(A/N: Part 4 of 4. Yeah. Ik, finally!!!)
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Arthur POV:
"Do you think it's the creature?", Caera asked grabbing my arms to keep me from moving forward. She pointed at the far end of the forest lands, where traces of pinkish light glimmered as it moved left and right.
We have been walking deep inside the forest for a day, while not encountering even a single creature, flying or otherwise. Now this is the first trace of movement we've seen in a while.
"Could be", nodding at Caera, I asked Regis to come out 'Regis, are you feeling this?', because I felt traces of aether coming out from whatever that light was.
'Oh yes, princess!', Regis said in an excited tone.
Slowly walking towards the light source, I saw the forest area coming to an end, as the land started to clear.
What we saw made the three of us freeze in spot.
"What the shit", Regis gasped.
"G-Grey! W-What is this? I-Is that really a-", Caera stuttered as her grip around my wrists tightened.
I was speechless! What I saw had made my head spin around in confusion. A 100-feet behemoth looked like it was carved out of the familiar amethyst crystals- that oddly looked in the shape of a- dragon?... Something like a dragon, stood in front of us.
'It can't be a dragon', Regis said in my head, knowing that the creature looked more like a golem, only made of the aether crystals.
But the crystals on its body looked more pinkish than amethyst, resembling the unknown 'pink-particle', which seems to be in larger content, making the crystals glow in pinkish hue.
What's even more odd was that the creature's four legs were- planted to the ground... while its tail coiled around the exit portal behind it. The portal we were looking for...
This descension portal, utterly different from the ones we had used before in the relictombs. This portal seemed to be struck to the ground while the entire ground around its shape seemed to hum and radiate energy.
The creature had its tail stuck to the exit portal, almost sucking off the power from it, which made the portal shimmer, going in and out of its form.
"Try using the relic, Grey", Caera said pulling me out of my thoughts.
Wordlessly I took the relic out of my extradimensional storage rune, with my gaze still fixed on the golem-like dragon.
I tried to imbue aether into the relic to activate the exit-part... But nothing happened. It didn't work. The relic looked like a simple half-sphere with no special properties.
"Um- Grey? I-It's looking at you-", Caera's voice spoke in a whisper next to me.
I quickly cocked my head up to see the dragon's eyes fixed on me. It's ethereal flaming purple eyes fixed on the relic in my hand.
Before I could react, the dragon let out a piercing roar that shot through the sky. The trees behind us started to flutter and uproot like they were some sticks planted on the ground.
Planting my legs strong to the ground, reinforcing my body, I tried to fend off the pressure exuded by the monster.
"The relic doesn't seem to work! Not when the portal isn't stable. We need to get the creature off of its position to activate it. Get ready to distract the creature while I try again", I spoke through while fending off the pressure, to Caera, who simply nodded back.
Once the creature stopped its roar, I quickly shot towards its legs. The creature was big, but it didn't hinder its speed. Seeing my approach, the creature tried to lift its front legs and try to pin me down.
Using this as a distraction, I god-stepped as soon as the creature moved its long neck down towards my previous position.
Reappearing behind the creature, I tried to manifest claws to try and cut the Dragon's tail. However, the creature had predicted where I would reappear! It's long neck swung back and hit me square on my chest.
Not thinking much, I quickly teleported halfway through my descent and reappeared behind the Dragon's head.
Just like before, the creature attacked me before I could make claws to attack the creature. It cocked its head back and tried to take a bite out of me.
'Shit! It can track my Aether!', I was not able to come up with any other reason than why the Dragon was able to predict where I'm going to reappear after my teleportation.
'Makes sense though. That thing's made out of aether and that weird thing inside it. And not to mention it's connected to the land. Who knows, probably it was looking at us the entire time. Waiting for us to come to it', Regis scoffed in amusement.
'Well, it doesn't matter. If we can't get through this monstrosity, then we aren't going anywhere', I shot back at Regis.
'Would it really be a problem? I mean, we have a lot of treats inside this zone, plus yo-'
'REGIS! Stop bullshitting and come out to help. You can have 50% of my share if we take it down' I said, cutting the shadow wolf's words.
