Chapter Thirty: Sword Party
"Harder!"
"Faster!"
"Swing it like you mean it!"
Sebastian scowled as his claymore came down, hitting nothing but air once again as his sparring partner 'danced' out of the way.
"Too slow!"
Dou-Lon wasn't the one barking out instructions, however. Rather, it was the rose-haired woman watching over this little duel. If it could be called that.
The proud royal knight hadn't made contact with the hakuko's blade even once. Call it fancy footwork or rhythm or whatever it was the damn tiger did. However it worked, it was pissing Sebastian off.
"Dou-Lon, remember to smack him with the flat of your blade when he messes up! He's never going to learn anything if it doesn't hurt!" Eclair commanded.
The hakuko male looked like he wanted to say that doing things like this wouldn't teach Sebastian anything either, but then he shrugged, allowing the large knight to stumble forward after a hard swing before he smacked the large man on the upper arm with the back of his katana.
"Ack!" Sebastian grit his teeth as his bicep screamed loudly in displeasure at being abused, in more ways than just getting hit.
"Remember, you must keep your focus on doing the steps I showed you earlier." Dou-Lon reminded in a calm tone of voice.
Sebastian gritted his teeth audibly. "Screw that nonsense! Just stop moving already, you damn hakuko!" He then swung forward, without any rhythm to his movement.
Dou-Lon simply shook his head and sheathed his weapon. It was clear that there was no need for it yet. He put his hands behind his back and deftly dodged out of the way of the tall knight's wild hacks, slashes and thrusts.
The man had definitely improved in the last two weeks. Dou-Lon wasn't going to deny him that. However, Sebastian was just so… insufferably stubborn and inflexible.
The man's personality fit the hakuko better than Dou-Lon's own. Though Dou-Lon knew saying as such would only piss his opponent off even more.
Dou-Lon was trying his best, but after a long, brutal session; which also had Eclair supervising them, Sebastian had clearly hit the limits of his patience training against a stupid demi-human.
"Rahhhh!" Sebastian thrust forward, putting all his power behind his large blade.
Dou-Lon easily sidestepped the predictable attack, and then tripped the overextended white-haired knight, causing him to face-plant into the concrete floor beneath them.
Oh yeah, now might be a good time to note that the ground of the new sparring arena had been laid with concrete. Making it a lot harder to break during bouts. The Heroes had plenty of leftover material, thanks to their new project, and beyond that, some individuals were sick and tired of filling in craters caused by a certain old lady.
"Ehehehe…" Granny cackled to herself next to her group of students. An obviously big crater was smoking next to her, where she'd demonstrated a life force attack.
…
Ignoring the issue the old woman represented in more ways than one, the new ground also made faceplanting into it hurt a lot more than before. You'd think with that on your mind that individuals would be more inspired to not do stupid stuff that'd leave their noses broken and bent at odd angles after training.
"Urghhh…" The former church knight rolled over, a hand held over his bleeding nose and scratched up face.
You'd be wrong.
Dou-Lon frowned and extended a hand to the man. "I don't think we're going to get anywhere today. Go find a healer."
"Bah, I don't need your help!" Seeing the offered hand, Sebastian scowled as he tried to slap it away. But Dou-Lon avoided the slap, grabbing the man by the wrist and helping him up anyway.
Sebastian stepped back immediately after, holding the limb as if it'd been burned. "Go find a healer, Sebastian." Dou-Lon said in a hard, yet concerned tone. "We'll meet up again later in front of S- Naofumi's house to go over those breathing exercises again."
"... I won't be there." The man scowled, bunching his shoulders together as he started to walk away with what little dignity that he had left.
"What was that?" Only to be immediately stopped by the sight of Eclair walking up. Her eyes were burning with a fiercesome fire that made Sebastian swallow hard.
"I… I'll be there." He turned his head away before walking in the direction of the town.
"Good. And I won't hear of any complaints from Dou-Lon about your lack of willingness to follow directions this time!" Eclair called after him.
Sebastian's proud figure only seemed to shrink a little more as he disappeared behind a building.
…
"Heh." Eclair chuckled to herself. "Well, now that he's taken care of, I think it's about time we battled it out again Dou-Lon. I have a new move I've been working on, and I'm curious to see if you'll be able to counter… it?" Eclair turned her head to where the hakuko man had been standing previously.
Only, her friend and rival had already vanished.
Again.
…
Looking over to Granny, who was helping her group of talented students alongside Rishia to unleash the attack she'd just demonstrated, her rival wasn't there either. And looking out over the rest of the training grounds, she didn't spot Dou-Lon helping out anyone else who was here to train at this time of day.
Eclair slowly frowned, her shoulders lowering in disappointment. 'Why does this keep happening… don't tell me he went off to meditate again…'
…
...
'Oh well. I'll just have to show him the new move next time.'
The knight slowly shook her head, unsheathing her sword and getting in a ready stance.
She pictured herself as if she was facing off against Dou-Lon, and once the image solidified in her mind, she struck forward against it to start the new kata she'd developed in an attempt to modify her battle style in a way similar to what Dou-Lon had used to counter her.
The next time they dueled, she wouldn't be such an easy opponent for him to topple.
"Urgh…" Sebastian let out a groan of pain as he pushed open the doors to the Church. His hand was still held under his nose, which hadn't stopped bleeding.
Normally, after brutal training sessions like these, where Eclair pushed Dou-Lon to be particularly aggressive, Sebastian would go to the Apothecary or where the mages were training to get healed. However, the Apothecarian was gone during the day, teaching a class over in Seaetto, and most of the mages training in healing magic had moved their training to Seaetto as well.
Just when Sebastian thought his luck was running out, he came across one of the town guards who'd been cut across his arm during a spar while he was training earlier that morning. The man's injury was now absent. When the former church knight asked about it, he was informed that a member of the Sword Hero's party had taken up elemental healing magic, and that she was currently at the Church.
The knight looked around the church's interior for a moment, and after not seeing anyone there, he raised his voice to speak.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
"Just a moment." A feminine voice answered from the back.
…
After a few seconds, a blonde-haired woman stepped out into view. Sebastian recognized her from the previous times he'd been inside the structure.
The woman's black robes only had an opening around the front of her neck, revealing that she was wearing a white shirt as well as a necklace with a blue gemstone around the collar. She also held a small stack of books in her hands.
"Ah, hello again, Sebastian." Tersia smiled, before her smile slowly fell. "You don't look well."
"I'm not." The man grunted, unable to look her in the eyes.
He'd thought Tersia to be nice when he first met her. And truly, she was a respectful and polite young woman.
His first meeting had been the first time he came into this structure and found her dusting the pews, helping to keep the inside of the sacred structure clean for those who came here to quietly worship. Despite being a member of the Sword Hero's party, she treated the building like she would her home.
But the next time Sebastian had visited, he'd found her reading out from a scripture for a bunch of demi-humans at the front of the pews.
His interest in talking and getting to know her pretty much tanked after that.
…
"Are you trying to find my sister, by any chance?" Tersia asked as the awkward pause dragged on.
"Is she the one who's on healing duty today? If so, then yes." Sebastian said, wanting to just move on from this encounter already.
"In that case, Farrie is in the back room. She's getting it set up for the kids tonight." Tersia answered.
… the man had to bite his tongue to keep himself from asking whether they were 'human kids or demikids'. As much as he disliked the status quo here, he wasn't going to just stir up trouble with everyone he met.
"... thanks." Sebastian stiffly nodded, walking up the aisle past the short nun, before taking a right.
Tersia simply hummed as the large man disappeared from view, allowing her to continue her work undisturbed.
…
Sebastian appeared in a hallway that led to another part of the building. A set of stairs at the end led up to the second floor, where Melty's office had formerly been, and then up to the roof.
Immediately after entering though, Sebastian saw another person, thankfully a human, walking out of a room to his right. He also recognized him from the training grounds, though he hadn't seen him leave with any noticeable injuries.
Oh well, at least Sebastian knew about this backup option now, in case the Apothecary was unavailable again in the future.
Inside, Farrie giggled to herself.
Hoo-boy! Treating that one's injuries really took a lot out of her mana pool. She assumed Eclair was really pushing these people to improve.
She wished Tersia would train in elemental healing magic with her. It's been surprisingly fun helping out people.
