It was the second day in the large market. Siva, Seth, and Phil came along with me to see what other things we could buy. Don stayed behind to watch over our belongings, but I'm sure that no one is stupid enough to attempt to try to take the cargo, mainly because it was a well-known fact that Beast-kin's strength is powerful than most species.

We walked through the crowded market place, looking for anything else to buy. I couldn't help but excitedly look around for any usual things that could be of use. They were a couple of unique objects that did catch my attention, but none was worth my time. The problem that did start to happen was that the price for Magic Stones has increased.

This made me cringe at the thought of buying the Magic Stone at the double the price. My soul burned, and my haggling skill was in full effect. I used this opportunity to slash down the price, hoping to gain a lot of stone in the short amount of money spent.

I know that I was getting a lot of uncomfortable stares from Siva and Seth, but I ignored them completely. If the price right now continues to rise, I surely would have a hard time buying more in the future.

We continued to walk through the market until I stopped in front of a herbal shop. A common herb that looked like a pile of green hay was being sold in large stacks.

"Is that Grenite Grass?" I asked, squinting my eyes to make sure I was looking at the right thing. Instantly, I realized what it was and the uses for it. I remember reading back in my library the ingredients to making Red Potions.

"Yes." Phil came up beside me and nodded. "They are used to feed the cows if there is no grass. They're not a very popular feed for live stocks."

"I'll buy everything that you have." I flashed with a smile.

The merchant was a young man who looked like he was wearing quite raggedy clothes. I could tell that he was having a hard time selling his products. He stared at me in shock.

"What?" Exclaimed Phil. "I told you, it's a popular livestock feed."

I completely ignored him and continued to point out more herbs. "I also would like Blood Ruby Flowers, Blue Frost Flowers, their seeds, and glasses of bottles, please."

Phil was getting annoyed that I wasn't answering his question or understood why I was buying so many. He still watched, wondering what I would do but didn't ask for any further.

The merchant excitedly smiled at the thought of selling a large number of herbs. "Is that all young, miss?"

"Yes, Please send it outside the city. You'll see a large band of Beast-kin and my people." I directed the merchant as I was going to see what else was at the market. There were possibly more hidden jewels that I could find for future investment and profit. The thought of more gold excited me.

"That would be 36 silver, please. I will throw in a couple of Shamoo Mushrooms because you have bought all my collection."

I handed him the silver from my stash and smiled. "Do you usually gather a large storage of these herbs?"

The merchant nodded. "We are overflowing with them every year. We have to burn them down to control their growth rate."

"I see. If you don't mind, I would like to have a contracted business dealing with you." I couldn't help my excitement in finding a good source. "Do you have something to write on?"

"Yes! I would be truly honored." The merchant hurriedly brought out pen and animal skin. He almost stumbled over his crate of boxes coming back.

I began to write the first draft of the contract, trying to make sure that I wasn't missing out on anything. Phil came over and looked over my shoulder. He pointed out a couple of mistakes, realizing what I was going with this.

"Young miss, what is your name? I go by Reveno." The merchant was rubbing his hands together.

"Berry and the one that was breathing down my back was Phil. The two beast-kin are Seth and Siva."

"Oh, so you were the one who bought the whole Beast-kin slaves yesterday. You caused quite a commotion." Reveno watched me with interest.

"Yea, that was not something that I was trying to do." I signed the animal skin at the end and handed it to him. "Every time you want to sell your products, bring it to the edge of the Forgotten Forest. Look for the marking of a Dragon embedded on a giant slab of stone. It's not hard to miss."

Reveno look down. He was alarmed at the amount of money that he was going to get for each transaction. A sloppy smile erupted on his lips, telling me that he was pleased with what he saw.

"I suggest you start investing in some guards. If you want to hire some of my beast-kin to protect you when you return, I would gladly go into another deal with you." My eyes sparkled, hoping that I could rope him in further. "I'll work with you."

At first, Reveno stared at me skeptically, but when he saw Seth, his whole demeanor changed. He took a good look at Seth, going around him a few times to check.

"I'm not saying you have to pay now. When your transaction is complete, all you need to do is pay for their service when you return. My beast-kin are not just wasted away like the others, but are groom, feed well, and even trained. They are all great fighters." I couldn't help but push the exaggeration a bit about the beast-kin. Especially their fighting capabilities. "Though one guard will cost you three gold as a starting price for two weeks."

Reveno thought it over for a moment. "I'm not so sure. It sounds a bit expensive. The profit I would gain from the interaction with you sounds like a loss for me."

I shook my head. "Our business might not just stop with this today."

Reveno wasn't so sure as he looked at me. I could tell that he was judging me for future profits in his mind.

"Seth will be your first hire free of charge. Try him out when you bring your next batch of herbs."

"Deal," Raveno spoke, like how the first was free of charge.

I had a feeling that he probably thought it would be a one-time thing, but I was sure that was not going to be the case.

I happily took the pen and jotted down more to the contract and even added a couple of lines. With the deal done, I handed Reveno the pen, and he signed both copies. One for me and one for himself.

"Glad to do business with you." I held out my hands for him to shake, then I realized what I was doing. "I'm sorry. I forgot that on this land, that handshake means something more."

"No. I would gladly accept it." Reveno pulled forward and shook my hand before I pulled back. "You do not know how much you have done for my family and me. This handshake is a commitment to the contract we are in." He smiled.

"Thank you." I was delighted. It felt good in helping out someone at the same time in making a profit. "Well then, Reveno, I'll be meeting you again soon."

"Yes. I will be bringing more in the next couple of weeks."

"Perfect." I let go of his hands and begin to move on to the other stalls. I even bought a couple of alchemy sets to use.

"I was wondering..." Seth spoke startlingly. It had been a while since I even heard him speak.

"Yes?"

"Why did you do that? Was it to give us a job?" Seth walked next to me, his tail swishing back and forth. His eyes seem to glare down from me from above, but I could tell that it was more out of curiosity.

"You caught on quickly." I couldn't help but smile, trying to show him the bigger picture. "Having the first guard guarding free to him will show them your potential, don't worry. I'll personally pay you on this. Plus, I'm not going to leave your people to fend for themselves. Having a couple of coins to start is a good thing. With this, you guys will be able to start contracting out your skills under my name. Nobody will be able to touch you." I huffed, pushing my chest up as my hand was on my case, as I proudly stated.

"I can't thank you enough. You have done so much for us in just one day."

