Drageria
Ch.13: Getting Along with the Kids. Part. 3
Izuku skimmed through the book and opened up to the page containing the info for the dragon with the most unusual power of the bunch, Quetzalcoatl. It read;
Princesses Quetzalcoatl: The Minister of Storm, The Quick Strike, The Ozone Queen.
If Princess Quetzalcoatl is in any of the moods below, use the following Steps to guide you. Never use other steps for her other moods!
Indifferent-
Step 1: accumulate a mass quantity of approximately 20 cloud light fish.
Step 2: carefully and casually approach Princess Quetzalcoatl.
Step 3: staying at a distance of no more than 20 ft close to her, despite all cloud light fish.
Step 4: retreat calmly while not making eye contact, and make sure you are out of her line of sight.
Note: Always make sure to make very little eye contact and make no sudden moves or show any degree of extreme emotions.
Itchy-
Step 1: obtain a scratching rake.
Step 2: carefully and casually approach Princess Quetzalcoatl while making sure the rake is visible.
Step 3: come within several feet of her, staying directly in front of her line of sight, show little emotions, and present the rake.
Note: if Princess Quetzalcoatl accepts your offer, proceed with the next steps. If not, don't attempt and simply walk away.
Step 4: whatever part of her body that she offers, that itches, scratches it with the rake. Start slow then go fast and deep until she shakes the rake-off.
Step 5: leave.
Preening-
Step 1: obtain an iron preening brush.
Step 2: carefully and casually approach Princess Quetzalcoatl while making sure the brush is visible.
Step 3: come within several feet of her, staying directly in front of her line of sight, show little emotions, and present the brush.
Note: proceed with the next set of steps by referring to the 'itchy' collum above.
Step 4: whatever part of her body that she offers to you, behind to brush that area with light long strokes. Continue this process until she shakes the brush and you away.
Step 5: leave.
Singing-
Step 1: do not approach!
Note: if Princess Quetzalcoatl is seen singing at any time, do not approach or gain her attention. Despite her aloof and uncaring attitude, Princess Quetzalcoatl is very self conscious and will attack after being spotted doing her secret pass time activity. If caught at all, simply leave and make no noise.
Izuku looked over the list a few more times to make sure he read it all and correctly. He was happy to have an even more detailed explanation, but that also came with far more complications. Sure the instructions were clear, precise, even repeated, but with so many of them meant so many different outcomes. He knew he would have to plane ahead this time and not just go for it. So mulling it over a bit he decided that the best course of action would be to find Quetzalcoatlus and see what mood she was in now.
So he climbed into Ladon's back and asked him to take him to his sister. The dragon rushed off in a long and fast sprint, leaving Apalala behind and a bumpy trail on his way! Izuku hung on for dear life as the dragon bounded excitedly through the cave with little care or concerns! Making turns and taking short cuts that he would've never been able to traverse or find otherwise, all while practically being flung up and down with the threat of being thrown off yet again!
After what seemed like the worst and most uncomfortable rollercoaster ride of his life, Ladon finally came to a screeching halt! After he's sure Ladon is perfectly parked, he manages to swing his over the dragon and slides off his body, promptly falling to his feet instead of his face. To which he did right after getting his feet on ground level. He rolled over and dry heaves from stress and fear as his whole body shook! Once he calmed down he rose to his feet and brushed himself off before looking around.
Once again Izuku found himself at the mouth of another branching off cave and could hear strange noises coming from within. He tilted his head at this and tried to listen to the noises more closely, attempting to make them out.
"Sounds like….wind?", He said aloud in a confused voice.
Ladon made a weird gurgling sound and nudged him towards the opening.
Izuku looked at the dragon while pointing and asked, "Is your sister in there?"
Ladon made a sound of confirmation, making Izuku look back and reply with a raspberry, "Well let's see what she's up to."
Izuku walked carefully into the cave with Ladon right behind him. Like every other part of the cave, it was pitch black and Izuku carefully walked one step after the other with his hands out in front of him. He did wonder how the dragons managed to navigate with such ease? Just when he was about to ask when they were going to get there, his eyes fell into some light at last.
With some way to show his path, Izuku walked a little more nonchalantly. He examined the light source around him and noticed that it was bioluminescent moss growing in small patches on different parts of the cave wall. It was a lot of light but just enough for him to make heads or tails of his surroundings. Then they finally made it to Quetzalcoatlus's rook. It was far brighter in this part of the cave than the rest of it, since the glowing miss seemed to grow more densely.
