Prologue 2: Falling Down to the Bottom
'Pitch Black, that's the only thing I could more or less see,' a young man thought as he scanned his surroundings.
'My vision could be blurry and my senses are twisted. These are positive traits that I'm not well,' the brown-haired boy thought to himself while hoping that a certain someone would say anything at this point.
He waits and prays that the dragon within him would respond but all he got is… silence.
Praying! Kind of ironic if one think about it knowing that he is a Devil or well, 'was.' Yet he waits for any kind of response from his friend.
Exactly, how did he managed to change his species status? How did it happen?
The 'Evil Pieces' inside of him were linked to his body and more than that to his emotions, feelings, and to the soul itself. Removing them is like committing suicide! But the fact remained that he was having a problem with his breathing and sweating more than the average human, said otherwise.
Now with his vision became a bit stable causing him to remember where he was.
He was in a seemingly normal looking cave. If one can ignore how awful the location actually was. It was all filled with holes and cracks marking it to be a terrible place to be in. Each crack was al long as a leg and the holes were of various sizes ranging from no bigger than a pebble to the size of a semi full grown giant. How the cave was still standing and not destroyed was a total mystery.
Leading into the depths of the same cave, one could distinguish if it was a decent sight. A boy with wounds horrible enough to make the bravest tremble was sighted in that cave. He was laying down in a pool of his own blood and seems to be inside of a small crater that is no bigger than the boy himself. If one looks close enough at the right side of the brown haired boy's body. One could uncover eight holes the size of a little toddler's fist. Among them, there are three most prominent holes in the shape of an arch. In its own circumference, the holes seem to have burned flesh surrounding these holes. They were filled with blood that had yet to clot as the charred pieces of meat fall to the ground.
A sight like this will have every viewer to wonder, 'How was the boy even alive?' This sight alone didn't the wounds in other areas of his body.
"Shit! Just how did it happen? I mean, Ddraig did tell me how my own power and the pieces started to fight among each other, but I never expect it to be this violent! Well, at least I managed to get rid of them…" With a fatigued voice, the boy said to himself as he tried to get up.
"Ahhh… It seems that I need to stay still until this starts acting up," the boy said as he gazed at his body. He was being covered in a really difficult to explain the 'substance' that was covering his body. The said 'substance' was darker in the average black with lesser traces of red. It seems to move as if it had a mind of its own.
This 'Blackness', as he decided to call it. Was something he has gained that fateful day a few months ago, a Friday if his memory serves. According to the information he and Ddraig managed to figure out so far. This was the manifestation of his draconic power.
When Ddraig told him that with a voice filled with pride resulting from the boy to made a stupid expression, not really understanding what it meant. After the oud laugh of his Partner, the dragon calmed himself down first, then he started to explain it. Something he was truly grateful for.
According to his exposition, every dragon whether they in high, middle, or low class has something that differentiates themselves from other dragons and other species, in general, that being as the manifestation of their Aura! Not understanding much about it, he asked the dragon to simplify it for him. Knowing that his Partner wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, he explained it with simple words.
Every dragon has something called Aura. it is like the nucleus of every dragon, their soul, and the source of their powers.
Once a dragon manages to grow to extremely old age or experiences something that manages to change his or her own Psyche. Then, the Aura would change and they would gain certain characteristics marking each dragon unique to another dragon. Those same characteristics would then help the dragon grow at a monstrous pace, even among their own kind.
Remembering what his experience or experiences made him thought that he changed from back then. Of course, not for the good.
He looked awful back then feeling as if he was being destroyed from the inside out. And even at the same time, his 'pieces' were reacting violently to his own Aura poisoning him to the point that taking a step seems to be torture of the whole day.
A chill crept up his spine when he remembered exactly what did he felt at that time… something he truly did not wish for anyone… not even for his worst enemy.
Shaking his head, he started to focus on his memory of that time, he needed to distract himself from the pain his body was experiencing.
Remembering the explanation of Ddraig made the Issei of that time to widen his eyes asking even more about it. He was really curious about it at that time.
The dragon made himself as an example. Then he said that when he reached a certain age that he unlocks his Aura making him reach the heights of a Heavenly Dragon! The so-called 'trait' that he is Domination, a unique trait in the whole sense of the word. At that time it was also when he gained his first ability related to his Aura of Dominance.
His own flames, capable of burning even Gods to less than Ash! The Blazing Inferno of Scorching Flames was his first ability. But just with this alone, he managed to stand tall and proud against any dragon. Well until he met a certain white bastard.
The brown haired boy remembered the dragon's voice filled with sentimental. Something rare in him now that he thought about it.
When said white bastard was absolutely resistant to his flames. He felt excited, yet scared as someone just withstood his own flames! Later on, the two dragons started to fight against each other, not remembering exactly whether for pride or something else. Since each other were immune to their specialties, they derived other abilities with the help of their Aura.
