Chương 28: 195. Pride

Golden eyes blinked open, adjusting to the dim light. Valtherion flexed his jaw and licked his lips before inhaling slowly. The air in the nesting room felt stale and was devoid of the mana that had been filling it before his sleep. Val didn't remember it being so dark or small in this room. He groaned, startled by the deep rumble that escaped his throat. When he tried to uncoil his body, he found himself nearly trapped, the tight space severely restricting his movement.

It was so different from where he'd fallen asleep that he wondered if he'd been moved. Mere inches from his face, Val saw something that caused his blood to freeze. All the muscles in his body tightened in anticipation, terrified and confused at how a shadow serpent could have escaped the rift. He wanted to shrink. To move. To fly away. But, no. That wasn't right. Alex told him he would be big and strong... Like a dragon.

Remaining motionless, he calmed his nerves and waited to see if the evil creature would move again. Long, tense moments passed by. After a while, he began to wonder if it left. The longer he waited, the more uncomfortable he grew, and the more he questioned himself. Eventually, his patience wore thin, and just as he was about to attempt to free himself once more, the foul beast revealed itself. Trusting his bond, Val did the one thing he knew would scare it into submission.

"Roar," he whispered. At the same moment, he lunged forward, feeling a new sense of power in his body and jaws. The evil monster wasn't going to be defeated easily, though. Even as he struck and clamped down tight, the snake struck back. Pain flashed through him, and he almost let go. But that's what it wanted. Val had been in battles before. He was no stranger to danger or injury. Big swords, stupid pricks, and creatures with many teeth had tried to hurt him in the past. However, he had always come out on top.

But... that was when Alex was around. Where was his bond now? That was when his Big Brother was around. What would Val do without his healing? Doubt filled the newly evolved amphiptere as the odd scent of the creature filled his nose and the sting of its bite filled his mind. He let out a whimper of pain, only to notice again much deeper the sound was than normal. A reminder that he was no longer the baby he'd once been. Val tensed and bucked, fighting the tight room and the serpent at the same time.

Unexpectedly, the space around him opened up. His body was freed from the cramped area, followed by the horrible sound of falling rocks and rubble. The sounds bothered him less than the pain, and now that he had the space to move, Val copied a trick he'd learned from Nox. Keeping his jaws clamped tightly shut, he rolled on his back, keeping his wings tight to his side as he rolled along his cylindrical body— Only, Val's body was no longer a tube with only his wings to get in the way of a barrel roll.

Muscular hind legs and hip bones were now in the way, causing him to flop awkwardly out of the side of the building. His heavier lower half weighed him down and caused him to fall butt first to the grass. Late afternoon light assaulted his vision and temporarily broke the focus of his life-or-death battle and released the serpent. Blessedly, the creature let go as well, also caught up in the confusion of their short fall and scramble. Recovering quickly, Val reoriented himself.

No longer filled with the desire to pin the snake to the ground, instead wanting to gain space. Val slithered away from where he'd fallen, blinking his eyes rapidly to adjust to the light. Once again, his body didn't function as he'd hoped. New, bulky legs weighed him down and got in the way. Growling and forced to use the things, he pushed forward, digging deep rends in the ground with the force of his new, clawed feet. It was an awkward movement.

His attempt to slide forward on his belly, with his rear end held aloft by powerful legs that tried to propel him forward faster than he could move, made him almost faceplant and skid along the yard with his head down. Worst of all, his wings were then in the way! He moved a few feet just by the force of his new legs, but became tangled in his wings and rolled over twice before coming to a halt. The flurry of movement and escape from confinement left him winded.

Even though he knew it wasn't gracefully done, he'd successfully escaped the evil creature. Scanning the space around him, he saw no signs of the beast. It made sense that it new it was doomed and with a chance to flee, it had retreated into hiding. He'd done it all by himself. That made Val feel better. Cautiously, he craned his head to look over his wing at his tail.

The pain of the shadow serpent's bite still throbbed, but there was minimal blood, and Val thanked his scales for doing such a great job at protecting him. Scales? His eyes went wide as he saw the coloration change in the scales on his body. Not just the scales, his wings too. He lifted up his wings and brought his head around to the front to look at their underside and his belly.

"Valtherion?" Edwin's question came from somewhere nearby. Glancing around again, Val noted that the snake was gone, likely escaped into the nearby woods. Most importantly, however, he realized where he was. He'd fallen from the side of Alex's workshop, judging by its position, the same room he'd been in to begin with. Room got smaller? That didn't seem right to him either. The concerned voice of the butler pulled him from the mystery.

