《My Life as a Salamander》


 Chapter 1 Second Chances

    My name is Damien Greeves. My parents being rich decided to move to Japan for some RnR. But unfortunately RnR turned into a permanent stay in a grave for my whole family except me. As for me, I have been laying in a hospital bed watching my life ebb away into what I pray isn''t nothingness. My face pale, arms and legs weak and thin from the past 5 years of hospitalization due to paralysis from the neck down. And all thanks to a car accident that should have killed me.


    " This place... I wont miss it" I manage to rasp out of my parched throat as i stare at the white hospital walls and ceiling. My thoughts turning to how my parents died of sickness years before i became bedridden, my sister drowned when the family boat went down on a fishing trip with her friends just off the coast. " If only I could have done more with my life. I was able to do so little. Never went to college. Never had a Girlfriend. If only i was given another chance." I think as i sink into the darkness of sleep.


    /IS THIS THING ON!?! HELLOOOOOO!?!/ A Deep male voice penetrates my head. I sit up and shove my hands over my ears.


    "I CAN HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR STOP YELLING!" I yell, waiting for the ringing in my head to stop.... I''m able to move...." I can Move....I CAN MOVE Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!"I realize as I look around floating in a seemingly endless void of blackness.


    //Oh good then. I''ll kick things off as per usual.// the voice echoes, quieter now. I turn in every direction hoping to find the speaker, but find him nowhere.


    /Your name is Damien Greeves. Comes from Canada. Parents and older sister deceased. Ahh... I think Geoff handled those ones. Was a good athlete. Good grades. Not a bad Karma rating. 70% good and 30% bad. Not too shabby, but i suppose we have to anger someone every now and again. Wishes for a second chance at life after spending the last part of his life helpless in a hospital bed//


    " Who are you!?!"I ask stunned about the amount he knows about me and somewhat embarrased about what else he might know.


    // I am..... how would it be termed... ah! thats right! Reaper. You humans have so many terms for us, it''s hard to find an accurate one to use. Anyways, I have an offer you can''t refuse. Mostly because you have no choice but, You wanted another shot at life.//


    Out of the void a tall slot machine appeared.


    //pull the lever// he said

 Chapter 2 Second chances part 2

    I stood and stared at the machine. " What will this do?" i asked into the void.


    / it will decide what perks you get and what you reincarnate into/ God answered. I looked closely at the slot machine. It''s covered in curvy and jagged letters that I couldn''t understand.It had three rings that would spin if i pulled the lever. One red that had images of things on it ranging from an beetle to a human image. The middle was white and bore more wierd letters. And last but not least the green ring.


    It had symbols that looked like they belonged to the elements. A flame, a water drop, wind waves,a mountain, and two seperate dots. one was white in the middle and the other completely black.


    I slowly reached toward the lever my hand shaking a little. " I hope i don''t get a crappy reincarnation." I pleaded in my heart. I finally grasped it, and with it my resolve.


    with as much strength as i had I yanked that lever. The rings began to spin at a near blinding speed. The images all blurred and mixed. The machine began to glow red. Soon the rings slowed. The Red ring stopped on what i saw was a lizard. The white stopped on a strange symbol that was held inside a circle. And the green one stopped on the flame symbol.


    / Ohhhhhh. I haven''t seen a Salamander of flame in a long time. Been a millenia if i recall. You have quite a bit of luck on you to get that one. Not to mention your bloodline perk. Gluttony ./


    " Salamander, Fire element, GLUTTONY ! What does this even mean!" i shouted.... The voice sighed. / It means you''ll become an extremely powerful fire elemental with the ability to gain power and perks depending on what you eat. If you eat a powerful thing, you gain some of its power. since you''re a flame elemental anything you burn is technically turned into food..... still with me/ " Y-yeah" i said. he continued. / the only thing is that where you''re going salamanders of any kind are viewed as near inept, most don''t survive. The rest is up to you. Have fun in your next life. (chuckle) Oh and try not to die. I''d prefer not to see you for a while//


    I hear a whistling noise like steam pouring out of a kettle and quickly turn toward the sound. The machine behind me bursts into flames and the images and symbols that were chosen leap from the rings and soar to my chest. " It Burns!" I scream. The feeling of agonizing pain, the burning, itching sensation as the symbols engrave themselves onto my chest. Suddenly a sensation like my body was being stabbed by thousands of needles covers me. Scales begin to grow out of my skin and I begin to shrink at an insane speed. My bones groan and my hair falls being replaced by red and gold scaley horns. My body shines like a small sun. I grow small black claws instead of nails. My face extends till i have a lizards maw filled with white razor sharp teeth. My eyes become slits surrounded by an iris like a rainbow coated in gold powder.


    Then almost like a mother embracing a child an egg forms around my lizard form, its color that of gold with crimson veins in the shape of flames. And finally I descend into a deep slumber grateful for the escape from the pain and cursing that damned reaper for not giving me a warning.

 Chapter 3 Hatchling

    I laid the darkness for what seemed like eternity. But I didn''t mind. It was warm, comfortable, and I slept soundly for the first time in years. hospital beds aren''t comfy you know!


    I felt a sudden jolt as though i had been thrown. But the egg blocked me from seeing outside. All i could really hear was muffled sounds. I felt my body bobbing. It felt like someone was running with me. After some time they came to a stop.


    I heard tapping on the shell. It sounded like loud thuds. It kept going till it began to annoy me. I did my best to turn but something was tight around me. ( ahh! why did i have to get shoved inside this thing!) I kept attempting to move till finally i felt one of my legs get free of what ever was hold it. feeling my limb was free i kept working until i was completely freed. It was at that moment my egg shattered.


    ( Bright!!!!)I cowered and covered my eyes with my hands.... well. Claws. My eyes haven''t seen light in so long it hurts a little.


    It could''ve been an hour before I took my claws away from my eyes. What I saw astonished me. I was in a large room. very ornate. Everything was coated in Gold or Silver. There was a large bed /victorian style i think/. Everything else was pink. ( This is definitely a girls room.) I think as i try to turn.


    I can hardly move my body. But i certainly get a good look at myself. I must be about a foot long. But the one thing I definitely notice.... I have six legs!?!?!?! No wonder it''s so wierd trying to move. Having two extra limbs is like being reverted to an infant. Not like there''s much difference. I''ve been reborn as a damned lizard!


    I hear a noise coming from the door. I see what can only be described as a monstrosity of lace. You couldn''t even see the person inside it! I suddenly here a very agitated girls voice. " This is the last straw! How many times do i have to tell those idiot dress makers that i hate lace!?" after hearing that, I couldn''t help but start laughing. ( Hahahahahahahahaha!) what came out was a crackling hiss as i started rolling around. I ended up falling off of the big red cushion with a thud.

 Chapter 4 Hatchling part 2

    When i hit the floor, it wasnt a soft landing. I landed on my side on the cold stone floor startling me out of my euphoria and snapping me back to reality. The thoughts started. Who was the person who just came in? Why am I here? Where am I really?


    I looked around quickly for somewhere to hide. Under the bed was the obvious choice. I did my best to move. I wasn''t used to my legs yet so i just ended up sliding across the floor as best as i could. I lay under the bed amidst the dust bunnies. (They don''t clean under here often) I thought. I turned toward the sound of shoes clacking on the stone floor. I heard the girls voice again as the lace monstrosity she called a dress dropped to the floor.


    " I really hate having to get dressed up for those dumb parties so Father can show me off to those dumb Noble boys. Why can''t I get a dumb egg to hatch.... Wait... Where is it?" She asked into the open room. It echoed slightly under the bed. I stare at the shoes as they move toward the cushion. My tongue flicks feeling the cold, slightly stale air where i sit in fear and anticipation of what might happen if she finds me.


    I see the girl kneel next to the cushion in what looks like dark tanned leather leggings. Her shoes look like flats with little jewels on them. Her top is white with a flower print. Daffodils... i think. I can''t see her head, but i see a pale hand reach for the cushion and pick up a piece of the eggshell on it.


    She sits up a little straighter and twists, looking around. Her body points toward the bed and she starts moving toward me. On her hand and knees. I suddenly see a slender female face, white like paper, full but not fat. Her eyes are like saphires with a Smokey look. Her lips are red like rubies. ( I should not be sight seeing! I need to get away!) I think as I start backing up. I feel something wrap around my midsection and drag me out from underneath the bed. A startled hiss escaped me as I was dragged into the light.


    I look at what''s holding me. To my surprise im being held by what looks to be a ribbon. I follow the ribbon until i see it connecting to the girls right wrist which is held in the air like a mistro. She stares at me as I start trying to get free by knawing on the ribbon to no avail. (What is this thing made of?!)


    " A salamander....." she says as she face palms with her left hand. " Of all things, why does it have to be a salamander?" The ribbon suddenly loosens dropping me to the floor with a slap. My hardened redish gold scales absorb the impact making it sound almost like coins hitting the floor. I did my best to slide across the floor again trying to get away from this freakish ribbon. I suddenly felt a hand grab me. "where do you think you are going." I felt her lift me from the ground. My tail curled slightly as she raised me to eye level. " she started turning me around here and there as though trying to get a good look at me. "Six legs... There''s very few salamanders that have that many." she whispered. " Red like fire but you have gold horns. Only high borns in any species have horns." She cocked her eyebrows at me as I just went limp. I just gave up trying to get out of her grip. I just kept looking at her waiting to be put down like some infant for a nap.


    " You aren''t normal... most salamanders climb into the fire. You hid under the bed. I really do know how to pick em. First I try to form a pact with a ice swallow who cant fly. Now i get a Salamander who''s afraid of fire." She puts me on the cushion and goes to her bed and sits with her head in her hands. I think to myself. (Salamanders normally crawl into the fire?) I turned and slowly tried crawling to the fireplace in the room. It took a bit. I tried several times. Stumbled a bit. Finally i managed by lifting my middle legs and used my front and back ones to move toward the calm flame in the hearth.

 Chapter 5 Hatchling part 3

    The flames in the hearth moved and crackled softly. They almost seemed to move sluggishly. Red and gold emiting their soft glow across the walls and floor.


    ( The salamanders always crawled into the hearth?) I wondered. ( Perhaps I wont die? What did that reaper say?... I have a fire attribute? Would fire hurt me or no?) I tentatively reached out a claw for the flames. The only thing I felt as the fire coated my claws was a slight, comforting, warmth.


    I slowly continued forward as the flames continued to coat me and make me nice and toasty. I couldn''t help but feel nice and drousy. I continued into the hot coals as though it was a warm bath. The coals shifted like sand on a beach. Finally I turned and laid in the bed of the flames. To be honest, it was like it laying on the softest bed in the world.


    The Girl lifted her head and looked toward the cushion where she put me only to find me gone. She looked left, then right. She finally noticed me comfortably in the flames looking at her." You are one odd lizard. Why would you run from the fire, then lay in it after i find you? You make no sense. Sigh.... whatever. I''ve hot bigger things to worry about. What do I tell father?" she says quietly.


    She starts tapping her chin then abruptly stands up. She grabs the fireplace tongs from the stand close by and grabs me out of the fire with them. But not before I hear a quiet mechanical voice say [Self Ignition Ability gained"]


    (What the heck was that!?!) I think as the girl pulls me out of the fireplace. One problem. I''m still on fire. I still feel nice and warm, but i feel myself getting more tired the longer the flames burn.The girl stares at me in the tongs and then dunks me in a bowl of water not far from her bed.


    I give a garbled hiss at the sudden cold. ( What the Hell!!!!!) She lifts me out of the water and says " I can''t have you burning the mansion to the ground." She walks over to a table in the corner of the room. I didnt really notice it before but it looked like it was made of black stone. She quickly flops me onto it.


    As I try to right myself and get back to where I can move glowing liquid metal comes out of the cracks on the table. In seconds it surrounds me in a cage. After a minute or so the metal stops glowing and seems to harden.The Girl bends over slightly to pick up the cage which detaches from the stone as though they were never together to begin with. She looks at me within the cage with a saddened look on her face. " Time to introduce you to the family"

 Chapter 6 Family Ties

    @@


    The Air was cool as we travelled down a dark stone corridor. It felt unnatural. The only light allowed was made by torches. In all reality it was as though the proclaimed mansion was a prison.


    " It really is aweful that my other siblings get the better rooms while i get the old torture chamber." Sigh " At least the servants cleaned and prepared it for me." The girl said dejectedly.We reached a large door that was 7 feet wide by 8 feet tall. It was made of a dark wood that gave off a feeling of gloom.


    The girl pushed her hand against the door. With a squeel, the door moved outward revealing a very bright hallway. Paintings lined the walls. The floor was a deep crimson with gold floral print. The air warmed and was made more lively with noises from servants moving about in victorian uniforms.


    I watched through the bars of my cage. The people moved by so fast they seemed like a blur. The smells were too strong. Chicken, Pork, sweet, Sour. It was so overwhelming that I was starting to get a headache. I laid there breathing through my mouth without focusing on my senses.


    The Girl kept moving. Eventually we reached a pair of large silver doors. They opened with such a cold silence, it was unnerving.


    We stepped into a large room. There was a long table that was filled with an enormous amount of food.


    "Samantha... I didnt expect you to join us for dinner."a thick gravelly voice echoed through the room.A man was sitting in a high backed chair at the head of the table. On his right sat a thin older woman. Her hair was the same as the girls. Her eyes were grey and seemingly lifeless. As though they couldn''t see anything. " Samantha?... Samantha is here? Come, sit and eat with us. It''s been too long."Her voice was clear likecrystal. But it was only then that I realised she was blind.@@

 Chapter 7 Harsh Eyes

    Samantha went and sat on the chair indicated by the woman. It was right next to her. Sam put me down next to her chair. The woman loomed over me. " It would seem you finally succeeded in getting a familiar" she said. " I can smell the oil on it from here. Salamander?"


    From where I was I couldn''t see much. Sam turned her head to face the woman. " Yes Mother. Though I still need to sign a contract with it first." (So this woman is her mother...) I thought. ( That would make the man her Father and those two boys her brothers). I heard the mans voice. " Come now Samantha. Show us your familiar." My stomache lurched as my cage was suddenly pulled upward.


    I saw the top of the table now. White silk table top. Everyone was leaning in closer for a look except the woman of course. The man leaned forward eager to pass judgement. " How odd. It has six legs. Most salamanders only have four legs. Does it like fire?" The man turned to Sam


    " Yes it does. But it doesnt burn to a crisp like the others. It can handle the heat. It actually lit itself ablaze on the way here."The mans eyebrows rose. "It can self-ignite.... Most Salamanders have low intelligence and lack any survival skills at all." He continued to look at me. " Yet this one watches us like a sylph beak. Samantha. Where did you get this thing?"


    " I found an egg in the middle of the burnt fields father."she lowered her head slightly. Almost like a child getting ready to be scolded. The man looked up. I really got a good look at him now. He had a trimmed beard of deep brown that was cut close to his face. His eyes were a stark icy blue. In all honesty this man was the semblance that most woman would fawn over.


    " Samantha.... I''ve told you not to go to the scorched fields many times. They are filled with dangerous creatures. You could have been injured or worse, Killed! Why would you go there despite my many warnings?"


    Sam pouted " I went because the possibility of finding strong familiars is higher in dangerous areas. To further my argument. You wanted me to go to the western desert! The familiars are far weaker there than anything I''ve seen. They probably wouldn''t beat Geralds gryphon! Or even Bryants Flaming Boar! Which you gifted them. But I was forced to find my own!" She turned. " Mother I Unfortunately will not be here for Dinner. My apologies for showing my face since I''m the oh so hated daughter." With that she turned, grabbed me, and trudged through the door as her father was starting to yell for her to return that instant.


    She started running down the corridor as fast as she could run. The air suddenly felt cold as it rushed past. I turned to see a eagle flying down the hallway after us. It wasnt normal though. It was coated in frost and was a deep oceanic blue color. As it flew frost covered the walls. It almost reached us before the dungeon door opened and we entered the same cold stone hallway as before.


    I felt something wet hit my front claw. I turned toward it and sniffed. It smelled salty. I looked up and saw probably the saddest tear-filled expression I''ve seen in my existence.


    " Why? Why don''t they understand that I am trying my hardest?" She sobbed as she trudged to her room at the end of the cold corridor and into her room.

 Chapter 8 Hope

    Sam walked into the room quickly placing me on the round wooden table by the door. Tears streamed down her face as an ugly expression settled on her features." What can they expect from a failure of a daughter? They put me in this room in a cold, dark part of the mansion and expect me to flourish? Ha! They really are delusional. I might as well throw you out the window and hang myself from the chandelier in the main hall." She looked glumly at me. I stared back and remembered where I had seen those eyes before.


    It was before I was hospitalised. After my parents funeral I was forced out of my inheritance by greedy bastards that I called family. With my parents and sister gone. I had nothing. I remember what I felt then. Probably what she feels now. An hollow but fuming rage.


    I looked at her and did something i probably shouldn''t have. I shook my head as best as I could. She continued to stare at me a little perplexed by what I was doing. " What are you trying to say? I shouldn''t throw you out and get it over with? What am I saying you cant even understand me." I nodded and she stopped dead with a little shock. "You understand me?" More nodding " ... " I saw her eyes roll and down she went.


    ( Damnit. I thought that would go over better than it did) I started gnawing on the bars of my cage out of boredom. There really isn''t a need to describe the taste of it. It was iron. some of the rust came off in my mouth as I chewed andsomething dinged in my head. / Aquired iron body component. Iron composite 1/10 for lvl 1 iron body. Reccomend host consume more for defensive enhancement./ I slow down my chewing a bit. ( I can enhance my body by consuming things.... that reaper said that too.) I start gnawing the rest of the bars. 2...3...4... on I went.


    After a bit there was a smaller ding and a feeling of being heavier. /Aquired Iron Body lvl 1. Evolved physic to iron body salamander. Combining with Flame elemental pathway. Combination complete. 30%increase in defense. Short Swords and arrows will scrape against your hide. Broadswords will penetrate you nicely..... giggle/ ( What strange sadistic system did I get?!?!)


    I hear a groan from the floor. Sam stirs till she start to get up slowly. She rubs her head in confusion and sits. She just sits and starts staring at me.

 Chapter 9 Training

    We stared at one another for some time. After some time she spoke. " Do you know what you are?" She kept staring... I shook my head. I didn''t know. Did anyone? After a little more banter of me answering yes and no questions she went to bed. I stayed in the cage except I got moved closer to the fire. " Can''t have you burning the place down in my sleep. The next day I woke with a start. The cage was shaking as I was tossed to and fro. (where are we going in such a hurry!) I hissed at her in irritation. As though she understood me Sam looked at me. "Oh pipe down. We''re heading to the training area. You need to get some more power to you so others don''t bully you so easily." I shivered a little at the thought of training. (What is she going to do to me?)


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    The hall Sam was walking down was made of what looked like stone. The only exception to it''s look was that it had bright blue lines running along it. The lines lit the place in a mystical way. After about 5 minutes of walking I saw a light at the end of the hall. As we exited the sun blinded me. (It''s been a while) I thought. I looked around. We had walked into a large arena looking area. the walls were made of a dark stone covered in runes with people everywhere with different creatures. Some creatures I had only heard of in myths. A gryphon, a tiny dragon, and finally a huge minotaur. This is going to be interesting. there was a sudden lurch as Sam put me on a table off to the side. I managed to hold on with my tiny claws through the bars. She sighed as she quickly looked around and slowly opened the door to my cage. "Time for a little work out for you." she said as she reached into the cage pulling me out and setting me on the ground. It was warm and the ground was made of a tan colored sand. ( Crap)was all I thought as the dragon I just mentioned looked at me and immediately spat a huge flame at me.

 Chapter 10 Fireproof

    I stood there as the flame covered me. It was nice and warm. The flames were a dark red with a slight tint of black. My stomache suddenly growled as I smelled the flame. It smelt like cooked steak. High grade by how my mouth salivated. On instinct I opened my mouth and breath in. Almost all the flames dissapeared into my open maw. A mechanical voice suddenly echoed through my head./host has acquired dragon fire. Dragon fire applied to fire based skills. Skills have now been increased by dragon fire qualities. Host can now use dragon flames in place of normal flames. Self ignition is now 50% more potent. Fire Eater Mastery at 20%. Reccomend host consume more types of fire to increase efficiency./ I looked toward the dragon who''s jaw was on the floor and did my best to look regal and huffed at it in discontent.


    The little dragon looked at me angrily and breathed more flames at me. True to nature as they came at me I just swallowed them again and again. Surprisingly I gained what''s called Breath Mastery. Guess eating all that fire breath was good for me. pretty soon the dragon was laying on the floor looking defeated. I waddled over as best as I could and gently patted it on the head. (there there) I cooed ( you can''t always know you''re up against a fireproof opponent.) I turned and started waddling back to Sam when I heard a feminine voice. " How could that lizard eat your fire Clementine!" I turned my head slightly looking at a shorter girl with pig tails. She wore what looked like a leather training uniform used by horse riders. The only exception was that she wore grieves and gloves covered in what looked to be dragon scales.


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    Sam walked over. " That''s my familiar for you." She stepped in front of me in a posture of superiority. " And you can''t even claim it was bullying Megan. Your dragon started it!" Sam folded her arms. The girl who was apparently called megan started to get mad. Her cheeks puffed out a little. "That damned lizard looked at her wrong! You know my clementine hates being looked at by people other than me!" I nearly sat there looking at the dragon laying on the ground. It was then I got a really good look at it. She was a deep red with gold horns. her eyes had a rainbow hue to them. Her chest plating was black and her tail was barbed. She looked just like a classic English-style dragon.


    I put all my legs down and slowly waddled over. Over the past couple days I''ve been practicing walking with all my legs so I don''t look wierd. I approached her from the front and gave a little puff of smoke trying to play a little. She just huffed at me with her head on the ground obviously dispirited. " That salamander has six legs...." I turned to look at who spoke. It was one of the boys from dinner the other night. One of Sam''s brothers. he looked younger than her by a few years. He must have been six or seven. He had silver hair with a black streak at the front and his clothes looked as though he had just walked out of the Victorian era. Beside him was a big orange boar that had flames instead of hair and two large tusks with smoke coming out of them. ( Why is my luck so good that I got to see two otherflame monsters today) I thought.

 Chapter 11 Flaming Boar

    "Bryant.... Are you here to train your Boar?" Sam said as she gazed at it. ( I know she likes strong monster but come on! Im right here!) I hissed at her. Sam turned and said "Is somebody getting jealous?! Why can''t I look at my brothers familiar?" I waddled over to stand in front of her so I was between her and the boar. Bryant as she called him looked at me with a smug look and said " If he feels so strong maybe he should go a round with my boar." Sam turned to him " I''ll say no to that. He has little to no combat experience. Though the most he could do to your boar is scratch it''s itch if it had one. The kid looked at her and laughed. "Then why did you contract it if it was that weak." That''s when my kettle boiled over. I hissed and charged his boar. Sam reached down and picked me up. " This is no place for practice. We''re in the rest area. we fight over there." she calmly pointed to some dummies that had rings dug around them.


    "If you''re Salamander really wants a challenge maybe let him fight my boar." Bryant said with his hands in a giving up posture. If I wasn''t in Sam''s hand I would be going after his pig right now. " Bryant. Don''t bully sisters weak monster. " Another boy appeared. Except this one was a little older than Sam and he must have been training alot. His muscles were abnormally large for his age, but he had the face of a kid. His clothes were stretched to a tightness no fabric should be extended to. " Sam and Bryant''s eyes bugged out as they stared at him. " Gerald.... have been eating dragon heart herbs again?!?!? How many times has father told you to not eat so many of them! How many did you eat?!" Gerald turned and postured showing off his muscles like Arnold Schwarzenegger. " I have to eat at least 10 or the effects won''t kick in." Sam started yelling at him. "You''re 18! How is it that common sense hasn''t sunk into you yet. the normal adult eats 3! 3 of those things! This isn''t a muscle headed freak competition!"


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    After a bit Sam managed to calm down and drag me over to the little wooden dummies. they looked like scarecrows but they had metal helmets on and had a large target in the middle. I turned to look at Sam. ( What I supposed to do?) I tried to raise and eyebrow... but I realised I didn''t have them so it was pointless to try making that expression. Sam looked at me and pointed at the target. " hit it." I looked in between her and the target. ( sigh) I quickly turned and jumped at the target. I sunk my claws into the main wooden post and climbed. After I reached the middle point of the target I activated my self ignition ability which after I climbed inside the thing just turned it to ashes. Sam just stared at me ( was I not good enough?) "You damned idiotic lizard..... I said hit it. not make a nest out of it. sigh " I crawled out of the ashes after accidentally licking up a few. / Congradulations! Host has gained title : Ash Eater. Effects of Ash eater are as follows: Grant''s better absorption of burnt beings or things. Better digestion of wet things. Fire ability learning increase./

 Chapter 12 Training

    ( Well... I hit it. Just not in the way she expected.) I thought as I cam out of the ashes. I waddled over to a different area with a dummie. ( She wants me to hit it... but how. I can''tjump that high... maybe I can breathe fire at it.... worth a shot.) The system chimed / host seeks to use flame breath. Searching memories for possible image for reference. Reference found. A blow torch with a long flame. Imagining he details will help host activate abilities better. System Hope''s this was useful to host./ ( Thank you system. I was actually at a bit of a loss) I imagined what I wanted. The long concentrated flame. I Started feeling warmth in my chest and my mouth opened. A long, thin blue flame came outand bathed the dummy in flames. It was so hot that the dummy was reduced to ashes in seconds. / Host has successfully breathed fire.Fire breath lvl 1 has grown to lvl 2. concentration and ability of fire has grown. Fire breath has grown from lvl 2 to 3. Congratulations./ ( Hold on... I just gained two levels from breathing fire... this makes no sense.) / host''s image has permanized on your thought process. This has increased the efficiency of fire breathing and made it faster hence why host need not be confused./


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    (oh... that''s nice) I turned to look at Sam to see what she thought. She just stood there in slight shock. "Those were the hottest flames I''ve ever felt. What are you?" I just shrugged and waddled into the hot ashes. cause the air was cold and all I wanted was to be warm. " Hey! We''re not done yet. You still have lots to do. Next we need to train your speed." At the thought of speed training all I could think of was running and some of the old Chinese spoof training videos. People hopping between posts and doing parkour. ( I might die from this)


    Sam reached into the ashes with a gloved hand till she found me and hauled me over to a strange machine. It had a glowing yellow crystal at the top. In all reality it looked like a strange tread mill with sand in he middle instead of treads to run on. (This might be fun) It was not....


    I got on the treadmill and Sam pressed the jewel and a strange lever. " We''ll start you off on the novice level. Hopefully you''ll get used to it quickly." The sand began moving much like a treadmill. Except bumps and hills started forming. As soon as I got over them the flattened and reformed in front of me. My waddle turned into a full on sprint. I didn''t care How wierd it looked. I ran with my legs flailing, trying to dodge the mounds that were growing out of the ground. Some were shaped like pillars and others were like walls. The first wall I came across hit me hard enough that I flew off the machine and hit the wall with a smack.


    ( If this is novice then I don''t want to see the hard mode.) I groaned out a small hiss

 Chapter 13 Training Part 2

    If it wasn''t for Sam giving me encouragement I wouldn''t have gotten back on that machine. I spent the next three hours running, jumping, and essentially improving my moving abilities.After that I was pretty much dead. I just laid on the ground away from the machine coated in flames to show Sam I''d had enough. At the very least she fed me to keep my energy up. It was a strange meat substance that reminded me of spam except it was a deep green. I was very suspicious of it at first. I looked around to see that every creature in the room had something they were eating. That dragon from before was actually eating the same thing I was. It actually seemed to enjoy it. I turned to it and brought me head close. It had no smell. None. Nothing to go my. I took a little nibble. It tasted like nothing I''d ever eaten before. Like pork and beef and chicken but it was different in the fact I felt energy crackle through me as I ate that small piece. It filled me. It felt like energy was pouring through my tired muscles as my mind became more awake. (This is good!) I chowed down.


    Since I had no hands or utensils and considering I hadn''t eaten anything since coming to this world I was starving. I shoved my head in and did what I had to. In the back of my mind I heard the system going off.


    / Host has consumed combination meat. Host has consumed orc, drake, compatable salamander material. Host has learned passive skill ; Physical Reinforcement: passive ability which enhances physical abilities and stamina. The higher the lvl the stronger and faster the bearer will become. currently level 1. Able to lightly jog without breaking a sweat. Grows through use.


    drake materials used to reinforce scales and claws. Salamander materials used to improve digestion of insects.... system informs host that it had no choice in this matter as the salamander didn''t have any sufficient skills or abilities besides this./


    I kept eating but didn''t get any more skills. I felt myself get a little heavier considering I was given a metal plate with meat that matched half my size. After I was finished I felt my body at work. My bulging stomache warmed and the materials began to be put into place. My scales got a little more luster to them and became a little thicker. My muscles started to become thicker. I felt like a whole new being. I looked at the treadmill and thought maybe I''ll give it a try again. I started to go towards it.


    Sam quickly reached down and picked me up. " Oof! If I didn''t know better I would say you got heavier." She walked toward a bunch of wood beams that were hung horizontally. " Sorry buddy but we need to work on your jumping power. We''ve built up a little speed but we need to give you more of an advantage. I want you to start on the lower beams and jump your way to the higher ones. we''llbe doing this for a while." I looked at her with the biggest eyes I could muster. I only made myself look foolish. She just looked at me and laughed. " You have no say. I can''t go to school hauling around a Fat Salamander now can I?"


    So for the next 2 weeks this is what I''ve been doing. Constantly butting heads with Bryant and his boar. Then doing this trading. Hopping up onto the higher posts. When I first tried, I fell. Luckily the sand broke my fall. After a while I figure out if I used my middle and back legs to jump I would go farther. This helped more than I thought. My middle legs are no longer useless! And so I worked hard. Using the tread mill I got myself faster. Using the beams I got stronger. I quickly grew to a little over a foot in length which makes me a little sad to be this small. But my legs have become thicker and stronger.


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    That afternoon we returned. I went and laid on my sand bed that Sam had made for me. It has a water dish in it and is actually more comfortable than it sounds. I can''t burn the house down because the bed is next to the fire place and away from anything burnable. I''ve actually gotten used to this style of living over the past couple weeks. It was then that Sam spoke up. " That dumb Bryant has given us a letter of challenge that father signed. He left a note stating he wants to see what''s better. A stupid Salamander or his magnificent boar!" I raised my head and huffed. " His words not mine" she said.She sighed.


    "Well... you''ve been after that Boar since you saw it. Shall we see if you can handle it?" she said with a mischievous glint to her eye. I breathed fire into the hearth to make it hotter and nodded. ( Show time)

 Chapter 14 Poison

    The next morning we went to the Dining Hall. Sam was finally letting me walk around because I had gotten too heavy for my cage. The maids scurried around like mice in a hurry. Though to me, they seemed to be going slow. My physical abilities had risen quite a bit. So everyone seemed to move a little slower. I saw a flicker off to my left and moved to avoid it. The frost eagle I saw a couple weeks ago had dived at me but (because of my speed)it missed. I shot a little flame at it making it recoil and retreat back to it''s sitting post.


    " It seems your salamander has grown stronger since I saw it last." At the head of the table sat Sam''s father eating his breakfast. " And it appears that you want it to be proved by my younger brothers boar."His eyes met hers. " If you want a strong familiar, it needs to know its strong. That is the reason I want you to beat your brother. Gerald you have no hope of beating. That Gryphon is stronger than my Frost Beak Eagle."


    The Eagle looked at me and hissed. I hissed right back with some smoke coming out from my jaws. ( This damn bird is asking for it. I''ll make you into a pillow one of these days! That bird has been picking on me since day one. Though I guess fire and ice won''t ever get along. But they sure as hell can leave each other alone!)Sam reached down and patted my head. " Not here." She sat and maids brought out a dish for her and a dish for me. Mine was a pile of meat and veggies. I chowed down after a small prayer to the reaper. I was starving. / Host is consuming Lava Bull. Sensing possible negative element. scanning./ I stopped and hopped onto the table sliding Sam''s plate away and sniffed it. It smelt off. I hissed. " Ignis what is wrong with you?" Sam said. I started shaking. / Frost Serpent herb has been introduced to host. A strong poison capable of paralysis and possibly death. Boiling it will cause any liquid close to it to turn blue. Consuming and Integrating poison to allow for hosts survival./ I breathed a little flame onto Sam''s dish and the water boiled. Consequentially it too turned blue. Sam''s Father stood up quickly. " Frost Serpent herb! Who cares try to poison my Family!" He slammed his fist on the table. " Guards! Round up the kitchen staff and the serving maids! I want to know who has the gall to do these things in my house!" Sam had grabbed me and was holding me while I was shaking.


    / Integration successful. Acquired Poison gland. Altered gland to integrate poison and filter it from the body. Host has gained Fire and Ice Poison. Host now has the skill Poison Fang. Host now has immunity to Frost Serpent Herb. Host is lucky to have survived./


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    After a while my shaking stopped. I wriggled out of her arms and went back to my plate. I sniffed the plate till I found what I wanted. It was a long blue vine object shoved into my meat. It had been flattened and inserted into the meat. ( This is done by an amateur) I thought. The guards came in with a group of people. Some maids, and some were the kitchen staff.


    "Lord Carnac! What is the meaning of this!?" A balding man said in a loud voice. He was dressed like a chef but he was coated in sweat and looked nervous. Sam''s father (or Lord Carnac as they called him) looked at the man. "Thomas. Someone has just attempted to poison my daughter and her familiar. I brought all of you here to find out who." He turned the group as a whole. "As to who that may be is about to be shown. I want to know who did it. Who put Frost Serpent Herb in my families food. If you confess I will have you either executed or exiled from my lands based on why!"The look on his face made my blood feel a little colder. A maid spoke up. " Master. A man came to the back door with a blue herb. None o'' us knew what it was. But he did say that it was to help little miss an'' her pet." Lord Carnacs neck seemed to snap around to look at her. "Can you tell me what this man looked like Marie? Or is this merely a farce to keep me from finding he real culprit?!" The maid shook. " I dare not lie to you sir. Not after all yuv dun for me an'' my family. He was a stocky man but his face was covered. An''he''s very short. A dwarf maybe sir? But he came and left with the wind sir." She had her head down.


    ( Damnit. Any more suspense will kill us all) I thought. I walked over and sniffed around. none of them had the smell of the herb on them. ( This is strange... Why do none of them smell of it) I walked back to Sam. She looked at me. She leaned down. " Did any of them do it?" She said. I shook my head. Her father was looking at me. In intrigue. " What was his findings?" He asked. " Nothing father. He found nobody with the smell of the herb on them." He then turned and looked at the guards. " They are to be watched and our food is to be tested from now on. I find this attempt to be very disturbing."After that he turned and said " Follow me"

 Chapter 15 Threats

    Sam and I followed her father away from the Dining Hall. ( I wonder what he wants to talk about.) I thought as we went down the corridors. There were windows everywhere making it brighter and warmer. I looked outside as I walked feeling the warmth on my face. (It seems to be summer outside... I wonder what it''s like out there.) I thought. (I haven''tbeen outside since I came to this world. I wonder if it''s similar to the world I left.) I continued to look. There was a courtyard as large as a football field. It was filled with a labyrinth of bushes covered in white flowers on one side and the other was open and airy. (So beautiful) was all I could think. " Ignis! Stop daydreaming! Come on!" Sam called out to me.


    I reluctantly followed her back into to the dark hallways. As I followed them I realised that it was starting to get colder. I turned slightly as a pair of icy claws swung past my head. ( That damned bird! I swung my head around and caught it by the leg and flinched it back. the bird was thrown a descent distance leaving a little frost on my maw which quickly melted. The bird was laying there stunned by what I''d just done. I walked over and put a clawed foot on its chest and hissed right in front of its face to let it know I was higher on the food chain. Then I let it go. I continued walking only to find the stunned looks of Sam and her Father who had been watching the whole time.


    "That lizard is not as simple as it seems. Most beasts wouldn''t dare go close to my eagle, let alone fight it. Speaking of which" He turned his head. " Malphus! How long are you planning on Laying there!?" he called. The bird did an awkward roll and stood. It shook itself then flew the rest of the way down the hall to land on Sam''s shoulder. I hissed at it and it hid behind her head on the other shoulder. Sam laughed at it. " You got scolded by a little lizard and come to me to mope. You are definitely my father''s bird! Hahaha!" I huffed ( little lizard my ass. I should''ve eaten the dumb bird.) I thought as I walked past her and into the room they were in front of.


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    As I walked in I noticed massive book shelves lined the walls. They filled the walls from floor to ceiling and were full of books. The room must have been 15 feet tall by 40 feet wide,and at least 60 feet long. it was filled with the smell of ink and paper. The smell I loved when I was human. I can''t describe the nostalgia I felt. It almost brought a tear to my eye to see so many books. (Shame I probably can''tread them.) I thought sadly. I felt a small breeza pass me as Lord Carnac passed me to get to his desk. " You''re probably wondering why I wanted to talk to you right after the events we just suffered... Am I right daughter?" He sat down and knit his fingers together looking very intently at us both.


    " Yes I very much do. Who would want to take my life?" she paused. " It wasn''t just an attack on you. It was an attack on Ignis and myself" this was prepared specifically so We would die from this. Who would profit from this?!" her voice got slightly louder closer to the end as she spoke. She sounded frustrated and alarmed. And even more so.... scared.


    " My daughter. There''s not much I can tell you. But what I can tell you is that this herb is not cheap. In the history of its use only nobles have ever had possession of it. And even fewer among nobles who can get there hands on it. I know that being a barons daughter has not been easy. But is there anyone who could possibly be targeting you?"


    " I don''t know." She said


    "It could be anyone then. Until we know who this person is we will have to keep a close eye on you both to keep you safe. I know any damage you get is transferred to him. But if he sustains enough a little bit hits you too. I just want you to be safe and sound. And I hope the day comes when we find the traitorous fool who dared try this stunt." He calmly put his hands down and grabbed a paper from a massive stack next to him. " Until then I still have my people to look after. I''m sorry. I''ll have the head chef make you something since Neither of you were able to eat the poisoned food." He rung a bell. An elderly butler came in and he handed him a note and said something quickly. The butler nodded and hurried off. " Now. I love you. But I have work. Best go fill your stomaches. Go. Shoo." He waved in a funny fashion.

 Chapter 16 Food and Growth

    We returned down that hallway we came through. The sun was still high and the grass was green as ever. We continued to the DiningHall to find freshly made food for us. the guards stood by as we ate. The food was good. It was a plate of fresh fish coated on a type of cream sauce. It was delicious. / Host has consumed Dragon Face Tuna. Hosts compatability is substantial. Using material to improve ligament lubrication and water movement capabilities. Host''s long capacity has increased and can now hold breath for longer./ ( That''s useful.) I thought as I ate. ( Perhaps I''ll be able to gain more abilities later if I eat stronger things. After Dinner Sam went to the room while I wandered the castle. At least one guard was always watching me at all times. I went into the kitchen.


    The smells were incredible. Baked bread and butter made my mouth water a little more. But not as much as the stew I sniffed as I passed the stove. Everything in this kitchen seemed to have come from the middle ages. The only exception was the method they used to produce fire. There were strange rodents sitting under the pots and pans. They were seemingly coated in a black rock like substance and were coated in flames.I ignored them seeing as I already had a self ignition ability I didn''t require additional useless materials. I went for the waste bin for monster parts. The chef and guards looked at me.


    " What is it doing? The master wants us to burn the garbage. Maybe it''shere to help with that?"


    I looked slightly behind me and saw a young girl who was dressed in an elligant maid uniform. The waste was held in a large stone bin. Without giving them any Idea what I was doing before hand, I climbed inside." Really!!?!?!?! What is that thing doing!!!" I activated my self ignition ability once I reached the bottom. Smoke started coming from the pile and was going out the window. I was only letting out some of my fire. I didn''t want to fill the place with smoke.


    As I sat there essentially incinerating the garbage I grabbed bones that fell from above and chomped on them to see what I would get. After all. ( This is a treasure trove of stuff I can gain material and skills from. I shouldn''t let this pass!) was my thought process.


    After a While the system spoke up and started stating what I got. / Host has consumed the bones of a Horned Rabbit, Crystal fish, Lava Bull.../ the list went on for a couple minutes. / Host has acquired the passive skill Enhanced muscle structure: Enhances the muscles density and cohesiveness to the skin and bones. The more dense the body is the less damage taken and the more damage you can deal. It also helps keep one slim and capable of fitting through small areas.


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    Host has gained gainedpassiveskill:Lighter Bones. Skill discarded for detrimental effects to host. Gained Title. Eater of Bones: Consuming the bones of the dead has increased the toughness of your bones, scales, claws and horns making them more durable and strong. The more bones you eat the stronger your core structures become. Host has water resistance lvl 1. Host has gained earth resistance lvl 1. host has gained wind resistance. Combining into a higher skill. Success! Host has acquired multi elemental resistance lvl 1. Fighting or being exposed to elements will increase lvl. Constant exposure will increase resistance faster.


    And so my time was spent. After a while of feeling a little cramped I got out of the bin which was then completely full of ash. The kitchen was all but empty. There was a guard standing there and his head whipped around and saw me covered in ash. I felt an itch omy nose and sneezed sending the ash on my body flying. I started walking toward the door leading to the main area. The guard just let me go. As I walked down the corridor I felt more resistance. I felt heavier. As I walked past a hallway mirror I looked and saw my body had grown considerably. I must have grown to around 3 feet in length. My body was about a foot wide. I looked like a miniaturized komodo dragon with the exception of my horns which had grown to 4 inches long. I looked strong. I felt strong. (I like this) I turned once again and walked down the hall.


    Sam''s eyes bugged out a little when I walked into the room and asked " Where were you? And why did you get bigger?!" I walked over to the trash can in her room and saw a plate with food left overs close by. ( looks like she ate while I was gone). She stared as I waddled with the trash can over to the plate and I scraped most of the food into the bin and lit it ablaze in the can. She looked confused and then an aha look appeared on her face. " You went to the Kitchen and burned the waste bin.... but why?" She cocked her head a little to the left.... ( so cute) I thought. I reached my head in and grabbed a bone. I then walked over to my bed and chewed it. I didn''t feel hungry I was just curious what she had. / host has consumed the bone of a Flaming Gale drake. Wing Growth possible. Need 10 more pieces of winged creature DNA for possible evolution to occur./ ( oh!) Sam looked at me


    "You glutton! You went for the bones that were left in the trash!"She rolled over in bed. " I don''t even know why I worried about you. Sigh" After a few minutes I heard the sound of her sleeping. (She snores....) I laid down and warmed the sand before I fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 17 Battle

    The day after the incident I was back to training. I was building my muscles to handle my new weight. I got better. The treadmill burned my unneeded fat and the beams got my strength up to where it should be. My attacks on the dummies could cleave the cloth to pieces in a swipe and my fire was strong as it ever was. I also got to test my venom. Sam had a big chunk of meat brought for me. I actually need to eat more now that I''m bigger.


    I Bit the chunk of meat and felt something relax in my mouth. The meat started to feel strange so I put it back. The meat was slightly blue now. Then it started to smoke. The parts my fangs sank into had frost around them. ( So this is fire and Ice poison... Interesting)I took a bite of the meat. It didn''t really taste different. It was a little less chewy and had been softened more. I continued eating. / Host has consumed Lava Bull meat. Hosts Physical Reinforcement has reached peak lvl. Upgrading to Physical Reinforcement II lvl 1 Hosts efforts have not returned to lvl 1. But current abilities are now Lvl 1 for the next ability to improve on. Host has gained title: Persistant One: Grant''s additional benefits to one''s training allowing for enhancementthrough persistant and consistent training./


    ( Oh. That''s cool!) I happily continued eating. After I was done, I felt rejuvenated. " You ready for that Boar this afternoon Ignis?" Sam said from her table. I nodded and she smiled,


    " Good. This will be a difficult fight for you. Don''t let your guard down and do your best to wear it out. It might be big. But that pig doesn''t have nearly as much speed as you do." I walked over and headbutted her leg lightly.


    " I''ll be fine. Just focus on you." She patted my head in between my horns.


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    That Afternoon...


    We stood in the back area of the mansion grounds. The area was the shape of an oval and about half the size of a football field. The ground was hard and compact. There was cement walls that surrounded the area at 6 feet high. There were just the boar and I in he area. On the wall behind me in a caged area stood Sam. Behind the Boar was Bryant smugly grinning like he''d already won. " You know sis. You can still give up and get rid of the lizard. Just sit at home with mother and be a good girl." ( I really wish I could hit this kid. How can he be such a prick at such a young age?!)Smoke started pouring from my mouth. "Ignis" Sam spoke. Her eyes were filled with fire. "Fry that Pig to Cinders." My chest filled with heat. Sam''s Father stood off to the side. " I want an honorable Fight. Don''t kill your opponent. Especially you Bryant! Your sister worked hard to raise this Salamander."


    He hopped back through door on the side.


    " Begin!"The door slammed. The boar immediately started charging. I rolled out of the way in time as he shot past me. I ran to a wall and climbed onto it to get a better advantage over the boar. ( Here piggy, piggy) I huffed at it as it looked me. (Wait for it. ) I coached myself. The boar started charging toward the wall at me. I was right above its head height. I waited till it was almost on me. ( Now!) I jumped and spun forward swinging my tail down onto its head like a mace. I heard a crack, an oink and felt a little pain from my tail. Both the pig and I landed. I landed on my feet as the pig landed on its side out cold.


    I walked around till I was around behind its head. It''s eyes were glazed and it was still breathing. The reason I walked behind it was because the fire it had for hair hadn''t gone out. I put a claw on its head and started eating the flame./ Host has consumed Flaming Boar Fire. Boar flame enhances flame stability and concentration. Flame Breath and Flame Control have now reached level 4./ I decided to eat the rest of the flames off the boar leaving it entirely bald which also led to my flame abilities to increase to lvl 5.


    Sam''s Father stuck his head in and saw the boar laying on the ground and me happily waddling toward Sam''s side of the arena. He was stunned. I sat there happily below Sam. It was around then that I heard Bryant complaining. " Father! Samantha''s dumb lizard cheated! Look at my boar father! How could she do that to my boar!" He looked up at Bryant and I love what he said next. " The surveillance orb didn''t detect any bad activity or cheating. Your boar was beaten fair and square. Put down your pride and acknowledgeyour wrong!"He turned to Sam and I. " Well done with your challenge."

 Chapter 18 The Strong

    We left the challenge grounds as {I heard they were called} and headed for the training area again. ( I thought that pig would at least be good enough for a warm up. But I guess I expected too much.) We went through the strange hallway and into the training area. As we went through I saw a feather fall in front of me. It wasn''t a small feather. It must''ve been as big as my head and a deep brown color. I looked up to see where it fell from only to see a massive bird head looking at me with it''s huge eyes. ( This isn''t intimidating at all) I bucked up shakily. This thing could swallow me whole and still have a full course meal without a problem.


    " Morgan! I know you like small beings. But we need to train!" The Birds head turned to look back. At this point I got a good view of it. Huge claws at the front that flowed into a large white horses rump...( This is a gryphon... isn''t it?!) It started walking away with its wings folded. ( That''s a bloody gryphon!!!!! That thing is bigger than a ryhno by a foot at least!!) As it walked I noticed who it was walking to. Gerald. I thought the gryphon was enormous till I saw the weights that Gerald was lifting. They must have weighed 100kg a piece and he had 4 of them on the bar he was bench pressing. The only thing different about him this time was that he wasn''t a swollen lump of muscles.


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    He was toned and tall. His frame was a little bulky but didn''t say anything about what he did just now. ( How is that possible!!) The system chimed / answer to hosts question based on Familiar master relations. When a familiar gets stronger so does it''s master. For instance. The gryphon specializes in strength and brute force. Hence it''s master is given boosts to his strength and other physical capacities without causing bodily harm or deformation.


    ( Then... what is my specialization?) / Answer : Salamanders are normally a magic based being though there are a few exceptions such as host who is also suited for combat based on training regiments and skills obtained. So Samantha''s abilities for fire magic are increased as well as her strength and durability. An arrow that would normally penetrate and kill her would leave a little scratch due to your contract supplementing her./ (.... WHAT!!!!! THE!!!! HELL!!!! Why didn''t you mention this earlier!?!?!) I suddenly felt frustrated. I was doing all the work while she sat the sipping tea. Now I know why!


    I turned to the feather in front of me once more. ( I remember something about growing wings if I ate enough DNA based toward that.... I wonder if that includes this...) My tongue whipped out, wrapped around the feather, and brought it to my mouth. ( Let''s give it a try.) I chewed the feather which was very soft except for its center. / Aquired superior DNA for flight evolution path. Host now only requires 4 more in order to acquire flight Gene for evolution./


    I immediately started looking for more feathers. Lucky for me I actually found 7 more of them. Ater eating the first 4 I heard the system go off. / Gene''s for flight evolution acquired. Host must consume 300kg of drake or lizard materials in order to grow in this evolutionary pathway./ ( Yes!!!!) Now maybe I can get to fly and do the things I''ve always wanted in my dreams. Feel the wind on my face and see the unknown! My imagination came to its end as I suddenly felt something pin me to the ground. I looked up to find a gryphon looking down at the lizard ir had pinned.


    ( Shit..... This is where I meet my end) I thought. Instead the damned thing started nibbling on my horns almost playfully. ( I am not a damn chew toy!) I hissed. But it was weak considering I was being squished. " Morgan! Stop that! He''s not strong enough to play yet!" Geralds laughing voice called. ( Great... Now I''ll be a laughing stock.)


    The Gryphon let me go and I scuttled back to where Sam was. And quickly I might add. Didn''t want to get caught by that thing again. Sam looked down at me and chuckled. " Don''t worry. Morgan has always played. She hasn''t had anyone to fight since father brought her back as a hatchling." I hissed a little in displeasure.


    I went and started running on the treadmill. As I was running Sam came over and moved the lever up to medium. ( Oh crap) There was suddenly a wall hitting my face.


    Needless to say it was another grueling training about running. After that I got to eat some bull meat. The lizard material I would have to take from the waste bin out in the kitchen. (If only it wasn''t so rare to eat that type of thing.) I thought. I didn''t gain any skills but the system put it to good use. / Using material for muscle building and reinforcement/I didn''t mind. With the skills I currently had, I needed more strength to help me speed up and get stronger.


    I didn''t have to get on the treadmill thankfully. But I did go into a strange round room. It was a tower. The only this is that it didn''t have any steps. It had changing platforms. The platforms were placed at odd intervals in height and placing. They some moved and others would switch every once in a while.


    I looked at Sam. " What? After you defeated that pig I thought you''d want a real challenge. Though you won''t die from falling. There''s magic in place to keep our familiars from falling to their deaths." ( That''s a relief. At least I won''t die)

 Chapter 19 The Difference Between Work and Play

    The next three weeks were hell for me. Amy speed was increasing and so was the training. The treadmill was seemingly getting faster and faster. At one point I thought I was getting slower. When in fact Sam had been slowly moving the lever higher to match my growth. ( This woman is Nuts!!!) I mentally screamed. My legs were seemingly a blur amidst the moving piles of sand. Surprisingly the treadmill got slightly bigger as the settings were pushed higher. It seemingly adapted and changed to meet the needs of its user.


    The tower was no joke either. In the three weeks of training I didn''t make it to the top once. NOT ONCE! This injured my pride some. But that will recover with time. jumping between the platforms was more than I bargained for. Turns out those platforms have a magic that makes you heavier as you go higher. So you could imagine that jumping from one platform to the next is a task in and of itself let alone trying to go higher. The highest I got was a third the way up. My Physical Reinforcement ability has leveled up nicely thanks to that. And I get the feeling that Sam knows I''m getting ready to evolve because she started feeding me lizard based meets. Some salamander, drake, even snake meats. I''m not close to the 300kg''s I need for evolution but I''ll get there.


    The dummies have been upgraded to ones covered in armor plating. In all reality. Armor is useless against fire. It''s like walking into a fight against a teakettle where the water in the teakettle is your opponent. You just get the armor hot enough and boom. Fried Food! I wouldn''t have to lift a finger.


    On another note. Gerald and his gryphon are starting to purposely train at the same time as us in the grounds. The gryphon ( Who apparently is called Morgan) doesn''t pounce on me as much but it still likes to pin me to the ground every once in a while. I honestly have no idea why something that big can move so quietly. It was almost eerie. But the point is that it just picks on me every once in a while.


    After a month of constant training my skills had grown to the point that I was a force to be reckoned with. Everything was level 7 with exception to my poison fang which was level 2. I need to consume more poisons to make it stronger. And since no sane trainer does that... I''m stuck with that for now.


    My muscles were tight, taught, and strong. I could make it half way up the tower before I took a break. But I couldn''t seem to break through that last hurdle. Every time I slept I wasn''t able to make it. It was so frustrating! Having it a claws length away. But unable to reach it. By then the wind magic is levitating me down to the ground with me twirling like a damn ballerina at a show. ( This is always embarrasing) I thought disdainfully.


    I finally reached the ground and my stomache growled. (Time for chow) I thought gleefully. As I walked toward the door I noticed a large shadow. It looked just like a particular gryphon I know.I looked up and noticed a hole by the wall. I climbed up and through it to find the very gryphon I thought. I came out right behind it''s head.


    ( Hehehehehe! Paybacks a B!+€#) I leapt onto the back of its head and suddenly the thing started bucking and squawking like its ass was on fire. ( Yeeehaw!) I thought, as I held on for dear life. I pictured the old bull riders from the rodeos and couldn''t help but chuckle at the thought of a lizard wearing a small cowboy hat.


    Morgan suddenly whipped her head forward and sent me flying. I landed on my back and rolled to my feet. Morgan stood there with her hind quarters in the air in a slight crouch like a dog. I thought she was going to attack,instead she pounced sideways in a playful manner. " Oh! I heard her squawking and thought there might be trouble. But it turns out she just got a new friend." I looked to the side a bit and saw Gerald and Sam standing in the door.


    I turned back and saw Morgan staring at me. I stated back and started to feel giddy. ( What does it feel like to try playing tag with a gryphon?) I jumped at her head and she dodged backward a little. From there the game was on. She would dive for me and I would jump out of the way. I would jump for her and she would shift slightly to just barely let me by. Despite the fact it sounds stupid... It was alot of fun.


    Sam''s view: I saw Morgan and ignis move. It was like watching two blues in constant motion. The Grey and Red intermingled a little twirling around each other. " How fast are they going you think?" I said to Gerald. "Faster than we will ever be." He responded. " It''s funny. Because that''s the speed they''re going when they''re playing. Morgan has never had someone capable of matching her speed."


    He looked at Sam and walked away with a pat on her shoulder. "You found a good one sister. Just don''t ruin him with your training. He might not be able to maintain it for long."


    IGNIS POV: After an hour of playing Morgan flew off satisfied it seems. Meanwhile,I was famished. I walked toward the food bowl and saw it was filled to the brim with meat. I looked at Sam in shock. She waved at the bowl. " I ordered it for you. You worked hard for it. Eat." I shoved my head in and chowed down. After finishing the bowl of meat (which I swear must have been 10 pounds) I heard a ding. / Host has reached the 300kg marker. Does host wish to proceed with evolution?/ I looked at Sam. She was putting things away from the training. ( Yes. I want to proceed.)


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    / Recommending host find a hearth or place filled with fire for evolution process to begin/

 Chapter 20 Evolution Sucks

    Sam and I went back through the winding corridors. I could feel the heat radiating through me. (So this is what it feels like to be close to evolving) I thought. I felt like a batterie that was so full of energy it was ready to burst. We got back to the room and I quickly got into the fireplace. / Host has found suitable evolution location. Beginning evolution./


    One of the last things I saw was Sam''s concerned face as the flames wrapped around me like a cocoon.


    / Checking all requirements.


    Materials: Present


    Dna: Present


    All things required are present. Beginning integration and evolution. /


    I felt a searing pain shoot through my back and shoulders. It wasn''t anything like fire. It was like an ice cold knife. It was the feeling of pain that brought me to being fully awake. It was hellish. Indescribable even. I suddenly felt an odd sensation. My muscles were shifting. Not painfully. But they were shifting and moving. I could feel them growing. I felt my shoulder bones shift and crack apart to make way for what was coming. I felt my back bulging and as it bulged, the more painful it became. Till finally the pressure was released through a wet sounding explosion. It was painful, but relieving me of the pressure and the pain subsided. As it subsided; So did my flame cocoon. I saw Sam sound asleep in front of the hearth with a blanket around her shoulders and her father sitting in a chair close by.


    I let out a weak hiss which woke up Sam. She quickly reached for a metal shovel close by and gently scooped me up into it with some of the ashes tagging along for the ride. "You had me worried sick. I''m glad father had people bring more wood for the fire else you might not have made it. You burned almost half a months supply of wood to keep the fire going. If only I''d known you were close to evolving. I might have prepared better. She gently shifted me onto the sand bed.


    I weakly closed my eyes, and as I drifted off I heard her father speak. " You both need rest. He''s been at that for 3 days. When he wakes he''ll need food but I can have a maid prepare that for you. Now rest."


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    The darkness consumed me and I let its blissful embrace grab me. (There''s no pain here. At least I can enjoy this. ) I thought as I drifted into much needed sleep.


    The next morning I woke and immediately looked for my wings. They were small and almost unnoticeable. They were weak and it took me a while to figure out how to move the muscles attached to them. It took a few hours. Thankfully Sam wasn''t awake. I eventually got used to lightly flapping them and then I had to rest them because new muscles get sore quickly.


    I thought about what happened during my evolution. ( I hope not everyone has to go through that experience when they evolve.) I heard a ding. / Hosts concerns are unfounded. The reason that host felt excessive pain is because most familiars can eat a pain killing substance. Unfortunately for host it would just burn off. So you will have to endure more pain later. Also due to hosts evolution I must inform you late. Host has now gained Pain Resistance lvl 3 due to enduring extreme mental, physical, and spiritual pain from evolution. Host now must deal with 70% of the real pain. Each lvl decreases pain felt by 10 percent./


    ( Gee...thanks...) I thought. (What did I evolve into anyway.) I looked back and saw I still had six legs. / System congratulates host on successfully evolving into a Six Legged Flame Drake. A Six Legged Flame Drake is even rarer that the six legged salamander due to the fact most salamanders can''t handle the strain and die due to physical and mental overload. Rarer still is the fact of one reaching this state to evolve./ I was dumbfounded. ( So I''ve become something more rarethan what I was originally.... This is bad....) I head a noise and turned to see Sam waking up. She stretched out fully. " That was great." She yawned out.


    After a couple seconds she noticed I was laying there staring at her. She stared back at me for a while. " So you got wings?! Did you get anything else?" I shook my head. " Bollox! I was hoping you''d get something more than just that." She folded her arms with a slight pouting face. / Host has gained a slightly more dense bone structure. With more training the wings will be able to release flammable particles that will ignite on contact with anything. Though this will require extensive training to build the muscles and skin between the wings./I looked closer at the on my back as I unfolded them. They red with specks of gold. Boney finger like things spread through them as making them seem slightly creepy. They reminded me of a bats wings. The only difference is these are on my back.


    I walked toward the door. ( Maybe I should go train?) Then my stomache growled. ( Nope. food it is.) Sam looked me when my stomache growled. " You need food. You haven''t eaten in a couple days." She got changed and we went down to the Dining Hall. ( I''m so hungry I could eat a horse!)


    After a metal platter was brought out for me and I started eating. / Host has eaten Sky Mane meat... Hosts hunger for horse meat has been satisfied. Host has aquired passive skill. Flight Strengthening lvl 1: This skill strengthens muscle tissue and materials around and on the wings; enabling them to become stronger and allowing you to go faster as its lvl increases./

 Chapter 21 Fly into the Unknown

    There''s not many things I''ve wanted in life. But flying is certainly one of them. I''ve been trying for the past 3 weeks to get my wings strong enough to glide let alone fly. My wings have grown to around 5 feet across. Almost twice the length of my body. The way I''ve been training them has been fairly ridiculous. I''ve been doing push ups with them! I needed to strengthen the muscles that flap my wings. As such I figured that doing pushups would be just the thing. After 3 weeks I feel my muscles are strong enough to hold my weight for a while. I started going up the towers platforms that I always train on. After reaching the middle I laid there a bit for some rest. Some of you might be thinking that the wind magic will just force me to the ground right? Wrong! It actually helps a little when attempting to glide. Turns out that the spacing between the platforms is different after halfway. It''s meant to help strengthen anything with wings. I spread my wings and and get ready to jump. ( test number 49 readying for turbulence and attempting to cross to the great unknown) What? I get to feel like a kid a little. I jumped. The wind catches my wings from below and lightly pushes me up a little to the next platform. As I go the wind feels nice on my wings. Stretching them a little. I finally reached that platform I''ve been trying to reach for months. ( Yes!!!!! Finally!!!!) I screamed in my mind.


    /Host has reached flight lvl 1. Capacity for flight is gliding with the winds. Or down to the ground depending on wind current./


    (Hahahahaha! Once I have this thing leveled up I will rule the skies! Hahahahahahaha!) I saw Sam walk into the room looking for me. I looked down and got an idea. I jumped from the ledge and dove toward her. At the very last moment I opened my wings to slim myself but.... My wings folded behind me after a couple seconds and I slammed into her at half my falling speed sending us both tumbling.


    As I laid there seeing stars Sam got up and brushed herself off. " Ignis!" Immediately the stars cleared and I sat taught as a rope. She crouched and patted my head. " Good Job. Just work on your landing speed." I was stunned. ( What?!?! No scolding or excessive punishment training! What''s gotten into her today?!) I didn''t want to find out. I quickly turned back to the training room. But I suddenly heard a thump. I turned ( Sam!!!!)


    I ran over to her still form on the sandy ground. I shrieked at her attempting to wake her. When that didn''t work I pecked at her. attempt after attempt failed. After 10 different attempts I could only run for help. I ran and glided from banisters shrieking till I found someone.(Gerald! Thank the Reaper!) I started shrieking and circling him. He picked me up confused. "What wrong Ignis?"I grabbed his bow tie and ripped it from his neck. He dropped me in shock. " Ignis! Bring back my tie this instant. He started chasing me. I was slow enough for him to follow. He followed me all the way to the training area. He saw his sister laying on the ground and immediately ran for help.


    Within a couple minutes a group of maids and servants were carrying her to her room with me close behind. Doctors showed up and I was forced from the room. After some time they came out and sighed. Sams father looked at him. "What is the diagnosis? Tell me doctor! How is my daughter?" The old man looked at him and solemnly explained her situation. " She is suffering from shadow fever. She signed a contract with a very powerful familiar and is suffering feedback on a scale I have never seen. If the feedback was reduced... perhaps she would start feeling better." Lord Carnac looked at the doctor. " And how do you propose I do that? I can''t kill it without hurting her and I can''t undo the contract. So what are you proposing?"


    The doctor leveled his gaze at me. " I reccomend letting the beast out into the woods a few miles away from here. With that much distance between them the feedback should be lessened enough for her to get accustomed to it. Meanwhile it would be best that once she wakes.... That she be put through rigorous training."


    Lord Carnac looked at me and after a little thought knelt and apologized to me. The next second it was pitch black. The next thing I knew. I woke up in a grove of trees. The trees were big leafy things. Their branches spread wide almost obscuring the sun. My head hurts I thought as I felt a pang of pain through my head. / Host has acquired Darkness Magic Resistance lvl 1. System has combined it with Multi-Elemental Resistance lvl1. lvl up! MER has become lvl 2./ I heard the system chime.


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    I turned a little to notice a black swirling circle on a tree close by. As I went closer to it, it disappeared. ( Odd) I thought (Now where am I?) I continued to look around but couldn''t see anything but trees. ( Looks like I''ll have to climb. I walked over and clawed myself up the biggest tree I saw. When I got to the top I saw a see of leaves and and open prairie far away. ( I''m in a forest... I guess that Lord Carnac sent me away rather than hurt his only daughter. Figures that the lizard bites the bullet in this situation.) I opened my wings and slowly glided down to the forest floor.


    (Guess my adventure is starting earlier than I thought) I walked along the ground. Till I foundtree with a hollow at its base. ( I need to find food, water, and shelter. This''ll do for shelter. Now I just need food and water.) I went into the hollow and found a very large stone rat sleeping inside. I lit it ablaze and it died before it could so much as scream. ( There''s food solved.) I walked around inside. The Hallow was large and spacious. There was a pool of water that seemed to drip in from outside through the roots of the tree.


    ( Looks like I found all three items on my shopping list) I thought gleefully. I went and started munching on the rat It was nicely barbecued. It was juicy and slightly sweet which I didn''t expect.


    / Host has consumed Stone Eating Rat. Host has obtained passive skill Stone Skin lvl 1: Allows for skin to be toughened to a stones toughness and durability. The higher the lvl the more durable and strong your skin will be.


    Skill has been absorbed and combined with Physical Reinforcement lvl 7. Skills have formed the passive skill Reinforcement of Stone lvl 3. This enhances all physical traits related to skin, bone, and muscle. At lvl 10; the toughness is comparable to diamond or titanium./


    ( Damn. Things just got interesting) I thought as I ate. I didn''t gain any more skills. But I found some rocks and barricaded the hole with a huge pile of them to keep predators out. ( I don''t want unwelcomed guests). I found a nice spot to sleep and finally set myself down for some shut eye.

 Chapter 22 Survival of the Fittes

    I woke to the sound of scratching and crunching. I opened my eyes and looked around. The stones by the door were being pushed on by something till a paw pushed it''s way through. It was large as large as my head.I immediately started looking for a way out and saw the roots that dripped water.


    ( This is going to suck...) I ran to the roots and started my climb the cold water lightly coated my arms as my claws dug into the root. I moved upward. It was a little tight, but I was managing. A I got closer to the surface I could see light passing through the roots. I started munching on the roots to get out. Thankfully I saw what was out there before I could chew my way out.


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    It was a massive cat. As tall as a person and coated in scales with some fur tufts sticking out from beneath them. Its face was that of a tomcat with exception to its abnormally large fangs. Those fangs made it look like a draconic sabertooth tiger. ( That thing shouldn''t be here. This ecosystem can''t possibly support it. It''s too big. Probably best if I avoided it.) I waited a while after it left through some bushes before I came out. I climbed a tree to a decent enough height to glide. ( Seeing as gliding gets me around faster, this makes sense.) I continued gliding and even tried flapping my wings a bit. (Flapping is harder than gliding. I need to work on this or I''ll never truly fly!) I thought. I reached a part in the trees where there was a spring.


    The spring was surrounded by twisted trees. It almost looked as though they were braided together by something. I settled down at a pool of water not far from the spring and rested a bit. After my little stop, I went on a little stroll. I could see surprisingly well in the underbrush. All of a sudden I was struck by something sticky!


    The thing hit me hard enough that my feet came off the ground. / Reinforcement of Stone lvl 4! Hosts scales have grown from taking considerable damage./ My body hit the ground and I tried to roll but something stopped me. I looked and it was a long pink thing holding me. It extended into the bushes by the spring. Suddenly tugged toward the bushes. ( Shit!) I tried clawing and digging into the ground to stop myself but to no avail.


    The tongue dragged me into the bushes where I saw a frog the size of a large desk. ( And this is how it ends... Not on my watch! I tried turning but it kept me facing away from it. And by the time it let me go it was too late. I was in it''s mouth. I felt the goop on its tongue and mouth as it swallowed me and I sat in its stomache. It was suffocating. ( Ok.... Enough!) I self ignited. / Host has ignited in a humid environment. Flame efficiency decreased by 50%./ (Then I''lljust burn hotter!) I started focusing on the image I wanted most. Not a blow torch or a bbq. I wanted a volcano. I wanted to erupt with such heat it destroyed this damn toad. I focused and felt the heat boiling the stomache. The toad started croaking loudly and hopping. I felt the jarring but I didn''t care. I just bit into it''s stomache lining to hold myself still. Finally I felt it. The explosion.


    There was a loud boom and I was thrown through the air. Sucked out into the light that filled the forest. I had a hard landing. It didn''t hurt but it was certainly uncomfortable. I weakly got to my feet. That was really draining. I looked around. There were pieces of smoking toad everywhere. I walked over to one of its large legs. They must have been 4 feet long. ( Guess you get to be eaten today bastard) I picked up its leg and started breathing fire over it to cook it. Toad doesn''t taste too bad. Like chicken but a little greasier. / Host has eaten Iron Horned Toad. Host has aquired active ability: Sticky Tongue. Allows for catching things at a long range. Can also be coated with poison. Upgrade available if host wants. Poisonous Adhesive Tongue and Poison Spit available./ ( Why not. Yes) I felt an irritation spread across my mouth. I wanted to scratch but it itched even across my tongue. ( This Sucks!!!)


    After some time the itch finally abated and my eyes stopped watering. I looked towars a small bird on a branch above me. I wonder if I can hit it. The info for using the tongue immediately filled my mind. ( Oh this is nice! I finally don''t have to work to get a tutorial.) I coiled my tongue as best as I could. Till the pressure built and then I let it go. My tongue was long and purple with red streaks all over it.


    It hit the bird with with a splat and poof. And I retracted it right away. The bird was dead as soon as I hit it. ( Sorry buddy. But this was for a good cause) I lit the bird ablaze and swallowed it whole. / Host has consumed Cloud Feather Bird and gained materials suitable for wing muscle enhancement/ ( Nice.) After that I continued to scavenge for the other parts of the toad. ( How can I be this hungry?) I found the rest of the toad after a couple hours of searching and ate it. After some contemplation I continued on my journey. (I need to get off the ground I thought as I looked up and saw the sun setting.


    I found some sticks and leaves and climbed a tree. (How do birds manage this. I started making the best by curving some of the branches like I was making a basket. It brought back memories of what I used to do in arts and crafts. I continued till I was satisfied. I managed to find and skin a strangered squirrel that was the size of a raccoon and used that for padding. (This should do.) I continued to search for materials and found enough to make a small roof. It was like a yurt I guess you would say. Parts that wouldn''t stay I used sticky saliva to hold it in place. luckily the stuff dried and held after a couple minutes. ( This will be my home for now.) I thought sadly. ( Time for bed) I thought as realization hit home. I wasn''t going to see Sam for a long time. ( I need to figure out how to get home....) I thought as I drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 23 Life of a Forest Dweller

    I don''t know how long it''s been since I was sent to this forest. I know I''m getting stronger. But the days turned into months when I stopped keeping track. The best I originally built I''ve outgrown. My body has grown to 5 feet from it''s original 3 feet. My wings are much stronger but, unfortunately my skills have basically merged into a select few high rank ones. My multi element resistance reached lvl 6 yesterday after I fought and ate a flightless bird that was coated in stones.


    My poison has actually stayed the same lvl because my current poison is too powerful for the current poisonous beasts to enhance. Though after asking the system how many levels there were it told me 5. And I''m at 2.This forest has really become my home away from home. Though I definitely miss the mansions meals and the training grounds were easier to handle. Here it''s either kill or be killed.


    After the first month of me living here I noticed something like boundaries had been set up. That cat I saw a while back sticks to one side of the forest. I don''t know what rules over here. But I know it has that cat scared enough to stay away. I spend most of my days gliding. I haven''t really had the need to fly. Gliding has gotten me almost anywhere I need to. Little birds are the easiest thing to catch around here. They are white things. Pure white without any coloring besides their beaks. I haven''t seen where they''re coming from though. They just fly around everywhere like they own the place. I actually had a few bigger ones divebomb me once. Needless to say I ates dem.


    After eating sufficient beasts to sustain me for the day I walked the rest of the way home. I had build a hollow under a large tree. It looks like an oak with large leaves. The only difference is that this thing started getting fruit on it not long after I moved in. Probably because anything I can''t eat I turn to ashes and bury in its roots. The fruit it has look like pears that are a deep red with purple stars speckled on them. They taste a little different kinda like a mix of pineapples and limes. Apparently they''re called Tree Guardian Fruits. They enhance plant monster attributes. But if anything else eats them it just acts as nourishment. I didn''t even get a skill out of it. Though they still taste good.


    I dug the hollow out deep beneath the tree. It was a good 6 feet deep. When you enter the roots are here and there comfortably with the biggest root acting like a center column. Theroom is 7 feet wide in a circle with stones Ive embedded in the walls. I actually gained the title architect from building this place. It enhances building and destrution capacity. At least on buildings. Theres a watering hole I dug. It acts similar to a well with how far down I am. It''s not the best, but it''s cozy all the same.


    I laid down for small nap when I heard a squeak. My head snapped around to see a tiny mouse in the corner. It had a gold nose that had a glint like metal. It''s body was coated in spikes. ( What are you?) I wondered. This thing looked like something that you could find in a toy store. The only difference is that this thing had a leaf on its noggin. A single leaf growing out. It hopped onto the edge of the water basin. Got a drink and scurried away.


    ( That is too cute to eat... ) was all I thought. And I''m not feminine in that thinking. I like cute things when they''re cute. Else I would''ve eaten it. Most "cute" things out here try to kill you. I wandered a little after it. I was curious what this thing was doing all the way out here in my territory. I exited my hollow to find a group of five mice squeaking at each other. One of them noticed me. " Squeek!" It ran away So did the other four.


    Feeling up for a bit of sport I hurtled after them. I was not quite about it. But I did manage to keep up. They were going toward the outer ridge of the forest toward the fields I saw in the distance. Right as we exited the forest I noticed 5 children standing there screaming. I screeched to a halt. The five mice hurtled toward the children only to climb up to their shoulders and sit. That''s when it dawned on me. Those mice were familiars.


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    The children saw me and started running along the forest edge away from me. ( Well.... I guess I would too if I was them. ) I started to walk back toward my hollow dejected. ( I miss Sam.) I heard something on the breeze as it went past. A human scream. My attention snapped toward the direction and I booked it. I don''t like screaming. It makes me want to make sure everything is alright. Call it anxiety. Call it what you want. I just want to make sure everything''s ok.


    I came out of the forest and was at the edge of the fields when I saw those kids from earlier running frantically. I didn''t understand why until I saw it. A huge Thundercloud Grey eagle was cresting the hill they ran over. Its feathers crackled with electricity as it flew. I saw it reaching for the slowest kids; trying to catch them. Then something snapped. I ran toward it. Right past the kids. I only thought of one thing. ( This will not happen on my watch!)


    Right as the eagle was about to grab a chubby boy with red hair I let loose a stream of fire at it. The Eagle recoiled, flapping madly to get out of the way. The flames missed. But it gave the chubby boy some time to run and hide.


    The Eagle stayed in the sky staring at me with disdain. I growled emitting smoke from my jaws as I prepped some flames in my chest.( You won''t have them.) I thought angrily.

 Chapter 24 Might or Righ

    I knew that the creature I was facing was stronger. ( But it still hates fire.) It kept staring at me... gauging me. My wings were folded behind me calmly sitting there. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. I''ve never been one to strike first. But I also know I have a slight advantage. My tongue was coiling in my mouth. The poison was coating it thoroughly.


    The Eagle finally had enough of waiting and dove at me. The electricity flew off its wings in arcs to the ground as it flew at me. I rolled to the side and let my tongue loose. I hit its right leg, dying it purple. At the same time, I felt a strong stinging sensation across my tongue. ( Ouch!) My tongue had struck and immediately returned; a little numb and filled with pins and needles after hitting the bird.


    The birds leg started getting coated in frost and the purple spread little by little.( This thing has poison resistance!) I thought as that was the only way it could still be in the air.He bird screeched at me. I hissed back( Come down you bastard!).


    I opened my wings. ( Fine. Better late than never.) I flapped up into the air. My wings felt better for getting the chance to stretch. ( I have to make this quick.) The Eagle rocketed toward me. ( Crap!) I did a barrel roll to avoid him. I breathed fire at it as it passed catching a few of it''s feather ablaze. But the thing I forgot was that the lightning flew from it hitting me in the side as it passed. ( Ack!) The numbing sensation made me falter a little.


    / hosts multi elemental resistance has leveled up to 6/ ( Why can''t you level up a different way! ) I screamed at the system. I continued flapping and started following the bird in the air. We Circled one another and dove at each other. My claws raked at it''s back and left trailing feather bits and blood. It''s claws scraped off of my scales leaving long white mark''s. We finally settled with latching together. My middle claws grabbed its claws and hauled it close. I opened my maw and bit it''s where its left wing met its body and tore. The wing didn''t come off. But a good chunk of his shoulder came away. The eagle screeched and pecked twirling and throwing me toward the ground.


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    I managed to get some of my directional control back and opened my wings before I could hit the ground. The air caught me for a couple seconds allowing me to slow down for impact. It still hurt like hell when I landed though. Let''s put it this way. I did not land gracefully. I was entrenched in the ground head first. I pulled my head out of the dirt and hauled myself up shaking away the soil and sneezing out the dust in my nose.


    The bird came gliding,very wobbly until it finally landed a good 40 feet from me. It looked ragged. Its feathers were charred and the dishevelled. I shook myself off hardly damaged from the fall. I charged toward it. Suddenly it opened its beak and a ball of electricity started forming. ( Crap. I''m not gonna make it.) It released the ball and I dodged to the side. The ball let go of arcs as it flew. One hit my back right leg. I felt a jolt and I staggered a little and felt a searing pain. I glanced back to see a lichtenberg scar going across my leg on the scales. / Hosts pain resistance has reached level 4. Hosts multi-elemental resistance has reached level 7/


    I glared at the bird and it glared at me. ( This ends now.) I charged it again despite the pain. It charged another ball. I jumped and spun swinging my tail downward like I had with the boar. I slammed the birds head into the ground. Its jaw slammed shut when it hit the ground. There was a loud crackling explosion that threw me away from it. The electricity arced from the bird during the explosion. I hit the ground and slowly made my way to my feet. My ears were ringing and my head hurt. ( That was a big bang.... hehehe) I moved up toward where the eagle was laying. It was laying with its feet facing the sky.


    I walked over to examine the rest of it. ( Its head is gone!?!?!) All that was left was a smoking lump where its neck used to be.I flopped onto the ground exhausted. (That... was cool.) I heard a child''s voice. "Is it dead? I felt a poke on one of my wings. I flapped the thing away and rolled over. It was a little girl in a flower dress with a tiny stick. She fell over and squeeled when I rolled. I was now on my stomache and I tell you I ached. I glanced at the girl and the boys who ran up to check on her.


    " That thing killed the Thunder Eagle! Look its head is gone!" I got up slowly and limped over to the eagle. I grabbed it by the stump of its head and started dragging it back toward the forest. I didn''t even pay the kids any attention.


    " Hey! Wait!" The girl yelled. I ignored her and kept moving. ( I did what I had to and nothing more. Did I do the right thing?) I wondered as I dragged the corpse back into my hollow. I dug a deep hole and threw the carcass in. I then ventured to the back part of the hollow to my secret spot.


    ( I have been storing my special foods in here for some time. About time they became of use.) I pulled a massive wok from the hole. It that was filled with different herbs. One looks and tastes like ginger but is called magna root. Another is a mushroom that is really spicy called a heart flame shroom. I won''t go into the others as it would take too long. I took the wok to the hole and placed it next to it. I then incinerated the feathers that were left in the bird. ( Time for food) I thought happily and tiredly.

 Chapter 25 A Welcome Surprise

    I started by getting water in my wok and dealing with the ingredients. After the eagle had been de-feathered I pulled it out and put some wood in the hole and lit it. After a decent flame was there I put the wok on it and added pieces of the eagle. I had nearly stripped the eagle clean but the time a pleasant aroma was going through the air. After that I waited till the food was done.


    My supper wasn''t as good as the castles but it brought me a sense of satisfaction. Especially my gains. / Host has consume Thunder Eagle. Host has acquired the Rare Passive Skill: Thunder Body lvl 1max. Thunder body allows for host to consume/ absorb energy from electricity in the area and use it. Electric attacks do 40% less damage to host. Host has Acquired active skill Lightning Breath lvl 1. Concentrating energy to form an electric beam takes time. For now host can only use lightning ball. A ball of electricity which can be formed depending on hosts will. Host has acquired sufficient DNA for growth and rare evolution. Host must find a place filled with fire and acquire a lightning stone from any of the following. A Thunder God Tree, Thunder Eagle, Or thunder strangling plant./


    After hearing the conditions for evolution I searched through the body of the eagle and found a tiny stone that was bright yellow in it''s chest cavity next to its heart. It was about the size of a quarter in diameter and was shaped like a marble. /Host has acquired lightning stone. Host still must find a place filled with fire./ I started thinking. (Where did Sam say she found me... The Burnt Fields.... System... where are the burnt fields located?) It answered / I do not currently know. Host has not been there so I cannot lead you... though host can consume the core and find a place with fire later. System will hold off evolution till all conditions are met./ ( Ok... well. That''s good.) I turned back to the wok and devoured the remaining meat. After the ashes of the fire remained I tossed in the remains of the eagle and burnt it till the bones were the only things left.


    The bones looked odd. They were white with blue lines that looked like writing on them. I started knowing on them but I gained no further skills. But I think I got something special.


    / Lightning Stone enhancement materials acquired. Enhancing the stone host swallowed./


    I ate the bones till I was done it all. I heard that ring through my head 5 times. My strength should grow alot once I evolve. I went into the pit that was full of ashes. (I''m tired and I''ve had a long day.) I settled into the ashes and drifted off to sleep. Unbeknownst to me. I grew a foot in length that night. My horns grew a couple inches and were more majestic looking and my wounds healed leaving behind a couple scars from my fight.


    The next morning I woke a little cramped in my hole. ( I need to stretch. ) I thought as I yawn loudly. I start going out the hole that I use as a door barely managing to squeeze myself through. ( I dug this thing almost 3feetfeet wide. I must be getting fat.) I climbed the rest of the way out of my hollow. As I came out I felt as if everything was a little smaller. I looked around and saw my tail. ( Did I grow again?) I checked myself by laying in the soft ground then getting up to see the imprint. I was at least 8 feet long! (How much have I grown?!) I heard a twig snap and swiveled to face it.


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    A tall woman with platinum blonde hair slowly stepped out of the bushes. She seemed a little plain. But her saphire blue eyes.... seemed so familiar. Her hands had gloves on them with a symbol I recognized. It was a salamander. A Silver Salamander. One that I had seen in the halls of a certain mansion so many times. Something I had seen so much and often it was engraved on my mind forever. I looked at her slightly pale face. Of course I could remember those eyes. ( Sam....)

