Raya staggered backwards and let out a pained moan. After recovering from the impact, it rubbed the part where the ram collided and sent a furious hiss, before sending a fireball to the machine. The men who were operating the contraption were trapped inside and couldn't get out. That was payback at the very least.

  The legion Raya tried to carbonize was nowhere to be seen. Not even their metal chest-ptes or their weapons remained. Only what Rayaassumed to be a very powerful magus, who had managed to cast protective incantations was left.

  Behind him, the important-looking man in shining armor was still standing. They both had nasty burns though, and the magic shield was melting. The remaining invaders started to shout and speak in a tongue Raya didn't understand. But it understood that this chaos would be its st chance to flee.

  And so it did. Its direction was the forest, from where it could safely take off under the trees' cover. The murderers began to chase it but Raya was a six-meters long Wyrm with probably more than four tons of muscles. There was no way the soldiers would catch up, unless they had speed-reted skills.

  Former Jean ran, it ran and it ran for what felt like an eternity.

  This had to be the most horrifying hour of its second life. His vision fshed, the sight of its tribeswyverns came back to it. Their mangled and torn bodies. The elders' decapitated corpses. Its mother's impaled form. The other Wyrms, even younger than itself turned into sacks and bags. And the foul smell that forced them to turn in their scaleless bodies... What was all of that ?

  It was frightened by his kin's death. All of them, dead. Brutally murdered. For what reason ? It did not know. There was no answer.

  Raya tried to search for something in its past life's memories. But the game had never portrayed such a thing... These soldiers were completely unknown too. Their fg didn't match any in-game nation.It was terrified, there was no logic Jean could follow.

  Even though she was a game character, Raya was the only one who with an unknown background. The former human couldn't even try to predict a safe route it could follow.

  It felt heat rising in its throat. Now was not the time for fire. The Wyrm was still far away from the secret clearing.

  Suddenly, a phial of a grey liquid crashed into its snout. The fumes were disgusting...

  The Wyrm coughed and brushed the liquid in the grass. As it was about to get up and dash away, its body spasmed and refused to move. It was feeling numb and drowsy.Raya watched as it shrank and as skin repced scales, unable to do anything to the soldiers who just came out of the bushes.

  Fuck... the drug...

  ...

  "Raya... no. Why didn't you take off right away...?" Fireroc whispered in horror as the invaders dragged his young before his eyes. He was still stuck on the ground. He didn't have enough strength to dislodge the balista dart in his wing.

  "You are an impressive Wyvern, Priest. You're still maintaining a semi-wyvernian form after being exposed to that much drug." the half-burnt man smirked while approaching Fireroc's child. "Your child was impressive too for unleashing these fmes. I see why your tribe decred it as the One."

  "What... do you want...? Your... purpose... Cut... the bullshit !" Fireroc managed to wheeze out before coughing up blood.

  "I like your spirit, Priest ! Straight to the point ! You gave me a good fight so I'll entertain you. What I do, I do it- For the Kingdom ! For Astria ! Everything I do is for the good of Astria ! My main objective was the relic you guarded for so long. The Hearth of Wrath. With this under our command, Astria will hold the power of The Wrath and destroy all of its enemies. We just needed a proper vessel. And now we have one. We've been waiting for quite a long time now... but our spy has been quite useful. And who would have thought she'd be the one to give birth to our future weapon !"

  Fireroc widened his eyes and lifted his head to look at his dead mate. "Lies ! Unbelivable ! You lie, human ! She would not ! She is part of the Dragon's closest family ! Like me !" he roared.

  "Oh no I'm not a liar.. My kingdom has been eyeing at you and your relic for quite a bit of time. Who do you think introduced the legend of the "One who would stop the Sin of Wrath" in the first pce ? Rumors are strong, even when they come from a stranger. The very few interactions you had with other cultures managed to pnt this little story as a grand myth. Besides, your wife died long ago. For the past twenty years you've been living with a mind-controlled husk. One of our most skilled magus went into her brain and killed her soul. I'll let you imagine the rest."

  "You... are mad... What have you done...? Why...? Why even kill your own magus...?"

  "She knew what fate awaited her. Now we got our hands of the Dragon's Essence and the vessel, this magus served her purpose. You don't even realize how much joy it brought her to serve the Kingdom, even if the price was her life ! For Astria !And besides, no-one will be able to know what happened there with her out of the picture. Your territory is so isoted that only you and some other Wyverns know about it. You'll die alone, forgotten by even time itself.Meanwhile, Astria has what it wants. The perfect war beast. Don't worry dad-lizard, we'll train your child. But you won't be able to see it."

