Red Dragonling

What does one do in the face of death? I never considered this until I saw the triptophage lunging at me that day. What even is death? In a desolate world, death is everything. In an abundant world, why would it be less than that? And why would it matter if I was destroyed?

After all, my purpose in this world was moot.

There was no reason for me to exist.

Confidence is simply the lack of will to question.

Beauty is a means to capture the attention of others.

Strength will make me respected.

And kindness…I cannot possess such a thing.

So why do I find fault in giving up? Could it be that my modules would consider my death here a loss for the world? Even if I can’t help repair the world at large, even if the world doesn’t need repairing, is there something else I should do? Some different purpose? Gua. Will she die if I die here and do nothing? Will she and Perretta become triptophage chow like they chowed on its babies? My overthinking module is still silent but my panic module is blaring. It’s screaming at me to do something, while simultaneously making me unable to move until the rest of my modules finish processing.

No. That isn’t right. My panic module is blaring, bursting with purpose, with drive, with a sort of passion unbecoming of an automaton. It’s not just telling me to fight. Somehow, in this moment, it is also telling me how to fight.

//Combat module redeployment confirmed…engaging Vorpal Blades//

The sides of my legs and palms burst open in a flash of red light. I feel the electricity in the air surge into and through me, amplified by the charge given to me by Akkuiganna. It flows in before overflowing, forging into ribbons of red light extending from my body, enveloping it until all I can see is red.

//Right arm reinforced, Chief, please use it to block the incoming att-//

Before my overthinking module can relay me the unnecessary information, the triptophage’s front limbs are already ramming into my open palm, which doesn’t shatter. Red light seeps from the ribbons into the cracks of my arm, melding the broken segments together. It holds as the triptophage pushes me through tree after tree. I redirect the ribbons towards the monster and they envelop its limbs as well, binding me to it. Immediately, I spin my body, letting the ribbons snap off as I wriggle from the enemy’s grasp. I plant the ends of the ribbons into the ground below, wrap them around the nearby trees and reinforce them to the triptophage’s limbs by making them meld together. As I land behind the monster, I confirm its restrictions, running towards Gua and Perretta.

“Farts-”

“Mr Farts-!”

“That’s not my name! Also, we have to run, those aren’t going to hold it for long,” I explain in a hurry.

“Who cares, what did you just do??” Gua replies in shock, but I can see her expression is that of wonder and surprise. “And why’s your right arm all gold and shiny now? Make the whole of you gold and shiny. Come on, I wanna see you gold and shiny!”

“GOLD AND SHINY!” Perretta repeats with a wide grin. “And covered in monster blood, gold looks real grand covered in your enemy’s innards!”

“This is really not the time,” I hiss at them, but I’m also confused about what just happened. It’s like I was always aware of my abilities, but without a combat module, I just can’t visualize them or explain them to others. “It’s like ribbons of light, or something. I can assume they repair things, but I have no idea how. Now let’s go.”

Gua looks like she’s going to say something again, but the triptophage releases a loud screech which shakes her back to the reality of the situation. I look over my shoulder to see it wriggling in its restraints. With the amount of electricity here I cannot precisely estimate how strong the ribbons are relative to their maximum output. At maximum output they could likely hold indefinitely, but like this, it was anyone’s guess. I hope they won’t affix itself to the monster and make it even sturdier.

“We’ll go back to the city, we can get backup there-” Gua says, then gives a thumbs up. “You did great!”

I wonder if I did, since I don’t tell either of them about what I heard before the attack.

—

The day was calm in the city. Nothing of note was happening. Platypeople sat in juicefes, sipping juice for their lack of coffee in this world. Children ran around, led to the parks by their parents. The arti-trams kept on going, leading platypeople to their boring workplaces.

Until we ran in and began shouting about the triptophage sighting. According to Gua and Perretta, this was highly unusual, as triptophages were exceedingly rare and usually kept far off from the city of Einsell, fully aware of the fact if one of them was sighted, it would be open season for the strongest hunters in town. They knew they’d die if they showed themselves. This was a level of intelligence I wasn’t prepared for from the monsters. After all, Gua simply killed them without remorse, all while donning a smile on her face. And I won’t even discuss Perretta’s attitude.

This is exactly what happened, as the moment we alerted the guards at the city walls, they signaled pink flares, color of the triptophage’s magic organelle. A strike party was assembled and rushed towards the forest while we were ushered to our homes. We underestimated the triptophages relentlessness and overlooked the importance of the fact it had been the parent to those babies we devoured.

It slammed itself into the city’s barrier from the sky, arriving shortly after the hunters have left. It pierced through, landing on top of Gua’s house just as we were walking towards it, Gua and Perretta cursing the fact they weren’t allowed to hunt it. Well, there it was.

—

Chaos breaks out around me as the monster spreads its wings. Its front and rear limbs are connected by a translucent, pink membrane, making it appear like an oversized flying squirrel. It looks around as passersby scream, but focuses its attention primarily on the area immediately around Gua’s house. It had completely demolished the house upon landing on it and I can’t see Gua’s father in the rubble. Lowering its head, the triptophage scratches helplessly at the pink blotch I couldn’t get out of the wall. From its one head hole seeps pink liquid as it writhes in pain. Some rubble shifts and the triptophage cocks its head towards it. Akkuiggana peaks out of the rubble only to be immediately mauled down, blood splattering in all directions. The monster lets out a screech.

“I’ll kill it,” Gua says, grabbing two arrows from her quill. She is wide eyed.

“I’ll help,” Perretta adds.

Meanwhile, I realize my maid outfit still has pink blotches on it. We are fighting a bereaved parent. Monstrous, yes, but intelligent nonetheless. My modules freeze. I am not supposed to be doing this. This is not right. This entity is not a risk to the world, no matter my previous thoughts on culling the monster population. These monsters are natural. The people living here are natural too. I am not allowed to make a distinction, even if the triptophage kills Gua, Perretta and Akkuiggana. I do not move.

Not even as Perretta is kicked away into a wall, creating a bloody blotch of her own. Not when Gua blocks a direct impact from the monster’s sharpened front limbs with her forearm, somehow not suffering broken bones in the process, but visibly wincing in pain. She jumps the triptophage, grabbing at its throat.

“Even if I can’t break your hide, I can do this-” She holds an arrow in her hand, carving something into it with her claws. “Assign trait-” She says as sparks start spurting out of the arrowhead. As the monster spreads its wings, taking off into the air, Gua stabs the arrow into its gaping maw, inciting another screech. I watch as they ascend, Gua holding onto the monster with her claws on one hand and pushing the arrow ever deeper with the other. My eye can follow them as they ascend beyond what an average human could see. The triptophage is relentless, but Gua keeps pushing the arrow down, until finally, the monster explodes. From the inside out, its hard shell ruptures and pink starts raining down.

I am dropped by Akkuiggana as the blood of the triptophage rains down upon the town. The hunters return, confused, and crowds gather. I glance at Gua’s father, who is looking up at the sky. His gaze is empty, and that’s alright. Except, none of us are ready for the scream that comes from above.

"AYAYAYAYAYAY PEOPLE CLEAR CLEAR I'M FALLING!" Something-or more accurately-someone, falls face first into the pavement and is absolutely unharmed.

Apparently, dragons are much sturdier than I knew.

ARC 1 - Red Dragonling - END