Support my main contracted novel and winner of Writing Prompts #26 - The Legendary Mage!
Desolate Mage: A Legend Reborn!
https://www.webnovel.com/book/12013957905760805/Desolate-Mage%3A-A-Legend-Reborn!
* * * * *
[Lazo'lath's Point of View]
"Elder Lazo'lath." A massive, 70m long green dragon spoke respectfully; lowering its head to the imposing 100m long winter dragon before it.
"Elder; we have driven the intruders to the Forbidden as you commanded. The whelp is livid; wondering why we have wronged her saviours. What shall we--"
"Fret not." The Elder winter dragon was calm before her flight of dragons; all together 5 of them gathered to track down the ones who shed her people's blood.
[5 minutes earlier, just after the break of dawn]
They had belatedly picked up the scent of blood in the air - only after the beginnings of dawn. Immediately the message had been sent to Lazo'lath; and she had set off with a squad of 4 other dragons - a force she doubted even a semi-divine enemy could contend with.
She was shocked to find Misharga, Kreagor's whelp, injured - but safe. Even more shocking were her companions; a man with a disgusting smell and a girl. And finally, the most shocking of all were the signs of battle and blood around them - remnants of a princess of the Eternal Night. Trouble.
The moment they arrived, the two humans fled. It was useless though - who could escape dragons on these icy mountains; their home turf?
But Lazo'lath held her team back - she had to find out what happened first.
She was amazed to hear Misharga's story - the level 2 girl, alone, rescued her from a full vampire princess' maid squad...?!?
But when the adolescent dragon mentioned one more line, Lazo'lath's pupils dilated.
"Dragon-kin! Chase them down; but make sure you do not harm them!"
"B-but Elder Lazo'lath! Those intruders; they must be--"
"No buts!" The winter dragon frowned at her junior; the adult white dragon before her. "Our great benefactor rescued us from certain disaster many cycles ago. Our King, the only one to have lived in those times and remains until now, may he endure forever, told us our benefactor's only request."
"Guide the wearer of her necklace to the Forbidden place."
"Now go! Herd them to their fated destination."
* * * * *
[Albert's Point of View]
The man was puffing heavily, out of breath. he wiped away the beads of sweat, then realised that they'd already turned to ice crystals on his brow. (Damn it's cold...)
"Phew! I'm glad we managed to run fast enough." He breathed deeply then let out a long and deep sigh of mock relief. (Those lizards weren't even chasing us seriously...)
But he didn't mention anything about it to Sam.
"Hey Sam, what do you think this place is...?"
He looked around at their ominous surroundings: They stood at the entrance of a cave at the bottom of a snaking, winding ravine - one that the dragons could not pursue them into.
(Unless, of course, they just change form into humans... Those guys... They don't even know how to act...)
"I don't know! But at least we're safe from those bad guys! Phew!" And Sam being Sam noticed nothing odd...
(Sigh... I hope we're not being setup as something like human sacrifices for an ancient diabolical evil being who dwells in a sealed tomb... Which happens to require only humans to trigger it... And it just happens to be the timing of some cycle or ritual that can only happen now...)
He gulped; that was too many death flags raised!
He said all this because inside the cave stood an altar; and on the altar was a statue of a ghastly, horrific form - a cowled, skeletal figure with a nightmare inducing face.
It had a body like that of a bull; only with a massive mouth on its chest. The face was eyeless and earless with just 2 holes for what might be a nose. It also had 6 skeletal appendages jutting out from the back of its head; dangling like tentacles around its head.
"Oh yeah, Albert...?"
"Mmm...?"
"Until when are you going to stay on my back?"
"Mmm?!?"
"I'm going to drop you now."
Plop - his bum hit the ground. He had been "riding" the girl for the entire journey; on piggy back. Which was she was so curious - for what reason would he sweat?!? He didn't even need to run at all!
Albert kept a poker face and dusted himself off; getting up.
"After you...?" He bowed like a gentleman; which he most certain was not; and gestured for her to enter the cave first.
* * * * *
The duo entered the cave; after which they could see 6 more statues of similarly odd or otherworldly animals/ creatures; 3 statues on either side.
