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mrneighbourlove · 3 years

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A Better Future: Ch 1. Kingdoms Unite

The Ark of the Blazing Fire sailed forward across the ocean waves, sailing through uncharted territory. Captain Bellum of the Kikai Empire had a glorious task ahead of him. Chart out the ocean floors and discover territory for the Hasai Colonization. The Empire was growing large. Too large for the Emperor's liking. They needed to expand or their population would tear itself apart. Finally, his scout found something.

"Captain! Island dead ahead!"

"Excellent. Everyone to their stations. We have potential territory for the Empire."

The boat sailed in close, hitting the sandy beaches. Skorge troopers with spears hit the beach, flanked with Waku magicians. Once they secured the landing zone, Bellum kept a small crew on the boat as he and other Romton left the boat. "Sergeant. If there are other people here, do not engage unless I give the order."

The Waku nodded, despite some grunts of disapproval from the Skorge troopers. "Yes sir."

The Captain appreciated the lack of tongue from the Waku. "Excellent. Let's see what we have here."

For the next half an hour, the team of Hasai explored the small island. The Captain deduced there was plenty of lush vegetation. In the trees, Bellum took an orange, examining it closely. Smelled good. Felt good. Taking a bite, it tasted good. He checked off in his mind a good food source. One of the scouts found a river, connecting to the ocean. "Sir! Fresh water!"

"Very good." This settled it for Bellum. Grabbing a banner, he stabbed it into the ground. The Hasai flag flew high into the air. "Then this will be a good island to claim for the Empire."

Lorleidians did not condone violence. All of the tribes of Lorleidi tried to avoid fighting if peaceful resolutions were possible. Yet, there were a select few who believed in attacking first and asking questions later. These were the border guardians of Lorleidi, keeping a close watch over their beloved islands. For a while, the guards simply observed the newcomers. The queen had given strict orders not to intervene unless necessary. However, these were armed individuals with dangerous weapons and highly unstable, darkly influenced, fire magic. There was uneasiness in the Lorleidians' minds as the guards watched from their posts. Some were hidden in the ground. Others floated above in the air. A few were in the water, slowly dismantling the boats, to keep the intruders from fleeing.

Once the banner was in sight, the Lorleidians realized these newcomers were looking to conquer. This would not do. The queen would be interested to know of these strange people who dared to try to take their homeland. With the magical energy flowing in place, the trap was set. The best tactic to battle was to avoid the overall battle. Within moments, the Skurge were trapped by fauna which simply came alive, taking the weapons from grasp and tangling the warriors in the vines, constricted tight. The Waku were trapped up to their necks in the sand, the earth hardening to keep the warriors in place, unable to use the fire. The Romtan on the boat were suddenly trapped in spheres of water, only allowing air into their lungs by exposing their head.

Lorleidian soldiers had Bellum secured by his ankles, with Kovinas and Munjas ready to deliver a fatal strike if he so much as flinched.

"You are on Lorleidian land, outsider," General Waccamaw's fingertips were sparkling with lightning. "You dare trespass on sacred land."

As a glow came from startled Waku, and Bellum calculated this first contact quickly. The Skurge and Romton would die quickly. The Waku could fight back, but most likely be overwhelmed fast. No. Fighting in these conditions would be fatal for his team. Negotiations were needed to boost the odds of survival. "Put down your weapons, suspend your magic and spare my crew. I am Captain Bellum of the Kikai Empire. I mean you no harm. I was under the impression this was untamed land. There is no need for bloodshed at this time. Unless I am incorrect with my analysis, you are not savages. You see no reason to kill us needlessly. I see no reason for a counter attack."

"You are the ones who have brought weapons to our land and dark magic at your side," General Waccamaw was not so easily swayed. Outsiders have always brought trouble to Lorleidi. It was difficult to allow anyone who was not a Lorleidian here on the island. There had been too many incidents where outsiders tried to hurt the innocents or take what was precious to them. So, the Lorleidians defended what was theirs with much ferocity. "You must understand why we are skeptical of you and yours on our land."

“Dark magic? Interesting theory. Of course, any advanced culture would defend itself journeying into the unknown. And, this is your home. If I promise you me and my crew will not retaliate, will you treat us with hospitality?”

"Why should I expect you to keep your promise?" General Waccamaw was still not convinced. "Many outsiders have been here before, promising friendship and partnership, and have fled with our resources, our children, and betrayed our trust."

