Reincarnated as a Phoenix

Chapter 81 – Introductions

"There was so much death and destruction"

"Let it go brother, who cares about humans fighting anyway?"

"Still Zeki, we did just fly over a warzone after all"

(Ikarus) "There's nothing wrong with showing emotion for the dead kid"

"Bite me orangey"

(Petra) "..."

After my parents left the phoenix cave, we decided to set off the very next day and have been rotating the flying duties ever since on course to the east of Sierra, it's obviously time to find the bastard. I'd have liked to spend some more time with my parents but there's always time for that after the empire stuff, me and Petra can always spend some time around their cave together so there will be more family time even if they can be a little much at times. I'd also rather they stick to dragon form as well; both shouldn't be using their human if they can avoid it. Sigh, mother.

Oh, I did have words with father on that 'is he actually Daedalus?' thing, he doesn't have a clue what I'm on about. Seriously though, he didn't stutter while answering and I could easily confirm it with my new eye of wisdom ability, even if I'm unsure how it still works. Also unsure on how a giant's eye could lead to getting a lie detector ability, not complaining about it since I'm pretty certain it's always working, at least it seems that way but none of our group are brilliant liars so it matters little anyway.

It also turns out, no one else actually unlocked anything from that dungeon which is kinda weird, you'd think they would've gotten the lie detector ability too but obviously not, not going to say anything about it otherwise Zeki might say something not safe for work again, he really has a vulgar mouth at times.

As for what Ariza was mentioning, it was the battlefield between the empire and the rebels we flew across a few days ago, the land was charred black from the number of fires and battles that had clearly gone across the lands, no idea who's winning but looking at it, I'm guessing no one.

Like I just said, that was a few days ago and after crossing into their lands, we've flew across what appears to be the capital to the rebels and a tall autumn looking forest, colour of the leaves is more of a yellowish-brown and the trees themselves are pretty narrow thinking about it, a lot of light gets through to the forest floor. A battlefield, a large city and a different looking forest, not much variety for half a month of travelling.

Didn't stop at any settlements as well, did get attacked by some bandits a few days ago while camped out in the forest though, unfortunately they were very low levelled and Zeki was in a mood so I only got a single level up from that encounter, bandits do seem pretty rare in this world thinking about it. Already had that thought before, flying does counter most enemies though, it's when on the ground things become a tiny bit riskier.

We've just left that forest now, it's Zeki's turn to be the carrier pigeon, he really hates it when I call him that so I'll let it slide for now otherwise he'll drop me again. He really is a grumpy bastard at times and being dropped is not fun even with my winged form, my father when teaching me how to fly taught me that first though.

"So how are we even supposed to find the bastard anyway Petra?"

The land we've just entered looks to be pretty barren and sandy, we're not at the sandy beaches of the eastern coast just yet but the land is slowly starting to change, pretty certain I can just about see the ocean far in the distance now.

"Knowing them, they'll know when we get close and will provide an introduction"

Them? I'm guessing the bastard travels with someone then, this could be interesting.

Zeki flies for a while longer and wouldn't you know it, the huge beaches of the east and vast blue ocean have clearly taken up most of our view now, there is something very noticeable sticking out though.

(Ikarus) "Are they... all pirate ships?"

(Zeki) "Fuck me, that's a big convoy"

(Ariza) "There's a lot of them"

"Heh, they really must be planning something big"

Us three are obviously shocked at the number of ships docked up at the beachfront, there must be dozens and dozens of them, probably hundreds of pirates here. I have no idea what Petra's grinning about, can just about see it while we're sitting side by side holding hands up here.

Oh, that whole kissing when waking up thing, nothing further has gone on since then, I think I may have done that a little prematurely and Petra also seems to understand that, I'd like to see her face go red once again but obviously the right moment needs to come up, that definitely felt like the right time, just it's kinda hit a small stumbling block since then. I'm not worried though, that kiss was pretty good, albeit maybe a little forced but it was still alright though.