Not as fun as watching Wyndia and Sir Ren being cute together, but still fun. 'Tee-hee.'
Knock Knock Knock
As the green-haired mage was finishing cleaning and organizing the last corner of the room using her Wind Magic, she turned her head at the unexpected sound. "Oh, come in!"
The white-haired knight opened the door, and immediately stopped in his tracks. A look of recognition appeared on his face. "You…!"
'Hmmmm?" Farrie tilted her head to the side curiously.
"…"
"…"
"I'm sorry. Is something wrong?" Farrie asked after a moment of silence. She wasn't talking about the disfigured nose either.
Odd, there was something familiar about the guy in front of her.
"It's… nothing." Sebastian shook his head. Maybe he'd also gotten a concussion when he fell earlier? That might explain the sense of deja vu he experienced upon entering the room.
Yeah, it was unlikely that he'd ever met this girl before now.
"Hmmmm…" However, Farrie continued to study the face of the tall man, before her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, I know who you are!"
"…" Sebastian's eyebrow arched up. Had he met this girl before after all, or was it-?
"You're Sebastian! The new guy who came in all hot and confident before getting his butt kicked by Eclair!" Farrie giggled teasingly. "Nice to meet you! I'm Farrie. I'm the one on healing duty today!"
…
Sebastian scowled. Oh, right, he was also well known by the people of the town for that little fiasco. More so for that than the fact that he'd been a former knight of the Three Heroes Church.
He didn't know whether to consider that a mercy, or a curse. It helped him to avoid a lot of hatred and judgmental stares, but it definitely cut him deep in moments like this.
"Is my shameful defeat a problem?" Sebastian asked angrily.
"Hmmm, no, not really, everyone gets their butt kicked by Eclair and Granny here. It's almost like an initiation ritual, really." Farrie shrugged nonchalantly. "I heard that you've been training under Dou-Lon ever since. Oh, and I'll guess you're sporting all those injuries because you still couldn't land a hit on him today either, huh?"
"I- well, so what?! Is it my fault that damn tiger fights all wrong and bizarre-like?! He's even worse than Eclair!" Sebastian felt his blood pressure going up. Gods, why did he have to get help from yet another healer that was friendly with demis?!
"Just a thought, but maybe if you stopped seeing him as that 'damn tiger' and instead treated him as a fellow rival… maybe he'd stop treating you like a punching bag?" Farrie shrugged. "Cause from what little I saw on the training grounds in the mornings, you really do not live up to what Eclair said about you in the past."
"… I don't recall ever seeing you there." Sebastian crossed his arms and looked away. "And… it's mainly on days when Eclair is directing our spars that I get this hurt."
"Yeah, she's like that." Farrie agreed with a nod. "And while I don't fight with a blade or a weapon, I'm mainly over there whenever I'm doing cardio in the early morning." Farrie smiled.
"For stat training?" Sebastian sighed as he asked.
"No, not at this point. I just like doing it." Farrie answered honestly.
…
Urgh. For some reason, this girl's frank and friendly attitude was starting to rub Sebastian the wrong way.
"Now, if you're done whining, then let's begin." Farrie said in a chipper tone.
'I wasn't whining…" The man grumbled under his breath.
"Sure, sure." The woman replied absentmindedly, before she began to chant a spell.
…
…
…
Moments later, after a couple fire magic healing spells she'd learned thanks to Motoyasu's help, the green-haired woman settled back in a chair.
"And done. What do you think?" She asked in a tired, but proud voice.
Sebastian slowly felt his arms and legs, and then his face. His muscles still felt sore and tender from exertion, but the developing bruises over his body had all faded. And his nose, while still sensitive, no longer felt broken.
"I'm… impressed." He commented after a moment. His frown then deepened. "I thought I'd heard earlier that you'd only started learning elemental healing magic. I wasn't expecting you to use the Zweite tier. Nor for it to be this effective."
"Ehehehe, believe it or not, I'm still not as good as Mahoya's group of healers. I've heard one of them can reattach limbs now… or maybe it was a finger? I don't know the specifics. Big mishap with a monster in the mountains.
"But I'm able to handle most minor injuries now. So there's that." Farrie shrugged before raising her arms and stretching in her chair.
"Helps that Granny and Eclair put out quite a few injuries while pushing people with their brutal training regiments. I've gotten more practice since I started than I'd care to admit."
"... I see…" Sebastian sweatdropped. Knowing all too well what the mage girl was talking about.
Maybe in that way, it was a blessing in disguise that he was training under Dou-Lon. As loathe as he'd be to admit to that being a blessing. Because as bizarre as his fighting styles were, and even as much as Sebastian antagonized the hakuko man, Dou-Lon didn't antagonize him back.
At least when Eclair wasn't around. As reluctant as he'd be to admit it, training under the damn tiger was proving far better than that nightmare of a woman.
And Granny… he wasn't stupid enough to want to deal with her on a daily basis.
"I've always been more of an offensive kind of mage. I didn't see the need to learn healing or support spells, you know?" Farrie continued while looking up at the ceiling of the room with her hands now crossed behind her head.
Sebastian, for some reason, didn't feel like leaving yet, despite the healing having been finished. "Why bother learning it now?" He instead asked.
…
"Because ever since the Spirit Tortoise… I've realized a lot of the shortcomings I have. And beyond just getting a Hero Service Crest, I thought it'd be good to expand my knowledge of magic and branch out to things I wasn't comfortable with learning before." Farrie admitted.
"It's like, you never know what could happen on a battlefield, when you might wish you'd known something you hadn't known before… you know.
"At least with this, I'd be capable of saving more lives, than..."
…
Sebastian remained silent, thinking over her surprisingly open and honest answer.
He held no interest in digging further. At least, that's what he told himself
"Anyway, is there anything else you need?" Farrie lowered her head to look directly at the man again as her hands came down to rest on her lap.
"No, there is not. Thank you." The knight shook his head.
"Ok! If you ever get hurt again, just come back to me, and I'll heal you right up!
"Just don't lose a limb. I don't think I'm that good yet." The girl admitted with a laugh.
"Hmmm…" Sebastian ignored her comment and stood up, turning to walk towards the door.
Only, he paused in his steps. Feeling as though there was something he hadn't said.
…
Eventually, he let out a tired sigh.
"Seriously, thank you, miss. I owe you for this." Sebastian bowed his head.
"Don't sweat it. I'm not charging to heal anybody. This is just practice so I can be better at healing my friends and Heroes on the battlefield." Farrie shrugged again.
"As a knight, I cannot accept what you did for free. Especially since I'll no doubt have to come back again for your help." Sebastian shook his head adamantly.
"Oof. Still that bad at fighting, huh." Farrie grimaced in sympathy.
"I'm not-" Sebastian grit his teeth as he swallowed what he wanted to say in retaliation. "I will owe you a favor for healing my injuries, so long as that favor doesn't involve me having to be near or help you out with anything regarding demi-humans.
"Is that acceptable?"
…
Farrie thought about it for a moment. Studying the man before her up and down, before finally smiling, and giving a nod of affirmation. "Sure thing, I'll remember to ask you for that favor when I need it, Sebastian."
"Alright… take care, and good luck… Farrie." Sebastian gave her a single nod, before turning around, walking out, and closing the door behind him.
"... hmmm, he is a strange one, isn't he?" Farrie muttered to herself, before tilting her head to the side again.
…
Ehe. None of the other people she'd helped had said they owed her anything though. Hmmm, what should she do with the favor he owed her?
Too bad she couldn't ask him to help her out in the Church. That was almost certain to involve demi-humans.
Hmmmmm…
…
Out in the Hallway, Sebastian paused as he frowned again. He was now sure that he had met this woman somewhere before. Saying her name had confirmed it in his mind.
He just wished he could remember where and when exactly.
…
Sebastian finally sighed and just shook his head as he went back downstairs. There was no point in dwelling on this. He got his injuries healed and that was that.
Business concluded.
…
"Probably just a coincidence anyway."
With that single sentence whispered under his breath, Sebastian walked down out into the Church, nodding his head to Tersia before walking back outside.
There was more for him to do before he met with Dou-Lon that evening.
"Gahhh!" "Please! Tell me another story Mommy!"