“You have us outnumbered. You hold the strategic high ground over my crew. To attack you after would only ensure our deaths. Does this prove enough trust on the matter? And if not trust, logic?”

"This only proves I have the advantage, it does not mean I will trust you so easily." General Waccamaw glanced at the warriors the Captain Bellum brought who were trapped by his guards. "Our queen will decide your fate." He then ordered the soldiers. "Bring him with us. Keep his warriors subdued until the queen gives her orders."

“Must you put sand up to their necks and keep them in such confined spaces? It’s rather barbaric to treat your prisoners in such a manner.”

"The outsiders say we are barbarians, so I suppose, if they believe it, we'll act like it." General Waccamaw motioned for the Waku to at least be allowed a little more breathing room. "Come. Our wise queen awaits."

Bellum breathed with relief with his men once they were given more leniency. “Thank you.”

Traveling with the Lorliedians, the captain felt like kicking himself in the foot. Behind the island he settled on was a massive landmass that dwarfed it in comparison. If he scouted further instead of letting his excitement get the better of him, perhaps he could have avoided this situation

General Waccamaw led the captain to the capital, having sent a messenger ahead with news of the outsider. The queen agreed to cast judgement. Within time, even the current reagent had grown rather suspicious of any foreigners. There had been so many injustices against their people in the past. Not only were there guards, but dragons around the palace as well. Many were massive beasts, protective of their homeland and nests, but also ready to attack those who were seen as a threat. As Bellum was led into the palace, the Kovinas made sure to keep his hands pinned together with two plates of metal, serving as a handcuff of sorts. There were also Munjas at his side, ready to use the metal to send a shocking current throughout the captain if he dared to try anything.

"Queen Yolandyi," General Waccamaw gave a polite bow to his leader. "We have brought the outsider."

The current queen was young, almost paler than starlight with her skin and contrasting raven hair. Those unusual lavender eyes could see straight into the soul of anyone. It was a talent of the royals, so the stories said, each and every leader of Lorleidi had a sense of who was righteous and who was malicious. There, she sat on her throne, as calm and poised as every ruler should be.

"It has been a long while since we had any outsiders from the mainland, those this one," Yolandyi's voice was like pure silk, her long eyelashes nearly touching her cheeks as she blinked, looking from her general to the intruder. "Is different than those from countries on the continent."

Bellum, still shackled, would not show weakness. His posture was straight, and his purple, amethyst eyes locked onto the Queen. His voice, despite being a captive, was kept cool and methodical. “You will need to be more specific on which continent. I’ve taken my crew from my initial departure over a month on the sea.”

"Where are you from, outsider?" Yolandyi inquired of the man, "And what do you want with our homeland? My general here tells us you were looking to conquer." She stood from her throne, the dress flowing behind her as she descended the steps. "Do we have reason to be alarmed by your presence here?"

“I am Captain Bellum of the Kikai Empire. We are a collection of tribes from a race known as the Hasai. I travel out because our Empire has grown to a level that will not be able to sustain our people without expansion. I am looking for unclaimed land that my people can settle on. I made the miscalculation out of excitement that the island we landed on was not claimed by another nation.”

Yolandyi listened to his words, her facial expression remaining stoic. Now in front of Bellum, she reached up and touched his cheek, feeling his energies within, searching for deceit or malicious intent. She found none. Bellum, however, was alerted to the swirling storm of power which the queen held. The connection went both ways. With a soft hum, the queen motioned for the guards to remove the manacles, the metal falling to the ground.

"He speaks the truth." Yolandyi removed her hand from Bellum's face, turning to return to her throne. "You and your warriors may go."

Bellum felt his wrists, giving a crack of his neck. “I never was given the privilege of your name. Or learned of the name of your nation. Or what your culture might be like.”

One of the Romton groaned at the last bit. They knew their captain loved cultural arts, and he could be kept up for hours studying it.

"I am Queen Yolandyi of the Lorleidians," She glanced over her shoulder at Bellum, halting her movements for the moment. "We have seven tribes for the Seven Siblings of Nature. Our talents were gifted to us by our deities," Yolandyi held up her hand, a bright ball of light floating above her palm. "We are children of magic. We are magic. Without it, we are nothing. Our home," She gestured to the island seen between the pillars of the palace, "Is the magnificent Lorleidi; the islands of magic."

