The ground vanished from under my feet, and I began falling down with the Scroll in my hands.
"A-a-a-a-a!" I screamed loudly, flailing my arms nonstop. Where am I falling?! From where?!
Can't breathe... Cursed Seal!
I try to open my eyes and see how far to the ground, but moisture starts evaporating fast, forcing me to close them.
I get short of breath: the air is thin; I'm lacking oxygen. Amid all these problems, panic starts brewing. The thought that I'm about to smash to death digs deeper and deeper into my mind. And if there were enough air, I'd scream at the top of my lungs.
For a moment, Sasuke's image flashes in my mind. He drags memories of our team, of Naruto, of sensei. Of my mission. Why?! Why like this?
"No!" I shout sharply, opening my eyes for a second. My path shouldn't end here.
To crush the panic in my thoughts, I slap myself hard. Again. And again. Until I finally start thinking clearly.
I start forming seals for Wings. But my trembling hands make nothing work. Try again. Concentrate. Get some crap. I realize that due to the very fast fall, I can't form chakra. It just doesn't have time to materialize. If this technique were drilled in like cloning — it'd work! Wait, exactly! Cloning!
I infuse my body with chakra, instantly create two clones under me. One rips off my weights, the second serves as a platform to push off. This sharply slows my fall, letting me create the first and second layer of Wings.
Now for the small matter — get control.
I kept falling, but slower. Thank god, it didn't last long, and a few seconds later, figuring out wing control, I braked carefully, so as not to break my neck and spine.
When the ringing in my ears passed, I felt my heart pounding wildly, which I hadn't noticed while falling. My head kept spinning and aching, clearly hinting I need to stand on something solid ASAP. And preferably with more oxygen.
I cautiously opened my eyes and was horrified...
The ground was half a meter from me. Floor, damn meter. If I'd delayed wing deployment by a second, I'd be a fine cutlet now!
I stood on the solid surface and, dispelling the "Angel" technique that ate almost my entire chakra reserve in seconds, loudly collapsed to the ground. My knees kept shaking from stress, and I breathed deeply, trying to pull myself together. Somewhat recovered, I stood on shaking legs and approached the cliff to see how long I'd have to descend from this elevation.
I closed my eyes, waited three seconds, then opened them again. Rubbed them. Shook my head. Did it three more times and, finally convinced it wasn't hallucinations, fell to my knees.
I stared at the dense, violet-cumulus clouds. They were so beautiful and wavy-lumpy that I couldn't tear my eyes away, except... I... was looking at them from above!
If the edge of the world exists, this is probably it...
"I won't get home," the first thought in my head, and realizing nothing could be worse, I looked up to see what was above.
Better if I hadn't.
I just sat for several minutes, eyes unblinking, staring upward. I couldn't move. Just open my mouth and close it again. Turns out, it can get worse. Because now I was looking at a soft violet sky. Fine, if it were just violet, but there were flying islands too. Flying, damn it, islands!
"Where did I end up? How do I get back?" I panicked internally.
Hell? Heaven? Another world? Parallel? What do I do?
I screamed, clutching my head. Panic gripped me, and I started thinking frantically.
"Look around," finally came a sane thought after all this time. And, hoping I wasn't on a flying island, I slowly turned back.
The first thing I see — huge white fangs and brown eyes; second — huge wings. I didn't notice anything else, because consciousness, as luck would have it, started fading at the worst moment. The last thing I thought... or rather "prayed" for was that this monster would eat me while I'm out, not wait till I wake up.
Cold. Terribly cold and windy. Why didn't anyone warn me hell is damn cold?! Even my knees are shaking. Wait! If I was eaten, how can I feel cold?
I snap open my eyes and sit up. The sudden position change makes my head spin. Unpleasant wind starts blowing in my back, like I'm falling. And that tells me I'm moving, but how?
I look around carefully and realize I'm between two small red-scaled hills that constantly dip and rise. This doesn't give much info, but already starts scaring me.
Last time I saw teeth, eyes, and wings, I fainted from fear. No, sure, it could be oxygen starvation, but why lie to myself?
I pulled a small rubber band from my pocket and quickly made a ponytail. Probably not very pretty, but oh well: not at home by a mirror. I squatted and, holding the lumpy scales, started standing carefully.
"Fuck..." clutching my forehead, I slowly squatted back when I saw what I was on. I'm sure my eyes were like two saucers now.
"They don't exist, impossible! Dragons don't exist! Yeah, the Naruto world is a bit crazy, but not that much! — spun in my head. — I'm dreaming. Yes, definitely dreaming, and I'll wake up in my soft bed at home and make tasty coffee. This isn't real. It's a dream."
Suddenly something sharply yanked me forward, and I, failing to grab anything, fell to the ground and rolled several dozen meters, hitting my head hard.
"I didn't eat you only because I can't. Now follow me, human," a low muffled voice sounded while my vision doubled, and I felt hot air.
This made my heart drop to my heels, and I panicked, curling up and closing my eyes like a cornered kitten. When the fire breath was gone, I opened my eyes and, focusing, saw burning brown eyes with vertical pupils. And then him fully.