All those pirates on the beach or the ships, this is a perfect opportunity for something else.

"Petra, should we start cleaning house?"

There's literally an army full of EXP ready for the taking, it might be pretty risky but pirates shouldn't be that high levelled, right? Well, they might be but I don't think ship cannons count as the person's kill so they wouldn't get EXP for sinking and plundering a ship, unless they died by the person's sword, Aesa might know since this is getting complicated on how it works.

[<Unfortunately, even Aesa isn't completely sure what counts towards EXP gain, -user- would need to perform specific actions for effect to be known>]

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I guess the specifics on how EXP works will never be known since I'm not going out my way to kill people in odd ways, the only sure way is if they die by your own hands but even that isn't perfect, it's a bit weird how a sword counts since it's the blade actually killing but a cannon or a gun might not count but forget it, Petra's talking to me now anyways.

"Might be best not to get involved Ikarus, it's their prey and they're coming over now"

Us three still don't have a clue what Petra is talking about but our answers are very shortly about to be answered with a display that is beyond epic.

Far out at sea, a small purple looking spec can be seen in the distance and it's slowly getting closer and closer now, there's no way Petra could've seen it at this range but she must have felt the purple creatures presence or aura from over here. Now that it's closer, it's pretty obvious what it is.

(Zeki) "Who the hell is that?"

"Esmerelda, the bastards' wife if you can believe it"

(Zeki) "She's a fucking dragon! That's sick! Humans and dragons should never be allowed together"

(Ariza) "You're literally in a mixed species relationship as well Zeki!"

"Don't use that relationship word on me, the cow doesn't count since she's technically a spirit"

(Ariza) "*Sigh*, dumbass"

Ignoring their conversation, a purple dragon, roughly the size of father can be seen quickly approaching the pirate ships and on top of that dragon, appears to be a person, I can't make them out from this distance but I'm guessing that's the bastard, looks to be blonde hair as well but it's still too far away, Petra did say not to get involved so we're just going to watch what happens up here on Zeki's back.

"Are they seriously going to take out that entire fleet?"

I'm not worried for the dragon, it just seems a little mad for a dragon to be making itself public attacking such a large group of people, I know Petra said they'd make an introduction but still, this seems insane.

"Heh, you're going to want to watch this Ikarus"

"Getting a front row seat watching hell about to unfold, that dragon might be as powerful as your father orangey"

"She does seem pretty strong"

Of course, using status from this range is pointless but even I can tell she's powerful, pretty much most dragons are after all, they'd have to be after what the empire have been doing to them for centuries now.

Watching on, the purple dragon Esmerelda goes in for a dive from the sky and attacks one of the pirate ships breathing what looks to be some type of gas all over the ship. The people who don't jump overboard from the attack all start to choke and fall to the ground, I'm guessing her attack is similar to father's then, might be a little different since she's purple but poison seems to be her focus.

Then she swoops back up around for another attack to a different ship, the same exact thing happens again, all those pirates almost look to be choking from the purplish gas all around them, can't imagine it would be a nice way to go but seems pretty quick considering how fast they're dropping.

These types of attacks go on for quite a few minutes, swoop in for one, then return to do another, all those poor little pirates are actually being destroyed like ants right now at this dragon's poisonous wrath, it's a pretty horrific experience to watch thinking about it. Mother's wrath at the city would've been a hell of a lot worse than this since hers destroys pretty much everything but this dragon's breath must also be really nasty.

There is something else that is upsetting me as well.

'I want to cry, all that wasted EXP'

I can't help but think after witnessing the destruction that's going down, my level would've gone up so high, I should've ignored Petra's advice and started to kill steal but then again, choking on poison doesn't sound fun and I don't think I have any resistance to that, at least me and Aesa aren't aware of any, except alcohol but that doesn't count.

