After that night of wild passion we all loaded up in the Floating Ship, and flew off to the Celestial Veil Onsen. Selene, and her family made great use of the couples pools. As did many of the other wedding party guests. In fact, almost every married couple came away from Selene’s wedding expecting at least one child. Well all except for Aoi, Kanae, Ériu, and me. Kanae was tempted, though, several times.
I took the time to interrogate my prisoner.
“Are you ready to talk, Miss ?” I asked.
“Tch, like I’d tell you my name. I have nothing to say,” the woman said.
“Fine,” I said. I reached into my spirit affinity, and reached into her mind to pull out her story. She started screaming in pain, and managed to say,
“Get out of my head!”
Then she began to whimper, because it hurts to rip open a mind and pull out memories. I let go, having pulled out enough information.
Sigh
“Gloria, Seriously. You’ve spent your whole life looking for revenge from a girl who stole the heart of the boy you had a crush on, but who had no feelings for you whatsoever? Not only that, but you wanted to do to this woman’s daughters the same thing that you felt had been done to you. Have you any idea how ridiculously evil that is? How many chances at love and a full life have you thrown away over the years for this pointless revenge, against a completely innocent woman. She took nothing from you. You can’t take something away from someone who never had the thing to begin with. But because he fell in love with someone other than you, you tried to ruin that woman and all her children? I’d say that man dodged a terrible life married to you,” I said.
Gloria looked at me with seething hate. I reached in and cut the thread of her mana. She’d be a low level magik user the rest of her life. I sent her to the Mage police and outlined her crimes, and where they could get the evidence they needed.
I was just happy, it wasn’t some new widespread evil cult. One of those in a lifetime was more than enough. Gloria could have been happy had she not been so obsessed over a single moment in her life. Perhaps, sometimes, a single moment is that important. This one certainly wasn’t.
We returned to Shin Shirochi, the White City, after our stay in the onsen. My babies all loved the onsen. Security was a nightmare, with six flying babies. Yes, my dragonkin were somehow powering around on those crazy gossamer wings. Like giant hummingbirds. I swear. Giant, chubby, hummingbirds.
I had to keep my undies on when playing with Alex, or he’d try slipping accidentally, and spearing me with his rod. I might have to stop playing with him. But, I guess I was curious what he’d try next. I guess I’m playing with fire.
I called a meeting of my knights platoon.
“I have a new training session. It may take us several days or a week to complete. This is a White Dragon Realm state secret. I don’t want you sharing this with the Dargon Empire. This is not an action that is treasonous. However, if you feel that you shouldn’t participate, I understand. It will not be held against you, nor will you get passed over for promotion or any such thing. In fact, you can all opt to forego this mission, as it has nothing to do with this platoon, or Dargon. It was a task given to me, and me alone, by the Red Dragons. I thought it was a good chance for this group gain some skills and experience. That is the only reason I’m mentioning it.”
“I would not pause to follow not you into the eternal flames of Jormunk, the eternally cursed undead afterworld, My Empress,” Hestia said.
“Great Goddess. I pray to never go there.”
“Where you lead, I will follow,” Kanae said.
“No way, I’m missing out on a Dragon Quest,” Kiera said.
“Same,” said Aoi.
“You are my heart and soul, You couldn’t tear me away,” Fergus said.
“I can’t leave you alone with these idiots,” Darby said.
“Kanae speaks for us as well,” Cathar said with Tomás and Tomoki.
“Someone has to keep an eye on my idiot husband,” Selene said.
“Can’t leave my wife alone,” Eoghan.
“We don’t have the deep ties, these knights have, but we all also agree with Knight Kanae,” said Sgt. Haruka.
“Alright. Well then, perhaps, you may want to rethink it after I explain it. We are going after the Gáe Bulga. The Divine Spear. Most likely inside the Darkling Ruins east of here. Queen Matilde knows of this dictate from the Red Queen.”
“No one has ever returned from any of the Darkling Ruins, Ma’am,” Sgt Haruka said.
“Is that so? Can I have a show of hands of anyone who has ever entered and returned from the Darkling ruins?”
Kanae, Kiera, Aoi, and Darby, rose their hands.
