Kai was furious. Worse, he couldn't blame them.

He was furious because he couldn't blame them.

While no one had ever technically lied to him, he did, however, feel like they had intentionally misled him.

In hindsight, all the signs had been there.

The empress' suite on The Spirit of Exploration, the clothing fitting his new station, the Lord and Lady titles Arnella insisted on using and even Sietra warning him about raising him up were hints even the over the top fitting this morning. Heck, their quarters within the palace were actually part of the royal apartments. It was mind-boggling.

Yes… he was furious.

He was going to go through with it anyway, but it would be on his terms, thanks to Kardain.

The Sage had advised him he should hold on to what control he could and he was going to do just that.

So Kai stood simmering on a dais with Syl and Alicia, with a watchful Kardain standing guard nearby.

Somehow Gift had begged off, refusing to wear clothing for a meeting when there wasn't even any good food. The little guy was keeping himself busy within the domain.

Where Arnella had gone to, he didn't know.

So yes, he found himself at the far end of what he now knew to be a grand hall. One that had long ago held the throne of a fallen empire.

The mosaic he had passed when they were first led through the room was now a gleaming white array of meticulously repaired, perfectly set, fine tiles.

He watched quietly as more and more people filled in to line the sides of the hall.

Guards and numerous aides corralled the newcomers, so that they did not wander out into the centre and stayed in their assigned places.

The majority of them looked just as confused as Kai might have been if not for Kardain's sudden change of heart.

He wondered how so many of them were brought here under false pretences and just how many knew what they were about to witness. When someone strolled out into the centre of the room, Kai wasn't even sure what he was about to witness.

They were a tall, slender, orec'kien woman wearing some kind of formal dress made from a heavy woven fabric and a shawl cinched and bound in all the right places to accentuate her figure. The many cords and beads were no doubt an indication of her station, but, unfortunately, displays such as this were still far beyond Kai's understanding.

"Greetings. Many of you may be wondering why we have gathered here today in secret in this most auspicious of ancient cities in such impromptu of circumstances."

The crowd murmured.

"As you should all know, just over five centuries ago, there was a system event. One that had we not failed, would have connected us to a greater multiverse. A multiverse filled with equal danger and opportunity for all of Alea."

The murmuring grew louder.

"Then, not two months ago, our world was given another system event that offered our world a second chance. We came together and chose not to fail again."

They applauded, and the speaker gave them their time to congratulate themselves.

"Agreements, treaties and alliances were made so that those of the Shattered Kingdoms and their allies could not interfere as they had all those years ago. So that the needs of the many and not the greed of the few would come through to rule the day and Alea would be held back no longer."

Again, the people applauded as they consumed the speaker's words.

The speaker gestured off to the side where Orrick, Estelle, the two younger dwarves from earlier, and a mix of other races, including el'vei, gnomel, humans, and a few goblins, stood.

"We decided that The Houses, with their mixed ideals, wide and varied dealings within the core of every nation, were the most neutral party to take control of the World Wonder that was offered to us. The tower that even now reaches beyond our skies, and is currently drifting inaccessibly around our world's equator. That they use their famed expertise and endless resources to establish a fair and equal authority over the wonder. That they create a new wondrous city for all, in a location for all."

It seemed not everyone present was altogether in on this plan, as the reaction was mixed. Some applauded, while others looked confused and murmured to each other. However, when Kai scanned the crowd, it was clear no one was outright hostile to the idea or how the speaker had put it.

"As such, though invited by the system itself, many of you did not attend the system event and instead stood back and faithfully waited. As such, you did not witness the challenge the system presented. More, you did not witness the outcome."

The hall was silent as they hung on the speakers' words.

"Today we come together to bear witness to that event's conclusion-"

The speaker froze mid sentence as a scattering of different system notifications came into being for every present.

Kai watched in surprise as the attendants contended with their personal interfaces.

The variety of those attending on display due to the sheer variety of different system interactions on show.

A few unfurled scrolls or ripped open envelopes as they tried to keep up with the rest of the hall that casually plucked parchment or gilded paper from the air to read.

Secret System Event Triggered.

State craft? Assist the Master of the World Wonder in determining the location where the Tower of Alea will set down.

