Chapter 254: Heresy

Sotarr wasn’t the only one among his peers eager for the connection to the Ryser Clan’s world. Many members—even a few elders—had taken an interest in selecting a disciple from the clan, sensing that the link was on the verge of fully establishing itself.

For his part, Sotarr felt a deep sense of pride in his students and their followers. Even though he had given them only the lesser, heavily simplified version of the array, their rapid progress was impressive. They were already nearing completion, a feat worth acknowledging. On their end, a nearly continent-spanning array had been constructed on one of their spare worlds to supply the immense energy needed to establish the connection. The array his students had built acted only as a receiver, but the fact that they had reached this stage so quickly was still a testament to their capability.

He knew his pupils were currently busy, but there was still much to teach King and the other dragons. So far, he had only managed brief moments between training sessions, but once the array was fully established, he would be able to visit whenever he pleased—even if his disciples were off-world. And with King focused on guarding his world and brood, now was the perfect time to do so.

His eyes sharpened as he felt the magic settle into place. Letting his own power seep into the array, he sent a fragment of his consciousness across the vast expanse to their young universe—countless galaxies and spatial phenomena flashing past in an instant—until he arrived outside Rathos, within its extended walls.

The enchanters working on the array stared at him, wide-eyed, clearly startled. They had likely not expected him—nor the other members of the Lyraxis—to simply wait for them to finish. But to him, and most of his kind, days or even weeks were such a negligible span of time that it felt no different than arriving an hour early rather than weeks late. Time had a way of slipping past when it held so little weight.

After offering a polite bow to the crafters, he shifted his spectral form and moved directly toward where he sensed King and his matriarch resting with their brood. Fortunately, the young silver wasn’t far—her dwelling was close to King’s, making the journey brief.

t didn’t take him long to arrive at the brooding chamber, where two pairs of eyes locked onto him—brief concern flashing across them before shifting to recognition.

"Elder Sotarr," King greeted. "We didn’t expect your arrival so soon."

Sotarr offered a genial smile. "I didn’t expect the Ryser Clan to complete their work so quickly either. But it’s a small blessing—it gives me time to teach the two of you. I’ve already requested Zephilien’s attendance, and I apologize for the inconvenience during your brooding time."

He could tell neither of them was happy over the intrusion, though it was necessary, and he would keep a healthy distance even if his form was merely a specter out of respect.

Zephilien arrived shortly after and thankfully had the sense to keep her distance from the egg and Rovari, who eyed her with far more displeasure.

"Let's begin your education." Sotarr's voice carried the weight of authority. "I will start with the most important laws and mandates that every dragon must respect. Know that understanding them isn't strictly required, as most are enforced by both the System and powerful draconic mandates and edicts—as you experienced during the Draconic Ascendancy—overpowering these mandates and acting against them is a high crime. Doing so will mark you as an outcast, one to be killed on sight."

He let that sink in before continuing.

"Unfortunately, not all laws are enforced by mandates, though they should be obvious to any dragon from birth. I will skip over the Draconic Ascendancy, as you have already experienced it."

Sotarr’s gaze settled on them as he began. "The first law is that of Draconic Sovereignty. A dragon’s domain is their own, and to claim one, a formal declaration must be made. Trespassing without invitation is considered a taboo. A dragon entering another's territory must immediately declare their intent, wait for the sovereign dragon’s permission, or leave."

Sotarr didn’t miss King’s eyes twitching slightly, no doubt questioning his presence, but he pressed on. His tone sharpened just enough to emphasize the point. "There are exceptions—such as a formal declaration of challenge or the visitation of a guardian or a recognized superior, such as myself."

King let out a long breath. "I understand."

"Good," Sotarr continued. "Next is the Mandate of Inheritance. A dragon must pass on their knowledge and leave behind a legacy for their kin before their death or true ascension. However, any knowledge entrusted to you by another dragon is not to be shared outside your lineage. You are free to share knowledge you’ve earned or acquired yourself with whomever you please, though doing so is somewhat frowned upon."

Sotarr continued his explanations, all three younglings listening with rapt attention, occasionally asking questions. It took him a few hours to cover the finer details—minor laws, traditions, and etiquette. As expected, Rovari and Zephilien struggled the most with etiquette, which was natural for feral dragons unused to structured draconic society.

"We now move to an accord that is particularly relevant given the circumstances," Sotarr said. "The Accord of Broods states that the time of brooding and raising young is a sacred period, superseding all other laws and mandates. No dragon may be challenged for ascendancy or sovereignty while they are tending to hatchlings."

His gaze swept over them, his tone firm. "Hatchlings are to be protected from outsiders, and you are required to defend a brood at all costs. Killing a hatchling or young dragon before they reach maturity warrants an edict of draconic annihilation—a crime so severe that it carries karmic penalties from the System itself. It will also bring the full wrath of dragonkind upon the offender."

