Dragonlord

Ep 50. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (2)

“…And using our respective divinities, we remade the star according to Felicir’s vision. I suppose that was the true end of the demon era.”

“…”

A deep frown crossed the dragonlord’s face. Her eyes emptily stared down into the wooden table between her and Iris as memories flashed before her, both past and present eras alike.

Why was it that only the dragonkin survived through the millennium?

The dragons’ survival had remained an unexplained fortune until now. Among the seven demon tribes, it was odd that no other tribe had survived besides her own. Serenis had entrusted Vulka with the kin’s survival, but surely, the other lords would have done the same; surely, they would’ve left behind something to continue their legacies.

None of them would amount to anything. The legacies of other tribes had died with their knowledge of the divine. All who remembered the previous era – all who knew the truth of the Twelve’s divinity – had been erased.

Then, and only then, would the Twelve truly come to be revered as genuine deities by the new life they created.

‘...By the will of a single mortal…’

Man and demon alike had perished. Serenis couldn’t recognize the scapes of her own world. The home she cherished had been cleanly erased from history, its only remains her few surviving kin and the twelve deities.

The dragonlord’s hollow laughter echoed throughout the house.

What exactly was it that she severed at her world’s summit?

“The demonkin, we…surrendered our future. Ever since the First manipulated mankind with gifts of power to annihilate our kin, our fates had already been decided.”

“…A number of heroes rose to power through divine selection. I do remember that.”

“We instead challenged the First himself, knowing we were marching to our deaths. But what choice did we have? A divine will had cast us aside. It was our only course of action…for our future did not exist.”

“…”

“And in that deathly abaddon, we held onto hope. Hope that we would at least liberate our children from divine will. That even after our demise, the surviving younglings would prosper.”

But fate had laughed at their futile efforts.

A meager survival of a single tribe was not what they had fought for. The present world was not what any of them had fought for.

Demonkind challenged their creator. They gladly gave their lives, knowing there was no recourse. The dragonlord had marked the end of their conflict with her own hands.

And yet, their destination had remained the same. With or without the First, their era had come to a close. Their world had vanished, never to be remembered again.

‘…It was all meaningless, was it not?’

Iris studied the agonizing dragon. Serenis’ twisted expression seemed moments away from bursting to tears, but only broken laughter came forth from the dragonlord. Even the dragon’s threatening presence had all but dissipated.

The deity cautiously broke the silence, attempting to regain her attention.

“When divine selection began…we were simply told that demonkind was evil that plagued the star. That they were to be cleansed from this world. But this wasn’t actually true, was it? What was the actual reason behind the First’s decision to eradicate demons?”

Why end demonkind?

‘They, too, were his creations. Did he not care for them? And why elect mankind to annihilate them?’

Even to Iris, a God that had remained neutral for eons suddenly siding with half of his creations to annihilate the other half was an odd turn of events. With a demonlord to answer her now, it was sensible to question why.

But at the same time, the enforcer’s curiosity would never amount to much. Serenis merely snorted in ill amusement as she gave her answer.

“The reason? There is none.”

“…None?”

“None. Perhaps he simply didn’t take the demonkin’s growing influence too kindly. Perhaps…he simply wished to reign absolute. As he always had.”

The dragonlord could still hear his words. In the bloody pools of her brethren, the First had questioned their motive.

- ‘Enlighten me, Serenis. Why did this happen? What drove so many of you to let go of the life you were bestowed?’

Survival.

Ironically, demons had marched to their deaths for the sole purpose of survival. When they’d realized that the ‘life’ they were bestowed had reached its end, they sought to extend it – even if that meant defying the will of their creator.

Serenis gritted her teeth. The price they paid for challenging a divine’s reign had costed them their whole world.

When the dragonlord raised her head, hateful eyes glared into the deity before her – the former mankind that should’ve inherited the star.

“Were you and your kind not the same? At the end of our quest, we thought our star liberated. But when we fell at the summit…when all those who stood above your kind vanished, your blades then pointed at one another and drove the star to its death. All so that the surviving few could reign as divinity.”

Iris looked away. Guilt welled up within her, but even more prominent was her own frustration over their bloody history.

“…It wasn’t my intent to make the star anew.”

“Was it truly not your will? Then why is it that you failed to challenge your brother?”

“If I challenged him, then-“

“You would have been put to death. Just as we have.”

“…It would’ve been a pointless death. I wouldn’t have changed anything.”

“And yet, even beasts challenge the hunters to protect their children.”

“…”

Despite her defensive stance, Iris, too, was a survivor of the past. She knew that none of the Twelve were exempt from the sin of ending their own era. They were either bystanders of a worldly genocide, or accomplices of its perpetrator.

