Reborn as a DRAGON

Chapter 13: Acknowledgment

There were nights where I dreamed in such vivid details that when I woke I was confused. Faced with the dreaded darkness I'd forget for a fraction of a second that my sight was gone. Grief would wash all over me for the minutes that followed over the loss of something I never even considered missing. I'd never been one to dwell on the sky, the trees, nor was I one to admire flowers - that was never my thing. I'd been all action, moving from one battlefield to another, never slowing for even a day. I have been hailed as a hero, a savior, but so what? Once the sadness became less acute I'd reach for my cane and slowly tap my way to the patio I could remember but no longer enjoy. The floor tiles the color of summer baked earth... I'd never see my own aging, forever thirty-four in my mind's eye, my fingers though would tell me of the wrinkles and hair loss in due course. I often find myself thinking, was it truly worth it? Ron, The Hero of the Lumia empire.

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The journey back across the forest was draining, my body cried out in pain with each movement I made, the giant Werewolf corpse that I dragged behind me wasn't helping either.

'Aren't Werewolves supposed to revert back to their human form once they die?' I inwardly cursed, yet continued hauling the now stiff carcass back.

Blacky was still behind me acting as a guard of sorts. I was curious to see what he had hunted, or IF he had hunted anything, but for now, what mattered was getting this giant bastard back to father.

It was not long before I reached the previously burned forest area, a sign that I was getting closer to my destination. I dragged my prize with renewed vigor as my father's giant figure came in sight.

He looked like a small hill as he laid there in the clearing with his eyes closed. As I arrived all eyes turned towards me, it seems like I was the last one to make it. Not a performance worthy of being the eldest I thought.

Under everyone's watchful gaze, I brought the dead Werewolf and presented it to my father. Although injured, and bloodied, I still did my best to stand tall and proud in front of him as I showed off my hunt.

My father's closed eyes shot open, first, he looked at me, his steady draconic gaze seemed to study my wounds and scars before he turned his eyes and glanced at the dead monster in front of him.

His expression was unreadable as he examined me and then the Werewolf. A long suffocating silence descended on the area as I continued to stand there with my back straight. My legs were already shaking from all the pain, I struggled to keep my eyes open as I waited for my father's verdict.

After a while, he finally seemed to have reached a decision. A nod of acknowledgment, for the first time, his gaze seemed to contain hints of approval as he looked at me, a warmth that wasn't quite there before was now evident in his stare.

Father then raised his giant clawed paw and brought It down towards the dead Werewolf. Although I was exhausted and felt like I could pass out at any second, I still forced myself to hold on as I watched him with an expectant gaze.

'What was he going to do?'

From the tip of his claw, a small ball of bluish energy suddenly emerged. The orb was barely the size of my head and looked insignificant compared to my father's abnormal size, yet the aura that surrounded it was enough to cause fear to rise from the depths of my heart.

Father then pushed the small orb towards the Werewolf's chest where it disappeared. For a second nothing seemed to happen, before a sudden burst of light radiated from the corpse momentarily blinding me.

Boom!

A loud explosion soon followed as the Werewolf's body blew up sending blood and limbs flying all over the place. 'My prize!' I stood there with my jaw wide open in shock. 'Was he not pleased? Why the hell did he do that?!'

My question was immediately answered as a large heart remained floating in the air emitting a strong oppressive pressure. For some reason, faced with the floating heart, my body unconsciously leaped towards it with an open jaw.

I could not even register what had happened before I already swallowed the entire thing whole. I had no control over the situation as my body moved with a mind of its own.

Father seemed pleased as he gave another nod, he then turned his attention to my siblings who still had the corpses of their prey presented in front of them.

I turned around and glanced at their prize with interest. Golden boy had another awfully familiar monster in front of him, a large muscular ugly human-shaped body, green skin, with two large tusks that protrude from its mouth.

'An orc!' I eyed the dead monster with curiosity, his stomach was ripped apart as his insides hanged loosely. A quick glance at Golden Boy's bloodied horns was all I needed to have a rough idea of how the fight must have played off.

'Looks like his stupid bull charge tactic worked out well for him.'

Turning my attention to White who was sitting down next to her prize, an abnormally large green snake, easily twice her size. Claw and bite marks were clear all across the serpent's body, White's scales however remained unblemished, without a single drop of blood. 'Strange, not even her claws are bloody.' I noted.

Green who stood by her side seemed anxious as she kept fidgeting with her head lowered. The monster she hunted was not one I was familiar with. A small creature with a body that looked to be a part reptile, part bird, one large crimson eye sat in the middle of its forehead making it look eerie, and a long beak filled with razor-sharp teeth, on its back were two small wings that appeared incapable of allowing it to fly. The cause of its death was a large bite mark was on its neck.

'Not bad, but that's one ugly monster.' I remarked before turning my gaze to Blacky who had walked back to stand proudly next to his prey. A large, bipedal ape-like creature covered with brown fur, its mouth was open revealing a set of large intimidating teeth.

The creature's legs were crushed, on its neck was a long claw mark. 'Smart, he must have used his tail to bring it down to his level before delivering a swift attack to its neck.' I thought as I re-Imagined the battle.

Just then a sudden sharp pain assaulted me, 'Huh? Why is the ground coming up?' With a loud thud, I collapsed headfirst into the soil as the pain rushed across my entire body.

'Is it because of the heart?' That was my last thought before I succumbed to the gentle embrace of darkness.