Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Temptations
In his sleep, Mordred suddenly found himself in a field that looked similar to the battlefield where the evil dragons in the underworld fought and died.
There were craters scattered all around the place and broken weapons littered the ground.
"Kukuku~ So the little twerp finally shows himself to me, the berserker dragon; Grendel." He heard a rough voice and a bipedal dragon appeared.
He was 15 meters tall and covered in black scales. Grendel was bound by heavy, golden chains. It was inscribed with anti-dragon runes and magic by Yahweh himself.
"Who are you, what are you doing inside of my dreams?" Mordred got suspicious immediately and Grendel cackled.
"Me? That doesn't matter. Now go out there and kill anything on sight. Fight until you bleed! Slaughter everyone in your way! As a dragon, that's our purpose." Grendel cackled like a maniac and Mordred frowned.
"Mom told me not to talk to strangers." Mordred squinted his eyes and thought the dragon was crazy.
"Kekeke~ strangers? The only thing you should be doing to strangers is put your fist through them like a donut! Kill them! Bathe in their blood and hear them scream for mercy!" Grendel struggled against his chains, but it was rock solid.
"You should belong in a mental hospital." Mordred scoffed.
"Hoh? You got some spunk in you, kid. And what is this? Still breastfeeding on mama? You're fucking hilarious!" Grendel made fun of him and Mordred's eyes turned silver.
"Mom's milk is the best, that's a fact you crazy dragon." He glared at him and growled.
"Yes! Yes! Give in to your rage! Fight! Like how I fought those bats! Satans? That Leviathan bitch almost got splattered by my fist! Fucking god, he attacked me while I was distracted!" Grendel roared in anger.
"He didn't even let me feel my death! It was unearned! Dragons should go down in a heart pumping fight!" Grendel tried to tear down his chains, but they wouldn't budge.
"Heh, guess you won't be getting out of there?" Mordred had a smug expression on his face.
"Hmmm, go and enjoy your mother's tits kid. I wonder, when the Crime Force dragon fuses with you. I'll bet you'll give in to your rage. You felt it right? The thrill of battle." Grendel chuckled and Mordred frowned.
He then woke up, seeing his body that was transformed like earlier.
"Mordred, are you okay? You seemed to be having a bad dream." Tiamat patted his head and looked at him in worry.
"I'm fine mom, I met this crazy dragon called Grendel. Told me that I should fight and die while in a battle." Mordred shrugged and Tiamat scowled.
"Do you know anything about that guy, mom? And why was he appearing in my dreams?" He was confused by the meeting.
"This... You're a smart hatchling Mordred. So I will tell you, don't panic alright? Mom is always going to be with you." Tiamat put a hand on his shoulder and he nodded, a little anxious.
"You're a sacred gear, evil dragons are sealed inside of you." Tiamat let him know about it and he blinked.
"Isn't that the weapons that Yahweh created to give to humans? What do you mean? Am I not a person? Am I just a fleeting existence that is meant to store power?" He had no idea why he was that way.
"No! You're just Mordred, my son. A proud dragon that makes my chest swell in pride." Tiamat calmed him down and he nodded.
"I do not know why, but the god of the bible turned you into a sacred gear. That's why we'll be training your mind and body to bear the burden of being sealed with evil dragons inside of you." Tiamat hugged him and felt that it would be a challenge and a half to do so.
"Un, okay mom. I'm hungry mom, I told that guy that your milk is the best in the world." Tiamat blinked at what he just said and she laughed.
"Okay, and you're right, don't let others tell you otherwise." She started feeding him and he relaxed right after. Reverting back to his normal form.
"I will also help you meditate. Mom travelled all around the world~ I learned some things here and there." She smiled at him and he nodded.
So they started his meditations to have a calm mind. It wasn't that hard, because he can control his impulses well. He's an energetic kid, but he's mature enough to know the importance of patience.
"Okay, did the crazy fu- ahem. I mean, did Grendel tell you anything important?" She probed for information.
"He did say that I will fuse with him. Don't worry mom, I won't lose myself to bloodlust." He nodded with determination and Tiamat was proud of him.
"Okay, then call on that power for me honey. Then, I want you to resist Grendel's influence on you." Tiamat ordered and she was preparing to stop him if necessary.
