I was at a loss of words... My anger, rage, hate, all morphed into one bloodthirsty, merciless monster that I gave control. I let my anger control me, revealing the destruction I inflicted on the griffins. When my rage had calmed down, I was given back some will over my body, but still acting on instinct. I found myself kneeling down as a huge bonfire had erupted into the night sky. After staring into the dancing flames, I looked around, the camp had been fully raided till nothing was left. From tools and weapons as well as the furs and meats had been taken. I must have grabbed everything I thought that could be of use and taken it up to Sera's cave. The tents and everything else like wood and useless junk was stacked into the now burning bonfire, it's flames reaching over the treeline and glowing like a star in the darkness. The camp was surrounded by fresh wooden spears, each dug into the ground and having a griffin head mounted atop.

I then got up from my kneeling position and walked to a random spear, instantly reconsigning the agony on his bloody beak. I slowly walked around the edges of the camp, recognizing every face and each of their individually brutal deaths. All of their pain and death by my bloody hands. I then looked over myself, seeing the mess I had become. My once fine Manticore coat now matted and drenched in blood as my body had taken a few cuts and bruises as well. I had Sera's Greatsword sheathed on my back. I unsheathed the large sword to find it slightly damaged. Even though it was a thick strong silver like metal, with some glowing marks on it to enhance it beyond natural means, it took damage. The blade's edge had a few fresh noticeable dents and it's own old battle scars along with them. The symbols I believe were that of ancient dragon magic ruins if I remember correctly, each having a different symbol and glow with their own effects. But the fresh dents on the sharp blade were obviously from my encounter with the griffins that killed...

My breathing stopped as I collapsed onto the ground, dropping the sword away from my fall. My body began shaking, sorrow and loss striking me in the heart. I could not cope or shrug off her death like I had done with the griffins. She was stuck within me, unable to pull her away from my memory like the others. I could still see her beautiful face, oh such a gem of love and compassion. Then those joyful moments are instantly tormented and turned into the dead corps being skinned by those vermin of griffins. I could roar out in anger and let it take control once again, but I felt like I had none left to give. I was left drenched in the bloody aftermath that she was dead and... I was once again, alone. I then felt a cold consume my body, even with the burning fire, it too left me in the abyss, alone. I brought myself up once again, grabbing the sword, and began to trudge through the brush of the woods. My destination? A cave that had been shared as a home with the one I had emotions for. A cave that now laid bare of the joyful life known as Sera Ruby.

My trek through the woods was nothing of interest, no creature dared to attack me. They obviously have finally learned their pace, especially after I made an example of the Manticore. Wearing the skin of the Manticore I killed as a coat was more than enough to show my status in this forest. But that was not important at the moment, for I had found for what I believed was Sera's father at the cave. He was really tall for a being, the biggest one I seen so far in this world. At full height, I only reached to where is his stomach would be. The Dragon's colors were that of a mixed gray with the texture of ash with a clean scale overlapping yellow underbelly.

He had bright blue eyes that had no pupils, but a burning pure white dot with a blue flame forming around the dot. He had short jagged horns with a curve at the end on his head with thicker spines running across his back. Another noticeable feature was his hands, them alone could crush me into a paste as his body was in ripped with muscles. His raw strength could easily rip a tree with it's roots and all. He then spoke with anger and echoing might that I had felt in my dreams. Now I understand why there was such a huge amount of valuables in the cave and had yet to be looted. He was a force to not be reckoned with. Ever. Yet he looked as pissed as he could be as he was right next to his dead daughter.

"I could not save her." I said, drawing out Sera's Greatsword. I knelt down on my right knee and held the sword by the blade, offering it to him. His anger quickly died down with his flames, looking at me with confusion in his eyes. Yet he had an area of rage still bound around his impressive form.

"Who did this then?" He asked in a sad tone, grabbing the silver blade with care. He then began to stare at the blade, memories seeming to come back as he looked at it's ruins.

