Chapter 2 Dragon Sage

The cesspool of bald, bowing men was unmoving. They were clad in white robes adorned with flowers that cascaded from shoulder to shoulder. The flora sparkled scarlet as the overhead sun laid its rays on top of all that stood in the forest, bald heads included.

The ancient Taui forest was once home to the Taumani religion, an ancient belief that had seen kings rise, civilization destroyed, and the birth of new generations. Warriors roared the name of Manaqui, the head god, as they raced into battle; maidens offered their bodies for blessings; children aspired to be as great as him. Hundreds of altars were built in his honor where people gathered to pray. However, after the grand war, knowledge from distant lands invaded the realm and the number of followers was reduced to a sorry pile of middle-aged men. The Manaqui, once a fearsome God, recessed into obscurity. As the years went on, new pagan kings wiped out most shrines to make way for improved monuments.

All but one remained.

Staring down at the monks was a 100-foot altar made of gold and stone. It was the last one of its kind and hid inside the forgotten forest. On top of the weathered shrine was the all mighty god, Manaqui, gawking at the men.

It had been two hours since Max was transported to this world, atop the scalding surface of an altar. His legs and back ached from the sustained uncomfortable position; there was not enough room for him to stretch.

"Excuse me, but where am I? Who are you guys?" asked Max. His voice traveled throughout the forrest, reverberating through the foliage and reanimating the little critters which inhabited the land. However, after a few seconds, the forrest creatures quiet down and then there was

Silence

"Um… hello," Max asked again

The silence was palpable. It was only interrupted by Max's inquiry. However, no matter how much he yelled, Spit or cry, the men would not budge.

"What am I going to do?" said Max

He considered climbing down, but the prospect of becoming a red stain on the ground did not sound too appealing. t

"I'm stuck." Max said

[Ding!]

[You have been awarded 10,000 points.]

[Ding!]

[You have unlocked the Dragon Sage skill tree]

[Dragon Soul has been activated]

[TeraBot has been enabled]

The ringing bounced inside Max's head "W-W-What is that? What is that?" said Max.

"Good morning Master Max. My name is TerraBot, and I'll be your personal assistant."

"Hey! Haven't seen you around here before. Would you like to be my friend? I can introduce you to my other friends like Julie, Robert, and Mark. "

"They have assigned me the task of instructing Master Max on how to use the point interface. This humble servant has also been tasked with guiding master Max in the acquisition of pertinent knowledge concerning the world, culture, and all other questions master Max might have."

"Huh? You're not like the rest. Who are you? Where are you coming from?" Max said.

"I am your personal assistant in—"

Max's heart raced at the sound of the foreign voice. It felt the same as William, but somehow different. He nervously inspected the closely confined space of his scorching quadrilateral prison looking for the source of the sound.

"Where is that coming from?" gasped Max "William? William, where are you? "

"Master Max it is of utmost importance that you learn how to—"

"William! William! William!" Soon, the nervous shifting transformed into a full frenzy. His breathing became shallow; his eyes darted from corner to corner searching for the intangible "William! Will—"

"-.- . . .--. / .. - / -.. --- .-- -. / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / -.-- .- --..-- / .. .----. -- / - .-. -.-- .. -. --. / - --- / -.-. --- -. -.-. . -. - .-. .- - . / --- ...- . .-. / .... . .-. ."1

Suddenly, Max calmed down, staring bug-eyed at the space in front of him.

"T-There you are William, you scared me! Don't leave ever again or… or I won't talk to you again"

".... .- .... / -.-- --- ..- / .-- --- ..- -. -.. -. .----. - / .-.. .- ... - / .- / -.. .- -.-- / .-- .. - .... --- ..- - / -- . --..-- / -.-- --- ..- / ... --.- ..- .. .-. -"

"Can so! I can be by myself If I wanna! " said Max

"Master Max, may I—"

"By the way William, what's up with the new guy? He talks all funny and stuff."

".... . / .. ... / -. --- - / --- -. . / ..- ... .-.-.- / .. - / ..-. . . .-.. ... / .-.. .. -.- . / ..- -. .-- . .-.. -.-. --- -- . -.. / --. ..- . ... - / .... .- ... / -... . . -. / .. -. - .-. --- -.. ..- -.-. . -.. / .. -. - --- / --- ..- .-. / .--. ... -.-- -.-. .... . --..-- / -. --- / -.. --- ..- -... - / -... -.-- / - .... . / ... .- -- . / .... .- -. -.. / -... -.-- / - .... --- ... . / .-- .... --- / -... .-. --- ..- --. .... - / ..- ... / .... . .-. . .-.-.-"

"Uh-huh, ok… Any thoughts on how to get down from here?"

".--- ..- -- .--."