Gracefully, Yolandyi extended her magical ability to the rest of the room, chasing away the shadows before recalling the light back to her in the shape of the globe. "The Kikai Empire has already been rumored to be quite a military force. However, if you are looking to expand," The queen used her magic to display a section of islands south of Kikai, a shorter distance, but accessible only when the storms chased away the clouds. "Here. A species of fauna with intelligence live there and have knowledge of many medicines and edible plants. I would suggest making friends there, while the other islands around this one are unoccupied."

“Fauna? Interesting. How much intelligence though? Might lack… flare though.” Bellum glanced over the Queen. “Do you rule alone? Do you not have allies yourself?”

"Are you asking if I have a king to stand at my side?" Yolandyi returned his question with one of her own. "And we have acquaintances. Lorleidi has no part in the mainland's war faring activities."

“I was.” Bellum directed his attention to the other point. “Acquaintances are for individuals who lack friends, not nations. Who do you rely on for trade? For shared protection? You can play the part of the shield, but if you do not take up a sword yourself, you must have an ally to do so for you. Least you risk destruction. Metaphor, but nonetheless true.”

"I do not have a king." Yolandyi took her seat once more, the dragons at her side keening lowly as she offered each a pet on the snouts. "We trade with Danjur, sometimes Hyrule, but we mostly have whatever we need here. Lorleidi is self-sustaining. And dear outsider," She asked him, a twinge of warning in her voice, "Whatever so gave you the impression we do not have a sword for defending ourselves? Why do you think so many outsiders never breathe again after stepping foot on our land? We have our ways."

“Do you kill them all? If they are thieves or pirates, expected. If they are travellers, that should not be your judgement to make.”

One of the men noticed one of the dragons bare its teeth at them. Cautiously, he whispered to his captain. “Sir. I think we should just go…”

Bellum waved him off, unconcerned. “Are those ways cruel? Barbarism? True, I know Hasai who would do the same. I, however, condemn it. It is an ugly thing. You can’t kill off someone simply because they traveled onto your property. Or ensnare them together. I’m clearly not your general, but I would not let paranoia allow myself to harm or restrain someone of a new nation upon first contact. What your general did, I would simply call rude. Perhaps unethical.”

The men really, really wanted to leave, but they knew their Captain was impossible to stop a point once he got rolling.

“Soldiers need discipline. You, General, lacked it. Part of the risk is waiting for the other side to make the first move. We made no such motion of aggression when you moved on my crew with forceful, some painful, and I’m certain, mentally worrying restraint. Simply put, it was not proper. Maybe you lack friends because of your lack of manners. You need better protocol. You clearly have power, but you used it incorrectly.”

"Innocents are welcome, but those who would see us under their heel, are not." Yolandyi calmed her dragons with a soft murmur in Lorleidian, giving a gentle kiss to the fire dragon's nose. "Until you've had war on your doorsteps, until you've seen your people suffer at the hands of others, and until you yourself have been a victim, captain, then you are in no place to judge what tactics were used to keep ourselves safe. My general does only what he is instructed to do. Lorleidians do not condone violence," She then paused, turning to the other dragon, motioning for the growling to cease. "But that does not mean we will not use it. This is how we have kept our people safe for thousands of years, and will keep them safe for a thousand more to come."

She then stated, "If you are here to simply give me a lecture, or tell my general how to run his forces, then you will find I have no patience for a man who thinks he knows better than me because he is just that; a man." Those electric lavender eyes peered at Bellum with no trace of emotion. "I've no need of your righteous prattle, Captain Bellum, and no need of a man telling me how to run Lorleidi when he himself does not understand the struggles of my people. Now," She gestured to the guards, "My guardians will see you out if you are done with your attempt at entertaining me?"

“Very well. I will report my findings of this nation back to my Emperor. You should expect further delegations.”

Bellum glanced around the palace room. “I’d like to come back. Examine your art under further study. Maybe you can meet our dragons.”

"If your emperor wishes to pursue a trade agreement, I'd prefer to discuss agreements prior to the arrival of your ruler." Yolandyi thought this captain was such a puzzlement, but opted to keep her opinion to herself... for now. "Very well. Send word ahead of time and you and your warriors will not be up to your necks in sand."

"We will send diplomats. Not warriors. Your skin? Why is it-" One of the men gave his captain a shake of the head. "Ah. Forgive me. Some examinations can be considered rude. Till we meet again."

