399. Recoiling

“So, uh..”

I looked over the three baby Wyverns. Novis, Bellum, and Oriur looked up at me. I was in my Wyvern form right now, so they weren’t screaming and running away from me. In fact, they looked quite happy to see me. I could see their little wails wagging as they sat, waiting in anticipation.

I pointed at myself.

“This is me. Salvos.”

They nodded.

“Mama.”

“No— Salvos.”

The three of them exchanged a glance. Novis raised a claw my way in agreement.

“Yes, mama.”

I sighed exasperatedly, but didn’t bother to correct them. Willy flitted behind me, snorting. I glared at him before turning back to the Wyverns. They perked up, and I gestured emphatically at myself once again.

“So this is me, Salvos. Then this—”

My body shifted. I shrank in size, and the little hatchlings slowly lowered their heads as their gaze trailed after me. I returned to my regular self. Claws, horns, a large pair of wings. Long silver hair. Light gray skin. I didn’t have a large, disproportionate body compared to my limbs. Neither did I have a snout protruding from my face. This was just..

“This is also me, Salvos.”

I spoke clearly as I thumped a hand on my chest. Novis, Bellum, and Oriur had watched me transform. Yet, their jaws dropped. Oriur spun around and ran, screaming. Bellum and Novis leapt back, taking on a defensive stance.

“Monster!”

They yelled. I stared at the growling baby Wyverns. I heard Willy’s laughing. I massaged my temples and hung my head.

“Ugh, I told you, I am Salvos.”

“Monster!”

“I’m not a monster— I am..”

I cut myself off. I looked at the trembling hatchlings. Then I sighed. My body shifted back. I grew taller. Larger. My body blotted out the sun as my wings spread wide. Oriur stopped running. Bellum and Novis exchanged a look.

“Mama!”

The three baby Wyverns ran up to me, relieved. I gave them a flat stare. I snapped a finger and turned into my regular form once more.

“Monster!”

They ran. Then I morphed back into a Wyvern.

“Mama!”

I transformed into a Human, and they went scattering.

“Monster!”

I turned back into a Wyvern, and they came running back.

“Mama!”

The three baby Wyverns hugged me as I remained in my Wyvern form for now. They wouldn’t let go, even as I looked pleadingly towards the [Will O’ Wisp] over my shoulder.

“Willy.. please.. help me..”

Of course, he didn’t help me.

“Come on.”

He took off into the air. I rolled my eyes and followed after him. I gently carried Novis, Bellum, and Oriur into the air as Willy urged me forward.

“Let’s go.”

He spoke softly. The three Wyverns exchanged a glance. Novis was the one to speak up.

“Where are we going, mama?”

He raised a little claw. I looked down at him, smiling gently.

“Well, I kind of ruined our home, didn’t I?”

I glanced back towards the valley. It was covered by a landslide, caused by swinging the Sword of Alexander around recklessly. Then I shrugged.

“I’ll find you guys’ a new place to stay. But for now, we’re going to the Beastmen Plains.”

The reason was simple. I’d decided on this after Belzu’s quick little visit. First of all, I had a new little toy I wanted to test out. My lips quirked up as I remembered the power of the Mythic Grade artifact I’d been given.

The Sword of Alexander.

Other than [Ancient Centinels] or flying deep into the Rainforest of Monsters, I didn’t really know of any places where monsters as strong as me were prevalent. However, I did remember a rather nasty encounter with a wild, mindless thing in the Beastmen Plains.

In fact, it was the very same kind of thing that had driven Novis, Belumm, and Oriur’s actual parents away from their homes. The corruption. If the Breastplate of Alexander can destroy the corruption.. Then surely so could the Sword of Alexander.

Anyway, I had another reason for wanting to go to the Beastmen Plains too— it was the reason why I was bringing the baby Wyverns along with me. I could have just left them here with Willy. But apart from the fact that I’d collapsed the valley, I was afraid of their safety.

