I don't own Age of Fire or Proud Immortal Demon Way(from The Scum Villain's Self Saving System).

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As Shen Jiu wakes, it's to a hunger and the feeling of restriction. There's little time for him to consider the strangeness of waking never mind that it seems like he has two eyes. And so, jerking his head up with great force, something gives way and instinct grips him.

And so, a tiny gray body breaks out of an egg shell. Shen Jiu collapses upon the rock and breaths rapidly, there's a presence overhead of him. Blinking, the hatchling gray focuses on the huge green reptile while beginning to notice how different he ultimately is.

There's a pair of forelimbs, legs, and something new, that's behind those new legs of his. "A grey? I guess it's a matter of if he'll manage to win against his brothers." A voice comments to... herself.

Shen Jiu can't help but assume that the voice is feminine. It's the mention of winning and brothers that grabs his attention. Looking around himself, he notices that there's four other eggs upon this rock shelf with him.

Closing his jaws, he watches as egg toothed of his siblings break the shell. There's a certain instinct raising up within him, one that overtakes the urge to rub his snout upon anything around him. Angry hisses escape Shen Jiu's throat as he feels like he's trying to puff up.

Anger is familiar and something Shen Jiu knew what to do with it. And so, when one of his brothers break out of the shell, the scales being blue for this hatchling. Launching himself at the newly hatched rival, who bellows out a challenge, already readying himself for the coming fight with Shen Jiu.

Sadly, his tiny claws barely do anything to those blue scales while pain surges from when the Blue's claws. Managing to evade and break away from this Blue brother of his, Shen Jiu notices the lack of his scales and mentally curses at fate for such a development, many ills already settling in his heart once more.

He barely has time to recover before the Blue recovers enough to charge forward at Shen Jiu. As he moves to evade that charge and the following, clumsy movements, it's then that he notices that he's quicker then this Blue brother of his. Taking in the shelf, a plan begins to form within his mind.

And yet, the unexpected happens as it seems he forgot that there were other eggs hatching. A Red and Orange come at them, the Red brother at Shen Jiu while the Orange towards the Blue. He's sure there's a gasp of astonishment over this, the comment concerning the number of males that hatched seemed to surprise their... mother.

Shen Jiu feels the urge to sneer at this Red brother as he overestimates his charge and couldn't recover from Shen Jiu moving out of the path. He follows after, going for the snout of this Red brother of his. It takes a lot of effort but, in the end, the Red ends up off the shelf and the scent of blood causes him to wash away his recent accomplishment, remembering that he's still not the last male upon this shelf.

He notices a green hatchling but disregards them. Shen Jiu finds that the Blue had won, the Orange is dead and it seems like the Blue is trying to resist something, perhaps conflicting urges. The smell of blood, it stirs his own hunger and his eyes linger on the Orange's body a touch more then he'd like.

The cries of their Red brother from below the shelf seem rather distant. It's something that seems to be a stand off as the Blue and Shen Jiu stare at one another. For the moment, that overwhelming urge to fight one another seem to have peppered out and the more time passed, it seems that Blue brother didn't seem incline to continue to fight him.

Within Shen Jiu himself, there's a number of various things fluttering through his mind. The staring contest ends when the Blue seems to give into a particular urge and rubs the tiny egg tooth from his snout by their shared Orange brother's body. And Shen Jiu snorts, turning his head away, doing his best to sneer and give off the aura of I'm Above This.

Not that he doesn't know what that particular urge is, to rub off said egg tooth but he decided against it. There's a glare from the Blue, who growls out, "YOU!"

It startles him a bit as the Blue marches up to him. " Shen Qingqiu!" The Blue snaps out in a way that Shen Jiu knows but feels like it was rather odd at the same time.

And then, with this Blue brother before him, glaring at him, he flinches as a name almost escapes him. Before Shen Jiu realizes that the name called wasn't the right one for that Person to use. So, he inquires after musing over the coloring along with the tone, "Liu Qingge?"

And thus, he gets 'hugged' by this former Martial Brother of his from a past life, who is his blood and flesh brother in this new one. Some how, this turn of events seem to rather odd, particularly giving the sigh that comes from their new mother. Not that their... sister seems to pay it much heed, given she's started in on eating Orange brother.

[ TT - TT ]

Shen Jiu huffs as Liu Qingge seems to take this new stage in their lives a bit too of a melodramatic fashion. Oh, they have different names now, ones that fit in with this new life of theirs. Nithor is Liu Qingge's name while his is Niroth, when they are grown, according to their races' custom, NiThor will be how that name is spelt and his own will be NiRoth.

