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Chronicles of a Dragon Lord

Prologue

A long crack of light was what brought Orion out of his sheepish demeanor. Every moment rocked his scaled hide and the wooden creaks riled the man from where he rested. It was a calm reminder that he was still alive. Each calm breath resonated a warm environment and a damp, moist layer of sweat clinging on his scaly hide. Orion simply lifted a single hand above his head and looked into the sharp claws that poked the lights.

“So much for staying in Japan this year.”

The young draconian stared into the ceiling of the wooden carriage as he took note of the new world he was in. All he had expected was a simple vacation in Yokohama where his grandfather resided. A long-awaited meeting was all he wanted to arrange after a lifetime of working in the engineering sector in America, one engineer to another.

Now, he was in another world altogether. Bound by different rules, civilizations, and organizations set on their own medieval society. As a Draconian, the black scales all over his hide and the violet underbelly was more than enough to segregate himself from the human dwellings he found himself in. If he wasn’t careful and sure of himself, he would have found himself bound to the slave pits of that kingdom.

A snarl rose into his snout at the thought.

“The Raldabou Kingdom deserves to be burned to the ground.” Orion huffed at the nature of the situation. They were the ones who had the magic to summon him, but in their hubris… they could not stomach the reality that someone inhuman would be their saviors. His only saving grace was the very argument that he was once human staved the kingdom a reason to not enslave him.

Another rock of the carriage caused the draconian to rise from his bedrest and shift his body to sit upright. A twist of the neck led to several pop’s, soothing his mind from the reminder that he could have been bound. With a movement of his claw, he knocked on the hull of the door and called for the carriage to stop.

The motion of the carriage halted and led the door to be opened. Before him stood a lanky human boy, standing around five feet in height and with rags on his body. “Y-yes?” He stammered. He was one of the slave children assigned to him, Reek was the name he was assigned. And Reek was the only person helping him on this despired journey outside of the main capital.

“Are we outside of the city?” Orion asked, his violet eyes scanning the conclave of trees and the dirt road that surrounded them. On the dirt path, there was no longer a paved road, just a dirt and uneven path that only two malnourished horses carried.

A nod was the only thing that came out from the young boy.

“Good… now unpack my things. We are moving on foot.” Orion would order Reek, causing the frail thing to rush to the back of the carriage with his bare feet and unclean figure. Stepping out into the environment, the black scaled lizard flexed his dewclaws and stretched his legs out into the world. It was a struggle to get used to this new body, feel the stretch of his wings, and the twirl of his tail.

Yet, it was better than being weak and sent out to go do… whatever it was that the kingdom wanted him to do. He wasn’t even explained fully on what the issue was, only that it was evil and he will know when he was able to see and confront it. The standards of racial bias were so blatantly obvious, that Orion did not care if he was sent with a singular slave boy and malnourished horses.

And when the boy returned, the draconian sighed and witnessed the small bag of items. Rags for clothes, sticks for firewood, and rusty tools for use. There wasn’t even food to feed himself or the young boy with any supplies. It was very clear what message the king and his people were sending to him, and unsurprisingly, the boy that held his bag.

This was all the kingdom was going to offer him for taking care of a great evil.

“Put on the rags, the shoes, and the satchel. It looks like you will make more use of these items than I will.” Orion said amid checking on their surroundings. All that he could see around their position was a mountainous environment, with large hills and mountains to be seen in the ascent up the forested and bushy land. He would be able to see the small and wry smile on the face of the young man in his order, before taking the rags out of the bag to start putting on the additional rags that were inside the satchel.

“Thank you… thank you.” The boy exclaimed, bowing his head back and forth. However, the boy would look over his body and stammer. “W-what about you?” He asked, knowing the clothes were meant for him.

Looking over himself, Orion merely shrugged at his bare scales and naked hide. He knew his body was muscular, slim, and strong. There were no armor pieces they could wear to add protection, so, he replied with a snort.

“No need, you need it more than me.”

Orion would shrug his broad scaled shoulders and turn to the horses, lifting a claw to test his ability to cut leather. That test was swiftly confirmed the second a single fingered claw was able to cut the leather like it was paper with a single stroke. It was not long before the horses were freed and they were sent off with a neighing rush into the wilderness.

When Orion turned his head to Reek, the clothed youth was already finished replacing his rags.

“Good, then you’re free of service. If you want to help me, then you can help me with direction… otherwise you are free to seek freedom.” He would say, turning his head towards the nearest mountain and starting his climb upwards. The boy, however, was quick to follow him.

“No, master, I am going with you!” Yelled the boy, bringing the draconian to pause.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! If I leave, I will be thrown into labor again, let me help you in this!” The boy cried.

With a shake of the head, the young draconian huffed and looked to the boy. “Okay, then follow me, we are going up into the mountains.” He would instruct the young man. “I will try to practice my flying, you will do your best to survive. You have knowledge of this place yes?” He asked.

A single nod.

“Then you stick to staying safe, and I will do my best to make sure we survive.” Orion voiced, nodding his head. “So, while we start our trek, why don’t you start asking me what dwells in mountains.” As he started to speak, Orion would begin pressing his clawed feet on the ground, finding ease in the rock to begin ascending up the slopes and the dirt.

“Well… I hear that these mountains are called the Jakari mountains. They say many of the outlaws and the savage races make their home here. Many slaves who have escaped the kingdom come here first to hide… but there is a reason why the kingdom doesn’t send forces up these mountain passes…” He would tell more about the history of these mountains, something that had indeed sparked interest in the draconian.

“And why is it did you get selected to be my carrier?”

“I failed in escaping many moons ago… so...” The boy responded.

Orion would simply pause at hearing the words of the boy, bringing heat into his cheek at the confirmation on what he was thinking. They sent this slave to die with him, starving and dying with the lack of resources that were afforded them. He balled his claws into fists, before sighing and relaxing his breathing.

