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Soul Forged
Chapter 25: Saiph

Chapter 25: Saiph

Firestone, the Territories of Rielle. Day 03.

“Could have sworn I gave you three rooms, though you are more than welcome to sleep on that bench, if that’s more comfortable.” Sylas set a cup down in front of a very groggy Saiph.

“Trust me, it isn't. Just passed out with a lot on my mind,” Saiph sipped at the warm not-quite-coffee he was beginning to develop a deep affection for. “You ever heard of a woman named Samira?”

“The only Samira I know of was Eric’s wife. She was one of the first victims of the old firestone mine monster.”

Samira was Eric’s wife? Why wouldn’t he remember that? Saiph wondered.

“You have a look, you know something?” Sylas asked.

“We went into the mine. It’s an instanced dungeon now. We, uh, we fought Samira.”

“You’re saying she’s the mine’s monster?”

“No, I think the real monster is controlling her like the dreygur and wraiths,” Isaac said. “We’re going to try and find a way to lay her and the rest of the mine’s victims to rest.”

“I think I understand,” Sylas said. “Eric was in a bad way when they found him. He was the only miner to make it out. Have you told him what you found? He’ll no doubt want to help you help those lost souls.”

“Well that’s just it: we did tell him about Samira.” Saiph paused. “How bad was he when you found him? Bad enough that he’d forget his own wife?”

Sylas frowned. “He was pretty bad. Then one day, he was fine. Well, he’s always kept to himself, so none of us ever thought much of it. Oh, hells… All this time. I should have been a better friend.”

“Don’t blame yourself. You can’t fix what you can’t control. Mikel had to remind me of that the other night. I happen to know a person who might be good for this sort of thing. He helped me a while back. Just check in on him until we get back in a couple days. I just hope we didn’t tear any old wounds open,” Saiph shrugged. “He seems to like Cassi and Slaine and I think they like him, too. Their mutual interest in firestone should keep them busy.”

“Your summoner friend mentioned those two’ll need a place to stay for a bit? They’re more than welcome to stay here,” Sylas said. “Thank you for looking after Eric.”

Saiph let the older man walk away to go about his morning duties. Saiph found Nix and Rose already outside waiting for him.

“Sure we don’t want Cassi or Slaine to get us to Orleana? It’ll be a short there and back for them,” Nix asked.

“Nah, I think we should let them get used to this place for now. Besides, we should be able to get there by nightfall,” Saiph answered.

Nix moved to open his summoning grimoire.

“Don’t worry about a mount for me, I want to try something,” Saiph said, remembering his conversation with Will. “Follow me.”

Well beyond the walls of the village, Saiph activated his spell, Summon: Crystal Dragon. A loud, thunderous roar answered and a great, looming shadow descended upon them.

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A great black dragon with ice blue horns on either side of its head and plates down its back like those of a stegosaurus landed in the clearing in front of Saiph. It was a giant beast, each talon longer than Saiph was tall.

The dragon’s blue eyes locked with Saiph’s own and the spell’s icon on his hotbar flashed in sync with a draconic, yet distinctly feminine, voice speaking inside his head.

“I am Rellar Azureth, Great Matriarch of all dragon-kind. And you are…” The dragon paused, tilting her head in a decidedly human gesture of intrigue. She studied Saiph with intense eyes. “Anathi? It seems fitting that you were the one who spearheaded the defense of our young. How long has it been? A hundred? A thousand years? I’d wondered when I’d taken my dying breath if we were wrong in denying you aid all those years ago. You have our aid now. I only hope it proves more useful to you now than you’d hoped back then.”

The dragon looked at Saiph and must have sensed his confusion. He had no idea what she was talking about.

“You do not know this name, Anathi. It matters little. You saved our eggs, our progeny. Our future.”

“My guild still watches your eggs, awaiting the day they’ll hatch and return dragons to this land,” Saiph said, it was the only thing he could think to say. Perhaps Anathi was a title, akin to his Dragon Warrior subclass.

“And for that, we are eternally in your debt. I complete my binding to you now. May you find yourself in time, Anathi.”

Before Saiph could ask her what she meant, Rellar Azureth opened her mouth revealing a cavern lined with serrated teeth. Blue fire flowed from deep within her gullet, bathing Saiph in its heat. He flinched, but found he did not burn. As the fires flowed upon him, the dragon's own body began to disappear, changing into the same crystal fire that now flowed into Saiph’s body.

A prompt appeared in front of Saiph’s eyes.

Long ago, the dragons were attacked by the demon Azeban. You and those who bear the title Dragon Warrior aided in the resealing of the demon back within its dungeon. The dragon queen, Rellar Azureth, like all those now dead, have answered your summons over the decades to aid you in your quests. In reality, each of them has been standing by in the realm between life and death, stalling their eternal rest in the hope that they would one day be able to reward those who saved their kind with a gift bound to your soul.

Alert! Your Class, Subclass, Race, and Stats have been adjusted by the act of your soul merging with a piece of Rellar Azureth’s.

You are no longer Man. You are Dragonkin.

You are no longer Sentinel-Dragon Warrior. You are Dragon Sentinel.

You may choose a new subclass or pick an old one with no penalties.

Saiph could feel his body growing stronger. His status page, too, showed the increase in his base stats. A flat twenty percent boost to his Health, Stamina, Mana, Strength, Endurance, Willpower, and Constitution had all been applied. His class now showed Dragon Sentinel and his race was now Dragonkin.

Saiph didn’t feel any other differences until he looked down at his hands. They weren’t hands anymore, but great talons with crystal blue claws. He bellowed a roar in surprise, falling backwards and landing on a new set of limbs on his back. He craned his now elongated neck backwards and gasped at the two massive wings protruding from his great draconic back.

His spell, Summon: Crystal Dragon, had been changed to Crystal Dragon Form, and it showed as currently active.

It was only then that Saiph became aware of the two voices beneath him. Both Rose and Nix were trying to get his attention. Saiph turned to face them.

“What the fuck is this!” Nix shouted. “This whole time I’ve been blowing through my mana pool to summon mounts for you and you could turn into a fucking dragon? What the fuck, Isaac!”

Saiph smiled at Nix’s frustration while giving a few test flaps of his new wings. They felt sturdy and strong and a part of him instinctively knew how to use them as though he’d always had them.

Nix invited Saiph to a private call and he accepted it.

“I know you can hear me! What gives?”

Saiph bellowed a thunderous laugh at his friend and launched himself into the air. His wings caught the updraft and he soared higher and higher as he best his powerful muscles.

Saiph flew high over the forest below, diving and catching himself just above the treetops, all the while listening to the sound of Nix’s frustrations from inside his own head.

The end of Part Two.