Post by slayg on Feb 3, 2017 11:22:09 GMT
Ten Thousand Years Ago…
A great beast snored in the center of a dark cavern. A beast the size of a castle, with a most odd shape. To start with, its body was bloated and fat… rust red in color, pebbly in texture. Well, except for the underbelly and face, those were more of a peach-flesh type color. It had four stubby little limbs that all stuck out from the body and clutched at the pile of treasure it slept on. It had a tail, long and sinuous, ending in an end split three ways. Its neck was just as long, and similarly shaped… aside from the head at the end of it.
Said head had the ears of a fox… it had the nose of one, too. Though only if one ignored the tendrils of smoke that wafted from it with every great snore. Its mouth, though closed, was filled with long and curved fangs… the bottom set spilled out and over its upper lip. An upper lip that bore many long, scraggly whiskers Finally, it had tufts of hair sticking up from its cheeks… and running in a line all down its back. Long, coarse fur that twitched as the body rose and fell. Clearly, it was deep in slumber. Or, at least it was until it heard a grating, clanking noise.
One eye opened and peered around. The wide, black pupil shrank to a thin slit, like a cat’s eye. From that eye, a beam of light shot forth as the eye swept over the chamber. Where it shined, glittering treasures were revealed… statues and suits of armor, master-work weapons, bronze, silver, and gold coins from many different nations. Some still existed, others had fallen long ago. There were also plenty of trinkets and gems… and oddly enough, stacks of common tools. All of them kept shiny and polished.
However, there was no person visible. No man peeking out from a pile of treasure, or standing in the entrance to the great cavern he slept in. Yet, the dragon knew he was there. He took a good whiff of the air, sucking in the smells of metal, stone… smoke… and a man’s sweat. Probably caused by exposure of his skin to the heat of the dragon’s body, which warmed the whole cavern by its mere presence.
His ears twitched as he heard a few bits of treasure shift, and his whiskers twitched as he felt for the man’s aura. It was to his left, completely undisguised. Far stronger than the average person, but still… just a human…
“You can come out now… I know you are here, thief.” The dragon's voice was deep and rumbling. As if an old man's voice was being channeled by rocks. He took another sniff of the air, before puffing out wisps of smoke from his nostrils. “No… not a thief. Too strong, and your aura isn’t disguised in the slightest…”
The great beast’s head rose up from his pile of treasure… before his maw gaped wide in a yawn that showed off many of his sharp, curved fangs. Both of his eyes were open, emitting beams of light towards a large pile of gold. Out from behind it stepped a man… A very tall specimen, he was. With blonde curls billowing from underneath his bronze helmet. The rest of his body was bulky and muscled, covered by a toga of some sort… and layers of armored plating. In his right hand was a long, black spear. Over his left forearm was a shield of the same color. He had what looked to be an iron sword hanging from his belt.
With a snort of amusement that produced another bit of the noxious smoke that filled the cavern, the giant dragon continued.
“Feh… a hero then. Here to slay me, eh?” The dragon stretched out his long and sinuous neck, along with his tail and his stubby limbs. After that, he went back to clutching the pile of treasures.
“Well, let’s hear it then… who are you, and where do you come from… oh mighty “hero”?”
The blonde, armored man answered, “I come from a land far to the south of here, monster. Away from your villainous grasp… A land of proud, strong men. A land of mighty warriors, beautiful cities, and great thinkers! Of hills and seas… strong armies and powerful navies! Fractured, but all sharing the same spirit!” He then got into a combative stance, hefting his spear and shield. His muscled arms tensed, preparing to strike or take a hit...
As the man got ready, Slayg gave him another once over… The dragon’s eyes continued to shine, and he huffed out another puff of smoke from his nose. His whiskers twitched, and his tongue flicked out once more… just to make certain of the man’s power…
It was odd, he had the aura of one awakened to the use of the spirit in combat. Yet he still clung to the spear and shield. Weapons that were ineffective against Slayg’s armored hide even without the dark magics and energy enhancing his power.
“Ah, so you answer me with a riddle, eh?” He gave a nonchalant snort as he once more stretched… and began to ascertain how much energy he had gained in this bit of hibernation. He also checked his memory to figure out which kingdoms he knew of still existed... “Well, let me see… ah… Based off of that prideful display, and your armor, I would say you come from that land to the south. The peninsula with the mountains and wine… And all those painted buildings made of marble.”
