Chapter 26

The days passed quickly as the children of the Black family trained in their respective fields.

Soon the month of August had arrived again, a time where the family was extremely busy due to the harvest.

The wheat and some other produce where ripe for the picking and all hands were needed.

On this particular day, Draco had woken up way earlier than he normally would.

He had a terrible nightmare, his body still shaking from what he experienced in the dream.

Yet when he woke up, he had forgotten the details of what he saw.

To clear his mind, he went for an early jog around the wheat field.

Soon the sun rays began to peek from the sky, its golden rays shining on the golden wheat creating a picturesque scene.

"This is the beauty of nature," he couldn't help but mutter.

It was something that couldn't be experienced at most modern places in his past life.

The cool, refreshing morning breeze along with the moisture of the morning dew, the chirps of the morning birds and the sound of the cocks crowing made a very calming atmosphere.

Draco sat down to meditate by a tree, he was feeling quite refreshed now.

Over the course of his lessons with Rize, Draco had created a unique way to use magic for himself.

Controlling and molding magical energy just came naturally to him, he attributed it to one of his racial skills.

He discovered that his body was coated in an extremely thin layer of magical energy.

It was something that he wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't looking for it.

He discovered that by increasing the thickness of the magical energy that coated his body, he could resist some level of physical and magical damage.

He experimented and took it further, by stretching or molding a portion of the magical energy coating his body, adding strong intent and adding an element, he could bypass the tedious casting process of elemental spells.

An example of this was a fireball, all he needed to do was mold its shape, add red elemental energy then launch it.

The process he discovered wasn't without its flaws, it was energy costly, it was slow and lacked the same power compared to a traditional spell currently, but it was something that could be improved after he got used to it.

He even began to create a new melee fighting style which he called 'Elemental Dragon arts'.

By combining magic with his partial transformation skill, he could add elemental attacks to his strikes.

He tried making elemental magic weapons but his current mind capacity and strength couldn't handle it.

He couldn't get the magical energy dense enough to make it worth the immense effort, but he believed that this would change as he grew stronger after acquiring falna.

Rize was extremely shocked when he showed her what he could do. She even asked him to teach her but it was going to be more difficult for her.

His horns weren't just for decoration and immensely aided in sensing and molding magical energy.

An organ Rize didn't possess but it wasn't an impossible process to learn, it would just require a lot of time dedicated to practice, something she as a high elf had an abundance of.

.........…..

It was around noon of the same day, the family had decided to take a break and have lunch in the field.

Chise and Draco were bringing the baskets filled with food and drinks.

Rize decided to help out on the farm, this was an exciting new experience for her.

She had never worked on a farm before in her life as she was basically royalty.

While having lunch, Draco started having the uneasy feeling he had earlier in the morning.

"What is this feeling?" Draco muttered in worry. He scanned the area, looking for any signs of danger.

The peaceful atmosphere, the chirping of the birds and the joyful banter of his family did nothing to ease his worries.

There was an unsettling sensation in the pit of his stomach, a nagging feeling that something was amiss.

Chise noticed Draco's unease and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is everything alright, Sweetie?" she asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

Draco hesitated for a moment, not wanting to worry his family unnecessarily.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"I've had this uneasy feeling since this morning, and it hasn't gone away." he explained.

Rize, who had been nibbling on a sandwich spoke.

"Did something happen?" she asked, her keen elven senses picking up on the subtle change in the atmosphere.

Draco shook his head. "I had a nightmare, but I can't remember the details. And now, I can't shake this feeling that something is wrong."

The three of them fell silent, their attention drawn to the surrounding fields.

The gentle breeze rustled the golden wheat, and the birds continued their melodic chorus, but there was an underlying tension that was palpable.

Their actions soon drew the attention of the other family members who were intermingling.

Rumble!!!

The earth suddenly trembled, shaking the very foundations of the once tranquil farmland.

The air grew thick with an ominous tinge, and the farm animals began to wail in unease, their cries echoing through the now unsettled atmosphere.

Anita, her calloused hands gripping her trusty hammer, rose from the ground, her eyes fixed intently towards the looming forest.

"Everyone, get up and run to the house now!" John's voice boomed, urgency lacing every word.

