《Dragon: Birth of an Ancient》


 A1:C1 Storm - Part One

    Bolts of violet lightning thundered across the dark, foreboding sky as if they were enraged serpents while fat, oversized raindrops crashed towards the earth, only to be caught by the thick forest canopy that protected the ground from the full might of the raging storm.


    Booming thunder accompanied the terrifying light show, causing the eath to shake while the howl of the bitter, cutting wind made it almost impossible for any of the various sentient beings that were witnessing the scene to describe it as anything but apocalyptic.


    Deep down, those with enough strength and mental fortitude not to seek shelter immediately knew that an intense, otherworldly battle must have taken place recently.


    Extreme changes in the weather, especially those that were violent and seemingly uncontrollable, were always the direct cause of battles between peak powers that involved one or more Chosen.


    The reason for this was that their abilities relied on mana, divine energy that only the Chosen could utilise, which would mutate the laws of nature and generate deviations in the world essence. While external mana would eventually dissipate, without direct control it would cause havoc with the surrounding environment and force the world spirit to respond in an attempt to restore balance fiercely.


    Even with the raging storm, far off in the distance bright flashes and the sound of battle could be faintly discerned as a battle of epic proportions took place on a distant mountain.


    Suddenly, a deafening roar, terrifying in might rose out of the dense forest vegetation and was quickly followed by a compact, earth-shattering explosion as a dome of black flams incinerated everything in its immediate vicinity and sent everything else flying high into the air. The blast contained so much force that it even reversed the momentum of the falling raindrops momentarily.


    Just as the vibrations from the massive explosion started to die down, a black shadow, around about the size of a large horse, shot away from its epicentre and back into the dense undergrowth, using the only landmark, a nearby mountain to guide it.


    As the shadow crashed through the vegetation, it left dark red, blood stains on the various leaves and trees, however, instead of being washed away by the rain, instead it seemed to boil as it ate away whatever it landed on.


    "Don''t let that bitch escape." A loud, almost awe-inspiring roar, that seemed even to make the thunder diminish in reverence, repeated through the forest as ten humanoid figures appeared in the newly formed crater wearing what appeared to be similar to medieval weapons and armour.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "What about Jean and his team?" responded one of the figures, its leather armour was torn almost to rags, revealing various bloody wounds.


    "Look around you," snorted the original speaker, crimson robes catching in the wind and revealing plate-like armour, that reflected the lightning above, underneath. "They underestimated that wench and paid the price. They are dead."


    "As you will be soon," responded a chilling, heartless yet still feminine voice as its owner, the shadow that looked like hat already fled, yet was hovering just behind a large tree, spat out a stream of black flames, so dark that they appeared to absorb the limited light surrounding it.


    Turning anything that stood in its way to dust, the flame shot towards the crimson-robed man yet the shadow had already fled into the forest, not waiting to see if its attack was successful.


    Shock, as he had personally seen the shadow escaping earlier, appeared in the man''s eyes yet he didn''t hesitate in the slights, quickly raising both of his hands, palm outwards and pushing mana out of his core as he envisioned a shield.


    Flickering once before fulling forming, a blue shield, similar to the metal shield one of the figures was carrying, appeared in front of the man just before the flames were about to reach him.


    A thunderous explosion rippled out from where the shield and flame met yet, even though the mana shield had taken most of the power out of the attack, it was still unable to entirely resist and, with a secondary explosion, shattered and sent the man hurtling backwards and slamming into the floor.


    "Elder!"


    "Lord Commander!"


    "Guild Master!"


    Various exclamations of surprise, horror and shock were shouted out as the remaining nine figures rushed towards the downed, smoking body of the man as he tore the burning robes from his body and patted out the black flames.


    "After her," bellowed the man. The greedy, lustful shine in his eyes standing in contrast to his bleak state as he coughed and a mouthful of blood seeped through his lips. "Your heads will be the price if she escapes."


    "Sir!." As one, the remaining nine responded with various salutes ringing off their multiple types of armour before changing direction and chasing into the forest, heading for where they last saw the fleeing shadow.


    To an outsider, even without the differences in armour, appearance and manners, it would be clear that the group, although knowing each other, they all had different backgrounds. At the moment, they held a common goal and obeyed the man, grey hair starting to appear at the side of his head, without question.


    Struggling to stand as he watched his comrades, or more likely subordinates, flicker into the forest, the injured man extracted a bottle of red, blood-like liquid from a pouch tied to his waist and raised it to his mouth before greedily drinking it and discarding the empty vial.


    "Little dragoness," whispered the man to himself as his wounds started to heal visibly and cracks could be heard from his mending ribs. "There is nowhere you can run. Either you will be mine, or you will die. The time of your kind is over. The age of the Chosen has arrived."


    With a flick of his wrist and an incomprehensible mumble, blue energy gathered at his feet, seemingly dancing between them, and with only a moment''s hesitation, his figure flickers as he rejoined the chase.


    By this time, the shadow had made it to the foot of the mountain and, even though anyone would say it was on its last legs, was quickly ascending its cliffs through ever growingly sparse trees.

 A1:C1 Storm - Part Two

    The Dragoness'' surprise attack had bought her a fair amount of time, enough to gain a significant amount of distance yet she was still dispirited that it had only injured, not killed, one of the biggest threats chasing her.


    "Not enough." The dragoness'' four, reptilian legs, covered in shadow-like fog, dragged along the ground as she stumbled forward. "The odds are still against me."


    Stopping to catch her breath, the reptilian-like shadow, with what appeared to be the tattered remains of two wings hanging listlessly at her sides, couldn''t help but lean against a rocky outcrop as she gasped for breath as the shadows that encompassed her body started to fade.


    Intricate, black scales, in the same of a reverse teardrop that was as captivating as they were beautiful, gradually surfaced yet, along with her features, the dragoness'' many grievous, seemingly life-threatening wounds were revealed.


    To even the smallest, most ignorant child, it would be evident that the creature was in a great deal of pain and, without help, wouldn''t survive for long but, in stark contrast to this, the dragoness'' bright amber eyes were burning with absolute resolve.


    "Just a little more. I need to balance the scales..." she hissed audibly, even though the dragons scaled lips hadn''t moved.


    The storm continued to thunder above, the rain running down the dragon''s impressive body like small, raging rivers yet, even in her weakened state, she gave of the bearing of an immovable mountain as she took deep, steadying breaths as the last of her protective shadows dispersed.


    Shaking her sleek, reptilian head that had six spikes, three each side, sticking out before curving to the back, in an attempt to clear the haze that was gradually falling over her mind, the dragoness couldn''t help but think about how her life had come to this point. "So, this is it? This is how our primordial bloodline exits this world? Wiped from existence by vermin and their pathetic gods? No... it''s not over yet. Not until the last of us fall."


    "They paid for their actions in blood but not nearly enough..." A ferocious, cold-blooded snarl appeared on her features as the water running off her body rapidly heated.


    But, as quickly as her rage had appeared, it vanished, and even with her reptilian features, it was easy to tell that the dragoness'' expression was grim. "If only those cowards stood and fought instead of running with their tails between their legs, we would have stood a chance. Curse their primordial ancestors, they would be ashamed..."


    The dragoness'' words turned into incoherent mumbles as he vision started to flicker and exhaustion seeped into her muscles.


    Luckily for her, a loud clap of thunder overhead brought her back to her senses and, with a low growl, she pushed herself away from the rocks and began moving towards a cave she had spotted when approaching the mountain.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Even though the heavy rain and darkness, using her dragonic eyesight she had been able to see the faint glow of the caves'' faintly glowing stones, imbued with the essence of earth, and without any other options, decided to make it the place of her last stand.


    Back at the place, she had been resting, the rocks she had lent against displayed stains of thick, red blood which had flowed down and pooled in the impressions made by the dragoness'' eight. The amount of blood, for the short time the dragoness had stopped, was shocking. It was unclear how the wounded monster was still conscious and standing, given the size of her body, yet still she persisted as lightning continued to flicker overhead.


    With her sharp, dagger-like teeth gritted, the dragoness finally made it to the cave''s mouth and, after ensuring it wasn''t the start of a dungeon or lair of anything that could threaten her in her current state, she wiped some of her blood on each side the entrance before quickly entering its depths.


    Moments after she disappeared the first pursuer appeared, analysing the place where the dragon rested earlier and quickly following the trail to the mouth of the cave before stopping, a grim appearance emerging on his face. "Fuck."


    "Found her?" A thick, gravelly voice appeared beside the man as the air shimmered and revealed a man in brown leather armour, a variety of daggers, and sharp weapons tied to his arms, chest and legs.


    "Shes in the cave," responded the first man, his brown robes drenched with the torrential rain.


    "Fuck indeed," responded the leather-clad man. "As the saying goes, a warrior can fight a dragon on the ground, a king in the sea or sky but only a madman would fight on in the depths of the earth."


    "Not only that but she''s wounded," nodded the other man, noticing a few more figures appear in his peripheral. "and now cornered. Even a cornered goblin is dangerous..."


    Grim expressions appeared on the gathered figures faces before a plate wearing warrior spoke up. "Why don''t we just get the Elder to collapse the mountain? We only need to kill her. Nothing more."


    "No," sighed the assassin. "We need to ensure the egg the dragon carries is destroyed as well. What if she has hidden it somewhere as she fled? Without proof of destruction, we will need to capture her and discover its location."


    "Drop the fucking mountain on her and be done with it, we can double back and check everywhere she has been since fleeing the Dragon''s Peak. Dragon''s might be mighty but they are not gods," interrupted another robe wearing man.


    "Enough." Boomed the voice the Elder as his body flickered into existence near the Cave''s entrance. To many, it appeared to be teleportation, but to the agile assassin, he knew it was a movement technique imbued with mana. "I want either her or the egg, alive. I don''t really care which but the preference would be on the egg. If you act accordingly, I will overlook what happens to the valuable remains that the dragoness will ''drop''."


    The nine others looked at each other uncomfortably. A dragon''s core was worth a small fortune, just as were its bones, skin, organs and flesh, especially if put up for auction. Various artisans would go crazy in an attempt to get such rare and valuable ingredients.


    "I will aid you, but I won''t touch the remains," said the clothed brown man, the reluctance in his eyes aimed at his own words.


    The eight others nodded towards the man, not willing to argue a point that would cost them money.


    "Right, then prepare yourselves. This isn''t going to be easy," nodded the Elder as he started shifting various potions around his body for easy access.

 A1:C2 The Cave - Part One

    Shuffling through the cold, eerie light generated from the excess earth essence that had accumulated in the cave''s walls for thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, the dragoness steadily descended into the depths of the mountain.


    As she progressed, the dragoness was forced to ignore the overwhelming dank, musky smell and the occasional rotting corpse from beasts that been wounded, crawling into the darkness to die.


    She couldn''t help but sneer as such weak, pathetic creatures. While it seemed like the dragoness was behaving in the same way, unlike those lesser creatures, she hadn''t come to escape her enemies but to kill them.


    When faced with any questions on direction when the tunnel split into multiple paths, the dragoness always picked the leftmost path and prayed she would not come to a dead end before completing her plan.


    Ignoring her injuries, she would only stop to examine the various, small nests hidden in the caves many hidden orifices, to stumble and wipe more blood on the wall or, in certain places, to quickly scratch a rune-like scribble with her long, sharp claws before covering it with any debris nearby.


    After about thirty minutes of forcing herself through the exhaustion, the dragoness was forced to blink her scaled eyelids rapidly. Her vision kept blurring, and she couldn''t help but release a hiss-like sigh.


    She had been hunted for days now, having managed to break through the surrounding forces that had arrived to assault the Dragon''s Peak.


    During that time, the dragoness had been in mortal danger more times that she could count and her nerves were beyond frayed.


    Each, almost silent, drip from the various stalactites that hung from the cave''s ceiling caused her muscles to spasm, ready to fight at a moment notice. Even though she was a monster that held the dark attribute and lived in the shadows most of her long life, now she knew it was coming to a premature end, as well as the fact that if she fell, so would her unborn child, every shadow felt like it concealed a hidden danger.


    Combining her exhaustion and the impending sense of doom, the dragoness slowly reverted to her natural instincts and released chilling hisses and rumbling growls towards the shadows, terrifying the caves indigenous wildlife that consisted mainly of insects and small mammals.


    Her kinds brutal, imposing nature, especially those of the Dark Clan, was to stand and fight. To face any threat head-on, no matter how powerful or cunning the enemy was. This was growingly shown in her disposition after a couple of bats and giant cave spiders, too weak for her to even take notice of, was incinerated in a wave of black flame for being to slow to get out of her way.


    However, even though she had an urge to stop and fight those who were undoubtedly following her trails, an even higher instinct kept her moving forward.


    One that had enabled her to forsake her family, pride and to attempt to escape the coming calamity. Not for herself, as when she had completed her mission, if she hadn''t already fallen, she would return and stand proudly with her race as they met the enemy head-on.


    No this was for her unborn child. An event that, for her almost immortal race, that was so rare, entire species may never witness.


    A small black tear, almost unnoticeable, flowed between her scales before splashing on the stone floor.


    The face of her lover, a member of another bloodline who had decided to stay and share her clan''s fate, as well those of her parents and siblings as she broke through and fled caused immeasurable sadness in her heart.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    It wasn''t that they were angry or even sad when they saw what she was doing. It was that they displayed relieved, understanding countenances that didn''t hold a trace of judgement. They not only expected her to do it, but it was also like they were waiting for her to try and escape.


    The moment she acted, the entire peak became a maelstrom of death and destructions as the ancient dragons released thousands of years of bitterness and anger. The Chosen, stunned by the ferocity of the counterattack, could only fall back and make way as she broke through.


    Though it is evident that they had all wordlessly not only agreed with her actions but had provided the best distraction, the dragoness felt like she had dishonoured them with her decision. Their efforts, while causing a high death toll of Chosen, would limit the time they were able to hold out and hasten their demise.


    Still, even if she went back in time, she would make the same decision again. It saddened her, but it was what had to be done. The dragoness was now a mother, and a dragon mothers highest priority was her offspring. Not to mention this was the first and, most likely, the last child she would have.


    Most of the world''s races, especially those of the Chosen, would call her kind aggressive, tyrannical and unyielding. Others, though in the minority, would say they were fanatically loyal creatures that lived, and died, with honour.


    To the dragoness, both accounts were both correct yet even now; she wondered if it was their natural disposition was what led to the current situation.


    To the edge of extinction.


    The unwillingness to lose their position as overlords at the top of the world, to submit to those they had deemed inferior beings, even with the blessings of the gods, had been what had caused their decline.


    The other dragon bloodlines, sensing the shift in power early on, either kneeled at the feet of the Chosen, preferring to become the ultimate pet and companion, or fled to one of the secondary worlds leaving her clan to stand alone.


    The Dark Clan was compromised by one of the more stubborn dragon subspecies and instantly refused to yield.


    Thousands of years of bloody conflict later, where they had slaughtered an uncountable amount of Chosen and their monster slaves, they no longer had the strength to continue the fight. While a dragon was still the pinnacle of power, they had been worn down by sheer numbers.


    While the dragons killed so many that entire rivers of blood flowed, and mountains of bone rose out of the ashes, they could not compete with the vermin-like, rapidly propagating species, at least in their eyes, as they repopulated and evolved at an outstanding rate.


    Unlike the newer species, dragons eggs took a little under a million years to fully develop, their species having come from an era where the world and spirit energy was so thin, it took aeons to gather.


    Not only that, but dragon hatchlings were extremely intelligent, gaining necessary information from their bloodlines, and needed to be nurtured carefully to ensure they the did not warp their souls and personality. Intelligence and basic knowledge without context and experience, while beneficial, turned out to be a double-edged sword.


    In comparison, the various Chosen species only took a few decades to develop, after a brief gestation period, and by utilising their divine gifts, could become powerhouses that, given enough time and resources, could even threaten a dragon.


    While only a rare few could reach this stage, just by the sheer numbers born, to the dragons, it felt like they had only just started to recover from the last Chosen hero when another entered the fray.


    Still, even with their divine gifts and ability to repopulate rapidly, the war had been devastating for the Chosen races. If it weren''t for their faith in their gods, who actively took part in the conflict whenever it looked like a Chosen species was about to wiped out, they would have long since sued for peace.


    It wasn''t surprising that, even though the gods had removed most of their base instincts when they selected their races, an instinctual fear had once again been engraved into the souls of the Chosen.


    For every dragon that fell, the Chosen and their allies paid a hefty price but, in the end, their tactics seemed to have paid off.


    The last bastion of dragons, the Dragon''s peak, was on the verge of falling.


    Begrudging respect appeared in the dragoness'' heart.


    While the dragons stood like mountains, the Chosen were like the winds and the rain. Tiny, unworthy of notice and seemingly insignificant but with enough time, they had eroded their foundations and brought the world into a new era.


    She only hoped it would be one that her offspring could survive in.

 A1:C2 The Cave - Part Two

    Shaking her head and pushing the useless thoughts of what had been to the back of her mind, the dragoness continued into the ever-narrowing cave system with grim determination.


    She could not fail.


    No, she would not fail.


    As long as her body still contained life, she would fight to ensure the best possible start for her egg.


    Small pools of bubbling, red blood were left in the dragoness'' wake yet, even though her ability to think was diminishing along with her blood, she knew that she was unable to heal her wounds and only continue onwards.


    The injuries she had sustained were from weapons, spells and abilities that drew their power from light essence, the natural counter to her bodies dark energy.


    If she had the time and a safe place to rest, she could stop and forcefully close the wounds and expel the rampaging light essence. However, in her current situation, if the dragoness did that she would exhaust her remaining energy and leave herself and her child at the mercy of her pursuers.


    Something she would not allow, no matter the cost.


    Most Chosen would happily kill her so that they could consume her life essence and gain strength, refine her body parts into potions, elixirs and in the case her bones and scales, into weapons and armour. Some might even have nefarious designs on her soul, tethering it to a doll or worse, an inanimate object.


    However, they were the preferable outcomes, at least in the mind of the dragoness.


    The alternative was that the Chosen would capture her and force a spiritual bond which, while she was weak, would be tampered with to the extent that she would be little more than a slave.


    A Chosen''s slave monster did not live a good life. Her being a dragon would only worsen her fate.


    Even worse, was that they could do that to her unhatched child.


    A murderous glint flashed across her eyes as her pace quickened and a devilish promise escaped her lips "None of them should think of leaving this cave alive. None of them~."


    Eventually, the cavern narrowed to the point where the dragoness'' body could no longer continue. In fact, the dragoness couldn''t even turn around if she wanted to.


    Instead of panicking, the dragoness revealed a cold, calculated smile, knowing that in the upcoming fight, their numbers were the most prominent threat. If she could find a place where she could fight one or two of them at a time, her chances would significantly increase.


    Loud cracking noises, which sounded strangely metallic in nature, rang out as the dragoness body contorted and shrunk at an alarming rate.


    Within less than five breaths, the monstrous dragon had disappeared and in its place, still on all fours, crawled a naked, pale skinned, black haired woman.


    Thick, black scales covered the woman''s sensitive areas, her breasts and lower regions, elegantly protecting her modesty and creating a captivating, otherworldly sensation.


    The dragon in the form of a female human slowly pulled herself to her feet, unaccustomed to her bodies change.


    "I didn''t think that I would use this form again," chuckled the woman, though the sound held no mirth.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The humanoid form, an evolutionary conversion that had been forced on monsters, even the most powerful ones, by the gods, was considered something of an insult to her kind. Something that had been done so that the Chosen races, which were all surprisingly humanoid, could exploit and reap even more benefits.


    Destroying her lady-like appearance, the dragoness spat out a lump of clotted blood as she tested her humanoid legs while under the cave''s natural light.


    Standing in stark contrast to her pale, jade-like skin, bloody, gruesome wounds covered her body.


    However, she didn''t even seem to notice. Without paying her injuries any attention, the dragoness used a delicate hand, to run along the cave''s wall to steady herself as she continued her journey.


    Even though it felt like her pursuers were breathing down her neck and were just behind her, the dragoness continued to stop and mark the walls with her blood, occasionally with some sort of runic formation as well as checking any nests she came across, sometimes even examining the eggs briefly before moving on.


    Time continued to flow, and for the first time in her long life, the dragoness seriously took note of it. On the one hand, she needed as much time as possible to prepare for the upcoming confrontation, but on the other hand, with each second that passed, she lost more of her precious life essence and became weaker.


    The compressed blood, expanding back to its original size once it had escaped the control and humanoid body of the dragoness, dyed her almost perfect body a bloody crimson colour.


    However, even for a creature as powerful as a dragon, the wounds and blood loss were becoming too much, and her body started to shake and jerk as she forced it to continue moving. Even her beautiful, amber eyes, majestic and proud, began to dim.


    After a few more steps, she had to stop to catch her breath.


    "It seems this is as far as I go," spat the dragoness in disgust.


    The proud being could no longer ignore the barrage of complaints her body was sending. "I can''t believe that it has come to this... chased into a cave and forced to use every trick in the book just to take my enemies with me. Mother would never forgive me if she were still alive. Then again, we would never have fallen into this state if she was still here."


    Surveying the area and forcing her body to move, the dragoness made her final preparations, marking the walls in her blood while organising the eggs in a nearby hidden nest, before collapsing against the wall of a slightly larger tunnel. The tunnel''s middle bloating out to make what was similar to a small room with two entrances making it a good place for her last stand.


    The dragoness only lamented that it was slightly too small to use her true form.


    A tired voice escaped her ruby coloured lips, smeared with her own blood. "It''s up to fate now. I have done everything I can."


    "Kaltheia~." A middle-aged voice echoed down the tunnels, causing the dragon to freeze in shock that her name was known to her pursuers.


    "Surrender, and I can guarantee your life and that of your child," continued the voice. "A child does not inherit the sins of its parents."


    Kaltheia couldn''t help but smirk, knowing that the voice had no idea that even if he got her egg, he would never benefit from it. The gestation time of a dragon''s egg was unknown to the other races. Generations of them would grow old and die before it hatched.


    The smirk vanished as fear appeared in her eyes as she realised that their ignorance would work against her.


    If they didn''t know, then from what she understood of the Chosen race''s behaviour, they would target the egg believing that they would have a better time bending her offspring to their will.


    She had assumed because the Chosen races were so concerned with themselves and not their future generations, that they would see not see much value in her egg and practically ignore it.


    It was something they could deal with later. Nothing more than a bonus with the injured dragoness.


    Rage seethed in her chest as her breathing increased but, being a creature that had lived such a long life, she didn''t panic.


    With the flick of her wrist, a small, fist-sized egg, white with black spots appeared in the palm of her hands. "Looks like I will have to go with the backup plan. Luckily, I had already prepared this in advance."


    Moments later, a weathered face appeared around the corner of the tunnel, saw her, and disappeared. Seconds later, faint whispers drifted towards her sensitive ears.


    A terrifying smile appeared on the dragoness'' beautiful face. It seemed like the group she had destroyed earlier had contained the Chosen''s best trackers or they would not be relying on sight to locate her. "No wonder the fools followed me without destroying my formations."


    Restraining a laugh, the dragoness tried to wipe the smile off her face knowing that without those that could use their mana to sense the world essence around them, her scheme was much more likely to work.

 A1:C2 The Cave - Part Three

    Just under a hundred meters down the tunnel, a group of nine figures huddled around the Elder as he scratched the rough stubble growing on his cheek and pondered the situation that had just been reported by the assassin.


    It seemed that not only had the dragoness entered her human form, but she had seemingly collapsed and was waiting for them.


    His gut was telling him that something was wrong but how could he know that the one he was chasing had forsaken the pride her kind was famous for to ensure victory. Dragons, while not stupid, had nearly always prefered direct confrontation instead of relying on tricks and schemes making them somewhat easy to understand.


    "Guild Master, I didn''t say anything earlier as I didn''t think the dragoness would be in such a state, but you should know that the Grand Council have ordered that all dragons that have not been bound must be killed? Why would you make an offer that we cannot keep?" whispered the leather-clad man, who was currently applying various toxins to his blades as they had located their quarry.


    The others, who were now in the throes of there own preparations without rush, as it seemed the dragoness had finally exhausted herself, looked towards their slightly greying leader.


    "Bound is bound. Before the order was given or after makes little difference. I will still be complying with the spirit of the agreement," chuckled the Elder.


    He had already made his preparations outside the cave system and couldn''t help but look down on the young nobles around him for their lack of sense.


    It was apparent to him that those in charge had decided that this dragon hunt was safer than the assault of Dragon''s Peak and strings had been pulled to get the offspring of the more significant, non-militaristic houses out of danger.


    The Elder couldn''t help but shake his head.


    The dragon''s gradual decline in strength had taken over a thousand years. Now the end was in sight, those who had avoided the fighting had finally come out to try and claim some of the spoils.


    Thinking that victory was all but guaranteed, these inexperienced Chosen had significantly underestimated the dragons which inevitably had lead to countless deaths.


    Not that the Elder, who belonged to one of the small, militaristic houses minded.


    To him, the cowardly nobles were only culling themselves. Something that would make the transition of power after the war much more manageable.


    For his house, like many others, prospered in times of war but, without a significant enemy to cower the masses, they would need to look into other methods to maintain control.


    Pushing past those who were in his care, just out of eyesight of the dragoness, the Elder calmed his nerves. "So my beauty~ Have you thought about my offer?"


    "What is there to think about?" responded a harsh, feminine voice with a heavy tinge of disgust. "You want to either want to enslave us or use our bodies for your hideous concoctions. Why would I bind both my body and soul to such a disgusting creature? What makes you think you are better than me? That you have the strength to dictate such terms?"


    The tone of the Dragoness turned mocking. "You want me to submit? Ha. How about I give you a counter offer? One much for fitting for your petty existence. Leave now, and if I feel like it, I will allow you to retain your worthless lives."


    The Elder chuckled, though his cheeks burned from her vicious onslaught, along with the nine others who knew the state of the dragoness.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Appart from the Elder, none of them had any experience with dragons other than this hunt yet they still knew of a dragon''s legendary arrogance and pride and felt that she was attempting to bluff her way out.


    "Come on little monster, you are on the verge of death," the brown-robed man responded after taking a quick peek around the bend. "Pride and honour are useless to the dead. Our Elder is a respectable man and, as long as you behave, will ensure that you are not treated too poorly."


    "What are you doing?" whispered the plate wearing man. "If she submits, we won''t get anything. Her body is almost priceless."


    The brown robbed man shrugged as he rolled his eyes. "If it were me in there, I would like to think I would be given a chance."


    "You would have been roasted alive and become nothing but ash without a moment''s hesitation," grumbled the Elder, displeased that he had been interrupted by the nobles.


    "Kaltheia~, I hope you don''t mind me using your true name, but I must stress the importance of what I am about to say," continued the Elder, not willing to give the other nobles a chance to derail his attempts at subjugating the dragoness. "Your clan is on the verge of extinction, abandoned by your kin and are at death''s door. Think about what is best for you and your young."


    "Everything is as the gods will. They are generous in offering you this opportunity to not only survive but a chance to prosper in a new age."


    "As the god''s will?" spat Kaltheia, bloodlust seeping into her voice. "So the gods willed us to destroy four of your capitals, burning them to the ground with every man, woman and child that inhabited them? When we devoured all your best and brightest after discovering the locations of your training grounds? They willed every city that we have raised?"


    "What about all of the divine bloodlines we have eradicated? What about their descendants, the demi-gods, that we have slain? You truly believe this is the will of your gods? They may be powerful, but not even they can control fate and time."


    Each statement was like a hammer blow to the Chosen that were hiding in the tunnel, raising issues that not only did they not have the answers to, but that the didn''t even want to think about.


    "And don''t give me that crap about them having a bigger plan for everything. Even your gods can''t escape the laws of existence," continued the Dragoness.


    "It''s only a matter of time that they are killed off by their offspring, just like what they did to their parents, and ascended the heavenly thrones."


    "My kind has seen it all before. We have existed from the primordial era, the beginning of time, and seen gods come and go like the changing of the seasons."


    Kaltheia''s voice darkened. "And when they fall, without their gifts, you Chosen will follow quickly. And you know what?"


    A beautiful smile reappeared on the dragoness'' face. "Just as it always has been, my species will continue onwards, eventually forgetting that your misbegotten races ever existed. My clan may fall, but you cannot erase the might of all of our draconic bloodlines. My kind has face faced far greater tribulations than this."


    Kaltheia''s statement wasn''t just false bravado. Her kind was one of the first species to exist, and although they had evolved significantly since their humble beginnings, they were, excluding the seven worlds and two heavenly dimensions, a constant that had always existed. Even with the extinction of the Dark Clan, the six other dragonic bloodlines would continue and, if history were anything to go by, would eventually return to this world when the dust had settled.


    "Watch your mouth monster," spat a crimson-robed figure as the sword in his hand emitted an azure glow before rushing down the tunnel, towards the small enclave in which the Kaltheia sat. "You kind have no soul and will never be reincarnated unlike us Chosen and the gods we follow. Once you die, you cease to exist whereas for us, our deeds in life will be measured, and we will be justly rewarded. We are the eternal ones."


    "Damon!" bellowed the Elder, quickly following the impulsive youth with the rest of his group. He knew that the dragoness was trying to provoke them, and only thought that she wanted to initiate the fight before she grew too weak to resist.


    The man called Damon charging in gave her this opportunity and could impact his chances of capturing such an impressive creature causing him to grind his teeth in anger.


    His anger at the young noble only increased as his eyes settled on Kaltheia''s human form, causing him to suck in a greedy breath.


    While it was almost impossible to subjugate a dragon, Kaltheia was barely holding onto her consciousness as she took short, shallow breaths.


    Her captivating appearance didn''t even enter his eyes as he licked his lips at the prospect of obtaining not just any old dragon, but a dragon of the Dark Clan.


    While she was in such a weakened state, it would be easy not only to bind her to him but to use the master, servant variety. If he could do this and heal her quickly, ensuring that no permanent damage existed, he would gain an enormously powerful tool to further his ambitions.

 A1:C2 The Cave - Part Four

    While the Elder was lost in his thoughts, the rest of his group sported similar expressions, but theirs were for entirely different reasons.


    While nearly all types of none-humanoid monsters had a humanoid form, the extent of their transformation, including how similar it was to one of the Chosen races, depended on varying factors.


    For some reason, unknown to both Chosen and monster alike, the humanoid form would be affected by any significant Chosen populations present at the time of its birth.


    The next, and seemingly most important factor, was the type of monster combined with the level it had cultivated its monster core.


    A monster that had just entered the beast realm, barely better than a mindless animal, might be able to form the outline of a humanoid but would retain most, if not all, of its natural features.


    Higher level monsters, those that were in the Fiend, Titan or higher realms, if their aura and eye colour were to be ignored, could almost pass off as one of the Chosen.


    However, due to being a fake form, something that the monster''s bloodline could adapt to optimise during the early stages of the monster''s development for their survivability, it was without a doubt that nearly all humanoid forms generated by monsters were, both male and female, bewitchingly attractive in their appearance.


    While the definition of beauty and charm varied between the Chosen races, high-level monsters could be considered the perfected representations of a race''s ideal forms.


    It was this form, that of a human earth-shaking beauty, which temporarily caused the young nobles to forget themselves.


    While the nobles did not know if the scales covering the dragons'' sensitive areas represented a conscious decision or that her core wasn''t strong enough to completely hide her draconic traits, they could only feel that the sparse covering added an exotic vibe that only increased her appeal.


    "Not even in your dreams," spat Kaltheia in disgust, both at the nobles lecherous gazes and the Elder''s covetousness appearance. However, deep inside she couldn''t help but sneer, knowing that any thoughts towards her egg or the true danger they had willing stepped into, had been pushed to the back of their minds.


    Her cold words brought the group back to their senses, and they quickly tried to spread out in the slightly wider tunnel, not wanting to present an easy target to their prey.


    "Don''t worry," reassured the Elder, even as he moved towards the leftmost wall. "Dragons are only able to breathe fire in their natural form, and this tunnel is too small for her to transform."


    The nine others breathed a sigh of relief. That was the first thing they thought about when they came back to their senses. Eight of them sent a dirty look to Damon who looked at the floor in embarrassment.


    "I don''t know who''s the most stupid out of the lot of you," jeered Kaltheia, seemingly enjoying their actions. "The one who rushed out in a rage or the nine who followed him like sheep."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "You!" Damon stomped forward, his sword''s glow increasing but abruptly stopped when a hand landed on his shoulder.


    "Do not fall to provocation. A wounded beast is threatening, a cornered monster, dangerous. A protective mother dragon... deadly. Combine them and not even the gods will be able to save you." The green-eyed elder pulled Damon behind him as he spared a casual glance at the egg in the dragoness'' hand. ¡°Kaltheia, it''s over, you have nowhere to run. Submit to me, and I will ensure you and yo-¡±


    "So you even have intentions towards my young." A threatening hiss, one that could make blood freeze while still being pumped through the heart resonated from Kaltheia as her pretty face twisted into a terrifying expression.


    The Elder only smiled, not willing to display how much the dragoness'' aura intimidated him. "It''s not like you have much say in the matter, is it? Dragon."


    Steeling his resolve, believing the dragoness had exhausted all of her options, he stepped forward. "The lives of you and your child are in the palm of my hand. Mine to do with as I please. You have no control or power in this situation. Either you submit to me, or I kill you and take your egg and raise it like I would a dog."


    "Palm of your hand?" muttered Kaltheia as she looked down at the egg, watery black tears flowing down her face.


    "Yes, an-" The Elder''s words caught in his throat as he finally noticed Keltheia''s grim countenance.


    "I have witnessed the rise and fall of Chosen kingdoms and empires," started the forlorn, almost weeping voice of Kaltheia. "The birth of saints and tyrants alike and so, I know what resides in your so-called Chosen souls. What you can''t control or dominate, you destroy. What kind of mother would I be if I let my child fall into your hands. No, death is a better option. For both of us."


    The Elder''s mouth open and closed like a fish gasping for water.


    This conversation wasn''t going how he expected. While he had not had many dealings with dragons, their meetings often being very violent and bloody, he didn''t believe they would choose the endless abyss over servitude, especially if that fate were for their young.


    For the Chosen, death wasn''t seen as something to fear but being unworthy to re-incarnate was. To their ideologies, that was the same fate as those without souls and thus, to their minds, unless given no other option, no monster would willingly choose death.


    Ignoring the Elder''s dilemma, the young nobles bristled with hostility.


    "Isn''t your kind the same," spat a leather-clad man, his appearance to be around the age of twenty. "You kill Chosen whenever you get the chance, all because we threaten your rule?"


    "Threaten our rule?" replied Kaltheia in a dead voice. "What rule? You Chosen threaten the balance of life. You see anything that is not blessed by your gods as inferior and so, yours for the taking."


    She gestured to her body. "To you, we are nothing but mindless beasts that have been forced to evolve into forms in ways that appeal to your disgusting fetishes. Creatures that exist only to be enslaved and butchered for your benefit. We purge your kind not because of some silly notion of dominance but because you are a plague upon this and all the worlds."


    Anger flared in the nine nobles features as they gripped their weapons and resisted the urge to attack.


    However, under the defeated, almost forlorn expression of the dragoness, she couldn''t help but be jubilant.


    The trap was almost set.


    The Chosen''s anger and fears now blinding them to the danger that surrounded them.


    The corners of the dragoness'' lips twitched upwards.


    Kaltheia didn''t understand how she had become so lucky. Her plan had so many variables that she had created numerous fallbacks but against all of her expectation, not only had nothing gone wrong, but everything had fallen into place perfectly.


    She only needed to lay the final piece, and she could spring her trap and show the Chosen what happened to those who not only underestimated but were stupid enough to hunt dragons.

 A1:C3 The Dragoness - Part One

    Seeing the enraged expression on the Chosen''s faces, ignorant of their impending demise after unknowingly falling into her trap, Kaltheia''s predatory instincts couldn''t help but awaken.


    Millennia of evolution and conditioning had honed her kind''s senses, abilities and instincts to the pinnacle yet, one of the greatest downsides was their innate desire for bloodlust and confrontation.


    As proof of this, even with Kaltheia''s rapidly deteriorating physical state, the drive to toy with, then destroy those that threatened her survival was almost overwhelming.


    However, even with her bloodlust at an all-time high, Kaltheia fought valiantly to suppress the violent urges. Her life no longer belonged solely to her and she couldn''t afford to be rash, especially after expending so much effort to ensure victory.


    Her injuries were anything but light, she was significantly outnumbered and to top it all off, due to the limited space she was in, she had been restricted to her humanoid form.


    Glancing at the egg in her palm, Kaltheia also knew that, at least for the moment, she could not fully utilise what little strength she had left as she would need to ensure its safety. Even if what was in her hand was nothing but a ruse, she couldn''t reveal it too soon.


    Any of these conditions would have put her at a considerable disadvantage, but all together, it would appear that she had been dealt a death sentence.


    The reason why those facing her were so confident was due to these facts yet, to Kaltheia, the Chosen appeared to be remarkably stupid as it was almost too obvious that she was up to something.


    Still, despite her confidence, it wouldn''t be accurate to say she felt no fear. With her preparations she had stacked the odds in her favour but, like everything in life, the outcome was far from certain.


    Her trap was almost complete, and while it could be sprung now, after witnessing the greed and ambition of the man she considered the Chosen''s leader, she decided to add one more layer.


    If she could achieve it, then her scheme would almost be perfect, and strangely enough, it would fit in with the plan to protect her egg almost seamlessly.


    Digging deep, Kaltheia prepared to play her part, purposefully dragging the most painful memories and imagining the most terrifying of her fears.


    The countless deaths she had witnessed over her long life, the probable death of her lover and the demise of her clan quickly flooded her with emotion. However, against her expectations, imagining what the Chosen might do to her child when it hatched caused the most extensive emotional response.


    The dragoness didn''t even need to force the black tears from her eyes as her body trembled with rage and she vowed to not let a single one of them escape.


    Letting out a small whimper of pain, something that sickened her to do, Kaltheia stood, her arms and legs shaking from the effort as she gasped for breath.


    The Elder''s greed skyrocket when he saw the dragoness'' weakened, depressed state and he licked his lips with anticipation.


    His hands were twitching, as if they could reach for what was almost within his grasp, caused Kaltheia to nearly recoil in disgust and lose focus.


    She had seen the greed of the Chosen yet never to this extent. It was as if the Elder had been possessed. However, Kaltheia didn''t give it much thought. It suited her needs perfectly and would ultimately lead to his demise.


    Still, the sight sickened her at an instinctual level, and her resolve to ensure that the man died painfully was etched into her mind.


    "Goodbye," Unlike her rageful inner voice, Kaltheia spoke with such sorrow it felt like the very air was tremoring in sympathy. It was so compelling that even the assaulting Chosen felt a pang of sadness from their hearts upon hearing the tone of her voice.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    However, even though they felt sadness, the word she used caused the Chosen to become alert and they all tensed, expecting the dragoness to attack. But, against all their expectations, what happened next stunned them to their cores.


    Clenching her fist, releasing a wail of anguish at the same time, Kaltheia crushed the egg in her palm.


    Yoke and blood seeped between her fingers and onto the cave''s stone floor as everyone fell into a deafening silence.


    The Elder''s eyes were as wide as saucers, not wanting to believe what had just happened while the other nine looked on with confusion as a foreboding chill that ran down their spines.


    Releasing the remains of the egg before clenching her fist again, Kaltheia''s body shook violently. Though she had replaced her egg with a similar one she had taken from a monster nest earlier, even pretending to destroy it had caused her unimaginable pain.


    "You shall never have my child. Death is a better alternative to what you would do to it," sobbed the dragoness, her features twisting between anger and sorrow as the emotions, no longer fake surged within her.


    Looking from the dragoness to the egg''s remains and back, the Elder was at a complete loss.


    While he wouldn''t claim to be an expert on dragons, he had enough experience to cause him to question what he had seen. With a dragon''s nature, even though they were aggressive, tyrannical beasts, it was almost impossible to conceive that a mother dragon would harm her offspring, no matter the reason.


    He would have even bet his mana core, something he would die without, on it never happening, yet the scene in front of him proved otherwise and he could only nervously swallow at the implications.


    A rumbling growl emanated from Kaltheia, drawing his and the other''s attention away from what had just happened and towards her. She didn''t want them overthinking her deception.


    Luckily for her, a relieved glint crossed the Elder''s eyes as he saw the dragoness and his mind quickly returned to order and focused on her. To him, though the egg had been destroyed, all was not lost. The dragoness remained and as long as he could subdue her, there would be more opportunities in the future.


    "Capture her alive and make sure not to injure her any more than necessary. Anyone who causes permanent damage will have to deal with my wrath," shouted the Elder as he started to circulate mana inside his core.


    The heavy armoured nobles retreated and allowed the mages forward so they could target the dragoness without fear of friendly fire. Their goal was to weaken and trap the dragoness from a distance, mitigating the risk to them.To them, she was barely able to stand, and so, this felt like the safest option.


    Even the Elder had to nod his head at their plan. His idea was to use the heavier armoured men to restrict her movements while he attempted a binding, a tactic that could have led to one or two fatalities, but then again, he didn''t really care about casualties as long as he could gain his prize.


    Not one to take chances, the assassin moved amongst the casters, ready to react in case the dragoness had a burst of energy.


    While they repositioned, Kaltheia''s head hung low as she stood motionless, her black hair covering her face in what, to the Chosen, appeared to be despair.


    The reality was vastly different. She had purposefully positioned her head and hair so they couldn''t see the wicked smile Kaltheia could no longer constrain.


    A terrifying smile that would even cause those that had fallen to the second heavenly realm''s demonic essence to tremble in fear.


    The tunnel limited the advantage of the Chosen''s numbers, the destruction of the monster egg she had picked up, roughly matching what they would expect a dragon''s egg to look like, had eliminated the options for the elder and forced him to restrain their strength in order to capture her. If he wanted a dragon, he would need to capture her alive. If he wanted her to be any use in the future, it would need to be without causing too much damage and this gave her a huge advantage.


    Their hesitation to deal serious injury, especially to one that appeared so weak and in a critical condition, would be a fatal decision, but that was not why she was so ecstatic.


    While it might have looked like she was fleeing haphazardly, she had been searching for the ideal place to eliminate her pursuers.


    This cave system was her chosen ground; a battlefield she had prepared with blood formations. The Chosen had walked towards the open maw of the dragoness, and she wasn''t about to let them escape.


    Even with all these benefits that had been gained by her scheming, the dragoness still wasn''t conceited.


    She knew that her life, and that of her egg, hung on the edge of a blade. The highest priority would be eliminating the Chosen, even if it cost her, her life.


    In that way, even if she lost this battle, she would have won the war.


    In this cave, the dragoness'' egg would be as safe as it could be. Kaltheia had prepared the perfect conditions for it to grow and develop. It may take a million years, and a lot could change in that time, but it was the best she could do and refused to think about it anymore.


    A drop of blood, far brighter than before, fell from her hand and splashed in the small puddle that had formed underneath her. Within moments, tiny droplets, almost invisible to the naked eye, had left the pool and quickly passed the Chosen, racing to activate the formations she had written in her own blood.


    Her smile widened. The time for scheming was over. It was time for what her kind did best.


    Fight.

 A1:C3 The Dragoness - Part Two

    Due to the hair that was covering her face, the Chosen couldn''t see the subtle changes in the dragoness'' face or her teeth as they narrowed into smaller versions of their true forms. However, even though she had disguised the transformations on her face, she couldn''t do anything about the other changes happening to her body.


    "Umm? Guildmaster? How sure are you she can''t transform in here?" asked the brown-robed man with a nervous voice.


    His skin had been tingling in trepidation since they had entered the cave and, even in the dim light of the cave, as he was closest to the dragoness, he was able to see the changes her body was undergoing the clearest.


    The Elder, who was behind the assassin, took a step to the left to look around the azure sword wielding, crimson-robed swordmage and took in a sharp breath at what greeted his eyes.


    It was a well-known fact that the ability for a monster to trigger advantageous, natural traits or skills in their humanoid-forms at will, which the Chosen called monsterification, was something only top-tier'' monsters could achieve.


    This was because it required a significant amount of willpower, intelligence and control that only those with high levelled monster cores could employ.


    Depending on what traits were utilised, the ability to augment their body, similar to their more primitive, humanoid forms, could vastly change the strengths and capabilities of the monster by tweaking their bodies structure and makeup, eliminating any weaknesses that had undoubtedly been created from the merger of two different body types.


    It was also the most common way for high-level monsters to disguise themselves, along with suppressing their aura, as they could resemble their lower ranked cousins.


    This fact was terrifying enough, especially while trapped in an enclosed space. However, it wasn''t what made the Elder so speechless.


    The fact that Kelthiea still had the strength and mindset to activate this ability indicated that she was not as weak and distraught as she appeared.


    If anything, the timing, just after they had put their weakest casters to the front to capture the apparently weakened dragoness, was too perfect.


    The Elder''s thoughts jarred to a halt as the dragoness slowly raised her head and revealed her terrifying smile and bewitchingly reptilian, amber eyes.


    Eyes that, if any of the Chosen survived the upcoming confrontation, would haunt their nightmares until the end of their lives.


    As one, the Chosen subconsciously took a step backwards as their instincts, suppressed by their rigorous training and intelligence, finally recognised the danger infront of them.


    "Die~."


    The word so quiet, it was barely audible but powerful enough to be heard by everyone escaped the dragoness'' lips yet, before they had even reached the first Chosen''s ears, she had moved.


    The stone beneath Kaltheia''s feet had exploded downwards as he body blurred and shot forward, remnants of a black, eerie mist trailing behind her.


    Before any of the Chosen could respond, including the Elder, Kaltheia''s body reappeared before the brown-robed man.


    The dragoness'' reptilian eyes glared into the terrified man''s, her body tall enough even while she held her arms out to her sides and hunched over, like a cat preparing to descend upon a mouse.


    "Foolish Chosen who have eyes bigger than their bellies. I welcome you to your final resting place... I hope you enjoy your stay~."


    Without even having time to process what Kaltheia had said, the brown-robed man''s face froze in shock as he was eviscerated by the dragoness'' black, newly formed, humanoid claws.


    The rest watched without comprehension, their brains still struggling to catch up with the situations rapid reversal, and could only watch with wide, unbelieving eyes as the brown-robed man folded backwards at a seemingly impossible angle.


    After falling the furthest it could, the top half of the man pulled his lower remains, and the body toppled over, his guts spilling onto the floor as his blood seeped outwards.


    The whole ordeal had taken less than a couple of breaths, in which time, their defensive mage, the party member who held the most value if you excluded the tank and healer, was dead.


    Having experienced countless tribulations before, the Elder was the first to snap from his daze and took a step forward. As he did so, he thrust his arms outward, forcing the mana that he had prepared inside is core through his body and towards his hands with the aim of casting a mid-tiered, restriction spell.


    However, instead of the result, he had envisioned in his mind''s eye, the dragoness being wrapped in stone vines, all he could see was a puff of blood-red smoke appearing from the tips of his fingers.


    Suddenly, he pitched over as he felt as if he had fallen face first into an icy river


    A flower of blood erupted from his mouth as the Elder clutched his chest, just over where his mana core could be found, having suffered massive internal damage from the kickback of the failed spell.


    Confusion marred his face as the Elder repressed the urge to vomit another mouthful of blood. "My mana has been suppressed? How?"


    Meanwhile, after noting the Elder''s plight, the dragoness had torn through the group''s casters, most of their bodies still in the process of falling to the ground, and was rapidly approaching the retreating assassin.


    The assassin, sensing the impending danger that he could not retreat from, tried to activate one of his abilities as he dodged to the side, however, just like the Elder, his mana rebound and he lost control, slamming into the rock wall and falling to the ground.


