Note: I do not own Fairy Tail and all rights go to Hiro Mashima. I only own the OC's that will appear.
[3rd Person POV]
In the narrow strip of land located in the center of the border between the Bargo and Central region, the ethernano that flooded this tiny region was in a state of flux. Compared to Bargo where the land was cold with swirling gales and Central where the land was temperate and breezy, the climate in which this narrow strip exists is cloying and supercharged with energy in a manner wholly threatening to the wellness of any human settlement.
What made this strip of land distinct from a visual perspective was the deep ditch or valley it existed in. It extended for nearly a hundred miles, cutting through unkempt terrain and across rivers. It was like a deep gouge in the earth, speculated to be created by the claws of an apocalyptic titan of horrific sizes. The side edges of the land are easily identifiable, they are framed by an endless chain of mountains running from the outer edge of the continent to further inland. These mountains are tall and hard to scale, and there are few entrances elsewhere that one could find to avoid the natural hazards that await.
Rock falls, swooping aerial monsters, etc.
On either side of this strip, scaling the mountain is the first arduous task. When reaching the precipice, one will look down and see that, on the other side, it was like another world. Where the sky was normal to the eye, with sparse clouds, a bright, and sunny sky, the world between these dangerous-to-scale mountains is unwelcoming to say the least.
Storm clouds are common, and they are dangerous when fused with the activity of the ethernano. And so, on a night where the moon's resplendent rays could not pierce the blanket of dark, ominous clouds that rumbled alongside the fierce crackle of lightning, rain poured down upon the land, soiling the dirt and making it soggy, making trees damp to the touch, and making underprepared adventure-seekers ill.
Looking up at the flashing sky, a rugged old man with gray hair, now soaked and clinging to his skin, groaned for the umpteenth time as he trudged along the beaten, soggy path. The relentless pattering of rain made him feel cold, and even when he carried a magically enhanced torch that could resist the elements, he didn't feel warm. Up ahead was a group of people with similar appearances, all of them were wearing rugged clothing, fortified with layers of fabric and some armored padding.
They wielded swords, axes, and halberds as they moved across the dark forest, their activity shrouded under the towering canopy above.
"I told you that coming out here at this time was a bad idea, damn it!" the old man grumbled loudly enough for his voice to reach the ears of those several paces ahead, and one of them scoffed.
"Chillax, Hendrikson. This is the one chance we have to find that monster. And… we know what we're doing," the one who snorted, a younger man in his 30's with auburn hair and hazel eyes, stated with irritation. "We aren't turning back empty handed. Too many months had passed since that first group died, and since the competition is still hot, what better than to try it out under the brush of a stormy night?"
"He's right, so stop whining. You wanted to come with us so damn badly, don't ruin the mood!" another man chimed in.
Everyone else voiced their inquiries and responses, but Old Man Hendy was glowering, his eyes gleaming with a frigid edge, "Hmph, there's more to this whole quest than you lot could ever know. In these lands, variables come and go as they please. What makes you think we're equipped to deal with a Night Wraith, eh? Think one of those things wouldn't be prowling about at this time of night? In this season? In this region where they're known to dwell?"
"We can handle a Night Wraith; those things are only B-rated monsters. Turns out, we have a skilled fellow joining us, and we didn't introduce you to him. How curious!"
One of the leading men of the group gestured to a tall figure shrouded in a billowing overcoat that reached his ankles. The figure wore buckled black combat boots, dense dark pants with water-proof material, and an abnormally bright green shirt with a skull on it. The shirt was reflective, almost like staring at a light source. He wore a hood, but a skull mask was all that one could see on his face. This skull-faced man turned around and regarded Hendrikson silently, though the old man struggled to perceive his actions with the visibility being so low.
"You just picked up some random to go on a critical mission such as this? Oh, how our esteemed group has fallen."
"Be quiet, Hendrikson. This new ally of ours hails from the Dawnclaw Mercenaries. You know very well how capable they are."
Hendrikson's eyes widened a smidgen, but he remained steadfast, "Be that as it may-"
"Your words are not needed, Hendrikson. In fact, you're starting to feel like a moral liability," the leading man sneered at Hendrickson. "Keep silent, or you'll regret it."
"Oh, I'm so scared~" Hendrikson sneered, and he immediately increased his walking pace, clearing the distance between him and them in the blink of an eye, which threw some of the men off.
"Eccentric fuck, goddamn," one of the men hissed, his nerves rattled.
Hendrikson ignored him and followed his merry band of fools into the depths of a forest that had long ago made a name for itself centuries in the past. Hendrickson didn't give a flying F about some regular B-rated monster, among all the other bothersome critters of this forest that had long been hollowed of all the goodness and innocence that could be felt from a regular one. While the trees seemed healthy, what with their stems and branches carrying the ripeness of brown and their leaves appearing a dark green that would have been brighter under the light of day.
