For a whole week, I avoided my father like the plague. I didn’t want to meet him. My mind was in chaos, trying to understand myself and the things around me.

To me, he was a stranger that I barely even knew.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a heavy breath and a tight chest. I couldn’t breathe as my heart pounded in my chest, becoming harder and harder to the point where I wanted to throw up.

My nights were wrecked with different dreams of Phil, my aunt, and my father. Each one took up my mind like a gripping vice that wouldn’t let me go. I twisted and turned in my bed for hours, trying to let go of this terrible loop.

Until finally, a loud knock was heard.

I looked up as Coco pushed open the door.

“Young mistress, are you alright?” Coco asked, concerned. She walked in, bringing with her a cup of water in her hand and a towel.

I shook my head. Beads of sweat continued to drip down my face.

“Young mistress, you can’t continue doing this. I suggest you take some of these pills to help you take some dreamless nights.”

I shook my head again. I didn’t want to.

“Why, young mistress? Why would you allow yourself to be tortured like this?” Coco stepped forward, handing me the glass of water.”

“I’m not.” I took a glass of water.

Coco gazed at me sternly, not believing what I had said. “I don’t think you understand, young mistress. This is becoming detrimental to your health. The nightmares had not gone away for over six months.”

“I know.” I took a gulp. The cool water helped my thirst.

“Please, young mistress. Please, think about your health.”

I handed her the cup.

I lay back down, letting the pillow caress my tired mind. Slowly but surely drifting through the night, allowing myself to let sleep overtake me again.

*****

I woke up from the bright sunlight that tingled my face, showering me with a bit of annoyance. Then, with a groan, I turned over.

A loud knock was heard, banging against my door. Continuing to pound over and over again to the point where it snuggled deeply into the pillow, hoping that sound would go away.

With a loud bang, the door was pushed open.

“Berry.” Electro voices spoke out loudly, thundering in my room.

I peeked through my pillow, glaring at him for disturbing me.

“Get up.”

“Why? No, better yet, why are you even here?” I spat, disliking my slumber to be rudely woken up.

“Your father wants to meet with you.”

“Tell him another day.” I waved my hand to shoo him away.

“There is no other day. You have been avoiding us. I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes you ten years.”

“So?” I pushed myself up as my disheveled bed hair was a mess. I did not want to see them here at this hour.

“What do you mean, so?” Elcro crossed his arm. “Do you not understand what he is trying to do?”

“Not really.” I pulled the blanket away, sitting up as I stretched.

Elcro sighed, pushing back his hair. “He’s trying to help you get your memory back and even maybe help you slay the demon king and stop your aunt.”

I stopped momentarily; looking over my shoulder, I spoke, “Why would I want to do any of that?”

Elcro shook his head at me. “You’re in denial.”

I shrugged.

“We know you; your family knows you. But, I believe even though I have known you for a short period, this is not like you.”

“Well, you don’t know me enough.” I sounded so grouchy that I couldn’t help but notice the speech change. Something was wrong with me, and since Phil left, I realized that I was becoming more and more unlike me as time progressed. I was becoming that angry old woman! Ugh!

I also noticed that my mind was spiraling downwards like a black hole. Every day was becoming an ugly cloud of emotions. There were only certain times that I could pull myself out with food or small little things that would bring a swell of happiness, but those moments were short.

Most of my days were dark and heavy; pulling my mind out of the darkness wasn’t easy.

Coco, Tart, and even Moca would take care of me as I silently festered in my own destructive behavior.

It was time for me to wake up.

I slapped my face hard, leaving a bit of a red palm on my face.

The sting allowed me to focus.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled, allowing all the negativity to escape from my mind and body.

A strange sensation of emotions of peace started to swell through me.

I knew then that a change was happening to my mind and heart. It was small, but it was what I needed.

I needed answers instead of assumptions.

Getting up from bed, I faced him.

For a moment, we were momentarily silent.

“Fine,” I spoke up. “I’ll meet with him.”

Elcro nodded. “Good,” he waved at me to follow as he started to head towards the door.

“I’ll be out in a moment,” I replied. “I need to change.”

“Okay, I’ll be out waiting outside.” Elcro headed out the door.

