The plan was simple enough - go talk to a territorial storm dragon who'd been squatting on land meant for the Ishgar Empire. What I hadn't expected was for Irene to know the guy personally. Or for their history to involve him treating humans like cattle four centuries ago.
Just when I think things can't get more complicated.
But looking at Irene now, seeing the mix of determination and old pain in her scarlet eyes, I knew there was no way I was doing this without her. Whatever history she had with this Bahamut, we'd face it together.
I stood up, pulling her with me. She rose gracefully, and for a moment we were standing close enough that I could see the flecks in her eyes. Close enough that I had to resist the urge to just forget about dragon politics entirely and spend the morning doing much more interesting things.
Focus, Aiden. Dragon negotiations first, then you can think about how good she looks in that silk robe.
"Come on, My queen," I said, stepping back slightly but keeping hold of her hand. "Let's go tell Jue."
She nodded, following close beside me as we headed toward the door.
We continued down the corridor, and I could hear voices coming from up ahead. It sounded like Jue was talking to someone - probably one of the other sentinels.
"...preparations for the coronation should begin immediately," came Andrius's deep voice. "The people will want to celebrate properly."
"Indeed," Jue replied. "Though I suspect our lord will want to resolve the northern situation first. He seemed quite determined about it this morning."
"Should we be concerned about his approach to the Bahamut problem?" Leviathan's voice joined the conversation. "Storm dragons are notoriously volatile."
"Our lord is not one to be underestimated," Jue said, though I caught a hint of something in his tone. Worry, maybe? "His power is beyond question."
"Good morning," I called out, and all three dragons turned toward us immediately. Their expressions shifted from concern to something like relief when they saw Irene at my side.
"My lord," Jue said with his customary bow. "Queen Irene. I trust you slept well?"
"Well enough," I replied. "Though I'm told we have a dragon problem that needs sorting out."
"Indeed," Andrius said, gesturing to the map. "The situation has remained unchanged for centuries, but with the approaching coronation and the promised territories for the Ishgar Empire..."
"It needs to be resolved," I finished. "Irene and I will handle it."
"Queen Irene is going to accompany you?" Leviathan asked.
"Yes." Irene said, speaking up before I could respond, though her voice carried a weight it hadn't before. "This Bahamut... I know him. We fought during the Dragon Civil War, four hundred years ago."
She paused, looking at me as if seeking strength before continuing. "He was one of the dragons who saw humans as nothing more than livestock back then. Cruel, arrogant, completely without mercy for human life."
The three sentinels exchanged glances, clearly they also knew about Bahamut.
"But," Irene continued quietly, "if he's been hiding here for centuries after losing everything to Acnologia.... He might be more receptive to another survivor than to anyone else."
Jue nodded slowly. "That is... remarkably insightful, Your Majesty. We had not considered the psychological aspect of Bahamut's situation."
Jue spoke. "Your Majesty, if this Bahamut holds a grudge from your previous encounter..."
"He might," Irene admitted quietly. "But he might also be the only dragon left who remembers what I was like before I became...
"Your presence could indeed make a significant difference," Andrius agreed carefully.
"Indeed," Jue said, though he still looked slightly worried. "When do you wish to depart?"
"No time like the present," I said.
"I will accompany you," Jue said.
"You? Why?" I asked, curious.
"I have the most experience with diplomatic missions," he explained. "And of the three of us, I am the least... imposing."
Leviathan snorted. "You say that like any of us are subtle."
"Compared to you two, I am the very soul of discretion," Jue replied with dignity.
Dragon humor. Who knew?
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"Alright then," I said, clapping my hands together. "Jue, you're with us. Time to meet our grumpy storm dragon."
I reached into my inventory and pulled out the portal gun.
The air shimmered, and a doorway of crackling energy opened up, revealing a glimpse of storm-tossed mountains on the other side.
"After you, Your Majesty," I said with a slight bow.
Irene took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stepped through without hesitation. Jue followed, though he looked nervous about the dimensional travel. I took one last look around the crystal chamber, then stepped through after them.
The portal snapped shut behind us, and immediately I was hit by the raw power saturating the air. The northern territories were a testament to centuries of draconic influence - jagged peaks wreathed in perpetual storm clouds, lightning that never stopped crackling across the sky, and an oppressive atmosphere that felt like standing inside a living thunderstorm.