Enhancing Palice map to show a live approximation of Alea and her incumbent territories.

The tiled floor shifted and undulated like a ripple travelling across the surface of a pond as hills, forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, beaches, and even a band of dessert came into being, rising from the ground to float three feet suspended in the air.

The speaker's head spun to look at Orrick, then Sietra and a few other notable individuals in the crowd as they stood in the now animated, floating world map of Alea.

Bye her reaction, the systems intervention was not part of what they had planned. Their response was simple: continue.

"As you can all see, the system is always watching," the speaker said as she tried to regain control of the situation.

A gesture of her hand swept through the land surrounding her. The surface of the illusions shifting like heavy smoke to flow around the intrusion and drift back into place and restore the area as if there had been no interference.

"It was decided long ago that the location of the World Wonder, this Tower of Alea, should be somewhere neutral, somewhere untamed, but accessible," they said as they started moving, slowly at first, but their pace quickening as their confidence grew, the map shifting around them to seal again behind them.

"In the end, it was decided that the best place to put the World Wonder and construct its foundation was somewhere neutral, somewhere many could access. That place…" she came to a stop and gestured the valley in miniature before her. "is here, in the fallen Empire of Dawn. The capitol of which," she pointed to the end of the valley, "is where we stand at this very moment."

To Kai, it was obvious. Well, it was obvious to him now. After all, it was why they had brought everyone here to this location. That, and they had intended to use the magical map the floor could display as part of the theatrics.

But the hall burst in to agitated murmuring.

"But this territory is vast and untamed," called a woman.

"Ancient treaties forbid anyone from taking these lands," a dwarf from the far end of the hall spoke up.

"Yeah! The dragons hold domain, and they force any who try to settle the land to leave. They destroy anyone foolish enough to reap the resources here," someone else added."The only ones they allow access to are official members of the Adventurer's Guild. They claim their oath pact with the main line of the dawn families remains intact," mentioned another.

The speaker held up a hand and waited for the discourse to come to an end before they turned to Kai and made a pointed display of addressing him directly.

"Yes. We all know the cautionary tale of the fall of Dawn. An ancient empire too large and long established that none during their time thought could fail. The Dawn Empire and how it fell to strife and internal bickering when the system came is a lesson that everyone here in this hall should know. How much of the territory controlled by the Dawn Empire became inaccessible because of pact and treaty upheld by magic? Pacts, treaties, and oaths upheld by the power of the system that still bind all of Alea to this day?"

This was it, Kai thought. The crux of the issue, why they were using him.

"I introduce to you, Lord Kai, Master of the World Wonder, a human brought to us from beyond the stars."

The guests fidgeted and fussed as they heard the news of Kai's alien descent.

The speaker ignored the discourse and continued, her voice somehow carrying over the sound of others, "a man not bound by ancient oath, treaty or pact-"

BOOM!

The chamber reverberated as everyone in the hall looked to the far end where dust drifted down from the far wall.

BOOM!

The people situated towards the far end of the hall backed away from the wall as it started to glow with magical glyphs and markings.

Kai, reading into the patterns and seeing the words for door and unlock, looked behind him, past a regal Alicia and a calm Syl to Kardain who stood watch over them on their pedestal.

The man just shrugged.

First, the secret system event triggered, then this.

It seemed no plan on Alea ever went to plan.

BOOM!

There was an ethereal chime, the sound of a crystal bell none could see peeling throughout the grand hall. The magical construct on the wall pulled back, the bricks shifting, folding and rolling away as the wall opened to the wide platform on the other side.

The same platform they had accessed through a side door when they were first escorted into the palace.

But instead of the small gathering there had been the last time, there was instead a large red dragon waiting patiently for the door to open for them.

It was then that Kai realised the halls weren't large for the sake of giants like his wondering mind had first mussed, but instead the tall ceiling was for the benefit of dragons.

A ripple of movement spread through the hall as people shifted away and to the side.

The dragon, for their part, looked completely disinterested. It sat there like a dog on its haunches, looking at its claws as it waited for the wall that was a door to finish opening for them.

