[TWS] Chapter 324 – Grand Preparations for a Grand Occasion

For the next fifteen minutes, Althea guided Asterios through the proper channeling of his draconic energy and entering the right state of mind. They practiced the motions and the arrangement a few times so that he could memorize every bit without an issue. Then, during the last repetition, Asterios included the final step too, and dove into himself.

Expecting to fail, he was surprised to find himself back in the volcano realm. This time, though, he retained his clothes and landed inside his own volcano, right next to the throne. The scarlet lava continued to flow around the mesmerizing chamber and he headed straight for the ominous throne.

It didn’t spark the best memories within him, but he had Althea’s assurance that it would not hurt him. It might be a bit harder for him to reach out to it now after initially opposing its assimilation, but it wasn’t impossible or else plenty of True Dragons would be stuck with their powers in an infant state.

The memory survey he had experienced with both red and black throne wasn’t actually Red and Black digging through his brain but his bloodline judging his worth. It looked through his entire life, first of all, to check if it was his first encounter with the throne, and also to evaluate his achievements. Which explained why the process hadn’t stopped in front of the memory seal. Red obviously knew about it so he wouldn’t need to pry any further.

Only established younglings were granted full access to their lineage powers. Cowards who just barely lived by would not get such a chance. But, the bloodline wasn’t that merciless. If one was repeatedly defeated and beaten, it still would lend its power to the descendant as long as the individual kept standing up to their oppressors instead of cowering in some dark hole.

Asterios was pretty sure he had enough decently impressive achievements under his belt to be recognized, and he suspected that he partially already had been, which was the reason why some of his draconic features continued to slip through the supposedly blocked access. While Althea was knowledgeable about True Dragons, she wasn’t exactly one, so she had many times reminded him that some things could not happen exactly as she had been taught.

Therefore, he had no other option but to take a leap of faith. Starting with a few relaxing breathing exercises, he approached the crimson throne and sat down. As expected, nothing happened on its own since he had already experienced the initial survey. But, Althea had given him a few techniques to try out and he got to that right away.

A lot of his human skin turned into tough scales as his horns, tail, and wings surfaced too. He made sure to use only the draconic energy coming from his red Dragon’s Heart, just in case that there would be some conflict of the scarlet throne with the black source. He most likely wasn’t able to hide the memories of acquiring it, but the way he had done that should be notable by itself.

After a few minutes of circulating his scorching hot mana through his system, he gripped the armrests firmly and poured everything into the ominous chair. The cavern thrummed with power and the lava boiled even stronger. The words written in draconic on the backrest of the throne started to glow fiercely, alongside the empty eye sockets of the draconic skulls decorating the far ends of the armrests.

The familiar feeling of something prodding his mind returned, and this time he opened his entire being to it, guiding the seeking force instead of trying to push it back. The process was only a tiny bit less painful that way but he could feel the difference. The spell, or whatever it was, scanned every bit of his past with rapt attention and, unfortunately, again slammed into the mental barrier at the very edge of Ast’s memories.

He did his best to just endure the agony while also trying to somewhat convince the invisible force that it was impossible to push any further. Soon, the drilling subsided, but the invasive presence did not fade away from his mind. It became calmer, thoughtful, then approving. It retreated back to the top of his memories with a rejuvenating touch. Lingering just for a moment longer, it dissipated. The script and the eyes stayed alight, though.

Wiping his brow, Asterios opened his eyes he had promptly shut closed near the very beginning of the entire event. He stood up and examined the throne. It now pulsed with familiar energy, one he could also feel inside his Dragon’s Heart. Something changed and it felt like a good change.

“Congratulations,” a feminine voice reached his ears from behind, spooking him greatly.

As his head snapped to the back, Asterios chuckled nervously. “I forgot you are here now too. Didn’t know it’s possible for you to move away from the Tree.”

Tia smiled at him kindly. “I can wander around this entire realm since I’m now part of it like you said. Or rather, I’m part of you.”

