The Dragon Within

by SlyOkami

  “Pull!” Erik shouted, as he himself struggled, as miasma suddenly oozed out of the violet runes.

  “I-I can’t! I can barely hold on!” Shizuka replied in panic.

  “Damn…Hell script! I should’ve known!” Erik said, surging his lightning to envelop the drake’s body, doing his best to hold the miasma at bay.

  “I’ve got no clue what the hell is going on, but if you need to move…” Nerick said, as he grabbed Shizuka by her arms, then effortlessly raised her off her feet.

  “H-Huh?!” Shizuka panicked with embarrassment as she felt herself being swept off her feet, trying her best not to lose her grip on the pale soul even as she was surprised.

  “Good call! Pull her over to the human!” Erik said through struggled groans of agony, as the miasma permeated his surroundings, tendrils of the demonic energy lashing out towards Shizuka and Nerick while his lightning restrained it.

  Thea joined them, moving to shield Shizuka from the miasma with her body and grabbing her by the shoulders. Thea pushed, Nerick pulled, and Shizuka did her best to hold on.

  As slowly, they approached the human body that lay only feet away.

  As Shizuka watched the pale flame being pulled out of the green drake, brighter tendrils of it joining the piece she held onto, tendrils that took to the body behind them. Until, they finally detached the soul from the green drake’s body.

  And the piece she held onto, suddenly flared a bright emerald.

  Shizuka had no choice but to let go, as the soul pulled far too strongly this time. She let go, causing all three of the to stumble and fall over, as the soul rushed into the woman’s body.

  Seeing the miasma dissipate, Erik too fell back, sighing in relief as he sat down.

  Thea groaned as she rose, “W-What happened?” she asked, glancing over at Shizuka to her left…Who lay sprawled out on Nerick as he held her, her face a deep crimson as she trembled with embarrassment.

  Thea noticing as she looked lower, that Nerick was holding her from one arm, but his left hand had moved a bit further around…laying on Shizuka’s left breast.

  Realising what he was holding onto, and Ivara’s annoyed bite snapping him out of his daze, Nerick immediately let go and opened his arms wide. “S-Sorr-”

  But his apology was cut short, not only as Ivara move from biting his ear to biting his nose, but as Shizuka stood up…Stepping over his crotch as she did, causing Nerick to yelp in pain and his entire expression to turn ghostly pale.

  Thea awkwardly watched as Shizuka stood up all too straight, glancing back at Nerick with wide harrowing eyes, a tear slowly streaking down her right eye. Before looking away, then kneeling down, hugging herself as she mumbled under her breath.

  Thea moved in to comfort her, “It was an accident…come on.” Telling her that.

  As she kept hearing Shizuka mumble, “I’m ruined…” over and over to herself.

  Erik ignored all this as he stood up, not comprehending what had just occurred. But then seeing that the demonic runes were still active over Ivyieth’s draconic body, “It’s not over yet…” he told them, as he stepped back and away.

  As the runes flared alight once more, shining twice as bright as before.

  Miasma rushed out of them, engulfing the empty drake’s vessel in a violet fog which then grew dozens of tendrils. The tendrils stabbed into the rubble beneath, the miasma flowing down into the earth in mass amounts. As one tendril, slithered over to Delirio’s husk.

  Once reaching the Black Dragon’s body, the tendril entangled itself around it, forming smaller tendrils and engulfing it like a net before starting to pull it towards the main cloud.

  “W-What’s happening?” Nerick asked with wide eyes and a strange voice, as Ivara was still biting his nose.

  “I don’t…I don’t know.” Erik responded with just as much confusion, he had broken the ritual so why…Why was it still active?

  He could only watch, unsure, unwilling to do anything for fear of making things worse.

  They all watched, as the tendrils pulled dozens of monstrous corpses out of the ground.

  Ramzi’s…Delirio’s collection of monsters, killed in the battle and downfall of each island. Their remains…alongside the Dragon’s, they were all pulled into the purple cloud.

  No matter the size, even if they were twice as big as the cloud. They would sink and disappear into it, as if being taken into a different dimension within the fog.

