Chapter 49: Beyond Magic
"...so, let me get this straight. You shook caves, managed to get out of that, exposed the ocean floor, and survived an explosion that even shook Royalia?" Jonah asked. Surprised. In awe, really.
I nod, dusting myself off. "It was more so containing the explosion. The leader was ram-packed with it. I wasn’t sure if it would affect Royalia, so I had to eyeball it."
And yes, that eyeball was wrong.
I took off my boots, emptying the sand out of them. My bare feet touching the shingles of a rooftop in downtown Royalia. Many adminsitratos and officials came down by the shore to take notice of this.
They also did as well when I performed my [Blackfire] on Jonah. Surprised he managed to survive that, still.
Smacking the bottom of my boots, I look back at Jonah. His arms crossed over his suit, watching on. "With the leader gone, the Brotherhood will disband. The officials are already on it in Ja’nan, which means ultimately the election between Lucen and Sultan are free to commence."
His eyes narrows, then, I correct myself.
"Well, almost. Nice to know that in some way, Sultan had connections to the Brotherhood. You really did read all of those documents back there?"
Jonah nods, "Yeah, I did. Sultan instigated their entire ideology. Planted those Silk potions as a way to affect the Underworld, then it landed in the Brotherhood’s hands. He never made any dealings with them, but he was betting on them to one day attack him. It was just a matter of when. The Chancellor is so insane that he capitalized on an attack on his life! That’s...that’s crazy!"
I shake my head, "Maybe. He’s just too dense."
Not too much, he also has some level of foresight. I haven’t forgotten about him using [Ghost Spire] to watch me earlier. Now that it was in the late afternoon, I expect that Sultan would’ve got right back to his estate.
Because now?
He knows that I know he’s corrupt, and in some way, shape, and form, Admiral Koga by extension if he sees all of this and doesn’t outright say anything.
"Also," I add-on.
"There was one I let slip-away. The assistant to the leader. That was the same one who sent a blast towards the election debate stage. You sure you never found out who they were?"
He shakes his head, "Never did speak to them. I was hired, remember? Per contract basis."
I nod, then go silent.
Jonah continues to look at me, and then clears his throat. I don’t maintain eye contact with him. Then, he steps towards me with both hands on my tattered cloak.
"Which...reminds me of a deal we made, right...?!" Annoyance slowly developing within his tone and voice. I nervously laughed, oops. Forgot about that.
I shrugged, "Oh yeah...looks like I forgot about the details of that. Kikikiki..."
"Don’t kekekeke me, we agreed to it." He sounds totally, totally sure of this. Did we? I don’t remember.
He brings me closer to his face, "Yeah, we did. Information that could shake the islands. Whatever it is, you better cough it up—now."
"Alright, alright." I say, making him let go of my cloak before I float back across the shingles. I put two hands atop of my head.
Now...what information did I really have that could shake the islands? I’m afraid to say that I was maybe bullshitting about that one. It sounded nice in my head, at least. Only way I could’ve done it with his help.
Let’s see. What are our options here? Tell him I’m a Dragon Sovereign? No, tell him I’m a Dragon to begin with? That sounds like a good start.
No...it’s supposed to shake the islands...not a brief fun fact.
Then...tell him about Vaniti? No, why would I leverage my consort as information?
"Agh..." A groan escaped my lips, continuing to float through the air. Jonah was waiting, but one thing I will admit is that maybe he’s not as patient as I am.
Then...what am I supposed to say?
Oh, well.
I have no more potions.
I mean—options, I have no more options. That silk gaia potion crap has been festering in my mind a whole lot. Can’t wait to take a break from it.
I open my mouth, and part the words that I never thought I would say aloud to anyone.
"I’m the Dragon Sovereign of Calamity." I say.
I twist, turn slowly in mid-air to see Jonah’s reaction, but he’s not shocked, not bewildered, not even bowing down before me. He looks at me as if I’m...
"Do you see stupid written on my face?" He asks. Pointing right at it.
I shake my head.
"What? I’m telling the truth."
He shakes his head, "Yeah, no. Can’t be. You don’t look like a dragon, and you sure as have don’t have the power of one either...no matter what you pulled off today."
"No, I’m being serious. My name is Ryuuzen Valeflame, that’s literally—"
"No, and I’m being serious too. You haven’t slaughtered millions, you haven’t caused strife upon dragons. You didn’t abandon everyone you loved to become some stupid sage. You didn’t do any of that." He says.
I...don’t say anything. My pointed ears drop, something I wasn’t even aware they could.
"You think that’s something to joke about, huh Ryuuzen? Just because you managed to share the same name somehow doesn’t mean you start thinking you’re actually him. Being compared to the Sovereign of Calamity...isn’t something to be proud of."
"You know how long ago that was? Sovereign Ryuuzen is older than both you and I, our parents, our grandparents, down to even our bloodline."
"If anything, you’re just—"
"Jonah," I say.
He looks at me, puzzled, but still looking.
"I’m him. And...circumstances led me to be here. Thousands, and thousands of years ago, I was trapped. Petrified, really. Turned to stone."
I lift up my cloak and turn around.
"Some remnants of the stone still linger, no matter how many times I try to wash it off. Scaly skin, but I guess it was because I awoke not too long ago."
Then, I turn back to him.
"My reputation, my history...my legacy. Everything was changed since the Dark Age. Now, here in the Golden Age, it’s different. And you’ve probably never seen a full on...dragon before. So, I don’t blame you."
"I’m a Dark Silver Dragonoid. The perfect balance of both Dragon and, well, a humanoid. If my tail wasn’t enough to convince you, if my ability to fly wasn’t enough to convince you, if my horns wasn’t..."
I put a finger on my mouth and pull it back.
"..if za fwangs wuzzn’t enuff eder..." Then, I let go.
I know it, now.
I know exactly what I’m going to do.
"Then, what I will do tonight won’t just cause trouble for Aurea Islands."
"It’ll shake the entire nation."