"Okay, I will." He called out to Grendel's power and Mordred suddenly felt a head splitting headache.
His mind was slowly being corrupted with rage and lust for slaughter. It was overwhelming his mind.
Tiamat could see him wince and his body started transforming more than yesterday. He formed horns and a tail. And he was beginning to sprout wings.
He suddenly roared and his silver eyes were bloodshot. She could feel that he was filled to the brim with rage and desire to kill.
"Shit, he can't handle it yet. I guess I can use this and maximize his training." Tiamat hoped that his body could remember the beating he was about to receive.
Tiamat rushed at him with roughly the same strength, she aimed a punch right at his chin to try and knock him out.
But assimilating Grendel's soul, came with it was the psychopathic dragon's killer instincts and savagery.
He suddenly dodged her strike and countered with a kick on her knee. If they really were the same strength, she would get a broken leg.
"That stung a bit, honey. Control yourself!" She went a bit faster and started attacking him relentlessly.
Thanks to Grendel's instincts that helped him survive fights against stronger opponents like Ddraig. Mordred was able to dodge a lot of her strikes.
With his wild fighting style, Mordred filled his muscles with mana and willed himself to increase his specs using magic.
Tiamat didn't expect the sudden power up and got hit on the stomach. Sending her skidding as she anchored her feet on the ground.
"This is simply perfect, I need to drill this into you while you are young and pliable." Tiamat took advantage of his state and kept on increasing the pressure.
She ramped up her skill until he adapted and increased it further.
And when Mordred seemed to lose his cool, turning into a mindless berserker. She knocked him out cold so they could reset the process.
"Ooh, my body hurts mom." Mordred woke up after thirty minutes and he felt spent.
"Come to mama, Mordred. You're hungry with all that exercise right?" She helped him climb to her lap and fed him. Increasing the mana as well so he would heal faster.
"Pwah, thanks mom. You're the best, I'm gonna marry you when I grow up." He smiled at her and Tiamat chuckled.
"Maybe when you beat me, dragons don't take in weak mates." She entertained the child's ramblings.
"Then you said it, I'll do my best." He plopped down between her chest for a bit. Relaxing, because he was tired to the bone.
Calling on Grendel's power heightens his pain in exchange for increasing his strength in proportion to the damage he receives.
It was definitely a training routine that even dragons would avoid. Only crazy fuckers like Grendel will do it.
So, they continued training the vessel. Which is Mordred, in order to harness the power of the soul within him. The only thing limiting him is his body and mind.
The mother and son duo continued to do so for several months. Falling into a nice rhythm in which he would exhaust his normal body with physical training.
Then, with the regeneration and extra boost from Grendel's powers. He would spar with Tiamat using both magic and hand to hand combat.
It was a schedule that was packed to the brim. Tiamat insisting Mordred needed it in order to not lose himself and turn into an evil dragon.
Though, due to his senses sharpening. He managed to feel something in their home. "Mom, why is there a magical signature inside of our house? We don't have artifacts right?" He asked while eating lunch.
"Ahhh, that. I guess I could show you, I forgot about it. It is yours you know?" Tiamat gestured for him to finish his food first. She led him deeper into the cave and they saw Caliburn which is stabbed on the ground.
"Hngh, what's that energy signature mom? It's so strong and bright." He had to put a hand on his eyes so he wouldn't get blinded by it.
"It's Caliburn, Mordred. You're a smart boy, you should understand by now, right?" She dreaded this day. He was a little too smart.
Tiamat knew he would have questions about his name soon. But it was for the better, it would wound her pride to lie about how she came to take care of him.
It made her happy and proud that she managed to raise him to where he is now today. Regardless of his origins. Though she did think that Mordred inherited his father's natural prowess a bit. Just a little bit.
"Caliburn... The sword who picks the king of Camelot. Mom, is my full name Mordred Pendragon?" He didn't really react strongly to it and Tiamat sighed in relief.
"Yes, here's the blanket you were in when I found you here." Tiamat gave him the embroidered blanket and he looked at it thoughtfully.
He was deep in thought, when he noticed that Tiamat was getting anxious. Mordred felt it in her magic. He is so attuned to it that he could feel his mother's emotions.
