Chương 39: Chapter 38 - A Dragon Named Tiamat

Elias was grateful for the chance to recover and reflect on the experience, to reflect on the wyvern's experience and what it means to be at the mercy of the whims of those more powerful than yourself. The more he dwelt upon the memories and the feelings they evoked, the more he found profound parallels to his own experiences. The fight between her parents and that giant bird was less like a battle and more like a natural disaster.

It's true she's much smaller than I am, but that tree hollow was easily 30 to 40 feet tall, and they blew through it like it was tissue paper. Eli looked down at the slumbering creature in his arms, The explosion that tore me apart was no less powerful. Are we all just fated to be nothing but fodder at the feet of the strong? Eli looked up at Mira, watching her discuss personnel schedules with Astra, wondering what it must be like to contain such power.

Astra and her are always talking about the path to power, as if it's a tangible concept in this world. Was she born this way? Or did walking this path give her such a frightening capacity for violence? They certainly seem to be implying the latter. Eli looked back down at the wyvern, considering the past week's events, the patrol ambushed by slavers, the denizens of this country who were captured and violated, his own demise in a tidal wave of atomic fire.

As these thoughts churned in his mind, the little wyvern let out a small whimper in its sleep. Mira could have saved her if she was there, hell she might have even been able to do something about the attack on the Capitol, certainly more than I could. The faintest beat of drums rumbled deep in his chest, as he stroked the little creature, no, I won't be a victim ever again, if Mira attain such power so can I.

I refuse to be just another statistic, he soothed the creature with wordless noises, if not for myself than for others. Eli looked up at Mira and his gaze drifted over to Astra smiling as she cracked a joke that had Mira rolling her eyes, maybe I have something to lose this time around. The beat in his chest picked up slightly as Eli's resolve firmed in his heart. Astra turned to meet his eyes and give him a smile before turning back to Mira, and the beat slowed settling in his chest once more.

Eli fixed his gaze on the path before him, mind a little more clear, as he prepared himself for whatever may come.

Elias wasn't the only one who benefitted from taking a break, when they stopped for lunch the little wyvern roused from her slumber. Eli sensed a spike of panic rush through her mind that quickly settled once she realized she was not alone. She perked up at the prospect of food, thankfully not gorging herself as she did during breakfast, and she quickly set about making friends around the camp.

Now that Eli could understand her, it turned out the little creature was quite the chatterbox, full of questions about everything around her and excited to learn about the soldiers and their strange and bizarre customs, well at least bizarre to a tiny wyvern. She chirped and chittered away to an enraptured Astra, all while surreptitiously trying to, unsuccessfully, bribe an unflappable Cooper with puppy dog eyes for an extra serving, an interesting question came up.

After finally admitting defeat to the wily and indomitable cook, the ferocious beast was currently on her back in Astra's lap receiving consolation belly rubs." So she doesn't have a name?" Eli shrugged, " Unless her name happens to be Null, I don't think so? At least that was what popped up on the notification during the ritual." Earlier on the ride Mira had coached Eli on how to share messages from the System with others, and Eli flicked a finger in her direction, " Here take a look."

Ding [Entity Null and Entity Elias Mercer both wish to establish a bond of companionship.] Astra looked confused for a moment, " Hmmmm, well the system often uses the term null when there is no information to display at all rather just zero or none."" Maybe her parents died before they could name her? Does she know how old she is?" Many suns? More than I have claws." We call the time when the sun is out daytime, when the stars are out night or daytime, and one full combo of both one day. Does that help?"

Eli was constantly amazed by how smart the creature was. Mira spoke as if she was an infant, but he didn't know of any creature that developed this quickly, she learned eerily fast. The creature thought for a moment before giving a frustrated growl I not know, when I hatched, I was very sleepy, not many thoughts. My mind was not clear, not many thoughts at all until I met the fruitbringer. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Eli rolled his eyes, " I told you my name is Eli, not fruit bringer. Astra brought you some fruit. Does that mean she is also the fruitbringer?" The wyvern trilled in happiness, No silly fruitbringer, she is shiny fruitbringer! Eli laughed looking at Astra, " Apparently you are the shiny fruit bringer." Astra beamed at this, " But seriously I won't know who you are talking about if you don't use names. Also what do you mean you had not many thoughts?" Astra perked up, " Oh I know this one!

One of the advantages of a bond for the bonded creature is increased intelligence! Over time as the level rises and the power of the bond matures, you will both take on certain traits from each other."" You might grow stronger or have denser skin, and she will grow smarter and take on some minor characteristics of your future classes. Although right now, I would be surprised if you gain anything more than a craving for inkfruit."

