Chapter 106 - Communication
Asmodeus gently patted the disgruntled Athena on the head.
"Quiet, quiet. If I remember correctly, you'll have plenty of space to roam in this part of the world."
In response to Asmodeus' comfort, Athena simply let out a dissatisfied meow.
"Meow" - well, so be it.
Asmodeus surveyed the battlefield and noticed Daenerys flying towards him on Drogon. Drogon leveled his height and hovered in front of Athena. Interestingly, he avoided eye contact with Athena, as if she held a higher position in the hierarchy.
Ignoring Drogon's peculiar behavior, Daenerys spoke, "Unknown dragon rider. I am Daenerys Targaryen - Mother of Dragons, Stormborn, Breaker of Chains, Savior of the oppressed. I invite you to the great pyramid of Meereen to discuss matters as a dragon tamer with a dragon tamer."
Asmodeus: (￣ω￣;)
Misunderstanding abounds. Asmodeus is bewildered, not understanding a word of what Daenerys said. Her speech sounded like an indistinct mix of sounds to him.
"..."
Daenerys also noticed that something was amiss. She had been speaking with Asmodeus in Valyrian, believing every dragon rider could communicate in it. To confirm, she attempted to speak in the common tongue.
"Do you understand me?"
Asmodeus: ヽ(*⌒▽⌒*)ﾉ
"Yes, I understand you."
"Strange, why didn't you respond when I spoke to you in Valyrian?"
"Oh, that was Valyrian. It's quite simple - I don't know it." (◕‿◕)
"....."
Daenerys was somewhat disconcerted. She couldn't fathom how someone could control a dragon without knowing Valyrian.
"Milord, are you a descendant of House Blackfire?"
"No." (◕‿◕)
"...."
"Let's talk inside. I invite you on behalf of Daenerys Targaryen. We can converse face to face, dragon rider to dragon rider."
"Alright, I'm not opposed. In any case, I needed a place to stay."
"Are you headed somewhere?"
Daenerys looked surprised at Asmodeus.
"I'll tell you later."
"Okay...."
Daenerys felt a strange sensation. No one had ever addressed her like this—casual, as if she were just an ordinary woman in a bar. Initially, the thought crossed her mind that he was rude, but she sensed no aggression or hidden discontent in his words. It was as if, for this dragon rider, she really didn't differ much from an ordinary person.
Lost in these thoughts, Daenerys commanded Drogon to fly to the top of the pyramid.
At the summit, Tyrion desperately tried to compose himself. Who knows what's on the mind of a man whose dragon burned almost the entire fleet! Moreover, Tyrion saw how Asmodeus laughed cheerfully when Athena burned the ships. Not that Asmodeus was a sadist, no, he just hadn't enjoyed a battle like that in a long time, and he hadn't even personally participated in it.
Although Asmodeus' laughter sounded ordinary to him, for those who witnessed it, it seemed like the devil's smile.
When Drogon landed on the pinnacle of the pyramid, Athena didn't descend. The reason was simple—she was too large. Instead, she lowered herself to a height where her head and upper wings aligned with the rooftop. Honestly, it looked frightening— the dragon's enormous head staring at you at eye level. If Athena were to open her mouth now, they would likely faint from fear.
Athena surveyed those present. People on the roof were so terrified when Athena's gaze fell upon them that some lost consciousness. Among them were precisely those slave traders who hadn't been killed but forgotten when Athena appeared.
A fourth dragon with an unknown rider was no joke! An adult dragon could easily conquer this underdeveloped and magically inferior world single-handedly.
When the people on the roof struggled to stand under Athena's gaze, she abruptly stopped flapping her wings. Tyrion thought she might plummet like a stone from the sky, but it didn't happen. Athena simply gripped the pyramid with her front paws and extended her right upper wing to form a bridge from her back to the building's roof.
People watched as two dragon riders approached each other. Daenerys descended from Drogon's wing, while Athena placed Asmodeus on the roof.
Only now did people, and Daenerys herself, finally have the time to carefully scrutinize the man. Long, jet-black hair flowing down to his shoulders, dark eyes with a periodic red glow. His face seemed carved from marble, devoid of any wrinkles, with thick black eyebrows, clearly defined cheekbones, and an aggressive yet subtly playful expression. Tall stature, broad shoulders.
Dressed in an outfit peculiar to the locals, he wore a red shirt with golden flame-shaped embroidery, clearly made from expensive material, probably silk. Black wide pants that allowed unrestricted movement. The footwear was unseen in these parts but looked comfortable—high boots laced with cords, suitable for any terrain. Over the shirt, he had something resembling a brown leather jacket, or more of a vest since it lacked sleeves. Adorning the back of the vest was a golden flame emblem. There was also a fastening mechanism with a long staff attached.