 Chapter 26 House United

    She stood there staring at me and slowly began to back away. I huffed a little smoke at her and she booked it. ( I guess I changed so much that she doesn''t recognize me.) I started following her slowly. I followed the smell. It was something that had changed over the years, but not enough for me to not recognize it.


    The smell went deeper into the forest. Past that cats boundary. Past the areas I knew best. I started to leave claw Mark''s so I knew which way to come if I needed to find my way back. As I proceeded I felt something in my mind. { HELP ME!} I immediately booked it forward. I found her at the base of a small cliff surrounded by wolves with silver pelts. She was a little ragged with a cut on her cheek and a twig in her hair.


    ( Still clumsy as ever.) I went over to the top of the cliff down wind of the wolves. The wolves didn''t notice. They were focused on their prize. That was their mistake. I landed in the middle of their pack a flurry of whipping tail,flashing claws, and flame. Before they could even comprehend what was happening 3/4 of them were dealt with while the last 1/4 ran away. I turned to her and she sat there trembling as I came close. I laid down in front of her and put my head on her lap. "Huff" I puffed out a little smoke.


    She was stunned. She didn''t move. I thought for a second and tried what I thought could work. ( Samantha.... Why are you here.) I thought as openly as possible. Her head cringed a little after I thought that. " Get out of my head. HE''S DEAD..." I looked at her... ( Dead? I''m right here) She looked at me in her lap and then I rolled onto my side away from her so my horns didnt dig into her. And showed my belly.


    " Why are you so friendly to a human like me?" She reached out and patted lightly. I quickly reached up with my six legs and pulled her into a hug while I rolled onto my back. "Eek!" She stiffened. After a while she softened. This is something I would often do when I played with Sam. I felt a hand on my lower jaw. " You.... are Ignis aren''t you" I nodded my head enthusiastically. Her eyes teared up and she started balling.


    " They told me you were dead! They told me they got rid of you to save me! Waaaaaaaaah!"


    I laid there cradling her gently while she cried.


    After some time I rolled and got her slowly put on my back for the ride back to the hollow. I went slow so she wouldn''t fall off. When we got back I widened the doorway and excavated more of the floor so she could fit easily. Unfortunately I didnt have blankets or a bed to offer so I gave her the softest pile of leaves I could manage.


    She woke up not long later with me by the door and her on a bed of leaves. She stood hunched over and walked over to me. The look on her face showed consideration but also focus. " Let''s get you home." My head reared and my eyes lit up at the mention of home. Back to the mansion with its decadence and majesty. Away from all these creatures constantly trying to take my head.... Why not?!?!?!


    I went out the hole first and she followed not long after. I looked up stared. She stood there for a while wondering what I was staring at beforeshe noticed the fruits. Needless to say it didnt take much convincing to get a wok full of fruits strapped to my back using vines. We started on our way home.


    We came out of the forest after a good 5 hours of walking. After the first 3 I got Sam on my back to relax her feet a bit. I was used to this. We got out and came across a stone paved road. I looked left then right. " Go left. That''s the fastest way back." I turned left and started running. " Ignis! The road is bumpy we''ll lose the fruit!" I opened my wings and flapped taking us into the air. She held onto the vines and squealed. I went higher and higher till the lands below were pretty small. I kept flying for a while. Sam talked most of the way back. She talked about how Gerald joined the Royal Army and Bryant was going to The Royal Academy of magic. While she had been stuck at home. After I was taken she was forced through rigorous training. Enough to make her tougher than most people.


    The only thing that was left out was whether I was going to be welcomed back. I continued flying for a while. The clouds felt nice as we passed through them. The sun kept us warm against the cold winds in the atmosphere. After some time We finally saw the mansion. I lessened our altitude till we could see it clearly. Its green courtyards and white stone wall. I slowly descended outside the mansions. Guards suddenly rushed the gates with piles at the ready after seeing me.


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    " Halt! Who goes there!?" One shouted. Samantha came out from behind me


    " Tell father I''m home and open the damned gate you buffoons. And this is my familiar. let him through."


    The guards laughed to each other.


    "Milady. Your jokes are good. Your familiar is dead. We saw it ourselves."


    I breathed flames forward and melted the gates because the guards weren''t moving fast enough. " Yelp!!!!!" I heard one of the guards exclaim. I stepped on the hot metal and bent it allowing Sam to enter.


    " Thank you Ignis. " She smiled and patted me on the head. I followed her with the guards shaking with fear by the wall.

 Chapter 27 Truth

    We continued through the courtyard while a guard ran past us. ( Perhaps he remembered that he was supposed to tell Sam''s father that we''re back.) Sam climbed onto my back and sat on the flat area between my shoulders. We continued.


    We got to the front door where a butler opened it so we could enter. The lights were bright and the smells wafted through the air.


    ( I''m home.) I thought.I could''ve cried. I missed this place. My stomache growled at the smell of food. Sam tapped my head.


    " Do you remember the way to the dining hall?" I huffed and started moving down the hall to the left. It didnt take long to get to the double doors. Sam slid off of my back and butlers opened the doors.


    "Sam! Wonderful that you came home. Though what monstrous thing did you bring back with you?"


    I looked to the head of the table. Her father had aged a little. He had some grey hair to his head and mustache. This man had sent me to that forest. This man had sent me to that hellish place. I hissed a little behind Sam. She patted my head making a small attempt to calm me. It did very little. She took a second before she spoke as she slowly moved toward the table.


    " Father... As you can see I brought back the familiar that was stolen from me. I was told he was dead. Now I know different. Not only has this being defended me against harm it has even spoken with me. Tell me. What did you do to my Ignis. The truth!" She reached the table as she finished her sentence and slammed her hands into it. The dishes on the table rattled a little.


    The Lord looked at her, wiping his mouth with a napkin he paused. He then looked her in the eye before looking behind her at me.


    "After your collapse 4 years ago the attending doctor said that we could either separate you both by a great distance and lessen the soul feedback you were experiencing... Or we could kill your familiar."


    He paused again. "Knowing that killing your familiar had a higher chance of harming you than helping you... I sent him away. To the farthest place I''ve been where monsters live. The Forest of Shadows. After you woke I told you he was dead so you wouldn''t go hunting for him and get back into the same predicament. I also didn''t realize the strength my daughter had, to go to such a dangerous place as the Forest of Shadows... to fetch him back."


    At this point Sam''s father had his head resting on his hands. I walked up to Sam with asliding sound from my tail dragging. I nudged her hand. I felt something through our bond. A strong sense of humiliation, sadness, and anger.


    (She''s been through alot I thought to myself.)


    { Forgive him. If it wasn''t for him you wouldn''t have gotten better and I wouldn''t have gotten stronger.} I thought across our bond.


    She looked down at me in shock. " But we left you alone out there with nothing. How can this be forgiven so easily?" She asked. { Sam... look at him.} She turned her head to see what I saw. I saw a father with the deepest dreading look in his eyes. It looked as though he hadn''t slept in days.


    I felt her shock through the bond. ( It''s not that shocking. Keeping a secret for 4 years is a hard thing to do. Especially when it''s your family that you''re hiding it from.) I started circling around the table toward Sam''s father. He saw me coming and started to retreat. He got out of his chair and started moving backwards. His chair fell over as I brushed it.


    "Malphus!" He called. A chill filled the air as his bird flew from its post toward me. I opened my mouth and blasted it out of the air with a little electric blast. Not enough to kill but certainly had enough juice to stun. I turned to him and backed him toward the corner. I looked into his eyes and sent a thought to Sam. { Please tell him if he pulls a stunt like that again I''ll eat his bird and see how he feels.} I looked back at her as I started walking away from him. (I think I intimidated him enough.) She looked at me and sighed.


    " He says to tell you if you pull a stunt like that again he''ll be having Malphus for lunch so you''ll know how it feels." Her father''s face blanched.


    Sam sent me a thought. { You didn''t actually kill Malphus did you?}


    Her father stared at the bird on the floor. The bird was still on it''s back with it''s feet sticking in the air. I walked over and poked him. He let out a weak squawk. { He''s fine... I think}


    I left the bird there and walked back to Sam. She took another look at her father and we left. She took me down to the kitchens. The staff hadn''t changed at all. The kitchen staff all saw me and stopped. Sam walked in behind me and looked around. " What are you all doing? I have a familiar that''s hungry."


    The silence was ran over by the sudden bustle of the kitchen. Within minutes I had half a cow''s worth of beef in front of me on a platter. I looked at Sam. She smiled. " Its alright."


    I started eating. ( I missed this. The safe place to eat with people around. Makes me feel like some part of me is still human.) The meat was spicy with a hint of what I thought was lemon.


    / Host has consumed Purple Blood Bull. Host has gained materials for growth. System is placing materials towards wing, and primary muscle growth. Host has acquired bloodline ability Blood Purifier. Blood Purifier helps resist disease and assorted ailments. Host currently has gluttony system. System absorbing ability to be more useful to host./


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    I kept eating till I was full. ( After all this time I''m finally satisfied...) I turned and found Sam sitting in a chair looking zoned out while staring at me. ( She must be tired.) I picked up my platter and took it to the scullery maid who was doing the dishes. She looked and saw my head at her shoulder and squeaked. I bent and placed the tray in the sink and walked away with her still slightly cringed.


    I nuzzled Sam a little to get her attention. She came alive a little and she leaned on me as she led me down a brighter corridor. The room we entered was creamy white with a bed that had a red curtain surrounding it. (I guess it''s time for her to sleep. ) I found a corner of the room without much in it by the hearth and laid down to sleep.

 Chapter 28 The Forge

    When I woke the next morning, Sam was gone. I searched everywhere till I found her


    at the training grounds. She had a wooden dummy with pegs sticking out of it in front of her. Her arms and legs moved in a quick fashion similar to martial arts. Seeing how she was working so hard I moved away and started exploring the mansion and grounds. I had never been in the grounds. He air was clean and the a good amount of the trees were fuit trees.


    I walked about the courtyard and the back area. As I went, I smelled something in the air. It was the smell of burning wood. ( Smoke?) I followed the smell to a shack at the back of the mansion. A clanging sound rang through the air. I poked my head through the door and saw a heavily muscled bearded man with a hammer beating a piece of hot metal. ( A blacksmith?) I pushed the door a little more. It opened with a creak.


    "Hmm?" The man turned and saw me.


    "Geez!!!!" He jumped a good foot and a half off the ground in fright. I ignored him and continued looking around. I saw the bellows and the anvil. The walls were covered with tools. But the thing that caught my attention the most; was his forge. The thing was massive. I could fit in it comfortably if I wanted to.


    / Host has located suitable fire element filled place. Reccomend entering and beginning evolution./


    (.... I forgot about that.)


    I walked toward his forge and stepped inside. The flames covered me as I entered. ( I missed this warmth) I thought. The forest didn''t have many places that fire wouldn''t cause a disaster so I mostly avoided lighting a fire except for cooking. Now I didn''t have to worry. As I settled within the forge the man looked at me and laughed a bit.


    " Just came to warm yourself didja? Hahaha! No problems here."


    / Neccessary elements present along with materials. Beggining Evolution./


    The flames rose around me like a cocoon once more. The feeling of warmth made me almost sleepy. I started to feel an itch spread across my body. The feeling was lessened by the warm feeling, but it was still annoying.


    / System has found host to be highly comparable with Apocalyptic Sky Dragon route. Host has no other options. Does host agree?/


    ( What!?!?!?! Apocalyptic Sky Dragon. That''s not what I want!!!)


    / Host has no other options. Failure will mean degradation and possible injury to host. Choosing best possible route for host. Beginning evolution./


    ( Damnit!!!!!!! Sam''s gonna kill me!!!!)


    The itch intensified as pain made me cool up. I felt bones rotating and bending unnaturally. My body was swelling a little as the fire was sucked into me. I then felt my body compact itself a little. My horns grew larger as my body lengthened and my strength grew. My scales took on a purple color while the gold flecks remained. My jaws grew a little wider and longer. Another set of wings grew from my back.


    As this was going on the pain was excruciating. The system kept dinging. / Hosts pain tolerance level has increased. Pain tolerance level is still rising.... lvl 5...lvl 6...lvl 7 reached./


    With each level the pain was dulled a little. It was like taking poorly made tylenol that only took the edge off. ( Better than nothing I guess) I thought through the pain. It took a while. The pain wasn''t as bad, but my pain tolerance level didn''t increase after level 7.


    / Host has completed Evolution. Congradulations host on becoming Superior Rare existence [ Six Legged Disaster Wyvern Chick]/


    / Host has acquired and currently holde the present skills and titles:


    Reincarnated one


    Glutton


    Emperor of Flame [ Acquired from Blessing of Reaper]


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    Eater Of Ashes.


    Bone Eater


    ...


    Sense presence lvl 1


    Pain Tolerance lvl 7


    Lightning Breath lvl 1


    Toxic Breath lvl 1


    Fire breath lvl 7


    Poison Fang lvl 2


    Poison Tonguelvl 2


    Sticky Saliva lvl 1 [ max]


    Tongue Strike lvl 5 [ max]


    Multi-Element Resistance lvl 7


    Physical Reinforcement II lvl 5


    Thunder Body lvl 1 [Max]


    Reinforcement of Stone lvl 4


    Tail Strike lvl 7


    Self Ignite lvl 10 [max]


    ...


    / System now combining skills for improvement..... Improvement complete. Hosts skills are now as follows.


    Sense Presence lvl 1


    Pain Tolerance lvl 7


    Breath of Destruction lvl 2


    Bite of Destruction lvl 1


    Multi Elemental Resistance lvl 7


    Body of Stone lvl 4


    Flaming Thunder Body lvl 1 [max]/


    Destructive Tail Strike lvl 2


    Sticky Tongue lvl 1[ Max]


    Tongue of Ash lvl 5 [ Max]


    Tongue of Paralysis lvl 5 [max]


    Tongue of Poison Lvl 2


    Sticky Saliva lvl 1 [Max]


    /Sense Presence allows for sensing any being within 10 meters of host. Range and Specificity increase with level./


    / Breath of Destruction: Combines all current breaths into a Poisonous, Paralytic, Flame breath. Highly effective once host gains Plague Breath skills as it spreads more infectiously this way./


    /Bite of Destruction: The venomous bite has now been influenced by flame and electric attributes. Those affected by the poison now experience numbness, paralysis, then experience boils forming then burst into flame. Possibility of survival... 7%./


    / Body of Stone: created by combining physical reinforcement and reinforcement of stone. Host now can enhance defense and physical might through hard training to the point that both will be as hard as rock and hit as hard as a landslide... If you train hard enough./


    / Flaming Thunder Body: Any flame or electric element enhances the hosts senses and destructive abilities. Now when host Self Ignites electric element will be added. Allows for host heal by absorbing fire and electricity. /


    / Destructive Tail Strike: Combines poison, electric, and flame into the common tail strike causing critical damage to be done to the victim./


    ( Damn.... This isn''t too bad.... but I Still Prefer not to be a damn Super Rare thing! Why can''t this thing let me be a down low, under cover, thing that noone sees coming!!!!!)


    I huffed in the flames as my eyes came open and the cocoon withered back into the flames I originally crawled into.


    ( I wonder what I look like now....) I looked around a little. The blacksmith was gone and the room was darker. I pushed open the door and went out. It was night. The stars were shining as the cool breeze came through the grass and across the yard. I shivered a little and waddled to the house. (Everything seems bigger again. Did I shrink?)


    I managed to get into the house by hopping at a handle on the door till I got a little grip and it slowly opened. I fell off the handle. I went through the open door and quickly pushed it closed again. Time to see what I look like. I went into the hallway and found a mirror.


    (.... Why am I so small?!?!?!?!?!) I was about the size of a small poodle. I was small with 4 wings and was coated in purple with gold flecks. The horns on my head made me look much more like a dragon and less like the salamander I started out as. My six legs are thinner but feel stronger. My tail is longer with a little mace like lump at the end. This is new.After looking at it closer it was covered in scales that lifted and dropped in a pulsing manner. ( Strange....) I lowered my tail and suddenly felt tired.( Time for some sleep I guess.) I went ahead down the hallway toward that bright room Sam was in and found her asleep in her bed. I found my old sand bed by the hearth. ( She still has this thing after all these years.) I went and laid down on its familiar sands. ( Just like I remember.) I passed out.

 Chapter 29 Destructive Tendencies

    The next day was fun. I could train without worrying about something attacking me. I went to the beams and started my classic jumping. It was easier than I remember. Either I got lighter or I got faster. As I moved I opened my wings to stretch them a bit. I found a small breeze was being made as I moved. I found that training wasn''t very effective so I swapped to the tower. The gravity certainly helped. I slowed down alot. I started my classic jumping and I actually got to the top.


    ( Being a Baby Disaster Wyvern is no joke.) I thought as I examined one of my clawed paws in awe.


    After I went up and down the tower a few times I went to the combat area. ( I need to test the new skills I got) I smugly thought as I stode through the door. I felt a ping in my mind telling me to avoid my right. I immediately dodged. A massive bird claws landed where I just was. I looked at what it was attached to. ( Morgan!!!!) I thought happily. The only thing that had changed in the time I was gone was her size. She had grown a good foot or two. She had a scar on her beak and across her eye though her eye was fine. ( She''s seen some hard times.) I crouched like we used to when we played. My tail swayed on the ground like a cat.


    She did nothing. She sat there staring at me like I was a threat. I looked around. and saw Gerald behind her. " What''s got you riled up Morgan....!?!?" His eyes lit up in shock when he saw me." What is one of those doing here?!" Suddenly Morgan dove at me. I felt a cold threatening intent. I dove away and hissed. ( What the hell?!) I was running around the area with a gryphon on my tail. Gerald was looking at me confused. " Why isn''t he attacking?"I heard him mumble.


    I went into the beams and started darting around in there. Morgan tried getting in there and got stuck. Her fat horse behind was stuck between two beams. She squawked at me. J strutted over and sat right next to her head. I stuck my tongue out a bit in a childish fashion. I then sat on her head above her eyes so she could still see. ( I never thought of humiliating my opponents. But this is the first someone got stuck chasing me..... hahahahaha!)


    I turned and went to the point where there wasthe flat part in her back. I stretched a little. ( That was a bit of a work out.) Gerald had a sword drawn as I exited the area. I went and sat in the combat area. I stared at on of the armored dummies. I decided to try my breath ability first. I opened my mouth and let out my normal breath image. What came out was not normal.


    A dense fog came out of my mouth. It drifted in the way my breath normally would. When it touched the dummy though I was astounded. The cloth was died blue then it crackled and burst into flames. He metal melted. The wooden post was incinerated. I looked at Gerald who was frozen stiff. I turned to the other dummy and decided to try out my next ability. I jumped and spun imagining my tail like a flaming sword as I swung it at the head of the target. My tail touched and cleanly flew through it. The dummies head was crushed by the mace nub on my tail. There was a small hum. The next instant the dummy turned to ashes from an eruption of flames and electricity.


    Gerald Backed off to help his gryphon. He was completely outgunned. I nearly looked at him and sauntered toward the door. He didn''t try to stop me. I walked to the dining hall and found Sam. Her jaw dropped and she backed off. I looked at her. {What? Am I finally handsome enough for you?} She blushed.


    " I-Is that y-you Ignis?" She stammered out


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    { No it''s the cat... Who else could it be?!} She turned red at that comment. " I dont know you didn''t tell me where you went and I suddenly see a disaster threat level monsters chick! How else would you like me to respond!?


    { Oh.... I did not think that through...} I hung my head, a little embarrassed.


    Gerald and Morgan suddenly came through the door in a rush. " Sis! Have you seen a.....!!"He and Morgan stopped dead in there tracks when they saw me. " Sigh..." Sam came from behind me and picked me up similar to a cat. " This... apparently.... is Ignis after his evolution." She pulled me in and held me like a cat with my hind legs hanging and my upper arms and head in her chest facing Gerald.


    His eyes became serious. " Sis.... Dad said your familiar is dead. I don''t know where you got this new one but you should put it back. I quickly turned and climbed her arm to her shoulders so I was laying across them and hissed at him. { I''m not dead dumbass! and you knew that too!}


    Sam reached up and cuffed my head. ( oof!)


    "Don''t call him names because he was in on it too. Father probably commanded that they were to say those things." She looked at him. " I know what father did to Ignis. He sent him to the Forest to the south. He''d been there for 4 years! Until I found him yesterday... though he was a lot bigger and certainly not as.... concerning... as he is now." She slowly began petting my neck. The Morgan huffed at me and I heard a feminine voice fill the air. "I doubt it." I looked around and saw nobody but us in the room. " The Salamander I knew was more energetic and didn''t smell as dangerous" I slowly slinked off of Sam''s shoulders to the ground where I sat there and stared at the gryphon.


    { Sam... Can you ask her how I know that she got rode like a bull one day when I snuck up on her?} Sam spoke. Morgans feathers ruffled. " He did not sneak up on me I was just preoccupied!" I stuffed out a laugh as I started rolling on the ground. { Yeah right! I saw your shadow by the door! Do I need to ride you again after so many years to remind you. You have gotten a little bigger since I last saw you!}


    Sam chuckled a little as she relayed the message. Morgans feathered face seemed to change colors as she stood there. " I have not gotten fat!!" She suddenly laid down and started grumbling. " Its all the muscle I''ve gotten from training. Even the males won''t come close to me anymore." A small tear leaked out of her eye. I stopped rolling and walked over to her. I patted her lowered, mumbling head. ( There there. Not everyone has my metabolism.) Suddenly her claws had ne pinned to the ground. ( Gah!) I hissed.


    " How dare you call a lady fat! Someone needs to punish you." Morgan said with a glint in her eye. ( I might have gone too far... Gah!!!!!) I won''t go into the next part, my pain resistance didn''t level up from it so it''s not worth mentioning.

 Chapter 30 Change in the Air

    For the next week I went through combat training with Morgan. I also began learning how to speak without telepathy. It was gruelling and embarrasing, but it was worth it in the end. I could converse with simple sentences and say small words without issue. I still continue my practice to increase my capacity for speaking but it is a "slow process for a fruitful exp¨¨rience" as they say.


    One afternoon I would walk around the courtyard with Morgan practicing my speech. Another I would be sparring with her in the arena. Turns out that Gerald was released from military service because they had a hard time controlling him and wanted Morgan to do most of the fighting instead of the men. This to me seems a waste in power.


    There was apparently a battle with a pack offrost wolves. The commanding officer told Gerald to "Sacrifice your Gryphon so we can get away."


    When Gerald told his commanding officer that he would rather fight alongside the men than leave Morgan to fight and die alone. Everything turned ugly. Needless to say he was shipped home and labeled a Monster Lover. That is apparently a bad thing in the army. Morgan was happy on the other hand because he valued her more than his commanding officer.


    It was several weeks later that we heard a servant read a decree from the royal family.


    " Sir Gerald Von Carnac has been hereby released from his majesty''s army dishonorably. For his acts against a superior officer and his unit he will be bound to this house and surrounding grounds for the following 5 years. His Gryphon may remain by him. He will not be allowed to affiliate or see any member of my court or any kind of royal that he comes across. Any act of doing so will be seen as treason and he will be so dealt with by public execution. So says his Majesty the King."


    The servant lowered the scroll with shaking hands and a pale face. Sam''s father was clenching his hands on and off.


    " Do those fools have any idea how much time and effort it takes to raise a familiar!? Or that damage transfers from familiar to the contractor when it gets too much!?" His voice was a growl and it dripped with a sense of violence.


    " If it had been my eagle to that field I would have done the same. They asked him to stake his life and Morgans for some damn earl. I''m a Duke! Our status should be seen as such! Now my own son has to abide by this foolishness and avoid my very presence within my own house!" He stood and his chair skidded back.


    " I will speak to his majesty of this outrage!" He stormed from the room as the rest of us sat there in shock.


    Sam slowly shook her head, looked at her brother, and finally spoke.


    " We are not members of the kings court. So of course we can be around you Gerald. The king can''t change that." She winked at him. " Meanwhile.... Bryant is at school and not set to come home till after the months of fire ( summer essentially). Soon we''ll all be together again."


    Geralds face lit up a little but his eyes still seemed a little dead.


    " It''s not such a big deal Sammy. After all. I had this coming for me." He got up from the table and slowly exited the room. It was sad seeing him go. The way he walked was so slow and somber. He usually walked with briskness and energy. Now he looked for all the world like a lost puppy.


    {Sam. There''s nothing we can say or do to deal with this. I would trust your father to deal with this.} I looked at her and felt the sadness that went through her.She patted my head. " I know. But what else can we do while we wait?"


    I turned and laid my head down in thought.


    " We can go to the place you found me. I''ve always wanted to go there." I said after some consideration.


    Sam''s eyes got slightly wide.


    "You do know that place is a little less dangerous than the Forest you were living in?!" Sam said with a little fear. "Not to mention that every beast there is fire based. I would be burnt to ashes!"


    I continued to look at her with a dissatisfied look. " You were 15 when you went and got my egg from there. Now that 4 years have passed and you''re stronger you don''t dare go back?" I slightly baited her ego. Unfortunately for me her ego didn''t change anything.


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    " No. A thousand times, No. We can go to the forest for more training. But not that place."


    I sighed and laid my head down.My stomache growled. (Perhaps I should go to the kitchen.) I started down the hallway toward the kitchen and heard a squawk. I looked up and saw Malphus standing on a out hanging ledge. ( Odd... isn''t he normally with Sam''s father?) I looked around. Nothing.


    It was around 5 hours later that Sam''s father returned. His face was darkened and he held a deep red scroll in his hands. Sam looked concerned and she felt afraid of the scroll. Sam''s father looked at her and slowly handed her the scroll with a low voice. " His majesty asked that I give you this." Sam slowly took the scroll and her father quickly left.


    Sam and I retreated to her room. She sat on the bed, slowly opened the scroll, and began to read. " Samantha Von Carnac. Being commissioned by his majesty the king. And due to the circumstances which have been set in motion. His majesty has agreed to lift your brothers sentence if you agree to marriage to his imperial highness. If not, your familiar shall be forced into the arena of shadows instead. So says his majesty the king." My scales were on edge. I was fuming. " That Filthy Pig!!!! How dare he threaten us!!! " I shouted. " If he dares step foot close to you I''ll fry him myself!" I''d heard about that arena from Sam.


    It was a place of pitch black darkness. There was no light. Just combat and slaughter. The place was a hell filled with blood and destruction. Only one familiar made it out of there alive. And he died a few hours afterward.


    Sam''s eyes were full of tears. "Why is it that our family can''t find a moment of peace?" She whispered. She looked at me and I saw a lightbulb go on in her mind. She bent and picked me up. " Ignis..... How do you feel about becoming and adventurer with me?"

 Chapter 31 The Wanted

    Sam and I had everything packed before The morning arrived. We went to Sam''s father the night before and got his blessing. Unfortunately we have to leave the country. The king can reach us too easily. This country is messed up. Everyone was outside the manor when we were leaving giving a few gift or saying goodbye. Morgan and I just nodded at each other while Gerald and Sam gave each other a hug. After that we left.


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    The road was long and made of bricks. As we walked I heard about the countries of this world. There are 4 of them based on 4 continents. The Northern Continent of IceGalmara. Full of magic users and Beast Men. The Mountainous Western Continent of Belmac which is a continent of magic-less uses that focus on brute strength and strategic values. Mostly dwarves live there.Eastern continent of Water. Melra as it''s called,is a continent of commerce and the arts filled with elves of all kinds. Last but not least is ours.


    The country of Weremar. Originally a country of werewolves that was annihilated by some strange occurrence. It was later filled with a mix of humans and the other creatures of the other 3 countries. Our country doesn''t really focus on one specialty or type of trade. According to Sam we are going to the continent of Belmac. " It''sa place where the king won''t dare try to approach. You make the wrong impression on the wrong dwarf and they all hate you." She said. I have a feeling this king is truly born under the star of a fool.


    As we went down the road I caught a smell that was familiar... ( Sweat?) I thought. I looked at Sam. Not a thing. And I don''t sweat. As I thought this my detect presence kicked in. Two on the right. Three on the left. I sent Sam a message. { We have company.} She nodded. The next second she disappeared and I slowly crawled into the grass. I came across the 3 on the left. (Damn bandits!) How could I not know what a bandit looked like. Hey were wearing country clothes but they had spears, daggers, and swords. They also wore bandanas with a strange two headedcobra symbol on it.


    Sam''s voice whispered through my mind.{ Ready.... Go!} I lashed out with my paralysis tongue at the bandit closest to me. I hit his temple and he was out. The other two noticed their comrade was down and turned to fight. ( Too bad for you.) I spun at the first with my tail breaking his arms as he brought them up to defend and sent him tumbling and screaming. The second swung his sword down at me but I jumped to the right. His sword smashed into the ground kicking up dust and dirt in a cloud around him.


    " Where''d it go?!" I heard him yell.


    " Behing You." I hissed as I bit down on his right shoulder. He started screaming but was silent seconds later as foam came out his mouth and blisters formed and exploded into flames. " Bad match up for you." I turned to one of the bandits that was still alive the one with broken arms. " Hahahaha! You got us but your girly friend is about to get bent over by our boss once he''s finished with her! Hahahaha!" I bit into his shoulder and ripped his arm off. " Ahhh!" He screamed until the poison in my bite got him.


    / Host has consumed human blood. Possible human transformation capacity unlocked. Need more DNA for procurement./


    ( Disgusting.) I thought as I spat out the arm.


    I Turned to the one that was paralyzed and finished him with a bite to the neck and a spray of blood.


    / Host has acquired more DNA. 3 more required for possible transformation unlock./


    I breathed some flames to get the taste of blood out of their blood out of my mouth. ( That is the worst thing I''ve tasted so far.) I thought as I jumped across the road to where Sam was. She was facing a giant man in a circle of unconscious or dead bandits. Seems my detect presence didn''t work as well as it should. There must have been 10 of them.


    I sat to the side. Sam didn''t have a scratch on her. The man she was fighting had a large battle axe. (His strength must be ludicrus to wield that thing.) I stared at it then at Sam.


    " Do you want me to take care of him or leave him to you? The two of you have been staring at each other for 5 minutes...." I said loudly.Sam huffed at me. " I''ll take him! Just give us a second!"


    I let them be. Sam suddenly rushed forward swinging her broadsword in an uppercut to us chest. He spun his axe to parry the blade away and swung at her legs. She quickly rolled over the blade and swung at his back gouging out a long scratch. ( That man has tougher hide than he should.) He turned around while Sam was trying to get better footing from her roll and grabbed her leg.


    " Too bad girly. I''m part troll. Haha!" He went to rag doll her into the ground. But my tongue got in the way. I struck his forehead with it and a sticky blue substance covered his forehead and eyes.


    " Ahhhh!" He screamed as he let her go trying to wipe off the sludge that I had left there.


    " Too bad for you that I''m her familiar." I said mockingly. Within seconds he was on his knees with his head in flames from my poison. I walked up and set the rest of him ablaze. Sam suggested we go around and gather the bandanas for proof of defeat. All in all we gathered 13 bandanas. Some a little singed from my handiwork. We also retrieved the big guys axe since he didn''t have anything to identify him. Sam carried it strapped on her back till we reached the closest town.


    We got to the port town of Clovers Tide. Who''s guards were fairly easy going. Except when they saw me they damn near had a heart attack. Sam spoke to them and calmed them down and I showed them my ability as a familiar by using the human language. Apparently not many monsters are intelligent enough to learn it or just don''t have the capacity for language period. Only Familiars are guaranteed to have it because of our contracting with humans for some reason.


    They took us to a big building where I had a metal collar put on me with some symbols. I still haven''t learned to read yet though Sam will teach me at some point she says. This adventure just got a whole lot better. I''m already getting excited thinking about the adventurers guild.

 Chapter 32 The Guild and Beyond

    The guild building was a let down. I was expecting some grandiose building made of marble stone and filled to the brim with people doing posted quests like the light novels I read. It wasn''t. It was a shack filled with holes that needed a cleaning. The roof had a hole in it that was getting patched over and There were floor boards missing. Heck! The person at the counter was an ugly old dude in glasses and a robe with a huge beard. Not some cute chick! I felt cheated. Cheated I tell you!


    We went up to the counter, Being careful to avoid the holes in the floor. Sam spoke to the man at the counter.


    " I''m here for an adventurers pass." The man opened his eyes a little wider and slowly pulled out a black stone obelisk with a slot at the bottom and a really pointy top.


    " Put a drop of blood in and see what comes out." He said in a reedy voice rather dismissively. Sam took her index finger and pricked it on the tip of the stone. A drop of blood fell on the obelisk and was quickly absorbed as red veins went through the stone. It was cool to watch. The stone turned an icy blue then red like lava. After that it turned back to it''s black coloring. There was a whistling noise and Dust seemed to get sucked into the slot till I could see a something forming. When it was done Sam pulled out the card. Her eyes twinkled in excitement as she looked at it.


    " That card will record everything that you do over the next year till it needs to be renewed. So do not murder, steal, injure without sufficient cause, or commit any other crimes else they will be recorded on the card and you will be dealt with as sees fit.." He continued. " If you have a familiar or pet they too must be registered here." The man waved at me.


    "I assume he''s yours."


    " I am." I said loudly. The man''s eyes slightly bugged out as his head whipped around to look at me.I got on my back legs and reached for the obelisk. He picked up the stone and moved it.


    " Not this one. Go to that one." He nodded over in the direction of the wall.


    I got down and walked over to a large obsidian slab that was laying on the floor. It looked like it could hold a horse on it without a problem. I stepped into the middle of it and felt a slight stinging sensation on my feet.


    "Ow!" I raised my feet a little like I was dancing some. I could put up with pain. Don''t get me wrong. I just dont like to.


    The slab turned a dark purple with red streaks through it. The colors started to move to a single point until two little lights came out. One entered the collar I was wearing. The other entered Sam''s card.


    / Host has been put under Omniscient Watcher Protocol. Does not hinder or help host. System will leave it alone./


    " Now he is also attached to your card and as such is under the same restrictions. Make sure to handle him well. " The man said as looked at me under his glasses. " Now. How can the guild help you?" He went over and sat in his rocking chair that I hadn''t noticed before with his hands woven together.


    " We wish for passage to The Western Country. We wish to be undetected and not have royalty looking for us. Is this possible Guild Master?"


    My jaw smashed into the floor. " Guild Master! This Old man is the Guild Master!?!?!?!?!?!?!" I pointed at him as I spoke in shock. Sam and the old man ignored me and proceeded with business.


    "Girl I do know a way for you to get to the western continent. But it is not very lady like and I do believe you are a noble. I see the Carnac brooch on your cloak. Lady Samantha."He bowed slightly. "If you wish to voyage to the western shores, you will need a boat. And I know a person who will be leaving in three days time. Meet them at the port by the ship called Dragon Lady. Tell them Vorst sent ya." He passed a small note to Sam and a wink at me.


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    We turned to go. Sam got out the door before I did. I once again heard the old man''s voice.


    Dragon Youngling... Take care of your master. There''s many dangers on the waters as there are on the lands. It''s best if you stay alert." I turned but the old man was sound asleep in his chair.


    " Ignis! You coming!?" Sam called from outside." Yes!"I shouted back. I quickly left the place with his woods engraved in my mind. It wasn''t long till the day of our departure arrived. Sam had a small pack behind her hips that was big enough to carry me in. ( Being the size of a small poodle helps a bit. ) I thought as I got in. He cloak covered me some. "Time for our voyage."

 Chapter 33 The Sea is A Dragon

    The Dragon Lady was a large ship. It must have been 100 feet long and it''s deck was 20 feet above the water. It had a dragon''s head carved into the bow of the ship. The sails were spread wide and shaped like wings. The rudder was even carved to look like a tail wrapped around itself in a coil. It was a beautiful ship. (That''s a beauty) I thought from my pack on Sam''s back. "This''ll be fun." I whispered to Sam.


    "What is a girl doing here!?" A manly voice shouted. "This is no place for a woman!" A big burly man wobbled over toward us. He looked Sam up and down in a disgusting manner. He reeked of alcohol. " If you want to be entertained by something like a boat I''ll entertain you with a rocking bed" He reached out for Sam. Sam reached for her sword at her left side with her left hand. Grabbing the hilt so the blade faced away from her thumb. Then something odd happened. Before the man could reach her his hand fell to the ground. But his arm didn''t go with it.


    " Ahhhhhhhhh!" He screamed as he fell to his knees." My hand! MY HAND!" Blood began to steadily come from his wound as he clenched his wrist stump.


    A very gruff feminine voice was heard over his screams. " Anybody who says a woman doesn''t belong here isn''t afraid to deal with me or hasn''t met me." My head turned to look. It was indeed a woman with every aspect of a pirate captain. The only thing she was missing was a skull and cross bones somewhere. And somewhere a Spaniard was missing his favorite broad rimmed hat with a feather in it. She held a long thin blade. One I would know anywhere. My eyes widened. ( What''s that doing here?!) It was a long katana with blue scales that went halfway up the back of the blade. (And there''s not even a speck of blood on it.) I thought in shock.


    She sheathed her blade with calm gusto. She was a decent looking woman with tanned skin. Her eyes were ocean green with deep brown hair. Despite her slightly slimmer build, she exuded power. ( She makes me nervous) I thought. She walked over to the man and grabbed him off the ground.


    " Go see a doctor. I don''t want to see your drunken face around here anymore. I''ve already given you two warnings with this. There will be no third one." She growled.


    The man was dropped to the ground and quickly scrambled to grab his hand before running away. The woman walked toward us.


    " What''s a lady doing around these parts anyway? No lady comes here without reason." She pulled out a curly pipe that people use for smoking. After lighting a match she puffed a couple times before looking at us.


    " Vorst sent us to board a ship called the dragon lady. Do you know where the captain is so we can talk about a voyage to the west country?"The womans eyes glittered a little. "The dragon lady captain.... I know''em. If vorst sent you then where''s proof? Vorst doesn''t just send anybody to meet with the captain." I felt something by my claws and looked down.


    " Sam! The note!" I grabbed it in my mouth and handed it to Sam from my pouch.The womans gaze flicked to me as I did so.


    ( What is that thing?) she thought.


    Sam slowly handed over the note. " Vorst gave it to us to hand to the captain. " Sam''s gaze flicked over the woman again." Judging from how you''re acting and the way you''re talking... I would say that that would be you." The woman smirked and opened the note. She read it quickly, sighed, then folded it and put it in her coat.


    "Damned coot is calling in his favor for a noble.... figures." She heaved an even bigger sigh. She turned and called over her shoulder.


    " Follow me if you want board my boat. If not you can stay ashore."


    Sam quickly picked up the pace and followed her up a long plank onto the boat. It wasn''t long before we were shown to our quarters. Everyone had a small room aboard the ship. around the size of a small storage shack. A hammock and a desk were all the room had within. " Certainly better than nothing." I stated.


    Sam put down her pack and I got out of my pouch. She rubbed her back a little. " You must be getting heavier. I could''ve sworn you were lighter when I bought that thing." I walked around the room a bit before we went back up to the deck to see how things worked before we set off.


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    A few minutes later we were on our voyage. The boat rocked gently against the calm waves. As I went up to the front of the boat with Sam we passed a sailor who looked at me and paled before quickening his pace. I saw him talking with the captain a couple minutes later. He whispered something to her. She looked at him in disbelief and shook her head saying something back before he pointed at me. She finally got a good look at me and went white and stiff.


    It was later when the captain came and talked to Sam. " You didn''t tell me that you were bringing a bad omen on my ship." She paced back and forth in our quarters.


    I looked at her in slight agitation and spoke up. " I am not a bad omen woman. And it''s not my fault I evolved into this form. If anything it''s a good omen to you I''m friend rather than foe." She snapped around and glared at me.


    " Your kind have been nothing but trouble. wreaking destruction wherever you go. If it wasn''t for me owning a favor neither of you would be on my vessel."


    " Are your kind much different?!" I refuted.


    " Humans have robbed nests of eggs. Young of their mothers. Humans are often a bad omen to monsters. The only difference between our stances is that humans help strengthen their weak ones. My kind aren''t as kind. Its eat or starve. Kill or be Eaten." I bristled slightly.


    She remained silent for a time clenching her fists.


    " Damned familiar. You really don''t realize how little you know." She looked at me. " I take you two to the west and your on your own." She turned to storm out. Before she got to the door The ship rocked violently. We heard a muffled scream.


    " KRACKEN!!!!!!!!!!! AGH!"


    We started running to the deck. There were what looked to be long thick ropes everywhere. The only thing different was that these moved. They had large hooks on the ends dragging across the planks of the deck leaving long scratches. There must have been 10 of them. As I looked around I noticed the man in the crowd nest was gone. Not just the man. The whole crowd nest was gone! And where the crowsnest was, a icy blue dragon head was staring at me.

 Chapter 34 Kracken or Calimari

    I stared at the kracken and it stared back at me. It hissed at me in slight surprise and feeling slightly insulted I hissed back. Sam looked at me.


    " What did it say?"


    " I don''t know." I replied. " But it made me feel offended. Can I kill it now or are we just going to stare at it?" Sam gave me a look of confusion and shock while the captain was already charging at it.


    I opened my wings and took to the sky. The kracken swung a tentacle at me but missed by a mile with how fast I was moving. I opened my mouth as I got behind its head and let loose a bolt of lightning. It made contact and the entire thing went slightly rigid for a moment. It spun its head around and shot a jet of water at me. I barrel rolled out of the way feeling some of the water spray as it passed.


    I let heat rise in my throat and let a river of flame roar out of me. It hissed against the krackens wet hide. When the fire abated it was left almost completely unscathed.(Figures that a water beast wouldn''t be afraid of fire. ) I thought. As I flew around Sam was chopping at a tentacle in front of her. This made the kracken more agitated seeing her blade was just bouncing off.


    The tentacle swung around knocking Sam away and into the stairs that led to the inside of the ship. ( Crap!) I worried for her safety but there wasn''t much I could do. It was either the ship sunk or I killed this thing. I focused my mind toward the task.


    ( Fire doesn''t work but lightning has an effect.... that means if I hit it with more lightning that it should either run away or die.) I started focusing energy into my throat feeling a slight crackle.


    / Host has gained elemental control of electricity.Energy Control lvl 1 Acquired/


    I continued focusing till I could fell an almost steady hum in my throat. My muscles were starting to get weak. I finally landed on the mast of the ship in front of the kracken. Its front was right in front of my face. ( Point blank..... Alright. Fire in the hole!) I opened my mouth and the best thing I can use to describe what happened next was a buck shot blast of energy. Little balls of energy shot from my mouth and into the kracken. Each exploded and sent electrical arcs across its body. It was such a strong shot that it almost blasted the things neck half off. The smell of cooked meat filled the air as a shriek filled our ears. It was like metal nails scraping on a chalkboard. One of the most painful shrieks I''ve ever heard. Until it stopped and the thing flopped to the deck.


    " Is it dead?" I groaned out. I had fallen from the mast after I let off the blast and was just laying there winded. After a couple minutes The captain walked over and poked the beast. There wasn''t a move. not even a twitch. " Its dead.... We Killed It!!!!! Hahahahahahah!!!!"


    ( Oh brother....You didn''t do a thing while I dealt with it.) I thought. I dragged myself over to the cabin area and saw Sam laying there with a cut on her head. After checking her condition and seeing her unconscious I grabbed the collar of her shirt and dragged her to our quarters. Unfortunately I couldn''t put her in the cot. But the floor was good enough. (Nothing will hurt her here.) I rested a little and headed back to he deck. What I found was startling.


    The kracken was being hauled onto the boat with ropes. As it was being brought out of the water I realized what this thing really was. Originally I thought krackens would be like a huge Octopus. Turns out, they aren''t. They are a sea dragon with dozens of limbs. They are like a centipede except all there limbs are tentacles allowing them to wrap around and strangle anything they come across. I noticed a large chunk of its flesh that was sitting of to the side.


    I walked over and started to eat it. It was seared and tasted like calamari with a type of chicken texture. Ding!


    / Host has consumed Adolescent Kracken. Host has acquired aquatic DNA sufficient for forming gills. Acquired Skill Water Breath lvl 1. Combining with Destruction Skill Set. Acquired Water Resistance lvl 1. Combining with Multi-Elemental Resistance lvl 7( MER). MER now level 8! Congradulations Host./


    I finished he chunk and felt very tired. I went back to the room and laid next to Sam. ( Maybe I''ll be able to protect you better one day.) I let the darkness drown out the world. It was a sleep without dreaming. Pitch black without soul. It was like I was floating. Knock knockknock! I heard. (What?) I suddenly felt tapping on my head and was suddenly forced awake.


    I was groggy and slightly out of it when I looked around to see who was tapping. It was Sam. " Ignis... Could you get off me? Your heavy." I rolled off her and onto my back. (Dunno how I ended up there.) I thought tiredly. " Sam sat up and looked at me. " I swear you grow like a weed." I shook myself a little and started moving. The room was smaller than I remember. I stood in front of the glass and realised I had grown quite a bit while I slept. I had even grown a set of gills that opened and closed occasionally. ( Wierd... but cool) Iwalked outside onto the deck. And heard a shout.


    " Hey!! Where''d this monster come from!?" I turned my head to see a sailor with a long white beard charging at me with a harpoon. My tongue lashed out and knocked the harpoon away as I rolled my eyes and kept walking the deck. I felt something hit my side and turned to see a man hitting me with a spear.


    " Why! Won''t! It! Go! In!" He grunted as he kept hitting. He was hardly leaving a scratch on my scales. I whipped my tale around behind his legs and tripped him. " I''m not a monster you should mess with." I said calmly. I looked him up and down. "To be honest I don''t think you''re qualified to either." His body was frail for a sailor and he looked a little ragged.


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    " Johnathan''s! Leave the lizard alone. He''s considered a guest with his master!" I turned my head slightly to see the captain behind me.


    " Back to repairing the crows nest with you." She hauled him up to his feet and shoved him back toward a pile of wood I hadn''t noticed before. (I guess they like to repair on the road) I thought. I turned and saw him trying to climb a rope with a board. He was struggling quite a bit I looked over at the pile and got an idea. I was bigger than I was before. I''d wager about the size of a St Bernard.


    I walked over to the mast and started to climbed. The man watched me warily from the ropes he was on. I got to where the crowsnest was being built. It was a square frame with hardly any wood planking on it.


    ( Bet I can speed this up.) I looked at the man and he stared at me. ( Might as well try to get on the crew''s good side.) I shifted my head toward the wood pile and shot my tongue out. It stuck to the wood planks and retracted bringing a couple up at a time. It took Johnathan a couple minutes to come up. I was trying to place the planks and stick them in place with sticky spit. It was going ok..... I thought. Johnathan took a couple of boards and cut them to size so they fit better in the frame. For his small frame he was quick. After a couple minutes we had a pattern down. I would haul up the boards and he would install them after I put some sticky spit on it. It only took an hour and a half to rebuild the previously destroyed crowsnest.

 Chapter 35 Captains Quarters

    After the help I gave with the crowsnest I was told by Sam that other parts of the ship had been damaged. There wasn''t much else to do anyways. I went through the door that led to the lower decks. They had patched some of the bigger holes, but some of the smaller ones were in need of fixing. ( I am Spit Man! I am here!) I chuckled to myself as I coated the holes with the gunk. With a little flame it quickly dried into a gummy waterproof material. ( This''ll be a piece of cake.) I continued walking around filling the holes till half the ship was coated in the rubbery blue stuff.


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    My stomache growled and I went up to the deck to check on Sam and see what was happening for lunch. Turns out that that kracken was enough for a months supply of food. Hey cooked it into a stew today. not too salty or rubbery. Just the right texture. unfortunately I gained nothing but growth materials and a possible tentacle evolution I will never go for. Hentai is not my forte.


    I continued my days aboard the vessel in the same manner. helping repair here and there then eating and resting. Not that bad of a life. about two weeks into the voyage we were called to the captain''s quarters."The captain" is what the crew calls her. But her real name is Amanda Krowell. She had sailed the seas several times over Iher time. "Born and bred on the sea" her crew would say. We went to her quarters. It was a small cabin at the upper back part of the ship. Not very expensive looking or overly shabby. Maps covered the oak desk in the back and a small chair sat facing the windows. The captain sits there. Her chestnut brown hair cascades down the back of the chair as her slightly scarred face faces the ocean through the windows. Her coat, hat, and scabbard hang close by on the wall.


    " You two have done alot for my crew and I. Slaying the kracken.... fixing my ship. Protecting my crew. " Her eyes turned to look at me.


    "What I say next does not leave this room."


    We both nodded.


    She looked at me again and slightly bowed her head. " I once thought of you as simply a monster. I hope you can accept my apologies after all you''ve done for me and my crew."


    I was slightly stunned. Noone had ever lowered there head to me I my entire existence. Noone had ever apologized to me before. I nervously shook myself.


    " Y-you don''t have anything to be sorry about. You''re n-not the first and certainly won''t be the last." I looked at the captain sadly realizing my own words and how truly sad they were.


    The captain sat up after a little and looked at Sam." Not many can say they have a familiar as kind as yours. He''s intelligent, honorable, and well spoken. Humanistic in almost every mental aspect despite his other characteristics. You''d best keep an eye on him girl. Before someone comes to snatch him from you. "


    Sam paled a little at those words. " Noone has the power to take Ignis from me. The sealing has been cast. Only when I die can they take him." As I heard those words a protective feeling rose up in me. " Over my dead corpse!" I hissed angrily. I viewed Sam like a little sister . Anyone who tried to hurt her would have to go through me first.


    The captain tapped the arms of her chair. After a little bit of time staring at me she got up and went to her cupboard that had a large lock on it. After a little rummaging she pulled out something wrapped in a cloth.


    " My men asked me to give you guys something to pay you back for what you''ve done. From what I''ve heard.... familiars can grow by eating magic stones from strong monsters. I got this stone from a pirate mage who loved launching boulders at passing ships then looting he sinking vessel."


    She unfolded the cloth to reveal a glowing green stone about the size of an adult fist.


    " This is a earth dragon crystal. Hard to find and even harder to sell. People always try to steal it and it''s become more of a burden than what I think it''s worth." She knelt and held it out to me.


    " Take it. Perhaps you can do more with it than I can." She pursed her lips a little. I slowly moved forward and took the stone in my mouth. It fit so comfortably in my mouth. The wierd thing is that it tasted sweet. Like honey or chocolate. Without much thought I instantly swallowed it.


    " Captain..... Thank you." I said. Sam was staring at me like I''d gone mad. "Ignis..... Did you just swallow it?" I looked at Sam slightly confused. " Yes I did.... Why?....!!!!!!!" I felt a sudden pain spread across my body as I suddenly collapsed. It was like someone was trying to peel my skin with a spoon. " Agh!"


    / Host has Aquired Armored Earth Dragon Crystal. Beneficial for host. Crystal combining with hosts magic crystal. Host has gained Earth Wing Armor DNA gene. Commencing evolving wings.


    Host has acquired Earth Control level 3. Magic which allows host to move, shape, and use earth withing 10 meter radius.


    Host has acquired Earth Perception lvl max. Allows for host to see what happens beneath the earth similar to sonar or echolocation. max range is dependent on hosts capacity of understanding and power.


    Hosts bones are being reinforced. Host now has a denser body which will break less easily.Reinforced Body of Stone is now level 8. Host can now be hit with a blade and hardly feel it. Axes will leave smaller scratches. Cross bows will chip armor. /


    The pain was excruciating and my stomache was growling constantly. Sam ran and got some of the men. The started bringing me food. Despite my pain my hunger was greater. The Kracken was all they could give me but I didn''t care. I wolfed it down bit by bit. My body expanded slightly and a smart sailor lured me onto the deck with more food. They didn''t want me in the captain''s quarters in case I couldn''t get out.


    For the next hour I wolfed down meat. My body became heavier and my muscle mass increased. I felt my bones groaning and stretching as my skin became thicker and more stone like. Magma like red veins crossed my wings and thick plate scales coated them.An hour after that I was stuffed and smoke started pouring off my body as I burned the calories. The muscles in my front wings changed. They became as thick if not thicker than my arms as the wings themselves became heavier. My back wings also expanded but became much larger and had greater span to make it possible for me to fly.


    After a few hours I had grown considerably. My size was comparable to a Rhino. My length was at least 15 feet and my weight must have increased to a little over 500 kgs. My scales were thicker and had deep red molten like viens running along them. My front wings were shields that spread 5 foot across and 5 feet high. My horns had grown to a foot and a half. My gills now had spike like appendages and seemed to filter better. My back wings spread at least 30feet across total. All in all. I looked like a monster meant for combat.


    / Host has evolved further than expected. Host has acquired new type of monster that has never been seen before. The name of this form has been registered as Armored Sky Tyrant. Danger level: Middle Disaster Class. Higher class dragon suited towards combat on both the ground and in the sky. Defense is high on the ground but at the cost of speed. Destructive capacity is even higher than the Disaster Wyvern. Congratulations host./


    I flopped to the ground with a thud. " That sucked..." Is all I managed to say before passing out.

 Chapter 36 Walking Disaster

    I woke on the deck exhausted and sore. The sun had gone down and the sea was calm. I investigated my body a little. It was a little awkward learning how to handle my size. growing slowly was easy. The sudden growth made it strange for me. I had to relearn my environment from a new strange height. My body was still sore so I didn''t move too much. I used my shields (as I''ll call them) to stabilize myself a bit. (My pain resistance still didn''t rise despite the feelings I endured. This thing really expects me to nearly die!) I thought a little aggravated.


    I slowly moved toward the door to the cabins. unfortunately I couldn''t fit. ( Damn. If only I could get an ability to adjust my size. It''s getting a little chilled out here.) I started to think. ( I can''t self ignite or I''d burn the ship to cinders. And I there''s nowhere to keep me warm... ahhh!) I had a sudden epiphany. I lifted my cold limbs one by one and breathed flames gently onto them. Warmth began to spread through me once more. After a bit the warmth finally began to really stick I laid my head down to try to get some sleep. I was still awake when Sam came out and put a canvas tarp over me attempting to keep me warm.


    "Sigh..... Why is it that you have to be the weirdest familiar..... giggle" I stayed still and groaned. " Cause you need something wierd to offset your strangeness..."


    She jumped. " You were awake!?" She suddenly started smacking her hands against my shoulder with a frustrated and embarrassed look on her face." Ow! Why is it that you have to be so dense?!" She shook her hands which were now slightly red. " I just came out to make sure you wouldn''t get cold. but it appears that you are doing fine. Good night." She spun and quickly walked through the cabin door.


    I kept my head down and finally fell asleep. It wasn''t long till the light of dawn arrived blinding me awake. ( Agh!) I moved my head a little so the sun wasn''t as blinding. " I guess it''s morning." I groaned out. My muscles ached a little as I sat up.


    "Land Hoe!!!!" Johnathan yelled from the crowsnest. I slowly made my way to the side of the ship to look. There was a green speck in the distance. Over the course of a couple hours the speck grew into a massive land mass. It was a wall of granite rising from the see with greenery and tree roots weaving throughout it. There was only one thing that hit me. There was the smell of smoke in the air. Whispering screams filled the air. My instincts told me one thing. Something was deeply wrong. As we rounded a bend we saw the port city. It was nothing like I thought it would be.


    There was fire everywhere. People were screaming as buildings crumbled under the heat. The only thing still in tact was the ports shipyard. As we approached I noticed something. There were flaming creatures everywhere. They were climbing buildings setting them ablaze. My stomache suddenly growled as Sam approached me. She turned her head to me in shock.


    " You can''t possibly be hungry for dying people. I will not let you eat humans." She pointed her finger at me.


    " It''s not what you think." I stated."There are monster of flame in the city. Just seeing them is making my stomache growl." My mouth watered slightly." I''ll go for a little hunt." I opened my good wings wide and took off. My front half was slightly heavier than normal. After realizing my shields were in front of my wings I curled them up behind my wings to center my weight.


    I soared across the waves and dove into the city amidst the screaming people. My tongue lashed out and snatched one of the creatures from a building. I caught the creature in my mouth and crunched away. It had bones but there was no flesh or meat. Though the flame was very satisfying. The creature itself held no real substance besides it''s bone structure.


    / Host has consumed Elemental Flame Rat. Host has gained passive ability Soul Flame. Host is now able to continue existing in the skeleton of his body after death at the cost of possible evolution possibilities being limited./


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    I felt heat in my heart. " Soul Flames huh..... Interesting" So these creatures were once alive but are only bare bones of what they used to be. " Time for a feast. I opened my mouth again except I thought of something. I focused on sucking in the flames around me. Flames began to leave the broken buildings and bodies. They swirled through the air and into my open maw. Energy began to course through me as the rats were being dragged to me by their own fire. I felt invincible. The rats who lost hold of the ground or couldn''t get away were pulled into my jaws and destroyed. my own body ignited with a dark purple flame as I devoured. It was mere moments later thatthe town was flameless and rid of vermin. It was silent as death. Burned bodies lay everywhere and injured were huddled far from me.


    I heard a small child voice come from under a small pile of rubble. " Is it going to kill us brother?" I heard another voice. " Shhhh. If we stay quiet we might not get its attention. I saw them through the ground. They were burnt rags. A boy and a younger girl. The girl was pinned by some of the rubble. On instinct I shifted my foot as my thoughts churned through the ground. The rubble began to move and swirl around the little girl freeing her. The ground then formed a kind of bowl and hauled then close to me as the both of them screamed in terror.


    I looked at the both of them. The girl had peed herself in terror while the boy was frozen in fear. ( oops.) I thought sheepishly. I kept my face straight. " It is not kind to call the being who rescued you an it." The bowl crumbled into soft sand making them both flop into it. I walked away to search through the town. I remembered the system mentioning a new title in the midst of my excitement.


    / Host has acquired he title Soul Eater. Host has consumed the souls of hundreds of Elemental Flame Rats. Consuming souls allows host to gain strength but not skills or abilities. Bone Eater title has grown to Skeletal Devourer giving host greater density to bone structure and scales./


    (Sweet! )I thought as I continued my search. I found a melted set of iron doors and a road that led north of the town. "The Rats must have come from here." I said myself. Their feet had been hot enough to leave melted claw mark''s all over the now cold iron.


    I continued my search through the ruined town. I saw many injured and wounded. I got the earth to move them to the main square. By the time I returned to the port area, everyone that was still alive was being dealt with by the sailors.


    " Ignis!" Sam ran over. Her sleeves were rolled up and some blood stains were on her hands. She looked like she had been helping with the wounded. " What did you do?! We were at Sea and the flames died out. The people are talking about the Fire Rats being dragged away by something and the earth moving them here. Hey are all terrified! You should have waited!"She grabbed a War Hammer from behind her and smacked my head with it.


    "Gah!!!" I yelled as my head hit the ground with enough force to make a small crater. I saw stars twinkling and thought to myself. ( Who the hell gave her that hammer?!) After a few seconds my vision started clearing and I got a good look at the people. Most were dwarves. Short and stocky with alot of muscle. Even the children were built like they were trying out for a weight lifting competition! The rest were humans here. They were all staring at me in fear and confusion.


    I looked at Sam. " You might want to quell their fears of me before I do anything else. They''ve been through alot. Either that or I go to the edge of the town and guard the roads. It looks like the rats came from the north."


    She nodded. She went into the group and I went to the north gate and sat there in front of it. Every once in a while I heard a skitter but there was no greenery left from the stampede. Nothing could hide in the dirt or ashes that remained. Needless the say that I picked off any of he creatures that ventured by. I still didn''t gain anything new from them.


    "Interesting that a disaster class is helping humans." A voice echoed behind me. I turned my head to see who had spoken. It was a old dwarf. His beard reached his belt and he used a cane to walk. His hair was silvery and his eyes showed the grey of nothingness hat came with being blind.


    " I help when another deserves it." I spoke trying to sound honorable though I know I''m shameless and just want to sound cool. The old dwarf only cocked his head slightly and chuckled. " Many monster have passed by my gaze and felt fright. You do not. Are you sure that you are a monster. Or a man that plays a monster?" My eyes widened. ( Could he know?! That''s not possible! There isn''t anyone who could possibly believe me!) I tried to keep my calm as he slowly sat on a fallen wall.


    " I have the ability to see the soul. Wanderers are not few or far between. I have met many. But none have been forced to don the skin of monsters. I suppose this old man can now say he''s seen everything." His gaze stuck to me like glue and then he vanished in a wisp of smoke. My jaw dropped. " You just come and spout nonsense only to leave without really explaining you damned bastard!" I shouted at the air. I shivered a little. (That felt wrong. What just happened? Who was that man?) Questions continued to fill my mind as I sat there.


    [ For the readers out there who are confused about classes.


    Monsters are ranked according to combat ability.


    Apocalyptic: Can actually cause the extinction of anything they come across be it nation or planet. A God is actually classified as Apocalyptic Class.


    Calamity: Can cause destruction and mayhem just by existing in a place for too long. Even a sleeping being can cause changes in the environment.


    Disaster: Are able to level cities and towns with a single action. Not to be trifled with.


    Destructive: Can cause large amounts of damage when angered. They are able to be dealt with if you have good enough equipment.


    Elite: Are great at defending themselves and survival.


    Normal: Good for familiars and hunting for food. Not normally good at anything else. This is where the mc started.]

 Chapter 37 Disaster Strikes

    We stayed in the town for a week before we received word that help was coming to the town. The town is apparently called Melodies Strand. It was known for its wine, music, and trading. Many merchants lived here at one point I heard. (It seems to be a fairly important place for this kingdom) Is what I thought at least.


    What came was a fully armed battalion of dwarves. It was actually quite comical. When they got here they saw me and stayed away. They actually went around a different way to enter the city. they met up with Sam and she ended up explaining the situation to their leader. He was originally planning on using his men to give the survivors time to escape while they attempted to subdue me. When he found out what I actually was he was flustered.


    Sam ended up having to come and get me to follow her before he would believe her. I looked at him. " I saw your men come around the long way. It was good that I knew you were coming else I would have mistaken you for bandits and roasted you."


    He paled slightly. I felt something slam into my the side of my head. "Agah!" Sam uses Thunder Bane to smack me..... that''s about all she uses it for. Thunder Bane is the hammer she found in the rubble of one of the houses. The villagers gave it to her as thanks apparently. More like they thought she needed a better beating stick. / Hammer Tolerance lvl 1 gained. Hammers deal less damage but still hurt./


    I rubbed the side of my head. "I was joking Sam. No need to hit." She smugly stood there with the thing. It was 2 foot tall at the top with a square hammer part and a foot long war pike at the back. The handle was half Sam''s size. The entire thing crackled with energy.


    " If I didn''t hit you every once in a while people would think that you were a wild beast. " She replied. I shook my head and just gave up. No point in saying more.


    The afternoon came shortly after the battalion reached the walls of the town. It was actually astonishing. Dwarves are very fast with how they build things. It was a couple hours between arriving and lunch and 3 stores had already been rebuilt. The roofs still needed to be cleaned and the stores restocked but everything was progressing smoothly. I continued to guard the entryways to the town. Not a single monster got past me due to my earth perception skill. Only a thunder tiger managed to get close enough for me to crush with my shields. He tasted funny and didn''t have a crystal for some reason. Once again no skills. Even though these guys should have an skill for enhanced movement or something.


    It wasn''t long later that a second one made it with the same results. After a few days I was facing 4 or 5 tigers a day. I was eating my fill with that but I gained no more skills. ( Why am I not getting anything besides growth materials out of these things!?) I shrieked in my mind.


    My body continued to grow and my scales shed as I grew. My shields became slightly thicker and my claws sharper. My scales became slightly harder and gained a small sheen to them. After eating so many I stated collecting the claws as trophies to how many I killed. (Why are there so many of them here?!) I thought after number 20 died at my claws. { Sam..... Can you ask the dwarves a question?}


    { Sure. What do you want me to ask?} She replied. { Can you ask them if Thunder Tigers are common in these parts or if killing and eating 20 in a week is unheard of?} Silence followed. After a little bit I heard huffing. I turned my head and there were 5 dwarves and Sam standing there. The dwarves were out of breath and slightly pale. " Sam..... Did you carry them again?" She sheepishly ground her foot into the ground.


    " The lass moves faster than any I''ve seen" said the dwarf I''d learned to be Volmyr. He was the leader of the battalion. Apparently the reason for him and his men to come out here was to resettle the town and retire. Not one of his men was in their prime anymore. So the army sent them to repair and repopulate the town.


    " I''m sure but even so you guys can''t quite seem to handle it yet." I pointed to the pile of claws that was stacked close to the melted gate. " I suppose your here to answer about those?" Volmyr and the others gathered around the stack and began to mutter to one another. After a couple minutes they turned around.


    " How many did you say came through here?" They inquired with a concerned look.


    " Twenty or so." I replied. They once again began to mutter. After a couple more minutes they turned around. " It might be possible that the monsters are forming a stampede. It makes sense. The weaker monsters like the Fire Rats swarm to get away and find food in safer places during times they feel the most threatened. Thunder Tigers feed on Fire Rats so they naturally follow them. If what we think is actually real we have to prepare the town for the worst case scenario." Volmyr said glumly.


    I dug my claws into the ground. I was a little afraid. It brought back alot of memories. The first year I was in the forest I had experienced a monster stampede. Orcs, lions, birds, and the like were mixed together into a lethal mixing pot of disaster. A single stampede could take out a fully equipped town in the span of a day. It was that time that the tiger trapped and scarred me.


    Sam must have felt my anxiety through the bond as she put her hand on my back,comforting me. I took a slow breath and calmed my mind. ( I am no longer alone.) I steeled my resolve and looked at Volmyr. "What do you need from me?


    ...????...


    The town was quiet as the breeze gently caressed the houses and cobblestones of the Strand. The scent of lilies and flower petals floated on the wind. My nose was tickled by one as it passed. " Achoo!" sparks flew out of my mouth onto the road before me. I rubbed my nose. You try having sparks fly out of your honker and tell me that doesn''t feel wierd.


    I felt something through the ground. A pebble close to me began to rattle across the rubble.


    ( Here it comes.) I thought anxiously. I began to concentrate my power to my throat. I kept building it there. I could see some specks in the distance closing fast. As they got closer I focused on building the pressure. The hoard grew closer. There were metal lizards, orcs, even a giant in the mix. Great black spiders and small horned rabbits. The hoard was growing close enough I could here the roaring.I still focused the power to my throat. Sam slowly walked up beside me with her hammer out and took a stance. I waited and felt my throat seeming to crackle. There was a line drawn a couple meters away in yellow paint. I remember an orc was the first to step on it. After that I released the something that could have leveled a city. A single ball was released at high speed. It was purple and smoked as it flew. It seemingly screamed and crackled. This was accumulation and concentration of Breath of Destruction. The moment the ball hit the orc in the chest there was an explosion. There was a beam of dark light, fog, and electricity crackled through the area. The monsters closest were dead due to the flames. The monsters that were in the middle were fried by the electricity. The farthest monsters were dying from the potent elemental poison. There were extremely few that survived. The metal lizards were barely moving and were heavily injured. The rest were easy pickings. It was a feast for me.


    Sam just stood next to me stone faced.


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    " That''s what I call a barbecue..." She said. I thought of a movie back on earth and I cracked up.

 Chapter 38 Buffet of Kings

    There was alot of dead monsters. It took weeks to get it all cleaned up. The dwarves dismantled all the good stuff so they could rebuild. They also make better armor and weapons than stuff that''s mined. I ate the monsters that were poisoned. Surprisingly my Poison Leveled up to three after eating a greater spider. It got fried by the lightning and the dwarves didn''t want it. So that skill is level 3 now. I discovered a couple Monster Crystal''s. I didn''t eat them off the hop. I gave them to Sam for safe keeping. I''d prefer to get used to my current abilities and put off the possibility of another evolution. That pain was unreal. The giant was unprocessable due to poison and it''s shear size. I ended up eating it and gaining a passive skill. I grew considerably with everything I ate. I was now about 10 feet tall, 20feet long, and 5 feet across. My wings expanded to 40 feet. I ended up dwarfing Sam and the others though I was already bigger than the dwarves.


    Sam continuously trained like mad to keep up with my growth. She ran with heavy weights and did hand stand push ups with her thumb. She didn''t want to be separated from me again. And I also preferred it this way. She got stronger faster because of training and her connection to me. I continued to grow stronger. My shields were now 5 feet across each and almost a foot thick. They were covered in some spikes that looked a little nasty. They could now exude poison through pores in the spikes.


    Just to date some peoples curiosity these were the things I''d gained over these weeks skill wise.


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    / Host has acquired many skills. Skills have been combined with current skills both passive and active. The Following are hosts current skills.


    Molten Titan Fortification: Allows user to enhance physical and magical strength through contact with the ground, lightning, or fire.Enhances healing speed and defenses during time on the ground.


    Destruction Skill set has become Disaster Skill set.


    Disaster Breath Bomb: Instead of breathing out a beam. The user concentrates combined powers into a ball which then triggers an explosion when it comes into contact with anything. The explosion is leveled away from the user reeking destruction and annihilating enemies who are too close.


    Disaster Tongue Strike: Can cripple or kill any enemy below disaster rank. Combining with breath and poison skills will kill anything in your path. Metallic or Otherwise.


    Disaster Tail Strike: Can cleave a boulder apart as easily as a skull. Combine with other abilities to improve effectiveness.


    Disaster Wings: Rains down the elements and poisons that host currently owns and controls on an area. Effectiveness is similar to a bomber plane. Dependent on accuracy.


    Earth Perception lvl Max: Current distance is 300 meters. Grows with the strength of user.


    Earth Manipulation lvl 5: Can make a large hill easily. Mountains are hard to control.


    Flame Monarch: ( Passive) Allows for complete control over all flame. Flame usage is dependent on flames consumed. Current flames consumed. 3/10.


    Skill set has been stated./


    Thus my skills and abilities have improved. I''ve become a living, breathing, Tank-Bomber Combo.


    We stayed in the town helping the dwarves as much as we could. The metal lizard hide was used to secure the gates. It was mixed with some molten metal and monster blood to form a metallic substance that was silver with red and blue lines throughout it. The other monsters were used in similar ways. The spider carapace was used to make shields and the fangs were ground to make poison powder. The orcs were essentially pork so they were turned into food supplies. There was even a cockatrice found in the mix.


    The cockatrice was dismantled and its feathers were used to make pillows and bedding. It''s claws and bones were used to make spear tips and magic equipment. They found he core intact but cockatrice don''t really specialize in any magic besides physical enhancement. The dwarves still have a use for it though. They made a slot in the gates archway and set the stone into it. It was odd really. The crystal was actually sucked Into the metal slot and the metal grew over it like a plants roots growing throught the soil obscuring the earth beneath.


    Whatever the dwarves couldn''t use I got to munch on. Skin and organs mostly. I only ate specific ones though. The human side of me still doesn''t like eating some things. A older female dwarf actually cooked them for me. The hearts, livers, and brains were actually what I had chosen. I had heard the brain was a delicacy in some places. Might as well try right? It didn''t taste too bad. I can''t really describe the flavors but I think that I won''t try it again if there are other options.


    My muscles grew with the time I spent guarding the town. There weren''t as many monsters around after their stampede. A couple here or there. My new spot to guard the entrance was on top of the wall next to the gate. After a couple nights staying there I got a nice little present. There was a small package and a not close to where I normally sat during my night watch. I picked up the note and got Sam over to read it for me.


    " To our guardian. We wanted to thank you for all you''ve done. But we hadn''t a clue what to get. The missy mentioned magic stones and we collected the ones we could spare. Use them well.


    - Your Friend Volmyr"


    I reached forward and fiddled with the cloth package. Eventually I managed to open it. What was inside was beautiful and made me glad and humbled. There was a dozen or so magic stones. They varried between big and small. But they all glowed with a mysterious luster. I felt a pat on my shoulder.


    " Better start eating your sweets. They got them for you. I''ll keep watch till your done." Sam said as she turned and sat on the edge of the wall with her legs hanging over. I gently picked up the package and started munching away. I didn''t gain any skills from the first couple but I felt my core get warmer and energy coursed through me. It felt so good!


    The last few gave me a start.


    / Host has acquired the following:


    Water Breath lvl1, Enhanced Vision lvl 1, Roar of Disaster lvl max.


    Water Breath has been combined with Disaster Breath.


    Enhanced Vision Increases distance and definition that the eyes can comprehend. Current capacity allows for 50 meters of high definition and are able to see the small details on the things closer to you.


    Roar of Disaster: An intimidation skill that can intimidate anything lower rank than you. At the lowest rank a monster may suffer paralysis. Even become scared to death.


    Congratulations Host!/

 Chapter 39 The Road North

    It was a couple months after our arrival at the town that we said our farewell. The townsfolk held a large feast in our honor. Unfortunately I couldn''t eat because I eat too much. I went hunting a little earlier and caught a Giant Deer. The thing was 10 foot tall and 8 feet long with a large set of antlers. The chefs were in slight awe but quickly prepared a meal for me from it. Deer haggis, Steak, stew, and even a strange tasting type of flattened, battered, and deep fried meat dish. ( It brings back memories of something from home..... ) I thought as I felt nostalgia settle in.


    It was only halfway through the feast that they brought out huge barrels of wine and ale. I personally didn''t drink when I was alive but I decided to try the wine. I ended up having an entire barrel to myself. Unfortunately I didn''t feel a thing. Mostly because something got in the way.


    / Host has ingested harmful substance. Nullifying with poisonresistance. Nullified/


    "... Damn." I whispered. I was actually slightly impressed. " I can''t get drunk.... hehehehehehe!" I chuckled to myself. The food I ate was pretty good. There was one main thing I understood through the feast. I enjoyed seeing everyone smile. It was heartwarming. It was even funny at one point. Children started asking Sam if they could go for a ride on my back. After getting my consent the children were giggling as I strode around the inside of the town. I kept them all in place with my shields forming a small fence around them. after some time the children fell asleep on my back and I took them to their mothers who had gathered together like a gaggle of geese.


    They all smiled a little as they took their sleeping kids from my back and carried them home. I couldn''t help but think about leaving. I had protected these people for what felt like eternity. Now I had to trust them to defend themselves. The next morning we headed out. The sky was clear and the smell of pine filled the forest. I walked while Sam rode on my back. It was going to be a long road to the city and I wanted to conserve energy by walking a fair distance. Sam readily agreed and with some insotstance on my part she agreed to ride along.


    As we walked we noticed a few things. The further north we went the colder it got. The trees became more thin in number and the stones were protruding out of the ground more. Sam pulled out a map that the captain had given her the night before as a farewell present, and observed it for some time.


    " We must have made port at the southernmost part of the continent. We should be approaching some rolling hills in a few hours. After that the terrain seems to get harsher." Sam said thoughtfully.


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    " Harsher?" I asked curious of what we were going to be experiencing.


    " Yes. There will be less soft soil and vegetation will be thinning out even more. After all, Belmac is primarily a mountainous region. The mountains never dissapeared due to a massive earth creature beneath them. It constantly pulls rock from around the Continent inward to protect itself and feed. Because of that it pushes the unusable rock upward making the mountains." She said in amatter of fact fashion. I guess she was the studious one of her brothers. I think if she wasn''t so hot blooded she could have been a great scholar.


    We ventured onward. The forest gave way to rolling hills that were filled with horned rabbits. My very presence seemed to scare most of them away. There were some who were brave enough to stay. But in a matter of speaking they were very delicious. It took a few more days to reach another settlement. Except this one was a city. It was built into a mountain. The gates were as tall as a small sky scraperand covered in the image of a great tree.


    " Who go there?!" A Male voice shouted from atop the wall. Sam held her hands in the air above her head. " We come from the town to the south. The people there said we should venture here for shelter!" She shouted back.


    " Hold there till I get word!" another shiut replied. A large border flew from the top of the wall.


    Sam sat down. " Seems that we have to wait." Her voice was filled with disappointment. We waited. Night came and we settled on the side of the road for the night. I helped Sam pitch her tent and I got stones arranged and a fire started. The food for the night was rations we prepared a couple days before. Rabbit meat we had turned into jerky. Lucky for us though I managed to spot a badger like creature and removed its head with my tongue strike. I have to admit that almost anything is better than rabbit jerky.


    It took till supper the next day for word to get back from the town. The bird flew in with something wrapped around its legs. ( A parcel?) I thought in slight confusion. A few moments later the voice echoed from the gates. " You may enter. We caution you not to cause trouble. We do not take well to trouble in these parts." We began walking through. Sam walked through just fine. As soon as I walked through the gates I heard many clicks across the wall. I turned my head. The entire wall was covered in dwarves. They stood on shelf like things that protruded from the gateway. Each had a large crossbow aimed at me. Sam started to speak but I raised my hand.


    I slowly lowered my hand and slowly, calmly, spoke." I know the dwarves to be a kind race but also a wary one.They defend the things that are good and smite the evil. Any who insult their honor are not worth their salt and any who give offense are thrown out. ThoughI know these things. I ask this to you for I am unlearned in your ways. Am I such a threat that you aim your weapons at the familiar of your guest or is this the custom of the watchmen of this city?"


    Many dwarves shook slightly as I spoke. A voice rang out from the top of the wall as one dwarf descended a rope ladder.He was clad in silver armor with a helmet that guarded his face while the rest were wearing a bronze like material with only metal caps for headwear.


    " You are but a beast tied to a master. We are proud dwarves. You can reek havoc in our city if not kept in check. What right do you have to question our actions?"He called. He reached the bottom of the ladder and had his hand on a sword at his side.


    My head turned to the dwarf. " Having saved the town to the south I have every right to question these actions. Where they welcome my strength with warmth and politeness. Here I am treated as a threat and a scourge. Did that letter from Volmyr not state such? Or are you simply waiting to test my strength?"


    My claws dug into the ground slightly as my tail slowly moved. One of the stones cracked in half as I exerted a little pressure with one of my claws. I heard a slight squeak and a twang. I spun and my shields moved around Sam to protect her as resounding twangs sounded through the air. I quickly folded my wings around me protectively. I felt an odd sensation after hearing several thuds and clattering sounds. It was a poking sensation. Similar to acupuncture but less painful? I think that''s a good description.


    I heard the dwarf in charge shouting.


    " You blithering idiots! Who shot! Who shot first!? And why the blazes did the rest of you follow?!" He started going off like a bugle for the military.


    After a few seconds of hearing the dwarf shouting at his men I started unfurling my wings and retracted my shields. " Are you alright? I asked Sam. She nodded calmly. She was perfectly fine. I looked at myself to find crossbow bolts littered my scales. The were hardly any that penetrated my scales. With a small brush of my tail they all clattered to the ground. A moment later I felt a slow surge of calm energy start rising through my feet to my wounds. Any bleeding slowly stopped and scales began to regrow and replace shattered scales with newer stronger ones.


    I slowly turned my gaze to the dwarf I had heard squeak before he shot at me. I pointed at him. " You. What were you thinking?! If my hide hadn''tve been as thick my master would have died! You do not belong on this wall if you lose control at the first intimidating thing you see!"I fumed at him.


    Their leader had a shocked expression on his face. " Y-your not mad we shot you?" The captains face was slightly pale as the dwarf next to him fell on his rear in fear.I turned to their leader.


    " Of course I''m mad you shot me! I thought you might shoot me! Me! I had prepared for it! But that dimwit let his bolt loose in HER direction!'' I pointed at Sam.


    " Honor I understand well. Tests I understand my fair share. But shooting an innocent is the same as losing your honor and forsaking valor! Or do the dwarves of this wall prey on the weak? " I coldly finished.


    The leader looked at me with slightly cold eyes but he didn''t say a word. Instead he turned to the younger dwarf and whispered a few words. The dwarfs head hung low as he walked away.


    " Back to your posts and focus on the area around the gate! You know the drill!"He shouted. He turned to us and made a gesture to follow. I followed Sam in a small procession after the dwarf. we followed him into the mountain. There was a tunnel that I had to crouch to get through. The tunnel went for a while till we saw lights. After a couple minutes of following him we came out of the tunnel and into what I can only call the most beautiful sight I''ve ever seen.


    It was a dome inside the mountain filled with Crystal''s. All of them shimmered with a strange light that illuminated the city. It was huge! The houses were made of stone. The walls granite, The streets were paved in a type of marble. Everything screamed stonework. It was so detailed. The shops we passed had pillars engraved with what they did. Blacksmiths had the image of a man smiting metal with a hammer on an anvil. Taylors had a needle and thread, Etc.


    ( So this is a dwarven city. )I thought in awe. The dwarf ahead of us must''ve seen my face and started chuckling. " If you think this is beautiful, you should see the capital. There was more gold and crystal put into our main city than anywhere else you can find." He proudly stated.

 Chapter 40 Creature Crystal

    We travelled with our dwarf friend to the largest building in the city. It looked like a massive pillar covered in windows and stairs. Though that wasn''t the biggest thing I noticed. There was a serpent coiled around the pillars base. It was pure white with crystalline scales. The light flickered off of it in a ghostly manner, whisps came off of it in a strange manner.


    The dwarf didn''t try to avoid the serpent. On the contrary. He had us wait where we were and approached it saying something I couldn''t understand. He bowed to it as I leaned my head close to Sam. " Did he just speak in dwarven language?" I asked slightly nervous of what he could possibly be saying. She slowly shook her head. " I know alot of different languages from different tutors father had me learn under. I''m not familiar with this one." She replied calmly. Slowly the dwarf stood again and returned to us.


    "She wishes to speak with you. While you speak with Her I am to lead the lady to her lodging till you can meet the lord here." He looked at me and then at Sam. Sam and I looked at each other slightly confused. " Her?"


    { That would be me.} a silky feminine voice echoed through my mind. It scared the tar out of me. Besides Sam noone had ever spoken to me through telepathy. My head spun left and right. ( Where?! This must be a joke.) It then dawned on me that there was only one possibility. The serpent. I turned my head to look at the snake. She had one massive eye open staring at me. { About time you noticed. Probably haven''t met alot of beasts with intelligence have you?} she continued staring at me. I focused my thoughts and reached out with my mind. { No I have not. I ask for elders forgiveness. In my time I have met an intelligent gryphon. But no others.}


    She didn''t move her head at all. { Come closer so I can get a better look at you young one.} I started walking toward the serpent as Sam went with the dwarf we had followed here. As I got closer I realized exactly how massive this snake was. It''s eye was about the size of my body! I don''t want to know how long it was or what she had to go through to get to this point. Needless to say that I had no confidence in a fight against her. Her eye shifted a little to keep her focus on me. She had a head that screamed " I deserve to be on mount Rushmore!" for its size. I shivered and shrunk a little nervous before that massive penetrating gaze.


