Chapter Text
Chapter 1; The name I never knew.
The squishing of flesh, skin, and bone was a familiar sensation I enjoyed on my fists as I killed each monster in my way. My friend, the Druid was helping with monsters I was too big to fight, such as goblins, and giant rats. The monsters I fought were great beasts such as Ogres and Minotaur. The blows dealt rang out like bells during an attack on a town. The beasts I was fighting were a bunch of wereapes that the goblins had captured, but as I was finishing up I heard something, “Gren! Look out!” The thing in question was the Druid saving me from a frost magic tipped arrow. It was blocked by roots before I could ever have seen it coming, and as a gift in return I took the arrow, killing a goblin, throwing it at him. The fight was nowhere near its end, and knowing such I put the Druid on my back and we used our powers as one, while they used their vines to give me sharp blades similar to giant swords I would use them. The pleasure I felt in killing each of the tiny insignificant vermin was more intense than the fires of hell. I slashed and cut each green insect with a ferocious outlook similar to how I imagine a goblin takes pleasure in robbing a man. While I hacked and slashed the goblins the druid kept the vines strong and deadly. They also guarded me from behind, attacking any goblins I missed and destroying them with ease. While I was the warrior, the violent killing machine, they were my sorcerer, the magic casting ally. Though the many goblins outnumbered us, the strength and abilities we had were more than enough to completely decimate them.
The goblins had nothing more than stone tools and sticks to throw at us, and some had minor learning of spell casting, and their frost magic might hurt me. Other than that we were completely invincible to them. Since our quality far exceeded their quantity it was like a bunch of ants trying to stop bug spray. It was a sad attempt at fighting back against the unbeatable force of man and his allies and the goblins lost more against us than they would ever be able to make up for. The blood from these tiny creatures as I felt it spray against my face and body was like a thirst quenching refreshness. The blood from the tiny fiends was like a golden drink from the gods above that made me feel like a holy warrior sent to DESTROY these evil demons of earth. My bloodlust was uncontrolled. The anger within not only myself but the Druid had made me a feral beast almost controlling my movements but having the force of nature. My bloodlust soon quenched as when the Druid went off of my back due to my rapid movements soon after I’d killed all the goblins, and roared like a mighty monster.
My mouth contorted to fit this mental image of myself as my voice sounded like a deep low growl, and then as I roared once more I soon found that mighty roar the pained yelling of a man. My human form though not damaged could feel all the pain, and exhaustion my body should’ve felt when I was that monster. I was not just exhausted, but almost every muscle in my body ached and my mind was screaming in pain. Soon my friend joined me on the ground, and they used their magic to heal and treat my injuries. Though injuries were only spiritual and magic in nature, their presence and the healing glow still comforted me. Even the pain reminded me I was human. I was panting like a dog from exhaustion. Sweat came from me like rain to the earth, but I did not want them to be concerned and I knew they would be. Just like every other time no matter what they did until they knew I was okay they never let me be. I took some water from a stream that was close enough to stumble too and drank it walking off, “Druid I’m fine don’t worry.” I walked as they grabbed my arm and replied, “We both know you’re not Gren. You might be a strong warrior, and might just be the toughest guy in the kingdom, but you’re only a man. A man with the power to be a monster.” I stared at them before looking into the sky, sighing and sitting down with them. My eyes began to water as I then looked to the ground.
It was a beautiful evening, and it reminded me of the first night me and the Druid had gone on an adventure. I never even really knew their name, but I feel like that is normal. They were vague or mysterious with just about everything they told me. Just last week or a few days ago they had told me about this ‘Sacred Ceremony of Companions’ which was supposed to signify our importance to each other or something like that. We had actually been traveling to said ceremony for the last few days, and we had been captured by goblins. Which is why we were fighting them. As all these thoughts ran through my mind I kept thinking back to their name. What was the Druid’s name? I turned to them as I then saw they had been looking at me with concern and asked them, “Druid?” they would wipe a tear that went out of their eye as they replied, “Yes Gren?” I then finally asked them for the second time since I met them. The second time since I had ever asked them this during our entire time together - More than a year of fighting and traveling together, and I never questioned it. “What is your name?”
