Chapter 952 — Casual Talk
Blade of Dawn · Page 4 of 4
Here the deity shook His head, seeming genuinely to grieve over the fall of the Gondorian Empire seven hundred years before, and only then did He look at Virodai and continue: "You were once a pearl among those humans, so bright that you drew even my notice. I looked at you once from afar—but only that one glance.
"When that splendid empire of yours perished, even Tarrande shuddered; without your knowing it, there were dragons who mourned for you.
"I do not know how you 'survived.' Your present state seems to me somewhat... curious, and my gaze cannot pierce to your deepest depths. I can see only that there is something discordant in your soul... Would you care to explain?"
Virodai looked into the Dragon God's eyes, and only after a long while did he lower his lids, speaking slowly and resolutely, as though fighting down some impulse: "Merely the price of survival."
"Since that is so, I shall not ask further," the Dragon God said with a most agreeable nod, and indeed did not press Virodai again, turning His gaze instead to Amber, who sat cradling her teacup and taking slow little sips. "You are the other surprise... an interesting little girl."
"Hey," Amber set down her cup at once and sat up a little straighter, nervous, then could not help leaning forward again. "How am I a surprise?"
"Who put you into this body?" the Dragon God asked with curiosity.
Amber froze on the spot.
Two seconds later the half-elf lady's eyes went wide. "Someone from the Shadow Realm asked me that before too! How... how did you tell—"
"It happens that I know a few things about the Shadowlands—though I am not a deity who holds authority over shadow," the Dragon God broke in. "Someone from the Shadow Realm, then... that is why I was rather surprised when I saw you. Child, who infused you into this body? That is no small accomplishment."
"It has to do with a secret experiment from the Gondorian era," Gaoyang said, glancing at Amber, and only when he had confirmed that the scatterbrain showed no reaction did he answer. "An experiment to transform and fuse living beings between the Shadow and the waking world. Amber is the only one that succeeded."
"...Gondor again," the Dragon God said, shaking His head slowly. "Then all the more is it to be regretted."
Just then Amber seemed to think of something, and she burst out with some excitement: "Oh, right—speaking of deities who hold authority over shadow, can you tell what relation I have to the Goddess of Shadow? I tell you, I am the Chosen of Shadow! Do you know the Goddess of Shadow?"
"The Goddess of Shadow? The Lady of Night?" The Dragon God paid no mind at all to Amber's sudden, slightly presumptuous outburst; hearing her words, He seemed to take some interest, and looked her over carefully twice more—then shook His head. "There is indeed a most powerful shadow patronage upon you, but I see no bond of faith between you and any deity... not the faintest trace of one."