    After a moment of her sizing me up she grunted and the ground shook slightly.


    { For a reincarnated you should have more courage. It''s unbefitting of one so young to not have alot of fire in their spirit.} My head shot up in shock. " Why do you know that?" I barked out in shock. The only beings who should know that are the reaper who sent me and possibly whatever God rules this world.


    { Quiet down and relax!} She hissed in my mind. { Appraisal is an excellent skill for one to have. Perhaps you should have convinced your reaper to give it to you.... though they should have handled you better.} She looked me up and down. Who in their right mind would put a human soul into a disaster class monster.


    I shook my head and sighed. { I wasn''t put in this form... I was reborn as a Six Legged Salamander...} Her eye that had been slightly glazed suddenly lit up and locked onto me. After a second a harsh voice echoed through my mind.


    { That shouldn''t be possible.... No salamander should be able to surpass the limitations and grow to higher grade. I was thrown into a serpent''s body with very little info. That was centuries ago. Now all I can think of is how good sushi was.... Damnit!} The end of her tail lightly smacked the ground in agitation. The ground rumbled a little from the impact. After getting over my shock and some thought I replied { Sushi is good but Poutine is better.} Her eye seemed to get filled with a little fire.


    {Canadian? Bring it on.}


    We argued for a while after that. But I found out info. She was originally born and raised on earth in japan but died in a plane crash after a bird flew into the engine. I had heard about that accident several years before my death. Not a soul survived. The plan had crashed into a mountain and noone was able to recover the bodies. When she had reincarnated it was several hundred years ago and she hatched as a small pebble snake ( basically a snake made of sand). Later years she grew and had to wait a long time for evolution to take hold. Whereas I have the gluttony system she had to go from scratch.


    Around 2 hundred years ago she was caught and forced to serve a dwarf who practiced the art of beast taming. Finding this life more comfortable she stayed among the dwarves. Many years afterward she had absorbed enough crystal energy to become what she is now.


    { If I may? What is crystal energy?} I asked curiously. She shifted her head slightly to reveal a crystal by her head. It was a rose shaped crystal that shined with a blood red light. When the earth absorbs enough blood from beasts of certain attributes it gains some of the same attributes. If a fire beast died in the caves here the Crystal''s around its body would absorb its blood and power to gain its fire power. Eating them is what has caused me to grow so much. If one such as you were to eat them it would be of great benefit. But there are few and I require them to maintain my strength to protect the dwarves.}


    She shifted her head back to hide the crystal again. I shifted a little nervously. {Why do you need to maintain your strength? You are a Calamity Class beast you being here intimidates almost every beast that''s out there. Who would go against you even among the races?} She blinked.


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    { Humans can be greedy creatures. And greed can blind the best of us to do the worst things that can be imagined. Beware of humans that you don''t know. I wasn''t but I also came out hardly unscathed. But my advice still stands.

 Chapter 41 Troubles of Good People

    I was dismissed by Yi Ze ( The snake) some hours later. I was told about good locations for Crystal''s. Apparently crystals can help me grow exponentially. But sometimes getting to them can be difficult. ( I have to make a plan with Sam) I thought seriously as I followed her scent to our quarters. I weaved through streets and hallways till I arrived at a stone in. It was made of marble bricks and had elegant carvings across it. My senses went on high alert as I ventured close.


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    " You wench!! You dare act so high and mighty within the dwarven realms. I know your beast is busy though. So we can have our fun." I heard a low voice within. The words sent rage up my spine as I looked through the window. Sam was ragged and her clothes torn. She was panting heavily and pale. " You put something in my drink." She spat at him. "So this is how good the dwarves are to their guests."


    The dwarf drew his sword as the spit landed on his boot. It was a short sword that glowed with a green light. I felt a little odd seeing it. like I wanted to bite it. I was quickly shaken from the feeling as I noticed he was approaching Sam. " Maybe I''ll cut off a couple limbs so you can''t move and then we have our way." He had the ludest and cruelest smile on his face. That really hit my last nerve. He lifted his sword to swing it at her but fortunately a certain door flew off it''s hinges and smashed him into the wall sending his sword clattering across the floor. I put my clawed front foot inside the opening through all the dust in the air.


    " That felt great. I love pasting bad guys. Who''s next?" I turned my head in time to see a sword coming for me. The sword hit my chest and sparked off leaving a small scratch. The dwarf looked at his sword which was now cracked and gawked at me. " W-What is that thing!" His compatriot had already fled in fear. As he sat there on the ground trying to crawl away from me I flicked my tail sending him flying out the door. " Hmph. Weaklings." I walked over to Sam and prodded her up so she was sitting against the wall. " How are you doing?" I asked.


    " A little sore and very groggy." She replied as her head wiggled a little like a drunk person. I heard a crash from behind me and turned to find that dwarf from earlier. " Cough, cough! Hahahaha! A sneak attack never works on me! So you have a helper. I''ll kill the lizard and make it into some sexy lingerie for you to wear!" His blade flew from the floor to his right hand. He looked at his down feeling slightly odd and noticed his clothes were in tatters from the smash he got. With a grunt he tore his now tattered clothes from him with disgust. What he wore beneath was a gold armor with a lion''s head depicted on the breastplate. He pointed his sword at Sam.


    " Before I pleasure myself with you. You are going to get me some new clothes." He strode forward and I moved in front of Sam to guard her. { I got it from here.} I said down our link. She nearly nodded groggily.


    I stood in front of the man and he smirked.


    " So noble. A pet dying for their master." He shot toward me with some quick footwork. ( He''s quick!) I moved my shields in front of me and waited as I watched him. (That looks like some fancy footwork.) I thought. He was darting back and forth leaving faint after images till there were 5 dwarves standing in front of me. " What do you think now lizard! You can''t catch what you want when they all look the same! Hahahahahaha!" They all laughed maniacally. I simply moved my foot slightly and the floor moved. It swirled a little and the images dissapeared like smoke till only a single dwarf remained. " What is the meaning of this!" As quickly as he had spoken a tongue struck his chest sending him crashing backward. " Gah!" He grunted. My tongue had retracted and was preping for round two. He stood and was about to charge again when a voice rang out." Belus! What in the blazes are you doing to our guest!?"


    He dwarf instantly paled and quivered. As I was looking at him I noticed something. He was trying to move but couldn''t for some reason. His body was suddenly lifted off the ground and smashed into the floor. I figure stepped through the door. A dwarf ina brown robe with a staff made of black rock with rubies set into it. "You were told to welcome the guest to the city and bring them to the lord. Not play and do perverse things to them! How dare you become the trouble of good people!" He tapped his staff on the ground and a box formed around the dwarf called Belus.The door got up and slid back to it''s spot in the door frame. All the dust and destruction we had caused was sucked back to where it was as the building repaired itself. The dwarf bowed deeply to us apologizing for he other dwarfs actions.


    "My name is Calfas. The head mage for the lord of this city. Belus is the earl of our lord and was told to come and relay the message that he was ready to see you. After some time we found he had not returned and I was sent to find you instead. Not only has Belus been discourteous and rude. He has also caused harm and discomfort to our guests. He will be tried for this offence and you will be given compensation equal to the offence according to our laws."


    Calfus stood up straight and fully noticed the state Sam was in. He looked at me nervously.


    " I may have a way to help her if you''ll let me."


    I looked him in the eye and saw only a sincere and apologetic look. I moved to make room for him. He came close and examined her. Opening her eyes, checking the pupils and her pulse. Checking for rashes around the neck. After a couple moments he stood and tookhis staff tapping what appeared to be a bump on Sam''s arm. In seconds there was a hissing noise as black liquid came from the bump and trickled to the floor. Not long later Sam came to with more color to her face and seeming much more lucid. She started rubbing her head.


    " What happened to me?" she asked slowly.


    My response was as quick and true as ever.


    "It doesn''t really matter now. But I will say that if I hadn''t shown up you''d be having some midgets kids." That got her attention and I got thumped by a very hard staff by a certain dwarf.

 Chapter 42 DRAGON MEN

    We followed Calfus out of the in once Sam changed into clothes that didn''t look so..... revealing. It took a fair bit of time for us to actually get to the lord''s residence. It actually wasn''t as close as I had originally thought. It was close to the outskirts but it certainly did not say I am the Lords house. Apparently Dwarves don''t think as much about social status as they do about treating each other right.


    It was a fair sized building. About the size of the in we stayed in and was also made out of marble. The only exception to the building was warriors was carved onto the outside of the walls. They all stood with their shields planted in the ground with the sword through them as the knights stood their. It was as though they were guarding the place but at the same time.... treating it as sacred. We passed The door was small enough for Sam to enter. Unfortunately I could not. Luckily though they moved the meeting to a place in the house where there was a window that I could stick my head in to listen.


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    The Lord of the City was a much simpler man than I thought. He wore normal clothes. Similar to a squire from the dark ages with exception to the sleeves having been ripped off. He was a burley man and full of muscle. His beard showed a youthful brown with hardly any wrinkles on his face. The only thing that stood out was a massive mark on his arm. I would know that mark anywhere. A pact mark of a beast tamer. This mark had a snake bearing it''s fangs while it was coiled in the center of a shield. It was a very ominous mark. (This man must be Yi Ze''s trainer.) I thought. He exuded power without saying or doing a thing. After he entered the room Sam stood and bowed.


    He bowed slightly in return. "It has been many years since we have had guests not of the dwarf tribe in our city. I must thank you for saving our port town to the south. We recieved news a couple days before it happened but were unable to get there in time to save the citizens. You were not only able to prepare but also guard our countrymen from harm during the time required for repairs. For this I thank you from this heart of mine." His voice was deep as a ravine with a roaring river for its base. Deep but flowed like water.He bowed even lower to Sam and I.


    The Lord raised his head. "I have yet to introduce myself. I am Bram. Lord of the City of Crystal Sky and Trainer of The Crystal Guardian." He sat down in a high backed chair to the left of the window with a short round table by the window. " Please sit." He waved to the chair across from him. Each move he made seemed like a mountain moving. Slow and deliberate."I had Calfus go and prepare some tea while we talk. I heard one of my subordinates has been rather unpleasant and acted without manners. I do apologize for this. I have already given orders to send him to the coal mines." He looked at Sam who slightly shuddered. I turned my head to look at Bram. " Lord. Why just the coal mines? He offended and hurt my master only to be sent to mines, where dwarves I have heard are most comfortable. Why?"


    Bram looked at me and what followed were the coldest words I''ve heard. " My friends. You are mistaken. Dwarves hate mines. We prefer the open spaces and places like my fair city. I sent him to the mines because dwarves have sensitive noses and coal is the nastiest material we can ever smell. We''d prefer to shovel and smell monster feces over mining coal." His eyes glinted with a cold light. I couldn''t help but grin slightly. ( Serves that pig right) was all I could think. Calfus came in carrying a tray with a tea pot and cups on it.


    " Right on time my friend." Bram said loudly. Calfus placed the tray on the table and we started our discussion. The discussion covered many things and lasted for an hour or so. In the end we resolved the problems that had occurred between the dwarves and ourselves. Bram had agreed to give us a couple things. One of which was something called a blood crystal that would help me greatly.


    " Blood Crystal''s are fairly rare but we dwarves have no use for them. Only monsters are able to eat them or use them at all." He had folded his hands together with his elbows on the table. "What exactly are blood Crystal''s?" I asked curiosity might kill a cat. But it would have a hell of a hard time killing me. Bram turned to me and began to explain." Most Crystal''s form from a beast or some being dying and he earth absorbing it''s essence. A blood crystal on the other hand is different. Blood Crystal''s are formed around places where a great amount of blood flowed from multiple monsters or people. It absorbs so much essence it becomes murky and red like blood. In essence it is the highest concentration of blood power that one can find. But it''s because of that concentration that noone can use it. Having too many attributes in a crystal makes it useless while a pure elemental crystal is priceless."


    " Ok." I replied. I had learned much while I was here. It was about an hour or so later that we finally left Brams home with a bag and a canister of sorts. Calfus led us back to the inn we were staying at and then said his goodbyes because he had other tasks to do. We went to our room and found quite the nice room. A queen size bed with stone bed posts with floral carving on it was on one side while a wooden dresser was off to the other. There was a set of glass double doors facing out. Sam opened them and walked out onto the balcony. The sight was breath taking. The city was a sea of glowing rainbow lights. It was haunting but beautiful.


    " Ignis.... Nevermind." I felt it. Her nervousness and slight fear. Of what I wasn''t certain, but I did know that when the time was right she would talk to me. I turned to the things we had brought back with us. The canister in particular. It was a cylinder made of black leather with a metal cap engraved with runes that glowed with an eerie light. " What do you think will happen when I eat this thing?" I asked Sam.


    " I don''t know. But if Bram says it''s beneficial I believe him. But first. You are too big to stay in this room. Let''s go to the barn before you eat it." I nodded and picked up the cylinder in my mouth and headed for the door. Sam followed close behind. The barn isn''t nearly as bad as it sounds. It was ok. Hay was everywhere and there were stalls of course but it was warm. I entered one and got Sam to open the canister for me. The moment we did there was a wave of power that filled the air. There were two creatures in there with us and their heads turned to look at us. One was a fanged horse. It had a horses body but a serpent''s head. It''s fangs were enormous. It was like seeing a sabertooth snake. The other was a unicorn.... Not much to really explain there. They immediately turned away when I glared at them. Sam pulled out the crystal and I shivered. It was blood red and eminated power. Whatever blood had been fed to this thing had been ridiculous. The smell is what got me though. It genuinely smelled like blood. It was an acrid iron smell that filled the air. Sam grabbed her nose to keep the smell at bay. Slowly I opened my mouth and took it from her. The taste wasn''t sweet like the other Crystal''s I''d had. It was savory and had a heavy iron taste. I swallowed it. And laid down to wait.


    After a moment of waiting I felt pain wrack my body. Power was pouring through me in a raging river. My bones groaned and my muscles were taught as steam poured off my body.


    / Host has acquired Blood Crystal of the dragon tribe. Host has Acquired the following DNA.


    Human: 100%


    Lesser Disaster Dragon: 100%


    Dwarf: 100%


    Demon: 2%


    Combining the blood lines to strengthen host.


    Dragon man bloodline created.


    Dragon Man: Has the intelligence of both the humans and dwarves but the strength and speed of dragons. Most have the ability to transform into a lesser form of an ancestor./


    / Does Host wish to take on the dragon man blood line and combine it with your Disaster Class Armored Sky Tyrant?/The system asked.( Yes) I thought. Despite the pain of my taught muscles I felt exhilarated. The pain increased again and the system chimed.


    / Bloodlines combined successfully. Host can now evolve into Shield Tryrant Dragon Man.


    Host can look similar to a human and be able to use weapons. Visible differences will be a pair of horns, pair of shield wings, and tail. Will also be stronger and faster than humans. Does host wish to evolve in this direction?/


    I thought for a bit and groaned at Sam through the bond. { How are dragon men viewed among the races?} Startled she quickly picked up a book of notes she had been writing from the pack at her side. " Dragon men are fairly common and viewed in good standing amongst adventurer parties. They are known to be an honorable race and strength is their belief system. If you aren''t strong you shouldn''t fight." She said hurriedly.


    { Good} ( System.... Do it) The pain was blinding as I felt myself compress as my bones condensed and my form grew smaller. My six legs turned into four limbs as my middle limbs moved and merged with the shield arms on my back. My shields shrank with me. My wing too combined with my shields making them feel even heavier. My face felt like it had been slammed into the floor as it went from being a lizard to the face of a man. My horns curled slightly to still be above my head. My claws had grown into fingers with claws at the end. My feet were similar to what they were before but they were thinner and elongated to make me taller. The felt like putty that was being pulled. My claws were sharp and black. My scales were lessening as skin took its place. My shoulders and back were covered with red and purple scales leading all the way down to my tail which came from my tailbone and down. My shield wings were now actually wings that were foldable. The parts where the bones were in the wings were heavily reinforced to the point they could give steel a run for its money. I obviously couldn''t fly with them but I certainly could defend against almost any attack.


    As the changes took place Sam stood their staring. My face formed and stopped shifting as the rest of me was finishing up. Scales covered the back of my hands and my elbows as my chest filled with muscle and became more chiselled. I felt the strength of a human form again. I don''t remember how many years it''s been since I was able to feel something below my waste in a form like this. I flopped over as the last crack echoed through me and the transformation finished. It was at that moment that Sam squealed and I realized I was in he nude... embarrassing.

 Chapter 43 Walking and a Set of Clothes

    In all my years as a man I had never been with a woman so seeing Sam turn red and squeal was humiliating. But thankfully the lady from the in saw what was going on and came out with a blanket for me and gave Sam directions to the closest shop. All the while I was getting fed info from the system.


    / Host has successfully acquired the Dragon man form and evolved into a higher species. System has also detected that demon bloodline has been overwritten by dragon man bloodline.


    Hosts current skills have become as follows.


    Name: Ignis


    Race: Armored Sky Dragon Man


    Skills:


    Flame Monarch lvl 3. 3/10 Flames consumed.


    Molten Dragon Fortification: Similar to Molten titan fortification except eating or drinking dragon materials in addition will enhance physical and magical abilities for a short time.


    Disaster Skill set has updated!


    Disaster Punch lvl 3 can destroy a boulder easily


    Disaster Kick lvl 3 can destroy a boulder easily


    Disaster Tail Strike lvl 5 can


    Disaster Breath Bomb lvl 7 can level a town


    Disaster Roar lvl max


    Enhanced Vision lvl max


    Multi Element Resistance lvl 7


    PainResistance lvl 7


    Flight Enhancement lvl 4 > lvl 1 has a hard time flying.


    Earth Perception lvl max ( increases with strength)


    Earth Manipulation lvl 3: Can make a small hill and move earth within 10 meters of self.


    Underwater Breathing (If host doesn''t understand..... host is incompetent) /


    After hearing the last remark from the system I reached up and felt the frilled gills under my jaw.


    I reached up and felt the side of my neck right below my jaw. They pulsed a little with my own pulse. I continued to lay on the ground asmy body recovered from the strain it had been put through. My shield wings had folded over my arms covering everything from my chest to my ankles. And finally.... I was warm. My feeling my own body heat eminate out was wonderful as I finally fell asleep.


    ...????...


    I was woken the next morning by Sam poking my face with her finger."Sam... You do know that poking someone''s face in the morning is rude Yes?" I opened my eyes to see her red blushing face as she held out a small bunch of clothes.


    " I didn''t know your size so I got what I thought would fit or be slightly big." I slowly took the clothes and went behind a wall. A man suddenly called out to me from Sams side. "Do you need help dressing Ignis? I doubt you''ve worn clothes before." Calfus called as he walked up to stand next to Sam."I''ll be fine!" I yelled back as cut a small hole Ithe pants so my tail could swing freely. It took a couple minutes for me to get dressed. I had to alter my clothes alot in order for me to get dressed. The only things that really saved me were the belt and cloak that Sam got me. I put the belt on the pants because they were huge on me and made me look as though I came from an Arabian country.


    The Cloke covered me almost completely. As I was dressing I noticed I had become thinner but in exchange I had become taller. I must be at least 7 feet tall. I had to lean on he wall to keep myself up. ( Obviously my sense of balance will take a while to get back. I suddenly saw a thick staff sticking around the corner of the wall as Calfus spoke quietly. "I figured you''d need a walking stick till you get used to walking like us two legged beings."


    I slowly reached out, took the staff, and leaned on it kindof awkwardly. " Thank you." I said slightly embarrassed. I took my time getting around the wall and over to Sam. I dwarfed her by a good two feet. My horns didn''t scrape on anything but they made it so I had to bend down even lower to get through doors. As we left the barn I felt a small breeze. Goosebumps rose on my skin as it went past. I felt the crackle of my nerves firing to try and warm myself. I wrapped the cloak around myself slightly tighter and took a breath through my nose. I smelt bread and food. ( I missed this) I thought in ecstasy. It had been many years since I last smelled something through normal means rather than having to flick my tongue and taste it all. I hobbled with Sam holding my right side and the dwarf on my left. We continued into the inn and the lady brought some stew and bread for me.


    " You were a surprise. Haven''t seen a monster turn into a man before." She said as she put the food down. " Eat up. An ordeal like that needs food." She walked away back to the kitchen. My stomache growled at the smell. I ate and ate. It took 3 rounds of stew and 1 loaf of bread to get me full. ( I''m so grateful for a smaller stomache! I thought happily.)


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    A while later I went ahead and started practicing walking around the room. We stayed in the city of Crystal (as I came to call it) for 2 weeks. Bram had someone make me some specialty leather clothes. His opinion was that he wanted us as comfortable as possible in his city. During this time my proficiency at walking increased to the point that I was able to run. When we went to leave Sam gave me the pack so I could increase my balance on the road. Bram walked with us to the gates. But before we left I had one last talk with Yi Ze.


    She was dumbfounded. { HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO EVOLVE AGAIN AFTER YOU GOT HERE!?!} was what she said. It took a little time to explain what happened. After I told her everything she simply nodded. { To think your system was such a handy thing. Most monsters have to evolve through arduous life threatening situations. You just have to eat what you want and eventually you''ll be stronger than the myself.} Her nose came close and touched my chest pushing me over. {But don''t let that go to your head. You''ll meet a foe one day you''ll have a hard time against. I hope you''ll be strong enough to understand the situation and not only survive. But grow}


    Yi Ze bowed slightly to me as I cupped my hands to her in the distance" Thank you Elder." I whispered. With that I turned and went my way with Sam.

 Chapter 44 The Ghost Fire

    We left the city of Crystal and started west to head more inland toward he more populated areas. The land remained harsh and mostly unchanging. It was rocky with few patches of grass or trees of any kind. ( This really looks like a place meant for monsters.) I thought to myself as we walked along the paths. There were few roads and fewer places that were good to rest at. Apparently dwarves hardly move between cities and live similar to hermits. Staying in one place and hardly speaking to other cities unless absolutely needed.


    We ended up passing a sign with directions. it had three arrows on it. One of 5he arrows pointed south and had a symbol on it that said danger in dwarven language. The others pointed north and east where we had come from. We talked with each other and came to the understanding to go north. The roads would be colder but it was safer this way till I got used to fighting in my new form.


    We spent another two weeks on the road till we reached a settlement with Granite walls. The guards at the gate pointed their spears at us. " Who are you and what is your business here?!" One barked at us. We both raised our hands and stood facing them.


    " Bram of Crystal Sky sent us." Sam stated loudly. The dwarves immediately raised their spears and stood slightly more erect. " If you have been sent by Bram tell us what being is under his care." They said in return. ( wary bunch) I thought. " The Crystal Serpent" I replied.


    The dwarves opened the gates. " Enter. Though we warn you that you must have a certificate to leave." The dwarves eyed us cautiously. " Certificate?" The dwarves merely faced forward again without answering as we entered the settlement. The doors slammed shut behind us as we entered. The place was cold and not a soul could be seen. We ventured forward as we cautiously peeked in windows looking for any signs of life.


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    The only sign of life came from the smithy. A dwarf sat at his anvil pounding on some red hot metal. He was covered in leather from head to toe. He continued hammering as we approached. "You should not have come here strangers. This place is for the dead. Not the living." My eyes widened as the dwarf turned his head was covered by a bandana. But his face was that of a skull. Sam quickly pulled out her sword and faced the skeleton. " What is it that you want from us undead one!" She demanded. "Why have we been let in to a place of death?" Her eyes were locked on the being before her.


    "The dwarves outside are meant to keep others out. If they let you in they have plans that you do not leave. If you can leave it is by the certificates I give. I teach only the willing. And only the willing can leave." The skeleton replied solemnly. "I have taught very few students. And fewer still that could handle the flames that brought this place distruction." He pointed with a gloved hand toward green flames that sat in an opposite hearth to the one he was working. " The Ghost Flames. They are the flames which brought destruction to this place."


    Sam''s eyes locked onto the fire. "The flame ranked 5th among all the elemental fire you can get is here!?! How did it get here?!" She exclaimed. " Ghost Flame?" I asked confused.


    ( Is his stuff much different than the soul flames?) I thought. Sam turned to me and started quickly explaining. "Spirits and ghosts in this world can''t be hurt by any means that man knows... except one. Ghost Fire. A literal gathering of flame elemental spirits that no longer have a body in one place. It scours the soul and cleanses evil. Undead are normally very afraid of it." The dwarf turned his head to look at her. " You know much girl. Not many know about the abilities of ghost fire let alone it''s existence." He turned to me. "A dragon men should know of its existence better than a normal human. Though... looking at you, you''re not an average dragon man."


    I stared at the flames and thought for a moment. After a couple seconds I raised my hand and a portion of the ghost flame flew out towards me. " DON''T LET IT TOUCH YOU!" The dwarf shouted. The flames continued to fly to me and landed in my grasp. The flames suddenly covered me from head to toe. I felt excessively warm. I felt a sudden pain eminate from within me as hatred eminated out of me and was eaten by the flames. Smoke poured from me in great clouds and I felt like something was scraping my soul. After a time I sat there with memories played through my mind. Both of this world and the old one. My hatred were burnt away as I realized all that was left was resolve. Great power began to dominate from within as I began to overcome my hatred. I stopped feeding it. I stopped hating my life before my reincarnation. It felt like it took hours to do. Like a lifetime within moments. Until finally I reached the present. The green flames turned an emerald color with grey smoke surrounding them.


    / Host has successfully conquered the Ghost Fire. Flame Monarch leveled up. Flames 4/10 gained. Host can now use ghost flames in attacks. Titles gained. Conqueror of Sorrow


    Conqueror of Ghosts. Combining. Titles. Host has now acquired Title Death Lord. Host gains additional bonuses against Undead beings. Undead beings are now more friendly to you. Host has acquired the Necromancer job class during to evolution to dragon man and ghost flames./


    The flames that covered me gradually decreased till all that remained was me kneeling on the ground. My clothes were burnt to ashes. As I rose bones that were scattered across the ground clambered together to form an armor across my bare skin. A lion cloth of bones was formed to cover my exposed lower parts. As I stood I noticed my reflection. I looked like a Liche. I had a Cape clinging to me by skeletal hands that was made out of torn black drapes. I had a couple human skulls on my shoulders. The remaining clothes were torn from me as shadows condensed into a thick cloth that covered the rest of my exposed skin and scales.


    I heard a clatter of bone on something hard and turned to find the dwarf laying ohis back on the floor. I turned to ask Sam if a skeletoncould faint but found she had fainted as well.


    " Damn it..... now I have to carry her heavy ass..." I grumbled as I picked her up and went to the inn close by. I plopped her in a bed and room of her own and laid on the ground in front of her door in the hall.

 Chapter 45 Necromancer

    Night passed quickly as I laid there in the hall. I still preferred the floor after all these years. Being a lizard with sharp claws in a bed is not a good mix after all. Having a demi-human form though made things a little different. As the night passed I could here whispers and feel cold currents go past me. At one point I finally sat up and acknowledged them for what they were. According to the old books and stories I''d read. Necromancers could not only communicate with the dead but also have them do their bidding. I sat cross legged on the floor and spoke. " Ye who perished here in silence, speak. Those who once lived and ran,walk. Rise and speak with me souls of you who are damned." The words flowed like water. But I didn''t know where they were coming from. They entered my head in images of people walking, laughing, .....living. As I spoke Shadows melded into a couple of beings. They looked like people made of a dark substance that let off whisps of darkness. " He can hear us.", "Can he see us?", " Does he want to use us for evil things?". Dozens of whispering voices clammered together after my words were finished.


    I raised my hands and they fell into silence. " I intend no harm or foul thing. I just want to talk and see what keeps you here." After a moment one of them spoke. "I am Garishe. I was once the leader of this people. Before we tell you what happened I want to know something. What would you do once we told you?" Garish was a fairly large shadow for a dwarf. He stood at about 5 feet or so. I looked at him. "I would seek to resolve your grudges. If you wish to remain, I won''t stop you. If you wish to dissapear and be able to truly die that is also fine. Or you can choose to follow me. But it''s completely up to you." There was a cacophony of whispering followed by a shushing. It was some time till I got a response.


    " If you can get Hargo''s certificate we will follow you. The men of the village will follow you to get our revenge. Our women and children need rest though. If you would willingly let them pass into the cycle of life and death we would be ever grateful. Even if you can''t get the certificate please let them rest." He gestured toward a part of the inn. It was filled with smaller figures that were weeping in fear and confusion.


    I felt anger rush through me in a quick wave that passed. "Who did this to all of you?" I asked slowly keeping my head level and cold. Anger is useless when facing anything but the the one intended to be released on. Garish turned to me. "There was a merchant who had many wares. Strange and exotic ones. We were originally wary of him. After a few months of knowing him we relaxed our guard. It was then that he acted. He lured us all to the center of the town saying he wanted to give us the show of the century. What he gave us was misery and destruction. He unleashed the ghost flames on us in hope''s of refining us into a shadow soul for his use." He paused and shuddered. I raised my hand quickly to question him. " What is a shadow soul?" Garish began to explain. "Souls are ranked like monsters except we do so by color. The darker the soul, the more hatred and energy it possesses. The ranks go from white, light grey, grey, dark grey, and finally black Black is the color of a shadow soul. For they are the same color. If one is able to absorb a shadow soul they will gain extended life force and power. The Merchant sought to focus the hatred of all of our citizens to make a single shadow soul for him to consume and gain power from. He nearly succeeded. The only being in our village with enough knowledge and soul power to withstand the flames was Hargo. He captured the flames and forced them into one of his hearths. He''s been there for over 20 years searching for someone to take it from him so he can finally rest."


    Garish shook his head sadly. " Unfortunately none have ever survived the flames onslaught." He fell silent. After some time of thinking I slowly lifted my hand and a small green/grey flame began to dance in my palm. It was the size of a candles fire. It danced about my palm and slowly wove through my fingers spreading into a line like a serpent. Garish slowly lifted his head and noticed me playing with the flames. He was shocked for a moment or two. " How did you get that? Did you already get Hargo''s certificate!?" He began to badger me with questions.


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    " Calm yourself. Hargo is still at his smithy. We just came to rest the night. I will be seeing him tomorrow about that certificate of his." With that Garish calmed down. He turned to the window. "It is midnight....the living one needs sleep. Brothers.... let''s guard him till dawn so he can rest. No doubt that he has had a long day if he had to deal with the ghost fire." The ghosts began to gather around the halls and merged with the walls. Everything turned black and stayed that way till the sun rose. When the morning came I woke to find the light shining through the windows of the decrepit in. The walls were so bare and covered in spider webs. The place was fairly run down after all these years. I stretched. " Yawn. Well..... time to get Sam up and see the blacksmith." I went into the room I had put Sam to suddenly find a bareback facing me.


    " Eeeek!" Sam screamed as she covered herself further with a blanket to avoid revealing anything furher. "Sorry!" I shouted as I quickly backed out of the room and shut the door. I felt my face flush and I knelt on the floor next to her door till she came out."


    (Why is it I find all the wierd situations????) I thought.

 Chapter 46 Smithing

    After I got scolded by Sam for not knocking we went to the blacksmith. Hargo was sitting in his smithy with two hammers in front of him. One was quite large and crude while the other was small and ornate. He looked at us.


    " Seeing as I have found someone able to withstand the ghost fire.... I would like to take you on as my apprentice." He bowed to me. He stayed that way for a bit till I realized I was supposed to say something.


    " Before I do any learning. I want to know something." He sat up. "What is it you wish to know?" He said rather quizzically. I sat on a stool opposite to him. " I met Garishe and he others. I wanted to know... Why you haven''t set them free?"I looked him in the eye sockets. They were dusty and in much need of cleaning. He sighed and I heard the wind rattle through his ribs a bit. " I could not." He paused and even for a skeleton I felt like he changed slightly. Like some weight was suddenly added. "Ghost Fire doesn''t send souls away. It purifies them. They themselves are responsible for staying here. If I put them through the fire... they would cease to be. My family and friends would no longer exist. That is why I abstained."


    I stared at him for a moment before I looked at the hammers. "So which one are we starting with?" He lifted his skull and faced me. He got to his feet and opened a safe he had in the corner. " If you''re working with me you have to wear something fit for smithing." He tossed me a leather set of clothes. A shirt, A loincloth, and a mask , kindof like a masquerade mask designed to look like a monsters face. He directed me to a room to change while he talked with Sam a little. I came back after leaving my garb in the other room. My mask covered the top half of my face and had lenses that protected my eyes. My shirt exposed my arms and some of my chest where the scales were. My loincloth covered everything important. My dragon legs were fully covered in scales so I didn''t really care if fire or sparks hit them.


    Hargo stood up and threw the big hammer to me. "Now we Smith." He started by having me breath fire into the normal furnace to heat the coals and bricks. After it was hot enough we started dealing with metals. Iron, silver, gold, etc. I forged with him for some time. After my first day my arms felt like they were going to fall off. Smithing takes alot of muscle and I had to build alot. Luckily for me they had quite a few monsters that snuck into the city. Sam had been showing me to use a bow on the road and wanted me to test my hunting skills. Boreas Dogs as they were called are two headed monsters. One head breathes Ice while the other breathes Lightning. Perfect target practice for me considering these buggers are really dumb. I lifted my bow and aimed. I waited and shot. I missed several times before I finally got one. I injured it''s shoulder and it was being pretty savage after that. Like a cornered rat. My next shot hit it in the chest. That night was fairly good for supper. And I managed to gain ice breath from the hounds. I never had dog before. It didn''t taste all that wierd. It was mostly the awkward thought of eating a dog that got me.


    I kept meeting with Hargo and forging. When we finished every day he would melt down what we had done. Kinda made me feel like what we had been doing was pointless. But at the very least I was learning alot. What Garishe told me is that Hargo was one of the only dwarves able to handle every metal known to the dwarves. In his prime he hunted dragons and other beasts with only an iron spear. This was considered a huge feat for a dwarf. It later became a rite of passage for dwarves. Slaying even a small dragon with a spear proved adulthood and capability. Most dwarves would immediately be able to find a wife due to that fact alone. With all this info I often called Hargo " Hargo the Great". He was furious when I told him what Garishe told me.


    " That son of a 3!+€#! When I get over to the next world I''ll skin him!" Is what he said if I remember correctly.


    On another note my muscles were developing well. In comparison to when we had arrived I was twice the man. My muscles had been fairly thin before. Now they were growing and were quite pronounced. Hargo actually had to make another leather shirt for me because I was getting thicker and it was getting harder to work in. My chest was thicker and my arms were comparable to the terminator if I had to give a reference. All because I spent most of my time smithing. My nights were spent talking with the dead though. Even the women and children started talking with me. Many had suffered greatly. The children followed the women around like a puppy follows it mother and often stayed quiet. ( They have suffered much.) I thought. After talking with them I kept thinking about necromancers. (Can I actually release them?) I thought.


    Classes in his world are given randomly. The experiences of people greatly influence what class they get and also the skills that they acquire. I''m not an evil man. Neither have I tried to do wrong anyone with the intent of killing or humiliating them. But Necromancy is generally viewed as an evil art is what Sam tells me. But the thing we both understand is that I recieved this class due to the Ghost Fire.


    The small green/gray flame danced in my palm. ( How powerful are the other flames if this one can force a class onto me.) I thought to myself.


    I had many sleepless nights over this. Enough for me to gain the titles Sleepless One and Night Owl. Literally useless titles unless you want to pull allnighters. But that is something else. We had been here for close to 3 months when Hargo called us for the last time.


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    As per usual he sat by his anvil. This man had taught me everything he knew. From iron all the way to mithril. Unfortunately Mithril was such a small quantity he could show me only how to make arrowheads out of it ????. But I know how to deal with them. In regards to everything else in the town... well. Sam spent most of her time cleaning the settlement. At my request some of the ghosts started possessing items like brooms and mannequins to help her with the cleanup. Most of the fallen buildings and rubble had been cleared away and the streets were clean. I wasn''t fully able to use my earth abilities outside of my dragon form. But I was able to make some bricks out of the rubble and used them to start reconstructing one of the destroyed houses.


    The time passed quickly. We had been there for close to 6 months and the snows started to fall. Most of the places were fully rebuilt with exception for the glass. The air was crisp and cold. And despite what people might think my legs were extremely cold. Lizards are cold blooded beings. Cold is not our friend. Thankfully Hargo made a set of coverings for my legs that absorbed magic to keep them warm. I naturally supplied it seeing as I have alot.


    Then the day came for my graduation. Hargo was different from usual that day. Instead of always sitting on the stool next to his anvil he was standing before the hearth with the ghost fire. I knocked on the door frame as I entered. He turned his head and saw me. " Ignis I didn''t hear you coming....." He slowly turned back to the flames. " I have one last lesson to teach you before your travels." He picked up a pair of heavy silver gauntlets from a hook next to the fire. " Ghost Fire does not melt metal. Neither does it make it possible to destroy ghosts with whatever you put in. What it does do however.... Is imbue a soul into whatever you heat up with it. The soul will enhance the materials and give them a self repair function. but unlike most other metals Iron will not allow for it. Iron is soulless and magic cannot pass through it. Meanwhile you can still use magic if hit by say an iron arrow. But no soul can enter iron." He had walked over to a chest and pulled out something wrapped in cloth.


    He unfurled the cloth revealing a set of clawed gauntlets covered in runes. " If you wish for a soul to enter the thing you''ve made it has to be covered in runes that seal the spirit within. No spirit can speak, feel, touch, or hear. Essentially they sleep within the material until it is completely destroyed and are set free." He sat down after handing me them. He hunches over slightly as I examined them. I turned left and right in curiosity before I asked him. " Is this my graduation exam? What soul am I going to be putting in these?" After a small moment he answered. And his answer was only one word. "Mine"

 Chapter 47 Souls and Legacies

    " Master! Why?! After all this wouldn''t you rather move on?" Hargo lifted his head and spoke. His jaw moved and the hoarse voice that I recognized came out. "I have lived for 300 years. 100 longer than any dwarf. We are a long lived race. But I lived far longer than I should have. Over these past few months I''ve come to realize how little I''ve done for my nation. I leave a small legacy. Even with you young one. So I wish to be of some use after all this time. Besides. It''s not that bad. Some sleep would do me good after all, undead never rest anyways." He approached the hearth.


    "My apprentice.... It is time.... time to let me rest." He said solemnly. I approached the hearth to stand beside him. "Master... If that is your last wish I will heed it." He stayed facing the fire and reached into the flames with his bare hands. "You''ll know when the time is ready. Throw the gauntlets into the flames when it is." As soon as the bones touched the ghostly flames they began to disintegrate and his soul began to pour out into the fire like a small white flame standing in the middle. Soon, only his clothes remained laying on the floor coated in white powder. I stayed standing there in shock until I felt the gauntlets begin to warm in my grasp.


    I looked at them and back at the fire. The runes coating the gauntlets had originally been quiet. Now they glowed an angry, fiery red. I continued to wait. My instincts said to wait. As time went on Hargos soul turned whiter and brighter. The runes colors turned almost black. That is when my mind screamed (Now!). I threw the gauntlets into the flames. What happened next was awe inspiring. Instead of sinking to the bottom of the hearth, the gauntlets floated and twirled amongst the flames. They danced around Hargos soul fire. As they did so I noticed wisps of light coming from Hargos soul and entering the gauntlets. It took till night when the process was finished. All that was left of hargo was a tiny, tiny light. It floated toward me until it entered my chest plate. I heard Hargos voice enter my mind. " You''ve done well lad. Yuv done well." Then it was gone.


    / Host has gained titles: Loved One of the Dwarven Smith King: Dwarves are now more liable to enjoy your company and get along with you.


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    Master Smith Hargos Disciple: Smithing ability is increased. Any and all items smoothed will have special abilities granted./


    Tears filled my eyes as I fell to my knees. "I didn''t know him for long. But why does it hurt so much?" I let the tears flow and cried till I felt a little better. When I raised my head up I had a new resolve. Hargo had wanted to make a difference. All sam and I had done for this trip was wander. It''s time to make a few things right. I turned to the fire. The gauntlets were still floating within the fire. The runes which had covered them now were formed into images. I took them from the flames for a closer look. As I looked closer I noticed what they were. It was Hargos life. From him as a baby all the way to his transformation as a skeleton. The story was spread across both gauntlets. On the left, the Beggining. On the right the end. I was even involved. The last image shown was one of a dwarf hold my shoulder as I knelt with my back to him.


    I understood then what this was. These represented the legacy he handed down to me. These were his life that he had given. His power that was now imbued to the metal. And now it was my turn. I held them close and finally I went and changed. Out of the things which he had given me, and into the clothes that were made for me. I turned to Sam when I returned to change. " Come with me." I said firmly. Sam''s sword had broken recently and she had told me she would get a new one at the next city. I wouldn''t allow it. My master certainly wouldn''t have. I took the metal of my smithing vest and forged her a new sword. I took her old sword and took it apart. After I was done revealing the blade in it''s fullness I began heating it just like Hargo taught me. "Heat it till it''s nice and red. Don''t let it lose it''s temper." He''d always say. As I worked I took the metal vest and put it into the smelter. After some time I moved the now red pieces of blade and placed them into the mold I made while I waited for it to heat. I Poured the molten steel into the mold along with the pieces and let it form. The rest was easy. When the metal was solid but still red I began to beat and fold it. As I folded it I knew it would be harder, stronger, sharper. I continued and Sam watched the entire time.


    After the blade was sharpened and dipped in the oil and water she spoke. " What happened to Hargo?" I was silent for a while as I worked. When I finally turned away from Sam I spoke.


    " He''s gone....." I continued. As I worked on the blade it was still hot. I noticed a few things. A couple marks were on the blade. Tear marks. My tears were still falling on the blade as I worked. She needs a blade even one made from my sadness will be stronger than that toothpick she had before. When I finished it was a Katana. My tear marks on the blade had turned into swirls that went across the back of the blade away from the edge. It was like clouds had fallen across her sword. I worked a guard and handle into shape and fit the blade into it. As I lifted the blade to look at it I heard a whisper."As fine a work I could expect of my disciple." I spun but found noone.


    "Hargos gone is he?" Another person said. I jumped as Garishe floated through the open door. Sam''s eyes went a little wide in surprise.


    "Garishe... I didn''t realise you could come out of the inn!" I said as happily as I could manage. He nodded but remained on his topic as he noticed my gauntlets. "He had you do it didn''t he?" He paused "He finally put himself into something he loved doing." Garishe floated to me while I laid the sword flat acrossmy legs. He patted my shoulder but all I felt was a cold rush of air. "You are truly worthy of being called his disciple. "We''ll be ready to go when you are. We found some necromancy books in the old magic shop you can look through and study if you like. This way you''ll be able to get a grip on that power of yours and be able to get us out of this hell hole."


    After he left Sam looked at me and finally noticed the gauntlets. " You graduated... by turning Hargo into those.... didn''t you?" She said slowly. I slowly nodded. I felt a deep pain in my heart, but no tears came. " He told me you know? About what he wanted you to do for the graduation." She sat down next to me on a stool.


    I looked at her from the side. " Why didn''t you tell me?" I whispered.


    " Hargo asked me not to.... as a friend." She replied softly.


    I nodded as she started talking about him. How he was kind and unwaveringly stubborn. He''d helped repair her equipment several times without me knowing. And he even made her a little charm that the dwarves made for good luck. We sat there till nightfall, Me doing the listening to her talking. After that she finally convinced me to return to the inn and sleep. When we returned I found a large pile of books stacked in my room on the bed. I felt the standard cold breeze as a ghost went past. I sighed. (It''s time I uphold my end of the bargain.) I quietly entered the room and moved the books onto a desk that the ghosts had built when they had possessed a mannequin. The books weighed a ton it felt like moving a mountain. I grabbed a book and laid on the bed to read. Unfortunately I didn''t even get to open the book before I passed out.


    I dreamt of many things that night. Alot of my suffering and pain. spotted with some of the good that had got me through the harsh times. Though in the end of the dream I ended up in the smithy. A nice warm fire sitting before me and a dwarf I had never seen flesh on till now smiling brightly at me. His beard was grey but his brown eyes held the light of the fire. His laugh was like a moving mountain. Just like I had imagined. I sat next to him at the fire and we talked till I I woke. When the morning came it was different. The sky was actually clear and the sun felt warm as it entered the window of my room. I felt far better the next morning. Confidence was in my heart as I picked up the tome off the floor where it had fallen when I fell asleep.


    It''s cover was made of bone and had a skull carved into the front with small rubies embedded into them. It''s cover was as big as both of my hands put together. As I opened it I read the dwarven words Theory of Necromancy. " Sigh..... I guess I have to start somewhere." I started reading as I knew I needed a full understanding of the possibilities that my class possesses. As I read I realized levels were more based towards a person''s comprehension and ability rather than the actual abilities of the person increasing. For mages and especially necromancers our minds and mana are supposed to be our greatest asset. Fortunately for me I have more to me than meets the eye.


    I read that tome for the whole day. Sam brought me food and I continued till nightfall. When the moon rose I finally finished the book. My mind was filled with theory and philosophy. Many dark mages had left a poor image of necromancers. Necromancers were supposed to heal the souls of the ghosts left behind. Guide them to rest and peace. The combat was based on souls who sought revenge or had no clue how to pass on and would rather be useful. Powers such as possession would increase their power exponentially but it was truly a sight when they completely merged with the item possessed that they became a new creature. A wraith. Wraiths control over things grows as they become more attached. Not only can they control it better, they can evolve like monsters do.


    I was dumbfounded as I lay with the book closed on my lap. I turned to look at the other books on my desk. There must have been 13 maybe 14? Huge books filled with knowledge. All I needed to do was consume it.


    / Host has aquired new title. Bookworm: Increases reading speed and comprehension. Truly a nerdy title/"Oh shut up you!" I waved my hands in the air.

 Chapter 48 Soul Armor

    I spent some time reading the grimoires and tomes that were on my stand. Some were written by good people. others were written by people who had studied darker things than I could have handled. Most of the books talked about theory and the nature of the soul. Souls apparently are eternal things. destruction of the soul is impossible. Purification and Transformation on the other hand were commonly done to souls. My studies led to alot of epiphanies about the world I now lived in. In contrast to most things in my previous life I soaked up all the knowledge I could get my hands on. The other 3-4 books that remained were true grimoires. They held the spells and learning of different necromancers over the years. These books were coated in iron and had chain bindings with green and red monster skin pages. Each page exuded power as though the necromancer was still trying to speak. Whispers often filled the air as I passed some darker magics. Most of the magic was good and solid for everything from releasing souls to trapping demons.


    The other part was about using souls and the dead for other things. Combination spells, Golems, Even a Revenant. Many things filled the pages. As I learned I felt my mind unlock in new ways. Some things about me K came to understand. I hate sweet and sour at the same time. The type of people who make good images often are ones who like one thing or another. Not two things together. Focus in certain aspects is key while strength of will is the thing that unlocks the door.


    My mind was stretched and filled with knowledge over several days. Even to the point I went and got a journal from the newly renovated bookstore. All the books were still in crates but I was allowed to take a journal to use. I started writing down basic knowledge and understanding. After that was spells. After close to two weeks of studying I gathered the ghosts.


    "People of this settlement! Are you finally willing to rest and make peace?" I asked the group. There was a moment of silence as Garishe moved forward. "Our women and children seek to rest and be at peace. We men wish to avenge our families." He said solemnly. I nodded. " Those who seek vengeance for the wrongs which have been done to your people step aside now!" A portion of the shadows moved as men both big and small gathered to the side. Children were left being held by their mothers in the middle. "I made this promise many moons ago. I said that after I gained Hargos certificate I would find a way to release you. I have found a way and if you are willing. You can finally leave this place." I paused to let it sink in. Sam stood off to the side. I bet that she only sees a massive shadow in the middle of the courtyard.


    A womans shadow came forward with two small children. "Alarra is this something you wish for. I quietly said. You''ve been through so much. I think it time all of you finally get some rest after all this time." She nodded. Her face was hidden in shadow and has been since I met her all those months ago. Most of the women''s shadows had obscured faces for fear of judgement being passed on their beauty. Despite all that and the fact she hadn''t learned to speak I still managed to learn her name.


    The women in the group followed her example and slowly moved forward together. I put my hands out level with my chest. I formed a circle with my fingers cupping toward each other. The top open part of my hands faced the sky while the side with the pinky faced the ground just like the books had described. I began to circulate power like I had been instructed. The magic flowed around my hands going from the right hand through the left and back through my thumbs. As I did this I imagined that circle growing and flowing around like a great river. The feeling of power filled the air. Crackling like electricity as it arced around the ghosts within. Within moments the ghosts were surrounded by it. I then said the spell.


    " From Shadows which once lived, From darkness which knows light."


    The ground beneath the dead glowed a slight white as I spoke. A beating pulse like a heart could be heard.


    "From Young to Old or bitter to sweet, rotten or clean."


    The air gained the smell of spring as a grass grew through the stones and the light grew more bright within the circle once more.


    "Pass ye through the doors of eternity and receive new light"


    I opened my hands wide breaking the circle and justas quickly clapped them together as hard as possible. The clap sounded likeslamming an iron door closed as the light engulfed the ghost and they vanished. Warm wind rushed past me and I heard a multitude of people whispering "Thank you."I bowed my head and offered a small prayer for the departed before I turned to the others.


    "My part is done. Now what will you do."


    The ghosts bowed deeply. " We will follow till we find our reason to rest. We failed once to protect our loved ones. We will not fail to avenge them." Garishe said.


    I nodded thoughtfully. ( Now the ultimate problem. How can the ghosts travel with me..... ) I thought. It took me a bit to figure it out. One of the books contained information on a type of wraith called legion. Many ghosts/ spirits inhabiting one being or item. I got thinking. As I thought I got a great idea. I quickly went to the smithy. The ghosts came with me and at a simple request they went out for a few things. I pulled out some silver, black steel, wood, leather, and got Sam to get me some monster Crystal''s from my room. Sam got back around he same time the ghosts did.


    When they got back I was already at work. I had taken a mannequin apart and had started on gorging something. The ghosts had all brought something that tied them to the world in some way. Everything from knives to jewelry to shirts. Heck one even brought a oak bow. I worked for a week on my project. I had created a set of armor. It was black with silver decorations. The joints were linked together with monster hide. The mannequin was sitting in pieces still as I still needed it to be. I took its pieces and carved runes on them with a special carving tool. As I carved the runes glowed. As I finished my carving I carved eyes and made a jaw that I attached to the mannequins head.


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    " What are you doing?" Garishe asked quietly.


    " We know we need to go with you boy but will this really help us?" He was nervous. In reality so was I. But I needed this to work so it would be easier for us to travel. I went into the back of the smithy and gathered a few of the materials I needed. I brought out a cauldron and put the pieces of the mannequin into the pot and began mixing a substance in a pot on the table close by the hearth. I mixed a few herbs that I had found around the settlement over the past few months.


    "Dead Claw herb, Shallow Grave Grass, Corpse Fungus, Hydra Flower. Surprising that we could find everything I needed here in the settlement. At the same time kinda sad I was able to." I put the herbs and a couple of monster Crystal''s into a pestle and mortar and ground them into a paste then added them to the water in the pot. The once clear water turned black, then green, then a dull grey. I looked at the book I had brought to the smithy. " Looks like I did it right." I brought the pot to the hearth and lit a fire. The solution was heated till it was boiling. I added the liquid to the cauldron with the mannequin and set the cauldron above the fire. The wood from the mannequin dissolved into the solution. Once that was done I had everyone bring the item to the cauldron and out the thing they brought in. One by one the items dissolved into the liquid. The ghosts shuddered a little as though they were cold.


    " This feels wrong." one said. "It''ll only be for a short time." I replied. He nodded.


    After some time the liquid turned a creamy white. When it reached that stage I took the armor I had made and put it into the fluid. Unlike the rest the armor didn''t dissolve. Instead it began to suck it up like a hungry animal. The armor became heavier and heavier. I saw wood like appendages weaving together to form a body within the armor. I eventually let go and put the fire out. A head had formed where the helmet was. Arms were growing out and filling the sleeves of the chest piece, The boots had feet. Everything came together nicely. After it stopped growing The thing stood in the cauldron. My wooden puppet was now complete. It had no face despite me carving one. It didn''t really look human at all. It had the form but the look was missing. I took it out of the cauldron and placed it before the ghosts.


    " I know you all have to travel with me to get revenge. I also acknowledge the fact you all like your personal space. But I have one request. I ask that all of you come together and inhabit this armor. If there isn''t enough room I will form another." I quickly did a count. "There are 20 of you. I don''t know how many this can hold. But I will do my best to make it as comfortable as possible till you get your revenge." One of the ghosts approached the puppet ahead of the rest. It was a female ghost who was known to be adventurous and slightly mischievous. Cora if memory serves. She went into the puppet. Within seconds the head started turning and a womans voice could be heard. " What is this. It''s so spacious in here!" After that the ghosts poured toward the puppet in a flood. The puppets hands which had originally looked like mitts separated into fingers and the face became a mask with half of it being a womans face laughing with the other being a man''s face crying. Excentuated muscles carved themselves from the wood as he puppet changed. All 20 ghosts fit into the puppet and not one complaint was heard. The puppet continued altering itself until the armor was filled and a tall, powerful puppet stood before me.


    I knocked on the breastplate. "Can you all here me?" The head nodded as a voice echoed out. "Yes." It was a mix of the voices of every ghost inside. It was as cool as it was creepy.


    " Since all of you are inhabiting the puppet I will simply call you legion until you separate. Is his okay?" Once again a nod. ( Good. We''re off to a good start.)

 Chapter 49 Free

    The morning before we set out we gathered as much supplies as possible and got our bags. We would need provisions for the road. Sam, Legion, and I went to the smithy for one last good bye before we left. I walked about it. Feeling the table beneath my claws. Hear the stones clack beneath my talons. and feel the warmth and heat of the fires that were just dying. I went to Hargos old desk and pulled a few scrolls of parchment he left behind. Some schematics for things he never got the chance or had the room to build. After placing them neatly in my bag I exited the place. I turned back and bowed deeply. "Good bye my friend." I turned and left it behind me. My heart ached a little as we left. We got to the gates and knocked. There wasn''t a sound that came from the other side. We waited a couple seconds and knocked again. " We ain''t letting nobody out. Lords orders! You bunch''a stiffs can rot in there till you rest in peace for all we care!" Some sniggering followed.


    Unfortunately for us my mood was already bad. More unfortunate for them considering I kicked the steel door with enough force to break the beam that was baring it closed outside. Needless to say the dwarves were slightly flattened against the outside walls.


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    I leaned in close to Sam. " Did I go a bit overboard with the kick?" She shook her head. Legion was laughing so hard it was comical.


    "We''ve been waiting for someone to do that for ages! Haha!" They laughed.


    We continued on our way after making sure the dwarves were still alive. looking out at the barn grounds was refreshing and terrifying at the same time. A whole new adventure awaits I guess. We started on the road south not knowing what laid before us, but knowing what we had left behind was for the better. Legion danced along the road and sang a little. It was actually quite the sight. Seeing one person but hearing a beautiful song sung by many. I thought back to what the book had said. Legion is the ultimate jack of all trades. If you use spirits from masters of different sorts of things (depending on if all the skillsor abilities were mastered before death). Legion essentially could not only be a jack of all trades. But a master of all trades if the correct souls are used. Really a frightening thing when you think about it.


    At about noon we stopped for lunch. Considering Legion actually requires sustenance in the form of monster Crystal''s once a day to maintain itself I had packed loads of them. After learning I couldn''t learn anything else from the two headed dogs, I essentially stockpiled their crystal''s for future use. Thus we had enough of a supply for legion to eat. After lunch Sam decided it was time for me to actually learn combat in my new form. We started with basic stances for hand to hand combat. It was a hard hour or so of training. I was training in the crouched stance Wam had taught me when suddenly my legs collapsed from exhaustion. " Muscles are normally trained for quick or slow constant movements. Seldom are they trainedto hold themselves in one solid place like a mountain." Legion said as it walked up. "Let me show him something that helps."Legion looked at Sam who was currently in the same stance without breaking a sweat. "Go ahead." She said.


    Legion helped me up and showed me a strange movement. It was slow and deliberate. It had flow to the arms and legs. If it flowed faster it would have been like watching water move."I learned this from a foreigner many years ago. Apparently is called Taichi" It continued moving slowly. "If you practice this and continuously slow it down. You will eventually reach the point where Sam is physically."The puppet stopped moving and took a straighter stance. I started following the puppets movements which originally looked easy. After 10 minutes I was left exhausted by the physical strain to move so slowly. I laid down on the rocky ground using my shields for a mat to rest on. " Why. do I. Have. to learn. Martial Arts?" I panted out. I laid there thinking. Dragon men originally used their dragon forms for combat. I haven''t even seen a good time for this. Perhaps I could have changed for. so we could travel faster. I continued thinking and planning as I laid there.


    After the training I sat with everyone for a midday meal. "I think I should stay in dragon form outside of towns. It''ll help with protection and I''ll be better at dealing with problems. Makes me more noticeable. But how many people will mess with a disaster class." Sam sat tapping her chin. After a moment she nodded. "I think you''re right. though you''re compact and easy to travel with right now. Your other form suits he outdoors better and has higher combat ability." Legion was looking at us in confusion. "Other form? What other form?" Without answering I took off Hargos gauntlets and my body began to grow. My face distorted into my old draconic one. I felt the pulling sensation as .y bones stretched and my muscles expanded. My shields grew larger and my other pair of wingsseparated from my shields. My legs grew thicker and finally my extra pair of legs shifted to be back in the middle. I felt great. My height actually seemed to have increase since last time. I was now almost 12 feet tall by 24 feet long. The bulb that had been at the end of my tail originally was gone. It was replaced by what looked like a tear drop but made of bone. (Odd. I don''t remember that being there)


    I spread my wings wide. My full expanse must have been around 40 to 50 feet. (Maybe all that exercise and working with Hargo helped?) I wondered. I looked down and saw legion sitting on the ground. It''s mask had shifted into one that represented shock. Wide eyes and an open mouth. As I looked at legion I felt the power that was within. I was shocked. Legion was actually not as simple a being as I had originally thought. The puppet actually could be considered a disaster class! Its aura was massive! I saw the souls that sat inside in great abundance. Each one sitting in a different section of the puppet. Eerily enough I could tell who was sitting exactly where.But enough with the staring. I turned to Sam and willed a few strands of shadow to form creating a basket out of the darkness. Sam gave me a quizzical look.


    " We''ll need something for legion to sit in." She nodded. I put my shields in front of my chest and put our bags jn the space between the inside and my chest. We wouldn''t lose the bags if they were there and less chance of them falling out since my claws on the shields lock them together. Sam got on my back with a blanket knowing it would be a cold flight.


    /Host has Boreas Dog Bloodline possible to integrate. Would host like to grow fur for better warmth?/ (..... Now you do this!!!!! Yes) I stayed where I was and waited. An itch spread across my body as fur began to come from under my scales. Beggining at my neck and spreading down my body silver and red fur began to sprout. I was so tempted to scratch but knowing sam was on me stopped me. Sam noticed fortunately and took out a branch and started scratching my back.( Ahhhh....) I sighed as she scratched. You have no idea how much you need something till you get it. The fur soon stopped growing. It was short but it was enough for heat to spread across my body. I opened my wings for flying and found fur now covered the back of them. (That''s nice.) I flapped and felt the glee of flying again. The air rushed past and for once since coming here. I bardly felt the cold. As we flew we saw the land passing by below. There was hardly anything below besides the harsh wastes. After flying for an hour we came across a town.This one had smoke coming from the houses and children playing in the streets.


    I landed a few miles away from the settlement (so as not to startle the people) and changed my shape after Sam and Legion got off. I changed into normal clothes with a cloak. I absorbed the bone garb that showed my necromancer class and we headed to town.


    There were guards atop the wall but they didn''t say a thing as we approached. There was a festival happening in the streets. Stalls were thriving with fruits and vegetables for sale. Others sold cooked food and clothing. Some sold jewelry and trinkets likes pins and brooches. I moved out of the way for the children rushing past as they played.


    The Noone looked at us wierd or asked questions to bar our path. They just let us through. We bought a couple things from the stalls and later that night got to watch some of the shows the dwarves put on for night activities. One was a play that displayed a noble king destroying a demon with a divine hammer. Another was a circus using monsters for special tricks. At the end of the night we stayed at an inn called the Anvils Warmth. It was a nice inn. Its sign was a bed in a hearth. ( Nice sign) I thought.


    Legion and I shared a room while Sam had her own. Later in the night Legion decided the floor was best for it. They couldn''t sleep anyways but they decided to work on a small project. What it was I didn''t ask. At some point a knock sounded at the door. I got up and answered. It was Sam. " Any chance I can speak to you for a minute?" She was in a nightgown and slippers. Obviously ready for bed. My face flushed slightly at the sight. "Of course. What do you need?" She grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hallway. We got down the hallway and Sam pulled me through a door leading outside and onto a balcony.


    She let go and slowly walked over to the railing and rested her arms on it. I slowly walked up next to her. " What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked slowly. The noise of the festival below wasn''t as loud as it was earlier. The events and activities were now dying down for the night. Sam was looking down and watching what was happening with a slightly sad look on her face. "Ignis..... How long have you been by my side?" She asked quietly. I thought and quickly came to the time amount. " With exception to the forest incident I''ve been by your side for a 2 years now. I dare say the best 2 years of my life in some ways." She smiled for a brief moment before becoming solemn again. She pulled out a piece of parchment. and handed it to me. "Hargo left this behind. Said I should give it to you when I thought you were ready for it." I looked at the parchment for a moment before gently taking it. "What is it?" She looked at me with a sad look. " Open it." I gently opened it. What I saw was a rune drawn in black charcoal. It smelled like iron mixed with flowers. Suddenly the tune lit up and the parchment caught fire.


    A searing pain entered my mind and seared my soul. I looked at Sam and felt the bond we had snap. My world spun as I sunk to my knees. Sam got on her knees and held my shoulders. " Make sure to breath and focus. The dizziness will pass. " I took a deep breath as the pain subsided. My mind began to slowly clear like muddy water in a river. After a few moments I looked at Sam. " What did you just do?" She was still kneeling in front of me.


    She took a deep breath. " I just set you free."

 Chapter 50 Guardian

    I was dumbfounded. ( Free.... Did she say free?) I sat there unable to fully understand what had just happened. "What did you do to me?" I looked her in the eye. " Sam stared back at me. "It was Hargo''s request that his disciple not be tied down or limited by anyone. So he handed me a rune that would dissolve our familiar contract while leaving our current power and abilities as they are. You now have nobody to drag you down or chain you and drag you around." Sam turned and something hit my hand." I raised it to my face and sniffed. ( Salty smell.... a tear?) I got up shakily. My soul felt like someone had just stabbed it. "ssssss" I hissed against the pain. Call me a wuss if you want. You try having someone stab you and see how you like it. I went toward Sam''s room. I heard sobbing on the other side and knowing nothing I could say would change the situation I went back to the room.


    The next morning arrived faster than I thought. The smell of food drew me downstairs were I paid for a platter of eggs, bacon, and toast with a glass of strange juice.


    When I drank the juice I felt a comfortable feeling fill me. It was like I had suddenly become one with the ground. I could feel everything for miles. Under my feet was strong stone, granite, marble, diamond, gold, molten lava that flowed in veins. After a little bit I found a massive beating heart the size of a mansion. ( What is this?) I thought as my mind touched it. As soon as I touched it I felt a zap and was shot back into my body. "whoa." I exhaled. ( That was something else.) I thought.


    / Host has consume Ostoria Egg. using material for muscle building. Host has consumed Orc Bacon. Host has acquired stench resistance lvl 1. Host has consumedEarth Dragon Berry juice. Hosts earth element compatability allowed host to comprehend higher earth ability Molten Heart lvl max: Grant''s host increased life force as long as host is touching the ground./


    I ended up asking theserving dwarf about the food. The system never described what things were so I always had to learn about them myself. Orcs are apparently 5 foot tall pigs that have stone back plating and can weigh up to 1000 kilos. I was actually shown the Ostoria pen. They''re ostrich sized chickens with blue feathers on their body while their head is a brilliant red. Meanwhile the earth dragon berries are easy to understand with a simple explanation. When earth dragons die some plants grow from their body. There''s a small chance ( 1/40) that it will grow a tree. This tree will allow for mages to gain a greater insight to the earth element while normal people just find it delicious. And lucky for us we had a dragon rancher send us four trees from overseas." The burly lady dwarf said.


    I sat there for a bit continuously drinking he juice. I had no more experiences of diving into the ground or anything. Everything else I ate granted me materials for my body. I heard he stairs creak slightly as someone came down. I looked and saw that it was Sam. She saw me and quickly went to the counter. After speaking with the lady at the counter she hurried back upstairs. "sigh" (.... I have no clue what to say....) I thought as I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. ( She didn''t even give me a clue what she was going to do and to top it off she just handed me my freedom without compromise or promises.) I asked for another cup of juice and handed the server a couple coins for the cost. As I sat there drinking I pondered. I eventually got up and went walking about the city.After a bit of winding through the streets I found myself at a fountain. With a statue of multiple people on it. Each was carved intricately. There were 10 of them standing there. Each of a different look, size, shape, or race.


    "It would seem someone found the spring of the guardians." A reedy voice spoke. I turned to see the old dwarven man I had seen many months ago. Still cloaked and holding a weathered walking stick. "The reincarnated always find their way here. This fountain holds the greatest history and story of this world. Long ago there were 10 Monsters of great power. These 10 were originally beings raised by the gods."


    He pointed at the statues one by one. The first was a dragon man. "Hand fed by the God of Fire was Ifrit. He granted men fire and made volcanoes where warmth could fill the world. Long since dead to the world after Agua the Mermaid killed him for the jealousy of her master the Water God." He pointed at the mermaid sitting with water coming from her hands into the pool. "Agua vanished after his death, but made the worlds waters flow in turn."


    He moved to stand before the massive Blocklooking sculpture. "Golem The Immovable. Forged by the God of earth from the stars. It made the Earth beneath our feet and guards it''s deepest treasures. Harpy The Swift Handfed of the God of Wind. She makes the winds howl or sing through the world." He looked up on Golems shoulder where a monster with a bwautiful womans head but a birds body sat. He continued.


    " Farvis the Sky Giant rules the skies and governs the birds and the weather." For his likeness was a statue that looked like a man made of clouds.


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    " Farvis had 2 daughters and 2 sons to help him thus creating the seasons. His first daughter, Frenza The Ice Woman governs the cold and frosty domains and is responsible for the winter season."There stood a woman made of blue stone with white diamond eyes. I felt a chill run through me. ( I hope to never meet her.) I thought.


    " His second daughter is Fera. She is responsible for the Summer months where the wind blows sweet and hot is the sun. He is very fond of Fera hence Why summer lasts so long. Rather than 3 months we get 5. Makes for a good harvest." Her statue was a red, green, and blue statue that was beautiful. She was shorter and had short hair. The impression I got from the statue though was one of self importance and ego.


    "Farvis''s Eldest son is known as Marsh. For he governs the spring and the new years life. A very lively and moody son. Of spring we have 3 months." There stood a statue made from the largest emerald I''d ever seen. It was carved to look like a beefy barrel chested man with vines growing around him. But the most disturbing fact was that he had no face.


    " The youngest of the 4 is the most deathly. Medan The Forever Dying. His is a tale of misfortune as old as time. When the others had chosen the seasons they sought only one was left. The fall. When the chill creeps along the land and all things freeze, sleep, or die. Medan was tricked into it by his elder brother and youngest sister as those two got along the best. His Sister Frenza became angry and sought to destroy the other two in her anger for deceiving their brother. When she went to destroy them with her cold, He stepped in front of her taking the chilling cold. But his father refused to let him die and fed him Phoenix blood to save him. From then on he became forever dying and reviving. He revives every spring and dies every fall." The man said solemnly. This statue was one of a boy standing with a rose in his right hand and a skull in his left.


    "The last two.... Tenebris and Lux. The Fey of Light and Darkness. Husband and Wife. Created by the God of Balance and creation. They created the sun and moon. Guided the stars into alignment. And sent this world to spin and were the point of times beginning."


    There in the center of the fountain stood two beings. A woman clad in purest white and crowned with the sun for her hair. The other was a man carved from the darkest onyx with red eyes and the moon was his crown. They faced each other seemingly looking into each others eyes forever.


    The man turned to face me. "Now you must have questions of me young one. I left your questions unanswered last time we met." He sat down slowly on a bench across from the fountain. I hesitated in thought before sitting.


    " If you''re going to answer my questions I suppose I''ll start with this one. Which God are you?" My eyes locked onto him.His figure was frozen solid. Hen I heard something. A chuckle. After a second the chuckle turned into a roaring laugh.


    "Hahahaha! Ahhhhhh..... How did you figure that one out? Me... A god.... hahahaha!" (He is trying to bluff it off) I felt my instincts tell me.


    "I really don''t like it when people lie to me old man. Even less so when they know one of my secrets." He paused. "Sigh..... If you think I''m a god then you should have some inkling of who you think I am?" He raised an eyebrow as he raised his eyes to face mine. As I looked into his greenish red eyes, I felt different. I felt the fires within me jumping happily as I sat there with that gaze. "The God of Flame." The old man''s smirk turned into a smile as his old ragged coat flew off and revealed what he looked like beneath. He was full of muscle and covered in scars. His body had looked small before But that cloth must have been something strange. His body was a dwarfs. But his muscles were large and covered with burn scarring and tattoos of flames. His eyes changed to yellow and red as his red hair stood on end. "Not bad kid. Even my Ifrit had a hard time figuring out it was me when I visited. Names Aed. You''ve changed alot since I met you last. Your other form was impressive but I think this one suits you well too." He raised his hand and patted my shoulder. "You should be more careful of people Dorian. Not everyone is a God like me. Besides what gave me away?" He asked. I cringed a little. I was unaccustomed to being called by my name after so long. After a moment I tapped my chest "The flames reactions and also only the Reapers know what I am. So unless you''re a God or a Reaper, you shouldn''t know what I am. And considering reapers are busy dealing with dead people that leaves only one option."


    He nodded lightly as he faced the statue with a slightly sadder look in his eyes. "You know I''ve had my eye on you for a while. You caught my interest when you saved my people at the harbor town. My Ifrit was much like you.Selfless at times, but also willing to do what is necessary. Though he had a lot of friends, he should have watched his back more. Maybe then he could have seen Agua coming." He huffed out a sigh. I imagine the girly set you free from how you''ve been in a daze most of the day." He stated. I looked at him unsure what to say and hung my head a little. " I don''t know what to do. I''m used to the life of a familiar. If I''m not a familiar.... what am I besides a monster?"


    Aed looked at me. "I supposed that up to you." He got up and started walking before he stopped. " Ah. I made a bet I almost forgot." He turned and smacked my shoulder. I felt a searing sensation and a tickling feeling go down my arm. "From now on your my guardian.Think of it as something like a cash prize. You get a boost to fire abilities and fire immunity. But of course you already have those. Don''t think too much about it." He jumped and with a flare of fire dissipated into the air. I heard a whisper pass by. " Every God needs a guardian of some kind. And every girl needs a hero. Stick by her and you''ll see why." Then it was gone.

 Chapter 51 Time Apart Part 1

    After Aed left I was left alone in the area around the fountain. My arm was still tingling as I pulled up my sleeve to see what he had done to me. A large black mark sat with a stark contrast against my skin and scales. It showed a circle encompassing a flame with a helmet, sword, and hammer inside it. It was a very unique brand. There were lines that ran down my arm that had circles at intervals. The first circle held a helmet. The second a chest plate. The third a set of arm bracers. The fourth showed He waist and legs. The fifth showed the boots. The six showed a hammer and sword. Each of the symbols glowed with a gold hue. As the pain and tingling settled the glow died down. "I''ve heard of tramps stamps but never this intricate." I said under my breath. A voice echoed through my head.


    " It is not a tramp stamp!" I flinched a little. Guess he can hear me. Should have anticipated that. I got up and stretched my body to make sure nothing else had changed. I was still me. No super powers or godlike looks. Still me.... ( ???? Not much I can do about this....) I thought as I was a little let down.


    I started down the street I came from. As I walked I went through everything I could possibly tell Sam when I got back. After half an hour of walking I found the inn and sat down at a table. I didn''t know what to say or what to do. I never talked with a girl who was distraught. My sister always came out of her mood swings quickly and I never saw my mother cry. ( So how do I deal with this?) my mind scrambled everywhere till I heard a chair creak and Sam sat down opposite me. She was quiet for a couple minutes before the awkwardness got the best of us. "Why are you still here?" She asked quietly. Her head hung low as she sat in her chair. She didn''t want to make eye contact. I sat back a little bit in my chair trying to relax as I pondered her question. The question itself was a little harsh but not without warrant. " I was thinking of what to do.... But after meeting somebody who gave me a clue.... I''m thinking of sticking with the scared little girl I''ve known since my birth." I responded calmly. Her head bolted upright. "I am not scared! And Who are you calling Little!" She scowled at me. I couldn''t help it. I laughed! A good hearty and heartfelt laugh. Her face reminded me of a kitten who was mad. It was too cute to take seriously.


    "Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Her face turned red as she crossed her arms and turned her head to face away from me. After a moment of me laughing I sat up a little more and stifled my remaining giggles. " So.... You''ll stay by me?" She asked a little sheepishly.


    I nodded "Yes. I think I will." The server finally came by to take our orders and we started eating. We had seared Gallow Owl with a side of Jack-o-Lantern soup.


    / Host has eaten gallow owl meat. Host has acquired Skill: Hallucination mist. Allows for host to create mist while flying that makes beings who inhale it hallucinate their worst nightmares. Cannot affect those who have poison resistance and high mental awareness./


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    / Host has consumed Jack-o-lantern materials and has gained the skill: Soul consumption. Allows for host to consume the souls of dead enemies that host has killed. Does not apply to those host has not slain./


    My face remained stoic as my heart jumped for joy. ( New skills! Hell yeah! But why are they so.... dark Ugh????)


    After our meal Sam sat back in her seat and seemed to think for a moment before talking.


    " After all our time together I never asked how you survived in the forest till I found you. "


    I sighed a little. "My time in the forest I would rather forget it honestly. But I guess it wouldn''t hurt for you to know why I was as unwilling to come back for the longest time."


    I leaned back in the chair and receded into my thoughts as I talked. I started at the point where I woke in the forest. Of course she had to tell me her Father specialized in Shadow Magic. But I continued. I told her how I was almost eaten by an Iron Horned Toad. The rest I guess I haven''t explained to well. I even tried to forget some of it. After my incident with the toad I had found my way to a hollow tree. It was black and looked like it was dying. I dug a hole at its roots and excavated a fair amount out of it. I opened the area under the roots and kept opening it enough for me to be comfortable. I focused on making myself a comfortable place to settle till Sam could find me. At present that was my goal. I was Sad of course that they sent me to somewhere weird without any sort of real warning.


    I dug a small well at the back of the tree. Water was fairly close to the surface so it wasn''t that deep of a well. Maybe 10 feet at most. My claws really helped when I needed to get out. I followed the standard routine for the out door survivalist for getting what I needed. Maintaining shelter, food, water, and stocking up for the possibility of winter. After a couple days I started a hobby of taking care of the tree as well. I made a bucket out of clay (from excavating the area) and baked it into a bucket shape. After getting some vines I tied them to the bucket and used that to get water.


    I then mixed the ashes of whatever remained of my food in with it and poured that on the trees roots. Took a month before the tree would start to look healthy again. My time was spent hunting, scouting, and partially mapping and memorizing the area. Every once in a while I would come across scratches on trees and my instincts told me to avoid that area at all costs.


    I spent some of my days sun bathing at the top of the tree. Others were spent upgrading the living area. I had managed to find the back of the frog. It was coated in plating similar to iron. I took it back to the house (seeing as my teeth weren''t hard enough to eat it) and made it into my door. It got quite nicely. It only jammed in place but it still works. The tree is about ready to bear fruit too. The bark is green with stars on it. There were big white blossoms on the tree. They kinda look like swirly swastikas if I was to describe them. (Poor description. But still it''s better than nothing.) About a month later I felt a rumble one across the ground. The ground shook and things in my hutch were rattling like they were in an earthquake. I jumped into the well and clung to one of the walls. (What ever was coming is either really big.... or there''s alot of them...) I thought. Suddenly I heard animals running past the tree and a deafening amount of noise from them as they passed. One of the big ones hit the tree and ripped it from its place above my head exposing my hutch. I became terrified as I saw hundreds of animals fly over my head trampling everything I had done to nothing. They continued passing for hours. I had finally given to digging into the side of the well so I could give my claws a little rest from clinging to the wall. After what seemed like a day the commotion finally died down. It was dark, cold, and lonely in the hole. As I sat there I wondered about if the dead ever felt like this. Cold, alone, and left in the dark. /Host has percieved a piece of understanding of darkness./ I heard in my mind. Without batting an eye at it I ignored it.


    ( In my current situation darkness won''t help. I need food, warmth, and shelter.) I thought. I tentatively stuck my head out and saw a clear night sky above me.


    Once I heard nothing I started moving up the hole. As I reached the top I realized how bad things were. The trees had been trampled in a path of destruction and death. Some monster lay dead here and there as though they had tripped and got caught beneath everyone else. I looked around more and noticed that the tree from before was still okay. Just laying off to the side mostly unharmed. A couple pieces of bark had been scraped off somewhere along the line. I waddled over to it and started digging. I soon heard the tree sliding into he hole. I backed out as it settled. I immediately started caring for it. ( I have worked on this tree too long to let it die now!) I thought hurriedly. I went about making making the pit wider. I would stop once in a while to eat and make ashes to feed the tree. Strangely enough it was gobbling up the water and ash. It retained its green appearance and started to sprout fruits after a week or two. ( Resilient tree) I though in shock.


    Its root were growing deep into the ground again as They had before. I kept the well where it was but I managed to put a few broken logs above the hole and make a small tunnel to it so I wouldn''t have to worry about going outside. Eventually I was able to make my nest underneath the tree again. This time it was alot deeper and wider. I had a pit to cook my food and a bed of ash and splinters to make sure I could ignite myself and stay warm. Every once in a while I would feel a little homesick for Sam or the mansion. But I would always remember how she had gotten sick and how they might kill me this time if I went back before she got better. But I also thought the forest wasn''t so bad.


    The only One day I found myself in the forest collecting food for myself. I had found a fairly barren clearing with small holes obviously left by small burrowing creatures. I then about to pounce on a mole like creature as it stuck its head out of its hole.Then I heard the snap of a twig. I spun and faced whatever it was. Never could have prepared myself for it. It was the tiger. Its scales were beaten and scarred. Its fur was covered in blood and it had he look of a hunter in its eyes. It didn''t care what I was I was nothing but food in its eyes. I immediately went on the offense. I charged at it and ignited myself. The tiger jumped out of the way and clawed at me as I went past. I tumbled away as the grass caught fire. The clearing was mostly barren which was good cause the forest most likely wound get caught in the fire. Then my heart almost stopped. The cat started waltzing through the fire like it was air. ( WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING!?) I yelled in my mind. I Prepared my thoughts as it slowly approached. I spat a few lobs of sticky poison at it which it easily avoided.(What can I do..... crap.) I turned off my fire and booked it as I realized I couldn''t hurt it with my current arsenal. I heard it charging after me through the trees and bushes. I rounded a tree and it rushed after me.


    As I ran past another tree I got an idea. As I rounded another tree I jumped. I got hold of a branch and made it bend with my weight. The tiger rounded the tree but couldn''t react fast enough. The branch smacked it in the face and sent me flying. Unfortunately I couldn''t just fly away seeing as the tiger tooth tore a nasty line across my wing as I hit it. Lain hit me. But it was nothing compared to evolving. I hurtled through the air and landed with a thud. I ran up another tree and turned around to see what happened to the cat. It was laying on the ground stunned or possibly knocked out. ( I am not doing that again) I thought as I quickly made my way down the tree and back toward my hole. My wing hurt alot. / Host has been infected by poison claw. Poison currently lower than poison resistance and current poison host possesses. Nullifying. Successful/ I heard the system chime. Maybe my poison would have worked if I had hit it.... I didn''t care anymore. I made it home and settled in the ash pit for some well deserved rest.

 Chapter 52 Time Apart Part 2

    I stayed under my tree for a while. I made a type of splint for my wing. I also used my sticky spit to hold the torn skin on the wing together so it would heal properly. Because of he injury I could no longer fly till it healed.


    (Damned feline. He''ll get what''s coming to him soon.) I thought in irritation. Over the next month the air began to turn colder and leaves began to fall off the trees. I had gathered the fruits on my tree. The fruit itself doesn''t rot for a while it seems. I have enough to last me a while and the fruit changes depending on what the beast eating it enjoys. I had many flavors from home that popped up often. But in the end I ended up eating bugs because I had to conserve the fruits and try to eat a more balanced diet. Sometimes a rodent or beast would find my lair and make their way in I''m always a surprise to them. The rodents I leave alone. But the big beasts I generally can eat. So far I''ve managed to kill a stone bear and a snow bird. I gained ice resistance from the bird but nothing from the bear. The ice resistance was just swallowed by my multi-element resistance or M.E.R. as I''ve come to call it. Been very handy as of late. cold doesn''t effect me as much but I still feel it. Makes it easier to not hibernate but winter still makes it harder to stay warm.


    The snows coated the ground. There was a collection of rodents that would stop by my nest over the years. The if I couldn''t find anything to eat they would sometimes bring me nuts and things that they had found in their scavenging. It was harsh somedays where the bark door I had constructed was frozen shut and I had to heat it to let everyone out. I continued feeding the tree with ashs, water, and uneaten scraps. It actually seemed to enjoy me being there. I was warm and it was being nourished. I can''t speak to plants but sometimes the tree seemed... happy. The bark was green inside the shelter and the roots never invaded farther than they needed for warmth. I slowly grew as time went on. The springs came slow. But they settled in quickly. I had to make a trench that led to the well so the melting snow-water wouldn''t make a big out of the nest.


