Beyond Bodily Boundaries - Pt. 1
Story by Nightdraklin on SoFurry
In the shadowed depths of a forgotten realm, Malefor, the once-feared purple dragon, awakens from the abyss of defeat. Stripped of his formidable powers, he is a husk of the terror he once was, yet his heart burns with an unquenchable thirst for revenge. Granted a second chance at life, he prowls the dark corners, plotting in silence, his rage simmering just beneath the surface. For those who thought they had vanquished him, the true nightmare has only just begun.
In this second life, he will stop at nothing to reclaim his dark throne...
At least, that's what he thought until he met a certain dragon that somehow stir the memories of what he once lost.
The rustling of leaves and the gentle whisper of the wind passed through the sea of woods that surrounded Warfang. Tiny critters wandered in about, doing their usual frolickings like searching for food or hanging out with each other as the sun shone above the earthy soil.
The crisp, leafy path that led to the giant gates of Warfang were slightly trodden from the footprints of travelers that passed by to do their business within the city, each having a purpose they set out to achieve within their visit.
Inside the city where it was bustling with activity, a certain white and yellow dragon that went with the name of Skyler, or as he preferred to be called as Derg, walked in a hurry carrying countless scrolls that were settled in his leather sack.
He was tasked by his master, the electricity guardian Volteer, to fetch him some scrolls that were found in the busy market streets of Warfang.
However, he was running a bit late due to being sidetracked by a couple of dragons that offered him exclusive deals regarding history books from different regions across the world.
The nerdy side of his psyche was too hard to ignore, but he managed to barely resist the temptation to buy the books using the money given to him by the electricity guardian.
Weaving through the crowd, Derg was now facing a dozen stairs that led towards the temple doors.
With great vigor, the white dragon ascended the flight of stairs in great stride while not being bothered in the slightest by the heavy load he was carrying.
He arrived panting and gave himself a short breather as he recovered with his stamina. The temple doors that separated dragons from inside and out were decorated with symbols depicting dragons flying towards a huge ball of light, obviously representing the origin of mana, the power that every dragon held, given to them by the mysteries of this world.
Not hesitating any further, he made his way inside, and as expected, he was met with the familiar hustle and bustle made by servants of the guardians, both male and female, from their rushed footsteps echoing throughout the temple.
The white dragon slowly trudged his way down to the grand library where the dragon who gave him this errand was most likely located, while enjoying the sight of grand statues and walls with murals of Warfang itself adorning his view.
Walking at a moderate pace, Derg's expression turned sour, having encountered a pair of dragons that were walking towards him, engaged in a deep conversation.
"...and I'm telling you, I failed the exam again! Just how high of a bar do those guardians have, huh!?" One of the dragons, a gray dragon with a black underbelly who wore light clothes depicting his wealth, sighed in discontent as he rambled at his friend that walked beside him.
The white and gold dragon lowered his head, hoping that while they talked, they wouldn't be able to notice his presence as he hurried at his pace.
"Pshaw, at this point, I don't know what's going on with the minds of those guardians. I mean..." The gray dragon's companion, who was an orange dragoness, wearing a sleeveless shirt that screamed rich, spoke with irritation while paying no mind to other dragon's problems with her wings slumped on her sides.
"It's not fair you know. Like for example, how can a dragon who has no deeming qualities manage to get in?"
Derg jerked from hearing what the orange dragoness had said but continued to walk. Whether or not he was noticed by the conversing dragons, their verbal jabs at him hurt his psyche in several ways.
He wanted to lash out towards them, telling them to be thankful that they have special talents rather than be envious of a dragon like him, but the white dragon figured it wouldn't amount to anything. He knew full well that trying to argue against them with their perspectives wouldn't reach the masses, after all.
Breathing in deeply, the white dragon ignored what had been said earlier and continued to march as if he did not care despite it festering in him like a parasite that refused to leave its host.
Despite not giving any regards towards what the conversing dragons spat at him, he knows the feeling of their hate and scorn towards his existence, it's as clear as water to him.
After enduring the verbal jabs spat by the wealthy dragons who were considered elite amongst the populace, Derg finally arrived at the giant doors of the library with his expression once again bright as the sky.
He remembered that after fetching scrolls given to him by Volteer, he was free to spend some quality time within the temple's large library, probably reading a couple of new books or something.
This made the white dragon chuckle in glee.
Pushing through the giant doors in the library, what greeted Derg were endless rows of books and tomes of many sizes stacked upon giant, sturdy, wooden shelves that seemed to never stop.
Countless tables were seen situated near each shelf with candles burning above them, giving their only light source towards reading dragons that sat on chairs beneath them as silence was the norm within the library, mostly.
Many servants walked all over the place carrying heavy looking scrolls either for repair or for shelving them on a specific position within a certain shelf, but to Derg, seeing such a thing as the sight he viewed currently gave him a sense of peacefulness he always looks for when visiting here.
In truth, this large grand library within the Warfang temple was Derg's home ever since the electric guardian adopted him as his apprentice, despite his lack of magical talents, Derg was still treated the same way one dragon treated another.
Volteer had always considered him his own kin after taking him in. As an academic like himself, the electricity guardian knew well on how he would treat him, and gave the white dragon his support whenever and wherever, mentally, of course since the guardians have lots to do.
Smiling at those thoughts, his gaze landed towards the familiar shape of a yellow-scaled dragon who was settled within a table within the depths of the library, doing his business whilst ordering dragons that were sending him scrolls for a brief review, obvious;y for evaluation or storage for preservation sake within the library itself.
Aside from his master being a Guardian and one of the most renowned dragon in the entire world, Volteer's expertise in magic were certainly beyond remarkable and he had one of the most intricate knowledge among the other guardians, which meant the rest of the dragon realm gave him respect and admiration worthy of the title he had earned.
Walking towards the yellow guardian with a bright smile, the white dragon made his way towards Volteer, whose body language looked relaxed despite being surrounded by numerous servants bringing him countless scrolls each in almost every second or so.
Deciding he should just wait for Volteer's command, the white dragon quietly seated himself from an adjacent table that was near him as he patiently waited for the lightning guardian to acknowledge his presence.
Feeling eyes laid upon him as he was doing his work, the electricity guardian huffed, taking his gaze away from the scroll he was checking before giving Derg his full attention with his yellow eyes boring into cyan ones.
"Ahh, Derg my boy! So you've returned. Have you managed to acquire what I requested?" The electricity dragon said, letting out a smile with his golden expression jolting due to excitement he currently felt.
The white dragon gave him a smile and handed the large leather sack he carried to Volteer with him and started explaining how he was almost late due to the tempting offers of the merchants selling history books from other regions of the world.
Luckily, Derg managed to keep his hold as managed to suppress his desire to buy unneeded stuff which saved him the embarrassment of spending all the precious money his master gave him.
"Ah, I see. The temptation of learning another region's history is a powerful poison for us scholarly dragons indeed." The yellow dragon gladly took the scrolls that were inside the sack and proceeded to do an inspection of each of the contents presented to him, scanning through old papers using his scrutinizing gaze.
After an inspection done by Volteer, he immediately did an impromptu pop quiz towards Derg, which his apprentice gave him an academic-like answer that the electricity dragon nodded his head and set aside each scroll to a separate table after the confirmation of the authenticity of the texts, much to the white dragon's own amusement.
The electricity guardian had a reputation among his peers, one was his great scholarly skills while the other was his use of complicated words that would make any conversation a long-winded debate if it ever happens.
"I have a feeling that some scrolls are fake, I can confirm that however when I conduct research later on. These scrolls contain lots of historical contents indeed. Anyway, aside from that, how are you feeling boy? It seems the trip did not take its toll on you despite Warfang being a place filled with an influx of dragons."
"Nothing much really, a couple of dragons threw jabs at me, you know, the usual." Derg said nonchalantly which earned a frown from the guardian's face.
"My boy, if dragons continue to keep up on their behavior towards you, do inform me of this... behavior towards you or to other less fortunate dragons out there. Those who bear prejudice should be dealt with, the teachings of Ignitus say that they should be corrected. In that way, this realm may know peace."
Seeing his master act seriously always made the white dragon tremble in anticipation and gratitude as Volteer always made his best efforts in raising Derg ever since he became his apprentice.
However, the white dragon knew that simply telling Volteer would only fix the issue in a short term. If these types of discrimination should be purged from these dragons, they need to change their mindset from within.
After all, trying to forcefully change the way those single minded dragons act was nothing more than pushing one's own viewpoint about how the world should work instead of letting dragons think for themselves and choose how to move their lives, or so says his master.
