-25 days after meeting Shaila. Morning in the Ragefire estate.

Nefiru's POV-

I'm vaguely aware of being dreaming at the moment...it's a dark place where no walls or floor can be seen, and the only light source is coming from a rectangular window suspended within the darkness.

It feels as if I've been alone in that place for an eternity...no, there's two of us, though the other presence doesn't communicate much, we just wait for someone else to arrive. I determined while letting the hazy dream unfold in a state almost entirely conscious similar to lucid dreams in the past.

I can't change it like a lucid dream...it vanishes when I try, so it must be a memory leftover from a previous lifetime. I observe the brief experience that has appeared only a few times in the past twenty-four days after meeting Shaila with hopes of discovering new clues.

The bright window now shows a baby girl being born...her parents are young but they already have two other children who are watching in the room with some other people. She was born a little frail, with blue hair and green eyes...curious of the world around, didn't cry much but sometimes giggled herself tired and falls asleep easily.

So far, so good...she is loved, and even the two other kids spoil her, but her mother wants nothing to do with diapers...as expected of Nobles. I commented as if nodding in my head while watching the scene change.

It's always entertaining watching a cute girl grow up, but without time-skips, this would be torture... I grimace at the thought of watching hundreds of diaper changes. No, someone actually did watch every second of her entire life while waiting in the dark room... was there no other channels on that tv!? I retorted trying not to interrupt the fragmented dream by becoming too conscious.

Years passed, and she grew into a silly little girl who loved playing with the shiny dust particles dancing in the beams of light entering the room from the glass window. While staring at the rising sun, the waist-long blue hair and eyes of the little girl glowed white then remained glossy white after it dimmed out.

Can't tell if she loved light or the dust in the air which should be mostly skin, but...this is the moment of Shaila's awakening huh? I affirmed the awakening of her light affinity and noticed the wry smiles of the family in contrast to the delighted little girl.

After going to school, she received a lot of attention for being the only light magician around, but not for the reasons she thought, then while returning home one day... she was captured by bandits.

To spectate the entire life of a seven-year-old girl, then watch her being raped by two grown men until they almost kill her while being unable to do anything... must have been really frustrating. I sympathize as the spectator a second time while being glad the dream is mostly vague during that time to convey any deep emotions.

A broken girl lies in bed now, and the being we were waiting for, arrived...then after what seemed to be repeated apologies from me, a long discussion took place within the darkness.

It doesn't make any fucking sense for me to apologize when I was the one who waited for who knows how long in the darkness before the life of Shy appeared on the screen! I protest, but before reaching the part where we decide what to do, an impact on the wing covering my head interrupts the flow of images, and my consciousness resurfaces.

Nhgn...sleepy.... What is it now? I sniffed the air for answers while hearing the thin rain impacting my scaly body laying on top of the firewood pile by the corner of the Ragefire estate and within the pleasant smell of rain, Alphonse's scent is found nearby. Doesn't look like an emergency and I'm much too comfortable to move a limb. I determined and went back to analyzing the dream while it's fresh.

I didn't understand much from those vague recollections, and they could be false memories created after hearing Shaila's past, but... I already determined that a gap existed between the time I died in the hospital and the birth at the volcano. Also theorized that a conversation was missing but didn't think so much time was wiped out, and Shaila seems to have been a trigger to remember it. I recalled the distorted conversations with the being we waited for, that sounded like apologies.

The most likely scenario out of that dream would be the third guy another Guardian to help copy my memories then I begged him to reincarnate me on the volcano to find Shaila, but...there wouldn't be a need to apologize to someone I never met before right after their arrival. I deduced the need for more information to arrive at better conclusions.

But to restore memories further will require using electricity to mess with my brain, but that can only be safer at higher ranks... I amit my lack of skill in magic manipulation.

Still, why would I reincarnate myself in a horrible place and risk getting a fancy slave collar around my neck just to find a girl before something else happens to her? I think back to the first time the screen appeared trying to figure out why I decided to peep on her before she was even born, but nothing else comes to mind besides being important and presumably the wolf mate from a past lifetime.

Leaving aside Shaila being that wolf mate, if I decided to watch her whole life means I was analyzing something... perhaps making sure she was trustworthy since souls do experience change. In any case, since no one else shown on that screen, then there must be meaning behind recalling those memories at all. I wonder if perhaps one day all these events would make sense.

I realized how everything had turned out well, despite looking so grave on several occasions and even attempted suicide after my enslavement. From what I see...the collar forced memories on me, but from my awakened my affinities, lightning fixed the problem of my head unable to contain all knowledge, then realized the collar have something valuable inside that makes it work, and I got myself a loyal dog. I picture a wolf Shaila in my mind.

The doggie has been studying indoors because of the rain with a new understanding of the world. Haha... I received instant respect after almost killing her brother with a laser which also got him in a bad mood for days while Shaila saw her affinity in a new light, and hungrily devours any information I provide. That cheating girl! She's almost Rank 5 already... Well, she's known magic arts longer than me, so her magic control is efficient with few leaks and molds magic faster than me. I review Shaila's magic progress.

