Dragon Sorcerer 2- Chapter 101 (Patreon)

Last chapter of book 2- just an epilogue and final stat sheet.


Chapter 101-In through the Outdoor?

Draconis growled. I felt the rumbling in his chest as it shook the air. “Don’t move.”

I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but I wasn’t a human. I didn’t have to talk all the time. I could sense a threat just as much as he did. For him to be so serious was only more reason for me to be calm. Fear coursed through Cami, but she had the foresight to stay quiet as well. The less she acted like a human, the more I appreciated her.

Then one of the great wyrm’s minions walked into the room, pushing a cart of what looked like freshly butchered cow. Draconis let out a low hiss, but it was already too late. The air seemed to ripple and then shatter. I could only imagine it looked similar to what a breaking pane of glass might look like.

The orc minion who was pushing the cart suddenly feel over, clutching at his chest and convulsing. His body stilled and the stench of death came off of him as his body decayed impossibly quickly right before my eyes. Then out of… well, I couldn’t really describe where it came from. It appeared from the air, but there was a sense of otherness about it which I’d only ever felt around the horror. This was just so more powerful.

A massive tentacle appeared in the air like it was reaching from that other place wherever that might be. Then it was followed my dozens of smaller appendages. Each was squid like in some way but also misshaped and twisted in ways that made it difficult for my eyes to stay locked on them.

The tendrils all reached out to the fallen, desiccated orc body. They began to force their way into the shriveled form through every possible orifice and I expected to see it explode into a pile of gore any second, but nothing like that happened. Impossible amounts of alien flesh forced their way into the dead orc.

Draconis said, “Get behind me and stay quiet. Hopefully, it just wants to talk and posture.”

After a few more seconds, the orc stood up. Its body looked fully healthy with the exception that tiny ripples occurred under its skin as body the flesh moved when some tendril inside shifted. That and its eyes glowed green. There was nothing of the orc left.

Draconis raised himself up. “Speak your name, intruder. I actually like, Elgar. He was a useful servant. I don’t appreciate you wearing an Elgar suit.”

A deep and distant voice came out of the orc’s mouth. “Elgar is gone, but he knew terror in the end, as should all life.” The orc’s head moved side to side, and he stretched his arms. “These mortals aren’t that bad once you clean them out inside.”

“Last warning before you burn.”

“Very well, I simply wanted to come meet the new Balance Warden. He’s been visited by no less than three of the godlings, so it was past due.”

Draconis said, “I’m no Balance Warden, but if you insist on invading my lair, then you will force me to act.”

“Not you. Your time of terror is coming soon. No, I speak to the young one, so rife with the stench of life.”

Draconis looked back at me and I moved out from behind him.

“There you are. Growing quickly, I see. I won’t pretend to be your friend as the others have done. I simply want to warn you. Peace can be yours. We will give you and all yours a quiet corner of this world to live in. You can take minions and live out your days while we claim the rest of this world. But we are coming one way or another. If you think about it with as much life as there has been in this world for the past few centuries, it is time for their to be more horror. That would be the best way for you to serve balance.”

I felt an urge to speak up, but didn’t know what was going on well enough. I was still hunting in the dark without the ability to smell or hear my prey. I felt like I was bumping into one obstacle after another.

Finally, I managed to say, “I don’t need you to give me anything. I will take what I need and if you stand in my way, I will destroy you.”

“Yes, yes, so much… resistance… more fun that way. The harder they fight, the better it is in the end. The outcome is inevitable. Eternity is empty.”

Then the orc body was yanked into the air by an invisible force. It looked as though it was overly ripe fruit squished against a wall, and then the presence was gone. Draconis growled, “Good riddance. The only thing better about the eldritch than the gods, is that they tend to speak less. But you kept things from my little wyrmling. You have become a Balance Warden?”

It was a title given to me by the system.

“Curses on the Pact and the gods for putting us in this place. They can’t handle their own business, so they expect us to. They invade our world and when they were cast out by dragons, they now expect us to keep the eldritch out as well. And the system only does that which it was programmed to do. It is the hand of Eternity if such a thing truly exists.”

“I don’t understand half of what you are saying.”

“Then go learn. My hospitality has reached its limits. Because of you an eldritch horror visited my lair. Now, I’ll probably have to find a new one. I’ll eat up what I can from this lair and then move on.”

