A Snake's Life
Page 26
When Master’s wings could carry them no further, he angled his head down and slammed the dragon into the ground.
"Get off!" The dragon kicked with its back legs and threw Master over its head.
"Now Findral!" I heard Master shout as he impacted the ground.
I launched myself forward and slammed the mallet into the side of the dragon’s head, which distracted him enough that Master was able to get off a beam to the dragon’s front left leg.
"Yes, finally! Something that fights back!" the dragon laughed as it lifted its other leg and slammed it back down, causing spikes of stone to rise from the ground and fly towards master.
I created an explosion behind me and propelled myself towards the centermost spike, then I created a large flame sword and slashed the spike in two causing it to barely pass on either side of Master’s head.
The dragon attempted to summon more spikes, but Master stopped him by springing off his tail and slamming into it. He bit down on the dragon's neck and lifted it up... then he slammed it back into the ground. The impact created a tsunami of air and dirt that further destroyed the area.
"Not... bad," the dragon choked out as it used its claws to rip apart Master’s flesh in an attempt to throw him off. Master held on.
Then the dragon raised its tail until it was positioned directly behind Master's head. "Watch out!" I yelled, and Master let go and dodged out of the way. However, he was just too slow to completely avoid the attack, so the leftmost prong sliced into Master’s neck and he spurt blood onto the dragon's face.
The dragon opened his mouth and began to drink the blood that fell into his mouth. "Mmm, it’s been a while since I've had basilisk blood. I'd almost forgotten how bitter it was."
"Don't worry.... I'll make sure that was your last taste!" Master gurgled out, then he bit into the dragon's neck again and lifted it once more into the air. Master coiled himself around the dragon's body to hold it in place, then he turned to me.
"Cut him Findral—" And again, the dragon slammed his pronged tail into Master's neck.
"I can't wait to see how you taste. Maybe I'll even forgive the elves for their lack of sacrifice this month," it said with a laugh.
I roared and unsheathed the sword Master had taken from the elven leader, slicing into the dragon’s neck. A single thin line appeared on the dragon’s hide and the beast actually laughed at me.
"Oh, come now, girl. You can do better than that!" it roared as it yanked out its tail and slammed it into another part of Master's body.
"No!" I began to frantically stab the blade into the dragon's neck until finally, I was rewarded with blood.
"Move!" Master yelled.
I back-flipped off of the dragon's neck just in-time for Master to bite down on the barely bleeding wound.
"Congratulations, girl,” the dragon said. “You managed to make me bleed. But now what? Are you going to just let me—"
The dragon stopped when it saw Master begin to glow.
"No! what are you doing!?" It became frantic as it repeatedly smacked Master with its tail.
"Findral... Run." Master grunted, as a white shield slowly began to cover him.
"No, I won't—"
"If this doesn't work, you'll die... But I'll be safe until I evolve. So... Go!" He quickly opened his wings and completely encapsulated the dragon within his body, even managing to catch its tail while it was still pierced into him.
"I'll... see you soon... Findral."
That was the last thing I heard Master say before the shield covered him completely, and all that remained of my Master and the dragon was a giant egg-shaped shell in the middle of a destroyed forest.
"See you soon... Master," I whispered. I briefly ran my hand along the outside layer of the shield. Then I turned around and ran in the direction the others were fleeing. I bounded for three steps before leaping into the air, detonating a micro explosion beneath my foot that sent me flying through the air.
I followed the road we’d previously agreed upon for hours before I caught up to my charges and landed deftly beside Holstig. They’d set up camp inside a forest a few miles from what appeared to be a harbor town. “I hope they aren’t doing what I think they’re doing,” I sighed.
“Master?” Holstig asked.
I shook my head. “He took the dragon with him into the evolutionary shield. I don’t know what happened after that.”
“Wait, you can do that?” Fenris asked from where he was lying beside the fire.
I shrugged. “Master did it.”
“That tells me absolutely nothing. Snake-face is always doing shit that doesn’t make any sense.”
We were tense, most of us concerned for our futures and for the fate of Master. But we actually began to laugh. What started as a chuckle erupted into full-blown laughter after a minute or so of silence.
I looked back towards the “egg” that held my master’s body and wept tears of laughter... and sadness at the loss I felt in my chest.
Torga
ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ
Warning!!
BECAUSE BOTH OF YOUR bodies were inside the evolution barrier when it sealed, they are locked in a state of suspended animation until one mind is destroyed.
When only one of you remains, the loser's body will be absorbed into the winner's, and they will gain all of the loser’s skills and traits.
Good luck!
ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ
After reading the pop-up, I shifted my gaze to the dragon and stared at it. It stared back.
We smiled at each other and launched across the space that separated us. However, upon slamming into each other, something was made abundantly clear. Because of the lack of magic or earth in the area, I had a clear advantage.