    When spring finally settled in and the snow was gone I got to roam outside a bit. I stretched my wings and took a look at the once damaged right wing. It had scarred quite badly. The red now had a large, jagged,slightly puckered, white line that stretched from the front to the back of the wing. It was a nasty looking thing. I slowly closed my wings as I ventured a bit more. I found the boundary of the tiger and sat there at the edge of its territory. (Some day I''ll get you.) I thought. My stomache growled hungrily. I looked around for food. Fortunately I found a badger that was still asleep. Fortunate for me I had grilled it to perfection at that time too.


    / Host Has consumed Woodland Rage Badger. Host gained passive skill Enraged state. System discarded due to detrimental effects. Placing materials toward growth and muscle strength/ toughness/


    I continued my hunting every day. Eventually I had grown to about 6 feet in length and About 2 feet wide. My muscles were nicely tuned and I had little fat to me. I was a killing machine. A monster turned to my environment. Everything within a certain area was mine. I had the chance to prove it knew day. The tiger came across his border and into mine. I was venturing around the borders of my territory when he entered. He was the same size as when I saw him last still 5 feet long and 2 feet wide. but he was slightly taller. I slowly opened my wings and jumped/ flew into the tree tops. I soared above the tree tops and watched him till he was deep enough in my territory for me to truly justify fighting him.


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    I divebombed him. I dove downwards and slammed into his back at full force flattening him to the ground. I dug my claws into him trying to fly into the air with him but he was too heavy. "Ragh!" He roared in frustration as he rolled on the ground away from me. He had bloody marks on him from where my claws had sunk into his back. He let out a deep growl in my direction as he and I started circling each other.


    I was patient and waited till he lunged forward. I lunged backward slammed my body downward on top of him. (My scales are hard as rock. I dare you to try breaking them now!) I thought. I slammed into him and he let out a mew of pain. He bolted backwards shaking his head as a small trickle of blood came from his head. He once again tried pouncing. I spun and smacked him away with my tail. He went flying through the air and landed with a thud. I guess he had enough seeing as seconds later he ran away. I looked at my claws and thought for a moment. ( I don''t know how long it''s been. But I think Sam would be happy if she saw me now.) I thought in a mix of happy and sad emotions. It wasn''t long later that I got the thing I wanted most at that moment. I got Sam.


    ????


    Sam sat across from me as tears rolled down her face. She held her cup of juice as her tears fell.


    " I''m so sorry..... I''m sorry I wasn''t strong enough. And I know I''m still not strong enough." Her head hung low as she slightly curled into herself. " Please don''t leave me alone again." She sobbed. " I don''t have any right to ask this of you. But Please...." She let the tears flow as she sat there shaking. I felt my heart soften as I looked at her. ( The same little girl I knew all those years ago. ) I thought. I got up slowly without the chair making a sound. I went to her side of the table and hugged her. She balled as I picked her up and carried her back to her room where she fell asleep still holding onto my clothes. I used the earth manipulation to move the stone chair from the other side of the room to where I was and sat there while she slept.


    I meditated a bit on the things that happened. (I have been through much. But not nearly enough to protect her efficiently.) I thought. ( I''m still missing 6 flames and I need to get more powerful. Else we''ll fall prey to something else.) I wrecked my mind. What to do. I saw a shadow flit past the window. I used a spell and made the shadows cover me hiding me from the light of the moon light coming from the window. (Necromancy has it''s perks.) I thought as I smirked. I saw a small clawed hand move toward the window and insert something making the latch on the window rise and the window opened outward. The being entered. It was short and covered in black cloth. It held a jagged and curvy dagger in its right hand. It was holding the handle facing its thumb with the blade downward. It slowly mounted onto the bed and got close to Sam''s chest before it raised the blade and stabbed toward her chest. Unfortunately for it my shield wing stopped the dagger dead in its tracks with a clang. Sam came to with a start and quickly grabbed her sword from the side of the bed. The shadows wrapped around this being and held it in the air as she rose and stood by my side a little nervous of the thing I was holding in place with magic.


    It was a humanoid creature. The shadows fully gave way before me revealing me to the person. I reached up at the snarling being and pulled off the dark ninja wrapped material. To my surprise I found a red headed cat eared girl. " Well... That''s new."

 Chapter 53 Assassin.... Fail!

    I was shocked by the appearance of a beast man. (Isn''t their kind extinct?) I thought as she hung there by my shadow threads. Sam stood behind me a little with her hand on her sword. The girl started cursing at us in a nasty fashion. " You 3!¡Â€# let me out of here! You €&#¡Â! , }@$¡Â@&)!." I raised my eyebrows and started mocking her.


    " Little Cat you got caught and want to curse at me! You are supposed to be stealthy! I could have heard you from down he street! Who taught you to be sneaky? A boar! Hahahahahaha!" I jeared at her. Her face got more and more red as I went. It wasn''t long till she blew her top. " You 8@$¡Â@&]! If I hadn''t been given this assignment last minute I would have killed her! You are both dead! Dead and will be drained to the last drop of blood!" She continued cursing at us for a little bit. Eventually I got tired of it and my anger got the best of me. I slapped her. This caught her attention and she went quiet. I looked at her and sat down. I waved my hand and some of the shadows moved one of the chairs closer and set her on it binding her to it like rope. I leaned forward a little. " I will ask you something 2 times. If you do not answer honestly the first time I might break something. If you do answer honestly I will let you go with a message. Do we understand one another?" I asked with as much venom in my voice as possible. " Her eyes bugged out a little as I pulled out a steel mallet from next to the bed. ( Don''t ask why I keep it there.) I set it on my right leg and she nodded slowly with her eyes locked on the mallet.


    I grabbed her face and moved it to face me so we could make eye contact. " I want to know 2 things. Who sent you? And Why? " I will admit I was being a bit brutal with a girl. Thankfully though it seemed she chose the second option out of the choices present. She started singing like a bird in the spring. " I am from the adventurers guild and part of a group called Dusks Claw. We are a group of people who specialize in assassination and other forms of dangerous work. I joined recently and was given this request as a way to rank up in the organization." She fell a little quiet. I nudged the chair with my foot. " You didn''t answer my questions completely. Who sent you and why? Or I start swinging." I tapped the mallet.


    She continued at a bit of a faster pace. " The group was given the request by some royal on the south continent who wanted the girls head. Said something about a betrothal and being with another man. Said after we were done to send her head and her familiar (alive/dead) back for verification." She continued looking me in the eye. I turned to Sam.


    "What do you think?" She held her chin in her hand in a thinking pose and slowly paced back and forth until she finally stopped a moment later. "I think the king is in cahoots with or is coercing the guild into monitoring us. He possibly has a tail following us too."


    I nodded. " It''s possible." I looked at the girl.


    " Do you actually know who sent you?" After a moment she slowly shook her head. I nodded.


    "Figures that they would cover themselves thoroughly after all this time. They wouldn''t want any witness to the actual crime being able to pinpoint who ordered what." I said in thought. The shadows around the girl came undone and she slowly rubbed her arms and wrists. She quickly realised that she was free and went to jump out the open window. But not before my tail caught her foot and she flopped to the ground.


    " I haven''t given you a message to take back yet." I stated. I saw the sweat start dripping down her as she became more nervous. I took off my tag and it turned a deep red. I looked at it and stated the words the system told me to say. "I am a familiar no more. Send me a true adventurer tag." I stated firmly. The tag turned a light green and then vanished. Minutes later a new one appeared in my hand. It was a large black tile. And it had a 4 point star decorating the middle of it. ( Nice.) I thought. I put the tag on a string around my neck and sat back with my tail still wrapped around the ninja foot.


    " I want you to go back to your superiors and say that Samantha Von Carnac has suffered the death of her familiar. You fought it and pushed it into a ravine where it couldn''t be recovered. Then tell them that she is currently bedridden in an inn. That is all that you will report to them. Got it?" She looked back at me. " How do you expect my superiors to believe me!? she guffawed at me. I looked at her indifferently and threw Sam''s old armor that she had just replaced at the ninja.


    " Say that and give this to them. Say it was all you could bring back. And that she is currently a guest of the innkeeper who keeps a close eye on her. I want to see if anybody else comes to our doorstep. Do not tell a soul that I am here. Do not so much as mention me at all. Do I make myself clear?" I patted my mallet in my hand. She quickly nodded as she caught the armor. I unwrapped my tail and she clammered out the window. Sam turned to me.


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    " You know you''ll regret letting her go right?" I stayed sitting and crossed my legs in a relaxed fashion. " No.... I don''t think I will. Besides.... If somebody does come looking for you I can kill them easily enough." I shrugged as I sat back. My wings touched the floor keeping me from tipping over. I sat there and calmly thought things over. (The king will continue coming after us. After Sam didn''t reply to his request and ran he is probably hunting her for his own selfish "honor" and has made the excuse that she was kidnapped or something to antagonize more people into coming after us. We will need one of two things then. Either we go to the north and hide there. Or we return and face him. The first option seems more enticing considering I don''t have sufficient strength to face every knight in that kingdom with mages backing them. Not to mention the king is heavily guarded. In other words... my best option is to live today. Fight tomorrow. I might lose the battle but in the end I will win the war. I just need enough time to do so.)


    I felt a tap on my shoulder with Sam saying my name. " Ignis. Ignis!" I turned to see her worried face. I raised my hand and patted her head. " We''ll be alright. We just need to hide for a while. Gain some strength. Then we''ll be able to return and put him in his place." I slowly sat up straight in the chair and stopped leaning.


    " We should go. It''s too dangerous for you to stay here." I said.


    I headed back to the room while Sam packed her things. Legion had no clue what just happened so I ended explaining the situation. The more they know, the better off they are. I quickly grabbed my pack. Since I owned so few things I unpacked little. The other thing was the books that I had gotten at the settlement were able to be stored in a special bag. It had many compartments that could stored one item a piece. A total of 18 compartments. 10 books of sorcery and 2 books about runes and engraving leaving me with 6 slots left. I used those for tools. for further notes the bag is the size of a fanny pack and hangs at my waste. It has the ability to compact and store things no matter the size as long as I can handle the weight. It''s essentially become my portable weight training system. I got this from a shop off the main road in this town. It cost a 5 silver coins and is made of some low grade monster. For those who don''t know. 50 copper makes up 5 silver. 50 silver coins makes up 5 gold coins. Then jewels but I''ll go into that another day.


    It was morning by the time we left. I felt somewhat tired from the nights events but I just rubbed my eyes and pushed on. We stopped by the adventurers guild on our way. It was a large concrete building with carvings of people with bows, swords, staffs. It was very ornate if I say so myself.


    As we opened the doors we noticed that the floors were very clean and tidy. As we entered many people eyed us with either dissatisfaction or curiosity. There was a young woman at 5he counter with short brown curly hair. (Finally! A cute one!) We went to the counter and showed our tags. The girl took a look at both of our tags and pointed at the board. "That''s where quests are. If you''re going anywhere we don''t need to know. As you know the guild keeps tabs on every member at all times." She said indifferently with a bored look. ( Rather Rude) I thought. As we approached the board there was a small commotion at one of the tables. We couldn''t hear them very well so we continued to browse the board. There were goblin subjugations, Herb picking, Bounties. The list went on. As I found a nice looking quest the table erupted. Due to that we found our guess from the night before came true.


    " It''s her! " A man shouted at his comrades as he pointed towards us. "That''s the girl who is on the missing/ kidnapped list! Tell me I''m wrong!" The group at the table turned in their seats to look at us. people who had noticed us come in saw Sam and started to get up and move toward us. I moved in front of her.


    "Sorry Gents. But this woman is my party member. You can check our tags. We are neither missing nor kidnapped. If you have a question about that ask the guild masters and the people who are supposedly keeping tabs on us at all times." I said flicking my eyes toward the lady at the counter. The man who had stood up came towards me in a bit of a huff. " The people in the south sent out paper sayin she was missin. If that ain''t proof I don''t know what is. " He went to reach for Sam.


    I leaned down quick. "Cant say I didn''t warn you." I put my hand to his chest and pushed him. My push lifted him off his feet and launched him into the stone wall on the other side of the guild hall.

 Chapter 54 To brawl or not to brawl?

    I stood there in front of Sam with my cloak covering my wings. My hood had long since revealed my horns and I stood a good 4 feet taller than her at 9 feet compared to her 5 some feet. In the grand scheme of things I dwarfed everyone in the hall. One of the people had gotten up from the table and was checking on the guy who was collapsed on the floor. It was a young woman in a black cloak with a tooth and bow emblem on it. Her hair was red with silvery grey streaks in it. I couldn''t really see her face. ( He should''ve heeded my warning) I thought with a huff. "Marcus are you alright?!" The girl asked with a slightly surprised voice. She checked his mech for a pulse. She sighed and rose up while the rest of the table got up. There were three men and another older and more bodacious woman. The men were thicker muscled and looked alot stronger. They were about 6 feet tall and wore mail and plate armor similar to those specialising in tank jobs. They looked like a set of triplets. Short dark hair with thick jaws with deep eyes and slightly green skin. They all seemed to be a mix of something. What I couldn''t tell you. Maybe another troll breed mix?


    The women both wore robes and had books strapped to their sides. I didn''t need to look closer to know they were spell tomes. The first girl was small with a petite figure and obviously human. The other was about 5 foot with bluish hair and a curvy figure that could make most people drool. Dark skin made her emerald eyes stand out. (Definietly a dark elf.) I thought. They both took out their tomes and began to chant quietly as the men gathered in front. They had large shields as tall and wide as they were. They interlocked their shields as I heard the girls behind them yell something.


    " Lightning Bolt!", " Flare Serpent!" They yelled together as energy gathered into two bolts of energy. One Red and made of flames. The other was Yellow and crackled with electrical energy. They shot at me with speedy precision. Unfortunately they were far too slow. My shields moved as my cloak flew around me. My tail whipped over and pulled Sam behind me as the fire bolt and the lightning hit my shields and an explosion sent smoke and dust into the air.


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    Smoke rose from the impact of the thunder and flame bolts against my shield shrouding us against the view of everybody. I would have moved during that time but I sensed a few presences blocking the doorway. ( Damn..... Guess I''ll have to do things the hard way.) I thought frustrated at our current situation. The smoke cleared and my cloak had been blown to smoking pieces. But my shields stood as a testament to my defensive might as Sam peeked out from behind me at the people. "WHAT?! How is he still standing from that!?" Someone shouted from the crowded hall. " He must be a monster." Another said. I moved my shields and shook them a little.


    " That stung a bit." I said as I stood tall and took out my gauntlets. ( Time to get my hands dirty.) I thought. I moved toward the shield wall slowly and deliberately. One of the shield men shouted at the girls. " Blast him again Evangeline!" The curvy one was already muttering and sent another bolt flying at me. I reached up and punched it sending sparks cascading across the hall. The excess power I absorbed as I continued forward. Evangeline''s jaw could''ve hit the floor from how open it was. My arm stung a little but was quickly healing from the magic. / Hosts MER has grown to level 8 against lightning element./ The system chimed.


    I saw another fire bolt flying at me and simply let it hit me. I highlighted and the girl started laughing. " Ha! You idiot! That flame won''t go out till you''re dead!" I stopped and looked at the flames. I took a stance with my legs spread and started sucking on the flames. The flames started moving into my mouth and soon my body was left flameless. The girls jaw dropped. " That''s unfair!" She screamed at me. I looked at her as I moved forward. " Nothing in life is fair little one. I finally got to the shield men and grabbed one of the shields. The man holding it started yelling at me to let go. I merely lifted him off the ground and chucked him toward the door with my left hand.


    There were two men standing there with spears at the ready. They dove sideways out of the mans way when they saw him coming. He flew clean out the doors as though it was a grand exit. " Morris!" One of the guys yelled and he jumped to tackle me. I swung my shield around and hit him in his side sending him rolling across the floor and into a table where he went limp. The last one had dropped his shield and had pulled out some special looking gauntlets. They were gold in color and set with what looked like small bones. He tore his shirt off of him and turned more green and his canines grew longer. Soon a scaled man stood before me. I had seen pictures of these things. He was an orc breed half breed.


    " Now it''s a fight!" I said as I got a little excited. He and I took boxing stances and I pulled my wings in to make things even to some extent. I had always wanted to box as a kid. I took a couple lessons but then life decided it didn''t want me to live like I wanted. In the end I had been bedridden. Now I got the chance in this life. He went for a jab to my face but I brought my arms together to block. I realized then that it was a feint and he hit my midsection. I felt the blow but it felt light.


    ( My body just isn''t normal. Why should I be surprised.) I thought. I was moved back a little by the force of the punch but l kept on the defensive. He kept on punching. " What are you? A boxer or a snake who thinks he''s a boxer! Cant even fight back properly can you! Get him Breacher!" People shouted.


    Breacher kept throwing punches and I kept defending. I wasn''t really trying to throw punches. I was trying to conserve strength. It was when he started to get tired I let him have it. A shot to the solar plexus. I hammered his chest and ribs. My last punch to his midsection sent him tumbling and knocked him out. By that time the hall was in pandemonium. People were placing bets and others were cursing. People kept coming up and I kept brawling. Some came right after Sam while I was busy. Luckily Sam sent them packing with a swing from the good old thunder hammer. It was about an hour or so later that the brawl finally ended and I sat down exhausted. Any bruises, split lips, or scratches were quickly healing. My contact with the ground was sending energy through me giving me a little boost. It didn''t really boost stamina, just healing ability. Suddenly a mans voice echoed through the building.


    " What''s this nonsense!?" It was a tall burly man covered in scars. He wore simple grey cotton clothes but his muscles were large and one could tell these clothes were just the right size to contain but not hide them. His left eye was scarred and he had a pipe in his mouth with some smoke coming out. He surveyed the room. Chairs and tables were broken with people laying in the midst of them. All the while the damage radius had me at the center with the quest board behind me. As he looked across the hall silence fell. It was obvious who this man was. The guild master. Right behind him stood the receptionist from earlier. She stood staring at me with a slight blush on her face.


    I looked down and realized the only thing left of my clothes was my metal loin cloth that Hargo made for me. Thankfully it was an ornate piece and didn''t look like boxers. Else I would have died of embarrassment. I quickly retreated behind the quest board and pulled so clothes out of my bag. When I came out again I was dressed in common clothes. The man burley man noticed and pointed at me.


    " You. Come with me." He noticed Sam in the process. "And bring her too." He pointed at Sam as well. He turned and went back up the stairs. Adventurers parted like the red sea so we could go on through. They all looked beaten and bloodied. (And to think I went easy on them.) I thought. I moved slowly through them with Sam at my side. We went up the stairs and found another hallway with the receptionist standing there ready to lead us to the guild masters office. We wove through hallways and up a tower. When we reached the top of the tower we reached a massive oak door. It was 10 feet tall by 5 feet wide. The girl moved her hand across the door and it silently swung open. Not a squeak or creak could be heard as it moved. It was eerie and disturbing to me. We entered quickly as the door closed behind us without a sound.


    The room we had entered was large and filled with unique items. Stuffed monsters and paintings. They were what seemed to be various things related to what people might call a bribe. Everything had a label dictating where it had come from. Various nobles and Clergy who had sent things. You might wonder how I know clergy. Very few people can be called by the title of "Father" I''ll say that much. As my eyes took in the room I noticed the far end of the room. The guildmasters desk was large and made of a dark wood. It had a quill and a ink well set in the front on the right hand side. There was a strange set of scales. Like the ones you see lady justice hold. One side said truth while the other said lies. It was made of what seemed to be a set of bones from some beast. I finished my sight seeing quickly as the man finished scrawling something on a piece of parchment which folded itself into an origami swan and flew out a small window on his right. He sat back in his chair and gave a heavy sigh.


    " You two made a fine mess of my guild hall. And my adventurers. Now.... I want to know how you''ll pay me back for the repairs to the guild hall." He place his hands on the table with his fingers interlocked. I simply stood there as my temper started to rise. I had no way to compensate. ( We have to get a move on. Enemies will start showing up in droves if we stay here.) Sam stepped up and spoke for me.


    " You want compensation? Why? Your adventurers struck us first. We were just passing through. We have every right to defend ourselves as is stated in the laws of this continent." She crossed her arms.


    " And to make matters worse you posted my picture everywhere as missing or kidnapped. Why?" She looked at him indignantly. The man looked at her with indifference. We post whatever the capital sends us for missing persons. Whether it''s you or another it''s been decided by people with more pull than me. Either way. Return home if you want that price off your head. Now back to my compensation. I want 100 silver coins for the damage done and the medical services being provided for my adventurers. I reccomend staying for a while and completing the quests I assign you until then." He went to get up. As he rose I noticed a small smirk I reached forward and placed my hand on his shoulder. Without blinking he grabbed my wrist and went to break it. Unfortunately for him I have stronger bones than others. All that happened was a small amount of stinging. He was surprised when my grip increased instead of decreased.


    ( His wrist should have broke.) He thought but his shoulder was suddenly a lot heavier as he was forced into his chair again. I leaned in close. " Your little grin just now betrayed you. Who is paying you to try to keep us here?"

 Chapter 55 Fake!?

    I forced the guildmaster into his seat and continued to put pressure on his shoulder till I could feel the bones groan. He hissed in pain as my claws started to dig in.


    "Why would you think someone paid me to keep you here? I just want compensation for the damages done to my guild."


    He was grabbing my arm trying to get me off of him. My arm stayed where it was. " Your people broke 5 tables and 7 chairs. Chairs cost 1 silver a piece. The tables cost 3 silver a piece for the round ones you have. Putting them together the max we would owe you is 22 silver for replacements. I didn''t break any bones on anyone or cause severe harm so their medical costs are their own. Especially considering that THEY struck FIRST. So tell me how much we owe you again?" My grip increased as his shoulder made a cracking noise and he cringed heavily.


    " 22 Silvers! 22 Silvers is what you owe me!" He squeaked out. Suddenly his body poofed out smoke as his body shifted from the big burly man we saw into a rotund Mouse faced man. He had large round ears and a long face. He looked in every aspect a mouse given human form. A mouse man. Within seconds he was cowering under his desk trying to hide from us.


    " I was only doing what I was told. She said to keep you as long as I could until she sent more people to get the girl and take her back."


    He squeaked. Sam and I looked at each other. "She?" We asked. I started to approach the desk after hearing a crack and a surprised squeak followed by strange gurgling.


    I grabbed the guys tail and pulled him out. His mouth was foaming and a dart was sticking out of his neck. " We can''t have you dying yet!" I pulled the dart out and bit his shoulder. My fangs sank deep and the system started reading. / Absorbing Changling Mouseman Blood. Host has acquired Rodent based dna. Better Fur quality acquired for Dragon form. Mouseman dna mostly discarded. Better smelling capacity acquired. Poison has been introduced to host. Verifying. Shadow Flower Poison verified. Host has compatability with said poison due to Necromancy job. Absorbing. Host has acquired active skill. /


    /Blood Sucking: Host can now absorb life force and materials by biting and sucking blood from victims. Host can also choose to absorb specific materials from the victim. Host can also spread poisons through contact with blood./


    ( Great! I want the poison! I need him to talk!) / System complying. Success!/


    I must have been biting him for a solid 3 minutes at this point. The foam disappeared and color returned to his face. And he started breathing. I released my hold on his shoulder. My mouth was still full of his blood. I lit my mouth ablaze and turned his blood to nothing but charred ash and puffed it out. I was still holding him. I realized his shoulder was bleeding profusely. I spat sticky spit onto it to seal the wound and make it so he would have less chance of suffering from infection. I laid him down and looked out the window for where the cracking noise came from. One of the windows in the room was large and made of painted glass. The image it portrayed was the grim reaper handing an angel a soul. There was a small pane broken in the reapers scythe. ( How Ironic) I thought. Knowing that I couldn''t catch up to the assassin without breaking something I stayed and watched over the mouseman.


    It was about an hour later I saw him stir. His eyes flickered behind his eyelids in such a manner that topd me he was awake but he wasn''t moving for some reason. Sam walked up to him and kicked him.


    " Come on fatso! We know you''re awake!" He rolled across the floor and crashed into the wall.The books on the shelves of the wall crumbled onto him in a pile with a loud squeak from him. ( It would seem she kept her strength from when we were bonded. Well... that''s good.) I walked over and fished him out of the pile. Holding him in the air by his collar he started sweating profusely. He suddenly started spilling everything like a kettle pouring tea at an tea party.


    " I can''t tell you everything. I''m dead if I do. All I can say is that I was given 30 gold to look for a girl fitting your girlfriends description and make sure you couldn''t leave. After I sent word about you being here people were supposed to arrive and take her. After that I was supposed to get an additional 10 gold. That''s all I can say I swear!" I was about to shake him to get him to tell us more until I saw a tattoo on his neck. " What''s this?" I grabbed his shirt and tore it away from his neck. The image was a scorpion with a crown around it''s tail. Sam gasped.


    " That''s a Mark of Oath! It will kill anyone who bears the mark if they don''t fulfill a promise they''ve made. Even if it is to kill their own family they have to do it. Thankfully there''s no time limit on his agreement but anyways. They have no choice. It''s a dark magic that''s been decreed across all the continents to be illegal and all things about how to do it were to be destroyed! How do you have it?!" Sam grabbed him and started shaking him. For a muscle head Sam certainly does love to learn things. Pretty soon his mouth started foaming and he passed out again. " Sam." I placed a hand on her shoulder. " He''s not able to answer our questions. Even if he was I doubt he has the resources to help us." She took a breath and nodded. Without much grace she just dropped him with a thud. ( That''ll hurt in the morning.) I thought as we walked away. We started on the way down the hallway we came and found someone rather odd.


    The big burley man the mouseman had turned into was standing there giving us a confused look. "What brings you two up here?" He asked. " I haven''t asked for anyone to clean my office and I don''t know your faces. Not to mention we haven''t hired any personel recently and we are the only ones allowed back here." His fists started clenching. The door to the office was still open and the mouse man was still passed out on the floor. I raised my hands. "We were asked by someone to come to the guildmasters office. If we were at fault then the person who called us is especially at fault." The mans face changed to be further confused. "I''ve been gone for 3 months. Noone would dare to make such orders and demands in my place."


    ( Very overbearing individual.) I thought quickly. "Perhaps you can talk to your colleague on the floor in there. Because he said otherwise." I pointed with my thumb back toward the office. His fists slightly unclenched as he heard those words. "Fine... I''ll believe you for now. But you will head to my office ahead of me so I can make sure you do not cheat me." Sam and I both turned and started walking toward the office. I put my hands behind my head in a relaxed manner.


    ( So many people looking to cause problems today.) I thought. We reached the Office to find the ratman replaced by the strong and powerful looking guildmaster once more. As soon as he saw us and the actual guildmaster he squeaked and transformed into a puff of smoke.


    "I''m not being paid enough for this! I''m out!" The smoke shot toward the window. But not before a woman stood before the open window with a strange bottle covered in runes. " Oh trying to leave already Rindbotter?" Sh uncorked the bottle. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


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    The smoke shouted as it was sucked into the opening and the bottle recorked so he couldn''t escape. It was then I got a good glimpse of this person. She wore a simple victorian maid outfit and was a very plain lady with a simple and beautiful face and a normal body. Nothing bodacious or curvy. Just a normal woman. I shivered as every hair stood on it''s end when she looked at me though. My instincts screamed that this woman was dangerous. I slowly moved in front of Sam. The guildmaster moved around us. "Ahhhh. Victoria. Good of you to catch the louse who was trying to steal my position. But would you mind leaving me for a moment with these two. By the way.... leave the bottle. I''ll deal with that fool after I''m done with these two." The woman bowed deeply and placed the bottle on the desk before departing. The man went behind the desk and plopped down into the chair.


    " Now. Onto more important matters. It would seem I owe you two an apology. The pipsqueak in the bottle is called Rindbotter. A well known fraud. He uses other peoples figures as a disguise to do dirty work. I never thought he would dare try to impersonate and replace me. " The man bowed slightly to us from his chair. "The damages downstairs have already been taken care of and the posters are taken down. I never gave the order and so they can''t hang in my hall." We both heaved a sigh of relief. ( It''s a good thing legion was out on the town looking for carving tools. They would''ve torn these people apart) I thought.

 Chapter 56 Problematic Affairs

    We sat in the Guildmasters office. I was forced to sit on a more sturdy bench due to my weight being too much. The chair I had originally sat in groaned nastily so I had to quickly move to my present seat on the hardwood bench. (This is a problem. How did I gain so much weight so quickly) I ran one of my hands through my hair in slight frustration. I would hate to suddenly weigh too much and have to sit on the floor constantly. Sam got to sit in one of the chairs across from the guildmaster as we heard him speak to us.


    " It would seem that you have angered a certain nobleman in Weremar Lady Carnac." He pulled out some yellowed parchment with some black mark''s scrawled on it and pulled out a pair of glasses from the drawer.


    " I wonder what you could possibly do to aggravate the royalty of your country to the degree of being hunted." He stated as he suddenly looked at us over the top of his glasses. He then pouted a little at the contents of what he read and put it down on his desk. What sat there was a perfect drawing of Sam''s face and some letters that read as follows.


    " Lsdy Carnac has been abducted by a criminal mastermind. The demand for her release has been established at the royal jewels of the Carnac family which were given to the thief. He still remains at large and has her prisoner. Anyone who comes forward with information leading to her whereabouts and arrest / execution of the criminal will be rewarded the Carnac''s family jewels and a sum of 100 gold coins. You can''t be serious!" I shouted.


    The guildmaster turned and faced us.


    " It would appear dragon breed that you are a criminal and are to be either killed on sight or arrested. I would suggest staying out of bounds of the kingdoms reach. They try to bully and ensnare the weak willed and shallow minded. I saw the damage you did to protect your charge. And if you were really her abductor you would have killed to get out of here with or without her. Either that or she would already have been sold or killed by now."


    He put his feet up on his desk. His boots were made of a dark leather with a pitch black sole.


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    It was obvious that he was done talking. We got up and left the office. Sam leaned in close.


    " What do we do now?" She asked quietly.


    "We find legion and leave. Head for the Main City. Then we get a ride off his rock." I stated calmly.


    She nodded as we walked. We entered the guildhall and where it was originally bustling with activity, it was quiet as a church. We walked through and out the doors without a problem and managed to get through the crowded streets back to the hotel. Legion was sitting in the room waiting while carving something out of a wood block.


    " We''re leaving the city." I told them as I leaned on the door quickly. Their head turned and nodded. " Alright. It feels like we''ve been here long enough anyways." They replied. The tools they had accumulated were put into a scam and slung over their shoulder as they went to leave. I saw the bunch of tools and couldn''t help but say something.


    " I don''t remember you having money. Where''d you get the tools?" I cocked my head to the side a bit. Legion looked back at me.


    " One of the Smith''s was getting rid of some of his old tools. We offered to take them off his hands. He didn''t have a problem with it."


    They turned forward and kept walking. I shrugged. ( Dwarves are dwarves....) I thought. I went back out the inn and paid the counter woman as I went. All the money I had recieved from the dwarves was almost spent. I only had a few silver coins left so I might have to hunt a few monsters and sell the materials. Maybe get a small job at a smithy till we had enough money to move on. I counted my silver coins. ( 20 left.... this should do till we reach the capital.) I thought as I went forward. Sam was waiting outside the inn door with her hammer slung across her back and a bag slung across her shoulders.


    " Will we be flying or walking?" She asked curious as to what mode of transport we were going to take. I neared the fountain of the guardians and put down a map of the continent I had gotten from a stall for 30 coppers. I stared at the map, contemplating the contours and the possible routes to go. I got an idea. The idea churned into a plan.


    "We go on foot through the mountains here." I tapped the paper and dragged my claw lightly toward a patch of forest. " We will cross the mountains and through these woods in the north to hinder anyone following us and leave fewer tracks. Taking the main roads will make us targets so we will endure the harsh environments for our best Hope''s of survival." I looked at Sam and she nodded. I didn''t look at Legion. They would be fine one way or another. " He only problem would be if winter catches us in the mountains. We only have so much food and if it gets too cold I can only do so much before I freeze. And that being said you would be in the most danger of the cold Sam. I can heat myself. You can''t." She nodded again as a thoughtful expression crossed her face. We started walking again as we planned. Before we left the city we stopped by a clothing shop and purchased a fur cloak for Sam. It would keep her warm if we did end up in the middle of a snow storm.


    We left the city through the same gates we entered. There were still no guards or watchmen of any kind. ( This place is strange as ever. Not so much as a peep from the law enforcers) I thought. I was confused as to how these people could be so relaxed. Turning my thoughts from the subject I focused on the journey we were about to make. We ventured north and at our first crossroad we left the paths to traverse the mountains. The lands were rocky and seldom flat as we got closer to them. When we got to them I realized how much of a mistake I had made in my decisions. There are so many reasons dwarves didn''t dare come here of make trails through the mountains. They were steep cliff-like walls that greeted us. From far away it seemed to be steep but not this steep. I glared up the wall. I shook off most of my clothes as Sam blushed deep red and turned around in surprise. " I''ll need to shapeshift if we are to climb this. " I said a little sheepishly.


    Sam nodded with her back turned to me. I quickly changed into my dragon form and pulled my shield wings behind me like a platform.


    " Get on. We need to keep moving." I said trying not to sound too demanding. Legion hopped right on as Sam slowly got a grip and lifted herself up. ( Why isn''t she as strong as she was before) I thought concerned about her. ( Did breaking the contract make her normal again?) I thought. She never said anything about backlash of any kind. But thinking about it wouldn''t help. As soon as she was settled I started my climb. I dug my claws into the mountain and started upward. My claws sank into the earth like a knife in butter. I did my best to keep moving. As I climbed I thought about the various things we had talked about on the way through the settlement. I decided on the mountains instead of flying to keep a low profile and stay out of the public eyes for a time. Flying made myself an easy target seeing as I was a huge beast. Not to mention people would spread word of they saw a monster my size flying close to a town. Sam had agreed meanwhile Legion didn''t have a care in the world and simply went along with it.


    I continued my climb I was a good 50 feet above the ground. Another 100 or so to go. I started to feel a slight burn in my front legs as I hauled myself up. It took another 15 minutes of climbing before I got to the top of the cliff. When we got up here Sam and legion got off as I morphed back. My arms burned so we rested for a few moments at a clear patch in the rocky landscape. I rested my arms and we settled for a bit of lunch. We had Roasted Cuckoo and Broad Leaf Sandwiches. They were essentially Chicken clubhouses that the inn lady had prepared for us before we left. They were good. Since coming to this world very few things reminded me of home food wise. But this did the trick. I didn''t get any abilities but the material was stored away and placed into the most necessary places by Gluttony.


    We continued our journey after an hour of rest. We continued up the mountain despite the steep terrain and the cold winds that swept past us like a broom sweeping the mountains. We only encountered a single beast as we ventured upward. It was a mouslike creature made of stone. It had ruby eyes with a diamond nose. Even I knew what this thing was when I saw it. My tomes had mentioned this creature before. It was a jewel mouse. Very slow, but had excellent defensive abilities. Normally found close to mines, loves to consume metal and jewels. The only thing the book didn''t mention was there size. It was as Large as a house. Classification was Destruction Class at its sheer size. Very dangerous was all my senses told me. The one perk about the mouse though. Very skittish and would avoid people at all costs. As soon as we showed up it ran off. Or to be more precise it waddled off. The ground rumbled under its weight as it quickly waddled. Sam''s eyes were filled with disappointment as it ran away. "That would''ve made such excellent jewelry." She said sadly.


    I patted her shoulder. "Best not to provoke something that can level a settlement just by rolling around. That thing would have given me a run for my money." I said as I passed her heading for what looked like a cave.


    Sam''s face turned into a look of confusion.


    " How could that beast be a challenge for you Ignis? In dragon form you could kill it easily."


    I turned to her. " Not while protecting you. That mouse has ruby eyes and a diamond nose. That means it can not only breathe fire but can use a special magic of its choice. It is heavily fire resistant and can mold the earth at its whim. And from the size of it I would wager that would be a Kilometer radius it could move. It''s best that we didn''t fight it."


    I turned again to the cave and started laughing. " Besides. You''ll have all the jewelry in the world with this sort of loot." I said as I pointed in. Sam''s jaw hit the floor as she stared into the cave. It was a jewel mine. Dwarves must''ve abandoned it years ago for some reason, but there were jewels everywhere. I entered and started placing them in my bag as Sam and Legion did the same. " Today we''ve certainly hit a lucky spot." I said gleefully. Unfortunately my glee didn''t last for long as a roar shook the mine. " What was that Sam said fearfully. " I''m not sure." I replied. " But if it''s one thing I''m certain of we overstayed our welcome."

 Chapter 57 Calamity Class Wyrm

    The tunnel rumbled as the earth shook. Jewels shook to the point they fell from the walls or desks they sat on. "Run. Run!" I yelled. The mine was too small for me to shape shift and seeing how everything was shaking I didn''t want to stick around to see what was coming up. We ran for the mine entrance. We ran like our lives depended on it. My heart was thumping in my ears when we finally stopped outside the cave and hid in a rocky outcropping close by. Whatever was coming out of the cave I didn''t want to be in it''s way when it came out.


    We waited as the ground rumbled. It only took a couple minutes before we finally got to see what made that noise. It was a massive serpentine creature covered in jewels and metal scales. It was 10 feet wide and had a snakes head with a strangly pointed mouth covered in tiny 4 inch horns.Its eyes were coated by metal eye lids which were strange to see on a snake. Perhaps it''s to protect them when digging.Everything about this creature screamed that it belonged in the earth. That it ruled under the ground in these parts. It exuded strength and beauty in its apearance alone. But what it did next startled me. I rose up in the air like a tower while its body slithered to keep it upright. Soon it was as tall as a skyscraper from my previous life. I stared at it in shock. (How big is this thing?) I thought nervously. Once it stopped raising itself up it opened its mouth and let out a loud hiss. The hiss wasn''t normal in the slightest. I felt my body suddenly pressed down by an overbearing force and my mind was muddled.


    / Host is currently being suppressed by a Calamity Class Roaring Skill. Reccomend host retreat and gain strength of a Calamity class before facing./


    (This thing is a Calamity Class!?) I thought in horror. (How is this possible. What would it have to do to get to this point?) I grunted against the pressure and started pushing myself up. (If I can''t fight this, the least I can do is get the others out of here.) I thought. I grabbed Sam who had fallen to the ground and passed out and Legion who was just lying dormant on the ground and started dragging them. I didn''t have the strength to lift my arms and could hardly walk. But I would get them out of here if it was the last thing I did.


    It only was a couple minutes since the beast came up and hissed out suppression and dominance. But to me it felt like hours. I hauled my charges further from the snake and down the slope till I finally felt the feeling ebb. It was at the base of the slope that I made camp for us again. After I set up a tent and cot for Sam, I put her inside. I needed a fire and got one burning. I sat by the flames and shivered in fear. That thing isn''t something the current me can handle. I would die. Even with the ghost fire. Every class has a reason for it being labeled what it is. I can level a city if I wanted. With my skills it would be easy. But if that thing could make it difficult for me to walk let alone get Sam and legion away.... Theres not a chance I can fight it right now. One roar and I''d be done.


    I Sam woke a while later wondering what happened while legion had to be fed a monster core to awaken. During this time we set up a plan. The mountain was the beasts domain. If we wanted to venture further we had to pass through it. But if we entered any mines or tunnels it might be alerted by my presence. "So we have to stay above ground is what you''re saying?" Sam inquired. "Yes. Unless we all want to die painful and meaningless deaths then by all means piss off the big snake." I said. " With you as the exception Legion. You lot are already dead and just inhabiting a form." I said slightly saddened by that fact.


    We set up camp for the night. We had tents prepared and packed. One for Sam and one for myself. Legion as undead creatures go dont sleep, so they kept watch for the night. The fire kept the beasts away for the most part. If any did wander to close Legion tore them apart. I woke up the next morning to a small pile of monster carcasses and a sack of beast cores sitting next to legion. ( Must''ve been a fairly fun night.) I thought as I exited my tent. Sam woke up a bit later and started her routine for training. After she was finished we went back up the path toward the mine we had found. The snake was gone. (Probably went back underground) I thought as I watched the surroundings. I noticed a couple scales laying on the ground. ( Either these were shed or they got scraped off by something.) I quickly picked up a few. They were diamond shaped and had no jewels on them oddly enough. They were even a blackened color like they had been cooked. I sniffed and found a char smell reached my nose. But it was old... it might''ve happened yesterday when after we left. ( But why didn''t we hear the sounds of fighting or struggling?) I thought nervously. I sighed and pushed the thought to the back of my mind. I put the scale in my mouth curious as to what the thing I saw yesterday was.


    I chewed and found the texture wasn''t what I thought it would be. It was like eating a chip instead of charcoal. / Host has consumed the scale of a Calamity Class Blood Diamond Wyrm. Very rare species due to low breeding ability and conception rate. Host has gained night vision and tunnel vision. Combined into the new skill Shadow Sight. Allows for host to see in every condition of darkness with exception to smoke, mist, or fog. Reccomend host not seek for the wyrm./ I found my vision blurred and I put my hand on a rock to stabilize myself. After a moment it passed and my vision turned to normal. I could see alot better into the darkness even though I was standing in the daylight. ( This is nice.) I thought. I found 7 more big pieces of scales. I didnt manage to get anymore skills due to not having enough materials to eat, but I still got to know more about this beast.


    It likes to dig miles into the ground and it can hold it''s breath for incredible lengths of time. The Beasts name of course is Blood Diamond Wyrm but they are an evolved version of the commonly found Blood Wyrm. Small creatures that are normally found in graves, battlefields, and around corpses. The more blood they consume the stronger they get. Unfortunately they rarely evolve and when they evolve they lose their vampiric abilities. After evolution they also require a ridiculous amount of earth and iron to continue growing.


    It didnt take me long to realize how bad the situation could have been. It was a snake shaped tank with ridiculous abilities if it was Calamity Class. I quickly found Sam and got out of there. We soon found ourselves at the peak of the mountain and able to see a good chunk of the continent. As we stood there I noticed a large sparkling thing in the distance. I pointed towards it. "What''s that?" I asked Legion. Legion looked into the distance.


    "That my friends is The Great City of Smithing. That is Verst. Our Capital. The hub of all our trade and commerce. It''s been many years since any of us has been to verst. Hargo was there once to make a crown for the new king when he had his coronation. King Kylisus Jantic Verst if memory serves."


    My gauntlets warmed on my hands as though they remembered a fond memory. I raised them and pondered the markings and carvings. It was like holding someone''s memory but not knowing which memories were good to see. Or knowing where to start.


    "We should get moving then. Is there anything we need in order to get in?" I asked Legion. They looked at me and tapped their chin.


    " You both have adventurers licenses and are able to use those as identification. I have none but you could tell them that I am a automaton that you are bringing along and that might do the trick."


    " I guess we''ll figure it out when we get there." I said as I shrugged. Not much I can do besides that I figured. We made our way down the mountain side. On the way I talked with Sam. "You seem weaker than when we were bonded. Why?" She didnt look at me. Instead she kept facing forward while speaking. "Breaking the bond means losing all the strength I gained while we were bound together. The strength I gained on my own I kept. But anything else is gone. I used to be able to nearly kick a tree in half. Now I have trouble leaving a dent in one." I thought as we walked. " Is there any way to regain that strength?" I asked.


    She shook her head. " No. Not unless I make you my familiar again. But that''s risky enough considering how much stronger you''ve become. But just so you know there are dark methods to keep the strength you gain from a familiar." She glanced at me slightly. I felt a chill pass down my spine. " What are they?" I asked a little reserved as to whether I actually wanted to know or if I should have left it alone. " You kill the familiar." She said.


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 Chapter 58 Life

    "Why? Why kill the familiar?" I asked as a slight cold sweat went down my back. Sam slowed down a bit as she walked. " If you want to maintain the power of your pet you have to eat the pet or at least consume its beast core. Doing his prevents the loss of power but at the cost of knes humanity."


    I mind became more confused as she spoke.


    " What do you mean at the cost of one''s humanity. What happens?" I asked trying to keep myself calm.


    Sam actually stopped and looked at me.


    " First you need to calm down. If I really had wanted to keep my strength I could have killed you months ago. Fortunately for the both of us that it was outlawed many years ago. When my father was young." She turned and started walking again. " And to answer your question.... Humans demonize when they eat a beast core. Their body becomes a mix of human and beast blood. Their flesh grows fur or scales. They become monsters. Though there was a rare person who now and again retains their consciousness. That''s where dragon men and beast men come from according to records. Although it was nondescript in its indications as to how they really managed it. That is why noone does it anymore." I nodded in thought.


    We continued down the mountain in earnest. We reached a cliff by nightfall and settled their for the night. I ended up hunting a bit to save our rations and found a couple of hedgehog looking monsters. I paralysed them with a tongue strike so that they couldn''t move then snapped their necks so it was quick and painless. (I don''t hunt for the pleasure of killing. Mearly for food.) I thought as I knew others tortured prey for hours before killing it. It was an awful thing and it was my opinion it should always be quick. Else the meat is spoiled with adrenalin and you leave the animal in pain if it manages to get away. I returned in my human for to the camp and found Sam had started a fire while Legion was carving a small stone with a tiny rock pick. I quickly got to skinning the animals. Sam and Legion had gone out looking for edible herbs and vegetables. We soon had a small stew going in the Wok I had brought from my time in the forest. I had kept that thing with me and carried it everywhere.


    It took a few minutes before a delicious smell reached our noses telling us the food was ready. While we ate I thought about what Sam had said. I actually had a few more questions afterward. " What happens if a person eats a beast core without a contract attachment?" I asked. She shook her head. The last person to do that died due to power diffusion through their body." At my confused look she explained. " When an unknown or unfamiliar magic power or Chi enters the body the original power tries to fight it off. If it can''t fight it off or there''s too much, your body essentially self destructs and explodes into nothing but mana particles. It isn''t pretty. Father once showed me the site of the last person who did it. The explosion left a crater where a city once stood. Not a building was left standing." She said.


    I nodded in understanding. My knowledge about this world grows daily. After I ate I listened to Gluttony rattle off information.


    / Host has consumed Greater Stone Mole. Host has gained passive skill. Digging Proficiency Up lvl 1. Allows for host to have an easier time digging. Due to previous digging experience this has been leveled up to lvl 3. Host can now mold earth into a small den with ease. Other skills gained are absorbed by previous skills due to superiority./


    ( hmmm. This is way too efficient.) I thought after a bit. (I have had this thing for years now and now I really feel that this thing truly is broken.) I thought as I sighed. / Gluttony is not broken or suspicious. Gluttony has always been efficient. Ever since the Demon King created me I have worked hard to make sure others know I am superior. Host is the one who is broken./ Gluttony chimed. ( Damn right I am! Who can have a conversation with themself while talking with something noone can see or hear?!) I thought exasperatedly


    / Point Taken./ It chimed back at me.


    I stayed sitting by the fire when I suddenly felt a warmth across my lap. I looked down and found Sam asleep on my lap. My face turned red as I blushed heavily. ( Calm down! calm down! This is normal. She''s overtired. This is normal!) I thought quickly as I slowly reached down and picked her up in my arms. I slowly walk to her tent without her waking or moving. I enter and place her on her cot and leave.


    " That was way too much." I said under my breath not wanting others to hear. I went to my tent and laid on the ground. My shields kept me off the uncomfortable floor. It was like sitting in a rocking chair. I hardly felt any discomfort. I started rocking a little until I fell asleep.


    I woke in the morning to the smell of cooking. It was some of the left over stew from last night that was being reheated over the camp fire. Legion stood by the fire stirring the stew with a wooden spoon. I went over and sat by the fire warning my legs from the chill they felt. " Ahhhhh." I sighed in relief as the warmth sunk in. Legion chuckled a little when they saw it. "One of the downsides of being a dragon blood eh." They said in a light manner.


    " Indeed." I said enjoying the flames and how they danced. Sam came out of her tent and stretched out enjoying the sun streaming down on her face.


    "Someone looks like they had a good night''s sleep." I said. Her head shook slightly as she put her hair in a ponytail.


    "I don''t even remember going back to my tent to be honest. I remember sitting by the fire and then... nothing." She started talking slow, then her face turned slightly red as she blushed and quickly finished the sentence.


    ( She remembers alright.) I thought as I chuckled to myself. I stood slowly and stretched. I grabbed my bow and some arrows. " If I don''t practice I won''t get any better." I muttered to myself. I took a stance and drew the bow with an arrow notched. I breathe in slowly. Listen to the wind. Feel the air and how it shifts. Feel the bow in your hand and what it''s made of. Sam''s advice echoed through my mind as I remembered her guidance. I breathed and when I was ready I loosed it. The arrow went past the tree I was aiming at a hundred meters away. " Damn." I swore. I drew again and waited. I suddenly saw a pair of rabbit ears pop up. ( What the?) They suddenly dissapeared into the rocks again. ( Bizarre where did it go?) I thought. I stretched my senses through the ground and felt for a presence.


    The cliff ahead of us had 14 rabbit people on it. Whether they were all men or women I didn''t know. But I would soon.


    " Might as well come out! I know you''re there!" I shouted in their direction. Suddenly the sound of scrambling met my ears as sets of bunny ears rose over the cliff face and I found myself facing a bunch of bedraggled and injured people. It was a mix of men, women, and children. For all the world they were a sorry sight. They wore rags and looked malnourished. I tapped my foot and the rocks shifted to make a bigger resting area. I walked forward and took an elderly womans hand and led her to a raised rock bench area I had made. " Come. Rest. What happened to you all?" I asked in shock. The people quickly shifted into the area and sat down in groups. The wounded were in one area and the elderly and children in another.


    A rabbit man with a strong looking build was among the group and hardly had a scratch on him. He was helping the wounded and the elderly move and get comfortable. The elderly woman either didnt understand me or was too shocked to answer so I went and tapped his shoulder. He turned his head and saw me. A fist suddenly went flying for my face. My left hand came up and caught it with ease as it slapped into my palm. The force went down my arm as my left leg went behind me to keep me stabilized. " What the hell are your kind doing here? Leave before I RIP you in half!" He roared at me and the people quivered and backed off. I began tightening my grip on his hand but he didnt budge an inch. " I''m and adventurer big guy. And I have a few questions." He tried pulling his fist free but it didn''t move. He kept trying to pull until I finally let go and he went tumbling. I walked over to him as he stopped rolling.


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    " Your people drove us off our settlement while our hunters were gone! You burnt down our homes and our people while we were still sleeping! How can you ask what happened!?"


    He barked at me. I grabbed him none too gently and hauled him into the air. I got a complete look at him. His legs were those of a rabbit with the torso and arms of a man. His hair was white with big white ears with black spots. Glared at me as I sent him back down and brushed him off. "I didnt attack your people. But right now I can help your people. So stop having a fuss and help me to help them." I turned and went to grab my bow.


    "Dont make trouble while I''m gone or you''ll see what I get angry over." I growled as I glared over my shoulder. I couldn''t transform else the people would get scared and they''d been through enough already. And I doubt they want to have a poisoned or have Saliva of any kind on their food. I opened my wings fully as the armor plating unlocked and I flapped them. (These wings are heavy. But I can try to fly with them.) I thought as I focused on the task at hand.


    I flew around the mountain and found a couple strange sheep. Instead of wool they had scales that were slightly furry and white curly horns covered in brown spikes. It took me a bit to be able to shoot them while flying but I finally managed. The scales were pretty flimsy and gave way to the arrows simple piercing power easily. I ended up having to land and finish my hunt by following them. It took me 7 arrows to kill them both. In the end I had to carry the two of them back to camp. They were about six feet long by 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. They must have weighed 200lbs a piece. It wasn''t an easy task. My muscles burned and at one point I was dragging them to relieve my shoulders of the burdens. My Molten Titan Body skill helped heal my worn out muscles and strengthen my body further. At the end I wanted to look cool and carried them into the camp area. Sam, Legion, and I skinned and prepared them to eat. Since we had so many to feed we decided that Stew was the best course of action again. The big rabbit man waited till everyone had a bowl and had a couple himself. He seemed to have calmed down a fair amount and was more willing to speak. ( Time for the drama.) I thought as I walked over.

 Chapter 59 Impure Dragons

    The Big Rabbit man saw me moving to sit with him. He tried to get up and move away. My tailed swishes around and blocked his exit. " I just want to talk. I want to know what preposterous thing my kinsmen have done." I said calmly. His eyes were on me. He watched my every move with a nervous look in his eyes. I sat down and crossed my legs to eat. He slowly sat down across from me.


    " We have long been hostile toward the dragon men in these parts. It''s no secret that they would kill us if they had the chance. They drove us from our homes and burned our village to the ground like I told you." He said slowly. ( His behaviour has taken a turn around it seems.) I thought as I spoke.


    " Dragon Men are thought of as honorable in most peoples eyes. What makes these ones so different as to attack you while your people were hungry and the others were gone?" I asked. His eyes grew slightly red as he spoke.


    " On other continents they are honorable and strong. Here they are no better than bandits and evil spirits feeding off the people. Most dragon bloods are descended from a Horrible Bandit ancestor who once lived in these parts by the name of Kong Shin. A Gorilla dragon man." The only thing that went through my mind was the image of a fat gorilla with scales and tiny dragon wings. It honestly almost made me laugh but I managed to hold it in and keep a level expression.


    " So.... Why do they seek conflict with your clan specifically?" I asked. His face remained the same angry expression as he explained.


    " Our clan found an abandoned mine many miles from here. It is rich in minerals and jewels. And there were many like it so they didnt try to take it from us. That is until we found a magic crystal vein hidden deep within behind some traps and a fake wall. We dont know how they found out but they were furious and I suppose they decided to make a strike at us to claim the mine." His ears were folded back as he suddenly hung his head.


    " Sorry for my ignorance but what exactly is a magic crystal vein?" I asked. His ears perked up at my question but his attitude didnt improve. " You must''ve been born under a rock for you to not know what that is. It''s a more vein that has absorbed natural elements for centuries until it became a magic ore vein. They are used in everything in the cities. Bathing, Cooking, Smithing, all of it runs off of magic crystals. Anyone who owns or has access to one could be rich for millenia." I nodded slowly as I took in the information.


    " Okay.... So you had your village stolen from you....Your mine was taken from you... Now what will you do?" He hung his head in shame.


    " We do nothing. I''m nowhere near strong enough to fight them and nobody here is in that type of condition either. We let them have it and hopefully we can find another place to settle." His face was stoic and his gaze distant. His face suddenly rocked forward as his face was suddenly planted into the ground.


    " Steam rose from his head comically as I drew back my tail as I started chastising him.


    " You are stupid! Admit it! They won''t let you go! If they took one thing from you they will continue to do so till they take everything including your freedom. You will be the lowest on the food chain for the rest of your tribes days with that thought process. Is that what you want!?" He planted his hands on either side of his head and pulled his face out of the hole. His face had a couple scratches on it but he was riled up now.


    " Do I have a choice!? I''m strong but against all of them with one of me is a little difficult!" He shouted at me. I grabbed his collar and opened my wings. " Your coming with me." I flapped and shot into the air. He was yelling at me the whole time we flew. I flew as I saw smoke rise in the distance. I dropped down and flopped him down close by.


    He immediately sprung to his feet and got into a boxers stance. " Why did you bring me here!? To die? To be a meal for those fiends!?" I shook my head as I held my hands.


    " Nope. I''m here to help you get your mine back." His face changed slightly as he let out


    "Whaaaaat!!!!"


    ????


    I walked toward the village gates or what was left of them. Two dragon men stood by the entrance. Their clothes were rags and a loin cloth around their waists. They were a dark brown without any significant colors adding to their draconic features. They had small horns like a baby goat and short brown hair.


    I could hear them in the distance.


    " We really gave those stupid bunnies a run didnt we." One chortled out. " I loved hearing the women scream as they were roasted alive. I wonder if boss will let us keep a few for entertainment if we find them again?" They other chuckled back lewdly. I felt my anger rising as I heard more of them relishing the death and destruction they wrought. I moved my had slightly as the shadows rose to engulf my body. My body became invisible as the shadows bent the light and mad me blend in perfectly. One of the guards left leaving the other one alone. I snuck up behind him used ghost fire on him.


    " Better for you to acknowledge your sins and become clean than for you to keep living." I said quietly. The flames consumed him faster than he could scream. All that was left was a little floating light shaped like a small flame and some ash.


    " Disperse to the shadows." I commanded. His flame flickered then dissapeared. I remained invisible and entered the village. I followed the scent of the other one to a charred bar. It was mostly charred on the outside. All that was really left was the bar counter and some of the bottles that had obviously blackened by a fire. There were 6 dragon men in it with the one I was following at the counter grabbing a bottle for himself. I began to think of what I would do next.


    Suddenly there was a thudding sound echoing through the ground and making any glasses around rattle. I turned and found a large man standing by the door. He must have stood at 10 feet. He was heavily muscled and certainly looked like a gorilla given human shape with some scales covering his shoulders with a black gorilla-like beard. " Bring out the best damn wine men. We found the mine and the vein. We''ll be rich and covered in women by this time next year. Slaves, gold, weapons, and blood refinery liquid to make us the strongest in this continent!" He went and sat on the bench in the corner. It groaned under his weight obviously unhappy to support such a large man. ( So that''s the boss.) I thought as I crouched next to the bar watching them move around.


    A thug brought him a goblet filled with wine. It looked more like a massive version of one. Made to be used by both hands. One hand grabbed the base and he drank heavily from it. ( He may be big, but everyone has a weakness.) I thought. He continued to drink throughout the night. More thugs poured through the door. ( I guess they''re feeling the chill that night brings.) I understood it all too well. I did a head count and found 30 of them filled the room with exception to Monkey Boy.


    I put my gauntlets on. " Time for a hunt." I whispered under my breath.


    I unleashed the darkness from me. My invisibility faded and the room filled with shadows. Shouts echoed in the darkness.


    "I can''t see!", "What is this!", "What sorcery is this!" Hey continued shouting. Out of it all a bright flame filled the place wiping out my shadows before I could so much as kill one of them. My gauntleted hand was holding the neck of one of the men. It was very awkward when the shadows faded and I was there holding him in the air. I was taller than the henchmen by a foot but shorter than the boss.


    " Let''s get the party started I suppose." I said as a snap rang out and the thug fell to the floor his neck at an odd angle.


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    "Thors!" One of them yelled and launched himself at me. I batted him to the side grabbed his tail and smashed him into the ground like a mace. His mouth started foaming as I got surrounded by the thugs. I was still holding the guys tail when the boss looked over his men and smugly raised an eyebrow. " Kill him." That was all I needed. The guy I was holding became a great weapon if I say so myself. I spun and knocked everyone back before they could lunge at me. Some went through the door. Others through the walls. A couple had the comedy of flying out the windows. The poor chap I was holding though only had the misfortune of being used as a rag doll. Once he others had been bowled over I let go of the thug who now looked more like a pig with how beaten and bruised he was. He slapped to the ground and just laid there unconscious.


    The boss as they had called him got up and crushed his goblet like it was paper.


    " Finally some ass wipe came to piss me off. Who sent you? The bunny men? Some of my former brothers in arms? Hm?" He grunted at me. "No matter. No matter. I think you''ll be squealing soon." He started to expand. His loin cloth ripped as he grew thicker and his dragon legs lengthened and thickened to almost 3 feet wide his arms exploded to 4 feet wide. He grew a set of small draconic wings. Not big enough to engage in flight or be of use. His face grew into a gorilla styled face covered in scales and fur. He looked like a gorilla but his hind quarters had a long dragon tail and dragon legs. He was the worst form of a chimera I could ever imagine. He was a ball of fur and scales. Standing at 20 feet tall and must''ve weighed a good 400 pounds or more.


    "Hmmm. I got one of those." I said. My gauntlets slipped into my dimensional bag as I slid it off. My body began expanding as my dragon form came out and my limbs began taking shape again. My six legs came out and I my flying wings spread out again. I was still only 12 feet tall but I had more tricks up my sleeve. His eyes widened slightly as he roared at me. I hardly felt a thing. " How quaint. You don''t know how to truly roar." His eyes filled with shock, then rage. He raised his arms and brought them down gorilla style. I raised my shields and his fists slammed into them. My feet sunk slightly into the ground with the impact but my shield arms never moved. I pushed his arms off and rammed his midsection with my horns. He fell backward with the impact. He rolled out of the bar and into a burnt out house, crushing it.


    " You have little to no fighting ability. It''s a miracle how you managed to burn down this village with how dumb you are." I said.


    His face turned red as he raised his head and I saw his throat glow orange. He opened his mouth and an explosive blast came out. I didnt have time to block. But I didnt end up having to. I was bathed in the flames and forced backwards by the sheer force. Fortunately his flames were even weaker than any flame I''d faced so far. Smoke filled the air and I heard cheers. " You got ''im boss. He''d be toast after that!" I flapped my wings once and the smoke cleared. I saw jaws drop as I looked at all the henchmen I hadn''t killed. They were beaten and bruised but all in all ok from what I saw. ( These lot are really resilient) I thought slightly surprised. I suddenly felt my feet get a little warm.I looked down and noticed I was standing on Molten lava.(Holy Crap!)


    I lifted a foot and lava dripped from my claws. "Hmmm." The dragon ape got up and started charging at me. "Enough of this" I muttered. I sucked in air with a whistling sound. It only took a second for my lungs to fill. what happened afterward was defeaning. I unleashed my roar at full blast. The ape was seemingly slammed into the ground along with his henchmen. He longer the roar went the more passed out from the strain it put on their minds and bodies.


    / Host has used Disaster Roar. Disaster roar is suppressing the Impure Dragonmen around host./ My roar finally stopped when the dragon ape finally fainted. ( Impure?)

 Chapter 60 Kill or Be Killed

    ( Impure?.... What can be impure about them. Is that an indication of crossbreeding?)


    I thought as I trudged over to the dragon ape.


    " I never got your name. But I won''t need it either. After what you''ve done you dont need to be remembered by history." I swiped my claws across the back of his exposed neck. There was a small spray of blood and the smell of iron filled the air. The dragon ape didnt shrink oddly enough. It retained its size instead of returning to dragon man form. ( I guess when we take these forms we die in these forms.) I thought slightly saddened but at the same time intrigued. " I might be able to get a few skills from you." I muttered as I picked up the now severed Kong head. I filled my mouth with flames and charred the head to ash and bones. I crunched on it and slowly gained am understanding of why the fight was so easily won.


    / Host has consumed the ash and bone of a contaminated bloodline. Seperating and purifying for diagnostics. Host has consumed lower level Destruction Class Scaled Kong. Host has consumed Destruction Class Earth Dragon. Host has superior skills and abilities as well as bloodline. System requires more for further analysis and extraction./


    ( Well..... that''s a slight bust.) I thought as I turned back to the corpse and started burning and chewing. This tastes awful. Like charred brickets that the fuel smell is on. It was nasty. But it was better than eating it raw. I even found and ate his beast core.


    / Host has consumed materials able to benefit muscle structure greatly. Host has gained the passive skill: Power of Kong. Upper body strength is greatly improved and any muscle in the body is always being trained. As such hosts strength will always be rising. Materials are currently used to enhance leg and wing strength./ The system chimed.


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    ( Nice! A really good skill.) I thought excitedly.


    The thugs on the ground began to stir. I quickly found my bag and stored the bones of the dragon ape inside. ( Time to go get bunny man.) I thought as I lightly chuckled. ( My luck is good today.) I opened my wings wide and flapped into the sky. I had dropped off the rabbit man a fair distance away. He had indicated a mine was around that area so all I needed to do was find the mine. I touched down at the spot I had dropped him off and used my earth sense to track which way he went. I shifted to my smaller form and started in that direction. I started hearing sounds of shouting and laughing as I climbed a slightly rocky slope. As I reached the peak I found a bunch of draconic ruffians beating and kicking on something in the middle of their group. I drew closer and saw a pair of bloody bunny ears I knew all too well. My tail swung without warning into the group catching a few off guard and causing the others to retreat.


    " Well, well, well, the Rabbit brought a friend it seems." One of the guys said. " Must be a guy who does charity cases. Why don''t you give us some charity by giving us your valuables and leaving before we screw you up too." He said as he licked one of his clawed fingers. He didnt even bother caring about what I just did to his buddies. ( He must be a sub leader of some kind.) I thought. He fit the stereo type of not caring about his subordinates and using them like cannon fodder. His thugs surrounded me and instead of reaching for one I took a stance that Sam had taught me for hand to hand combat. My claws began to glow purple with red and gold sparks flickering between them. " He''s not a charity case. He hired me to take you guys down. I upheld my end of the deal. Your leader is dead and your band will be dispersed to the four winds." The guys brows furrowed.


    " Your telling me my pops is dead. Ha! You must be delusional! Nobody can beat my pops! Nobody! Boys.... Get him. Well entertain ourselves with him like we did the bunny." One of the guys jumped at me first his right hand was outstretched with his claws ready to take across me. My claws and form flowed like waves of the sea. I deflected his attack and grabbed his wrist with my right hand. My claws energy crackled and sizzles across his skin making him scream in pain. My left hand pierced his chest and the energy flooded him causing his body to burst into a blaze of flames and crackling electricity. His corpse fell to the ground as his body was reduced to nothing but charred bones. The others continued to charge at me. Some used weapons and others used their natural born abilities. One expanded and grew to look like a gorilla like the boss while another grew black scales and his eye bulged like a chameleon. His body shifted into the background invisible to the naked eye.


    The first one I dealt with was the invisible one. I found him through earth sense. He had moved behind me to spring a surprise attack. My earth magic rose around his position and encased him in a stone coffin to keep him till I was done. Mini Kong attacked me with brute force sledgehammer strikes downward. I simply dodged out of the way. Some of his teammates got caught in the middle trying to hit me. I ended up grabbing them and throwing them at him. He smacked them aside as though they were just garbage. He was doing all the work for me. Finally there was only the other him and the other guy. He stood there huffing and obviously very tired.


    " Why you always dodge?" He shouted in a very caveman-like manner. I shrugged at him.


    " Why you always miss?" I responded. His veins bulged as he hot angry and charged at me again. His arms were crossed in an X and he lowered himself to be like a football player. I went to dodge and found my foot was pinned by something. I looked down and found a shadow claw holding my leg in place. I pulled but it wouldn''t let go. I couldn''t get away in time for me to dodge so I took the hit. I didnt raise my shields but grabbed his arms and dug my feet into the ground. My claws held the earth but I was forced back leaving several claw wide trenches in my wake. He slammed me into the stone wall behind me where a massive dust cloud rose obscuring us from view.


    Marco''s POV


    I watched Tank plow that goody two shoes into the mountain with a grin as I rose to my feet. My shadow returned to me seeing as it did its job. I held the guy in place with shadow magic so Tank could kill him. It was a cheap shot but so what. I gotta eat. In order to do that I gotta play by my own rules which are... There are no rules. The smartest and strongest one wins. I looked at the smoke cloud knowing the guy should''ve died by now and heard Tank roaring.


    " Tank if he''s dead you should stop roaring and get your sorry ass back in the mine so Pops doesn''t get mad." I shout at him.


    Suddenly a large arm comes flying out of the mist. One problem... It''s not attached to anything. And it looks like one of Tanks arms.


    I still hear roaring coming from the mist as I hear a sickening tearing noise and the other arm comes flying out. Then the roar gets cut short. I wait away from the cloud of dust and see a shadow approaching. " Tank! You alright man!?" It was tank alright. but both of his arms were gone and blood came from his mouth. (That ain''t good.) I thought. Suddenly he burst into flames and fell to the ground. The guy he had bulldozed into the wall was standing behind him with a little blood dripping off his face around the hairline and a couple of scrapes on his body.


    " No way.... " I whispered. " How?!"


    Ignis''s POV


    ( That hurt.) I thought as I rubbed my shoulders a little. ( Didnt think he would pack that much of a punch.) I walked around the burning body towards the guy who gang leader. He fell to the ground cowering. " Stop! I''ll give you anything you want! I''ll do what ever you want!" He shouted out in fear. I continued approaching him steadily. I crouched when I got close enough.


    " You know what I want?" I asked inquisitively and with a smile. He shook his head slowly.


    " I want you dead." I stated flatly. His face paled and he tried to say something. Unfortunately Ghost fire took him before anything could come out. I stored the bones just like the others. All that was left was the Chameleon man. I turned to the coffin but something felt off. I released it and found a massive hole had been dug. " Damn." I said. (He must be a couple miles away by now. Not much point in going after him.) I thought as I turned to the injured rabbit man. I quickly tore a couple strips of cloth from some rags close by and bound his wounds. " They really gave you a beating didn''t they." I said under my breath. His breathing was steady and the blood had stopped. I slowly moved him to a better place to lay down.


    I did night watch for the remainder of my time. He rested peacefully until dawn when he woke and tried sitting up. " Hughgggg" He groaned out in pain. I turned quickly. "Best not to move in your condition. They gave you a beating if ever I''ve seen one. Best to rest and get some strength back Rabbit Man." He groaned.


    " You know I have a name right? It''s Arcelus. Use it." He grunted out. I nodded a little. " Very well... Arcelus." I said as I stared at the coals in the firepit. I transformed my head into that of my dragon form and pulled out a bone from the storage pack. I started knawing it to pass the time.


    ( I wonder if this is considered cannibalism considering I evolved from a salamander....) I thought woefully as I continued knawing in boredom.

 Chapter 61 - Mines and Shadows

    My skills didnt increase but I found out most of the thugs were descended from the Kong Dragon ancestor I was told about. The question of how doesn''t really need to be asked considering I eat anything. The only exception was the chameleon dude from yesterday. ( He must''ve either come from over seas or had a different ancestor that lived around these parts.) I thought as I gnawed on bones in boredom. The bones soon ran out and I didnt gain any skills or titles. Arcelus stirred and I managed to get him to eat something. I had found a bunch of rations and food supplies along with some cookware in a shack off to the right of the mine entrance. I made a type of slop from it but it wasn''t very good. It was still something though. We ate till we were done and Arcelus slept again. He might have a broken a rib or two in the beating he was given with how he cringed sitting up and laying down. He did it to himself really. Facing that many opponents while knowing you can''t handle them is a massive blunder. One that almost cost him his life.


    I patted his shoulder lightly as I got up.


    " I''m going to check the mine. Most people would leave traps or guards inside." He slowly nodded understanding he was in no condition for exploration. I went ahead and entered the dark mine. It smelled of dust and oddly it smelled of water. It was humid in the mine. I continued forward till I found myself at a fork. I pulled out a piece of parchment and a piece of coal. I started napping where I''d been and so I could get back out if something happened.


    I looked left. Then right. Neither gave me the feeling of being threatened or even a sense of intimidation. My presence sensing abilities detected nothing as I ventured to the right. My shadow sight helped alot against the darkness. At one point though I had to self ignite to light the path. Shadow vision only helps when light is present to some extent. Pitch black darkness invited me deeper. I eventually felt a twinge of magic in the air. Like a thread that drifts past my nose, floating and teasing you to follow. I did. I saw a glow being eminated from one of the tunnels ahead. When I got there what I saw astonished me. It was a massive chunk of glowing earth. It shifted with the colors of the rainbow and seemingly so inviting to anyone who saw it.


    ( So this is a magic stone vein.) I thought in wonder at the beauty before me. I reached forward and touched it. It was warm, inviting, seeming to all the world like how the earth would welcome one of her children. I shook my head and pulled away. Arcelus had warned me about magic veins. They were powerful. But they were also very dangerous. If one was too absorbed in admiring the vein or stayed for too long. The vein would absorb them and make them a piece of itself.


    " Truly a deadly wonder..." I whispered. I slowly backed away from the magic or vein. Once I was out I started hearing small whispers. It started off quiet then turned into a small breeze.


    " Who are you? Why did you come here? Did he come seeking the vein? Get out while you still can!" The voices were a cacophony of whispers. I understood some and others were mumbled.


    " Hold it!" I put my hands in the air like I was calming a crowd. "Speak one at a time. Pick who will go first then speak." Slowly a small amount of whispering echoed through the air till finally I saw a small childlike shape form.


    " Hello." It said in a small voice. " Hello little one. What is it you need to tell me?" I crouched to its level. "My name is Arcelus Grey Ear from the Rabbit Man tribe. I was sacrificed to this cave 200 years ago." He waited to let that information sink in. He was patient I''ll give him that. " You need to leave before the cave devoures you like it did me and the others here with me." He said quickly. I slowly nodded. (Ok... a little creepy but I imagine they sacrificed people all those years ago to keep the vein going. Makes sense why it was hidden behind a wall. I saw another shadow come forward. It was a woman based on how it was a shadowy dress she wore.


    " I am Elizabeta Eagle Fang of the Winged Tribe. I too was sacrificed here. But it was to a monster that governed these caves. That was 160 years ago. Leave while you can." ( Ok...enough of the creepy. )I got up and started quickly moving back the way I came.


    " Talk while I walk people!" I shouted. The shadows kept coming forward. Men, women and children continued to speak. All had similar stories. Something didn''t sit right though. Some said they were sacrificed to a dragon vien. Others said to a monster. This makes no sense. I didnt detect a monster my way in.


    I began quickly moving back the way I had come. I curved and started to find the torches that had originally lit the way. I pulled out my map and followed my markings. A curtain of shadow followed in my wake dimming the torches slightly. After a little bit I noticed the exit. Except something felt off. The ceiling was covered in white stalactites that hung from red rocks above me. Before the rocks had seemed normal from the outside. I slowly moved forward and used my detect enemy for good measure. It pinged everywhere. It was then I realized my mistake. The reason for everyone having similar stories but different at the same time made sense now. This wasn''t a mine... This. What I was standing in. Was a monster. " Great I whispered. I moved as slowly as possible to avoid it noticing me moving around in its maw. I found a small piece of white stalactite and before I could explain to anyone what I was doing, I put it in my mouth. It tasted like bone and it was old. oldest bone I''d had really. I crunched away. It was dried and easy to chew.


    / Host has consumed Calamity Class Mountain Tyrant Toads Tooth. Reccomend host retreat or be eaten./ ( Great. Just great. I thought I had decent karma you damn reaper!?) I thought with a sigh. I dug my feet into the ground lightly and thought for a second. I either made a run for it or just launched myself with as much strength as possible and hope the thing doesn''t latch down before I get out. It only took a second before I tensed up my legs and felt my muscles coil. I suddenly dug my feet in and launched. The mouth began to close slowly after I launched. But it wasn''t anywhere close to catching me. I flew out the opening and felt the gravel as I rolled to a stop outside.


    I sat and panted for a couple seconds. Arcelus lay off to the side, still bandaged. After a couple moments I returned and sat by the firepit. He stirred and eventually sat up slowly. "Glad to see you''re back." He said.


    I grabbed him and lifted him so we could see eye to eye. " You could''ve bleeding well told me the mine is actually a monster!" I hissed in his face. He shrugged innocently.


    " I haven''t a clue what you''re going on about." He said very complacently. He was acting odd. I grabbed his head and turned it to look toward the now closed cave opening. There was a set of nostrils sitting there huffing the dusty air away. " Really? You didnt notice that at all..." I stopped as a thought suddenly occurred to me. " Arcelus. Tell me your full name." He blinked at me with a confused look.


    " Arcelus Grey Ear of the Rabbit Man Tribe." My eyes twitched a little as I remembered the little shadow boy. " Where''d you get that name from? A former victim perhaps?" He closed his eyes as if in thought before he swung his fist at me. His eyes started turning a dark grey lifeless color.


    " Guess the gigs up!" He shouted as his body began to change. His body and ears shed their hair as his ears curled to look like a rams horns. They took on a yellow color as his face distorted outward into a lizard like appearance. His eyes grew slits and his appearance changed into a crocodile-faced lizard man. His bunny tail fell off and melted. It was soon replaced by a thick reptilian tail. I let him go after his throat started swelling to 3 times its size. His body too swelled to become quite the large beast. He stood on his hind legs which were as thick as a T-Rex. His arms were very short. If it wasn''t for his crocodile head I would swear he was a T-Rex. He roared at me. " You should have just died peacefully! Perhaps my master could have fed on something besides scraps!" He lunged at me. I rolled to the side as my body began to swell and I took on my beastial form.


    " You have been feeding your master innocent people for centuries all for he sake of it surviving!? Let it hunt for itself!" I roared back at him. I looked down at him slightly with my wings spread and I inhaled a ton of air. His jaws opened wide as he went to lung at me. My front claws came up and grabbed his jaws. He tried shutting his jaws only to find my arm strength was greater. I finished breathing in and felt the heat rising. I focused my rage and hate into the flames. I thought of every destructive image I could think of as the heat rose up my throat and I could see heat radiating through the air.


    " Good Bye Murderer." I growled out as I opened my jaws and poured the flames down his throat. He roared in pain and agony as he was cooked from the inside. His scales fell off as smoke rose from his skin. His nostrils let flames roar out as flames engulfed his head. I released him as he tried rolling to put out the fire in vain. I saw flames come from his rear as his tail fell off charred black by the flames. " Masda Elb Meeeeeeeeeee!" He screamed out as the fire finally turned him to nothing but ash and bones.


    I heard a small rumble as the mountain began to shift. A single boulder-like eye lid shifted to reveal a huge eye. " Finally. Someone killed that buffoon." I heard a gravelly croaking voice rumble like an avalanche. " I was wondering why I felt odd.... Did my familiar die?" I looked at him ( Familiar?) The eye locked onto me and the ashes at me feet. " What have you done to Crinsomis?" He asked with his mountainous croaks and a bit of shock in his voice. I stood there remaining in my beast form. " He was leading people to their deaths to feed you so I killed him to give them some peace." There was a great look of shock in the Eye. "Have I been eating people? That would explain why I''ve been feeling odd as of late." It rumbled out with a huff from its nostrils. Shadows flew out of it''s nose and stuck to the walls where the sun didn''t cause them harm.


    "My, my. I am sorry dearies. I was just trying to rest here see. Must''ve dozed out from time to time. Awefully sorry about your fates. Unfortunately I can''t fix this. I''ll be going now so I don''t cause any more trouble aye. Now toddle off before I accidentally crush you. Not every day something like me gets to move about." He croaked out.


    Suddenly the entire mountain began to shift. The mountain was cracking in half while he shifted. I took to the air as the rock fell away to reveal a granite and stone like skin covered in greenish boils and some trees here and there. It continued to rise from the depths of the mountain. Great legs like sky scr.a.p.ers rose from the ground and a body that was at least 3 football fields long and 2 wide was exposed. The toad was a moving mountain. It''s mouth was beg enough to swallow mountains. It must''ve been a small gap I went through compared to what I saw now.


    He kept through the air and I felt space distort into what looked like a portal. The Toad went through leaving nothing. Not even a trace of the itself behind. All that was left was a broken down mountain that looked like it had been this way for decades.

 Chapter 62 - Ashes to Life

    I ended up digging through the rubble that remained for the titanic frogs familiar. I wanted to know what that thing really was and possibly acquire its shapeshifting skill. I found a few bones but the rest were either crushed or buried too deep for me to get them. I essentially made a tunnel that was 7 feet wide by 10 feet tall. I had to tunnel fairly deep and still didn''t find anything else. I decided to camp for the night and make sense of the day I''d had. Maybe put the souls to rest while I was here. Vengeance was done after all. When night fell the shadows came out and seemingly gathered around the fire I had put together.


    I sat there with my back against the wall and slowly looked around at them all, counting as I went. I sighed tiredly. (37 in all eh?) I thought to myself in sadness. I turned to the smallest shadow.


    " Arcelus.... Do you want to sleep? Or move on? I suppose that''s the better way of saying it."


    He slowly looked around at the others. They all nodded at him. " I think my family and I have had enough of being in the dark. I want to get out of here." He said in his small voice. I nodded as I came to understand something. These people had been together so long that they had essentially become family. I was sad but glad at the same time. His real family was gone. But he had made a new one with people who felt the same way he did. People who had gone through the same harrowing experience he had.


    I slowly got to my feet and got them to gather together. I did for them what I did for the people of the dwarven village. The pure white circle formed, pulsing with my heartbeat. Light filled the cavern as the circle pulsed and glowed. It was only moments later that the darkness once again filled the cavern and I was left alone. I said a silent prayer for their well being and sat back down. After a moment I reached for my bag that was off to the side. I started pulling out the bones I had found and any fragments I had gotten my hands on. I had gotten ahold of 15 pieces of bone and fragments. I shifted my head into the dragon form and started chowing down. The bones crunched easily under the sheer force of my bite. The system started dinging after a while.


    / Host has consumed Shadow Tyrant Rex ( Familiar of the Mountain Tyrant Toad). Host has acquired skills for the following.


    Shapeshift lvl 1: Allows for host to transform into whatever he sees as long as it does not exceed his own weight. The higher the level the better the quality of transformation. Right now transformation is comparable to a blob or slime. Very Poor.


    Lulling Voice lvl 1: Being hypnotic in nature this voice can be used to lure in unsuspecting foes or prey. Most songs will now have a calming effect. Depending on the lvl a song can also have a morale boosting effect.


    Titanic Head Smash... This will only reduce hosts thinking ability further than his current idiotic level hence system will absorb it and work on evolving to help host.


    Shadow Stalker lvl 1: Allows the user to hide in the shadows and at higher levels merge with the shadows. Even using them to appear and disappear as host sees fit. Max Lvl 5. Currently appears as a shadow covered figure. When light is applied the shadows are dispelled easily./


    "Wow." I said. ( This guy really was a creep.) I thought feeling extremely creeped out as I was munching on his bones. I continued on chewing but the only thing I really gained was materials for harder bones and scales. My head changed back and I formed a door of earth to cover where I was. This way no animals could attack me in my sleep. I found a descent rock and laid my head down. It wasn''t all that comfortable so I shifted to dragon form and slept that way. I used to sleep like this all the time before my humanistic form so it wasn''t a problem.


    When the morning came the sunlight peaked through a couple holes here and there in the earthen door. One caught my eye and caused me to wake from my groggy slumber. I rolled a little and slowly moved the door back into the ground. I had slept but felt like I hadn''t slept in centuries. As I slowly stepped into the morning air I squinted against the light till my eyes adjusted. My stomache growled and I looked around but found nothing was close by for food. I shifted into my human form and started looking through my bags for a piece of jerky or something. I found a piece but it wasn''t even close to filling my complaining belly. I hauled up my pack and figured it would be best to find Sam and the group. I opened my heavy wings and flapped into the air. My muscles burned after a bit of flying and after an hour of searching I found Sam and the others at the cliff where we had left them. I landed with a large thud. As dust swept up around me and the rabbit men screamed in fear. Sam rushed up to me as I quickly sat down for a rest.


