With the added mass and the template of a real dragon, I can properly transform into one now. Continuing on our journey immediately after we made sure that everything is in order, Hestia and Asoko are riding on my back once again. It feels much better, now that I can actually differentiate between every strand of muscle and have a grasp of the inner workings of the organs that produce fire - or in this one's case plasma. It's a much more natural sensation, compared to the makeshift copy I employed before.
And I can practically feel the magic resistance of my armor-like carapace. I understand now that it's not an absolute defense, not total immunity, but something like a counter-enchantment that dispels magic at a fast rate. The dragon did dodge my spirit spears after all, so it means they would have hurt him, if they had hit at the right angle. Still, Ohnd Spyd is a considerably powerful spell, despite being a two-word chant. I will eventually have Asoko try out various levels of magic on me, to test the limits of this template's defensive capabilities.
Furthermore, I gained something far stronger than bone and teeth with this. It appears that, while using the same components as any other organic body, dragons have developed their armor to make it similar to minerals. It may actually be why they have the magic resistance in the first place. I can tell instinctively that this is as hard as steel and should make me impervious to most human weapons, too. Of course, I wouldn't want to test this theory against a ballista or a cannon, if those exist in this world.
If I didn't have Hestia and Asoko as my passengers, I would have tested a new idea that came to me during our battle. But for now I travel normally, by gliding through the air at a moderately high velocity. Thinking back to my burst of speed when I went after the dragon as it pursued Asoko, I think that maybe what I did could be perfected and used to travel over long distances, as an alternative to teleportation. Well, if I get back to the kingdom, I will try to infiltrate the academy and get my hands on space magic once more anyway, so at that point I won't need it anymore.
We fly along the coast, and for the first time, I see the ocean of this world - that time when I was teleported randomly and almost fell into it doesn't count, since I didn't see much of it in the darkness. The water's surface is no different from the one I've seen many times in my previous life, but I can't even begin to imagine what kind of creatures lurk underneath it. After all, there are dragons and cyborg dinosaurs, so it wouldn't be strange to imagine massive leviathans that can swallow ships whole. I'd sure like to try and eat one of them, and increase my mass that way, though.
According to the map, this isn't the crossing between continents yet, as we soon fly over land as far as the eyes can see again. Once again, we make great progress on the map, while both Hestia and Asoko pay close attention to our surroundings, so that we don't encounter another dragon. But I doubt we'll have the misfortune - or fortune, depending on how you see it - to run into another one. Although at that time I'd try talking to it before attacking...
The cities become more numerous along the way and Asoko tells me that we're getting closer to the capital - although apparently we'll just be passing by at a fairly large distance. In either case, similar to the Kingdom of Lares, people flock to the capital due to its significance as well as the protection it provides. I would have made a stop there under better circumstances, if only just to go sightseeing, but now I'm in a hurry.
Even Asoko, whose size was diminished in the battle against the dragon, and who would love to regain at least a portion of it, isn't bringing up the possibility to just swoop down into one of the towns we pass over and appropriate some food. Hestia is sharing some of her provisions, but it's obviously far from enough to counteract a Crawling Chaos' metabolism - of which the rules I still don't really understand, even though it's my own body.
The sun is touching the horizon at around the time we reach the open sea. According to the map and the rate we've been going at, we'll be reaching Kongenssoevn airspace by late evening, maybe around midnight. Even if it's going to be dark at the time, I'll land outside the city as to not cause an uproar with my dragon form, then enter by changing into a normal human's appearance. Hestia will, as always, be hiding her wings in one way or another, but Asoko should do fine in her current form.
This is the moment of truth. If we get attacked above the ocean, I don't know how well I can fight back. Of course, in my dragon form I feel very strong, but if I were to fall into the sea and there are actually gigantic sea monsters... no, even if I get eaten, I should be able to just blast my way out. But from the fight with the dragon I learned that there are beings out there that can damage a Crawling Chaos effortlessly. My whole body being organic means that strong acids and especially fire can cause extensive damage to me.
Thus, I decide to gain in altitude and fly just below the clouds, far from any potential attacks from the water's surface. Who knows, there could be a gigantic sea dragon that can shoot a massive plasma beam from its mouth, which could melt my entire body with a single blast. Maybe I'm over-thinking things, like a child that's been burned by a hot stove, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
But my worries were unfounded, as we approach a landmass on the other side of the ocean soon. I can see a large river flowing into the sea and Asoko explains that it's most likely the one that runs through the capital, according to our map. If I remember correctly, it's called the Aengerleien. The sun has disappeared behind the horizon a while ago and the world has become almost completely dark, as it's a new moon tonight. I employ my night-vision to find the way and pay close attention to the reflections of the stars above us. We'll be reaching our destination very soon and I can feel my anticipation building.
