Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Cats need Naps

Chapter 170: Cats need Naps

Berthorn stood and stared at him for just a moment, then regained his mind for just a moment. "Just die!" he yelled, stretching out his hand.

.

Berthorn crumpled to his knees, his breath catching in his chest. He was sweating, hard, pearly and droplets coalescing on his skin at the same time as shivers wracked him.

He was terrified.

There was a fear in his heart.

A horror of this monster in front of him.

How could something so miserable hide in the skin of such a little, inconspicuous creature?

.

Once more, shiver wracked Berthorn. His heart was beating so fast it may as well not have been beating at all. His arms and legs shook, barely keeping him upright.

The nightmares flared up again.

The scar on his face hurt.

His Skills, every last one of them, each predictive ability told him that there was no point in running, that he was . He was being watched by something he couldn't overcome, never even hope to match.

"Hey. Berthorn. You know you really hurt Zyl, right?" Mercury asked.

Its voice was so calm.

Why was its voice so fucking calm?!

Berthorn raised his head, meeting the thing's eyes. They were purple, with swirls and sparkles of iridescence in them. Little Stars.

Around the thing, there was a small… bubble, he would almost call it. No, perhaps that was wrong. It wasn't truly a bubble.

It was… the thing.

The mopaaw, the little creature, had somehow expanded entirely beyond its body.

Had it?

No, not truly. The space, the bubble was the very idea of it. A part of that idea.

It was stormy. Wind whipping across the little area, brushing through their fur. The purple stripes glowed in it, the patterns shifting each time a small bit of wind caught onto them. There was Rain, unending torrents of it, that disappeared when they touched the ground.

Yet it felt so unbelievably heavy.

A whole storm, woven from absolutely nowhere. Wind and rain that he could hear, yet that also vanished as soon as that happened.

And yet, it felt so heavy on his mind.

"Berthorn. You have yet to answer me. Is Zyl hurt because of you?"

"Y- Yes."

"Mhhh," Mercury hummed. His voice was quiet yet carried so well. "And how do you feel about that?"

Berthorn froze. There was a right and a wrong answer, yet was he supposed to lie or not. "I-..." He failed to finish the sentence.

"You what?" Mercury asked, stepping closer.

"I feel… relieved." He said.

The fear had set in. Nestled comfortably within his bones. The absolute certainty of death was now engraved in his mind. If he were to come to harm here… maybe he wouldn't even have to regret it?

"Relieved. Why?"

"Because I proved myself capable of winning."

"Winning?" Mercury asked.

"Yes." Berthorn now met his gaze.

"And that makes you relieved?"

"Yes," the dragon nodded. He still shivered and kneeled on the ground, yet his face was full of conviction.

"I might kill you for this."

Berthorn paused. His expression… stayed the same. Placid.

"Yes," he said, voice once again firm. "I suppose you might."

"And that doesn't worry you?" Mercury asked.

Berthorn looked at him. For a long time.

Thought of the nightmares and the horror he just felt.

He took it all in, a long breath through his nose, then smiled. "No." His expression was peaceful.

[You have found a path forward for !]

[Checking Qualifications. Path found. Maximum level long since acquired.]

[ has met the necessary qualifications for evolution. Evolve?]

Berthorn's smile widened, and his eyebrows raised. Yes.

[The individual has acquired the Skill .]

Berthorn felt another round of fear slam into him, but his shaking stopped. He saw a million possibilities of the future, one more outrageous than the next, but he felt all of them without a shred of regret. He smiled.

"Mercury," he said. "That's your name, right? Mercury Rainfall Starlight. I can… see it now."

And he did see it. In so many futures, there was a notification in front of him.

[You have been killed by Mercury Rainfall Starlight.]

Maybe he would have known, too, if he listened more. He smiled, and shook his head. No, he probably would not have, because he did not care for little monsters. Perhaps this little monster he could care for, though.

Mercury cocked his head. "You're calling me by my name?"

