"And the being that released me was - A Dragon "
"What?"
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The Black Slime's POV [part-1]
The memories flooded back, as I remembered the cavern, the ancient dragon, and the night that changed everything.
High up in the mountains, nestled within a rock-strewn cavern, a skinny creature lay curled up in the corner. This four-legged, winged creature had red reptilian scales, a long tail and two horns protruding out of its forehead. The creature resembled a scaly lizard or a crocodile with a long neck except for the fact that it had a humongous body as big as a 10-story building.
‘Dragon.’
That was what this supposed-to-be-extinct creature was known as. These prideful creatures were supposed to be the protectors -The messengers of God. Dragons were born magicians with an already formed core and 5th level of magic while the adult dragons had more than average levels of intelligence and infinite mana close to the 10th level of magic. But this red dragon had a very small, next to an insignificant amount of mana swirling around itself. It appeared more than a thousand years old, its scales worn out and cracked. It was breathing feebly and seemed to be in its slumber.
Crack! crack!
A cracking sound could be heard apart from the monotonous dripping sound of water from the cave roof. Two small paws cracked open the eggshell and crawled their way out. The cute little reptile as small as a newborn human child had no horns, nonetheless it closely resembled the thousand-year-old dragon. It wide opened its round beady golden eyes with a vertical slit in each. Its eyes darted back and forth vigilant of its surroundings. When its blurred vision returned to normal it saw the thousand-year-old dragon weakly breathing by its side and it uttered its first word- 'Daddy?'
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Lucifer's POV
"It's hard to put into words, Master," the black slime began, its voice a whisper in the quiet room. "Imagine being trapped in a vial for centuries, maybe more than five hundred years... or maybe an eternity, in darkness, with no sense of time or space. That was my existence for what felt like an eternity, lost in a void of nothingness. I had no form, no materialized body, just a consciousness submerged in darkness."
The slime's voice trembled with emotion as it continued, recalling the scenes it had witnessed in that cavernous prison. "I watched the dragon, so weak, laying against its egg with all the strength it could muster even in its slumber. I couldn't move, couldn't offer physical help, but I could channel my energy to the egg. It was an instinctual connection, a bond that defied logic or explanation."
A deep sigh escaped the slime, a sound laden with a sense of longing and regret. "I was powerless, devoid of any abilities or strengths. All I could do was watch and pour my energy into that egg, hoping against hope to protect it, to nurture it into something more. Each time I did, it drained me a little more, sapping away what little strength I had left."
The black slime's voice quivered with suppressed sorrow. "The weight of those years, of being a silent witness to life unfolding yet unable to truly participate, it weighed heavy on my essence. But that connection, that fragile thread that bound me to the egg, it kept me going, even as I grew weaker."
"I don't know why I felt that bond, Master," the slime admitted, a raw honesty in its words. "Perhaps it was a remnant of something lost in the depths of time, a longing for purpose, for meaning. And now, standing here, those memories feel both distant and achingly close, like a wound that never fully healed."
The black slime's voice trembled with a mix of anger and envy as it continued, "And... when the baby finally hatched, it called out to the ancient dragon as father. I watched, unable to voice my own presence, as the little one sought comfort and protection from the slumbering giant. It was as if my efforts, my silent guardianship, were overshadowed by the mere existence of that dragon."
"I wished so desperately that I could call out to the child, to let it know that I was there too, that I had been watching over it all this time. But I couldn't. My form, my essence, remained trapped in this state of limbo, pulsating with a longing that couldn't find a voice."
The slime's words carried a weight of unspoken emotions, deep-seated envy that had grown over centuries of silent observation. "It was unfair, Master. The dragon, sleeping peacefully, was getting all the attention of the little one, while I remained invisible, unnoticed, despite my efforts to protect and nurture."
As the slime spoke, its form seemed to pulsate with an intensity that mirrored its emotions, a manifestation of years of longing and frustration.
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"What happened next?" I asked hesitatingly, unsure as to what I should say to soothe his pain.
The slime hesitated, its pulsations slowing as if recalling a memory that brought conflicting feelings. "The little one, in its innocent curiosity, mistook the vial for a plaything and accidentally shattered it. I don't know why, but as my essence spilt out, I felt... more alive than I had in centuries. It was as if my purpose, long forgotten, started to resurface."
"My instincts guided me, and a certain unique smell told me to go somewhere, to follow. And at the end of that destination was you, Master."