    Dazed for but a moment, the assassin rolled to the size, barely dodging Kaltheia''s tail which seemed to have sprouted from her tailbone as she charged forward, only to slam into the dead body of the crimson-robed man and come to a dead stop.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Regret, unwillingness and a significant amount of anger at his stupidity flickered across the assassin''s eyes before Kaltheia''s scaled foot smashed into his head. The head resisted the pressure for a few moments, displaying the might of a body enhancer but after a fraction of time had passed, it exploded like an overripe watermelon in a mist of gruesome gore.


    The only way an outsider would be able to describe the last few moments was utter chaos.


    The attack had been so fast and vicious that even if their mana hadn''t been rebounding, though before they attempted to use it everything appeared to be normal, they couldn''t help but get in each other''s way as they struggled to respond to the dragoness'' onslaught.


    Having said this, the backlash had not affected the melee classes as much, having mostly used their mana to reinforce their bodies over countless years of cultivation. Yet blood could still be seen flowing from their eyes, ears and mouths from when they had attempted to use their abilities and skills to save the casters in front of them, indicating that they had not escaped unscathed.


    All but one of the remaining melee class formed up, using their physical shields and weapons as a barrier between them and the seemingly demonic dragoness.


    The other, a plate wearing warrior who was lost in the turmoil of watching his brother die, released a battle cry as he charged forward, intent of cutting down Kaltheia.


    His war cry quickly turned to an ear-piercing screamed as Kaltheia twisted, avoiding his sword before placing one of her clawed hands on his shoulder and the other on his neck.


    With a sickening crack and squelch, in a seeminly effortless manner, Kaltheia ripped the head of the man from his body.


    The skull brought a small amount of spine, muscle and flesh with it as blood spilt outwards, covering both her and the corpse''s body, and flowing onto the already soaked floor.


    Though to the trained eye, the dragoness had become a lot slower since her initial attacks; she had quickly made up for that with the terror tactics she employed. First, the assassin and now the plated warrior had died with incomplete corpses, displaying that not only was the dragoness powerful, but she was also merciless to the extreme.


    "Fallback!"


    It was at this moment that the Elder had finally realised he had made a grave mistake. As a magic class, an elder of a family no less, he had never been on the front lines of a dragon subjugation and had only heard about it through second-hand experiences. Even then, the stories often told of hundred, if not thousands of Chosen working together and, only when they were confident that victory was inevitable, corning the dragon.


    What made the Elder''s spine tingle even more than the situation he found himself in, was that, while in their humanoid forms, it was said that monsters should only be able to express around ten to twenty percent of their power.


    If he had thought about it a little harder, he would have known that the size of the dragon, combined with the fact they were fighting inside a small environment, would have worked against it considerably. Coupled with the injuries that could be exploited, even if they lost over half their forces, they would be able to kill her eventually.


    A rumble, ignored by the remaining Chosen as they fought for their lives, signalled the collapse of the cave entrance and removal of any trace of their presence in the surrounding area.


    Kaltheia smiled. She wasn''t too concerned with the Chosen she was currently fighting; it was the ones that followed that would be the problem. Like ants, they would continue to chase and harass her until the end.


    It had been painstakingly tricky, and eaten most of her precious life essence but, to the proud mother of a yet to be, hatchling, it was worth it.


    The sensation completely bypassed the Elder as he momentarily wondered why he had been sent on such a mission. Even an idiot would be able to tell that they were woefully unprepared and understaffed for such a terrifyingly difficult task.


    Conspiraciess fluttered across his mind yet, in the current situation he couldn''t focus on them as, much to his dismay, it seemed the dragoness had zeroed in on him.


    Flinging the head that she held in one hand at the face of the closest warrior, resulting in a sickening, snapping noise as it impacted his face, the dragoness had swivelled on the spot, dodging the underpowered arrow of a ranged defender and lept towards the Elder.


    After having suffered the crippling backlash, he had fallen in the rampaging dragoness'' threat assessment yet, after hearing his voice as he tried to take command of the situation, he once again rose to the top.


    Even in his weakened state, the Elder was still fast enough to sidestep the continuously slowing Dragoness'' clawed hands, barely avoiding a lethal blow to his torso, and quickly backed up as his mind went into overdrive.


    The Elder was desperately seeking a way out of his current predicament, yet he couldn''t help but question how he had become so complacent.


    Initially, he wanted to blame his greed and ambition but, even with that excuse, something felt severely wrong. It was as if certain parts of his mind had been repressed while others, the more primordial, had been enhanced.


    If he didn''t know better, he would be confident that someone was covertly manipulating his thoughts and emotions but, from everything the Elder had ever learnt, he knew that the dragoness in front of him couldn''t be doing such things.


    As if struck by lightning, the fact that he had been sent on this mission and felt as if his mind had been manipulated made sense. If not him, someone in this group had earned the wrath of an influential, vindictive person.


    Just as the realisation hit, the dragoness released a rumbling growl as he eyes sparkled with anticipation.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, relying on his experience and instincts, the Elder dove forward, sailing under the dragoness'' outstretched arms and behind her as a black, bone-chilling flame exploded from her mouth and engulfed the position he had been standing moments before.


    Cold sweat flowed down his back as his heart hammered in his chest as the screams of the last of his group echoed off the cave''s walls.


    The elder had grasped the azure sword as he rolled, knowing that his magic was now useless, and started turning to face the dragoness with a heart filled with despair.


    The dragoness had done the impossible, again. He couldn''t help but praise the incredible beast. Even if they had been sent to die, she had acted in an almost perfect manner.


    She had used cunning, guile and, without out a doubt, the strength of a dragon even under such conditions.


    Suddenly it hit him, and he couldn''t help but glance at the remains of the egg she had crushed as he turned.


    A smile, the first genuine one he had in what felt like a dozen years, appeared on his face and his expression relaxed.


    However, when he saw the dragoness shocked him.


    She was on her knees, weakly panting for breath as she glared with eyes full of bloodlust and hate.


    Without even having to think, the Elder knew she had just used a taboo killing move. A skill or ability that would consume the life essence of its wielder.


    He knew that such abilities should be impossible for monsters without external aid but he had been shocked so much this evening, he had become numb.


    The smile on his face seemed to enrage the dragoness even more as she struggled, and failed, to stand.


    "It''s sad," said the Elder, his voice sounding much older than it should. "That only now do I remember the awe and fear I held for your kind as a child. How, even though you were the mortal enemy of the Chosen, I always wanted to see one of your kind, maybe, if I was lucky enough, even touch one."


    The dragoness glare intensified. "What stopping you? You have won. As you can see, I have nothing left."


    "Nothing left?" chuckled the Elder as he shook his head, only now realising how strange his recent behaviour had been. "From the moment the tracking team was killed, we have been dancing in the palm of your hands, mother dragon."


    The elder meaningfully glanced back at the egg''s remains, managing to catch the surge of emotion in the eyes of the dragoness.


    "Worry not, I am sure after all this," the Elder waved his hand in front of him. "That this is not how it ends for your kind. However, if I am to fall, I want to do it on my feet, as one of the God''s Chosen should."


    Kaltheia''s face twitched at the revelation that some, if not all of her scheme had been seen through and the abrupt change in the attitude of the Elder.


    Hardness seeped into her features. "As I thought, without a doubt, I must ensure that you never leave this place alive. You know too much."

 A1:C3 The Dragoness - Part Three

    In response to the Dragoness'' words, the Elder revealed a mocking smile as he slowly got back to his feet and pointed the tip of the glowing azure sword towards her. "Ha, like you were going to let me walk away."


    The Elder swept his arm around, indicating his fallen subordinates. "Now its come to this, no I guess it has never been a possibility, I know it''s foolish to try and take you alive. Only one of us will be leaving this cave alive."


    The dragoness didn''t respond, her cold, reptilian eyes analysing the Chosen in front of her causing the Elder''s hairs to stand on end.


    "Anyway," continued the Elder, uncomfortable with the silence. "Can you even stand after using that taboo spell? Your presence is so faint I can barely sense it, and I am certain your weakness isn''t fake this time."


    While his words sounded arrogant and provoking, it was an act. The Elder knew he couldn''t afford to commit the same mistakes that had led to the current situation.


    In the past, common sense would have told him that the dragoness wouldn''t be able to stand, let alone fight. That the essence inside of Kaltheia''s body, as well as her core, was all but gone but he still couldn''t feel at ease.


    Having reassured himself that he would not underestimate the dragons again, the Elder''s eyes watched for the slightest of movements, his muscles twitching, ready to attack, dodge or retreat at a moments notice.


    Meanwhile, Kaltheia''s breathing had become fainter, sweat dripping down her face revealing thin streaks of her pale skin through the coating of blood and gore.


    Her last attack had almost entirely consumed the remaining life essence in her body and, with her injuries, she felt it wouldn''t be long until the last of it flowed from her.


    A grim smile, utterly chilling, was revealed on her face as she glared at the Elder with unbridled hatred.


    She knew that if she did not rest and enter a regenerative state soon, that there would have no chance of recovery but how could she have predicted that the seemingly inexperienced man was quick enough to dodge her kinds most feared, and costly attack.


    All it had taken was one moment, a crude duck and roll, and her plans had almost been ruined.


    Keltheia shook her head slightly, causing the Elder to twitch, as she reminded herself that it didn''t really matter. She had prepared her to resolve before entering the cave, and her primary goal had not changed, not in the slightest.


    "Activate" The dragoness'' word was spoken in such a quiet tone that it was barely audible yet, within moments of the sound, the cave''s dim light dimmed further.


    Black mist rose from the blood-soaked ground surrounding her and creating a scene that seemly had come from the pits of hell.


    The sudden change shocked the Elder, who quickly took a cautious step back, only to realise that he was retreating further into the cave. He knew that if he wanted to escape whatever was happening, he would need to pass the dragoness but at this moment in time, he couldn''t find the courage to do so.


    The mist flickered across the dragoness'' body as if it were a comforting lover, eating away the gore that had marred her beautiful features while the Elder felt a deathly chill fall upon his soul as he mumbled and retreated even further. "Formations, black mist, the blood of the fallen... No... how can this be?"


    Ignoring the man''s almost insane rambling, a hiss of air, much darker than the surrounding mist escaped the Dragoness'' throat.


    Kaltheia couldn''t believe that she had been driven to this point. While she had prepared herself for the worst case scenario, to use it when she was soo close to achieving an overwhelming victory caused her stomach to flip and her insides to squirm in regret.


    A tear once again dripped down her face, this time, crystal clear.


    She was so close to surviving alongside her egg. So close, but at the moment, it felt as if it had been an insurmountable distance.


    Her hate-filled eyes returned to the Elder, blaming him for forcing her hand and at the same time, herself for not timing her attack better. The dragoness knew that if she had caught him with her flames, even the tiniest amount, he would have died and she would have won.


    Taking a deep breath and letting the black mist enter her body, reluctance appeared on her features as the dragoness'' voice boomed outwards, seemingly shaking the stone beneath them. "Domain of the immortal dragon."


    Reacting to the command, the mist that had been hovering around two foot of the floor, exploded upwards, forming a spider web-like network as it spread throughout the cave.


    The further it got from the dragoness, the weaker the spell became. However, each time the process looked like it would end, one of the marks she had set up, small runic formations empowered with her blood lit up in an eerie red light and revitalised the spell.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Within moments, the entire cave, all the way up to the collapsed entrance, had been covered with intangible, void-like black spider webs.


    Only able to see a small portion of the dragoness, the network of black lines almost blotting her from his vision, the Elder''s face paled while he felt as if his spirit had left his body. "You... you''re... You''re of the royal bloodline? A descendant of the primordial dragon, Aion?"


    Kaltheia sneered in response.


    Being forced to use her bloodline''s ultimate attack by a mere Chosen, an ability that in her current state, would cost her life, sickened the dragoness but she knew that she had no choice.


    A faint crack resounded from her scaled chest as she heaved a significant amount of black blood onto the floor.


    Just as she looked like she would topple over, a bright, red ring pulsed out of her chest and swept outwards.


    Seeing the energy ring''s approach, the Elder turned, passing through a few of the black spiderweb-like lines, and started to run. Every fibre of his being screamed that he should not let that ring touch him yet, even with his years of cultivation and mana enhanced body, he was too slow.


    As the ring moved through the black strands, small red runes appeared across their surface and, just as the Elder took his second step and the red light passed him, he froze.


    It wasn''t just him, everything the ring of light swept past in the cave, even the blood from the other Chosen dripping down the walls, halted as if time had come to a standstill.


    However, even though he couldn''t move a muscle, the Elder despaired in his mind as he felt his insides turn green from regret.


    Not even in his wildest dreams would he have believed that the Dark Clan had a descendant of the primordial time dragon in their ranks. A presence that even the draconic bloodlines would consider as royalty.


    The ten of them, and the other groups that had already perished on the hunt, never had a chance.


    In fact, if the dragoness hadn''t been critically wounded before they gave chase, he was pretty sure she wouldn''t have even put them in her sight.


    With this display of power, a flick of the wrist might have been enough to end their lives.


    For the first time in years, the Elder wanted to cry.


    Not only had he been sent to his death, but the method of his demise was beyond cruel. It was so harsh that he even felt a slight amount of envy for those who had been granted, at least in his mind, a mercifully swift end.


    To an outsider, it would look as if time had been frozen yet, proven by the fact that the Elder could still think, it was far from it.


    While weak, his heart continued to beat, and his lungs still pulled in the oxygen-rich air keeping his body and mind alive.


    Terror threatened to take control at the edges of his consciousness as he knew that there was nothing he could do.


    He had fallen into an almost legendary formation, one that some Chosen scholars even debated its existence and plausibility.


    From what he had heard, with a dragons vitality, only secondary to their legendary patience and ability to sleep, this magic domain was, at least to the royal dragon bloodline, their ultimate ace card and impossible to break.


    When in dire straights, all a dragon had to do was activate the domain and wait for their opponents, who would be trapped with them, die or for the situation outside of its range to change.


    It wasn''t even a controlled domain, like the ones most Chosen and Monsters could wield. It was an active variant, an extremely rare type, which meant that anything that entered its space, even if it were to lightly brush against it, would be locked into it and suffer the same fate as those initially trapped inside.


    If the legends were right, there was no known way to dispell the domain, relying on either the dragon to release it or for the energy invested into its formation runes to run out.


    The Elder knew that although dragoness was weak, pretty much at death''s door, she had used the life essence of not one but nine high levelled Chosen cultivators to power the initial formation. Not only that but if he was correct in his assumption about the origin of the crack he had heard earlier, the spirit of a dragon core.


    The Elder internally whimpered.


    The mana in his body, even if he couldn''t use it, would be able to sustain his body for a very long time but even then he doubted it would be enough. In fact, in his despair, he had started to debate on what he would die from first.


    Starvation or old age seemed to be the most likely outcomes.


    The fear of being trapped for countless years, unable to move an inch started to collapse the Elder''s sanity as he stared into the cave''s depths through his eyes that were stuck eternally open.


    Meanwhile, the life in the dragoness'' eyes started to fade, having used everything in the activation of the dragon''s domain yet, unlike the Elder, she was at peace.


    "This is the best I can do for you, my child. Inside this domain, even if found, you will be safe. I can only hope that when it finally fails, and it''s your time to hatch, the world will have changed enough for you to live a good life."


    Katherine was bound by the same magic that the Elder was and couldn''t move, not even her eyes, to look a where she had hidden her egg. "May your wings reach the heavens, and your roar shatters the earth... I''m so sorry I can''t be there when you hatch... So sorry..."


    Kaltheia passed away with regret in her heart, willing to do anything just to hold her egg, even for a moment, one last time.


    This regret gave birth to her final gift, and a tiny amount of black mist floated from Kaltheia''s corpse and shot a few dozen feet away, past the ash that had been the Chosen warriors and into the narrower section of the tunnel.


    Nestled in a crack, a clutch of white and black eggs, exactly the same as the one she had crushed, were tucked away on a bed of moss.


    At the centre of these hard-shelled eggs, a completely black, leathery egg, slightly smaller than its counterparts, lay.


    While the inhabitants of the other monster eggs were doomed to the same fate as the Elder, due to the domain, this was probably one of the safest places in the seven worlds for a slow growing, dragon''s egg.


    The black mist that had come from Kaltheia entered the egg, causing it to glow slightly and vibrate.


    Deafening silence flooded the cave, no creature able or element were able to make the slightest bit of noise inside the dragoness'' domain while outside, the storm intensified in its rage.


    Lightening scorched the earth as thunder rumbled through the mountains and a torrential downpour of rain washed away everything it could.


    It was as if the heavens were weeping at the outcome of the battle that had transpired deep within the bowels of the mountain.


    Whether it was due to the death of the dragoness, the demise of the Chosen or, because something far more horrifying, a being created by the ignorance of its parents, merging their two primordial bloodlines into a single, monstrous entity, only time would tell.

 A1:C4 Passage of time

    The slow, rhythmic beat of its heartbeat, the only stimulus in the void-like world, the only one it had ever known, kept the creature company as it floated in its eternal darkness.


    Time had no meaning as there was no way to gauge its passage and so, in the beginning, the creature drifted alive but without thought. A living body of flesh without a sentient mind of its own.


    At some point, the creature started to become conscious, eventually contemplating what the darkness and the thumping sound was, yet as it could not work anything out, it quickly gave up and returned to its slumber.


    Ultimately, after what felt like an age, or it could have been mere moments, the creature began to develop self-awareness. It wasn''t long before it could differentiate between itself and the darkness. It discovered it was housed in a water-like substance and could feel that, very slowly, its body was growing in various places.


    The seemingly endless wait continued, yet the creature was in no hurry.


    To it, if it ignored the instinctual sensation that it wasn''t ready to do something, nothing else existed and so did not suffer from curiosity or temptation that one might expect of being confined in such a place.


    It just was.


    Stuck in a loop. Its body hardening over time, eventually feeling an immense pressure that would continue to build until its surface split, resulting in more space and enabling the process to start again.


    Soon.


    The thought appeared in the creature''s mind, confusing it greatly.


    The desire to do something, something it didn''t quite understand almost overwhelmed it, yet what could it do? Stretching its thin, weak limbs, the creature reached out into the void, only for that instinctual pressure to re-appear.


    Not yet.


    It wasn''t ready.


    What it wasn''t ready for, the creature did not know, but it couldn''t help but feel the anticipation build as it continued to grow and develop.


    The thoughts and ability to feel continued to improve, buzzing through the creature''s mind and showing that it had developed significantly since its first, simple thoughts. Surprisingly, the creature recognised this change and knew that not only was it linked to its brain, but it also had something to do with the strange thing buried deep in its centre.


    The object had a sphere-like shape and sucked in strange, powerful streams that made the creature feel stronger and fulfilled.


    The streams, each slightly different, gave impressions of earth, stone, various metals and more recently, that of decay.


    These streams... no. The creature realised the correct term for the strange energy was essence, flowed into the creature''s core, and it was shocked to discover that words and concepts, things that it had never learnt, had begun filtering into its developing mind.


    One of the inheritances from its bloodline, a vague concept that it couldn''t quite grasp, was the answer that floated to the surface unbidden.


    Yet, instead of feeling content with the information it grasped, the creature discovered that it only had more questions.


    What was essence? It was the world''s spirit energy that had been corrupted by elements from the physical plane.


    What was a core? An organ to refine this essence, removing the incompatible taints and refining it into the host''s affinities.


    What was an affinity? It was the element or elements that were most suited to a monster, generally inherited from its parents. They were similar to taints but much more powerful and enabled the monster to use spells, skills and abilities that would otherwise be impossible.


    What was a monster? A spell? An Ability?


    This time, no answer came to the creature. Its thoughts met with only with silence.


    After much trial and error, having nothing better to do, the creature soon realised that the knowledge that was available to it was fundamental. It contained concepts and theories that were linked to its existence, a basic grasp of a single language, and nothing more.


    How did it know that the knowledge it possed was rudimentary? The creature had the revelation, after analysing the information it had available repeatedly and finding it woefully incomplete.


    It took another dozen decades for the creature to realise that it was standing at the tip of the proverbial information iceberg and a sensation it had never known before, an uncontrollable hunger, erupted in the depths of its soul.


    The desire for knowledge, to improve itself, was almost as powerful as its natural instincts yet it didn''t know how to satisfy this newfound need and could suffer the mental torment in silence.


    Eventually, with its new knowledge, the creature started to examine its surroundings, starting with the mysterious tainted essence that was slowly filtering into its body.


    The largest taint, by far, was from earth and stone, releasing an old, almost timeless sensation. The essence resonated with the young creature''s core and helped nurture its body, becoming more and more in tune as it grew.


    The next, though much fainter, could only be categorised as metals. Initially, this taint was harsh and did not feel as pleasant as the rest, but eventually, the creature felt its body adapting as it absorbed the taint with increasing ease.


    Not long after this change occurred, the creature found a strange sense of comfort from this taint and felt attracted to it. Especially from the essence that gave off a perceived, golden hue.


    It was soft and welcoming, yet, at the same time, cold and hard. A contradiction that enamoured the creature for many years and led to another, subconscious, yearning.


    The taint that it only had only absorbed for a brief moment was the taint of decay. It had vanished as quickly as it appeared, but ever since, the creature could still feel the cold, chilling essence.


    It would often regain consciousness, after returning to the place where it did not think, remembering the haunting sensation as it whispered dark, unintelligible words as it was slowly refined away in its core.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Time continued like this for the creature until one day, a sudden thought appeared in its mind.


    Its egg was underground.


    The creatures growing intelligence helped it draw conclusions with the limited information it had and link them together with reason and logic.


    This theory was generated mainly due to the types of essence being absorbed combined with the absence of others.


    However, this was immediately forgotten as the shock of realising that it was inside an egg rippled across the creature''s heart, causing it to open its eyes for the first time in its life.


    Though nothing changed, the void-like darkness still blinding, new information leaked into the creature''s mind and pieces of a long forgotten puzzle started fitting together.


    My egg shouldn''t be underground, and even if it was, it should still be able to see the light through its shell and hear some sound, even if it was distorted.


    The creature knew that it was its parent''s job to ensure that an egg had access to beneficial stimulation so that it cou...


    Wait... parents... Where where they?


    A forboding tingling flowed down the creature''s spine and towards what it now knew to be, its stomach as the memory of the decay essence returned.


    It knew there was something terribly wrong with its situation.


    The urge to escape the confines of its egg and get answers caused the creature''s heart to beat rapidly, however, moments later, the thought was suppressed by its instinct.


    I am not ready to leave. If I do, I will die.


    Trying to calm itself, the creature attempted to understand the situation, figuring that if it knew what was going on, it could reason out the best course of action.


    Decay essence meant death. Death was the end of life. The creature was alive, and so was other entities that could move, eat and think.


    The creature reasoned it in simple terms. Live was good, dead was bad.


    However, the fact that he had absorbed decay essence meant that something nearby was dead. No, not only dead but rotting.


    Rotting was a process that occurred over time to dead things. It was food that should not be eaten as it would make you sick. Being sick would lead to death, and so, it shouldn''t happen as everything would want to live, and so eat what it had recently killed.


    But it also indicated that the threat was already dealt with... or was it the entities also known as its parents? Those that were meant to protect and nurture it until it was strong enough to survive on its own.


    If the threat killed its parents, then it was in danger of becoming food. It would die and lose all of the information it had painstakingly gathered, returning to a mindless nothingness.


    Fear and anger flooded creature before being suppressed once again as it reasoned that its previous line of thought didn''t make much sense.


    To live, you had to eat, to eat you had to kill but if something were to be consumed, then it would not decay thus, it would have meant that the dead animal died meaninglessly. This suggested that the essence was generated by an accident that couldn''t be capitalised by another had occurred. One that no entity had bothered to remove from its presence.


    But if it wasn''t a death that had been instigated or capitalised on, then what had happened?


    Confusion marred its reptilian features as the creature frowned, failing to make sense of the information it had available.


    The fact that it was still alive, at least it thought it was, meant that it shouldn''t be in any immediate danger, but that didn''t answer the question of what was going on.


    The unanswerable question vexed it without mercy along with another. Where were its parents?


    It knew that a dragon would never leave its egg willingly, keeping it in a hidden pouch on its body so it could feed off the excess essence and let it learn from the stimuli generated by the surrounding...


    The creature''s thoughts abruptly stopped.


    It finally knew what it was...


    A dragon.


    And along with it, came the realisation of what it didn''t, but should have.


    Dragon''s eggs were never left alone or put at risk, their bodies much weaker in their early lives compared to the other, shorter-lived, animals.


    With this knowledge, the dragon knew, it was alone.


    Not only that but from what it now knew about its species, it had been so for a very long time.


    A mixture of emotions welled up as the dragon flexed its tiny, clawed fingers in frustration.


    Fear of the unknown, of what its isolation entailed.


    Sadness, the loneliness it only just realised it felt.


    Anger. An unbridled rage and the injustice of its situation.


    A flicker of white light forked outwards, momentarily illuminating the inside of its egg.


    For the first time in its life, even if it was only for a split second, the dragon could see. Its gaze flowed down its black, scaled back and the curved spikes that protruded from its spine.


    The dragon was confused until it realised that its neck was flexible enough for it to loop around and rest on its shoulder.


    Though it knew what it was, it didn''t have any reference to what a dragon should look like, but it was able to tell from its quick glance that it was reptilian in nature.


    Pushing a question on what the strange light was, or why it felt like it had come from its core, the dragon''s mind returned to its seemingly precarious situation as its small world returned to darkness.


    Had it been stolen? Were its parents dead? Was its egg in a safe location? Was the only reason it was still it alive because something was waiting for it to grow? To become worthy of being a meal?


    If so, was waiting until it was ready to hatch the best option? But, at the same time, if the dragon was wrong, then it didn''t know what impacts its early emergence would have on its growth.


    A burning hatred for the unknown welled up from deep within the dragon''s soul. It knew it didn''t have the information required to make a decision, but at the same time, it wasn''t convinced that doing nothing was the right choice.


    After cooling down, the dragon decided to re-analyse the situation and see if it could spot something it had previously missed.


    From what it knew, a dragon was meant to be at the top of the food chain, almost untouchable when it reached adulthood and able to breed so, the thought that its parents could have been killed became less likely.


    However, like most of its pondering, this raised another dilemma.


    If that were the case, then the next plausible explanation would that it had been abandoned.


    Questions and doubt bombarded the young creature''s mind as it started to question its own worth.


    If it had been abandoned, why? Was there a fault with it? Did it suffer from a mutation or some sort of disability? Was there not enough food to keep its parents alive or did they use it as food so something wouldn''t consume them instead?


    The instinct that told it that it was still early to leave the egg was strong, yet the young dragon was forced to repress the urge to smash his shell once again as its body began exhibiting signs that it was preparing for fight or flight.


    It knew that the stress its mind was creating was being projected onto its body and that it would hinder its growth and the absorption of its bloodline''s ancestry, but it was powerless against its rampaging emotions.


    An indeterminable amount of time later, the creature was shaken from its thoughts when the entire world, at least the egg it has spent is life in, shook violently.


    The sudden event caused the already tense dragon to flinch, uncoiling its tail and, with a small amount of resistance, stabbing through the leathery shell by accident.


    Utter disbelief washed over the dragon as it looked at the light through the small hole while its life-giving yolk slowly leaked away.


    The debate, which had lasted for decades had come to an end within a single moment. The dragon''s decision had been made for it.


    Relief flooded the tiny dragon as its muscles tensed and relaxed in a controlled manner.


    The indecision created by its intelligence, knowledge without context or experience, fighting its instincts had finally ended as they finally came together in perfect unity.


    The only thing it needed to do now was to survive.


    The dragon uncoiled itself and approached the opening cautiously, its body still big enough to move around inside the egg, displaying just how early its emergence was.


    As it got closer, the pitch black, reptilian pupils contracted within their snowy-white iris'' as the creature felt its scaley lips pull back in a primordial snarl. Flashes of what appeared to be tiny, white lightning flickering from its scales, illuminating the faint, black mist that seemed to seep from its scales.


    It didn''t know what was waiting for it on the other side, but if it even looked at it funny, or was deemed to be a threat in any way, it was going to kill it. Edible or not.


    It would fight.


    Fight to survive, fight to prosper and claim its place in the world outside its shell, fight for knowledge, so it was never put into such a distressing situation ever again.


    Two tiny, clawed hands reached forward, along with its tooth-filled snout, to try and extend the hole in the shell.


    A smile, one only a dragon mother could love, appeared on its features.


    It was time to hatch.

 A1:C5 Hatchling Part One

    A small, white rabbit-like creature, its fur matching perfectly with the snowy surroundings, scurried across the frozen mountainside as it attempted to find shelter from the blizzard raging overhead.


    It had been less than two days since it had been released back into the wild, and while being able to gorge on the many plants infused with ice essence in the wintery forest below, it knew that the good times had finally come to an end.


    Far into the distance, giant stone towers, the bright blue gems at their peaks powering the storm, surrounded the ancient forest and single mountain, keeping them in a state of near-constant winter.


    For what purpose, the rabbit-like creature could not comprehend, having not condensed its monster core and gaining the increase in intelligence that came alongside it. Because of this, it ultimately ignored the unnatural structures and continued its frantic pace, believing that the centre of the storm would be safe from its pursuers.


    A high pitched howl, not born from the storm, startled the creature and it quickly resumed its search for shelter.


    There were more dangerous things that the elements on this mountain and although relatively dumb, the creature knew it wouldn''t survive the approaching night if it remained out in the open.


    Passing a snow-covered slope, the rabbit slid to a halt as it noticed a faint, glow coming from a hole made by a recently disturbed rock, made more prominent by the ever-lengthening shadows.


    The mounds of snow at each side showed that it had only been recently opened and without pausing to consider if the hole was a trap or den of one of the mountain''s predators, the rabbit dove in, scraping its three-foot body against the rock''s sharp edges.


    Unlike the many other caves that littered the mountainside, the atmosphere emanating from this particular one was more akin to an ancient tomb.


    Cold, stale and foreboding.


    This caused the rabbit to shiver and consider leaving to find another but after it had pushed on and made it through the rockfall, it came to a cavern that was teeming with life.


    Passing the various invertebrates, small mammals, both flying and otherwise and noticing that none of its inhabitants had yet formed a core, the rabbit continued to scout the cave so that it could find a secure place to rest for the night.


    During its journey, it took note of the various spirit moss and cave-dwelling plants but noticed that unlike the mild ice essence variety outside that were edible, the plants inside the cave were filled to the brim with a dense earth taint and thus, pretty toxic.


    To an alchemist, this place would have been a goldmine, but to the various animals that called this place home, they were merely poisonous, inedible competition for the meek resources the cave offered and it could be seen that they were scraped off the rocks where possible.


    The rabbit continued it''s decent, passing more life-filled caverns and the occasional pond, filled with glistening brown water that had been filtered over thousands of years while absorbing the strong earth essence from the surrounding mountain.


    If it weren''t for the streams of ice melt flowing into the cave through the rockfall at the entrance, it would be impossible for the many species of animal and plant, even if they could absorb earth essence through the air to subsidise the lacking environment, to survive.


    Suddenly, at the end of the third cavern, the rabbit froze, its instincts refusing to let it take another step further.


    Infront of it, a ridge of bone coloured dust, a couple of feet high, lay across the entrance to the next tunnel in a wide semicircle.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The rabbit immediately knew that many animals, both weak and powerful, had died here and even though it had been a long time since their deaths, there had been enough victims to stain the surrounding rocks with the essence of decay and scare off all but the bravest of creatures.


    This gruesome dust signified the last boundary, the Dragoness formation failing in stages, of the Domain of the Immortal Dragon. The dust was the remains of those that had been unlucky enough to touch its edges or the ones foolish enough to try and feast on those that had.


    Hopping back, the frightened rabbit decided that it would pick its new nest from the current options and retreated in the direction it had come from, pausing to occasionally check that nothing was emerging from the eerie tunnel.


    A couple of hundred feet deeper within the cave, the fresh air brought in by the new entrance that the rabbit had entered an hour before stirred the stale air, causing the slight whispers of wind to echo off the stone walls.


    After a millennium of stasis and the following hundred years of undisturbed silence, the essence in this part of the cave system was incredibly thick. Enough to distort the air yet, it diminished significantly, almost to nothing, near a hidden crack in one of the tunnel walls.


    There was no sign of the white and black eggs, or of the nest that they lay on, after such a long time, yet the black, leathery egg was still there, in the exact place it had been placed all those years ago.


    However, unlike the past, there was now a small hole in its surface. Tinged, slimy liquid slowly seeped out and had begun forming a puddle around the egg''s base.


    The egg slightly jerked as a thin, almost needle-like, curved black spike appeared through the hole and wiggled around, trying to make the hole larger, before disappearing back inside.


    The egg shook, its leathery case distorting as the creature inside attempted to break through with force but finding the flexible shell too strong.


    Minutes turned into hours, and hours to days, yet the leathery shell continued to resist, almost as if it wanted to keep the creature inside.


    Weeks worth of struggle later, which was carried out over the period of a little over a month due to the creature frequently breaks and need to sleep, a reptilian-like head finally broke through with a squelchy, ripping sound.


    Unlike its mother, it only had two horn-like spikes, more bumps than spikes a the moment due to its young age, raised from the back of its head but it was easy to find the resemblance from the structure of the skull.


    Sucking in a lungful of air that felt like it was burning its lungs, the first of its life, the young, black dragon proceeded to vomit out copious amounts of the sticky fluid and clear its system.


    To anyone watching this, even with its alien features, they would be able to tell that even though the process was natural, the creature was incredibly irritated.


    This was emphasised when the dragon, having cleared its lungs and dragged the rest of its tiny, thirteen-centimetre long body out of the egg''s remains, released a terrifying shriek that rippled down the tunnels and caverns.


    The sound that escaped its throat was more suited to a devil than a living, breathing creature and it terrified the cave''s inhabitants, sending them scurrying to their dens and burrows.


    With rage fueled by weeks of frustration as it escaped egg, the dragon turned and tore into the leathery remains, devouring yolk, shell and the remaining chalazae with reckless abandon.


    After not even a smear was left, its anger not entirely vanquished, the white, reptilian eyes of the dragon started analysing its surroundings, releasing small hisses as its tail flicked about.


    Discovering that it was inside a cave, the hollow in the wall seemingly large as the dragon was so tiny, it decided that it was indeed underground. A small amount of pride in its deductive skills rose within the dragon''s heart, and it turned to start analysing its body in the cave''s dim light after confirming there were no immediate threats.


    Using its long neck, which was incredibly flexible, it discovered that its body was slim, exceptionally so, giving it an elegant, reptilian appearance that was only enhanced by its sleek, black, teardrop-like scales.


    While not as intimidating or powerful as it imagined a dragon to look, the dragon had to state this its form was impressive, seemingly built for speed and offence.


    Razor sharp ridges ran down each side of its back, and down its spine, at every other vertebra, dagger-like spikes protruded giving it a menacing, if not aggressive appearance.


    Holding out its two front legs, then inspecting the two behind them, the dragon examined its feet. At the end of five fingers, incredibly sharp claws extended, scratching the stone beneath it as it casually ran them across its surface.


    Its thin, whip-like tail, a small spike at the end, danced in its peripheral but it was still slightly annoyed with this appendage for stabbing through its egg and so dismissed it for now.


    Having taken note of its offensive and defensive capabilities, the small dragon was pleased.


    It looked extraordinarily unappetising, with the claws, spikes and scales, and unworthy of the effort it would take to swallow and digest.


    In its mind, the dragon''s chances of surviving without its parents had gone up significantly.

 A1:C5 Hatchling Part Two

    A faint, unfamiliar scent carried by the gentle breeze flowing down the cave system''s sprawling tunnels brought the young dragon out of its musings as its stomach rumbled noisily.


    It had burnt through much of its energy reserves escaping the confines of its egg, and while the remains it had just eaten would keeping it going for a while, it would need to find a sustainable source of food quickly if it was to make up for its early hatching.


    The smell wafted over again, teasing the dragon and awakening its predatory instincts.


    Sucking in a deep breath through its nostrils, the dragon followed the smell of potential prey and moved toward the crevice opening before cautiously peeking its head out.


    While it was a newborn, its instincts screamed at the young dragon to be cautious and keep an eye out for potential predators or dangers.


    After examining the cavern-like tunnel it found itself in, to the point the dragon was nearly certain there were no threats nearby, it crept forward a little more.


    Even though the cave was quite dim, the only light emanating from the walls, the dragon could see as if he was under a bright sun, his draconic eyesight able to make use of limited light, expanding his reptilian-like pupil to almost match that of a human''s as they used the limited light to its uttermost.


    The only things of note in the tunnel were a rusty, metal object glowing with a faint, azure hue, a small heap of what seemed to be ivory-coloured ash and, most interestingly to the little dragon, a pile of pristine-white bones, a strange, unknown skull laying nearby.


    Intermixed with the bones, that the dragon somehow knew did not belong to its kind due to their strange shape and small size, sat a few badly damaged, black scales. They were similar to its own but less teardrop in shape.


    The dragon felt like its insides were sinking and it almost staggered, feeling short of breath.


    Its worst fears, that those who were meant to protect and nurture it were dead, all but proven to the little lizard.


    While it couldn''t see any bones that would belong to an adult dragon, the fact that so many scales were present, alongside the corpse of, what it could only assume to be their attacker, combined with the lack of their presence all but confirmed his earlier assessment.


    A small part, tiny in comparison to the rest, was relieved that it had not been abandoned, that there wasn''t something wrong with it, but for some reason, the dragon felt it was wrong to feel that way and it quickly pushed the sensation onto the fact that the assailant fell and was no longer a threat to its life.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    A sense of loss washed over the dragon as it suddenly realised that it didn''t have a goal or plan other than survival.


    With the information that it could pull from its bloodline''s memories, parents were meant to pass on the skills and abilities, useful for survival as well as social situations, that had not been engraved into instincts or the bloodline. This process should have taken decades and enabled the dragonling to develop at a relatively slow pace while it attempted to find its calling.


    A snarl crept across the young dragon''s face as it snorted, releasing a puff of black mist from its nostrils, while flickers of white lightning flicked harmlessly from its body as his distress was given a physical manifestation.


    Its survival was in question and while, at least for the moment, it didn''t have a purpose, that didn''t mean it could afford to waste any time.


    The dragon''s stomach growled again as if confirming its thoughts.


    Before anything else, the dragon needed to secure food and water. After that, it would need to find shelter and define a territory so that its newly discovered resources were not put in jeopardy while it grew and learnt as much as it could about the world.


    Looking again at the black scales, the creature couldn''t help but release a growl.


    Due to its size, the growl wasn''t very intimidating and, to some, could have even been considered cute, but the intent behind it was clear.


    Though it had never met is parents, or had any bond with them, the dragonling still felt a sense of loss which fed the spark of anger deep in its chest. Those things had been stolen from it and while it assumed the assailant was dead, that didn''t mean there weren''t others.


    It would discover the truth of what happened and, depending on what it found, it would avenge its parents.


    The dragon''s eyes narrowed as it added its first none essential goal to its mental list.


    Even with this, the urge to lash out was strong, but the dragonling knew that it couldn''t be rash and so, forced itself to check the tunnel once again before slowly sliding out of the crevice.


    Instinctively, its tongue darted out, returning just as quickly, before being poked into a small organ at the roof of its mouth.


    The scents in the air became stronger, and it knew which direction it had to travel in.


    As he passed the azure sword, a familiar feeling washed over the dragon, and it had the urge to curl around the blade however it knew it was not edible and its stomach forced it onwards.


    The dragon swore to itself that, apart from the answers it sought, it would also return for the sword the only physical memento of its birth that existed, as it cautiously stalked down the tunnel and out of sight.


    There was the occasional passageway leading off to the side, but with the use of its keen sense of smell and taste, the dragon wasn''t distracted and quickly arrived at the remains that marked the edge of the final barrier its mother had set up, the Domain of the Immortal Dragon.


    Familiarity with the residue essence, the fallout energy from the spell, even if it was almost overpowered with the stench of death, caused the dragon to frown as it debated moving thought the remains, or climbing the wall.


    The scent of death was strong, but for some reason unbeknown to the dragonling, it wasn''t scared. It was clear from the remain''s placement that he wasn''t entering a dangerous area, but leaving it.


    A splash startled the dragonling, sending it scurrying behind a large rock.


    Taking a deep breath, the dragon''s eyes sparkled with anticipation.


    It wasn''t alone.

 A1:C6 The rabbit and the dragon - Part one

    The cave, as if preordained, fell silent as he white rabbit-like creature froze, its front paw extended into the small pool before it.


    It had been using its small, razor-sharp claws to catch tiny, silver-scaled, fish when movement at the peripheral of its vision caught its attention, startling the beast and potentially giving away its position as it fumbled its lunge.


    A small, black lizard-like creature had crawled from the area that reeked of death and danger yet, from its lack of presence and movements it was clear, even to the semi-unintelligent beast, that not only was the lizard newly hatched, but relatively weak.


    Instinct battled against the beast''s limited intelligence as it contemplated its next actions, something it would rarely have time to do in the outside world.


    While its standard disposition was that of a herbivore, the rabbit needed to get stronger. Winter was eternal in this area creating a lack of sustainable, high energy plant fodder. Due to this, the most efficient way to gain strength was to fight, kill and consume other creatures.


    Memories of days past, mainly in regards to its warren, home to over fifty of its kind, float to the surface of the rabbit''s mind, aiding its resolve to stay and defend its new territory.


    The warren had been completely wiped out, their young dug up from their dens and mercilessly killed by phantom foxes once again emphasising the nature of the world.


    The embers of revenge were re-ignited by the memories. The newly discovered cave system, with its life, filled micro-ecosystem and lack of predators was a treasure trove for a creature such as itself.


    Not only was the rabbits new found source of food and power in jeopardy, but the lizard was also a considerable threat to its life.


    While awkward, stiff and slow, its movements instinctively reminded the white-furred creature, of an apex predator.


    Its claws, teeth and scales were unmistakably those of a carnivore''s. The smooth scales, that almost seemed to absorb light and draw darkness to the creature camouflaged it so well in the dimly illuminated cave that if the lizard hadn''t walked across the white, dust-like remains, the rabbit-like creature wasn''t sure it would have noticed it.


    Naturally, with these thoughts in mind, the creature knew that they could not live in harmony. Nor could they ignore each other. Eventually, one of them would grow and consume the other, and it knew deep down, that it would be on the losing side.


    Not only was the lizard a carnivore, meaning it would gain more energy, both natural and spiritual, for each being it consumed, its bodies inherent advantages would enable it to grow by leaps in the cave.


    Not only that, but the rabbit could already sense the world''s energy flowing towards the creature, displaying that its core was much purer than its own and thus, had far greater potential.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    It was only a rabbit after all, so this didn''t dishearten it too much, but at the same time, it knew that this would probably be the only chance to prevail against the creature.


    This was it. Fight or flight.


    The rabbit-like creature slowly retracted its paw from the cold water, allowing the spikes that were flat against its body, running along its spine and elbow joints, covered by its thick, white fur, to raise and extend gradually.


    If this had been before its warren had been destroyed, then it would have most likely fled, its kind not known for its courage unless cornered but now, the rage and bitterness that forced it up the mountain in search of strength quashed its instincts to retreat.


    The lizard was still weak, and its flesh would undoubtedly give the rabbit a considerable boon in natural energy, maybe even enough to evolve into one of the many horned variants its kind was famous for. It might also be lucky enough to inherit one of its abilities or physical traits.


    The hint of madness danced in the rabbit''s sky-blue eyes as it started to creep forward, towards the rock that the lizard had hidden behind and was only now beginning to peek around its edges as it surveyed its surroundings.


    Glowing moss, in varying shades of blue and green, hung on the walls and ceiling, barely illuminating the cave as small, bat-like creatures flew around disinterested in what was happening beneath them.


    Behind the large boulder, at least in comparison to the dragon''s size, the dragonling was struggling to filter its senses.


    The moment it heard the strange noise, its instincts had taken over, and it had quickly found cover, however, moments later a pressure settled upon it. One that it had never felt before but instantly understood.


    Killing intent washed over the dragon and it instantly knew it was in danger. It had become the hunted.


    The moment it felt this new sensation, the dragon''s senses had exploded. Sight, sound, touch, smell, vision and, something that it couldn''t quite describe. He could see, without seeing, at least in a sphere around it, extending a couple of meters. It wasn''t like its eyesight though. Instead, it was like a stream of grey, flowing around objects as they approached him, the void that was created the illusion of vision.


    The influx of information available had almost paralysed the dragonling at the start, its mind being unexpectedly bombarded but with each calming breath it took, it regained control.


    The dragonling''s lips curled into a snarl as a creature it had never encountered before, not surprising since it had only hatched an hour or so earlier, stalked into his new sense''s range.


    Adrenaline coursed through the creature''s body as energy flowed from a diamond-like core deep in its chest, circling the dragon''s body and energising its muscles and mind.


    The dragon''s mind raced as it tried to come up with a plan, using its new sense to keep a figurative eye on its assailant. The creature was still a fair distance away, and while it felt a burning desire to fight, it knew it wasn''t ready.


    It still did not fully understand its body, and if something happened like when its senses expanded and he froze, the dragon would be an easy target.


    Just as the dragon was contemplating retreating into the tunnel, it had emerged from, and even though its new sense told it the creature was still a fair distance, its other five senses screamed at him to move.


    With reflexes that could only be attributed to instinct, the dragon leapt forward as a deafening boom echoed behind him.


    The rock it had been hiding behind had been obliterated, small shards shattering on the cave''s walls or clattering across the ground and as he turned, the dragon''s neck twisting much faster than its body, and came face to face with its foe.


    The rabbit shook its head, dispersing the energy it had coated its body in for its sneak attack, and locked eyes with the lizard. Both were appraising their adversary.


    Both didn''t like what they saw.

 A1:C6 The rabbit and the dragon - Part Two

    Shaking its head to clear that daze after ramming into the boulder, the rabbit hopped to face its prey. After twitching its nose as its sky-blue eyes narrowed, the rabbit took a tentative step to the left as it tried to analyse the small reptile in the dim light of the cave.


    The dragonling matched the rabbit''s movement, although in the opposite direction, and the pair soon found themselves slowly circling each other.


    The white rabbit''s sneak attack had somehow failed, having been pretty confident that it has used the boulder to block its approach, and now that it could see the lizard close up, even with its advantage in size and speed, it wasn''t confident that it could kill the reptile without sustaining significant injury.


    What made it worse for the rabbit was that while it had encountered and fought many lizards, typically when they viewed it as prey, and it couldn''t escape immediately, it had never met one such as this.


    The dragonling was quietly hissing, its neck arched as if it were a serpent ready to strike and its thin, delicate wings open and stretched out making it seem much more substantial than what it was. As each blood-chilling hiss escaped through its bared teeth, the tips of its scales stuck outward, almost like tiny daggers and while attacking it from the front wouldn''t make much difference, as its scales all flowed towards its tail, the rabbit instinctively knew that it would be a terrible idea to have too much contact with them.


    While the rabbit focused on the dragonling''s offensive abilities, the small reptile was rapidly getting used to its body. Swaying its head side to side in an almost serpent-like manner as it had quickly discovered that, at a close distance which was no more than a couple of feet, there was a blind spot directly ahead of it. It naturally knew that this was due to the position of its eyes, slightly to the side of its scaled head, giving it an exceptional range of vision in compensation for the small blind spot.


    While the dragonling was moving its head so that the rabbit couldn''t take advantage of its weakness, to the rabbit, the swaying of the golden eyes, their black, slit-like pupils quickly becoming the most intimidating thing it had ever seen, was almost hypnotic.


    The world seemed to dull, the surroundings fading into darkness as the golden orbs subtly drew the rabbits attention.


