Author: WolfSpatial
Co-Author: Lucifer
[May your woes be many and bitches few.]
•••••
{ALECSI LE ROARKE}
Safiya had the makings of a potential servant. Her hands worked quick when making fire and sleeping on the ground didn't bother her as it did lesser beings.
It did confuse me, however, when she thought hunting with a sword was somehow a good idea. But, she made it work by just throwing her shield and having it impact the boar's legs.
I couldn't feel bad for the creature, it was the role of the weak to be dominated and used by the strong for their purposes. Safiya proved herself a decent butcher as well, using my knife to gut the meaty boar and prepare it for consumption.
Whilst none of this proved she was strong enough to actually be my mate, despite the wishes of my father, his advisors, and Safiya's clan, it proved she had a decent head on her shoulders.
However, one thing confused me about it, "Why use my knife when you have a perfectly good blade on your boot? Surely it has its own sheathe separate from the sweat and grime of your feet?"
"How did… Nevermind," She shook her head, seeming to have multiple thoughts run through her mind, "It's not a hunting knife, it's in case I get captured and need to escape."
"You think they wouldn't search you?" Standing from my spot on the ground I moved closer to the fire, and subsequently the girl, "I hear Humans also have a strange fascination with the beads of our feet, calling them 'toe beans' or something."
Taking a deep breath, I looked around the area around that I had for our encampment. We sat about a day's walk from the Leoni city, atop a hill that was slightly taller than its surrounding mounds.
Green grass stretched for miles to every side. I could see the city to our North and the Iron Mountains to our South. It would take us about half a day to reach the base of the mountains, which was where my mother was buried.
"Humans are truly disgusting," The hatred in her voice seeped in the fire as it crackled, seeming to fuel it further. Safiya reached into her knapsack and pulled out some salt, lightly sprinkling it above our food.
Safiya had packed some burnable material, though I wasn't sure what it was called, some spices, and a set of small cooking utensils.
One of the stipulations of the Quest of the Roaring Heart was that we were only allowed to take things that we had made ourselves. Obviously, the spices couldn't be 'made' by her, but she had grown and ground them herself and thus they could be taken with us.
My knapsack had only two things. A whetstone for sharpening my weapon, and a set of bandages I had crafted from the fur of a goat and Jade Beeswax that promoted healing when applied properly, for when Safiya eventually got injured.
"I agree," I kneeled by the fire and poked at the meat with my finger, "I'll take mine juicy, with the myoglobin still flowing freely."
About one hundred years ago, a weird man came from nowhere and invented Science. I didn't understand most of it, if I'm being honest, but it did give names to the juice of a steak so it couldn't be all bad.
Science was a tough subject, the Dwarves invested heavily in it, building contraptions and creating marvels of new technology. But, the High Elves despised it, calling it an affront to all that was proper and pure. Or some shit like that.
Personally, I didn't care for it, but I believed firmly in not bothering with other people's opinions.
Safiya smacked my hand away with the flat of the knife she had just used to cut the last of the boar, "Stay out… I don't want your hands contaminating my food."
I chuckled, moving to take the knife as she handed it back to me, "Our food, Safiya. We are Quest Mates now."
"I caught it," She protested, standing to face me, "So, it is mine by right."
"Is that how you want to play this?" My lips tugged into a smirk that lit her eyes with the flame of challenge, "Then it shall be. We will travel together and fight together, we shall not share food nor resources. May the best Alpha Leoni win."
Her brow furrowed as my words sunk in, "I'm not…"
"I know," Sliding my knife into its sheath on my right hip, I took my spear from my back.
Gripping it above my head, I threw it to the West. It wasn't quite dark yet, and even if it was Leoni had good sight in even caves, so I could see my target fairly clearly.
However, having misjudged my strength, my spear landed about twenty-five feet past my target. I clicked my tongue in annoyance, as now I had to run the hundred-or-so yards from me to the boar.
After smelling the meat cooking from Safiya's fire, I wanted some of my own, so I would not let this opportunity pass. Immediately taking off, I stirred up dust which was sent toward Safiya.
