The sound of thunder echoed throughout the plains. And what remained from the heavenly bolt was a singed and scorched serpent. The Imugi twitched, yellow electricity coursing through its body. The lightning wrapped around it like a conduit.
[Ah, brother.] She tilted her head and looked at me with wide eyes, her eyebrows raised, her horned crown slanted on her head.
[The heavens truly are not blind] A small smile played on her dragon lips; her golden eyes shimmered with joy. Tiamat poked the Imugi's trembling body with her claw. It jerked from her probing. Its blood red eyes opened wide, blue lightning flickering in its eyes. It attempted to move only to convulse violently in pain.
"W-why-Why?" It croaked out, causing Tiamat to jump back. [Ah, the beast still lives.] She shook her head in disappointment before arriving by my side.
[Shall we kill it?] I asked, looking at the Imugi, with disdain. It was already fortunate to have even lived this long.
"N-o-NO." It tried but failed to crawl forward, its red eyes glistening with water, while its maw trembled. "Yo-u-Youur -G-gg-gRace s-s-sPare M-eME"
[It still speaks of me as if I were his god, how curious.] Her eyes widened, while her eyebrows furrowed, her mouth opening slightly. She shifted closer, her head leaning towards the fallen serpent.
Her head scanned the once-spirit dragon.
[Not that it matters, even the heavens want it dead.] She charged up her breath attack, the five elements coalesced into a striking array of colors. [Who was I to go against Heaven?] She muttered softly under her breath, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
I nodded. It probably had less to do with the heavens wanting it dead and more with the fact that it forcibly ascended in desperation rather than when it was ready. I looked up, and the clouds that had once gathered dissipated, and the massive hole in the sky disappeared.
The malice it had accumulated probably helped, and his defiance of the rules the heavens set sealed his fate. Karma had a nasty way of affecting creatures.
Flames built in my throat. I was ready to unleash a barrage of dragon's breath upon him.
"N-o-NO!" Its serpentine tongue flickered out as it tried to wiggle itself out. Pale purple figures appeared next to him, holding him down. Male deer people like the ones who worshipped him on the mountain. Probably the people it had eaten.
Maybe I was wrong, the heavens truly did want him dead.
A small smile played on my lips.
Our dragons' breaths left our lips and combined to finish off the deformed Imugi.
After our breaths engulfed him, the light from his eyes faded, and the body stopped twitching, turning stiff.
The purple figures let go and looked at us, smiles on their lips as they waved and disappeared into shimmering motes of light.
[A priest, how preposterous.] She waddled over to me, her head held up high, [Even if I were some type of god, to take an Imugi as a priest.] She covered her mouth as she laughed.
I looked at her, her small body shaking with laughter. I extended my hand and started to pat her head.
She stopped and looked at the Imugi in confusion.
[How did it know my name?] She tilted her head and started to tap her cheek. [Only you and I are privy to such things.]
[Indeed, how strange.] I touched my chin. I gave her the Name. I sure have never interacted with an Imugi. My sister also had never left my side, when would she have the time to be enshrined as a god?
My eyes made the mistake of trailing towards the body.
In the pit of my stomach, an overwhelming hunger arrived. The sensation overtook me. Saliva foamed at my mouth, my eyes narrowed as I looked at the body.
Tantalizing, the scent of burned Imugi. I inhaled the smell and walked forward as my head started to ache.
Consume! It seemed to whisper in repeat.
I slowly started walking towards it.
[Brother?] I could hear her voice, but at the same time, it didn't register in my head.
I felt like a spectator in my body.
[Brother?] She spoke again, louder; her dragon claws gripped my shoulder. I bit my tongue, letting blood flow into my mouth. My eyes closed, and I pulled my head back.
Again? I cursed inwardly.
I gave her a nod, thankful to my sister for taking me out of my stupor. This wasn't the first time I had an urge to consume something so heavily. Last time with Jaskier and now this.
What was it?
A thousand thoughts ran through my head, seeing as my sister wasn't affected, I could confirm this wasn't a dragon thing. Was it that mysterious text?
[Apologies.] I patted her head, causing her to nuzzle into my hand. Her tail was wagging slowly while she opened her mouth.
[Do you wish to consume this Imugi?] She asked, her big golden eyes looking into mine.
That wouldn't be very smart, would it? The Imugi was struck down by the heavens, even then it forcefully transformed itself into a Mireu with evil faith.
Then again.
I stroked my nonexistent beard.
The heavenly bolt transformed it back into an Imugi and should have purified it of its evil. It wouldn't be cannibalism, and it wouldn't be dangerous. At least that's what my gut told me. Yet seeing as I was consumed by a desire to eat it, I couldn't trust my gut to be unbiased.
I clicked my tongue.
The text wouldn't be inherently evil, right? It's not like it led me astray before...
Damned it.
[Yes.] I frowned while looking at its corpse. The same intense hunger was there, but now under my control.
[It was quite delicious.] Her eyes sparkled with joy as she pushed my hand off her head and zoomed towards the Imugi.