“And the heat doesn’t bother you?” He raised a brow at her, giving her floral body an unhurried glance.

“No. It nourishes me. Thanks to you. Especially now that you became one with it. Once again, congratulations, Young Dragon.”

“Thank you.” Asterios nodded politely. “Just one more to go.”

“You’ll do great. I know it.” She danced around him with a graceful step. “After that, I think this is a good opportunity to discuss that idea about Althea’s new lair that you had. I’m very interested in taking part in making it turn into reality.”

“Let’s hurry up, then. We are on the same page regarding that.” He smiled appreciatively and they left the volcano side-by-side.

※ ※ ※

With the sound of the door opening, the light chatter that filled the stone chamber died down. Miria and Selene quickly slipped into the room and slammed the door shut behind them. All the eyes turned to them, and there were plenty. Tina, Grea, Silvia, Bryn, and even Kindra all surrounded the island counter in the middle of the workshop.

“You are late.” The demon lady stood up and huffed while crossing her arms.

“Sorry, sorry! We couldn’t leave too early or Master would definitely figure out that something was going on.” Miria giggled and showed an apologetic smile.

“Maybe if you weren’t hanging off his arm every hour of the day he wouldn’t be so surprised not to see you there.” Grea scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“That’s enough, Professor.” Tina sighed and pulled the red-skinned woman down. “We all know how affectionate Miria is and that’s simply her nature. Just like yours is being perpetually horny around him. And no one is complaining. Too much, at least. What’s important is that they are here and we can finally begin the meeting.”

“We should be safe for now. I don’t think my Lord will have enough attention to spare us during Althea’s lessons. We need to make good use of this opportunity. Chances like this one won’t be given to us forever,” Selene commented.

The beastfolk duo walked up to them and sat down at their designated spots. They finished a tight circle, exchanging quite conspirational looks.

Grea cleared her throat and everyone turned their attention to her. “Let us begin, then. If I’m not mistaken, we have about a week until the big day. We should have begun the preparations much earlier, but that damned queen interrupted everything with her unexpected request. So, we need ideas. And fast. As Tia told us, the dungeon might pop out at any moment in the upcoming fourteen days. We aren’t getting derailed by random events again, I swear to whatever gods exist. Therefore, what are our plans?”

“I already talked with the Committee and the castle staff,” Kindra began. “We had two options, either to hold the party in the main market or in the castle. But, after a bit of dialogue and proper reasoning that the twentieth birthday of their lord and savior is an extremely important occasion, I managed to convince them to include both.”

“Both?” Bryn furrowed her brows. “Won’t that be too much?”

“Oh, not in the slightest, my dear.” Ast’s mom grinned at her. “If we went with just one, we would either end up with a never-ending stream of people flocking to the castle with wishes and gifts, where they would definitely not fit in at all, or with a completely public and devoid of any privacy main square where everyone will be able to notice everything, including a person or two sneaking away. Especially their beloved lord, lady, and their close companions.”

While a few of the girls blushed faintly at her obvious allusion, Silvia just nodded in approval. “This is certainly true. It’s always a pain to find a good place for an official event. What do you have in mind for these two then, Miss Kindra?”

“We will host two somewhat separate parties.” Kindra winked at her. “The one in the center of the town will be open to everyone and will be more of a means to celebrate the lord’s birthday for anyone who would wish to. A festival for the masses. Asterios will of course show up there once or twice, and receive any gifts from the folks who would bring anything. There is enough space there to properly display all the presents and show how generous the people of Glimmervale are.”

“Ah. I see. Then in the castle, we will hold a smaller and more private party. Just for us. And for the important people.” Tina hit her palm with her fist.

“Exactly.” Ast’s mother reached out and ruffled through her hair. “There’s no need to make everyone tense by bringing in all the kings, queens, princes, princesses, and other officials to the celebration meant for the common people. It’s meant to be fun, not awkward. We can leave the politics for the event behind closed doors.”