    Not realising it was luring the rabbit into a trance-like state, the dragonling was instead focused on making sense of all of the information streaming into its consciousness. It seemed, from overlapping its vision and 6th sense, that the sixth sense delayed by the time it took the white air-like substance to touch an object then it had to reach its core before it would enter his mind''s eye. The overlapping mental images, of the present and past, was profoundly confusing yet the dragon refused to show weakness, believing that its more powerful foe held all the advantages.


    The dragonling''s blood boiled and froze at the same time, a jittery, excited feeling building deep in its chest.


    What, at least for a dragon, was a smile, yet to all others, a terrifying sight, appeared on its scaly face.


    The sudden change in the lizard''s appearance shocked the rabbit out of its daze, and it took a small hop forward, hoping to intimidate the lizard and force it to retreat, however, the dragonling also moved forward, raising its neck up and releasing a bone-chilling hiss.


    Against all the rabbit''s expectations, that the smaller, weaker creature would cower, flee or at least retreat, the dragonling and lunged forward and it shocked the rabbit greatly. The shock was so great that it didn''t just retreat to where it had been, but a further two hops back to try and gain some distance from the overly aggressive creature as it began contemplating not only abandoning the cavern but if needed, the entire cave system.


    However, before it could even formulate its feelings into a coherent thought, the unmistakable hint of fear and hesitation was all the dragonling needed. Instincts surged forward as it swept its wings back, too small for flight but enough to help its four legs propel it forward at, at least to the perception of the rabbit and dragon, an outstanding speed.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    The rabbit jumped, more of a knee-jerk reaction than a formulated plan, as the dragonling slammed into it, sending them both tumbling backwards. The dragon''s teeth tried to clamp down on the rabbit''s neck as its claws slashed and hacked at the rabbit''s furry chest. However, its size, coupled with its thick, winter coat meant that any damage done was superficial and only small patches or red stained the once pristine fur.


    While the damage was minimal, the sudden ferocious attack had utterly shaken the rabbit, and it panicked and started to roll, jump and slam into nearby objects, attempting to dislodge the dragon grasping its fur and flesh.


    The dragonling kept biting and clawing, while the rabbit continued to jump, flip and slide across the cave yet, neither could do significant damage to the other and for a while, they were locked in a stalemate.


    The situation finally changed when the rabbit, in a fit of momentary madness, encased its body in strange energy and charged at the wall. It had been useless to use this energy earlier as the dragon was already attached and it would not hinder it, yet it knew that the longer the fight continued, the less likely it was to prevail.


    With a deafening boom, the rabbit slammed into the wall, the force so devastating that even with the mystical energy protecting its body, it broke its nose and felt dazed yet the damage to the little dragon was multitudes worse.


    Through its sixth sense, the dragonling had realised the rabbit''s intent yet; it wasn''t fast enough to respond and been crushed between the wall and the rabbit''s energy encased body.


    The damage was devastating. Its right wing had snapped, a few of the dragonling''s ribs had been broken along with its front left leg, and it felt one of its tail''s spike snap.


    Fury boiled from the depths of the dragonling''s soul, replacing the momentary fear that this would be its end, as its blood hammered in its veins, its heart sounding more akin to thunder than a heartbeat.


    The fury condensed in its chest as the dragonling, using the rabbits moment of confusion from the collision, crawled up to its face, its claws seemingly glowing in a black glow and easily penetrating the fur and skin causing thick, red blood to flow down the once white coat.


    The rabbit regained its wits only to find itself staring into the face of the lizard, however, it wasn''t the one it remembered, which caused the rabbit''s brain to freeze for a split second as it tried to work out what had happened.


    That dragonling''s golden eyes had turned a haunting, crimson red and an orange glow emanated from between its teeth as darkness seemed to flow toward its scales.


    The split second on confusion had all but sealed the rabbit''s fate.


    Blazing fire, moving as if it was alive, erupted from the dragonling''s mouth encasing the rabbit''s head as it released an agonising squeal and began thrashing violently.


    Crashing backwards, the rabbit tried to escape, yet it was too late. In mere moments, its entire body had been engulfed by the flame, the dimly lighted cave now fully illuminated as the stench of singed hair and burnt flesh filled it.


    Dragon''s fire. A trait all dragon''s possessed but rarely used due to the cost. An ability feared by even the gods.


    By mixing their blood with the mana that had been refined in their cores, dragon''s could create a devastating, semi-intelligent flame. One that, after leaving the dragon''s body, would be fueled by the surrounding mana making it nearly impossible to put out until its objective had been met or the casting dragon was no longer nearby.


    The rabbits thrashing finally dislodged the dragonling, and after slamming into a wall, sent the reptile tumbling to the ground before continuing blindly out of the cavern and around a bend in the tunnel, hitting most of the walls as it went and left a thin trail of flame in its wake.


    As the orange light and screams faded into the distance, the dragonling shakily rose from the ground.


    Its already damaged right wing had been torn off; it was missing a few scales and, due to using dragon''s fire, it was fragile, almost appearing to be nothing more than bones covered by scales. Even in what could be said to be a pitiful state, if anyone could see the small reptile, they would be filled with dread.


    Reptilian, golden eyes, having returned to their natural colour, emanated cold killing intent as a black mist, accompanied by the occasional flicker of lightning, swirled around the dragon as it glared down the tunnel that the rabbit had disappeared into.


    It somehow knew that its fire wouldn''t be enough to kill the creature and, in a warped way, that made it happy. It wanted to end the creature''s existence personally.


    Taking a deep breath, steadying, revealing that a few of its teeth had snapped off in the confrontation, the dragonling stopped staring into the darkness and started to analyse the cavern it was in, knowing it was severely injured.


    "First" spat the dragonling in a hiss-like language that had not been heard for hundreds of thousands of years. "I need to recover."

 A1:C7 Beginning

    After staring down the tunnel for a little longer, the dragonling took another deep breath and started hauling itself across the cavern floor, its progress incredibly slow due to its broken front leg and severe injuries. It was heading towards the faintly glowing pool in the centre with a grim determination.


    As it went, the dragonling passed various types of plant life, mainly moss glowing in varying softened colours. There were also a fair few small creatures that scuttled and slithered at the edge of its vision or even a few that silently flew close to the ceiling, but the dragon didn''t pay them much attention.


    Even at a cursory glance, it could tell they wouldn''t be much of a threat, and from their movements, it was clear they were keeping their distance.


    Knocking its broken leg on a pebble, which was still large enough to hinder the dragonling''s progress, the tiny dragon angrily hissed and, in a moment of clarity brought by the sudden appearance, then retreat of pain, realised that the creature''s it had been dismissing seemed to be gathering, keeping their distance but not moving away.


    The small dragon then realised that, in full health, the creatures probably wouldn''t have bothered it, but it was severely injured and weakened by the use of its ability. Something opportunistic animals would be unable to pass up.


    Doubling its vigilance, its muscles taut as it prepared to react to any threat, the dragonling finally reached the pool and collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted yet still managing to keep an eye on its surroundings.


    The dragon knew that the leading cause of its exhaustion was the skill Dragon''s breath, the one that it had used against the rabbit. The ability was devastatingly powerful, yet it had a significant drawback, that it consumed the dragon''s flesh and blood to power. Instinctively the dragonling knew that it needed to drink and eat as soon as possible, not only to counteract the adverse effects but so that it could start recovering from the injuries caused by the white, fluffy creature.


    A cold, murderous glint flittered across the small reptile''s eyes, lasting only a moment as the dragonling lifted its head and used its front claw, the one that wasn''t attached to its broken leg, to pull it the last few inches towards the crystal clear liquid.


    The cavern''s ceiling danced with faint ripples, the light reflected from the pool giving the surrounding area a peacefully, almost sanctuary-like atmosphere.


    Upon gazing into the pool''s water, the dragonling saw a reflection of itself for the first time and, while its anger towards that rabbit only grew, it was still impressed by what it saw.


    Bright, amber eyes embedded in a sleek and deadly looking, scaled head stared back, a few of its black scales, mainly around its left eye were missing, the raw flesh looking extremely painful. Two small protrusions, the beginning of horns, were placed towards the top of its head, pointing backwards.


    "This is me?" hissed the dragonling, its voice causing the water to ripple and its reflection to waver.


    "A..." the term that its ancestral memories had given it finally solidified as the dragonling gained a reference point, other information it had becoming more clear and refined in the process. "... a dragon."


    The dragonling grimaced, memories that were not it''s own flashing before its mind''s eye. A black dragon on the verge of death inside a cave that somehow felt familiar. A human with a glowing blue sword standing opposite it. Words it could not understand being spoken. Pride, fear, life and death. The endless flow yet the momentary fleetingness of time.


    Loss.


    It had lost something important. Something that it shouldn''t have, yet it couldn''t tell if the emotion was its own or the memories.


    After shaking its head slightly, the movement causing a sharp stabbing pain due to its injuries, the memories floated into a haze before fading into the dragonling''s subconscious yet a wealth of information that it did not have previously remained.


    The water rippled as if caught by an unseen, unfelt breeze. Dancing around the dragon''s image as if celebtrating.


    "Kaixolotl... My true name is Kaixolotl. My spoken name is Kai." While the dragonling didn''t know how it knew this, it did. It also recognised that it had to keep what it was, a dragon, a secret or else it would face hardships it couldn''t even imagine.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    A dragon''s body and mind was a treasure trove which would be exploited at a moments notice, especially without the protection of an adult. Weakness wasn''t something it could afford.


    Not yet.


    The golden hue of Kai''s eyes dimmed and turned a faint red as its tongue slithered over one of its broken teeth and, after wrapping around it, pulled on it suddenly, removing the tooth out before swallowing it.


    While the dragonling wouldn''t get much energy after digesting the tooth, it knew that it would still be in the positive and a start towards its recovery. It also needed to remove the damaged teeth so that the replacements would grow correctly.


    While Kai continued removing and consuming the remainder of his broken teeth, already feeling the dull ache of replacements developing, he continued to sort through the new information.


    Suddenly the dragonling stopped and, even though it hurt, lifted its back leg and analysed what lay between its legs.


    A frown appeared on the dragonling''s face as it lowered its leg. "So, It appears that I am a male."


    While he didn''t understand the reason for the difference in genders, except that female dragons, were bigger, stronger and had more resilience where male dragons were known for their speed, aggressiveness and vast spirit reserves, Kai could recognise the physical differences between male and females. Something that is relatively hard to visually tell between dragons as their sexual organs were hidden when not needed.


    After consuming the last tooth and drinking his fill from the pool, something that seemed to comfort him greatly, Kai yawned, the tips of new teeth peeking through the gaps left by the old.


    Fatigue continued to wash over him, yet Kai knew he couldn''t rest yet. He needed to eat or, if he were to fall asleep, he might never wake up.


    A dragon''s ability to heal was, but like everything, something Kai was quickly beginning to understand, it had its cost.


    The ability was unintelligent, using energy from its spirit reserves, located in its developing core, blood, flesh and muscle to repair the areas it deemed most important. If he slept, and portions of his brain switched off while his heart and lungs relaxed, without enough resources available, it was possible his body would get stuck in a cycle of destruction and regeneration and as the process wasn''t a hundred per cent efficient, die.


    Lifting his scaled head upward, contemplating what he needed to do to survive, Kai watched the flying creatures above and moment of sadness washed over the tiny dragon as it tentatively twitched the stub of its wing.


    While teeth, scales, limbs and even organs would regrow if he had the resources, something deep inside told him that his injury might mean that he would never be able to fly.


    He partially understood this was because his growth would depend on how he lived his life, the experience he gained, in the beginning, and, by compensating for the loss of the wing at such an early stage, his body would change and adapt in a way that didn''t need the appendage.


    The only way around this was to use what remained of his right, and his left as much as possible, but that wouldn''t necessarily lead to its regrowth. In fact, it could lead to the development of an entirely different appendage, one that could be more of a hindrance than boon as he had artificially aided its creation.


    Boiling rage once again surged up from the depths of Kai''s soul, the image of the white-furred creature that attacked him unprovoked, vivid in his mind.


    To the tiny dragon, who knew nothing of the world as a whole, bar the few disjointed memories and facts that had been passed along with its bloodline, as well as the creatures it could see inside the cavern, that rabbit was an apex creature that had targeted him for no good reason.


    There was numerous weaker prey inside the cavern, some not much smaller than Kai yet most certainly contained more energy, both in the form of nutrients and in world essence, than him.


    Logically, he should have been fine. The young dragon wasn''t a threat, being smaller and weaker than the rabbit. The rabbit seemed to be an omnivore, which meant that they weren''t directly competing for the overabundant food source.


    It was also unlikely that it knew it was a dragon as it would have been more careful and maybe waited for a better opportunity before attacking.


    Thoughts, ideas and questions span in the tiny dragon''s mind as it tried to work out what had happened, mainly to avoid having to go through the same experience.


    Sighing, which was a bizarre sound to be coming from one of his kind, the dragonling looked towards the creatures massing in the distance, seemingly hoping he would succumb to his wounds and be an easy target.


    Tensing against the pain that was sure to follow, Kia moved to a large boulder nearby, the lack of moss on one side giving it a shadow and seemingly merged into the darkness, his silhouette becoming hard to define without exceptional vision.


    His movement towards the pool wasn''t to satisfy his thirst but to provoke his healing ability to focus on his limbs and, while the break could be considered a fracture now, small cracking sounds occasionally echoing out as the bone pulled into its proper place. While it was still incredibly painful, and he couldn''t move very well, it was enough as the dragonling started stalking through the rocks.


    As if sensing the change in their potential prey, the insect-like creatures scattered in all directions, breaking the encirclement that had naturally developed.


    While they laminated, at least as close as they could in their primitive minds, they did not pay it much mind as they estimated the strange, black lizard at the same level as themselves. Just another creature in the cave''s eternal battle for survival.

 A1:C8 Discovering ones way Part One

    While a millennium had passed since the dragon''s egg had been hidden in the cave''s crevice, time seemed to accelerate at an outstanding rate for the tiny dragonling.


    Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to weeks and finally weeks to months as the little dragon gradually recovered its strength by hunting the cave''s native inhabitants and consuming the pool''s slightly luminescent waters.


    It never ventured further down the tunnel that the rabbit had disappeared, the surprise attack significantly shook Kai''s confidence, and so, he stayed in the first chamber, which was around the size of a large arena.


    At the start, due to being severely injured and in a weakened state, Kai had found it almost impossible to take on the other creatures in a one on one fight and was forced to eat the glowing moss that lined the rocks and walls of the cave while cowering in the shadows.


    The insect-like creatures that called this place home, while to the outside world were small and weak, were almost on par with the young, inexperienced dragon, and that was if he was in his prime.


    While being forced to behave like this hurt the dragon''s pride, and was more than a little depressing, he soon discovered some benefits, including being able to hone his stealth skills alongside his innate sense of danger.


    The main reason that the cave''s creatures were able to compete with a dragon, even if it was only a hatchling, was because the insect-like beasts had lived a very long time and grown in isolation from the outside world. The lack of natural predators, other than each other, as well as being able to refine the world''s energy without the chance of the energy being lost if creatures had left the cave, was the reason why they were slightly stronger than their related species in the outside world.


    These advantages somewhat negated the benefits of the tiny dragons heritage, and Kai found that he had to rely on his increased intellect during the first few weeks to survive. This was especially true as most of the creatures could bite and string, their fangs, and stingers usually containing potent venom thus requiring cunning and guile to be able to confront them safely.


    If Kia hadn''t worked out what was happening to his body after his first experience with such creatures and learned how to circulate his blood, purifying the venom, it would likely have built up to the point where it would have been able to overpower his body''s impossibly robust immune system. If that had happened, the young dragon would have fallen into a coma, never to awaken.


    Coincidentally, this was how he discovered cultivation, though he did not know its name or what purpose it served.


    Each cycle of blood that he forced rough his body, in an instinctual pattern, had to pass through the diamond-like core deep in his chest. As it passed through, the blood was energized with spirit energy, a pure substance that had been refined from the world energy he had been absorbing subconsciously, which would then be diffused into his flesh, muscles, and organs, slightly strengthening them.


    And elder dragon would have been shocked to find out a hatchling had achieved the first step of body refinement on its own, yet to Kai, it was a means to purify venom and little else. The advantages, especially with the stale world energy in the cave, of cultivation were almost insignificant compared to the results of his constant battles.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    However, the dragonling realized that it needed every advantage no matter how small, to be able to survive. As if fate was giving him a helping hand, the constant doses of venom he obtained were enough motivation to ingrain the habit deep into his bones setting a foundation that, while insignificant now, could lead to great things in the future.


    To purify the venom from his body, he had to cultivate and so, a vicious cycle began.


    It wasn''t as if the young dragon was a masochist, far from it, it was just that he was just too slow to avoid all their attacks and, even with his sixth sense, found himself being ambushed at the most inopportune moments.


    Soon he was continually cycling his blood, forcing it through his core at a subconscious level.


    The tiny dragon continued to fight valiantly, but there was little to show for it at the start. Kai not only persevered but used each defeat to temper his resolve and learned from his mistakes.


    His first live and death battle had been against a foe far more powerful and cunning than the insects, and while that didn''t help his pride, being forced to retreat or outright flee in the early confrontations, it only reinforced the desire for strength and power.


    Each confrontation, no matter the outcome was analyzed as Kai licked his wounds in a dark crevice and recovered.


    Eventually, after many life and death battles and humiliating defeats, the dragonling discovered his style.


    It was fast, brutal, and it was what most would consider reckless, but surprisingly, it worked exceptionally well. The injuries Kai sustained significantly decreased as his opponents started to fear the tiny, black terror who seemingly had no regard for its own life.


    It wasn''t like Kia enjoyed fighting, like his ancestors before him, he saw it as a waste of time and energy yet, he also understood natures fundamental law.


    Survival of the fittest and that only the strong could decide their fate.


    More than once, the only reason he survived was that his pursuer, usually a long, snake-like creature with multiple legs as they were one of the few species that wouldn''t give up without a chase, would abandon a pursuit after a couple of meters, deciding the scrawny lizard wasn''t worth the hassle.


    The dragonling understood it was their choice to give up and that had ended up saving his life. He also knew that they only had that choice available as they held the advantageous position. He was weak while they were the strong.


    They held the position of absolute power, at least over him and his life.


    These thoughts, along with the experiences Kia had gained since birth started to taint his way of thinking.


    The environment Kai found himself in did not help this.


    All of the creatures inside the cavern were solitary, only coming together to mate, so the dragonling did not have a concept of the group, family or companionship.


    While Kai knew the benefits and dangers of such behavior locked away in its mind, without experiencing or even seeing the act, the information was slowly pushed towards the recesses of his mind.


    This early start, so different than what the dragon''s kind customarily received, started to form a warped ideology in Kai''s heart.


    Dragons were traditionally a highly social species, their clan and extended family numbering in the hundreds if not thousands yet, alone in a dark cave deep inside the mountain, Kai had none of these benefits or experiences and, true to his nature, his mind, body and soul rapidly adapted.


    That wasn''t to say that he didn''t feel like he was missing something. A semi-painful hole, at least in the figurative sense, felt like it existed next to his heart yet, at the moment, the dragonling didn''t know why or what he could do to fix the uncomfortable feeling that only grew with the passage of time.


    However, those thoughts were quickly pushed tot he back of Kai''s mind as three weeks had passed and the dragonling had finally recovered enough of its strength to challenge the bottom of the cave''s food chain.


    It was only a slug-like creature that spat poisonous liquid from its mouth and secreted a slimy substance that mitigated a lot of damage from piercing attacks, but to Kai, it was as if he had been reborn.


    Glowing Goldeneyes, tinged with a hue of red at their edges radiated from the corner of the cave, the cave as a chill fell upon its inhabitants.

 A1:C8 Discovering ones way Part Two

    Kai entered the battle with the slug-like beast full of grim, almost fanatical determination. The last few weeks, the constant defeats and skulking around the cave had left a deep shadow over his heart, questioning everything he thought he knew about his species.


    He was a dragon, a being that was as ancient as they were powerful yet, here he was, at the bottom of the food chain, his survival balanced on a knife-edge.


    The blood-red hue in his eyes continually grew, rapidly replacing their natural golden colour, something that occurred every time he fought.


    In his mind, he had already decided that this battle, even though many would laugh at a death match with a giant slug, would determine his fate.


    Either Kai would emerge victoriously, or not at all. In his mind, warped by isolation and his experiences, it was better for him to die early than to suffer for eternity.


    The slug, its kind focusing on high defence to the cost of all else, including its speed and intelligence, reacted predictably. It slowly yet relentlessly attacked the dragonling without care or concern for its well-being. This behaviour was why, even though it was at the bottom of the food chain, the slug''s species was also the most numerous to be found inside the cave system.


    Most predators found it too much hassle to kill when there were easier, more nutritious, prey to hunt.


    The fight was brutal, the two evenly matched against each other, effectively cancelling out each other''s strengths and turning the battle into that of endurance and multiple weak, but continuously growing injuries.


    Kai''s ability to purify its body from the slim''s poison, as long as it didn''t get in his eyes nullified the slug''s most potent attack while the slug''s high resistance to piercing damage made it almost impossible for Kai''s teeth and claws to inflict anything more than a bloody scratch.


    The battle continued for hours, the floor becoming stained in bright green and red blood as the small wounds they inflicted on each other steadily grew.


    During this time, Kai knew that if he used his Dragon''s breath, the slug would fall almost instantly but it would also set him back weeks and so, pushed forward utilising everything he had learned to try and overcome his fortress-like opponent.


    If one were to consider him the sword, his opponent would be the shield.


    It was during the seventh hour, both the slug and Kai were extremely exhausted yet unwilling to give up, that a black, mist-like sheen appeared on Kai''s claws, precisely as it had done during the last moments of his fight with the rabbit. Without thinking, Kai''s back foot flew outwards and sliced a grievous wound into the slug''s flank changing the flow of the battle in a single instant.


    Without even contemplating about what had just happened, Kai plunged his claws deep into the slugs chest, his incredibly keen eyesight, enhanced by powers he hadn''t discovered yet, already having found the most significant weakness of all spirit beasts, its core.


    Grasping the core, shredding the arteries that fed blood to it, Kai used his back legs to push off the slug, almost slipping and needing to use his single wing to stabilise himself as he flew backwards.


    While all organs were a weakness, especially a beasts brain and heart, nothing would kill a beast faster than having its core destroyed or removed.


    In an instant, the slug had frozen, before slumping forward dead and Kai had won his first victory.


    Kai, thoroughly exhausted to the point of collapse instinctively threw the core, something that was difficult due to his bodies shape, in the air before snatching it with his teeth, shattering the gem-like object, and swallowing.


    A warm, revitalising energy seeped through his being as the minuscule amount of spirit and world energy the slug had painstaking gathered flowed from the core''s remains and into the dragon''s body.


    Bones popped and realigned, blood vessels tore and repaired themselves and, for the first time, Kai felt an itch on the flesh where he had lost the scales in his battle against the rabbit. Even the dragon''s wing stub itched slightly indicating that it was trying to heal itself.


    The feeling was akin to both heaven and hell as Kai experienced blissful pleasure and agonising pain at the same time as his body healed and changed at an alarming rate.


    A concept from his ancestral bloodline fluttered to the surface, and he instantly knew that this is what was referred to as ''levelling up.''This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    After a being had gained enough experience and passed through tribulations of the mind, body and soul while having acquired enough spirit essence, their body would change. This change would permanently strengthen them and enable them to perform much better than their previous self.


    This strengthening commonly occurred in the areas they had strained the most, seemingly aiding them in their chosen path. That was to say, for Kai, his speed, reflexes, stamina and strength had increased dramatically while his core, intelligence, spirit and hardiness had only somewhat improved.


    A level was an individuals marker in how much they had grown since birth. While it could never be directly compared to another''s, the situation and changes making it impossible to distinguish between individuals, it had been used, the information Kai had access to being over a millennia old, as a social and merit-based casting system across most of the sentient species.


    Though the system was somewhat unfair in the early levels, this casting was especially true the higher the level as each subsequent level up took at least double the amount of effort as the previous.


    High levelled beings often had a wealth of experience and strength, making them powers that most could not afford to offend.


    Being semi-immortal, unable to fall to the ravages of time, gave the dragon race a considerable advantage in this area as, as long as they were careful, they had all the time in the world to increase their strength.


    It was because of this trait, especially for elder and ancient dragons, entire armies of high levelled warriors were needed put up any semblance of a fight.


    Kai''s lips twitched into a feral smile, his exhaustion, though much diminished due to levelling up, evident on his features as he stalked forward, unwilling to rest now a tangible metric of his growth had been discovered, and he started hunting his next target.


    In the months that followed, Kai nearly lost his life more times than he could count yet, he continued to grow and develop at an outstanding rate.


    He mastered the strange, mist-like ability that empowered his claws and could help conceal his body in the shadows, discovered that, as long as it was only a tiny amount, could use his Dragon''s fire ability if his life was in danger, and eventually worked out a way that he could silently glide, would was closer to controlled falling on his unsuspecting prey.


    While it couldn''t even be compared to flying, the power Kai felt as he watched from the tall rocks that littered the cave''s sides, overseeing everything below him before sweeping down and smashing into his prey was bliss for the young dragon that had suffered so much in his early weeks.


    It rapidly became his prefered method of hunting, enabling to avoid most of the ambushes he had previously been subjected too.


    Eventually, even the large snake-like creatures, the top of this cave''s ecosystem were targeted by the continually growing dragon.


    While more often than not Kai got his kill, if the fight was interrupted by a third and sometimes even fourth party, looking to take advantage, then he could only retreat as the cave''s insect-like creatures seem to identify him as the most significant threat and would attempt to swarm him before they attacked each other.


    This behaviour angered Kai to no end, just like the ambush from the rabbit, the young dragon considered these tactics unfair yet, it also gave him a new goal.


    His technique and strategies slowly adapted. From the one on one style he had developed when combating slugs, slimes, spiders and the occasional locust-like creatures, the young dragon''s technique changed into a one versus many.


    He was forced to split his attention and attacks, using hit and run tactics and various, seemingly underhanded means to achieve victory but to the immature dragon, the end justified the means.


    As long as they were not employed against him.


    A year had passed, something that would seem like a lifetime for any sentient creature stuck inside a cave on their own, and Kia had finally climbed his way to the top. The number of animals inside the cave had diminished significantly, his presence and appetite for gaining strength shattering the delicate balance that had existed for aeons.


    Sitting atop a boulder and looking into the pool, his wing no longer flat against his back but in a proud, upright, semi-extended position, its opposite having grown significantly but still a far cry from the undamaged counterpart, Kai stared into the pool.


    He was almost double the size of when he first entered the cave and, while he had been eating well recently, not an ounce of fat could be seen on his lean, muscular frame.


    Silvery-black scales had replaced his damaged ones, almost appearing as scars, giving his face a hardened feel while black mist danced around his body, sometimes breaking up his outline in the moss'' dull light.


    He had fought hard for this day yet now it was here, he found himself not wanting to leave. He had become the king of this tiny area, the apex ruler and, at least for now, nothing could challenge him.


    However, even if his food supply wasn''t rapidly dwindling, he knew that if he did stay, his growth would stagnate and it wouldn''t be too long until he would fall victim to the cycle of life, just as the cave''s previous rulers had.


    Kai also knew, since the moment of his encounter with the rabbit, that there were stronger, more dangerous forces out there. If he wanted to dictate his destiny, he still needed to gain strength. To become like his ancestors, beings that stood above all others.


    Over his stay in the cave, Kai had not only recovered and grown as nature intended but had levelled up four times. He didn''t know if a creature started at level one or level zero but decided that he was level five as it sounded better to him and, for some unknown reason, Kai desired things to be in specific groupings.


    Taking a deep breath, Kai lept from the boulder, half gliding, half falling in the direction of the tunnel that had been both his goal, and his fear for such a long time.


    A wicked smile crossed his scaly lips as his tongue darted out and tasted the air, black mist swirling around his body as if agitated by his excitement.


    He only hoped that the rabbit that had visited him so many times in his dreams was still alive and he could finally put to rest his oldest fear, grudge and figurative scar.


    If he could, he was confident he could transcend to the next level, maybe not in the traditional sense but at least spiritually.

 A1:C8 Discovering ones way Part Three - Draft

    Shimmering, golden light, both from the blazing sun hovering high in the clear, blue sky and reflected off the pristine white snow, filtered through the small hole in the mountainside, illuminating the entrance to the ancient cave system.


    It had been eighteen years since a boulder had fallen away, due the ravages of time, and enabled the subterranean world, cut off for over a millennium, to rejoin the outside.


    During these years, many of the inhabitants of the mountain had visited at one time or another. Most not staying for very long, that is if they managed to leave at all and, over time, the animals and beasts of the wind-swept peaks had learnt to keep their distance from the ominous entrance.


    Conventionally, the entrance was devoid of life, the two hostile environments separated by a barren, rocky surface, however, on this day, the small cavern that marked the gateway to an extensive cave system was teeming with life.


    Flying bat-like creatures swarmed close to the ceiling, trying to find a perch to rest and various insect-like creatures, along with a few rodents, crowded below. While it was obvious they were trying to keep out of the sunlight, their albino shells, fur and skin, along with red eyes, displaying their ancestor''s limited exposure, it was clear that the darkness beyond was equally unappealing.


    The swarm of beasts was constantly changing, each creature trying to get as close to the centre of the mass as possible yet, dead in the centre none dared approach. There stood a giant rabbit with patchy, white fur. Horrific looking scars, from burns, slashes and serrated teeth marred the creature''s impressively muscular body. A missing ear and left eye, a deep scar running down its face complimented its battle-hardened aura, giving it an intimidating, fearsome appearance that one would not associate with this commonly timid species.


    At the centre of its head, protruded the remains of a once impressive horn, matching the many shattered spines that ran down its back and elbows.


    The surrounding animals and beasts, flowed around the rabbit at a respectful distance as it glared into the darkness with its remaining sky blue eye.


    To a novice adventure, the sight would have filled them with dread, most believing that a new dungeon had emerged and was preparing to send its first host into the world to collect samples from the local wildlife and fauna and that the rabbit had been chosen and evolved into its first boss monster.


    Yet, to the those with a more discerning eye, it was clear that instead of an invasion force, the gathering creatures were on the retreat.


    The host comprised mainly of the old or young, the few adult beasts having a vast array of injuries, many missing eyes, antenna, limbs and in the case of the few grounded bat-like creatures, a wing or two.


    Eighteen years had passed since the rabbit and the strange lizard that had emerged from the cave''s depths had first fought and, in that time, the cave''s entire ecosystem and inhabitants had been overturned. The most recent changes had resulted in many of the cave''s indigenous species to band together.


    Traditionally, most of the species here were natural predator and prey, all obeying the single, timeless law of survival of the fittest, yet here they were, the young and the old, the weak and the strong, all united under one banner with the rabbit at its head.


    Darkness had fallen across their domain, both literally and in the metaphorical sense.


    The glowing moss, that had once barely illuminated the subterranean walls and ceiling had been devoured. The pools that had quenched their thirst and been the centre of life, drained or contaminated as a terrifying existence emerged from the mountain''s depths and slaughtered all that stood before it.


    While the creatures were not very intelligent, as they were hunted relentlessly adversity combined with the world energy that flowed through the cave triggered a phase of rapid adaptation and evolution.


    Where they were once solitary, the cave''s inhabitants began moving in groups. Where they use to rest and breed in small crevices and holes, now they lived in the beginnings of communities. Communication that spanned species had started to develop, however, even with the outstanding developments each species had made, it was too little, too late.


    The world energy, the balancing force of life, without intelligence, yet full of purpose had done what it could but it was still limited by creatures starting DNA. Bodies of such simple creatures only had so much potential and while it could be tempered and mutated to a certain extent, limitations were always there.


    The rabbit was the only foreign creature here, mainly because as its hide had been severely damaged by the strange fire, that it could no longer exist out on the mountain or in the forest below. Its camouflage had been destroyed and, while it now had the strength to put up a fight, in the snowy tundra outside, if the cold didn''t get it, a wolf or eagle would.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Initially, it wasn''t a bad life. The rabbit started to recover from its injuries and could exist in the cave in relative safety.


    That was until the strange lizard started to expand its territory and the rabbit got its first experience of a true apex predator, not just a newborn hatchling.


    Seventeen years later, the cave''s inhabitants were faced with only two options. Either death at the maw of the monster or death on the mountain''s frozen slopes. After so many failed attempts, they had all but given up on defeating the creature.


    Defiance sparkled in the sky-blue eye of the rabbit. It had fought its enemy many times now, and even though it knew that it was no longer its match, it would not cower away or flee into the claws of a mear eagle or jaws of a pathetic wolf.


    With hatred, came a grudging respect. The two creatures, while mortal enemies, had grown together and so, even though it didn''t want to die, it found the courage to stand and fight.


    The second fight between them had ended in a draw, both retreating to lick their comparably light wounds, the reptile retreating back into the cave it had initially conquered, as neither wanted to overcommit and suffer heavy injuries like in their first confrontation.


    However, even though the rabbit constantly grew in strength and ability, it could not match the winged lizard. The speed of its growth and development was unparalleled and, it wasn''t long before the rabbit was forced back.


    It was then that, deep in the rabbit''s soul, it knew it was doomed yet its increased intelligence screamed at it to resist to the bitter end, that time would give it opportunities, and so, the rabbit fought the dragonling over every cave, tunnel and water source in a slow, but relentless retreat.


    During this time, the rabbit had, almost unheard of for its species, reached level ten yet, instead of giving it the advantage, it seemed to only further the lizard''s growth providing a worthy opponent to test its ever-developing set of skills.


    When the reptile, unable to support its development by consuming the cave''s inhabitants turned to the moss to substitute its diet, it was the beginning of the end.


    The plants, full of world energy fueled the creature''s growth, as did the pools of condensed liquid, refined over countless years and, as each cave fell into eternal darkness, the stench of death would soon follow.


    It was at this point that the cave''s native inhabitants had developed enough to start putting up some semblance of a fight, but that was all that it could be called. It was far too little, too late.


    The old rabbit, feeling tiredness deep in its bones shuffled, its acute senses picking up that there was now another presence in the cave.


    A low, rumbling growl, followed by a deep thud, like a heavy rock hitting the ground, echoed out of the darkness, causing the pulsing mass of beasts to freeze as one, silence descending.


    A slithering hiss, scales scraping against rocks, reached their senses, causing many to flinch and back away.


    The accumulation of their greatest fears was finally here, indicating those that had been too stubborn to leave the previous cave had fallen or, more recently, been too small to interest the insatiable appetite of the monster from the depths.


    The rabbit released an all too human-like sigh as it thumped its back leg on the ground, the stone under it cracking at the violent impact as it mentally prepared itself.


    As if in response to the sound, two golden orbs appeared, seemingly floating in the darkness, a black slit-like pupil marring their radiant centres.


    The rabbit, along with those surrounding, shivered, the sense of death crawling around their souls and chilling their blood.


    Snorting, the rabbit hopped forward, releasing a roar more appropriate for a lion than its kind, and charged.


    After a moment, as one, both on the ground and in the air, the swarm followed.


    Madness danced in the rabbit''s eye knowing that with the numbers they had, even if they couldn''t kill it, they could gravely wound the lizard.


    Even though they were all considered D grade or below species, a horde like this would terrify even the most seasoned warrior yet, the golden eyes almost sparkled with delight at the oncoming mass as the edges became tinted in a blood-red hue before they dimmed.


    Not because they diminished in power, but that a new source of light had appeared.


    Flickering dark-orange light, seemingly contained behind the bars of a cage, which turned out to be teeth, flicked across the walls, even diminishing the bright light seeping through the cave''s exit.


    The rabbit felt its heart sink.


    It wanted to cause its foe as much inconvenience as possible before the end but, unlike the countless battles before, it seemed that the monster wasn''t going to waste any time. In fact, it was possible that it had been waiting for them all to gather in one place to use its most devastating attack.


    A heat that scorched rock and melted the snow surrounding the cave''s entrance exploded outwards, followed by a stream of flame that reached over twenty meters into the air with a deafening explosion.


    Along with the explosion, a silhouette, smoke rising from its smouldering fur, shot out and disappeared down the mountain, tumbling into the snow.


    A few minutes later, a black, scaled claw emerged from the cave''s entrance, which was no bigger than a large dog, rapidly followed by the rest of its dragonic body, and entered into the sunlight for the first time.


    A black wing, its counterpart still not healed and flat against the dragon''s back, stretched into the sky as the tendrils of black mist fluttered around its body excitedly.


    Kai cursed the creatures that had blocked his path for so long, those that had hindered his escape from the cave at every twist and turned, yet it had been very rewarding. The challenge had enabled him to grow tremendously and now that it was all over, he felt an instinctual need to vocalised his victory.


    Sucking in a significant amount of air and inflating his chest, Kai lifted his head into the sky and released a sound that had not been heard for countless ages. The mountain seemed to quake in fear, snow dislodged and tumbling away as the roar resonated outwards.


    The roar carried off the mountain and high into the sky, through the thick wintery woodland below and into the far distance. It even reached the tower-like structures that surrounded the forest before slowly dying out.


    The silence that followed was deafening.


    Suddenly, movement below, creatures fleeing from the terrifying noise drew, Kai''s attention and like an arrow from a bow, he lept and skillfully glided with his single wing, the fleeing creatures trigging his predatory instincts to give chase and his hight spirit cancelling out his cautiousness.

 A1:C9 Discovering Humanity Part 1 - Draft

    Hurtling down the snowy slopes at a blistering pace, spirit energy pushing their muscles and abilities far beyond those of an average human, thirteen people quickly descended the mountain.


    "Brother Chron, what in the twelve hells was that?" shouted a young man, his white robes billowing in the passing air as he effortlessly lept across a small ravine.


    "If you have enough breath to make idle talk, you can run faster," bellowed a tall, well-built man, one of only two adults in the group.


    The man, Chron, wore thick, brown leather armour and carried a variety of knives and small projectiles strapped to his chest and legs yet, even though he was moving at an outstanding speed, they did not make any noise. "Snow, how''s it looking back there?"


    The other adult, a middle-aged woman with a pale complexion and dark, almost black, hair responded as she brought up the rear of the group, ensuring none of the disciples fell behind. "Still clear."


    Her short response came as she examined the disciples in front of her, looking for signs of fatigue while occasionally scanning the mountainside behind them, especially in the direction where the terrifying roar had emanated.


    While the first rule of engagement for the beast and monster encounters was never to fight an unknown, to escape and gather intel, that was only if they could avoid the confrontation. The disciples were low level, ranging from three to five and if they exhausted their spiritual energy, they would collapse and would have to be carried.


    It that happened, a battle was almost inevitable, and while she had full confidence in her abilities, casualties would be unavoidable.


    Pushing her fists out, her thick robe seemingly unaffected by her pace, two spikes of ice rapidly formed in the air before shooting into the snow, leaving only their tips exposed to the mountain air.


    As the spikes were created with her spirit energy, as long as she was in range, she would be able to use the projectiles to sense the area surrounding them, providing an early warning if anything was giving chase.


    The mountainside behind her was littered with such spears, and the further they got, the more comfortable Snow felt.


    They hadn''t seen the creature that made the noise, but it was clear from the fluctuations in the world energy, that it was powerful. It was definitely a high tier beast, maybe even a low-level monster.


    Snow clicked her tongue in annoyance; her plain yet pretty features contorting in a grimacing.


    This was the last training expedition she had to undertake, a punishment from her clan, and she would be able to return to the city yet if one of those under her protection were injured, the bastards who wished to keep her out here in the wilderness would make sure it was years before she could return home.


    The Icy peak, the mountain and its surrounding forest, was a remote farm that the clan had set up to nurture and grow rare herbs and ice spirits, as well as give their soldiers a varied environment to train in. To protect their investment, all high-level beasts and any monsters that had wandered in were culled on sight so the situation the group found themselves in shouldn''t be happening.


    This area was well known, with many of the younger generations, alongside a few protectors, coming here to train, cultivate and gather the abundant ingredients in relative safety. In fact, it was known as one of the safest areas in the entire clan.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    That sound had even caused her, a veteran of many campaigns to recoil in fear and immediately retreat.


    Suddenly, her pupils expanded.


    ''Fast.''


    Snow''s head started to turn, but due to the speed of the approaching object, felt by the sensors she had left, it felt as if she were moving in slow motion.


    ''Too damn fast.''


    Her pale, pink lips started to open, her training kicking in and the need to warn the group overriding all else as she finally managed to move her head to look behind.


    Snow''s pupils shrunk, her blood felt like it had frozen in her veins. "INCOMING!"


    The warning shout caused a blast of snow to fly away from Snow as her body followed the movement of her head and turned to face the black mass streaking towards them.


    Having served the clan''s Huntsmen for dozens of years, as well as in the expeditionary forces, Chron immediately sent out a wave of condensed spirit energy, knocking the ten disciples to the floor as he flipped around, daggers already drawn and faced back up the mountain.


    When he saw Snow, still sliding backwards due to her previous momentum, her hands on the snowy surface as a massive wall of ice sprouted from the ground, Chron had to whistle in amazement.


    While as a tracker and hunter he was pretty powerful, he was still a low ranking member of the clan and, like most people, didn''t have enough spirit energy to manipulate external factors.


    The best Chron could do, at a push, was create a weak elemental ball or change the environment slightly, but that was it. The difficulty was so great that most focused on body enhancement and not in projecting their spirit energy outside of their bodies, which was often referred to as magic.


    The seven-foot high, five-foot thick wall of ice in front of him was something only the elite of the elite could do and, at that moment, he realised that the woman who had gained the title of Ice Witch, was a far more terrifying existence than he had previously imagined.


    He nervouslyswallowed as he remembered his crude advances during this trip and thanked the heavens that the woman wasn''t as fiery-tempered as those in the capital.


    While his mind was slightly distracted by these thoughts, his training enabled him to calmly analyse the situation, which provided little to no information. The wall was blocking out what he could gain from his enhanced senses, and if he were to jump, while he could see over the ice wall, Chron would be helpless until he returned to the earth.


    Just as he was about to open his mouth and ask what it was, Chron felt as if he had been dropped into a frozen river.


    All cultivators, no matter their level, had learnt to sense the energy that was directed at them. Often it was as simple as gaze or curiosity, but higher levels could even pick up killing intent. This wasn''t any of those sensations, at least it didn''t feel the same. It was as if a mountain had gained sentience and was taking notice of an ant.


    Before Chron could contemplate the sensation further, his grip tightening on his daggers as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead, Snow had turned her head to face him, her pale face almost as white as snow. "Idiot. Take them and-"


    Her words were drowned out by the massive explosion, ice flying in all directions as a black silhouette smashed through the wall as if it was nothing more than a sheet of paper.


    With a flip that wasn''t any less graceful than Chron''s, the creature somersaulted in the air, a single wing beat almost halting its remaining momentum, and agility landed in front of them, blocking the group''s decent.


    The snow and ice that had been kicked up from the explosion had masked the creature''s form somewhat, giving Chron enough courage to take a quick glance behind him.


    He almost wished he hadn''t.


    Snow was lying face down and unmoving, a pool of blood forming under her head, while the debris from the exploding wall had severely injured most of the disciples, one, dressed in light, plate armour, seemingly crushed by a massive block of ice.


    Only two of the ten could stand, a young girl, around the age of sixteen and a wiry boy, terror etched on their faces as the tried to see through the fog of snow and ice.


    While their senses were enhanced, they were not much better than an average human, their cultivation and dantians too immature.


    Movement drew Chron''s attention back to the creature, and he let out a curse at what he saw through the settling snow and ice.


    While he didn''t know what the creature was, one thing was clear. This creature was built to kill, and he couldn''t help but take a step back.

 A1:C9 Discovering Humanity Part 2 - Draft

    Chron believed, without even a shadow of a doubt, that the creature standing before him was something that he couldn''t handle alone.


    Even if he ignored the fluctuations in the world essence when it roared, that it had smashed through a crafted ice wall with ease, he could not disregard the keen intelligence that danced in the golden, reptilian eyes or its sleek, predatory features.


    The impossible sharp claws and teeth, the bristling scales that covered the creature''s hide, two long, curved horns on its head and the wealth of scars was a testament to the violent life this creature lived.


    "What rank is it?" muttered the girl, her half leather, half plate armour feeling utterly inadequate against such a foe.


    The boy, having recovered his witts quicker, was helping his comrades, at least the ones that were still breathing, while keeping a nervous eye on their assailant.


    "Low monster rank, maybe two or three," responded Chron, uttering the words he didn''t want to admit, as he fought down the urge to grab the two disciples and escape.


    Since the fall of Gods thousands of years ago, which was the end of humanities golden age and prosperity, the cost of rebelling against their masters, there had been one rule that, while somewhat frowned upon, was widely accepted.


    It followed the fundamental law of nature, survival of the fittest. A rule that stated that the weak could blame no one but themselves for their shortcomings.


    The girl, strands of her short, brown hair floating in the wind, sucked in a mouthful of cold air as her eyes expanded. She knew they were in trouble, but she still hadn''t believed it was this bad.


    Animals were the most basic of creatures, barely being able to use the world''s energy, having low intelligence and, more often than not, relying solely on their instincts to survive.


    Beasts were a higher form, being able to form spirit cores and cultivate the world energy. There was a shocking variance between species, and while the lower ranks were still reasonably dumb, the higher grades were so intelligent that a few were able to use magic. Another ability of a top-ranked beast was the ability to take on a humanoid form, the more of a creatures natural traits showing, the weaker it was.


    Comparing a monster to a beast was like comparing heaven and earth. Not only did monsters have every ability of a high ranked beast, but they also possessed terrifying bloodlines and innate skills and often maintained a disposition that was nearly always hostile to humans.


    While a monster could still be contracted, just like beasts, they virtually never would unless the gains were hugely stacked in their favour or they had no other choice. More often than not, these contracts where forced, however, who in their right mind would attempt to pressure a monster into a bond that could very well spell their doom.


    "Humans?" hissed Kai in his native tongue, the small clicks and indentations the only reason the Chron and the others realised it was a language and not a sign of aggression.


    "Lea, I understand it." A tiny, feminine voice, barely audible emanated from the girl''s chest as white smoke emerged and formed the body of a small, white snake with wings.


    ''Contracted beast!'' Chron, who could only watch out the corner of his eye because he knew looking away from the reptile in front of him was a bad idea, was shocked. While not rare, someone who could gain a bond with a beast, of any level, was not a significant figure in society at all.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Kai was even more surprised, his sixth sense completely missing the tiny snake and his wariness instantly doubled as he analysed the little, floating creature.


    "Please, great ancestor," hissed the white snake, its tiny red eyes locking onto Kai own. "have mercy and overlook my contractor. She is weak, not even a threat against your mighty self and would not make a good meal."


    Contractor? Ancestor? While he had many questions yet looking into the terrified red eyes, Kai revealed a tooth-filled smile. ''The outside world sure is excellent. There is no ceiling, strange creatures and even beings that I can converse.''


    Having been trapped inside the cave system for so many years, only a blood-crazed rabbit and insects for companionship, Kai''s intelligence had felt like a curse. Not only that but his species, one that was innately social.


    While Kaididn''t understand this, he felt like the painful hole, one that he had always carried with him, subsided even with the few words he had spoken.


    His actions, however, were anything but reassuring.


    "What the heck did your pet say to it," shouted the boy, his hand glowing green as he attempted to heal the Snow''s head injury. While it would do nothing if she had suffered any brain damage, he wanted to try and stem the bleeding.


    Both Lea and the tiny snake had moved back, the view of Kai''s teeth, to them, his smile seeming more like a snarl, causing fear to bloom deep in their souls.


    "Please," hissed the snake in a seemingly high pitched tone, "I meant no offence."


    "You will come with me." While Kai had intended to kill and consume the humans to regain the energy he had lost from his dragon''s breath, the thought of a potential companion, one that he could talk to and find out more about the world, was overwhelming.