Slayg didn’t smile, though his tone got a bit more “excited” when he added, “After I finish you off, I shall have to pay them a visit. They will pay for your transgression...”
The great hero growled and gritted his teeth at that threat. In response, he shouted back, “No, you will not! For I will act as the world’s revenge against you, beast!”
Slayg’s response was… quiet at first. Simply a few low, rumbling chuckles. Then, it grew far louder. His voice rumbled and roared, echoing off the walls of the cavern… “Revenge?! YOU?! HA!” He stood himself up off his pile of wealth, causing it to spread and spill over. His neck raised his fox-like head up near the ceiling… and his eyes. They focused directly on the armored man in front of him…
“I. Am. SLAYG! I burn what I wish! I am strong… strong… STRONG!! My armor is stronger than ten-fold shields, my teeth sharper than swords, my claws are like SPEARS! The shock of my tail…” He slammed his long, split tail against the floor of the cavern. Causing the stone to shake all around… small bits of rock fell from the ceiling, piles shifted, and priceless works were knocked over and broken. The hero himself actually stumbled a bit “A THUNDERBOLT!” He raised his wings high, opening them as wide as the central hall of his temple would allow… “My wings… A HURRICANE!” He flapped them then, whipping up the air around them. He added a touch of his energy as well, to make the strong breeze turn into something that would rival a roaring gale. The hero had to get low to the ground, and plant both his spear and shield into the ground to stay put… and to block the bits of treasure that began to fly around the room and pelt his armor and skin. After the wind calmed… he looked up to Slayg.
The dragon simply stayed silent a moment, before angling his head away. “And my breath… death!” With that, his maw gaped wide, and ejected a great volume of fire at some armor that resembled the hero’s own set… melting it and the weapons mounted alongside it to lumps of molten goo.
When he turned back to the hero, he smirked as he spoke again… “Well?! Where is your boasting now?!”
The hero was silent for a moment as he slowly rose back to his feet. He swallowed before getting back into that battle-stance. Slayg was sure that, despite his attempts not to show it, the little human was trying not to show his fear. But, unfortunately for him… the dragon could smell it. Or at least the sweat bearing signs his body was preparing to fight or run.
“You think that all scares me?!” The hero shouted back, hefting his spear and aiming it right for the dragon’s belly. “Ha! I have learned the secrets of the world’s greatest warriors, one from every great kingdom still standing. I have ascended to the highest point, and trained under the Earth’s God and Guardian. I have forged these weapons from metals even your fire cannot burn… and I know the secret to your defeat!”
Immediately after saying this… he grabbed a random piece of jewelry. Some gold necklace with a ruby pendant hanging off of it. Then, the blonde warrior ran. Dashing away via a small side tunnel that connected to the central cavern.
This infuriated Slayg, making him temporarily forget his quips and boasts. Instead, there was only a deep, bubbling rage as one of his many bits of treasure was taken. His already loud voice became a great roar as he bellowed with anger…
“Thief! THIEF! I shall BURN YOU TO ASHES!” The dragon twisted his neck around to aim towards the entrance to the tunnel. His great maw opened wide… and he sent a spout of flame rushing down it towards the man that was running away.
The man, in response, hefted his shield backwards and charged it with his energy. Thus, defending himself by “blocking” the flame, and using his power to keep the rest of him from getting any nasty burns. All while he kept running out towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
Slayg, unfortunately, could not follow down that tunnel. He had to go forth down the main hall that lead to the entrance to his den. So he did, galloping as fast as his fat belly, and tiny legs, would allow him to.
Soon enough, the monster was outside… once more entering the light of the sun. It was about midday, the creatures of the valley below his cave’s opening were moving about still. They didn’t pick up on the monster that used them for food exiting his home, yet. Not that he was hunting for them that day, he was too focused on the “hero” that had just stolen some of his treasure.
His whiskers twitched, and his tongue tasted the air. He also took in a deep whiff of the winds blowing around him. Then there were his eyes and ears, which swivelled and scanned all around. All of the great beast’s senses were focused on finding that foolish hero!
They succeeded in doing so but a moment later. His eyes caught the figure running away from the mountain. His nose caught the man’s scent, and his ears heard the sound of the hero panting as his feet slapped against stone and dirt. Finally, his whiskers and tongue felt the man’s power, confirming who exactly it was.
