My battle with Od has been a blood bath. To some that sounds good. To me it's bad. Od had grown stronger the more blood he let out. His power had increased 5 fold since the start. He was missing a hand and he had gouges on his chest, arms and legs. The more blood that dripped out the thicker and stronger his element became as they absorbed it all. I had started just cutting and cutting him till he was a mass of scratches. All except for his face. My plan was simple but I guess you'll find out after I'm done. I flew around him and attracted the metal dust into the air in a tornado that engulfed him. His passive lightning danced between the dust and created a beautiful special of multicolored lights that filled the air.
Not a single piece of armor had been left solid on the field. Any soldier who had been wearing anything was shredded and the iron in their blood was added to the pile. Not a soul was around Od and I. The city in the distance was ok and not a scratch had landed on it. Soon Od had become frustrated by my flying around and let out a thunderous roar. I covered my pointy ears but still maintained my speed. It was then that he finally lost it. Ice began to fly in the air as he tried hitting me with spike shaped hail.
I ignited catastrophe level flames over my body. They danced with green, yellow, red, and purple across my scales. Not a single piece of ice made it to my body before it melted and evaporated from my heat. I finally went above Od and the idiot looked up. "You know buddy. You really should've studied magnetics more." He tilted his head to the side in confusion and tried to breath a bolt of lightning at me. Unfortunately all that came ot was a few sparks. He was stunned. He tried again only to be met with the same result.
He looked about and found the metal that was scattered in the air was sitting there floating aimlessly. I simply hovered in the air amused by him. "Lightning will always be attracted to the fastest path to the ground. Since you're surrounded by said paths. Your nothing more than an oversized sky princess." I said with a laugh. His face turned red. "Who are you calling a princess!" He roared. I held out my hand and Dragon Cry flew to it.
" Sorry pal. But this isn't personal." I gathered the elements into my rifle. A single round made of clear crystal sat there absorbing the power till it was beginning to crack. Multicolored Light shined from the round as I suddenly ignited the stones inside. The round shot out and like a star falling from the sky it struck Od's face before exploding in a fantastic cloud of power that evaporated the surrounding metal. I had made sure to fly up high enough that all I felt was the booming shockwave that followed. It sent me tumbling backward in the air and I barely managed to grab a mountain peak and held on for dear life. It took a moment for the force to be dispelled and then I saw a massive purple and red cloud. After a look of confusion and scrunching my brows I sent out a wave of air to clear it up.
I almost threw up from what I saw next. The giant I had been battling till now was now halved by a crater that sat at it's waist it's spine extended to the sky like a tower of black burnt bone with white splotches. The air smelled of charred meat, ash, and blood. I went up to the standing corpse and pushed at its knee area.It collapsed backward with a ground shaking thud and dust rose in a cloud. I went around to the top and held my breath for a moment to calm my stomache and mind. I opened my eyes and dove into the corpse. Fire ringed my body cooking the meat to a charred state as I began swallowing it down. I didn't care about the taste. I just knew I might've truly pissed off a God for the last time and that I needed power. Chimes echoed from gluttony till it got tired and just told me to ask it later and it was going to nap.
I soon found a massive crystal colored like a cloud filled sky. The crystal stood 15 feet tall by 15 feet wide. I looked at it and decided what to do. I grabbed it to the best of my ability. I pulled it out of the corpse as I charred the remains to nothing but ash. I hauled it out and began to make my way back to the city. I managed to get back to the city after taking a small break somewhere in the middle. One of the guards sent a messenger to the castle for me to get help hauling the crystal up.
Once I returned to the castle I was met by Kyle who was still in his armor. "What happened?! Are you alright!?" I slumped slightly at his warm welcome as he caught me alongside Hargo who barrelled out the door behind him. "Just a little tired is all." Hargo shifted his size to be larger and piggy backed me the rest of the way to my room where he set me on the bed. "Hmph! If you weren't tired after all that I would have said you were a god. Hahahahaha!" He waved as he left and Kyle sat down. "So.... did you kill the king? Or is he still out there?" My eyes immediately locked onto his. " He's alive. I don't know how. But the guy I killed earlier was just a normal human. After all the books I've read I understand one thing." The king sat back a little with a wizened look on his face. "And that would be what exactly?"
" The royalty of Weremar claim direct descendancy from the previous rulers who were supposed to be were-creatures of some kind. But I didn't detect that at all with the one I killed. He was 100% human." I said slightly agitated and sad at the same time. I had killed a man who I didn't really have a quarrel with all because of fancy armor. I slowly mulled it over in my head as I contemplated how it could have happened. ( Maybe the king wasn't even there. But if he wasn't there then where was he?) I bolted upright and ran upstairs to Sam's quarters. I knocked on the door and was immediately answered by a maid.