Coco finally spoke, “young mistress.”

“Yes, Coco?”

“May I speak my mind?”

“Of course,” I looked at her strangely. “You don’t need to ask, Coco. I always appreciate your opinion.”

“Yes, young mistress, there are times when I feel like there are certain things not best for you, but these past few months, you have shut off from the world.”

I listened to Coco as she continued. “I don’t like Elcro, but I feel like what he says is needed. You must go and see what or why your father really wants to see you.”

She was right. I shouldn’t have dilly-dallied for this long, pushing things aside, running away from a problem that went nowhere. It was only making my depression worse.

“You’re right,” I spoke a bit too soft. “I shouldn’t have let those days get to me.”

“Young mistress, it’s okay to feel. You’re you. There is nothing wrong with that.”

Her words shook my soul. “Thank you.”

I straightened up, my eyes glistening with life. Things were going to change.

Coco smiled. She started to get to work, taking out today’s outfit.

I stood in place for her to help get me changed.

It has been a while since I looked at my status. I waved my hand in front of me to check.

Title: Greedy Gaming Dragon

Race: Dragon

Blessings: Blessing of the Ancient Dragon, Double Trouble, Great Sage, Curse of the Dragons.

Abilities: Transform, Magic absorption, Metal Manipulator, Ice, fire, wind, water, light, electricity, Earth, coder, magic amplification when absorption of the legendary weapons.

Only in Torrent: Blessing of Adventurers

Only on Earth: Magical Spirit Management.

Status: was depressed (neutral)

I noticed that certain things added more to the small status screen. Nothing much has changed, but my abilities and status, which I felt were pointless. Why did I even have this status screen in the first place? The only thing I could think of was that the Goddess had a funny way to do something as I used to like games a lot back on Earth.

Something caught my eyes.

There was a small arrow at the side, which I reached up to click.

The menu changed.

Final Quest: Slay the Demon King.

The Demon king's emergence has occurred that will end your life and enslave the life of all living things. Save the world or die.

Failure: Death

Reward: Saving the world and ????.

What in the world….I reread it again, trying to figure out where this quest has popped up from. It has been so long since I have checked and couldn’t remember if I had something like this.

What was stranger was that the Reward system was different. There were questions marks that I could not read. What was it?

“Young mistress, “ Coco had my clothes ready. It was simple black jeans with a white blouse. Nothing too fancy or heavy allowed me to run around without restriction.

“Thank you.” I started to put it on. It didn’t take long, and I walked out the door.

Waiting outside was Elcro as he was leaning against the wall. He seemed bored, but when he saw me, he lightened up.

“You're finally done.” Elcro voiced his opinion, pushing himself off the wall that he was leaning on.

“You could have waited at the guest room.”

“No, if I did, I wouldn’t know if you escaped or not.”

“I would have escaped out the window if I wanted to,” I replied bluntly. “Plus, I said I’ll meet my father, and so I will.”

I wasn’t going to go back on my words.

We headed straight toward the guest room, where my father was waiting.

He was sipping on some tea and eating cookies. Olivio looked up when he heard us enter.

“You’re here.” Olivo put down his book.

“I am,” I replied back, taking a seat on the other side.

“I assumed you would have run away.”

“If I did?”

“Then I would have come another day.” He bluntly replied, not really worried about if I ran away or not.

Elcro walked over towards the other empty seat, where he comfortably sat.

“Would you, really?” I asked, a bit more curious about him, “why?”

“Because we are a dragon, and dragons face challenges head-on.”

I was stumped by his reasoning.

“So, you stayed to deal with the problem instead of running away?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Olvio snorted at her as if the answer was crazy. “I am no coward.”

I stare at him. He made a valid point.

We were dragons.

A being with vast amounts of power and could do anything I wanted in the world if I set my sights on it. But, just observing my father, I could tell that there was the strength that I had forgotten and missed about myself.

I allowed one person's action to completely destroy this image about myself because I allowed it

to happen. This shouldn’t be the case at all.

With a deep breath, I closed my eyes.

Feeling the dragon inside me waking up, coiling as I connected back to myself that I had pushed away. I felt much more whole than before as confidence started to drip into me.

