Path of Dragons - A LitRPG Apocalypse (BOOK TWO ON KINDLE SEPT. 2)

With every muscle tense and with pain writhing through his body, Elijah watched as another platform rose from beneath the ground. Immediately, he knew this one was different. Not only was it larger, but it also held something truly powerful, given the way the ground shuddered.

However, Elijah was not allowed to see what was coming. It was encased in an opaque bubble, through which nothing was visible.

The announcer stepped out of the crowd and into the air. The wings sprouting from his shoulders didn’t move an inch, and yet, he did not fall. Soon, his stride took him to the center of the arena, just above the bubble of energy. It trembled as whatever it contained tried to escape.

“Dragons are mighty. We are cunning. Organized. First among the elder races, we hold more power than any other. Even our ancient enemies are inferior in every aspect but population,” he announced. “So, what is the truest threat facing our people? What entity, if left to its own devices, could spell our doom?”

The crowd of draconic spectators remained so silent that Elijah suspected he could hear a pin drop. So, he was understandably taken aback when he heard their collective gasp. That only lasted a moment before he saw what was inside that bubble.

It was another dragon.

Her scales were vibrant purple, though they were scuffed in so many places that they’d lost all luster. Otherwise, her body was the picture of draconic perfection. Her neck was slender, her limbs sturdy. Even her wings were expansive, stretching out for dozens of feet. By comparison, Elijah felt small and ugly.

But there was something in her eyes that robbed her of normal draconic nobility. Something Elijah couldn’t quite place. When he looked at her, he didn’t see a fellow dragon. He saw something far wilder. Something uncontrolled. Something wholly bestial.

She had the shape of a dragon, but when Elijah truly studied her, he saw nothing but a big, winged reptile.

It was as disgusting as it was disappointing.

“We all begin our journey as beasts, as befits our heritage, and we are meant to rise above that. Everyone here has discarded the heart of the beast and embraced what it means to be a true dragon. Everyone but this poor specimen,” the announcer said, his voice taking on a note of sadness. “She is a wyrm, found on this very planet. What’s more, she is a lesson to us all of what we can become, should we lose sight of who we truly are.

“Consumed by need. By base, animalistic desires. She never found her way to sapience. She never rose above her birth. But somehow, she survived,” he said. “That hunger grows within her. A ravenous need to consume. To conquer. To dominate. She will never stop. She will never be content. Ever will she seek more, and of everything. That hunger is all-consuming.

“Her fate is what awaits any dragon who abandons self-control in favor of bestial instincts. It will not happen all at once. Instead, every time you turn away from it, from the very thing that separates us from beasts, the hunger will chip away at your identity. Bit by bit, bite by bite, you will become something else. Something uncontrollable. A rabid beast that must be destroyed.

“This is a test. A rite of passage meant to allow you to prove your martial worth. However, it is also a lesson, young Asharain. Learn it well, for it is the most important thing you will ever be taught. Do not lose yourself to the drive to consume. Should you fail in that endeavor, we will all be waiting to end your suffering.

“We must not surrender to our bestial instincts. Yet, we must not forget them, either. They are a powerful tool meant to inform and empower, but never control. Use the beast within. Fight with ferocity, but never lose yourself to it. A difficult lesson, and one even ancient dragons struggle to learn. In the end, experience is the best teacher. Learn the lesson, young one.”

The now-clear bubble dissipated.

And without delay, the wild dragon rushed Elijah. She moved so quickly that he couldn’t even begin to react before she slammed into him. For a moment, their collision was a whirlwind of claws and teeth – at least until Elijah regained his wits and managed to rip free.

He left a scattering of scales, a puddle of blood, and a pile of flesh behind. The wild dragon roared, then ate his flesh. The crowd gasped at the display. No dragon would eat one of their own. It was unconscionable.

And yet, she did so with no shame. For all that the announcer had explained the situation, for all that Elijah had witnessed the wild dragon’s wild nature, that simple act said more about her situation than any other. If he’d harbored any doubts about how far gone she was, he pushed those aside.

