“What are you?” I managed to mutter out.

Even though having lived two lives, what I saw with my very own two eyes, my brain refused to believe. A monster, in simpler terms, which was easily 10 feet tall, cross-legged, on a rocked carved throne of jagged stones with an arm lazily supporting its head. With paralyzing red eyes that gazed down at me, while terrifying, carried an oddly tranquil quality. Two small horns protruded out of the sides of its head, while some kind of ring floated above its head. It had a mouth with two fangs peeking out of its lips and while its body was adorned in a sleek black armor that had neither decorations nor embellishments, it still glowed with the quality of a priceless treasure.

Here it is in all of its prestige… with its head resting on its arm, while its other hand nonchalantly scratched its nose. Compared to it I felt like an insignificant being.

What I failed to notice until now, because of the dim lighting in the cave and its body is completely black, was the cloth wrapped around its body covering some bird-like feathers on its back and a gaping hole on its chest, blood oozing out.

I tried getting up, but failed and ended up back on my butt, my face still slack from the shock which my eyes were witnessing.

“Creatures will fly into your mouth if you leave it open that long and wide.”

Great. At least it had humor.

“As for what I am, I won't say anything unnecessary more than what you can see from looking.” The humanoid monster said with its eyes seeming to gaze straight through me.

“Are you a monster?” I said

“Are you a monster because you are different?”

“Monsters do bad things.”

“Humans do bad things to everybody.”

“...”

He was right, humans had the power to evolve in my old world. To think for themselves, to be stronger, to be above the rest. I can only imagine what they have caused with the power of magic at their hands.

“It will take me some time before I can open up a dimensional vortex that will send you home, so up until then, I advise you to tolerate it and remain here for the time being. There are magical plants that are produced here. You will be able to sustain off of those until I finish.” it sighed.

That’s right. That's what I came here to do. I managed to regain some of my composure and stood up, walking a little closer to the being.

Giving a gracious bow, I replied, “Thank you for the overall things you’ve done for me and in the future. I am in your debt. If for that reason there is anything I can do to repay you, I will do for you whatever I can within my power.”

“Well mannered for a child. Do not fret: I did this not for a favor or your gratitude. I am simply doing this to cure my boredom. Come! Sit here closer to me and keep me entertained. I haven't talked to anyone in some time.” The being laughed, pointing to an area of its throne for me to sit on.

I climbed up the throne rather clumsily, forgetting that I could use mana to simply jump up, and I propped myself on the throne next to the being.

“Umm… pardon me for being rude, but what exactly are you. How should I exactly address you?” I said while making eye contact with the being.

“I suppose you're right. I don't look like a man, now do I? I’m surprised as to why I said that. My name is Silas.” He replied, slipping out a chuckle.

This goliath-like demon monster looked like anything but a Silas to me, but I kept it to myself. “Sir Silas, do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

“Go ahead child, beware I may not be able to answer everything.”

I instantly trailed off all the questions that had been on my mind ever since entering this place and meeting Silas. “Where is this place? Where is everyone at? Where did you come from? Why do you have that cloak on and what happened to your chest?... Why did you save me?”

He quietly listened and waited for me to finish before replying.

“You must have many things on your mind. The first question is simple to answer. This place is between the Wastelands and the forest of Nelin. No one knows this place exists because I’ve been warding anyone or thing who comes close, although the cases are uncommon in the first place. You, child, are the first to enter this domain.” He easily explained as if he already knew the questions I would ask.

“Call me Quintan or Quin for short. My name is Quintan Whitlock but everyone calls me Quin! You can too! I blurted out before realizing what I had said, shutting my mouth with both my hands, confused as to why I was acting like a child.

“Hmmm… very well-child, I shall call you Quin!” His blood-red eyes, looking afar while answering my next question.

“As for your second question. I am here alone simply because I have no one left. While I do not think telling you everything would be wise I’ll tell you what I can. I have many enemies that wish for something I have; my last battle with my enemies left me in this state and with this wound. For where I come from… far away, haha.”

In that moment of pause before Silas continued, this time his eyes were looking straight at me, almost studying me.

“As for why I saved you… even I do not fully understand why I did. Perhaps I have been isolated for too long and yearned for a companion. I first noticed you when you and your family stayed at the Inn and were attacked. You sacrificed yourself to save your mother despite not knowing what the spell was, I felt obligated to save you, pondering what a waste it would be for such a good child to die. You are very brave. It is rare for even adults to be able to do what you did.

