Estell hesitated, if her father was okay with both dragons dying, then he shouldn't have ascended. Of course her father hadn't ascended. Mother and grandmother would have known. Estell really thought about the practicality of a new dragon.
She… had a hard time finding a downside. The church could still worship the Lindorm faith, the sacrifices could stop, the empire wouldn't have to keep warring.
"What happens if this new dragon fails?" Estell asked uncertainly. That was the more important factor. "How would they even… fight?"
Randal sighed, "I donna know ta be honest. I imagine if it fails, it will jus be added ta the others sacrificed. I thought you or maybe my mother would release the old dragon to fight." He knew they had to battle… but no one knew what condition the avarice dragon was in. Was it just a soul? He had no idea how to fight souls so he hoped it still had a body of sorts.
Estell bit her lip. "I want to see grandmother." She didn't have enough information to make a decision.
Randal almost sighed in relief. This was progress! If the old crone would just open her bloody mouth they might have a chance. They could make a plan after they had more information.
Randal hesitated, but agreed to let Estell talk to his mother alone. The wee lass was more stubborn than the mountain man's bull. Randal didn't mention that one of the wee beasties had followed her in. If they didn't notice it was hardly his fault.
Estell made sure she was alone with her grandmother. The bracelet around her wrist kept her mana sealed, but she had precast enchantments. Pulling out three baby hairs from behind her ear, the sound dispersal enchantment was activated.
Chloe glanced over her granddaughter. Still so young and naïve, "Are you okay?" She looked for any telltale signs of betrayal or charm.
Estell wished she could hug her grandmother, but she was chained up. The cell bars separated them. "I'm fine, they want me to help them." Estella quickly explained everything she'd seen, heard, speculated, and talked about over the last two days.
Chloe rested her head against the wall. She wasn't even given the privacy to use the chamber pot. Still, her granddaughter had done well. "You don't think your father has ascended?"
Estell shook her head, "He hasn't shown any signs, he also doesn't seem to care if both dragons die. What do you think grandmother?"
"I think your aunt has some explaining to do. We can't trust them. Besides, the enchantments binding the souls isn't so easily broken. It would take a dragon of greater power to take over. Otherwise, all the souls will be free to create havoc in the empire." Chloe sneered. She could almost guarantee Randal had ascended. The real question was how he'd hidden it. The dragon heart always reacted to dragon blood. Kin or not. They had been using the heart to find sacrificial dragons and to know which children had the possibility of ascending.
Even if Randal had ascended, there was no way he was stronger than a beast of sin.
Estell deflated a bit as she leaned against the bars. "What about a different beast? We barely found enough sacrifices these last few years. It's also been harder to buy slaves and deplorables. We don't even have a third of what we need for next year Grandmother."
Chloe had also been concerned with their lack of progress. The last three years they hadn't been able to keep sacrifices in reserve. If the beast of pride hadn't halved the sacrifices needed… she daren't imagine the consequences.
"What of the beast? Ashton? He still refuses to become the new beast?" Chloe asked. If the beast wouldn't take the initiative, there were many ways to force it's hand.
"I don't think he will. And I don't think Caius is strong enough. We could try separating Caius from Nix, then sacrificing Caius." Estell offered hopefully.
The chains rattled as Chloe shook her head. "No. Caius would only be a temporary measure. He's not a dragon so I don't even know how compatible his mana would be or if we can even use his mana to charge the dragon heart. The heart reacted to Nix."
Estell sighed. "Grandmother… what if we reach out to the Seibel queen? Doesn't she have a way to draw out and seal beast mana? Like she did with that prince?"
Chloe's eyes glowed for a moment. It was definitely their best bet. Besides, Bethany still owed her a debt. "Listen closely Estell."
Estell nodded seriously memorizing everything her grandmother said. She couldn't waste time. They had to keep Nix from leaving, and who better than the defective emperor to be a distraction?
Kokono listened from the shadows. The child's heart was so dark… so eager to sacrifice innocents. Unwilling to even try helping her father defeat the avarice dragon. It would break her favored human's heart to learn of their plans.
Nix waited until the mana construct escaped the palace grounds. Opening his eyes he watched the waxing moon. He doubted Bethany would stay put. Her avarice was almost as insatiable as the greed dragon's.
Nix let his eyes slide over the Seibel delegation. Alphonse would mourn the loss of innocent lives. Many of them would mourn for the lost lives… but Nix had no intention of swaying their decisions.
Nix pet Caius's hair as he listened to her heart's song. For now, Nix would focus on this pretty fox. If her heart sang for him, just once, that would be enough. Nix hummed a soothing lullaby. Her heart hadn't had time to truly mourn yet. Nix settled into the fox tails.
Alaina would make her move soon. But not here, not outside the capital away from most of her pawns. Nix just had to wait and see how Alaina would use her pawns to draw them back to the capital.
Four gods had snuck into the hunting grounds. So at least four gods were helping Alaina in the shadows. It would be interesting to see how they planned to help without breaking the covenant.
Jaxon leaned against his open window. Something was off. He could feel it in the air. When some of the maids or guards approached it put him on edge. Now that he's seen a fake prince Zane, he suspected every time he'd felt off about someone they had also been imposters.
