I got up from the bed as carefully as I could, doing my absolute best not to disturb her peaceful rest. It had been quite a long and exhausting night for both of us, and I definitely didn't want to be the one responsible for waking her from her deep and well-deserved slumber.
I called upon my magic to clean and refresh myself thoroughly before carefully selecting and putting on a fresh set of new clothes, and then I quietly left the room. While I was walking down the corridor, I took the opportunity to stretch my body a little, working out the stiffness from the night.
Well, since I had successfully gotten most of the pressing problems sorted out and dealt with, I figured I should at least make an effort to finish taking care of the rest of the issues that I hadn't quite finished addressing yet.
I immediately teleported myself back to that particular castle from before and began the process of carefully inspecting everything within its walls. I summoned a considerable bunch of my warriors to assist me, and they quickly started running around throughout the entire structure and systematically took over complete control of the whole castle.
As of this current moment, the kingdom was deeply embroiled in an intense power struggle between various factions, and there would be absolutely no point whatsoever in attempting to make any kind of peace treaty under these chaotic circumstances.
I eventually found my way to the grand throne room and confidently sat myself down on the throne, patiently waiting for my summons to go out and gather everyone of importance together.
After waiting for a considerable while, a large bunch of people finally entered the throne room. My summons were strategically surrounding them on all sides. Multiple individuals looked at me with clear surprise written across their faces, not expecting at all to see me casually sitting on the throne as if I owned the place.
But then suddenly, a particular girl from before who I had encountered previously caught sight of me.
"It's you, the dragon," she said with recognition, and this revelation made everyone in the room immediately freeze in their tracks.
They all suddenly remembered seeing a huge and terrifying dragon flying over the kingdom a while back, and they hadn't thought or realized until this very moment that I was actually that very same dragon.
"Ah it's you, tell me—who are you exactly?" I asked with genuine curiosity.
She bowed lightly and respectfully in my direction.
"I am Aurora, princess of this kingdom," she said clearly and formally.
Well that was surely quite unexpected news to receive. I could have sworn that she had been cursed by the witch at some point. But her curse appeared to be completely gone now. I must have simply not noticed it before when we first met.
"So, how have you been managing with all the problems and challenges right now?" I asked her directly.
She pursed her lips together with visible frustration.
"The nobles and higher-ups have been deliberately ignoring and dismissing my orders," she said with disappointment in her voice.
Well that was quite obvious and not surprising at all, especially with how the entire kingdom looked like it was rapidly about to fall into complete ruin.
The castle itself hadn't even been properly fixed or repaired from the previous damages. I rested my face thoughtfully on my closed fist.
"So, do you want my help with this situation?" I asked her straightforwardly.
She looked up at me, her eyes completely full of hope and desperate need. Hmm, she definitely seems to be the overly trusting type of person.
"If that is at all possible, I would greatly appreciate it," she said with a grateful and hopeful smile spreading across her face.
I smirked quietly to myself at the situation. Someone like that really shouldn't have power or authority, or they'll be easily manipulated by others.
I tapped my finger rhythmically on the armrest of the throne while thinking. I'll definitely have someone come and teach her properly how to rule effectively. And besides that, she seems to have remarkably great luck on her side.
The summons all moved together and got into a neat, orderly line. I then stood up from the throne and looked straight at Aurora with purpose and presented the throne to her with a gesture.
She smiled brightly and moved forward with confidence before finally arriving at the throne and sitting down upon it. Everyone present watched in complete shock at the sudden and unexpected turn of events unfolding before them.
I then reached into my dimensional storage ring and took out a beautiful tiara from within. I had many of these stored away, so I just casually chose a random one that seemed appropriate.
"I—Erik Horendous Haddick—hereby officially declare from this moment forward that Aurora will be placed under my direct protection. Anyone who attempts to kill or harm her in any way whatsoever will die," I said with absolute authority and finality.
I then carefully drew a magical rune on her hand with precision.
"From this point forward, these summons will listen to you and obey your commands," I said clearly to her.
She blinked a few times in succession and looked down at her hand with wonder. She then turned eagerly to one of the summons standing nearby.
"Jump?" She said with childish excitement and curiosity in her voice.
The summon immediately did exactly as told and jumped multiple feet high into the air with impressive force. The people's eyes were completely stunned and amazed at the displayed power they were witnessing. While Aurora just smiled with pure childish excitement and delight.
"I'll have someone come here to teach you properly on how to rule in a while," I said and gently patted her head in an affectionate manner before teleporting away from the castle.
??? POV
Finally, at long last, all of the ancient artifacts were gathered together and assembled in one single location. I honestly had no idea whatsoever who had gone through all the trouble and effort to collect them all in the first place, but I suppose I really lucked out tremendously this time around. Though there were some incredibly scary and intimidating dragons prowling around the area, I simply used my invisibility spell combined with powerful illusion magic to completely fool and deceive them without being detected.
I began reciting the long and complex chant that was required to revive and bring back the great and powerful sorceress Vor from her long slumber. As I continued chanting the ancient words with careful precision, the various items and artifacts slowly began to float up into the air around me, and then they gradually fused and merged together in a brilliant display of light, and eventually a complete person formed and materialized out of the combined artifacts.
Finally, after I was completely done with the entire ritual and the chanting had ceased, I immediately knelt down before her in reverence and respect.
"Oh great and mighty sorceress Vor, your loyal and devoted servant is here at your service," he said with deep reverence and bowed his head low to the ground.
"Hahaha, I've finally returned to this world at last," she laughed loudly and triumphantly, her voice echoing through the chamber.
In Enchancia
Sofia's magical necklace suddenly rattled and shook violently as if it was sensing something terribly wrong happening somewhere in the world. Sofia immediately noticed this strange behavior and tried desperately to communicate with the necklace and understand what it was trying to tell her, but unfortunately she couldn't quite understand or decipher its urgent message.
