Chương 10: Chapter 10: Power
Have you ever been offered power by a God?
That's the dilemma Tahmut finds himself in at present.
—
"Power?" Tahmut asked, taken aback. 'What being is so great that it moves the Dragon God of Infinity to dole out power for assistance?' Tahmut thought, the bad feeling he had earlier slowly growing with each passing moment.
"Before I accept or decline your offer, although I have a sneaking suspicion as to who it is, could you tell me what being I would help you slay?" Tahmut asked.
"I see no problem with it," Ophis replied casually. "It is the Apocalypse Dragon God, Great Red." He continued, his monotone voice showing slight emotion at the mention of Great Red's name.
"…Huh?" Was the only response Tahmut could think to give.
Of course he knows Great Red; it's Great Red! At first he thought the Dragon of Apocalypse was a mythical beast, a being made up to portray the dominance of Dragons. But upon encountering Ophis, it was then Tahmut realized such a being was real.
"You want me, a low-high class Dragon, to help you fight a Dragon God. A being who's not only a God, but also happens to be the strongest being in all of existence? A being who I thought was mythical until recently? Yeah, no. That's suicide, and I don't want to die just yet." Tahmut said, unfurling his wings, ready to take off.
"Do you not want power?" Ophis asked, titling his head to the side, stopping Tahmut from leaving.
"Will you give it to me for free?" Tahmut quickly retorted.
"…"
"That's what I thought. I wish you the best of luck, Ophis, but I'll gain strength on my own, like I initially planned. Maybe if... well, when I-
"I'll do it."
"W-What?"
For the second time in the span of five minutes, Ophis has Tahmut at a loss for words.
"Do what?" Tahmut apprehensively asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Give you power." Ophis replied, and soon after manifested a black-hooded snake from under his cloak.
'Is this Dragon senile? Does he not remember I declined his offer a minute ago? But…'
"Why?" Tahmut asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, admiring the black snake circling around Ophis.
"Is a reason necessary? Just simply think of it as a gift." Ophis said, his blank gaze also on the snake at his feet.
"A gift?" Tahmut deadpanned. "What happened to 'no favor comes free'?" He asked, his slitted eyes once again narrowing.
"They don't. But this isn't a favor; it's a gift." Ophis dryly replied, much to the annoyance of Tahmut.
"Haah~" Holding the bridge of his nose, Tahmut looked at the still circling snake, his mind running a mile a minute.
'Why do I feel like this 'gift' contains more than meets the eye. Sure, he says it's a gift now, but years down the line, would he still consider it that? Or would he use it against me for his own gain? Wait… Do I even have a choice? Although I declined his offer, in actuality, he didn't really have to ask. After all, he is a Dragon God.'
"Haah~" Letting out a sigh, Tahmut looked straight into Ophis's flat-gray before speaking.
"If I accept, I hope you know I won't fight for you." He replied unwavering.
His pride won't allow it. Even if the beings he would be fighting with, and against are Dragon Gods, if it means essentially selling himself for power, Tahmut wouldn't do it. Subservience is not in his vocabulary.
"I understand. Now, will you accept my gift?"
"I will."
Upon Tahmut's conformation, the snake, who's been perpetually circling Ophis's feet, stopped, and immediately slithered towards Tahmut, climbing his legs, and coiling around his torso, where it slowly sunk into his body, causing Tahmut mild discomfort.
'Was that it?' Tahmut thought, looking at his body curiously. He thought that by gaining some of Ophis's power, he might have changed physically, but nothing of the sort happened. 'I don't know what to feel, but despite only slight discomfort, I don't feel or look any different. Did it-'
Tahmut wasn't able to finish his thought because, at that moment, pain shot through his body like a blow from Tanin's tail.
He refused to scream, so through gritted teeth, Tahmut endured the searing pain of bones breaking and reforming, foreign energy assimilating forcefully with his own, causing it to bubble inside his body, and his scales and human skin replacing themselves, changing color and pigment respectively. All in all the process took mere minutes, excruciating minutes, but minutes nonetheless.