The dragon roared loudly at the figure, before flapping his wings and slowly lifting up into the air. Once he was high enough… he began to whiz through the air. He swooped, he soared, he passed over the running figure again and again. Each time, he sent a spout of burning flame the hero’s way, while roaring and snarling with the fury of a hurricane.
“Foolish man!”, he taunted, shouting out between attacks that the hero had to continuously defend against. “You tried to flee out into the open?! I can fly!”
He withheld any further fire when he heard the hero shout a reply back. One which confused the great, demonic beast…
“So what?!”
Slayg was further confused when the blonde, armored man simply dropped his half-melted shield (which had been unable to hold up against continuous attacks)... and leapt up high into the air. No wings grew, no magic was used. He simply used his aura to push himself off of the ground…
“WHAT?! You fly without wings or magic?! IMPOSSIBLE!!” His maw gaped wide, his pupils shrank even further as he roared with a combination of surprise, fear, and rage.
“I do not fly… merely jump very well!”
While Slayg was still reeling from the shock, the hero pressed his advantage. Much like with his shield, he pumped spiritual power into his spear… then he threw it with all his might, straight for the beast’s underbelly.
Slayg let out yet another roar as the spear hit home, sinking into his skin. He had been so focused on studying the technique the hero was using to fly, that he hadn’t been able to react. However… it didn’t sink in very far, the tip just barely pierced his hide before it stopped. As one stubby limb moved to YANK the thing free, he laughed...
“Ha! Fool… I am armored both above… and below! There isn’t a single weak point on my body for you to utilize!” He tossed the spear up into the air, before sending out a steady stream of fire at it. Though it had been enchanted… the metal eventually began to melt under the constant heat… By the time it fell free, it was useless as a weapon, warped and twisted out of shape. The wooden handle, meanwhile, was turned to little more than charcoal.
The armored hero took the loss of his weapon in stride, though. He fell to the ground and leapt up towards the dragon again, fists extended… and showed that he didn’t need a weapon to fight. He used fists, feet, elbows, shins… just about every part of his body to deliver a flurry of blows all around the dragon’s hide. Each one delivered with enough force to make a mountain quake. Against a normal opponent, he would have been unstoppable.
However, Slayg wasn’t an ordinary opponent. His skin was tougher, he was bigger in size, and he had power of his own. Each hit did sting… but much like the stings of an insect, they were only a nuisance. A nuisance he ended with a mighty flap of his wings, and an expulsion of energy. This created a gale like the one he’d made in his cave, blowing the unprepared man back towards the ground.
Following this he let himself fall… gaining more and more speed. This meant, by the time his foe had hit the ground… Slayg fell right on top of him. His giant body SLAMMED the poor fellow against the ground with a harsh, crunching noise.
“See foolish little man? None can overcome my might! None can survive a battle against SLAYG!” Following that exclamation, Slayg produced a few more low, rumbling chuckles. He was certain he was talking to, and laughing at, a corpse… at least until his whiskers twitched. The hero was still alive!
He proved this by actually moving the massive dragon off of his body… rising and lifting Slayg up with him. With a grunt, he threw the demonic beast off to the side, causing him to skid into the dirt. He panted from exertion… his armor was bent, burned, and scratched. As were bits of his skin. Somewhere, he’d lost his helmet… revealing a chiseled face
“Do you ever stop your boasting? Or, for that matter, stop shouting your name and titles as if they mean anything?” After saying this, his eyes glanced to the left… before he turned to the dragon, nodding.
“You… You filthy... thieving... APE!!! I. AM. SLAYG! I shall speak my name as often as I wish... And I will teach you to fear it! To understand the weight it carries!” His maw opened ever so slightly… wisps of flame escaped from it, lapping upwards over the top of his snout. His pupils had contracted to become paper-thin slits, while his eyes once more sent forth beams of light towards the man… locking focus on him.
“You would do well to remember my “boasts” little human… for they carry the weight of truth!” Every statement brought with it a bit of fire, bursting forth before being extinguished by being cut off from the source. He took in a deep breath, holding still as the hero held out his hands. Presumably for a futile attempt at blocking what came next.
“Remember this in the next life! My breath… is death!” Right as the dragon opened his jaws to unleash a powerful spout of flame… The hero had his own words to shout. Well… word… he only said one.
“Mafūba!!!” Slayg had only enough time to let his flame sputter and gape as he was surrounded by a great, green vortex. Then, he was sucked in to become a part of the vortex, while some small thing at the edge of his vision opened the lid to a stone urn, carved with the imprint of a “demon seal” talisman. The hero himself then directed the demonic dragon towards it.
