Master's energy flowed over me. Protecting me. The Flame Monarch's will also permeated my inner-world.
While the immediate area was ok, I could feel that the vast landscape of my inner world was deteriorating slowly.
The many rivers were breaking away from their banks while large cliff-faces crack, slowly falling away into an abyss below. Each time this happened I could feel the integrity of my small inner-world getting weaker.
Then a sudden feeling of falling as my strength wanes. Even more than before I had come here.
The cause of the deterioration…
I cast a glance over at the flaming pillar.
Examining it keenly.
The Flame Monarch's energy that I absorbed from Jiya.
-Do you think I'll just allow you to do what you want?-
This thought spurred on my next action.
I sat on the ground crossing my legs and relaxing my shoulders. Exhaling and syncing my breathing with my outer self.
The result was that I could feel everything happening physically as well as mentally. Strengthening my bond with the inner world and my physical body.
This was new territory for me.
I only knew that this way, my inner-world's energy would pool out of my dantian and into my surroundings easier. This was usually the most inefficient way to use inner hou as techniques requiring the use of hou generally would only use as much as your heart aperture can manage.
With this way however, the consumption is several hundred times grater than normal. This seemed the best way to circulate and purge inner hou.
My thought process this time was simple.
The flame monarch's energy IS in MY inner-world so, it stands to reason that it CAN be used by me.
I'd only need to find a way to use it without damaging my meridians, dantians or my foundation. Eventually exhausting the energy until it's all gone.
Still, control over it eluded me.
-Tsk!-
Another wave of malicious hou swept throughout my inner world creating dissonance as it did.
"You monarchs think, just because you have power, you can do whatever the hell you want." Master was furious and the invisible force churned around us.
It felt cool and comfortable, alleviating the pain from the flame monarch's residual energy. All the while Fiercely repelling the heat and maliciousness flame-hou burning before us.
I had a lot of questions.
How was the residual energy able to speak?
Did it contain a whisp of the flame monarch's sentience?
Was it still connected to her?
Was she able to see into my innerworld from her perch above?
All dragon born are taught about the ruling monarchs from a young age.
Even from the moment we are able to speak. For some, they are Gods and protectors.
While for others they are tyrants.
Regardless, these supreme existence's are undeniably the most powerful in the entire dragon realm.
But as records state.
They stopped descending to the dragon realm. Instead having their proxies, the queens do their bidding.
I don't know why.
I'd love to know.
But I'm personally happy that's the case and I hope it remains as such.
Because if such a small portion of energy borrowed twice-over can create so much havoc, how would any living being be able to contend with any of them?
The flame monarch and her former proxy: queen Jiya.
The iron region's stone monarch and her proxy: lady Shia'k.
Ou-fu's Ice monarch and her proxies : Queen Alina and Mila.
The holy kingdom's monarch of light and her proxy: Jade Empress Julie.
The forbidden zone, monarch ???? : ancestor Yue-bu.
But that aside, if I could only manage to grasp a portion of the flame monarch's hou, funneling the rest would be incredibly easy.
-I'd finally be able to heal.-
"Foolish human race Spector," the remnant energy of the flame monarch barked angrily her voice thundering with every syllable. "With your puny power do you think you can do anything to stop this deity?"
"Bahaha!" Master laughed loudly in response. "Why don't I try it and see?!" There was a dangerous spark of violence in his eyes.
One that showed an indomitable will and the firm belief that wining was only a small hindrance.
This scared me.
Neither of them were taking into account my inner world and the damage that their clash would inflict on me.
The strange energy surrounding master was now at an all time high. I could sense that he was about to attack!
Similarly the flame monarch's energy also surged concentrating and gathering at a singular point in front.
-No…-
Am I too late?
A massive magnitude of twisting torrents and hammering tendrils, formed by the invisible force master commands suddenly takes shape above the towering column of fire.