"Something is only worth fearing if you don't know its name. What my mind comes up with is so much more terrifying than the truth ever could be. Now I see it. Jih. Jijiji," he giggled. "I see it, you see?"

"You're gonna regret having made enemies with me," Mercury said.

Suddenly, though, it didn't feel as threatening anymore. The only thing that could happen to him was death, and what was a little risk of death compared to freedom? "I don't think I will. Actually, no, I already do."

He paused, then snuck a look at the orb. It was still dim. The spark in it swirling around and recovering before it could shoot out a new beam. Peacefully, Berthorn gazed at it, then back at Mercury.

"Truly, I am regretful. You had nothing to do with this. I could have never once met you in my life and maybe this would have gone differently. Maybe. But I am also thankful to you, you know?"

"I don't think I do," Mercury said. "And I don't think I need to."

He jumped.

"I suppose you don't," Berthorn said with a shrug, dodging aside. He was faster than Mercury. It didn't matter. Something slammed into his chest, far more force than the mopaaw himself would have had. It hurt Berthorn, and he felt his breath leave his lungs, but then drew more air in once more.

Around himself, a field of poison slowly spread. "I'll still tell you if you don't mind."

"I mind," Mercury replied, his eyes narrow.

"I suppose you would."

Berthorn sighed. He could see it all happen. There was no future in which Mercury heard him out, and honestly, he understood. He'd been unkind to his friends. Such was life.

Once again, the dragon sidestepped an actual swipe of claws, being slammed instead with a weight to his face, sending his head backwards and making his nose bleed, as well as a strike against his mind. Then there was a bit of thread wrapping around him, slowing his mind down.

He saw it all, saw where it all would lead. The thread dissolved in the mist, the hole in the fog left by the small bubble of closing again. A weight slammed into his mind, but the fear was simply added to the pile.

Berthorn smiled. "Come on, Mercury. Face me."

With a scoff, the mopaaw pounced at him once more, and Berthorn stepped to the side again. Except, this time, moments before the weight slammed into him, he kicked forward. His leg hit the bubble of .

There was a freezing cold against his leg. The wind was so sharp it cut through his leg instantly. His pants were shredded, then his skin was as well. When the rain fell onto the wound, it fell right through, leaving holes in his body.

It was an incredible power. But despite the wounds and the blood flowing from him, despite the fact that his leg was disintegrating as he watched, it still slammed into the mopaaw.

By the time it impacted, it had lost some weight. Yet the blow was still tremendous.

With a great amount of violence, the kick crashed into Mercury, grinding bone against bone. Berthorn felt the body twist and reshape underneath the kick, absorbing some of the force. The lung leaving Mercury's air, the rest of the weight carrying forward and folding him, before the mopaaw was flung away, spitting blood.

"Oh. That must have hurt, I suppose. Quite sorry."

Mercury flew into the ground and bounced, then bounced again, spitting blood. Berthorn regarded him calmly, a peaceful smile on his face. The dragon's leg was in horrible condition. There were dozens of holes in it, where raindrops had hit it. Blood leaked from it, already forming a puddle on the ground. The skin was torn, having been destroyed by winds.

Even when it impacted, he felt the body of Mercury try to make it way through his leg. Berthorn didn't know it, but had been moments away from breaking his bones, leaving a couple cracks in Berthorn's shin.

He felt the pain. He smiled, calmly.

"You truly are quite strong," Berthorn assessed.

"Fuck you," Mercury coughed. Then suddenly, some of his wounds closed, and he moved a lot faster.

"Oh, you had unspent points?" Berthorn asked.

Mercury pounced again, this time too fast for Berthorn to avoid. The mopaaw's claws raked across his chest, and he felt the same weakness flowed through his body again. His muscles shrinking a little. Like his blood going acidic. With a slow, confident motion, he reached for his chest.

He grabbed onto Mercury, closing his fist around his neck.

