Chthonius/Stories

General Stories Misc

Quotes

When Entering Dragon's Roost

I have few objections to time spent conversing.

It is good to see you here, O descendant of the king.

State your business.

After Receiving a Gift

I suspect this will be of some use in your hands.

Take this. I pray it aids you on your journey.

After Bond Level Increase

Your kindness is a comfort to me.

I shall wield my strength freely in service of my new king.

Idle After Bond Level 1

You have my utmost gratitude for freeing my former king from suffering at the hands of the Other.

I know now why my former king entrusted the future to you.

I have returned from death, and I now wield my power in service of my new king

Idle After Bond Level 10

Tell me your ideals and dreams that I might come to know you better.

(music note) I understand better now both the radiance and transience of a mortal life.

I never thought to stand at the side of my former brethren again.

Idle After Bond Level 20

(music note) It is my great honor to shoulder with you the duty of carrying my former king's will into the future.

(music note) My new pact with you is a pleasant one. This pleases me greatly.

I hope your kindness is not your undoing, and yet... Ah, forgive me. I perhaps worry needlessly.

Dragon Story Episodes
An Underworld Dream

Human lives are fleeting things.
They are weak, soft creatures
that need to be protected.

That king was no exception.

I recall the day that we first met.

He came to me seeking pactdragons
as he readied to battle the Other.

But I knew that mortals like him were
weak, and so rejected him. Instead,
I encouraged him to go forth and
enjoy the short life he had left.

But he refused to abandon his fight,
and soon received a mortal blow
from the Other.

If only he had heeded me, I thought.
If only he had accepted how weak
and pitiful humans truly are.
But as I swore to avenge his death,
I heard a lone voice weakly cry out:

"I can...still fight.
I MUST fight..."

He was clearly in pain, and yet his
eyes were fixed ever forward.

"Do you not fear death?" I asked him.

He laughed at my question.

"To you," he said, "human lives seem
to end before they've even begun,
like the single flicker of a candle.
But it's because we KNOW they are
so short that we rise up and fight."

"We have a duty to inherit the hopes
of our forebears, and pass them on
to the future. If I can achieve this,
my life is a small price to pay."

Hearing this, I realized the error of my
ways. How could I have thought of
those who fight so desperately for
the future as weak?

This is the strength of humanity.
This is the radiance of their lives.

I'd never seen a more dazzling light.

The life of a dragon is near eternal,
thus we simply follow the ebb and
flow of time as it comes to us.

The radiance of life is alien to us.

This lone human was struggling
desperately for a better future.

But what were we dragons living for?

Might this man one day find the
answer? Might this king shine a
light on my tediously long life?

I did not want this light—this dazzling
light—to be extinguished.

And so, I made my choice.

"Form a pact with me, O king."

Our pact allowed him to live on,
and I swore to fight by his side
until the end of his life.

And when that fated day came,
the two of us died together.

Forming a pact with Alberius allowed
his life to be saved. But that miracle
could only happen once.

I had no regrets. I had lived by his side,
and in doing so found and achieved
a new goal for my own life.

Now, the light was lost. All that remained
was surrender to an endless sleep.
But just as I was about to stop walking that
dark road and finally close my eyes...

"Awaken, Chthonius."

I could never forget that voice.
I would never mistake it.

Before me stood the figure of a
most nostalgic king.

"Awaken, Chthonius. There is still
something you must do."

"No. My role is already over."

I could still remember the figure of
the young prince who defeated us
and inherited our will. With him in
the world, what did it need with a
dead dragon like me?

"Do you intend to kill me?"
he asked sternly.
I failed to understand the question.
The king proceeded to explain.

"I entrusted my desire for peace
to my descendant—but should
he fall, then I will truly die."

"I want you to live and support him
so this will not come to pass."

He had always been that kind of
person. One who feared not death
and was always looking forward
to the inevitable future.

That was why I had formed a pact
with him, and why I could not allow
his desire—his will—to go unfulfilled.

I bowed my head, and the king
placed his hand on it. Even though
he was no longer of the living,
his touch was warm and gentle.

"You once saved my life," he said.
"This time, let me be the one to take
death from you. Awaken, old friend.
Awaken and go forward."

It was at that moment I realized this
would be our final conversation.

It was time for us to part.

As he removed his hand, I turned
and began to walk away.
I did not look back, for to do so
would be to betray his words.

I awoke once more, enveloped
in light, and flew back to that
old familiar castle to seek out
the prince once more.

Everything I did, I did that his
furious will might live on.

...Rest in peace, my king.