We run through the forest, the twin suns, and the Styx long having gone dim. I could hear my fellow tribesmen scream out in the night before suddenly being cut off. This time I don’t look back, this time I just run.

Suddenly the screams stop, and the howling of beasts ends, but I can still hear my tribe running behind me.

Hours pass as we run deeper and deeper into this part of the forest, but no more beasts attack. I only hear the sounds of birds and insects.

Then we come to a clearing, and thats when I saw it.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I watch as the last of the thirteen worlds is created, in awe of The Great One.

Days later, my kind and I are finally given the ok, to travel among the new worlds.

Shifting my wings and looking around I watch as swaths of my brothers and sisters take off into the sky to fly to these new worlds.

They include old dragons, ancient dragons, elder dragons, firstborn dragons, some pure dragons, and even a few first-generation elemental dragons.

Stretching my wings I take off into the sky and join them.

We fly through the atmosphere and into the void, breaking off into groups headed to different worlds on whim.

I notice a moon higher in mana than even origin and head in its direction only two others breaking off with me toward the moon.

Searching my memories I recall its name is Myth.

Splitting off from the group I break through its atmosphere and land in a large clearing.

I lay down on the soft blue-green grass, curl up and go to sleep.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

A massive black lizard with horns and giant bat wings was sleeping in the middle of the clearing, it’s body taking up most of the clearing.

I started to take a step back when the monster opened one of its deep blue eyes and stared at me.

It opened both of its eyes and craned its neck upwards looking down at us.

Then it turned into a swirl of black liquid and deep blue energy, before taking the form of a man with dark skin.

With a wave of his hand, a portion of the blue-tinted air around us wove into a glowing blue robe.

I was too awestruck to run when he gestured toward me and said, “Don’t worry boy, I won’t hurt you or your tribe.

I’m a dragon, it’s a dragon’s job to protect people like you from world level threats.

Why don’t you all sit down over here, you look terrible.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I used aether in the air to create simple mana constructs of tables and chairs then crystallized them into solid objects.

With my mind I search down into the ground for a water table, then shape a tunnel to the surface with mana, creating a spring at the end of the clearing.

I used my control over the ambient mana/aether to compound a pool at the site of the spring, for the water.

I then used one of my ancestral gift’s gravity manipulation to pick fruits from the nearby trees and set the tables with them.

I then created mana constructs of glasses and pitchers before crystalizing them, into solid objects.

With gravity manipulation, I floated water into the pitchers and glasses.

I gestured to the boy and his tribe, they gladly ran to the tables. They ate and drank clearly exhausted, the boy looked around warily, before we both sat at a table. He did not gorge himself like the others instead he began to tell me their story, a worried look still in his eyes.

Apparently, his tribe’s village was attacked by an angered manaborn and most of his tribe was either slaughtered there or by the wildlife, as they escaped.

The boy’s father was the chief and his tribe’s survivors had made him the de facto leader.

The boy’s name is Waka of the Zwei Tribe, but of the thousands they once were, now only hundreds were left.

The Old Dragon, “My Name is Reicus of the Old Fang Clan.

Waka, you and your tribe may stay here in my territory, you all should be safe here.

The monsters, magical creatures, and other predators have likely all fled after sensing my presence.

I would recommend not going beyond that mountain though, as my aura can only be sensed from so far.

Beyond that there is not much more I can do, dragons were created to protect Ethereal’s creations from world threats, not from anything less.

Those are the unwritten rules of my kind.”

Waka, “I understand Master Reicus, we will take the offer.”