    " Where have you been?! You''ve been missing for four days!" She exclaimed at me. I simply sat with my head down as legion quickly handed me a goblet of water. I gulped it down like I hadn''t drank anything in days. I felt the effects of Titan fortification set in after my second goblet. I felt the warth flow from the ground through my bones and muscles again and really felt the burn of my sore muscles. I sat back some as I breathed out a huff of hot air. I explained what happened. The dragonmen and the ore vein. I went through all of it. I cut out the shadows and said I saw bones and clothes from travelers lying inside the toad. That was just to make people feel less anxious around me. They distrust me enough as it is without knowing I''m a necromancer. I finished telling the story by saying I killed he culprit and the Toad was gone.


    The Rabbitmen looked at each other then back at me. "Does this mean we can go home now?" A little girl in rags asked. I nodded. " Yes. You can go home without worries." I patted her head between her fluffy white ears.


    "The thugs will leave when you all return. They have nobody leading them now and are heavily disorganized." I said to the rest. They seemed to breath easier. Some even fell to their knees as though they had no more strength left. ( These ones are awefully dramatic.) I thought embarrassed by the divas of the group.


    I Shook my head and grabbed my bag.


    " Where are you going?" Sam asked. I beckoned as I walked. " We still got a ways to walk and I''d prefer to feel the softness of a bed sooner rather than later." I called back. Sam quickly grabbed her things and Legion picked up their pack nonchalantly. I started humming On The Road Again as I walked. Sam rushed up next to me with some heavy breathing. " You walk really fast. What''s the real rush?" I turned my eyes to look at her from the side.


    " We''re still being hunted. I''d prefer to be in a heavily populated place with laws to help keep the hunters in check." She nodded with a saddened expression as we walked. I started experimenting with the abilities I got from Rex as we walked. I pictured changing the tip of my tail into a blade but it only changed into a long scaley blob. As I worked on it for a few hours my shaping got a little better and it became more like a blade. The level rose to level 2 after that. It took alot out of me to concentrate and form it the way I wanted. As soon as I stopped focusing on the image my tail would change back. Needless to say, I have to improve my will power and mental strength.


    At one point we came to the top of a rocky hill and got a better view of the capital in the distance. It was still small seeing as we were still far away. But seeing it gave me a bit of energy. We stopped and set up camp for the night. I went hunting while Legion and Sam got the campsite prepared. I had my bow out with my eyes looking around for prey. I used the Shadow Stalker skill and found that my vision stayed the same but the shadows hid me well in the tree tops. It took me a while to hunt for something. I managed to find a couple hedgehogs that had metallic spikes. My arrows bounced off with little effect. Seeing that my arrows weren''t effective I used the earth to smash their heads. ( Sorry!) I thought apologetically. I put them in my bag quickly. I started my way back to the camp and suddenly smelt smoke. Not normal smoke. It smelt like burning cloth and blood. I shot forward with renewed vigor and fear. I screeched to a halt next to a blazing campsite and Legion and Sam fighting off shadows.


    " Ignis! A little Help!?" A shadow darted forward toward Sam and brought a dagger around to strike her. The earth suddenly rose and the dagger missed her head by a foot as the assailant went tumbling with a "Oof". I placed my bags down and shifted. My head whipped over and snapped up a shadow with a disgruntling crunch and a scream. I threw it into the ground with a smash. One down, seven left. 3 of the assailants went for me as the others went for Sam and Legion. The shadows hacked and slashed at me. Though it was very amusing to see their astonishment as their blades bounced off my scales. My tail smashed one into the ground with a squelching sound. ( 2) I thought as I grew more excited. Last one hit me in the back of the head with something that crackled with electricity. It zinged through me but it only served to energize my slightly tired mind. I focused and found them standing a few feet behind me. They found the earth up to their head so they couldn''t move. I heard a feminine scream and turned only to find Sam had killed 2 of the shadows and legion was comically backhanding the remaining shadow repeatedly. As I looked I saw one shadow was behind Sam and about to stab her. My tongue lashed out and smacked the shadow square in the face with a splat. I retracted the tongue and the person was in my mouth the next second I spat them I to an open hole in the ground that closed around them till only the head was visible. Legion finished up slapping the one in front of him. The mans face resembled a pig with how swollen it had become from the beating. The ones that Sam had dealt with were wounded and one seemed to be dead.


    "Hmph." A small smoke cloud of contempt came out of my nose as I huffed at the assailants. " Amateurs". After checking to make sure everybody was alright I made the ground cl.u.s.ter all of our hostages together. They all were bearied up to their necks in dirt. The three that were dead were stacked nicely next to my massive dragon form. I had plans for them. That left four still alive. THe pig face was on the far left with the two I had bearied in the middle and Sams injured one on the right. They all wore black shawls and bandanas over their mouths. Very assassin like. Sam and legion quickly undid the bandanas and flipped back the shawls. Two of the assailants were beast men. A male brown bear and a female Grey fox by the looks of them. The middle one on the right was an elf with pointy but short ears. Her hair was silver ( Typical of elves I know) With green eyes. The one that on the right was a human man with dark red hair and hazel eyes. Sam remained quiet and Legion wasn''t talking either. It was slightly awkward to say the least. I stepped forward a little and sniffed them all.


    They smelled similar to the tanuki. A dark misty smell clung to their clothes despite being covered in dirt and sweat.


    " I take it the tanuki delivered the message?" The fox''s right eyebrow twitched a little when I mentioned her. " It appears I was correct. What happened to her?" I questioned. I was answered with only silence. I slowly moved a body from the pile next to me and set it ablaze. The foxes eyes went wide with horror as I set the body down. "You can smell the meat right. I only eat my meals cooked." His face paled slightly along with the others as I threw the burnt thing into my mouth and swallowed. The system chimed but I ignored it. I breathed on them, letting the smell of sulfur and burnt things fill the air between them. I was trying to intimidate them a little as I asked my next question. " Who sent you? Or should I start adding a live kill to my meal list ?" They all quivered as the elf started to talk. Her voice was like wind in reeds or a tiny creek. It flowed smoothly and showed practice with her speech. " If you let us bury the others I''ll talk." I looked at her without any emotion in my eyes. " How about this? I bury them and you talk. I''m not letting you out until you''re no longer a threat." She hung her head a little and looked at the others. They slowly nodded. She looked at me. " Deal"

 Chapter 63 - Shadow and Fire

    Off to the side of our camp were two mounds of earth. Peaceful and well done. As a necromancer I have to respect the dead. Else I''m no better than the evil beings that we are rumored to be. The tomb stones read " We lay in peace but were not guarded against the hazards of the roads. Be more careful than we." It was better than they deserved. But I thought it was more fitting than people being confused by " We tried killing people and got killed ourselves.....".


    I had taken a finger from each of the dead as compensation in secret. (Hey my skills need to grow and I do have rights to eating them right?! No judging! ) My skills increased slightly but I''ll go through them later as there are more pressing matters. The four were still buried up to their necks and were hardly moving. The elf started to talk once she saw the graves were done and I was sitting in front of her again.


    " Our mercenary company was contracted to hunt down and capture " alive or dead " a human woman and her travel companion. We only had a picture and very little info to go off of. But we were paid handsomely in advance to keep our mouths shut and just do our job."


    She sighed rather dejectedly before she continued. "Unfortunately we still need to be alive in order to spend our cash so there''s no reason for us to die and keep things hidden. We had to practically torture some dwarf guard of an abandoned village to find out where you had gone. When we got there we just had to ask a couple adventurers and they pointed us in the right direction. Turns out you have made enemies of most of the adventurers on this rock. "


    I huffed at her indignantly. " They started it and they couldn''t handle what came out of it."


    She rolled her eyes and kept going. "They said you were headed for the capital. concluding that you aren''t stupid and would take a complicated route you would still have to reach the main city. We figured if we got to the main road leading to it first we''d meet you at some point." She had stopped talking as though that was the conclusion.


    I leaned a little closer so she could smell the sulfur in my breath. " You still haven''t told me who hired you." I hissed out. She shook her head and looked me in the eye.


    " Our boss said the person wore a hood and had a mask. Normally our customers are dressed strangly but this one was easier to guess than others. He used platinum coins for a down payment. Only Royalty has access to platinum level coins. You guys did a hell of a thing for the fat princely king to set a price on your heads." I smiled a little and let some smoke wisp out between my teeth.


    "If you call refusing a blackmailing marriage proposal insulting then yes." Sam said with a disgusted look. The elf and female fox had shocked expressions before looking at each other and started laughing hysterically. They roared with laughter as tears began falling down the elf''s face. "How did we end up taking this ridiculous task? We got caught up in some stupid lovers quarrel!" The fox belted out in laughter as the bear just hung his head shook it with a disappointed look on his face. " And here we thought you were somebody worth taking." The bearman rumbled out.


    " We were thinking of making a name for our group by fetching you, but it seems that this is too big a task for us and far too stupid a thing to pay a mercenary group for."


    My eyebrow twitched at the mention of a group name. "What name would that be?" The laughter suddenly died down as a serious look crossed the human mans face. " Twilight Shadow. That was the name the seven of us came up with. Now we''ve been reduced to 4..." His gaze was level and unafraid. "A good name. Unfortunate though. If I let you go we will keep being hunted. If I kill you though we will be hunted more so. Hmmmm." My head started hurting as I thought about it. I sat thought more. " Sam." She turned to me with a questioning expression. "Considering they attacked you first... How would you treat them?" Her face turned contemplative as she considered what to do. " I would put them into the slave market. It''s not illegal and normally criminals are forced under the slave contracts outside of beasts. Considering the king sent them. If he found out they were sold to slavery he wouldn''t think it was us who did it really. Considering attacking another person is never legal neither is it endorsed by any guild besides assassins and bandits."


    I slowly turned to Legion and they nodded. Within a moment the ground had turned into a massive cage that held the people within. I thought about it thoroughly as I sat watching the fire that night. I didn''t release my dragon form as I was afraid of the people escaping. I could kill them and get it over with. But in the end it would only silence them and I might need their voices to end the price that was put on our heads. I sat there the entire night. When I felt tired the earth fed energy to me waking my tired mind and energizing my body. The shadows that formed slightly under my eyes faded every time. When dawn came It was slow. The shadows fled the dawn like cold floes from fire. It say beneath the trees like beasts hiding from a stronger predator. Everything I had thought of came to one sound conclusion. We needed them alive.


    Sam came out of her tent and stretched in a feline fashion. I laid there poking and shifting the coals. " What did you get for a conclusion?" She asked.


    " Conclusion.... We are taking them with us. At least to the capital. We need something to hold over the royals that are chasing us. Anything that can record their voices or even a way for another noble of this country to stand with us." I sighed out in frustration.


    "There''s nothing else we can do." I pouted slightly as I mulled over it. I slowly moved to my bag that held the books from Hargo and the others and slowly pulled out one of the smithing ones. The book was one based on runes and described many different effects and types. Introduction to Runology Part 1 was what its worn leather cover read. I flipped through the pages till I found one suitable to what I was thinking. I ventured to the cage and with a wave of my hand toward the captives. The cage rose as a platform of erarh separated itself from the ground.


    Eight spidery legs formed around the disk and positioned themselves much like a daddy long legs. I continued to walk around the disk and I used a claw to engrave different runes into monster cores before I pressed them into the rocky exterior of the cage. They sank in like a drop of water in the sea. Slowly and with growing energy the cage began to glow. Runes spread from one part to the other till I had used 20 monster cores. I still had 10 for Legion to eat later.


    I looked at Sam and Legion who had perplexed faces and shifted back to my dragonman form. The captives in the cage shifted about and shimmied closer together. The cage started getting a little thicker and became more basket like. I crawled on top and crossed my legs, sitting on top of the thing. I started circulating magic through me and into the spider doll. Slowly but surely it started moving. As the magic passed through the earth the cores glowed slightly beneath the earthen exterior giving it an other worldly glow. Sam''s jaw dropped while Legion just shrugged and finished packing. Sam and Legion climbed the doll and sat with me as it began the rest of the journey to the city.

 Chapter 64 - Cities and Kings

    Two dwarven guards stood at the gates of the City of Verst lazily watching the roads as small peddlers walked up to the gates in an orderly fashion. Inspection was done quickly and precisely just like dwarves liked it to be. The day moved forward till the sun reached the mid point of the sky. Thudding was heard and felt across the ground. Guards on the walls started shouting in alarm and began to mobilize to defend the gate. The great stone doors were closed. The doors were 4 feet thick and 20 feet tall. Nothing except a battering ram and a tank could get through by normal means. It wasn''t long till they saw something moving in the distance. It was a massive spidery thing that moved slowly but deliberately toward the city. As it moved closer the guards pulled out a looking glass and looked toward it. On top sat three people and inside there seemed to be 4 more. The captain of the guard held the scope. He stood at 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. He was barrel chested and had a long brown beard that reached his waist. On his head sat a helmet that bore a roaring lion with its maw revealing his face. His silver chest piece shined in the suns light as his red cape flew behind him in the wind.


    " Have you seen anything like it before?" A guard asked his fellow in front of the gate. His hands shook slightly in nervousness as he posed with his spear facing toward the approaching group.


    "Never. Not even in all my travels." Said the weathered Elderly guard beside him. His body stood there ready for a fight and ready to die for his nation without hesitation. The spider drew closer till it was 30 feet away from the gates. It halted with a sway and the people on top dismounted. " State Your business! Or be Ready to be executed! " Shouted the younger guard with his voice shaking slightly. The spear shook a little in his nervous attempt at bravery. The "people" were all different heights. The shortest was a girl and the tallest was a dragon man with reddish hair with gold streaks and black horns. The last one was the same height as the dragon man but was dressed looked similar to a jester or actor. The girl spoke up first.


    " We came to sell slaves and rest from our travels." She called out. The guards looked at each other. " Bring the cargo but leave your transport. It will cause too much ruckus in the city." The Elder dwarf called back. Slowly the side of the cage spider opened and a ramp came out. The people within had cuffs made of earth surrounding their wrists to inhibit their movement (in case any of them got violent).The people inside slid down the smooth ramp with ease but knew they couldn''t run. They couldn''t outrun the dragon man if they tried. Not during daylight. Slowly they huddled together and made their way forward with the group. The younger guard put the slaves in a wagon close by while the elder pulled a clear orb from a sack at his waist. Sam held up her adventurers license and the orb glowed green.


    The dwarf bowed his head slightly after looking at the orb. "Lady Samantha Von Carnac we welcome you to our fair city. We hope you enjoy your stay and may you enjoy the warmth of our forges." He said as she moved off to the side. I held up my badge to be greeted with a blue light and confused gazes. The elderly dwarf looked at me in shock and confusion. "You bear no name but bare Master Hargo''s Blessing?! Who are you stranger and why do you come to our city? Is Hargo alright? Where is he!?" The two dwarves assaulted me with questions. Samantha''s eyes widened as she approached me. The dwarves backed off and we started whispering quickly. " Ignis! Why isn''t your name present?!" She asked. " I dont know maybe I outgrew it the moment I became a dragonman." I responded. " Well you have to come up with a name that they''ll believe or you might be arrested for who knows what!"


    I nervously glanced back at the guards and started thinking. ( Names..... Names.... what the hell can I call myself. Damien.... No that name doesn''t suit me anymore. What.... what do I call myself...) I thought for a couple moments as Sam walked over and began talking to the dwarves. " He took a blow to the head a while back from a Wyrm beast and seems to have forgotten a good chunk of his memories. It seems he''ll have to give you a name to call him for the time being." The elderly dwarf nodded slowly. " That would make sense. Many people around these parts poppin up without memories cause of blows. Been nasty without Hargo helping design helmets for the men." She nodded her appreciation as I thought things over. I heard the younger dwarf whisper to the latter.


    " If he was Hargos disciple wouldn''t he take the name Wyrmsmith like his master? That would prove whether he really knew him or not. Unless Hargo mastered the ghost fire like he''d sworn long ago. Then he might be a Soulsmith now." My eyes sharpened as realization dawned on me. Dwarves went by trade like the English of old. Tanner, Smith, Baker, etc. It made sense. I came to a conclusion as I thought my name over.


    I smiled as I approached the dwarves.


    "You can call me Ignatious. Ignatious Soulsmith. And before his untimely death my master did Smith a soul. His own." I said reverently. My gauntlets warmed as though a certain dwarf could hear what I heard. As they did so too did my heart. The elderly dwarfs face was momentarily stunned before taking on a slightly sad but satisfied look. " That Hargo lived a long time. longer than any dwarf should. If he really did what you said that means his legacy lies with you. Enter friend. We will send word to the king of our heroes passing and his apprentices appearance." The gates slowly opened as we began our walk toward them. "Wait!" The younger dwarf called.


    " What about him?" He said pointing at legion. I waved my hand toward legion. " They are a legion. You can try scanning them with your orb but you''ll get 20 different people''s info." The dwarves eyes widened in shock as Legion shrugged and their voices echoed out. " We prefer to be call "they" but " he " can work as well considering there''s 19 men and one woman in here." They chuckled to themselves as we entered the gates. We were greeted by a thin dwarf wearing spectacles and had a mechanical left leg.


    " My name is Marusio Nimblehand. I''m an Archivist of the king and I have been instructed to be your guide around our fair city." He bowed low to us and we respectfully bowed back to him. "What''s an Archivist?" I whispered to Sam. " A record keeper for royalty. They keep secrets, drawings, paintings, etc hidden from the public eye while also dealing with the usual paperwork that they are expected to." I nodded my head in understanding. As we were shown about the place I noticed it was massive. It rose like a great layered cone from the ground. The base layer of course was the largest and bore a massive amount of businesses. It must''ve been 50miles wide and gradually moved in a mile as the layers went upward. Each layer was covered in pillars that go between all the levels or the ones that need them. Elevators made to look like massive bronze mechanical spiders rode cables in between the layers. The puffed white steam from their thorax area as they went. We took till nightfall to get to the middle layer. Which was layer 20 from what we were told by Marusio. The first place he took us was the slave auction. We stood there with him for a few minutes and got some crystals for recording voices and images. We had requested it and he hadn''t batted an eye. The Crystal''s were clear like glass but hummed with energy. We stood the group off to the side and questioned them. They gave all the Intel we needed. Their boss was excluded unfortunately. After that we left the slaves to the auctioneers as a package set. Didnt have the heart to separate them. might as well make them a package deal.


    Marusio showed us an inn that was built out of granite blocks. Its surface was a light grey and covered in marks depicting sleeping, eating, and overall entertaining things like dancing, music, and theater masks. It looked amazing on the outside. I hoped the inside looked just as good as I entered. Inside was well lit by crystals in the walls as Dwarves, elves, and beast folk filled the place. The air was filled with noise, lively music, and the smell of savory and sweet dishes. A large pudgy lady stood at the counter serving customers and guests as they ordered food or paid for lodging. Their clothes weren''t fancy or showy in any way. Most were made of cloth or leather. Overall the people of the city valued functionality over fashion. Pockets filled the peoples clothes and many tools still hung from pouches and hoops. Swords sat beside mercenaries and elves had their bows sitting off to their sides.


    I felt happier as I got further in. Though some noticed and pointed at us, others just kept to their own jolly business. We arrived at the counter where the woman greeted us. Her hair was graying in streaks but her face was full and round. "What can I get for you dearie?" She asked in a melodious voice. Marusio stepped forward and her eyes widened a bit at the sight of him. " Why Mar! I haven''t seen you in a fine while! What brings you to my tavern with these young ones?" His thin face lit up with a grin. " I''m doing good Mary. King Kylisus sent me to pick them up and put them in an inn for the night. Mind if they stayed here till they can meet with the king?" Her eyes widened more so after his words.


    She eyed us all up and down before she responded. " Before I do that can I know who I''m housing so the king can''t get upset and I can give the proper treatment?" Mar (as she called him) extended his hand to Sam first. " This is Samantha Von Carnac from Weremar. She currently adventuring with some colleagues." Mary''s right eyebrow rose a little at the mention of the Carnac name but didnt mention anything. Next Marusio extended his hand to me. " This is Hargo Soulsmiths Disciple. Ignatious Soulsmith. He just arrived this afternoon." Her eyes bugged out at the mention of Hargo. " Hargo''s Disciple! Where is he? How is the old tyke doing?! We haven''t seen old Hargo in years!" She was leaning over the counter inches away from my face. I was leaning back with my hands up and she quickly realized what was so awkward and pulled back. There was dead silence across the room. Every eye was on me. Not a speck of killing intent. But there was pressure all the same.


    I felt sadness rise as I spoke. " Hargo died to the Ghostfire. But that was after he took me in as his apprentice..." I explained what happened and tears began streaming down peoples faces. Dwarves and elves alike wept as mercenaries loked around slightly confused with all the crying. "Hargo was a hero of our people. He Invented half of the mechanical devices that keep this city running.... Now he''s gone" Marusio explained solemnly. I nodded. That was all I could do.

 Chapter 65 - The Power of a Legacy

    The night was spent in quiet. The tavern was practically dead as we sat and ate our meal. We ate free of charge due to being Hargo''s disciple and apprentices. It was good food despite the chilling news that had been spread. We were served a loaf of bread, a bowl of stew, and some kind of meat and veggie pie. We had two separate rooms as Sam required her own due to gender differences and awkwardness.


    That night I laid there and wondered a little about Hargo and what it all meant. I realised that the people might require my help fixing things and keeping things in order considering Hargo shared his designs with very few people. As I wondered I realized that I needed to figure out my skills so I knew what I was able to do. I sat up some and started talking with Gluttony.


    / You currently have the following stats.


    Name: Ignatius Soulsmith


    Species: Armored Sky Dragon Man


    Class: Necromancer


    Current titles: Dead Eater, Bookworm, Hargo''s Disciple, Beloved of Dwarves, Death Lord.


    Passives:


    Blessing of Aed the Fire God ( Boosts all fire and smithing capacities while marking host a champion of Aed)


    Fire Monarch 4/10 flame mastery.


    Molten Titan Body (Combination of Molten Heart and Molten Titan fortification)


    Power of Kong


    Shadow Sight


    Soul Hearing ( necromancy job skill)


    Archery Mastery lvl 4


    Smithing lvl Max


    Necromancer Class level 7/10 ( Will be able to combine job with blood line at lvl 10)


    Active skills:


    Disaster Enhanced Abilities


    Tail strike, Claw, Breath, Tongue strike, and Roar.


    Earth Magic level 3/5


    Hawk Eye (Recieved from assailant)


    Accupoint strike ( Recieved from assailant)


    Smithing Strike lvl max.


    Shadow Manipulation lvl 4/5


    Stealth lvl max


    Shapeshift lvl 3


    Lulling Voice lvl 1


    Shadow Stalk lvl 1


    Do you wish to combine similar skills and create more beneficial ones?/


    I took a moment to contemplated it. (Yes) I thought. I felt a crackle throughout my nerves as Gluttony took action. My eyes sharpened further and my muscles seemed to be constantly warm. The system rang through my mind again when it was finished. My shadow based skills were all combined to create the passive skill Shadow Assassin. The shadows completley eat sound from walking while obscuring me from the view of others but enhancing my view. My body based skills were combined and turned into Molten Dragon Body. Now it helps build body mass and muscles along with healing and extended lifespan.


    My Necromancer skills remained unchanged just like my Disaster level skills. It was rather thrilling, having Gluttony is awesome.


    I opened my eyes to see steam rising from my body and looked down to see my body had become even more muscular than before. I was more barrel chested and my arms had become almost 6 inches thick. My legs were the things that really got strong. Moving them was like trying to move small hills. I sat up and listened carefully to the quiet room. The only thing I heard was Legions strange multi-tone breathing. I shook my head a little and brought out Hargo''s gauntlets. They laid in my hands while I stared at them.


    " Why did you say you did so little?" I wondered as I thought of his last words. Hey seemed to echo through my mind as I sat there. I sighed as I came to u understand that I really didnt know much about Hargo and his past. The night passed quickly. I hardly slept at all. Questions came and went with the wind tillI could hardly think and finally collapsed from mental fatigue. (This is too much.) I thought tiredly.


    The next morning I rose when the light hit my eyes. I was tired and groggy as I lifted my head from the pillow. I looked down the the sheets and found my feet were sticking off the end of the bed as my wings were splayed out like a flattened hawk. I sat up and pulled my wings in. "Haaaaah." I grunted as I stretched out. I quickly found my clothes by the bed and put them on. The leather fit nice and snug and I slowly opened the door to head down for breakfast. The smells wafted up from below. Eggs, bacon, sweet and fruity smells wafted up from below. The noises were slightly quieter than the night before. I guess people were taking the news slowly.


    Mary was behind the counter and smiled a little as I approached. I really got a good look at her in the daylight as it shined through the window. She stood about 4 foot 3 and wore a weathered apron that looked like it was originally white that had since turned grey. It was splattered with stains of various colors and was worn ragged on the right side. Under it she wore a shirt and skirt made of a red and plaid material which made her white and silver hair stand out like a lightning strike in a thunder storm. " Was wondering when you''d wake up. Got just the thing for you." She said as she ran into the kitchen in the back. Her voice was a light rumble like pebbles clattering on stones. each word like the pebble hitting, Direct but slightly cheery and warm. She came out with a large plate filled with food. Slices of toast, bacon, fried potatoe like things, and a large wooden tankard of juice was laid out on a table where Mary made a gesture for me to sit. It was a small circular stone table that stood about 4 feet tall and had a small chair below it made of wood that was painted white. I slowly moved the chair back with a small scraping sound against the stone and sat. I was slightly surprised that the chair was able to hold me. It didn''t even creak.


    My eyebrows rose. "This ones pretty sturdy." I said. Mary let out a small laugh. "We dwarves are very proud of any work we put our hands too." She huffed with her head high in pride.


    My mouth formed a slight smile. ( Just like Hargo. I hope all dwarves take 7that pride to the grave just like he did.) My stomache growled and I chowed down on the meal. The bacon came from a Steel Boar. Heir hides were thick but the name came from the fact that they grew large metallic tusks from their mouths. I got a skill for Metalic Reinforcement but that was absorbed by Molten Titan Body or MTB as I came to call it.


    The toast was just normal toast and really did nothing but taste good. The potatoe-like objects were actually something unexpected. It tasted just like a baked potato but the butter it was covered with made it soft and succulent. I would eat a hundred if given the chance.


    / Host has consumed Wood And Egg./ I nearly spat out the thing I was eating in shock. It was delicious... But seriously! It wasn''t like anything I encountered before. I looked toward Mary and she quickly came over. " Is it true that these are Tree Ant Eggs?" I asked in an attempt at curiosity. " Indeed. We really have a sharp young man with us today." She turned to leave but I waved quickly. " That wasn''t really what I wanted to ask. I haven''t ever seen a tree ant what are they like?" Mary made a sort of pouting face as she held her chin a little in pondering. " They''re a peculiar beastie. Look like a tree but in reality their body is under ground. Essentially an ant with a tree that grows out of the buggers hind quarters. The eggs grow on the tree and fall when they''re ripe see. But if you pick''em up before they can hatch and dig into the soil they stay in egg form. Makes good eating dunnit?" I nodded in understanding. "Thank you for easing my curiosity." I bowed my head slightly. " No problem deary." She said as she walked off to tend to another customer. I continued eating and found I got two skills that were absorbed. The first was overridden by MTB. The other was earth resistance which was absorbed by MER. ( Soon I''ll have resistance to all the elements.) I chuckled inwardly as I finished eating. I felt stuffed. My belly was almost round as I finished the last piece of bacon.


    I heard movement on the stairs as Sam came down and saw me. "Ignis. Have you eaten... yet?" She asked as she noticed my round belly and slowly shook her head. " I guess I should have guessed as much. You cure can be a glutton sometimes." She sat down and waved to Mary who brought her over a smaller plate that had some of the same things I had on it.


    I sighed and patted my belly. " Cant help if the locals give me food now can I?" I retorted. She snorted. " Says the one who looks like he can roll down the street if I push him. We laughed and talked till Legion came down.


    After we had all gathered we met Mar outside the Inn. " His Majesty has ordered me to bring you to see him. He was rather busy due to missing persons who were recently reported from Weremar and our other two sister continents. Lady Samantha was on the list but since she''s adventuring it was obviously squashed. We already sent news to the other continents and cities about this fact." We moved toward the spider elevators again and slowly made our way up. " You know Mar. I could just fly up to the top level to meet his majesty. Why all the walking?" Mar shook his head before he spoke. " Only the Kings Sky Knights have the right to fly about our city. Anything else is shot down or speared by a javelin." A little sweat dotted my brow slightly as we walked after that. Thankfully after reaching the 30th level there was a central elevator. Afte stepping inside the crystaline case Mar turned and inserted a strange screw key into the spiders mechanism and it started to climb.


    After about 10 minutes we finally reached the top level of the city. No buildings dotted the level besides the castle and a church. They were placed opposite of each other but were exactly the same size. The church was designed of pure white rock and stained glass while the castle was made of a mix of metal and granite. We slowly made our way to the front gates after the spider let us out. They were enormous iron gates decorated with designs of sentinels riding dragons. They slowly opened to reveal a large courtyard filled with flowers and green grass. We walked down a path made of crushed quartz rocks which made the path sparkle as it reflected the sun. We soon arrived at the main door which was manned by two dwarven knights who noticed Mar and let us through without stopping us.


    The interior of the castle was very victorian with a dual staircase leading from an upper level. It was brightly lit and the carpets were a scarlet with purple trim. ( Truly extravagant) I thought as we continued walking. We went up the stairs and soon stood before a pair of large redwood double doors. Mar turned to us before we entered. "I''m sure Madam Carnac remembers how to act in the presence of royalty but in case you two dont I''ll say this now. Remember to bow when you meet the king and do not speak unless otherwise spoken to. Do I make myself clear?" Legion and I slowly nodded.


    The doors slid open revealing a large ballroom like area. It had a large curved ceiling and pillars that lined the walls. A guard stood by every pillar with their swords presented before them. A single large carpet went from the door all the way to the thrones. We slowly walked and knelt before the king. I quickly glimpsed upward so I had an idea who I was talking to. What I saw was a bald dwarf who wore a Smith''s outfit. His body reeked of metal that I could smell from 20 feet away. But the look still didnt change the look and demeanor of him. This was indeed a king. He slowly shifted his hand. "Marius please have them stand. You know how I hate formalities." He nodded and we slowly stood. My full height was exposed to the king and a grin showed on his face as he hopped off his throne. "So you''re the one they''ve been talking about aye?" He asked excitedly. " That depends on what your majesty has heard." I responded slowly. He shook his head a little. "Nuh uh. None of this "Your Majesty" business. I want to know if my brother really chose you." My eyes widened a little as I stood up a little taller. " Brother?" I said in confusion. " I''m sorry sir but I''m afraid I''m not familiar with your brother." He shook his head a little and muttered. " Figures that knuckle headed fool would do this. My name is Kylisius Jantic Verst. King of the city of Verst, And my brother was Hargosius Malphestus Verst Wyrmsmith. Your master." Needless to say my jaw hit the floor.

 Chapter 66 - Royalty Of Monsters

    My jaw remained on the floor as smoke comically poured off the top of my head. It wasn''t long before Sam waved her hand in front of my face. "Yep. He''s done." They slowly moved me to a chair and had me sit down and they started talking.


    " It would appear that my brother has forgotten to mention a few things." The king said in a slightly frustrated voice. Her rubbed the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. I slowly came to from the shock. I listened as Sam and the king talked. The previous king had died many years ago leaving Kylisius, Hargo, and their Mother ( the queen). Unfortunately for them their mother passed not long after due to a broken heart. Hargo had departed after their deaths in hopes of finding a method to make a golem that a soul could inhabit so they could speak with their parents. Originally Hargo was supposed to take the throne but hadn''t felt worthy enough, so he gave the right to his brother who had been studying for years to take up the position. After a couple years The king sent out scouts to find him but found no traces. After a few attempts to find his whereabouts they gave up trying, and started saying he was lost.


    As the king spoke it was obvious that he missed his brother. But his face brightened slightly as he pointed at me. "That was until you showed up. " The kings look changed as he looked at me with a very sad look in his eyes. "You were the last to see my brother. How was he? And what happened to make it so he couldn''t come home?" His voice low and gravelly. I thought for a moment before I started describing what happened. " We met Hargo by chance. He was staying in a village that was full of dwarves. Unfortunately it seems that Hargo made an enemy or two on his travels. One of them unleashed ghostfire on the village and destroyed it''s inhabitants. Only Hargo managed to survive. The unfortunate thing is that he was left as an undead. He contained the ghostfire in the hearth of one of his forges and worked to contain and control it. He was like that for 20 years before I showed up. "


    As we talked the kings face became long and sad. His eyes seemed to sink in and he seemed to age. He nodded and let out a long sigh as all the info sank in. He slowly leaned forward and set his elbows on the table with his chin on the back of his hands. "To think that my brother had to endure the agony of being undead for 20 years." His eyes lifted to meet mine. The dark eyes held anger and sadness that I knew too well. " There was something Hargo had been working on for years before he left. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to what it is?" The chairs moved slowly backward as the king moved. He approached the back half of the hall past his chair. There was a stone door leading to a descending staircase.


    " This is where our family has held our smithing techniques for generations. Very few outside our family know them. Fewer still are able to fully utilize them." He grabbed a torch from the wall and led us down the spiralling stairs. We heard distant clanking and hammering but soon found the source. A large football field sized hall filled with 30 dwarves. Each working on a project of some kind. They all stopped working for a moment to bow to the king as he passed and quizzically look at us as if to say " What are they doing here?" We approached the end of the hall and found a large dry dock. Not for boats or any form of ship. But a massive golem made of golden material stood before us.


    It was covered in markings similar to the gauntlets that held Hargo''s soul. I slowly looked between the king and the giant and found myself asking. " Your majesty... What exactly do you want me to tell you?"


    His gaze drifted to me then my gauntlets. He pointed to a hole in the golem. It was shaped to fit something. I robbed a ladder and got up close enough to see what exactly it was. When I got close I noticed it. It was an indent of two gauntlets. The exact size of my two. I looked down and quietly nodded. I took them off of my hands and placed them gently in the insertion points. To my horror and surprise the materials swallowed the gauntlets whole and began to glow. I quickly sprung down from the ladder and put a shield in front of Sam and the King. The glow began to spread outward from the chest to the rest of the golem till the whole of it was glowing a bright gold color. Slowly thought the color turned crimson and the eyes glowed green. A deep baritone voice echoed from the chest cavity.


    " For Pete''s sake! Can''t a dwarf rest for a bit after 20 years?!..." Dead silence filled the room. I knew the voice all too well. I had heard it for months as it tutored and instructed me in the ways of the Forge. " Hargo...." I breathed out. My shield hit the floor with a thump as I bowed to the floor before my master. The giants head turned and looked down at me. "This is a right strange dream this is. Had plenty up till now and now I''m a bleedin giant. What''s the world come to?" I raised my head as a confused expression crossed my face. "Master... You''re not dreaming.... We made it to the capital city. Your brother the King is here with me." Kyle stepped forward with some color back and a smile practically filling his face. " Brother! You did it! Your machine works!" He shouted. The golem shifted its head to the side as the symbols finally settled in and melted into the metal seamlessly. "I made it back..." It hummed out as it''s mitted hands were lifted before its face in an inspecting manner.


    The eyes shifted to me again. " You did well Ignis. You brought me home. I could never repay you enough." He said. I bowed even lower as tears began to stream down my face. ( I really didn''t kill my teacher!) My heart cried out as joy filled me from head to toe. "Unfortunately for me, I need to stretch because it''s a bit cramped in here." Hargo said as his large frame stretched out a little hitting a hole in one of the walls. He turned and slowly took a wobbly step outward. He grabbed what appeared to be a huge cane and applied a little pressure to it to stabilize himself. ( Dwarves really do plan for every detail) I thought in awe. He slowly made his way down the dry dock and onto an open platform that was as wide as the smithy. I truly got a good scope of this behemoth now. A large metal man standing 60 feet tall with shoulders spreading 15 to 20 feet wide. Built like a brick house if it was gold instead of clay. It held no real humanistic features besides arms, legs, and a face with a large hinged mouth.


    He stretched like a man that had rested for far too long. Before we could try to get closer Kyle place his hand on my shoulder or at least close to it and spoke. " You have returned my family to me. I need to reward you before I forget." My eyebrows rose up in surprise. Sam giggled a little. "I love it when he makes that face." She tried to say quietly. I looked at her quickly. Her face turned red and she quickly looked away. Kyle spoke to a couple of the dwarves close by who had huddle into a corner when the golem started moving. He got them to set up a few things and told them Hargo was piloting the golem. Hey calmed down at those words and quickly went about the kings errands while he led us upstairs.


    We reached the throne room and kept going up a different set of stairs. We went up a good 100 steps seeing as Sam was panting like a dog on a hot day. We reached a large ornate door that was covered in jewels. Kyle pulled out an amulet and pushed it into the doors surface where a hexagonal slot sat. The door clicked and slid open with a creak. We entered quickly as the king ushered us in. The room was similar to a ballroom. It was spacious, large, and filled with neatly organized piles of treasure. Coins in one area, metal ingots another, etc. What caught my attention was a large yellow stone embedded on the top of a Staff made of green and white wood in the weapons pile. Kyle saw where my eyes had landed. He laughed heartily before grabbing it and tossing it to me. "Have it. You may choose one more item while the two behind you may choose one item each."


    I felt like a giddy schoolboy at those words. I actually used earth detection to find the best items and figure out what I wanted. I found a dormant pheonix egg. essentially a stone that would never hatch. Could be tasty though. Sam chose a mantel made of a water dragons pelt. Great protection from the water element and immunity to the fire element when worn. Legion chose a Halberd made from a silver metal with a red jewel on the top that screamed the fire element. Kyle inspected each item and nodded. " Well chosen. Now I believe todys events have brought a great deal of excitement. Enough for this old one to say that I need some rest. I thank all three of you for bringing my brother back to me. I could never say it enough. Now Mar will take you back to the inn. Perhaps we can meet again in the next few days." He said with a kind smile and a hopeful grin.


    We all bowed deeply as the king took is from the chamber and left us in Mars care for the evening. I''ll admit that I was exhausted. When we got back to the inn I laid down on the bed and passed out.


    The morning came quickly and much to my pleasure. We were allowed to explore the area around the city to get some breathing room. I needed it. I''ll be honest cities always made me feel a bit stuffy and claustrophobic. While we were out I looked at Sam and she slowly nodded. I took out the staff and the egg. Legion leaned in close as I did so. "What are you planning on doing?" They asked excitedly. Much to their surprise I responded. " I''m going to eat them." The mask changed to one made of pure shock and horror but my head had already changed and I was munching on the pheonix egg. It was exactly like a rock outside. Hard as hell until I cracked it. The inside was filled with soft yolks that reminded me of yogurt. Gluttony chimed in my head.


    / Host has acquired complete sleeping pheonix bloodline. Acquired Divinity Eater Title. You acquired Immortal Pheonix Rebirth Body. Combining with current skills. New skill born. Immortal Dragon Body: When host body is destroyed the possessor will return from the ashes in an infantile form with current skills reset to Disaster level.


    Ash breath obtained. Breathes ash like spores through the air making it hard to breath. combining with current skills.


    Host now has control over 2 more types of fire. Immortal flame ( unless user wills it it will never stop burning) and Reincarnation flame( Causes forced reincarnation on those who die within it.) Flame Monarch now 6/10 flames. Due to the flames in hosts posession you have been upgraded to low level Calamity class. My body shook as smoke began to pour off of me. My wing shot out and my clothes tore as my dragon form took hold. The power coursed through my system like a tidal wave of electricity. My scales changed slight color and my wings meant for flight felt a change as well. the fur that covered between the scales fell off and was replaced by feathers that shifted between red, gold, and blue in a hypnotic fashion. My scales became more l.u.s.trous as my horns grew slightly. The began to curve and branch out similar to the japanese and Chinese dragons did in earth''s legends. ( Now.... Should I try eating the staff....) I thought.

 Chapter 67 - ATTENTION

    The Staff glowed with a strange aura. It seemed to glow green but had a gusting feeling rushing about it. The stone in the top though was my real target. Since I had grown so large in my dragon form I just placed the staff in my mouth and started crunching away. I heard gluttony chime as I chewed.


    / You have just consumed three different materials that have high compatibility. The first is a High Grade Upper Calamity Class Thunder Dragon Core. Your abilities and affinity for thunder have increased. Due to consumption of a higher grade being with more power than you the power is running rampant. hopefully host can stand the pain till evolution... hehehe./


    Pain suddenly wracked my body as electricity seemed to burn my nerves and skin. (YOU BASTARD!) I shouted in my head as the searing sensation was offset by the energy from the ground healing my wounds as fast as they were being dealt. Sam''s face showed concern as she saw me hiss and shake from the pain. She tried to get closer but a crackling arc of lightning missed her by inches forced her to stay back. Gluttony continued reading off the things I''d eaten in the process.


    / You consumed Gust light wood. Host can now access light and air elements at the basic level. Your affinity with these has also increased by 10%. Now has access to the 6 elements that make this world run. Due to host body breaking down rebuilding would you like to evolve into something that can withstand the abilities and powers that you now hold? Without hesitation I screamed out in my mind. (YES!) The system immediately got to work. Host needs more mass and parts to handle the power. Forcing the use of tentacles into hosts body. Hosts stockpile of material; is now being used./


    I felt the power racing through me as suddenly my back bubbled and burst with 20 greyish red tentacles that flailed to and fro. I roared from the pain making the ground shake and scaring the guards on the wall. / ??? Not enough material in said limbs for control of power. Creating and concentrating to make arms and wings for denser muscle, bone, and greater storage possibility./ The tentacles began to merge and form arms and wings. My front 4 legs shifted and merged into a thicker set of arms as my body began to expand and lengthen. My shield wings merged with some of the tentacles to form large lower arms below my current set. MY flight wings shifted down my spine as the arms on my back moved forward. One set sat above my shoulders. The other sat below my newly formed arms. Another set of draconic wings grew from my back around my ribs just above my current set. These were a mix of black and white and exuded a type of glory that rivaled the sun and moon in the sky. The power of darkness and light in perfect harmony. Patterns seemed to grow on them. Patterns representing the elements of fire, water, earth, and wind all present with the exception that each one was cut in half and colored like yin and yang. My lower wings began to shift their colors in sinc with my body.The feathers shifted colors as they added sky blue, black, and white to their shifting rainbow.


    The pain finally began to subside with the newly added limbs. I was grateful. Unfortunately a new pain started. My bones groaned as the muscles and bones began to compact. (G what are you doing?) I groaned in my mind. / I thought that it would be more conspicuous if you were a little smaller. That way you could walk around easier. Or would you rather be 60 feet tall and incapable of fitting anywhere except open areas?/ It replied in a salty fashion. I groaned more as my frame shrank and my body compacted. ( I can take the pain.) /Good/ came the reply. Soon my body stood at 10 feet tall and 3 feet across at the shoulders. My body was heavy like in my big form but I had little to no human characteristics to speak of. My body was suddenly shrouded in a cloak as Sam and legion rushed forward. I shook in relief as the pain subsided and I fell to my knees. My eyes seemed so heavy it was hard to keep them open. Sam got under one side of me while legion stood on my other side. They managed to get me over to where I could rest a little in the shade. The ground was supplying me with healing and some refreshing energy to keep me awake. I breathed slowly and tasted the air. It tasted of forest. The dewy, mossy, refreshing smell that people who live in the city long for. Then I smelt the city of Verst. It smelled of sweat, metal, and a sickening mix of food. My nostrils closed at the smell and I almost vomited. I breathed through my mouth this time. The air tasted strangely like electrified iron. The taste was ok seeing as my taste buds had died eons ago.


    It was then that I heard Gluttony speak. / You''ve become something thats never been seen before. I have no data to go off of and no understanding of naming. What would host like to name this upper class Calamity evolution?/ I thought about it for a bit as Sam grabbed me a water bag for me to drink. Steam still streamed off of me. I looked at my arms as I shifted them. The feeling was weird but bearable. It hit me then. The myths of the eastern continents talked about a god or demon that went by the name of Asura. It had 6 arms but the thing was also a berserker and brought destruction in its wake. ( Seeing as I''m a monster and I could also destroy this place with a breath if I wanted. Kinda fits really. Call my species Asura Dragons from here on out. ) / Of course. "HAD" to go with a six armed deity eh?/ I grunted. (Not like I want it this way. It''s just the first thing I thought of.)


    / Regardless you got a few peoples attention with this stunt. The Gods are watching Now. All of them. But only one seems to have a bone to pick with you./ "hmm!?!" I sprayed out water and coughed as Sam and Legion gave me a questioning look. " Choked" I croaked out. They nodded and left me alone to talk to each other. ( which one!?) I asked.


    Gluttony took a moment before answering in a mocking tone. / Old Kuku doesn''t seem to like you./ it cackled out. (Kuku?) I thought. Confused at the name and it not ringing a bell. / There are all sorts of Gods in the universe. You have a high storm affinity. Kuku or as humans on your earth called him Kukulkan is probably thinking your trying to steal his seat. It took him millenia to get it from Baal. Literal $#!+ storm when that battle happened./ My eyes widened slightly at that news as a chill went down my spine. " Haaaah." I sighed out in exhaustion. I stood up and wobbled a little. My center of balance had changed. I had more limbs hence the balance shifted too. I slowly moved and grabbed a stick that I could use like a cane till I adjusted to the changes. My body was heavy but that was okay. My strength was always going to improve so long as my passives held up. I was warm and it felt good. Sam and legion noticed I stood up and got up to help me back to the city. The guards raised eyebrows so I showed them my card and they let us pass without much resistance or questions.


    We made it back to the inn where legion helped me up the stairs to the room. I laid on the bed and just relaxed. I meditated on what I had felt today. The strength, pain, anxiety, and overall fear that I felt in those moments. I wondered why and how I had gotten into this life. Normally that type of pain would have killed me on earth. But here I was starting to see it as a normal occurrence. Now I had Gods either nervous or excited. I couldn''t make up my mind how I felt. I wasn''t necessarily excited. But I wasn''t really scared either. It was like I felt like I was waiting. I heard a small breeze and suddenly the window to the room blew open like it was given a gentle push. I turned my head to see a dwarf with red hair sitting there with a rather pleased look on his face. " Well... I haven''t seen you in a while Aed." I said as I relaxed back into bed. He chuckled a bit to himself before he responded. " I suppose that nothing really phases you anymore after all you''ve been through. I came by to say you put on a fantastic show earlier." Now it was my turn to chuckle. "I don''t know if you sincerely mean that considering I''ve apparently made one very old god nervous." He roared out laughter at that statement. "We are actually putting bets on which of you two would come out on top. I will definitely say mines on you. Though old Kuku can''t touch you due to my blessing now. That will wear off when you ascend to godhood. But I do think you should try to lay low for a bit. He still has a champion here. It just hasn''t been seen for a long time. Storm Giant that goes by the rather strange name of Od." He said waving his hands in the air.


    "Odd?" I asked. He shook his head. "Not O.D.D. It''s O.D." he said as he enunciated the letters for my understanding. "Ah..." I said I heard it. "Bit odd though don''t you think?" We both roared with laughter at that. Aed wiped a tear from his eye as he sat there on the sill. " But in all seriousness you need to lay low and just gather power in a fashion that doesn''t draw attention. Though the Giant sounds stupid it is as sharp as a tack. Not to mention it''s Calamity class just like you." His gaze was level with mine in a manner that felt like a tutor to a student.


    "I wont promise anything but ill give it a shot." he nodded in understanding. "I wouldn''t ask for anything else." He said then he faded into the night. As I laid on the bed I moved all my arms attempting to move them in sinc. It didn''t go too well but I started getting used to the nerves and muscles and how they felt. I got out of bed and started doing Taichi. Slowly shifting each part o my body as slow as I could manage. I fell over at one point due to balance. But I got back up and started over. My wings stayed folded behind me. My center of balance was much higher now due to everything. I felt myself becoming accustomed to my muscles and joints as they began to burn from the exercise. I kept doing that till I finally felt tired enough to rest.


    I slept like the dead. No dreams. No nightmares. I just floated in the darkness for what seemed like forever till the sun woke me in the morning. I clearly looked about and found I was still in the room. My mind was groggy from the horrible sleep and I was partially glad to be awake from that place. I left the room and leaned slightly on the banister as I started going downstairs. Everything seemed quiet as I descended. The only noise I was hearing was a strange gravelly voice that reminded me of someone. As I reached the bottom I turned and saw a quiet crowd surrounding what looked to be an a.d.u.l.t sized dwarf made of gold. He quickly noticed me and called out to me. " Ahh! It looks like my disciple finally woke after a good 2 days of sleep. How''d you feel?" I smiled slightly at Hargo''s new miniaturized form and laughed. "Better now that you''re around my friend!" The crowd cheered as we all sat down and got to listen to an old dwarf tell his tales.

 Chapter 68 - WARNING

    I spent the day hearing the stories of Hargo''s many travels. He went everywhere. Every continent and Capital. every City in search of things that could hold a soul to this world. He had never anticipated that they would be used to hold his own though. I found out that his body was made of something called demon metal. The metal itself is a mystery but the reason for the name comes from the fact it comes from a rift that demons often appear from. Most demons actually have it partially fused to them for some reason. Hence why it''s called demon metal. After studying it alot Hargo came up with a theory that it actually acted as a housing for the souls of demons. Unfortunately things couldn''t be verified because no one has seen a demon in years. So he gathered the metal over the course of a few decades and made a giant out of it in hopes of figuring out its secret with a massive test. Turns out the test failed and led to him becoming depressed. Later he realized that the test was missing a crucial component. A soul to attach to the armor. Much to his embarrassment the very thing he wanted to test it for he lacked having. After he woke in the armor he actually tested a few of its abilities. One of which [much to my amus.e.m.e.nt] was shapeshifting. Thankfully he was able to compress his giant form into the stout dwarf frame he now possessed. How? Don''t ask me.


    I ended getting up and informing everyone I had a few errands to run and excused myself. Thankfully Hargo followed not long after. I badgered him a little as to why he hasn''t told me he was the kings brother and the other secrets he had kept. He chuckled and said with a laugh. " What would life be without a few surprises?" I chuckled a little at that. He suddenly stopped and grabbed my left arm. I stopped and turned to see him staring at me. " I never got to truly thank you for what you''ve done for me. You became a selfish dwarfs disciple and after I died still managed to bring me home to my family. I could never thank you enough." He bowed deeply to me. I felt my heart soften as I looked at the dwarf. I gently grabbed his shoulders and raised him up so he stood straight. " My dear teacher. Think of this as the only way a foolish disciple could repay the kindness of his master." It was my turn to bow. He patted my shoulders. " Alright. But at least let me join you on the way back to the castle." My eyebrows rose a little. "I thought you''d want to say hello to your little lady friend you left behind." His eyes opened wide and he looked at me with a shocked expression.


    "I heard at the tavern." I said sheepishly. He laughed heartily at my expression before slapping my back. " Alright then! To Marion Tannersdaughter it is!" I raised a reptilian eyebrow. He was smiling from ear to ear. We walked a fair ways and had to go down a couple levels in the city before we found it. A tannery at the beginning of the lowest level. It wasn''t a shabby place but it also wasnt extravagant. The building like everything else was made of stone with a scene depicted of a hunter with a knife running toward what looked like an eight legged deer. (Ok... This should be interesting) I thought before we went in. The inside smelled of iron and chemicals. I assumed the tannery was actually in the back of the building. Though the front was filled with shelves and tables filled with furs and skins. Hargo looked at me. "Wait here. She can be a bit of a handful after I''ve been gone a long time." I nodded. He moved swiftly into the back and it wasn''t long later that I heard things banging and being thrown about followed by a womans sobbing and wailing. ( What on earth is going on back there?) I started walking toward the door to the back only to be met there by Hargo and a beautiful dwarf lady. She wore leather all over and had a leather apron made of some black material I hadn''t seen before. Her hair was white from aging but her face looked like she could''ve been in her thirties. Hargo put his hands out around her in a loving fashion. "This is Marion. The woman who was supposed to be my bride before I got into my accident." My eyes went wide. "


    "I thought dwarves still cared about royal lineage?" I said quickly. Hargo waved a finger at me. "Only on the man''s side. Don''t matter who we marry otherwise." I bowed my head slightly to Marion and extended my hand. "Pleasure to meet you Marion. I''m Ignatius Soulsmith. Hargo''s disciple and I like to think friend." She smiled politely before suddenly slapping the back of Hargos head. " You didn''t mention he was you apprentice." She tried to whisper. Unfortunately my hearing became a lot sharper over my evolutions. "He tends to miss a few details. Like how he was the king''s brother." I chided Hargo slightly. Marion giggled a little at my comment. Hargo rubbed the back of his head a little and chuckled. "Thats a bad habit of mine it seems." He sent me a wink as he put his arm around Marions shoulders. "Now my dear. I do believe we have some catching up to do. I will see you later at the castle Ignis." I nodded as I started heading toward the spider-vator as I had come to call them.


    The walk was good. My legs burned from the use. I had decided to make use of the distance and walked after realizing that there were stairs connecting the levels as well. Their size had slightly grown from the skinny things they were to being strong, sinuous, and musclebound. the earth energy I was absorbing was a great help. My body was repairing as I was working out. It didn''t help with the soreness though. I managed to pick up a few things on the way too. There was a man on the middle level who was selling weights that you could put on your wrists and ankles for 50 copper a piece. I pulled out 8 silver coins and handed them to him. He handed me 8 metal rings that had a clasp to click on the wrists and ankles. I quickly fitted them to myself and started moving. They must''ve weighed 10 kgs a piece. Sweat started from my face as I continued up the stairs. Slowly I figured I should give myself a decent workout so I activated the elements around my body. I needed to learn how the light and air elements worked. I started by summoning a small breeze which was barely a trickle when I first started. SLowly over the next hour of me going up the stairs I found my little whisp had become a decent breeze that was helping to keep me cool. Meanwhile I conjured little orbs of light one at a time till I got to 6. That was the limit of my concentration for the time being. I heard the system tell me my affinity had increased and that my abilities were stronger due to constant practice. I finally reached the level where the stairs stopped and met Mar at the spider-vator to the castle level. I was breathing heavy as though I had run a couple miles with a a fat man on my back. Mar pulled a towel out of somewhere and handed it to me. I nodded my thanks and took it. I wiped my face and that''s when I noticed my anklets and wristbands had become strange.


    "Whats the meaning of this?" I whispered. The bands had all melted and started floating and rotating around my wrists and ankles. Mar''s face was one of shock. "I didn''t know you were practicing the magnetic laws." (Magnetic laws?) I thought quizzically. "What do you mean?" I asked. His face turned back to his normal informative demeanor as he started explaining. "Within nature is the existence of laws. I was certain you would have learned about them considering I heard you can use necromancy." I shook my head. "Necromancy was more of a gift than a lesson in the mechanics of nature. " Ahh." He said. " Well... Most understand that the basic elements are fire, water, earth, air, light, and darkness. While these are the most basic and powerful elements they do hold unique higher forms. Fire can become electricity. Earth can become metal. When the two are combined you get the magnetic element. It''s exceptionally rare. Very few have ever managed to attain it." He said with a look of wonder on his face. "I knew you had the fire element and the earth element but to be able to comprehend them both to this degree is something. I also saw you using the air and light elements. How many elements can you use?" He had gotten up close to the point I was starting to back up. "Mar... You''re getting a bit close." He quickly realised that he was making me rather uncomfortable and backed away.


    " I don''t fully know how many I can control proficiently. I have basic access to the original six. I dont know how I got access to metal but lightning came as natural as breathing." His eyes widened as he grabbed my shoulders. "Do you realize how rare you are?! You could reign over the court magicians with your afinities alone!" He shook me slightly as he said that till I grabbed his shoulders and sides with my arms and lifted him off the ground. "Enough of the shaking!" I said loudly as my vision had gone slightly dizzy. I put Mar down and took a few steps back to look at the disks. As I looked I noticed that they all spun slowly as though they were supposed to naturally. I didn''t feel any pull from my mana toward them. They seemed to just do it automatically by some force. Mar finally walked onto the spider and waved for me to get on. After I got on we had a quiet trip upward. I felt my body energy in my mind. I looked for whatever could be causing this. I finally noticed what it was.


    My Immortal Dragon Body was a fusion of every element I had. Lightning and earth together formed a type of magnetic field throughout my body. I felt the connection. Between me and the metal. It was like a sphere of influence surrounding my body. Except it came in waves like the sea. Large and then small. Like a heart beat. I continued searching with my eyes closed till Mar tapped my shoulder. "We''re here." I opened my eyes and found we had indeed arrived at the top of the city without my notice. I sheepishly nodded, quickly got off, and made my way to the castle gate. The guards saw me and immediately opened the gate.


    It didn''t take long to get to the throne room after all a maid led me there. The king was seated at the throne as per usual. As soon as he saw me he stood and rushed towards me.


    "Ignatious! I need to know something. Answer me honestly. Do you and the King of Weremar have a quarrel? Or any unsettled business with your companions?" The question startled me a little with it''s abruptness but I answered without a trace of fear. "Indeed we do. He attempted to Blackmail my companion Samantha into being his bride. We feared for our lives and left Weremar to became adventurers. He has been hunting us ever since."


    The king slowly returned to the throne and sat down with his head in his hands. "Hargo... Show him the letter." Hargo looked at his brother with the expression that said he was displeased with the decision. He held out a scroll for me to look at. I unrolled it and began to read out loud.


    " To King Kylisius Verst in the accord of communication from his highness King Belrad Velestrad II. We have recieved word that a small group of brigands has escaped our custody and has managed to flee to your kingdom. We sincerely apologize for how this will inconvenience you and your people. They are murderers that have fled after slaying their own family. The name one of those involved is as we know a Samantha Von Carnac. She slaughtered her family with the aid of a dragon man who is currently keeping in her company. She borded a ship from our coast and escaped custody. We are sending a force to apprehend her within your borders and will have her out of your country soon. Hoping to find you well."


    I lowered the parchment to find Sam staring at me from a side door. Her face had gone deathly pale and her voice came out as a sob and then a shriek of horror and sorrow. "They murdered my family...THEY MURDERED MY FAMILY!!!! WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Her knees hit the ground as she sank down in despair. I lowered myself down and hugged her as she sobbed. I felt a great weight sink in my chest as a fury began to burn in my heart.


    I raised my eyes to the king and he went slightly pale at the horrifying look that was on my face. I was furious. Bloodl.u.s.t poured from me in every direction making everyone except Sam tremble. "This. Means. War." I growled and the ground trembled.

 Chapter 69 - Preparing For War

    Kyle had us moved into the castle and into the more fortified upper rooms after Sam passed out in my arms. My fury was still as potent as the beggining. I was enraged to the point that it was pointless. I left Sam on her bed and rushed down to the royal smithy. The metal on the tables vibrated as I drew close only to stop still as death when I reached an empty bench. I was going to build something. Something only I could ever use. Not a gun, or staff, or bow. I wanted a weapon that suited me so perfectly that noone would have any idea how to wield it. I began sketching and refining my fury into my designs. Eventually I came to the end of the refining and the smithing began. Mithril, iron, and other ingots slid across the floor to me and floated up to the bench. I breathed flames hot enough to make them malleable and started working them with my claws like a kid with play dough. Soon the metals merged into a strange gray grey metal which I then formed into a pipe with a blocked end. I had a dwarf grab


    me the highest grade monster cores he could find in the fire and wind elements. He ended up bringing me two stones the size of golf balls. One was a Molten lava color while the other was a clear stone that emitted a breeze just by being close to it. I quickly got to work. I set the fire and air cores next to each other inside the end of the rod that was blocked. Soon I began inscribing markings on the rod.


    From stem to stern it was marked. I used a claw and drew a scratch on my hand to draw blood. I collected as much blood as I could in a bowl before the wound closed. I had to do it several times due to my healing abilities. I took a brush and dipped it in the blood. I brushed the engraved markings with he blood till they glowed and melted into the metal. The once grey metal now took on a red and gold hue. It began to shine and form itself the way it wanted to. My blood was a pure mix of every powerful monster I had come across. So naturally . The engravings were to imbue that into the metal. The rod emitted an aura unlike any other item in the smithy. It smoked and a screech of a monster echoed through the chamber. Soon the glowing rod settled down and what laid on the bench was a master piece like none before it.


    It looked like a roaring dragons head on the open end with a tail forming a blade on the other. The pipe was no longer a pipe. But a 12 foot long glaive rifle. It had a rifle butt that could sit on the shoulder right behind the blade so the blade would curve over the shoulder and hold it in place. It was beautiful. The blade curved in an Egyptian fashion while the rest of it screamed modern art mixed with new technology. It was too large for anyone to wield. And noone else would ever know how it worked. I went down to the target range for the archers who were practicing for the battle they were told was coming.


    When they saw me, a few of them backed up and made way. Especially after seeing the new weapon. I stood at a spot a long ways back from the rest and laid down. I put the butt to my shoulder after putting a cylinder of metal with a point on the end in the barrel. Essentially it was a homemade bullet. I pulled it close and aimed. My farsight saw exactly where I wanted to hit. I activated the magic stones and forced my magnetism through the rifle. The bullet began spinning at a superiorly fast speed. It actually screeched in a winding up fashion. Gradually growing louder and louder till the sound of an explosion rocked the air. I was slid backward on the ground by the force of the kick. My ears were ringing as were the dwarves around me. One was laughing his head off at another who''s hair was standing up like an afro from the explosive force of the bullet leaving the gun.


    I sat up and looked for the target only to find it still standing but the wall had a massive hole in it. The hole was the size of a mammoth and I was lucky it was an outer wall that was being demolished. The workers thanked me later. I ended up making a few adjustments to it over the next month. We recieved no new news but were still on high alert. I trained daily till I raised my abilities to the point I could produce sound from air, control blood through water, ice from the combination of air and water. I focused till my brain hurt and then some. I soon was fit enough I bet I could have ran over goliath like he was an ant. My preparations weren''t in vain either. It wasn''t long till we saw smoke in thick plumes on the horizon. I shook off any fear and anxiety and focused. I wanted to annihilate the enemy. Not one for would be left standing after I was finished. I went back to the smithy andkept working. I was setting needles a metal chestplate. The just sat in little pockets like quills in an ink pot. I worked it till I could have it sitting comfortably on my chest without any problems with my movement. I looked like I had a porcupine strapped to my chest. I even made a helmet over the past month. It was essentially a strap of metal that sat between my horns and covered the side of my head around my ears. From the helmet I had made a small curtain of chainmail going down my neck and around my shoulders. Some may understand this to be purely for defense. That''s not what it was for. I wanted ammo for my abilities on me at all times. I was already a walking disaster. Now I would show them a walking Nightmare made from their deepest fears.


    It was only a few days later that we saw something on the horizon. A glint of metal or something shiny. It might seem insignificant but that means a lot in this landscape. It means something covered in metal is moving about. Dwarves especially know this due to their love of metals and crystals. Shiny essentially was their forte. I drew my pipe from my back and raised it to be level with my eye. Due to dwarven custom I had to name the first weapon I ever made for myself. I had named it Dragons Cry due to the fact it bore a dragons head and the loud noise it made when I shot it. Soon I focused on the end of the barrel and found what I was looking for. A soldier dressed in brass armor with the emblem of a serpent on his chest. He had a bow on his back and a telescope for scouting.


    "Looks like the king is hashing out an assault plan." I said to Hargo who could see the souldier clearly through his own means of augmented vision. "Indeed lad. But they underestimate we dwarves. We aren''t foolish like elves or prideful like the dragons. But we do fight like the dragon and are as sharp as the ears of the elf." He said with a slightly proud puff of his chest. I grinned a little but due to the anger that had yet to cool I didn''t laugh. My eyes were locked on the man who was was close enough to see but not close enough to hit accurately.


    "We should tell your brother that we are going to be having... company." Hargo nodded his agreement and went away to the castle. I stood on the wall at the top of the city continuing my watch. Everything was starting to come together. Why the king had approached Sam in such a forceful manner. Why we were forced to run. Why he was hunting her. ( What makes Sam so important that he''s willing to go to war for her?) I thought. ( What happens if I kill him before he has the chance to answer my questions? Eh..... I guess I could just bring back his soul and force out the answers I want then... Sounds good to me.) My face remained in an emotionless state the rest of the time I stood there.


    When Night came a guard tapped me on the hip. I turned slightly and nodded before stepping away from the wall and started my way back to the castle. I ended up in the great hall where they hung the tapestries. each tapestry told the story of a previous kings greatest achievement. Some made golems. Others governed with great wisdom. Some turned dark on the other hand. Even Kyle''s was up there. Though it was blank. It was waiting till he died before it could be worked on. I turned from the great hall and down to the kitchens. The head cook apparently knew I was coming and sent me up with a bowl of stew of some kind. I returned to my quarters and opened a book to study. One of my many activities in the castle. I had enough books in the room to make a library look under stocked. Books about architecture, smithing, engraving, spells, history. I even read ones that taught writing in different languages. Kyle offered to get a tutor for me after all this is over.


    I sighed at the current book I was reading. It was written in elvish and was based on the study of creatures. Behemoths the author called them. Very rare creatures but they hold a special trait among their kind. The ability to shrink and grow at will. Sounds like a nifty ability but I already have that. The other thing was that the reason these beings were rare is because they could only survive in the dark. And they needed to feed on something intangible. Emotions and energy. But not just anything would do. They needed fear, sorrow, hate, etc. Every emotion that was based toward the negative was like a buffet for them. They ate, concentrated, then produced said emotions. Very much like an evolving amoeba changes to its environment based on it''s food.


    As I read I began to think about things as they were. (The Carnac family was well known for their abilities with raising familiars... But if that''s what the king wanted then why didnt he just have someone be tutored under their guidance? Why go through all the trouble?) Thinking about it made my head hurt more. I put a book mark in the book and closed it for the night. After that I laid on the bed and finally managed to get some shut eye.


    I heard the crow of a Rock Father as they called it. Very similar to a rooster. The only exception is the thing is 10 feet tall and weighs a good 400 to 500 pounds. So it''s crow is more like a roar or a siren. I was jolted awake by the call but managed to stifle my need to draw a weapon right off the hop. I slowly moved out of bed and stood, stretched and got dressed in my armor so I could meet everyone for breakfast. It would seem like any normal meeting till another messenger showed up. This time it was a young human male bearing the emblem I saw yesterday. My eyes were glued to him like a snake to a rat. He bowed deeply and it was obvious he was nervous.


    " Y-your m-majesty. I am Sir Daedric Calahan of the Weremar Royal scouting and delivery service." Kyle had put down his knife fork.


    "Obviously I know what you are boy. My question is why are you here." He said as he looked at a scroll containing the morning reports without so much as glancing at the kid. "S-sir. I w-was sent to deliver a letter to you sir. He bowed even deeper as he produced a scroll from a bag at his side. Kyle looked at me and gestured. I got up and moved forward. The kid started shaking even more as I approached. "I''ll be taking it on his majesties behalf." I said. The kid quickly handed me the parchment and was dismissed.


    Kyle and I looked at each other as I unfurled the letter. I quickly read it and let out a heavy sigh. The king''s eyebrows rose slightly knowing my sighs were never a good sign. I handed him the parchment and he read it. He started getting more and more red as he saw the words on the page. He tore the paper to pieces when he was finished in fury.


    "He dares to threaten me in my own kingdom! What balls?! Hah! More balls than brains this idiot has! My dear friend... How do you feel about target practice!?" A smile came to my face that could have made a behemoth nervous.

 Chapter 70 - First Shot

    In the camp of King Belrad...


    A large camp was set up on some rocky open plains. It held 500 tents and over a thousand soldiers. All were armed well with either spears, swords, bows, and the like. Some seemed jolly while the others were nervous. The nervous few were the veterans. The ones who''s instincts had kept them from dying in fields littered with blood and corpses of their comrades. They all knew something was on the way. They just didnt know what it was. A large tent sat dead center of the camp with what seemed to be a stone moat and wall about it. Inside someone was yelling.


    "I know the damned dwarves aren''t to be trifled with! But you expect me to just sit back while the perfect sacrifice is just hours away and easy to retrieve?!" Silence followed an eerie ghostlike whisper that floated about the tent. "I know I''m brutal but I need to be else she won''t come out. And we need her blood at least so we can''t just blow the place to bloody kingdom come without the risk of burying her too." The men heard the talking and were almost certain the king had gone mad now. Not a soul was in the rent with him. That was till they heard the whispers that sent chills up their spines.


    " The girl must be treated carefully my son. Else we risk a beautiful puppet I could inhabit. Now you wouldn''t want the woman who gave birth to you stuck in this form for another 30 years would you?" The voice was like a serpent. Filled with venomous intent and sharp like a knife. It was chilling to say the least. The king bowed his head. " I would never dream of it. I want you back so badly..." A tear escaped down his cheek as his face took on a solemn appearance. "Then we need to move quickly." The voice whispered.


    Outside the tent a couple of soldiers were starting to question the sudden incursion into the dwarven lands. "It''s strange for two large kingdoms to go to war over a criminal." Said an older soldier to his fellow. "Feels like a contest between two boys over a girl to me." Another scarred veteran chimed in. "But his Majesty said to get her at all costs. What could it mean? That he''s in love with her? I dont think we would''ve labeled her a criminal then." The souldiers all bantered back and forth.


    As sudden as a cry of a bird, an explosive roar shook the air as an explosion rocked the ground. Screams of men echoed in the sky as flaming debri scattered into the surrounding encampment. The men flooded toward the area to tend to the wounded and fight whatever thing was in their camp. When most arrived they found a crater about 80 feet wide by 5 feet deep. No soldier was left alive within the crater. All that remained were charred corpses in a wide hole. Not a creature was in sight. "What the hell could have done this?" asked a soldier who had just joined the ranks a few weeks back. He hadn''t even finished his training when the king forced him to join him on this reckless journey. Not a soul understood what happened except for an old dwarf and a dragonoid who laid on a hill a couple miles away.


    "Bloody Hell that was loud!" said King Kyle who was sprawled on his back with ringing ears. "No wonder you had me where these things." He gestured to the earmuffs that adorned his head. I laid on the ground. Four of my arms were dug into the ground to keep me from moving. The blast had leveled any loose rock away from us and a dust cloud rose from our position. "What did you use for ammunition?" Kyle asked as he sat up and the ringing started leaving his head. I held up a shining red cone with a sharp tip. A carved fire monster core with steel encasing it. "That''s an expensive thing you''re using you know." He stated. I nodded. "But you can see why I use it." I said with a smirk. He raised an eyebrow and nodded. This was my cue to explain. "A fire monster core is very expansive but highly destructive when the power is very suddenly put under extreme pressure. At the speed that this thing fires I hypothesized they would explode under the speed and pressure of impact." He chuckled a little. I raised the gun again and he quickly covered his ears even though the ear muffs were on. I took aim at the pace I saw them carrying food and rations to and from. I stimulated the fire and air stones while my magnetic abilities forced he bullet to rotate at an unthinkable speed. A whine filled the air before the explosive boom roared out the barrel.


    I checked my target and found I was a couple feet off. But that didnt matter. The two large craters now put the camp in a frenzy as I got up and handed Dragons Cry to one of my rear arms to hold. I picked up King Kyle and opened my wings. Soon we flew through the sky like an angel holding a cussing and swearing package. Dwarves hate flying. Despise it actually. Kyle called me several names in the process that made me consider dropping him but I knew Hargo would give me an earful if that happened. We soon landed in the City of Verst where we were escorted back to the castle by Kyles armed guards.


    A day after our little escapade we received a letter via the same currier. We still found little to no mercy in our hearts from the letters contents. King Belrad was still threatening for war and he had started burning several towns to ground to try and take prisoners. We had heard from the City of Crystal. He had tried and failed miserably to break down their iron door. The settlement to the south wasn''t as lucky. Many people died, but the adventurers guild was able to help with evacuations toward any of the nearby cities. Some came here while others were sent to Crystal. Thinking about Crystal brought back memories. I was once a lizard. No better than anyone else. Now I was a keeper for my companion. I looked at my body in nostalgia. My arms had changed so much in these past month. with the mastery of the elements my arms had changed colors. One for each element. The lower right was earthy green followed by my fiery red right arm in the middle. The top right one was white while the left was black. The lower two left arms were blue for the water element and pale grey. I imagined the grey was to separate from the green of earth but who was I to argue with the balance the elements within my body. I was brought back to the present by a maid who came in to open the curtains and ushered me over saying it was time for her bath.


    After the letter Sam had been catatonic. Not a word was said and the maids made sure she ate, drank, and slept. I sat close by her at her table on the balcony often. Her eyes were far away and it was obvious that she wasn''t coming out of this any time soon. It weighed on my mind as I sat there with her. Everything we had been through over the past couple years had been enough for me to have grown to care for her. I now stood not even 5 feet away from her and she didnt even realize I was there.


    My hands clenched as anger rose in my throat. I would kill the king for all this. There was no other way. I wouldn''t make it quick either. I would make sure he suffered just like Sam had. Blood dripped slowly from my hands as my claws pricked my palms. I couldn''t even feel the pain in my palms as I started walking toward the door. I ventured out of the castle and stood by the wall at my perch staring out at the stone covered plains. The camp had packed up and was now moving closer to the castle. I waited as I watched the approaching army. Into the night I watched. They didn''t stop or slow down. it was only when they were truly within sight that I saw why they were able to do so. A titanic monster covered in clouds and lightning was bearing their army and camp on its back. It was a large reptile like monster by the looks of it. It had large, curly, ram-like horns and a ice blue humanistic face. The monster floated above the ground and spread the sound of thunder as lightning struck below it in great spreads of destruction. Rocks exploded in large chunks at each lightning strike as it moved. The thunder made the ground beneath my feet rumble and the tiny stones to vibrate across it.


    I pulled dragon Cry from my back just to hold it. It vibrated slightly at my touch. I was agitated so it made sense that the weapon would be too. When I had added my blood to it during its making I had made a semi-sentient weapon. It was connected not just to my emotional and mental state. But also my powers. As I grew so too would the weapon. Eventually I might have to rename it if it actually gets any more powerful. But that is another story. I watched as the enemy approached. It was dawn around the time they arrived outside the city. A messenger was received at the gates again. Thi time it was not a civil letter. "Bring me my woman and her pet or we will raze the city to the ground." Was all that it read. I merely laughed as a crackle seemed to enter the air. My arm seemed to heat up strangely. I looked at the one that was warming up. It was the red one in the middle on the right side. The mark of Aed was warm and glowing like a sun through the leather sleeves that had been made by the kings tailors. It didn''t hurt but it certainly caught me by surprise.


    " Aed... What is this." I whispered. Not long after I heard a friendly voice enter my mind. "It would appear that old Kuku has sent his giant to battle you while the army you''re currently fighting against does battle with the dwarves." I shook my head and put a hand against my forehead in frustration. (Of course I forgot, I pissed off a God.) I thought. I felt a presence coming up behind me and turned to find Kyle standing there in what appeared to be his armor. It was Mithril with leather around the joints to aid in movement. His helmet was a roaring dragon with a tail leading down to the spine in the armor. The rest of it looked like pretty standard design for the soldiers. Pauldrons, grieves, a b.r.e.a.s.tplate, and a waist covered in my handywork. Pistols with fire and wind stones inside. Wind and fire elements together make a really powerful explosion. The fire itself was enough to cause damage. As long as you could activate the stones the guns would always work.


    I nodded and he approached. "That is the storm God Kukulkans champion. I have not seen it for 40 years..." He grumbled out. I raised an eyebrow. "Was he always this big?"


    I asked curiously. He shook his head. "He''s grown." I shook my head a little as I watched clouds move and an army unload from the giant. ( It''s time for armageddon to begin... for them.)

 Chapter 71 - Champions Part 1

    The army was unloaded in orderly fashion. Once they were all unloaded the giant stood up straight. It easily stood 200 feet tall without a problem. The originally bluish white clouds now turned a dark, grey, angy color. The original crackle of lightning that had flailed against the ground now filled the sky with great force. (And Kukulkan thinks I''m going to fill his shoes when this thing is in front of me?) I thought angrily as I began to put on my additional armors. I stepped off the wall and fell toward the ground. As I got close to the ground I spread my wings. The wind took me and I sped 10 feet off the ground toward the army.


    The strength of the giant could be felt from the castle. As I approached I could feel it getting stronger. My arm warmed further to the point it was blazing. Power began to course through my system from the mark and I felt for the first time like my bond as a champion actually meant something for once. My frame shook as I began to expand my body grew to almost 10 feet across. My height stretched to almost 30 feet. My armor shifted and expanded alongside my body. The only thing that didn''t was the metal needles in my chestplate. Dragon Cry vibrated and expanded on my back as I flew.


    Soon I landed in front of the army. Not a single one shivered or shook. Obviously the giant had boosted their morale to the point they didn''t fear me. I pulled my weapon from my holster. It vibrated with excitement in my hand. A figure in Gold armor came forward and pointed his sword at me. " I am King Belrad of Weremar. Who are you? Why do you approach our army so? Are you the ambassador that the dwarves have sent for a peace agreement? I demand you answer!" His voice was shrill and his sword shook slightly. I smirked and showed my arm. The symbols of Aed shined on my arm making a good many of the soldiers begin to shake in their armor. No one screws with champions of the Gods.


    I gestured to the man. "I am one of the ones you were hunting man who would be king. But before I deal with Od over there. I will deal with you." My blade shined red as I pointed it toward him. His horse moved back and winnied in fear. I could smell the fear seeking from the king as he sat there. It was like rotted lemon. Rancid and sweet simultaneously. Od began to move but he was too slow. My tongue shot out and wrapped around the king and hauled him into my open jaws. I ignited my tongue and mouth. His armor heated to the point he began to cook.


    His screams echoed out of my jaws as he fried till there was a deathly silence. I crunched down on him. The taste of his ash filled my mouth. It tasted just like all others. Without flavor, texture, or sense of fulfillment. I spat out the gold armor or what was left of the melted mess of it. It hissed as it hit the slightly wet ground. The army now became something more of a mob rather than an army. As soon as they lost leadership some stayed. Others left. I stood there and stared at the sky giant. I had originally thought it would take longer to kill the king. Maybe take time to vent anger. But it ended up being that he was a fool. Unbeknownst to me the armor began to move. It clinked and rattled and reformed till a hollow armor stood afar off. It seemed to be staring at the monsters in the distance.


    "I did what you asked master. The soldier was dead long before you could move from the tent. I''m afraid he is growing more powerful than we thought." A voice echoed from within the armor. Another voice filled the air in a chill. The power of ice filled the area. It was like death had entered. "We need the girl. The dwarves have an army and a well armed fortress. We need to get her out. Only time will truly crack them from their stronghold."


    The king sat down on a stump and contemplated. "A champion is guarding her... How will we ever be able to grab her? Greater plans require greater time. Threats have driven her before the wind. Her family is dead. Her home destroyed. Now she is as we want her. Forever running." He slouched forward slightly and seemed to contemplate something for a time. When he sat back up his eyes held a strong look. "For now we set our traps and we wait. Until then I think we should enjoy the show that''s about to unfold."


    He gestured in a grandiose fashion toward the champions of Aed and the Kukulkan. "Let the games begin." He said with a sinister smirk.


    Back to me and my predicament. Considering it was more of a pain to face odd at a mere 20 feet tall I continued to expand to my full height. I grew till I was 60 feet tall and 20 feet wide. My arms had swelled to be enormous. Each color held a stark contrast to each other. The metal rings around my ankles and wrists now seemed to be enormous rotating disks. Each hummed with an energy that echoed through the air in waves. Metal was forcefully pulled and pushed in my vicinity. Eventually it all shredded itself apart till all the metal was reduced to a fine powder that floated about to and fro.


    My frame was enormous. My barrel chested torso was fitted well with armor but that had long since torn itself to pieces from the magnetic powers in the air. The only thing unaffected was my weapon. It now stood as tall as I did bu that didnt make Od feel any fear at all. He looked down at me from his cloud filled face. " It seems that you have overestimated your tiny little self this time Chosen of Aed." A thundering voice rumbled from the sky. "I will crush you with the power I gained from my master." One of its clawed hands started reaching downward in an attempt to squish me with sheer force. I stood there and merely pointed my weapon barrel upward. ( Sometimes new things make fights shorter.) I thought as I shot at the coming hand. The air exploded as an enormous round went into and through the approaching hand. Blue blood rained down from the sky as the hand was blown to pieces. Not a finger remained in tact. The Giant tottered backward holding it''s bleeding forelimb and roared at me in sheer rage at it''s injury.


    I held up my weapon. "Small doesn''t necessarily mean harmless or stupid now does it?" I laughed out. He lunged forward seeking to crush me beneath his weight. His lightning kept striking me as his body descended. I couldn''t evade in time. So I did the next best thing. I held up all my arms and braced for impact. It came shortly after. "This bastard is heavy!" I grunted out as my muscles screamed at me. I caught his full weight in my arms. The earth''s power fed me as his lightning continued to assail me. The only thing it did was increase my power. My muscles screamed at me continuously as hey tore and healed simultaneously. Od waited and tried to see if I would give out. I had braces for long enough. I roared and started pushing upward. My body had built up muscles to an inhuman extent. They bulged and seemed angry as they stood out on my reptilian frame. I threw Od in my anger as I came unleashed. I had allowed myself to be looked down on since I entered his world. I had endured it. Enjoyed a nice life in the Beginning. Now enough was enough. Od flew till his shadow no longer covered me.


    I gathered the power of lightning to me as I approached him. It crackled through my muscles and sped up my reflexes and senses. Fire emulated heat to my sore muscles and helped them relax some. Water helped with blood flow and healing as the earth energies healed and fortified my bones and cells. As this happened I glowed with the energies of the major elements. My light and dark elements had no bearing here and wouldn''t till I allowed them to.


