Chapter 21: Chapter 20 - Thunder and Lightning

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”You don’t look very big for a Titan," Llethunaxx commented as Arjuna and Karna teleported directly into his lair.

“You’re not exactly huge for a dragon either. At least I’m still growing.” Karna joked back, and she wasn’t wrong. The blues weren’t the largest of dragons, preferring speed and their natural abilities over brawn. In fact, Blue Dragons were among the smallest chromatic dragons in existence, though there were always exceptions.

The dragon seemed to find her comment amusing as his teeth-filled maw spread into something resembling a smile. “Us dragons continue to grow our entire lives.”

“So you keep saying, but I’ve yet to see you grow a bit and I’ve been here for almost half a minute. Now I know some claim that size doesn’t matter and that all that matters is how you use what size you have, but that’s only what smallsies would say.” Karna kept up the banter, even if what she said made little sense. Sometimes it was just fun to play along. She’d given the lair a judgmental eye just before and had found the lack of pillows disturbing. For a business-dragon, Llethunaxx had no taste.

“I like her.” the dragon said while turning towards Arjuna. “She can come again.”

“She’s not pouring coins on you Llethunaxx.” Arjuna was covering his face with his palm. Of course his daughter would befriend the perverted dragon. Not that he could say much considering he had originally befriended the dragon as well.

“I wouldn’t dream of it! Or well, I might dream of it if she grows up a bit, but she’s too tiny for now. How’d you manage to shag a Titan anyway?” The blue asked curiously.

“Let’s just get to it. I brought the artifact you requested.” Arjuna firmly changed the subject and waved around a wooden case covered in talismans.

“Fine, fine. I’ve been brewing up a storm since you visited, and as you can see, the weather seems to be on our side. The mages from the Dynasty tried to interfere, but their weather control skills suck wyvern balls. I think they only managed to make the storm worse.” Llethunaxx decided to drop the subject for now. He’d bring it up again.

“I had hoped their mages would be too busy with the rebellion to interfere.” Arjuna frowned, thinking about the potential implications. He had decided against warning the nearby forces of the Dynasty because they were already jumpy with the rebellion, and they would try to extract some price from Arjuna just for not interfering. Sometimes the price of inaction was more expensive than getting someone to actually do something.

“Not to worry. This isn’t the first storm I’ve cooked up even this year, so they’re relatively used to it, even if this one is a bit more serious than those before.” The blue dragon assured. He was the type to become interested in these sorts of projects when given suitable inspiration. Besides, as a business-dragon, it was good for potential return customers to see he could work hard when the price was right.

“Nevertheless, it might be better if I keep my eyes open in case of outside interference. Last time things got a bit out of hand. Have you already made a formation to gather all the lightning energy inside your lair?” Arjuna didn’t cherish the idea of facing the Dynasty’s mages, as crappy as they were in comparison to those from the Magocracy, but they were strictly speaking not currently inside the Holy Kingdom as dragons controlled the area around their lairs, so they had every right to do what they were doing.

Llethunaxx managed to look a little offended at the question. “Hey, I’m a Blue Dragon. We won’t need formations, although of course my lair is covered with them.”

“In that case, we can start. I recommend staying outside the lair for the duration.” Arjuna recommended.

“And miss all the fun? Not a chance.” Llethunaxx decided to ignore that recommendation. Arjuna was somewhat amused by that as the dragon was making the same mistake he had the first time Karna had Awakened.

“Well, suit yourself. I won’t have to pay anything if you get yourself killed.” Arjuna shrugged and flew outside the area.

“Why’s he so worried?” Llethunaxx asked Karna who was already sitting down in a meditative position nearby, pushing for a breakthrough.

She had attuned with both metal and lightning elements just days prior, so her senses for those two elements had heightened greatly. “We may or may not have blown up a volcano last time.”

“A volcano lair?” The blue dragon asked, suddenly a little worried. His lair was reinforced against attacks, but there were limits to what it could take.

