I thought it was over, it was dark, and I lost feeling, but my resting place was anything but final.
I could hear noise and a tingle of pain ran through me.
Somehow, I could still feel? I should be dead.
I opened my eyes and I saw a crimson red sky and a flat expanse of almost black sand.
I tried to move and I heard a few shrieks.
Looking back on the ground, I glimpsed a few strange humanoids hiding behind some rocks.
One of them didn't get to hide in time, and I quickly realized they were sort of like beastmen.
But not the kind I knew about.
These beastmen had much more pronounced animal features than the ones I knew.
I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, or why I was alive.
I must have been healed by these guys.
The one that couldn't hide stares at me and lets out whimpers that I feel guilty for thinking sound adorable.
"Please don't eat me!" He cried and confused me in my first few minutes of being awake.
What a strange thing to say.
"What? Why would I do that? Why would you try to help me if thats what you expected?" I slurred groggily.
"Uh, y-you beat Asgaroth! T-That's why!" He stutters, desperately searching for an answer.
It sounded like he was too worried to just say he had pity for me.
"It's fine, thank you for saving me." I tried to show gratefulness and they froze even stiffer.
They don't seem to know what to do when a dragon says thank you.
I looked down at where a sword used to be in me, and it's gone.
In its place there's a painful scar that wasn't fully healed.
I'll probably die if I try to transform with this.
On top of that, there was a constant purple haze radiating from my body that kept me feeling weak.
They led me away from the dead god, but not straight to their home.
I wouldn't want to bring a big monster home either.
Only one of them wanted to be close at all, though.
"I'm not from here, it would be nice to at least know why they hate me if they chose to heal me." I searched for an answer again.
The beastman once again stiffens before replying.
"That's because it was my idea and I just did it because I'm stupid..."
I would thank him for being stupid but that doesn't sound like it would come out right.
"So what are the other dragons here like then?"
"The others are scary monsters! Sometimes they come eat us!" He cries.
What is wrong with the dragons of this world?
Most of the ones in the other world would at least have some hesitation to going around eating people.
"Well, the least I can do is protect you from those monsters." I couldn't do much but promise them protection.
It was another thing to add to the list of things that need protecting.
I had a second chance to fix my initial failure, and I can't throw it away.
Eventually they all left me there and I didn't want to break trust by trying to follow them or anything.
I just hoped they would come back and didn't plan on just ghosting me.
I waited for what seemed like forever until I finally saw the familiar figure of my new friend returning.
I couldn't help being excited and jumpy because I didn't want to spend my time all alone.
He didn't look very happy with my bouncing and I quickly stopped.
"Do you have a name?" He asked slowly, like he wasn't sure it was okay for him to be asking for a dragon's name.
"Of course I do! You can just call me Lava."
"Okay, L-Lava." He stuttered.
"You don't have to force yourself to come back if you're afraid. I can just leave if you want."
I didn't want to be alone, but staying where I'm just creating fear isn't much better.
"You don't have to leave! Please stay and protect us!" He begged.
"Even though I want to, I can't protect people that are more scared of me than whatever could threaten them." I responded.
"I can convince them if you give me some time, that won't be a problem." He promised.
I was skeptical, but I agreed to give it a try.
"What's your name?" I ask.
"Oh. My name's Shiba." He answered meekly.
"Well, Shiba, I'll do my best to help if I can."
He slowly stopped stuttering in his speech until he eventually got comfortable enough to interact normally.
I don't know how long we spent there before another beastman came running seemingly without regard to my presence.
"Shiba! They came! They took Azura!" The new beastman shouted in a panic.
"Oh no! I'm sorry dra- Lava! I have to go!" He stammered weakly and started leaving.
"Hey, wait! Tell me what's going on too! I can help!" I call.
He didn't even stop to explain, so this time I followed.
They led me to their village and I suddenly remembered I should be hiding.
They could all see me now and were crying even more than they already were as they try to get away.
"Don't run away! I just want to help!" I shout desperately.
I don't think that's going to work, but Shiba manages to get them under control and they decide to actually listen to me for a minute.
"Thank you... Now please just calmly tell me what's going on?"
"The Ralei clan always come demanding tributes, but we didn't have anything to give them this time! And if we don't have anything..." One of the brave bunch explains.
"Why don't you fight them off?"
"They're too strong! How can we fight them?!" He proclaims with insurmountable discouragement.
I feel weak, but even without any magic I'm certain I can get back whoever they took.
Maybe I'm being stupid?
I tried using magic when I was alone and it just barely worked at all.
"Tell me where I can find them. I promise I'll bring whoever they took back to you." I promised.
"A dragon would do that for us? What do you want from us?" He asks doubtfully.
"I don't want anything! I just want to be friends for now, that's all."
I'm their only chance, so they agreed to that.
I was going to leave right away, but Shiba stopped me and asked me a very vexing question.
"What's your ability?"
Ability? What do you mean 'ability'? You just use spells, right?
"What's an ability?"
"What?! You don't have one? Everyone develops a unique ability!" He shouts, shocked.
"Sorry... I don't know anything at all."
"Then I have to teach you before you go!" He demands adamantly.
--- Meanwhile, in a throne room far, far away.
BAM!
Grimnal slammed his fist onto the table upon receiving the report.
"Not only did you fail your lord, but you allowed the rift to be closed?!" He screamed at the scout that was unfortunate enough to be giving the report.
"U-Uh, we didn't actually see whether our lord lost or not! It's him, surely he's-" The scout stutters before being interrupted by a bulky grip on his neck.
Grimnal already knew Azgaroth was dead, because he could feel his authority being passed to him.
So he kept choking the scout in rage.
"Chk- What did you expect us to do?! We're just scouts! That dragon was also dragged to our side of the rift as well!" The scout cried while choking.
The choking abruptly ended as he finished his sentence.
"It was dragged through? Where?!"
"We don't know! It looked like our lord was about to win, but then they both were dragged through. We didn't get to see who won, we barely made it through before the rift sealed!"
"That dragon is the key to reopening the rift from our side of the veil. Go find it, before I reduce you and your entire squad to dust!" Grimnal ordered.
"Yes, my lord." The scout replied, relieved to make it out of the room.