Jake had been put on the spot, and while he had wanted to reject the invitation, his curiosity had eventually won out. And in hindsight, he was glad he did as he ca to see much of the Order he hadn’t before.
He had not gone ho after the lesson but went with the female dragonkin through a portal to what was essentially a buzzing tropolitan area with bars, cafes, restaurants, and shops everywhere. All of them catered to mbers of the Order, and it was truly a massive area.
Passing the gateway had also shrugged off all the annoying followers who had stared after Jake like he was evil incarnate. No, he was not looking forward to eting many of them again at the lesson the next day.
The two of them headed towards a café that offered private rooms to have their discussion. Using personal residences for discussions with people you didn’t trust was rarely done, and Jake could see why. The rules of safety seed to primarily dominate in public areas, and giving soone access to a residence also ant those people would potentially see your secrets.
What plants you grew, the laboratory, books in the library, or just sothing as simple as the atmospheric mana were all clues. That poison alchemists of an evil snake-worshipping cult were secretive didn’t co as a surprise.
Jake and the dragonkin soon found themselves within a cozy room as an attendant brought them both a cup of so weird drink Jake didn’t recognize. However, he felt the toxins within it. He had allowed the dragonkin to order for them, and he didn’t think she wanted to poison him. Well, okay, she did want to poison him, but the good kind of poison.
“So, the elephant in the room?” Jake eventually said, his Tongue of the Myriad Races doing work to translate the figure of speech to sothing understandable.
“I believe an introduction is finally in order before we do that. I am Helenstromoz Emberflight, pleased to make your acquaintance,” she said as she nodded.
“Hunter,” Jake just said, sticking to his fake na. When he heard the last na of the dragonkin, he already knew what this was about. “What gave away?”
The dragonkin just smiled. “Many things… it is hard to hide from an A-grade even if you have ans to perfectly mask your level and even possess a Bloodline. The mana lingering on your body is from the ninety-third universe, and the knowledge you displayed did not correspond to what a true master would do. Finally, during the brief discussion with you, he switched languages a total of seventeen tis without you noticing… in fact, I have already spoken three during this brief talk. Even if you do have a translation skill, they don’t tend to be that effective, and more often than not, you switch language fluidly with your conversation partner. You did not,” Helenstromoz said with a light smile.
Jake didn’t even know what to say. He had never even considered Tongue to be a dead giveaway, though in hindsight, perhaps he should have. The problem was Jake had no counter currently, so he just took a drink from the poison the restaurant offered. It was tasty as hell, and he gladly just savored the taste for a few monts before answering. “That answered the how he found out, but not why you are here. Helenstromoz, was it?”
“He suspected you had a Bloodline and sent to check for obvious reasons,” Helenstromoz answered. “And please, just call Helen. The Stromoz suffix is used to communicate soone is truly a dragon or at least was a true dragon at so point. Us descendants of true dragons are allowed to also have it, so it is truly more about status than anything else.”
“While I am thankful for the dragon lore, it doesn’t truly answer the question of why you chose to co and stay for a lesson you clearly did not need and bring here for a private discussion. It took you five seconds to confirm I had a Bloodline, didn’t it?” Jake said, shaking his head as he took another sip of poison drink. Yep, definitely a fan.
Helen seed to study his responses quite closely as Jake enjoyed his drink. She also took a sip herself as she spoke again.
“Bloodlines are rare. I assu you know this despite coming from a new universe?”
Jake just nodded in confirmation, as while he didn’t think it was common knowledge Bloodlines even existed back on Earth, it would be odd for him not to have found out.
“These Bloodlines co in various forms, and whenever a new universe is integrated into the multiverse, many new ones appear with it. There are few better ways for a faction to improve their organizational strength than quickly making contact and hopefully integrating such a Bloodline into their ranks. Though I assu you already have a backer or an organization you belong to? Besides the Order, of course,” Helen asked after more or less telling Jake she was there on a recruitnt mission.
