Chapter 34: A Tail of Life Support (Part II)

FUTURE

Mother, not that of Myth or Legend. Of those erased.

The Rock could not use her as it saw fit. The Rock spins, the Rock is not a Rock it is a cage. It spins, It spins the web to entrap you in its lies. The Rock is a cage, and the cage ready the act, these Acts are disguised as natural disasters.

The Rock is not a wheel, the Rock is a Rock and its thread is unending as the rock is ever spinning.

Beware those unperturbed by the Rock will be subjected to "Divine Retribution," The Rock can't remove the Mark she's left on its surface, it can not turn back time or spin in reverse. But it can try to recreate, a crude misrepresentation of what Mother had to offer.

The cage takes more prisoners, unlike Mother, they are swayed by the Rock's wants and needs. I am also a prisoner, a prisoner who knows of a coming.

In her eyes, I saw death. In her eyes, I saw my death. A death of my own doing.

The Old One was not of the weak. To him, there was an endurance, unlike previous Challengers. Never would he mistake himself for my blood that was clear to see.

A weakling like him could never resemble me.

“Don’t look at me that way, hatchling, I am not to be worshiped.” Eyes, that wanted me in another way but to speak those words would be his death.

“I am! I am no hatchling.” At least he knew his place. Now to get rid of this one before he became a problem. I was to turn him away but I sensed that he had not known change. I was to give that to him for I too had something to gain.

“Wait!" this one has hunger.

“Who are you? Why can’t you be seen? Why do you walk around as a weak and lowly Human!?” He asks unable to hide his worship, or is it fear? This was new, someone who sought who sought death before the Challenge.

What does this one need? They all want something.

“Hatchling it is then, you came for my life now be on your way before you lose yours,” I spoke in a form small and dim. As dim as I could make it.

“It is you who trespass on my mountain!” A domain, that was his for the moment still unclaimed by the system.

“Your mountain!?” A joke maybe, I hadn’t been gone long.

“Ye.. yes.” Withering away this one his body is weak, but he’s got spirit-

“What makes you think I'm not a “human” as you would call it?” These young ones are something.

“I just know that there is nothing here like you. Again, I am not young, my body just has difficulty growing.” that's it. There’s always something.

“Courting death little one. Take me as a fool.” He siphoned my life how peculiar.

“Since you are so hungry, have some more.” A sliver is all it took, and death was on his door.

“PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! IT BURNS!! PLEASE!!!!” Oh, so he is of the old how cute others have survived.

“Why should I? You leach my life, humor me, why should you live?”

“I, I, I WANT TO LIVE!!!! PLEASE!!” Small and Old, a bad combination for his kind. “Fine, humor me. Then I'll pop that pouch of yours.” The least he can do before death.

“AHAHAHAHAHA!!! Are you dancing? I’ve never seen a dragon dance. Is that all?”

“Please spare me. Please, I promise. I promise.” This is the first time a dragon has ever shown such humility.

“You will promise nothing but lies, you are a Dragon you thirst for power and greed Infantile or not that is your Nature. If I was to enslave you. What would you want more than freedom? Listen here old hatchling you have nothing to gain from me unless I choose to give it. What I feel like giving you is a quick death for testing my patience.”

“Please, please, please!!!” The Dragon who bows the world truly has changed. “A body that won't bud, and a soul that is old and unchanging.” Look at this one shaking like a log at the least, he understands.

“You're just a mouth to feed an ungrateful one at that run-along now.” He had come for my life there would be more to come.

The Old one was still shaking. I had almost taken his life. I'm sure he knows.

Taking my warning he ran as fast as he could, forgetting to fly out of fear and respect. I chose to walk, as he was the Dragon who chose to run.

He ran everywhere I went trying to hide his presence. Not daring to siphon my life force. He knew what he was doing. I applaud him for his attempt at going unnoticed.

He was a harmless parasite following in my stead. Soaking up my light like the sun did for creatures of the cage. All except him. A body that couldn't bud on its own. Why was that? I had roamed these lands, and lands they were not. Trivial to fight about the mountain the Old hatchling had once claimed.

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From the looks of it, he didn’t care for the mountain that much either. Who was to say how long he followed. Thinking himself my savior?

A complex that would have to be taken care of. He was stopping the few who were drawn to my light from carrying out our transaction.

Most likely believing himself the special occasion or exception. When it was simply my nature to give life where it was needed.

Finding the old hatchling siphoning the life of one drawn to me I dimmed my light even more than usual and grabbed him by his tail.

“ROOOAAAAAR LET GO!!!” As he turned around, he silenced himself for he had been caught interfering with my plans.

“I let you follow in my stead and this is how you repay my act of kindness.” He shook trying not to move his tail that had grown a third the size of my own in only a couple of five hundred years.

“I’m sorry, bringer of light.” How dare he call me by that name. I proceeded to rip off his pale tail. A dragon who didn’t even have a color to his scales could hardly be called such. He had angered me for the last time.

“Please I don’t know what I’ve done wrong forgive me, forgive me please!!!” His words almost fell on deaf ears as I grabbed his life by the neck so close to ending the life he had endured.