So far, three of the maids admitted to waking up, or losing bits of time. Unfortunately, they knew nothing of note. Just that they'd felt compelled to not mention or find it strange.
The feeling just wouldn't go away. So far, only he and Monroe had felt anything off. Or if others did notice, they refused to step forward. The only progress was that Concubine Lasvill had woken up screaming after the Fairy King left.
Devlin stared blearily at the young prince. The patches of scales were starting to fester. Nothing they did helped, if anything they were only making the situation worse. Forcing the child to take sleeping tonics wasn't a long term solution but every time he woke he would scream, clawing at his skin until it was a bloody mess.
Devlin wanted nothing more than to sleep for a week.
Charmaine was watching over her sleeping children. She didn't trust anyone except her father. Natasha's dresses still became that wretched puke green, and Serafin's hair remained the horrendous shade of pink. Otherwise they appeared fine. Every time she closed her eyes she saw them die.
Sometimes getting eaten, sometimes being burned, ripped apart, poisoned, drowned, kidnapped. None of her attendants or the mages found anything influencing her, but the visions never stopped.
Thick makeup kept the others from noticing her bedraggled state. Any time she removed her makeup she had everyone leave. Dark circles under her eyes. Wrinkles on her forehead, around her mouth and eyes. Deathly pallid skin. She'd lost over ten pounds, forcing her maids to take in her dresses twice already.
She was barely on her feet. Still, barely was enough. Anything was better than seeing her children die over and over. Begging for her to save them, protect them. She had to do something. If Lucian refused to do what must be done, she would force his hand.
Lucian sat cross legged as Katherine kept trying to guide him to the light. So far, all he found was a bone chilling cold. Once he'd felt suffocated, almost as if he were drowning in ice water.
Katherine released her emperor's hands. He was so resistant that twice he'd flung her across the room on pure reflex. The mana backlashes had been consistent, but slowly they were making progress. Like… one centimeter a day when they were traveling to the capital.
"That was good your majesty, ease into your dragon heart. You have to look past the darkness to find your inner light." Katherine reminded as she went to fetch them both a glass of warm water.
"If We are looking inside ourselves, should We not only see Our inner light?" Lucian asked through his clenched jaws. The deeper he looked, the darker and colder it became.
Katherine handed his majesty the glass of water as she sat back down. "Something is blocking your inner light Majesty. I do not know if it's a ward, or something the previous pope did, but you have to get past it to find your inner light. Only after we find your inner light can we start saving the empire."
Lucian swallowed the water in two gulps. "How is Our inner light supposed to save the empire exactly?" No one would give him a straight answer.
Katherine shook her head. "Majesty, I or a mage would have to determine what kind of inner light it is. If it's dragon fire, perhaps you would use it to defeat the Avarice dragon. If it's holy light, perhaps you could cleanse the damned setting them free. If it's a blessing from another, perhaps it would set the avarice dragon free. Until we know more about your inner light, we cannot make a plan."
Lucian snorted. "IF this light can save the empire at all. The only one who claims it will is Ashton."
Katherine's heart twinged in sympathy. "Majesty… Lord Reece is gone."
Lucian's attention snapped to the priestess. "What are you talking about?" He demanded.
Katherine closed her eyes, "Majesty, his aura… his spirit is gone. The flesh remains. But I saw the human aura retreat. Lord Nix was not lying. They were two separate beings sharing a body. I cannot say how Lord Nix's soul influenced Lord Reece, but his absence is significant."
Lucian stared at her. That audacious youth… who'd challenged him back at palmer… the boy who'd been giving him the cold shoulder, expecting something from him, was gone? "He has to be here, our oath stands."
Katherine glanced at the emperor's wrist. "Majesty, the oath confines the body. Lord Nix stated he had taken over the body, and laid the souls to rest. I believe the… I believe Lord Nix has taken over the oath."
Lucian stilled. He'd heard the proclamation earlier of course… but he hadn't thought about what that meant for the oath. "The oath bound Ashton Black."
"The oath bound Ashton Black's body. His body will remain in the empire, but your Majesty. From what I can see, you have already failed him." She'd been apprised of the oaths. "Majesty, from what I have seen. You did not provide him food, safe lodging, companionship, or safety. He was starved and neglected which the Inago and foreign delegations made mention of. Assassins broke into his personal quarters, killed by his… black clad minions. In your lands he was attacked by the land dragon, Lord Caius, and even the snake god."
Lucian hadn't thought of it that way. "In what ways have We not failed him?" He hadn't failed in all ways. Not yet, otherwise Ashton would have left.
Katherine hesitated, "Majesty, you challenged him in front of all. Then he revealed the bone enchantments. As an emperor… you were forced to your knees, to beg for mercy. Many could consider that a failure. As a fellow man, you do not offer him the respect given to an equal. Majesty… what other relationships are there?" She hadn't had a chance prior to ask for details, but from all accounts Lucian had not been an exemplary man in any way.
Lucian leaned back… what other relationships did he have with Ashton?
The longer Katherine waited, the paler his majesty became. Soon he found a quill and parchment, writing out any relation he could think of.
Leonard checked on them after the allotted time had passed. Soon, Aaron was also helping them determine if there were any viable relationships left.