The Achievement Junkie

"Retreat now, or die!"

Skaryn's fervent order brought the woman's attention back to the sky, after ignoring the shouts of Halmut for a few moments. She witnessed Halmut's change as he shrunk down to Skaryn's size. Along with all nearby Kustram citizens, the mother and daughter were in awe as Skaryn's form become demonic and oozed unfathomable power to compete with Halmut.

It was finally happening. The timeless question of who was stronger would finally be answered for them all to see. But that didn't make them feel any safer.

"Mommy… I'm scared…"

"Don't worry Lanee…" the mother whispered, pulling her daughter in tighter to hide her eyes. "We'll be safe, okay?"

"... okay…."

The wind blew as the two figures clashed after a dramatic pause. It startled them all as the attacks showed no signs of energy, just raw, physical strength.

"Die and shut up!"

Halmut's roar filled the area, as did Skaryn's inaudible battle cry. Their clashes spread across the sky as the shockwaves they created grew bigger and bigger.

"... not bad…"

"... just die already…"

Both deities were now traveling too fast for the mortal spectators to comprehend. The mother was confused along with the rest of the crowd, but she kept up her smile to keep her daughter from crying. If not, she too would burst into tears of fear.

Now, the world started to warp around their fight. Clouds were dashed apart and giant ocean waves were split without any effort. Raging whirlwinds were picking up just off the coast due to their incredible speeds.

"Please… Skaryn…"

Looking down, the mother wanted to cry as she saw her daughter begin to pray yet again. She placed one hand atop the little girls had and rubbed it calmly. "He'll protect us… He always has."

Just then, the public spotted another bright light forming behind the clouds. Their hearts sank as they noticed Skaryn fighting much further away than the last time. But their near-death experience ended when Skaryn hurled his own pulse of black energy to counter the light pillar.

However, more pillars began to fall despite each being countered. Even to the mother with no battle experience, she could tell that Skaryn had his hands full trying to defend an entire nation while facing Halmut head-on. Her hope was dwindling more by the second.

"Mommy…"

Instantly resuming her smile, the mother hugged her daughter tightly again. "Just keep your head here… Everything will be fine." She stroked the girl's head in the most calming way possible as she kept her daughter's head pressed into her chest. There was no way that she wanted her daughter to see Skaryn lose. She would much rather make sure her daughter was happy in their final moments.

"Mommy… they're still crying…"

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Trust Mommy. Skaryn will protect us, so just stay here and hug Mommy."

"Okay…"

The two of them continued to embrace each other, acting oblivious to the world around them. The mother did her best to keep her daughter from hearing the banter of the gods but it was hard to deny the desperation creeping into Skaryn's voice. But Skaryn's next statement was too hard to ignore.

"If you're going to kill me, just do it already!"

At that moment, each and every Kustram citizen collapsed. Their hopes were dashed as they either ran away despite knowing it was futile or dropped to the ground where they once stood, giving in to fate.

"M-Mommy… Did--"

"Don't worry, sweetie! Everything will be okay!"

While most continued spectating and witnessing Skaryn's disadvantage grow, the mother began to shout with all her might in an attempt to drown out the banter of the two gods. She refused to let her daughter suffer.

"Stop fighting your demise!"

The more the gods shouted and roared, the louder the mother got. But that didn't stop the daughter from realizing the truth of the situation. The little girl was smart enough to tell how the fight was going from the shouts alone.

"Fool!"

"Nooooo!"

"Skaryyyn!"

Following Halmut's final roar, the spectating citizens went crazy. They couldn't hold back their tears as they witnessed their god and protector be trapped in rings of light.

Giving in, the mother peeked at the battle only to feel her heart shatter.

"Mommy…"

Ignoring the appearance of six gigantic pillars of light, the woman was in tears as she looked down at her daughter's smile.

"I love you, Mommy..."

"And I love you, Lanee..."

"NOOOOO!"

Jerking upward, Kylon's eyes shot open wide as tears leaked from her eyes into the water throughout Kylon's bedroom chamber. The powerful, lv. 96 Flood Dragon was visibly shaking struggling to control her breathing.

"Mistress!" A shout came from behind the bedroom doors. They were thrown open as a smaller Flood Dragon entered the room in a panic. "Mistress, are you--"

"I-I'm fine…" replied Kylon, struggling to regain her composure.

"Was it another nightmare?"

"Yes… But I'm fine… Okay?"

"Mistress… This has continued for decades, we should--"

"I'm fine!"

Sighing, the younger Flood Dragon bowed her head and stepped back. "Of course… Then I'll dismiss myself. But if you need me, I'm--"

"Thank you, that will be all," stated Kylon, waving away her attendant.

Once the attendant left, Kylon took a few moments to steady her breathing. Again, she was left without any sleep. She mumbled to herself, trying to convince herself of reality.

"It's just a dream… Like always… Like always…."

Despite her best efforts, Kylon was unable to fully separate herself from the nightmare for quite some time. It felt too real to be just a dream as she recollected everything the mother said, witnessed, and felt as if Kylon had, in fact, been that dying mother.

Finally, after seeming to have regained her composure, Kylon assumed her human form and exited her bedroom chamber. Making her way through her underwater palace, Kylon eventually passed a row of heavily armed guards and entered the room they were carefully guarding, locking the door behind her.

Staring intently at the ground, Kylon cast silence throughout the room. She didn't want to contain her emotions any longer. It was impossible to hold back as she fell to her knees atop the five-ring seal imprinted into the seafloor.

"You still haunt me… Why? Why Skaryn?!" Kylon screamed, not holding back as no one else could hear her. "Why… That can't be how it happened… That can't be…"

She whimpered as she took out a sphere no larger than her draconic eyeball with intricate, foreign etching all over it. One hand rested on the sphere and one rested on her abdomen.

"Why… Skaryn… I don't know anything anymore…"