She helped me train Magic control, and by that...I mean harsh punishments by focusing her awareness where my Spirit leaks by mistake! Spirit clashes suck! They interrupt magic arts with a nasty headache, but the effects depends on the two individuals's intentions, even hidden ones, approaching the realm of subconscious. Basically, a complete acceptance between us means no clash in each other's soul domain, and that's difficult to maintain for just a minute, but at least the clashes outside are less intense. I review my magic practice methods.

Well, I take revenge by using magic inside her body, and fill her stomach with water, or electrocutions that makes her quiver. I remember pranks that earned sermons from Lester.

Every creature has resistance to foreign magic, depending on Rank difference and proximity, but it is easy to produce magic arts since there are already Elementals inside each person. Though, in different quantities, water and electricity are no problem to produce in the human body by just inserting magic energy.

Haha, producing magic inside the body is amazing! I can make water directly in my stomach if I'm thirsty and just keep going like some battery and electricity can influence certain biological processes. I remembered my prolonged walks in the woods in search of game.

I'm not doing bad myself, already Rank 4 since I don't have the problem people have when training with two affinities...which is knowledge, but in my case, the lack of water elementals are the problem most of the time. Since Elementals must be used with creativity to train densities, and there is a limited number, it is required to use both equally well just to Rank up as fast as a person with a single affinity.

I had to Rank up with ambient mana since hunting magical beasts for their mana proved harder than I thought... I think back to my night hunts where weaker Ranked beasts judged when to run away exhausting their precious mana in the process.

I had to run like a chicken dragon from the Higher Ranks than me since they are not weak little humans and the lower Ranks are smart enough to realize a Dragon is not their prey, but even the few I managed to capture was only a few hour's worth of mana gathered. I recall the arduous collection process being like trying to hold a dam with a paper bag.

Well, Magical Beasts have the core to help them, but they can't be mindless, and those of Rank 7 are smarter than a regular human because their soul is at a higher stage, though there are those who become insane after losing control of the elementals. I compare with the cliche of dumb beasts fighting to the death a stronger predator.

It's more comfortable to have Magic and Elementals spread out throughout the body as humans do, but have to gather them in one place before producing magic arts anyway and forcing magic in a hurry makes it unstable at lower ranks. However, it's more convenient to have most of it collected in my Golf Ball size Core before channeling it through my body to produce magic arts.

The core growth mechanism is linked to the control scale of elementals, but I have to be careful since it grows too slow to catch up with my magic progress. I realize than being talented is also a dangerous shortcut.

It was painful to rip apart tissue inside my body to create magic highways from the Core to all my limbs, but the results are certainly worth it since efficiency increased when producing magic arts and distributing the remaining energy to strengthen the appropriate muscles. The review of my progress ends with Alphonse losing his patience.

"WAKE UP!" Yelled Alphonse from below the firewood pile. "You lazy dragon..." He grumbled before the whistling sound of another log comes flying my way.

"GRRRr..." Annoyed by a log thrown at me a second time, I open my eyes and remove the cover of my wing then the rain starts to fall on my scaly head.

Ugh...It was a good nap after hunting all night...until the stupid wooden alarm sounded. I glare at the person soaked from the cold winter rain while powering the collar to communicate since I don't master their language yet.

Mmm, I always loved the rain, but as a water dragon it feels truly comfortable, and water elementals are abundant just as Lester said. I lift my head to look at the gray cloudy sky hiding the rising sun with slowly falling rain.

"Hey, don't growl at me! I thought we had another dead pet to deal with since you didn't move, but I'm okay with that since water dragons taste good." He shrugged visibly bothered by the rain and taunted.

Ten more days until Winter officially starts, but the rain is chilly despite being so close to the equator, and people prefer to stay indoors to avoid getting wet the few sets of clothes in their possession.

The calendar was even made by a lazy person called Alkalis who divided everything by four... I recall how of the 592 days of the year, 148 correspond to each season which further divides into four months of 37 days, and 16 quarters on each day which people call either quarter light for daytime or quarter dark for night.

Hmm... He is also responsible for the world's current name after mapping it, but who gave him the right? Apparently he was well liked when even Liana idolized the dead guy who disappeared before the Dragon massacre hundreds of years ago. I wonder how the individual was recognized.

Well, right now should be the first quarter light or sunrise of the 28th day of last Autumn's quarter and the year 1056. I affirm my calculations using this world's calender.

Ah, this reminds me how it makes sense the long years, shorter days of less than 18 hours and no moon since the world is bigger with stronger gravity than Earth, but I can't tell the difference in my dragon body. I confirm the reason for my confusion while growing up in the wild.

"Yes, I'm sure you taste spicy!" I countered licking my lips. "Seriously, tell me before I make you dance." I threatened while pointing a claw at him.