Satisfied that the monster wouldn't come back to harm his bond's favorite humans, Val called out to the old one.

"Edwin," he said, his voice carrying easily. Moments later, the white hair and mustache appeared around the corner, a look of relief and confusion covering it.

"Master Valtherion, there you… are…" Why is the old one so small? Curious, Val lifted his head. That made the old one even smaller.

"This is not right," he said to himself. Val leaned forward and sniffed at the tailored clothes and neat appearance of the white haired one. Did he get a skill to shrink?

"Ah," Edwin said in mild alarm. Val's snout bumped against his stomach, and he breathed out extra hard between sniffs, just to make sure that the scents were moving as he inhaled.

"It is you. Why are you smaller?" Val asked.

"I'm— I'm not smaller. You are much bigger now, Master Valtherion." Edwin said. Humming to himself, Val looked down again as he spread his wings to their full width. The sound reminded him of Alex setting up a tent and made him miss his bond. Either way, it was True. He was bigger. When he looked back at the old one, he saw his skin had gotten lighter as well, almost matching the hair on his head. He was staring at the broken wall, and Val saw his mustache twitch.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to break it."

"Oh? Oh, it's nothing to concern yourself with." Movement from the far corner caught his eye, and Val lowered his long neck, worried that the serpent had returned. Baring his teeth, he let out a fearsome growl. A moment later, Lin stepped around the corner. She, too, had changed. Her short black hair was cut short, and her clothes looked suspiciously like the old one's. She looked like a smaller version of him with a matching vest, pants, and even the shiny chain hanging from their front pocket.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Stay as you are," Edwin said calmly as Val moved forward to do a thorough check of the small Rift-woman.

"You're smaller, too. Very small now." Lin's eyes were wide, and a quick look flashed across her face before she lowered her head and responded.

"I have not gotten smaller, Master Valtherion. Your size has just increased to match your great stature." The prominent brows above his snout drew together, and he wrinkled his nose.

"You sound like Old Goat. Alex says he is weird. Are you weird, Lin?" The woman sputtered for a moment, and Valtherion's keen, golden eyes caught a slight movement from Edwin's face-hair.

"I think it's best if you see your new form, Master Valtherion. Many things may become apparent if you see the transformation you undertook." The two small humans began walking away. He looked after them, confused why they were heading toward the house. Sometimes the other humans were stupid, but he humored them. He started after them, wondering for a moment if stupid could rub off from one human to another.

The odd slithering movement resumed, and frustration built in him as he struggled with the awkward height of the rear legs. When he looked up, both of the humans were watching him. The old one looked unsure and opened his mouth as if to speak, but didn't.

"Uhm. I think you need to try using your wings, too," Lin said.

"It's not time to fly. It's time to walk with you."

"I mean, maybe you could use your wings to walk, too?" She suggested. Val shook his snout and let out a huff of air. Humans were pretty stupid.

"You don't use wings to walk. Use wings to fly." Lin put her hand on her chin and glanced at Edwin. When the older man said nothing, she tried again.

"What about something like this? Your wings are much bigger now, too. I think it might work." She held out two hands, where a grayed-out illusion appeared. It was roughly Val-shaped, and even had awkward back legs. The majestic image leaned back, like when Nox sat on his haunches. Then, as it meant to move forward, it fell just like Val did. The difference came when it caught itself on the bend of its wings, using both like front paws. From there, it took tentative, alternating steps forward. It wasn't right.

That wasn't how Val moved. But it did look more comfortable than when his scales rubbed in the dirt. He looked accusingly down at the new legs he had.

"Okay. I'll try that now." He pushed himself up, tentatively putting pressure on the part of his wing where it seemed to naturally want to fold. There were now small claws there, and a padded section that hadn't ever been before. Val looked suspiciously at Lin. She continued to beam at him as he pushed himself upright, her head turning up with his as he rose above her height. Once in place, he lifted one limb at a time, trying to get used to how it felt to move them.

Edwin and Lin both watched him and waited, but he ignored them, finding the changes to his body fascinating. He realized now what his bond had been saying for so long. Big Bro had shown Val movies of dragons, and it never made sense. Alex said he was a baby dragon, but to Val, they looked nothing alike. Now he could see the resemblance. His muscular legs and chest represented the most significant changes, but even the connection points of his wings had transformed.

