The reason why the DragonBorn treated his mother the way they did was because Selene was a Wyvern. She had no royal blood in her and thus when Lord Jaren, Lukas' father, fell for her and made him his concubine; the decision was extremely controversial. The more he learned about his mother's past, the more he appreciated Selene even after everything she'd been through.
It was also why they had treated him with such contempt: because of his parentage. It was clear they did not respect him which was why he did what he did to that bigmouth of a Dragonborn. It may have seemed impulsive but Lukas knew if he let them continue to step on him, they would not change how they looked at him.
He needed for him to respect him, even if it meant first making them fear what he was capable of doing. No different from intimidating his opponents before dominating them in the ring.
As they glided through the waterways of Linemall's underwater region, he watched as hundreds of dragonkind paid their respects to the newly awakened.
His mother didn't say much and Lukas could not read the expression on her face. How long had it been since she had been to the main palace? He knew Lord Jaren was no longer with them and he wondered what his mother might be feeling, the memories she was reliving in her head.
Finally, they arrived. This time, the DragonBorn stood ready for his arrival. Their heads were lowered now as they should have been and they bowed when he made his way past them.
The ancestral home of the Drakos bloodline stood as a testament to the majesty of the sea and the unyielding power of the Dragon Lords. Unlike the cold, oppressive cobblestone castles of human kings, this palace breathes life and magic, a structure woven into the ocean itself.
The palace was not simply built—it was shaped by the first of his kind, grown from living coral, bioluminescent crystal, and ancient sea-dragon bones that have melded into an unbreakable fortress. Its outer walls pulsed with light, shifting between deep blues and shimmering aquamarine, as if mirroring the tides and moods of the ocean itself.
The entrance is marked by colossal gates of obsidian and pearl, etched with the history of the Drakos lineage. As Lukas approached, the palace itself seemed to recognize his presence, the palace itself was alive. It was a breathtaking sight as the gates parted for the young Dragon Lord. An acknowledgement that could not be denied, even by the most stubborn and hardheaded of the Dragonborn.
As they enter the Grand Estate of the Drakos Household, they are greeted by a large expanse. A coliseum of water and stone, the training grounds of the Drakos Palace are where the fiercest dragon warriors hone their skills.
He could sense the history of this arena, its overwhelming past to the point where Lukas felt as if he were being watched over by spectral remnants of the past Dragon Lords, their magic lingering in the walls, observing every fight.
There seemed to be more than enough weapons, armor and equipment to arm thousands of dragons when he looked to the side. But it was largely empty. How strange.
Selene took in a sharp breath, stepping onto the arena herself. It seemed like she'd been here and she knew this place well. He wanted to ask her more about the palace but he knew this was not the time. Lukas knew she needed to take it all in, to process and live through a past life she had thought long been forgotten.
Then he sees her. In the middle of the fighting grounds, there stands a long figure who seems to have been watching him this entire time. What's her deal? He glances at Selene who seems to recognize her and she replies to his unspoken inquiry.
"That is your brother's daughter. Katrina Drakos. She is your blood."
Lukas flinched and the figure finally began walking towards him. He had a brother? Would that make him the current Dragon Lord? From his glimpses into Lukas' life before the incident, he knew he was close to his family. It wasn't like your typical feuds and assassinations with everybody who had a claim to the throne fighting for it. It was a childhood full of love and care.
So if he had a brother, wouldn't he have come to greet him? Why had he been left alone in that abandoned palace with only his mother to care for him?
He'd allowed his thoughts to run wild, so much so that he had not noticed that his mother had distanced himself from him and his niece was picking up the pace. In fact, she was sprinting towards him at full speed and clutched in her hands was…a giant fucking hammer.
Holy fucking shit.
The girl took a giant leap, her feet pushing off and cracking the concrete beneath; rising and then falling with inhuman speed, swinging with all her might. If he had found himself in his original body and assuming he had the ability to function underwater, he would have died right there and then.
But this body was not human. It was stronger, faster and sharper. He stepped to the side and his fighting instincts kicked in. A huge swing like that is extremely powerful but it's also a huge risk because it opens you up if your opponent is able to react to it. And react to it, Lukas did.
Instead of falling back and creating distance, Lukas closes it. He realizes how much more freedom he has in the water as it seems to go where he goes. It seems to obey his movements in every intentional action he makes and he pulls back before slamming his fist into her face. The blow lands and her head wrenches back violently but she does not let go of her hammer, allowing its weight to anchor her in place. Without it, she would have likely been blown back.
Lukas has the slightest of moments to get a good look of her and he realizes how vastly different she looks compared to him. Her hair is blonde, her skin clear as glass, her body unblemished by scars like his. Her eyes are a deep sea green while his are a bright blue. She's shorter, smaller than most of the Dragonborn and thus tiny compared to him. But there's a fierce flame in her eyes as she meets his gaze, and they both can't help but grin.
Perhaps they're not so different after all. She's a fighter. Just like him.
Her nose is bleeding, likely broken but it doesn't seem to faze her. In fact, that punch just added fuel to the flame. She floats there and swings her hammer back up to rest on her shoulder.
"Hello there, Uncle. My name's Katrina. You're strong. Let's fight, shall we?"
There's nothing like a greeting through an exchange of fists and Lukas is impressed. She seems young and despite her age, it's clear to him that she's stronger than any of the DragonBorn he'd encountered so far. But the gap between them was painfully clear from the get-go. It took a while for him to get used to moving underwater and learning how to take advantage of the freedom of movement he had with the flow of water at his disposal.
This was what it meant to be a Dragon Lord. The absolute pinnacle of the draconic race. And this was when Lukas Drakos had awoken only hours ago from a nearly two century long slumber. He was weaker than he would ever be and yet his physicality was far superior to hers. Her movements became more desperate, clearly irritated by the fact that none of her attacks were landing.
With a guttural roar, a flip is switched within the young girl. She's pissed and this time there's something different. He can feel it, he can feel the magic within him responding to it. Divinity. This is the nature of this world, this is the law of nature here: Magic. The water around them seemed to be drawn towards her hammer and he could see its consistency change. It took on an almost pseudo solid state, surrounding her hammer and taking on her weapon's shape.
The water forms a hammer far larger than the one in her hand and he watches in amazement at the spell she has cast. Caught up in a trance, he doesn't move to avoid the hammer that is now aimed straight at him. As the hammer seems to collide with the surface of his skin, the water breaks apart and suddenly his skin morphs into scales. There's a huge disruption of energy as the hammer dissipates back into the surrounding water, and his scales seem to glow with power that he had no idea was within him.
"The Robes of a Lord…" His niece whispers as she drops her hammer to the ground, seemingly exhausted and out of any more energy.
He can feel the power of the ocean in the palm of his hand and if he really wanted to, he could crush the young girl in front of him with the weight of the seas. But he's seen enough and he releases the energy he'd been holding onto. She's family. Lukas crouches in front of her and offers her a hand which she takes hesitantly. He pulls her to her feet and nods in approval.
"It's nice to meet you too, Katrina. I'm Lukas. And I want you to teach me magic."