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Writer's Guild / KURO: A Dragon Lord's Son
« on: January 14, 2020, 09:09:54 PM »
I decided to take a stab at an Isekai story. This was an unusual attempt for me in that it's my first genuine attempt at a first-person, present-tense story. I am not used to writing this way as it goes against my nature of writing a story, so there was a challenge there.
"KURO: A Dragon Lord's Son" is a story about a human who is reincarnated as the son of an evil Dragon Lord who wants nothing more than to sire a son to become his right-hand in his world conquest and eventual successor. Named Kuroginryuu, or "Kuro", he is trained relentlessly to become the evil dragon his new father desires. However, he is not a bad person and would much rather become a hero instead, or at the very least a carefree dragon if that is out of the question. Torn between his desires and instincts, what will his fate be? Will he fight back against his father or join him?
FA Link: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/34611194/
If you want to read the story in its original format, I've attached it.
------
KURO: A Dragon Lord's Son
An Isekai Written By: AiraFox
Chapter 1
It was hot. I couldn't breathe. My body was covered in what felt like sweat, but I lacked the room to even wipe my brow. My elbows kept banging into what felt like a plastic container on all sides. If this was some kind of prank, I wanted out! Now! It felt like my vision would fade at any moment, but given I couldn't even see what was in front of my face, I couldn't exactly say that I was even conscious at the moment.
*CRACK*
I heard it just then. A distinct crack around my right elbow. That was my chance! The more I pushed my elbow around it, the more I felt the surface of this blasted container crumbling around it. There was a cool sensation swirling around my elbow now. Freedom! Now was my chance!
"Push!" I told myself. "Push! PUSH!" Finally my arm was free. Just great! NOW my legs had finally broken through the wall in front of me. It would have been great it they got through before my arm, because now it just felt weird. But I don't have time to be picky about it. My right arm and my legs are free. As the greater surface began to crack, I attempted to wiggle my left arm closer to the wall while grabbing the edge of the cracked surface with my right hand. How crumbly it felt now was odd, like a hollow loaf of french bread, though a bit harder.
I could do this! Now... puuuuuuush! "Gwaaaaaah!"
Finally, I was free! Though I immediately began to wish I hadn't been. It seemed the container blocked my sense of smell because a mix of sulfur and afterbirth amplified a thousandfold hit me. I barely had time to wretch as my eyes lock forward. Instinctively I scooted my butt back a bit against a pillowed surface as I gazed forward as the sight of a massive creature.
Standing at least 6 meters tall in a room as large as church cathedral was what I could only describe as a dragon. At least I thought it was a dragon. Nothing like the dragons I've seen in games and movies; its shape was too humanoid. As it leaned its long neck forward, I got a better look. The dragon's snout certainly resembled that of a typical dragon, but instead of scales it was covered in thin black fur. Piercing yellow eyes gaze over my form, staring into the depths of my soul. The fear I was experiencing was overwhelming, thoughts of "Is he going to eat me?" raced through my brain. Yet, despite my desire to piss my pants right then, nothing in my body was telling me to run away. I wasn't sure if I was just too scared to run or if it was something else.
"Bring me an Appraisal Eye!" the dragon spoke, his voice a deep rumble that echoed through the chamber. Only now did I see a red-scaled lizard walking upright behind him, wearing what seemed to be a black robe. Was that a kobold? It had to be! It looks like what I've seen in games. Who knew D&D got something like that right! As the kobold shuffled around for whatever the dragon requested, I could take my time better examining the dragon now that his attention didn't seem to be focused on me.
He was standing upright like a human, longer arms crossed with each finger tipped with a sharp claw. His upper torso seemed to be sporting a black cloth armor with red buttons and tassels, though if not for those, the outfit might be lost on his fur. Thick pads adorned with a large jewel on each sat upon his shoulders, sticking outward like some fancy royal. I assumed that armor was originally supposed to cover more of him, but he had a small, yet noticeable pudge protruding from his mid section that I am assuming he was lacking something more fitting. He was not wearing any type of leg wear, but fortunately nothing appears to be showing between his legs or I thought I'd be rightly scarred given I was sitting eye-level at his crotch. As for why, it's because his he was basically sitting on his legs. Powerful haunches, that's the best way I could describe them. Curious to get a look at his feet, I leaned forward to peek beyond the pillow I was sitting on. Leaning on my hands, I was able to see that his right foot was very unusual, like a human's foot with only three toes and immensely sharp talons. I thought it was raised up like a digitgrade appendage.
