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A star begins his tale of vengeance.
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Well, here's the new arc, and new chapter of said arc.
Sorry that this chapter took more than a month. The flu has been brutal.
As you've seen from the title, this arc will be about how the Emperor Dragons came into existence, though its more of a template that will tie all the future chapters together.
BTW, leave your thoughts in the comments.
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I remember the day I died. Or rather, the day all my Alter Egos died.
I perished in a meaningless battle. One against my own most trusted retainers. If I had only been more open about my intentions. If I had only explained to them my reasonings for wanting to invade the human world. If only I had done that, then...
Then maybe this would not have come to pass.
They betrayed me for my sake.
Strange logic, don't you think?
What bitter irony this is.
I agreed to wait for their preparations to end. I did not stand idly by, either. Evacuating my children took time. Luckily, at least Laplace decided to help me.
I waited, and waited, and waited.
No one believed the Dragon Emperors would turn on me. Many voiced their desires to fight by my side. I quelled those desires when I heard them.
They didn't need to perish in a meaningless war.
The five Dragon Emperors were blessed by my divine core. It gave them unparalleled speed and strength. Perhaps they were even on the cusp of lower godhood.
Throughout the evacuation process, and even after it ended, Laplace continued to visit.
Why didn't I explain everything to him?
When everything was said and done, Kayose was wiped from the map.
Maxwell cleverly used Dragon Gates to focus Mana into beams of light. They struck the tallest peak of the Dragon World, erasing the entire mountain from existence.
How smart they were. Forcing me to stay behind to rebuild the capital of the Dragon World. It wasn't a bad plan at all.
My Divine Aura acted as a mirror, reflecting the light beams away from me. It would take much more to harm me, and the four attacking me knew that well.
I allowed myself to feel a smidge of pride as a floating fortress covered in dragon scales appeared from the distant ring of mountains. Iron stakes entangled with purple wires buzzed with electricity, crackling angrily akin to contained lightning. A core of magic circles that drew in the innate Mana in the air powered the floating island. Turrets born of dragonic and demonic partnership pulsed with concentrated Mana, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
It was a nameless fortress built to shatter the tallest peaks.
If you wanted to give it a name, then...
Chaos Breaker would suit it well.
Fourty-four spirits hovered around the fortress. Some were created from scratch, while others were summoned from a place beyond time and space, the Throne of Heroes.
I raised my hands and pushed Mana into a concentrated point. It was smaller than a grain of sand, like a black hole formed from energy instead of substance.
The spirits summoned were powerful. They used their unique abilities and authority, and unified them to create a gravitational distortion that pushed the pseudo black hole into a nearby mountain.
The peaks were devoured instantly.
But no matter how powerful a spirit may be, they could not handle the power of a living, breathing God.
One by one, as more black holes ate away their strength, the spirits vanished. They returned to the Throne of Heroes, some for the first time, as their heroic last stand against a god was enough to merit them such a reward.
I pulled a sword from my waist and swung.
Everything was cleaved in two.
The Dragon Emperors who flew toward me were different than the ones I remembered. Their sizes were as large as an infant Red Dragon, and their bodies were entirely shrouded in crystalline scales.
A mystic art learned from the Demonfolk. A magic that burns the user's lifespan and turns it into power.
They gripped their spears tightly, dancing around my form as they swung with all their might.
Each attack held the power to shatter mountains. Reality screamed and creaked as beings too strong for this fragile world to handle battled on its surface.
Again, I allowed myself to feel pride.
Even if the price was great, my children gained the power to hurt a God.
Perhaps they even reached godhood in that instant.
They could kill the strongest divinity of the Six-Faced World, even if the chances of victory were one in ten thousand.
For six days, they threw themselves at me. A short time, considering a God could battle for eons on end.
When the dawn of the seventh day came, the blood of my Dragon Kings' blood stained the ground, flesh and limbs mixed with dust and rubble in disgusting ways that should never be. Yet a sickening light shone through the battlefield, a light that came from me.
An arm pierced my chest, and my Divine Core was ripped out. I remember that smug smile and indistinguishable form. The disgusting aura his rotting body emitted. Even concealed behind layers upon layers of endless Void, I could tell he inhabited Father's old body.
The decay was prominent, as shone by his powers. Father's once omnipotent eyes? Now reduced to mere Demon Eyes of Future Sight. His authority over the six Miracles? All gone and severed. That Faker didn't even know what the six Miracles were. That was lucky. If he had, I would have much more trouble killing him once and for all.
Hate bubbled in my chest, clawing to break free. Yet my broken body prevented me from doing so.
Unforgivable.
My Divine Core was shattered, and I woke up.
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Unlike mortals, Celestials such as I need nothing to survive. Our infinite physical bodies across infinite universes provided us endless energy, so much that we couldn't hope to spend it all. I was the sole exception.
Most Celestials had infinite bodies that produced limited energy, their sum encroaching on infinity. However, I had just a single physical body. Yet that one body generated true infinite power. All thanks to the three eyes and Miracles I gained from Father.
Thanks to that, I could live anywhere I wanted, unlike the mortals who would die if so much as a single parameter was off about their Planet. So here I am, floating just above the atmosphere of the Human World, watching as the mortals below fought over petty things such as living space and resources.
Observing them from afar, I was slightly calmed. All the six races had survived. Even the sole few Dragonfolk were clinging to life, slowly rebuilding their civilization in hidden caverns. The buds of pride and regret blossomed in my heart. My memories as my six Alter Egos flared and flashed before my eyes. I was them. I experienced their pain, and their suffering, their fears, and their regrets.
The sheer anger I felt when Father sealed my Miracles before we descended onto our worlds had been inherited and split between my Alter Egos. Anger had been clouding their judgment for their entire lives.
Why? Why did I fight with myself? If we had communicated better and suppressed our rage... Would things have been better?
It was my fault the six races had to suffer like this. The blame lay on me and me alone.
But not again.
I refuse to fail again.
I will not let harm befall my children ever again.
"Anima Animusphere!"
The space debris from five broken worlds appeared, and the Fourth Miracle of Concealment ripped from their concepts. Needles of light and threads of Void stitched them together to form a silvery, glowing moon. However, I would not grant this Celestial the Third Miracle.
My Celestial Core split into seven shards. I only needed one, and the others I stored in a place none but me could access. They would bide their time until the era of the Faker's death comes. Until then, Polaris Octans shall be no more.
I shrunk, diminishing my authority to the point I couldn't even be called a Star anymore. My countless "limbs" wrapped around the silver moon, tying my soul to its core. Now, we were one.
Why did I do this? Because Father had sealed my eyes and senses. This moon would grant me an unobstructed view of the world. It also constrains my power so the Six-Faced World wouldn't collapse as soon as I stepped foot on it.
Polaris Octans, the Omnipotent Star, equal to Father himself, became just another moon.
"I temporarily denounce my role as Polaris Octans, the Lesser Root. I now take the shell of 'Anima Animusphere,' seventh God of Void."
The Pillar of Void, Arktos Antarktikos, roared as I claimed it as my own, once again reaching its past radiance. Without the Six Rings of Light, the world was prone to collapse. However, with this, it should become safer and buy me a little more time.
With burning vengence in my heart, once again, I descended onto the Six-Faced World.
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I awoke in a cave. It was dark, cramped, and humid. Water dripped onto my head, trickling down my face and eventually into my eyes.
My body felt weak. It was formed a few moments ago, so it would undoubtedly be frail. I had spent eternities floating in the Sea of Void, unaffected by gravity or atmospheric pressure. And although my Alter Egos had spent eons walking on the planet, their muscle memory was not preserved when they merged back into me. Meaning: I would have to get used to this body first.
I pushed my body up into a standing position, attempting to take a few steps. I did not have unlimited time. The Faker must be killed as soon as possible. He took Father's failed corpse as a body, but even a failure of Akasha was a powerful artifact capable of bending space and time. If the Faker was left to his own devices, the situation could even get out of my control, to the point I may have to summon Stars of War.
My job as the Lesser Root was to prevent incidents like that from happening. I may have temporarily resigned as Polaris, but my roles remain.
My feet wobbled as I lost balance and crashed patheticly onto the cold, unempathetic floor.
"...F*ck..."
I forgot I had horns now.
When my six Alter Egos fused into me, I gained something from each. From the God of Man, I got his emotion-manipulating Mana. From the God of Demons, I acquired his horns and Demon Eyes.
From the God of the Sea, I inherited his absolute domain over any liquid and the ability to summon tentacles from nothing. I'm definitely not thinking of anything lewd right now. Nope. I'm a holy and righteous god.
My omnipotence was still sealed, thanks to Father cruelly dulling my senses, but the things I inherited from the God of Beasts should help somewhat. His sight, hearing, and smell were all accessible to me. Though it was nowhere near omnipotence, it...would work for the time being.
The Aura of the God of Dragons was also something I had. My six wings were now fluffy thanks to the feathers I got to the God of Heaven. They could harden and align into scales harder than diamonds with a thought. They did well to conceal what was hidden underneath.
Each wing now held an eye with an eyeball the size of my head. They were something I had not inherited from my six Alter Egos. It was a conscious decision to include these eyes in my form. My six Miracles had been sealed, and these eyes were fragments of the three I had inherited from Father. They represented the Miracles I had lost, and since vision was the first form of mysticism, I thought I could get an imitation of my Miracles by doing this. Maybe.
