Dragon's Archon - Ch. 7 - The Woman in the Red Dress - Alpha (Patreon)

FYI I plan on retconning some of Devon's power to reduce his OP'ness. Basically just giving him access to train in holy and death magic but not actually giving him anything outside of what he gets from the pieces of the armor. For now.


After ensuring the door was completely shut, I shuffled my way back down the hall. Upon entering the main floor, I saw Kissa helping some other customers. When she locked eyes with me, she licked her lips and nodded to the side. I followed her direction to a shut door. When I glanced back over, she had a wicked smile and raised her eyebrows in quick succession.

I shook my head and laughed as I waved goodbye. Kissa wasn’t bad looking. She had that rugged look of someone who’d spent the last twenty years behind a bar.

She’d seen some shit and experienced it all. And if I’d allowed her, she’d probably blow my mind in that single night. I wasn’t opposed to the advance, it’s one reason I focused on my charisma stat. But this was my first night in the city, and I had to get some much needed shopping done before I could have any fun. If I was really looking for an immediate hookup, Yda had already shown an interest, and she was as finer than 600 grit sandpaper.

When I stepped out into the street, I set my hammer down for a moment to take in the beautiful sky above. Every time I looked up, it took my breath away. It felt like I was the first man charting a new planet. I couldn’t help but smile.

As I gawked, a beautiful voice spoke with an accent I couldn’t quite place. The tone was mature, like a woman of extensive years, with each word chosen carefully for its effect. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

When I turned, it was the woman in the red dress that I saw sitting in the booth when we arrived at the tavern. Her spiked-heel thigh-high boots pressed up against the edge of the exterior wall. Her arms were wrapped underneath her heavy breasts that threatened to spill out from the front. She was dressed for elegance and seduction.

I couldn’t deny her charm, but I twisted my lips with uncertainty. There was something about her that was off, and it wasn’t just her mask. I’d noticed her when I walked in, and I was certain she was waiting for me when I walked out. How she knew I would be here, I didn’t know. But if I wanted answers, I needed to play along.

“It is,” I said, smiling. “I love looking at it.”

The woman pushed off of the wall and approached my side, looking up. “The Elder’s domain… So vast. Endless. I’d find it hard to believe that one could not be in awe at the sheer scope and power.”

We both stared at the sky for a few heartbeats before I looked down and pressed my hand to my chest and bowed. I wasn’t sure if that was the proper custom, but I figured it couldn’t hurt. “My name is Devon, and you are?”

“Ophelia,” the blonde woman said with a reciprocating bow.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” she said, looking up at me as if she was staring into my eyes.

I glanced back up and pointed toward the sky. “Are you a fan of the stars?”

“Definitely. I feel as though they are my second home.”

I cocked my brow. “Are you a follower of Xenith?”

The woman grinned and shook her head. “No. But I respect all the gods and goddesses. They created everything around us. Only a fool wouldn’t.”

“That’s sound logic. And a reason I aim to pay respects to the Sect of Ikkala while I’m here.”

“A wise choice. Are you planning to head to the temple this evening?”

“Not tonight, but most likely the first thing tomorrow. My companions and I just arrived, and our journey was long. They’re exhausted and needed rest.”

“But not you?”

I couldn’t contain my grin as I glanced at my surroundings. “No. This is my first time in Nubia and I think the excitement is keeping me up.”

“That’s understandable. Many travel from all over the world to visit Nubia. It’s quite the jewel of the golden sands. Queen Sekhet does well to keep it the attraction that it is.”

“That’s what I have been told. So far, it’s lived up to the hype.”

The woman tilted her head. “Hype?”

“Er… the expectation.”

“Ah yes. May I ask what brought you to Nubia?”

I crossed my arms as I took a moment to think. It wasn’t pertinent to tell her everything, but I saw no harm in telling her my current goal.

“Of course. Mainly leisure. I’d heard great things about merchants here, and as you can see—” I froze, just realizing what I said to a woman who looked like she may be blind. “I humbly apologize if that came across as insensitive.”

