My Sudden Monster Convergence

It was warm. Too warm.

“AGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

What sounded like a roar bellowed out from the creature that was smashed into the wall. The young and wildly beautiful woman quivered behind her protective bush. She clenched her teeth as her stump of a left arm knifed her with her every movement. Her delicate brow twisting into a cringe of pain in

“Ehggg-” The pain too great, forced a horse groan  to escape her throat. Quickly, she covered her mouth with her right hand, only for the movement to eagerly remind her of the missing limb. 

Taking in sharp gasps, she slowly turned her eyes to the giant mockery of a gardener. From what she could see from its back, the cursed creature’s side was caved in. its torso leaning to the side almost like a folded soda can, its fur matted in some foul smelling muddy gunk with what looked like several rows of bone jutting out of it. Probably its ribs. Even if the creature was acting tough, whatever that blurry mess did it almost cut the faker in half and that was ignoring one of its claws barely hanging on by just the skin. It looked like the beast was attacked by a sword or bitten by sharp canines.

Jordy smiled, failing to hold back a chuckle at the damage. But a moment later the nice warm air began heating up until it felt like she was sitting way too close to the evil blades of fire. Causing her to unintentionally squirm and try to move away, only for the pain in her arm to bite its way up as its own blistering flame.

“Rghhhhg-” she began to moan in pain when the other blurry creature shifted.

“AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRHHHH!”

The flickering creature twisted and a clawed hand burst from the wall, ripping bricks out in large chunks like muddy sand. The claw flew right at the mimic’s underarm, stabbing into it within moments of contact. And as if impaled by a spear, the squirrel was easily lifted above the flickering creature’s shoulders, the faker bucked but the flicker figure shifted their arm up and down, cutting into more of the mimic’s body. The squirrel squirmed and squealed as it was bobbed up and down in the air, wildly flailing its arms at….a thorned lizard man? The thorned lizard man’s scales seemed to flicker as if they bore the very fire itself as some deadly armor.

Jordy looked on with confusion as the creature slowly became more visible to her. Red fiery hair adorn by two Large curved horns, scales encompassing black silhouetted fire and claws as black as the night sky. She tried to understand this sudden smoky appearance, like a fabled elemental from the land of hell, born from flame and rising from ash. All while the grotesque squirrel slammed its cracking claws at them, even thrashing its creaking, popping limbs. Each hit resounded with a heavy thud, followed by a cracking sound as the mimic’s claws were chipped away and bone burst from ripping flesh upon an avatar of blade and flame. Its wild attacks barely disturbing the flaming hair of the lizardman. From what she could make out, the lizard man's other arm reached up and clasped the squirrel’s throat, the squirrel beast squeezing out a quiet whimper, mostly gasping. All before the lizardman’s impaling claws quickly slashed downward. The beast gurgled on its wheeze as flesh was shredded away and greyish goop spilled out, onto the lizard ma-extra arms?! NO-Wings?!

The woman froze as she looked at the-the-the, her eyes wider than what would be considered possible. The gray goop, outlined webbed wings! The figure flickered again and she saw the blade tipped wings of blazing umbra. She was shocked that even her own pain failed to register in her mind. Because she wasn’t looking at a misplaced lizardman that the ward failed to scare off. No, what stood before her was a TRUE Dragon!

His huge wings unfolded themselves behind his back until they arched taut around the Dragon like a shield wall ready to explode. They were large enough that one wing could probably blanket four of her and still have room for an extra! The Dragon’s wings folded slightly, becoming almost like a fist before each wing began slamming into the still squirming beast. Each hit landing with a sickening crunch, warping the beast’s form. Further bending its arms at impossible angles, crushing the head into its now almost flattened rib cage. The legs were battered so much, they were reshaped into wobbly noodles that hung uselessly.

The woman watched with fear frozen onto her face as she witnessed the beast being pummeled, its body creaking like dried leaves. She even felt a boiling, thrashing heat wildly crash into her form, it rammed and slapped around like an encirclement of siren subwoofers. Rattling her very organs and reverberating off her core, right back into the world. All of it blaring off of this dragon.

