Chapter 97 - The Eldest and Verath (2)

I snapped out of my reminiscence, helped by the coldness of the waterfall I stood underneath. These days, the memories of the soul of Demon Lord Codrixas were forcing me into sudden relapses. We were becoming more integrated.

The Deathwalker, champion to Goddess Linara, and my second soul, however, was still sealed. For now, I had nothing to do with him.

I shook my wet hair free of some water and stepped out from beneath the waterfall. The lake was beautiful and untouched by most. It reflected my face with an almost crystal-clear image.

My eyes had turned dichromatic. My right eye, as usual as ever, remained a light green color, whereas my left eye had turned entirely red. My white hair had grown longer again, so I had cut it short. Now it only reached toward my shoulders.

I was half-naked, wearing only some light, black breeches. On my stomach was a reinforced blood mark seal which also served as a tracking device for my father. It was of an intricate scarlet design, patterns of flames that started out from the center going toward around each other, until it formed an even intricate circle. On the edges of the circle were small, black triangular marks, a dozen of them that surrounded the whirlpool of flame patterns.

Furthermore, on my back was three connected spirals with various jagged spikes and small flames devouring a tree. It was a tattoo that marked me as the Deathwalker.

“Verath!” a small high-pitched voice came from behind me.

I was not surprised by that, because I had already noticed it. My sense for magic and my surroundings had become better in these last 3 months.

“Aqua,” I turned around and said toward the two feet tall fairy. She was an Asrai, a race of small aquatic fairies that lived in the central isolated lake in the furthest of the northern parts of Valian continent, where the Arkanan clan territory was located at.

The fairy with the appearance of a slenderly proportionate young maiden came flying toward my chest, her tiny and delicate wings beating against the air furiously. She collided with my chest, making a soft moan of pain, and dropped the small fruit she was holding.

“Ouchie!” Aqua said loudly to herself before righting herself in a normal flying position. She was now face to face with me and only about two feet away.

“Verath, I brought you a fruit,” she said shyly.

“I can see that,” I said, holding up the small fruit she had dropped. It made Aqua blush even more. She was an extremely clumsy Asrai fairy.

The fruit was pear-shaped and I could have enclosed the entirety of the fruit with an easy grasp in my fist if I chose to.

I quickly ate the small fruit she had brought for me with just one whole bite. “Thanks, it was a sweet taste.”

“Hehehe. You don't need to praise me that much,” Aqua said, batting her long eyelashes demurely.

She was a strange fairy that had grown attached to me after I had saved her from some troublesome monsters in a forest lake. She was also known as The Clumsy One among her other friends.

“Right. My one week break is over now, so this shall be a farewell, Aqua.”

“No!” she said with a firm voice. “Let me come with you. I still need to repay you for saving my life. I shall serve as your temporary caretaker for a while,” Aqua declared.

“I would rather you not,” I said with indifference, yet mixed with some firmness.

“You don't want me?” Aqua asked, tears quickly forming from her aquamarine eyes, which matched the color of her long hair.

I didn't bother to reply and it made Aqua cry out even more. Her tears were now like a stream of water.

“Alright, fine. Just don't be noisy,” I said.

“Yes! I am to be your wife now!” Aqua said with a loud cheer. “Ummm...I mean your temporary caretaker.”

“Yes, yes. I know what you mean,” I said without even thinking.

My thoughts were more occupied with the Dragon's Duel of Dominance I would soon have with Eden.

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“You are flying too fast for me,” Aqua complained. “My wings are delicate, you know. A slight phish and a zwoosh there and I will break.”

Hearing her complaints, I slowed down a little until I matched her pace. Despite her being only two feet tall, Aqua was a pretty fast flier, so we still made good progress toward our destination—the Conclaves of the Arkanan Clan.

The place was a series of relatively flat, enormous mountains. And on these mountains were small lakes, upstream rivers, and dense forests filled with many creatures and animals. It was considered the capital ground and general meeting area for the dragons of our clan, and was located in a vast, hallowed out area between the two central mountains of the series of mountains.

Likewise, for the six other clans, there were also similar capitals.

It was there that I would hold the Dragon's Duel of Dominance with Eden, who had been off training with her broodkeeper for the last three months.