The woman covered her mouth and let out a short laugh. “I took no offense. It’s clear from your shredded robe that you’re in a bit of disrepair.”

“Very true,” I said, letting out my breath. “I apologize for assuming that you were blind. I saw the mask and didn’t expect it to be transparent.”

“No, no. You assumed correctly. In the traditional sense I am. However, there are more ways to see than with your eyes.”

Her comment left me equal parts intrigued and wary of who this woman might be. I was concerned she could be a potential threat. But she had shown no sign of aggression yet.

I pointed down at her clothes. “Judging that your dress does not meet the local custom, is it safe to assume that you’re not from around here, either?”

The woman smiled, revealing her perfectly white teeth. “That would also be a correct assumption. However, I’ve been here the last eight months for work.”

“What do you do?”

“That’s a bit of a complicated answer. I perform many tasks that are required of me. Sometimes I may be a diplomat, other times a mediator, currently more of an advisor.”

“It sounds like a demanding but noble profession.”

“It keeps my life interesting. May I ask what you do?”

“Right now I’m an explorer.”

“An explorer?” Ophelia asked, with a look that wasn’t subtle in her revelation of not believing me. “How does one explore that which has already been explored?”

“Like this.” I cupped my hand over my brow, cleared my throat, and attempted my best David Attenboro impression as I pointed to a nearby man who was failing to hit on a woman. “The lack of awareness causes the male catkin, known as homeo cattacus, to attempt a mating advance. His drunken inhibition gives him a false sense of courage to attempt to seduce the female lamia, homeo lamita, that’s more than twice his size.”

“Homeo cattacus?” Ophelia snickered.

I shushed her playfully as I continued. “His impediment causes the male to dance in an unorthodox manner and for a moment, the larger female seems amused.”

We both waited for the lamia woman to shake her head and slither away. “But alas, she was uninterested, and the catkin male slumped away, empty-handed. With his pride wounded, he will seek out a way to heal the wound unashamedly at the bottom of another bottle.”

As Ophelia laughed and clapped, I gave a slight bow. “Well done,” she said. “You’re quite the storyteller. Are you sure you’re not a professional minstrel or bard?”

“If exploring doesn’t work out, perhaps I’ll give that a shot?” I mused.

“And what was that about homeo cattacus? I’ve never heard of that before. Pray tell, what does it mean?”

“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging and laughing. “I just made it up. That’s the nice thing about being an explorer. You can just make things up as you go.”

“Is that so?” Ophelia asked, trying to hide her grin.

“I’m the expert. I’d think I’d know.”

I knew Ophelia could tell I was fibbing, but it wasn’t like I was trying too hard to hide it.

“Is your plan to explore the city tonight?” she asked.

“Slightly. My immediate plan is to get some new clothes and supplies given I’m a bit of a mess. Then see where the night takes me. You wouldn’t happen to have any recommendations, would you?”

Ophelia tapped her cheek as she thought for a moment. “Hmm… I’d recommend avoiding the bazaar. It’s full of cheapskates and scoundrels. Anything you buy from them is going to be of poor quality or a scam. Except for the food. I’d stick to the local craftsmen who have their own physical shops. Everyone’s well established. But if you want a specific recommendation, I’d recommend you see the Djinn. He’s a bit more expensive, but he will always give you what you want and you don’t have to wait for alterations.

“Djinn? You mean like a genie?”

“I’ve never heard that term used before.”

“A guy who lives in a bound object, snaps his fingers, and grants wishes?”

Ophelia nodded side to side. “He’s not powerful enough to grant wishes. But yes. He is a powerful conjurer. With proper payment, he can create clothing, tools, and other items you could be looking for. If you’d like, I’d be more than happy to take you there.”

“I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Not at all. It seems the both of us are birds of the night. I wouldn’t mind the walk.”

“It’s just that I do not move very well. It might take me longer than you think.”

