Two Page Shorts by Nick Venom (story read aloud TXT) 📖

wyvern---breaking its eardrums. The wyvern’s ears slightly bled, giving the pair a moment of celebration. However, the moment didn’t last long.

The wyvern roared and let out an attack of its own - Blaze of Fury was launched on Kira, his camp, and the surrounding area. Kira used Gate to escape the attack, teleporting some distance away. There he watched the wyvern launch heaps of flames onto the trees, slowly charring the forest.

By this time, Visa popped her head out of a portal she had created next to Kira. “Woah, you look like you’re in trouble.” She remarked as she watched the wyvern tear his camp apart.

“Can you help me?” He asked her.

“Nope, you’re on your own. I’m here to laugh at your pain.” She remarked. Kira ignored her and began developing a hail mary plan. Visa figured out his intention, shaking her head. She went through the portal and, shortly, returned with a golden fox. “Here, this might help.”

“A golden fox?”

“A golden nine-tail fox.”

Kira looked at her. “Does the fox have overpowered skills?”

“Nope.”

“So… how does this help me?”

“It helps by reminding you that you have a dragon king buddy who could help you.”

“Why couldn’t you’ve told me this before?”

“It was too funny watching you run out like an imbecile,” Visa said, acting as if her words were facts.

“You’re an awful goddess.”

“Still called me a goddess,” Visa remarked before going through the portal, closing it after her. Kira shook her head as he looked down at the fox. 

“That goddess,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m going to kill her one day.” Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, a branch cracked off and fell, hitting him on the head. He looked up at the tree, scowling. “Visa!” He shouted. “Are you that petty?” Another branch cutting its ties with the tree answered his question, plummeting and nearly hitting Kira. He sidestepped around the branch before opening a Gate. “Jordan!” He called out. Jordan emerged from the unlit sea of trees---in the opposite direction of the camp---and perched on Kira’s shoulder. Kira led the golden fox into the Gate and appeared in front of Nazifa’s camp. Nazifa was standing up, watching the wyvern with aggravated eyes. 

“I see your predicament,” Nazifa said. “I will assist you!” He told Kira without waiting for him to beg for help.

“Thanks, Nazifa. The wyvern destroyed my camp and is burning down the forest.” Kira added.

“How dare an anikosa’s underling damage my territory?”

“Anikosa?” Kira questioned.

“It translates to bastard in the human language,” Nazifa told him before launching himself in the air. Nazifa roared as he flew in the air, immediately closing the distance between the wyvern and himself. Thee wyvern noticed Nazifa and launched Blaze of Fury at him. However, the fire skill was too weak to dent Nazifa. Nazifa caught up to the wyvern and grabbed its head, clenching it tightly. “Weak,” he remarked as he launched himself downwards with the wyvern’s hand in his fist. He pointed his fist at the ground, pummeling the wyvern’s head into tightly packed dirt---thousands of feet underground. Nazifa then rose from the crater that he caused. “Weak anikosa.” 

Kira, meanwhile, had used Gate to watch the one-sided fight from a safe distance away. He cheered Nazifa on as he pummeled the wyvern into the ground. He felt proud watching Nazifa rising from the crater as dawn broke - the sun rising behind him. 

The fox snuggled with Kira, alerting him to its presence. He crouched down and looked the fox in the eye. “Do you want to be my friend?” He asked. The fox nodded, extending a paw. Kira grinned as he grabbed the fox’s paw and shook it. “From today on, your name is Melody.” He declared. 

Nazifa let out a roar, ensuring to scare off any competitors nearby. However, he scared the nearby town of Striktin - he could care less. They were just a normal human town with no real advantage over him.

With the wyvern and goblins dead and the moon on the run, Kira and Nazifa took a few moments to celebrate their own wins---no matter how small. The truce remained strong.

***

“I can’t believe that it’s been fifty years.” He told Jordan and Melody. He talked to them while laying on a mattress - which he got from Nazifa; it was a better fit than the straw-filled bed he had been using.

Within the fifty years, he’d been in this new world, his looks never changed. He looked the same that he did when he was fifteen and nothing could change that.

After the wyvern attack, Kira managed to build a new camp, some distance away from his old one, with better defenses. He included a natural source of water within his boundaries. He had also grown close to his partners---Jordan, Melody, and Nazifa. They had kept him company throughout the years---stabilizing his mental state. 

“It’s a little weird to think that Nazifa is a father now. I’m not even sure if there was a female dragon involved… maybe he’s asexual.” He thought aloud. He watched as clouds passed by him, gently brushing against each other. He was falling asleep because of the sights.

Suddenly, however, a roar from Nazifa jerked Kira up. His camp wasn’t too far from Nazifa. He also heard unfamiliar human voices coming from the sea of trees. He jumped up and dashed towards Nazifa with Jordan and Melody following behind him. He managed to make it to Nazifa within a few minutes, quickly understanding the situation as soon as he arrived. He found Nazifa and his two children on one side and three adventurers on the other side. The leading adventurer noticed Kira and motioned for him to leave. “What are you doing?” Kira asked Nazifa.

“They’ve impeded on my territory and dared to brandish weapons in the sight of my children!” Nazifa declared.

“Is that true?” Kira asked the adventurer. 

“That wasn’t our intention. We were returning from a quest and stumbled across this lair. We were protecting ourselves.”

