The King and the ascending god, Justin, made their way back to the castle after a long journey and an unforgettable night. Justin informed the king that physically, he felt different. He explained that he had a great feeling inside of him, but at the same time, he felt quite uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that the vehicle had to park for him at least four times for him to vomit. The king explained that it might be a while before the boy can get used to the godly changes within his body, suggesting that Justin takes a long rest in bed once he returns home.

Justin and the King descended to the main hall where the throne is located. The boy felt somewhat ecstatic to find out he is of such importance. He realized that he has a purpose. However, the thought of the great burden he has to bear was not as 'great,' meaning good, but great as in high. The idea was very upsetting to him.

"Your Highness, M-M-My lord..." A man said and kneeled in front of the King and Justin. Justin was a little surprised to be called 'My Lord.' It was very refreshing to see that he was being treated with respect.

"Someone is here to see you." The man said, still kneeling.

"Let him enter," Justin said, not even letting the king himself make the call.

The doors opened, making way for a certain familiar figure to approach the King and the ascending deity. "Ethan?!" Justin exclaimed and raised an eyebrow. Ethan kneeled like everybody else to show respect for his king. His friend, Justin, was shocked by his presence and did not know how to feel.

"Hello, your Majesty and Justin... Or should I call you 'My Lord' from now on?" Ethan said jokingly. The young teen chuckled at his own words while looking at the boy he's friends with.

"Uuuh... What's going on?" Justin asked, confused by the sight of one of his best friends at the castle of the royal family. For a second, Justin felt more confused about his friend's presence than his own godhood.

"I am here to greet the 'God Of Dragons'. I knew something was going on when I saw the mysterious black, window-tinted, and completely bulletproof car parked in front of your house. I knew what was going to happen a while ago, actually," Ethan explained.

"And... you didn't do anything..." Justin said as he started to feel boiling rage consume him, feeling betrayed by one of his closest friends.

"Believe me. I wish I could've." Ethan stated, getting off his knees. He showed genuine regret over not interfering, despite knowing that it may cause unnecessary complications. "I'm the last person who'd want you to carry the burden of a god."

"Who else knows about this?!" Justin exclaimed, the anger emerging even more at the thought of being played. "D-Do, my other friends know?"

"I am the only one who knows. Mia, Alex... They have no clue. When the dragons descended, I knew it was you who was the chosen one. But I didn't expect it to be you or anyone I know. Heck, I didn't even expect the dragons to come at this time! I thought they might come, maybe in, uh... A thousand years or so! The king told me a while ago, but I refused to accept it! Honestly, if we can go back up there and reverse this right now, we would be doing just that," Ethan exclaimed.

"Oh... Well, that makes sense... A little." Justin stated. He could not bring himself into feeling hate towards a person who befriended him and helped him in the worst of times.

"I have also been given the duty to become your guardian and fighting instructor. And therefore, I'll be teaching you how to wield a variety of melee weapons to prepare you for the coming adventure," Ethan said.

"What?" Justin asked. "What adventure? What are we talking about here?"

"Ethan over here is an undercover operative who works for the royal family. I personally chose him, knowing you two have a strong bond of friendship. I'd also like to add that no one in the kingdom is aware of all this except for the few people who were involved in today's ordeal, and I'd like to keep it that way. I am not risking yet another assassination attempt," The king explained.

"Justin, I also would like to tell you not to tell anyone about this. Absolutely no one should know that the eight-year-old who roams around town is the new god," Ethan added. "This will bring the whole world down on you."

"But what about my hair, my eyes, and my body? How can I hide that from everyone? Especially Mia and Alex." Justin asked, making Ethan slam his palm on his forehead, a hard facepalm that left a red mark. The realization that the new features that defined his friend cannot easily be ignored.

"Oh, come on..." Ethan exclaimed.

"Ah, don't worry about it." The king said. "Tell everyone that you dyed your hair, as to your body and eyes, I suggest you stay away from the public eye for a while. As for your friends, they can know. We are already aware that the girl is a demonic entity of sorts."

