Naruto x Fairy Tail x D.O.T.A Dragon's Blood
Summary: Dragons are a ancient and powerful species. Wreaking havoc and chaos all every place they venture. Mankind had gathered in mass to cull these menaces. The Order of Dragon Knight's was born, and mankind saw light at the end of the tunnel. However, one day, strange happenstances occur and the Order finds itself on the verge of dying out. One Knight is venturing out on another ordinary hunt due to a dragon sighting. But thing's change once again when a much more deadly foe is found. Naruto is a dragon hunter with kills numbering in the hundreds, but one day his life takes a turn when he encounters the Father of Fire himself, Slyrax... and now, his whole world has turned upside down...
When the Order vanishes, mankind is left defenseless at the might of the dragon's overwhelming their homes. These dragon's aren't a mythical species, they are an infestation that needs to be removed. Centuries after the fall of the Dragon Knight order, countless men and women rally together to hunt these monsters down after finding a way to bind their magic and that of a Dragon's together thus the Dragon Slayer's nearly succeed. And yet again, an ancient terror awakens and the Dragon Slayer's are near wiped off the face of the world.
Dragon slayers may yet still exist, but the creatures that the last ones will encounter are a different kind of monster. They will need help to fend them off. They will need the ancient knowledge and strength of their forefather's. They will need the might of a Dragon Knight. He will teach them the old and forgotten ways, of the ancient knowledge of hunting and harvesting the strength of their foes, and maybe, just maybe this enemy will finally stay down.
Naruto x Lina x Luna x Erza x Ultear
'Brave... Little Mouse...'
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~XxX-Play: D.O.T.A 2 Dragon's Blood Opening Theme-XxX~
The full moon glows in the sky above, illuminating the world below. Suddenly, a pair of glowing magenta lotuses float by under the light of the moon, stirring up the water they rested in as the gentle breeze pushed the lilies they sat on around. As the water settles, the lotuses begin to break apart into glittering specks of light that rise into the air above, dissolving the lotuses one by one until naught remains but the lilies in the water.
In the distance, a lone tower stands tall under the light of the moon as it sets beyond the horizon. A pair of eyes open as brown eyes lock on her target. Her blade flies through the air, obscured by the clouds, only to rain down countless pillars of silver light.
A dragon, massive in scale spreads his wings as the lights fall upon the earth around him. His crimson scales illuminated by the falling lights as it roars at the heavens. Second's later, a roar tears through the world as the dragon rears its head back, and roars its fury, a massive belch of gold and red fire gushing out to engulf everything in sight.
Surrounded by these flames stands a man in knight's armor, a massive sword in hand. Picking the blade up overhead, the man sheathes it upon his back as the sight changes to another view.
A man stands amidst a field of glowing blue flowers, three strange orbs of magic revolving around his body as he spreads his arms up at his sides. His blond hair is illuminated by the trio of magic spheres, his ears poking through his long golden tresses to a fine point showing his true heritage as an Elf. The spheres of unknown magic continue to rotate in their circular pattern, rising higher and higher until they float high above the Elf, then slam together and explode into a brilliant blue aura that shoots out a wave of light which ignites the darkness of the night before the magic soars up into the sky overhead before vanishing into the darkness of the moon as it begins its phases anew, the sun peaking up over the horizon as dawn arrives.
~XxX-10,000 years ago-XxX~
Dragon's...The primal forces of the universe, the abominations of the world, bane of mankind. These beasts have been a terror to the world for ages long past all the way up until the present. Mankind had joined forces to hunt these beasts, but even culling the number's did nothing but ignite the flames of war. Dragon Knight's were born.
Once a band of men who held the line at the behest of King's and Emperor's, these knight's took down various dragon's and harnessed the powers held in the flesh of their fallen enemies, honoring their strength as they took it for their own. The Order of the Dragon Knight's was born. Scholars who sought to nurture and preserve the knowledge of the ways of the Dragon Knights were called Father, the hunter's were granted the right to be called a new name: Dragon Knight's. In a matter of month's the ranks had swollen by thousand's, and for over ten thousand year's, the Dragon Knight's were a beacon of hope and power across the world.
No King, no matter their power, would deny a request from the order. The protection of the Dragon Knight's would always be enough to ensure they were granted any request they desired-within reason of course-if they asked. However, times had changed after so many years of fighting. The Order was shrinking, Dragon Horde's were growing stronger and stronger. A new enemy had appeared. These beasts were massive, powerful, and hungry. Their size was as large as any castle, their power enough to turn the land to desolation. These monstrosities wiped out entire kingdom's and their surrounding' lands to sate their endless hunger.
Ten's of thousand's of souls, lost to the gluttony of these monster's. These dragon's were subsequentially granted a name, one very suited for their power as an honored and feared enemy...
Eldwyrm's...
These dragon's, these Eldwyrm's were thousand's of years old, nearing the end of their lifespans. Yet, rather than weaken, their power only grew each century, each day. They made their lair's in various places across the globe, and sighting's were usually met with the entire might of the Order of Dragon Knight's coming down to eliminate the threat of the Eldwyrm. Many would perish in the battle, but those who died were honored in legacy, their weapon's and armor stored away and preserved for future generation's of Dragon Knight's. The vault's they lay within could only be opened by those who knew of the sacred oath of the Dragon Knight's.
Only by those who held the knowledge to harness these blades, those who fought the hoard's at risk of their own lives.
Those who would gladly die to see the end of the slaughter.
This is the tale that begins at the end of an era. The tale of a man who had seen the power of the Eldwyrm's firsthand, had survived the slaughter of an Eldwyrm's insatiable hunger on his own, and began his rise as one of the most legendary figure's in history.