"Hmmm?"
Oh no! My movement had caught the beast's attention. His eyes once again narrowed upon body, slit pupils shrinking to become rounder. He flashed a grin my way, showing his razor-sharp pearly whites. Did dragons brush their teeth? They glimmered enough that it sure seemed that way.
"My boy's eager to get up, eh? Patience." he said to me.
My boy? That was a strange thing to call me. Suddenly it dawned upon me to actually look down at my hand. A human hand with a missing finger, dull claws stuck out from the end of each digit. I flexed my fingers to see if this was really my hand. It was covered in an incredibly thin layer of silver fur, yet it was so clumped together it felt as hard as scales. Panic once again set in as I began to feel and glance over my body. Unlike the dragon in front of me, the front of my body was a dull, faded silver, but an uneven pattern caused a diagonal line up my chest where the black of the dragon seemed to come in. The lower part of my legs and feet were also black.
No no no! I thought over and over again. This can't be real! Slowly, I turned my head around, peeking over my left shoulder. A thick tail, thicker near the base, reached out and curls around the pillow; it had to be half the length of my body. Now it all made sense. The container trapping me was an egg! I turned my head back around, stunned and at a loss for words. My eyes wouldn't stop shaking and my jaw hung agape, but despite my internal screaming I didn't appear to be making a sound.
It's okay! I just had to think back a moment, remember what happened.
My name is (blank)... That's odd! I couldn't seem to recall my own name. How does one forget their own name?! Don't panic, I just have think! I was a 20 year-old human. Good! I remember that much. I had just finished my final class of the day at (blank) University! Dammit! Another name I can't remember. It is as if someone applied White-Out to my brain! Whatever... I just have to keep remembering... My final class for the day had just ended. It wasn't a hard class, an electoral mythology class I took just for the credits. I admit I've always loved dragons and minotaurs and stuff, so I thought it would be cool. Unfortunately, it was more discussing the impact and meaning of stories from the past. Come to think of it, being a dragon would be pretty cool if I had been given the chance to do this on my own terms.
Anyway, back to what I was supposed to be thinking about. Class ran late and it had gotten dark. I walked back to my dorm same as I always had in the past. The area was pretty safe and I was a fairly fit individual, so I never felt as risk for anything. As I approached the crosswalk to head to my dormitory, I... That's where it all went blank! I remembered hearing voices about that time, but everything else was a blur. Was I hit by a car? Did someone stab or shoot me? Did I faint due to the million other things that can happen to a human body? Did I die? Am I alive now and just dreaming?
This seemed too real to be a dream. Wait! Could it be...?
Don't tell me I've been reincarnated! Like one of those anime series or novels that seem to be plaguing every outlet of the internet and manga sections of stores? Those were real?! I admit... I've enjoyed my fair share of them. Some of them are pretty interesting, but many feel like they're just trying to cash in on a fad. Well if I really did die in such a lame way, I guess I couldn't criticize anyone.
The kobold finally returned carrying with him what seemed like a clear sapphire glass. Even I could see through it. The dragon delicately picked up the sapphire between his claws, small symbols I couldn't make out light up the edges. The dragon noticed my interest in the thing.
"This, little one? This is an Appraisal Eye, one of the tools created by humans," he began explaining, though I don't think he was convinced I would understand what he was saying based on how belittling his voice sounded. It sounded a bit like he just wanted to hear himself talk. Strangely, I kind of wanted to hear him talk as well. "It's easy to measure one's strength based on appearance, but magic is another matter. A spell is the same strength no matter who casts it, but how does one measure how strong a particular spell is without using it? How strong is it? How much of a person's energy does it use? A spell was developed for just such an occasion, but that wastes energy and is only temporary. Those humans are quite crafty and infused their magic in a tool that, when used, displays everything you need to know about a particular spell as long as you understand the ancient writings of the gods!"