“Continue walking with me, we are going into this mountain.”

In the moments after he had spoken those words, the ascent up the mountain was an easy trek for the draconian to manage. His scales took in the morning sun and warmed his cold-blooded body. Yet, as it was an ease for him to make the climb, the young boy struggled heavily at the terrain. He would see the boy shake as his feet struggled to find purchase and hands struggling to maintain some sort of grip.

“They really worked this slave to near death,” Orion surmised, sighed, and descended the slope to the young one. Before he could reach him, the boy would collapse and cry out as his body gave way to panting… not even having the strength to speak. Without hesitation, Orion would grip the boy and place him over his shoulder. The fact that the slave boy was too light to carry brought more heat to his scales, causing him to rush over the mounds and the easy rock formations. It came as a surprise to Orion that, as he carried him in his arms… he realized the enormity of his own height.

Standing nearly seven feet tall certainly made him even more titanic than he already was.

At the tip of a mound in the middle of a clearing, he would place the boy on the ground. He would take a stand and look into his eyes. The boy was already asleep from exhaustion.

Just like that, Orion would stand up and walk into the center of the field. His breathing was heightened at the state of the boy, knowing that he was sent here to die and had no choice on his future. He was angry that the boy’s poor state of health, the marks, the treatment, and the horrible state of events that would destine the boy to certain death. Orion would lose himself to these thoughts, shaking, snarling.

Until something snapped at the tips of his fingertips. It was warm, spreading, and centered at the palm of his hand. All the male did was lift the claw and extend his palm.

Fire.

Magic.

Orion widened his eyes at the realization of such elemental and magical forces were at his own disposal. It reacted to his emotions, uncontrolled, raging, and enough to bring the draconian to a peak. “Fuck yes… now this is what I was looking for.” Growled the male, before snapping his clawed fingers and causing a spark of flame to float over his finger. And, with a whip of his hand, the fire vanished.

Seemingly finished with his high on the discovery of the elements… Orion looked to the unconscious boy and sighed. He looked to a separate flat mound of stone and dirt, wondering if he was even able to manipulate the depths of the earth. There was a sense of strength in the ways of the earth, solidarity and form would serve you well in these lines of thought.

And so, Orion focused.

Through what he knew of old cartoons, tales, and fantasies that had the motions of these elements put into form, the young draconian sucked a breath and stood upright. The understanding of fire was formed from the sensations of passion, life, and intensity. Through Earth, a mode of thought was different in the forms of how the ground acted. Stillness, strength, endurance… patience.

Many moments he would still himself, to bring his mind to blank and depthless form. Yet, in the same mode of thought, he would feel his wings beginning to flap, and his tail stilling from its frame of reference. His concentration focused on the flaps, and soon… he would find himself getting higher and higher. When he realized that he had hovered over the ground, he immediately fell.

Right on his ass.

“Urg… well… now I know how to trigger flight.” And with a slap of the earth in solidarity, the ground beneath his palm immediately gave way like the softest material. It nearly pulled his entire arm into the mush, making him push his other palm up and force his other arm out. The second he pulled his arm out, a small stone pillar shined under his hand.

“Oh man… this is going to get so good…”

So many thoughts rushed into the black scaled draconian’s mind, bringing him to look up into the sky and see just how much time he would have. The shine of the sun’s rays poking through the branches of the oak trees gave him enough of a sight to see what time of day it was. Mid-morning was the timescale, near midday.

With a simple treatment for the recovering Reek, Orion would use his claws and power to form a small and earthy shelter for the young boy, before writing a letter in the shelter’s walls that stated:

“I am out hunting, please rest. If you are able to read this, color me surprised… but if you can’t read, then fucking god dammit shit motherfucker we are teaching you something!”

Smiling, Orion would stand up and spread his wings, looking out into the sky. A few seconds later, his wings flapped enough times to bring him gliding up into the open air. Just feeling the air fluttering into his scales and bring him to breathe the freshness of the air and bring him into the sky.

It didn’t take long before Orion started his hunt.

*_*

In all his years of being a man of the craft, being in the air as he did was a new and exhilarating experience. There were sensations that rushed through his blood, his mind, and even his own eyes that gave him the edge, seeing things from such far distances that he felt he could scout the whole mountain in moments! He saw colors that he would have otherwise never seen, smelled scents that were in distances that made them feel closer… and hear things like a dog with heroine shot through it.

To say that he was ecstatic was an understatement.

Yet, while the draconian soared through the sky, a sight caught his attention at the high fells of the mountain. A large plume of smoke, fitted with the signs of a camp, drew the draconian to tilt his winds and begin gliding down to tree level. However, the more he closed in on the center of activity, the more smells started to rush into his snout and bring his attention to bare on the situation. Dead bodies, lots of dead bodies.

Without a sense or regard for himself, the draconian rushed to the smoke stack… but his wing would catch a branch and he would fall to the ground with a sickening thud. Branches and pieces of log were all over him as he laid on the ground, pain throbbing all over his youthful body. He lifted his head weakly as he would slowly rise his body, feeling a few limbs lying limp.

His left wing, left arm, and hand were limp, bringing him to hiss out in pain. The draconian closed his eyes from the pain, focusing, trying to get a grip on the situation. He hoped there was such thing as healing magic, trying to focus on the elements to see if they would help him this day.

A light glow started to fill his body, and the pain began to recede. His hand, arm, and wing started to snap into place, his scales pulsing in a violet light that receded the pain, the destruction of his body, and the energy within it. His energy was restored, his limbs healed of injury, and pain.

Restoration… healing magic.

Smirking, the draconian would simply crack his neck and begin walking into what he believed was an alerted and hostile faction that most likely aware of him coming.

