Angorod woke up with a hammering head. Not that sun shine woke him up , after all he was underground in some pseudo city , but something tugged on his sleeves. With a dizzy head he turned around to look at what woke him up.
Yellow eyes greeted him. A massive snout covered in scales and fist sized teeth that were aligned in 3 rows behind each other. The head tilted to the side , cute round horns adorned the top and velvet like thick hair reached almost the ground from the horse sized beast.
" Go away i wanna sleep... " Angorod gritted through his teeth as his hands lashed out trying to hit the big snout.
But the black dragon simply backed of lower her front legs and torso to the floor while the hind legs were still outstretched. Wings spread out and tail up in the air it almost looked like it was ready to pounce on him any second.
But this didn't happen and the butt just swung from left to right numerous time. Angorod chuckled at the playful behaviour of the young black dragon in-front of him while he eyed it drowsily.
Suddendly a loud roar came from besides him and the black ran out of the cave. His attention now drifted to the red Dragon that was sleeping at the opposite end of the cave which also had a drowsy stare.
As a red mist engulfed him , Rick yawned out of reflex before he opened his mouth again to speak.
" Sorry bout that , was my sister. " He said while trying to supress another yawn.
Now Angorod yawned himself and rubbed over his eyes with the back of his hand just to wave his feeling of guilt of. Both stretched at the same time and Angorod climbed out of his bed , while the humanoid dragon stood up from the cold stony floor.
" There a bath round here?" Angorod asked lazily.
Suddendly the reds eyes grew wide and almost looked horrified.
" Dragons don't bath. We don't sweat either. " He added just to make sure.
Angorod had a facial expression clearly stating his disgust but Rick just shrugged his shoulders. The black dragon from before was spying through the cave entrance , just barely shoving one eye over the edge and waited there patiently.
Rick roared another time , which sounded less impressive while he was in his humanoid form but the smaller black just backed away.
" How old is she? " Angorod asked curiously.
" We don't have ages , we go by sizes. I am considered with my 15 meters length a Adult , she would still be considered a hatchling with her 3 metres. But that's just body size never count the tails with that. " Rick explained.
Angorod just took what he just heard at face value and didn't bother to ask again. He had the feeling he would learn all this soon enough.
" You still can't tell me anything , why im here? " Angorod questioned Rick.
He began to shift uncomfortably , which made Angorod kind of nauseas at his naked body but Rick noticed this soon and put some clothes on. They were about the same height so he also threw a new pair of cotton pants and a shirt towards Angorod.
Angorod looked down at himself and discovered what those clothes were for. His knees were showing through his normal pants and those along with his shirt were completly ripped and tattered. Both chuckled at the sight and Angorod quickly undressed and changed.
" Let me rephrase that , what is a Idra? " Angorod asked after he was finished.
A few seconds Rick went into a thinking mode where he placed his hand to his chin , but soon he answered.
" Idra are we all. Some would call us shape-shifters but that is not the correct term. We are born monsters which gained a sharp mind and magical powers that allow us to transform into a humanoid form. "
" So all dragons are Idra? " Angorod questioned Ricks explanation.
" No , the wild Dragons have magical powers yes and even some can transform into humans , but they are wild. They kill what they want and are loners. While we have formed a society. But the most siginifcant difference would be our way how we can change. "
" The first of us were born wild and at a young age suddendly transformed , while the wilds gain this ability at a old age. At first the founders were scared of this and kept it secret but soon a few banded together. "
Angorod now was in a thinking mode , not unlike the pose Rick had used before and choose his next words carefully.
" After the Idra that were dragons banded together they looked for more and soon stumbled across Pegasi , wolves and other Monsters that could change their form and bound themselfs to certain rules? "
Rick was surprised at this deduction and he just nodded.
" So i can ... change ... too? " Angorod asked.
Rick was stroking his chin at the question and he eyed Angorod very carefully as he thought about how to tell him the ' bad ' news.
