Mortal Realm.
The pellets of rain passed through Adriana's phantom-like body, her ghost had moved with diligence taking apparent shortcuts to where ever it was headed. She had eventually begun to examine her location as probing her own spirit had proved to be futile.
Travelling to an unknown location, Adriana flew through the thunderous storm reminiscing about the war and if she had taken those other bastards with her. The silent tears and whimpering were drowned out by the rain crashing against the ground, not knowing if she were even able to form tears.
Re-affirming her resolve, she Knit her semi-translucent eyebrows, she realised that she was in the Mortal Realm but her body had never passed through a portal from the Immortal Realm. A multitude of questions had raced through her mind repeatedly. Was her spirit able to pass through the two Realms of its own volition? Either way, why had it taken her to the Mortal Realm specifically?
Adriana felt false beads of sweat appear on her scales and neck as she came to a realisation. The only conclusion she was able to reach was that the Emperor's gift had saved her life and that her soul was searching for a body for her to possess. Even so, she was in the mortal human territory as she had noticed passing multiple villages, surely she wouldn't possess a revolting human, right?! Especially not one without a dantian! No, her soul would simply pass right through this human area into a dragon hybrid, a Skaron would be fine as they were descendants but definitely not a human. A species that joined hands with the Demons to wipe us out.
Looking over to a suspicious location in the distance shrouded in a darkness that one would be hypnotised with and easily miss she scoffed. Her mental barriers were far too refined for such measly tricks. Abruptly, her direction turned hypotenuse facing the short bumpy hill and her soul began heading towards it.
'You gotta be kidding me...'
Stopping above the tiny hill, a cellar was hidden underneath plastered with arrays from top to bottom. Slowly, her body descended into the hill as her semi-translucent figure seamlessly passed through it.
Taking a look around, Adriana for a moment felt nauseated. Hundreds of human infants were placed inside small pods filled to the brim with moloch fluid, used by the demons to raise their own.
Their own flesh and blood were left to be raised on their own in little tanks, with no enjoyment, no parents, and no sweet memories would be created; merely Immoral savages would be formed as a result.
Adriana's non-existent body trembled in built-up rage, the humans truly were not redeemable, her spirit began to slow down to a walking pace though she continued to hover mid-air.
Passing by a child, Adriana glared into its lifeless eyes, while the others were crying, this one was dead silent, it made her heart ache. Despite despising humans, she always had a soft spot for children, their gleeful temperament and cheeky nature mixed with an innocence untainted by any other conceptual biases. She believed children could be easily moulded with guidance into ideal beings.
As a result of their childhood, they could either turn out to be mass-murdering psychos or lovable saints whose whole purpose is to further others' dreams and aspirations. Before the war Adriana didn't have a title as a guardian of the Vanadium Empire, she was simply known as Adriana. She was eventually given her horrendous title by the humans and demons during the war as she never tolerated the harming of her children and fellow dragons, ripping to shreds all who dared to even think such things. Because of this, she was called Adriana the merciless.
Not bearing to look any longer at them, she was eventually pulled away by her spirit out of her own control. Beyond the room there was a narrow metal corridor with numerous human doctors passing by, some carrying infants, others rushing to a particular room in excitement.
Adriana was far too large to pass through the tight corridor, only her head fit through the hallway as she laid there horizontally most of her semi-translucent yet invisible body going through the walls around her as she moved farther down the hallway. She wasn't able to transform into a smaller form as she couldn't control her spirit.
Arriving at another room, this time much smaller room (an operating room), her spirit slowly began to enter a seemingly dead child's body that was laid on a concrete bed.
'Despicable fiends, they've lost a child due to their pathetic skills. Once I take control of the child I must kill them, luckily this child contains a dantian. Losing one of their own that possesses a dantian as well, is disgusting.'
Entering the body all was dark as Adriana's consciousness began to connect to the body.
"Who the fuck are you?"
Adriana's mind snapped back to her spirit as she was forced out by an unknown force.
"What the! Impossible! Who's there? How are you in this body as well?"
