Chapter 12

 

When Carmen mentioned that I’d be going through “changes” to accommodate my magic, I thought she’d meant that I would grow larger, or that I’d transform into a new kind of dragon.  What I didn’t expect was to find, when I woke up a few days later, a shiny magenta gemstone in my forehead.

 

“It’s called a Philosopher's Stone.  You see them from time to time when beings are born who possess too much magical power.  They are formed when the mana in ones aura is strong enough to affect the mana in the air around them. The two opposing forces coalesce, hardening into a single point on the body.” she said

 

“Does it serve a purpose besides looking pretty?” I said, slightly grumpy about this shiny glittering target on my forehead.

 

“As a matter of fact they do. Not only will it absorb your aura whenever it starts leaking out too much, it also acts as a focal point for your spells, absorbing and amplifying them until they are several times stronger than normal.  You’ll likely grow more of them as you get older, given that your mana quantity will increase exponentially as you grow.”

 

That surprised me.  I wasn’t expecting this little jewel to be so useful.

 

“But how does it do that? It can’t create magic out of nothing can it?”

 

“Of course not.  Think about what I told you earlier, the stone forms when your aura and natural mana fuse together, so…”

 

“So the stone draws in natural mana and converts it into my own raw power! That’s incredibly practical!” I realized

 

“Indeed it is. But I’d advise you to be careful.” she said, becoming dire.

 

“Why, does it have a chance to backfire or something?”

 

“Heavens no, the reason you need to be careful is because that stone is highly sought after by humans.  They use them for everything, from making healing elixirs to turning metal into gold.  They are so rare that it’s not unusual for a country to mobilize their entire army, just to hunt down a single Philosopher's Stone.”

 

 That threw me for a loop.  So this thing really was a target, and one that would draw humanity toward me.

 

“Why does it always seem like humans and I share a destiny? No matter how hard I try, I can’t shake myself of them.” I thought to myself, before saying to Carmen “Well if it comes down to it, i can always use my <Avenger> skill.”

 

I had recently told Carmen about all of the skills I was able to use since she wanted to plan her lessons around what my strengths and weaknesses were.  She had become concerned when I told her about Avenger.

 

“Just don’t rely on it too much.  Even at my age there are still humans that I would never want to fight.”

 

I was taken aback by that “I never expected to hear that from someone like you Carmen.  Who do the humans have that could possibly stand against a dragon as powerful as you?”

 

She scowled at me for the first time in a while. “As usual you ask too many questions.  Is it not enough for you to believe that there’s always someone better than you? Going forward with that mindset will help you live longer!”

 

“Uh, ok then…” I said, surprised at how upset she was getting.

 

“No, no…I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled, it’s just…” she looked to be in pain.

 

“…Lady Carmen, did you fight a human and lose?” Merilyn, who had been practicing casting ice magic,  said.

 

Carmen didn’t answer, instead just sitting there staring into the lake.  Merilyn and I both sat at either side of her, comforting our master.

 

After a long while she said “It wasn’t me who lost…”

 

Neither of us said anything, we simply waited for her to continue.

 

“My mate and I…we were still young then.  We set up our nest in a forest located somewhere in the kingdom of Langrace.  His name was Mogano, and like you, little one, he possessed amazing talent for magic and a Philosopher's Stone….Haha, I remember how much he loved boasting about it.  Good thing he was more than talk or else I would have knocked him down a few pegs…” she said, her eyes dreamy as she remembered “But…then she came.  I know not her name, but she was one of the human heroes and she was…she was just too strong. No matter how hard we fought nothing we did could even touch her.  Eventually Mogano…he forced me to leave with one of the eggs.  The last thing I saw was him throwing himself in the way of a spell the hero had cast at me, and her throwing a second spell at our nest.  She killed my mate, slaughtered my children, destroyed my nest and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.”

 

There was nothing I could say.  I knew the pain she was feeling well, as the same wounds had seared themselves into my soul and burned an ironclad hatred for humans into me.

 

She got up and turned to the two of us, saying “Heed me you two, if you ever find yourselves matched against a Hero, or gods forbid a Saint, you must not fight them.  They are humans blessed with unimaginable powers.  Even Reyzo would struggle if he were to fight one.”

 

“What is the difference between a Hero and a Saint?”

