Shifter - Infinite Transformation-Chapter 53: Death to the Grove

Screams reverberated through the grove. They reached every corner but were muffled by the mighty roar that silenced them all.

Fern’s head whipped around. Her close tie to nature flared up and intertwined with her animalistic features that screamed at her, telling her to run.

But where was she supposed to run? From what?

Her head snapped upward, and her instincts kicked in. A moment later, a massive frame peeled off the ancient trees above the grove. Extensive, leathery wings fanned out, blocking the suns from high above. A ginormous head the size of an ancient tree’s trunk, a long, scaled neck ridden with deep scars, and a large body adorned with four strong legs came into view, its wings torn in several spots.

Fern noticed each of those features, but it was the flames oozing from the mighty creature’s maw that sealed the deal.

The creature descending upon the Eserian Grove was a dragon, a true, mythical creature. It didn’t feel like one of the Eserian’s failed mutations. No, this was the real deal, and it was angry.

Flames, a myriad mixture of green, orange, and yellow, burst forth and spread outward. More screams echoed, but this time they were not only those of fear. This time, pained screams were among them as well.

Fern knew what that meant, and it made her heart ache. She had never once been angry at the monsters of the Eserian. Sure, they did harm the grove’s people, but the Eserian had always been about protecting itself. It was just trying to survive. Thus, the death of a fae or two was unavoidable. That did not make them less painful, but Fern saw something akin to logic behind the Eserian’s actions.

But this did not make any sense. A dragon, let alone one bound to Nature, was not supposed to destroy the very thing it was bound to. No matter how young the dragon appeared to be, it should not have attacked the fae. That was just wrong.

Confusion flooded her nearly as much as fear and anger did. They mingled and paralyzed her as the flames spread out, setting the Eserian Grove on fire. Tears welled in Fern’s eyes as she reached out to the power deep within her. She tried to use the nature of the Eserian Grove to attack, yet it failed her. The Nature Dragon had established its dominance over this land and was already in full control.

Fern was–felt–powerless.

Maybe there was something she could do, but all she could think about were the pained screams of her people. Her friends, who were more of a family than her blood-ties had ever been.

She cursed and called out for her power again. This time, it worked, for she did not try to strike the Nature Dragon. She melded with the nature around her and reached the root network spreading throughout the grove and further to the Elders.

Fern emerged in the grove’s heart, lips parted, only to snap shut when a towering presence descended upon her. She stood before the entrance to the Elder Throne, or what it had been before the Nature Dragon’s wrath descended upon them.

It no longer existed. In its stead was a wall of fire that spread far and wide. And within those flames emerged a ginormous grimace of wrath and pain. A scaled snout rose high into the air, maw wide open as it spewed out even more flames.

"Run!" Elder Taria’s voice thundered across the grove’s heart. The next thing Fern remembered was a cacophony of noise. The sound of breaking bones, overlapping until it was etched into her head.

Her throat tightened, and her stomach churned. She wanted to help the others. Fern had never felt this weak. Her greatest power was naturally suppressed just by being in the Nature Dragon’s presence. Then she felt like vomiting. But before she could, a massive tail shot out from the flames that consumed the Elder Throne’s remnants. It wasn’t aimed at her but at inflicting more destruction upon the Eserian Grove. That it did. Trees snapped, and the beautiful heart the fae had created over the course of decades was destroyed.

In the same instant, Fern was struck by the tail. She heard a snap and let out a pained groan at the sudden impact. Then her body flung through the air and crashed into an ancient tree.

Fern’s head was mush. She could tell that the tail must have hit her, but she had no idea where. Several bones in her body were broken. That much was fairly obvious as well. What wasn’t so easy to understand was how that had happened, especially since most of her bones were broken in multiple spots.

Was she that weak? Or... was the Nature Dragon that powerful?

Am I going to die? She wondered as the strength she had accumulated faded.

There was nothing she could do. Fern was broken. Tears trickled down her cheeks, realization slowly coming to her as the world around her grew blurry.

I don’t want to die. Fern wanted to scream, but her lips barely parted. A groan was all she could utter as her body grew weak.

Xavier... Xavier! More tears trickled down her cheeks. They felt warm and oddly comforting as they poured down her cheeks and dripped onto her cold arms.

I just found you. How... How am I going to lose you already? She squealed in her heart. How was that fair? After finding someone she cared for more than herself for the first time in her life–someone who clearly cared for her as much–she was supposed to leave it all behind?

Fern had never been afraid of death. Death was natural. It was part of nature. But now she was. Now Fern was afraid to die, to leave Xavier behind.

She wanted to spend more time with him. Even if it wouldn’t be centuries, Fern thought they’d be together for a blissful few decades. Was a dragon really going to take that from her?

Xavier... Please be fine. I beg of you... Gods... Please just make sure Xavier is fine.

Then the dragon’s flames surged toward her.

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[A/N: If you stop reading here, you will never find out what’s going to happen :d]