A Salamander, but Mighty

POV: Aradra

“Woah! It actually worked!” She heard Lyndvrath’s voice trill cheerfully amidst the whirlwind of mystical energy. “Come on! It’s time for the final push!”

Aradra heard Lyndvrath’s voice and mentally thanked that the Goddess of Beauty and Dance hadn’t tried to trick her in some way. She felt as though her body was coursing with the very forces that governed the universe Tala resided in. Perhaps that was the System itself; it was hard to say. She kept her focus, thinking not about the power she desired to receive but the purpose she wished to fulfill.

It took a few more minutes of painful and focused concentration before the situation with the Mana flowing through her stabilized. Finally, Aradra started to feel her body again as a physical entity rather than an abstract one: she felt the cold floor beneath her feet, sending a shiver that reminded her of her humanity. She blinked, and when she opened her eyes, Lyndvrath was standing in front of her, beaming.

“NOW this is much better!” The goddess exclaimed, clasping her hands behind her back and bouncing with glee. “But look at you: you were an ugly black and yellow lizard, and now you’ve blossomed into a stunning young woman!”

As she said this, Lyndvrath made a mirror appear in front of Aradra. The lizard-monster had transformed into a woman with lemon-yellow eyes, long black hair as dark as the night, streaked with easily noticeable yellow locks. Her skin had returned to the pale complexion she once had. Although at first, Aradra didn’t recognize herself in the person reflected in the mirror (she just had to accept that she had a tail and horns even in her human form), the satisfaction of achieving a long-held goal quickly replaced any doubt or uncertainty.

And her breasts were at least two sizes bigger than she remembered... Aradra had won in every possible way with her ascension.

“But… but how? Is this a result of the ascension? I didn’t choose any Feat to get this form!” Aradra said to Lyndvrath, who was still gleefully prancing around as if she had been the one freed from an ugly lizard face instead of Aradra herself.

“This type of ascension isn’t even accessible to common mortals anymore; the System analyzed your personality, your preferences, and the choices you’ve already made, and automatically crafted the most efficient build for you.” The deity smiled. “Come on, check your stats!” she trilled happily.

‘Could [Devourer] be that forbidden Feat as I thought?’ Aradra wondered, hesitating for a moment. ‘The best thing I can do is not raise the issue, because if she hasn’t inspected me yet, she will. And if she has and saw everything, then she’s pretending not to know or she doesn’t care.’

“Status,” She whispered softly.

___

[Tamara Parker][Salmadrer][Ascended Monster (lv.61)]

[Health: 230/230)][Mana: 245/245]

[TRAITS MODIFIERS]

Nourished

[TRAITS]

► Dexterity: 97

► Faith: 80

► Knowledge: 106

► Resilience: 91

► Speed: 13

► Strength: 13

[FEATS]

► Acid Jet IV

► Acid Magic (Humanoid Form)

► Acid Spit X

► Devourer

► Flying Membrane X

► Greater Reach X

► Growth (Lesser) III

► Growth (Greater) III

► Horned Assault VI

► Humanoid Form (Superior)

► Nocturnal Habit (Lesser) IV

► Obsidian Bastion I

► Obsidian Defense X

► Obsidian Magic (Humanoid Form)

► Scale Armor (Lesser) X

► Scale Armor (Greater) I

► Scratch V

► Tail-Whip IV

► Undomitable Will VII

___

Aradra was stunned by her new physical attributes and the list of Feats she had gained… ascension was truly something extraordinary; her level had nearly tripled from when she first entered Lyndvrath’s temple!

Aradra raised her fists, “Woah…”

“I know, right?”

“This is amazing! I’m feeling incredible!!” Aradra exclaimed, smiling radiantly. “It’s a little annoying to admit, but… thank you, Lyndvrath.”

The goddess waved her hand, laughing and making the many gold and silver trinkets she wore jingle. “Oh, don’t mention it! After all, someone has to avenge Gornowayl… I liked him, you know?”

Aradra had never met him personally, so all she could do was nod.

“So now you’re going to Seething Forge?” asked the goddess. “You really want to save your dying friend at all costs, huh?”

Aradra shrugged. “I don’t expect to be understood. A being like you probably has a very relative view of things, considering you have unlimited time to do whatever you want and the only real limits to your power are the protests of other entities as powerful as you.” She spoke without malice or jealousy. “But yes, saving her is important to me, for me and for this world.”

“Fine… if I can’t change your mind, you can go,” Lyndvrath sighed. “However… I hope that if you survive all of this, you’ll come back to me,” she smiled. “If you become my champion, I could grant you even more power in my name. You’d become the equal of a goddess, and the power you’ve obtained now will seem like nothing.”

Aradra narrowed her eyes, knowing that somewhere, Lyndvrath was hoping to gain something from the help she had offered. “I’ll certainly think about it,” especially since she knew that from then on, she would only disappear from the radar of the gods once she was dead.

Aradra was already about to head toward the exit of Lyndvrath’s chamber when the goddess stopped her. “Wait! It’s time to wear a real dress worthy of a creature of your power!”

POV: Rosalia

She had managed to speak with the mayor of Seltipont and, after getting him to promise not to mention that she was still alive, she presented herself for who she really was: Rosalia, the third-born of the rulers of Heliolite. What the mayor told her at that point was hard to believe, even now that she had experienced firsthand that Dyenna was no longer her beloved older sister.

‘What have you done? Was your desire to avenge our brother so great that it consumed your soul?’ Rosalia thought, refusing to believe she had been deceived her entire life, that what she had seen in Stanbroodge and later in Wadencap was the first time she was truly seeing her sister for who she was. ‘You were always kind to me. I refuse to believe you did something dark out of greed and a desire for power.’

Rosalia was on her way back to the temple where she had left Aradra a few hours earlier. She kept her head down, hidden in the shadows of a large brown hood, just to ensure that no one would recognize her and report to Dyenna, assuming she suspected that Rosalia was still alive, that she hadn’t died.

When she reached the temple, she didn’t have the courage to enter, given what had been happening during her previous visit. The very thought made her blush and bow her head further. So, she waited just outside the entrance for the fake Nightmare Tyrant to arrive.

Rosalia stood there for an indeterminate amount of time, unmoving and silent, at least until she heard the temple door open. The figure that emerged wore a white dress with black and yellow trims. Her pale shoulders were exposed, and her face had the beauty of a goddess, with deep yellow eyes and reptilian pupils, and horns emerging between obsidian hair streaked with yellow strands.

“My business here is done,” announced the horned and tailed woman. Her voice was musical and delicate, yet also resonated with purpose. “How did it go with the mayor?”

Rosalia’s eyes widened. “A-Aradra? Is that you?”

In response, Aradra parted her full lips and, with a mischievous gesture, adjusted her hair. “Let’s just say, if anyone asks, I’m a beastkin.”

“You’re… you’re gorgeous!” Rosalia declared. “But how??”

“Let’s just say it’s part of the arsenal at my disposal to help my friends and save your world!” Aradra laughed. “So? How about you tell me what the mayor said while we walk?”

“Huh? Yes!” Rosalia replied, letting Aradra set the pace as they began walking out of the city. “So, we’re leaving right away?”

Aradra nodded, excitement glinting in her golden eyes. “I have wings I want to try out.”