    "I can''t," whimpered the snake, breaking eye contact for the first time. "We''re bonded."


    "I''ll kill the human then," responded Kai in a matter of fact way. "I''ll kill them all. If I do, there won''t be any problem?" Kai didn''t understand what a bond was, but he intrinsically knew it was something to do with the human that the snake had emerged from.


    "No," angry red eyes locked back onto his. "We are one. We live together, and we shall die together."


    Kai frowned. He didn''t know when he was going to come across another creature that spoke the same language as him but at the same time, he had only been outside for a few minutes and had already found one. It shouldn''t be too hard to find one without baggage and take them with him while he searched for a new home.


    If that was the case...


    Kai''s eyes, that had been momentarily unfocused as he thought, yet the moment he had made his mind up, the humans and tiny snake shivered as a baleful killing intent fell upon them.


    It was at this moment, where his pores fully opened and started sucking in the world essence at an alarming rate that Kai realised something was terribly wrong.


    The area wasn''t flooded with world essence like he initially thought, but spirit energy. Spirit energy that belonged to someone else.


    Kai had only ever interacted with unintelligent insects and the incredibly straightforward rabbit so, his concept of deceit and trickery was none existent. He knew they existed due to the bloodline but without any context, at least being on the receiving end, he wasn''t mentally prepared.


    He had felt that after his entrance, removing the largest threats, he was completely in control, however, it was at this moment that the young dragon realised he had been played.


    Feeling a predatory gaze upon his body, yet not an ounce of killing intent, Kai turned and found himself staring into the vivid, green eyes of Snow, a victorious smile upon her lips.


    "What a naive lizard you are," hissed Snow in the ancient reptilian language that only high tiered reptilian beasts and monsters should know, her smile turning almost feral. "Oh how they all laughed at me when I said I would contract a monster."


    Her smile only grew. "Being so intelligent yet inexperienced, you must be young. Perfect. Raw materials always make the strongest foundations."


    During this time, Chron and Lea had stepped out of the way, instincts screaming at them that they didn''t want to be in the middle when the two clashed.


    "A young monster..." Snow licked her lips, Chron finally coming to the realisation that he didn''t know who he feared more, the giant lizard or the woman that Chron thought he knew. "How powerful will you grow with the right training. I can''t wait to make those old bastards eat their words."


    The mountain started to shake as Snow used her spirit energy to reshape the slope. It had cost an extortionate amount of power, and she had gambled big by pretending to be unconscious to buy enough time to set the formation without being noticed, but it had paid off.


    Few could stand against a fully prepared spirit caster, especially when they were surrounded by their primary element.

 A1:C9 Discovering Humanity Part 3 - Draft

    However, how could the small group have known that they had encountered a being that defied what they considered, common logic? An existence who''s ancestors had even been able to force the old gods and countless species to unite against them?


    They couldn''t, and so, the moment that they sensed the natural world essence replaced by spirit energy the knew well, Chron and the two disciples relaxed considerably.


    There was a common saying that was lost to the ravages of time, much like the knowledge of dragons. ''To irritate a dragon is to die. To anger, to lose your family. To enrage, your town. To intimidate, your country.''


    Snow had, though most unwittingly, accomplished all of these with a mere gaze.


    Memories contained in ancestral bloodlines were, at least to mortals, bizarre. They were composed of many lifetimes, with little to no chronological order, and could only be passed from mother to child. However, unlike common bloodlines, the dragonic bloodline was unusual as it wasn''t set at conception, but upon the death of the ancestor.


    As dragons were immortal, at least in the sense of time, this wasn''t usually much of a concern, and mostly used to seek vengeance when one of their kind fell, yet in the case of Kai, it was akin to opening Pandora''s box.


    To access an ancestral memory, a trigger was needed. Kai''s mother had died defending her egg against humans. Especially the man who desired to enslave them both, binding them to his whims. Kai, as if he was there, could see the lust for power emanating from his eyes.


    Unlucky for Snow and her group, she displayed the same kind of eyes, both triggering the memory, and enraging the young dragon.


    Before her facial features could even flinch, the predatory smile still etched on her lips, Snow was covered in dragon''s flames, so hot that the hair of the nearby human''s instantly singed. The heat was intense, so much so, that the young man, who had been healing the group was so close that his clothes and hair erupted in natural flames.


    The middle-aged woman, strong enough to be considered a minor power in the clan, didn''t even get time to realise what had happened, let alone scream as her organs cooked and her blood boiled.


    Chron''s features were still locked into a frown, his consciousness, still thinking about the interaction between Snow and the strange creature, as his head sailed high into the air, a trail of blood streaking across the clear blue sky. It wasn''t clear what had decapitated him, the sharp edge of a wing or one of Kai''s claw but it didn''t matter. Chron''s last moments were spent in utter confusion as to what had just occurred.


    Lea hadn''t escaped the dragon''s fury, having been stood next to Chron and Kai''s tail had pierced her abdomen, sending her flying back. The small, flying snake that was her bonded had been crushed in crushed in his jaws, the sound of bones still resonating long after it had been swallowed.


    A thunderous explosion, the accumulation of the dragon''s breath''s intense heat and a sign that Snow was now nothing more than ash erupted and formed a small crater. The remains of the group scattered in all directions, any survivors having been given a swift death yet, even with the force of the blast slamming her head against the ground, Lea stayed conscious as she coughed out a mouthful of blood.


    The young woman was in agony, her contracted beast had been killed, and her abdomen was a mess. If she had not trained in body refinement and reached a relatively good level for her age, she would have died instantly.


    Forcing the spirit energy to move towards her wounds, Lea''s head rolled towards the side and faced the direction she had come from.


    The rage in her eyes instantly vanished as she watched Kai stalk through the remaining the flames as if he were the embodiment of a demon, the heat not bothering him in the slightest while bolts of lightning leapt from his black mist clad body and scored the earth around him.


    His eyes, now completely red, which Kai now knew to be an inheritance from his mother, locked onto the fallen girl, causing the breath to catch in her throat.


    Releasing a rumbling growl, one that would put any of the top monsters in the continent to shame, Kai stalked towards the injured woman.


    "Why?" Knowing she was facing certain death strangely calmed Lea. Just like most of the disciples in the clan, death wasn''t new to them yet, everyone liked to believe it would never happen to them. That they were special. Moments before her end, when she thought back to her family and friends, the only thing she could think of was all the choices she made that lead to this event and question what she could have done differently.


    Regret and reluctance swelled in her eyes, yet even though she was terrified, she didn''t turn away from the approaching monster and maintained eye contact like she was trained to do. She knew that if she broke it, she would die.


    "Why?" Kai''s spoke in the human tongue, though it was rough and broken.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    His mother had learnt many languages, something which most dragons couldn''t be bothered to do, and luckily for him, some of them were still in use.


    "Because we are at war." To Kai, the memories felt as if there were yesterday, a million years ago, today and even tomorrow. Their sudden acquisition momentarily warping his sense of time. "Because your kind slaughtered my kin for nothing more than your greed and false idols."


    Lea thought she understood, humans had been profiting from the beasts and monsters since time immemorial, using them as nothing more than a resource. There were some, like her, who treated them with respect and as equals, yet most didn''t.


    Her assumption made sense to her, and while partially correct, it was a far cry from the full story.


    To Kai, he responded without thinking, too focused on the empty feeling inside that finally made sense.


    He was alone.


    Completely, utterly alone.


    The other clans had left, his tribe, or at least his mother''s as he was never officially accepted into it, was long gone. Annihilated in their final stand. Refusing to flee or submit... just like his mother had done.


    Pride, anger and sadness battled inside the young dragon.


    He wanted comfort, he was still considered a mere hatchling in dragon standards, yet he knew that it was impossible.


    He now knew the length of time an egg took to incubate, and if he hadn''t been recovered during that time, there was little chance that any dragon''s had passed. The instinct to protect and nurture their young, even if it wasn''t their own was or had been, legendary.


    Still, he couldn''t help himself but ask, a yearning inside wanting to cling onto something. "Where are the dragons?"


    "Dragons?" the girls face screwed up, half in pain, half in fear that the creature was suddenly talking her language. It seemed completely different from before. Where the creature earlier was energetic, curious and seemed a bit... naive, the one before her was like a storm waiting to break, a sword waiting to be unleashed. "Dragons where are?"


    While similar, the language had changed over the course of time.


    Kai pointed to himself with a claw, the sight causing Lea to flinch, yet hope was kindled in her heart. If she could be useful, maybe the monster would let her live. It was apparent that her elder''s attempts at manipulating the area had enraged it yet it had not been entirely hostile before. She knew that while her wound''s, while grave, was just within her ability to heal.


    She just needed time.


    "I don''t know but if you let me live I ca-" Lea never got to finish her sentence, Kai''s claw crushing her head into a meaty paste.


    The memories from his mother had triggered other ancestral memories, mainly interactions between dragons, and he rapidly ticked off each one until only he was left, at least for the black dragon clan.


    They had all perished in the war and, with the fact that it seemed like this group didn''t know what he was, or even the term dragon, it was likely that most of the knowledge was lost and only a few, if any, would know what he was.


    Kai snorted, regaining control over his emotions. He knew short-lived species were like that. It was their most significant weakness yet, at the same time, their greatest strength.


    Moving away, Kai started to limp revealing the wounds caused by his crash into the ice wall and slowly descended the mountain, his eyes continually analysing the surroundings for any sign of danger.


    He needed to find somewhere to hide and work on his human form, an ability he gained insight with the help of his mother''s memories. If any of the gods noticed what he was, or any other species with ancestral bloodlines, he would be in serious trouble. The gods and their followers had already displayed their might, the memories of battles that no one else but he knew of, flittering across his mind''s eye.


    He needed to recover his strength, repair his wing and to disguise himself as soon as possible. Only then would he be able to gather the information he needed. The info that would enable him to search for his father''s clan.


    Kai released a silent prayer to the elder dragon, a habit his grandmother had, praying that some of the clans had survived.


    The more he gained from the ancestral bloodline, the more he realised he needed other dragon''s to reach his full potential. Some things could not be transferred by memory and genetics alone.


    If he managed to find his fathers clan, being a half-element, he should be accepted relatively quickly. That was if it had survived.


    Pushing the doubts and fears to the bottom of his soul, longing appeared in Kai''s heart, as the desire for revenge faded into the background.


    He was too weak to go against the gods yet, and the mortal species that allied against him, well, the guilty would all be dead. Kai felt, like most dragons, that the sins of the parent did not fall upon the child and so, he wouldn''t even feel better if he slaughtered them, nor would it bring back the dead.


    To him, his views warped by his unique start to life and fragmented inheritance, humans, like most creatures, weren''t worthy of his attention.


    Time would get them like it always had done.


    His actions earlier might have indicated different yet, it was more to eliminate the threat that Snow and Chron represented as well as remove any witnesses than taking vengeance for his mother''s death.


    Kai felt a tinge of pride with the unfathomable sadness. She had killed her assailant, like a true dragon. Appart from the gods, who were too strong for the current him, there was no one to blame.


    The pain in his chest resurged as he fought back a tear, his mother''s emotions were painfully evident at the moment of her death. She had given up everything so he would have a chance to live, wanting him to find happiness and be born in a new age. An age where he could live in peace.


    While he doubted the ways of mortals would have changed, it didn''t impact the growing resolve to ensure that he carried out his mother''s final wish. He would live, proud and strong as she had.


    He would never bow before another yet, the time spent in the cave had shown him that there was no honour in defeat. He would not make the same mistakes that his kind had, standing tall and challenging the world. He would live in the shadows, striking without mercy when he was in a position of power, disappearing when he wasn''t.


    Kai''s eyes slowly reverted to their golden colour, yet the aura they gave off had hardened significantly. Usually, a bloodline would be awakened slowly, under the careful guidance of elders and years of careful nurturing and tutorage.


    Kai knew he had none of that, nor did he have the time and even though the memories demanded that he find a place to rest and compose his mind, he pushed through the first few trees and rapidly disappeared into the snow-locked forest as he locked onto a strange, yet familiar scent.


    He needed to recover and leave this place. The memories told him that human''s always lived in huge nests and reacted like a swarm of angry ants if you killed a few of them.

 A1:C10 Reflection

    Without pause, Kai moved deeper into the frozen forest, the condensation from his breath floating upwards as small icicles formed around his nostrils.


    The adrenaline had finally died down, his escape from the cave, what he believed to be his final battle with his arch nemesis, the rabbit, and the confrontation with the humans had been an incredible rush but now it was over, he was mentally drained.


    Not only that, but he was physically exhausted. Even though he had improved greatly in the past eighteen years, he had used his dragon''s breath twice. The signs, his skeletal structure visible behind his scales, emphasises this point and Kai knew that he needed to find a rich source of nourishment soon, preferably before he rested.


    Kai narrowly missed a tree, swerving around it at the last second.


    If one could see him now, they would definitely blame his distracted state, his pupils slightly unfocused, on his exhaustion but they would be wrong.


    Kai''s emotions and thoughts were in turmoil.


    When his ancestral memories were triggered by the female human, most of Kai''s darkest, most repressed fears had been answered in one blow and while the emotional impact had been dampened, as they were not his true memories, they still left him reeling.


    The black dragon clan, a subspecies of the primordial dragon that had merged with the element of darkness, had been eradicated from this world.


    As this wasn''t enough of a blow to dragonling, Kai had not only discovered that his mother was really dead but saw the events that lead to her demise. She had valiantly sacrificed her life to ensure he would not be captured or killed by their enemies.


    While he already suspected that this was the case, her absence saying more than the memories ever could, the emotions that swelled in Kai were like a raging sea.


    After calming himself, a sigh, a strange sound to be coming from a dragon escaped from between his sharp, predatory teeth.


    He was utterly alone but then again, he had been for more than a million years.


    He did not hold anything against the humans, nor the gods that manipulated them from the shadows. Due to his upbringing, his mindset was vastly different than most of his species.


    Death was one of the fundamental laws of nature, survival of the fittest a close second. Only the weak and foolish would blame their defeat on their adversaries.


    While if the perpetrators were still alive, he would have sought vengeance, however, the group that had driven his mother to such extreme ends had ultimately fallen at her claws ending the cycle of blood. Even if they hadn''t, they would have long since turned to dust and Kai saw little point of taking it out on their descendants.


    Kai felt that even in defeat, his mother had been victorious. The image of her standing proud and defiant, even as she stared death in the face, filled him with pride.


    In the end, even though she paid the ultimate price, she had achieved her goals. Kai was not only alive but free.


    The unfocused pupils suddenly contracted, the dragonlings eyes hardening as his resolve strengthened continuously as he worked through the emotions and memories. As he reasoned and resolved each one, Kai''s will was tempered and he felt more and more admiration for his mother.


    Where before, he had lived a life of necessity, the first morals and ideals of the young dragon started to form, based on the memories of his mother represented.


    Power.


    Elegant.


    Unyielding.


    Cunning.


    His mother, due to her dire situation, had slightly turned away from the clan''s dragonic teachings, and while he knew from the other ancestral memories many of his kind wouldn''t have agreed with her methods, their pride getting in the way, the results displayed how effective they had been.


    Kai snorted in disdain at, to him at least, were ridiculous sentiments and rules.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Without those to guide him in his early days, Kai had not gained the arrogance that his kind was, at least in the past, well known for and felt that placing restrictions on himself, just because he had more potential than others, was beyond foolish.


    His memories showed that dragons stood like mountains and challenged the world head-on, confident in their strength and too proud to use the strategies of mortals believing that time and their strength, would resolve all issues.


    While this worked against those who fought them in the same manner, especially as nearly all of creations creatures were significantly inferior, against the cunning, devious species that spread like a virus, continually growing and improving through generations and hardships, it was just a matter of time before the mighty dragons would fall.


    Kai had grown up fighting such creatures and, without the indoctrination of his kind, he had developed a similar mindset. While he possessed the spirit and body of a dragon, his mind housed the cunning and nurtured instincts of a short-lived being.


    He was not protected at birth like his kind was custom too, nor while he went through the most dangerous periods of a young dragons life and so, he knew just how dangerous the world truly was.


    Yet each time he was nearly defeated, sometimes so close to death that he could feel its icy tendrils wrapping around his heart, he not only survived but grew stronger.


    Kai understood that there was no place for emotions like pride, pity or arrogance when fighting for survival. In the cave system, he had started as one of the weakest, and only through hard work, determination and a lot of blood, did he reach the apex.


    While his success initially went to his head, the memories that Kai had later gained made him realise that he was nothing more than a frog at the bottom of the well. The skies were high, the oceans deep and in it, he was yet a grain of sand blown by the whims of nature.


    Realising this, Kai''s arrogance was checked and he revisited the lessons he had learnt early on in the cave, his subconscious already set on reaching the pinnacle of the world, just like his ancestors.


    However, to do that, he needed to survive.


    Experience told him that those that stand out, that flaunt their strength or intelligence, their desire to control and power, all perish.


    The light, while feeling good, was lethal and so, he would remain in the shadows. He would keep his existence a secret, an unknown entity and forgo the typical traits of his kind.


    Time heals all wounds, and maybe his kind wasn''t the enemy of the world anymore, but why would he take the chance.


    As Kai was thinking this, the black mist that surrounded his body thickened, allowing him to blend into the shadows generated by the evergreen tree''s surrounding him, their snow-covered branches blocking out the rays of light.


    His steps became quieter, the crunching of the snow and even the tracks he left becoming less and less visible.


    While Kai continued to stalk through the forest, his thoughts returned to the humans, and he felt a small pang of guilt.


    The humans, if you excluded the rabbit that couldn''t talk and would only fight or run, were the first sentient creatures that he had interacted with and he felt strange after killing them.


    This was especially true when he considered the ones that couldn''t defend themselves. The human adolescents weren''t a threat to him, and as such, it felt... wrong to kill them.


    Kai scraped his tongue on his teeth, feeling like he could taste something unpleasant.


    The man was a minor threat, and so had to be eliminated and the woman...


    Kai shuddered.


    He had used his most potent attack, utilising over eighty per cent of his energy, to eliminate her as fast as possible without giving her the chance to retaliate.


    She was a dangerous existence. Another predator who had locked her sights on him.


    Kia knew that it was only because she was distracted, slightly wounded, lack of knowledge, and had underestimated him, that she had been beaten so easily and fortified his mind so he wouldn''t make the same mistake.


    Thinking about the woman, who had turned to ash before his very eyes, Kai felt slightly better about the whole thing.


    That woman had to die, no matter the cost, and the others, even though they were still young, needed to be silenced.


    They had seen too much.


    His knowledge of the world came from his ancestral memories, and so he didn''t know what sort of influence the gods maintained after such a long time. As beings that lived extremely long lifespans, though nothing compared to a dragon, a few of them could still be about.


    Technically, they were still at war and so if he wanted to move without fear, none of the gods or their servant races could know that he existed. If they did, and they were still hostile, he would be hunted and in his current state, killed or enslaved.


    Kai shook his head, his limbs feeling heavier than they ever had before as his body''s temperature continued to drop.


    At the back of his mind, he knew that he should have eaten the human corpses, not only would they of contained rich spirit energy, but would have provided an extremely nutritious meal.


    The thing was, his instincts were screaming at him that if he did, then it would change something fundamental and, with no information on the topic, he decided that caution was the better part of valour.


    Plus, even though it was faint, he smelt something he had been aching to get his teeth into for such a long, long time. Well, it wasn''t exactly the same smell, but it was familiar enough that he couldn''t help but drool.


    Kai''s head emerged from behind a tree, spotting a small grove that strangely didn''t have any snow on the ground in a large circle around it. Infront of a large, three meters thick, vine-encased tree, was a small mound with countless rabbits running around and entering through a single entrance.


    At the top of the mound, a sentry carefully scanned the surrounding treeline, but his gaze passed the motionless Kai, and soon his back was turned, Kai crept forward.


    A malicious glint shimmered across the dragon''s golden eyes as he lowered his posture, his stomach now slightly touching the snow as he slowed his speed and inched closer to his targets.


    All the thoughts that were buzzing around his brain became silent as he fell into a trance-like state.

 A2:C1 - Nemesis- Part One.

    It had only been a few hours since the confrontation between Kai and the humans yet, as the sun slowly started to descend in the sky, the fridged winds had already frozen the remains scattered across the mountainside.


    Suddenly, loud thuds broke the desolate silence as men in black plate armour fell from the sky. Bending their knees to soften the impact, they instantly raised rifle-like weapons, coursing with energy, and scanned the surroundings before quickly moving to secure the area.


    A large, box-like shape, shimmered into existence where they had jumped from, before slowly descending. Small, circular viewports littered the gun-metal grey surface, enchantment runes glowing in a white, flickering light.


    The moment the box touched the ground, a couple of meters away from the furthest human remains, a ramp fell, slamming into the ground and kicking up snow and ice.


    A large man, his muscular arms visible through his shirt-like armour, descended the ramp followed by two rows of well-ordered soldiers. Unlike those that had dropped from the sky and now patrolled the perimeter, they wore brown leather armour and carried swords and a few combat knifes at their waists. A few carried large boxes while others, see-through containers.


    "Report," bellowed the man, yet it wasn''t clear who to, as those behind him swarmed forward, unpacking weird devices as they started to analyse the area thoroughly.


    The nearly-invisible crystal in his ear glowed slightly. "Twelve dead. Eleven identified as the owners of the life crystals that shattered. One turned to ash. Assumed to be the Evelin Mai, third line successor to the clan through the techs will need to confirm."


    The report came from one of the black armoured soldiers, who had moved past the remains seemingly without looking, yet had been able to take in so much detail.


    "Assassination?" the blond-haired, muscle-bound man frowned, flicking his wrist and sending those patrolling the area to scout further afield as more leather-clad soldiers emerged from the ship and replaced them.


    This time, the crystal didn''t light up as one of the investigators, brushing a powder into the air, turned her head and responded. "Natural Monster, between level fifteen to twenty, single core refinement, adolescent, male."


    While one could be born a monster, it was exceedingly rare, and it was more common for them to evolve from beasts. An evolved monster, a creature that had gained ten levels of its beast core before condensing it into a first stage monster core, was much weaker, compared to its natural counterpart but still a deadly existence.


    A creature''s level was not indicative of its cultivation rank, and so both measurements were often used to gain a vague understanding of a beings strength.


    The man''s eyes narrowed, the fact that the successor was destroyed without even leaving an intact corpse, feeling too much like a clan feud than a random monster attack. "Bound?"


    He suspected that it could be a bound monster that was commanded to make this look like a natural occurrence.


    "Negative. The energy signatures display that not only is it unbound, but it hasn''t even condensed the second level of its core," replied the woman, whose hands were still brushing the powder into the air, the dust seemingly sticking to something.


    One advantage of a beast evolving into a monster was that it maintained the intelligence it had built up. A typical, natural monster with a single core was, at least to the current common sense, relatively stupid, relying on its instinct and inherited abilities and so the man didn''t put any more thought into the attack being premeditated.


    The man sighed, running his hand through his hair as he surveyed the devastation.


    After most monster species had been hunted to near extinction, either to force into bonds, for research or just to decrease the risk to lower class citizens, it was rare to find one that didn''t respect the new, unspoken natural order of the world.


    Over time, most monsters had learnt that killing humans, especially in large numbers, was a very, very bad idea.


    In an age were even commoners could operate enchanted or magical weaponry and owned life stones, magical artefacts that not only revealed the location of an individual but the status of their health, technology had surpassed natural ability for the majority of creatures.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    While monsters, unlike the more passive beasts, still fought and killed humans, especially when they were threatened, it was always a risk that one of the humans had a substantial backing and that their deaths would bring disaster upon them.


    While most with power wouldn''t react if one of their subordinates were killed by a monster, acknowledging the subordinate had been too weak and that a beast or monster was just an evolved animal and beneath them, they often investigated in case there was foul play from their competitors and, as they were already there, would slaughter those responsible.


    Over generations, this knowledge of this had started to be passed down in the stronger bloodlines and so, while the wilderness was still perilous, the days of monster hordes and death zones was long gone.


    However, humanity had one extra trick, one that proved devastating to those that hunted them for their flesh.


    With the aid of a bonded creature, enhancing a human''s abilities tenfold, even if the beast was weaker, humans had learnt how to track a creature by its aura.


    The most notable aura hunters where those that hunted man-eaters.


    While eating a human, especially one with high cultivation, would provide tremendous benefits, the beast or monster that did would develop a unique aura.


    In the past, this bloodthirsty, blood-chilling aura was used as a weapon against humans and a display of power to those of its kind, but in the current era, it enabled hunting parties to quickly track down and eliminate threats before they grew too powerful.


    Looking at the remains, the muscled man analysed the scene himself, being a veteran of many rapid response missions, this view, while extremely violent, wasn''t new to him.


    "All were given a quick, somewhat clean death. However, it seems a few were injured in the initial confrontation and could only watch their end near," spoke a man into a weird yellow stone that was recording his voice as well as transmitting it to the Captain and the crew still aboard the ship. "None of them were consumed, indicating that this wasn''t a man-eater. However it looks like one of the victims had a bonded beast. Lack of remains indicates it was not so fortunate."


    The Captain whistled in amazement, wondering how such a weak, low-level individual managed to get a bonded beast. A few hundred years ago it became law that only those who could not form a humanoid body could be bonded, those that could, gained fundamental rights that enabled them to live relatively fear free.


    As long as they didn''t break any laws and paid taxes.


    As only humans and their subspecies had this basic form from birth, it was still possible, especially in the wild to find young creatures and bond with them before they developed the ability but it was challenging and rare.


    If one gained the ability to take on a human form after being bonded, it was considered due to the human''s input, and as such, they remained a slave in all but name.


    There were a few farms specialised in rearing such animals for the market, however having the ability to control their reproductive organs, there were very few creatures that were willing to produce offspring to be sold off, even under duress.


    Because of this, having a bonded creature was considered exceptionally lucky and, even with all the benefits that came with them, luxurious. Only those high ranking figures in prominent families had one. The Clan Head was the only one the man knew of who had two and even then, they were of low quality.


    This was the same for the Captain''s bonded, who he called on to reveal herself.


    White mist floated from his chest, through his armour, and towards the ground where it initially took on the form of a red-furred fox before growing into a small, straight-backed woman.


    One of the nearby soldiers, as if he had been expecting this development, opened his pack and threw a robe-like top to her.


    The woman, who still had fox ears and a black spot at the tip of her nose, winked at the solider before attempting to sexily put the clothing on.


    However the solider and everyone else looked away, some chuckling at the fox''s antics.


    "Helen!" The captain shook his head. "Why do you always insist on transforming into your human form in front on others?"


    The fox, who now was dressed, if you excluded her bare feet, turned around and revealed a mischievous grin. "Because you haven''t touched me since you got that insufferable human spouse. Even a beast has needs, and if you don''t want me, I am sure others do."


    Helen crossed her arms and pouted, her head tilted to the side as she watched the Captin intensely.


    The Captain''s professional exterior cracked only for a moment before he sighed and shook his head.


    Helen''s face fell, realising her bonded wasn''t going to rise to the bait and entertain her. "Fine~ What do you want, oh frigid master."


    One of the soldiers snorted, but quickly put his head down and continued to work as the Captain gave him a death glare.


    "Fine the one responsible for this, but keep your distance and let me know through the link. Its a high-level monster so under no circumstances are you to engage. Do you understand?" responded the Captain in an authoritative voice.


    "Find a monster, tail it, let you know, don''t pick a fight. Got it," said Helen as she turned, her from shrinking as she jumped out of her robe, her foxes body small enough to fit through the opening for the head.


    After shaking, her red fur not far off the frozen blood scattered around; she took a deep sniff before trotting across the slope seemingly at a leisurely pace.


    "Mischievous little fox." The Captain shook his head, a warm, parental look appearing in his hazel eyes as a smile appeared on his face before he turned around moved toward each group of investigators, putting the pieces of the puzzle together to work out what had happened.


    Where the woman who offered the report early was kneeling, what appeared to be a reptilian leg, five sharp claws digging into the snow, had started to form from the dust that stuck to the air as if it was a solid surface. As she continued to work, her insides squirmed uncomfortably, her ability in the mystic arts telling her that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with a creature that owned such a deadly looking appendage.

 A2:C1 - Nemesis - Part Two. - Draft

    Not even fifteen minutes later, the Captain''s bonded link opened and mischievous energy filled his mind as a seductive voice purred. "I have found something intresting~."


    The Captain, who had been talking with his subordinates as they analysed the terrifying image that of Kai, which was almost half built, before them, signalled for silence as he turned in the direction he felt Helen was in. "I don''t have time for your games Helen. If it''s not the target, then I am not interested. For once in your life, do what I have asked."


    After a few moments of silence, which the Captain knew was done on purpose, Helen responded, her amusement filling the bond. "I have found a survivor."


    "Impossible," thought the Captain, quickly tallying the dead and finding no one was missing. Everyone was, bar the bonded creature that would have died at the same time as the human, so there couldn''t be a survivor.


    His eyebrow twitched as Helen chuckled. "Not one of those weak humans or their pet, but a survivor none the less."


    "Speak plainly, or the next time I let you out, your beautiful coat will be as white as snow, and you won''t be able to escape the kids when they want to play," muttered the Captain, speaking out loud and transmitting the thought at the same time.


    The fox chuckled, giving the Captain the feeling she was checking out her fur, before responding. "Beautiful Coat? Flattery will get you everywhere, Mark. As you asked so nicely, I will stop playing games."


    "I found a beast that has the same stench on it as the creature that attacked those humans. It has been badly burnt yet its vitality is amazing. If it were in peak condition, I wouldn''t want to mess with it, and that''s even with it being one of the species I naturally prey on."


    Before Mark could ask more questions, Helen continued. "Its a high ranked beast at the eighth core. It is around level eleven, but I can''t be sure. The spirit energy emanating from it is extremely thick and pure."


    Mark was impressed. Such creatures, while not rare were beings that could compete with even high-level practitioners. Their intelligence was also phenomenal making them extremely formidable foes.


    Helen''s mischievous voice returned. "Its a rabbit."


    Marks mind blanked.


    Rabbits weren''t even beasts, they were born mear animals, and while they could evolve to beasts, it was almost unheard of without meticulous care and a hideous amount of resources.


    Not only that, from what Helen was implying, the creature has survived a confrontation with the monster that had wiped out a successor, a well-ranked hunter and ten clan disciples without suffering a single injury.


    "Survived multiple times," said Helen, as if she could read Mark''s mind. "At least a decade or so''s worth of encounters from the scars that litter its body. It seems we found a dual catalyst."The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Dual catalysts were extremely rare and could only be naturally formed. The term was used to describe two seemingly unrelated creatures that, either peacefully or through violence, would enable the other to grow and develop at an outstanding rate.


    If the methodology was peaceful, the pair were called a coin, each complimenting the other.


    If it was through violence, then the duo was called nemesis. While one of them was the underdog, it would never give up until it had bested its opponent, usually with the intent to kill, while the other would rapidly gain strength, the sense of danger propelling their development forward.


    A cycle was when one defeated the other. If the nemesis both survived the encounter, a new cycle would begin stimulating further growth.


    While typically, nemesis didn''t last long, one quickly falling to the other, the growth rate was phenomenal and normal standards for measuring strength, even for coins, couldn''t be used.


    That was because unlike coins or those who grew at their own pace or through experience, nemesis had been bathed in a constant struggle for survival so intense and, at least to those that followed reason, pointlessness, that they often defied conventional logic.


    Finally, Mark snapped from his daze. "Whats its condition?"


    "Crispy but alive and oh so pissed off," chuckled Helen. "I''m glad she can''t move very well as even if you order me two, I am not going to restrain her..."


    Mark ignored the change in status from it to a gender, something Helen would only do when she encountered a foe worthy of acknowledgement.


    Helen went silent for a moment. "One of those back legs just shattered a tree. I shit you not, a four-fucking-foot thick tree like it was a dried up twig... A rabbit. Single kick. Collapsed tree. Nature 0, angry rabbit 1."


    "I am so happy they didn''t grow them like this back home." Awe and a tinge of fear filled the link between them. "Then again, we probably would have either died out or become monsters before you, and your kind turned up.


    Mark ignored the fox''s ramblings as he focused on the ash that had been collected up into one of the many, clear containers.


    A clear example of how logic-defying a pair of nemesis could be was before Mark and his men.


    While a high ranked successor, renowned for their ice element, was turned to ash in mere moments, a rabbit, one of natures weakest animals, had not only survived but from the sound of Helen''s report, had been competing with the unknown monster head to head for at least a decade.


    "Continue monitoring, I am on my way with a recovery team," said Mark out loud and, as if he had given the command, a group of the black plated soldiers carrying energy rifles quickly formed around him before they promptly started jogging in the direction he had been looking.


    Thirty minutes later, a testament to Helen''s speed, Mark and his men found the fox, who was currently hiding behind a tree, her head sticking out and facing the other direction.


    Without the need for an order, the soldiers split up and started flanking the direction Helen was looking at.


    "Report," whispered Mark as he crept up beside her.


    "I''m not helping," responded Helen through their link, only to cringe at the disapproval Mark sent back. While he put up with her antics in private and when it wasn''t important, the moment it jeopardised the mission, he would come down on her like a tonne of bricks. "The rabbit is severely injured, pissed off and attacking anything that gets too close. I would say there would be little chance of catching her alive but~."


    Helen scratched her long snout with a paw as she hesitated. "It looks like she might have realised she has reached the end of her natural ability to compete with a real monster. She should be intelligent enough to understand the world''s language and, if offered the right incentives, might even willing to jump into a bond or spirit contract."


    "Mark." A look of disdain with a tinge of anxiety passed through the fox''s eyes. "I don''t like the idea of sharing, let one of the others try."


    Mark only smiled back. "Of course you wouldn''t. Still, I have to try. Not only is it an outstanding opportunity, but it will also significantly help our investigation."


    With that, he stood up and stepped out from behind the tree.

 A2:C2 - The Dryad- Part one.

    Meanwhile, deep in the frozen forest, a bitter wind twisted through the trees, carrying with it the stench of blood while the occasional crow''s caw broke the stifling silence.


    The rabbits that had been out of their borrow, including the sentry had been eliminated with unbridled fury, their torn and shattered carcasses littering the strangely snow-free ground, drenching it with their blood.


    The sun had long since reached a point where there was little light that fell due to the thick coverage of evergreen trees, and if wasn''t for the snow reflecting the limited light, it would be difficult to see Kai''s menacing figure, his golden eyes glaring into the rabbit warren''s entrance.


    Scanning the surroundings quickly, Kai darted forward, sticking his head into the entrance before rapidly retreating. After a few moments, he repeated the movement, getting a sharp image showing that there was nothing in the two tunnels that lead away from the entrance in different directions.


    Kai sat down again, the sensation that something wasn''t quite right nagging at him.


    While there was no harm in being cautious, to anyone watching, this approach would have seemed like overkill for a simple rabbit warren yet, little would they know that it wasn''t the rabbits Kai was wary of.


    Nearby, a few smouldering clumps of ash, which had once looked like small, snake-like vines, lay scattered between the rabbit corpses. They had exploded from the earth in an attempt to block Kai or protect the startled rabbits. Some of them had even attacked the charging dragon, trying to restrain him.


    He still had the sensation that something was watching him but he could not locate where it was coming from, and so, he was on high alert.


    To ensure that not one rabbit escape, even with the unexpected challenge, Kai was forced to use his limited reserves of spirit energy to power his dragon''s breath, as well as utilise his damaged wing, which resulted in intense pain but, now the bodies could be counted, he was confident he had been successful.


    Still, if it weren''t for the fact that he needed to find shelter to rest and the need to consume a significant amount of fresh meat, he would have probably abandoned this area already.


    Even though it seemed like not a single rabbit had been able to escape into the barrow, Kai''s keen senses picked up that those below ground had already been alerted and were seemingly gathering.


    Taking a deep, calming breath, Kai once again scanned his surroundings. He didn''t pay much mind to his presence being revealed, believing that the noise and stench of death would have been more than enough to alert those below ground yet, sneaking suspicion at the back of his mind told him that it wasn''t so simple.


    Having come to a decision, the young dragon moved to one of the nearby corpses, keep a vigilant state, and started to eat the rabbit with a disgruntled expression.


    During the time in the cave he had discovered he liked cooked meat more than raw, his energy reserves were so low that Kai knew he couldn''t be so frivolous.


    After Kai had finished devouring his prey, only leaving the entrails and a few bones, did he move onto the next. While most preditors would retreat with their prize or eat in a hurry and go, Kia was in no rush, his only hesitation being the unknown presence.


    The freezing cold was remarkably diminished around the large tree and the presence of rabbits, in such large numbers, indicated that it was a relatively safe area.


    Not only that, there was the rabbit''s warren, a pre-made den, just slightly taller than the dog-sized dragon, the rabbits were an excellent source of nutrients, and the nearby snow could be eaten for water. This area was almost perfect for the exhausted dragon to recover and analyse the new memories it had gained.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Kai had just finished eating the last rabbit, breaking its thick legbone to suck the marrow, when his face twisted in frustration.


    He had been hoping his lax, unhurried approach would either chase off or draw out, whatever was watching him yet, the forest remained stiflingly silent.


    Circling the big tree before approaching the warren''s entrance from behind, Kai was utterly stumped. Had he sensed killing intent then he would have given up, but it seemed the thing was content to just watch him.


    Looking up, Kai watched the round looked at the tree''s round, white fruit, almost pear-like in shape, and wondered how they would taste when, strangely, the one he had been staring at fell.


    With a soft thud, it landed on the leaf litter before rolling to a stop.


    Kai, who had been on high alert, had already retreated a couple of meters but after ensuring he didn''t sense anything strange about the fruit, and not believing in coincidence, he slowly approached.


    With an outstretched claw, he quickly sliced the fruit and retreated, only to see it cleanly separate and display what he expected, the flesh of the fruit surrounding small seeds.


    The young dragon chuckled as he shook his head and, after getting within reach, lightly licked the fruit.


    It was sweet, full of energy and strangely, warming. Appart from that, Kai did not notice any strange things coming from his body and the fruit revealed none of the warning signs of the poisonous plants he had encountered in the cave.


    Just to be sure, Kai cycled his spirit energy a little bit faster as he ate one half, and soon after the other.


    Strangely, the small, white fruit was packed with energy, both natural and spiritual, and he felt his insatiable hunger, which the five rabbits before had barely touch, diminish significantly.


    "What a strange creature." A genderless, airy voice echoed from all around Kai, startling him as he curled, ready to attack or defend at a moments notice. "Would you like to live here?"


    Kai''s head was continually scanning the area, looking for the source of the mysterious voice. While it didn''t sound like any language, he knew, strangely he could understand the meaning and intent behind the words.


    "You can''t kill any more of my rabbits though. It took an age to lure them here, and the wolves already keep their numbers so low that I barely get any spirit energy from them."


    The voice continued talking. "Even though your body is highly efficient and doesn''t emit much spiritual waste, my god is it delicious. It''s so pure and clean."


    "And you are such a strange creature. I have never seen one like you. You are apparently a weak monster but have such an intimidating presence and tyrannical aura. Also, you appear to be pretty intelligent. Can you speak? If not, I can give you some more of my fruit. Not too much though, I have to meet my quota for the humans, or they will dig me up and plant me in one of their prostitution orchards."


    Kai frowned, wondering why the voice had suddenly become so chatty and frustrated that he still couldn''t locate its source. If this carried on, he might use the rest of his spirit energy and burn the surrounding area. He was pretty sure that whoever owned the voice would appear if he did that.


    "So what gender are you?" asked the genderless voice? "And whats your orientation? I usually chose a form that will appeal to the fleshy I am interacting with, well in the shape of a human. To do anything else, I need to absorb one of their species and then it would ruin my fruit."


    Kai was rapidly attempting to put the pieces of information he had gained together, the voice had revealed a lot of information yet, all of his thoughts were thrown from his mind as he released a terrifying hiss, his wings slightly expanding to make his body appear more prominent.


    In front of him, two human-like shapes appeared. One was male and the other female. A single long vine attached to the top of their head and disappeared into the tree''s green leaves above.


    While they where human in shape, their bodies were made up of many vines, twisting together like muscles. Their hair was a moss-like substance, and their eyes appeared to be made out of nuts and a watery sap-like substance.


    "Oh... they still look terrifying," said the man and woman at the same time, the man''s voice giving off strength and dignity while the female was smooth and seductive. Even so, it was clear from their tone that they were quite upset. "I really felt I made improvements since last time."


    The figures fell apart as the vines retreated back into the tree.


    "Sorry." The genderless voice that emanated from everywhere returned, though it was distinctly less energetic than before. "I didn''t mean to scare you..."


    Kai had seen enough to realise it was the tree that was the one watching him and so while keeping his eye on it and the branches above, he slowly retreated backwards.


    His ancestral memories contained no information on such a creature, and while it wasn''t hostile in any way, or at least it appeared that way at the moment, Kai sensed that while he was close to it, he would be at the tree''s mercy.

 A2:C1 - The Dryad- Part Two - Draft

    "Wait," shouted the genderless voice, noticing that Kai had started slowly backing away from the tree, his golden eyes locked onto the trunk with hostility as he searched for any weakness''. "I said I was sorry for scaring you. Please don''t leave or look at me like that."


    The voice switched between male and female, seemingly in an attempt to reassure and appeal to the young dragon but all it managed to do was unnerve Kai even more.


    Kai was exhausted, both mentally and physically yet he pushed himself to focus. He was moving slowly, mainly because he had realised that the snake-like vines encountered earlier were under the control of the voice. To ensure he didn''t walk into any traps, Kai made sure that he would be able to respond appropriately with every step he made.


    A gentle breeze blew, rustling the evergreens and causing small drifts of snow to stir, swirling in a memorising way.


    "If you leave now, the humans will find you," said the voice in a foreboding manner. "This land is their territory, and only those they approve of can leave. If you have wronged them, as a monster, only death or enslavement awaits you."


    Kai was almost to the edge of the snow-free circle yet when he heard the words, he flinched and released a deep growl as his eyes narrowed.


    The creature that was speaking shouldn''t know that he had any interactions with humans, especially if his assumptions were correct and the tree generated the voice.


    His mind wouldn''t even entertain the possibility that it could know what was going on hundred''s, if not thousand''s, of meters away let alone on the slopes of the mountain.


    "No, don''t get angry," pleaded the voice, seemingly able to understand Kai''s emotions. "I know because the forest speaks to me. Many armed humans are searching for something. They speak of a lizard with wings, and that has an elemental affinity for fire. You look like a lizard with wings and can spit fire, so I assumed it was you."


    "Why should I trust you," hissed Kai, the sound causing the already fridged air to seem much colder as he cycled his energy, ready to attack or flee at any time.


    The warmth that had gained while close to the tree was gradually leaving him, his ability to think and move to slow rapidly.


    Dragons, while not as weak to the elements as other reptiles, were still cold-blooded and could not regulate their body temperature efficiently.


    Earlier, from using his abilities and movement, he had generated enough heat to reduce the effects for a limited period, but now he had been stationary, even for a brief moment, his body temperature was rapidly falling.


    His drained pools of spirit energy, which hadn''t yet recovered, were also another major factor the predicament Kai found himself. However, the symptoms were all so gradual, affecting his mind, which he hadn''t consciously realised what was happening and thus, Kai didn''t fully understand the danger he was in.


    "Ah, you''re a male," the voice finally settled on sounding like a female. "You should trust me because I won''t gain anything from hurting you. Though my kind may be extremely possessive, those that follow the balanced path can''t absorb others without damaging the cultivation of our cores. There would be no gain from hurting you."


    "Your kind?" Kai had stopped. He felt confident that he wasn''t in any immediate danger now he had gained some distance and so was using the opportunity to gather more information.


    The voice paused for a moment, confusion seeping into the seductive voice. "I''m a dryad that follows the path of nurture. Do you not know of us?"


    "No," responded Kai in a blunt, no-nonsense tone. The memories he had gained had no information on dryads or anything like them.


    "Dryads of the nurturing path create areas of safety for beasts and, in rare cases monsters, protecting them from predators and sheltering them. They do this so that they can absorb the waste spirit essence released."


    "Those of the blood path lure victims to kill and absorb. You can tell what path a Dryad takes by the colour of their fruit, white for nurture, red for blood. There are a few others, but these are the only two that are common here" responded the Dyrad with enthusiasm, as if it found great enjoyment from explaining its origins. "They use the reds to protect their important spirit herbs and mines, while us whites are used for our fruit and to nurture the weak beasts so they can be harvested for their fur and cores."


    "You talk a lot," grumbled Kai, not sure how much he should trust the information he was getting. Everything hurt. Even his bones produced a dull ache that steadily grew alongside the uncomfortableness rising in his core.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    His mind told him he needed to stop and rest, recover his spirit energy and resolve the memories he had gained or he would be in serious trouble, but his instinct told him that he was in danger.


    What was even stranger is that Kai felt it wasn''t due to the dryad or humans.


    Something else was causing the strange feeling, he just couldn''t put his claw on what it was.


    "It also helps that I don''t have many sentient beings to talk to," chuckled the dryad, not acknowledging the inner turmoil Kai was facing even though it could sense it. "My mother follows the blood path, and I was lucky enough that my seed was deposited outside her influence, or she would have devoured me. The humans also cull any creature more dangerous than a phantom fox through the slaves, the Woads. They might be intelligent but the Woads hate Dryads because we maintain natures balance, and phantom foxes hunt the subjects of the white dryads, so we aren''t on good terms."


    Kai''s extremely sensitive senses picked up the faint hum of human voices, and he turned his head in the direction of the sound, his mind seemingly slow and sluggish.


    "If you promise to stay with me, I will protect you," said the Dryad with a friendly, almost caring voice. "If not forever, at least for a few years. I''m sure you will want to stay longer after you give it a try anyway."


    "Why?" responded Kai with mistrust. The information in his mind had yet to sort itself, but he knew that he shouldn''t be too trusting of another. From the newly gained memories, it seemed like the mortal species loved to betray each other at the drop of a hat. They seemed to revile in plots and deception, and so, while he didn''t fully understand it, the young dragon''s guard was raised. "Why would you protect me, someone, which you have just met?"


    The dyad paused for a few moments. "I want to absorb the excess spirit energy you are giving off. It''s so pure and tasty. It is equivalent to ten rabbits. Also, I am sure I will be able to reach the next stage of my cultivation much quicker. With that, my fruits will be stage four, and I won''t need to produce as many for those dumb humans."


    "Oh, you need to promise not to kill any more of my rabbits as well. I know you need to eat meat, being a carnivore and all, but I already have an answer to that. Many disrupt the balance and must be eliminated. If the balance is destroyed and my environment ruined, I will be in danger, and so, I need a protector."


    The more Kai listened, the more human voices he could pick out while the occasional glint of light flicked through the trees. However, even though his mind was resolute, he found that he could barely muster any energy and instead, his eyelids felt like mountains.


    The dryad continued. "And you can be the balance; if you kill too many predators, you can focus on the rabbits for a bit. As long as you listen to me, we both will have more than enough nourishment and will grow strong together."


    Kai stretched his wings subconsciously as he increased the rate at which he was cycling his spirit energy before starting to move in the opposite direction of the humans.


    "I can also help you repair your wing," said the Dryad in a pleading voice, feeling that Kai was getting ready to fight or flee. "My fruit is well known for restoring body parts, and humans even use it to regrow limbs. It will be slow as if I don''t meet my quota the humans will dig me up and send me to one of their pleasure districts but I am sure it will work."


    Kai halted, seriously contemplating the dryad''s offer for the first time.


    Even though he had never flown, he felt a deep attachment to his wings and the desire to soar amongst the clouds. One of his life''s biggest regrets was letting his wing get damaged.