“No! NO! NOOOOOO! I will escape from this prison! Mark my words, when I am free... I shall visit my wrath upon the human race ten-fold for your actions! I will free myself, even if it takes me ten thousand years!”
The great hero simply smirked as the dragon was pulled into urn via the green whirl of energy… then sealed as the heavy lid was placed over the top. When Slayg was finally captured and put away… He grunted and fell to a knee.
As he did, a small zoan… some cat-thing, ran towards him. And that was all Slayg’s extra senses could perceive, before there was nothing but the stone around him. And darkness…
Now…
Slayg’s dream ended as he heard scuttling of many feet at the entrance to what had once been his home. His eyes opened and again shrank to slits, while his neck and legs stretched. The great, central cavern was empty now… pillaged of all its treasures. And the slumbering dragon was far smaller. Only the size of a horse at this point.
He was still quite warm, though… Perhaps that was what had brought the team of men and women that had been digging at the collapsed entrance to his cavern. In some of his dreams, he had felt their minds… heard their theories about what could have caused the mountain to heat up so much. It wasn’t quite tales of dread and woe… but it was enough to sustain him and grant him extra power in his slumber.
It also gave him a way to study the language of this new future, and learn it well enough to speak. And read, just a bit. He smiled as the old man that led them all muttered to himself, into that little marvel that let him record his voice...
“This is the Blue Banner Army Mount Slaygar investigation… Log number 41. After weeks of effort, we have finally managed to dig through the rubble blocking the entrance to this cave system, and are now beginning our first foray. As expected, the temperature is rising as we get closer to the central cavern. What could be causing it remains yet to be seen. Suspicions still hold that the correlation between the sudden spike in heat in this non-volcanic mountain and the Saiyan invasion are no mere coincidence… Will report further when we get to the center…”
His whiskers twitched, and his tongue lapped at the air. He also took a good whiff with his nose as he settled behind a pillar of stone. Something that these humans would call a “speleothem”... His teeth and eyes both shined in the darkness as he prepared his ambush… He’d leave one of them alive, he figured. To tell of how the rest of the team had been roasted alive and devoured.
As well as to say that Slayg was the one that had one it...
A great beast snored in the center of a dark cavern. A beast the size of a castle, with a most odd shape. To start with, its body was bloated and fat… rust red in color, pebbly in texture. Well, except for the underbelly and face, those were more of a peach-flesh type color. It had four stubby little limbs that all stuck out from the body and clutched at the pile of treasure it slept on. It had a tail, long and sinuous, ending in an end split three ways. Its neck was just as long, and similarly shaped… aside from the head at the end of it.
Said head had the ears of a fox… it had the nose of one, too. Though only if one ignored the tendrils of smoke that wafted from it with every great snore. Its mouth, though closed, was filled with long and curved fangs… the bottom set spilled out and over its upper lip. An upper lip that bore many long, scraggly whiskers Finally, it had tufts of hair sticking up from its cheeks… and running in a line all down its back. Long, coarse fur that twitched as the body rose and fell. Clearly, it was deep in slumber. Or, at least it was until it heard a grating, clanking noise.
One eye opened and peered around. The wide, black pupil shrank to a thin slit, like a cat’s eye. From that eye, a beam of light shot forth as the eye swept over the chamber. Where it shined, glittering treasures were revealed… statues and suits of armor, master-work weapons, bronze, silver, and gold coins from many different nations. Some still existed, others had fallen long ago. There were also plenty of trinkets and gems… and oddly enough, stacks of common tools. All of them kept shiny and polished.
However, there was no person visible. No man peeking out from a pile of treasure, or standing in the entrance to the great cavern he slept in. Yet, the dragon knew he was there. He took a good whiff of the air, sucking in the smells of metal, stone… smoke… and a man’s sweat. Probably caused by exposure of his skin to the heat of the dragon’s body, which warmed the whole cavern by its mere presence.
