[TWS] Chapter 292 – The First Followers

With everyone gathered, Asterios and his team moved out of their temporary residence, taking the shortest path to the shrine with the hidden passage. Technically, no one had yet seen the results of their little experiment, but the message that had arrived was a positive one. Miria couldn’t hold back her enthusiasm and the snuggly panthergirl kept nuzzling into Ast’s neck and face with her own soft cheeks. She hung down from his shoulders for over half the way to their destination, capturing the attention of many villagers.

But, she had to leave one of her favorite spots so that they could descend into the sacred grounds of the Lizardkin tribe. The tunnel leading to the Dragon’s tomb was just too narrow to allow for any mischief and casual fun. Miria led the charge while skipping a step or two with an agile bounce in her leaps, making everyone smile or chuckle at their friend’s antics. Zoe could only shake her head, clearly used to it, but embarrassed more than the culprit.

Soon, they strolled into the familiar chamber and found Presto already waiting for them. Miria skipped around between them while urging Asterios and the girls to hurry. As much as she wanted to see what had happened to the ore, she loved the premise of checking on it together with everyone much more. Especially with her beloved mate.

From afar, the difference was hard to catch, so they met up with the village chief in the middle. Asterios caught the energetic panthergirl amidst her silly giggles and pulled her to his side, enjoying the excited purring she released into his ear.

“We’ve come right after receiving the word,” he began. “Did the ore change properly?”

“Please, follow me, and I will show you.” The man bowed respectfully and gestured towards the big skeleton first.

They followed after him and stopped in front of the bowl underneath the Dragon’s Heart. Asterios glanced at it briefly, considering everything he had discussed with Tina and Althea just earlier, and set his eyes on the chunks of metal lying in a pool of his own blood.

He picked one piece up and examined it from all angles. “Should it look any different?”

“Yes, it should,” Presto replied. “Unfortunately, this batch doesn’t, as you all can see. The bottom part of this chunk is only slightly colored but that’s pretty natural considering the liquid it has been soaking in for the past few hours. I have confirmed that it’s still the same normal tin as before.”

“Awww. I thought it succeeded?” Miria’s lips formed a sad pout.

“To be specific, the message said that there was news about the ore and we can come to check at any time,” Silvia said.

“Which, to be honest, would be kind of pointless if there was completely no change whatsoever,” Selene continued. “Unless Chief Presto is confident that waiting any longer would be of no difference and bear no further results.”

“Well, we do have one more batch to see, don’t we?” The Lizardkin man smirked at them with a light chuckle.

Asterios returned the ore to its previous spot and they left the bowl alone for now. The second one was a bit more important than cleaning up the failed portion. Miria practically dragged him towards the far container as they walked after the elder. She let out a shocked gasp the very moment their eyes lay on the other bowl.

The main difference was that the metal pieces sat in an empty container. There was no blood amongst them, with the bottom of the bowl clearly visible to everyone standing around. A trace of the crimson liquid over it and the bottom half of the chunks in the form of reddish sediment was the only evidence that the blood had been there.

Once more, Asterios lifted one of the pieces and immediately could tell that it had somehow grown heavier. The girls peered at the ore, which also seemed more vibrant and reflective. Tiny bits embedded all over it glimmered in the firelight like the surface of a mirror. There was no one who couldn’t spot the difference between the two batches.

“So, it looks like my blood works only with my spiritual energy,” Asterios mused. “Did this batch turn out fine? Is it the same as what you had worked with in the past?”

“We weren’t yet able to confirm it one hundred percent since I didn’t want to disturb the test before you arrived, but from what I can see and feel, it should have worked,” Presto answered, twirling his own piece of transformed tin. “Fascinating. It’s been so long since we’ve witnessed fresh Dragonsteel Ore. I never thought we would be able to create more after our patron’s passing.”

“The chances of another Dragon falling right at your doorstep were unbelievably low but I guess you guys are also unbelievably lucky.” Grea snickered, glancing at Asterios.

“Will you be able to confirm this anytime soon?” he asked the man.

“Of course. I’ll deliver this batch to the descendant of the blacksmith who has created your twin blades right this instant. It will take just a moment to verify if this ore has inherited all the properties of Dragonsteel. He will be on cloud nine over the prospect of working with a raw, unaltered batch.”

“Great. Do that and let’s meet somewhere in the meanwhile. We have a lot to talk about.” Asterios nodded with a calm, serious expression.

“If this is about providing more tin for you in exchange for the majority of produced Dragonsteel, then I give you my word that we shall not disappoint.” The man bowed low.

