Author's Note: Thanks for the continued support, and sorry for the double cliffhanger haha! Had to rush that last chapter out due to going out of state. Any case, enjoy the chapter! Please note I have released Life of a Dragon Sequel v2.2 a couple weeks ago! Featuring a whole bunch of new content as well as fixes, changes, and the like.
Lazy Kaloz: Shhh, no spoilers. Jk, it's all in this chapter.
Life of a Zero Dragon
Chapter 17: Moonshine Grove
"The Dragon Catcher? Rosina?!"
A feminine voice, yet draconic in nature, yelled out in surprise as Rosina finished off the Frost-Bite Troll that had attacked the small dragonet earlier before. She checked her mana reserves briefly, noting they're half-empty but slowly regenerating over time. In Life of a Dragon, Mana was also a precious resource early-game but became an obsolete middle to late game as player reserves were just so huge by that point they could cast spells without the consequence of draining themselves.
But, it seemed that something carried over wrongly.
Her mana reserves were regenerating yes, but way too slowly for her current level.
How come her health restored itself normally yet her magical energy replenished at such a god-awful rate?
"You are Rosina… You're a player right?" A voice knocked her out her thoughts, the Dragon Catcher turned to the non-elemental dragonet, her green cloak protecting her from the small snowfall.
"Yeah," She replied normally, inwardly thankful she wasn't speaking in a noble-toned, "I'm Rosina, who are you?"
"Uh… I went by Runescape three-four-two, but you can call me Cora." The Dragonet replied. "Sorry, just, I'm a bit in shock. You're a player correct?"
Rosina nodded, "I was Archer underscore gal. Yes, I know the irony of the situation, don't remind me," The human hero said. She pulled out a letter, "Did you get this as well?"
"Y-Yeah," Cora said, pulling from her lone inventory slot the letter, the item materializing into the world from the paw.
"Thought so," Rosina said, not shocked at the item appearing. After all, she was a Hero too, having an Inventory as well.
By default, Warcraft III heroes had a six-slot inventory space. Which meant they could carry a total of six items of any sort on their person, be they artifacts, potions, or even useless junk they could only carry six in total.
Life of a Dragon Sequel altered this only slightly depending on the hero. Non-elemental dragon hatchlings had their inventory removed for balance, as well as non-elemental dragonets only having one inventory slot instead of the default six. Meanwhile, the humanoid heroes of the map all had six slot inventories, but the first slot was always taken by a unique unremovable item.
Rosina, for example, held Glacion's Bow level 1, now renamed the Catcher Bow level 1, in her first inventory slot and could not remove it. Thankfully, such these first slot unique items were upgradeable to the max of level 3.
"It's nice to meet another player, I had thought I was alone," Cora Rune replied.
The human Hero smiled, "Same, where did you appear on the first day?"
"Near an orphanage, I was found by an elven girl and taken care of. Played with the kids while also secretly grinding some wild creatures that were drawing too close to the place. Should be safe from any danger now, you?" The Chosen Dragon replied with her own question.
"Far up north in the Dragon Catcher starting zone, but instead of Winterfall Town, there was a village native to this continent, Albion," Rosina answered her fellow player. "Seeing how you're a dragonet, I guess leveling works for you too."
"Yeah, I'm level eight at the moment. I was heading here as the letter said there was the Blue Dragon Nest around somewhere. I have a theory, which has only been further proven, that the map's content has been transferred over to this world including all of us."
"All of us? So the other players too?" Rosina questioned.
"Yeah, and guess who was observing our game?"
The Dragon Catcher paused for a brief moment in thought, before having a surprised expression, "The Map Maker… Does that mean he has editor powers or something?"
"Don't know about that, but he is the Map Maker. He probably has a few tricks up his sleeve, and he's a nice guy so he won't leave us in danger easily. Perhaps he changed his tester secret?"
"The one with the dragon of war? But isn't that just a code to get an extra hero for player red?" She said, "Though if I remember correctly, there was an accidental thing he made a change to it in version 1.1."
"Yeah, the cheat that grants him control of all player characters, including vision," Cora stated.
The vision was a term used to imply Player Vision, meaning you could see your allied player's units and constructs as if they were your own.
"Still, we don't know if he fixed that in 2.0 or above." Cora continued, "In any case, care to help me find the Blues? I can blink around sure, but having a strong Hero like the Catcher would help me feel a lot safer."
"Sure," Rosina answered her with a smile, "Can't leave a fellow girl hanging after you become a Blue Dragonet we can grind a few levels before heading to Carlisle, a town native to Albion."
"We might get a few item drops from the trolls too," Cora Rune stated, "I know for a fact that version 2.0 had basic item drop tables for the creeps."