"Makoto!" Senka suddenly appears before me, in her translucent and glowing version. I fold my wings and spin sideways instinctively, but her image stays right in front of me.
"Damn, don't surprise me like that!" I roar, then realize that the small weights on my back have disappeared. Uh-oh. "Hestia! Asoko?!" I turn around to see that the former has caught herself and is looking around in confusion. Then I spot the smaller me tumbling towards the ground, since she's currently lacking the mass to create Fata wings. Speeding after Asoko in freefall and catch up quickly, then transform into the Fata template to catch her in my arms, before I break the fall and begin to glide steadily again.
"Onee-sama?" Hestia comes after me and wears a worried expression at my sudden evasive maneuver. I sigh and reassure her that everything is alright, which she seems to accept with a hint of concern.
"What's wrong? I'll be back in the capital soon." I turn to Senka and say, but she shakes her head frantically.
"Rolan and his party went into the Lost Tombs with Kamii, and they haven't come back!" She says anxiously. I've never seen her like this before. "She told me that they'd be back by the evening, but they haven't returned, so... I can't contact her with my ability!"
"... wait, what are you saying?"
"The Lost Tombs are a dungeon under the city, and there are some really dangerous places in its depths... uh, imagine it being a place where you can find enemies ranging from level one to level one hundred." She explains in terms I can understand better, but that just makes me worry instead. "I didn't think they would risk going anywhere dangerous with Kamii, but when they didn't return at the promised time, I tried contacting her, and I can't reach her at all!"
"Could it be because they're deep underground?" I'm holding a hint of hope in my heart that it's simply caused by a bad connection.
"You think my ability uses phone signals or what?" A hint of annoyance shows on her face in response to my suggestion. "I was able to communicate with you through the curvature of the planet. It can only be disrupted by an immense distance or..."
"Or what?" I think I know what the answer is, but I still want to hear it from her directly.
"... or death." She speaks in a solemn tone. Yeah, thought so. "Considering the fact that the Lost Tombs are under this city, the likelihood of it being caused by distance is really slim..."
"But not nil. They could have been teleported somewhere far away, like I was." I'm hopeful. I don't want to believe that Kamii is dead. In either case, I need to find out what happened, so I'll enter the dungeon and follow their trail. With the Vularen's nose template, I can use smell to find their location. "In either case, I'm heading there right now. Tell me where to meet."
"You remember the main road you used to get to the citadel? There's a large plaza with a fountain, and at the edge of it is the entrance to the dungeon." She speaks nervously. "... I should have insisted that she takes me along... I'm sorry..." Casting her eyes down, she apologizes.
"Senka." I speak firmly and she flinches, looking up again. I gaze her deep into the eyes and she returns it almost sheepishly. This isn't like you! "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault. I'll be back soon, so wait at the fountain for me." She forces a smile onto her lips and I respond in kind, before her immaterial body fades away and the connection is cut.
"Hestia, come here." I command while I pull Asoko inside my body. She struggles weakly, but I don't have the time to explain to her in detail. The fallen angel does as asked and I do the same with her. I haven't tried this with living passengers yet, so I don't know how it'll affect those inside my body, but it should be alright if I cushion them properly.
This is the first time I'm creating something completely from imagination, so I don't know whether it'll work out or fail miserably. I cover my entire body in the dragon's carapace while still in human form, create a skirt made from the same material while merging my legs into a single protrusion. Finally I angle the Fata wings downwards, before covering them in a carapace as well.
"Anima Procursus!" I yell out the spell that creates a localized burst of air used to knock even armored people from their feet, just when my body enters a horizontal angle. I place the spell right under the hardened skirt, causing the air to be expelled backwards due to its shape. My entire body is propelled forward at an incredible speed and I can feel the g-forces affect me. Luckily I properly covered myself in the magic resistant armor, since I think normal skin may have been peeled off by the air friction, if not by the spell itself.