"It's nothing. Plus, investing in you guys for the future." I knew that this was going to be a long term project. No way was the profit just magically falling on my lap so quickly.

"I will make sure to pay you back."

"Don't worry too much about it. Really."

I felt a warm tingle of warmth in my heart. An idea spawn on me as giving the Beast-kin a special job as mercenaries for the future. Their build allowed them to be powerful fighters. The town needed a protector, especially when either Phil or I was not there. They could keep everyone safe.

"So, why did you buy all those herbs?" Phil asked. He was walking beside me.

"I was thinking of recreating an old recipe."

"That is?"

"God's Blo-" My mouth was suddenly stopped by Phil's hands."Are you nuts? You should be careful about what you say so loudly!" He hissed. He was looking around, hoping that nobody was listening in.

I pushed back his hands. "You asked."

"Let's get back to camp. We'll talk there."

We cut short on the shopping. It felt like Phil was ready to tear me apart from how serious he looked as we arrived back to the camp. Don saw us, and he ran up towards us.

"Hey guys, someone came by and dropped a huge stack of herbs. Did you guys buy those?" Don asked, pointing towards the pile of bags that were already creating a small mountain.

"Berry did."

"Really? That makes sense. Only you would do that." Don replied, already knowing that I would do some crazy stuff.

"Well then, on to what I was going to make. I'll be busy until dinner." I cheerfully walked up towards the wagon of herbs. My hand plunged into the first bag, taking a large amount as I went to another. I took each one of them with me to the tent.

With a plop, I sat down. Quickly, I placed them out around me, and I started to go to work. My goal was to make a lower level Red Potion. I remember the specific ingredients and procedures I formulate in my mind, allowing me to quickly maneuver around to make what I need. I pulled out the utensils to help me create what I needed.

Phil came in, wondering what I was doing, and he sat down in front of me. I ignored him. For the next couple of hours, I was bent over mixing and creating the red potion in hand. A harsh smell of herbs blossomed out in the tent, making it a bit stuffy to breathe.

Getting up, Phil opened up the tent to air out the smell, but it still lingered around. I did not expect to take so long to make twenty low level Red and Blue Potions.

As time went by, my back began to hurt as I stretched many times. Even my fingers were starting to cramp up.

"You just made God's Blood and Magic," Phil stated flabbergasted. "This is truly astronomical. Do you know how many Light and Earth Elemental Magicians will be fought for after what you have done today?" He picked up the Blue Potions, swishing it in his hand.

"Not completely."

Phil sighed, looking at me as if I was an idiot.

I couldn't help but snort at him as I crossed my arm. "You created God's Blood and Magic, using the most common ingredient known to existence. Not only that, the procedure actually uses both Light and Earth Magic, which I have never seen used in such a way before."

"Let's not call them God's Blood or God's Magic. It's too confusing. From now on, we are going to call it Blue Potion and Red Potion." I replied as God's Blood and Magic sounded like I was eating a part of God.

"Only you would say such things."

I replied, shrugging my shoulders at Phil's response. It wasn't like I created many things. They were all from lost knowledge inside the library that I had kept. I just had a pretty decent memory.

"Plus, this potion is only the low grade. The higher-grade potions actually need more materials. I don't think we'll be able to buy them here at this market." I replied.

"You actually know how to create higher tier God's Bloo- I mean Potions?" Phil was dumbfounded at what I had said.

I slowly nodded, recalling the ingredients and the procedure from the book. I would say it wasn't hard to make at all, but finding the ingredient might be the more difficult part as I have not seen many in the market.

"How is it that you guys don't know how to make these?" I asked. I thought the world was a bit more advanced, but maybe I didn't really understand the current world.

"Only the Bishops keep a tight rein on these artifacts. I doubt they even known how to create it."

"Well, then let's sell it tomorrow then."

"You're kidding me, right?" Phil looked at me if I was crazy.

"No. I used up all the money that I have. Selling this tomorrow will get back the gold coins that I have lost. Plus, this will become another one of our staple products of our Wonder Shop."

Phil groaned in defeat. "I do not like this at all. We already stir up a storm with the lamp lights, now you want to do it with the Potions. This might not be good at all."

"Well, we'll see. I'll make more before I sleep, and we can see how well these prices will go for."

"You already have a set price on them?"

"Yes. Five gold coins."

"That's quite cheap. One would go for over 100 gold coins."

My mouth dropped open in disbelief. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No. When I said that it is rare. I really meant it."

I thought it over and debated on raising the price. I knew I could not raise the price to a hundred gold. That was stupid and counterproductive. "I'll keep it at the same price."

"Are you sure about this?" Phil asked once again.

I was starting to doubt myself as I was getting entrapped by the thought of more gold, but I knew that the long term profit wouldn't be good for business. Plus, I had a monopoly on it, and raising the price, later on, was what I could do

"Yes. My goal is to sell it to the commoners and gain a constant source of profit throughout the months. It's not to sell it to the rich, yet."

"You're going to cause a storm in the market."

"We'll deal with it when the time comes."

"Fine."

"So." I looked at Phil. My eyes sparkled at the thought of having an extra worker.

"What?"

"You're going to help me create more."

Phil went dead silent. I know what I said was a bit too haphazardly, telling a future Demon Lord to do manual labor.

"This is for the Wonder Shop. You're the other owner of it." I stressed the word owner as best as I could. If I were going to use the future Demon King as an employee, I was surely going to exploit him now rather than later. A wicked grin appeared on my lips, which made Phil frown.

In defeat, Phil just shook his head and began helping me out. With two people working on the potion, throughout the majority of the night, we created over fifty potions.

We slept through the morning and woke up in the afternoon. This time, I brought over ten of the strongest Beast-kin that I have for a bodyguard. I knew that this would cause a sensation and did not want to get robbed.

As usual, we set up our shop and spread out our items. This time, the people automatically crowded around the Wonder Shop without announcing our presence. Everyone knew that the wonder shop was being opened for business today, and the thought of buying the so-called light lamps excited them.

"Welcome. Welcome. Welcome to Wonder Shop!" I cheerfully called out to the group with the voice enhancement stone. Phil gave me the job to be the spokesperson this time. I got the feeling that he did not want me to go roaming around the market by myself. I was excited to sell the new product that we created as I dreamed about the thought of an even more giant gold pile that I would bring to my collection back at home.

"We have an exceptional item that is on sale." I sweetly replied. The people were dazed at what I would bring out.

The people crowded closer, noticing the two distinct colors of red and blue potions on the table. Words whispered through the crowd as they wondered if it was God's Blood and God's Magic.