He gained the ability to double his own strength and transferring it to other powerful attacks while the other dragon divided the other's strength and added it to his own. These resulted in complete yet opposite abilities.
Later on in the middle of one of their fights, he managed to ask the White Dragon about his trait. Answering that is Supremacy. He laughed at it saying how arrogant that was even among their own kind. He, then, asked for the name of the Dragon… Albion was the answer he got.
Finishing his explanation. He stated that it was of utmost importance to figure out exactly what trait did his Aura had.
Something that up till this moment hadn't figured out.
The boy said with a wicked smile, "So Aura, huh? Well unexpected but not unwelcome. After all, I need something happens to me so I have grown stronger!"
He clutched his hand into a fist and stood up with little difficulty. Looking down unto his body, he stared right at the locations of his wounds, smiling at what was happening. They were being covered in this 'Blackness' blocking the wounds from his view, the 'Blackness' gave the appearance of a second skin and felt comfortable against his own flesh. Surprisingly, he sensed how his 'Blackness' healed the most obvious and seemly to be life-threatening wounds; closing them at a speed perceivable with the naked eye. Wounds like that, even a single one of them, would take a team of a dozen or so specialized Supernatural doctors and over 20 hours of surgery just to patch up without rest!
A wound like that closing almost instantaneously, as if it was nothing but a scratch was ridiculous! If someone could see this, they will be shocked to the point they couldn't say anything! With this, one could see just how abnormal his Aura actually was. This is one of the traits of his 'Blackness', extreme regeneration and healing. Although whether it could truly regenerate a lost limb or not hasn't even tested. Either way, he didn't have the courage to test that theory.
Pushing himself upwards, the boy cracked his neck. Crack! Was the result of the feeling the sweet pops of his cervicals.
"Well, Ddraig! Time to Move on! Time waits for no one, let's make a trip to… whatever place is fine. I just really need to clear my head. Nothing like a good old journey to expand my boundaries so that we can finally take our well-deserved break." The boy said as he looked down to his left palm, waiting for the dragon's response.
However, he was only answered with silence. With an expression of concern and guilt in his eyes, he bit his own lip. He knew why the dragon hadn't answered him. He explained it to him before he did this suicidal thing to get rid of the 'pieces' that would have otherwise taken his life.
Signing he decided to walk towards the exit. Walking toward the sweet light that made him feel butterflies in his stomach. Walking with a not too slow yet not fast enough pace, he looked at his surroundings. Soon he found something that made his entire expression change.
A small crimson pawn 'piece' that is the size of a pinky. It had a really malicious aura surrounding it. An even some spots on the surface of the 'piece' had turned black. Just by touching it, he felt how his vitality was drained and his whole body to get exhausted. He picks it up like it was something hideous to look at. He had a face filled with an unexplainable emotion.
"Well, If I want to start anew, I need to move on from my past. Better put it back in a place where it can be found…" Looking down at the piece, he felt at ease yet like he lost something. Turning around, he decided to look for all the remaining 'pieces'.
A few minutes later, he stared at his own palms; looking at the eight crimson 'pawn pieces' bathed in a little of his blood, tiny cracks all over their surface. Putting them in the blood-soaked pockets of his pants, he once again looked around the place of his Rebirth.
A cave filled with nothing but blood and cracked walls. Yet, a single ray of light showed up on him from a hole in the roof. Before this was a simple cave, yet now for him, it signified something completely else. A place he will never forget.
Sighing, he showed a slight smile at the corner of his lips. Taking his time to remember the scenery in front of him. He turned around and walked away: right towards the bright light at the beginning of the cave.
Finally, reaching the entrance of the cave. The light of the sun blinded him momentarily, he closed his eyes as a mere reflex. Moments later, he slowly opened them like a newborn baby. He looked at what was in front of him. A forest in who knows where.
He remembers about activated a transportation circle that at the time didn't specify the location. He just wanted to get away from there as fast as he can.
Straightening his back looking presentable at what was ahead, he walked into the forest. Right now, he needed to do a few things before leaving on his journey, and putting the pieces back into his house was only the first step. Because he didn't want for someone to track him, well not that they would know that he was gone in the first place, he decided to do something back at home.
He recalled the words, he heard that night from a certain number of maidens. Those words were truly what had finally broken him… Even now, when he remembered them, it still hurt a lot. Even though, he no longer had the emotions and feelings he had even that bad memories are still bad. That scene had tormented his mind till this day… However, he vowed that today was the last night for pain! Of those disgusting night-terrors that made him scared just of sleeping! Shaking his head for the desire to rid of those poor memories.
"Well, let's start this, shall we? This will certainly be fascinating. I wonder what will happen from now on?" With a confident tone of voice that sounded sharp and cold, he walked onwards.
