One step, then the other and I was stumbling.

I had huge legs, a long neck and wings and a long tail.

But I was in pain, a lot of pain... The fire, the burning, I was like a bloated frog the size of an ox. I was going to explode and my belly... This infernal heat... I was spewing lava and everything was burning around me.

I was like lava, fire and mechanically I was heading east, towards Cove, home.

I was crying but it was fire coming out of my eyes.

"MUUUUM!! help!"

Every step was on fire and left a trail of fire.

There was a lake a little further on and I rushed in.

The water started to boil but it felt so good.

In the meantime,

Ragul and Esme were running away with the survivors.

Iolo picked up the dagger and Shamino was staggering.

The resistance fighters fled with the children, and Gamblin waved to them while he treated Ravenar.

He had a real collar of submission placed on his neck and was dragged out of the blaze.

Gamblin dropped Rubix's shackles and chains and they walked away from the blaze.

All the nobles present had perished. Hundreds dead. A carnage.

In the town square, where people had taken refuge, they watched the flames devour the castle, but mages rained down and the flames subsided and finally disappeared.

Esme began to scream.

"TORIIINNN!!! TORIINNN!!! My little one! Where are you???"

But there was no answer...

Ragul was crying with his inconsolable wife.

Beth had arrived and she was in Sapphire's arms, surrounded by Rubix's paws who was also crying.

"Bastards!!! "

Gamblin didn't dare to say anything and looked to the east, the smoke, the forest fires...

Manu was looking at the blade with my blood still on it.

"Sorry, Torin, I don't know how to make you come back..."

Henri also looked at the dagger that passed from hand to hand and finally into Rubix's paws.

Gamblin coughed and looked at Shamino's critical condition.

"The dagger... it's only used to remove curses since Exodus has returned."

She handed it to Gamblin who used it to remove Shamino's mystical arrow.

Then he gave it back to Rubix.

It belongs to you and it should never have left you...

Then she thought about Valtrax's words... Torin...no...that would not be possible... I have to see for myself..Exodus..

Gamblin : "No.. Rubix... stay here with us... it's too dangerous... Have you seen all the monsters that follow him? It's a flood of monsters that are in his wake. The whole East is going to become a blaze!"

"I am a dragon... he will listen to me..."

Gamblin: "Exodus is a calamity! not a normal dragon... he will tear you apart and eat you!"

But she didn't listen and flew away.

Everyone yelled at Rubix to come back.

Meanwhile, Valtrax had collapsed in on herself, whining at Torin and ignoring the calamity that was approaching her.

She looked up and saw that the great dragon was in a lake with bubbling water.

And, as she drew closer, she heard moaning

"IIII IIIIIIII IIIIIII"

It was the calamity that moaned and growled in a newborn dragonic

"Mommy???"

"He was crying for his mommy?"

Valtrax went to the edge of the lake and at 25 meters, she was thinner but just as big as Exodus.

I turned my head.

"Valtraax!"

And she understood and also began to whimper.

The dragon came closer and I did not move, being in too much pain.

Valtrax "Do you understand me?

Me: "Yeeeeeees! I have PAIIIIIN! It burns!!!!!".

But I was surprised to understand what she was saying.

Then, she brought her paw and caressed my cheeks, and her tongue touched my head and she rubbed hers against mine.

It felt so good.

"Torin... You are... Thor... not Exodus... My child..."

Me: "Mom??? Are you my mommy???"

Valtrax: "I've been trying to make you understand that for years. But because I don't want to lose you, I agreed to become your friend. Rubix has tried many times..."

Me : "What is happening to me? Why am I a dragon? Why can't I be human again?"

Valtrax stuck my head against her heart.

"When you were born, I fought against the dark lords... but my attacks were getting through.

They wanted to capture me and I was defending your egg. You! But they missed me and the arrow stuck in my egg and the shell broke... You were dead, lost, murdered. But the arrow was mystical and what can I say kept you from dying and you survived but you remained a human. "

Me "So you are my real mom!!!"

"Yes, but deep down you were never a real human.... You always had the strength of a dragon because you were always a dragon.

The arrow is gone and your nature, your true nature is in you."

"I am afraid... I don't know who I am anymore..."

Then Valtrax sang me a lullaby.

"Let yourself go. I'm here... I'm your mommy and I'm going to teach you everything again."

Valtrax was nothing but tenderness, and, soothed under her songs, I let myself go, fell asleep, and she watched over me, reflecting me, washing me, and giving me all the tenderness that a mother could give to her child.

Rubix finally arrived, terrified by all the monsters that had gathered in the vicinity, within sight of Exodus.

She was reassured when she saw Valtrax hugged to me.

She smiled as the dragoness landed next to her.

"Chttt, don't make noise, he is sleeping, Rubix".

Rubix was all upset... "This is Torin???? Torin is Exodus???"

Valtrax, continuing to cajole me, "No... It's Torin, his human name but Torin is THOR! He has always been the 'God of Destruction'. He is our son. The son of Exodus and his heir... He has all his powers and he can't handle them... It's a disaster....look around, all the monsters are following him now. He's a Dragonlord...And I saw the carnage..."

Rubix began to lick me as well and stood with her small size against me, enjoying a moment of calm.

Rubix: "What are we going to do now?"

Valtrax: "I don't know but he needs you now. You must be his guide and his wife. You are all he has left, and I am his mother!

Torin as you knew him is no more. Well, he is, but he's a dragon and always has been, but in human form. He has to relearn everything and control himself or else all of Britannia will be destroyed and a new cataclysm will occur. You will also have to act as a link with the humans, so that they leave him alone. Did you see the carnage? That was nothing compared to the earthquakes and eruptions that could happen.

Go find her friends and family if she survived and explain it to them, then come back here. I need your help.

Don't let them come...they'll get torn apart by the monsters that surround us."