    Od stood and looked at me. "You managed to hold my weight. That is impressive. now let''s see if you can handle my strength!" He air rumbled as another hand soared down quickly from above me. I had no time to draw my weapon again. Instead a braced for impact and waited. The hit came and it hurt like hell. Every bone creaked and every muscle screamed at me. My head spun a little as I caught the attack again. A crater formed beneath me as my feet sank slightly into the ground and the taste of iron filled my mouth. Od lifted his palm to strike again and I dove out of the way. It smashed into the ground causing the ground to crack in a horrifying fashion. I spat out some blood with a disdainful look at him.


    I pulled out Dragon Cry but I didn''t load it. I wanted blood. Only one thing is allowed to grant me pain. And that is growth. I charged toward the hand and spun with my blade out. A spray of blue entered the air as a deep gouge appeared on the giants wrist. His roar once again entered the air. I didn''t wait. I charged up his arm even as he sent lightning across it in an attempt to stop my ascent. It boosted my senses and reflexes as I ran. My clawed feet left bleeding claw mark''s across his arm as I rose to his shoulder. I jumped once I reached his neck area. "Champion to Champion.... You suck!" I punched out with my right arms. His cheek cratered with the punch and he lost his balance. I spun and landed a tail smack and a kick to the same place. His bleeding left limb was leveled at his shoulder in an attempt to smack me off. I opened my wings and started flying about him. He was still teetering on his left foot. I pulled my left arms back and dove for the left side of his face. Unfortunately he saw it coming and smacked me out of the air. I was rocketed into a nearby mountain where a small crater formed. Blood leaked somewhat from scr.a.p.es and a couple bruises started showing themselves before quickly healing. The blood still remained.


    I reached my hand out and my weapon flew into it. I pulled it up like a spear and threw it with as much strength as I could muster. The halberd rocketed toward the giants right leg and hit it at knee level. His leg moved and buckled at the impact. A chunk was blown off and more blood sprayed out. ( You''d think this guy would have a way to heal himself.) I thought. I flew over toward he giant and recalled my halberd. It jumped spinning from Od''s wound to my hands. But something suddenly caught my attention. The giants clouds were now dyed in its blood. It''s blood gathered from the ground back to the clouds. The clouds now took on a black color with purple lightning dancing through them.


    (Something doesn''t feel right.) I thought as my instincts screamed at me to move to the ground. I shot downward just before a ray of purple exited a cloud and cut through the mountain behind me. I looked back to find the largest hole I had ever seen. The mountain began to crumble and fell to ruin. I turned back to Od. ( Guess that answers my question as to why Kuku chose him.) The more wounds he gets the stronger his attacks. I threw away my halberd toward the castle to see it sink into the ground just outside it. ( I need to think of a plan. But what....) A light bulb suddenly went off in my head. Ahhhh.

 Chapter 72 - Champions Part 2

    My battle with Od has been a blood bath. To some that sounds good. To me it''s bad. Od had grown stronger the more blood he let out. His power had increased 5 fold since the start. He was missing a hand and he had gouges on his chest, arms and legs. The more blood that dripped out the thicker and stronger his element became as they absorbed it all. I had started just cutting and cutting him till he was a mass of scratches. All except for his face. My plan was simple but I guess you''ll find out after I''m done. I flew around him and attracted the metal dust into the air in a tornado that engulfed him. His passive lightning danced between the dust and created a beautiful special of multicolored lights that filled the air.


    Not a single piece of armor had been left solid on the field. Any soldier who had been wearing anything was shredded and the iron in their blood was added to the pile. Not a soul was around Od and I. The city in the distance was ok and not a scratch had landed on it. Soon Od had become frustrated by my flying around and let out a thunderous roar. I covered my pointy ears but still maintained my speed. It was then that he finally lost it. Ice began to fly in the air as he tried hitting me with spike shaped hail.


    I ignited catastrophe level flames over my body. They danced with green, yellow, red, and purple across my scales. Not a single piece of ice made it to my body before it melted and evaporated from my heat. I finally went above Od and the idiot looked up. "You know buddy. You really should''ve studied magnetics more." He tilted his head to the side in confusion and tried to breath a bolt of lightning at me. Unfortunately all that came ot was a few sparks. He was stunned. He tried again only to be met with the same result.


    He looked about and found the metal that was scattered in the air was sitting there floating aimlessly. I simply hovered in the air amused by him. "Lightning will always be attracted to the fastest path to the ground. Since you''re surrounded by said paths. Your nothing more than an oversized sky princess." I said with a laugh. His face turned red. "Who are you calling a princess!" He roared. I held out my hand and Dragon Cry flew to it.


    " Sorry pal. But this isn''t personal." I gathered the elements into my rifle. A single round made of clear crystal sat there absorbing the power till it was beginning to crack. Multicolored Light shined from the round as I suddenly ignited the stones inside. The round shot out and like a star falling from the sky it struck Od''s face before exploding in a fantastic cloud of power that evaporated the surrounding metal. I had made sure to fly up high enough that all I felt was the booming shockwave that followed. It sent me tumbling backward in the air and I barely managed to grab a mountain peak and held on for dear life. It took a moment for the force to be dispelled and then I saw a massive purple and red cloud. After a look of confusion and scrunching my brows I sent out a wave of air to clear it up.


    I almost threw up from what I saw next. The giant I had been battling till now was now halved by a crater that sat at it''s waist it''s spine extended to the sky like a tower of black burnt bone with white splotches. The air smelled of charred meat, ash, and blood. I went up to the standing corpse and pushed at its knee area.It collapsed backward with a ground shaking thud and dust rose in a cloud. I went around to the top and held my breath for a moment to calm my stomache and mind. I opened my eyes and dove into the corpse. Fire ringed my body cooking the meat to a charred state as I began swallowing it down. I didn''t care about the taste. I just knew I might''ve truly pissed off a God for the last time and that I needed power. Chimes echoed from gluttony till it got tired and just told me to ask it later and it was going to nap.


    I soon found a massive crystal colored like a cloud filled sky. The crystal stood 15 feet tall by 15 feet wide. I looked at it and decided what to do. I grabbed it to the best of my ability. I pulled it out of the corpse as I charred the remains to nothing but ash. I hauled it out and began to make my way back to the city. I managed to get back to the city after taking a small break somewhere in the middle. One of the guards sent a messenger to the castle for me to get help hauling the crystal up.


    Once I returned to the castle I was met by Kyle who was still in his armor. "What happened?! Are you alright!?" I slumped slightly at his warm welcome as he caught me alongside Hargo who barrelled out the door behind him. "Just a little tired is all." Hargo shifted his size to be larger and piggy backed me the rest of the way to my room where he set me on the bed. "Hmph! If you weren''t tired after all that I would have said you were a god. Hahahahaha!" He waved as he left and Kyle sat down. "So.... did you kill the king? Or is he still out there?" My eyes immediately locked onto his. " He''s alive. I don''t know how. But the guy I killed earlier was just a normal human. After all the books I''ve read I understand one thing." The king sat back a little with a wizened look on his face. "And that would be what exactly?"


    " The royalty of Weremar claim direct descendancy from the previous rulers who were supposed to be were-creatures of some kind. But I didn''t detect that at all with the one I killed. He was 100% human." I said slightly agitated and sad at the same time. I had killed a man who I didn''t really have a quarrel with all because of fancy armor. I slowly mulled it over in my head as I contemplated how it could have happened. ( Maybe the king wasn''t even there. But if he wasn''t there then where was he?) I bolted upright and ran upstairs to Sam''s quarters. I knocked on the door and was immediately answered by a maid.


    "Can I help you with anything deary?" The dwarfess said. I sighed in relief as I saw Sam sound asleep in her bed. "Thank goodness. How long has she been asleep?" I asked quickly. "Since after the fighting broke out. She became slightly erratic so we gave her a sleeping draft and put her to bed for the day." She answered just as quickly. She moved to the side as I approached the door. I went through as quietly as possible and sat on the stone chair by her bed and just watched her sleep peacefully. I sat there and understood something vital at that moment. As long as I was at odds with a god she wouldn''t even be safe if I killed the king today. After an hour or so I stood and walked over to my room leaving Sam asleep on her bed.


    I turned and sat on my bed facing towards the balcony. "Aed.... I hope you won your bet. But tell Kukulkan I''m not going for his position. Storms aren''t my thing as evidenced by today''s battle. I''m aiming for higher." I said as I felt the brand grow warm on my arm. " Thank you for the congratulations. I did win my bet with the gods. Now Kuku, Odi, Vara, and Gaia owe me a favor each. I actually won two bets thanks to you. The first was something that doesn''t really concern you while he second was the fight. Made good sport of it you did. Would''ve made Ifrit proud to see his junior beating the tar out of his rival. Kuku says he''ll be settling his score at some point but he''s not coming after you for a while. Od was his prized champion for over 3000 years you know."


    I chuckled a little as I shrugged. I just needed to make sure I was in the clear for a while. I laid back on the bed as the mental connection faded. As the sun finally began to set I fell asleep. I dreamed I was walking in a forest at night. Shadows darted in the canopies above as I I walked. I didn''t have a path. But I somehow knew where I was going. It didnt take long for me to reach my destination. I came to a clearing with a circle of stones in it.


    As I got closer to the circle I noticed a figure sitting in the middle. It was an woman sitting cross legged and breathing slowly in a meditative state. I got to the circle and felt like there was something drawing me to her still. As I stepped across the stones she spoke. Her voice was like flowing water. Clear, bright, and crystaline. Yet it still held some power to it. " I have been waiting a long time World Walker." Her head rose and I began to notice the details. Her hair was a platinum blue. Her skin as pale as the moon and her eyes were like crystalized ice. It was a beautiful yet chilling scene to behold.


    She rose and her japanese style dress unfolded with her. It was marked with every possible marking related with ice and water. I took a deep breath and took a moment to take in all her words. "So you''re Goddess Vara..."I said calmly. Her white eyebrows rose slightly as a small smile played across her lips.


    " It would seem that Aed''s assessment of you did not miss it''s mark. You are capable of perceiving our presence." She turned to me as her glanced up at the moon. ( Percieving presence? You practically flaunt it like a top hat!) I thought as I rubbed my forehead. It was only then that I realised my hand was human. I looked at it and turned it right and left. It was definitely my old human hand. I turned left and right before I ran over and looked in a random small pond off the the side. My face was what it was back on earth when I was healthy. I hadn''t seen my reflection in years so it was a welcome sight.


    I heard a small chuckle behind me as I curiously examined my face. I spun and stood again remembering I was in the presence of a goddess. " Mortal souls are so interesting. You are in the body of a monster but you still think like a mortal. That''s why you look the way you do. After all this is the soul plain." Vara gently gestured around us with the grace of a swan.


    I got thinking about what she just said, but I pushed my thoughts to the side to put what was in front of me first. " So I battle a champion and you wanted to meet me. Is that what got your attention? Or was it Aed''s favor that you all owe him?" Vara blushed slightly red for a moment but I could tell it was more of an angry and embarrassed blush than anything else. She took a deep breath and the blush dissapeared. "The favor I was asked did concern you but it also did not." He eyes met mine. " I was asked to search into something for you. And what I found was quite.... how is it that mortals say it.... ironic." I raised an eyebrow in response. She rolled her eyes. "Mortals.... I was asked to look into your parents and sister. It would appear that Aed thinks you knowing their whereabouts will increase your mood. Unfortunately I do not think that will work."


    My jaw fell to the floor at her words. A bubbly giggle erupted from her cold blue lips. "Ahhh... I will never tire of mortals shocked expressions." I slowly closed my mouth. "Did you find any of them?" I asked slowly. " One. And you might find it interesting where this one is." My heart filled with hope as she spoke. " I found... What was her old name?.... Megan." My eyes were as wide as dinner plates. " My sister! Where is she?!" Vara''s cold gaze was full of mischief as I approached her excitedly. " She isn''t human anymore if thats what you''re wondering." My heart fell a little with that but I was still hopeful. "Where and what is she?!" I asked just as hopeful as before.


    "She''s in my underwater country of Aliana. And what''s more... She is a Water Dragon Woman... And my Champion."

 Chapter 73 - Family Search

    Not many things can truly catch me off guard. Of course I can be shocked. But off guard is rare. I had researched much about the world since being in Verst.The Country of Aliana of course was a piece I had gotten from a myth. A legend. It was once a famous country. Powerful, beautiful, and worshipped the Gods of Water. It took centuries to rise from the dust. Yet for some reason it had vanished from the world without a sound. Even though it had sat in the dead center of all the continents. That was all the books said. Not a trace was left of it. But here the Goddess of water was telling me it had been underwater the whole time.


    It took a moment before it completely sunk in. "So you''re telling me that you made my sister... your champion... in a city that has essentially become a myth... What the [email protected]€&!" I shouted out. Vara''s face showed a look of amus.e.m.e.nt as my mind went berserk with questions. ( Why my sister? My sister is Naiad? Why!?!?") My thoughts raged. to be honest it took me a few moments to cool off so I didn''t try killing the goddess in front of me. "I have one question for you... Why did you pick my sister?" My haze was leveled at her face. My eyes still filled with my fury at the woman in front of me.


    Vara shrugged her shoulders. "I chose her a century or two ago. Long before you came along. She has a backbone and fighting spirit. But she also likes to protect and heal those she values. But the main reason I chose her is for me to know and for you to never find out." She waggled her finger at me as she turned and started walking away. "Wait!" I shouted after her. But it was too late. She dissapeared into a hazy mist and I woke with a start.


    Legions eyes glowed as they stared at me. Sweat coated my body from head to toe as I sat up in bed. "Seems like you were having an uncomfortable dream." Legions voice echoed out as I sat there. I ran my hands across my scaled scalp. (I''m back in my body again. Good.) I looked at Legion. "We''re going on a trip." Their eyebrows rose.


    ????


    Thee morning came all too quickly. The sun rose like a hazy orange giant on the horizon. The light shined through the window as I was sharpening Dragons Cry with a bluish whetstone. Light glanced off the base and into my eyes causing me to squint. I set down the blade and rose from my seat. After the dream I hadn''t been able to sleep. So I prepared to travel and made sure my equipment could take the journey. I approached my door as a knock thudded through it. "Ignis! You up?" I opened the door to find a gold dwarf standing there. "If I wasn''t I would''ve been with how loud you knock." I grinned at him as he scowled at me. "Puppet there told me what happened. You truly heading to Aliana? You know that place has never been found in all the years adventurers have hunted for it?" I looked him in the eyes. "True but when the Goddess who owns it tells you where it is I bet you would be able to get there pretty easily." His eyebrows rose a little at the mention of a goddess. " And which goddess would that be lad? The Goddess of madness? We have hunted for that damned city with the help of Gods before and it never turned up and many still never returned from the endeavor." He said as he started pacing back and forth nervously.


    I looked up at him with a light smile on my lips. "That''s because Aliana is an underwater city that moves." The dwarf spun around as his jaw hit the floor. " You have to take me with you! I need to know how that works. Technology that can survive underwater conditions would be an incredible discovery and should be shared with the world!" I smirked slightly as I laid my hand on his shoulder. " My friend... I''m going alone. I can handle most things that would give people nightmares. And Sam needs someone looking after her since she can''t come. Od''s crystal should be able to power the cannons on the city walls for decades and there is the rail gun I designed and attached to the wall as well. Here she will be protected till I return. I am entrusting that to you." My eyes had locked with his as I grasped his shoulder nervously.


    "I need to know she''s safe. And that''s why Legion is staying here as well. I trust you all not to let me down." Hargo''s eyes softened a little as he came to understand what I was saying. "Her family is dead and she has nowhere else to go. I''m afraid that Weremar will attempt something again. But I''m hoping a little dwarven stubbornness will go the distance."


    I released his shoulder and grabbed my knapsack and slung it onto my back along with my weapon before heading to the door.


    I stopped at the door as I grabbed the handle and turned my head. "I''ll be seeing you around my friend." Hargo''s back was still facing me.


    "Aye... May the earth ever make you a home and the hearth ever warm you my precious disciple." A smile flickered across his face as he turned to look at me. I nodded as I opened the door and walked down the halls and out the castle doors. I got to the courtyard and spread my wings wide. The air felt good against them and seemed to dance in the courtyard. I flapped once and rocketed into the sky. When I peaked my altitude from the initial flap I hovered there. I was able to see a good chunk of the continent from that height. I could see the mountain that marked the city of Crystal and even the settlement we passed through with the guild in it. I started flying east till I saw a glimmer in the distance. A speck of blue that slowly grew into a ever larger expanse that soon covered the horizon.


    I set down on a beach close to the water as a gust of wind picked up the sand in great billowing clouds. The sound of the waves was loud but calming. The rushing water was so familiar and yet so foreign. I hadn''t heard it in months after all. I stepped forward and set my feet in the shallow water. It was cold. Freezing even. But I felt alive as I entered it. The system chimed at me.


    / You are entering the domain of water. All other elemental attributes will be hindered greatly due to domain effects. You have been warned./


    I nodded as I entered the water. I was up to my knees, then my h.i.p.s, ribs, shoulders and finally my neck where my gills were. Almost immediately they started fluctuating. Pulling and pushing water through them to oxygenate my bloodstream. It felt strange but refreshing all the same. I put my head below the waves and found a murky, watery expanse waiting for me. ( Probably best if I fish for a bit and get underwater vision.) I stepped back out and coughed out a lung full of water. I breathed in the air. "Damn I hope that doesn''t happen every time." I groaned out. I looked for some vines and found a rat made of rocks. I caught and killed the rat. Its meat was then hung in a small chunk on the end of the vine.


    Needless to say it didnt take long to catch a fish. It was a strange puffy fish covered in little needles and had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. I grabbed it''s tail fin and slapped it on a rock. Once was all it took to kill it. I took my blade and scr.a.p.ed off the needles and soon I had a fish cooking on a stick by a fire. I ate the fish but I had to catch a few more before I got anything. All the same kind of fish and they kinda tasted like pike from earth. Soon the system started chiming off things.


    / You have eaten a cannon belly spike fish. You acquired the following skills.


    Passive Spike Growth... Not much to say here.


    Underwater Vision has been combined with shadow vision and night vision skills.


    Gills have been improved for better oxygenation of the blood.


    Oceanic Poison has been acquired but has been neutralized by superior poison you possess. That is all./


    I felt a prickling sensation spread over my chest, arms, and back as little needle-like spikes grew from between my scales. I raised an arm and examined it. ( These look dangerous.) I thought as I looked back to the fire. I thought for a moment about catching more but I had already gotten what I needed. I headed back to the water and dove in. I slowly began to sink till I was standing on he ocean floor. I felt an uncomfortable sensation in my chest. I opened my mouth and a bubble the size of a softball came out.


    ( Well that''s new.) I thought as I raised an eyebrow. ( I should probably try to swim...) I started moving my arms in the motions of a normal paddle that a swimmer would normally. Cupping the water as far I could reach as I moved. My wings had tucked tight to my back so I wouldn''t be hindered in my progress. My muscles began to burn as my arms and tail worked to move me through the water. I had been at it for almost an hour before I once again settled on the sandy ocean floor. Power slowly moved through me to soothe the now sore muscles.


    I sat on a rock close by and thought about things. ( This is taking too long... If I keep going at my current pace I won''t ever reach Aliana. Maybe I should try water magic? Could it work to boost my speed?) I got up and held out my hands like Ironman and tried to push he water. But it came to no avail. It just churned up sand and startled fish. (Back to the drawing board.) I hummed which came out sounding like a bubbly growl due to the water. I pulled Dragons Cry from my back and examined it closer. I could possibly force air and water through the pipe to force me forward. I unhooked the blade and stowed it at my belt. I got on he pipe like a witch riding a broom and as much as I''m embarrassed to admit it I looked like an idiot. But it worked. The air gem and my water magice combined into a torrent that shot me forward. Though I soon discovered that it was uncomfortable and attempted to stand on it like a surf board with my tail wrapped around it. I felt the water against my face like wind when I was flying. It was cool and glorious as I flew through the water.


    It was soon cut short as I noticed I had a pursuer. It was a shadow in the distance behind me but I knew I was being followed. I shot around a coral reef and hid in an outcropping to wait. Soon my pursuer appeared. It was a merwoman. Her tail was covered with silver and blue scaed and she had a large shark-like tail. Her face was a pale white but her eyes were red like rubies which I had heard was a common trait considering there were only females among the merfolk.


    I tried speaking but all that came out was bubbles. The female was startled and spun around to face me. Thankfully in comparison to the lore she had a cloth top on. It was a bandage wrap around her chest that had shells and scales sewn to it. I crossed my arms as she held up hers and held out a strange blue orb pointing at her mouth and making gestures. I scrunched my eyes at her and slowly took the orb from her hand. She made gestures about eating it and I tossed it into my mouth after a couple seconds of her coaxing. / Host has consumed telepathic bead. Infusing telepathic communication abilities into your brain now./ I heard the system chime. {Can you hear me now upworlder?} My eyes widened as a vibrant and cheery voice echoed through my head. I had not thought that merfolk would need telepathy to talk but I guess I was wrong. I nodded and she smiled. Her teeth were sharp like a shark''s which diminished it''s charm a bit but all the same it was a friendly sign. I tried to talk back through telepathy. It was a bit rough but I managed. {I am... thankful... for the gift... But why would you... give it to me?} I felt like an idiot. Telepathy took alot of focus and will to send out things. Sam was an easy case for sending messages because my intent was there to help. This was something else.


    {You may call she Shanti. Lady Vara asked me to help a hapless, land legged upworlder to our home. If you would please follow me.} My cheeks flushed as I hung me head a little and followed with the water and air magic on low.

 Chapter 74 - SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

    I followed Shanti as we ventured in the oceans currents. I could feel the changes as we moved. Water magic had come naturally because Gluttony had absorbed it into my being. But now that I was in the element it was something else. It flowed so naturally and without much force. It was a gentle hand that would move us around like a mother instructing a child. It was calm and tranquil. Not a thing in nature above in the sky or on the ground was truly like this.


    My understanding of the element rose as I worked with it. It wasn''t till later that I realized I wasn''t even using my pipe to move anymore. instead my tail had shifted to naturally end in a fish tail. I smiled a little and put the pipe away. My body changed so much that I had gotten used to it at this point. It wasn''t long till we arrived at a place full of light. It was a large coral reef as white as white can be.


    As we created the ridge it became apparent why noone could truly find the city of Aliana. A Astoundingly huge orb of clear material with a massive fin jutting out the back. I held a ghostly appearance about it though as a whitish milky substance oozed out like a fog or a mist that obscured it some in the water. Guards swam about the outside of the city in droves as though something wasn''t right.


    Shanti stopped and a concerned look crossed her face. " Somethjng isn''t right is it?" I said. She turned her head to look at me. " There are enemies down there that our guards are fighting. Which means the Crabentians are here." She said as she turned to face the city once more. I swam to look before me. As I looked closer I noticed crustaceous humans with a crab or lobsters lower body fighting the mermen and women. They bore claws for hands and held spears and rusty swords.


    And what''s more. They came in droves. Below the city the ground was covered in red, white and green crab-humans. I looked at Shanti. "Would you like me to help them or will they be fine on their own?" Her eyes darted to me. "A guardian of fire wishes to fight in the water.... How amusing..." I smirked as I swam forward. She shouted something behind me but I ignored it. I began to glow as the metal around my wrists twisted to my will and formed a sword. I wasnt really good with one but if these things were anything like a crab on earth the shell would be tough as nails.


    A crab man pointed at me as I descended. Soon a group had formed in a nice packed cl.u.s.ter Shanti continued to mentally yell at me. I swung and a crab claw caught the blade. The crab man smirked as they tried to pierce my scaled chest. Fortunately for me the spears bounced off harmlessly. I had an unimpressed look on my face as my sword shifted into a massive scythe with a hammer head on the back. "Try this on for size then" I spoke at them as their faces paled. I pulled back and decapitated several of the crab men and began to swirl about myself in a mad dance. I let the weight of the blade do the work as I pulled and swung. Pull and swing I thought in a rhythmic process through my mind.


    The water began to shift to my flow as the crab men came in a flood toward me. But in the flow I felt invincible. He system chimed again and again as I danced. The water flowed in a circular motion as I did my lethal dance. I sliced and smashed and the shattered and sliced shells and bones floated in a deadly maelstrom about my person. Not a soul entered and escaped my death dance.


    I felt something nagging at my mind as I moved. A power that wished to be unleashed as I moved. As I sliced and shifted I noticed it. A cold and stiff force that wanted to shatter, to freeze, to explode. Ice began to eek out of the scythe hammer as I swung. It became shards and blades that cut and froze only to explode from the energies that it took with it. Aliana had moved its location away from my location to keep it''s citizens safe from my barrage. It didnt take long till the battlefield was a block of ice filled with shell and bone. I stopped my spin as the flow stopped and the water ebbed. And soon the power stopped flowing through the scythe and the metal returned to sit about my wrists. I felt the weight of exhaustion hit me as the metal setted back to it''s position. But instead of sinking I just floated in my exhaustion in the water like a lazy fish.


    ( Well...that was exhilarating.) I thought. My body felt like it weighed a ton as I floated there but I didnt sink down. I slowly swished my tail fin toward the water to feel my feet hit the sand. The sand squished between my taloned toes as I settled in it. A strange, murky power flowed into my body. a watered down earth energy relieved me slowly of my fatigue. A couple fishmen swam close with their spears drawn only for Shanti to swim in front of them and gesture for them to halt. I don''t know what was said. But I do know that they withdrew to surround the city which moved back to above the now icy battlefield.


    Shanti swam over to me as I stood there in the sand. A slightly green aura glowed around me as I healed of my fatigue. {You fought better than I expected.} She said as she drew close. I smirked a little. { I bear water magic too. In these conditions it''s understandable that I would get a better understanding of it.} I said back. She let out a strange bubbly giggle at my response. {Aed would have your head if he knew you could use water magic.} I looked at her as a greater smile crossed my face. { I can use all elements little fish. Just one didn''t suit my needs. AMD Aed knows it} Her face flushed slightly. { Don''t call me little fish! And who the heck has time to gain an understanding of all the elements!?} I laughed at her angry yet fl.u.s.tered tone.


    We would have talked longer except I felt an oppressive aura approaching. We ventured toward the city and passed through the gates with ease. As we passed through the gates I noticed the city guards went inside as well. The streets were barren of activity and people. Probably due to the battle that had happened outside. Once we were inside Shanti stopped me and pointed outside. { You might want to see this.} I looked out of the city and saw an amazing thing. The city began to descend slowly toward the ocean floor. The sand began to swirl in a great tornado that swallowed the city. For a moment the city was within the tornado. The next it was gone. Unbeknownst to me we had gone under the sand.


    After we had descended a behemoth sized beast swam above. Its fins shifting the sand in clouds as it swam over. It was slow moving but one could feel the sheer power and majesty it exuded. I felt my scalp prickle as it passed overhead. (That isn''t a fight I could win.) I thought nervously. Shanti floated beside me and spoke almost in reverence. {That is Kracken. The guardian of this city since it sank centuries ago by Vara''s will. I would say he would prove to be impossible for your current strength.} I looked at her as the fish passed. {The reason the city buries itself is so it goes by unhindered while we rest and gather supplies and energy.} She whispered through my mind.


    A horn sounded throughout the city and people began to fill the once empty streets.


    The once empty stalls were once again filled with merchandise as merchants began to once again sell things. The noise once again increased as the variety of fishmen, merfolk, and strange creatures. One looked like a cappa with a turtle shell on it''s back while another species looked like a tangle of weeds with chicken legs and massive bowling ball size eyes. The place was filled with creatures I had never seen before. But I couldn''t do much sight seeing as Shanti pulled my lower blue arm and started hauling me upwards toward the palace. It was a large place that was constructed from multiple materials. Coral, gold, silver, and even a couple monster cores here and there that had seemingly merged with the building.


    There was no guards oddly enough but there were alot of draconic looking children. They had flowing bluish hair and fins on the back of their ears. I noticed their irises were a rainbow mix as I saw a few staring at me. They quickly averted their gazes made way as we drew closer. There was quite a number of them. I had actually started counting. Ten... twenty... almost thirty children bearing some of the same resemblances. The only thing that set them apart was a tattooed mark on the left shoulder. It differed per child. Perhaps to tell them apart.


    We ascended an elevator-like shaft toward a room filled with flowing colors. It was a large 50 foot by 50 foot circular room with a shell bed in the middle filled with coins, jewels, crowns, and all sorts of fine items. The room was crowded to boot. children were filing everywhere with books made of monster leather or stone tablets. The walls were lined with books, records, and stone tablets. As I looked around I felt slightly nostalgic. My sister had always wanted a library with bed in the middle of the room just like this. She was the big book worm out of the two of us. I snapped out of my nostalgia as a trident was sent spinning toward me. It moved somewhat slowly but I could tell it had power behind it.


    My red arm reached up and caught it as my upper white arm hoisted Dragon Cry aloft. Energy filled the room as the sea of children flooded toward the edges of the room with exception of one being. A dragon woman floated before me. She wore a white and blue gown adorned with Pearl''s and silver. She had a set of legs to go with her tail unlike the children. She was a solid oceanic blue with algae green eyes. Her face was human like but pale and bore a bone crown that seemed to grow from her head. Her hair was a deep brown and floated about her majestic despite the water making it go wild behind her. Her form was slim but brimmed with power. Her right arm bore the symbol I was hunting for. A Full Moon with a snowflake in the middle and a drop of water coming off from below it. (That is Megan?!?!?!) I thought as my jaw dropped. I probably would have


    Her eyes were locked onto my right arm as ice tried to spread but was pushed back by Aed''s mark. Needless to say what came out of my mouth next wasn''t so smooth. "So.... Megan.... long time no see Sis." Her pupils became slits as they trained on my face trying to place me. "I''m not your sister. And I''m not Megan. I am Queen Marissa." She hissed. My eyes hardened as I tossed the trident back in a friendly sideways motion. "Really then?!" I growled. I spread my arms wide for her to see I had nothing to throw at her. My weapon had been dropped to the ground. "My name is Ignatius Soulsmith. My old name I''m certain you''ll recognize." She laughed a hearty fake laugh just like the sister I knew would. " Really. What is it then land bug?" She had caught the trident and held it in an offensive stance.


    I looked her in the eyes without a shred of fear in my being. " My name was Damien Alexander Greeves. And don''t you forget it Megan Alexis Greeves!" I shouted. Her trident almost dropped to the floor as her eyes widened.

 Chapter 75 - Family Bonding

    Megan/ Marissa looked at me like I had threatened her with a bomb. The kids were floating about looking between the two of us like we had given them the ultimate drama show to watch. "Children... please give Ignatious and I some space. We will be having a chat. Anyone found lacking in their studies will be grounded to the castle for a month." Marissa spoke loudly. The children cleared out faster than a buffalo herd running off a cliff. The room was wider and felt roomier than originally.


    "Who are you and what do you want?" She said pointing her trident at me. " You want me to confirm who I am alright..." I thought for a moment. "When we were fifteen you broke into mom''s purse and stole her car keys so we could go joyriding. You even took me to an icecream parlor for my favorite vanilla and orange icecream. We never got caught" She didnt even budge. " Fine. What other special detail do you want to confirm my identity?" Her eyes narrowed. "Who sent you?" I shook my head and held the bridge between my eyes. " Vara said my sister was here and that she was her champion so I came looking." Her trident didn''t so much as shift at Vara''s name.


    "And why would she help a land bug find his place?" I looked at her with a eyeroll. " Did she tell you nothing? She lost a bet to Aed and had to help me find my family. So she found you. That''s it. I came to meet my sister and maybe see if I could reminisce some old times and feel normal. Isn''t that reason enough?" Her eyes stayed hard but she raised her trident so it pointed upward. " What was my favorite color?" She said. Without missing a beat I responded. " Orange or blue depending on what type of clothing you wore. I always thought orange was gaudy and didnt suit you. later you chose a black and white dress for your graduation because that was all dad would buy for you." Her expression changed slightly.


    "What''s more... Charlie Pelman said you looked like a walking monstrosity of black and white. And if memory serves you punched him so hard that you cracked his jawbone." I chuckled slightly. Her shoulders began to relax some as I spoke. I spoke of our old home in Canada and what we used to do as kids. I rehearsed from memory up to the events of the boat ride that separated us for the years following. I spoke of my segregation in a hospital bed and the utter disgust, and fear, and mental torture that had followed. My extended families betrayal to my reincarnation and finally our meeting in the castle that we now stood within. My head had originally gone from sitting upright to being hung as I spoke my story.


    I heard a soft scr.a.p.e as the trident tapped on the floor. It was quiet. Awkward even. Until I felt a gentle hug wrap around my head. Just like how my sister once did for me as a child. My knees sank to the floor as the emotions took hold. I wept. I felt the tears warm my eyes but the tears flowed into the water about me. I felt a strange feeling flow across my body. A morphing sensation went across my face even. I was suddenly pulled away and I was staring into the eyes of Marissa. Her eyes were slightly shocked at what she was looking at. I reached up and felt my face. It was skin. A nose and ears. My ears and eyebrows were human. I realized I was me. The me I once was.


    "What is this?" I asked in confusion. Marissa''s face was one of sadness and a slight smile. "It really is you. Forgive me. I have a skill called soul morph. It allows me to see the truth of the soul laid in a physical way. I know you gave me so much information. But I just had to know. I missed you so much!" She began to weep as She hugged me close and my form was regained. My horns, claws, arms, and tail were now back to their former glory.


    After some time we rose and talked further.


    "My accident on the boat as it was reported wasn''t an accident at all." Marissa said with sadness. My eyes widened. "What!?!" I exclaimed. (One damn bombshell after another it seems) I thought as I rubbed my fore head. " So what exactly are you saying? That it was sabotage?" Marissa turned about to face me. " When I died it was due to a crack in the hull that had quickly grown into a hole. I had tried to swim away but was pulled under with the boat by the undertow. But before we set out on our voyage I checked the boat for any possible problems along with Uncle Martin. Neither of us found any problems." My eyes shifted slightly. "So what you''re saying is that either Uncle Martin was lying or it was sabotaged after your check." I said slowly so I didnt mince my words. " Exactly." She said with a matter of fact wave of her finger. We went into the area of the ocean where there were no coral reefs or rocks so nothing could damage the hull. So all hats left to explain it is sabotage. Our equipment also malfunctioned at the time of the accident too. Now there''s only one other person who could have had access to the boat after the check." I face-palmed as I thought about it. "Aunt Clara... She was the one who did it. She was also the one who figured out how to swindle all the money from me after the inheritance was done and I was hospitalized. But... Now what do we do? We can''t get revenge... not from here. Not after all we''ve become." I said in thought as I looked at my hands and then at my sister. "True." She said. " But time works differently here than on earth. It was four years after my death that you died. But for me it was four hundred years before I met you here. And in 6 years time since your arrival. You have done more than I have in four hundred. You ascended to a champion position and mastered four of the six elements. Not to mention the class rating vibe I feel off of you. Calamity Class I believe. Probably on the higher level one by the natural magic output you have. If you can become a god and ascend in the next few years... We can escape and return to the earthly plain for revenge and exact true Karma on those who wronged us. Think about it!" She said as she swam about the room.


    I nodded slowly. "That makes sense. But Once one ascends to godhood there are limits and laws that must be abided by. I can''t just do whatever I want on a whim." I replied with a little thought. She nodded a bit. "True. I guess there''s a few kinks that need to be figured out along the way. But anyways brother. Tell me what skills you gained when you entered the world." She floated like a pet seal with big watery cute eyes staring at me.


    I smiled a little. " A reaper made me into a flame salamander with the Gluttony and Flame Monarch skills." Marissa''s eyes widened. "Did you just say Gluttony!? I haven''t heard of that skill since before the city sank!" She swam toward a wall with thick books covering it. Each one had a year scrawled onto the spines. (Journals?) She swam to the top and pulled out one. She quickly flipped through the pages till she found what she was looking for. She began tapping the page as she read. " The previous owner of Gluttony was a man by the name of Henry Bartwell. He was able to use skills that no human should be able to use. And it was reported that he could learn skills from whatever he ate. Hence he was called the demon king. Not because he was a demon. But because he ruled over his enemies as no other human could. With claws of a dragon or a breath of poison. Is this a godly gift or a demonic one?" She raised her head from staring at the book and looked at me. "That''s what I wrote. I never actually met the man but it''s apparent he was strong. Or at least from what I was informed. I used to have a stronger information circle back then. Other records say he was either killed or sealed. Which means somehow his skills were scattered to the corners of the earth." She quickly pulled out another book except this one looked even older and was made of some kind of metal. It squeaked open and she began to read.


    "The Demon King is said to hold the power of The Seven Deadly sins..." She paused as she muttered and read further. " Gluttony The All Eating, Pride The All Guarding, Envy The All Knowing, L.u.s.t The Luring, Sloth The Curse, Greed The Stealer, and finally Wrath The Berserker. All scattered at the time of the destruction of the Fallen King. Since then lost to time..." She read quietly. The water was filled with an eerie quiet the like I was unaccustomed to.


    I grinned a little to ease the discomfort in the chamber. "It''s true that I grow based on what I eat. That''s why I was able to beat Od." Her eyebrow rose a little. "You? Beat Od? Give me a break." She laughed as she returned her book to the shelf. My face showed confusion. " My informants told me you battled a giant that stood 200 feet tall and was covered in storm clouds right?" I nodded as she ventured through another book. She pulled out a folded piece of paper from between the pages and examined it. " 100 years ago Od was a giant who stood at 1000 feet and not only did he have thunder clouds. But he had meteors circling his head with tornadoes that rampaged across his body. Basically... he was a walking armageddon. Noone has ever managed to get close enough to actually tell us what it looks like inside that monstrous storm. And I imagine time has only made him stronger." She said with a slightly raised brow.


    "Then what did I fight!" I almost screamed in confusion. She shrugged. "It''s likely that Little Ody got so big he separated into 4 bodies so he could remain around and maintain power. You probably fought his Thunder aspect body. But if you killed it that only makes the other three stronger." She let out a long sigh before putting the note and book back.


    "How much stronger?" I asked nervously. She chuckled a little as she turned to face me once again. "His power would divide evenly so hey would each obtain about 20-30% a piece with some of it missing due to you absorbing it. But onto the brighter topics." She floated about the chamber and quickly gathered the books that had been left lying around.


    " I have to ask.... What do I call you now!?! Are you Ignatious or my brother Damien?" She said thoughtfully as she once again turned to look at me. I shook my head a little. "I am both. But I suppose for sanity''s sake you could call me Ignis so people don''t get confused." I shrugged at the thought as it had never really occurred to me until now. Identity crises weren''t my thing really. I was what I was.


    She rolled her eyes as though my answer was too anticlimactic for her. I slowly swam towards her. "And you apparently go as Marissa if I heard correctly." She hung her head and sighed. "In all honesty I haven''t been called by my original name in centuries. Ever since I was hatched I was called Marissa. Not a soul knew my previous name before you showed up. Now my children will have questions." I c.o.c.ked my head to the side. "Children?" She looked at me like I had grown a second head. " Yes. After a couple hundred years I''ve had a few children. Many have ventured into the ocean or lost themselves to the dragon form and became the monsters sailors fear." She shook her head slightly.


    "So... I guess by spirit they are my nieces and nephews. But I have no connection through blood..." I sighed. Suddenly I heard a soft giggle from behind me. I turned to find a little girl with some octopus or squid tentacles instead of a fish tail. She was the spitting image of her mother from the wait up however. " A Scylla! How long have you been standing there?!?" The little girl beamed. "Long enough to know I have an uncle." She giggled as I roared out a laugh and Marissa face-palmed.

 Chapter 76 - Guardians Under the Same Banner

    Scylla was the youngest as well as the most mischievous of Marissa''s children. It didn''t take long for the other children to find out and start talking. Marissa had been born to a tribe of water dragons that were known as an immortal race. Reason being that the water kept them young. Some even grew to be 1000 years old before they passed away. Because her tribe is often long lived they often have enormous amounts of children. Mostly due to the fact that they could lay eggs in large quantities.


    Now after saying this it should come as no surprise that my sister has around 100 children, 50 grandchildren, and 20 great grandchildren. In total she had 170 descendants. I had none to speak of. Kinda made me the single uncle that everybody likes.


    I''ll admit that it''s an interesting experience. Especially considering that technically my sister and I are supposed to be mortal enemies and I should have died ages ago. Instead I''m waltzing around Vara''s damn home base! I floated about the city. I began to notice a discrepancy in the people. He crustacean breed people of the people worked as smiths and leather workers. While the others were vendors for fruit and other commodities like clothes.


    I would ask Marissa about it on my return to the castle. She was sitting in her throne room when I entered. She wore a different style of dress. An armored battle dress. It had a small skirt but everything was coated in scales, shells, or metal plating. It was obviously a way to intimidate those who sought to cause trouble in her court. I had to wait to ask my questions seeing as she had 6 people around her. They were dressed like nobles. Their jewelry was good and the weapons at their sides were combinations of steel and gold with silver leaf here and there.


    " Your majesty! We cannot condone that outsider being so close to you so soon. What if he attempts to take the flame we have been hiding for so long!? This could cause disaster!" A chittering crustaceus man spoke. His mandibles moving in time with his speak like a mouth. His back was crusted with jewels and shields of varying kinds. he looked like a walking treasury honestly. Could probably sell that shell and live a good life for a couple generations.


    " We are not saying you cannot choose who you trust your majesty but for him to be so close to you even after you killed Aed''s previous champion spells trouble." A baritone voiced merman spoke. He was oceanic blue from the waist down and was barrel chested like a weight lifter. He had a solitary mohawk-like fin instead of hair with shark-like teeth.


    Others spoke up but it was a cacophony of sound. I pulled my weapon from my back and thumped it on the floor. That got all their attention. Marissa looked at me with shock that quickly turned into relief. She sat back in her throne and her eyes said it all. ( Guess I''m handling this.) I thought as I approached. The six backed away quickly.


    "I came to this city to be peaceful. Not to cause disharmony. The previous champion may have been killed by your queen but that is none of my business. That is between her and Aed and he hasn''t told me much regarding that matter. This "Flame" on the other hand I would like to see." Before anyone could voice anything I put my hands up. "Not to take it. I already have control of six elements. And I am not a greedy fool. Just curious." Marissa''s eyebrow rose. "Show him." The crab man once again chattered. "B,But your majesty!" I looked at him and he spoke a little quieter. "You have hidden it for so long.... Yet you''ll let him take it... You will answer to the people for this." His eyes glowered at her as he crab walked away.


    I glowered after him. A female voice sounded behind me. " I''ll show him. It would seem that Cradacus is in an even fouler mood today than most." I turned to find Shanti floating there before me. ( Finally a face I recognize to some degree.) She smiled through her sharp teeth and with a nod from Marissa we left the hall. I was taken down a few corridors till everything suddenly narrowed. A five foot by five foot corridor that we had to swim through. It was slanted on a downhill slope. It was a round hallway made of metal and the water began to warm as we progressed downwards.


    ( This is no ordinary flame) I thought as we continued. (How is it still burning underwater? and how were they containing it?) Were thoughts that crossed my mind. My hands began to shake slightly as we ventured further. Soon we entered a room made of rusty iron and it became apparent why it had survived for so long. It was a fire shaped like a water dragon. The cage that held it was almost the size of half a football field and seemed to be lined in with solar panels in places. The fire was a mercurial silver color and flowed like water inside of a glass and metal cage. It roared and the heat in the room increased. Shanti quickly grabbed some form of apparatus and put it around her neck where her gills were. It was shaped like a neck band but had glowing blue orbs on it. "It''s to help with temperature adjustments. It being this hot is bad for us water folk." She said a little sheepishly. "Ahhh..." I said in understanding.


    I turned once more to see the monstrous flame before me. "What is this?" I said as I approached it. It turned it''s head to stare at me. " I am not an it. I''m a who you prattling prick." It said in a horn sounding voice in my head. I recoiled in shock. "You''re sentient! I apologize. I didn''t expect that considering I''ve seen my fair share of flame. I have never come across one that had a thought process." I said as I examined him a bit. "What are you looking at peewee!" It spat at me. I turned to Shanti. "He''s always like that." She said with her hands held up defensively. I shook my head. "Mind if I show him his place?" I said as my nerves were starting to wear a bit as the flame continued spitting insults at me.


    "We wouldn''t mind at all." A voice spoke out behind me. I spun to see Marissa floating there with an apparatus around her neck. The flame started spitting insults at her which aggravated us both. I nodded and floated up to the latch on top of the cage. I opened it and quickly swam inside closing the hatch behind me. The flame was at least 30 feet long and the 4 feet across. It spun and charged toward me. I simply stood their as it hit and rushed through me. My clothes and metal melted revealing my chest which was slightly warm now.


    / Host has acquired living fire. Living flame will hunt down anything and everything till it reaches it''s master. After returning. The experiences of the things it has hunted will be shown from birth to death to the owner of the flame. Once ownerless it goes rampant and gains further sentience from it''s victims. Often found to be aggressive and obstinately crude./


    / Flame Monarch level has increased. level has jumped to seven. Flames are compatible on variations that add up to 7/10. True mastery has begun. Ruling over fire is a fickle thing. Now do it./ Gluttony grunted at me.


    I reached out and grabbed at the fire as it passed me. I actually felt my had grab something. It was like rope but a little more slippery. I focused and grabbed hold. I was pulled back with the force of a small car. I held on for dear life and slowly moved up it''s body towards it''s head. I eventually reached what should have been it''s neck area after being buckled around a bit by the bloody thing.


    I created a aqua rope and tried putting it like a bit in a horses mouth to force it into submission. Unfortunately the fire bit the rope into a heated and steamy bubble in the water. I held on and continued to think. I finally just got sick of it and tried to punch it. "Settle!" I yelled as I raised my hands. " Down!" I yelled as I brought them down in a brutish way on the things head. A thump sound echoed through the room as a strange smoke issued like foam out of the flames mouth. I slid off, slightly exhausted by the endeavor. I looked at the fire and felt a slight greed to take it for myself. It had a hell of alot of fight in it. But I remembered what I had said in the throne room.


    I floated before the fire and placed a hand on it. "Alright you little stain... I want to hear you call her what you did before." I leaned close while holding one of the things flaming horns.


    " You can kiss my @$$." It said. I sighed as a vein in my head bulged slightly. I continued holding the horn and snapped it off. The horn dispersed into flames that sizzles against the water before being absorbed by my red arm. The Living Fire roared in pain and Marissa covered her face slightly. I grabbed the other horn. "Would you like to say that again..." I hissed at it. It stayed silent. "Now... You''ll apologize. We beings of fire have respect. Now you tarnished that. For that you owe her." I pointed at Marissa. "An Apology." I slowly floated the fire over and shook it a little. " Sorry.... " It said and Marissa seemed to let out a little sigh. "For what." I stated. It hissed as my grip on its horn grew stronger. "For being rude." It said. I let it go and it shot to the other side of the cage away from me. I floated to the latch and made my way out. After it was closed and locked I floated down to Marissa who was looking at me a little differently. " I had to live in a forest alone for a few years. Got to learn that the world isn''t as nice as I thought it would be." She nodded a little.


    I waved at the cage. " He''s been pacified and if he gives you any more trouble just tell him I''ll be back the next cycle." She smirked a little at that. "I don''t think he will be moving for a while. But in the end he is what keeps this city running." Marissa said. I looked at her as we swam back. "I noticed the solar panels. Your handiwork?" She smiled more broadly. "Yes. We couldn''t contain him in a battery or have him run a reactor because of his temper. So I had solar panels absorb his heat so our city could function and he gets the roam more open cage. All in all they are most suitable for the task." She said a little more cheery at the topic.


    Once we reached the throne room the ministers were all still standing there. The crab included. He had a set of 12 guards standing behind him. They all looked like sea horses but had arms that could give a weight lifter a run for their money. Each held a trident of silver with a snowflake engraved on it. The crab man pointed at me. "Sieze Him! Under suspicion of bewitching the queen!" I put my upper arms behind my head and yawned.


    " Cradacus... I believe you are a fool." I sighed out. The crab became hopping mad at my words. "I have been by the queens side for decades! It is obvious that you have charmed her in some way!" I looked at everyone there and began to slowly expand. My height grew gradually from 9feet to 20. My stature was almost touching the ceiling at the end of it all. The guards began throwing their tridents in surprised desperation to stop my actions. They harmlessly bounced off my body.


    "Should I truly unravel the truth so we can see why he has angry these past few days?" I said as I smirked and he crab began to shake.

 Chapter 77 - Problems of the Courts

    As I towered above the people of Marissa''s court I could finally hear the sound of the silence that suddenly surrounded us all. A little intimidating as I realized my sister was among the crowd but all the same. I leaned close to them below me. " I have been in this kingdom for a few days. And in the days I have been here I noticed something." Marissa gave me look similar to ( This is how you start?) I nodded slightly. She shrugged. I looked at the crab man. "Would you like to know what I''ve learned." The crab man huffed at me in disgust. "What should I know from an outsider who knows nothing? Lies!? Deceitful Ideas!? Perhaps the Queen but not I."


    He raised a claw and charged at me despite my size. "Perhaps I''m taking too long to explain..." I thought as he tried to stab my foot with his crusted claw only to have it bounce off. I scrunched up a toe and flicked him away. He hit the wall with a crunch before crumpling to the floor with a foaming mouth. The guards eyes grew wide from shock. Cradacus was known for his hard shell. Noone had been able to crack it. Even the queen with all her might. They stared at me as I once again began to shrink at their stunned expressions. Once I was their size I swam over and reached into a large bottle that was crusted into the crabs front. Inside was a leather note. Rolled into a nice tight scroll about the length of a fist.


    I unrolled the letter and read it quickly before handing it to the queen. She quizzically raised an eyebrow before taking it. She read the contents and snapped her fingers. Cradacus was seized by the guards within a moment and dragged before the queen. It didn''t take long for him to come around fortunately. " My lady... What happened." He groggily asked rubbing his head with a crusted yellow claw. She held the note before him.


    " Cradacus! I demand an explanation!" He turned his black eyes to see the page and noticeably paled. " M-my L-lady. That-that was a mere payment for an escort for the city seeing as we will be getting close to some inhabited areas of the ocean. I-I thought you would be able to find comfort in this thought."


    He knelt pleading before her. She looked at me as I smirked. "You have been under suspicion for months and you think you can talk your way out of this." I said loudly as I drifted to float beside her. The queens eyes had turned cold as she raised her hand. Her silver trident swam like an eel into her hand before solidifying once more. "Cradacus. You have been found guilty of high treason. Seeking the crown unlawfully. Seeking to destroy the rights of the people. And by this noted and signed letter which bears you seal. You have been found guilty. She handed the note to a fellow council member. The seahorse tailed one. His baritone voice filled the chamber as shock emanated off his face during the reading.


    "Here lies instructions on the cities travel paths and possible assault points. They''re even circled for where they should strike and how. Even the event from today is recorded here. Diagrams, possible weapons needed and weaknesses in our defenses. It took months for us to figure this out! And You give it away for a few trinkets of platinum and lure of the thrones power!" He threw the scroll to the side and dove at Cradacus intending to strangle him. The guards quickly surged forward to stand between the two. Cradacus hurriedly scurried to the side out of the way.


    "Why should I fall behind while the rest of you rise!? Most of you were recently appointed to your positions while I have been in mine for decades! DECADES!! And have not seen a profit from it. It is about time I got to see the gold and silver that adorned these halls and felt its touch! Should I not after so many years of loyalty!" He shouted against the roaring of the councilman against the guards.


    I puffed up my chest as my father''s words echoed through my mind.


    " Loyalties worth is not in the good years but when we are most tempted. Integrity is what happens when others arent around. As I have seen and heard of this people... you have neither. You have caused this people to fear you and your influence. Blackmailed some even. You have no chivalry or honor. Neither Integrity or Loyalty either. I have said my piece. With your leave your Majesty." I bowed to Marissa as she nodded her consent.


    I flowed away from the castle and into the city streets. The vendors were shouting out about their wares. " 3 Water Selkie Silk Shirts for 4 silvers!" A merman shouted. I looked and saw blue spider limbed people spinning webs into strands of thread that were fed to another that was weaving the threads into shirts. The silk was a brilliant white but glowed with a ghostly blue light. " Here! Here! Buy the best iron armor in all the city and for half the price! A 70 copper a piece!" A giant red crab shouted with his hammer raised. I looked inside his shop and saw many types of metal armor. But the thing that caught my attention was a smaller crab beating iron with it''s claw instead of a hammer. The claw was cracking but was leaving huge dents in the metal it was being beat against. "Smithing master! Why does the young one use the claw to beat the metal instead of a hammer?" The crab turned and one of his eyes wiggled a little. " My daughter is training her swing with her heavy claw. Once the old shell is gone it will finally be strong enough to hold a hammer." I nodded in understanding as ventured a little onward.


    I ventured here and there. The food in the stalls was good. Meat sticks and jelly fish buns that tasted like electrified jams of different kinds. Some stalls were swarming with people while others were like ghosts. But it was obvious why. Brothels. Noone goes to them in the day. Sets a bad image of anyone if they are noticed or seen at one. I sighed and continued swimming. " I''m telling you that he''s here. Who else could bear Aed''s mark and walk the earth?" I heard a woman whisper as I passed. Quiet began to descend on the streets as I swam through. Previously I had worn cloaks and hidden Aeds mark. Unfortunately I hadn''t thought much before hand today. I was without cover and exposed. It didn''t take long till I recieved what I thought might come. A rock was thrown the the back of my head and it bounced off one of my horns without getting a reaction at all. Fire doesn''t care for earth or provocation.


    Soon another followed. Then more till I had a swarm of them bouncing harmlessly off my skin. It wasn''t till one hit my eye that I turned around to see who was throwing the rocks. It was all the children that had previously been in the queens chambers. As soon as I turned around they all tried to run. I raised a hand and twisted my wrist. The mana flowed through the water and halted the children where they were as four walls suddenly surrounded them. There were at least 40 of them there. Kids with rocks still in hand. I twisted my hand and the walls changed into a sphere around the children.


    It began to spin slowly. The water in the sphere began to spin along with it. Soon the kids were being dragged around inside the sphere till they were literally spinning in the center. Many began to turn green but it really wasn''t long till I stopped making the water spin. I began to swim toward the castle with the kids in tow. I arrived in time to see the Cradacus being hauled away in chains screaming something about coming back and we''d see him soon. I went through the doors and Marissa turned and smiled at me till she saw the children in the ball behind me. " Unhand them right now!" She bellowed as she raised her trident at me. I calmly raised my hands and let a few out of the sphere to cry to their mother. Only a few did I keep behind.


    " Will you let me explain?" I said before she could get any more words out. She was still mad as a hatter at me but held her head considering I still had a couple of her kids. I explained quickly what happened and released her other kids when I was done. Her composure remained angry but coldly collected. I floated there and waited to be scolded. "Children... As I''ve said many times in the past. Do not lie when I ask something. Did you throw stones at Ignis due to rumors?" Her voice was level and cold. A couple merely hung their heads while others slowly nodded. The rocks in their hands were already screaming that they were guilty. As bad as I had been to them I had treated them lighter than if someone else had been in my shoes.


    I leaned against a pillar as she began to scold them all. Some tried to sneak away but had their back fins frozen so they sunk to the ocean floor from the weight and couldn''t leave. I sighed a little as I reached over and melted the ice as they began to sob a little in frustration. Marissa spent 30 minutes chastising her children till she turned to me. She pointed her finger at me. " I hope you listen. Because I will say this once. My children are mine to punish. Not yours. So. Keep your paws off." She hissed. I raised my eyebrows. " Very well. But I want you to know Sis . I treated them kinder than anyone else would have. They weren''t wounded. Just a little motion sick." I said as I turned to leave. I suddenly felt a weight on one of my legs.


    I looked down to see scylla with her tentacles wrapped around my left leg. I reached down and patted her head. "Is uncle Ignis leaving?" she asked quietly. I smiled as my heart warmed a little. " Not yet little one. Your mother and I are just having a little talk." I said as I reached into one of my bags and handed her a sea salt candy I had bought recently. She slowly took it, unwrapped it, and began to suck on it happily. Marissa looked on with her shoulders relaxing bit by bit as her heart warmed at the scene before her. 4 candies later Scylla finally let go of my leg and I was able to make my way to an inn in the city. I had decided that staying in the castle took far too much out of me. Politics is what the castle was made of and I wanted to keep my nose out of it. The inn was called the Coral Homestead. Homey in nature and had great food. Nothing I ate gave me any boosts or new abilities weirdly enough. I ended up asking Gluttony why. His response was rather simple.


    / I got tired of keeping track of levels and and simply put will be telling you when things get better. They will be classified by the following. Apprentice, Master, Emperor, and God Classes.


    Current Abilities and blessings are as follows.


    Job: Aed''s champion, Necromancer (Emperor and is bound to bloodline.)


    Emperor Class:


    Flame Monarch (Currently Gaining Power)


    Calamity Battle Set (Includes all elements in combination)


    (Breath, Claw, Tongue, and Tail)


    Molten Titan Body (Has now combined with M.E.R.)


    Shadow Strike


    Shadow Meld


    Shapeshift


    Master Class Abilities:


    Lulling Voice ( Needs to be practiced)/


    I was stunned at the overhaul. "Wow." I said in amazement. / Stop it. Your embarrassing me./

 Chapter 78 - Rulers of the Battlefield Part 1

    I was in the inn for the days that followed the incident with my nieces and nephews. I ended up doing odd jobs here and there. The crab smith was actually very welcoming due to Aeds blessing. I was even able to make some improvements to his metallurgy knowledge. His name was Crull and his daughter was Crivy. Their family had been Smith''s for generations. Not nearly as good as dwarves but all the same smithing ran in the blood.


    I was helping temper a trident that was ordered when a messenger from the palace arrived. " You have been summoned Sire." He handed me a scroll while saluting with a fist over his heart and a deep bow. I nodded my appreciation and opened the scroll. It was a simple request for me to attend a gathering at the castle grounds with her highness the queen. It didn''t say anything more than for me to attend at my earliest convenience.


    I plunged the trident into the bubble of oil that sat on the ceiling. The color changing slightly as I did so. I handed the trident to Crivy who nodded to me as I gently patted her small shell. I swam out toward the castle with the scroll in hand. It only took 10 minutes to get to the front gates. The guards saw the scroll and immediately let me in. I swam through and found my way to the dining hall. There was a large table where chairs were arranged. The room was filled with people and every eye locked onto me when I entered. My wings looked awkward and in all reality I didn''t have a single graceful water creature part to me besides my gills. It was obvious what they would be staring at. I finally had enough of the staring and activated my shapeshift. My arms remained but my wings shifted into tentacles that intertwined and braided themselves down my back like a strange cape. The attention that was on me suddenly dissipated as fast as anything. (Guess I made that awkward.) I hought with a slight chuckle. slowly moved around the crowd until I found a spot at the end of the table. The chair was oddly large and obviously stood out considerably. I stood by and admired the craftmanship of the piece. It was ornate and very well carved. Seemingly our of some kind of stone. "That was originally was my father''s chair." A small voice came from beside me making me jump. I looked down to see Scylla floating beside me looking at the chair with a sad expression. "I wonder when father will return. He''s been gone so long now..." I gently scooped her up in my arms and a smile suddenly came to her face. "He''ll come home when it''s time little one. Just like your Mother hopes." I said softly. I began to think of Sam back at the Dwarven Castle. ( Will she ever wake up from that state?) I wondered solemnly. I bell rang and people began to sit at the places that were indicated on the cards before their chairs. Mine just so happened to be next to the large chair. Metal plate were brought for the with food adorning them like an artist had spent forever piecing it together. We waited though. Marissa had yet to arrive. The doors at the end of the hall opened and Marissa flowed through. Every person stood and bowed in respect. I of course did a partial bow due to my size and awkward weight. She soon arrived at her spot at he large chair. I pulled it out for her so she could sit before gently pushing it in. " Thank you." She said quietly.


    I eased myself into my own seat as we all began to dine. It was a mix of fruits, veggies, and meats that were on the plate. It was a strange yet relaxing meal that I found myself enjoying. After the meal was over the palace servants came through and gathered the plates and utensils. That is when the true reason for the meeting was brought up. "My loyal Lords and Ladies. We have dire news that has been brought by our informants and guards. We will be laid siege to by the Croanoa Nation. I understand the possible misgivings you all are having but it is true.


    We were laid siege to 2 weeks ago by those same forces which were attempting to penetrate our cities walls. Thankfully... due to Sir Soulsmiths intervention we have been given a reprieve and have been able to shore up our defenses. " She raised a hand and gestured towards me with a graceful gesture.


    " Though it is unfortunate that he cannot stay with us much longer. We give our thanks for aiding our navy and allowing for our citizens safety to be ensured." She laid her hands on the table once more and her eyes took on a much more of a powerful and commanding energy. " Though you all have questions I will ask for you to hold them till this meeting ends. We have a plan to destroy our enemies as they come to our door. But that also requires our citizens to remain within the cities walls." The lords and ladies shifted uneasily and I could tell that one sentence made them nervous. The people relied on the world outside the cities walls to make a living and actually live. I could see why it made them nervous.


    The meeting was convened 2 hours later. The information I had recieved was mindblowing. Cradacus had been tortured for some of the information we now knew. I didn''t feel bad for him though. He was a sleezeball who would sell his own people to make a copper coin. The lords and ladies ventured out into the city once more. I had learned during the meeting that there was 12 lords and ladies that ruled over respective areas of the city. Industrial, mining, power, etc. Each had a role and part they governed and at the top sat Marissa. I swam about the city and found many of the shops had started closing peculiarly early. ( Word gets around here fast.) I thought as I ventured closer to the inn. It was packed. My room thankfully was reserved for however long I needed at 2 silvers a night. But with the amount of work I did and my connections to the queen it was lowered to 25 copper coins a night. My adventuring and getting materials as well as helping the blacksmith had brought in a fair sum.


    As I ventured through the crowd I noticed a few people who just felt shady. I quickly nodded to the inn keeper who was a squid woman and up the tube I went to my room. I forgot to mention how the inn is laid out here. Since everyone swims here there is no need for stairs. So instead they use tubes. Large 6 feet in diameter tubes that go between all the floors. Currents help finless people get around but otherwise it''s easy enough. I got to the room and found a package on my bed. It was a box made of a type of coral. It looked harmless but my instincts screamed something was wrong. A note was sitting on top. I opened it to find slightly blotched but otherwise legible writing. " The show in he palace was spectacular. Unfortunately I am not amused. Come out the city on the north tonight or a precious someone you know dies. P.S. Tell noone or she dies anyway." My eyes widened as I slowly opened the box and saw something laying inside on a satin cloth. A small tentacle made of black and blue material. I would know it anywhere. Scylla''s. My mind went blank for only a moment before my rage took hold. I roared in anger and the building vibrated. My Calamity Class Aura shot through the roof and in every direction. I shot out of the inns window and saw the shady people from the inn hurriedly swimming away in terror.


    I shot toward them and grabbed the first one. I ripped his head off and swallowed him whole. The second and third tried to flee in different directions but to no avail. The one on my left left out a scream of pain as he got a spike of ice in the back. The one on my right had the fortune of only being contained in a coffin shaped earth lump. His head was sticking out and he was struggling in terror to get away. He had a head like a seahorse and bloodshot eyes. I reached up and grabbed his face, moving it so he could see his buddy behind me. " If you don''t want to die like him. You will tell me who sent you and where they are." I growled. The water was heating up in steaming bubbles around me. Anger didn''t even suit the brutality I had just shown. This was rage. Pure, Brutal, Relentless, and out for blood.


    " We got paid 10 silver to drop off the box. We didn''t know what was in it. I swear! The guy said to come back when it was recieved. Go to the bar off of the main street on black shell road! We were supposed to ask for Marcell! I swear! I swear!" The horseman cried out in a squeaky voice. I let go of his face and thought about what to do for a couple seconds. I opened my mouth wide and placed it over his head. " Nononononono!" He cried out. I didn''t bite off his head. I decided to do something much worse. I breathed out the illusion gas I had gotten a while a go. Since it takes alot of gas to work underwater I had to get close. He began to scream bloody murder as he began to see his worst nightmares. Bloody nightmares and horrible things he''d done. The very worst nightmares that any being would pee themselves thinking about.


    After that I ate his friend in a back alley. I got the spearmanship skill (novice) and enhanced water vision. Other than that it was materials. "I have to move." I muttered. I turned and shot toward the black shell road. It was a noted street in the city for it''s back market and other more promiscuous business dealings. When I got there I quickly asked around for bar. Having to turn down a few vendors and women on the way. When I got there I booted in the door with enough force for there to be an explosion of dust and the door slammed the opposing wall. Every head turned as the dust cleared and I walked through. I hadn''t tuned down my aura and in this room I couldn''t feel a single presence capable of threatening me. A bouncer shot at me and all it too was a flick of my wrist to send him flying. In my previous life I had been a peaceful being. Take the beating over fighting it. You''d be able to live better. Since I had been born in this world I had long since learned that that philosophy was a lie.


    After the guard was sent flying I roared into the group. " Where is Marcell!?" Everybody cleared to reveal a man sitting in the back with 2 women on him. He had a sharks teeth but a humanistic head. A fin went down his head and he was a pale bluish white. He didn''t even flinch when I entered or as I walked through the crowd to stand before him. "So... turns out 10 Silvers is all it takes to anger someone the queen values." He said. His voice was a smooth baritone and cold as ice. My tail lashed out and shot him into the wall. He then crumpled like a paper bag to the floor.


    " Where. Is. She?" I growled as I hauled him off the ground. " Hahahaha. Who said I had her little lizard. Maybe you should check outside the walls." He retorted with a slightly bloody grin as he waved his hands around nonchalantly. I slammed him into the floor so hard his face would be engraved there for generations. But he was such a sc.u.mbag that that was all it took to kill him. I swam towards the city gates as fast as I could manage. The city guards attempted to stop me. Unfortunately my hid is tough and they were to weak to stop a runaway train let alone me. I rammed the doors and opened them. Afterwards I quickly closed them knowing the enemy would try to enter the city while I was gone. I shot upwards to get a better view of the sea floor. The north of the city was lit up like a Christmas tree. Yet somehow noone could see it from the city. I rocketed toward it only to bounce off what seemed to be a barrier. I turned to see Marrissa holding a coral box in her hands. One identical to the one left in my room. I raised my eyes to her and she nodded. I was released and she swam beside me. " What''s the plan?" She said as we approached the lights. " You find Scylla. I annihilate them all." I growled as we grew closer. "I thought I was blood thirsty. Why are you going so far for my daughter? Even though I told you to leave them all alone." Marissa asked quietly.


    "Anyone who harms a child. Especially my niece is going to die. There are no exceptions." I said. I''m not noble. I''m not cool.I just knew it was wrong. And something that wrong needed to be extinguished. I noticed a small glitter off to the right. I swivelled around Marissa and caught a harpoon aimed at her. It was tipped with silver and gold. I inspected it before showing it to her. She paled slightly.


    " Silver hurts you?" I said in slight shock. She nodded. "I got bit by a werewolf at one point in my travels. I didn''t transform thankfully. But I now have a Vulnerability to silver. "Well... This just got interesting." I said as I looked at the harpoon.

 Chapter 79 - Rulers of the Battlefield Part 2

    The harpoon changed things. It changed alot of things as they stood. I looked at Marissa. "Did Cradacus know of this?" I asked with my eyes locked on her. She wrung her hands in frustration. "I never told him. Extremely few know of my condition. Even fewer people know of the werewolf I fought." She said as she wrung her hands still. I turned toward where the harpoon was thrown. My senses couldn''t pick up anybody. But I searched anyway. I looked at Marissa as she stayed a little ways away. "Do you have any abilities that will come in handy against those sort of things?" She shook her head. "I''m not like you. You probably have hundreds of abilities acquired. It took me a couple centuries to learn 15 and have them mastered. 5 of them are useful in battle." She huffed at me.


    I grinned a little. "Might be best if you sit this one out. I''ll take out the silver weapon stashes. once those are gone I''ll give a signal. you''ll know it." I started forward. " No you won''t!" She shouted at me. "Shhhhhh!" I said with a finger to my mouth. " That''s my daughter down there. If you are going then so am I." She said bluntly. I looked at her. " Do you want me to have to explain to your daughter how you got taken out by a shiny object or live long enough to see your daughter and rampage on the people who took her?" I asked with a huff. Marissa stopped for a second to actually think about it. "I will wait. But if I don''t hear anything in the next 10 minutes I will be coming down." She said with her eyes meeting mine. " Fair enough." I said.


    I swam into the shadowy parts of the water and circled around the lit part. I managed to find a fair vantage point that was close enough to see what was going on but not close enough to hear anything. I looked about the camp. It was swarming with crab folk and merfolk. A single tower stood in the middle with a guard looking over everything. I smirked a little as I slid back and figured out how to get inside. I forced the earth to move beneath me and made a tunnel through the sand. I went beneath the group in less than 5 minutes. Using my earth sense I managed to find a cage that scylla was holed up in. 2 of her tentacles gone but otherwise unharmed. I''ve heard tentacles grow back. But that really was just my Hope''s speaking. I didn''t know for certain. I had the earth swallow her quickly and I pried it open faster than a can opener. She was balling in fear. Realizing how terrifying being bearied alive is I quickly consoled her. "It''s ok. It''s ok sweetheart. Let''s get you home." She nuzzled into my chest and I felt the heat burn in my heart. ( They hurt her. Time for them to pay. I reached up and felt for every shred of metal within the vicinity. I found the silver stockpile first. mostly coins but there was quite a few silver harpoons, tridents, and even a sword. But in the end I didn''t give a damn. The ground swallowed them as well. I made sure to make the metal shred itself to teeny tiny pieces of sand sized specks as I did so. I decided it was time to send the signal. I whipped up my hand and the ground exploded upwards. Screams echoed through the water as people were suddenly buried left and right I put scylla behind me in my upper arms and shielded her with my wings. I rose from the ocean floor looking like an demon of hell being unleashed from its prison.


    " You bastards hurt my niece. Die!" I roared. Dragons cry wasn''t with me but that didn''t mean squat. I had trained alone for years with only my claws, wits and abilities. This was no different. I grabbed and tore, Bit and Ate. All while covering Scyllas ears and eyes of course. She''d already have nightmares of tonight. I didn''t need to give her anymore reason to. Marissa joined the fray and grabbed a trident. I admit I thought I was brutal. She was a monster. She shifted into her draconic form. It was 60 feet long with tentacles here and there. But She also had front and back claws. Her Claws shined white in the darkness. Her eyes the very image of savagery. " You sons of 8!¡Â€#€$ hurt my little girl! None of you will live to see tomorrow!" She roared as she went through the camp. It was like seeing a tsunami roll through dry land. Every being was wiped away. Not even blood remained. Bones were dusted and skin was turned to sea foam. She said she only 5 skills that were useful for battle but it was evident that those skills were heavily OP.


    I managed to get some of my fill in by sending the stragglers back into the fray. It was quite comical really. I got my kicks fro. seeing mama dragon annihilating everybody in her path. Till only one being remained. A lone crabman. He stood there with a trident on the ground defenseless. "I didn''t know about your daughter. All I knew was that we were given orders to be here!" He shouted. I raised an eyebrow and brought scylla out of hiding and set her in my front arms. I floated over to Marissa. " We need a witness... We also need someone to tell us how they got the weapons and sent them after you." I whispered. She nodded with a sigh. " But can I kill him after?" She asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "Up to you sis." I said. "Mother!" Scylla cried out when she noticed her mother. Marissa instantly shrank to her normal size. I glared at the crabman and he froze in place before he could even try to run.


    I leaned over and grabbed his shoulder. "You''ll be coming with us or I''ll make you into fishbait." I growled. He nodded emphatically. We spent an hour or so getting back to the city. It was a quiet swim with little to no interference from anything. Just startled fish mostly. When we returned the guards let us through and kindly gave us some chains to use for our friend. When we got back to the castle I handed him over to the guards and Marissa went to bed with Scylla. I doubt she''d let her out of her sight for a while. We still had the question of the silver to solve for tommorrow. The funny thing is Marissa loved silver. So it was ironic that the one metal she loved most was the one that could kill her.


    I ventured around the castle and asked the staff who normally loked after Scylla. Many replied that a servant by the name of Orville was the youngest and most energetic hence he was best able to serve her. I searched for Orville. Unfortunately I couldn''t find him after 2 days of searching. Neither could any other of the guards or servants in their activities. We searched his room and found a journal that was worn around the edges and filled with scrawled letters. I brought it to Marissa seeing as she was the one who could read blotched letters better than I ever could. She read it and studied over it for several days before coming to tell me anything.


    I was called to the study by one of the maids.


    The room I''m talking about is the one that was covered in journals and was filled with kids. When I arrived I found the room clean, clear of children, and a desk covered in a mountain of journals that acted like a barrier for the person buried underneath. I knocked loudly on the entryway. "You may enter." I heard a muffled voice from beneath the books. I floated through and tapped on the book mountain. "Sis... You gonna come out or do you need help so you don''t destroy the books?" I asked as I turned about the room with a slight grin on my face. After a moment I heard a muffled " Please." I smiled even wider as nostalgia hit me. We had had a large library back home which Marissa would cover herself in like a pig in mud. It was a common occurrence that I had to dig her out of said mountain so she could come eat.


    After half an hour I was able to see her head and 15 minutes later she swam out of the pile holding two books. Orville journal and another book made of blue scaled material. "I have been hunting through the books to find someone Orville was in contact with. A person by the name of Larimer. Turns out he was an old adventurer friend of mine. Also turns out Larimer had a son. Not only did he have a son but he had a son with a mermaid who currently is buried in the graveyard within this city. Larimer was never one to keep his bull in so I would wager he had many a partner in his days. Now Orville has written that he was contacted by Larimer 10 days ago with an offer. He doesn''t say what but I would wager his disappearance was because of Scyllas abduction." She said as she opened the journals and compared them to each other. I read over them quickly. Marissa''s handwriting was better than I expected and was very easy to read. " But it says here that Larimer died 60 years ago... How could he contact anyone from beyond he grave without a necromancer present? Not to mention even a necromancer cant stop a corpse from rotting or bones from disintegrating from weathering." Marissa shook her head. " Half human. Larimer was a half elf. They have ways of overturning the human side and becoming a complete elf or human. It all depends on connections. He could still be alive. We just need to find him."


    I nodded as I lightly tapped my chin. I thought about it for a moment. "What kind of person was this Larimer?" I asked. Marissa thought for a moment. " He was a lovestruck idiot but and honest man. Anyone could ask him anything. We just avoided giving him liquor. That was mostly due to liquor being like truth serum. One shot of wine would have him singing like a shadow siren to a gravedigger selling corpses." She said. "Honestly I''m not surprised if he let the secret slip. But that also means our assault came from the continent of water. Melra." She crossed her arms and paced back and forth in front of the boom mountain. I raised an eyebrow as another question came to mind.


    "By the way Marissa... How did you get bit by a werewolf... when they''ve been extinct for a couple centuries now?" I asked slowly. She stopped pacing and seemed to cringe a little.


    "After the city sank my parents only had me. They were very overbearing and tried to keep me close. Unfortunately I was a bit young and restless. So I went adventuring for a time. I had already been chosen as Vara''s champion when I left so I thought noone would try anything. I was wrong. A couple days after I arrived on Weremar I was attacked by a group of werewolves. The prince at the time was among them. I clawed, bit, and killed my way out of there. But I was covered in bites and I ended up spending a night in a lagoon eating wolfsblight roots and praying I wouldn''t change. For several nights I waited. Then.... a tracker found me. My parents were wise enough to always have someone following me around. When I got back my parents were furious. I spent a few days in a my room under tender care but I was unable to leave. It was later I heard how Vara annihilated the continent in her rage. I visited later to find a place of ice, water, and death." She sat on a chair before the large window behind the desk.


    " I realized my aversion to silver after accidentally touching some silverware at dinner with my parents. My hands had steamed and were instantly covered in blisters. It took weeks to heal. I rarely left home without guards after that. Hence my lack of combat arsenal." She sighed. I nodded as I raised on of my wings. The lowest one on my right side had a scar still. I didn''t understand how. But I figured I''d leave that topic alone. " This is from my time in a forest. As you know I was a familiar once. But I was growing to fast for my tamer. So they sent me off to live in a forest while she got better. I lived in that forest for 4 years. I suffered through a monster stampede for crying out loud. But that wasn''t the worst of it. I had an enemy in that forest. A Scaled Lion as they are called. Nasty bugger. I met him a few times. One of them left me with this. A constant reminder that I need to always stay on guard." I spread the wing wide so she could see clearly. It had expanded with my growth apparently. It was white and puckered. But it didn''t hurt.


    Marissa reached out and touched it. It was a strange sensation. Even Sam never touched my wings. " Seems like we both went through hell." She whispered. I smirked a little. " Yeah. But I rose out of it. Why? Every hell needs an angel." I said with a chuckle and unfurled all my wings. Marissa almost died laughing.

 Chapter 80 - Back To The Roots

    It was only a few days after Scylla''s incident that I suddenly felt the need to return to the dwarven empire. I couldn''t explain it better than my gut was saying something was wrong. I spent a couple days saying my good byes and giving Scylla a few candies and a small toy dragon to remember me by. I said good bye to Marissa who gave me a letter addressed to the king of Belmac. It was a letter stating she wanted an alliance between the two kingdoms. And seeing as we all had lined up interests it made sense. Protect the people we care about. Not to mention that Marissa and Kyle were good people. There was a feast held in my honor the last day there. The food was delicious despite my embarrassment about being high in the public''s minds. Though it was dark when I left. That night I found I couldn''t sleep. I packed a sack with the trinkets and things I''d gotten in my time here including a journal of my experiences and left. The guards waved me through without any hesitation and I made my way out of the city. "Uncle Iggy wait!" I heard a girlish cry echoed behind me. I turned to see Scylla swimming toward me. Her front two tentacles were still bandaged but I saw they had grown slightly longer which was comforting to some degree.


    I floated there till she swam and tackled my midsection. I moved back a little from the impact. But she probably hurt her forehead from head butting me. "Don''t leave uncle!" She cried as I lightly patted her head. "I''ll be back... Might take a while little one. But I''ll be back." She looked up at me with her eyes obviously crying but the sea water wicked away her tears. My heart softened a bit as I patted her small head. "It''ll be alright small one. Noone will hurt you while I''m away. Maybe when you are grown you will see the world above. Once you''ve grown that strong come and find me." I said as I lightly stroked her hair back.


    "Now... Your mother will be worried if you aren''t home. Go. I''ll see you soon." I said turning her around and patting her back giving her a push toward the gates again. She swam crying back to the city. As she swam I saw a shadow dart toward her. A sliver of one of my bracelets shot out and nailed it to the ocean floor. Scylla entered the city safely without noticing a thing. Once she was gone I swam down and hauled whoever it was away from the floor. I didn''t find some horrible monster. I found Orville staring me in the face with his abdomen pierced by a nail shaped piece of metal. I swam dragging his unconscious bleeding form up to the gates and knocked. The guards quickly opened the door. I requested a set of cuffs and recommended they send a request for an audience with the queen. I then turned around and left. I didn''t need to know what kind of horrors she would do to him. I already knew you dont screw with a bear cub when the mother''s close by.


    After that sad parting I went ahead and swam to the surface. It didnt take long at all to breach the waters surface. I burst out with as much force as I could muster. forced open my wings and caught the air as much as I could. The cold breeze felt nice going through the feathers, fur, and along the scales of my wings. It had been long enough for me to miss it. I breathed deeply and ended up vomiting out water. I barely managed to stay flying despite my upchucking. My ribs hurt a little afterwards to say the least. After that fiasco I took another deep breath and shot toward the closest indicated land. I found a small island instead of the dwarven continent which made me turn red with embarrassment as I realized I had no idea where I was actually going. I pulled a compass out of my sack and found which way was north and then headed west. It took me a few days to reach it. I ended up swimming a good chunk of the way as well.


    When I finally reached a beach it had been 3 days of travelling and it felt really good to be on land. It was sunny and I could almost swear it was around noon when I pulled myself onto the beach. I sighed as I sank my toes into the hot sand and felt a strong earthen pulse rush through me. ( Yes hello ground. I missed you too.) I smiled at my ridiculousness. I then took measure of where I was and took flight. I flew high enough into the sky to see where I was. I was quite a ways from the capital by the looks of things. I took a look at my map and found I was right close to The City of Crystal. That was if I was reading it right. I turned right a bit. " Should reach it this way." I hummed as I flew in the direction North West of where I was. It only took me a day to reach it. Though things didnt look right. Smoke poured from behind the walls and my rail gun looked like it had melted and turned into the wrong kind of candy cane.


    "What happened here?!" I said as my heart began to race. I shot toward the castle and suddenly heard someone shout. " Fire at the demon!" I saw a tall human standing with a bunch of archer in front of the castle. The arrows that were shot bounced harmlessly off of me and they began to panic. "It must be a high demon! Go get the bishop!" The captain said. I looked at him and with a whisk of the tail he was thrown off the wall to crash to his death. "Why are you humans here in my friends castle?!" I bellowed. They began to quiver as one of them ran toward the church. I paid that one no heed.


    "B-By command of King Belrad we were stationed here!" One of the skinny archers shouted. His voice was high and shaky. I looked over the remains of the town. "Where are the people?" I rumbled out. A different archer answered. He was older and seemed to care far less about things. "We was told to chase them off the land. But all of them somehow managed to fit into that castle there see?" He pointed behind him. The doors were heavily barricaded and with all manner of stones and crates. I nodded at them. Very well then. Tell the commander here that if he wishes to leave this place alive that he is to vacate before Aed''s champion goes berserk." Said as I lightly patted the old mans shoulder and moved past. The skinny one turned around. "Good luck moving all those! Took us days to move them all!" He said and instantly regretted it. A wave of my hand made the stones slide away from the double doors.


    The archers buggered off faster than roadrunner on loonie toons. I knocked on the door loudly. "If the dwarves don''t open the damn door for one of their own how are they supposed to get good news!?" I bellowed close to the door. I heard a crowd of thumping as suddenly the door was pushed slightly open and a gold hand reached out. "By Aeds beard. It is you! He''s Back!" A rumbling voice called out which was quickly followed by cheering and a cacophony of mixed crying, laughing, and merry making. I suddenly heard a hurrumph come from behind me. I looked through the crack. "You all stay inside. seems I have business to take care of." Hargo nodded quickly before shuttling people away from the door as I closed it.