Despite these issues, Derg knew his master as well as his colleagues were trying their best as guardians to implement correcting behavior within dragons from discrimination to the others.
"Anyway, what are you gonna do next my dear apprentice? From what I can recall, your regime for today seems to be empty." The yellow dragon stood up, having finished sorting through the scrolls that needed to be done for today as he barked an order to the rest of his assistants to do their job without his supervision.
"Umm... Well, I was planning to just read the entire day to be honest..." The smaller dragon sheepishly said to which Volteer bellowed a laugh.
"I knew that was on your mind from the moment I laid my eyes on you, however! Would you like to do me a personal favor instead?" The electricity guardian gestured for Derg to follow him as he walked towards the door.
Being led outside of the library, Volteer finally told his apprentice regarding the favor he talked about.
Apparently, Derg has been assigned a personal errand for the lightning guardian, one was a task he had to carry out regarding visiting one of the Guardians' former bases during the time of war.
The white dragon visibly grew in excitement as he was instructed by his master regarding his task.
With Volteer handing him the task itself in a small sheet of paper, Derg quickly studied the notes provided. This included the delivery and its purpose for what was stated as well as the ones the receiver.
"Of course, you don't have to go now." The dragon explained. "You can go during late afternoon. You'll have the entire morning to prepare for your task. I'm sure that will not be a problem to you, right boy?" Volteer patted Derg's back gently as his expression looked a bit hopeful towards his apprentice.
"Of course! I always wanted to explore the temple that was in Twilight Forest!" The white dragon said with excitement.
The electricity guardian grinned at his apprentice's excitement. "You have the rest of the morning to prepare. If there is nothing else, please proceed for your errand. You are dismissed."
With a bow done by him towards Volteer as a sign of gratitude and respect, the white dragon quickly darted his way to his dorm room that was in the temple.
On his way towards his dorm, the lightning dragon could only give a chuckle towards the smaller dragon's retreating form, shaking his head in amusement.
"Hmm... Perhaps I should assign a guard or two to aid in his task...?" The yellow guardian pondered as he made his way towards Warfang's streets, his destination being the earth guardian's military post where his next appointment would be.
Traveling by flight was probably a dragon's default mode of reaching one place considering it was the fastest way to reach point A to point B.
As Derg approached his dorm room which was located in a tall tower right near the edge of the Warfang temple, the dragon gave a brief look around the bottom area where the bustling activities were barely heard.
Being thankful his dorm was located within a tower far from the usual busy streets of Warfang, the white dragon opened the door to his room and settled his presence on a soft mat, his form radiating with great satisfaction.
His room was nothing fancy, only consisting of a big red cushion that was provided to him by Cyril and a couple of bookshelves where he put his favorite books to read in case he got bored.
Books that were outdated, some even ancient that were given to him by the resident librarian were laid scattered around a shelf near his reading corner which was located near a big circular glass window that served as his light source when he read books after dark.
On the far right corner, what looked like a weapon rack could be seen located there, a couple of training weapons with scratches or signs of blunt damage present.
Despite being a dragon with no talent on using magic, Derg was given Volteer's personal consent and had Terrador provide him weaponry which consisted of the traditional wooden sword as well as the Nagamaki which the dragon sometimes used on training in the temple.
Being a dragon incapable of magic doesn't mean he cannot escape the means of at least improving his physical prowess after all.
While learning dragon katas in terms of improving his physical body though, the dragon opted to train during his free time after he finished his tasks being assigned by the Guardians, most of them being paperwork.
Grabbing an empty leather sack in the corner that he used for various purposes, the dragon proceeded to pack the essentials needed in his trip.
Aside from the small paper that Volteer provided earlier with the details and stuff about what he should do, Derg placed inside a couple of healing items just in case as well as a couple of dragon scales for emergency fire source just in case his provisions like flint ran out of stock.
Deciding to waste no time in dilly dallying, the white dragon exited his dorm after fetching the notes he received as well as locking his door as a preventive measure.
He may have nothing to offer to burglars when they decide to ransack his room, but for the sake of his sanity, he doesn't want them to find out his secret toys that he used when he felt a bit jittery during lonely times.
After double checking whether or not he locked the door properly and making sure his belongings were secured, the white dragon stretched his form before deciding to go to the marketplace to browse through some more things that could perhaps aid him on his trip.
Exiting the tower, Derg was greeted with two familiar faces that made the white dragon smile widely in excitement upon meeting them.
"Spyra! Cynder!" The white dragon exclaimed. His cyan eyes became dazzling as they twinkle in the presence of the two dragonesses he considered to be his good friends despite having to face numerous discrimination regarding them associating him due to his lack of talents.
"Ah! Derg! Good thing we caught you before you left." One of the dragonesses approaching him, Spyra, was a dragoness of muscular nature. Despite being a female purple dragon, she had a couple of characteristics that one would mistakenly identify her as a male.
With a body that seemed to bulge, especially with the bulging biceps and scales that seem to gleam against sunlight, one would assume Spyra was not only the product of genetic anomaly, but also an example of a female with masculine features that had made dragons look at her oddly, despite her fame for ending the war.
Though, there were some dragons that try and hit with her due to her reputation of being one of the legendary dragons to put a stop on Malefor, but that only ended in those dragons earning a taste of Spyra's attitude whenever the female purple dragon became a bit touchy due to certain advances.
Despite that though, her attitude was rather calm compared to her companion.
Cynder, a black dragoness with red underbelly scales and white spines adorned her form, was nothing more than a perfect specimen of a dragoness.
With a lean and toned body designed for speed and agility as well as a gorgeous figure that was the cause of males, both gay and straight, to have their eyes stuck upon seeing her form, the black dragoness was considered one of the sexiest, yet dangerous dragons one can come across with.
Many considered Cynder as easy picking due to her upbringing, however, those fools who mistakenly hit on her only ended with bruises on their bodies and ego.
This resulted in her gaining a reputation of a dragoness to never hit on due to her fiery personality when she disliked someone trying to come at her for a flirt.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" The white dragon became curious as he tilted his head, looking expectantly towards them.
"We just came back from Terrador's sparring room. Since he dismissed us from training." The purple dragoness waddled forwards and nuzzled his chin. "Why don't you hang out with us for the time being~? We barely had time to enjoy each other's company after all~"
This made the white dragon tumble back, not expecting his personal space to be invaded by his friend.
"Spyra..." The black dragoness sighed. "Forgive her, Derg. She got a bit delirious due to her meds."
The confused look the white dragon gave her prompted Cynder to explain further, and that she did.
"We got into an accident in the sparring room. Terrador hit her a bit too hard in the head resulting in a concussion. The meds that he gave her were technically expired, which resulted in her having emotional problems. However, Volteer arrived a bit later, diagnosing Spyra that she'll be fine for a couple of hours, though a bit flirty with some dragons she considered her friends." She then sighed.
"Though, it makes me wonder why they even have expired meds in the first place. I have to appeal to Terrador to check the medicine rack for expired drugs to prevent this from happening in the future."
A look of understanding appeared in the face of Derg as he uncomfortably let Spyra smother him with affection.
"Well, as much as I want to spend some quality time with you guys, I have to prepare some things for my task away from Warfang, so if you'll excuse me..." He tried to push the purple dragoness who was clinging in his arm, but it proved fruitless since she was a lot stronger than him in terms of every aspect.
"Come on Derg~ You barely had a date with us~ Can't you take an hour or two from your preparation time to just, hang around and have fun~"
Spyra continued nuzzling on her white dragon's chin, savoring the nice feeling she experienced from his white, yet smooth, scales.
"Uhh..." He was at loss of words as a red hue suddenly appeared on his cheeks, which the black dragoness raised her brow towards this.
"Spyra... I think you're smothering him a bit too much there." She put her claws around the purple dragon's torso and pulled her back gently, separating her from Derg.
The action Spyra did towards the white dragon made the male cyan eyes twitch, resulting with him feeling a bit uncomfortable that prompted him to calm down his little guy from acting up and potentially making the situation a bit awkward for him, the female purple dragon, and the black dragoness.
"I do hope that won't come to haunt me in my nightmares..." The white dragon muttered.
"What was that?" Cynder asked as she tried to calm Spyra who was pouting and trying to bite her playfully.
"Nothing..."
"So what are you buying anyway?" The black dragoness asked as they decided to accompany him despite Derg's refusal and subsequent attempt of excusing himself.
After they followed him around though, the white dragon had no choice, but to give in towards his friends who just wanted to hang out for a couple of hours.
Being led within the bustling streets of Warfang by Cynder while holding Spyra by the tail while the latter was resting peacefully while being dragged by the former, Derg answered.