I split it in half and started to consume my half.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have consumed a portion of the essence of thunder!]
[You have reached a critical stage in your evolution. All excess Experience will be held, please find somewhere to rest!]
[Tiamat has leveled up!]
[Tiamat has leveled up!]
[Tiamat has leveled up!]
[Your party member has reached a critical juncture in their advancement. Please advise them to seek a safe area to rest.]
[Brother] She rubbed her dragon eyes, as she spoke drowsily [I'm so tired] She started to nod off. Her cute little head was moving up and down.
I too was overcome with the intense need to slumber, more potent than the hunger. I bit my finger; it didn't help much, but any effort mattered.
[Let us find Hathor and the others, and then we rest.] I spoke with difficulty, grabbing her dragon hand and squeezing it.
She nodded in affirmation, her big, round eyes half-lidded.
We flew for a while, both fighting the urge to sleep. After circling the mountain range five times, we found our unconscious companion first, and we found Hathor, slumped against a tree.
His snout shook as he snored. It looked more like he was sleeping than him being knocked out by the impact.
I had no time to waste; every second awake felt agonizing.
I roared using all my willpower to wake him up.
He woke up startled and pounced forward, his eyes narrowing before his eyes landed on us, softening.
He sat down, his ears drooping down.
"My lord, did we win?" His lower lip trembled while his lips were pressed into a thin line. It was an awkward question to ask, after promising me that he would bring me its head.
Still, I was happy we found him first, as a wolf, he was a natural-born tracker and would be a massive help in finding the others.
[Yes,] I spoke with gritted teeth. The word leaving my mouth with difficulty.
Perhaps misinterpreting my curt response, he bowed his head deeper and started to tremble. "I'm sorry, my lord, I have failed you." His eyes glistened with tears. His body shook as it betrayed his thoughts.
Silly wolf, I wasn't reprimanding you.
[Stop!] I commanded, [The time for our slumber has arrived. I'm barely conscious as is], I looked back at where Tiamat was, she was already snoring under my wing.
That's fine, it was my responsibility as the older brother to take care of her anyway.
I turned back to face Hathor.
[My sister has already succumbed to the alluring whispers of Hypnos.] Damned this way of speaking, I clenched my fist, drawing some blood from my hands. The words that left my lips were already difficult, and yet extra dribble was attached.
"I see my lord." He raised his head. "Don't worry, I will take care of the young miss." He stood tall, his back against the moon. I would have commended his appearance if I weren't fighting with all my strength.
I shook my head. [No time for small chat, we must find Niles and Leah before I fall]
A gigantic platinum Dragon appeared before my eyes, so big that it seemed like it could hold the sun in its hands. His emerald-like eyes that resembled the ocean stared at me, his lips curved into a smile that radiated the warmth of the sun. His backdrop was a starry sky, and where I stood seemed to be a barren earth, in an eternal linear line.
If I had a father, this is what I thought it would look like, but something told me this wasn't my father. It opened its mouth to speak, the words sounded nice like a heavenly song, but I couldn't make out what it said.
"My lord," Hathor looked at me with strange eyes. I blinked repeatedly and closed my eyes, my nose scrunching up.
I shook my head before opening them
He cautiously stepped back and opened his snout to speak, "My lord, you closed your eyes for a while, I was worried you fell into a deep slumber." He turned and motioned at something with his snout.
Ah, a dream.
Yet I couldn't remember what I dreamt about; it was at the tip of my tongue, but for the life of me, I was not able to place it.
I shook my head and dispelled the thoughts circling in my head.
"I arranged a sled for the Young miss." My eyes glanced at the sled.
It was a sled made of intricately carved ice and held up with Mana. My sister was already placed in the seat. It seemed my flicker in the dream realm was longer than I had thought.
I gritted my teeth and powered through. "My lord, I arranged a seat for you beside the young miss."
[No need, moving keeps me awake.] My eye twitched, and my gaze settled on the seat beside him. Would it be so bad to trust him? Is that not what subordinates are for? Yet he failed me twice. I could feel my lips pressing together.
I sighed. Ah, whatever, Hathor, don't fail me, I secretly pleaded.
[I am entrusting you to take care of us. If I fall to slumber before we make it towards the others.]
He nodded happily and gripped the reins of the sled with his teeth. The reins were made of threads of mana.
I settled beside my sister and wrapped my wings around her.
I kept on drifting between alertness and sleep. This time I did not dream. My eyes opened when we met Niles, who was with Leah, both sitting against the mountain, tired.
They talked for a bit, the words not making sense to me as I kept drifting between states.
We finally made it to the bear's cave.
With the help of the three, I made it towards the end of the cave, with my sister in my arm. I barely managed to speak as I wrapped my wings around my sister.
[Do not disturb our slumber and do not allow anything that lives to approach.] I could feel that this sleep would be different.
I couldn't hear their responses as my eyes closed, and I let myself enter the realm of dreams.