It didn't seem to have worked. So now I was stuck with eyeballs on my wings. That surely won't make flying a living hell.
All those fancy new powers I have aside, those horns I inherited make my head heavy . Which meant even more time spent practicing walking, of all things.
Purple and gold eyes scrunched in frustration as a lock of platinum-gold hair got in them. "It seems I'll be stuck here for a while."
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My physical training took years. Well, not actually. It just seemed that way to me. When Father sealed my mind, he took away the warped sense of time I had. Before, I could do nothing for eternities and be okay with it. Now, if I don't move for just a day, I get frustrated and am compelled to do some exercise.
Walking was the easy part. Put one leg forward, then put the other one forward. Simple. Running was the same, just a bit quicker, and add a hop to your step. Flying was the hard part.
This body was not light like the Skyfolk, and my wings weren't as strong as the Dragonfolk's. I could not rely on them for lift alone. Even enhanced with Dragon Aura, they fail to lift me skyward.
It was tricky having to relearn how to fly, but I got it surprisingly quickly. It was as if those hazy memories from before I was a Celestial helped me. First, align the feathers into aerodynamic scales, then enhance them with Dragon Aura. Form invisible balls of wind and fields of gravity magic below them and flap them in gentle and rhythmic beats.
It was dozens of times more complicated than the Skyfolk's way of flying. All they had to do was beat their wings like a bird, thanks to their strong chest muscles and light bodies. Even the Dragonfolk had it better with their sturdy webbed wings. All I got were these paper-thin glorified eyeballs. At least they could turn into a white and gold cloak. I could save some money on buying clothes.
All that aside, I could finally walk and fly without effort. It would still be a long way before I could engage in battle and come out of it unscathed, but I doubt mortals had the ability to harm this divine body anyway. So today, after weeks and weeks of repetitive labor, I've decided to leave this cave of mine and get an actual home.
I stood up from the flat slate I used as a chair, taking the possibly final look at my first home in this world. It was the most simplistic of things. Furniture such as tables and chairs carved using earth magic. Glowing moss and lichen on the walls provided the cramped room with light. I headed into the narrow passageway that hopefully led to the outside world.
It was a winding and long walk, the feeling enhanced by the sheer narrowness of the passage. The glowing plant life slowly faded as I walked, possibly deterred by the natural light provided by Sol. At last, I emerged on a mountainside kissed with white snow.
Fond memories of my journey with Pollux over the three mountains to reach the Inner Core resurfaced, bringing a nostalgic smile onto my face as I gazed at the scenery below. A spacious plateau filled with sparse forests met my eyes, and dragons with yellow and sometimes even radiant golden scales prowed within the field surrounded by mountains. The fresh air was welcoming, especially after weeks of damp cave smell. A cool breeze blew through my hair, causing a strand to fall on my face, reminding me that my appearance might not be the best choice.
I looked ethereal to the mortals of this world. Seven horns formed an ivory crown encrusted with gold at the tips, fading into something that resembled a starry twilight at their base. Six wings soft as silk yet sturdy as steel, painted with arcane symbols that this world will never know. And finally, gold and purple eyes that guarded eternities within, even sealed, glowed with authority.
I might have described this form with rose-tinted glasses, but the fact still stands. I wish to be revered as divine no longer.
My fingers waved in gentle and specific patterns, shaping the magic around me to their will. An illusion would do, one that fooled even the Multiverse.
Fourteen planetary rotations were spent waiting for this frame to mature in the Sea of Void, while another year was spent mastering movement. Fifteen summers in all. Unlike my Celestial, nine-year-old form that refused to age, I looked like an adult this time.
White hair had been replaced with light brown once more, and my eyes became a mismatched pair of green and blue. My horns vanished, hidden behind a veil of Void and Light while my wings folded into a white cloak. To this day, I still don't know why I gravitate towards this form, but it just felt right.
The view below was beautiful, yet not picturesque. I spent eternities wandering adrift in the Multiverse, and I've seen many sights billions, even trillions of times grander than this straightforward and sparse glade. Even my mundane treehouse back in Andromeda all years ago was more mystical. Still, its simplicity is what gave it its unique look.
"Now, where am I?"
My eyes flashed silver, linking with the newly created moon above. In turn, I saw everything in this world.
There were four main landmasses, though one was many times smaller than the others. The largest one was greater than all the others combined, lined with rolling hills and the occasional patch of grains, and was blanketed in snow around the North Pole. Mountain ranges ran along its center, standing like dividers. The two others were of considerable size, though twice as small as the largest. One was a forest-filled and lush realm, a mountain range splitting the trees and fields. The other was a desert with sands gold and fine, violent storms and torrents blew every which way, causing sandstorms on a daily basis. The smallest landmass was closest to the north, blanketed with snow many times of the year. The rest of the land was not land at all, filled with oceans as far as mortal eyes could see.
I was in the southernmost mountain range of the largest continent, in the broadest plateau formed within a ring of mountains.
I took my time memorizing the terrain of this world. My memories as the God of Man told me what was different. And frankly, everything was. This Human World filled with variety was a far cry from the endless hills of green I was familiar with. That Faker must have brought the fragments of each world after I destroyed them into this one. He didn't have time to incorporate the Dragon World's upside-down skies and mountains, but what did I expect? He's a Fake.
Speaking of Manfolk, they're the mortals with the largest population. With their frail statures, they had no choice but to multiply and make up what they lacked in strength in numbers. But their minds were brilliant, the best of the best, and that cunningness allowed them to scrape by for the thousand years I was gone.
The Skyfolk dwelled in the mountains, building their civilizations. They were the ones closest to the Stars, to my True Form. I taught them how to read the Stars and that tradition will not fade so long as even one Skyfolk exists. Though they were prideful that I only taught them and them alone, I wonder if they'll be humble enough to swallow their pride and teach the others.
The Seafolk reigned over the oceans, hiding in the inky black depths. They were the ones who designed the best ships, even though they seldom walked on land. With the Dragonfolk's help, their vessels could even soar in the skies. Unfortunately, I don't see any of those with my Celestial Eyes. The technology and magic must have been lost in the great collapse.
The Beastfolk began rebuilding their homes in the forest continent. After over a thousand years, I could still see mourning on the elders' faces. Their senses were the sharpest ones, so I'm sure they'll continue to survive. If they don't, then I'll have to step in again.
The Demonfolk, the ones most in tune with magic. My God of Demons Alter Ego was also a God of Magic, though that authority was many times weaker than the one I held as Polaris Octans. They were an adaptive species, living anywhere they fit in. Yet the Manfolk were a jealous and greedy bunch, hoarding all the land on the main continent for themselves. They were never like this when I was still alive. But they do change as quickly as the coming of spring. I guess the past few centuries forced them to adapt.
That left the Dragonfolk, the strongest of my children and creations. Framed for crimes they did not commit, they had no choice but to hide away in caverns deep. I could not see where the moon's light could not reach, but I could deduce their dwelling with the few sightings I found. Few were left, most riding the Sixth Miracle my Dragon counterpart unleashed into the far future. But there were a select few who made it through the great collapse.
I sighed, somewhat content. My children had survived, and none of the six races were lost. That was my solace. They were waging war with each other without stopping, though it looks like it'll settle down after a few centuries. My experience deploying Celestials to end galactic scale, sometimes even universal scale, conflicts told me if things were left undisturbed, these skirmishes would cease on their own.
I sighed, long and regretful. My hand was almost itching to grasp at Arktos Antarktikos and the shadows of Anima Animusphere. I could end everything so effortlessly with my lance of Void and chains of light. The war could have ended today. Just a single attack would do, one to wipe away those corrupt. But I couldn't. I mustn't.
I wanted to get involved, but I had seen enough war already. I was tired of it. It's best to interfere in subtler ways on the sidelines. My presence alone would be enough to reignite the flames of war.
So far, none of the races are pushing for world domination. Why? Because they've lost their God. They no longer have anyone to lead them. They don't have pillars of strength they can depend on. But if I return, even as another God, the races would rush to please me, to get me to join their side. The battle would begin anew, and the war would wage on. And I won't even talk about what would happen if I returned as one of my six Alter Egos.
So I will hide in this plateau until the time is right, 'till most people think that the Six-Faced World and the Six Gods who reigned them were naught but legends.
"Well then, let's go..."
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The forest was thin, and the canopy above let in plenty of sunlight. The spots of brightness danced on the ground in tandem with the rustling of leaves. Dry grass crunched beneath my feet as I lightly skipped along the woods.
Despite my cheerful mood, I was vigilant. My eyes scoured the areas around me for danger. If they picked anything up, I would get away ASAP. This body was still a newborn. It wasn't tough and would break easily. I was like a mere Manfolk. Doing battle was something I hoped to avoid until I got my bearings.
The forest was deceptively empty. I could have been fooled if I couldn't sense the Mana of every creature that prouled around me. How such gigantic and mighty beasts managed to hide within this thin foliage and mountainsides was beyond me.
So long as I keep away from their territory, the King Dragons will leave me be. Dragons were intelligent things, after all. They had something akin to a concept of pride and laws.
My wanderings were aimless. I merely went from forest to forest, from field to field. This plateau was the largest in this ring of mountains, and it took me a few days to wander across it. I could have flown and made my life easier, but I didn't want to.
The silver moon above told me the ins and outs of the world. I watched everything, waiting for the war to die down before I emerged. As I had extra time, I established a calendar using the moon's rotation as a base.