This time when the speaker looked about for what to do, Sietra, standing tall drifted out to the centre of the hall and turned to Kai, then with an odd hand signal she turned and walked through the map of Alea, past the speaker, down towards the end of the hall where the dragon waited.

Reading Sietra's odd hand signal as, 'you three, come,' Kai stepped down from the dais down into the illusion. Alicia, Syl and Kardain followed in Kai's wake down the centre of the hall.

Kai followed Sietra casually, as if he was in no rush, as if he had not a care in the world.

When he got to the end of the hall, he watched Sietra give the dragon a curtsy, before she then stepped aside for Kai to stand directly in front of the dragon as it finally entered the hall.

Seeing the great wyrm up close, Kai would have said they were only about a quarter of the size of Trengor. Their hide and scales were a rich, vibrant red, as opposed to Trengor's own iridescent black.

Looking for more information, Kai examined it.

Talious ( ??? ) Dragon ( Ember Aspect) Age: 3569

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Well, that examination was actually kind of insightful for a change, Kai thought.

"Grand Talious, to what do we owe the honour of your visit? All is well, I hope," Sietra said in an official tone.

"All is well," the dragon said, her distinctly feminine voice resounding smoothly throughout the chamber. "I was dealing with a foolish strike. They revealed some interesting information of an unknown dragon crossing into my territory. I was following the trail when, of all things, the system invited me here. Right to the source… It's been too long since I last got to knock on that door."

Her head shifted from side to side as she looked around the hall, taking in her surroundings as she ignored its occupants, as if they were insignificant to her. "It is good to see these halls again, and you seem to have the map back up and running, though it seems a bit more advanced than last I saw it. But I am talking about near a century ago now, so I may be mistaken."

"No, I believe you are correct. The system made improvements as part of the event," Kai said casually.

Sietra gave Kai a wide eyed side look as Talious's head flicked down to Kai.

"Hmm, and who might you be?" Talious asked as her head lowered to Kai's level and the end of her maw drew close to him.

'Kai, that's Talious.' Alicia said silently through their party communication where no one but them could here. 'She is one of the oldest beings on Alea. Everyone shows her respect, no matter their station.'

'She has entered the first tier, early stages, and would be higher, but there is probably little worth hunting due to the state of the world,' Syl added.

Kai sent back a mental shrug. He was trying to establish an air of authority and confidence. The easiest way to do that was to be himself. And he had talked casually with a dragon four or five times larger than this one.

"Kai, it is a pleasure to meet you Talious.," he said in answer to the dragon's question as he felt the light touch of an examine wash over him.

Talious huffed in surprise, then drew in an enormous breath through flared nostrils as another much stronger examination washed over Kai.

"Would you like me to lower my defences and allow you an examination or…" he called up his full status sheet and mentally pushed the information to the curious dragon as he asked, "Or is this enough?"

He watched the dragon's eyes flash with interest as Sietra's side eye grew wider.

Kai, wondering if her son had found the time to fill her in, pushed his status over to Sietra so she at least knew what was happening.

Talious eyes flicked back and forth for a moment, then suddenly the dragon lowered her head and then pressed herself against the floor.

"Forgive me, I am still young and my access to the ancestral memory is limited… but I greet the Master."

"There is nothing to forgive, but allow me to explain things later in a more private setting. And please call me friend." Kai gestured further into the hall, "You were invited by the system, and I believe this hall was built to accommodate your kind. We would be honored if you would join us. After all, the fate of Alea is at hand, and you too are Alean, are you not? It is only right that the dragons be represented."

Talious lifted her head and looked about again, taking in the now silent crowd.

Kai looked back over his shoulder at the sea of shocked faces. "I am sure there is room for you if people would be willing to back up a little, stand shoulder to shoulder? Surely the hall was built to entertain more than this, even when the map is activated?"

"That- That will not be necessary," Talious said.

There was a flare of light and a wave of heat and a gasp of surprise from the guests in the hall.

Kai looked back to see that the red dragon was gone and standing in its place was a young girl around the age of fourteen.

She wore a red gown that flowed and rippled around her like a living flame. Her shoulder length curly black hair held back by two short black and cracked smouldering horns that crested at her temples, rising from a scattering of red scales the framed her youthful face.

Smouldering red eyes looked at him expectantly.