That couldn't be further from the truth. He will state once again that this forest, among all the other biomes within this fatal strip of land, is simply the emissary of all things that could go wrong in nature. When one traverses any kind of forest, whether dense with trees and vegetation or sparse with them, one would expect stable footing to persist into permeance. But no, that is not the case. For one unlucky fool not long ago, he had been walking on the very soil Hendrikson and his merry crew walk, and it broke from underneath him! He sank into the dirt! He was alive a second ago. And in the next...
DEAD!
SIX FEET UNDER!
He didn't even get the chance to escape before his body was stripped of vitality and turned into a husk that had been dug out by his crew that lagged behind in their merry jolly. They sensed something was amiss, and they saw the lantern-light of their far-walking comrade vanish in the blink of an eye. The man's shriek didn't fail to rouse their fight or flight response. Long story now short, that crew also met their end in this fatal strip of land.
Rumors had it that their husks turned into the dead trees his group now bypasses. And this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the dangers of the fatal strip.
It is quite simply called The Fatal Strip. It was given this name by more pragmatic, dull, but logical adventurers. Others liken it to other names, but there are too many to convey.
Hendrikson knew another name, and it was eerie enough to perfectly characterize the fatal strip: Maul's Gorge.
The deep lore of Maul's Gorge wasn't public, nor known to many scholars who were specialized in historical research.
But Hendrikson had some knowledge.
This fatal landscape was a land of death and curses, full of the malevolent miasma of a race long deceased in this world. A race of demons, all-powerful and all-terrible within the Underworld. Akin to dragons in brute strength, durability, and raw mystical power, but magnitudes more terrifying in terms of bloodlust and everlasting endurance. They are like war gods among demons, harbingers of destruction and slaughter.
Legend had it that this land is the burial ground of an uncountable number, which is why this land is so... so cursed.
Exaltation of the Unfathomed Ones
One thousand dead Abyssals, compared to the ten thousand Gods dead.
Abyssals are eternally vicious until death, while the Gods are cowards.
Abyssals are unfathomable demons, as is their name. They dwell in the fathomless
depths of the Underworld where all the vices of the sentient races
fester in hazardous amounts.
Unfathomed is their namesake. Slaughter is in their blood.
War is merely a side effect.
Very few people of worth knew this legend, and even fewer had the balls to unravel the mysteries. Hendrikson was the one with the balls.
He will search, pillage, and dig up everything he could. Cursed objects, cursed remains, everything.
The terrible eminence of these all-mighty demons is his ticket to-
He halted himself, feeling chills.
Why was I thinking that? Hendrikson was appalled, and his heart palpitated in his chest violently. Looking around, he could have sworn he had seen uncountable red lights drifting within the darkness of the forest, all like malicious gazes locking onto him.
Hendrikson didn't hesitate to grab his flask of water and guzzle it down his gullet, drinking it like an unquenchable beggar who waded through the fires of hell for years.
This fatal landscape, while full of danger both seen and unseen, was still an attractive location for danger seekers like adventurers. Under the umbrella of this label, there are mages of guilds both light and dark who accomplish missions both conductive to the sparse societies of the continent and detrimental, and then there are mercenaries who seek treasures sourced from the corpses of magical beasts, ancient troves, and more. There are variations to the tasks they give themselves and advertise, but on this continent that is far more dangerous than any other, humanity had to make do.
They didn't dominate this continent like they did Ishgar and Alakistasia. The isolationist Oriental Continent, the ancestral home of the most ancient and mighty human civilization on this continent- and possibly the world, was unknown.
To climb to the top of this continent's food chain, humans had to persevere somewhere in the middle. They had competitors among the other species, and their intelligence was contested. There were few firm human civilizations on the continent in the past, as most that tried soon collapsed due to a sheer lack of knowledge and strength. Humans had lived under the thrall of ambient danger. And they still do today. Any town, any city, could be obliterated by the whim of the behemoths that walk the land. Any mighty group of mages could be slaughtered in the blink of an eye.
Even if the mightiest forces of Ishgar gathered to launch a crusade to conquer Guiltina, they would fail.
It was the adventurers that did humanity unending favors here, whittling away the strength of non-humans and uncovering the mysteries the land held. It took thousands of years before human nations could grow in power and gain some stability and presence. Even then, they weren't the top force.
After all, there are existential tiers that all creatures must abide by. These existential tiers are levels within a global, or beyond global ecosystem that contain all the creatures that had existed, do exist, and will exist.
After guzzling down all the water in his flash, whittling away the tenseness in his nerves, all Hendrikson will say is that most humans rank toward the bottom. The tier without magic, including all the regular creatures as well.
He was a very seasoned adventurer, an esteemed mage with acute knowledge about the lay of the land. He is a member of the Braveheart Mercenaries; once a freelancer who could be hired by any worthy group of adventurers so long as they weren't idiots. He cared not who he associated with, criminals, for instance. He would even stoop as low as to associate with terrorists to get what he wants out of a circumstance.