“No, just a regular one with a portal to the elemental plane. Don’t worry, this place should be well enough reinforced and I now have more control over the whole process. That said, I’d recommend removing all the treasure now. The elemental energy won’t have time to dissipate and we wouldn’t want to melt all your gold.” Karna instructed and all the coins and treasures suddenly vanished.

Karna’s breakthrough was drawing closer as pattern after pattern of aura was formed inside her. Thunder growled above them and the elemental energies inside the lair begun to stir. Lightning struck down without any pre-amble, but it seemed to freeze in the air. Somehow, it seemed like all the power from the lightning had been sucked out. More patterns inside Karna fell into place, slowly forming a complete image. A veritable forest of lightning bolts thicker than trees, started to fall from the dark clouds. Instead of completely vanishing like the first bolt, they all seemed to meld together and start forming the outline of some enormous humanoid being. The continuous fall of lightning made it impossible to see what was going on in the middle of the storm of deadly energy.

Llethunaxx’s nostrils flared as the air became filled with the smell of ozone and his nature as a blue dragon started to become excited. The storm above them had completely escaped his control now and had taken a life of its own. It had been a long time since he had seen a storm like this, which was saying something as he loved storms and was always seeking them out. And the storm outside was growing worse. At the same time, some bestial instinct informed him that now would be a good time to be somewhere that wasn’t in the middle of everything. Llethunaxx had long since learned to trust that survival instinct and quickly evacuated.

His exit had come at a perfect time as it seemed like metal energy was joining in on the party, and unlike with lightning, the blue didn't have all that much resistance against the metal element. The dragon didn’t know how, but it looked like it was raining small razor-thin blades. He knew that was just an illusion created by the abundant elemental energy, but staying could’ve been fairly risky. "Seems like you took my advice after all," Arjuna commented.

“Something big is coming.” The blue stated with realisation.

“The tribulation.” Arjuna guessed.

“No. This doesn’t feel like a normal lightning tribulation to me.” Llethunaxx shook his head. The horns he was so proud of that curled behind his head like a crown were vibrating with power.

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As soon as he spoke, the skies seemed to open and tribulation lightning fell into the lair. But the lightning didn’t come alone. It was like divine swords started raining from the skies and balls of blueish-white fire were falling amidst the lightning and swords. If the storm of energy hadn’t all disappeared as soon as it got close to the outline made of lightning, an outline that was now filling out with something a bit more solid, the entire area would’ve been wiped clean.

“What in the blazes?!” The dragon cursed and flew further away, dodging a descending blade of divine energy.

“Ah, Karna. You really like to do everything the flashy way, don’t you?” Arjuna lamented with resignation. He could already feel magisters from the nearby Dynasty cities approaching.

As the storm of energy finally appeared to come to an end, the outline of a humanoid seemed to solidify just for a moment, to reveal a figure made of a white metal, that reflected several different colors of light, like a rainbow falling through a prism. The substance looked to be some sort of magical metal, though alive and almost organic at the same time. The figure was visible for less than a second before it shrunk down and back inside the lair, where simultaneously all the metal and lighting energy of the area was being sucked into.

Llethunaxx could now also sense the approaching visitors. “She’s not your daughter is she?” He suddenly asked before they got company.

Arjuna sighed. “What gave it away?”

“Her skin. The skin of a Titan reveals a lot about them. The more precious the material their skin is made of, the more noble their heritage and the more powerful their bloodline. That white metal? I’m fairly sure you will never see Celestium outside the Divine Plane. If you won’t even see the metal, then how would you be able to see a Titan of that metal? I’ve never even seen a Golden Titan, and all my instincts are telling me that Celestium is above even the gem Titans. It’s called the metal of the gods for a reason, as even the Divines have to use the hearts of dying stars to create it. There’s absolutely no way someone like her could be outside the Divine Plane except…Heavensfall?” The Blue Dragons were not famed for their guile and intelligence for nothing.

“Very astute of you. You understand why it would be bad for word of her to spread, right?” Arjuna’s tone had gained a hard edge.

“Of course. You’re fortunate the previous Emissary from the Divine Planes is dead though. And you’re even more fortunate the Divines have not sent a retaliation against the Dynasty yet either. There’s no way they would’ve missed that show otherwise.” The blue pointed out.