“And the one who led that mission?” They all pointed at me.
“That mission is a State Secret, you didn’t hear about it from us.”
“The ruins of Chrysallia! You went there! That story is true! That story is legend!” Haruka said.
“I don’t generally listen to those stories, so can’t say what might be real and what is fake. Of course, I can’t really say what’s real because of the whole secret thing,” I said.
“The way we got in before may not work here. We also have new possibilities. The point is we can probably get in and out. Darkling ruins are very dangerous places. There are traps everywhere. There may be golems. There may even be living Darklings,” I said.
“The Darklings are extinct, Captain,” Haruka said.
“No they aren’t. We have spoken to one who still lived two years ago,” I said.
“Great Goddess!”
“If you come you need to not wander. Don’t touch anything unless one of us say it is ok. We are not going to loot. We seek one artifact. That doesn’t mean we will not gather some other artifacts. Don’t let greed be the death of you. The greatest treasure is useless if you die grabbing it,” I said.
“Anyone want to back out? Seriously, we will not care if you choose the smart choice and stay home.”
Everyone laughed at that.
“I was never much of one for the smart choices. I volunteered for this unit after all,” Haruka said.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Alright then. We leave at first light. Have your wits about you. Anyone who is late will be left behind. We aren’t waiting for late risers,” I said.
“That’s it for this meeting. Go do some light training, and rest for the remainder of the day. Dismissed.”
“So, we are finally going for the Divine Spear?” Kanae asked.
“It is time. I feel it. You’re probably going to think this is weird, but I can feel it. The Gáe Bulga. I can feel it calling to me. It is a cursed weapon. I don’t want it. I cannot just dismiss the words of the Ancient Mother though,” I said.
“I know. I can feel it too. It is not calling me though. I fear it. Darkness surrounds it. Did the Darklings make it?” Kanae asked.
“Your Spirit Affinity has awoken?” I said.
“Yes, when my children were born. Can you believe it?” Kanae said.
“For you, yes. It totally makes sense. I have never seen you as happy as you were when your babies were born,” I said.
“Who knew? I never expected that,” Kanae said.
“Hmm, yeah. I have had so many surprises since meeting you. I have been truly blessed,” I said.
“Great Goddess! You two. I’m going to vomit,” Kiera said.
We all laughed.
“Do we have a plan, for getting into the Darkling Realm?” Aoi asked.
“The Dreadnought Grimoire.”
“What!? You can’t be serious! That thing is dangerous! Are you mad? Kanae!?”
“I have retrieved it for this adventure. We may need it. I am the only one who can use it,” Kanae said.
“You know what it does! How can you risk it?” Kiera said.
“We don’t actually know what it does. Only what the Darkling said,” I said.
“Why? That accursed thing?” Kiera said.
“It wasn’t so accursed when it cured that girl,” I said.
“But, I could feel it. I could feel the darkness within,” Kanae said.
“But Darkness is just darkness. Darkness isn’t evil. It is how one uses the darkness. Light can be used for evil purposes as well. That is where the danger of the grimoire lies. If you open it with evil in your heart, you will be cursed,” Kanae said.
“I still don’t like it,” Kiera said.
“Nor do we,” I said.
“Shall we open with our old trick then, Kiera, my bond?” I said.
“Eww! Don’t remind me,” Kiera said.
“We can try that first. Just. Don’t make it weird,” Kiera said, looking away flustered.
In the morning we met, and three of the knights were late.
“Alright, let’s go. Load up,” I said.
“Three of my Knights haven’t arrived yet, Ma’am,” Sgt Haruka said.
“Sorry, Sgt. We aren’t waiting. Let them sleep. Goddess knows you’ve all earned the rest. We have more than enough for this trip. You can give them some extra training later to make up for anything they miss,” I said.
“Yes, Ma’am!” Sgt. Haruka said.
“Take us out, Sgt. Cruising speed. Arrival estimated in three hours,” I said.
I was little surprised, that only three knights were late. I expected more to see, and take, the loophole I left to avoid taking on the mission. Haruka caught it, and played her part well.