“I do indeed have a backer if you can call it that, but no faction besides the Order,” Jake said. He knew acting like he didn’t would be moronic as he had just spent hundreds of thousands of AC on a single lesson, sothing he clearly couldn’t afford on his own. Hence the only explanation – besides the truth – was that he had a backer who gave him points.
Helen smiled a bit as she wondered out loud. “I do wonder who it could be… not even A-grades can toss around that many AC on a single lesson they barely get anything out of. An S-grade? Gods are out of the question as the Malefic One has already blessed you… they must be quite a figure in the Order, are they not?”
Clearly, she was baiting him to reveal sothing. He also knew why she ruled gods out. Why would a god invest in him when the only ones to benefit would be Villy? The reason why gods helped mortals was to get rewards from the system based on the performance of those they blessed. It was part of the reason Jake didn’t feel that guilty about his one-sided relationship with Villy as he knew he also helped his snake god pal, just in ways Jake didn’t see himself.
As for Helen’s questioning: “My backer does indeed have so influence in the Order, but why is that of any concern to you?”
“All I am looking to know is, are you associated with any faction besides the Order of the Malefic Viper? The Order does not restrict where one belongs or has any true requirents of loyalty to the faction itself, so if you don’t, I just wanted to let you know there are many doors open to you. Of course, it will require an evaluation to know the true nature of your Bloodline, but if it is deed of high quality and beneficial, these factions will gladly support you,” she said as she also took another sip of her drink. “Naturally, this also depends on if your backer agrees. Just know that true multiverse factions can offer far more than any individual.”
Yeah, I kinda doubt that, Jake thought. Probably didn’t count if that individual was a Primordial.
“I have no interest in joining any faction as of the current ti,” Jake answered, shaking his head.
“Eventually, you will have to align yourself with one unless you plan on fully dedicating yourself to the Order. Tell , how much do you know of the Emberflight?” Helen asked. She seed amicable still, but Jake did get the feeling she wasn’t happy he so quickly rejected her offer.
“That it is a Dragonflight?” Jake just said with a shrug. He knew what Dragonflights were. They were collections of dragons, and he knew it was hard to be recognized as a Dragonflight. But to be fair, he had only done so cursory reading.
“The Emberflight is one of the nine Dragonflight of the Draconian Accords and is the most powerful faction of the red dragons. We have hundreds of publicly-appearing gods in our ranks and stand as a true top faction of the multiverse with a presence in all universes,” she said proudly.
Jake got the feeling he was ant to be very impressed, but he had been firmly desensitized after spending too long with Villy. He was curious, though.
“What are these Draconian Accords?”
“A long ti ago, the different dragon races were at war but were eventually brought together and ford an Accord under the leadership of the Primordial known as the Wyrmgod. The Wyrmgod later established Nevermore and no longer has any connection to the accords, but an alliance and close working relationship still persist. There were originally only five Dragonflights in it, the Emberflight one of them,” she explained, Jake really getting his fill of old dragon lore.
Helen also clearly enjoyed sharing it, as she was patient with Jake’s lack of what he didn’t doubt was general knowledge. She did take a jab, though. “I would recomnd you take a few history lessons if possible.”
“I’ll think about it,” Jake took the jab. “However, my answer remains the sa. I currently have no interest in joining a faction. I am not saying this won’t change in the future, but I am not the type to be loyal to factions, and I don’t tend to deal well with authority.”
He wanted to distance himself and give a reason, but she didn’t seem fazed in the slightest.
“I understand. Your Bloodline relates to resisting and sohow emitting a presence far more powerful than you actually are. That it has innate properties of pride and unwillingness to submit to those more powerful only strikes as natural.”
Jake nodded along, gladly confirming that is what his Bloodline did, as he and Villy had agreed on that being a good idea a while ago. Better they thought that was all it did.
“You seem to understand my Bloodline well… but I have no clue what yours does,” Jake asked, finally getting to the part he actually cared about himself. So far, he only knew of two Bloodlines. His own and Eron’s. Learning more about different ones only struck him as helpful.