Suddenly and without any warning, a massive screen made entirely of pure magical energy appeared high up in the sky across the entire continent for everyone to see.
"I have returned to this world once more, I the great and powerful sorceress Vor will have the entire world firmly in my hands and under my complete control," she laughed loudly and menacingly for all to hear.
In New Orleans
Claude and Erik both looked up simultaneously at the sky above them with concern. Erik had actually came here specifically to this location to collect and retrieve the last remaining artifact, not knowing or realizing that Claude had already found it and put it safely away in the treasury for safekeeping.
As they both stood there watching the magical broadcast of her elevating and glorifying herself with her bold and arrogant words, Erik's expression darkened and he frowned deeply with concern.
"Is that my treasury she's standing in?" He asked himself out loud with growing worry and suspicion.
Multiple people from all across the continent saw this disturbing magical broadcast and were genuinely surprised and shocked by what they were witnessing. But the one person who was most surprised and concerned of all was the king of Enchancia himself.
"What, how could she possibly have been released from her imprisonment?" He asked himself in complete disbelief and growing fear.
Erik's POV
I immediately teleported myself directly to the treasury without any hesitation, and my figure suddenly appeared prominently on the huge magical screen for everyone across the continent to see. I quickly used my inspect ability on her to assess the situation, and I frowned deeply at what I discovered.
She was relatively weak, though not particularly in the magical concept or power, but rather in the physical sense of strength and endurance. I looked carefully around the treasury and saw multiple of my powerful titan wing dragons standing there motionless.
They all looked as if they were possessed or under some kind of spell. I turned my attention back to face the sorceress directly. She must have some type of powerful hypnosis or mind control ability that she's using on them.
"Do you actually think you can defeat me with these dragons standing by my side and under my control," she laughed confidently and arrogantly.
I raised a single eyebrow at her bold claim.
"Kneel," I said with absolute authority and command, and instantly and without hesitation all of the dragons knelt down immediately as if their very souls were screaming and yelling at them to obey.
The servant and Vor both looked around in complete shock and disbelief at what had just happened.
"How could they possibly obey you so easily? They were supposed to be under my complete control," she said with a clear hint of wariness and concern creeping into her voice.
I scowled at her with displeasure.
"I am the dragon king, and my very presence alone could make even the strongest and most powerful beings kneel before me. Someone like you actually thinks your mere magic can somehow overwhelm and override my absolute command. I think you're gravely mistaken about your abilities. My words are absolute and cannot be defied," I said firmly and released my overwhelming presence into the area.
The entire kingdom began to shake heavily and violently from the sheer power. She struggled to steady her footing and balance. I then receded and pulled back my presence to normal levels. The dragons still remained bowed low in clear signs of obedience and submission.
She wasn't particularly dangerous in terms of raw power, but with her mind control abilities being so potent, it would definitely become a serious nuisance to deal with.
She visibly shook in fear at my display of power. But then suddenly she smirked as if she had a clever plan in mind.
"Do you dare kill me," she said and signalled to someone off to the side.
Suddenly four small figures entered the room slowly. My eyes widened considerably as I saw them clearly. It was the quadruplets, my own children.
"If you do anything at all to harm me, I'll make them kill themselves right here and now," she said threateningly, and each one of them pulled out sharp knives and held them to their own throats.
This instantly sent the whole continent watching into complete silence. Luna, seeing this horrible scene, roared out in pure rage and fury.
"How dare you do this!!!!" She roared with unbridled anger.
But the ones most affected by this turn of events were the dragons themselves. As Erik began to shake and tremble.
Most of the viewers watching thought he would yield and give in to her demands, but the dragons knew otherwise and knew better. They could resonate with each other on a much deeper level than anyone else could understand.
They knew exactly what was happening right now. They could sense it clearly. The king was angry, truly and deeply angry. They growled lowly to themselves in fear of what was coming.
My eyes became completely bloodshot with rage. My anger erupting suddenly in an explosive and uncontrollable rage that I could no longer contain. I disappeared from where I was standing and reappeared right in front of her in an instant.
I cocked my fist back with tremendous force and punched her straight in the jaw with devastating power and completely dislocated it. She was sent flying backwards through the air and landed hard against the wall with a sickening thud.
I then turned my attention to her servant who was shaking uncontrollably in terror. I grabbed him firmly by the head with one hand and crushed his skull completely before returning my full attention back to Vor.
Most of the viewers watching gasped loudly in shock and horror. They had never expected to witness such brutal and savage violence. I took multiple deliberate steps towards her slowly and menacingly.
"I am Erik Horrendous Haddock. I have killed thousands upon thousands of beings far more powerful than you could ever hope to be," I said coldly with no emotion in my voice.
The viewers watching gulped nervously at my chilling words.
"And in all of the thousands I've killed over my long lifetime, only a select few had ever managed to anger me to this extreme level. Do you know what I did to them?" I asked as my aura continued increasing in intensity.
Her body shook violently at my terrifying question.
"I ripped them limb from limb slowly and painfully. I broke all of their bones one by one, tore their flesh piece by piece until they finally died of pure pain and agony," I said now with a completely maniacal and terrifying smile spreading across my face.
The magical screen suddenly disappeared and cut out when I violently ripped one of her arms completely off her body. As I continued to do so methodically, the dragons shook in fear and terror and continued bowing even lower.
The people of the continent watching shook in fear from the absolutely terrifying smile I had shown after my last chilling sentence.
The king of Enchancia gulped nervously to himself, feeling extremely happy and relieved that he had made an Alliance with Erik instead of foolishly going to war against him.
Note: I've been writing since one in the morning so bear with me. And if you don't type tftc you suck dick. Enjoy.