 

“Saints are the apostles of the gods themselves. They will live forever if they aren’t killed in battle, they have all sorts of immunity's and unique magical powers, and each one of them is the antithesis to a Demon Prince.”

 

There’s that phrase again.  So these Saints have something to do with Demon Princes?

 

“But doesn’t that mean I’ll have to fight the Saints anyway?  If we oppose each other then-

 

“Absolutely not! There is no rule written down anywhere that the Princes and the Saints must fight one another.  What’s more, the Demon Princes are at a disadvantage against the wrath of the gods!”

 

“Even so, my destiny is intertwined with humanity’s.  If I were to try and avoid these Saints, do you think I would succeed?”

 

Carmen didn’t answer that, but we both knew the truth.  She scowled at me again, and seemed to want to yell at me some more.  But then her features softened and she slumped over, changing from angry to tired.

 

She lowered her head until our eyes were level and said “Little one, I can’t force you to stay away from the Saints…but please, promise me that if you’re ever In a fight you can’t win, that the two of you will run away.”

 

“I don’t know if-” I started

 

“Promise me, my child.” she said again

 

“I…I promise.”

 

“Thank you, little one.  Against my better judgment I’ve grown attached to the two of you. Ha, maybe this old dragon has gotten lonely since her daughter left…”

 

“What is your daughter like, Lady Carmen?  I would love to meet her.” Merilyn said

 

“…come you two, we’ve spent too long getting distracted.  Now show me how far along you are with your ice magic.”

 

I nodded, absentmindedly freezing a section of the lake.  I was glad that I had finally gotten a bit more information about Demon Princes, but at the same time I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Carmen.  Like me, like Merilyn, she was alone in the world.

 

After that day, I worked even harder during my magic lessons, learning spells at a speed that even Carmen was impressed by, and I wasn’t the only one.  In magic, Merilyn had found something that she truly enjoyed doing.  Though my raw power was greater than hers, she was already mastering advanced spells by the time I had finished learning beginner level ones.  Carmen had been right, she really was a genius.

 

Our aptitudes combined meant that, by the time we had reached six months of training, we were both much farther along than Carmen had originally planned.  She had even started taking Merilyn out at night to teach her secret high level magic.

 

We had both grown quite accustomed to our new lives as Carmens pupils.  Every day was a new lesson for the two of us, a new challenge, a new chance to learn and prove ourselves to our Master.  I spent hours pouring over destruction and creation magic, learning how to shape the world to my liking-or simply obliterate everything and start anew, while Merilyn mastered the finer aspects of magic, fine tuning her control to the point where she could cast spells that went beyond my understanding.

 

The two of us had become quite a formidable team, each strong in the places where the other was weak and now that we were decently well versed in magic, Carmen decided that it was time for a test.  And that test included a certain annoying gargoyle.

 

“Looks like the twerps have finally arrived” Terero said lazily, standing next to Carmen in our usual training spot

 

“Master, you seem to have let a gargoyle tail you to our lake.  If we’re not careful he might befoul the water.” I said

 

“Now now, enough of that you two.” Carmen said, not amused by our banter.

 

“What is he doing here though , Lady Carmen?” Merilyn said

 

“Hmph, at least one of you children has their priorities straight.  Terero is an ex student of mine and-”

 

“Wait what?! You taught this sleepy bridge troll magic?” I said, flabbergasted by the idea that someone as lazy as Terero could keep up with Carmens teachings.

 

Terero blew smoke out of his nose and said “Watch it runt, just because you-”

 

“Enough!” shouted Carmen “As I was saying, Terero is an ex student of mine.  In fact, before I started teaching the two of you he was my star pupil.  My own child didn’t exhibit the raw talent that this lazy oaf had for magic.  It’s all the more extraordinary given that he’s an Earth Dragon, who generally have the lowest affinity for it.”

 

“Jeez teach, don’t you think ‘lazy oaf’ is a little harsh?” he said, barely keeping his eyes from drooping closed.

 

“Not at all. Now then, for your test I will have the two of you spar against Terero.  There will be no conditions, other than not killing each other.  You can use any skill or spell that is at your disposal and any tactic that your little heads can think up. The fight ends when one side either surrenders or can no longer participate in the fight.”