"But William, if I jump from here, I don't think my legs would be too happy," said Max

"If you allow me to explain—"

".. ..-. / .. / ..- -. -.. . .-. ... - .- -. -.. / - .... .. ... / -.-. --- .-. .-. . -.-. - .-.. -.-- --..-- / .-- . / ... .... --- ..- .-.. -.. / -... . / ..-. .. -. . / .. ..-. / -.-- --- ..- / .--- ..- -- .--. / --- ..-. ..-."

"Well, if you say so, William. You know I trust you with both my kidneys"

Max peered over the edge of the altar, where the bald heads reflected like tiny beacons on the ground. It was not until now that Max had truly appreciated the height of the altar. The colossal elder trees that populated the ancient forest looked like feeble shrubs. Birds weaved and danced around the cotton clouds beneath Max's feet. To make it worse, the wind kept pulling him from side to side, almost pushing him off the altar.

"I-I d-don't know about this William. Doesn't this seem a bit dangerous." Max said with a trembling voice.

"Maybe one of those little birds could help us get down from here. Hey! Over here!" yelled Max to a small crowding nest of birds circling the bottom of the altar.

"Master Max, I do not think that is an excellent ide--"

Max cupped his hands around his lips and yelled."We're stuck up here, could you lend us hand or… a wing?"

Perspective is a wonderful phenomenon. Artist of interdimensional renown such as HellPicker and his famous piece"Is it just me or is it hot in here." Utilize this technique to fit an impossible myriad of four-dimensional objects into a two-dimensional medium.No matter how big or small your subject is, if you apply the right perspective, you could fit it into any small or large space. This discovery came to Max in a flash and gave him a new appreciation for the wonders of the arts. But, unfortunately, the growing pack of birds did not give enough time to reflect.2

Steel talons as big as whales and wings as wide as thirty oak trees zipped towards the alter and into the sky. With their humanoid faces gazing at Max, they spread their wings blocking every ray of light and shrouding everything beneath them in darkness.

"Agil, The Black Death," Said TerraBot

"What?" Max said.

"The records show that the Agil is a spirit bird older than the mountains and fiercer than the most fierce land creature. Some believe they are the bastard children of the supreme lord. In a fits of hunger, they blanket their prey in darkness before consuming its Spiritual energy. The locals call this the Black Death."

"So--"

"SKRAAAA!"SKRRRIIII!"HUAARRG"

A cacophony of screeching blasted from the swirling darkness, shaking the altar and trees that surrounded it. The air vibrated violently as the Agil shrieked their unholy song while they encircled the air. One Agil, a creature with a long face and unhinged jaw, dove straight down into the altar. However, before it could reach Max, another Agil, the biggest one of them all intercepted it, clawing its metallic talon into the long-faced Agil ribs. As the talons dug dig into its saggy flesh, it desperately shook from side to side to release itself.

"W-hat's h-happening" stammered max as the scene unfolded.

"They are deciding who will be getting dinner," said TerraBot

"W-W-William, what should we do?" said Max

"- .... . .-. . .-..-. ... / -. --- / --- - .... . .-. / -.-. .... --- .. -.-. . .-.-.- / -.-- --- ..- .-..-. ...- . / --. --- - / - --- / .--- ..- -- .--. .-.-.- / - .-. ..- ... - / -- . / -.-- --- ..- .-..-. .-.. .-.. / -... . / ..-. .. -. ."

"B-but," said Max once again peering into the depths."I don't —"

"SKREEEEEEAAAA"The sound came from another Agil that had been impaled by the enormous beast.

The beast loomed over the mass of Agil, waiting for another rival. They all cowered in fear as they met the gaze of its skin patched eyes. Soon thereafter, it gaze locked unto Max, brandishing its bloodied talons towards Max.

The screeching was silenced.

Max's heartbeat slammed against his rib cage as he stared deeply into the darkened sky; into the elongated face of the eyeless creature. The Agil's jaw slowly unhinged, a red pulsating mass of flesh with tentacles protruding from every surface.

"Master Max, I believe, "

The beast unfurled its black wings,

" It is in your best interest if you"

and with a heavy flap of his wings and it zoomed towards Max,

" GET OUT OF HERE"

With His heart almost breaking through his chest cavity, he tore his eyes from the speeding black bullet and jumped off the altar.

The only thing that he could hear was the explosion of rocks and the air hitting his face as he plummeted towards the ground. The tiny shrubs that looked weak and unassuming began to expand as he sped through. The only thing Max could do was close his eyes and embrace for impact.

—-

Unfortunately, the imperial security inc officer could not retrieve what had happened to our protagonist at the exact moment he collided with the ground because of the interference of rocks, dust, and other particles. I sincerely apologize on behalf of imperial security and as your narrator for this inconvenience. The earliest record that we have is moments after the collision.

——-

Max stood unscathed inside a large crater, forcefully shutting his eyes closed.

".... . -.-- --..-- / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. .- -. / --- .--. . -. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / . -.-- . ... .-.-.-"

Max slowly opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. The bald middle-aged men were completely unfazed by what had happened. They kept their bowing stance without flinching even the tiniest bit.

