On a world far from Dorian…
A large, circular room covered with a white dome ceiling could be seen. This room was enormous, so gargantuan it would dwarf any structure from earth placed next to it. In sheer size, it measured at least 500 meters across and more than 100 meters from ground to ceiling.
Twelve large platforms could be seen set around the room on the edge, with a single large platform in the center. Three of the platforms on the edge were occupied by a number of large, resting Dragons, of various colors and shades. The central platform had a pair of humans standing on it, one wearing a long green dress while the other wore a sharp white suit.
"They devour. They grow. They're vicious predators that must be stomped out immediately. The Red Wing Tribe are fools for thinking they can tame one, and because of that, they're caught in between a battle between two of them." One of the Dragons spoke out loud, its great golden chest rumbling. The Drake had a very similar appearance when compared to Aiden, save that it was larger and more muscular, its scales slightly dimmed by age.
"Dragon Master Kai, your observation is correct." The white-suited human standing on the central stone platform nodded his head, his face serious. His dark blue eyes gleamed, the serious look doing nothing to dim the handsome, almost feminine appearance that adorned his face. Soft red lips, pale skin, a pretty nose. If he wasn't wearing a suit, one might mistake him for a woman.
"The Anomalies are dangerous and must be taken down. However, killing them directly is not a good answer. The more of them that die, the stronger the remaining ones will become. This is something we have determined through Fate." The human explained, waving his hands animatedly.
"We appreciate your coming to offer assistance, Glaxin. We cannot allow another one of the Tribes to perish. We've already lost the Heavy Wing Tribe, our strength as a whole has already suffered tremendously." This time, the speaker was an elderly Wise Jade Dragon, sitting with a delegation of their own, on a seperate platform.
"Of course, Dragon Master Jirabai. My Meteor Department is one of the most offense-oriented Departments in the Borrel Autarchy. These Anomalies have done great damage to the Autarchy, it is our duty to put aside our petty differences and join the battle against them." Glaxin responded, nodding again.
"Hear, hear!"
"Well said."
Rumblings of approval from the onlooking drakes sounded off in the air as Glaxin finished speaking, his words smooth and convincing.
"We need more information before we declare war on these creatures." A third rumbling Draconic voice broke in, this one slithering and rasping, full of concern and veiled threat.
"Dragon Master Poisal." Glaxin turned to look at the large, Green Tailed Dragon Master. The Drake had dark grey skin that seemed to blend in with its surroundings, save for a bright, almost vibrant green tail. Its grey scales were slightly mottled with age.
"A direct declaration of war is not needed. A simple Hunting Order, like what was given out for members of the Demon Race, would be enough. The Autarchy will work with the Tribes to take down these vicious Anomalies." Glaxin explained, his eyes calm and unintimidated by the fearsome Auras the various drakes in the chamber gave off.
A few rumblings from the fearsome Dragons shook the air as discussion broke out. Several minutes passed as the various Dragon Masters debated and discussed. Their voices were harsh, each word sounding off with incredible might.
As the discussion finished and died off, eventually an agreement was reached.
A Hunting Order would be sent out, one with a mission to capture all known Anomalies. All three Tribes agreed to this, on the basis that no official declaration of war was made. Such a declaration would require more commitment than the Green Tailed Tribe was willing to give.
Despite that, the Hunting Order, in and of itself, contained a large amount of authority. No alliances could be forged with targets of said order, and every Tribemember would be obligated to fulfill it should they happen upon the target.
"As stated, the Borrel Autarchy has several vendettas against these beasts. Specifically against the one that declared itself Zero, whom we believe to be the creature that wiped out the Heavy Wing Tribe." Department Head Glaxin spoke up for the Borrel Autarchy as the drakes reached an agreement,
"On the condition that attempts are made to capture the beasts first, we will pledge our assistance." He solemnly made a binding promise.
The Wise Jade Tribe, the Golden Flame Tribe, and the Green Tailed Tribe all rumbled in agreement, the Dragon Master's of each respective Tribe pledging their own support. It was a sight that would go down in history, an alliance between Man and Dragon, something that hadn't happened in hundreds of years. While it was only an alliance between three of the Tribes, it was still very noteworthy. Most of the other Tribes wouldn't even consider an alliance.
"Agreed, it is then." The Dragon Master of the Golden Flame Tribe stated, his voice shaking the air. He stood up, preparing to leave.
"Yes, it is agreed." The Dragon Master of the Green Tailed Tribe added and stood as well.
"It is agreed." The Dragon Master of the Wise Jade Tribe followed suit.
"Now, before this Convention is over, we have relevant intelligence we would like to share, in the spirit of our new alliance." Just as the drakes finished speaking, Department Head Glaxin broke in, his voice silky smooth.