Underneath the vest, around the waist, hung a pair of medium-length swords with a single-edged blade.
Honestly, despite the fear, everyone present, including Daenerys, could attest that this man was handsome, wealthy, and meticulous about his appearance.
Why the meticulousness? Well, at the very least, there wasn't a single wrinkle on his entire outfit. The swords were sharp and clean. But no one would mistake it for mere adornment. No one dared to doubt the combat abilities of someone who could afford to ride a dragon and showed no signs of Valyrian blood.
Gathering her thoughts, Daenerys spoke, "Noble dragon rider, due to language barriers, I couldn't fully introduce myself. I am Daenerys Targaryen, Stormborn, Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons, Khaleesi of the Dothraki, and the rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms! Can you introduce yourself?"
Asmodeus, with a smile, listened to Daenerys introducing herself. It was this restrained smile that prompted Daenerys to raise her tone towards the end. But since the little Mother of Dragons wants to play, he's not against it.
"I am Asmodeus Noren Morningstar, the Supreme Sorcerer of the Magical Empire Adastra, the Supreme Chairman of the Wizard Council, the blood brother of the god of thunder, war, and wisdom—Odin, savior of squibs, giver of magic, savior of the magical world, the ally of the first dark lord, and the killer of the second dark lord, Voldemort, the best friend of the immortal alchemist Nicholas Flamel, the savior of the Supreme White Wizard Dumbledore, the creator of the runic circle, the founder of the Supreme Wizard Academy Adastra, the headmaster of Adastra Academy, the troll slayer, the conqueror of giants, the savior of druids, ents, mermaids, vampires, and werewolves, the ally of the Supreme Mage Kamar Taj, the destroyer of Chitauri, the disrupter of fate, and simply the most powerful fire mage!"
"....."
What the hell was that introduction!? echoed in everyone's minds. Okay, Daenerys is young and playful, but are you taking too much upon yourself?
Tyrion cleaned his ears, thinking he heard something about being the brother of a god!
Missandei also tried to figure out whose friend Asmodeeus really was.
The Grey Worm couldn't understand why Asmodeus was a friend of the first dark lord but killed the second generation.
The impeccable common soldiers also stared at Asmodeus with dead eyes, unable to shake the feeling that what this strange man said might be true.
The scene fell silent for a moment.
"Ahem, Lord Morningstar, would you care to dine with me and my advisors?" Daenerys said with a wry smile on her face.
'I've been telling them not to boast too much!' she thought to herself. Her advisors taught her that introducing herself in this manner demonstrates her greatness and boosts the morale of her people, and so on. But damn it! Today, she stumbled upon a rake!
"Oh, of course, I'd be delighted to be your guest," Asmodeus replied with a smile that reached his ears, refreshed by the sense of self-importance.
"Then please follow us." This time, Tyrion spoke up, but he hesitated and added, "My lord, your dragon..."
"Are you worried about Athena? Don't fret, she won't do anything. It's not visible, but she's quite lazy, though she enjoys having fun. But just to ease your minds..."
Asmodeus turned and reached into a pouch on his chest, pulling out three bound cows to the shocked stares of onlookers. He tossed them to Athena, who had already opened her mouth, saying,
"Go roam somewhere. I'll call you when needed. Just don't harm the local dragons and avoid attacking locals. By the way, you can wander anywhere; this part of the world poses no threat to you. But if you sense danger or someone angers you, give me a signal through the mark. I'll teleport to you instantly."
Swiftly devouring the cows, Athena meowed,
"Meow." Fine, I wanted to show these local dragons who their queen is, but okay...
"That's why I said not to intimidate these little ones!"
"Meow, meow, meow." Okay, okay, master – grumpy.
"Oh, I'm grumpy! Then no spices for the meat grown by druids for a week! No, not just spices, I'm taking away your catnip supply and giving it to McGonagall!"
"Meow !!!?" How could you!!!? I can't live without my catnip! You sadist! This is animal abuse! I carried you for three consecutive days!
"If you behave well, there won't be any problems."
"Fine, I'm a good kitty."
ଲ(ⓛ ω ⓛ)ଲ
"...."
People behind watched Asmodeus as if he were a monster.
They had already realized that Athena could understand human speech, and Asmodeus could comprehend dragon language. However, they had never seen someone threaten a dragon before!
Moreover, what was this "catnip," and why was the dragon so disturbed when she heard she would be deprived of it for a week?
The farce quickly ended, and Athena flew westward in search of the island where they had spent the night before. She liked it there—no people, a couple of horses, and she didn't need to hunt since Asmodeus had provided her with a couple of cows. He had cast a size-reducing spell on them in advance. Now she had 20 cows, their combined size not exceeding a bag of sunflower seeds.