3 Chapter 3: You done, Bitch?

A large cavern, with a massive opening to the outside along the edge, with an outcropping of rock creating a sort of perch.

Oddly the rock appeared strange, too smooth, as if melted and reshaped to suit one's needs.

Bits of melted rock in holes along the ground lay cooling, returning to solid form, while bits of frost and ice covered other parts of the battlefield this place had become.

A beautiful red dragon lay dead, with ruby like scales and a sleek, elegant body with 2 horns off its head, curving softly and smooth.

Yet this beautiful image was scarred by the blackened scales along its neck, with flesh ruined by frostbite, and the spear embedded in that neck glowed like a cold star.

The spear held its own cold beauty in its aesthetic design, but the dark red blood coating it made it look demented and evil, something to be feared.

A man sighed looking at the scene. "I had to release so much of its power... it's gonna be forever till it pulls back."

Another man teased him. "What, can't grap your spear?"

"Watch it, lest I turn that spear on you!"

"I'd be scared if you could hold it! Ahahaha!"

A small dull-red dragon watched, with golden eyes and 2 small bumps where horns would one-day grow.

'What kinda idiot makes a weapon that hurts it wielder the more you use it? Sure it's strong enough to kill a weakened dragon, but that design flaw is stupid!'

[You expect HUMANS to have any grace or intelligence in their ability to create? They wield the gifts we give like oafs consistently, why should this surprise you?]

You know... this goddess is pretty damn harsh on humans huh? Doesn't that mean she probably doesn't respect me too though? Hm. The chances I'm being screwed over and used are... scary high.'

The plan? Get strong now, so I can survive later. A good plan.

Now... I need to be close to my mothe-the dragon. I need. To be close. To the dragon.

I breathed a bit heavily, trying to push sown the wave of emotion thinking of my mother being dead caused.

Even if she wasn't really 'my' mother, the connections in my head to my previous mother, and more importantly, to recent death, wasn't exactly gentle in reminding me of what I'd done.

'Focus!'

I hunched down, similar to a cat crouching before it pounces, trying to think it through.

From how far I can jump from up here, how much noise it'll make, how to handle that noise, etc.

...

...

...

[...]

'NOW!'

I jumped and immediately I was off, running into shadows as the men in the room turned in confusion at the dull "thump!" my ass made as it hit the ground(what, you actually thought I stuck that landing?)

Finally I got behind the corp-red rock. Nice, shiny red rock. Yeah, a weird rock. With heat still coming off of it, like just being near it was an oven, until you went near the ice spear.

Okay no. I'm not a dumbass.

'It's a corpse. My dragon mother is dead because humans kill everything to use their bodies as resources. Every human invention and tool, the clothes and empires are built on the corpses of every other life, and even the lives of other humans.'

[For such a pathetic race, their ego sure is incredible.]

'Now... I'm just another "animal" to be hunted. I'm going to have to kill again to defend myself. So the best I can do is look at it honestly, but not too closely.'

I wouldn't think of who knew them, the families they may have had. I couldn't.

Because what about the dragon? It was alive, and from what I understood, intelligent, maybe even more so than most humans.

It might've had other family than me, and they miss it.

And more to the point... I WAS it's family. They had killed my mother. Reincarnation or not, I can't find pity-

'Oh. That's why it bothers me so much.'

[What?]

'I... don't feel bad. Not the way I thought I should. Everyone acts like killing is horrible and everything... but I can't find any pity for that woman I killed. Just disgust and the same empathy for someone forced to undergo more suffering than necessary.'

'I think I could do better and be merciful in giving a quick death instead cause I know what a slow one feels like, but I don't care about her life. I'm just annoyed or disgusted by the inefficiency of it.'

I don't want to face that idea. It's like I'm less than hum-...

...Less than a moral being.

'Let's just lock that away into a lil ol' vault in my head.'

[Why? Humans aren't worthy of so much thought. Just do what you must and don't overcomplicate it.]

That is surprisingly good advice from a self-proclaimed goddess.

[Amyways that's not the point. You need to touch the corpse!]

'Ah right! Forgot where I was for a second!'

I wriggled against the dragon, squirming underneath one of the wings and curling up against the body to hide.

Then I waited. A small dragon curled up against and hidden under a adult dragons corpse... holding a unicorn horn in its mouth.

I feel like a dog with a bone.

~ ~ ~

Magic feels... weird.

It felt like I had a small flame within me, and now...

How to describe it?

The remnants of a once-might bonfire where being added to a small candle.

Yes the bonfire has gone out, but all that wood, the heat in the coals and embers in the ashes... it's all still there.

Add open flame, even as small as a candle... it grows.

My heat grew within, but even more so it felt like I was stuffed, like I was stretching some muscle I'd never felt the more I absorbed.

'Is there a limit to the magic I can take?'

[Not really. You're body has magic, and it'll slowly grow. I'm just using other sources to overfill it and stretch it out.]

'...sorry, does that mean that my magic capacity will be twice an adult dragons when I grow up?'

[At the least. It's only possible during your infancy though, as babies adapt better. Also dragon flesh is extremely magic resistant so you're able to take it very well.]

Okay... so I got fire magic pouring in.

Then there's the horn. Bit by bit a floaty sensation flowed into me, something not of the fire but connected.

[Hm. You are a fire dragon you know? You can't have 2 separate sources of magic, so unless you combine light and air magic to connect them to your fire, you're just gonna get 10% of that power as neutral magic your body will make into fire magic.]

Wait what? You mention that now?!

Hmmm. It's a lotta magic power wasted, but I still make some gains...

But if I just accept 10%, then I won't be as strong as I could be. I might be used, hurt, or die all over again. Light magic can heal, and I need that.

Fire emits light. Therefore, light magic comes from fire magic, and intense light can carry heat to create fire, like using a magnifying glass in summer. So how do I connect the two-

*CHA-CHA!*

A sudden vacuum sensation as all the light energies pulled into that core of heat, no longer floating about in me without direction.

Wait... scientifically connecting it mentally was good enough? So if I understand the scientific connection, I can absorb it?

[...what're you thinking?]

'Air is made up of many gases. Is that true in this world?'

[Matter is basically the same and most physics shouldn't be different.]

Good. So fire burning pure oxygen should be pure flame, a dark blue with more heat? So if I mix air magic to purify flame, then my fire is way hotter.

But is that all?

Fire, with specific gases. Gases get heated, get ionized. Electrons fly off, taking away temperature, and with Helium gas...

'Hey goddess!'

[Yes mortal?]

'Why don't we absorb that ice energy through the body? Or do I need to touch it?'

[Ice can't convert to fire, it'll basically poison you.]

'Can't it?'

[...excuse me?]

'Fake goddess... did you know that creating a cold fire is possible? A form of ice-White plasma which freezes what it touches? I saw it on YouTube, so it's sad you don't know about it.'

[...]

'Helium, all its heat given to electrons thrown off, ionized and "burning", the helium which is freezing cold is bigger, so it collides more, meaning the cold is what is transferred.'

[...neeeeeerd.]

'I'm a physics student. And you're just annoyed a "mortal" knows something you... wait. If you are a race with enough tech to pull me through dimensions, how don't you know this?'

[Im a goddess! I exist without material form, and am born of magic and life independent of any world! I am not a fake, and I do not need to concern myself with the petty functions of the material universe! If I didn't need you to affect the karmic cycle of this world, you would never even know us gods exist you pathetic momentary existence!]

'...you done your temper tantrum, bitch? You need me? Help me survive. First thing you can do is help me absorb ice energy to gain an new form of fire magic. After all, I might find a use for it.'