Steel and Mana

Chapter 549 – Gathering Storm

Ignis was prowling along the bottom rim of her volcano, her tail swinging behind her, kicking up a storm, every swish cutting the air, just like how a cat would do when being annoyed by the birds outside her window that she can't catch. Yet, besides her anger, there was a certain anxiousness in her steps, even if she would kill anyone or anything that would point it out. The more she thought about how the creatures she had dominated were taken away from her, even when not looking, the angrier and the more unsure she felt. There was something nagging at the back of her mind... a feeling of... danger. Was it the mind she touched? It had to be that... thing. The more she thought about him, the more she felt that another feeling was trying to placate her, soothe her, not letting her worry too much... which also felt dangerous and weird.

It was as if her instincts were trying to tell her things were spiraling out of her control, yet she wasn't hearing them. Or she was blocked from hearing her instincts... She flicked her tongue, tasting the air, tasting the world, trying to determine if she was right or not...

"No." She stopped, her tail going still, "I can't wait."

Yes... She couldn't. Somehow, the Vasas had taken her beasts... They were not killed, not beaten and eaten, but taken. From. Her. They shouldn't be able to do that! They are hers, and the Vasas are her children. She has control over them now, and not the other way around! She would never be restrained again, and the moment she thought about it, she growled like a tiger, the low, rumbling sound coming from deep in her throat, building into a furious roar aimed at the sky.

She would tell herself it was from anger and it wasn't born from fear, of course. Fear was beneath her... Fear was for prey, for the Vasas. And she would make them fear her! Yet, under her, the claws at the end of her paws were tapping too fast against the basalt stone at her feet, while her ashy wings kept curling in tight around her body, fluttering here and there. Not to mention, how her tail lashed in stiff, irritated flicks.

This was more than anger as it was part fear, part annoyance, mixing together to form the perfect blend of anxiousness.

"Vasas," she muttered, spitting the name, remembering how many times she had to hear it uttered in her infant mind, over and over again... "Crafty, sneaky, ugly little children…"

Even now, chased away from their home, almost defeated, they were still struggling... They were still resorting to desperate measures. It had to be their last-ditch effort! Who else could wrestle her control? Who else could slip their grubby little claws between her thoughts like that? The more she thought about it, the more her eyes narrowed. In her earliest memories, the Vasas had always been like that... Intense, infuriatingly strong, but few in numbers. Then, as she grew stronger, she grew smarter... She watched them, and when they realized she was also learning... They were becoming more and more careful when they approached her and her mind. She comprehended cunning from them... She understood patience... But the latter was finally running out.

She inhaled slowly, but didn't roar this time. Instead, she spread out her presence, and every beast whose mind she touched came into burning clarity. By now, she had conquered thousands of them, turning the forest around her immediate territory into a silent graveyard, filled with sentries whose only job was to guard her nest.

"Prepare!" She yelled like a commander, flying up into the clouds, her eyes glowing, "I've had enough of this! No more waiting!"

Whatever she gathered was not enough either... More. She needed more. If they can take them away, she will throw as many of them to drown her nasty little children in the creatures' thoughts! Dominated? Or not? Doesn't matter. Herd them all, herd them all towards her misbehaving children. Let there be a fight, let them bleed, and let her watch as they all fall, one by one... Her wings unfurled in a violent snap as she made her decision, carrying her up into the sky, as she began gathering everything under the sun, no matter if big or small. They were going to do what she wanted them to do: kill.

"They think they are clever," she hissed to herself, flapping her ashy wings, "They think they can take something from me... That they can bait me... Challenge me?! No Vasa challenges me! Not anymore, not ever!" Her pupils thinned to burning slits by then, steam rising from her nostrils and mouth, "I will crush them all... And then, I will make them dance."

Speaking the words out loud felt good, almost as if they had turned her wish into reality. Something tangible... something she could rely on. As she circled around the land, her mind stretched outward again, this time even further, faster, her presence rolling down over the landscape, not exactly to dominate the beasts' minds but to scare them, to order them to follow or die.

Come. Come. COME. ALL OF YOU! WITH ME!

No matter what kind of creature she flew over, there was no stopping her now. She had the power and the influence, and the simple beasts below her had no other chance but to obey, even if they didn't know why.

"I had had enough of you all..." She growled, watching the trees rustle as hundreds upon hundreds began moving at once, "I can't give you time to prepare... Why did I even do that? Hmm... No matter... Now it ends..."

Somewhere, back in her mind, at a point that was no longer accessible to her, a silent sigh could be heard, but not by Ignis... She was too absorbed in her current desire, missing the faint thought of Zah'Ratil, rippling outwards.

"I could not delay the inevitable anymore... I do hope the Savior has prepared enough... I will do my best to help, but... Gods show mercy on us all..."

...

....

......

Arthur walked down from the Camelot with half a dozen guards flanking him, followed by not only her siblings, but the entire assembly of my family. Haah... This was like putting your eggs in one basket, but it didn't matter anymore. We were getting ping after ping since last week, even though none of their sources came to us or even approached us. Still... Something was happening... and I was sure that it had to be that bastard dragon.

As for looking at my son, I smiled a little, because I could swear that he had grown again. Or his back was simply straighter, probably both. It was a good idea, because this was going to be the first time I let Sa'Ith and the rest of the Vasa Elders meet with their supposed Savior. Glancing behind him, I saw Fila, Galahad, and Leyla come down next, the whole strike team who were working on the solution to stop Ignis from simply breathing us into oblivion.