"Volteer tasked me to go to the Twilight Forest to gather some things they left in a hurry due to the previous war." He walked up to a merchant selling some scrolls that contained pre-casted spells. "And no, you can't come." He added in.
Cynder narrowed her eyes towards the scroll he was browsing, seemingly reading the item itself, but dismissed it with a huff, not bothering Derg about him going on a trip without a body guard or any sort.
Despite being friends with the legendary purple dragon and the black dragoness who had some rumors floating here and there regarding them being affiliated with him, Cynder knew that Derg had no aptitude in using magic and she sometimes doubted his abilities to do tasks such as these.
However, he had proved time and time again that despite him being a dragon unable to do things, he managed to solve every task he was tasked upon regarding whatever the Guardian's gave to him.
"But hey, don't you feel worried being alone? If so, then let us accompany you on your trip. Though, Spyra may not be the same right now, that doesn't mean you're safe if something bad happens there..." Cynder muttered, grabbing a bit of money from her satchel and was about to give the awestruck merchant some money to pay for the white dragon's purchase, but Derg immediately stopped her from doing it.
"I appreciate the concern you are showing me, Cyn, but I can take care of myself you know? Plus please don't pay." He grabbed his own satchel, took some gold out before settling it towards the mole merchant who exchanged his gold for the scrolls he wanted.
"Why~ Is the white dragon over here shy regarding us showing concern towards him?" Both dragons looked over Spyra's direction, which the purple dragoness had a bit of drool escaping from the corner of her maw as her eyes were drowsy.
"Oh great, she's about to clonk out..." Cynder muttered. "Anyhow, do you want some backup guard or something? As I said, I know you're capable Derg. However, Spyra and I cannot forgive ourselves if something happens to you when we know full well we can provide some kind of aid to you whenever needed..."
With a sigh, the white dragon turned to look at his friend with a tired, apologetic smile.
“Look guys, if anything happens to me along my trip, rest assured. I did prepare for everything beforehand, okay?" He gave the black dragoness a pat in the shoulder and a pat in the head for Spyra before bidding goodbye to his friends.
Cynder sighed in defeat after that.
They were just worrying over him due to his lack of aptitude in using magic and that he was prone to experiencing bullying from the common populace of the dragon society regarding his circumstances.
But while Derg doesn't want to admit it, she had an inkling of why he was faced with trouble wherever he goes.
Despite being able to guess why he gets treated like dirt, the black dragoness decided it would not be best in meddling in whatever the discrimination he was experiencing.
Upon reaching the gates, the white dragon did one final check in his satchel to make sure if he packed everything.
Food, fire source, dragon scales for making emergency flames when he decided to camp for the night as well as his personal journal for when he decided to record some findings.
"Looks like I'm all set! Time for me to--"
"Well, well, well... Look who we have here~"
Derg cringed, knowing too well who the voice belonged to. Turning around to look at the owner of the voice, the white dragon wished it was just some random dragon who had similar qualities as the dragoness approaching him, however, it did not go out according to plan as he sighed in irritation.
"Manna."
"Aw... What's with that attitude Derg~? Too weak to make a comeback?" The light green dragoness flapped her wings in a false seductive manner as she eyed the white dragon with a predatory look which made him uncomfortable.
"If you've nothing good to say to me Manna, I suggest you leave me alone. It's a waste of time to mingle with me.."
He was about to leave her alone, but the flirtatious dragoness blocked his path immediately, forcing the white dragon to stay put because she was stronger and bigger than him.
"Aw... Come on Derg... At least entertain me for a bit, considering you didn't pay me attention~ It's an insult to think that you could easily ignore an elite dragoness such as me~" She laughed as her way of pointing out his station which resulted with the white dragon gritting his teeth in agitation towards the green dragoness.
She had always picked on him regarding his inability to use magic ever since Volteer accepted him as his apprentice, and no matter how many times he tried ignoring her, the dragoness kept bothering him for the most shallow and petty of reasons that made the white dragon even question her sanity if the dragoness had any.
As Volteer had once said to him, she was just envious, a dragon jealous of his circumstance, regardless if he had the ability to use magic or not, in some way.
Manna wanted to crush him due to whatever grudge or hate she felt towards him because she believed a low-stationed dragon such as him had no rights to stand within their social circles, at least in her opinion.
"I said no. Leave me alone!" He dashed past her, not letting the dragoness make a rebuttal as the dragon immediately took flight through the skies.
Being too slow to catch up, Manna fumed at his attitude and vowed that he would not escape from her clutches the moment she found a proper opportunity to bestow him the taste of humiliation once more.
"Ugh..." Derg massaged his temple as he flew through the skies while en route to his destination.
The fact that she hadn't given chase to him meant that he at least got a bit agile. All those times doing physical training with Terrador in secret actually paid off quite nicely, knowing he could just run away if things turned for the worst.
But he doubts running away would serve him good in the long run.
There must be some ways he could put a stop towards his bullies but he couldn't think of any...
His fighting prowess wasn't actually praise worthy. Having been bullied most of the time during his childhood years made the dragon unable to even learn self-defense for various reasons...
And that Manna's clan was known to be a dominant clan consisting of well known elite dragons with various talents...
Knowing the green dragoness that tried hitting on him was way stronger and bigger than him, Derg knew any attempts of hurting her would prove futile.
Derg sighed.
Now wasn't the time to think things too negatively.
Remembering Volteer's smile made him rethink his actions for the past few hours.
"I should focus on doing my task..." He muttered and forced himself to look positive about his current circumstance.
The fact that he was about to explore the abandoned temple to his heart's content was already a mouthwatering opportunity.
It's been a couple of years since one of the guardians' bases were once inhabited, and the dragon had only been able to catch a glimpse of some of their interior and exterior architecture due to some artworks and books that the guardians graciously gave him.
Knowing the chance he was given an opportunity, the dragon wanted to see the whole picture for himself now that he had been given the permission to go by the Guardians themselves.
One thing was bothering him though despite the entire ordeal.
"Why didn't Volteer just give this task to other dragons? Surely there are much more capable dragons than me that could barely hold my own against a bulb spider..." The dragon contemplated that thought before shaking his head.
Perhaps he was just fortunate that Volteer picked him for this specific task? Either way, the dragon was glad for the opportunity the lightning dragon granted him.
Deciding not to ponder further regarding the task, the white dragon took it upon himself to fly through the skies further while passing by some landscapes he had visited prior to his arrival in the Twilight Forest.
Warfang was located a good 5-hour flight distance through dragon flight if ever it was the dragon's prime mode of transportation.
Thankfully, Derg remembered this, hence he had brought his food rations in his bag knowing there would be no good places to shop for food if ever he happened to lose his path, something that happened quite frequently.
"I see it! Twilight Forest!" The white dragon exclaimed excitedly as he saw the ever looming form of the dark forest that stretched as far as the eye can see.
Arriving after several hours of flight, the dragon finally landed in front of the outskirts of the forest.
Taking a moment to look around, what the dragon read from books about the forest was indeed teeming with wildlife that was mutated due to the unstable magical charge that came from the neighboring swamps that was located in the Ancient Grove.
Most travelers avoid this place due to it being shrouded with unstable mana floating in the air which would mutate any living things into mindless monsters. Though there was no record of anyone being turned into monsters when setting foot inside, it was enough to instill fear into anyone deciding to travel near this place.
However, since he was a being not affected by magic, he was relatively safe from the rumors of him being mutated by the unstable mana that governed some parts in the forest.
Derg never considered himself to believe baseless rumors, the dragon was wary and immediately took note of the flora and the fauna the moment he took a step within the forest.
"Hopefully I'll be able to gather the equipment Volteer asked for without encountering any troublesome enemies... " He muttered.
With cautiousness being his top priority regarding his current task, Derg traversed within the dangerous and mystical landscape while recording every plant and every creature he managed to encounter.
When it comes to studying the magical ecosystem, Twilight Forest was his top choice. The dragon never ventured that far that required him to travel hours away from Warfang for him to satiate his hunger for knowledge about the mystical, dark forest, making this his first experience that was not given by any book or journal entry that was about the mystical forest he visited.
Not long into his travel though, the dragon felt paranoid seeing the strange eyes and grunts within the thick foliage of the trees.
In retrospect, the Twilight Forest was quite mysterious that nobody had made the first step to chart a map as it was an anomalistic place where mana was present that was unstable as well as its forever changing landscape.
Only a fool would make a map when there would be a high possibility of said map to warp because of the anomalous environment it held.
