Part II of the Dragon's Origin.
Tune in next week, for Part 3!
"Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break."
― William Shakespeare, Macbeth
Pepper gasped as she saw the Crow being felicitated by a large gathering, now a tall young woman in her late twenties, elegantly dressed in black with a neat top-knot. A large ornate sword, decorated in silver with a wooden handle was handled to her and she bowed over it.
The Crow became a known warrior, famous for her fighting skill and her courage. Her reputation spread far and wide. And with her, the Hokai had also grown.
Pepper stared in awe at the blue lizard-like being, with magnificent wings, a large, scaly body and four muscular legs, that hovered near the Crow, a smile of pride on its serpentine face.
The crowd cheered wildly as the Crow bowed to them.
The Dragon said musingly, She was offered a position as the head of the Imperial Army of the land. A position of wealth and power.
Tony said softly, "But she did not want it. Power and riches held no appeal for her."
The Dragon said with a note of pride, You are right, Anthony, she was ever curious, she wanted to see what lay beyond the ocean. And so...
They watched the Crow board a ship, the Hokai drifting along with her lazily.
The Crow and the Hokai crossed the ocean together.
"But," asked Pepper, "how could the Hokai leave the mountain? Isn't it his... its body?"
No, Virginia, the Hokai was the spirit or soul of the mountain but it could always return there whenever it wanted to. Physical distance would not hamper it. So it felt assured that even if it left, it could always go back.
The scene changed to a small fishing village. A crowd of fishermen were gathered around the Crow, who was now older, dressed again in black, ceremonial sword sheathed at her waist. They were explaining something to her animatedly as she listened attentively.
Then she put on a set of armor, taking care to protect her chest and her head. She was handed a metal Dun(shield), decorated with the face of The Hokai.
The Dragon recited softly,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell.
She felt Tony tense beneath her. Then Pepper understood why as she saw the villagers line up, dressed in similar armor, armed with small swords and spears. She blindly reached for his hand, gripping it, to give him some support. He squeezed back and said quietly, "They are going to war."
The Dragon remained quiet as the Crow mounted a white horse and led the villagers to a mountain. Then she exclaimed with horror as the 'mountain' slowly revealed itself as a green, hairy beast with huge curved horns and a gaping feline mouth.
It roared mightily at the villagers but the Crow raised her sword and brought it down. Fire arrows rained down on the beast and the villagers charged at it.
They faced a Muginku, another mountain spirit, this one malicious, who intended to eat the villagers.
Pepper watched with dismay as the villagers seemed to be no match for the beast, no matter how hard they tried.
The Dragon said thoughtfully, It was too powerful. Even for the Crow.
They saw the Crow charge valiantly at the Muginku's leg, jump onto it and climb up the leg slowly.
Tony exclaimed, "She is crazy!"
The Dragon laughed and Pepper cheered as the Crow climbed up to the Muginku's head and blinded it in one eye by stabbing the eye with her sword.
Then Pepper gasped in horror as the Muginku tossed its mighty head and the Crow flew upwards in the air. The beast then viciously gored the Crow with its horn and tossed her to the ground.
Pepper felt her eyes fill with tears as the Crow lay there, bleeding profusely through the stomach, body mangled. The Hokai flew to her and gently nuzzled her. But she was dead. It threw back its scaly, whiskery head and roared loudly to the sky.
"It is going to heal her." said Tony confidently.
No, Anthony, the wound is too deep... Besides she is dead... said the Dragon quietly.
"It cannot just let her die!" exclaimed Pepper, feeling very sad as the Hokai lowered its head over the Crow's body and seemed to be shaking with grief.
The Dragon hissed softly, It will not. It loved her too much to let her die...
They watched with astonishment as the Hokai began to glow bright blue, nearly blinding them with the brightness of its light. It then burst into a blue mass of light, engulfing the Crow.
Pepper exclaimed, "It is so bright!'
Tony said at nearly the same time, "Dragon, what is it doing?"
The Dragon just laughed softly and Pepper and Tony then exclaimed with awe as the Crow rose, but not as a human.
She had a long serpentine body, thick with dark blue scales and a heavy, pointed tail, covered with thorns. She had two small forepaws and two muscular back legs, armed with thick claws.
The Crow straightened her slender neck to reveal a horned head, with a toothy broad snout and huge red eyes.
She opened her mouth and let loose a stream of powerful blue flame.
Tony whispered shocked, "Dragon... she turned into a dragon!"
Yes Anthony, the Hokai gave up its energy, its spirit for its friend, in order for her to live. Now she could fight the Muginku!
Pepper still couldn't believe it as the Crow sprouted two large scaly wings from her back and flew high into the air. While she wasn't as large as the Muginku, she was the size of a single floor house and as she bore down on the Muginku, the Crow made for an impressive sight.
The villagers started to cheer as the Crow unleashed a steady stream of fire onto the Muginku, burning it violently. It screamed and tried to cover itself but to no avail.
Then it reared on its hind legs and hit at the Crow, who swiped at it with one claw, knocking it backwards. Then the Crow caught the Muginku by the neck with its forepaws and ripped its throat open, roaring wildly as it did so.
