Time turns as weeks pass by. Winter’s chill approaches like hand, ready to grasp anything it touches. Yellow and brown leaves littered the pavement outside the schoolm, the warm colours contrasting with the cold weather.
My head can’t handle all the frequent fighting. While I can’t really get tired, I do like to sleep. With God popping into my mind four times a day, at least one of those eats up into my night. What’s worse, the spawns are getting more frequent and wide. Just yesterday, I was taken to China to fight some dumb river troll. The fights are easy enough, my skin hard enough to deflect most attacks. It’s my clothes that can’t take all the hits.
Let’s see... I’ve been through 15 shirts, 6 trousers, and 3 pairs of shoes during my hunting. God is being pretty stingy about the whole thing. He says the blessings he gave were already enough for me. What’s wrong about a regenerating outfit. Stupid omnipotent know-it-all. None of them have even activated!
Due to the fact that I repeatedly came home with burnt, cut, and/or destroyed look, they’ve been asking a lot of questions. Questions like ‘are you being bullied’, ‘did you jump into a fire’ or ‘were you fighting a bear’ which was true in some cases. They were not happy. I do mostly use magic but when you’re up against a giant chameleon that can jump into shadows, enhanced senses and fireballs can only do so much.
“How was your weekend then guys?” Asked Sion.
“Same old, same old. Watching anime and playing games,” said Ethan, thumbing pen in his hands.
“Boooooring.”
Things were going pretty well to be honest. No one’s noticed any of the wilder things going on since I clean them up pretty fast. No news reports talking about porcupine bears, newspapers writing about sea serpents in Loch Ness, and online videos with hysterical men ranting about-
“-dragons!”
Huh?
“What did you just say?”
I looked at Josh like he was a ghost, an ugly one. Some are actually pretty nice once you get to know them.
“Yeah, there’s this video on MyTube about this old guy who runs out of some woods in Scotland. He screams about seeing dragons.”
Pulling out his phone from his pocket, Josh pressed the ‘On’ button then flicked the screen a few times
“Here – watch it.”
What I saw made me swallow the words in my head.
‘God is number one’
Still dumb.
Click.
“You called?”
‘Yeah, how come you didn’t tell me about the dragons in Scotland?’
“Scotland? Let me see... you’re right.”
‘Anyways, they shouldn’t be a problem. I’m good with dragons; they pretty much treat me like royalty. They’re also good people.’
“What about that hydra I killed then? Shouldn’t you be mad about that then?”
‘Hydras... are a bit different.’
“I see.”
‘I’ll head to Snowdon after school. Can you give me a their specific location?’
“They seem to be moving around in Snowdonia National Park. I’ll send you there right now.”
‘Wait, what-‘
“I’ll stop time, it’ll be fine.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Click.
Before I knew it, I was standing on a huge, sprawling plain. Sighing, I gauged my surroundings. Mountains to my left, and grass everywhere else. Looks like I was dropped in the middle of a clearing.
“Life Detect.”
Mana spread in all directions before echoing back to me. Found my reptiles. A pair of them.
Like a rocket, my body sped towards where the two dragons were.
----------------------------------------
Stopping at a line of trees, I saw the targets of this mission.
Silver scales lined their bodies, more streamlined then bulky. They lay atop uprooted trees formed in a makeshift nest of sorts. One of them seemed to be struggling.
“Hang in there, honey. I don’t know where we are but we should be fine.”
The larger one seemed to be comforting the other, its wings acting like a blanket for it.
“The humans, Yona, they seemed so scared! It hasn’t been like that since the war ended! And the mana. It’s so thin! Thinner than what should be natural.”
“I may be of some assistance.”
Stepping out of the tree line, I made the dragons aware of my presence.
“Who are you? Where is this place? My wife is pregnant and I swear to Ysveria that if you do anything I will kill you where you stand!”