"Marcus, Rita, Rize, gear up and join us. Mark, Chise, Rose, get the kids to the cellar quickly," he commanded, his face etched with a mixture of fear and resolve.

Something had disturbed the monsters of the forest, and a monstrous stampede was imminent.

Mark's brow furrowed with concern. "What about the town? Who will warn them?".

He still hadn't completed the walls so the town was going to be annihilated depending on what exited the forest.

Anita's eyes narrowed, her voice laced with a hint of dread.

"Damn the town, family first. Now, get your ass home quickly." She instructed.

Their homestead would be the first to face the onslaught, and even she, a seasoned level 5 warrior, was unsure of their chances of survival, let alone the weaker villagers.

Even if surface monsters were weaker than dungeon monster, they were still territorial and wouldn't abandon their home for any reason.

They would rather fight to the death or incur large casualties before leaving.

Yet here these monsters were, fleeing from something strong enough to bypass their basic instincts.

"Yes, mom," Mark replied, his arms cradling Michalis and Eleni as he ran towards the safety of their home.

But he didn't get far before stopping in his tracks, his eyes drawn to the sky above.

Dark clouds had suddenly enveloped the once clear expanse, and lightning struck with a ferocity that left no one unaware.

The dark sky seemed to part, revealing a colossal entity that sent shiver down their spines.

The earth trembled violently, the very air charged with a palpable tension.

Anita's hammer slipped from her shaking hands as she stared in utter disbelief at the ominous sight unfolding before her eyes.

"What in the Seven Hells is that?!" John exclaimed, his voice laced with a mixture of awe and dread.

A colossal being had emerged from the parting skies radiated an overwhelming aura of power, its mere presence causing the very fabric of reality to shudder.

Draco felt his knees buckle, his mind betraying the defiant resolve of his body.

"Run, everyone! Get to the cellar, now!" Anita shouted, her usually commanding voice tinged with a rare note of fear.

The panicked cries of the farm animals echoed across the landscape, their instincts screaming at them to flee from the impending danger.

Mark and the others hesitated, their legs seemingly rooted to the spot as they gazed upon the behemoth that was descending from the heavens.

"Damn it, you fools! Do you want to be die?!" Anita's bellowed, her words laced with a desperate urgency.

Shaken from their stupor, the group snapped into action, scrambling towards the safety of the cellar.

Michalis, Eleni and the other children clung to their parent, their small faces etched with terror as they struggled to keep up with the frantic pace.

As they neared the cellar, a thunderous roar shook the very ground, causing everyone to stumble and nearly lose their footing.

Anita whirled around, her eyes widening in horror as she beheld the colossal being flapped its massive wings, the air crackling with raw, unbridled power.

"Hurry, damn you!" she screamed, ushering the others inside the cellar.

Draco hesitated, his gaze drawn inexorably towards the towering entity that loomed over them.

Something about this creature, this... god like being, stirred a primal fear within him, yet also a sense of awe and reverence.

He felt inexplicably drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.

He swore he could see someone riding on top the creature but it simply could just be his mind playing tricks on him.

"Draco, get in here!" Mark yelled, his voice laced with desperation.

Torn between the desire of his instincts to fight and the overwhelming urge to flee to seek shelter, Draco found himself frozen in place, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

The being's one eye, glowing with an otherworldly light, glanced upon Draco, and for a fleeting moment, he felt as if his very soul had been laid bare.

A shiver ran down his spine, and he found himself unable to look away, mesmerized by the sheer power that radiated from the entity.

Anita, sensing Draco's hesitation, rushed forward and grabbed him by the arm, her grip iron-like.

"I said, get in the damn cellar, you fool!" she roared, her eyes wild with panic.

Draco finally snapped out of his trance, allowing Anita to pull him towards the safety of the cellar.

Once inside the cellar, the group huddled together, their faces etched with terror. The children clung to their parents, their small bodies trembling.

Mark and the others looked towards Anita, their eyes pleading for reassurance, for some semblance of hope in the face of this impending calamity.

Anita's expression was grim, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"We can only pray that whatever that... thing is, it spares our humble home," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The sound of shattering wood and crumbling stone echoed from above, followed by the agonized screams of the farm animals and perhaps people.

Draco flinched, his mind reeling, he knew what that creature was, how dangerous it was and what it could do, the biggest question on his mind now was

'Why is it here'.