"I didn't mean any offense by that. I just thought you would be more..."
"More what? Did you think I would be some kind of infernal demon? Were you expecting horns and a tail or some other monstrous traits?"
"Not really but... I wasn't expecting a normal-looking human. Not to say that you look normal you are the epitome of..."
"My looks are only slightly above average, I get it alright, I'm not particularly outstanding. So stop trying to pretend like I am! I can tell you are lying."
Admittedly, I was a little hypersensitive when it came to my looks. Not entirely unrelated to the fact that amongst the six of us I was the only one who wasn't a total ten out of ten.
"Enough of that, let's get on with your first transformation. The first one is always the most difficult one since your body will have to adapt to the bloodline of a much higher being. So you'd better prepare yourself."
I retrieved a vial of dark red blood from a separate space and handed it to that old man. Come to think of it, I can't keep calling him old man and if I memory serves me right he called himself Edward during that oath of fealty thing he did. Edward it is!
"Now Edward, drink the blood of the raven god beast and continuously circulate the raven god beast body secrets. You will probably feel some pain while your body acclimates to the bloodline and then you'll be shown a vision. Don't be scared away by what you see, try to commit it all to memory because it will be beneficial to you in the future."
Edward took the vial with a resolute look in his eyes, removed the stopper, and chugged it down in one gulp. His resulting expression was priceless! Drinking blood essence felt similar to what a youth experienced the first time he drank a beverage with very high alcoholic content. Others had also described it as a feeling similar to drinking hot liquid metal.
The expression of discontent vanished from Edward's face as a comfortable warmth spread through his body. Then the process of acclimation began and the comfort brought by the warmth slowly faded as the heat began to rise.
Edward proved to have great pain endurance. Throughout the process that must feel like his blood was boiling, he kept circulating the technique without any interruptions. Due to that, the acclimation was completed in just under three minutes, and I could feel his soul be drawn away.
This was an occurrence that had confounded the community of mages since the first vision had happened. Everyone who went through the first transformation would have their soul drawn into a mysterious space by an unknown power where the vision was given.
Even my considerable power didn't allow me to follow inside the space. All I could do was to hover at the entrance and take a look inside. Visions weren't usually that different between people who used the same blood essence to complete the first transformation so I was prepared for what I would see.
Inside the mysterious space was a sea of fire and flames. A forest fire that spanned as far as the eye could see coloring the night sky a bright red. Edward's soul was hovering on a branch of a giant tree taking in the sight around him.
The scene he saw was that fateful night when the raven god beast's master had died.
Soon the raven god beast came into view. To a mortal's eye, it looked like an ordinary raven that had its size increased to a tremendous degree. However, below that ordinary-looking facade lurked a dark power that seldomly found its match.
The raven god beast was carrying a slightly burnt egg in its claws as it was frantically flying for the tree Edward's soul hovered atop. Yet, before it could safely reach the tree a giant shadow plunged down from above, and with him came a cascade of liquid fire that washed over the fleeing beast.
The egg gave off a miserable cry and withered in the raven god beast's claws. Soon the withered egg crumbled and became dust scattered by the powerful wingbeats of the two adversaries.
As the shadow descended into the light of the blaze below a red dragon was revealed. He was the dragon god of fire native to that world.
Furious about the loss of the egg it had been protecting the raven god beast turned mid-flight and charged at the dragon god without any fear. Around it, thousands of dark spirals manifested and speared for the dragon god alongside the raven god beast.
The dragon god of fire answered with a barrage of fire that countered most of the dark spirals. With a loud rip, the raven god beast's beak tore into the dragon god's shoulder while the dragon god's claws sank into the raven god beast's flank.
Both creatures had so much power that even their blood held great power. As the dragon god's blood covered the raven god beast's beak it burst into flames and sought to burn it but as it burned no damage was done. Meanwhile, the raven god beast's blood formed thousands of smaller copies of itself that incessantly brought down their beaks on the dragon god. Thousands of wounds appeared on the dragon god's body and in his panicked state he pushed the raven god beast away, towards the giant tree.
Lit by the sea of fire below the dragon god's shadow was visible on the trunk of the giant tree. As the raven god beast was pushed closer to the tree it saw the shadow of its opponent. A dark power gathered in its left wing as it brought it down in a slashing motion right were the neck of the dragon god's shadow was.
A deep gash was cut into the tree and the shadow of the dragon god is parted by the neck. Simultaneously, the real dragon god's neck was also cut by an invisible power.
The dragon god was dead and the vision neared its end. One of the blood copies approached Edward's soul and fused with it, then he was expelled.