The Married Life Of Immortals

Bane slowed down when he was half way in the cave and stopped, eyeing the dragon. This was the first time that he had ever even seen a creature this size, let alone a dragon. Never really one for fantasy or games, Bane didn't really know much about these creatures besides them breathing fire and something about loving gold.

Looking around, Bane didn't see any gold, but he couldn't deny that the cave was getting hotter as he went in deeper. This could just be caused by the apartment sized creature at the end of the tunnel, but Ban wasn't going to rule anything out.

"Hey!" Bane whispered. "Are you there, Onyx?"

'No.'

"Listen here, you ass-hat! You sealed all my shit away, and now everyone thinks that I am hot shit! How am I supposed to fight that flying barbecue?" Bane demanded in a harsh whisper.

'I don't recall telling that little elf that you were almost as strong as her. I am not your guide system, figure this out. I am doing much more important things, meaning I don't have time to watch you struggle against that flying lizard,' Onyx replied back calmly, making Bane pull at his hair.

"If you wouldn't have given Eve the ability to just abandon me whenever she sees fit now, I wouldn't be in this position!" Bane argued, but the reply only made Bane throw his hands in the air.

'You might want to be more careful considering what you choose to watch on the "tele" next time. You know that you are going to have to get used to doing this all on your own in the future. Eve is your guide, and she can help you, but she is not someone that you are allowed to rely on. The only person you are allowed to rely on is yourself, thus why you are training.'

Bane wanted to argue, but he knew that he didn't have two legs to stand on. He had made his bed on this one, and Onyx was gone anyway. Bane assumed that he must have gone back to his body in the real world. Bane was still curious to know exactly what Onyx was doing with it, but from the sounds of things, he was doing his best to distract Guardian.

"Stupid women, stupid orb, and stupid flying lizard! All of it is stupid!" Bane growled, but then felt the hairs on his entire body stand up on end.

"What did you just call me?"

Bane had turned while talking to Onyx, and now he was facing the entrance of the cave. The questioning voice was coming from behind him, and Bane didn't remember seeing anyone else in the cave. Slowly, he turned around and came face to face with a massive red dragon head the size of a pick-up truck.

"Sorry, I was, umm... talking about someone else?" Bane tried to explain, forcing a sheepish smile.

The dragon's fiery golden eyes narrowed, and a low growl emanated from deep within its chest. "Do you take me for a fool, mortal? Your words and actions are of little consequence, but your intrusion into my domain is unforgivable."

Bane swallowed hard, feeling the intense heat radiating from the dragon's body. "Look, I don't want any trouble. I didn't even know this was your domain."

The dragon snorted, sending a plume of smoke into the air. "Ignorance is no excuse. However, I am intrigued by your presence here. Few mortals dare to venture this far. What is it that you seek?"

Bane considered his options. Lying to a dragon seemed like a bad idea, but telling the truth might not be much better. "I'm on a quest. I need to get stronger to fight beings far more powerful than myself."

The dragon's eyes flickered with interest. "Stronger, you say? And you believe you can achieve this by entering my domain?"

Bane frowned at this. "Huh? I mean, you look pretty strong, right? Or, are you trying to say that there is someone else here stronger?"

The dragon let out a rumbling chuckle, the sound reverberating through the cavern walls. "Stronger than me? You mortals amuse me. But I suppose I can enlighten you." The dragon's eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and something more calculating. "I am Aetheryx, an ancient dragon of immense power. However, in this domain, strength is not merely a matter of size or firepower. There are forces here that challenge even my might."

Bane too, but more to look afraid. He was starting to feel like this lizard liked to talk more than fight. "So, if I wanted to get stronger... would fighting you help?"

Aetheryx tilted his massive head, considering Bane's words. "Perhaps. But strength is not just physical power. It is wisdom, resilience, and the ability to adapt. Tell me, mortal, do you possess these qualities?"

Bane shrugged. "You can see that I have the body of a 5-year-old, right? Just how much wisdom and resilience could I possibly have? I mean, I am pretty adaptable..."

As Bane trailed off, Aetheryx narrowed its eyes that looked like golden oversized beach balls with cat eye slits for pupils. This made Bane internally prepare himself; he knew that this small talk was going to end at some point.

"I can clearly see that your body does not match your mind, speech, or the massive amount of energy dwelling inside your body. Yet, you think that you can take on a being such as myself?" The dragon growled at Bane, but the child could only shrug, and let out a sigh.

"Fine. I am here to kill you because you are keeping the portal over there I just came through open. Feel better now?" Bane growled back, making the dragon puff out a cloud of steam at him.

Aetheryx's eyes glowed with a menacing light as the dragon bared its teeth. "A bold claim, little mortal. Do you think you can kill me just because you will it so?"