"So, you can polymorph."

She nodded. "The ability is new to me. I have been working on it for around two centuries now," her head tilted. "I don't know why, but I find adolescence easier."

"I like your scales," Kai said as he held out both arms, his own black iridescent scales erupting from his skin as the raiment adapted to the change and rolled back the sleeves of his specially made clothing.

There was a murmur in the crowd around Kai. Those close enough to witness the change firsthand were unable to hold in their surprise, but Talious head shot up and silence resumed under her glare.

"They still think I am merely human," he chuckled.

"May I?" she said as she stepped forward cautiously.

Kai nodded, and she disappeared from where she was standing, to reappear beside Kai, an elegant finger already trailing over his scales. "These are beyond even me. So much potential power locked away… a growth item, but merged. I have never seen such a thing. True symbiosis with such a powerful artefact."

"It stumped the divine dragons that gave them to me."

Talious head shot up to look Kai in the eye. "Is that the divinity I sense? From a divine dragon you say?"

Kai shrugged as Talious moved around to his other side to examine his other arm.

"But how? These would require tremendous power to nurture. They would need to consume mountains of resources."

Kai was already showing off. What was a little more?

He pulled one of his dragon scales from storage, a large one, one that was about the size of a large dinner plate.

Talious jaw dropped, and she had to catch herself to stop from grabbing the scale from Kai.

Seeing her reaction, Kai simply tossed it to her. "How about we call it a gift?"

There was a collective intake of air behind him and he grinned as he remembered just how much a freely given dragon scale was worth.

Talious held the scale in her small hands, her eyes darting between the object and Kai as she licked her lips.

"I can't-"

Kai held up a clawed finger, "But, I can. The scale shed and freely given to me."

She looked down at the large divine scale for a long moment.

Suddenly she reached out to her side, drew a glowing red line in the air with her finger, then thrust her hand into the line, pulling out a scale almost twice the size of the one Kai had given her.

"This is by no means enough, but it is not a trade either. I give this to you in the hopes that you would honour me and allow that artifact of yours to consume a freely given part of me." She coughed to clear her throat, "or not, it is yours to do with as you wish…"

Kai bowed his head in thanks and took her scale gratefully.

Kai heard even more gasps behind him, but he payed it no mind.

He was too busy watching the warm red scale be eagerly consumed by his scaled hands. It seemed while he could not currently absorb any more of Trengor's scales, he was more than capable of consuming one of Talious' scales.

He was curious about what that might mean when he looked up to see Talious looking up at him in horror as he finished consuming her scale.

"So little! Consumed so fast!" She squeaked, "I'm sorry I have more I can-"

Kai held up a finger and shook his head. "Friends don't trade favours. Besides," he worked his arms, watching the dim glow between the scales spread up his arm, "This feels amazing. I can't wait to see what's new…"

Kai felt a notification and, with a quick thought, he knew he had to find more dragons to trade with.

New Trait Discovered.

Draconic. ( Favoured ) You have taken the freely given power of dragons unto yourself. Your power grows, your potential expands, and your Draconic aspect increases. Dragon kind will show you favour and sense you more easily. Consume more freely given or fairly earned Draconic power to further develop this trait. Consuming that which is taken or unfairly gained will have negative effects.

He pushed the trait to Talious with a smile.

She grinned back as she pushed the scale Kai had given her through her odd tear in space. "We can go figure it out once we are done here. You are young. I can teach you much!" She said eagerly. "And my family, they would love to meet you."

Kai nodded as he turned around to look back up to the dais as he held out his arm, "Talious, please join me as my guest of honour."

She dashed to his side and eagerly took his arm in hers, nearly pulling his arm off in the process.

Before she could apologise, Kai just gave her a smile and turned to lead her between the stunned onlookers lining either side of the hall, back towards the dais.

Kai heard Syl's voice slip into his mind, 'Kai, did you just make friends with one of the most powerful beings on Alea?' Syl asked him.

Kai sent back another mental shrug.

'It's better than that! She offered to teach him! And she did so in front of some of the most significant people on the planet. Few would dare touch him now for fear of aggravating her,' Alicia said, bringing her understanding of the politics involved to their private mind to mind conversation.