“I wouldn’t be here if those things weren’t true. I’d find another dragon’s lair on some smaller world instead. Now, let’s go and shoo the forces of the Dynasty away.” Arjuna wasn’t stupid. He knew it would’ve been dangerous to do something like this right next to an Emissary. His form was completely obscured by the shadows as they approached the visitors, seemingly leaving the dragon alone.

Llethunaxx was less than pleased to notice that the approaching mages had not come alone. Mages he could easily deal with. The problem was that the mages had brought two people dressed in heavy and stylized armor that covered them from head to toe. Not even the eyes of the two were visible, and that was on purpose. The Holy Knights of the Temple of Divines gave up their identities in the secular world as they dedicated themselves to all the gods equally. Once that armor was donned, the person wearing it would forever be known only by the knightly name they were bestowed. The Holy Knights of different faiths were the true power of the Sacred Dynasty, a nation that was often also called the Holy Kingdom for a reason. There was a reason the Emissary had stayed in that country instead of the other options despite the fading power of the ruling dynasty.

“Llethunaxx!” One of the mages the blue had dealt with before snarled. The blue had never gotten along with the crotchety mage as the man lacked a sense of humor. And propriety. “Should’ve known you were involved somehow.”

“Of course I am. It’s my mountain range after all! I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet again, but I honestly don’t remember your name. Annoying gnats with fleetingly short lives tend to slip from my mind more often than not.” The dragon retorted, egging the mage on a bit. He wanted to see what Arjuna would do.

“Friend dragon. I would advise you to not stand in our way. This is beyond you. We detected traces of divine power and if the Divines have sent a new Emissary, we need to know.” One of the knights said firmly but cordially, his magical equipment allowing effortless flight alongside the mages.

“There are no Divines here, just a tribulation. Thus I don’t think I will stand aside. I know you’re worried, but this isn’t any of your business. I don’t care for your interference and you’re overstepping your bounds. Even if I was hiding something, you have no authority here. Despite your precarious position, I’m not obliged to share my secrets with you.” The dragon argued.

“Making a disturbance like that within the Dynasty’s borders is our business no matter what you say.” The angry mage argued.

“Funny thing that.” Arjuna suddenly appeared from nowhere and stated. “I didn’t think the Dynasty had the gall to claim the lairs of dragons as part of their territory. The dragon is right. You have no business here if he doesn’t want you to enter.”

“Magocracy’s dog.” The angry mage hissed.

“And what is one of the Magocracy doing here?” The same Holy Knight asked, still with a polite but firm tone. He showed no sign of leaving.

“Trade. I’m sure you’re aware Llethunaxx is a business-dragon. I often trade with him. This time I traded for the use of his lair for an experiment. You can imagine why as you likely sensed the tribulation lightning. The experiment was a bit flashier than I expected but otherwise successful. No one was hurt, yes? That’s what I figured. You don’t need to know what I created.” Arjuna shut down the other side’s attempts. Sometimes the creation of powerful items called down a tribulation, although never three tribulations at once like had just happened. Arjuna was banking on the Holy Knight not being aware that there had been three tribulations occurring simultaneously as the three had blended together rather seamlessly.

The Holy Knight made a move forward before he was stopped by the other knight that had stayed quiet so far. The silent knight shook his head and the first knight pulled back. "Wise choice," Llethunaxx stated with a smug tone.

“Well then. I believe the Dynasty is already busy enough as things are, so I’m sure you don’t want to make any new enemies. Have a good day.” Arjuna stated and turned to fly away confidently. The implied threat in his words was clear. Llethunaxx showed his tongue to the mages before flying after him.

“Why did you stop me?” The first knight asked. “I could’ve dealt with the dragon easily.”

“Yes, but not the mage. You may not recognize the Grand Medjai, but I do.” The other knight countered, and his words seemed to scare the gathered mages and convince the other knight. “We need to report back, and if we had forced the issue, none of us would’ve returned alive.