"Fall for me!" Master ordered while simultaneously pointing with a gesture that hinted downward!
It falls on the mountain peak of the flame monarch with a resounding and ground shaking 'thud' and 'crash'.
The shockwave even lifts me momentarily.
But…
The fire, it had been extinguished!
-Master did that and so easily!?-
My inner-world suffer no damages in the exchange.
I could feel a smile forming on my face while I tried stating.
"Master, you did it!"
But something was wrong.
My words were suddenly ridiculously hard to vocalize, no this was different!
Not just words!
Sounds faded.
A ridiculously large mass had appeared in my inner-world. It pressed heavy on me rejecting sounds. Very nearly forcing me out of my own small inner-world.
Shaking his head master states. "It seems I was too late."
-What?-
Was he not affected?
I tried again this but this time. "Master what is this and what do you mean?!" But still, nothing.
My lips moved but there was no sounds accompanying them.
"Brace yourself!" Master stated in a low tone. "This aura can only indicate that the fire monarch herself is now aware of my presence and is using the residual energy as a conduit to manifest her consciousness."
"What?" Dread floods over me like a rising tide, slowly suffocating me. Fear like never before chills my body and recalls my hope swatting away any thoughts of survival.
"Huh?" This wasn't something I could come to terms with.
"In my current state, I'm no match for her." Master voices while I still couldn't even form words.
My despair now darkening even the very sky of my inner world.
"I'm the master of my own region!" The flame monarch's voice boomed once again. "I won't be bested by a human race specter!"
Something was wrong.
I could feel a power surging inside. My inner world shook momentarily causing my physical body to reel from the pain.
I could feel it.
And something had broken inside me.
Was my dantian damaged?
Outside, I could feel a creeping pain. Slowly making its way up from my finger tips. Burning dark lines as makes its way up my arms ever so slowly.
My physical body's condition had reached a level of devastation so far from the realm of an easy recovery that blood now trails from the edges of my mouth.
Dripping from my lower lip to my hands and clothes below.
Around me the accumulation of hou seeps into the hollow of the large old tree and it springs to life.
The tree heals slowly but visibly.
Small buds becoming leaves then flowers before growing bigger. I can feel as small vines twine themselves around me. The grass growing taller and greener as lush leaflets brush against my cheeks and arms.
Nature was claiming my hou.
Am I going to die here?
-Ugh!- The pain pulses. shocking me with every ripple.
"Era!" Master calls my name bringing my attention inward again. "If you are to survive this, I'll need to do something drastic, I'm sorry but you'll lose your dragon heritage and what little dragon blood you posses."
-Huh?-
"Era, you must listen to me. Without your dragon heritage this world will reject you. Fight it and resist the vehatra force at all cost no matter the power it promises you!"
Master's voice seemed farther away now.
Suddenly another power surges inside me contesting the first.
This is master's!
The efflux of power explodes with him at the center.
It rapidly expands pushing back the flame monarch's incredibly dense hou while protecting the integrity of my inner world which now shook violently.
"Give up! And ill only send you back to the earth sphere!" The flame monarch's voice boomed again.
"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you!" master roars in return.
"Why must you Interfere?!!" the flame monarch's voice screamed in frustration.
"BECAUSE." Masters voice now thundered. "No-one harms my people. No matter how feeble. If they are of the human race then I'll protect them even if it costs me a thousand years of recovering or even my very LIFE."
The two powers grow simultaneously, each suppressing the other.
The both of them now giant orbs of power dancing in a spiral, seemingly locked onto each other and leaving a residual helix as they ascended into the thundering and darkened clouds.
The pressure they exude fades drastically.
The pulsing pain follows them as my inner-world crumbles.
Falling away into the depths below until finally only the peak is left.
Master's residual power which covered me finally fades as the two massive powers seemingly combine into a brilliant flash of light that instantly eradicates the last peak of my inner-world. wiping it clean as I'm ejected.
And...
Blackness...