DRAGONBORN SORCERER-Chapter 30: Flame Empress Dragon’s Appearance pt—2

Azrathos’s ultimate wish always was to create a world where people could embrace the thrill of being adventurers—where they could enjoy overcoming challenges and facing powerful adversaries. To ensure that balance was maintained properly within this world, he created the Primordial Ruler Dragons—the supreme beings tasked with preserving the fundamental orders of the world.

"And I was one of them," Vitra interjected and her voice cut through the silence. She pointed herself toward Skyler. Her expression was both solemn and proud. "I am Vitra, one of the eight Primordial Ruler Dragons. I was entrusted with the responsibility of guiding mages who wielded magic related to fire."

Skyler blinked, hearing her explanations. He raised both hands, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Wait, wait, wait!" His voice carried a mixture of disbelief and confusion. He furrowed his brow, and his eyes opened wide in surprise. "If you’re the one responsible for allowing mages to wield fire-related magic, then what’s this ’Grace of Agni’ all about?"

Vitra’s response came quickly, but it only deepened Skyler’s confusion. She let out a dry chuckle. "That’s a joke," she said simply, as though the answer should have been obvious.

Skyler stared at her in utter baffled. "Come again?" he asked, blinking in disbelief. "A joke? How is it a joke? You’re telling me that everything I’ve learned about that power is just... a joke?"

Vitra shrugged nonchalantly, though a glint of something darker flickered in her eyes. "It’s a misunderstanding, nothing more. Let me explain."

Skyler’s mind raced. The more Vitra spoke, the more layers of confusion were added. But he could feel that her words held crucial importance. If he wanted any chance of understanding how to combat Saranavia, he needed to listen. So, despite his frustration, he bit back his questions and let her continue.

Vitra took a deep breath before speaking again, her voice becoming more measured, as if she was weighing each word carefully.

"You see, when people awaken their abilities, they don’t just tap into raw magic. They receive mana—mana that was bestowed upon this world by forces far beyond their feeble comprehension. As they awaken, their mana signature begins to resemble the aura of the Primordial Ruler Dragons. This mutual resemblance allows them to wield our powers. Since our auras are so similar, it’s even possible for certain individuals to use multiple abilities at once. They’re not limited to just one."

Skyler’s expression began to shift. His brow furrowed less, and he seemed to be grasping the meaning of her words. He took a moment to let it all sink in as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place.

Vitra took another deep breath, her eyes distant for a moment, as if lost in thought. "The mana capacity of people, too, wasn’t fixed," she continued. "Through hardship, training, and the will to surpass their limits, they could increase both their mana and their capabilities. It wasn’t easy, but it was possible. People could continue to grow, to evolve. That was the state of things before we were all trapped within the ’Passive Realms.’"

"Passive Realms?" Skyler repeated, his voice tinged with curiosity. His previous confusion was now mixed with a new sense of intrigue. "What exactly are those?"

"Yes, the Passive Realms," Vitra said, her tone shifting to something more serious. She locked eyes with him, as though warning him that what she was about to share was of great significance.

"One day, Saranavia—our fellow Primordial Ruler Dragon, the one known as the Dragon of Crafting— suggested an idea to Lord Azrathos. She proposed that she be allowed to create these Passive Realms, where we— the primordial dragons— could rule over the various aspects of our auras. These realms would serve as separate domains where each of us would maintain control, but they would also support the main world, ensuring balance. It seemed like a logical step in the evolution of this world."

Skyler listened intently. His eyes narrowed down slightly. He felt like there was more to the story, but he didn’t interrupt, knowing that Vitra was building up to something important.

"So Azrathos agreed?" Skyler asked, trying to make sense of it all.

Vitra’s expression darkened, and she gave a slow, regretful nod.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time, yes," she said softly. Her voice became heavy with the weight of the past. "Lord Azrathos was intrigued by the idea. We were all fascinated by it. The thought of each of us ruling over our own realm, the chance to expand our tribes, to watch over the flow of magic... It seemed perfect. We thought it would bring balance to everything. We had faith in one another. We believed that working together would lead to something greater. And it could even impress our lord— The Supreme Dragon God Azrathos."

She paused for a moment and Skyler saw the pain in her eyes. The years of regret were evident, though she tried to hide it behind a mask of calm.

"But, we were blind," she whispered, almost to herself. "We couldn’t see the betrayal coming."

Skyler’s eyes widened as he slowly began to piece it together. "So... it was a trap all along," he said. His voice was filled with realization. "Saranavia betrayed you all. And in the end, Azrathos was cast into the abyss as well."

Vitra nodded solemnly, her hand resting on the ground as she sighed deeply. "Precisely," she said, tinging her voice with bitterness. "Before any of us could even begin to understand what had happened, Saranavia had already taken control of Lord Azrathos. She altered the entire structure of this world. The people who were once free, who had the ability to wield magic at their own will, were suddenly bound by faith. They had to rely on it. It’s infuriating."

Skyler’s mind raced as he absorbed her words. The pieces were coming together, but the implications were staggering. "So, all that freedom, all that potential... it was taken away, wasn’t it?"

Vitra’s eyes narrowed, her voice growing colder. "Yes. And it’s worse than you could ever imagine. The magic, the autonomy—the people became enslaved by their own faith. The very thing that once made them powerful was twisted into something they had to rely on. It’s a mockery of everything Lord Azrathos wanted to build."

Skyler clenched his fists, a mix of anger and determination rising within him. He now understood more than ever why defeating Saranavia was crucial. Not just for the world, but for the people who had been robbed of their power, their will.

"Ah.. so that’s how it is, huh?" Skyler said quietly, his voice filled with a quiet fury. "No wonder why Azrathos seemed distressed when we met."

Vitra looked at him for a long moment, her gaze intense. "When Lord Azrathos entrusted you with all of his wishes he also delivered a final message saying us to support you on your journey whenever we’re fated to meet. But before that to happen, he used the last of his abilities to create passage through which you could use magic regardless of the lack of graces"

"I see. That’s the story why I’m using magic nowadays even though I Don’t have any graces. But why didn’t the others see that using appraisal."

"Because this passages are very similar to graces. But it’s more than that. Rather than using a medium to borrow our abilities, you can wield using your own mana. And this mana are the exact same like our Auras. You"

"And that’s why you recognized me on the spot by seeing the aura around me." Skyler chuckled, looking at Vitra who was smiling adorably. "But don’t you worry, I’ve already decided to go against that vile goddess. Though it’s rather surprise knowing that she’s also a dragon like you."

"Yes." Vitra spoke, the regret in her eyes however was fading away. Meeting Skyler ensured one of her ultimate wishes.

"While I was trapped inside the ’Agni Realm’, she trapped the others into six different realms, preventing us from communicating. And She’s resting in heaven, building up her strength from the faith and devotion she receives from humans."

"Great!." A different joy hit his mind as he exclaimed, "Then establishing new faith was a right approach to weaken her."

"I’m not sure what do mean by that." Vitra looked confused on his sudden excitement, "Can you explain it to me."

"Long story short, I’m going to destroy the faith people had in her." Skyler smiled with a sinister grin, looking ferocious, "You just play along, and we’ll shift their devotion on us."

Vitra’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him admiration, knowing that Azrathos has made a great choice choosing him.

"So, what’re we going to do."

"Let’s destroy the church in Rosevill first." Skyler turned back and started walking towards Rosevill. His robe waved with e wind elegantly. Vitra looked at him from behind. For a glimpse, she saw Azrathos’s image covering Skyler’s appearance.