"Whoa, really?" Justin asked and then looked at the king. "You know about Mia?"

"It's going to be harder to keep you two a secret, but I believe that with the undercover special forces unit that we deployed, we'll help keep your secret away from the public. And before you say it, no. We will not be invading your privacy. We will only be making sure that your secret will not be discovered. You will not even notice us there," The king explained.

Then the king told Justin and Ethan to follow him. As they were walking and discussing future plans for Justin, a person approached the group. He looked as if he was in his late thirties and wore a suit that signifies that he's a retainer from the royal castle. The way he bowed in front of the king showed his lack of frivolity and the elegance of the king's servants, much to Justin's liking.

"Hello, Nigel. Tell the guards that I will be gone for a bit. And ready the car, will you?" The king asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The person named Nigel bowed again and left. As the group was walking, Ethan was talking to Justin as they followed the king. However, the monarch was not part of the conversation.

"So I can see how you changed. Your hair, your eyes, Your physical build... my gosh look at your muscles!" Ethan exclaimed as he gawked at his young friend in sheer wonder and shock.

"I know, right? I look and feel awesome!" Justin exclaimed and started jumping in excitement and utter joy.

"Can't wait to see Mia's reaction when she sees you, buddy," Ethan stated.

The boy, being reminded of his friend, stopped to think about what her reaction would be. "What do you think she will say?" Justin asked.

"She'll be shocked. And then... Well, I can't say for sure. I cannot know what a child vampire succubus demon girl would think." Ethan replied frivolously, making his friend giggle in response.

Justin then started to think for a little bit before he said: "It's hard to believe she's a succubus demon... Whatever. She doesn't act like one at all. Also, she usually hides her wings so that no one can find out, making it hard not to get used to her human appearance. But she doesn't shy away from popping them out behind closed doors."

Ethan was not new to this information. Adding to the conversation, he said: "Yea. She has the appearance of a little innocent kid. But wait until she grows up. That's when the... 'action' will happen." Ethan started to chuckle to himself.

"What do you mean by that?" Justin asked, not understanding the mature implications.

Ethan winked at his friend. "You'll know when the time is right," He replied and walked with a smile, keeping the perverted thoughts to himself.

"Okay... so back to the original topic. What do you think she'll do when she sees me?" Justin asked.

"As I said, I can't tell. But be prepared. She will stare at you for a while and not say a word or move a muscle."

"What about Alex?" Justin asked.

"Oh, him? He'll go crazy. I honestly can't tell if he'll go crazily happy or crazy jealous. You guys are kids after all," Ethan stated. "Let's just hope that he doesn't start feeling left out because his friends are powerful beings, and he's just a human.

After a few minutes of walking, Ethan and Justin arrived with the king at the entrance of the castle, where a limousine awaited them. They entered the vehicle and headed outside the city to yet another place only the king knew existed. But the actual surprise was that the location is not on the continental lands of the kingdom. The car made its way to the airport, entered through the VIP gate, and then drove to the royal hangar. Inside was a private jet, owned by the king himself and used for travel to different countries.

Inside the jet, the king took out a map of the islands they are planning to visit. They are known as the dragon islands. Rumor has it that the fallen dragon god Zanoktryus was first witnessed in these islands.

(Map is created by me. I own whatever rights to it.)

"So Justin might live with you now, your majesty?" Ethan asked, a few hours before arrival.

The king crossed his arms and said: "Yes. But he can also stay in his home if he wants to. It is all up to him."

"He refused your offer, didn't he?" the teenager asked.

"He did. I wasn't planning on forcing him anyways."

Ethan wanted what was best for his friend and knew him more than anyone. "I'm pretty sure it's just to see his friends. I don't think he likes his apartment too much," He stated. Ethan explained to the king what Justin says about the living conditions of his small town.

"Agreed. Justin's identity as the god of dragons is unknown, and I want it to stay that way. Your parents can know, but I suggest you keep the information to yourself for the time being," The king replied.