"This is the new product called Red and Blue potion. They are lower grade forms of the actual God's Blood and God's Magic. The effect can close up small injuries."

The voices of the people burst into a frenzy. For such news was considered revolutionary.

"How are you sure that what you are selling is not a counterfeit!" A man pushed forward from the group.

I couldn't help but sigh. They were always one of those people who came out to debunk the product. Without a further second, I jumped off the table and cut him across the cheek with a dagger.

The man shrieked in fright and fell down on his butt. I towered over him, looking down at him coyly. I put away my dagger as I brought out the Red Potion. The beast-kin quickly surrounded me to make sure that people wouldn't start a riot.

"Well, now. We actually have someone willing to test out the product. Is there anyone else?" I asked around, wondering who was brave enough to get slightly injured.

Everyone stepped back, and the man who was on the ground was cowering in fright. Nobody wanted to be in-between the fight between man and me.

"Well, then." I gave him the vial that I had made. My heart hurt a bit as he drank free money away. "Drink up."

"Y-You're not going t-t-to k-kill me, are you?" He reached over cautiously, stopped for a moment before finally grabbing the Potion for himself.

"Hardly. Why would I do that in front of the crowd? If I wanted to do that, I would do it when you sleep." I gave him a mischievous grin. The man gulped in fear. He shakily raised up the Red Potion and took a gulp.

At that moment, a hissing like sound could be heard coming from the man. The man groaned in pain, and he touched his cheeks. Blood seeped through his fingers and down his arm.

"What's happening?"

"Is he poisoned?"

"What's going on?"

The man huffed in a heavy breath and got up shakily. He wiped his cheeks. The cut on his cheek was completely healed. Everyone was shocked by what they saw.

"Ladies and gentlemen. These potions are real and do not affect your health. They are five gold coins each, and we only have fifty right now. You can only buy one potion for today. So step right up!"

I waved my hands towards the booth. People ran towards the booth and were clamoring to buy one. Seth stepped forward and stopped the people from swarming, and the other buff Beast kin stood up to stop the stampede.

Instead, they all line up in orderly fashion. I felt thrilled that it was a success. All fifty red potions were sold quickly. We closed our shop and went back to the camp.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you," Phil asked. He came up next to me as we were putting away the empty boxes that we took out from the carriage. The other Beast-kin ran over to help unload.

"What?" I looked at him, wondering what he meant.

"Cutting his face." He tapped his cheek.

I smugly replied, "Kuhuhuh, you know me too well."

"For a girl, you're quite scary."

"I am not. Not compared to you."

"Me?"

"Yea. You're the one and only de-" I stopped myself. Why did I keep forgetting not to bring up that wretched title? At this rate, he would find out what he is. "Never mind."

"No. No. Please go on ahead. I would like to hear what you have to say."

"Really, I don't have anything else to say. I was just joking. You know, haha..."

"Haha huh?" Phil crossed his arms, not believing a word I said.

"Well, time to make more for tomorrow." I rushed towards the tent. Siva was washing my clothes, she looked up when she heard me coming.

"Berry!" Siva waved me down. Putting the clothes back into the bucket. Another Beast-kin came over to help her out, allowing Siva to walk away and towards me.

"Siva." I stopped in front of her.

"I was wondering if I could spend some time with you."

"Sure. Come on in." I walked in the tent first.

"Isn't this Phil's tent?"

"He won't mind. We share it." I sat down in front of the giant pile of herbs that were on the side.

Siva walked in and sat next to me.

"What is all that?"

"Making Red Potions and Blue Potions."

"Oh! Are you talking about God's Blood and God's Magic? Everyone was talking excitedly about it." She curiously peered over, trying to see what it was. She reached out to grab one of the herbs and sniffed it. Placing it back down, she looked at me with eager eyes.

"Yep. I'm going to make more tomorrow. Plus, I've been storing some of them to take back."

"I was wondering..." Siva nervously said.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if there was anything that I could do to repay you."

"There really isn't anything that I can think of right now."

"Please. You gave Seth and the other men a job. Is there anything that I can do to help out? I don't care if it's for free. You have done so much for us that we can't help but be thankful for what you have done."

"Well..."

"Please!" Siva grabbed my hands, begging me. I couldn't help but be drawn by her cute face and her floppy ears that made her irresistibly charming in her own way. She really did remind me of a cute pomeranian like dog with that expression that she gave.

"Berry. I need to talk with you." Phil came in the tent, followed by Seth. He stopped and stared at what we were doing. "Did I disrupt something here?" He looked at Siva and then back at me.

"No, not at all." I drew away my hands.

Phil came over and sat down. Seth was standing by the entrance and did not want to sit down.

"Are you making more for tomorrow?" Phil asked, taking a handful of herbs.

"Yes." I quickly replied.

"I don't think it's a good idea right now."

"Why not?"

"I just got word that the Bishops have made a move after what happened today."

"That is?"

"We're banned from selling the potions in the city."

"What? Why?"

"They are saying that the Potion is a devil's magic and should not be used. They are trying to take control of the potions that we had created. The Bishops have already taken the potions for themselves."

I couldn't believe what I just heard. To hear that the church had made its move to take from its own people. I spat with disgust.

"Why, those greedy bastards!" I yelled in outrage.

"We should leave the city and head back home. I don't think this is the right time to hang around."

"I agree, but there is one more thing that we got to do," I said, I couldn't let this go. The church was hindering my business, and I needed to make sure I brought the business in some way.

"What is that?"

"Spread the word to where to buy more potions from now on." A mischievous smile erupted on my lips.

"Berry didn't you listen to what I have just said," Phil asked, a bit concerned in what I had in mind.

"Perfectly."

"Then, why? We have other places."

"Because it's business. I want to leave some information behind so they know where to go to buy the potions."

"For some reason, I feel like you're not going to listen."

I smiled. It was true. They were something more that I wanted to do. The whole purpose was not only to bring in customers but more people into the small town in the Forgotten Forest. People who were willing to throw away their old lives and live in a new environment.

"You have that smile again. You're up to something, aren't you."

"Yep." I flatly replied. "First, though, I do need a salesperson from now on in selling the potions at the store I want back at home."

I then turned to Siva, I grabbed her hands. "I'll make sure to pay you for your service. Not only that, but I would also like to begin to hire Beast-kin's to become bodyguards for the Wonder Shop." I look towards Seth, hoping he understood what I was asking for. "I know this will stop you from going back home, but I would appreciate it if anyone is willing to stay."

