As much as I would like to admit. I don't take credit for any of the reputation I deserve. If I did, it would go to him.
The Dawn.
The True Name mechanic was something that all Alpha Dragons had established, except for Dragonborne's however—-they have their own gimmick that I will explain later. Entirely, based on the game's mechanic, all dragons seemingly had their own…dragon transformation.
Now, the game never really explained the lore all that well. It was supposed to lead up to the next expansion after Sky Temple, then got pushed back after Nightrealm, then Icelands, and then was scrapped altogether.
But from what I knew, the game as well as the devs wanted to shift it to where the lore was actually going to be your "second self". Another consciousness living within you. Which is…just you, and not you. You are your True Name, and your True Name is you.
So, in a way, there's two beings in one body.
I never brought it up much, because even the slight thought scares me. The game no longer exists, and the world basically had to hit run with whatever concept and law it had. Dark Dragons in particular were always evil in nature and lore. All of them having internal dark impulses.
I somehow never get those, maybe because I'm the player…but if all of the lore had to be shoved into one being. It had to be him.
The Dawn.
And the worst thing about it?
Is that I have no idea who he is, how he acts, or even his remote personality. So far…it hasn't been a very nice first impression for me.
After his slow clapping, he looks at me.
"Under control? You inspire me. Truly, you do. For all the moments, it seems as if it's been anything but under control."
I furrow a brow, "And what's it to you? It's my body, and I get to do what I want with it."
Despite carrying my exact facial features, no doubt did he look older. Eyes and everything were sharpened to a unknown level. He passed off more of an adult than I did.
"That…may be true, yes. But I think you are forgetting about the other still living here as well. Let the truth be told," He says.
His eyes narrow down to me yet again, holding a tight gaze. Felt threatening. Felt suffering.
"I don't want to die."
He says it as if it's the first time he's ever liked to admit it. As if someone like him could ever grasp the concept of death, because, well, he wasn't wrong.
I was nowhere near dying, but this seemed like a pretty close call.
But then, he smiled. A sly, cunning smile.
His tail wags excitingly, back and forth. Just like how mines did when I first saw Cloudjumper—
Oh, so…there's my answer.
I knew it wasn't me all along, it was him. I didn't feel any burning sensation within my spine, not even down to the tail—no. The Dawn was just more excited to see another dragon just as I was. We were both in sync at the moment.
Probably one of the first, and last moments he ever makes his emotions clear.
"Dragonkin," He begins, it sounds weird, called out, blurted randomly, but I already knew who he was referencing.
"The dragon seemed strong, very strong. The strongest opponent we've encountered so far."
"I think we're stronger."
I outstretch my hands in a disarming manner, "Yeah, yeah I see where you are going with this. Great, and I mean, great, idea, but just one tad factor you forgot to account for. The citizens and residents of the neighboring cities."
He tilted his head, "So? Why worry for beings lesser than us?"
I slowly got up off of my knees, stared right directly at him. His ideology is…concerning. He's not supposed to entirely resemble me, you see? The Dawn is his own person within my body and being.
"If they were caught in the crossfire, it is simply fate that guided them."
I shake my head, "Yeah, and that would be entirely bad for everyone involved. I'm not here to be entirely destructive. Show some restraint, will you?"
He slowly shakes his head. "Restraint? I'm the Sovereign of Calamity, and you want me to show you restraint?" He asked, his tone growing with annoyance.
Yeah, I forgot about that too. It's not that he doesn't believe he's the Sovereign, it's that now, everything that the game translated has become real whether I wanted it or not. He knows I'm a Sovereign, and by extent, he is too. He's not wrong at all.
I don't know to what measure he knows how we got it, but if anything, it wouldn't entirely be safe to count it out there.
"Th-then…think about the errors…? The consequences?" He took a few steps towards me. Even in the same body, our walking pattern was not the same. Not delicate, more defining.
"Consequence implies correction, does it not?" He would go on to ask. Standing right before me now. I didn't take my eyes off of him, neither did he.
Then, he spoke again.
"I do not err. I occur."
There was silence after, I didn't know what to say. He had me completely stunned, using…words I didn't even know the meaning to. Err? As in…error? The Dawn doesn't believe he's incorrect?
I wanted to retaliate, say something, do something—anything, but I couldn't. Never could. HIs sheer aura, magical pressure was more than I anticipated and realized. So thick, and hot it felt suffocating.
"But…there. Have your turn. Because when it's my turn, I won't hold back."
He spoke, it didn't sound like a threat. Sounded like a promise. Not a deal we had made, it was something I had to internalize and accept regardless of how I felt. Numerous times have I mentioned that I could only hold him back.
But now?
I think my time is running out.
He would go on to smile, and gently raise his hand, two fingers outstretched. For once, I winced. Expecting the surge of mana, but it never arrived. Instead he did something that I thought he would never do.
He pushed two fingers to my forehead.
And there all of my balance left me.
Not only did I fall back off the stained glass platform.
But…
But I could've sworn I heard something.
Like a chain being broken.