The Legend of the ruthless Empress Freya

- POV Gaya -

When was the last time I was in front of this tree ? I didn't really know, everything was a bit confusing and my memories were even more so. On a whim I had decided to come back here but for what exactly ? What exactly do I want to do ? There I was, in front of the tree that had once stood in the middle of the most beautiful valleys, I remembered its scarlet leaves falling like a hair.

I remembered this color that had fascinated me so much when I was a young dragoness and that today was no more. This tree had been the pride of the dragons, standing alone in the middle of all of them every day of the year without ever weakening or even growing old. Today it had lost all its beauty and no longer fed by the mana of the beings around it was withering away, its brown trunk becoming black and sinister.

This vision was much harsher and sadder than I thought, my old home was as empty as my heart had been for far too many years. Yet, as hard as it was I didn't feel the urge to collapse as I had always feared if I came back here. In fact, despite the different and depopulated landscape, I could somehow still feel the presence of my people who had lived in these mountains for millennia.

Closing my eyes I saw my people living happily and carefree away from the world's quarrels and the cruelty of humans that none of us hated. We lived only on what this valley gave us year after year even before this country was an Empire. All these memories more vivid than I had thought crossed my mind and heart as if I was not alone while I spoke in a low voice.

"�ᚱᚨüᛚ ᚨ�ᚾ ᛉöᚱᚱ'ᚺᛚᚨ�ᛖᚴ ᛖᛚᚺ�ᚾᚡäᚱ"

Without even realizing it, I had whispered words that I never thought I would say again: draül ain yörr'hlatek elhinvär. In the most ancient language common to all dragons, this meant "As long as the red sun travels across the sky, its brightness will never fade". A saying of my clan that I seemed to have forgotten or rather that I had forbidden myself to remember, imprisoned by the pain of my past.

I had first heard it from my mother when a new dragon cub was born into the clan. At that time I didn't really understand the meaning of this phrase and for a long time, afterward its meaning seemed too unreal. But today, after all this time, I was finally beginning to understand what those words meant as a voice brought me back to reality a little more.

"B-Big...sister...what...d-does...that...m-mean ?"

"It is simply a phrase that we dragons have..."

I hadn't paid attention right away but those words had come from my right where my little brother was standing who I had brought with me. Angel had just spoken for the very first time with a weak, stuttering voice that left me speechless as I watched him for a few seconds. He had just spoken, he who, even with a tongue now had always been mute, had just pronounced his first words

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The long crimson hair that had grown back during his recovery was floating in the wind, glistening in the last light of the sun. Angel's eyes were as amber as mine but like the trunk of a tree, had circles forming from his pupil. He was no longer a pure earth dragon but a chameleon hybrid because of his past but I could smell the scent of my family and smell his dragon blood that would never go away.

"Angel, you..."

"W-What...what...does...t-that...mean ?"

He stared at me with his inexpressive eyes from which a natural interest could be reflected, as if hearing the language of our race had awakened something. Angel was still stuttering and having trouble formulating his sentences, but he had repeated himself anyway. Abandoning the idea of questioning him, I turned to Tyle, Altaïs and hugged them close to my heart before staring respectfully at the tree as I explained.

"It means "as long as the red sun travels across the sky, its brightness will never fade", this phrase carries many interpretations but the red sun represents the earth dragons and their crimson color. I-...I had forgotten it for so many years refusing to understand for fear of suffering but I was wrong because...it is a message of hope..."

"H-Hope ?"

"Yes. As long as there will always be a dragon flying in the skies of this world, no matter the past, present or future, nothing will have been done in vain. Our thousand-year-old race may be decimated, forgotten or even hated, the pride of dragons will always remain as long as there is someone to remember."

"W-Who ?"

"Me...and then it will be up to you to remember Angel, just as a day will come when it will be the turn of these two little ones, though still too young to understand~ You are the hope..."

I knew for a fact that Tyle and Altaïs born from the fruit of my love with Freya were also half-demon, half-dragon hybrids, but it didn't matter. I wasn't even sure I was a pure dragon anymore since I was handling fire, so yes it didn't matter. Our crimson wings would always and forever stretch across the sky and the hope my mother had told me about would live on through the ages, no matter what.

The war of ten years ago had been devastating, humans had managed to blacken the hearts of young people of our clan dreaming of glory. Corrupted and blinded by greed, they stood up to their own kind, not realizing that they were only pawns in the plan to wipe us all out. I had been the last one to stand, and even though the fact that I had run away had haunted me for a long time, today I finally understood this hope and duty of memory.

*So that's what you meant...right, mother ?*

I had fought alongside all my allies, against the very ones I had seen grow up, those who were born brothers and became the messengers of war. Among humans, their stories had been told and repeated countless times, presenting them as heroes and us as monsters. Soon this war would turn them into legends, then into myths and fables until no one could remember which one was the actual truth.

But I remembered dragon warriors, each of them. Their names, their faces, their stories, how they fell and what they died for. Someone had to remember, and if I, the last of this war still standing, didn't...then who would ? That was the hope, our tree could die, our home could burn, our clan could suffer tragedy...as long as the red sun shone, nothing had been in vain.

"Mother, father..."

As the sun set, I felt ready to say what I had never been able to say before, words I had buried deep inside. However it was time, surrounded by my family I felt stronger than ever and back on my home ground I owed it to myself. I wanted to show all those who had disappeared that I was not alone, that I had not given up and above all that they had never left my mind.

