Time skip!
I didn't wanted to bother too much with the training between Gim, Nah and Severa, so let's just skip to the interesting stuff.

Don't worry, I will add some flashbacks from those three months later in the story.

I mean... it's not like maybe some INTERESTING stuff might have happened during these three months... huh? Huh? ;3

Mmm... maybe I should change the rating to Mature...

In any case! Enjoy the fourth chapter! And see you at its end!


I'm proud to be a nerd.
A geek.
An otaku.
Being all of those things allowed me to learn SO much about life.

Gurren Lagann thought me to believe in myself.
Persona 4 allowed me to accept my differences.
And Berserk…
Taught me that sitting in the middle of a bridge could stop an entire army from moving forward.

Because, THAT'S happening right now.

The ruffians that we've been waiting for the last three months have finally arrived.
… Two weeks earlier than expected.
They're all here…
Right in front of me.
And here I am, sitting down in the middle of this bridge with the hood of my cape to cover my face.

The bridge is situated in the middle of the forest and there's a deep ravine right in its middle.
Which means…
If those guys want to pass through the forest without breaking their neck...
They HAVE to pass this bridge.
But a suspicious men is sitting in the way.

Is that a trap?
Yes.
Because the hooded person is me.
And I'm a trained manakete that learned how to breathe fire balls.
Or… well, something between flames and crystallised magic essen-
… it's complicated.

Am I trying to waste their time?
Yes.

While I am keeping the brigand's attention here, Severa is currently running toward the village to tell its habitants of the up-coming danger.

Also, my niece, Nah, is hiding behind a bush not too far from my position.

I told her to not move an inch until the moment I transformed.

Will that ruse change their mind of attacking the villagers without any kind of violence?

"Oï you!"

Unlikely.

"Ye be telling us what you are doing right in the middle o' tha' way!"

I can read the uncertainty in its voice.

"…"

"… Answah me! Now!"

Ok. The silent treatment seems to have done its job.
Now I must speak to him...

And try not to provoke him.

"I am Gim…"
"… uh. Wut?"

"… I am Gim. And I am a manakete."

… Silence.

"A… what now?"

"A manakete. Haven't you heard the legends?... A long time ago, the land used to be habited by different kind of folks. Animal-folks… Bird-folks… and… Dragon-folks."

"…"

"A manakete is a dragon-folk. Immortal beings that can transform into gigantic dragons that roam the sky and breath fire."
"You're… he's jast bluffin'!"
"Then perhaps a demonstration is in order."

I barely put my hands on my knees to help myself up that I can hear the brigands stepping back with a gasp of panic.
I grin.
And I make sure that they can see it.

"Oï, Roddick…" one of the brigand says. "What if he says the truth? We… We can't faght no dragons!"
"Are yeh still believing in those stupid fairy tales!? He's only one man! One stinkin' bloody liar! And even if he was a stupid dragon, we got him outnumbe'd!"

… He's right.
There are at least a dozen man.
Right now, even with Nah, we are questionably at a disadvantage.
I mean, I know that I'm a dragon.
I know that my skin is stronger than the rags those bandits are wearing.
But…
I never fought a real battle at full strength before.
What if I-

"Oh I've had enagh!"

Crap.

"Ye be out o' our way! Or else we'll gut yah right where you' standin!"

The bandit walks toward me with his axe.
Wait. 'Standing'?

"But… I'm not standing. I'm sitting."

…..

That was f***ing stupid.
The stupidest thing I could say was the stupidest joke.
Hell. Calling it a 'joke' would be an insult in itself.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

…. And yet…
All the brigands, except their chief, are laughing uncontrollably.
Roddick's face turns red.
Out of embarrassment or anger, I can't tell.
He turns toward his men…

"YOU BIGGOTIN' IDIOTS ARE GONNA SHUT YER MOUTH!"

Exposing his back wide open to me.
Okay. Opportunity attack, roll initiative!

I raise the dragon stone that I kept hidden in my hand all along over my head.
I can see the bandits changing their expression from laughter to disbelief before my view gets obstructed by the giant pink petals that are engulfing me from under my feet.

Okay.

The next part is…
Peculiar.
How do I describe the feeling of turning into a dragon with a dragon stone?

