The Married Life Of Immortals

It only took a second for Bane to notice that the fire wasn't burning him. Letting out a sigh, Bane looked down at his hands, then arms, and then the rest of his body. While his skin had not been burned, his clothing was nothing more than scorch marks across his bare skin.

"Damn everything today! I was trying to have a nice day after being gone for so long, but no! I have to fight a big dumb, unreasonable talking lizard with wings!" Bane fumed, stomping around his bare feet on the charred, and still burning ground.

Bane stood amidst the scorched earth, his frustration mounting as he glared up at the colossal dragon. Aetheryx's fiery breath had turned the clearing into a charred wasteland, yet Bane remained unharmed. He knew he couldn't afford to dwell on his irritation. This was a battle of survival.

Aetheryx towered over Bane, its eyes gleaming with malevolent amusement. "You survived my flames. Impressive. But your anger will not save you, mortal."

"Oh, shut up! You stupid featherless bird! I am so pissed right now at you! I loved those clothes! 50 years they lasted me!" Bane roared up at it, making the dragon roll its eyes. "Oh? You think this shit is funny?"

Bane's tiny body filled with wind and lightning mana, and then his body vanished, and then appeared at the foot of the dragon again. Before Aetheryx could even blink, Bane had ripped ten scales of the dragon, then vanished again. The scales being torn off were like pin pricks to Aetheryx, but the child's new speed told the dragon he needed to finish this fast.

Unfortunately for Aetheryx, he had embarrassed Bane. Not one to normally be petty about things, all the time, Bane had grown quite attached to the clothing he had been wearing, but that wasn't the reason why he was truly angry. The part that earned the dragon's slow death was because Bane could actually hear both Lysia and Eve openly laughing at him from behind their barrier.

Aetheryx's massive form twisted and turned as it tried to keep up with Bane's lightning-fast movements. The dragon's fury only grew as Bane continued to tear off scales with each pass. The ground shook with every movement of the colossal beast, sending shockwaves through the charred earth.

"You insolent whelp!" Aetheryx roared, slamming its massive claws into the ground in an attempt to crush Bane. The child barely avoided the impact, the force of the blow sending debris flying in all directions. "You dare mock me?"

Bane, now standing on a boulder, caught his breath for a moment. His body hummed with energy, the combined power of wind, lightning, and fire mana coursing through him. "Mock you? I don't have to mock you. You're doing a fine job of making yourself look like an idiot!" he shouted, his voice dripping with sarcasm, but then he vanished again.

Suddenly, Aetheryx let out a roar as he felt something tear into his shoulder, cutting the dragon deep. Before it could turn to see where the attack came from, something else tore a strip of its hindquarter on the opposite side. Soon, Aetheryx was getting attacked from all angles like an army had befallen him.

"What is happening?!" Aetheryx roared in frustration, his powerful wings beating furiously as he tried to take to the skies. However, Bane's relentless attacks continued, striking with the precision and speed of a hurricane.

"You think you're the only one who can dish out pain?" Bane's voice echoed from all around, the child-like tone underscored by an edge of steel. "I've fought worse than you, Aetheryx. You're just a stepping stone."

Aetheryx's eyes narrowed, a fierce determination burning within them. The dragon unleashed another torrent of flames, scorching the earth and sending waves of heat rippling through the air. Bane dodged and weaved through the inferno, his small form a blur of motion.

As the dragon's breath began to wane, Bane seized the opportunity. Gathering all the mana he could muster, he focused it into a single, devastating strike. His body shimmered with a brilliant, ethereal light as he channeled the combined forces of fire, wind, and lightning.

"Time to end this," Bane muttered, his voice barely a whisper. With a burst of speed, he launched himself towards Aetheryx's head. The dragon barely had time to react before Bane's fist, glowing with the intensity of a supernova, connected with its jaw.

The impact was cataclysmic. Aetheryx's massive form was thrown back, crashing into the ground with a thunderous roar. The shockwave from the blow echoed through the clearing, shaking the very foundations of the earth.