“That’s so smart! Everyone will be able to enjoy the celebration that way!” Miria clapped her hands joyfully.

“Who should handle the invitations?” Silvia asked.

“Leave it to me and Luna. I’ll contact all your important friends through this very useful connection we all share. She will prepare official letters so that everything goes through proper procedures,” Kindra answered. “We will most likely need to borrow Umbra’s powers to bring everyone here since they are scattered all over the realm. Some of them would definitely not make it on time by traditional means.”

Deep shadows pooled in the middle of the countertop and Umbra’s raven form emerged from the ominous darkness.

~I will be glad to offer my assistance for such a great cause. If you need to move anything or anyone, just let me know. I could also stalk Master for you and warn everyone in case he would be about to stumble onto someone or something that could give the celebration away,~ the Lord of Shadows offered.

“Good idea. The scary parrot is at the very bottom of the list of people Asterios would suspect of anything,” Grea commented. “The rest of us will need to be real careful. Hopefully, he isn't a one-of-a-kind genius and will take at least a few days to get Althea’s lessons rolling. She is our best hope. Maybe we should ask her to sabotage him a tiny bit.”

“We will need to figure something out for the day of the event. That’s a lot of things to prepare, both in the town and in the castle. It’s impossible to hide it all from Ast without him being gone the entire time. That would slow things down to a snail’s pace too.” Tina scratched her head.

“Don’t you get your panties in a knot, shortie.” The demon lady snickered and waggled her brows at the blue-haired girl. “I still have one more card to play that I haven’t used yet. He promised me a night of orgasmic paradise and hells know I’m not going to pass on that. With the small price of sacrificing my body, I’ll hold him down from the evening before to the moment everything is ready.”

“I’m surprised you still haven’t cashed in on that promise.” Selene smirked mischievously.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was not to?” Grea groaned while hugging herself tightly. “But I knew it could come useful. And we had so much on our plates since he woke up anyway.”

“Yeah, right,” Tina muttered under her nose and the other girls chuckled quietly.

“The place and Master’s absence are now taken care of. What’s next?” Bryn pondered out loud, aiming to push the conversation further.

“We should divide the other responsibilities already too. Who wants to make the schedule for the evening? It might not be fully adhered to, but we should have one no matter what,” the fox lady suggested.

“I helped inspect the schedules for many galas in Father’s name so you can leave that to me,” Silvia offered. “We will have the best of the best in terms of entertainment and service.”

“I don’t think I will be able to help with complex stuff like that so you can count on me in the field.” Miria smiled timidly. “I know Umbra will deal with most things that need transporting, but he doesn’t need to be bothered for something small, like slightly pushing something to a different spot or hanging decorations.”

“You will do great with your grace and agility,” Selene agreed. “And I will assist you. Or the people in the castle. Depending on who will need a spiritual hand more. We will be running on a tight schedule even with Grea distracting my Lord for as long as she can.”

“I would like to work with my mom on whatever she will be doing but feel free to call for me whenever you would need,” Tina said. “Oh. Since everyone will be so busy, perhaps I will find us some nice dresses? We can’t show up for Ast’s birthday just like that. It has to be something special. No offense for your amazing wardrobe, Selene, but it would be great to pick something he hasn’t seen even a glimpse of yet.”

“None taken. I wholeheartedly agree with you. If you would like to explore all the options, including those in our realm, ask and I’ll take you to my city.” The fox lady made a polite bow.

“Perfect. I appreciate it.” Tina smiled sweetly.

“I’m not exactly sure what I should do.” Bryn gazed down while playing with her braid.

“I think you would be our best source of ceremonial weapons, armor, equipment, banners, and other decorations,” Silvia replied. “Can you convince your friends to lend us some for the event? It doesn’t have to be custom-made since we don’t have that much time. Anything that the Royal Guard, the members of the militia, even servants could wear. The grand audience hall could use some luxurious tapestries.”

