Yggdrasil Fallen, LitRPG Series

Book 1, Part 2: Obsidian

Chapter 39: Reunion

Jeff once again found himself at the spit, slowly rotating a large slab of magma boar meat carefully seasoned and skewered to cook evenly over the fire he’d been carefully stoking. Nearby on an overlarge leather mat sat a stunningly beautiful, transformed Alessandras, her crimson scaled tail delicately curled around her lithe form. She delicately held onto a fork with a hand sized piece of glistening golden seared piece of meat that she was swiftly devouring, dragonoid fangs tearing the meat to shreds, despite her delicately feminine appearance. Jeff’s muscle defined chest and arms dripped with sweat as he continued to rotate what would be the fourth such slab of meat, this time taken from the Magma Boar’s belly area; thus, a far richer, more aromatic meat that dripped sizzling grease onto the fire below with much greater frequency than the other cuts he’d prepared thus far. In his preparations he’d discovered much to his delight that thanks to his inventory system he didn’t have to manually pull the carcass out each time he wanted to remove another chunk to roast, rather consciously decide where he wanted to carve the meat from, and the amount he wanted, and his interface would separate the amount off automatically into a different slot in his inventory. Though he still had to manually skewer and season it, this discovery saved him a rather large amount of time and effort in his preparations.

“I must say little one, I am quite pleasantly surprised and overwhelmingly pleased with your method of serving this boar. I may try to convince you to join on as one of my personal servants. I guarantee you would find it to be quite the… pleasurable experience.” Alessandras coyly said, a gleam of hunger in her eyes as she finished the latest slab of spice and herb fire roasted boar. Jeff examining the roast boar belly and finding it a crispy brown grabbed the roasting skewer with both hands to either side of the cooked meat, once again finding the metal pleasantly warm, hoisted it from the vertical supports. Striding confidently to where she sat, Jeff laid out his latest creation in front of her before replying:

“Lady, I’m sure it would be one hell of a time, but I really do want to return to my life; to my world and just forget about all this weird ass shit. I’d even be willing to forgo these wicked powers just to be able to return to my lady. I mean, don’t get me wrong: This all has been one hell of an experience, but this shit ain’t for me. I love cooking in the café in the morning, and hiking in the afternoon, gettin drunk, passin out, only to rinse and repeat the next day, all with Trinity; the lady who’s really brought some much-needed peace and calm to my world.” Jeff sullenly said, as he swirled his glass full of the amber liquid he’d drawn from the cask, also sitting on the leather mat. Alessandras gazed at him, her slitted golden eyes wide with thought as she chewed on a large, greasy piece of roast boar belly, swallowing she spoke:

“I may know of a way to return you, little one. Do not take my original offer as a command, while I possess many a gift, clairvoyance is not one of them. Know I only wished to extend an offer known to very few in the history of our clan, especially to those outside of it. If you truly only wish to return to your lands, please let us grant you a gift or two before we make said attempt.” She held to fingers to her greasy lips and blew gently, a shrill whistle echoing around the cavern. No sooner had the echoing whistle faded did a slight rumble shake the ground around them. Far to his left the wall had begun to slide into the floor, creating a large doorway through which passed a familiar face: Dreki. Over his shoulder he carried a large leather strap bound wooden box. The hulking form lumbered over to where they sat and stood, dull-eyed, like a statue.

“Ahhh, guardsman, I’d hoped it would be you who heeded my call. Were you able to find adequate attire for our little visitor?” Alessandras asked.

“I found good clothes for tiny flame flinger big broodmother. They be good for flame flinger wiseman, me thinks. Even found old wood pole from older wiseman, me thinks it special, but me no know.” The simple-minded Dreki spoke in his halting, broken way.

“Very good young guardsman. Set down your burden and come kneel before me.” Alessandras spoke, her tone far more commanding to her underling than Jeff had been expecting. Following her orders to the letter, Dreki set down his burden just off the edge of the mat and knelt before her.