    For some reason, it didn''t recover like the rest of his body and had left him feeling less than whole.


    The dryad sounded disgusted, its mind on what would happen if it didn''t obey the humans. "I mean, yes the seed of sentient beings, especially cultivators, is rich in spirit energy but who would want to be dependent on another''s desires. Not only that, but a human''s spirit energy is the lowest. It almost refuses to merge with others."


    The seemed oblivious to the fact that it was naturally attempting to seduce the young dragon.


    "Plus I would have to waste a lot of energy fulfilling their desires, which from what I have heard, can be extremely twisted. I heard once that one female human wanted to-"


    "Why should I trust you?" interrupted Kai, not interested in the dryad''s blabbering.


    "Because I am a nurture dryad," responded the dryad as if she was speaking a well-known fact that would put all Kai''s fears to rest.


    "And..." Kai, even though his thinking was slowed, wasn''t entirely without sense. If the dryad didn''t give him a good reason, he would walk.


    "Because I want to make it so that you never want to leave. You have good energy and, from how the humans are hunting you, you are not one of their informants. Also, if you prove yourself enough, I might be even able to get you to take my core and plant me somewhere safer, and we can live together for the rest of our lives. I hear the wild zone is free of humans and that means I won''t have to give away any of my precious fruit for free."


    "That doesn''t explain why I should trust you," hissed Kai. "More like why you need me."


    "No," chuckled the dryad. "I suppose not, but you are worth something to me, and your energy is tasty. I want you, and if you agree, I will protect you as if you were my roots."


    "If I gave you up to the humans, I would get nothing. Another reason is that I haven''t been able to get a protector."


    "It is a sacred role in which I would never let my previous protector come to harm, especially one as outstanding as you. I need a protector from the other dryads, especially my mother. If Mother gains more influence, I can use your special fire stuff to keep her away and, worst case, destroy her core. It''s a win-win deal for us."


    Kai''s head tilted. The dryad wasn''t trying to reassure him in any way and was stating all the benefits that it would gain if he stayed but, for some reason, even though the dryad seemed utterly selfish, this reassured Kai more than empty promises ever could.


    The creature he was dealing was was utterly self-absorbed and, at least from its own words, extremely possessive.


    Something the young dragon could take advantage of.

 A2:C1 - The Dryad- Part Three - Draft

    Kai blinked slowly, his exhaustion evident. "Are all dryads like you?"


    "Dunno. We don''t really talk to each other much. Comes from the fact that we are in direct competition with each other. Light, water, nutritious soil, subjects and location are all we care about really."


    "Besides, they totally ignore what I want and think they are better than me," replied the Dyrad in a bored voice.


    "The whites are alright I guess, pretty self-absorbed and stuck up, but the reds are just psychopaths. If you aren''t of any use to them, they will gobble you up and turn you into fertiliser while pruning their leaves and enjoying the sunlight."


    Even though Kai resisted the urge to point out the flaws in the dryad''s statement, he couldn''t resist releasing an exasperated sigh at the narcissistic creature.


    The dryad seemingly didn''t notice. "So, will you accept my deal?"


    "For now." The dryad, through its unique personality, had broken down Kai''s suspicions. He didn''t sense any hints of deceit and the thought of being able to rest and have someone keep watch at the same time was extremely appealing.


    While his ancestral memories were mostly unpleasant, especially for the inexperienced Kai, without undergoing them first hand he could be considered somewhat naive.


    The friendly, none pressuring approach of the dryad, which seemed to hold him in high regard and even made the young dragon feel wanted for the first time in his life, had chipped away at his fragile defences.


    "Good," chirped the dryad, happiness evident in her voice. "Go into the warren, stick to the left tunnel and you will come to a chamber I have already prepared. I don''t know what you would prefer so the bed is dry grass and my soft roots underneath. A bed fit for a king if I do say so myself."


    "I have moved all the rabbits to the other side so you shouldn''t be tempted to eat them. Also, don''t worry about the humans. They look down on us dryads thinking we are all airheads but when we want something we are as crafty as a black wolf in a meadow of sheep."


    Kai blinked, his mind barely keeping up with the information and it wasn''t just because the dyad seemed to jump subjects constantly. He was now feeling the cold, his limbs feeling stiff and numb.


    "Go on now, I need to coax the rabbits up to the surface and they won''t do it with a predator about. The humans will never believe the timid creatures would hop around while you are in the burrow having a nap. I won''t even need to try hard to convince them you are not here. While words can be doubted, one rarely challenges the legitimacy of their eyes."


    "Tracks-" started Kai, only to be interrupted.


    "Already taken care of. At least for the last few hundred meters. You also have wings so that is the perfect excuse."


    Kai opened his mouth to mention another issue.


    "You really need to pay better attention, I already dealt with the rabbit''s bodies and the signs of the slaughter you committed," chuckled the dryad giving the Kai the distinction that she wasn''t as foolish as she first appeared.


    "You owe me for that by the way. Now go, the humans are getting closer and some have weird skills that can see and hear further than they should. If they find out I have lied to them, I''ll be scraps of firewood before the sun rises."


    The dryad hadn''t lied, Kai looked around and all signs of his presence had already been masked. Even the grass that had been torn by his claws had somehow regrown.


    "I think will say you flew away after grabbing a rabbit, avoiding my defences and making a fool out of me. I will demand they bring you back because your energy tastes so good and losing a rabbit is a major loss in my ability to cultivate. I could get even offer them some fruits as a reward. I think I could tempt some of them to do it, no matter what you have done. Humans always like having those in their debt and a dryad is a good investment."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "I could also send out some rabbits as scouts," mused the dryad but after a slight pause, her voice turned menacing. "Those damned humans. They are meant to be protecting this area and ensuring their ''crops'' don''t get damaged. I have lost rabbits and got nothing out of it. It would be fine if you stayed, but no~ you had to escape. It was the perfect chance to get a protector and subject."


    Kai was confused, the dryad was talking as if he had indeed escaped, the tone becoming more and more irate.


    "How could you run away?" suddenly, the dryad stopped talking to itself and shouted at Kai with an angry tone. "You just said you would stay."


    "I''m still here," responded Kai, his head tilting at an almost comical angle. "I haven''t left since I arrived."


    "Oh, that''s right, you are still here. Good, now be a good... monster and go into the burrow. You haven''t earnt enough trust to be allowed out just yet and after your failed escape attempt, I must be on guard and make sure you don''t try anything funny."


    "I never left..." hissed Kai, though instead of being irritated or worried, he found himself enjoying the antics of the strange creature. The young dragon had not had any real social interaction and so, was unsure of himself or how to act around others but he found that with the dryad, he didn''t need to. He could just sit and watch.


    However, he still felt a prickling sensation when she mentioned that he couldn''t leave. "And if I want out, I will just burn everything around me."


    "Ha!" The dryad then laughed. "Why would you? It would ruin a perfect home. Food, safety and me to talk to and keep company. Plus, I can sense you are lonely so I can grant you the honour of being my first friend and protector. Together we will bathe in the sun and grow strong."


    The voices were getting louder and louder, and Kai looked to the forest and then to the hole in the ground. While he couldn''t muster much suspicion against the dryad, the thought of being trapped and at her mercy had awakened his instincts.


    Unfortunately, they didn''t even acknowledge the dryad, giving him nothing to work with and instead focused on the approaching threat.


    Kai was exhausted, yet he knew that if he exerted himself, he could keep going. However, that was completely overshadowed by the thought that he could get his wing fixed.


    If the dryad had tried to mask her intent by declaring benefits to Kai, he definitely wouldn''t have trusted her but seeing as she was thinking of all the benefits he would bring, as well as her obvious dislike for humans, he felt somewhat reassured.


    Gathering his energy, ready to release his dragon''s breath at the first sign of betrayal, Kai slowly walked to the entrance and, after a moment''s hesitation disappear into its depths.


    The close walls and darkness were nothing new to Kai and he felt at home instantly. While the outside world was amazing, he still felt extremely vulnerable being above ground.


    "Yay~" the dyad''s voice in his mind was ecstatic, and for some reason, he imagined the two avatars jumping up and down in joy. "I have a new subject! Those others can rot with their phantom foxes, I have a..."


    "What are you?"


    Kai thought for a moment, quickly using his ancestral memories for creatures that shared a dragon''s characteristics. "A drake."


    "A DRAKE," the dryad''s voice resonated in his head like a clap of thunder.


    "I have a drake... A natural monster," the feminine voice was almost giddy. "Oh mother, how you said a nurturing type like me would never amount to anything. Your snow bear can eat dung. I have a legendary monster."


    While drakes were similar to dragons, at least on the surface to those who didn''t understand the species, there were many differences. The largest was that drakes were much weaker, only lived a couple of hundred years and their arm''s doubled as their wings.


    They also lacked the special organs and spiritual energy of a dragon which meant that their wings were appropriately sized to carry their bulk, sometimes more than double the length of their body.


    Kai breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing that there were still drakes around and that he could masquerade as one for now as he reached the end of the tunnel and turned into a small room. It was exactly as the dryad had said, dry grass covered the floor with soft, almost flesh-like roots barely visible through the gaps.


    Kai tentatively stepped onto the nest, before turning around so he would face the only entrance.


    "Ok, the humans are getting close. I need to stop talking as if any have eaten my fruit before, they will be able to hear what I am saying to you and my plan will be ruined," said the dryad with a serious tone. "Stay there and don''t make any noise."


    Though he didn''t sense any change, the dryad''s voice became quiet, as if it was getting further away. "A drake. I knew I made the right decision when I refused to be relocated. This is the best thing to happen to me since I lured those rabbits here."

 A2:C1 - The Dryad - Part Four - Draft

    A few minutes later, Kai''s keen senses could faintly pick up the smell and sound of humans, but he couldn''t bring himself to care.


    He understood that the humans would most likely hunt him after the slaughter on the mountainside but strangely felt at ease now he was beneath the earth and, seemingly, protected by the dryad.


    The subtle feeling of danger that had steadily been growing in his subconscious had, in an instant, disappeared when he settled into the warm, dry grass bedding.


    With a dull thump, Kai let his head fall to the ground and marvelled at the softness of the roots underneath.


    The young dragon was exhausted and, within moments, slowly closed his golden eyes as his body curled up. After devouring the rabbits, his stomach was full and, with with the mental fatigue from the genetic memories he had recently regained, he almost offered a prayer of thanks that he could rest.


    It wasn''t long before Kai fell into a deep, unfathomable sleep and his breathing and vital signs slowed to an almost non-existent state. His body temperature also dropped rapidly until it was the same as the warm burrow, at least in comparison to the outside forest.


    It was evident that if he had fallen asleep outside or in a slightly colder environment, due to his ectothermic nature, his life would have been in danger.


    If Kai could see himself now, he would have understood where the previous sense of danger had come. If it weren''t for his bloodline and being naturally attuned to the element of fire, he would have been in serious trouble.


    Now the danger had passed, the young dragon could sleep and, by doing so, his body to capitalise on his recent gains and attempt repair any damage he had suffered.


    A dragon''s sleep patterns were vastly different from most other species. When they slept, they fell into a state of near-stasis for long periods of time as their bodies attuned to the environment and experiences gained since the last cycle.


    This was the main reason it took Kai so long to emerge from the cave system. Although it was vast, it wasn''t eighteen years worth, even with the inhabitant''s fierce opposition.


    A creature that did not fear the relentless march of time would move at their own pace.


    The Dryad, being able to split her consciousness in its domain, saw the changes in Kai and inwardly panicked.


    It couldn''t do much as she was currently conversing with the humans and trying to direct them away and, from the visual on their display stone, taken from the mist image taken from the mountain, it confirmed that they were after her newest subject.


    A loud thump, Kai''s heart beating once to push the blood in a complete cycle of his body, caused the dryad to relax knowing that he was still alive. However, it noted the drop in the dragon''s temperature and ordered its roots to wrap around him carefully.


    Kai looked like he had been covered in a swarm of slithering, green snakes, however, as the roots rubbed against each other and his scales, they generated heat.


    The roots were extremely careful as they moved and it was evident that the would not harm the young dragon.


    While Kai wasn''t in any danger anymore, his body was still affected by the cold, and his extra warmth helped speed up his natural processes and body functions.


    Naturally, a young dragon would be nestled between his mothers tail, but the dryad had unknowingly provided an excellent alternative and helped Kai''s instincts to relax. This sense of security enabled his body to focus on gaining benefits from his bloodline, and for the first time in his life, Kai underwent a dragon''s refinement.


    Another thump of Kai''s heart, like a clap of thunder, caused the world energy to ripple violently before slowly floating toward him.


    If any other were to see this scene, without the knowledge of their forefathers, they would be shocked out of their wits.


    World energy was passively absorbed during mediation and refined into spiritual energy, but the young dragon was breaking all common sense and seemingly pulling it towards him.


    A breath of air escaped Kai''s lungs, small sparks flickering through the dense mist-like vapour, releasing the spirit energy that was considered waste to his body but was beyond pure to traditional cultivators.


    The dryad''s avatar, standing in front of two humans shivered in delight as its roots greedily absorbed the essence, the impurities that caused it to be expelled by the dragon entirely insignificant for the dryad.


    Luckily, they put it down to a dryad''s rage. It had just been explaining how a reptile had come and killed one of its subjects, creatures cultivated to provide the dryad spirit energy, before flying towards the centre of the forest.


    The dryad even explained how its defences had been turned to ash in seconds and had been currently jumping up and down like a child who had its candy stolen.


    It was also demanding the human''s make up for its loss, as they were meant to be protecting it, and that if the creature was caught, it wanted the beast as its protector as the Woad''s had killed all the beasts of value.


    The dryad moved from threats to bribes and then attempted to get sympathy from the humans, giving the pair, a man and a woman, a headache and after confirming that the creature that they were hunting had passed by, quickly made their excuses and started to leave.


    After they reported to their superiors, that the reptile was last spotted heading deeper into the forest, they left as the dryad kept shouting, seemingly unwilling to let them go without confirmation that its demands would be honoured.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The moment the humans had left its senses, the dryad''s avatar body disintegrated, the energy needed to keep it functioning for no purpose not worth it as it refocused its presence on the reptile nestled in its vines.


    For a brief moment, it considered repositioning him next to her core, where it would be able to absorb the essence directly but quickly dismissed the idea.


    While the dryad would benefit significantly from being able to consume and refine the pure essence directly instead of through its roots, the dragon still hadn''t gained her trust, and so it would be a considerable risk.


    The fact that it could breathe fire meant that the Dryad would be foolish to alienate or restrain Kai and, for the moment, he seemed content to stay which reduced the urge to capture and dominate him significantly.


    After watching Kai for hours, the dryad got bored and focused its attention on the surviving rabbits, creating new tunnels that were too small for her new subject, but would enable the rabbits to move about safely.


    The dryad knew that keeping predator and prey together would be a challenge, but if it could get Kai to hunt those that hunted her other subjects, then it would be a massive advantage over the other dryads in the area.


    Then, it could gradually gain his trust and, if he proved himself, allow Kai into its core chamber and instantly benefit from his presence.


    Little did it know, in the mass of squirming roots that were still carefully wrapped around Kai, a few of them had started to mutate.


    Dragonic spirit energy was incredibly pure, yet tyrannical in nature. When it had been absorbed and filtered by the roots, the essence had left an imprint on some of the dryads cells.


    Here and there, almost too small to be noticed with the naked eye, were small, bark scales. These wooden scales were incredibly durable while maintaining their flexibility and looked remarkably similar to Kai''s if you ignore the texture and colour.


    As Kai slept, his body grew and adapted, a haven and the awakened memories enabling his bloodline to advance at a rapid pace.


    His horns grew slightly, his scales became much sharper and defined, and his muscles change their composition enabling most more explosive power.


    His teeth hardened alongside his bones, generating little snapping and grating sounds the reverberated through the warren''s tunnels.


    What was even stranger, and seemed to defy all conventional logic, was that he levelled up multiple times, releasing waves of spirit energy and rapidly depleting the world essence in the surrounding area.


    Usually, a creature would level up at the moment they had gained enough experience and world energy yet, dragons once again broke the mould. They could instinctively suppress the ability to level when they were in danger, reducing the risks that came alongside the event.


    The increase in strength one gained from levelling, while good, in the midst of combat, could become a huge disadvantage. The few minutes where the body changed, releasing energy, were also unstable and prone to moments of weakness. The change in one''s body would throw their movements and skills into disarray, allowing an opponent a golden opportunity to strike.


    In fact, it was well known for most sentient creatures who knew they were close to levelling, especially those of higher levels which meant the impact would be much stronger, to go into closed-door cultivation.


    This way, when they broke through, they would be in a safe environment and could focus on refining their new strength and, if they were lucky enough, abilities or skills that they had gained new insight.


    The world essence that had been steadily flowing into Kai increased in speed, causing a whistling sound as it became condensed enough to affect the airflow.


    The dryad''s attention snapped back to the sleeping dragon, these events too obvious to miss. "He''s ranking up?"


    Its voice, though no one was there to hear it, was ecstatic.


    While humans could easily identify one''s level, something about the aura one possessed, most sentient beasts could innately tell the rank of an opponent. A rank represented the amount of refinement their core had gone under and the number of rings that overlapped it and, unlike levels, was directly related to their potential.


    Those with higher ranks, beast, man or monster, were always more intelligence, had more substantial reserves of spirit energy and had bodies that were stronger, faster and more durable than those of lower rankings.


    The dryad was already ecstatic when Kai had chosen to stay, knowing instinctively he was a rank one natural monster, an entity that was almost legendary in this part of the world.


    While there were multiple cases of beasts breaking through and forming a monster core, they were never the opponent of a natural monster of the same level. The starting points and innate abilities of their bloodlines were like the difference between heaven and earth.


    The dryads joy only increased when it found out the reptile was a drake.


    There were only a few natural monsters, drakes being one of the more famous and so, if it nurtured him correctly, it would have a protector that was unparalleled and the dryads strength and influence would grow by leaps and bounds.


    The fact that it just ranked up, something that often took dozens of years, vast amounts of resources and no small amount of luck, left the dryad flabbergasted and felt like it was dreaming.


    Almost immediately, the room Kai was sleeping in started to sink as the roof was reinforced by many vines and roots. During this time, the Dryad pushed its senses to the limits, looking for any sign that anyone was watching nearby.


    This creature, which it thought was a stroke of fortune to it was almost too valuable, and the dryad didn''t know whether it was a stroke of immense fortune or terrible luck. Not just the humans, but even those of its kind would happily eliminate the dryad to get their hands on it.


    If a rank one natural monster was enough to bring beings to blows, a rank two was enough to start wars, mainly as the monster was unbound and seemingly didn''t have a human form.


    However, instead of fear, the dryad hardened its resolve. The benefits were just too high, even passively, it could feel itself become more and more energised with the pure, at least to the druid, spirit energy Kai was continuously releasing.


    A possessiveness that her ancestors were renowned for awoke in the dryad''s bloodlines as it finally decided a gender, something that would have long-term consequences and often wouldn''t be made until it was much older.


    The dryad knew that it would need to appease Kai, ensure that he wanted to stay and create a bond between them so it couldn''t give in to the impulses to lock him deep under the ground where the dragon would be safe.


    On an instinctual level, the dryad knew that would be an incredibly foolish mistake, but that didn''t mean it couldn''t make his den, being created near its core, one of the safest places in its domain.


    If the dryad provided the necessities, food, water and safety, it felt the dragon, which it still thought was a drake, would find it hard to leave.


    The dryad released a feminine sigh as she fretted over the fact that she might not be able to keep such a great windfall to herself. She had chosen to become female as it was the opposite of Kai. Many creatures, especially the sentient ones, were predisposed to the opposite gender which made it easier to form attachments.


    Above ground, a butterfly fluttered into the Dryads zone of control and, before it could even beat its wings a second time, was mercilessly struck with a flying thorn, and falling to the ground.


    "Oh, eliminating my scouts without warning... seems like this offspring of mine has found something interesting." A few miles away, deeper in the forest, a tall tree, seven times the size of the dryad''s stood towering menacingly above its neighbours. Dark red fruits hung from its branches, the metallic smell of blood hanging thickly in the air. "Seems like I will have to expand in that direction earlier than I expected."

 A2:C2 - Nemesis growth - Part One - Draft

    "Master, just throw that damn rabbit to the wolves and be done with it," grumbled a red-headed female as she sprawled unceremoniously across a patchy, leather sofa.


    "Helen," sighed a scarred, blond headed man and he gazed out the window of his office. While it was nothing special, it enabled him to watch over the recruit barracks and training grounds.


    The man''s eyes focused on the towers in the distance, the orbs at their spires flicking in icy, blue light as they kept the Frozen Forest, frozen.


    "What?" laughed the woman, red furry ears twitching in amusement, happy to finally have provoked a response from her grumpy master. "Come on Mark, its already been three months. Whatever that creature was up to in that run down dump is probably ancient history."


    "I bet its on the other side of the continent by now, probably setting fire to villages and turning people to ash or something. The huntsmen, the hounds, even those stuck up ''genius'' clan members you are so proud off couldn''t find even a trace after its tracks vanished, and no one is shouting for blood anymore. Let sleeping reptiles lie and all that."


    Mark slowly shook his head as he turned his back on the window, the sounds of shouting and metal clanging, his troop''s training, barely muffled by the glass and stone walls. "In the three months the rabbit has been here, she has formed her monster core and can almost fully from her human appearance. Not only that, one on one, she is undisputed. Why would I let those mongrels of Jefferson, have her?"


    "Pfft~" spat Helen, flopping back on the comfy sofa. "She''s no good to us. No one fights alone anymore. She doesn''t speak, doesn''t work well with others and-"


    "And doesn''t respect her elder, the amazing and beautiful Helen?" interrupted Mark before chuckling at Helen''s pouting face.


    Helen continued to sulk, crossing her arms. "Whats so great about that one eye bitch? Even those damn wolves, even if they are scum, are like mutts in heat around her. And those burns... If you met her in a dark alley, I wouldn''t be surprised if someone mistook her for a zombie and tried to cut off her head and stake her heart."


    "That''s vampires." Mark chuckled. "And it would probably be the last mistake they would ever make if they were unlucky enough to act upon that assumption. My leg still aches from when we found her, and she was even half dead at the time. With all the training and resources we have thrown at her, I''d rather fight a griffon."


    This time, it was Helen''s turn to chuckle. "Ahh, I''ve never been so terrified in my life. I couldn''t even enjoy the fact that you were screaming like a little girl as you rolled on the floor."


    Instead of taking offence, Mark joined in. "You try having your leg snapped in half. If it weren''t for the medics and the health policy our family has, I would probably still be in recovery. Still, I''m luckier than Franky, I hear they could only repair one of his gonads."


    "Not like he used them anyway," heckled Helen, causing both of them to burst into laughter.


    The two fell silent after a short while, Mark because of what was on his mind and Helen because she sensed something was troubling her master.


    "The elders are getting agitated. When we sent the visual to the capital for the Librarian to check, the only response we received was a royal decree that the Frozen Forest was to be quarantined, only allowing low-level cultivators to enter to collect herbs. That was over three months ago, and every time the elders ask to repeal the order, they receive one with a higher seal," muttered Mark, his voice low.


    "Oh?" Helen raised an eyebrow in interest. "Who signed it last?"


    "The King of the Western Region." Mark''s face was solemn. "They even sent an imperial skyship to the Edge of the Frozen Forest. It''s currently stealthed, circling the barrier towers."


    Helen''s face was shocked. "Wow, they must really want whatever that thing is? Why hasn''t there been any movement on the ground?"


    "Nope," laughed Mark, though there was no humour in the sound. "They are under orders to eliminate anyone above a rank five who enters the zone. By Elimianate, I mean kill without mercy."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "The Woads and Dryads are being ignored, but if they leave the zone, they won''t be allowed back in. Personally, I would say that the King is either terrified of it, which is absurd, or that they are scared of what''s behind it."


    "Why? If it''s valuable enough to send a skyship, then they surely wouldn''t want to risk it escaping? Even if they feared its kind, surely they would attempt to appease it or offer gifts then?" Helen didn''t believe humans would be able to ignore temptation or a threat on their doorstep. There were a few good ones, like Mark, but the rest, at least in her opinion, we trash.


    "Unless they are waiting for it to reach a certain stage?" muttered Helen as she rested her head in her hands, a frown appearing on her face. "That doesn''t make sense, the resources of the Frozen Forest are too low for any significant advancement. The only reason the clan still bothers with this place is that the resources gathered have highly concentrated amounts of ice affinity and have a high price in the Burning Lands."


    The small office, a desk, sofa and two chairs, fell into silence as the last golden rays of the sun flittered through the window.


    "Helen," Mark eventually broke the silence. "What I am about to say can never be repeated. If you accept, whatever you find out must only be spoken to me and no one else, even under duress. I must have your agreement before I continue."


    "On the bond?" Snapped Helen, anger exploding on her features. To make such a request, using the bond, meant that the beast or monster would never be able to break the command unless ordered too. If they tried, they would suffer immense pain and, in extreme cases, their internals would rupture, and they would bleed to death.


    "On the bond," nodded Mark, reluctance on his face. He didn''t want to do this to his bonded, especially after they had been through so much together but it was critical that this didn''t get out.


    Along with the degree on the Frozen Forest, all information was restricted, and every person who knew something about it had to swear an oath of secrecy.


    While the oath held no punishment for being broken, another sign of the inequality between species, not many human cultivators would break it, even if it cost them their lives.


    After waiting for Helen to nod her head, a constricting feeling emanating from his chest signalling that the bond was in effect, Mark continued. "The elders have ordered us to find out as much as we can about the monster."


    "They are sure it is either incredibly precious as a bonded or pet, can be harvested for its core and body parts, its species holds a lot of power or influence in the Council of Worlds, or that the king is currently negotiating for a reward, basically holding it hostage inside the towers barriers."


    Helen said nothing during Marks pause, forcing him to carry on.


    "While we cannot go against a royal decree or the King of the Western Region, our clan''s loyalties are to the Seven Families and the Emperor. The elders do not believe they know what is going on and so, we need to secure as much information as possible to ensure they don''t relegate us any more than they already have. Since Godsfall, we have dropped below most other families and noble houses, if the trend continues, we will probably lose our outer lands in the next decade or so."


    "Also, if they believe we have helped the king hide information, especially information that would benefit the empire, we will be in serious trouble."


    "And~," snapped Helen. The fact that Mark had used the power of the bond, after so many years together, left her feeling hurt.


    Helen understood this was a requirement from the elders and was also to protect her, but she couldn''t help but feel slightly betrayed. If anyone asked her, she could now respond she was bound to say nothing on the matter, and that would be the end of it. "Stop giving me useless information and tell me what you command me to do. Master~."


    Sighing, Mark continued, knowing that he was going to have to really put some effort in if he wanted to avoid a year or two of the cold shoulder from the beast that he considered his best friend. "Go make friends with the rabbit. From her initial reaction to the visual, she knows what the monster is and has a deep-seated hatred for it. Tell her that we need information to prepare a hunt and if she gives it to us, as well as her true name, then not only will she be able to join, but she will be able to lead a squadron."


    "True name?" Helen forgot about her mood. "What beast in their right mind would give you that. Now she has a monster core and will live for hundreds of years, you could trap her for generations. Not even the death of a master will regain her freedom."


    Helen was a little sore with the subject. Mark''s ancestor had tricked her into revealing her true name and so, had been enslaved by his family for three generations now.


    "That''s the deal. If the rabbit wants revenge or to settle whatever she has between her and the reptile, then she will give her true name," responded Mark in a no-nonsense tone.


    Helen shook her head in confusion. "But we can''t hunt? Ignoring the fact that we cannot break a royal decree, there is a bloody imperial skyship waiting to blow anyone foolish enough to enters heads off."


    "But only we know that," sighed Mark. As a cultivator, he hated lying, but he was under orders. "Now off with you. An inquisitor will arrive from the capital in the next couple of days, so I am going to have the rabbit out on patrol. He shouldn''t find out about her but why take the risk. She leaves tomorrow morning so work quick."


    Helen huffed as she stood up and, glaring at Mark one more time, turned around and left the room, slamming the door in the process.

 A2:C2 - Nemesis growth - Part Two

    Although Helen was unhappy with how Mark had approached the subject and how he ordered her silence through their bond, she was incredibly interested in the story of the rabbit and so, quickly headed towards the mess hall.


    Even though three months had passed, due to Mark''s injuries and other pressing matters the pair had paid little attention to their latest acquisition, merely making sure that she was not causing any trouble or becoming a burden.


    Descending a flight of stairs and moving out of the officer''s zone, Helen finally reached mess hall and took a deep breath to prepare herself mentally. As a fox-beast, she disliked large crowds and usually stuck by Mark''s side.


    While, from the reports, she knew that the rabbit would not be here, Helen wanted to get as much info as possible before approaching her target. As the day had ended, the recruits would be changing shift, and nearly everyone would be present in the mess hall. This would save her lots of time as the camp was quite vast and enable her to complete her mission most efficiently and retreat to her master''s side.


    Retracting her fox ears, making her appear mostly human, Helen entered through the double doors and quickly started mingling with the bustling horde.


    While she wasn''t ashamed by her beast traits, leaving the ears visible for Mark because, as a young boy, he mentioned they were cute, most of the humans were extremely prejudiced to humanoid creatures. As most knew that she could maintain an almost perfect human appearance, some would see her act as flaunting her non-human heritage and would look for a reason to find offence.


    Bound beasts, especially in the Western Kingdoms, had learnt to appease humans, at least on the surface. There were a few, like Mark, who was a kind master and treated Helen with complete respect and put her needs first, but they were rare.


    Most, even after Godsfall, an event in which humanity cast their shackles aside and rose up in rebellion, still maintained their superior air.


    To the sentient creatures, this was bizarre because the gods had managed to wipe out vast chunks of knowledge and nearly all human technology, sending them back to their humble beginnings yet they couldn''t deny, with the human''s numbers and nature, they quickly rose from the ashes and asserted their dominance once again.


    Their current state was a far cry from their past glory, but the longer-lived beasts all believed that it wouldn''t be long until they reached it again and, without the gods blocking their way, surpassing their former selves.


    Helen looked around the hall, which was unofficially divided into three areas. One for the humans, one for their bound beasts that were combat orientated and the last for the servants, mostly weak creatures that could barely hold a humanoid appearance and we mass bound to one of the many caretakers of the camp.


    There were a few that broke the mould, a human who was enthralled with her bonded being the most obvious example but they were rare cases, even for those that would be fighting with each other in dangerous environments.


    Helen frowned at the female human, knowing that her peers would ridicule her at best, have what human''s called honour tainted at worst, but said nothing as she walked into the room, only a few taking noticing the newcomer.


    A wolf whistle pierced through the humming noise, drawing Helen''s, and a few others attention.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Look what the cat dragged in," chuckled a tough looking, black haired man. Beside him, sat four others, all similar shape and built. "The divine fox, a beast that stands above us mear creatures, decides to grace us with her presence. What an honour. I thought you were tied to your master''s side. What''s the matter, has he finally grown bored with you?"


    "Fuck off Riley," spat Helen, quickly moving away and rapidly engaging with a few of the beasts that she knew so she wouldn''t have to interact with the wolf-beast.


    Instead of getting offended, Riley smiled menacingly; his brothers grins almost matching his own as they leered at the retreating fox-beast.


    "We will have her yet, Brother." said the one to his right as the others nodded, their predatory gaze not moving from her body.


    Riley nodded in agreement and leaned back, placing his hands on his head as he adopted a dominant position. "Our pack lacks high-quality females, and although she doesn''t have our noble bloodline, just like one-eye, if we can integrate them into the pack, the pups should be able to hold their own and increase our presence. With that, our master''s position will only elevate, raising us to new heights."


    "You wolves always have eyes bigger than your bellies," chuckled a wide-eyed, unnaturally so, man, his head twisting around to face them at what would be an impossible angle for a human. "One-eye''s strength is already top-tier, and I don''t think even you guys are foolish enough to tangle with Helen''s fox-fire. Hell, most of us suspect she caused the burns on one-eye, and if Helen can subdue that manic, you guys don''t have a chance."


    "Women love strength," responded one of the pack. "And strength lies with the pack. They will realise what is good for them and join us willingly. It''s just nature."


    "And if they don''t," responded the owl-like man, shaking his head at the man who had just spoken. While beasts were a lot more sexist than their human counterparts, it often was in the opposite direction. Even for the wolves, their alpha was female and ruled them with an iron fist. The fact that the wolf-beast was saying such nonsense was a testament to the warped mentality of the pack.


    The pack smiled as one, creating a haunting scene that could intimidate even the most staunch of men. "Then we do what we have to do. Those two will either run with the pack or be run to ground by it."


    While their conversation wasn''t loud, it was drowned out by the noise made by the couple of hundred people chatting and, as it was beasts that were saying these things, no one paid it any attention.


    Unlike the human side, which pretended to be friendly and righteous upfront while scheming and stabbing each other in the back behind the scenes, beasts tended to wear their hearts and motivations on their sleeves.


    This didn''t make them any less cunning or manipulative, but they didn''t bother to hide it as much. Most had grown up in the wild, where survival of the fittest was the only rule.


    The fact that their bonds stopped them from overtly killing or harming each other, as long as they were considered on the same side by their master, meant that most, even those who were natural enemies, dropped their hostilities and focused that energy on working towards their agendas. Most of the time, this revolved around prime living space, food and reproduction but some, like the wolves, had developed a taste for power and influence.


    As such, they actively promoted their master''s agenda, thinking of him as their alpha''s mate instead of a human.


    After an hour or so, Helen had spoken to most of her contacts and those neutral to her and Mark and was already heading for the exit that leads to the training grounds.


    While she initially felt that they hadn''t ignored the rabbit too much in the previous three months, it was clear that they had not been attentive and missed a great deal.


    The rabbit was bonded to Mark with the standard servant-master contract and was thus his responsibility. When the order to halt their search came through, her use was limited, and so he enrolled her with the recruits with the excuse that she needed to gain strength to keep her out the way.


    Little did they know that she would take what he said gravely.


    As a weaker beast, the rabbit species more suited to servants than combatants, the rabbit had been discriminated against on all sides, yet she continually broke what was considered common sense and overcame all challenges with ruthless determination.


    Helen sighed as she stepped outside, knowing that her mission was going to be far more difficult than she originally anticipated.

 A2:C2 - Nemesis growth - Part Three - Draft

    The servants, beasts that were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, were extremely jealous. The rabbit was one of the most common and straightforward bloodlines available, almost at the level where some considered them mere animals, and yet one had risen to an unprecedented level.


    Instead of joy or happiness at one of their kind throwing off the shackles of their fate, the servants bitterly resented and despised the rabbit, often openly defying or making trouble for her at the most opportune moments.


    Her growth wasn''t the only shocking thing about the rabbit. It had somehow managed to evolve into a monster.


    While not as strong as a natural born monster, the difference between a rank ten beast and a rank one evolved monster was like comparing the heavens and the earth.


    This event resulted in increased conflict with the humans. Not only were they offended that a beast had reached the monster stage, something which most would find challenging to face in a fair fight, but the creature had surpassed their own bonded, all with superior bloodlines, ancestry and resources.


    If it had been any other master than Mark, they would have thought this was an intentional ploy to make them lose face and would have reacted more violently but as it was him, they were forced to act through their bonded.


    Mark was the leader of this camp, a small sect dedicated to scouting and rapid response missions for the clan. Not only that but he had always championed fairness and comradeship, often coming to figurative blows with the young nobles of the family but endearing himself with the majority of commoners and minor nobles.


    Helen walked along the barren path that weaved between the various types of training areas and started whistling while she digested all of the information she had gathered.


    The rabbit was extraordinarily anti-social and single-mindedly pursued strength. Combined with the rabbit''s status, this put her at odds with everyone in the camp and had lead to what most would believe miserable existence.


    However, even as the pressure the rabbit was put under mounted, increasingly difficult conditions or situations, she always seemed to come out on top. Not only that but it was easy to see that without this pressure, the rabbit might not have evolved yet.


    Helen shuddered.


    Most would consider this kind of life a living hell, but the rabbit not only survived but thrived. It was as if she sought out these situations to prove herself.


    After mercilessly crushing those who stood against her, human, combatant or servant, the bullying had finally ended, at least openly. Everyone had distanced themselves from what they considered a freak of nature, fearful of the relentless creature that seemingly held no fear or mercy.


    Some even started to admire her, the wolves in particular and attempted to draw her over into their camp yet; it seemed that the rabbit was not only single-minded but held onto a grudge.


    Helen chuckled, thankful that while she and Mark hadn''t helped the rabbit, they hadn''t hindered her either, remaining neutral through their ignorance of the situation at hand.


    Night had already fallen, and the illumination from the glow stones made the camp seem somewhat enchanting yet with innate Helen''s vision, the contrast of light and dark ruined its effectiveness, and so she stepped off the path and into the darkness, heading towards the loud thuds in the distance.


    The tempo of the sounds changed, sometimes rapid and aggressive, sometimes slow and methodical but it was clear to any that frequented the training ground that the noise represented someone duelling with one of the many training dummies.


    Helen wondered why, with the persecution the rabbit had faced, she still persevered. It wouldn''t have been surprised if she had given up or joined one of the other beast packs, small, unofficial groups that fulfilled the instinctual need for a hierarchy between them and provided some level of protection for their members.


    The rabbit species, including the snow sub-species the rabbit belonged to, were notoriously weak-willed and docile only adding further confusion.


    If it weren''t for the fact that, no matter how you looked at it, she was a rabbit, Helen would suspect the creature was an entirely different species.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    The rare few rabbits who grew enough to gain their human form, around the fourth beast core rank, were often used as servants and pets for the upper classes, a position that some of their species held as the pinnacle of life.


    But this rabbit was different on so many levels, continually breaking what many considered to be common sense as it stayed true to its path.


    She used every hardship and challenge thrown at her to temper her strength and resolved and it wasn''t a lie to say that even those of various high-level beast bloodlines cringed when they were selected to be her sparring partner.


    At the start, the rabbit was almost simple-minded, using her fists to resolve any issues or problems she encountered but very quickly, discovered and adapted strategies and tactics. It was as if she had been bred for war and conflict.


    As long as it increased her strength or ability to fight, the rabbit would study and practice any subject or technique without restraint, often falling due to exhaustion only to stagger back to her feet and resume.


    Any opponents she faced, no matter who they were, were eventually crushed mercilessly. This attitude applied in the training grounds, on missions and even during their recreational time and was the sole reason the bullying ended. While those at the top could still consistently beat her, they feared the response of such an action.


    The rabbit was a tiger amongst dogs, especially in her human form.


    While the downside to the human form was that a beasts innate strengths were limited and their abilities somewhat repressed, the advantages that could be employed, especially when trained, armed and armoured, were lethal.


    After a couple of dozen minutes, the subject of Helen''s thoughts came into view, throwing combinations of punches and kicks in a seemingly inconstant pattern, at a training dummy.


    Every now and again, a part of the dummy would explode under the onslaught of attacks; however, within moments, it would repair itself as if it had never been damaged.


    Helen prided herself on her abilities, so she was shocked that the moment when she had set eyes upon her target, the rabbit in her humanoid form stopped attacking and backed away from her motionless opponent, undoubtedly aware of the fox''s presence.


    To Helen, it was a shock but to the rabbit, it was only natural. How could a fox that wasn''t trying to be stealthy on a moonlight night compare to the horrors the rabbit had faced in the cave.


    The rabbit shuddered at the memories, some still giving her nightmares in the darkest moments of the night, as she turned to face the visitor.


    Her cropped top and tight shorts were drenched in sweat, a faint sheen of vapour, evaporating from her skin in the cooling night, though those aspects were unnoticeable under the glare she threw at Helen with her single, sky-blue eye.


    If it wasn''t for the scar covering her missing eye, and the multiple areas of burnt skin that still looked extremely painful, she would be considered a minor beauty. Instead, with the wounds that covered her body and her muscles, she appeared savage and dangerous.


    The fact that her fists were bleeding, along with a few lacerations on her shins, only added to this effect.


    ''A monster in a beast''s skin,'' mused Helen. ''Probably what attracts the wolves so much.''


    Without showing any signs of discomfort, the rabbit started tying up her long, snow-white hair, which had come loose in her last confrontation with the magically enhanced, wooden dummy, while continuing to watch Helen approach.


    While she looked relaxed, Helen knew that it, given the slightest provocation, the rabbit would react.


    "Hello, rabbit. Long time no see," said Helen, smiling though she wasn''t sure how genuine it would appear.


    The rabbit had spoken a few words, mainly yes or no after being compelled by the bond, since she had been tamed and so, they still didn''t have a name for her. The nickname one-eye had stuck yet Helen didn''t like using it in front of the rabbit''s face.


    While she would complain to Mark, often using quite original descriptions and insults, Helen was quite fond of the creature. She respected the fact that it was only willing to submit, even when threatened with death when its nemesis was used as leverage.


    Mark had, through a pure stroke of genius, shown the rabbit the visual collected from the mountainside and said that if she submitted, then she would have a chance to meet the creature again otherwise, it would win as she would be dead.


    By the rabbit''s reaction, it was apparent that their meeting would be anything but peaceful but, in the end, after attempting to escape more than seven times and discovering she was too injured, the rabbit seemed to feel like its freedom was a price it was willing to pay.


    Whether that was to live or to confront her foe, Helen and Mark did not know.


    "You have done well, obeying our master''s wishes and grown in strength and intelligence," said Helen slowly as she came to a stop, a few meters away. "The hunt approaches and, if you are cooperative, you will be at the forefront."


    The rabbit naturally ignored the false praise of Helen but her second statement caused her pupil to dilate rapidly and breathing to increase slightly.


    "But first, I require your name." Striking while the iron was hot, Helen delivered her request in a no-nonsense, non-negotiable manner. While she had been tasked with gaining the rabbits true name, Helen knew that if she started off with that, it would be like climbing a mountain with a boulder strapped to her back. "If we are to be working together, I must know what to call you and I know you ignore all names that have been given to date."


    A frown appeared on the rabbit''s face as her head tilted to the side and her single, predatory blue eye analysed Helen from top to bottom.


    Helen felt as if her body and secrets were laid bare before the distant, yet piercing gaze and her breath stuck in her chest.


    It was only when the rabbit nodded once, seemingly finding no reason to refuse the request and started to study the surroundings as if she was expecting to be ambushed at any moment, that Helen could breathe.


    "Mira," responded the rabbit. "When?"

 A2:C3 - Rude Awakening Part 1

    After three months, Kai, the young dragon, had finally finished processing and organising his ancestral memories.


    In them, he had become a back seat passenger, viewing the past through the eyes of his bloodline''s matriarchs, experiencing what they had considered being the most critical moments, of their lives, and ultimately, deaths.


    Memories and knowledge organised and stored; Kai finally felt himself start to dream as his body began the arduous task of rebuilding itself.


    He dreamed of his hatching, the cave, the rabbit and many other things.


    With his newly gained knowledge, Kai understood and noticed things that he hadn''t before, and stray thoughts caused his consciousness to stir occasionally.


    During these moments, where he was on the cusp of awareness, Kai would analyse his surroundings before the demand of his body to rest, returned him to his slumber.


    At first, the young dragon had panicked, the vines squirming around his body that was stuck in a form of sleep paralysis, causing him to feel trapped.


    However, the moment the dryad realised he was semi-awake, her ecstatic bombardment of words, often forming a face out of the roots to display a very human-like, smiling face, reassured him.


    Explaining that she was taking care of her most prized subject, something that slightly irked the dragon, using the vines to keep him warm and regulate his temperature while feeding him fruits and water if she felt he lacked nutrients, somewhat reassured him.


    Kai knew that a dragon''s slumber was his kinds Achilles heel, a time where a dragon''s enemies were most likely to strike yet, not only was he fit and healthy, the dryad seemed incredibly friendly.


    Something that was alien, even if he had experienced it in memories, to the young dragonling.


    He was still in a muddled stake, sleep and exhaustion clouding his mind and, not long after the dryad started asking him questions, to which Kai didn''t have the energy, or state of mind, to respond. He returned to sleep.


    Days continued to pass, Kai occasionally waking, each time feeling more alert and rested, sensing that his body was growing in size, strength and power.


    The dryad continued to talk, usually about everyday topics like the change going on around her or the newest insect pest she had obliterated for attempting to nibble on her leaves, no matter if Kai was asleep or awake, creating a peaceful, almost lullaby-like sound to which the dragon found comfort as he rested.


    At one point, Kai decided to test if he genuinely wasn''t being kept prisoner and moved his front leg. Instead of resistance, the vines retreated, and the Dryad''s attention snapped to him, cheering that he was finally ready to get up and that they could finally hold a two-way conversation.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Unfortunately for her, with his fears laid to rest, Kai quickly fell back to sleep.


    From the dryad''s reactions during multiple tests, his doubts and fears slowly faded away. Instead, the warm, safe and comforting feeling in his chest grew.


    Traditionally, it would have been his mother''s voice, heartbeat, warmth and protection but to the dragonling that had nothing, he wouldn''t have traded the dryad''s company for anything in the world.


    He knew that dragons did not have souls, at least in the typical sense when compared with other species, and so when they died, they ceased to exist.


    It was often called the price for physical immortality. The mortal species had something similar to an immortal soul and reincarnation cycle, or so their gods told them.


    Many called this the balance, which, once again according to the gods, existed in every aspect of life.


    Every light had a shadow, evil a good, and power, weakness.


    So instead of wishing for something that Kai knew was impossible, for the flow of time to change or his mother resurrecting, the dragonling nestled into the vines and released a low, content rumble.


    This cycle repeated for months, his body finally found a haven to adapt and grow in response to his strength and experiences.


    Typically, this would happen incrementally every time a dragon entered its slumber, every one or two years but for Kai, who had no parent or guardian to shelter him, he had to rest with one eye open, always ready to react to threats and so his body had never had to enter this state before.


    The seasons started to pass, yet the weather and temperature outside remained constant, the surrounding towers keeping the forest locked in eternal winter, yet still, the dragon slept.


    During this time, the dryad became increasingly frustrated that her protector slept so much.


    Now the dryad finally had a subject she could converse with she desperately wanted to practice her social skills and find entertainment.


    But as dryad wasn''t facing any danger and the energy the drake, for that is what she believed her newest subject to be, was released while sleeping enabled her to grow in both strength and influence, she was reluctant to use force.


    After attempting to rouse him a few times gently, she reluctantly accepted that she would need to be content with chatting to his sleeping form as she went about her everyday life.


    It was six months after he organised his memories, a full nine months after he fell asleep, that Kai''s consciousness once again fluttered to the surface.


    His body was still demanding more time, something the immortal creature was more than happy to oblige, but as his golden eyes opened slightly and examined the dark chamber, something his dragonic eyesight did not struggle with, his head twitched back, and a feeling of unease settled into his stomach.


    The voice that had met him every time, that droned on endlessly, turning it a sweet lullaby was shouting, screaming and cursing, at something in the distance.


    Anger, fear and despair laced the dryad''s voice, causing Kai''s heart to contract as a strange feeling swelled inside of him.


    While he felt no love or bond with the dryad, at least to his logical mind, the seed of affection, due to her care and actions, had sprouted, and his instincts started to kick in, flinging his drowsiness aside.


    A long howl echoed down the tunnels, followed by a few more, the occasional yip, yelp and growl almost silent in comparison.


    A hiss escaped the dragon''s lips, carrying with it the putrid essence that his body had ejected during its transformation as he revealed a set of jagged, vicious looking teeth.


    Dragon''s were renowned, at least in the distant past, for their tempers when they had first awoken from a deep sleep. The fact that the one who had sheltered him was, seemingly in danger, only increased the sudden, raging bloodlust that emanated from his body.

 A2:C3 - Rude Awakening Part 2 - Draft

    Kai uncurled his body, his scales causing a light, hissing noise as they scrapped against the vines that loosely wrapped around his frame.