As the Hasai left, a small hatchling made herself known. A little lightning dragon named Dova'll. "Who was that? Why were they rainbow coloured?"

After the captain was escorted from the palace, Yolandyi noticed the hatchling. It was common for the mother dragons to keep their babies close, so having hatchlings around the palace was nothing new. At the baby dragon's question, the queen actually smiled slightly. Little ones were always so curious.

"The Hasai, Dova'll." Yolandyi answered, "And it seems they are interested in making friends."

“Why was he blue? And the other one red? Are they dragon kin?”

"Dragon kin are the Winged, little Dova'll, part of legends." Yolandyi gently placed the hatchling on her lap. "I suppose a trip to the library is in order, yes?"

“But I don’t like reading.” The little dragon tried to bare her fangs before running off.

There was no communication between the Hasai and the Lorleidi for about a year. One day, on summer's eve, a dragon swam into shore. Behind it was one ship, the Halo of the Divine. Bellum led the company, with a company of ambassadors.

The Hasai Dragon had 6 whiskers with a large main, and it couldn’t get enough of the water. “So refreshing.”

“Erekk. Don’t get the locals upset.”

The port was massive, welcoming visitors from around the continents, but security was incredibly high. After the last visit from the Hasai, Yolandyi made changes. There were now scouts in the water, on the smaller islands, and no one was allowed to visit the palace unless it was diplomatic concerns. As the ship and dragon neared the port, the Hasai were greeted by water dragons on either side and Vodas who watched over the port.

"Captain of the ship, please state your intentions and purpose of visiting the island of Lorleidi."

“This is Admiral Bellum of the Kikai Empire. I am here as an ambassador to speak with Queen Yolandyi. Permission to dock?”

The Hasai Dragon immediately went up to the Lorliedi Dragons, swimming around them like an excited dolphin.

"Permission granted to dock, however, we have received no orders to escort a party of Hasai to the palace." The guardian then said, "We will relay a message to the queen to see if you will be allowed entry."

As Errek swam excitedly around the Lorleidian water dragons, the pair remained calm and collected, remembering their job to do. However, the two were polite to the newcomer.

"Newcomer, we are pleased to welcome you to our island."

"Remember, no eating of humans and no destruction of property."

"Doing so will result in imprisonment or demise."

"Please have a good day touring the island."

“Eat humans? I’m a Luck Dragon. All Dragons of the Grand Isles are. I’m a vegetarian. You don’t have whiskers. And you’re so scaly. And no fur! But you’re so big! This is amazing. I have never seen other dragons outside my kind!”

Bellum activated a switch on his helper as the boat docked in. A humanoid Android with a single glowing eye stood up, glancing around. “T0-D. You are to stay by my side at all times. Observe your surroundings at your pleasure.”

“Pleasure: I don’t know if I can feel pleasure. Or feel.”

"If you would like to interact with the other breeds of Lorleidian dragons, most of our kind spend their leisure time on the other side of this isle."

"Please do not disturb the nests, or else, you will face the wrath of the mother dragon."

"We have six other breeds of Lorleidian dragons."

"Water, fire, wind, earth, metal, and lightning."

"One of us could escort you to the area if you wish it."

It took a while though a messenger eventually returned to the port, allowing access to the palace. General Bellum and his entourage were escorted there by a large group of guardians. All weapons were stripped from the Hasai before allowing entry. There, upon her throne once more, awaited Queen Yolandyi, now more mature in mind and body.

Bellum gave a bow to the Queen, a new red uniform with gold shoulder pads signifying his new rank. Behind him, T0-D scanned the palace walls. He had many looks of bewilderment given his way.

The Hasai felt a draw towards the Queen as his purple eyes fell upon her. “Queen Yolandyi. Good to see you again. I apologize for the long delay between our last meeting. My Empire took lengths to expand our civilization and borders. There was an incident with the Rakashi. They tried to enslave our first colonists with spores. Were you aware they had this ability?”

"Goodness, dear Bellum, you have not seen me in all these years and the first thing you do is just like the last time we met," Yolandyi actually gave a small chuckle, seemingly amused, now, a softer look in her eyes. Her king was at her side, a little one in her lap, and already, her belly was swelling with another child. She seemed happier, not as despondent as before, taking her role of queen more seriously. "You and your questions. Though, to answer your inquiry, I did not."