" I think you can. But what you are ... " He shurgged his shoulders. " nobody knows. There are very few that are born humanoid and change to a Idra's true form later. The chronics of our race has recorded 5 others like you. "
He took a deep breath and sighed before he continued.
" They were all a ... odd bunch. One was a double headed wolf , another a hydra with 6 heads , there was also a Rock( Myhtical bird of prey) made from lightning. Exceptional fighters or the most excellent of mages but they were still all odd. But all of them were humongous , comparable to the King. " Rick stated.
Before Angorods eyes flashed the image of the feathery Dragon at the mention of the King.
" But enough of that now let's eat! " He said while pulling Angorod along.
They just excited the cave and instantly Rick was pounced upon by 3 smaller Dragons , all the size of a horse. One was another red the other 2 were silver and gold. Some growling , snapping and hissing from Rick later the 3 fled the room.
" Siblings are a pest .... " Rick said.
Angorod smirked at the comment , but he couldn't really emphasize with him , as he was a only child. Even if he had siblings he probably wouldn't have a good relationship to them anyways due to his mother.
Both sat down at a extraordinary large table. On this piece of furniture at least 50 people could take a seat and still have a lot of rooms to turn and use their elbows. Just a second after they seated themselfs a young lady , about 1.9 m in height came from another cave and had 2 plates with meat in her hands.
Angorod sighed a breath of relief as he saw that she was clothed in a skirt and a blouse , both black like her hair. She had not enough chest to actually speak about but the curves from her waist to her butt were like a piece of art.
Her skin was slightly tanned and her black hair extended to the tips of her shoulders with a bob cut. She had a few freckles in her face , which made her incredibly lovely and accented her pink colored lips. Her yellow eyes would have probably scared any weak male but it reminded him of something.
" AHH your that black dragon! " Angorod shouted out in surprise.
Rick and the girl chuckled before Rick spoke up.
" That is Anihla , my twin sister. " He stated as he took both plates from her.
She did a courtsey and lifted the hem of her skirt up on each side. But much to Angorods dismay the skirt went to her knees.
" Nice to meet you , Anihla. So you guys are twins. Why are your forms so different then? " Angorod asked.
Rick coughed loudly but Anihla just smiled at Angorod before she turned around and went back into the kitchen , at least that was what Angorod thought where she disappeared too.
" Our sizes don't have alot to do with age , just with strength. Not that isn't the correct term , lets call it power. Dragons that are talented in magic and pursue the path are always a little smaller and the battle dragons are larger. She is neither. " Rick said.
Through Ricks eyes Angorod read the message of not to pry any further. Especially after he never saw the twins or the other 3's parents. The meal went by quickly and soon Angorod heard drums being beat rhytmically in the distance.
" You hear those drums? " Angorod asked.
Ricks head shot into the air and he closed his eyes , most likely to shut of one sense and increasing his hearing. He opened them and grabbed Angorods arm and janked him along.
" It is time Anihla , watch the little ones. " He shouted towards the kitchen but a reply never came.
With Angorods arm still grabbed Rick pulled him through various long floor like caverns until they stood in-front of the heavy set of Gates once again that lead to the emporium.
..............
Angorod was standing in the middle at the podium , surrounded by the big feathery dragon , the sick looking horse with bat wings and the white wolf with the markings at its side.
All three of them faced him , he who was standing in the middle , and barked , neighed or rumbled in a language Angorod couldn't understand. It appeared like a ritual to Angorod as the air was heavy but lively around him.
It almost felt like the mist had covered him and slowly but steadily seeped into him. Shortly after this started the lower ranks started to resound in numerous voices. The middle ranks joined in and finally a stacato of grunts , sneers and hisses came from the top ranks.
As Angorods head grew even heavier and a dull rumbling pain entered his mind he began to hold his head. Angorod felt like a little man was inside of his head swinging a hammer against his skull from the insides.