"But your majesty, I-"

"Listen. If your father asked, explain to him that you're on royal duty. It pains me to do this, but the secrecy of the boy is of utmost importance. I can't risk it, I'm sorry." The monarch explained.

"Alright, your majesty," Ethan said after sighing. "It's best not to trouble them, too."

Justin was sleeping at the time as he did not have any more energy within him to stay awake. The king and Ethan decided to let him sleep until they arrive, giving him enough rest as they chose to unwind and rest as well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Justin

"Wake up... Hey, Justin, wake up!" I heard a familiar voice speak in a smooth and relaxed tone.

"Uurgh... okay, okay, I'm up," I replied as I slowly raised my chest off the seat and rubbed my eyes.

"Come on. We're here." The voice spoke.

I opened my eyes to slowly see the face of Ethan, waking me up, greeting me with his bright smile. I adjusted my sitting position and blinked a few times to adjust my eyesight that has gotten considerably better since yesterday.

"Hey, Ethan. What time is it?" I asked.

"7:30 in the morning." He said before giving me a chocolate bar. I took it from him and unwrapped it. "Here you go. I have these on me just in case. Here, take one. It'll help you get your energy back."

I took it and said, "Thanks, my loyal guardian." in sarcasm, and then got out of the plane. I descended down the plane stairs and saw that King LeoDivinus was waiting for us. The driver, or should I say 'Chauffeur' opened the back door for us to enter. I sat in the back alongside the king while Ethan sat next to the 'Chauffeur.'

"So... Where are we headed?" I asked his majesty.

"These are the dragon islands. Forlǫgjǫrð and Drakonheim. The gods gave me a message, saying that something awaits you at the top of the mountain on the north of Forlǫgjǫrð. The mountain is called Mount Ororis." The king informed. 

"This road trip is not going to be short, I can safely say. It may take up to four hours and a half. However, we will be stopping along the roads. Please try to remain inconspicuous until we arrive."

"Of course," Ethan replied.

We started our journey straight from New Solaris and made our way north. The road trip was indeed long and pretty dull. I can't imagine trying to stay seated for hours and complained to his majesty about it. Ethan suggested I get some shut-eye and that I did. I woke up after two hours, halfway towards our destination.

"How was your sleep?" The king asked.

"It was nice. Are we there yet?"

The king looked at his watch. "No, but we will be stopping at the nearest stop." The king informed.

"Yea, I'm hungry!" Ethan added.

"And I need to use the bathroom."

Once we found a roadside fast food restaurant, we parked our vehicle and went inside the building, ordered, and I went to the bathroom. After exiting the restroom, I took a seat near Ethan and waited for my order. I started to zone out a little, thinking about this life-changing adventure and whether or not I'm up to the task. I used the codex's built-in camera to take a gander at my new look, knowing full well that what stares back at me is definitely not my image. I sighed at all the sudden events that happened around me and sighed at my potentially morbid future.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asked.

"Nothing... Just looking at myself," I replied casually.

"You are not happy with these circumstances, huh?"

"No, I'm not. I just..."

"Look. No one is happy that you are forced to ascend, especially at this age. But I believe that it will not be as grueling since I'm by your side. I promise you I'll do everything within my power to make sure you see this journey to the end." Ethan stated.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." I said with complete sincerity, staring back at him with a genuine smile of joy.

When our food arrived, I started to eat like there's no tomorrow. I did not eat fast food before, so I did not realize the taste was so overwhelming. Ethan noticed this and chuckled at the sight of me, devouring everything that was on my tray.

"Slow down, or you will not keep the food in your stomach for long." He said.

"This is amazing! I wish I had tasted this sooner!" I stated.

"Yea, well, I should let you know that fast food is not the healthiest food choice out there." He informed. However, I chose to ignore him and continue munching on my burger.

King LeoDivinus was silently eating his food while smiling at me. It probably felt good to see me happy about something after a while. It felt refreshing, personally. If this adventure has anything good that comes from it, it is that I get to go to new places, meet new people and eat tasty food.