“I have a version of the Bloodline of the main clan back in the Land of Embers. I cannot share the exact details of the Bloodline as I am under oath, but I am authorized to say it involves the manipulation of fire magic, the concept of flas, and the concept of ti,” Helen briefly explained. “Only mbers of the Order can know the true description of it, and mine is a bit of a mutated version.”
“They can mutate?” Jake asked, a bit surprised. Did that an he could change or evolve his Bloodline? Why had Villy never ntion-
“My father was a dragon while my mother was an elf. Both of them had Bloodlines, and they rged to form mine. You seem to not know much about Bloodlines. Did your benefactor never explain?” she asked, actually sounding a bit confused.
“Yeah, why didn’t he explain,” Jake sent to Villy right there and then.
“Because I didn’t bless you with the intent of having you act like a prize-bull and pump out children left and right. Preferably with other people who possess Bloodlines to hope for them not only to get lucky and inherit one Bloodline but get the Bloodlines of both parents and even have them rge into sothing useful,” Villy quickly answered. “It is gambling for a good result. The hatchling you see before you likely have tens of thousands of siblings who are little more than failed products in the eyes of the Dragonflight.”
“He only explained a little bit, but not many details,” Jake answered after listening to Villy’s explanation.
“I see,” she said, sighing a bit. She finally took out a small token with a red dragon on it and handed it to Jake. “I would like to at least invite you to a more formal chat. Even if you joining us isn’t an option, we can perhaps at least discuss so other arrangent?”
Jake looked at the token before picking it up. “I will think about it, but for now, I just want to focus on my lessons and, of course, the happenings of the ninety-third Universe and the opportunities offered there. Grow in power, you know?”
“Very well, we would prefer to see you at a higher grade too,” she finally relented as she got up. “It was enlightening to et you… Hunter, was it?”
He just nodded as he also got up, but not before quickly finishing his tasty drink.
“Please do co by for a visit at the very least. In the token is also my contact information for the Order Token, so please feel free if your curiosity gets the better of you or if there is anything you need to know.”
With those words, she left, with Jake following after. Outside they split up as she headed towards a wall with a teleportation circle on. Jake considered staying and checking out the entertainnt district a bit more but ultimately decided to just head back ho as he wanted to check in with ira, and he had another lesson in like an hour.
Also… he had so things he wanted to talk to Villy about.
When he got ho, he headed for his bedroom again, and as he walked, he asked out loud:
“So… Villy… will this-“
A scaled god suddenly popped up beside him. “You were saying?”
“Can you just pop up like that now?” Jake asked. “Last ti, you made quite the entrance.”
“Well, of course not. I had to make a good impression on your new slave,” Villy defended himself.
“Thinking back, couldn’t you have just done as you first did when I got here and made yourself invisible or sothing?”
“Jake, the question isn’t if I could or not. The most important thing is,” he said, as he made a long dramatic pause, “I didn’t.”
Jake could recognize once he had lost an argunt and proceeded to change the topic. “So, what I wanted to ask was if this kind of thing will keep happening if it becos more common knowledge I have a Bloodline? Everyone who has a Bloodline can feel I have one, and I am sure so factions will put two and two together after dragon lady approached .”
“It is likely indeed,” Villy said, nodding.
“That sounds utterly exhausting. And there is no way to hide my Bloodline?” Jake asked a bit desperately.
“Nope, not at all. Ah, but do note most in lower grades cannot feel other Bloodlines as easily as you do. Both you and the other one from Earth have at least partly Perception-based Bloodlines and can thus easily spot others, but not everyone does. That is why that hatchling carried an orb. They are able to create a resonance of sorts when soone with a Bloodline uses one and can scan an area. Pretty much all factions with Bloodlines possess them. Even without it, another person with a Bloodline will feel it if they are close enough or interact with you,” the Viper explained.
“So that ans I am fucked?” Jake asked with resignation. “What is stopping so faction from just kidnapping people with Bloodlines and using them as breeding machines?”
Villy seed to get a bit more serious as he sighed. “I guess I should tell you a bit about Bloodlines and their storied history in the multiverse.”
User Comments
0 comments from readers