Even though the pain grew more intense by the second all the different tones and nosies around him began to swirl and form understandable words. Words may have been the wrong explanation it was less that he understood those noises more like something whispered their intent into his ears.
His mind became hazier and hazier with every new song the crowd around him spun as the mist around him started to ferociously rip at his hair. One second his hair whipped to the left just to blow in the next against his back.
Suddendly he dropped to the floor. Almost as if lifeless he lay there for over an hour without any indication of movement and soon the noises eased their intensity and the multinoised song disappated in the cave.
Everything grew deathly silent and they just stared at the bronze body that lay there unmoving. Rick was growing impatient , as he had never read about the person becoming unconscious in the process of giving ' true form' .
After another hour passed without anyone making any noises the lower ranks started to quarrel with one another.
" It failed. "
" It has never failed before. "
" Look at him hes dead , hes not breathing. "
While others heard sneers , barks and growls Rick understood all of it as all of the Idra were connected on a mental level. Not that they were connected like a collective but each of them could communicate with their mind , one trait of the Idra.
Some fights even broke out before a noise errupted in all of their heads and the whole cave shook violently.
" Enough. He is not with us anymore , remember this as the first failure in the chronics. " The king of them all said while his feathery wings stood on edge.
One after another they left the hall until only a few remained. Rick , Vianella , 2 wolves , a worm and 4 dragons stayed behind and eyed the corpse of Angorod.
Rick remembered the good evening he had with Angorod yesterday, at the first friend he ever had. Ricks childhood was rough as his mother died giving birth to the 3 hatchlings that he and his twin sister , who came from the same egg , now wanted to give a proper childhood.
His father died on the same night during a raid on the outskirts of the underground city they lived in from Wild dragons. This city was under constant attack from the wild ones. Numerous familys had been ripped apart and lives lost.
Humans never came near the city and any other mortal race would just die in the flames of purgatory a Dragon could unleash on them. Not even 1000 humans could kill one dragon. What could they do against one dragon that just took one step and already killed 20 of them?
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But the wilds grew restless over the last few years and they had a dark influence attached to them. Dark and demonic influence. In these dire times one of the ' outsiders ' became a Idra and took the lead to defend the covent of surviving Idra.
Now Rick was slowly walking towards his ' friend ' to speak a few words over his dead body , to give him a proper guiding towards the after-life. But before he could reach his remains a white wyvern stood besides him.
Vianella daughter of Brathak the King under the mountain. First she just stared at the life less corpse but then she just turned around , delibaretly smashing her tail at the remains. The corpse flew back a few meters and hit the rocky wall.
Rick cried out a battle shout and was about to lunge towards the smaller wyvern , where he would probably die since wyverns were far more dangerous then Dragons with their speed and razor sharp wings.
In a ball of scales he began to rip of the wyverns scales but he sadly had his belly exposed and Vianella began to claw at it. He already knew he had lost quite some blood as his eyes began to grow hazy but a shout from one of the wolves made both halt in their battle to death.
Angorods body was stiring and he tried to stand but suddendly fell back towards the wall unable to support his own weight with his wobbly legs. His eyes were unfocused , Rick saw with his enhanced vision because of his dragon eyes.
The person that should have been dead shouted out a guttaral sound that sounded like pain , incredible pain that drove the weak minded mad just by the sound alone. His once bronze colored hair became brighter and brighter.
His body began to convulse and he threw up everything what used to be in his stomache. His clothes ripped apart and a mist began to pour out of his body. At first the mist was coloreless but soon it held the same color as his hair , something neither Rick nor Vianella had ever seen before.
..............
Angorods head stopped hammering 15 minutes after he had breathed in that stupid mist that came from his own body. His hands had long ago formed a vicious looking claw and razor sharp nails with the same volor his eyes were.
Violet , it looked kind of strange to see another part besides his own eyes having this coloration but the scales that covered the claw were just as impressive.