These new vehicles had a lot of advantages. The chance for a passenger next to the driver, allowed us to see what was ahead of us. About a half hour before reaching the Darkling ruins we could see them. A shimmer of darkness against the morning light. The closer we got, the higher they loomed.
“We have arrived, Ma’am” Sgt Haruka said. Coming back from the passenger seat with a rather pale look.
We stepped out, and the Darkling shield rose high in the sky before us. Hundreds of meters high.
“Oh, Great Goddess! Is an entire mountain inside the ruins!? This place is humongous!” Kanae said.
There was a general sense of awe at what stood before us. We were not prepared for something like this.
“This is not like the ruins of the Capital City of the Darklings! What is behind all this?” I said.
“I never expected it to be this big,” Kiera said.
“OMG! This is going to be so much Fun!” Rosie said.
Everyone turned to look at Rosie, who had the look of voracious hunger in her eyes.
“We are not here to loot all the wealth of the Darklings! Remember that. If we are not too greedy we should be able to bring back enough to be handsomely rewarded,” I said.
“Well, I’m going to try and open this up. I’m going full dragon so stay clear,” I said.
I fully transformed, and placed my claw near the shield, and spoke,
Draconis Melonis!
No reaction.
“Draconis Melonis!”
The shield shimmered and stopped. No gate opened. I tried a few other attempts to get the gates to open with no luck.
“Well, I am not surprised. Kiera, if you would?,” I said, and transformed into my battle form.
“Yes, Dee,” Kiera said.
Kiera came forward, and put out her hands out and funneled darkness into the shield. I rested my hands on her and pushed mana into them and spoke,
“Draconis Melonis!”
Again the shield shimmered and stopped.
“Firbulga Melonis”
This time the shield hummed and stopped. I pulled Kiera into me making her mana stop funneling out and cast,
“Max Shield!”
The Darkling shield then fired a blast at us, and returned to normal. I let the shield drop and released Kiera. She shivered and grabbed herself,
“Ow.”
“I’m sorry, Kiera.”
“I’m alright. No worries.”
“Alright. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Hooaah.”
“That’s very inappropriate aimed at an officer,” I whispered.
“Deal with it,” Kiera whispered back. I chuckled.
“Kanae, you’re up. Be careful,” I said.
Kanae pulled out of storage, a sealed case. She unlocked the sealed case and a fog of Darkness oozed out of the case overflowing the ground. A chill ran through everyone’s veins.
“What is that!”
“The Kingdom’s most highly classified secret. You see nothing,” I said.
“How is it we have the most highly classified secret with us?” Sgt Haruka asked.
“Should you really be asking that, Sgt? I will say this only once and everyone here will forget it. Even knowing what I am about to tell you is a crime and immediate death sentence. It is here, because there are only two known people in the world who can handle it, and the other is a Darkling. Anyone else who attempts to touch it will meet instant death,”
“Kanae pulled out a grimoire, and stood up. She whispered something and the book opened, and pages turned until it reached a certain spot and stopped.”
“The Dreadnaught Grimoire!” Cerissa said, and I turned to look at her, as did everyone.
“None of you heard that. All of you forget that. You saw nothing, and heard nothing, AND SAID, Nothing!”
Everyone of the new knights looked at me, and then Cerissa and then the infamous grimoire. Then they all turned a whiter shade of pale. This was something straight from the darkest of nightmares. Something so dark no one believed it was real. Because if it was real it would be mind-numbingly terrifying to be in the presence of the cursed book.
Then a gate opened, and a fog of darkness rolled out and enveloped us. Then we were suddenly inside the shield.
HARRUMPH!
The shield was closed behind us, and we were trapped inside.
Before us, stood the Last Fortress of the Darklings.
These were not ruins. I detected ...
“Life!” I said aloud.
“What!” Sgt Haruka said.
“There are Darklings here!” Kanae spun around and clasped the grimoire closed.
“Yes. Hundreds at least,” I said.
“Thousands,” Kanae said.
“Thousands of Darklings, How!?” Aoi said.
I transformed and reached for the White Sceptre. I held it aloft and cast
“Melonis!”