Thirty days for the moon to orbit around this world, and three hundred and sixty days for this world to orbit Sol. Three hundred and sixty days were divided into twelve months, each with thirty days. The new moon marked the beginning of a month, and the day the moon was darkest was considered the new year.
I named this the Lunar Calendar. The various races already had the concept of a "year," the time it takes this world to orbit Sol. But only the Manfolk and a few tribes had shorter timeframes. They were often shorter-lived than the rest, so they needed to keep track of time more precisely than others.
I carved this new calendar into a gem tablet, storing it in a dimensional pocket for when I'd share it with the others.
Other than that, I didn't accomplish much. I had a goal in mind, though. I needed to find a home. I somewhat missed my treehouse in Andromeda. And that leads to what I'm doing.
I'm searching for a sturdy and tall tree, one strong enough to handle my blessings of immortality.
Even if trees lived as long as the Dragonfolk, they still died. I would search for one that could handle the burden of eternity and make it my home for the rest of my time in this world.
My search was fruitless. Until now, that is.
It stood before a towering pillar of wood. Its trunk was weathered yet still standing tall. Winding vines crept up toward the sky, and colorful flowers bloomed in between the crevasses of the wood. Its canopy was lush and thick, an impenetrable shield that protected against wind and rain. It was a bit shorter than my tree in Andromeda, but its canopy stretched many times further. This was the most promising one.
"Alright then." Pressing my hands against one of its many roots, I felt for its soul. This tree had seen much in its long life. From the birth of the first humans to the end of the God of Dragons. A living record of history that stood before me. Yes, this one would do.
"I grant you my-"
I felt the ground around me rumble and quake. Odd. I don't think an earthquake should happen. I don't remember putting a fault line between tectonic plates here.
Mana concentration suddenly spiked behind me. A looming shadow blocked out the light of my twin. I looked back, my eyes narrowing.
A body covered in golden scales, unlike the dull hue of its kin. Irises of the same shade glanced at my mortal form dismissively. Its form was many times larger than the other dragons who roamed this mountain range, and the ages it had seen were reflected within its eyes from the depth of its soul. This was one of the few wyrms who had survived the great collapse of the Dragon World.
A small puff of flames escaped the golden wyrm's mouth, almost fashioned like a scoff. Its tail slammed down on me, barely giving me time to react.
A swarm of colorful six-winged butterflies shrouded my form as I teleported, acting as a temporary distraction. My body took shape behind the dragon. My wings, still invisible, were unfurled and ready for battle.
Because of its comparatively massive body, the dragon was slow to turn. It was small compared to the towering tree, but that didn't mean much.
The dragon's eyes locked onto me after the long pause. It reared its head back, Mana concentrating within its throat. I heard the faint sound of the ignition organ lighting the Mana ablaze, infused with the concept of "Destruction."
It was a unique authority and magic only available to those belonging to the Dragon tribe. The dragon's breath was a dragon's best attack. It differed from race to race. The most common were the wyrms who breathed flames. But some rarer species could harness the power of ice and lightning. Others could even spit acid.
This was a King Dragon, one who wielded fire and gravity magic. I felt the pressure around me double, then triple. The air seemed to weigh on my shoulders, and I struggled to even stand. This would have been no issue in my past body, but my current incarnation was as weak as the Manfolk.
The dragon would paralyze me, then incinerate me with its breath, a simple but effective strategy that would work on many.
But I wasn't one of those "many."
"Come forth, Mortar of the Heavens. Be tempered by the Flames of the Stars."
My Chains, or rather my Rings of Light. They were reflections of my past authority and divinity. I had forged them when I was but a young Star still scouring the Multiverse for my purpose. They were my first weapons, even before Ig-Anima and Sol-Sugana. They obeyed my every will, even if my authority and Miracles were sealed.
These were but shadows cast onto the world by the genuine articles, but even they would do.
"Anima Animusphere."
My chains merged into six semi-transparent shields of light, reinforced by mysteries from another, higher realm. Phantom patterns of ancient chains adorned their surfaces, seeming random, yet they were anything but.
The flames hit the barrier head-on. My arm recoiled from the weight of the searing flames. Again, this body was weak, and with it, my Mana capacity was lower than I was used to.
Three of the six shields shattered, vanishing into dust before reforming behind the remaining barriers.
The Dragonfire soon went out, and I fellled my barriers. My clothes were unsinged, and not even a hair was significantly harmed.
The dragon cocked its head, and I could see thoughts flashing through it's eyes. The only enemies that could match such a magnificent King Dragon were the strongest of the Dragonfolk. It was shocking to the dragon that such a frail-looking human could survive even a fraction of its strength.
The dragon's surprise caused a slight weakening in its hold on gravity, and I took that fleeting chance to teleport away. I had moments before the dragon noticed me again, and I used it to think of my next move.
That dragon fire was the main problem, as it would burn down the tree I wanted to live in. What was the point of fighting this dragon if my end goal was destroyed?
With that thought in mind, the six Rings of Light circled around the tree's trunk. With a pulse of Mana sent from my core, they turned into chains and formed a seal to keep the fire at bay.
Yet that stream of Mana also got the dragon's attention. Its eyes were on me as the seal flashed, signifying its completion. Another oversized fireball was sent my way.
I wasn't so weak to fall to a mere blaze. I was a Star. I wielded some of the hottest fires in the Multiverse. But more importantly, I was the God of Void and the Moon. My new authority as the "God of the Moon" began to bleed into my magics, giving the barrier protecting the tree a silver tint.
The moon was responsible for the tides and movement of the seas. When my God of the Sea Alter Ego still lived, I managed the ocean currents myself. Yet now it fell onto the will of the moon.
My new authority awoke, pulling on the nearest ocean beyond the mountains. The sky shimmered, and a tidal tsunami fell from the clouds, drowning the dragon in crystal-clear water and dousing the flames.
The golden wyrm spat out water as it writhed, the water on its scales making them gleam more than ever. The ground below was turned into a boggy swamp thanks to the liquid I summoned. I was hoping the wyrm would drown, but there was no way this ancient of a being could have lived so long if it died to water.
Mana spiked around the elder wyrm, lifting it from the mud as it flapped its leathery wings. A glow burned within its throat as its eyes glared with the intent to kill.
It seems I have angered this beast.
A white torrent of fire erupted around me, gravity magic shaping and condensing it into a pillar of pure destructive light. It reminded me of the beacons of light wielded by Pulsars. A flame so hot that the surrounding flora was returned to their original state of carbon. Even the water I had summoned began evaporating at an impossible speed, returning the bog to solid ground around me.
I held out a hand, slashing the air and opening a rift. I reached inside and pulled out a mountain of a sword. A handle made from white-hot metals that refused to cool, and a dragon-wing-shaped blade forged from molten Starfire. Even now, after eternities of use, its form was still cloaked in a sheath of flames.
"Return all to the Void, oh Flame of the Stars."
This was another shadow of an original, a blade forged from the fires of a Big Bang, a pruned universe given purpose once more.
The sword that felled universes could not be used while I was in this form. This body and soul would be burned away. What I was currently holding was just a shadow of the real thing projected onto the world and crystalized using mystery.
Still, to defeat a single dragon? It was more than sufficient.
I swung the blade.
"Sol-Sugana."
Starfire from another realm danced within the field. The breath of dragons was one of the most powerful things in this world, but the Multiverse was a vast place filled with wonder. Dragons were but big fish in a small pond.
A phantom slash crafted from fire cleaved the dragon's laser beam in half, its trajectory perfectly aimed for the beast's head. There was no way this dragon was surviving this, fires that were hotter than even lightning.
"What?!"
The flames froze just as they were about to roast the dragon. Violent torrents of wind raged through the ashen clearing, dispursing the Starfire into the skies.
I stared into the dragon's eyes, rethinking my opponent's intelligence. It was an advanced technique to redirect my flames using gravity magic. It was for a dragon, anyway. This dragon was different than the others. The ones who lived and died by their pride. Perhaps killing this dragon wasn't the only way to defeat it.
I sucked in a breath, my memories as the God of Dragons and the God of Beasts running before my eyes. Their connections and powers were all hidden within this new form. I just had to figure out how to use them again.
"̷D̴-̸D̸r̶a̵g̵o̵n̸!̷"̷ To others, it would have sounded like an ear-splitting roar. But the King Dragon before me understood well enough. "̸W̶h̷y̴ ̸a̴t̴t̶a̶c̴k̷ ̷m̵e̸?̸ ̵Y̵o̵u̷ ̴c̶a̸n̷n̷o̸t̶ ̵d̶e̷f̷e̶a̶t̶ ̴m̸e̶.̴"̷
The dragon stilled, its eyes locking onto my minuscule form. Surprise was showing in its golden orbs. It circled down to the ground, peering down at me curiously.
"̵Y̸o̴u̷ ̵u̷n̶d̴e̷r̴s̷t̸a̷n̷d̴ ̶u̸s̶ ̸d̸r̴a̵g̴o̸n̷s̵.̴"̸ The golden wyrm murmured. Its tone was heavy and held hints of arrogance, but the intelligence within couldn't be mistaken for ramblings. "̸H̵o̶w̸ ̸i̶n̷t̶e̸r̷e̶s̸t̵i̶n̴g̵.̶ ̵T̴h̶e̸r̴e̶ ̷h̸a̴v̸e̷ ̴n̶o̶t̸ ̶b̸e̶e̵n̸ ̵m̶a̶n̸y̵ ̴M̶a̴n̶f̸o̶l̷k̶ ̸l̷i̷k̶e̴ ̸y̷o̷u̴.̷"̷
I stood firm on the ground. I have seen many more horrors that would make this dragon look like a harmless worm. This would not be enough to frighten me.