Now that it's over and any of the survivors have jumped from the ships or started to flee, the purple dragon flies away to approach our direction obviously completing what she set out to achieve. They guy up her back did look to be shouting during that fight cheering her on I reckon, couldn't make any of it out though.

(Zeki) "I wonder if that gas is flammable, I'd love to see all those little ants burn as well"

(Ariza) "Poor guys, that did seem pretty brutal"

"..."

"..."

This time around, it seems both me and Petra don't really have anything to say on what we just witnessed, she already knows about the bastard's wife so she would've expected it, I'm just a little shocked at witnessing a dragon's wrath once again, I did miss most of what mother did back in the destroyed city after all.

Now that they're close, they have finally entered status range, might as well see just how powerful they are.

'Status'

[Name: Esmerelda | Species: Dragon | Level: 399]

[Health 40,000/40,000]

[Stamina 15,612/19,750]

[Magicka 29,403/40,000]

----------

[Name: Desmond | Species: Human | Level: 622]

[Health 40,000/40,000]

[Stamina 8,888/10,000]

[Magicka 12,200/12,200]

'At least there's no worry on the bastard being too weak, he's more than double the prince's level, he could probably take the capital back himself. Well, maybe not but he does shit all over his brother stat wise. As for the dragon, I thought she might be a little higher levelled than that due to her being roughly father's size but I guess that's average for dragon sizes after all'

As for the bastard's description, he looks pretty similar to the twin brothers being lord Blake and Alistair, he shares the prince's blue eyes and one noticeable exception is that he looks a lot more stunning and feminine, you can still tell he's male but the long blonde hair he has could make you believe differently.

His clothing consists of something that looks like a black robe, maybe something like a ninja might wear but isn't that fancy thinking about it, I guess he and Petra like robes then.

For a guy called the bastard though, it's technically true but it does seem a bit ironic considering how he looks, you'd think he might be covered in scars and stuff like that but that expectation is completely off.

"Land and we'll have a talk; Esmerelda finds it difficult to converse in this form"

<True dat>

Okay, his voice in particular is a lot more masculine than he looks, that was also surprising. Did that dragon just converse 'true dat'? I'm unsure if that's how she speaks or if her dragon telekinesis doesn't work right, guess I'll find out soon. It's telepathy Ikarus, don't let them convince you otherwise.

"Err, fine then human"

Zeki reluctantly finds a spot to land on this beach, he did just get told to do something by a human, phoenix pride exists for him after all. Once we've landed, we get off his back and Zeki changes instantly back into human form.

'He's such a hypocrite'

It's pretty ironic he dislikes humans yet prefers his human form all the time, his argument would probably be it doesn't count but he is a jackass after all, even Ariza gives him a condescending look from that. Forget it, we're about to be spoken to now.

Then dragon also finds a place to land and the bastard Desmond jumps off Esmeralda's back as well, the dragon then does a form change also, I'm guessing she has enchanted clothing so looking away isn't needed.

Now that the dragon has also changed form, I'm honestly a little shocked looking at her, she's beautiful. Obviously not as much as Petra but seriously though, she'd give the Goddess of beauty a run for her money. A slight face of annoyance appears on Petra's face towards me though, I wasn't actually checking her out, honest! I'm just making an observation, it's the first time we've met after all.

To actually describe how she looks, a long, full head of dark purple hair, same-coloured eyes and has a pirate looking black short outfit on, maybe more something like a mercenary might wear but it's still comparable to a pirate's getup. My description of her isn't great but she is seriously good looking, maybe I might just be into dark haired women thinking about it. There's no chance I'd ever stray from Petra though, she's even initiated the hand holding this time around, it's a good thing I find jealously pretty cute even if Petra would deny it. Could be a chance to check my ability out but I'll ignore this time, I did kinda just stare at that dragon.

(Desmond) "So... how did you think of our little introduction?"

(Esmerelda) "Tis was pretty cool, was it not?"

...