"Your majesty?" Ethan called. "The public is demanding answers, and their king is nowhere to be seen." He handed the king his phone to read the news headlines about the ascension event and see the public reaction.

"People are praying on the streets, and some are so scared they are running around screaming in terror. Chaos is running rampant among our people! What should we do?" Ethan explained.

"I was aware that things were going to come to this. It is not every day you see the legendary dragons of yore ascending a new deity. We need to move quickly. Otherwise, this will not end well." The king answered as he got off his seat, Ethan and I were not far behind.

A few hours later, we finally arrived at the destination, Mt. Ororis. The place where it's said that something is waiting for me to acquire. The mountain size was not something to scoff at, as it stood somewhere in the range of four thousand and five hundred meters. However, it is a well-known tourist destination.

With that said, only half of the mountain is available for the public, while the rest is a religious site. It is said that there is a temple for the dragon god. Inside the temple is an item waiting for me to collect. We got out of the car in the parking lot and wore our snow outfits. The driver went to pay for our tickets to enter the sightseeing areas and blend in with the crowd. It was easy for us to go unnoticed throughout the trip, as the windows were tinted and the car had the appearance of one owned by an edgy teen, or so Ethan says. In the end, it was not hard for us to stay incognito. We appeared like a father and his two sons on a trip to visit the holy mountain.

Once we got inside, we started heading to the highest publicly available area where there was a bunch of tourists taking pictures and viewing the place. I looked at the king as he began to devise a plan to get the people out of the area and make sure we head out to the peak unnoticed.

Suddenly, five humanoid creatures with white fur and sharp teeth descended on the area we were at, trying to attack everyone at the spot. The tourists started running away while the king took that opportunity to conjure a double edge greatsword and strike at one of the beasts, impaling it in the shoulder.

"Leave it to me, your majesty!" Ethan shouted before conjuring a katana and stabbing the same beast in the eye.

I watched in wonder as Ethan sliced the monster's neck, killing it instantly.

"It has been a while since I've fought a monster." The king stated. "Let's hope I'm not too rusty!"

I didn't notice it when another monster snuck behind me and got his claws ready to slice me. When I stared at it, fear overcame every fiber of my being. It stood at seven feet tall and had glowing green eyes and teeth so sharp it could bite me in half with ease.

"Justin!" Ethan yelled.

As soon as the monster tried to strike, I was overcome with a weird urge. It caused me to jump out of the way. After that, I punched it in the jaw. That attack sent it flying upwards and then made it land on its back. I stared at my hand, shocked by the amount of power that I used without any effort.

"By the gods!" The king exclaimed.

I then ran towards another monster and struck it with a dropkick to the face, sending it flying towards Ethan, who used his new katana to stab it as it approached him and then start cutting it in half vertically from the head to the feet while it was still mid-air.

"Woo! Score one for Justin!" I exclaimed as I rushed at the next beast and punched it down to the ground and then stomping on its head, killing it. Then the king stabbed the last one in the chest and called for me to finish it off. I ran towards it and grabbed the sword by the hilt and pushed it further inside, making it come out from the back. Then I grabbed the sword again, pulled it out, and sliced the neck of the beast with ease.

"So this is the power of the gods..." Ethan stated in complete shock.

"I have a feeling this is barely scratching the surface," I stated.

"Well then, let us continue moving. We'll discuss this later." The king said before we continued our climb to the top.

We started to climb the not so steep mountain and help each other all the way to the top. The snow was thick and cold, and my breath was freezing. However, my giant mountain proved powerless against the powers of a god.

We were barely able to walk. The wind slowed us down, and the temperature was unbearable. But, we were not planning to let any weather or terrain stop us. Our feet went deep into the snow, plus the visibility was non-existent. Ethan's casting of a fire spell made it a little bit warmer but nothing too fancy or relieving. I was able to power through the thick snow and the blustery wind, making it to the destination while grabbing Ethan and the king when they became too weak to continue.