“Oh... I’m going to enjoy this far more than I should," I told the dragon as I pinned it beneath my body. It growled at me, so I laughed and hissed back. I sunk my teeth into its neck and lifted it off the ground, only to slam it back down a moment later. The dragon’s body buckled beneath my weight, and I felt bones snapping inside its body.
“What’s the matter? You were so talkative outside.”
“Quiet you—” The dragon used its powerful legs to push my head away from its throat, or so it thought. I purposely released its neck, bit the leg reaching for me to hold it in place, then coiled my tail around it. I tightened my hold on its leg until it roared in pain.
“Shut up,” I hissed. I twisted my body enough to pull the dragon into a sitting position. My body coiled around the dragon’s until I had its entire body engulfed in mine. I stared into its eyes as my face drew closer. Our foreheads touched.
“You... killed a friend of mine.”
“So, what—Urk!” Its words were cut off as my tail worked its way around the dragon’s body to wrap around its neck.
“You took her away from one of the sweetest children I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. I wanted you to know that your death is because you gave me enough time to make this gamble, when you could’ve easily killed me at any time. That was your second mistake.” I tightened my hold on it even further, causing its bones to snap in rapid succession and its eyes to roll back into its head. “Your first mistake was making Ayla cry... because that shit just pissed me off.”
“Thanks for the meal,” I hissed. I opened my mouth as wide as I could and swallowed the dragon whole.
ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ
Congratulations!
You have won the battle of souls and you will remain the dominant one.
Your evolution is underway. Time remaining until completion is 10 y, 9m, 20d, 23h, 59m, and 52s.
ꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏꝏ
I read through the pop-up several times, then I smiled. "Well, time to test if this will work..." I closed my eyes and focused.
Epilogue
SOMEWHERE WITH THE goblins and the family
The large group was being rocked back and forth by the waves lapping at the ship they'd “borrowed.”
"Why are
we on a ship, again?" Solon asked the dark elf man sitting beside him.
The man was wearing an ornate blue robe, with a silver lining around the collar. He had medium length raven hair that hung to his shoulders, and his eyes were milky white. However, in spite of this odd coloring, the man in question acted as if he could see perfectly well. "Because your father decided it was best to get as far from Uathea as possible," the man said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Uriel."
Most of the people aboard the ship snickered... until they heard something they didn't expect.
"Alright, whose idea was it to get back on a ship. Damn, you'd think after being on one for as long you were, you'd be sick of them by now."
Almost as one, the group looked to the final person aboard the ship... a yellow-skinned elf wearing a dark green robe. He was running his hands through his long brown hair and picking at his clothes.
"T... Torga?" Hali squeaked out.
"In the... flesh? Wow, I can’t believe it actually worked." He was immediately tackled to the ground by three crying women: Findral, Hali, and Ayla. He patted them on the head, then looked up at the others. "What?" he asked.
"How... How are you here?" Lena asked.
"That's a long story."
She folded her arms across her chest. "We've got time."
He chuckled. "I suppose we do. Well, settle in. Because this is going to take a while." Everyone aboard the ship crowded around as he began to tell his story... his full story.
"It all began, when I met a god..."
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Looking for more litRPG, and need it right this minute? Check out: Neon Dark: Zero.Hero Book 1. Or keep reading to take a sneak peek.
THE GREATEST HEROES have already fallen... Now it’s up to Claire and her ragtag crew of Zeroes to save the city.
Low-ranked contractors Claire, Elise, Norah, and Piper dream of making it to the top twenty with the Stewards of Light, but their weird RPG powers have them trapped near the bottom instead. Balancing college, part-time jobs, and family matters leaves the girls without much time to fight crime and grind out the experience they need to climb the ranks.
When a new threat emerges, the gamer girls are left standing in a city turned upside down with no hero to save them. The underclassmen are outclassed, but they're also the only ones who can stop the spread of chaos. Claire and her friends will have to unravel the mess with clever teamwork and determination, and find the top-rank heroes in themselves to save the city before it falls into darkness.
From J.D. Astra, author of the LitRPG Epic Viridian Gate Online: Firebrand, comes a new universe of heroes and monsters. If you loved Super Powereds by Drew Hays, I Alone Level-Up, or you crave more anime like One Punch Man and My Hero Academia (with a healthy serving of RPG elements) then Zero.Hero: Neon Dark is for you!
Prologue
RED AND GOLD STREAKED across the night sky in a shallow arc, fading into a soft glimmer at the edge of the pale yellow horizon. The lights of Denver set the hovering clouds aglow, but out on Norah’s farm, we could see the meteor shower without obstruction.
Another golden sparkle raced across the dome above and Elise gasped. “Did you see it? I think it’s starting!”
I turned back to the wide-open cellar door and shouted down to the others, “It’s starting!”