I was fast, faster than any boat that the Jade Hills could muster to race me. Add to the fact that this boar looked like it had already been injured, and I hold no problem catching up and clinching it by the neck.
The wind caught up with me soon after, blowing my mane and making me look even better than I already did, if that was possible.
Looking down at the squealing pig caught in my left hand, I inspected the wound on its left hind quarter. There was an arrowhead stuck into the beast, yet the shaft was broken and I could see cracks along the portion of the shaft still attached.
Judging by the dried blood around the wound, this boar had been hit by the arrow within the last two or three days. If the hunter hadn't claimed the kill yet, they were either waiting for the boar to lead them to more boars, or waiting for someone to hunt this injured boat so they could hunt that someone. There were two more options, however, the hunter had been taken out by a third party or they decided this boat wasn't worth the trouble.
Whatever their reasoning, I cared not. I was craving boar and the plans of weaklings wouldn't stop me.
Moving to collect my spear — the boar had gotten about fifty feet away from its position when the spear landed — I turned to head back to camp.
I could see multiple figures standing around Safiya, their weapons drawn and I could almost see the tension from where I was. Clenching my jaw, I barely was able to contain the anger I felt at these people thinking they could instigate something with someone from my city, my people, without immediate repercussions.
By no means could I teleport, but I ran fast. I always ran fast. Now more than ever as my Quest Mate was potentially in danger. She was weak and I didn't know the strength of these new threats.
I broke the neck of the boar as I neared and tossed it forward, impacting the back of the man closest to me which resulted in an audible crack from both him and the boar.
My spear came next as I tossed it toward the man sneaking behind Safiya, catching his lower spine. By this time, the others had reacted and sprung into action. They weren't bright enough to question why two of their sixteen members had instantly died, leading them to charge without a thought in the world.
They all clamored after Safiya, moving in slow motion as my entire body impacted into the largest of the men. He stood just below my shoulder before his body exploded into a pink mist.
I stretched a hand out and gripped the helmet of another man, the metal groaning under the pressure of my fingers. It eventually gave a loud pop which caught the attention of the other men.
Half of them turned their attention to me, the other half continued after Zafiya. She blocked an attack with her shield, the man's axe becoming embedded into the horizontal wooden panels beneath the hide. She dropped her shield.
Countering by shooting a bolt at the man which struck true in his left eye, she twirled and ducked a great sword that found its place by throwing dirt into the air.
I turned my attention from her battle as the six men who chose to be killed by my hand neared me apprehensively, "Who sent you here to die like this?"
With my spear out of reach, I found myself at an impasse. Did I want to take one of their weapons, or just kill them all with my hands? One of them chose for me, luckily.
A young human, not even old enough to have a full mane, stepped forward with great hesitation. Seeing me not moving, he went to strike with the full force he could muster behind his sword.
I caught his hand and brought my right knee up into his gut, which pulverized his mid torso. I frowned, "Why are such weaklings attacking us? What level are you guys anyway?"
"Th-thirty-five," Another responded, dropping his weapon in the hopes I would stop my retribution. I did not.
He was the next to go, my hand entering through the iron plate chest piece he wore and exiting between two leather straps on his back which held it in place. The man looked to be in his early thirties or late twenties by human standards, having some stubble and the showings of hair on his chest. He coughed blood before his eyes lost their luster.
"You are all so weak," My gaze shifted to check on Safiya, seeing her get hit with an unexpected blow from a warhammer that sent her sprawling to the ground.
Having killed two of my six enemies and Safiya having killed one of hers, I felt she needed a bit of help. As such, I took the corpse of my most recent kill and threw him like a ragdoll at the man who was about to bring a battle axe down on her, "Get up, Wildstride! This battle is not over yet. You can sleep when these bastards lay in the mud and choke on the filth of their blood."
She grunted, barely making it to her feet as I caught another blow and head butted the small man into the muddy grass. That left me with three of my own enemies.
