ItsQuarters

  Astera, one week ago.

  Astera was busy, as always. Deá had reported back about the battle Imperialis had with the pair of Kirin immediately after the Legiana.

  The Commander had found it worrying that Imperialis is mutating so rapidly. At this point, it has been observed using fire, water, Poison, and ice, leaving the lighting and dragon elements and the paralysis and sleep ailments the only thing it hasn't been seen to use. And since it just syed two Kirin...

  The Commander hands a letter to a wingdrake, and gives it a fish before shooing it away, watching it disappear over the ocean.

  But it was then that the usual din of Astera was overcome with a tremendous roar, followed by the sounds of what appeared to be an earthquake. The sounds of trees snapping and the pained cries of a great Jagras, Tobi-Kadachi, and other monsters. Then game the rush of hunters to the commander's table, all of them trying to speak at once.

  "Quiet!" The stern man shouted, pounding his fist on the table.

  Pointing at someone with a scowl, he rumbles out, "You. Expin."

  The hunter in question shallows thickly and takes a breath, only to merely say, "It's Imperialis sir. It's going on a rampage! It's just killing and eating everything it can see!"

  The Commander's brows furrowed deeply as he absorbed the news. It was clear that something had triggered Imperialis's relentless rampage, but the reason remained a mystery. The uncertainty only heightened the urgency of the situation.

  "Prepare the elite hunting teams," he ordered, his voice grave. "We may not understand why Imperialis has gone on this rampage, but we must act swiftly to contain the chaos it's causing."

  The hunters rushed to carry out his orders, the urgency of the situation weighing heavily on their shoulders. The sound of clinking armor and the murmurs of preparation filled the room as they armed themselves for the daunting task ahead.

  As they headed out to confront the enigma of Imperialis's rampage, the Commander couldn't help but wonder what had driven the creature to this point. It was a mystery they needed to unravel, but for now, the rampaging Elder Dragon needed to he stopped.

  One hour ter.

  The elite hunting team, armed to the teeth, had tracked Imperialis to the heart of the Ancient Forest, and approached cautiously, spread out in a formation that dispyed years of combat experience.

  Imperialis, with its eerie photophoric wings casting a dim light over the chaotic battlefield, had not yet noticed their presence. It was in the midst of devouring a Barroth, its sharp cws effortlessly slicing through the beast's armored hide, the poor thing still alive, despite its stomach ripped open.

  The leader of the team raised a hand, signaling the attack. Arrows, bullets, and elemental attacks were unleashed in a coordinated assault. The hunters' resolve was palpable as they struck, determined to subdue the creature that had wreaked havoc across the New World.

  Imperialis, however, reacted with a speed and ferocity that caught the hunters off guard. Rather than dodge, the dragon charged at them, taking the hits with moderate effect, doing damage that the frenzied beast simply did not react to. As it ran, it employed the fire breath it had acquired from previous encounters burning away the incoming attacks. The hunters' attempts to corner it proved futile as it merely charged at whomever was closest, spraying fire, venom, ice and water as it went, creating hazards on the battlefield.

  One hunter, in an attempt to immobilize Imperialis, fired a paralysis-coated arrow that struck true. For a moment, it seemed they might gain the upper hand. But Imperialis merely shrugged it off!

  Hunters were sent tumbling, their armor shattered, and their bodies wounded. It was clear that they had underestimated the extent of Imperialis's abilities. The creature roared defiantly, its wings pulsing with a haunting light, letting loose a deluge of elemental breath that bathed the battlefield, sending the hunters off on their wingdrakes to escape.

  The hunters regrouped, battered but not defeated, and prepared for another assault. Imperialis, with its hunger-driven fury, was a formidable adversary, and it had just demonstrated that the battle to contain its rampage would be no easy task.

  Present Day.

  Hanna POV

  I awoke in a haze, surrounded by the aftermath of my insatiable hunger. The world was a blur of torn flesh and shattered bones. I had devoured everything in my path, my thoughts wracked by my maddening hunger. I remember fighting, a lot, tearing into any creature without thought to myself.

  My once-elegant wings now felt heavy and tattered, dripping with the blood of my victims. My cws, once precise and controlled, were now stained crimson. I surveyed the surrounding carnage, the remnants of my uncontrolble feeding frenzy. Lifeless creatures of all sizes y in disarray, their life forces absorbed into my being.

  The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, and the ground was slick with gore. The world seemed distant and dreamlike, as if I had been in a trance, separated from my own actions. I tried to remember why I had paid such a steep price, why I had chosen to plunge into a state of starvation.

  As my thoughts began to return, the realization struck me like a thunderbolt. I had sought greater power, to evolve into a True Elder Dragon and embody an aspect of life. The Bioenergy Control mutation from Xeno'Jiiva, a trait I had acquired without exposure, was the catalyst for my transformation. It had devoured my free mutations and the remainder of my precious bioenergy, leaving me in a state of primal need and desire.

  My will had been lost to the insatiable hunger that had consumed me, driving me to feed on anything and everything in my path. It was a dark and harrowing experience, one that left me feeling disconnected from my own identity.

  As I tried to regain control, my senses sharpened, and I became aware of the world around me. The distant echoes of approaching footsteps and the clinking of armor signaled the presence of hunters. They had come, drawn by the chaos and destruction I had wrought.

  In the midst of my feeding frenzy, I realized I had become a menace, a force of nature that needed to be stopped. The hunters were closing in, their weapons at the ready, their expressions determined. And at that moment, as my will slowly returned to me, I understood that I was facing a battle for my very existence.

  Well, fine then. If they wanna fight, I'll just send them back to Astera with a spanked ass and broken pride. It does dawn on me that I've never been so violent. Before coming to this world, I had always avoided fights and arguments, didn't even like disagreements. But now? A fight was something I relished. I know what Hunters are capable of, and a single one was worth my time. But, judging from the amount of footsteps, I was in for two full squads. Eight Hunters.

  The satisfied, animalistic growl that left my throat spoke volumes about how pleased I was about this challenge.

  I stood up, licking my cws of gore. The first thing I realized about myself was that I was taller. Much taller. Like...eight feet? Maybe more. God, I?a's gonna ha- well, no. No, she'd love this.

  The next thing was that I was aware of some kind of...connection. To what, I'm not sure, but it's there.

  Ah, but my ruminations can wait. I have guests to entertain.

  I can see them, each armed with a different weapon. Some were familiar, and others were new faces. All of them were shocked to see me, covered in gore and viscera, half-eaten bodies littering the soon-to-be battleground, and then shocked again when I didn't immediately attack them; instead standing and waiting.

  All of them, except the leader.

  "Markos."

  There were a few scattered cries of surprise at my speaking, and it took me a while to realize why. My voice is also rather deep and guttural, like my vocal cords were shot. My throat did feel rather scratchy and hoarse, actually. What did Feral me do to fuck my body up so much?

  Markos looks me up and down before gripping the haft of the hammer he brought. "Have you come to your senses, Imperialis?"

  This bitch.

  "Whom do you think you're scaring with that carpenter's tool?"

  He snorts, not taking the bait. "It seems you are possessed of your wits, after all. Come back with us."

  Excuse me?

  "I'm not beholden to you. I will do as I please."

  The group seems to pause for a moment, looking at one another then, looking at me. I see the determination on their faces and scoff.

  "What, you lot want to fight me?" I ugh, rolling my shoulders and spreading my wings, flinging some blood about the area. "Fine."

  The hunters get ready, drawing their weapons. This should be fun.