I don’t know how many people can say they woke up in a hallway freshly coated with blood and guts, however let me just say it is not something you would want to be conscious for…..
On the other hand, I do remember just before my record of events stopped that I was insanely hungry and I’m guessing whatever these things used to be was just what was needed to satisfy it.
There was a part of my brain that was freaking out over waking up to this, but that voice that was screaming about what I was seeing sounded distant and within seconds I didn’t really care, as if this was something natural for me to do?
My mind started to wonder about why that was until a few whimpers drew my attention and coming from the darkness towards me was the hatchlings and from their eyes I knew they had seen what I did. They looked… Afraid.
“I’m sorry you had to see that. I promise I’m not going to hurt you, I just did what I thought was right to protect you.” I sighed as I looked around and realized that to get outside I would have to force the kids to walk through all this.
“Let’s go, we have to get outside so I can see what is going on. I can’t just leave you alone so I will move you all to a room close to the entrance while I go out to the balcony.” I helped them as much as I could to make sure they didn’t slip and fall into the blood.
We made it through that and it looked like a few of the kids were staring at some of the pieces leftover as if it looked good so maybe they weren’t as traumatized as I first thought. But after making sure the room that I left them in was safe or well as safe as can be, given the situation that is.
I went out to the balcony and before I could even look out towards the battle site I saw great plumes of smoke and ash that was slowly blocking out the sunlight overhead.
Looking towards the clearing I saw huge puddles of blood even without focusing my eyesight. I could also see huge black blobs in a few places but after I looked closer I realized that it wasn’t one huge creature…. It was a dead dragon, being eaten by a horde of the small shadowy creatures.
I saw atleast a dozen of the same scene all over the forest along with roars and blasts of magic. The fighting was still going on but now it was further away and that’s when I noticed that the fighting was moving closer to the Void Mountain. That must mean the horde that I’m still seeing was for the most part pushed back.
“STYGIAN! Go back inside now!” I heard someone yell towards me moments before something roughly my size slammed into my side and sent me skipping across the balcony and with a thud I slammed into the wall.
I looked up with unfocused eyes as my vision was blurry and could only see something that resembled that dog from early only this one was bigger and it was walking towards me with a menacing growl.
“Stygian you ok? Just stay there we got this!”
3 figures landed in front of me and with some a wave of one of their hands, both my body and vision was healed.
“You guy’s? What are you 3 doing here?” I asked as I saw the trio from the forest facing down the shadow dog creature in front of us.
“Uncle told us to come here and help you defend the other hatchlings since you haven’t started combat training yet. Just stand back and we will take care of this.” Defaro said as he drew a sword and readied it…. Wait a second.
“You guys are humanoid! How is that possible?!”
“We will tell you later. For right now just go back inside and go be with your siblings.” Lizana said as her hands started to glow a weird purplish color. I knew I wasn’t going to be any help so as soon as I could I ran back inside and stood guard at the door to the kids.
I could see a little of the battle as the trio attacked and defended against the creature. I also so as both Defaro and Lizana used some weird looking magic. Defaro would rush towards the creature and simply touch it before retreating and seconds later a weird mark would appear on his body where he touched the creature and with a howl of pain the creature would be stunned as Defaro seemed to get stronger for a few seconds, which he would use that boost to charge and deal even more damage while also touching more of the creature.
Lizana on the other hand would channel a glowing purple energy into the ground and that energy would span out into a circle filled with what looked like the old Nordic runes from my old world. After a few seconds of charging Lizana would aim towards the beast and from the ground erupted vines that looked like charred wood along with some that looked like sickly green moss covered swamp vines. They lashed out and tied around the things limbs and held it in place.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Crater was next as he slammed his fist into the ground and pulled a giant stone hammer from it and launched into the air while swinging it downwards. Compared to the other two what he did was a bit on the basic side but all combined together equaled a smashed beast that sprayed a purplish blood everywhere.
“Ugh gross! What the hell is this stuff? It smells like someone ate then shit out a Golgothan.” Defaro said as he tried to wipe the liquid off his body.
“Atleast you didn’t get it in your mouth.” I said as I tried to spit it out and even tried wiping my tongue but the smell combined with the taste equals something that I hope to forget very soon.
After we all calmed down I started asking them about what was going on.
Lizana looked at me with worried eyes. “Has anyone told you about the real reason the Void mountain looks the way it does or about the creatures that live in it?”
