"Crunch—"
Fine cracks began to spread from the point where William's teeth met the horn crystal, and in the blink of an eye, a deep blue glow slipped into William's mouth.
Good, it seems I won't lose a tooth.
This was William's last thought as his vision went pitch black.
"?"
As William collapsed headfirst onto the ground, Norbert, who was napping atop the cupboard, opened its eyes in a daze, its golden pupils filled with confusion—
Who turned off the light?
The darkness didn't hinder its vision; looking at William lying on the floor so serenely, Little Fire Dragon tilted its head and hopped down.
It raised its paw and gently nudged William's shoulder. Seeing no response from him, Norbert didn't act rashly. It nudged for two full minutes before finally confirming that William seemed genuinely unconscious—
Thus, Norbert swayed its body up next to William, its long tongue snaking out of its mouth—
"Slurp..."
The texture is alright?
Since being adopted, Norbert had been treated like a dog by William. Having seen the couple of Crups in Kabuda's castle and how they interacted with their owners, Norbert had always wanted to try licking William but never dared—
Finally, it seized the chance!
"Slurp slurp slurp—"
Norbert seemed to enter a state of self-forgetfulness, time slipping away, until a faintly peculiar feeling appeared on its tongue.
Cold, just like... licking itself?
Norbert opened its eyes in confusion, suddenly meeting a pair of ice-blue pupils.
!
Hey! Where did that lizard person come from?!
Startled, Norbert instinctively bounced back two steps, looking at the lizard person covered head to toe in deep blue scales. It arched its back, entering Norwegian Ridgeback mode—
"Roar—"
Norbert emitted a low growl full of threat from its throat.
"Shut up!"
Although hoarse, the familiar voice instantly cleared Norbert's wary eyes. It unconsciously licked its lips and curiously edged closer.
Like a stray cat enticed by food.
"Tsk—"
William's mind was a bit scrambled; seeing his arm covered in scales, he couldn't help but frown.
There was a hiccup with the transformation; amid the darkness, he seemed to truly lose consciousness yet felt something persistently licking his face...
...So bizarre.
But now, it seems Norbert played a part?
Was simplifying the ritual the issue? Was part of that rubbish Evil God worship process really necessary?
It shouldn't be, right...
Would praying to the Bodhisattva for protection still be timely now?
As William frustratingly held his head, suddenly, a vigorous heartbeat echoed in his ears, followed by a second, third...
The heartbeats grew rapidly louder, and a sudden urge to tear himself apart surged from within William's heart—
"Rip—"
Bright yellow wings emerged from William's back, the blue scales on his body finding an outlet, beginning to grow toward the wings.
"Something's off..."
Feeling a tingling sensation on his back, William frowned; he sealed all his emotions with Emotion Magic, including the unexplained impulse, finally letting calmness speed up his thinking, sparking a piece of obscure trivia buried in his memory.
In the Indian Wizard Tribe of the United States, there's seemingly a Horned Serpent worship, and in these tribes' lore, these creatures they dubbed Divine Snakes—
Seemingly share a predator-prey relationship with storm-bringing birds?
Hiss—
Bingo, really nailed it!
Are those two beings clashing inside me?
While rubbing Norbert's head, William's mind started racing—
Feeling that deep-seated impulse like an observer, William's face clouded with a scowl.
Perfect hit on the conflict.
How amusing.
Feeling his heartbeats grow increasingly chaotic, William smirked—
You're fighting outside, fine, but still at it in my gut?
Such impudence!
William raised a hand, placing it heavily against his forehead, then everything went black as he passed out with a thud.
"..."
Norbert puzzledly looked at William lying down again, uneasily shaking its wings, and then—
"Slurp slurp slurp..."
...
William blinked, the Room of Requirement's scenery appearing before him; this was deep within his consciousness, a magic he'd mastered long ago to enter his own consciousness though he hadn't uncovered its use, hence, hadn't visited in a long while.
"Boom—"
The dull noise seemingly came from all directions. William turned his head, gaze directed at the balcony—
"Boom boom—"
Thunderous rumbling accompanied by relentless flashes in the distant sky, under the deceptive sky, two colossal beasts were facing off.
The Thunderbird, towering tens of feet, hovered under dark gray clouds. Each time it flapped its wings, seemingly tens of thousands of lightning bolts struck from the sky's edge as its gray pupils stared intently at the beast opposite.
A giant azure serpent.
Its elongated body coiled atop a mountain peak resembling a blade, its serpentine head lifted, with two translucent horns emerging from its brow—
"..."
Seeing the tension between the snake and the bird, William paused silently, then chuckled—