As he spoke to me, I couldn't help but admire just how full of himself he sounded. It's amazing how he was speaking as if he had something to do with all of it, even though I was pretty sure he did not. He seemed like he was trying to convince me or at least himself of that. Oops! I was so lost in my analysis of his speech patterns that I almost stopped paying attention to his explanation. I missed the greater details of what he was saying!
"And so in addition to told us about spells, it works on items and even living creatures, though it is fallible. Using an Appraisal Eye too many times can cause it to overload and break, and given how rare these stones are, we prefer not to waste them."
So from the parts I did hear, I could guess that the stone can be used to display the strength and abilities of anyone or anything like the stat screen in an RPG. Now this is really sounding like an anime! What's next? Am I going to embark on a quest to save the world? I guess that would be pretty cool.
The dragon had finally finished speaking and it was holding the stone up to his right right eye, focusing on me. I could only imagine what it said.
"Rank B. Magical Molecules are at around 10,000." He sounded disappointed. "I guess I couldn't ask for much more than that from a child. But he is MY son! With how many females I had to go through to get a single egg, I was certain he'd be more."
"Lord Jathir!" the kobold stammered, trying to appease what I presumed was his dragonic master. "You should be proud! Even among your glorious kind, it's extremely rare for a child to be born with a rank greater than C, is it not?" He kept bowing to the dragon. "Is it not BECAUSE he was YOUR son that he has a rank of B?"
They kept mentioning rank B. Was that bad? Good? The kobold seemed impressed, but the dragon claiming to be my father was acting like I was a failure.
"I suppooooooose..." Yep, he was definitely ashamed of me already. I opened my mouth to demand he stop talking about me in such a way, but the only sound that came past my lips was an almost inaudible "Arrr?"
Now I was the one disappointed in me! I covered my face in embarrassment. If this was one of those stories, I'd be closer to my age, capable of speech and everything. This was not the case, so I guess I was just reincarnated in some unrelated manner. Maybe it wasn't like that after all. Still, regardless of my own physical limitations, my body was screaming at me to not let him get away with disrespecting me. I had a 3.7 GPA in my school. I was not stupid!
I attempted to stand. Bad move on my part. My legs lacked the strength to hold my body up, and these wings on my back were too dinky to support to my weight to fall backward. I fell forward. The pillow sliped from under my foot and I tumbled over the pedestal. Not good! My eyes darted to my right to see that the dragon and kobold were still talking. They hadn't even noticed that I was falling. What am I going to do? I did the first thing that came to my mind.
I screamed.
Less of a scream, it was more of a mix between a cry and a roar. In the blink of an eye, four hands appeared beneath me. Not only the kobold that was talking to my supposed dad, but two others had dove onto the scene to cushion my fall. At least one of them, a green-colored one, had fallen over completely. I was saved! I sighed with relief, tears dripping subconsciously from my tiny form. As I wiped away the hazy liquid, I could better see my saviors. The irises of each of them were glowing dimly, zoned-out expressions slathered across each of their faces. I glanced toward the dragon to see a wide grin spread across his face.
"THAT'S MY BOY!" Jathir smirked, finally sounding pleased with something. He held up the stone to his eye again. My Magical Molecules had dropped to about 9,400, but it did not concern my father. "Imperatus Will," I heard him mutter. "Seems to be a lot like my Merciless Will."
As the kobolds regained sense of themselves, they seemed to be completely aware of their actions. "What happened?" the red kobold from before asked, holding me up toward the ceiling. "I'm glad we saved him, but my body just moved on its own there."
I was wondering the same thing myself. What did just happen there? Why were their eyes glowing?
