Chapter 216: Eldest of All

The manor was even more imposing when they got to it. What Ann thought would be a fairly big door towered over even her prodigious height. It’d be large enough for a Mulsfar to get through easily. Despite its size, it was still wood. No guards were present, either. If this was an important figure of this group, Ann would have figured someone would be watching over them.

The entryway was a massive room, lit with crystals like the rest of the city, but it only bore the simplest decor. Some rough couches that looked like their cushions were made from potato sacks lined the walls. Only three doors led from this room, and there were no stairs to the second floor. The doors were so tall, in fact, that the second floor wasn’t even possible unless it was a balcony in each room. There were, however, a couple of paintings arranged on the walls. Each depicted a Warped that Ann presumed was an important figure to the town. No precious metals were seen anywhere, but iron, brass, and steel were plentiful in frames and construction. Being part of a nation centred around a mining capital made these widely available, and some of the Warped seemed to have skills to help with simple things like this.

“This way,” Alruna beckoned with a black-gloved hand, leading the way with her boots clicking on the wood floors.

“The feck is that big?” Kat whispered. It was such a big space that it forced a reverent mood on everyone.

“A Mulsfar caught by a Seed, perhaps?” Bren suggested, his eyes scanning every inch of the room.

“No. Scratches in floor. Not that,” Lucia said quietly.

Ann looked down and saw deep scratches in the floor leading to the door they were being led towards. Three sets, one central, and two to the side, in an odd pattern that made her think of something dragging itself.

Rosalyn clutched Ann’s arm. She was shaking like a leaf, but at the same time, her eyes were glittering with a desperate excitement.

Alruna came to a stop before the doors. “Remember. Courtesy first. Bow before them, and speak when spoken to.”

Once she’d gotten confirmations from everyone, she pushed open the doors.

It was, again, a massive room. Chairs, tables, and couches were set up in the open space, and the walls were lined with more decoration than the foyer. That all faded into irrelevance next to the room’s occupant.

They were, as everyone expected, massive. Ann struggled with where to look first. It looked like a mountain of stone rubble and rust, piled up on the far side of the room and filling the entire wall. Whatever they were, they were easily a hundred feet long and maybe twenty feet tall.

The pile of rubble moved.

Slowly, with the sound of boulders screeching against metal, one end of the creature lifted, then swung towards the group standing at the door. Two burning amber eyes were revealed as dusty eyelids pulled back.

Reptilian eyes.

Ann looked at the body again, her heart racing. She found legs there, ten of them, but she didn’t care about those. There! Covered in slate-like stone, with metal interlocked, was a set of wings on its back above its second set of legs. They were so laden with the materials that she doubted they could ever fly, but they were there. Massive iron spikes jutted out of its spine in jagged edifices pockmarked with rust. The thing’s claws were the same metal, but on closer inspection shone with black blood, like they’d burst out and never fully healed. As pieces moved, boulders cracked to reveal a fleshy interior that oozed with infected pus and black liquid. Despite all of this, the creature sported proud horns above its reptilian head. Six curled and sharp spires of bone seemed to be all that was left of the creature it once was.

Alruna dropped to a knee.

Everyone in the party did as well in a clattering of equipment. None of them dared look up.

It was a dragon! A Warped dragon!

Ann started to sweat in the cold air. They were absolutely fucked if something like that wanted them dead. No wonder everyone here paid it so much respect. This might have been its lair before it changed!

“Alruna, Daughter of Worms,” the dragon rumbled. The ground literally shook when it spoke! “Are these the mortals you spoke of? The one who claims to be chosen by Orenous herself?”

“They are, Eldest of All,” Alruna said.

Ann’s ears were flicking all over the place, trying to track every sound the shifting dragon’s body made. Kat must be doing the same. She’d always wanted to meet a dragon, and here she was! A proper one that didn’t want to twist her soul into awful pieces!

“Hmm, the wolf?”

“Yes.”

“And the rest?”

“Her companions, Eldest of All. One is Vulhardrin, the others Alfhindur, Human, and Thrundol.”

“Rise,” the Eldest of All commanded, his voice shaking Ann’s teeth. “Rise, Child of the Taint and Divine.”

Ann fought through her fear, forcing her shaking legs to stand. Her head was lowered the entire time, and she almost ran when she lifted it.

The Eldest of All’s eye was a foot away. Massive, a rippling, glowing amber iris, with a dark slit trained directly on her. Her legs shook, her teeth chattered, and her hands were sweating in terror as uncountable centuries stared into her. She felt the weight of the aeons in that look. Every single one judged her.

Then the weight lifted. She could move. Ann’s lungs sucked in air, only now realising she had stopped breathing.

“Hmm,” The Eldest of All rumbled. “Not a lie was spoken. I sense Her touch on your being, and that of the Taint. Tell me, child, why you have come.”