And it was dramatic as hell.
"The magical density here is incredible," Jue murmured, his voice barely audible over the constant rumble of thunder. "Bahamut has turned this entire region into an extension of his own power."
Irene was scanning the storm-torn landscape with sharp eyes, "He's close," she said quietly. "I can feel his presence. He knows we're here."
I do too feel that guy.
As if summoned by her words, the storm above us began to intensify. Lightning struck closer and closer, and the wind picked up to near-hurricane levels. The message was clear: You are not welcome here.
"Subtle as always," Irene muttered.
"He's coming to us."
The storm clouds above the mountain began to swirl, forming a massive vortex. Lightning erupted from the center, and through the chaos, a shape began to descend. At first, it looked like another bolt of lightning, but as it drew closer, I could make out the unmistakable silhouette of a dragon.
Bahamut was easily twice the size of any of the three sentinels in their dragon forms. His scales were a deep midnight blue, crackling with constant electrical discharge. His wings stretched wide enough to blot out sections of the stormy sky, and his eyes... his eyes were like twin stars, burning with azure fire.
When he landed on the mountainside across from us, the impact sent shockwaves through the ground. He folded his massive wings and fixed us with a stare that could have melted steel.
Now that's what I call making an entrance.
For a long moment, nobody spoke. The only sounds were the eternal thunder and the crackling of electricity across Bahamut's scales. His gaze swept over our small group, lingering on Jue with mild interest, passing over me with barely contained hostility, and finally settling on Irene.
When their eyes met, something shifted in the storm dragon's expression. Surprise, then recognition, then something that might have been confusion.
"Irene Belserion," Bahamut's voice rumbled like distant thunder, each word carrying the weight of centuries. "I wondered if you had survived the hunt. But you're... human again?"
"Hello, Bahamut," Irene replied, her voice steady despite the obvious tension. "It's been a long time."
"Indeed it has." His massive head tilted slightly, studying her intently. "The last time we met, you were fully transformed. The dragon slayer magic had completed its work on you. Yet now..." He paused, confusion clear in his ancient voice. "How is this possible?"
"The transformation was... reversed," she said quietly, glancing at me.
Bahamut's gaze flicked to me, and I felt the full weight of his attention.
"Reversed?" he repeated, his voice carrying a note of disbelief. "Dragon slayer magic transformation is irreversible. It is the price of that power. Yet you stand before me in human form once more."
His burning eyes fixed on me with laser intensity. "And who is this human who accomplished the impossible?"
The way he said 'human' still carried that old disdain, but there was wariness there now too.
"This is Aiden," Irene said, and I caught the subtle shift in her posture as she moved slightly closer to me. "He's the one who gave me back my humanity. He's... important to me."
"How... interesting." Bahamut said slowly, his gaze never leaving me. "A human who can reverse dragon transformation magic."
There was a long pause as the storm dragon processed this information. When he spoke again, his tone had shifted - still arrogant, but with a grudging acknowledgment that maybe I wasn't as insignificant as he'd first assumed.
"How times have changed, Princess," he said finally. "Once you embraced your dragon nature fully, reveled in the power it gave you. Now you've chosen to return to your weaker form. For him."
Weaker form? This guy really doesn't get it.
I felt my power start to surge around me as my temper flared. The storm dragon might be impressive, but dismissing Irene's choice like that was crossing a line.
But before I could say anything, Irene stepped forward, her voice carrying quiet dignity.
"I chose to reclaim who I was meant to be," she said firmly. "Not because I was weak, but because I was finally strong enough to make that choice."
The massive dragon's eyes narrowed, electrical discharge crackling more intensely around his form. "Strong? You threw away centuries of power to become human again. For what? Love?" The last word dripped with disdain.
That's it. Diplomacy is officially over.
But just as I was about to show this overgrown lizard exactly what this 'human' was capable of, Irene raised her hand, silently asking me to wait.
"Perhaps," she said calmly, "we should discuss why we're really here. Before old prejudices make this conversation impossible."
Bahamut was quiet for a long moment, his burning gaze moving between the three of us. Finally, he spoke.
"Very well. Speak your piece, Princess. Though I suspect I know why you've come. The little ones," he glanced dismissively at Jue, "have been trying to evict me for decades."
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