"He seems to have been bestowed an 'Ability'. Just like me," Jathir revealed. Before I could wonder what he meant by that, he gave the answer. "Imperatus Will. It's a power once held by one of my ancestors. Anyone weaker than the individual has their will temporarily overwritten by the user. It works much better on lizardfolk like you."
"Then..." the green-scaled kobold began to say.
"Precisely! He Is definitely MY child!" bellowed Jathir. "It's just like my Ability, 'Merciless Will!' Although it would seem he can't yet activate it on his own." He threw his right arm form, causing a cape I didn't notice before to flap behind him. "Kuro! That's his name! The black and silver dragon, Kuroginryuu, who will become my right-hand! My legacy!"
So now he was giving me a name? Seeing how I couldn't remember my own name, I guess I couldn't complain. But was it Kuro? Or Kuroginryuu? If I was stuck between the two, I think I'd have prefered Kuro. It's far less of a mouthful. I felt like I'd bite my own tongue trying to say my own name if it's the latter. Still... I wished I could've remembered my real name. Now the only thing swimming around my head was the name Kuro and Kuroginryuu.
My name is Kuro! I suddenly thought to myself without intending to.
...I hated myself then. Don't tell me... Was my own name just overwritten! What other things did this reincarnation thing take from me?!
Jathir finally reached over to apprehend me from his minion. The cold touch of the kobold's hand around my waist were replaced with a welcoming warmth from the dragon's touch beneath my armpits. He adjusted my position so that as he bent his left arm, I was able to sit upon it. Instinctively I clung to his body to keep my balance. It's so strange that this dragon I feared only moments ago now provided me with a sense of security I did not have before. Every shaking muscle in my body had stilled. I... didn't want to let go.
"As soon as he's able to walk, we'll begin his training," Jathnir announced to the room. Turning around, I could see that the room was filled with various individuals, ranging from more lizardfolk to even humans. At least, they might've been humans. It was hard to tell from my position. This dragon sure was making a big deal out of my birth-hatching... whatever. No matter what you call it, he was making it into quite the spectacle.
"Valka!" Jathir roared loudly. It's the first time his voice was enough to cause the kobolds around him to shudder, though I couldn't be certain whether it was out of fear or respect of his commanding voice.
A figure at the front of the crowd made itself known. This one was a lizardman like the other kobolds, but something about them seemed different. Their shape was noticeably different from a kobold, instead looking more like a cross between a salamander and an alligator. Their scales were a deep albino color, though with the amount of red scars across their face and arms I wouldn't have blamed anyone for thinking otherwise. If I had taken an educated guess, I would've surmised that their color made them stand out, resulting in a lot of fights. Their entire upper and lower body was clad in armor crafted from some kind of combination of iron and ruby. It seemed to blend with the scars on their body, making for a good look.
"Yes, Lord Jathir!" the lizardman spoke, her voice gruff, but hiding a tenderness behind it. Her buff appearance and voice together made it seem like she was the kind of person who would beat you to a pulp for bumping into her, but apologize to you after. She knelt down on one knee and bowed her head to Jathir.
"General, I expect you'll be ready to add his physical training to your regime within the next 10 days?" Jathir asked her, though his question seemed to be more of a command than anything.
"Of course, my lord!" responded the female lizardman, keeping her head low and eyes closed. "I am honored you would consider me worthy to oversee his training." I could tell that she was hiding a giddiness behind her words. And if I could see that much, I was positive that Jathir could too. "This actually works perfectly. The newest recruits are set to begin in 3 days. It'll give him far more opponents to improve against."
"Perfect," Jathir replied with a satisfied nod, but it was clear that Valka couldn't see that.
I had been so engrossed in the conversation that details of it were only hitting me then. Ten days?! Never mind walking by that time, that I felt I might be able to do, but being able and ready to train? With HER? Something like that?! I felt ready to faint, unintentionally clinging closer against my father. Again I found myself calling him that. The more I do so, the more I felt I might start to believe it. Even if my mind refused it, my body seemed convinced of its blood bond.
