Hatchling

by Lupine King

  TWENTY-NINE

  Into the Lair

  EVEN WITH VALERIAN's assurance that there were no daemons within four kilometres of them. However, the Sergeant still insisted that they take their time and exercise caution when it came to exploring the cave that lay behind the giant boulder. He got his men together. Besides two who they left to guard the prisoners, the rest were marshalled into a simple raid team.

  First, they confirmed that the beast had been out for a while by checking the boulder. From the dust and tracks in the ground, it had not been moved in days. Satisfied with this news they worked together to push it out of their way. Then, they arranged themselves in a simple arrow formation. Two took the lead, two at the sides and Valerian, Avery and the sergeant took the centre.

  If he was honest, Valerian would admit that he admired the Sergeant to some extent. It only took a snap of his fingers to get his men to act and they obeyed his orders promptly and without question.

  But then again Valerian would never admit it. Not when the man had left that bad impression on him in their first encounter. His own reservations about the man's roles and job aside, he refused to respect anyone who did not respect him, and it was clear from their first interaction that the burly soldier did not.

  So he maintained his practised disinterested face. That did not mean he did not take precautions of his own when walking into the lair. His armour glowed with the sheen of his favourite spell and the other was on his lips. Oh, how he hated that that was his default response. Still, it was the wise thing to do in this situation.

  The entrance to the lair was a cave mouth ten metres high. It did not exactly fill the men with confidence to know that they were going to be snooping in the home of a monster that required an entrance that big. However, they were ready to go in anyway even if only to get the whole thing over with and be on their way before the homeowner returned.

  Lighting torches, they made their way in. They need not have bothered. Apparently, the daemon was not too fond of the dark itself. The inside of the cave was lined with luminescent stones that shone a bright light into the cave corridor. Everyone gave them a wary glance knowing that the extravagance meant that the inhabitant of the cave may be even greater than they thought.

  The inner complex was simple but grand. There was a long corridor from the entrance to the first chamber. It was a gigantic room with a ceiling height of about twenty metres and an area of a few hundred metres. They stood in it for a few minutes admiring its simple beauty and the numerous exposed veins of precious mineral that lined the walls and floors.

  It was a display of wealth and power that Valerian had never heard of. How powerful was the daemon to be able to carve this place into rock embed with titanossis and frost iron not to mention the other minerals? Valerian suspected that it was a metal attributed beast. It all fit. If it had abilities like his, this would not only be an abode but also a fortress, training area and a weapon.

  With such powers, it could make this lair easily and it would benefit greatly from the metal essence in the area. He had not been in here long but he could already feel its effects on his essence. How much less living here all the time. The minerals were not only wealth but also a readily available source of weapons that could be hurled at foes. It was a perfect lair.

  Valerian gave it an appraising look. He wanted one just like it.

  Quickly, they moved to the second chamber. This was a much smaller corridor that had two openings leading out from it. One lead to the right and the other was in the far back, opposite the one they had just come through. One of the soldiers was sent to check out the right offshoot. Advancing carefully, he made his way over to the entrance and peeked in. Then with an outstretched arm, he made a few signs to indicate that the room was empty.

  There was only the other chamber left. Eager to get it over with, they hastened towards it. At this juncture, they had all subconsciously accepted that the daemon was truly not home. Now, they just wanted to examine the sleeping chamber and leave. With any luck, the third chamber would contain the information they were looking for.

  In their haste, none of them, not even Avery noticed the strange state that came over Valerian. For some reason, his grey eyes glowed gold and his mouth begun to salivate. A great hunger came over him. He suddenly felt like he was starving. Like he had never actually had a meal in his life and proper food was lying in the room ahead.

  Conversely, with the hunger came a great burst of energy. It was like he could not keep still. He had to get there. Both the pace of his heart and his feet quickened dramatically. Fortunately or unfortunately, everyone else was speeding up too and his increase in speed went overlooked.

  Inwardly, Valerian was startled and worried. He struggled bravely to bring his body back under his control. He did not understand what was happening. However, the moment he crossed the threshold of the chamber all attempts at control became fruitless. The hunger more than doubled. Anything he did at this point was the equivalent of trying to fill a ravine with a handful of pebbles.

  THE FIRST SOLDIERS to enter the chamber could barely believe their eyes. Today had been a day of many surprises but this took the cake. This chamber was not empty. There was a massive creature in front of them. But the heavens were kind and it was dead. That did not stop their hair from standing on end though. Nor did it take away the fear and awe in their hearts.

  Dragons tend to do that to people. Dragons were powerful, majestic creatures and when others encountered them, they could not help but be dumbstruck at the sheer magnitude of their presence. However, the effects did differ a bit from dragon to dragon. Some inspired more fear than awe others more awe than fear. This one gave more than the healthy dose of both.

  “Blimey. That's a Steel Scaled Wyrm”, one of the soldiers pointed out.

  “Ar..are you sure?” another asked, struggling to get his tongue to work.

  “Of course! I mean, what else could it be?” the first exclaimed.

