Part 5

Drake closed his eyes as he was led by the Myconid, only keeping a faint awareness of his surroundings as he was led forward towards the main encampment of the species. He could feel the shards he had planted throughout the cavern beginning to stir, which meant that he would need to take care to control them again, and soon.

He chuckled, despite himself. Not regarding his stirring feelings on the Myconid, the vague differences that he had undergone while unconscious were beginning to slowly make themselves known to him.

It was strange, his new body. The demonic mana that had been so carefully bottled up in his mana core had flooded his entire body. It strengthened him beyond what he thought would have been possible, given the nature that his mana took, but something about it just seemed off. He hadn’t noticed it at first, but the difference between the shards and the deep humming in his bones made him aware of it. Still, he didn’t know what to make of it.

The shards he created from his mist seemed no different. Slowly taking in the mana from the environment, it converted the natural mana towards its own type. Simple, almost mind-numbingly so, but straightforward. Understandable. But inside his own body?

It almost burned. That fierce sensation one felt when they encountered an on-coming fight, or the complete concentration one had when in a dead heat between yourself and a singular opponent, the energy racing throughout his body reminded all too much of that same surge of adrenaline. As if the energy had a new purpose, but one that he simply hadn’t found an outlet for yet. Now that he had been made aware of the difference, it was almost distracting. Like the constant bubbling of something in his chest.

One thing at a time. He breathed out, before swiftly focusing on the various shards that were spread throughout the cavern. Gathering the latent mana that had begun to leak out from each one of them, he carefully guided it into crystalline form again. It had been purely an accident, but such a malignant source of mana might prove to be an excellent trump card against the Myconid. He just needed to ensure an excess of the more mist-like mana didn’t form in the meantime.

Opening his eyes, he looked forward, once again focusing on the sight ahead of him. The faint sounds of trickling from water, the bioluminescent light, all of it was beginning to return, which only meant that they were approaching the settlement itself.

Drake bit his lower lip, as he advanced forward. It was all too similar, except for the familiar presence missing at his side.

[Yami.]

The signal he sent out was brief, and faint. Tinged with nothing but a hope that he would receive a single response in return, with that same reassuring tone she always used with him. He didn’t receive an answer, however.

“Yami…” A forlorn murmur escaped him, as he slowly made his way through the cavernous surroundings. “You’re still not going to answer…”

Drake may have been born as a human, but throughout his life, he hadn’t found a single person who he felt as close to as he had grown to the young imp. Close friends, of course, but to have that someone who he could trust implicitly? Most would consider themselves lucky to even have such a person last for only a few years. Yet, Yami had shown herself to be that and more, worrying and caring for him so that he could always do his finest.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it really was the small imp that Drake had found his reason for living in this new world. To find and seek out experiences that he had never dreamed of in his old life, and to do it all with a partner at his side every step of the way. His meeting with Therion, the adoption of Ella, even his worried, and somewhat skeptical acceptance of Aleria.

“It was all due to her…” A faint smile crossed his face. One full of mocking, and anger at his own incompetence. She had done so much, but he hadn’t even warned her properly of how he felt, and now look at what happened.

A scornful laugh emerged from Drake, full of the disdain he held for himself. In a way, Yami had been right. He often risked himself too much, and his fight with Peter’s group had resulted in putting her in the predicament she was now in. If he had only been strong enough then.

But, that wasn’t a mistake that he would allow himself to make twice.

In a sudden haze of red mana, Drake’s form quickly shifted, leaving his Draconian form to march forward into the settlement.

Not a moment after, the Sovereign suddenly stopped in place, leading him to simply stand there in confusion.

“Something the matter?” Drake said.

“No, not at all.” The wriggling mass swelled in response. “We were simply surprised by your sudden transformation. Truly impressive.”

It hid it quite well, but the sudden transformation of Drake led the Sovereign to become nervous almost instantly. The strength Drake had access to between the two forms was drastic, but that was all too obvious given how easily he had broken free of the bindings that had held him. The true difference came from the pressure the Sovereign felt as a result of him resuming his more monstrous form.