"...I'll be sure to apply cranky dragon repellent." He chuckled. "Its about the thing you have been waiting for, and no...it's not about the cakes from the capital, so stop drooling." Alphonse responded with his leather armor drenched.

The rain probably delayed the package we ordered from the capital...it's expensive, but after eating some cake at Shaila's birthday a few days ago, I decided to get some since today makes me five months old or 185 days since I was smashed out of my egg. I call to mind the available festivities in this place.

Not everybody celebrates birthdays with extravagant cakes, but Nobles are excluded from the commoner's celebration of surviving day once spring comes since food does become scarce during winter.

I can't tell how cold it is, but it might even be just a cold wave from the polar caps descending to announce winter season. I ponder how the weathet works before getting back on topic.

Still...It seems I'm getting the wrong pastry today. I imagine my brother and sister whom I haven't seen in four months.

"You say that like I'm some insect...nevermind." I shake my head dismissing his tease and turned to look at the volcano. "Minion, report!" I do a mental chuckle asking the darkness user spy the details of the mission assigned to watch over my siblings.

Alphonse helped confirm a misconception of Darkness affinity which is light, but the higher wavelengths above the visible spectrum that earned such a name and it even uses the same elementals as light users. It would seem the light spectrum is too broad for a single affinity to manage and is split in half, with light users having an affinity with the visible part while darkness users handle the radio waves section that program the collars to use certain frequencies on the cerebral cortex.

Even his hair color is not really black, and in Dragon's eye looks weird, like wearing 3D glasses, but people can't differentiate it from black anyway so might as well be. I mentally sigh at the affinity that is forever doomed to be misunderstood.

As for how they can be so different despite using the same elementals probably has something to do with the mark they receive upon awakening and it seems that both types of magicians can eventually do what the other does ranking up high enough. I try to make sense of the steange affinity while wondering if it has other functions I'm not aware of.

Darkness users are capable of stealth from low ranks by changing visible light into one of higher wavelength invisible to the human eye and create a shadow while Shaila can do the same but it's easier just to bend visible light since that's her forte.

Shaila finds it hard to make microwaves while easier to produce ultraviolet... I imagine someone being unable to cheat on a girl who can see seminal fluids.

"...Right." He scowled at me. "Your Green mother left towards the east, and soon after your siblings glided down together into wolf territory to the northwest." He explained pointing to the distance.

They were finally kicked out and then followed their instincts to go where the food came from huh? I think back to the territory where our parents hunted wolves without danger because of their size and rank.

It would have been game over if I glided into wolf territory back then since wolves really hate Dragons because our parents hunt them all the time and it's good the dragon whelps didn't get eaten by Big Red, but at this rate, wolves will get them. I remind myself how lucky us siblings have been despite the harsh environment we were born into.

They might be dragons bigger than a car, but can't breathe fire or have magic to defend themselves from other magic beasts and wolves are used to wear down larger prey. Though they could survive together longer, and they do act like a married couple...not that I'm jealous or anything, but eventually will succumb just like our previous siblings who died in the same manner during past mating seasons. I estimate their chances of survival recalling the different dragons that can produce flammable compounds or electricity without magic.

Firebreath seems like a luxury before awakening affinities, but after learning magic is all about rank and applications.

I think it's inefficient using magic for a normal breath attack, but a freezing breath does look cool, and even my spit can be deadly bullets controlled with water magic. However, lightning magic is terrifying... not just because a person can be carbonized from a simple zap, but because making something like a particle cannon inside my mouth might be possible at higher ranks or even handling antimatter, though with my control right now something like that will just send me to the reincarnation room, a railgun and plasma are feasible. I concluded proudly of my affinity capable of diverse applications.

"Have you thought what to do with them?" Alphonse inquires unable to stand the rain any longer.

"Well... I need them alive, but if they don't obey...then I will eat them before something else does." I declared wondering how they taste or how long it will take to finish them.

Besides training magic in the past twenty-four days, I have also been eating everything I can get my claws on, and Magic has made hunting easier, but my siblings should be bigger than me. I call to mind my growth efforts.

My scaly back already stands at the height of an adult human raising a hand up, a little past two-meters or over seven feet, the claws almost as long as human open palms and the horns over a feet long while fangs are longer than adult fingers in average.

Honestly, I'm big...also need a path as wide as a car to walk now and the wood pile is so small that sleeping over it keeps it dry from the rain, but it is proving harder to grow after awakening affinities. I feel the downside of my efforts to increase my size in a growth sprout that is slowing down once more.

I think I'm growing too fast to get used to my size... my body is heavy and feels clumsy... can't move a limb as quickly as I did in the past. I feel the need for higher rank to strengthen my body further.

"Try not to get between a territorial dispute." Alphonse sternly warns about the change in season.

I nod before jumping out of the estate and start running on the path formed from my strolls in the tall grass while making muddy splashes.

They are dragons who should survive until I get there if lower ranking wolves find them first, but that is their territory, so eventually, more will come. I remember from experience the fast responses from wolves to surround any intruder quickly.