The Clock Ticks

The years passed on the winds of time. Babies were born, and old men died. Lovers found each other, and some left their spouses. Children left their homes wanting to see the world and its riches. Some who already experienced the world would come back to unite with the fathers and mothers again, ready to sink into their arms and feel their parental warmth once again.

Winter had passed and other seasons along with it had also gone, forever lost in the past. The world turned and drifted amongst the stars, so far away they shined, reminding all of the creatures on jakraa how small they actually were.

***

Drakai thought after beating those boys that's he would have issues with them in the future. But against what he thought would happen, the boys started to show respect. They had been taught the art of understanding defeat. They knew they had lost fair and square, and after that, they had no anger towards him.

The training was hard, but after the first year, his body got used to it, and it started to get stronger. His voice had gotten deeper. His body had reached the age of nine and some months, and his coming-of-age celebration would begin soon.

Drakai's hair had grown past his shoulders and now rested on the middle of his back in a large ponytail. His jaw had developed. His eyes ripped apart what they saw with a raptor-like gaze. Drakai had grown much taller and stood at 6'10, but his body refused to grow any taller after that, and by society's traditions, he was classified as a midget. But, of course, none of his peers said that to his face because he was the strongest royal knight trainee living in the castle.

But his teachers would poke fun at him every once in a while, but he didn't mind it because he respected them immensely. Other than his height, he had also bulked up significantly. Putting on mass, his muscles grew thick and corded. Constant physical exercise day in and day out made every inch of his body into a complete weapon.

Besides his body maturing, his mind also grew. His mental state went from a teenager to an adult's. And his behavior reflected it. He abandoned his child-like innocence and started to seriously plan his escape from the castle, which he knew would not be easy.

The princess was to be banished at her coming of age, and Drakai wanted to leave with her. Not out of friendship or love but out of protection, two eldrasie were better than one eldrasie. Although that was the reason, they had developed a natural bond. After telling her that their goals were the same, she had been interested in drakai and was naturally drawn to him out of need.

She had no one else to tell her worries to, and she often depended on him to vent out frustrations. Drakai did not mind this and had no issues listening to her go on a long rant about her father.

The princess herself had also grown into a fine young woman, with an ample bosom and a nice pear-shaped butt. However, she was the envy of many women, and many young men wanted her as a wife. This caused drakai to be somewhat hated by the young men because the duo was often seen together.

Even though she was a beauty, she was also very dangerous. She was much taller than drakai, standing at 9 feet. She took after her father in height, only two feet shorter than him. She was huge. Although she was tall, she was also very lean and compared to drakai, whose muscles would break his clothes if he moved too far in one direction, her's weren't so big.

She had been practicing magic none stop and was very good at this point. She knew how to use the little mana she had better. And after seven years and some months, they had developed a respectful friendship.

***

"Do you have all of your things packed into the D-ring my father gave you? Danya asked drakai, who was currently in the middle of his room, squatting 500 pounds. Sweat poured off his face, and his muscles kept rippling with each rep.

He was frustrated by the question because she kept asking him it. "I have had it filled since last year! All of that stuff that I asked your father for is in there. Spare weapons, clothes, food, mana crystals, all of it is in there, so stop nagging me, Danya!"

Scoffing at drakai. "You can't blame me, you big idiot. You are always forgetting things!"

"You can't call me big when you are more than two feet taller than me, you big-boned behemoth," Drakai snapped back with an insult.

Her face turned red out of anger. "And this is why you are never getting a wife or girlfriend." She shouted before charging out of the room and slamming the door behind her." Sighing to himself, drakai kept pushing through his workout, his eyes slightly glowing.

The door opened , and Danya peeked her head in. "Rember that we are training tomorrow at dawn, so hurry up with that and go to bed." Then pulling her head back into the hall, she went to her room to fall asleep.

Drakai had no issue when it came to sleep. His aura kept him energized most of the time, and he could go weeks without sleeping and feel fine. Danya knew this, but she liked to boss him around. It was in her nature, after all, she was the king's daughter, and ruling people was an inborn talent.

Drakai dropped the weight and looked at his mature body in his mirror. "This is not enough, I might look strong, but muscles at the mortal stage will get you only so far. I need to go past the ability of normal men and refine my body with magic and mana."

Then suddenly, energy erupted from drakai and filled the room. Lifting his hand up, a small flame erupted out of nowhere. Drakai had finally developed his sphere. It still was a mortal stage sphere, but it had power in it nonetheless. Then clenching his fist, the flame went out.

He had unlocked it not too long ago, about a week ago, his body felt weird, and he started to feel sick. And then, a soon as the feeling came over him, it was gone just as quick. And after Drakai felt his mana bursting through him and empowering his very being. It felt like a giant organ that acted as a battery. The size of the sphere itself was about the size of a basketball.

Drakai had figured out how to make fire by reading some of the books that King Jakre had gotten for him. And he also figured something else out that made him very happy. Drakai closed his eyes and concentrated on his palm. It took a minute, but a tiny golden flame erupted from his hand and sent out heat waves.

That night drakai fell asleep with a smile on his face.