DING!
Race
Giant Tree Vulture
Health
7790
Level
503
Mana
7510
Element
None
Stamina
3370
Its stats are really low for its level, I noticed.
“That’s expected,” Nyx said. “Its race doesn’t seem like it would give it too many advantages.”
Yeah, I said. I lifted myself off the bear and onto the floor. “I’ll take care of this.” I walked forward.
The bird stared at me, and its wings were still outstretched. I hunched down on the ground, my hands hovering over Dawnbreaker’s hilt. I shot out, surging to the bird in less than the blink of an eye. My blade swung out and I struck right through it, cutting it clean. I slid to a stop and shot at it once more, striking it twice this time as I brought myself to a standstill.
The large bird collapsed, its health bar already down to zero and fading.
DING!
Congratulations! You have defeated Giant Tree Vulture (Lv. 503)! Reward: Talons of the Giant Tree Vulture. Reward: 300000 XP.
All of a sudden, a series of cries echoed through the air, and I could tell they were similar to what we’d just heard.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
Irmeia laughed. “Looks like they’re not too happy that you killed off their comrade.”
“We’ll just take them out,” I said.
Suddenly, trees around us fell over like toothpicks, as if something large had snapped them. In moments, the immediate greenery around us disappeared, only to be replaced by a pack of Giant Tree Vultures that now surrounded us.
“What do we do?” Freya asked as the bears all bunched together, not seeming that confident about taking these creatures on just by themselves. Luckily for them, they didn’t have to take them all out on their own.
“We fight,” I said and lifted Dawnbreaker.
But that wasn’t actually necessary.
The birds suddenly froze, all at once. Their heads turned around in random directions, looking through the forest. They cried out once, and then fluttered away, not taking to the air like before, but instead running through the trees.
“That was…odd,” I said.
“Do you think they realized they couldn’t beat us?” Irmeia asked.
“Maybe? I’m not sure what just happened here.”
“I don’t like this,” Nyx said.
An eerie silence filled the forest now. Not that it hadn’t been silent before. It was just that it was more silent now, as if even the ambient noises of the forest — the sounds of the wind running through the branches, the sounds of leaves falling to the ground — had all been made void.
The light around us quickly dimmed down, and the red glow in the sky disappeared as dusk left and nightfall arrived. We looked at each other. There was nothing out of the ordinary that seemed to be going on, and yet we hadn’t moved.
The bears were all still hunched up. Something is bothering them. I quickly activated my Night Vision skill and glanced around. What the heck is going on? I wondered.
“Oh no.” Acnologia whispered.
A monstrous roar boomed through the forest, rattling branches and shaking trees. A gale of cold wind rushed through the forest, blasting into faces like a turbulent wave.
I heard the sound of wings flapping, and before I could even react. It happened.
A massive beast broke through the treetops, and landed onto the ground with a loud thud. A Dragon, I glanced at it, my body frozen. Not just any Dragon, but the Dragon that we’d just seen fly into the forest below.
The great beast turned around, and its navy-blue body glistened in the forest’s darkness. Its eyes of dark purple glared at us, and a deep growl left its throat as it gazed upon me.
“Filthy Dragonborn.” His voice rumbled in my head. “Now, how shall I kill you?”
***
CHAPTER TEN
My body froze.
The dragon’s eyes looked right at me, and then it let out of a terrifying roar. My ears went deaf in the sound, and the world became silent in that one moment.
The Volcanic Forest Bears went crazy, fear gripping their hearts. I jumped off mine, landing on the forest floor, and tapped my ears, trying to get my sense of sound back. The others had disappeared deeper into the forest. The dull flames of the Volcanic Bears glowed a few yards away and faded a second later.
Oh, I forgot to get Oris off, I realized. He’ll just have to figure things out on his own.
I gazed at the Dragon before me, and kept my entire focus on it.
“Dragonborn,” the great beast muttered, still glaring at me.
“I’m not a Dragonborn.” I stood up straight. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Lies!” the Dragon hissed. It opened its mouth and a blast of blue flames shot out. I dodged to the side, and line of fire missed me. It caught onto the forest floor instead, and burned through the dry twigs on the ground, sending an eerie blue light into the air. The flames reflected in the Dragon’s eyes as it walked up to me.
This is bad, I thought.
“Why does he even think you are a Dragonborn?” Acnologia asked.
My fists clenched. I don’t know.
And then it hit me.
“It’s because of you,” I whispered.
The Dragon of blue spewed another blast of fire at me and I dodged once again, letting a line of trees get attacked instead.
“What do you mean it is because of me?” Acnologia asked.
You’re in my mind right now because of the familiar storage thing, I said. This guy must have sensed you and assumed your presence was in here because I’d become a Dragonborn.
“That explains it.”
Nyx, I called out. I don’t have the time to get into my familiar menu. Summon Acnologia for me.
“On it,” Nyx said.
“Why are you running away, Eternal?” the blue Dragon looked at me, and a low rumble sounded from its throat.
“I am not who you think I am,” I said.
“Trust is not something you can win easily.”