When the Dragon stopped, the beast seemed to be crushed into a misshapened mass of fur, flesh and limbs but still, it continued the move and even groaned despite its neck being crushed. The void was that thing?! To survive a beating only a hell hound was said to give! The woman trembled at the possibility of living out a horror film with hordes of wights skinning her outer layers!

“Grrrrggggghhh…….” The Dragon growled. “You know what would be cool?” Their voice was almost cold, the growl still in its depths.

As the question was asked, the Squirrel began to glow a bright green, the green only getting more vibrant. All while the edges of the light began waving up and down like disturbed water. It became so bright that the beast was only a dark orb at the center turned into some sort of magic version of a mana battery. The light grew brighter before quickly rocketing up into the air, creating cones in the sky as it flew higher and higher. She could just barely make out the distant creature as it was quickly broken apart.

“Goodbye.”

The green speck in the sky flashed white and then…….nothing.

It was just gone. 

But the sound of heavy steps pulled her attention from the slightly cloudy skies but just as her eyes met the Dragon they instantly widened. The hot burning mana that assaulted her had chilled into a frosty mist that made the floor even feel like thick slabs of ice. And worse of all, that wasn’t a mere Dragon. She saw the curve of thighs and the full breasts they proudly presented. As the Dragoness confidently strode forward, swaying both hips and shoulders, the air changed as if thousands of blades were pointed at her neck.

As the Dragoness’ gaze fell upon her small, atomic mini body with eyes narrowed and piercing, clearly judging her weakness. The green girl-no the child looked up with pleading eyes. “P-please! I-I won’t be such a d-dishon-” Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as everything went black.

  

  

  

“Shit. Miss?! Are you ok?!” I quickly crouched to examine her as I saw she fainted. Nothing… No pulse, no breathing. I slowly backed away as I looked down at her lifeless body with huge eyes. “No. No-no-no-no!”

I started to move closer, moving my hands over her chest when I heard people shouting from one of the alleys. 

“Jordy! Where are you?!” “We got your message! Please be ok!” “I think I see something moving down there!”

An ice cold chill stabbed its way into my back. Monster! Killer! Reaper! Before I knew it, I was already running down the opposite alley and turning the corner and sprinting down the street. 

Running away just made my body tremble. She’s dead. I ran. I wasn’t quick enough. I could’ve saved her.

You didn’t tho.

I didn’t stay, I failed to resuscitate her.

You mean kill her?

What? I wouldn’t have!

Those big arms? Those sharp claws?

“But I’m gentle with everyone. Even Mom is fine.”

But would they be, when you’re panicking?

 

I ran and ran. Felt like I was going in circles. But I kept running, until I found a familiar building. I just saw the painted glass and dropped my ass on the curb. Sucking in the cold air and stretching my wings as wide as they could go. Pulling my muscles and feeling the tension falling off my shoulders.

But. I didn’t feel any better. Just sort of there? That green woman was dead. I saved her from that thing but she died. I took a long breath, feeling the air fill my lungs as if it were smoke. I just started watching the sky slowly turn purple…..If only I could hear some waves…

I wonder if the other me is the same. Did he, like my younger self, feel something when fighting? A weak chuckle escaped my mouth. Probably would’ve loved it. Looking at my claws, they were still covered in that goop blood, it looked like dried mud and kinda smelled like it too.

“Yuck.” I immediately started scraping the gunk off my claws, it felt like rubbing a metal knife over a tin can. Blade first.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it? I tried to help, stopped the monster thing and those people noticed her because of me……. But she died. Does that mean she’s gone forever now? I mean, did I die before coming here? Will she go somewhere else like I did? Maybe a god will help her out in her next life?