One huge mass of moss-hung off the center of the ceiling while smaller patches surrounded it. Giving off the impression that they were standing out over a starry night sky with a full moon. Though the weariest thing of all was the wind inside that gently nipped at his face.
"Woah! It's like we're outside during the night.", Izuku was awed at the sight while trying to get closer to it in a mesmerized state.
Just then his foot slipped and he found himself free-falling for a brief moment! He didn't even scream, just gasped in shock! But when it subsided, he saw that he was dangling over the edge of a chasm with the only thing holding him back being Ladon, who had grabbed him at the last moment! The dragon pulled him back and Izuku fell to his knees with a white expression of fear.
Once he swallowed his nerves he thanked and petted the dragon before actually looking out ahead of him to see what the heck just happened!? When he did, he was shocked to see a huge chasm sprawling out before him! It was a complete sheer drop to absolutely abysmal nowhere. Izuku looked around but saw no ledges or anything, just the wall that dropped off to nothing. The only piece of land was the one they stood on.
Then he looked back out into the pit and saw several small pillars of rocky land points jutting above the pit. Giving the impression of floating islands. Then in the center of the pit, on the biggest pillar was none other than Quetzalcoatlus herself, longing about.
"Oh, there's your sister.", Izuku states factly while pointing out the dragon.
As he said this, Quetzalcoatl began to produce a string of very harmonic sounding noises. Noise that sounds similar to that of whipping wind mixed in an echo. The chord and tune changed now and again to produce something akin to music.
Izuku quickly realized this and remembering what the book informed, said dejectedly, "She's singing. Shoot. Guess I'll have to try another day."
With that, he and Ladon turned around and began to leave before Quetzalcoatlus caught wind of them. Just before they left, Izuku took a moment to stay back for a minute to continue listening to her song. It was a beautiful and otherworldly sounding tune. It was kind of a shame that Quetzalcoatlus didn't like to share it with others. But then again, what would he know?
He closed his eyes as he let his ears take him on the winds of the music, saying to Ladon, who was already halfway gone, "But her singing sure is nice. Hypnotic even. Almost like a siren."
As he said this and walked back into the entrance they came out of, Quetzalcoatlus seemed to hear the young man's voice and feel her brother's presence. When she stopped her singing and looked back at where they were, they were already gone. Leaving the dragon to question if she imagined it.
Once outside of Quetzalcoatlus's hideaway, Izuku opened the book and said out loud, "Next is Tanit."
At the mention of this name, Ladon made a very loud and long groaning sound. Almost as if he were complaining.
Izuku looked up at the dragon and asked, "What?"
Ladon jerked his head away and made sounds like he was grumbling under his breath. Izuku connected the dots and he stated in realization, "Oh, I get it. You don't like her, do you?"
Ladon made another set of grumblings while arching his head down and glaring at the wall, making Izuku inquire, "I'm guessing she's hard to get along with?"
Ladon snorted at this while Izuku asked further, "Real full of herself? Like a princess."
Ladon made a long high pitched screeching noise while rolling one eye and turning his head upward. Almost like he was rolling his eyes like an exaggerated teenager saying "oh you don't even know!"
Izuku sighed at his reaction and said, "I hope the book doesn't share the same sentiment as you do.", He then flipped open the book to the Dragon and only briefly skimmed over it before exclaiming, ''Sheesh! Look at this."
Within the pages regarding the Light Dragon Tanit, it read;
Princesses Tanit: The Minister of Light, The Beacon, The Crystalline Queen.
Step 1: obtain something of great value.
Step 2: slowly approach Princess Tanit with said object visible.
Step 3: come within the closest possible approximation to her (right at her toes).
Step 4: bow low, show vulnerability, and humbleness.
Step 5: deposit valuables.
Step 6: wait for acceptance or denial.
Note: for Princess Tanit's decision, please refer to the bottom two steps.
Step 7: if she accepts your offering, she will award you with a scale.
Step 8: Once the exception is complete, bow and leave calmly.
Step alt 7: if she does not accept your offering. Offer something else and pray she accepts it! If not, it was nice knowing you.
Izuku blinker a few times after reading it, then read it again before saying anxiously, "Well…..that was more ominously threatening than I was expecting.", Izuku glances over to Ladon, who's looking over his shoulder, and confirms, "Your sister does sound like a pill, but hardcore at the same time."