He was correct, and came face to face with a vast clearing filled with death.

Goblins, lots of goblins were all over the place. On the ground were scaled creatures, small, unassuming, and very, very dead. He would at least see thirty small lizards on the ground, lifeless with stab wounds or arrows in lethal points. Just by looking at the dead little things, his heart sank at the sight of their blood and their scaled, mutilated bodies… especially what they were.

Kobolds.

And as he had expected, several arrows cracked at him the second he emerged from the bushes. Several of the small pinpricks impacted the trees, the brush, and the ground. Orion stood still when the whizzing sounds of the arrows zipped around him and didn’t hit their target. When he had opened his eyes, a slight tickle had hit his chest and witnessed only smears of wood on his scaled chest.

“Well… now I am highly resistant to piercing damage too. Go figure.” He gave the goblins no time to recover from the shock of the first volley and ran like a moving titan. Fire rushed through his veins as rage brought the element out into his palms, deciding his next move as the shocked goblins were too terrified to move.

All the draconian saw next was red as he let loose.

An explosion of fire engulfed a gathering of five, bringing their death curdling screams to bear while a bolt of fire ripped through one of the warrior’s chest. The slaughter had begun, and what courage was left in the goblins were met with seven goblins trying to stab at him. They would quickly realize their rusty blades shattered when making contact… before each goblin was punted like a bloody and fleshy ball.

One after the other, Orion discovered new ways to kill. Kicking or stomping the little things into a broken mush was simple, throwing a bolt of fire through goblin flesh helped his aim, and forming a fiery dagger to stab and rend flesh. The reality grew grim for the goblins until none were left, and their terror was met with the stare of a draconian who felt no fear.

The last goblin was held in the air by the draconian’s claw wrapped around its neck, choking, gagging.

Some sense returned to the enraged draconian and his eyes flickered from red to gold. Yet, the anger never left the draconian, only his grip tightened and the beast of a reptile flared his sharp teeth.

“Do you understand me?” He asked.

“Y…yes!” Choked the goblin.

“Good. Tell me why your kind killed these creatures.” Orion started, glaring into the goblins frail body.

“Gold… we wanted their gold!” Squealed the creature.

“Understood… thank you for the information.” Without giving the goblin anymore liability in life, his claw tightened and a single snap was all he heard before he threw the lithe body to the ground into a broken mash of flesh and gore. A couple of breaths was all it took for him to stand upright, causing him to shake his head at the rush of adrenaline leaving his body.

Yet… as the adrenaline departed him… he would feel like he was growing even stronger. His control was better, his thoughts clearer, and the way he could feel the world around him resonated that much more. If there was a system in place, all Orion could assume that he had leveled up.

And soon his eyes turned to his immediate surroundings.

What was once the remnants of the kobold carnage, it was now painted in the remains of the goblins. Orion could only stare at the blood, the limbs, and the gore of their bodies. And then, out of reaction to seeing such things and being the inflictor of such sheer scales of suffering, the draconian bent over and retched a large rush of flame from his mouth. The ground itself was now blackened as the flames soon finished.

“Ah… right… fire breath.” Orion groaned, wiping his mouth of the feeling.

Out of instinct, the draconian would look to the kobold bodies and shake his head. It was the nature of things for the strong to prey on the weak, survival of the fittest and all. And the very thought sickened him. To be an active player in that cycle, killing the goblins that killed the kobolds… he wanted to do something about it.

At least he could try something.

With a shift of his palm, Orion shifted the ground beneath the kobold bodies and used his slick, bloody feet to drag the earth towards him. In a single, swift move, the bodies of the kobolds were pulled next to him, while the goblin remains were pushed out. So many bodies… so many limbs and bloody remains…

Orion shook his head again at the emerging thoughts and focused, closing his eyes and focusing. “How did I do it again…? Focus, focus!” He roared in his own mind. With the memories so fresh, he had the thought to trigger that action by inflicting more pain.

And so he used his claw to tear a wound into his other palm.

The pain that came from the trickle of blood and the exposed flesh of his hand made him wince at the reminder, an echo, a sensation that he hissed at. But with the pain entering his mind, he would begin to focus on that pain. He closed his eyes then, blanketing any other sensation to the feeling. To fix that pain was one of his thoughts, but why not focus on the other people’s pain? His thoughts soon carried on that to the kobolds he saw, all chopped up or torn into different places.

He wanted their pain to cease… their pain of being in death… to be torn like such. “What suffering they must’ve felt… to die in such a way…” More thoughts, more focus. And in moments, he felt the blood leaving his body starting to return, and the slickness of the ground receding from his form.

It was working!

When Orion opened his eyes, he would begin to see a light glow resonate around the area where he was. The light came from his own chest, bonding him to the center of whatever restoration he had enacted on the area of effect. But the most important part… was the restoration of the kobolds underneath him. Limbs were returning to their original forms, wounds healed, and bodies returned to whatever original shape they all contained.

The only difference in the healing… was that all the young kobold’s scales started to turn from their original colorations of red, blue, and green into a darker shade of black… mixed in with a little bit of violet.

His scale coloration indeed.

“If this was a tabletop game… I must have casted a high level spell… and not known about it.” Orion sighed, but elated himself to the small lizards recovery. Many of them were all bare of scale and naked to the core. And as the pile of kobolds were reformed and put together into their singular forms… a single cry from each little body brought them back to life. Several twitched and jerked themselves awake. And as the group started to awaken and cry back to life, the shine of Orion’s body still brought their attention to focus on him.

The draconian bent himself on one knee and rose a claw to each kobold. “Be not afraid young ones, you are safe… and alive.” He would speak, giving them each a nod.

“I… I died… what… what happened…?” One of the females would speak.