Opening my eyes, I asked. “So, why is my aunt trying so hard to make the world hers?”

Olivio furrowed. It took a moment for him to reply. “It's because of jealousy and power. Especially against your mother."

I sat up, leaning forward.

“She was a beautiful soul,” a smile erupted on his lips.

For the first time, I thought he couldn’t smile at how serious he looked all the time. He was reminiscing about her as he looked off in the distance.

“Every day, she would smile, welcoming me with open arms, my family, my home.” Olivo spoke softer and more pleasant than before, “But,” the shift in his voice and demeanor changed, “her sister.....”

I couldn’t help but frown alongside him.

“She wanted it all. The power of the dragon maiden for herself.”

“Why?”

“Why not?” Olivio changed his presence and stared at me. I could feel him watching. “Why not have the most powerful weapon in the world?”

I opened and closed my mouth.

“You who have been passed down by the power of the dragon maiden can choose who you want the legendary weapon to be wielded be.”

I was struck by his words. “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

I didn’t think I was the one who would choose the people. I thought everything came as it is.

“That was the secret your mother told me. The choice is to give your magic ability the power to the wielder you have deemed worthy of holding. Inside you, you have all seven stored in the power of the weapon. Each person is a fighting force of their own.”

I gaped.

“Your aunt knew this secret. She wanted to take it all for herself. To be able to kill a powerful being like one of the six legendary beings speaks volumes.”

I nodded, understanding what he meant.

“Then I could tap into all six legendary weapons?” I asked.

“In theory, yes, but the first maker of the legendary weapon was given by the God of Light. How it was made, we don't know. There has been one major flaw that the Dragon Maiden can not do." He took a moment before he spoke again, "For example, you won’t be able to heal them from a fatal wound.”

I let in a sharp gasp.

“I heard that one of your wielders has passed away.”

I slowly shook my head.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

I sighed.

“But in the process, she had slain the Hydra, and her village was safe for another thousand of years.”

“Still…”

Olivo raised up his hand. “This is the cycle of life. A price one must pay.”

“But it's a price I don’t like.” I spat.

“Don’t be a child,” Olivio said sharply. “That is not your choice, but theirs. They choose to make that sacrifice. You only gave them the weapon and the courage to fight against a tremendous force of evil. So you would be dishonoring their choices, their sacrifice, and them.”

I felt small in my father's eyes.

I didn’t realize how arrogant I was to selfishly think I could save everyone, almost acting like a god. Such thoughts brought me back to the ground, realizing how much strength I really had.

“We all play a role in this world, Berry. We all make choices, and our choices will bring other outcomes that we can and cannot foresee. All interchanged by the choices that others make. All we can do is control our choices.”

“I see.” I took a moment, thinking about what he said. “So, you’re saying somewhere in my mind, I choose the people to give the weapons to.”

“Yes, you saw potential. You saw strength, power, commitment, and genuine soul. In that glimpse of the moment, you knew they were the one.”

I couldn't help but absorb all the information he was telling me. “So, what should we do against my aunt?”

“You know the answer to that question.” Olivia chuckled.

“What do you mean?”

Olivio sighed. “Think, what did you gift?”

“I….” I took a moment to ponder, what did I give? Then it hit me like a sledgehammer. “The sword!”

Olivio smiled.

“He was the one I chose to slay my aunt!” I gasped, realizing what this meant. She was his weakness.

“Oh? So, you gifted and chose the demon king to slay the black drag,” He started to rub his chin. “That is interesting.”

“Yes, it is,” Elcro spoke. “To aim to marry with her own demise….that is actually quite entertaining.”

“I wouldn’t say entertaining, but there is a chance she knew this as well,” Olivio spoke. “Do you still have the sword?”

“I….”I thought it over. Where was the sword?

“He has it, still.” The words blurted out my mouth, getting me excited. He didn’t give up on me. There was something more.

“Bingo.” Olivio smiled. To smile the second time took me off guard. “Elcro, get the others ready. We need to have a meeting with all the country kings and queens.”

“Yes, sir.” Elcro got up.

“How soon?” I asked; this was going to take a bit of time.

“What day could you accommodate a large number of people?” Olivo asked me.

