My eyes slowly open and I notice that something had changed. I had a couple of notifications, but I ignored them. I had something to do. I still couldn’t move my legs, so I slowly dragged my still enlarged body closer to my meal. While it would be easier if I shrunk down something just felt right about my size. My arms protested against my movements but something deep down was driving me forward. With each meter, I crawled I created a longer and longer grove in the ground piling up dirt in front of me only making it harder and harder to keep going but I couldn’t stop now.

The closer I got the more I was driven to consume my prey. Then my hand landed on my fallen opponent and that feeling deep inside of me rose up and demanded that I finish this. Dragging the body by the leg it inched closer and closer to my mouth until finally, my teeth sunk in. The next thing I remember is the last part of my enemy sliding down the throat and a feeling of acceptance filled my soul. This is what I was and would always be and I was cool with that. I flipped onto my back and stared at the sky. How beautiful it was but my mind kept wondering if, no, when I would leave this planet. At what point would earth not be enough for me. It had been my home for the entirety of my life but one day I would have to move on or stagnate. I hopped I had the strength to choose the right choice when the time came.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke had two hopes for today. The first was that the other towns would heed his words about the lieutenants. The second is that Jace would die after killing the lieutenant he was sent to fight. While it might seem excessively cruel to wish death on someone trying to help you it was extremely important that it happen this way. Jace would be a hero and not a monster who tried to destroy the earth.

The first one had gone decently well overall. In the end, the other 3 towns agreed to help fight the lieutenants and the general which was a win in Luke’s book, and would meet back up at Llyn, who was the best equipped for a meeting like this, later that day. Now Luke had to check up on number two, Jace. Luke was going as fast as he could through the woods to where Jace should have fought the lieutenant who had beaten Luke earlier that week. Luke could still feel the scar throbbing under his armor and was fully prepared for a fight as he got closer to the arena but noticed something weird. The closer he got the more he hungered for something. Luke couldn’t quite place it but it seemed more primal than anything he had felt for a long time, like a baby who cried for their first meal. Soon the feeling was becoming unbearable, and Luke started to fear for the worst casting a Strength empowered light shield on his mind which helped greatly.

Luke approached the arena like clearing only to notice only one large being remained. Jace was laying on the ground staring up at the sky emanating a feeling of primal hunger. It wasn’t a feeling of pain or death but of progress. The hunger to better oneself through undiscovered trials. For a while, Luke stared at Jace wondering if he had ever felt that kind of hunger before. He pondered if that made him a worse leader if he never truly had the drive to advance. Then the thoughts stopped, and Luke walked towards the relaxing Jace. As Luke got closer Jace waved him over to lay next to him. Luke confused did so and as he laid down Jace spoke. “Looking up at the sky I have to wonder, well, what kind of wonders lay in the beyond. Of course, you and I have very different definitions of a wonder but even within our universe I can only be amazed at what must be out there.” Rather than respond Luke just kept looking at the sky and pondered on what Jace had said. Sure, there were countless wonders, for each of them, but for each was something equaling that amazement in horror. Jace’s next words made Luke freeze.

“I’ve come to understand my place in the grand scheme of things better. For all of the wonders out there I am not one.” Jace’s voice was not full of sadness but acceptance. “I don’t know what will happen in the future, but it won’t be good for me. I have fully accepted myself not as a human but a dragon now and through that gained some insight on who I am.” Luke stopped breathing. “I am hunger.” With those words, Luke stopped having control over his body.

Over the course of Jace talking the Light allocated more and more resources to understand what was happening. Of course, in the past, a couple of dragons had realized what they were but they never accepted it. Who would accept being a genocidal monster and just go with it? Apparently, Jace would, and the Light couldn’t comprehend what would happen with a fully actualized dragon. Would it maintain control or would still lose itself? Would there be a difference? It didn’t know but it wanted to. It had never seen this before but if this path helped the dragon the Light would use it to save billions of lives in the future. Nodding to itself the Light withdrew from Luke letting him regain control of his body. Luke let out a sigh of relief as he regained control. Jace looked over conserved, but Luke just waved him off letting the two of them enjoy this moment of peace. Luke then asked a question that had been bothering him. “Hey, Jace.” “Ya.” “If your whole thing is hunger, why are you laying here.” “Oh that, ya I broke both of my legs into powder.”