Ladon rolled his opposite eye while groaning and looking up as if to say 'don't even get me started.'
After getting his confirmation of his suspicions, Izuku sighed seeing as there was no need to quit since he was nearly finished now. So he closed and put the book away while looking around the darkened area and thought to himself aloud, "Now what am I gonna use as an offering? The book did say something of great value."
As he asked this, Ladon regurgitated something from his crop and deposited it at his feet. Izuku looked down at the slime-covered object and found it to be a very shiny gemstone of some kind. He picked up the stone, after briefly wondering why it was in his stomach, and after shaking it off, examined it over. It had no rocky bit clung to it, just the misshapen gem, and it was a very nice color, especially as it gleaned in whatever light was present by the wall torches.
After looking it over, he said aloud, "Oh, that'll work.", he pocketed the gem and turned to Ladon, asking him, "So, you know where she is?"
Ladon made a string of noises that sounded like disgruntled disagreement while lowering his head and turning away his gaze.
Izuku picked up on his attitude and asked, "I know you don't wanna see her, but you don't have to. Just me. Please?", he pleaded with the dragon, coming over to his face and giving his best puppy eyes.
Ladon looked away for a moment, closed his eyes, then sighed in defeat. The Dragon then laid his body down and Izuku took a moment to celebrate his small victory. He climbed onto the dragon's back and this time Ladon didn't run like a maniac to where Tanit was staying. He didn't even have a small bounce to his step, he just lumbered along like he was walking for once. Which made for a very gratefully smooth ride….which took much longer than all the others.
They traveled this way for several minutes, enough time for Izuku to notice there were many more torches inside the cave. He probably couldn't see them before because Ladon was always running past them at 100 miles per hour. Eventually, Izuku stares to see a faint light coming from another of the off branches that connect the many caves around here. As they got closer, the light grew more intense! Izuku almost thought they were moving outside for a long while until his eyes finally adjusted and he saw that they were indeed still in the cave, but the light was coming from something within the small fork.
Once they got to the entrance of Tanit's roost, Izuku squinted his eyes at the intent light while covering his face and asked Ladon, "Um, why is it so bright?", Ladon produced a string of sounds, as if to explain the situation of the unusual light in such a deep dark place. Izuku had no idea what was being said by the dragon, but went along with it as he said back, "I guess she is a Light Dragon."
To which Ladon promptly rolled one eye in exasperation, even making a sighing sound while walking away from the opening. Izuku squinted and shielded his eyes as he carefully walked into the rook, making sure not to trip or impale himself by accident. This time Ladon wasn't here to protect him and thought scared him most of all. Once he was sure he walked far enough in and his eyes adjusted somewhat to the sheer force of such illumination, he took his hands away and was floored at what he saw!
Inside was the most beautiful geological construct he had ever seen! Come to think of it, it's the only one he's ever seen. The whole cave was made up entirely of crystal! Beautiful, jagged shaped, multicolored crystals! Every square inch of it was covered, not a single rock could be seen! And because of this, all the crystals reflected whatever light they produced, making the whole area flooded with such intensity!
"Woah!", Izuku awed mindlessly as he looked around, admiring the whole cave.
Then his eyes finally fell upon the owner of this magnificent sight, Tanit. But he probably should have seen her when he first came in, seeing how big she was. Sitting in all her glory atop a huge pile of crystals, like a queen on her throne. Regal, dedicated, and full herself. Her head was held high and her eyes sharp and judgmental as they fixated below her on Izuku, as he stood there like an out of place sore. He could almost hear her saying 'pathetic' as she looked down on him.
"Tanit.", Izuku muttered under his breath.
The dragon glared at him from her perch and gave a slight snarl. Not of acknowledgment but of displeasure. Izuku almost panicked at seeing her act so aggressively, then remembered what the book told him. So he followed the instructions to the T. First he brought out the gem and made sure that Tanit could see it in his hand while making himself small and meek. Once Tanit saw the offering, she calmed down and relaxed as Izuku approached.
Once Izuku got right by the tips of her claws fingers, he got on his knees and set the offering out in front. From there he placed his hand in the ground and dipped his head low, showing his submissiveness. All this seemed to impress and appeal to her as she lowered her head towards Izuku's offer. Izuku flinched but kept calm as he heard the dragon move around without being able to watch her.
