Dragon's Era (4)

"If that's what you want, I won't stop you."

"Really?"

"Of course it's real. How could I stand in the way of something you want to do?"

Thetis beamed with joy at my words, her face lighting up in a wide smile.

"But since we can't predict the outcome, you need to be careful. Understand?"

"Huh? Yes! Got it!"

Ah, she has no idea. She was too thrilled for my warning to sink in.

That aside... I shared my scales to give these children their bodies, so what would happen if they shared theirs with the dinosaurs? I was a little curious, honestly.

"Just in case, I'll watch over you too. You might need my help if something goes wrong."

"Yes! With Mother helping, I'll feel so much more secure!"

With that, I shed the slime leather cloth I'd so painstakingly made and reverted to my true dragon form. Ah, I wrapped the discarded slime leather around my pinky finger. No way was I remaking it if I had to polymorph again.

"Then, a door to the dinosaurs... Oh."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

Thetis glanced between the lake she was submerged in and me, then spoke up.

"I can open a gate through water, so I was going to take you via the lake, but..."

"But?"

"Mother's body is too big to fit in the lake."

Whoops.

"You'll have to shrink down a bit."

Thetis looked troubled as she said it. Well, yeah, I am pretty huge.

"No helping it, then."

I channeled mana again, transforming into the petite silver-haired girl, then wrapped the slime leather around my body. This should work.

"Then, grab onto the fin on my head?"

"Sure."

I wove mana into wings and took flight, landing atop Thetis's head.

"Let's see... This one's good for holding."

I gripped one of the fins protruding from the side of her head.

"Doesn't hurt, does it?"

I squeezed just hard enough to stay secure—wouldn't want to hurt her.

"It's a strange feeling, but that's fine. Here we go!"

With that, Thetis dove swiftly into the lake. Even submerged, breathing wasn't an issue; apparently, even in human form, her body was still pure dragon. No need to breathe made it convenient.

The cold lake water soaked my body and hair. I hadn't had hair since becoming a dragon, so it felt refreshingly novel.

In the center of the frigid lake, Thetis's mana formed a perfect circle. Without hesitation, she plunged through it.

The moment lithe Thetis passed through, the scenery shifted. From the still lake, broken only by her movements, to a vast, churning ocean.

Salty seawater. Countless fish. Long sea grass and coral reefs. We were in the middle of a brilliantly blue sea.

"We're here. They should be nearby... Ah, there they are!"

Thetis swam swiftly through the open ocean, faster than any fish. She stopped before five dinosaurs that had evolved for sea life.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! I got permission!"

Whether they understood her words or not, the five sea dinosaurs began circling her excitedly. Ah, plenty of space here—no need for human form.

I released Thetis's fin and drifted away from her.

"Mother?"

"I can change ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back here without issue."

I put some distance between us, then unwrapped the white slime leather from my body. Alright, time to revert...

"Kyaooo!"

Hm? Just as I was about to shift, one of the circling sea dinosaurs—a long-necked beast like a sea serpent—lunged at me.

Ah... Does it think I'm prey right now?

"No, stop!"

"Kyauu!"

It gaped its massive jaws to swallow me whole. It was seriously underestimating me.

"Tch."

I flicked my index finger lightly toward it.

BOOM!!

In an instant, a tremendous shockwave grazed past the dinosaur. I spared it a direct hit for Thetis's sake.

"Pick your targets before charging in. Guess that's beasts for you."

Even just the glancing shock from my finger-flick shredded its hide in seconds.

"Kraaaak!"

The dinosaur writhed in agony. A direct hit would've ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠torn its body into hundreds of pieces.

"Aigoo. What a mess!"

"Well, we can do without one, right?"

I said calmly to Thetis, who panicked briefly before bowing her head slightly.

"I picked the smartest ones carefully, but I didn't expect this. Ugh... That one had a good head on its shoulders."

The dinosaur bled from wounds all over, suffering terribly. Well... instinct-driven, so no helping it.

I drew up mana and enveloped it gently. I wished for the mana to heal its wounds, and...

"Krruh?"

Light enveloped the writhing dinosaur, and its injuries began to fade.

"Mother, what was that just now?"

"Healing its wounds with mana. Seemed like it might work, and it did."

"Wow..."

Thetis looked amazed. Hey, I didn't expect it to work this well either.

Anyway, situation sorted. Time to change...

Just call it polymorph.

I polymorphed into dragon form and wrapped the white slime leather around my pinky. The other dinosaurs scattered in panic at my sudden appearance, but it was minor—Thetis called, and they gathered quickly.

"Alright, I'll pluck my scales and share them with these dinosaurs. What do you think will happen?"

"No idea. I'm curious too."

Thetis plucked five scales from under her chin and distributed them to the five dinosaurs. Strangely, the scales automatically took root under their chins.

"Ooh, what's this? Interesting."

"Beats me."

The children I gave scales to had no bodies at first, so that made sense—but what about these with bodies already?

Water mana like Thetis's spread from the scales under their chins, enveloping their forms. Their dark scales shifted to blue, and their bodies began to change. Fins morphed into fore and hind legs, transforming them into spitting images of Thetis. They even sprouted small wings, and horns... well, fin-like crests instead.

After a brief transformation, four dinosaurs had become miniature versions of Thetis—like blue dragons.

All but one.

"That one's... the one that lunged at you, Mother."

"Hmm. Curious."

The one that attacked me... probably couldn't fully accept Thetis's scale power due to its shredded state. Halfway transformed: blue scales, but ultimately a massive sea serpent.

Hm, likely the injuries from my attack prevented full assimilation.

This sea serpent-like dinosaur noticed how different it was from the others—the blue ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dragons—and snatched the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠scale that had fallen from its body in its mouth, fleeing into the depths.

"That one... ugh..."

"Want to chase it?"

"No, it's fine. We can spare one."

Thetis's face betrayed a hint of regret.