The dragon's gaze remained fixated on her, and in that moment Ryuko knew all too well that no amount of bravado or deception would work on this being. She would need to be honest, to express her true feelings and hope they resonated with him.

"Betrayal..."

The dragon girl's hands balled up into fists as she expressed what had been boiling up within her being till now. "All this time I and my father served the Joyan gods, to be allowed to merely exist I was bound by an ancient promise to serve the gods as their champion, and how did they repay me? By sending assassins after me!"

He could feel it, the hatred that resonated in the girl's heart, that fury that was kindled even further upon being bested by the Aspect of Vortigern. "And what would you do if you had the power to defy them?"

It was a tricky question the dragon asked. Yet deep inside he hoped to receive a particular answer, but when he saw that dark spark in her eyes as she glared at him he knew he would receive what he had wanted. "I would show them I'm not some toy for them to discard once they grow bored of me. It is time that the gods learn that Earthland isn't their playground!"

Someone who would be willing to defy even the gods, among dragons there were some who had previously expressed their discontent with departing from the mortal realm, some believed it to be a sign of weakness to leave the realm simply because of the power of divinity lording over them, and these who had the power to defy the gods were too cautious of the consequences of such a conflict.

Yet he felt that should he entrust his legacy to this girl, to this Dragonkin then surely she would unite these whose voices resonated in kin with her feelings. To see the dragons united as a powerful force, a true Dragon Horde...

"Very well, I will see for myself just how far your hatred and ambition will take you Ryuko. Step closer."

The dragon commanded, making the dragon girl show a hint of curiosity in her expression while she approached the dragon.

"As you know we Dragons do not form pacts like this easily. Although some of us have taught our powers to mortals in the form of the Dragon Slayer magic, and the Lacrima born from it, our pact will be one forged in flesh and blood. I will bestow onto you a part of my being so that you can wield my power as your own. But in return, our destinies will be irreversibly tied together."

The last thing Ryuko remembered was the dragon raising a claw toward her, but then she found her vision growing blurry while a sharp pain coursed through her chest.

"Finally awake? It has been centuries since one of us carried out the rite of the Dragonheart."

As she slowly regained consciousness Ryuko saw something that would fill most people with terror: the sight of her own still beating heart lying on a small silver bowl in front of the dragon. But then how?! A hand raised for her chest, finding no sign of a injury.

"The rite of Dragon heart?"

Bahamut laughed at her confusion. "Indeed, although the cost came in the form of your own heart, I bestowed onto you half of my own, a catalyst far more potent than any Lacrima. You are not just a Dragonkin wielding a Dragon Slayer magic anymore... You are now a Monarch Dragon."

Ryuko gazed up at the dragon, pondering about its intentions. "You will find that as time progresses, so will your powers grow as well. You are already quite compatible with my magic, but for you to master its powers will take time and effort. But in due time you will gain both the power to rule over Dragons and the might to withstand the ire of the gods."

And there it was, the moment she would likely leave and pursue her ambitions. Yet to his surprise as she climbed back onto her feet she extended a hand toward him. "Do you not desire to see the changes I will bring to our people Bahamut? Your actions today will surely set in motion events that will alter the future of our race and Earthland as a whole. Why hide in this cave when you could see the future from much closer?"

The dragon huffed in amusement. "A bold proposal, but not one I am adverse against."

The dragon's body started to twist and distort into a smaller humanoid shape, till there had been no trace of the dragon left. "So what will you show me next, I wonder."

Bahamut's words brought a smile onto her lips. "First I plan to build a organization in Pengrande. While I will work on learning to wield your magic, I also understand I will need collaborators if I want to become strong enough to unite the dragons and create a horde powerful enough to oppose the gods."

Bahamut brought a hand to his chin, pondering about the words. "Ah, you seek to gain the patronage of the Prince of Illingrad, his lust for the void could indeed be a useful trait to exploit."

Ryuko nodded her head lightly in affirmation. "But for us to convince him of my value I will need to do something significant, to which... I have an idea. Pergrande is in a state of unrest currently, its principalities in a fragile state of peace. Surely a place like this will prove to be an excellent staging ground to master your powers and unite the land, under the name of the prince."

Bahamut merely scoffed. "But in truth you seek to use this invasion as a means to strengthen your own standing. The prince's desire for a united Pengrande is something you don't care about in the slightest."

Ryuko shook her head lightly. "Not at all, by conquering the principalities we will rally more power under our banner, and if the other dragons see us actively taking action others might stir into motion as well. If they have similar views, they are welcome to join us, but should they oppose us? We will crush them and usurp their powers as our own."

Bahamut smiled briefly. "Careful Ryuko, there was an Ancient who had a very similar mentality, and let us say his tale had a ending we don't want to entertain."

It was true, but unlike the Ancient Dragon who fought all by himself, her intention was to rally a true horde, a force that could contest with even the oldest of gods. And there was one additional ingredient in her plan that was significantly different from the history of the Devourer Dragon:

She was more than willing to learn and use the powers of the void if it would get her closer to her ambitions. "So where to next?" Bahamut inquired, to which Ryuko's gaze turned toward the distant sky. "There should be a domain at the other side of these mountains. A principality that opposes the prince's ideals for a united Pergrande. I think there would be a fair staging ground for the 'Monarch Dragon's debut~'

And so the gears were starting to spin into motion, a ambition born from hatred and a lust for power. And only time would tell what the outcome of it would be.

WC: 1250/1250