I denied what he had said. “I was just as scared too and I didn't have much of a choice. I just wanted to save my mother.” I didn’t know if it was the way he talked or because of how big and powerful he seems but in front of him, I turned into a child. No, I was a child in front of him.

“You must miss them quite a bit. Rest assured, your family has met up with the rest of the party and they are safe. As for where they have gone, I’m afraid my sight does not reach far enough to tell anymore.”

“...”

A rush of reassurance washed over me as I had to do my uttermost to keep tears from overwhelming me.

I see they’re safe. This new life brought emotions I had thought I got rid of in my old life.

“Thank you. They’re alive…they’re okay…” I let out a sniffle.

Silas's enormous hand reached down and gently patted me on the back with a finger.

The day went by with me conversing with Silas, picking up some of the magical fruit in between that looked and tasted very similar to peaches but were blue in color.

We would talk about all sorts of things as Silas prepared the vortex. At one point, he asked me how I was able to use mana so well at my age.

“To my awareness of humans, even the earliest mage to have awakened so far was the age of ten, even then, the child couldn't grasp how to use it, there was very little he could do with it. Yet, not only have you formed your mana core, nonetheless, by the way, you use mana, you seem to be more efficient than most full-fledged mages.” I just shrugged, feeling oddly proud by his praise. “Let's just say… I’m a different kind of case. I can read well and I get what the pictures in the books are saying.”

Days trickled by as Silas continued preparing the portal.

In a guilty tone, he explained one day, “The spell will take a while to be completely safe. You do not wish to land in a destination you are not familiar with, right? Even one inconsistently can lead to you being transported a couple of hundred meters off the ground. So until then tolerate it for the time being; you will be able to see your loved one soon.”

I replied with silence. I was fine with waiting. It beat trying to navigate my way back home.

I noticed a few things. These past couple of days while I trained my mana core and chatted with Silas.

Silas was the definition of, “Appearances are often misleading.” Despite his appearance, he was gentle, patient, and kind but could also be harsh, mean, and terrifying when needed to be. In one way or another, he reminded me of my father and mother, in a way they would all scold me while being gentle when I did something wrong. I once stated how I would take revenge on the one who caused this and how he deserved worse than death when he suddenly flicked my forehead…

Even though it was gentle, a flick from someone 10 meters high was nothing to laugh about. I was sent barrel-rolling before spouting, “What was that for?”

Picking me up by the shirt so I was eye level, he said in an emotionless tone “Quin. Perhaps you are not wrong for wishing death upon the one who has wronged you. However, do not let your heart be corrupted with thoughts of revenge. If you seek revenge do it in a way you will not regret in the future. Continue proudly with your life to gain strength so that you may protect your loved one from harm. In your journey, you will face many situations like before, maybe even worse, but do not succumb to that evil that is dwelling inside of you, learn to better yourself from those experiences so it won't happen again.”

I blinked, stunned by the fact I was lectured on morals by a being who seemed to be the embodiment of evil. Strangely, it stuck with me. I just responded with a nod.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Another thing I noticed was that his wound would worsen. I found it odd that he was even alive with a gaping hole in his chest and all the feathers everywhere must be caused by the wound deepening. I grew numb to the fact that the wound was there. That is… until a couple of days ago, the wound seemed to be bleeding more wildly. Silas tried to hide it with his cloak but it grew more and more as the days passed.

Silas, noticing my worrying gaze said, “Do not fret, I wouldn't die from a wound like this.”

For some reason, I found that hard to believe.

Sometimes, while I was meditating and using strict movement techniques I had learned from my father to better control my mana, Silas suddenly broke in. “Quin. let me speak with you. I am nearly complete with the porta, but let me ask you this: if you were to return right now what would change? What would prevent the same thing from happening again? I can't possibly fathom how much you miss your mother and father, but if you were to return right now you'll still be a scared, powerless boy who couldn't even protect himself from real dangers better yet his family. But if you were to stay here a little longer I could teach you some techniques I have acquired throughout my life?”

I didn’t want to admit it but he was right. I was weak and powerless and I would still be powerless if I’d returned. No matter how much I wanted to see my mother and father I wanted to protect them even more than before. If I were to say I could at least become stronger than before I had already noticed my body changing from just staying here with Silas. My senses have become more enhanced.