She placed her nose to the gem, sniffed it, then paused. She sniffed it again and her mood immediately shifted! Her face contorted as her eyes changed to slits, she bore her teeth and smashed the gem under her hand! Making Izuku jump and throw his head up in surprise! When he did look up, he was surprised to see her furious expression and almost wanted to run! The dragon hissed and Izuku froze in place! Izuku was in a tizzy of thoughts, he had no idea what to do!
'She didn't like it?! But the book said to offer something of value, what else could it have meant?', he asked himself in his mind.
He thought and thought and thought as fast as he could to figure something out before Tanit made him into the alt Step 7! Then something crossed his mind and he figured out what was the matter with his offer.
'Oh wait. It didn't mean something valuable. It meant something of value….to me.', he said to himself in his head in realization.
He wondered what he should even give to her now since he had nothing to give, and began to paint again! Once he got himself under control, he remembered that he did have something of value on him. Something he wasn't sure if he wanted to part with …but in this situation, he might make an exception.
He sighed as he dug into his coat and pulled out his beaten-up hero journal, saying to himself, "Well, if I'm truly gonna start anew, I might as well commit to it. Nice knowing you old friend."
Izuku deposited the book near Tanit's hand and bowed once more. The Dragon's face shifted from anger to serene judgment and lowered her head to sniff the book. Izuku lightly gasped as he held his breath, and prayed she would take it. Tanit sniffed the book once, then twice, then three times before she stopped.
Izuku felt his heart race and his breath shorten as blood rushed through his ears and sweat formed on his face! He then heard the dragon open her mouth and Izuku peaked out from the ground just enough to see what she was doing, but it wasn't to kill him. Instead, she took the book in her mouth, lifted her head, and shifted it to her back. Izuku finally brought up his head from the ground to watch this and saw the dragon lean her head behind herself where he supposed she placed to book down.
'She…..liked it?', Izuku's brought in his mind, unsure if it was the case.
When she brought her imposing glare back upon him, Izuku pierced his lips and swallowed in fear! Then the Dragon took her right forelimb and used her pointer claw to lightly scratch at her opposite arm. After a few seconds of scratching, a single scale fell off and hit Izuku directly on his head. Izuku cried out in pain while rubbing his head, and when the tears left his eyes, he saw the pure white scale laying before him in glimmering glory!
He picked it up and said, "A scale. So that means-!", Before he could finish the question, Tanit roared at him and the teen jumped to his feet, walking away quickly with the scale in hand while saying, "Okay okay! I'm leaving your highness."
Izuku's quickly left the cave much faster than he entered it. He didn't even bother to look back, just held the scale and power walked as fast as he could! Once outside Tanit's rook, Izuku had to pause for a long while from the. The sudden shock to his eyes. The change from sheer light to suffocating darkness was tremendous in his eyes! So much so that he just stood there rubbing his eyes for several minutes until he could see properly.
Once his eyes returned to see better in the dark, Izuku saw Ladon standing behind him and looking down at the oversized glimmering white scale in his hands. The Poison Dragon looked between him and the scale as if expecting a story.
All Izuku did was moan in reply and tell him, "You were right, Ladon. She is a pill."
Ladon gave him the side-eye and made a sound at him as if to say in a gloating manner "I told you so."
After Izuku managed to pocket the huge scale, he took out the book once more from his coat and flipped it open to the last Dragon. As he did this he started to walk into the cave, he ng only guided by whatever torchlight was nearby. He started to do this so his eyes could fully adjust to the dark with Tanit's rook right behind him and making it harder on his eyes. That and he would be back in the dark when he had to find the last one.
As he flipped through the pages, nose deep in the book, he asked the Poison Dragon next to him, "So last is your other brother, right? Fafnir was it?", As he asked this he noticed that the Dragon's heavy footsteps weren't right behind him like they usually were. The normally boisterous dragon was uncharacteristically quiet. "Ladon?", He called the dragon while turning around.
The Poison Dragon was now several feet away from Izuku and hiding behind some boulders. Izuku watched as the huge animal suddenly changed color and perfectly camouflaged to the background.
He tilted his head at his behavior and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you over there?", As he said this, a hot puff of air hit his back, causing him to freeze up. He began to sweat and swallow as he asked, "He's here now, isn't he?"