So this is how it begins. This is my life as a dragon. Where others might imagine the awesomeness of terrorizing kingdoms, hoarding gold and treasure, or bestowing wisdom upon mortal races, I'm about to have the will to live beaten of my body shortly after my rebirth. Whatever god is in charge of my story must be laughing their ass off somewhere.
"KURO: A Dragon Lord's Son" is a story about a human who is reincarnated as the son of an evil Dragon Lord who wants nothing more than to sire a son to become his right-hand in his world conquest and eventual successor. Named Kuroginryuu, or "Kuro", he is trained relentlessly to become the evil dragon his new father desires. However, he is not a bad person and would much rather become a hero instead, or at the very least a carefree dragon if that is out of the question. Torn between his desires and instincts, what will his fate be? Will he fight back against his father or join him?
FA Link: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/34611194/
If you want to read the story in its original format, I've attached it.
------
KURO: A Dragon Lord's Son
An Isekai Written By: AiraFox
Chapter 1
It was hot. I couldn't breathe. My body was covered in what felt like sweat, but I lacked the room to even wipe my brow. My elbows kept banging into what felt like a plastic container on all sides. If this was some kind of prank, I wanted out! Now! It felt like my vision would fade at any moment, but given I couldn't even see what was in front of my face, I couldn't exactly say that I was even conscious at the moment.
*CRACK*
I heard it just then. A distinct crack around my right elbow. That was my chance! The more I pushed my elbow around it, the more I felt the surface of this blasted container crumbling around it. There was a cool sensation swirling around my elbow now. Freedom! Now was my chance!
"Push!" I told myself. "Push! PUSH!" Finally my arm was free. Just great! NOW my legs had finally broken through the wall in front of me. It would have been great it they got through before my arm, because now it just felt weird. But I don't have time to be picky about it. My right arm and my legs are free. As the greater surface began to crack, I attempted to wiggle my left arm closer to the wall while grabbing the edge of the cracked surface with my right hand. How crumbly it felt now was odd, like a hollow loaf of french bread, though a bit harder.
I could do this! Now... puuuuuuush! "Gwaaaaaah!"
Finally, I was free! Though I immediately began to wish I hadn't been. It seemed the container blocked my sense of smell because a mix of sulfur and afterbirth amplified a thousandfold hit me. I barely had time to wretch as my eyes lock forward. Instinctively I scooted my butt back a bit against a pillowed surface as I gazed forward as the sight of a massive creature.
Standing at least 6 meters tall in a room as large as church cathedral was what I could only describe as a dragon. At least I thought it was a dragon. Nothing like the dragons I've seen in games and movies; its shape was too humanoid. As it leaned its long neck forward, I got a better look. The dragon's snout certainly resembled that of a typical dragon, but instead of scales it was covered in thin black fur. Piercing yellow eyes gaze over my form, staring into the depths of my soul. The fear I was experiencing was overwhelming, thoughts of "Is he going to eat me?" raced through my brain. Yet, despite my desire to piss my pants right then, nothing in my body was telling me to run away. I wasn't sure if I was just too scared to run or if it was something else.
"Bring me an Appraisal Eye!" the dragon spoke, his voice a deep rumble that echoed through the chamber. Only now did I see a red-scaled lizard walking upright behind him, wearing what seemed to be a black robe. Was that a kobold? It had to be! It looks like what I've seen in games. Who knew D&D got something like that right! As the kobold shuffled around for whatever the dragon requested, I could take my time better examining the dragon now that his attention didn't seem to be focused on me.
He was standing upright like a human, longer arms crossed with each finger tipped with a sharp claw. His upper torso seemed to be sporting a black cloth armor with red buttons and tassels, though if not for those, the outfit might be lost on his fur. Thick pads adorned with a large jewel on each sat upon his shoulders, sticking outward like some fancy royal. I assumed that armor was originally supposed to cover more of him, but he had a small, yet noticeable pudge protruding from his mid section that I am assuming he was lacking something more fitting. He was not wearing any type of leg wear, but fortunately nothing appears to be showing between his legs or I thought I'd be rightly scarred given I was sitting eye-level at his crotch. As for why, it's because his he was basically sitting on his legs. Powerful haunches, that's the best way I could describe them. Curious to get a look at his feet, I leaned forward to peek beyond the pillow I was sitting on. Leaning on my hands, I was able to see that his right foot was very unusual, like a human's foot with only three toes and immensely sharp talons. I thought it was raised up like a digitgrade appendage.