The clamor of girls and grownups scrambling to get their binoculars and jackets replied. I looked up to the twinkling stars and sucked in a breath of cool November air. Frost crept along the edges of our nerdy enclave, but as soon as it formed, the heat from the patio firepit burned it away. I rubbed my hands together and blew into them as my gaze hunted across the blackness above.
“I think I can see Jupiter, too!” I pointed to a twinkling celestial body.
“Pfft, we see Jupiter all the time, Claire,” my friend Piper said with a hint of dismissal. Known for her habit of piping up, Piper had sleek brown hair and buck teeth that made her look younger than she was. She was tiny, too—so short she barely reached my shoulders. She passed me on her way to the telescope, zipping up her oversized black hoodie. “We won’t get to see a Leonid meteor shower like this for ninety years!” She raised her hands and leaned back, opening herself to the sky.
Norah’s mother and father, Beth and Zack, emerged from the cellar, steaming cups of liquor-laced apple cider in hand, with a blanket wrapped around their shoulders. “Did we miss anything exciting?” Zack asked as he positioned himself next to the firepit, dragging Beth along with him under the blanket.
Zack and Beth were minor-league astrophysicists. They were both excited about this meteor shower, with all the recent random activity going on in space. The fact that we would be chaperoned, and hanging out in a furnished cellar, was just about the only reason all our parents had let us come out to Norah’s farm, given the warnings that had been all over the news.
Many reports from the President’s press secretary had stated there was no reason to be overly concerned, and everything going on was well under our control. But it was laughable to think we could control space, and the scientific community was on fire with theories, curiosity, and some caution.
Justified caution in Zack and Beth’s opinions. Amalthea, one of Jupiter’s moons, disappeared from its orbit only to reappear five days later, following its normal path, as if nothing had happened. Telescopes all over the world had confirmed its absence, while skeptics declared there had been some obstruction or an issue with the instruments.
Next was Mars. The planet’s atmosphere developed new elements in a matter of days. Storms raged and covered the hemispheres in black clouds that bode ill for little Earth. Some people even went so far as to say it was the signs of Armageddon some biblical event that would end human life on Earth.
Still, the scientific community was more curious than fearful, and so with the blessing of the television’s “safety report,” we were allowed to participate in the data gathering Zack and Beth were doing. Machines measuring all sorts of things like atmospheric pressure and a bunch of other stuff Beth said that I didn’t understand were sitting out in the field of culled corn where they had the most unobstructed view of the sky.
“Another one!” Norah pointed, dimples flashing as she smiled with excitement. She pushed her straw-colored hair back and pinned it under a purple hat with a blue puffball on top.
Elise beckoned me with a wave, and I plopped down on the warm stone next to her and the fire. She looped her arm through mine and gave me a warm smile that lit up her dark skin. She motioned for Piper and Norah to join us.
A bright light flashed behind us, and I turned to look back. The signature cha-chlick of a phone snapping a picture sounded, and when the blinding light faded, Beth was smiling. “You girls are just too cute. I’m so glad your parents let you come over tonight. Meteor showers are magical, beautiful, and life changing.” Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at the sky.
“Seems like that cider is pretty magical, too,” Norah said with a snicker, and we giggled.
With that, we fell quiet and tipped our heads back to watch the show. The night breezed by at the same pace as the meteors we watched, arms linked and wonder building. Was anything unusual going to happen?
Beth yawned, long and loud, for the tenth time, and we realized it was well past a 5th grader’s bedtime, not that it mattered. School was canceled until scientists could confirm no calamity ensued from the possible anomaly passing us by.
“Well, looks to be about over for tonight.” Zack checked something on his laptop, then sighed with defeat. “No anomalous data, so we’ll head back up to the house and leave the dungeon to your sleepover. You girls don’t stay up too late.”
“We won’t,” we chimed together in our innocent voice.
Nothing had happened, except the amazing Leonid meteor shower. I’d tried to drink it all in, enjoying the first and last time I’d ever see it this vibrantly in my life, but I was more excited about the game.
Terra’s Heroes.
I’d gotten it the weekend before. My mom always took me to The Dragon’s Horde after she’d done something she felt guilty for. This time, it was forgetting to get me from school. Not like I was upset; I just went to Elise’s house, and we played Halo. But the reward for her forgetfulness was a brand-new RPG game. Elise was more into the FPS, but she indulged me with my tabletop needs, especially when it was something new and shiny.
We retreated to the cellar after extinguishing the fire with a bucket of dirt and dragged the telescope down with us to the depths. My greedy hands went straight for my ruddy gamer backpack. I pushed past bags of dice, play mats, and full notebooks to pull free the new, cellophane wrapped box. I hadn’t wanted to let the smell of fresh cardboard and paint out until I could share it with my closest friends.