So much for diplomacy.
I wanted to rub my dragon scalp in anguish, since when did my sister start understanding the universal tongue?
Had Luna's genius in linguistics inadvertently inspired her to learn the universal tongue?
I sighed.
Seeing the magic gathering in her eyes should have been a tell. It was my fault for not noticing sooner.
Yet why did this bug have the gall to provoke my cute little sister?
[This insignificant Beast!] Her red scales shimmered from the rays of the sun, her golden eyes narrowed into vertical slits, mana gathered in her breath, the most favored weapon of dragon kind.
Ice, Fire, Poison, Water, and acid channeled into a singular attack. "Her breath left her maw, cutting through the air in a beautiful array of colors, towards Niles, The Mountain Lord.
His bright grey eyes, which resembled fog, widened. His eyebrows rose, forming wrinkles on his forehead, then his eyes narrowed.
He stomped his foot on the ground, cracks forming on the mountain beneath him. His arms were outstretched as he received the breath with his hands, and his fur was singed, but the elements had no more lasting effect. Rocks gathered around him, forming gauntlets made from the earth that protected his hands.
Once the breath dissipated, he shook off his hands and raised them in surrender.
"Apologies, I can't see well with these old eyes of mine." He let out a boisterous laugh, as thunderous as his steps. The mountain seemed to rumble with the sound.
"A dragon?" He touched his chin, his fur still scorched. The rock formed on his gauntlets crumbled, falling and joining the ground beneath him.
"It has been quite some time since this old man has seen a Dragon." He shook his head while rubbing his chin.
[Silence beast, I will boil your tongue and relish your flesh] My sister's draconic voice echoed out, spit flying from her mouth, as she growled in a rage.
Where had she learned such creative words?
Her words stopped him in his tracks, although he couldn't understand her, it was obvious it wasn't pleasant.
[Calm yourself] My voice softly whispering towards my sister. I was certain that the Bear knew what we were, and this was all a ploy.
[We are not here to kill.] I pushed her head down slightly and patted it before returning my hands to my side.
She spared me a sidelong glance and reluctantly agreed, a huff of smoke leaving her nose as she snorted and looked away, her eyes still narrowed. It was clear her flame was not extinguished.
Yet she calmed down because I asked her to.
So cute.
If we weren't in front of an audience, I'd stretch out her puffed-up cheeks and shower her in head pats.
But alas, I shook my head at the unfairness of life.
While I had no plans to kill this bear, there was no reason to mince my words after all he called my adorable sister a lizard.
[Speak Mongrol] I stared into his stormy eyes.
Hathor stepped in, his teeth flaring as he spoke. "The lord is willing to hear you out."
I was glad he came; I wasn't expecting to encounter a named beast. With wild animals, all you had to do was win with overwhelming force. intelligent animals, however, had pride, motives, and stories.
I would never kill a named creature without sufficient reason.
"So, talk." His aura expanded the full might of his strength and outwardly projected a faint illusion of the moon behind him.
The bear looked at him and chuckled, his hand trailing towards his scar, his fingers running over it.
"I wasn't always this old and weak, there was a time when I had two eyes, when I was strong." He looked towards the sun, his eyes unfocused.
Was this going to devolve into some type of pity party?
His lips turned into a thin line, curving into a frown.
"This scar I recieve-"
[I didn't come here for a history lesson.] I interrupted him much to his displeasure. His eyebrows furrowed, and the bear clicked his tongue.
[Submit or Leave.] Those were the words I offered him. I was right; sneaking around wasn't my style.
This felt much better.
"My liege insists, you pledge your allegiance or depart from this land." The wolf interpreted my words. "His mercy is as radiant as the sun." He praised me, his last words spoken while bowing and looking at me.
The bear waved him off, "I'm almost done." He glared at Hathor, his eyebrows furrowing in disgust.
"Ah, where was I?" The bear tapped his chin, his eyes looking upwards.
"Oh, right, the scar." He touched it once more, and the frown on his face deepened.
"I didn't just lose my eye that day, I lost my father, my partner all to a damned WHITE LIZARD WITH WINGS" His voice broke into a scream, his fist clenching.
The air around his fist curved as he balled his hand.
He roared. its sound reverberated into the air, his giant teeth on full display.
"I ran to save my life last time, I will not run again, NOT THIS TIME"
A shame.
I moved my head in disappointment.
[This beast is deeply mistaken.]
[Then it is up to us to correct his notion.] I spread my wings, taking flight.
To compare us to a white dragon was no different than comparing primates and humans.
Concepts like evil and good had no place in dragon kind.
It was no more than their nature to do so and act as they saw fit.
With my restraints on my sister gone, she flew up into the air, her breath raining down upon him, the rock gauntlets formed on his arms, and he quickly swatted the breath away.
The breath redirected into a clearing in the distance. A wasteland formed where it hit, the ground melting while fire roared on ice.
My sister, unperturbed, continued to fly above and bombarded him with breath attacks.
Hathor charged at the bear, his teeth sinking into its neck, shards of ice charging behind him. The bear tried to shake him off, but Hathor stood locked, each shard impaling the bear. It roared before bringing his fist up and grabbing Hathor by his scruff. He launched him into the wall, his back hitting the rock.
It was a glaring fact that Hathor was deeply mistaken about his power.
No matter.
Fire charged inside my throat, my breath built up as I flew towards him.
I wasn't planning to kill the bear; there was no need. It wasn't acting out of malice, but misdirected anger.
Hathor got up and shook the rock out of his fur. His legs pressed into the ground, ready to pounce on the bear again. His moon-like eyes narrowed into tiny orbs, his snout snarling.
The fire escaped my lips, a burst of orange and yellow intertwined by the might of magic, its power bending the air around it.
The bear's breathing was palpable, visible in this hot, humid day. He looked at my incoming attack. It was as clear as the sun in the sky that the bear was tired.
Hathor launched himself again, this time going for his arm. His snout opened, and the sharp canines poked out like daggers. He bit so hard that you could feel the force from where I was.
The bear howled in pain, and swung his arm, trying to get him off, his other hand busy swatting my sister's breath.
[Back off.] My words escaped my lips as the flames made their way to his face.
Hathor let go, and with a nod, he backed off.
My sister continued to bombard him from above, the bear spared her a glance before looking at my flames, he rolled his shoulder and got ready to fight my fire. He stopped swatting her breath, letting it hit him on his back.
He shrugged it off; it was just burning his back.
My sister, seeing it had no effect, dived back and stood next to me, her little hand on my back, her mana furrowing into mine, increasing the strength of my breath.
When my breath was about to reach his face, he gritted his teeth, the sound like clamping metal. His hands outstretched, rocks gathering around his arms, strengthening his gauntlet, and he caught my flames like one would receive a ball.
The momentum pushed him back, his back hitting the cave with a thud. I didn't stop; my plan didn't involve his death, but his incapacitation.
And I knew it wouldn't kill him.
I didn't want his death.
Increasing the magic, my breath pushed him further into the mountain, an outline forming around him as he was carved into the rock.
The commotion drew the other bears out. My eyes trailed towards them, but my breath was still focused on him.
[Leah Lvl.6 Fire Bear Of Mount Hillard] I ignored the description and looked at his children; they had no names. His wife was a brown bear with an auburn coat wrapped around her, with red eyes that looked like a burning ember. His children looked like a mix of the two of them.
I increased my strength, drawing out all the mana nearby. It gathered like a tornado, a suction worse than a vacuum of air.
Each second pushed him deeper, I was starting to feel lightheaded.
Just fall.
The bear struggled but managed to look at his family.
"Run..." He squeezed out with gritted teeth, sweat dripping down his brow.
"This... Is... My... Fight..." His words were clunky, uneven, and forced out. But his eyes were full of love, a tenderness that couldn't be faked. He meant to die here or take us out first.
Unfortunately for him, no one would die here.
How could I kill such a creature? One so clearly full of life, who was I to rip him from this world?
For his sake, I increased my strength once more, I pushed my face forward. My mouth opening wider, my flames increasing in intensity, the color shifting into something brighter, hotter, more primal.
[Submit.] The words were rough, but I projected them with my magic, a crude effort in an attempt at communication.
He seemed to read the words in my eyes, his mouth springing open, a roar so intense even I felt chills.
"NEVER"
His conviction evident in his actions, he pushed back, each step heavier than the last, his imprints in the floor immortalized. He was moving slowly but surely, and my flames pushed back.
So be it.
I clenched my fist and charged, the flames disappearing into the air.
What could a tiny dragon possibly do to a giant bear?
I flew straight towards him, dodging under his swinging arm, and I punched his cheek with all my strength.
Crack! I could feel his tooth loosening, his cheek turning as he recoiled.
"NILES!" The female bear tried to step up but was blocked by Hathor, who started to bark.
He staggered back slightly, touching his cheek with his hand, softly rubbing it before rolling his neck.
"That... Was.. Quite.. The... Punch." He paused in between each word, his voice seething with anger.
His breath leaving slowly, his eyebrows furrowed, and his fog like eyes turning into steam.
Niles spat on the floor before charging.
Have you ever seen a dragon uppercut a bear?
I flew beneath his massive swipe, I used the ground and my wings to propel myself, the energy put into my punch, my hands clenched in fear of skewering him.
The air around us broke, the upward draft affecting the fragments of rocks, propelling them up.
Before I even reached his chin, my fist tore through the air, and with a crunch it landed beneath his chin
His giant body stumbled backwards before he fell, knocked out onto the cold floor.