A beam of light shot into the air up to the dark shield. Darkness encircled the beam. Then a thread of darkness twined around the beam of light, and spiraled down the beam towards the sceptre and my hand. Slowly it descended, until it wrapped around the sceptre, my hand, and my arm. Then it all flashed and both the thread and the beam disappeared in an explosion of mixed light and darkness.
“We are now in the last stronghold of the Darkling Empire. Treat it as if we are entering any other realm. We are visitors here. This is not a part of the Dargon Queendom. We are now on a Diplomatic mission, and I am the ambassador.”
“Yes, ma’am!” the platoon replied.
“Follow me,” I said.
“Yes ma’am!”
We walked towards the fortress. Its walls rose a hundred meters, or more. The stone looked to be alive, as if legions of darkness snakes were crawling all over a rock made of sheer darkness. It was just a flow of darkness mana within the rock itself. Power was emanating from it. Immense power. Before us stood a black, darkness metal arch about twenty meters wide and thirty meters tall. In front of the gate was a massive portcullis, but that was in a raised stated.
Clang!
The gates began to open. The thing that startled all of us was the massive gates were swinging smoothly open, silently. The gates stopped after opening only about half way. A dark figure at least three meters in height appeared through the opening of the gate. Her large dark wings half folded behind her. Her gait was slow, rhythmic, steady, and deliberate. Her single black helical and spiral horn wreathed in a glowing deep-purplish darkness. She stopped ten meters before me.
Why have you come, False Empress? Why do you bring the accursed ones with you?
Salutations, Noble and honored Firbulga. I seek the Gáe Bulga. None here are from the accursed ones, I said.
She looked at the soldiers, and then her gaze paused at my Isekai friends. When her eyes settled on Kanae she saw the grimoire, and knew it,
Sssss! Thieves. You come as thieves and dare to ask boon of us!?The Darkling said.
Leave us thieves, or die. But first return that which is ours,the Darkling said spreading her wings back as if to launch at Kanae.
Our Grand Mage is Warden of the Dreadnought, after having been handed it by the hand of the Grand Mage of the Firbulga. We are not thieves,I said.
Lies. The Grand Mage is dead these many great ages,The Darkling said.
Kanae, this Darkling is ill. Use the spell in the book to heal her,I said.
Kanae opened the book to the healing spell and cast it on the Darkling. The Darkling began to glow darkly, and was startled and suspicious. But as she healed her expression changed to puzzlement, and then wonder.
You have healed me! How is this possible?The Darkling said.
She is Master and Warden of the Dreadnought. It answers to her command. No thief could work the spells of the Dreadnought Grimoire. You know this to be true. We are no thieves. I come seeking the Gáe Bulga. Not knowing whether any of the Firbulga lived. I expected to find ashes and dust. I am overjoyed to find you all yet live, I said.
This must be some illusion. The Grand Mage is dead. It could not have been handed to that, Lost One, touched by the Goddess,the Darkling said.
The Grand Mage is alone, but he was alive two years ago when we made the sacrifice, and beat his challenge, and explained our need for the tome. The very fact she can hold the Grimoire is proof she has mastered it. The Dreadnought does not suffer those it finds unworthy to touch it. Try to hold for yourself if you doubt. I do not recommend you try, I said.
Return to us the Dreadnought Grimoire, and we will consider your words, the Darkling said.
“If there is a mage who is worthy here, let them come and take it from my hands, I will not leave it alone, or give it to another. The Grand Mage himself had to take the Grimoire from my hands, only to return it to me and entrust me with its care,” Kanae said.
The Darkling pondered on that. Having hoped to trick Kanae into willingly giving up the tome.
“You mut speak before our council. Only you and the Lost Ones. They cannot come,” the Darkling said.
“They are my knights. If they cannot accompany me. I cannot leave them,” I said, calling her bluff.
“Follow me,” The Darkling said.
I transformed to my Battle Form. My dragons and dragonkin took position around me. The Platoon led. We entered last Fortress of the Darklings, and its gates clanged close behind us. We were surrounded by Darkling guards of similar size as our welcoming host. There was no doubt we were prisoners in a military outpost. We were marched through mostly empty streets. The fortress was laid out in sections. It was designed to be a self-sufficient city-fortress. It would be difficult to lay siege to such a formation. Farms, shops, and residences were scattered in such a way that destroying one facet of the fortress such as food or manufacturing would require intricate attacks, or the attack would fail to cripple any essential need. It was a brilliant city design.
