2 weeks have passed since Angorod had started his training in the ' unlimited dungeons' inside one of the mage covens caves. There was nothing in the dungeon. Just grassy plains and a occasional gust of wind.

But it was not that he was doing nothing.

The first 3 days were just used to acquire the correct motions and balance shifts to walk and run. Running was a total different thing for a Dragon then walking. Instead of using the front legs and the opposite sided back leg to move forwards , running meant using the both front legs then arching the back and using the back legs together.

After Angorod was completly steady on his feet , either running or walking , he started to push around a big boulder. Another 3 days passed and the rock that was easily twice Angorods size was a piece of cake.

Then a boulder that was smaller then the first but made from a heavier material came into play. It was easily 5 times Angorods own body weight in dragon form but after another 2 days he was quite good at pushing even this around.

But after the first week passed hell began. At first Rick helped him get used to his extra set of limbs as he spread and folded Angorods wings manually with his own hands. After 6 more days passed Angorod was able to fold and expand it at his own will and even manged to flap them.

It required no extra training to fold in the scales , it was a natural rection when he pushed his muscles back up , and they closed up when he beat down. This created a natural draft and he was able to lift his body up a few feet when he beat strongly.

But this still wasn't flying. Hovering would be the correct term and he practiced this every day. Every hour and every minute. After those 2 weeks Angorod started to hover while pushing a boulder along and he was quite proud of himself.

But everytime Angorod was happy at a new achievment his tail swung from left to right , even sometimes smacking him in the face. Rick always laughed when he wagged his tail like a dog.

Nonetheless he couldn't help it , it was a natural reaction and he trained his tail ontop of it at the same time. He just finished pushing the boulder along the ground for over 5 km and decided to call it a day. He twisted his wrist around and a door appeared behind him.

He walked through and nodded towards the receptionist of the mages coven that supervised the endless dungeons and headed back through the caverns. At first he got lost frequently but soon he found certain signs engraved on the wall which he followed.

It took him 10 minutes of walking to reach the cave where Rick lived in. As soon as he stepped through the entrance 3 dragons , that were only 1 meter shorter then himself , pounced on him.

The red one tried to bite in his neck , but instead had a bleeding mouth from the little horns that guarded that area. The silver and gold one tried to bite at his wings , but the scales were hard and sharp so they ended up with bleeds for themselves.

Angorod grinned while his predatory rows of teeth flashed up. All 3 quiecked and ran of tumbling over themselves while playing a game of tag. Angorod smiled wryly and turned the attention to the 1.9m tall girl with her black hair.

A mist covered Angorod , which had the same color as his scales a bright and lustrous green , before his humanoid form appeared once again. Rick also thaught him a trick to conjure a simple set of robes , in a brown color , while he transformed.

" Hey Anihla , whats for dinner. " Angorod asked rhetorically , knowing full well she couldn't talk.

She was very well able to talk , at least her vocal cords were intact. But she hadn't spoken a word to anybody after her mother and father had died. Not even to Rick , but she still communicated non-verbal as all residents of this city did.

But much to Angorods dismay he was not able to do that. Why , some would think but nobody could explain as to why exactly he couldn't. Even the 3 small ones that just pounced on him had done that since they hatched from their eggs.

" Let me help. " Angorod asked and walked through another gap in the cave and entered the kitchen.

For some reason this kitchen was much like a regular kitchen for humans , but only almost. It was supersized as there was no residents here that suited the normal category of humans. After all the smallest resident of this cave in humaoid form was 1.8 meters the tiny silver one outside who was playing with her brothers.

With some clusmy movements he stirred around the girl and withdrew a few plates and silver ware. They had no need to communicate as directly after Angorod had placed all the neccesitys on the table a bunch of meat landed in the middle of the table.

Anihla just smilled at him , knowingly. He sat down and growled towards the other 3 young ones. With a mist , each in their respektive colors , they transformed. 2 dirty boys and a mud smeered girl were no placed at the table.

Just as Angorod grabbed a piece of cooked meat all the jerked up straight and headed ran off. But he also knew this routine. Go wash your faces , was the non-verbal command Anihla had given the three.

Sometimes Angorod was annoyed that he couldn't hear all this , but other times he was just fine with it. After all even if they didn't talk that much he still felt a warmth coming from this little family he had never felt in the real world.

Everything around him at the moment was precious to him. So instead of placing the meat that he had just grabbed on his own plate he placed it on Anihlas , who just smiled at him.

The three young ones returned washed up properly and started to eat. Angorod watched all 4 have a non-verbal conversation. Judging by the way they looked at each other from time to time and how they behaved , but he still felt calm about all this.

Later at night Rick returned in his dragon form that wore a armor. After all he was a battle dragon that patrolled the outskirts of the mountain and repelled any aggresor. Angorod switched to his dragon form and swung himself on his hind legs.

His front shoulders creaked as he took the stance to walk on 2 legs even as a dragon. He quickly stepped up to him and un did the straps and buckles that held the armor in place. Angorod stacked them up in another cave , right besides the entrance , and soon a familiar conversation took place.