It was a burden that was meant to be forgotten. In Felicir’s design, their sins would die with the old star, and the Twelve would have no reason to remember their treacherous pasts.

But even after a millennium’s passing, among the twelve deities still remained a human soul. A human who still remembered their actions, and all the lives that were lost in their design.

“…You’re right, Starchild. I’m neither strong, nor as determined as you are. Despite knowing what was right, I failed to act on it.”

Determination sparked anew as Iris raised her eyes to meet the dragonlord’s menacing glare. It only took a few moments for her to take her shard of mana out once more, tossing it onto the table like a piece of junk.

After a thousand years, it was long past the time to face the consequences of what they’d done in the name of divinity.

“But know that it wasn’t because I wished to live in this pathetic eternity. I really just had no means of destroying this bloody fragment.”

“…Then…”

Iris nodded. A faint smile curved her lips as she confirmed the dragonlord’s suspicions.

“Go ahead. Destroy it.”

“…”

The enforcer’s words still rang hollow to Serenis.

In the paradise the Twelve had built for themselves, the dragonlord doubted their every word. In her eyes, Iris had no reason to act against her brother, nor to forfeit her divinity.

“…Your future is guaranteed. This world is yours to rule, and your brother clearly has no intent of harming you. Why is it that you challenge this premise?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I had no intention of becoming a deity to begin with. I prefer being human.”

Serenis widened her eyes at the unexpected confession. Iris only continued, shrugging at the dragonlord’s surprise.

“Never for a moment did I wish for eternal life or some divine rule. My only wish was to live a normal life with others, age and die like any other. I’m tired of this whole divinity crap, I…”

The enforcer’s gaze fell to the floor, hiding the bitterness in her eyes from being seen.

In the distant past, she’d once chosen to accept her role as the deity of mana. She thought it the only way to survive her brother’s genocide.

But with reverence came solitude. No longer could she truly belong amongst others. For a thousand years she’d lived as a fake – and she would for all eternity under her brother’s reign.

“…I just wished to be normal. Time and time again, I considered simply throwing my divinity away, but…”

“…”

Even though the enforcer failed to finish her sentence, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the consequences of Iris throwing away her divinity.

Without the means to destroy the fragment for good, even if Iris were to cast her shard aside, the divinity of mana would continue to exist. If the deity were to throw away the First’s fragment, there was little doubt that another would discover its usage.

Mankind would once again learn the origins of divinity. The paradise that was built would fall to ruin. Once again their blades would point at each other to claim the First’s fragment for themselves, and the star would plunge itself to another cycle of conflict.

‘And once again, Death will reset its state.’

Once again, mankind’s greed would perish with them in the Reaper’s onslaught – for fixing a problem was far more difficult than simply killing it, at least to the deity of death.

Iris closed her eyes shut.

Many strove to be rulers – to be kings and queens, gods and deities.

Humans were especially emphasized in this trait, but demons were also similar in this regard. Power was an alluring perspective for all races.

However, the odd few strove for just the opposite. They sought to be normal and unremarkable, to be just as everyone else were.

‘It wasn’t meant to be. It never was.’

The divinity Felicis had been given was not power or authority. It was just a nightmare catalyst that reminded her of all the life they’d trampled to be in their current positions.

And to Serenis, she could admit this weakness. The dragonlord alone was the only remaining entity that she could confess and pray to.

“...I cannot challenge death, or free the star from his threat. I can’t even free myself from this dreaded fragment. But you could, can’t you? You can destroy divinity. You’re…”

A demonlord. The lord of dragons once revered as a god herself.

Iris’ voice melted away into silence.

In the surrounding madness, righteousness was no longer right. With eleven others standing at length, Iris could not hope to accomplish anything against her odds. Even suicide was not an option, for her abandoned divinity would doubtlessly reinstate the conflict that once killed their world – that is, if Felicir was even willing to let her die.

But unlike her, Serenis was a demon. A lord of the star’s most powerful tribe.

The ‘how’ didn’t matter. If the figure before her was truly a demonlord that had succeeded in killing the First, then surely, they’d be capable of doing it again. Surely, a dragonlord could answer to a single human’s prayer.

Slowly, Serenis reached out to grasp the piece of divinity into her own hand.

But instead of destroying it, the dragonlord looked to Iris once more. A bleak, soulless response was the only answer she had to the deity’s wishes.

“I can destroy your divinity. But I’m afraid I cannot kill your brother.”

The desperation in Iris’ eyes were met with the dragonlord’s hollow gaze. The enforcer failed to hide the disappointment in her voice as she tried to deny Serenis’ words.

“…That’s not possible. There must be a way. You succeeded in killing the First…he must’ve possessed the same divine authority. You must’ve found a way to circumvent it.”