“Now, open your mouth for me.” She commanded, to which he promptly complied, revealing a terrifying array of sharp, curved fangs. She delicately reached into his mouth, grabbed one of the middle-sized fangs. With a spurt of blood and a slight grunt of pain from Dreki, Alessandras yanked it out in one smooth motion. She looked at the tooth, dripping blood and saliva onto the mat below before cleaning it off on her dress. She cast a coy grin to Jeff before saying:

“Pay attention to this one, maybe I can teach you something here today.” Alessandras said with a sly smile to Jeff as she held up one finger, pointed to the sharpened tip fang, and from it came a bright orange-white beam of energy that immediately began smoking upon making contact with it. Flicking her finger back and forth, up and down as she rotated the hand holding the fang, the beam traced over its surface leaving a blackened trail in its wake. Jeff realized she was carving something onto it. As quickly as she had started, Alessandras flicked her hand, extinguishing the beam of energy; just after she’d bored a hole through the thickest part of it. With another flick of her hand she seemingly grabbed a strand of leather, and orange and red beads from thin air. She began threading the tooth and beads onto the leather, knotting it off after each was added; creating a very simple beaded pattern with the fang itself hanging from its own independent loop of leather. She finished her work with a simple slide knot, creating, what appeared to Jeff to be an almost tribal necklace.

“While we have just met and given consideration to the fact you did slay one of my children, I must acquiesce that you were cornered and yet showed tremendous courage and strength in the face of overwhelming odds. I acknowledge your efforts to make peace with me and mine despite the original hostilities you were met. I wish to offer you these tokens in hopes we may continue to strive towards a mutually beneficial peace.” Alessandras said, as she proffered the crafted item to Jeff.

“Alert: Through your series of decisions and actions you have made a tentative peace with the “Clan of the Eternal Brazier” and are currently considered an “Honored Guest” in their midst. The queen of their clan has crafted you an item from the very fang of one of her personal guard. Accept the item to cement your status and to learn its effects!” Jeff carefully, yet quickly read through the box that popped into his view, before dismissing it.

“Thanks Allie. I really do appreciate you not… you know, chomping down on me like a blood filled crunchy snack. This necklace is kinda wicked looking, but… what of poor Dreki here?” Jeff said as he reached out to take the necklace she currently held out to him. She laughed, a surprisingly harsh sound from her delicate form as she stabbed her fork into another hand sized chunk of fatty, roasted boar belly.

“You need not worry about him, our fangs regrow quite quickly.” She said, before taking a large bite of the meat. She tilted her head, her golden eyes boring into him as she chewed thoughtfully.

“So, I take it to mean you have truly decided to grant my little guardsman the name “Dreki”?” She said through her mouthful.

“Well, I guess? The name fit him a hell of a lot better than “giant freaky lizard fuck”. Jeff demurely replied.

“Why not just call him as I do: “Guardsman?” she asked.

“Well, where I’m from calling people by a classification, be it racial or status is very insulting, and the last thing I wanted to do is insult the one lizard man… or I guess “Salamen” I’d met that didn’t want to immediately kill me.” Jeff answered.

“I see, and were you aware that granting names to beastkind bestows upon us an immediate and sizeable boost to our strength and levels, as well as subservience should they accept?” She asked.

“Lady, all this shits completely new to me, there is absolutely no way I could have known that. I was just trying to avoid getting splattered like a spaghetti marinara filled balloon at the mercy of violent middles schoolers.” Jeff said.

“Very well. I do suppose he is now your problem to manage; with that said I do freely grant him to your service… not that I have much of a choice once he makes his own decision.” She grumbled through yet another mouthful of fatty meat, grease dripping down her chin. Dreki the guardsmen stood nearby staring at the wall of the cavern, gently dragging one of his claws along the underside of his chin, a small rivulet of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and splatting to the floor below, all the while mumbling to himself:

“Guardsman or Dreki…. Dreki or guardsman… little wiseman or big broodmother… mother… mother…flame flinger….?” With no notice he began violently banging his head against the wall of the cavern.

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“Me no want leave big mother, big mother everything… but little wiseman give me big chance, no guardsman ever given chance like what little wiseman give. Guardsman or Dreki… Dreki or Guardsman…” Thick globules of blood streamed down the wall as he continued to wrestle with his decision, the head bashes becoming so violent small cracks began to appear in the wall with chunks of stone breaking away and splattering into the small puddle of his blood that was now forming. Alessandras rose to her feet, and with a smooth confidence she decisively strode to the large beast amid his self-mutilation and placed her hand on his shoulder:

“Little guardsman, did you not hear my words? I freely grant you permission to accept the gift bestowed upon you by this visitor.” She said. Halting his indecisive violence Guardsman turned his massive, brutalized and bloody face to meet her gaze; his beady black eyes boring into her intent golden ones. Turning his hulking form, he fell to one knee in front of her; blood still dripping to the floor off his great snout.

“Me thank big brood mother, me no want leave. Can stay until need by little wiseman if accept name?” He muttered to her. She laughed, long and loud; its almost guttural sound bouncing around the cavern.