His shoulder muscles were now larger and allowed for much greater mobility. Progress was awkward, but they soon made it around the house and stopped near where the black boxes with wheels were kept. Once Val understood where they were going, he focused on his new task. Learning to walk was challenging. But when he overheard the two humans talking about Alex, he grew excited and redoubled his efforts.

"What do you think Alex will say?" Lin asked.

"When in one's service, refer to them as Master followed by their last name."

"Apologies. What will Master Moore say?" Lin adjusted her question.

"I presume he'll be excited. Not just to see his companion once more, but this will surely mean an increase to both of their power. Are you able to scan him? Your Willpower is greater than mine."

"I can't. His—""Cannot. Contractions are for the lazy or important. We speak properly, or not at all."

"Yes, sir." Lin's response was immediate and sincere. Val watched the old one nod in approval and tried to mimic the movement and way of speaking. Cannot. Ca nn ot. He repeated it in his head while pacing. After bumping into a branch, he decided to just focus on walking.

"Not a problem," Edwin said.

"Just from the research Master Moore requested done, it's quite clear that he has become a Wyvern. Remain here. I'll fetch a mirror." The old one excused himself, saying he'd return shortly. Val was still practicing his turns and noting how much his heavier tail altered his movements when Edwin reemerged from the house carrying a large mirror as if it were a piece of cardboard. Val felt his excitement rise. Seeing his transformation the first time had been exciting.

The changes had been large, and Alex said he looked amazing. Oli even said he looked handsome, and Val liked that. The mirror turned to him, and he froze. Only his golden eyes were the same. Rippling, powerful muscles under deep blue scales had replaced the sleek, shimmering blue that had been there before. Turning to the side, he watched his wings and tail move. Overall, his length had become shorter, though his mass thicker, particularly in the section between hip and shoulders.

His chest was wide, and the scales of his underbelly, while still the lightest part of his coloring, had become sturdier. He lifted his head to look at the protective covering he had on his stomach. It wasn't the same as the iron-hard scales covering the rest of him; instead, it was closer to the color of the parchment that his bond loved to scribble on, with linked plates covering his most exposed areas. The feathers that had once covered his shoulders were gone, but it didn't matter. Not as he looked at his head.

Leaning his head forward, Valtherion exclaimed in excitement and stepped closer to the mirror, almost falling over to get a better look.

"Horns," he said with reverence.

"Sir?" Edwin asked. Val coughed and realized how silly he must look to the humans. He straightened and changed the subject to the old one's earlier comment.

"I see why you are smaller now." He strained his memory, thinking through the right way to form the sentences, hoping that his impressive memory and language skills would distract from his behavior.

"You're bigger than the kar." Lin said, pointing at the large black SUV in the nearby garage for emphasis. Edwin nodded in approval. Val looked at the black box on wheels that his bond sometimes rode in, and noticed the difference in size for the first time. The width of his wings, even when folded and maintaining his weight on the ground, was nearly as wide as the vehicle. His back and shoulders were about level with the front see-through section, and if he lifted his head, he was easily twice its height.

A feeling began to rise through his body. It started in his stomach and worked its way up to his chest before traveling to his head. He wasn't sure what it was or what it came from. All he knew was that it made him want to call out and show the rest of the world how powerful he was becoming. Strong enough to stand with his bond. No longer small or weak enough to have to hide and pretend. Something primal rose in his throat as he looked back at his reflection in the small mirror.

He spread his wings and looked up at the sky. The afternoon passed, and puffy clouds drifted by as the sky began to change colors. The urge to join the clouds hit him. He looked at the small humans and said, "I go."

"Wait!" Both of them called. Val didn't heed their warning, only wanting to answer the call of the sky. It suddenly felt like it had been so long since he was in the sky and had felt the drag of air across his scales and the scents of a distant storm on a current. He pumped his wings twice powerfully, though it barely took him a foot from the ground. It wasn't until he thrust off with his hind legs that he shot into the air, leaping higher than the house in the very next thrust.

"Lin, hide him," Edwin said, panic rising in his voice. Val had eyes only for the clouds, though a moment later, he felt something odd against his side. Glancing down as he continued to ascend, he saw a look of confusion on Lin's face at the same time he felt her magic slide off of his scales like water on stone. He had always been good at resisting magic, but Val knew that Lin was strong. But now Val is strong.

