Ascenders: Rising From Zero

Speaking to Survive

Jaspar froze. 

In the one century of his life since birth, he had never come across a talking beast, ever. He knew they existed, beasts with speech capabilities. Yes, they did.

His father, Drakon Master Dakota had once told him of encounters about these creatures. But never had any of the stories revealed that a speech capable beast asking for help.

Even with Please?

Jaspar was a simple boy. Endowed with a powerful father, Master Dakota and a wonderful mother also. But with great power came great responsibility.

His father was always away, attending councils, going on diplomatic visits and all of that.

He never had enough of his father. But he didn't complain, never did he. He was used to it until his mother was assassinated. 

And where was his father then? In a council meeting as usual. He remembered his mother sending a messenger for his father at the point of attack. Only to have the messenger report back that his wonderful father had said he would come once he was done with the meeting. 

A few minutes he asked them to hold on. But that was all the assasin needed. Clenching his fists, Jaspar gritted his teeth as he watched the still body of the ironspike Tailed Dog before him.

He was the son of Drakon Master Dakota. He had come to conduct his coming of age rites and to please his father. 

But, he was not his father.

He was not going to a blind eye to the IronSpike Tailed Dog before him just because he had a duty  to hunt an IronSpike Tailed Dog.

Dusk was almost here and hunting for another dog would be impossible by himself. The implication of that was his father would flare up, disappointed that his own son could not keep up with his legacy.

But, he Jaspar, he cared for lives more than legacy. Especially when that life in question was an unusual Common Type Dog speaking to him.

"Oh-Oh Damn! What is Resuscitation 101? Before removing a weapon from flesh, counter the effect first.

How could I have forgotten this! What do I do? The poor beast is dying.

Yes, dragon blood.

Heck!

Now I have to transform. AHHHHHHH..." Jaspar cried out, becoming hysterical.

"You can do this Jaspar. Transform, get your dragon half blood and use it to heal this beast. You can do this."

Steeling his mind, Jaspar grit his teeth, his muscles tensing up again.

Looking inwards, he saw the dragon half of his soul pulsing with raw energy. Sighing, he reached mentally for his soul as he entered into a state of intense concentration.

"Almost... t-t-there." Jaspar groaned, ahead of perspiration dribbling down his face.

His mental self laid hands on the dragon half of his soul, willing it to grow, encroaching over  his other form.

Immediately, a resistance hit at him, the dragon soul refusing to budge. Trying again, he reached, this time forcefully exerting his will on his dragon half.

Another ball of sweat dribbled down.

"HNRGGHH..."

And another ball of sweat dropped, again

"N-need to be fast"

And another!

Using his other hand, he tugged the dragon half, forcefully wrapping it around his entire soul like a blanket.

GNRGGGG...

Jaspar growled, tendrils of smoke escaping his snout. He had transformed.

Already, he was a 9feet tall dragon with green lustrous scales that covered his body excluding the underneath. The deep set green gem in his forehead had become enlarged, taking an even darker lustre as it occupied the space between his eyes, taking most of the forehead. At the edges of his jaws and face were intricately set little horns. His hinds were not left out of the horns also. 

"Right. My blood." Quickly, he ripped a line into his left arm with a black claw from the right, stifling a growl. Taking his injured hand closer, he lifted the now lifeless body of the Ironspike dog, forcing its jaws open at his injury that had begun to heal up already.

"Please. Be enough."Jaspar prayed, watching the few drops of blood dribbling into the beasts mouth.

"Hnrrghh..." Jaspar growled, his body reverting back to his humanoid form. In his humanoid form now, he dropped the body, arching his back in response to the sharp bout of pain.

He still wasn't going to get used to the transformation.

"What do I do? Oh, yes, power herbs." Jaspar muttered before dipping a hand into the pouch by his side. 

He pulled out a herb, shaking his head. "Not you!" Dipping his hand again, he pulled another herb. With joy on his face, Jaspar ripped the herb into pieces, squeezing the juice into the beasts jaws.

"This should be enough! " 

Just then, footsteps sounded heavily close by, the unmistakable clinking of armor. Jaspar swirled, growling low as he gazed into the distance.

"Titus..."

"JASPAARR?" Titus voice boomed from the distance, startling Jaspar.

"Right. I forgot he has excellent hearing." Rising up, Jaspar hefted the Dog into his arms. Already, the beast had begun to stir but he had no time now. His legs blurred now as he took off, away from the path into the thicker vegetation. 

Closing his eyes now, he dropped the beast even as the green gem flowed faintly. In response, vines began sprouting, thickening the bushes around.

"You... you saved me. Thank You!" The weakened growl of the ironspike dog sounded.