“The demonkin yet lived at the time. One of us possessed the means to deceive and elude the First’s authority over death. With them no longer with us, I do not have the means to challenge it.”

“...”

Silence filled the room as Iris dropped her gaze. A few minutes had to pass before Serenis would break the silence again.

“Why is it that you seek my aid? Clearly, Felicir himself found a way in this other divinity…of life. Surely, asking for their assistance is the simpler method.”

“…Unlike you, Aldrid has no reason to challenge Felicir. She was his servant, ever since our days as humans.”

“A contract made by humans persisted into your days as deities? Nonsense.”

Iris grimaced at the remark, answering in a powerless voice. She dearly wished Serenis to be right, but it just wasn’t the case.

“…There may not be a contract binding her to his will, but Aldrid is wont to remember those she owe. She owes the lives of both herself and her sibling to Felicir. She won’t challenge him.”

“And yet…you’re convinced that I will?”

“…I am.”

Once again, the enforcer opened her eyes. Her tone regained its seriousness as she spoke.

“Do you remember the reason Felicir allowed the dragons to survive?”

“If I recall correctly…you said it was because we were no longer a threat.”

“That’s correct. The second lord was promised the dragonkin’s survival by Felicir himself. But in exchange, the second lord had claimed that their first lord’s heart would be destroyed. But…the heart wasn’t actually destroyed, was it? It’s currently in your possession.”

Iris sharpened her gaze as she continued her explanation. If there was one thing she could ascertain as the deity of mana, it was this.

“As soon as Felicir discovers that their covenant had been broken, he will doubtlessly kill the dragonkin for good – and you with them.”

“…Was holding my brother hostage not enough?”

The enforcer shook her head.

“I’m not trying to threaten you. This is simply the plain truth.”

“…”

“And…it’s not all hopeless. Although I did hope that you’d have the means to challenge death yourself…”

Iris took a deep breath in an attempt to collect her thoughts once more.

There was still a path forward. A path that had been denied from her, but a path that still remained open for the dragonlord to walk.

“I cannot convince Aldrid to challenge Felicir. None of the Twelve could. But, you…if you’re truly the Starchild herself, you alone should be able to.”

“I do not even know this ‘Aldrid’ you speak of.”

“You may not know Aldrid, but Aldrid knows you. There’s no way she doesn’t.”

“…?”

“You’ll know when you meet her. I guarantee it. So, please…”

“…”

A long sigh escaped Serenis’ lips.

The First’s divinity still occupied this star. And her return to life had, ironically, put the kin’s lives at risk.

‘…It’s not a question of choosing to help or not. The kin cannot risk the divinity of death to exist.’

No life on this star was safe. As long as this madness of a deity continued to rule over them, the star itself was prone to timeless extinctions.

In the end, Iris was right; in her duty as a lord of dragons, Serenis did not have a choice. With no other lords remaining to challenge divinity and protect the demonkin, the task fell solely to her.

But, most importantly…

‘…This was the reason behind Vulka’s death.’

The reason her son had chosen to abandon her heart, the reason Vulka had chosen to become a dishonored tyrant – was nothing but a mere, crazed human.

“Death. Divinity of death…”

Serenis quietly parroted the words to herself, reminiscing her battle at the summit.

The First was, by no means, almighty. Despite being the only entity that could be referred to as a God of their star, the First had still fell short to omnipotence. Otherwise, demonkind would never have succeeded in their quest.

But at the same time, his divine authority over death had been nothing short of terrifying.

Countless lives flickered out of existence at a small flick of his wrist. One gaze into the distance, and his vision would be emptied of all life that filled it. It was the only authority that disallowed a ‘battle’ to even be established.

‘I suppose it’s a small fortune that the First’s divinity was split into twelve fragments. Without Lucid, this ‘Aldrid’ would be the only possible solution...’

In the end, there simply was no other choice. Futile or not, Serenis could not idle with literal death looming over the horizon.

“…I will have to meet this deity of life myself.”

Iris’ eyes gleamed at the conclusive tone of the dragonlord’s voice.

“Then…?”

“I will take your word. I cannot allow this supposed deity of death to exist. However.”

Serenis threw Iris’ shard back to her, which was caught midair.

The enforcer stared at the dragonlord in confusion.

“…Why return this to me? Were you not seeking to liberate the star from the divine?”

“I am. And I will. However…”

The dragon closed her eyes. She’d gladly risk her own life to fulfill her duties – but not at the expense of risking the star’s future.

If the deity of mana was a genuine obstacle for her brother’s madness, then there was no reason to remove it prematurely.

“…To destroy your divinity right now would be foolish. I cannot guarantee my own success. Should I fail, then…”

Serenis’ sentence faded into the silence surrounding them. Iris, too, remained quiet.

There was no need to finish.