Chapter 251 - Eye of the Haze II (1/2)
Up ahead, Tia was almost done fighting the Zombie Drake. The undead creature was a half-rotted corpse of a lesser drake, patches of skeleton showing through its worn flesh. One of its eyes was missing from its socket, and its jaw hung loose and unhinged while its wings were far too tattered to attempt anything remotely capable of flight.
But still, it was a drake, and with that title came access to Dragonsbreath. Though much of its physical abilities might have deteriorated, it had access to a special undead breath that constantly leaked from its broken mouth in the form of a green gas that was corrosive enough to melt the stone floor.
Tia, however, took zero damage from the breath, immune as she was to poison. Instead, she dodged the zombie drake's awkward swipes, but Li quickly realized she was not tearing into the undead with the same gusto she had shown all the other unfortunate specimen before her.
Flanking the drake's huge, lumbering form were roughly hewn stone pillars standing tall, and around the pillars, the haze concentrated into a raging whirlwind that was physically impenetrable by regular means. The only access point was through the stone pillars, and they formed a natural chokepoint guarded by the drake.
Old Thane and the beastwomen could not approach too close for fear of the gas, and it was evident he was thinking of a way around this. For this zombie drake was the last thing standing between everyone and the eye of the haze where the Oculon resided.
But Li took concern for Tia and decided to break his non-intervention, floating past Old Thane and travelling into the noxious green gas. He took zero damage and instead jumped down to the ground, right beside Tia.
Tia saw him and stopped, staring at him with questioning eyes tinged with confusion. Tia by now had engaged more and more of her powers and draconic side. Her horns were larger, crackling with arcs of magical energy. Most of her skin was covered in scales, and her claws were black now, longer and more deadly. Spikes jutted from her tail.
Her wings were far larger, and two bony spikes protruded from their ends. Her jaws, in particular, had grown, and the teeth were so large that they almost seemed to spill out from her mouth as the line between her human form and draconic one began to break down.
The zombie drake saw the stopped movement and attempted to swipe down on Tia with its hand, but Li slapped the drake's hand away. Perhaps with a little too much force, as the slap completely dislodged the drake's hand from its arm, sending it splattering into the pillars beside it.
”Tia, what's bothering you?” said Li. ”Is it the drake? Does it bother you because it looks like you? If so, have no worry, for in undeath, it is basically just the same as the rocks you stand on.”
Tia shook her head.
”This…this-,” She motioned all around her, and Li realized she was referencing the green gas. ”Very familiar. Make me curious, but also sad. Don't know why.” She breathed in and c.o.c.ked her head, furrowing her scaled brows. ”Know this. I do. Like it. Feels warm. Little like papa, but not really.”
Li began to realize what she was talking about. He put a hand to Tia's shoulder. ”Tia, dear.” He tried to find words but realized he did not know exactly how to skirt around topics like this. ”I know it is a little late, but I can explain why this feels familiar. It is about your mother. I know I have never told you about it, but when this is all over, I promise I will. Okay?”
Tia brightened up, for the topic of her mother was always one she was curious about, but one that Li had not given direct answer to yet. ”Okay, papa. Just have to beat thing after this one, right?”
Li nodded and pulled Tia to his side for a short hug, wondering how she would respond to the reality of her circ.u.mstances. First off, that she was not truly Li's child. Secondly, that her mother likely was not alive or, at the least, not searching for her any longer. These were topics he knew he had to talk about but still did not want to approach as even if he had godlike power at his fingertips, that changed nothing about him being a father.
”Something wrong, papa?” she asked, curious as to why Li would show affection when usually he was more reserved about it, but ultimately, she did not mind, nuzzling her cheek into his c.h.e.s.t, taking care that her horns did not hit him.
”No, Tia, it's nothing,” said Li. He patted her back and pointed forwards. The zombie drake was readying another swipe. ”But remember, we still have a problem to deal with, don't we?”
Tia nodded vigorously as she broke off from Li's embrace and began to fight seriously. She stood in front of Li, her arms opened wide as she readied herself to take the incoming blow from the drake's claws. She caught the enormous reptilian hand with a grunt of exertion, straining against a hand that dwarfed her entirely in size.
The zombie drake loosed a rattling echo – what it could muster up as a growl from its thoroughly mangled throat and jaw – as it exerted force, trying to crush Tia with all its weight and remaining might. She stood under the giant hand, her own two arms raised up to press the crushing weight away from her.
Tia growled back, and hers was truly what one would expect from a dragon. It was a deep rumble more powerful than any engine Li knew, and it had weight behind it, rattling the bones of all those that heard. Her arms began to shudder as her scales started to grow, layering on like plate mail before starting to protrude in spikes around her forearm and elbow.