    Since falling asleep with a full stomach of rabbit flesh, his size had increased a considerable amount, now roughly the size of a cow, yet this wasn''t the most noticeable change in his appearance.


    Two bat-like wings, sharp spikes at their tips, knocked against the cramped chamber walls and the spines that had previously run down his back now extended to the end of Kai''s head and the tip of his tail.


    Stagnant essence, the final remnants of waste from his adaptation, steamed from Kai''s nostrils as his muscles tensed and relaxed.


    While he was now conscious, his mind had yet to fully awake and so, the sensations coming from his repaired wing, which had previously been all but missing, didn''t even register.


    "You''re awake!"


    The Dryad''s panic filled voice erupted in the young dragon''s mind. "You must help. They are trying to kill me!"


    Before Kai could even process what the dryad had said, she wailed in terror before continuing. "The Woads, they sent their hounds to kill my rabbits and distract my defences while they tunnelled into my core room. They are going to take my core and refine it as they have done to my sisters."


    The dryad sobbed. "By the gods, if my core is removed for more than a day, I will die. I don''t want to die. I haven''t done anything to them. Why can''t they leave me alone."


    Kai''s thoughts struggled to keep up with the barrage of information. Not only was the Dryad communicating at the speed of thought, but his senses were being overloaded.


    Smells and sounds he had never encountered before bombarded his vastly improved senses causing the young dragon to wince in pain.


    Seeing Kai unresponsive, the dryad was nearing hysterics, the momentary hope she had when she sensed that he was away, rapidly fading.


    She had all but given up on waking the sleeping dragon, even going as far as to try and stab him with her roots and so had focused solely on her defences.


    Vibrations in the ground, accompanied by the boom of explosions, caused dirt to fall from the ceiling.


    "They have beaten my last defences. I have no more essence to stimulate new growth," sobbed the dryad, before her voice spilt into multiple versions and bombarded Kai''s conscious. Most of them were screaming at her assailants, either cursing or pleading, but a few continued to implore Kai to save her.


    Suddenly, the voices merged into one, and a mournful scream filled with terror caused Kai''s mind to almost collapse before abruptly cutting out.


    Kai''s pupils abruptly shrunk, all vestiges of sleep gone as the information in his mind finally formed into a coherent thought.


    Since the dryad had started speaking, only five or so second''s had passed, and thus, he had yet to process what was going on entirely.


    He was already enraged, going off pure instinct and having just awoken but now his intelligence had returned, Kai felt as if he would explode at any moment.


    The dryad, the creature that had offered him shelter and safety, even protecting him from the humans that had followed his tracks, was in danger.


    "Dryad?" Kai''s voice echoed in the small chamber, the sudden silence unnerving the dragon.


    "Dryad!"


    No response came, and Kai felt a small spark of ember ignite in his chest.


    A spark of flame slipped through the dragon''s teeth with his next breath as the golden hue of his eyes slowly corrupted into blood red.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Since Kai''s birth, the dryad had been the only creature that had shown any care towards the young dragon. She had kept him warm, talked to him and seemingly valued his presence.


    Now he had sorted his ancestral memories; Kai knew that the dryad had been only acting in her best interests while being slightly manipulative, but what did that matter. Her actions had only benefited him so far and had left a positive impression.


    Excluding the rabbit, which had been a negative relationship anyway, she was his first bond, and even though Kai had only known her, at least consciously, for a short time, now she was in danger, he realised how much that meant to him.


    ''They are going to take my core and refine it.'' The Dryad''s words echoed in his mind''s eye, the burning ember turning into a small blaze.


    Memories of dragons being slaughtered, their parts hacked away and refined by the mortal species caused his soul to shudder in fury.


    The dryad, the first creature that not only wasn''t hostile but had been kind to him, was going to suffer the same fate as so many of his kind, especially in the final days of the war with the gods.


    He knew that the dryad had taken care of him, talking to him and keeping his body temperature stable while his body adapted and subconsciously, at some point, he had bonded with her.


    A beings first bond was incredibly important, and a dragon was no exception.


    Something Kai hadn''t even had with his mother.


    Kai''s mother''s death flicked through his mind, his eyes turning more and more red.


    He had seen the bits she deemed necessary enough to imprint onto the bloodline, the feelings she had projected, knowing that if her egg survived, it would one day recover them and know of her.


    Her boundless love, pride and desire.


    A desire to live a happy, unrestrained life.


    She had been stolen from Kai, taken by the greed and selfishness of others. He couldn''t blame those guilty, at least humans as they were long dead but it didn''t stop the pain.


    Kai''s eyes turned full red, strikingly similar to those of his mother.


    Now, in the silence that the dryad''s voice had filled for months, he had suffered a loss once again. The dryad had been taken.


    Dragon''s were naturally possessive, and the moment Kai linked the dryad to something that was important to him, his instincts exploded in full force.


    If what the dryad had said was correct, he had a day to return her core to its chamber.


    A roar, much more tyrannical and overpowering than the one Kai released when he escaped the cave caused the entire chamber and tunnel system to shake, small clods of dirt falling from between the roots that held up the ceiling.


    The tunnels were too small for his new form, but that didn''t matter to the enraged dragon, and he quickly ploughed through them like a fish swimming through water.


    At an intersection, the separation between Kai and the rabbits, a lone dog sat trembling. It was supposed to be guarding the entrance to rabbits quarters, not letting any escape while its pack killed and ate their fill yet at the moment, it was shivering in fear.


    The roar that had exploded from the tunnel to its left moments before had shaken its soul, and instinctually, the dog felt as if it was standing before an endless abyss.


    A flash of red was the first, and last things, it saw as Kai slammed into the dog''s body, his teeth removing the dog''s head and a significant portion of its upper chest before its mind could even register the event.


    Blood sprayed against the walls, quickly soaking into the dirt, as Kai swallowed and, without slowing, smashed onwards into the rabbit''s den.


    Moments later, the surrounding area was filled with terrified howls, whimpers and screams of the pack before, less than five breaths later, falling to a deathly silence.


    Close to the dryad''s tree, a slim, blue female dressed in furs, had just emerged with a white crystal cradled in her arms.


    Nearby, three brutish male giants with the same blue skin, tribalistic tattoos littering their body and two more females stood frozen. Their blue eyes glued onto the entrance of the burrow.


    "What was that?" whispered one of the females, her eight-foot tall, streamlined frame, crouching as she crept backwards. "This tree wasn''t meant to have a protector."


    The twelve-foot tall males, who if they didn''t share the same characteristics, could easily be mistaken for another species, stepped in front of the females, readying their large, ice axes. "We have what we came for, let''s regroup with the others."


    "What about the pack?" said another female, a bow slung across her back.


    "If they live, they will return. If those mutts are weak enough to die against a nature dryad, they have no use to us," responded the female carrying the white crystal.


    Suddenly, the earth shook as a loud thud caused the ground to lift slightly.


    The dryad had reinforced the entrance to the burrow with its roots, imbuing them with essence and nature energy so when Kai had attempted to smash through like the tunnels below, he had been forced back.


    Another loud thud, the area around the entrance cracking as it lifted, caused the Woads to back away, their eyes wide in astonishment and a tinge of fear.


    Moments later, the group shuddered as one as a bone-chilling, enraged growl caused the earth to almost visibly ripple.


    The stench of blood was heavy in the air, something the Woads knew to be killing intent directed at them.


    "Ru-" One of the male''s was only halfway through his first word when the ground around the entrance to the burrow exploded in flames, flinging dirt and stone high into the sky.

 A2:C4 - Woads folly

    Along with the explosion, pillars of smoke and flame rose high into the night sky, the moon blocked by the occasional cloud, bathing the surrounding trees in a haunting, eerily orange hue.


    Somehow, against what many would consider common sense, the dryad''s tree remained utterly unharmed by the flames and intense heat, as if they were nothing more than harmless smoke licking at its bark.


    This was even true, but to a lesser degree, with the dyad''s roots that held together the large chunks of dirt that had been blasted high into the sky.


    As they crashed back to earth with dull thuds, knocking over a few of the smaller trees and ruining the somewhat pristine snow, the roots that could be seen smoked but seemed otherwise unharmed, unlike the charred soil surrounding them.


    If one was to look closely, they appeared to be covered in tiny, bark scales and a weird, ancient aura faintly leaked from where they were damaged.


    Animals in the surrounding area, even those whose who were inside their nests and dens, fled the scene, trying to get as much distance as they could.


    To those who lived in these snowy, peaceful lands, it seemed as if a portal to the abysmal realm had been opened, and the Woads could only stumble backwards, their eyes attempting to adjust the sudden change in light as their ears rang.


    "In the name of the great earth titan..." muttered the largest male Woad, his mind struggling to logically organise what was occurring before him.


    For hundreds of years, to escape persecution and enslavement, the Woads had submitted to the Skybreeze clan and, more specifically, the Manning family that owned the frozen forest.


    The Woads where an ice type subspecies of giant. Humanoid in appearance but, until recently, just like the lamia, merfolk and other humanoid hybrids, persecuted with extreme prejudice.


    These humanoid subspecies ancestors had been born from the coupling of a beast, generally in its human form, and a human. As hybrids, they often had the benefits of both, with a few weakness yet this also meant that they did not belong to any side in what was commonly referred to, as the eternal struggle.


    The species that had survived typically had been forced into servitude by the dominant races, mainly humans and the Woads were no exception.


    They had been given the role of keepers of the Frozen Forest, culling the animals and beasts there to protect the herbs being grown. They also eliminated any high-level threats so that the young practitioners of the Manning family would not be in too much danger when they ventured into its depths to cultivate and gain experience.


    During the three hundred or so years the Woads had held this position, the worst beasts they had faced were ice wolves, snowy phoenixes and greater bears. These powerful creatures, normally in the late stages of the beast rankings, typically bypassed the barrier from the nearby Endless wasteland, usually looking for easy pickings, and would often result in ten''s of deaths before the Woads could bring them down.


    However, it was clear to the six Woads, even to the point where they didn''t need to rely on their instincts or experience, that whatever had caused the devastation before them was far beyond anything they had faced before and completely out of their league.


    As their brains struggled to process what they were seeing, the dirt started to shift as a figure pulled itself out of the soil, causing the woad''s pupils to narrow in horror.


    A figure covered in black mist, small bolts of white lightning flickering from its frame, rose amongst the remaining flames. Its long neck rising high into the sky while its two, bat-like wings, stretched out as if to swallow the world.


    When it had fully extracted its body from the dirt, the creature''s tooth-filled mouth opened wide and released a tyrannical, overpowering roar that caused the Woad''s souls to shake and the essence they had been circulating to run rampant.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The roar faded away as the creature''s head turned. Its red, glowing eyes locked onto the white crystal cradled in the arms of the female woad and the stench of blood and death that assaulted the Woad''s senses was nearly overpowering.


    "Run!" The largest woad, his body littered with Scars roared in defiance as he stomped forward and blocked the female from Kai''s sight, circulating his spirit energy and prepared for combat. "We have awoken a demon. Tell the elders."


    Kai''s colouring, the black mist that could be confused as miasma and his terrifying, blood-red eyes had led the leader of the group to assume that Kai was a demon, the generic term for those that originated from the abysmal realm.


    At the sound of his voice, the others instantly jolted awake and, as one, quickly fled into the trees.


    The females lept into their canopies and moved with unparalleled grace through the branches while the two males charged between their trunks like unstoppable forces of nature.


    Their leader hadn''t even contemplated attempting to appease what he considered a demon.


    Demons were renowned for their tempers and trickery. Seeing how enraged the creature was, the Woad was sure that a death grudge had been formed in its heart and that, unless they made it back to their hunting camp, every member of his team would die without a complete corpse.


    If that was the case, he could only attempt to buy them time.


    Kai, on the other hand, had only just returned to his original objective after spotting the white crystal.


    His focus had been temporarily diverted when he discovered that his damaged wing had been restored whilst he slept. Joy filled his heart knowing that he would be able to soar in the skies just like his ancestors and he had to resist the impulse to leap into the sky.


    However, while he had been determined to rescue the dryad before, now he knew that she had either directly or indirectly helped him regain his wing and the possibility of flight, the thing he desired more than anything, his newfound joy instantly bittered.


    How could he feel joy when the one that had given so much, was in peril.


    There was a saying, which only a few of the most ancient and accomplished of scholars would be able to recall, even if they didn''t know what type of creature it referred to.


    ''All the riches of realms and kingdoms are worthless in front of a dragon''s debt.''


    Kai''s pupils narrowed terrifyingly, locking onto the lone Woad who was apparently attempting to buy time for his team.


    "Demon, I do not know where you have come from, but we are the keepers of this land," spat the male woad, speaking only to try and reassure himself. He had never felt fear on the hunt, in fact, it was usually the opposite.


    Yet locking eyes with the creature in front of him, the Woad felt as if he was standing before an ancient, god-like monster and he was as significant as a grain of dust floating in the air.


    If it wasn''t for his pride, and the lives of his pack, the Woad wasn''t sure he would be able to stand in front of this terrifying existence.


    "Return..." Kai''s deep, fury-filled voice exploded in the Woad''s mind, causing him to flinch as a small dribble of blue blood to run from his nose.


    The voice paused for a moment as Kai gathered his thoughts.


    "Return... my dryad."


    Instinctually, due to the significance of the dryad''s actions and that she was not made of flesh and blood, Kai had just associated her with a treasure. A treasure that was his and needed to be protected.


    A dragon''s possessiveness exploded out from the depths of Kai''s mind.


    A treasure that had been stolen.


    The Woad gulped, momentarily regretting sending away the rest of his squad with the core but then remembered that he was dealing with a demon and that, even if they did return the dryad''s heart, they would not survive its wrath.


    While he may have gotten the species confused, the Woad was right. Kai had no intention of letting those who had harmed and stolen his first and, at least for the moment, only treasure from leaving with their lives.


    Forcing a laugh, the woad spat on the ground. "You must think I am a fool. I will not recall my pack so you can kill us easily."


    Taking a fighting stance, the man locked eyes with Kai again. "Our lives are not cheap nor will they be easy to take. We wi-"


    Soft thumps resonated from the ground as blood sprayed across the clearing, covering the ground and nearby tree''s.


    The woad, unable to continue talking, looked down at the missing front-half of his chest and watched the floor of blue blood leaving his body.


    Before he could even blink, Kai had appeared before him, and with a lazy swipe, had ripped the woad''s chest, bone, muscle and flesh, away with his razor-sharp claws, scattering them across the ground in a gruesome fashion.


    After raising what could be considered an eyebrow, a small bone-like shape jutting outwards just above his eyes, Kai''s body flickered with white bolts of lightning as his disappeared into the forest at an unbelievable speed.


    ''I wasn''t even able to buy a moment''. Regret filled the Woad''s eyes as he fell to his knees. His insides spilling from the horrific wound.


    The damage had been so significant, that he felt no pain. His body was completely numb.


    As the Woad''s eyes dimmed, his life energy finally depleting, he found himself praying for the lives of his pack to anything that was listening.

 A2:C4 - Woads folly - Part 2

    The Frozen Forest, a place renowned for its beauty and the peaceful atmosphere, became eerily silent under the cold light of a half moon.


    The creatures that called this place home hide in their nests, dens and burrows as their instincts screamed at them to remain quiet.


    Most of the creatures were in the first three realms of the beast rank or lower, the higher level ones having been culled by the Woads and their human masters so, even as they cowered out of sight, they still recognised the feeling crawling up their spines and causing their insides to churn.


    The feeling when a predator, vastly superior, is on the hunt.


    A loud masculine shout rippled through the air, along with the faint vibrations of what felt like an explosion suddenly broke the deceptively quiet night.


    Underneath a giant ancient tree, four Woads, three female and a single male all sucked in a hiss of air as they stopped themselves from shouting as one of the many black tattoos on their bodies seemed to burn away in a puff of smoke.


    After three hours of pursuit, they had momentarily stopped to rest at the base of the tree, trying to regain enough stamina to make it back to their meeting point when the sensation they all feared, yet subconscious knew was going to happen, erupted on their skin.


    Each member of the pack had the others life tattoos engraved on their bodies. This was so they could tell the general direction each other were during a hunt, as well as if overall state of health. The dissolution of the marking only occurred with the aid of their high priest or, more common, when one lost their lives.


    "Ailill... is dead." said one of the females as she stifled a sob, the bow she refused to leave behind had been shattered, and the many small wounds on her body made it seem as if she had walked through a whirlwind of broken glass.


    "He sacrificed himself to buy us time, just like Aife," nodded the male, his eyes glittering with stubborn pride. "They shall enter the halls of our forefathers and sit alongside the Great Titan proudly."


    Another female, much smaller and more petite than her counterparts, seemed to be on the verge of panic, her dark blue eyes darting around as if the shadows were going to come alive and swallow her at any moment. "That''s if their souls haven''t been devoured by the demon."


    The others frowned as they looked at her.


    "I heard that they don''t only devour your flesh, but your immortal soul, refining it until there is nothing left but essence. A fate worse than a cowards death."


    "Stupid girl," sighed the male. "You have too few seasons and have spent too much time listening to those pathetic traders. Demons are flesh and blood like us. They have realms and cultivate the same. Their spirit arts may be different, but the ability to impact an immortal soul remains solely in the realm of the gods, and they have already been exiled from the worlds of mortals. "


    The man was not usually so chatty, but he was trying to reassure himself and the rest of his group.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    From many experiences, the old Woad knew that fear was often more deadly than any foe and so attempted to make the creature that had caused a shadow to fall across their hearts become flesh and blood.


    "Like us?" the girl''s eyes bulged in disbelief. "That thing tore through us like we were nothing more than human infants. All of us together, one of the top hunting packs, ambushing it couldn''t even draw blood."


    "Alys!" interrupted the last female, who was nursing a broken arm. "Calm yourself and remember the way of our people. Our ambush may have failed, but we also proved it is not omnipotent. If it were, we wouldn''t have escaped."


    Alys shook her head. "That''s if it isn''t playing with us."


    "Alys!" frowned the female Woad, annoyance etched upon her relatively attractive features. "Silence. You will create a heart devil, and even if you survive this, your cultivation will stagnate for the rest of your life."


    The girl closed her mouth and grimaced. "Yes, mother."


    Alys'' mother nodded once and looked to the others. "What should we do? The meeting point should be a few hours run but... is it really wise for us to go there."


    The male nodded. "This creature is a true hunter and not the weak trash that we normally face. We left the dryad''s territory after a few miles, used our escape arts and dove into the river to mask our scent and its still on our trail."


    His features grimaced. "Not only that, it''s incredibly smart. When we launched our ambush, the moment it realised that it could not fight us all at the same time, it pulled back and started to isolate and divide us, using the terrain and its abilities to completely suppress us. If Ailill didn''t stand his ground and use his life essence, I doubt we would have all made it out of there. To bring such a thing to the meeting point, where our old and young are waiting, would be to fail our ancestors and bring shame upon our household."


    The old Woad shook his head, his mind straining to identify a course of action that would not result in their total annihilation.


    "But..." Alys stuttered. "Without the elders, we won''t survive. Not only that, but they won''t know that such a dangerous creature exists. Our sacrifices would be in vain the moment it discovers the others, and as we are all trapped in this barrier, it will only be a matter of time.


    The young woman was terrified about losing her life. While the others had been hunters for many seasons, this was only her second, and so, she had not fully adopted the teachings of the circle of life.


    "If one kills, they must be prepared to be killed," said the Woad''s mother with a sad tone, looking at her daughter and regretting allowing her to join the hunters. Typically, it was relatively safe and an excellent environment to temper oneself but tonight had been anything but ordinary.


    "What about the crystal?" Alys held out the white crystal, refusing to admit defeat. "When it tried to hit me with its tail, I held it out, and it pulled back. Could we try and barter with it? If it is intelligent as we think, we should be able to communicate with it."


    "Bartter with a demon?" laughed the female with the broken bow. "Why don''t you just strip naked, baste yourself in pig fat and lay atop a fire. I can ring the dinner bell."


    Alys wasn''t put off. "But it obviously values the crystal. It didn''t appear until we took it. As the teaching state, only things of value can be a weakness."


    The old Woad nodded. "Normally I would agree with Aythen but~."


    He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "It might enable us to buy some time. Give me the crystal, and I will stay behind. The rest will run for the meeting point and alert the elders."


    "But~" the females instantly objected, only to be stopped by the old Woad''s outstretched hand.


    "My brothers have already given their lives to get us this far. With any luck, I won''t lose mine but worst case, I will buy you time."


    Alys hesitantly raised the crystal, preparing to give it to the old Woad.


    Everyone excluding Alys'' mother''s expression was reluctant.


    While they knew they had no other choice and were hesitant to part ways, Alys'' mother''s eyes were locked on a dark, branch-like shadow behind her daughter.


    Terror erupted on her face as she jumped toward her daughter at an incredible speed.

 A2:C4 - Woads folly - Part 3 - Draft

    Aly''s mother reacted so fast, displaying the woad huntress'' impressive speed and reactionary skills, that Alys and the male woad was caught entirely off-guard.


    As her body plummeted towards the ground, her mother''s mass and momentum only increasing the speed, Aly''s face as a mask of confusion as she looked up at the space she had previously occupied.


    Her pupils constricted as she watched a black shadow streak through the air, its tip reflecting a small amount of moonlight making it seem as if it were a blade.


    The shadow''s width seemed to grow as it passed, and not even a breath after its tip had left her vision, a sickening crunch followed by a wheezy gasp erupted from near her feet causing Alys'' to shudder violently.


    The woad male, having been trained for close to a dozen years to act as the huntress'' shield, immediately reacted the moment Alys'' mother moved towards the pair.


    He had charged in an attempt to cover the duo yet, the moment they fell, something had slammed into his chest.


    Blueblood dripped from the corners of his mouth as he slowly looked down, the woad''s eyes finally finding the culprit.


    A black, spear-like object jutting from his chest.


    Instinctually, the woad warrior knew he had only moments to live. He could no longer draw breath, and his muscles screamed in agony before, at least to him, slowly turning numb, a cold chill descending on his body.


    Regret momentarily flashed past his eyes as he looked up and watched Alys and her mother scrabble away. He might have walked into the opponents attack, but they were still alive.


    While not as impressive as his brothers, he was sure he had earnt a place at his ancestor''s table.


    Using the last vestiges of his strength, the male raised his arms and gripped the object sticking from his chest, his mind already subconsciously placing where he had seen it before and knowing that if he restrained it, he could buy the others some time.


    He opened his mouth, wanting to tell his pack members to run but at that moment, Kai dropped from the tree.


    Kai'' body had significantly shrunk since their last encounter.


    With the falling dragon''s momentum, his tail was pulled free, bringing the crippled woad with it.


    The woad slammed onto the floor, his eyes almost instantly dimming now that the dam that had been slowing his demise had retreated and his life essence and blood flooded out.


    The females had retreated to a nearby tree yet, they had not fled.


    The two older women were well experienced with the hunt and believed that nothing had breached the perimeter they had set up.


    If that was true, it meant that the creature that was stalking them was already here and lying in wait or there was more than one.


    The fact that Kai''s scars on his scales, especially above his right eye were prominent, meant that they quickly dismissed the latter.


    "It''s been toying with us," hissed the bow-wielding woad, her already pale complexion turning grim.


    Kai frowned in annoyance, having missed the perfect opportunity to eliminate two of his opponents.


    He had delayed his attack due to being able to understand their conversation in the titanic language and his curiosity getting the better of him. Yet when the young female woad had moved the dryad''s crystal away from her vitals, Kai finally had decided to strike as he felt the risk to the dryad was minimal, and another chance might occur.


    Frustration gnawed at Kai''s insides. He really wanted to know where his plan had failed.


    He had successfully reduced his body size by absorbing his excess mass into his monster core, a skill commonly used when beasts and monsters transformed into their humanoid shape, and got into position without the woads noticing.


    The wind was blowing in the other direction, and he had ensured that the dark mist that covered his body emulated a branch as much as possible, even moving it in time with the faint wind that occasionally stirred the branches.


    Kai pushed his frustration to the side, momentarily glancing at the now still body of the male woad with disinterest.


    After killing two of the others, as well as surviving the ambush, Kai considered the males to be the weaker of the woad genders. They were powerful beings with high vitality but lacked the abilities and skills to inflict any real damage.


    As such, even though he had eliminated a threat, Kai would have prefered it if the male had escaped and the young female had died in its place.


    This is why he had decided to attack the female first, using the cover of her body to potentially kill two birds with one stone.


    A faint breath of air hissed through the young dragon''s teeth as his blazing red eyes scanned the trio who had retreated to the trees and he couldn''t help but snarl in irritation.


    The three females locked eyes with the dragon, even though it caused them to feel as if they were staring into the maw of a terrifying foe, their injuries having all been acquired when they had let Kai out of sight and into their blind spots, and they were not willing to make the same mistake twice.


    "Foul demon," hissed the bow-wielding woad. "You dishonour the hunt with your rampage and bloodlust. Be satisfied with your kills and retreat before you anger the ancients and suffer their wrath."


    The woad had planned to incite an attack by provoking Kai, allowing the three to split up and head in different directions but instead of attacking, Kai''s head tilted to the side, the hint of confusion emanating from his eyes.


    This action caused the hairs on the back of the woad''s heads to stand on end. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    There was nothing more dangerous than an intelligent opponent, and while Kai had shown signs of intelligence before, most of that could have been attributed to a strong bloodline and instincts.


    Rows of razor sharp teeth were revealed as the confusion disappeared from Kai''s eyes, finally having translated a few of the unknown words from the context they were spoken.


    "Wrath of an ancient?" chuckled Kai. While other species could live a long time, unless the beings were a god or dragon, nothing he knew of would have survived during his time in the egg. Dragon''s had two birthdays, the first was when their egg was laid and the second was when they hatched.


    If he was to take this into account, he could say he was around one million and eighteen years old or had at least existed for that long. He was sure even some continents, if the world had continued to drift apart as it had done during his clan''s time, were younger than he was.


    Suddenly, the amusement disappeared from his face.


    "You steal my treasure, kill its subjects, and you dare to blame me?" Kai''s voice thundered in their minds. "It seems, no matter how much time passes, the mortal species will remain to be blind and ignorant."


    Kai slightly flinched, wondering where his domineering attitude had come yet quickly pushed it aside as it didn''t really matter. In his eyes, the Woads in front of him were the invaders who had attacked unprovoked and so, anything he did to them was just.


    The surrounding area seemed to become darker, the faint rays of moonlight filtering through the branches weakening as if it fearful of entering the area around Kai.


    "We will return the crystal?" shouted Alys'' mother. "Just let us go? We have killed the tree''s livestock, you have killed some of our warriors, we are even."


    The Woads were a nomadic race that focused on hunting. While it pained them to lose their own, to them, it was the way of nature.


    If the creature didn''t pose a constant threat and was troublesome to deal with, then they would learn from the experience and leave it alone. Only if it became a threat to the tribe would the Woads, even at significant cost, do everything in their power to eliminate it.


    "Not only do you know of my existence and some of my abilities, no matter what you say, with the death of your kin there is a blood feud between us," responded Kai, his eyes never leaving the trio, observing every subtle movement they made.


    In the young dragon''s mind, he had killed some of their kin, and while their relationships weren''t known, it was clear they were close.


    The young dragon''s rage had diminished after each kill and enough time had passed for him to fully awaken. Now that victory was in sight, he was confident he would be able to eliminate the threats and return the dryad''s crystal with plenty of time to spare.


    As such, he didn''t mind engaging in conversation. In fact, Kai wanted to know more about their species in case he was to confront them again.


    "Not even my daughter?" responded Alys'' mother, her face set in determination, clearing indicating that while they were negotiating, they didn''t believe themselves to be in a position of absolute weakness.


    "No," responded Kai lazily. "Either both of you live, or both must die. To leave one of you alive would be looking for trouble in the future and I do not know of how the others relate to you."


    Kai shook his head, though there wasn''t even a hint of sadness in his eyes and instead, there was a faint hint of bloodlust.


    "Then you can die ahead of us," screamed the bow-wielding woad as she held her hands out in front of her and ignited her life essence.


    Alys'' mother did the same moments after pushing her daughter from the tree, the look in her eyes screaming at Alys to run.


    After seeing the look, Alys didn''t need to be told, and like an arrow released from the bow, she sprinted in the direction of the meeting point.


    However, she had not been party to the plan and so, in her surprise had dropped the crystal as she fell from the tree.


    Not wanting to waste the opportunity given to her, Alys didn''t stop and pick up the dryad''s crystal. Instead, she increased her speed, determined to try and get help before returning.


    As she disappeared into the tree''s, Alys couldn''t help but offer a silent prayer, hoping that she would return before her pack members, and more importantly, her mother had entirely burnt their life essences.


    Kai had expected some sort of trap, yet his attention was momentarily distracted as he watched the crystal fall out of Alys'' hands and so, couldn''t react in time to the two substantial ice spears that slammed into his body.


    With a roar of anger, through his scales, his chest glowed an orange colour.


    The hue quickly travelled up his neck and exploded out of his mouth as a terrifying stream of flame.


    The flames instantly melted the two ice spears and snow around him at an incredible speed as it flew towards the two Woads who were still channelling their ice arts.


    Surprise, fear, reluctance and defeat fluttered through the pair''s eyes.


    The energy and power emanating from the rapidly approaching flames making it all too clear that, not only could they not escape, that without a shadow of a doubt, they would not be able to survive the attack.


    They had thought that by utilising their life essence, significantly reducing their natural lifespan and wounding their souls, they would be able to buy some time for Alys and hopefully for aid to arrive yet, it was only now that they had released their most potent attacks, that they realise how powerful the creature that they were facing was.


    The tree that they were standing in exploded in blinding light, the fire turning into a small twister of flames as it turned everything inside to ash in mear moments.


    Beside the roaring flames, that burning wildly, Kai panted in exhaustion.


    The surprise attack by the Woads had surprised him.


    Adding the fact that they had wounded him in the process, cracking multiple scales on his chest and left arm, Kai had become enraged to the point where he released his remaining draconic essence in his dragon''s breath.


    The young dragon held nothing back as he utilised his trump card.


    Kai couldn''t help but mock his decision as he watched Alys leave his sixth sense''s range, her figure having already been blotted out by the surrounding trees.


    Moving over to the dryad''s crystal, that lay half buried in the snow, the young dragon kept debating with himself if he should give chase or retreat for now.


    Kai believed that letting the woad live was a terrible mistake, but at the same time, after his quick attack, his speed was drastically diminished. Not only that but if she grouped up with others, they might be able to pose a threat to him in his weakened state.


    Kai growled and as his chest rumbled, the movement aggravating his wounds causing him to stop and grimace.


    While he had dominated the Woads, it didn''t mean that they hadn''t inflicted injuries. Before he released his dragonic breath, Kai was confident that he was at around sixty-five per cent strength, but now, he would be at the lower end of the thirties.


    He really didn''t want to leave Alys alive, but at the same time, due to his stupidity, he was exhausted and couldn''t do much about it.


    Starting at the crystal, he found he was also faced with another problem. He instinctually knew his teeth would damage the crystal if he tried to carry it in his mouth yet his claws couldn''t grasp it.


    His tail, while flexible could not also grasp it and so, he had achieved his objective but lacked the means to transport the dryad back to the den and into her chamber.


    Flicking his tail from side to side in annoyance, Kai took a deep breath. "I suppose I don''t have a choice do I?"


    Closing his eyes, Kai started recalling the memories relating to how the dragon''s had copied the beasts ability to transform into humans.


    While humans were considered one of the physically weakest, they also contained unlimited potential, versatile and were extremely dexterous with their hands, something Kai was in need of.


    Yet, unlike the species that the gods bestowed the ability to take human form, the dragon''s had to do it the hard way.


    If they wanted to achieve the same figure, dragons were forced to manipulate their bodies, reshaping bone and muscle, something that was extremely painful and reduced their strength far more.


    It also took a significantly longer time to change compared to the gifted way and so, was a perilous time, especially those that lacked power.


    If Kai could reach his mother''s previous realm or higher, the divine beast, the stage after monster, then he would be able to instantly transform like her, but until then, it would take a while.


    After scanning the surrounding area to make sure no one was close and attempting to pick up the crystal a few more times, Kai sighed in defeat.


    Feeling slightly disgusted with the form he was about to take, Kai''s body started to change.

 A2:C5 - A dragon in human skin - Draft

    Ominous thunder boomed across the sky as the Frozen Forest''s chilling winds caused Kai to regain consciousness and shiver violently.


    He didn''t know how long he had been absent-minded, the pain from the transformation causing a sheen of sweat to appear on his body even with the fridged conditions, but his senses told him it would be dawn in a few hours and that he would need to speed up if he wanted to ensure the dryad returned with plenty of time to spare.


    Kai attempted to move, yet it felt like his entire body was restricted by an invisible force. His insides felt cramped and awkward and his muscles, pathetically weak and slow.


    Slowly, painfully so to Kai''s senses, he managed to raise a pale, skinny hand in front of his face.


    Opening and closing his fleshy fingers, resulting in his hand repeatedly forming a fist, mainly to ensure that the strange appendage was his own, Kai frowned in disgust as his senses looked inwards.


    "What a weak, feeble container? Who in their right mind would chose this kind of body willingly?"


    This was the first time Kai had ever attempted to take on a different form, and while he could see some small benefits from being able to do so, the disadvantages were glaringly obvious.


    Kai''s exploration of his new digits halted abruptly as a panicked thought flashed across his mind''s eyes. Using his sixth sense, he dove into his body and monster core, quickly discovering that his dragononic essence and resources were stored correctly, before releasing a sigh of relief.


    A memory fragment had bubbled up, one detailing the events of a dragon who had failed their transformation and lost their true body. It had taken them decades to rebuild it and even then, the body had been a shadow of its former glory.


    In the future, when he achieved the Divine Beast realm, he would be able to store the human blueprint, as well as his own, in his core and remove much of the risk. But for now, at least when transforming into a human, he would have to ensure he wasn''t distracted at a critical moment.


    Sweat covered his snow-white brow, his new skin never seen daylight, as he realised how foolish he was to attempt his first transformation in the middle of potentially hostile territory while he had already depleted most of his energy.


    The sweat soon chilled and started freezing on his body, causing Kai to curse, his limbs beginning to lose their feeling.


    While his outer appearance had changed drastically, his biology had basically remained the same if you excluded the change in size.


    Without his massive body generating warmth, the dragon''s blood and muscles soon started to become sluggish.


    Waking himself from his wandering thoughts, an occurrence similar to when he first entered the Frozen Forest, Kai looked at the Dryad''s crystal, no more than a stone''s throw away, and attempted to stand.


    Not even a breath later, Kai had face planted the floor, his arms and legs sprawled out at odd angles.


    While his dragonic memories had enabled him to retract his true form and create a human body, it contained no information at all in how to move it.Stolen novel; please report.


    Taking a deep breath to calm himself, both from exasperation at his lack of thought that led to this situation and the stinging sensation on his lip, Kai attempted to stand again, only to be met with the same result.


    Releasing a hiss in frustration, a sound that enraged him further due to how pathetic it sounded coming from a human-like throat, Kai rolled onto his front and, deciding that he would need to take things one step at the time, attempted to move similar to how his natural body would.


    To anyone watching, the naked teenager rolling around in the snow would have been incredibly amusing. That was until they noticed his pale skin, short black hair and glowing red eyes and his odd, inhuman movements. At that point, they would probably be terrified and run towards the nearest outpost screaming that demons had started to invade through possession.


    In no less than thirty minutes, Kai had managed to discover a method that enabled him to move around, using his hand''s and knees similar to how a human infant would crawl, and started heading towards the nearby tree.


    Reaching the tree, Kai slowly pushed himself up, using his grip on the trunk to support himself as he finally managed to stand upright.


    "The fuck! What is wrong with this crappy, piece of shit body."


    To say Kai was angered at his inability to utilise the human body would be an understatement.


    If it weren''t for his drive and willpower to return the Dryad, he would likely have given up a long time ago and gone looking for some unfortunate soul to take out his pent-up stress on.


    Step by step, Kai started to slowly stumble around the tree, using it as a brace, as he gradually worked out how to centre his weight and that the trick to walking was similar to catching himself each time his body fell forward.


    The entire time this was happening, Kai couldn''t help but release vulgar curses, many having not been heard for hundreds of thousands of years. Amongst them, were varying vowes of vengeance and retribution towards the goddess that apparently helped shape the human race in her image.


    Little did Kai know, that across a distance unimaginable, the goddess in question had heard his statements and, using the smallest amount of energy so she wouldn''t be discovered by the mortals that now hunted her, smiled warmly at the dragon''s attempts and even giggling at his groundless threats.


    She could sense his frustration and that he had no intention to follow through on them so turned a blind eye to something that, in the distant past, would have normally resulted in a bolt of divine lightning striking the perpetrator.


    To her, the grudges between the dragon race and gods were well and truly over. Both of their kinds had lost to the mortals and been exiled from the twelve worlds, forced to hide in the void and sub-worlds. In fact, the two species had even started working together, something that took thousands of years to organise, planning their return to the mortal worlds.


    Just like the mortals, when faced with mutual extinction, old rivalries had been pushed aside.


    As to why the Goddess had noticed Kai, many of the mortals had forgotten the god''s names, not that they would use them frivolously, meaning that when Kai had used hers repeatedly in vain, it was easy to notice.


    Now that the gods had suffered the same defeat as the dragon''s and were tentative allies, feeling a sense of comradery, instead of becoming enraged or cursing the young dragon due to his continuing barrage of insults, the goddess laughed and sent a small, intangible amount of energy towards Kai''s body to help him achieve his goal of moving in human form.


    After she had done this, the goddess retracted her gaze.


    At the back of her mind, the mortal races that had turned against them were beyond redemption, even worse than the demons and devils that had always hindered their plans and Kai''s dislike for the goddess''s creations matched her own so she instantly took a liking to the young dragon.


    The goddess face released another impression of a smile as her aura started to fluctuate and she disappeared from the realm she was residing, heading towards the dragon''s banished lands query as to why they had started the infiltration and sent in forces to the mortal worlds ahead of schedule.


    To Kai, he momentarily felt eyes upon him, not even lasting a second, before a warm, comforting energy filled his muscled and relieved his fatigue. After thinking for a few moments, he shrugged his shoulders in defeat and continued to practice walking.

 A2:C6 - Shattered Sky Sect

    As Kai continued to practice moving his human body, dark clouds gradually drew closer, blocking out the moonlight and replacing it with the occasional flicker of lightning in the distance.


    While many would have been concerned with the darkness, to Kai''s glowing, golden draconic eyes, it was as if it was only slightly cloudy and he paid the strange change in weather no mind.


    Half an hour later, the approaching storm seemed much closer, the fridged winds picking up slightly yet, opposite of the atmosphere that was gradually turning grim, Kai released a triumphant roar as he took his first unaided steps without falling over.


    Stumbling towards the dryad''s crystal with a smug, triumphant grin, Kai bent over and attempted to pick it up only to lose his balance and, due to his hands being occupied, once again, faceplant the floor.


    The wind blew, shifting the loose snow as the area fell into silence.


    Moments before Kai was about to release his human form and destroy the offending ground and nearby trees which bore witness to his failure, his keen senses, somewhat restrained by the limitations of his new physique, caught a faint, amused snort to his left.


    Leaning against a tree nearby, a silver robed man was resisting the urge to laugh.


    He appeared to be in his early twenties and had silver hair a grade purer in colour than the robes he wore. His amber eyes watched Kai with amusement, almost glowing in the limited light.


    Behind him, just to the side, cowered Alys, the woad that had escaped Kai earlier, her fists clenched as her body shook in fear.


    Not even considering the woad, who was seemingly on the verge of a panic attack, a potential threat, Kai rolled and shakily got to his feet, making sure to keep his balance as he faced the grinning man.


    Killing intent so ferocious that it felt as if one had been dropped into an ocean of blood and corpses flooded towards the man as he and Kai locked eyes.


    "It seems ancestor''s temper is worse than the old monster''s," sighed the man as he held his palms outwards in a gesture of peace and non-aggression. "Ancestor, I mean no disrespect. I just found it ludicrous that one such as your self would struggle so much with a humanoid form."


    Instead of placating Kai, the comment only enraged him further.


    "One such as myself?" hissed Kai, the muscles under his skin coiling like serpents ready to strike, his killing intent increasing even though he felt that the man was somewhat familiar.


    No, it wasn''t the man. It was the aura he was releasing.


    Even though the man could tell Kai wanted to kill him, no fear appeared on his features as he lowered his hands and sighed. "First, let me introduce myself. My name is Bai Tan, a cultivator of the Shattered Sky Sect. We have been waiting for honoured ancestor to reveal himself, keeping away those that would wish you harm. Now you have emerged, please follow me and we can return to the clan."


    Kai frowned, his killing intent diminishing but not disappearing.


    Bai Tan''s presence, even though he felt familiarity, unsettled the young dragon and instinctively Kai understood that the man called Bai Tan was one of the most powerful beings he had encountered to date.


    Someone who, at least according to his instincts, outmatch Kai.


    However, that wasn''t the most unsettling thing. The man''s amber eyes, the pupils slightly forming into the shape of a slit, reminded him of his own, though much duller and less mysterious, when he peered into the pools in the cave.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Kai frowned, taking in a deep breath, his sense of smell muted significantly since taking his humanoid form thus requiring more effort.


    What he discovered was, while the smell of the man was vastly different, it contained traces that were comparable to his own.


    Kai''s frown vanished as realisation struck and, just for a brief moment, his mind ground to a halt.


    While the smell was mostly that of another race, what Kai assumed to be human or one of their many sub-species, there was a minuscule amount of draconic aura seeping from the man.


    "Guess the cats out of the bag. Your senses are just as sharp as that old monsters. Why am I even surprised?" Seeing Kai''s reaction, the man chuckled as he shook his head, slightly disappointed he couldn''t continue the game.


    However, the realisation that the Ban Tai contained a faint draconic bloodline only lead to more questions for Kai.


    From what Kai understood, a dragon''s bloodline was too powerful to mingle with mortal species, even if a dragon transformed into its humanoid form, eliminating most of the differences that would make mating impossible.


    Some dragons and mortals had fallen in love in the distant past and, at least to the draconic memories he possessed, it nearly always resulted in a stillborn, if the mother was a dragon, or the death of the mother and child in the early stages of pregnancy if they were mortal.


    "Impossible," hissed Kai, his weariness only increasing yet deep down, he knew that Ban Tai wasn''t lying.


    "Are you doubting your own senses? " shrugged the man, clearly not caring if Kai believed him or not. "I''m a draconian, the descendant of that old monster, a dragon just like you."


    A mischievous glint appeared in the Ban Tai''s eyes. "And if what he says is true, that old monster is also a relative of yours."


    "My relatives are dead," hissed Kai, his face instantly darkening. "Slaughtered by greedy, short-sighted mortals and their pathetic so-called god masters."


    "Just as arrogant as well," laughed Bai Tan, taking a step forward, shaking his head without much concern. "I am just telling you what I was told. If you decide not to believe me, that is up to you, but your instincts are not false. To deny what stands before you is a sign of ignorance, not enlightenment."


    With each step Ban Tai took, small sparks of lightning seemed to gather around his body.


    "Don''t worry, we will offer the same terms," he continued. "You will submit to our patriarch, for your protection of course, and the bond will be inherited through the generations until the world is ready for your kind to return. When it is, you shall be released without further obligation."


    "Submit?" Kai''s eyes narrowed dangerously, their golden hue starting to turn red. "Released? An act that you see as goodwill and benevolence on your behalf?"


    Kai snorted. "Even without the nonsense that spews from your mouth, you expect me to believe that a dragon willingly submitted."


    "Well," sighed the man, knowing that there was no way to hide or mask what he was about to say. " I wouldn''t say willingly. More like beaten to an inch of death and then tortured for hundreds of years before being rescued by my clan, to preserve his life, submitting to being bound."


    "We honestly did him a favour. Any of your kind that did not retreat to the Fallen world was hunted down, enslaved or eventually exterminated. There were no exceptions."


    Kai snarled, however, what Ban Tai had just said was much more believable to the young dragon. While dragons were notoriously stubborn, to submit to a benefactor while on the verge of death was much more likely than giving into to torture.


    Having thought that, while there were no reported cases of the Dark Clan submitting, at least in the memories of his ancestors, there were a few from other clans that submitted under inhumane torture.


    That didn''t mean that Ban Tai''s words were any less offensive to Kai''s ears. In fact, he felt a growing desire to tear the man limb from limb before incinerating his remains so not even ash would remain.


    "Come on; it''s not that bad a deal. The only requirement is that you mingle with the clan''s female draconian, all outstanding beauties, and you will be provided with everything you desire," said Ban Tai, even though it was clear by his tone that he had already given up trying to convince Kai with his words. "Even if you don''t like their human appearance, many can partially transform into dragons."


    Even though Ban Tai no longer believed he could convince Kai, he kept talking as he moved closer.


    "We own a small, pocket dimension that is just perfect and it will keep you safe from the gods and their allies. Tho they may have fallen, most have merely gone into hiding, similar to the cowards of your kind."


    Seeing Kai''s enraged face, Ban Tai smiled. "Not like it matters, you will either submit willingly, or I will beat you until not even your father will recognise you."


    "Oh, did I forget to mention that the old monster is your father?" With those words, Ban Tai lept forward, the glow of lightning wrapping around his fists.

 A2:C6 - Shattered Sky Sect Part 2

    Curling bolts of bright lightening flickered from Ban Tai''s fist as it plummeted towards Kai''s head, the faint boom of thunder causing the air to distort in an unnatural way yet, against all expectations, at the last moment the seemingly impossible to dodge attack missed.


    Kai''s body had tilted to the side, before spinning on the spot and falling back a couple of meters, his bare feet leaving two, long furrows in the snow as if he had been pushed back with great force.


    "As expected of Ancestor. Even with your weak cultivation, in the early stages of the Monster Realm, you can dodge one of my attacks," whistled Ban Tai, seemingly in surprise, as he flexed his hand and grinned. "I always wanted to fight one of your kind but I value my life a little too much to face that old monster. Bound or not, he has killed more humans and draconians, even his descendants, than I have had hot meals."


    Kai barely registered Ban Tai''s words as his eyes locked onto his opponents, his rapid heartbeat thundered in his ears as a faint sheen of sweat, something unique to his humanoid appearance, appeared on his brow.


    Just now, Ban Tai had moved so fast that even though it looked like it, he hadn''t been able to dodge.


    Not only that, it was clear that the power invested in the fist would have caused severe damage, even if Kai was in his natural form. The young dragon was certain if it had landed, he would be out of the fight and, in all likelihood, fighting for his life.


    Yet, instead of delivering the attack, the fist''s trajectory changed slightly as a hidden force fell on his body and caused Kai to spin out of the way.


    Kai frowned as his muscles tensed, ready to react should Ban Tai attack again.


    He knew that if he had noticed this strange force, then it was impossible to say that Ban Tai, with the ability to think and move at a much faster rate, would miss it.


    Seeing the confusion dancing on Kai''s humanoid features Ban Tai smiled.


    "The old monster told me to give you a message if I was the one lucky enough in my team to be chosen to confront you," Ban Tai''s face was composed yet now Kai looked closely, he could tell that Ban Tai''s facial expressions did not match the look in his eyes.


    His eyes were filled with concern and anxiety. Not only that but when Ban Tai noticed Kai looking into his eyes, they would flicker in a seemingly meaningful manner in certain directions.


    The movements were so fast, Kai wasn''t sure he had seen them but then again, they happened so often they were hard to dismiss.


    "Do not let the one who gave everything for your survival be in vain. The times may have changed but the nature of the mortal races has not. You hold the bloodlines of two of the greatest draconic clan''s to have existed and it''s your duty not only to survive and fulfil her dying wish but to rebuild the clan, no matter the cost."