"Oh? Carry on, then." The Dragon Masters all sat back down, staring at the Department Head with a mix of curiosity and impatience.
"We have reason to believe that one of your own has come into contact with one of these Anomalies." Glaxin explained.
"What?! Who?! How dare they!" The Dragon Master of the Green Tailed Tribe shouted out loud in surprise, anger filling his voice.
The Dragon Master of the Golden Flame Tribe jumped in as well, his voice thundering,
"Yes, this is an affront to our kind, and a crime against the fallen Heavy Wing Tribe!"
The Dragon Master of the Wise Jade Tribe broke in,
"We must reserve judgement. The Hunting Order was not active till now, it's possible they were unaware of the atrocities."
The reactions of the three drake elders were mixed. All of them, however, zeroed in on Glaxin, the pressure the human felt reaching incredible levels.
Department Head Glaxin acted as if it didn't bother him in the slightest, however, nodding his head seriously as he replied,
"It is actually a pair of Dragons, great Dragon Masters. One from the Wise Jade Tribe and one from the Golden Flames Tribe." He continued,
"Through Fate, we have determined that they maintained extended contact with an Anomaly. In fact, we even have record of them clashing with a pair of Department Vice Heads, including word from the Diamond Wall himself." The Department Head of the Meteor Department turned to the side, his eyes focusing on two Dragons that were sitting near each other.
Aiden and Mira.
Glaxin bowed,
"The two Dragons, Aiden of the Golden Flame Tribe, and Mira of the Wise Jade Tribe."
Almost as one, every eye in the room turned to look at the quiet pair. All three Dragon Masters turned, surprise on the face of the Wise Jade Dragon Master and the Golden Flame Dragon Master.
"Aiden? What in the Heavens..?" The Golden Flame Dragon Master sputtered, at a loss.
The Wise Jade Dragon Master was likewise confused,
"You two were off on a quest to seek out the lost remnants of the Wise Lady. How did you encounter an Anomaly?"
"Yes, tell us everything you know about the Anomaly. Its weaknesses, its strength, its style. Where is it now? Does it have any allies, any family?" The Green Tailed Dragon Master broke in, his voice harsh.
Dozens of powerful Auras washed over Aiden and Mira, the duo visibly wilting under the incredible pressure. Even the human Glaxin stared at them, his eyes cool.
Aiden stepped forward, holding his head and shoulders proud as he faced a legion of Dragons without backing down, forcibly withstanding the huge pressure.
Emotions flashed in Aiden's eyes as he thought of Dorian. He paused right before he spoke, as if collecting himself and making a decision.
"No. The being we travelled with was not an Anomaly, but instead an Inheritor of the Wise Lady." Aiden chose to lie.
He wasn't a fool. He had fully realized, over time, that Dorian had to be one of the mysterious Anomalies that existed. It was quite possible that he was related to the Wise Lady in some way, but the fact that he must be an Anomaly had come clear as he learned more about the unique beings.
If Dorian was an Anomaly, then all of his powers and strength made sense.
Dorian was a powerful figure in Aiden's eyes, a being that clearly outclassed himself in raw power. However, even that man would fall when faced with the overwhelming might that a Hunting Order would entail when assisted by the tracking capabilities of the Borrel Autarchy.
As he realized this, Aiden made a decision.
He decided to protect Dorian.
"Oh? But we are quite confident in our intellig-"
"Your intel is wrong. I travelled alongside him for quite some time and found him to be a capable and willing ally. Fate Magic is notoriously unreliable. I can confirm that he is not an Anomaly." Aiden doubled down.
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His reasoning was simple.
The strange Anomaly that had joined them had only ever shown the pride and honor that a true warrior should bear. Though he tried to hide it, Aiden could see the care he showed for his subordinate Leader and could sense the complex emotions that held the man together.
While their time together had been short, and, if anything, contentious, Aiden had come to realize that Dorian was a man of his word. He had earned Aiden's respect. He did not gloat in victory, but instead showed compassion and kindness, while bearing forth with strength and skill.
If he had been born a Dragon, Aiden would've called him a true example of what any drake should aspire to be.
Aiden was a simple drake, in some regards. He followed his heart, and to some, that made him a fool controlled by his emotions.
If he gave Dorian up, in his heart, he would be a coward.
'And I, Aiden Flamestalker, am no coward.'
"Are you certain, Aiden?" The Golden Flame Dragon Master looked intently at him, sparks drifting from his eyes as a billowing Aura wrapped around him. A powerful, Pseudo-Angelic Aura that rippled with strength and power.
The other Dragon Masters stared intently at him as well, their own Auras thundering around them. Aiden felt as if he was about to be stepped on like an ant, so intense was the pressure and force weighing down upon his soul.
