(Inside the Mural, Before The Primordial Dragon, Leo's POV)
Leo and the dragon kept staring at one another for the better part of a minute, until it was the dragon who broke the silence first, its voice deep and deliberate, like a distant avalanche rolling through ancient mountains.
"You are not one of mine," the dragon said without opening its mouth, as it seemed to be communicating via telepathy.
"And yet… you bear a Dragon Heart."
Its head tilted slightly, massive and unhurried, the red eye never once blinking as it narrowed upon him.
"Human boy… What madness brought you to this place? What arrogance gave you the right to carry a flame that was never yours?"
Leo stiffened, unsure how to answer at first as his instincts told him to lower his gaze, show deference and bow, however, something inside him resisted that command.
He wasn't sure if it was pride, stubbornness, or just the fact that his alter ego as 'TheBoss' did not accept bowing to anyone, but in the end, he ended up standing his ground.
He looked up, eyes steady, voice dry.
"With all due respect, Big Red Dragon Sir… that's a question I was hoping you could answer for me," Leo said, as the dragon's eyes widened in surprise at his response.
For a while, the dragon went completely mute, seemingly taken aback by Leo's ability to speak to him so casually, as this was completely outside of its expectations.
"Do you not feel a compelling urge to submit to me? Why is there defiance in your eyes when I am standing before you?" the dragon asked, clearly unable to comprehend how Leo still carried free will, as Leo simply frowned at the question.
'Don't do it…. Don't do it…. Don't you dare say what you feel like saying…' Leo battled with himself, as his left eye flickered uncontrollably.
'He's an ancient dragon…. Picking up beef here is unnecessary and stupid….. DONT!' Leo warned himself, but although he tried his best not to be cocky, in the end, he couldn't resist the temptation.
"Submit to you? Brother, who do you think you're talking to here? I'm 'TheBoss', I submit to no one," Leo declared, as once again, the ancient dragon was taken aback by his response.
For another minute or two, the dragon remained silent, until it finally recovered from the setback and dropped its formal tone in favor of a more casual one.
"Kid… don't call me brother, I take naps longer than the time you've been alive.
Also, I don't care if you call yourself 'TheBoss' or 'TheBitch'.
If this were a different time, and you were actually standing before me or even my true soul fragment, you'd be passed out at my feet before you could ever look past my claws," the dragon said, its tone shifting sharply as it tried to humble Leo real quick.
"Well, let's start over then.
I'm Leo Skyshard, son of Elena Skyshard, student of Ben Faulkner.
I'm an assassin by profession, and a winner by habit. Who are you?" Leo asked, as the ancient dragon raised his chin slightly.
"I'm the Beast of Wrath… one of the supreme overlords of the universe.
The father of all dragons.
The protector of all dragon-kin.
The destroyer of Windgazer Galaxy.
I am known by many names… talked about fondly by everyone across the universe.
But you may call me, King Moltherak." Moltherak said, as Leo rolled his eyes at his response.
"Dude… I've never heard your name before… Talked fondly by who? I don't think anyone even remembers you—" Leo said, narrowing his eyes slightly, as the dragon's head reared back, visibly affronted.
"What do you mean no one remembers me?" Moltherak rumbled, his tone a blend of confusion and disbelief. "How can they not? Everyone loves me."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, no. You sure you're not confusing 'loved' with 'anonymous'? Because I've literally never heard your name being spoken in any context ever… Not even in bedtime horror stories."
Moltherak growled lowly, his massive form shifting with indignation. "Perhaps… perhaps you know me by one of my other names." His eyes flared slightly as he said, "Velgarn the Flame-Eater?"
Leo shook his head. "Nope."
"The Ember Tyrant?"
"Nah."
"Wyrmfather of the Fifth Cataclysm?"
"Sounds fake."
"Molthorion the Crimson Dread?"
"Now you're just making shit up."
Moltherak's tail lashed behind him, a puff of smoke escaping his nostrils as he muttered something in a guttural tongue before glaring down again. "Kid… what era do you even live in for people to not remember me? Surely it hasn't been that long since I was slain?"
Leo gave him a flat look. "Well… if you're asking me how long it's been since you got smoked and buried in some ancient pocket realm—then yeah, it's probably been a while."
The dragon fell silent for a long moment, his massive eyes narrowing in quiet existential horror.
"…Damn," Moltherak finally muttered.
Leo crossed his arms. "Rough wake-up call?"
"Rougher than I expected." Moltherak admitted as he finally looked approachable and depressed.
Little by little, the initial pressure that Leo felt while being in Moltherak's presence dissipated, as Moltherak kept shrinking in size, until he reduced himself to about Leo's height.
"I ruled over seventeen galaxies before I was killed... I was KING Moltherak…. I can't believe my legacy is forgotten so fast," he said, sounding depressed, as Leo shot the poor Dragon a sympathetic look.
"Happens all the time, you think you're a real big deal until you realize you were just a frog in the well.
Happened to me as well….
For a while I forgot how awesome I am….
Forgot I'm 'TheBoss'.
Of course, my legacy will never fade like yours, but yeah…. I totally get you," Leo said in a patronizing tone, as it was the Dragon now that was left with a flickering left eye, as it couldn't believe that the first being it encountered in over three millennia, was a kid as shameless as Leo.