    Ban Tai struck a thoughtful pose. "I think that was it. Oh, wait. the old monster said that your secondary bloodline would awaken when you experience the element but it won''t be until you have reached the next realm that you will be able to truly wield it. I guess you can ask him more about that when you meet him."


    ''My mothers dying wish?'' The sudden mention of his mother startled Kai but not nearly as much as the meaning behind the words.


    Actually, now Kai thought about it, this stranger had been telling him lots of information that, while helpful to Kai, was beyond meaningless if he was captured.


    Initially, he thought that Ban Tai was trying to buy time or was one of those arrogant creatures that liked to hear the sound of his own voice but, with more information available, Kai now realised there was more to Ban Tai''s words.


    Behind each sentence, there was a hidden meaning.


    The first crucial bit of information was telling Kai that his father was still alive and, maybe more importantly, in the vastness that was the thirteen worlds, that he was imprisoned by the Shattered Sky Sect which seemed to be based in the same world he was currently in.


    The next, which was much more subtle, was that Ban Tai was part of a team. This bit of information suddenly made Ban Tai''s eye gestures make sense and finally, he mentioned his mother and hinted at her aims, something that no one should know.


    Everyone had died in that cave, his mother had made certain of it. The only one who would know something, his mother having fled the clan, would have been his father.


    Kai''s eyes narrowed as he glared at Ban Tai. Why would his father, even if he was bound, give out information that personal and sensitive to a mortal.


    Even if Ban Tai was a descendant, he was one of his captors?


    Ban Tai tilted his head, seemingly curious to why Kai had gone silent. Yet, his head kept tilting until it was almost impossible to say the movement was natural and Kai spotted a metal band around his neck, normally hidden by the high collared robe. "Why so silent? Have you given up already?"Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Kai yawned in exhaustion, not needing to act as his eyes scanned the surroundings, thinking about Ban Tai''s comments.


    To anyone that had been listening, it would sound like Ban Tai was telling Kai that he needed to surrender and keep his life, however, Kai knew that his mother had wanted much more than survival. If not, she could have surrendered with him to the humans.


    They would have been no more than slaves but, they would have survived.


    As an immortal species, dragons held a somewhat unique perspective that, as long as one remained alive, time would solve all problems. However, becoming enslaved was well below a black dragon''s bottom line and so, even though it went against their instincts, they fought to the bitter end.


    His mother, even though she wanted nothing more than for him to survive, still refused to submit. She had even abandoned her clan at their last stand in hopes of achieving her goal.


    To surrender now, to submit to another would make her sacrifice meaningless.


    Kai''s golden eyes started to turn red as the pupils narrowed into slits.


    Kai never had any intention to surrender but now, even if he was threatened with pain or death, his resolve hardened.


    He looked at the strange, silver robbed man and realised that, against all odds and first appearances, he wasn''t facing an enemy.


    Kai growled, realising that Ban Tai was putting on an act. An act that wasn''t for Ban Tai or Kai but those around him. Those that held the man''s freedom in their hands, more than likely with that weird collar.


    Noticing Kai''s eyes flick over to the Woad, Ban Tai nodded. "She told us everything. I brought her along so she could return the Dryad''s core. I wouldn''t want you having any regrets or holding something so trivial against me when we take you back to the Scarlet continent."


    ''The scarlet continent!'' If Kai wasn''t so on edge, using all of his senses to scan the surroundings, he might have smiled.


    Ban Tai was indicating where the Shattered Sky Sect was or, maybe, where the entrance to the pocket dimension his father was imprisoned was located.


    Noticing Kai''s reducing wariness of him, Ban Tai attacked again, with a similar result to the first. "Are you really so arrogant that you can blatantly dismiss me? So much so that I am not even a threat in your eyes?"


    Ban Tai roared in apparent anger. "You are nothing by Third or Fourth Monster Realm, at least four stages weaker than even the human''s in my group."


    Kai had never needed to act before and it wasn''t something that came naturally to him. He knew Ban Tai was giving him a warning, yet he couldn''t think about how he should act.


    It wasn''t in his nature.


    "Never mind, its time to end this before the other teams get here." Ban Tai shook his head as if lamenting the through of allowing others to capture Kai, though Kai got the distinct impression that he should escape from Ban Tai''s eyes.


    Ban Tai raised his hand as thunder rumbled above as lightening seemed to gather. "Don''t worry, as a thunder dragon half-blood, this won''t kill you, only paralyze you for a bit."


    His smile widened. "And look at the bright side, that old monster did say you needed to experience the raw element to help awaken your bloodline."


    With a chuckle, Ban Tai dropped his hand, causing a huge bolt of lightning, almost a meter thick, to fall.


    The light was so bright that everyone watching, excluding Kai, was forced to close their eyes.


    When the lightning had travelled around half the distance, in the area surrounding Kia, the snow still pristine and untrampled, eleven shadows faintly appeared. The humanoid shapes released neither sounds or smell as if they sat outside the natural laws of the world.


    Kai''s instincts screamed at him to dodge, yet the lightning was too fast and he could only helplessly watch as it passed by his head, inches from his shoulder and slam into the ground behind him.


    It was at that moment, when the world was filled with a terrifying boom, that he felt a suction force pull him towards Ban Tai, who was still blinded by his own attack.


    Fearing the worst, Kai attempted to struggle but it was useless, within a heartbeat, he was already in Ban Tai''s hands.


    A moment later, not even giving him time to register what was happening, Kai was soaring into the sky, having been thrown by Ban Tai like a javelin.


    As he entered the first, ominous, electrified clouds, Kai released his natural form, feeling relief that he was no longer in his human body and roared in defiance while speeding away.


    The young dragon, who had never flown before, innately used the turbulent winds and momentum provided by Ban Tai to reach an impressive speed and shot through the sky like a black arrow, his size rapidly diminishing as the distance increased.


    Within two beats of his wings, Kai slammed into


    the Frozen Forest barrier, and against what most considered common sense, shattered it as he passed through without any reduction in speed.


    "Fuck, he escaped in the opposite direction of the sky battleship," shouted a female voice, one of the first to recover from her blindness as she released her invisibility spell."


    "Ban Tai, why the hell would you use the Binding Titan attack?" screamed an old man, also appearing. "When we get back to the Clan, you will suffer for your stupidity."


    Ban Tai ignored the complaints and voices as he walked over to the dryad''s core and, with a flick of his wrist, sent it towards the Woad. "Make sure to get the core back and protect the Dryad from now on."


    The others, who were extremely annoyed with Ban Tai, nodded their heads in agreement. While the dragon they hunted was pretty weak, at least compared to them, the fear ingrained into their bones from the one they called the old monster ensured that none of them harboured any ill intention towards a being that a dragon was willing to kill for."


    "The sky battleship will remain here, as the dragon will return for the dryad eventually. The rest of us will continue the pursuit," said the old man before fixing the Woad with a death stare. "You mention anything you have witnessed today, and your entire tribe will be erased from the face of this pathetic world. If it wasn''t because we weren''t sure if the dragon allowed you to live, you would already be dead."


    The female who had complained earlier laughed. "Gramps, we spent all this time covering up their existence and here you are telling anyone within earshot what that creature is."


    The old man snorted, but if one was looking closely, fear could be seen in his eyes. "Idiot, we don''t care if other mortals know about them, it''s those two species that must never know. One would intervene to curry favour and the other... if they knew that the bloodline survived..."


    The old man shuddered. "If we can''t contain the information, we must purge the dragon and all that have encountered it. This is the order form the Clan master."

 A2:C7 - Leaving the Frozen Forest

    High in the dark, stormy sky, Kai flew onward, his inner thoughts far more dark and violent than the storm that surrounded him.


    It was not due to the discovery of a half-dragon, nor about his father''s situation that caused the young dragon to go into an almost murderous rage.


    No, now that he wasn''t facing immediate danger or focusing on an opponent, what enraged him was the fact that he had been forced by enemies he didn''t even know existed less than half an hour ago, to leave his treasure, the dryad behind.


    The urge to swoop down and engulf the world in flames was almost as much as the one to turn back and claim what was his yet, he resisted.


    Kai knew that if he returned, he would either lose his life or be captured.


    Not only that but on an instinctual level Kai, for some reason, trusted Ban Tai.


    If he were truly on the young dragon''s side, he would adhere to the promise of returning the dryad to her tree, and thus, she would not be in any immediate danger.


    Kai felt a moment of self-loathing as he realised he wasn''t strong enough. That he had fallen into the trap that was easy wins.


    The group of humans on the mountainside had been pitifully weak compared to Ban Tai, leading to a dangerous underestimation of potential opponents. Even then, those people that nearly surrounded him, invisible to his senses, were a far greater threat.


    Kai''s golden eyes narrowed menacingly as he vowed that not only would he return and reclaim his treasure and the lands around it, forever ensuring the dryads safety, but if Ban Tai did not live up to his promise, the half-dragon and his relatives would not find peace in all of the thirteen worlds.


    Kai couldn''t help but release a burst of fire, almost using up the meagre reserves he had regained, as his emotions raged.


    On one side, it was dangerous to empty his reserves, but on the other, it would only help increase the rate in which he could refine the world energy and, in the long run, the purity of his draconic essence.


    Kai sighed, once again revisiting the thought that he couldn''t blame his opponents for this outcome.


    His victories, escaping the cave, killing the humans and slaying all but one of the woads, had got to his head.


    Yes, in nature, he was a natural apex predator and should be able to slaughter his way to the top of the food chain, just like his ancestors but, he hadn''t paid attention to the lessons they had learnt when their rule as the dominant species was challenged.


    Humans and their subspecies, orcs, elves, dwarfs, gnomes and the like, as well as the many half breed species that were flourishing as those considered monsters, like his kind, were pushed back, were the ones that ruled this world.


    Territories were useless, so where the prime resources like fresh water, food and shelter. The god-gifted, mortal species, like a swarm of locusts, would descend upon anything that took their fancy and kill and enslave while plundering any and all resources they could get their hands on.


    There had been some good people, and many of the lower classes wanted nothing more to live simple, peaceful lives but because of the mortal species prolific breeding, their numbers rapidly entering the hundreds of millions spreading across the worlds, that those with ill intent and greed outnumbered those unfairly designated as monsters.


    A deep, rumbling growl, silenced by the nearby thunder, resonated through Kai''s chest as he finally started to pay attention to the backstory of the memories he had gained.


    The age of dragons had long since ended, and while he already knew this, this was the first time he truly understood what it meant.


    Kai''s eyes shone with murderous intensity. While the past was a great teacher, it did not help him in the immediate present, and he knew that if he didn''t change his mentality and approach, he wouldn''t live very long.


    The first issue was, his body was still too weak. He was still an adolescent and needed time and resources to grow. He also required stimulation to ensure his bloodline would evolve and thrive most optimally.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The rabbit in the cave had been a catalyst that had significantly helped, but now that it was dead, at least that is what Kai believed, he needed to find another.


    Either a being that he could challenge himself with while remaining mostly safe or an environment that would temper his body and resolve.


    The next problem was that he was woefully ignorant of this world and so, at a considerable disadvantage.


    The first would be solved with time and a little bit of luck and wasn''t an immediate concern yet the second was imperative.


    His kind, who never aged, had an insatiable desire for knowledge.


    In fact, while their bodies were like walking fortresses, most of the mortal races that had fought dragons feared their intelligence much more for if they were not adequately prepared for the confrontation, they wouldn''t even know how they had died.


    Kai released another stream of fire, much weaker than the last but still impressive as he repressed his rage and pushed the dryad and insult that he had been forced to flee, to the back of his mind.


    He needed to learn and grow. Then he would reclaim his treasures, free his father and find the surviving dragon clans. After that... if the situation allowed, maybe he would have some vengeance on any of the gods that had been involved with the demise of his clan.


    A terrifying, tooth-filled grin appeared on Kai''s features as the storm seemed to intensify around him, lightning arcing through the sky as if announcing the arrival of a thunder god.


    Those that stood in his way, be it beast, man or even god, would be turned to ash.


    Meanwhile, far below at one of the many outposts surrounding the Frozen forests, the occupants who had been training, despite the looming clouds and thunder, stared into the sky at the silhouette passing over, its form illuminated by occasional flames and sporadic lightning.


    Many of them were cultivators or their bonded servants, so had excellent vision and could clearly see the outline of the creature flying above.


    Its bat-like, reptilian wings, long neck and tail and, to those with exceptional eyesight, rows of jagged spikes, revealed a creature that seemed to be built to dominate the land and sky.


    The normally busy camp sight was silent, those watching frozen with fear and confusion dancing in their eyes.


    It wasn''t because of the creature, as they had seen far more terrifying creatures up close but the waves of unfocused bloodlust that emanated from the being caused their blood to chill as the hairs stood up on the backs of their necks.


    Some of the weaker cultivators momentarily had visions of being engulfed in flames, the method of death being transmitted from the source, one of the many side effects of intense killing intent. Yet within a heartbeat, they were staring at the sky again while their backs were damp with sweat.


    Suddenly, a spear launched into the air, flying upwards at an incredible speed before slowing and, as if it had lost the will to hit its target, arching downwards and falling into the distance.


    Kai was already nothing more than a spec on the horizon so many of those present turned to the origin of the spear, only to find Mira, shaking as a mixture of joy and rage danced across her features.


    The rabbit who was still in her humanoid form, had trained to the point of collapse, again and again, had, after such a long time, found her goal. The fire-breathing lizard that, unbeknownst to her, had become both a shadow and blinding light to her soul.


    The creature that, after eighteen years of nearly constant, life and death struggles had become so engraved into to her being that the world seemed dull and insignificant without, had returned.


    "It''s him, it''s him, it''s him," muttered Mira as she stared, her appearance similar to a manic.


    Her nemesis had returned.


    Throwing away the useless training sword she had been using, deciding she would find a weapon more appropriate to fight her foe, Mira started walking in the direction that Kai had flown.


    Most of the cultivators and bonded made way for the Mira, allowing her to pass due to her violent reputation becoming almost legendary in the small outpost yet when she had almost reached the exit, two guards, blocked her.


    One of the guards, his hand on the hilt of his sword, tried to appear intimidating. "You know you are not allo-"


    Before the first guard, dressed in light chainmail, could finish his sentence, he was vomiting his breakfast onto the ground while the other, was already unconscious on the floor.


    A few teeth, along with a copious amount of blood, pooled under the poor guards head as his body twitched.


    Everyone who had witnessed the scene took a step backwards, and even the few guards that were running over paused their steps as Mira continued walking at an unhurried pace.


    A few, wolf-like humanoids watched her leave with fascination and hunger, yet they did not act.


    Watching from his office''s window, Mark watched the rabbit leave the camp as the sun finally rose past the horizon.


    "Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Helen, her face pressed up the glass like a kid looking in on a sweet shop.


    "She will never rest until she finds the creature and, as my one of my bonded, I will always know where she is." Mark scratched the stubble on his chin. "Let''s inform the clan elders and prepare for a long journey. If we can capture the creature before the others, it should bring our clan great fortune."


    Helen pouted. "But I hate field work."


    "Would you rather stay with my kids?" smiled Mark as he turned around and started walking towards the door.


    "I''d rather be skinned alive and turned into an ornament," spat Helen as she moved towards the floor, appearing as if she was walking towards her execution.


    Mark could only chuckle as he disappeared through the doorway. "But they love you so much. You''ll warm up to them someday."


    "Only if they were ours," mumbled Helen as her shoulders slumped, knowing that when Mark had made his mind up, that no small amount of effort would change it.

 A2:C8 - A Strange, new world Part One

    As the distance increased from the Frozen Forest, and with the aid of the warm, sunlight, Kai''s mood slowly improved as he soared through the clear blue sky casting the tiniest of shadows on the ground below.


    While his ability to fly was both instinctual and gained from the memories of his ancestors, each one imprinting their first flight, a significant event for any dragon, it had only been a few hours since he had been thrown into the sky yet his muscles were already exhausted and slightly shaking.


    To alleviate the strain, Kai utilised the thermal lifts and air currents, enabling him to gain an extraordinary height and speed while allowing him to look down upon the world with an impartial, yet curious, eye.


    However, instead of finding a sense of peace with his newfound freedom and close call, Kai''s features gradually twisted into a frown.


    The world below him was vastly different from the memories of the young dragon''s ancestors.


    Where there should have been lush forests, inhospitable mountain ranges, open plains and raging, untamed rivers, now nothing but farmland, roads and settlements.


    Large rock-like structures blocked the waterways, creating ideal boating lakes, roads made from a black substance, or laid with metal lines crisscrossed the landscape.


    Fields littered with various crops, occasionally interrupted with wallless towns and villages covered the land while numerous species seemed to be either working or travelling like, at least due to Kai''s altitude, ants.


    Kai''s heart sank, the realisation that things really had changed since the time of his ancestors, hitting him in full force and causing him, for the first time, to feel trepidation at the future.


    After a couple more hours, Kai realised that even though the majority of the countryside looked similar and bleak, there were a few, limited areas that still retained a somewhat natural appearance. However, these small areas of greenery were surrounded by weird, tower-like structures that he instantly recognised as the likely cause for the barrier he had slammed into earlier.


    It seemed that the barrier was there to restrict access to and from these areas and so, even though Kai was tempted to stop and rest at one, he continued moving forward.


    As his gaze moved from scenery to the species interacting below, Kai released a sigh as he confirmed his ancestor''s fears and the reason why his species had spent so much effort in developing a method to take on a humanoid appearance.


    Excluding work animals and, what he could only assume to be, pets, Kai could not spot a single beast or monster that wasn''t in its humanoid form.


    In fact, their appearances had improved so much that, at least from his current position, he found it easier to identify the human subspecies than the beasts and monsters that had, at least in his acquired memories, been too proud of their natural appearance and, often, completely dismissive, of the humanoid form.


    Another thing the young dragon had noticed was that the sky, once filled with terrifying beasts and monsters, now contained only a few small birds and flying reptiles.


    However, no matter how much melancholy Kai faced with the changes and discrepancies between the current world and his memories, the fact that he was flying, the wind blowing across his scales and through the spines that fell down his spine and tail, it could not completely depress him.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    After a few more hours, Kai noticed huge, metal constructs, blue and green glowing patterns on their sides, flying in organised columns, in the distance.


    Having no direction in mind, and believing that if he landed in the rural areas below, he would not gain anything or achieve any of his objectives, Kai adjusted his direction and headed towards the strange objects.


    It wasn''t long before Kai saw what looked like the beginning of a sprawling city, once again without walls, which felt wrong to the young dragon. Smaller objects and flying creatures moved between the large, flying objects and the ground in a seemingly chaotic, yet orderly fashion.


    Excitement and fear battled each other as Kai continued to move forward. A dragon''s curiosity had once been well known and the lure of the new was almost too much but at the same time, Kai had finally appreciated that this was no longer the world where his kind sat at the top and after his recent confrontation, he knew that there were those that still lusted after his kind.


    Suddenly, a presence appeared behind Kai, travelling at a tremendous speed, forcing him to quickly take a glance back.


    A bird that seemed to be made of flames, one his memories told him was called the Vermillion Bird, sped towards him at an incredible speed with a human on its back.


    Kai''s heartbeat rose rapidly, the information he had told him that he would never be able to outfly the creature, even if it was encumbered with a passenger and, at least while he was still young, the only advantages he had in the air was the extra manoeuvrability his unique physical offered.


    He could land but then, with any sort of pressure from the air, he would find it incredibly difficult to take flight again without sustaining significant injuries.


    Before he could give his conundrum too much thought, the bird had already caught up, pulling alongside as its owner, a young lady in a fiery-red dress, looked at him in awe and curiosity.


    "Are you bonded or an enlightened?" asked the woman in a pleasant tone, her voice gentle yet somehow able to travel across the roaring wind.


    Kai frowned and considered ignoring the woman until he realised that she already knew he was a monster and, that her question was more invasive than it first appeared.


    Not only that, but Kai realised that he didn''t understand the rules or etiquette and so, he could be causing more trouble than it was worth if he did.


    Not fully understanding what an enlightened was, even though he suspected it was to do with creatures that could take on a humanoid form and did not have a bond, Kai decided to try and play it safe, neither confirming or denying anything and leaving it up to interpretation.


    Snorting, Kai glared at the woman. "Rude woman, who isn''t even my bonded, why should I answer your questions when you haven''t even introduced yourself?"


    Unlike the woman''s, Kai''s voice thundered through the air causing her mount to startle and pull away slightly.


    Instead of taking offence, after comforting her mount, the woman''s plain face bloomed into a brilliant smile. "My apologies, it seems this is the first time you have travelled to Netherspire City. I am Mellisa, one of the many Sky Wardens that patrol the airspace and decide who can approach and who to arrest."


    "What city?" Frowning at the new information Kai quickly responded after looking at the farmland below. While it was true that there were more houses and what appeared to be industrial areas, it was a far cry from what he would consider a city.


    Not only that, the woman had appeared from behind yet he didn''t remember flying over anything larger than a town. "And you came from behind because?"


    "Because normally you would land and travel to the city by foot, not charge into the no-fly zone without permission in such a leisurely manner," the woman''s smile increased as she curiously looked at Kai with an intense stare that made him feel vulnerable.


    Kai remained silent, his predatory eyes scanning the Vermillion bird as he tried to work out if it was close enough to launch a sneak attack.


    Noticing Kai''s gaze, Mellisa chuckled as a look of victory appeared on her features. "I''m afraid you are rather suspicious so I will have to ask you to follow me. If you refuse or deviate, you will be targeted by our anti-air defences and shot down."


    In the distance, Kai sensed a few more presences appear, similar in nature to the creature beside him.


    "Don''t worry, We have nice facilities and I am sure as soon as your bonded turns up and satisfies my curiosity, you will be flying magnificently in the sky in no time. Its not exactly your fault you have been sent here without knowing the correct procedures."


    Kai''s golden eyes locked onto the woman, causing her smile to vanish for the first time in their short conversation.

 A2:C8 - A Strange, new world Part Two

    Mellisa swallowed hard and shifted nervously on her mount as a shiver travelled down her spine.


    As a Sky Warden, over the years she had met many strange and exotic creatures but never had she met one whos gaze could cause her to feel such instinctual terror as the one to her side.


    Taking a deep breath of air, Mellisa repressed the urge to command her bonded to turn and flee before speaking in an exceedingly polite tone as she bowed her head slightly. "Please? It is only a formality, and as long as you or your bonded have no ill intentions to the city or its inhabitants, you will be free to go after a day or two."


    Although not as prestigious as some of the other governmental positions, the Sky Wardens held an exceedingly high rank in society, and while usually maintaining a professional air, anyone seeing this scene would believe Kai to have an impressive background.


    Seeing the change in attitude, Kai''s pupils narrowed yet as he analysed the woman. However, he could not sense any falseness from her words and so, relaxed slightly.


    While he held no positive impressions of humans, her submissive behaviour instantly reduced his irritation and made her seem less of a threat.


    On top of that, he knew that he wouldn''t be able to combat one Vermillion bird, let alone the five or so that were hovering at the edges of his perception.


    "Lead the way, human," responded Kai as his muscles somewhat relaxed and he contemplated why he had such an aggressive reaction in the first place.


    Almost immediately, as if a bolt of lightning had hit him, he realised it was because he initially wasn''t given a choice in the matter, even if was only politeness.


    The lack of respect irritated him on an instinctual level.


    However, when the woman had added please and explained some more, turning her demand into a request, it made the whole thing much less provocative and acceptable to the young dragon.


    Kai hissed in annoyance at his own, seemingly irrational behaviour, causing Mellisa, who was about to take the lead to jump in fright.


    Slightly panicking, the woman started to consider whether it was a wise move to turn her back on the strange flying lizard.


    While she had confidence in her peers, it was still likely that if anything were to happen, even if they avenged her, she would be dead.


    She somehow knew this from the bottom of her heart. The Vermillion bird underneath her had the same feeling.


    Before this encounter, the Vermillion bird considered itself the king of the skies. However, now it was close to Kai, the natural monster was struggling to obey the bond and not escape at its fastest speed.


    The hiss released just now only added to its nervousness.


    Kai noticed the change in behaviour and internally sighed.


    He was currently in the midst of his first, somewhat neutral encounter with the dominant species on the planet and he lacked any knowledge of the world. The current situation was an outstanding opportunity to learn more without having to become too entrenched or kick off interactions with others and, it wasn''t like he had much choice.


    A dragon''s adaptable behaviour instantly reared its head yet, even so; Kai found the next words he spoke an incredible struggle as if he was fighting against his nature.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Apologies... I was frustrated by my lack of knowledge regarding... these things."


    While his tone was still tyrannical and oppressive, the weight Mellisa and her Vermillion bird felt they were under seemed to lift, as if a potential storm had just passed on the horizon.


    "Were you just using a skill?" asked Mellisa, her voice still somewhat shaky.


    "Innate ability," responded Kai after a moments thought, his speed slowing so he could fly slightly behind the Vermillion bird and indicating it should take the lead as though he was previously flying aimlessly, now he had a destination he didn''t want to waste time.


    "Activatable or constant?" Mellisa was cautious and, while she couldn''t fully trust the words of the strange creature, she wanted to start a conversation as it released some of the tension she felt in her heart.


    "Aura based ability innate to my species is activated and varies depending on the mindset and emotions of the source. While it can be suppressed, it takes a lot of effort and concentration and is incredibly distracting." Kai''s response came from an ancestral memory, and while he was slightly cautious about revealing too much, his nature was to be upfront and honest.


    While most information on the various beasts and monsters were well known, mainly due to the bond and prestige that came from owning high-level creatures and infatuation with them as children, Mellisa was shocked that Kai responded in such a factual and concise way.


    "Thanks."


    The Sky Warden''s impression of Kai improved, and her self-esteem returned believing that her fear was down to skill and not that she had been intimidated by a mere glance.


    Squeezing her right calf into her bonded, indicating to change direction, the Vermillion bird, still nervous, turned and started flying to the east at a steady speed.


    Taking a quick glance at Kai, her instincts still insisting that there were danger and her own experiencing telling her never to trust a stranger fully, Mellisa took a small, yellow stone from her pocket and raised it to her mouth.


    "Suspect cooperating and believed to be ignorant of flight zone. Returning to headquarters to investigate and debrief."


    Kai''s ears strained, but even with his powerful senses, he couldn''t hear any response as Mellisa continued to talk into the crystal.


    A dragon''s curiosity, especially presented with something seemingly magical, couldn''t be restrained.


    The moment Mellisa had finished speaking and was about to put away the device, Kai couldn''t restrain himself anymore. "What''s that crystal? Is it a communication device? Does it use world essence or mana? Is it wave-based or dimensional? What''s it''s range? Can it cross world boundaries?"


    Mellisa was shocked by the sudden barrage of questions and twisted her body to look back at Kai.


    Her temporary change in concentration when reporting to her superiors helped the Sky Warden momentary forget the appearance of the creature behind her yet once she saw Kai again, her heartbeat increased rapidly, and a bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. -"I think I know what my new nightmare is going to be about."


    While Kai wasn''t acting threateningly, the fact that a sleek, black-scaled, flying lizard that appeared to be built to kill and destroy was flying so close behind, its golden eyes passionately burning with hunger, even if it was of an intellectual type, at her, caused the woman to shudder.


    To cover her embarrassment, Mellisa coughed once. "It''s just a standard communication crystal. They are present in every house. How do you not know this?"


    "..."


    Kai''s mind raced for a moment. "I grew up in a cave and have only been out in the world for a few months, most of my time was spent sleeping."


    "You''re a hatchling?" Mellisa''s eyes went wide with disbelief. If the creature flying behind her was a hatchling, then what would its adult form be like."


    "Adolescent..." snorted Kai as if she had offended him. A burning need to correct the mistake appeared on his chest. "It takes thirty years for my kind to mature. I am eighteen of cycles old and so, would be considered to be in my teenage years by human standards."


    "Sorry if it sounds rude, but what species are you?" Mellisa had been dying to ask this question since the start, especially after every time Kai referred to it, but it was considered extremely inappropriate to inquire openly.


    "Pureblood Black Drake," responded Kai, revealing the cover story had had painstakingly come up with during his flight.


    "..."


    Mellisa was speechless.


    Purebloods were considered the royalty of the non-human species. Sub categories were even rarer, usually possessing unique traits and abilities, and even more shocking, drakes were a natural, high-class monster that only a few of the oldest and powerful human bloodlines might possess.


    -"Where the hell did this creature come from? What is its background?"


    Mellisa seriously started analysing their interactions as she fell into silence, checking over her memories before her pupils went wide and her eyes snapped to the Kai''s. "You''re an enlightened being aren''t you?"

 A2:C8 - A Strange, new world Part Three

    The massive, drum-like beats of Kai''s wings almost covered the sound of his snort as the young dragon rolled his eyes at Mellisa''s question. An incredibly human response considering his draconic features.


    However, if one were to look closely into his amber eyes, even if he appeared to be irritated with the seemingly pointless question, they would know that Kai was inwardly shocked.


    It had been a little over ten minutes since they had met and, after a short, apparently innocent conversation, challenging questions especially considering his lack of knowledge were already surfacing.


    However, as Mellisa had never encountered a creature like Kai, she could only see the surface response and, at least to her, the black drake''s actions were clearer than words could ever have been.


    Respect and curiosity could be seen glistening in her eyes as she turned her body so she could see Kai better, a genuine smile appearing on her face.


    "Wow, I have only had the luck to meet a few enlightened beings before, but they were beasts that were lucky enough to be born far outside human territories."


    Kai''s inwardly cursed. He had hoped that Monsters still held the numbers they had done in the time of his ancestors, uncommon but not rare. The weak auras below him and in the distance indicated this yet; it seemed that they were all bonded or at least, they weren''t whatever the term enlightened meant.


    The woman took a deep breath as she patted her mount in a comfortable, reassuring manner. She now understood why her companion''s overbearing, cocky attitude, never failing to get the last word in had disappeared.


    "No wonder Eldric has been so quiet, to be an enlightened being, a monster at that, is impressive. Your bloodline or origins must be incredibly powerful."


    "Eldric?" Kai believed she was talking to the monster she was riding but, after his preconceptions kept falling, he wanted to make sure she wasn''t talking about the yellow crystal he had seen her talking to.


    "Sorry, I didn''t introduce you earlier," said Mellisa as she pointed to the Vermillion Bird underneath her. "This is Eldric, a Vermillion Eagle. He has been in my family for generations and has looked after me since I was a little girl. Eldric this is...?"


    Mellisa frowned, trying to think if she had asked for Kai''s name or had simply forgotten in her excitement and fear.


    "Kai, Black Drake," responded Kai, a weird feeling appearing in his chest. The friendliness of Mellisa, even if she had threatened him into following her, tugged on the loneliness he had felt since birth.


    A painful expression momentarily appeared on his face as he thought about the dryad. Even though their interactions had been short, the dryad had a special place in the young dragon''s heart as his first friend.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    -"Friend?" Kai was distracted with his thoughts and didn''t hear much of what Mellisa was saying.


    Dragon''s were social creatures, exceptionally so, and even though his isolation had tempered him, Kai''s desire to interact with others and learn was approaching the level that he could barely resist.


    "Angels and demons don''t count though. They have always had humanoid appearances and are considered the children of gods. The drakes and other high-level monsters tend to stick to the more dangerous worlds, making it hard for adventurers to find and capture their young before they achieve their human form and become enlightened. When that happens, then unless they are willing, the world laws prohibit bonding," continued Mellisa, as her voice floated across the wind.


    "Not many support forceful bonding anymore, but as beasts and monsters that cannot take their human form are not very intelligent and relatively dangerous, its seen as the better alternative than culling them."


    "And that they make huge amounts of money, both in their sale, keep and taxes, as well as being a basic slave has nothing to do with it?" grumbled Eldric, the first words he had said since meeting Kai.


    Mellisa laughed and ruffled his flame-like feathers. "Come on now. You should know not all humans are like that. Don''t give Kai a bad impression of us. Every being should be judged on their actions, not their birth."


    Eldric''s eyes nervously watched Ka with his head slightly turned to the side. "Your family are different than most, and that is why my flock freely work with you. However, there are some that..."


    His words stopped abruptly, deciding to keep what he was about to say to himself as he looked into Kai''s eyes.


    Mellisa tilted her head and was about to ask what he meant when Eldric interrupted her. "We are here."


    While Kai was lost in his thoughts and Mellisa was chatting excitedly, they had approached the area Kai had seen earlier were many large, metal flying ships were unloading cargo.


    Squadrons of flying creatures patrolled the sky, humans on their backs, seemingly keeping order while others drifted in and out of large, glass, dome-like buildings below.


    "Follow me, as you are an enlightened being, and don''t seem to be carrying any identification this will be a little bit more tricky, but it''s not like we are at war or in a state of emergency so it shouldn''t take too long. We will only need a bit of your mana to confirm your origins and travels, especially if you grew up outside one of our allied territories," said Mellisa as she urged Eldric towards one of the glass buildings. She didn''t believe Kai had originated in her country because she had never seen or even heard of a creature like him so was secretly hoping he had come from one of their allies to make the paperwork easier.


    While she would need to vouch for him, taking responsibility during his stay, it would give her an opportunity to learn more about this strange monster, a passion that many like her had maintained since childhood.


    Kai, nervous of entering a trap hesitated in mid-air, finding it incredibly difficult to hover, as he watched numerous beasts, low-level monsters, and humans moving about. However, ever since coming close, his unique appearance made him stand out and drew surprised, sometimes fearful, looks from all around.


    "Come on, your causing a disruption and we don''t want to get a fine," shouted Mellisa, breaking Kai out of his fight or flight instincts.


    Swallowing hard, and believing he could smash the glass dome easily if he needed to escape, Kai followed Eldric through one of the large gaps in its wall, praying that his gut feeling that he could trust Mellisa was right.

 A2:C9 - Welcome to Netherspire City

    Kai''s heart lurched slightly as he passed a semi-transparent barrier, one even his keen senses could not detect before it rippled, however, before he had the chance to retreat, his mind jarred at the scene before him.


    Flying creatures were flying through similar entrances, one in each direction, meeting one of the many flying demons or angels, before being redirected to landing zones.


    Semi-transparent images, showing a wide range of people or products littered the walls, seemingly attempting to sell or promote products.


    Beasts and the rare monster, would land, transform into their humanoid form before being offered a robe and lining up and waiting their turn to approach a box-like construct and talk to the human inside. After a short process, and standing in front of a crystal that illuminated the person, they would be given a token and move to the centre of the room were disk-like platforms would descend into the tower.


    In all of Kai''s inherited memories, he had seen nothing like it and, once again, a desolate feeling wrapped around his core, reminding him that this is not the world his ancestors knew.


    For the million years that his incubation had lasted, the world had moved forward. In the beginning, it seemed similar. The dress and weapons of the humans, languages and the Frozen Forest were enough to give him some comfort.


    When he was expelled from the forest, the changes in the landscape had shaken him, and the buildings and flying structures did not help, but it was only now that he realised how much things had changed.


    Species of beasts that he had never seen before rushed about or qued up, mortal enemies, like the angels and demons were working together in harmony, and strange images, materials and constructions were all around him.


    It seemed to Kai that, in the eternal war between Chaos and Order, Order had gained the advantage and the world had become a much more boring, dull world.


    As a being of Chaos, an immortal dragon, a creature that''s existence was against the laws of mortals and gods, this slightly unsettled him, yet it was only to the point of being uncomfortable.


    "Kai, this way," said Mellisa, unaware of the dragon''s inner thoughts as she analysed his surprised, slightly nervous expression and relaxed somewhat. By his rapidly moving eyes, it was clear that this was the first time he had been inside an airdrome and so, the thought of him coming with hostile intentions diminished.


    The demoness hovering nearby clearly disproved of Mellisa interfering with her job. A frown cast upon her features as her mouth twisted into a pout, revealing two sharp canines, but after seeing a small badge on Mellisa''s belt, shrugged and moved to the side.


    Mellisa''s call brought Kai to his senses and, nervously, his large-wings propelled him forward to follow her and Eldric. Even though he decided to trust her and follow, a faint, orange glow could be seen between his chest scales and along with his throat.


    At the first sign of trouble, Kai was going to incinerate everything. Man, woman, young or old, beast or monster. In this sort of enclosed space, his flames would be unstoppable.


    Mellisa shivered, the reason unknown to her, and turned to see the scowling dragon, his lips twitching in aggression, as every loud noise attracted his attention. "Kai, relax. We are just here to register your arrival, get a token and then we can go get something to eat. As I work for the Sky Wardens, I don''t need to do it, but I will go in front and show you that it''s safe."Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    While unusual, Mellisa''s behaviour wasn''t unheard of. Powerful creatures, especially monsters were treated cautiously even if they were bonded and those who interacted them were always cautious to a certain point. An enraged or terrified monster or high-level beast, acting on instinct was not something they wanted to be involved with.


    Eldric flew towards one of the many landing zones, a circle of green, summery grass and landed.


    Kai followed and soon noticed that most of those close to him, and even a few in the distance were watching him with wide eyes, some even taking small crystals out and causing them to flash.


    Even the demoness, who tried to maintain her professional appearance earlier, was slightly distracted while dealing with her next charge as she watched Kai out of the corner of her eye.


    The bustling, noisy room became more and more silent as people noticed the flying lizard, the size of a large cow, preparing to land.


    Mellisa, noticing the stares and worried that this would anger the obviously nervous Kai, quickly jumped off Eldric and pulled out a robe form an inconspicuous bag, the same colour as her clothes, at her hip.


    At the same time, Eldric started to shrink as he was engulfed in a bright, white light. His bird-like features turning more humanoid until, instead of a large vermillion bird, a red-haired, muscly man stood naked, his back straight and proud.


    Grabbing the offered robe without any trace of discomfort that he was naked, Eldric made sure to keep an eye on Kai before quickly pulling the robe over his head, his features set in a serious expression.


    Kai hesitated a moment, the intense states of those nearby causing the urge to release his dragonic fire to rise before he took a deep breath and slowly descended.


    This was his first landing, and while it was clear to those with experience that he was inexperienced, he still managed it fairly easily and landed on all fours with a soft thud.


    A few people, both humans and beasts that looked like guards nervously patrolled the area and kept an eye on him, causing Kai''s muscles to tense.


    They carried stick-like weapons that didn''t have a sharp edge, slung over their shoulder or held in the nook of their arms, and while Kai could sense danger from the strange objects, it wasn''t at the level that he felt threatened.


    "Come on Kai, transform into your humanoid appearance, and we can get going. Don''t want them to mistake you for an unbound unenlightened do we?" said Mellisa in a comforting voice.


    Kai turned to face Mellisa, causing Eldric to instinctively move in front of her. As a fellow monster, a high level one at that, he could sense Kai''s unease and the occasional bloodlust that rippled outwards.


    Eldric knew that they were walking a very fine line here and silently cursed Mellisa for not picking one of the quieter ports to land. He knew that creatures that had escaped the adventurers and hunters and reached enlightenment, especially those with powerful bloodlines like the one he sensed before him, were not simple.


    Kai realised that this was perhaps the first test he would have to undergo. A very clever test that was made to seem as natural and non-provocative as possible.


    From all the other beasts and even Eldric, Kai knew that he had to transform and so, with a deep breath and feeling slightly depressed, he began.


    Unlike Eldrics transformation, which looked magical and, in some ways, beautiful, Kai''s change was, in a single word, monstrous.


    Loud cracking noises, as muscles and bones broke down, a small portion of them reforming while the rest was sucked into his void like core, caused those watching to flinch and cringe in sympathy pain and shock.


    Scales retracted inward. Where red, raw flesh appeared, white, jade-like skin quickly formed. Nails and teeth shrunk, condensing and becoming less terrifying as black hair sprouted from his head, stopping when it was a few centimetres long.


    The process was far more painful than it looked and Kai couldn''t help but close his eyes and hold his breath as his body shook violently.


    He had taken his time with the transformation in the Frozen Forest, but he couldn''t afford to do that here and so was pushing both draconic essence and mana into the process, speeding it up at the cost of comfort.


    Mellisa and Eldric were shocked, their mouths hanging open in an o-like shape, similar to the crowd that was gathering.


    While the process sounded intense, it only lasted a few breaths before a naked teen, with a gaunt, yet muscly frame stood before them.


    Breathing in and out, a few black scales that had broken away due to the rapid pace of the transformation, falling to the floor, Kai opened his eyes.


    Blazing golden eyes, with pitch black pupils, much more vivid against his snowy, white skin scanned area before finding Mellisa and Eldric.


    Taking a step towards them, Kai''s legs did not move quite the way he wanted and, without any grace, he quickly face-planted the floor.

 A2:C9 - Welcome to Netherspire City Part Two

    Kai''s footsteps echoed down the long, white corridor, accompanied by six other pairs, as he was escorted to the exit of the detention centre.


    Across Kai''s body, passing through the thin, black robe, small bolts of black lightning, occasionally interrupted by one that was white, flickered giving the young dragon an eerie, ominous appearance.


    While the corridor wasn''t that wide, the six guards, three on each side, tried to keep as much distance as possible from Kai while still keeping him secure and in their line of sight.


    While the drake was being released, until they reached the door, he was their responsibility.


    Having learnt that mana projectiles were almost useless against the strange creature during the rampage when they had attempted, and failed, to take a sample of blood, the guards had swapped out their new-age weapons called guns for short swords and light, magic-repellant jackets for plate armour.


    While looking impressive, it felt like they were dressing up for a historical re-enactment. However, none of them thought displeased by their superiors decision. In fact, the armour had already saved them from serious injury, and so their appreciation of this antique, magical armour had risen dramatically.


    Watching Kai like hawks for any indications that he was losing his temper, the guards were all looking forward to getting rid of what they saw as a ticking bomb and returning to their normal duties.


    Five days had passed since Kai had arrived with Mellisa and Eldric and while the young dragon couldn''t blame them for his current predicament, having got into immense trouble and been recalled by their superiors after attempting to stand by his side, saying that Kai wasn''t livid at his current treatment would be an understatement.


    An emotion that, more than once, when pushed or when he felt he was being taken advantage of, Kai had let his captors know well.


    If Mellisa hadn''t explained what was going on and spent so much time and effort in trying to resolve the issues, as well as Eldric having nearly gone on a rampage when she had almost been put in handcuffs, Kai would have already made things completely irreparable and fought to the death to regain his freedom.


    Now, like a bad dream, it was seemingly all over.


    From what Kai had overheard, the local monster population had been in an uproar about one of their own''s unfair imprisonment, especially a clan of red drakes, and amongst other pressures, Kai was being released.


    Kai sneered as his right eye twitched.


    Even without the so-called pressure, apparently, without evidence or cause, they could not keep him detained for more than five days.


    After that, they were forced by their own laws to release him.


    That was one of the reasons why after being told by a man called a lawyer, Kai took extra care not to kill or permanently injure any of the guards and escape.


    It would give them a just cause to continue, at least in Kai''s eyes, his persecution.


    Even then if it weren''t for the red drakes having a high social standing and taking responsibility for Kai and his actions during his stay, he would have been expelled from the city and its borders.


    Not that Kai cared much.


    He was already so fed up with the city and its bureaucracy that he wanted to burn everything to the ground. He had been forced to maintain his uncomfortable, human form with a metal collar around his neck, that would apparently kill him if he transformed.


    Yet, he still had objectives and so, continued to restrain himself


    A low, rumbling growl resonated from his chest, causing his captor''s heart''s to beat rapidly as their footsteps sped up.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Taking a deep breath, Kai tried to calm himself. While he doubted he would ever visit another human city, he was still logical enough to know that the cause of all this was himself and his pathetic excuse for a plan.


    He had made a lot of assumptions about this world based on his inherited knowledge, nearly all of them being wrong and, deep down, he knew that if he had made this sort of blunder in a more turbulent time, he would have found it challenging to live let alone be released after five days of interrogation.


    Kai felt that the largest mistake he had made was that he come up with, at least to his past self, a convincing story to why he didn''t understand much of the current world yet wasn''t as stupid or weak as a newborn.


    While a few other monsters had ancestral memories, they were nothing like a dragon''s so, he stated he had been dropped to this world via a portal as a part of his coming of age ceremony. He would need to find his way home without the aid of his clan, and then he would then be considered an adult.


    While rare, in Kai''s mother''s time, it wasn''t uncommon for the long-lived races to carry out this practice, normally sending them with a guardian. However, it seemed that in this age, it wasn''t just rare, it was impossible and so caused, after a brief round of doubt, an uproar.


    During the rebellion against the gods, the methods to travel between worlds had been lost and after a few thousand years, most had given up on it, stating the gods had done something to the dimensional structure during their retreat making cross-world travel impossible.


    After that, it seemed everything that Kai said or did was just another bombshell that caused everything to escalate to the point that gaining a simple immigration card, was unthinkable.


    One of their tests, a simple crystal Kai had to place his hand on, revealed the level of his monster core and his age, caused the surroundings to go into an uproar. He was only eighteen years old but already was at the cusp of breaking into the fifth stage of the monster core and, without a doubt, unbound.


    This level of strength, including the ability to take on human form, at such a young age, was unheard of and raised a lot of fears and concerns from the humans, while joy and expectation for beasts and monsters.


    Not only that, the stone indicated that Kai''s true strength was much, much higher. It predicted that he could fight up to and including level eight monsters, putting him in a category that was considered a direct threat to the safety of Netherspire City.


    Kai was escorted, along with Mellisa and Eldric, to the detention centre not long after that discovery, yet no matter how much the city officials tried to cover it, news about Kai spread like wildfire.


    Kai''s pupils narrowed.


    He had not expected his presence to cause such an uproar and was concerned that those that had been chasing him in the Frozen Forest would quickly discover his whereabouts.


    Reaching the doorway, the guards slouched in relief as Kai continued, however, after taking no more than four steps outside, the young dragon was forced to stop in his tracks.


    A wave of noise, lights and sounds assaulted Kai''s senses as hundreds of eyes focused on him as if he had appeared from a bolt of lightning.


    Outside the door, kept away by a line of men that appeared to be in a strange, military uniform, red scales appearing sporadically on their necks and faces, were hundreds of people, now seemingly surging towards Kai.


    Protected from the swarm by the scaled men, an old man approached Kai and bowed deeply. "Lord Kai, please allow me to lead you to the Clan headquarters."


    Kai had met this man once before, the representative of the red drake clan and the only reason that Kai had not immediately left the city. That and they had promised that they would remove the metal collar unconditionally when he met with their leader.


    Restricting his senses even more than his human body naturally did, Kai''s eyes finally focused on the man. "What is this?"


    "News of your Lordships pure bloodline, strength and unimaginable origin, has unfortunately made its way to the press. Like any uneducated mass, they fawn and desire to know more about your Lordship. They-"


    The old man stopped, noticing Kai''s displeasure at his flattery. "Please follow me. I will lead you to the Clan master, and then you will gain access to the clan library."


    Information.


    This was the one thing Kai lacked in this world and, even if he were momentarily dancing to another''s tune, he would use this opportunity to gain as much as possible so he wouldn''t make a similar mistake again.


    "Lead the way," growled Kai, his bad mood and temper barely restrained. Five days of being stuck in a human body, interrogated and forced to submit to others had left him dancing on the edge of giving in to his primal instincts.


    In dragon standards, still keeping his calm would be a feat that would have been lauded as exceptional patience and willpower, yet in this day and age, it seemed to signify his acceptance of the law of man.


    Kai followed the old man towards a large, horseless carriage without another word.


    In a village tavern, hundreds of miles away, a badly scarred, blond haired woman watched the television, a glowing crystal embedded in the wall, intensely.


    On the screen, Kai walked out of a building, his blazing golden eyes, the slit-like pupils causing most to shudder at the repressed fury hidden within.