Still, I tumble through the air almost uncontrollably and have to make adjustments to the angles of my wings several times, before I can fly straight. At one point I very nearly propelled myself directly into the ground, but caught my fall just before that could happen. I doubt this body is sturdy enough to survive such a crash-landing, even with the dragon's armor. Finally, I get the hang of it and speed off in the right direction, much faster than a Fata or even dragon can ever fly horizontally.
While this form is fast, I know for a fact that I haven't broken the sound barrier, yet, since I would have heard and felt a sonic boom from it. The landscape underneath me becomes a blur as I effectively turned myself into a living missile. I shall name this Chaos Warhead! I'll add Megasonic before it, once I figure out a way to surpass the speed of sound.
Within minutes, I see the lights from the city of Kongenssoevn. At this point I don't give a damn about being seen by anyone, since I feel that the situation surrounding Kamii has once again turned into one where every second counts. I don't know why, but I have that kind of feeling right now. Thus I directly fly into the city with one last cast of the spell, before angling my wings and spreading them out to lower my speed to pinpoint my entry vector. Just above the plaza I spread them out fully and come to a stop in midair, then circle around and land at the fountain.
People are staring at me in awe, since I'm in Fata form - using white wings - and just landed in their midst. Oh, and maybe because I'm naked once again, but I don't care at all. Senka is already waiting, even though I traveled at such an incredible speed. She runs towards me with an apologetic expression and I lift her into my arms, hugging her to my chest tightly. Ahhh, it feels like ages since I held her like this.
"I'm sorry..." She begins and I kiss her on the forehead, upon which she goes quiet sullenly.
"Stop blaming yourself, it's not like you." I say and put her down, then bring out Hestia and Asoko from inside each of my wings. The former appears really shaken, with ruffled feathers and disheveled hair, and falls onto her bottom due to her unsteady legs. She looks around in confusion for a moment, before staggering to the fountain and vomiting over its edge. Sorry about the wild ride...
Asoko seems to have taken it better and stands firmly, looking around to orientate herself. When she sees Senka, her eyes go wide and she lunges at her. For a moment I think she might know the doll-like girl or something, but then loli-me tackles her over and begins to cuddle her. "Waaah, so cute~" Yeah, yeah, I get it. She's me after all.
"We don't have time for this." I peel Asoko off Senka by lifting her by the skin of her neck, and turn to Hestia at the fountain. "You alright, Hestia?" She doesn't look back and signals me that she needs a moment and I can hear another rainbow-colored waterfall coming out of her mouth. The fallen angel has really fallen... "Show the way to the entrance." I say to the stitched girl and let my gaze sway through the crowd that's beginning to form. While it's pretty late, this is one of the main meeting spots of the capital, after all. I'm sure this will reach Thorvadis' ears sooner or later, but I don't care about that right now.
"It's over there." Senka says as she gets back up. Normally she would have made a cynical remark about the other me's actions, but it seems losing sight of Kamii has really shaken her. She's pointing at something I would define as a subway entrance. I can see people with equipment similar to Rolan and his party going in and coming out of it. Apparently it's a pretty popular dungeon, despite the dangers that lurk in its depths. "The actual entrance is farther in. Here, I brought one of Kamii's shirts."
"I see you understand me well." I say with a smile and take the offered cloth. Transforming the inside of my nose into that of a Vularen's, I take a sniff and immediately memorize Kamii's smell. Even though it's a used shirt, I think it smells really nice, as expected from an elf I would say. "Alright, got it... Hestia?" I call out to her one more time, and she looks up from the fountain with a face even paler than usual.
"... I am fine, Onee-sama..." She says weakly and gets up with wobbly knees. But she shows determination in her expression, so I'm not overly worried about her.
"Will you promise to behave?" I ask Asoko in my hand, who seems to be taking being lifted by the scruff of the neck pretty calmly. Guess she understands that her actions were a little out of line just now. In either case, she shows a defiant frown but nods silently. Wow, as expected of myself, so cute~ "Let's go then."
I put my smaller self down and transform into a full Vularen on the spot. For an instant, the plaza goes silent at the sight. Then someone drops a bag of stuff and as if that was a signal, panic breaks out among the gathered. People scream and run away, while I can see a group of men and women who look like adventurers drawing their weapons and slowly approaching me with fearful expressions. If you're that scared, why aren't you running away?
"Get on." I growl and my entourage does as they're told. The moment they secure themselves and stop moving, I run towards the entrance to the dungeon, following the smell I ingrained into my memories. This may be getting old, but... I'm coming, Kamii!