The light brown-haired girl holding her dragon daughter in her arms giggled. "Gaelion, I've already told you two stories tonight. Can't you let Mommy rest?"
"But Mommy and Daddy's stories are both so interesting!"
Wyndia let out a tired sigh. "Still, it's been a long day. I can tell you more tomorrow while we're at the islands."
"Gah…" "Awwww…"
Ren's lips curled upward ever so slightly. Silently observing as Wyndia talked to their daughter. Who was using telepathy to talk back to her, much like how the dog girl's father had communicated with him, before…
The Sword Hero shook his head. His curse felt weaker after the weeks he'd spent here. Those dark foreboding thoughts didn't have quite the grip on his mind as they'd had before.
Yet it was still hard most days to think positive. Even if this had been one of his more busy days.
Sparring with Eclair in the morning. Spending the day with Blue, hanging out in the Hot Spring, doing blacksmithing together amongst other things before reuniting with Wyndia, Gaelion, and Rikka and seeing them and Naofumi (who'd teleported to the islands that night to pick up the two Filolials) off.
Even on days when his friends visited, it didn't feel like he did that much anymore. While it made him want to feel sad and useless… it also felt more relieving. Like he really had been given a vacation to relax and recover from his burdens as a Hero.
How much longer this would last, he didn't know. He could only hope that when it was over, he'd be back to normal, and be able to fight on everyone's behalf once more.
"Daddy. Can you please tell me and Mommy a story from your world?"
Ren then looked up, his attention drawn back to the present. Wyndia now stood at his side of the bed, holding the little red dragon out to him with a warm look in her eyes.
"Hmmm, did Mommy suggest it?" Ren asked, looking at his girlfriend with a warm look in his troubled blue eyes.
"... I do like the story you give on the mythosaur." She quietly admitted. Gaelion did her best to look cute and pleading at the same time as her own blue eyes stared at her Daddy.
…
Ren slowly shook his head. It wasn't even a real story. Though, given the multitude of worlds, he wouldn't be surprised if such a creature did exist in another world.
"Alright, want to settle in bed with me? I'll tell you about the mythosaur once we're all nice and comfortable." Ren relented, smiling softly as he did so.
Eagerly, almost too eagerly, Wyndia jumped into the blankets next to Ren. Settling down under them and hugging his side while Gaelion settled herself on the blankets above Ren's lap.
Once they were settled in, Ren started.
"A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, there was a warrior tribe who worshipped a great dragon. A creature that they called the mythosaur. While the rest of the galaxy built itself up around..."
...
Ren would talk for another fifteen minutes. Talking about an aspect of one of his favorite fantasy worlds to Wyndia and Gaelion.
Something he almost found ironic, since what he was living right now was nothing short of a fantasy. A Hero with special powers, summoned to save a medieval world with magic and game mechanics from complete and utter annihilation. And not just that, but he was a former otaku, and a recovering chunibyo who'd had little in the way of social interactions before being summoned here.
And yet here he was, with a girlfriend who loved him, and a dragon who considered him her father.
It was all just so unreal. So perhaps, maybe it wasn't so farfetched to think the story he was telling right now could be real somewhere out there…
…
…
…
Eventually, Ren finally noticed as he was about to wrap up that Wyndia had fallen asleep against his side. And Gaelion was also snoring on his lap.
…
Ren settled back against the pillows of his bed. Closing his eyes as another day at Cal Mira came to an end.
"Not strong."
…
Sw…
"Not strong enough."
Ren whimpered as he put his hands over his head.
The silhouettes of familiar bodies laid on the ground before him.
… d He…
"Not strong enough."
"Never strong enough."
Ren continued to whimper, quietly pleading for the nightmare to stop.
He didn't want this. He didn't want any of this.
"Weakling."
"Failure."
"Orphan Maker."
"Imposter."
"Hunger."
Sw… ro.
The cacophony of voices didn't relent. And Ren felt as if hundreds of deathly cold hands were dragging him down. Deeper and deeper into a familiar sea of blood, made when he'd first slain the Spirit Tortoise and where he'd fought and killed everyone he knew.
A neverending stream of deaths. Of EXP. And above all that, the power to-
"Sword Hero."
With a gasp, Ren shot up from his bed. Sweat glistening on the exposed skin of his arms and face.
He felt pressure on his arm, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. His breaths were quick and ragged. His heartbeat was erratic in his chest. His body was frozen, unable to move.
He could still see the silhouettes of bodies in the background. Taste the cold, bitter tang of iron on his tongue. Feel it seeping through his clothes. Choking him and his lungs.
But as the memory of the nightmare continued to claw at his mind, a large red paw pressed itself against his chest. And a deep, yet familiar voice in his mind brushed away all those thoughts again, more forcefully than before.
"Sword Hero.
"My daughter is sleeping next to you. And she is feeling your pain in her dreams.
"Calm your heart. It was only a nightmare."
…
…
…
Breathing in and out deeply, Ren eventually managed to turn his head to the side. Despite the darkness pervading the room, he was able to see Wyndia perfectly, still sound asleep on their bed.
Alive and well. Her hand gripping his arm as if she'd sensed he was in trouble.
…
…
Ren continued to breathe in and out deeply, shuddering slightly as the sticky feeling of blood on his skin finally disappeared. His heartbeat slowed back to normal. The taste wasn't going away, but he soon realized that he was tasting his own blood from biting his cheek in his sleep.
It was nothing a sip from a simple Healing Potion stored in his weapon didn't fix.
As the Sword Hero continued to calm and the tension of fight or flight in his muscles eased, the expression on his girlfriend's face softened.
Eventually, after a few more minutes, Wyndia's hand slowly let go of his arm. Falling back down onto the bed as the girl retreated back into the peaceful dream she was having.
"Hmmm…" And the peaceful hum she released afterward almost seemed to dispel the last vestiges of the nightmare from Ren's waking vision.
…
The Sword Hero, still looking shaken up, and with tears in his eyes, eventually turned his head to Gaelion. Who was standing on her back legs next to the bed, looking at him patiently.
Unlike earlier, Gaelion now stood at face height. Her body was at least five feet in length. Her claws looked longer and sharper, more like a dragon than her baby form ever showed.
This was not the form of his daughter though, at least, not the one she liked to use around her parents.
She had been growing, though she preferred using magic to compact her size when inside or with her parents. Regardless, this wasn't his daughter gazing at him.
"I'm… sorry." Ren managed to mutter, even as more tears began to appear in his eyes and fall down his face.
Gaelion frowned. But then, another voice came from the young dragon. The voice of the true young Gaelion.
"Grandpa, please don't be so hard on Daddy. You know he's trying his best."
"… I understand, hatchling. That is why I sought to wake the Sword Hero from his slumber." The older dragon Gaelion, residing in the younger Gaelion's body, spoke over the telepathic link.
Gaelion looked to Ren again. The frown on her face deepening.
He didn't know what he'd say next. But it wasn't entirely unexpected when Gaelion said what he did.
"Now that you are awake, we might as well have another lesson."
"Come. There is much I have to teach you."
…
Ren still looked shaken and hesitant. But then, Gaelion fell on all fours and moved over to the door, and Ren knew that if he went back to sleep now, he'd only reenter the nightmare he'd been having.
So he got up, changed out of his pajamas, and followed his soon to be father-in-law out of the room.
Leaving his sleeping girlfriend alone in their massive king sized bed.
Several minutes later, standing on the sand of the beach, Ren had a hand held up in front of him. His daughter and mentor stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.
A fading quarter moon sat amidst a sea of stars in the sky. Waves lapped at the sand only a dozen feet away from the Sword Hero. This late at night, the breeze felt bitingly cold. But even though he'd mostly calmed down by now, Ren's body still felt hot from the nightmare. Making the autumn breeze feel welcome on his red, sweating face.
"Remember. The first thing you must see is the vitality of the world around you. Then, you can learn how to harness it.
"The world is filled with this force, from the sparks of a fire to the raging depths of the sea at storm. Even the calm breeze of our world is filled to the brim with this energy.
"Once you learn to see it, a puzzle will appear in your mind. It is there you'll have to exert your will to move the pieces around. Fitting them together in ways that feel right. Ways that the vitality wishes to come together.
"For that is the way of the Dragon Vein, as I have taught it to my daughter. And to others before her."