“I killed the goblins… then revived you all from death.” Orion said rather clearly, surprised they could speak his tongue as did the goblins. “Questions for another time I guess.” He sighed, but when he blinked next, he would be surprised at the sight before him.

All of the kobolds would begin to prostrate to him.

With a headcount of what now was fifty instead of his original thirty or so numbers, the sheer mass of them was enough to bring the man to gape. A lot more was going on than he cared to admit.

“Thank you… we are indebted to you…” Another of the kobolds exclaimed, keeping his bent over prostration to the draconian above him. “No dragon lord would be capable of such gifts… we will serve you eternally!”

“I only did what was right.” Orion replied by placing a claw on the bent shoulder of the male kobold who spoke, who tensed as tears flowed out from his face.

“They killed us, and you not only avenged us… but brought us from the beyond! We serve you!” He cried, enough for the other kobolds to cry out the same praises. “Tell us what to do and we shall do it!”

“Live, that is all I ask.” Orion started, soon standing up. “I want you all to live. I am new to these lands, and I plan on ensuring the innocent live and the ruthless die. But right now, survival is all I care about. So take what you can from around here, and prepare to follow, there is a long road ahead of us, and I intend on making sure those who need the help receive it.”

To hear his declaration became the kobolds gospel. And with the devotion served to the draconians will, they would immediately start scattering around the area to scrounge up all the things that they could grab. Many would take the bows and arrows of the goblins, the daggers from both sides of the fight, and all the other items and packages that the kobolds were even carrying.

Especially the gold in large bags. Fifteen of them carried heavy packages and the rest carried the combined arms of the dead and their own. It was enough to see how they were gathering themselves, that Orion could see them learning from their mistakes. The ones carrying the heavy packs were put into a singular group while the others had taken a protective posture around them.

In this, Orion smiled as he led the kobolds through the forest.

*_*

Death was something Zek had not expected to face in all times this day.

The memory of the bloodshed filled his mind like a chasm of suffering. He remembered the crack of bone, the rush of blood spilling down his body. An arrow lodged in his chest, a blade slashing at his veins, and even the snap of his neck kept his mind focused on the flashes of what remained of him. And then… the sweet embrace of silence… darkness claimed him. He had died, that was for sure. All for what? A single warren’s worth of gold and coin?

Whether or not that was the reason, he had died nonetheless.

And all that was awaiting him?

Darkness.

Darkness and silence.

There was nothing that awaited him in the long moments of shadow, of death… a black, endless void without shape, sight, or form. He could not see even his blue scales, his marks, his identity. Was this how it ended? Is this how all beings end after their passage from life?

Suddenly, there was a bright light that overshadowed him, enveloping everything that he was… reshaping him from the void, cloaking him with a scale of night. He reformed with his own body! Claws reshaped, legs given back, a chest, abdomen… even the breath of air sucking him in! And when there was darkness, light took its place.

Life.

At first, Zek felt his body spasming to life, a few twitches here, another there. His claws flexed and soon his legs. The final actions led him to open his eyes and see the same singular sun staring down at him. He could feel the heat baking at his hide, and the sounds of nature croaking a few sounds into the air. It wasn’t long before he gazed up and witnessed what stood above him.

A Dragonkin.

Zek had heard of such beings only spoken of in rumor… those gifted the blood of dragons to bear the shape of lizardkin, creatures bound to mud and stone. Unlike them, he bore the wings of the gods and bore power unlike anything he had ever seen.

The same power that had pulled Zek back from death.

Reality soon returned to him in hearing the dragonkin’s flap of wings. The tall and slim male stood at the head of their formation, leading from the front and guiding the entire brood of kobolds through the thick brush and the rocky terrain. Zek witnessed the dragonkin’s black scales shimmer under the canopy, wings folded against a towering frame. The dragonkin walked without pause, claws cutting through brush, tail sweeping aside the roots. Around him, kobolds shifted through the undergrowth, some with spears, others with bags, and the rest with bows and arrows.

Zek kept his silence, his breath steady, his steps cautious. He had fallen with courage in his veins, fire in his breath, and now he lived again. The goblins had taken his life, but the dragonkin had given it back. He, like everyone else in the brood had devoted their lives to him. The dragonkin deserved that much.

“Live… that is all I ask.” The words of the dragonkin echoed in his mind. That was someone worth following, regardless of his indisputable position as dragonkin! He… no, everyone here knew he was worth following. To bring them all from death? Such powers didn’t exist… only the dragon gods could do such things!

Ahead, the path climbed toward the ridge, and Zek followed. He carried his long dagger and what remained of his wooden shield with him, coming through at the front near the dragonkin that stayed ahead of him. Orion slowed his pace and turned his head slightly. “What is your name?” His voice carried low, cutting through the quiet.

Zek blinked, his throat tightening before the word left him. “Zek.”

The dragonkin nodded once, a faint curl at the edge of his mouth. “Good name. I am Orion. One from the stars of the Orion Belt.”

A kobold further back raised his head. “What does that mean?” His voice cracked against the hush of the trees.

Orion stopped walking. His wings shifted as he turned to face them. “It means I am new to this realm.” He stated.

“Oh… that’s not too bad. A few leagues to the north and you’ll-” The kobold was interrupted by the dragonkin.

“You think I am not from this land.” His eyes swept across the group, violet glinting under the dim light. “I am not from this world.”

The kobolds froze, their claws tightening on their weapons.

“I was summoned,” Orion continued, his tone sharp. “Dragged here by humans against my will. And when they saw what I was, they sent me away. To never bother them again.”

Around him, the others lowered their heads, some gripping their spears tighter, others clutching the straps of their packs. A few stepped closer. The silence held until one kobold whispered.

“We… we will still follow.”