Light shining from within his eyes. Soon they changed color, from their normal golden tone to ruby colored eyes. At the same time, the dragon-faced 'mark' appear at the base of his neck that has the same colors as his 'Blackness.' This is the 'Dragon's Crest,' a simple byproduct when activating his Aura. The 'Dragon's Crest' takes the appearance of a menacing looking black dragon head with highlights of a darker color than blood within a circle.
At this very moment, he subconsciously released an aura that made the entire place within a diameter of 15 ft to shaken. Every creatures of big and small in that diameter started to ran away while the trees screamed with its leaves. As Light itself started to fade little by little like some sort of a deadly mist preyed upon the forest.
The aura inside was suffocating, enough for high-class Devils to find extreme difficulty to move a single muscle. The aura was simply that sinister and heavy marking it a place that no one doesn't want to be in.
Walking onwards he reached the center of the forest, then he set up a transportation circle to go back to his birthplace, Kuoh. Unknowingly to him, the circle in its progress of powering up send out a very thin or weak power wave that will travel to the corners of the world that the supernatural won't notice, but the animals and humanity will know about this.
He looked at his surroundings that were filled with beautiful trees and other plant life flourishing here and there. While walking, he remembered all the events in his life up until now, specifically those after the war with the Qlippoth and the fearsome Trihexa. He remembered the final battle and how after a joint effort of all the Gods and beings within that level of strength that they barely managed to seal the destructive beast in a specially modified dimension.
As a result, many deities went into hibernation to regenerate their power after the fight. Only a few of them still roamed the world that included the Devils, the Angels, and the Fallen Angels.
With his head occupied by his thoughts, he started to think about his future. He wanted to do something about it but for now, things still needed to be done back at home. Luckily for him, they weren't that many.
Soon after the transportation circle was finished. Looking uncomfortably at the black magic circle, soon he gathered courage and moved. Standing at the center of it, he activated it.
At the same moment, he removed the effect of his 'Blackness' in his body. His eyes turned back to its original color as the 'Dragon's Crest' on the base of his neck disappear with a trace. He didn't want to become a beacon for other beings back at his home. He didn't want them to start asking questions, so he decided to suppress his aura to that of a normal human this way no one will suspect anything. An arduous task, but with good results nevertheless.
He sighed as light gather at his surroundings.
Light filled his vision as he says, "Seems I will need time to get accustomed to my body. It still feels wobbly… Ddraig also needs time to regain his consciousness. Well during this time period there are a few things that don't need special force. So better start with them…"
Before leaving, he says in a sharp and cold voice yet with an arrogantly tone and smile, "...And where does the newborn goes from here? The World is vast and pretends to be infinite."
Soon after he vanished from the forest and went to Kuoh, his home. Fully unknowingly that the energy pulse that he sent out will gain the attention of something far older than the Gods.
This chapter is only focus on Issei as his 'Rebirth' which will be explain in the next chapter. This chapter served as both as the taste and cliffhanger of Issei's role in this story. Although this may be connected to Change of a Dragon but at the same time will be different.
Time for what I called shocking the Audience: His Aura isn't draconic in nature, but something else that will eventually connected him with the Avatars of the World that might blow you away.
Fun Facts:
1. The Dragon's Crest was inspired by kinda recent trailer of Code Geass Lelouch of the Resurrection showing Lelouch to have the Code on his neck.
2. This may be considered to a parellel universe to Change of a Dragon but I'm unsure of what to make of it.😆
3. I sort of gotten permission by the Author of the change of a dragon for something which I'm not telling you for now!
4. The ruby eyes are inspired in a way by movie, game, or anime character with red eyes.
5. The dragon's crest look like this in the following link in . .
6. The dragon's crest was ordinary going to be located on the back of the neck but I wanted Issei to see this easily.
7. the dragon's crest was ordinary going to be bat wings or a symbol of the Nightwalker, a shadow humanoid creature that prey upon people who dared to venture in the night or sleep during the open area but he's a dragon so it will not support of his 'species status'.
8. Species status is a make up word created by myself as means of describing a person that belong to one of these supernatural races or humanity itself.
Future writing/planning, after the last chapter of the prologue, you, the readers will see more chapters on how Issei come to be and sort as well as how he met an Avatar. The next chapter will focus on a member of the Four Avatars and their reaction to the energy pulse.
If this anything that I missed to explain during this chapter or during the prologue chapters, Please (I'm really begging) to you, the Readers to tell me this so I can address them in the later chapter. Also, I'm greatly trying to make this story to be uniquely to The change of a Dragon that once again ask you the Readers (Cue the cute puppy dog eye act🐶) to post your suggestion to make it unique.
Thank You for reading this and even more thanks to those who post their comments, questions, and suggestions! Have a nice weekend (Because I'm not going to be on a computer by the next two day)