Eventually, we arrived at what could only be two giant doors. The king gasped at the sight of them, claiming that we finally reached our destination, another holy temple. It was weirdly preserved for a door that no one in millennia has ever laid eyes on. The snow has covered some parts of it, but it wasn't too much for another simple fire spell to do the trick.

"Justin, do you mind?" The king asked.

"Not at all!" I replied, pushing the right door open just slightly enough for us to enter.

It was dark and quiet. Not a single hint of light in what seemed to be a giant room where my voice echoed throughout. Suddenly, runes that were on the floor and wall lit up in an ethereal manner, with no light source anywhere. They started glowing in a light shade of blue that illuminated most of the temple.

"I don't feel comfortable staying here for long," Ethan stated.

"I don't want to be a bringer of bad news, Ethan. But you do realize that it is either this or the extremely cold weather outside?" The king informed.

"At least it is warmer in here," I added.

"I do not expect a warm welcome. Stay sharp." The king ordered.

"Justin? Are you sure the door is still open?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Why don't I go back there and check, okay?"

"Oh no, you don't! You stay with us, or it's back to the freezing cold with you!" I replied.

Ethan sighed and gave up on the thought of backtracking away from the temple. King Leon started examining the runes and carvings and tried to decipher the meaning of them, but to no avail. But it was still our lucky day as the walls also contained carvings and murals. Those also emitted glows. However, it was not all a light shade of blue. Each notable thing in the carvings had its own color that is emitted in a beautiful ethereal glow.

I kept looking at the walls. "I could make out... Dragons... The mystical dragons! The carvings show them circling an old house..." I explained. Each dragon was glowing on the murals with its own colors, representative of what their powers are.

"Interesting..." Ethan said as he started looking at the murals as well.

"Now, come with me." The king ordered. We followed him further into the temple.

"What a weird temple!" I stated.

"Is it a temple, or a dungeon?" Ethan asked.

As we walked, more and more murals started to glow. They showed the dragons descending on a house and confronting a family of four. A man, woman, and two children. That is when I started to get the feeling I was being told my own story through the images on the walls. My heart dropped at this sudden realization.

Continuing through the temple, I spotted murals of what seemed to be four individuals walking together towards the light, or so the carvings portrayed. It showed a guy with black hair, carrying a sword and a spear. A girl with red hair that had red demon wings and a giant lance, another guy with white hair and a golden left arm, and finally, a blonde guy that was in the middle and was carrying a sword. I figured out quickly that that was me.

The final room that we arrived at, after lots of climbing of stairs and walking through corridors and hallways, was a circular room that was lit up more than the rest of the temple. I was amazed by the beauty of it. But what was the most important thing in this room was the small pyramid-shaped structure with a sword that was stuck on the top. A beam of light shone down from the ceiling on the blade, showing its true golden glow.

"This is it!" The king exclaimed. "The new dragon god sword!"

"Unbelievable!" Ethan said.

"By the gods.." The king exclaimed.

"Wow..."

I approached the sword and grabbed it by the hilt. I started to feel a sudden power surge from the blade. I pulled the sword with all my strength and raised it upward with the tip of the blade pointed at the sky.

Staring at the sword, I got lost in its godly form. It was a large double-edge sword with a decorated golden blade with white on the tip and the edges and a platinum hilt and ornaments of dragon wings and claws. It also had a blue hue to it that brimmed through it. I felt the sword connect itself into my being, like the powers bestowed upon me by the dragons of legend.

All of a sudden, I started to see a vision.

I saw myself as a baby, being taken away from the hands of a woman who I can only assume is my mother. Then the dragons flew me away from my family and into the sky.

After the vision was over, I stood still, staring at the ground and overcome with grief and sorrow. I realized that I am not from this world, and I was snatched away from my parents before I could even get to know them. Looking at the blade, I saw my reflection through it and saw this new look of mine that was nothing like the way I look.

Before I could say a word in edgewise, the entire room started shaking and rumbling, as a giant stone creature fell through the ceiling. It had runes and carvings similar to the ones that are all over this temple dungeon thing. It had one giant glowing eye, and it was mad.

