"How am I supposed to be calm?" I asked, despite my words, in a calm tone.

  "I know that you are angry, but..."

  "Angry? That's one way to describe it." I interrupted Lavender and put my hands together. It was good that I was sitting because otherwise I would have started walking pointless circles around my office. "You say that some... Things... Almost summoned you to another universe and you're telling me to stay calm? Isn't that a lot to ask?"

  "They couldn't. Yggdrasil protected me." She rolled her eyes.

  "And what if it couldn't? What if the creatures from some other dimension, world, universe, or what-fucking-ever managed to summon you like that? I don't want to lose you, Lavender." I asked with a small sigh. "And don't tell me it can't be done because I found myself here exactly because something like that is perfectly possible."

  She visibly hesitated and slumped in her chair.

  "Maybe you are right." She finally admitted and took a deep breath. "But what else should I do? Panic? Be afraid that at any moment I might disappear and never see you again?"

  It was my turn to lower my gaze.

  "I thought so..." She shook her head. "That's why I chose to believe that Yggdrasil would protect me. Besides, even if someone managed to summon me, I should be fine since I can't leave Avalon for more than a week."

  "Let's hope that you are right." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "So anyway. A Dragon-like being summoned you to their world."

  "Not me. My Echo." She denied firmly. "It was so strange but you must trust me."

  "Fine." I gave her a small nod with my eyes closed. "So an audacious lizard summoned your Echo."

  "Yes, however I'm not sure if calling a Spirit Dragon an audacious lizard is a good idea." She glanced at Aoi who smirked.

  "In my opinion, that's a very appropriate description." The Dragonkin chuckled while her Dragon eyes narrowed dangerously as she lightly tilted her head. "Trying to kidnap my Sister is very audacious."

  "Anyway!" Lavender fixed her gaze on me. "I saw a vision of dying stars and how their universe was swallowed by the tendrils of darkness. The knowledge of that universe was suddenly in my head and I think it came from Yggdrasil. Still, I was also angry that they tried to summon me."

  "You should be. Imagine what would have happened if they had succeeded." Amber leaned over the table. "It was already bad when my mindscape was invaded by Vanush."

  "We also don't know if the World's Words could bring you back to Avalon from a different world. If anything, your only hope of returning home would be Irene." Luna interjected. "The risk Amber took in Vanushka was more or less controllable. We could deploy soldiers, Navy, and even the Immortal Legions if necessary. In another world, you would be essentially alone, Lavender."

  "Hmmm... Miracles indeed ignored all laws but, as it was proven when I was trying to fix the minds of Vestargo's male slaves, they rely heavily on my ability to ask precisely what I want." The Saintess answered carefully. "I have a feeling that just asking for Lavender to return to Avalon wouldn't be enough."

  "That's not the point." Lavender tapped the table's surface with her long nail. "Don't forget that I am the Guardian of Yggdrasil, the Tree of Worlds and a bridge between them. I'm Queen of Nature, Lady of the Forest, and Protector of the Plains. I am sure that I would find my way home if I had to. The point here is that I was contacted by the inhabitants of another universe. A place that is fighting against the Enemies! It's a chance for us to not only gain powerful allies, but also strike the Enemies where they least expect us."

  "The point is that the kidnapping, attempted or successful, in general is a crime. In particular, attempting to kidnap my wife is a spectacularly great way to start any diplomatic relationships." I said as I rumbled with my fingernails on the same table. "Let's say that I overlooked that, which, on a side note, I don't plan to do. How could they help us? Or, on that note, we help them. You told us yourself that you can't open a portal between the realms."

  "It's not a portal." She said with a strange, shallow voice, and a confidence I wasn't expecting. "Bifr?st."

  I blinked furiously as only I and Freya recognised the name.

  "A rainbow bridge connecting the worlds?" Freya asked incredulously while Lavender gave a confirming nod.

  "It's no matter what it's called. You can't open it." I shook my head. "So, how exactly could they aid us? After, of course, the one guilty of the attempted kidnapping is punished?"

  Lavender rubbed her face with a slight groan.

  "Ok, fine. What do you think would be an appropriate punishment for that particular crime?"

  I hesitated.

  "If that lizard is willing to submit and atone-"

  "Would you consider his eternal servitude to my whims an appropriate punishment?" Lavender gave me a hard gaze as she interrupted me.

  "Well... Maybe the eternal servitude is a bit too much-"

  "Then know that this is going to be his punishment henceforth." Her eyes narrowed dangerously and I fell silent for a moment. "I know that you are angry but, for this once, allow me to deal with it."

  "Very well." I slowly nodded.

  "Great." She smiled with a slightly relieved expression. "Answering your other question, they are going to help us in our fight against the Enemies. Similar to Rose's summons, the Echoes of Spirits are expendable. They are merely projections of the contracted Spirit so a summoner can be more reckless in their attacks than any other class. However, what makes them unique is the sheer power they have at their disposal. Their world doesn't have mana and yet they are perfectly capable of using it. This is exactly what I plan to do. In exchange for allowing our summoners to summon their Echoes, they will gain mana that they can use in their world to fight."