  Eerily quick, until the last, each tendril re-joined the main mass of miasma.

  And the cloud suddenly shuddered.

  Sensing the expansion of energy, Erik raised his hands ahead as he stood in between it and the rest. “Draconic School; Drako; Scale Barrier!” He quickly chanted, summoning a barrier of raging lightning all around them.

  As the cloud of purple miasma, turned just as bright as the tendrils were.

  Then brighter.

  And brighter…

  Before the entire cloud exploded, expanding suddenly as black energy rushed out with. The darkness engulfed everything, filling the Lair and colliding with the barrier that kept the ocean out. Finding nowhere else to go, the darkness rose upward, crackling with violet energy as it ascended.

  Erik struggled to retain his barrier, as the energy of Hell itself clashed with his.

  Having to squint, to barely make out the violet rift in reality that lay glowing, where the cloud once was.

  Barely able to see a creature step out of it…

  * * *

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETnqOxS2Sw

  * * *

  Humanoid in shape, but nothing alike to human.

  The ceature had pale grey skin, and bright violet eyes, burning with a corrupted flame. But that was all Erik could make out as they met his gaze, the darkness between them suddenly fading, yet it still continued to rush out of the rift and upwards.

  And as the darkness cleared from ahead of him, Erik could now make out the being better.

  Cracked and pale grey skin, wide and curious violet eyes.

  Long pale green hair, reaching the being’s waste.

  Obviously male, from the seems of their bare-naked body. No horns, no tail…But very much a Devil.

  A Devil who spread his mismatched wings wide, a dark purple leathery wing on his left, and a pitch black feathered wing on his right. Half a Fallen Angel, Erik noted, and Half Demonic.

  The Devil chuckled, smiling widely as he met Erik’s hateful gaze.

  “Ah…Erikathyr! I knew you’d choose to kil-…help?…No no…save! The youngling! But it seems, you did not weigh the cost of saving her…” It spoke, their vile voice almost giggling with excitement, as their long emerald tongue lay dangling out of their just as green lips.

  Erik was about to release his barrier and lunge at the hellspawn, but a rush of darkness from the rift made him warier, forcing him to stay on the defensive.

  The Devil chuckled once again, their expression and tone brimming with hysteria as they did. “Ahaha! You already wish to hug…fight? Fight! Tired as you are? Apologies, mighty Dragon. For I am too ready…No no…tired? Weary from my trip myself! Oh, but worry not my dearest, we shall meet never aga-…soon enough! We shall meet again soon enough!” It exclaimed with arms wide open, as it began to flap its wings.

  Rising off the ground, “Ah, when…what? Where! ARE my manners!?” it then chuckled, pausing its rise.

  Then bowing, barely a bow and more closely akin to a head-bang, as he lowered and then rose back up all too quickly. Waving their messy hair about as they did.

  “I am Brazath! Third…Second? First?…Oh no four-Third! Third son of the great…fool-mighty! Great Hell King Xokith! A pleasure…” Brazath said, shuddering as he licked his lips, “To make your acquittance!” then breaking out into a horridly maniacal laugh. “But for now, I must bid you adieu! Wyv-…Rat? Demon?…Dra-…Dragon! Haha!”

  Brazath continued to laugh, his words barely making any sense to Erik as he continuously changed his tone and see
mingly spoke in question instead of stating clearly. As if, unsure himself what he was trying to say.

  The Devil opened his arms wide, as he continued his rise. “To when we meet again, and thank you…But for now, farewell!” Brazath exclaimed, beating his mismatched wings before suddenly exploding with movement. Rushing into the nearest wall of water, pausing briefly as he seemingly hurt himself, and then realising he was drowning…

  But even then, he seemingly shuddered with pleasure, before batting his wings once more and rushing off at the same insane speed. Soaring through the deep water, and out of sight.

  Erik watched as the rift closed on itself, the darkness which rushed out of it dissipating into the air…

  As the barrier around the Lair, collapsed all around them.

  Erik dropped his own, and briefly watched in annoyance as the crater of air shrunk around them. As the ocean closed in on them. “Gather around me!” He told the rest, opening his arms wide as he focused.