Lunging forward, I sent a punch that was blocked by a shield which sent the wielder tumbling backward and dented the banded metal. He looked at his newly damaged shield and threw a small hand axe at me. It hit the center of my chest, falling harmlessly to the ground.
His bewilderment was mirrored by his remaining companions as they dropped all pretense and swung their weapons wildly. Stepping back, I dodged a swing from a flanged mace and caught the strike from the other's greatsword with the back of my right hand.
He was slightly stronger than the others, his attack causing his weapon to snap under our combined force. That moment of surprise allowed me to send a kick that met his temple and made the top portion of his head vanish.
My kick continued, spinning me until the steel heel of my boot met the side of the mace wielder. He put up his arms in defense, his bones becoming paste and his organs turning to mush.
The last one turned tail and fled, running down the hill as fast as he could. I was not the type to forgive debts, thus I picked up the flanged mace and threw it at him. A sickening crunch came from him as he fell to the ground.
A small whimper came from where Safiya was, causing me to look over and frown. She only had one enemy left, but she was in bad shape. Her left arm dangled by her side and blood leaked from her forehead.
Her shield was busted, her crossbow was torn from her wrist, and her sword was held shakily in her right hand. She could barely stand, her legs looking like they were about to give out at any second.
Her leather tunic was cut up and I could see an arrow in the left side of her chest, just below her collar bone. The girl had gone well beyond her limits, what had pushed her to that point, I couldn't tell. But, she had achieved a fair amount.
"Well," I said as I appeared behind the man in full plate mail with a large greatsword, it was weird for someone to be so close to my height that I couldn't stare down at them, "Who might you be?"
He turned and swung at the same time, a testament to his experience. Not giving him a chance to properly attack, I punched the crook of his left elbow and sent my own elbow into the side of his head. Despite being blown away, he sat in a kneeling position and looked otherwise okay, mostly.
His left arm felt weird, as evidenced by him gripping it a few times to regain sense in it, and his head rattled, which was proven by him removing his helmet.
He was a Leoni. A famous one, an outlaw who had been banished for betraying the species during the Snake War. My mouth pulled back uncontrollably as my voice turned to a snarl, "Lexin! You'll pay for what you did… I'm glad I got this chance."
"Do not mistake me for your father, welp." He stood, grabbing his left wrist and forcing more strength in the arm, "I will not back down from this fight, but you may live if you do. I'm only here for the girl."
"She's not going anywhere," I plucked Safiya's sword from her hand, ignoring Lexin as I supported Safiya and set her down on the ground. She moaned in pain, trying desperately not to show too much weakness.
"It's okay, just rest." Having finished laying her on the ground, I stood and turned to Lexin.
My body began to shake slightly as I approached, "Tell me something."
"What?" He readied his greatsword for our fight, "Are you ready to concede?"
He knew I wouldn't do such a thing, "Who ordered this? Who could make the great Lexin Le Roarke kidnap a noble?"
"Do not make this difficult," His mouth formed a line, clearly unhappy.
"You did that when you attacked my Quest Mate, Uncle." My eyes began to burn with power as a faint glow emanated from me. "KNEEL."
His body betrayed his commands, his knee slamming into the ground as he gritted his teeth and fought my control. His legs shook as he pushed against my mental force, the strength of which could not be compared to by this miscreant who deserved death.
"W-what… is this?" He managed to speak as I stepped in front of him, "Where did you get… such power?"
My hand closed around his throat, lifting him so I could see the look in his eyes, "This is what happens when you're the strongest. You get to dictate the very actions of others. Now, die for me."
Wielding Safiya's sword, I plunged it through my uncle's armor and into his heart. He blinked as his life ended, releasing a gasp of air, "Tell Alaric…"
•••••
{XYRIXUS}
Nyxaroth was happy with her new form, picking up pieces of gold and silver whilst crouched down. She smiled as she stuck a piece in her mouth and bit it softly, her teeth clacking against the metal.
Seeing her happy was worth losing that once piece of treasure. However, it prompted an important question. Could any dragon become human — or rather, take a human form — if they found their one piece of treasure that stuck out to them?