A half hour later we arrived at a council of thirteen that sat above what looked very much like an arena.
“You will explain who you are, False Empress. How you came to be here, what your purpose here is, and how you come to possess a Dreadnought Grimoire,” Said the Darkling sitting in the center of the Council. They all sat in shadows. The entire room was like a shadow. It was a very monotonous look. Everything seemed to be made of this same dark stone and metal.
“I’ve tried being polite. I’m done with that. So. First off. I’m not some false Empress. I didn’t ask for any of this, and I truly don’t want it. I didn’t try to be a White Dragon. I didn’t try to pick up this sceptre of the last White Dragon Empress. No, it threw itself at me. It chose me! Not the other way around. So be warned, I’m going to blast the next one that calls me a False Empress. My name is Deirdre. You can call me Deidre, Countess, Princess, Queen, or Empress. I don’t give a damn! But call me False, or any other slanderous term, and I am going to blast you. I am so done with this! So, you have questions. I understand. That doesn’t give you the right to be rude and obnoxious.
Who am I? I am Deirdre, the daughter of the previous Red Dragon Queen. So I rightfully could lay claim to be the Red Queen. I have always had zero interest in doing that. I am now the White Queen, because this sceptre chose me to be so. Simple as that. Anyone thinks they can get the sceptre to accept them, come and take the sceptre. Some have tried, and the sceptre refused them. How we came to be here is a long tale. In brief, we opened the gate with the power of the Dreadnought Grimoire. Why are we here? I’ve been instructed to seek out the Gáe Bulga. Obviously, we expected this to be the ruins of an extinct race. Seeing as how you are not extinct, we are prepared to negotiate for the Legendary weapon. How we came to possess possibly the last Dreadnought Grimoire, is a long story,” I said.
I then gave them the full tale of how we came to be in possession of it. Not every detail, but significantly all of the story.
“So, there you have it. We are now here with possession of a cursed Grimoire, we really have no need of, and keep it hidden from the world. We don’t particularly want to have this cursed book, but we do. If you have someone here who can take possession of it, we will not deny it to you. While a part of me would like to use it to negotiate for the Gáe Bulga, it truly does belong to your people. So I couldn’t really deny you. Only if it recognizes one of you. In the end the Grimoire chooses who it allows to possess it.
Part of me hates the idea of returning it to your people, because of all the knowledge it contains. Part of me would be, oh so happy, to be rid of it, and the responsibility that goes with it. I’m sure the Grand Mage of Firbulga felt the same way,” I said.
There was a long silence. A really long, uncomfortable silence. Then the Council began whispering back and forth.
“You will freely return the Dreadnought Grimoire, if one among us is found worthy by the Grimoire? Before negotiating for use of the Gáe Bulga?” asked the Head of the Council.
“Yes.” We didn’t mention we’d already copied most of the knowledge from the Grimoire. Some spells we couldn’t copy. We had discovered some of the spells were cursed spells. Those spells could only be copied by making a cursed Grimoire. There were instructions within the Grimoire on how to make a copy of the grimoire. Those instructions were themselves cursed. So the only way to preserve the full knowledge of the cursed grimoire was to make a cursed grimoire, and the only way to make one was to be in possession of one. There was a cost to do that, but the Grimoire didn’t say what the cost was, and none of us wanted to find out. We were all perfectly fine in losing all the cursed spells.
It took them three days to find a mage the Grimoire found worthy. A young mage, about our age, we guessed. And so we returned the cursed grimoire to the Darklings. The youth did not look happy at all to be the new owner. I thought that was a good thing.
We spent two weeks negotiating for the Gáe Bulga. We first proved that the Gáe Bulga would accept me. The Gáe Bulga did accept me, and in fact only me. None among the Fir Bulga could touch it. I had to actually take it from the grave of the Hero Cu Drulayn, the last bearer of the spear. His preserved body turned to smoke, and was gone without a trace, the moment I grabbed the spear. That was the moment the negotiation began.