Draimon: Fracture: Erasend- Book 1: Deascension

Chapter 13: Switchback

The ancient bark Dragons flew through the plant plain to the plain of fire. They soared through the air, and within minutes left their birth plain was behind them. The vibrant greens and towering forests turned to lands of red and fire, to lava and volcanoes and scorched earth. The moment they entered the plain, their outer shell began to smoke. They had to travel far through the heat and flames to reach where the fire Dragons resided, their rough skin turning black with the heat.

The three landed before Fidra, First-born of Pyrordial, the first fire Dragon, and the lord of the fire kingdom.

"Fire Lord, we need you and your Dragons' assistance," Rouwing, the leader of the group said.

"Why by Eldragoon would you need my help, why have you all risked your cores coming here. Furnogon, Hogon, take their heat away," Firdra ordered, his voice searing the air, and the two heat Dragons began removing the heat from the bark Dragon's bodies with their magic.

"Wyrm-torn," Wowing the youngest said. The red Dragons around them looked up.

"This one has been able to become a Dragon, and its body is now plant flesh," Fidra angled his head back to one next to him.

"Go and get the water Dragons."

"At once, my Lord," the Dragon said, blasting off into the sky, fire jets from its feet pushing it through the air along with its many wings. The bark Wyverns bodies started to smoke, despite their age, they could not withstand the heat for long, even with the heat Dragons siphoning off their heat.

"We must go," Fidra said soaring off, the bark wyverns and an army of fire Dragons following.

"Why water Dragons? Rouwing asked his great grand uncle, as he flew next to his gigantic maw compared to his size.

"Even though this Dragon Devourer has been able to gain a core and elemental flesh, it will retain its absorption powers. Our fires, explosions, and meteors will be able to destroy the plant flesh, but in time its body will become fire flesh. Let us hope the water Dragons decide to come."

"Understood," Rouwing replied,

"We shall discuss our price after,"

"Of course, if we win, we shall be forever indebted to fire kingdom. Your father has already done so much for us, we can not imagine the world without his creation."

"Yes, though if the law were different, I would still help, Acidra is my cousin, and my father's sister created the plant plain, I can not let it be destroyed," his voice burning with compassion. "Especially by that. Thing" with a blaze of hatred, "we shall enjoy watching it burn," Firdra said, smiling.

"Would the arcane and mechanical Dragons not be better at destroying the Wyrm-torn," Fidra's smile turned to a scowl.

"That is not possible; they are f*******n to leave their kingdoms."

"Why is that?" Rouwing asked.

"That is just the way it is, especially since Enor." The two flew in silence after that Rouwing not wanting to anger the Fire lord further.

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"Yes, that is correct," Acidra said, standing on her massive limbs, "we must follow the law and fight," she said, keeping her voice firm.

"I will have it no other way," the, I did not know what to call it, said, "I will spare you if you wish, too many have died because of me.

"EVEN IF YOU DO WIN, WE WILL NEVER FOLLOW YOU. YOU s*******r THOUSANDS OF US!" The former Devourer raised one of its heads in the direction of the voice.

"I assure you that their sacrifice was worth it, I have become the new plant Primordial," silence followed "with my power, this war can finally come to an end, and a new age of Dragons will begin. I can easily kill you all though I have chosen not to, be grateful for that." The Wyrm-torn turned back and said, "I will give you a short while to prepare." It said, slithering back along its tentacles. Acidra raised her massive wings, blocking out the light.

"Even with its new body I shall burn it away," I heard her say before soaring up into the sky. She immediately blasted a thick stream of steaming acid, large enough to destroy most of the Wyrm-torn. The acid stuck acid, with the other's being stronger and blocking, vines from the ground rose and lashed at Acidra, each burning away the moment they touched her. Acidra flew up breathing acid down, which floated in the air when I could no longer see the Monster Acidra manced the acid to circle round and trap it. The dome of acid swirled around becoming smaller and smaller until a tentacle made of acid flesh burst forth and lunged at Acidra. She soared past the limb, but many more came, one clamping down on her wing and slamming her to the ground. The Wyrm pushed through the acid dome, its body coated in acid, Acidra struggled, but more tentacles held her down, one moved slowly towards her core.

"STOP," she cried out, "you are the new Lord."

"Now that was not that hard was it? Take me to the Primordial." I saw the tentacles lift from Acidra, and she stood.

"What shall you do with my mother?"

"I know she is resting due to her injuries, I will take what makes her a Primordial and take her place. I will then birth stronger First-born, and the plant kingdom will become so much stronger. Now lead the way, will you please."

"Yes," Acidra said, "I will lead the way, she is far, but I can sense her," I heard her say, submitting to the tyrant. On top of the heads, the remaining Cannibals came forth, their mangled bodies now replaced with elemental flesh.