It was similar to the sensation of walking outside only to be met with a freezing cold on your skin. It would inevitably cause some discomfort.

The Sovereign however, didn’t slow its pace, only answering as if it was the most natural thing to do.

“Heh,” Drake chuckled.

“So, how much longer, Sovereign,” Drake said, the words coming across as more of a statement than a question.

“Not much longer at all. We assure you.”

The pace of the Sovereign quickened, leaving Drake to only walk behind it silently. As a result, it only took roughly three minutes as they passed through the desolate cavern before Drake and the Sovereign arrived. As they did, the Sovereign spoke as if to calm Drake, it’s voice full of hidden relief, “Here, we just entered the exterior.”

A settlement stood in the middle of the oddly serene cavern, spread out in front of Drake was much like he remembered when he first awoke. The crystal-clear stream of water that ran lazily through the center, as well as the wealth of bioluminescent mushrooms that the Myconid used as a light source. This was combined with the one or two dozen towering mushrooms that they no doubt used for shelter. He had his own doubts, but the Sovereign had returned him to their village again.

Not wasting another moment, they both made their way forward, with Drake occasionally glancing to the side as he did. Given how little time he had spent with them, it was no surprise just how little he knew about how the Myconid worked. Now however, as he slowly meandered through the village on the Sovereign’s path, he began to understand just how the Myconid truly survived here.

The Myconid didn’t truly live like any other animal. Much like their origin suggested, they seemed content to live almost entirely off water, only occasionally taking in nutrients in the form of a small, hardy breed of mushroom they could be seen cultivating. It was a simple lifestyle, one that didn’t require more than it needed. Given that the Myconid’s true calling seemed to be the process of mind-melding with one another, it wasn’t surprising either.

“What the…” As he looked on, something caught his eye. At first, he thought it was only one of the many strange rock formations that made up the cavernous area, but on closer inspection, it seemed to be… moving. There wasn’t just one either, there looked to be several lumbering figures in the distance, of all different sizes.

They all moved in a robotic fashion, but the size and shape of each seemed to vary drastically. Unfortunately, the utterly dim lighting, and near darkness on the outskirts led Drake to only see outlines of what were no doubt creatures.

“Just what is going on here,” Drake murmured to himself. The Myconid had widespread control over this area. There was no reason to see those creatures as being any different from the Myconid themselves, rather, it was unlikely the Sovereign would even allow it. Could they be creatures that were taken over? Is… that what happened to those it took over?

His expression sunk even deeper as he continued to walk behind the steady line of pulsating eyes that the Sovereign led with, the murderous look held within not fading in the slightest. What were the Myconid really up to here? The Sovereign had been leading him throughout this settlement for quite a while, and her signal had grown increasingly close, but surely, they could have brought her to him as well.

Yes… now that he thought harder on it, why couldn’t Yami simply have been brought to where he was? Could they have been planning some sort of trap…

As Drake’s suspicions began to grow, the Sovereign’s movements suddenly changed, moving from a mere straight line before disappearing altogether, only to reappear on one of the nearby structures that the Myconid used for shelter.

“Here. She was resting when you awoke. No doubt she will be pleased to see you, although much has changed since you last met,” it said matter of factly.

Drake paused, with only a slight twitch crossing his face as he walked over to the structure. Yami was just inside? He would have expected to feel her presence more closely, but still…

He paused outside the doorway, frozen in mid-step as he fought over what he would do. Everything pointed to the fact that Yami had been compromised in some way. He had doubts on whether or not he could even trust her, if she even had her own mind. If she truly had changed, if she wasn’t herself… what could he even do?

“Haa…”

Those thoughts only lasted for a moment before he quickly shut them out. He would do anything to save her, just as she would him, that the point of their bond. He simply closed his eyes, and took a breath to calm himself, before crossing the threshold, and entering the barren room.

What he saw was entirely different from what he expected, however.