“Yes, Eldest of All,” Ann said with a shaky voice. “We’ve come because Orenous sent us here. Not specifically, but she said she’d noticed an area she wasn’t able to see very clearly, and thought it would be important. I’m trying to help figure out what’s causing the Taint, as you call it. The Warping of life and land. I… I’m older than I look.”

“I know,” Eldest of All nodded his massive head. “I have some years on you, but we are closer in age than any here.”

Ann caught Alruna gasping quietly out of the corner of her eye.

“You may speak freely, daughter of ancient man. Your age has earned you such. Tell me how you came to be so long-lived. I was not aware your kind was capable of such.”

“First, can the rest of them stop kneeling?” Ann requested. It had to be getting a bit tiring to kneel for that long. “Two of them are my lovers, and the others are close friends.”

“They may,” Eldest of All acquiesced.

With a chorus of relieved sighs, the group behind Ann stood.

“Take your seats, at your leisure,” the ancient dragon invited.

Everyone started forward.

“Halt!”

The roar was so loud it knocked Ann back off her feet. Rosalyn quaked on the floor, clutching her staff and hiding her face as she tried to hide in her own clothes. Bren looked like he wanted to run, and Lucia was right there with him. The only one who withstood the blast was Kat. Her arm raised to block her face.

“You mockery of a lizard! You filth that dares imitate our majesty! I will not stand for your presence,” the dragon roared. Massive metal fangs revealed themselves as stony lips parted to show bleeding gums.

Kat. Brave, strong, impetuous Katlyn quaked in her boots.

“Out! Out before I kill you where you stand!”

“I’m not leavin’!” Kat yelled back as loud as she could. “I’m not feckin’ leavin’ my mate tae sit around ‘ere without me! It’s also not my feckin’ choice what I’m turnin’ intae! Ye think any o’ us chose tae have a monster livin’ in our souls? Piss off if ye feel threatened by an Alfhindur girl a fraction o’ yer age. Or did yer mother ever teach ye tae swallow yer pride?”

“Swallow my…” Eldest of All stomped several times, rearing his head back to its full, glorious height far above them. “My pride is what you see! Tarnished and broken! Buried under stone and metal! But I am still a dragon. I am still of the Great Nest! Hatchling of those who survived the Age of Darkness! You are an insult to that legacy by bearing those scales.”

“Fine. Ye feel so damn strong about it?” Kat reached up behind her neck and yanked hard. Blood immediately ran down her neck. “Feckin’ take ‘em!” She pulled another out and threw both on the floor. “I,” another scale, “didn’t,” yet another. Blood poured down her back now. “Want this! Take them all if ye care. I’m not feckin’ leavin’!” Kat finished her tirade, panting in pain and exertion.

Eldest of All peered down at her, then the scales. Four sapphires spoiled with ruby blood glittering in the crystal light.

“I’m leaving if she has to!” Ann shouted, finding her voice. “Either you talk to all of us, or none of us. She is my mate!”

Eldest of All looked at them, his lips quivering in rage. His head lowered.

Ann felt her heart pounding, as if it were about to burst. He wouldn’t kill them, would he? Piss off Orenous? Piss off other Gods? Right? She was terrified that she didn’t know the answer to that question.

The dragon’s snout dipped to the floor. Wind sucked into his nostrils as he sniffed at the scales. A low growl shook the room.

No one moved.

Alruna was still where she was before, knocked back on the floor to the side, her robes in disorder. Even she looked terrified under her veil.

“I will tolerate your presence,” Eldest of All said, begrudgingly. “I smell the Taint on these scales. I also smell your blood. Blood not yet touched by it. I will allow your presence, but make no efforts to compare yourself to my kin.”

“I swear on me family’s name, an’ Illdall’s trust in me,” Kat shouted in defiance. “I’ll never be a feckin’ dragon. I’m somethin’ else with parts o’ one. If ye’re anythin’ like the one in me soul, though, we’re not friends.”

“Whatever has taken root inside your being is not of our kin,” Eldest of All sneered. “None of us would stoop so low.”

Alruna stood, trying to sort her robes out. The woman was shaken, but was trying to regain some dignity. “Eldest of All, may we please move past this matter and resume discussions?” Her voice was tense, the usual rasp drawn to an edge.

The massive dragon turned his attention to Alruna and nodded. The floor quaked as his legs settled back in a relaxed position. “Sit.”

Ann ran to Rosalyn, scooping her up in her arms. Kat was there in the next moment, trying to console their timid lover. She was still shaking, her eyes squeezed closed.

“Hey, Rosalyn,” Ann said, trying to get through to her. “Come on. It’s over. We’re ok. Not going to get eaten.”

It took a long minute before Rosalyn cracked a hazel eye open, peering through her glasses. Her horizontally pupilled eye scanned the area and landed on the dragon. She squeaked and shrank back into Ann’s arms.

Ann stared daggers at the dragon. He’d done this. His stupid hurt pride made him lash out and terrify everyone in this room because Kat had some scales on her body. Ann handed Rosalyn to Kat.

