She couldn't conceal the look of confusion on her face at his words, attempting hard to muster any form of sarcasm, yet he appeared as serious as possible.
"Are you serious, you want me to be your wife?" she asked, while he remained silent, his expressions more than enough to affirm his words.
Sylara couldn't help but scoff as she peered into the dragon king's eyes, searching for any hint of sarcasm, yet he remained steadfastly serious.
Crossing her arms, she questioned, "And why would I ever want to marry you, Dragon King? A man whom I barely know? A man I haven't met before?" Her words trailed off as Reagan smirked.
"Choosing to marry you instead of her is merely what I presume would benefit me more," he replied, leaving Sylara to arch her brow in response.
"Benefit you more?" She crossed her arms as she continued, "Let me make a wild assumption. You are betrothed to someone else, whom you probably do not wish to be with, and now you hope to dissolve your union with her by marrying me instead?" Sylara's inquiry hung in the air as Reagan remained silent, confirming her suspicions.
She couldn't suppress a scoff as she remarked, "Dragon King, you are nothing but a child compared to me. I have lived for over eight hundred years, and never once have I considered making any man my husband." She took a momentary pause before adding, "What makes you think things will be different with you?"
"Nothing," he confesses, "can't a man hope?"
"If you have taken a liking to me, Dragon King, just say so," Sylara burst out. "Out of the numerous women at your disposal, I am the one you choose. Don't be ridiculous," she said, while Reagan took steps towards her, closing the distance between them.
Sylara tried to crane her neck to maintain eye contact, her cheeks suddenly flushing with their unusual closeness as she gulped. "What are you doing?"
"If you could somehow convince a god to be your husband, would you settle for a mere mortal instead?" he asked, while Sylara inhaled deeply, contemplating his words. After a moment of silence and locked eye contact, she finally exhaled and stepped away from him, saying,
"Dragon King, I won't be your wife, so you can forget about that happening," she declared, while Reagan scoffed and moved away from her.
"Would you still hold the same opinion if I made you fall in love with me, Emoyrean Queen? It shouldn't take long to have you head over heels for me. I am perfect, to say the least," he boasted, while Sylara rolled her eyes at his obnoxiousness.
"What is your decision on the matter going to be?" Sylara inquired. "I was considering bringing a powerful sorcerer with me on this quest, but having the Dragon King at my disposal would surely ensure victory. Make a decision, for we embark on the quest tomorrow," she urged, while Reagan simply stared at her, lost in thought.
"I will agree to accompany you on this quest, leaving my people and my throne behind to venture with you alone," he declared, as Sylara nodded in agreement, hanging on his every word.
"Very well then, you have made the right decision that will benefit you and your people," she affirmed, as Reagan nodded and took a step closer to Sylara, closing the distance between them, towering over her.
Her cheeks suddenly flushed again as he reached for the strands of hair that framed her face, gently tucking them behind her ear as he spoke.
"It would be a favor if you could still consider my offer," he said, his fingertips delicately grazing her skin, while Sylara found herself lost in his eyes, as if he had some form of enchantment over her.
Without uttering a word, he took a step back and walked away, leaving her alone on the scene, while Sylara blinked abruptly, confused by his actions.
"What is wrong with this human?" she asked, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she tried to discern his sudden interest in her. Was there perhaps more to it than met the eye?
Sylara stormed into her room where Yashira, Sapphire, and their young niece Saraphina sat, with maids attending to their needs.
"You can all leave... Thank you for your services," Sylara said to the maids, who promptly bowed and exited the room. She settled into a chair and poured herself a glass of wine.
"What is it you're thinking, sister?" Yashira asked, while Sylara inhaled deeply and poured herself another glass of wine, contemplating.
"That human, he asked me to be his wife," she revealed, eliciting a look of pure disgust from Sapphire.
"A human asking you to be his wife? Surely he must be joking, expecting someone as mighty as you to succumb to marriage with a mere mortal," Sapphire remarked.
"A mere mortal isn't exactly how one would describe the Dragon King himself," Yashira interjected, taking a deep breath.
"The Dragon King?" Sapphire exclaimed. "I've heard stories of him, a formidable beast indeed. He has won countless battles unscathed, slain thousands of men with his bare hands, and incinerated numerous ominous beasts. Every kingdom near and far trembles at the mention of his name. He is no ordinary human," Saraphina added.
"And that's because he's no ordinary human. Do you not know his mother is none other than the goddess Elysia, the supreme goddess of creation and destruction?" Yashira explained.
Eyes widened at the mention of the goddess's name as Sapphire recalled, "The very goddess who was stripped of her powers and cast out of the divine circle because of the numerous sins she had committed?"
"Yes, that goddess. Elysia is his mother, and don't let me get started on who his father is," Yashira continued. "That Dragon King is nothing like a human. He should be taken seriously; he's far too powerful to underestimate, especially with that beast Zarathus by his side. He's practically invincible."
"Enough of his history, sisters. How about we focus on the matter at hand?" Sylara interjected. "Tomorrow, we journey to the Dreadlands."
"The Dreadlands?" Yashira questioned, while Sylara nodded affirmatively.
"That's where I've been sensing the unusual energy," she explained. "The journey there isn't exactly easy due to all the dark, evil creatures and curses that lurk in the Dreadlands." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Yashira, Saraphina, gather three warriors each from your tribes. We leave by dawn tomorrow," Sylara commanded, while Yashira simply nodded in agreement.
