[TWS] Chapter 259 – New Priorities (Patreon)

A melodic flapping of leathery wings echoed through the evening sky. The setting sun dyed the horizon and the white clouds completely orange as it slowly disappeared deeper and deeper into the fluffy blanket. The last golden rays of the day shone at the impressive crystal tower overlooking the entire flying city from the very middle. Multiple colorful spots decorated the metal ground and buildings from the reflected light, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

The flapping soon stopped as the owner of those wings landed at the very top of the massive monument. A winged lady was sitting down on the slightly sloped surface right in front of them. As the careful footsteps reached her ears, a warm smile snuck onto her beautiful lips.

She said nothing as a white-haired man arrived by her side and sat down. He gently placed his palm atop hers and she let him lovingly graze her skin. The smile blossomed on her noble face even more as she took a hold of his hand, mirroring the gesture.

“You found me,” she said quietly, still staring into the amber horizon.

“Yeah. I felt like this would be the perfect place for you to calm your mind,” he answered calmly. “Although, I cheated a little.”

A gentle chuckle escaped the lady’s lips. “Right. We can feel each other’s presence with great detail now.”

She finally turned her face and her golden eyes met his crimson ones, now sprinkled with a faint twinkle of onyx deep in the background. A fair blush colored her cheeks as she gazed into those swirling, mesmerizing pools, which deepened when they started moving closer. After what felt like an eternity, her lips joined with his in a delicate kiss, barely brushing together.

He was the first one to withdraw. “You are still thinking about it, aren’t you?”

“I am,” she answered in a whisper, leaning against his shoulder and resting her head atop it. “It’s just so sudden and unexpected. I’m really not sure about anything. Well, besides the fact that it’s all thanks to you, Master.”

“I wouldn’t say all of it. It’s not like you just received it randomly. Your choices and dedication led you to the place where you are right now. My influence might have enhanced that a little, but it wouldn’t have anything to enhance in the first place if not for your efforts, Bryn.” He squeezed her palm softly.

“Why do we have to arrive in front of so many decisions in our lives…” Bryn sighed tiredly.

“That’s just how it is.” Asterios chuckled lightly. “Don’t think too much. Just follow what your heart tells you to do. If it guides you towards the position of the next Sky Queen, just take it.”

“No. I already made my life-changing choice.” She shook her head and glanced up to find his eyes. “I feel satisfied as your mate, Master. Leaving your side to watch over an entire race is no longer the dream I would prioritize the most. An even bigger one has already been fulfilled. I don’t want to split my attention between them.”

“Yet, you are still anxious.” He looked down right into her pretty irises.

“It’s already been a week and nothing has changed in that aspect. Pathetic, isn’t it?” She showed a wry smile.

Asterios reached to Bryn’s cheek and brushed his fingers against it. “No, it isn’t. You have always lived supporting your friends and companions so it’s natural that it isn’t easy to get rid of that mentality. But, after everything you’ve done, I think you deserve to focus a little bit more on yourself.”

A brief silence fell upon them as they just continued to peer into each other’s eyes without speaking a word. Over a minute passed before Bryn chuckled quietly and pushed herself even more into Ast’s embrace, allowing him to pull her into a loving hug.

“You are right, Master. Besides, who would want a big-breasted Valkyrie as their Sky Queen? That would have been a real controversy.” She snorted adorably.

“Again about that?” He raised a brow at her.

“I didn’t mean it in a self-deprecating way this time, Master. Thanks to you and the girls, I no longer feel as troubled by my body as in the past. But, it doesn’t change the fact that, in this community, I do not belong to the alluring type. That’s why I chose to focus only on those who find my figure attractive instead.” She snuck a peck onto his neck.

“Good. Or else I would have to put some effort into reassuring you again.” He kissed her forehead.

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have said the last bit,” Bryn whispered as her cheeks grew rosier.

“You can still take it back if you really want to,” Asterios whispered right into her ear, watching with a smile as the crimson shade spread over her entire face. “So, are you going to decline their suggestion?”

Bryn valiantly calmed herself down and sat up straight. “Rather than decline, I think I will just put it away for later. I still think that I’m not worthy of such a title and position. And, instead of chasing after the Wings of each ARK, we should focus on discovering more about you, Master. When the time is right, I might give becoming the Sky Queen a try.”

“I feel both happy and bad for influencing your priorities like that.” Asterios smiled at her warmly.