The words carried through the group like a spark. Heads bowed. Knees bent. The procession shifted from scattered ranks to a single formation behind Orion. No questions followed. No voices rose.

Orion stopped at the ridge.

“Even if I come from a different world,” his voice carried low to the kobolds, “I do not expect you to follow me. Stay close to each other. Survive. If you are loyal to one thing, be loyal to each other. Never let that go.”

The kobolds lowered their heads.

Zek stepped forward. “You saved our lives,” he said. “You should know you are no longer alone.”

Orion turned his head towards Zek. “Your brood,” Orion said, “-and many more will look up to you. Remember that.” Suddenly, violet light flickered in his eyes, and the soil shifted under his palm. Roots and bushes cracked, tore free, and soon a large patch of iron ore plucked from a vein floated under him. Several seconds later, his violet eyes brightened and the ore’s took the shape of a large shield and a long dagger.

From the roots of a tree, the smooth remains of the log became the hilt of the dagger and soon passed to Zek. “This is an expression of my thanks,” Orion said, giving the young kobold a soft smile.

Zek’s claws loosened around the worn dagger at his side. A slow breath left his throat as he reached forward, taking the gift from Orion’s hand. Zek felt his own maw pull into a grin. Without a word, he tossed his old dagger and shield to the ground, clattering into the ground. His claws tightened around the new weapon, twirling the blade back and forth.

For a moment, his frame swayed, claws pressing into the soil. A sharp shake of his head followed, wings flexing once before folding tight against his back. His tail swept the ground as he straightened, violet glint returning to his eyes.

“We are close,” Orion said. “I will set up camp soon. From this point onward, be ready for anything.”

Little did Zek realize, that from here onwards… he would make use of his new gifts.

Chronicles of the Dragon Lord:

Chapter 1

What had turned to be a small encounter into the Jakari mountainside, turned into a bloody crusade. Orion could not believe himself that his own words and natural talents led to a carving through mettle and bone. The Goblins had put an effective counterattack, but such numbers didn’t matter to a devotion such as the kobolds fighting alongside their demigod. Each kobold put an effective resistance against their greatest foe, one that had the jump on them before… until now.

It was the Kobold’s turn to make the goblin horde bleed.

Starting with a prepared trap. The ease of anticipating an enemy they knew was coming was simple to spring on them. Exposing the gold in a central pathing, with a mock campsite gave the goblins too much confidence to fall for the attempt to take the gold. And when everything reached its peak, arrows and firebolts carved at the mass numbers of goblins until only a few handfuls of goblins were left after the volley.

Zek and several other kobolds gave the remaining goblins no mercy as they tore through them one by one to the very last. Orion would be seen ordering the kobolds to gather their gold and to loot the corpses quickly. Such things were met with a rapid move and soon Zek would ensure the many in the brood would be ready for the quick rush out.

That rush was met with even more struggle that came with the appearance of human outlaws. They had proved a challenge to defeat when their victory was met with fifteen of their number and were met by the overwhelming count of the kobold brood. Their conflict was met with seven kobolds wounded by the archers and crossbow bolts that hit them.

Orion’s presence, however, left the remaining Kobolds in surprise when he took the point and charge. What weapons the humans used didn’t influence the scales of the dragonkin and his claws were enough to cut and lacerate the bandits. The distraction was enough to bring an entire volley into the archers while they were reloading and were overwhelmed quickly. The dragonkin had finished the rest by himself, killing the humans without hesitation.

Looting the collection of human bodies was an order that the remaining kobolds free to move would help Orion in gathering. Longswords, daggers, longbows with quivers, and all their clothes and bags were necessary. They would see Orion dressed as one of the outlaw humans, bearing two swords, daggers, and bags to carry them. Bedrolls, supplies, and more were taken… and the healing salves were very much useful when helping the kobolds hit by the arrows.

Providing routine care was swift and easy as Orion would attend to the arrows, breaking the shafts and pulling the wooden sticks from bone and flesh. Those who were hit in critical areas were given Orion’s healing presence… others were given the healing salves to conserve his energy. Only five were left slightly wounded and temporarily saved, leaving the rest of the forty or so kobolds picking up the packs to prepare for the march.

At the coming of sunset, through the carving of many lives… they had finally arrived where Orion wanted to and the masses gathered at a hillside. There was a mound that the kobolds would see, but when the large dragonkin used his abilities, they would see a limp, unconscious human boy. They would see him glowing with his resonating energy of healing… then clothed the unconscious boy with a new set of clothes and patches for himself.

The final thing that Orion could do, was a single, stoic move of earth. With a stomp of his feet and the outstretching of his arms, a square crack emerged within the side of the mountain. The moment when Orion pulled with one of his claws, the square cracks soon turned into a long, square boulder being pulled out of the mountain and dragged out like a stick from a horrific wound.

With a single swipe of his claws downwards, the boulder was broken into thousands of small pieces of stone, leaving a pile for the kobolds to gape. Orion staggered then, looking winded before falling on his knees. Several kobolds would rush to his side and comforted the male where he was.

A single look from Orion was enough for Zek to know what he expected.

Zek brought the rest of the brood to begin taking shelter into the tunnel Orion made by taking everyone and the human hatchling into it. At the end of his commands, he witnessed Orion nod in acceptance, before passing out completely. Feeling the weight of command, the black-scaled kobold would order for the establishment of watches, sentries, and sleep cycles.

After the final kobold had reached into the tunnels, the sunset finally reached its zenith.

Night had come.

*_*

“You are the answer,” one of the robed men had said, draped in gold and formed in authority. The words were hollow, brittle, and far more unforgiving than a politician rehearsing a speech. Orion’s claws flexed against the stone, marking the marble and stone.