Mordred stared at her. "Are you okay Mordred? Don't you want to go and see the Pendragon family?" She put up a facade, but Tiamat was anxious.
"No mom, you're my mother. Plain and simple, indeed I am interested in the Pendragons. But I'll never leave you. I love you the most after all." He got tackled by Tiamat and she hugged him tightly.
"You're so cute, you'll make mom cry you know?" She kissed his forehead and Mordred hugged her tightly.
"You raised me mom, I might be young still. But I owe everything to you. Arthur might be my father, but you're my mommy." He assured her and Tiamat gave her a noogie.
"You're so mature, when did you grow up so fast?" She chuckled and he tilted his head.
"Didn't you tell me that hatchlings need to grow up quickly? And I read a lot of books that you give me. They tell me that I have to be mature in order to not cause trouble." Tiamat remembered and she scratched her cheek sheepishly.
"Well, that is true with dragons. But you're a human you know? Go on and ask me for what you want." Tiamat thought he could be a bit more spoiled.
"Hmmm, I am a dragon. I'm the Chaos Karma Dragon's son. Though, if you insist. Can I feed more? I really like to be close with you." He rubbed his face on her chest and she complied.
"Don't worry, my cute little Mordred's wish is my command." She smiled softly at him.
After they finished talking and bonding, he went up to Caliburn and slowly pulled on it. He was quite surprised that it went smoothly and Tiamat had to create a strong barrier to keep the holy energy inside of their house.
It radiated holy energy in waves. Tiamat was even hypothesizing that it would vaporize high class devils with just a graze of the sword. And low class ones would burn due to its light alone.
"Hn, it's draining my mana like crazy, mom!" He dropped it onto the ground and he sweated bullets.
Only a few seconds, and it drained his reserves which expanded a lot due to his magic training. Mordred was also making progress in assimilating Grendel's soul.
"It's only natural Mordred, when I found you. The seals you had were weak. I think Caliburn absorbed the magic of the seals due to it being a holy sword." Tiamat thought about it.
"I see, then it's going to take a long time before I can use it." He pouted and Tiamat snapped a picture of his expression. He rarely gives a frustrated pout after all.
"You're still a hatchling in human years honey. You'll grow in time, now don't neglect your dragon heart. Now that you're assimilating Grendel's soul, I believe you can form one much easier." She nodded at him in satisfaction.
"Really? How long do you think it's going to take?" He was excited and his eyes shone in delight.
"Two decades maybe? I formed mine after a few. So you will be successful in twenty years due to fusing with a mature dragon soul." She was sure of that estimation and he deflated.
"That's too long mom... I wish you just didn't tell me outright." He sighed and Tiamat smacked him on the back. "Then I'll teach you how to create a spatial rift in order to store Caliburn."
He perked right up with that. She didn't really know how to use swords, so she would at least teach him in storing it.
Maybe give him a couple of practice ones. "Really mom? Yatta! You really are the best. I'm happy you're the one who found me." He jumped on her and rubbed his face on her cheek.
She froze and she smiled softly. 'Geez, this kid is going to kill me with cuteness someday.'
"Come on, when you manage to do it, I'll bring you to the human world. Let's get you a sword instructor. I don't know how to use blades... And I don't trust the angels nor the devils." She shrugged.
"M-mom... This is the best day ever! But don't you have work or anything?" He read about humans needing jobs to survive.
"Hmph, what do you think? I'm the best mom ever. We're filthy rich, we don't need to work a day in our life." She pulled on her dimensional space and showed him huge bars of gold.
"Wow, we're rich. That's why you're the best." He gave her a thumbs up and she laughed. "Now, stop buttering me up and start parting space, stabilize it with your magic so it won't collapse and get Caliburn stuck in an unknown dimension."
He paled at the thought of losing Caliburn due to a mishap. So he trained like crazy in order to get it right. The prospect of learning the sword was tempting too.
And his curiosity was killing him, they lived in the familiar forest in the underworld all his life after all. Seeing the human world made him vibrate in excitement.
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Thanks for reading everyone, this fic's schedule would be Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I'm just releasing a couple of few to jump start it. Ciao!
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