[TWS] Chapter 274 – Nature Always Finds a Way

“What do you mean by created them?” Grea was the first one to ask.

“Exactly what you think,” the queen replied with a barely noticeable hint of a smile tugging on her firm lips, definitely relishing in the awed expressions of Miria and a few other girls.

Althea shook her head at the interruption and turned to Asterios to continue. “The secret of the Tree and everything that happened had to be preserved. No one could predict what would be the reaction of other races to the news of the Tree of Life still existing. Naturally, its existence would be known only to the most important people in the nation, which included the queen and the elders, but they still needed a way to assure that no one would willingly or not give it away perchance they had learned about it. They needed control.”

She glanced up and everyone followed the Dragon lady’s gaze, staring at the massive tree roots covering most of the ceiling.

“My spiritual aspect is nature. Back then, when I was still at the peak of my strength, I managed to commune with the Tree of Life.” A reminiscing smile snuck onto her soft lips. “I tapped into its energy and it helped me construct the binding spell involving the entire elven race. Every single elf is born with a connection to the Tree, no matter where the miracle of life happens. Since the Tree can’t exert any direct, external influence over its subjects, it used me as an intermediary, letting me take control of the magic.”

“Is that why it won’t affect us? Because we aren’t elves?” Tina wondered out loud.

“Not exactly.” The woman shook her head. “Other races can still be bound by the same oaths as long as those are taken in the close vicinity of the Tree or any elf since every person shares the aforementioned connection with it. My magic would still be able to affect you. But, the same can’t be said about your man.”

Asterios cocked his head to the back in understanding. “Because you are a Lesser Dragon.”

“Correct.” She nodded gently. “The spell can settle in your mind and give you a little tickle whenever you try to break the oath, but you can easily overpower it with the might of your will. Even more so with not just one but two Dragon’s Hearts at your disposal. You are basically twice as strong as any other True Dragon.”

“Weren’t Dragons part of the beings that had more than one source?” Miria tilted her head curiously.

“While certainly a dense hub of spiritual energy, a Dragon’s Heart is not the same thing as a source by common understanding. Both Lesser and True Dragons can have more than one source but only a single Heart,” Althea replied.

“Ah. I see.” Selene rubbed her chin. “For other entities, even the ones that can peer into the spiritual, those would be hard to distinguish, right? So, someone could see two sources inside a Dragon but wouldn’t be aware that one of them is a Heart?”

“Correct again.” The emerald-haired beauty smiled at her and Asterios. “You have surrounded yourself with smart mates.”

Miria’s ears flattened a tiny bit but Asterios quickly caressed them lovingly and leaned to the side to place a delicate peck on the panthergirl’s cheek. “Asking the right questions about things you don’t know is as smart as knowing the answers. Thanks to you, Selene was able to figure things out. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

She met his eyes with a gaze brimming with affection and started purring sweetly. Asterios let Miria rub her cheek into his, enjoying both the adorable sound and the pleasant skin contact coming from his precious mate. Not wanting to rob Miria out of the comfortable moment, he guided her face to his neck before returning his focus to the Dragon lady.

“I can’t believe that even my Third Eye wasn’t able to pick up a difference at first,” Grea commented from the side.

“Are you able to now?” Asterios raised a brow at her.

She grinned at him with a proud smirk and her Third Eye slowly revealed itself. “It certainly isn’t fucking easy to look at you without feeling like my head is going to burst, but yeah, I am. The difference is truly minuscule, though. I have to focus harder than when I’m trying not to gag as you are pounding my throat with your fat, thick cock. Even then, I feel like I wouldn’t be able to tell without knowing what I’m looking for. All three sources are just so similar.”

He rolled his eyes at the comparison as the girls chuckled, all of them quite used to Grea’s flowery language. She nibbled lightly on her bottom lip while shooting him a sultry look, knowing perfectly well what effect her intentional teasing had on everyone. There wasn’t a moment Grea wouldn’t try to rile him up a little bit.