"Can I help you with anything deary?" The dwarfess said. I sighed in relief as I saw Sam sound asleep in her bed. "Thank goodness. How long has she been asleep?" I asked quickly. "Since after the fighting broke out. She became slightly erratic so we gave her a sleeping draft and put her to bed for the day." She answered just as quickly. She moved to the side as I approached the door. I went through as quietly as possible and sat on the stone chair by her bed and just watched her sleep peacefully. I sat there and understood something vital at that moment. As long as I was at odds with a god she wouldn't even be safe if I killed the king today. After an hour or so I stood and walked over to my room leaving Sam asleep on her bed.
I turned and sat on my bed facing towards the balcony. "Aed.... I hope you won your bet. But tell Kukulkan I'm not going for his position. Storms aren't my thing as evidenced by today's battle. I'm aiming for higher." I said as I felt the brand grow warm on my arm. " Thank you for the congratulations. I did win my bet with the gods. Now Kuku, Odi, Vara, and Gaia owe me a favor each. I actually won two bets thanks to you. The first was something that doesn't really concern you while he second was the fight. Made good sport of it you did. Would've made Ifrit proud to see his junior beating the tar out of his rival. Kuku says he'll be settling his score at some point but he's not coming after you for a while. Od was his prized champion for over 3000 years you know."
I chuckled a little as I shrugged. I just needed to make sure I was in the clear for a while. I laid back on the bed as the mental connection faded. As the sun finally began to set I fell asleep. I dreamed I was walking in a forest at night. Shadows darted in the canopies above as I I walked. I didn't have a path. But I somehow knew where I was going. It didnt take long for me to reach my destination. I came to a clearing with a circle of stones in it.
As I got closer to the circle I noticed a figure sitting in the middle. It was an woman sitting cross legged and breathing slowly in a meditative state. I got to the circle and felt like there was something drawing me to her still. As I stepped across the stones she spoke. Her voice was like flowing water. Clear, bright, and crystaline. Yet it still held some power to it. " I have been waiting a long time World Walker." Her head rose and I began to notice the details. Her hair was a platinum blue. Her skin as pale as the moon and her eyes were like crystalized ice. It was a beautiful yet chilling scene to behold.
She rose and her japanese style dress unfolded with her. It was marked with every possible marking related with ice and water. I took a deep breath and took a moment to take in all her words. "So you're Goddess Vara..."I said calmly. Her white eyebrows rose slightly as a small smile played across her lips.
" It would seem that Aed's assessment of you did not miss it's mark. You are capable of perceiving our presence." She turned to me as her glanced up at the moon. ( Percieving presence? You practically flaunt it like a top hat!) I thought as I rubbed my forehead. It was only then that I realised my hand was human. I looked at it and turned it right and left. It was definitely my old human hand. I turned left and right before I ran over and looked in a random small pond off the the side. My face was what it was back on earth when I was healthy. I hadn't seen my reflection in years so it was a welcome sight.
I heard a small chuckle behind me as I curiously examined my face. I spun and stood again remembering I was in the presence of a goddess. " Mortal souls are so interesting. You are in the body of a monster but you still think like a mortal. That's why you look the way you do. After all this is the soul plain." Vara gently gestured around us with the grace of a swan.
I got thinking about what she just said, but I pushed my thoughts to the side to put what was in front of me first. " So I battle a champion and you wanted to meet me. Is that what got your attention? Or was it Aed's favor that you all owe him?" Vara blushed slightly red for a moment but I could tell it was more of an angry and embarrassed blush than anything else. She took a deep breath and the blush dissapeared. "The favor I was asked did concern you but it also did not." He eyes met mine. " I was asked to search into something for you. And what I found was quite.... how is it that mortals say it.... ironic." I raised an eyebrow in response. She rolled her eyes. "Mortals.... I was asked to look into your parents and sister. It would appear that Aed thinks you knowing their whereabouts will increase your mood. Unfortunately I do not think that will work."
My jaw fell to the floor at her words. A bubbly giggle erupted from her cold blue lips. "Ahhh... I will never tire of mortals shocked expressions." I slowly closed my mouth. "Did you find any of them?" I asked slowly. " One. And you might find it interesting where this one is." My heart filled with hope as she spoke. " I found... What was her old name?.... Megan." My eyes were as wide as dinner plates. " My sister! Where is she?!" Vara's cold gaze was full of mischief as I approached her excitedly. " She isn't human anymore if thats what you're wondering." My heart fell a little with that but I was still hopeful. "Where and what is she?!" I asked just as hopeful as before.
"She's in my underwater country of Aliana. And what's more... She is a Water Dragon Woman... And my Champion."