"What is this thing?!" Ethan shouted.

"Some stone guardian creature! My guess is that it either does not want us to get the sword, or it is a test by the gods!" The king explained.

Ethan and the king engaged the creature, trying to slash and cut furiously throughout its body, but to no avail. The monster, too, failed to land a single hit on the two fighters, but its area of effect was large enough to deal some damage.

"This thing is unbreakable!" Ethan exclaimed. "How do we take it down?!"

"I have an idea!" I said from the top of the pyramid thing.

I swiped the air in the direction of the stone creature, sending a massive arc of blue energy towards the beast. When the arc hit the monster, it caused tiny explosions throughout the area of damage. The green runes of the monster turned yellow, signifying that it has lost a significant portion of strength and that it is weakened.

I jumped back into the fray, and the three of us attacked the beast. After my magic attack, damaging the monster proved to be quite easier. Soon the colors on the monster turned red.

"This is the home stretch!" Ethan shouted.

"Let's end this hideous monster!" The king spoke.

"This! Is! Over!" I yelled as Ethan, and king Leon threw me high up, and I stabbed monster in its eye, killing it.

"Let's... go back. I've had enough for today." I said as I stretched my body and relaxed.

"Okay. Let's return." The king said.

"Nice sword, buddy! Can't wait to train you with it!" Ethan said as he high fived me.

We got to the top of the pyramid thing, and it lifted us up to the top of the mountain.

"The temperature isn't quite cold." The king noted.

"It's fairly warm, actually!" Ethan added.

"Yeah, it's not like it's the first time this has happened," I stated.

"Wait, this happened before?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah. Back when I got my p[owers at that other temple."

Suddenly, a massive eagle flew by and grabbed the three of us by its talons, and flew us back to the area where the white humanoid creatures attacked. When it got close to the ground, it vanished, and we landed on the ground with no injuries whatsoever.

"Was that thing sent by the gods?!" Ethan asked.

"I assume so," I answered.

"Hello, your majesty, Mr. Silver and Lord Justin. Welcome back," The driver said.

"Lord Justin! Wow, it sounds awesome!" I stated as I got inside the car.

"So, who is this person that Justin needs to kill?" Ethan asked the king.

"I'm not sure. But there is a story about a dark lord that once terrorized the world. He slew thousands upon thousands of dragons that once lived freely and happily alongside humans. The four dragons themselves barely managed to defeat him alongside the fallen dragon god. They banished him away to the dark world where he now resides," The king explained.

"No name?" I asked.

"Not that I know of. His legend was lost to time."

"Ok. So there is a dragon that I also need to defeat?" I stated.

"Quite possibly. That is his own dragon. He ordered that dragon to do his bidding and rode it to battle, slaying countless warriors, creatures, and innocent people. I do not know what became of it, but I do know that it is still alive if he is, waiting for its master to reawaken it and destroy the world alongside him."

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

After long hours of driving and then flying, we finally arrived at the mainland. I was then completely exhausted and wanted to sleep for weeks. This first quest was very eye-opening and was something that will get me started on the next journey. The only problem I have with all of it is the fact that the gods tend to build their temples high in the mountains. It's very tedious and exhausting. If anything, obtaining wings should be at the top of my priorities.

"Ok. Stop here, please." I said as I arrived at my house.

"I'm gonna stay at my place. What are you planning to do, your highness?" I said as I got out of the car.

"I will address the public in the morning. Don't forget what I told you." He said.

"Yes, yes. Stay out of the public eye, and do not use your powers willy nilly. Got it."

"I did not phrase it like this, but sure. For now, keep a low profile and do not show yourself to anyone you're unfamiliar with. Goodnight, Justin." The king explained.

"Take care, buddy!" Ethan said as the car drove away."

I didn't bother to go to the door, so I leaped all the way to the window and opened it. Then I got into the apartment and closed the window behind me. Then I approached the bed, taking my clothes off, and putting on a pair of pajama pants before tucking myself in for a well-deserved nap.