The first thing in the morning you heard was panicked screaming, terrorized, and frightened screaming of annoying humans that pierced your ears causing you to flick your tail in irritation. Of course, that only caused more screaming and you grumbled, opening your eyes in irritation.
You no longer feel comfortable like before, all you felt was this hateful feeling of being on top of hard concrete or something. That was then you came to an abrupt realization and you sprang up, causing more distraught screaming from people.
Of course, this made you more and more irritated but somehow nostalgic. The screaming of people was always a masterpiece of harmony for you but really, so early in the morning, they're screaming?
Oh, wait.
It's morning, you turned back to your real body and that will surely frighten the civilians who finally saw a dragon so close up and not just in some fairytale their crappy ancestors concocted. Trust me when I say those stories have so much inconsistency and stereotype you can't even bear to listen to one.
"Shit chicken breasts." You cursed as you stood there in your huge body, watching as people panicked around all the while you were there like a statue in the middle of a destroyed castle.
Your bedroom is gone, the nightgown, your precious bed too. They're simply too small for you.
This made you make an emotionless expression as you sighed in retirement. You want to smack yourself for forgetting something so important like this, the bed was so comfortable, and bewitching it brainwashed you to forget everything there is.
What a devil, what a comfortable bed could do to a mighty (not really) dragon like you. Yeah, you're still as narcissistic as before to the point you'll blame the bed for your mistake but anyways that's beside the point here.
"A dragon! A dragon has come to terrorize us!" A super overreacting civilian that you realized was a maid, screamed and screamed that her voice had become hoarse.
Not a good choice really, if a dragon came to attack don't draw much attention to yourself. If it's back in the days these types of people would be in your stomach by now.
"Sheesh stop panicking, if I'm here to terrorize this empire then you would be a human barbecue by now." You rolled your eyes, watching as the human stiffened and turned towards you with frightened eyes before promptly fainting.
Yep, telling her that she'd be a human barbecue didn't help at all. You suck at this kind of stuff, some things never change, do they?
You had the urge to laugh at the display but restrained yourself from doing so. You destroying half of the castle and possibly killing people will decrease your chance of being freed from your curse. The Imperial family will surely hate you if you end up causing too much trouble then you'd be a dead barbecue dragon.
You let your magic sweep over the entire perimeter of the damage you caused, trying to detect if any civilians are stuck in the rubble or if any are killed. You tried not to move that much, one movement will surely cause more chaos. If you act like a statue they will think- well now that's stupid.
"31 injured, 0 killed." You said, opening your eyes as you finally stopped your magic from flowing, it only made the useless knights and weak magicians that came to fight you stiffen. Oh, you hope they don't faint.
Wait, they did. Yikes.
You wonder where's Elijah and the imperial family though. Man, they do react slow, this is probably why someone as weak as Kierkegaard managed to kidnap Charlotte.
"I guess I have to heal these people or else I'll get in trouble. Unfortunately." You said with a retired tone, you already miss your brainwashing bed. You seriously need a new one and something to keep you from forgetting your curse.
Man a dragon being weak to a bed? What a tale to tell.
You were about to start to retrieve the people from the rubble and heal them when a strong gush of air pushed you, almost sending you toppling. Your eyes widened at the familiarity of what just happened, you felt your breath quicken. An old feeling blooming in your whole entirety that you wanted to sit there and reminisce.
Your head snapped towards the caster, expecting your old rival to be there with his usual annoyed yet seemingly emotionless face, only one person can do such a thing.
To cast magic so clean that you weren't able to detect it before the prior casting, only Johan was capable of such magic.
A talent so rare that the chance of a human being obtaining this power is less than a decimal even if you waited hundreds of years. That's how you're so sure. That it must be him even if you know deep in your heart that Johan is truly dead and that you killed him.
It must be him. Surely it's him. If it isn't him then what miracle had happened to make this possible?
But to your disappointment when you looked, it wasn't him. It wasn't Johan at all, instead the person that stood there was a man unfamiliar with magic so familiar.
It's a man, a man donning a familiar White cloak of the archmage, the uniform Johan wore in his prime. The man had his hand raised, staff in other hand showing that it is indeed him, the last gust of wind making his cloak flutter in the air.
His features weren't revealed as he had his hood up, concealing his identity altogether. It made you wonder, why wasn't he sent along with Elijah or rather replaced him? Maybe the empire couldn't afford to lose another magician in battle as Johan, whose life you took was a very valuable one.
"Archmage." You hissed, the word so bitter coming from you as you seeth. You didn't care anymore, all people were evacuated during the short time you were caught off guard by the very same man. The magic he has, it's a pesky one.
Fate, ah yes fate. It looks like fate has created another rival for you. It looks like Elijah wasn't enough, they added a new one in this generation, another one that bears such striking similarities to your old rival in one way or another.
Looks like fate isn't as creative after all huh.
"Y/n of the North." His voice was cold, chilling but that didn't hinder you. You stood your ground despite the chaos that was the surrounding. You hate it, this man whoever he is, just seeing him sends you seething for whatever reason there is.
Something about him makes you hate him, to the core.
"Stand down before things get nasty." His voice rang out, full of authority and never wavering. It wasn't all that came from confidence, he was warning you, he was telling the truth. This made you irked yet again, it makes you want to just go crazy right there.
The Empire hadn't let your predicament known to this man yet didn't they? It was a careless move to them. Hopefully, they come early to stop the chaos that's about to arrive.
Or not.
"You're the one to talk. Nasty human." You spat back, there's no way you're going to back down. It's been a while since you've fought something, magic against magic. Elijah counts but this is something else.
"Halt! Royal orders!" But of course, they have to cut the fun. Charlotte came in, fully dressed but her hair was quite messy as her parents were at the back. Freddy wasn't anywhere to be seen, he must've been too scared to see you in your true form.
Too many war flashbacks for the old man and his spine.
The monarchs were speechless to see the havoc you accidentally made and gulped, is this what their ancestors deal with every month? It's too much, it's a wonder how their Empire is still thriving after such things.
"Reuel stop!" Elijah of course was there too, he was prepared as if he's about to go to war. He must be thinking that another dragon came in until he saw that it's just you and uh, whoever this annoying guy is.
"What is exactly happening here?" 'Reuel' asked, confusion was evident in his tone as he lowered his hand. Whatever faint aura of his magic disappeared like thin air, showing no trace whatsoever yet again but you didn't lower your guard.
You can't, your past experiences are screaming at you not to. A mage with this type of magic likes to abruptly attack, their magic can go undetected and so faint, it's surely a strong technique that can make everyone lose.
But not you.
"I will explain," Elijah spoke again, this time his sword was sheathed in his scabbard as he approached. Nobody spoke, nobody moved as they anticipated what was about to happen.
Reuel, still skeptical, looked at his monarchs who nodded before completely dropping any signs of hostility. He sighed and his staff vanished leaving small blue mana in its wake. He finally decided to listen as everyone seemed to side with you despite what was happening.
"You better explain well, baby brother." Reuel drew his hood down, finally showing what he looks like. To your shock, you met eyes with familiar ocean eyes.
"Johan?"