“Don’t forget that I wouldn’t even have a chance to consider such a thing without your influence, Master.” She smiled back at him with a brilliant expression.

They stared at each other in silence for a few long seconds and it was Bryn this time who leaned in to join their lips in a passionate kiss. She rested her hand on Ast’s chest and pressed onto him with her body. He let her weight push him down and they lay down on the sloped roof while exchanging gentle pecks.

The time to stop arrived only after they started running out of breath and Bryn’s cheeks flushed as they watched each other’s faces and bodies from up close. She didn’t run away though and actually shuffled closer to Asterios so that he could pull her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist, effectively squishing Bryn’s soft breasts into his chest. But, she only smiled more beautifully at that and stole his lips again.

Their gentle show of affection lasted for a few more minutes. Pulling away again, they both placed a hand on each other’s cheek and caressed it. As the sky was beginning to turn darker and darker, they chuckled together and Asterios helped Bryn sit up with him.

“We should return. Everyone must be waiting,” he said.

“You are right, Master. I monopolized you for long enough.” She smirked softly and stood up, flexing their respective wings.

Still holding hands, they shared a nod and pushed themselves off the slanted peak of the tower, starting to fall toward the ground. Bryn let go of Ast’s palm as a dark crimson mist began swallowing his figure and quickly expanding in size. Before they were even halfway down, the mystical smoke dissipated and revealed his majestic True Dragon form. She moved closer to his massive head and smiled happily while bringing out her new, complex halo, which brimmed with golden energy.

Asterios spread his wings alongside Bryn and they soared forward just above the roofs of the tallest buildings. He took a deep breath and released a booming roar that echoed off the buildings below them, causing quite the shivering of the metal structures. The valkyrjas walking the streets looked up into the sky and cheered loudly as the magnificent legendary creature passed above them. The ARK was soon filled with shouts and screams of joy and pride, making Bryn laugh openly as they flew toward their residence.

As they were about to reach their destination, he triggered his transformation once more and returned to his humanoid form right before hitting the ground, landing perfectly in a controlled crouch in front of the short stairs leading into their house. Asterios had been constantly practicing going in and out of his draconic form to quicken the process with which he hadn’t been familiar until just recently. His admiration of Miria, who could do it almost in a flash, only grew with each passing day.

Bryn landed next to him and they walked up to the entrance together. The door opened from the inside and the panthergirl greeted them both with a wide, energetic grin.

“Welcome back, Master, Bryn. You are just in time for dinner. Or would you prefer a bath first? Or maybe…” She shot Asterios an upwards glance with her cheeks tinged with scarlet.

Asterios chuckled while shaking his head and stepped forward to pull Miria into his arms. She giggled adorably and leaned onto him to receive the incoming kiss. Her tail danced enchantingly behind her back as their mouths silently brushed together to the accompaniment of Miria’s loving purring.

“What is that damned, perverted demon teaching you?” he asked after they parted.

“Hey! I can hear you!” Grea shouted from somewhere deep in the house.

Miria giggled once more as her blush deepened even further. She moved with him to the side and Bryn was finally allowed to enter, closing the door behind herself. The two women exchanged delicate nods and the three of them continued further in, heading for the dining area. They found all the other girls sitting by the table which was being set up by Selene alone, who placed multiple oriental-looking dishes atop it.

“Took you long enough, lovebirds.” The mischievous demon lady smirked at them while rocking back and forth on her chair. “But, I don’t blame you. It would have been an incredible waste not to do it under the magical, amber sky of the setting sun. That place is just so perfect and romantic. Because you did it, right?”

The rosy flush took over Bryn’s cheeks while Asterios sighed deeply.

“Oh, come on! The scene was perfect! There’s no way even you could have ignored the mood!” Grea threw her hands up, almost toppling herself to the back in the process, but thankfully, Selene was just behind her to catch the backrest of her chair.

“Some people here like to enjoy the atmosphere without getting all sweaty in the process,” Asterios quipped back with a raised brow.

“But that’s the best part! You then have a reason to bathe together and do it again!” Grea let out a somewhat crazy giggle.

Tina rolled her eyes at the thirsty scholar and turned to Asterios. “Come and sit, both of you. Miria and Selene put a lot of effort into these dishes. I can’t wait to try them.”

“You are no fun.” Grea pouted. “But, this is something I can agree with you on. I’m starving just looking at all of this. You girls really went out of your way. Especially you, Miria. You’ve become so much better at cooking.”