Rick asked about his progress and what he found out by himself about his ' new body'. After that casual things followed and as soon as they both were alone in a cave without the other 4 a serious talk commenced.

" They are getting bolder each day. " Rick said in a serious tone.

" Drakes this time again? " Angorod replied.

" Yes 10 of them and 2 monstrous sized dragons. 3 Pegasi and 5 dragons were injured and need at least 2 weeks of rest. One may never be able to fly again , they tore his wing muscle out. Maybe the healers can remend it somehow. " Rick said with a grim tone.

Yes this was something Angorod had learned just recently. Even though there was healing magic , limbs didn't suddendly reappear. This was true for Npcs and Players as well. But players could just die and then when the could log back in they would have a complete body once again.

But who choose to die on purpose?

" I am sorry that i am such a failure.... " Angorod said while his head hung low.

" Screw the council. Even if they always blame you the smallest and weakest of the ' outsiders ' it isn't your fault those wilds are so aggresive. " Rick reassured him.

During one of his trips back to this cave Angorod overheard a few council members talking in their humanoid forms about him. Curses and mutters were all he heard about hisself. They blamed him for a multitude of things but most of all the talk always came back that Angorod was a failure.

But Angorod or Daniel was used to this kind of talk he listen to this for 17 years of his life every day. Be it day or night his mother rumbled on about his incompetence and how he would never amount to anything.

So it had not struck to Angorod that much , but he desperatly wanted to help Rick. He couldn't give a centaur-shit about the demise of the Idra or their city , but he wanted to help Rick more then anything in this world.

" Rick ... listen. I can ride currents and get out of here. I will experience many things in the outside world and come back when im stronger. " Angorod said.

Rick was shocked to hear his progress on flying , even if it was a lie , but he could understand where Angorod was coming from. Rick could feel Angorods pain , even if he himself wouldn't EVER admit he was desperate for power.

" I already told you once. If you train your human body , that doesn't mean you Dragon form will grow. When you train your dragon form your human body also won't grow. It is best you gain complete control over your body and then go to patrols with me. "

" Even if you train outside it won't amount to much. You have no so to speak magical talent , this was already proven. You can't even produce your breath weapon yet. " Rick continued.

Angorod remebered a experiment he had at the magical coven where they tested him for talent in the arcane arts. But as he already predicted there was close to nothing. After all Angorod knew he had no mana bar to begin with.

" There is always a way to gain power. " Angorod said with confidence.

He had already made plans on how to gain this so to speak ' power ' but this would need studys that could take a life time. But he had to do something.

" When will you leave? " Rick asked while his voice trembled.

" Tomorrow , before you wake. " Angorod said.

There was much to say between the friends that grew so close together , but this was not the right time for being sad. But even worse then that Dragons were prideful and so Rick wouldn't allow himself to be emotional.

Angorod just shut out those feelings and took on a neutral stance. With this both of them left and headed for the cave they slept in.

................

Rick was snoring loudly as Angorod slipped out of the cave. He had switched to his humaoid form and snuck out of the cave. But at the entrance a black dragon , that looked exactly like Rick in his dragon form but only 3 meters long , waited for him.

" Anihla ... " Angorod halted in his steps.

She clicked her claws on the ground and her eyes showed her displeasure. A vivid picture of her human form with crossed arms was flashing before Angorods eyes , which made him chuckle slightly.

A few minutes past without any of them saying anything or making any movements.

" I need to go. " Angorod finally said and walked right past her.

As he just exited the cave , nothing followed him but after another 10 meteres a pair of arms wormed their way underneath his and he was embraced from behind. A kiss was placed on his cheeks , Angorod wondered how she did that with 60 cms difference in height , but she soon ran back towards the cave her family shared.

* tring*

You have been invited to join the Family Drylak by one of its members.

Being in a Family has no stat benefits and it will automatically decline being in a ' house' which in turn would grant you certain benefits.

Do you accept? Y/N

He couldn't get his emotions under control fast enough as a tear rolled down his cheeks , so he just whispered yes.

* tring*

You are now Angorod Drylak bring your Family glory.

Angorod wiped away the tear that reached his chin shook his head and with even fiercer determination he headed towards the exit of the city.

Just in-front of the gate he found a white-wyvern waiting. He sighed and decided to ignore her completly. But as the b**ch she actually was she stood in his way.

" Now , now. Is the little hatchling already leaving his nest? " She tried to anger him.

But as Angorod was , he just surpressed this feeling quickly and halted in his footsteps.

" Move , fat-ass. " He said casually.

" Ho , ho. The little welp has a acid like tongue on him. Well that is the only thing you have anyways. "

Another anger wave surged in Angorods brain but he reigned it back directly.

" Well , well. I am glad you are leaving , if not my father , the king you know , would have married me to you. What a shame to the king to marry his brilliant daughter to a failure as you. These damn costumes of a time long forgotten. " She said with a smirk.

" But don't ever come back. Nobody wants you here. " She told him and finally left.

...........

Angorod was free , gliding over the tips of trees that built a forest. He was already long past the mountain range and decided to fly east. Even though most of his days in the city was getting accustomed to his new body he read from time to time.