Bane landed about as gracefully as a rock, slapping on the ground, but his body took no damage. Bane got up like he had only tripped, and then dusted himself off, sighing at his lack of clothing. Since there was nothing he could do about it, Bane zipped over to the head of the dying dragon.

"You, human.... No, you are not even human anymore, are you? Now that I am closer to you, you stink more like an elf than the human you look like... Stupid tree cockroaches! Yet, you still beat me, so I will close the portal. I had planned to leave this land, but now I will just become part of it," The dragon said weakly in a low voice, but Bane clicked his tongue on the back of his teeth, and shook his head.

"No, my big hairless winged cat, you aren't going to die today. In fact! I have a few choices for you! Nice guy, am I right?" Bane laughed, and the dragon's eye narrowed on him.

The dragon's eyes flickered with confusion and a hint of curiosity. "Choices? After defeating me, you offer choices?"

Bane nodded, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Yep. First option, you can close the portal and go on your merry way, live out your days however you want," Bane said, and the dragon's eye opened wide, but then Bane laughed. "Just kidding! Dummy! You think I am going to let you go after this fight? No, don't be stupid, you're too old for that, grampa. No, you can either contract yourself to me, or go in my Domain of Dead Kings and become of my eternal army that never dies, and will one day become a training instructor that never dies. Woo, cool, right?" Bane explained, but then his smile vanished. "Or I just kill you and harvest your big ass, here and now."

Aetheryx's eyes widened at Bane's words, the weight of the choices sinking in. The ancient dragon, who had lived for centuries and seen countless battles, now faced an entirely different kind of dilemma.

"You offer me servitude or death," Aetheryx rumbled, his voice tinged with bitterness and resignation. "What kind of twisted mortal are you?"

Bane shrugged, his expression unyielding. "I'm someone who's trying to survive in a world that's constantly trying to kill me. You might not like the choices, but they're better than the alternative."

The dragon let out a deep, rumbling sigh, his massive chest rising and falling. "Very well, mortal. I choose servitude. But know this—I will not be your mindless servant. If I am to serve you, I will do so with the honor befitting my kind."

Bane nodded, satisfied. "That's fine by me. I need allies, not mindless followers. Let's make this quick. I’ve got places to be and an assassin to annoy."

Bane reached out with his mana, forming a bond with the dragon. Aetheryx's body glowed with a bright light as the contract took hold, and the dragon let out a final, powerful roar that echoed through the land. The portal, sustained by Aetheryx's power, shimmered and began to close, the swirling energy dissipating into the air.

As the light faded, Aetheryx lowered his massive head, a symbol of his submission. "It is done," he said, his voice softer now. "I am bound to you, Bane Takashi."

Bane grinned, feeling a surge of satisfaction. "Good. Welcome to the team, Aetheryx. Now, let's get out of here before something else decides to pick a fight."

Bane turned and started walking back toward Lysia and Eve, who were still watching from a distance. As he approached, Lysia raised an eyebrow, her usual scowl replaced with a look of mild surprise.

"You actually did it," Lysia said, her tone grudgingly impressed. "And here I thought you were all talk."

Bane rolled his eyes. "Of course I did it. Did you ever doubt me?"

Eve chuckled, shaking her head. "You have a knack for getting yourself into and out of trouble, Bane. But you did well."

Bane crossed his arms, a smirk playing on his lips. "I always do. Now, can we please find me some new clothes? I’m not exactly keen on parading around like this."

Lysia and Eve exchanged amused glances before bursting out laughing, making Bane’s face burn. As Lysia started to pull out a prismatic crystal, Bane turned to Aetheryx, who was following closely behind.

“You can’t follow me like this. Can you get smaller? Or at least go in my body like my other soul contract?” Bane asked, but rather than answer, the dragon burst into light and rushed into his body, changing the number on his hand from three to four.