“My silly little boy, why do you think I created a summoning charm using one of your fangs? Of course you are welcome to stay here with your kin when not out on the battlefield. The only difference will be you will be in his service, not mine; but as my son you can always call this great cavern maze home.” She said to him, a gently loving softness filling her eyes. A warm golden glow filled her hand as she caressed his brutalized face, the rent flesh repairing itself before Jeffs eyes, the wet sticky blood evaporating in a barely audible hiss.

“Me thank big mother, me sorry.” He rumbled, before climbing back to two feet and lumbering over to where Jeff stood; he stopped just before him, staring down at him, his beady eyes twinkling with excitement.

“Little wiseman flame flinger person, me guardsman accept name “Dreki”, from now on, me called “Dreki”.” As the hulking beast finished uttering his broken words, another gust of wind swept through the cavern, whipping the braziers into violent swirls, yet again knocking over Jeff’s cooking fire and setting Alessandras’ dress aflutter. As the air stilled, “Dreki” looked to the ceiling; his body now wreathed in white fire, the flames hot enough, licking high enough to begin melting stalagmites on the ceiling above. Sticky globules of molten rock dripped down upon Dreki, who had entered such a deep trance-like state it seemed he didn’t even notice the rock sizzling on his flesh, though it did not remain on him long. The flames surrounding him burned brighter, hotter his scales burning away revealing blackening muscle and tissue beneath, burning until even that had turned to ash. Dreki stood, blackened bones wreathed in a halo of blazing white light so bright Jeff and even Alessandras had to shield their eyes.

“What in the actual fuck dude! Did I kill the poor bastard?!” Jeff frantically thought to himself.

“No, what I believe we are witnessing is an “Ascended Evolution”. This process is exceedingly rare, even amongst the named Beastkind. It is estimated that of the 1/100,000 that are ever named, only 1/100,000,000 of those ever achieve this state. If I were to wager a guess, it would be that the residual high purity Blaze aspect energy remaining from the suffusion that initially saved your life, in conjunction with your very recent contact with Cinteras and subsequent unsealing of your own Blaze aspect has blended and infused into this poor creature upon your naming it; initializing what we are witnessing upon its acceptance of the given name. I’ll be sure to record everything we see for future analysis.” Alfred quietly spoke. The blinding light began to fade to a tolerable level; through it jeff could see the glossy golden skeletal structure of a more humanoid being of significantly smaller stature taking shape. The wreathing fire began collapsing in upon itself, concentrating around the skeleton forming ropey musculature, a far more refined and lithe form than it had once been.

“By the braizier reborn… My boy… this is quite the gift you’ve been granted…” Alessandras breathed quietly, her gaze fixed upon the form taking shape before her. The flames concentrated further, forming a shimmering sheet over the formed muscles and tendons. In one final flash the flames whiffed out, leaving behind a much-changed being, now down on both knees, hands braced on the floor Dreki gasped for air.

“Well, I’m quite gladdened to have claimed one of your fangs before you accepted the name. I’m not quite sure one from this form would be suitable for the charm.” Alessandras breathed. Dreki had removed his hands from the floor and was running his faintly clawed hands along his arms, mesmerized by the change. What had once been a thick carapace, heavily laden with large dense scales was now tightly knit, much smaller golden scales laced with an intricate pattern almost rune-like with black and red scales.

“I know what you are thinking little Dreki, while your scales have changed they now offer you not only much greater defense, but a greatly enhanced dexterity. It is like you have gone from thick bulky leather armor crafted by a desperate woodsman to carefully hewn Adamantine mail woven by the most skilled of Gaaljan dwarves. Fear not their protection, embrace the refinement.” Alessandras spoke, almost cooing. Dreki stood, facing her:

“I am quite gladdened to hear that, you are correct in your assertations: I was finding myself greatly concerned on the matter. It would seem that my scales and body were not the only things to have changed. My cognitive faculties feel much sharper than before, a well-honed edge I am finally able to wield.” Dreki said. Jeff stood agape: the once dimwitted, self-flagellating, so ugly it was almost cute beast he’d met was now a stunningly handsome, articulate being. Jeff let his gaze wander over the transformed creature: his once almost comically stumpy tail was now a long, slender tapering thing that hung almost to the floor behind him. His once bulbous muscles had thinned, refined to a sinuous toughness Jeff found himself almost jealous of. His slender form covered with the fine patterned Gold, Red and black scales, tapering at his hands, feet and around his face; which had also refined to a youthful almost ruggedness with a strong chin, and a flair of fiery red hair on top. Even his once palm sized claws had reduced in size, now more akin to talons than claws. Dreki was a fully transformed being, now more human than the beast he’d been before.