As Derg traversed the thick forests however, despite the paranormal things he heard and what his eyes laid upon due to his excellent dragon sense, he successfully arrived unscathed towards the former Guardian base where said equipment Volteer and the guardians left in a hurry was said to be.
But of course, due to it being neglected for a couple of years, the base itself was quite in ruin.
The base itself was a very large temple that seemed to stem underground. He read that the temple was built upon the expertise of moles where their architectural knowledge was second to none.
Withered pillars that stood the test of time that held the crumbling walls stood up right to the dragon who marveled upon its former architectural value and marvel.
As he moved closer towards the ruins, Derg noticed old footsteps that were of draconic origin. He surmised that it could be a couple of looters, and that made him worry if the object he was seeking was now gone.
"Alright... The entrance is somewhere here, now I just have to find it." He looked at the entrance which seemed to be covered up with shrubbery that indicated that no living things were able to pass through. A good sign meaning that the looters did not manage to get inside the temple.
Though that begs the question...
"What happened to them then...?" The white dragon thought aloud as he tried brushing away some vines that were blocking his entrance with his claw.
The dragon brushed off those thoughts as nothing more but mere speculation as he made way towards the abandoned temple.
And as he entered, his nostrils twitched a foul smell emitted. As Derg looked back outside of the entrance, he took notice that most plants including vines and moss
"Ugh..." He pinched the gap between his snout close due to the putrid stench that invaded his senses as soon as he entered the ruins, however, that immediately took a back burner as the dragon started having difficulties seeing due to the lack of sunlight emitted within the ruins.
The dragon took out a scroll he brought from the marketplace and activated its pre-casted spell. Immediately, the white dragon's eyes glowed briefly before his vision returned and emitted faint, green hues of light which made him comfortable and more confident in his navigation.
"Well... Off I go, exploring this ancient base..." He took one final glance of the abandoned entrance and proceeded within its ruined depths.
As the white dragon continued to traverse the abandoned temple that emitted strange noises, Derg couldn't help, but notice that most of its contents that seemed to be priceless of some kind were ruined.
Priceless mosaics, statues as well as other antics that were either broken and scattered or lost within the thick debris and vines littered his surroundings which made the dragon disappointed.
Though, in his current circumstance, there was no time feeling bummed out towards the state of the former Guardian base's ruined interiors.
Finding the equipment Volteer tasked him with was at the top priority for his survival in this place where monsters could probably make a run for his money.
"Hmm... I'm starting to regret not bringing a guard or two with me..." He muttered as he pushed through an overturned bookcase with various volumes of books littered within the ground that contained its former content that Derg wanted to peruse, unfortunately he had to prioritize making space for the objects Volteer tasked him to get.
Continuing onward, the dragon passed through multiple hallways that connected to several corridors, of which some ended with his dead end, causing him to go back from his travels to decide which direction to take towards his next objective.
Upon turning left in a random hallway, the dragon somehow ended up in a room where a giant deformed dragon statue was in the middle with ancient writing written underneath.
"Hmm... Interesting..." When he leaned over for a closer look, the dragon realized that the writing was that of ancient times, specifically around 500 B.M. (Before Malefor)
In short, it was a language that dated around before Malefor's rise.
Derg, being the dragon Volteer trained, was one of the rare dragons to master such a dead language through various forms of study with little time to devote to reading it due to the amount of studies and tasks the electricity guardian set for him every day.
The white dragon immediately skimmed through his memories regarding the written ancient language.
Translating the words inscribed under the statue, the dragon muttered the words under his breath:
"For my dear student, let love and faith guide your life."
A cliche and generic thing most Guardians tell to their students, but for Derg, something felt amiss.
He wondered who this message was dedicated towards. Considering it was written under the statue, it would be possible that it was for that dragon being immortalized in stone.
After studying the remnants of the statue, jotting down its noteworthy features, the dragon proceeded to continue his quest through the ruins.
Unfortunately, the major problem that posed a threat to his task was the never-ending maze of rooms that he had to visit.
"Oh well, not that I can complain. I did want to explore more of this place." The dragon hummed a tune to ease his nerves, pushing all negative thoughts to the back of his mind and proceeded forward to explore some more parts of the temple that he came across.
For hours, the dragon traversed corridors to different rooms with various contents ranging from rotting books that he'd regret missing in pursuing its contents to abandoned scrolls and trinkets.
He made a note of bringing some with him to the guardians should he find some that piqued his interests.
"Time check." Derg grabbed a small golden pocket watch from the side of the leather satchel containing his items, he hummed upon its display noting he had explored barely half of the ruined base and that it was almost nighttime.
Closing it back, the dragon kept it within his satchel once again and proceeded in his objective to find the rest of the artifacts that needed to be retrieved.
For the remaining hour he explored within the ruins before deciding to rest. Having made a makeshift map with his journal, the dragon returned to the hall where the decapitated statue was located.
With how much he underestimated the temple was in terms of size, Derg was left with no choice but to camp in this room for the rest of the night.
Grabbing a couple of dry roots that he managed to gather from an intersection where hallways and rooms branched through, the dragon took out his flint and steel and struck a bit of spark, igniting the roots into flames that kept him warm throughout the chilly evening within the ancient temple.
Upon the dragon managing his makeshift campfire, he did not stop with preparations as he continued to pull out everything that was in his sack.
It was important to double check on items one must bring lest you get into a bind.
Lacking said items could mean life or death when dealing with some kind of unfortunate event.
Deciding to preoccupy his mind by organizing everything he had with him, the dragon took his time double checking whether there were some missing items or not.
While the dragon was busy organizing his inventory, he failed to notice the glowing yellow eyes that were studying his form from within the darkness.
The creature eyed the white dragon with a scrutinizing gaze. For years, the creature had been living in secret in this abandoned dragon temple, having been revived by dark forces that he made a pact with during his stay in the underworld.
However, in exchange of being revived, most of his powers were stripped off of him, now living in and recuperating in this world with nothing but his physical prowess and his centuries worth of knowledge and intellect.
Which led him to this place, trying to reevaluate his plans on getting revenge to the dragoness that ruined his life.
However, it looked like fate had planned something different for him, this time throwing a random dragon whose presence he couldn't sense before, which sent alarm bells in his mind.
"Grrr... Just what is that dragon doing here?" The creature was confused. Something was wrong with the intruder.
For some reason, the white dragon that was currently resting in the room lacked the excess mana spores that would usually permeate in the air like any normal dragon, which made it next to impossible to notice his presence were it not for the echoed footsteps he was making.
If he had lingered in the open any longer, his identity would be exposed to the dragon and he had no choice but to put him down.
Though that would be risky considering the following dominoes that would fall next. If the dragon was somehow connected to one of the authoritative figures of Warfang, it would spell disaster for him, especially the purple dragoness which was the bane of his existence.
He shook his head.
Now wasn't the time to contemplate the aftermath, but rather he should find a way to get rid of the dragon without revealing himself.
"Hmm, perhaps I can make him leave by scaring him..." The creature formed a smile with his fangs that was partially unseen with his muzzle hidden underneath the shadows, deciding to terrorize the dragon using monsters within the temple and drive him away from his current abode for tonight.
The creature rose from his reclined position and left, having thought of a plan to frighten the dragon into leaving this place.
It might not be the brightest idea, but it should be enough to put the creature's mind at ease should he decide to rest.
—
“Hmm… I should probably write down my experiences when exploring this temple." The dragon muttered as he was about to put his journal on his sack after organizing his inventory.
It would seem ineffectual, but it could be useful in some manner or another.
As the dragon laid on the ground and began writing his thoughts, however, it seemed that fate had planned a turn of events, and as such he got interrupted with a deafening roar.
"Ah!"
With a comical jump, the dragon let out a feminine squeal as he saw numerous bulb spiders crawling on the walls towards his direction!
Their red glowing eyes filled him with fright and adrenaline that ignited a fire-induced fear through the white dragon which sped things, leaving behind his stuff as the bulb spiders charged towards him.
"Where did these spiders come from?! How did they get here?!" The dragon shouted which seemed to enrage the monstrous creatures further.
Without thinking, the dragon made a dash past some rooms, taking twists and turns of hallways as well as intersections that he hadn't been able to explore yet with the spiders hot on his heels.
Eventually, the dragon stumbled upon a dead end. The hallway that led to another room was blocked by rubble and a couple of trees as Derg was forced to face the spiders that were crawling slowly at him like a predator.
"N-No! Don't come any closer or... or... WHERE DID MY SACK GO?!" Upon trying to reach for the sack that was supposed to be on his back, the white dragon's eyes widened in fear upon realizing the sack with all his stuff wasn't in his person.