'... If you put it that way, then... let's- hunt!', Regis growled in excitement, his shadowy tail wagging.
Regis leapt out of my side; it's wolfish body sprinting towards the creature. Ceara had been using her soul fire to shoot flames at the creature, which actually seemed to burn off the aether that enveloped the dragon.
Seeing that Caera can take care of herself, I continued trying to lop off the Dragon's tail. Manifesting two aether blades on my hands, I ran towards the creature.
Making a series of teleportations, I landed few cuts on the tail. Before I could heave a sigh of relief, my face contorted seeing the cuts made by my aether blades- heal, letting the dragon go back to its pristine state.
'What else does this damn thing have? Even I don't have this much abilities! Shit!' I cursed in my mind.
'Art, it's not looking good here. Lady horns is getting tired and sweaty using the black fire. She can't go on much if you don't find a way...' Regis said nervously.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, I did the only thing I could do at this situation.
"Caera! Stop using your soul fire and get here. I want you to support me for a few minutes. And Regis, come back! It's time to burn this damn thing down"
Backing a few steps away from the dragon's reach, I activated my destruction god-rune. Caera was in running, towards me; trying to fend off any attacks coming my way.
My body stiffened as the god-rune activated; Closing my eyes to concentrate, I felt my mind being tugged by the god-rune; it's destructive flames calling out to me. Begging me to unleash its full might.
Before I could give into its destructive-might, my mind was pulled back to reality by Caera's piercing scream- "G-Grey-yyy!" My eyes opened wide and I lifted my head up to see that the creature had finally moved its long tail that was curled around the portal before, to swing it at Caera who had been trying to protect me.
Caera's body flew over my position, disappearing behind the tree canopies behind me. My body instinctively tried to move and catch Caera.
'ARTHUR!', Regis's voice called out- but before I could even activate my god-rune to get out the way, I felt an indescribable pain envelop my chest.
The dragon had head butted me, it's rocky-crystalline head knocking me away from the position where I was standing. I coughed up blood, as my body was strewn across and hit the ground several meters away.
I felt a few ribs break in my body, puncturing my liver and lungs. Unable to get back up, I let myself fall on my back. 'Shit!'
I'd be dead if I were a human, I thought. Once again being remembered of Slyvie's sacrifice. 'Regis! Go see how Caera is doing', I ordered the shadow wolf.
Regis hesitated, 'Arthur... are you sure? You haven't healed yet, I can give you some aeth-'
'REGIS! GO!- I'll heal and be there soon' my voice cut him off. Making the shadow wolf jump out and run towards Caera.
Few moments passed before the aether inside started to heal me. Not waiting for any longer, I struggled back to my legs.
Spitting out some blood, I looked towards the direction Caera had been flung over to. I tried to activate my god-rune to teleport, but only met with a deep pain that radiated throughout my healing chest. "Dammit!" I cursed.
Not able to teleport, I dragged myself across the area slowly, while my body kept healing the internal injuries.
The tree branches were broken and hung down from the tree trunks; while many smaller pieces were strewn across the forest ground. My heart raced with the every step that my legs took, towards the familiar figure lying across the ground.
I mustered up some energy to run towards Caera, who was lying against the tree. My body froze and heart thumped when I got near her prone- unmoving body.
My eyes lingered on the large tree branch- jutting out of her bloodied waist... She was unconscious.
'She seems to have lost a lot of blood... but- the bleeding has stopped', Regis worriedly said in my head.
Ignoring the pain radiating from my insides, I bent down next to Caera's body to check for her pulse.
I felt my breathing become ragged; and face heat up. My heart ached in guilt 'This is my damn fault! If I had used my flames any sooner-...' stopping myself from wallowing in self-guilt, I sat next to Caera and tried to wake her up. "We need to get the damn medicine box out of her dimension ring", I muttered to no one in particular.
"Regis, go take care of that thing, till I'm back. We need to get Caera back to the academy", I ordered Regis, my voice calm.
Regis ran out without answering. I felt his form expanding as he tapped into his destruction form. Ignoring him for the moment, my gaze felt on Caera.
Her closed eye lids crinkled, showing movement. Her thin lips trembled unconsciously. And sweat formed all over her forehead and ran down her temples. She was in agony.