A huge red dragon with a beige belly, incredible wing size, and long tail. Seemed like the demon from hell itself stood before me. Or Smaug from The Hobbit. Without waiting for a reply, he went the other way. The ground shook under his feet; I seemed to bounce with each step. I hesitated long whether to follow or not. Wanted, as they say, to pack up and slip away quick, so he wouldn't notice and never find me. But a question arose in my soul: "What if this is my chance to get out? If he shows the way home? He didn't eat me?"
"What if he's just leading me to his kin so they eat me together?" an absolutely opposite thought slipped in immediately.
If they eat me, I won't get home.
But if I stay here, I definitely won't get back. This is probably even another world.
Damn Scroll!
A minute later I heard him stop, then a loud roar:
"Am I waiting long?!" the monster growled roughly, making my hands shake. My body froze, like chained. I couldn't move. Couldn't even speak.
If I stay here, I definitely won't return.
If I go with him, either they eat me or show the way home.
I breathed deep and headed to the dragon on shaking legs, trying not to look at him.
We moved across a huge clearing for me and small for the dragon toward nearby mountains. Around us were many abnormally huge trees, like in the Forest of Death. That's all I noticed on our way.
What worried me more was I couldn't breathe normally; I had terrible shortness of breath from oxygen lack and dizziness.
I also couldn't stop thinking about escape. My assumptions about my future here were one worse than the other. Like, they'll eat me or set a deadly trial. Or the worst — I'll never get home. I thought about escape until three more dragons flew over us. Only then did I notice many stone islands above us, which, as I understood, also had these mythical creatures.
"Awesome..." I gaped in surprise. Stunning view! Lavender clouds gently broke against rocks of sky-floating islands, and on the amethyst sky shone dazzling stars of our galaxy. I looked closer and found familiar constellations, then my favorite star. If Mira is on the firmament, it means I'm in my world and someday, whatever it costs, I'll get home. This is my world! Mine!
Thanks, Mira...
"Ow," staring at the sky, I unexpectedly trip and fall. And at that moment I notice my Scroll is gone. I jump up frantically and look around for it. Did it stay there?! Damn, have to go back for it later. What if it's my key home?
"We're here," the dragon's loud voice distracts me from searching. "Come here."
"Okay," I squeaked and cautiously stood beside him. Now an incredible view of ancient gates in the mountain opened to me. Iron and wood, not particularly pretty or clean, but sturdy and practical-looking.
"Go ahead of me," he ordered, and I obeyed wordlessly. We entered open large gates sized for dragons and exited into a long dark corridor lit by huge torches. It smelled unpleasant — dampness, rot, sweat, and something incomprehensible, nothing to compare to. Do dragons smell like that?
We walked in silence for long until we exited into a spacious hall with thick square stone columns. The columns were far apart, and between them were stone dragon sculptures — each different shape and size.
"So where are we going?" I finally mustered courage to ask. But my question was ignored.
A few minutes later we approached the hall's center, where an old white dragon with long mustaches and no wings lay on a wide red cushion. The cushion was on an obsidian platform, surrounded by four short columns not reaching the ceiling, also seemingly obsidian. This sage resembled Japanese dragons from myths and tales. Wonder why all have wings but not him?
"Long since we had humans, son..." the sage rasped slowly with closed eyes.
"I know. What do I do with her?" the dragon behind me replied somewhat roughly, and I flinched. Felt like they were deciding whether to keep me alive.
"Incorrect question, Daichi," the old dragon slightly lifted his head. "First learn who she is and her goals here. Introduce yourself."
Everything inside trembled, and I swallowed. My heart pounded wildly; I couldn't start speaking.
"I... Um... Well..." I didn't know where to begin. "My name is Ariza Saito... I'm... thirteen years old. I ended up here... accidentally, one Scroll, basically, which I think I lost, threw me here. Otherwise I didn't want to come! Honest, really accidental!" I finished quickly and closed my eyes in fear.
"I am Aromun; this place is called 'Great Mzarth Islands.' My son — Daichi — found you. First off, you're completely safe here, Ariza; we don't harm humans. Tell more details how you got here," sounded an absolutely calm low voice, presumably the tribe leader, and I relaxed. He inspired trust; I wanted to believe him.
"A few days ago I found a Scroll," I said more confidently, "that strangely changes as it pleases. Today I unrolled it, saw seals, and when I touched it, cut my finger and blood got on the parchment. Then I ended up here. That's all," I briefly described the madness and shrugged. If someone told me this morning how the day would go, I'd have twirled my finger at my temple.
"Try forming seals 'Tiger-Ox-Horse-Snake' and touch the ground. If you summon the Scroll, it belongs only to you."
"Hm... okay," I nodded. "Tora-ushi-uma-mi," I formed the seals and touched the ground. A second later, in a cloud of smoke, appeared the intact unharmed Scroll, unchanged since last time. "'Well, hello, pest! Now you won't escape me!'" I thought and picked up the Scroll from the ground, mentally nicknaming it anew. "Aromun! Thank you so much! Do you happen to know its creator?"