Survival of the most adaptable and cunning is the motto of being an adventurer in Guiltina.
Alas, even that wouldn't have been enough for what fate had in store for him and his buddies.
[First Person POV]
Beneath a thicket of leaves hanging over a crispy trail that ran over exposed roots and outcropping rocks, I stared down at a dark, quartz-like tablet that appeared quite out of place deep within this forest. Looking around, there were no other features depicting the presence of people. The trees were not disturbed, the vegetation was ripe, and the entire small region within this valley was filled with overgrowth. Nothing about this forest tipped me off to any abnormal magical beasts that could manipulate nature to overwhelm manmade things and obscure them from sight.
This intricately carved tablet is quite curious to me.
Crouching low, I studied the contents.
"Deep in the strip of Maul's Gorge, lies the pit of Tahlia's Forge.
The one who finds this tablet... turn... way... head for... Mausoleum... land of white."
The only sentence on the tablet that was complete contained the first thirteen words, the rest are fragmented. The missing words had either been worn away by the natural elements or had been carved flat. But looking at the parts with missing words, they did look worn away by the elements. This meant that a lengthy period of time had passed since this tablet was installed here. Centuries, most likely.
The strip of Maul's Gorge, wherein Tahlia's Forge exists. A mausoleum, I believe that's some sort of tomb for a dead important person. Many thoughts ran through my mind as I tried to make sense of this tablet's information. As for the land of white, I assumed that to be a land of ice and snow. The closest place of land and snow is a few days away from me, and I would have to cross vast rivers and towering mountains to reach it. I hadn't seen the land of ice and snow, but the climate on the other side of the mountain ridges spoke volumes of how cold it was over there.
Question was, should I bother with this tablet?
I pursed my lips in consternation, feeling an inexplicable sensation swell within my heart. As I stared at the name 'Tahlia,' I felt a pang of familiarity. Something within me found this name to be familiar.
"Tahlia, Tahlia, Tahlia..." I echoed the name of this person continuously in an effort to unlock some hidden memory, but my face twisted as nothing happened. I only succeeded in giving myself a headache. I clenched my teeth and glared at the damn tablet! I opened and clenched my hands, making the skin redden as I moved closer and reached out toward the tablet.
I would take it from here and keep it as a souvenir.
As my fingers bent around the edge of the tablet and dug into the dirt, I tugged on it, but it didn't budge.
Eh? I blinked for a moment before clenching my jaws and yanking the tablet, but it still didn't budge.
"But how-?" I hissed as my eyes gained monstrous slits and a blinding glow. My strength was bolstered, and magic thrummed at my fingertips. With greater effort, I tugged... and then I yelped as my fingers slipped from the tablet and I was thrown across the path and into a tree at a hazardous speed. The tree cracked instantly, shattering at the middle as my body crashed through it and deeper into the forest.
Hum -
Surrounding the tablet was a fierce wall of dark red energy that emanated a threatening sound. It crackled with ferocious lightning, making the area hum with supercharged energy. Even the atmosphere became dense as a shade of red hung overhead. The words on the tablet glowed an ominous crimson before a few extra letters appeared, making the tablet a bit more decipherable.
Several hundred yards away from the immovable tablet, I burst through the surface of a swamp that I had been thrown in. My dark hair was now full of swampy essence and stench, and my skin now oily and green. The violently surging water had forced a legion of moss to clear out, leaving me to stand in the center of murky darkness. The very swamp seemed to hiss as a slitted amber eye of a reptilian beast, crowned with curving dark horns, emerged near the surface.
Magic was crackling at my fingertips, threatening to lash out at anything. As I locked the beast down with my dark gaze, it sank beneath the surface and made no move to close the distance. Smart little lizard. It avoided becoming my dinner for the evening.
The swamp water surged and gathered into a sleek sword that I gripped. The hyper-dense water was enough for my grip to find comfortable, and the edge was sharp to the touch. I temporarily ignored the situation with the tablet and locked eyes with a massive black creature with curved horns, a mean face, and murderous red eyes that barged into sight with a vicious snarl. All around me, the forest came to life as many red-eyed creatures appeared.
These creatures were varying in size, ranging from critter-sized to being way bigger than me. They consisted of slithering snakes, monkeys, felines, crocodiles, etc.
I realized something and looked to the far right of my location.
In the distance where the surface of the swamp met muddy ground, I saw a collection of human remains. They were all just bone, skeletons that had been hollowed out by bugs and wrapped up in vegetation.
Oh- people have died here! I steeled my heart, brandishing my swampy water sword and waiting as the massive black creature roared and charged!
I would have to say that this might be my most difficult encounter yet.
The massive black, bull-like creature was truly a monstrous, demonic behemoth. It was over four meters in height and most likely outweighed the heavy boulders I used to hone my striking power during training. It was not only hefty, but quick on its hooves. Surging across the water with the momentum of a natural disaster and stirring towering waves. The other red-eyed creatures jumped in not long after, assailing me with claw strikes, bits, tail slaps, and more.
