"Where are you going, Bryce?" growled Ascalon the Dragon.
Ignoring the voice calling from the depths of the cave, Bryce bursted out the entrance, enhancing his legs with a spell the village's Beast-Folk had taught him. It had taken him years, learning to navigate the rocky mountain terrain, but with each new skill he gained it had become almost too easy.
The boy's golden hair was wet for a few seconds, before the wind rushing past quickly dried it. Today, the forest of mountrous rocks was particularly foggy. No problem.
Using the magic the nice harpy ladies had taught him, his eyesight's effectiveness doubled, then tripled. His bright blue eyes shined like the sky, as he casually hopped from one mountain to the next. The fall didn't even hurt his legs either thanks to his leg strengthening magic.
Within minutes the mountains were behind, and the lush green plains would soon follow. He had almost made it to the village.
I wonder what I'll learn today.
The last sixteen years of his life had gone by in a blur. The village's many races were running out of things to teach him. However, he couldn't afford to stop. Occasionally, he heard them talk about the Demon Race, and if the sayings were true he could never have too many tricks in his bag.
Arriving at the village, the adolescent boy headed to the market. Not that he needed to buy anything, it just so happened to be the most crowded part of town
Leaping onto a nearby rooftop he looked down at the various races shuffling around, looking at stalls and haggling with the vendors.
Nah, the fairies have already taught me everything they know, he thought watching one of the dust-sized creatures fly by on their wings.
Although the races were distinct and varied, he was having a hard time finding a new master.
His father, Ascalon, had been trying to keep him from going into town lately. He wished that the dragon wouldn't treat him like a kid. Although he didn't mention it to the townspeople, his foster father should've known that he was mature for the age of sixteen. After all, he had retained the memories from his past life on Earth.
It had been a wild childhood. Bryce's first memories were of waking in Ascalon's cave, infant and alone besides the black and scaly beast of legend. However, he turned out to be a rather capable parent.
In addition to being a legendary creature of renown strength, he had also accumulated a small fortune of gold, silver, and other treasures stored in the cave's depths. Though, the pile had been looking a bit smaller recently.
Food wasn't the issue.
If you don't mind burned meat three times a day.
Caring was one thing the dragon parent excelled at. Knowing what humans needed? Not so much. Before Bryce could talk he had been drowned in gallons of milk and fed chewed meat from various animals that his father had caught, butchered, and roasted.
After his first words in the new world, he'd been able to give the dragon instructions on things he needed and wanted. Afterwards, the dragon flew to nearby towns, trading his gold for goods too small and cumbersome for him to make.
That was how he had started eating meals with veggies and the occasional sweet treat. It was also how he'd gotten his iron sword and reinforced leather armor.
The boy traced a finger along the sheathed iron blade his father had given him a year ago for his birthday, when he spotted Iris, the only elf girl in town.
As far as he could tell, she was the same age as him, which was beginning to become a problem. Though he had no trouble playing with her when they were kids, each year she became increasingly beautiful. Blue had always been his favorite color, and her long cyan hair, which she'd started to braid because of its volume mesmerized him.
Added to the fact that she had grown more fashionable, wearing skimpier clothing on her voluptuous body gave Bryce a tingle, though where he wouldn't say. He decided to jump down from the roofs and talk to her.
"Hi, Iris!" he said, making a flawless landing in front of her.
She had been wandering between stalls, talking to the merchants without buying anything.
"Never mind, he's right here," she said to a burly orc who was selling various ores.
She turned to face Bryce, giving him a dazzling smile. Her slender elf ears perked up, highlighting one of the many things he loved about her. In his past life, he'd died mid-adolescence. And while he often found himself admiring a woman's curves and other… assets, he found nothing out of the ordinary attractive.
Iris was a different story. From her slender and pale neck to her bare shoulder skin, her every feature was enchanting.
I wonder if all elves are like this.
The only other elf he knew of was her dad. The Elven Forest had been isolated since the war's end. Imagining a whole forest full of Iris clones almost fried his brain.
Too beautiful, simply too breathtaking, he thought, holding his overstimulated head.
"Heeey, Bryce"
It sounds like an angel is calling me, but I can't quite hear what it's trying to say.
"Pay attention, dammit!"
Snapping back to reality, he saw Iris inches from his face. Her cheeks were puffed, the normally white skin tinged with red.
"Oh, Bryce has really done it now." remarked a passing wolfman.
"Teach him a lesson," chimed in another vendor, a harpy woman.
Living his new life, surrounded by the fantastical races and magic he'd always dreamed of, he sometimes got a bit carried away with his internal fantasies. Ascalon normally just shook the mountains, almost resulting in cave-ins to snap him back to reality. It seemed like anything less, like Iris' yelling had no effect on him.
The enraged girl jumped back on a few feet, then extended her right palm forcibly.
"Everyone, please move!" she shouted to her crowd, already beginning to chant something under her breath.
Bryce frantically applied his leg strengthening magic and several other physical enhancements.
I've gotta get out of here.
Noticing the boy's use of magic, the girl spoke, rage infused in each syllable.
"Everyone except you, Bryce." Though she didn't yell this, her tone was cold.
Bryce gulped. With all his enchantments cast, fleeing the scene was possible in a blink. However, he knew that doing so would make his situation worse.
She may never talk to me again.
Removing the shroud of magics from his body, he stood with his arms fully extended. The image of Jesus on the cross came to his mind.
I'll bear her anger. In return I don't need to be resurrected again. Please, just let her become my girlfriend one day.
As a cold frost extended from the teenage girl's body, freezing the road and several nearby stalls, she completed the rapid chant.
"Ice Age!"
A blizzard of slush, snow, and ice slammed into the boy known as Bryce.