They took a moment to think. Their face were confused, and then suddenly shattered. The moment felt like a lifetime. Years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and then seconds all at once. They realized that the entire time they had known me they hadn’t told me, and that face and thought shattered both of us. They finally spoke with a strong tone of fear, “Annalasyia. I.. I thought you knew Gren.” I would stare as my eyes went blank, and the only thoughts in my mind were total and complete darkness; the only word I could think was LIAR. I would then shout at her, “YOU’RE A GIRL?! WHY DID YOU NEVER TELL ME!? WE LITERALLY SLEPT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, AND YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT ME! YOU LIED TO ME!” I couldn’t believe it they- she- I.. I don’t know anymore. The Druid lied to me. I thought they were a boy the entire time and they never bothered to correct me. I stood up and as I did I looked into the sky, my mind still racing, furious, dark. I could not handle all of it. “So is this ‘sacred ceremony of companions’ one of marriage? Was I to simply be your mate for the rest of our lives and I wouldn’t know it?!” Enraged even more I wouldn’t hear her out. I simply began to run into the forest as I did. I could feel my flesh and skin become steel and cold. My footsteps left charred marks along the ground and small embers soon began to turn into fire. My arms burning scorching all the forest I ran through. My body was beginning to glow. I had to get as far away from the druid as I could. I could feel my anger, fury, and frustration with all this was beginning to move through my body. Fire was all over my arms and body as I soon went into a tiny clearing and fell to the ground as I roared loudly. I could feel each tiny flame, and each and every inch of my body exudes all my anger and fury into the area around me. I feel all of it.
Then when the forest around me, and the clearing were a charred crater I roared once again, and this time as I riled my head back and did so a giant pillar of flame came from my mouth. The pillar was the sun, and it lit up the entire sky for miles. I couldn’t stop it nor control it. The entire time I felt no pain or exhaustion until all my anger was gone and the fire disappeared. Then I felt the fire.. The warm fire, and the empty area gave me a chance to slowly pass out, but I couldn’t so I simply fell to my knees. Sweat turned almost instantly to steam as it went off my body, and I was the entire time letting it flow, and I felt like some sort of shell or corpse. Then finally she came. The druid. To my side as I was in and out of consciousness she picked me up and carried me back to the road as I sleepily spoke with her, and she slowly explained to me the ceremony.
“Gren.. The ceremony isn’t to get married. It is an award ceremony from the Druids for us having defeated the Dread Dragon Dusiphiuys . I did not want to spoil the surprise with fear of making you angry. We both know you hate royalty.” I would smirk as I sleepily replied, “That is human royalty. I’d be more than honored to be a famous hero for the people of the forest, and the only ones who weren’t afraid of me.” I would chuckle a bit as I could feel myself fading from this world for a moment and into that of dreams. I dreamt of when I first was in the kingdom of the druids, ‘Shrangala’ called such for being a paradise for any and all who were inside it. Unless they were not allowed to be. But either way my dreams were of the giant walking trees, and shops of so many spices you would’ve thought it were a royal kitchen. Each shop had something different whether it was golden meat or enchanted weapons. It was almost like a giant bazaar of things and peoples. The only thing you had to pay with was a tale or story of great importance. Or at the very least a good story. But that was why it was a paradise or thought of as such, but with this grand magic and goodness there were many evils that followed. One of which, and the most common one, was monsters. Not just the greedy men, but ones spawned of inhuman demonic origin like hydras or dragons. The worst of it were giant dragons. Those that had everything but food to fill their stomachs. One of which we had to kill. The Dread dragon.. My dreams were of a different monster though a far worse monster of much grander power. The worst of it all might have been how he destroyed the kingdom. But the real worst of it was.. That monster was myself. I was like a giant metal demon each foot step made a burst of heat that burnt the trees themselves. The fires were so bright that they burnt into my very soul. I couldn't escape it. I was dying, burning alive.
I suddenly awoke from my slumber, and I could see the sun. The bright calm and caring sun. Every moment of the morning relaxed and calmed me as I could still hear the frogs searching for lost time from the night, and the cranes flapping their wings as they began to feed on the sleepy fish. I could not only hear it, but feel it. The calm nature of the morning was all I wanted. I would turn my head seeing the druid sleeping next to me. With moss pillows she’d made for us it was a peaceful slumber. I stood up as I would begin to make a fire to warm up sitting down on a somewhat dry rock as I did so. The night before had rained after my little escapade.