“That too but there’s something else. Something a bit more vital to your tribe,” Asterios added.

Presto studied his face for a brief moment before bowing once more. “Very well. I’ll run to quickly get everyone working on the ore while you may request the guards at the central hall to bring you to my personal audience chamber. They are already informed to treat you as their superiors. I’ll be with you in a flash.”

As he had said, the man dashed towards the stairs and disappeared into the tunnel. Asterios and the girls stopped playing with the chunks, returning the pieces to the bowl, and headed for the exit too. After resurfacing, they slowly walked towards the chief’s keep.

“So, what is this about?” Grea asked, waggling her brows at him. “You figured out a way to get your claws on the heart without turning them all against us?”

“Yeah. Kind of. It might have the opposite effect, though.” He smirked at the demon lady.

“Oh?”

“Asterios is going to replace the dead Dragon and take the Lizardkin as his slaves,” Tina said with a proud smile. “That should solve all their problems and make the heart pretty much obsolete, which should allow Ast to scoop it for himself.”

“Damn.” The mischievous researcher whistled. “That’s new.”

“Master is going to take slaves?” Miria’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“Technically, yes, but I don’t really like that expression.” He nodded, reaching out to stroke her fluffy ears. “We talked with Althea and she insisted on me making use of all the abilities my draconic lineage provides. I should be actively building my entourage with more than just bonded mates. I’m still considering turning the Lizardkin into servants instead but I’m just trying to get over the terrible name of this last tier on the True Dragon subordinate list.”

“And she said he might be able to transport even unbonded people between realms so that opens a lot of possibilities,” Tina added.

Miria gasped at that while Silvia started rubbing her chin. “So, we are starting to build our own, interdimensional army. While we six make a great elite squad, even the Dragon King can’t go without his foot soldiers.”

He rolled his eyes. “That’s not becoming a thing. Period.”

Selene chuckled impishly into his ear. “Just don’t fight it and enjoy the ride.”

Asterios slipped his fingers into her cloudy tail, evoking a surprised moan from the fox lady. She nibbled on her bottom lip as he continued to caress the sensitive bundle of fluff.

“We need to get Suanori! And Ellie! And Rudy! And Atra!” Miria began listing people, bubbling with excitement. “Oh! And Zoe!”

“M-Me?” Her canine friend’s head snapped to the panthergirl with surprise and shock.

“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t love to see other realms! And to work for Master!” Miria beamed at her. “We could use a friend here other than me and Selene! What do you say?”

“I… Don’t know…” Zoe dropped her gaze as her cheeks gained a bit of color.

“Easy there. Don’t push anyone into this, Miria. We don’t even know if it works yet. You can say that this will be the real test,” Asterios admonished his overenthusiastic mate, paired with some intense headpats.

“Ehehe~ Sorry, Master.” She purred loudly with a wide grin.

“This is an unexpected turn of events, though,” Bryn joined in. “Even so, I think it’s a good one. No matter if they are called slaves, grunts, foot soldiers, or anything else, I know you will take good care of anyone under your lead, Master.”

“Maybe staying more true to your lineage and ancestry like this will bring you closer to unlocking more memories alongside your draconic powers, my Lord.” Selene pondered with a soft smile.

“We’ll see. Let’s think about it after we finish here.” He released the two girls from his clutches as they arrived at their destination.

The guards brought them to the mentioned chamber without an issue and they made themselves comfortable in a quite fancy office clearly belonging to the village leader. They discussed the meeting with Althea, including the bits about the poison cult. The revelation surprised some of the girls, especially those who had accompanied Asterios during all of their interactions with the evil organization’s facilities and members. They wondered how Imadil or Suanori would react to the news.

True to his words, Presto joined them not that long after. The man looked like he had run a marathon but didn’t let it bother him in the slightest. Bringing some fine wine to the table to quench his thirst and offer some to his guests, he sat on the opposite side of the meeting area.

“What are the matters we need to discuss, then, Great Lord?” he began expectantly.

“It’s about the Ancestral Flame.” Beads of sweat riddled the man’s forehead at Ast’s words. “It won’t last you forever.”

“Pardon my rudeness, but are you completely certa—”

“I’m not trying to give you excuses to steal it from you,” Asterios interrupted him. “I’m here to make you an offer.”

“An offer?” The man furrowed his brows at him.

“As I said, the Ancestral Flame won’t remain active forever. It’s actually what you would call a Dragon’s Heart and it’s a miracle it lasted this long after the death of its owner. As you can imagine, most of its direct effects will disappear once it’s gone,” Asterios explained. “But, I’m a True Dragon just like the entity you attempted to help. I think our small experiment has confirmed that I possess similar qualities. Therefore, if you are willing, here’s a deal. I can take you all under me in return for part of the Dragonsteel you smelt and the ownership of the fading heart before it turns into nothing.”