“Answer to what?” His eyes darted from face to face, searching for reason in their hollow stares. “Why am I here? Why like this?” This was not the open streets of Yokohama nor was this the air that brushed his skin on his climb to Mount Fuji. Orion could only see the glow of men in robes and the dark stone and marbled walls of a castle. “I was human. I had a life. Why tear me from it?”

Finally, the eldest spoke. “Because only a hero can kill the great evils of our land.”

Orion’s breath hitched. He wanted to laugh, to roar, to tear the marble apart with his claws. Instead, he stood up and snarled. “I am not a hero!”

“You were summoned because you are a hero,” he said. “Chosen and blessed with power beyond mortal reach.”

Orion’s laugh was sharp, bitter. “Blessed? You call this a blessing?” He raised his clawed hands, black scales glinting like obsidian. “I was a man. Now I’m a monster.”

Another councilor stepped forward, his head bowed. “We… we apologize,” he stammered. “The ritual was meant to restore you as you were. But the magic-” His voice faltered. “It responded to something greater within you. It gave you the form of a dragonkin.”

Orion’s tail lashed against the stone, cracking it. “So, you didn’t plan this.” His voice was venom. “You dragged me here, tore me from my world, and now you tell me this was an accident?”

The eldest did not flinch. “Accident or fate, it changes nothing. You were called to kill the evils that plague our land. To protect mankind from the darkness that rises beyond our borders.” His eyes gleamed like steel. “You will do as you were summoned to do.”

Orion wanted to tear the chamber apart, to burn their words to ash. Instead, he stood silent, the weight of their decree pressing against his chest like iron chains. A hero, they called him. A savior. But all he felt was the cage closing around him.

“Enough!” The word shattered the chamber like thunder. A man clad in robes brighter than gold entered the room then. His presence bent the air, and in an instant, every sorcerer bowed low to the ground.

Except Orion.

The man’s eyes burned as they fell upon the man. “Why,” he paused, taking a breath, “is there a beast standing in my palace?”

“My king… the summoning was successful, but-”

“Successful?” The king’s roar shook the chamber. “You summoned a man from his world and this is what we have to show for our circle of magi?”

“The magic… it responded to something greater within him-”

“Silence!” The king’s voice cracked like fire. “There will be punishment for this mistake.” His glare fell upon Orion then, cold and merciless. “As for this… creature…” He turned to the guards flanking the door. “Get this beast out of my sight. Send him beyond my walls. Let him do what he was summoned here to do.”

That was when Orion felt the guards gripping him by his arms, dragging him out of the chamber.

“You should be grateful,” the king said coldly. “Grateful that you were once human.”

And with that, the king turned, leaving the chamber in utter fury.

*_*

A flash of warmth brought Orion to jolt upright where he laid, coughing slightly with a tug of fresh air. His body twitched as reality kicked in, a rough awakening between real and unreal. The memory of yesterday’s chaos still gnawed at his mind, and the draconian snarled at the feeling. Soon, his eyes started to scan his immediate surroundings, but when he began to do so, he would feel warmth and movement all around his lower body.

An array of black scales that were not his own rubbed against his thighs. The calm breathing and the sleepish appearances of kobolds resting along his thighs and hips. One lucky kobold had grown especially bold and rubbed what felt like a slit against his own reptilian slit as well. Quite daring of a small creature, but the promiscuous ones were met with only his silence, and Orion simply rested, laying on his back and looking into the ceiling.

The weight of the situation weighed heavily on his mind. How does one adjust to a situation like this? If he was meant to kill an evil plaguing the land, then what was that the ‘good’ called evil? So many things to think about, so much to account. Especially when the ones who brought him to this world were capable of putting him in chains if he was not entirely human or once was.

Such a memory made the draconian… or dragonkin as they called him to think on the kingdom that gave him grief. The Raldabou Kingdom… a medieval feudal society mirroring ancient Europe, were the assholes that brought him into this mess. Wagons and horseback were the main forms of transportation, bows and arrows were the main ranged weapons of the world, and swords were rare and viewed as a status symbol. They were no England, France, or Bohemia… which made him sigh that this kingdom didn’t look too overwhelming.

And the fact that every guard bore a spear without any sign of a sword being witnessed…

The young dragonkin merely sigh at the clues he picked out from the events yesterday. All the few swords he had taken from the outlaws’ corpses made him consider what kind of outlaws he was dealing with. Were they Robin Hood bandits… or were they outcasted nobles? Orion sighed at the contemplation of his senseless killing of the humans. To kill your fellow man was murder, yet now… there was no feeling he had when putting down presumed foes.

Orion shook his head at the thoughts, so much was unclear.

Yet… one thing did remain clear:

The slave trade existed, and his kind was in the market.

These kobolds looked like they knew this as well… all by the way they were traversing such dangerous territory to avoid the humans. With the evidence of the goblin presence and the human outlaws in the area, he doubted the kobolds had a place here or a base in the region. Whatever it was, it led them into the mouth of enemy territory.

And to their ultimate demise.

“Hey you, you’re finally awake.” Orion blinked and stared at the voice that uttered those words, a shock that brought him out of his thinking.

Zek, albeit this time he looked rather upbeat, relaxed with his dagger sheathed and shield discarded. The lightly robed kobold walked over several of his own brethren to see the dragonkin’s state through, a display of happiness shown all over his face.

“Zek… just who I wanted to see.” Orion grunted, cracking his neck. “How goes the security of this place?” He asked.

“No sign of activity, thank the gods.” Zek replied, soon reaching Orion and sitting against the wall beside him. “It should be sunrise soon, and I am hoping you have an idea on what is to come next.”

“Have we established food stores and supplies… and water?” He asked, his voice bringing a stir from the lizard pile.

Zek shook his head. “We have killed several deer and secured the supplies from the loot, but as for water, the nearby waterfall is the closest source of water we have for the moment. But…”

It was quick for the black dragonkin to tilt his head. “But… what?” He asked.