"̷I̷ ̷a̷s̶k̶ ̸a̷g̶a̸i̷n̵.̴ ̶W̸h̶y̴ ̷a̷t̵t̷a̴c̸k̴ ̴m̸e̴?̴"̴
The dragon snorted, a small jet of fire escaping its nose. "̶T̶h̵i̶s̵ ̴i̵s̴ ̸m̶y̵ ̵t̴e̵r̴r̵i̷t̵o̷r̶y̶.̷ ̸B̸e̵ ̶g̴o̵n̸e̷ ̸f̷r̴o̶m̵ ̴h̶e̸r̸e̴ ̴a̵t̸ ̶o̴n̶c̵e̸.̷"̴
"̴I̴ ̷c̸a̴n̶n̶o̵t̵,̷"̷ I responded.
"̵Y̵o̸u̴ ̸w̸i̸l̸l̶.̶ ̸L̴e̶s̴t̴ ̴y̶o̷u̶ ̷w̷i̴s̶h̷ ̴t̶o̶ ̴b̸e̶ ̷t̸u̶r̶n̵e̸d̸ ̸i̴n̸t̸o̸ ̸a̴s̷h̵.̴"̷
"̸M̸i̸g̸h̴t̵ ̴I̸ ̶r̸e̵m̸i̷n̵d̷ ̴y̵o̸u̸,̶ ̵d̵r̷a̶g̷o̸n̴,̴ ̸y̸o̸u̴ ̶s̸h̸a̶l̸l̴ ̷b̷e̸ ̸t̸h̴e̸ ̴f̷i̵r̷s̶t̷ ̵t̷o̵ ̵f̴a̸l̴l̶?̶"̸ Sol-Sugana flared in my hand, the sheath of flames crackling to prove my intent. "̷A̸l̴l̸o̷w̷ ̵m̷e̴ ̴t̴o̴ ̴d̶w̶e̵l̷l̷ ̸w̸i̵t̵h̶i̷n̴ ̸t̴h̶i̷s̶ ̶t̵r̸e̶e̷.̷ ̴T̵h̴a̷t̵ ̶i̷s̴ ̷a̸l̸l̴ ̸I̷ ̴a̵s̵k̵.̸"̷
"̴N̴o̶.̵"̶ Stubbornness was notable within the dragon's Aura, unbending like the Celestial Laws.
"̷T̸h̴e̴n̴ ̷I̸ ̸a̷m̴ ̵d̶o̶n̸e̷ ̶h̸e̸r̸e̸.̸"̴ This was just one tree out of many. I could make do with the others. I've been wanting to try out a connected system of treehouses. I turned to leave, yet a wall of fire appeared before me. I hopped back, turning to the one who caused it. "̴Y̸o̵u̵ ̶w̷i̸l̷l̸ ̵n̷o̶t̸ ̵a̸l̴l̵o̸w̴ ̸m̴e̷ ̸t̴o̷ ̷l̶e̵a̶v̵e̵?̷"̶
"̵N̸o̵.̴"̴ The dragon stared down at me, its eyes cold.
"̴W̴h̵y̶ ̴n̸o̸t̴?̵"̸ I asked.
"̵Y̸o̵u̷ ̷w̸i̴l̶l̸ ̷r̷e̸t̵u̵r̸n̷ ̸a̶g̵a̴i̷n̶ ̵t̵o̴ ̸c̵l̶a̶i̷m̵ ̶t̵h̴i̶s̷ ̶t̸r̸e̴e̷ ̷a̷s̷ ̵y̷o̴u̸r̶s̷.̵"̵ The dragon flapped its wings, Mana gathering beneath them as Dragon Aura flared around its body. Sparks of fire flew from its mouth, scorching the already-blackened earth. "̷I̶ ̷w̷i̶l̸l̴ ̶e̶n̸d̶ ̷y̶o̵u̴ ̸h̴e̷r̸e̷.̸"̶
"̸F̴i̶n̶e̶.̸"̶ Dragons were such stubborn things. Even the most intelligent were bound by pride, it seems. My own Aura awoke, coating my body in an invisible shield. I had wished to wait until this body matured more, but I suppose that is a luxury I did not have. "̵R̴e̶m̷e̴m̵b̸e̷r̷,̶ ̴d̵r̶a̷g̸o̸n̷.̵ ̴Y̸o̶u̶ ̶b̷r̴o̵u̴g̶h̵t̴ ̴t̴h̵i̷s̷ ̴o̸n̷ ̸y̴o̷u̸r̸s̵e̴l̸f̸.̵"̷
The dragon moved first.
Another stream of white flame erupted around me. I waved my hand upward, enhancing mystics with my Dragon Aura. An updraft with winds faster than the most violent storms cut through the raging fire. With another finger flick, the flames were sent towards the golden wyrm.
The dragon was calm despite facing a wall of wind and fire. His wings flapped mightily, gravity bending to his will and directing the flames away. Some sparks still landed, but they did minimal damage. The dragon's scales were resistant to its own flames.
Reality bent and twisted under my influence, trying to uphold the natural order. Finally, it gave way to the will of the North Star. A thousand gem tablets as large as my body appeared in a circular formation around the dragon's body.
They were my journals of life. My feelings, my wishes, and my pain. They were crystallized using mysteries, the acting force that powered magic in this Multiverse.
Harmless tablets used for storing information in the Astral Multiverse turned into atomic bombs in the Material Multiverse, each with a different concept empowering their mystics. The ideal Gem Magecraft, you could call these tablets.
The resulting explosion shook the entire plateau. The dragon wasn't faring very well, but it was alive. It used gravity magic to counter the blasts and let its scales handle the rest.
Another ring of gems manifested as reality strained. Yet this dragon wasn't about to let me use the same trick twice. It was more intelligent than that. Gravity inverted, sending the tablets high into the sky. They exploded with a primordial roar, yet that was all they did. The dragon still stood, unharmed from the most recent attack.
The gravitational barrier around the dragon wouldn't fall anytime soon.
"Fine. If those won't work again, then..."
Weapons whose origin was the Celestial Realms appeared in a burst of light.
I could no longer open portals to the Astral Realms. I no longer held enough power to do so at my leisure. I would reclaim the ability after I defeated the Man-God and lived out my dreams. But that time was still far off.
But my siblings offered much to Polaris before my birth. As Polaris, I inherited all those treasures. They were mine to use at my leisure.
The shadows of weapons that could fall universes struck the dragon's scales. Many were redirected by the gravity barrier, but a certain few had anti-gravitational properties. Even though they pierced the dragon's scales and hide, the wounds they inflicted were not mortal. Shadows wouldn't be considered "shadows" if they held as much sway as their originals.
The dragon roared in pain and rage. Another laser condensed using gravity magic slammed towards my approximate direction. I dived out of the way, teleportation carrying me away. The light beam hit the mountain behind me, leaving a scorch mark that couldn't be overlooked.
Dragon Aura concentrated around my legs. My wings, although invisible, were flapping wildly and generating the lift needed to counteract the gravity of this world. Sol-Sugana was replaced by dozens of copies of its sister blade.
The shadows of Ig-Anima seemed even darker than the original. They sapped the energy of anything they touched because of being fused with a universe that succumbed to heat death. It tried to balance its heat with the outside world, but it was an entire universe. No matter how much it consumed, it wouldn't be enough to state its hunger. It was the literal manifestation of a Blackhole.
The shadows tore through the gravitational barrier, consuming the Mana used to power it. They struck the dragon's limbs, sapping energy from them as soon as they made contact. The dragon tumbled from the sky, falling heavily onto the ground.
"Lightning!"
It was a strike as fast as light.
Arcs of neon blue sparks danced around the dragon, paralyzing its already immobile form. But using magic without moving should have been easy for this elder beast. I was sent flying into the mountainside. My Aura negated some damage, but I still spit out blood.
"Berkana."
The Celestial Rune of Healing circled around my body, and particles of healing light seeped into my body as I stood up, completely recovered from the dragon's attack.
The dragon, too, was beginning to shakily stand up. Its constitution was leagues above other creatures, and its regeneration was like a human constantly using weak healing magic. Blood resumed flowing in its limbs, turning them from icy blue into their healthy shade.
I was now a distance away from the dragon, too far to shoot any weapons at the dragon. That gravitational barrier would send them all flying. Still, there were a few that could still work. Ig-Anima being one of them.
The dragon's eyes, sharp as a blade, searched the mountainside for my minuscule figure. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but the dragon's Mind's Eye was sharp thanks to years of battle. It wouldn't be long before it spots me again.
"Come, oh, Beginning of the End. Return all to eternal dreams."
I held my hand up, and another shadow of a sword appeared, seemingly floating on clouds. Another larger replicate of Ig-Anima towered over the plateau, as massive as the ring of mountains.
"Ig-Anima."
A field of stars slammed into the great earth at the speed of sound. The world groaned under the sheer mystery and weight of the foreign object sinking into it. A cloud of dust that would have covered the entirety of the Southern Hemisphere of this world condensed into a spinning storm under my command, sparing the other inhabitants of this realm from a slow and painful death.