“That should be of no issue.” The Valkyrie gave her a resolute nod. “I’ll start working on it immediately.”

“We are constantly talking about things we can bring or organize, but what about our abilities?” Miria tilted her head. “Could Bryn maybe use her magic to create a nice atmosphere with lights and barriers?”

“That’s… actually something I might be able to do…” The person in question assumed a thoughtful expression. “I need to experiment a little but I already have a few exciting ideas. I should be able to get everything ready before the party.”

“Alright. We should all remember to reevaluate our options after the meeting. What’s next on our agenda for today?” Silvia glanced over at everyone.

“The most important part, of course.” Selene firmly met her gaze. “Our own gifts.”

“Right. I still have no idea what to do.” Tina caught her head in her hands and rested her elbows on the counter.

“I’m way ahead of all of you.” Grea smirked and stood up. “I knew you girls would lack any creative ideas so I prepared something myself. All you need to do is to join me… with this!”

She pulled her clothes over her head in one quick swoop and spread her arms wide with a devilish grin. A single, pink ribbon was the only thing remaining on her crimson body. The soft strap ran down her smooth belly, barely covering the secrets of the pouty valley down below, and continued up through the gap between her supple cheeks, following with a crossing pattern over her shoulders and front to hide the peaks of her firm breasts, and finally tying itself into a pretty knot right between them.

“Professor!” Tina shouted and slammed her palms into the counter while shooting up to her feet.

“What?” Grea raised her brows at the shorter girl. “This is perfect. There’s no doubt he will like what he will see. Especially with all of us pressed together. There’s no better plan.”

“Miss Kindra is here!” Tina gestured at Ast’s mom, who waved happily with a sweet smile, causing everyone to chuckle.

“So? She is a woman too.” Grea shrugged, then slapped her booty with a loud smack while continuing to bend her figure at the most alluring angles. “And he can get some of this.”

“No! How is that any special or creative?” Tina groaned. “And stop making poses! Don’t think we can’t hear all that rubbing!”

“Fine.” The demon woman huffed and straightened up, crossing her arms over her barely hidden nipples.

“I’m afraid that in this case, I’m inclined to agree with Tina,” Silvia chimed in. “The ribbon outfit is too common. Asterios can have us wear it anytime for him. We need something more. Something unique. It’s the first of his birthdays we are celebrating together.”

Grea looked between the two, then to the other women, and sighed heavily. “Yeah. Fair point. Sorry, I really tried to come up with something amazing but I’ve always been complete trash at birthdays. I hate all those people who can figure something out with a snap of their fingers.”

Kindra left her chair too and walked up to her, patting Grea’s hair reassuringly, even though the demon lady was the taller one. “There, there. It’s the gesture that matters. I’m sure he would love to unpack such a lovely present. But, we are all gathered here exactly for moments like this. We can brainstorm ideas for each other until we are satisfied. There’s a week of time for all of you to find something precious to gift him. Just remember, no matter what you choose, he will truly appreciate you just for the sole effort and love you are all putting into it.”

Grea stared down into Kindra’s cheerful eyes and heartwarming smile. After a moment, she accepted the offered kindness, and nodded, to which Kindra responded with a loving hug. Grea just had no other option but to give up and she fully reciprocated the affectionate embrace, resting her chin on the smaller woman’s shoulder.

“Thanks… Mom…” she whispered as Kindra continued to pat her head.

Then, she almost jumped into the air as something squeezed her backside firmly. Pulling back a little bit, she found a sly smirk on Ast’s mother’s lips.

“Old habits die hard. Can’t stop myself from inspecting the quality of the goods, you know?” Kindra whispered.

Grea snorted loudly while shaking her head. They separated right after and turned back to face everyone. Kindra put her hands on her hips and flashed them a wide smile.

“Alright, dears. Operation The Best Twentieth Birthday of the Century begins now. Get to work!”