered around her at the base of the Tree of Prayer, cloaked with light magic while speaking to Hera about what was to come. "I meant that as more of a general statement." *pat* I continued as I laid my head back down. "The iron has already started to cool. You wouldn't want to hit it now."
She smirked as she leaned into the railing. "Hoh? And what makes you think that?"
"The assimilation of Bahamut and Siratha was when the iron was struck; the moment of reformation that cleaned out the 'impurities' and started a new era where dragons could start openly worshiping a Diety other than Bahamut... It's a change not everyone could accept, but things have finally started to stabilize. If my family or I were fully backing you with your sudden reappearance, I'm sure it would raise suspicions about our intentions. It would be too much change too fast and just destabilize things... It would make the iron brittle."
"Not necessarily..." She took a quick sip of her drink as she looked down at a young dragon and elf playing together in the street. "Currently, there are two main groups in Bahamut: those that support Siratha and those that do not, both sides will despise me. However, the disdain I'd receive from those who support Siratha's growing power and influence would be quelled by your support, and those who don't like the assimilation would be quelled by me, a demigod capable of filling the gap Bahamut has left vacant for so long."
I immediately raised my eyebrows with an unconvinced look. "But you're forgetting the public sentiment toward you... What makes you think the people who don't like me would automatically accept you?"
"Because in their eyes, even if you are supporting me, I am your opposition... As it stands, Bahamut has no God or even demigods. If you wanted to, you could flip the table on them and rule Bahamut whether they wanted it or not. No one could stop you..." She let out a short breath before moving her gaze back to me. "With me, they would have a force that can oppose you, a power that can keep you in check... Even if my reputation puts a bad taste in their mouth, they would have to deal with it in order to gain my strength."
-I didn't think about that...- It was actually a pretty solid plan, appealing to public sentiment in order to take the upper hand. Her only issue would be getting the support of those within the Elder Hall and highly influential figures like Amphitrite and Myles to preemptively quell what would be the leading voices of the opposition. -Although there will always be those that speak up...- "What do you plan to do about those that use your sudden usurpment of political power to spark a rebellion?"
"Well, more than likely, it would be sparked by those who were related to the original slandering of my name or are on the side of the Holy Kingdom, seeing it as an opportunity to sow discourse."
-So she wants to use it as an opportunity to clean out the rest of the traitors as well...- "It seems like you've got it all figured out, huh... Just don't forget to at least get the Elder Hall on your side before you do anything crazy..." Although there was still a lingering worry in the back of my mind, I simply shook it off as it appeared. "When are you planning on leaving?"
"Haha, you say that like you aren't coming with me." Quickly finishing her drink, she moved the cup away with her aura to refill it. "I plan to wait for Lief to awaken. I doubt that will be too far away."
-That's true...- After a week and a half, Lief's condition had progressed greatly, and even though it took a little longer than I expected, she had almost entirely finished her evolution. "She'll probably wake up at some point today." -In the meantime, I need to figure out what I'm going to do with Krystallo...-
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Her hair had turned black, her eyes had turned silver, her tail had gotten longer, and she had even sprouted a single small horn next to her right ear with some dragon scales lining her spine.
But while those changes were enough to nearly completely alter her own identity, the changes inside her body were far greater.
"How do you feel?" I spoke through a smile, more than satisfied with the changes to her body. -I wonder how strong she is now...-
"I.. feel..." She paused as she clenched her fists a few times and ran her hand down her body, through the clothes I had temporarily made for her. "I feel s-so.. different..."
"Well, of course! Did you think an elixir I gave to you would be weak?"
Her eyes slowly lit up as she used her aura to look over herself. "Of course not!" Looking up at me, her eyes sparkled with a childish pride and joy similar to what I would usually see in Krystallo.
But as I was about to offer a simple 'spar', her gaze stiffened with hostility and shot up into the treant behind me.
"Haha, that's just Hera, Lief." I spoke calmly.
But rather than relief, her expression warped to confusion. "Huh?!"
I honestly didn't know what to think of it. -Could you not sense her before?-
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[1] - She was also talking to Vas at those times, the people around just didn't know
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