Once again, his body began to disintegrate. His chest was flayed, his scales torn apart, his skin riddled with holes. Now, his arm was bearing even more of the damage. He could feel his scales resist a moment longer than the ordinary skin of his human form would, and he began shifting even further.

His fingers grew claws, which dug into Mercury, drawing drops of blood. The claws raked across his arm once more, the muscles atrophying. Berthorn felt hunger begin to gnaw at his stomach already. A slight pang, only, but still.

Then he slammed the mopaaw down onto the floor.

The stone broke apart. Not due to , it would only ever target enemies with the fury of a storm, but instead under Mercury's own flesh and blood.

There was a horrible noise as the body of a cat was used as the instrument to grind away at stone. Only through a cocktail of abilities was Mercury even able to survive.

He broke apart the rocks ground with his rijn before he slammed into them. hardened his skin, slowed him down, made the landing a little softer. even worked to break the ground apart for him at the same time as and kept his bones intact.

Then, Berthorn let go, leaving him in a quite deep, cat-shaped crater.

The dragon took a step back, the scales slowly receding a bit again. "Ahhh. That truly feels freeing."

Mercury crawled from the hole, his skin now smeared in blood.

"I'll kill you."

Berthorn nodded. "You might. In fact, you got quite close many times."

Mercury shook his head at him. "You're making no sense."

Berthorn shrugged. "I suppose I might not."

By now, he limped. One of his legs he could barely stand one, one of his arms was entirely demolished. The pool of blood underneath his feet was enough to seem deadly. Yet he stood, a placid smile on his face.

"Come on, Mercury. Kill me."

He didn't have to ask twice.

Without hesitation, the cat leapt at him, the storm tearing at Berthorn. Blood mixed with illusory raindrops, staining them red moments before they hit the ground. The dragon felt his body being torn apart, and smiled. As Mercury clawed and scratched at Berthorn, the dragon lowered down, and sunk his teeth into Mercury in return.

First, his human-like jaws did little, but then they morphed. Then kept morphing. Soon, the fangs grew and dug into Mercury's flesh, sending piercing pain through his shoulder. Then Berthorn bit down harder.

Mercury screamed. Clawed at Berthorn's face. Multiple swipes, until eventually, the man's jaw loosened, but regardless, Berthorn tossed Mercury to the ground again. There was so much blood on the floor that you could hardly even see the mountaintop anymore.

Berthorn dropped to one knee. His muscles had grown weaker, barely enough to hold him after all the injuries covering his body. He was riddled with wounds, his skin flayed, his face torn, holes in his chest. Then, slowly he stood again.

In front of him, on the floor, Mercury breathed raggedly, the rainstorm around him flickering in and out of existence.

The Coward smiled peacefully. "We could kill each other now, I suppose."

He reached forward with a clawed hand, his skin eroding as he reached into the storm. He withdrew once the damage reached his knuckles.

"But that is not what I wish. Thank you, Mercury. I am… free." He took a deep breath, then pulled out the orb. The spark in it glowed brightly with fury, ready to shoot another blast.

Berthorn held it out, pointed it at Mercury. It glowed brightly, radiating deadly heat. Then it stopped. Dimmed. The dragon smiled. Gently, he kneeled down to the ground, and lifted his fingers off the sphere.

"Take it," he said. "I… don't think I need it anymore."

He turned around, no longer facing Mercury. "You're powerful, Mercury. Terrifying. I feared you more than I think I feared anyone in my life, can you believe that?" He chuckled.

"To think that I. The coward. Would be freed by just embracing fear and acting despite it. How silly is that? Ironic, right? But now, I feel so calm. Like I'm standing in soft spring rain."

He turned around, looking at Mercury. "Rather appropriate, I suppose." He smiled, again.

"Alright, I'll be off. See you. Or not, I suppose."

After taking the path he wanted out of the hundreds, perhaps thousands of futures he saw, Berthorn simply spread his wings and left. He left a dripping trail of blood, every inch of his body covered in wounds. Yet still, he grew the wings, leathery and covered in oily, greenish-black scales.