    Eyes that she would never forget. The eyes of an enraged dragon.


    Words that she could not understand appeared underneath him as a female voice droned on about the strange new monster that had captured everyone''s attention.


    "Netherspire City," said Mira slowly, standing up and walking towards the exit, ignoring the barman who was too terrified to ask her to pay her tab.

 Not a Chapter - Info/Background Updates/changes

    Hi All,


    First wanted to say a huge thank you to those that have followed, commented, reviewed and read this story.


    Now we are getting into the interaction/main story a few things that have been bugging me in the raws are starting to mentally hurt me so have decided to make some changes. I do plan to go back and correct past chapters but will not do it at the expense of new releases (Just as time allows).


    The first change is the timelines:


    5000~ Years Ago - War between Dragons and the Gods. - The retreat of 11 dragon clans and extinction (bar Kai) of one.


    2000~ Years Ago - Rebellion against the Gods (Mortal species), destruction of interplanetary travel (via portals) and loss of most technology (reset)


    Present day - 5000ish Years after Kai''s egg had been laid and hidden


    Dragon eggs conventionally take 2000ish years to hatch, however, with Kai''s mother''s magic, time was distorted and his growth hindered.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The second is ''Level/Rank states for ''Creatures'' (Non-human)


    Animal -> Rank 1 to 10 -> Evolves into a Beast. (Natural Animals = Dogs/Cats/Cattle etc).


    Beast -> Rank 1 to 10 -> Evolves into Divine Beast (Natural Beasts = Lions/Tigers/Elephants/Waterbufferlow etc)


    Divine Beast -> Rank 1 to 10 -> Evolves into a Monster (Evolved and Natural Beasts, No natural Divine beast).


    Monster -> Rank 1 to 10 -> Evolves into Divine Monster (Natural Monsters Basilisk, Dragon, Drake, wyvern, Phoenix etc).


    Divine Monster - Rank 1 to 10 - Only Natural Monsters can reach this rank.


    (This was changed from Animal -> Beast -> Monster -> Divine Beast -> Divine Monster. I didn''t like the mix up of beast/monster).


    Humans and their subspecies (demi-human - Lamia/Minotaur /Harpies etc) have simple ranks, in two categories.


    Warrior/Mage | Copper -> 1-10,


    Warrior/Mage | Silver - > 1-10,


    Warrior/Mage | Gold -> 1-10,


    Warrior/Mage | Platinum -> 1-10


    Current Ranks:


    Dryad - 10th stage Beast


    Woads - Late stages Beast


    Mira - Mid Rank Two Monster


    Kai - Peak 4th Stage Monster


    Mellisa - Unknown atm


    Eldric - Unknown but weaker than Kai (from Kai''s senses)


    Others - Unknown ATM


    Hope these changes make sense but if you feel there is room for improvement/ other ideas, please let me know in the comments below.

 A2:C10 - Resisting Ones nature - Part One

    A frown was set on Kai''s face as he sat on a soft, luscious seat and gazed out of the strange, glass-like window of the driverless carriage and watched the world go by.


    Crowds of sentient creatures, mainly human, swarmed like a nest of angry ants as they pushed and shoved each other, attempting to get closer to the vehicle he was in and take a picture with the strange, yellow stones that they all seemed to have.


    Luckily for him, he no longer had to suppress his senses, the carriage doing a good job in blocking out most of the sights and sounds yet, Kai could not help but release a small growl as he shifted his focus to the five drakes in human form, sitting opposite him.


    Not only had the young dragon been cooped up inside a small cell for almost a week, stuck in the human form, but he had also been interrogated almost hourly as those who were questioning him became more and more excited.


    Towards the end, their gazes almost matched the five drakes however, they were a lot less respectful and... intrusive.


    Kai''s left hand fiddled with the collar at his neck, its weight, although extremely light, feeling like a milestone. "Have you secured and destroyed all the samples they took?"


    A low embarrassed cough rippled from the old, grey-haired man, the red-scales on his neck muted compared to the too those of the two young men and women sitting on either side of him. "We have retrieved all of the logged blood and saliva samples.


    The old man took a deep breath. "However... the few scales you shed upon landing at the centre have been... lost."


    Kai shrugged, having not even thought about those scales but been more concerned to reclaim some dignity and, even if it was nothing more than a pointless gesture, strike back at those who had treated him like an exotic test subject.


    The old man coughed again, this time to attract Kai''s attention while revealing a helpless expression on his face. "My Lord. I am truly sorry I did not make it in time to suppress the information about you. As you can see, until we get back to the clan estate, we are likely to be hounded to death by those overzealous reporters and information brokers."


    While he said this, it was, in fact, a lie.


    The clan had purposefully revealed nearly all of the information they had gained through various channels to try and ensure that Kai would look to them for refuge.


    The drakes, as well as those nearby the carriage felt a terrifying, unexplainable danger for a split second, a cold sweat appearing on all of their brows.


    However, the sensation disappeared as quickly as it appeared.


    "Forget it, Elder Han," Kai''s raptor-like gaze softened slightly, the killing intent he was released at his own stupidly rapidly being suppressed.


    Han looked relieved and, at the same time, awkward. "I''m glad. I hate to do this after your traumatic experience but-"


    Kai''s freezing gaze locked onto Han, his pupils, the narrowest of slits, causing both the Elder and those around him to involuntary inch backwards. "Somethings are better of knowing. Both for you and your clan."


    While Kai''s tone was cold and emotionless, giving him the appearance of being calm and aloof, inside Kai was worrying about those from the Frozen Forest discovering his location and so, wanted to warn people away from asking him too many questions.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He was also hoping that as one of the main powers of Netherspire city, at least according to the words coming from their own mouths, that the Flaming Scale Clan would offer some level of protection until he had gathered the information he needed and so, tried to maintain a civil approach to Elder Han.


    However, it seemed as if things did not go the way he wanted them too.


    "Such insolence," hissed one of the males, his features, appearing almost completely human with blond hair and brown eyes, twisted in anger. "Elder Han has spent a lot of time, effort and wealth on you, yet you sit there like an overlord, talking down to him."


    Kai''s eyebrow rose slightly. "And you are?"


    The four drakes in human form, dressed in luxurious clothes, were momentarily stunned. This was the third time that they would need to introduce themselves.


    While they were excited to be given the important task of welcoming the black drake variant that had caused such an uproar in their city, they were prideful creatures and each perceived slight constantly chipped away at their goodwill.


    "Ron Flamescale. Son of th-"


    "Knowledge is dangerous. Once you know something, especially the things that are best left forgotten or desired by others, you can''t get rid of it. You have to carry it for the rest of your life," said Kai in a slow, disinterested voice.


    Kai believed that he had learnt his lesson and unless it was the information that was already revealed, would not divulge anything else about himself. No matter who asked.


    "But you have already revealed so much?" responded Ron, anger clear in his scowl. "You come from another world, are a variant and have a physical difference between purebloods."


    "Clearly he is trying to act mysterious," said one of the females, her red hair matching the scales on her neck perfectly. "A spoilt child that, if we believe the far-fetched story about his origins, was probably dropped on this planet to remove the embarrassment from his clan."


    "Ron, Reia, please refrain from offending our guest," said Elder Han with a composed tone. While he didn''t disagree with them and was slightly offended that no matter what he asked Kai, he seemed to flatly refuse to answer, giving some mysterious, roundabout answer, he had been ordered to bring Kai back to the clan and build a good relationship with him.


    "Urg," Ron rolled his eyes as he released a small growl, though nothing in comparison to the one Kai revealed earlier. "Just because he has a mutated bloodline, we have to let him stomp all over our pride?"


    "Mutated bloodline..." Kai''s eyebrow twitched violently as the small carriage turned icy cold due to the mana being sucked out of the air by Kai as his core started rotating.


    Even though the drakes showed surprise at this, having never seen someone who could almost absorb all the mana in the area in such a short time, Ron grit his teeth and leant forward. "Yes, mutant. That''s all you are. The purest bloodlines of our species all have red scales and brown eyes yet you have black scales with golden eyes... I doubt you even have fifty per cent of our noble blood in you."


    Elder Han looked worried but did not stop Ron, hoping to glean some more information from the argument.


    Ron, noticing emotion seeping into Kai''s eyes grinned and tried to ignore the cold, thinking that he was winning the verbal spar. "Was it your mother who shamed her ancestors and slept with a lesser being or your fath-"


    A loud thud erupted as Ron crashed back into his seat and immediately started cradling his shattered nose as thick red blood drenched his clothing.


    Elder Han and the others couldn''t help but blink in shock. They hadn''t even seen Kai move but it was obvious that he had struck Ron heavily enough to injure him without expending much effort.


    They quickly sucked in air through their teeth as their eyes darted back and forth. Even in human form, drakes maintained one of the strongest defences of the natural world and yet, without any effort, the young man before them had swatted one of their own as if they were nothing more than a fly.


    "Duel, I demand a duel," screamed Ron as he finally overcame the shock and pain.


    "I accept~" The others looked to Kai and shivered. The grin on his face was so wide his teeth were revealed yet, not a single hint of amusement or joy could be felt. Instead, it was if an ancient beast had locked onto its prey, debating whether to play with its prey before devouring it.


    The young dragon had been in a terrible mood, even before his parents were insulted, and was looking for a way to release some of his pent-up frustration so he could return to being somewhat level-headed. The drake in front of him had provided the perfect opportunity.


    Ron''s temper quickly cooled, his instincts screaming at him that he had made a terrible mistake.

 A2:C10 - Resisting Ones nature - Part Two

    Han sighed as he looked at the young, black-hair variant drake sitting on a small, uncomfortable sofa at the end of the room.


    To anyone else, the blood-red walls and golden ornaments that provided the only the faintest of light apart from the large double doors that led to the balcony, the room would create an atmosphere that was incredible oppressive however, Han did not realise that Kai had grown up inside a mountain cave and so, the dragon in his humanoid form felt somewhat relaxed.


    The only thing ruining the young dragon''s mood, excluding the long wait, was the metal collar around his neck.


    Even though, apparently it was illegal to be in your natural form in public, a stupid law if Kai had ever heard of one, having the collar on caused the young dragon to be on edge. The feeling of being oppressed, potential danger and, a small amount of indignation, coursed through Kai''s veins like an angry viper and his mood continued to sink.


    Kai snarled.


    It wasn''t even like he could alleviate some of his anger with that due with the male drake, Ron. The challenger had disappeared the moment the carriage came to a stop, fleeing into a crowd of guards before escaping down a corridor.


    "Don''t worry Lord Kai, the Master will be here soon. Something important must have come up," said Han with a wrily, almost lop-side smile as he thought that Kai had finally grown impatient. He knew the whole purpose of showing off when collecting Kai, bringing him through the clan''s ancestral gates, past luxurious rooms and courtyards to this cramped, dim, waiting room was a power play by the clan master and other elders.


    They wanted to put Kai in his place before talks began.


    The only strange thing, at least to Elder Han''s experience, excluding the length of time they had been waiting, was that there had not been a mock battle outside yet.


    Normally, two or more of the younger generation would ''train'' in the arena that the balcony overlooked, showing off the clan''s might and prestige to the guests that had nothing to do but watch.


    -''I bet the Master is aggrieved about his son challenging Lord Kai without knowing his true strength. I just hope he doesn''t hound me too much over it. What was I suppose to do?'' Han sank into his small chair, deflating at the years of his long life seemed to catch up with him at once. -''The old Master wouldn''t have done things this way. Using wealth and power to lord it others. If he has not yet passed the yellow springs, I hope he isn''t too distraught over his son''s ways."


    "Where the hell do you think you are going?"


    Just as Han was thinking these thoughts, a loud shout came from outside the window, instantly drawing the pair''s gaze.


    "It looks like your attitude has finally caught up with you Kaida. Are you not ashamed of the troubles you bring on your father? He even puts up with a halfbreed like you."


    A roar of laughter, seemingly coming from six or seven individuals reached the balcony and passed through the doors, yet Elder Han seemed not to hear it as his face turned pale and he abruptly stood up and rushed forward.Stolen novel; please report.


    "You are a blight on this clan, yet we are still merciful and willing to spare with you. Get on your knees and thank your betters."


    Bursting through the doors, Han instantly looked over the railings to the large, sand arena, surrounded by buildings and a five foot, enchanted wall, only for his pupils to narrow as he let out a silent curse.


    It seemed the Clan Master was indeed extremely annoyed with him and had organised the ''training'' to be between the clan''s young elite and his child, Kaida. A match which would ensure that Kaida would be in the recovery room for a few weeks at least, a couple of months at most.


    "Something wrong?" While Kai couldn''t be bothered with the noise outside, his mind focused on the collar around his neck, Elder Han''s strange reaction had raised his curiosity and so he followed him out onto the balcony.


    However, instead of looking into the arena, he was looking at the Elder''s expression, tilting his head as if curious.


    However, with the golden, reptilian eyes, even this somewhat disarming action caused Han to shiver. His instincts making him want to take a few steps back.


    "Nothing much young Lord," Han changed his way of addressing Kai, somewhat touched that the youth that seemed disinterested with everything would show some concern. "Just a training match between my child and some of the clan''s young masters. They happen here from time to time if guests are visiting."


    While Han would normally not say the last part, he was angered and spoke without thinking. However, it seemed as if Kai had not picked up on the hidden meaning.


    Kai''s gaze swept over the group of youths, all looking to be males around the age of seventeen or eighteen with disinterested eyes, finally stopping on a short boy, his frame somewhat slim and unimpressive compared to the others.


    Dressed in a flowing red robe, the shape of leather armoured trousers and vest could be seen through the thin material, the young male glared at the others, his body taut as if ready to attack or defend at a moments notice.


    Kai''s pupils revealed shock as he leant forward on the railings to get a better look, his other senses too far away to get a good lock on the boy. "A human? But he has some scales?"


    Han sighed, believing that Kai would be as discriminatory to his child as the rest of the clan. "My son. His mother, rest her soul, was a human and he inherited more of her genes than mine. While he is much stronger than a normal human and has the ability to spit a weak flame, he can not take on our noble form and so, is somewhat of an eyesore to others."


    Kai frowned, moving his gaze to Han. "But he is your son? Why would you let others bully or ridicule him? While I wasn''t paying attention to what they said, does it not hurt when your child is threatened?"


    Han''s wrinkled face showed surprise before revealing the first true smile since meeting Kai.


    He had been in charge of the clan''s external relations for many years and had learnt to read people. Kai, while secretive, was always straightforward and, at least to his senses, truthful giving the Elder a good impression of him. "Lord Kai, I know you are a blunt, truthful person so I am confident you are not providing lip service like the others. The truth is, I want to help but not only have I been forbidden by the clan master, but if I did, my child would never have a good life when these old bones are laid to rest."


    Han revealed a twisted expression, helplessness, anger and a hint of loathing making it somewhat unsightly.


    Kai''s frown deepened, seemingly not approving causing Han to continue. "A chick must leap from the nest to fly, a tiger, be able to hunt. If I do everything for Kaida, I am afraid that, at the critical moment when I am not around, something disastrous would happen. At least this way, Kaida can learn his limits and the skills necessary to survive."


    Kai nodded his head once, before turning back to the arena, curious to see how Elder Han''s parenting method would affect the behaviour of his son. -"Kaida huh... I wonder if they know the meaning behind the name, though, seeing as its a male and mostly human, I guess not."

 A2:C10 - Resisting Ones nature - Part Three

    As Kai watched the scene unfolding below, a slow smile started creeping across his face as his curiosity rose.


    Standing against six foes, all seemingly better than him due to his mixed race bloodline, Kaida stood motionless with his hands at his sides, glaring at the young drakes in front of him without fear or hesitation. "Are you going to act or talk me to death like a bunch of old women?"


    The first youth, a tall, brown-haired male with slight acne, shook his head as he released a mocking smile. "Always full of undeserved pride. Do you think today is like before?"


    His voice lowered so that none but those close by could hear. "Your old man has pissed off the Clan Master. Its only fitting that his runt of a child pays for his failures. I would ask you to put up a good fight, but then again, that old fool fell in love with a human, so it seems like even your drake genes are retarded making it impossible."


    Turmoil momentarily appeared in Kaida''s eyes, before being repressed and releasing a snort. "Pathetic. It''s not like I haven''t kicked your arse before? Or are you trying to say that-"


    Kadia stopped, not wanting to get into a battle of words. He knew that while injuries were permitted, with his current status, there were certain things he could not say without getting into serious trouble.


    On a balcony a hundred or so feet away, Elder Han had been nervously fiddling with a small stone in his pocket, sending a message via telepathy before releasing a sigh. -"The old Clan Master would never have behaved like this but, what can this old man do? I have to rely on the recklessness and ideals of youth while repressed by my own status and prestige. I just hope she can get here before things get too serious."


    Just as the brown-haired drake was about to respond, anger visible on his features due to the insult, Kiada shot forward and swiftly, kicked his knee before using his palm to slap the side of his head.


    "What the hell are you doing?" screamed one of the drakes in surprise.


    "Sneak attacking your own clan member, do you have any honour?" bellowed another as the drakes rapidly separated and attempted to surrounded Kaida.


    "This battle was never fair, to begin with. You have your bloodline, numbers and abilities as an advantage. I bet you guys didn''t even consider only fighting in your human forms and are going to try and stomp me as a drake?"


    "Only an idiot would limit themselves when faced with such an unfair advantage," screamed Kaida in a slightly high pitched tone as he slammed his foot on the ground, kicking up a tremendous amount of dust which limited the visibility of those surrounding him.


    "Do drakes often fight in thunders? Or is this battle special?" asked Kai, his impression of Kaida rasing almost as fast as it was falling for those he fought.


    "Thunders?" Elder Han shook violently, his face turning pale as he turned to look at Kai, almost forgetting his son was fighting below. "How do you know this term?"


    When one reached a certain rank in the Clan, they were taken to the ancestral library where they would learn about the clan''s legacy.


    A few, like Han, had the patience to read back as far as the purging. A time where the mortal species, along with the gods united to eliminate an ancient evil race. One that had lorded over the worlds and enslaved countless species.


    While other monster and mortals had long since forgotten or considered the records of little importance, due to the close ties the drakes had with the ancient evil, they continued to keep the records in good condition.


    The name of the species the ancient evils belonged too had long since been lost, having been purged from their archives by some of the bigger sects, yet, specific information had survived.


    A group of drakes was called a flock, a group of ancient evils was called a thunder.


    This was because it was said that the beating of their wings, was akin to the sound of thunder, causing raging winds to howl.Stolen novel; please report.


    -"Did the young Lord mistake us for the ancient evils? Or was he implying that we were behaving as such?"


    Kai didn''t notice Hans strangeness as he watched the battle below.


    The drakes were attempting to remove their robes, so they could transform into the natural form without ruining their expensive clothes, but Kaida wouldn''t let them.


    He rushed towards each one fainting out his opponents while releasing a brutal barrage of fists and kicks, the skills being displayed reminding Kai slightly of the man he had met in the frozen forest.


    -"Wasn''t his name Ban Tai?... Tai Ban?" Kai frowned a moment before pushing the random thought out of his mind. He was sure if he were unlucky to meet the man again, remembering the name would be the least of his worries.


    However, at the same time, Han''s appearance was gradually getting worse as he started to remember the long forgotten, seemingly useless information.


    - "Black scales."


    His heartbeat quickened and his hands became clammy. They had thought that Kai was a variant drake, his mother mating with another species with powerful bloodline but now doubt sprouted in the Elder''s mind.


    -"Long neck, spikes running down the back of the spin and limbs..."


    The drawings from eyewitnesses that had been around when Kai had arrived appeared in his mind''s eye.


    -"But the eyes... they should be red? Then it shouldn''t-"


    The elder''s thoughts stopped as he remembered that there wasn''t just one kind of ancient evil. There were many, and while the records only mentioned a few in passing, there was one type born of lightning that had otherworldly, golden eyes. One that was said to have been a staunch ally of those with black scales."


    -"Just like..."


    Han moved slightly to the right, a sweat appearing on his brow as he looked at the right eye of Kai, the only one that was visible due to his position.


    A pure golden eye, almost glowing, intently watching the fight below.


    A loud explosion below broke the Elder from his thoughts and glanced at the arena only to freeze again.


    He had completely forgotten about Kaida in his shock and only now, watching him trying to pick himself up from a significant dent in the stone wall, did he remember he had more than one worry.


    On one side, he potentially had an ancient evil, a being that his clan had rebelled against which would undoubtedly hold a deep hatred for his kind. On the other, if he didn''t oversee the fight carfully, so he could interrupt if things got too dangerous, his child could become disabled.


    Kai, on the other hand, was not impressed, releasing a small growl as he fumed. "What the hell was that? And they were talking about honour before. I didn''t think much of drakes before, but this... this really is something."


    Kai''s complaints died as a cruel smile appeared on his lips. "Oh, this changes things~."


    In the arena, Ron released a wicked smile as he dusted his foot. It seemed as if kicking Kaida has somehow made it dirty. "Brat of Han, you are getting too full of yourself."


    Kaida, spitting out a mouthful of blood, steadily stood up, hatred appearing in his eyes. "A dog father really does have a dog son. Six on one is not enough of an advantage? You have to sneak attack me as well?"


    "The fuck!" roared Ron as he tore off his robe, unlike the others who had now had a chance to remove them normally, "Big words for someone who is about to move to the infirmary."


    Golden, blinding lights rippled out as the drakes, covering their naked, human figures, transformed into their natural forms.


    When the light disappeared, seven red lizards, around the size of a pony, with thin necks and bat-like wings, seemingly too frail to actually fly appeared.


    They looked somewhat similar to Kai''s true body, yet they did not have any spikes or muscles that made him so impressive.


    Kai let out a snort, disgust in his eyes. -"Indeed, a poor imitation at best."


    "Let''s see how you fair now," hissed a drake whos scales had a brown hue, seemingly the brown-haired youth from before.


    The others joined in, mocking Kaida, wanting to vent their rage for being oppressed in their human forms yet, almost as soon as it started, it abruptly ended.


    A loud thud, much louder than the sound when Kaida hit the wall, resonated from a corner of the arena as a dust cloud blew outwards, revealing a slim, black-haired figure, his golden eyes ablaze.


    Ron''s pupils shrunk.


    He had been watching from the side, waiting for his father to talk to the guest and exempt him from the duel, but he was forced to act because Kaida was causing his clan to lose face. "This... this is clan business and has nothing to do with you."


    He never expected, in a million years, that Kai would jump from such a height, into the arena.


    Not only that, the way he was slowly marching forward as if an emperor going on a stroll, made it clear to all that he intended to interfere.


    "Nothing to do with me?" Kai chuckled. "It''s you who promised me a duel and then fled like a coward. Seeing as you are too scared to face me alone, and so that it cant be said that you are the strong that tramples the weak, let me join in."


    A predatory smile appeared on Kai''s face, small black scales slightly poking through his skin as faint, almost inaudible cracking noises could be heard.


    Kai''s had finally found an excuse to release some of his pent-up anger and rage, the fact that there were now seven opponents only made it better.


    That was until he felt the now familiar sensation around his neck, reminding him that he was collared and couldn''t release his true form.


    A rumbling growl, so powerful it caused rippled to appear on the sand around him, resonated from Kai as his pupils contracted.

 A2:C10 - Resisting Ones nature - Part Four

    A cold, unnatural chill crept down the spines of the seven drakes, their insides gnawing uncomfortably as if they were not standing before one of their own, but a devil.


    Ron, who had the purest bloodline out of those present, at least in terms of the drakes, couldn''t help but stomp backwards, his large drake from slightly swaying.


    He had felt something similar, though not as chilling, when he had challenged Kai to the duel. Yet, after his impulsive appearance, he felt he was turning yellow with regret.


    Ron, along with a lot of other important fractions of the clan, had been watching from the various balconies in the shadows, wanting to view the reaction of the variant drake to try and gain an inkling into his background and upbringing.


    Kai''s heavy footsteps halted near Kaida as he turned and finally got a good look at the child of Elder Han.


    Jade-white skin, sharp features and deep, blue eyes, stared back, unsure who Kai was or his intention.


    The blood that he spat when being thrown into the wall had stained Kaida''s chin, having not been wiped away, and it was evident that even though he had put up a good fight before the drakes had transformed, he was almost exhausted.


    Pride, defiance and a hint of bloodlust marred the young man''s features, causing Kai to nod his head in approval, relieved that the name bestowed upon Kaida was not being shamed.


    Kaida was shocked, something inside of him screaming to prostrate himself before the stranger, as he stared at Kai before deciding that the black-haired man wanted to help.


    Taking a deep breath, Kaida, nodded his head as he briefly glanced at the collar around Kai''s neck before looking to the floor. "Thank you older brother, but please do not bother yourself with this matter. It is just a fight between youths and could cause you difficulties due to their backgrounds."


    Kai''s head tilted as he displayed a confused expression. After a few moments, Kai raised his hand to lift Kaida''s chin.


    Something was off with the young man and while he didn''t have the experience or knowledge to know what it was, it sparked his curiosity.


    "You dare hurt Kaida!"


    Just as he was about to touch Kaida, a shout bellowed out from behind and Kai''s instincts screamed danger yet he was too slow to react.


    "You''re courting death!"


    With a thunderous bang, Kai was throw away like a speeding bullet, smashing into the arena wall before disappearing in the dust that was kicked up by the impact.


    An odd look appeared on Ron and the other drakes features.


    They had felt suppressed by Kai''s presence, and so had not acted when Kai''s attention had been diverted to Kaida yet, it seemed that the newcomer either didn''t feel the pressure or, more than likely after realising who it was, simply ignored it.


    However, even though this was the situation that they all previously feared, Kaida''s best friend appearing had occurred, it had not been negative for them. Instead, the guest that had stood out and interfered had been sent flying into a wall.


    A young woman, looking to be in her early twenties, stood in partial, plate armour as she quickly pulled out a tissue and proceeded to wipe the blood from Kaida''s face with concern dancing in her brown eyes. "Don''t worry, no one is stupid enough to bother you while big sis is here."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Kaida had a confused expression, staring at the pretty woman''s face as her blonde hair fluttered in the air current created by her rapid appearance. "Umm, Big Sis that..."


    He stopped, wondering how to explain the situation that wouldn''t cause embarrassment to the woman that had stood out to protect him.


    Meanwhile, Elder Han''s fingers turned white as he gripped the railing, his face showing a terrified expression.


    He had never imagined that not only would Kaida''s friend be late, but she would mistake Kai, the clan''s guest, as the aggressor and immediately launch an attack.


    He couldn''t help but mutter as he looked for signs of life from Kai''s location. "Shit, Rein is a peak rank four monster core and she didn''t hold anything back. Seeing as it was a sneak attack, Lord Kai must be injured... The Clan Master is going to have my hide for this."


    Though Han was worried about the future, he breathed out a sigh of relief seeing Kaida and the woman he knew as Rein interact, knowing that Kaida was now safe.


    Rein was the Clan Masters daughter, and while the blame of this incident would undoubtedly fall on him, she would ensure that Kaida was kept away from the fallout.


    Just as he was about to jump down and check on Kai, a low, humourless laugh resonated from the dust cloud that had yet to settle.


    For all those present, both spectators and those that were in the arena, it was as if their blood had turned to ice and started flowing backwards.


    The laugh slowly got louder and more maniacal until a black shadow slowly walked out of the dust, his left golden eye twitching violently along with the smile that wasn''t a smile, on his face.


    A large cut on his forehead leaked blood, letting it flow down Kai''s face and giving him a gruesome appearance.


    Kai had been resisting his nature since arriving in Netherspire city.


    He had allowed himself to be imprisoned and interrogated for over a week. He had remained in his uncomfortable, human form, been collard and threatened and have even put up with being manipulated and used.


    However, the moment he had been struck, his patience had finally snapped.


    It wasn''t that he thought he was better than others and needed to be treated as such. It was just that he, like his ancestors, were beings of chaos, originating from the beginning of time.


    Creatures more akin to forces of nature than flesh and blood. Immortal beings that lived in the present and acted based on their feelings.


    When they were happy, all around them would prosper, when irritated, a storm would weather the land and shake the heavens. When enraged, devastation would befall all four directions and dynastys would fall.


    If you ignored what they considered their treasures, which were unique to each dragon and depended completely on their personalities, they didn''t care for wealth, power or prestige.


    They only cared for themselves and their own. For everything and anyone else, a dragon simply didn''t care. Being immortal, they believed that time would take care of the small matters.


    A rumbling growl rippled across the arena once again, yet unlike the earlier, this one was filled with intense bloodlust and a tyrannical, overbearing pressure.


    Glowing golden eyes, captivating all that saw them, slowly turned a deep, blood red as small black scales sprouted from Kai''s white, jade-like skin.


    His hands, which had looked somewhat delicate, turned into black, scaled claws, his nails extending to points as spikes slowly formed from his elbows and along Kai''s back.


    To those watching, their faces paled as if they were seeing a ghost.


    While a beast or monsters transformation depended on their level and skill, often resulting in traits remaining in their human form, like the red-scales of the Flame Scale Clan, it was impossible for those with the god given ability to do partial transformations.


    They could turn into a human, the appearance improving as they did, but had no control over it.


    A limitation a dragon, who was manipulating the very essence and structure of their body, did not have.


    What they saw before them was akin to the laws of their world breaking. If it had been a few thousand years before, it would have even been considered dark arts and blasphemy and probably would incite a holy crusade in the name of the gods.


    Kai''s laugh abruptly stopped as his gaze locked onto Rein, the woman who had so brutally launched the sneak attack on him, the bones and muscles wiggling under his skin as if they were alive.


    Silence.


    No one dared to breathe, fearing they would draw attention to themselves.


    This continued for a few seconds, which to most present, felt like hours before Rein spat on the ground in a very unladylike manner. Taking a deep breath to repress the fear growing in her heart, she stepped forward, shielding Kaida. "Scum! So strong and can only bully the weak. Fine, this lady will play with you."


    "Play?" Kai''s smile was so unnatural it was hard to describe how terrifying it made those looking at it feel. "Oh... Let''s... Play~."


    Kai had had enough.


    The only thing keeping any reason in his rage-fueled mind was that if he let go of his final restraints, it was likely he would fully transform and the strange collar on his neck would decapitate him.

 A2:C10 - Resisting Ones nature - Part Five

    Steady, even footsteps resonated in everyone''s ears as Kai continued to walk forward. His eyes had fully turned red, giving him a demonic appearance, complemented by the fact that his facial structure continued to adjust as if his bone structure couldn''t work out where it wanted to be.


    "What the hell are you?" roared Ron, the desire to flee almost overpowering him as his large, red-scaled body shuddered.


    Is wasn''t only him, including Rein who had put up a strong front and tried to look like she wasn''t intimidated by the monstrosity before her, everyone else couldn''t help but take a hesitant step back.


    Even Elder Han, who was about to leap into the arena, retreated a few steps as a cold sweat appeared on his brow.


    Excluding the fact that other creatures couldn''t partially transform, and would be bathed in white light when they changed, even those that could manipulate their body structures, like slimes, could not replicate what they saw before them.


    The process was horrific, brutal and looked incredibly painful but Kai ignored all of this, his gaze locked onto Rein.


    While to an outsider it could be said that the drakes were overreacting, that would because other monsters and beasts would not be as drastically affected by Kai''s presence.


    Drake ancestry, similar to wyverns, shared close ties with the dragons as their bodies, cores and souls mutated to emulate their characteristics to enhance their chances of survival. As such, when faced with a real, pureblood dragon, instinctual fear penetrated their bones.


    This fear was only increased by Kai''s rage, making it seem to them as if a demonic god had ascended from the depths of hells to claim their souls.


    However, not only were drakes prideful, but they were extremely loyal and so, even though they wanted to flee, the seven drakes in their natural form, including Ron, moved in a protective manner around Rein as she was the target of Kai''s ire.


    Momentarily, Kai thought their behaviour strange, but the idea was immediately silenced when he remembered that a lot of species were like that. Infighting would be brutal, often leading to severe injuries as they fought for a higher position yet, that hostility would disappear the moment an outside threat was detected.


    Kai snorted, their actions further irritating him as their internal conflict was the cause of the situation.


    Deciding that waiting for them to be ready, especially as he was outnumbered and stuck in his humanoid form, Kai decided to attack before they surrounded his target.


    Stomping on the floor, causing a small hole to appear due to the force, Kai''s body turned into a black streak as it flickered towards Rein, his pupils narrowing with focus.


    No one, excluding the person who had maltreated him in the frozen forest, had ever struck Kai and lived, at least to his knowledge.


    The fact Rein had launched a sneak attack, one that he was unable to dodge or defend against, combined with the build-up of frustrations since he had arrived in Netherspire City, had driven Kai almost to the point of losing all reason.


    Seeing Kai''s body rapidly approaching, much faster than a stage four core monster should be capable of, Rein''s face turned white as she started to raise her arms to defend herself.


    However, due to Kai''s surprising speed, Rein was dismayed to find that her movements looked and felt as if she was trying to power through thick mud.


    While this was happening, observers noticed that Kai''s features no longer looked human. His face had become sharp and slightly elongated, which a smile that almost reached his now receding ears. Combined with the sharp, needle-like teeth that were pointing out from his curled lips, the only word to describe his appearance was horrific.


    "Demon."


    A single word was murdered or echoed in the minds of those with enough strength to see Kai''s movements. However, there was a much more chilling fact that they recognised.


    This was no longer a simple match that had turned into a scuffle.


    The guest, the variant drake that had stuck is nose where it didn''t belong, only to be struck in a sneak attack due to a misunderstanding, was intending to kill.


    Once again smashing his right foot into the ground, Kai soared into the air, pulling his left leg back and preparing to launch a kick directly at Rien''s unprotected face.


    Kai had never fought without the intent to kill, let alone in his human form, so the logic for his tactics was incredibly simple.


    He decided that his legs held the most power, so would use them to attack. His target, with the lack of piercing weapons like his teeth, spikes or tail, of course, would be the weak spot that all of his opponents have had so far, their head.


    Unlike the six drakes that were startled by Kai''s sudden movement and unable to track his position, Ron had encountered many life and death struggles in the name of his clan and quickly reacted.


    Opening his mouth, two tiny jets of liquid erupted from small holes in Ron''s jaws, mixing together and turning into a faint mist that continued towards Kai.


    Moments later, by clicking a hard nuptial on the tip of his serpent-like tongue on his teeth, a spark appeared and ignited the mist, causing an explosion in the drake''s mouth.


    Due to the shape of his mouth, and a small flap that closed access to the throat, the flames generated by the explosion were forced out of his mouth, combining with the mist outside to create a fireball that shot towards Kai at an unbelievable speed.


    Kai frowned, feeling slightly insulted that he, a dragon, would be attacked by their core element, fire, yet as his focus shifted to the fireball, he realised an extremely troubling fact.


    He was mid-jump and did not have his wings to create lift or momentum so, as he hurtled towards Rein, he could not adjust his trajectory and thus, was unable to dodge.


    The ball of fire was aimed at his chest with incredible accuracy, a killing blow for any creature that wasn''t resistant to fire or the kinetic force generated when it hit and so, with


    a thunderous explosion, Kai''s body was sent spinning towards the ground with incredible strength.


    Rein, Kaida and the rest quickly made use of this to gain more distance, rapidly backing away towards where they knew the elders of their clan were, however, once again, they were stunned by what they saw and ended up freezing on the spot.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    While they didn''t believe their foe would be defeated with this attack, his speed, strength and aura indicating that he was much stronger than any of them, they expected him to be wounded.


    However, as Kai stood, slightly dizzy due to being flipped so violently, the only indication that he had been injured by the attack was a small wisp of smoke rising from his hair.


    This was a shocking contrast to the injury he had suffered when he had been flung into the wall, yet if they knew that Kai had a much higher affinity for fire, as well as the fact that he had slammed into the sand floor especially created to reduce injuries, it wouldn''t be too surprising.


    The only thing that could be said to be damaged was the robe that Kai was wearing. It had caught fire and was currently burning away, entirely ignored by Kai who''s gaze was moving between Rein and Ron.


    The fire crackled with intensity as it quickly devoured the shoulders of Kai''s robe, allowing it to fall to the ground and revealing Kai''s naked form.


    Black scales had covered most of his body, due to the partial transformation, but there were patches of white skin that appeared sporadically around his body because this was the first time Kai had ever attempted to do this.


    While some looked at Kai''s body, their minds going blank once again from the fact of the seemingly impossible standing before them, others were terrified by the fact that Kai was standing amongst the flames as if it was an everyday occurrence.


    These weren''t normal flames, but fire created by the chemical mixture of a drake''s secretion, increasing the temperature to a terrifying level.


    "This isn''t resistance! This is complete immunity! What the hell is this?" cursed one of the other drakes.


    While they were prideful, they were still monsters at heart, and when faced with a terrifying foe, that seemed to break the realm of common sense, the six original drakes quickly transformed into their human forms and fled the arena.


    The reason they transformed, even though it reduced their bodies defences, was that drakes could only use their wings to jump and glide, and all the entrances to the arena were human-sized making it impossible to escape in their natural forms.


    Even though they fled with their fastest possible speed, ignoring their belongings or the fact they were completely naked, Kai did not chase and instead, seemed to ignore them completely, as if there were nothing more than background noise.


    In his eyes, there were only two beings worthy of his attention. The two standing before him.


    Ron and Rein.


    Kai was semi-impressed that they had stood, while their allies had fled. His low opinion of the two rose slightly, but it was still far below the level where he could consider respecting them.


    Rein has launched a sneak attack on him for, to him, no reason and Ron had irritated him needlessly on the journey here.


    However, little did he know that the reason they had stayed, when all they wanted to do was run with the others, was that deep down, they knew that Kai''s target was them. If they tried to turn their back on him, or run, a gut feeling told them that it would only stimulate Kai''s predatory instincts and they would die.


    Not that Kai really cared.


    Suddenly, the flames surrounding his body snaked across it as if greeting a long lost lover, and, to the horror of all, was rapidly absorbed into his skin.


    As this happened, an orange glow appeared where a human''s stomach should be, illuminating the bones, and tendons behind the patches of white skin.


    Initially, Kai had no intention of using his draconic flame.


    Not only had it not fully recovered from the Frozen Forest, but it was a young dragon''s trump card, an almost cheat-like ability that could overcome core realms and ranks with ease.


    Yet, when he had been hit by Ron''s flame, it felt like an insult to his pride and draconic heritage.


    Or at least that was the excuse he used as justification.


    The orange glow emanating from his skin and between his scales intensified, seemingly make the surroundings dim as if fearing drawing its attention.


    "You want to compete with me regarding fire?" Kai''s eyes were ablaze as he roared before opening his mouth, impossibly wide for a human, and releasing a stream of flame that made Ron''s previous attack look as powerful as a flickering candle.


    The jet of flame exploded forth as if it had a conscious of its own, quickly liquefying the sand beneath it as it rapidly approached Ron, Rein and Kadia.


    The brightness of the flame was so bright that it cast the surroundings into shadow. Yet when it was no more than half the distance from the group, several balls of flame appeared from the balconies and entrances of the arena and flew towards it.


    Those watching felt the bone-chilling power of the strike, and knowing that their own was in danger, quickly released their personal attacks to try and hinder its progress.


    However, in comparison to Kai''s draconic flames, created by his essence and not through refined manner, these balls of fire looked pathetically weak and underpowered.


    A few moments later, too short to even be considered a second, a dozen or so walls of flame appeared in the jet''s path, seemingly wanting to block it from reaching its target yet, each of the fireballs was quickly blasted apart as the draconic fire continued forward.


    The balls of flame, exploding upon contact, met the same fate as the firewalls. Nevertheless, they were somewhat successful as after the eighth ball exploded, it was clear that the draconic flames had weakened significantly.


    While some might attribute this to the power of those hidden in the shadows, Kai knew that it was because he had not fully recovered since his battle with the woads and his escape from the Frozen Forest.


    Internally, he cursed his wasteful nature, especially seeing as he released his flames to vent his frustration. What made it worse was that during his confinement, he did not have access to beast or monster cores to refine.


    This forced him to focus on absorbing the world energy naturally found in the environment and to painstakingly convert it his own, a process most called mediation. After that, to create his draconic essence, he would then need to further refine it in what most would consider an incredibly wasteful process.


    What made it worse, was that in the concrete jungle that was called Netherspire City, even if you ignored the humans, beasts and monsters that were competing, the natural world energy was so poor saying that the process was painfully slow would have been an understatement.


    Despite this, even with Kai''s current state, it was still more than enough to incinerate the most potent spells the Flaming Scale clan could throw at him and his intended targets.


    Realising that they could not stop the attack, three elders appeared next to Rein and the others and quickly pulled them out of the way without a moment to spare.


    The six, who still had not retreated too far from the path of the flame, were engulfed in suffocating heat as it passed by.


    Yet, instead of relief, everyone watching the devastation as the draconic flame smashed into the arena''s wall, felt like they had been dunked into a frozen river in the middle of winter.


    The arena wall, even though it had been enchanted against damage, exploded into fragments as the jet of fire passed through it and into the building behind before exhausting itself due to the lack of energy.


    Kai had cut his connection to the flame the moment he realised it would not connect with the trio, attempting to save as much essence as possible.


    Gasps of horror and disbelief could be heard from various mouths, be it from the youths that had fled earlier, to the oldest and wisest elders of the Flaming Scale Clan.


    A river of molten glass had been created, the enchanged wall destroyed, and the marble building behind it had been shattered beyond recognition.


    Such a powerful flame attack was only referenced in legends, long thought to be nothing more than myth and creative storytelling.


    After a few breaths of time, the sound of cracking glass, the liquid rapidly cooling, echoed in the arena, however, even with this noise, and the murmings of spectators, a sharp, metal snap drew the focus of everyone to where Kai stood.


    Initially, he had been disappointed that his attack missed, yet now he was staring at a semi-melted, metallic ring that lay smouldering at his feet.


    With a dumbfounded look, Kai, along with everyone else, stared at the ring.


    Moments later, he started to giggle.


    The giggle turned into a chuckle which quickly morphed into a maniacal laugh as he raised his hands to the sky, feeling the cooling wind being sucked in by the sudden change in temperature, upon his flesh and scales.


    A considerable weight, a magnitude heavier than he thought it was, had finally be lifted from his heart.


    The collar that he had been unable to take off with physical force had been melted by the temperature that originated from his throat.


    With a sigh of relief, a terrifying sound resonated in the ears of all present as Kai returned to his natural form.


    In the centre of an arena, in front of the devastation, he had caused while in his weak, human form, proudly stood a creature with black scales and blood, red eyes.


    A being only those, like Elder Han, only those who had read the clans most secret, ancient records knew of.


    An existence that couldn''t be conveyed through second-hand reports and sketches.


    Records called it an ancient evil, a being that had stood against nature, gods and mortals alike. An entity that the Flaming Scale Clan had long since believed to be extinct.


    A dragon.

 A2:C11 - What makes a Dragon Tick - Part One

    The present members of the Flaming Scale Clan, from the youngest to the oldest, were stunned speechless by Kai''s transformation.


    While most had seen the depiction of when Kai landed at the Sky Guard checkpoint, they believed that it had been embellished with artistic flare yet now, they thought it hadn''t done him justice.


    If it wasn''t for the sharp sound of shattering glass, due to the molten sand rapidly cooling, or the faint crackling of the small patches of fire, the entire area that had been filled with the sound of violence moments ago, would be deathly silent.


    Kai was slightly bigger than a drake, around the size of a large bull, yet even a fool could tell that his body was magnitudes more powerful and well built.


    Elder Han''s heart, like the others, felt like it would explode at any moment yet, he was one of the few that had begun to realise the implications of what was standing before them.


    The suspicions in his heart had all but been proved, and even though his conscious mind had continuously tried to reject the idea that Kai came from the mythical beings of the past, deep down he knew that it was the case.


    The pressure that Kai''s true form imposed on his bloodline was as if he was meeting a being greater than his ancestor.


    With soft thuds, both Ron and Rein had fallen to their knees, Ron retaking his human form in the process, which was quickly followed by most of those that had hidden in the shadows.


    Their bloodline was pure, yet their strength was lacking, and so, instinctually, they started to prostrate themselves in front of Kai.


    Only Elder Han, the Clan Master and surprisingly, Kaida remained standing.


    The Clan Master quickly moved to block Ron and Rein from Kai''s view as he forced a smile onto his face, wanting to speak but struggling to find the words.


    Even a moron would have been able to work out that they were trying to suppress and intimidate Kai, believing him just to be an arrogant variant and he struggled to find an excuse that would save both parties face.


    Unlike Elder Han, the Clan Master had access to the Clan''s secrets and knew more of the truth and not just the propaganda of the past.


    The fact that the gods, the main oppressors of the ancient evils, also known as dragons, had been deposed meant that Kai''s appearance was not as disastrous as Han believed.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    In fact, the Clan Master''s calculating mind had already devised many ways for the Clan to take advantage of Kai''s presence.


    The Clan Master''s musings were cut short as Kai took a deep breath and stretched, his bones cracking as his muscles contracted.


    Having regained his natural form, most of Kai''s frustrations had vanished like mist on a warm, summer''s day and so, his eyes quickly lost their red hue and returned to their more majestic, golden colour.


    "Never in my wildest dream''s would I have ever expected to have the chance to meet a true dragon." The Clan Master''s lips finally started twitching as he started to speak. "I apologise for our rude behaviour. I have eyes, but I could not see, ears but could not hear. Ignorance, while detrimental, is not a sin. Please forgive us."


    The killing intent had all but vanished, causing Kai to relax and had been staring up at the sky, his desire to fly once again almost unbearable yet having noticed for the first time that something was wrong with it as if it were fake. Hearing the Clan Master''s words, he turned his attention back to the Clan Elder.


    The red hue slightly returned as Kai''s gazed moved passed the Clan Master and on to the people behind him.


    "Let''s talk after this little ''duel'' has concluded," Kai''s gaze turned cold. "Unless you intend to continue interfering?"


    "We submit," shouted Ron in a shaky voice.


    "Refused," spat Kai immediately, his neck raising his head to his full height. "You already have revealed your claws, yet you want to flee after attacking?"


    Ron''s face turned pale, his naked form shivering but not from the cold as Rein slowly stood, defiance and fear dancing in her eyes.


    She had seen the power of Kai''s attack earlier, and even her stubborn pride admitted that if it hadn''t been for the interference from her clan, she would have been seriously injured if not killed.


    "I have been rude to Senior and can only beg for his guidance. Please instruct us." Rein bowed slightly and forced her legs to part as she took a shaky stance.


    Seeing Rein prepare, Ron chided himself internally. He was stronger than Rein and had more experience yet, while he could only cower on the floor, she had already accepted her fate and stood up.


    What made it worse was that not only was his father here but a few of the more important clan elders. If he continued like this, not only would he lose a lot of face and respect, but it is likely that it will significantly impact his future.


    With a deep breath, Ron stood up and moved next to Rein before whispering. "Thank''s cousin."


    The Clan Master''s heart was turbulent. While Kai represented a huge potential for his Clan, to the point where it might be able to surpass the other monster clans in Netherspire City finally, Ron was his only son and Rein was one of the few geniuses the clan had nurtured recently.


    "Words may be withdrawn, yet actions can never be undone." The Clan Master wracked his brains trying to come up with a way to de-escalate the situation. However, he knew that if Kai did make a move on the two behind him, he would intervene.


    While Kai was a treasure, he wasn''t more important than his own child.


    Kai had been struck by the two earlier, and even though most of his frustrations had been released, he had never let another creature cause him harm without retaliating, and his personality would never allow him to start now.


    However, just as everyone was tensing, expecting the situation to explode once again, Kadia ran forward, in front of Ron and Rein and past the Clan master and only stopped a few meters away from Kai with his hands out at his side as if he wanted to stop Kai from passing him.