Panic ensued for Derg as the bulb spiders started hissing with a few of them spitting their web threads at him.
"Eeek!"
In fear, the white dragon instinctively rolled to the side, barely managing to dodge most of the sticky webbings.
Normally, a typical spider web would pose no threat at all, but for a dozen spiders that's at least the size of a teenage dragon, their sticky webs prove to be durable and could immobilize even adult dragons when tangled with.
In this predicament though, Derg was in a pickle.
There was no way out! There were a dozen bulb spiders closing on him and there was a pile of rubble that prevented him from reaching his destination.
"Hngg! Someone help me! I don't want to be spider food!" Derg screamed as one of the spiders immediately tried tackling him.
Luckily, the dragon quickly moved to the side which caused the bulb spider to slam its head towards the wall instead.
Thank the heavens that he joined a couple of Terrador's drills about physical training. It at least made him a bit more agile to dodge the spider's assault on him.
Though, even if he somehow managed to evade them, the dragon was the studious type of sorts. His body was not made for rigorous movements.
Feeling tired, Derg felt that his movements began to feel sluggish as he dodged another spider trying to pounce on him.
Unfortunately, the white dragon caught some of the webbings that were stuck on the walls, causing Derg to trip on the ground and land face first onto it.
The bulb spiders growled in anger at Derg for continuously escaping its attacks. With no intention in mind other than eating the dragon whole, the creatures wasted no time in chaining his white tail with their webbing threads.
"A-AH! Let me go!" Derg screamed as he flailed his tail.
Something sharp punctured through the scales of his tails, and immediately a painful sensation followed by numbness coursed within him which made the dragon worry.
After a couple minutes of struggling and some useless babble,, the dragon began to feel the effects of the bite, as his body became unresponsive.
'Someone... Please help me.' The dragon could only think through, his maw unable to move due to the poison.
It was then when his vision was obstructed by the spider's sticky threads did the white dragon see a dark figure moving behind the spiders.
And then everything faded to black.
The creature stood in front of Derg's belongings, having returned with nothing but a simple mirror that could create illusions with little mana.
He was supposed to use the artifact he found in a certain hidden corridor of the temple to frighten the dragon into leaving. However, upon returning to the dragon's campsite, he was met with a messy sight.
"Curious... What could have happened here?" His deep, grave voice echoed around the room as he eyed the sprawled out belongings of the white dragon that was all over the place.
Whatever happened here, clearly there was some kind of scuffle which would result in the dragon leaving his things in a hurry.
"Hmph. Well at least I don't have to go the extra mile to make that dragon leave."
As being in the shadow began to walk away, his paws stepped into a rather familiar object that made the creature curious.
"Hmm? What do we have here?" Upon picking up the object, the creature saw the notebook that belonged to the white dragon.
"What's this?" Opening the dragon's notebook, it looked like a journal that held a bit of writing.
Curious upon what the white dragon had written, the being skimmed through its contents.
Eventually, he reached a safe conclusion that whoever that dragon was, he apparently was a dragon with no special abilities.
This made the creature raise an eye-ridge. Very few dragons in this world were born with no affinity towards magic. The fact he saw that defenseless dragon here, with no companions that could fight nonetheless, set foot in this dangerous place.
"What in the name of ancestors was he doing here..." Skimming further, the creature gained more info of the dragon.
His name was Derg. Truly a questionable name for sure considering it's one of the most terrible names a parent would give to their young, but upon reading further, he found out that the dragon had no parents to begin with.
It would seem he chose that name for himself upon hearing a random being called him 'derg' the moment he interacted with that being for the first time in his life.
Now fully interested in the life story of the dragon, the creature sat down on his haunches and flipped through the white dragon's journal.
It had been a long time since he had read something interesting despite the dusty old books that were contained in this abandoned temple.
And with his movements restricted only in this place, the creature's desire for entertainment was severely limited.
"Hmm... he went here to retrieve certain artifacts? What would an ordinary dragon like him need with an artifact?" Upon further skim reading, the creature saw more entries where the white dragon did a personal exploration around the Twilight Forest upon orders from the electricity guardian, Volteer.
"Bah, that talkative dragon. What a fool he was to send his apprentice here."
The fact that the yellow dragon's errand boy was sent to retrieve a couple of objects here accompanied by no one was a fool's move by the electric dragon.
Just how stupid that supposedly intellectual dragon was?
Just as he was about to read further, a scream came from deep within the temple which shook the creature's ears and mind as he immediately recognized that cry.
It was none other than the white dragon.
"... Whatever. It is none of my concern what predicament that dragon was in." The creature muttered as he threw the book away which landed with a small thump, albeit having no interest in what the book contains anymore due to some development.
That scream... Whatever it was that was attacking the white dragon, it was not friendly in any matter.
"Hngg! Someone help me! I don't want to be spider food!"
Another shout from the dragon that echoed through the temple.
But again, this was no longer his concern. His claws were tied until further notice of exacting his revenge to the purple dragoness.
Yet a nagging thought kept persisting in his mind.
If the dragon was indeed one of the guardian's apprentices, it would no doubt alert the yellow dragon that his favorite dragon had disappeared, and that in turn would make them storm this place in a heartbeat.
And since this was the only relatively safe place he could hide at the moment, with his bases raided by the Guardians' trustworthy soldiers after the war, it would be dangerous to wander around Avalar with no permanent place to hide and rest.
"...Tsk."
The being let out an exasperated sigh..
As much as he did not like to admit it, it would be troubling for any of his future plans should the dragon's demise be broadcasted.
"... Very well. I suppose having a pawn would help me in the long run." The creature's purple claws turned to look at the notebook he threw, having made up his mind to rescue the dragon and have it serve him..
"But first..."
Upon picking up the objects belonging to Derg, his shadowy form slowly dissipated when fully basking into the light of the moon.
As the shadows dissipated, the fearsome figure of Malefor emerged—a dragon cloaked in dark, purple scales. His piercing yellow eyes, set within slitted pupils, glowed with a sinister dark intellect.
A golden-yellow underbelly gleamed beneath his robust physique, and three magnificent pale-yellow horns, with tips tinted scarlet, adorned his head, lending him an air of menacing regality.
His tail ended in a spear-like blade that was as sharp as a Khajit's lance, with shimmering golden spines running down it. He left huge gouges on the earth when his powerful golden claws scratched it, demonstrating his intimidating presence.
Yet despite his splendor and well-proportioned body, his demeanor spoke nothing but destruction.
While his size, muscles, and overall physique was almost the same with the guardians, Malefor was as wide as Terrador who possessed more muscles and had larger claws for ripping foes.
Taking Derg's belongings, Malefor scoured the ruined temple searching for the dragon's whereabouts.
Eventually, after a couple of rooms and turns of hallways, the purple dragon eventually ended up where the dragon was trapped.
Upon noticing the amount of mutated bulb spiders in the hall, Malefor saw the webbed up dragon that was barely moving.
It seemed he came in the nick of time, as the spiders were now drooling with their fangs near body, likely to inject the remaining venom into him and suck him dry of his flesh.
"Hmmp."
It had been a while since Malefor fought a monster. Having been revived from his demise from the purple dragoness and his powers greatly dampened due to time, the once mighty ruler of darkness was left with nothing but his knowledge, intelligence, and strength.
Deciding to finish those creatures off, he immediately charged towards the spiders with a strategy in mind, using one of the spider's corpses as a projectile to distract the rest of them.
Using that distraction to his advantage, Malefor swiftly pierced through a spider who tried to bite him and without pause, slashed a couple more who tried charging towards his flank with his spear-like tail.
Eventually, only five were left, their yellow orbs glowing red in rage as they let out deafening hisses, preparing to pounce the purple dragon which Malefar returned in kind with his own dark screech, fueling them with his fighting spirit.
The spiders attacked in a circular formation, not giving the dragon an opening to escape.
Seeing this, the purple dragon slashed left and right using his frontal claws that he reinforced with mana which left a shallow scar through the hardened carapace of the bulb spiders and his tail, piercing a few spiders and pinning them to the ground.
That maneuver killed off three, only two were left with one limping due to Malefor tearing one of his legs earlier, however, that seemed not enough to deal with the last one which seemed undeterred by its dying comrades.
The spider charged towards the dragon, covering itself with webbing threads and spinning itself to protect its body.
Seeing this, the purple dragon leapt back. Whatever the arachnid was doing, it seemed to harbor some kind of plan.
Malefor was impressed, despite these creatures being the equivalent of insects, they seemed to entail some kind of intelligence with how they coordinated their attacks earlier.