“Any time, I can free up a large portion of this castle.”

“Oh?”

“Elcro, make it in two days.”

“Yes, sir.” Elcro bowed and left the room in a hurry.

Two days was quite a short amount of time.

“Coco,” I called out.

“Yes, young mistress?” She was already ready and waiting.

“I would like you to get the place ready for that day. Talk with Elcro about it.”

“Yes, young mistress. We will get it done.”

“Thank you.”

We quietly sat there for a moment before Olivio spoke. “Let’s have some lunch.”

I nodded.

I got up. First, I didn’t realize how the morning flew by so quickly.

We walked through the halls and headed straight to the dining room. The other maids quickly got the dining table ready for others. We sat down across from each other. The whole time, we barely talked as we exchanged surface greetings, getting to know each other.

*****

Two days have passed.

The castle was busy as it was quickly and efficiently cleaned up and gotten ready for the day.

Large numbers of horseless carriages started to arrive in the morning from all over the continent.

All kings and officers came to listen to the call from elves, dwarves, beasts, and even humankind.

It wasn’t often that something this big would happen, but they all knew their kingdoms were in peril.

This was a major committee.

We were all sitting around at a large round table. Each one had a microphone, water, pen, and paper in front of each seat. They were all different kings, sitting down, waiting for the rest to come in. Then, of course, there were their own elite soldiers standing behind them and keeping them safe.

I was sitting in the middle with Olivio next to me. Elcro was standing behind silently, watching everyone’s movement.

Already, I felt tired and stuffy in this room.

The air was tense as some of them were already conversing.

The door closed tightly behind a guard standing inside with the last person coming in.

“It seems everyone is here.” Elcro was the first to speak up, driving everyone’s attention to him. “You all know why you were summoned in a hurry.” His voice became heavy.

“Elcro, old friend, you know that some of us have problems with one another,” an Elven King spoke up; he was elegant and young. But, unfortunately, the air around him had an arrogant attitude. “Why did you summon the dirty mole?”

“Why I ought to punch the living daylight out of you, right this moment.” A dwarven king spoke aloud; he slammed his fist into the table, quivering in anger. “You have no right to be here.”

The Elven king snorted, waving his hand in front of him to dismiss the dwarf. This infuriated the Dwarven King even more.

The Dwarven King calmed down with a deep breath. Then, his eyes glared toward the Elven King. “Frey, I heard you weren’t there when the Tree of Life fell. So, did you get scared and run away?” He smirked.

A deep frown crossed the Freys lips. “I was out on a mission of my own, and even if I was there, there was nothing that I could do.”

The Dwarven King cackled. “Lies. Your so-called mission was probably running away.”

A loud slam smashed onto the table. The dwarven King glared, standing up, fuming with anger.

“Take that back.”

“No.”

“Take it back, Guliven, you don’t know what I had to do for my people on my mission. I will take it upon myself as an insult to my people.” The Frey shouted, his face turning red.

“Why should I? Your people started a war amongst mine three hundred years ago over a damn tree.”

“That tree was part of the sacred tree!”

“A tree for the use of lumber.” Guliven huffed. “We dwarves are master crafts, not tree huggers.”

Just when a fight was about to start, Olivio spoke out with a roar. “Enough!”

A heavy silence rang throughout the room. I could feel the amount of power Olivio had poured into his yell. It gave a tingling feeling that wouldn’t disappear anytime soon.

“Do you not hear yourself?” Olivio spoke. “We are here for war. Not with each other, but a war against our own destruction.”

Olivio looked upon each person one by one.

“At the rate that we are squabbling amongst each other, I couldn't help but think that our demise would happen today.” Olivio huffed.

“Olivio,” Frey said, “the dwarven race are no use; why ask for their help when all they do is coup up inside a mountain?”

“At least it’s better than seeing you hug up on a tree and do your ridiculous rain dance,” Guliven grumbled under his breath.

“That is neither here nor there. The legendary creatures are moving. All five creatures have awakened, but now they are down to four. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Leviathan appearance is their next agenda.”

The words leviathan appearing brought an immediate sense of crisis.