"My party will not attack without my command, one reason I wanted to ascend was to cure them of those mangled bodies," we walked out of the way, letting the monster move through, Acidra leading the way. I heard Baragon behind me.

"The fire Dragons will come shortly," Baragon looked up at the Wyrm-torn "thank Ominomgon they are, we can not kill this thing ourselves."

"We are going with it; we need to make this Monster believe we are following it."

"Indeed," Baragon replied, "I do not know what we can do otherwise." We followed the party of Dragons walking at the back, our group a distance from the two as they were to fast for us. After a time of silence, I said.

"It wants to become the new plant Primordial." Baragon stared at me, "then it will birth new, stronger First-born, and then they will give birth to stronger plant Dragons."

"That sounds good for our kind, but we can not let it take our Primoridal's place. Biordial is a child of Eldragoon and Ominomgon, to let another take her place is sheer heresy against the ones who gave us life."

"Biordial is recovering though," I stopped for a moment, "what happened to her?" Baragon gazed into the distance and sighed.

"Not much we can do I may as well tell you what I know. Enor, the arcane Primordial, wounded her along with all the other Primordials."

"Why did he do it?" I asked.

"Drydra, it was a long time ago, and none talk about that time. Though it must have been shattered the law if he does not deserve the title, he was given at birth."

"My," was the only thing I could say back. We kept walking until the thing stopped.

"Before you is Biordial, mother of nature, now we must go, we are beneath her and are not worthy of being in her presence. Only you are worthy," she told the Devourer, I saw Acidra turn, fly towards us and hover, "run," she said "the fire Dragons will be here soon," the Dragons around me charged away from the monster, I looked back to see a baren area, one we could sacrifice. I saw the plant Devourer plunge its tentacles into the earth, was Biordial here? As I ran explosions thundered through my ears and I saw meteors slam into its body followed by a wave of fire, it roared.

"Uhhh, cease this now! I only want to make the plant kingdom stronger."

"By stealing my mother's power, our gods' child, never!"

"What of the other kingdoms," I heard the largest fire Dragon roar, "all kingdoms must be equal.

"MAYBE THOSE STUBBORN LAWS NEED TO CHANGE!"

"THEY WILL NEVER CHANGE, WE WILL NEVER ACCEPT A MONSTER AS A PRIMORDIAL!" the thing screamed as the blasts of fire, explosions and meteors annihilated its body."I have devoured so many, I do not wish to wound your kind any further," it said curling up, its voice full of searing pain.

"ALL THE MORE REASON YOU MUST BE DESTROYED!" The Wyrm-torn rose up and unleashed a thick solar beam from each of its nine heads its burning tentacles reaching from the Dragons around it.

"VERY WELL, I WILL NOT BECOME THE NEW PRIMORDIAL. I WILL BECOME THE NEW ELDRAGOON. NO THE ONLY DRAGON!" I saw the fire Dragons continue to attack, the fire devoured its plant flesh, but its body did not fall. Its plant flesh was turning to fire flesh.

"I AM STILL A CORE-TORN, BUT NOW I CAN ABSORB ELEMENTS, AND THE STRONG OVERPOWERS THE WEAK!" The green turned to smoking red, and the solar beams became red fire, which destroyed the bodies of the fire Dragons. The area caught fire, and we all ran.

"YOU HAVE DOOMED BOTH YOURSELVES AND THIS PLACE, I WILL DESTROY ALL. KILL THEM ALL!"  I saw the cannibals with wings of fire, fly down to us, and they all blasted fire, it blowing away the Dragons in front of me. Fire Dragons flew down, and they were able to destroy them all with their claws, horns, and jaws, the red Dragons flew towards us, and I saw why they fled. A massive wave sped across the land, I saw it was packed with blue Dragons. The wave slammed into the whole of the burning monster, turning the fire to water, the wave washed over the abomination, the water Dragons standing on the ground then mancing the wave back to it. A bark Wyvern landed in front of us.

"This was the only way to attack its cores, we need to turn it back to a Core-torn. I saw a water Dragon with two legs, and long claws with webbing between them plunge into the water flesh. Its body crushed after a second of it entering the water.

"We just need to get the cores out somehow," the Wyvern said.

"Bark should be able to push the cores out, if only there were Dragons that could withstand high pressure."

"Yes, with the cores out, we will able to shatter them, and force to switch back to a Core-torn, then the fire Dragons can burn it away." I heard the monster roar and saw it charge after the fire Dragons, who then held the water back with explosions and breathes of fire. Those the water hit were killed in one blow, so many used their fire to propel themselves through the air and hold its attention.