Ophelia frowned and looked down. “Are you injured?”

“Not… exactly. Let’s just say I had a rough day or two, and I’m a little stiff. I’m using this hammer more as a walking stick than a weapon.”

“That’s an awful walking stick. With your size, aren't you hunching over a lot?”

“Yeah… it’s pretty awful.”

“Seems like another item to acquire when we meet the Djinn. Until then, why don’t you use me?”

“Use you?” I asked with a cocked brow.

The ruby-red lipped beauty extended her arm out to me. “Yeah, grab on.”

I let out a short laugh. “Ophelia, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m twice your size. If I fall, it’s going to hurt.”

“I’m stronger than I look,” she said, tapping her thin arm.

I leaned back and eyed her up and down. This made little sense. She was pushing hard to stay with me, and I didn’t believe it was all due to my charisma. There was more to her than she was letting on and I wanted answers.

“Hold up,” I said, holding up a hand. “Tell me why.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I may be so bold, you’re drop dead gorgeous.”

“Thank you? I think?”

“I promise it’s a compliment. But you’re hanging at a bar below your station. I spotted you when I entered, and I’m fairly certain you waited for me outside. You just met me and are offering to take me around the city like a personal tour guide? All I’m seeing are a bunch of red flags.”

“Isn’t that what’s exciting about it? Jumping into the unknown? Not knowing the intent?”

“In certain circumstances, sure, it can be. But I don’t trust it easily. I’ve been burned one too many times. And you… Ophelia, you seem as dangerous as you are beautiful.”

Ophelia gave a toothy grin. “Your instincts are correct, Devon. However, I mean you no harm.”

“Then tell me what you’re doing here.”

She extended her arm once more. “Only if you allow me to come with you.”

She was right. The intrigue was exciting. In just the few seconds of meeting her, I wanted to know more about her.

But then again, I’d known some hellish manipulators in my life, and they were all radiant. As I thought about whether to take her hand, I felt confident that if she was planning to harm me, based on the eleven men I’d already killed earlier that day, being close to me put her in a terrible position. I weighed my options back and forth and decided the potential for answers were worth the risk.

With my free hand, I grabbed around the underside of her arm and counterbalanced my weight with the hammer on the other side. For a reason I didn’t understand, walking with her was easier. I didn’t need to concentrate nearly as much.

We walked in silence for a few minutes until I pressed her. “Are you going to tell me?”

“Before I do, I’d like to tell you a story,” Ophelia said. “Almost a century ago, a little girl was born into a well-respected family to a loving father and a powerful mother. Mighty expectations were put upon the girl given the importance of her bloodline and, more specifically, her mother, who was a prominent member of society. She was given the best of everything. She learned from the best scholars and mentors. It was an intensity unlike any other. The stress, sometimes crippling. But in the moments of darkness, her father would sneak her out of her studies and whisk her away for sometimes weeks at a time. They would explore Talis’ mysteries, catalog rare species of plants, or sometimes just stare at the stars.”

“Sounds like a good father.”

Without responding, Ophelia continued. “Then one year something happened. The girl became a woman, and visions soon followed. The visions started small at first. Sometimes she would predict the weather or a particular type of bird that would fly by. Sometimes the visions would just be more like a dream and not happen at all. But as she grew older, the visions became more vivid and more real. One recurring one depicted an apocalyptic event, one that foretold that Talis would change forever. For the first time, her mother took an interest in her and assumed control of her training. It was unorthodox, taboo, and relentless. Things a mother should never put a child through.”

“What of the father?”