They had spent five years living with their parents and sister, Maier. They'd learn a lot, like that Red brother that he's manage to shove off the shelf is not consider worth their parent's time. Thus, that brother of theirs is nameless and ignored. Where that Red brother of theirs wandered off to after their parents brought up the matters of the Lavadome along with something called the Drakwatch and their counterpart, which are called Firemaidens.

An Empire of Dragons, Lavadome. Shen Jiu isn't sure if he should be glad that the race he'd been reincarnated into could and did found an Empire. He's a scaless gray drake, which came with advantages and disadvantages, which he'll have to balance during this new period of his life.

Their sister, Maier, seems to be wavering over whether she would join the Firemaidens for a time or if she'll pursue something else. Given Shen Jiu had encouraged her musical talents, he rather hopes she'll pursue perfecting it, learning what passes as musicians for a Dragon, or, to use another term for female Dragons, Dragonelle. He would have avoided joining this Drakwatch if not that it's one of the ways a drake could earn a post later in life.

He suspects that Liu Qingge will surge to the front of the pack when they join. Even now, the former War God of Bai Zhan, enjoys brawling. Of course, this brother of his calls it sparring but given he isn't overly interested in fighting with claws or fangs, never mind with flame.

It doesn't help that there's so much chaos that's been on going for years, particular after the death of FeHazathant, the first Tyr. The current Tyr of Lavadome is one SiHazathant, who's mates with Regalia. There's a lot of politics that's been ongoing, things that many don't particularly like. It makes him glad that his parents had manage to get their promotion, so they didn't have to nest in Lavadome, so there was distance between the explosive situation that's waiting to go off within the capital of Lavadome.

Snorting, he tries to shake his thoughts from the situation that's waiting for them at Lavadome. That old egg tooth of his had long since turned into something of a permanent fixture upon his snout. Shen Jiu hasn't found it to hinder him all that much and only has the beginnings of an idea of how to make use of it, now that he can 'breath' fire.

Feeling Liu Qingge not behind him, he pauses to look over at said brother of his. Following this brother of his eye line, he notices that it's dawn. It takes him seconds to realize that it's been far too long since he witness such a sight, be it from being in the Water Prison or growing up in a cave, under the care of NiGaar and Rasha.

Walking back, he sits down next to the Blue and joins him in watching the coming dawn. While Liu Qingge isn't who he'd want by his side, he knows that having someone else in the same situation as himself from the very beginning... It was an uncountable stroke of fortune and luck.

[ TT - TT ]

He never thought that he'd end up returning to the world he previously came from. Given the way his Blue brother holds himself, Shen Jiu suspects that never did Liu Qingge. The sight of a certain Beast before them, well, it brought back old memories of when the Beast was first upon his Peak.

"Now then, which of you are my dear Shizun?" The Beast inquires, the demonic sword remains in hand. Acting as though the Beast is clueless, not with that sword.

"Liu Mingyan?" Liu Qingge inquires and it's then that he notices the number of others, hugging the walls of this hall. The veiled Cultivator jerks slightly at her name.

"I'm disappointed with you, A-Yan." Liu Qingge begins in on a lecture towards his former younger sister. He pays it only half a ear, having caught sight of one dear woman he raised up and that one that he'd meet in the hell hole of a Household.

Shen Jiu's feelings towards these two were ones that still cause him to pounder upon them far too much. Then again, I shouldn't have my previous life's memories in the first place. He muses as Liu Mingyan finds her voice in order to speak up.

"He killed you! Murdered you!" Is her only defence, the life line, really, now. The only thing that had to be true or else, everything she'd been a part of, what she allowed to happen, was about 'if only Shen Qingqiu wasn't scum, hadn't murdered my brother, then I wouldn't have done these things'.

"He Did Not!" Roars his Blue brother, he shrinks a bit at the tone and volume. His head turning to regard Liu Qingge. "He. Tried. To. Save. My. Life!" It's said in such a way as to brand each word in the air, an impossible task, sadly.

As his Blue brother does his best to reign in his various emotions, there's many a voice decrying such a statement, which doesn't surprise him all that much. Hypocrites. Is all Shen Jiu could think as he lazily takes in the room, his mind slowly working through various plans.

"Enough!" Bellows Liu Qingge, wings flaring as the other moves as though to stand between Shen Jiu and those around them. "How would any of you know the truth of it? None of you were in the caves with us!"

Those within the room flinch at the volume, Shen Jiu didn't see the point. These were, in the end, sheep. They followed the herd without much of a thought or interest in the truth. None of his fellow Peak Lords had cared, particularly given that a certain Peak Lord had the means to figure it out through their particular brand of skills and techniques.