Adriana interrogated while losing her breath in surprise.
"More like how are you in my body lady? Are you a ghost attempting to possess me?"
Adriana's Mind dug to find a reason for this occurrence, and what was happening.
'The child's body was supposed to be dead... Is someone else's soul attempting to possess this body?'
Before she was able to question, Alexander's tired and lifeless voice took the initiative.
"Well go ahead, ghost or whatever you are, just get it over with and possess me. Frankly, I've had enough of this place. I don't understand anything, I don't why I'm here, how I'm here and who the hell put me here."
At a loss of words, Adriana sympathised with the mysterious man's words. Clearing her voice Adriana exclaimed.
"My name is Adriana from the Immortal realm."
"My name is Alexander, and I'm from planet Earth, maybe you shouldn't roleplay in such a predicament."
Confused but still following along with what she was saying, Alexander added amusingly and realistically stating what was obvious to him out loud finding the concept of the 'Immortal world' to be something part of her fantasy, but hey who was he to judge? Simply glad he had someone to talk to regardless of who they are.
Adriana realised that he was speaking a language that she had never heard in all her 3 millennia and yet they could understand each other.
'Interesting... It seems feasible for him to at the least not be lying.'
"Yeah, why would I lie?"
"Huh!"
Realising he could hear her thoughts and her his, Adriana was bewildered. She quickly discerned that If they could hear each other's thoughts there would be no way to lie to each other and so they wouldn't have to worry about the other's motive.
Adriana wished to ask more questions but pushed it to the back of her mind as she heard what the doctors on the outside of the body were discussing.
"Dr Hallow, I have reported it to the higher-ups."
A doctor rushed back into the room panting heavily beads of sweat trickling down the sides of his head, having left for only half an hour. Hallow turned his back to Alexander facing the doctor while crossing his brows.
"Then? What was their decision?"
"I regret to inform, you that, they denied permission of any further experimentation."
"Tsk."
Clicking his tongue, Hallow's face turned sullen in disappointment eventually nodding and instructing the other doctors to bring anaesthetics as they had finished with the experiment.
Adriana became alert as she recognized that they should leave before they are put to sleep.
"Alright... Let's discuss later! It appears the human doctors wish to put us to sleep."
Hearing the doctor's not-so-pleasing discussions, Adriana wished to depart from the place as soon as possible. With Alexander not fighting back, she slowly took command of the body and exerted the last bit of energy she had stored away in her consciousness. Alexander had frankly just wanted someone to converse with as all this time of being by himself took a serious strain on his consciousness.
-Shhhiii
Alexander's body began to glow as Hallow sensed enormous energy erupting from him, his attentiveness and alertness could only be seen on his face as he ascertained what was about to so suddenly occur. Sensing the dangerous energy his face grew solemn.
"SHIT! MOVE!"
Pushing and knocking the young doctor out the way into Alexander, Hallow sped through the others and got as far away as he could in a hysteria.
-BOOM
The blast distorted the walls of the room and created an almost perfect oval through the ceiling to the surface, Alexander lay in the charcoal black crater and was left speechless by the feat.
'Come on, almost got it!'
Adriana on the verge of consciousness created a mushy trampoline-like concrete that threw Alexander's body into the air out the hole and cellar as the room began filling with a myriad of shocked and injured doctors. Some on the verge of death, others on the verge of passing out.
Adriana made sure to only damage the cellar up to the entrance of the room filled with children. Wishing them luck within her heart.
Flying through the air, a translucent purple ball formed around Alexander's body, flying the air, the little arms of his wiggling about and landing on the hip of a nearby mountain, that once was covered in luscious green plants but now had a massive crater by its side.
Alexander's body had been completely destroyed. Having trouble breathing from the damage done to his lungs, Adriana swiftly and expertly healed his body before passing out completely.
***
Ally and Nicholas waved back to the villagers, the home Ally had resided in for her entire life, six years, she was leaving. At first, she reckoned she would be homesick at the mere thought of leaving for an unknown period of time but on the contrary, she felt alive, free and unconstrained. She had her mentor and master Nicholas by her side and for all she knew, there was no one who could match him in terms of prowess, her image of him remaining a golden shield repulsing any vile beast that dared look her way.