Erm... I'm a little sure how to react, they honestly sound a little proud about that display, are they childish or something? At least Petra is willing to question them on it, even if she kinda expected something like that.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Completely, we've been scoping those fuckwits down there for a while now, having someone to enjoy the show is just a bonus"

"Yup, why are thou here though?"

Okay, this dragon has a really weird way of speaking, some of it sounds like slang and other parts sound really outdated, I won't say anything since it would be pretty rude but it is a little odd.

Petra doesn't even get around to introducing us or anything like that, the dragon did just ask bluntly why we're even here.

"We're hunting your little brother Desmond; the prince is going to die very soon"

"Oh, you mean Ali? Blake's already dead so who really cares? Why do you need to tell me such a thing though?"

He doesn't actually sound all that bothered hearing about this, would make sense seeing that the rest of his family want to enslave dragons and he marries them. He even has his arm around the waist of Esmerelda right now, clearly they have a close relationship, that's actually looks nice to do but we'll stick with our hand holding for now.

"The reasons don't matter, what happens after does-"

"No, fuck no..."

The guy rudely cuts Petra off there, I'd step up to defend her but the guy clearly knows what she's speaking about.

"... This isn't the first time you've come to me and won't be the last, I'm not doing it so you can bugger off"

Well this is going great, he's already rejected the idea and we haven't even asked yet. His wife seems to be a little more open minded though.

"Des, thou knows one should be kind and accommodating to any visitors even if one disagrees"

'Is this dragon even using thou and one correctly? Ah, forget it'

"Urgh, I'll listen then, something like this would require an entire gold mine just to convince me otherwise though"

Wait, an entire gold mine? That's our bargaining tool then, I've got a gold mine! Petra looks at me in a way that implies I shouldn't bring it up though but he mentioned it.

"What about half a gold mine? Would that be a good start?"

I try to bargain towards the bastard and he's immediately taken back, he didn't actually expect me to answer to him there.

"Erm... I was just making a joke about that whoever you are, monetary gain is kinda pointless if you run a kingdom especially with the empire already owning dozens of them"

'Oh, that was a joke and I took it as being literal, stupid Ikarus'

[<No one's denying that>]

'Shut it you!'

The thing is, it's very obvious we should want this guy to run the country, just look at his treatment to dragons, he's freaking married to one! That alone makes me think he'd be suitable; he does seem extremely rough around the edges though. This might backfire terribly for everyone else but us phoenixes and dragons would benefit massively so that's all that really matters. I'm joking of course, Petra does seem to believe he's more than suitable so I'll put my trust in her, not him.

How do we even convince someone who seems this adamantly against such a thing though? Money doesn't seem to be a motivator so what else? I guess even Ariza and Zeki don't have a clue either but it might be they just don't want to speak up, Ariza looks a little shy right now and Zeki is just grumpy. Petra might have an idea though.

"Desmond, allow me to give you a warning. If you don't take the throne afterwards, the empire will destroy itself, this will happen"

"Really? Do tell why then"

"Because it's inevitable, you already know all the reasons why. Your brother will die by our hands and we won't be picking up the mess that follows after"

"You do the fucking role then! I don't want no role in your schemes Petra"

In all honesty, he has a point but Petra is doing something sly here, unsure how she's going about it but it seems like she's trying to encourage him somehow.

"You really want to leave all those innocent people left to fend for themselves knowing you'd be able to make a difference?"

Ah, she's doing the guilt treatment and it seems to be working on him, I'd say it's a little hypocritical seeing that Petra could also do the role really well but I'm not having that, she's mine! The empire's duties can screw off, he is blood bound to the role after all even if he doesn't want it.

"Urgh... let's just discuss this later, I'm hungry now. Es, you fancy cooking?"

"Yup, one will make a feast"

I guess we're getting a free meal out of this, I really hope Petra can convince him even if this could be a bad idea...

__________

---Both those two have AI that has been added if you want to check it out---