Gravity pushed and tugged at the earth and sky. The dragon heaved its lumbering form out of the way by some miracle. Yet it wasn't unharmed. A wing was gone, buried under a sky of stars. Flight was no longer possible for this wyrm, and that might as well have been its death.
A flightless dragon was a dead one. Back in the Dragon World, where gravity pulled all towards the abyss instead of the ground, you wouldn't have survived if you could not touch the stars.
Six rings of light appeared above my hand. I molded them like a human would do for clay, turning them into six blades of pure light. They were leaf-shaped and white, longer than the average longsword, patterned with Runes of radiant gold. They had no handles. Or rather, their handles were adorned with six rows of sharp spikes, making it impossible to physically wield them.
"Go." I intoned, and the blades followed my command.
They traveled faster than light, piercing the dragon's body. The sound of ripping flesh and polling blood was followed by a scream of pain.
Teleportation came naturally, accompanied by a swarm of butterflies to distract the enemy. I reappeared before the golden wyrm, who was struggling to stand.
Another six rings appeared without motion, only a command, turning into a new set of blades identical to the ones impaled in the dragon's flesh. They floated around the dragon's neck, forming a thorned ring whose edge was millimeters away from the beast's skin.
"̶W̷e̴l̷l̷?̷ ̵D̶o̸ ̵y̷o̴u̵ ̷w̴i̴s̸h̸ ̷t̵o̶ ̸c̵o̷n̶t̶i̸n̸u̶e̴?̴"̵ I asked.
The illusion around me shattered. My seven horns and Celestial eyes were freed from their constraints. My wings spread, and the massive eyes on them opened, pulsing with both light and power. The writhing dragon stilled, seemingly ignoring its pain. It was focused on one thing. My eyes.
"̶T̵h̴o̸s̵e̷ ̶g̵o̴l̶d̶e̵n̵ ̶e̷y̸e̴s̷.̵ ̴T̶h̸a̸t̷ ̶A̷u̷r̵a̵ ̷o̷f̵ ̵d̸i̸v̷i̷n̴i̵t̷y̵.̸"̸ The dragon murmured. "̸Y̴o̷u̸'̷r̴e̶ ̶t̵h̵e̸ ̴D̸r̶a̶g̸o̵n̵ ̸G̵o̷d̸,̸ ̶a̶r̵e̸n̷'̸t̷ ̵y̶o̶u̵?̴ ̴B̶u̸t̴ ̶h̴o̸w̶?̴ ̷Y̷o̵u̸ ̶d̵i̶e̵d̵ ̷c̷e̷n̸t̸u̴r̴i̸e̸s̷ ̵a̵g̸o̸.̸"̴
"̷I̸ ̶a̵m̷ ̸t̴h̸e̶ ̴G̵o̷d̶ ̶o̷f̵ ̸D̶r̴a̴g̸o̴n̴s̴ ̴a̷n̶d̵ ̵R̶e̶i̵n̴c̵a̵r̴n̵a̶t̷i̸o̴n̷.̸ ̸D̸o̸ ̶y̸o̶u̷ ̷t̵h̸i̷n̴k̵ ̶I̸ ̴w̴o̶u̴l̴d̶ ̷h̵a̷v̵e̵ ̴g̴o̴n̸e̴ ̴d̸o̶w̴n̸ ̸s̴o̴ ̴e̴a̴s̴i̵l̷y̶?̵"̷ Coating my body in Dragon Aura, I could reach a hollow replica of my old form. My body grew, though it was but an illusion. Golden eyes and silver scales once again adorned my form. The dragon froze, taking my change as confirmation.
"̶Y̷o̷u̸ ̵w̷e̷r̴e̵ ̸t̵h̴e̸ ̷o̸n̷e̶ ̷w̶h̵o̵ ̶c̸r̷e̴a̷t̴e̸d̴ ̴u̷s̴.̷ ̸W̵i̷t̶h̶o̷u̴t̸ ̸y̶o̷u̷,̵ ̴m̵y̷ ̶s̵o̵u̴l̵ ̷w̴o̶u̷l̶d̴ ̴n̵o̸t̸ ̸e̸x̴i̴s̵t̵ ̷t̵o̷d̷a̴y̴.̶"̷ The dragon calmed, its defiant expression fading as the embers in its throat.
"̸I̷ ̸a̶s̴k̴ ̴a̷g̷a̵i̵n̸,̸"̷ I murmured. "̵D̴o̶ ̴y̷o̶u̵ ̸w̷i̵s̷h̶ ̷t̷o̴ ̴c̶o̴n̴t̶i̸n̸u̴e̵?̶"̷
The dragon sighed, hesitating. Conflict shone through its eyes, its emotions and desire for survival battling its pride. Finally, it closed its eyes.
"̸M̴y̶ ̵k̷i̸n̵ ̵h̷a̴v̸e̴ ̵t̷o̸l̴d̵ ̸t̶a̵l̸e̷s̷ ̸o̸f̴ ̷y̶o̴u̷.̶ ̷L̶e̷g̵e̶n̵d̴s̵ ̶o̴f̶ ̷y̶o̸u̴r̸ ̵r̸a̷m̷p̶a̸g̶e̴ ̸t̵h̷a̴t̷ ̶e̶n̸d̷e̶d̸ ̴f̷i̵v̴e̶ ̷w̸o̴r̵l̷d̵s̸.̴ ̴I̸ ̷w̸a̶s̴ ̴b̵u̴t̵ ̶a̴ ̷h̸a̸t̷c̶h̴l̸i̷n̴g̶ ̶w̶h̸e̷n̶ ̸t̶h̵e̶ ̵D̷r̸a̴g̸o̶n̷ ̶W̸o̸r̸l̵d̴ ̷c̷o̸l̸l̶a̴p̶s̶e̸d̴.̸"̷ The beast closed its eyes, a puff of flame escaping like a sigh of acceptance. "̵I̶ ̷a̴m̵ ̵n̸o̴t̵ ̷f̵o̵o̶l̸i̴s̷h̸ ̸e̷n̶o̷u̵g̷h̴ ̵t̴o̶ ̸a̸n̵g̸e̷r̷ ̸o̷n̸e̷ ̶s̵u̵c̵h̴ ̴a̷s̸ ̴y̵o̴u̶,̸ ̵L̵o̶r̶d̷ ̶o̴f̶ ̵D̷r̷a̶g̵o̸n̵s̴.̴ ̴P̴r̴i̷d̵e̷ ̸i̶s̴ ̵n̷o̴t̴h̸i̸n̸g̴ ̵i̵f̵ ̸y̷o̵u̵ ̶a̸r̴e̶ ̷d̸e̶a̴d̸.̶ ̵E̸v̶e̸n̷ ̷i̸f̶ ̵m̴y̷ ̵p̴r̶i̵d̶e̷ ̷i̵s̵ ̷b̵r̴u̶i̷s̷e̵d̵,̶ ̵I̵ ̵s̸h̵a̸l̴l̸ ̶s̷u̶b̶m̸i̸t̶ ̵t̶o̶ ̴y̶o̶u̸.̵ ̵I̴ ̶s̷t̶i̸l̷l̴ ̶h̸a̸v̷e̵ ̷m̴u̵c̴h̸ ̷I̵ ̴w̵i̵s̷h̵ ̶t̴o̴ ̷d̸o̵ ̵i̸n̶ ̷t̸h̸i̶s̸ ̵l̶i̶f̵e̷.̴"̶
The dragon swung its tail, gesturing at the tree surrounded by the barrier. "̴T̷h̴e̴ ̴t̴r̶e̵e̶ ̴i̶s̵ ̴y̷o̴u̶r̷s̴ ̷t̸o̴ ̶t̵a̴k̵e̶,̷ ̸a̸s̷ ̷w̸e̷l̴l̵ ̷a̴s̸ ̴m̵y̷ ̸t̸e̵r̴r̶i̵t̸o̸r̴y̸.̵ ̴A̴s̴ ̶f̶o̵r̷ ̵m̵y̵ ̶l̷i̵f̴e̶,̸ ̴I̴ ̸o̶n̴l̶y̸ ̸a̴s̶k̸ ̶t̴h̶a̷t̴ ̵y̴o̵u̵ ̷s̶p̴a̵r̷e̵ ̸m̵y̴ ̸e̶x̸i̴s̴t̴e̵n̴c̴e̶.̴"̵
I went over my options. This dragon wasn't going to defy me again. It knew it couldn't win against me. But perhaps it was better to keep it around. This wyrm was different than the rest, unlike the ones who lived and died with pride. Its mastery over gravity magic was a rarity among even King Dragons. Besides, it's been a while since I rode a dragon.
"̶T̶h̷e̷r̵e̷'̸s̷ ̷n̵o̸ ̴n̴e̶e̴d̶.̶"̶ I brushed the comment off. "̴I̶ ̶h̵a̶v̵e̵ ̴b̵e̶e̶n̷ ̸n̶e̶e̵d̸i̶n̸g̸ ̷a̶ ̸m̶o̶u̸n̸t̵ ̸t̷o̶ ̸c̴a̷r̴r̵y̶ ̷t̵h̶i̶s̴ ̴f̷o̵r̷m̴.̵ ̸W̶i̷l̵l̷ ̴y̸o̸u̶ ̷f̵u̷l̶f̴i̴l̶l̷ ̷t̶h̵i̷s̸ ̸t̶a̴s̴k̸?̸"̴
"̸I̶f̷ ̶t̷h̴a̸t̸ ̸i̶s̷ ̵y̸o̵u̴r̴ ̸w̴i̷s̷h̶,̸ ̵L̴o̶r̶d̵ ̶o̵f̴ ̸D̶r̷a̷g̶o̶n̶s̴.̷"̵ The dragon nodded.