"C-Caera, wake up!" I softly shook her shoulders. After a few tries I heard her let out a soft moan. Her eye lids fluttered open, only to shut back immediately.
"Hey, you're awake. It's okay, you're safe now", I said while my hand unconsciously caressed Caera's long navy-blue hair. I felt a small smile forming at the corner of my lips.
Caera's head shuddered a little at my touch, and she fluttered her eye lids a few times, before opening. Her tired ruby eyes studied my figure for a while. She looked confused and her eye brows furrowed.
She let out a low groan before whispering "G-Grey? You're okay! I-I saw you being f-"
"No, don't speak. Yes, I'm okay. I need you to activate your dimension ring and take out the medicine box. We need to treat your injury", my voice soft and calm.
Caera bit her lips, and nodded before activating her ring. A rectangular box appeared on her hand. I quickly took out her medical supplies and kept it ready to apply on her wounds.
I climbed on top of her, to hold her down when I removed the wood out of her. "This is gonna hurt a bit. Just hold on to me tightly", I said while looking into her ruby eyes.
She nodded back and tightly grabbed my arms; I let her bite down on my hand, not wanting to make her scream and bite down on her own tongue due to the pain.
I gave Caera a nod to confirm if she's ready, but before she could mirror the action, I pulled out the wood in one swift action; Caera's nails dug into my skin as she tightened her grip around my arms when I removed the wood.
I heard her scream, muffled by my hands that she had bit down. Throwing the bloodied wood away, I hastily applied the medicine on the wound, and used my tattered shirt to bandage it.
Caera's breathing relaxed after a few moments, and her gaze visibly softened. She looked at me with gratitude. To which I just caressed her hair and softly patted her head.
I saw her face redden and her gaze lower down. Following her gaze, I noticed that I was still on top of her with my legs kneeling down for support above her- abdomen.
Coughing in embarrassment I leapt to the side and landed next to Caera. I turned to look at Caera, not wanting to take my eyes off her; not until we get out of here. But before I could fall into my own thoughts, the ground shook and a scream resounded from the opening where Regis was fighting the crystal dragon.
Hastily standing up on my legs, I tried to move towards the fight, when I saw Caera getting up.
"Take some rest. I'll go deal with the creature", I said giving her a soft smile.
Caera's face contorted in pain as she moved back to lie against the tree. She opened her mouth to reply, when she spat out some blood.
Watching that scene, I felt rage boiling up inside my head. Making sure she's alright for now, I ran back to the clearing where I saw Regis clinging on to the dragon's neck with his claws as he tried to bite down its neck.
The creature tried to swing its long neck to get rid of the shadow wolf; making him fly off and land beneath the tree trunks. Regis growled in pain.
Watching the scene with boiling anger, I let out my aetheric intent, turning the entire clearing into a high pressure area. The very air seemed palpable, making the two creatures to stiffen up and stop on their tracks from fighting.
'Arthur!', Regis yelled in my mind. Ignoring him, I locked my eyes with the dragon.
"You want to play? Let's play", I growled at the dragon while summoning my blood-relic armour; the obsidian-armour appeared and coiled around my body, giving me boost and making it easier to absorb aether.
I felt like a true deity! The immense power brewing inside me, as ambient aether swirled around me in a protective form. Letting out all the frustration that was building up inside me ever since I came to this zone, I let out more of my aetheric pressure.
"Regis, get away. This one's mine!", I snarled at the shadow wolf, while my eyes fixed on the dragon.
Not waiting for his reaction, I pounced on the dragon, shooting straight to its head. The head that it used to break my ribs.
With the armour boosting my aetheric abilities, I was fast. Faster than I had ever been. Not worrying about the aether usage, I pumped more of aether into my hands as I tried to plunge them inside the creature.
The creature tried to cock it's head away from my trajectory; but it was too late and too slow. My aether-clad hands dug through it's crystalline skin, chipping off large chunks off it.
I roared at the dragon's face, who's head I've been holding like a toy in my hand. I repeated my actions, breaking off even more chunks, making the creature stumble back.