But, unfortunately, that seemed not enough as the spider let out an unexpected screech. It was a squeal so loud, it shook the grounds of the temple which momentarily dazed Malefar upon having sensitive ears.
That moment was all it needed to let the final spider do its ploy.
With Malefor disoriented by the shriek, the spider leapt towards its prey and unleashed a poisonous cloud towards it that encompassed its prey within its pungent gasses.
The purple dragon gagged with its lungs taking in the poison unintentionally and staggered due to the sudden impact he took on the poison cloud that left him disoriented and breathless for a moment.
This gave the arachnid enough time to grab the webbed dragon and was about to flee, but Malefor was able to recover a bit quickly.
"Oh no you don't."
Gathering mana, the purple dragon focused the surroundings to his left horn which resulted in a flurry of ethereal blades towards the fleeing spider.
Unfortunately, due to the poison still permeating around his system, Malefor's control over it became weak.
Which was good enough as one of the spectral blades cut one of the spider's back legs off, making the creature wince in pain and causing its grip over Derg to waver momentarily.
Taking the advantage to finish the spider, he sent more ethereal blades at the creature. However, the arachnid proved to be craftier, by unleashing another gas cloud as an opening.
It proved effective, the second poison cloud left the purple dragon reeling at his feet, its poison quickly taking effect into his body.
"Damnit." Malefor hissed as the poison made his lungs work less and less, breathing slowly as he willed the lingering blades still.
For a brief moment, he focused all of the surrounding mana in one last move that encompassed his horn before shooting them off towards the spider.
Due to the spider's cut leg slowing it, the purple dragon managed to hit the spider's side which finally proved its fatal demise.
After defeating the spider, Malefor swiftly made haste, quickly picking up the white dragon after stabbing a nearby tree that destroyed the nearby rubble with his tail.
With one swipe, he managed to cut Derg free and placed his unconscious body on his back which he carried with ease despite feeling the aftereffects of poison in his lungs and body that seemed to be increasing.
Luckily for him, the white dragon had the common sense to bring himself a few cleansing scrolls that proved to be effective in removing poisons and other menial ailments back in his makeshift camp.
"You better be worth my troubles..." He muttered, heading towards the dragon's makeshift camp.
".... Hopefully, I reach the campsite on time..." Malefor wheezed as the poison seemed to have slowed his movement which he can feel from his sluggish feet, finding it hard to move but moved nevertheless in hopes that the cleansing scroll will be enough to clear whatever poison remained in his system.
As Malefor trudged his feet, Derg began to groan, unconsciously having regained some movement, weakly embracing the person who saved him from becoming spider food and curled up a bit more.
The campfire's flames crackled with embers glowing within, illuminating the darkness as Malefor laid down the white dragon next to the blazing bonfire.
Derg was poisoned to the extent where he needed immediate medical attention.
With two cleansing scrolls in his possession, the purple dragon immediately unfurled one of the scrolls, chanting its healing words towards the poisoned dragon as a green glow emanated upon using it.
Strands of green glowing words floated from the scrolls, wrapping itself around Derg. The magical text sunk into him, cleaning Derg of any venom and healing his open injuries.
After making sure the dragon was fine, Malefor sighed and immediately used the second scroll on himself.
The same green strands of words hovered around his person which sunk into him. After cleansing the poison that remained in him, the purple dragon let out a relaxed sigh, having to worry about any after effects in his body anymore and laid beside the dragon, turning Derg away so he wouldn't snuggle on him in his unconscious state.
".... That spider really did a number on me..." Malefor glanced at the white dragon who was now safely unconscious on his side.
"This place is not safe, even if I were to stay here alone... I need another safe place to hide if I were to recover my strength."
The larger dragon had a deep thought in his mind, looking around for any means to solve his predicament when the notebook caught his attention.
Picking up the notebook, the dragon continued from where he left off, reading more of the dragon's private life and learning more about his personality.
(An hour later...)
"Hngg..." Derg groaned as he twisted and turned from his sleep. Eventually, he began to feel a warmth that embraced him which slowly made the dragon return to his senses.
It took a moment or so, but when he woke up, Derg found himself being stared upon closely by the face of a familiar dragon.
"..."
"... Hello dragon, I see you're finally awake." Malefor uttered.
"GYAAAAAH!"
Malefor blinked as the dragon gave him a scream that rattled the abandoned temple itself.
Comically rolling away and pressing his body against the stone walls, Derg looked at the purple dragon whose pained expression and glare he knew was enough to know how much anger this dragon possessed within him.
"Y-Y-Y-You!" The white dragon pointed at the purple dragon, almost as if he was seeing a ghost for the first time in his life.
Which in this dragon's case, is not exactly a ghost.
"Why are you still alive?!" He screeched in shock, countless questions appearing one after the other as he looked at the terrifying (and possible husky) form of the Dark Master himself.
His heart beat a thousandfold, the fear in his face was evident with how big Malefor was even when standing still. The purple dragon even seemed twice larger than the guardians themselves despite sharing the same height as Terrador.
That, coupled with Derg being paralyzed to the bone due to fear, it would have been odd to see that there was not even a small waiver through his scaled body as he tried his best to curl into a ball.
"... You. Calm yourself right now." Malefor scowled, pointing his sharp spear-like tail directly towards the dragon as he himself got annoyed from hearing the white dragon's continuous wails.
Unfortunately, the white dragon didn't hear his words as he continued to scream and scrambled to get his belongings and flee, only for him to trip over another rock and land face first into the cold hard floor for the second time that night.
"Stop that. If you would cease screaming now I would appreciate if you—"
The white dragon did not let Malefor finish his sentence as he threw some of his belongings he managed to grab towards the purple dragon who in turn merely slapped most of them aside in a matter of fact, finding the action more annoying than helpful.
Deciding to use a more extreme way, the purple dragon walked slowly towards the frightened dragon, the items that were thrown at him bouncing off his scaled chest.
When Derg thought that he had nothing more to hurl at the purple dragon, his next course of action was to flee, but Malefor was already at arms reach for the dragon and immediately pinned Derg under his stronger arms.
"SILENCE."
The purple dragon's voice did not raise, nor did it shout at the smaller dragon. Instead, his cold, piercing yellow eyes spoke everything the white dragon had to hear.
Derg gulped upon seeing the purple dragon's face close, finding the familiar features he always remembered back when reading the books about the Dark Master.
"Now here's the deal." The dominant dragon leaned forward, his muzzle a mere inches away from the white dragon, his breath having a fresh kind of smell. "I have rescued your scaly arse earlier despite knowing not of who you are and your lackluster abilities, all out of pure consideration from this good dragon's heart of mine."
He then growled, ever so slighting moving his muzzle right next to his ear as Derg's breath hitched. "If you try to scream again, or flee from me the next time I let go of you..." Malefor whispered closely, causing Derg to quiver on his grip.
"... I will slit your neck the moment I catch you and enjoy watching your life fluids oozing from the gaping wound."
The white dragon audibly gulped as the purple dragon looked at him again, a malevolent smile stretching along his muzzle as his sharp teeth was a hair away from his white scales.
For a moment, those golden pupils turned crimson red before turning back again to its default yellow color.
"Well? Aren't you gonna say anything?" The purple dragon waited patiently, still pinning Derg against the ground as he looked at him as if he was the last dragon in his life.
The white dragon carefully gathered his thoughts for a moment even though it proved quite difficult with how his 'savior' kept looking at him with a close eye.
If what the purple fiend said was true, then that means Malefor will indeed kill him if he dared scream again or tried fleeing for the third time in his presence.
But then again, why did he save his life? Could the purple dragon want something from him? It was all too much for the white dragon to think things properly with how the purple fiend was looming over him, pinning him down with his muscular, buff body...
'No Derg, focus.' The pinned dragon thought as he slowly inhaled his nostrils which thankfully calmed his nerves and stopped panicking a little bit.
'C'mon. You're smarter than this! Use your brain! Think!' Derg slowly formulated a few ideas while looking at the purple dragon's muzzle in which he must admit the purple dragon possesses an attractive, well maintained scale that gleamed through the faint lights of the campfire and moon itself...
"Are you still there?" Malefor waved his claw in front of him, hoping to get a reaction from the dragon. “Tsk. How tiresome."
That snapped the white dragon from his daydream and continued with his thoughts, slowly choosing his words carefully and prayed to ancestors that the purple fiend won't lop his head clean off and watch his life blood drained from his body.
"U-Uh.. Th-Than-" Derg found it hard to talk to Malefor with their close proximity of their faces, being pinned on the ground didn't help either despite the dragon looking more husky than buff and looking quite appetizing with his exotic purple scales.