“And wild accusations are not something I expect to be thrust upon me.” I quickly used my Analyze skill on the beast as I spoke, and the screen popped into my mind.
DING!
Name
Elizah
Health
19790
Race
Ancient Dragon
Mana
21510
Level
1457
Stamina
23370
Okay, if this thing lands an attack on me I’m pretty much dead, I said. Acnologia, how are you not this strong?
“It appears resurrecting me nerfed a lot of my strength,” he said. “I will gain my true powers soon. In fact, this Dragon appears to be one of the inferiors of my race. The strongest of Dragons were much higher leveled than this, as was I.”
That is both terrifying and comforting, I muttered. I turned to the blue Dragon. “Listen, Elizah,” I said. “Let’s calm down now, shall we? There’s no reason for all this fighting. We can have a civil conversation. There’s no need for battle here.”
“My name,” the Dragon hissed. “How do you know my name?!”
Uh oh. My shoulder’s tightened. The blue Dragon growled at me and sparks of blue flames shot out of its mouth. Nyx, anytime now would be nice. I stepped back.
“I’m trying!’ the spirit exclaimed. “Give me a few seconds.”
I can’t hold him off for that long. I looked into the forest, searching for the clearest path before me.
I turned to my right and shot forward, away from the great beast. My legs pumped across the forest floor as I charged through, snapping fallen branches and kicking stray rocks as I made my way forward. Loud footsteps chased after me, but I could only hope they weren’t fast enough to catch u
p. I needed more time.
“You’re running for it?” Nyx asked. “You could have tried using Frozen Night or Shadow Travel. Those spells would have gotten you away from the Dragon.”
There are four more people in this forest that I need to protect, I said. This Dragon might go after them if he loses track of me. I am not cloaking myself or teleporting away.
“As opposed to what you’re doing now?” he asked. “You’re still running away. I’m not sure why.”
TO GIVE YOU TIME TO GET ACNOLOGIA OUT, YOU IDIOT, I yelled.
“Whoa, calm down,” he said, and I could hear a bit of tension in his voice.
Nyx, I said. What happened with the familiar menu?
“I…uh…can’t seem to find any option that lets you get Acnologia out.”
“What?” I stopped. My momentum immediately tripped me over and I collapsed onto the floor, rolling multiple times over the forest soil before thudding to a stop against a tall tree.
“Ugggh.” I groaned as I stood myself up. “What do you mean you can’t get him out?”
“The option isn’t presented anywhere in the Ga’em menu,” Nyx said. “There’s a familiar storage system in the Familiar Menu, and I can see Acnologia in it, but I can’t find any way to get him out.”
“You bloody Eternal.” The blue Dragon emerged out of the darkness.
Did he teleport? I grit my teeth. I looked at the Dragon, and stared into his gaze. “You and I are on opposite sides of a war, Dragon,” I said. “Do you want blood and battle to cloud your sense of thinking? Or would you rather be civil?”
“Civil?” he chuckled. “When every last Eternal is brought to their weak knees, when the Dragons I saw tortured to death are avenged, when I kill the men who shed rivers of blood as my loved ones wailed out in pain — then I will be civil.”
I stood still at the Dragon’s words, the imagery invoked stirring strong emotions inside of me, for they were all terrible images, but they were images I knew to be true.
“I know you do not wish to stereotype an entire race,” I said. “Do not group me with those that wish to become Dragonborn. We are not the same. We are nothing alike.”
“I have said this to you before, Eternal,” the Dragon said. “Trust is not something you can win easily.”
“And I have said this to you before as well. Wild accusations never help anyone.”
“Do not lie to me. I sense the presence of a Dragon with you,” Elizah growled. “Who did you kill? Which poor comrade of mine did you brutalize because of your thirst for power?”
Acnologia, can you not reach out to him? I asked. He might calm down if he hears you speak.
“Your Spirit Space is the only reason I can speak to you right now,” Acnologia said. “There is no way I can speak to Elizah.”
Nyx, I said. Any progress?
“I cannot find a way, Zoran,” the spirit said. “I…I’m sorry.”
Dammit, I muttered. My finger traced a line along Dawnbreaker’s handle. Should I lift the blade? I wondered. Doing so would surely declare battle against the Dragon, but not doing so would make me a simple target for him. And I did not want to die right now. The Resurrection mechanics of a man brought to the past and then killed sounded too complex for me to want to go through.
“Speak to me, Eternal,” Elizah growled. “Or do you not wish to answer? Do you not wish to tell me which Dragon was needlessly tortured for your selfish desires?”
I grit my teeth. “I DID NOT TORTURE ANYONE,” I yelled. The Dragon stepped back, stunned at my sudden outburst. I didn’t blame him. I was stunned too, and I kept my mojo going. “I’ve sat here and listened to you accuse me of things I didn’t do, over and over again. You know what? I’m sick and tired of this. Do you want a battle? Sure, come on.”
I lifted Dawnbreaker out of its sheath, and held it high up into the air. Nyx, run a check on where Freya is, I said.
“Already did,” Nyx said. “She’s about two hundred yards away from here. I can’t discern anyone else’s location at the moment.”