“Thank you.” The panthergirl nodded appreciatively with an embarrassed smile and joined Selene in setting the table.

Asterios adjusted Bryn’s chair for her before sitting down on the adjacent one. “Miria always had a heart and talent for it. On the other hand, you would be able to burn bread by putting ham on it somehow. I’m still shocked you were able to keep yourself alive for so long, not to mention keeping your amazing figure.”

“Ouch! How could you?” Grea faked being hurt by his words with a surprised gasp, placing her hand over her heart. “Do you have any idea how hard the cooks in the academy work?”

He snorted and shook his head, noticing the sly grin on his beloved professor’s lips. It was truly impossible to win against her. Miria and Selene finished setting the table and sat down with everyone too. Without further ado, they all reached out to try the delicious-looking things they had brought in front of them.

“So, did you come to a conclusion, Bryn?” Silvia asked, breaking the silence first.

“Yes, I think I did.” The Valkyrie nodded. “It’s not like the existence of the Sky Queen is necessary at this moment so I’m not going to travel the realm in hopes of receiving all the Wings.”

“Shouldn’t it be easy with what you have already achieved?” Miria tilted her head curiously.

“I’m sure that the news about the Spire is going to reach the ears of everyone and it’s certainly a big deal, but the Councils will most likely still want to test me. Their trials or favors will take time, and I would rather spend it with Master and all of you right now,” she replied.

“We could always assist you,” Tina suggested.

“I appreciate the thought, but you did so much for me already since the moment we stepped into this realm to reclaim the Spire. I don’t want to be on the receiving end all the time. It should be my turn now to aid you and Master. The title of the Sky Queen won’t run away, and if by any chance someone else manages to take it for themselves, I won’t really mind. I received something much more valuable already.” Bryn roamed her gaze over all of them, stopping at Asterios.

“As long as you are happy, we don’t have a reason to pressure you into anything. We can understand that feeling very well.” Selene let out a ladylike chuckle. “But, I think the other valkyrjas will now find it hard to compete with you bearing that halo.”

“Not that many people know about it. And we don’t really understand what it means exactly either. That’s why Atra is trying so hard to dig into the information on the first Sky Queen, who supposedly had a more complex halo too. Perhaps we will be able to learn something about it from her during tomorrow's meeting.” Bryn stroked her chin.

“I almost forgot it’s finally the day when we can try our luck with that miraculous device again.” Grea moaned in delight after taking a bite of a mixed salad. “They should have finished checking all of the Spire and repairing the accumulated damage. Aren’t we supposed to listen to Sidr’s report tomorrow too?”

“That’s right. The work on the repairs should be finished by now. The engineers I transferred from Brage seemed to take care of it quite fast alongside the scholars specializing in the Spire itself. I bet if Atra wasn’t so dedicated to your case, things would have progressed even faster,” Asterios replied.

“She is a good friend,” Silvia commented.

“Or she is just obsessed with the prospect of Bryn being special.” Grea snickered. “Some of you should know well how fixated us researchers can get on something unknown that is incredibly fascinating, mysterious, interesting.”

“Whatever it is, I can at least tell that I’m definitely stronger than before.” Their winged friend smiled warmly, delicately grazing the outer parts of her complex halo with her fingers. “It’s going to take a moment to get used to its new look but I’m sure that the change was worth it.”

“I think it’s even more beautiful than before,” Asterios shared his thoughts.

“Thank you, Master.” Bryn bowed politely, mostly to hide the warmth spreading over her cheeks.

They continued chatting happily for more than an hour. The conversation often switched to the delicious dishes prepared by the beastfolk duo whenever someone took a bite of something that surprised them with the exquisite taste. But, of course, those topics didn’t last for long in front of the more interesting and important ones such as their discoveries after Asterios had retrieved his second Dragon’s Heart a week ago.

Told to rest for a few days after the successful expedition to conquer the Spire by Sidr and the others, Asterios and the girls couldn’t just laze around without doing anything. They had requested access to the training grounds available in Odin to not risk messing anything up by jumping back to Tyr too often. The available arenas weren’t as big or magnificent as the giant, artifact coliseum but it served its purpose better than well.

Asterios was still experimenting with what he could do the most out of all of them. It wasn’t really a surprise considering that his change had been the grandest and that it had actually originated from him. Specifically, from the deep bond they all shared with him. In the end, a True Dragon’s mates were as much his strength as much as he was theirs.