They ranged from a deep green that remined him of the forest to a emerald like the purest of gems. He lifted his claw and clenched the single ' fingers '. Everything worked like his real body. Even the one finger that was spread far apart from the rest worked just like a thumb.
As he brought his eyes together he saw the same colored scales covering his snout. He was curious about the rest of his body so he tried to turn his long neck around but that didn't work. He only came to about 45 degrees and saw the tip of his tail.
From what he could see his tail was very long , alot longer then anything he had seen so far. But that could also just be wishful thinking as his sense of length and height was off. He looked at the floor and it kind of looked exactly like how it normally looked with his 2.5 m height.
He stretched his jaw next even if he couldnt see it and moved his now forked tongue along the jagged and pointy teeth. Angorod now had 3 rows of teeth just like any Dragon he had seen so far but something ... just felt off.
Angorod soon found out what it was. Rick came closer and closer and closer. He filled his complete vision. Just as if a mountain was standing in-front of him. The widness was about the same but Angorods eyes were at the level of his front leg joints.
" Angorod? " Rick asked carefully in a human voice.
" What am i? " Angorod asked in also a human voice.
This was something he was worried about , maybe his vocal cords changed so much he could only growl , hiss and snort but he porved himself wrong just now. But his voice was at a incredible loud level.
Rick extended his wings and beat once until he was standing only on 2 legs. His tail also lowered itself and probably acted as a counter balance for the 2 legged standing position while the extended wings helped him to neither fall to one side.
With a loud crack the shoulders of his front legs allocated themselves and now the dragon , surprisingly had arms instead of 2 pair of legs. He executed some complicated gestures with his fingers before slapping his hands together.
A mirror 7 meters in length and 5 meters wide floated in-front of Angorod in the middle of the air.
There he saw a green creatue. It had scales like a dragon , claws , legs and everything. Its tail was twice the length of his body but unlike a dragon its neck was short. Compared to Rick Angorods front and back legs were closer together.
Sure he had long silken Green hair growing out of the top of his head and his stubby neck , but underneath those hair was a massive neck , the same size as Rick even if he was 1/5 of Ricks size. This was also protected by a very tightly packed scale layer.
Or to be more precise he had about 5 times the amount of scales Rick had. The scales weren't smaller then for example Ricks sisters they were just alot tighter packed. His wings were also oddly shaped.
While Rick had 3 different joints at his wings that were covered by a leathery membrane that built a triangle just where his extra shoulderblade hit his body , Angorod's membrane ended close to his hind legs.
He also had only 3 joints but his ' membrane ' was more like his actual skin covered in scales which Rick missed. That and his wings outstretched probably were the same size as Ricks at the moment even with the 1/5 of the body size.
Now what Angorod thought was a typical Dragon snout was actually a rounded head. There was no so to speak snout all in all it appeared much like a tigers head , besides the scales and the 3 horns that grew were a tigers nose should be.
Instead of horns that extended from the back of his head , like multiple other dragons Angorod had seen , he had none. But his neck had numerous smaller horns , that seemed razor sharp , all over. Angorod came to 50 that were randomly distributed at the back of his neck the sides and rows between each point.
Only the underside of the neck was untouched by those little horns. His tail on the other hand was still about 7 meters long and he could probably wrap it around his body twice. The tip was slightly worrying though.
Instead of spikes at the end , or a huge ball like the other dragons his plainly looked like a triangle. A very pointy triangle that seemed to have razorsharp edges ontop of it. But calling it a triangle would be false Angorod just discoverd.
It was more like a razor sharp pyramide covered in even denser scales then the rest of his body and he was sure cutting through stone wouldn't be a problem.
" God im ugly. What am i a hatchling? " Angorod voiced his complaints.
Rick began to laugh at this stupid comment , just happy he had his friend back.
............