“He tried. He pushed back. But compared to the mother, he was a minnow against a tsunami. Until one fateful night, he’d had enough. During a training session, the father stormed in and tried to stop all that was in motion. An error that caused him to lose his life. The girl lost control and she and her mother fought to the death. The mother won, given her experience and power. The girl expected to die that day. But for the first time, her mother showed pity and sorrow. Rather than killing her, the mother renounced her child from that day forth. Tossing her out like a pisspot, banishing her from their community.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Given the mother’s position, the community turned their back on the girl. Haunted by the death of her father, she searched endlessly for a way to bring him back. This sent her into the deepest, darkest places of the void. Researching that which should not be researched. Learning things that were forbidden. In desperation, she called out to the gods and goddesses and they only responded in silence. But the hope kept her more motivated than she’d ever been before. Until she made a mistake that left her scared forever. One of the side effects is that the visions stopped. It was a welcomed mercy. That is… until today, when the visions returned after decades.”

I looked at Ophelia’s mask. It was clear she was the little girl in the story. I almost felt compelled to say something reassuring to her, but I’d felt similar pain like that before. There were no words that would comfort that.

“Why are you telling me this? Are you saying you saw a vision? A vision of me?”

She looked up and smiled before pointing forward. “Ah, we’re here.”

By the upsell that Ophelia had done, I’d assumed a lavish shop filled to the brim with an endless array of goods to choose from. But that wasn’t it. It looked more like a community garden with a large water fountain surrounded by lush, beautiful flowers.

“This is it?” I asked.

“You were expecting a shop?” Ophelia asked, on the verge of laughing. “The Djinn is a water djinn. His abode is the fountain in front of you.”

“How do I summon him?”

“Toss a coin into the fountain. But don’t worry, it will count towards your final total.”

After setting the hammer down, I reached into my coin pouch and did as she instructed. The water swirled into a rising tornado. From the swishing liquid, four arms and a head formed. Two glowing eyes hovered separate from the shape.

“You have come to the Djinn,” the creature said with a booming voice. “Open your mind, and speak plainly. What you seek can be yours if you have the coin.”

I took a moment to make a mental note of my immediate needs before I rambled off my wish list. “I need two sets of fine clothes. They do not need to be of the nubian style, but I do wish them to be recognizable as someone of reputable importance anywhere on Talis. Three pairs of travel clothing. I would like a pair of boots that I can cross great distances. I would like seven pairs of undergarments that are form fitting. One cloak that would be good against rain and cold weather. A walking stick, and um… oh, do you perchance have a starting bundle for adventurers?”

“The Djinn can provide.”

“What comes in that?”

“A backpack, bedroll, inkwell and pen, flint and steel, fifty feet of rope, two weeks' worth of cured meat and fruit, a bar of soap, towel, five torches, and a waterskin.”

“Perfect. I’ll take one of those. How much is that going to cost me?”

“Seven gold and seven silver.”

I clapped my hands and rubbed them together as I got the basic needs out of the way. “All right. Let’s add a good utility knife and a compass. Where am I at with that?”

“Eight gold and nine silver.”

I opened my bag, and double checked the amount. That left me with one gold and one silver left. The least I was comfortable with in case of some unforeseen emergency.

“Okay, I’ll take all that. Would it be possible to replace the clothes I have on me with one of the traveling sets that I plan to purchase?”

“The Djinn can provide. Make your offering.”

I took out a single gold coin and dumped the rest into the water. With a snap of his four thumbs in an almost musical manner, I felt the same tingle across my body that I recognized as magic. When I looked down, I was wearing blue and brown clothes that were a mixture of leather, cotton, and linen.

The cloak clasped around my neck was made with a heavy wool. The boots were a comfortable fit. As I moved my arms around, nothing pinched or pulled. It was truly a perfectly tailored fit. A full leather backpack full of all the gear and my walking stick rested at my feet. Inside my pouch, a single silver coin appeared next to my gold coin. I tied the pouch shut on my belt.

When I looked up with a wide smile, the djinn spoke once more. “Are you satisfied?”

“I am. Thank you very much.”

It nodded before splashing down into the fountain as it said, “You are welcome, Devon Blackthorn. Always remember… the Djinn provides.”

“How did…” I shook my head, too busy to worry. I picked up the backpack, slid the hammer in two of the straps, and slung it over my shoulders. After retrieving my walking stick, I turned to my chauffeur. She stared up at me with a trembled lip.