"Hmmm?"
Oh no! My movement had caught the beast's attention. His eyes once again narrowed upon body, slit pupils shrinking to become rounder. He flashed a grin my way, showing his razor-sharp pearly whites. Did dragons brush their teeth? They glimmered enough that it sure seemed that way.
"My boy's eager to get up, eh? Patience." he said to me.
My boy? That was a strange thing to call me. Suddenly it dawned upon me to actually look down at my hand. A human hand with a missing finger, dull claws stuck out from the end of each digit. I flexed my fingers to see if this was really my hand. It was covered in an incredibly thin layer of silver fur, yet it was so clumped together it felt as hard as scales. Panic once again set in as I began to feel and glance over my body. Unlike the dragon in front of me, the front of my body was a dull, faded silver, but an uneven pattern caused a diagonal line up my chest where the black of the dragon seemed to come in. The lower part of my legs and feet were also black.
No no no! I thought over and over again. This can't be real! Slowly, I turned my head around, peeking over my left shoulder. A thick tail, thicker near the base, reached out and curls around the pillow; it had to be half the length of my body. Now it all made sense. The container trapping me was an egg! I turned my head back around, stunned and at a loss for words. My eyes wouldn't stop shaking and my jaw hung agape, but despite my internal screaming I didn't appear to be making a sound.
It's okay! I just had to think back a moment, remember what happened.
My name is (blank)... That's odd! I couldn't seem to recall my own name. How does one forget their own name?! Don't panic, I just have think! I was a 20 year-old human. Good! I remember that much. I had just finished my final class of the day at (blank) University! Dammit! Another name I can't remember. It is as if someone applied White-Out to my brain! Whatever... I just have to keep remembering... My final class for the day had just ended. It wasn't a hard class, an electoral mythology class I took just for the credits. I admit I've always loved dragons and minotaurs and stuff, so I thought it would be cool. Unfortunately, it was more discussing the impact and meaning of stories from the past. Come to think of it, being a dragon would be pretty cool if I had been given the chance to do this on my own terms.
Anyway, back to what I was supposed to be thinking about. Class ran late and it had gotten dark. I walked back to my dorm same as I always had in the past. The area was pretty safe and I was a fairly fit individual, so I never felt as risk for anything. As I approached the crosswalk to head to my dormitory, I... That's where it all went blank! I remembered hearing voices about that time, but everything else was a blur. Was I hit by a car? Did someone stab or shoot me? Did I faint due to the million other things that can happen to a human body? Did I die? Am I alive now and just dreaming?
This seemed too real to be a dream. Wait! Could it be...?
Don't tell me I've been reincarnated! Like one of those anime series or novels that seem to be plaguing every outlet of the internet and manga sections of stores? Those were real?! I admit... I've enjoyed my fair share of them. Some of them are pretty interesting, but many feel like they're just trying to cash in on a fad. Well if I really did die in such a lame way, I guess I couldn't criticize anyone.
The kobold finally returned carrying with him what seemed like a clear sapphire glass. Even I could see through it. The dragon delicately picked up the sapphire between his claws, small symbols I couldn't make out light up the edges. The dragon noticed my interest in the thing.
"This, little one? This is an Appraisal Eye, one of the tools created by humans," he began explaining, though I don't think he was convinced I would understand what he was saying based on how belittling his voice sounded. It sounded a bit like he just wanted to hear himself talk. Strangely, I kind of wanted to hear him talk as well. "It's easy to measure one's strength based on appearance, but magic is another matter. A spell is the same strength no matter who casts it, but how does one measure how strong a particular spell is without using it? How strong is it? How much of a person's energy does it use? A spell was developed for just such an occasion, but that wastes energy and is only temporary. Those humans are quite crafty and infused their magic in a tool that, when used, displays everything you need to know about a particular spell as long as you understand the ancient writings of the gods!"