“Father,” Arthur greeted me with a nod as he reached me, looking proud, “We’re ready.”

“I heard that,” I chuckled, pulling him into a hug, before waving my kids over, one by one, hugging everybody, “maybe you all did arrive just in time. I have a feeling that things are... getting hectic.”

“I just hope we still have some time,” Leyla muttered. “I don't like feeling rushed.”

“Nobody does,” I smiled, patting her head, “Where’s Merlin? I thought he went to pick you all up?”

“Still on the ship,” Lancelot replied, pointing behind him, “He didn’t sleep for two days, did you know that? Elena forced him into a shower before he stepped on deck and put him to bed. She is probably still there, along with her son, making sure he gets his rest.”

That sounded about right... Well, I was about to ask something else, how's Percival doing, but before I could say anything, a presence slithered in behind me, almost literally, but I caught her presence. Sa’Ith... Of course, she couldn't wait in the tower and give me a moment with my kids. I just wondered how she got past Sasha and the rest... no matter. She had already been pacing around all morning, waiting like a kid on Christmas Eve, knowing there would be a big present to unbox soon enough.

"Here we go..." I muttered, and by then, Arthur's eyes also locked onto her.

As if reharshed, Sa’Ith stepped forward slowly, and for the first time since I met her, she seemed… hesitant. Well, at least she wasn't as flirty with my son like she was with me, which was a good point.

"Is she..." Arthur asked quietly, barely moving his lips, making me nod.

“This,” I said, gesturing between them, “is Arthur. My son. Arthur, this woman here is Sa'Ith, the current Sect Master of the Vasas.”

"My pleasure," Arthur said in a friendly voice, stretching his hand out.

As I was waiting for Sa'Ith's answer, we saw how her pupils dilated into perfect circles, and she dropped to one knee all of a sudden. The Vasas, no matter where they were, unexpectedly all of them followed suit, and when I looked down from the walls, even their monsters were kneeling, facing my son, even if they couldn't see him.

“…Um,” he said softly, looking at me for help, but I just shrugged, telling him he was on his own now, “Please don’t kneel.”

Sa’Ith trembled after hearing him, but not in the way she was when trying to get into my pants.

“Savior,” she whispered, “You stand before us in flesh and soul… pure… untouched… whole… I can feel it... It is...” she looked up at him, actually crying, making the whole situation even more bizarre, "You are so pure... So... beautiful!"

"Dad," Leyla leaned toward me and whispered into my ear, in a way that probably was easily audible for Sa'Ith, “She’s going to marry him, isn’t she?”

“I don’t think so,” I whispered back, and I heard how Arthur cleared his throat, throwing me an accusing glance.

“I’m not here as a Savior,” he continued, his voice firm but friendly. “I’m here as an Avalonian and as the current Sovereign of Avalon… Please, stand. We are not subordinates to each other; we are partners.”

Slowly, Sa'Ith stood and finally took my son's hand, shaking it but a bit longer than usual, making me roll my eyes, but I wasn't angry. At least she wasn't horny for my kid... which was a good sign.

"Okay!" I stepped in, "Let us move into the tower, and let us talk about why everyone is here! We have a raging dragon somewhere, probably cooking up some world-ending, evil plot. Let us save ourselves before she has a chance to wipe the floor with us!"

It took some time to finally gather everyone around the same table, having the rest of the Vasa Elders flock to Arthur, talking with him, wanting to touch him, see him, speak with him... He was like a rock star, making me stand with arms crossed, between my wives and surrounded by my kids.

"Hmph... You are better..." Jila muttered, elbowing Lancelot, who just chuckled, squeezing his wife's hand.

"I'm not bothered by it," He whispered back, "Just look at Arthur's face! He hates this, pft! I will tease him for this for the rest of his life."

"Same." Morgan and Leyla said at the same time, making me shake my head and glance at the Khulmani sisters, Seltana, Rashira, and Meyli, who were also catching up with their youngest sibling, who was still too shy to stand out, happy to be lost in the background.

"At least," Yuri chimed in, holding Lancelot's shoulders from behind, "Sa'Ith isn't trying to mount your dad. It came really, really close for ya'all to get a fifth mom!"

"Khm!" I cleared my throat in the end, before something else could be shared that I didn't need right now. "Can we start?"

"Yes, yes," Sa'Ith stepped back, as the rest of the Vasas also gathered around the table.

"Son?" I smiled at him, but before he could say anything, the door slammed open, and Merlin walked in, looking disheveled, dressed like a clown, his vest wrongly buttoned, his socks mismatched, and his shoes on the wrong feet, almost falling over while he gasped for air.

"In time?!" he coughed, looking at everyone, "Good, haaaah! Don't you all dare start it without me! What if there is something you can't explain?!" He grumbled, walking to the table while Elena appeared behind him, closing the door, mouthing 'sorry.'

"I remember everything." Galahad reminded him, tapping the side of his head, "I can't misdescribe it."

"Don't," I squeezed his shoulder with a smile, "You know how he is... Anyway!" I raised my hand, silencing Merlin, turning towards my son, "Let's start... Let us see what we can do against our problem at hand."