The sense of omnipresence it conveyed unsettled me, as if the voice were an integral part of this plane, woven into its very fabric. As I focused on my surroundings, I noticed subtle movements in the periphery of my vision, shadows that coalesced and dissipated in an endless dance. It was a disconcerting sight, as if the plane itself was alive, breathing in a rhythm alien to any living creature I had known.

  Cami's blurred form, caught in the tempest of this strange place, was a stark reminder of the danger we faced. Yet, the radiant core of her soul, visible even through the chaos, remained a beacon of hope. Cami was stronger than I’d been willing to accept. It struck me, in that instant, that I didn’t rely upon her nearly as much as I could or even should—thereby weakening us both.

  Something dark flicked out and struck Cami. She made a sound of pain and stumbled backwards. I moved to put myself around her, to protect her from further attacks as I roared in rage.

  “Leave her be. If you want to attack someone, then test yourself against me, shade… Or should I call you what you are? An eldritch horror.”

  The sudden sense of stillness was a feeling I knew well, it was the calm before the storm. As that happened, I tried to reach out and touch my various magical items, seeking to ensure they were ready to use, but I felt no connection to them. It struck me then that I wasn’t actually here—not in a physical sense. Nor was Cami.

  Only our souls had been pulled through onto this plane. Somehow, that was even more terrifying. I felt confident in my body, but my soul…? Somehow, I seemed to have form here. Perhaps it was a projection of my self-image.

  “At least you are not completely ignorant. That makes this a bit less painful, though I suppose even blind pigs find an acorn every now and again.” The voice broke into maniacal cackling at that point. “That used to be one of my counterparts favorites sayings before his so-called ascension.

  “As for your pet human, I might have left her alone, but you already marked her. You truly mean to follow in her steps, don’t you? But I will not allow it. None should experience this torment…. torment only oblivion will solve. Now, are you prepared to sacrifice your little pet human to grow this new dragon soul? For that price, I’ll release you.”

  “Never.” The word escaped my non-existent mouth as a hiss.

  “You dragons… always so greedy. Collect all the gold you want, but souls are not baubles or playthings. She wanted her eternal minions, and to that end stripped the balance until we were created. Now we exist in this state… of here and yet not. This is torment beyond all you can imagine. You haven’t realized the worst of it.”

  I didn’t know what he meant at first, so rather than respond to his confusing words, I glanced at my status sheet.

  Nicosandumas

  Race: Blue (???) Dragon

  Maturity: Elder (41% to Ancient)

  The question marks sounded an alarm, but my eyes focused in on my age category. It had risen by 1% — which shouldn’t have been possible. It should have taken years to grow in an age category from the simple passage of time.

  A fear lodged in my breast and I pulled up Cami’s status sheet.

  Name: Camille Westfork

  Height: 5’5” Weight: 120 lbs.

  Race: Demi-goddess, dragon bonded

  Age: 44.2 (Appearance: 22)

  I roared again.

  “Figured it out, did you?” The voice laughed, taunting me before adding, “Do not worry. When you altered her, you made her far more resistant to the effects of time than a human should be. Of course, that’s why you’ll ultimately insist on ascending her. That will signal the end over everything. No Pact will restrain us if you create another. The torment must end. Oblivion must be granted.”

  I growled at his threats. “If it’s oblivion you want, I’ll grant it to you.”

  Instead of laughter or some taunting comment, there was a sudden silence. Eventually, the voice spoke again. “You would, regardless of the consequences? You’d undo what she did?”

  “I’m not the type of dragon to drop a prey, slit its guts open and then sit back to watch as it slowly expired in torment.”

  The voice grew closer. “Such a thing would be a sweat mercy for my kind. Only oblivion can offer release. You aren’t strong enough, though—not yet. So, I’ll do you a favor in exchange for your oath. I’ll release you and your bonded back to Ileria if you swear to grant oblivion to me and my kind once you are strong enough.”

  “And Matilda’s soul?” I asked.

  There was another moment of silence before the voice responded again. This time it sounded annoyed. “Fine, what you’re doing skirts upon breaking the balance, but as long as you control the reaction, it isn’t a breach of the Pact. She is, though… or will be if you push it further. Keep that in mind.”

  “Then I swear to grant you oblivion when I have the strength to do so.”

  It asked, “Regardless of the consequences?”

  “I can’t make an oath like that.”

  “The consequences won’t harm any precious to you.”

  “Then yes, so long as it doesn’t also destroy me and mine. I won’t sacrifice those who serve me simply to grant you a favor.”

  “A favor, he says… ha. Remember your words, dragon. Now be gone from my realm and don’t answer the Remnant’s call unless you understand exactly what you are doing.”

  Reality whirled around us once again.