Ren kept his eyes closed as he tried to focus on the water of the ocean lapping the sands of the beach. This was his third such lesson with Gaelion, after having been granted a Dragon Blessing by him.
To briefly explain the context, a short time after Ren had settled into a routine at Cal Mira, Wyndia had approached him with a request. That request being if he could feed Gaelion the Dragon Emperor Fragment he'd kept stored inside his Sword for her.
Her stated reason was because Rikka kept begging to receive a Dragon Blessing so she could learn Wyndia's 'cool' magic too. And indeed, after Gaelion ate the fragment, she became capable of bestowing her Dragon Blessing on anyone she chose, including Rikka.
But when Wyndia had examined her daughter afterward. It was as if she'd expected for something… more, to happen…
But when it hadn't, she'd sighed, thanked him for listening to her request, and they moved on, with Rikka being given a Dragon's Blessing, just like she'd always wanted.
...
Only, eating the fragment hadn't just granted little Gaelion the ability to bestow blessings, nor just the ability to use Telepathy either. An ability she manifested the next day, much to her mother's delight.
But Gaelion, Wyndia's father, the dragon personality who'd still been living on inside the fragment, had revealed himself to the Sword Hero that very same night. Much like how he'd done earlier.
…
As shocking as the revelation had been, Gaelion had indeed still been alive and well in the Emperor Fragment. And thanks to being consumed by the young dragon, he was able to reveal himself and talk one on one with Ren. Though he refused to show himself before Wyndia for several reasons.
He'd also made Ren promise not to reveal his identity, otherwise, he would not help him with this, or with his nightmares. And Ren… while it made him feel guilty, had accepted. Since it meant another way to do something useful, and one less worry for Wyndia to have to bear on his behalf.
And those nightmares… the less he could deal with them, the better.
"Focus, Sword Hero."
"S-Sorry. It's harder to picture the energy when my mind is racing." Ren apologized again.
It is not something to be imagined, but something to be seen. It is right there in front of you, if you just focus your mind.
Ren frowned. "I know… it's just so hard to focus, especially after having that same dream again."
"What happened earlier was only a nightmare. Push it out of your mind."
"But what if it's more than just that, what if I do end up…" Ren, who'd started out frustrated, trailed off into sadness.
"… It will become so only if you believe it to be so."
…
"I know it is hard, Ren Amaki, but you will never break free of the curse's influence if you keep believing yourself to be less than it.
"Wyndia believes you to be more. So do your friends. And little Gaelion believes as much too."
…
"And you?" Ren quietly asked.
The dragon chortled. "Being connected to you the way I was, I got to see a lot of your past memories, 'Dark Shadow'.
"I must say, before coming to this world, you weren't very impressive."
Ren visibly cringed. Gaelion continued to chortle at the young man's reaction.
"Grandpa, why did you call Daddy 'Dark Shadow?' Is that like Daddy's alter ego or something?" The young Gaelion asked.
"Perhaps that'd be an appropiate name for the cursed version of himself, should it make an appearance again." Gaelion's face twisted with a smile as the young Sword Hero cringed even harder.
"Please don't." Ren pleaded.
"Ahahahaha."
Gaelion continued to laugh as Ren turned his entire focus on the sea again.
Even though it'd made him cringe, Ren was smiling a little now. He hadn't opened up about that name specifically to Wyndia or the others yet. He just didn't feel comfortable enough doing so right now…
But he had made more of an effort to open up to others about different things from his world.
And, the fact that Gaelion knew all that stuff, and yet was still taking the time to help him out like this… did help him to feel better.
…
For a moment, as Ren felt this, his eyes finally started to see a soft glow emanating from the ocean water before him. With that glow, came the outline of puzzle pieces in his mind.
Finally. Ren focused in on it. It was exactly what Wyndia had described before. And what Gaelion had been trying to guide him to see.
At last, he could-
"Failure."
And just like that, the glow of the water, as well as the puzzle it'd presented him with, vanished.
…
"Weakling."
"Not strong enough."
Ren sagged in his spot, looking more tired and drained than before.
Those damn nightmares…
"It's okay, Daddy. I saw you almost had it there. Right, grandpa?"
"Hmmmm…" Gaelion's voice sounded in his mind, deep, and disappointed.
"Grandpa, you're not disappointed in Daddy, are you?" Gaelion asked.
"No, hatchling. I'm not."
"Then why didn't you answer my question?!"
"Because… I can see why the Sword Hero failed to progress. I can see what is holding him back."
…
Gaelion moved in front of the Sword Hero. Staring down the blue-eyed teenager with a serious expression that didn't match the young dragon's natural cuteness. "I am all too aware of why he failed."
"I am, after all, inexorably linked to the Sword Hero now, thanks to him using my hunger to feed the power of his Curse of Gluttony.
"And his curse is staying quite active, despite our best attempts to quash it."
Ren's head fell even more. "I'm… so sorry… for that."
"I know… I know, Sword Hero.
"I know."
…
Gaelion set a paw on the teenager's shoulder. "Let us try again. This time, I will exert some of my influence to keep the curse at bay.
"You caught but a glimpse this time. Let's see what you're able to accomplish without it being able to bother you these next few moments."
Ren slowly nodded, and after Gaelion moved behind his shoulder to observe like before, a red glow coming off her skin, Ren took his stance again and tried to see what he'd seen before.
…
…
…
Eventually, almost thirty minutes later, and sweating more profusely than when he'd woken up, Ren laid on the sand. Tired out, but feeling quite accomplished.
"Not bad. You managed to see the puzzle again, whelp."
"Not just see it! Daddy was even able to move a couple of the pieces around!" The young Gaelion yelled over the link, admiration and affection clear in her tone.
"It… doesn't feel… like it did anything though." Ren got out between breaths.
At least the the memory of his earlier nightmare hadn't bothered him, thanks to whatever Gaelion did. It was lapsing back into the corners of his mind though, so whatever he'd done to assist, it hadn't been permanent.
"It is very difficult for humans to learn Earth Vein. Especially when they're in circumstances like yours. But you were able to see the energy. And more than that, you were able to push the pieces around in your mind once you saw the energy."
"Yeah. Still felt like I was trying to push a large stone around with my bare hands." The young man groaned.
"Trust me. The first hard part is over. The next hard part will be figuring out how to get those pieces to shape together.
"But like this, it will get easier. With time, and practice.
"You'll eventually get more used to it. And then the way of the Dragon Vein will become second nature for you, as it has for my daughter."
"Ooh! Speaking of which, were you awake to see what Mommy did today?!" Gaelion suddenly interrupted in an excited voice.
"I was." Gaelion chuckled lightheartedly. "I always knew she had the heart of a dragon beating in her. But for her to learn how to take on a draconic appearance using Earth Vein…
"It is too bad she is still trying to figure out how to fly. I'd think she'd make even the dragons of the north fear for their lives once she manages to learn."
"Ehehehe." The little Gaelion giggled happily.
Ren continued to lay on the sand, listening to the two dragons inhabiting the same body talking to one another, keeping a telepathic link opened to Ren so he could listen to their conversation.
Despite his promise, he wished he could wake Wyndia so she could join them in this.
But then, he didn't want to be selfish either.
Even here, she was pushing herself to become better and stronger, much like all his other friends. It was inspiring him to try and do better. Even agreeing to night lessons like this with Gaelion to learn this branch of powerful magic.
Yet… even if he didn't want to be selfish… he wanted her to be happy. Not just with him.
"Why don't you want to reveal yourself to Wyndia?" And so, Ren prodded the dragon with the same inquiry as he had several times before.
…
…
Like that, the telepathic conversation the two dragons were sharing stopped.
"Sword Hero… I told you not to broach that subject again."
Yes, he'd asked it during their second lesson. And during the first, despite still being in a state of shock that the dragon he'd thought he'd murdered had been alive that entire time. Which would have been a whole other can of worms under different circumstances, but Ren wasn't exactly in the state of mind right now to worry over such details.
"I just… don't understand, is all." Ren muttered meekly. "Don't you realize how happy Wyndia would be, knowing her dad was still alive?
"Don't you love her?"
…
…
"… I do love her. And it is because I love her that I've decided to keep my distance and not interfere in her life." The Dragon Emperor frowned.
