Orion's eyes widened as he stared at the god before him. He couldn't help but watch with rapt attention, his lips slightly parted. Even though he had already guessed the god's identity, witnessing the revelation himself was a whole other experience.
Under Naka's watch, serenity reigns, troubles cease, and harmony prevails. In Naka's grace, life finds embrace! With Naka's blessing, paths unfold, and creation's beauty is told. When Naka descends, strife ends. Blessings be, Naka's decree! Orion thought deeply.
From all his assumptions about Naka, he had never imagined that he would utter such profound words. It completely changed his perception of Naka, especially when he tried to match this god with the man they had met.
Aerialia wore the same expression of awe as she gazed at the god before her. She couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled as she realized that her guess about Naka's true identity was correct.
Below, the Bone Dragons were stunned as they heard Naka's words. "Please... forgive us, god Naka. We have nothing of value to offer you; we can only give our servitude. The other Dragonkins will surely do everything in their power to eradicate us if they find out that god Aroth was killed under our watch. Please, help us," one of them pleaded.
"Your servitude? Are you sure about offering your servitude to me? By doing so, you will no longer shed blood mindlessly for selfish reasons. Instead, your weapons will be aimed at those who cause chaos and destruction against helpless individuals, just as you once did," Naka responded, waiting for their reply.
The Bone Dragons, whether in their humanoid or complete dragon form, exchanged glances before unanimously nodding in agreement. They refocused their attention on Naka and bowed deeply once more.
"If god Naka accepts our servitude, from this day forward, we will no longer shed blood for selfish reasons or engage in meaningless wars. Instead, we pledge to follow your every command and wield our weapons to support your noble deeds. I speak on behalf of everyone here, and we swear never to break the promises we make today!" declared one of the Bone Dragons loudly.
Naka observed each of them intently before turning his attention back to Oberon. "If you spare them, they will renounce their past and aid other races in need. The real question is, are you willing to release the vengeance in your heart? Will you allow it to consume you, leading you to harm those who have the potential to do more good than the wrongs they have committed? Before you answer, consider what god Arendir would do if he discovered you chose such a path despite your newfound immense strength," Naka asked.
Oberon clenched his fists tightly before slowly releasing them. "Fine! I'll spare them for now. But if they repeat their actions, I'll not reconsider their fates," he replied, turning away and soaring towards the Pixies.
"With great power comes great responsibility; remember that, or you'll be no different from the gods and those you fight against," Naka announced loudly, observing as Oberon paused mid-air before continuing forward, his gaze shifting to the Bone Dragons.
"I, Naka, have heard your words and decree that they shall be binding. Any violation will be met with severe consequences."As he spoke, shimmering golden chains materialized in the air, wrapping around the neck of every Bone Dragon present.
"Acontract,"one of the Bone Dragons muttered. Despite the heavy weight of consequences for rebellion, they found no reason to be resentful. After all, it was this or certain death, and without a god of their own, escaping would only lead to endless pursuit and eventual capture by other races.
Therefore, even if they were bound by a contract to their very souls, they saw no reason to reject it or view it in a negative light.
As the golden chains disappeared, leaving imprints on their necks, they each began to remove their attire one by one, casting them to the floor. With a wave ofNaka'shand, new garments adorned with precious gems appeared before them, shimmering with enchantment, which they could sense.
"Put these on. The Bone Dragon species now serves under god Naka and enjoys his protection,"Naka instructed, watching as they all nodded reverently and donned the new attire.
Meanwhile, Oberon observed the scene and decided to speak with Naka afterwards. While hewasn'tsurprised by thegod'saction to save the Bone Dragon species, hecouldn'tfathom why it was done now.
His gaze shifted upward slightly, catching sight of the goddess who always accompanied him. Her expression was nonchalant as she observed the unfolding events.
Suddenly, a resounding beat echoed from the heavens like someone or something was trying to break through, bludgeoning the sky with a heavy, powerful weapon. Gradually, the sky darkened as though night had descended prematurely, and a thousand bright, fiery, reddish dots began to appear, dotting the darkening canvas.
"The Divine Mysteries,"Oberon muttered, realizing a calamity was imminent following the Dragongod'sdemise.
He shot toward the sky, where the fiery dots descended like giant balls of fire. Creating a barrier at a safe distance, he watched the massive fireballs explode upon impact, sending shockwaves rippling through the sky. These shockwaves pushed away the gathering clouds, alerting distant onlookers to thechaos unfolding above.
At this moment, several divine presences surged into the open, creating more barriers to halt the advances of the massive fireballs from descending on the earth.
Meanwhile, Orion could only stare wide-eyed at the various gods emerging into the open.Some resembled humans like him but had one or two distinct features that made it clear theyweren'thumans; others were mere humanoids with different shapes, sizes, and temperaments, while still, others possessed half-beastly features on the lower side of their waist or full beastly features like the Dragon god in his massive dragon form.
FromOberon'ssenses, he already knew they were being watched by other gods, but witnessing them in their numbers was a scene he believed he would never forget.