At first, I thought it would be excruciating, but really, it's not.
Although…

Every bones in my body are being stretched, amplified and remodeled.
My organs are morphing.
My eyes are now pointing sideways instead of up front.
Scales are growing everywhere over my skin.
My nails are expending and turning into claws.
Oh.
And those HUGE WINGS are growing from my back.
This whole metamorphosis would seem painful in any evil-horror-mad-scientist kind of scenario.
But, it just feels like…

Diving.

Like, diving from a really high spot and hitting the water.
Except that the water is warm and soft.
And then, that same water is flowing through my veins, reaching my heart…

And pulling out the passion that is inside.

The will to fight.

The will to protect.

The will to crush my enemies.

The will to help my friends.

This passion is shaping my body into the mightiest of legendary creatures.

Yeah. That all sounds really poetic.
But you know.
It's that poetry that turns me into a friggin' dragon.
So…

Shove your sass up your ass.
I'm a mother-f***ing dragon!

My wings shatter the giant flower and I arise from over the ground.
When I lower my head toward those PATHETIC MORTAL SCUMS.
He heh… Just kidding.
I see that their expression changed from disbelief to terror.
Well, I might just use that fear to my advantage.
And what one-liner could I used that made so many people poop their pants back in my days?
Oh yes.

Classic.

"I AM SINISTAR. I HUNGER! RUN! RUN!"

Holy crap! It works and I can't tell you how hard it is not to laugh right now!
Some brigands are running away in the opposite direction.
Other falls on their butt.
Few others are paralysed, pointing their weapon at me.
And the leader, Roddick, has is jaw wide open.

'Opportunity Attack'.

I sky-dive at the leader, who is just realising what's going on.

"OÏ! A-AWAY WITH YEH, MONSTAH!"

He grasps his steel axe, swinging it behind his back, ready to hit me in the face.
Anticipating his movement, I land sooner than expected and at the same time that he's attacking where my skull was supposed to be, I crouch, spin on my four feet and hit Roddick's legs with my tail.

As he realises that he's about to eat the bridge's plank, I'm jumping back in the air, charging my throat with draconic essence.

"RAAAAH!"

I spit my blue crystal breath at Roddick which makes him roll back to the feet of his men.
The brigands gaze are changing between me and their leader with uncertainty.

I fall on my feet, cover my body with my wings and in a light shattering sound, I take back my human-form.
I pull-off the hood from over my head to reveal my dark-green hair and pointy ears.

Just to make these guys finally realise that they're not dealing with a simple human.
… in case the dragon-transformation-sequence wasn't enough.

With my head facing straight, I look down at Roddick.
He's wounded as if he had been hit by a car.

Crap.
Did- Did I do that?
I wounded someone…

I mean...
I never injured anyone like that before...


Earlier this morning…

- Good heavens! We have walked for so long that if we go any further, we might reach the end of the world and fall through the nothingness!

- Hey, scruffy! Stop acting all wimpy and get your butt walking!

- But my lady, my noble legs cannot appeal this exercise any longer…
- And yet, the other two men have been walking all the way from Ylisstol in full-plated armor and you don't hear them complain.

- I beg your pardon? What "other two men" are you reffering to? There is only you, me and my good frien-
- She's referring to me, sir.

- GODS! Wher- How on blood and earth? Have you been following us all this time?
- Y-… Yes, sir.

- To conceal your presence, even while wearing this towering armor of steel! You have a gift, my lad.

- It's… uh… nothing to be proud of, really…
- 'n any case, t'seems that we reached the ocean. I can smell the salty water from here.

- Indeed. That fragrance… So, Cirus, my good friend and loyal servant! Do we seem to have attained our quested destination?

A man wearing the huge blue-stripped armor of a knight stands in front of the three Shepards while starring at the ocean. His lightly-curled hair have a dark-blue color and so does his short beard.
He stabs the ground with his lion-face-shaped tower-shield, rests his hammer on his shoulder and turns toward the noble with an amused expression on his face.

- We have, Virion. And stop calling me your servant!

CIRUS
"SERVES THE GREATER GOOD! (the greater good)"


Eyup! This is the first character introduction, Cirus.

I'll keep this formula for each of my friends that I'll introduce to the story.
Expect Cirus to appear in the next chapter. :)

And yes.

That was a "Hot Fuzz" reference. It's his favorite movie.