Chereads / Gods and Glory / Chapter 7 - Chapter 07 : Suspicious Serpent

Chapter 7 - Chapter 07 : Suspicious Serpent

"Bleergh!! *coughs*"

A burning sensation was felt inside his nose as he puked out liters of seawater. Disoriented and sick, he continued to hurl.

After feeling much better yet still ill, the boy looked around. He found himself alone in a cave, a really spacious cave. As typical, there were stalactites and stalagmites all over, but one more peculiarity. A small, motionless pond shining in a light blue glow, it was unbelievably still. But strangest of all, was the fact that the boy was breathing and alive. He was perplexed, he drowned without a doubt.

"I'm...alive...huh?!"

He silently thought to himself.

*tack tack tack*

The sound of a pebble falling broke the silence inside the lightly illuminated cave. The boy scanned the environment after managing to stand at least. Curiously he looked over the pond. Though as his current state shows not, the boy is very bright.

"Weird...this is really weird. Counting the miracle of my resurrection, this glowing pond takes it up a notch. It's even perfectly circular!"

He took time to investigate this body of water, then he notices something else. Caves have naturally rough floors but...the floor around the pond is slippery smooth. Some stalagmites were crushed too with no sign of any stalactite falling. As final evidence, there was a hidden pile of skeletons from various creatures.

"...something's here."

He thought as he paused his actions. Chills crawled up his spine after looking at the empty husks of what was once bodies. He jumped off back to where he woke up after picking up a human's femur without realizing what it was. He was on guard, looking around back and forth.

"...boo"

"UWAAHH!"

He was startled when someone suddenly whispered behind him. Fallen over, the boy saw what crept up behind him. It was...him, yes him, the boy. But no, it looked like him yet it was not him, a doppelganger.

It giggled and suddenly ran behind a stalagmite, then came out as a cat on the other side...what?

Yes, that's right. In place of what was supposed to have been his doppelganger...transformed into a cat. How curious. It hopped around over some of the crystalline spikes and then it looked at the boy with gleaming eyes. The boy got to his feet and held the bone he found with both hands.

Then again, the "cat" jumped to the shadows. A sparrow soared out of that spot, catching the boy's attention. It looped around in the air, slowly nearing towards him, going around some of the stalactite up the ceiling. Out of nowhere, it was gone...literally, it was gone.

"...huh?...What?"

The boy was utterly dumbfounded by what just took place. The "things" playful act was quite off-putting, making things worse and harder to understand.

"Bahahaha, such priceless reactions!"

A thundering voice suddenly burst laughing, sending tremors throughout the cave. The boy jolted back instinctively facing the direction from where the voice came from.

"W-who's there?!"

He called out to the darkness.

"My, who could it be? What could it be~? Hehehehe"

It teased.

"Show yourself!"

"Hah! Such boldness. Also quit shouting, there is only the two of us in here, child."

"A-are you the one who brought me here?"

"That I am. I was playing around near some human settlement by the sea, then I saw how you've gotten pushed off by some other humans a bit larger in size."

'…damn'

The boy thought.

"um...I died. I surely died that time...so how am I here right now?"

He asked. The creature fell silent.

"...hey, kid. Since I saved your life, so you owe me…right~?"

It said in a very serious tone. The boy was wary of the new atmosphere their conversation created.

*gulp*

"What do you want from me? I never asked you to save me."

"Ah, yes. But I'd rather make use of you. After all, you're a special one, aren't you?"

"Huh...me? I'm special, what do you mean…by that."

"Kid, you hate the world, don't you?"

This time the boy was silent.

"H-hmm...How are you so sure?"

He asked, this time with a slight hint of aggression. He was reminded, reminded of all that was done to him.

There was movement, all around him. As if there were something crawling, something unfathomably big.

"Because I too. I too, resent the world."

From where the voice came from there were now a pair of huge eyes staring directly at him. They had a yellow tint that shined in the dark.

"I have been present ever since the birth of this land. Presented with all the beauty I can imagine."

Those eyes blinked in a reptilian manner, while slowly moving closer.

"Yet with all the beauty I can add, this world was tainted with too much disorder, too much diseases."

The sharp snout came into view, revealing the glittery scales it had. Rows of razor-sharp teeth were clustered on each side of it's mouth.

*growling*

The boy lost his strength and lowered his arms, looking at the huge majestic dragon poking it's head from the darkness.

"I am called Leviathan. Name yourself, human child."

It said while revealing his luminous serpentine body that stretched throughout the whole cave. The boy was astonished beyond words.

"...W-WOAHHH!"

A glow of blue covered its scaly crystal-covered body, with four short limbs and a sail on its back.

"Don't you have those bat-like wings?"

The boy asked.

"Hmph! Those are for lowly creatures who have not mastered the art of levitation. So primitive, they are!"

It boasted and crossed its arms.

"So...your name?"

"..."

"Hey, kid. I'm asking for your name."

"...um, I don't...have a name."

They fell silent for a while.

"…then I shall bestow you one."

Announced the dragon. The boy was surprised, to actually receive a name from something so bizarre.

"Hm, how about "Boy"? It's much easier calling you that."

"..."

"What? You don't like it?"

"Then I'll call you Overgrown Cave-Scaly, you okay with tha-"

"HEY! Alright, alright I'll think of another one."

The beast stroke his chin as though to show he was in thought.

"There was this magician I knew of who aided a hero in the fight against a demon before, about 800 years ago. He was called Enoch. If you would bear this name, you must then achieve something as great as his deeds, in respect of his reputation."

"...okay, good enough."

"...you mongrel. Have you no thanks to my efforts?"

"How'd you keep me alive?"

"Oh no, you died. You seriously died."

Now he was confused.

"Allow me to explain."

Said the dragon.

*clears throat*