The following hour…
Amongst the high cliffside snow-peaked mountains…
A small blizzard blew endlessly, everything was covered in a large blanket of snow and ice.
The Dragon Catcher, Rosina, and the 5th Chosen Dragon, Cora Rune, climbed the mountains with some difficulty, but not as much as one would expect. As Warcraft III heroes could climb up heights with great ease provided there be a sort of slanted ramp, otherwise the steepness would be too much for even them.
Cora Rune bit into the Frostbite Troll, the level 10 Creep crying out in pain before smashing the blunt side of its ice-enchanted ax against her. The Chosen Dragonet recoiled from the blow, even as her body became sluggish in movement due to frost effects, she could still use her abilities with ease. Core disappeared in a flash of blue light, the Blink ability proving ever useful as she appeared near the Dragon Catcher.
Rosina on the other hand, released a flurry of arrows enhanced with the Cold Arrows ability, increasing the damage output and slowing the troll's own movements to a crawl. Then, with her right hand covered in a glowing green light, she cast a spell onto the dragonet.
The dragonet became enveloped in an ever-moving sphere of green energy, her injuries regenerating themselves as she had the rejuvenation buff for twenty seconds.
Rejuvenating Light, a healing spell that the Catcher held. It was an ability that replaced the Holy Light spell for an overtime healing and also allowing self-usage, not to mention having higher possible levels to increase its strength.
Cora blinked once more, she had maxed the Blink ability levels long ago. After all, it didn't take much to get all spells to max as a non-elemental, they were designed to be achieved early with the exception of Attribute Bonus.
With teeth baring, Cora chomped down harshly onto the troll's hide, blood pooling out as her wings flapped furiously, allowing her to tear out the flesh.
The troll died in a dramatic fashion as it clutched its throat before falling to the side.
The 5th player spits out the flesh, "Can't believe I don't find the taste all too bad… But the cooked meat is still leagues better!"
"Well, you are a dragon now," The 7th player commented, bringing her bow arm to a relaxed state.
Cora Rune glanced towards the giant-sized ice wall that blocked their passage, "This is it, I recognize this wall anywhere. This is the entrance to the Blue Dragon Nest."
"Do you think we can destroy it? We don't know how it transferred over," Rosina questioned.
"Only one way to find it, trying launching a few arrows at it," Cora asked.
"Alright," She replied while lodging an arrow into the bow string and firing it true into the center of the ice wall's mass. It shook, creating a rumbling sound as if it was hit by a great force.
"That's a good sign," The Chosen Dragon commented.
After a few more arrows, the ice wall collapsed all together, the two Heroes covering themselves as a gust of icy wind blew at them and beyond. Then, they entered the cavern that the ice wall had hidden from them.
And reappeared outside of it on the top of the mountain, which surprisingly, was a frozen wasteland, but was still a snowy alp. All around the two, the Blue Dragons flew, rested, and took care of their young and eggs.
"Holy shit," Rosina said, "The dragons got freaking huge in the transfer!" She said, feeling very small all the sudden. "The young adults are the size of a small bus! And the fully grown ones, damn, like an entire house!"
"Wonder if I'll get that big, how huge will Wyrm be?" Cora commented.
"I don't even want to know… Perhaps the size of a castle?" Rosina commented.
The Blue Full Adult Dragon looked to them, noticing their presence, flanked on either side was were blue dragonets of the Warcraft III model, while all around them like ice crystals the size of three grown men.
"Welcome, Chosen Dragon, and greetings to you, young human hero," The Blue adult dragon said with a loud and draconic voice, "This is the Blue Dragon Nest, formed by us after the migration two hundred years ago. I am the new leader, Locanos, elected by the Maker's choice after the original leader's demise at the energies of the defeated demon king."
Cora Rune approached Locanos, "I'm Cora, and this is Rosina. I got a letter saying your location and I wanted to become a blue dragon," She said.
Locanos nodded in acknowledgment, "Very well, the Blue Dragonet holds the element of Ice and Snow within their grasp. The usage of such spellcraft of these elements cost much energy, but they hold many supportive effects for you and your allies, and also negative effects against your foes." He said before releasing a large blue flame with ice-like energies emitting from it at the ground, forming a circle of power, a circular formation of white. "Step into the Circle of Power, and accept the calling."
Cora Rune hovered her way above the circle, "Yes B." She said.
In that instant, she became enveloped in a blizzard of hail and snow, flying a bit higher in the hair, her wings growing stronger as her dull gray scales became a beautiful hue of blue, and her underbelly a common white color.
She had become a Blue Chosen Dragon, and she looked exactly like the blue whelpling from World of Warcraft. As to be expected, all Chosen Dragonets used WoW models.