She was irretrievable. She could not be saved. She had given herself wholly to the beast within. Now, the only answer was to put her down like a rabid animal.

It was for her own good as much as anyone else’s.

Elijah lowered himself to within a few inches of the ground. His tail twitched back and forth. And his breath came in great snorts that sent puffs of sand billowing into the air.

The wild dragon mimicked him, though her every muscle screamed with tension as she held herself on the edge of pouncing. Elijah watched. He listened. He cast out his senses.

And when she twitched, he reacted.

As he darted sideways, he already knew he was too slow. And that was confirmed a moment later when he felt sharp teeth rip through his already damaged scales. What’s more, he felt something else ripple through him. A familiar corruption that threatened to infect him with its mere presence.

It was the power of the abyss.

Not as pure as what he’d felt from the abyssals in the Broken Crown. Nor as persistent as what he had experienced around the various rifts he’d closed. But it was there all the same. An infection that needed to be excised.

The feeling was gone in an instant, but Elijah knew he hadn’t simply imagined it. There was something there. A connection. Perhaps wild dragons were simply more susceptible to the pull the Ravener. Maybe that was what drove them. It was even possible that it was responsible for their bestial nature.

Stolen story; please report.

It was no wonder that they were considered such a threat, then.

Elijah wasn’t so quick to label all wild dragons – or wyrms – corrupted, but the connection made too much sense.

He didn’t consider that for long before he was forced to defend himself against another attack. And another after that. He came out of each clash more injured than ever, and he knew he was losing the engagement. If things kept going the way they were, Elijah would be killed.

What would that mean for his core advancement? If he died in the vision, would he perish in real life? Or worse, would his core be sullied? He had no idea, so he chose to treat it as real until he discovered otherwise.

Still, every wound cut deep, slowing him as he gradually bled out. The wild dragon wasn’t much better off. Elijah gave as good as he got, but he’d been injured when the fight started. And her vicious nature served her well.

But it also limited her. Drove her forward, heedless of her vulnerability. Slowly, Elijah began to take advantage of that, using her aggression against her. And that was how the advantage shifted in his favor.

She accumulated more wounds with every attack. So did Elijah. He couldn’t avoid her teeth or claws altogether. But he could minimize them, and in doing so, her injuries mounted. Then, hers exceeded Elijah’s.

From that point on, the battle was won.

She made more than one last-ditch effort to take him out, but her crazed aggression was her undoing. She couldn’t plan. She was incapable of variation. She only knew one vector of attack, making it relatively easy for Elijah to counter it. The only reason the battle lasted as long as it did was because her savagery lent her physical power. Without it, she would have fallen within minutes.

As it was, the fight went on for hours. Elijah’s every step came with a wave of exhaustion, but still, he fought on. He’d lost track of how many wounds he’d incurred. His blood coated the ground, mingling with the wild dragon’s to form vast ponds of congealing liquid. And bits and pieces of his scales littered the entire arena.

But he did not falter.

He did not lose focus.

And he certainly did not surrender.

The beginning of the end arrived when the wild dragon stumbled during one of her many charges. That opened her up to a broadside attack that shattered her ribs and punctured her lung in multiple places. From that point on, her every breath came as a wheeze, accompanied by frothing, pink blood.

She fought on because she knew no other way. Perhaps if the fight had occurred in the wild, she might have run, but Elijah didn’t think so. She might’ve been wild. Corrupted by the drive to consume. But she was still a dragon, and with that came a streak of pride that wouldn’t allow for retreat. The same lack of control that powered her ravenous nature would prevent her from overcoming the natural draconic sense of superiority.

For Elijah, her weaknesses were a good thing because if he’d been fighting a fully cognizant dragon, he would have lost.

Badly.

In the end, though, he found himself standing over a dead dragon. He didn’t feel a sense of satisfaction, though. There was no honor in victory. Only sadness that it was so necessary.

The announcer recognized it, too.