How had no one discovered this before? Did they just not try?
If that was not the case, what was so special about this mirror and locket that allowed them to take these forms?
Questions plagued my thoughts, but Nyxaroth didn't seem to mind anything beside playing with gold. A sudden pressure descended on us, causing me to strain visibly as Nyxaroth stood and looked at me worriedly.
I was just a Minor Red Dragon, whereas Nyxaroth and her ancestor, Kaiderax, were both Greater Dragons. Two whole rungs of blood level higher than me. My teeth clenched as I struggled to stay standing. Nyxaroth didn't, as of yet, have control of her own blood suppression abilities. As such, I knew this didn't come from her.
My thoughts were proven true as a large red head covered the entirety of the entrance to my cave. It always shocked me to see Kaiderax, the Eldest of the Dragons. He was absolutely huge and his head alone was about three times my size in my Dragon form.
His golden iridescent eyes stared through the hole, his snout releasing clouds of heat as he breathed. His voice was deep and resonated through my very soul, "Nyxarothx, Xyrixus, come out now."
"Daddy!" Nyxaroth pouted, stomping her small foot against the gold and causing Kaiderax to flinch, "You're putting too much pressure on Xyr! Stop it right now or I won't go cloud surfing with you!"
I could see her cheek puff in annoyance as the pressure lifted from my shoulders. How such a large, powerful Dragon cowered with but a few words from his daughter, I guess I would never know.
But, his head didn't depart. Kaiderax stood firmly planted in, what was basically, my doorway. He spoke again, the thrumming of his voice still present, "I've lifted it, Nyxy. Come on, let's go back to our mountain top, a mid-mountain cave is no place for you."
"I'm gonna stay with Xyr!" She threw a small tantrum, her arms swinging behind her as she leaned into her shout, "At least he loves me and-"
"That's enough, Nyx." I set my hand on her head, her ears turning red as she realized, "Kaiderax loves you very much. He was so worried about you disappearing that he came himself instead of one of his Honor Guard."
The Honor Guard were a type of force taken from human society. They were the five strongest Dragons aside from Kaiderax himself. The difference was the name, Kaiderax called his the Honor Guard because that's what they were called by a human who ascended the mountain almost two-hundred-fifty years ago. The other humans referred to their Honor Guard as Sentinels, protectors of their lord.
"Don't defend him!" She turned to me, taking my hand from her head and holding it tightly, "He's just a bully! I hate him!"
"Don't say that," My face contorted into a frown, "Someday you may not have him here anymore… like me."
"I… I'm sorry, Xyr. I'll be a good girl, okay?" She gave me a sad smile, setting my hand back on top of her head, "But I expect to be pet for it, okay!"
It wasn't a question, and I could see Kaiderax giving me a thankful look. Nyx closed her eyes as I rubbed my hand on her head, ruffling her crimson hair. I chuckled looking at her, "Okay, Nyx. I'll give you all the pets you want."
"Good!" She nodded despite my hand still on her head, which brought my palm to the top of her forehead. She sat like that for a few seconds before Kaiderax spoke.
"Back to my original reason for being here," I felt I would never get used to the Greater Red Dragon's voice, a deep rumbling resounding in my cavern, "How have the both of you obtained Human forms? I did not teach you how to do it."
"So Dragons can achieve Human forms!?" My voice came out on its own, surprise evident and confusion took hold of Kaiderax's large maw.
"Yes, but how did you do so without my help? You also shouldn't be able to do it at all, Xyrixus, as you are only a Minor Red Dragon." Kaiderax's tongue was laced with curiosity. He was unique amongst the dragons, even if one didn't consider his age or size, in that he hoarded knowledge not treasure.
That was one reason he could live at the top of the Glowing Mountain without worry of his hoard being blown away by gusts of strong wind. He also enjoyed the heat of the Fire Rock, so he submerged himself in it most days.
