Pangea (2)

George sighed in defeat after confirming that Uriel led him to the right place.

He looked at the thick green colored miasma not far from them with a frown. The grass and trees around them were devoid of life. One didn't need to be smart to realize that the reason why the are was devoid of any life was the green miasma.

He turned to Urial beside him, "There is no way I'm gonna go in there!"

Uriel raised her eyebrow and snorted, his face twitched when he got to know what she meant through their link. 'Why are you afraid of that bit of miasma?' Was what she said.

She went on to slither forwards before calling out with her melodious voice.

George rubbed his chin as he waited with Uriel.

The sun was already starting to go down in the horizon and it wouldn't take long until night would arrive.

His attention was drawn by the miasma that began to surge until a dragon stepped out from it.

That dragon was the most 'dragon like' dragon he had seen until now.

It had glossy dark green scales with two wings folded on its back. It had a pair of black horns on the back of its head that were twisted and a smaller one between its nostrils.

It was smaller than the Inferno Dragons but not by much, almost reaching his hip.

The new dragon glanced briefly at him before directing its toxic green draconic eyes towards Uriel in front of him. It growled at her, seemingly annoyed that it was called out from its territory.

Uriel ignored its displeasure, answering him with her melodious voice.

The two began to speak with each other for a while. Lewis didn't know what the new dragon was saying but he knew that Uriel kept pestering it to join them to go out on adventures.

It came to the point that the new dragon roared angrily at Uriel, George tensed up, ready to jump in if the dragon attacked her.

But the next thing that happened stunned him, Uriel used her long tail like a whip to slap the dragon multiple times. George watched Uriel rising above the dragon to stare down at it like a big sister scolding her little brother.

The other dragon looked down on the ground, growling weakly in protest.

Uriel wasn't having any of it, slapping it again until it lied down on the ground while covering its head with its claws.

George scratched his bald head when Uriel urged him to come and catch the unlucky fellow.

He took out his Astral Star and ordered it to catch the dragon lying down on the ground. The dragon shot him a gaze full of resiment to which George shrugged, 'Don't blame me buddy, blame your bad luck...'

The dragon didn't dare to resist at all making the catch quite easy.

George went through its information once he recalled his Astral Star back to his body.

'It's a Plague Dragon with three skills, [Toxic Dragonfire], [Plague Miasma] and [Toxic Claw].' Thought George as he was about to use his [Assimilate] skill on it.

But his entire being shook violently with his vision starting to spin, the last thing he saw was Uriel entering a ripple in the space to return into his Astral Space.

He felt groggy as he found himself staring at the familiar floor of his home.

"Urgh, what happened?" Said George while trying to stand up. He supported himself on the table, shaking his head to get rid of the groggy feeling, pushing aside the new information that appeared in his mind.

The memories of what happened were still vivid and he felt the Flux rushing through his body. George was stunned and entered his Astral Space to confirm that everything that happened was real.

'They are here!' Exclaimed George delighted when he saw his three dragons resting inside his Astral Space.

He froze the moment he went back to reality and saw his crying mother shaking him while shouting.

"Mom? Why are you crying?" Asked George confused.

Lily collapsed on the ground after seeing George finally responding to her, "George...it's Michael, he...he left!" Spoke Lily, starting to cry even harder.

George opened his mouth but no words came out, he took a chair and helped his mother up to sit on it.

He took a deep breath, "Tell me what happened."

Lily looked at her eldest son in deseapear, "I failed the test of that strange gate and found Michael had returned too from there. He began to talk about some place called Pangea and that he would go there...He apologized and...then...then he vanished, right in front of my eyes and I don't know what is going on...George you need to bring him back, he is only 16 years old!"

George listened to his mother with a dull expression, the new information that appeared in his mind resurfaced when his mother said Pangea.

He looked at his mother with a neutral expression, "You failed? Which gate did you choose?"

Lily blinked a few times, "I went to the Gate of Element but the spirit burned me to death after refusing to fuse with me..."

George hugged his mother after she started to cry again.

'Michael...' Thought George, somewhat confused what to think of feel about everything.

"Don't worry mom...I will bring him back..." Said George as he stopped hugging his mother.

"Please, bring him back..." Pleaded Lily desperately.

He gave her a nod, turning around so she couldn't see his expression that was neutral, lacking any kind of emotion.

Lily saw her eldest son magically vanish from where he stood, just like Michael did...

The kitchen seemed darker as she sat there...all alone...

*******

George looked at the strange huge trees around him, 'This is Pangea?'

The first thing he noticed beside the strange environment was that the concentration of Flux around him was many times higher than inside the Gate of Beasts or on Earth...

Pangea was according to the little information in his mind the center of the universe. Only those that successfully went through one of the gates were qualified to enter Pangea...

Flux began to fill every corner of his body as his Astral Star was now able to absorb the most possible amount for the first time.

'But the travel here is a one way train with no return...Michael didn't hesitate to leave mother alone...' Thought George, his gaze looking dull and almost empty.

He was now 22 years old and gave up the chance to enter an university to go back home and help his mother out with their money problem and Michael who had started to get into trouble...

'I didn't tell mom that it isn't possible to come back from Pangea...I am no better than Michael...' Self reflected George as he looked back at his own lack of hesitation to stay behind with his mother.

"[Summon]!"

Uriel came out from the ripple in space, sensing the conflicting emotions inside him.

She coiled herself around him and licked his cheek to cheer him up.

George caressed her soft and beautiful scales, "I don't regret it...I won't regret it...This isn't something that I can sacrifice for them..." Muttered George to himself.

"Thank you Uriel, it's time for me to move forwards!"