Some even tried to grab me and wrestle me underwater.
Blood stained the surface of the swamp, and showers of blood and organ bits scattered across the surrounding land and latched onto trees. Stringy masses of coagulated blood bridged clumps of corpses together as they drifted among the reddening moss. None of this blood was mine, but I still bore lacerations and scratches on my body as I cleaved uncountable creatures in half with my sword.
This was both annoying and invigorating. As deeply troubling I found my situation to be, exerting myself was lethargic.
ROAR!
The black bull-like monster clenched its mighty teeth and chomped at my leg, only to miss as I jumped into the air and blasted it point-blank with an icy ball of swamp water. It groaned in pain as it staggered, and I took this chance to hurl my sword toward its gaping mouth. I clicked my teeth as the beast used its curved horns to deflect the sword, but its eyes were even redder, gaining a malevolent gleam.
Magic swirled to life before its gaping maw. Red light bathed the entire darkening swamp, and I felt an ominous presence descend upon the area.
Zhoom!
A blackish-red beam of light tore through the distance between me and the enraged creature, but I managed to land into the water and slip under, allowing the beam to harmlessly sail overhead and douse the line of trees on land in a searing explosion that rocked the area and kicked up a wall of dust and debris. Tremors traveled across the forest, making hundreds of trees tremble in fright.
It was during the chaos that the dark-horned lizard of interest swam away, destined to return and menace the girl.
Ice Swords, Descend!
Numerous azure magic circles manifested above the enraged bull-like monster as innumerable swords of ice pelted its back, shredding through fur, muscle, and bone before spreading a great chill within its body. The beast chomped its teeth and roared, sweeping its curved horns as it raised itself on its hind legs and leaped into the air.
Below the surface of the swamp, I nearly drowned when my mouth widened in shock at the absurd sight. I hastily swam out of range, using my ability to manipulate water to improve my speed and maneuverability. Within moments, the surface of the water where I originally hunkered under was obliterated as two burning red horns plunged into the depths below, kicking up immense silt and making visibility null.
Without hesitation, I rushed toward the surface and burst through it, soaring toward an overhanging branch ten meters above before landing on it and catching my breath.
What a bizarre creature... I spat out some sludge and felt nauseous. My sense of smell is very strong, but I have no reference to compare it to. This whole place was beginning to stink. Just the smell of dozens of burning trees made me feel sick to my stomach. Bile clawed up my throat, but I swallowed it down and conjured a spear of ice magic right as the berserker of a black bull burst through the surface of the swamp and spewed another beam of destructive red light at me.
I blurred into motion and leaped to the side while hurling my spear of ice at it. It was deflected, but as I twirled in the air, numerous magic circles trailed behind me as white beams of light, edged with flames, pierced into the hefty creature's body, burning through its outer layer of fur and flesh before melting its insides.
I was a wielder of ice, water, and some form of light magic that radiated intense heat. It had been a month since I found myself here, and uncovering my magic was the most important thing. Had I not done that, I might have died in this battle. I would call that light spell [Trailing Light].
Numerous blasts of magic had displaced enough swamp water to lessen its height, and the addition of heat-based magical attacks had made more of it evaporate. By now, the surface had dropped a few feet. But that didn't matter much when the explosions of magic and the erratic motion of the berserker bull was making it surge like a tidal wave, making shattered trees drift along for the ride and serve as vessels for more red-eyed creatures to harass me.
I glared at them, "Get away from me!"
Repulse!
As I lashed out with my hand, a wave of dark violet magic expanded from my body before turning into a wall that smashed into the hundreds of red-eyed monsters that attempted to assail me. It was omnidirectional, flattening the swamp, shattering nearby trees, and pressuring the berserker behemoth that roared in defiance. I ignored it and watched as the red-eyed creatures were either repelled or blown to smithereens.
I dragged my gaze toward the berserker behemoth and conjured a massive hammer of ice. Focusing on the new feeling I experienced earlier, I watched as dark violet magic gathered around the ice hammer, amplifying its presence and mass before allowing it to slam down on the berserker behemoth's back.
Crack.
The berserker behemoth instantly vanished beneath the heavy hammer, causing the swamp to lurch upward as high waves slammed against trees. The swampland trembled as the force of my attack reverberated throughout the area. However, I could still hear the berserker beast roaring beneath the waves as my construct of ice crumbled like a mountain and slipped underneath. Within seconds, a volley of red-hot beams assailed me, and I was finally struck.
My hair, eyes, and skin burned as I was blasted into the sky like a rocket. Flames surrounded me, and I couldn't help but shriek in pain. My blood boiled, and my heart pounded a million times a second. As I sailed through the sky at an arcing trajectory, the land below rumbled as the berserker beast bounded through the forest, flattening countless trees as flames surrounded its body. The very forest lit up in an inferno as the beast closed the distance between me and it.