"Yes." He grunted, not showing a hint of emotion,
"That man is absolutely not an Anomaly."
.. .. .. .. .. .. ..
'Oh man, I love being an Anomaly!' Dorian thought as he blasted through the air, hurtling into the glowing Dream Zone trap in an instant. The yells of his subordinates on the ship were drowned out as the light and fog washed over him blocking out everything else.
In a literal instant, he found himself in a completely different area.
A pure, endless plane of white spread out around Dorian. Faint white fog drifted up into a seemingly endless, but mostly clear, sky. It held a sort of ethereal feel, cool and peaceful.
He landed down softly on some type of white ground, on this seemingly endless plane. The floor was soft and felt a bit like dirt.
"What the- So this is the trap area, huh?" Dorian muttered, looking around. He was still in his Shade form, with his Spatial Ring and magic transforming clothes intact. He didn't feel like he was in the same type of dream state as before, however.
His physical body was actually here, present in whatever this was.
"Where is the attack?" He looked around expectantly.
The moment Dorian entered the Life Years Dream Zone, his soul was constantly being analyzed. The Dream Zone operated in a mystical way, using the inherent Laws of the Universe themselves to grow powerful, instead of relying on internal energy sources.
By doing this, it was a trap that could function on its own, without a need to be constantly charged up. There were many advantages to this, but also certain disadvantages as well.
One of those advantages was in how the trap was designed.
The physically older the soul of the target, the stronger a backlash and reaction the Laws of the Universe would provide. Dorian's consciousness had spent accelerated time within his Soul Spell Matrix, but that didn't affect the physical age of his soul.
When Dorian heard about this from the Dream Guide, he had immediately made a decision.
'My soul has only existed in the 30,000 Worlds for like, what, a few months at most?' The decision was a no-brainer. The remnants of Yukeli's soul might exist within him, but that wouldn't affect the actual age of his soul.
He'd even managed to spin it as a brave and heroic sacrifice to maintain his image, taking advantage of the opportunity. Of course, he also planned on saving the two Mystic Martial Artists if he could. But the fact that he could do this at very little risk to himself…
Well, there was no need to spread that.
As he looked around, he finally spotted something in the distance.
A grey form that was zooming across the ground, charging right at him. It wasn't very large, about the size of a mid-sized dog from Earth. As Dorian got a closer look, his eyes focusing on it, he made a few observations.
'Is that… a rabbit? A Horned Rabbit?' He blinked.
'Ausra, can you identify that?'
'Scanning… No physical life forms detected.'
He frowned. Just like in the dream world, the creature that was rushing at him wasn't, apparently, a real being, but a manifestation of energy or something along those lines.
It was a large, grey rabbit with a pristine white horn perched upon its head. Its fur was soft and plush, with a set of adorably tiny claws sticking off each paw.
And it was currently bouncing across the foggy plane, charging directly at Dorian as if to attack.
'Well, this must be the attack. What if it's secretly a super powerful Horned Rabbit, or something? Maybe the trap went by my soul strength and not my years lived. I better face it seriously.' He decided to go all out, not leaving any room for error.
'Black Scaled Rage Dragon form! Go!'
'Perfect Body, activate!'
"Laws, enhance me! Infuse into my attacks!'
'Hyperion Beam, activate!'
'Hyperion Beam, activate!'
'Hyperion Beam, activate!'
'Black Flames, swarm forward!'
'Moving Force, activate!'
Dorian transformed into a gargantuan Dragon, powerful might rippling off his body. He instantly went into his Perfect Body mode and drew heavily upon the various Laws he was studying, gaining access to incredible strength. He then set off three Hyperion Beams, keeping them focused on the rabbit, while he himself charged forward.
He was just barely able to activate two other, simpler, Abilities, his Black Flames which came naturally as a Dragon, and his Moving Force Ability which he had already seen a great deal of practice with.
In just an instant, Dorian became a hellish creature of legend as three powerful lasers finished charging and melted forth with might that ripped through the foggy air, while a literal sea of Black Dragonfire ripped forth, followed directly by an enormous charging Dragon whose every step caused greater and greater strength to blast forward.
All of this focused directly at a tiny, almost minuscule in comparison, Horned Rabbit.
.. .. .. .. .. .. ..
"Oh? A Shade jumped forward to try and rescue his comrades? Hmph, merely Lord Class, he is no threat." Kvoth dismissed the Lord Class warrior that had fallen into the trap alongside the other two King Class Shades.
"Come on, now, Life Years Dream Zone. Keep going steady. Keep them trapped and begin to whittle down their defenses." The shadowy figure's eyes flashed darkly,
"Hehehe… this was a trap created by my glorious master himself. It is impossible to break, fools."
"Prepare to meet your maker!"
.