Valerie continued to create buildings and homes at a rapid pace.
She of course spaced them out enough so as not to clog one area with too many dragons, and gradually made this place start to look like a real paradise.
Following Abaddon’s suggestion, she restructured the entire arc of society that they created in Samael.
Every single person was given a home large enough to accommodate their family, along with a wardrobe filled with clothes and a pantry stocked with food.
However, those things were far from the most impressive.
What really took the cake was how Valerie recreated exact replicas of certain keepsakes that her people might have left behind.
A locket left as a memento by an old lover.
The clothes that a couple wore on the day they were wed.
Even the ashes and urn containing someone’s deceased parents.
All of it was here and waiting patiently in the homes that she was recreating.
And the dragons were beginning to take notice and marvel at the world starting to form around them.
“By Abaddon…”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything like this..!”
“These homes are so beautiful..!”
Valerie had decided to go all in on the modern look, with homes containing marble countertops, spacious rooms with plenty of windows and comfortable common areas, along with high reaching ceilings.
Tailored to the individual tastes of each dragon, they were the most perfect dwellings that their people could have ever imagined.
To make matters even better, the houses were enchanted to not only repair damage, but to expand with the size of the people inside as well. 𝒩𝓞𝑣xt.𝐂𝐌
Should those who were more proud of their new large figures choose to stay in them permanently, the houses would accommodate them.
The last things that Valerie created were two of the largest, and the most important.
First, she built army bases.
Ten exactly, spaced with atleast a two city distances between each of them, they were fully equipped to not only house soldiers in barracks, but also train them, feed them, and provide other basic necessities for war preparation.
Secondly, she created around sixty, much smaller structures.
Schools.
Even though true dragons share knowledge with their kin and predecessors, that does nothing to aid in their social development and develop their critical thinking skills.
Older children would also have the option to take classes in combat and weaponry, should they have such an interest.
Abaddon absolutely hated school while he was on earth, but now that he was a ruler he was undoubtedly concerned about the education of his people’s children.
He figured they could start to attend around five and then maybe end the whole process at around fourteen.
But of course, he had to find the most qualified teachers to aid in this endeavor first.
And he already had his eyes on more than a few.
“Uh…”
Looking down, Abaddon found Valerie clutching her head and nursing a not so small nosebleed.
He quickly placed his hand over her chest, and revitalized her body with the cleansing power of nature energy.
She showed rapid improvement, and she allowed him to wipe away the blood running from her nostrils.
“That… was a lot of work.” She said with a weak smile.
“Indeed, but you went above and beyond for our family and our kind, my love. I will express my love and gratitude to you however you require.”
Normally, Abaddon would have expected for Valerie to hit him with some kind of perverted remark that could make a nun faint.
But surprisingly, she did nothing of the sort.
Instead, she made herself a bit more comfortable in his scaly embrace and closed her eyes.
“You do this kind of thing all the time though. Since I’m your wife, isn’t it expected of me to be capable of at least this much? You don’t have to reward me for doing what I’m supposed to.”
“What a silly woman you are. Just tell me that you’d like to be pampered for the rest of the week and I will oblige you.”
“…I was trying to be mature, but since you offered then..”
Abaddon laughed as Valerie weakly reached up and placed a small kiss on one of his snouts.
“I love you, Abaddon. I’m happy that our family finally has a home that is all ours and no one else’s.”
Stunned by Valerie’s surprise attack, Abaddon could do nothing as he watched his wife fall asleep in his arms, and he held tightly to her unconscious body.
“Valerie… even though the way we fell in love was due to a mishap, I could not imagine my life without you at my side.”
After staring at her face lovingly for a few more seconds, Abaddon returned his focus to the sea of dragons underneath him.
‘My people, as you can see, your emperess has prepared homes for you that are exactly to your liking and specifications.
For today, go home and rest. Familiarize yourself with your new surroundings, neighbors and kin. When it comes to next steps, we will begin tomorrow.’
At the end of Abaddon’s speech, a mental image was implanted in the minds of each of the dragons, showing them their new homes and exactly where they lie.