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By the time Arjuna and Llethunaxx got to the lair, Karna had already managed to drape herself in some rolls of cloth she had brought along. She’d even found a large enough veil somewhere. Though with her current height of almost four meters, the piece of cloth on her face looked more like a bedsheet hanging on her face. “Hey, you’re slightly less tiny for a Titan now.” The dragon joked.

“I did say I’m still growing. I see you still haven’t grown a bit while I’ve tripled my height.” Karna joked.

"Touché," Llethunaxx admitted.

“So I’m guessing you can turn back this time?” Arjuna questioned, ignoring the byplay.

“In a few hours. The changes this time will require some time to settle. Well, not back as such, as my original body has also grown as a result of this change, but I can return to a smaller form.” Karna corrected herself.

“Grown how much?” Arjuna asked with a bit of surprise. The last Awakening had left few changes that were outwardly obvious. The changes had been quite subtle even though internally they had likely been much larger. This time things seemed to be a little different.

“I'd estimate, that I'm slightly taller than the average thirteen-year-old now - about 1,5 meters.” Karna speculated. She could already feel the changes inside her, as the Awakening had forcefully accelerated her towards physical maturity. She still had a lot of growing up to do, but she’d also grow up the rest of the way faster after this. She’d likely be fully grown and developed in a couple of years. That would both create some problems, as well as solve others.

In addition to a greatly increased affinity with lightning, an element she liked much more than fire, and somewhat increased affinity with metal, a quite useful element as well, she was also now much stronger physically, and her fortitude had increased a lot. Even if her skin in her normal body might look and feel like close to normal, it would be almost as hard to pierce and damage as a full suit of armor made of the same metal as her current skin. Her bones would’ve also undergone a similar change, now becoming borderline unbreakable.

Titans were defensively very powerful beings. Their ability to take punishment was second to only Dragon Turtles, and maybe the rapidly regenerating Hydras. Combined with her phoenix heritage, she was now truly difficult to kill unless she fought someone vastly more powerful than her current self. Titans were no slouches on offense either, and the benefits the bloodline offered were rather straightforward. Many of the most powerful Divines had been Titans the last time she had been in this universe, and that was for a good reason. Titans were without a doubt the most physically powerful beings in the universe, and she had inherited that strength. The Titans didn’t have many hard to figure out and esoteric abilities, but that simplicity paid off with sheer power. She rather liked the bloodline all things considered. It was also one of those bloodlines that became better the earlier you Awakened it as her strength had time to grow.

She could also sense the third circle inside her mage core. The synergistic effects this time were just as great, and the success she’d had with the Awakening was even better than last time. Her stores of mana were now vastly outstripping any other mage at her level, even without considering the purity of her mana. It had been a good idea to Awaken here. “Good job father. This was a great choice for an Awakening.”

“Of course. It’s my lair after all!” Llethunaxx bragged.

“Yes, yes. Your lair is great and awesome. Now if only you could match your lair." Arjuna countered. He wished that Karna hadn't praised the dragon so much as that might increase the price. Luckily it seemed the dragon liked his daughter and now that he knew of her heritage, he might actually decide to go easier on them to curry favor. Although with that said, the interference by the Holy Knights would likely increase the price as well. “How are we going to explain your growth back at the Academy?”

"We simply won't," Karna stated bluntly.

“Sorry, what?” Arjuna blinked in confusion.

“Sometimes audacity and refusal to explain work better than trying to come up with an excuse. The fact is, they don’t need to know anything. It’s not like it will be hard to prove my identity despite the changes.” She reasoned.

“She’s right you know. If you don’t have an explanation, then just don’t.” Llethunaxx agreed. He’d personally used that approach several times before.

“Well, now that you mention it…” Arjuna realized that people usually didn’t ask explanations from him when he didn’t offer one. Mostly that was because his power scared people, but also because they found it awkward to ask.

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Karna decided without giving Arjuna more time. “Now let’s return. We don’t want the zealots to return while I’m still in this form. I may have been huge only for a second, but I guarantee everyone within several hundred kilometers saw it. Let’s not stick around to answer questions we don’t want to. Besides, I need to get some clothes-shopping done.”