His ears twitched as he heard a few bits of treasure shift, and his whiskers twitched as he felt for the man’s aura. It was to his left, completely undisguised. Far stronger than the average person, but still… just a human…
“You can come out now… I know you are here, thief.” The dragon's voice was deep and rumbling. As if an old man's voice was being channeled by rocks. He took another sniff of the air, before puffing out wisps of smoke from his nostrils. “No… not a thief. Too strong, and your aura isn’t disguised in the slightest…”
The great beast’s head rose up from his pile of treasure… before his maw gaped wide in a yawn that showed off many of his sharp, curved fangs. Both of his eyes were open, emitting beams of light towards a large pile of gold. Out from behind it stepped a man… A very tall specimen, he was. With blonde curls billowing from underneath his bronze helmet. The rest of his body was bulky and muscled, covered by a toga of some sort… and layers of armored plating. In his right hand was a long, black spear. Over his left forearm was a shield of the same color. He had what looked to be an iron sword hanging from his belt.
With a snort of amusement that produced another bit of the noxious smoke that filled the cavern, the giant dragon continued.
“Feh… a hero then. Here to slay me, eh?” The dragon stretched out his long and sinuous neck, along with his tail and his stubby limbs. After that, he went back to clutching the pile of treasures.
“Well, let’s hear it then… who are you, and where do you come from… oh mighty “hero”?”
The blonde, armored man answered, “I come from a land far to the south of here, monster. Away from your villainous grasp… A land of proud, strong men. A land of mighty warriors, beautiful cities, and great thinkers! Of hills and seas… strong armies and powerful navies! Fractured, but all sharing the same spirit!” He then got into a combative stance, hefting his spear and shield. His muscled arms tensed, preparing to strike or take a hit...
As the man got ready, Slayg gave him another once over… The dragon’s eyes continued to shine, and he huffed out another puff of smoke from his nose. His whiskers twitched, and his tongue flicked out once more… just to make certain of the man’s power…
It was odd, he had the aura of one awakened to the use of the spirit in combat. Yet he still clung to the spear and shield. Weapons that were ineffective against Slayg’s armored hide even without the dark magics and energy enhancing his power.
“Ah, so you answer me with a riddle, eh?” He gave a nonchalant snort as he once more stretched… and began to ascertain how much energy he had gained in this bit of hibernation. He also checked his memory to figure out which kingdoms he knew of still existed... “Well, let me see… ah… Based off of that prideful display, and your armor, I would say you come from that land to the south. The peninsula with the mountains and wine… And all those painted buildings made of marble.”
Slayg didn’t smile, though his tone got a bit more “excited” when he added, “After I finish you off, I shall have to pay them a visit. They will pay for your transgression...”
The great hero growled and gritted his teeth at that threat. In response, he shouted back, “No, you will not! For I will act as the world’s revenge against you, beast!”
Slayg’s response was… quiet at first. Simply a few low, rumbling chuckles. Then, it grew far louder. His voice rumbled and roared, echoing off the walls of the cavern… “Revenge?! YOU?! HA!” He stood himself up off his pile of wealth, causing it to spread and spill over. His neck raised his fox-like head up near the ceiling… and his eyes. They focused directly on the armored man in front of him…
“I. Am. SLAYG! I burn what I wish! I am strong… strong… STRONG!! My armor is stronger than ten-fold shields, my teeth sharper than swords, my claws are like SPEARS! The shock of my tail…” He slammed his long, split tail against the floor of the cavern. Causing the stone to shake all around… small bits of rock fell from the ceiling, piles shifted, and priceless works were knocked over and broken. The hero himself actually stumbled a bit “A THUNDERBOLT!” He raised his wings high, opening them as wide as the central hall of his temple would allow… “My wings… A HURRICANE!” He flapped them then, whipping up the air around them. He added a touch of his energy as well, to make the strong breeze turn into something that would rival a roaring gale. The hero had to get low to the ground, and plant both his spear and shield into the ground to stay put… and to block the bits of treasure that began to fly around the room and pelt his armor and skin. After the wind calmed… he looked up to Slayg.
The dragon simply stayed silent a moment, before angling his head away. “And my breath… death!” With that, his maw gaped wide, and ejected a great volume of fire at some armor that resembled the hero’s own set… melting it and the weapons mounted alongside it to lumps of molten goo.
When he turned back to the hero, he smirked as he spoke again… “Well?! Where is your boasting now?!”
The hero was silent for a moment as he slowly rose back to his feet. He swallowed before getting back into that battle-stance. Slayg was sure that, despite his attempts not to show it, the little human was trying not to show his fear. But, unfortunately for him… the dragon could smell it. Or at least the sweat bearing signs his body was preparing to fight or run.
