Mana. To think it'd be able to affect me this greatly from so far. No doubt had I been closer, death was but certain. The thought of it sends shivers down my spine as I felt the sweat drip from my shivering hands. I may be dead already but I can still feel pain, quite clearly at that. The idea of death remained quite frightening despite my experience with it and lack of attachments.
Should I say, as expected of a fantasy-like world? The concept of mana is still quite foreign to me but I have a rough idea of it now that I've experienced its effectiveness firsthand. I'll be dealing with it often if I want any hope of surviving it seems. Truly, an eye-opening experience. As Phaidra said, my understanding of her words and warning has only reached me in depth after this moment.
I have no confidence in coming even remotely close to a sliver of strength that the dragon has just demonstrated. If I could attain even that much, I'll be living comfortably... or not when I think about it.
There are too many questions and uncertainties in mind regarding mana like one's limit and repercussions. Such factors are definitely in place but I have no way of knowing the details yet. Despite that, there should be quite a few individuals well-practiced in mana.
Considering Phaidra's words from before, gods and humans in Elara have been around for several eons. Knowledge regarding mana should have been passed down through generations leading to some breakthroughs here and there, as it would for most resources or inventions on Earth.
If I am to believe that mana has significantly increased the effects of the dragon's roar, that puts into question its effect on trained humans. How powerful would someone be if they could utilize the same amount of mana the dragon did?
By the time I came to, I found Phaidra smiling before me.
"Oh, did I keep you waiting? Got lost in my thoughts a bit just now." I told her apologetically.
I've been doing a lot of thinking as of late, more so than I usually do. Makes sense though when I've encountered all sorts of unfamiliar and fascinating otherworldly concepts. The possibilities of mana peak my interest, more so than a lot of things would or have.
"I'm glad you have such a great interest in my world and what it has to offer. I'm sure that curiosity will continue to drive you forward as you discover more while venturing out into the unknown, the uncharted. Such is the captivating beauty of human nature! Haha!" Phaidra burst into great laughter as she put both hands on her hips.
It's to my good fortune that her pleasant mood stays with her. Watching her act like this reminds me of a kid who's proud that someone else likes her precious drawing.
"Hmm?" A few moments later, something seemed to catch her eye as Phaidra turned her attention elsewhere, abruptly ending her laughs. She broke into a smile once more not long after diligently analyzing that something.
"What's up, Phaidra?" I walked up to her and also looked in the direction she was looking. Obviously, I could not pinpoint where exactly she was looking or at what.
I've gotten somewhat used to the fact that we're walking in mid-air and managed to quell the uneasiness in me when I thought of my horrific end should I fall. It brought me comfort knowing that I had a goddess as a companion. Surely such a tragic end would never happen.
"Haha! You're in luck today kiddo! Such an opportunity doesn't come by often." She turned and told me delightfully as if it was to my great benefit.
"What do you mean?" For some reason, I have a bad feeling about this. I know that Phaidra is rather spontaneous but wasn't she supposedly in a hurry? Is it really alright to get side-tracked this often? I don't even have a physical body at the moment if I recall correctly. Shouldn't that be changed sometime soon?
"Relax. It'll be a great help to you in more ways than you can imagine! Come on now, let's get going!" She grabbed my hand as she jumped off the invisible platform.
Wait... jumped off? Surely what I wish wouldn't happen just did. As I felt the wind press upon me as we tore through the air, the sights before me getting closer and closer as I looked down, and the constant laughter coming from Phaidra, it matches up with what I'd deduced
To be certain that I'm not going crazy though, I should re-analyze the current chain of events just in case. Something amusing caught Phaidra's interest. She believes it to be an opportunity in my favor and has decided that we need to check it out. To do so, she decided to jump from our current position while dragging me with her. In doing so, neither of us has stopped since then.
It seems I must come to terms with reality. We're truly free-falling from a height several thousands of meters up in the air. I never had a fear of heights up until now.
"It's been great knowing you, Phaidra. I'm grateful that you were the last one I was able to speak with. It was short but truly meaningful. It'll all end now though." I told her remorsefully as I wiped my tears in a seated position.
"Ha! What are you talking about?" Phaidra questioned.
"Tell my little sister that I had left peacefully and to take care of herself. God cut my life short, unfortunately."
"That... I did do, indirectly you could say." She responded somewhat unwillingly as I shut my eyes right to shield myself from the impending doom.
I waited a few seconds before breathing a sigh of relief. Phaidra had stopped mid-air several meters above the treetops in a large forest. With her, my body did the same, mysteriously and defying all sense of logic.
"... I had my doubts but to think it was truly possible," I commented begrudgingly knowing I could've better prepared myself if she had assured me of safety. Or if she had just told me ahead of time.
"Despite how I may act, I am still a god you know." She said with a smug expression as she had us both glide to the ground slowly.
Even if she was that free-spirited and forgot I was there with her, the abilities she has shown thus far are befitting her status. Someone who could teleport across the universe to a different world would surely be able to stop themselves from plummeting to their death if they were even susceptible to a notion like that, to begin with.
Her presence and my understanding of that don't make the experience any less terrifying. I'm just glad I didn't embarrass myself by acting too unsightly from the suddenness of it.
"You could've warned me ahead of time if you were going to do something like that." I informed her well knowing that she wouldn't take my advice to heart.
"Now where's the fun in that? You should know me by now." She told me, confirming that she had done so intentionally.
"You... forget it." I gave in. It's not like I could do anything to change her mind.
"That's what I thought. Now, follow behind me closely." She took the lead and although clueless of her intentions, I had no choice but to comply.
I had to watch my steps carefully as we traversed the forest full of all sorts of unknown creatures and species of plants. The heat was even starting to get to me. How I could feel the heat, to begin with, I decided to attribute it to Phaidra's mischief.
The unknown only continued the further we went. I may not be an expert in much or anything at all really but it doesn't take much to know that a 5-meter-plus giant monster dragging a club full of blood while eating raw meat is definitely not normal. This mini journey continued for a while and served as another eye-opening experience before we eventually reached our destination.
A dragon.
There he stood in all his glory. His crimson scales cover every inch and practically scream impenetrable. The claws the size of my body dig into the ground with ease as the wings lay rested on his back as if to say all are unworthy to witness its beauty. He held his head up high with an immense aura of pride. Unfettered and unmatched.
The reason why people came up with the word indomitable was this majestical creature. It was the culmination of immense raw power, pride, and beauty. Although I was sure that we were hidden using Phaidra's power, I had not actually confirmed this. This doubt was specially considered when I made eye contact with this scarlet dragon and continued for a few silent moments.
His deep marine eyes exuded wisdom and a superior authority that was etched into my very being. I was speechless. In more ways than one could describe. It didn't help that Phaidra was equally as silent, most probably enjoying my reaction as she did for the previous occasion.
I took a deep breath as I thought of the difficulties that awaited me. Challenging would be an understatement. My future looked bleak if I was going to go numb everytime I saw one. I'd like to believe that dragons are incredibly few in number and hidden from human populations but I can't be sure. What's certain is that I'll be fighting monsters like this to survive if I'm unlucky.
Life on the edge. It'd be interesting perhaps if I'm being positive. I have no clue as to how I would truly feel about it. Fearful for the death that awaits me? Determined to survive? Or vengeful for those who put me in such a situation? Thinking about it won't help. I'll just have to wait and see how things turn out. There are too many uncertainties in place. Like what kind of family I'll be born in.
I've been extremely lucky in my life so far in that regard at least, having almost everything one could dream of at birth. That much, I was grateful for. To who? I don't know. Yet, I can't be so lucky a second time. I've learned my fair share of life in medieval times back on Earth and if life in this world is in any way similar...
I'm in for a tough time.