Chapter Text
It was strange, the feeling surrounding Kim Rok Soo.
He could have sworn he was dead. He had certainly felt as if he had been injured beyond any hope of recovery. The unranked monster that had swooped in to attack the day after his vacation had ended was unexpected and nearly impossible to counter. It was incredibly fast despite its domineering size; With a dragon-like appearance and a wingspan that overtook multiple buildings.
It had taken days to pull the dragon down to the ground, and another week to injure it enough to glance the possibility of victory. Just when he had believed they could achieve the impossible, his second in command’s voice sounded from across the crumbling roadway. Exhausted, bleeding from seemingly everywhere, Kim Rok Soo had just reacted. He knew it would be his end even as he activated his second ability.
The dragon’s claw reached for his teammate, and Kim Rok Soo moved faster than time itself, if only for a moment. Although it was impossible to be certain he could’ve sworn they met eyes then, their mouth opening as if to say something, but his tired body only had enough power to push them out of the dragon’s path. He would never be able to ask what they were trying to say.
His bones shattered, and he had fallen to his knees, the ability spent. The shadow of the claws blocked out the daylight and his last thoughts had been of an irritated regret that he couldn’t finish the fantasy series “The Birth of a Hero” that he had started during his vacation.
He had died, right?
But he didn’t feel dead, let alone injured. As a matter of fact he felt…strangely light. Powerful, even. All around him was warmth; a comforting feeling of home. Something he honestly couldn’t remember feeling for years. How long had it been since he was this relaxed?
A voice spoke to him, soft, unfamiliar but so comforting.
“Oh? You must be close to hatching, I wasn’t expecting this so soon.”
Hatching?
Kim Rok Soo wanted to open his eyes, to see what exactly this voice meant by ‘hatching’, but something compelled him to stay as he was. A tickling feeling that said it wasn’t time for him to awaken, not yet.
“ Do not fret, my child. You don’t need to rush. You’re safe here in my forest, as you always will be.”
A calming power washed over Kim Rok Soo, urging him to return to his rest. He would wake up soon and figure this out, he decided. He just needed a bit more time.
The next time Kim Rok Soo felt the beginning of wakefulness return to him, that feeling of comfort — of safety — was gone.
In its place was an absolutely awful, pulsating dread and an indescribable wrongness surrounding him. Something within him, perhaps the same instincts that had told him to rest previously, were now pushing him to move.
So he did.
Inhuman appendages shifted as he began to push against a tight, strong shell. Rok Soo balked at the feeling of a tail moving according to his will, pushing back against the shell to aid him in escaping. Finally, his snout hit hard enough that this gentle prison began to crack.
He continued to exert energy into his escape, questioning how anything born from an egg even bothered if it was this difficult. As his head left a warmth of what was definitely an egg, a cold, wet breeze ghosted across still wet scales.
His eyes opened and he found himself blinking against the sudden brightness; the large trees surrounding him with all of their branches doing little to shield him from the rays of the sun seeping through their leaves.
He looked down and saw what was a dark crimson egg, cracks all throughout what must have been his home for…who knows how long.
Rok Soo decided to deal with the realization that he had reincarnated — into something decidedly not human — at a later point in time. The choking feeling of wrongness still surrounded him, and so he continued to move his arms and legs and his tail, in hopes of escape.
However, that feeling that seemed to move from his head to his chest prompted him to use not his appendages, but something else. It was as if he was activating an ability almost, a similar pulling from within that he instinctually directed towards the cracking egg.
With little effort, the egg broke into pieces around him.
“What was that?” he asked out loud, looking at dark red, chubby claws. His voice was small, child-like, but of course: he was a child. A baby , even!
‘What am I?’ he wondered.
What sort of baby could talk?
Wary eyes searched out the source of the discomfort that had awoken him, but he could see nothing in particular. Something told him it was unwise to tread further into the forest, as if a force beyond his current abilities awaited him if he dared to venture there.
Which was rather interesting because he was strong, he knew that. He could feel the power flowing inside of him; A complete opposite feeling from what he had always dealt with in his former life. But he didn’t know how to use it, or even what ‘ it ’ was. He couldn’t go seeking out danger under these conditions, and even if he could use whatever abilities he had hidden within him, he didn’t really want to anyways.