“You think that all scares me?!” The hero shouted back, hefting his spear and aiming it right for the dragon’s belly. “Ha! I have learned the secrets of the world’s greatest warriors, one from every great kingdom still standing. I have ascended to the highest point, and trained under the Earth’s God and Guardian. I have forged these weapons from metals even your fire cannot burn… and I know the secret to your defeat!”
Immediately after saying this… he grabbed a random piece of jewelry. Some gold necklace with a ruby pendant hanging off of it. Then, the blonde warrior ran. Dashing away via a small side tunnel that connected to the central cavern.
This infuriated Slayg, making him temporarily forget his quips and boasts. Instead, there was only a deep, bubbling rage as one of his many bits of treasure was taken. His already loud voice became a great roar as he bellowed with anger…
“Thief! THIEF! I shall BURN YOU TO ASHES!” The dragon twisted his neck around to aim towards the entrance to the tunnel. His great maw opened wide… and he sent a spout of flame rushing down it towards the man that was running away.
The man, in response, hefted his shield backwards and charged it with his energy. Thus, defending himself by “blocking” the flame, and using his power to keep the rest of him from getting any nasty burns. All while he kept running out towards the light at the end of the tunnel.
Slayg, unfortunately, could not follow down that tunnel. He had to go forth down the main hall that lead to the entrance to his den. So he did, galloping as fast as his fat belly, and tiny legs, would allow him to.
Soon enough, the monster was outside… once more entering the light of the sun. It was about midday, the creatures of the valley below his cave’s opening were moving about still. They didn’t pick up on the monster that used them for food exiting his home, yet. Not that he was hunting for them that day, he was too focused on the “hero” that had just stolen some of his treasure.
His whiskers twitched, and his tongue tasted the air. He also took in a deep whiff of the winds blowing around him. Then there were his eyes and ears, which swivelled and scanned all around. All of the great beast’s senses were focused on finding that foolish hero!
They succeeded in doing so but a moment later. His eyes caught the figure running away from the mountain. His nose caught the man’s scent, and his ears heard the sound of the hero panting as his feet slapped against stone and dirt. Finally, his whiskers and tongue felt the man’s power, confirming who exactly it was.
The dragon roared loudly at the figure, before flapping his wings and slowly lifting up into the air. Once he was high enough… he began to whiz through the air. He swooped, he soared, he passed over the running figure again and again. Each time, he sent a spout of burning flame the hero’s way, while roaring and snarling with the fury of a hurricane.
“Foolish man!”, he taunted, shouting out between attacks that the hero had to continuously defend against. “You tried to flee out into the open?! I can fly!”
He withheld any further fire when he heard the hero shout a reply back. One which confused the great, demonic beast…
“So what?!”
Slayg was further confused when the blonde, armored man simply dropped his half-melted shield (which had been unable to hold up against continuous attacks)... and leapt up high into the air. No wings grew, no magic was used. He simply used his aura to push himself off of the ground…
“WHAT?! You fly without wings or magic?! IMPOSSIBLE!!” His maw gaped wide, his pupils shrank even further as he roared with a combination of surprise, fear, and rage.
“I do not fly… merely jump very well!”
While Slayg was still reeling from the shock, the hero pressed his advantage. Much like with his shield, he pumped spiritual power into his spear… then he threw it with all his might, straight for the beast’s underbelly.
Slayg let out yet another roar as the spear hit home, sinking into his skin. He had been so focused on studying the technique the hero was using to fly, that he hadn’t been able to react. However… it didn’t sink in very far, the tip just barely pierced his hide before it stopped. As one stubby limb moved to YANK the thing free, he laughed...
“Ha! Fool… I am armored both above… and below! There isn’t a single weak point on my body for you to utilize!” He tossed the spear up into the air, before sending out a steady stream of fire at it. Though it had been enchanted… the metal eventually began to melt under the constant heat… By the time it fell free, it was useless as a weapon, warped and twisted out of shape. The wooden handle, meanwhile, was turned to little more than charcoal.
The armored hero took the loss of his weapon in stride, though. He fell to the ground and leapt up towards the dragon again, fists extended… and showed that he didn’t need a weapon to fight. He used fists, feet, elbows, shins… just about every part of his body to deliver a flurry of blows all around the dragon’s hide. Each one delivered with enough force to make a mountain quake. Against a normal opponent, he would have been unstoppable.