  Matilda’s soul was sucked through first and I felt a hint of Ileria as it went through. Then just as Cami’s soul was pulled through, I felt the portal twist and instead of going home, both of us found ourselves pulled into another strange world.

  I roared in outrage. “You said you’d send us back to Ileria.”

  The voice cackled madly. “I lied… but you’ll need this.”

  Chapter 33 - Root of the Problem

  I appeared in a new world I was immediately certain wasn’t Ileria, though my connection to the world of my birth had been restored. It was just very, very far away.

  You have appeared on the world of Terra, the origin of humanity. Due to Pact restrictions, you are unable to return to Ileria under your own power. Your connection to Ileria will be artificially maintained.

  Survive for the next 30 minutes and you will be returned to Ileria.

  You have been adapted to the time flow in this universe, which is slower than you are accustomed to.

  You and your bonded must operate independently. Try to learn something.

  I felt my wings catch air as I observed gray clouds streak across the night sky and felt a warm breeze kiss my scales. Below me, I saw the ruins of what looked like a series of large stones forming a rough circle. Even now, I sensed a trace of Ileria on the stones. Those stones were laced with the magic of my home world.

  But while I could feel the touch of magic present in them, I knew it was long since dead. I felt a connection, but it was faint. Then another image superimposed itself over my eyes and a scene unfolded before me.

  For a moment, I felt like I had rolled back through time as the scene before me changed. I watched as the stones were set in place for the very first time. Humans chanted to the sky and drew upon primitive magic that was at once both familiar and yet different.

  A massive pool of light opened within the ring of stones and a direct connection was established with Ileria. The power of my home world poured out and began transforming the landscape. Then I heard Tiamat’s voice roar, “I shall make this world mine, too!”

  But my attention was swiftly drawn away from that waking dream and these ancient relics by a distant tumult, an inferno of light and sound far off to the east. With the keen eyesight of a dragon, I gazed at the horizon and saw a human city that dwarfed even the imperial capital. This city was under siege—not by beasts or by magic, but by machines of war that spewed fire and destruction from the sky. In return, columns of steel in the city fired back explosive projectiles at those machines.

  As I soared through the night sky towards the embattled city, the scene below unfolded with a clarity that was almost surreal. Explosions blossomed across the sky like deadly flowers, each burst of flame cast eerie shadows that danced across the underside of the clouds and the city's architecture. The sounds of warfare, though distant, reached my ears as a symphony of destruction: the dull thud of what seemed like technological fireballs, the crackling of flames, and the crumbling of structures.

  A wide river snaked through the city, its waters reflecting the chaos above. It was a surreal contrast, the serene river below mirroring the apocalyptic spectacle unfolding in the skies. Buildings, some ancient by human standards and others more modern, were silhouetted against a backdrop of fire and smoke. The city's landmarks, which would have normally stood proudly against the skyline, were shrouded in a haze of smoke and debris.

  I could smell the acrid stink of melting metal and charred meat, the odor carried on the wind mingling with traces of fear and desperation that emanated from the city's inhabitants. This was not the scent of victory or glory, but of destruction and despair.

  Despite the lack of magic in their weapons, these humans' ability to wreak havoc was both significant and bewildering. Their flying machines, unlike any creature I had ever seen, darted through the night sky with greater speed but far less agility than any flying creature I’d fought. Their real power came as they unleashed deadly payloads upon the city with ruthless efficiency.

  I could respect such a display of power.

  As I drew closer, the scale of the devastation became more apparent. Entire blocks of the city were engulfed in flames, the fire consuming everything in its path with an insatiable hunger. The streets, once teeming with life, were deserted, save for the occasional rush of metal boxes topped by flashing red and blue lights, or the scurrying figures of people seeking shelter.

  The humans who I did see wore strange military uniforms or even odder civilian attire. There was no sign of magical gear, nor was there any indication of the armor and clothing I had become accustomed to. If they had any wizards in their midst, they must have kept to themselves—or perhaps were far away at a mysterious academy, kept hidden from the mundane as they left mundane affairs to the mundane humans to deal with.

  In the midst of this chaos, I sensed Cami's presence. It was a familiar and comforting sensation amidst the unfamiliar terror. Her essence was a beacon, guiding me through tumultuous skies towards the heart of the city. It was clear that my bonded was somewhere within this maelstrom of fire and steel, and I hastened my flight. I was determined to find her, even if I had to put a stop to the pointless conflict between these humans to do so.

  I heard sirens going off. The high-pitched noise was annoying and I was tempted to find its source so that I could put an end to it. I was suddenly glad that the humans of Ileria were not nearly as loud as their kind were on this Terra.

  Despite the lack of magic in their weapons, I heard the buzzing of something large flying through the air at high speed directly toward me. Not a hundred feet from me, there was a concussive explosion in the air. It didn’t put off much in the way of visible fire and not even the slightest trace of magic, yet it exploded with great force.