"The body I'm inhabiting is her daughter. More than that, I don't want to take my granddaughter's right to exist away from her as the possessor of the Dragon Emperor Fragment.
"I have only chosen to live on as I do presently because my help is needed. With you, and with my granddaughter."
"Hmmm? But aren't you also around so you can tell me all the interesting stories from your life, Grandpa?"
"Ha. If you absorbed me whelp, you'd be able to learn all the details of those stories and my lessons without me needing to tell you. Hmph, you'd even be able to teach your Father a thing or two on my behalf."
"But if I absorbed you, then I wouldn't have a cool grandpa to talk with anymore!"
"You've been spending too much time around that weird Filolial girl." Gaelion sighed. Though I do appreciate that at least one member of that detested species looks at us in a positive light. Strange as it is."
"Ehehehe! And Grandpa Gaelion's the coolest dragon ever! So I don't want you to go anytime soon! And neither does Daddy!"
…
"Could you rest again, little one? I'd like to speak one on one with your Father."
"Awwww. Can't I listen in, at least?"
"Not this time. There are things I wish to discuss with your Father in private. Things that I'm not ready to share with you yet, hatchling. But things I must share with him if I'm to ever get through one of these nights without him bothering me with the same questions over and over again."
"Awww… Ok. I should go back to sleep actually. Mommy would be disappointed if I was too tired to go hunting with her tomorrow.
"Good night Daddy!"
"... good night, sweetheart." Ren smiled.
…
The presence of the young dragon faded from the telepathic link, leaving only the Sword Hero and Senior Gaelion awake.
…
After a moment to gather his thoughts, Ren opened his mouth to ask Gaelion his question again.
"Have you ever wondered why I took Wyndia in as my own daughter, despite being a dragon?"
But Gaelion deflected the Sword Hero's attempt with something else.
"I… it's because you weren't a great and evil dragon. Like in my game…" Ren muttered the last part softly.
"Hmm. A gross oversimplification. A part of the truth, to be sure. But not quite."
Gaelion moved closer to the sitting Sword Hero, pressing her forehead against his future son-in-law's.
"Please, allow me to return the favor for violating the privacy of your mind and memories before. I want to show one of the earliest memories of my life, Sword Hero.
"I believe they might be helpful to you in understanding who I am. And why I do not wish to interfere in my daughter's life."
"... alright." Ren agreed.
Using telepathy, Gaelion did what he'd done in his dying moments to the Sword Hero months ago.
Showing to Ren Amaki memories of the old dragon's life.
"Gahhh…"
Ren saw a dragon, even smaller than his Wyr Dragon daughter, lying on the ground.
It had grey scales, colored red in blood from deep bleeding gashes that went along its side and back.
Burns covered its face and stomach. A chunk was missing from its tail. The cries the creature released were filled with pain and anger.
The scene looked like the mountains outside Mirso. Only it looked more barren, with no forests or any sort of undergrowth in the vicinity.
"Hmmm? Oh my." A blonde-haired woman walked into view. Startling the young, injured dragon. Who, despite its apparent pain and blood loss, growled threateningly as it took a defensive pose.
The woman, however, paid no heed to the dragon's aggression. Instead smiling happily as she extended out a hand. "I'm glad I found you when I did, little one. You look like you could use some help."
The dragon tried snapping at the woman's hand, but she easily evaded his jaws. Planting her hand on top of his head before rubbing it soothingly.
"There there. Not to worry. I'll fix you up no problem- oh." As she was speaking, the dragon, who tried to bite at her arm in its anger, suddenly collapsed to the ground. Exhaustion creeping through its entire body as darkness encroached on its mind.
"Oh dear. I'll have to work fast-"
As the woman was speaking, the dragon slipped into unconsciousness, bringing the scene to an end.
The next memory had the young dragon opening its eyes. Staring around in confusion at the small wooden room it was in.
Outside, it could hear the sounds of humans going about their day. Despite being a proud dragon, fear gripped the young one as it looked around in desperation. Trying to figure out where it was and, more importantly, how it could return home to take down the dragon he'd fought against.
"Oh, you're awake!"
"Gahhhhh!" The dragon cried out in shock as the blonde woman from before appeared in front of its face. A beaming, happy smile adorned her features as she crooned over the dragon hatchling.
"I'm so happy! I was worried that you weren't going to survive the night!" She clapped her hands together happily.
The little dragon, however, jumped from its cot. It hadn't spotted an exit or anything of the sort. It just wanted to get away from the situation he'd landed himself in.
"Gah!" Only, he cried out as, when he jumped, pain flared out from his side and back.
"Whoops! I got ya!" Thankfully, or unfortunately, his fall to the floor was stopped by the human woman catching him out of the air. She then proceeded to lay him gingerly back in the cot he'd been resting in. "Geez, you're a feisty one. Guess it makes sense, with you being a dragon and all.
"It's going to be a while before I can release you back into the wild though. I've closed up your surface wounds. But you things are really hard to patch up on the inside with normal human magic, you know."
The little dragon showed its appreciation at being under her care by trying to bite the woman's nose, only for said woman to dodge the bite just as she had every other time, before somehow managing to rub her nose against his snout.
"Ehehe. We're going to get along, I can already tell!"
The dragon did not believe that to be the case as it glared at her with all the hatred he could muster.
Which didn't mean much in the end since she found his angry face too adorable to get mad at.
Time passed with the dragon being stuck to the cot in the small room in the wooden house.
The blonde woman would come in when he was awake to use some strange kind of magic on its side and back. After which she'd then proceed to feed him and talk nonsense, before the dragon was laid back down to rest some more. And then the process repeated itself the next day, and the day after that, and the one after that.
The first few times, he snapped at her again and again with his jaws. Angered that he was being kept prisoner by a mere human. His wings longed for the outdoors. His body ached for the light of the sun. And his mind howled for revenge against the dragon who'd taken the cave he hatched in as its home.
"Come on, eat up, little Gaelion. You're not going to heal and become a big strong dragon if you refuse to eat."
"Gah." Then, after the first few times, Gaelion, as the woman had taken to calling him for some strange reason, had stopped trying to attack his caregiver. It was pointless, as she moved much too quickly for him to sink his teeth into her skin, and he got the feeling that even if he somehow did manage to bite her, the difference in their levels would have prevented him from doing her any serious harm.
Nevertheless, he refused to be babied by a mere 'human'. And Astrid, as the woman was called, began to pout as Gaelion refused the food she was shoving in front of his nose, which was held in a metal spoon.
"Geez, come on Gaelion! I know fish is your favorite! You're always gulping that stuff down when I leave you alone!"
"Gah ah-" Gaelion began shaking his head from side to side, adamant about not being hand fed by the stubborn woman. Only, opening his mouth to speak had been his undoing.
"Gotcha!" "GAH-ACK! ACK! ACK!" The woman stuffed the spoon through the small opening of his mouth, nearly causing the young dragon to choke in shock.
"There, see! Doesn't that taste good?!" The woman smiled brightly as she pulled her hand back, already grabbing another spoonful of mashed fish for the young dragon to eat.
"GAH!" How he'd wished to be able to shout 'NO' at her.
Unfortunately, she took his indignant cry as one of acceptance, and continued to feed him with the metal implement.
His pride as a dragon couldn't have fallen any lower as she then pinched his 'chubby little' dragon cheeks afterward.
Thus, the days turned into weeks. And eventually, as the muscles in his side and back finally healed, and as Gaelion grew larger, Astrid took young Gaelion out of the house. Giving him a chance to stretch his wings and hunt for himself.
"Gahahahahah!" Yes, finally, the freedom Gaelion had been desiring! Oh, how glorious it was!
The Usapil he came across didn't even have time to screech in terror before Gaelion sank his jaws deep into its flesh. Tearing the small rabbit monster apart in the blink of an eye.
With relish, he began to dig into his feast. Dismissing the exp notification that appeared in his vision to focus on the meal.
"Ooh, nice! You found a meal real quick Gaelion!" Astrid suddenly appeared next to Gaelion's head.
"GAH!?" The young dragon reeled away, shocked that the human woman had followed him.
"Ehehehe, I might not be a demi. But I'm still capable of tracking your scent, doofus." Astrid proceeded to boop Gaelion on the nose.