"It would be my honor." Seth didn't deny that he wanted to leave. He just flat out replied without a second thought.

"You will be paid handsomely for your time."

"Once again, I can't thank you enough," Siva replied in excitement.

"Well then, our final phase for the day is in order."

"What would that be?" Siva asked, confused.

"We're going to advertise our product with a bang."

"You're kidding... right?" Phil asked.

"Hardly. Let's go!" I got up and went outside. Everyone followed, wondering what I would do.

I pulled out a handful of Common Magic Stones. I searched around for a crossbow. Finally, finding one after running around the camp, I modified the cross boy to put a common Magic Stone instead of an arrow. Placing one Common Magic Stone onto the crossbow. I aimed upwards towards the city walls.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to start a war?" Phil asked with concern. He knew what I put in the crossbow could set off a few nasty explosions.

"No. Just watch."

I aimed upwards. "Begin!" I yelled, activating the magic stone. I shot upwards towards the wall. A loud bang of the explosion could be heard, and bright lights exploded outwards like fireworks.

Screams and terror could be heard inside the walls but was shortly outlived. The fireworks spelled out a word starting 'Wonder Shop Magical Store is open at the edge of the Forgotten Forest!'

I shot off another one when the lights faded and continually did it for the next thirty minutes. Different colors of fireworks and words danced up in the dark sky. People came out in awe as they watched the show in the sky.

With the final stone in place, the last shot was grander than the other stones that I had shot up into the air. A continuous explosion of chain reaction fireworks were displayed. The words Wonder Shop Magic Store were morphed into a white dragon as it flew around the sky nonstop. People screamed in horror, thinking that the dragon was back as they tried to hide for cover. It swooped and twirled and finally disappeared into the smoke.

"Now, that's what I call a show." I grinned. Enjoying every minute of it.

Phil was dumbstruck at my actions. Seth was still staring at the sky, hoping for more, while Siva burst out into joy.

"That was spectacular!" Siva shouted, clapping her hands in excitement.

"Why, thank you. I was going to use the fireworks later on, but it did come in handy."

"I don't know what to do with you, Berry." Phil shook his head.

"People will surely remember us now."

"Sure they would. Why wouldn't they?"

"Well then, back to work!" I hurriedly went back to the tent to begin to make more Potions.

"What am I going to do with her." Phil felt helpless.

Siva replied, looking over towards the tent. "Miss Berry is truly amazing."

"Yes, but she's a handful." Phil couldn't deny how much trouble that I went into. It was almost like a habit to get into one every day.

"I am glad that she is our master." Siva didn't care; the only thought that she had was grateful for being saved and set free.

"I believe she wouldn't like you saying that. Instead, call yourself her friend."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Phil smiled and walked back towards the tent.

For the next month, we came back and forth from the town to the city. Selling potions and lights outside the city wall. Every time we entered, I would send off the fireworks to introduce our summoning. People swarmed out of the city in the hopes of buying our items.

Even people traveled to the Forgotten Forest in the hopes of trading. A small hub for trading posts was created in front of the Forgotten Forest, and slowly it turned into a small town. It became a large attraction for people who came far and wide to buy the Potions and even the Lights.

After releasing all the slave collars from the Beast-kin, not a single one left the town and instead came to work under either the mercenary group or the trading post. The majority of the Beast-kin moved into the town and went to the trading post to work.

For some reason, the slave collars were changed into a metal collar with the crest of a Wonder Shop embedded into it. It became a fast-growing trend to the Beast-kin, stating that they worked for the Wonder Shop. Even though they look a bit similar to a slave collar, there was a vast difference. No magic was imbued into the collar that turned them into slaves, and instead, they proudly wore it as if it was a crest of honor.

I didn't know how effective these collars that Siva thought of, but it did keep slave traders from kidnapping or selling them again. Every Beast-kin's body mass was finally brought to their original size, making them more intimidating. This was another contributing factor that kept people at bay.

The Wonder Shop's name was spread out far and wide throughout the land of the Dragon Kingdom and even into the neighboring Kingdom. People came to trade or even in the hopes of buying the Wonder Shop's product.

#####

A deep growl could be heard in the darkness. I glanced up searching for the sound, but to no avail did I find the source.

"Phil? Don? Are you guys here?" I called out, walking alone by myself. I did not like how I was alone. It gave me the creeps wondering what could be out there in the darkness, but I kept walking even still. Sitting here, crying by myself was not going to get me anywhere.

"Siva? Seth? Anyone?" My voice echoed endlessly.

A high-pitched scream that sounded close to a hawk pierced through the darkness, making me shudder in fright. "What is going on?"

I search for any signs of life, but still nothing.

From above, a heavy beating of wings descended downwards and grabbed me by the arms. Sharp claws pierced my soft skin drawing blood. My other hand wildly flailed punching the raptor claws hoping it would let go. The world around me became brighter and brighter, making my surroundings challenging to see.

"Let me go!" With every ounce of strength I had, I pulled one of its claws backward. A painful shrill broke the silence, and let me go. Falling backward, I saw two giant black wings outstretched underneath the sunlight. The head of a hawk and the body of a lion staring down at me in anger.

It dived downwards, trying to get closer to me. I did not feel fear, but instead awe. The monster before me was beautiful. Its black feathers glimmered underneath the moonlight, making it look surreal.

The monster was only a couple of feet away, and I could not help but voice my opinion."So beautiful."

Our gaze matched for a split second. "You!" The voice of the monster shrilled in a fury, but before I could hear the rest, I was shaken awake.

"Berry. Berry. Get up!" Bolting up from my sleep, I look around, confused.

Phil was halfway into his clothes. His bed hair was in complete disarray.

"What's wrong?"

"No time to explain, we need to get out of here now!"

Confused, I quickly put on my clothes and shoes. Entering outside, I saw the beast-kin dismantling the tents, and putting everything away into the wagon.

"Berry!" Siva was running towards me in alarm. Her face was filled with fear. "The day of awakening is here!"

Beast-kin were running around in fright as they hopped into wagons or busily packing things away.

"Awakening? Come again?" I got up, groggily, and confused. Not sure what was going on.

"We need to hide. We need to get away from the city." Siva's voice was in desperation.

"Woah, calm down. What Awakening?"

Siva was already helping out in pitching down the tent and loading things into the wagon. She didn't speak a single word and was in a rush to pack everything away. Everything was packed out so quickly, I was amazed at how fast everybody moved.

