“What now?” Axton asked.
“Unsure. Last time, it was sheer luck that we merged. Replicating that situation could get messy.”
“Messy? What do you mean?” Axton asked Drac.
“Hood died. Blood loss from a severed arm and a slash to his body.”
"Yeesh, another option seems to be a good idea.”
“Hood suggests close contact. Bring out your hand, Axton.”
“Huh, ok.” Axton and Drac stood alone in the middle of the training mats. The handler waited with Marina and the rest of the party. Axton offered up his hand. Drac removed his right glove and shook the copy's hand.
A tingle is in Drac’s hand as he is connected to Axton's skin.
“Wait.”
Drac and Axton stopped holding hands and turned to find the handler walking towards them.
“Grandpa. Why-”
The wrinkled old man wrapped his bony arms around his student.
“It was a pleasure to train you. And even more to raise you.” The handler stopped hugging Axton to see his face. He held on to his boy's strong arms. Hooded eyes squint from his smile. “Make me proud out there.”
Tears fall, and Axton wipes his eyes with his forearm. “I will, sir.”
“It's Grandpa, you brat. Now, Go on, fulfil your destiny.”
“Yes…Grandpa.”
The handler limped back to the side.
He paused. And Flida looked around, startled.
“What's outside, Grandpa?"
“Probably nothing. But I will go and check.”
Axton watched his master leave the cave.
Drac asked, “Are you ready?”
Axton offered his hand again with a wide smile. Drac returned a smile and shook.
Hands connect, and Axton glows white.
“This feels very strange.”
Axton’s hand turned into flecks of glittering light, and they were sucked into Drac. Little by little, parts of Axton’s body were consumed by Drac until only a face was left.
“See you soon!" Axton said it with a toothy smile that was also turned into light.
The last wisps of white energy float to Drac.
“Mm. It wasn't as painful as last time—ARGH!”
The pain coursing through Drac's body made him drop. He bent over on the mat, writhing in agony.
Drac could hear Marina say, “Drac? Drac! Bob, help!" before he passed out from the pain.
Drac woke up, hearing the familiar sounds of swords clanging together. Bob and the handler sparring together? Then sounds of metal hitting Murus woke him fully. He looks around. A dome of Murus surrounds him. Bob and Marina's fight caped enemies outside.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“Marina! He is awake!” Florida kneeled next to him, a colourful dagger out
“Fucking finally!” Marina blasted a caped enemy with Ignis. He screamed until Bob cut his neck.
“Stop gawking and start slicing, mister!” Marina blocked an attack from above, grabbed the blade, and melted it into bright butter. A straight punch to the chest with an Ignis bore a burning hole.
“Flida. Tell me. Fast”
Flida looked down and away from Drac. “They are here for me. How had they found us? I have no idea.”
The Sailors.
What Sailors?
Hood. And Axton. How do you feel?
Everything and nothing. It's going to be hard trying to get used to not being in control of my body.
Don’t fret; you will get used to it over time. It is best to think of this body as yours.
Mine…
Drac moved his arm. Muscles have doubled in size. He sprung up on his feet and surveyed the area. Forty or so caped enemies with swords. Two of them hang back, throwing fire at his friends.
Where is Grandpa?
“Where is the old man?” Drac asked Flida.
“Still outside.”
Drac.
Yes. I will go outside. Let me finish something quick first.
Drac unsheathed Heilong.
My! This sword's balance is incredible!
Drac split into four.
What the hell…
An extra one! Nice.
Drac pulled on his mask and hood. He flared his aura wide, then condensed it around his sword and legs. His three copies do the same.
The caped fighters bang the weapons on the Murus, clamouring for Flida. “Stay here.” With a step, the four phased through the barrier, slicing heads on their way out.
Pulse step! How…
Drac stepped on the ground, pushing an aura from the soles of his feet that propelled him at an attacker before a sword could be swung. A chest was impaled, and a corpse was kicked off.
What your body knows, I know. Plus, you and your master gave me a great example of its use.
Farmboy is good at learning for some explicable reason.
What other reason is there other than that I am smart?
Drac stabbed a right knee and slashed up at a chin, splitting a head in half.
Yuck.
You’re going to have to get used to this too.
A Drac guarded against an attack from the right, and the enemy’s sword bounced away. A diagonal strike to the body ends a life. Another copy sped through the caped mercenaries, giving cuts to everyone he passed, while another teamed up for the killing blow. The last copy faced a particularly strong foe. Strikes were blocked and countered. Attacks at weakness were rebuffed.
Stop wasting time, Drac.
Sorry. I'm just trying this new body out. The size of this arm! Axton must have trained like a madman.
True. I guess being here alone with nothing but an old man and a sword can make a young man do weird things.
What do you mean by that?!
The copy dodged the blade. The Drac pulse steps to the left, then does another to get behind the caped enemy. A stab to the back, and the Drac continues killing. Bob cleaved a mage in two with his greatsword, and Marina burned another.
Grandpa.
Sure.
The four walk to the cave exit for the waterfall, leaving a mess of blood and corpses behind. Marina untuned her Murus so Flida could follow her and Bob.
The closer they reached the exit, the louder the sonic booms were.
Faster!
With pulse steps and Levitation, the Drac's reach the pathways by the waterfall. Gusts of wind blow water on them. They sped down the cave exit, and gusts of wind pushed the waterfall to reveal a cane and sword locked together in battle. They separate and then collide. The stones beneath them are pushed away by the force.
“So it's you. The one who kidnapped my tracker.”
A middle-aged man with long brown hair walks forward with his small army of warriors. Over a white shirt and black waistcoat, gold and jewels hang from his neck. Under a long brown moustache was a mischievous smile.