"Come closer, Ariza," he said, and I did. I handed him the Scroll, and he sniffed it. Wow, didn't know dragons had smell. "I know."
"Can you tell who?! I'd gladly return this pest to the owner," I exclaimed with some surprise and enthusiasm.
"Now you're the owner of this Scroll, and its creator visited Mzarth seventy years ago. That's all I can tell you."
"Aa... Um... okay," I got a bit upset, realizing the creator was surely long dead. "Aromun, can you tell me how to get home?"
"We have a place to return whence you came. Do you want to go home?"
"Of course!" I replied without a second's doubt.
"Daichi, then take Ariza to the secret island," the sage emphasized the penultimate word. Seems few know of this island.
"Yes, gladly!" the dragon behind rejoiced, and I concluded he can't stand humans. "Follow me, human," he tossed at me and turned toward the exit.
I followed, but with each step wanted more to stop. This is my chance. Chance for a summon. Chance to get stronger. Maybe even learn techniques. Will I miss this? Regret later? They mean no harm!
I clench my fists and jaw.
But what if I agree now but can't return? What if they set a trial? Will I have the strength? Will I cope? And breathing here is hard; what techniques and training with this air?
"Hm... fine," I relaxed and decided to use my usual choice technique: "If I stay now and just ask, what do I lose?" Answer simple: nothing. And if I stay and it goes smooth, I'll probably get a summon. What if I just leave now? What happens? I lose my probably only chance and won't get stronger. Only thing in my way — fear. Fear to stop and ask. Fear of rejection. Fine, hard for me to ask, admit. But stopping is easy? So that's what I'll do.
As soon as I realized fear stood in the way to my goal of getting stronger, I stopped. I just stood seconds, gathering another dose of courage to go back to the sage.
"Daichi-sama, I'll ask something and catch up, okay?" I asked the sage's son, but no reply. Ignores again. Without waiting, I ran back. "Aromun, can I make a contract with your kind?!" I asked somewhat excitedly and out of breath (though only ran fifty meters).
"You really want to contract our tribe for summoning?" the dragon leader asked slightly surprised.
"Y-yes..."
"Father, why some human? Humans are useless!" Daichi's somewhat indignant voice sounded, and behind came a thud and wing flap sound. I flinched and shrank.
"How do you know, son, how circumstances will turn in the future? Might be useful," the sage said slowly, seemingly pondering. "Do you have the summon Scroll?"
"Yes..." the second dragon replied reluctantly and placed a large Scroll before me.
"Sign it with your blood."
"Mm," I replied shortly, approached the Scroll, knelt on one knee, and unrolled it. Top and bottom along the length were dragon drawings. Center had a table with four names. All Uchihas: Atera Uchiha, Mira Uchiha, Ken Uchiha, and Shi Uchiha. Holy shit! So the creator of my Scroll is some Uchiha! But whatever; I'll find out who! Though what's the use if almost all Uchihas were slaughtered?
"Mira Uchiha..." I noticed the name. Name of my favorite star.
Lucky someone with that name.
Of course I didn't bite my finger; just pulled a kunai from my pouch and cut it.
"A-ri-za Sa-i-to," I sweetly wrote my name in blood on the parchment, realizing I was ruining the sequence of cool surnames of the great Uchiha clan with my unknown crappy one. "Heh, perfect!"
Without waiting, I rolled up the summon Scroll and gave it to Daichi.
"Aromun, can I learn something here?"
"We teach all young Mzarth dragons senjutsu, fire use, and special combat moves. If you have aptitude for any, I think Daichi can teach you," the white sage said thoughtfully.
"And in a month? I only have twenty to twenty-five days, then Chunin Exams, and I must return to my village," I asked carefully.
"Time flows differently here; currently five times faster than in your village," the sage informed without moving, like saying grass is green.
"Wait?! How? Impossible!" I protested, like hearing nonsense. So if I spend five days here, only one passes in Konoha!
"Due to the crystal at Mzarth's heart, laws here are different. It makes the sky different color, though we live under one sky, and islands, as you saw, unusual."
"Well... yeah," not everywhere you see air-floating boulders.
"Will four months suffice for training?" I quickly calculated mentally how many months pass here if ~25 days to exams.
"Depends on your aptitude. Daichi will explain details."
"Got it, thank you so much, Aromun!" I bowed and headed after the red dragon to the exit, but suddenly remembering something, stopped. "Wait, where will I live?!"
"Don't rush events. Daichi will explain."
"Um... okay," I nodded and followed the red dragon. Though sage Aromun said Daichi would explain, I seriously doubt it. By the way, dragons have very specific chakra. Actually, can't even call this energy chakra. Good it's different, so if lost, I can find Daichi. And the sage didn't lie about the crystal: I feel this energy even here. And it's extremely powerful.
Wonder how fast I'll sense natural chakra like a Sensor? Maybe lucky, and I'll not only become a hermit but refine my fire techniques? Well, time will tell; maybe nothing works.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan