Chrysalis

Light flashes, wind roars, but this time, I'm ready for it. The onrushing tail parts the clouds at the last possible moment, mere metres away from my eyes. With my reflexes, and actually understanding what my antennae are trying to tell me, I can deal with it.

Manoeuvring through the air using force magic isn't exactly easy. Alright, it's just about impossible, but using a blast to flip my body up so I can use my legs to push myself over the sweeping tail? I can manage that.

Hah! I'm clear, and I'm still falling toward my target. How do you like that, dragon?

Not much, apparently, the claws are back.

[I don't want to hurt you, but I know you don't have a choice but to fight me. Well, I don't have a choice either. So, I'm sorry about this!]

There's no way I can slip past this monster, not when it's seriously trying to stop me. I can only think of one thing that might distract it long enough for me to get through.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWLLLLLL!!!!

Now, it's not full power, or pumped up with the energy from the Altar, but even a moderate gravity bomb is enough to cause serious issues to most things in the Dungeon. Even in this situation, I try to be considerate to the city and I fire it at an angle where it's not going to impact the capital, but it's going to suck up an awful lot of cloud on its way through the air.

My hope is that it will consume part of the monster's body and make it more difficult for it to stop me getting to where I want to go. Sadly, things don't pan out that way.

I notice a few things at the same time. The cloud, unlike the air around me, is not being sucked into the gravity bomb, and this time there are several tails swinging through the air towards me.

Even with all my defensive nous, I can't see a way to avoid being hit. I lash out with my mandibles against one, tuck my legs to make sure they don't break, and take the other hit full on. Once again, it batters me backwards, sending me flying through the air and rattles my noggin, but ultimately, it only slows me down.

My gravity bomb continues to sail through the air, decidedly not devouring the golden cloud as I'd hoped before it expands off in the distance. Lots of air is pulled in, sure, but depressingly, still no cloud.

This leads me to one, rather depressing conclusion.

The clouds aren't even real! No wonder this stupid dragon is so twisty and able to reform itself however it likes, it isn't even here! Here I was thinking it was some sweet evolution that gave it a cloud body or something.

[You aren't even up here, are you?] I demand of the creature. [None of this cloud is your real body!]

But I can sense the presence of a powerful monster. A super powerful monster. So it has to be around somewhere!

[I ONLY SHOW MYSELF WHEN NECESSARY.]

The monster sounds almost amused at having been discovered, as if this is all some kind of joke.

[Why don't you hide yourself when necessary instead!] I retort in fury. [I have a sister down there on the verge of death! Let me through! If not that, then save her yourself!]

There is a slight pause as the dragon… well, I don't even know if it's a dragon anymore, considers my words.

[I HAVE NOT BEEN INSTRUCTED TO SAVE THE ANT, SO I WILL NOT.]

[Wait, so you told your master about it?]

[I HAVE.]

[And they won't help me?!] I roar, outraged.

[I DO NOT KNOW. I AM FORBIDDEN TO MANIFEST MY POWER WITHIN THE CITY, SO I CANNOT SAVE YOUR SISTER.]

There's a shift in the light around me, the clouds parting, no… not parting… dissolving, blowing away like snow until the entire golden city is displayed before me, unobstructed.

I have no eyes for it, I only see the cathedral. Through the vestibule, I feel desperation, pain, and misery, growing weaker, and weaker, with every passing moment.

[IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO APPEAR IN MY TRUE FORM. THE MANA HERE IS SO THIN, BUT I CAN SEE YOU WILL NOT BE DISSUADED UNLESS YOU KNOW THAT YOU CANNOT WIN.]

The entire city seems to glow ever brighter, until it radiates like a golden sun. The sense I had, that of a powerful monster, grows stronger, and stronger, and I realise what I was sensing wasn't close by, it was in fact, quite far away.

Above the city, the light begins to coalesce into one, cohesive form.

FWUMPH.

FWUMPH.

FWUMPH.

I hear the beat of giant wings. Not just hear, feel. The amount of air being moved is staggering. After I hear them, I see them.

It's a bird. A big… like… super big bird. This thing must have a wingspan well over a hundred metres. It's gigantic.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

I summon all of my gravity mana. I'm not going to be able to hold back on this one. I'm sorry about the city, and I hope the repair bill is manageable, but if it isn't? I don't really care.

It's hard to make out the direct features of this… eagle… or whatever. The entire thing seems to be made of light. I sure as heck hope that means it's vulnerable to gravity, because if not, I don't fancy my odds with fireballs.

Still beating those massive wings, it leans forward, neck extending, and opens its beak. My antennae scream at me.

Ah nar—

A massive, condensed, beam of light blasts forward, filling my vision, and before I know it, I'm burning. My carapace feels like it's on fire, but that isn't even what concerns me the most. I'm flying backwards. The damn bird has blasted me away! No! NO!

After what seems like way too short a time I smack into something and it immediately begins to sizzle. Steam fills the air and I realise I just hit the surface of the lake. My superheated diamond carapace fizzes and pops as the water around me boils away. Smoke is rising from my antennae, but I don't care.

The golden city gleams, so far away now.

I'll be damned if this glowing turkey is going to stop me. I'll be DAMNED if I let that happen!

Triggering my healing gland, I feel the cool rush of the regenerative fluid pump through my body as I pull in more and more mana. A gravitational mana construct spins and whirrs and I pump out thick strands of energy, weaving it into the shape I desire.

Another gravity well takes shape, and I begin to rise once more.

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