Or at the very least that is what I assumed. That also could’ve been what caused my nightmare.. But I knew what it really was. I knew the real reason why I had that nightmare and I dare not think about it. I would sigh as I cleared my head and began to hum my favorite tune and make the fire burn. As I stared into the fire watching it dance I couldn’t help but think of what happened last night. I had never been that, well angry. It was something I hadn’t done before, almost like a giant dragon. I kept replaying that moment over, and over in my mind. I could not stop thinking of the giant pillar of fire I was in nor could I keep out of my head the giant destroyer that I had been the night before in my world of dreams. Such a vivid dream, and I couldn’t help but feel like it had happened. My mind filled with not only these but the thought of what could come. Was this a prediction of the future? Would I become a monster if I went down this path? What if I was one al- “Gren? I heard you breathing from here , are you okay?” I looked over at her as I would breathe deeply, calming myself. “Yeah.. I just. I felt bad about last night.. Ana?” I looked at her as I spoke unsure if the nickname was to her liking or not, “ Ana is fine Sir Zoth. I actually got a bit used to being called.. THE DRUID!” She made expressive arm motions as she said that and I couldn’t help but laugh, she always had a way with making me laugh. I turned to the sun as I sighed pulling on my garments she already made for me from fibers of plants. “Shall we head off Druid?” I chuckled a bit as I would punch my fists together, smirking a bit when I turned to her. As she let her vines become a dress instead of a robe she would nod and say, “As you wish Gren.”
When we continued walking I stared off into the distance. The long journey had seemingly been ahead all along, and now we began. Each step we took made a new step forward for our status, and our unyielding suspense for what may soon come. I would have a thought as I would chuckle and ask the Druid, “Would you rather have to turn into an Owlbear for a week. Or be a fly for a month?” We had many long talks while we walked. It helped us get to know each other after all. We had quite a few times where we talked until the sun went down. I smirked as I watched her think, and it was quite a gripping question for her it seemed. She always rubbed her chin when she was thinking hard. “I think I’d rather the Owlbear. At least my life wasn’t in danger that entire time.” I would nod in agreement as she would ask me next, “Would you rather fight a thousand orcs or fight one wizard?” I would think as I itched my head a bit. Wondering.. The orcs probably didn’t have any magic. But the pain afterwards would leave me in pieces. The wizard though could use any form of magic, and if they were prepared enough might have lots of ice spells. I would think a few more moments before I gave my response, “I think that I’d rather be lying in bed for a few days than have to almost die.” I laughed a bit as I saw the smirk on the Druid’s face. Then when I laughed she began to laugh and it was like that for a few minutes.. It was always nice to be able to just talk. With her and my mind. To be able to spend time thinking, and wondering. I couldn’t help but still feel I offended her, and even though we were okay now. I still felt like she might have resented me at that moment. Those thoughts were suddenly stopped by a large rumbling as we would take a moment to look for the source.
Through the giant trees and the thick vines they cast down we could see some sort of giant dust cloud in the distance. We soon started to hear whizzing noises as fiery debris began to fall around us. Small chunks of rock and dirt fell around, and then when the larger things started falling Ana used her magic to help take cover. When it was safer we were able to stay calm and think of what it might’ve been, “What in the Belox was that?” I shouted confused but mostly surprised. The druid took a few moments to think as we looked at each other and where the dust cloud would be if we could’ve seen it. “It could be a giant wyrm? I heard that a few were dormant in the area.. Oh jeez it might have been your giant sun you blasted into the sky!” I was confused as I could only respond with, “Huh?!?” She would smirk as she always did whenever she got to tell me a fact about animals and spoke, “Well the Wyrm will come out whenever they please due to their large size Wyrms only come out once every 40 years. When the sun is close enough they can derive enough fire magic to move freely through the earth at high speeds. It seems like your fire made-'' I interrupted her as I began to freak out, “THAT'S GREAT BUT HOW DO WE STOP IT FROM DESTROYING YOUR KINGDOM?!” I would pant as I had a worried look on my face and she seemed shocked. I would open my mouth to apologize but she hugged me and said, “Calm down Gren. Let me tell you.” She would slowly take her arms off of me as she would take a book out of her bag and begin to quickly flip through the pages. I recognized the book. It was her book of giant monsters. I started to think as I would realize where I would have to go, and as I did she found her page and spoke.