~XxX-Before the Fall-XxX~
He pulled off his dark helmet and shook his head from the feeling of pulling his head out. He is a tall man of roughly early-twenties. He has short spiky blond hair kept in a clean cut and whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks. On his left cheek and forehead he bears a large, crisscrossing scar from a old encounter with an Eldwyrm... the only known survivor of an encounter. He seems to have a large physique accentuated by the armor he wears, and often appears cold and calm. He wears a set of plated black armor made from the remains of Adult Dragons he's slain over the years. It allows him to channel the unique abilities of the dragons the armor was forged from, as well as utilize their stolen physical strength.
This was Naruto Uzumaki, one of the most well known and heralded Dragon Knight's.
Befitting his reputation, Naruto is a highly skilled and extremely experienced Dragon Knight. His prowess is easily proven by the armor he wears, made from the parts of Adult Dragons he's killed himself, which normally could only be accomplished by a group of at least 20 Dragon Knights or an entire army. While the enhancements provided by his equipment cannot be dismissed, he has shown be just as dangerous without his armor, displaying immense strength, endurance, and dexterity. Over a decades worth of time had been spent tracking, hunting, and slaying dragons. This period of time has provided him with invaluable experience, as well as deep knowledge of dragons and their abilities. This allows him to assess a tactical situation quickly and maintain a cool head even when facing insurmountable odds.
The armor he wears is forged from a dragon of each known species, every piece is forged from the body parts of adult dragon's, the elder they were the better the armor they made. The armor allows him or any knight equipped with such material's to channel the elemental powers of each dragon that he has slain as well as utilize their stolen physical strength as his own.
Currently, he had received word of a wyrmling attack, naturally this meant there could be adults. As the order was stretched thin and he was considered one of the best, he took it upon himself to deal with the problem. And so, he set out to handle it on his own. Or so he had planned... until he was called into the main outpost of all Dragon Knight's; Dragon's Hold by one of the older commanders, Obito Uchiha... Or so he would like to say, but it wasn't, so he was fine with going in.
Now, for those of you who are curious, Master Obito Uchiha preferred hunting two types of dragon's. The two most notorious and dangerous types of dragon's that the Order condemned and had a very hard time hunting down due to their abilities.
Chaos and Void dragon's...
Chaos dragon's were all bloodthirsty and psychotic beasts who cared only for carnage. These beasts had the capabilities that many dreaded facing off against in combat. The ability to phase their bodies into the air and teleport around made them a very dangerous opponent. They could also eradicate large area's of land in massive explosions through the use of their magic, and were considered the most dangerous of the eight species.
Void dragon's were just tricky beasts to hunt. They could alter gravity for hundreds of feet around them, rip the land apart with their powers by conjuring up black holes. They also had the ability to create powerful force fields around them to ward off powerful attacks from their enemies. All in all, combining the two dragon's made a deadly enemy.
Obito wore a black suit of armor with purple strings of energy coursing through it. A combined power of both his preferred choice of kill's. His blade was that of a large sword with two extensions on either side and held the power of the Ionic dragon within, enhancing it's cutting power. A lethal blade named Lightning Fang.
Currently, the fifty year old Dragon Hunter-somehow through the grace of the gods-was one of the known "Fathers" of the Dragon Knight order alongside Father who was the actual scholar and for that he was always addressed as Master Obito by his subordinates, was sitting on a bench speaking about his glory days as he watched a young squire polished his boots, "Put your back into it boy!" he reprimanded the squire, "Chaos scales show every smudge, more so than a Luminous!" he stated heatedly before he looked up with a wistful sigh, "When I was a Squire, it was an honor to polish a Father's boots." he told the younger man.
"More than one evening, I went to my rack, my hand frozen in a claw from gripping the rag as I polished my Mentor's own boots." he stated calmer now as the squire put in more effort to his work. The pompous Knight enjoyed reminding others of his status as a Commander of the Order by reliving days of glory that meant little to another. The old knight gave a laugh, "I would be hunched over like a bear with the shits!" he guffawed as the main doors to the keep opened causing his head along with many other's to turn as they watched a very prominent figure entered Dragon's Hold.
Obito narrows his eyes at the prominent Dragon Knight, "Naruto." he greets calmly, watching as the scarred blond passes by, ignoring the man as he heads into the keep to meet up with Father one last time before he heads out. The blond didn't care for the pompous old man in even drearier armor. And despite having been summoned by Obito, he had no desire to remain at the keep. Seeing as he was ignored, the older man spoke harsher, "Forgotten your manners already?" he demanded, forcing the blond man to stop where he turned back to the elder knight, "Master Obito." he greeted tersely, placing a closed fist to his chest and bowing his head out as a sign of respect for the elder knight, "Apologies." he answered him.
Dragon Knights, like most formal organizations, have a strict hierarchy based on skill or experience.
Squires: Those who come to Dragon Hold for the first time become squires and serve under a Dragon Knight for a time, until they kill a dragon and advance to Knight status. Their duties include rendering assistance to Knights in the field, or using scrolls to teleport to Dragon Hold if their Knight is in need of reinforcements. Depending on the knight in particular they may be reduced to nothing more than a servant, polishing the knight's boots and serving them when they eat. Sadly, many squires do not make it to knighthood, most often dying while serving their knights while out in the field.
Knights: If a squire is able to kill a dragon, they advance to become proper Knights. They receive a set of armor and a weapon that can easily cut through younger dragon flesh. They are also assigned a squire, and can be called upon to investigate dragon sightings.
Elders: With enough kills under their belt, a Dragon Knight can become an Elder. Knights at this rank gain more ornate armor and weaponry, and are to be treated with respect by lower ranking Knights and squires. While a Knight can refuse this title; Naruto, for instance, has far more experience than Obito, but has to greet him as an Elder. Naruto's refusal to accept the title is because Elders have to stay in Dragon Hold to protect it, which would compromise his quest for revenge against a specific Eldwyrm.