I nodded, waving a hand towards the dragon. In an instant, golden light washed its form. The blades in its flesh vanished, and its wounds were healed. Even its lost wing had regrown better than ever.
The barrier protecting the tree dispersed in a shower of golden light. The destruction of this battle was not insignificant. It would take another decade for life to return to this barren earth. I dismissed the problem quickly. I could use mystics to speed that up, so there's no need to worry.
I looked back, wondering something. "̵W̸h̸a̷t̶ ̸i̴s̷ ̵y̶o̷u̵r̵ ̷n̷a̸m̷e̴,̶ ̶d̶r̴a̴g̷o̷n̶?̵"̵
"̵I̷ ̴d̷o̸ ̵n̵o̶t̷ ̴h̴a̸v̸e̷ ̶w̸h̸a̶t̴ ̴y̵o̴u̴ ̷D̴r̷a̵g̸o̴n̴f̶o̷l̶k̸ ̶c̶a̸l̶l̷ ̷a̴ ̶'̷n̵a̶m̶e̶.̸'̶ ̷U̵s̷ ̶d̷r̴a̶g̵o̶n̴s̶ ̷n̶e̴e̷d̸ ̵n̶o̸t̶ ̶s̵u̴c̴h̷ ̴t̸h̶i̷n̷g̵s̵.̴"̸ The King Dragon replied.
"̶T̷h̴e̸n̶ ̷I̴'̸l̵l̶ ̴g̴i̶v̷e̷ ̷y̶o̸u̴ ̶o̵n̵e̷.̷ ̷I̴ ̷d̸o̴n̶'̴t̴ ̸w̸a̸n̶t̸ ̸t̵o̷ ̴k̶e̵e̴p̷ ̸c̶a̸l̴l̸i̷n̴g̵ ̶y̸o̶u̸ ̶'̸D̸r̸a̵g̸o̵n̵.̷'̶"̶ I thought for a while, ash flying in the breeze as I did. "̵H̵o̸w̶ ̷a̶b̸o̷u̸t̶ ̷'̸K̷a̷j̴a̷k̴t̴?̴'̵"̴
The dragon bowed its head.
̴ ̸"̷I̶ ̶r̷e̸c̸e̶i̴v̶e̶ ̸y̵o̶u̷r̶ ̴g̶i̸f̷t̸ ̸w̴i̵t̸h̸ ̷g̷r̷a̸t̵i̷t̷u̵d̵e̸.̴"̴
...
...
...
The sun was bright, casting its golden brilliance across the plateau I called home. Several months passed since I found this tree and claimed it as my own. Summer had gradually transitioned into autumn, blanketing the forest in red, orange, and yellow.
My tree was not exempted from the changing of seasons. Its canopy had begun to thin, crimson leaves falling onto the ground like natural ballerinas.
I finished building my home in three or so months. It differed somewhat from my home in Andromeda. There, I had a single house perched on a tall tree.
I built several smaller houses on the wide branching canopy, connecting them using hanging bridges. Their space was many times greater than my home in Andromeda when combined. It reminded me of the treehouses the Beastfolk tribes built.
Walking along one of the connecting bridges, I felt a tinge of contentment. The seal on my mind hasened my perception of time. Even the changing of seasons seemed to take eons. But it wasn't a bad thing. I felt more present. I could feel the wind on my face longer than before, and the sunlight seemed warmer.
Living in the moment... That was something Pollux said to me long ago... Was it not?
Still, the seal was somewhat irritating, denying me access to most of my memories. But most of what I forgot was "me," wandering alone in the Sea of Void, searching for a patch of Void I could call home. Not exactly things I wanted to remember.
The experiences that defined "me" as an individual were untouched. I still remember my home in Andromeda, the abode concealed within rainbow leaves. I remembered Pollux and Castor, the Centauri triplets, the Saggitarius twins, and Sol...
My daughters, too. How could I forget them? I taught Chaos about emotion and life, and raised Gaia since she was a ring of rubble.
The children of my Alter Egos had also crept into my mind. "I" didn't birth them exactly, but no matter how you looked at it, they were my children. Lunaria was dead, killed by that Faker. Orsted was sent into the future and wouldn't reappear for another few thousand years. Kishirika was probably leading some war against the Manfolk. My other children all died in my rampage. Just the thought of that made my anger boil and depression bubble. I swiftly quelled them. I wouldn't let my emotions control me again.
I could have been wrong, though. I was no longer omnipotent. I really hoped I was wrong.
A sign escaped my lips, drowned out by the whistling of autumn winds. My changed perspective on time made it seem I hadn't seen my loved ones for that much longer.
"I wonder how they're doing now...?"
Gaia would be around five million years old now, wouldn't she? She should still look like a ten-year-old to the mortals of this world. Celestials age much slower once we reach ten thousand years, and we stop aging altogether when we're around eight hundred million. Pollux still looked fifteen or sixteen even though her age surpassed five hundred million.
"̶S̵o̷m̶e̵t̷h̴i̶n̴g̶ ̴o̷n̸ ̷y̴o̴u̵r̶ ̷m̶i̵n̸d̵,̴ ̶L̶o̸r̶d̸ ̵o̸f̴ ̵D̸r̶a̸g̵o̵n̸s̸?̷"̴
A low rumble echoed through the clearing. The King Dragon who caused it lay by the roots of my tree. He had dug a hole in the earth beneath the tree, taking it as his home. He pledged his loyalty to me on the day I was about to kill him, but I didn't ask him too much in the time I stayed here.
I had been Polaris Anima Octans, God King of Stars and Void, sure. But I never ruled over my siblings. I sent the battle-aligned Stars into the Material Multiverse when they were needed, but that was about it. It was my primary duty, one that even Father couldn't manage. It was why Father sealed my power and left me with just enough to function instead of taking it away from me outright. He still needed me, as ironic as it sounded.