 

I was about to say that Merilyn definitely wasn’t ready for her first fight to be against Terero, but to my surprise the great sleepy dragon actually spoke up first.

 

“Hold on now Master, that’s a little bit much, don’t you think?  I’m not exactly the kind of guy that you sick on beginners.  Wouldn’t it be better if you used a lesser dragon, or a crew of minor dragons?  I mean, I don’t want to say that I’d accidentally kill them, but it definitely wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

 

His overconfidence and boasting aside, Terero made a good point.  Out of all the non-major dragons here Terero definitely was the strongest.  I could probably keep him on his toes if I fought seriously, but Merilyn…

 

“You would do well not to underestimate your juniors, Terero.  As it stands you’re the only dragon in this place that’s up to the task of testing these two. You’re the only one besides myself and the Emperor who knows Merilyn can talk and use magic.  But, even more importantly, there are no lesser dragons or minor dragons who could stand up to Illumen and Merilyn when they’re together.  To be honest, I’m not even certain of your odds of victory…” she said

 

I could tell what she was doing, adding in that last bit.  She wanted to stoke his pride and make him feel like he had to defend his perch as the strongest pupil.  

 

It worked.

 

“Man I just don’t get what everybody sees in you” he said turning to me“As far as I can tell, you’re just a runt with a bad attitude and a big mouth.  Alright then, if you’re really so sure that he can beat me, then I guess I’ll just have to show everybody how ordinary he really is. Come at me whenever you’re ready, I promise I’ll make this quick.  Might even be able to get a nap in before dinner.”

 

Tch, cocky sloth.

 

“Alright Merilyn” I said turning to her “I’ll be our offense.  What I’m thinking is that you hang back and hit me with as many speed and strength buffs as you can, then I can make it look like I’m going for a battle of attrition-”

 

“A-Actually Illumi, while you and Terero were making fun of each other I already thought of a plan.”

 

That surprised me even more than the gargoyle did.  Since when was she so proactive? Maybe those special lessons with Carmen really were paying off.

 

“Alright then, let’s hear it Merry.  What do you want me to do?”

 

…

 

“That…that’s ingenious!” I said

 

“Y-You really think so?” Merilyn blushed

 

“Yeah! My whole strategy revolved around a roundabout means of setting up for a single big spell but with your plan-!”

 

“Teehee, I’m glad you like it. So, um, do you know what to do?”

 

“Absolutely, I trust you completely Merry. Let’s do this!”

 

“Hey lovebirds! If you two are done with your little strategy meeting, some of us have places to be and sun to warm in. So could we get on with this? Not like making a strategy is going to matter for you two after I end this fight in five seconds anyway.” Terero said, nonchalantly picking his teeth with a claw

 

“Yeah, we’re ready now.  Please go easy on us you damned sloth.” I replied, digging my feet into the ground and getting ready to sprint.

 

“If everyone is done trash talking” Carmen said “…BEGIN!”

 

I kicked off hard from the ground and sprinted at Terero.  While I did I could see the glow of Merry’s buffing magic, which drastically increased my speed and strength. I jumped up, attempting to ram the earth dragon, but he easily dodged my attack.

 

“Bahaha! Is this really what all that time thinking up a plan amounted to? A big tackle?  Sure if it hits it’ll hurt a little, but still, I can’t believe Master thinks you could be stronger than me.  Let me show you what REAL magic looks like!”

 

He threw down his front claws, sinking them deep into the ground, and cast a spell that brought up a great wall of earth in front of him.  It was several feet thick and dozens of meters tall.

 

“Since all you’re doing is pumping up your little muscles, play with this wall for a bit.  It should be enough to keep you-” but before he could finish that sentence, I broke right through the wall of solid rock and continued my reckless rush right at Terero.

 

He swung a clawed foot at me, trying to swat me like a fly, but I dodged him easily and was almost upon him.  With a short grunt Terero hopped up, and jumped over the entire height of the wall he had made.

 

Terero thrust both arms down and saturated the earth with his magic, then brought up dozens of mid sized clumps of earth and rock.  His eyes locked onto Merry and a dozen or so of the clumps shot at her like meteors.  Before they could hit though she did something he hadn’t been expecting.