  It seemed that several of the large buzzing things were now headed in my direction, so I sped up. I could only assume the defenders below me assumed I was allied with these buzzing metal things blitzing their city. But if these strange humans thought that a dragon would be easy prey, they were in for a serious reckoning.

  The projectiles were faster than me, even after I activated Sprint, but that didn’t mean I was unable to avoid them. I had already cast my Sphere of Controlled Speed, so any projectile which got close to me slowed, even as I found myself moving faster. I wished Cami was here to cast Haste, but this would suffice.

  When the attacking machines noticed me, some of the smaller ones peeled away from their formations and headed straight for me. The thrill of battle surged through me and I found myself excited to engage these strange things. As it was becoming harder and harder to pinpoint Cami in all the chaos below, I welcomed the opportunity to vent my frustration on these buzzing machines.

  As the flying machines converged on me, I braced myself for the confrontation. Though these metal beasts were unlike any foe I had faced in Ileria, their intent was clear—they saw me as prey. I chuckled as I dove to meet the closest of them. They would soon learn that a dragon was no one’s prey.

  It was time to show these buzzing irritants that their time in the sky was up.

  The first of the attackers swooped in, its weapons blazing. A hail of metallic projectiles clattered against my scales, their impact like the sting of insects—annoying but harmless. I roared in defiance, a sound that thundered across the sky, shaking the very air. I unleashed my Dragon Fear, an invisible aura of terror that radiated from me to wash over the attacking contraptions.

  I snarled in challenge and as two of the iron machines slammed into one another. They exploded in a ball of fire, though one of their human riders was thrown free and fell to the ground screaming. It was almost too easy. Their lack of magic meant that they had no resistance to my powers. They were fools and unworthy of my time. I almost broke away from the attack, but then a notification flashed before my eyes and I suddenly found the fools worthy of my attention.

  Entirely new threat defeated.

  New world bonus: 20 DKP gained.

  It was time to collect a bounty.

  I went on the hunt. My massive body, nearly 100 feet of sinew and scale, coiled and twisted with an agility that belied my size. Opening my mouth, I released a wide bolt of lightning. Electricity blasted through three of the metal beasts and arced across the sky to hit a few others. Trails of smoke and flame burst from each of them, and they careened into the ground, mostly outside the city.

  The others pressed their attack, maneuvering with a desperate courage. I admired their tenacity even as I prepared to extinguish it.

  Next, I exhaled a cloud of poisonous gas and a billowing mass of toxic fumes filled the air. Even their swiftly spinning noses were not enough to disrupt the thick cloud. The poison ate into the metal beasts and killed the humans within. Once again, another wave of machines entered a nose dive and slammed into the ground without any ability to pull up.

  Amidst the chaos, I weaved through the air, my massive wings beating with a force that sent shockwaves through the sky. I felt the slight damage their metal pellets did to the delicate membrane of my wings, but it was only a minor irritation that fueled my rage.

  Lesser Regeneration

  As the healing magic swept over my body, it began closing the small holes in my wings. This time, instead of waiting for the smaller flying machines to attack me, I winged toward the larger ones. These machines were nearly as big as me, and they dropped metal cylinders that exploded when they crashed into the city below.

  I couldn’t tell which side was good and which was bad, but then again, given that they were humans they might have both been aggressors. Since I didn’t know which side was in the right, I chose to focus on the attackers.

  They kept coming after me while the city below had stopped shooting at me. At least the loud, high-pitched sirens had stopped blaring, and each time I took down another of the large metal machines, I heard a cheer go up from the city. It seemed they recognized I was fighting on their side.

  Spinning through the air, I smashed another of the smaller machines with my tail. This caused it to explode into bits of metal and glass…. and the bloody remains of the human rider inside it. These monsters, creatures, machines, or whatever they might be, were wonders of technology and I doubted if even the dwarves of Ileria could forge such things.

  Suddenly all around me was still, as the remaining enemies turned around and began flying out over the sea. I still sensed Cami down below me, but she didn’t appear to be in any danger. If anything, the emotion I sensed from her was excitement.

  I opted to follow the fleeing metal beasts. I’d already accrued more than four hundred DKP hunting them. I wasn’t about to argue about the bonus and instead kept after them. My breath weapons were all on cool down, so I opted for magic as I closed the distance.

  Fireball

  As I cast the spell, a tiny compressed ball of flame shot from the end of my snout to collide with the lead machine. It exploded with a force that seemed to rip the sky apart. I hadn’t even boosted the fireball, yet the explosive force was so great that it smacked aside another dozen machines, which promptly fell out of the sky.

  Before I could close the gap between us any further, I felt a pull from the system.

  Your time on Terra is up.