Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2

We make it to the summit again!

There's the dragon daemon!

His red eye glows malevolently, and he's exuding a ton of malevolence.

Eleanor: "It looks so deadly...and just check out how much malevolence it's putting out."
Rokurou: "Which means it's not a therion." Boooo!

Velvet suggests falling back.

But Eizen wants a fight with the dragon. Oh god no...

Eleanor: "Fighting this creature is a good way to end up dead." For some reason, Velvet looks a bit...annoyed? Eleanor apologizes.

Oh darn...

The dragon's name is Shenlong!

Velvet: "Dammit, this wasn't part of the plan!"
Rokurou: "Yeah, but training like this doesn't come around every day!"
Eizen: "Be on your guard! One wrong move and you're done for!"
Rokurou: "I know! That's the fun part!" Oh, Rokurou...

After taking a chunk of the dragon's health, I'm now treated to a cutscene of the party trying to fight back!

Eizen puts up his dukes and lunges forward...

...and Zaveid intervenes!

Eizen punches him out of the way!

Zaveid: "...You knew. Didn't you, Eizen?"

Zaveid defends Shenlong!

Zaveid: "She's not a dragon!"

Zaveid puts Siegfried to his head. He's going to empower himself with more mana...

But Shenlong uses her tail to swing him out of the way, and flees!

So Zaveid and Shenlong have a history together, huh?

Eizen asks if she's someone Zaveid knew. He does not like her being called a dragon.

---

Magilou: "So it seems ol' Check-Out-My-Pecs and the dragon have some kinda close ties." Check-Out-My-Pecs, heh...

Eleanor's not laughing.

Phi asks about the connection between Zaveid and the dragon.

Eizen: "When malakhim are tainted by malevolence... a dragon is what ultimately results." Just like the lancer malak back in Titania. Velvet's gaze confirms it in my eyes.

Phi: "So you're saying that dragon was a malak Zaveid once knew?!"
Eleanor: "She must be who he was praying for back in town..."

Rokurou asks if malakhim exude malevolence like humans. No Rokurou, they don't. Grim or Eizen might have told us that before in Southgand.

Eizen repeats what he said: Overexposure to malevolence from humans or daemons will turn malakhim into dragons.

So Laphicet almost felt malevolence take ahold of him in the earthpulse after the Empyrean's Throne.

Magilou: "The air there was thick with malevolence being sent on its way to Innominat."
Phi: "If I'd stayed there, I might be a dragon too." Thank goodness that fate was averted.

Eleanor asks Eizen if having a vessel can prevent malakhim from becoming dragons.

It lessens the risks, but doesn't completely take it off. And another part I found important here...

Eizen: "By stripping their malakhim of consciousness, the Abbey exorcists seem to be able to inhibit the transformation. But nothing in this world is guaranteed." The lancer malak at Titania proves that.

Velvet asks if a dragon can be turned back. Not a chance.

Eleanor asks if a part of the malak is still there in the dragon. None.

Rokurou: "But Zaveid won't kill it. Must be his creed at work."

Velvet points out to Eizen that she's staying out of his, Zaveid, and the dragon's, business. "Do what you have to," she says.

However, Velvet's not letting him endanger the crew on his dragon hunt.

Phi dreads the idea of becoming a dragon.

Phi: "If what Eizen says is true then...could I wind up as a dragon someday? Or Eizen too?"
Eleanor: "I don't... I don't know."

Expedition check: We get a new recipe: a Mythic Egg and Rice Omelet!

I save here for tonight's session.