“It would seem, Jeff, that we have something in common.” Dreki said with a sly smile as a white-orange ball of flame formed in one hand, which he then started tossing back and forth between them. Jeff just started laughing as he did something similar: conjuring his own ball of fire and began tossing it into the air and catching it.

“It would seem you are correct man!” Jeff said. It was at this moment he realized he was still holding onto the necklace Alessandras had crafted for him. He held it up to get a better look at it, activating the prompt to identify:

*Item: “Dragonkind’s summoning Charm”: A charm crafted for true name Jeffery Mimir by the Dragon Queen Alessandras, high empress of the Clan of the Eternal brazier from the fang of one of her personal guardsman, now transformed through Einvala. This charm grants the wearer a 50% boost to both Blaze and Shadow skills, + 15 to all stats and once per 8 hours the ability to call upon the Dragonkin “Dreki”; use of this ability does not trigger the cooldown until the summoned being has been returned via re-use of the ability. Rarity: Unique, Value: N/A, Durability: Indestructible, Aspect: Blaze, Shadow.*

“Sadly, I believe it is time for me to fulfill my promise to you, Jeffery Mimir.” Alessandras’ words broke through his concentration, dismissing the identification window.

“Your promise? And what the hell is this whole “Mimir” thing about, that’s not my name.” He asked.

“Yes, I did promise that I would grant you an easy exit from this place. Dreki will remain here with me to get himself properly re-equipped and used to his new body, so please give us some time before you utilize that charm, unless you truly find yourself in real danger. Also, please do not forget to take this coffer of gear we have prepared for you.” She said, gesturing to the leather-bound wooden chest, dodging his second question; which Jeff decidedly stuck into his inventory, along with all the supplies from his “Dungeon Divers Survival kit” that he hastily repacked.

“Good, now. Are you ready?” She asked.

“I suppose I’m about as ready as I’ll ever be… though.” His eyes flicked over to the cask of delectable spirit he’d enjoyed during his meal with her. She laughed:

“Yes, you may take what remains of the cask of Gaaljan spirit.”

“Many thanks to ya Allie.” Jeff said, flashing her a rather impish grin as he stored that too into his inventory. He was surprised to find it was listed as 75% full.

“While I guess I’m more than ready to get back, I have to ask… will I ever have the pleasure of dining with you again?” he asked, almost shyly.

“I do not know, but that is something I truly wish could be a regularity.” She said with a laugh.

“Well, alright I guess I’m ready to be on my way… care to point to the exit? Oh, and Dreki? Ill be seeing you real soon buddy, I can’t wait to see what we can do together… though we might have to find a good cloak and some heavy make-up for ya, should we ever want to hit the bar together.” Jeff said. Dreki cocked his head to one side:

“From your words, it sounds my kind are not something seen in your world. Never you worry, should I ever be called there I do have some illusory magic at my disposal now, shouldn’t be something of concern.” He replied.

“Oh, that’s awesome! Well get nice and trashed together then! Allie… which way to the exit?” Jeff asked. Shaking her head with a large happy smile upon her face, Alessandras held her hand up, palm out and from it a golden beam shot out and struck the mat where they shared their meal. From it a shimmering silvery gold orb rose and expanded out to form mirror like portal suspended in the air.

“Right that way little Jeff. Do take good care of yourself, and please pass my greetings to your dear friends.” She said. Jeff hesitantly approached the portal, its mirrorlike surface reflecting his image back at him perfectly.

“Riiiiiight… you sure this is safe?” He asked

“Yes, perfectly safe and it’s the quickest way out of her. Now be off with you!” She said, a sly smile crossing her lips.

“Alrighty then, I’ll be seeing you, thanks for everything!” Jeff said with a shrug and a wave before he strode confidently up to, and through the hovering portal. The world around him twisted and warped, his feet seeming to leave the ground far below him. As quickly as it started he fell to the ground with a rough thud. Groaning, he stood up to get a feeling for his surroundings.

“Bitch needs to work on her aim, dropped me in some rando’s bedroom.” Jeff grumbled to himself.

“Holy shit dude! It’s so good to see you! But, how in the absolute hell did you find yourself here?!” Came a very familiar voice, shattering his thoughts and directing his focus to a friendly face he’d found himself increasingly worried about.

“What the fuck Andre?! Where the hell have you been dude?!” He yelled. Andre laughed; a casual easy thing that lightened Jeffs heart.

“Buddy, do I have one hell of a story for you.” He said with a chuckle.