Chapter 287: Catching the Wind

Chapter 287: Catching the Wind

In a daze, Maya felt its soul had left its body when a small hand pressed down. Primordial and pure Ink-dark Mana poured in, instantly filling the entire soul with a raw, heavy feeling, pushing it back into the body.

The mana it had always longed for now became a huge burden. It felt like it was about to drown in the surging Torrent. So Maya began to struggle, trying to break free from the small hand that held it under the flood.

Enough! The mana forced into its soul was painfully spat back out by it. But with each expulsion, even more mana rushed in through the gaps.

The mana flowing back from the soul began to move and wash through the physical body. The feeling of weakness gradually faded, and the sensation of the soul leaving the body was also disappearing, but the feeling of suffocation grew stronger.

The sound of ocean waves in its ears gradually became clear, and its body felt the warmth of the campfire again. Maya knew it was about to escape the Nightmare, about to wake from the Dream. It struggled, fought hard, just to open its heavy eyelids as soon as possible.

Underneath it, the rough feeling of fine sand rubbing against its scales made it a bit itchy. So, it began to unconsciously shake its scales, but this action not only failed to ease the itch, it gradually deepened from the body surface into the soul, making it even more unbearable.

Amidst the tingling numbness and itch, Maya suddenly opened its eyes. Reflected in its vertical pupils was a strange youth shrouded in Darkness, a small hand pressing on its snout.

Maya instinctively wanted to struggle and get up, to break free from the youth before it. But an irresistible force came from that small hand, pressing its jaw into the sand. Fine sand covered its mouth, then slowly submerged its nostrils. The shadow of Death descended once more.

Maya panicked, kicking its limbs desperately to pull its head out, but it was useless. As everything around began to blur and despair took hold again, that hand suddenly released it. Maya then tumbled and was flung out, sliding across the sand far, far away…

Under the light of the campfire, the figures of the youth and the girl appeared tall and imposing, scaring it into curling up again and playing dead.

Eileen, watching the Wyvern vanish into the darkness, asked full of hope, “How is it?”

“It’s fine, just playing dead.”

Eileen was so excited she wanted to run over to look, but Bran stopped her. “Sit down. Ignore it for now.”

“It’s my first time seeing such a huge, strange Wyvern…” Eileen couldn’t help but say as soon as she sat down.

Bran ignored her excitement and interrupted directly, “Dragons. That’s what those outsiders call them. This one barely counts as an adult.”

Saying this, Bran turned his head to Zoya and praised, “A good catch. Worth bragging about for a while.”

Bran’s last words were like a bucket of cold water waking Eileen up. Although this Dragon’s survival had a lot to do with her, it did not belong to her. That was Zoya’s trophy, it had nothing to do with her.

This was a bit awkward, a bit embarrassing. Her little thoughts probably hadn’t escaped them, so Bran had used this way to remind her.

Zoya didn’t respond to Bran’s comment. Instead, she drew Fragility — the pair of Short Blades — watching them occasionally flash with strings of starlight in the firelight. Perhaps sensing their true master was nearby, they began to tremble and emit clear, ringing sounds. Bran also answered their call, reaching his hand toward Zoya.

“Time to return them to me.”

Zoya looked up with a playful smile. “You said you lent them to me for protection outside. We haven’t returned to Northland City yet.”

Bran sheepishly withdrew his hand. “You should also nurture your own weapons. Weapons that truly match your abilities, temperament, or that carry your past.”

“What do they carry of yours?”

Zoya’s question also sparked Eileen’s curiosity, so she looked up and watched Bran.

“This will be a long story. Do you really want to hear it?” Looking at the bright eyes of the two girls, Bran shook his head and began to speak, accompanied by the sound of the tide. “That year, holding Huahua, I walked out of the Mountain Villa at dawn…”

While playing dead, Maya was also secretly checking its body. Strength was full again, even more than before, making it want to roar and vent. But the figures moving in the firelight not far away made it not dare to act recklessly.

That youth’s power reminded it of the Dragons’ Sacred Mountain, the place where it grew up as a youngling. The Sacred Mountain was where the ancestors of the Dragons lived in seclusion. Every young Dragon spent a considerable amount of time there. It was said they would gain power from that.

If that was true, then this youth was an existence similar to the Dragons’ ancestors.

This struck it as somewhat unbelievable. How could such a person appear in this backwater place? Legends said they had the ability to communicate with heaven and earth, maintaining the balance of all things. Where they stayed, the land would become fertile, and vegetation would grow more lush. Just like the Dragons’ Sacred Mountain, where the forest was so dense it blotted out the sky, and birds and beasts in the woods were plentiful and exceptionally fat.

Moreover, they were indispensable treasures within their respective races, pillars that sustained the community. Within their own races, they held extremely special status and titles. How could they just run out casually?

Maya wriggled its body slowly closer to the campfire. It knew these small movements couldn’t possibly escape the notice of those present, but it didn’t dare to be too blatant. It hadn’t thought of escaping either; after being flung, it had already realized many things. An obvious suicide move like fleeing should at least wait until this youth was not around.

Facing such a person, the best way was to be humble, and incidentally, take a few more breaths of that pure Mana. It somewhat regretted, why did it struggle just now?

For Maya, the night was far too short. It felt like it had only just gotten close to the youth when the sky brightened. The campfire had gone out. Its huge head was lowered meekly and placed next to the youth’s leg, like a puppy trying to please its master. Unfortunately, its massive body paired with this demeanor looked too awkward and funny.

A group of people hurried toward them from a distance. This time, knowing Bran was here, the Dragon Riders did not dare to be negligent. As they approached, they noticed that the severely injured, near-death Wyvern had become vastly different. The mottled colors on its scales were replaced by an ink-dark hue. Under the sunlight, that ink-dark color seemed alive, flowing and swirling ceaselessly.

Along with the flow of the ink-dark color, vitality and power bloomed without concealment. An aura of pressure was also released in this blooming. In complete contrast to this flamboyant presence, it lay quietly and obediently by Bran’s side.

Someone came over to report, interrupting the trio’s casual chat. Bran couldn’t be bothered with these people. He first turned his head to Zoya. “Be careful outside. When you’re done playing, go back and rest for a few days.”

Seeing Zoya nod in agreement, he turned and called out to Eileen, then transformed into a wisp of grey smoke and left.

Maya remained with lowered eyes, playing the good baby. The group of Dragon Riders, however, couldn’t wait after Bran left and swarmed around, starting to comment and appraise. Zoya seemed to become invisible again, and Eileen was once more pushed away from the Dragon. They stepped outside the circle and stood side by side, silently watching everything unfold.

Over the past few days, Zoya had come to understand that the Dragon Riders’ love for Dragons was innate. Faced with such a Dragon, they could hardly resist its attraction. She wasn’t Bran; she hadn’t established a real deterrence yet, so when Bran left, these people began to act foolish again. Perhaps Bran’s arrival had put her in a very good mood, as Zoya actually found the Dragon Riders quite cute at this moment.

But Maya chose this moment to rebel. Calculating the time, that youth should be far away by now. Who dares to order me around anymore?