“Okay, I’ll stay. I only have one question?”

“That is?”

“When do we start?”

“First, try drawing a mana barrier around yourself. Once that is done, I want you to draw the mana away while keeping the barrier up.”

“That's impossible!”

“Impossible you say? Watch as I form the barrier using mana while also drawing the mana away but the barrier is still intact. Now I want you to walk in it.”

Shoosh

“Wow! What is this?” As soon as I walked into the barrier there was a teal color and all my scratches went away instantly.

“What did you do?”

“I did simply as I told you I removed the mana and only left the barrier. As you master this technique I will teach you another. You'll be able to eventually expand the barrier and cast it without having to use mana; it will come naturally. Now hurry time is limited, no more questions.”

“But how did you make such a skill? I've never heard of anything like it in any of the books I read or from mother or father?”

“What did I say? Now begin.”

“Let me try,” I nodded

I had to admit that, like many of my other theories, it was extremely difficult at first.

Practicing it repeatedly meant being able to fight pro proficiently without having to waste mana on a barrier that would get destroyed over and over while being able to heal others. I found it strange that it couldn't heal the user itself. Silas's only advice was, a mage must be able to construct, then deconstruct or take the pieces out. Like building a building and then undoing it. Even though I thought that was a terrible analogy he seemed to think it fit. I had never been hit so many times in this life of my previous combined to see if it worked.

This at least seemed to entertain Silas as he watched.

One year passed since I met Silas and became his amity. I would tell him stories of me and my family, while he would teach me new skills and I would improve them thanks to Silas's patience and diligence. Silas hadn't told me the name of this skill, so I named it myself. Ethos. He also taught me a new skill that was way more complicated than the other; it allowed me to diffuse my consciousness so that I was able to completely hide my mana presence. It was balancing my output of mana from my core through my mana circuits and my mana intake from the atmosphere through my mana veins rendering me invisible to people and animals trying to sense me via mana fluctuations. I named it Ignis fatuus or ghosting for short but I like Ignis.

Over the time I spent with Silas it would be an understatement to say I have merely gotten close with him. He treated me like his own blood Godson and, in response, I've grown attached to this demon lord GodFather. It was merely because of this relationship that I was able to ignore what was happening to him.

It was frustratingly clear that his wound was getting worse with each passing day.

“Silas, tell me what's happening to your wound, please? Why is it getting worse? It was never like this before! You say you won't die from it but that was clearly a lie! This won't go away on its own, will it? It's getting worse! I frustratingly expressed my concern one especially bad day after working on the portal he vomited a pool of blood.

I paused for an instant, struck with realization…

How come I hadn’t noticed before?

He had been getting worse because of the portal.

In order to send me home…

Silas let out a deep breath, knowing that I had finally realized what was going on. Managing a sheepish grin, Silas muttered, “Quin, yes I am dying. But not because of the portal. I was already fated to die once I was struck with this wound. I will get angry if you blame yourself, thinking you are causing this. I have been like this for quite a while. You're doing a great service allowing me to leave this forsaken cave a bit faster.

Instantly as I finished speaking, Silas' cloak fell from him and what I saw was profound. There was a golden ring above his head and his wings sprouted. “There's a ring floating above your head and you have wings. You're an angel!” What I had just witnessed was nothing compared to what was awaiting me. A bright golden light radiated from his body. Shielding my eyes from the light to prevent going blind, I tried on what was forming before me where Silas once sat. In place of the ten-meter giant, the figure was an even larger dragon. From his snout to his tail, he was clad in an obsidian black coat of shimmering scales with a white highlight. Beneath his rouge pink eyes were glowing sigil marks that marked his body and neck and ran down his tail like lotus engravings. The dragon's wings were black with white highlights adorned with black-bladed feathers.

The golden light radiating the dragon dimmed until there was nothing left of the once titan-shaped being.

“How about now… Do I look more like Silas?” letting out a toothy smile.

“Silas?? Y…You're a dragon?” I said.

“Yes, the child I am. But now That I am in this form, time is very limited. I am something you humans refer to as ‘a dragon’. The reason for my state is that I had been dealt this wound from narrowly escaping my captors. I had felt one of them nearing dangerously close a few days ago. So I regret that my time of hiding has come to an end. This form will alert them of my location, Which is why I will only tell you what is needed. I am giving you this to help you on your journey.”