Fathers: Those who attain this rank had once been squires who, for one reason or another, are unable to become Knights. They may be chosen more for their intellect, as they are the ones who work the Foundry that produces the equipment the Dragon Knights use to fight against various dragons. They are also experts in lore related to dragons. Some may have magical abilities, as it is stated from historical fact they created the teleportation scrolls keyed to Dragon Hold. Only one Father is known to remain at Dragon Hold constantly, but this is due to his old age not allowing him to travel any longer. The title is not held by a single person as there are dozens of Father's.
Obito sighed as he closed his eyes, "Oh, I can't blame you." he remarked, "Ten years, has it been?" he questioned, "Barely here, but to haul a carcass in and take weapons out." he stated with a frown, "Ten years." he said turning away from the younger man with distaste.
"Twelve." the blond corrected calmly.
Obito snorted, "Hunting Vahdrak." he sneered, "All this time, and you never look to us for assistance, striking out on your own like some lone wolf." he commented before looking down at the squire with a scowl, "Under the ankle dammit!" he stated rudely to the boy. With a huff, Naruto went to turn, but Obito's voice spoke up once more, "You certainly made a name for yourself while the rest of us did the work we're expected to do." he stated heatedly, "We are a brotherhood. A unit." he spoke as he turned to the blond, "No man more important than the rest." he said before tilting his head to the squire, "Like this boy here." he stated as he pulled the squire up with his hand where the squire chuckled nervously.
"Happy to be part of the team." the squire said with a nervous look.
Obito scowled as he looked at the squire, "I didn't say you could speak." he admonished the teen before throwing him to the ground to turn his gaze back to the blond, "Twelve years, Naruto. Wasted." he snarled. Other knights had silently watched the exchange. Nervous looks shared between all of them as they tried not to draw attention to themselves as the two men spoke with one another.
Naruto turned and started walking, but paused as he turned to address Obito, "The blood on my boots... It's never been polished... I never cared to." he told Obito seriously as he held his head high, "Not in all my years as a Dragon Knight, Master Obito." he spoke as he departed to the Foundry for his equipment. Walking down the stairs into the depths of the mountain, he opened the door to the foundry where he saw dozens of men at work. Young and old alike stripping various corpses of dragon's down and taking what was needed for their work to be done. Naruto however, had a specific location of the foundry he needed to reach so he could set out on his hunt.
Located near the epicenter of the massive shop, Naruto came across one of the more senior Father's inside the keep.
Father Jiraiya.
The man was a master of his craft, but when he was younger there were quite the number of tales about him. The number of children he was said to-and confirmed quite a few-have fathered numbered in the hundreds. He had an entire brood of children that could populate a small city, and most likely had an entire empire's worth of grandchildren and great-grandchildren and possibly a few great-great-grandchildren to call his own. At eighty-eight years old, the old man was still as spry as he was back when he was in his forties... and still going out to visit nearby city brothel's... and probably siring even more kid's in his old age than any knight in their twenties could.
As he reached him, the old man looked to those surrounding him, "Everyone out." he stated as they all looked to the elder before obeying. As one of the most respected men within the keep, none would disobey him. Putting down their tool's, the multitude of men departed, "I would have words with you." Father Jiraiya said as he motioned him over to his place of work. Naruto turned his head slightly as he watched dozens exit the foundry, various weapons in the middle of the forging process still glowed from the heat of the fires around, blood dripped from carcasses as they hung on hook.
"My time is near, and as one of the few people I know and claim are related to me by blood, I feel you should know this." Jiraiya spoke softly, "Our efforts have bore fruit like no other." he said as he turned to the workbench he occupied, a large cloth covering the table, "I feel I owe it to your father, a debt of honor which I can never repay. I will never question that." he said softly, "But each Dragon Knight bleeds for the cause." he said walking over to the workbench he had taken for himself, "Few have bled for the cause as much as your father or yourself. None more." he said softly.
"For twenty years I have watched you grow from a little boy who enjoyed playing games with his mother into a man who has done what many could never do." Jiraiya said as he inhaled deeply, "I helped your father forge you into a Dragon Knight worthy of the name, and then when he was gone, you and I forged you into the weapon that you have now become." he ran his hand over the cloth, "Piece by piece. Blade by blade. Dragon by dragon." he said as he pulled the cloth off, "I have never asked anything of you other than your trust." he said motioning to the blade, "And I hope that you will continue to give it to me." he said as Naruto walked over to grab the massive blade.
"My final gift to you, to complete that which we have spent so long trying to accomplish. I will not be here when you return, I had strength only enough to finish this last gift we had come up with together, and I know that the call for help has come from a rather large nest sighting, so I know you can use it to purge some of the beasts number's to more acceptable level's. Just, promise me you won't push yourself the way your father did before the attack." Jiraiya said as he looked to his grandson, "Promise me, that when you take this blade, you take all of us with you? You carry this Order upon your back, and have done so for twelve years. All since you came to us at eight years old, but do not let your quest for vengeance blind you."
Naruto placed the blade upon his back and inhaled deeply, "This is my last job. I plan on retiring from the Order as a Field Worker. Teaching the younger squire's will be my priority once I return. Vahdrak killed not only an entire company of my brother's, he destroyed an entire city and the surrounding valley. My father, your son, died protecting me. He teleported me away before that monster could fully unleash its destruction. This hunt, if it proves successful, will allow us to end the reign of terror that the Eldwyrm's have held over our people for the last ten thousand years. The dragon's can finally be slaughtered to extinction, and we can known peace." he said calmly.
"I don't do this out of hatred or spite. I do this to settle the debt I owe all those people I couldn't help then." Naruto said as he clenched his fists, "I still remember all of it. The remember the smell. Hear the cries of terror. The sight of that monster feasting on them. Can't forget, won't." he said through clenched teeth, "Twelve years we have prepared, just for this." he stated seriously, "I wasted a vast majority of my life on senseless slaughter, and the blood of a thousand dragon's can't wash away my shame." he said, "I may go out to face this bastard and die, but I shed enough blood for the dead. It's time I fight for the living." Naruto said as he looked to his grandfather.
