Reincarnated as a Dragon – The path of the Dragon God

The trip was a silent one. Not because none of them had anything to say. Rather, they were too overwhelmed by all the revelations they encountered to manage proper sentences.

From all that they had witnessed, Verugo was essentially a sovereign state with a functioning governing body, teeming with proper structures and working facilities that were strewn and scattered all over the valley. It wasn’t just villages they passed by. There were also towns and various other places of interest that were filled with inhabitants.

The housings and buildings were not as aesthetically pleasing as the ones Henry saw in Gretten but they were enough of them and they were being taken good care of. Most important of all, the inhabitants looked content unlike how the folks in Gretten. The folks they passed by on their trip would exchange nods or brief greetings with Mikael.

The people respected Mikael. They also feared him but there was no animosity between him and the people. The people’s fears were primal, not born out of oppression. Along the way, they had also met others like Mikael, law enforcers and peacekeepers of Verugo, from what Henry could gather.

In Henry’s former world, they would be known as police or cops but here, in this valley, they were known as Sentinels. They patrolled the lands and also the skies. All of them were capable of flight, making them formidable vigils regardless of the terrain.

At present, they were approaching the largest town yet in the valley. It was none other than the capital with more than tens of thousands of inhabitants in the capital alone.

“How is all of this possible?” Rayne muttered after hearing all that information from Mikael. “These buildings and people couldn’t have just appeared out of nowhere, right? Or did Vishara just create life out of nothing?”

“You are mistaken, Miss. It’s true that without Her Majesty, this valley wouldn’t be what it is today, but sadly, the foundation isn’t one of Her Majesty’s miracles or feats. Verugo is built upon a fallen civilization that was left to fend for itself. Before Her Majesty’s arrival, this valley was a mere wasteland.”

“Wasteland or not, why would the humans simply leave this valley alone?” Rayne asked.

“I’m just as curious,” said Alani. “There’s no way the Kingdom would have left this huge piece of land alone even if it’s a wasteland.”

“That’s because this entire valley used to be filled with toxins and poison. But of course, not anymore.”

“What kind of poison and toxin?” Henry questioned.

“Only Her Majesty knows and she deems it prudent to keep that knowledge to herself, which is understandable.”

“How did she dispel the toxin and poison?”

“That question will be answered at the whim and behest of Her Majesty. I am only her servant.”

“Just say you do not know about that either,” Rayne scoffed. “Ow!” A brief scream followed. Someone gave her a flick on the back of her head.

Of course, it was Henry. “Behaved.” his glare seemed to say.

“I knew not about a great deal of things. But I am content with what I know. I live to serve Her Majesty, not to question Her Majesty’s every decision. She has her own advisors.”

****

The sun was hovering above the horizon by the time they reached the capital of Verugo. There were still at least two hours before dusk but the mountain range that encompassed the valley had brought the darkness sooner to Verugo than the time of day.

The capital was not quite as large as Henry expected but the vibrant atmosphere within was astonishing. He wouldn’t have known a wasteland once sat where this town was built. The buildings were small and humble but great care went into the designs and construction. Even the roads were properly paved with bricks or slates.

The people all had smiles on their faces. They wore proper clothes instead of simply pieces of rags sewn together. They neither looked sickly nor frail. They had enough to eat. In fact, Henry could already smell the fragrant aroma of the local dishes oozing out of the eatery district.

However, Henry noticed something strange about the people, or at least some of them. They looked human but they had horns, fangs, tails, wings, and various other features that one wouldn’t expect on a human. Henry thought they were vampires at first but upon closer inspection, they weren’t.

These peculiar individuals did not exude any hint of bloodlust like a vampire would nor did their Murux flow resemble that of a vampire.

“Are those natives?” Henry asked, gesturing at a child playing on the street with a pair of horns jutting out from his forehead and a thin furry tail dangling on his lower back.

“They are,” Mikael answered.

“Are they humans?”

“Their parents were.”

“Were?”

“Their parents are one of those who were fortunate enough to gain immunity against the poison. They changed as a result. They… evolved. Hyuvins, they are called.”

“And they just accept Vishara’s reign without question?” Rayne asked.

“They may have survived the poison that ran through this valley but that didn’t necessarily mean a happy ending for them. They still need to eat like every living being does. There was nothing to eat here except for the twisted animals and plants that had adapted to the poison. It was only when Her Majesty came and turned this place into a paradise that, were they able to thrive.”

“Hmm, I see,” Henry muttered. Contrary to his words and tone, his expression spelt dubiety. Not that he doubted the origins of these peculiar individuals, but about the part where they began to thrive since Vishara’s reign. From what he had learned, natives and aboriginal people welcoming their conquerors was a rare occurrence.

“I sense scepticism from you, Lord Henry. Do you perhaps not believe in my words?”

“Do you suggest that I just trust every word that comes out of your mouth unconditionally?”

“I suppose not but I do hope you would lessen your antipathy towards Her Majesty and her subjects. We mean this world no harm. We only desire peace.”

“One’s fortune is always at the behest of others’ misfortune.”

Mikael smiled wryly. “That is true but nothing comes without sacrifices.”