But……My brows tightly pinched together. I don’t remember meeting anything godly. No master of the cosmos. Or some dimensional rift in space. Just woke up in my bed. Still me. I might just be a lucky one. Kept who I am, while she…she could come back as a he or some animal? Or do people in this world go to this void? Forever destroyed, erased or just trapped like some form of super hell? 

My body shivered at the thought while a feeling of dread seemed to soak into my core. Eroding the surroundings until it felt like I had a hole going right through me and my heart was hanging there for anyone to stab at. I crossed my arms over my chest, pressing them hard into them while trying to ignore the firmness of these bags. And the little warm sparks…maybe it’s a little nice.

After a moment, I pushed out a long breath. Then stood up and went into the Senior sanchez. Hopefully they had a phone I could use. But the moment I was inside, I could feel the eyes of several worried people. There was a man in the corner with a mug of coffee, an elderly couple with a small kid and a girl that looked like a teen with bangs covering half her forehead.

They just watched me as I slowly walked up to the front counter. The old couple eyed me with narrowed eyes, watching for anything aggressive, the woman was clucking a wooden cane like she was ready to swing. The Man with coffee boxed his mug with his arms and his head hung low, trembling and refusing to watch me. Probably hoped I didn’t notice him. The bangs girl watched me with big watery eyes as she slowly shrunk down her seat, making her look like one of those big eyed dolls. 

The small kid though, he looked at everyone else before turning to me with a tilted head. Confusion written all over his face at the sudden silence. He shrugged before turning back to a hotdog, only biting the spots where there was ketchup and ignoring the rest like it wasn’t edible.  

I on the other hand  just made my way to the counter where Anne was trying to act busy but here eyes would turn back at me every few seconds. She was mostly organizing the menus and bottles of hot sauce, fixed her shirt, reshuffled the menus like playing cards, then adjusted one of the straps holding her apron to her thighs. I mentally sighed, if it wasn’t fear, it was this. I thought of the kid sitting behind me. So I forced my eyes to look slightly above Anne but then my field of view widened and I was able to perfectly see Anne fidgeting. Because why wouldn’t eyes that can zoom in also zoom out? So I just lowered my eyes and forced my eyes to focus on her hair……huh. Her hair kinda looks fluffy like the undercoat of a puppy.

“Hey Anne, I didn’t want to bug you but I need to make a call and I don’t have my phone on me. Could I borrow yours for a moment?” I asked while watching her head bob and tilt as she probably  looked around.

“Uh……..Y-yeah… mistress- uh- master-n-nn-no. I mean m-m-mo-ma’am!” She stuttered while her head quickly shifted left to right and back again. Probably due to all the customers looking at us.

“So, is that a no?” I asked, trying to rush this awkward interaction before she said something really outrageous.

“AH! No! W-w-wait! I meant sure, yeah totes cool with it and stuff….” She tried to shrug but rolled her shoulders and from the way her head dropped a moment later, it was obvious she was blushing. “Here….” She slowly handed me her phone, it was one with a keyboard of mini buttons and was the size of a small computer mouse in my hand. 

“Uh…..” I looked at the small buttons, I could easily press three with how small they were. “Could you just set it to call my mother?” I asked while handing back her phone.

“Yeah…. Sure.” She quickly typed in the number like she was going to save a puppy from certain doom then handed back her phone.

 

It didn’t take long for Mom to answer but as it rang, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me.

“Hello?! Anne? Is something wrong? Did you see Oliver?!” Mom answered and then machine gunned questions.

“Hey, Mom, I’m here at the restaurant. I uh, got misplaced.” I said in an almost whisper.

“Oliver?! Thank the goddess! Listen, you stay there and I’ll let your Grandpa know. Just stay inside until he gets there.” She said, sounding like a fire was just put out.

“Sorry I worried you Mom. I’ll wait here.” I quietly said while getting a feeling the people were listening in from behind.

 

After we said our goodbyes and I handed her phone back to Anne, I turned around to avoid her staring eyes. Only to face the people behind me who were indeed staring at me as most quickly looked away.

I sighed. Fuck.