The panic and rage was apparent from the words of the dragon named Yona. Seeing as he was letting his worry take control for his, I tried to use something special to get him to listen. Diving into my soul, I swam through the ocean of magic to find the one I have that dragons always trust.
From my chest, the hilt of a sword gradually surfaced up to its guard. Placing my hand on it, I pulled it out with a swish, its long, orange blade like a wave of lava.
“Do you recognise this?”
Yona froze, his that was nestled in his wings squirming to see what I showed him.
“What is it Yona? What did he show-“
When she saw the weapon, her movements stopped as her eyes shone with the blade’s reflection.
“That’s the Blade of Ysveria! Only the Hero... you’re the Hero, aren’t you? Damien, the Hero!”
“Yes,” I replied.
“The blade’s aura – nothing can imitate it, not even other divine weapons,” Yona muttered while mesmerized by the greatsword’s fiery light.
“Hero, please help us!”
“Syndra!”
Pushing herself out of her husband’s protection, she bowed her head before me
“We don’t know where we are and we don’t know what to do. As the chosen of Ysveria, please help us her lowly servants get back home.”
I regarded her with pity. Dragons. Creatures full of might. Before the war occurred they were feared because of their power and magic. Now, with the alliance helping to forge bridges between all sentient races, they were seen as people and not just beings that rampaged in a city every few decades. Ties have been built and amends have been made but the fact still stands that they were the most powerful of the alliance races. They were still feared. Yet, here two were begging for help from someone they didn’t know. Like any other person.
“I’m sorry. This place is my world. You are no longer in Piora.”
Syndra’s head lifted to reveal eyes filled with fear.
“That can’t be...”
“It’s the truth. I’m sorry.”
She studied my face for a few seconds before her head fell to the ground. I could her muffled cries from dirt.
“Syndra!”
Yona instantly arrived at her side, holding her body up to his chest to once again cover her with his wings.
“Hero, please, is there really nothing you can do.”
Staring at Yona as he pleaded once more, I could feel guilt welling in my chest. I’m the Hero, god dammit! I should be able to help!
“That’s where I come in.”
Light from the area coalesced into a single point behind me to form the robed figure of God.
“Can you help them?”
“I’m surprised that you aren’t surprised. And yes, I can.”
Stepping past me, he stopped in front of Yona and Syndra.
“The Hero seems to know you,” Yona said, nervously looking at the person before him.
“I am the god of this world and the one who sent him to you.”
Taking off his hood, he exposed his head made of light.
“A-a god?” Yona cautiously leaned his neck back, his claps on Syndra getting noticeably tighter.
“Yes, I stopped time so that Damien here could see you. He was in school you see.”
“How can you help us? My wife is about to lay an egg.”
“I have a few ideas.”
He took his hand out of his sleeve and put it between himself and the couple – just like he did the first time we met.
“Take my hand and I can teleport you and your wife to an island where you can live and raise your child.”
“But can’t we just... go home?”
“I apologise but I can’t do that. I can’t influence the other world in any shape of form.”
“Oh...”
Yona looked a bit dejected once he heard that.
“However, I do believe it shouldn’t matter anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
This time, I had a question.
“Damien, there is more to this monster invasion than we know. Have you watched the news as of late?”
Thinking about the bits and bobs I’ve seen from the morning news, I gave him my answer.
“A bit.”
“Then you must know of the disappearances.”
Now that I think about it, apparently hundreds have gone missing over the past few months all over the world.
“I’ll leave that in your mind. Yona, Syndra take my hand.”
After not speaking for while, Syndra’s voice could be heard from her cover.
“Will my child be safe?”
“You have nothing to worry about.”
“Then yes.”
Both of them place their hands together then on top of God’s hand. In a flash, they were gone, leaving only their nest.
“I’ll be sending you back now.”
“Wait!”
Before he put his hand over my head, I wanted to ask a question.
“Do you know where the people disappear to?”
God’s face dimmed.
“Piora.”
Now that’s something to think about.