“Unfortunate. Luckily, there were only 14 colonist casualties. And we only had to burn 4 out of the 7 Hiveminds to bring an end to the conflict, as well as avoid genocide. The act of meeting you and bringing peace to the conflict promoted me to Admiral. There is no ill feelings towards you for not knowing that the Rakashi had multiple natures.”

"I am glad to hear of your expansion though I do regret I had no knowledge of the plants being malicious. However, I am delighted you made peace with such an amazing species," Yolandyi then inquired of Bellum, "Though, it is now my turn to ask you a question, Admiral Bellum. Once again, just like old times, why are you here?"

“To negotiate further trade? And perhaps a chance to study Lorliedian culture closer?”

"Very well." Yolandyi gently set her firstborn into her husband's lap, carefully descending the stairs with a dragon at her side to steady her balance. "I will have my council draw up trade contracts for items of your choosing. What do you wish to know of Lorleidian culture? I would be happy to have my most esteemed scholars educate you."

“Your magic, your art, your agriculture, your lineage. Just to start.”

"That can be arranged." Yolandyi thought it was a little odd that Bellum wished to learn of her people's culture, but decided not to argue against it. After all, nothing harmful could become of it. "Though my lineage, Admiral, does not trace back to the past kings and queens of Lorleidi. Each king and queen is chosen for the throne. It does not necessarily follow a bloodline."

“Interesting and intriguing. So you were elected. Was your King as well?”

"I chose my king, Admiral," Yolandyi stopped in front of Bellum, a soft smile on her face. "A marriage is not true unless it is for love. You have not changed much since we last met," Her hand raised once more and placed itself upon Bellum's cheek, feeling of his energies once more. "... indeed. Simply the same."

“I don’t see a reason to change. I am content with the man I am and the position in life I hold.”

T0-D looked at Yolandyi with bewilderment. His hand mimicked her reaching out to Bellum. “Error: I do not understand the need for physical connection. Can you read Admiral Bellum’s electronic flow?”

"Change is inevitable for all of us, Admiral." Yolandyi told the Hasai, "Whether it be mind, age, or experience, everything in the world changes. I was simply curious to see if you were any different." When T0-D posed a question to Yolandyi, she looked curious at the talking metal man. "I am a Dusa, a magic user of life energies. I can sense Admiral Bellum's emotions and feel his life force. So... I suppose you're asking if I can read his 'nerves'?"

“Queen Yolandyi. Meet T Zero dash D. T0-D is an artificial creation I found on an expedition. It took me quite the amount of time to repay him. He knows who created him, but has lost his memory to time.”

“Confirmation: Nerves. What do you see? Can you see the same in me? Can I see the same in you?”

"... Tod." Yolandyi figured a name would be more suiting than a couple of letters and a number. "A piece of Sheikah technology, I presume?" Holding out her hand, she gently took the robot's and over turned her palm. "You and I are very different, Tod, but in some ways we are the same." She flexed her fingers, "We both have hands, and it seems, you share Admiral Bellum's curiosity. Would you like to learn alongside him?"

“I would. The Admiral spoke highly of you.”

If Bellum was at all flustered, he didn’t show any change of it in his expression. “Of course. The Queen is a fascinating individual.”

"Oh, he did, did he?" Yolandyi stole a glance at Bellum, noticing the subtle change in his energy but said nothing. "While your council and mine agree upon trade, I shall have my best scholars educate you in our palace's library where we keep our history. If you need lodging for the night, the guest rooms are available."

“Thank you, Queen Yolandyi. I look forward to understanding your culture in depth.” Bellum nodded to the Queen.

“Queen Yolandyi… Are you aware of someone by the name of Ganondorf?”

"Yes, I am." Yolandyi answered honestly, "He came here years ago when he was but a young boy, dying from a poison in his veins. I saved him from perishing and he stayed a while on the island in my care. I did not know of his identity until an undead Gerudo came to look for him."

“Queen Yolandyi…” Bellum checked his wrist collars, taking a breath. “I don’t see any other way to tell you this without being blunt. You came close to an invasion by his forces. Our border patrol close to your territory intercepted a navy force of his. We were quick to respond against a large force of monsters. They would have been 4 hours out had the Empire not intercepted.”

