Divine Beast Ascension

Too many thoughts were spiraling through Treeda’s head after hearing Bradok’s strange offer. But one thing caught her off guard in particular. She asked, “... What do you mean by ‘permitted’ to tell us?”

“I’ll explain only if you agree along with Bro Warak,” stated Bradok, automatically playing along with Warak’s personable attitude, completely ignoring traditional decorum and their enormous gap in cultivation and status. “Come on, Treeda. Will it help if I call you Sis Treeda?”

“Yeah, come on, Sis Treeda,” Warak repeated and teased with an eager grin.

But she waited a moment longer. If anything, she was hoping to hear something from a certain someone regarding the offer. But that person never made their presence known even though Treeda was certain he was listening in.

“... Enough with the ‘Sis’. And what if I find your offering lacking?” asked Treeda, still searching for something to say.

“Than turn down the alliance, but I won’t show or explain that special thing of shared interest,” Bradok clearly stated, smiling as if he’d already won. “And, if you want that condition to apply, then you must promise to never take my offered item by force, with Bro Warak as our witness.”

.....

Squinting, Treeda’s curiosity was sparked even more, creating a small flame of desire.

“Also, this alliance means that not only will your clans be tied to us, we’ll be tied to yours!” Smiling, Bradok cackled and added, “If there’s anyone that shouldn’t underestimate us apes, it’s you dragons, right?”

Warak was extremely satisfied by Bradok’s words, nodding in agreement. And though Treeda didn’t yet agree, she also felt similarly.

“Just imagine it.” Bradok painted a picture with his words, “The imminent rise of we gorillas, the thing the Noxious Cur is so terrified of, will happen one day. I don’t care what you two personally believe, but I bet my life and the existence of my clan on the rise of us apes! It will happen, and anyone that stands in our way will be left trampled in our wake. Accept my offer, and you just might believe that more than me, but I doubt that. I’m too confident!”

“Come on, Treeda! Just accept!” Warak prodded, all the more eager to learn whatever it is Bradok is boastfully offering.

Seeing Treeda’s uneasiness, Bradok finally sighed, adding, “And I can guarantee that he will agree with my confident offer and declaration!”

“He? Who’s he?” blinking, Warak asked while looking back and forth between Treeda and Bradok.

“I accept.”

The sudden agreement startled Warak, but Bradok knew all along that she would eventually agree. “Now... before we discuss that item of interest, let’s make this official! Treeda, please hand me our cultivation technique and Warak his ring.”

As soon as the items were handed out again, Treeda was surprised to have both Warak and Bradok staring at her. “... Oh, my offering. Just a moment...”

A pitch-black ring appeared in Treeda’s hand, matching Warak’s golden ring offering.

“Alright, now, for our offering to Toxic-shadow Clan!” As Bradok laughed again, a weapon appeared in his free hand, stunning both Warak and Treeda, as well as Zelsh and all subordinate kings of Toxic-shadow. “Will this do-”

“WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!” Treeda roared, jumping to her feet in frustration and shock.

“Hey! You promised to not take it by force!” laughed Bradok, extending the technique and weapon to the prefecture lords. “Here, your offerings.”

Both prefecture lords hastily exchanged their rings with Bradok’s items. And, unsurprisingly, Treeda was even more urgent to snatch the weapon than Warak was to take the peak-king technique.

“How did you get this!?” Treeda still couldn’t calm herself, even after feeling the weapon in her grasp.

Staring at how tightly Treeda clung to the weapon’s shaft, Bradok chuckled even more, “I’ll explain. But, first, I have to ask Warak a question. Answer correctly, and I’ll explain how my clan came to possess that item along with the other item of interest.”

“State your question!” Warak bellowed, all the more excited after seeing Bradok pull out Treeda’s missing peak-king halberd.

Nodding, Bradok calmed himself down. Then, he softly asked, “Warak, why do you respect us gorillas so much?”

“... Huh?”

“Bro Warak,” Bradok rephrased his question, “unlike every other dragon I’ve met, of which you’re the fifth, you’re the first to look me in the eyes with a sense of respect. Most dragons look down on me. Treeda never looked down on us, but that was mostly due to Dioro’s part in fending off your brat.

“You, Bro Warak, met my gaze with the utmost respect from the first moment you saw us, even before we approached you. I can tell by the look in your eyes. You’re the exact opposite of your brat. You respect us in a way no dragon ever has, and I want to know why.”

At first, Treeda wanted to dispute Bradok’s statement. But the moment he mentioned Dioro’s fight with Brak, Treeda was at a loss for words.

Warak suddenly got serious, the complete opposite of what Treeda expected. But Bradok was unwavering as he matched Warak’s serious expression. “For the sake of my clan, and for the sake of the friendship between you and I, please tell me why you’ve been so respectful, not even trying to take advantage of our bet?”

“... I’ll tell you,” Warak finally spoke up, “but this item of interest better be good!”

“Of course it is!” Bradok laughed.

Chuckling briefly, Warak dropped his serious stare, “Alright... But only because we’re forming an alliance!

“Yeah, yeah, get on with it, Bro Warak,” Bradok jested.

Warak leaned forward, placing both elbows on the table. At the same time, Bradok finally sat down across from them, taking the third and final seat at the head table.

Inhaling, a contemplative smile appeared on Warak’s face. “It’s from the old stories of our clan. As the most defensive of all dragons, we take pride in our powerful bodies. Even fellow dragons fear our defenses and can seldom breach them without paying a great cost. Yet... that pride has only been shaken by you apes.”