The dragon's harem

Arad thought about it for a long moment. He can’t just say, “How about she takes the throne?” That would be too direct.

“As I said, that depends on her. Look at Claug, for example. She might not be the most powerful drakaina I have, but she stands out with her mastery over poisons and diseases.”

Gale nodded. “Raw power or authority aren’t the only two options. Utility is just as important.” He stood and smacked the table with both hands, a large grin on his face. “Then to the chasm we go. I’ll show you that a Storm Titan princess is worth more than a thousand dragon’s hoard.”

His eyes shifted to Tyal, “You’ll hunt a Cronos Raptur.”

Tyal paled like a flower that hadn’t been watered in a year. “Wait, Cronos Raptur? Are you serious?”

Arad looked at them both, “Now hold your horses, or whatever mounts you have.” He glared at Gale, “She might not be a wife, but she is still one of my concubines. You may be her father, but if you put her in danger, I might blast this whole place to ash.”

Gale burst laughing. “That makes me happy. That you care about my daughter so much. It would’ve been better if you just took her as a wife.” He then looked at him, “A Cronos Raptur is a deadly foe, true. The fight won’t be without its danger, but the rewards are worth it.”

Tyal looked at Arad with a pale face. “Cronos Raptur is a parasitic time monster that infects titans who died in the chasm and takes over their bodies. It can take over any living being, except living Storm Titans, and we don’t know why. Some ancient writings say the gods put the Storm Titan here to especially keep Cronos Rapturs in check.”

“So you’re saying that only Storm Titans can stand a chance of fighting it without getting taken over.” Arad leaned back, “And what can that monster do? Besides taking over dead Storm Titans?”

“Use all of their power, and enchant it. It can also heal and even revive by rewinding time on itself.” Gale replied and then leaned on the table. “The monster’s corpse has many uses, one of them a resurrection potion that can revive the dead. As long as they weren’t dead for longer than a year.”

He laughed, “How about it? Hmmm? Tale Tyal as a wife, and I’ll allow her to hunt the Cronos Raptur’s for you.”

Arad’s eyes shifted to Alice, and Gale shook his head. “It is my kingdom, and only the royalty are allowed to challenge the Cronos Raptur. Its power isn’t something we allow outside to get. But if Tyal is your wife, you won’t be an outsider anymore.”

“So the Cronos Raptur is your kingdom’s strongest weapon and enemy.” Arad leaned back on his chair.

“Our strongest heroes and kings would be able to revive just like that. Of course, it’s not unlimited and is quite dangerous to acquire, but still worth a lot.” Gale then looked at his daughter.

“What do you say? You might not be strong enough to beat Alice, and you might not have enough value to surpass her whole guild, but with the ability to hunt such a rare treasure, I’m sure none of his wives would have a chance to top you up.”

Arad remained silent for a while, thinking. He didn’t expect Gale to pull all the stops and reveal his kingdom’s treasure. No, he might have another trump card. This is just the best thing he can pull out to make Tyal look unique and priceless.

“How dangerous is this Cronos Raptur in a fight? Can you defeat it?” Arad asked, and Tyal looked really worried.

“I don’t know. It is mainly a mimicking monster. It’ll copy all of my powers and then enchant them with its horrid magic. I’ll be facing a stronger, faster, and more magically potent version of myself. It can also fully regenerate by rewinding time as well.”

Arad closed his eyes to think, but he was actually asking Zeus, who sat inside his stomach. “What do you say?”

^20-80, I guess.^ Zeus’s voice was somber, deep, and harsh, ^20 For Tyal. She’ll probably lose. Hunting a Cronos Raptur requires the Titan to have mastered all of his powers and then be able to push beyond his limits. Tyal is powerful, but not that crazy.^

Arad sighed and looked at Tyal. “No offence, but I don’t think you’ll be able to defeat such a monster. You’d better wait until you’ve grown a bit stronger.”

Tyal nodded, but Gale just glared at him. “Now you’re sounding like my father. She can do it, and everything must start somewhere. If not today, then when will she challenge it?”

Arad smiled, “I sound like your father? Like Zeus? Now that’s a compliment.” He stood, “I’m sure he was wise enough not to throw Tyal into a death battle. Unlike you.”

“And what do you know? Tyal is stronger and harder than you think. You’ve only known her for days, while she grew here, under my watch.” Gale looked at his daughter, “So what do you say, Tyal? Want to prove yourself, or always remain beneath the others?”

Tyal sighed. “Fine, I’ll fight the monster.” She looked at Arad. This wasn’t going as they planned, but it didn’t really matter. They needed Gale to give them a chance for Tyal to challenge him into a fight for the throne, and throwing her into a deadly fight against the Cronos Raptur is as good a reason as any.

The only problem is how to survive the monster. The only two that can save her are her Father, Gale, or her Grandfather, Zeus. This might be her father’s plan to cement himself as the Eye of the Storm. Have his daughter weaken the Cronos Raptur and then swoop in to kill the monster and save her.

The fight won’t be easy anyway. Both Arad and Gale are playing with each other and trying to find a way to prove themselves superior. Tyal is sure that her father was planning something just like they were planning to take him down and bring out her Grandfather.

She looked at her father and Arad, bowed gently, and excused herself. “I’ll have to prepare for the fight then.”

To throw a wrench in her father’s plan, she must kill the Cronos Raptur with her own strength and challenge him right after.