“Wait. Three?” Althea’s eyes widened slightly.

“Yes?” Asterios looked back at her in mild confusion, uncertain why she seemed shocked. “Didn’t you say that Dragons could have multiple?”

“Certainly, I did, but… You have two Hearts…” she whispered more to herself than the others.

“Why does that matter?” Silvia asked.

Althea looked at Asterios with newfound curiosity. “A Dragon’s Heart is like a more powerful source, speaking in the simplest terms. For us, Lesser Dragons, we are usually born with just our Heart, which would make us single-source entities in the eyes of your people. Rarely, a strong one can be born amongst us, bearing a Heart and a source. That usually happens after a union with a True Dragon. Well, I say union, but…”

The way she uncomfortably moved her gaze to the side gave Asterios enough answers not to pry further. Considering what he knew about the hierarchy in a True Dragon’s entourage, and what he had just learned about the treatment Lesser Dragons were subjected to, it wasn’t hard to imagine what situation they usually ended up in after being picked up by a True Dragon. And it definitely did not resemble the way he picked up his mates.

He sent Althea a fleeting nod while closing his eyes briefly. As he’d hoped, she noticed the gesture and a slightly more relaxed, appreciative smile painted her beautiful lips. The others seemed to miss their brief exchange and allowed her to continue without having to expand on her latest comment.

“As for True Dragons, they are born with a Heart and a source by default. There is a chance that a powerful individual will have a second source but that’s incredibly rare.” She stopped for a moment as her brows delicately rose up. “Actually, it hasn’t always been that unprecedented. Before the Great Division, the multi-colored True Dragons were definitely much stronger than the current, separated lineages, certainly having more than one source alongside their Dragon’s Heart.”

“It sounds like their kind fell really hard,” Bryn said and Asterios sent some cheering thoughts her way.

He could feel the connection she was feeling between their people. Both had been most likely the strongest beings in plenty if not all of their realms before a tragic event changed everything. The current True Dragons and valkyrjas were nowhere close to their ancient predecessors as their strength and potential had degraded over time.

Though, that didn’t exactly include Bryn anymore, thanks to Asterios. She had pushed past her limits and stepped onto a path the one called the first Sky Queen had walked ages ago. As much as the humble Valkyrie wanted to deny turning into a stronger version of her kind after becoming his mate, the way her halo, which was the equivalent of spiritual circuits for her people, had evolved, left no doubt about that.

~Thank you, Master,~ Bryn whispered to him through their bond, sensing his deep feelings.

“So, I’m one of those rare individuals, then?” He resumed the conversation after their short moment.

“I haven’t finished yet.” Althea showed a faint smirk. “The point towards which I was heading is the fact that, no matter what, there’s always only one Dragon’s Heart. Because of how powerful it is. Technically speaking, even though it’s definitely far from accurate, one Dragon’s Heart could be compared to two or three normal Dragon sources. And there’s obviously a limit to how much one’s body, mind, and spirit can withstand.”

“Ah. The current True Dragons aren’t as strong as the ancient ones, including the progenitors.” Tina gasped quietly, looking like she’d caught on.

“Yes, including the progenitors. And their descendants, of course.” Althea nodded at her graciously. “An entity born with two Dragon’s Hearts shouldn’t be capable of bearing even a single additional source alongside them. Even just the Hearts would be pushing their limits to the extreme. I’m not saying that you are weak, Asterios, but even having in mind your roots, I can’t fathom how you were brought into this world with two Hearts and a source. Who was your other parent? Someone even more ancient than the old True Dragons?”

Asterios turned his face to exchange glances with Selene. “My mother is supposedly the ancestor of my mate here. I don’t think Spiritual Foxes, even those of the Moonborn bloodline, are any above a True Dragon. The current True Dragon.”

Althea eyed Selene up attentively, her gleaming, bright emerald eyes brimming with energy. “You would be right. Not to sound rude, but a child of such a pair shouldn’t be this… remarkable. Two Hearts and a source. How?”

“It’s super mysterious and intriguing, right?” Miria beamed at the woman, her tail dancing gleefully. “I was so surprised when we learned about Master’s sealed Dragon’s Heart, and then the other half that had been taken away from him. But, even with only his source in the beginning, I always knew how amazing Master is!”

A deep frown scrunched the Dragon lady’s forehead. “Only his source in the beginning…?”

As she looked between him and the panthergirl, Asterios sighed heavily and decided to explain a little.

“We are on a small quest to discover what exactly is my past and origins, but I haven’t always been like… this. Back in the day, I had only one source like all other humans. I thought it was incredibly weak and struggled with my Summoning Magic a lot. But, it turned out that it wasn’t exactly my source’s fault. There was a tight seal on my crimson Dragon’s Heart, hiding it away from me completely. Still, all the beasts somewhat sensed my potential and avoided me,” he began.

“Their loss.” Miria snuggled his arm into her chest, purring lovingly. “I would jump at the chance to come to you just like I had in the past no matter when and how I would have gotten that opportunity, Master.”

He kissed her forehead. “Things changed after that as I started using my draconic mana openly. I barely reached for my normal source anymore. But, later we met someone who said that I’m not whole. Things happened and we found out that I had a second Dragon’s Heart, coming from Black, most likely due to the wound he left on my actual father during their fight. Red had somehow extracted it from my body when I was little, then sealed the other one, and my memories, finally dropping me off in a village he razed so that both he and I were safe from his enemies.”

“We regained Master’s other Heart just recently from my world as he helped my people reclaim a long-lost facility,” Bryn added with a radiant smile.

Althea looked stunned, glancing between all the women sitting around the wooden table. Whoever her eyes landed on, nodded at her firmly, confirming Ast’s story. She finally stopped after a while, raised one hand in the air between them, and used the other to rub her eyes.

“Wait, wait, wait. So, you are saying that there was a time when you had no Hearts at all?” she asked slowly, but before anyone could answer, she continued on her own. “Oh, great ancestors… It can’t be…”

Her eyelids rose and her colorful irises glowed brightly, gleaming with power. Asterios could feel her scrutinizing gaze on himself, peering deep into his spiritual structure. After a second or two, Althea’s pupils narrowed so much they were barely visible over the hypnotizing green of her enchanting eyes.

“It is…” she whispered in awe.

“What is?” Asterios frowned.

But, instead of words, it was blood that left the Dragon woman’s mouth as she entered a strong coughing fit. The queen gasped in panic and held her steady as Althea fell a bit forward and tried to reclaim control over her shuddering body. More blood sputtered out of her lips as she covered them with her slender hand.

“Do you have a death wish?!” Civienne shouted angrily, though Asterios and the girls could feel the worry and anxiety in the queen’s voice. “You shouldn’t even move, not to mention using any of your magic! You stupid grandma! Who is going to scold me for every little thing I do after you are gone?!”

A small smile forced itself onto Althea’s strained lips. The queen had broken her cold facade even further in front of them. Though, Asterios wasn’t exactly sure if it really was a facade in the end. It might just be that her teacher and caretaker’s condition brought even the most suppressed feelings and emotions out of her cold heart.

“Bryn.” Asterios’ head snapped to his beautiful, winged healer and the Valkyrie acted without a hint of hesitation.

Golden threads of spiritual energy filled the air around them as Bryn closed her eyes and made a triangular shape with her palms. A small light construct began spinning in the gap between them as her complex halo materialized over her head and started to glow brightly. She put her everything in the spell and felt an additional stream of mana surge into her body, feeling her with warmth, and also love. Trying not to break her concentration by smiling, she focused fully on treating the hurting woman as much as she could.

