In the end the coral deer went back into the water, as the piranha bowed to me while shaking before fleeing-ahem, I mean, returning at a very high speed to the ocean.
I turned to Avaya. [There's a reef near here?]
She nodded. "It's why the two legs didn't expand their port this way, it would take too much effort to destroy the reef just to build more areas for ships to stop, not to mention they are aware they would pay a price too heavy to bear."
A dense aura emanated at those last words.
Damn. So two legs and magic beasts cooperate in coexistence because...
Because the magic beasts are strong.
If they are weak or vulnerable, like my mother dragon, then they are hunted for parts and magic.
Two legs act civilized, but it's still a dragon-eats dragon world.
Survival of the fittest, pursuit of survival through evolution, and the strong rule all.
The food chain made metaphysical.
The law of nature.
I feel a strange... importance to this idea.
It's the chaos of growth, the unstructured mechanisms of life that give way to order.
Something in me stirred, something deep and hidden, and I flinched as a sudden wave of aggression and murderous rage seemed to rip into my psyche!
It was like an injured beast, something ancient and dark was screaming its rage and desire to survive.
I had the sudden sense that there were things about myself I couldn't remember.
I could feel experiences locked away from me, memories I didn't know exist, a fog in between my death and my hatching.
What happened to my soul while it was dead? I thought it just got moved, but maybe something occurred in between?
And why did this idea of the string devouring the weak in a constant cycle seem to connect to this part of me I didn't even know existed until now?
"Ahem?" Avaya's questioning cough broke through my rumination, and my ears twitched in affirmation of my attention.
[Yes?]
"Well... you seem to have the idea. My flock will tell you of any conflicts you need to be involved in."
A burst of green light, and she transformed into her original form, and flew off.
'...well I'm just gonna go back to the tree and see if I can figure out the nature of another element to begin fusing with it.'
~ ~ ~
In the port city near our dragon(usually it would be "near our hero" from narration, but screw it, he isn't a hero, he's a dragon), the city began to light up abuzz.
"Did you hear? A ship from the elven continent is coming!"
"The elves? They live near to the west, across the Great Sea right?"
"Well duh dumbass. They're over with all the other high-and mighty races. Only us lower-class humans and such are stuck on this easy continent."
"Calling me lower class?!"
"You think you could fight an elf? It's said every elf is a mage, and over 20% are awakened!"
"Holy shit, seriously? Are some that are coming now awakened?"
The one who spoke initially shrugged. "How would I know?"
The harbormaster came to the docks, and a few ships were moved to make space.
A teen nearby frowned. "Are there many elven ships coming?"
A few curious whispers started up.
Wasn't the space being cleared too large? You've moved 3 ships large enough to have 3 masts each!
One of the workers, an old beastman, beaten by salt and sun until his skin looked like wrinkly leather stretched over tight, corded muscle, laughed in response to these mutters.
"No, barnacle heads. It only the one ship be coming in."
The teen frowned. "Do they refuse to even let our vessels near there's?"
The old dog frowned. "They ain't your vessels boy, and those captains aren't complaining. You'll see soon enough."
The teen sniffed, offended by this old sea dog with short fur covering his limbs and his floppy dog ears.
'Stupid beastmen... just cause you're animals who belong under our heel, you think it's funny to act like we're under the elves?'
A few other human youths also felt miffed by this to varying degrees, and a human worker of similar age to the beastman came and ushered him away.
"Stupid kids, don't they know beastmen are empathic? Hmph!" The old dog snorted, and his companion laughed a bit.
"Still, try not to offend any land folk. Humans can be crazy, remember how they tore Arny apart?"
"They won't hurt you, you're also human."
The human snorted. "Like that matters to bigots."
Someone in the crowd pointed. "Is that it?"
A shadow could be seen on the horizon.
"...but... isn't that wrong?"
A few mutters began to spread, and finally exclamations of shock as it came into proper view!
It's flying!
Yes, flying!
Flying! Say it thrice!
Is that a ship?
Is that an elven ship?
A flying ship?
Yet again, say it thrice!
A hull, shining as if polished and stained wood... except it still had its bark?
Bark somehow smoothed and bright, like birch wood?
The hulk wasn't made out of separate planks like a normal ship; it looked like a birch tree somehow just grew into a ship!
Many branches sprouted specifically from the sides, stretching out and with a net of leaves extended, creating sails of leaves between the branches, yet the sails were off the sides and bulging as if wind was coming from below?
Crystals that shone a mint green grew from the bark, as of hardened sap, and they flowed with the magic power of the wind.
As the ship began to lower, the crystals began to change in shade until the darkened to an ocean blue, and the branches actually began to bend as if alive!
They bent to fold against the hull, as if they were wings, and the bits left vertically upwards created a pair of triangular sails that were slightly angled to catch the wind a little bit, and the crystals from the branches still shine mint green, unchanged.
It was a marvel of magic; a flying ship!
And as it met the ocean, the water actually rose to meet it!
It landed with barely a ripple, much less waves, and began to move across the water at a speed unimaginable of a sailing vessel, easily 5 times faster than a ship being propelled by a mage!
And then it came to the docks only minutes after being sighted, something unimaginable to any sailor or experienced dockhands!
The people began to panic as it approached, at a high speed!
The teen began to shout, "It's not slowing down!"
A few people began to step away in fear.
"Idiots." The old dog snorted.
And the ship... just stopped.
Instantly.
Right at the dock.