"Gah!" Gaelion glared at the human Astrid in anger, but Astrid simply laughed her carefree laugh and watched with joy as Gaelion tried to focus on the rest of his meal without further acknowledging the woman's presence.
And, almost reluctantly, he followed her back to her home to settle in for the night.
...
Escape was futile.
He couldn't even outfly her running speed.
And he had tried several times.
As the weeks turned into months, the young Gaelion's thoughts on the human woman Astrid continued to change and evolve.
He thought her at first to be just a stupid human. And by all accounts, that's all she was.
He witnessed her helping other monsters she found out in the wild while he hunted for his own food. They all reacted the same way he did. With hostility and not even a hint of intelligence.
Still, she helped them out like she had with him. And, in some way Gaelion couldn't understand, as some of these monsters later ended up being his next meal, he came to appreciate the woman and the kindness she expressed to everyone.
It appeared the other humans in the village loved and even respected her for that kindness as well. Beyond just monsters, Gaelion saw, and even accompanied along with her as she acted as a midwife for other humans. Or as a healer when someone's wounds needed tending to.
It was… beyond confusing. His genetics as a dragon predisposed him towards violence. Towards grasping for the top of the food chain with every ounce of power he could get his claws on. And indeed, as time passed, Gaelion eventually grew up into an adult, albeit small, dragon.
Yet, when he couldn't fit through the doors of Astrid's house anymore, she simply knocked down several walls inside and made a window big enough for him to fly in and out of. Saying she liked it better with him keeping her company.
It apparently reminded her of her time as a party member of the Bow Hero. And to her, it felt like she was paying him and the dragon he'd been friends with back when she'd been the party's healer.
Gaelion was confused by her statements. Bow Hero? A dragon that was friends with a human?
Yet if he'd learned anything by this point, it was that Astrid was not a liar. She was the most honest human- no, the most honest, most loving, and most caring creature he'd ever met.
Whenever he went to bed at night, because she'd gotten rid of her bed to allow room for him to nest, she'd lay against his stomach in the nest. Completely trusting that he wouldn't try to bite her hand or head off like he had when he was younger as she moved into dreamland.
Her kindness, her warmth… made him rethink much of what his genetics were yelling at him to do. What his nature wanted him to do.
But, as more time passed, the more time he spent around her, those instincts of his lessened, and lessened.
And, for a brief moment in time, he couldn't see himself as a dragon anymore.
One day, as he flew out, not to hunt this time, but to help his mother figure find and gather herbs she needed for some medicine for the upcoming winter, he came across a Usapil. One badly mauled by another monster.
One that hadn't fought it for food, or even for EXP. It'd been left there to die, just like Gaelion had been.
He immediately flew back to Astrid, leading her to the dying rabbit monster. He'd hoped that she'd be able to save it from such a cruel death like she had for him.
Yet when she saw the state of the creature, the smile that was on her face finally faltered.
With a weary sigh, she took a knife from her side, and stabbed the creature in its heart, killing it in an instant. Before using that same knife to start skinning it for its pelt.
…
Gaelion stared in confusion at what'd happened, before looking at Astrid again. She bore an expression that he'd never seen on her before, and after a moment, she paused in what she was doing to stare down at her kill, without turning to look at him.
"... Gaelion. As a dragon, you're born to follow the law of the wild. That the strong live to rule over the weak."
Astrid pulled her knife back, cleaning the blade of the monster's blood on the grass next to her. She then wordlessly sheathed it back into its place without taking a second look at it.
She then bowed her head over the dead monster, holding up its pelt while giving the remains a solemn look of reverence.
"As a healer, I do my best to save lives wherever I go. Whether they be human, demi-human, or monster. That's what I was taught growing up. And that's what I tried my best to do while in the Bow Hero's party…
"Even so, I know that not every life can be saved. And in those instances, you should help the ones who are suffering to go as peacefully as possible. Whether by giving them a merciful death, or just being there for them to hold their hands as they pass on."
…
Astrid let out a small sigh, before she looked back at the young dragon, and gave him a smile. "To be honest, I'm grateful I got to save you. Because, in a way, I feel as if you've saved me.
"I was so alone and without purpose after the Bow Hero and the others helped save the world, I wasn't sure what to do with myself.
"Thank you, Gaelion! I'm glad to be your friend!" Astrid smiled brightly. Offering the fresh kill to the dragon she'd bonded with.
Gaelion… was left speechless. And as he ate the monster, he felt the beginnings of regret and disgust at himself that this kind woman, his mother figure, his friend… had to kill on his behalf.
…
Never again.
He'd fight to prevent that from happening with all his being.
"Dragon Emperor!"
"Call the knights!"
"The knights are too far away!"
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
"GRAHHHHHHH!"
Gaelion arrived back to the village, his home, to the sound of chaos. The blood in his body chilled as he recognized the roar of the predator that'd fallen upon the small village.
He'd grown a lot since last time, yet as the opposing dragon flew out of a cloud of smoke, it became apparent that it was still twice as large as Gaelion. A hulking mass of muscle and firepower bred to kill.
In its massive talons, a man covered in armor, who'd identified the beast as a Dragon Emperor on his HUD, cried out for help once more.
Some hunters armed with bows launched a couple arrows in response, only for the arrowheads to bounce off the dragon's scales. The man was then subsequently crushed in the dragon's grip.
"Grah!" NO! Gaelion cried out.
The larger dragon's head snapped to the side and their eyes finally met. It let out a snarl, dropping the dead human back to the ground.
"So, you're the one who's presence I've felt growing in these parts."
Gaelion reeled back as the dragon's mind pressed against his. But it was quickly followed by the great beast's snapping jaws.
Gaelion instinctively pulled back, bringing his head out of biting range just in time. But then one of the opponent's large taloned fists slammed into his shoulder, knocking him back in the air as drops of blood from fresh cuts fell down his front.
"Grahhh!" Gaelion righted himself, and looked angrily at the monster before him.
Oh? Is that backbone I see? Maybe this battle will entertain me.
A deep, primal fear filled the younger dragon's heart as fight and flight instincts raged in his mind. But even with that, Gaelion opened his mouth and unleashed a surge of poison breath at his opponent.
A surge which was completely overcome as the Dragon Emperor's own flame breath attack completely overtook it.
Ahahaha. Your fear, so intoxicating. I love it.
Gaelion reeled back out of the new smoke cloud, coughing poisonous smoke from his nostrils as burns covered his face. The very next moment, his opponent rushed through the smoke cloud, slamming his bulk into his, swatting the smaller dragon out of the air as if he was nothing but a common house fly.
Boom!
The earth shook as Gaelion's body went through a small shack of the village. He shook his head as he got up, and with determination in his gaze, he launched off the ground, getting past the larger dragon's bulk and clawing at its side as he flew past.
Ahahahaha. Not even enough to scratch my scales. Though you are quite nimble. The dragon taunted.
Gaelion furled his wings in, letting out a roar as he streaked past once, twice, three times. Coming in fast at odd angles to land hits on the older, larger dragon, even as more humans tried helping out from down below, despite none of their arrows or weapons leaving more than an arrow sticking out of the Dragon Emperor's soft underbelly.
The three dives did nothing, little more than a scratch along a scale on the beast's back.
But it was after his third flyby that Gaelion saw the arrowshaft, and blood slowly dripping down it onto the ground below.
Right, even if he was a Dragon Emperor, they still shared the same weakness!
Gaelion angled his next dive to make it look as though he'd target the dragon's tail. But then, at the last second, he dove past it, and righted himself directly underneath his opponent to lash his claws along his soft and unprotected underbelly.
Almost.
Before his claws could connect, the tail he'd avoided slammed down onto Gaelion's back. With a surprised cry of pain as the spikes on it tore scales off, Gaelion fell to the ground.
"Incoming!" The remaining human fighters quickly backed away, and Gaelion impacted in their midst, thankfully not crushing any of them.
Aha! Ahahahahaha!
Unfortunately, it didn't stop the Dragon Emperor, who came down on top of two of the fighters, crushing them underfoot. Fools. Maybe if you lay down your weapons, I will let you imprint my greatness upon your minds before I kill you!
Gaelion stumbled to get back up. The fight and flight instincts in his mind were beginning to cloud everything he was thinking.