That Mu Qingfang never did so, it was a clear statement that he felt confident in what had ultimately happened. Not even Yue Qingyuan believed him about the matter. None wanted to think that a Qi Deviation could ever touch the 'flawless' War God of Bai Zhan, never mind it would be the more likely option then Shen Qingqiu could best his more establish Martial Sibling.

As his Blue brother explains about his death, along with continuing to scold Liu Mingyan concerning HER life choices. Shen Jiu manages to tilt his head and take in the Array that help anchor them here. He does it as discretely as he could, given his size and how everyone is facing the pair of them.

There's plenty of people who voice their 'grievances' with him but Liu Qingge stands firm in his conviction. After all, he had haunted/attached to Shen Jiu back then. He's unsure of what else Liu Qingge had been privy too, but it's not like he can be overly angry over it. Not when it'd over and done with.

As he gets enough of a sight of this Array. It takes him a bit to muddle over what it means along with could it be used to their advantage? Shen Jiu might not be an expert on Arrays, but it also seems that Xin Mo might be the item that's holding it together, given it's rather shabbily created.

Turning to regard the Beast, the sword is indeed glowing more then it had before. And yet, it's clear that the Beast isn't paying that demonic sword any real attention. Xin Mo. Heart Demon. Shen Jiu muses, doing his best to recall what few bits of information he'd read and observed.

I'm his Heart Demon. Shen Jiu realizes when the Beast sends a Look that could mean so many things. No, I'm the source of it. It's the Beast that's been nurturing it and Xin Mo has only help enrich it.

And suddenly, he's tired upon such a realization dawns on him. It hardly matters, really. He had died in the Water Prison and yet, this Beast never would let it go. Let him go. Not until the Beast dies, likely viva that demonic sword in his procession. Even now, that obsession is blinding him, isn't it? To what he has, all he can see is what he can't have.

You learnt the wrong lessons from this old teacher, huh, Beast? He muses to himself. Having looked back upon his life, he knew what went wrong, the first, was swearing all of his loyalty to his Qi-ge without requesting that the other swear it back. It's clear that Yue Qingyuan... No, Qi-ge never had much trust in Shen Jiu.

He valued a promise made by a child when he should have put value on looking for a way to escape. That he'd placed far too much trust on a child who barely had the means to fulfill it. So many things rippled out from that particular promise made by that soft Qi-ge to that prickly Xiao Jiu.

Still, it's in the past, and I'm not a Cultivator. So, no Heart Demons plaguing me. No need for a Golden Core either. Not with a life that could natural reach a thousand years of age. Shen Jiu muses to himself, a slight smile.

The discussion around him, that had been going on and on. Something changing, feeling grass under his feet, he suspects things weren't going to last. The balance is changing, in which direction, well, Shen Jiu is sure that this likely won't be anything that really matters, in the end, in regards to Liu Qingge and himself.

The flow of events weren't easy to know what started it but how it ended... Xin Mo lodged in a certain Beast's heart. The Array flaring as the chamber had changed into that of a meadow before those people and chamber fade away, at least in Shen Jiu's view point.

"He's dead? Like that?" Liu Qingge inquires, turning to look at him.

"Xin Mo." He states simply. "It's never failed to kill its welder." Shen Jiu isn't sure how things will proceed for Ning Yingying but, in the end, all must face their Karma. Actions do have consequences, whether they are for the better or the worst, it's all about how one reacts and make due.

"Too clean." Liu Qingge grunts while he looks up at the sky. "Perhaps." He spreads his wings, readying himself for a flight in hopes of helping to clear his mind.

"Your too forgiving." Is all this brother of his grumbles and with a laugh, Shen Jiu launches himself into the air.

He's nearly a hundred years of age and things were going well for the two of them. Sure, they will part when they find a Dragonelle they fancy, might even have clutches with them. Life in this world is still new, it's fresh in a way that he doesn't recall it being when he'd been human.

In the sky, Shen Jiu, no, NiRoth flaps his wings. He has an easier time of it, compared to those with scales. He's body is so much lighter, even though it also means he's not as protected as those with scales. Advantages and Disadvantages.

The End

Author's Note:

Yea, I wrote this within a single day. Funny thing, I found out that E. E. Knight actually began on writing a sequel series for his Age of Fire world. So, yea, I wanted to write something and given how Dragon Champion began... Well, why not? After all, I've read plenty of fan stories concerning Liu Qingge sticking with Shen Qinggiu|Shen Jiu after he'd died, so it's also something of a tribute to those too.