"My sword," Jiraiya said stepping up to grasp the blonde's grieve, "My life." he spoke as Naruto nodded.
"For Dragon Hold." the young man finished as he embraced the old man before pulling back, "My last hunt, and then I'm done." he said seriously.
"Good luck, and better hunting." Jiraiya said to the young man as he departed.
"Farwell, Father." Naruto bid him with a respectful bow.
~XxX-Barrowhaven-XxX~
The Hunt was on. But, sadly this wasn't his intended target. There were nothing but Earth Dragon Wyrmling's everywhere he traveled. No Chaos Dragon's whatsoever. He had torn through the eggs to kill every hatchling he could before they were born. Dozens of large Wyrmling's had tried to rip him apart, but his abilities allowed him a major advantage over them. His armor was crafted with this kind of slaughter in mind. All of it was enhanced with each kill he had brought back to Dragon Hold, each killing adding power to his own well of strength. A Dragon Knight honors his kill, and each kill would be carted off to a person who knew how to handle the kills.
His armor was covered in blood, his new sword crackled with intense energy as it died down while he placed it on his back. The enhancements worked well beyond what he had intended, and that was good. Meant he could fight longer and kill faster if he had too.
The gauntlets bear the immense strength of an Earth dragon that allows it to displace tons of rock and even burrow chasms under the earth, while using the same strength to enhance his attacks. These gauntlets are also used to channel the electricity of Ionic dragons, adding a shocking effect to his strikes.
Flowing through his cuirass is the power of a Chaos dragon; allowing him to phase out of reality and teleport short distances. The same power is used to summon his helmet out of thin air, presumably kept away in an extradimensional space. The power of a Void dragon allows him to create a bubble shield around him to grant added protection.
The gloves are imbued with a mix of Light dragon and Air dragon abilities. This allows Naruto to unleash blinding waves of light to disorient his enemies and slam powerful concussive blasts of air at them.
His cape is imbued with properties of Earth, Water, Fire, and Void dragon's making it an effective shield against multiple elemental attacks as it creates a large aura shield around him when he wraps himself inside.
As for the boots he wears, they are imbued with an Air dragon's ability to generate propulsive wind blasts. These wind blasts can be amplify his speed, change his flight trajectory in mid-flight, and allow him to gain temporary flight.
He wields the blade that Father Jiraiya gave to him which he named the Vortex Blade, a massive sword that deals greater damage to bigger opponents. Judging by the area near its hilt, it is forged from the remains of a Void Dragon and enhanced by a Earth Dragon for extra striking power. It contains a dormant power that can be activated to cause the sword to strike opponents with equivalent mass, meaning that he can hit any opponent larger than him as though the sword has enough weight and power to knock it down, regardless of a difference in size and weight between them. The blade is as tall as a full-grown man, and shaped like a butcher knife. The blade itself has a large build up of material near the hilt that channels energy through the blade causing it to take on the color's of a Void dragon.
This nest he had found was large, larger than most nests would normally be. He had seen extensive burrowing. There was one of two things that this meant. The first was more plausible and identifiable, the second was something he dreaded. The first option meant that there was an Adult Dragon burrowing through the ground, expanding the nest for more wyrmling's to be born. The second less likely option was that an Eldwyrm had dug the pit, and it was a large pit. He had to see, had to find out.
Igniting a torch, he walked through the depths.
The expanse of the tunnels dug under the ground just continued and covered miles of ground under the town. This cavern wasn't an ordinary cavern, no adult dragon could have carved so far or wide in a short period of time. There was only a single and terrifying explanation as to how this cavern was formed so fast and he even dreaded thinking about if it were true or not. And that was for there to be an Elder Dragon to be within these tunnels. Having walked down to the deepest parts of the cave, he stopped as she felt the ground shake and shudder. Was it awake? Was it getting ready to hunt? Running faster down the darkness, Naruto stopped as he heard a moan before the ground shook once again.
Placing himself against a wall, he readied himself for a fight. Slowly, he peeked around a corner where he saw a man, enveloped by a strange green aura, pulling a blade from a massive corpse, the Elder Dragon itself. It had two massive curved horns dark as the abyss, golden scales on the top of it's body, a earthen beard from years of growth, and white chest with dozens of large protrusions, build-ups of thick lumps of rock that built up over its life. It had two small wing's on the forearms, not enough to fly but enough to make it glide. It had dark claws as large as a carriage, and a long tail with massive spikes covering it like a mace.
His eyes widened in shock at who he saw standing on the corpse. It was Master Fruhling, but he went missing six years ago, where had he been, how had he done this, no mortal could accomplish such a thing on their own. He came out and approached cautiously, "W-What, Master Fruhling, how did this happen?" he asked, remaining cautious but asking him desire at the same time. He knew he could take on an Eldwyrm with his skills and armor, but Fruhling only had his sword and basic armor on his body, it shouldn't be possible to challenge an Eldwyrm in such a state.
"Naruto Uzumaki. We do the gods' work so others don't have to." an eerie and admittedly unsettling voice spoke, sounding pleased by the tone, "I am glad you came, to witness the beginning of my rise." he told him, "Join me, as friends we could accomplish that which even your own limitations could not." the person said calmly to the young Devil.
"Friends?" he asked in confusion, "J-Just, what did you do, Fruhling? No man is capable of... this." he said motioning to the massive corpse.
"Uldorak was old, sick." the man stated appreciatively about the apparent dragon he had slain, "Yet even his powers at their height could not have saved him." he stated, "Not, from me." he told him, turning around, revealing unsettling green eyes and an even more foreboding aura to him.
"What in hell's name?" he asked himself, stepping back in shock, "W-What is wrong with your eyes? Your voice?" he questioned, "Oh Gods..." he gulped nervously.