I had other roles, like overseeing the creation of weapons, monitoring the health and emotions of my siblings, and rebuilding the Astral Multiverse when it got damaged. But I rarely intervened in the daily lives of my siblings.
So, no. I was not a "King." I did not want to be one, either. Ruling sounded like too much work.
Still, my mentality mattered not to Kajakt, who still referred to me as "Lord of Dragons," even though I had cast aside that title.
"̵I̴'̶m̶ ̸f̸i̸n̶e̸,̶ ̴K̵a̷j̵a̶k̶t̶.̴ ̴J̴u̷s̴t̴.̶.̶.̷t̷h̵i̸n̸k̵i̷n̶g̷ ̵o̷f̷ ̶t̵h̵e̵ ̷f̴a̵m̶i̷l̵y̵ ̷I̷ ̸l̶e̷f̸t̷ ̸b̸e̵h̴i̴n̵d̴.̸"̵
̴ ̸"̶I̵ ̵s̵e̷e̶.̶ ̵Y̵o̴u̵r̷ ̵c̷h̸i̸l̸d̷.̴ ̵I̵ ̷h̸e̵a̶r̴d̸ ̷r̴u̶m̴o̸r̴s̴ ̴t̶h̶e̷ ̷D̷r̸a̸g̴o̵n̴ ̴G̸o̸d̴ ̸b̴o̶r̴n̸e̸ ̴a̷ ̴c̵h̴i̶l̶d̸ ̴w̶i̸t̶h̴ ̸t̷h̸e̸ ̵H̷u̶m̷a̶n̸ ̸G̵o̸d̸'̷s̷ ̴k̷i̷n̴.̴"̸
̵ ̵"̷H̵e̶'̶s̶ ̷o̵n̶e̸ ̵o̸f̷ ̵m̶y̶ ̵c̵h̴i̸l̸d̴r̶e̷n̷.̶ ̸I̸ ̸h̸a̵v̸e̷ ̵a̷ ̷f̷e̴w̷ ̵o̸t̸h̴e̵r̷s̴,̵ ̵t̵o̴o̴.̵ ̸S̶o̵m̵e̴ ̴a̸r̵e̷ ̵i̶n̸ ̶a̶ ̵r̸e̶a̴l̶m̷ ̴b̶e̵y̸o̸n̶d̸ ̷t̵h̷e̵ ̶s̷t̶a̵r̷s̸.̵"̷ I waved the depressing thoughts away. "̵B̴u̷t̴ ̶t̵h̸a̸t̸'̵s̸ ̸e̵n̴o̸u̶g̶h̴ ̸a̴b̴o̶u̴t̴ ̶m̵e̶.̶ ̸Y̴o̸u̵ ̷n̵e̴v̶e̷r̴ ̷t̶o̴l̵d̵ ̶m̶e̷ ̶a̸b̴o̸u̸t̵ ̷y̷o̷u̶r̷ ̷f̶a̵m̸i̴l̷y̸,̷ ̸K̴a̷j̵a̶k̶t̴.̵"̷
The dragon huffed, a spark of fire leaving its mouth. "̵T̵h̷e̵r̴e̶ ̴i̴s̴ ̸n̴o̶t̵h̷i̷n̵g̵ ̷t̵o̸ ̵t̶e̴l̷l̴.̴ ̷U̸s̴ ̸d̵r̶a̸g̵o̵n̷s̶ ̷a̷r̸e̴ ̵r̵a̵i̷s̶e̷d̴ ̸b̶y̴ ̴o̵u̴r̷ ̷m̶o̶t̴h̸e̵r̶,̷ ̸t̷h̵e̷n̶ ̷w̵e̸ ̴a̸r̴e̵ ̶l̵e̸f̴t̴ ̵t̵o̸ ̷f̶e̵n̶d̴ ̵f̵o̵r̷ ̸o̵u̵r̸s̸e̴l̷v̴e̵s̶.̷ ̶A̵n̷d̸ ̴e̷v̶e̷n̵ ̶i̶f̸ ̶I̷ ̶h̶a̷d̷ ̴p̶l̶e̸a̴s̶a̴n̷t̴ ̷m̶e̵m̸o̶r̶i̷e̴s̶ ̴o̷f̴ ̴t̶h̸e̷m̷,̷ ̴t̷h̷e̴y̷ ̸a̷r̵e̶ ̷d̸e̸a̶d̵.̷"̵
"̶A̴h̸.̴"̷ My lips pressed into a thin line. I had forgotten how many I had killed on my mindless rampage. "̸I̸'̸m̶.̵.̴.̶ ̵s̵o̴r̶r̴y̴ ̷f̸o̸r̶ ̷b̶r̶e̶a̶k̵i̴n̴g̷ ̷t̷h̴e̸ ̵D̴r̷a̴g̷o̵n̷ ̸W̸o̷r̸l̷d̵.̸"̵
Kajakt snorted, shifting his position so his golden eyes stared into mine. "̸I̶t̷ ̷w̵a̷s̴ ̴t̷h̷e̸ ̸H̵u̸m̸a̵n̸ ̶G̸o̴d̶ ̴t̵h̵a̷t̵ ̵c̸a̵u̷s̷e̵d̴ ̶o̸u̶r̷ ̸w̴o̷r̶l̴d̵'̴s̷ ̶f̶a̵l̸l̵.̵ ̷N̵o̶n̶e̸ ̶o̵f̷ ̶u̷s̷ ̶d̴r̸a̶g̸o̷n̷s̴ ̸b̶l̷a̴m̴e̵d̵ ̵y̵o̵u̴ ̵f̸o̷r̵ ̶y̶o̶u̷r̶ ̷r̵a̵g̷e̵.̸ ̶I̶f̶ ̶m̴y̵ ̶c̶h̵i̴l̵d̶ ̴w̶a̷s̵ ̷k̵i̴l̷l̸e̴d̷,̴ ̵I̸ ̸w̷o̷u̸l̶d̸ ̶h̴a̷v̷e̸ ̵d̸o̸n̷e̷ ̷t̸h̶e̴ ̴s̶a̸m̵e̵.̵"̸
I turned, walking towards the nearest structure on my rope bridge. "̶Y̴o̸u̸'̶r̵e̵ ̵j̵u̵s̷t̸ ̵s̶a̶y̵i̷n̸g̸ ̴t̷h̸a̴t̶ ̷b̶e̸c̶a̴u̵s̷e̷ ̷y̸o̸u̵ ̶d̶o̶n̸'̸t̴ ̶w̶a̶n̷t̴ ̵m̴e̶ ̴t̶o̸ ̵k̷i̶l̶l̴ ̶y̶o̸u̸.̸ ̴W̶e̵l̷l̶,̶ ̴I̶ ̷w̸o̷n̵'̶t̸.̴ ̶S̸o̷ ̶l̶a̷y̶ ̸y̶o̵u̷r̸ ̸b̴l̷a̶m̴e̸ ̵o̴n̷ ̶m̵e̵ ̷a̷l̴l̵ ̶y̷o̶u̶ ̵w̸a̶n̶t̶.̶"̶
̷ ̷"̸I̸ ̸s̶a̶y̵ ̴a̵g̵a̶i̴n̴.̴ ̷W̴e̶ ̵d̶r̶a̸g̶o̶n̵s̵ ̴d̸o̶ ̴n̴o̴t̴ ̴b̸l̶a̴m̸e̸ ̴y̸o̴u̶.̸ ̴T̷h̵e̸r̶e̷ ̴a̵r̵e̵ ̷s̷o̴m̶e̶ ̸w̴h̸o̶ ̵h̵a̸v̶e̴ ̸c̷u̷r̵s̷e̴d̶ ̷y̶o̷u̷,̵ ̷b̸u̸t̶ ̷m̶o̴s̵t̸ ̸a̵c̵c̸e̷p̸t̸e̴d̶ ̷t̴h̸e̸i̶r̵ ̶s̶i̷t̵u̴a̴t̷i̴o̴n̸,̴ ̵b̶e̷ ̴i̶t̷ ̴a̵l̶i̷v̶e̸ ̶o̴r̵ ̷d̸e̷a̶d̴.̸"̵
I sighed again, long and heavy. I've been doing it more frequently. I closed the door, descending a winding staircase. "̵F̷i̸n̵e̵.̵ ̶B̸u̶t̶ ̸h̸e̸r̴e̸'̵s̶ ̸a̷ ̸c̸o̸r̵r̵e̶c̸t̵i̸o̴n̵ ̷t̴o̵ ̵y̷o̶u̷r̴ ̶s̵t̷a̷t̸e̸m̴e̶n̶t̷.̷ ̵I̸t̴ ̷w̶a̸s̴ ̴n̴o̸t̴ ̴t̴h̸e̶ ̴G̸o̵d̴ ̵o̸f̷ ̷M̴e̷n̴ ̸w̴h̷o̷ ̷e̵n̴d̶e̴d̸ ̶m̸y̴ ̴w̵o̷r̶l̵d̷.̸"̸
̷ ̴"̴O̸h̷?̵ ̶B̷u̸t̶ ̶s̸u̸r̶e̴l̵y̸ ̸o̷u̸r̶ ̷k̴i̷n̶ ̴w̷o̴u̶l̶d̶ ̴n̷o̴t̵ ̸m̶i̶s̶t̵a̶k̴e̶ ̴o̵n̵e̵ ̸o̷f̶ ̶t̴h̷e̵ ̴g̸o̴d̴s̸.̸"̷ Kajakt asked.
̵ ̷"̶A̷l̶l̸ ̴s̷i̴x̷ ̷d̷i̸v̴i̵n̴i̷t̶i̸e̶s̸ ̶o̷f̷ ̸t̵h̸e̷ ̵S̶i̴x̵-̴F̵a̵c̶e̵d̴ ̴W̸o̶r̴l̸d̷ ̷h̴a̵v̸e̵ ̵p̷e̵r̷i̴s̶h̸e̸d̷.̶ ̶T̴h̵e̴ ̷G̷o̵d̸ ̵o̸f̴ ̴M̵e̷n̸ ̴w̷a̵s̷ ̵t̵h̵e̷ ̶f̸i̵r̴s̸t̴ ̷t̵o̵ ̵g̸o̷,̴ ̷k̷i̷l̷l̴e̶d̵ ̸b̵y̵ ̷a̷ ̴f̴a̸k̵e̷ ̸g̸o̸d̴ ̷b̵o̷r̸n̷ ̸i̵n̵ ̵t̸h̴e̴ ̵W̵o̷r̶l̴d̶ ̶o̵f̵ ̸V̶o̷i̶d̶.̸"̴ I growled out.
"̵I̵ ̷s̶e̴e̵.̵"̵ Kajakt was silent for a few moments. "̸I̴s̶ ̶t̶h̴a̸t̸ ̷w̴h̴y̵ ̵y̶o̷u̶ ̶h̵a̷v̵e̶ ̶d̷e̷s̴c̷e̷n̸d̸e̴d̵ ̴u̷p̴o̶n̴ ̷t̷h̷i̴s̸ ̷w̷o̶r̴l̷d̵ ̸a̸g̸a̴i̵n̵?̴ ̸T̸o̷ ̸k̵i̵l̴l̵ ̵t̷h̷e̴ ̵f̸a̶k̸e̴ ̶g̸o̷d̶?̵"̶
̴ ̶"̸Y̵e̸s̷.̵"̷ My reply was instant, and there was no hesitation whatsoever. "̴F̴a̷t̷h̵e̷r̴ ̵m̴a̶y̷ ̷h̶a̷v̶e̵ ̶s̵e̵a̵l̵e̶d̸ ̶m̶y̶ ̶p̴o̸w̴e̴r̸s̷,̸ ̷b̸u̸t̷ ̶I̴ ̴w̴i̵l̵l̵ ̸g̴e̶t̴ ̶t̶h̶e̴m̶ ̵b̵a̶c̵k̵.̴ ̶I̴'̸l̷l̵ ̶b̷r̵e̵a̴k̴ ̴t̴h̸e̶ ̵e̵n̸t̶i̴r̵e̷ ̸M̴u̴l̷t̵i̸v̷e̸r̴s̵e̵ ̸i̴f̵ ̵I̷ ̸h̸a̷v̴e̴ ̸t̴o̶.̷ ̷A̵n̶d̸ ̵w̵h̴e̸n̷ ̴I̶ ̴d̸o̷,̷ ̸I̷'̶l̶l̴ ̷g̵i̵v̶e̵ ̵t̸h̸a̷t̵ ̴F̶a̸k̵e̶r̶ ̸a̸ ̸l̸o̷n̴g̵ ̸a̸n̶d̶ ̵p̶a̷i̶n̵f̸u̶l̷ ̶d̷e̷a̶t̵h̸ ̴b̷e̵f̴o̵r̶e̵ ̵d̵e̷s̷t̸r̴o̵y̴i̷n̸g̸ ̴h̴i̶s̸ ̵s̵o̴u̶l̸.̷"̵
A long sigh escaped the dragon curled around my tree. "̶D̶o̴ ̸a̴s̵ ̶y̷o̴u̵ ̷w̸i̴s̴h̶,̵ ̴L̶o̸r̵d̶ ̷o̴f̴ ̵D̸r̶a̶g̶o̴n̷s̷.̵ ̶B̶u̴t̸ ̸p̵l̷e̸a̷s̶e̴,̶ ̸m̶a̴k̶e̵ ̵s̶u̷r̵e̶ ̵y̸o̷u̸ ̶d̸o̸n̷'̵t̶ ̴d̵e̴s̴t̴r̵o̶y̴ ̵t̶h̴i̶s̷ ̶l̷a̴s̶t̴ ̸w̸o̷r̸l̶d̷.̴"̵
̷ ̴"̶D̴o̸n̵'̵t̷ ̶w̶o̵r̷r̴y̴.̶ ̵I̶ ̷l̵e̶a̵r̷n̶e̵d̵ ̶m̶y̷ ̴l̵e̸s̷s̷o̶n̷.̶"̷ Yes, I learned much. I would not let my emotions lead me into a blind rage again. "̴I̷ ̷w̶o̷n̷'̸t̷ ̵d̵e̴s̶t̵r̶o̶y̵ ̷t̷h̶i̸s̷ ̸w̴o̵r̵l̷d̸.̶"̷
I walked through another doorway, closing the door along the way. I now stood on one of the many roots of my tree, twisting and thick. Sol was high in the sky, so I'd estimate it to be early afternoon. I did not put significant thought into time, but I had to use my newly invented calendar system somehow.