Books of history , tales of war but what interested him the most were fictional tales some Idra had written down. Literally just a book of made up storys and legends. But every legend had a grain of truth in it.

This was what Angorod was following now.

East towards the burning deserts and a certain coven of mages. Mages that used magic differently then everybody else. Mages that had no mana or talent in magic but in their unique way had a even stronger but also weaker power at the same time.

Every 6 hours Angorod would land near a cliff that was high up to hunt. Most of the time he found large creatures his size or even bigger and preyed upon them. From his flying postion he arched his back , front and back claws outstretched , and crashed into them.

He wasn't strong enough to lift them up but ripping open their flesh with his own claws and toppling them over was his goal. After he had done that he slashed them with his tail while flying over them and finishing them off.

Then he fed on them. Normally dragons had a fire breath attack that let them cock the meat but the blood was always still a little warm when Angorod bit into one after killing it.

He wasn't even fased by the warm blood or the still contracting muscles , after all he already had worse. Beetles , ticks and other slimy things had been his meal once but these things he hunted now at least resembled cows.

Well over sized cows of 5 to 6 meters with long fur and tusks. But even when he didn't kill one of them directly and they slammed their tusks into his sides they just bounced off ineffectivly due to his incredibly hardend scale coat.

No damage affected him in this form and he confirmed it after dealing with a few of them. His level rose rapidly , as the beasts were way above his current level. But he felt no joy in it. He gained about 5 stat points in a few stats with the 20 or 30 beasts he had already killed even if they were level 100 and above.

But being a dragon affected his stat growth. If he had killed them in his human form he was sure he would gain 70 or 80 stats with just one kill but like this nothing happend. Well even in Dragon form he gained a few stats but what suprised him was his affinty to blood stat.

Everytime he ate one of the bloody meals it rose incredibly. As well as his health had growed. But this was just a necessity so survive until he reached the monastary he hoped to find.

Soon the pristine cliffs and mountains covered in forests gradually changed into a land filled with desert. Mighty scorpions and lizards inhabited this land but he was close to the monastary he sought out.

For 2 days he hadn't eaten anything and was currently hiding in a cave during the day. Flying through the air , close to the ground , was dangerous during the day. Not only because of getting a sun burn but the possibility of a sandstorm was quite high with increased temperatures during the day.

Especially since every inch of his body itched anyways. The sand somehow always found its way beneath his usually tight enclosed scale coat and it grinded with every move he made.

Angorod was going nuts from the itching and craved a bath and some human food and wanted to reach the monastary as fast as he could.

On the third day finally a big onyx castle came into view. It was still far of and he could only see it from the high vantage point he held combined with his big and sharp eyes. He landed 2 kms away from the monastary inside of a cave and began to walk the rest of the distance.

He was covered in his brown robes and the night should be over soon. The first rays of the morning sun just broke the horizon as he approached the gate. He sharply breathed in before he knocked.

Even after 10 minutes nothing changed so he banged on the door heavily. Just as he was about to stop punching the wooden door it slowly creacked open.

* tring*

A quest has appeared , Save the coven.

During their sleep they were assaulted

A band of slave traders has captured the mages and big footprints belonging to a huge beast indicate that they were headed north.

Time Limit: 3 hours before they arrive inside of a fortified city.

Reward: Familarity with the coven increases

Failure: The coven will be extingushed and their magic arts lost to the world.

Angorod sighed loudly at this message and now turned his attention towards himself. It was due time and he needed every speed and strength he could muster to catch up to the slavers.

Every Dragon was naturally immune to some magics and now he finally activated this ' natural ' resitance for the first time. He stared at his own left arm or to be more precise at the green chain that wrapped around his wrist.

A burning sensation crawled along Angorods body as the little curse the matriarch had placed on him disappeared. Nothing , absolutelty nothing , could curse a magical beast such as a dragon.

At least nothing Angorod could think of at the moment.

* tring*

The curse has been lifted due to the magnitude of your stats the one that placed the curse on you will receive 25 damage for each stat she surpressed.

The negative effects have been lifted , granting you additonally 71 strength and 43 speed.

The matriarch received 2850 dmg.

The matriarch has died.

A grim satisfaction filled Angorods thoughts but he soon dispersed these thoughts and a green mist covered his body.

He shook out his wings as he started to run straight North , or where he thought was north judging by the footsteps that were as big as hiw own. He reached his top speed quickly and expanded his wings.

Just as he passed over a small dune he adjusted them to point up and he began to glide. He beat them furiously and gained altitude quickly. Even with the new acquired stats his body was still too heavy to just lift of from where he stood.

Angorod was intent to catching up to them as soon as he could and just after half an hour of flight he spotted some incredible huge black spots in the distance. As he came closer by the second he beat his wings with renewed vigour and increased his altitude by 500 meters.

Now he could even make out what those big beasts were. Scorpions that were 15 meters long from their pincers to the base of their stinger. Instantly Angorod knew this would become a hard fight.

Not because of the 100 mercenarys or slavers on their backs , but because those stingers could probably pierce even his armor.