"As for you, Sapphire, stay back. You haven't fully regained your powers, so it's better if you don't accompany us on this journey. Things may be too rough for you," Sylara stated firmly.
"Sister, there's a solution to that. Just use the Amelia gem and return my powers to me," Sapphire suggested.
"I took them for your own good," Sylara confessed. "Your hatred for humans runs deep, and I won't let you destroy yourself in your quest for revenge. The day a Vedan kills a human is the day we are reduced to nothing. The gods will not spare us, and as your sister, I would rather die than watch you suffer such cruel punishment."
Sapphire inhaled deeply and lowered her head. "I'll stay back. I hope you make it safely to the Dreadlands, and I'm sure Sister Yashira here will protect you," she said quietly.
Yashira glared at Sapphire before turning to Sylara and asking, "When do we leave?"
"At dawn," Sylara replied. "We don't have much time, so please get your warriors ready. We need to put an end to this before they succeed in waking up Delora. That's too much evil for the human world to withstand."
That night, the remaining Vedans gathered their troops while the Vedan queen lay in bed, the thoughts of the enigmatic Dragon King refusing to leave her mind. She groaned and tossed, pondering his proposal. Could he really be serious, or was there more to it than just avoiding his betrothed? She was confused, to say the least, but all she could do at that moment was bury herself in the embrace of sleep, looking forward to what the next day held.
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Sapphire stared at herself in the mirror, contemplating her next move. Her sister's journey to the Dreadlands, where she and other enslaved humans conducted the rituals to resurrect Delora, was cause for panic.
She had performed the ritual far from her sister, hoping she wouldn't detect the immense evil magical power. Unfortunately, she had underestimated Sylara's strength.
"If Sylara makes it to the Dreadlands, every single plan of mine would be in vain," she muttered, running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to control her panic. "This wouldn't be happening if Sylara had just given me back my powers," she said frustratingly, trying to suppress her rising anxiety.
The only option she had right now was to speed up the ritual and pray she finished before her sister reached the Dreadlands. Sapphire had invested too much effort into these plans to let her sister discover them, and the thought of the punishment awaiting her was unbearable.
"I need to do this quickly, once and for all," Sapphire declared, gulping down the bottle of alcohol within her reach before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
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"Such magnificent beasts," Sylara said in awe as she gazed at the dragons before her. One of them had red fiery scales, exuding immense power and magnificence. It was gigantic, and its presence was palpable necrodaxis. The other dragon, even more incredible, had black scales and a massive appearance that commanded respect.
The two dragons roared, their deafening sound piercing through the air, though Sylara, Saraphina, Yashira, and their six Vedan accomplices remained unaffected by their roar due to their extraordinary nature.
"You don't seriously expect us to ride on these beasts, do you?" Yashira questioned as she eyed the dragons skeptically.
"My brothers are not beasts, Water Woman," Reagan retorted, to which Yashira simply scoffed. "And besides, l doubt they will allow you to ride them"
Without a word, Sylara approached the mighty black dragon. The creature immediately lowered its head, roaring loudly in her face, the force of its roar causing wind to blow through her.
"Maybe you shouldn't get too close, sister," Yashira cautioned, while the dragon suddenly stopped its roaring and fixed its attention on Sylara instead.
Reagan observed the scene, curious to see what would happen next, as Sylara cautiously extended her hand and placed it on the mighty beast. "You must be Zarathus, aren't you? I was there when you were created by your mother, Elysia," she addressed the dragon, gently stroking its dark, intimidating form.
Reagan approached Sylara and asked, "You know my mother?"
"Yes, she was a force to be reckoned with," Sylara replied, continuing to stroke the dragon. "And creating such powerful creatures—I couldn't help but be amazed when she was creating Zarathus here." She glanced towards Necrodaxis and added, "Although I am unaware of how Necrodaxis was created, I didn't witness it, but I know it belongs to Elysia."
Reagan remained silent as he simply stared at Sylara, who was busy stroking the giant dragon.
"Whatever you've heard about your mother isn't entirely accurate," she said. "She's not just the goddess of destruction; she fought for a greater purpose, albeit in a way the gods didn't fully approve of."
Reagan said nothing, continuing to gaze at Sylara. Without a word, he climbed onto the dragon's neck and extended his hand towards her. "This is the fastest way for us to get there. Let's go," he urged, while Sylara hesitated, contemplating her choices.
"Go ahead, sister. We'll meet you there. Beast riding isn't exactly my thing," Yashira stated, as Sylara stared at her momentarily. Her attention returned to Reagan, still perched on the dragon with his hand extended. With a deep breath, she reached out and took his hand.
He pulled her onto the dragon, positioning her in front of him. She could feel her back against his solid chest, his breath gently tickling her skin as he slowly guided her hand onto the dragon's scales. Sylara flinched slightly at the touch.
"Grab onto this. It's your first time, so you don't want to fall," he whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Their closeness made her feel both uncomfortable and exhilarated.
She swallowed hard and replied, "I understand."
Reagan took a deep breath as the dragon suddenly took flight, surprising Sylara slightly. A smile spread across her face; it was her first time riding a dragon in all her centuries of life.
As they soared through the sky, Sylara was overcome with a mix of emotions. The rush of wind against her face, the power beneath her, and the closeness to Reagan stirred a sense of excitement and apprehension within her. With that, they embarked together towards the Dreadlands, their journey filled with uncertainty and anticipation.