"We must use bark magic," Baragon said "it is the only substance element we have that will be strong enough," the surrounding Dragons grunted in agreement. "Well, it is the only option we have," I saw the bark Dragons around us raise bark with formed into lances witch began to spin, Baragon did the same. Those more magic focused began searching for the cores, their eyes closed and heads lowered. The cores within the Wyrm-torn where invisible, its body was blue, and so were the thing's cores.

"Come Drydra, focus on the bark and spin it."

"Right," I focused on the bark as it spun faster and faster, though I was not sure if I was helping.

"As the bark spins, it will tap into the power of momentum, making to stronger," Baragon added an eight pronged claw to the tip of the lance. I saw a Dragon place its hand on Baragon's side.

"I have sent to you, where I believe a core to be."

"Thank you, Liadra," Baragon replied, and his and countless others tore through the air. The lance broke the skin and dived into the torent that was that of the Wyrm-torn's body, come on, I thought to myself over and over. Those above could distract it for only so long. My Dragon eyes struggled to track the lance as it swam through its vast body of water, one struck something and began forcing it out, yes. I felt Baragon beside me push against the core, and after a short time, the core was driven out of the abomination's body. It screeched as its mass was reduced, its flesh turning to water and soaked harmlessly into the earth.

"CANNIBALS STOP THEM!" the remaining Cannibals ceased chasing after random Dragon and flew towards us. "GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK!" It screamed as it lost another core. They were too late, with the Cannibals coming for us the water Dragons were able to douse their fire, and their lives.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" it roared, with that, the last core was removing and evaporated with fire, its elemental body turned back to pale flesh, and it screamed.

"GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK GIVE IT BACK!" Over and over, it reached out for a fire Dragon, but with one breath of fire, the tentacle was devoured by fire, it spread along the arm. More Fire Dragons breathed their raging flames, the Devourer's heads breathed theirs, though not for long as they to were burned to ash.

"I will finish it," Acidra said, putting the fire out with acid rain, and then forming an acid bubble around the thing's whole body. I saw the bubble shrink to the smallest it could be, and the Wyrm-torn was no more. The Dragons then all gather together around the battlefield, the barren area turned to black mud, with some fires throughout which were put out by water Dragons.

"My thanks for your assistance Fire Lord," I heard Acidra say.

"O drop the formalities Acidra," he said, walking towards her, water Dragons around him and his Dragons dosing their fire careful not to get a drop on them.

"Yes Firdra I love you just please do not come near me, I am not keen on my body boiling."

"A yes, sorry, well how are you."

"O you know dealing with never-ending war, hundreds of my and siblings children dying every time, how about you?

"Yes, the same pretty much, you know you really should come visit, the lava is lovely this time of year."

"Yes, well, thank you so much for coming Firdra, now let us just hope that is the last of those abominations." One plant Dragon spoke up.

"The plant kingdom could have easily destroyed it if it did not have those magic-using, Monsters."

"Hey, did Enor not create core less magic users. We could have won the war and eradicated the Core-torn with them.

"DO NOT DARE SPEAK THAT MAD DRAGON'S NAME!" Acidra screamed, "HE CREATED THOSE THINGS, USING NO-CLAWS, THOSE WHO CAME FROM AND BETRAYED US!" Acidra stopped to breathe. I never expected this side from her, "my mother is deep underground resting from what he did to her." Acidra slumped down, "it has been hundreds of thousands of years, and she has not woken, I thought if I lead the Wyrm-torn here, it would wake her."

She raised her head up to the sky "it has been sooooo long, I just want to see her again, to see her face, hear her voice." Firdra sighed the air simmering as he did, he nodded to a few of his Dragons, and he walked to his cousin. Firdra rested his horns or her body, I could see the Dragons behind them working to pull the heat from their lord.

"My father is resting as well, the great fireball just is not the same, and in truth, neither is the lava." Firdra lifted himself from Acidra and walked towards us.

"The only Primordial other than Enor to be awake is Mechordial, who only suffered minor injuries. Arcane and mechanical Dragons are unnatural and should not be trusted. Enor no longer deserves to be called a Primordial for what he did." Could that be him, Livigon thought,"On top of his mentioned crimes, he killed and absorbed his First-born. I knew Beamadra, Teleporgon, Portagon, and Telekindra very well, I still miss them dearly. But they are not resting, they are forever dead."

"Yes, if the father of purple Dragons would kill his own for power, there is no telling what his children would do. As for the mechanical Dragons, their corpses were used to create their walking weapons." Acidra lifted herself up.

"At least Enor is sealed away in a reality cage forever, just as well they followed our orders."

"I think that is enough of his name, now what about our price," Firdra asked, I knew that buried memories were surfacing in Acidra's core that were causing her discomfort.