Sotarr straightened slightly, his voice laced with pride. "This is our most famous law, and no one in the wider multiverse dares to touch our spawns and hatchlings."

"The elders of my world dare," Zephilien said hesitantly, her tone grim.

Sotarr paused, for a moment unsure he had heard correctly. Everything around him grew deathly still as he slowly turned his head, his gaze locking onto the wide-eyed little silver.

"Explain," he demanded, his tone allowing no room for discussion as his eyes bore into her.

Zephilien seemed to shrink into herself. "The elders of the flights of Rhalik, Nythraxion, and all other flights outside of my Korretesh flight frequently purge any hatchling of mixed origin or colors outside of their own."

A surge of rage and disgust overcame Sotarr like he had never experienced before as he partially lost control over his aura immediately drawing the attention of all other Elders of the Lyraxis and the entirety of Rathos as his barely contained rage washed over the the lands of the Ryser clan.

"What is the matter, Sotarr," Mitania asked, her concern dragging him back from the brink; the other elders had arrived and were watching him closely as he turned his eyes fixed on the red dragon that now clutched her eggs with fear in her eyes.

"Does she speak the truth?" Sotarr demanded. "Did your flight cull hatchlings and the unborn?"

Rovari’s fear was overshadowed by her own rage. "I am disgusted to admit it," she growled. "I did my best to resist the elders, to help those of mixed and discolored broods escape. I even refused to have a brood of my own. But yes, it is true. Elder Bloodfang and his matriarch, Vairis, forced many of us to commit this heinous crime—and killed those who refused, only to do it themselves."

Sotarr and the rest of the draconic elders seethed as they listened to Rovari speak, though his wife and the other elders of non-draconic origin did their best to contain their rage from washing over the Ryser Clan.

"They killed those with too much promise—those who could rise above them," Rovari continued. "The same goes for many of the other flights. Most did not wish to participate or be part of this but feared for their lives."

Sotarr growled. "Well, death will come for them now," he announced as he made a Declaration of Annihilation on their world, forcing them to choose once and for all.

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The rest of the dungeon held little of interest. They encountered snake-like monsters lurking in the sea of leaves beneath the massive trees, but with their skills, the creatures’ ambushes fell flat. Aside from the guardian—a much larger and meaner version of the Mawlings—and a few useful herbs growing in the leafy depths, there were no other notable beasts or treasures. Even the dungeon reward was more of the same, offering aged herbs and wood.

Rather than lingering to search for the third dungeon, they left that task to their explorers and set course for Lacustrine. A message had arrived, informing them that the array allowing the Lyraxis Ascendancy to contact them without the Crest of Connection had been completed.

A few hours later, a second message came—this time from Sotarr himself. The sheer rage and venom in his words sent a shudder through Alistair, and as he and Riseth exchanged wide-eyed glances, they both wondered what had provoked their master’s fury.

The answer came moments later as a system window materialized before them.

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Edict of Draconic Annihilation

Sotarr, Elder Dragon of the Lyraxis Ascendancy, has declared an Edict of Draconic Annihilation against the inhabitants of Unnamed World 1284456 for the crime of culling hatchlings and the young, violating the sacred Accord of Broods.

All dragons complicit in this atrocity have been marked for annihilation. Those who participated unwillingly now face a choice—stand with the branded heretics and perish, or fight them at all costs.

The Ryser Clan has been charged with upholding the edict and ensuring its completion.

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Alistair cursed aloud as they raced for the surface of Lacustrine. "Shit, that's bad. Could he not have waited for us to get ready before setting off such a massive system event?"

"This isn’t ideal," Riseth agreed. "I’m guessing he lost it when he found out. Apparently, there’s some kind of accord against killing dragon hatchlings."

"Well, that part is understandable. I suppose they don’t want the baby murders to continue," Alistair said. "Let’s just hope that edict carried some weight—let them know exactly what kind of dragon they pissed off. That would make our job a bit easier."

Alistair reached out to Nessyra, but she immediately shut down the connection—sending a quick message instead. She was scrambling to mobilize their forces and reaching out to the Beshin, making it clear they needed to move fast if they didn’t want to miss out on a wealth of dragon parts and slayer titles for their troops.

Frustration simmered in Alistair. He hated feeling useless, but there wasn’t much he could do to assist directly. Instead, he focused on reaching out to the Beshin himself, adding his voice in the hopes of easing the chaos rather than feeding into it.

Regardless of the outcome, today would be bloody. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the sheer havoc this event must have unleashed on Zephi and Rovari’s home. Would they return to find the elders slain? Those who abhorred the practice massacred for their beliefs? Or would it be sheer, unmitigated chaos—dragons of the marked flights tearing into each other, locked in a brutal struggle for survival?

Whatever they would encounter, Alistair and Riseth would be ready.

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