With him, she felt, Invincible.
Her uncle on the other hand was uncontrollably sobbing, balling his eyes out slashing at his eyes in embarrassment. Her mother held him tight, a large burly man that could take on a bear was being held like a toddler in the arms of his sister. Her image of her uncle's indestructible figure was completely bulldozed and replaced.
"Bye honey!"
Her mom called out one final time hands circling her mouth to direct her voice farther with more precision.
"Bye, mom!"
Ally proclaimed back with the most determined and comforting voice she could muster. Nicholas stooped next to her, his hands behind his back and a change of robes taken out of his Space ring.
It was a green ring with a tungsten-looking stone in the centre carved in an oval protruding outwards. space rings were rare and expensive, not being able to store living creatures only objects with a specific amount of space crafted for them to hold. Only artifact crafters could create such rare pieces of equipment and they were rarer than Immortals themselves.
Nicholas whispered to Ally's small peach ear.
"It's time to go..."
Understandingly, Ally nodded and turned back to get on Nicholas's back in a piggyback position as they began to take off.
Multiple minutes later them speeding in the air, Ally watched the glistening sun smudged by the blanket clouds containing its radiating heat. She gently lifted herself as Nicholas drew them higher eventually rising above the clouds. The rough breeze blasted through her hair, flicking all the dirt and sticks out giving her an almost majesty of beauty. Ducking back down closer to Nicholas's ear, she shouted.
"When'll we reach the Sect?"
Nicholas turned his head 90 degrees to meet her in his peripheral was suddenly interrupted by an enormous eruption.
"In about-"
-BOOM
Abruptly slowing down his flying, Ally pointed in a direction towards a mountain which waits enormous with flourishing life, a quarter of which might've just died. Smoke was rising from the other end to which Nicholas soared descending towards the mountain.
"What is that?"
Ally squinted not being able to make out what it was.
"It's a child..."
Nicholas's vision was beyond exceptional so he was able to make it out with ease.
"We have to save him!"
"No... It's most likely already dead."
Shaking his head, Nicholas shut down Ally's idea straight away not giving her enough time to think of something foolish. Unfortunately, It was for naught as she continued.
"We have to try!"
Pulling on Nicholas's hair, Ally relentlessly jumped around on his shoulder and back attempting to dive forward without any regard for her own life. Nicholas began to have a headache, she was far too weak to actually harm him but she could absolutely annoy him. Raising his voice in irritation.
"Stop it, you crazy basta-... What the hell."
Glaring back at the boy, Nicholas realised the boy was healing. Confused at his sudden change in temperament, Ally looked at where he was looking but wasn't able to see anything.
"Mm? What is it?"
"The boy is healing his catastrophic injuries at a tremendous rate, it's as if he hadn't been hurt at all."
Now his curiousness peaked, Nicholas dived similarly as Ally had suggested much to do beforehand. Ally's discomfort and sudden shock were caused by his sudden movements and she held on for dear life as they landed, Nicholas crept up to the boy and was shocked to realise that he had a dantian as well.
Stumbling back, Nicholas realised this may have been what he was looking for all this time. Not an object to cure his curse or a plant to save his soul but someone to assist him.
'The boy was able to heal such injuries instantly, could this be some kind of unique trait of his. Maybe... Just maybe, this boy could one day do the same to my curse.'
Glaring enthusiastically at Ally, Nicholas declared.
"I think I just found our new disciple. Meet your junior brother, Uhm..."
Not being able to think of a name, Nicholas began to stumble on his words. Ally taking this as her opportunity joined in to finish the sentence.
"Deno! Let's name him Deno."
Face palming and coming to the conclusion that the boy really doesn't have a name and was almost murdered by someone or something and practically left here to die. He let her name him not being sure if this would cause the shame or not in the future. Letting it be was for the best.
"Alright, Deno it is."