“You are daring, Eternal,” Elizah said. “I will give you that much.”
The Dragon spread its wings out, and in less than half a second, the beast was already in front of me, ready to smash into my body. I pushed off the floor and jumped into the air, just high enough to let the beast pass under me. The moment my feet touched the ground once again I pushed forward, running to the dragon.
“Eternal, it is not good to fight a dragon,” Acnologia said, as I recoiled to strike.
It is the only way. I wound up my attack.
“Remember what I told you when we first met? In this time, you are a man on the side of reason. You never hurt a dragon, let alone kill one. This will change the past of who you were, and what your place was in this Eternal Dragon War.”
I froze, and my legs buckled beneath me instantly. I dropped to the floor, and slid across the soil until I stopped mere yards before the blue Dragon.
“Giving up already?” Elizah asked.
I picked myself up, the sword still in my hand. “To end this battle, one of us will have to die,” I said. “Seeing how I’m the only one with a resurrection ability, it will have to be me.”
The Dragon chuckled. “Is this your stance?” he asked. “Surrendering does not quench my thirst for revenge, Eternal. You will feel the pain I have felt, you will feel the pain I have seen. Vengeance does not forgive.”
A spark of silver emerged between us, and in an instant a flame of soul-silver rose up, extending high into the tree tops. A monstrous roar echoed out of nowhere, and sailed into the night skies. I looked at ahead, and my Night Vision showed me an astounding sight.
A dragon of pitch-black emerged from the flame, and his wings spread out, protecting me from Elizah. His eyes were colored the same shade as the flames, and he glared at the blue Dragon, anger coursing through his gaze.
“YOU WILL NOT HARM HIM,” the Dragon roared.
“You...You’re Acnologia,” Elizah backed away, and his legs trembled. “You must have been the presence I felt inside him. But how?”
“There is much you don’t understand, young Dragon,” Acnologia said. “And to be fair, it is something that even I do not completely understand. I am a spirit that lives inside this Eternal. I chose to do so myself. There is nothing being forced onto me here.”
The blue Dragon looked at me, and then looked back to Acnologia. “You chose to live inside an Eternal?” His tone sounded confused. “Why would you do that? They’re the enemy, are they not?”
I could see that Acnologia had put himself in a tough situation. There was no way he could explain anything without telling Elizah of events that had not happened yet, and doing such a thing was not good. Messing with the twists of time was not something I wanted to try.
Ever.
Acnologia sighed. “It is hard to explain, young Elizah,” he said. “But I will tell you what. I am in need of a favor. Do something for me and I will reveal all that you wish to know.”
What are you doing? I asked, but the dragon didn’t respond.
The blue Dragon on the other hand seemed enticed by this offer. His eyes sparkled at the trade. “Very well,” he nodded, and sounded calmer now. “What do you need?”
“I am searching for a great Dragon scholar,” he said. “One that could help me learn of everything within these lands.”
“Eh?” he asked. “But Acnologia, are you not one of the most learned Dragons?”
I saw him sigh once again. “But think of a man even more brilliant that I. One that we could find relatively close by.”
Wow, that’s pretty narcissistic, I said.
“You will appreciate what I am doing for you here, Eternal,” he said.
“Ah!” the young Dragon said. “That would certainly have to be Polaris.”
“What?” Acnologia looked at the young one.
“Oh yes, Polaris is known to most as the most learned Dragon of all.”
He paused. “Is
he the only one you know of that is within these regions?”
“Indeed,” he said. “That Dragon would be the one you should seek. He lives down in the forest, a third the way between here and the river.”
“I know,” Acnologia said. “I have one last question for you.”
“Anything.”
“Those two Eternals that were fighting down there,” he said. “I saw you fly down to their battle. What did you do?”
“I went to observe, nothing more. I quickly moved away when I noticed the presence of this Eternal.” He gave me a dirty look. “The Dragon presence within him was enough to make me abandon everything and charge after him.”
“Thank you, that was all I needed to know.”
“I also had a few questions to ask of you, how did—”
“Elioris,” Acnologia said.
A circle of light shone underneath Elizah and the blue Dragon dropped down to the ground, unconscious.
I blinked. “What did you do to him?”
“Memory manipulation,” Acnologia chuckled. “As I said before, meddling with the past is not good at all. I have removed you and myself from his memory. He will recall nothing of this incident.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That sounds like a very powerful spell.”
“It has its own pre-condition,” he said. “One of them is that the subject of my attack should have complete trust in me.”
I looked at the unconscious Dragon. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sorrow for him. Having one’s memory pulled away was all too familiar a feeling for me. It was not nice to wake up and notice gaps in one’s memory.
“Let us go find the others,” Acnologia said. “We must ensure they are safe.”
“Freya is the closest to you,” Nyx said. “About two hundred yards to your right.”
Got it, I said as we headed in the direction, with the large dragon squeezing through the tight spaces between the trees as we walked, and ultimately breaking most of them.
“How did you manage to summon yourself?” Nyx asked.
The Eternal: Transcend - A LitRPG Saga (World of Ga'em Book 3) Page 10