“You don’t think, you know,” Guliven leaned forward as he twitched his beard, “that it's going to bring a tsunami-like the last time?”

“It might.”

Guliven shivered. “That was the day when our mountain was submerged as well, taking out half the land.”

“You weren’t the only one affected,” a human king with dirty brown hair, deep creases of line on his forehead, and a majestic beard answered back. “My people still remember that history as our whole town was wiped out as well. Only a few survivors to tell the tale.”

“Horus, your people, were unfortunate to be living around the edge of the Divine city port,” Olivio spoke. “It was a hub where all types of species came together to trade and create something great.”

“Yes. Yes, it was.” Frey said with understanding as he nodded his head and sat up a little bit straighter. “I remember it as if it was just yesterday. The city port was filled with freshly caught fish, beautiful buildings perfectly in harmony with the land. We were master craftsmen in making the most astounding port city ever.”

Guliven agreed.

“So, you are stating that the Leviathan will be back,” Frey asked.

“Absolutely.”

“What made you say that?”

“Simple, it's in our legend.”

“Ah, I have momentarily forgotten you are part Divine and DRagon. The most I remember you by is a dragon.”

Olivio shrugged, “either way, my King has allowed me to represent what we should do next. There have been reports of Julia’s sightings at our land. Near the sacred sanctuary of the same port that you have been reminiscing about.”

“You’re saying that the temple for the resurrection of the Leviathan is there?” Frey gapped.

“Yes.”

“I thought that city was destroyed for good.”

“It was, but it was eventually rebuilt.”

“I see. That is good to hear.”

“Are we going to fight against the Leviathan? Do you guys not have a hero amongst you to fight it? You know that we can’t normally fight against such being without the weapon.” Frey spoke.

“We don’t have one as of yet.” Olivio spoke, “but we have a possibility of one appearing.”

“What do you mean?”

All of them looked curiously at Olivio. Olivio looked to his right, looking straight at me.

The others gazed in the same direction, making me feel very uncomfortable.

“This is Berry. I don’t know if you met her.”

“I have heard of her,” Frey spoke. “You were the one who gave my daughter, Cathay, the honor to be a welder.”

I was shocked to hear that Cathy was Frey’s daughter.

“I’m sorry.”

Frey raised up his hand, shaking his head. “No. You brought honor to my people, and she has saved our people against the Hydra. Without that blessing, we wouldn’t be here to this day.”

“But-”

Frey stopped me again. “Please, let it go. You did what you could. That was all that mattered.”

I couldn’t speak up any further. The silence between us was too deep.

“Berry, who do you think would be the new hero to fight against the Hydra?” Horus asked.

They all watched, wondering what I would say.

“I don’t know.” I bluntly replied. “I don’t know who it will be until it happens.”

“Well, that’s helpful.” But, Guliven grunted, “we need the Divine Hero to combat against the Leviathan, or we’ll be in trouble.”

“The better question is where are the other legendary creatures, and what is the demon King going to attempt their attacks?” I spoke.

“I believe the Titan is already heading toward the port as we speak.” An Orc spoke out with spit. He was quite the whole time, listening to the conversation.

“Which direction, Solom?” Olivo asked.

“From the south, coming up north from the Styx Riverbend.”

“Any other?”

“The black gryphon and his children had passed over from the west. I thought it was strange that they were moving towards a specific destination. It seems it was the port.” The beat king, Jet, spoke up.

“I have yet to hear anything about the Phoenix.” Guliven stated, “it’s like it disappeared, but my gut is telling me that it's somewhere out there, just waiting to strike.”

“That’s three monsters; what about Julia?” Frey asked.

“The last report was that she was seen in the Black Forest, but any other news was speculation of the port. It would be best that we start the movement of our army to counter the movement of the legendary creatures. If Our heroes can kill them, we should decimate Julia’s forces. This should give us an edge.”

“What will you be doing, Berry?” Horus asked.

“I’ll be going after Phil.”

“To kill him, correct?”

I smiled, not answering his question.

We continued to discuss the peculiarities of what was and was not going to happen. It ran through the whole day, and even the next that I was getting tired of hearing the same heated debate.

Eventually, we finished our agreement and split up to head back to their own countries.