"When I ran away after going crazy, the years that followed were even harder than I had imagined. Having to live with the guilt of being the only one to survive was horrible...I wanted to die, I wanted to join you and forget everything. I-...I never got to tell you how sorry I was that I couldn't make a difference and couldn't protect you like you always did for me..."

As I spoke, I could feel the hot tears rolling down my cheeks as I finally put words to all the regret and pain. I had apologized many times but this time it was different, in the land of my ancestors it was my soul that spoke. My words were simple but most sincere and as my vision blurred, I couldn't help but smile softly as I continued.

"But...you'll never believe me...a-after 10 years of letting myself go to waste, I met a person who changed my whole life...Freya. With her, I regained a taste for life and above all, I discovered what it was like to fall in love...madly in love. I know Father, you would probably ask me if she is a dragon haha~ but she is not. She is a she-wolf that occupies my thoughts day and night, much like you Father, cold in appearance but with a heart of gold that would give her life for mine without hesitation...I love her so much if only you knew..."

"..."

"Mother, you often said that the man who would one day share my life should be at least a King...Freya is not a man but she is an Empress, I have far exceeded your expectations, haven't I ? haha~ W-We...we have three children, a little princess named Shiro, who is as sweet, pure and beautiful as the snow in the southern mountains. Then there are the youngest ones, twins who have two-star names belonging to the dragon constellation...Tyle and Altaïs, and..."

I was telling my life story on my knees in front of this dying tree as if they were all listening to me, I could almost see their smiles and feel their presence...it was enough. I wanted them to know that I was happier than ever and that I was no longer alone. I wanted them to know that I had a family, well atypical and different but that we looked out for each other no matter what fell our way not to mention...my little brother.

"And finally...Angel"

"..."

"Y-Your son...my little brother. Mother, father...you...I never knew that...I'm sorry. I-It's a little complicated and for ten years I couldn't look after him but...today he's near me. I swear to take care of him and see him thrive by our side so please...father, mother...w-watch over us from above."

My tears continued to roll down my face to end up on the dusty floor but despite this, I felt soothed. The sadness was still there but I also felt proud to have come this far and that was because of the people I had met. As the wind blew, I felt Angel's hand grasp mine without a word and the little hands of my two children caress my wet cheeks as they laughed tenderly.

"Mother, father...there are so many of us, Kira, Kalaa who are also our family and not to mention our people bringing together almost every race. I-It's amazing, all those who were hunted by the humans are now coming together and fighting under one banner...that of Elysium. T-That's not easy, but today people are standing up and uniting for a more fair future and it's all thanks to Freya..."

I wanted all my fallen companions and my parents to know that the world was finally starting to change. After hundreds of years everything was about to change thanks to the coming of one being...an ancient goddess who despite her memory loss was fighting for what was right. Seen as a demon by her enemies and a powerful savior by her allies...the legend of Empress Freya was just beginning.

As I smiled with pride at the landscape that had turned orange, I thought back to that phrase where the sky was the one that would carry the dragons...the red sun. Elysium, the Empire of Lights was aptly named, the Empress being the sky itself and me as Queen, her sun. While I couldn't help but chuckle softly at the coincidence, I suddenly felt a presence pass me silently walking towards the tree.

*F-Freya ?*

Dressed in white, her long black hair danced in the wind as her boots slammed on the ground with a determined step. On the right, she was holding Shiro's hand and while I was wiping my tears to see more clearly, they stopped a few meters away from the tree. I couldn't quite see what my wife was doing but suddenly a huge ice shape seemed to rise from the bowels of the earth, soaring into the sky.

"W-What..."

I knew this was Freya's doing and it didn't take me long to figure out what she had just formed at the foot of my former clan's symbol. At least five meters high or more, a huge earth dragon made of ice with spread wings had appeared. It was roaring proudly and at the sight, I could not help but bring a hand to my mouth while feeling my emotions flooding back along with the tears.

I didn't have time to say a word, when I saw my wife kneeling in front of this huge statue, followed by my daughter, a little more clumsy. They had put one knee on the ground, had their heads bowed as a sign of respect without ever saying a word. This single gesture made me happy, I didn't know why, my tears wouldn't stop while no words could describe what I was feeling at that precise moment.

*Please...watch over us...all of us...a-and we will make you proud*

Wiping my eyes as best I could, I stood up shakily before assuming my dragon form, feeling my body grow and change. Soon I found myself towering over everyone with my size as I spread my large crimson wings. Then bowing my head respectfully and pulling back my right front paw, I saluted the tree and this dragon, symbols of all that had been, was and would be.

Angel at my side had also bent his knee and the twins in the basket at my feet made no sound at all, watching. Under the blazing sky, I was paying homage to all my fellow dragons after so many years but I was not doing it alone. My family was there, we all felt the same way, no matter what our race or our past, at that very moment we were there and honoring the millenary dragons of the land.

______

- POV General -

Now, in this abandoned land, a second symbol had appeared alongside this tree that also seemed destined to disappear. However, as the Imperial family greeted the place with smiles on their faces, looking to the future, none of them had seen the little bud dancing alone on the highest branch. Yes, the very last page had been turned but a new novel was being written, different but capable of changing everything.

The era of the earth dragons may have ended, but those up above continued to watch over those who proudly represented hope, forever in their hearts. Like the first flowers announcing spring, a brand new future was taking shape on the breeze of renewal in the form of a sacred land bathed in tears where the greatness of dragons was forever immortalized in eternal ice.

[N/A: I had to write an important chapter like this one to finish with Gaya's past before a small timelapse of a few days. The last chapters were a bit more slice of life but the real plot continues in the next chapters. Hope you'll like it~]