"Tell me, Dragon Knight, Naruto." Fruhling said eerily, "If you could do what has been done, if you had the power, would you take it?" he questioned him, "A young man who only wants what he feels he owes, to repay a debt that stains his soul." he said calmly.
"What... I was a boy! How do you-?" he went to demand, now more than terrified of this man above him, shrouded by unknown and frightening power.
"Childhood evaporated once your father and fellow Dragon Knights died in the attack on Leathsham." Fruhling stated seriously, "A boy made man when you lost that which was most important to you." he stated darkly, "Your rage, I know you." Fruhling pointed towards him, "I see you for who you are. Trapped in your own hell of uncertainty, of regrets." he told him as he drew closer to him, forcing the young man to step back, "What wouldn't you do to escape?" he demanded.
"You know nothing about me." Naruto said with narrowed eyes.
"I know this much...together, we can slay dragons. Every... Dragon..." he stated, "All you have to do is let... me... in..."
However, this conversation was quite literally stopped as a new energy filled the cavern, the ground began to change from a dark black in the darkness to a sweltering red and then white in an instant as fire began to burn from nothing, a new voice growling as the newcomer made their presence known, "You... will... release, Uldorak's soul! So that he may rejoin the Thunder, and take new form!" the ground erupted in a mix of molten lava and burning earth and blazing flame as a new entity unveiled themselves. A massive red dragon stepping through the inferno with a rumbling growl filling its throat.
Deep crimson scales covered the top of its body, mixed with ebony scales patterned to look like stripes across its back. Its belly was a white color, with exception to the upper breast having a black covering as it mixed across the chest to both arms. Long curved red-black horns covered the head, and deep red-orange eyes with a very noticeable scowl on its face.
"Slyrak, the Father of Fire." the possessed man said, sounding rather pleased by this newcomer appearing in the middle of their conversation, "The Thunder speaks, and chooses you to give it voice." he remarked, uncaring but pleased at seeing the massive crimson and black monstrosity, "I'll collect your soul, as I collected most of Uldorak's." he swore to the dragon as he looked upon the aptly named Slyrak.
"Uldorak, was ready for death." Slyrak stated heatedly, "The madness was upon him, the weakness." he growled at the man, "I am not so disadvantaged." the dragon snarled before rearing back in a way that made Naruto grunt, and then teleport behind a wall. Golden energy raced up the dragon's neck, filling the back of the massive dragon's throat, coalescing together in a mix of unique chemical's only housed within those of this ancient and powerful species. And with a roar, golden-white flames erupted from the dragon's maw and filled the cavern. Stone melted away, turnt to so much magma in an instant, the man's flesh burnt away to a crisp as the flames washed over his body with no remorse.
With a snort, the flames died down and the heat remained, to show the young Dragon Knight the power of one of the ancient marvels of creation and destruction. Light from the molten rock filled the cavern, and Naruto's shock only grew by what he now saw. The wall he hid behind glowed from the heat from the dragon's flame, his armor glowed from being so hot. Fruhling's dead body was nothing more than a lump of charcoal, his sword melted beyond recognition and repair as it stood in a pool of glowing rock. The ground shook as the massive Eldwyrm stepped forth to admire its work before it spoke up, "Run, Little Mouse." it told Naruto, "Count yourself fortunate, I have no taste for man-flesh, today!" it stated honestly, eyes narrowed in his direction.
However, before he could even remotely get away, something unexpected happened, a voice filled the air. Naruto found himself narrowing his eyes. It shouldn't have been possible, and yet... just what was this madness, "Dragon's...No imagination," the spot where the man had perished filled with a eerie green light as something pulled away from the body and swirled through the air, "all brute force..." the voice stated as the body fully fell and turnt to ash in the air, the green energy moving about and then latching on to the next thing available... the massive body of the dead dragon-no, the dragon Uldorak, "no cunning..." a pulse of energy washed over the massive corpse, filling the cavern with iridescent green light.
Then, to Naruto's shock, the body began to rise up, flesh once more gaining life as the spirit filled the vessel, but this time, the voice that spoke belonged to no man or mortal, but that of the dragon which had been slain, "No guile, weak!" it growled out as it turned its sight on the crimson dragon. The body floated in the air, as if gravity did not matter to it, the eerie green aura that had once surrounded the man now eclipsed the massive body in which the entity now called home. The red dragon-no, Slyrak narrowed its eyes, a growl filling the back of its throat.
Naruto stumbled as the cavern shook from the immense weight of the glowing dragon slammed into the floor of the cave, a roar shook the heaven's and rattled the earth, forcing Naruto to cover his ears from the sheer intensity of the war-cry. There was no doubt that all of Barrowhaven had heard that, the sheer depth of it was unlike anything he had heard! As if that wasn't enough, Slyrak bellowed his own challenge, the cavern shaking to the point that sections of the ceiling above cracked from his own outrage. Naruto cried out as he felt his ears rupturing from the cries of the two dragon's.
The ground shook as Slyrak stomped down on the ground, and then pushed off, massive gusts of wind pelting the young man as the fire dragon to the air above.
The corpse of Uldorak charged forward with a snarl as Slyrak himself swooped down, claws prepped to tear his opponent apart. Swiping at his enemies face, Slyrak drew first blood as his claws raked across the corpse's face before he swiped again, pushing Uldorak's body back. However, if the possessor was deterred, he/it did not show it as the entity rammed it's hosts head up and slammed into Slyrak's face. With a snarl it swiped it's long dark claws and slammed them into Slyrak's own neck to push the dragon back. Planting his feet, Slyrak snarled as he spun around, slamming his tail into his fellow dragon's face causing the being to stumble before roaring in fury at the red dragon. Slyrak growled as he pushed off the ground, wing's filling the air with claps of thunder from massive wingbeat.