A few short minutes passed in complete silence, though it might have very well felt like hours to the queen and Asterios. When the golden light finally receded and Bryn exhaled deeply, Althea looked a bit better, at least not coughing up blood anymore. Asterios took a hold of Bryn’s palms, still forming a triangle in front of him, and brought them up to his lips so he could place an appreciative kiss on top of her hand. She leaned into his back and rested her chin on his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Asterios asked, directing his question at Althea as the queen helped the woman sit straight again.

“Thanks to your mate, yes.” She nodded lightly. “Though, not for long.”

“No amount of healing can nullify the malady plaguing her. It always catches up after a while,” the queen explained and regarded Asterios with a hopeful look. “We really need your help. I will do anything in my power to reward you appropriately. Just, please, save her life.”

“I don’t even know if I can,” Asterios replied honestly. “But I will do whatever I can to try.”

“Let us finish the previous thought first, then we can tackle the mess my Little Lavender has created.” A soft chuckle escaped Althea’s lips. “I’ve never ever heard of anything like this happening. The world truly is a vast and magical place.”

“What do you mean? What did you see?” Grea pressed the woman.

“You weren’t born with this source.” Althea met Ast’s gaze.

“What?” He couldn’t do anything else than stare at her blankly.

“You were born with two Dragon’s Hearts. And that’s all. Nothing else was able to fit in your body,” she replied.

“Then how do you explain Asterios having a third source?” Silvia frowned gently.

“It’s not inherited, it’s formed.” Althea smiled, excitement visible in her sparkling eyes. “Devoid of both Hearts, your body was empty. Even though it lived only a short time with them, it still missed their presence greatly. In fact, it missed them so much that the void present inside your spiritual center began absorbing essence from the environment. You literally created yourself a replacement. If given enough time, it’s possible that this source might have even grown as strong as both of your Dragon’s Hearts combined. But, of course, that process was incredibly slow.”

“I… formed a source?” Asterios blinked repeatedly. “That’s…”

“Even more insane than him having multiple!” Grea threw her arms into the air. “What the fuck?!”

“True Dragons.” Althea chuckled quietly, clearly amused. “They are known for breaking all the common sense.”

“So, after Master reclaimed his Dragon’s Hearts, it still remained there, making him stronger?” Bryn wondered. “Does he now have three sources equal to a Dragon’s Heart?”

“I’m sure it would have damaged his spiritual circuits after he reabsorbed his other Heart, but somehow, something must have helped him readjust shortly after it happened. It’s literally a miracle,” Althea replied.

“A miracle…” Selene tapped her lips. “Do you think…”

“The device!” Miria shouted. “It has to be! Master used it multiple times, including before we fought the ugly Dragon!”

Asterios laughed a little. “Ugly? Is there something you would like to tell me?”

She giggled wryly and glanced at him with an upturned gaze. “I didn’t mean it like that, Master…”

He winked at her and turned back to the two ladies on the other side of the table. “Is there anything else you are able to share with us about it?”

“It’s unfortunately the weakest out of the three, slightly throwing off your spiritual stability. As I mentioned, it didn’t have enough time to match the energy of even a single Heart. It would have needed decades if not centuries,” Althea continued. “But, there’s a chance that… I might be able to help you with that.”

“What? No, you are not doing anything to strain yourself even more, Teacher,” the queen protested almost immediately.

Althea sighed dejectedly. “I know. I didn’t mean right now. It wouldn’t be possible with the current me anyway. I’m far too weakened.”

“If we were able to get rid of this malady and help you recover your strength, then?” Tina glanced at her hopefully.

“Most likely.” The woman smiled warmly. “Because he kept absorbing the essence from the environment, it’s closely connected to the aspect of nature. Which, as you know, is my specialty. My Dragon’s Heart is attuned to it. There is a chance that I might be able to awaken his source, strengthening it.”