"Griffins." I said, still kneeling before the mighty Dragon.

"Where are they?" He asked, through gritted fangs, now radiating rage once again.

"They now lay rotting in Tartarus, may the Griffin's burn in never ending fire for their sins." I said with hate, gaining the father's brow to raise.

"I see. You have avenged Sera's death with her blade then?" He asked, I simply nodded and replied with a "yes".

"And you took their loot too?" He asked, gazing over the pile of hunting equipment and furs.

"I took it for you." I said, gaining his attention once again. He stayed silent for a while, until he then spoke with one word.

"Why?" He said simply, yet I got what he was meaning.

"Sera Ruby was the first being I have encountered to show kindness towards me. I had lost my memories of who or what I am and yet, she took me in with open arms. Her kindness was paid in returned with my loyalty. I then awoke to find the plague known as griffins infesting in your home and taking your treasure. I could not stand this and I so made quick work of them. I then searched for her, soon to find her dead and being skinned. I don't know what I felt for your daughter, but I had a strong connection with her. So when I saw her with death, I lost myself and killed them all. I then took their valuables up here and then burned the bodies in a bond fire. I lost myself in my rage and made an example of each one by beheading each one and speared then around the camp. The griffins murdered Sera Ruby and I in turn, slayed them. I at least can give you her body for her burial and the loot." I finished. He had stayed quite the whole time I talked, listening while in deep thought with my words.

"Do you have a family?" He asked, surprising me with the sudden change of subject.

"Sera was the closest thing I had to a family." I replied, looking up at the dragon. We looked each other in the eyes, opening myself and showing who I was as a being. He stared into my eyes as if he was searching through my soul, soon showing a small smile.

"Then come, family must attend The Soul Passing." He said, jestering me over to Sara's body. I took a few second to understand what he meant.

"Am I, family?" I asked, gaining the father's attention.

"If Sera was accepting of you as one of us, why should I disregard her last wishes?" He said, gently picking up the dead dragoness and began rapping her in cloth. I instantly understood his thinking as I began doing what he told me, preparing for the this 'Soul Passing'. After doing various chores and work, I got ready for what dragons do with the dead. But I first helped cleaned the cave of my bloody work and rid myself of the unhonorable blood of the Griffins. As soon as that was done, I began chopping the wood that Sera's father brought from the forest. In a few hours, we had cleaned the area and made what he called, an Afterlife Guider.

The Afterlife Guider was a tall yet small hut made from wood and stone. It was a cone shaped hut with a hole at the top, so that she could rise into the heavens. Inside the hut was where the body would be burned with the hut. As she was going to be burned by her father's flames, her body's smoke and ashes would rise out of the hole and fly into the heavens. And so we put the wrapped body in and he lit it ablaze from the inside. We sat at the top of the freezing mountain at midnight, praying for her passage and saying our goodbyes. We stayed up all night in the cold until the fire finally burned out. He told that after the fire had burned out, we would gather her ashes and spread them in the wind. And so we did just that.

By the time we finished I was tied and soon to fall with slumber. Thunder Ruby, Sera's father, had flown me back to to the cave and put me to bed with care. As dawn finally rose, I fell into a deep slumber of nightmarish dreams, dark memories of yesterday holding me back. Holding me close as I rasped my final words before falling into darkness.

"I... I failed you... My love." And with that said and done, my old friend; darkness greeted me with a tight embrace. Not letting go any time soon.

Author's Note

Another chapter for you guys. Sorry for the long wait, but if you follow my blogs, they explain why there was such a wait. And I'm sorry for such a short chapter. The next one will be much longer and detailed, I Promise. Anyhow, if you liked this, click that like button and if you could be kind enough to leave a comment, I would enjoy hearing what people have to say. If you dislike this, please do tell what had drawn you to bring the red thumbs down onto my work. If you have a question or see a problem, just comment or send me a PM. That's all I got to say, so have a good time readers!

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