After all, he had never achieved the life he had wanted as Kim Rok Soo. Whatever he was now, wherever he was, surely he was strong enough to be a true slacker in this new life.
‘ This way ’ a soft voice prompted. ‘ You shouldn’t stay here. ’
The voice he had heard from when he had still been in his egg was whispering into his head!
He turned, feeling a little off center doing so with four appendages on the mossy forest floor. Under his feet, directly under his broken egg, he could see what appeared to be a hastily covered ditch. With no reason to avoid it, he used his clawed hands to dig the soft earth.
What he found was something simple, a book? No, it seemed too simple, without title or decoration; likely a diary. Rok Soo could feel that same strange, swirling power around it. But when he reached out to touch it, being careful not to damage the paper with unfamiliar nails, the world shifted around him.
Suddenly the forest was gone, and he was surrounded with white. The diary was the only thing that had accompanied him on this unexpected journey. Rok Soo gripped the diary in one claw and tried to gain his bearings only to realize that he must be in a tub.
“So wherever I am, you can teleport?” Rok Soo pondered over the nagging feeling beginning to push its way into his mind, and decided to look at the diary instead. Why bother leaving the tub if he had zero clue where he even was?
However the letters…the language itself, was unfamiliar to him. Of course it was , he thought to himself. And worse, he was a baby; maybe a more intelligent, powerful version of one, but a baby nonetheless. Even with these memories of a very human life behind him, and an ability he could still feel under his skin backing him up, he couldn’t do anything if he didn’t know the language.
Although something strangely smug within him believed he’d be able to master this language and that strange swirling power soon enough.
Rok Soo tried to hold back the embarrassment of whatever that feeling was that made him so uncharacteristically cocky and closed the journal. He wouldn’t gain anything from a diary he couldn’t read.
But he wouldn’t toss it aside, he was determined this would be the first thing he read, in whatever language it was!
Now, to get out of the tub.
He knew immediately there was no way he was climbing out. Although it was a half tub, it was still too tall for the newly born Rok Soo. He debated on using the swirling energy that seemed to beg for him to control it, but with just the thought that he needed to go higher, something on his back began to flap. It was fully instinctual, the wind moving beneath what had to be wings.
He really needed a mirror, he decided. It was at the top of the list after finding the source of this discomfort. He had a thought that what he was—what he must be…
There’s no way whatever force caused him to reincarnate would make him a dragon, would it?
He dismissed the thought of being one of those mythical creatures, so similar to the thing that had ended his life, as he found his perspective changing. His wings continued to flap, hoisting him well above the bathroom floor. He had a full view of the entire room but at least in here, nothing was amiss.
He decided to move out of the bathroom and found himself venturing through a hallway. A study overturned, the floor covered in loose papers. A bedroom, scorched beyond repair; remnants of something that was once fabric the only thing left on the floor. Even though it had seemed as if some time had passed since whatever had occurred here, Rok Soo swore he could still smell the fire.
Was this the home of his reincarnated lives parents? Is that why he had awoken? Something terrible had obviously happened here.
Was he to be an orphan in this life as well?
The overwhelming awful feeling of dread that had awoken him increased ten-fold when he entered what must have been the main living space. Shattered statues that had once surrounded the room were crumbling on the floor, a layer of dust that he had noted in the other rooms covered everything in here as well.
And in the far corner a dragon with a gaping hole in its chest lay dead, the corpse darkened with rot.
Rok Soo pushed down the grief that threatened to overtake him. He could tell — he somehow simply knew — that this was his father. Even in death, his presence felt too similar to Rok Soo’s new body. It was pure instinct that drew him forward, dropping the diary on the ground, dust scattering into otherwise stagnant air.
Without his permission, tears began to build and then fall. Rok Soo tried to control his breathing as his body betrayed him. He was thirty six years old in mind, if not body, and he had experienced loss such as this before. He shouldn’t feel like this. He didn’t even know this dragon!
But even as his tears dried up, he knew that this corpse had once been the father who whispered to his egg. Who had guaranteed his safety when he first tried to wake.
He didn’t even know his name.
Rok Soo wasn’t even sure what to do now. He couldn’t read this strange language even if he was instinctually certain he’d quickly figure it out. He was powerful, but he didn’t know how to use that power. He was only a day old, and now knew he was an orphan in an unfamiliar world because dragons in his world definitely didn’t have the ability to reason like this. He wasn’t a monster, but an intelligent being.