"You got to get out there. T-that monster is going to get you!" Max yelled at the men

Silence.

He tried to pry them from their stance but to no avail. They were hard as a rock and would not budge.

"SKRAAAAAAAA!"From the depth of the starless night, the familiar sound. Stone and gold rubble rained on Max.

"Master Max, monks in this country a known for the impenetrable devotion to their gods. There is nothing you can do. They will not move" said TerraBot

"What? Are you telling me to just leave them here? " said Max

"There is one thing you co—"

"..- ... . / - .... . -- / .- ... / -... .- .. - .-.-.-"

"B-bait! What are you talking about William? We can't just leave them to die"

"/ --. --- .. -. --. / - --- / -.. --- ..--.. / -.. .. . / .--. .-. --- - . -.-. - .. -. --. / - .... .. ... / -. --- -... --- -.. .. . ... .-.-.- / .-. . -- . -- -... . .-. / .-- .... .- - / .... .- .--. .--. . -. . -.. / .-.. .- ... - / - .. -- . .-.-.- / .-- .. - .... / .--- --- .... -."

"!…." Max was stunned.

".--- ..- ... - / -.. --- / .- ... / .. / ... .- -.-- / .- -. -.. / .-.. . .- ...- . / - .... . -- / .- ... / -... .- .. - .-.-.- .-. ..- -. / .. -. - --- / - .... . / ..-. --- .-. . ... - --..-- / - .... . .. .-. / ... .. --.. . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / .--. .-. . ...- . -. - / - .... . -- / ..-. --- .-. / --. . - - .. -. --. / - --- / ..- ... / - .-. ..- ... - / -- . / .- -. -.. / . ...- . .-. -.-- - .... .. -. --. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / ..-. .. -. . .-.-.- / --. --- - / .. - ..--.."

"…ok" Max whispered

".-. . -- . -- -... . .-. / -.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / -. --- / .... . .-. ---"

Max silently gaze at the bowing men for a moment before he dashed into the nearby woods without looking back; without paying attention to the growing pit inside his stomach.

....…....…....…

—-

For a while it was difficult to get the precise location of Max after he dashed into the woods. However, after a thorough investigation by our agents, we can lightly deduce what happened. A single pair of footprints were spotted on the east side of Taui Forests alongside undetermined substances and a pair of half-eaten berries. Further east we could spot pieces of clothing that have been confirmed to be the property of Max. A bit to the north a pool of the same substance with traces of blood could be spotted. Further along the north, close to the border of Miqui village, Max was found collapsed on the ground. Intel reports that he stayed unconscious for two weeks before regaining consciousness. This is where we will retake our story3

——-

[ding!]

[dragon soul has been deactivated]

"…..ok?…..ey.....are ….ok" A bright juvenile voice aroused Max from his deep slumber.

"Woah, don't get up too quickly or you'll get dizzy. " the voice said as two small hands gently supported Max's back as he slowly got up.

"Those are some mighty strange clothing you got there mister. Are you lost?" The voice kept on asking.

Max could only make up blurry shapes when he opened his eyes.

"You….can talk?" Said Max

"What! Of course, I can talk. I can even count to one hundred. Mums says I'm pretty smart for my age. Maybe even smart enough to be Warrior someday" The intangible blob said

"Where am I?" Said max as his eyes got used to the brightness.

The blob kneeling beside him soon began to take the shape of a small boy. Two big brown eyes stared at him in wonder

"Miqui, of course. Well, you're just outside of Miqui. Aaaand if you step over here you're in Miqui village, see? Isn't that cool" The yellow hairs on his head bounced freely as he jumped between two patches of grass.

"Now I'm outside; Now I'm in Miqui village; now I'm outside; pretty simple, huh?" he said.

The boy stood proudly beside Max as he showed off what to him seemed like the greatest thing ever. However, Max was not happy. The flashing memory of leaving those people behind tormented him; it ate him. He was just as useless as he was back at home he thought.

"Hey, what's wrong? " two brown eyes peered through his sadness.

"It's just that,"

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"Hmmm?" The eyes curiously stared at him.

"It's just that I'm a bit thirsty. Do you know where can I get some water?"

"Yeah! My mums has the best drinks in town, or at least she says so. They're bound to get you back up" said the boy.

"Yeah…. I would like that. My name's Max by the way, what's yours?"

"Max? What a weird name. The name is Nare Miquila and it is good to make your acquaintance. "Nare politely said extending his arm toward Max.

"Likewise," Max said taking the boy's hand.

[ding!]

[You have been awarded 500 points]

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Footnote

1. TerraBot is linked to the protagonist's nervous System which is closely monitored by ImperialSecurity Officers. One perculiar fact about his brain is that everything time this "William" of his appears, specific electrical pattern show up in his brain. These symbols are TerraBot's analysis of said brain patterns.-W.T

2. I highly recommend his works-W.T

3. The dense woods made it difficult for the officers to get a good reading of TerraBot's signal.- W.T