Draconis stared at me for a while. “Actually, why let a lair go to waste? I doubt you’ll have much peace, but you can come claim this lair after I’m gone. Six months it will take my offspring and minions to move from here. Then you can have this isle. Do with it as you wish. I promised you loot for sparing my offspring, but this is a better offer.”

The way he said it didn’t make it feel like an offer. I really didn’t want a volcano, but perhaps the island itself would be good. It was only a few hours' flight from Urgoi and less the faster I got. It would be nice to have a place of my own and I could always move when I found a better lair.

Cami spoke into my mind. Well, actually, she squealed. “Oh, Nico, please, can we keep it?”

“The island?”

“Yes, it has a volcano. I got a notification that it would be perfect for some advanced elemental forging.”

A muscle twitched along my jaw. This was why dragons mostly mated and then parted. No dragon wants to worry about what someone else wants, yet the bond forced that on me. For a moment, I forgot about all the gains and only felt the weight of the bond. Then I pushed it aside. What could not be beaten must be endured or escaped.

I would figure out the system and this bond. I might keep Cami around. She was growing on me, even with some of her annoying habits. But I wanted to do it on my terms. I made that vow to myself right then and there. Which of course triggered a notification.

The system has recognized your self-vow. A new quest has been generated.

New Quest: Good luck with that.

Objective: Free yourself from the bond created by the system to sustain the Pact while still maintaining all of the benefits that it grants you.

Reward: Self-determined

I wished the system was here in person for me to bite it, but at least this reminded me of another quest that I had. Perhaps I could use it my advantage. I looked at Draconis. “Fine, I’ll leave, but answer me this. Why are they so few free dragons and what does it have to do with the deserts of Taleia?”

He snorted. “You have your ancestor to thank for that. The desert was created at the end of the last war. That is what happens when dragons, gods, and eldritch horrors all fight. As for few free dragons, I suppose it might seem like that to you. There are far fewer on Taleia because so many bloodlines were ended in the prior war, but the world is larger than just your home continent.

“Now be gone before I decide to eat you up. Don’t return for six months or our deal is off.”

Rather than try to get anything more from him, I decided to leave. Cami climbed on my back and soon we were flying over the Chaos Sea again, headed back to the university. There were still things I needed to learn and I wanted to meet this storm mage.

But for now, I was content. My question had elicited the answer notification I wanted.

Quest Update: How the Proud Have Fallen- discover the reason for the decrease in dragon numbers and why dragon riders no longer exist as in the past.

Remaining Object: Learn the history of the collar used to domestic dragons

New Objective: Meet one free dragon of at least adult age from each race on Taleia. (Red has been met)

New Objective: Find out more about dragons living in other parts of Ileria.

With new objectives completion is reduced to 34% For progress up to this point you are awarded your choice of 100 DKP or 20,000 XP. Your bonded will gain the same.

Reward updated by the system- overriding the previous offer by the gods.

Since a lair has been obtained, you will automatically obtain sufficient starting wealth for your age category at the time you take possession of the lair in six months.

Further reward: Meet all the dragon types and a new evolution will open. Prismatic- why limit yourself to the powers of one color? Become a dragon amongst dragons. Pre-requisite- you must master at least three lesser evolutions. Don’t allow evolution to control you, control your own path.

A dragon amongst dragons, I liked the sound of that. I shared the notification with Cami, and she was thrilled. “So XP or DKP?”

“Hmm… I have enough DKP to take a first evolution, but I need to stop and think. It’s time for a nap.”

We flew on in silence for an hour or more, then before Cami asked, “With the quest does that mean we get to travel all over Taleia?”

“And apparently, the rest of the world. I still think we need to get a bit stronger, but now, I have to balance what Draconis said about evolving with this new quest to adopt multiple evolutions.”

“That’s fine, I am supposed to finish my classes for the semester too.”

I chuckled, “Oh, I forgot you’ve been taking classes.”

“Don’t laugh, most of them are rather boring. You are causing quite the stir though by being a student but only attending individual classes. I expect that the archmage himself is going to get involved soon if Lisella doesn’t get you into some formal classes in the spring semester.

“You were officially registered in one of the classes for new students that I was in. You should have seen the professor standing up there, taking roll call. He must have called out your name a dozen times before someone said that you were doing personal training. It was funny to hear him repeating it over and over in a monotone voice.”

I looked around at the beautiful sky and felt the sea beneath us. “How could I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?”