(Leo's POV, The Floating Island)
With Leonardo gone, Leo turned his focus toward locating the source of Moltherak's aura, which seemed to grow stronger with every passing second.
He could sense the vague direction from where the aura originated, and hence he walked towards it, his each step growing heavier as the oppressive presence of the Ancient Beast God pressed down on him.
Sweat gathered along his brow, his breath steady but labored, as a faint unease began to coil in his gut the closer he got to the source.
Until at last, he arrived before a colossal chamber, its entrance guarded by a towering door etched with glowing runes, beyond which the slumbering deity's power seemed to pulse like a living heartbeat.
'Here I come... hopefully the bloodthirsty dragon doesn't kill me,' Leo thought grimly, his hand pressing against the cold metal surface of the door as he pushed it open and stepped inside.
*Push*
The moment he crossed the threshold, the atmosphere around him shifted.
The air grew impossibly dense, folding in on itself as though existence itself hesitated to breathe in the presence of what lay beyond.
Every sound dulled, every motion slowed, and for a fleeting instant, Leo felt as though he had stepped into a torture chamber, where millions of souls screamed and howled in pain.
"What insane killing intent...."
He mused quietly as his gaze swept across the chamber that seemed to stretch endlessly before him.
Carved from the same metallic stone as the rest of the island, it shared the same grand design and intricate craftsmanship, yet there was something different about this place that made it feel aware, almost alive, as if it breathed along with him.
It was bright and warm, which meant that his eyes needed a couple seconds to adjust to the brightness inside, however, as they did, the first thing they saw was Motherak's soul, suspended in the air like a blazing sun, which radiated a power that seemed to hold the entire chamber together.
At first, Motherak's soul appeared as a massive, shifting silhouette, a vague form of flame and shadow, but as Leo approached closer, the haze began to solidify.
The light around the silhouette condensed, until eventually it gathered into the magnificent form of a red dragon.
His scales burned crimson like molten metal, each one etched with runic symbols that pulsed faintly in time with his aura.
Long, curved horns swept back from his head like blades carved from black steel, and a faint shimmer of heat warped the air around his body.
His eyes, when they opened, were two blazing orbs of deep gold, filled with the kind of wisdom that only gods having lived for several millennia could possess, as even without a body of flesh, his presence was overwhelming, divine, ancient, and absolute.
The sheer pressure radiating from him bent the world around him, causing the ground to ripple as if in reverence.
As just gazing upon him, Leo's breathing grew heavier the closer he got.
The difference between them was cosmic; Moltherak was not just a creature of strength, but a relic of a forgotten era, a being who had once stood above all beast kings, gods, and creation itself.
And yet, despite that, Leo smiled faintly.
Stopping a few steps away from the dragon's resting pedestal as he placed one knee on the ground and bowed deeply, his voice calm but sincere.
"King Moltherak," he said, the words echoing softly through the chamber. "It's an honor to meet you again."
The dragon's great eyes narrowed slightly, as though peering through time itself, before a low rumble escaped his throat, a sound that was equal parts amusement and nostalgia.
"Leo Skyshard," the Beast God's voice reverberated through the chamber, smooth yet thunderous, carrying the weight of eons. Then, his lips curved into what could only be described as a smile.
"Or should I say, The Boss?"
Leo let out a quiet chuckle, his head tilting slightly upward.
"I did not expect you to still remember that name,"
Leo said, as Motherak let out a deep, rumbling chuckle in return.
"How long has it been since I last saw you, peculiar boy with a Dragon Heart? Since I sleep too often, time has become a blurry concept for me,"
The dragon mused, his voice echoing faintly across the chamber, as Leo paused for a moment, thinking back carefully before replying.
"About two and a half decades, give or take, so it hasn't been that long,"
He said at last, as Motherak lifted his brows in mild surprise.
"Only two and a half decades, and yet you've grown strong enough to stand independently before my true soul fragment? That is quite an achievement."
He praised, as Leo bowed slightly, accepting the compliment with quiet humility.
However, just as Leo believed that the conversation was going in a positive direction, it suddenly turned for the worse, when Motherak dropped his next question.
"Are you by chance responsible for all the noise that has been going on in my realm lately? I have sensed far too much human activity in these parts that I don't approve of,"
Moltherak asked, his tone curious yet faintly reproachful, as Leo chuckled awkwardly and nodded, conceding guilt.
"Yes... I migrated my people here. It's the only place I could keep them safe. My apologies for disturbing your peace, but I had no other choice. Either I brought them here, or they would have all died pitiful deaths, worse than ones of hunted dogs."
Leo clarified, as Moltherak's expression hardened, the glow of his eyes deepening.
"My prison is not a refuge for your tribe. If you intend to keep them here, you will have to pay an acceptable price. For though I am gracious toward those who share my bloodline— like you, and that ant who stumbled onto this island, I have little patience for unrelated humans who hold no meaning to me. So, if you wish to keep them here, you must offer fair payment."
He demanded, as Leo's face grew still at the sudden demand, his mind briefly blank.
This was not how he had envisioned his reunion with Motherak beginning, yet now that it had taken this turn, he had no choice but to listen.
"Alright," he said after a moment, his tone steady. "What, then, would you consider an acceptable price?"
He asked, as Motherak's lips curved into a slow, knowing grin.
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