  I looked at them in silence and while I couldn't really tell what my wives were thinking, I was solely focused on one thing. Echoes. War came to me as an Echo. Now, Lavender was talking about summoning the Echoes of Spirits. I was fairly certain that the first time I thought I had killed Korkas, it was actually his Echo. Could it be just another skill that I could learn? If I could learn that skill, I would be able to send it outside Avalon...

  "Theon?" Lavender asked with a slightly irritated voice. "Are you listening?"

  "Sorry..." I said with a guilty voice. "I was thinking about those Echoes."

  "They will be useful, I can guarantee you that!" She beamed a wide, contented smile. "Can we proceed?"

  "Yes... Yes, of course." I may have missed something from her explanation, but I was sure that I could trust her.

  "Perfect!" Lavender clapped her hands and smiled cheerfully. "I will work on the details with Hestia and hopefully we will have everything figured out in just a few days."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "All right." I sighed. "But before you start, I want to talk with one of those Spirits. Preferably with that King of theirs. He was called Aurus?"

  "Yes, his name is Aurus," Lavender confirmed as she furrowed her brows and fell silent. She was focused and thinking about something, so I didn't push. After about two minutes, she raised her emerald eyes and looked at me with some degree of uncertainty. "I still don't know if I should summon him just like that... But you are right. You won't kill him, right?"

  "I won't. Unless he says or does something outrageous enough."

  Lavender nodded nervously and raised her hand. A large, emerald green arcane circle spread across the floor as brilliant blue runes etched themselves around it and lit up one by one. The circle was complicated and incredibly complex; detailed in the amount of runes themselves but also in its structure, layers, and strange mana flow. Mere seconds later, a black, inky circle rippled in the middle. In an absolute and regal silence, a huge white Dragon slowly emerged from the portal and bowed before Lavender.

  "You called me so here I am, Lady of the Forest!" The Dragon said.

  With each moment his thin frame buffed up. His muscles grew, his chipped scales reformed, and regrew. His wings gained a sharp edge, and his claws seemed to grow.

  "I need to know if you will serve my wife faithfully, Aurus," I asked, calmly and coldly. "I will also need you to ensure that no one in your realm ever tries to summon my wife. Ever again."

  The Dragon turned around and flinched under my gaze. Then, he dropped to the ground and sprawled on it in what must have been a subservient posture. His wings were pulled close to his body and there was a fear in his eyes despite the power that filled him with each passing moment.

  "Tell me, King Aurus, will you faithfully serve my wife, Lavender va'Theon?"

  "Yes, my Liege." The Dragon Spirit answered with a trembling voice. "I already know the weight of my crime and, for it, I will serve Lady Lavender forever."

  ???

  Aurus, from the height of his throne, looked into the distance, reminiscing about his meeting with the Lady of the Forest. He expected the Guardian of the Tree of Hope to be some unstoppable warrior, not a frail, but admittedly powerful female. Even less, he expected that the Tree would cut off its support abruptly and violently during the summoning, leaving them with nothing. Yes, she swatted the forces of the Invaders as if they were nothing, but she wasn't the warrior they were looking for. However, she was pissed since she basically accused him of kidnapping her. He never truly considered that summoning someone might mean taking them away and forcing them to live in his world. Somehow, he managed to appease the angry woman in the end. The Spirits weren't malicious or evil. They were desperate and chose to ignore the consequences of summoning someone from another universe.

  Still... He was left with nothing, with a strange feeling that his troubles had only started.

  The idea of summoning was as old as legends. In time immemorial, one of the first Kings of Spirits summoned a powerful being that protected their world. But the details were few and provided no insight into the nature of the threat that was dealt with back then. After what he had done, only now did Aurus feel guilty. He looked at his paw, which had burned slightly ever since that female demanded that he hold her hand. It didn't hurt, it wasn't even unpleasant. However, it was there and noticeable. Aurus sighed and shook his head. Maybe they shouldn't have summoned the Guardian of the Tree of Hope but someone else entirely... Now, he wasn't sure if they should try to do that again. If the Tree of Hope were to relinquish its support once again, they would be helpless against the Invaders. Aurus knew they had made a mistake and was angry with himself.

  Suddenly, his paw flared with blue flames and he looked at it with abject horror. He started waving it in vain attempts to put it out but to no avail. The fire spread up his arm and, though it wasn't hurting, it was unnatural and scary. He roared in hopes that someone could help him but suddenly he wasn't in his palace anymore. Before him was that woman, Lavender va'Theon and... He trembled.

  "You called me so here I am, Lady of the Forest!" He roared.

  With each breath, his body was filled with the same power that was provided by the Tree of Hope. Aurus grew in power and felt how his body was gaining mass. He felt much more powerful than ever before. He smiled to himself. She brought him to her world... With his new power, he would find warriors who could help him defeat the invaders and reignite their stars... Then, reality mercilessly invalidated his plans.

