The next morning, the chill of Arendelle was crisp in the air as I prepared to depart. My generals were in formation, dragons stirring, and soldiers securing supplies. I, however, found myself doing something entirely uncharacteristic: I was stepping into a carriage.
A deep frown creased my brow. Just a while ago, Diastasi had questioned my choice. "Why aren't you riding a dragon, Erik?" she'd asked, her digital voice laced with amusement.
"Motion sickness," I'd flatly replied, the familiar annoyance returning at the thought. "It comes with the fire dragon slaying magic."
To my surprise, she had laughed. A light, airy sound that grated on my nerves. "You should reread your status, Erik," she'd suggested.
I frowned, but something in her tone made me comply. I pulled up my system interface, scanning my abilities. My eyes widened. The weakness was gone. The motion sickness, a persistent and inconvenient flaw tied to my draconic abilities, was no longer listed.
"What?" I muttered aloud.
"After reaching Level 45 mastery in your Fire Dragon Slaying Magic, the inherent weakness of motion sickness has been lifted," Diastasi explained, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "It is a common progression for higher-tier users of such abilities."
A sigh escaped me, a mix of exasperation and relief. All this time, I'd been enduring a limitation that no longer existed. The thought of the unnecessary discomfort I'd put myself through on past journeys was irritating.
As I stepped into the carriage, I found Elsa already seated, with Moon in her lap. Elsa was gently patting Moon's head, while Moon herself sat, looking decidedly bored. When she saw me, her eyes lit up.
"Daddy, bread and honey!" Moon demanded, pointing a small finger.
I considered refusing, but remembering her recent tantrum in Corona, and the fact that the special honey I made was far from unhealthy, I simply gave in. I produced a piece of fresh bread and a jar of my unique honey from my inventory, handing them to her.
"Thank you, Daddy!" she chirped, immediately digging in.
I sat down opposite them. Elsa watched the exchange with a subtle arch of her eyebrow. "You're too doting," she commented, her voice calm but direct. "If you keep giving her everything she wants, she'll become spoiled."
As the carriage began to move, I met Elsa's gaze. "This honey is incredibly healthy," I explained, my tone firm. "And she won't be spoiled. I'm a great father."
Elsa's mouth twitched, but she didn't comment further on my parenting. Instead, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Where is the coffin you were carrying?" she asked, her voice low.
I held out my hand, revealing a plain ring on my finger. "I stored it inside this," I replied. "I bought it after accumulating enough points. It allows me to carry things that were previously... cumbersome."
Elsa stared at the ring, then at me, her expression a mix of curiosity and something I couldn't quite decipher. The usual cool distance seemed to falter, replaced by a flicker of genuine intrigue.
The carriage rolled onward, carrying us away from Arendelle. Moon, having finished her snack, pressed her face against the window, her eyes wide with wonder at the shifting world outside.
"Look, Daddy! Trees!" she'd exclaim, pointing at the passing forests. We went through dense woods, then past rolling green hills dotted with small villages. She observed everything, a running commentary of excited gasps.
"Are those sheep, Daddy? They're so fluffy!"
"What's that river called? Can we stop and throw rocks?"
I answered her patiently, pointing out landmarks. Elsa, across from us, watched Moon with an unreadable expression, occasionally adding a quiet observation.
Days blurred. The green faded to browns and yellows. The air grew warmer, then hotter. Foliage thinned to scrub. Moon's excitement remained, shifting from forests to open plains, then rocky stretches. She pointed at distant peaks, asking if they were dragon nests.
Finally, the landscape changed dramatically. Red and gold dunes stretched to the horizon. The air was thick with dry heat, the sky an oppressive blue.
"Wow," Moon breathed, her voice quieter now, a mix of awe and slight fear. "It's... all sand, Daddy."
We had reached the Seven Deserts. The true journey was about to begin.
After a few days of journeying through the vast, arid expanse of the Seven Deserts, the silhouette of a kingdom finally appeared on the horizon. Its walls, made of sun-baked mud and stone, shimmered in the heat. As our contingent was noticed, an envoy, mounted on a swift, desert-bred horse, galloped out to meet us.
He returned, his face grim. "They refuse to surrender, My Lord," he reported, his voice flat.
I frowned. There was a large number of civilians inside the city walls. I had no desire to harm innocents; it would only accumulate bad karma, something I couldn't afford with Merida's revival token.
Without a word, I stepped out of the carriage. The sand crunched under my boots. My generals and soldiers watched, knowing what was coming. I walked a short distance away from the city gates, turning to face the open desert.
Then, with a blinding flash and a roar of power, I transformed. My dragon form, colossal and awe-inspiring, blotted out a portion of the desert sky. A low, guttural growl rumbled in my chest, building, condensing. I opened my massive jaws, and a torrent of superheated flame erupted, a Fire Dragon Roar tearing through the air. I directed it not at the city, but at a distant, barren mesa.
The roar struck, and the very earth trembled. Sand exploded upwards, rock liquefied, and a massive portion of the mesa simply vanished, leaving behind a smoking, glassed crater. The heat washed over us even from this distance.
I then transformed back, my human form reappearing amidst the dust. The city's silence was deafening. I looked at the terrified envoy. "Go again," I commanded, my voice calm, "and tell them what they just witnessed."
He didn't need to be told twice. He spurred his horse, galloping back towards the gates with desperate speed. We waited. Ten minutes later, the massive wooden gates of the desert kingdom slowly, creakily, began to open. They had understood.