The feeling rose once more in his chest, and the sense of belonging and freedom as he gained altitude was unlike anything he'd experienced so far. He wanted to share the experience with Alex, instinctively reaching out through their bond. No response came. Unable to feel where Alex was, Val felt sadness dampen his excitement about the transformation. His wings snapped out and caught an updraft, allowing him to coast through the wet space above the cloud's belly.

Breaking through the area beyond the clouds, into his favorite place in the world, Val felt an unknown feeling overtake him. He was strong. He was a dragon. He would make Alex proud. The last word rang in his head, and there was no doubt in his mind that this was what he was feeling. Pride. His own pride soared with him above the clouds. So full of exuberance that he could no longer hold it in. From his belly, a sound that he'd heard from videos Mark had shown him exploded outward.

It felt natural, and he let loose a roaring that sent a nearby flock of birds squawking and flapping desperately to get away. Coasting on the air, enjoying the smells and feeling against his scales, Val saw the city below poke through a gap in the clouds. Orange and red lights from the setting sun reflected off the glass and water of the New Jersey skyline. Despite his newfound pride, he heeded his bond's warnings about the Safe Zone, banking to the right and beginning to circle back to his home.

The journey back was quick and uneventful, though there was a singular sense that drew him in enough to investigate. A scent to his nose that made his mouth salivate more than anything else could. Mana. The powerful sense of concentrated mana that was different from Alex magic. He stretched his nostrils and inhaled deeply. Power joined the crisp air that filled his lungs and he exhaled with a sense of longing. He flew for some time before coming across the source. Part of him wanted to descend and investigate.

His body felt starved after the time he'd spent sleeping and growing. Growing was hard work. Instead, he returned to the house, eager to share the news with the old one and hear if they could look at it soon. He held in his wings as he plummeted toward the ground. Too late, he remembered… his new body was a lot heavier. Even with the increase in wing span, his size and muscle mass had grown enough that his typically graceful landing ended in a full-speed, crash landing in the back yard of the house. Ow.

Rolling to his shoulder, Val attempted to stand, worried he'd hurt himself.

"Master Valtherion," Lin's voice called. Lifting his head, Val realized that the two humans had seen his descent and were coming to check on him. He stood quickly, stepping out of the small crater with his new wings and shaking left and right as he'd seen the small floppy-eared wolf named Duke do. He looked at the old one as he approached, small flecks of dirt and debris falling around them from his violent shaking.

"Are you all right, sir?" Edwin asked, unsure of how to react.

"Yes," Val said, standing up straight. Ow. He changed the subject to what he'd been excited about before landing.

"I saw a Rift. Can we go?"

"A Rift?" Edwin asked, glancing at Lin. The slight girl looked uncomfortable at the mention of the portal, but Val wasn't sure why.

"I think we should wait until some of the others return, Master Valtherion." Edwin apologized and stepped closer, his eyes scanning over Val's body.

"You must be careful, sir. If Master Moore were to return and you were taken because others had seen you flying, I fret to think what might happen."

"Others see me?" Val asked, confused.

"I tried to attach an illusion to you as you flew away," Lin explained.

"Oh, that?"

"Yes. It was just going to make it so others would have trouble seeing you in the sky."

"Alex taught me that. Like this." Val proudly activated the skill the way that Alex had taught him. His [Create Illusion] was one of the very first that he'd learned to use through persistence and effort. Lin made a slight gasp as was appropriate.

"But I don't like it anymore." Val kept his tone firm and matter-of-fact.

"Why? That was a perfect imitation," she said.

"I don't want to hide anymore. I want to be strong." Both of the humans looked at each other, and Lin recovered first.

"But, uh… what if it's not about hiding?"

"What?"

"What if— what if it's about outsmarting the other humans?" She asked, a light igniting in her eyes as she explained the game.

"What if, instead of hiding from them, you're just fooling them. Taking advantage of their lack of intelligence—" she stuttered as Val's head turned to the side in confusion.

"— as you take advantage of their stupidity? Yes, their stupidity. You could hide yourself and see them, while they couldn't even hope to see you." His head began to nod of its own accord.

"Yes. This is like Alex's game. The curtain game." Lin looked questioningly at Edwin, who nodded in confirmation.

"Precisely, sir. Just like the curtain game. Except, this version becomes even more challenging. Only those powerful enough to compete could hope to participate." Val's head rose.

"I am strong." Both of the small humans looked up at him, smiling and bobbing their heads excitedly.