“You would become… our lord?” The man blinked repeatedly.

“Think about it. Asterios is a powerful, healthy True Dragon. He doesn’t need to resort to dirty tricks like the injured one and could easily take everything he wanted from you instead. He has no reason to lie,” Silvia reasoned with him.

“And he is a very kind and compassionate leader,” Bryn added with a cordial smile. “You would never be abused. Rather, you would be in great hands.”

“Consider in just how much better than the claws of that dying, scheming fucker.” Grea snorted. “With Asterios, it’s pretty certain you would not only save your fading means of popping more Dragonkin babies and enhanced bloodline, but even experience some more benefits. A live Dragon has to have more tricks up his sleeve than a dead Dragon, right?”

Asterios glanced at them as the girls made his sales pitch in his stead and couldn’t help but smile wryly. He hadn’t planned on that but they were really doing their best to portray him in the finest possible light for this. It felt a little wrong considering the fact that they were all doing this to capture an entire tribe of slaves for him, but he did his best not to think about the Lizardkin like that.

“Is that even… possible?” Presto glanced at him. “We are still bound to our previous lord.”

“It’s not like he can do anything about it.” Asterios shrugged. “Of course, if you would rather break out from his control and return to being fully free, I won’t be forcing you into anything.”

“It would be the greatest honor!” The man slammed his palms into the table and brought his forehead just to its surface too. “We will serve to our last breaths if you accept our tribe and allow us to remain Dragonkin!”

“Well… That seemed easy…” Miria whispered into Ast’s ear with a quiet giggle.

“Do you think everyone will share your opinion on this?” Asterios asked.

“There’s no doubt! Our people have always wondered how our lives would have looked if our great patron hadn’t passed away! This is a great opportunity!” Presto almost shouted back.

“If you are certain then we could conduct a proper ceremony with all your people. Or you could represent them if you think that’s better. The choice is—”

A knock on the door interrupted Asterios and everyone looked towards the entrance before turning back to the Lizardkin chief.

“This has to be the blacksmith’s assistant,” Presto informed them and Asterios nodded. “Come in!”

A young boy opened the door and stood at the doorstep. “Everything is in the right order, Chief!”

“Perfect! Thank you! I’ll send more instructions soon! For now, just hang on!” the man replied with an excited tone and the boy scurried away. “It looks like we can really create more Dragonsteel now. A true miracle.”

“One of many to come.” Grea smirked.

“What should we do?” He stared at Asterios expectantly.

“Let’s gather everyone in a spot where they can all fit,” Asterios replied. “Also, Tina, would you mind?”

She shook her head. “Not in the slightest. I’ll fill Imadil and Cynthia in on what we’ve learned and let them know to prepare some tin for you. If this works in our realm, they will have plenty to work with after we return.”

“Thanks. I love you.” He placed a gentle peck on her cheek but she pouted at him and they shared a tame kiss instead.

Right away, Tina jumped through her gate and disappeared to do as she’d said. Asterios then turned back to the chief.

“It will take a moment to gather everyone so I suggest you wait here, Lord Asterios, or perhaps visit the blacksmith to confirm his judgment yourself. He will also gladly inform you about all the details regarding the ore and how we process it if you are planning on passing that knowledge on to your other subordinates,” the man offered.

“We’ll do just that. Thank you.” Asterios nodded politely and they left the building together.

Presto called for one of the guards to show them the way while he busied himself with sharing the news with the entire village. Ast’s group met with the blacksmith and his assistant, discussing everything the craftsman knew about the Dragonsteel. Miria brought up the topic of her blades and he almost teared up seeing his ancestor’s heirloom, especially preserved in such a good condition.

After just about an hour, someone came to fetch them so they could work out the details of the ceremony. Asterios shared a brief chat with the girls about it and they joined the messenger while leaving him to stay with the blacksmith for a little longer. As much as he wanted to help, they assured him that they would love to prepare everything for him and let Asterios play the main role properly. Naturally, he didn’t argue too much and accepted their goodwill.

It took another hour before Zoe returned to the smithy and guided Asterios to the place where the ceremony was going to be held. They entered most likely the biggest empty square in the entire village, now filled with people sitting on their knees in even rows and columns. There were tens of them, ranging from the youngest children held by their mothers to the oldest elders displaying their deep devotion by remaining perfectly still.