  Someone said something behind him but the words were fused together under the pressure of an unfathomable might. A suffocating and overwhelming power was focused on him. He was surrounded by the beings that eclipsed him in power. Despite the sudden growth, he was like a child compared to them. He might be growing more powerful in each passing moment but a few of them were unbelievably powerful warriors. Then, he heard a voice behind him and, the moment he looked at the male, he felt a surge of fear. It wasn't a simple fear he could fight off but a mind-numbing panic that froze him in place. In that moment, Aurus knew that if he wanted to survive he must forsake his pride. His eyes provided him with a nearly perfect appraisal of that man and a staggering list of titles unfolded before Aurus. He didn't understand many of the titles but two of them were universal. They transcended worlds and were equally feared everywhere.

  The God Slayer and The Conqueror.

  Aurus did the only thing that he could. He dropped to his belly in a display of absolute respect.

  "Tell me, King Aurus, will you serve faithfully to my wife, Lavender va'Theon?" The man asked with a voice that suggested that the wrong answer meant death.

  That man was the Emperor. Someone who subjugated Kings, Nations and, possibly, entire Stars to his will. His voice was calm and yet the danger was obvious.

  "Yes, my Liege." Aurus answered with a trembling voice. The next words came naturally but they weren't his. Not entirely but he knew that he was being judged for his sin. He wanted to take that man's female. "I already know the weight of my crime and, for it, I will serve Lady Lavender forever."

  The man was quiet for a moment before he let out a disappointed sigh.

  "I sense that you really are trying to be as honest as possible but you are lying. First of all, you don't recognise me as your Lord and I can't blame you for that. I could even ignore that part completely. However, you lie in the next part."

  "No! It must be a mistake! I will serve the Guardian of the Tree of Hope with all my might and until the end of my days!" Aurus panicked.

  "Interesting... Now I sense only the truth. Hmmm..." Aurus risked a glance toward the man who was judging him, but couldn't discern his features. The only thing that his sensitive eyes saw was a bright and roaring blue flame of the focused power of this world. "So what was a lie, then? Do you recognise Lavender va'Theon as your Lady?"

  "Yes." He confirmed, even though he didn't know what exactly a Lady was.

  "So that part is a lie..." The man hummed once again, this time, however, he was almost amused. Probably. Hopefully... "Do you know who a Lady is?"

  Aurus opened his mouth and closed it. Honestly, he had no idea but admitting ignorance was unbecoming of his authority. As if I had any authority before those beings...

  "No." He quietly admitted.

  "No wonder you lied, then." Another voice, much softer said. He risked a glance and noticed a beautiful Angel sitting among the beings judging him.

  But... Something wasn't right. It was a female and he had never heard of female Angels. However, it had been so long since the Spirits saw an Angel; the last time, in his memory, stories of them existed only in legends. Aurus was overwhelmed and uncertain.

  "In this particular meaning, a Lady is a woman who has a higher rank than you. In this case, she is the Sixth Empress of Arcadia." The man explained and Aurus nervously nodded. "Do you recognise Lavender va'Theon as your Lady and ruler?"

  "Yes." He instantly nodded, hoping this interrogation would end soon.

  "Very well." The man who terrified Aurus nodded. "During the last few days, Lavender came up with an idea of how we could help each other. I hope that our realms can coexist. I was informed that, thanks to Yggdrasil, your universe is still fighting against the creatures of Void and Chaos. I won't pretend that I have forgiven you of the attempted kidnapping of my wife. However, for the sake of the future, I can be lenient, especially since I understand desperation. My wife believes that our worlds could greatly help each other. We can be friends and forge a future together-"

  "Why are you pretending to be a Dragon?" Another woman asked, interrupting the man who surprisingly fell silent. Her voice was calm but Aurus nearly panicked again.

  "A Dragon?" He asked, stupefied. However, he decided to say anything to explain himself. "This is the form given to us by one of the oldest constellations of the night sky, back when the stars were still shining. We call it a Guardian and the King of Spirits is always born wearing this form."

  She looked at the man who quietly nodded in confirmation. She wasn't particularly happy about that but waved her hand dismissively. Aurus had so many questions... The summoning ritual took place barely this morning and yet they claimed that Lavender va'Theon had already been working for a few days. How were they so powerful? How could they help the Spirits and what price would they demand?

  "I want you to include Luna in your planning, Lavender. I have a feeling that you will need her skills for the time being." The man said thoughtfully and stood up. "Now, I have a war to fight so please excuse me."

  And just like that, he vanished, allowing Aurus to rise from the ground and take a deeper breath.

  "Let's discuss the details, King of the Spirits, Aurus..." Lavender va'Theon said with a sweet voice that sent shivers down his spine.

  He lowered his head, hoping that more of them would just go away, but it seemed that all ten of them were interested.

  "As you wish, Lady of the Forest."

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to who edited the chapter!

  The map of Aderon is on my Discord :)

  https://discord.gg/G6SVrBeDdG