A Dragon Emperor! While Gaelion was just a normal dragon, not even more than a few years old at this point! He was faster, yes, but he was nothing in the face of his opponent's raw strength and power!
The dragon roared as fire escaped its mouth, burning down more of the wooden structures and humans around Gaelion who were still trying to fight.
The claws of its talons flexed as it darted forward. Moving impossibly fast with its bulk as it eviscerated another human through his chest.
And Gaelion just sat there, frozen up entirely.
He couldn't even tell what level his opponent was. All he knew was that his opponent outclassed him and the humans here in every way. Their weapons not being enough to even scratch the dragon's scales.
They had to run. To get out of there. They'd never win against their opponent. He had to get them out of there.
The humans… Astrid…
Suddenly, Gaelion's head looked past his opponent, at the fire blazing in the distance.
The fire that was consuming Astrid's home.
His home. Their home.
…
…
…
The Dragon Emperor was still laughing, playing with the human it'd killed with its bare hands while looking over all the other tasty morsels there when Gaelion was consumed by an emotion, one very familiar to his species. One that tapped him fully into his instincts as a dragon.
Rage.
The memory blurred. Tinged red with few details, thoughts, or exchanges able to be shown.
Gaelion's claws wracking through the side of the massive dragon, dislodging scales and piercing the flesh beneath.
A tail blow to Gaelion's head, the cuts from the spikes only enraging him more as he used his talons to remove most of the spikes and the scales surrounding the on said tail.
Flying directly into a fire breath attack and vomitting a cloud of corrosive poison directly into the larger dragon's throat.
The details of the memory that came after that showed how the fight quickly became more one-sided.
The opposing dragon's movements slowed. Its health bar above its head was tinged purple instead of red. The words it spoke via telepathy stopped being cocky and instead reflected anger, then fear.
Yet Gaelion did not acknowledge these words. The Law of the Wild- no, the threat to his home, the place he'd grown to love, pushed him past grievous injuries inflicted upon him earlier and during his rage-induced state to protect it and deal with this intruder.
Eventually, the intruder took to the air, flying towards the mountains in an effort to escape the young, and surprisingly strong dragon.
But Gaelion refused to let the coward escape.
He pursued the opposing dragon across the mountains. Refusing to let him out of his sight.
Eventually, the opposing dragon dropped towards a familiar clearing, which held an opening in the rock. Gaelion's former home, before this interloper drove him off.
His anger grew, alongside his growing lust for power. Here, he was at one with his nature, the one Astrid had tried so hard to nurture him out of growing up.
Gaelion landed on the dragon's back, ripping out its wings with his sharp claws.
The enemy's voice was mixed with pleading and promises of revenge, but again, Gaelion didn't even acknowledge the voice of his prey. He instead drove his teeth into the base of the dragon's neck. Biting and tearing with the help of his fangs as it tried with the last of its strength to dislodge the smaller whelp from its back.
Crunch!
But with a snapping sound, Gaelion's teeth came together, separating the dragon's head from its body.
He had now killed a Dragon Emperor.
"GRARRRRRRR!" Gaelion's triumphant roar reverberated throughout the mountains.
"Gah!"
The memory continued later, with Gaelion having returned to drag a badly burned, bleeding Astrid from the burning ruins of their home.
It'd only been after successfully killing his opponent that he'd realized he'd never checked to see if she was alive or not. And she was, but barely.
"Cough cough… Gaelion?" The woman said weakly. She not only had burns, but a large, slowly bleeding gash across her gut. In the background, more humans were working to pull out other survivors, or crying over those whom they'd lost.
The dragon, after pulling her out, and seeing how badly hurt she was, quickly rushed through the massive hole back into the house. His large talons seemed much bigger to him now as he tried grabbing for the least damaged herbs and medications for burns, blood loss, and everything else he'd learned while watching his caretaker.
But the majority of herbs he found were either destroyed, or badly damaged. And the medicines from completed concoctions laid shattered on the floor, or leaking out over furniture and random items from where they'd been thrown in the chaos of the Dragon Emperor's arrival.
No! No no no no no!
Gaelion, out of desperation, rushed with what little he did find hanging from his jaws as he came back to his caretaker. Resting the items on the ground and pushing the damaged herbs and medicines to her.
Please, she had to take them! He'd dealt with the threat to their lives! He'd overcome the opponent who'd left him for dead as a baby!
They'd be able to continue living together without needing to worry about the Dragon Emperor coming back! He could keep her company for the rest of her life!
"Gaelion…" Her hand reached for the medicines, only to stop short.
"Gah! Gah!" The dragon, incapable of speech, tried encouraging her to take them. To heal herself enough so she could cast her magic.
But looking her in the eyes, Gaelion saw the Usapil he'd found. The one he'd offered to Astrid, whom she'd killed because it couldn't be saved.
…
"Gaelion… thank you… for coming back to me." Astrid smiled, face pale and hand red as, instead of reaching for the damaged medicine, she placed her gentle warm hand against his paw. Her other hand went up and cupped his face.
"I'm so glad… to have you here… safe and well… at the end."
"Gah! GAH! GAH!"
The threat had been dealt with! So why? Why?!
Astrid let out a shaky breath, and then, with a smile still on her face, her eyes looked past his head, up at the distant blue sky.
And she passed quietly in Gaelion's claws.
"GAH! GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
His heart wrenching cry tore through the land soon afterward.
…
…
The memories following that weren't entirely coherent. Mixed with a multitude of rage, loss, grief, and above all that, guilt.
Self-reflection would eventually come. Gaelion realized that in pursuing the other dragon for revenge, he had ultimately cost Astrid her life.
He did not eat her body. The very thought made his stomach turn and filled him with disgust and revulsion at himself for even considering it, despite it being in his very nature.
Instead, he carefully buried Astrid in the same place the other humans of that village did for their own fallen. He did not understand the reason for it. But he felt like it was the right thing to do.
Afterward, with the village left in shambles, and his caretaker gone, Gaelion ended up returning to the cave he'd been born in and dragged the Dragon Emperor's carcass with him to the very back of it.
He was tired after everything, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Perhaps he'd retreated to the cave because his second home had been destroyed. Or maybe he'd feared what the humans would do after the attack.
Or maybe it was just because he had no one else he cared to share his kill with anymore? There could have been a million reasons why he did what he did.
Either way, in the days he spent eating the larger dragon so he'd be able to heal the various wounds he'd suffered from as well as to have the nutrition to grow from the levels he gained killing it, he came across its Dragon Emperor Fragment. And he came to realize in part that the reason why he'd done what he did was because the mind of the dragon he'd slain still lived on in it. And it'd been trying to influence him to partake of its fragment immediately so it could take his body over and live again.
Gaelion would not let it though.
He saved the fragment for last, waiting until his injuries had all healed and his body and mind had adjusted to the growth he'd acquired. Then, he ate the fragment, and more time passed as he fought a bitter, almost neverending battle with the older dragon personality, which still dwelled in it.
It was hard. Harder than the physical battle. Gaelion fell into a deep hibernation in the depths of the cave, allowing him to focus all his faculties on eradicating the pest attacking his mental barriers day and night over the course of months.
Even then, with all his preparations, he was nearly overcome several times from attacking the fragment's personality. But when he managed to get a clawhold inside the fragment, gaining a little of its power and memories, it became a downhill battle for the older dragon still living inside the fragment.
At last, Gaelion managed to expunge the old identity from the fragment in its entirety, permanently killing it and making the Dragon Emperor Fragment his own.
Gaelion grew even more in size after successfully integrating it with his body. And he learned quite a bit too from the knowledge the fragment held, like the ability of Telepathy, or the basics on Dragon Vein and Earth Vein, which included the ability to use his vitality for Healing Magic, something that could have saved Astrid.
There was basic knowledge on the Waves, basic knowledge on the Heroes of Legend, and more.
It also became readily apparent why he'd managed to best a Dragon Emperor in physical and mental combat despite Dragon Emperors being at the top of the food chain.
The one he'd destroyed in body and soul held the weakest fragment amongst their kind. It had fled from the north to escape those other Emperors busy warring against each other, after the planemerge had sown confusion and chaos amongst the human nations in general. These emperors would have slain him in a heartbeat even for his miniscule amount of power if it gave them an advantage against the others.
