Chapter 215: Journey

I stretch my wings wide and take off from the cliff, leaving Halbor behind. I feel the rush of wind under my belly. As I gain altitude, I flap my wings, each stroke sending me higher and farther. The sun shines on my scales, reflecting a radiant blue light that illuminates the sky.

I gaze down and see the jagged peaks of a mountain range stretching out before me. The mountains are rugged, with steep cliffs and narrow valleys, and I can see streams and forests nestled among them. I glide effortlessly between the peaks, feeling the rush of the wind on my face.

My eyes dart around, taking in the sights and sounds of the mountains. I can hear the distant calls of birds and the rustle of leaves in the wind. I see a herd of mountain goats grazing on a patch of grass on a cliff's edge, and I smile to myself.

I continue my flight, soaring higher and higher, taking in the beauty of the mountain range below. I can feel the power in my wings as I fly, knowing that I am one of the most powerful creatures In the land. And as I pass over the last peak and out of the mountain range, I can't help but let out a mighty roar, asserting my dominance over the sky.

As I leave the mountain range behind me and fly into the open sky, I soon spot a vast meadow spread out before me. The meadow is lush and green, with a babbling brook running through the middle. It's a beautiful sight, and for a moment, I consider swooping down to investigate further as the mana surrounding the place was abundant. But my attention is soon drawn to something else.

In the distance, I spot a group of soldiers patrolling the meadow. They look tiny from up here, but their shining armor catches the sunlight, and I can make out the glint of swords at their sides.

'Knights? Are they patrolling the borders?' I inwardly wondered. Their presence confirmed that I reached Tinada's borders already.

As I draw closer, the soldiers spot me and freeze in fear and awe. They drop to the ground, bowing their heads and raising their hands in surrender. I can hear their hushed whispers of disbelief and wonder, as they try to comprehend the sight before them. It looks like they recognized me. I was sure that the stories of my feats have already spread far and wide into the mortal world, so their reaction was of no surprise.

For a moment, I hover in the air, observing the soldiers with curiosity, before I quickly lose interest. There were no mages amongst them, only knights. After a few moments, I decide to continue my flight. I spread my wings and take off once more, leaving the soldiers behind in the meadow. As I soar away, I let out another deep, rumbling roar, just for the thrill of it. The sound echoes across the meadow.

With the meadow behind me, my attention turns ahead as I continue my flight. It doesn't take long before I come across a large forest. The forest is dense and lush, with tall trees stretching towards the sky. I can see the sunlight filtering through the leaves, creating patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor. It's a beautiful sight, and for the lack of better plan, I consider landing and exploring the forest floor.

But it is then that I catch a whiff of something that makes my stomach growl: confused I glance deeper into the forest. As a dragon, I do not need to eat to survive, I could simply do so by circling the mana inside my body. But this time, this was different. The smell was unlike anything I'd scented before. And before I knew it, my hunter's instincts kicked in. I spread my wings and fly toward the forest, scanning the ground below for any signs of movement.

The mana guides me as I approach the forest, where I spot a human village built by the edge of it. The village is small, with a cluster of wooden huts and a few fields for farming. I glance down at the villagers, and I simply fly over them without a second thought. The smell was too appetizing, and I almost could not control myself.

Once I'm deep in the forest, I begin my hunt in earnest. The mana reacts to my will, it guides me toward my prey. It doesn't take long before I finally spot it, a large hulking creature that stood well over four meters. I quickly frowned at its ugly appearance.

The monster looks like a cross between a rhinoceros and a gorilla. with rippling muscles and thick, armored skin. Its fur is mottled green and blue, and its eyes gleam with a fierce intelligence. The creature's head is massive and horned, with two long curving tusks protruding from its jaws. Its eyes are small and beady, set deep in its skull.

As soon as my shadow appeared on the ground, the monster quickly raised its head and glared at me. I could smell its fear and hesitation as it scanned its surroundings for a way to retreat. Unluckily for it, I was not going to give it any time to react.

And so, in one swift motion, I swoop down to the ground and pin the creature beneath my claws. It growls in pain and fear as it tries to avoid my gaze. I lower my mouth and sniff the monster. There was no doubt about it, the delicious smell, it was him.

Confused, I tilt my head and speak out loud;

"What are you?"

The monster whimpers before he uses his thick arms to try and push my claw away. Unfortunately for him, that proves to be a useless attempt. The monster quickly let out a frustrated roar and continues pounding his arms against my claw.

I pay it no heed and instead focus on its body. Something was not right. The monster's body did not look real. Its insides were all messed up. I could not see any internal organs whatsoever, which only served to confuse me even further. What I could see, however, was what looked like a large mana core.

'A monster with a mana core? What is going on?'