“The last lesson you must learn, young Asharain, is this,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. Only then did Elijah realize that the humanoid dragon stood by his side, his hand resting on his foreleg. “Eradicating the corrupted is not a privilege. It is no sign of power. It is a sacred duty, and not because we care for the world around us. We do. But more than that, we cannot allow our power to be used so neglectfully. If they are allowed to grow, to find their power, they will consume us all. It is a fight against our nature, and it is a battle we must never neglect nor lose. Do you understand?”

Elijah didn’t answer. Not immediately, at least. Instead, he took in what the announcer had said, internalizing it. He’d long since dedicated himself to fighting corruption. That came with the territory of being a Druid. But having it reinforced by the Rite of Heritage was important as well. It provided context to the purpose singing through his soul. Through his body and mind. And his core.

“I do,” he said at last.

“Then hold your head high, young Asharain, for you have earned your place among us,” the announcer said. The smile was evident in his voice. “You are no longer a hatchling, but a dragon in truth.”

The crowd roared, but Elijah didn’t hear it. Instead, he focused on the sense of accomplishment suffusing him and mingling with the responsibility he’d taken upon his shoulders. Only a moment later, he realized that the crowd’s cheers had faded. So had the arena. The announcer and all the other dragons were gone too.

He looked around, suddenly back in his own body. He recognized the palatial setting, and in hindsight, he should have expected the greeting that came with it.

“You have surprised me,” said Kirlissa as she gracefully strode in his direction. Her gold scales glittered in the light. “I did not expect you to take this step so soon. Or so thoroughly. Do you know what you have done?”

“Become a dragon?” he asked. He was naked, but for whatever reason, he didn’t feel self-conscious.

“You have always been a dragon. Even before the core. It is one of the reasons I chose you.”

“I don’t understand,” Elijah admitted.

She laid her hand on his bare chest. Her touch was warm. Comforting. It reminded him of his mother’s. “You have the heart of a dragon,” she stated. “And an attunement to match. I could not have chosen more wisely. However, you did not answer my question.”

Elijah shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Integrating a Worldseed into your core is no small matter,” she explained. “The one you encountered was vastly weaker than its inspiration, but it is still a Worldseed. By all rights, someone of your level should have been destroyed by that much power. That you were not speaks to your intuition as well as your unique blend of power.

“Know this, my son – without any step that came before, you would have been immediately incinerated. Without your use of Nature’s Design, you would have failed. Without your recent specialization, you could never have contained so much power within your core. Yet, you made those choices. You accomplished those feats. As I watch you, I wonder if you are fated, lucky, or simply more skilled than I ever imagined.”

“Probably the first two,” Elijah admitted with a small smile. “Never been all that skilled.”

“False humility does not befit a dragon. I believe it is all three, combined with many other factors of which I am unaware. Your situation is rare, and it becomes ever more unique with every choice you make. You will either burn out or become something truly special. I am certain of it.”

“Thanks?” Elijah muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. He’d never been great with compliments. So, he changed the subject, “But what does it mean that I used that Worldseed?”

“Everything. It will increase the potency of your core evolution,” she stated. “The listing on your status will remain the same, but one thing you will learn when you come to the Empire of Scale is that all cores – even those of the same category – are not equal. There is a range of power in every facet of your cultivation. You have exceeded the scale.”

“I…I see,” Elijah said. “But –”

Anticipating his next question, she cut him off by saying, “Your spells will be stronger. Your presence more solid.”

“Oh. That’s…I guess that’s kind of what I expected anyway.”

“You did not anticipate this. You will see. Our time grows short, though. You must leave soon.”

“Can I ask you one more question?”

“Of course.”

“This Primal Realm – it was different, wasn’t it?” Elijah asked. “Because I’m a dragon.”

“It was far more difficult. If you had been any other race, you would have taken a very different and far less dangerous path.”

“That’s what I thought. Any advice for what’s coming?” he asked as the magnificent chamber began to fade.

“Defeat the other Primal Realms soon and join me in the Empire of Scale. Your education grows more important by the day.”

“Will do. Thanks for the pep talk,” Elijah said as he felt himself being pulled away.

Kirlissa said something, but he didn’t hear it. Instead, he only heard the increasingly loud roar of an explosion that reminded him of the situation he’d left behind in the Broken Crown.