"Come on! We don't have much time. Quickly head towards the Forgotten Forest!" Phil ordered everyone to move. He jumped onto the wagon. "Berry, what are you doing? It's not time for you to dilly dally!"

I was immensely confused. I ran over to the wagon, and with the help of Siva, I got on. Siva followed suit and hopped in. Seth was already in the cart, waiting for us to go.

"What about the others? We can't just leave the Beast-kin behind."

"Already ahead of you. Don bought a couple more wagons and horses. They are already on and moving ahead of us. He's leading the group. We're the last ones."

Surprised by the sudden revelation, I didn't realize that Don had come over so quickly.

"Someone needs to explain to me what is going on. It's like every single one of you have your pants on fire right now. Did someone die or something?"

"No," Phil replied sharply, he was on edge.

"Then what?"

"The Beast-kin's children had a vision," Siva spoke. Her eyes seem to get bigger, but her body seems to shrink from fear.

"Wait, what do the kids having vision have to do with anything?"

"The Beast-kin children had foretold the coming of the next legend. It would be today at the time when the sun is at its highest. The sky will be adorned with black clouds and thunder. The Awakening of the great Lion that flies through the sky, bringing with it death and destruction."

"You lost me."

Phil sighed. "Siva explains to her about the Beast-kin's history, will you."

Siva nodded. "The Beast-kin you bought at the Slave markets yesterday had a vision. This is not just any ordinary vision. The Legend of the Black Gryphon is our Beast-kin's history. Our kind has always been known to slay the Great Black Gryphon every time it has been reborn. We knew this day was upon us, and the simultaneous vision that all young Beast-kin had this morning of its Awakening herald dark times."

"So, all children of the Beast-kin just suddenly get this vision at the same time?" I was amazed at the idea that the children were all able to suddenly be able to see the future simultaneously. It was a useful gift.

"Yes, our God has gifted the children the ability to give all Beast-kin a warning on the day of Awakening. When a child grows into an adult, we eventually grow out of this gift, making it impossible to foretell the future. This is why the Beast-Kin's children are prized among our kind."

"That's quite interesting."

"So how many beast-kin kids do we have?" I asked, wondering who I had bought to be freed. Hopping from one city to the next, we destroyed and even tricked quite a handful of slave dealers, which I was proud of. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to say that it was becoming a lot less.

"Seven," Phil spoke. "Every single one of them had the same vision at the same time. Seth confirmed it this morning."

"Okay, if I understand you straight, today is the day the Black Gryphon awakens?" Then it hit me. Just a while ago, while I was sleeping, I too had a dream of a Black Gryphon appearing. What if it was the same dream that all the Beast-kin had? I couldn't help but wonder.

"Yes, all Beast-kin alike are in danger."

"So, that's why we were in such a hurry to pack things away," I said, realizing now how serious this was becoming.

"That's not all; a city will burn in the fire to herald it's coming. It always starts with the hated enemy that killed it. They will go straight to ravage the Beast-kin's city then move to another and another. The Black Gryphon is known to fly around the world and demolish civilizations."

I shuddered just thinking about the amount of destruction they would cause.

"Don't all legendary monsters do that?" I asked. I assumed that all of them would create chaos everywhere they went.

"Yes and no. The most vicious ones are the Dragons and the Gryphons. Their attacks can be frequent as in days, weeks, or months. It all depends on the mood they are in. The following are the Leviathan and the Hydra, which does not destroy things often. They usually space out their attacks in large gaps. The last two the Titan and the phoenix are known to not come out from hiding for a couple of centuries, but things can change."

"So, no city is safe." I looked over my shoulder and saw the human city slowly shrink in size. The horse was being pushed to walk faster than when we came. "But how is the place that we live in any different?"

Phil stared at me strangely at the question that I had stated. "You have to ask?"

"Yes." I didn't see the answer that he could see.

"Think about it; strong monster's mark their territories like a wolf. This keeps certain monsters at bay. We have you." He pointed out, making me think about what he meant. Marking territories wasn't what I ever did. Maybe the barrier around the city might be the cause of it? I wasn't sure.

"Wait, you think this is going to work?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yes." Phil was confident in his answer.

"What is Phil talking about?" Siva asked, confused. She didn't hear the whole conversation, but she looked at me, wondering what I had hidden. She scooted closer to look at us two.

I unconsciously spoke, "He's saying we have a legendary creature ourselves that can protect us all."

"Really!? How?" Siva eyes were full of fear and worry.

This was the typical reaction I would expect. Phil, on the other hand, didn't see it that way.

Phil continued to explain. "There have been records of the legendary monster's bones keeping the awakened Ones at bay that kept a certain city from total annihilation. Think about it, almost half the world in the history book that I had you read all went to war for one thing."

"Bones or pieces of the legendary creature," I spoke right after, instantly realizing what he meant.

"Exactly, wars were fought to obtain the parts from Legendary Monster when they are killed. A piece of their bones is known to keep even small monsters at bay for decades. A whole carcass would keep a city safe for two thousand years, probably even saving them from any catastrophe even if the Legendary monsters end up in front of their doorsteps."

"So you're saying where you live, you have something like that?" Siva's eyes brighten up in interest.

"Something like that." Phil was staring at me, motioning me to play along.

"Yea. We have something like that. Found it out by pure chance." I coughed and nodded.

"Then isn't your village the safest place to be right now?"

"Yes."

"This is wonderful to hear!" Siva said in delight. "Not only you have freed us, but you are allowing us to stay under protection. I can't thank you enough."

"It's not a big deal," I spoke. Honestly, I hoped what Phil had stated was true. If it was not, then we were in big trouble. It sucked. I could barely do anything when I was away from my territory.

"Why did you tell her that?" I leaned over and whispered towards Phil.

"It's the best chance we got. I need to warn grandma and grandpa. Only a Beast-kin can sense the Black Gryphon's awakening."

I couldn't help but feel pressured. If this was true, we all needed to have a countermeasure ready if the Black Gryphon came. I sat up straight, thinking about what I just learned. "Wait it's not the end of the year, how come it awaken so early?"

"I don't know. We are only two weeks away from the new year, but for some reason, it is waking up today. If I had the answer, I would've told you." Phil spoke. He, too, was concerned about how differently the legend was changing.

"This is an ill omen." Siva shook her head side-to-side, her lips and cheeks slightly pinching from nervousness. "Never in history has this happened before."