Slyrak growled as he inhaled deeply, and Naruto felt his eyes widen in shock once again. The glow was far more intense, the heat unbearable. The being possessing Uldorak followed suit, eerie green energy gathering in front of the corpse's maw before the two dragon's simultaneously bellowed. White flame collided with eerie green, the cavern shook as the two flames pushed one another back and forth in a stalemate that would only end if one gave in. However, Slyrak wasn't called the Father of Fire without reason, and with a roar, he pushed that much harder and overwhelmed the green fire and bathed the dead dragon's body in his flame, pushing it back with a cry of agony.
The flames quickly died, and Naruto watched with narrowed eyes as the body of Uldorak snarled and raised a foot, slamming it down into the earth and ripping the ground apart as massive ruptures filled the cavern and the earth did his bidding, rising up and slamming into Slyrak with enough force to push him back with a cry. At the same time, the corpse charged forward as the rock it had upturned crumbled apart, and rammed its horns right into Slyrak's chest, a shriek of agony filled the air as Slyrak was impaled upon the horns of Uldorak's corpse, and then pulled off. Naruto gasped in shock, and then cursed as he began to run as he watched Slyrak begin to fall towards him.
Once more, his armor came into play as his boots glowed and he shot out of the area to get behind cover and dodge the falling Eldwyrm.
Heavy thuds filled the air as the glowing form of Uldorak approached, "I smell your fear~" the body growled out towards the rising fire dragon.
If Slyrak was defeated, he did little to show that he was out of the fight, his mouth filled with fire, his eyes narrowed in rage, "Only... my...HATE~!" Slyrak snarled as he leapt at the corpse, surprising both Naruto and the entity possessing Uldorak, sharp teeth latched down on the glowing dragon's throat, a pained cry filled the air as they dug in and began to rip into flesh. Blood spurted from Uldorak's throat and filled the air
Naruto knew that if this continued two things would happen. Slyrak would perish, and then he would follow shortly after. And he decided he quite liked being alive, and with his mind made up he used his boots to send him into the air towards the grappling Elder Dragon's-knowing what he planned on doing was both reckless and stupid. Flying through the air, he landed on Slyrak's back and raced up towards their heads as they grappled one another. The entity possessing Uldorak snarled as it slammed one of the claws down onto Slyrak's head, pushing the red dragon off, and ripping off a massive chunk of flesh in the process.
There, a weak point in the dragon's chest!
Seeing his opening, Naruto cried out as he pulled his sword off his back and jumped off Slyrak, flipped in the air, and thrust the blade in front of him, and then stabbed it into the wound, piercing the possessed corpse in the heart. Energy coursed through the metal and pushed the massive dragon back as it was shoved off and away from the crimson dragon. The dragon stumbled back with a wail of agony. At the same time, Slyrak looked up and noticed the young man standing on the corpse's chest and stabbing it in a vital area and smirked, "Brave, Little Mouse..." he commented as he watched it unfold before his eyes. Naruto cried out as he was hit by energy lashing out from the now cracking body of Uldorak and fell from the air, a cry of shock filling the air, only to stop as a red stretch of skin filled the space beneath him, catching him before he could hit the ground.
The possessed corpse roared a final cry in death, and then bright light filled the cavern, energy lashing out like lightning before it ended in an instant, the massive corpse falling to the ground truly dead once and for all. Slyrak allowed Naruto to slip down from his wing where he looked at the smoking corpse of the dead Elder Dragon, "The demon..." Naruto muttered in uncertainty.
"Fled, to the hell it calls home." Slyrak stated calmly, now that the fighting was over, "And Uldorak, his soul, lost..." he stated, before coughing, a massive gout of blood filling the air and splashing across the cavern floor before Slyrak collapsed once again. The cavern rumbled and dust filled the air around him as Naruto gasped in shock as he walked over to the downed dragon.
"I may not like you dragon's or Eldwyrm's, but at the same time I couldn't just let that... that thing...I..." he couldn't find the words to say.
"You chose a side..." Slyrak told him calmly.
Naruto swallowed both nervously and somewhat saddened. Elder Dragon's had lived for countless millennia, and they were a threat to countless lives, and yet, he had fought alongside one in combat against a mutual enemy. Respect was earned, honor granted through understanding gifted. Softly, he placed a hand on the dying dragon's snout, "Sleep dragon..." he whispered to it, "Die in peace." he said somberly. This would be the only one he allowed to die peacefully.
"I want nothing of peace, Little Mouse." he told him, "You know of the death that I want..." he told him.
"You fought well," he told Slyrak. Understanding the beasts desire.
"You honor me..." Slyrak said pleased by his choice.
"As you honor me." Naruto said, raising his sword over his head, ready to strike this dragon down and claim glory from the fight. However, as he went to swing the blade, a claw swiped through the air and Naruto grunted in stunned shock, and soon he gagged as his blood flew out of his throat. Naruto reached up and grabbed his neck in confusion, wanting to know why the dragon killed him even when he was giving it what it had asked for? The Dragon Knight folded over and collapsed on the ground and his eyes quickly grew foggy as he lost his blood. He didn't understand, he had to return to Lina, to Davion and Bram and see if they were all okay?
However, before he could fully succumb, Slyrak spoke in a soft somber tone, "Forgive me, Little Mouse...for all the suffering you will now endure..." and then he passed out, the blood between Human and Dragon blending together to make a special and unique energy as they bonded beyond a mere soul merge. A unique bond was formed, and the spirits mixed together as darkness settled in once and for all.
~XxX-XxX~
Ages would pass, the era of the Dragon Knight would dwindle and die, the Order fell when all the world's dragon's in a strange occurrence came together and wiped out all the knights at each outpost and location they could come across. Dragon's would return to their slumber and grow in size and strength. Ages would pass before sightings of the wyrm's would pop out but the destruction left behind was unending. Dragon's would change, evolve, grow. Intelligence somehow or someway bequeathed upon the entire unit. Kingdom's would rise and fall, people would change and gain abilities that put the fallen order of dragon knights in a tough position.