As he spoke to me, I couldn't help but admire just how full of himself he sounded. It's amazing how he was speaking as if he had something to do with all of it, even though I was pretty sure he did not. He seemed like he was trying to convince me or at least himself of that. Oops! I was so lost in my analysis of his speech patterns that I almost stopped paying attention to his explanation. I missed the greater details of what he was saying!
"And so in addition to told us about spells, it works on items and even living creatures, though it is fallible. Using an Appraisal Eye too many times can cause it to overload and break, and given how rare these stones are, we prefer not to waste them."
So from the parts I did hear, I could guess that the stone can be used to display the strength and abilities of anyone or anything like the stat screen in an RPG. Now this is really sounding like an anime! What's next? Am I going to embark on a quest to save the world? I guess that would be pretty cool.
The dragon had finally finished speaking and it was holding the stone up to his right right eye, focusing on me. I could only imagine what it said.
"Rank B. Magical Molecules are at around 10,000." He sounded disappointed. "I guess I couldn't ask for much more than that from a child. But he is MY son! With how many females I had to go through to get a single egg, I was certain he'd be more."
"Lord Jathir!" the kobold stammered, trying to appease what I presumed was his dragonic master. "You should be proud! Even among your glorious kind, it's extremely rare for a child to be born with a rank greater than C, is it not?" He kept bowing to the dragon. "Is it not BECAUSE he was YOUR son that he has a rank of B?"
They kept mentioning rank B. Was that bad? Good? The kobold seemed impressed, but the dragon claiming to be my father was acting like I was a failure.
"I suppooooooose..." Yep, he was definitely ashamed of me already. I opened my mouth to demand he stop talking about me in such a way, but the only sound that came past my lips was an almost inaudible "Arrr?"
Now I was the one disappointed in me! I covered my face in embarrassment. If this was one of those stories, I'd be closer to my age, capable of speech and everything. This was not the case, so I guess I was just reincarnated in some unrelated manner. Maybe it wasn't like that after all. Still, regardless of my own physical limitations, my body was screaming at me to not let him get away with disrespecting me. I had a 3.7 GPA in my school. I was not stupid!
I attempted to stand. Bad move on my part. My legs lacked the strength to hold my body up, and these wings on my back were too dinky to support to my weight to fall backward. I fell forward. The pillow sliped from under my foot and I tumbled over the pedestal. Not good! My eyes darted to my right to see that the dragon and kobold were still talking. They hadn't even noticed that I was falling. What am I going to do? I did the first thing that came to my mind.
I screamed.
Less of a scream, it was more of a mix between a cry and a roar. In the blink of an eye, four hands appeared beneath me. Not only the kobold that was talking to my supposed dad, but two others had dove onto the scene to cushion my fall. At least one of them, a green-colored one, had fallen over completely. I was saved! I sighed with relief, tears dripping subconsciously from my tiny form. As I wiped away the hazy liquid, I could better see my saviors. The irises of each of them were glowing dimly, zoned-out expressions slathered across each of their faces. I glanced toward the dragon to see a wide grin spread across his face.
"THAT'S MY BOY!" Jathir smirked, finally sounding pleased with something. He held up the stone to his eye again. My Magical Molecules had dropped to about 9,400, but it did not concern my father. "Imperatus Will," I heard him mutter. "Seems to be a lot like my Merciless Will."
As the kobolds regained sense of themselves, they seemed to be completely aware of their actions. "What happened?" the red kobold from before asked, holding me up toward the ceiling. "I'm glad we saved him, but my body just moved on its own there."
I was wondering the same thing myself. What did just happen there? Why were their eyes glowing?
"He seems to have been bestowed an 'Ability'. Just like me," Jathir revealed. Before I could wonder what he meant by that, he gave the answer. "Imperatus Will. It's a power once held by one of my ancestors. Anyone weaker than the individual has their will temporarily overwritten by the user. It works much better on lizardfolk like you."
