The first wind Tiamat created tore through mountains. The second carried whispers.
It spread far and wide, beyond the obsidian valley, past rivers of molten silver, through forests that glowed with internal light. To mortals, it was more than just wind, it was an omen. Farmers dropped their tools and stared skyward. Monks in crumbling temples knelt in awe. Somewhere, a child pointed at the horizon and cried out,
"A new star is rising!"
For the first time in a thousand years, a divine presence had awakened on Aetherion.
Tiamat didn't know he caused any of this to happen. He was still learning how to move without shattering the earth.
Each step sent quakes through the valley. Every exhale made the clouds part. The sheer weight of his power was intoxicating, but also terrifying. He had to learn restraint.
"If I sneeze, I'll probably wipe out a village," he muttered, the deep rumble echoing off stone walls.
He still spoke with the mind of a man, but his body obeyed older instincts, the hunger for essence, the desire to rule, to fly, to burn. He needed to understand the balance between them, before the beast within drowned the man he once was.
That's when he saw it a movement, faint but distinct, near the edge of the valley. Small. Fragile. Human.
He focused, and his divine sight expanded.
A group of five mortals trudged through the wasteland. They wore tattered cloaks and carried bronze spears. One was injured, limping, blood staining the ground. The others supported him, whispering prayers.
To him.
He could hear it, soft, desperate words carried on the wind.
"O new god of flame… grant us safety.""Protect us from the storm beasts.""If you hear us, please, show mercy…"
He froze.
They're praying to me.
Without thinking, his system pulsed to life.
[Faith Resonance: Detected]
Five mortal entities directing worship toward host.Calculating resonance…Faith Energy +5 (Minor)
Warning! Faith resonance unstable. No established Domain yet. Worship will dissipate unless acknowledged.
"So that's how it works…" he murmured.
Faith wasn't abstract here, it was power, tangible and measurable. Mortals believed, and the system transformed belief into energy. A god could grow stronger from worship, or simply fade when forgotten.
He lowered his head slightly, his massive shadow falling across the humans. They screamed and fell to their knees, weapons clattering uselessly on the ground.
He didn't want to scare them, but how else could a dragon appear?
"Do not fear," his voice boomed, though he tried to soften it. "I heard your call."
The mortals trembled. One who was a young woman with ash grey hair looked up. Her eyes reflected the light of his scales.
"Y-you are real," she whispered. "The Prophets said no gods walk the land anymore."
"Most sleep," he replied. "I… am new."
She hesitated. "Then… will you help us, Lord of Flame?"
The title hit him like lightning. Lord of Flame. The System pulsed again.
[System Update]Faith Designation: 'Lord of Flame' registered.Domain Alignment forming...Primary Domain: Creation & Destruction (Dual Origin)Faith Energy stabilized.Worshipers bound: 5
A rush of warmth filled his chest. Power which was gentle yet fierce now flowed into him. The Divine Core within him stirred, glowing faintly for the first time.
"Rise," he said simply.
The woman gasped as her wounds closed. The injured man stood, blinking in disbelief. His leg, once broken, had healed completely.
Awe filled their faces. Fear melted into reverence.
They bowed deeply, pressing their foreheads to the earth.
"We will spread your name," the woman vowed. "The people will know the Lord of Flame has awoken."
Tiamat said nothing. He didn't fully understand what he had just done, only that the System had answered his intent. Creation and Destruction… both obeyed him now.
He watched the mortals leave, a strange feeling stirring in his chest.
On Earth, he'd been invisible. Here, every word he spoke changed the world.
But far beyond the valley, in a temple swallowed by time, something ancient stirred.
A single golden eye opened in the dark. A voice that was as old as the stars, hissed in disbelief.
"Another god rises? Impossible…"
Shadows gathered, whispering in languages forgotten by mortals.
And in the heavens, the faintest tremor ran through the sleeping gods' dreams.
Faith had returned to Aetherion. And with it, so had the war for godhood.