One of his bladed wings lifted revealing the black cloak he would wear to hide his wings but it was smaller than what it had been.,

Without hesitation, he continued, “everything will reveal itself when the time comes but for I have a few three more things to give you. The last for you to find. Most will not know what it is but will be attracted to the aura it emits.”

Silas then proceeded to pluck off a feather from his wings with his claw and handed it to me. “You will also need this. You will know what to do with it when the time comes. I know you will.”

As I studied the feather Silas' beak suddenly brushed against my chest where my mana core was.

Astonished, I met Silas' pink eyes and the gold markings blazed brighter than they had when he had transformed. As the markings grew dimmer and disappeared, Silas penetrated his tongue into my core and whispered golden smoke that crackled in sparks of pink.

An excruciating yelp escaped my lips as I blinked, confused and surprised. I continued to watch Silas as he moved his head, leaving a trail of blood from the hole in my shirt. But my chest had been pierced by a dragon's tongue and bled, but when I ran my fingers through it there was no wound.

Silas' appearance had grown weak and pained; it was apparent for even a mighty dragon that was even bigger than his previous form. What I was focused on was that his once shimmering pink irises were now just a dim yellow with beautiful markings that ran through his body and his face was now gone.

“Do you see the mana anymore?” Silas said.

“Now that you mention it, no,” I said.

“Exactly hide!”

“Wait why?”

“It's too late their here run now!”

Before I had the chance to, a giant explosion interrupted me.

I whipped my head to see that the roof of the ceiling had been blown off and what came to view was a figure that reminded me of Silas’s previous form.

Clad in dark black armor and a blood-red cape that matched its eyes. The figure's black skin matched its aura emitting off of him. The horns were different, though, as the being had two horns that curled down and under its ears, lining its chin. It also had black wings instead of white and had no ring above its head.

Silas instantly covered me with his wing in time to protect me from the falling rubble and likely from keeping me hidden from our visitor.

“Sir Silas! I recommend you stop this little goose chase of yours and tell us where to find it. You've already caused quite the scene by hiding yourself! If you submit, the lord might be willing to that wound of yours,” the entity reasoned impatiently.

“Who sent you here?”

“Where do you think you came from? Where you were born, And your creator wants you back. We all answer to someone.”

“I left of my own accord.”

“To do what? To protect these lessers?”

“Humans don't deserve to live.”

“They deserve to choose for themselves,” Silas said.

Instantly after he had finished speaking, the world around me seemed to stop. Everything but Silas and myself, the colors of the world were as though they had been stripped of their purpose. What surprised me the most was that everything was still as if we had been the only ones allowed to move. The entity, the clouds behind him, his aura, and even the fallen rubble of the roof of the cave.

Disregarding the enemy, Silas carelessly peeked underneath his wing. “I’ll open the portal now. I didn’t have the energy to make it send you straight home but it should take you someplace with humans nearby. Do not let him catch you and don't come back!” he muttered, his eyes solemn.

I ignored what Silas had said after I heard what the entity had proposed. “Silas is that true? If you give yourself over, will you be able to live?”

“Do not trust his sugar-coated words. It would be worse for you if you were to be found right now. As for me, I would only leave this place if I were to die, than to go back willing to where he is.” Silas said mixed with anger and impatience.

“No! I refuse to let you die here. If you won't go with him then at least, please, come with me!” I begged.

“Sadly I cannot accompany you. You will be in constant danger if they were to find out you have come into contact with me. I must stay here.”

Silas wiped my cheek with his talon, his draconic eyes lined up with what was a tear.

“You once asked me why'd I'd saved you, why I chose to save you. The truth was to please my own greed. I wanted to keep you as my own child even if it was just for a little bit. I purposely prolonged the transportation spell because I hoped to spend more time together, but it seems fate had a different path for the both of us. I’m sorry, little Quin, for my selfishness but I have one last request to make… can you be my son and call me Godfather just this once?”

“NOO! I don't care about that stuff! I’ll do it as much as you want if you come with me! Godfather! Godfather! You cant! Not like this!”

“Please I’m begging you, just come with me. I don't know what happened or what you did but everything is frozen right now; we can leave! Please, Godfather, don't go. At least not like this.” I held on to one of Silas' talons, desperately trying to pull him away with me.

In my last moments with him, Silas in such a beautiful grin that I swear I thought I saw a human.

I could barely make out the words he said, before tossing me into the portal.

“Thank you, my child.”