  Barely noticing as Thea and Shizuka came to stand next to him, while Nerick heaved up the human slave’s body with little help from the frantic Ivara.

  Erik focused, “How did you get here?” He asked, as lightning struck out of his fingertips and into the rubble below. “How did you make it to this place?” He asked once again, after receiving a confused mumble as an answer.

  All the while the water was very quickly closing in on them.

  “T-The ship! The Orca, we took the Orca!” Thea exclaimed in a panic.

  Erik nodded, as he went through each spell in his mind that could be of use.

  Then deciding on one, he began to chant.

  “Rise out of your constraints. Attracted to my presence, follow my voice and reach your true destination! The weight is meaningless as the very earth moves out of your way. Gravity, inexistent as you rise! So come forth! Draconic Summoning; Drako; Same Plane Summon!” Erik quickly chanted, as the water reached them.

  As the ground beneath them, suddenly rose, the rubble exploding outwards and meeting the rushing waters.

  And out of that rubble, the previously sunken and buried North Orca rose out with great speed.

  Ascending upwards and taking some rubble, and them with, as it rose.

  Rising so quickly that each of them was forced to lay down on the ship’s floor, their faces pushing into the metal from the sheer force of movement the ship had gained.

  Nerick and Shizuka screamed at the top of their lungs from fright, Thea having to hold onto the unconscious Ivyieth’s new vessel as they did.

  And the ship continued to rise, as the Lair collapsed all around it. Soaring up and out as the ocean closed up entirely, the Orca flew several dozen meters higher even after reaching the surface.

  Slowly levelling out, their screams lessening as it did…

  And then it began to fall, their screams increasing in volume as it did.

  And having nothing to grab onto, Nerick and Shizuka were left to grasp about in panic, waving their hands and legs about as they fell behind the ship.

  Until, Erik who had spread his wings and took flight, grabbed one of them. Holding Thea in the other hand.

  One of them, Erik had grabbed Nerick as he and Shizuka unknowingly held onto each other in terror.

  Slowly Erik began to glide down, watching as the ship roughly crashed back into the water, but thankfully remained whole.

  “G-Ge-Get your paws off me!” Shizuka exclaimed as she realised who she was holding onto, her fur standing on end as she pushed against Nerick’s face.

  “Yu-You wi-will fall!” Nerick tried to say, as she deformed his face from pushing her hands into it.

  “I d-don’t care! Let me go you beast!” Shizuka continued to shout, frantically pushing away from him as her expression increasingly reddened.

  Nerick though just held on, rolling his eyes as he suffered through her struggling.

  Until finally, they approached the ship’s deck.

  And…Erik let go of the both them, in spite, of all their moving about. Letting them slam onto the ground, although it was mostly Nerick’s back as he groaned in pain, since he had continued to hold onto Shizuka and they had somehow switched places.

  Him ending up on the bottom and taking the fall for the both of them.

  “Gah, what the hell was that for?” Nerick asked as he blinked the tears out of his eyes, he had dropped from several meters and albeit his body being highly resistant to damage, it still hurt.

  Opening his eyes though, he was met with a tomato-faced Shizuka, as she trembled with fury.

  Then realising, which part of her back his right hand was holding onto…

  Before even having any time to react, Shizuka pushed away from him, slapping him across the face as she stood up. “Animal.” She growled down at him, her eyes wide with anger.

  “You’re very welcome,” Nerick said with clear annoyance as he sat up, rubbing his right cheek as it lay mildly reddened.

  Erik landed then, gently dropping Thea as she held onto Ivyieth. Who she then laid down, before collapsing to the ground herself.

  Thea ignored their bickering, as she took a deep breath. Gazing up at the starry night above, she pushed away the dread of what had just occurred and let the relief wash over her.

  “We’re alive…” She mused.

  “Well this one won’t be for long…” Shizuka warned as she glared at Nerick dangerously, but backing away from him as he stood up, her ears rearing back over her head as she hissed.

  “That we are…” Erik said, ignoring the two as well, as he came to kneel before Ivyieth’s still unconscious body. “We survived…I…I have my wings…And Brazath is here, in this realm…”

  “All in all? Not too bad, shit we’re alive aren’t we?” Nerick offered with a weak chuckle.