The heavy gates creaked open, admitting our convoy. As the carriage rolled through, my initial frown deepened. The civilians looked malnourished and weak, some appearing utterly lifeless. It was a stark image of suffering.
Eventually, we reached the palace. My frown intensified. The building shimmered with gold, a sickening contrast to the squalor outside. As the carriage stopped, I stepped out. A group of fat men laden with jewelry were the first sight. One, particularly rotund, scurried forward, bowing and swearing loyalty.
I ignored him, my eyes scanning the crowd. A strange energy pulsed from within it. Suddenly, the kneeling man sprang up, pulling a knife. Without even looking, I seized his head, crushing it with a sickening crunch, leaving matter and brain on the ground. The others shuddered in fear.
I walked forward, my gaze fixed on a specific person. His aura was disgusting. Diastasi confirmed: "He meets the requirements."
A cold smile touched my lips. I smacked him so hard he exploded.
"My assassins," I commanded, "begin digging. Find every vile act committed by these so-called leaders. If they are truly evil, they will be executed."
Then, I called for another group of my soldiers. "Start distributing food to the people," I ordered. "Immediately."
A few hours later, reports began to filter in from my assassins and scouts. This was the kingdom of Solaris. The man I had turned to mist was indeed the king, and the entire noble class was rotten to the core. They were either utterly corrupt or had met their end at the hands of other, equally depraved nobles. The lists of their crimes were brought before me, detailing acts so heinous, so utterly devoid of humanity, that even I felt a cold anger rise within me. Execution was not nearly enough for them.
My verdict was swift and absolute: "They will all be tied to a log and left there until they die. None will be spared."
Initially, the civilians of Solaris had been terrified, wary of another conqueror. But as my soldiers began to move through the city, distributing food that brought tears to the eyes of hungry children, and tirelessly working to fix dilapidated houses and aid the sick, their fear began to transform.
"Mama, this tastes so good!" a small voice exclaimed, as a child devoured a piece of freshly baked bread.
His mother, tears streaming down her face, pulled him close. "It's a miracle, my child. A true miracle."
"I haven't eaten this well in years," an old man whispered to his neighbor, his voice thick with emotion.
"Look," another woman pointed, "they're even fixing the roof on old Jebediah's house! The last king wouldn't have lifted a finger."
"Perhaps... perhaps this time it's different," a hesitant voice suggested, a spark of hope in their eyes.
Mothers and fathers wept openly, not from despair, but from a burgeoning hope for their children's future. Children, in turn, cried tears of pure joy as they tasted truly good food, perhaps for the first time in their lives. The air, once thick with quiet desperation, slowly began to hum with a fragile but undeniable sense of relief and new beginnings.
With the immediate purge of Solaris's corrupt leadership complete and a fragile hope blooming among its citizens, I called my generals together to plan our next steps. We gathered amidst the palace's gaudy gold, now serving as a temporary command center.
"Nala," I stated, addressing my most capable general for logistics and governance, "you will stay here and focus on the rebuilding efforts. Oversee the distribution of resources, establish order, and ensure the well-being of the people. I will leave a few hundred soldiers with you."
Nala nodded, her expression resolute. "It will be done, My Lord. Solaris will thrive."
"As for the rest of us," I continued, my gaze sweeping over the remaining generals, "we march for the next kingdom within the Seven Deserts. My assassins have already raided the library, and their reports confirm our next target: Pyralis."
With the plans for Solaris set and the next conquest decided, I left the meeting. Just outside the war room, Moon was waiting for me. Her eyes, still wide with the novelty of this new place, brightened further when she saw me. She launched herself forward, a tiny whirlwind of energy.
I caught her effortlessly, settling her into my palm. "Ready to explore?" I asked.
"Yes, Daddy!" she chirped, already scanning our surroundings.
We began to walk through the kingdom. Unlike the vibrant, colorful streets of Corona or even the crisp beauty of Arendelle, Solaris was a study in earthy tones – sun-baked mud, pale stone, and the starkness of the desert sun. Yet, for Moon, it was all new and fascinating. She took everything in with wide-eyed wonder.
"Look, Daddy, a camel!" she'd shout, pointing at a lumbering beast with an amazed gasp. She'd giggle at the strange desert plants, trace the intricate carvings on the old buildings with her finger, and peer into every open doorway we passed. When we saw children, still a bit shy but no longer openly fearful, she'd wave excitedly, making them giggle in return.
Her boundless curiosity turned even this somber, recovering city into a place of discovery. Each simple sight was met with her genuine amazement, and her innocent joy was a stark, welcome contrast to the grim realities of the world I typically navigated during these past few years.
As the desert sun began to dip, painting the sky in fiery hues, we headed back to the palace.
Inside, I prepared dinner: a simple, nourishing meal. Soon, Moon, Nala, Elsa, Viggo, and I sat around a large table.
Moon, in high spirits, piped up, "Daddy, soda!"
Without a second thought, I produced a bottle of sweet, fizzy soda and handed it to her. Her eyes lit up, and she took a long sip. I smiled, watching her eat and drink happily, a small beacon of light. The conversation was subdued, mostly Nala discussing city progress and Viggo observing, while Elsa remained reserved, occasionally glancing at Moon.
Note: I think ive been gone long enough. ima finish aladdin soon. mulan will be next. please write down what you want after mulan. And thanks for all the support.