'Just remember not to call her master. That could get complicated.' Syl said teasingly.

Ignoring Syl's playful jab, Kai noted that a few people had actually fainted during his exchange with the dragon.

As Syl and Alicia fell into step with them, he introduced the two of them as his wives.

Talious studied Alicia for a while, nodding her head with a smile of approval. She then switched her attention over to Syl and she nearly tripped. Kai caught her and pulled her back up as she started to apologise.

"I did not think there would be two of you. I was distracted by your mate. Please, forgive me!?" Talious asked, her pleading words carrying over the silent hall.

Syl just chuckled and eased the little dragon's concern, "Any friend of Kai is a friend of mine, though I have no token of friendship to give you. Unless you want another scale?"

Talious shook her head vehemently.

"And I hope you would extend your friendship to our wife Alicia. Together, I believe the three of us can show you some of the most interesting things you have observed in the last century or more."

This time Talious nodded eagerly, as they reached the dais and all stepped up together, "You have no idea how boring it's been. I have guarded these lands for millennia."

Kai chuckled as he turned back around to view the hall again.

He was a little amused to see Kardain, grinning like a madman who had just won the lottery, guide his stunned mother back to her position.

Kai looked about. He had to get this thing back on track while he still held momentum.

"Speaker?"

The orec'kien who had been leading things so far jolted as she realised they were the one being addressed.

"Please, continue. I believe you were about to tell me where I should put my World Wonder. Someplace neutral, I believe. Someplace that would benefit many, if not all," Kai said pointedly.

"Yes…"

"While I consider myself a patient man, and I have time to spare, it is still my time."

Looking at him, the speaker's eyes darting between him and Talious at his side, they suddenly decided to dash back into the centre of the room.

"This place is suitable, it- it will benefit the most people and allow the territory to be claimed once more."

The hall filled with a deep thrumming growl and Kai turned to see Talious frown, the airy flames of her dress, flickering violently.

Kai placed a hand on her shoulder. "I believe they already have a plan. I think we should hear it out."

Talious looked at Kai. He could see the flicker of flames in her eyes, but they softened, and she sighed, her growl tittering away as she looked at the speaker.

"The pact holds so long as the line of dawn holds. But I will trust my friend and let you continue."

The speaker's eyes darted between the two of them again.

Kai almost pitied her.

This clearly had not been part of the plan and she was now caught in the centre of it.

"I suggest you continue," Kai said casually. "Where exactly should I place the Tower of Alea, and just how was I supposed to circumvent ancient treaties, oaths, and pacts?"

The speaker pointed to the map in front of them. "Here, we believe it is possible because Lord Kai is not of this world."

Talious looked up at Kai again and asked, "You're not of this world?"

"Syl and I both. I will tell you all about it when we are done, or as much as I can, most of it is forbidden knowledge."

Talious head whipped back to the speaker, "continue! we do not have time to waste."

"Yes, we believe that because he is not of this world…"

Kai felt a wave of pressure spread out from Talious as the speaker trailed off. Apparently, the little dragon was not that patient.

"Alean treaties and so on will not apply to him and he will be uneffected by the magic lay down by the system or other older methods of binding," the speaker said the words coming out rapidly.

Talious huffed and looked up at Kai, then for some reason back at Alicia.

"How are you two married?" she whispered to Kai as she continued to assess Alicia.

"Mutual contract, no terms… why?"

"This was truly mutual? No pretence to circumvent the pact with my kin and I?"

"it's a little complicated," Kai nodded slowly. " But I can honestly say, I didn't even know about the pact or anything remotely related to Alea at the time."

Talious looked at Alicia for her input.

Alicia, hearing their quiet conversation, nodded and lifted a hand to touch the cuff on her ear.

Talious looked thoughtful. "I sense no lie… you may try."

"Okay, I will try to establish the World Wonder in this spot… unless there are any objections."

The crowd remained silent.

Nodding confidently, Kai looked at the spot on the map and focused.

An area of the map flashed, a thick purple line circling a large swath of land, its edges jagged where ever it followed the border of another nation.

You have selected a suitable destination for the world wonder to set down. However, you do not control this territory. Do you wish to claim this territory? Yes / No

This was it, time to become a king.