  “Yeah…” Thea said quietly, continuing to gaze up at the stars.

  Before suddenly, starting out as a stifled chuckle, she began to laugh.

  With her, Nerick laughed as well, although feeling sick as he covered his own mouth for fear of vomiting.

  Shizuka too, fell back to her knees, hugging herself as she chuckled. Tears streaming down her face as she did.

  The three of them, minutes earlier and for the briefest of moments…Before Delirio, before a Black Dragon and his Lair…And as Hell opened up before them, releasing a Devil to this world…Each of them had given up on survival.

  But now, the sheer relief that filled them, was enough to induce hysteria.

  As they laughed, and cried.

  “Indeed…” Erik mused, smiling to himself as he sat down on the ground. Both worried, and relieved.

  While he also looked up to stare at the stars, a sky he thought he’d never see again.

  Ch 48 - A Forewarning ahead of Farewell

  Erik stood over the ring of runes he’d just spent several minutes drawing onto the ship’s floor, dropping the piece of red chalk he was holding before raising his right hand forward. Lighting surged out of his fingers, striking down into the special chalk and lightning up the entire ring with mana. “Done, I should be able to open a portal to my Lair now. But we won’t be able to return to Sinroz until the Orca makes it there.” He explained to the rest as they stood ready behind him, Nerick waiting for him to finish before picking up the still unconscious Ivyieth.

  “About that…Kyllix tore open a few rifts into the Lair from Sinbeni so we could get around easier…” Shizuka said, causing Erik’s shoulders to stiffen, his eyes to narrow and his lips to twitch between neutral and a stifled grimace.

  “He…did…what?” Erik asked, accidentally changing to elven. But his annoyance didn’t last long, he was too tired to keep it up, as his shoulders slumped moments after. “I’ll…deal with it later.” He then sighed, “I guess I should have done this earlier.” Before turning to Thea and raising his right palm open towards her.

  “Huh? What are you doing?…” Thea asked awkwardly as he stood with eyes closed before her.

  “Granting you access to
the Lair,” Erik said as his hand suddenly glowed a dim gold. “By my name, Erikathyr, I grant you Theaviss, the key. Draconic School; Drako; Lair Access; Grant Chosen.” He whispered a short spell in Draconic, while turning his palm slowly upside down. And when he stopped, a jolt of energy burst out of his fingertips and into Thea’s right hand.

  She almost jumped in surprise, raising her now glowing hand to inspect the strange runes that covered it for several moments, before slowly fading away.

  “You can now open portals to my Lair, as long as you memorise and exactly construct the summoning circle that is.” Erik said, pointing down at the overly complex runic drawing on the floor.

  “I…don’t think I will remember that.” Thea warned as she stared at the ring with wide eyes.

  “I can remember it!” Shizuka offered, raising her right hand with enthusiasm, her eyes locked on Thea’s hand.

  “Right, you draw it and Thea can open it then.” Erik said, ignoring the disapproving look she gave him as he turned away. “Try to open one now actually,” he then said, gesturing for Thea.

  “Yeah…Open a hole through reality and space to another place far away…How exactly?” Thea asked, glancing at him as she stepped to stand outside the circle.

  “Imagine a wall of cloth ahead of you, and think of your hand as a blade. Hold your arm forward, and while moving it like this,” Erik explained as he demonstrated a downward cut with his right hand, “Picture said blade cutting through the cloth.”

  “Right…You might want to stand back…” Thea warned as she raised her right arm forward, Erik shrugged her words off but Nerick took several steps back. “Thanks for the vote of confidence Nerick!” She told him, noticing that he had.

  Nerick saluted in response, wearing a snide smirk all the while.

  Turning back to face the runic circle before her, Thea slashed her hand downward, frustrating clear in her expression as she did.

  And reality, tore open, surprising even her.

  She felt nothing touching her hand, but space ahead of her had clearly been torn open into a three-meter-tall rift.

  “Choppy work but I guess it’ll do,” Erik mused.