He’d have to figure it out, and soon. He didn’t want to die, and refused to do so. He wanted his slacker life, and if he needed to work a bit for it, he’d do it. He decided to wander back to the study, maybe he could look at patterns within the books and gain literacy that way? Surely his unnamed father in this world had some money stashed as well. They were dragons, after all. This was definitely a dragon’s lair. Dragons always had vast amounts of wealth, it was practically a rule within the fantasy genre.
He picked up the previously dropped diary and ventured into the study. Taking advantage of that swirling power surrounding him, he held out a claw, willing the papers on the ground to come to him. Immediately, the papers began to move, stacking on top of the desk in an orderly fashion. He definitely didn’t mind this ability, he decided. It was perfect for a slacker lifestyle.
“What’s this?” Rok Soo mused, discovering a small orb that had been buried under the scattered papers. His snout pushing the orb back just a bit. When nothing happened, he decided to push some of his powers towards the orb, and found himself flinching back when it lit up.
“Olienne? ” came an annoyed voice, “What exactly do you want this time?”
It was a beautiful voice, perhaps even more beautiful than his own father's was. Rok Soo wasn’t sure who had answered what was apparently this world’s version of a smart phone. A golden dragon’s face glimmered on the orb, eyes turned away from him.
Strange , Rok Soo thought. He had no issues understanding the golden dragon. How much language had he learned in his egg? He supposed enough to know what this stranger was saying.
“ Why aren’t you answering-” the golden dragon had turned towards the orb on his side, an annoyed expression on his face, but stopped short upon seeing Rok Soo.
“ You’re not Olienne,” the dragon spoke once more, eyes narrowing. “You look like a hatchling. How old are you? Where is Olienne?”
Well, Rok Soo didn’t have many options other than to tell the other dragon the truth. If anything, this could possibly be a boon for him. Maybe this dragon could tell him where he was? Or even what to do.
“I am a day old.” Rok Soo answered, ignoring the way the dragon was looking at him. “And if Olienne is the name of my father, he is dead.”
“Excuse me?” the golden dragon asked, moving closer to the orb. “Olienne had a—no wait, dead? ”
Rok Soo nodded.
“He's still here. His heart is gone.” The dragon’s eyes widened, seemingly shaken by that answer. “I’m... not sure what to do now.”
Better to be honest in this situation, even if something that felt like pride uncomfortably began to prickle at his skin. There was no use in pretending he knew what to do. He was a day old, for crying out loud! How was a day year old supposed to get food, or make money!
The golden dragon moved away from the orb, absorbing the slew of information that he had just been given. An old dragon, dead. Killed at that. A baby dragon, abandoned. How long ago had Olienne been killed, and why hadn’t he set anything up for his child before his death? Was the killer still around?
Even if dragons by nature were loners, he couldn’t simply leave a baby dragon alone in this situation. What if the killers came back and found the child?
“Stay there.” the golden dragon stated. An irritated feeling came to Rok Soo, as if annoyed that the older dragon dared to command him. “ I’m coming now. ”
“Oh?” Rok Soo sat back, “and how long will-”
The feeling of an unfamiliar, powerful force began to echo throughout the dusty old lair. Rok Soo could feel it coming from the entrance, somewhere that he hadn’t bothered to venture towards. What was the use of going outside if he had no grip on what dangers existed?
The orb went dark, and the power solidified.
Rok Soo immediately recognized that it was another dragon. It was a feeling that he knew would be unable to be replicated by any other being.
‘So all dragons could teleport, then?’ He wondered. Or was it simply easy to teleport in this world? Was teleporting the main form of transportation here?
He had decided to leave his place in the study to greet the golden dragon properly, and floated towards the main room. He wasn’t a huge fan of being near his father’s corpse, but once again those instincts tickled at the back of his mind, telling him he needed to protect the only home he had.
The golden dragon had polymorphed into what appeared to be a beautiful elf somewhere between leaving the call and Rok Soo’s journey from the study. Light golden locks fell down his back, with darker golden eyes calmly looking over the destroyed main chamber. They lingered regretfully for a moment on the corpse of Olienne before settling onto Rok Soo’s tiny form.
They stared at each other for what had to be the longest few minutes of Rok Soo’s new life. He couldn’t back down, however. He couldn’t prove to be the weaker dragon, he felt it deep within himself. He couldn’t fight the urge to straighten his back, curl his tail around his legs, and appear strong.