“Yami?” He called out tentatively, his eyes slowly adjusting to the near darkness in the structure.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Drake! It’s so good to see you again.” A cheerful voice rang out.

“Yami…?” He paused.

“Yes? What, is something different?” A rather sarcastic smile emerged, as the young girl standing in front of him seemed to drink in the dumbstruck look on Drake’s face.

In complete contrast with the small Imp that could lay across his head with little issue, stood a young girl, just on the cusp of womanhood, one that seemed to radiate both innocence and mischief at the same time.

Her red eyes, and black hair remained the same, with her hair only growing longer as it flowed down towards her back, while her pale, gray skin had turned several hues whiter, giving her an almost ethereal glow in the faint light that pervaded the structure. She could almost even pass for human now, disregarding the horns.

Her clothes had changed as well, now only consisting of a devious one-piece dress that only enhanced the unnatural beauty that exuded from her small frame. Even the small gray horns that had emerged from her forehead had shrunk, instead being tipped with a faint crimson that made her look cute rather than menacing. It was an appearance that could be compared to a rare flower, one that drew a person in only to ensnare them with its beauty.

“What?” She said in a mischievous tone. “Am I so beautiful now that you’re at a loss for words?”

“That’s… you, isn’t it?” Drake looked on, his feelings mixed. She had changed somewhat, but he had some inkling that this form was what she had always intended. Still…

The young girl in front of him smiled sweetly and nodded her head.

“Who else would I be?” She stuck her petite chest out proudly, her toothy smile widespread. It was the same expression she gave him when they first met.

“That same expression…” A mysterious look crossed Drake’s eyes as he looked to the young girl. An evolution. This must have been what Yami meant by the phrase, and why she wasn’t all too worried. An evolution must have been something that couldn’t be failed, rather, it was simply a transitional period to a more powerful race. Still, it didn’t answer his most important question.

Drake paused, before tentatively sending out a signal towards the young girl.

[Then… you’re Yami?]

A moment passed, before the young girl simply tilted her head.

“Are you alright, Drake? You seem stressed,” she said sweetly.

The pit of his stomach dropped as he looked to the girl, his voice only slightly more than a whisper, “No… No, I’ll be alright soon.”

Even at this range… even when everything told him that the young girl in front of him was Yami… not a single word passed back through their bond. Which meant… which meant…

A slow, unnatural laugh emerged from Drake, as the burning within his chest became all the hotter.

“I’m not going to lose you, now of all times!”

A wave of crimson mana surged out from Drake as he finished speaking, drawing surprise from both Yami and the Sovereign that had covered the inside of the structure with its eyes. There was a small, child-like shriek as the mana spread throughout the room, resulting from the Sovereign quickly cutting off its connection to save itself. In the meanwhile, the young girl simply looked to Drake with confusion and anger.

“Drake! Why? What are you doing?”

“Yami!” Drake yelled out, his voice full of emotion. “You can’t tell me you didn’t hear me calling out to you! I was put away like some prisoner of war, yet you didn’t even respond!”

“That-”

“I don’t want to hear it!” He yelled.

Drake clutched his chest in a sudden pain, as his gaze dropped to the ground. The burning in his chest had strengthened, more powerfully than he ever felt before. Why did it hurt so badly all of a sudden… It was as if he was burning!

A laugh emerged from Drake, both sorrowful and maddening as he looked to the girl in front of him. The mana he released hadn’t harmed her in the least. In fact, it slowly flowed around her, much like a rock diverting the passages of a stream. Something that could only be accomplished through their bond. It meant that he had found her, but the bond they had was corrupted… it meant that they had tried to take away her away from him and change the person he trusted most!

“Yami, I’ll see you again soon.” He held out his hand in a sudden motion, as streams of mana surrounded her from all sides, collecting on body as it slowly made a coffin that surrounded her totally. The look of shock and betrayal appeared for only a moment before the crystal completely sealed her away, restricting both her movements, and sense of control she had over the crystal that had encased her.

“I’ll take you away,” he murmured. “Even the Myconid shouldn’t be able to affect you at a distance.”