Izuku saw as all the torches that were lit up nearby suddenly went out completely, leaving him alone in the dark. He turned around or assumed he did and saw a pair of amber eyes staring down at him far above his head! Nearly as tall as Tanit! Then everything started to light back up as none other than Fafnir himself began to glow. A deep fiery pool of lava began to burst to life on his chest creating a massive amount of heat, which then crawled up his throat and into his mouth, which spread across his lips and even turned his tongue bright red! The Dragon stuck out his red tongue and used it to lick his teeth turned bright red for a moment.
Izuku nearly pissed himself at this scene, but managed to keep his cool just long enough for him to open to the page on him to survive! It read;
Prince Fafnir: The Minister of Fire, The Destroyer, The Land Shaper.
Before he could continue with reading out the whole page, Fafnir leaned his head down and breathed a small ball of flame that ignited and incinerated the book in seconds! Izuku dropped the book in a hurry and watched as it turned into smoldering ash before it even touched the stony floor!
Even though he was rightfully scared out of his wits, his out-of-control emotion turned to anger as he whipped his head to the giant lizard and yelled angrily, "Hey!"
Though he never got to finish that statement as the huge creature had his face right in front of him right when he brought his head upwards! It was such a surprise that Izuku went dead silent immediately for the shock! His forward-facing amber eyes gleamed like hot gen stones of fire as they seemed to bore holes into his very being! Fafnir puffed out hot air and stared deeply into Izuku's eyes, almost as if trying to figure him out.
Though Izuku on the other hand was not enjoying this at all! He wanted to run, or back away, or do anything else, but he couldn't! It wasn't that he was too scared to move, he just literally couldn't! It was like some otherworldly force had a grip on him that prevented him from actually being in control of his own body! And that's what scared Izuku the most, no control.
The feeling of weightlessness, of not being yourself, of your body not being your body. It was a horrible and terrifying feeling! Izuku wanted it to stop just so he could breathe, but it didn't. Then he realized what or who was doing this. The very Dragon standing right in front of him, having a staredown. Fafnir was his puppet master!
Their little stare-down lasted for five minutes before Fafnir finally blinked and made a strange expression that seemed to invoke self-pleasure. The huge dragon lowered himself off his wings and on all fours, moving like a lizard, slinked away into the darkness as the fire that illuminated suddenly went out, leaving Izuku in the dark again. Once Fafnir left, all the torches in the area turned back on, somehow and Izuku fell to his butt while letting out a huge gasp of air! As he sat there catching his breath, Ladon came out of hiding and began to nudge him with his horn, in an attempt to see if he was alright.
After Izuku caught back his breath and let the fog from his head clear, he asked aloud, mostly to himself, "What-the heck-was that!?"
Ladon made some strange sounds, as if to give him the answer, though, like all the other times, Izuku had no idea. So all he could do was gently cradle his head and moan in pain as he said in a dizzy voice, "I-I-I-I-I-It was like he was….. controlling me? I was totally out of my control." Izuku finally shook off the vertigo from his brain and looking up at Ladon asked him, "How did he do that?"
Again he made the same string of noises, but Izuku didn't understand and simply stared out into the dark cave where the dragon disappeared into. Without looking at Ladon, he asked him with anxiety in his tone, "So did I make nice with him?"
This time Ladon made no sounds, not even a peep, and Izuku did not like that! He quickly scampered onto Landon's back and told him with haste in his tone, "I think I should go."
Ladon didn't argue there, he simply turned around and cantered back to the gearing area where Izuku had been taken to and from so many times. Izuku hopped off the Dragon's back, wished his farewell, jumped into the elevator, and made a promise to not come down here ever again unless it was with Tachibana!
Hey everyone, just a quick note from me. I just wanted to say thanks a bunch to all of those who helped me through my creative block with this chapter. If it wasn't for you guys I really would've taken forever to do it! So thanks to those who helped me; Omnipotent X and uh…..Guest….Thanks a lot! You helped me through a pinch! I appreciate it!
Also, if your wonder why I spread this chapter into three parts. Well If I did just one big one, I would've gotten bored and fell off it once again. So I paced myself and made three parts. Anyway, the next chapter may take a while to come out since I wanna make another chapter for my other story before then. But until then keep your eyes peeled for it. It's gonna be a doozy! And as a little spoiler ill give you the chapter title, It is called; Judgment of a God, Death to Yakuza.