"You are unusual. I thought you'd be worth the keep."  Jaspar said, gazing at the net of vines and leaves that formed an a barrier from the path.

'Just as I thought, Yasmin.' Bayo thought, giddy with excitement. He had faded away, only for a stronger feeling to pull at him, making his consciousness more alive. 

He had gambled with his life and now it was worth it. 

He had defeated soul decline once again.

'I had thought you were gone.'

'Oh, you unbeliever!' Bayo grunted dismissively, smiling mentally.

"How is it that you can talk? What happened here, earlier? Just what are you?"Jaspar asked, squatting to be of eyelevel with Bayo.

'What do I tell him, that I'm an Ascender from Earth? Who'd buy that?'

"I am just an unlucky special creature. Where am I?" Bayo asked in return.

"Special creature? But you are just a Common Type beast? Where is your pack?"

Ha! Slow down boy. 

Don't rush questions at me. 

"Pack?" 

"Your pack?"

'Iron spike tailed dogs move in packs, under the leadership of an AlphaDog.' Yasmin came to his rescue.

"Well... where am I?" Bayo asked, hoping to turn tables. He wasn't just going to let himself be discovered as an Ascender when he was yet to know his environs.

"You don't know where you are, yet you are claim to be a special creature?" Jaspar returned, his eyebrows creasing.

"Well, yes?" Bayo squeaked a reply. This was turning out tougher than he had imagined.

"Look, beast, you are not the type of creature that gains intelligence, not by a long shot. And besides, I am a Nature Drakon. I can sense faint reverberations from the two souls from you. 

It's either you got cramped up with a soul of a beast or you are an unusual creature?"

"Where am I?" 

"Look, don't annoy me. Tell me the truth, beast. You owe your life to me, remember." Jaspar growled, slamming a fist into the ground sending a webworks of cracks into the earth.

Damn, this guy was power packed. Just how strong was he?

'Yasmin, scan.' 

—— 

Name: Jaspar

Specie: Nature Drakon

Soul status: Elite

Energy: 25 000

Ability: Nature Elemental Affinity

Aspectual Law: Not Applicable

Principles: Null

The drakons are an evolved sentient relative of Dragons, with no  readily affinity to any law. However, they are able to tap into the purest form of Agbara which is creation essence in increasing the potency of their fires and elemental abilities.

—— 

"His energy is twenty five thousand, a really strong nature drakon eh. But why are laws not applicable to them?" Bayo mused aloud.

"What? You can read my energy levels?" Jaspar gasped. 

Just then, the hunting party arrived with Molan and Dolan in the lead. Taking looks around, the Drakon Guards arranged them selves into a circular formation, releasing killing intent at once.

"Listen to me, it won't be long they find me and kill you. So,tell me who you are and maybe I can help you." Jaspar motioned towards the vines. 

"Okay, Okay." Bayo whimpered resignedly. He had taken a look outside the vines through a space between the leaves and had seen the party outside. The presence around them was totally depressing and if for anything, he wanted to be far away from suffocating auras.

"I am from Earth. Died and awoke in this body. And it has been a hell of a day for me so far." Bayo summarized, editing the story. Even with his desperation, he wasn't so sure if he should tell a person he just met his entire story.

Not especially with the party with killing intent out there.

Luckily, Jaspar noticed the agitation on his face and sighed.

"We should talk more later. If you are truly what you say, then you can't survive in here. Go up the cliffs, find a pack, blend in. Ironspike dogs are weak in single but in a pack, they ar strong which is why they are valued for meat in Our lands." 

"No, not the cliffs." Bayo shook his head, remembering his experiences there.

"It's where you'd be safe. I'll find you, We'll talk more. Here." Jaspar dipped his hands into his pouch once more pulling out a heap of herbs larger than the pouch could have contained.

"Stuff up with these herbs. It will strengthen you on your journey." Jaspars face tightened now.

"You okay?" Bayo asked, concerned.

"Go!" Jaspars face twisted, his nose enlarging to form a snout as his form shimmered.

"I'm Bayo." Without any ado, Bayo stuck his nose into the pile of green herbs, eating as much as he could.

"Jaspar?" A thick voice bellowed, footsteps moving to the vine barrier. Casting a look at Bayo, the green scales dragon burst through the overhead growth, tearing out into the open.

Immediately a barrage of voices sounded in amazement as the green scaled dragon lowered itself into their midst.

'Bonus energy has been consumed. You are now incapable of speech.' Yasmin informed Bayo jolting him out of his gazing. Sighing mentally, he dipped his head into the pile munching a helpful of herbs before racing off.