As Drake finished speaking, the dome-like ceiling of the structure suddenly shuddered before splitting in several directions. The walls followed soon after, receding down to the ground, and revealing those inside to the environment around them, without any barriers in the way. Drake scowled as he flashed his claws, the deep burning in his chest waxing and waning with every breathe.

A sizable group of Myconid had surrounded him completely, their normally innocent expressions warped into one of foreboding anger. A strange, and horrifying Myconid took the lead, with its appearance resembling some eldritch horror. Its head was completely misshapen in comparison to the rest of its race, with the right arm dragging against the ground, and its entire body covered in a mixed web of eyes.

As it stood in front of Drake, the eldritch creature bowed ever so slightly, as if to cede that Drake had accomplished some small part of what he desired.

“The Great One requests you return,” the creature stated.

Drake’s eyes widened momentarily, before a sneer emerged. That same sickening voice as always.

“Well, if it isn’t the Sovereign. The Great One, is it? The moment I start to make trouble for Aesir, I have to return?” He laughed.

“There’s not a damn thing that’ll stop me from taking Yami with me, you can count on that.”

The mana that had spread out began to surround Drake, the air becoming thick as a red haze surrounded him. He still hadn’t had the opportunity to formally make an ability, so the most he could really do was just make the most out of his native ability with his mana. Still, that wouldn’t stop him.

“That’s… unfortunate. We had hoped this would be resolved differently.” The Sovereign said simply.

Drake didn’t get the chance to respond. As the Sovereign’s sickening form finished speaking, the dark and dreary environment of the cavern faded away into nothing, as if it was merely made of smoke and was blown away by a puff of wind. What Drake was left in however, could only be described as a clear and open field, complete with a gentle, all-encompassing light. The Myconid, Yami, everyone was gone, leaving him utterly alone.

“Wha-” Before Drake could get a word out, something hard slammed against his side, which sent him flying in the air. He crashed ruthlessly against what felt like a wall, as not a second later, another object ruthlessly slammed against his back, resulting in him gasping on the ground as he looked around in a daze.

“Gah!”

What is happening... That brief thought was all that escaped Drake before he was suddenly picked up, with his arms bound tightly to his side. There was the distinct sensation of Drake slowly rising through the air, even though it seemed as if he hadn’t even moved off the ground.

“Again with this… Dammit!” He struggled against the invisible force for only for it to weaken suddenly. Feeling that, he flexed his body only for the sensation to quit almost completely.

How…

The Sovereign, that thing did this. He hit upon a realization as soon as he realized the trick.

Truthfully, there was no rational explanation. He had serious doubts on whether a simple species based off mushrooms would be capable of teleportation, even if they were connected to Aesir. There was one trick that was readily available to mushrooms, however.

“Psychedelics… in other words, this is all an illusion.”

It was well known that mushrooms released a wide array of chemicals during their lifetime, and that quite a few of those tended to warp the reality of those who ate them. The Myconid simply weaponized that particular trait. How to escape such a thing, however. That might prove to be impossible.

Narrowing his eyes, he could still feel the connection to his mana around him, despite him not being able to see the red mist he had gathered only a moment earlier. The Sovereign was still there as well, just made invisible by an illusion. Good.

He chuckled, as a more cruel expression crossed his face. “Now I-”

Drake suddenly froze in mid-place, utterly unable to move, or even speak. It was as if his entire body as locked up on him, leaving him unable to fight back in the slightest.

How…!

“There. We promised to return you safely, but honestly, you made such an ordeal out of this,”

Just as quickly as it appeared, the meadow dissipated like a fog, leaving him staring face to face with the multitude of eyes that made up the Sovereign’s body, all with a frustratingly pleasant look in them.

“Hallucination spores, and Pacifying spores. You really are a tough one.” A faint, lilting laughter was held in the Sovereign’s voice as it spoke, only angering Drake more by the second. “It’s strange, we didn’t see any overt hostility towards us during our time with you. What could have changed?”

Cocky little…! Drake was fuming, but utterly unable to move. They were just biding time, making a fool out of him. There was easily a dozen adult Myconid here. Even if only the Sovereign could use the Hallucination spores, with so many of the regular Myconid here, those of the pacifying type seemed to be engineered to counter him eventually. It was inevitable.

Infuriated, Drake struggled against the power that held his body in place yet was still left completely unable to move a muscle, or even speak. The Pacifying spores that were used against him, it left his body in a state that was comparable to complete muscle seizure. He was frozen in place, completely unable to move out of the position he was left in. All the while, the Sovereign had that damned expression…

Raarghh! Drake struggled pointlessly but was only left frozen as the Sovereign slowly wandered behind him, out of his line of sight. There was a distinct sound that Drake recognized as the Sovereign testing the crystal he had surrounded Yami with, as the crystal rung out a low note as a series of taps tested the strength.

“Well, this is different… she’s unable to even escape, and it looks as if we were correct on our concerns with this mana as well. How incredibly troublesome…” The Sovereign grumbled.

Hearing the words the Sovereign spoke so casually, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride in himself. It may have cost him time, but he was thankful for what he had done.

The crystal that had surrounded her should be utterly impossible for the Myconid to directly destroy. Given Aesir’s influence, he’d wager that they may be able to chip away at his mana’s influence, but even that would time a tremendous amount of effort, all while protecting Yami more than he could ever hope for. It would be as if she simply went to sleep.

The Sovereign heaved a heavy sigh as it turned. In truth, it had little choice but to give up on Yami for now, it’s Eldritch form instead approaching Drake. It’s voice also held a feeling of surprise, although just whether it concerned himself or Yami he was unable to tell.

“Truly, your kind are so much trouble. Intriguing, but violent. Mercurial, but utterly vexing.” A faint laugh rung out over the cavern, and it continued in a more official manner.

“Nevertheless, we upheld our end of the bargain. You’ll be leaving soon. However, you’ll be leaving alone.”

Wait. I’ll be leaving… without Yami? Those words were spoken so simply by the Sovereign, yet even then, it seemed to Drake as if he had misheard them.

The effect that held Drake in place wouldn’t last forever, that much was obvious. Even now, he could feel the effect beginning to wear away, with small, minute twitching showing that his muscles were beginning to slowly loosen and allow him some movement. However, their purpose was never to keep him there. It was simply to allow him to pass his trial. Now, he would return to the dungeon, and complete what Aesir had intended for him. However…

“You… can’t…” Drake brokenly forced the words past his lips, his entire body straining against the effects of the Pacifying spores.

“Hm, can’t we though? Still, the effect is already wearing away, after so much was used. You are dangerous,” the Sovereign muttered. “Still, no matter. We only needed to keep you in one place for long enough.”

No…! Drake desperately struggled against the effect of the spores, his strained muscles constantly attempting to fight against the paralysis that held his body still like a statue. Such a thing was too late, however.

Like the heavy sound of a funeral bell, a horribly slow grinding sound suddenly made itself known above him and the Myconid surrounding him. Although it was only vaguely familiar to him, to someone like Yami, it would be apparent that it was the sound of Aesir’s roots breaking through the soil and earth to reach down into this part of the cavern.

“Well, although we imagine we won’t meet again on pleasant terms, we do hope we see you again,” the Sovereign remarked cheerfully.

A heart-chilling laugh echoed across the cavern as rock and stone began to fall to ground around Drake. Desperate, almost primal movements surged through his body, as he fought desperately against the spores that kept him in place.

He just needed more time. He would be able to save Yami. He would.

He furiously fought even as vines descended from the ceiling and surrounded him. He fought as they firmly took hold of his body and held him more tightly than any prison the Myconid could build. He wanted to desperately call out to her, to at least let her know that he would be back, yet his mouth wouldn’t even open to let him those few words.

Despite his heartfelt effort, all that he could manage was a muffled cry as he was silently drawn up into the inky black abyss of the dungeon above.