  He was right. The dead beast before them was a Steel Scaled Wyrm, a feared kind of dragon. It was a giant reptile six metres tall at the shoulder, twenty metres long and covered in massive scales that gleamed with a steely metallic sheen. The fact that it was a dragon was evident from the fear it caused but what could have possibly killed such a great daemon.

  Its scales had been ruptured and its blood had caked on the floor. It lay on its side, maw open in a painful grimace. This notwithstanding, there were no signs of battle and the entrance had been closed when they found it. The sergeant could not imagine what could have caused the death of this steel titan.

  Avery was stunned as well. Turning to Valerian he asked, “I can't believe it. Young master, are you seeing this?”

  It was only now that Avery noticed Valerian's strange state. The boy just stood there, eyes unfocused and unseeing. From his mouth came an inordinate amount of saliva. A shocking look for someone as concerned about his appearance as Valerian. As for the rest of his visage, it was contorted into a tortured expression.

  “Young master?” Avery asked worriedly. He placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him gently.

  “Young Master Valerian! What's happening?” he tried again. This time a little more frantically. The commotion drew the attention of the others in the chamber who turned to look at them. Then Valerian moved.

  Being as close as he was, Avery was able to make out the savage hunger that had sparked into existence in his charge's eyes. He could not help taking a step back in fright. Alas, he did not have the chance to recover his composure because Valerian was already walking towards the dragon's corpse. As he got closer to it, a shocking sucking force came from within his body.

  The world essence of the area was drawn in by it. Everyone present watched with scared eyes as the suction coming from Valerian created a visible vortex that rapidly consumed the world essence in the vicinity. Even non-cultivators would probably be able to sense the drain.

  “What's going on?” The sergeant yelled questioningly.


  “I don't know”, Avery yelled back but then he detected something. “Wait... I need all of you to leave.” Seeing them stare at him in befuddlement, he shouted at them. “NOW!”

  The sergeant gave him a searching look before ushering his men out. When they went out to of the chamber Avery walked to the entrance of the chamber and stood there guarding it, praying to all the deities he knew that he was not wrong.

  He shot a glance over his shoulder to Valerian whose suction power was targeting the true essence being emitted from the dragon's corpse with a vengeance. Directing his spiritual sense, he examined the boy's body. Yes, Valerian's qi levels were rising dramatically. He thought back to that fateful day in the courtyard and hoped that once again he was making the right choice.

  WHEN VALERIAN WAS CHECKING the area for signs of life, he used a sensory spell his grandmother taught him. The more powerful a being, the greater its essence and thus the greater the life sign. That was why he did not detect the dragon. It was dead and therefore did not have a life sign.

  However, when he stepped into its chamber and saw its corpse he was hit with the full force of its essence. It diffused from the daemon's core and flesh, drifting into its environment and breaking down to become part of the world's essence.

  Daemons, unlike humans, do not possess the distinction between the physical and spiritual forces. Consequently, when they 'cultivated', they directly developed their essence. That was why they were more powerful than their human counterparts. It was this true essence that drew Valerian closer. He had not been able to determine it before but his fleeting consciousness had now figured out the source of his hunger. The dragon's essence was just there for the taking. It wafted in the air like the aroma of a delectable dish.

  Valerian was not just hungry, he was ravenous and right now he had a craving for dragon. If anyone was privy to this thought they would probably scream in fear and wonder. Dragons were, to many, the ultimate beast, worthy of respect and reverence and yet, Valerian's instinct when encountering one was to eat it. Not only that, he was drooling.

  Completely unable to help himself, Valerian moved closer to the massive corpse. His body trembling in the presence of the daemons essence. Unlike the others, he was not affected by the fear and awe-inducing effects of its aura. He basked in it. He felt his flesh moan in gratification and greedily slurp it up but that was not enough. He needed more.

  By this time, Avery had taken note of his strange state and tried to rouse him. Valerian could feel the man's hand on his body and hear his worried voice but he just could not respond. He had long since lost control of his body. A body that walked closer to the source of the delicious true essence.

  In but a second, his rate of absorption went beyond his limit. What was previously a trickle that went into his body became a surging river. The dragon had been of a high tier when it was alive and because of this, there was a lot of powerful true essence wafting around. Valerian's instinct-driven body wanted it all. Like someone dissatisfied with using a spoon it grabbed the bowl and raised it to his lips drinking ravenously.

  The previously passive absorption had become active. The suction was so great that all the world essence, as well as the dragon's true essence in the chamber, began to pour into him. It was intoxicating. Despite himself, Valerian's mind ceased fighting back. He sank into the pleasurable sensation. Ancestors! It was beyond savoury. The draconic energy tasted too good.

  With each glug of true essence, his mind drifted away, awash with new sensations and sights. The world around him started to fall away and he began to forget who he was.

  THIRTY

  The Daemonic Inclination

  DAEMONS REALLY ARE remarkable creatures. Humans had studied them for millennia and were still making new discoveries. Their abilities and skills were varied and infinite and they were constantly developing more as they adapted to their ways of life and environments. It was they and their emulation that formed the basis of all humankind had developed.