 

She jumped up into the air and unfurled her wings, evading the earth magic missiles easily and allowing me to get the drop on Terero as I burst through the wall again.  But I still couldn’t hit him, as soon as I came through the wall the other clumps suddenly came flying at me, forcing me to dodge and weave in an effort to get closer to Terero. At the same time, Merry casted her own ice magic missiles from the air at Terero, forcing him to split his attention between the two of us.

 

Clearly he hadn’t expected to be put under this much pressure because his temper was getting riled up.  Much to our detriment.

 

“Enough!!!” he screamed, unleashing a wave of magical force from his body, knocking away both myself and the ice magic missiles.

 

“Try this!” he shouted, bringing one claw up and with it came vast amounts of earth from the surrounding area.  Trees, boulders and even some wild life all rose with the earth. He then closed his forefoot into something like a fist, which caused all of the earth he had pulled out of the ground to coalesce into a single huge sphere.

 

“Haaaaa!” he screamed, bringing the newly formed meteor upon the area.  It was about the size of Emperor Reyzo and would have completely demolished the whole area if it hit.

 

I turned my attention away from Terero, only for a moment, and launched my own super spell at it.  The jewel on my head shined as I opened my mouth and collected the natural mana around me into it.  When the spell was ready to fire I unleashed a powerful beam of pure energy at the meteor, blasting right through it and tearing the thing apart.  For a moment I was triumphant, basking in the glory of my own power, but then…

 

SLAM

 

Terero smashed his hand down onto where I was standing, crushing me.

 

“Ahahaha! I’ve got to hand it to you brat, you were almost making me sweat there.  But your strategies were too simple and you relied too much on your own raw power to beat me.  It was childs play to bait you into using-”

 

But Terero couldn’t continue his taunt, as he was suddenly struck by a barrage of lightning bolts.

 

“G-Guh…wh-wha..?” was all he could stammer out.

 

“Ok Merry, I think you can undo the illusion now!” I shouted from a location that was distinctly farther away from Terero than under his foot.

 

Suddenly the entire landscape of the area changed, as if it were being wiped away.  Terero’s wall, the land that had been carved out to make his meteor, and the devastation caused by the falling rocks was all gone.  It was as if the fight had never happened in the first place.  The only thing that was different were the churning storm clouds that were above us now.

 

“Y-You…my meteor…?” he said, looking at where Merilyn and I were standing.  The same place we had been standing at the start of the fight.

 

“Not me, I haven’t lifted a claw this whole time.  It takes a while to cast Weather Control and Chain Lightning Strikes, you know?  No everything that happened before that was the result of her genius plan, not mine.” I said, proudly gesturing to Merilyn.

 

“B-But how…?

 

“Illusion Magic and Magic Redirection. I read the flow of your mana whenever you casted a spell and adjusted it so that your magic harmlessly dissipated, while also casting an illusion spell to make you think we were fighting. This gave llumi all the time he needed to prepare his spells.  It was a simple combination…” 

 

“I’m pretty sure that sort of thing is only simple for you Merry.  You really are incredible, huh?”

 

“Y-You…I…brats…” but that was all he could say before collapsing, unconscious.

 

Carmen approached us, head held high, and said “Well now, congratulations you two.  Looks like you passed your test.”  She was trying to maintain a sense of decorum, but something told me she was genuinely surprised at our victory.

 

Merry and I stood at attention, excited for whatever our teacher had planned next.

 

“There is very little for me to teach the two of you beyond this point.  You’ve each mastered the basics of magic and you’re managed to defeat a foe who was many times stronger than you.  I have only one lesson left for the two of you, and it will be your greatest challenge yet…”

 

“Tell us, Master!” the two of us said in unison

 

“Eager as always. Very well, your final test is to create your own magic.  Using all of the information I’ve given you, create a new spell that utilizes your own natural abilities.  Magic that is unique to you and you alone.”

 

“Is such a thing possible?” I asked, cocking my head

 

“Of course.  Every spell I’ve taught you up to now was invented to drill the basics into you, now it’s your turn to invent and prove to me that you understand those basics.  You two are dismissed.  When you succeed, come find me and I will evaluate your new magic.”

 

As usual she took off toward the castle after dismissing us.

 

We both stayed by the lake for a while, discussing everything we had learned about magic.  Both of us were determined, we would pass this test. No matter what.