Eli huffed in amusement, " Glad to know I'm getting something out of this whole deal."" I'm glad I can help you have more thoughts, well since you don't have a name would you like one?" The wyvern pondered it for a second, If you think I should brother-Eli then yes. Eli smiled at the name, " Ok what should we call you then? What kind of name would you like?" The wyvern looked up at Eli, A name from your home-nest brother-Eli, what is the biggest dragon's name?

Eli laughed, " Let's see the biggest dragon from back home? Probably Jörmungandr?"" Supposedly he slept under the sea and was so big that he wrapped around the whole world. He was a boy though, are you sure you want a boy's name?" The wyvern quivered in excitement, Yes yes yes, wait no. I want to be big enough to wrap around the whole world someday! But I am not a boy, how about the biggest girl dragon? Eli thought, racking his brain for old half forgotten myths, before coming up with one." How about Tiamat?

She had three heads, one that breathed fire, another ice, and another poison, and was so strong she destroyed a whole country. She was an evil dragon that killed lots of people though, are you sure you wanted to be named after someone that killed a bunch of people like the bird that killed your parents?" The little wyvern trilled Yes! I will be so strong, I will be able to destroy a whole country! Well maybe not the people, maybe just kill all the nasty evil birds?

It's ok to kill all the evil birds right brother-Eli? Eli laughed at the little excited creature, " No, you can't kill all the birds, but in general yes it's ok to kill birds. All right Tiamat it is." Ding [Congratulations! You have unlocked the general skill [Companion Bond]] Ding [Congratulations! You have learned the general skill [Companion Bond- Tiamat Mercer] Lv 1] I guess we needed to settle on a name to finalize things.

Eli filled Astra in on the conversation as the wyvern chattered on is his head all about her bird genocide plans, and she laughed in delight at the wyvern flared its wings and crowed a tiny roar to the heavens, Death to most of the birds!! Astra waggled a finger at her, " Now now little Tia, birds are tasty you would not want to run out of yummy birds would you? You will leave some for me to snack on too right?" Eli translated for the little dragon, Yes, yes, sister-Astra.

I will leave some tasty birds for the shiny fruitbringer. Maybe. If they don't eat all the tasty fruits. Astra looked up at Eli with a smirk, " Well, that is probably as good as we are going to get."

Elias quickly realized that not only was Tia intelligent and inquisitive, but she also viewed him as a walking encyclopedia, a wyverpedia if you will." That's a fish, some kind of trout I think?"" That's a Bluffback, his name is Julius. He likes potatoes."" That's not a potato."" THAT is a potato."" Also a potato."" A sweet potato, they're not really that sweet. No, I have no idea why they call them that."" Also a potato, they come in a lot of colors.

I have no idea why they have so many potatoes, maybe because they take a long time to go bad?"" Coop, Tia wants to know why you have so many potatoes." Quite a few of the soldiers found the situation amusing, and somewhere between the fifth and sixth potato question Astra was laughing so hard that she almost fell out of her saddle, even Mira cracked a small smile at little Tia's antics.

Eli could feel the stress and fear slowly draining from the little wyvern's mind as it slowly came to terms with its new situation, one of safety and security." Mr Mercer? Attend us for a moment if you please?" Eli looked up a crate in the supply wagon being towed behind the war wagons, and spotted Mira waving him over as she and Astra were receiving a report from one the scouts. Eli realized it was probably time to call a halt to his impromptu vocabulary session and hopped down.

Some of the refugees had been taking turns dismounting and walking alongside the wagons to stretch their legs and get some fresh air, a couple of the younger women and one of the older men had stopped to chat with Eli, the little wyverns escapades making one of the few sources of entertainment as the patrol whiled away the afternoon in travel. After making the appropriate polite noises to disengage, Eli made his way up to the front, slowly wondering if something was a miss.

Astra had given a few quiet orders, and soldiers were rounding up the loose refugees, bundling them back into the wagons before battening down the hatches.

"Is everything all right, Mira?" Eli asked as he approached, reassured by the confident expressions on the women, even if Astra did look a touch nervous. Mira nodded, " Quite so, Mr. Mercer, a fine afternoon all told. We are in for a bit of excitement shortly, and while I wanted to suspend your training plan for the day, this should be quite illuminating."

She gestured to Eli and Tia before patting the side of her mount, " Lady Emberholdt should have the situation well in hand, but this should allow for a few demonstrations that will help with tomorrow's lesson." The wind shifted and as a breeze drifted east from the deeper forest Eli caught a whiff of a metallic scent with an acrid undertone drifting on the air, something like pennies and old sweat? A tiny paw tapped Eli's chest, Brother-eli, I smell blood, is everything ok?

Mira smiled, glancing quickly to ensure she was out of earshot of the soldiers, " Very good little one, and yes little Tia all is well." Her gaze rose to Eli, " We are not quite sure if they were being suppressed by the bandit or if they were drawn by the scent of the slaughter, but we appear to have attracted the attention of a goblin horde."