"We found artifacts, a locket and jeweled mirror." I had no reason to lie as of yet. My locket couldn't be taken from me as far as I was aware, and he wouldn't take something from Nyxaroth that made her happy, "They allowed us to take these forms."
He hummed in thought, betraying my thought that his tone couldn't get any deeper. Though I held no fear toward the Dragon, many did. If not for his sheer size and strength, then because he could crush us into the ground with his presence alone. He had never intervened with my experiments, however, so I held no particular feelings for him.
I thought idly how that might have been because Nyxaroth asked him to overlook my actions. That little one really did look after her elder brother. I wasn't her real brother, however, our parents being very different. My father was a Greater Red Dragon like Nyxaroth and Kaiderax, however my mother was a Minor Red Dragon. I took more after her, putting myself in the upper echelons of Minor blood.
Shortly after I was hatched, my father left and never came back. When Kaiderax confirmed his death some twenty five years later, my mother flew out of the nest and never returned. That left me without guardians, but with a very large and empty cavern to fill.
Kaiderax broke from his thoughts and drew me from my own, "I see. That's two more Ancient Artifacts that have been found. I counted five others that had them in the past few months, the latest of which found hers just moments ago. Keep an eye out while you travel — I know you will, Xyrixus, as that's all you've wanted for a while — for a Ring, Crown, Skillet, Tower Shield, and Battle Axe. They may wish you harm, I can't say for sure."
"Why are there so many of these artifacts?" My question seemed to fall on deaf ears as Kaiderax blinked and kicked up small tufts of wind.
"There are more than that, I'm afraid." He let out a sigh that could melt stone, the heat washing over me and Nyxaroth, "I cannot say for sure how many, but I would wager anywhere between seven and thirty of these items."
Nyxaroth derailed our conversation as she looked up to her father with stars in her eyes, "What does your human form look like, Daddy?! Show me!"
"Nyx, he-" My voice was cut off by Kaiderax glowing and shrinking until he stood as a human wearing a strange robe with a sword on his left hip.
"To the humans, I am Kai Emberheart, a traveling swordsman." He leapt from the entrance and landed lightly in front of Nyxaroth, pulling a similar robe to his from nowhere.
Kaiderax appeared to be in his forties, and stood at a height similar to mine, about a head taller than me. His horns, though present, were smaller than Nyxaroth's and did not have any scales along his body. He wore a black and red silk robe that flowed elegantly around his figure, with intricate gold embroidery on the edges. A gleaming silver sword hung at his left hip, its hilt adorned with a red gemstone that seemed to glow with an inner fire.
Other than these details, he shared many physical traits with his daughter, including the red hair and amber eyes with slitted pupils that I now figured every Dragon would have in human form. Like Nyxaroth and myself, he also had small claws on his hands and feet that did not hinder his ability to wear gloves or boots. He carried himself with an air of authority and grace, his every movement deliberate and purposeful.
He looked over at me as Nyxaroth put her robe on with some difficulty, "I do not have one for you, Xyrixus. I did not foresee you becoming a Dragonoid anytime, well, ever."
"Don't worry about it," I waved my hand in dismissal, nodding in understanding, "I understand, Sir Kai."
He chuckled and smiled, "I see you already know Human etiquette. That's great, less I have to teach you."
"I have had my fair share of humans as guests, as you know." He nodded along to my words, not hiding his disapproval.
"Yes," He sighed, feeling once more like an old Dragon, "Your… hobbies. Please do not drag Nyxaroth into these things."
"I have no reason to," My gaze turned to Nyxaroth as she finally finished getting dressed.
Nyxaroth's robe was made of a silky, dark red fabric that shimmered in the light. The robe draped down to the ground, covering her feet and leaving only her small clawed toes exposed. The long sleeves of the robe were adorned with intricate golden embroidery, depicting dragons and flames intertwining with each other.
The collar of the robe was high, framing her slender neck and enhancing her regal appearance. Along the edges of the collar, there were small, sharp spikes, reminiscent of dragon scales. The robe was still a bit large for her, though I could tell it was meant to accentuate her curves and emphasize her youthful beauty when that time came.