"No matter, overthinking of it won't do well with our health," I spoke, trying my best to quell everyone's fear. Even still, the tense air did not dissipate.

"Yea, you're right."

We continued towards our destination without a single rest. The sun reached its highest point, and we all glanced around with worry. Our eyes could not leave the sky for the fear that the Black Gryphon might appear before us at any moment. Throughout the day, we rode in silence, straining our ears for any unusual sounds. The Beast-kin were on edge, and it got worse when the sun was slowly sinking into the distance as evening welcomed us.

"Anything?" I asked. I was beginning to stress out from the high tension in the air.

Siva shook her head.

Throughout the day and night, we continued forward in silence. Even Phil was up all night with worry creased on his face. The second day was uneventful, the Beast-kin and the horses were tiring out fast. We took a short break that lasted throughout the night until the morning.

I was busy helping in packing away the supplies when we heard an unusual screech that pierced through the sky.

"What was that?" I turned behind me and looked up into the sky. I was hoping that it wasn't the Gryphon.

A black silhouette flew high up in the air coming in our direction.

"The Black Gryphon!" Screams and panic could be heard from the people.

"Quickly, get into the forest!" Phil shouted, directing everyone.

The horses neighed in fright. People and Beast-kin ran towards the Forgotten Forest in fear.

I could see that the wing creature was getting towards me at a frightening speed. At the rate that we were going, I knew we were going to get caught.

I didn't understand why now? Why was the Black Gryphon coming towards me? My mind went blank, unable to find the answer. Without thinking, I jumped off the wagon; I decided to stay behind.

"Berry?" Phil yelled, he scrambled to grab hold of me but was too late. He grabbed air.

"Go! I'll keep whatever is busy!" I rushed forward.

"Are you out of your mind?" Phil yelled, looking at me with complete bewilderment.

I dashed into the trees, slipping away from the group as my mind raced with adrenaline.

"Kwwakk! Kwak! Kwwakkk!" The screech intensified and grew bolder.

There was no time to wait; at that moment, I shifted. I could feel the bone snapping, my fingers and tones expanding. Even my neck grew long like a whip as fangs of glittering pearl, ready to dig into my enemy. Wings sprouted out from my back, beating out as it picked up dust. Even though I was not in full size, I was at least the size of a school bus because of my restriction. I could not let whatever this creature was to take on my friends.

Bursting through the trees, I inhaled a sharp intake of breath. With a vicious roar, I blew fire at the monster.

A squawk could be heard from the flaming inferno, and upon contact of flames, a black barrier completely shrouds around its body. Not a single flame touched its body. It wasn't until a gust of black wind blew past the monster, making the fire disappear into smokes. A Black Majestic Gryphon appeared from the mists exactly like my dreams. Its golden beak snapped towards me in an attempt to bite off my arm. With a sharp turn, I lashed out with my tail and hit the Gryphon squarely in the face.

The force of the snap caused a crackling sound that made the Gryphon fly downwards into the ground. Like a bullet, the Gryphon flew with such force that a loud bang could be heard, echoing through the lands.

Siva, Seth, and the other Beast-kin turned around to look behind. Their sharp eyes could see the big smoke circling in the sky, creating its own thunder clouds. Claps of lighting followed quickly back.

The dust cleared out, and the Gryphon shot out. A black glow appeared from its mouth, and a beam of black light shot towards me. Alarmed, I swerve towards the side just in the nick of time. The beam barely grazed my shoulders, leaving behind a small streak mark on my white scale. I did not want to think about how bad it would be if the beam had made an impact.

The fear was gone, and my emotions were strangely controlled. I did not know if it was because I was in my dragon form or if it was just me in general. With a sharp swerve to the right, the Gryphon banked towards me with the wing outstretched.

"Enemy!" The Gryphon squawked in a loud voice. He was staring at me with killing intent. I stared back with just as much ferocity as I could muster.

"Bring it bird brain!" I roared. Our claws tangled with one another. It was an aerial battle for dominance, and I could tell that the Gryphon's power was extraordinary. If I was not careful, I was sure that I would lose this battle of strength. I was not in my usual strength and size.

"Kill!"

"Shut it, bird brain!" I snapped at its face.

"I'll eat you!" The Gryphon squawked, twisting in midblock.

"Yea, I can play that game too!" With a snap of my head, I lunged towards its neck. At the last moment, the Gryphon swerved its head. My teeth instead dug into the nape of its shoulder. I could taste the blood gushing through my mouth, and I furiously tore through skin and feathers.

The Gryphon's claws slipped on my scale, creating sparks. Its sharp beaks strike downwards onto my back. I felt a sharp pain as its bill went through one of my scales and into my muscles.

My hands feverishly claw the Gryphon's side as black feathers fell downwards like a comet. With a sharp inhale of my breath, I blew a small burst of fire at its body, which rarely did any damage.

"Die!" The Gryphon pushed me back, causing us to detach from each other. Once again, a jet of black beams shot out towards its mouth. This time the energy made an impact on my chest. Like a drill, I could feel the energy digging into my scales.

With heavy hands, I raised my claws that were engulfed with fire. With a groan, I placed my hands towards the oncoming beam blocking the black energy with my fire energy. Upon contact, electric sparks of red and black erupted around my hands. Engulfing in a deep breath, I sent out a jet of pure blue fire towards the Gryphon.

With a screech, the Gryphon dipped under the fire and twirled. The Gryphon bolted upwards into the sky, and I followed behind its tail. Each burst of air, I shot out fire from my lips. I was not going to let this Gryphon getaway.

Oh no, today was going to be chicken soup day, and the Black Gryphon was on the menu.

We flew and tangled into each other's embrace. During the exchange, we weren't able to harm each other a single time to the point of being severely injured.

Without realizing where we were, we flew far away from the Forgotten Forest. Somehow our aerial battle seemed to zigzag like lightning and ended over a Beast-kin City that I have never seen before. It surprised me when I somehow ended up there, but there was no time to think about what this meant. Already I could hear the shouts of soldiers running up and down the walls. Hysteria could be heard from the people as the citizens ran for cover.

"The Black Gryphon is here!" A soldier shouted in fear.

"Get the crossbows ready!"

"A dragon? A dragon!" They saw me trailing not too far away from the Black Gryphon.

"Lord, save us!"

"Kyahhhhhhhh!"

The Beast-kin soldiers were stationed on the walls, and they aimed upwards.

"Ready! Fire!"

