Reincarnated as a Dragon – The path of the Dragon God

“Did you mean what you say, Eria?” asked Yula while they were en route to the last sighting spot of the Great Ravager.

“I’m sorry?”

“Something about getting to know a man… or did I wrongly assume your words?”

“You didn’t, Yula, but I meant it as a jest solely to get them off the topic of my marriage. Forgive me, Yula, if you found it insulting. It was not my intention—”

“I’m not angry, Eria. I don’t mind if you truly wish to become Henry’s bride.”

“That would be too bold of me, Yula. I am but a lowly Augru, a descendant of the vile Ogres. I am unworthy of Lord Henry’s infatuation and desire.”

“That’s such a stupid reason, Eria. Henry is not that petty to reject your advances for that kind of reason. Would you, Henry?”

“I won’t,” Henry answered.

“I appreciate the gesture, Lord Henry, but I am unprepared for another commitment. Being a warchief has left me no liberty to pursue other commitments. Besides, Lord Henry is a Dragon. I’m not sure how…” Her voice trailed off and so did her gaze.

Yula tittered. “It isn’t as bestial and barbarous as you imagine, Eria. Henry can take on the form of a human.”

Eria’s cheeks flushed from her own presumptuous misunderstanding. “I-I see.” She was desperately looking to change the topic when Henry wonderfully did so, much to her relief.

“I see a group of people ahead. Around a dozen. It’s the Augrus and… the Lavans, I presumed?”

Eria peeked her head out from Henry’s shoulder and squinted her eyes. “Yes, it’s the expedition party. Those are the Lavans,” she said. “Have you not met a Lavan before, Lord Henry?”

“I have but… I don’t particularly remember that experience.”

“The Lavans are also known as the Beast-kin or Beastfolks. They are part animals, part humans. The Orcs and Goblins are also part of the Lavans.”

“Goblins too?” Yula exclaimed.

“Yes, Goblins too. Is there a reason you sound so surprised?”

“Goblins… Are they as short as children with deep sinister yellow eyes, pointy ears, crooked teeth, sharp pointy nose, and pale green skin?”

“No, they are nothing like that.” Eria offered a cramped smile. “Aside from the palish green skin, you are describing an Imp. No, the Goblins actually look a lot like us Augrus.”

“Oh… So… they have horns too?”

“They do have horns like us but their skin is of a healthy white like fine milk. Their hair is black and their eyes are often red. Unlike us Augrus that’s gifted with bodily strength, the Goblins are gifted with their control over Murux. They are talented Spell Weavers.”

“Spell Weavers?”

“They could create tools out of Murux, such as the weapons they use.”

Yula whistled in awe. “That’s fantastic.”

“They’re walking across a vast plain of sand. Do the Augrus not have any mounts?”

“We have mounts but none could tread across the sands. We have tried with various beasts and creatures that could deftly walk on sand but we were unsuccessful in taming them.”

“That’s arduous,” Yula muttered.

“We are used to it,” Eria responded with a smile.

“I think they noticed us,” Henry said.

The group below were pointing upwards at the large flying beast approaching them at great speed. They brandished their weapons and got into their combat stances. They were hastily scrambling into their battle formation.

“Do we go down and greet them or…”

“It’s better that we do. I fear ignoring them will only breed some grave misunderstanding and misconceptions.”

“Don’t they know I’m coming?”

“You’re bigger than the last time I saw you, Lord Henry, and you now have actual wings instead of a pair that is woven out of Murux. They might think you are a whole other beast, Lord Henry.”

“Ah, fair enough.” Henry began to descend and he could already hear and smell the panic from the group below.

They definitely don’t recognise me.

To avoid any further complications from the escalating misunderstanding, Eria disembarked from Henry before he was close enough to the ground but being an Augru and the warchief, Eria landed on the ground just fine.

“This is really fantasy-like,” Yula remarked.

“Glad to know you’re enjoying yourself, Yula. How’s the heat?” Henry asked.

“It’s not that bad once you stop thinking about it.”

The small group that was the expedition party lowered their weapons and loosened their stance once they saw Eria but their gazes were warily latched onto Henry. Amidst the wary group, a young female Augru ran out from the group and dashed straight into Eria.

“Eria!” cried the Augru as she wrapped her arms tightly around her sister.

“Lilim,” Eria received the girl’s brisk embrace with a warm smile.

Lilim peeked out from Eria’s shoulders. “Is that the—”

“Yes, that’s the Great Dragon, Henry.”

“Truly?”

Eria nodded.

Yula stifled a laugh. “You should change your name, O’ Great Dragon, Henry.”

“Oh, shut up,” Henry grumbled. “No one asked for their names.”

Henry landed as gentle as he could this time to avoid agitating the apprehensive Augrus and Lavans. He also folded his wings slowly as he could easily raise a sandstorm if he wasn’t careful.

The rest of the group were casting dubious glances in Henry’s way. Their gazes were trained on his every move and every nuance. They were especially wary about his mouth. They would quiver and recoil a bit every time Henry moved his mouth. They all knew his Fire Breath was the most dangerous factor about him.

Moreover, Henry was completely different from what they expected as information updates weren’t instantaneous without the internet. But underneath those vigilant eyes, there were traces of fascination and reverence. Dragons were basically legends they had only heard about in stories and a Dragon was now before them in the flesh.

“That’s the giant lizard that we solicited for help before?” an Augru expressed his doubt blaringly.

