Chapter 70: Times passed

     It’s an odd feeling, suddenly finding yourself transformed into a being ten times your normal size. When Rei opens his eyes, he immediately notices the difference in view. His vision suddenly became much wider, colors much dimmer, with a heightened sensitivity to light. It feels strange trying to move, the ticklish feeling of grass brushing against his large belly as he tries to walk forward on all fours. His new eyes easily catch the slightest movement, overloading his brain. He’s used to using his two hands, now he has to worry about the coordination between his hands, feet, tail, and wings. Jasper made moving look so easy and graceful in his true form, in contrast Rei feels like a waddling big buffoon.

He’s almost grateful when the memory takes hold and this monstrous new body begins to move on its own. It’s easy to guess why, he’s just a guest reliving a memory, everything is already predetermined. Admetus stays in the open clearing for many years, watching the seasons come and go as he heals naturally. He could have returned to Kyalien Valley, resting in his cave surrounded by his hoard of precious jewels and mana stones would have drastically sped up his recovery. Yet, he chooses to remain in the forest to slowly heal on purpose. This is because he saw the mark on her shoulder. She is the one he’s been waiting for.

After so many years filled with pining and loneliness, wanton destruction and greed, the great father Adrex was finally merciful enough to return her to his side. To think he would meet her again after being pursued out of the dwarfs’ mines, chased by those horrible dragon slayers, in such an unsightly manner. Admetus huffs, his mighty breath causing several trees to dangerously bend before snapping back in place. Just thinking about those cursed humans who reduced him to this disgraceful state makes him want to ascend to the sky and rain fire over their mountain. He’d been the one to find the mine first, yet the greedy dwarves were quick to play victim, running to those detestable royals for help to uproot him.

A dragon slayer is nothing but a relic of the past, stubbornly trying to persevere through current times. They were once humans who tried to enslave dragons for their own greed, using their mates as hostages to lure them in. Then Amiin lost his mind and an entire kingdom was burnt to the ground overnight, and their despicable actions were exposed as the root cause. They can no longer hunt his kind as openly as before so now they play at being called heroes, claiming to rid the world of his kind for one great cause or another. It’s all sophistry, they can try to slap a new label on it and dress it up to look like heroism and chivalry, but their end goal remains the same. They still use the remains of his people in their dark rituals to extend their worthless lives.

To think he would encounter a father and son pair of dragon slayers in this day and age, it’s truly unlucky. Glancing at his nearly healed wing, he can’t help but feel warm as he recalls the memory of her mana. It still feels just as gentle as before, her outer shell may have changed but she is still kind. He knows she’s still too small to be courted by human standards so that’s why he’s chosen to wait here in this clearing. At first, he hoped she’d come back the next day to check up on him. They could build a steady friendship this way until she is of age, but she didn’t return. It’s a good thing he gave her the whistle, since it’s his mana in crystalized form he can always find her in the future. It can also protect her from harm, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to sit still and wait so patiently.

For a long-lived race like him, waiting a few years is hardly a burden. Once the years have passed, he will venture out to find her again. Just thinking of the joy to come puts him in a pleasant mood, he locks himself in a barrier while he dreams of their past. Rei didn’t understand half of the things Jasper said before, too annoyed by his fickle uncle to take anything he says seriously. But by living as Admetus in the dream, listening to his grandfather’s thoughts and memories, he slowly begins to realize what it means to be a dragon. Trapped in Admetus’ body he had no choice but to weather the seasons together for ten years. While he felt like he was going mad from the monotony, his grandfather barely blinked.

He was nearly brought to tears when Admetus finally removed the barrier and moved. The large black dragon’s massive head tilted to the side, listening for something only he could hear. It’s the whistle, Meti had blown the whistle after ten long years! Barely able to contain himself, Admetus uses his mana to morph into the shape of a human male. He knows appearing before her in his true form in the presence of other humans would draw too much attention. If he appears like this no one would question his pursuit for her hand in marriage. He follows his ears to find the closest water source, using it to check the transformation through his reflection. It’s been so long since he last put on the guise of a human, it would be a horrific sight if he were missing an ear or a nose.

A handsome rugged middle-aged man with sharp red eyes and a fine mustache was staring back at him. His long unruly black hair falls all the way down to his knees, but it’s a manifestation of his excess mana so there’s no point in cutting it to fit human standards. It would only grow right back out, the best he could do was tie it with a piece of cloth. The clothes in his storage ring are completely outdated from the current times but they’re all he has for now. After he meets Meti again, he can ask her to recommend some new ones for him. It would be a perfect way to break the ice and get to know one another again.

Rei watches his grandfather disappear from the riverbank in a vortex of dark flames like Jasper, but he can’t shake the sinking feeling in his gut. Will it really be that easy? The story of Queen Meti in the history books didn’t have a happy ending.