“It looked inhabited, heavily. Goblins most likely.” Zek sighed. “There is a river down the slope several leagues down… but humans dwell there, the ones who keep anyone as a slave.”

“Oh well… do we have enough water to sustain us for a while?”

“Yes, and it looks like it is going to rain soon. A storm is coming in.”

“Good…” Orion chuckled, looking at Zek. “Then I am going to show you some unique tricks. And eventually, we will get the drop on the goblin horde in ways they will never know.”

With a grunt, the large black dragonkin started to shift his movements. The kobolds under him started to shift awake and began moving out of his way. Orion’s body was soon standing to his full height, embracing the area around him. The stench of unclean reptiles brought a singe up his snout, but the smell soothed him a little bit.

Was this how dragonkind worked?

“I am curious on what these tricks are.” Zek spoke humbly.

“Call it engineering. You’ll see what I mean when it is done. Do you kobolds still have a knack for digging tunnels?” He asked, turning to the kobold.

“Yeah! We still have our tools!” One kobold yelled under Orion.

“It comes naturally.” Zek nodded.

“Good, then get ready for the work, we have a long day ahead of us.” Orion shifted his head to the side a little bit, earning a resounding ‘pop’ and ‘crack’ before taking the chance to walk to the entrance of the cave. He could see the rising sun to the eastern horizon… or what counted as the eastern side of the valley.

Below was the kingdom he despised and around it was a large plain with forests and shrubbery to coat its land. He never expected to see the human kingdom looking so beautiful from such a far distance, but he did not want to linger on it for long. A turn to the head and he would see the young Reek resting in a bedroll within the cave, sheltered with all the other kobolds.

“How has the human fared?” He asked one of the kobold guards standing sentry.

“He… has not woken up. But he is breathing.” The black-scaled guard replied, standing upright with his crossbow.

“Good, if he wakes up, inform me of his awakening.”

In this, Orion turned to the many kobolds that were waking up and starting to gather their tools. He witnessed Zek ordering the kobolds to start taking out their miniature pickaxes, chiseling tools, and more. They were getting ready for Orion to start carving a massive tunnel for the kobolds to prepare for their future warren, their future home.

It didn’t take long before Orion stomped his feet and begin manipulating the earth.

*_*

What had become of the kobold’s reverie of the dragonkin’s presence among them resonated even more by his mastery of the earth. Zek and many others witnessed his power in battle, but to see him work the earth the way he did astonished all of them. One kobold by the name of Riz stood at the forefront, his pickaxe was ready, while several other kobolds like the blacksmith Sslith, Krix, and Drak waited for the production to begin.

Yet when Orion began his work, he would transform the cave and turn it into a cavern of geometric and geological perfection. Stone boulders were pulled out of the tunnels like square and even pillars to make space, excess minerals were processed on the side where Sslith, Krix, Drak and the other blacksmiths would smelt and prepare the ores for use. Kobold miners simply chopped the rest of the stone and piled them for use on the side… and Orion?

He continued to draw forth entire slabs of stone and ore, forming a central shaft burrowing deep, branching into chambers for sleeping, storage, and defense. Side passages twisted, reinforced with pillars shaped by gestures. Excess minerals… iron, quartz, gold piled in heaps at his feet. When he had grown tired from hauling an entire cavern hundreds of meters deep, he would let the kobolds drag everything inside and use the free space to store, feed, and settle into their position.

A clap of thunder drew in Orion to the outdoors, and the male surprised the kobolds even more. After taking a few minutes to rest, he used his earth nettling sorcery to carve a water collection system, creating large aqueducts that funneled water from several large drains outside and deposited all the water into pools inside. Not long after he had finished his small project, the rain fell and the collection of water turned empty containers into large pools for use.

With all of their immediate issues solved, the kobolds would see Orion resting simply with a large meal of cooked venison. A few hours had passed into the dragonkin’s project and now several months’ worth of mining had been completed by his will alone. All they had to do now was make use of smelting all of the excess ore. There were entire piles of iron, silver, gold, and more for the blacksmiths to process.

So much production had been made that most of the entire brood focused on processing the excess materials. By the time midday ventured, the kobolds had established a system of smelting, storing, and forging the materials into anything they desired. When Orion had recovered, the young dragonkin turned his attention to the perimeter and used his magic to chop trees down into pieces. What kobolds were free helped drag the small logs up the hillside and into the newly fermented warren.

Drak especially tried his best to drag the logs into the warren.

Finally, to end the building, Orion used his magic to pull the stone from the ground and form walls around the cave entrance. With the spirit of his ancestors (and a few politicians), Orion completed the defenses of the border by establishing quality watch posts, ramps, and positions where the kobolds could fire arrows without being exposed.

The dragonkin was happy to ensure the kobolds safety… as well as Reek’s and his own. To compound his additional success, upon entering the cave, it would no longer be as cold as he felt before. The small pockets of space between the forges and the rest of the tunnels were connected, providing enough heat for everyone to be comfortable… a boon for when winter returns.

By the time sunset started to reach the other side of the mountain, Sslith, Krix, and Drak approached Orion and stayed with him until he eventually passed out.

*_*

A single hour was all that was needed for Orion’s short rest.

In the magnificence of knowledge and power, Orion learned many ways to usurp his ever-growing abilities. Learning how his body was drained by the continued use of magic was the first step to building his tolerance. Finishing the array of tunnels, this day built that tolerance completely. No longer did Orion feel too exhausted when pushing himself beyond his limits. And when he did reach that peak of exhaustion, an hour of rest was all that was needed to recover and get back into the fight.

He was proud to be recognized by an entire company of people who depended on him.

While being focused on the architectural design of the tunnel network, he would notice the kobolds already at work. The smelting of ore, the smithing of tools, and the building of crafts made him so pleased. Even more, after the establishment of the aqueduct system, he would start to see the kobolds beginning to clean themselves and help in cleaning of the wounded. After the final stone had been carved out, the long rest came with Orion eating and resting by the entrance of the cave.

It was night by this point, with the darkness of the twilight shrouding the fortifications that he had built himself. Seeing into the darkness with a bright shade brought the dragonkin a small measure of peace. The sounds of the woodland insects soothed his spirits while he feasted on a piece of rations, chewing on the mushy and meaty supply into the night. And the shine of the starlight above brought a peace that caught him by surprise.

“Enjoying yourself?” Voiced a young kobold coming from the entrance of the cave.

“I am… Zil.” Orion chuckled, turning a head to look at the coming kobold he’d recognize. Just hearing her smooth voice was enough to bring the man back to reality, back from thinking about the world and bigger subjects, but to the here and now… besides Zek being the defacto leader in all of this of course. “How has your armored project been going?” He asked.

The black-scaled dragonkin was soon presented with a kobold covered from head to tail in what looked like a patchwork of steel armor, albeit fitted with marks that he did not recognize. “Well, it is going well… however I am missing one ingredient.” She cooed, leaning into the wall.

“That is?” Orion asked, quirkily tilting his head.

“Crystals and Gemstones.” Zil nodded.

That certainly caught his attention. “For… runes I assume?” He asked.

“Definitely, do you practice the craft?” There was a glint in her eyes at that question, an affirmation of many things that screamed obsession.

“No, but I am very much interested in learning how.” Orion nodded. “It’s come into my mind several times since coming here. Artificers and runecrafters were going to be people I sought after, if wizards or sorcerers weren’t in arm’s length.”

“A few of us are artificers by trade… was your realm familiar to them?” She asked.

“Sort of, but they didn’t have that name attached to it… then again… we didn’t have magic there either.” Orion chuckled at that, taking a cup filled with water and drinking its contents in full.

That response was met with surprise. “How… would you come to be familiar with the word?”

“History, mostly. We since turned our attention from the times of stone, wood, and steel to one of non-magical creations of wonder and innovation. Magic and sorcery no longer had meaning in our terminology, given only to the principles of science.” Orion sighed, looking at the night sky. “I was an engineer of machines and production… now I am thrown into an age and world where that cycle is being repeated. Except now, I have more to deal with.”

“Wait… wait,” she rasped, her voice cracking under the weight of disbelief. “You… you come from a place where the earth does not breathe magic? Where runes mean nothing?” Her amber eyes darted to the cavern walls as if expecting them to crumble at such heresy. “And you… you made things move without spells? How? How do you live without the gods’ gifts?”

“To be fair… I don’t think I lived with too much influence of any god. Whenever you reach the point of intelligence and innovation of several centuries… it becomes common for you to do things yourself. Then again, there was a saying… ‘Do you think god lives in heaven because he too lives in fear in what he’s created?’” Orion implied, looking to the kobold. “Maybe that’s how it might’ve been easy for me to be taken from my realm. Maybe my creator was in fear of what he created… or maybe there was no god at all.”

“You speak of a realm where the veins of power run dry… with no god or gods to watch over you?”

“In the history of my kind, I believe there is no more god to speak of. And I believe we killed them.” Orion sighed, before looking into the sky. “I am glad to at least be brought into this realm to fulfill a purpose. Whether I am guided on the right path is still to be determined, but I will do what is right and not what the Raldabou Kingdom desires.”

“If that is true… then you are what they feared.” Zil implied, showing slight fears of who she was speaking to. “What were you brought by the humans to do?”

He would look to Zil then, realizing her heightened fears. “To kill what they referred to a ‘great evil’ that plagues this land. This might be their evil and not a true evil that infests the land.” Orion explained, not wanting to make her fear him. “I was taught to be inquisitive… so I shall interpret myself on who or what is a true evil.”

Orion took his chance to stand up then, groaning as he would flex his shoulders.

“You might be misled by the humans if you still follow them…” Zil spoke solemnly, her voice growing quite silent.

“Hm? I did not understand you, what did you say?” Orion asked and turned to Zil sharply.

Zil coughed weakly in attempting to clear her throat. “You are right… they are misleading you.” She spoke weakly. “At least… I think so.” She explained.

Orion would cross his arms. “You have my undivided attention.”

“The humans believe dragons are their main adversary… they believe dragons to be the ‘greater evil’ above all else… beyond even the demonic or the voidstricken.”

That was enough to make a dragonkin lean against a wall with the amount of information loaded into that shotgun of a statement. “So, we might be fighting against our own if I am eternally bound or fated to kill a dragon… there are literal demons in this realm… and the equivalent of corruption exists to make this place non-existent… incredible.” Orion chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “Looks like I might need to get trained on artificing and runecrafting as soon as possible then… okay…”

“And what will you do with such abilities?” Zil asked weakly.

“I am going to show you the craft of my realm… and ensure your kind lives on with the gifts I provide.” Orion smiled, before taking a couple of steps forward into the center of the fortified location. “Is this something that is acceptable to desire?”

A nod was his answer. “It is… you saved our lives and thus we are bound to your will… you shall have your teachings.”

“Good… then a lexicon or an… alphabet that could help me learn instructions, spells, and other means of understanding the trade will help. For now, I shall scout the region.” He would soon spread his wings, crouching low to prepare for the jump.

“It shall be done.”

“Good… consider yourself the first acolyte… I shall see you in a while.” With that, Orion took flight into the night sky, taking a breath of the air as wings flapped and gust soared. Into freedom, and deep into the untamed wilds.

Tonight, Orion would feed.