After a few more hours of flying with some short resting periods for Aqua, we soon arrived at the Arkanan's Conclaves.

Our location was the Amphitheater of Dominance, an arena that could easily fit more than a hundred dragons, and still have space leftover for them to roam around. The outer walls and the seats (made for dragon spectators) of the building were built out of a material that looked similar to obsidian. It was a building made for dragons, not humans, so you could only imagine the scale of it. The battlefield inside this building, however, was just solid, earthen ground.

I entered the arena from the sky above, not choosing to use the large entrance in the outer walls of the amphitheater. There was a also second entrance that was located in the inner walls of the amphitheater, which enclosed the battlefield.

The Amphitheater of Dominance was already busy despite the day being only early afternoon. There were many spectators, some in their human forms, but most in their dragon forms. The few ones that were in there human forms were entirely naked; only a few of them were dressed in a full attire, clothing which they had most likely bought from the neighboring races that lived around the territory our clan controlled.

The territory our clan controlled was the size of more than five human kingdoms. It would take months for me to fully explore it, and that was taking into account my flying.

My eyes wandered for a few moment before resting upon a small white-haired girl watching the arena with a bored look.

“Father,” I said, dipping my head down respectfully. I did not bother addressing him as our Astlan Dragon King. Navra, my father, had not liked the title. He much preferred being called Navra or father, if I may be deluded into trusting my judgments.

“It took you long enough, dear Verath,” the white-haired girl replied.

I was unfazed. For others, it may have felt as if a small twelve or so year old girl had suddenly become your father, but to me, I was already used to such things.

“This is such a boring fight, though. They are lacking. It almost makes me doubt that they are already fifteen year old dragons.”

With my dragon eyes, I could clearly see the fight that was taking place down below inside the Amphitheater of Dominance. The battle was between two dragons, one red, and one blue. They were about the same size.

At least, they were the same size, until the red dragon used one of his ability. The used ability almost doubled his size and increased his muscle mass. His eyes also turned a deep red, the pupils shrinking a little.

The red dragon was using Berserk Rage and various other abilities that were granted to him as a red dragon. The blue dragon retaliated by using Acceleration, an ability which enhanced your speed and slightly decreased your weight, though it is not shown outwardly.

It was now an outright battle between speed and strength.

The two dragons, however, did not use magic. They had most likely been born with very little magic capacity. Of course, they would eventually be able to use transformation magic and go into human forms, but that would take centuries. It would take quite a while for their low magic capacities to fully develop.

There were, of course, other ways to transform if one truly wanted to do so.

This was through the magic of the Ancients, magic which was solely unique to our draconic race. Some of the Ancient abilities or magic, you would not even need to have a magic capacity to use them. But those were few in numbers and extremely hard to cultivate.

So in the end? It was better to be born with a magic capacity.

For example, Virdus Incentia and Virdus Glacia.

These were two restrictive Ancient magic. It depended upon the dragon having the required elemental affinity and enough magic reserves.

A few more minutes passed by quickly as I spectated the match. We stood side by side, Navra Bloodseeker and I.

We were a strange pair.

A human soul in the body of a black dragon with two tag-along souls for the mix, and the mysterious king of the dragons, who did not look at all intimidating in the form of a twelve or so year old girl.

The battle ended with the red dragon as the victor.

It had ended when the blue dragon had been finally caught by the Berserk Rage induced red dragon. There were multiple gashes and torn scales on the red dragon, but it was nothing time could not heal. As for the blue dragon, his whole right limb had torn off and blood was pouring out of it steadily. It was enough blood to fill three humans.

The Dragon's Duel of Dominance had established the red dragon's dominance over the blue dragon.

The duel was not so serious as to warrant dealing out killing blows dragons could not heal from. No, the Dragon's Duel of Dominance was only to establish a hierarchy between the dragons. It would categorize you into a rank, the strongest being the Eldest of a clan and second strongest being the Elders of a clan.

Only dragons who have passed their third tribulation could participate in the Amphitheater of Dominance.

Eden and I, however, were the exceptions. No one would go against Navra once a decision was made. He was Astlan dragon king.

And of course, he was peerless in regards to ranking.

He was the strongest and most likely the oldest dragon in the world.

Peerless.