"Yes, cousin, now what would you like," Acidra said, I could already hear she was better.

"We are fire Dragons, fire given form, and as such, we love to watch fire consume whatever it touches, Pyro-claw." My attention snapped to one setting fire to an open patch of ground.

"Awwww just a little one, pleasssssssssssssssse," the Dragon replied, and Firdra sighed.

"Some more than others, Pyro-claw I am discussing just that, now Acidra, I am aware that your bark Dragons can create fire-resistant bark." Firdra held his claws up to his maw, "may we please say every fifty years or so get a massive bark construct that will steadily burn over those years." Acidra considered the request then said.

"Baragon, Rowdra, Biradra, Root-arm, Nobble-back," think you can do it.

"No problem Acidra, perfect practice to make even stronger bark," Baragon replied.

"Wonderfull," Acidra cheered, her voice far happier.

"Now what of us," the largest water Dragon said.

"Well..." Acidra said before Firdra interrupted.

"No no no dear cousin, I requested their assistance, by law, it is I who must give. Now Aqugon, what do you desire, though within reason." I looked up at the Water Lord his and all his Dragons' bodies unique to themselves. All the water Dragons had a membrane between their claws, their wings were different, unlike mine, with a limb connecting to the webbing; they only had webbing connected by what looked like tentacles. They all had slits along their chests and fins on their sides.

"Water Lord, can those of your kingdom fly?" I asked, making sure I was respectful.

"No little one we can not, instead we fly through the water, that is why our wings are this way. Now can we make this quick, we have been on land for far too long." The blue Dragon said, shifting his feet, I could not imagine how strange it must be for all of them standing and restricted to two dimensions.

"Simply name your price cousin," Firdra replied, Aqugon was unable to stand still shockwaves sounding as his massive limbs slammed the ground.

"Just send down a meteor every few years, so patches of our kingdom can be heated, come we are leaving." As the First-born and his Dragons left, I heard him mutter, " how by Ominomgon can the other kingdoms stand walking." I saw thick streams of water burst through their mouths, which formed into a giant wave which they submerged themselves in. The wave then sped off into the distance.

"Yes, cousin I believe it is time we also leave, it is too cold here, and we must rest for the next battle, so good to see you."

"You also, Firdra, thank you so much for your assistance." Firdra was walking away but turned around.

"May we please get the bark construct now."

"Certainly," she replied. The bark Dragons raising a large cluster of spikes, which Firdra gripped on his flight path, Acidra sighed.

"We have lost so many, and we can not even bury them," she lifted her maw to us "during the next battle, stay close to me, we will have to replenish our numbers if we want to survive." She snarled, revealing her shimmering green teeth, "my siblings and I are the only ones to know true peace, ever since then, Dragons always been at war with monsters. I am tired of losing so many of you every hundred years." Acidra walked past us, we careful to avoid her path, I sighed, this was just the way things were.

"So you kept your promise," I heard Baragon say.

"Of course I did," I replied, "where do think that thing came from?" I said as we started walking.

"I am not the Dragon to answer that, though it was a good fight for my first Core-torn. We shall never forget those we lost," Baragon said.

"They were denied a proper burial, they are lost forever."

"Then we shall bury them in our cores, Drydra, now let us return home." We all walked away from what I hoped was the last remnant of the Mortal wars.

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Below the ground, were the titan forest once stood, coreless Dragons awoke, composed of Dragon organs and memories. The blind, deaf voiceless slugs slithered, they gnawed at the roots and grew to their original forms with the biomass.

"Where are we?" A restored slug said, "the last thing I remember was stepping into that Wyrm-torn."

"By Eldaragoon, I can not feel my core, what did that thing do to us," another screeched."

"We seem to by underground, let us just focus on getting out for now," the dying scream of a clone crept through the cavern.

"What wa...," it could not finish as its body was ripped apart and devoured.

"R..," it's new life ended as it two died again, the creature moved through the cavern killing and eating everything it saw. It was a small piece of the Wyrm-Devourer. After absorbed the knowledge of thousands, it had learned that it should always have a backup plan. So it sent that which it could not use here, where it could. It only wanted to become whole, switch back to the way it once was, make the Dragons stronger, but their stubborn cores prevented them from change. So it went back to its ways, devouring all within its path, it was the strongest of the plant kingdom, and would have become the mightiest Dragon of all. Where there was once endless hunger was now hatred, they reduced it to nothing, it was a god, all those deaths it took to achieve that state, would have to be retaken. Though not now, it would wait, grow, and then kill, eat the only two thoughts it had, with hate the first emotion it had felt. Hatred now replaced hunger. They stole its power, killed those that it cared for, so now it would have its revenge on everything.