Hundreds of arrows shot upwards into an overarching arch. I blew out flames to stop the oncoming attack. Even still, I had to swivel and swerve out of harm's way. Why of all times did I get tangled with this stupid Black Gryphon? I felt foolish for following the Black Gryphon here.

The Gryphon swerved and shot out a blast of black energy onto the walls. An explosive bang could be heard as a large crater was left behind. Pain, suffering, and death was the constant source of screams as the Black Gryphon swerve and dove towards the soldiers. They were picked up and dropped back downwards on to the ground to their deaths.

On the other hand, I flew upwards, trying to get away from the flying arrows. Not a single arrow impaled through my thick scales and completely bounced off without a single scratch. I flew into the clouds watching everything that was happening below.

A terrifying scream could be heard from the Gryphon's beak. Birds erupted outwards from the trees, and goblins of different varieties that I have never seen before came rushing towards the city like a swarm.

Constant beam of energy shot out of the Gryphon's beak, causing devastation underneath him. Large gaping holes and buildings were demolished in seconds.

"What's going on?" I gaze towards the sudden flood of Goblins. How come I didn't see them before? Stunned at sight before me, the Goblins reached over as far as the eye could see. This rate made me worried that they would enter into the Forgotten Forest and destroy the small town that was built.

The goblins ran towards the broken wall and flooded into the city. Already the fight was becoming chaotic, but even still, the Beast-kin persisted and slew the monsters. I could tell that the goblins were weak, but even still, they completely outnumbered the Beast-kin ten to one. At this rate, the city would become overrun, and the people slaughtered.

Tilting downwards, I saw a tightly formed ranks of goblin around a single goblin. Instinctively, I knew who that goblin was the leader. Diving downwards, I aimed towards the goblin chief.

It was not until the last moment did the goblin chief see me before I crushed him with my weight. My tails flared around me like a wipe throwing the goblins back and killing them.

"Gack!"

"Why are you killing us?" The goblins screamed.

"Kill the monster!"

Really? Me a monster? I huffed out a jet of fire. My claws were forming into large ice crystals. Even more deadly icicles were rapidly forming around me like armor. At the rate that I was forming these icicles, I look similar to a porcupine. Even my tail turned into a deadly spike icicle club.

Bam! Bam! Smash! Squash! Bam!

I felt so alive and powerful squandering the small goblin-like ants. Not a single one of these weapons could harm me. Instead, they were batted around like flies and even killed in one hit. The goblins that were focusing their attacks on the Beast-kin now shifted their gazes towards me.

I jumped around, causing the goblins around me to stumble. Giving this opportunity, I swung my tail and smashed them into the ground. With a pump of my wings, I shot a powerful jet of fire downwards. The goblins that were running towards me to attack were burned alive while the others pulled back in fear of being burned.

With a cackle of laughter, I flew over their heads, causing chaos with fire. Not a single one was able to harm me, and the exhilaration of the battle made my inner animal instincts appear.

"Is that the best you can do?" I roared. The sound of my voices echoed outwards, causing the goblins to draw back in fear. "Do you think you can defeat me?" I dove towards the next Chieftain Goblin and squashed him like a bug.

I felt a sudden cold chill coming from my stomach. The fire that was burning in my stomach was quickly dwindling in strength and was replaced by an ice-cold feel. This time instead of blowing fire, a jet of ice spewed out my mouth. I heard a crackle of ice, crinkling in my mouth like fireworks. Ice quickly froze everything around me and caused the other Goblins to turn into ice.

A flower-like pattern appeared around me, creating an ice barrier. With excitement, I continued to blow out ice, causing large icicles to protrude out of the ground. It impaled the Goblins in half, and they died.

The Beast-kin that were inside their city pushed back the invading Goblins. Everywhere around me was a full out brawl between the goblins and Beast-kin. I caught a glimpse of their power as they bulldozed through the goblin. The effect of having no chieftain to control the goblins had tipped the scales of the battle.

Goblins scattered like roaches when the Beast-Kin pushed through; the Wolf and Tiger Beast-kin tore through the Goblins with their strength. It was like watching one of the animal channels when a predator hunted its prey.

I was so busy blowing jets of ice that I did not see the Black Gryphon come behind me from the sky. Instinct kicked in and pulled back just in time before. I could get shredded by the Gryphon's beak.

"Why?!" The Gryphon screeched.

"Why not? You are eventually going to kill my friends before that happens I will get rid of you now!" I screamed back at this dumb bird.

The Gryphon skidded on the ground and slipped from the ice. This gave me a chance to dive into the Gryphon's exposed chest. I bit down as hard as I could, and I felt warm blood seeped into my mouth again. A sharp pain could be felt from my wings as a large gaping hole was left behind by the Gryphon's claw.

I did not let go and instead dug in deeper. No way was I going to lose from this Battle Royale. My life was on the line, and I was going to make sure to win.

We tumbled on the ground and wrestled for dominance. The power from the Gryphon's claws did not waver a single bit. We rolled and rolled until finally, we hit the ice wall. I snapped towards the Gryphon's neck and clawed at its face. A sudden burst of energy erupted outwards from the Gryphon's body. This time, I flew out backward and into the trees.

What just happened? I shakily got up, confused. Did the Gryphon have such power like that?

Glancing up, I noticed the Gryphon shimmer and shapeshifted into a human male form. Two pairs of black wings appeared from its back, wrapping itself around him like a blanket. He looks like an Angel of Death. I couldn't help but hold in a gasp. Never in my life did I see such a mesmerizing scene before me. It was as if a piece of heaven fell onto land—black energy wrapped around the body of the man and its clothes formed on its body.

Streaks of blood still painted on its shoulders and face, but even still, it made him much more devious and enchanting. Everyone, for a brief moment, stopped to stare. They could not keep their eyes off of the spectacular scene before them. His black wings unfurled behind him, and he slowly opened his golden eyes.

"Why are you here, Dragon." A voice so deep and clear rung out towards the field that everyone turned towards me unconsciously.

"Why would I not bird brain."

"You dare to make a joke of me?" The man hissed. "Do you not know who I am?"

"Not really. All I see is a bird brain whose acting is all high and mighty." I spat. Getting back up, I crouched down, ready to attack when need be.

"I am the Angel of Death, Azazel. This is my time to rule. You shouldn't be awake at this time."

"Well, Mr. Bird Brain. I think you got this all mixed up. This was never my time in the first place, and your unnecessary rampage is one day going to get my friends killed. Before that happens, you're going to die here today." I countered back with gusto.