Each person was dressed in somewhat matted crimson robes with some black details. There was no doubt that those were the tribe’s ceremonial outfits, possibly dating the ancient times even from before the wounded Dragon had taken them in. Small, shiny, metal bowls rested in front of all the gathered people, clearly made of their precious Dragonsteel.

As Asterios walked between the rows of villagers, they looked up at him and made polite bows when he passed them. Some more devout followers of their previous patron sighed in awe and muttered some silent prayers toward him. It felt really eerie, but Asterios did his best to return the gestures with respectful nods.

Reaching the front of the formation, he found his mates standing in line and paused for a moment.

The girls had dressed up too. Judging by the style of their clothes, they had paid a visit to Selene’s realm and picked up a bunch of single-piece robes that wound around their bodies in both gracious and alluring manner, showcasing their arms, shoulders, and legs. Each of them wore a dress of different color. Miria’s was scarlet red, Selene’s sapphire blue, Tina’s light turquoise, Silvia’s amber orange, Grea’s deep black, and Bryn’s perfect, glimmering gold. They all looked completely stunning with soft, gentle smiles on their lips.

Noticing Zoe passing him, Asterios broke out of his sudden stupor and quickly joined the six goddesses, letting them lead him to his central spot as they took his sides. Miria leaned in to whisper into his ear as they stood facing the entire village, with the chief at the very front.

“Follow Silvia’s instructions, Master, and you will be good,” she said with a dazzling smile.

“Doesn’t this feel like a little too much?” He chuckled quietly.

“For your official first time doing this? Not in the slightest, Master,” she purred proudly. “Just let us take care of it for you.”

He nodded and turned to the other side as the fiery princess approached him with something between her palms held in front of her chest. His eyes widened a little as he recognized the shimmering, flaming orb. It was the Dragon’s Heart from the sacred grounds. She raised it for a few seconds, showing it to the crowd, and then extended her hands to him while lowering her head.

Knowing exactly what to do without needing her to tell him, Asterios took the mesmerizing crystal into his hand, raised it into the air too, and crushed it in his grip while staring back at the villagers. Intense heat surged through his arm and to his very core at that very moment, followed by red flames coiling around his clothes. People bowed to the ground as more and more spiritual energy filled the plaza.

Remembering Althea’s words, he tried his best to feed the gained essence to his third source. It was easier said than done. Both of his draconic sources fought to swallow it for themselves, with the crimson one being in the lead due to the bloodline compatibility. As he struggled against their pull, more draconic features and aura surged out of his body, causing everyone’s clothes to flutter in the spiritual wind.

By the end of it, Asterios stood in his fully transformed humanoid state, complete with wings, horns, a tail, and a lot of scales. Some of the essence had been assimilated by his two Dragon’s Hearts, but the majority was successfully guided into his third source. Receiving a few thoughts filled with intentions from Silvia, he initiated his shift before the aura began fading.

Many people gasped as the figure of a mighty True Dragon materialized in front of them before pressing their foreheads even stronger to the ground. Asterios regarded them with an unhurried glance, holding back the urge to release a booming roar, which unexpectedly tugged at his heart. Miria and Selene stepped closer to his leg just like down in the sacred grounds and he lay down with his side to the crowd, popping off one of his scales with his sharp fangs once more.

As the panthergirl used her blade to create a cut in his tough skin, the chief stood up and approached them with his bowl. Selene released the pressure she held on the thin wound and assisted the flow of Ast’s blood to assure that all of it made it into the ceremonial container. In the meanwhile, Miria drew a complex sigil on his forehead. After receiving a few spoonfuls, the man bowed and returned to his previous location.

Then, one by one, each person followed the same pattern until everyone had a bowl filled with blood in front of them. When Zoe approached Asterios with her own bowl, he raised his front leg and stopped her gently with his talon.

“I would like to personally welcome you as my servant instead if it isn’t Miria rather than your own decision,” he calmly stated, peering deep into the girl’s wide eyes.

She nodded respectfully and scurried to the side, flushing a little bit at the wide grin her feline friend directed at her.

With the entire Lizardkin tribe ready for the next step, Asterios stood up and faced them again. The people took their bowls off the ground and raised them above their heads. As he spread his wings wide and took a firm stance, they brought the bowls to their lips and took a sip the very moment Asterios released a fierce roar into the village. Their runes glowed deep crimson as the air shook from shockwaves.

Asterios felt something forming inside him, on a way lesser level than all the bonds and connections he shared with his mates, aides, or servants. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to communicate mentally with these people, but there was a lot he had to discover about this type of submission and all its benefits and effects.

And so, the first step to build his draconic retinue was finished.