“Oren!” Eria snarled at the young scornful Augru. “Lord Henry’s here to help. If your impudence causes him to change his mind, you will fight the Great Ravager alone and come back only when you win or don’t come back at all.”

Oren tutted but ultimately shut his trap.

The Lavans approached Henry slowly and cautiously. They were eager to greet Henry but reservations and doubts were still present in their minds. However, one of them stepped forward in stride and bowed with a knee on the ground.

“It has been a while, Lord Dragon,” greeted a pale blonde female knight with short curly hair and a pair of short curvy horns sprouting from the top of her head. “I have heard plenty about your exploits and I don’t believe I have properly thanked you for saving my sister yet.”

“Captain Iora, you mean that’s the beast who saved Lady Iluna by licking her back?!” exclaimed one of the Lavans who looked to be a canine-breed Beastfolk.

The mood immediately turned awkward and everyone fell silent.

Iora glared at the canine Beastfolk with an exasperated frown.

Yula was glaring at Henry as if she was looking at a cheating husband. Lilim was glaring at Henry too but her glare was one that was laced with astonishing disappointment.

“Rell…” Iora sighed. “How many times do we have to remind you? Think before you speak, you fucking idiot!” she yelled.

Rell lowered his head and shirked behind the other Lavans.

“Lord Henry, may I know why you need to lick the Moon Priestess back to save her?” Eria asked.

“I didn’t know she’s called the Moon Priestess but I suppose that doesn’t matter. She was gravely injured. Her back was riddled with heavy wounds. My saliva has healing properties. I licked her back to save her.”

Once the explanation was given, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Lilim heaved the biggest sigh and a smile adorned her face as if to say her intuition wasn’t wrong. However, Yula was still glaring at Henry.

“What?” Henry asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you told me you saved a certain girl with sheep horns. You did not explicitly tell me you licked her back. Why not?”

“It didn’t cross my mind, that’s why. I didn’t think it was an important detail.”

“It is an important detail.”

Henry grinned. “Are you jealous?”

“...I am,” Yula admitted.

“Why would you be? I have done worse things to you than just licking your back when we—”

“Alright, stop right there, Henry! I’m not jealous! Please say no more! Please.”

Henry snickered and tousled her hair with just a finger of his gigantic paw.

Eria cleared her throat and gathered everyone’s attention. “Anyway, I’m relieved to see everyone’s alright. Back to the quest at hand, how is the pursuit for the Great Ravager faring?”

“We have yet to encounter the colossal scorpion,” Iora said with utter displeasure. “It keeps moving away from us.”

“As well as it can be, sister,” Lilim said with a much calmer tone. “The tracks are still fresh and the Ravager is leaving a clear trail in the wake of the destruction it caused. We will be able to catch up to it in half a day’s time. But of course, with your involvement, Lord Henry, I wager it would only take two to three hours.”

“That is true,” Henry said. “But I can’t carry you all. It won’t be safe to have so many on my back and more load might slow me down.”

“So what do you propose, Lord Henry?” Lilim asked.

“I will go on ahead with Eria and Yula.”

“You intend to hog the spoils?” Oren scoffed.

Lilim shot Oren a glare. “Oren, one more word and you’re out of the party.”

“What, I’m asking what was on everyone’s mind.”

“Then allow me to answer. If you’re slow, then yes, I will be hogging the spoils,” Henry retorted. “Or do you expect me to hand you the spoils I painstakingly acquired myself?”

Eria burst out chuckling but she immediately cupped her mouth.

“Um… who’s Yula?” Lilim asked.

“Me,” Yula raised her hand. “I’m Henry’s bride.”

The reaction from the party was as cliche as Henry could expect but Lilim’s reaction was a tad stronger than he anticipated.

“B-bride!?” she shouted. “Lord Henry, y-you… y-you…”

“Yes?”

Her mouth was open but she quickly closed it. When she opened it again, her tone had changed. “It’s nothing…”

Before the mood could once again devolve into another bout of awkwardness, Eria clapped her hands and uttered, “Alright, everyone. This is how it shall be. Lord Henry, Yula, and I will be going on ahead first. If we encounter the Great Ravager, we will engage it. As for the spoils, that can be discussed. The sooner the Great Ravager is subjugated, the better, regardless of who will succeed in doing so. Understood?”

The entire expedition party nodded, including Oren who did so begrudgingly.

“Alright, then. I’ll be off.”

“Hold on a moment, Warchief,” Iora called out.

“What is it, Captain?”

“Take Riva here with you.” Iora introduced a Goblin girl. Her hair was as black as the night sky with skin as pale as the moon. Her eyes were akin to a pair of rubies and she had a pair of short horns sprouting from her forehead. Contrary to her striking appearance, Riva was very reserved. “She’s a better fighter than me. I’m sure she will be of great help to your already strong force.”

“Warchief,” greeted Riva with a soft voice and a slight bow of her head.

“If Lord Henry took no issue with her presence, I won’t either.”

“None taken,” Henry responded.

“Thank you, Lord Henry,” Iora said.

“Thank you,” Riva muttered softly.

“Let us not waste another second. Climb aboard, Riva,” Eria said and flipped onto Henry’s back.

Riva nodded. She went to the side of Henry in hasty short steps and climbed onto him using the small spikes protruding all over his back.

“Be safe, sister,” Lilim bade as Henry brandished his wings, raising clouds of sand. “And good luck, all of you.”

“Be safe too, Lilim,” Eria greeted back.

Henry gave a nod and took to the skies.