Mankind grew and prospered, but all the while this happened, one man slept the ages away, not knowing of anything as the world passed through time around him while he stayed the same. However, after a bloody war, and a near ruination of the human species, things took a turn once more and the humans would rise up to combat the dragon's once more, and then fall all their enemies... as well as their friends... Change had come, and it left the world bitter and more than slighted at the happenings of its creations. All the while, one of its greatest people slept the ages away... until, change occurred once again.
Wyrmling's rose up, large as any dragon from the Great Dragon War's that took place just five centuries prior, mankind had no knowledge on how to fight them without the use of dragon slayer's, and the beasts were capable of ripping entire units of soldier's apart if fought. Having spent enough time sleeping, the blond hero would finally awaken to a world no longer his own, but one that needed his strength and skill nonetheless.
~XxX-Currently-XxX~
Walking through the blistering cold of Mount Hakobe, member's of the Wizard Guild searched for shelter. Their mission had long since finished, but now they were in dire need of a place to get out of the blizzard. Wyrmling packs had been sighted in the area and the citizens of a nearby town had wanted a dragon slayer-they were quite specific in their ledger-to come and deal with the number they had counted up. And without much luck the quartet of human's trudged on, trying to find shelter. And as luck would have i, they would find an old abandoned outpost, long since forgotten. It was still stocked with clean water and other provisions needed to be removed, but it had things that could save them.
Lightning a fire, the group gathered around and soaked in the warmth of the flame.
At the same time, down and far away from the mountain, a man in dark armor walked, no destination in mind. This world he stood in was not his own. The land might still be the same, but there was nothing he recognized.
The door opens with a growl of grinding steel, the stuck guild wizards within the keep turn to the sound with uncertain gazes. Natsu and the other's stand and leave the room as a strange sound fills the hall, something large being pulled across the ground. As the come out, Natsu and his friends are greeted by a shocking sight. A man garbed in obsidian colored armor dragging a fresh carcass behind him with a single hand. The body is bound by heavy chains and blood pours from various wounds across its body. But it's not the chain or strength of the man pulling the body that shocks them, it's the species of the carcass that stuns them.
He was dragging a dead dragon behind him as if it were another task to finish.
Their stunned looks only grew when they watched the mans helmet seemingly vanished from his head to reveal a blond man with blue eyes and whiskered cheeks, the left side of his face scarred from age old fights, approaching, "What the hell?" Gray gawks in shock.
"I-Is that, a dragon?" Lucy asked in shock.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Natsu growls, his instincts telling him he wasn't a pushover, and that he was a serious threat.
"Hmm, visitors." the man remarked, "Seems these old outposts still serve their purposes." he stated as he passed them by with the bloody carcass, ignoring the strangers for all intents and purposes.
"I can't believe he found a dragon, and killed it on his own." Happy whispered with wide eyes, "It's three times his size, and yet, he dragged it here from who knows where." the feline shivered.
"Crimson and gold are acting strange." the stranger remarked, "Makes them easier to hunt, but harder to kill." he told them.
"What does that mean?" Lucy asked uncertainly.
"The number of dragon species have only grown in number the last several years. Dragon Slayer's are rare enough as it is, so we constantly get called to cull the numbers." Natsu answered, "But, there have been a few identifiable species of unintelligent dragon's. Crimson refers to fire dragons, much like this one, and gold refers to a dragon that can dig through the ground, so I assume he means Earth Dragon's." he whispered back.
Erza gazed at the blond stranger, "Well, you certainly don't make it look hard." she remarked to him.
"It's the armor." he told her, "Every piece, forged from dragon." he stated seriously, their eyes going wide in shock, "The older the better." he said as he raised his hand to look at the dark steel covering his body, "Adult. I took its strength." he said honestly.
"A-Adult?" Natsu said in shock, "An adult must have taken over twenty people without dragon slayer magic to bring down." he said with wide eyes.
"Hm." the blond snorted, "Only me." he stated seriously, the fear of this man only growing from what they had just learned. With that said and done, he walked past them and opened a large door and pulled his kill through it before tossing it down on a table and connecting a chain to a section of the body where he walked over to a larger chain on the wall and pulled on it, raising the carcass up into the air.
The wizards followed him and watched him work in silence, though Natsu was curious, "To be honest, we didn't expect to see anyone here. Guessing you heard about the dragon's in the area." he stated.
"Which area?" the blond questioned as he continued to pull on the chains.
"South Wood Forest. A dragon's nest was found." he responded honestly, which was true as they had been called in to clear out a nest after the one they did here on the mountain, "We thought there might have been an adult." he stated.
"Did you think, or did you find?" the man queried the fire user.
He stopped pulling the chains and walked over to a cabinet to take out a large knife before returning to the carcass where he began cutting into it's flesh, fresh blood flowing from the incision.
Natsu groaned uncomfortably, "We... No. We didn't find one." he answered honestly.
The group as a whole was kinda repulsed by what he was doing to be honest.
"You don't approve?" he questioned as he continued to carve up his kill.
"Excuse me?" Lucy asked him.
"I know the face. The look." the blond man responded, focusing on carving through the scales of his kill, "All of you thinking, 'this poor animal' as you watch me." he remarked seriously, "Do you know what he would do to you in the wild?" he questioned as he placed the knife down, reaching into the belly of the dead animal to rip out its organs where they splattered onto the floor, the wizard's growing green in the face from the gore. Grabbing the knife once again the blond continued his work, "His bite melts flesh. Cooks the blood in your veins. Keeps you alive and screaming." he told them as he pulled some plates off and dropped them to the floor as he butchered the carcass for what he wanted, "Strong men beg for death." he told them.
"A Dragon Knight honors his enemy." he stated seriously as he made a larger, longer cut across the flank of the dead animal, "But, you can never forget what they are." he said as blood dripped and poured across the floor, "Killing machines." he said to them, the corpse seemingly glaring ahead with dull red-orange eyes.