"Bird Brain?" Azazel cackled with laughter as he threw his head back. The long stream of black hair slipped off his shoulder and onto his back. "You have the nerves to stand up to me?"

"That's a stupid question." I snorted at his remark.

"You have spirit, or should I say foolish courage." Azazel raised his hand towards me and a shot of black energy towards me.

I blew a jet of ice magic towards Azazel's black magic. Upon contact, his magic slowly froze up. Alarmed, Azazel pulled back his attack.

"Not bad, for a lizard."

"I know right, bird brain." I haughtily spoke. Carefully examining the next move, I crept around him like a cat.

Not a single movement between the goblin and the Beast-kin stepped forward. They knew that if they attacked that they would either die from either one of us.

"I don't think you will have much to say. I can tell that you are not even fully grown. Sadly, I will have to snuff out our existence here and now."

Black energy balls formed around him and shot towards me like a bullet. My tail swung forward and hit the first energy ball back. The other two glazed my shoulder and thigh leaving behind a gaping wound. The others I dodged perfectly and shot back icicles crystals that formed around me.

At this rate, the ground battle was not in my favor. Limping in pain, I unfurled my wings to take flight. A black energy ball shot through my wings, causing a shockwave of pain.

"You're going nowhere, lizard."

I hissed in anger. Charging forward, I blew a jet of ice. Azazel dodges effortlessly to the side. His hands raised towards my back, he shot a beam of energy. A chunk of my white scales flew off my body and scattered onto the ground. Alarmed, I rolled over to cover my exposed belly.

Quickly, ice formed around the belly, covering it from any attack. My claws slashed forward and missed. With an overarching kick, Azazel pinned my hand onto the ground. The weight of his small body compared to my hands did not compare to his strength. I was shocked by how strong Azazel was now than when he was in his beast form.

"If I were you, I would stay down." Azazel peered down towards me with a wide grin.

"Never!" I spat a torrent of small icicles on his face. He was not able to dodge every single one of them and had cuts all over his skin. With my other free hand, I swept it towards him from behind and grabbed him.

With all the strength I could muster, I squeezed him hard. I could hear the sound of his bones breaking under my crushing hands. Painful expressions could be seen on Azazel, but he did not scream. Instead, he pushed against my claws and pulled himself free. One of Azazel's arms was dangling from his side unmoving.

"I'll kill you, lizard!"

"Try me!" I yelled back as I lashed out with claws, teeth, and ice. He dodged every one of my attacks.

Azazel reached over towards his shoulder and popped his dislocated arm back into place. His hands glowed once again with black magic, but this time I felt a strange surge of power building up in his claws.

Crap. I knew then and there that Azazel was going to let out a powerful attack. Once again, opening my wings, I flew upwards into the cloudy sky. Azazel raised his hands up and then slashed downwards.

Black lightning descended from the sky and out onto the field. The black lightning demolished everyone who was on the ground. A third of the goblins were destroyed along with a handful of Beast-kin. I, on the other hand, was swerving around in a chaotic acrobatic flight.

Every bolt of lightning that struck, I swerved rolled and dived. I did not want to get struck by lightning. I frantically flew with my bloodied wings; with every pump, I felt a sharp pain that jolted through my whole body.

Swerving from a lighting strike, I headed straight downwards towards Azazel. A burst of Ice magic erupted from deep inside my body. The whole ground was completely encased in ice. An ice cage engulfs itself around the Azazel's body, freezing him in place. The thundering thunderstorms quieted down until finally no more sparked around us.

I let out a heavy sigh. I could feel my energy being spent in rapid succession. Any longer, I knew that this would become bad.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The ice breaks apart and a gust of wind pushes outwards. Everyone who was watching was pushed back by the powerful current. Even I had a bit of trouble standing on my legs without getting pushed back.

What the hell? How is he so powerful? I seriously underestimated his power. Even in my dragon form, was I not strong enough? I gritted my teeth and rushed forward.

It was now or never. With claws outstretched, ice formed around my hands into a cold chilly ice. With a violent strike downwards, I aimed to kill Azazel there and then.

Azazel's wings completely deflected my attack and instead sent out dozens of sharp feathers. Each feathers were like knives that cut through the hardest rock easily like butter.

"Damn it!" I yelled. With every ounce of power that I could muster, I pushed all my energy into my jaws.

Azazel raised his arms and shot a strong black beam of energy into my stomach. A large gaping hole was present. I snapped down hard onto his whole hand and ripped it from his body. Without realizing it, I blew hot, burning fire onto Azazel. His entire arm disintegrated into nothingness, and a half of his chest was feverously burnt.

Blood flowed out from both of us, and we continued to battle. Azazel shot up in the sky with an arm missing.

"I'm going to kill you!" Azazel screamed at the top of his lungs.

Blood seeped out of my mouth, and I chuckled. Each laugh, I cough up blood. "Bring it, Bird Brain." Willing the ice to cover the large gaping hole, I flew after him in the hopes to pin him down once again.

The pain was excruciatingly painful to the point where I almost blacked out. Even still, I kept on battling. I could not lose it here. Not when my friend's lives were on the line. After today, who knows what would happen to them if I died.

My strength was seeping out of me, and my wings shuddered with pain. At the rate that I was going, I knew that I would only stay adrift for another minute. Using my wings to glide, I tumbled towards Azazel, who was below me. Reaching out with my claws, I pluck him out of the sky.

"You're not going to go anywhere, bird brain." I hissed. Already I inhaled a deep breath of ice magic onto Azazel. This time though, I mixed both ice and light magic in the hopes of containing him forever till I was strong enough to destroy him.

"No! No! I'll kill you for sure!"

"Shut up, bird brain." With a crack, my head smacked his in one hit. Luckily for me, he was completely knocked out.

Even though we were fell like a comet, I continually spin my magic around him over and over again. Till finally, a crystal prison wrapped around Azazel.

Crash! Crackle! Boom! Kawwwoooooosh!

Trees broke from both of our impacts. The crystal slipped out of my hands and rolled a good feet away from me. Everything around me was swirling, and my consciousness was drifting in and out.

My dragon form was forcefully canceled, and I was reverted into my child-like body.

"Kuhuhuh, Stupid Bird Brain. I win." Blood seeped out my mouth and onto the ground. White scales littered around me like snowflakes as each one was covered up in blood. I could not move nor summon up any strength. Instead, my mind slowly fell deep into consciousness, and the last thing I saw was a shadow that went into the forest.

Crap.

This is the worst time to die.

The world around me went completely black.