The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

"Who am I?" She growled, but halfway it turned into a roar as fierce as a dragon. Then her body transformed into a black dragon with a fox head and white hairy tail. 

Nianshi jumped back and morphed into his dragon form again. "It's you." 

"Yes, Nianshi. I am Meirga, your long-forgotten rival, and will be your demise." Smoke bellowed from her nostrils with her every breath.

He stood composed. "Rival? Not sure of that. You were still a dragon cub running after me the last time we met hundreds of years ago. Never expected you've grown well into a lovely dragon. But how come you were a bear-fox?" His features calmed after knowing her true identity. In fact, a spark of longing surfaced from his heart.

"Why should I tell you? You are so evil. Striking my mental core when my power was still sealed. But thanks to you, because of your evilness, I've been released from your late mistress' power entrapping me for years. But I won't forgive you for hurting me."

This was news to him. He never expected her late mistress would entrap a great dragon. Not just any dragon, but a very important figure. The princess-dragon of the North dragon clan. But that was not the time to think of this now. He must convince this prideful princess to release Xinyi and his companions.

"Why not just thank me by releasing my mistress? It's a win-win. In this way, we need not fight and we can move on to our journey while we'll leave you in peace. You're welcome to join us too." He strolled toward her. Although he was gigantic, his steps were calm as the water. No trace of heaviness or tremor on the ground. This astounded Meirga, but hurried back to her grim face. 

"Do you think I'll easily let you go after what you've done? No way." Meirga hissed, opening her black wings in its greatness.

"Then let's see how strong you are now." Nianshi opened his majestic wings too as he spoke. He opened his mouth and blasted a fierce ball of fire to Meirga, but the latter evaded it by flying up in the snowy sky.

"That's all. You're getting old, Nianshi. Get ready. You'll suffer in my hand this time." And without warning, she spat the same strength of fire at Nianshi. 

Nianshi flew up in one swift flap of his magnificent wings, evading the hit. The snow melted where the shot fell and left a hole in the ground. 

He directly flew toward her with readied claws to strike her wings. She turned and dove, dodging his hit at the right timing, but got a scratch on her shoulder. Damn, I'm getting rusty for being a bear-fox for decades.

Nianshi saw it too. "Oh, you're getting rusty as a dragon. How many years have you been living as a bear-fox?"

Damn. Don't state the obvious. "I am a great dragon from the North. I won't be bullied by you." She wouldn't allow him to stomp on her pride.

"Stop yapping. Fight." Nianshi flew at lightning speed toward her.

Her eyes grew enormous to see him coming at her in such a frightening speed and instantly flew left before Nianshi's claw could reach her. She darted down the valley. Nianshi followed, but only kept a suitable distance from her.

Meirga wanted to turn to attack, but understood that a second difference in her movements would mean much. She had to calculate her movements well as not to miss her target.

The chase went on. She doubled her speed and flew up above the clouds. When she reached the point where the clouds would cover Nianshi's sight, she turned around in haste and spat a blue ball of fire. She got the right timing. However, the incoming Nianshi expected the ambush.

He quickly spun around, avoiding the hit on his wing at a hair's breadth. He beamed with delight. This thrilled him. He never had had a good fight against a mighty dragon for so long. And wished to make a splendid exercise, but he had to intimidate her first to make his wish come true.

"Oh, your rustiness is fading, but the score is still average. Do better than that if you want to hit me." He laughed out loud while tailing her. 

Indeed, Meirga's annoyance flared as she listened to his mocking laugh. "You…" She blasted continuous balls of blue fire at him while flying. Trees went in flames as the fireball hit. Good thing they were far from any village and near a river. Nianshi hurriedly slapped down a wing on the river, sending water into the fire. 

"Hey, don't ruin the forest. My mistress hates that."

She sent more attacks in annoyance, but he evaded the attacks with ease as he flew zigzag in the sky. This infuriated her more.

"You're not taking me seriously." She turned around and stopped flying and made a deafening shrill cry, vibrating toward the flying Nianshi.

He didn't see this coming and got it. His body began falling as a pulsing pain attacked his brain. Fortunately, Meirga's attack halted soon. He shook his head and took control of his flight.

As for Meirga, she gasped when she saw him falling and went toward him, fearing his body would hit the ground and got hurt. However, as her attack stopped, he recovered soon and sent a magical claw attack at her. His aim was at her chest. 

The claw was not fast, so she could see it and avoided it. "You… Damn you. I was worried but..." 

"Haha, I expect you'll dodge it. Just testing your senses." He laughed aloud, making Meirga angrier, but deep inside he was happy when he heard she cared.

Her eyes went red. "Arrogant. Pompous." She opened his wings wide and launched them up front, sending magical white daggers at Nianshi. "Remember your promise? Heya!" And sent more magical white daggers.

Nianshi didn't reply, but only laughed as he dodged them all by twirling in the air with wings folded on his chest. He had no plans of fighting back. Suddenly, three came fast toward his head.

"Oh, oh." He knew those daggers would surely wound him if it made contact. He did a somersault and turned his body around fast. The three incoming daggers missed his body. 

Nianshi understood Meirga was now totally angry. He got his wish, but anxious of the outcome. She could turn the whole Illusion Forest below into a fiery furnace. 

The smile on his face faded. "Why are you so serious? Come on. I'm just playing along. It's been a decade since the last time we met."

"If you want me to stop, apologize. And keep your promise to me." She dove toward him with readied claws.

He flew up to meet her, planning to hit her weak part, but when they almost clashed in mid-air, she sent ice daggers again. He swiftly moved sideways to evade the hit. Unknowingly, a dagger hit his wing.

Damn. He cursed in his breath. He had to stop her now.

Anger flooded her mind and didn't notice his wound. She thought he was still toying around her.

"What promise?" He denied, although he knew what it was. But this was all a diversion as his mind spun a plan to completely stop her. 

"You know what I mean. Don't deny it or you know what will happen to you if you do." She trembled in anger.

"Oh, you want me to keep a long time promise when I only said it so you will stop pestering me." He faked a mocking laugh as he flew. 

That was it. She snapped. Rage filled her mind.

"You. Damn you. You always break my heart. You're always dense. Don't you understand a woman's heart?" She swung her wings fast, sending more daggers.