Kajakt towered over me, his eyes closed yet still aware. The golden scales of this King Dragon gleamed elegantly in the sun, his white horns propped against the tree's trunk. When he saw me on the ground, his eyes opened.
̵ ̵"̴G̶o̷i̴n̸g̶ ̶s̵o̸m̵e̸w̷h̴e̷r̶e̶,̷ ̵L̸o̴r̷d̷ ̴o̸f̴ ̸D̵r̵a̴g̴o̵n̷s̷?̷"̶
̵ ̷"̴Y̷e̷s̶.̷"̴
The day I claimed this tree as mine, I blessed it with my limited authority. A tree had no consciousness nor soul, so it felt no pain when I made it an extension of myself. It now shares my eternal life and shall live on until I die. I also had the added bonus of feeling what the tree did through its branches and roots. They spread across the entire plateau, covering every inch of the soil.
Since a few days ago, I felt footsteps within the glade I called home. Too light and nimble to belong to a King Dragon, yet two heavy and slow to be hare. They were exactly the same as the footsteps of the Manfolk. Yet what were such frail creatures doing in this place dominated by the strongest beasts?
̷ ̶"̷I̸'̵l̵l̶ ̴b̸e̸ ̴b̶a̷c̶k̵ ̶b̷e̸f̶o̷r̷e̴ ̴s̵u̵n̸d̶o̴w̷n̵.̴ ̸T̸a̴k̸e̷ ̷c̸a̴r̵e̸ ̶o̸f̷ ̷t̶h̸e̷ ̷t̸r̶e̶e̸ ̴u̷n̴t̷i̶l̵ ̶t̸h̴e̷n̷,̷ ̴K̶a̷j̵a̴k̴t̴.̴"̵
̷ ̷"̷U̴n̸d̷e̴r̵s̶t̶o̸o̵d̴.̸"̶
...
I headed west, facing the sun. The footsteps were conveniently in the same direction as the nearest Manfolk settlement. My fluttering wings propelled me at a pace where I would reach where the footsteps originated in around two minutes.
What were those foolish Manfolk doing? They have always been the smartest, yet dumb ideas would surface often. I'll learn their motive for entering here, then see how to deal with them.
The area I was led to soon came into view. Patches of grass were flattened, the marks left looking like the footprints of a King Dragon. Nothing was out of order. The trees stood tall and healthy, and the grass was lush and green. It was just the path of a King Dragon, which was nothing to be surprised about when the beasts were all over this mountain range.
Still, I was sure the roots led me to this spot. This was where the Manfolk were, I'm sure of it. But then, where were they...
"Ah."
There, by one of the lighter footprints. There were two bodies, bleeding. Their legs were no doubt crushed by the King Dragon who passed by. The Manfolk were so small and weak, so they looked like insects to dragons.
My wings folded and turned invisible. My horns and unnatural eye color were also hidden behind a veil of Void. I walked up to the bodies, staring them down.
A girl and a boy. Siblings, judging by their similar facial structure. The girl's platinum-blond hair was stained with blood, and the boy's head of light brown was dyed similarly. Menfolk were short-lived, and these two didn't look a day over ten. I only sensed two pairs of steps entering the forest, so their parents didn't accompany them. None of the adults dared venture this far into the mountain range, so what were these kids doing?
A gruesome sight, but one I was not unfamiliar with. I had seen and analyzed so many wars in the Material Multiverse my mind was numb to gore. Still, I felt nauseated. It made no sense why I felt so. I've seen the guts of other living beings, yet red always ticked me off. Was it because this body now held lifeblood of crimson, too?
They were still alive, but I could see their soul slowly dissipate, the Mana around their bodies drying up drop by drop. It wouldn't be wrong to assume death had already grasped their souls.
I looked into the other side of reality, where concepts such as fate and time and space dwelled. I grasped the strings of Void that represented the fate of these two children behind me, sighing in acceptance as I noticed they had been cut short.
Yes, these two were fated to die here.
"Hmm?"
The girl made her conscious state clear by inching her hand closer to me and grabbing my cloak. Her mouth slowly opened, yet no sound came out. She was probably too weak to do anything but await her demise. Blood slowly pooled from her throat, yet she didn't even have enough strength to cough.
Still, how this little girl was grasping her last hope...it was somehow inspiring.
I did not consider all Menfolk my children like the God of Dragons did for all Dragonfolk. They lived and died too quickly for that. They all held my blood, diluted as it was, but I don't consider them family.
But it would be wrong to say I hold no feelings towards my dying kin.
I pulled on the Sea of Void, weaving a new thread and stitching it to their lines of fate.
"Fine, then. If your wish is to live, I will grant it."
I had only done this once before, long ago, to save a dying beast. As the God of Dragons in the Demon World, I had found a Dragon-Demon hybrid on the cusp of death. I brought him back to the Dragon World and made him my son, and he eventually became one of my five Dragon Kings.
Silently, I pulled a sword from my dimensional pocket and slashed my hand. Blood began pooling in my palm, golden and firey with hints of crimson. The blood of the Stars, mixed with mortal life. I bent down next to the girl and propped her head up.
"The blood of a god can heal any mortal wound. Drink it, and don't complain. It will hurt, and you'll feel like dying, but it's better than actually being dead."
I forced the liquid fire down the girl's throat. I don't know if she wanted to resist, but it didn't matter. She would die if she didn't drink this. A dull warmth soon began bubbling in her stomach, accompanied by a faint glow akin to sunlight. Golden patterns spread across her skin, forming vein-like tattoos on her entire body. Flames began burning around her figure, yet they didn't turn her to ash. Where the fires touched, her wounds vanished. Where the embers fell, her skin regenerated with renewed vigure.
Soon, she looked healthy, even if her skin was pale, and I turned my attention to her supposed brother. He was much worse off than the girl, yet his condition was not beyond unsalvagable. I just had to feed him more blood than I gave to his sister.
His body began repairing itself in earnest, and his white face caused by blood loss was somewhat relieved.
Half-mindly, I cast a healing Rune on my hand. I raised my head towards the abstract direction of my tree and called.
̶ ̵"̸K̶a̸j̶a̶k̸t̵.̶ ̷C̴o̴m̶e̶ ̶h̶e̴r̴e̷ ̵f̸o̵r̵ ̴a̷ ̴s̴e̴c̵o̷n̷d̸.̵"̷
̶ ̶"̸I̸ ̷n̸e̵e̷d̷ ̴s̶o̴m̷e̶ ̶h̶e̴l̴p̴ ̷c̸a̴r̴r̸y̸i̷n̷g̴ ̶a̷ ̷f̸e̶w̸ ̴p̷e̶o̴p̴l̶e̶.̶ ̸I̵t̷'̷s̶ ̸e̷a̶s̷i̴e̴r̵ ̶i̸f̴ ̶y̸o̶u̵ ̴d̷o̸ ̶i̶t̴.̶"̷
̴ ̶"̸F̴i̴n̸e̵,̶ ̸f̵i̷n̷e̵.̵"̶ I could almost see the King Dragon in question snorting flames."̶I̴'̵l̷l̴ ̶b̵e̴ ̸t̵h̷e̶r̸e̷ ̸s̸h̴o̵r̸t̸l̶y̵.̴"̸
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Any thoughts?
There's almost no mention of the Emperor Dragons besides their names, so I had to make a bunch of things up.
If any of you know something about them, send me a link in the comments.
If there are any suggestions, leave those in the comments too.
Well, see you all in the next one.
