Beyond The System
Chapter 114: Return

We had to double back quickly for the trident left behind by the gleeful man, but I didn’t complain too much as it gave me more time to talk to the dragon bug riding in my body as we ran.

‘What the heck do you mean you’re a dragon?’ I asked, astonished.

‘I never said I was a dragon.’ Serum corrected.

‘You basically did.’ Luna recorrected.

‘Clarity… I need clarity.’ I begged, already getting a headache.

I was handed the wounded dog as Marcus shifted the great polearm over his shoulder, the we took off running as fast as we could to the center.

‘I only said I have memories of the dragons in my mind… not just one. So no I am no a dragon, I am the dragons.’ Wyrem finished with usual pride as if it should’ve been obvious from the beginning.

‘Stupid.’ Luna commented.

‘You gonna share anything?’ I asked.

‘Like what, nothing you can use… unless, can you grow wings?’ He asked, seemingly genuinely curious.

‘Why would I be able to do that?’

‘I’ve seen some humans who could transform.’ He retorted.

‘I’ll back him up, remember I learned how to transform using that old guy's memory as experience.’ Luna called up.

‘I. Can’t. Grow. Wings.’ I clarified.

‘Then I can’t help you.’ He stated simply. ‘If you start growing scales, lose those legs, and start breathing fire let me know.’

‘He’s mostly lying, he already told me he hardly knows anything. The only skill he knows is a flying one.’ Luna exposed.

‘HOW COULD YOU!’ Wyrem shouted, sounding almost genuinely betrayed.’

I blocked them from my mind.

The pup in myy arms yawned and made itself as comfy as it could in my arms with the bouncing from the jog.

Something up ahead was changing. A light coming from a large blue crystal, surrounded on all sids by small ones.

Marcus and I slowed down.

“Is this it?” He said approaching cautiously.

There was no sound, no rustling of trees, plants, or any other dangers.

“Seems like it.” I said.

Even with True Sight activated, there seemed nothing unusual, the energy flowing as usual around the environment. I mean, there was a fair amount of Natural Force emanating from the stone. But it wasn’t a surprise that a big magical looking crystal was a big magical crystal.

We both got closer step by step until we stood in front of it together.

“Touch it.” He commanded.

“You touch it!” I shot back.

‘Peter, I want to see the world, hurry and do something.’ Luna urged.

‘I need my body, touch the dang thing.’ Wyrem helped.

“Same time?” I offered.

“Three. Two… One.” I extended my arm, balancing the sleeping dog.

#

“He’s been gone for so long, we’re already reaching our limit!” A voice sounded with distress.

I couldn’t see anything but the sounds were perfectly clear.

“I know. If this keeps up much longer, all five of us will…” The other distinct voice didn’t finish.

A deeper one spoke next. “There is the spark left behind, if we use that–”

“If we do, that’ll destroy us.” Another interrupted.

“But the master's technique will finally be complete if we do. With how it is now, all his and our effort will be wasted.” 

The voices faded.

#

I opened my eyes and was greeted with a clear, gold, non-blue tinted light gracing me with its brilliant figure. Would it not make me blind, I swear I would stare at the sun of this world for as long as possible.

Insects budds around and the wind blew, a cool crips, and natural wind. Something not tainted with the musk of the underground.

The air finally felt clean, like the world itself took an exhale directly on me, exposing me to the origin of nature.

A grasped the ground, my hand touching the soft green grass, unmoving, and probably complete unthinking.

The dirt, course and… well, it was dirt not much changed there.

I blinked and looked to my side. Crawling slowly over to what was for days or weeks a monster, and held out a ginger hand touching the rough bark. No clamping down, no razor leaf storm, just a normal tree.

‘What are you doing?’ Luna interrupted.

“HAVING A MOMENT!” I nearly cried while shouting. That’s right, I’ll admit it. That’s how good this was. 

“What are you yelling about?” A familiar voice shouted up. “You dropped my dog.”

I looked over to see a calm man, still appearing like a savage, acting as if this wasn’t some massive miracle.

“You’ve been in there longer than me, why are you so calm?” I huffed.

“Well,” he bent down and touched his toes, “I’d like to celebrate once I see my girls.” He justified. He looked up and down what was obviously a road carved into a forest.

“Pick a direction.” He said, giving me the honors.

“Uh yeah sure, but before that.” I gestured to my face and hair. “Clean that up, no way you can’t.”

With the face he gave me, I swear he just thought I told him, “Let me kick your dogs.”

“I think it adds character.” He defended.

“When’s the last time you looked at your reflection?” I asked, stunned at his ridiculous response.

He said nothing, instead sighing, summoning a light to his palm, then wiping his face. He seamlessly shaved in just a couple seconds, revealing what was really not that bad of a look. Though our smell was probably not great.

“Hair?” I followed through.

He grabbed the unkempt strain that went to his shoulder, doing the same as before, but keeping it just past his ears.

“Happy?” He asked.

“Yeah… One more thing. The umm,” One yawned and looked at me tilting its head as if knowing I was talking about them, “companions, what about them.”

I started to see them as cuddly monsters, but these little guys were pretty vicious looking when showing just a bit of their teeth.

“I’m a tamer, no one will act on them as long as they’re near me and do nothing.” He answered.

And just as he did, I saw something approaching in the distance. A carriage slowly rolling dragged in the front by green-scaled horse-like creatures.

“Marcus?”

“I see it.” He responded quickly. “Peter don’t say anything, we don’t know where we are yet.”

“Wha–?” And it hit me, the dungeon moved, I don’t think Marcus and I even entered from the same place.

We walked up, meeting it as it came, the driver sitting at the front eyeing us as I tried to appear as non-threatening as possible. I bet we both looked like a couple of forest-dwelling bandits.

“Hello!” Marcus greeted with a smile that I personally didn’t find friendly.

“Keep your distance.” The carriage man ordered, unclasping a horse from its reigns.

Disobeying Marcus I opened my moth. “Are you a Bloodless?”

He went wide eyed. “What the hell are you talking about? I don’t have any sort of disease.”

I breathed out a sigh of relief, “We’ve been lost, can you just take us to the nearest city? Please.” I requested. 

If he didn’t recognize Bloodless, I felt safe in assuming we were in the right country.

He eyed me and Marcus with even more suspicion and Marcus glared. “Are you deserters?” He asked edging closer to the horse.

“If we were, would I ask you to take us to the nearest gate? I’m a commander in the Starborn troupes, and have been lost, I’ll make it worth your while.”

My ears perked up at the word, but I said nothing for now.

“Your… do you have your identity orb?” The driver continued to ask.

As if sensing the question coming, Marcus had pulled an item I hadn’t seen in quite a while, though it was a bit different. A pitch black orb, with some symbol on it I didn't recognize.

“This good enough?” Marcus asked with mock, or maybe real annoyance.

“Yes! Hop on, please sir!” The man responded with a one eighty of suspicion to near reverence. “It’ll be a few hours, but there’s a city with a garrison.”

Marcus nodded as he and the dogs climbed up, motioning for me to join. “That should have a gate. Like I said, I’ll reward you… The back okay?”

“Of course.” He opened the flap for us to a hay-filled compartment.

We all sat and got comfortable.

Then I heard quiet giggles, giddy, and non stop. Barely hidden under a hand covering his own mouth.

I couldn’t help but join after a few seconds, and we, the two maniacs who had hitched a timely ride on the side of the road, drifted between hysteria and relief, an odd sight to anyone around.

“You ready to head home?” I asked, wiping a tear from my eye.

He turned, looking outside the back of the cabin. “My home’s been that place for over a decade. I’m ready to make a new one.”