And then, his seaweed hair blowing in the wind, he flew off.

Leaving the spark in front of a barely breathing Mercury. Trinyakorie eyed the orb, then the others near her, and took a step forward, when Irrithuriel moved. She began to shift, and Trinya took a step back immediately.

The power hungry woman hesitated a moment, then turned around and fled.

Time passed slowly, seconds becoming minutes as Irrithuriel could barely believe what she was seeing, but the sky was… clear. Nothing showed up. It was all over.

Immediately, she moved and ran to Mercury, rummaging for any ingredients she could get together, before shoving them into the mopaaw's mouth. He was lucid, somehow, his eyes unfocused and dull, but still lively. His mouth moved, chewing the bundle of leaves slowly.

"Eat, Starlight, eat," she said. Her hands felt at his body, and he let out a pained wince. Every inch of his being hurt, and having someone tap at those spots was… bad.

Her brows rose, though. "You'll live," she said, surprise in her voice. "Definitely live. You were spared."

Mercury looked at her, chewed, swallowed. "No. He spared himself."

There was conviction in his gaze that Irrithuriel didn't doubt. "Right, Starlight. Can you stand?"

Mercury replied with a groan, and by, in fact, shuffling his legs in under himself. "Yea." Then he picked up the spark with . "Let's get this back to my boyfriend, right?"

His tone was curt. Probably because he was very hurt. He'd also spent almost all his points from reserve, 50 into vitality, and another 30 into agility.

was levelling just from him standing, but he ignored that.

Slowly, step by step, he dragged his battered form over to Zyl, then dropped the spark on his chest.

The red haired dragon slowly turned to face him. Zyl's expression was so unbelievably tired, yet despite the fact that he could barely keep his eyes open, he turned a radiant smile at Mercury.

Zyl raised his tired, bloody hand, and placed it between Mercury's ears, rubbing slightly before his arm fell to the floor. "You're amazing, Mercury."

"Shhhh, you," the mopaaw replied, blushing a little. "Come on. Take your spark."

He gently put down the orb on Zyl's chest. The dragon smiled at him, cheekily, and spoke. "Okay, alright, but just because you asked so nicely, hehe-" he stopped and coughed. Blood splattered onto the already blood-covered stone. "Okay," he spoke again, his voice now hoarse, "I should really get on that."

"You should," Mercury said with a sad smile, then went silent.

As did Zyl, closing his eyes. It was a tiny motion, with them already having drifted to be almost closed beforehand. But he still did it. Then, for a moment, the spark flared to light.

Half a heartbeat later, the glass orb constraining it melted away.

A breath later, the spark sank into Zyl's chest.

During that one breath in between, Mercury felt as though he was standing at the caldera of a volcano. Heat more intense than anything he'd ever experienced in his life washed over him. The feeling was so intense that without , his fur might have caught on fire.

Then it dipped into Zyl's chest with a hiss. It didn't just magically vanish into it, it seared his flesh all the way through.

For another second, he lay still.

Then, Zyl spasmed as though he was hit by a defibrillator. He jumped up from the floor by about half a meter, crashing back down, his eyes shooting open with a desperate gasp for air, and he began coughing black blood.

For a solid half minute, he just laid there, hacking his lungs out. Eventually, he calmed down, then laid back, touching his head against the rock. The puddle of blood he laid in dyed the side of his face red, but he didn't seem to mind.

"I feel whole again," Zyl said, his voice raspy but smooth.

"I'm glad to hear that," Mercury replied, smiling.

"Thanks for fighting for me, love."

Mercury blushed. "Anytime, Zyl."

There was a clap, and both of them turned to look at Irrithuriel. The old snow witch looked tired, but still wore a small smile. "Alright, you two flirts. Let's get you home. My home, specifically. To safety."

"Right, I need a nap," Mercury said.