The second person to put as much effort into rediscovering herself was Selene, of course. She had reached the stage no one had even dreamed of in her tribe. She still hadn’t shown Lerisse or Ronye her current state but she truly couldn’t wait to see their reactions. Maybe she would even be able to fool them once more in her vulpine form this time.

Naturally, everyone else hadn’t fallen behind. Even with the most visible and noticeable changes occurring in Asterios, Selene, and Miria, the other girls weren’t discouraged in the slightest. They could feel the intensity of the scorching mana burning in them. Various aspects of their spells, skills, and abilities had been enhanced.

Plus, certainly, just one week wasn’t enough to learn and try everything. And it wasn’t like they had spent it only on training. With their main goal achieved, they could have some fun together in Bryn’s realm while leaving the rest of the work to the people who would be utilizing the Spire’s benefits. The Aegis protecting the abandoned city was kind of a big deal too. Though, maybe it wouldn’t stay abandoned for that much longer.

When the hour got extremely late, they quickly tidied up after themselves and jumped into bed since a busy day awaited them tomorrow. As almost every night, the girls bundled together around Asterios. They usually switched places every or every other day. That way they could be fair to everyone, even though many of them constantly mentioned that they didn’t mind.

In the morning, they readied themselves up decently fast and decided to fly to the Spire instead of just letting Asterios jump through Umbra’s shadows to its close vicinity and then summon them. He had nothing against the suggestion made by Silvia, who was definitely stepping forth for Miria. He knew how much all of them loved to ride on his back and watch his draconic body.

Before they departed, though, Asterios transferred himself with Umbra’s guidance to Brage to fetch their scholarly friend. It was better to do so earlier than later. He caught Atra inside her own home and brought the short Valkyrie to Odin, transforming into a True Dragon a moment later. The girls jumped onto his back and he rushed forward as fast as he could without throwing anyone off.

Miria and Grea assaulted Atra with a multitude of questions regarding Bryn, but she didn’t reveal almost anything, promising that she would fill them in on the results of her research right after their arrival. It would be good for Odin’s Supervisor to be present during an important discussion like that. They wouldn’t have to repeat things twice too.

Therefore, after a decently short flight, they reached their destination and the rainbowy dome of the Aegis spread in front of their eyes. But, it wasn’t the most impressive thing in the closest vicinity anymore.

During just a single week, the valkyrjas from Odin and the nearby ARKs had managed to raise almost half of the wall right behind the spiritual shield. While its main purpose was to make entering the city tougher for the Scourge and buy seconds of precious time during an unexpected leak or attack, it definitely wasn’t all.

It would certainly be tough to move back into a city that is constantly surrounded by creepy humanoids with no faces and with dark gray skin, relentlessly bashing the spiritual dome. The walls were especially high to block the sight of the monsters from the windows of people who could technically relocate back to the edges of the town. It was a project started almost purely for the comfort of the residents.

But, that wasn’t all.

A tall pillar rose from the roof of the central temple, reaching almost as far as the Aegis allowed. From that point, multiple simple landing pads extended to the sides, where the valkyrjas inviting people from the outside were stationed and welcomed everyone else. It wasn’t yet as developed and complex as the aerial harbor back at any of the ARKs but it was on a good path to it.

Bit by bit, the lost city was certainly regaining its energy. It wouldn’t be long before people started flocking to it to see the legendary wonder with their own eyes. Of course, the Supervisors of Odin had to issue permission for such arrivals first. And that wouldn’t happen until everything was ready.

But, that fact couldn’t stop everyone and some individuals or groups reached the Aegis and admired the city from the outside. Even now Asterios and the girls could spot a bunch of winged ladies not coming through the shield but just hovering around, admiring the sight.

Everyone made space for the approaching True Dragon though and the stationed sentries pulled Asterios and the girls inside. They first took care of the ladies riding on his back before inviting him. On the other side, they immediately moved to the temple and followed the same path they had walked during their first visit, with Asterios back to normal, of course.

The elevators had truly been fixed and there were no signs of their previous solution to the troublesome lockdown. They rode two of them to reach the very middle, meeting many valkyrjas on their way down. Amongst the warriors of Odin and Tyr, Asterios and the girls were becoming something akin to famous celebrities.

Arriving at the fiftieth floor, they led themselves to the medical complex and found Sidr ordering people around. She noticed their arrival and smiled at them, waiting for their group to come closer.

“I’m glad you are finally here. It’s time to sum everything up and move on,” Sidr said with an excited glint in her eyes.