After all, they were Wyverns. Monsters. And anyone who stumbled upon them might get the wrong idea. I didn’t want them to be hurt, and while I believed Willy could deal with a majority of the adventurers who could potentially find them, there was a whole important meeting thing happening in Alyras.

That meant there were more than a few Elites running around nearby. If a single one of them got the wrong idea..

I could always leave my clones with the baby Wyverns. Unfortunately, when I tried to introduce my clones to them— well, they reacted as expected.

So I just had to bring them with me. And the Beastmen Plains was probably more receptive to Wyverns. Then I’d find a piece of corruption and take it out with the Sword of Alexander. I beamed as I faced Novis, Bellum, and Oriur.

“Aren’t you guys excited?”

I looked down to the three baby Wyverns. They just gave me a confused look. Novis raised a hand.

“Where is that?”

“Huh. I never told you about that, did I? Well..”

I began to explain.

—--

We reached the Beastmen Plains a day after. I tried not to fly too fast, which slowed me down quite a bit. But we were there. I looked on at the sprawling orange grass. It was dry here. Much dryer than even in the Helbir Plains. If I was being honest, this place seemed like an extension of the Helbir Plains, except in an even less humid climate.

I looked around and frowned.

“Alright, I remember there being a village around here somewhere.”

The Furious Whispers Tribe was a few miles within the mountainous entrance to the Beastmen Plains. I’d been here when my dad sent me on a hunt for the Cursed Boulder— they could lead me to another one of the corruption again. Yet, when I scoured the area for hours, I saw nothing. No village made of tarps. No giant tents. No Beastmen.

Willy flew beside me as I narrowed my eyes.

“Lost?”

He asked, and I sputtered.

“No I’m not!”

The [Will O’ Wisp] just stared at me dubiously. I scratched my cheek hesitantly.

“At least, I don’t think I am? I’m pretty sure I should’ve seen them by now.”

The three baby Wyverns were starting to grow bored. I could feel them shifting restlessly in my arms. I scanned the area, coming to a stop. A creeping feeling crawled its way through my scales. A fear that I realized was entirely possible.

“Could it be..?”

My eyes grew wide. If I was right and the Furious Whispers Tribe really had been around here but now was missing, then that could only mean..

“The corruption got to them..”

I whispered, voice low. The sense of dread settled in. I readied myself— at any moment, a storm of obfuscated warped reality could assail me. I looked around, only to pause as Willy flew in front of my face.

“Idiot.”

“What?”

I blinked at him. He just sighed. He circled around me. I cocked my head as he spoke.

“Skill. You. See.”

“My Skill that helps me see?”

Then I snapped a clawed finger.

“Oh, right. I can do that, can’t I?”

It was still a new Skill, and I didn’t like using it. So I descended. I found a nice little hill to nestle on top of. I turned to WIlly and handed Novis, Bellum, and Oriur over to him.

“Alright, take care of them. I’ll be preoccupied for.. a little bit.”

I covered my ears, inhaling deeply so that I wouldn’t need to breathe once the Skill is active. Then I opened my eyes.

[Manifestation of the Old Gods].

I was once again assailed by an overwhelming sense of everything. But I managed to suppress everything but my sight. I could see the world in a radius of hundreds of miles around me. I saw ants crawling into an anthill. Wolf-like beasts cresting atop a mountain. A large caravan of Beastmen traveling through a flat field.

I grinned as I whispered.

“Found you.”

But I paused. For some reason, many of the Beastmen traveling were chained up and kept in cages. Not only that, I recognized some of them. For example, I remembered Mountaintooth— the [Lion Beastman] I saved. He was locked up with a group of other Beastmen in a large cart. Tuktox, the [Ape Beastman] and chief of the Furious Whispers Tribe, walked chained alongside a tall [Tiger Beastman].

“What is going on?”

I asked, furrowing my brows. Then I shook my head and called out to Willy and the three baby Wyverns.

“I found them! But—”

Before I could explain, I recoiled and clutched at my ears.

“Ouch, I shouldn’t have shouted.”