However, Slayg wasn’t an ordinary opponent. His skin was tougher, he was bigger in size, and he had power of his own. Each hit did sting… but much like the stings of an insect, they were only a nuisance. A nuisance he ended with a mighty flap of his wings, and an expulsion of energy. This created a gale like the one he’d made in his cave, blowing the unprepared man back towards the ground.
Following this he let himself fall… gaining more and more speed. This meant, by the time his foe had hit the ground… Slayg fell right on top of him. His giant body SLAMMED the poor fellow against the ground with a harsh, crunching noise.
“See foolish little man? None can overcome my might! None can survive a battle against SLAYG!” Following that exclamation, Slayg produced a few more low, rumbling chuckles. He was certain he was talking to, and laughing at, a corpse… at least until his whiskers twitched. The hero was still alive!
He proved this by actually moving the massive dragon off of his body… rising and lifting Slayg up with him. With a grunt, he threw the demonic beast off to the side, causing him to skid into the dirt. He panted from exertion… his armor was bent, burned, and scratched. As were bits of his skin. Somewhere, he’d lost his helmet… revealing a chiseled face
“Do you ever stop your boasting? Or, for that matter, stop shouting your name and titles as if they mean anything?” After saying this, his eyes glanced to the left… before he turned to the dragon, nodding.
“You… You filthy... thieving... APE!!! I. AM. SLAYG! I shall speak my name as often as I wish... And I will teach you to fear it! To understand the weight it carries!” His maw opened ever so slightly… wisps of flame escaped from it, lapping upwards over the top of his snout. His pupils had contracted to become paper-thin slits, while his eyes once more sent forth beams of light towards the man… locking focus on him.
“You would do well to remember my “boasts” little human… for they carry the weight of truth!” Every statement brought with it a bit of fire, bursting forth before being extinguished by being cut off from the source. He took in a deep breath, holding still as the hero held out his hands. Presumably for a futile attempt at blocking what came next.
“Remember this in the next life! My breath… is death!” Right as the dragon opened his jaws to unleash a powerful spout of flame… The hero had his own words to shout. Well… word… he only said one.
“Mafūba!!!” Slayg had only enough time to let his flame sputter and gape as he was surrounded by a great, green vortex. Then, he was sucked in to become a part of the vortex, while some small thing at the edge of his vision opened the lid to a stone urn, carved with the imprint of a “demon seal” talisman. The hero himself then directed the demonic dragon towards it.
“No! NO! NOOOOOO! I will escape from this prison! Mark my words, when I am free... I shall visit my wrath upon the human race ten-fold for your actions! I will free myself, even if it takes me ten thousand years!”
The great hero simply smirked as the dragon was pulled into urn via the green whirl of energy… then sealed as the heavy lid was placed over the top. When Slayg was finally captured and put away… He grunted and fell to a knee.
As he did, a small zoan… some cat-thing, ran towards him. And that was all Slayg’s extra senses could perceive, before there was nothing but the stone around him. And darkness…
Now…
Slayg’s dream ended as he heard scuttling of many feet at the entrance to what had once been his home. His eyes opened and again shrank to slits, while his neck and legs stretched. The great, central cavern was empty now… pillaged of all its treasures. And the slumbering dragon was far smaller. Only the size of a horse at this point.
He was still quite warm, though… Perhaps that was what had brought the team of men and women that had been digging at the collapsed entrance to his cavern. In some of his dreams, he had felt their minds… heard their theories about what could have caused the mountain to heat up so much. It wasn’t quite tales of dread and woe… but it was enough to sustain him and grant him extra power in his slumber.
It also gave him a way to study the language of this new future, and learn it well enough to speak. And read, just a bit. He smiled as the old man that led them all muttered to himself, into that little marvel that let him record his voice...
“This is the Blue Banner Army Mount Slaygar investigation… Log number 41. After weeks of effort, we have finally managed to dig through the rubble blocking the entrance to this cave system, and are now beginning our first foray. As expected, the temperature is rising as we get closer to the central cavern. What could be causing it remains yet to be seen. Suspicions still hold that the correlation between the sudden spike in heat in this non-volcanic mountain and the Saiyan invasion are no mere coincidence… Will report further when we get to the center…”
His whiskers twitched, and his tongue lapped at the air. He also took a good whiff with his nose as he settled behind a pillar of stone. Something that these humans would call a “speleothem”... His teeth and eyes both shined in the darkness as he prepared his ambush… He’d leave one of them alive, he figured. To tell of how the rest of the team had been roasted alive and devoured.
As well as to say that Slayg was the one that had one it...