"Things are going to be different from now on," Cora commented as her transformation completed.
It had been two hours since both he, Saito Hiraga, and Louise awoke within this forest. Despite his best attempts, he could not recall this area being in Life of a Dragon Sequel. So either it was entirely new for 2.0, or it was a place he never actually went much too anyway. Of course, there was always the possibility that it just seemed impossible to discern due to the transition itself.
But there was one thing he knew, and that was that this biome, this environment, was native to Warcraft III.
However, that was not his most pressing concern.
The constant whining Louise Valliere did for the past ten minutes was.
"Stupid sticks, stupid rocks, stupid trees, stupid forest!" Louise chanted on and on, "Erisdar, I'm exhausted! We've been traveling for hours, I need a break!"
Saito sighed, the best a dragon could that is, he wasn't tired at the least.
"We need to keep moving, I don't want to stay in this forest," Saito stated for the tenth time. "Yes I know you're tired, yes I know your feet ache, and for goodness sake, I know that a noble such as yourself shouldn't be doing this," He commented.
"Well if you know so much then do something about it! It's not like anything poses a threat, I am a Valliere, and I can just use a spell to scare away any animals!" Louise replied in an angry and annoyed tone.
'Not Warcraft creeps you can't,' Saito thought to himself, the nature of Warcraft III monsters doesn't listen to the natural laws of the animal kingdom. The flight instinct simply doesn't exist. It's fight or death through and through.
"Can you just lower your voice?" He asked as kindly as he could.
She wasn't having any of it.
"You don't command me, Erisdar! We may be partners but I'm still your master, I summoned you! I get my say just as much-"
Louise stopped dead cold as she found her vision having a pointed arrowhead aimed right between her eyes, fear overtaking her body as it dared not move from the spot.
Saito Hiraga growled, before silencing himself as he noticed that both he and Louise were surrounded by a group of six purple-skinned, elven, female archers. All but one of which had their arrows latched in their bows, not at him, but only at Louise Valliere.
The apparent leader of the group spoke up as she approached from out of the trees, "The human girl speaks so loud we could have shot her in the dark."
"E-Erisdar…" Louise spoke fearfully, it was a bit strange to see her turn one-eighty degrees in her usually fiery personality.
The first Chosen Dragon looked towards the group leader, "Who are you?"
The leader bowed before rising again, she bows arm relaxed towards him, "I am Ayia Nightstar, most honorable dragon, I along with my sisters have caught sight of you roughly a few moments back."
The one archer with the arrow pointing right at the pink-haired teen's face then said, "What shall we do now, captain?"
"Wait!" Saito exclaimed, catching Ayia's attention swiftly, "Do not harm her, she's my companion."
The elf nodded, motion with her hand which caused all of them to lower their weapons, turning to Louise, "Count yourself blessed, little girl, to find true company with a dragon of Kayla."
The Valliere girl only nodded as she paced back within the protective presence of her familiar, her eyes darting left to right, but Saito didn't pay much heed to where or what exactly she was looking at.
"So this is the Elven Forest?" Saito questioned.
Ayia answered him, "As humans would call it such, but the name bestowed upon it is Moonshine Grove."
"I assume you will lead us to your village?" He questioned once more.
"Yes, the Priestess should be informed of your here being, and you may find food and rest for a youngling like yourself," She answered him, before motioning for her squad to continue forward, "Follow us, honored dragon, and you as well, dragon friend." Ayia finished, pointing at Louise briefly before heading out.
Saito Hiraga gave out a held breath, finally, they were getting to a safe location.
Though he wondered why Louise still looked like she was going to panic at any moment.
Current Status:
Chosen Dragon Player 1: Saito Hiraga - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 9
Chosen Dragon Player 2: Alex Storm - Alive - Hatchling (Strength) Level 2
Chosen Dragon Player 3: Asuna Godiva - Alive - Dragonet (Strength) Level 5
Chosen Dragon Player 4: Artos Archway - Alive - Dragonet (Agility) Level 7
Chosen Dragon Player 5: Cora Rune - Alive - Blue Dragonet (Intelligence) Level 8
Dragon Slayer Player 6: Celdrahil - Alive - Slayer Level 7
Dragon Catcher Player 7: Rosina - Alive - Catcher Level 10
The Human Kingdom Player 8: Aylmer and Abigail - Alive - Royalty of Human Kingdom
The Fel Empire Player 9: Grom - Alive - King of Fel Empire
Mercenary Player 10: Elizabeth Loyal - Alive - Sorceress Level 2
Observer Map Maker: Map Maker - Alive - The World Editor