"When I first encountered you as a baby, I didn't know why, but as I watched you, a unique power emitted from you, something I couldn't comprehend at the time. Instinctively, I felt that you were the one I had to serve, to protect."
"In the forest, my weakened form started getting stronger as the envy emitted from you grew," the slime confessed, its voice tinged with regret. "My own greed had the better of me, and I wished I could take over your body. But you resisted, and in that resistance, you freed me. I gained a materialized form, even though it was that of slime, the lowest grade creature."
"I will be by your side," it said, its voice filled with uncertainty and a hint of sincerity.
"I don't know..." I gazed at the slime, still not fully believing its intentions. The sadness in its pulsating form mirrored my own inner turmoil. Could I trust this being born from envy and longing, even if it now professed loyalty?
"You may stay...I will talk to you tomorrow"
The slime's form flickered, and before I knew it, it had vanished, though I could hear a faint voice.
"Sorry..." Whether it was my imagination or reality, I couldn't discern. The echo of that word lingered, a haunting reminder of the complexities woven within our encounter.
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The Black Slime's POV [part-2]
I am guilty of many things, perhaps most of all, for deceiving Lucifer. But trust is a luxury I cannot afford, not when the safety of my child - the baby dragon, hangs in the balance. Let me tell you about the memories that haunt me, memories of being trapped in that vial with no recollection of who or what I was.
Did I have a past, a purpose, or was I merely a fragment of a lost dream, drifting in the void of nothingness? It was an eternity of nothingness until the day my daughter, curious and unaware, shattered the vial that held me captive. Did she realize the consequences of her actions, the ripple of liberation that would echo through our lives?
As my essence surged forth, a surge of energy and consciousness, I found myself within the body of the giant dragon. Tears welled up in my formless being, an overwhelming rush of emotion as I grappled with the shock of realization. Can you imagine the despair of understanding that I was not separate from this magnificent creature, but an integral part of it?
It was a moment of profound realization—I was the dragon, and the dragon was me.
But the joy of rediscovery was short-lived. How cruel fate can be, to grant freedom at the cost of weakness and vulnerability. I was weakened, and disconnected from my true power, and my child, my precious daughter, was even more vulnerable; she lacked the strength of first-class mana, a deficiency that filled me with a deep-seated sorrow. How could I protect her, guide her, when I myself was adrift in a sea of uncertainty and limitation? I looked upon my daughter, her innocence stark against the backdrop of our shared vulnerability, my heart ached with a sorrow so profound that words could not contain it.
Amidst the anguish, a resolve began to form—a determination to defy fate, to rise above the limitations imposed upon us. I may have been weakened, and disconnected from my true power, but my love for my daughter burned like a fierce flame in the darkness. I vowed to find a way, to fight against the tides of despair and uncertainty, for her sake and for mine.
But before I could embark on my quest for truth, fate intervened in the form of a unique scent, a unique power emanating from an unexpected source—Lucifer. How intriguing, how perplexing, that the very essence of darkness and allure would draw me closer.
As I beheld his presence, a mixture of awe and trepidation coursed through my essence. But amidst the awe, a pang of sorrow struck me as I realized that my child, my precious daughter, was also of a similar age.
What secrets did this infant hold? Was he a potential ally or a formidable adversary? Did fate conspire to intertwine our paths, or was it a mere coincidence?
In my weakened state, I had no choice but to retreat into the essence, leaving my daughter in the safety of the vast cave. How painful it was, to part ways with the one I sought to protect, to abandon her to the uncertainties of our world. It was a heart-wrenching decision, one that echoed the pain of separation and uncertainty. Would she understand, would she forgive my absence in her time of need? I vowed to return, to reclaim her and unveil the mysteries that bound us. Was it a promise born of determination, or a fleeting hope in the face of adversity?
Yet, in the shadows of my determination, there lingered a secret—a deception that weighed heavily on my conscience. I had deceived Lucifer, hidden the truth of my existence and the bond I shared with my daughter. It was a necessary deception, a cloak of shadows to protect what was precious to me. But the guilt gnawed at my being, a constant reminder of the sacrifices made in the name of survival.
As I faced the mysteries that awaited me, the secrets hidden in the depths of our intertwined destinies, I couldn't help but wonder—had I made the right choice? Was deception the only path to salvation, or had I sown the seeds of betrayal in my desperation?