"Distance lends enchantment to the view."

― Mark Twain

Ven slipped through the heavy stone door, into the land of sulfur and flies. The same yellowed, stone pillars stood against the sky. The air droned, an ominous hum that drew a smile on Ven's face. Time to finish our fight... The grubs around him remained ignored, his eyes locked on the swollen hive above.

"Hey, golden boy!!!"

Ven's call echoed against the clouds, out of place in this strange world. The sounds of flies fell silent. A ripple of force expanded from the main nest, and Ven grinned.

"I'm back for round two, want to come out and play?"

A rock sailed through the smoky skies, a missile that shattered on the hive's surface. Ven hefted another stone in hand as he squinted upward.

"Come on now," Ven waved the yellowed mineral at the nest of flies. "Or... are you still too banged up from last time?

A series of shockwaves expanded, sonic booms that pushed at the yellow clouds. The drone of the hive remained quiet, but Ven dropped his rock and gave a small salute to the air.

"How's it been, fly-man?"

Dozens of meters above, the gold-green fly twitched. It hovered, legs locked in a rhythmic pulse of rage. It wasted no time. Lances of acidic venom enveloped the surroundings, a cage that left no room for escape.

"That's the spirit!" Ven laughed, one hand retracted into a fist. "But, that won't work this time..."

His hand touched the ground, a meteor that raised a maelstrom of rock and debris. The tidal wave of force scattered the acid rain. Cast into the sky like chaff on the wind, a downpour that pockmarked the landscape with pitted holes.

Ven waved at the haze of dust and peered upwards. The fly had retreated. Crouched, just below the clouds, it vibrated back and forth in a rage. Its attack had been redirected, countess larva, reduced to sludge.

"Sorry about that..." Ven truly regretted the waste. Those cores were valuable food, ruined by his careless display.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The fly chittered, a hiss that grated the ear. It lunged forward, slow in Ven's eyes. A week ago, this creature had been his match. Now it wasn't even a threat. Why is the Dragon King so strong... The old man's core wasn't much beyond this fly, but his speed and power left it in the dust.

Ven channeled his cores, his head locked on target. It was time to clear the boss and level up his dragons with the fodder. He flipped his mask up, mouth aimed along the fly's path. A line connected Ven to the heavens, a thread of white that vanished into the clouds.

The Fly Lord dipped, its flight transformed into a dive as it rocketed toward the ground. It spiraled and jerked, the last gasps of life, before it slammed into the rocky soil.

Ven winced at the merciless squelch. "I hope the core is ok... The fly's greatest value now was as his next meal. A flex of his legs brought him to the fallen insect's side. Its body was unbroken, but flattened out from impact. Most of its flesh had rushed out of two, narrow holes in its exoskeleton.

"Gross..."

Ven reached down and pried the corpse apart. It screamed like metal, a protest that he ignored. He followed his nose to the core and tossed the body aside. A milky white sphere, flecked with gold. Larger than a walnut, it pulsed with a sickly green light.

"Down the hatch!"

The core flew into his mouth, wrapped by his aura as it slid down his throat. Delicious... A hint of spice, a warm rush that tingled through his nerves. Nothing is better than this, not even the king's candied house. They were addictive enough to bring about a change in him. Ven frowned.

I have been a bit food obsessed lately... He'd passed it off as a result of his long imprisonment. Maybe It's the aftereffects of the cores... Whatever it was, Ven needed to pay attention to his appetite. He didn't want to become a ravenous beast.

"Husband, that was AMAZING!" Huan charged into sight, covered in yellow dust. "You swatted away its attacks like PWAAA!" She swung her fist in a swift arc. "Then you crushed it like GAAAA!" She lept in the air to stomp both feet onto a helpless grub.

"It was impressive..." Jun followed after his sister, his coat pitted by the acidic mist. "Even father would have taken longer."

"Maybe, but he's still stronger than I am," Ven shrugged. "Now get to work!" He pointed to the endless larva, locked in their cannibalistic fight. "Squish these things and strip their cores. Once you've got more than you can carry, bring them to me."

"Yes, Husband!" Huan saluted. She darted off, fists first, into the hoard.

"Huan!" Jun panicked. "Don't just wade in alone!"

"Then go help her," Ven gripped the dragon-kin by the collar. "Remember, as many as you can carry!" He tossed Jun, head first, after his sister.

Even if they can't digest the cores, it will save me the effort of collecting them.

Ven leaned back, a satisfied look on his face.

Pet dragons are the best...

----------------------------------------

"That bastard..."

Rafe leaned back against the yellow rock, hand pressed to his side.

"He got the other lung this time."

The halfling had been perched on the back of a captive cloud glider, on his way home after a cathartic massacre. His world had brightened, a familiar line of heat that came as soon as it went.

"He has to be doing it on purpose..."

Rafe shook his head. It was impossible. No one could detect him, his stealth was unmatched by anyone below the Earth Deities.

"Identical or not, I'm going to make you pay for this." Rafe sighed. "Why did Master Ooulin leave me with this task?"

Nothing in his experience prepared him to be a mentor. All he was good at was patient murder. If Ooulin wanted Ven dead, he should have said so. Soon, it would be beyond his power to accomplish.

"What should I do..."