The tension in the room was palpable. The dragon's hands clutched firmly behind his back, and his lips forced a practiced smile at the greedy eyes before him as he waited for the empress to dig her own grave.
Valmira's grip on the armrests tightened, and her bright smile was both polite and ambitious. She placed her hands in her lap, rubbing them against each other to draw warmth from the fire of her determination.
She said, "I believe you are smart enough to know what a mortal like me wants from you, Lord Skor. Ice dragon's scales are magical. I want just that." Her words echoed across the room, blunt and clear, clouded by the firm grip of the lingering effect of the dragon's manipulation.
Skor's smile dropped, his eyes darkened as he looked up at the empress. The room grew cold, coordinating with his spirit.
He said, "That's quite bold of you, Your Grace."
His clasped hands loosened their grip on each other, coming undone at his sides. His jaw tightened as a course of adrenaline crushed through him. His hands balled into fists, with the force of its clench, his knuckles turned white, and soon it initiated into icy blue spreading up his arms. A frosty mist embraced his form, the chill glow spread across the room, making it visibly cold.
Valmira's senses broadened. Her body tensed up, and her hands trembled, not from the cold but the sheer terror crushing through her veins. Her feet pressed against the polished floor as she stood immediately. Her smile dropped, her composure wavering, her breath heavied ever so slightly.
"Lord Skor! what are you doing!? It was just a request!" Her voice rose with each word.
As if to answer her question, Skor pierced through the mist. His disguised hands, now in their original form; icy blue wings, enormous and majestic, flapped viciously, taking up most of the space in the room., It lifted him high above the polished floor, his ankles crossed, and legs pressed together, elegance never leaving his back. His gaze, unhinged and cold, was fixed on Valmira.
"Your Grace, how unbecoming it is for you to make such a request. It is much like an insult." Skor's voice was calm and stable, opposite to his intimidating form.
Valmira gulped down, she was captive of Skor's manipulation, refusing to see the consequences of her gluttony. Clenching her fists, she looked up at Skor head on as she refused to back down despite her earlier fear, "It is not an insult, Lord Skor. It is merely a request; if you wish, I can give you the most precious jewels of our kingdom. One that the demon clan can never harbor!"
Skor snickered, "I apologize, Your Grace, but I am afraid those jewels are of no use for a dragon like me. Besides, my scales aren't on scale."
He knew she was completely under the effect of his manipulation skill and was failing to comprehend the danger she was walking into. With a single powerful and symmetrical flap of his wings, a radiant blue wave of mana with a blend of green magic circle of teleportation darted towards the empress before passing through her body in a flash. Her form dematerialized along with the blue mana and the magic circle. Icy blue feathers like Skor's fell on the floor where Valmira once stood.
Once back to his human form, he raised both his hands in front of him, facing the throne. His lips mouthed some ancient spells used to create communication means. The green glow emerged, forming a new magic circle which joined far to the demon realm.
"I got her. Continue to keep a watch on Arzoth and the demon princess." Tashi's voice echoed through the magic circle.
Skor gave a curt nod to himself as he said, "I know."
"Did her system take a form?"
"Not yet," Skor replied.
He closed his fists. The green glow faded, along with the circle, as the dragon closed the communication means without waiting for Tashi's next words.
"Arisa's system, huh?" he muttered. "That will be over soon."
He turned around to face the exit of the room before he moved towards it with a heavy sigh.
****
Arzoth stepped inside his chambers, the curtains were closed, allowing no light to enter the room. The darkness consumed the area, and yet he could see a small form seated on the soft rug before the bed. Arzoth walked past her. He halted before a window and drew the curtains open. The light flooded inside through the single window like a lifeline for the suffocating atmosphere which was formed previously.
He turned around and looked at Arisa, seated with her hands one above the other in her lap. Her eyes closed as she concentrated to protect her peace, only for it to be broken by Arzoth as he asked, "It seemed like you already knew about the system and its form?"
Arisa's brows frowned in irritation, her eyes refused to open, or flatter. "Yes, I knew."
"Did you ever have systems in your past lives?"
Arisa opened her eyes sharply as Arzoth ignored her need for isolation. The prince sighed and sat down beside her. He stayed still for a moment before he looked at her with a confused expression.
Arisa gritted her teeth, clearly annoyed at Arzoth's intrusion. She sighed heavily; her shoulders slumped in defeat. She took a deep breath before she met his gaze and said, "I did not have systems in my previous life."
"Then? Another warning?"
Arisa's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?!"
Arzoth smiled, "Why won't I know? I am supposed to be your father after all."
Arisa looked away. "Is that so?" she murmured more to herself than to Arzoth. Her jaw tightened, and a lump formed in her throat, making breathing a struggle. Her hands clasped in her lap, tighter, firmer until it became sweaty and her tiny fingertips reddened. Her lips pressed in a thin line as they refused to tremble, to break her composure.
Arzoth noticed the sudden shift in Arisa's demeanor, the cracks in her composure.
"I can't forget that she killed Arzoth five times, each time with the same cruelty. Just how much weight is her soul carrying?"
After an agonizing pause, Arisa stood up on her feet, making Arzoth frown in confusion.
"You want my system to take a form? Then so be it. From now onwards, I will do as you say." She announced.
Arzoth's eyes widened.
"Huh?!"
"What is this about now?!"