Berserk: The Prophet

.........

"Ha ha..."

Finally, I made it to the top. It almost killed me. The sweat that had just started to flow was carried away by the cold wind and condensed into frost. I hope this strange feeling of being both cold and tired won't make me catch a cold. Amen!

Green lay motionless on the dragon head, his hands and feet completely numb from the cold, feeling as if his entire body didn't belong to him.

"Hey, no wonder Seranty has his eye on him, he's really something!" Trunks walked over and picked up the half-dead Grimm who was lying on the ground with one hand, as easily as catching a chick.

Green: "?!!"

Honestly, being lifted into the air with your legs off the ground in a place like this is really unsettling. You can see the horizon when you look up, and the city and rooftops below are pitch black, like the gaping mouth of a giant beast.

Fortunately, I landed quickly. It felt like I couldn't stand up without holding onto something, having just come out of the climbing state. It took me a while to get used to it.

"Alright, now all you need to do is leave your bloodstain on its horn." Trunks pointed out the direction to Green. Right in front of him was the horn on the dragon's nose, and it was about 10 meters from there to that point.

Green took a deep breath and moved his still somewhat unsteady legs a little. He had to walk this part of the journey alone.

My legs felt as heavy as lead, perhaps because the cold wind was seeping in through my sweaty pores. My head was also starting to ache. Climbing in the dead of winter was really too torturous. It was a strange way to test myself. Even if I succeeded, I would probably get seriously ill.

There's still a slope to the tip of the dragon's nose, which is a real test of willpower and physical fitness for those who have just climbed up, but it's much easier than climbing at night.

Before he could even feel relieved, a gust of cold wind blew in, almost blowing away the stiff-footed Green. He had to stop and put his right arm on his forehead to shield himself from the cold wind, but the wind wouldn't stop, making Green's head ache. Gritting his teeth, he braved the wind and stepped towards the dragon horn covered with grooves and patterns. The horn was covered with palm patterns of dried blood marks. Green took another step forward and touched it with his right hand. This pointed, triangular stone carving felt much better to the touch than the back thorns. It had a different texture, somewhat like an unknown metal, yet it had the feel of smooth marble. It looked like a black iron block, and it was also much colder than the back thorns.

Another gust of cold wind blew by, forcing Green to grip the dragon horn in front of him tightly. Perhaps he had lost all feeling of pain from the cold, because he didn't even realize that his palm had been cut by the sharp triangular dragon horn, and blood was flowing down the groove.

"Alright, Ryan!" Trunks' voice echoed from behind.

"Rumble"

Only those atop the castle and the dragon statue could feel the slight tremor and sound of the earthquake; the dragon beneath their feet seemed to move slightly.

"An earthquake?! Green!!"

In his haste, Seranti didn't have time to think and called out Green's name before rushing over.

Trunks was surprised for a moment, but still ran towards Grin with Seranty.

As the blood completely merged into the dragon horns, the horns emitted a dazzling white light, illuminating the entire night sky for a moment.

.........

In a remote, uninhabited area deep within the northern mountains, in a cave.

"Hmm?"

The colossal beast, its body gleaming with shimmering white and blue scales, let out a hesitant sound. It had just awakened from its slumber and had detected an unusual aura in the sky. It was of the same kind, though it didn't know its exact species. But it was certain that the faint yet sacred and majestic aura was the same as the consciousness that always liked to occupy its body. Furthermore, the pheromones contained within this aura meant that the dragon emanating these fluctuations was an Alpha Dragon.

For the first time, its mating instincts, dormant for centuries, stirred with restlessness. Its heavy tail thrashed and pounded the ground, causing a small earthquake in the cave, which roused the sleeping Arsia.

"Kuaris?" The elven girl looked at it in confusion.

"Hiss~" Kualis exhaled a breath of stale air, suppressing his frustrated and anxious emotions. At the same time, he was also a little excited. He never expected that another dragon would appear out of nowhere in this world, and one that matched his own attributes perfectly. The Oracle had not lied. But now he really wanted to see it, even though its aura was very weak.

It wasn't until that familiar, warm touch and the shift in gentle consciousness that Kualis's anxiety was calmed.

"Relax, Kuaris, you will meet again soon. Have you forgotten your promise?" the Oracle communicated through Kuaris's ventriloquism.

"But I want to go out and see it."

Kuaris's emotions were calmed down considerably, and the restless courtship mood that dragons usually feel in winter cooled down. However, it was still curious about what its kind looked like. Looking at the shiny cave and the dark cave entrance where it had always preferred to stay at home, Kuaris scratched its paws impatiently on the ground. It had never been so curious about the outside world.

"...The outside world is far less wonderful than you imagine, Kuaris."

"But..."

Kualis was caught in a dilemma. Indeed, compared to the unknown outside world, the comfort and nest filled with various sparkling crystals and gems seemed more appealing. However, it had lived such an unchanging life for thousands of years, and even the best life would feel a bit boring, which made it seem somewhat listless.

"Alright, Kualis, I can't let you go out, but I can let your consciousness go and have some fun in the mortal realm."

"Really?!!"

Kualis's sapphire-blue eyes widened suddenly, like a kitten that had found something new to do.

"...Of course, but when your physical body in the mortal realm dies, your consciousness will return to the body that belongs to you."

"No problem!!" Kualis couldn't wait to go.

“But I will also erase your memories of when you were Kuaris.”

“Okay.” Kualis hesitated for a moment before agreeing; experiencing a new life wouldn’t be bad.

“Very well, then begin your slumber now. Arsia will still be here to protect you in this cave.”

Kualis nodded, lay down in its nest, and slowly closed its eyes. It was ready to experience a different kind of life.

"Sleep now... the little dragon has grown up..."

The Oracle murmured, and Kuaris quickly fell into a deep sleep. His blue soul followed the soft light and departed. Arsia sighed; the cold cave was about to become even more silent.