'Goddamit Derg! Focus, for crying out loud!' The white dragon yelled internally and cleared his throat and focused with the fiend's eyes.
"T-Thanks." The dragon weakly croaked, finding it impossible to relax his body with how tightly the purple dragon held him in place.
"*Sigh* Well at least you're still coherent." Loosening his grip from the dragon, Malefor slowly removed himself from the dragon and sat on his haunches, eyeing the dragon in case he chose to run away again.
However, the white dragon visibly shivered once the purple fiend had removed himself from holding the smaller dragon down, suddenly missing the feeling of being dominated.
Slowly as he sat down on his haunches, Derg carefully rubbed the dirt off his body, avoiding eye contact from Malefor while feeling a bit awkward from being stared intently on like some kind of delicious feast.
"..." Malefor furrowed his brows as the white male shivered, as if he was cold or scared but decided to brush it off.
He hoped that what he said to the white dragon made it clear and firm that he would slit his neck off the moment the white dragon screamed, run, or do something unintelligent within his sight again.
With everything said and done though, now the purple dragon needed some kind of information on what was currently happening in the outside world.
If he was to restore his powers, or at the very least get stronger than he initially was, then Malefor must gather as much info as he could to make use of any plans into overtaking Warfang before he could turn his eyes towards his destined fate of having the world below his feet and creating a perfect dragon utopia.
"I've got some questions to ask, dragon. Sit." Malefor beckoned.
Derg gulped, knowing this will probably take all night.
"I see..." Malefor had a deep look in his face while the white dragon shuffled from his spot, not knowing what exactly the purple dragon was thinking.
They had been talking nonstop, well technically it was Derg answering a lot of questions from the purple dragon while sometimes not answering due to not knowing certain facts and figures he had been asked.
To say that the white dragon was scared shitless, then he definitely was scared out of his scales.
However, throughout the conversation and with him staring deeply on the purple dragon's muzzle to chest and all over his body that seemingly glowed due to the campfire, Derg found Malefor surprisingly attractive despite being one of the most evil dragons ever existed.
"And I take it you live alone, yes?" The Dark Master eyed him.
"Huh?... O-Oh yes! Yeah I live alone..." The white dragon mentally slapped himself for being too preoccupied staring at his interrogator and continued speaking while making a conscious effort not to stare.
'Damn he's husky...' He eyed Malefor secretly once more but snapped back into reality. 'Don't be stupid, Derg, or he might read your mind!' The dragon silently freaked out to himself and hoped to the ancestors the dragon adjacent to him was not a mind reader.
"Hmm... Yes, this will do~" The purple dragon smiled as he looked at the once daydreaming dragon.
"Alright. I shall take shelter in your residence. As of today, you are now indentured to serve me as long as you live." Malefor rose from his spot which shocked the dragon.
Before he could make a rebuttal to the male dragon's decision, Derg stopped himself from saying so, knowing that it would displease him.
The white dragon pouted, knowing his life just got worse. If he had allowed some guards to accompany him, better if it was Spyra and Cynder, he would have not been in this mess for now.
"Oh? Are you not gonna reject my idea?" Malefor said, having noticed the white dragon not saying anything.
"I assume that you understand the predicament you're in then, hmm? Don't worry dragon, I shan't treat you that badly." He approached the dragon again, leaning his muzzle so close towards him which caused the dragon to a faint blush.
"But do bear in mind... Your life is literally within my grasp as of now." Malefor guffawed, patting Derg's shoulder in the most sarcastic way he could manage.
As if things couldn't get any worse, the dragon's shoulder glowed an eerie purple, a faint gray sigil appearing beforehand which made his eyes go wide.
He knew the symbol that appeared on his shoulder, it was something the dragon read in one of the books he'd studied back in the temple.
It was something that the dragons used during ancient times when slavery was apparent. Though, it's meaning was lost to this day since dragons in the current world abhor racial discrimination.
While the common slave crest used magic to bind them to their master, there were records of an older, more dangerous slave crest that doesn't use magic, but instead something else entirely which would explain why the purple dragon managed to mark him.
"A slave crest..." Derg muttered which Malefor heard quite clearly as a smile formed in his face.
"Indeed. Quite the knowledgeable dragon you are." The purple dragon got up and began looking at his new pawn with a grin.
"We're leaving for your residence. I see no need to dwell here for a long period of time with us being under the influence of those wretched monsters." The larger dragon glanced at the makeshift camp and saw some spiders lurking through the corners.
"... Plus it doesn't help with me being swarmed by bulb spiders the entire time, especially ones that had survived before I could even finish them."
'Huh?' Something about what Malefor said formed a question in his head.
"Wait. We're leaving now?" Another important thought made him say it out loud as the purple dragon turned to look at him. "U-Uh, I mean... Couldn't we rest for a bit? It's like... still six hours until sunrise... Surely we could--"
"We could do what? Hmmm?" The imposing dragon walked up to Derg, his steps booming with authority as the smaller dragon squeaked and stepped back every time Malefor took one step.
"Are you questioning my orders, yellowbelly?"
Malefor glared down at the dragon, a faint dark aura appearing one after the other which Derg could feel just how threatening this purple dragon is.
"I— Uh..." The white dragon sputtered some random sounds as the larger dragon scrutinized his answer while looking him in the eye which, at least to Derg's opinion, was not that bad looking.
"O-Of course not. I-I was just thinking that... It would be suspicious if I were to arrive a bit earlier than expected, especially if... Umm..." He looked the imposing dragon up and down, trying his best not to drool. "Especially if you arrive looking like that."
Malefor glared, as if he was being offended by his looks, to which Derg quickly corrected himself.
"W-What I mean to say is, we can't just go trudging in with you not wearing a disguise! I'm sure Spyra and Cynder will immediately be informed if they caught wind of you!"
He quickly added the last part when Malefor furrowed his brows as the dragon made an annoyed tone and scoffed.
Derg hoped to the ancestors his reason was enough, or else he wouldn't even be a body anymore.
For a moment, the larger dragon sighed in understanding after having a deep thought.
"*Sigh*I guess you have a point... It wouldn't be good to travel through Warfang if I look like this..."
The purple dragon scratched his chin for a moment.
"...Although, I do believe I know how to circumvent the problem and continue moving...~" Malefor smiled which gave Derg a really bad feeling for what's gonna come out from the dragon's maw.
"Tell me, yellowbelly. Do you have access to the Guardians' treasure vault?"
"This is so stupid..." The white dragon waited in the entrance of the abandoned temple, waiting for Malefore to emerge as he contemplated his options.
'What am I gonna tell Volteer? That I, a weak white dragon, was chased by a horde of bulb spiders and was coincidentally rescued by the supposed dead purple dragon of Warfang's past?!' The dragon slumped in the walls.
It seemed impossible, but Derg figured that perhaps telling his caretaker that Malefor may have not died would be the best option.
However, due to the slave crest that was planted on his shoulder, it should prove difficult to do so.
'Not to mention that I might get killed the moment Malefor knows I betrayed him.' One thing he knew about these slave crests was that they could kill anyone who bore those crests remotely, which was one of the reasons why they banned their uses after the times passed by.
"Are you ready, yellowbelly?" Malefor asked, suddenly handing Derg two items that made the white dragon confused.
"Uhh... What are those?" The dragon grabbed the items, inspecting their shape and form as something deep in his mind nagged him.
"Did you forget already?" The purple dragon rolled his eyes. "I swear, I'm beginning to wonder how a dragon like you managed to gain the position of Volteer's apprentice."
After a few seconds of pondering, the smaller dragon's eyes widened as he looked at the ancient spell book in his paws and the levitating glowing orb that was floating in his side.
"These were the things that Volteer asked me to find... How did you...?" He glanced at Malefor who rolled his eyes as he walked past the white dragon.
"Burry that thought. We need to make haste this instant if we were to sneak me inside Warfang with little to no trouble."
Looking at the artifacts and back at the dragon, Derg muttered a 'thanks' before putting the two items into his sack.
'This is definitely gonna be a long night from now on...' With a frown, the smaller dragon followed Malefor through the dark forest that looms within the twilight.
As Malefor expected, the spell book that Derg equipped was riddled with countless spells, one of which could disguise his entire being without hassle.
How fortunate he was when he found out that the white dragon needed the book, he was currently studying in order to increase the versatility of his current capabilities.
It's like fate had given him some kind of break after failing miserably against the bitches that made him lose the war.
"Uhh... I don't want to be rude but... Why are we walking instead of flying?" Derg suddenly spoke out of nowhere to which Malefor grunted in reply.
"It's been so long since I've walked outside. I wanted to at least see the night sky before being stuck in your residence for the next couple of years."