“It’s because of the Void Beasts right? Grandpa told me they invade our world from a cave on the peak of the mountain.”
“That’s right, But it looks like those creatures have invaded again and this time it’s our turn to take up the fight to defend our world. Dragons are responsible for a quarter of the mountain defensive perimeter, Your parents along with most of the adults have fought back the monsters as you can see but in a couple days we will be sent to back them up.”
“What do you mean backing them up? Aren’t you all just children?”
“Haha, you seem to be forgetting something Stygian, the whole world is now at war and we are at the age where we get sent out into the world to get experience anyways.”
“Also Stygian, technically you are the same age as us now too, even if you were forced into it.” Crater said with a grunt but his eyes held pity for me.
“You don’t think they would send me do you? I-I barely awakened my [Dragon Sense]! I-I-I can’t go fight those things!” I yelled as my heart raced just thinking about going and fighting against more of those things. I did kill the two inside, but I was blacked out and didn’t know it happened until I woke up. To go fight while just barely being able to use something that comes naturally to all dragons was asking the impossible!
As I was starting to freak out there was a loud woosh as 6 sets of wings came towards us. I looked up and saw as 2 green dragons and 4 red dragons came swooping in but started to morph into a humanoid form mid descent.
“Mom, Dad! Are you ok!” I asked as I ran up to them. I saw as dad was covered in blood and had multiple cuts along his arms and body but they were visibly closing. Mom was battered and bruised as well along with what looked like scorch marks around her clothes.
Mom hugged me and picked me up to look me over with panic in his eyes.
“What happened Stygian? Why are you covered in the blood of the Void beasts?!”
“Did some get past us? I’m sure that we took out the majority of the boss class beasts, whatever was here had to have been either wounded or one of the smaller class minions.” Dad wondered while mom fretted over me.
“I’m alright, Those three came to rescue me just in time. The blood is from the one they splattered.”
I pointed towards the trio that was now being examined by their parents. Defaro and Lizana only had their mothers but Crater had his mom and dad…. I wonder if something bad happened to their dads? I hope not.
“Thank goodness your ok sweetie, Good job protecting your cousin.” The woman said to Defaros. He kept trying to push her away and look manly but she wouldn’t give up until she made sure he was perfectly fine.
“Same too you Lizzy, I sure you did your very best.” Lizana’s mom said to her.
“Crater my boy, Did you splatter the filthy beast like I taught you?” Crater’s dad asked him as he stood with a proud stance and looked over his boy.
“Hahaha, ofcourse I did dad! Who else but the best could do such a thing?” Crater imitated his dad while planting the stone hammer into the ground and it melted back into the earth like liquid.
“That’s my boy Hahaha! Look at this Solace, Your son might have been able to jump ahead a couple of years, but Crater is miles ahead.” The man said.
“Haaaa, Stygian I would like to introduce your uncles and aunts. The loudmouth is Silace and his wife Hesitae, Then there is Himine, mother of Defaro, and then Kilesia mother of Lizana.. Or little Lizzy as we all call her Hehe.” Dad giggled as he pointed out Lizana’s little nickname that she turned bright red over before shooting a small fireball at dad.
“Stop uncle! You know that nickname embarrasses me.”
“Where’s your dad’s at?” I asked and everyone went quiet instantly. Everyone looked away as Defaro and Lizana looked down in sadness.
“I’m sorry…. Forget I asked, I shouldn’t have….”
“It’s ok Stygian, Their fathers were a pair of human brothers that had saved us from a rough spot in our past. We were all just a few years older than you are now when it happened, but they just happened to be nearby and stumbled into helping us… Some things happened and your aunts took…. A liking to them, and 1+1 equals 2 and voila, your cousins were hatched.”
…… gotcha so the classic bard/dragon type of thing…..
“But that doesn’t matter right now, we need to focus on the invasion. Kids, unfortunately your grandpa has ordered all dragonlings that have come of age to be sent through a crash course the next few weeks and afterwards you will be joining us in defending against the invasion. He has called in a favor from one of his old allies and he will be here shortly to take you along with the others into a neighboring human town where you will be using their dungeon.” Silace said while looking at the trio, then looked at me.
“Your going to little nephew, you may only be a few days only but because of what my father did, you are now physically at the age where you need to step up and train aswell.”
I looked up at my parents in panic but they only nodded at me.
“It’s true Stygian, I had hoped to train you myself but your mom has to stay back to watch after your siblings while I patrol the borders. I believe in you son, I know you can do this.”