She stalked forward, dark grey hair falling around her as she triggered her mutations. Purple bloomed around her as she took on the full figure she’d designed to be Orenous’ Chosen. She did not wear the kind face she’d used with children or those in the Temple. She glared at the creature a hundred times her size and snarled.

“You will apologise to my mates. I will not let you brush this fucking temper tantrum off like it was nothing. You apologise, or I fucking walk, taking any knowledge you might want with me. I don’t give a rat’s ass if this place is important; I will find clues elsewhere. I see that,” Ann growled. Lover’s Intuition was in full effect. She knew he wanted to keep her here. It was at the forefront of his mind, pushing Kat’s existence aside like an insignificant pebble. “You can try to keep me here, but I will not go peacefully. You’ve offended everything that I love, and you will APOLOGISE!” Ann’s voice boomed with a volume that surprised even herself.

Eldest of All’s eyes widened. His head pulled back as he reeled.

Good. Ann wanted him fucking scared.

“I apologise for my misconduct,” the dragon said. His voice was far quieter than it had been even before his shouting match with Kat.

Ann didn’t break eye contact. That wasn’t enough.

“I apologise for the offence I have caused, for terrifying Your Chosen, her mates, and those who stand with her. They are welcome within my halls as long as they wish. You have the word of he who has forgotten his name, Eldest of All, protector of this village.” With that, the dragon bowed to Ann.

Bowed!

This creature who’d been so prideful scant minutes before was almost grovelling before her.

What the fuck happened?

Ann looked over to Alruna, and the woman was shaking just as much as the Dragon was. Her hands clutched her chest as she breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. The next moment, she bowed her head as well. Had her face always been a little purple?

Looking back, Ann saw similar expressions on her party’s faces: shock and awe.

Wait, had he said “Your Chosen”? “Her mates and companions”? That was wrong. He wasn’t addressing Ann. It was like he was begging pardon from… Orenous.

Suddenly, Ann felt Her. Felt Her like no time before. She was here. Her full attention was in this room, in this moment. Her fury flowed through Ann like an ocean of power she couldn’t even dip her toe into. In this moment, they were completely aligned.

Ann had spoken in Her voice.

Her vision was also clouded in purple. The same effect she’d seen when her Libido reached its limit. This time, none of it felt good. She didn’t want to fuck. She wanted to break something.

Better to use this effect while it lasts.

“Better than before,” Ann said, raising her nose. She couldn’t look down on something so big, but she damn well tried. “Good enough. Stop grovelling, I hate that shit.”

“Yes,” Eldest of All rumbled. “What would you have of me?”

“To talk? That’s the entire reason we came here. To talk to whoever was here and figure out what the fuck. So chill, dude. Let’s have some old folk’s talk while the kiddos relax.”

“Hey, we’re as old as ye are,” Kat grumbled.

“Kinda. Hey, Rosalyn, you doing ok?”

“Your eyes!” Rosalyn whispered.

“What about them?”

“Glowing purple! Are… are you ok?”

“Besides the seething in my gut, yeah. I’m good. Not gonna strip you in front of the dragon,” Ann said, giving her druid a gentle smile and a boop on the nose.

“Oh thank goodness. That’d be really awkward cause we barely know anyone, and I know Kat likes an audience, but I kinda really don’t so that’d affect a lot of stuff but you wouldn’t care if you were in that state because you can barely control yourself, so yeah.”

Ann’s rage calmed as she listened to Rosalyn’s rambling. Her Lambchop was back. She could move forward now.

Bren was already healing Kat. The blood had stopped, but the scales would take time to regrow. It looked wrong, now. Four patches that didn’t match the glittering blue pattern on the back of her neck.

Alruna had taken a seat and was trying to look calm and failing miserably. Her robes were barely put back in order, and her veil was crooked. Her movements pressed down the fluff around her neck, though it was slowly regaining its volume. Not to mention her sleeves were pulled up a bit, exposing the pale skin of her arms.

As Ann watched, whatever it was under her sleeves rippled and pulled them into place. She still didn’t get a good look at what they were, but something similar happened to her veil as well. The woman didn’t move, but her clothes adjusted on their own. Daughter of Worms gave Ann something to go on, but not much. She’d have to figure out more about her.

Rosalyn was sandwiched between Ann and Kat. Neither of them were willing to let go of her next to the dragon after his last display. Bren and Lucia took a love seat nearby, but Ann was in no mood for teasing right now.

“So, I’m in the five-k club. How about you?” she asked Eldest of All.

“Twelve,” the dragon rumbled. “Seven long millennia spent watching from hidden corners of the world. Unable to stretch my wings and soar over the oceans. It was a trying life until the Gods returned. Now this curse has brought me underground once more. Possibly for the final time.”

“Yeah, that sucks. So here’s what happened to me,” Ann said, sitting forward.