Due to his earlier pain, Tahmut subconsciously transformed back into his Dragon form, finding it easier to deal with it that way.
"Wow..." Tahmut marveled at what he was feeling, the pain slowly subsiding.
Two hours ago, Tahmut would have told you he was confident in fighting, and winning, against any class of Dragon besides Dragon Kings and higher. But now, now Tahmut feels like he can fight against his mother and hold his own. No, he wouldn't win, nor would the fight last long, but with the power he feels coursing through his veins, Tahmut thinks he could at least do some damage.
"I'm glad you like your gift." Ophis said, tearing Tahmut from his thoughts, a rare smile seen on his face.
"Haha~ Thanks, but I'm still not fighting for you." Tahmut replied, smirking.
"No need," Ophis said, shaking his head. "I have other beings in mind to help with my problem. You aren't my only choice." He answered.
"Hmm, other Dragons?" Tahmut curiously asked. 'I wonder who else caught his attention.'
"Mm… Devils and Fallen as well." Ophis replied, shocking Tahmut.
'Not only is he putting his pride aside to ask for help, but he's also asking other races for help, along with giving them a portion of his power.'
"You must really want your silence." Tahmut smiled wearily.
"That I do." Ophis softly said, his gaze back on the setting horizon.
For a couple of minutes, there was silence between the two before Tahmut broke it.
"Well, once again, Ophis, I thank you for the gift, and despite what I said earlier, you can count me in when the time comes." Tahmut said, cracking his neck in preparation to take off. 'I just hope it isn't too soon…' Tahmut thought.
"Mm." Ophis replied, sprouting his wings and flying away, leaving Tahmut to his own devices.
'What a day.' Tahmut thought, slowly lifting off from the table mountain. 'First a straggler, and then Ophis? Yeah, I need sleep.
And so, a future Dragon God's journey begins, or has it already begun?
—
"S-Sir, w-we cant find her." A man wearing priestly robes stuttered to his superior.
Hours after Tahmut and Sapphira left Targoviste and were airborne, a number of men wearing religious attire entered the city and soon surrounded the church where the battle took place.
"FUCK! YOU CANT FIND ONE FUCKING HYBRID?! ONE?!" A man dressed more ornately than the rest screamed.
"Sir, it seems she had help." Another soldier informed his superior calmly.
"Help? Find her, and her help. Even if you have to burn this Godforsaken place to the ground... FIND HER!" The superior shouted, causing his subordinates to flinch and start moving.
However, just as the soldiers accompanying the superior were about to fulfill his order, another voice was heard; a woman's.
"Ufufufu... You're a little too late, boys. She already left with her 'help'." A woman's sultry voice echoed around the church grounds.
"Who dares stand in the way of God's work?!" The superior shouted, smirking at the silence he revived.
Turning back to his subordinates, who were rooted in place, the superior was about to relay his order again but was interrupted, this time by an amused laugh.
"KYAHAHA! That was good, I needed that." The woman said, as she continued to laugh and mock the superior.
"Identify yourself, heathen. Come forth and be smote by the lord's divine light! " The once again shouted, his hands stealthy, or so he thought, moving toward the sword on his hip. His pride was now in tatters, the only thing he could do to regain it, is to kill this disgusting creature, whatever it is.
'Heavenly Father, your warrior prepares for battle. Shield me from the dark, so I can fight for the light. AMEN.'
"Have you finished your prayer, priest." The woman's voice, which was once echoing around the church and graveyard, was now heard crystal clear in the superior's ear.
He didn't get to scream, none of them did. The woman just appeared and slaughtered them all with a cynical smile on her face.
Sitting on the corpse of the superior, surrounded by dismembered body parts, the woman let out a beautiful laugh.
"Soon, my Dragon Prince. We will meet soon."
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực