First Demonic Dragon - Chapter 910

Chapter 910: An Unthinkable Idea
“Have you been drinking?”

Abaddon could hardly say he hadn’t expected some sort of reaction, but this really did feel like an overexaggeration.

“No, because you haven’t offered me anything.” He shrugged.

“Perhaps you are still you after all. Your jokes are still incorrigibly unfunny.”

Abaddon pursed his lips. This was why his wives were the best- they always thought he was funny.

“What in the creator’s name would prompt you to want to set up an outreach center in my lands of all places?” Amaterasu questioned.

“Not just your lands. Everyone’s. You are just the first person I’m asking.”

“How flattering. I get to be the first person to see you’ve lost your mind again.”

“I’m hardly insane, Amaterasu.”

“No? Tehom has maintained a policy of isolationism for longer than most of these gods have even been alive. I specifically remember Apophis telling me that not only would you never change it, but also that you would sooner die rather than do so.”

Abaddon smirked helplessly. “That son of mine is quite the adept listener, isn’t he?”

“Most boys who admire their fathers are. A shame he’s also going to watch the father he idolizes devolve into lunacy.”

Out of everyone, Abaddon was planning to meet with today, he fully expected for Amaterasu to be the most difficult.

The whole reason they had bonded in the first place was because Takamagahara, like Tehom, is almost completely closed off to all outsiders.

Abaddon and Amaterasu both value the safety and sanctity of the people they rule over. Their biggest worries were that their realms might one day fall into Greek, Nordic, or Egyptian brands of depravity.

He was at even greater risk than her since Abaddon’s lands were overcrowded with precious things. Both people and resources alike.

So, so much had the potential to go wrong if a god decided to start coveting a barista or a young soldier who wasn’t even close to interested.

“Did she put you up to this madness?” Amaterasu pointed at Nyx.

“Why am I catching blame for this?!” Nyx threw up her hands.

“Because our resident dragon is a deluded sympathetic man who would commit a great many unwise actions if they came at the request of someone he loved.” The goddess accused.

Abaddon didn’t know if that was an insult or a compliment. Probably the former.

Nyx slowly turned to face Abaddon while wiping the imaginary tears from her eyes. “You hear that, Abaddon? She said you love me!”

“She’s mistaken.” Abaddon rolled his eyes and pushed the deluded night goddess aside.

Returning his attention to Amaterasu, he gave her an apologetic look.

“I know you might think my decision is coming a bit out of left field. But I promise you, I’ve put in the necessary thought before coming to this path. It’s far from spur of the moment.”

Amaterasu still seemed like she wasn’t quite convinced. Only confused.

“…Say I were to reject your request to build upon my lands. Then what?”

“Then I’m going to go ask Father Dagda.” Abaddon shrugged.

“Not going to press the issue?” Amaterasu raised a brow.

“Nope.”

“I thought you’d attempt to use your son to blackmail me.”

Amaterasu regretted the words as soon as they passed through her lips.

She started to take them back, but it was too late. Abaddon was already grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“No, I mean-”

“Interesting. So are you saying that it would have worked if-”

“No, that is not what I am saying, and do not put words in my mouth!”

“I thought you were over him, but with the way you’re behaving now, it seems that-”

“Nothing seems like anything! Mind your business and stop with these silly insinuations!”

Abaddon held his hands up in surrender. Though the amused smile did not leave his face. “Oh, I understand. Pardon me for the assumption.”

The sarcasm in his voice was so thick that it was almost tangible.

Amaterasu’s temperature was beginning to get so warm that she ran the risk of burning her ceremonial garb.

“… Tell me, which will get you out of my sight quicker- refusal, or acceptance?”

Mateo pulled out a random flash drive. “Well we did go through all of the trouble of preparing this 60-page PowerPoint that-”

“Fine, you have my permission, just please get out.” Amaterasu paused before adding on another stipulation. “And please, no dens of sin or depravity within my lands.”

Abaddon nodded.”Course not. The facility will be strictly for enlightening.”

“Do I even want to know what that means..?”