Unsurprisingly, the first city that Valerie created was predominantly for Abaddon’s friends, family, aides, and the most influential members of Luxuria, so their houses were the largest and nicest.
Everyone else quickly took to the skies above, searching for their new forever homes along with their families.
Once that was over with, Abaddon’s wives and children quickly flew up to join he and Valerie in their place in the sky.
“This place is incredible, darling!”
“The air feels so clean… I don’t believe that I have ever felt so at peace.”
“The sky is pretty! It’s even better than our old home!”
Abaddon changed back into his regular body and gave his family a proud smile.
“I’m glad you all seem to like it. This place is our home, and we will never have to leave it for any reason.”
“But is it still the same as it was before when we first came here?” Thea suddenly asked.
Abaddon immediately knew what she was referring to and shook his head. “Not quite.”
For starters, the time difference within this place had been drastically shortened.
Two days within this world was now equal to one day on the outside.
Also, the godly energy that made it so that he and Thea did not need to eat for over seven months was no longer present.
Therefore, they would have to start the process of hunting and gathering eventually, as Abaddon did not want his wife to continually strain herself by creating food out of thin air.
There was also another problem that was currently no more than a theory.
Since they were technically no longer in Dola or connected to it, Abaddon no longer knew if he and his people would be able to evolve past their next stages.
Once they completed the conditions that they already had, they would evolve but because Asherah could not touch them here, she couldn’t give them new conditions.
But on the bright side, this place was his and his alone.
Absolutely nothing could enter or leave this place without his permission and blood.
As far as gaining power went, there were various ways that he and his people could grow.
It would likely take a small amount of searching and no short amount of hard work before things were set up for the people of Sheol to have a stable future.
However, none of Abaddon’s family seemed to be at all upset by these changes.
Mostly, they were just pleased that Abaddon now had just a bit more time to gain strength for the trials ahead.
Also, Audrina had fallen silent and entered into a rare reflective state.
Abaddon noticed this and flew close to her before he wrapped his tail around her waist.
She smiled at him reassuringly, and waived away his concerns before they could even form.
“I’m alright, my love. Just thinking about some things is all.”
“Care to share them with me?”
Audrina glanced at the rest of their family out of the corner of her eye and elected for total secrecy.
‘If I make the ascension here… can you be certain that I will not be ripped away from us?’
Abaddon’s eyes showed a noticeable degree of surprise that made Audrina smile wryly.
‘I’ve been thinking about this since our last battle… our enemies are only going to get more dangerous from here.
Our people may call you a god, but you have still not reached that pinnacle, my dear. I want to be able to do more for us… and I think that may be the best way.’
Abaddon nodded in confirmation as he tightened his hold on Audrina’s waist.
‘Do it. As long as you are here, my love, nothing will ever take you from us. This place is every much a part of you, as it is of me.’
Audrina felt relief run through her chest like a cooling river and she gave her husband the affectionate smile that could only be produced by a woman desperately in love.
‘Then… can you think of a place where I can do it? I want all of our family to be around me for support.’
Abaddon glanced at a certain structure out of the corner of his eye and he started pulling her behind him.
‘I know just the place, my dear. Today is the day that you become a goddess.’
–
The Greeks call him Apollyon.
To the Angels he is Muriel.
The Sumerians have taken to calling him Kur.
But the Slavic people have christened him Chernobog.
No matter how he is referred, the gods speak of one man all the same.
In a special region of the heavens, a grand meeting was being held.
Located in a white colosseum made entirely of stone and marble, the gods from literally every pantheon had been called to make an appearance.
This was the first time that something of this nature had been done in… eons.
But an outside threat of extinction does have a tendency to make one do things that they normally wouldn’t.
Even though guests were still arriving to the venue in flashes of light, the leader of the Greek pantheon had grown impatient.
Zeus finally stood up from his throne beside his wife, and his voice like booming thunder urged for the meeting to begin.
“Let’s not waste time here! Those who are still trickling in will have to play catch up later, but what we have to deal with can no longer be put on hold!
If anyone knows anything about the black dragon, speak now for us all to hear, so that we may all gain insight into where this mysterious omen might hail!”