For some reason, what the purple dragon said made Derg feel sad for him which made him question why he suddenly pitied the dragon.
"..." Malefor squinted and observed what expression the white dragon made and quickly brushed it away, finding Derg pathetic and an eyesore to even look at.
"Oh, don't give me that look. Just continue walking."
"O-Okay..."
While walking through the overgrown woods that were filled with creatures and monsters alike, the imposing dragon looked around, observing the once tall, towering buildings of the past that used to make this place a lot livelier compared to his younger years.
Sometimes though, Malefor spots a lot of his old stomping grounds from his youthful days whenever they arrived through a ruined bridge or street that was being covered by moss or vines within the Twilight Forest and the purple dragon had this unusual expression on his face as he reminisced about the past.
Memories of the past, one that he thought had vanished along with his identity after he became the Dark Master began to resurface through bits and bits.
For one, he remembered how this place wasn't really called the Twilight Forest during his youthful days.
It was only later changed when the newly elected Guardians used this place as a place to experiment with their more destructive spells that would otherwise be frowned upon by the citizens during that time.
But he remembered vividly how one experiment by one of the guardians resulted in creating the Twilight Forest, resulting in mutating its one harmless critter into more dangerous creatures.
All because of that damned Guardian who doesn't know the boundaries between sanity and stupidity.
"I think we're almost out of the forest." Derg's voice broke Malefor out of his and noticed the edge of the forest's walls towering before them.
The woods began to look thin, and the overgrowth became smaller as more light shined brightly through the opening they were going to enter through.
While it took them a good few hours of nonstop walking (despite Derg's inner protest of having them fly instead to make the trip outside the forest a lot faster), the duo was finally able to traverse through the entire Twilight Forest safely.
"Finally! We're out of that frightening forest!" Derg cried out in joy as he threw himself down onto the grassy fields before resting a bit.
Malefor scoffed at the dragon's carefree attitude. The way he just threw himself into the ground like his imposing presence was not there made the purple dragon think just how disrespectful the white dragon had.
Though, it somehow did not offend him.
Instead, the carefree display shown by the white dragon made his muzzle form a certain shape for a bit, but the dragon immediately composed himself, looking at their nearby surroundings to avoid having the dragon next to him see the grin that appeared moments ago.
For the first time in a long time, Malefor formed an expression, something other than an irk and murderous stare he usually wore on his face.
"Hey. You." He approached Derg with purposely heavy stomps to catch the happy dragon's attention.
The moment that the white dragon managed to muster a bit of strength in lifting his head and looking at him while lying down on the field like a slacker, the purple dragon gave the white dragon a huge push in the chest, causing him to yelp which made him fall hard on his back.
Malefor formed an amused expression before walking away.
"Let's get moving on. We don't have time for your tomfoolery."
"R-Right... You don't have to push me though..."
Malefor simply shrugged which caused the white dragon to pout in annoyance.
"Seriously... You're just like him..."
"Huh?" Derg's ears perked, looking at the other male dragon who seemed to regret what he had said.
"Nevermind."
As the purple dragon treaded towards Warfang, still a few miles away, he gazed at the sky with a pensive expression.
Nostalgic memories swirled in his mind, painting the familiar landscape in shades of the past.
For a fleeting moment, he glanced at Derg, his white-scaled companion, and saw... no, felt... another dragon walking beside him, as if they had shared countless years together.
Suddenly, a barrage of vivid images assaulted his mind, causing him to stagger as a sharp pain split through his head like a jagged blade. He halted, rubbing his temples in a futile attempt to alleviate the agony.
The white dragon noticed his distress and approached, concern etched on his features at Malefor's sudden stop and pained expressions, as if he were seeing something from another realm.
"Uh... Are you alright?" Derg asked hesitantly, afraid that his question might provoke an irritable response. Bracing himself for the larger dragon's usual sharp retort, he was surprised when none came. Instead, the white dragon inched closer, his worry deepening.
"Malefor...?"
'What is wrong with me...?' As the pain began to subside, Malefor slowly opened his eyes, meeting the smaller dragon's concerned gaze.
Or at least, what he thought was Derg...
"Malefor...?"
Blinking in disbelief, the purple dragon was momentarily stunned. For the first time in ages, he was baffled by the sight of a familiar face he thought he would never see again. The dragon before him started to resemble someone from his past, a figure from his hatchling days.
The white and yellow hues of Derg's scales blurred, transforming into the image of another dragon. A voice from his memories accompanied the vision, compelling Malefor to close his eyes and clutch his head with his forepaws.
"Malefor? Are you okay?" The voice grew clearer, and the memories became as vivid as the present moment, making the larger dragon's eyes widen.
'No... Stop it!' Desperately trying to shut out the overpowering memory, Malefor clenched his eyes shut. A guttural growl escaped him, and he lunged, pushing Derg aside with a forceful scream.
The white dragon jolted in shock, his concern turning to fear as Malefor's torment unfolded before him.
He could only watch helplessly as the purple dragon's entire demeanor shattered, manifesting through erratic and menacing behavior that left his body rigid with terror.
A high-pitched cry pierced through Malefor's soul, eliciting a fierce roar in response, his teeth bared in a menacing display. His eyes snapped open, red pupils contracted like those of an eagle, as he faced Derg.
"You...!" he growled, the hallucination blurring reality. To Malefor, the dragon before him was not Derg but a ghost from his haunted memories.
Adrenaline surged through his veins; his jaw clenched tight. The roar that followed was filled with anguish and fury. "WHY DID YOU DIE?!"
"Weh?!" Derg was bewildered. What had gotten into Malefor? The purple dragon had shoved him aside, raving as if he were seeing specters.
For a moment, the white dragon wondered if all ancient dragons like Malefor suffered from dementia. Volteer, another elder, often behaved erratically when things took an unexpected turn. Maybe it was just their nature.
"Wait—Uh... Malefor! Please, calm down!" Derg yelped, panic rising in his voice as the larger dragon advanced with a threatening aura.
"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LIVE!" Malefor's voice thundered, ignoring the smaller dragon's pleas. Desperation crept into the white dragon's attempts to reach him.
"Malefor! Stop it, we have to—" Derg's words trailed off as he witnessed an astonishing sight.
"Y-You... You were supposed to kill me... Before I went mad..." Tears welled up in larger dragon's eyes. "But instead, you chose to die in my claws..."
Derg stood frozen, unable to comprehend the scene unfolding before him.
'You idiot. I don't even know you!' The thought lingered, but strangely, he felt a pang of pain and regret.
Why did he suddenly feel regret just by looking at the tormented dragon?
For a brief instance, Malefor stopped in front of Derg, his paws clutching the smaller dragon's shoulders as he looked at him with teary eyes, looking a bit defeated.
'Okay, this is awkward. What am I gonna do in this situation?' The white dragon never expected the Dark Master to act like this, let alone showed so much vulnerability that it made Derg feel so uncomfortable.
After a while of consoling the large male, things seemed to calm down, and his companion soon regained control.
His intimidating composure seemed to have returned as the purple dragon fixed his posture.
Silence surrounded the two as the stars twinkled above them. It felt rather tense for Derg though since he did not know what to say to him regarding his sudden outburst.
While he felt pity for his unintended companion, the small dragon knew that he still must hold himself and not lower his guard, despite not having much chance of beating the larger dragon at all.
'S-Should I say something to make this any less awkward?'
As Derg decided to take the first move in their predicament, Malefor suddenly spoke up.
"... You saw nothing..." The large dragon muttered under his breath, which made Derg's words die in his throat as he looked at the larger dragon in the corner of his eye.
"Huh? Wha--" The white dragon took this chance in order to inquire, but the purple dragon beat him to it as Malefor growled irritably while he covered his face and tried to mask his sudden emotion he let out.
"You are to forget what happened, understand?!" Malefor took a step towards Derg who took three steps back.
The dragon realized his tone was way too intimidating, but he needed to make sure that Derg did not speak what he saw earlier or else there would be consequences that the dragon may not like.
Malefor watched his reaction warily as Derg nodded a few times before making himself seem occupied.
"... Good. Very good." Malefor straightened his back before continuing. "... Let's move. We can't stay here for long, believe it or not, I actually feel tired." He gestured himself forward as the white dragon followed soon after.
With a sigh of relief, the larger dragon mumbled something inaudible while the smaller dragon continued forward as they proceeded to Warfang with nothing said to break the silence.
For the rest of the time they walked, the tension was almost tangible with both dragons refusing to speak a word out of fear of what may have transpired and continued until their destination could been seen at the horizon.
--
End of Chapter 1