And so, Gaelion now had to live his life in solitude. Just as the fragment's predecessor had tried and failed to do. Unlike his predecessor, however, he was vastly more capable of living such a lifestyle.
Thanks to Astrid. The woman who helped him to overcome his evil nature.
With the bitter lesson of her death being his fault further reinforcing his more passive lifestyle.
Gaelion eventually returned to the Village, finding out many, many years had passed. In talking with the new village Elder, who'd been passed down the knowledge of how Gaelion saved their lives, he was led to the gravestone marking where Gaelion had buried Astrid many years ago.
And then, afterward, the new dragon emperor made a pact to live nearby as the village's secret protector. Asking only that he be given privacy in return.
Unlike most of his kind, he would not go out to acquire levels. Instead, he'd stay to his part of the mountains, helping the area to grow and prosper.
Forests rose from what had once been barren land. Gaelion used his power to summon rain and found solace with the monster races that came to settle there.
He hunted them only when he was hungry, or when the village didn't have enough food to offer him as thanks for his services, but otherwise he lived at peace. Having many offspring with the various monster mates he took on throughout his long life while keeping a respectful relationship with the humans. Even raising the rare orphan child who stumbled upon his abode and helping them back into the world long before he met and raised Wyndia, the last child he'd have.
And the one he considered to be the greatest of them all.
Ren opened his eyes, dry tear tracks running down the sides of his face.
Gaelion pulled his head back, but he was sitting on the ground now with a tired and grief-filled expression on his face.
"It has been… a long time since I thought over those memories." The dragon communicated in a bittersweet tone. "Astrid…"
"..." Ren remained silent. His mind still working to process what the old dragon had shown him.
"… I miss her still. The first of many kind humans I got to interact with. Who taught me what it meant to be kind and loving… and when she died… … …
"Sword Hero, your desire, your hunger to grow stronger… I understand that feeling all too well. Even after all this time, I still blame myself for her death.
"If I hadn't been so consumed by revenge… if I hadn't been so consumed by my natural drive for power… perhaps I could have saved her life.
"Perhaps, together, we could have gone and dealt with the Interloper once and for all… but ever since then, I've had to exert great effort since that time not to give in. To not let my evil nature take back what she gave to me.
"When… I was used to help further your Cursed Series… I gave in, again. Your desire for more power, I gave in… I gave in, and I almost lost my dear daughter because of it…"
…
"Yet this whelp- no, my granddaughter, she has none of that desire. She has no evil in her heart like I did. And I think that isn't just because of the monster crest.
"The monster crest helps with removing much of the evil nature from a monster and giving them more intelligence to listen to their owners. But you aren't her owners. She looks at you both as her mother and father.
"I see in her the possibility of redemption for the dragon race. The possibility of becoming known for more than just beasts seeking the blood or lust of all races beneath them.
"I share with her my stories and memories. But I do not wish for them to corrupt her. More than that, I wish after all the centuries I've lived for my vigil to come to an end. So that I may reunite with Astrid. That I may reunite with all my many offspring I've lost to time.
"That… Wyndia might grow into the woman I know she can become… without me there to coddle her as I did her entire life, to let my influence corrupt her, or keep her from becoming what she is now.
"If I came back… if I revealed myself to her… I worry I'd ruin all the growth she's undergone. That I'd stunt all the growth she'll continue to undergo in the future, with you at her side. The one brave enough to make an effort to change."
…
Ren didn't try to open his mouth. Words weren't forthcoming anyway, so he thought them instead. 'But wouldn't Wyndia feel better if she at least knew that you were ok?'
…
Ren hated that he couldn't think of anything else then, as the dragon Gaelion sighed over their telepathic link again.
"Again, I will at least stay around to help in the background. And I will trust you to not tell my daughter about me.
"But when my help is no longer needed, I will go and rest in peace. And I will wish for you to keep my offspring happy and cared for. Now please, don't ever ask me that question again.
"That is all for tonight. Rest well, Sword Hero."
And then, like that, Gaelion's mind withdrew.
…
The dragon in front of him shrank till she was the same size she was as a baby, and Gaelion raised a paw to her mouth as she yawned. "Daddy, Grandpa's retreated into a deep slumber. Is everything ok?"
"... not entirely, little one." Ren sighed sadly as he hung his head.
The little red dragon hovered into the air, planting herself on his shoulder. "Does Daddy want to talk about it?"
"I… don't really know." Ren looked down pathetically. "Would you be able to understand?"
"I don't think so… but if it helped Daddy to feel better."
…
…
"... it is late. How about we go have another bath before we return to Mommy? Daddy's curse is looking really bad right now."
"Y… Yeah. Let's do that." Ren agreed.
The two returned to their room at the inn, with Ren spending fifteen or so minutes sitting up to his neck in the Hot Springs.
Sure enough, he felt the effects of his curse retreat from his mind a bit, as it always did when he bathed there. Looking at the water, he thought he could also see faint black wisps hovering in the air.
It was probably his imagination. Yet he still felt to record it regardless.
When he was done, he dressed himself in his pajamas again, and Gaelion helped her tired and exhausted Daddy return to bed, where they found Wyndia still fully asleep. Sleeping peacefully in the center of the pillows all by herself.
However, as soon as Ren had settled in next to her under the blankets, the dog girl's body shifted towards the familiar source of heat that'd appeared next to her, and she hugged herself against his body.
Letting out a soft hum of satisfaction, her dreamworld improved immensely as she embraced her Sword Hero tightly.
…
Ren couldn't help the sad smile that appeared on his face as he kissed his girlfriend's forehead.
He felt guilty that he couldn't bring himself to go against her Father's wishes. And a part of him also felt guilty for sneaking off at night.
But then, as long as she could be happy, then perhaps he could think more about how to help her dragon father later, when he was better.
Yeah, he could think about it another time. When he was in a much better place. Maybe then, he'd be capable of convincing Gaelion to change his mind.
Letting exhaustion take him, and with their daughter settling on top of the blankets between them again, the Sword Hero slipped back into dreamland.
…
…
"Weakling."
And right back into the land of his nightmares.
Hero Clips!
Gaelion's Alive
As shocking as the revelation had been, Gaelion had indeed still been alive and well in the Emperor Fragment. And thanks to being consumed by the young dragon, he was able to reveal himself and talk one on one with Ren.
Normally, such scenes wouldn't be covered as the nature of them would detract from the seriousness of the chapter as is... but given that we can go fully into crack territory here.
"... what?"
Ren stared down in shock at his dragon daughter, who'd just eaten the Dragon Emperor Fragment that day and woken him up in the middle of the night.
"Come now, Sword Hero. Don't tell me it's been so long since you forgot what my voice sounded like.
"Does this deep baritone sound like something a young baby female dragon would possess?"
Ren's eyes widened further. His girlfriend continued to snooze next to him, unaware of what was going on.
"You're... you're, you're!"
Ren's mouth opened to scream.
"No screaming." The small dragon's red paw covered the Sword Hero's mouth.
...
...
...
She started to retract her paw after a while-
"Ahh-"
Gaelion quickly covered his mouth again. Glaring down at the Sword Hero.
"Calm down! Is it really that shocking that I'm still alive, Sword Hero?!"
...
...
...
A while later, she uncovered his mouth again.
"AHH-"
Only to be forced to cover it again. Her glare turning into a look of exasperation.
"For Gods' sake, this shouldn't be the biggest surprise you've ever experienced in your life?!" Gaelion roared over the telepathic link.
...
Eventually, she uncovered Ren's mouth, and the shaking Sword Hero, while he didn't scream, stammered out a question as his earlier response had confused him. "W-What do you mean?"
"I mean, wasn't it even more surprising when the best friend you'd hurt and bullied as 'Dark Shadow' in your previous life came to comfort you in that room after your mother was hospitalized?" Gaelion asked.
...
...
...
Oh, right, he never had informed Ren that he'd also gotten a look through his memories before saying that.
"AHHHH-"
And Gaelion was forced to cover the Sword Hero's mouth again.
Needless to say, it took a long while for Ren to calm down after realizing his dead father-in-law was alive and well, and had gone through all his deepest darkest memories... and was also inside his young dragon daughter.
Which led to a complete other can of worms that'd likely be touched on in a future omake. :)
Till Next Time
Allen