Nyxaroth's robe also had a matching black and gold sash tied around her waist, which trailed down to the ground behind her, giving the impression of a dragon's tail. The sash was adorned with small, intricate golden dragon designs, complementing the robe's embroidery. Despite its ornate appearance, the robe allowed Nyxaroth to move freely and gracefully, as if she was gliding rather than walking.
"You look great, Nyx." My hand found its way onto her head, rubbing the top near her horns.
"Have you taught her how to become a Dragon again?" Kaiderax asked, his voice straining not to lash out at my actions.
"I have not." Retracting my hands, I caught Nyxaroth's attention, "Close your eyes and picture yourself as a Dragon, all of your features should be clear in your mind's eye."
"I don't want to," She pouted, folding her arms and turning her head, "I want to be Human like you…"
"To be precise," Kaiderax cut in, "Neither of you are Human. You're Dragonoids, an ancient type of Dragon Royalty from before Jehrot wiped out most of our kind. There used to be a Dragon Lord for each of the eight Dragon types, now there are only four types of Dragons remaining and no Royalty that I'm aware of."
"The White Dragon and Red Dragons are the only two I know," My thumb and forefinger found their way to my chin, stroking it in thought.
"The Blue Dragons still roam Arcadia. They are now called Wyrms, living at the bottom of Lake Milwin. They never flew like us, but their speed in water was uncontested even by Jehrot himself. They are perhaps the only ones who have Royalty, though I sincerely doubt it." He took a breath and settled his nerves, "The Drakes below us are also a type of Dragon, though they are far from their former glory. Formerly Brown Dragons, they were the Dragons that burrowed the ground to make our caverns and treasure troves. Now, they can barely control rocks and use their wings only to glide as they no longer possess the strength to fly like us."
"Who was Jehrot? This is the first I've heard mention of him." My curiosity got the better of me, but I could see that Kaiderax didn't mind sharing his knowledge with a fellow Dragon, even one of such low status.
"Jehrot was the first demon, and subsequently the first, and only, Demon Lord. He fought single-handedly against five heroes from the various races and almost won." His fist clenched, "Jehrot issued an era of terror across all of Arcadia, making Demons from intercourse with other species. He was a fiend that hunted the Green, Black, Gold, and Silver Dragons to extinction for more power."
Blood started to leak from Kaiderax's palm as his claws pierced his own flesh, "He was finally defeated and the five heroes were rewarded by the Gods, which founded Celestia then and there. They now collect all those who have died 'heroic' deaths to stay on the floating island of Celestia until Jehrot returns to exact his revenge."
"Why couldn't the Gods kill Jehrot?" Nyxaroth's question was valid. Why couldn't the 'all powerful' creators kill the Demon Lord?
"I could not tell you. When I asked the Goddess of Time, she simply said that they 'had no choice' in the matter." Kaiderax opened his hand as more blood gushed out, it then dawned on me that despite the rage he felt which made him clench his hand to the point of blood, his tone never changed. Not to confirm pain nor any struggle from emotion.
"You spoke with a God?" I took a step forward, my eyes wide.
"Yes, a very long time ago. They have been silent since shortly after Jehrot's death." Kaiderax seemed just as perplexed as me, "I have not heard from them or the Celestials in such a long time. I might pay them a visit, but they do not always welcome me."
After a few seconds of silence, Kaiderax spoke again, "When will you leave? What name will you choose?"
"I don't know," I really didn't, I was going to take some coin with me and head toward the Human settlement of Creniel which was located on the Crifeon Continent. They knew of me, having offered a princess every twenty years for about the last hundred-or-so years.
"You could assume your father's name, should you wish," Kaiderax offered, making me raise my brow.
My eyes burned with the desire to know more about my parents, "What name did he choose?"
[A/N: Thanks for reading. Let me know if I missed anything or you have any suggestions. As always, I don't want your damned Power Stones. Have a great day.
Join the Discord: [discord.gg/PawRYvp]
~Wolf out.]