    I turned after the door closed with a thud to find a thickly muscled man standing before me. He stood 6''4 and must have weighed over 200 from the muscles he was packing. He wore no armor. Instead he was shirtless and had on green and red striped trousers. He looked me dead in the eyes without a shred of fear before he spoke. "I am Commander Abernathy of the 7th Great infantry unit of Weremare. I have heard you gave my men orders to give me. I take order from nobody but the king. So..." He stepped toward me as one of his little officers handed him what looked to be a large halberd. "Who are you to command me?!" He roared as he swung his blade at my chest. Surprisingly it left a nice long scratch across my scaled pecs. I looked down and saw the smallest line of blood leak out of me before the wound quickly closed.


    He went to take another swing while I was looking at my chest. One of my arms reached over and caught the halberd just below the blade. "You know... It''s been too long since I''ve seen my own blood." The pain was refreshing. Reminding me of when I had once been small.


    The men''s faces turned pale as Aeds mark began to shine bright orange against my skin.


    "I am Ignatious Soulsmith the Champion of Aed. And you Mr Abernathy... Have just pissed off your worst nightmare." The commanders eyes widened as I lifted him off his feet just by holding his halberd. I then proceeded to chuck him into the church. He smashed through the oak doors which probably broke his back. But I didnt care. Humans really dont matter to me with exception to one. And anybody else besides her is going to die if I can help it. I strode over to the church and found the commander standing in front of Aeds alter. His pants were rags and he didnt look amused. "Back''s not broken Eh?" I asked without really caring. He spat out a little blood. "I do this for sport." He said as his eyes turned black. "Hmmm? That''s odd that is with your eyes. Is that supposed to do something besides look pretty?" He growled and charged at me. He was much faster than most people. Still not faster than me though. He swung a fist at my face which I caught easily and threw him into the wood pews. He smashed through them and still stood upright. Though this time was different. His arm was crooked in the wrong way. He looked down and before my eyes his bones shifted to correct themselves. His torso began to sprout fur as his face elongated. ( I see where this is going.) I thought. I was less shocked than I was impressed. figures that the king would send an assault team led by a werewolf of all things. Soon the man who had stood 6''4 now stood close to 9 feet tall and bore a tank of a body on him. He lunged at me. "Down boy!" I shouted as I slammed a tail onto his shoulders and sent him toppling. "Can you still talk pooch or are you more inclined to bark?" He spun and charged at me " You bastard!" He shouted. "Talking it is!" I smiled as I let myself expand. I grabbed him in one of my hands and charged out of the church so I didnt destroy it. I expanded to my full height of 60 feet. The poor pooch was the perfect size of a ball in my hand. "Have a nice flight. Maybe tell the King I''ll be evening the score when I see him?" I got a disgruntled and offensive f¡Á€¡ê off sign for my answer. "Whatever suits you best." I pulled my arm back and hauled off like a pitcher. His black furred hide flew off into the distance before anything else could be said.


    I slowly shrank back down to my normal size to find most of his military force had gathered before me with their weapons drawn. "What? Not going to check on him? Might be best if all of you went. I can''t really remember how far he went or what direction I threw him so it''ll take a while to find him." I said pointing over my shoulder at the still flying black speck. They all dispersed quickly and ran to get out of the city. I knocked again on the door and it quickly opened. "Everything alright Ignis? We heard a ruckus?" Hargo and Kyle said in unison and then they saw the dust clouds and the destroyed church doors.


    " Yep. Everything''s ok. Just had to clean up a dog who didn''t know what he was biting." I said as I patted my hands together to get all the dust off them. "Now." I said looking at them both. My face showed both concern and a look of demanding an explanation. "Where is Samantha?" I asked. Hargo and Kyle looked at each other sadly before Hargo spoke up.


    "They took her mate. Didn''t even have a chance at keeping her safe or nothin. They just hit and ran before the major attack happened." I felt my blood temperature rising. Steam began to pour off my body as I stomped over to the open area and paced between the church and castle. More and more steam came off of me as my anger took hold. "I was supposed to protect her! I WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER!" I roared at the sky as a jet of multi elemental breath shot into the clouds. The clouds turned dark and lightning began to crackle in them. Thunder rumbled as I felt my temper level and I looked at the dwarves. "Get me my tools. I have a weapon to build." I growled

 Chapter 81 - Weapons of Old

    I ventured down to the dwarven smithy. Many dwarves had been in here but since had cleared out. Many had left behind temporary lean-to''s and still smoking campfires. I didn''t stop until I found what I was looking for. A stack of gold colored bars. They had streaks of black that seemed to writhe and move in a strange way. It was like serpents moving about. Kyle touched my hip hesitantly. "If you go down this road... there''s no turning back." He said with a low rumble. "I understand. But there is no other way." I growled as I picked up the first piece. You see. The reason Kyle warned me about doing this was for one reason. Dwarves rarely made something specifically because it was a weapon. To make a weapon was to tarnish ones hands with the blood that would be shed. But I didn''t care about reputation. I was a familiar. What reputation would I ever have without being able to protect the one person I was meant to. I felt the bar in my hands. The weight seemed to shift ever so slowly as I picked up the bar. I breathed flames into the forge. All the kinds I had to make my weapon.


    I held the bar in the fires. Crackling electrical, ghost, living, etc. All my flames were combined into one powerful flame. As I held the bar I saw the shadows writhe in what seemed to be agony. I suddenly felt something enter my hand and I looked at my red arm. Shadowy tendrils went up my arm as seemed to creep up toward my chest.


    / This thing within your body has a familiar air to it. I feel something... Pride?/ Gluttony seemed to know this thing that was entering my body. Suddenly the tendrils surged out of the metal and into my core to form a single wriggling black dot in the center of my chest.


    I heard a deep voice like a person speaking out of a barrel. /Is that Gluttony? I feel?/ It grunted out. I was shocked. /It really is you old friend!"/ Gluttony replied. I stopped for a few moments and listened to them jabber between themselves. I sighed as I realized I wouldn''t get any answer out of them. I grabbed another bar only to get the same result. I sighed even heavier as I went through the bars of demon metal and the spot on my chest grew to fill my torso in black. I eventually ran out of the tainted metal and just went with the empty demon metal. It glowed red and with my grip it was like putty. I pulled it out of the flames and onto the the anvil. I pulled out a great hammer which weighed 20 pounds. I hauled off on it. I focused on my smithing while Gluttony and Pride talked. I moved according to my memory. The swinging was rhythmic as my anger took hold. One of my swings hit and the vibration shook my arm heavily. I felt a tickle and looked down to see a line of blood going down my arm. I sighed and just kept hammering. The blood went onto the metal with a sizzle and smoke. For some reason my Immortal Dragon Body wasn''t working but I didn''t mind.


    I kept hammering and hammering. I turned it and heated it. I formed my weapon slowly and methodically. The back part was a scythe sitting about 5 feet long. The front part was a square spiked hammer sitting 2 feet by 2 feet. I began to forge the handle of my warhammer. It was as tall as I was at 9 feet. My blood kept sizzling against the metal as I moved. The metal was gaining a blue and red color along with the blue. I felt a strange connection to the weapon as I hammered and plunged the metals into the tempering water and oil. Energy filled the weapon with destructive forces as I worked it. The metal warped in places and then sucked back into it''s normal form. It was like a snake wrestling against the captive skin it was trying to molt out of. I melted demon metal onto it as I sought to make sure it wouldn''t break. I didn''t even need to forge it in. A snapping golden mouth shot out and began to breeding eat up the molten metal. I was startled at the ferocity and liveliness of it. "No metal in existence should move like this." I said under my breath in shock. Kyle watched in interest like a scientist watching an experiment. "Extraordinary. Look at how it eats the metal like a dragon. It''s like its alive." He said and started backing away. The handle of the blade suddenly snapped at the finished blade and hammer on the table fusing wih them. The top pieces snapped together like they were one. The energy crackled through the blade and hammer as well. Still the blade consumed. It literally jumped from the anvil to the pile of demon metal ingots. It began to eat the ingots whole. It size began to expand till the hand was 12 feet long and a 6 inches wide. The scythe extended to 6 feet long and the hammer grew to 3 feet by 3 feet. After the demon metal was gone it hopped over to some steel ingots. After eating seven of the damn things it finally calmed down. The steel melted throughout the piece as I approached. The snapping had stopped and the piece was resting. Growing on the ground like a hibernating snake after an enormous meal. The handle grew and grew till it stood at 14 feet and the blade remained at 6 feet long. Swirls spread through the handle and into the blade and hammer. the top of the weapon swelled suddenly. It then deflated leaving a dragons head design. The dragon held the blade in its maw and its tail wrapped around the hammer.


    I grimly picked up the weapon. It was still hot. But as it cooled I saw everything that was beautiful about it. My blood speckled the piece with blue, red, and black. The grey steel was the swirls that spread through everything connecting it all. It was beautiful. Deadly. But beautiful. As I held it the weapon hummed in my hand. But it didn''t hum comfortingly. I felt killing intent eminating from it in waves. I growled at it releasing my catastrophe class aura. It actually calmed down some but I still felt like it was growling at me like a pissed off kitten. It was still steaming with heat as I held it but I felt comfortable. The weight was right. It was heavy and I could feel my connection to it. "I will kill with this. And with this I will lay waste to the kingdom of Weremar. And once it is laid to waste the king will be buried with you embedded in his charred body. Nothing will stop me from this." It vibrated in my grip almost like it agreed with the idea.


    Kyle was standing off to the side and staring at the weapon in my hands. His face was pale and sweat rolled off him like he was overheating. Hargo had come rumbling down the stairs and saw what I held in my hands. The killing intent still leaking out of the weapon. "You will bear no name like those before you. So the enemy will be humiliated by a nameless one. A silent cry of fear to drown itself in blood. This I promise you." I said to it. It once again vibrated. This time symbols began to form on the handle and blade. Strange symbols that felt ancient and foreign. I knew what was happening though. The blade was being marked by dwarven souls so it wouldn''t run rampant.Dwarven Smith''s of generations had been here and most never truly left but decided to be guardian spirits of this place.


    The symbols covered the weapon from stem to stern till only the sharp part of the blade remained uncovered. I sighed in relief as they finished scrawling themselves across the metal. I stared at it in my hands. This thing I made. And felt my resolve tighten down. I moved and grabbed some cloth to wrap this thing in. It took many to get it appropriately covered but I managed. I wouldn''t even try to make a scabbard for this thing. It would be buried soon enough.


    I grabbed a few belts and strapped the thing to my back. Dragons Cry shivered and shimmied away from it. I looked at Hargo then Kyle. "I look forward to drinking in the mines of heaven with you both. Till we meet again." I said as I patted Hargo on the shoulder and walked up the stairs. When I exited the castle they both came tumbling out before standing up and trying to look serious. "And may the earth be a bed of gold for us to drink to and the sky be full of wine." They called. It was an old dwarven prayer reserved for wars and battles. In case I didn''t return. I opened my wings wide and rocketed into the sky.


    I was in the sky for only a moment before shooting southward with the wind. The air howled past me as I flew. Storm clouds brewed dramatically behind me as my energy filled the air unconsciously. I never stopped flying. Every once in a while I would dive at an unsuspecting bird and fry it to eat. That only helped with my flight muscles. As I flew I felt a sudden chill fill the air as snowflakes began to fly about me. In the clouds behind me I sensed the coldest presence I''ve ever felt up close. "What are you doing here Vara?" I shouted out into the wind. She smugly flew through the air laying on a large snowflake. Her clothes had changed into a white tunic and blue leathers for flying.


    "I decided to try to have a decent view for what''s coming. We have been sitting,waiting, and expecting someone to laze Weremar to the ground. Of all the kingdoms only Weremar was never supported by us Gods. Been ages since I wiped out the werewolves. With exception to one I''ve found out." Vara said as she relaxed on her ice plate.


    I rolled my eyes a bit at her comments. My flight didn''t slow at all as I listened to her ramble a bit. It wasn''t long till I heard a rumbling chortle behind me. I c.o.c.ked my head a bit and turned back to see what was behind me. What I saw was a little shocking. A serpent covered wings of all sizes and types. feathered and webbed. All kinds. It had no legs but the wings were everywhere. Its serpentine head was bright gold and its eyes like sapphires. Lightning raced around it and through it''s wings and body.


    I screamed out in shock and terror. "Kukulkan!" I felt my wing beats pick up in speed. I heard a reedy voice echo through the winds behind me. "I''m not here for you tiny! The storm you conjured seemed fun so I thought I would be entertained for a bit." He said. I suddenly heard very entertained laughter echo from my right. "Aed! You could have warned me you were bringing friends!" I shouted. He laughed even more.


    I shook my head a little in frustration. As I flew the Gods flew about laughing amid the storm. Only Aed truly took a look at what was on my back. "You really are aiming to kill him... aren''t you?" Aed asked. The killing intent from my weapon was still strong but it was bearable. For it''s size it was enormous. But at the same time I felt as light as a feather. "He took what was mine. I already warned him. What comes next is merely karma." I said as my heated gaze was aimed at the sunrise that was gracing the horizon.

 Chapter 82 - Ways to Destroy

    It took 2 days to reach Weremars vast shoreline. The Gods had retreated back to the heavens and had merely appeared to say they were watching more intently. So the remaining time I traveled I was alone. I landed on the sandy beaches and let the earth''s energy surge through me. My sore wings felt rejuvenated by it. But I still felt the slight stiffness in my muscles. I started walking toward a nearby town. As I approached this small village something felt off. It was quiet. I had been around a few villages in my travels and they all managed to have some form of noise. Cowbells would ring, or the Ba of sheep. If they had a smithy... well lets just say noise is the profession. But I heard nothing. As I approached I felt a chill in the air. I smelled smoke and charred flesh. I entered the village to find every home burned to the ground and the people burned at the stake. Dozens of them. Men, women, even children. I felt the anger within my chest as I pulled the weapon from my back. "Feed on their corpses. Sustain yourself on their grief, fear, and hatred of the kingdom." I commanded it. The dragons head came alive and shot out of my hand toward the charred remains. I turned about the village and started looking for whatever was left among the burnt houses. I found no gold or silver. Nothing really of worh except a single soldier who was buried beneath some ashes. His chest plate had a wolf''s head emblazoned on it. It was the Weremar insignia for their military. "You probably are the one setting the fires. Good thing Karma got you before I could." I grunted. I heard the crunching of the weapon on the corpses and kept looking about.


    It wasn''t long till the weapon joined me again. It slithered up my back to rest in its wrapping again. It had grown heavier so my body grew a little to accommodate for it. I went forward from there. My strength had increased exponentially since the last time I was here. As I passed the village gates I heard whispers and turned to see many shadow people standing in the dark. "You all... want revenge dont you?" I said. Many of them nodded as their haunted whispers echoed through the air. I held the weapon out to them. If you wish to experience killing the king join with the weapon and at his death be released. If not I will help you move on." A few of the spirits came forward and turned into whisps of black that entered the weapon. They kept coming till only a few remained in the shadows. I nodded at them and they nodded back. I formed a circle with my hands and began to chant the words that sent them to the other side. A white halo appeared around them as the ground beneath them turned into a white disk. In only a moment they were released from this world.


    I sighed heavily and continued onwards. Gluttony suddenly got talkative as we went on. / Your job can be upgraded now./ "To what?" I asked in slight amus.e.m.e.nt. / You have 2 options. Lord Of Shadows is one while Lord of Blood is the other./ He said. I grunted "What do they do?" / Lord of shadows amplifies your stealth and compatability with the dead while Lord of Blood just increases the destructive capabilities you posses along with plague powers. Blood can then be controlled and if you wanted to you can even make blood minions./ I thought about it for a moment. "Is there a way to combine the two? I like my stealth abilities but I know that plague is able to add a final touch to my abilities." I heard it rustle in my mind and the voice of pride began to laugh. /You certainly found an interesting one Glu. Not many have the pride neccesary to ask you to make something new on a whim!/ I grinned a little. Suddenly I felt a wave pass through me. / The job has been upgraded to a combination of both titles. Lord of Vengeance has been obtained.


    Description: The shadows of the wrongfully fallen cry out to you. The dead would walk and follow you for the blood of those who have wronged them. Make use of them you must to satisfy your own thirst for blood and justice.


    Abilities have been amplified accordingly.


    Passive: Blood control Novice lvl. Able to control pools of blood to form minions or weapons.


    Shadow Blood puppet: A soul enters a puddle of blood to create a minion which will serve you till the blood dries and disintegrates.


    Shadow Assassin: A soul enters the shadows and creates the perfect stealth minion. It will assassinate any the user views as an enemy then absorbs their corpse into the shadows without a trace.


    Shady Field: A Field type ability which covers the area in shadows and the smell of blood creating a horrifying scenery that causes most to quiver in fear and lose hope. If puppets of any kind enter this place while under your control they will be enhanced wih superior speed, strength, and durability./


    I listened to the description and despite it''s grim natured abilities I was actually fairly impressed that Gluttony could do such a thing. I heard Pride whistle. /Still haven''t lost your touch I see. But if you had I would have kicked you out of this body. Only he best in this place for me./ I coughed. "Gluttony... You can kick him out if you want. If he gets to be too much of a pain in the ass." I heard Gluttony laugh in my head while pride started throwing a small tantrum.


    I shrugged and went ahead through the gate of the village. I ventured between village after village finding the same carnage everywhere.


    I started to question everything. "Why would the king destroy his own people? What is there to possibly gain from all this?" I asked in horror at the scenes I beheld. All were treated the same. Every village on the north was slaughtered and burned till it was but ash. Hundreds of souls I released or placed within my blade. I decided to do one last thing on my travels. That was to visit the Carnac estate. I had asked some of the shades or ghosts about it as I passed through. Some gave me news of betrayal of the crown and a bunch of traitors that were destroyed. Others said they were wrongly accused and had been murdered by the king. I flew quickly southward past the forest I had once lived in for years. Many monsters felt my presence and began to flee in terror. I even spotted an old friend. The scaled tiger that had left me with my scar so long ago gazing at me in horror as it''s Cubs cowered behind it seemingly begging for its protection.


    I flew onwards. It was beneath me now to attack such a weak being. When I arrived at the estate it was not what it once was. It was a building reduced to rubble and its orchards and maze burned to ash. The existence of the home I had once loved and adored was nowhere to be seen. I stepped through the gates which had been replaced after I had melted the previous ones. But instead of the strong polished steel that they should have been I saw dented, broken, and smoke marked metal scraps. I passed them to see the rest of our home. Seemingly needing to confirm for myself what I had heard about with my own two eyes. The bricked were marked by fire and the chimney collapsed into a pile. I walked through the bones of the house. Some beams still stood like pillars of a ruin. The only thing left untouched was the smithy. I heard a scrambling and metal hitting the ground. I approached it as quietly as possible. As I approached I heard two voices. One female while the other was male. I peaked through a crack in the wall hiding my aura to my utmost.


    What I saw brought questions. It was a woman standing there with a fair sized dragon about the size of a horse. The dragon was growling at the her. "Megan. You know we cannot stay here forever. They will find us just like your family. If you leave me you can survive!" It hummed out. The woman turned on him. "I have been with you for over 8 years! I''m not leaving you now! Nor will I ever desert my friends! You should have learned that by now Clement." I opened the door very slowly with my tail catching their attention. The woman grabbed a poker from the forge which had gone cold long ago.


    "I come in the name of Samantha Von Carnac! Are you friend or foe to her?" I rumbled out from behind the wall. Best to play ones cards close to the chest as they say. I didn''t want to use my abilities till I knew whether these two were friendly. "Samantha was an old friend but long since gone. Who dares to say they can speak for the dead!?" She called. I grabbed the wall and tore it from the smithy to make room for me. I couldn''t fit through the door obviously so I had to make it bigger. The woman stared at me in horror as her dragon had smoke pouring from its mouth. As I stood there in the sunlight with the dragon in plain view I saw it better. It had large black plates across it''s back and it was a deep blood red. It felt like I remembered it somehow. I examined it for only a moment before I turned to look at the woman before me. Her hair was red like a rose with skin that seemed like it was made of ivory but was covered in soot. She had a dress on but it was torn excessively in places. Her right shoulder was exposed and had what appeared to be claw marks on it. The dress had obviously meant to be for a ball of sorts but didn''t get the memo about the following war. I looked at her with a slight blush before I pulled off my cloak and handed it to her for her to cover up. "Before we talk can you please cover a bit more. It seems clothes are hard to come by with an insane king in power." I rumbled. She looked at herself realizing how she looked and quickly covered herself with my cloak which seemed to be 2 times her size.


    "Again... How do you know Samantha?" She asked her voice sounding brave but her eyes clearly saying she was afraid. I bowed down so she could clearly see my forehead. "Look and see." My familiars mark still tood pale against my skin. "You will know why." She searched and found the mark. "Isnt this!...But it was black before! Why is it white now!?!" I hummed a bit. "Perhaps you should tell me who you are and why you''re here first." I rumbled out as I straightened once again. The wind began to howl as I stood there. My back was completely exposed to the wind and wings rustled restlessly against my back. I twisted my wrist and pointed my pointer and middle fingers upward with my palm facing up. The ground formed a dome connecting into the smithy wall I had torn apart. It created a perfect wind blockade and trapped the warmth nicely. The woman opened the window to let some air through as I lowered myself into a sitting position on the ground. She began to pace a little as she got ready to explain her story. "My name... is Megan Forsythe. I was friends with Samantha before she dissapeared. My friend Clement was originally a familiar I recieved from my father. He is now my closest friend. But in much of my regrets I originally thought of him as a female and named him Clementine. A dragon whom you originally had a small bout with. When you were a small salamander if memory serves." She said as she suddenly stopped pacing and looked at me. "What are you now?" She asked with curiosity at my new form.


    "My name." I accentuated the name part of that. "...is Ignatious Soulsmith. I''m her friend. Closer than any before. I have been through hell with her. We left Weremar due to the kings blackmail. I looked after her and cared for her like no other. Defended and destroyed for her. Even when word of her false charges and death of her family reached her ears." I rumbled. I felt heat rise in my chest as anger rose. Smoke poured from my mouth in thin streams and out the window.


    "She''s been catatonic ever since. King Kylisius of the dwarves was protecting her while I was on an a mission. When I came back the King had attacked and left the city a waste. His guards starving the people. And his only reason for doing so... Was her." I growled. The weapon on my back hummed in response to my rage. I noticed Clements mouth was smoking nervously and I realized my aura was leaking out. I quickly drew it in and forced myself to calm. "Now I come for the kings head. I dont need to destroy a country that is being destroyed by it''s own ruler." I grunted.


    Megan''s face had turned to one of anger. It was like looking at a japanese Oni mask. Horrifyingly enraged. Her teeth were bared and Clement lightly tapped her shoulder to wake her from her anger. Her face took a moment to return to the soot covered beauty she was. It was after a moment that she spoke. "Do you know if she is dead?" She asked with a restraining calm. I looked at her with some tactics running through my mind.


    "No leader I know would lead an invasion just to take a corpse. She''s alive. For how long I do not know." I rumbled. She sighed in relief. "I knew she was alive!" Tears began to roll from her face. I knew she didn''t do anything wrong but I had no evidence to show for it!" She kneeled on the ground and just wept. I looked at Clement in sad fascination. "So... this is what became of you after all these years." I said. He glared at me. I smiled a little. "I hope you stopped breathing fire at the first thing that looked your way." He grunted out a smoke ring at my comment. Obviously that was not a good memory for him. I nodded and listened to the wind. It still continued to howl and then I heard crunching. Megan quickly and quietly peeked out the window. Her face paled slightly. "What is it?" I whispered. She pointed to the east of where we were. I slowly moved to see out the window. Standing there was a grey and brown gryphon. Just like how I saw it the first time. "Morgan?" I grunted as it''s head spun in our direction. "Who''s there?"

 Chapter 83 - Allies in the Woodwork

    Morgan was standing by the edge of the wood by the edge of the estate. Her feathers were ruffled and she was obviously very much on edge. I put my hand against the wall and made it crumble as I moved out of the shack and crouched. "It''s Ignis! What are you doing here! We were told you guys were all dead!" I tried to shout while whispering. She looked me up and down. "If your Ignis then I''m a bloody troll! Ignis would know our favorite game though." She glared at me. I shrugged.


    "We played tag after I rode you like a bucking horse. That was when I was a Salamander. Any more questions?" She gave me a mean look before huffing and walking over. A wing came up and smacked my forehead in irritation as she walked closer to the building.


    "I thought I heard other voices here besides yours. Who else is here?" She questioned.


    "Do you remember Megan? One of Samantha''s friends?" I asked unsure of what she would say. She took a moment to think.


    "If I remember right she was a small girl that always hauled that poorly named male dragon about dressing it in bows and ribbons. Quite the funny girl." She chortled. Suddenly a squeal escaped the shack as Megan who was covered in soot stormed out leaving a puff of ash in her wake. "I didn''t know at the time ok! Why can''t people understand that?!" Megan screamed out. I chuckled as Morgan raised a feathered brow in disinterest. "Was merely trying to lure you out. After all my friend is quite good with a bow. I saw an arrow shoot toward me from a tree and my tail flicked out fast enough to deflect it away.


    "Damn it Gerald! Can''t you see we are having a conversation?!" I shouted and unleashed my aura. Morgan face froze into one of terror and stood quivering beside me. "Come out of that tree now or so help me I will fetch you myself. If Samantha were here she would be ashamed!" I heard scuffling, thumping, and swearing. I heard the crunch of leaves as he finally landed on the ground. He was a little taller than I remember and his face had a dark beard on it. He looked like he had gone through hell. "Who are you and why do you know me?" He grunted. I rolled my eyes. "Of all the insufferable things fate forces on me it''s the power of change and the lack of recognition that mortals have to recognize it. Your sister had a familiar yes? I am that familiar! Now she''s trapped by the king and I am here to save her! And unless you useless bunch are going to help me stay out of my way!" I shouted and stomped off toward the ruins of the mansion. "Where are you going?" Morgan called out. "To get some bloody sleep! I haven''t slept for 3 days!" I entered a more stable looking part of the mansion where the ground was visible and lit the ground ablaze. A great fire rose and relitigate the timbers. I laid down amid the flames and finally. Peacefully. I managed to sleep. My dreams were of flying and having Sam on my back enjoying the breeze. The dream didn''t last long but it was nice.


    I woke in the ashes of a completely destroyed house. The stones were destroyed and even till they were just dust floating about the the breeze. I stretched and stood. The sky was still cloudy and full of smoke. I found my things close by out of the mansion I had slept in. Dragons Cry shot into my hands like a puppy waiting for it''s owner to wake up. The weapon slowly slithered over and tapped my boot like a grump wishing me an unhappy good morning. "You are not a morning person." I said with a raised eyebrow. ( I never expected weapons to have a true personality. Perhaps the souls are effecting it.) I thought quizzically as I ventured around the area.


    "Somebody finally woke up. That fire was going for almost a day and a half. We were a little worried you''d start the forest on fire." A voice said. I turned to find a face I had not seen in what seemed to be a lifetime.


    "Duke Carnac! I thought you were dead." My eyes were wide and my mind filled with questions. "How?" I could hardly utter anything as my mind corkscrewed through everything. He smiled a bit. It was grim and it was obvious. His face looked slightly burnt like he had been hit with a hot iron recently. I looked around in the trees. "Where is Malphus? Isn''t he normally with you?" I asked. I might have hated the bird but I still hoped he made it. Unfortunately the Duke shook his head. "In my efforts to escape Malphus sacrificed himself. Burnt alive in that house despite his best efforts. Hence my current condition. Not much better than being dead." He grunted out.


    I nodded sadly. His neck down on his left side had apparently suffered extreme burns till his familiar died in the fire. (Guess that was the backlash few talk about. ) I thought sadly. I would miss the old bird. Suddenly the Duke placed his arm on my leg. "You have probably been deprived of real news. Let me tell you of what happened after you left." I nodded slowly understanding that this might be a harsh tale.


    "The king sent his men to collect Samantha a few days after your departure. The were brutes that dared to assault my wife in our own home. So I accused them of being brigands playing as guards and had them stripped and executed. None of them had ever been seen before in our kingdom and none had any fame to speak of. So I thought nothing of it. Turns out they were mercenaries that the king hired to be his troops. He no longer trusted his own citizens since long ago." He stopped to take a breath before continuing. His breath sounded sharp and painful. "A few weeks went by before our mansion was laid siege to by the kings men. They claimed treason without giving us reason. They set fire to our grounds. Malphus put out the fires multiple times and we beat them off with a barrage of magic and skill. It only lasted 2 days. An assassin snuck into our home murdering Bryant in his sleep. He almost got Gerald but Morgan maimed and almost killed him. We attempted torture but he killed himself with poison."


    "Every attempt came at great cost till one night the mansion was once again lit ablaze and this time by a fire we couldn''t put out. It was ghostly green and anyone who touched it turned to ash. The flames lasted moments before withdrawing. But the damage was done. Our home was still hot and aflame with normal fire. So much that we had to flee. My wife managed to get out with Geralds help. But... Malphus... My poor Malphus." His head hung in his hands and tears began to pour out. I understood the mood swings. One second fine the next a total wreck. "How long have you all been hiding in this place?" I asked. Gerald walked over through the grass. "2 months. We have been in hiding ever since the fire. The kings men already searched these grounds for us a hundred times. but never found us due to mothers spider mouse.


    Little blighter has an ability to turn allies invisible if it wants to." Gerald grumbled.


    I looked at them all solemnly. "Well then. I guess I should pay you back for the kindness you gave me for all that time." I rumbled. They gave me a strange look. I thumped the ground with my right foot and held out a hand. I began to recite a long incantation. "Blood brother of the earth! He who was bound in chains by titans and gods! Mighty one of the mountainous regions!" I shouted as the ground rumbled. Cracks exploded the ground outward flinging dust into the air.


    I continued my chant seemingly unfazed by what was happening around me. "He who bears a world on shoulders of granite and legs of solid stone! Maker and Unmaker! Shadow of the fallen! He who bore the worlds skies!" Spikes of crystalized rock pierced the ground sticking into the air. Multicolored lights refracted through them as I chanted. "Hair of the storms and shout of thunder! Belly of oceans and tears of rivers! Arms of wind with the fury of the great tempest!" I shouted as a great wind rose and lightning struck around us. Everyone huddled into a group beneath a large wide spike that sat at a slanted angle. "He who''s blood is molten rock and heart is a great roaring flame! He who''s power rises everlasting with dawn and dusk regardless of belief and rotation! He who''s might struck stars from the sky! I call thee by thy name Oh foreshadower of destruction! Mighty one of the natural Law! Guardian Of the balance which was decided by the world! For the World! Come My Golem! Come! Atlas!" I roared into the skies. Molten lava poured from the ground as the earth lifted beneath us. The smithy crumbled as a 20 foot by 20 foot head emerged from beneath the ground. It''s eyes opening to reveal massive rubies with diamonds making up it pupils.


    An explosion shook the ground as an arm 80 feet long and 10 feet wide came forth from the earth sending soil and magma flying in all directions. I kept my power flowing. Feeding off the golems connection to the ground and it from me. The power was immense as I struggled to control it. A giant soon stood above a crater. Its form standing hundreds of feet in the sky. It felt like standing on a sky scr.a.p.er. "Onward to the Capitol!" I roared at the giant as it headed there. Some might wonder why the giant instead of my big form. The answer is easy. But I''ll save that for a later date. The giant thumped along the ground gathering mass as it moved. The golem I had summoned was one used in a war centuries ago according to ancient scrolls in the dwarven Libraries. Not certain as to how it got there though. Dwarves suck at using magic.


    The main premise was the golem gathered materials as it moved gaining mass till it was big enough to essentially step on the enemies castle. I couldn''t do that considering Sam was inside. But I had a different plan. One you''ll find out later. My mind raced as I drew energy and released it constantly. It took a day to reach the capital. A massive army of mercs awaited us. Thousands of human and elf mercenaries filled the grasslands between the barren unpopulated land southward and the castle town. I was completely unfazed however due to my golem having grown from a couple hundred feet in height and maybe 50 to sixty wide. To a whopping thousand feet tall and a couple hundred feet wide. Catapults began to launch rocks at the giant which only added to its body. Mercenaries began to scatter as we drew close to the city. My weapon hummed as though it knew we were almost to the end of our journey. I grimly kept my focus firm and my resolve unmoved.


    It wasn''t long till we were in the middle of the battle field and released the spell. The head suddenly enveloped us as I released the spell and wove a new one. A cannonball spell I called it.


    Outside POV: The Giant stopped dead as the head morphed into a ball. The giants body began to shake as red energy glowed from its chest dangerously making all the mercenaries nervous. The smart ones started running for cover. The stupid stood still staring at it. The glow suddenly stopped and then an explosion rocked the air. The golem exploded into thousands of shards of crystal that flew at dangerously high speeds.


    Ignis POV: That''s what I did alright. I made the worlds largest grenade. Thousands of lives wiped out in an instant and thousands of blood puppets created from the souls of those that refused to move on. I created my own army out of the horror of the kings mercenaries. And thousands more joined when they died to hands and bodies made of blood. The ball I was in was sent rocketing toward the castle grounds and landed hard in the kings courtyard. I made the ball crumble and sent the others to search the castle grounds for Samantha while I caused a ruckus. Dozens of guards entered the courtyard. Not one soul left there unless you count my sudden acc.u.mulation of a couple dozen Blood puppets. My weapon hummed as blood dripped from it. I swung it sending the blood into the grass and cleaning the blade slightly. "Time to get to work." I grunted as I started the death March of this worlds century.

 Chapter 84 - Blood for Blood

    The kings castle town had hardly a soul in it besides mercs. It was satisfyingly easy to deal with. I didn''t worry about women, children, or just civilians in general. I slaughtered and summoned puppets. I had a hundred or so souls stocked up in the weapon I was wielding. Every swing of it I knew I needed to kill. Else the blade wouldn''t be fulfilling it''s purpose. The scythe was sharp as it cut through armored mercs like a hot knife through butter. Screams filled the air as blood filled the ground and splattered on the walls. Horrifying wails filled the halls as the souls of the wronged filled the pools of blood turning them into red liquified monstrosities. They pounced on every merc in sight. When I arrived at the true castles gates I had amassed a mob of red puppets. "Break down the door." I commanded. A group of twenty of the puppets merged into a giant that smashed the door with a bloody fist. It left a completely bent and destroyed metal door. "Versatile... I like." I said with an impressed face.


    The giant pried away the wreckage of the door revealing a courtyard within. A spear was thrown at my face. My hand caught it with the tip merely inches away from my left eye. I flipped the spear around and saw who had thrown it. A thickly built man with green skin. (Another troll subtype. Trolls must be either really popular or horny af) I thought as I chucked the spear at him full force. He tried to catch it but was impaled to the wall instead as he vomited blood and flew backwards. The wall cracked from where he was stuck. He merely hung there like a side of beef in a butcher shop. I grunted.(Not worth the effort I put in. I had hoped for a more entertaining fight.) I thought disappointedly.


    My blood puppets poured through the open gate and into the courtyard. It was large to say the least. The size of a football field. Many flowers adorned the walls. But those had died months ago. All that was left was vines snaking up the walls like dead veins on a dark arm. The cobblestones were uneven and the trees withered and dead like a drought had been brought on them. I examined them quickly because something felt off. I felt an ominous and dark power working through the roots and bark. It consumed life energy in great amounts. Souls stayed away lest they risked getting sucked in involuntarily.


    "What manner of magic is this?" I whispered in wonder and horror at what just one afflicted plant had done to this place. It was horrific to say the least. There was hardly a speck of life energy left in the courtyard. I began to trace the power along where it entered the tree. As I traced it I weaved through merc packed corridors and archways covered in dead vines bearing withered flowers. Everything screamed death magic here. But nothing I had ever heard about. Necromancy never figured out how to absorb life like this. If so the Cleric faction would have wiped us out eons ago.


    It was when I entered the kings hall that I woke up to what it was. The doors were made of a thick wood and coated in gold. Or they were coated in gold. The gold was chipped off and the wood seemed to be rotting. I pushed against the door and it crumbled to nothing but dust. What I saw next scared me. Beings that stood 10 feet tall. They looked strong and muscled. But the only problem I truly saw was that they were all made of shadow. It leaked out of them like evaporating ink. black as night and you couldn''t see through it. But that was not all. They... felt like a void. like they didn''t really exist. And these were the things absorbing all the life energy I had traced.


    "A troublesome one has found us." A deep echoing voice sounded echoing through the hall. I looked around and counted 13 of them.


    "I am not here for you. I''m here for that dipstick of a king. Answer my question and I''ll pass through quietly. If not... I think you can guess what my answer will be." I said as I rested my scythes blade tip on the ground where it sank in slightly. The veins stopped absorbing as he creatures moved to encircle me. "A mere Catastrophe class welp is threatening us!" A shrill voice echoed. "We should tear you limb from limb." It trilled. I smiled revealing my teeth and my aura began to reach outwards. I could feel them with the aura. But nothing else. My mind began to churn some as I processed the information given to me. One of them suddenly lunged at me. I opened my mouth and caught its arm which dissipated in my jaws. But I still got something. /Shadow fiend part absorbed. Lifesteal is now available among your skills as a passive. Adding to Immortal dragon body/


    I smirked as the fiends arm reformed. "What sharp reflexes this one has. He will be a good meal for us." The deep voice echoed again. "So all you guys think about is what goes in your stomache... Finally a kindred spirit." I chortled as my wings and arms unfurled. They charged at me together. Two went for my back as the others raced about me in haste. I swung the weapon and caught two of them and found to my astonishment that they were absorbed by the demon metal. This made the others hop away from me quickly. The others were still gnawing on my wings painfully obvious to me. My tail whipped up and caught one of them sending it hurtling it above my head where I cut it in half with the scythe.


    I managed to grabbed the other one with my back arms and ripped it in half as the other 10 circled me. "He has the kings materials! How? They were supposedly destroyed!" A tenor voice echoed in what seemed to be fear. It was then that I felt and heard something come from the weapon itself. "You think that you shards are enough to destroy me? Simpleton shadows of Lucifer... Hahahahahaha! YOU FOOLS!" The voice was like a giant lion. It roared and was like a rocky avalanche. The weapon shifted and moved about. The scythe turned to liquid and was swallowed by the dragons head. The hammer turned into a clawed paw with four finger-like appendages. The weapon was shifting till what stood next to me was something very interesting. A dog sized lion with draconic horns and steel eyes. The limbs were a lion''s with demonic looking hands and feet. I felt something more coming from it. A level of power above mine. "Have you forgotten your king!? I am King Henricus Bartwell! Remember well you fiends. You were and always will be the lowest within my court! I was struck down but I will rise once more to be superior to all races! I will..." He was abruptly cut off as I grabbed his body and bit into it. A muffled screaming came from my jaws as I chewed and swallowed. My stomache warmed and I felt the metals melting. I looked at the fiends who were staring at me with their mouths open in sheer shock and horror. "... What? I hat long dialogues from a guy that should already be dead." I grunted with my mouth full of the last half of the metal. /You ate he remains of the demon King Henricus Bartwell.... You''re an ass. But anyways. You obtained ever growing aura. A passive ability absorbing energy from all surroundings to increase your own power permanently./ Gluttony huffed at me.


    I felt the power in the air being drawn to me. Even the fiends were skidding toward me and tried to dig their feet into the ground. / You have absorbed netherworld energy. A life absorbing energy to create half life beings. Combining with current abilities./ I shrugged and swiped my claws at the fiends. They screamed in terror as they were swiftly absorbed into my body where gluttony hungrily ate them. All they gave me was energy. I finished them all off in seconds leaving only shadowy whisps in the air which quickly dissipated. I grunted in dissatisfaction as I pulled dragons cry from my back. "Guess you''ll be doing the rest of the work old friend." I tapped it slightly and it seemingly purred in my hands. I saw another set of double doors at the other end of the hall and sent my puppets to open it. What I found made my stomache sick. It was a hall filled with blood, gore, and bones. Human obviously from closer inspection of the skulls above the windows. " He''s gone mad." I whispered as I saw the dismembered bodies of hundreds maybe thousands of people. The only way someone gets this many people is from the town. It explains why I saw no people in the city. He sacrificed them all... But for what?


    I ventured down further till I reached a set of stairs going up. I began to climb.It only took me a few moments to reach where I needed to. It was a large platform with a crucifix in the middle. And on it was a very awake and obviously extremely scared Samantha. Tears ran down her face despite her being dressed in extremely nice clothes. Like she was going to a ball. I looked around quickly and found noone else around. "Sam!" I shouted. Her head turned and she burst into even more tears.


    "Ignis! Help me!" I shot forward like a bullet taking the whole crucifix and flying off the platform. "Where is the king?!" I shouted as I glided down to the courtyard. Sam shouted something but I couldn''t hear. I gently set down in the courtyard and untied her. She leapt up and hugged me balling her eyes out. I gently pushed her away and held her at arms length. "Where is the king?" I asked again. She pointed up at the platform mutely where I quickly looked. There he was. Hanging on a web made of black slippery material. He was screaming about something. I looked at he web further till I saw exactly what had done it. A spider the size of a Tour bus. It''s eight black beady eyes glaring at me. It was pitch black but that wasn''t the freaky thing. Its body was covered in faces. Human, elf, dwarf, and monster faces. Hundreds of them. Each in the image of terror. The largest was a giant face on its abdomen. It was terrifying to any normal being who would have seen it. To me. It made my mouth water a little for some reason. I felt excited. A real boss battle! How would this feel? These are the things I felt. It was like reaching the end of the game to fight the thing keeping the princess captive.


    I kept my eyes locked on it as a squeal came from the hallway close by and the Duke and his family raced out to embrace Sam who was still staring in horror at the spider. When they noticed they began to panic at the sheer size of it. "What do we do now! It has to have noticed us by now." Gerald said quickly I waved my hand and a wave of blood pooled close by swirling into a massive tornado that grabbed everyone except me. "Ignis!" Sam screamed. I glanced over my shoulder. "I didn''t come all this way just to see you die. And death isn''t something I''m scared of anyway. Take care of her till I finish this thing off." I shouted as the blood quickly carried them all away. The spider watched me in interest even as it played with it''s prey. The king. He was screaming as it suddenly sank its fangs into his skull and tore it form his body. It swallowed it whole very unceremoniously. Blood sprayed out the neck which the spider clamped down on and gulped greedily. It''s size began to grow an inch ever second. 20 seconds went by before the body was shrivelled and left a hollow husk. It was then chucked to the ground like a discarded juice box. "That idiot tastes horrible." A cold feminine voice trilled out the spider as the kings terrified face appeared on one of it''s legs. "Perhaps you''ll taste better." It growled as it lifted its front legs and shot out a strand of black webbing. I set my body on fire which immediately caused the webbing to burn to nothing but smoking ash. "I think me eating you will be the most likely outcome. Bring it!" I roared as I charged forward.

 Chapter 85 - Gone are the Shadows

    As I charged toward the spider I became more and more excited. The thing before me felt strong. Just because it did whatever it wanted when it wanted to. I figured it would make good practice to tear it apart. Not as easy as it seems.


    The spider kept shooting it''s black webbing at me trying to halt my charge. My flames burned it away to ashes and smoke leaving my self confidence sufficiently boosted. But not for long it seemed. A spray of acid caught me unaware amidst my charge. It hit the fire which caused it to steam into the air. I tripped and tumbled in my surprise. My lungs hurt as I coughed and saw blood hit the ground. My eyes began to sting. "So." I croaked out. "You''re an acid user." I glared at the thing before me and felt the earthen energies flow weakly through me. I knew why the energy was so weak. It was staying away from this monster before me. Compared to this thing my kind were normal animals. You know you''re a monster when even the ground rejects you. Dragons cry vibrated in my hand and I remembered something. I shot into the sky and opened my wings to catch the currents in the air. The spider tried hitting me with some webbing but couldn''t reach. I used my magnetism to draw any metal that was close toward me. I heard lots of metal pots and pans rattle along the ground as I pulled. There was a couple of swords and a shield as well. They began to float into the air toward me but he spider began nailing them down with webs. Unfortunately it missed a couple. A pan and a sword. The pan looked like it was made of cast iron. A sturdy material. The sword was actually a rapier and looked like it had come off a knight. I filled the air with fire and manipulated the metal to form rounds for Dragons Cry. It didn''t take long. Only a minute. I had enough for 3 shots. I placed the first one in the barrel and readied to shoot. The spider had no true idea what was coming till it was there. The air exploded out of my partner sending me spinning backward. The round hurtled toward the monster. Unfortunately the metal had no true explosive qualities to speak of like monster crystals I had been foolish not to make or have carved before running off. But they still packed a punch. The bullet unfortunately missed our eight legged friend instead hitting the ground close to it. The metal hit creating a crater about 4 feet wide and 8 feet deep in the ground.


    The spider stared in slight shock at the crater in the ground and noticed a limb had been caught in the cross fire without it noticing. One of it''s back legs had been blown off. It''s whisps of smoke weren''t helping it regenerate. It turned and glared at me before hopping onto it''s web and hauling itself up onto the platform that Sam had been tied on. It raised it''s front legs and I heard the worst screech of my life. It was like nails on a chalk board combined with shards of rattling glass.


    I covered my ears in pain at the frequency this thing hit. I managed to keep hold of Dragons cry. But barely. I maintained being air born and soon found why it had screamed. It was to buy time for it. It had found a body and was draining it dry of blood. It soon finished and I watched in disgust as it''s leg regenerated back it''s glorious self in seconds.


    I growled in frustration. I knew this wasn''t going to be easy. But that was cheap. I loaded another round and took aim the round had a tendency to go slightly right of where I was aiming so it took a bit of precision. The spider didn''t stay still on the other hand. It moved quickly onto the web and down into the castle below. I stopped aiming and grunted. I understood that it wanted to get away from my explosions. But why into the castle. I got my answer a few moments later as the castles walls groaned and bended slightly outwards. "It didn''t." I said in horror. The walls exploded outwards leveling the castle. The bus size spider I had seen moments ago was now much much larger. It stood close to the height of a bus with the length and width of a jumbo jet. I glared at it and it shot another strand of webbing at me. I dove out of the way and started a different plan. I pulled out the round from my partner and began to mess with it. I made it hollow to start with. But I also put something special inside. A flame that glowed black but was lively and had specks of green in it. I essentially made a strange miniature cage for a type of fire that has an extremely corrosive nature due to my application and combination of netherworld energy, ghost fire, and living flame.


    I call it Demonic Fire. It absorbs life energy and then returns once the target is dead. The ghost fire ensures that nothing attempts to taint my soul once it''s consumed. Meaning it will destroy this things soul, body, and mind. I placed it back inside the chamber and got ready. The last strand it fired at me caught my foot and dragged me in. I held on to Dragons Cry tight as I was brought close to the things mouth. "I had planned on putting your face with the others. But considering you caused me so much discomfort by making me this size I''d rather just kill you." The feminine voice said. I started laughing. "My dear. If you think that would terrify me you would have to change the voice. It takes away the seriousness you might have had." I said. She stopped as she actually seemed to contemplate what I said. She tapped her mandibles with a little limb as I hung there. I rolled my eyes and pulled out dragons cry putting the barrel inside it''s mouth. "You think too much." I said as I fired the bullet. The gun went off sending me flying halfway across the courtyard snapping the webbing in the process.


    The bullet spun and burrowed into the spiders body but it didn''t explode. I clearly sat up confused as to what was going on. The spider had screamed angrily after my rifle went off. It began to slowly walk toward me with a little smoke coming from its mouth. Not completely unfazed. But very pissed off.


    "You!!! You expected me to die to that little excuse of an attack?! You aren''t even worth eating! I will drain your blood as you scream in pain! I will...!" It paused briefly getting a confused expression in its eyes if that was possible. And then it began to scream. I saw the faces on it''s back begin to dissapear as something seemingly ate them from existence.


    Smoke poured from the spiders mouth as it screeched in pain and confusion. A flame burst from its mouth and I saw fear enter its eyes. It turned as fast as it could to me and lunged sinking its fangs into my shoulder and trying to drain my blood. At the same time a burning sensation filled the area. I lit myself ablaze and grabbed a mandible before the thing could back off. "You forgot I could do that didn''t you?" I said with a pained but c.o.c.ky smile on my face as this monster kept burning and burning till it was nothing but ash. I fell to the ground extremely lightheaded and I think that was from the bloodloss. The grounds energy still fed me but the acid still hurt like a b?+€#. I felt gluttony shift in my mind and he began to berate pride. /What are you doing pride?! Are you betraying another of our masters?! So help me if I get sent to the void because of you I will eat you here and now!/ I could feel pride sweat a bit in response to that. /Fine! I''ll help! But only because Gluttony asked so nicely./ The baritone voice said. I felt the darkness at my chest shift up to the acid burned area of my body. I felt a cool sensation move and squeeze the area till a clear liquid came out of the wound. It trickled off onto the ground where it hissed against the stones. (Are you pushing the acid out?) I thought at pride.


    He remained silent for a moment. / My former master died because I couldn''t protect him. That was... is my job. To protect. And I failed. I was hesitant to act else I failed twice. I need this to work... So that I''m not some screw up who caused the destruction of another of my masters./ He replied. Gluttony calmed down a bit as I thought about it. It made sense. PTSD is a big thing to those who''ve been through horrible experiences. If Henricus made these two and he gave them personalities it''s obvious that at some point they would evolve.


    /It is done./ Pride said when the last drop of acid hit the ground with a small splash.


    I felt my strength returning slowly after that. The earthen energies began to fill the courtyard like a eager crowd for Disneyland. It filled the afflicted tree again. The vines on the wall turned green and bloomed. Life energy itself filled the air. As I saw it all coming back I noticed something else. A large black flame with a green tinge floating in the middle above the pile of ash that was the spider. I slowly pushed myself up against a nearby wall to steady myself before approaching the flame. It meekly sat there like it had nowhere to go.


    I gently extended my arm and held out my hand. "Let''s go home." I said to it with a smile. A tendril of fire extended out and entered my body. Energy exploded through my system and filled every cell. / You have consumed a Nightmare Faced Demon Spider. You have gained acid production abilities and web producing abilities. You can now grow an exoskeleton. Your understanding of Netherworld energy now exceeds the novice and apprentice level. Master level has been acquired./ It chimed out. I sighed as I felt the power coursing through me. Then pain hit. My back right above my other wings felt like something was trying to escape. To burst forth. A popping sound came with a flood of pain filled relief. I looked around and saw a mucus covered set of nightmarish black wings. They were birdlike and heavily feathered. They seemed to absorb all the light close to them and emitted some kind of black fog.


    (Netherworld energy really is amazing.) I thought as I touched the wings. (Hey gluttony. Why did I grow another set of wings when I''m not evolving?) I thought at him. /Who says you can''t grow more? Asura in your memories had 6 arms but Buddha is often depicted with many. So how many limbs do you think it''s possible to have?/ It replied. I thought about it for a few moments. ( As many as I can handle I suppose.) I thought back. /Good answer./ It said. It was then that I heard a gasp. I turned to find Sam standing at the wrecked gates of the courtyard. I smiled. "Are you ok?" She asksd with a worried expression on her face as she rushed to me. "Better than ok. Now that you are here." I said as I pulled her close and into a tight hug.

 Chapter 86 - End of Darkness

    The castle was still in tatters as we passed through the streets. Blood puppets cleaned the streets easily. Their bodies had liquified and acted like living mop heads soaking up the blood and gore. Broken pieces of the houses and shops were slowly cleaned up leaving only the newly cleaned ruins of the Kingdom of Weremar. Not a soul to inhabit it. Not a single jewel left in the treasury. All spent on mercenaries and killing. I looked down at Sam as we walked. "What did the king want with you Sam?" I asked amid my contemplation. She shook her head and held up her left hand which was bandaged for some reason. She unwrapped the bandage revealing a long cut across her palm. "He wanted my blood to draw something from the void to here. He kept muttering something about the mother of the kingdom would make him a better king. Even though he killed every subject he could ever rule over. And we''ll never know why!" She said angrily as she started massaging the area around the cut. I gently lifted her injured hand in front of my face and smiled a little before a massive sticky glob was suddenly stuck to Sam''s hand. Her face showed she was horrified as she squealed and waved her hand around trying to get it off to no avail.


    I patted her shoulder lightly. "I needed to make sure that it wouldn''t get infected somehow." I laughed at her hysterics.


    She stopped and clapped the back of my head which actually stung a bit. "You''re lucky I don''t have my hammer!" She said pointing her index finger at me. I continued to smile. "I plan to have enough time for that. A long time for that." I said as my smile widened and a true laugh echoed out of me into the air. I felt overjoyed, relieved, even weightless at moments as we traversed the ruined city. We made it to the cities gates to find the battlefield I had left behind. Instead of finding the bodies of mercs I found a bunch of black crumbling bodies. After I inspected them further I found them to be the blood soldiers from earlier in the day. The sun had apparently not been too kind to them as they waited for me outside the city gates. I touched one on the face and it crumbled to dust in the grass. I heard a little whispers pass my ears as all the statues crumbled in the same fashion. A breeze coming by at random and scooping the dust up and carrying it in a long dark line into the horizon.


    "Thank Yoooou." The sighing voices said as they drifted off into the breeze. I felt warmth flood pass through me as I saw hundreds if not thousands of shadowy ghosts ascend into the sky finally finding the peace they needed. I waved and the shadows waved back before shining brightly and disappearing in flashes of brilliant light. I grinned a bit at the thought of more souls finding their peace. I suddenly felt a cold presence behind me and turned to see Sam and her family kneeling face down before the goddess of ice herself.


    "It would seem you all owe me an explanation." I said as I found a large boulder to sit on. Seeing as my Atlas summon had exploded there were stones everywhere. As I sat Vara raised an eyebrow. "You aren''t afraid of me at all are you." She stated. I shook my head. "I''ve tasted death once icy one. It holds no fear for me." I rumbled out. It was then that a wave of heat was exuded from my side. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Aed. "You all have been watching this place get turned into a blood bathed and char broiled continent for months. Yet you did nothing despite natural laws being broken?" My gaze was turning harsher as my words grew colder and more targeted. Aed raised his hands. "We could do nothing unless a guardian was involved. You were the closest one without issues to deal with." Aed said calmly. I raised an eyebrow and once again focused on Vara. "You all knew the crapshoot I was walking into and didn''t even warn me. How do you think that feels?" I said as I pulled dragons cry from my back and began to inspect and clean it. Vara rolled her eyes at me. "Are you expecting to kill me with that pea shooter?" She said with a cold smirk. I looked at the weapon seemingly ignoring her. "No. I just needed to make sure she wasn''t damaged from the acid used during my fight with spider ass back there." I said as I rubbed and blew down the metal pipe to check for dust. Aed cracked a grin.


    "We aren''t allowed to tell mortals about the important stuff. Just that things are happening." Aed said with a shrug. "Not much else to it boyo." He rumbled out. "Though it''s not over. Not by a long shot." He said as Vara suddenly hissed at him. "Aed! You know the rules!" she said coldly. He looked at her. "Oh! Go freeze a mountain cold flash queen." She was shocked at his insult.


    I finished inspecting my weapon before putting it back in its holster. "So it has to do with a god does it?" I said which made Aed and Vara freeze. "An elder god by the feel of that monster back there. Who is it? I''ll blow him to kingdom come." I said as I stood. "We already broke quite a few rules coming down here. Aed dont you dare tell him!" Vara fumed at him. Ice formed in a layer across the grass making it crackle under foot. I heard a sudden cackle from above me. It certainly wasn''t human. And it definitely wasn''t good. I looked up to see a pitch black eye in the sky. It was as large as the city we had just left and had terrible features. There were actually thousands of eyes together. Each looking hundreds of thousands of ways at once in a great chaotic fashion. "What in the darkest pit of hell is that!?" I exclaimed looking at Aed and Vara for an answer. What I saw shocked me. Aeds body had burst into flames and he was girded in red and gold armor with a battle axe the size of his body. Vara was the very picture of ice. Her armor was like a fencer. Elegant robes covered her body like a freshly fallen snow. She had a silver b.r.e.a.s.tplate bearing the face of a roaring sea dragon. Her rapier was a large icicle that radiated cold I had never before imagined. It chilled the moisture in the air to Crystal''s within seconds.


    It was then that I realized that they were afraid. "What are you doing here Beholder!? Your master is dead and you dare strut about the universe''s like you own them!" Aed shouted. The eyes turned to see him. "Nay old friend. Merely stopped by because I felt an inkling of the Etherverse had leaked through. Turns out that it was a charlatan playing god and it backfired horribly. Consider my interest sated and me on my way." The eye said. It''s voice was like thunder echoing through the heavens and making the ground shake. The eye slowly closed and the clouds took their normal places again. Aed and Vara heaved huge sighs of relief. "What was that!?" I shouted at them. Aed waved me off. "A worse danger than you can handle boy. And a difficult one for us in our current state. But either way it is none of your business. In truth we just wanted to stop by and wish you congratulations." He said as he turned into a fireball and shot into the sky followed closely by a tall shard of ice that Vara had condensed into.


    "Damn it! Gods are tricky and frustrating!" I said as I stomped my foot. The ground shook a little as I kept staring into the sky. (What was it they called that thing? Beholder? I wonder if there are any books about it. Guess I''ll ask Marissa when I see her.) I grunted at the thought as a hand lightly took my forearm. I looked down to see Sam with a scared expression. "You... have met gods before?" She said with a shaky voice. I nodded a little. "You know I met Aed. That''s why I bear his mark." I said tapping the tattoo on the red arm. She shook her head. "Not just anybody meets the gods. Not even their champions. And not only have you met one! You met opposing gods. And they didn''t try to kill you for saying their names! Do you know what happened to the last person who called The storm god by his name without honorifics? He was struck by lightning! Lightning!" She shouted. I raised an eyebrow. "Aed is my friend. I doubt he would kill me for such a ridiculous reason as that." I said calmly. Sam''s face went blank in shock as her family finally rose to their feet.


    "Well... I never once thought that I would see a god and live." Lord Carnac said as he dusted the dirt off his pants. I looked at him and for some reason something just felt off. His entire demeanor was much more relaxed than previous experiences said he should be. He was always extremely protective of his family. Him being relaxed like this felt... wrong. I put my left hand on Sam''s shoulder as she turned around to face her father. She looked at me with a questioning face only to see what I wanted to say written on my face. I was alert. My eyes were slits and my teeth were slightly bared. "Who are you?" I growled.


    His face didn''t change at all. "What do you mean Ignis? I am who I have always been." He said with a lopsided smile. That put me further on edge. Lord Carnac never smiled. Never. I pulled out dragons cry and his face changed entirely till he sighed. "What gave me away." He said as his voice changed to an echoing masculine voice. Nothing like the spider. It held a warmth to it. Like a charcoal bricket that had yet to die out. It eminated warmth but was like it was dying. I pointed the gun at him. "Who are you? I will not ask again." I grunted. Lord Carnac let out an even bigger sigh and rubbed his eyes a bit. When he looked up his eyes had gone from a blue color to that of a deep fiery red. It was like looking at red hot metal.


    "You can call me Jin. A djinn from the oldest parts of this world. An offspring of Aed truth be told. Though the old buzzard never liked us anyway." The thing said as it''s voice echoed from Lord Carnacs mouth. He rolled up his sleeves revealing that Lord Carnacs burns were rapidly healing at a pace visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye. The blisters shrinking and flaking off to grow skin the color of a babies skin.


    "I made a deal with the founder of the Carnac family. That was 300 some years ago." He unbuttoned the top of his shirt to reveal a hairy chest that still had a lot of muscle despite his age. "What deal would my ancestor make with a demon?" Sam hissed even as my hand was on her shoulder I could feel her trying to pull away. "I would grant the family magic and in exchange I would be granted a vessel to inhabit every 60 years." The voice said with a curled lip of satisfaction. It was then that a thought struck me. Salamanders in legend were always fire based beings. And incredibly powerful to boot. If what this guy is saying is true then..."You taught them how to Tame. You''re the silver salamander that is the emblem of their family." I said in shock as the emblem made more sense with my knowledge of myths coming into play. The thing turned to me with a chilling grin across its face. "Indeed. My father never gave us bodies to inhabit so we generally inhabited some monster from time to time. The Salamander was my first. Not a very suitable vessel but I made it powerful nonetheless." He strode a little closer as I lowered my gun a bit. "Now... I can''t seem to recall having a sibling like you... so how did you obtain that vessel?" It dramatically gestured to my body. "I was born this way. I did not choose this form. So don''t lower me to your thieving standards!" I growled at him.


    He laughed like a Leprechaun. It was a light and airy laugh with little to no sense of false happiness to it. I felt confused at this thing in front of me. "You have yet to tell me why Lord Carnac of all people. Why not possess him at birth when you had the chance?" I asked in slight confusion. He looked at me and seemed to become slightly peeved. "I tried that see. And that didn''t work as well as I thought. I got stuck in his bloodline of all things! Of all things a bloodline!" He waved his hands about hysterically. "Do you know what it''s like being stuck in multiple bodies at once? It''s horrible! Like having a real sense of divisional thought. One part over here and another part over there and we are all yammering at each other trying to find where we actually need to gather. I was a bonafide physical Schizophrenic for the past 30 years! That sucked up until today." He pointed at Sam and then at Gerald. "I was finally released from my sentence when she got cut and he got hit by a piece of rubble. That''s the only reason I was freed. Now! If you''ll excuse me I am going to enjoy my disembodied freedom again." He said with a huff and puffed his shirt before the color left Carnacs eyes and he collapsed. One of my wings swung out and managed to catch him before he hit the ground. "Never a dull moment around here." I said with a slight laugh. Sam nodded as she quickly checked her father''s condition. He was a bit hot but he was breathing and sweating just fine. I took him over to a river close by the castle that wasn''t tainted by blood and ash and splashed some on him to cool him off.


    I ended up making a bed out of sand and leaves for him to lay on. Of course it was covered by a cloak so he wouldn''t feel too uncomfortable.


    "Now we wait." I said as I sat back. The sun set and the heat of the day went with it. The Moon began to rise and I heard a howl in the distance. Fairly close actually. I turned my head to see a large bipedal wolf creature. It was barrel chested and it looked like it had been put through hell. Patches of fur missing and covered in scratches. I waved to our fire and a stump. "Fires free to sit at if you wish.Either that or we can continue our match from the other day." I said nonchalantly. I heard a huff and a grunt as the werewolf drew closer and finally sat at the fire to warm itself.


    "I saw the castle... Did you do that to the king?" He asked glancing at me. I looked at him. "No... He did that to himself. Summoned a creature of some sort. It didn''t agree with him." I grunted as I grabbed a burning log bear handed and moved it. He nodded with a sad look on his face. "You don''t know what to do do you?" I said as I noticed his expression. He shook his head. "Not a damn thing. Merc life was all I knew. Now the entire company is gone I have no idea what I can do. No money, and no backer who will help." He said as he tapped the stump beneath him. I sighed as I thought for a bit about it. "I could always use another companion as long as you don''t jump my leg." I said with a slight grin. He glowered at me. "Why would I trust you?" He said. His voice a growl as I saw his muscles tense up.


    "I could have killed you back in the dwarven kingdom. But I didn''t. You know why?" I asked as I threw another log into the flames. His expression remained guarded. "Why?" He finally asked after an awkward minute.


    "I saw Loyalty, Strength, Skill, and a sentiment toward hard work. You didn''t do something good at the time. But nobody died at your hands." I said as I sat back a bit. "So... How about it." I said as I looked at him.

 Chapter 87 - Dawn of Light

    When the dawn broke through the dark clouds of night I was still by the fire. Abernathy had left to find something during the night. I suppose it was a meal considering we didn''t have much to offer him at the moment. I heard a groan from Sam as the light hit her eyes. I looked down at where she had fallen asleep on my leg. And lighty brushed away a stray hair that was tickling her nose. A wing stretched slightly forward to block the light from reaching her. I wanted to let her rest a while longer. The ordeals she passed through these many months were finally coming to a close.


    I let out a long sigh as new worries and questions filled my mind. Who and what was beholder? Why were the gods so afraid of it? And what did it have to do with the king and his annihilation of the continent? All these questions were storming through my mind. The king had sacrificed hundreds of thousands of people for the sake of what? The fun of torturing them all? Why did that Spider appear and where had it come from?


    I was suddenly disturbed from my thoughts as a rustle came from a bush close by. My eyes locked onto it and I readied my magic. Suddenly a buck came from the between the leaves. It''s antlers were made of white ivory and twirled about in intricate patterns that spanned 4 feet wide by 3 feet above it''s head. It''s eyes showed no fear as it began to graze on the field before it. Soon another showed up. Then another and another. After a half hour or so I saw 30 deer enter the plains and eat grass. The first buck had the largest set of antlers so I thought he was the Alpha. Turns out I was wrong. I felt large thumping footsteps through the ground which woke Sam and her family. Sam sat up blearily wiping sleep from her eyes. Then she sat dead still at what we saw before us. A titanic Deer the size of a mountain. A thousand feet tall I would wager. It''s antlers were enormous. Stretching across the sky a mile wide and probably that far in height. The clouds obscured the latter in their haze. It was enormous. But oddly enough all I felt was a sense of peace as it approached. It had no aura. No offensive thing to drive away any being. It was a beautiful reminder that even a titan can be a peace keeper without being violent. The beast looked down at me. I nodded at it and it bowed slightly back. The herd soon finished grazing and moved on. The giant moved with them. Moving with elegant yet ground shaking steps to the west where there was more grasslands and forest to graze through.


    "Akmaga. I never thought he was still alive." Lord Carnac said in a hoarse voice. His eyes were wide and filled with wonder. "Akmaga?" I asked in confusion. Sam looked at me with a knowing look. "He''s considered a forest god around here. One of Golems minions is the thought. Since Golem is the very ground we walk on he has a few trusted allies making sure everything is ok." Sam said as her eyes wandered to stare at the massive buck that was walking away.


    I nodded and suddenly heard yelling coming toward us. Abernathy burst from the tree line screaming like a mad man. "Help!" He roared. I almost laughed till I saw why he was running. It was a pack of wolves. About 40 in all. They weren''t normal either. Each was coated in spines like a hedgehog. When they burst through the tree line I saw the spines break off bark and marred the trees. I raised an eyebrow and raised dragons cry to my shoulder. "Duck!" I shouted and he hit the deck. A bang rocked the ground sending me tumbling and Sam and her family were blasted backwards. The poor wolves never saw it coming. The ground exploded with black flames which whipped around grabbing wolf after wolf. It devoured them before flying back to me. In moments I was already back on my feet and grabbing Abernathy when everybody else was barely managing to peel themselves off the ground.


    Sam''s hair was still stuck backwards like a wind sock while everybody elses was standing on end. "What happened!" Gerald shouted despite there being no noise in the air. He was wobbling all over the place before leaning against a stump for support. Sam had her hands clapped to her ears with confused eyes. Abernathy meanwhile was looking at me funny. "What?" I said. "You really are something else. You built something that roars like an exploding volcano and hits like a falling star." He said in shock. I patted him on the back. "It''s the dwarves you get to thank for my skill." I said as I went to check on the rest of them. Their ears were still ringing and obviously discombobulated was a thing. Loud noises generally aren''t handled well by most humans until they get used to it.


    The pack of wolves had dispersed as soon as they heard the bang. I got 10 of them before they got away but it was still alot to do just to scare the pack. "Maybe next time I''ll just roar at them." I grunted. Sam looked at me. "What did you say?!" She shouted. She wasn''t able to hear normally for almost an hour afterward. I laughed about it later that night. We returned to the Carnac estate. I had expanded and given them all a ride back. Though Gerald insisted on riding his gryphon. I didn''t mind. Not much weight difference to me anyway. The land passed by quickly and we found our way home soon enough. The ground had been coated in Crystal''s. Rubies, Diamonds, Sapphires, emeralds, etc. The ground was an assortment of religiously shiny objects. All from my summoning Atlas. It was a benefit of summoning at times.


    It was then that Lord Carnac did something ludicrous. He turned to me and looked between Sam and I. "It is not a normal thing for a parent or a man such as I to find myself so fully in debt to another..." He paused for a time. "My daughter is my pride and joy. For the first years I have held her back from achieving a greatness I couldn''t see till it was forced upon us." He looked at me with teary but proud eyes. "Lord Carnac?" I said slightly confused by this sudden change in his mood.


    "I must apologize first and foremost. I called you a monster. A familiar even. But you are something far greater. You fear no man, beast, monster, or god. And I have seen such as you defended my daughter so boldly in the face of danger. I cannot ask for anyone who would be better suited for her." He said as he bowed deeply to me. I really didn''t understand. My mind couldn''t comprehend it. "Father! What are you saying!? You can''t possibly mean..... that! Can you?" She said as her face reddened.


    I looked between the two of them in confusion. I honestly had never been so confused and nervous in my life. It was then that Lord Carnac produced a ring which he held out to me. It was gold with silver twisted though it. A symbol of a salamander was emblazoned on the ring with a deep crimson colored ruby set in it''s mouth.


    "Ignatious Soulsmith! Friend of the Dwarven Kingdom! Great Dragon Guardian of the Fire God Aed! Please take my daughter to wife!" He shouted out with his head still bowed low before me. My eyes widened with realization at what he had been saying all along. He wanted Sam to be with a worthy partner.


    "You can''t have her marry me! I''m a dragon for Pete''s sake!" I said quickly hoping to deter his choice. He got onto his knees in a pleading manner. "Please. My daughter has no home to come back to anymore. And the dragon part has no hold on me. It was often in the history of this world that a beautiful princess was given as a bride to a dragon. So I am pleading with you as her father. Take her! And keep her safe from harm." He said. From his eyes tears flowed like rivers and his voice shook with emotion of a broken man. "I cannot bear to have my daughter separated from me without due reason. And she cannot remain in this barren land. There is noone to love her as we do anywhere else. Or cherish her as we do anywhere else. So please. Heed the humble words of this old fool." He said as he pressed the ring into my clawed hand. "Take care of her for us. We will find our way from here onward." He said with his lips sucked in slightly like he was restraining himself.


    He then backed off and gestured to Sam. "My daughter... We missed you so much. But you must go. Far from this wretched land. With someone who I can trust whole heartedly to give you a worthwhile life. So please don''t make this any harder than it has to be. I have already discussed this with your mother. And we do see the way you look at him. No other has held your heart so tightly. Not in all the suitors we sought for you. Now go. Be happy. And live a life that makes the world seem like it should strive to a higher standard." He said as he wept. Sam''s face had small tear streaks running down her cheeks as she embraced her father once more. Her remaining family gathered around her and gave their last good byes. I still hadn''t given my consent when Sam grabbed my shoulder and hauled me down to whisper in my ear. "We are not letting them down. And are you really that unhappy with me?" She said. I grinned a bit. "No. Glad to have you back." I said as she mounted my shoulder where an arm acted like a seat belt to hold her in place.


    I bowed to her family and spread my wings wide. "I promise you. I will care for her with all my strength!" I proclaimed as I flapped my wings and rocketed into the air leaving a cloud of dust in my wake. When we arrived above the clouds I felt Sam trembling and patted her leg. She slowly slipped down in her black gown till she rested in my arms. I held her close and she began to bawl like a girl who just lost her family all over again. We flew for a time till we reached a sandy beach where I lightly set us down. I slowly placed Sam with her feet in the warm sand. She was wiping her eyes with the cuff of her gowns sleeve trying to make herself somewhat presentable.


    I slowly turned and sat in the sands. The warmth of the sun emanated from above heating my skin and scales. I inspected myself a bit as I wondered what had truly gone through Carnac''s mind to marry his daughter off to a monster such as I. "You''re not a monster." Sam said with a little sniff as she approached me. She sat down in the sand and came close. "What convinces you of that?" I said with a glance her direction.


    It was then that she pulled out something I hadn''t expected. It was a tiny book connected to her wrist by a chain. In a puff of grey smoke it enlarged to textbook size. It was a tamers journal. The cover was a black scale covered material with an emblazoned monsters head. The head was that of a dragon with a blade being broken by its beak. I looked at it nonchalantly. "So I''m your familiar again?" I said with a chuckle. "No." She said shortly as she pulled the cover off to reveal something more. The front cover was a fake. The real cover was a pink and red flower covered book. I realized then what it was. A Diarie. And a bloody thick one to boot. She blushed a deep red that obviously meant embarrassment.


    "I have written in this every day since you hatched. Every day with exception to my broken days in Belmac. And every day that I was with you was heavenly. Like I had a friend when there seemed to be only darkness. Megan helped little to ease the burden when you were gone. I searched for hundreds of ways to find you. None worked except for one. I looked through my father''s journals to find you that day in the forest. He wrote how he sent you away. I never actually thought he would write it down. But he did." She placed the book on her lap and it opened to the day she found me. The words began to move and weave themselves into an image of me in my large lizard glory standing between her and a pack of wolves. "You were my hero that day. And every day ever since. You helped the weak. Strengthened the weary. And gave a young woman some hope that all wasn''t lost." The books pages turned one by one till we reached the page where I saw my dragon man transformation. My face and horns in an uncertain body with borrowed clothes.


    "A monster is a person who loses all hope and seeks to take and destroy the hope''s of others. You are not that. You are a hero. And I couldn''t ask for a better husband candidate. Well. Maybe a little more human. But..." She said with a light grin as she glanced away. When she looked back I had morphed my face into my dragon man face from before. "Better?" I said as I raised a c.o.c.ky eyebrow.


    She rolled her eyes. "You are such an idiot." She said as she leaned in close and kissed me.

 Chapter 88 - Your Story

    "And so my children. That is how your mother and I met." A large Dragon said. His voice was the rumble of a mountainous landslide. He sat on a throne of gold and his hide was covered in jewels and silver. It was like they grew from his very skin. His scales were diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. His height reached 100 feet. He had eight arms which held varying objects. A rod that looked like a halberd. A scroll that echoed with the murky aura of death. A ball of light that illuminated the sky. A ball of pitch black darkness. A goblet that swirled with a storming seas wrath. And a hammer that eminated heat like no other. The other two rested on the arms of his throne. His body eminated an aura that was undeniably divine. A crown of flames adorned his head while the ground at his feet was filled with grass and flowers. A creek flowed close by in a tranquil but lively manner. The air was filled with a nice breeze and the smell of flowers. He looked down at the small children running around his feet 7 in all. The eldest was 14 years old and stood 5 feet tall. She was a beautiful woman by many standards. Her skin was pale and she had scales across her forehead in the shape of a crown. She had a beautiful pair of red horns adorning her head. Dark hair flowed down her back to her waist like a river. A simple white dress adorned her like a cloud embracing a circling hurricane. Beautiful, but hiding the Disaster class aura that she was born with.


    "Father... Why mother of all people?" She asked. Her voice was elegant but held a slight venom like her draconic lineage suggested. He looked down at her from his throne. "Your mother placed me on the path to where I am today. She and I never separated on our path."


    He rumbled out. She twirled a little. Her dress flew about ever so slightly in the air. Her scarlet eyes danced in the light of the sun.


    "What was she like Father? Truly." She asked inquisitively. A smile of kindness and wisdom went across his face. "Gentle yet Brutal. Strong yet Weak. A hurricane but a soft wind." The rumble echoed through the air. "She was brave. Braver than any before her. I will always remember her for the rest of my days." He sighed and the moisture in the air condensed into a mist. "I may govern death. But a balance must be kept in all ways." He rumbled. The scenery seemed to zoom outwards revealing the background to his throne. A dead world surrounded his back. Shadows weaved all throughout it in ways only the mind could imagine. Storms raged across the sky and tornadoes rampaged across the land tearing up the ground.


    The ground was barren and burnt black. It was cracked and filled with fire. The stream was turned into a raging river that sucked in the unsuspecting. It was truly a land of death and destruction. Behind his throne though in the peaceful place between stood a woman. Her hair was platinum blonde with grey streaks. Her face showed she had aged incredibly well with very few crows feet wrinkles around her eyes and little dimples adorned her face as she smiled warmly at her children. The only thing that made her truly different was that she was see through and slightly greyed out in color. He looked back at her and his eyes echoed with his love for her.


    He then looked up at the sky into the distance. At a distant multiverse and at an earth covered in a black substance. He then turned his view slightly to look. Out through his world and into yours. His sapphire blue eyes holding your gaze with unyielding determination.


    "Now that you know my story dear reader... Perhaps you can make your own." He rumbled as he smirked and retracted his gaze to once again look at his playing children. His left hand tapped the arm of his throne in thought as a faint disturbance crossed his view. A world of death. And yet still filled with life. "How is that possible?" He said as he focused on it before chuckling lightly. "Well I''ll be damned. Someone finally figured out how to live after they died. This will be interesting." He said as he watched in interest as the events began to unfold.

 Chapter 89 - Weddings are Fantastic Battles Part 1

    A little dragon girl sat on her father''s knee one night. It was calm and the breeze was nice and cool on the skin. The girl could only have been around 6 years old and had small red horns that looked like little saplings springing out of the earth. They were slightly branching out but not nearly enough to be noticed. Her face was an oval and full of life and vitality. A small white dress adorned her figure as her four little arms patted her father''s knee. Her hair was black as a raven''s feathers and small pink dragon wings were tucked close to her shoulders. Her little red tail stuck off the edge of his leg and was heavy enough to get her off balance. She fell off with a squeal but was quickly caught by a massive hand that was like a platform underneath her. The being who caught her was an enormous dragon man. His eight arms were the picture of balance. Every color of every element adorned him in his brilliant jewel coated scaled form. His head was a dragons with great branches out horns that seemed to merge with the sky above and emitted something like star light. His eyes were a rainbow of colors and shades that could mesmerize any who looked within their gaze. The throne which he sat upon was of every fine metal and jewel that could ever be found. He was the God of Balance. Ignatious or as others knew him... Quetzalcoatl for his eight wings. Some were coated in feathers. Others were more like dragons, bats, or aquatic creatures fins.


    "My daughter Ophelia. You must be more careful. Falling from me and getting hurt would cause me great pain. Especially since you haven''t learned to fly yet." A voice rumbled from the Ignatious''s chest causing the sky to echo with his voice. She sat up in his hand and stared up at him sheepishly. "Sorry Papa." She said holding her dress in her hands and kneeding it nervously. He set her down gently on the ground at his feet. "Papa. Can you tell me a story?" Ophelia asked with her eyes as big as possible. She was begging for it and knew her father would always cave to his daughters demands for attention and stories.


    A large finger reached down ever so slightly and the ground burst with a tree that lifted the girl to eye level with her father. It suddenly spread its branches like a platform underneath her and its leaves and branches wove together till not a gap was found.


    "Very well little one. I shall tell you but one today. Which do you wish to hear?" He asked with his eyes locked onto the tiny figure before him. "Mama and Papas wedding!" The little girl demanded. "Are you certain? You''ve heard this one a thousand times." He rumbled. But the little girl nodded adamantly still. "Very well." The world zoomed into his pupil and lights seemed to flow in a blur till a bright sunny day appeared in view. There was a city with 50 levels and was made of metal and stone. A large castle stood at its peak like a beacon to wanderers. Each layer was separated by 30 feet and they seemed to shrink in width as they approached the castle at the top. The surroundings rocky plains were filled with grass and some wildlife here and there. Mice covered in tiny pebbles sat at points where the rock jutted out. If one didn''t know better you could have said they were armadillos. A hawk circled above with its eyes watching closely for prey and found a single mouse wondering off on it''s own. But before it could even dive for the little mouse it was shot down by a blur that entered its chest. It plummeted to the ground and was retrieved by a gloved hand. The person who was retrieving it was a dwarf wearing a simple leather cap. His beard was long and black. He turned to look at someone behind him. "You are a bloody good shot you are. what was that again? 10 willow pheasants and 3 fire hawks if I counted right." He said as another figure walked up to him. It was a womans figure but she was wearing a deep brown cloak with green trousers and a grey top. Her hair was platinum blonde and her sapphire eyes were filled with life. "I may be a good shot but we both know he can outshoot me any day. Besides... do you think this much will actually feed him?" She said pointing at a horse with 10 birds who were seemingly coated in tree bark. Laying down they looked to be about 3 feet long and weighed about 20 pounds a piece. Next to them was 2 fiery red hawks with smoke still trailing from their beaks. They were all tied together in a bundle on the back of the horse. It''s six legs were strong and had some slight scaling around their joints. Its hooves were thick and its body was heavily muscled. It had a good coat of fur on it and wasn''t even breathing heavy from its load.


    "I think that''ll do it." The dwarf said with an uncertain look on his face. "But I remember his stomache being smaller when he left to get you." He said as he wondered back to the horse where he mounted it with a pull of a single leather strap. Dwarves are terribly strong after all. She nodded and returned to her own horse which seemed normal enough despite having two large fangs sticking out the top of its mouth. The beasts turned and started to trot their way toward the city in the distance. The trip didn''t take long as they weren''t far from the city. Only an hours ride despite the heavy load on Kyle''s beast. As they approached they looked up at the wall to see a dragon sitting there eyeing the surroundings. If one didn''t know any better they would say that the wall was it''s nest. It''s six arms filled with sinuous muscles and scales that shined against the suns rays. A single look would tell any traveller one thing. Dont cause trouble in the city either that or come prepared.


    "Ignis!" Sam shouted as she waved at the dragon on the wall. He looked down at her and leapt from the wall making the stones shake. His form shrank as he descended towards her. Squeezing itself from a little over 60 feet in length down to a mere 10. He landed softly on the ground but not before sending small gusts of wind across the ground making clouds of dust rise like mist obscuring the air.


    "Seems like you had a good hunt." I said as I descended looking at the haul they had brought in. I couldn''t help but think of the events that would occur later that day. A wedding. Between a beast and a human. How strange it felt.