Instinctively, I roared, and a wave of frigid winds surrounded me, forcing the hostile flames to disperse. Adrenaline flooded my system as my pale skin gained a protective shell of fur and slight patches of scales. My toned muscles gained extra mass, and my fingernails turned into claws. My charred dark hair healed, grew in length, became wild, and gained a silver hue. Snarling, I twirled in the air and landed harshly, rupturing the ground below me as my slitted, bestial eyes locked onto the blazing red ones of the berserker beast.
Around my body, white, blue, and dark violet magic circles revolved around me. The blue circles commanded the water of nearby lake, turning them into ice constructs or shaping them into versatile liquid masses. The white circles emanated intense heat and blinding light, and they quickly latched onto my body and sank into my flesh. I was instantly shrouded in white light, and my eyes were now blazing just like the berserker beast.
The ground around me trembled as the dark violet magic circles passed overhead. Sometimes the dark circles commanded rubble to revolve around them or crush them into powder. My body felt incredibly heavy, but it had the strength to carry its weight as easily as the berserker beast could for its own.
"That hurt..." I gritted my sharper teeth before my jaw hung open, gushing white light swirling to life as a spherical energy ball formed. I unleashed the spherical ball, and it shot toward the oncoming berserker beast, closing the distance and making nearby trees warp and bend. As soon as it passed by these trees, they shattered like glass and toppled over.
Hum -
The berserker beast lowered its blazing red horns and clashed with the ball fearlessly, resulting in an earth-shattering explosion that swallowed up dozens of trees and blew many more away. A pressure wave billowed outward, uprooting the earth and splitting airborne trees in half, scattering bark and making the forest howl in pain. Amidst the chaos, I lunged at the obscured berserker beast and brandished my claws, dragging them across the air while swords of ice and tendrils of water followed.
I heard the sound of earth cracking as my claws clashed with the blazing horns of the berserker beast. I felt chills as the full malevolent rage and bloodthirst of the beast hit me, and I was momentarily suppressed in terms of will. That was a mistake. My magical attacks quickly lost their momentum and failed to do any damage to the flame-wreathed berserker beast as it slammed its horns into my body, making me feel like I was being crushed. I was launched back and crashed into the face of a towering wall of stone, cracking it.
I spat out blood and collapsed to the ground, but quickly got to my feet as and got the hell out of the beast's way. It rammed into the twenty-meter-tall wall of stone, generating cracks across the lower half. I took this chance and lunged at its side, brandishing my claws and slashing its thighs. Its defense was formidable, but my claws managed to dig deep enough to tear out chunks of muscle. In the same moment, I ruthlessly implanted a sphere of my light magic, allowing it to detonate and blast its leg apart.
I was knocked back due to my recklessness, and my injuries piled on. It was fruitful, though, as the berserker beast wailed in agony and collapsed to the ground immediately. It writhed on the ground, recklessly unleashing wave upon wave of flames that did further damage to our surroundings. As I attempted to use my light magic again, I felt something clamp around my leg.
Crunch!
"AH!" I shrieked as I was yanked in the air before being slammed into the ground. My right thigh had been torn into by what felt like sharp and large teeth. I lashed out at the offending assailant but groaned as the beast tightened its bite and used its free hand to press me into the ground with crushing strength. My agony only increased as it tried to tear my leg off!
Through the pain, I felt enough internal rage and adrenaline to look at the creature who ambushed me.
It was the dark-horned reptile from before, and its auburn eyes were now a fiery crimson. I was both shocked and horrified when I saw that it had massive, webbed wings attached to its serpentine, stream-like body. Its scales glistened even in the absence of moonlight. The light of the moon couldn't reach me, it never did. Not under the terrible clouds above that crackled with lightning and boomed with thunder.
Flames gushed from between the draconic beast's lips, and I screamed as my thigh was burned.
Memories flooded my psyche instantly.
[Four Weeks Ago]
[Location: A mile away from the edge of the Fatal Strip]
I was lost in a desolate mountain range, having gotten lost when I fought Blue-tusked Trolls, a race of ice-elemental demi humans. They were a territorial species that was rarely nomadic. They belonged to the Bargo region where the climate was heavily fortified in the element of ice and snow. Temperatures were frigid, and the deeper one went, the less safe it got for humans and creatures without resistance to the deep cold. Their senses and instincts were honed for the difficult life in the cold region, but so was every other creature.
Being nomadic meant they were a relatively dominant species that had the balls to venture across the tundra, but they were not. According to the relatively harmless, and despairingly ignorant, humble farmers I had encountered on my early journey, this subspecies of troll was only a so-called B-rated monster. They were strong, no doubt, but not enough to put me in this haggard and tragic condition.
It was agonizing that I encountered those ice ogres after this happened to me.
I was in the middle of hunting down a herd of boar grazing in a vast field of green situated near a towering spiral mountain. As far as the eye could see, there were little to no trees. It was a wide-open area where the total splendor of the sky and heavens above could be perceived and experienced. It was my preferred location to dwell in under the light of the moon, basking in its resplendent rays while getting used to my multi-elemental magic and something... something that was innate and in my blood.