"Then..." the green-scaled kobold began to say.
"Precisely! He Is definitely MY child!" bellowed Jathir. "It's just like my Ability, 'Merciless Will!' Although it would seem he can't yet activate it on his own." He threw his right arm form, causing a cape I didn't notice before to flap behind him. "Kuro! That's his name! The black and silver dragon, Kuroginryuu, who will become my right-hand! My legacy!"
So now he was giving me a name? Seeing how I couldn't remember my own name, I guess I couldn't complain. But was it Kuro? Or Kuroginryuu? If I was stuck between the two, I think I'd have prefered Kuro. It's far less of a mouthful. I felt like I'd bite my own tongue trying to say my own name if it's the latter. Still... I wished I could've remembered my real name. Now the only thing swimming around my head was the name Kuro and Kuroginryuu.
My name is Kuro! I suddenly thought to myself without intending to.
...I hated myself then. Don't tell me... Was my own name just overwritten! What other things did this reincarnation thing take from me?!
Jathir finally reached over to apprehend me from his minion. The cold touch of the kobold's hand around my waist were replaced with a welcoming warmth from the dragon's touch beneath my armpits. He adjusted my position so that as he bent his left arm, I was able to sit upon it. Instinctively I clung to his body to keep my balance. It's so strange that this dragon I feared only moments ago now provided me with a sense of security I did not have before. Every shaking muscle in my body had stilled. I... didn't want to let go.
"As soon as he's able to walk, we'll begin his training," Jathnir announced to the room. Turning around, I could see that the room was filled with various individuals, ranging from more lizardfolk to even humans. At least, they might've been humans. It was hard to tell from my position. This dragon sure was making a big deal out of my birth-hatching... whatever. No matter what you call it, he was making it into quite the spectacle.
"Valka!" Jathir roared loudly. It's the first time his voice was enough to cause the kobolds around him to shudder, though I couldn't be certain whether it was out of fear or respect of his commanding voice.
A figure at the front of the crowd made itself known. This one was a lizardman like the other kobolds, but something about them seemed different. Their shape was noticeably different from a kobold, instead looking more like a cross between a salamander and an alligator. Their scales were a deep albino color, though with the amount of red scars across their face and arms I wouldn't have blamed anyone for thinking otherwise. If I had taken an educated guess, I would've surmised that their color made them stand out, resulting in a lot of fights. Their entire upper and lower body was clad in armor crafted from some kind of combination of iron and ruby. It seemed to blend with the scars on their body, making for a good look.
"Yes, Lord Jathir!" the lizardman spoke, her voice gruff, but hiding a tenderness behind it. Her buff appearance and voice together made it seem like she was the kind of person who would beat you to a pulp for bumping into her, but apologize to you after. She knelt down on one knee and bowed her head to Jathir.
"General, I expect you'll be ready to add his physical training to your regime within the next 10 days?" Jathir asked her, though his question seemed to be more of a command than anything.
"Of course, my lord!" responded the female lizardman, keeping her head low and eyes closed. "I am honored you would consider me worthy to oversee his training." I could tell that she was hiding a giddiness behind her words. And if I could see that much, I was positive that Jathir could too. "This actually works perfectly. The newest recruits are set to begin in 3 days. It'll give him far more opponents to improve against."
"Perfect," Jathir replied with a satisfied nod, but it was clear that Valka couldn't see that.
I had been so engrossed in the conversation that details of it were only hitting me then. Ten days?! Never mind walking by that time, that I felt I might be able to do, but being able and ready to train? With HER? Something like that?! I felt ready to faint, unintentionally clinging closer against my father. Again I found myself calling him that. The more I do so, the more I felt I might start to believe it. Even if my mind refused it, my body seemed convinced of its blood bond.
So this is how it begins. This is my life as a dragon. Where others might imagine the awesomeness of terrorizing kingdoms, hoarding gold and treasure, or bestowing wisdom upon mortal races, I'm about to have the will to live beaten of my body shortly after my rebirth. Whatever god is in charge of my story must be laughing their ass off somewhere.