Suddenly, the Krasir came to a stop just as they were approaching a certain part of the town that was sparse with buildings. It was no gentle halt. It was sudden. Thankfully, none of the individuals on board were the type to easily get thrown off.

“What the hell!?” Alani cried. “I almost fell! Control your beast well.”

“Apologies but this is as far as I can take you,” said Mikael as he gestured in front of them.

The three looked ahead and saw a bespectacled, studious lady, standing in the middle of the street amidst gilded buildings and structures. She had long and dark reddish hair and was dressed in a fancy gown that hugged tightly to her slender figure.

“Thank you, Mikael, but I will take it from here,” said the lady.

“Of course, Lady Samira.” Mikale bowed and immediately took off flying into the sky, leaving Henry and the two alone with the lady. The mount did not disappear even though the summoner had made himself scarce.

“Welcome to Verugo, Lord Henry. I am Samira, the advisor to Her Majesty, Sovereign Vishara.”

“And my family thinks that I had too high of an esteem,” Rayne snorted.

Henry sighed and decided to ignore Rayne’s remark. Instead, he stepped in between the vampire and Rayne. “Greetings, Samira. It’s been a long journey. I hope your sovereign has no further surprises for us and I hope she doesn’t stall our meeting any further.”

“No worries Please, leave the Krasir. We will be walking from here.”

Henry shrugged and did as he was requested. His two women followed his actions. As soon as the three had gotten off the Krasir, it melted away into nothing. Henry was surprised to learn that the Krasir was not Mikael’s own spell, judging by how the Murux literally seeped into the ground. The summoned Krasir was a product of the very land itself and Mikael was simply invoking the land’s aid.

At this discovery, a thought struck Henry.

“Does Vishara’s influence span the entire valley?” Henry asked.

There was a look of surprise on Samira’s face but only briefly. “Her Majesty’s influence does span the entire valley in more ways than one, Lord Henry,” she answered.

Rayne frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means your ancestor knows exactly what we are doing constantly ever since we entered the valley.”

“How is she doing that?”

Henry shrugged.

Samira smirked. “No one can comprehend Her Majesty’s powers. It’s best not to dwell on it. Come, this way,” she said.

Samira walked only for a few yards before she was seemingly swallowed up by the space.

Rayne and Alani flinched at the strange sight but Henry only scoffed at it.

“How trite,” he remarked and walked towards the spot where Samira was “swallowed” by the space. “Don’t be afraid,” he told the two and entered the invisible portal.

The transportation effect was instantaneous and without any discomfort. In the blink of an eye, a large palace now stood proudly in all of its grandeur right before him.

“Whoa!” a cute squeal resounded from behind him.

Henry turned around and caught a falling Alani in his arms.

“Tsk,” Rayne tutted as she appeared from thin air without stumbling or falling. “Have some shame,” she muttered.

“Someone’s envious,” Alani teased as she was helped to her feet by Henry.

“There is nothing to be envious about of a shameless girl like you.”

“It’ll do you plenty of good to be shameless once in a while.”

Samira giggled. “Your wives sure get along well with each other, Lord Henry.”

“It has its moments,” Henry said with a wry smile.

“Her Majesty hopes to have the same warm reception.”

Rayne and Alani stopped their bickering and snapped their gazes at Samira. ““What’s that supposed to mean?””

“You will know in time,” Samira said and walked up the flight of steps leading to the front doors of the palace. The three followed suit with two glares trailing after the vampire.

The moment they reach the top of the stairs, a runic circle of inscriptions glowed under their feet. Rayne and Alani panicked for a moment but when they saw Henry’s calm expression, they knew there was nothing to worry about. A blinding flash swallowed them all and when the glaring light dissipated, they were in a vast hall, presumably inside the palace.

“This is absurd,” Rayne muttered grimly.

Hearing those words, Samira shot the Zeva a glance. “Absurd? Explain yourself.”

“How is any of this possible? In just a few short months, Vishara manages to build a small country and even a palace of her own, infused with spells of such convenience. Not to mention, she has managed to cast a powerful spell on the entire valley that allows her to observe the whole land. If this isn’t absurd, then I do not know what is.”

“Mortals can never fathom the might and will of a god.”

“Isn’t she your queen or something?”

“Her Majesty is not only our monarch but also our god. Our lives were nothing but a means to an end before she came. We were meant to die and perish without a care in the world. We were nothing to the eternal mortal coil. But she gave us a second chance. She gave us a new meaning in life. She saved everyone from the darkness that threatened to destroy the very reason for our being. We are indebted to her. We would not be here if it wasn’t for her.”

Rayne was at a loss for words. This level of zealotry was a new experience for her. Not even the tribes of Ulrum were this zealous towards Henry.

“Come,” Samira said and walked over to a pair of large doors without paying any heed to Rayne’s flabbergasted reaction. “Her Majesty awaits within this very room.”

Her hands for the handles but the doors suddenly creaked open by themselves.

“Took you long enough,” said a tall woman, with an appearance that greatly resembled Rayne, walking through the agape doors. “It has been too long, Henry.”

“Likewise,” Henry responded in a grumble.