"... what?" Yolandyi looked extremely shocked by this news, disbelief covering her features. Even her king looked concerned, as well as the guardians and dragons in the room. "Surely you're jesting? I saved his life, he stayed with me for a few months. He has no ill will against me. Why would he want to invade Lorleidi?"

“We didn’t know for certain, but he attacked us on first contact and was making a beeline for your nation. I was close, and intercepted. There was a large engagement between my forces and Ganondorf’s. He fled with 15% of his fleet back to wherever he came from. After learning his name, our spies did research. We found a legacy. Ganon. King of Evil. A demon reincarnated for generations originating from the country of Hyrule. Sometimes man. Often monster. Always filled with darkness in his soul. And seeking power by exploiting others. Do you have any source of power he’d want?”

"... he told me his name was Xanatos and had no ill will toward me or my people then." Yolandyi wondered what could have possibly changed. The scared boy she saved in the street was simply looking for help. The continent had treated him poorly and he had escaped to Lorleidi via a Danjuran fishing vessel. She was highly confused, though when the undead soldier, Klinge, had come to look for his brother in arms, Ganondorf was not the name he used. Later, she learned through the history of Hyrule who had dealt with Ganondorf before for centuries. Yet, she figured it had to be a mistake.

It seemed she was in the wrong. Already, her king was ordering precautions to be put in place. "Thank you for relaying the information to me. I will be sure to strengthen our borders' guardians. As far as power," The queen did not like to go into detail to outsiders, though every single person on Lorleidi knew of the powerful artifacts of her people. Either way, Admiral Bellum would learn. "We have three precious pieces of history which contribute to our power. The Dusa Magija is our book containing the histories and abilities of the kings and queens of the past, of which only the chosen monarch may read and practice. A key which unlocks this book can only be used by the current ruler. Lastly, we have a pair gauntlets which seer into the body of current king or queen to allow them access to this magic."

Holding up her arms, Yolandyi gestured to the tattoos, "It is useless in the hands of an outsider. If a source of evil ever tried to take these artifacts, then the island would collapse in on itself, resulting in disaster."

Bellum put his hand to his chin, pondering this information over. “Then we know Ganondorf’s target. With luck, you’ll see him again. I would be a waste of life and culture for your island to sink into the ocean.”

"We will protect what is ours with all we have, Admiral." Yolandyi felt a sense of pity for Ganondorf. What could have happened to the young boy who was so frightened? What caused him to turn to such dark forces? She said a silent prayer for his soul to the deities, hoping he would find peace and love to keep him away from the shadows. "There are too many innocents to protect."

"Then you best sharpen your sword and bare your fangs for times ahead Queen Yolandyi."

T0-D wasn't paying attention to the rising concerns of the humans. Glancing around, his eye fixated on the little baby next to the King. "What is that? Why is this human so small?"

Bellum turned his gaze over at his robotic assistant, raising an eyebrow. "T0-D. That is a baby."

"Why is a baby so small? When I was created, I was made the size I am now."

Yolandyi started to reply to Bellum when the robot's inquiry surprised her. Had he never seen such a small child? It amused the young queen to no end, watching T0-D be so insistent that something could possibly be amiss. Everyone had to learn, she supposed.

"Humans are made in a different way, Tod." Yolandyi elaborated, "Sexual intercourse creates the child, and the mother carries the baby until it is time for it to be born. Then, as time passes, the child grows and changes. I did not start out this way, and I will not end this way."

"Organic Change? Is that why you expire?"

"Yes." Yolandyi thought it was as good as reasoning as any. "We have a set time, Tod. We are not internal like this. Only in spirit."

T0-D paused, his eye darting back and forth between mother and child. He then possed a very serious question. "Do I have a spirit?"

Bellum's eyes opened up wide, the query catching him off guard.

"You have a mind, you have a conscience, and it seems, you can think for yourself." Yolandyi reasoned with Tod, "So, I think it's possible you have a spirit. Don't you, Tod?"

T0-D looked at his mechanic hand, his eye zooming in and out. "Scanning: I am... uncertain. I will need more time to come up with a conclusion."

Bellum cleared his throat, wanting to change the conversation. "Queen Yolandyi. Perhaps I can start by taking a look at how you build your defense-?!" His attention was grabbed the Hasai the Dragon flying away from some of the other dragons. Turned out she was able to convince some of the children that just learned how to fly that a game of tag was good training. "Ah. Seems our civilizations dragons can co-exist well."