    The afternoon wore on with many people chatting and cheering in the streets of Verst. Many hailing the soon to be wed couple and wishing good fortunes. But noone saw what rose on the horizon. A grey cloud of snow and storms. A dreadful and powerful aura rose on the horizon but was so far away only the border town to the south felt the rising threat. The storms roiled and waves crashed heavily against the shore as the dark sky closed in. Tension hung in the air like an enemy war cry. Soon a massive tentacle llashed out from the sea grabbing onto the dock. The being it hauled out however was far from monstrous. It was a woman with deep brown hair and algae green eyes. Her bone crown that grew from her head was majestic and held high in grace and elegance. Her dress was white like snow and adorned with pearl''s. Queen Marissa which had not set foot on land in decades. Finally made land fall. A small head popped out of the water and shyly looked about. "Scylla my dear. Remember to be proud as you exit the water. Fear not. I''m here." Marissa said extending her hand down to help. Scylla was gently lifted from the water and placed on the pier.


    "Remember what I taught you about walking on land?" Marissa asked quietly. Scylla nodded energetically before her mother backed away to give her space. Scylla closed her eyes and scrunched her brow. Her legs rolled together. Four in one entwined bundle and four in another. Soon they seemed to meld together and form legs. After a minute there was actually toes and two little legs peeking out from underneath her dress. "Well done dear. Now let''s go we have a wedding to attend." Marissa said with a loving smile. Scylla slowly stood up and leaned against her mother for balance. "Now where is the ride Ignis said he would send?" They looked left and right with a slightly confused look. It wasn''t long till a dot appeared in the sky. It was small at first but grew quickly in the span of a few minutes. It was a large dragon. It''s eight wings brimming with energy that dispersed the 6 elements through the air. Flowers bloomed magnificently as fires seemed to glow more brightly. The sky actually cleared at its approach as a calm yet powerful breeze moved the dark clouds. The massive beast landed and looked down at the two of them on the pier. The six arms it had held it''s torso off the ground as it craned its neck down to look at them. Marissa''s face was one of shock and slight fear. The Catastrophe class aura this thing held was able to rival Ignis. Yet he considered it a ride! It''s mouth opened and ignis''s voice came out. "I hurried over as soon as I could. Would have been waiting here for you but there were a few things I had to take care of." Marissa''s face fell slightly but held a calmer expression. "I remember you having 6 wings. I didn''t realize you could grow more. You gave me a heart attack!" She said as she swatted the closest arm to her. A rumble shook the ground as a laugh came from me. "Well. Kinda hard to send a letter to a moving city. So I had to pick wisely." I grinned at Scylla who was hiding behind her mother nervously.


    "How about you hop on board. You''ll get the best view a dragon can give. From the sky." I smiled happily as Scylla was gently picked up by Marissa who tapped on my arm. "Always the one for dramatics." She huffed as she stepped on my palm for me to lift her. "Have to get attention somehow." I said with a devilish grin. My back arms held Scylla and her mother. One hand acting like a seat while the other acted like a blanket sized seatbelt. I took off slowly for Scylla''s sake. I quickly picked up the pace however. The wind rushed past and I heard Scylla start laughing and having a bit of fun. I barrel rolled for them and flipped in the air. It took a bit longer to get to Verst because of that but it was well worth it. I landed at the castle gates without hindrance and was met by Sam and the King. Scylla and her mother were helped down by dwarven attendants as I shifted to my smaller size. My ten foot frame helped Scylla be much less nervous around me but the attendants suddenly swarmed me and took me to my chambers saying something about getting dressed. When I arrived I found not clothes or jewelry. But metals, swords, and a group of dwarves ready to Smith. I raised an eyebrow. "What pray tell is this?" I said gesturing at what was behind them. It was a tall armor set made of gold, silver, studded with jewels and seemed to be made for a warrior. "It was for you... but I think you''ve grown exceptionally bigger since we last measured you. It might not fit." Said one of the Smith''s. This was the armor I was to wear to the wedding I realised. I grinned a little as I lifted my hands. "May I?" I asked. The elder dwarf that had spoken nodded and cleared away the men. The armor suddenly came alive. It shot apart and over to me in pieces. The B.r.e.a.s.t plate was small but it folded outward as bars of gold melted and kept onto the piece like a silk thread being woven into the fabric. It stretched to fit my frame. The roaring dragon on the front was the same and hardly any etchings had changed. The sabatons stretched and melted between my claws. My feet became coated in metal that stretched itself across every scale accenting each of them perfectly. The helmet merely sat there as I contemplated it. It was then that I had an idea. It melted and coated my horns beautifully. Diamonds and rubies organized themselves like budding flowers across the points of my branching horns. The gold twisted into a plate that sat between my eyes perfectly. Chainmail was too noisy so I melted it across my arms to add the flair they needed. The dwarves watched with open mouths as their work literally sank into my scales. My wings were left unadorned. But the dwarves insisted on a cape. It was latched to the b.r.e.a.s.tplate around the neck. The latch looked like a set of claws that locked together and fit snugly against my throat. The cloak itself was a black fur covered monstrosity. "What did you use to make this thing?" I asked the dwarves in slight shock and curiosity. The elder smiled. "A Mine Bear." He said with a smirk. My eyes widened a bit at that. "Well done then." I said quickly as the preparations finished. I was led down to the chapel where a large crowd had gathered. I had no family and Sam''s couldn''t come. So it was the entire city of Verst that came to witness the event.


    I could say I was prepared for what came down that Aisle. I could say that I was a beast who cared little for such public events. But none of those would have prepared me for the beauty that came through that door. A dress of Scarlet adorned her frame. Silver Dragon scales covered her cloak and shoulders. Fur was the bottom of the gown that slid across the floor with a purr. Her eyes were like starlight in the night sky and her hair was a treasure trove of gold, silver, jewels, and braids that only made her eyes stand out more. My breath came short. And my eyes couldn''t be torn away. Even as she walked down that aisle and since. No beauty has come across my mind more beautiful of glorious than that moment. The bishop got up. His short frame was dwarfed even further by Sam and I so he brought out a comically big stool that was obviously custom made.


    He raised his hands to speak something which I imagined would be an enormous effigy of some sort. Then the chapel doors exploded inward.

 Chapter 90 - Weddings are fantastic battles part2

    The doors caved in and landed loudly against the stone floor. I turned with an arm in front of Sam protectively. It was something I hadn''t wanted to see for a long time. It was coated in clouds and storms. The very existence of thunder rumbled through the building. My eyes narrowed as a massive eye appeared at the doorway blocking any escape. "Od." I rumbled out. The bishop pulled a mace from beneath his robes and a shield from his back that I hadn''t even noticed. The mace was covered in strange swastika shaped crosses. The shield like wise had the same symbol. "Who dares disturb this union while I preside over it!?" He bellowed out even as every dwarf man and woman stood. The women pulling knives and gauntlets from purses and side bags. My eyes widened slightly but I had grown to expect nothing less from the people who had literally had their city almost destroyed. They had become highly protective of things as it was.


    The eye locked onto me standing before the alter and a bolt of lightning shot at me. I reached out a hand and absorbed the lightning easily. The eye narrowed. "You are the one who destroyed our shard. Come outside the city or we will level this place to the ground." It rumbled. I looked at King Kyle. "We?" I asked as I quickly looked back at it. Unfortunately the eye had already left the door and was floating across the sky to the plains. I stepped outside to see three behemoths standing in the plains before the City of Verst. One was coated in lightning and had no legs. The other was coated in tornadoes. The last was coated in waves of hurricanes and tsunamis. They all bore the same looks as the first shard of Od that I destroyed. Their six legs thumping on the ground. A humanistic face adorned each of their heads.


    "We saw what you did to our brother. We will not sit by knowing you bullied and killed him." They rumbled in unison. Tornadoes continued to tear the ground apart as they unleashed their unconcious fury. I felt a hand grab my arm and looked down. Sam stood there with a worried expression. I smiled calmly and knelt to place a hand on her shoulder. "I''ll be all right love. Just wait. Might be a little worse for wear when I get back but you''ll see me afterward." I stood again and faced the behemoths. I spread my wings wide and flew to the cities outskirts. "Bring no weapon! We will see your skill with our own eyes and feel your blood spray across our own skin." One rumbled loudly. I sighed and continued flying out of the city without stopping to retrieve Dragon Cry. I soon stood on the planes. Three monsters stood before me. Each about 300 feet tall and monstrous to behold. They began to shuffle together. "Out of respect for our brother. We will show you our full might." They said in unison. Their frames liquified and flowed together into a single mass of flesh and storms. The storm elements in the sky began to rile up and shoot down lightning on Od as if showing resistance. But with each strike I could feel him gain power. And with every moment its form grew. Soon a titan stood before me. 900 feet of muscle and storms that raged like no other before. I saw an ecosystem of power that had formed into one monster. It was... exhilarating.


    I felt an ecstatic smile come across my face as my form began to expand. My form reached a 11th their size. But my aura didn''t lose out. Suddenly a clawed foot shot toward me. I rocketed out of the way leaving a blurred after image in my wake. I opened my wings and took to the sky. Lightning filled my body as it shot from Od to me. It struck hundreds of times like a bug zapper. But it did nothing. My speed increased as I opened a claw and shaped it into a blade to use. "Od. You made a massive mistake telling me not to bring a weapon. See. I am a weapon." I said as I brought the blade down on the joint of it''s leg. I cut a third of the way through. Purple blood sprayed into the air and as clouds absorbed it. "Damn! I forgot about that annoying ability!" I grunted as I went underneath him. The lightning crackled more heavily as they took on a purple hue. "You will only hurt yourself further by hurting me mortal!"


    I cursed as I unleashed the thing I didn''t want to. The netherworld energy. I stopped my flight and spun into Od''s body. My blade cutting and drilling through it''s tail. The murky black energy flew from me and entered his body. It began to devour his energy like a ravenous black hole. He roared in pain as I drilled out of him again. His tail was shriveling quickly till it was a dried husk. It began to turn grey and dead till it eventually turned to dust. A black mass flew from Od to me and entered my chest with a sickening splat. (Gods I hate this feeling! ) I thought with a grimace. And then the power came. Roaring and rolling like a tornadoe demanding to be unleashed. A halo of power expanded from around me in an explosion. My wings had fully unfurled as a new rage fueled me. I felt and saw everything they had felt and seen to this point. From their separation to their brothers death. Eons of learning and growth. My muscles took on the muscle memories and my mind grew wiser with their age. I saw cities and civilizations fall. I even saw Aliana sink into the sea. I was suddenly brought back to the present.


    "What did you do?!" Od roared out as it stared at it''s dead tail. I looked down at my arms and legs. They had grown larger and more powerful. My height had increased by a few feet. I had grown to 15 feet tall. My weight had increased as well it seemed. A clawed hand suddenly slammed into me sending me hurtling into a mountain close by. "You will not defeat us as you did our brother! You will die today!" A multiplied voice roared at me. From the small crater in the mountain side I extended my hand out and moved some of the rocks out of my way. I flexed my arms and finally stood cracking my neck to loosen the muscles. I crouched and let fire coat me as I tensed every muscle. Od roared and sent a large bolt of lightning at me. I punched the bolt and scattered the power across the mountain. I had absorbed enough power for a bit. I just needed to flex it. I shot out of the crater and into the cloud by Od''s face. I zoomed in and punched at the closest part I saw. His nose. His head rocked back from the force and I heard the ground rumble as he was knocked over. "You bastard!" It roared as it swiped at me again. The clouds had cleared from its face to reveal an obviously broken nose that was pouring blood. The clouds darkened further as the blood filled them again. "Why do I keep forgetting that?" I huffed unamused at what this annoying ability was. I flapped once and punched forward again. This time I was intercepted by a clawed hand that caught me. It wrapped around me and I began to feel a crushing pressure. Od laughed as he felt something click and me shout. On of my wings had broke under the pressure. That''s when I had enough. I coated myself in the elements. Even the nether energy I hated so much. I shape shifted my entire body into sea urchin. The spikes sprang out and sank into Ods hand. And then my power unfolded. Demonic Fire invaded his system like a poison.


    It Infected every cell and bone it came across. When it hit his blood stream it went wild. Od released me at that point as his hand shriveled and turned to dust he roared in agony. "You ruined a perfectly good wedding day! Now! You! Will! Pay!" I roared as I shifted back. I pounced onto his face and hammered it. Every punch fueled by my anger. His head slammed into the ground and I kept going. Even as he disintegrated piece by piece. Even his core. And with my last punch his face turned to ash and his cries ended. I stood there huffing as I glared at the dust covered ground. I suddenly felt something slither over my back telling me the nether flame had returned. Power flooded my body again. My form increased in size and strength. It flowed like a raging river forcing my arms to grow and my body to lengthen. I felt a burning sensation as I felt my body hit overdrive. Burning calories while it was moving materials. My stomache growled ravenously. I suddenly realized the mistake I had made. I didn''t have enough stored up in me to grow. My limbs thinned and I began to look emaciated. I opened my mouth and roared at the elements. The earth poured energy into me healing any of my wounds that came. I began to scoop the dust that had been Od into my mouth consuming it hungrily. It wasn''t enough. I turned and lunged at a mountain and began to bite and chew the stones and any animal close enough to be eaten. Blood and dust began to cover me as I bored through the mountain. I dug and ate, Dug and ate. Till I found something tender looking. A white snake tail covered in jewels.


    I grinned a little as a memory came to mind of a serpent. A serpent that had suppressed me to an extreme. Pushing down my friends and I with its aura alone. The anger of that day came fresh to my mind like it had happened yesterday. I grabbed it with my arms and hauled it to my mouth where I began to eat it alive. An angry hiss came from further down the tunnel even as I ate. It wriggled and tried to get away but to no avail. My grip was stronger and I ate every bone and scale. It''s taste was like chicken but with crunch on the outside. My mouth lit ablaze as I ate cooking everything as soon as it entered my terrible maw. Without me realizing my scales gained a gold color and jewels grew or merged with my scales and horns. I soon felt the snake stop struggling and lay limp. It had died in terror as I ate it. Not knowing who or what was attacking it. I kept eating still. When I finally got to the head of the beast it''s eyes lay open staring at nothingness. I devoured it still. My stomache finally calmed down and my body which had grown rapidly was at least 100 feet tall and 30 feet wide. The tunnel scr.a.p.ed against my shoulders as I went to find it''s exit. I eventually found one which led out to an abandoned camp. Gluttony finally rang to life. / Bout bloody time you heard me! Congrats! You just ate the Calamity Class Blood Diamond Wyrm. You now have jewels and gold for skin! You have also entered Lower level Apocalyptic Class. Thought you ought to know./ It practically yelled at me. I winced a bit and examined myself. The gold that had previously been melted to my skin and scales was now merged with it. A single jewel adorned every scale individually making me looked like a pile of walking treasure.


    "Well. I guess I dont have to worry about dressing up now." I said. I flew back to the city and found a crowd of people standing in front of the shattered doors of the chapel. I decided to send Sam a message. "Please have Hargo meet me at my room. I have to get redressed for the wedding." I said to the wind. A small cloud formed and carried my voice down to her elegant form. She quickly gestured to a small golden dwarf and he ran toward the castle. I flew to the balcony of my room and shrank my size down. I landed heavily and entered the double doors. I realized how late it was and began to dig through any fancy clothes I could find. I only found one thing that would cover my nether regions. A large loincloth with some sort of kilt attachment. It was adorned with intricate hammer etchings and a dangling anvil shaped trinket at its base. I quickly put it on and finally Hargo arrived. "So glad to see you lad! We thought you might''ve gone mad!" Hargo said as he ran in through the door. I shook my head with a relieved sigh. "Not yet old friend but Sam will hit my head with her hammer if I''m not down there soon." I said quickly. He nodded and called down the stairs. A group of dwarven women stormed through and through all manner of things on me. A robe to a cloak. A full suit of armor to just elegant leathers. It went on for a bit.


    It was at this time that I realized how much I''d grown. My shrunk size now stood at 15 feet and my shoulders were nearly 5 feet wide. I was in trouble for clothes though it seemed. Soon I just settled for the only thing that fit. The cape. It was long, red, and had beautiful rose patterns across it. "This will have to do." I said and Hargo nodded. "Looking like a damn treasure trove. Who wouldn''t want to marry you?" He grunted with a big smile. I sighed before I let out a laugh.

 Chapter 91 - Weddings are fantastic battles part3

    As I made my way back to the chapel I found the crowd had once again filled every pew. Sam stood up at the front waiting patiently. When everyone saw me their eyes went wide as dinner plates. Everything about me said a living treasure trove. Sam stifled a giggle as I finally made my way to my place next to her. "What''s so funny?" I asked with a curious looks. She grinned from ear to ear before saying "I always knew I was marrying into money. I just didn''t expect my husband to be literally made of it." She said and everyone laughed. I blushed a little at her sudden awareness of my glamorous appearance. The bishop once again got on his stool. "Now... where were we? Ah yes!" He whipped out a book and began to read a long scriptural reference of the church. " Long has marriage been established. Especially among the Fey. Nox and Lux are the oldest example of marriage in existence. One complimenting the other perfectly. Now we come together to bind these two forever. The blessings of the Gods be upon you this day!" He closed the book and looked at is both with a very serious expression. "I will cut to the chase due to tight schedule. Do you swear to take Ignatious Soulsmith as your husband? To hold him dear for eternity?" He asked Sam. She smiled brightly. "I swear." She said. He looked at me and my palms sweat a bit. "Do you swear to take Samantha Von Carnac as your wife? To hold her dear for all eternity?" I looked at Sam and felt warmth in my soul. "I swear." I said feeling light as a feather as I said it. I felt a power enter the air as I spoke. Light and darkness flew in strands through the air gathering into a ball between us. One half was whit and one half was black. It was a perfectly balanced ball. "So they have sworn before Lux and Nox this day! You may kiss under the binds of this oath!" He said. Sam and I looked at each other. She blushed a little as I morphed my face to how she enjoyed it. We kissed. "Now! To Party!" The Bishop shouted throwing the book in the air as the people cheered happily. Sam and I separated with big grins on our faces and my face molded back.


    The dwarves threw rice and party ribbons everywhere as we left the chapel. The courtyard had been beautifully decorated while we were inside. Chairs and tables everywhere. Banners of congratulations hung everywhere in the air making it hard to judge whether I would be able to fly or not. A band had struck up wonderful music by the front of the castle. It was rhythmic and fun. Filled with renessaince style playing and humming. There was a large table set aside for us at the front of the group with the smaller groups of tables spread out before us. Many dwarves had already been seated and raised tankards in celebration. That is till one dwarf accidentally spilled his ale on another. Then we had a grand wedding brawl. I watched in humored fascination as the dwarves made a massive moving dogpile. A dust cloud rose and I saw fists and feet flying as cussing, swearing, and laughing escaped from it. I laughed heartily and raised my tankard which was twice the size of the average. All the dwarves stopped brawling or talking and looked my way in reverent silence.


    I felt my nerves go in fire as my brain emptied before the large crowd. I hadn''t thought before raising my glass. I felt a hand on mine and looked down to see Sam looking at me encouragingly. I nodded as my heart warmed and I felt like I didn''t have a care in the world.


    I looked out at the crowd once more and thrust out my tankard before loudly toasting.


    "To Family! To Friends! To The Things and People we hold most dear. And most of all... To Love and it''s abounding power to draw people together!" I said. My voice rumbled through the air and growled within my chest as I spoke. King Kyle raised his glass next to his wife who was a slightly shorter white haired woman with greenish grey eyes. "I can drink to that!" He cheered and his people echoed his phrase word for word. In a way that was the dwarves best salute to a comrade. I blushed slightly but the gold on my face covered it perfectly.


    Sam beamed after the toast. She loved it. And as the night wore on she seemed to glow with how happy she got. But it was obvious that she was getting tired. Wedding gifts had been placed in a neat pile by the castles front steps. The biggest were placed at the bottom and gradually the smaller presents had been placed in a pyramid toward the tip. The night finally drew to a close as the dance had finally arrived. I stood with Sam and we went to the dance floor. I shrank my form down to her size and changed myself into my human form. That is with exception to my horns. I had taken dancing in my previous life but Sam had still insisted on us practicing so I wouldn''t step on her toes. The band played a slow musical score that felt like it was meant to lull children to sleep. It flowed through the air like a gentle breeze. And we flowed with it. I felt power in the moment we danced. It was light and dark, long and short, mild and hot at the same time. It felt like I could dance with her for eternity. Then the music came to an end. It was a moment before we realized and sheepishly returned to the head table once again.


    King Kyle stood up at his place and raised his tankard. "I propose a toast! To the bride and groom! The fairest couple to grace this city besides my wife and I. And no better end could have been seen to this than what I see before me now. To the time we have with those we love. May we make the most of it!" He said loudly. I heard many people cheer to that statement as Sam blushed. "We demand a kiss!" Marion Shouted from next to Hargo who was smiling. Sam and I both turned deep red as a chorus started. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!...." Hey kept calling out till I shifted my face and leaned in toward Sam. Her lips met mine and the crowd cheered. We both reddened further as we separated back into a our seats.


    And so the night wore on. Many drinking the night away as some told their stories of seeing me in battle. Or King Kyle as he told of my smithing abilities and how I razed the invading army of Weremar for Samantha. All the way to my return carrying her and more powerful than ever. I had helped rebuild many houses on my return and many saw me as not only a friend but family. Blood or no blood shared. I was welcome in every home. It was at this moment I realized how many I had helped in my time. How many lives I had saved or helped rebuild some semblance of normalcy for. I felt a calm fill my heart for the first time in months and I relaxed. My aura filled the air in a positive way. No oppression or bearing in it besides letting people know it was there. The power of a lower apocalypse class waiting to be unleashed.


    The guards at the walls felt a chill up their spines but didn''t so much as glance over their shoulders. They knew who''s aura this was and had grown accustomed to it over the past months. Any possible problem guests were immediately quieted by this aura. We finally reached the end of the festivities and the crowd began to disperse back to their homes.


    The maids and butlers filed about and began to clean. Kyle finally came up to Sam and I as we prepared to depart for an inn for the night. Kyle reached out and grasped Sam''s hand firmly. "I know you both have set accommodations for the night. Unfortunately as King I cannot have guests going to poor Marie''s room for the night especially after one of them helped my people so much." He said as he produced a scroll from behind his back and handed it to Sam. He looked at me. "Your claws would tear that parchment to shreds hence why Samantha gets to read it in your place." He said with a wink to her. She rolled her eyes. As she unfurled it.


    "By order of King Kylisius Verst Ignatious Soulsmith and Samantha Von Soulsmith have been granted a home within the city of Verst till such time that their family is driven to extinction or it is sold." She read aloud. Her voice gradually grew more and more emotional as she read. Tears came to her eyes as she showed me the scroll. At the bottom was a wax seal and an ink seal saying the royal family gave it''s consent and acted as an identifying feature as to who did it as well.


    My eyes widened at the generosity shown by Kyle. "Are you certain of this?!" I asked Kyle with a look of amazement on my face. He smiled broadly. "Indeed my friend! And it is larger than any of the others currently within this city. After all... I had it made for you." He said with a calm yet wisened look. I held up my hands. "Hold up! You had it built?!" I said with a look of shock. He nodded to me. "Indeed. And I do not regret it." He said with a smile. I shook my head in defeat. I knew I could not dissuade him even if I wanted to.


    "Very well my friend. We can only except your gracious gift." I said as I patted his shoulder. Sam embraced me happily as she jumped for joy. "Now we don''t need to worry about finding a home!" She cried excitedly. I held her to me and Kyle''s smile broadened. "You will love it I assure you. It is just below this level after all. We even connected it to the royal smithy with a large corridor. I do this in Hope''s that you can show my descendants the ways to Smith." He said as he bowed low to me. My eyes narrowed slightly. "I thought that you would teach your children." I replied. He grimaced a bit as he stood up straight again. "I had guessed you would say that..." He was silent for a moment before pulling up his shirt a bit. He revealed his side which was covered in black veins that sn.a.k.e.d across his skin. "A few years ago I was bit by a chimera. Their poison is known to act extremely slow. But it is very potent nonetheless. My physicians say I have 2 years left before the poison enters my blood and kills me. Nothing known to us can cure it." He said as he lowered his shirt again.


    I nodded but not before I stepped forward. "You might want to clench your teeth Kyle. This will hurt." I said as my palm hit his afflicted side. His face paled and I let my fire work. Living pheonix fire entered him and began to burn away the poison. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as he screamed. Guards flooded the area and a guard threw a spear at me trying to get me to let go. "What are you doing!!!?" Kyle cried out. I focused and looked him in the eye as I caught the spear like a toy. Sam was holding her hands across her mouth. "I am making sure you live to teach your children the things you know." I said calmly. I crunched the spear to pieces and pushed one into his mouth to bite down on. "Biting this will help you to stop scaring your guard while I try to get rid of this." I said even as he bit into the wood while roaring against the pain. It only took a few moments for the poison to be burnt away and the fire to retract back into my body. I retracted myself and raised my hands. The kings side smoked like a brand had been put to it. A physician was quickly called and pulled up his shirt. What was once an area covered in snaking black lines now was a patch of steaming skin and scarring from my fire burning away the poison. "Your majesty... The poison..." The physician said with a shocked gaze. Kyle looked down after giving me a glare that could make metal melt. His gaze turned to one of shock as he saw what was there. The puckered skin was slowly turning smooth as a small golden flame jumped about it.


    He looked at me in confusion. "What did you do?" I raised a hand and a golden flame began to dance about my hand till it formed a bird that sat and started tweeting within my grasp. The physician gasped when he saw it. "Is that pheonix fire?" He asked as his form shook slightly. I nodded. He let out a sigh and began to pack up his things. Kyle looked at him. "What are you doing? What has he done that makes you so calm as to pack your tools?" He said grasping the doctor by a sleeve. The doctor looked at him and smiled. "You are lucky enough to have found a person with the powers to not only destroy your affliction but also heal the damage that was done." He said as he finished packing his tools and went on his way. Kyle looked at me as I smiled a bit. "You couldn''t have given me a bit more warning you damn fool!?" He shouted and I laughed. He looked down and touched his previously scarred side. Not a trace of a scar remained. Suddenly a small gold fleck of fire jumped from his skin and bounced across the stones to my hands.


    "Now Your Majesty. I believe we are even." I said with a smile. Kyle was helped to his feet where his wife hugged him. I picked up Sam who had calmed down and tretched my wings to take flight. The sky was filled with my power and flames and lightning danced across the sky like fireworks. It lit up the sky filling the faces of many with looks of awe and happiness. I held Sam close and she looked me in my eyes. "Why are you so cruelly kind?" She asked. I took a moment to think. "Because I was shown a cruel kindness most of my life." I replied. She smiled a little. "Well... I hope you are much gentler with me tonight." She said as she blushed deeply. I turned a deep red at her mention of it. "We will see I guess." I said shyly as she laughed.

 Chapter 92 - Shadows from Another Side part 1

    The dragon God sat on his throne. The clouds drifting by crackled lightning and fire within them agitatedly like two children chasing each other. "Now, Now. No fighting between you two. I dont need the worlds aflame because you two had a spat." His voice rumbled across the sky separating the clouds to reveal two children in the sky. One had yellow wings that crackled with lightning. His horns were white and his hair was the color of a sunset which adorned a chiseled chin and scarlet eyes. His frame was thin but was somewhat hidden beneath blue cloud covered robes. His wings didn''t flap but his draconic legs stood on a dark thunder cloud. His brother stood apart from him. No wings adorned his back. But his horns changed colors like a shifting flame. Yellow, crimson, and blue shimmered across his curled horns. He had four arms that ended in clawed hands with crimson nails. His eyes were silver and flecked with gold around his serpentine pupils. His frame was muscled despite his young appearance with scarlet robes with orange flame orbs decorating them. He had a strong chin and two fangs stuck out of his upper lip. Flames danced across his feet keeping him in the air like some god of fire.


    "Father you know that Barak has a distaste for me. Has since we were small. It''s about time that I as the eldest put him in his place." A thick growling voice rumbled from his place in the sky.


    The first dragon mans face turned into a snarl baring his teeth as his brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. "We are twins you fool! I was born mere seconds after you yet you claim the elder position! It was bound to happen when I was cheated of what should have been mine! You should have known that most Agni!" He bellowed. His voice was lighter and crackled with energy as his hair stood on end and his thunder cloud blossomed with bright light as a web of sparks and lightning danced across the sky.


    The dragon god took a deep breath which seemed ordinary to most. But his sons knew otherwise. They knew their father had a decent fuse of patience. But they knew he only sighed when it was wearing down. They began to sweat a bit as Agni lowered himself to the ground along with his brother close behind. They bowed before their father in earnest, hoping to stop any possible anger from being vented towards them as hey had seen done to others outside their family. "Forgive us Father. We were hasty and poor of patience with each other." Agni said with his voice low and trembling. Barak Lowered himself just as low. "Please accept our repentance father. We have short tempers and must learn more patience." He said with a look of shame on his face. Seeing his sons bow themselves down the dragon raised his hand. And even as they rose from the ground into a kneeling position he had a memory come to mind. "My sons... Allow this old one to tell you a tale. One which may help you understand the power of patience." His voice rumbled and the sky changed to one filled with starlight and the northern lights streaming across the ether of the night.


    "Long ago after your mother and I were betrothed... A very long time ago..." The star filled eyes of the dragon God zoomed closer till they seemed to be a vast ocean. The sun rose across the sky in the bright orange and yellows of dawn. The glorious power of light drove at the darkness like ravenous hunting dogs after a wounded buck. The smell of dew covered grass filled the air as dwarves and the like rose to the brightness of a new day. But deep within a layer of a multilayered city just below the layer of royals, stood a mansion. Pearl white gates adorned it''s granite courtyard walls. The grounds were filled with glowing plants of every shade and likeness. Lillies the color of scarlet with dandelions the color of the dark, starless night. The mansions walls were made of white stone and decorated with images of a salamander growing from a small creature into a massive dragon. The images of battle were emblazoned across the side wall as statues of stone adorned it''s exterior gardens. The front of the mansion itself showed the dragon forging weapons and armor and even a small flower. The walls of the mansion merged with the level of the ceiling above it looking more like a stabilizing pillar than a house.


    Countless windows were scattered across its surface allowing plenty of light to enter as a woman seemed to wail from within. A woman laid on a canopy bed with crimson curtains and white sheets. The pillows were black as the night sky. The reason the woman wailed was due to a large belly and pain that came with it. Beside her stood a dragonman. Six arms adorned his broad shoulders and his head was one of a great beast. But despite his mighty looks. This being was worried. His eyes showed care and attention even as she wailed and grasped his hand with all her strength. A group of maids had gathered and a nurse attended to her. Many hours passed from the Beggining of this woman going into labor but she would not show so much as a speck of weakness before her foe. Birthing her children.


    Ignis POV: I stood there as Sam cried out in anger and pain against the process of birthing my children. Twins from what the physicians told us. Physicians here used star alignments and magic charts to figure out the genders and types of children born. Twin boys are what we were told. Samantha had gone through 9 months of pregnancy for this moment. She wailed as a nurse was between her knees. "It''s coming! Just breath and when I say push. Push." She said with a straight forward stare. "PUSH!" And Sam cried out as I saw her tense. After a moment a white shell appeared between her legs as a large egg appeared. It was the size of a large newborn at about 2 feet long and must have weighed 10 pounds if not more. A confused look came across my face as the nurse handed me the egg. It weighed more than I thought. 20 pounds or more was what it felt like. I could feel a heartbeat within the egg even as I held it. What was most confusing was that it felt like a double. Like a continuous heartbeat without spacing. Like a drum. I pulled it close as a protective feeling filled my chest.


    Sam''s rolled her head weakly. "How are they?" She asked as her eyes were blinking slowly. Like she was struggling to stay awake. I gently placed the egg to her chest. Letting her feel the warmth and the heartbeats within. The power of the beings in the egg pulsed outward. Disaster class auras filled the room but Sam was unfazed. She patted the egg gently. "Shhhhh. My dear children. All is well." She cooed softly. Soon the auras settled down seeming to say that the beings within had fallen back into their slumber. I restlessly shifted on my draconic feet. "I thought that our children would be born in a more human manner." My voice whispered through the room like a breeze. Sam''s face showed a wizened expression. "I expected this. I felt them kick extremely little and it felt more like a hard thing within me." Her eyes were full of love as she caressed the egg carefully. I felt pride fill my chest at the fact the twins were still ok. (Merely a little longer till we met them face to face.) I thought to myself. A sudden rumble echoed across the sky as a small ball of fire descended only to float before our window. "Little tyrants will be driving you mad before you know it. Be careful. Disaster class children can cause an awful mess. Reason why mine never had bodies." Aed said as he sat on our windowsill.


    Power filled my frame as my protective instincts took hold. "Aed... Why are you here? Normally you don''t just stop by for chitchat." I said as my hackles rose and I looked out the window and into the sky behind him. He let out a sigh. "Right on point as always... We gods hate to say this but... I am in need of your help." He said while biting his lip and looking about the room seeming to try and blow off what he had just said. My mood did not improve. "And you decided to come on the day of my children''s birth to tell me this why?" I asked as anger began to rise within my heart. Aed looked behind him like he was paranoid of anyone listening. "Cause I figured no other Gods would care or pay attention to this visit. As it is customary to visit a champion on the day their first child or children are born." He said with a nervous wiggle in his voice. The nervousness caught me off guard. (What could possibly make a god nervous?) I thought and I patted Sam gently on the shoulder. "I''ll be back in a bit. Just relax and I''ll be back before you know it." I said gently to Sam while keeping an eye on Aed. She laid a hand on mine and gave me a firm nod as she eyed Aed. She held the egg firmer to her chest as Aed flew out the window and I jumped through to follow.


    I followed him into the sky as we left the city of Verst. It was a grandiose sight to behold when we reached the clouds. It was like a shining star amidst the green plains. I still ascended further into the sky. I followed Aed all the way into the dark star-filled sky. We stopped as we came above the clouds. He went and stood on one as though it was normal. Actually stood on one! If this was earth he''d be pulling a Wiley coyote level sky fall and probably engrave himself in the ground. But here it seemed that physics took a vacation. Aed stood on the cloud which seemed to darken extensively. He turned to face me with a very serious look to his face.


    "Technically I''m not supposed to tell you when we gods have problems. Since your a mortal and all. But I think this very well could use your... Touch of expertise." He said while looking back into the night sky. I raised an eyebrow. "My expertise being what? Explosives, destruction, and mayhem?" I said with a slightly bored expression. He shook his head. "No... well... Yes, but it''s complicated. See... you remember that big guy you saw a year or two ago? Beholder. Remember him?" He said with a little gesture to the sky. I didn''t even need to try to remember. I had searched the archives from stem to stern trying to find info on it. All I found was a stone slab depicting some demon made of tentacles and eyes worming it''s way through the cosmos while subjugating planets for it''s unknown masters. I rubbed the side of my face a bit. "Yeah. What of him? Does he need eyedrops? Cause I dont think they make bottles big enough for him to use." I said with another slightly bored look all the while trying not to seem interested in this sudden development.


    "No eyedrops could found for that foul git. No... I need your help to get rid of him... He... wants to take this world for his own. He has loads of others... but he just seems to like trying to take this one for some reason." Aed said while rubbing his forehead. I raised my hands. "Hold up! You want me to kill something that can destroy planets while I haven''t even ascended to godhood yet. Are you mad?! All it would take is a glance and he could annihilate me from existence. How am I supposed to fight that?" I said waving my arms around. Aed held up a small shard of something. "After eating this you won''t have to worry about that." He said. It was a piece of what looked to be black crystal and was the size of a human thumb. I drew closer to see what it actually was. Aed gently placed it in my hand so I could inspect it closely. It was a piece of bone! Pitch black and seemed to absorb light in a way I had never seen. Even energy was drawn to this thing like a black hole. (G... Have you ever encountered something like this?) I thought at Gluttony.


    /No... But I can tell whatever this belonged to was a very powerful being. Probably as powerful as gods if not more. This shard could shoot you into the higher level of Apocalypse Class. Maybe higher. I would reccomend eating a ton and stocking up on food before doing that though. You remember what happened with Od right?/ It chimed back and I shivered at the memory. I nodded to Aed. "I''ll speak with my wife... Then I''ll see what I can do." Aed let out a sigh of relief as if a load had been taken of his shoulders. "Thank you my friend. I''ll let the others know." He said with a relieved smile. I raised my eyebrows. "I''ll be seeing you soon Aed." I said as I fell backward and shot down to the earth. The shard was gripped tightly in my hand as the wind screamed past me. I took myself out of he dive a little over 200 feet above the ground so I could level our and slow down.


    "Time to head home." I said.

 Chapter 93 - Shadows from Another Side Part 2

    When I returned to the mansion I had Sam to answer to. "What did Aed want?" She asked as she sat next to a cushion with our egg on it. The light played across it''s surface like a surfer on the waves. One side was coated in crimson lines that danced like flames while the other bore lines of yellow that branched across it''s surface like a tree. Both halves bore flecks of gold throughout their design that glittered in the sunlight. I gently knelt to the ground beside the cushion and touched its surface. "He... sigh... They need my help." I said as tiredness took my mind. I sank back on the floor as my mind tried to process everything that I had heard the night before.


    "It would seem I need to ascend and offer help to the Gods where no other can. Something is coming... And not even the Gods can stop it."


    I said rubbing my hand on my forehead.. This matter was a pain in the ass to think about. Sam''s face turned even more serious as I lifted my hand and looked at her. Her eyes had a trace of fear as she glanced at the egg nervously. "Does this mean... that you have to go?" She said slowly as her lips persed against each other as though she was trying to keep tears at bay. I nodded slowly. "It would seem so my dear. If our foe takes this world I have no idea what it would do to you. That''s why I have to go." I said as I slowly moved to crouch before her. "We just had our first born and already they are trying to steal you away! How can I hope to raise this child alone?" she said in frustration as tears finally began to fall. "What if something happens to you? How am I going to handle two bundles of energy when they ask what happened to you?"


    I gently reached up and wiped a tear away with my index finger. She looked me in the eyes. Her face was the expression of anger and sadness. The true look of frustration. I gently cupped her cheek in my hand. "I will always come back. Even if Hell was my destination. I would conquer it to come home to you." I said as resolution filled my heart and my eyes gained a strength to them. I stood and looked out the window into the sky. I pulled out the shard that Aed had given me and Sam caught a glimpse of it. "What is that?" She asked with a sniff. " I don''t know but I''m going to find out. It has to be something interesting if Aed claims it can raise me to a power level similar to the gods." I responded as I held it to the light. In the sun it''s color changed from black to that of dried blood. As I looked closer I noticed it. It was a metal shard coated in blood on part of it.


    "What were you?" I said curiously. I twirled it in the air before I started toward the door. "Are you going to meet them now?" Sam asked. I turned my head so I could see her. "My dear. I''m going out to grow. I''ll be back by nightfall." I said as I wandered out the door.


    The sky was filled with dark clouds as the day wore on. I ended up going to the sea to find food. I needed to build up stock to grow from this piece. If I didn''t I could die due to starvation caused by my body growing faster than I had food stores for. My eyes settled on a fishing boat with a net on it. The boat was worn and seemingly abandoned. I swooped down quickly catching the net in my clutches as I dove into the water letting it fill my gills. My eyes adjusted quickly and I soon found my prey. It was a group of Sandfish. Beings coated in rocky scales so rough they were compared to sand by many fishermen. They had sharp teeth sticking out of their lips like tusks. Sandfish are about the size of a toddler on a good day. These sucker''s were the size of small babies. I slowed myself in the water making myself seemingly stand there and attempt invisibility. It was to no avail. I was quickly noticed and they swam away faster than I could cast any form of magic. I was surprised at their speed. I soon found myself chasing them like some predator eel on a hunt. They wove through the reefs and the rocks like they were water itself. AMD despite their size they were agile as anything and able to fit in the smallest of cracks like they had no skeleton. In what seemed like hours I hunted and swam. Only to find that my queries had escaped. I threw the net at the sea floor in frustration.


    I told her I''d be home by nightfall. How would I get something and be back by nightfall if I couldn''t catch anything. It was then a thought struck me. "Catch something without catching it..." I grabbed my net and set it about the reef in such a way it looked like just any ordinary garbage or lost item. Dr.a.p.ed about the reef and rocks like a miss-cast and abandoned net. I swam to the bottom and did my best to hide and suppress my aura. Hours ticked by till I finally saw them. Droves of fish. Hundreds of them. Sandfish and others. Colors of the rainbow filled the waters as I hid in my darkened hole. I stiffened as I heard a hiss from behind me. I turned slightly to find a large eel floating behind me. "Well. Get out there you great buffoon." I said to it. It glared at me without moving. It and I had a staring contest. My temper was starting to get aggravated to the point I grabbed it and chucked it out into the fray of fish. I fumed and cussed at the thing for being so ridiculous. I then realized I had just had a staring contest with an eel. My face turned red at my foolishness as I sat in the cave and patiently waited for more fish to come by. It wasn''t long till I saw what I wanted. Just for information. Large groups of fish tend to draw large predators or large groups of predators. What I saw was incredible though. It was the size of a whale with large silver scales and razor sharp fins. A mouth covered in barnacles yet having large tusks jutting out of it. It had 10 large beady black eyes that seemed to scan everywhere in an instant. It was mere seconds after I saw it that a fog horn echoed through the water making my ears hurt with the vibrations. I covered them in a feeble attempt to stop the noise to no avail. My vision was starting to blur as finally the noise came to an end. I glimpsed out of my hiding hole and found hundreds of fish floating belly up. Not a trace of life left in them as some had blood coming from their lips. The behemoth opened its mouth and a vacuum of water sucked all the dead fish away into it''s gaping maw.


    I held on to the coral reef with all my might so I wouldn''t get sucked in. (I know I''m Apocalyptic Class but even this thing is making me shiver. What the hell is it?) I thought as my six arms held on for dear life. I prayed the coral wouldn''t give out. This thing was stronger than me. Only a beast of higher class could almost make me pass out. The suction soon lessened till I could haul myself back into the hole I was originally in and cover myself in shadows. The beast loomed for a few moments before slowly swimming away to look for it''s next meal. I peaked my head out to see not a single fish was left in the reef. Not a single beast for me to eat. I glared after the behemoth beast in anger as I started swimming the other direction. I once again made my way to land. I was not in any mood to deal with that monster. Though questions still entered my mind. (How could such a beast exist without ascending to godhood? Why was it there? Did it sense me when I entered?) These things twisted and spun through my mind in an annoying fashion. I found a couple deer fortunately. Crystal Horns the dwarves call them. The Horns are tasty when cooked in a blazing fire for an hour to soften them a bit. Then they taste a bit like pretzel sticks. The meat on the other hand is bland and tasteless. Like eating rocks or drinking water. You know you''re eating something but it has no flavor to it.


    I learned no skills but I had managed to get some food which was a good sign. I continued to walk homeward. The sun was Beggining to set before I finally decided to take flight. In the hours before I had found a rock hog ( basically a hedgehog covered in stone.), a Root Bird ( A bird/ tree hybrid that has leaves instead of feathers. They use sunlight for food like plants.), and a couple Shadow Wolves. ( Beasts that can manipulate the shadows to paralyze their prey.)


    I ate it all greedily hoping that I was able to be able to stock up on some of the needed materials. The flight on the other hand was uneventful unfortunately. I arrived home shortly after dark to find the lights on with Sam laying upstairs in our bed. Our egg rested off to the side on a thick pillow. Sam laid down her book on astrology as I entered the door. My clothes were now dry but I looked tired as I entered. She smiled a little. "It would seem someone found their hunt to be more troublesome than intended." She said with a light giggle. I rolled my eyes in response. "My hunt turned into me almost being hunted." Her eyes widened a bit. "Something hunted you? You! How is that possible?" She said as she sat up further with a wince. I pulled out a stool specially made for me for these past few months and sat.


    "Turns out that creatures of higher class than I dont have to ascend into godhood. And that point was proven quite thoroughly today when I was almost swallowed by a multi-eyed whale." I said as a servant brought in a pitcher of water and a couple glasses. Sam''s face turned serious as she sat there pressing her thumbs together nervously. "So... what does this mean?" She asked persing her lips like she knew she wasn''t going to like the answer.


    I sat back on the stool and took a deep breath. "I think the Gods need help but their pride is being temperamental. And on the side note of evolution I''m being pulled into an intergalactic war of some kind. And here I was just a Salamander a few years ago... Who would''ve thought." I said into the room. I held up the shard again and wondered what it had belonged to before placing it before me on the side table. I stayed there till dawn and set out again. This time towards the mountains and hills. The grounds were mostly barren and the mountains lacked any form of wildlife. (How could Kyle and Sam ever hunt anything out here?) I thought as I flew. It was as the sun met its highest point that I new why. The grounds shifted as small animals appeared out of there dens which had become to hot to stomach. and there was a horde to hunt.

 Chapter 94 - Ascension of Gluttony

    I didn''t descend on the horde of beasts immediately. I didn''t want to get run over by the beasts. One low level beast was no problem. Two low level beasts wasn''t a problem. A pack wasn''t even a problem. But this was a sea of beasts that in reality could have run my a$$ over and left tread marks. I descended on a close by mountain and started looking. Then I found the beast I wanted. A tiger the size of a tank, coated in molten earth, that had black clouds floating about it in a halo. It eminated strength and pride as it stepped through the hordes. Energy from the ground filled it''s frame as sunlight glistened off of its glowing red mane.


    I wondered for but a moment before striking. I settled down into a small crevice. Pulling Dragons Cry from my back I placed it against my shoulder and readied to fire. It took but a moment to focus on my target. The point right behind it''s left shoulder. I aimed there to get it to it''s heart. Immediate death was better than a tortured end. A bullet shot from my barrel with a screech that ripped the air apart scaring half the animals in the vicinity. The Tiger roared loudly tearing up the ground around it. Cracks tore through the terrain sending dust into the air.


    To my surprise the bullet stopped mid air as though it had been grabbed by some force. It was inches from the Tigers hide which only served to aggravate me. The beast turned glare at me. The chilling killing intent it sent out was terrifying to any creature about it. So terrifying in fact that the creatures closest to it died from terror and shock. It opened it''s mouth wide and an molten power gathered together into a ball. The lava in it''s mane gathered in streams to the ball making it glow brighter and brighter till the Tiger slammed it''s mouth crushing the ball in it''s powerful jaws. It looked at me for only a moment before opening its maw and unleashing the power within. A beam as red as crimson burst toward me at a speed even I had a hard time blocking. I raised the hands that governed fire and earth to strike the beam and protect myself.


    The blast assaulted my hands with a power as strong as earth and as fierce as fire. It was a murky blend of the elements that tore at my hands. It hurt like hell and as I took it I became more and more angry. I could take pain. At 70% increase against pain it said volumes about this things power. I coated my hands in the power of all my energies with exception to the nether energy of course. The powers offset the beam enough for me to swipe it away into the rest of the mountainside. It caused rockslide down he mountain as it created a 2 foot deep trench that glowed red hot against the dull gray rock.


    I turned back to the Tiger and roared at it the same way it had me. The ground cracked but there was no waves or stagnation of air. It was just excessively loud and filled with my aura. Crushing pressure pushed down the remaining animals making it impossible for them to move. Some foamed from the mouth while others simply died from their hearts giving out. the tiger and I were about equal for aura. That fact made me glad that we were about a day or two''s ride from the City of Verst. I wouldn''t want Sam worrying. I slowly walked down the mountain and let my frame expand to it''s natural size. My 100 feet in height with a 30 foot width span was enough to intimidate most creatures. The Tiger on the other hand was nowhere close to finished with me. It''s fur spiked up and crackled with energy as it tried to focus another blast at me. I merely picked it up like a kitten which peaved it off as it tried to scratch me. I held it and started petting it which only aggravated it further.


    I laughed heartily at it''s futile efforts to escape my grasp. Before setting it down. It''s claws had left faint scratches across my scaled palms. The Tiger fully realized at this point that it was completely outmatched and decided to run leaving me in the middle of a field of either unconscious or otherwise dead creatures. And despite what people might have though I just let it go. Sure I might have been able to get a skill or two from it. But it was an unnecessary kill. I had enough creatures around me to feed me for a few days. Enough I figured to offset the evolution Gluttony was preparing me for. I went about and found the creatures that were just unconcious. And no I wasn''t the kind to spare a free meal. But overkill is not my thing. I counted my haul as I went on my mercy kill streak. 5 Stone Guardian Buffalo (The size of a VW Bug), 2 Ore Rabbits ( Rabbits that have metal for bones and fur the color of silver), A Flaming Ant Eater, 13 crystal horn gazels, 15 rock hogs (hedgehogs covered in rock), 20 Sun Eating Owls( Owls that feed on sunlight and use fire magic), And a Diamond Carapace Tarantula( About the size of a car). I cooked and ate all of my prey till my stomach bulged. I looked like a rolling mountain by the time I was done. And the skills I gained were actually just absorbed into my defensive abilities and Apocalypse class powers. Soon G notified me that I had reached the minimum for eating the shard. I frowned a little as my bulging stomache was already starting to slowly shrink at a visible rate. I looked around a bit more for some food and managed to find another small herd of Stone Guardian Buffalo''s. 10 is what it would take for me to be in the safe zone according to G''s readings.


    I looked down at the heard of 30 and picked out the ones I would take out. I couldn''t just annihilate entire herds at will else they could go extinct. I pulled my bow from my back and got an arrow ready. My bow was made of ironwood with steel banding to strengthen it. I know bows are a little medieval but when you need stealth as a friend they are very handy. Dragons Cry was too loud. My last encounter had truly proven that point. My arrows were made of steel and tipped with beast fangs. Sometimes a tooth can cut deeper than any metal as they say. I pulled back and let an arrow fly at the closest Buffalo. I hit it in the eye dropping it without a sound. It caused the herd to start circling on the other hand. The young were in the middle and the big ones were on the outside. I shot another and another. The shots came easy due to my mastery of archery. Leading my shot ahead of the target came naturally.


    The arrows arched and came down with the wind into the eyes of the Buffalo granting them a swift death. The heard saw how many of them were falling and quickly started rushing away. But not before I met my quota. 10 of the beautiful beasts lay across the grounds. They would have looked asleep if not for the arrows. But I didn''t waste any more time than necessary. I got a couple fires going and got the beasts on spits. Their hide I quickly cooked in my hands with fire and ate it like bacon. It was tough and tasteless. But I didn''t waste any of it. I thought back to my previous world due to the buffalo.( I was raised in a world where buffalo were near extinct. But here they thrived in droves. I would hate it if that happened here as well.) I thought sadly amidst my melancholy.


    Soon the Buffalo were done cooking. Their meat was dense and full of flavor. Like beef but mixed with a wild flavor. Barley and honey would have made great finishers for these guys before I killed them. Would''ve made the meat sweeter. But I couldn''t complain. It was a good meal. I sat down at the next one and offered a small thanks to the heavens for such a bounty. I soon finished my hunger induced mission. G spoke up. /You have reached the safe zone for material consumption if you wish to consume the shard. If not... whatever./ I frowned at it. "Whatever huh?" I said with an unimpressed look. I pulled out the shard and nervously twiddle with it before carefully placing it in my mouth and swallowing. It tasted of old blood and iron. /Host has swallowed a shard of Divinity. Nail Shard of the Christian. Will commence evolution./ It said in its mechanical voice.


    I felt a warm sensation spread form my center till I felt something. Like a small animal moving about within. After a moment of confusion the pain came. Pain wracked my body as smoke and steam rolled from me like a fog. My soul felt like it was being burned. /Host must stay awake or we will both perish permanently./ Gluttony warned. I was curled on the ground with my teeth gritted. I could feel my bones cracking and healing. Cracking and healing over and over. My body began to shine with a holy power that drove close by monsters away. A white beam shot from me to the heavens as I agonized in its center. I grew another set of arms. One white and one black in response to the divine power. My understanding of this thing grew with me. It was holy. And it''s opposite was the infernal nether. Power flooded me as my frame shifted and strangely items began to appear from my flesh. A cup filled with a storming sea came from my stomache. A scroll emitting the energy of death came from my dark wings. A crown of fire adorned my head. Dragons cry hummed and shifted. It lengthened and the blade on its end grew. It became a hollow halberd emitting power. A ball of light came from the white arm while a black ball came from the black one. These items rotated about me in the air like puppies waiting for a masters attention. Though I was still preoccupied with my evolution. My tail was stretching and gained a furry tuft at the end of it. My scales gained a vibrance that exceeded gold and silver. Those things didn''t hurt. My skeleton was breaking and mending alot which confused me. (G what is happening!? Why are my bone breaking so much?) I howled in my head as I hissed at the ground.


    /Your skeletal structure is being cleansed of impurities and strengthened by the Trial of Breakage. Soon your bones will have toughness comparable to a divine armament. This is standard for gods to go through./ It replied. Pride on the other hand was howling at us. /Boss I''m doing what I can to prevent anything from damaging you further on the outside but there''s nothing I can do about the inside./ The rumbling voice sounded worried. Gluttony yawned. /You worry too much. I''ve made him go through worse. He''ll make it./ They began to prattle back and forth. It took what felt like hours for the pain to stop. My evolution had started around mid day and finally finished around nightfall.


    ACROSS THE WORLD POV:


    On the continent of Weremar. The destroyed capital. An elderly blind man looked into the distant sky at the beam that pierced the heavens. "How many millenia has it been since a god was born?" He rumbled. As his cane vibrated against his grip. "Calm down old friend. I doubt he will be worse than those who rose before him if it''s who I think it is." He said patting it gently.


    In the Northern Continent of Ice Galmara.


    From a castle balcony a Great lion headed beastman stood with his armor on his body. Hs was built like a powerhouse. His muscles rippled and what little armor he wore seemed to stretch a little. "Finally a worthy challenger has risen to the ranks today." He rumbled with a growl as an eager smile stretched itself across his face.


    Eastern continent of Water. Melra


    A tall elf woman with unparalleled beauty stood within a large garden filled with small streams and a beach that looked like an old fashioned bed. She pulled out a bowl with water in it and set it on a pedestal before stroking it''s surface making it wripple. It''s murky waters turned clear revealing a great glowing beast amidst the rocky mountains of Belmac. "So... It''s that time again." She said. Her voice was like clear flowing water but filled with a happy tone.


    And in Belmac at the city of Verst stood King Kyle. His back was to the room where the queen lay asleep. The beam of light stretching to the heavens finally ebbed till it was no more. A great smile played across his face as mischief glinted in his eyes. "That troublemaker. He really did it this time." He said as he spun his cloak flaring out dramatically against the air. He energetically woke his wife who blearily looked at him like he had gone mad. "Dear what is it?" She said. He looked at her like a boy excited for Christmas. "Get up woman! It''s not often a god is born on ones own continent!" Her bleakness vanished at his words. "What?!"

 Chapter 95 - Ascension of Gluttony Part 2

    In the middle of the Rockies of Belmac I sat sucking in air like a homeless man stealing gold. I revelled in it. The pain was gone and I was relieved. I was laying on my side exhausted as the earthen energies around me healed me and tried to ease my fatigue. I managed to sit up finally but I ached all over. From my skin to my bones I ached. /You did well young one./ Gluttony said. I could almost feel Pride give a sigh in relief. I c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at G. "Young one. Haha. Perhaps I should call you old man then." I said as Pride started laughing. But before I could continue G interrupted. /Pride and I must upgrade to help with the new body you are in. We will be inactive for some time. I''m not certain how long. Please forgive us. But you can''t gain any more abilities till upgrades are complete./ It rumbled out. I could feel their anticipation as they awaited my answer. I needed them to be at their best so I could do more. And it was only thanks to Gluttony that I got this far. "Why not? Take a break and improve yourselves. I''ll see you both when you are better."


    /Thank you master./ They both said as they went dormant and I was left in mental silence for the first time in almost a decade. I grunted as I slowly pushed myself up from the ground and started to walk back to the city. The walk was a bit longer than expected and I was starting to feel a little better. As I walked I suddenly felt something. Like I was being watched. I turned my head in the direction and saw it. A glowing eye the color of sapphire. My hackles rose. "Since when did I permit spying?" I demanded as my killing intent went in it''s direction. The eye immediately faded and I was left alone. I knew what that was. It was a scrying spell. And a powerful one as well. To fully materialize an eye took practice and alot of juice to crank one of them out. And because of how fast it faded I think I made the person behind it faint.


    In the continent of Melra the beautiful elf woman lay with her mouth foaming on the floor. An attendant in a kimono was doing her best to wake her waving a japanese style floral fan in front of her face. Finally she got sick of waiting and splashed water on her. The woman woke with a start. "Ahhhh!" She looked around and saw her attendant before quickly grabbing her shoulders with fearful eyes. "We need to send a present as apology. I might have provoked it. I MIGHT HAVE PROVOKED IT!?" She shouted hysterically. The aid flicked her forehead which seemed to snap her out of it. "My apologies fair one. But provoked what?" She said calmly. The woman shook her head and took a breath. " A god was just born in Belmac. We must send a representative to let them know we mean no harm. Especially now that they have a god living there. The power balance has shifted in King Kyle''s favor entirely. I had heard he had a champion living close. But for one to ascend that fast he must have been around for a millenia. Send word. I want the council together at sunrise. By order of Queen Felmenia! Until then I need to plan and sleep." The aid bowed deeply before leaving. He woman walked over to the bowl and started tapping the sides of it. "May Mercury have mercy on us." She said nervously.


    Back in Belmac I had just gotten back enough stamina to fly. It was close to midnight when I arrived home which was still making excellent time considering my flying had been a bit worse for wear. I figured as I flew that I would have to shrink down to fit in the house. What I found there surprised me. A stack of gold and presents were outside the house. Enough to cover the windows on the lowest floor. A crowd had even gathered around. Many still in nightgowns with children asleep on their shoulders. Sam was in a window staring out at me with a slightly concerned look. I gave a nod and she nodded back before returning to bed. When the people saw her nod and go into the room further they turned around. When they saw me every knee hit the ground. Not a sing soul excluding the sleeping children. My brow furrowed at the sight and then I saw Kyle and Hargo among them. "Kyle! What is the meaning of this?" I asked. Kyle didn''t raise his head as he spoke. "We came to pay homage to the new god among us. It is the oldest custom among this worlds inhabitants. And one that has not been done in a very long time." He said. I raised a hand. "Rise. You are all considered my family and friends. I have fought on the same battlefields and for the same freedoms as you. Please dont treat me as a stranger now." I said. Suddenly I felt something tap my hands. I looked and saw objects. A cup, scroll, two orbs of white and black, a red smithing hammer, even dragons cry was different. Each object floated before its designated hand.only my lowest hands remained unenc.u.mbered by an item. I grabbed each item and felt the power and authority come from them into me. I held them and I felt like I was posing without meaning to. Which was funny because there was a painter off to the far side painting it all through a telescope for the king to place on his castle wall. He apparently made fast work of it as he was done he basic sketch in only only a few short moments after I landed and started speaking with them.


    It was only later that I found out about this however. My task at hand right now was getting in and sleeping somewhere my crown of fire wouldn''t burn to cinders. He people parted ways as I was very tired and they saw this. But it wasn''t even a second later that a person leapt at me. "Die Heretic!" He shouted. His robes were those of clergy and in his hand was a spiraling dagger. It emitted a lethal energy that I ignored as my tail came up and smashed him out of the air like a fly swatter to a fly. I heard his bones crunch as he flew clean out of the cities walls and into a distant mountain. His dagger fell with a clang to the ground as those around me cowered away afraid of me. I waved my hand in the air nonchalantly. "I thank you all for your gifts. You may return to your homes. His actions were his own." I said as I gave Kyle a glance. "I want to speak with you later." He nodded as he too went his way back to the castle along with his wife who was in a chair close by.


    I entered the mansion and almost collapsed. My tired body was through. Even with all the power of the world I still got tired from my ordeal. "Ignis. Are you alright?" I heard a feminine voice ask. I looked up to see Sam at the top of the stairs leaning against the banister. She was still recovering from the birthing process. I smiled a little as my fatigue settled and I recognized my reason for coming home. My crown of fire glowed calmly against the darkened house as I started my way up the stairs. Sam put her hand on my arm as I came to the top of the stairs. The days efforts had left me extremely tired. So Sam kindly led me to a bed where I could rest. When I pointed out the crown she pointed at a candelabra. I gently moved my crown from my head to set on the candles. The candles ignited and strangely enough the flames slowly rotated around the candelabra with a ghostly grace. I set my other objects on the table beside it and they connected with a single strand of power. Each strand connected creating a barrier around the objects seemingly to keep the entire world at bay. I was led by a hand to a bed where I was laid down and I passed out with Sam on my chest and the egg close by on it''s pillow.


    I ended up sleeping like the dead. Sam let me sleep for almost 2 days. The 2nd day around midday I woke up feeling refreshed and thinking of breakfast. The servants had prepared a hearty breakfast for me. An entire pig, Steaks, a variety of fruits, a type of dark red honey, the varieties went on across the table. Kyle sat there with his plate half full. As soon as I entered he got out of his seat and bowed low to the ground. "Oy, Oy! We are all friends here. Get off my floor this instant!" He immediately stood up straight. "Yes!" I face palmed and had a seat at the head of the table asking a servant to take a plate to Sam. She quickly bowed and filled a plate before disappearing. "What''s going on around here!? Why is everyone suddenly so afraid of me?" I grumbled. The flames in the fireplace appeared to churn and created a tiny tornado that walked into the room. A man formed amidst the fire. "Welcome to godhood boy." Aed said as he strode to the table and sat down. Kyle''s eyes widened as he flattened himself to the ground. "This humble one meets the ancestor!" Kyle shouted at the floor. Aed looked down to see who it was that spoke. "Ahhh. Little Kylisius. It seemed but moments ago that you were little." I raised an eyebrow. "Ancestor?" Aed shrugged. "A title they gave me when I rose from their race to Godhood."


    "Kyle... get your a$$ off the floor and act like you normally would or so help me I will brand you like I did at my wedding." I growled. Kyle was held for a split second in indecision before he went back to his seat. And started quietly eating. "Kyle... about that matter with the assassin... Why did he call me heretic?" Kyle face slightly paled before he swallowed his food and started talking. "He was a follower of a cult we call the Shadow Mother Worshipers. They are a very secretive group and are interwoven in society so thoroughly that we gave up trying to wipe them out a while ago." They appeared a hundred some years ago and killed someone who was trying to make it to the god realm. They cause deaths to demigods all over. Some get often get killed before they rise to power. They are most likely making attempts on your life to remove you from obstructing their ultimate goal. Whatever that is." He said as he slowly lowered his gaze and kept eating.


    Aed raised an eyebrow slightly. "He''s telling the truth though I thought they died out eons ago. But I guess mother shadow may still have a shard or two remaining amidst the mortal tribes. I had Ifrit destroy any shards he found." He said as my head spun to look at him. "Mother Shadow? Ok. Hold up. This sounds like something I should have heard a long time ago. Why was I never told?" I said as they both kept eating and then my stomache growled so I joined them. Kyle shrugged at me. "I didn''t think it was prevalent at the time to tell you and eventually I forgot." He grunted through a full mouth. Aed plucked a gr.a.p.e. "The gods have never really paid much attention to such small groups." He said as he popped the gr.a.p.e into his mouth. The pig was good as was the steak. Tender and filled with flavors. Everything was extremely flavorful and savory. The fruits were all ripe and juicy. I actually was in the midst of taking an apple when an arrow hit it out of my hand. Attached to the arrow was a note. I casually reached out to grab the note. I was completely unfazed at this point. I had been in a forest where everything was after my head. This was nothing. I opened the note and found scrawling writing. "Your actions are an act against the natural order and Mother Shadow has deemed you worthy of death by our hands. If you die now by your own hand your family will be safe. If not..." I read aloud. It was at the last sentence that my temper flared and my aura exploded through the house. My senses seemed to attach to nature itself. Like I had become an element amid the elements. And my element was angry. I sensed every archer around the house. Every. Single. One. Heir breathing and muscle density. I could feel what races they were and where they were from. Some of them trembled as my power filled the area. As I felt them all trying to fight against my force I figured out where the archer aimed at my wife and child was. With only a thought a bolt of electricity fried him where he stood. His body and bow disintegrated to the winds as ash. The other archers were crushed by rocks or pierced by their own weapons. I thought it and the forces of nature obeyed. Not one shred of resistance against my will.


    Aed stared at me in slight shock. "When did you learn to do all that?" He asked. He must have felt or seen what I had done. I looked him in the eye. "A Husband and Father learns his lessons quickly when his family is in danger. No one F~€ks with my family." I growled.

 Chapter 96 - Sin Awakens

    Deep in a cave to the south of Verst a dark miasma oozed. It swirled and whisper through the air like a mist. Thirteen cloaked figures stood within the miasma wearing featureless masks with 2 eye holes. Together they began to chant something to the stone that sat on a pedestal between them all. It''s features were sharp and seemed at one time that this was once part of something larger. The miasma within the room leaked from this very shard.


    "Our mother who gave us the shade from the light, who hears our agonized pleas. Hear us now as we seek to bring your enemies to their knees. A great one has risen and our brothers are dead. Avenge us this wrong so the powers that be may end." The ghostly synchronized chanting echoed through the air. A bone chilling power filled the shard as white eye appeared within spinning about. Looking at every individual person in the room.


    "My children have called me thither. Your mother is awake and has heard your pleas. What powers do you wish to use and bend to bring this foe to his knees? A sword to cut their throat? A chain to make them wail? Or perhaps the power to rip the wind from their sails?" A shrill dead voice cried from the stone. It was familiar and sounded exactly like the ghost woman the King of Werenar listened to before his death. The followers bowed low to the ground as The largest among them spoke. "Oh our merciful mother. We seek the power to slay his powers and bind them till he is slain. Then we can bring further glory to your name. Offer you his flesh and blood, his bones and eyes to soothe. We offer you ourselves to bargain against this heretic fool." His voice growled like a big cat that had learned english just to sound spiteful.The eye spun to examine him. "Give me a sacrifice and I will grant you the weapon you seek." The shard echoed. Two cloaked figures brought forward a girl with sharp ears. Her eyes were sapphires and her skin was pale as the winter snow. "No!!! I never agreed to this!" She shouted as she tried to wrestle her way out. She managed to knock over one of the people and tried to rip her hand out the others grip to no avail. Another follower grabbed her and dragged her the rest of the way to the shard.


    As soon as she was in it''s presence the miasma formed chains around her holding her in place. "Why?! I am the princess of the Melra kingdom! How dare you do this to me who is of royal blood!" She screamed at them all as tears flew from her. The shard examined her. "She will do." The miasma wrapped around the girl and one heard a single scream echoe about the chamber before a brilliant flash illuminated the cavern revealing hundreds of cloaked figures. The light died out quickly and the miasma parted to reveal something floating above the ground. It was a set of gauntlets with beautiful elven carvings. If one was to look closer they could see that the elf girls life was actually laid out on them for all to bear witness. Each had a sapphire embedded in the middle which made them look like they had crying eyes.


    The biggest cloaked figure approached the gauntlets. "Thank you Mother." His gravelly voice echoed through the cavern as he gently took the gauntlets. "We shall lay him to rest so you may have a seat to rise to." He said with a deep bow to the shard. After a moment of silence the eye turned red as the darkness began to once again completely fill the cavern. "Good." She hissed through the dark. "I will wait for the time his head sits before my feet."


    Back in Belmac.


    Breakfast was soon finished and Aed departed. As soon as he left Kyle let out a sigh of relief as his body relaxed. He got up and approached a window. "May I ask what you did to the assailants?" He asked curiously. I sat in my seat and picked up a cup of juice. "If you want to send your men to find them you will understand." I said as I took a deep drink. It was sweet, tart, and very flavorful. "Hmm. I will have to get some more of this." I hummed. Kyle quickly sent men around the grounds to retrieve the assassins corpses. They were only able to acquire pieces of their remains. each was placed in a cloth bag outside the house for Kyle to examine. He nearly lost his breakfast at the sight of the mangled and destroyed parts. "Is this all of them?" He grunted at his men as he covered his nose with a handkerchief. A dwarf with a silver brooch on his cloak came forward and knelt. "All except one sire. He was reduced to ash that blew away when we went to collect it." He said. His voice was calm and had a tenor pitch to it. He was probably the youngest of the group by the sounds of it. Kyle turned to face me as he got the report. "You really left noone to be interrogated. That makes things a bit more difficult." He said as he petted his beard in thought. I looked at him before tapping the doors frame. "If the order sent assassins it means they sent their most devoted. That means they''ll be the most tight lipped and stubborn people. It''s easier for me to just eat them and figure it out from there." I said as I approached the bundles and the dwarves paled.


    I lifted the group of bundles. I looked at them all and attempted to quell their fears. "I learn about my enemies by eating. Kind of a gross process so you should all return home for now." I said as I entered the house and gave the kitchen staff the day off. I pulled out the biggest cauldron. It was big enough to fit a cow probably. I went through the bundles and found the bones and meaty parts. Any heads were discarded due to the fact that I hated having hair in my food. I put them in a pot and got some water boiling. I made sure Sam was fast asleep while I was doing this and that a maid was keeping an eye on our childrens egg. I added some seasonings to the soup and a few potatoes like veggies to add to the flavor. As soon as the soup finished I heard a ding. I stood a little straighter and felt something shift within my soul.


    /We are back Master./ A single voice echoed through my mind. It was neither mechanical or capable of sounding like a gender. But it was a single very powerful voice. /It would appear we have kept master waiting for too long. Gluttony and Pride have evolved to create the ultimate skill. Sin. Sin has improved characteristics for defensive abilities and absorption. We will do our best to serve./ It said as my eyes widened. I smiled a little.


    "Time to see what you can do then." I said.


    I lifted the cauldron and took it outside. I expanded and quickly swallowed the cauldrons contents. The rush of information was incredible. The power of Sin was more comprehensive and furthermore it actually gave me some glimpses into the past of the beings I consumed. There was a Castle in the middle of a great field of rock outside. It recognized it as Verst. I saw fields filled with monsters as they marched towards this city, and finally a cave was revealed to me. It eminated darkness deeper than the color of ink. It was cold within and there were many who came to this place. And in the deepest part of the cave was a cavern that had a single pedestal. And on that pedestal sat a shard that glowed a deep and dark purple color. The last thing I saw was an eye with a snakes pupil looking out from it at me.


    After my brief memory vision I fell to the floor panting. "What the hell was that?!" I panted out as my brain was trying to come to terms with what just happened. Sin answered quickly. / Master was able to see the residual memories from the assailants bodies and was provided a possible location for the main cult group on Belmac Continent. We also have additional things that you can now use as well skill wise./ There was a slew of things that assaulted my eyes.


    /Master has learned the following abilities and skills.


    Darkness Resistance Master Rank Learned


    Darkness Magic Master Rank Learned


    Archery Master Rank Learned


    Sword Art Master Rank Learned


    Assassination Arts Master Rank Learned


    Shield Bearer Arts Master Rank Learned


    Heavy Armor Mastery Learned


    Combining with current skills and abilities.


    MER has been upgraded to Master Rank and has evolved. Assassination Arts have been added to Shadow Monarch Skillset and have enhanced your jobs characteristics and due to evolution and abilities has evolved. Shield, Sword, and Archery based abilities have been combined to create Omniscient Battler Skill. Creates a field in hosts mind during combat that allows for better understanding of good and bad reactions to situations. Best reactions will be highlighted in Blue with the Worst reactions labeled in Red. Heavy Armor Mastery has been absorbed into your body types passives to increase your ability to handle heavier things.


    Current Info is as follows.


    Name: Ignatious Soulsmith ( god Ignis)


    Followers: 10''423 (Dwarven race + 1 Human race)


    Race: Asura Dragon God


    Danger Class: ??? Class


    Job: Guardian of Balance ( Has a complete set and mastery of every element in existence.)( Evolution of Shadow Monarch)


    Age: 7 Years Old ( 31 Soul)


    Weight: 350 pounds ( 4550 Expanded)


    Passives:


    Pheonix God Body (Combined Flame Monarch and elemental body skills)


    (Will always heal. If you die you will be reborn from the ashes at the high end of the Disaster class)


    Elemental God Resistance. (Evolution of MER)


    Destroyers Breath. Can Level a city easily with the power of a heavily concentration of elements.


    Destroyers Claw. Can destroy a mountain with a casual swing while maintaining perfect sharpness.


    Shapeshift.


    Elemental Assassination: Can link your mind and aura to the elements around you to assassinate any being within a kilometer of you.


    Godly Relic Possessor Active (Passive):


    Cup of Storms: Can create a storm as large as hosts mana force to destroy or hinder opponents at or below his class level. ( Draws power from storms to enhance hosts abilities)


    Scroll of Endings: Records the souls of his fallen enemies in the ink on the scroll enhancing its power and linking their mental power to masters.(The more souls you have the more powerful your focus and multitasking abilities will become.)


    Crown of Flame: Activating the crown of fire will bathe you and your enemies in every flame you possess. ( While sitting inactive will draw flames to it to make it stronger.)


    Hammer of Forging: The manifestation of the earthen energies. No matter the material it will bend to your will. ( Enhances strength by 30% when held)


    Holy and Dark/Nether Orbs: (Exposure to both orbs enhances masters views of balance and creation) Active abilities can blind, stun, confuse, or otherwise incapacitate foes at or below masters level.


    Halberd of Destruction(Dragons Cry): ( Having evolved from a mortal class item it has gained an indestructible quality and sharpness beyond compare.) The sound eminated from it being shot will tear apart mountains and make waves recede. A heavy swing will cleave apart the sky and land devastating it for miles./


    Sin read out my abilities and I listened intently as I began to shrink back to my civilian size. My abilities that had been listed off were fewer but had gained a vast amount of power in my short existence. I heard my class ranking and I guess Sin saw my question coming. / Would host like to name this new Danger Class?/ It asked. I nodded after a moment of thought. "Yes. Name it Divinity Class." I said calmly. /Pocessing. It will be but a moment sir... Complete. Divinity Class Danger Level has been assigned to masters current level. We will have to decide what level within his class you are at a later date./ The voice said as I nodded patiently. "We''ll see. The world just got a whole lot wider." I grunted as I hauled the cauldron over my shoulder and entered my house.

 Chapter 97 - Moving Shadows

    Many things came from my godhood. Even if I could be considered a lesser type due to my sudden ascension. It came with alot of perks. But having a target on the back of my head is not one of my favorite feelings in the world. I went up stairs to our bedroom at the end of the hall. Guards stood watch outside of the room to make sure none could disturb my wife while she ate or slept. They quietly opened the doors for me to enter. Sam was just finishing her meal which was great. Sam had actually managed to eat everything and that was a feat in itself. She had hardly had any appetite after the birth and I had been extremely worried. I slowly approached our egg which seemed to hum with energy. I laid a gentle hand on it and sensed something move within. "Heaven knows what you will arrive as. I just wish for you both to have a happy childhood." I whispered to it. I got up and sat beside Sam for a time and explained that I would be away for a time.


    "For how long?" She asked with her eyes closed as she scrunched the blankets in her fists. I shook my head. "I dont know my dear. But I do know that I need to do whatever it takes to keep our family safe." I said while moving a stray strand of hair away from her face. "It could take weeks or it could take months. But until you are both safe I can''t be home. I have more enemies than I thought. And now they will hunt my bloodline to extinction if they have to. It will only bring danger to you if I stay."


    Little dark spots began to appear on the sheets as tears began to fall from Sam''s face. "Why is it... that when we try so hard to get the best out of life... more people show up to destroy it?" She sobbed out as her head bowed in anger and sadness. I gently rubbed her back trying to console her to some degree but knowing it would do little. "Everything has an opposition. I guess ours... will just need a bit more of a push." I said. We continued talking till nightfall. The sun set beautifully across the horizon dying the sky red, orange, and pink. The birds flew tweeting and cawing across the sky. Sam had laid back in bed and finally managed to fall asleep. I nodded a bit to myself as I rose from my place next to the bed and grabbed a pack I had set aside. My godly items floated from their place around the candelabra and into their respective hands. The crown of fire nested itself above my horns as I exited the room. I moved down the stairs and through the front door. When I exited I found a surprise. Standing before my home was a large group of soldiers that knelt at my appearance. They were coated in Varying armors of Gold, Silver, Brass, Iron, and Leather. The commanders wore gold armor with their lieutenants wearing silver. The archers wore brass while the riders wore iron. And past were the foot soldiers. A hundred in number and they all wore leather emblazoned with the symbol of a blazing salamander over their heart.


    And at their head stood King Kyle. "I had a feeling that you would want an entourage for your journey." He said with a wave of his hand. I noticed he had finally managed to relax from the shock of the past couple days. I nodded. "There is a hoard of monsters coming here. They will arrive in three days time. I plan to meet them half way. If any of you do not wish to join you are welcome to go home to your families. But if you decide to come with me. I will promise you great glory. Dying in a battle beside a god is a great honor. Living through it is even greater to be able to tell your children." I held my right hand which held my hammer aloft. "To the Night we drink and battle and to the Dawn we raise a glass of Victory!" I boomed. Every dwarf without fail smashed a fist against their armor before holding that same fist aloft. "For the Glory of Our Kind! For the Glory of the Battle God!" They roared in response. I suddenly felt every item in my arsenal surge with power. The power echoed out in waves across the army before me. The armors glowed as runes suddenly covered them. Elvish, Dwarvish, And other runes I couldn''t identify surrounded the salamander emblem on their chests. Light shined through the air like a golden sunrise. A grin crept across my face. "To battle!" I roared.


    ????


    Citizens filled the streets of the marketplace as their day began. They had no idea what happened earlier in the day or even what was about to happen. "I need a dozen eggs!" One woman called out to a vendor. "Sell me a loaf of Swallow Wheat bread!" A man called out. The noise of the market filled the air like a commercial district should. Children were playing by a stone fountain chasing each other laughing playfully. There came a sudden rumble across the ground. A couple pebbles jumped a little here and there with the rumble. The children slowed to a stop when they felt it. The crowd slowly calmed to a silence as a stomping rumble filled the ground and air. It was a marching beat. The People began to turn as the rumble grew louder and saw a sight that made them give way. A gold draconic being bearing items that shivered with power led an army of dwarves. Some fell to the ground in fear as others were stuck in place with fear. That was till they saw the king. His helmet was down but his armor was unmistakable. A gold armor with silver colored metal mixed throughout it. The Helmet was an eagle while his hammer bore a serpentine creature engraved on it.


    The people began to kneel as they eyed the being passing by. They had ne recollection of such a being existing with exception to Ignis. But hadn''t he been just a six armed being. Where did this eight armed one come from? This ones body exuded a holy energy. Sick people close by felt their vitality increase. Wounded limbs were made whole as the sick suddenly had their fevers break. Without so much as touching him they reaped so many benefits. And this happened across the entire city. As they say some winds bring enormous fortune to the ship blown by them.


    The gates of the city opened wide as the army went out into the field to the west. The Army''s moral was growing with every passing day. Not a single monster approached as they travelled and a peaceful march that lasted nearly two days came to a sudden end. We noticed smoke and dust in the sky the afternoon of the second day of the march. The army had just finished setting up camp and had readied their dinner rations. Meanwhile I sat with my gaze toward the horizon. I saw small figures in the distance but I knew what was coming. Those were giants. And there were quite a few of them. According to my shattered vision from the shadow mother cult members it was a well organized stampede. Years had been spent acc.u.mulating monsters and hypnotizing them only to unleash them at the right moment. And now was that moment. I saw many small black shadows standing on the giants shoulders as they drew closer.


    "It would seem the enemy has come to meet us." A heavy voice said as silver gauntlets glistened in the light. "Indeed brother. Should we let the horde kill him or do you wish to take a swing at him?" A feminine voice echoed from where she sat on her giants shoulder. The man grunted. "We should see how many trump cards he''ll pull out first then strike his weak spot." He said. Little did they realize that I could hear all of it from where I stood. I thought for a moment before placing my divine relics on the ground and stepping out onto the field. My voice rumbled through the air. "Are you ready brothers!" I roared. A cheering chorus met my ears and I turned a serious gaze to the opponents before us. The men all gathered their weapons and got into their ranks. "Archers!" I shouted as I raised my lower left hand. The archers organized into 3 lines beside me. The biggest ones at the back with the smaller ones at the front and the crossbow users in the middle. I held my hand high till we could feel the thumping in the distance. I lowered it with a swish. A red and gold aura covered the arrows as I allowed my power to enter and enchant the metal tips.


    "Fire." I whispered and hell rained down on the enemy. A wide shadow travelled across the ground as the arrows flew. It would seem to the n.a.k.e.d eye that these were just normal arrows. So in complete ignorance the monsters didn''t even try to dodge. Hen they hit. Explosions and crackling electricity filled the air. A giant fell with it''s arm blown clean off while other smaller creatures were obliterated with just a single arrow. The funny thing was that some creatures had shields around them due to cloaked riders on their backs. But only one of them caught my attention. A single giant didn''t have any protection yet came out unscathed. I focused and saw a big cloaked man on its should with silver gauntlets splayed out. The arrows sent to that giant were disintegrating and my buffs dispersed.


    "Hoooo. Looks like someone interesting finally arrived." I rumbled out as the archers cheered. The riders and foot soldiers formed in front of me in arrow shaped lines. Kyle still stood by my side awaiting orders. I raised my right hand with the war hammer in it and the archers readied another volley. The giants and monsters roared in rage and confusion. But it was only when the largest giant roared that everything started. Monsters charged forward in a frenzy but not a single soldier budged from their post. "FOR GODS AND COUNTRY!" I roared as I swung my hammer forward. A large ball of electrified fire shot at the incoming horde from its head. I''ll just say that we felt the impact from where we were. The fireball hit a shielded leopard creature and exploded. Red lightning chained to the creatures around the shield and hit the rider from behind. After all the lightning hit there was a mass explosion. Monster parts rained across the field as the monsters continued their frenzied charge.


    Meanwhile we charged. My footsteps caused the ground to tremble as I ran. And as I charged forward the giants seemed to get bigger till I realized they were about half my normal combat for size at 50 feet. I laughed as I ran. "Children should have stayed at home!" I chuckled out. The riders and I were leading the group as the foot soldiers marched forward in an orderly fashion. My items poured out their power and I felt every sense in my body heighten. The cup supplied power to my legs as the hammer applied buffs to my arms. The crown filled my head with energy and focus. The orbs gathered energy to my wings boosting my speed. The scroll of death gathered power to somewhere I couldn''t understand. Like it was pouring energy into my soul. Dragons Cry shined with a power and glory much like I did. And As I neared the charging horde I opened my mouth and roared. "Let''s Play!"