The pink-particle inside the broken chunks of rock tried to envelop my form. I wasn't sure what it was doing, but my blood-relic armour protected me from all the intrusions.
My mind was still consumed by rage. Grabbing the creature's head with both my hands, I dig my armour-horns deep inside the creature's flaming eye, before disappearing.
The creature writhed in pain as it let out a shrill sound, that carried a palpable pressure. But, the pressure from my own armour devoured it, making me gain even more boost of aether.
Madly grinning at that turn of events, I fixed my eyes on the one remaining eye of the dragon. Shooting out of the ground, I disappeared and reappeared in front of the creature's face.
The dragon tried to hurl its head back in surprise, but it was too late. I plunged my aether-clad hands inside its flaming eyes. The flames tried to envelop around my armour. I felt my hands heating up due to the flames, but I focused on absorbing those flames all to myself.
When I held my grip and started absorbing pure aether flames, the creature shook its head violently in hopes of throwing me off.
But I didn't relent. I absorbed every last bit of its aether. "This is so much fun than burning you to death", I snarled at the creature while it darted it's head trying to look through it's blinded eyes.
Reappearing on the ground, next to Regis who was watching the one-sided slaughter with jaws wide open. "Go get Caera. We're leaving"
Not waiting for an answer, I teleported to the back of the creature and grabbed its tail with one hand.
While my other hand manifested a long aether blade, powered by my armour, that looked like Caera's. For hurting her with the tail, I swung the blade lopping it off from its body. The creature turned back to deal with its attacker, but it was too late. I had already disappeared from that place.
"Hey, you said 50% share. Don't go back on your wo-"
"Fine. Go kill it yourself. It's all yours", I cut Regis's words short before focusing on Caera, who was holding herself against the shadow wolf.
Ignoring the two creatures who had started fighting, I walked to Caera and supported her. Putting my arm around her figure, I held her by her waist.
Caera's eyes switched back from the fight, and fixed on me. Her thin lips were slightly parted, as if she hesitated to speak.
She kept her eyes fixed on me, momentarily darting from my head back to my face. I lifted my hand to my head, only to touch my armour- horns.
"Are you perhaps looking at my- horns?", I asked Caera with a smile.
Her reaction was something I did not expect. Caera's face visibly turned red, matching her ruby eyes. She quit lowered her gaze and avoided my questioning look.
I let out a soft chuckle before I spoke again "Do... you like it..." -my words made Caera's face lift up in surprise and look at me- "..my horns?"
She held her gaze, pondering over my words. Her hand unconsciously swept above her head, making her face turn even more red. She opened her mouth to speak, but ended up letting out a nervous hum and timidly nodded, after which she avoided looking at my eyes.
My body trembled when I tried to held back my laughter. Caera shot me inquisitive glances from the corner of her eyes, before turning her head towards the fight.
Regis had broken the creature; what once looked like a majestic dragon, now looked like a pile of useless shining rocks.
"Hey! There can be only one majestic creature; and that is me!" Regis declared while happily munching on the rocks.
"You can stay here and eat your share. We're leaving" I said in a plain tone, before putting mine into the extradimensional storage rune.
Regis lifted his head up to look at me. I narrowed my eyes back at the shadow wolf, hoping he would understand the situation.
Regis rolled his eyes and leapt off the pile of crystal rocks and landed near me. While Caera was standing next, being supported by me.
My gaze lingered on the odd-looking portal. I was sure that this portal will lead us to another zone. But- my gaze fell on Caera's injured waist. She looked pale and tired. Knowing that it'll be more dangerous, I decided that it's best to go back to the academy for now.
'We can always come back using the relic', Regis thought to me, understanding our situation.
'He's right', I thought.
"Let's leave", I said out loud , before opening the relic portal to my room back in the academy.
"G-Grey, let's j-" Caera looked at me with abashed face, her eyes peering into mine.
I quickly shook my head and cut her off "Don't worry. As long as we have this, we can always come back when we're at full strength" while pointing at the portal relic and flashing a consoling smile at her.
Caera's eyes studied my face for few moments, before she hesitantly nodded; with a determined face, she stepped forward. Still smiling, I reached out and supported her as we entered the portal.
'We'll be back', I thought.