When I encountered those people, I realized that I was different from them. I didn't notice it before, but they were antsy in my presence, almost fearful, even when they couldn't tell me why. I knew that they were very weak and fragile compared to me. The big cat that I made my lunch would have made short work of these people.
But any mage worth their salt could do the same.
It was from those people that I learned to cook my meals, and I realized that humans weren't able to handle the raw flesh of animals. Too many bacteria.
Looking at their teeth, the way the moved, behaved, and the way they ate.
They were human, but what was I in comparison? I have sharp fangs, while theirs are dull. I have fingernails that can become as sharp as their knives. I have brute strength that could overwhelm the great predators that feast on their cattle. I can handle the cold, the rain, and intense bodily damage while they would easily succumb.
How could humans survive and prosper in this dangerous land where even I felt threatened from time to time? Regular humans, no magic to their name. So... helpless and weak. A man or woman without a group are simply sheep to the slaughter. Any predator could descend and take them away.
I realized that I lacked something that made humans- well, human.
Was it their fragility? Or something else? I was too ignorant to figure it out. If anything, these were the first humans I had an interaction with as far as I can remember. I have no reference to base my inferences aside from hidden memories that sometimes jumped out at me.
I realized that I was getting off track. Back to my hunting experience.
The boars. They were grazing innocently. Little babies scuttled about, and the adults were calm, keeping an eye out while having their fill of grass. I was almost guilty to intervene in this wholesome reality, but I needed to eat. I needed my fill of meat, more so than any human who could rely on fruits and vegetation.
In a blur, an adult boar vanished before any other boar could react. All hell broke loose as they shrieked in fright and alarm simultaneously and looked about. The babies huddled near their parents, but one was now orphaned and afraid. High up in the tree, I wrestled with the boar, overpowering it and stabbing its skull with a sword of ice.
This was the first time I killed an animal the humane way. It was the least I could do.
The boars had long since fled, and I dropped down and prepared a fire.
As I stripped the boar of its flesh and used its ribs as a utensil to cook it, I idly decided to tap into my powers. Magic swirled to life around my body, causing the nearby flames to roar brighter and hotter. The flesh melted before burning into ashes as the flames turned white. The boar's corpse burned into ashes as well; as well as did the sticks used to make the fire, and so did the surrounding grass and gravel. My presence flooded the area, making the trees groan and the grass wail.
I dropped the boar's rib and stood up, my eyes slitted and gaining an increasing bestial tone. My features sharpened, and my fingernails lengthened into claws. Silver fur and scales grew along my arms before gradually spreading across my body. My dark purple hair slowly turned silver, and I felt my blood stir violently.
Ba-dump...
My teeth sharpened.
BA-DUMP!
I began to feel hot again. But I continued.
BA-DUMP!
"Ick-!" I flinched as radiant flames engulfed my body, melting my scales, fur, and silver hair. I collapsed to the ground and rolled around as the foreign flames ate away at my body. My claws fled under my skin, and my bestial eyes were full of pain and fright before regaining a human appearance. I bashed my head into the ground and howled in agony, attempting to summon my ice magic to mitigate the heat, but my magic failed.
I heard a whisper in my ear, and it wasn't pleased.
"If you knew any better, you wouldn't try that again!"
Accompanying that whisper of malice was the manifestation of a towering dragon with red scales and burning flames for hair. This specter was conjured by the flames that shrouded me entirely, and I cowered below its frightening and malicious majesty.
I tried it again.
But I also realized that I jeopardized my meal back than and wasted that life. I deserved to burn that day. To fight a miserable battle with the Blue-tusked Trolls after that, and to wallow, full of agony, in some random cold and moist cave.
"Ha-ha... ha...!" Despite the agony enveloping me, I cackled, blood spurting from my other injuries as I glared balefully at the dragon that was mutilating my leg. By now, the berserker beast had roused and made its way back to its hooves, but that one missing leg made it hard to keep its balance. It glared balefully at me and the dragon. I ignored it.
"I-is this- hack... another-er warning...?" I forced between seething lips when the dragon let go of my leg and dropped it. I instantly crawled away, hissing at the damn thing as I froze my injured leg in ice.
"..." the dragon didn't reply.
It locked eyes with the berserker beast, and the beast snorted and lowered its horns, setting them on fire again.
The dragon snorted as well and seemingly smiled, its dark horns flashing with fiery magical power. Flames gushed between its gaping maw, evaporating my own blood on its teeth.
During this standoff, my adrenaline soon faded away, and then I felt an overpowering sensation of weakness and dread.
I was a sitting duck, now. I was too weak to move effectively, and my bestial form had fallen away as well when the dragon ambushed me. When I tried to conjure my ice swords, they only manifested as blunt objects. I couldn't create any reasonable weapon aside from blunt ones. It was then that I realized why this could be the case.