"Lorleidian dragons are quite docile unless provoked, Admiral." Yolandyi laughed as she saw the hatchlings declaring victory triumphantly because squeaking when Errek turned to chase them. "It is good for them to play. They learn how to fly better, and learn how to be fair." She then gave an order to the attendants to look after her child while the king and guardians escorted Bellum's staff to the guest quarters. She then gestured for T0-D and Bellum to follow her. "I shall show you to the library where my scholars can educate you on our culture. However, as far as defense goes, do you mean the fighting style of my guardians? Or how we defend an island? Two different tactics, Admiral."

"I think I will start with your island's security. Given the encounter, if I know it, I can coordinate better with your defenses." Bellum made a small chuckle. "I just remembered. My Emperor was hoping to have a child with you. Wanted to mix blood with a powerful magic user. He will understand the fact you have already been taken, yet nevertheless will most likely pout on the denial for at least a couple days."

At the sudden mention of marrying the Hasai Emperor, Yolandyi could not help it. She started a flurry of giggles, trying to stifle the sound was near impossible. After she had composed her demeanor, the queen knew she had to explain.

"While I am most flattered that your emperor wished to consider me as a potential bride, I would have never been able to leave Lorleidi." Yolandyi reasoned with Bellum. "How would I be his empress and queen here? I cannot be in two places at once."

Bellum raised a very confused eyebrow. “I don’t understand the humour. I meant the offer as a one time concubine, if you weren’t already taken by another. No marriage required.”

"Oh." Yolandyi misunderstood the implication and now was a bit flushed in the face. She had not even met this Emperor and he wanted to bed her for the sake of a powerful child? That sounded conceited, but also embarrassed her a little. "I will politely decline. While some Lorleidians practice polyamory, others are monogamous like myself."

“Understandable. I will of course try to do my best to persuade you otherwise, for the sake of the Empire with words of encouragement that go blah blah blah, and on and on, with etc, etc.” Bellum gave a nod. “Well, I did my best convincing, seems you won’t change your mind. Oh well.”

"Tell the emperor if he is interested in winning the heart of a Lorleidian woman, then it is best to pursue her by coming here to find one he is compatible with. Besides," Yolandyi told Bellum, "I am not a Vatra. I am a Dusa. It sounds like the Hasai would be better suited for one of our many users of fire."

“That sounds rather simple. You just mix fire with fire? Not much change. No variation.” Bellum shrugged. “Hasai, with training, can also master electricity. This comes easier to those with Royal Blood.”

"Ah, then the Munjas, who govern lightning, could also be compatible. Mixing fire with a life energy talent," Yolandyi pondered upon the possibilities. "I am not sure what would become in Hasai biology. When two different tribes of Lorleidians intermingle, then the child usually takes after one of the parents, sometimes a grandparent."

“Intriguing. All I know is that the Hasai tribes often mingle with their own. Least, the other tribes don’t mix with the Romtan. Worry there won’t be magical potential.”

"If all you focus upon is power, Admiral, then you will miss the sure opportunity for love." Yolandyi's guardians opened the doors to the massive library. "Here is our most prized treasure in the palace, Admiral. You are at liberty to use any documents you seek, however, they cannot leave here. You are free to ask a scribe for a copy."

“In my experience, Hasai are not a traditionally loving species, least compared to other races.” The Admiral looked around, grabbing a book. “Thank you Queen Yolandyi. T0-D starting reading books. Keep an archive on everything you read. Knowledge is power.”

“Affirmative Admiral Bellum.”

The pair was quick to stuff their noses in books, tuning out the outside world.

"Then perhaps, you could stand to learn a little about love as well." Yolandyi watched as the pair settled in with the massive pile of books. "If you require me, send a guardian." With that, the queen was escorted back to the throne room.

The Admiral and Android spent the entire day and night reading over books. When reading about the Dusa’s artifacts and the royal line, Bellum pondered on something. What if someone of a neutral heart used the artifacts? What if the connections to dragons could be mastered by one without destined blood. He drew up possibilities in his mind until he finally could stay awake no longer.

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Next Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/658817460204617728/a-better-future-ch-2-royal-refugees Crossover story with @ridersoftheapocalypse. An AU looking at how select characters could have interacted had fate been different.

#ridersoftheapocalypse #Hasai AU #Alternative AU #Bellum #Yolandyi

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