How ridiculous, what was he supposed to do?!
The golden dragon smirked, perhaps sensing the desperation beneath Rok Soo’s false pride, and broke eye contact. Rok Soo had to push down the childish desire to preen in victory, and was still trying to push down the embarrassing feelings when the dragon-now-elf kneeled down in front of him.
“I know you probably don’t want to, but I think you need to come with me,” he began. “I’m unsure as to why Olienne didn’t leave you any tools to assist with your growth here but I can barely sense his powers in this place. You won’t be safe here even if you are a dragon.”
Rok Soo pushed down the uncomfortable feeling that accompanied the golden dragon’s words. He really didn’t want to go, it felt as if he was meant to be here. But the other dragon was correct. He had nothing here that could protect him.
“I can speak.” Rok Soo began, “But I can’t read.”
The golden dragon chuckled, reaching his arms down to pick up Rok Soo’s small form. Rok Soo debated on fighting the stranger, but found himself relaxing into the hold despite himself. This dragon wasn’t family, but he was powerful, and similar to himself. With him, Rok Soo felt oddly safe.
“Not even dragons are born with the ability to read. But you will learn quickly, I will teach you.” he promised. “I’m sure Olienne knew it would come to this, there’s no way you could have reached me unless he had planned it.”
That made sense, Rok Soo thought. The orb had been placed perfectly beneath the scattered papers, and after putting just a fraction of his powers towards it, it had called the other dragon. Maybe, knowing he was at risk of death, he had preplanned a call in hopes Rok Soo would find it.
“In any case, we shouldn’t linger here.” the golden dragon spoke once more, breaking him from his thoughts. “It’s been quite a few years since the attack, but there’s no telling if whoever killed your father will come back.”
Rok Soo nodded, knowing it was a smart decision to leave even if every instinct told him to stay. However, he wanted to grab the diary first. And even then…
His eyes met the corpse of his father once more, and he felt more than heard the golden dragon sigh.
“I know. You want to put him to rest properly, right?” he asked. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it. But doing so will take quite a bit of mana, and I don’t want to risk you being exposed if whatever attacked him is nearby.” the dragon reasoned. Rok Soo blinked up at him, a feeling of sadness impossible to hide. Golden eyes met his, before quickly moving away.
“I’m sorry that this is what you awoke to.” he continued. “But you’re a dragon, and you’re going to be more powerful than anything else in the entire world soon enough.”
Rok Soo didn’t want to be too powerful, being powerful meant he’d definitely have to deal with annoying things in the future. Powerful people were always getting into trouble. He’d be happy just being strong enough to slack off peacefully.
Still, what he was beginning to think of as separate instincts, ‘dragon’ instincts, brought pride and assurance to his being at the assurance. He would be powerful; dragons were great and mighty after all.
“I need to grab my father's diary.” Rok Soo spoke up, his tiny voice quieter than expected. “I left it in the study.”
The golden dragon didn’t release him, however, and simply walked in the direction of the study. The small frown on his face grew as he noted the destruction evident in the lair, only to ease a bit when he noted remnants of magic from the young dragon flowing through the air of the study.
“You're already using mana properly, well done.” the older dragon noted.
Rok Soo released himself from the man’s grip and flew to the diary. He decided to grab the stack of papers he had gathered from the floor as well. He found himself fiddling with the edges of the loose paper as he spoke towards who would be his temporary guardian.
“What’s your name?”
The golden dragon’s lips turned up, and his hands twitched, as if wanting to pull the young dragon back into his arms. Dragons normally didn’t get along, especially when they weren’t related, but there was something about this newly hatched dragon that compelled him to take care of it.
“I’m Eruhaben,” he answered. “And what about you, hatchling? Do you have a name yet?”
Rok Soo thought about it for a moment. Should he use his name from his previous life? Would that be appropriate? But what if his father had thought about a name for him, and it was in this diary? Should he search for it?
Did he want to keep his previous name, or discard it?
Eruhaben’s chuckle interrupted his circling thoughts, warm arms pulling Rok Soo back into his embrace.
“That’s alright, you don’t need to know now.” he assured the young dragon. “We have time.”
And with that, Rok Soo felt the world quietly shift around him, as the now familiar feeling of teleportation magic surrounded him.