"Could you, not speak like that?" Lucy gagged.
"I speak only the truth. No dragon, regardless of what you might think, would ever not think about anything other than their own agenda." he answered her, "But, if you are uncomfortable, you are free to leave." he stated seriously as he continued to cut apart the dragon for parts.
"U-Uh, sure." Lucy nodded as she quickly departed.
Gray cringed as he watched the man strip chunks of flesh from the corpse and pile it up depending on consistency and texture, almost like a professional butcher getting his wares ready for procurement, "You seem to know a lot about dragon's despite seeming to use only a sword and armor enhanced by the powers of your kills. How long have you been hunting dragon's exactly?" he questioned.
"Long enough to know and determine anything and everything I need to know. Chaos dragon's like to fight like rabid machines with no thought process, randomizing their fight patterns. Void Dragon's like fighting from a distance, overwhelm their opponents through sheer force, always protected by their own powers for a limited battle but prolonging it breaks the barrier around them. Light Dragon's like to blind their prey before swoping in and ripping it apart, eating it while it still breaths. Like to think that anything that shines is one of their own and seek to bring it back to their caves. Ionic dragon's, they like to relish in the hunt and battle only for what they believe is their own and care not who they piss off. Greed drives them, easy to exploit. These dragon's make up the more important sections of my armor, allowing me to fight against any of them on equal if not better footing."
"Earth Dragon's are stubborn and don't know when to stop, easy to push around and confuse when they grow weary in a fight. Air Dragons are like birds of prey, hunting from high up and swooping in swiftly to get the kill, encouraged by the sounds of death and fight over the smallest of things simply because they can. They act like children and it makes them easier to hunt down and separate from the pack. Much like Earth dragon's they have a stubborn streak about them as well, and only fight defensively if their nest is endangered."
"Water Dragon's, never fight them in their own territory, it's asking for a death sentence. Draw them onto land or into the air away from their natural element for the advantage. They can breathe both water and frost making them an enemy worthy of the fight. Adults are quite powerful and can rip apart entire companies of men with ease if caught off guard. Fire Dragon's are the most dangerous. They can fight in the air, on ground, breath fire and even swim through lava thanks to their immunity to flame. Dangerous at both distant and close combative battling. Like to brute force their way around, fire and blood drives them crazy and they like to feast on the living bodies of defeated prey like the Luminous and Air dragon. No matter what you do, always prepare for that which you cannot see coming."
This man was, quite ruthless it seemed.
"Tell me..." Natsu said as he watched more meat be piled up, "How do you know all this, you aren't much older than us, and these dragon's only started appearing roughly three years ago. Yet here you are, cutting apart one like some prize deer fresh from the hunt. Just who are you?" he questioned the blond man.
"I was trained by the best people to be a ruthless hunter of my enemies, and I seek to repay that which I owe on account of an encounter when I was young." he stated, "I have been hunting since I was younger than any of you, was a boy when I made the first kill, grew into a man and became that which you see today." he answered as he pulled up a large plate and sat it down to cut up a leg, "Knowing my enemy let's me know my purpose in life, and right now that purpose is telling me to settle the debt I owe, and it's not a debt paid lightly." he said as he pulled another plate off and set it down, "Anything else you want to know?" he questioned.
Natsu looked to Gray and Erza, the two wizard's shook their heads, "No, thank you, I think we have enough information." he said, "My names Natsu Dragneel, I'm a dragon slayer and was curious-" he went to ask him if he knew where his father was only to be stopped, "A dragon slayer?" the blond asked, "You don't look like one, and you definitely don't smell or carry yourself like one of us." he stated causing the trio to stiffen up.
There were more of these guys out there?
"Dragon Slaying, to you, may seem like you go out and kill the dragon, reap the benefits of heroism, the money and rewards... but trust me, it's not. This work is not one to be taken likely. Treat it like a game and this profession will chew you up and spit you out like a bad meal." the blond told him as he sighed, putting the knife down, "But, the lesson always remain." he said softly.
"Not what I was trying to say." Natsu gulped, "My abilities in Dragon Slaying lie in the use of magic I learned from a Dragon to fight, so I don't need the armor or sword you use." he rectified as the blond hummed.
"So, dragon's at one point gained sentience, strange, the ones I'm used to are nothing more than animals." the blond remarked.
"I can see why you were confused when I said I was a dragon slayer, though I didn't know it was a profession." Natsu said, "Anyways, I wanted to ask if you had heard or seen a dragon by the name of Igneel, he's a fire dragon and the one who taught me how to use dragon slayer magic." he stated.
"Nope, never heard of him. The only fire dragon I know that has a name is the Eldwyrm Slyrak, bastard he is." he grumbled.
"Ok, then what about a Sky or rather a air dragon named Grandeeney or a dragon named Metallicana?" he asked, "I have a couple friends searching for their own teachers as well." he said.
"Kid, look, if I had any idea who or where these animal's are, i would tell you, I really would, but you're barking up the wrong tree. I hunt and kill dragons without need of payment or thanks, I do it for the people, not myself. I have no need to use the power of my enemies in combat aside from granting my armor the power to counter them. I'm not a wizard, I'm a Dragon Knight, I don't collude with my enemy, don't speak with or try to make friends with them. I find them, I kill them, I butcher the corpse and sell the body parts to people who need to eat at cheap prices. That's what it means to be a dragon slayer, a killer of dragon's. Don't you get it?" the man demanded.
"This isn't a game, this is real life. It means that any action you take has a consequence if you screw up, and depending on what actions you take, it could cost you or your friends their lives in a fight. Either help me cut this body up, or get out. I'm done with the 20 questions." he said picking the knife up, "Knives are over there in the cabinet if you do help." he added.
Natsu went to leave, his friends following, but he did pause to turn back to the man, "You know, you never did tell me your name." he said seriously.
"Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki." he said simply as he continued his butchery.
And with his answer given, the wizard's departed.