The beast lay there dead and the Crow lowered itself to the ground, licking its paws as the villagers cheered and screamed its name. "Ryunn!" "Ryunn!"
Then it crouched on its hind legs and flew upwards into the sky with a mighty roar, disappearing into the heavens.
Her vision was filled with blue smoke and she saw it fade away from her mind's eye. The Dragon whispered, You can open your eyes now.
Pepper opened her eyes, to see Tony blinking his widely in shock.
The tendril of blue fire aimlessly drifted into the smithy. Pepper could hear a familiar tune playing in her mind.
The blue fire merged with the fire of the smithy and the tune grew louder and now Pepper could hear it in her ears.
Pepper was shocked herself but the look on Tony's face was truly comical. He abruptly stood and she scrambled to her feet.
The blue fire throbbed wildly as the Dragon began to chuckle, Anthony Stark, in our three years together, I have never seen you so speechless!
I am sure you have a lot of questions, ask away... said the Dragon in the smithy lazily, then continuing with its gently humming.
Tony walked closer to the fire and whispered, staring at it in shock. "You... you are a woman?"
The way he asked and his expression made Pepper giggle. The Dragon said lazily, I show you a different land, a mountain spirit, an evil beast, an epic battle and your first question is about whether I am a girl... indeed Anthony... it snorted at him derisively.
Pepper could not control her laughter because Tony was opening and closing his mouth, looking a lot like Happy in goldfish mode.
The Dragon said softly, I am no longer human, Anthony, I am a spirit. I am on a higher plane. So sex and gender do not apply to me.
Then it puffed at him, filling the air with powdery blue smoke. But I used to be a woman. Yes.
Tony made a weird noise with his throat. "You never said you were a woman! I mean! You should have said something!"
You never asked... how very chauvinistic of you to assume I was a man... hissed the Dragon in amusement. Why does it matter to you so much?
"Because!" Tony burst out, "I! There were times when I was...! And you were there! And to think you were a woman!"
Pepper covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her laughter as the Dragon said dryly, Yes, Anthony, I was so fortunate to witness you in your naked splendor many a time. I have also borne witness to your seemingly endless nocturnal activities with multiple bedroom partners. But do not worry, it huffed out on a laugh, I always left you alone after some time.
The flame in the smithy, began to take shape. A serpentine face formed, with deep-set hollow eyes and a gaping mouth. Thin tendrils and tiny horns began to form on its wide brow. It was a thick outline in the pulsating blue flame. At last, a huge pair of horns appeared on the back of its large head.
The Dragon said slowly, Those dreams you have been seeing, Anthony... not the ones with Virginia dying or hurting you.. the other ones where you saw things through the eyes of a girl... you were experiencing my memories... when I was young and human.
Pepper asked with a smile, "So the girl, the guardian? That was you? The little Crow?"
She saw the fiery being grin a toothy grin. Yes Virginia... My real name is Ryunn.
"And did the Hokai really die?"
The fiery avatar of the Dragon lowered its head and blew out smoke from its nostrils. It whispered sadly, Yes it did. The Hokai was...my friend, my mentor, my... everything... we spent so many years together, fought so many battles and he... he sacrificed his life and his presence, to give me back my life.
"Is there no way, he could have been resurrected or saved?" asked Pepper gently.
"Yes, could he be reborn from the mountain?" added Tony.
You do not understand, said the Dragon sadly. A mountain spirit exhausts itself over time and is reborn from the mountain. The Hokai chose to transfer all its energy, its life force to me... because of this, the mountain Wadi crumbled where it stood.
Tony asked, "Because the Hokai was gone?"
Yes. The spirit can survive without a body. But a body without spirit... the Dragon lowered its head. The fire of the mountain passed on to me and I keep it alive in spirit through my disciples.
Pepper asked curiously, "So Dragon, how did you become a spirit?"
The Dragon lazily drifted over the fire, on its back. I wandered the cosmos for a long long time. Because I was no longer human, I knew I could not resume my life as a warrior.
Then I heard a cry for help from the same land, Hyperonia, where I had lived as as a human so long ago. Again a group of settlers, again sorcery. And so I came down from the skies to fight for the people.
But this battle... my body was broken and in pain. I was simply tired. So I expelled my energy, my life force over the inhabitants of the land. And much like my Acolyte, I became a teacher to those I felt had promise.
Tony asked, "So there are others like me? Who have your fire?"
The Dragon straightened itself. Well, not any more. A long time has passed since I became a spirit and my fire does not simply move from one body to another. You need to be worthy.
It sighed deeply. I passed on my teachings as best I could. But the right to bear my spirit...
It drifted towards Tony and huffed all over him affectionately, just like a horse blowing air. He grinned at the fiery being.
That honor I reserve only for a few.
Tony asked curiously, "Dragon, why haven't you told me this before?"
The being sighed loudly and straightened. I do not like talking about my past, Anthony... much in the same way you do not like talking about yours. It pains me... but I must tell you now because I believe I have learnt why Stane is after Virginia.