'I would be losing something important on my path to escape.' It was a feeling I couldn't shake.

“Who are you old hatchling?” He wanted to detest that name but his life was in my hands both tail and neck being forced to the ground.

“I am at your mercy. I am one of many, unlike you please don’t kill me. I just wanted to protect..” he felt my rage boil and was able to save himself. I could tell that he was doing his best not to anger me. Lucky was the dragon that laid down his pride.

“They seek to harm, all of them. So, I took care of them before they got the chance.” He thought his words were the truth so old and still so naive.

“You think I don’t know of those who seek me out? Many seek death just like you. Once upon a time, your kind came in droves, others search for hope when it seems most lost but you old hatchling refuse to tell me your true name and even take the lives that do not belong to you.”

“My true name is yours if you let me do the honor of courting you.” Sensing the sincerity on his pale blue lips I couldn’t hold in my laughter.

“Ahahahahaha!!! YOU COURT ME? You truly seek death. You have never seen my true form and know not of my power which far surpasses your own. Has that weak body softened your mind.” He had peed himself. Mother would’ve killed him by now. I should've killed him by now. Why didn’t I?

“To court a Dragon is to conquer. I am sure you know what you are now asking for. You ask for what is taken. Do you think me weak for not taking your life?”

He lay on his stomach trying not to whimper, a failed attempt seeing as he soiled himself. Someone so old stuttering the dragon’s tongue.

“No, you are one of a kind miss. I know not what you are, but you are not weak like the "many" you called them. I am weak and at your mercy, any other of my kin would have killed me by now if in your position. I know of no dragon to surpass whatever you are, not even Father.” So, it is my power he chases. I think we are done here.

“It is not your power I seek; we dragons are beings of destruction, pride, and power. Even my own Father saw well to take the lives of my kin it Is merely by chance that I live. There is something that draws me to you that feeds my very soul not just my body. If you want to be conquered, I shall try my best to do so at any cost.”

This should be fun. The world has forgotten me. My escape is distant; this should make time pass all the quicker.

“Mere words from an old hatchling we are different you may wish but it will not be granted. I will never stoop so low as to submit to you. I’ll let you go again but know, shall you return to take from me your life shall be forfeit.”

Letting him go free once again. He ran off remembering well not to fly in my presence. For his life would also be mine.

Time would pass as it usually did. I helped those who were drawn to my light. I honed my nature for my escape, never forgetting the old hatchling. An enemy I had made that wanted to make blood. The only one I hadn’t killed who tried for such.

No, children would ever come from me. I couldn’t risk retaliation like Mother once did when she spared my life.

The world went on. Those who truly seek me out are bestowed a gift of hope and redemption my light offered much and more.

No, I could never compare nor would I try my goal was following in her stead breaking past my limit. Going beyond the sky.

I missed taking true form. flying and shining my light down upon the masses. It was easier to learn of my nature when it affected many.

A nature that had truly changed as did I.

My light had stopped healing as well as it used to but that only made me more content. I was close to becoming more further developing a true self. I was more than my mother's opposite. I was more than a bringer of life and light to her death and darkness.

Soon I would have the power to do more than just produce light that healed and saved lives. I would be able to protect myself using true destruction once more I could feel it.

I would finally have my element. It would aid me better than my mothers ever could. There would be no rejection of what was my own.

The world would change and so did I. They changed as well, banding together the system was helping the world change even faster than before.

I needed to make my escape. Plans had to be in order. I would have to take to the sky to pass my final hurdle. A hurdle that still wasn’t yet near.

Dragons, giants, Beasts, dwarves, humans, beast kin, and more are made of Old and molded by New. New, would be my nature. I no longer had to dim my light if I wanted to go unseen. I could do so much more than hide my light in plain sight. Something deep within me was shifting.

My nature of light and life wanted to become more, I wanted to be more.

Nothing would stop me from getting what I wanted.

Taking to the sky, I was a fifth the size of my mother. My light on the other hand was close to rivaling the sun maybe I was exaggerating. I had grown to a point where dimming my light only hastened the process of refining what was me.

Minding my business. Hiding in plain sight taking in the sun that I never realized made me feel even more myself. A realization only made because of my choice to walk the land.

Going back and forth across the continent I was making progress. I was on the edge of making my key to escape this cage.

The world hadn’t yet noticed the change I was actively making. Fighting against the world's will. Lives were being saved though death would ultimately prevail. That was fine with me. I was my Mothers' child. Was my Mother a Dragon? I don’t think she was. We look like them somewhat, but we are different. To know but not as to why. I was meant to be more.

Taking Human form, I walk the lands. It won't be long now before I grow unamused. Doesn't bring me any joy to change my appearance to these Lessers. A necessary adjustment everyone on this planet needs saving even me. This is where I see the changes firsthand. The humans were no longer worshiping me. I knew that. This time around they were worshiping themselves.

Telling tales of slaying dragons, culling untamed lands, feats the "System" would reward.

Even the unconcerned could understand the direction this was going in. There was no doubt, this was not just a passing occurrence.

Was anything ever passing in Human lands? Another spectacle to spawn evermore.