My hostility had been cowed. I lost my aggression when the dragon had torn at my leg. I was now apprehensive and afraid, awaiting my possible doom at the will of either the dragon or the berserker bull.
ROAR!
The berserker beast released a booming roar and gathered immense magical power around its horns, causing them to manifest as massive horns with extra edges. The area brightened considerably as a wall of fire surrounded the entire place, causing nearby trees to vanish and the nearby wall of stone to both crack and melt. While I was getting fearful now that I'm severely injured and weak, the dragon was unafraid even when the berserker beast swung its horns down, unleashing a crushing inferno that descended upon it.
"Hahaha... foolish!"
In my eyes, I saw the dragon rear up on its hind legs and open its maw and arms as if awaiting the infernal flames. To my shock, the flames that had laid waste to the forest on numerous occasions was seamlessly gathered into its gullet. Endless rolls of fire swirled into its mouth, meeting at a junction point where my eyes were blinded by the condensation of all that fire and heat. Though I did notice that the dragon was getting pushed back, its talons digging into the earth to keep it stable. In seconds, the flames vanished, and the dragon grinned.
The berserker beast was stunned.
A feral glow appeared in the dragon's eyes, "Your flames are nothing but kibble for me! Roar of the Hell Dragon!"
A massive wall of fire exploded into sight, generating a pressure wave that slammed into my body and sent my hurtling like a broken kite. I crashed into the nearby rock face while the berserker beast was swallowed by the forest-dwarfing flames. Heat enveloped the area, and I tried to use my ice magic to create walls, but all I did was lessen the temperature as the heat waves smashed my constructs apart.
I could only withstand it to the best of my ability. This was... familiar in a way that was negative. Bad.
Overwhelming flames burning the landscape, setting the world ablaze. It was no different from that world of marvels; the celestial sky with the moon that crowned the sky for eternity. The sea surged and boiled; flesh-boiling steam flooded the sky, and islands were eradicated.
Wreathed in gold and flame, a towering pillar of destruction pierced a black mountain in which the moon loomed behind. Beneath the unopposable collection of hostility, the mountain turned into charred rocks and faded into nonexistence while the surrounding land of lush silver grass disintegrated. A wail of anguish and agony seemed to reverberate throughout the world.
Familiar faces, a young girl with cat-like eyes and black oiran-styled hair clothed in a luxurious kimono. A young girl with platinum blond hair who wore a frigid blue dress, and a muscular girl who was as wild as any primate but as noble as a lion. And last but not least, a maiden clothed in the most luxurious, divine kimono. Fur wrapped around her shoulders, sloping down and carving off her bosom from the rest of her form. She was ethereal, with her blond hair radiating the most intense bright light within the realm even when the herald of the firestorm descended upon her.
With her dainty hands sliding across the golden crescent on her white cap, the maiden of the moon whispered in regret.
"In ages past, my peers had judged me and deemed me a traitor. Now, I experience it yet again. We are once again separated through time and space... and death. My children; fated to be persecuted. We are a tragic family, but the world could never be so unfair as to strangle our last remaining hope. May daughter Altalune be with you. And never let Ignia have the last laugh."
I was dazed as these words assailed my mind, pounding into my soul and digging into it with frantic claws.
"Flames of malevolence should never stand above you!"
I hissed as the heat wave engulfed me with greater intensity, making my skin blister before peeling off. I felt hot again. Hot enough to scream in pain, but also hot enough to seethe with some sort of indignation, fear, and defiance. Scales once again bathed my body, glistening with a silver sheen. My charred hair lengthened once more and turned an even greater shade of silver. It became as wispy as the wind. My claws sharpened and my body grew larger. Limbs longer. Muscles stronger. Teeth sharper. My intent... overwhelmingly offensive.
Steam spewed from between my lips as my eyes shone brightly like the moon.
Above the Fatal Strip, the storm clouds temporarily parted as resplendent moonlight descended upon a location with eye-catching specificity. A flaming aura of prismatic light erupted into the sky, crashing against the towering wall of hellfire that hadn't ceased its inferno.
By now, who within a range of a mile wouldn't see the firestorm and the following chaos?
Meanwhile, the dragon was cackling as it continuously pumped its malice into the firestorm it recklessly created. He couldn't see through the raging inferno he created, but he could feel the earth erupt into chunks of molten rock, scattering across the sky like meteors and burning the sky. In the corner of his vision, he perceived the abnormal descent of moonlight but ignored it in favor of relishing in the pain and agony experienced by the berserker beast that dared to use fire against him! His wings unfurled, and he took to the sky. The firestorm was loose in its destruction since it was aimed parallel to the earth, but with his increasing altitude and lowered maw, the firestorm punched into the earth, unleashing a mighty explosion that rocked the forest and generated far-reaching tremors, covering miles in diameter.
A blinding streak of light startled it, and it crossed eyes with a pair of cold white eyes sharpened into draconic slits.
BAM!