Rick slowly walked through the caverns in his dragon form. Slowly meaning he could have walked normally as a human and would still been faster then this. After every step he made he heard a loud ' CRAP ' behind him.
Angorod fell on his nose once again. The new way of walking gave him trouble and when Rick tried to explain how to walk on 2 legs as a dragon the attempts were even more miserable.
" Gods-damn why is this so hard. This stupid tail too it always hits either side of the cave! " Angorod voiced his complaints.
Rick chuckled and transformed back into human form. After a few explanations Angorod also reverted back to that form. The green mist cloud that covered his body still amazed Rick but he would get over it soon.
He pressed right above the shoulder blades on Angorods body before he began to speak.
" This point is where a Dragons wing musculatur is located at , remember it. " He said and pressed the end of his spine , right were his bottom cheeks started , to which Angorod made a weird noise and jumped forward.
" Your making me blush. " Rick said with a dry voice.
Angorod swung in a wide motion towards his face , but Rick simply side stepped it.
" Okay that point is where your tail is located maybe that will help , now transform back. " A green mist covered Angorods body and then Rick began to speak once more. " Imagine your humanoid self on his knees crawling. Move your front ' arms ' like crawling. "
Angorod did as he was told. First he lifted his right foot placed it in-front of him while the left foot was still under his body. Rick nodded.
" While you move your right front foot also move your left hind foot in front. Careful now , use your tail to balance yourself out so you don't fall. "
Angorod got the hang of it pretty quickly so he only fell every 5 steps instead of moving with falling on his nose.
" I will have to think about how to teach you flying , your wings are different. Way to different. I am not even sure how you can fold them to your sides with all those scales. " Rick said after examining his progress of walking.
" My guess would be that instead of scales ontop of skin you just have scales that overlap eachother without any skin in between. Just like feathers of a bird. " Rick said after studying his wings.
The extra set of limbs over his shoulders twitched a few times but he wasn't able to expand them. These kind of wings had to be 4 to 5 times as heavy as Ricks own wings but the muscles were just underdeveloped.
Also the body form that was not directly built as a stream line to enhance speed and maneuverability made Rick wonder. But Angorod had wings , incredibly wide and long ones at that which with enough training , at least Rick hoped so , would be able to carry the bulky mass of pseudo dragon Angorod was.
Just after he transformed and looked at himself the dragon king with all his feathery wings glided back into the hall of the emporium. He eyed Angorod for a few minutes with a certain glint in his eyes , Rick couldn't say what kind of glint it was.
He then spoke into Ricks mind and gave him permission to train Angorod in anything he would need. But this would be a long road of atrition bordering on collapsing , Rick was sure of it , until Angorod had enough muscles to fly.
Angorods body design was meant to ' muscle ' its way through the air , instead of gracefully riding the currents of the atmosphere. Most likely he would never be as fast as another Dragon and absolutely never as fast as a wyvern but Rick would make sure of it that he was prepared for everything.
' But why is he only a hatchling ... the outsiders were supposed to be naturally large in size... ' Rick thought for himself.
" We need to go to the mages coven inside the main halls. You need a place to train and one of their unlimited dungeons would be the best for that. " Rick said after taking everything about Angorods body in consideration.
The short neck with the head attached just bobbed up and down , while Angorod was still very cautios of walking.
...........
AUTHORS NOTE:
This game , or this vr system works alot different then what you know.
First of all even a human at lvl 300 can easily be decapitated , while it will get harder with significantly bigger creatures. Just due to the size and thickness of its neck.
I want to create a REAL > Other world < where stats , level and items not really matter.
For example who thinks that when a 50 ton beast steps on a level 600 character the player would survive? Or when a player slices a monster with his sword that the monster would just take XX dmg without starting to bleed.
Or even better a player slashes at a monster and the sword just stops right before it hits the arm with a notification of XX dmg dealt to monster? When a sword slashes , arteries get cut , flesh gets rend and nervs will become useles.