Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 14

Help a Dragon? And Which One?

Oli was at a loss for words, not wishing to help Brak but also wishing to grab hold of the egg. He did as he was told and entered the cavern while Brak kept Trada from interfering.

It was very dark, with little to no natural light. The good thing was that it was all just one big room, making things very easy to find. On one side there was a mountain of riches, gold, and items that Oli knew nothing about. On the other, there was a bed made from the finest silks Oli had ever felt.

Next to the bed on its little cot, sat the dragon egg. Though the cave was dark, the egg was a shade darker than even the night sky.

He approached carefully like it was his own child that had fallen asleep. Reaching out, he felt the shell’s unique texture. Though it appeared smooth and elegant, the surface of the egg was extremely coarse, able to cut skin on contact. Luckily, Oli’s thick, leathery skin was able to handle it.

Before picking it up, Oli contemplated the situation and how he could get out of there alive.

“Hurry up, boy! I haven’t got all day!” yelled Brak from outside the cave.

Reluctantly, Oli grabbed the egg, which was half of his standing height of two krin and exited the burrowed cave.

Upon his exit, the eyes of both dragons widened. Trada was filled with worry and loss of hope for her child. Brak was anxious to finally get his claws on the coveted dragon egg.

.....

“Good, now bring it to me,” Brak commanded.

“He will do no such thing!” Trada interjected.

“Come little ape, bring me the egg. I will take you on as my personal disciple and help you become a divine beast yourself,” Brak nodded to him as if out of custom. “And don’t worry about her. I guarantee that none of her attacks shall reach you.”

Trada’s heart grieved as she realized how persuasive Brak could be. She knew Brak well enough to not fall for his schemes, but if she simply said that he was lying she would have no proof to show. Such an offer to an insignificant beast was once-in-a-lifetime and never to be missed. She had already begun to accept the death of her child.

Caught off guard with such an offer, Oli naturally considered it. He knew that he may never meet such a powerful expert, let alone be offered to train under them personally.

Of course, he hungered for strength and growth, but then he thought of Brak’s nature and attitude. Oli knew that such a person couldn’t be trusted.

“Training under you personally would be an honor,” Oli bowed humbly, showing respect similar to that of a master or higher power.

Brak smiled and was about to ask again for the egg when Oli continued, “But I must decline. You may be able to protect me from her, but who would then protect me from you?”

“What did you say?” Brak’s eyes lit up, as if on fire.

“If you can be so treacherous as to eat your offspring, how can I guarantee that someone so weak and insignificant like me won’t just be stepped on after you’re done with me?”

“Why, you brat?! Just die then!” Brak’s mouth burst into flames, about to spew plumes of fire towards Oli. But Brak froze when he saw that Oli was unshaken and remained standing there with the egg.

“What’s wrong? I thought you were going to kill me; did you change your mind?” Oli poked and prodded the dragon with his words as Trada chuckled to herself. “Or can you just not bring yourself to destroy the egg after all? If that’s the case let me know when the two of you figure out your power struggle. In the meantime, I’ll take this egg out of range to keep it safe for you.” Oli bowed his head and began his trek back to the troop.”

“Stop right there! Or you die!” Brak’s fury neared eruption. “Where do you think you’re going!?”

“If you want to kill me, then do so right now, this instant,” Oli’s calm countenance baffled both dragons. “Like I thought, all bark and no bite. So much for being a divine beast, more like a divine coward who can only bark orders to scare people into submission. Oh, and come find me later Trada.”

Brak finally made his move for Oli but Trada was quick to intercept. She blocked his every move with superior speed, leaving him frustrated. His only hope in getting the egg now was to defeat Trada and track down Oli afterward.

“You asked for this Trada, so don’t blame me.”

“If you weren’t so greedy, we would never be in this situation in the first place. No matter what you say, you are the true cause of this,” she was determined to stall, focusing on parrying each strike and never attacking. “Even if you do defeat me, I’ll make sure that my egg has escaped your grasp.”

“Foolish woman!” Brak began using his full strength, knowing that his razor-sharp scales would eventually destroy his defenses.

“Ha, you’re just mad that you got outsmarted by a child,” she wasn’t strong enough to physically attack him, so she attacked his ego instead. Brak didn’t respond and only attacked more ferociously, hoping to defeat her all the faster.