“I’m still very new to this, but you aren’t offering your own Heart, right?” Asterios asked pensively. “I have taken one from a red True Dragon woman in the past and absorbed its flames. It certainly felt reinvigorating, though I didn’t exactly enjoy having no choice but to kill her in a quite excruciating way at that time.”

A slightly fearful expression flickered on the queen’s face and Althea chuckled lightly. “It would be pointless to struggle to fix me just to forfeit my own life right after, don’t you think so? No, I’m not even sure if you could strengthen yourself like that. It’s a source, not a Dragon’s Heart you have there.”

“Good.” Asterios nodded to himself while she raised a single brow at him, followed by a kind smile. “Anyway, we can’t really do anything about it before you are healthy again. You’ve been able to peer into my sources earlier and deduce so much. What makes you, or rather the queen, think that my gaze will make any difference?”

“What I used is nowhere close to the Eyes of the World that True Dragons possess.” She shook her head. “You are most likely the only entity possibly capable of discovering something new about my situation that we can get a hold of. Truthfully speaking, finding a True Dragon willing to offer help has not been on that list. Maybe if one desired me as their pleasure slave, wanting to dominate and humiliate me for centuries, they would consider treating my ailment so that I lasted longer.”

Asterios scowled openly. “Sick bastards.”

“Master isn’t like that!” Miria glared at nowhere in particular, possibly at all the other existing True Dragons, and embraced him with even more affection. “Master is kind, polite, respectful, nice, and loves us very, very much! Even when he is tired of it, he always takes good care of us! He would never do something like that to any girl! He doesn’t care about races or stupid things like that!”

Althea smiled charmingly as all the girls kept nodding during the panthergirl’s speech. “I know. He really is different. But, pardon me, I won’t be able to get rid of this instinctual fear that quickly, no matter how much I believe in you and him. It’s a constant battle in my head.”

“I’m sorry about that. I don’t think I have any control over this,” Asterios apologized honestly.

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “It’s the natural order of things. Prey fears predator. It’s you who are breaking these principles.”

“Predators do not abuse their prey. They hunt it.” He tightened his fingers into fists. “I will try my best to hold back my aura as much as I can.”

“Thank you.” She lowered her head politely. “I truly appreciate everything you do.”

“Now, let’s get to it. We’ve been talking about me for a while. It’s time to focus on you.” He took a deep breath as Althea raised herself and waited with a tense expression.

Asterios reached for his draconic mana and filled his eyes with it in a flash. To push them even further, he drew on both of his Hearts. Straining his draconic vision so much caused a prickle of pain in his mind but he withstood it until it disappeared.

He thought that things didn’t work for a moment, expecting to see the familiar grayscale cover his vision. But, it wasn’t that the colors had remained where they had initially been. This entire place was just so full of spiritual energy and various, complex magics that it glowed like a multitude of mesmerizing lights.

It took him a moment to tune out his surroundings and focus solely on the woman sitting opposite him. He peered deep into her being, wanting to discover everything he could about the female Lesser Dragon on the verge of death. It felt very intimate as he dove into her being and saw her shiver delicately, but he did his best to shrug it off. There was no time to think useless thoughts. He was doing this to save her.

After a few long seconds, he grimaced and the girls didn’t miss that.

“What is it, my Lord?” Selene asked first.

“Things aren’t looking good… I’m in awe that she is able to still hold out…” He shook his head. “She is almost completely crippled spiritually… From the tips of her circuits… To the very edges of her Heart… Its energy and her pure will are the only things keeping it from becoming corrupted too…”

The queen cursed under her breath as the atmosphere around them grew heavier. Anything related to the spiritual aspect was the worst to mend, especially damaged circuits or sources. A wry smile painted Althea’s lips as she slowly lowered her eyes to the table, possibly already expecting a similar revelation after everything they had tried in regard to her body and mind in the past. Her illness was so extremely deep-rooted in her spirituality that even their means had not been able to examine it.

“But…” Asterios trailed off and everyone focused on him again. “There’s something familiar about this…”