  Humans alone had innumerable languages and yet all daemons could communicate with each other, across species and with others who originated from distant unfamiliar lands, something impossible for humans. Using their daemonic true essence, they could communicate with each other by conveying messages, feelings sights, sounds, smells and images straight to the minds of others.

  This was how Sela and many other beasts conversed with their fellows and with Valerian. But not all daemons relied on this.

  There were some that could mimic human speech just like parrots and such as well as others who did not care for this form communication. Furthermore, the transmission of thoughts, senses and feelings was not exactly comfortable or easily decipherable for most humans. Valerian was different. He grew up in a home with many daemons and thus was used to it. It was not so for others.

  That did not matter though. Powerful beasts like Gulsalma and Pan did not have to communicate that way. They could actually speak. Though it was not really speech so much as it was a manipulation of essence to vocalise words. This was better and in fact, it was even a practice adopted by humans for both long-range communication and private messaging.

  By filling their energies with whatever it was they wanted to say and then transmitting directly to a recipient, they could exchange messages both privately and publicly. For long-distance communication, they could use special talismans like the one which Avery used to receive the call from the rescue patrol to boost the range of transmission.

  This was just one application of daemonic true essence. It is both physical and spiritual and the full implications of that were not fully understood. That notwithstanding, there was one thing clear. Daemons did not only rely on instinct. Unlike normal beasts who gained all their knowledge from instinct and personal experience, daemons had something much better.

  The spiritual nature of their essence allowed them to pass information and skills down to their descendants. Daemonic essence contains not just life force, but also memories and soul. This allowed them to pass down their memories and experiences in addition to their blood legacies.

  Valerian was neither beast nor daemon but he was particularly sensitive to essence due in part to his status as an arcanist but also due to his strange physique. It was not limited to eyesight, smell and hearing. If it was he would never have detected the peculiarities of the essence in the dragon's valley. He had not needed to actively search for it to find it. Thus, in absorbing the dragon's true essence as he did Valerian also got a heady dose of its memories and feelings. Its last moments of life especially were particularly piquant and featured. It was enthralling. Valerian found himself sinking into them. It was like a daydream. A dream where he was the dragon, seeing what it saw and feeling what it felt.

  HIS NAME WAS GLEAMSCALES. His mother had named him such because his scales had gleamed the brightest among all his clutch mates. He was a Dire Daemon, a figure of unmatched power amongst all the daemons on this side of the mountain. Despite this, he did not form a horde. He loved his peace and solitude and saw no need to surround himself with daemons weaker than himself. He did not care for the influence or power. He was a dragon, a paragon of power and might. Gleamscales needed no one else.

  Valerian's mind swam in the mix of feeling and memory. The dragon's pride and arrogance were potent. They were ingrained in its very being. For an instant, he wondered if all dragons were walking masses of pride and power like this one was.

  Then again, Gleamscales knew his worth. He was a wyrm, a wingless dragon, descended from a Yazi. He was a class of daemon that stood heads and shoulders above others. He was born with an innate metal attribute, scales stronger than actual steel, claws, teeth and essence too powerful for many to resist.

  He was wealthy beyond compare, Lord of an idyllic little vale that was his and his alone. To add to this, he was not far from becoming a Profound Daemon. That was what the other room was for. Once he made that final breakthrough he would have his choice of mates as well as the land and
space to raise his own clutch. Sadly, Gleamscales was too ambitious. He had everything he needed but he still wanted more. Not content with merely breaking through to the Profound tier he decided to try for a daemonic metamorphosis.

  This was a special ability unique to daemons. Humans had their special cultivation methods that could make them more powerful but daemons primarily relied on themselves and their bloodlines for most of their power. However, besides rising through the tiers they could also attempt to directly raise their class and innate abilities using this dangerous method. By forcefully upgrading their blood and essence they could become a higher class of daemon. This was what Gleamscales intended to do.

  He gathered the necessary requirements; the cores of other metal attributed dragons and daemons, piles of high-grade mystic herbs, essence stones and essence imbued minerals.

  Had he succeeded he would at the very least become a much more powerful daemon and there was the possibility that he could become more like his Yazi ancestor. His cultivation tier might not rise but his innate abilities would soar.

  Dragons were already more powerful than other daemons and humans in their tier. In becoming a higher class of dragon he would increase this factor of strength by many times. Unfortunately, he failed. In spite of all his preparations and efforts, his body was unable to handle the influx of energy and his own essence did not adapt to the change.

  Gleamscales was forced to experience first-hand what it was like to have one's body warp and tear itself apart, and thanks to the true essence wafting around, Valerian could too. He could feel the dragon's rage, despair and anguish as its blood boiled. He could feel the mounting fear as the essence it had been gathering begun to rumble in its meridians, ripping them to shreds as it sought to escape. He felt second-hand the feeling that came when your core shuddered and shook in the face of a storm of essence, nearly cracking in the process. And worst of all, he felt the explosion that followed when it all came to a head.