A mighty fist plowed into its long and scaly jaw, snapping its head to the right and making its spinal cord groan. Following that punch was a potent pressure wave that scattered the firestorm instantly, leaving behind looming clouds of smoke and debris as the dragon hurtled across the sky. In the same instant, the air shifted as flames wrapped around it, followed by a baleful roar.
"You dare!" It shrieked and snarled simultaneously as it pumped its wings and shot toward me.
I didn't entertain his anger, "Trailing Light!" After saying that through seething lips, I allowed gravity to retake control and pull me toward the earth as innumerable white magic circles manifested, trailing behind me while unleashing burning rays of light that the dragon struggled to evade.
Not as strong as it appeared, huh? I sneered at the thing before vanishing below the canopy that was, not long after, engulfed in another firestorm, courtesy of the enraged and entitled dragon.
Minutes later, I sat near a cave, awaiting the inevitable approach of the dragon.
I knew it could smell my scent, whether I was bleeding or not. My right thigh's wound had long been cauterized, but I was an amalgamation of sweat, grime, charred flesh, and blood. I was like a beacon for any bloodthirsty predator with a killer sense of smell.
Fire prickled across a gushing river, drawing my attention.
It was the dragon, and he was oddly calm when he regarded me with its dull amber eyes.
It flared its wings and closed the distance before landing near the edge of the cave, pinning me in place with its increasingly fiery glare.
"You managed to tamper with Mother Tahlia's tablet and survive. Truly, you are a one-of-a-kind human," the dragon seethed with fire licking between teeth. "But there's more to you than that. Your empowered punch actually damaged my scales, and you bear the features of those humans who make it a career to slay dragons. But... there's more to you than that!"
I was confused and unnerved by this dragon's shift in behavior. This thing viciously ambushed me and not only gnawed on my leg but fried it. After that, it regarded me like a defeated prey animal, ignoring me while painting my vision full of hateful firestorms. And then, and then... when I punched it and got my own lick in, it had the gall to be offended.
And now... and now it... it- it speaks to me in awe?
What is this farce!?
"What more is there to me? Tell me?!" I fought through my pain and glared at the dragon, uncaring about how vulnerable I was.
But the dragon let out a raspy laugh, sounding completely opposite of the cute dragon it appeared as. It sounded centuries older than it looked, and magnitudes less innocent.
"That is for you to figure out, per Mother Tahlia's prophecy of the coming Great Calamity of Earth Land."
"Who is this Mother Tahlia?!"
"Ah, ah, ah," the dragon wagged its scaly, clawed digit. "Her identity isn't necessarily a mystery. There is a legend about her in the dark corners of this continent. Once again, that is for you to unravel, or else sparing your life would have been a waste."
"Is she human? Or... a dragon like you?" I felt some semblance of desperation, finally having gotten close to finding answers about the nature of my existence.
But my hopes were burned again.
"She is neither," the dragon replied with a mischievous grin. "and... I am no dragon."
I was in disbelief, "You look like one, smell like one, and act like one." Once again, I had no frame of reference, but this is what my heart told me. This is what my heart knew was the truth, and so I went with it.
The dragon shook its head, "I never said I was a dragon. It's all in the essence of the magic and soul. Tell me, what is your name?"
"Olivia Vespertine," that name was ingrained in my very soul, never to be forgotten.
The dragon's reaction was obvious, "Vespertine? Ah, that makes sense. Well, word of warning: don't rush your journey, little hybrid. Tahlia's tablets can only be unraveled in an orderly fashion. Head over to Berchta's disgusting mausoleum in the land of ice and snow first. There are mysteries to unravel."
I was put off by his words, it was as if he knew the nature of my surname. And- hybrid? I know I have some human in me, but what is the other end? The dragon left before I could inquire, but I assumed that I have some dragon in me. According to my heart, dragons tend to horde their treasures like I did to the skeletons of magical beasts I had slain. But I grew bored of them and looked for better items of interest. Dragons also ate raw meat like I did. They were arrogant; kind of like me, but to a much lesser extent.
I foolishly believed that dragon to be a little lizard I could have for dinner, but it gnawed on my leg and fried it. It probably sensed my intent and wanted retaliation.
I never got its name, though.
"Berchta's Mausoleum?" That was probably what Tahlia's tablet was referring to. It is in the land of ice and snow, the Bargo region. But I couldn't go there yet, not in my current state.
My magic is drained, so I can't deal with this injury. I can only keep it frozen.
I think I had enough of the wild land, I need a home. The land of ice and snow seems nice, I can train my ice and water magic over there.
End of Chapter
Note: Now that I think about it, I believe this story will be a part of a collection. Perhaps two. This will be book one. I will find a title to encompass both. This book will be concluded within a hundred chapters. That's the goal. The second book will comprise the canon era, and it will be a longer book.
The current date is March 12th, X774; Olivia arrived in February. This book will stretch roughly nine or so plot years within the allotted chapter count.