“You dare imply I’m a threat?” Nazifa shouted. He was about to attack the adventurers, but Kira stopped him. He fired off Freeze Strike at the Dragon King, freezing him in place and not allowing him to move. The adventures stared at Kira, stunned to see the mighty and legendary Dragon King Nazifa contained by a human.

“That’s enough,” He then directed his glare at the adventurer. “You three can leave.”

The first adventurer---a male human with a slightly muscular figure wearing tattered clothes---spoke up. His red spiky hair distracted Kira for a second. “How can you control the Dragon King?” 

“Because we’re in a truce.”

“Aren’t you a human?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Have you ever left this forest?” The only female of the trio asked. She wore a long and skinny hat---resembling a witch’s hat---and had straight and long pink hair that dipped to her waist. She wore a grey and black mixed tee shirt with matching jeans. 

“Don’t be rude, Dawn.” The last adventurer said. The adventurer had light green hair that went down to his shoulders. He wore a black tee-shirt and matching jeans and shoes. He resembled a mage, except for the lack of a wand.

“I haven’t. I’ve lived here for a long time, but I’ve never left the boundaries of the forest.” Kira told the adventurers.

“How about joining us? We can help you.” The first adventurer said.

“Even though I don’t like them, I do believe you should leave this forest. You haven’t seen anything past this forest. Stretch your wings and fly. Oh, and unfreeze me first, though” Nazifa told him.

“I… should?” He questioned, unfreezing him. He furrowed his brows as he thought about the offer.  Jordan and Melody snuggled up to him, confirming their answers to his question. Nazifa, now unfrozen, reconfirmed their answers.

“I’m Orion, leader of the Fizer party.” The first adventurer said.

“I’m Dawn.” The female adventurer said.

“I’m Keagan.” The last adventurer said.

“Well…” He started before a piece of paper flew through the air and perfectly landed in Kira’s hands. “Join them or die.” He read out loud. “Even she thinks I should go.” He then looked up at the adventurers. “I’m Kira, it’s nice to meet you.”

***

Kira followed the adventurers to the nearby town of Striktin, the closest town to the Astrial Forest. Orion led them into the town, passing by the marketplace and several other restaurants, inns, and stores on the way. Kira’s eyes couldn’t linger at the sights for long, but what he did notice was more than he had seen in the last fifty years. People of different races and infrastructure that wasn’t present in the forest. Elves, dark elves, dwarves, and beastkins were everywhere. Brick houses lined the roads, reminding Kira of his past life.

Has this been like this fifty years ago? I never once looked out of the forest’s boundaries… Wow! He thought to himself. I… I should’ve gone out long ago. I should… He stopped walking, his attention captivated by the sight of a beastkin being whipped for dropping a box. The burly man whipped the young beastkin male as harshly as he wanted to with barely any attention and fewer consequences. There’s still slavery here… It’s… suffocating.

“Are you okay?” Dawn asked, furrowing her brows.

Kira looked away from the sight, turning to face Dawn. “Uh… Y-Yeah, I am.”

Dawn looked worried, but she decided not to overthink his behavior and take him at his word. She motioned for him to keep up before turning away. They were now nearing the guild, standing some feet from it.

Kira stared at the large sign on the guild building that read “Striktin Guild” in large and bold letters. The building that the sign was attached to was a one-story brick building that had an intimidating aura. As he approached the front door, he felt the aura leaking out. He audible gulped as Orion opened the door, allowing the gallons of intimidation to rush out. He was nearly taken out by the wave that smacked into him.

“Let’s go, Kira,” Keagan said, standing behind him. Kira nodded, now realizing that he stopped walking as soon as the door was opened.

“Sorry,” He muttered to Keagan. Keagan simply nodded, pushing Kira forward. They entered the building after Orion and Dawn. The aura that Kira felt was coming from the adventurers tightly packed into the main room of the building where several circular wooden tables were set up. Three curved wooden benches were placed at every table.

At the tables, aside from the benches, were adventurers smoking makeshift cigarettes, playing card games, and drinking. Their attention, which was usually focused on their own activities, shifted to Orion and his party. Fortunately, however, their attention was shifted away by a single menacing glare from Orion. 

“Such rats,” Orion muttered under his breath. He turned his back on the adventurers, heading to the receptionist’s desk. The receptionist, a female human, looked up from a few stacks of paperwork to see Orion in front of her.

“Good afternoon, Orion.” She said.

“Afternoon, Clarisse.” He responded. 

Clarisse glanced at Kira. “You need to register him into your party?” She asked.

Orion nodded. “He… Uh… He hasn’t registered into the guild before. Can I get a guild card for him?” 

Clarisse furrowed her brows. “A teenager hasn’t been registered here yet? Where did you find him?”

“Can you register him or not?’

Clarisse nodded. “I need his personal information.” She told him. Orion nodded, calling Kira over. Orion informed him of what was happening and Kira divulged some of his information while keeping details of Nazifa, Visa, and his other life a secret. 

“Good…” Clarisse started. “Kira Wood, 16-year-old. A human with the class of… tamer?” Kira nodded. “Okay, you have two tamed monsters and they appear to be…” She looked over the counter at Melody and Kira’s shoulder for Jordan. “... a Golden Fox and an Astrial Hawk. Is this information correct?”

“Y-Yes, it is.”

“Okay…” She handed the paper to a machine under her that moved the information from the paper to a blank guild card. Once everything was transferred over, a small ‘ding’ sound alerted Clarisse that it was ready. She took the card that the machine, which