Kai focused on the yes and accepted.

To claim this territory and establish a new authority, the leaders of ten other nations must recognise the authority of the one claiming the territory and the line of dawn must withdraw their claim. Alternatively, the line of dawn may give the territory.

There was an audible groan as the system notified everyone of the requirements.

A Quiet menacing cackled escaped Talious as she settled into a grin.

"You've figured it out, haven't you?" Kai whispered.

"These idiots don't realise what they are doing. They think they're using you, don't they?"

Kai let out a little chuckle of his own. "That they do. To be honest, I thought i would have to be firm and make sure I don't end up a puppet. But the system has stepped in to make things all official for me, though I suspect there will be some who try to push their influence."

"You will have some kind of system backing they can't manipulate for a century, maybe more. If not, I'm sure we can come to an agreement depending on how things go."

This was news to him, but he wasn't going to second guess a three thousand year old dragon.

The hall was turning to a clamour, and Kai couldn't help but notice Orrick as he stepped forward.

"Low ceilings and saggy elf tits. The Sage is the last of the line of Dawn. Without his consent I am afraid we must delay," he said, shaking his head dramatically.

The man clearly couldn't act.

"Actually, The Sage has select…" Sietra stepped forward.

"Actually!" Talious spoke up, her girlish voice driving the hall to silence again. "The line of dawn has passed to another, the requirements met for the pact to transition to a descendant. This very hall contains that descendant."

"Preposterous!" an El'vei woman called out at the far end of the hall.

"The line of Twilight would have to merge back into the line of Dawn. Such a union is forbidden."

Everyone in the hall turned and looked at Sietra. Kardain stood protectively beside her, glowering at anyone who showed an ounce of ill intent.

"There is a loophole…" Sietra said softly.

The hall held its breath as everyone stared at the Empress in surprise.

She held her head high, "Love! A child consummated with no political intention, one born through a union of love! That, you will find, supersedes the treaties and the child may become an official heir. The long disconnected branch families of Dawn and Twilight have reunited and produced a true heir as per ancient law."

"So!" Talious called out to get everyone's attention as she turned to Alicia, "Daughter of Dawn and Twilight, chosen heir of The Sage, will you take Kai as your emperor? Take your birthright and rule at his side. Share control of the territory from the sand sea to the twisted coast, from the mountains of reach to the depths of tarn. Or will you withdraw your claim to this small portion and see the empire remain dormant?"

If Alicia was at all shocked by the sudden revelation, she didn't show it beyond the slight, almost imperceptible twitch of her ears.

"I will reclaim The Dawn with Kai and Syl as my equals," Alicia said resolutely.

The purple border on the map flickered and expanded to cover an area twenty times the size it did before.

Requirements met, establishing the World Wonder in the Territory of Dawn.

There was a sudden WOMP as in the distance, beyond the open wall and open platform of the grand hall, a gleaming white tower that reached up into a clear blue sky appeared at the far end of the valley .

New Title. Emperor of Dawn.

This title is automatically applied while you hold this position, though you may hide it if you wish.

This new title has been tied to your other title and authority as master of the world wonder, now master of the tower.

Title changed. Master of the World Wonder has become Master of the Tower.

The tower will be protected from outside sources for one century. You must discover how to recharge this protection on your own from within the tower.

Your control of the tower will be protected for one decade. Establish your authority and rebuild your empire.

Kai watched the crowd as, once again, they received a system notification.

Shit, he thought, he was going for king, seems he had overshot slightly. Shame, he had planned on naming himself the spectral king of the spectral kingdom… spectral emperor might still work.

Still, this was perfect. They had meant to prop him up, but with Alicia at his side, he had simply taken everything they had sought to gain.

If he was lucky, he might just get through this without wearing that ridiculous outfit.

He turned to look over the crowd, "Now that The Tower is in place," he opened a wide portal to the domain behind him, the purple fields and cores in the sky visible to all, "I invite the Representatives of the Houses, the Empire of Twilight, and those they deem necessary to the establishment of the Tower to join me within my domain."

He held out an arm again to Talious and, together with Syl and Alicia, they stepped through the portal.

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