“I’m afraid that even if you did, you’ll just have to wait to find out like everyone else.” He smiled.

Abaddon started to leave with Mateo and Nyx in tow when he suddenly paused on a dime.

Turning back for a moment, he walked all the way up to Amaterasu’s throne and held out a small object.

The sun goddess stared down at the black key with no identifying markings or symbols.

Amaterasu was wary about taking it.

“It doesn’t come with strings attached.” Abaddon said comfortingly. “It is just… something I want you to have the option to choose.”

Amaterasu stared at the key in his hand, then stared back at the dragon with a firm gaze.

“I don’t need another father, Abaddon.”

“Good thing I’m not trying to replace the one that you have. I’m just giving you an opportunity to keep getting to know your mother better. You both more than deserve that.”

Amaterasu paused for a moment before pouring herself another drink.

After swallowing the bitter contents of her cup, she decided to take the key, and it immediately fused into her palm.

‘Convenient. Though I do so wonder if I will ever use it…’

Amaterasu looked up at Abaddon with one final question.

“Is my mother the reason that you’re doing all of this? Opening up your world when you know full well that you’d be better off as you are?”

Abaddon didn’t seem surprised by the question. It was the exact same thing he expected a great many people to ask.

“…Yes, and no.” He finally answered.

“I’ve been drinking too much for your riddles, Abaddon.”

“And who’s fault is that?” Abaddon chuckled as he took the alcohol from her before she could reach it again.

“She isn’t the initial reason for why I decided to open up our walls. But she is added motivation to ensure that I stay on the right path.”

“And what is the correlation between the two?”

“She makes me want to be a good man. One who does right by all people, even if they are not of his own brood.”

Amaterasu turned her gaze away in an aloof manner, almost as if saying that it wasn’t really her place to care.

“…Right then. I hope that you all will be very happy together.”

Abaddon knew by now that her aloof tone was the full extent of the amount of joy she was capable of expressing. She was just that kind of person.

Nevertheless, he never doubted for a moment that she was genuinely happy for them.

And more than anything, he was certain that he would see her at home far quicker than she was letting on.

–

Of all of the divine realms in creation, the one populated by the Celtic gods is by far the easiest to accidentally access.

The ‘Otherworld’ as it is simply named, has gates all over earth. The entire realm is comprised of a powerful blue ocean, with rich bustling islands dotting the landscape for as far as the eye can perceive.

Many mortals stumbled into this plane of existence as late as the 1980s until Asherah finally mandated the Celts to have stricter regulations on their entrances. Subsequently, the gates were closed.

Like Tehom, the Otherworld is a land of warped time. 100 years is the equivalent of one day.

Joy fills the air and permeates the vessels of everything that dwells here to create a beautiful, addictive domain that no one would ever want to leave.

Like so many other divine lands, it is a realm of eternal youth, beauty, health, and abundance.

Many supernatural creatures live here alongside the gods. Most of them being fairy folk.

All of the races dwell within the islands and are subjects to the Tuatha de Dannan.

Unlike almost every other pantheon in existence, the Celts have no single ruling monarch, rather, there is something similar to a governing body.

However, there is a sort of central figure who exists as something akin to an elder.

On a rather isolated island, there was an old man sitting underneath a tree.

He was a tall, powerful figure with a head and beard of dark brown hair.

His jolly, rotund figure was underlined with undeniable musculature. Exactly the kind of physique needed to carry the dreadfully large club resting at his side.

The man sat resting underneath a tree, watching his fire crackle and burn as a roasting boar spun over the flame.

Coincidentally, another boar was standing just a few feet away- watching it’s kin suffer through this terrible fate without even being able to do anything.

As the pig roasted, the old man halfheartedly sang a crude song that was surprisingly not Celtic in origin.

“Shawty had them apple bottom jeans (jeans) boots with the fur. (The fur)”

Before the giant man’s shanty was done, he felt a unique disturbance in the atmosphere that was not terribly unnerving.

He turned his head to the sky just in time to see a large tear opening up in the sky, and an even larger dragon flying out of it.