“Your name is Blackthorn?”

“Yeah. Devon Blackthorn.”

Ophelia pulled away. She took in a frantic breath, as if trying to hold back from crying. She wafted her face as she tried to calm down.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah. At least I think so. I—I just have been waiting for this moment for so long, I didn’t know how I’d feel when it’d actually happened. From the visions, I’d assumed that’s who you were. It’s why I knew where you’d be. I saw the tattered robe. The elf and the sheepkin. I just never saw your face. Your body. All of that was a haze.”

“I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”

Ophelia grabbed my wrist. “I need you to come with me. Right now.”

“To where?”

“To my home. And then to a meeting with the Chalice. They must see you!”

My jaw dropped. “You’re a sorceress. A member of the Chalice of Thorns.”

Ophelia shook her head. “No… at least not anymore. But you are proof that everything I foresaw was real. You are the Blackthorn.”

“Everyone keeps bringing up my name like it's of some great importance, but they look fearful. Why?”

“If you come with me, I promise I will explain everything.”

I jerked my hand back. “No! I’m done with you stringing me along. You tell me now, or I turn around and head back to the tavern.”

“Fine,” Ophelia huffed, crossing her arms. “That little girl in the story? That was me. I’m the one who had those visions.”

“Yeah, I pieced that together. But what does that have to do with me?”

“Those apocalyptic visions were a mess. It took me decades to piece things piece by piece. They showed the world burning, thousands dying, the end of civilization as we knew it. A lone figure of flame and shadow, born not of this world.”

“Let me guess… the Blackthorn.”

Ophelia nodded. “When the Chalice wouldn’t listen to me, I made it my life’s work spreading the message of the Blackthorn to anyone who would listen. I beseeched kings, queens, archons, gods, and goddesses. Anyone who would listen. Now I may be an outcast, but I’m still a sorceress, and that’s enough for some to listen. Over the centuries, my word grew large enough to become legend.”

“If I’m some apocalyptic tyrant, why aren’t you trying to kill me?”f

“It’s not my purpose,” Ophelia said, holding her hand to her chest. “I see myself as your herald, here to spread your word. I can see the power that’s inside of you. You are a geyser of radiant, magical energy. More than I have ever seen in one person in all of my life.”

I flinched as her speech sounded awfully familiar. “I hate to break this to you, Ophelia, but I kind of already have someone like that.”

Ophelia leaned back with a pointed lip. “What?”

“You know I’m an Archon, right?”

“An Archon? Of which sect?”

“The Sect of Rebirth.”

Ophelia lowered her chin and touched her lips. “So it’s true. Heluna has finally decided to take action.”

“That’s right. She’s the one who gave me this power. She brought me here to build her sect, to gain followers and claim souls in her honor.”

Ophelia looked up at me with a strong conviction. “It matters not. There’s nothing saying that the Blackthorn and an Archon couldn’t be one and the same. In fact, it only makes sense that someone so powerful would be backed by a goddess. If anything, it legitimizes who you are that much further. And if you are Heluna’s Archon, then you also seek Ninazu’s helm.”

“Helm?” My eyes widened as I held up gauntlets. “You mean the rest of this armor? I was told that the Chalice knew where it was.”

“It’s held off world in a pocket dimension known as the Orchard. It’s a safe place for the leaders of the Star Touched to gather and discuss matters safely. If you wish to claim it, you must come with me. Only a member knows how to reach it.”

I didn’t have much of a choice. Everything that she told me up till this point seemed to line up with what Yda knew, but I need to set the stakes.

“I will go with you. But if you’re lying to me and this is some ruse, I will kill you and every member of the Chalice.”

“I will go with you. But if you’re lying to me and this is some ruse, I will kill you and every member of the Chalice.”

Ophelia choked up before nodding. “I swear to you on my life this is not a trick.”

“Then let’s go. The sooner I can claim the helm, the better.”