Only the first of the statues, the nearest to the cave entrance, still had a legible engraving - written were the words "Astral Beast: Mana Devourer". It looked like a cross between common but unrelated animals - an oval hammer-head shark's head with a plump lion's body and tiny wings of a bat. The engraver was very helpful with one piece of information, though; carved together were the words "Made to a scale of 1:116,437."
While the girl was still busy digesting the name, Albert mentally calculated how big the actual creature would be.
(Based on the statue's length, height and width of 226.37cm, 144.43cm and 159.01cm... Then the real thing is precisely... Fricking big...?!? Bigger than a city??? Hell, that's bigger than some countries!?!) Albert tried to maintain his composure; but could feel his mind being blown - this was big if true! It was truly big! He didn't understand what he was trying to think anymore; and gave up on it; walking past the rest of the bizarre statues.
He took note of the second statue after the Astral Beast - it looked like a shadowy blob with an eyeball in it's centre; an eyeball with countless stalks of flesh sticking out of it - from which more eyeballs protruded. Gross.
He walked further, pulling Sam along. And the moment they stepped in front of the altar--
"Welcome, mortals, to the Tomb of Meshuggah... You, o fated ones, are pre-destined to pass through the test of inheritance; and once and for all give rest to the universal threat of the Divine Empire... Rejoice! For if you pass the test; you shall receive power untold; the powers of the six great Primordial Beasts of the Ancient Starry Sky! And..."
"...." Albert regretted raising the death flags with his inner monologue.
"...And the greatest of all the Primordial Beasts; accorded its very own category at the pinnacle of the Endless Worlds - The Wyrm at the End of the Far..."
As the mystical, echoing voice narrated its story, beams of light began to rise; depicting a picture of the ancient times and what was presumably the former state of the starry skies; for Albert could not recognise any of the constellations or star systems shown.
One by one, the myriad Primordial Beasts were featured; though of the six, Albert only knew one - the Astral Beast: Mana Devourer. As they watched, Sam's mouth hung open; drooling - Albert covered his face with his palm; he didn't want to know what the muscle-for-brains girl was thinking.
And after the six had been shown; the projection of lights zoomed in to a swirling nebula; countless stars paying homage and bowing in obeisance to a veiled figure at the centre of the universe.
"Is that... Could it be the Wyrm...?" [Author's Note: You can guess who]
"Uhhhh....." [Author's Note: Yup, I'm sure you know]
Esoteric lights began to flash, the stars trembling and becoming dislodged from where they had been for countless eons; all from just one breath of the great silhouette that eclipsed even star systems in its size. Thick mists could be seen enshrouding the galaxies surrounding this mighty entity; gray mists that effused from every breath the creature, the being, the god took.
Innumerable suns *turned* to cast their light in worship to the being that ruled an eternal hegemony over the Endless Worlds and all that surrounded it. The lights gradually began to pierce the mists; lightning bolts and arcs of divine energies snaking across the surface of the astral dust that obscured the visage and figure of the Lord of All Stars and Galaxies.
And then, the scene finally cleared up of all things that clouded their vision.
"It's..."
"Whoa...."
It was a penguin.
"...."
"...."
They exchanged a glance and spoke at the same time.
"Don't even talk about eating it!"
Stunned, she blinked several times with her mouth open. She was glad that her mental acuity seemed better since she had awakened that Soul-thingy. So she answered relatively quickly (Within ~8 seconds).
"I didn't even say anything!" She looked surprised, as if she were thinking...
"How did I read your mind, right...?" The middle-aged man cracked his knuckles cooly, then said, "Let me ask you something..."
"What *else* do you ever think of...?"
"..."
"...Food?"
A man covered his face with his palm; groaning as he pondered the existence of karma; something he had erstwhile not believed in. Because right now, he could feel that perhaps meeting the girl was punishment for his sins...
*
*
*
BONUS CHAPTERS
Please save your power stones and vote for my writing prompt contest entry INSTEAD of this novel just for 1 week!
Desolate Mage: A Legend Reborn!
Follow Mikael Tumijo's journey as the Legendary Mage of the Endless Worlds!
From 22 to 28 Oct; votes for Desolate Mage will be counted for bonus chapters for "No System?" as well!