  The man crouched and put his hand one of Raya's horns, to the young Wyvern's displeasure. It tried to bite the hand but only received the spiked end of a fil in the face. Not enough to hurt the thick scales, but this served as a warning still.The Wyrm growled and thrashed in its restrains, frightened and already angry.

  "Now, Priest. It is time for dad to teach one final lesson to his child. The lesson that will spark the inferno of hate and resentment inside it."

  "Fool ! What are you doing ?! The Sin of Wrath is not something to control ! Even the Hero can't kill the weakest Sin, you are pying with forces beyond your understanding ! End this madness ! Countless have tried ! They only ended up becoming Their next Avatar ! You will achieve nothing ! You will only hasten the awakening of the other Sins ! Wrath gives birth to the other Sins ! Don't do this !"

  Fireroc thrashed around and pleaded, enduring the strikes of the soldiers and the mockery of the arrogant man.

  "You have no right to order me around. Only my prince has this privilege ! Now watch closely... little Raya. A Wyvern's scales are precious material... Their fangs and cws make the best bdes. Their tendons are used in the strongest bowstrings. The bones are used to hunt even more Wyverns. Watch closely."

  Raya whimpered in its metal muzzle. A Wyvern didn't often cry, it mostly whimpered when it was sad. Raya clearly knew why the man said such things... Just like in the game, this part matched perfectly. Wyverns bodies were desecrated and their parts used in various domains, just as the high-ranked soldier said. The whole tribe would be turned into... weapons and tools to kill people and most importantly... its kin.

  "Raya. It'll be okay. Don't let Hate win. Even if the Prophecy is a lie, even if the world is against us, against you... don't lose to your demons. I won't die. My fire is within you. I'll always be with you..."

  "Touching farewell. But well, we don't all the time in the world. Men, get to work." the rude voice of the enemy force cut off. ON his orders, the dozen remaining soldiers sheathed their weapons and instead took several ungodly torture tools from belts and pouches. Some had pincers and small hammers. Others had knives with serrated teeth or saws.

  Oh...

  Fireroc's agonizing cries, Raya's pleading then raging whimpers and the soldiers' ughter were the st sounds that this valley would hear.

  ---

  What... have I done to deserve this ? Is it karma ? For the life I lived on Earth ?

  ...

  What did I do back on Earth then again... ? No, I'm forgetting. It's bad. I must not forget. I need to avoid the main character when I get out of here. I must remember. Liz... I must remember you too.

  They're hateful. Why did they do that... I never wanted this... Why did I have to become Raya ? Couldn't have I become the protagonist like everyone else ?Where are these guys dragging me ? What are you going to do...? I don't want to become the Sin of Wrath...

  Please... someone, something... help me...

  Ten years ter.

  "Lead Magus. Why do we have to orient its sexual maturation ? Why female ? A male Wyvern should have seventeen percent more muscle mass. His majesty the prince wants it as strong as it can be."

  "You are not thinking in the long run, apprentice. Turning it into a female will allow us to have a theoretical infinite supply of Wyverns, each one with primordial blood. And it will make it much more docile during nesting time. Do you understand now ? It's all benefit."

  "I see... thank you for enlightening me. Then what should we do ? Decrease the room temperature of the cage ?"

  "Very good intuition disciple. Moreover, we will pce male Wyvern musk near the cage. These two factors combined will force the Wyvern's body to believe there are too many males around it. It will try to bance the false signals by becoming female. The process should be finished overnight."

  "... What about the humanoid form ? What will happen ?"

  "Eh, dissections have shown that despite taking human-like forms, Wyverns in fact do not retain their genitalia after the transformation. This one will definitely grow breast-like protrusions and the... rest of the human female form, but it will not be able to reproduce in this body."

  "Then... why do they grow breasts ? Isn't it a waste of nutriments ? It could put all of it in... muscles, or more spikes..."

  "Not exactly. Female Wyverns in their normal form can mate with any species if they wish to do so. But a Wyvern body is usually... not a good asset to seduce a partner. That is where the feminine form come in handy."

  "Right... By the way, we've got another training session scheduled for tomorrow. I hope it recovered enough. General Sart isn't leaving it any breathing room. It... barely managed to drag itself in its enclosure yesterday."

  "... Poor creature. To think we're doing this to a sentient being... as intelligent as us. And how hypocritical for me to say that... Ahahah..." the experienced magus ughed sadly before going away with his apprentice.

  .........

  "Charge."

  The beast did as she was ordered to. The lizardmen facing it were fttened mercilessly, or burnt without being able to react. The red Wyvern shed out on the battlefield, only leaving a carnage where she went. A whistle and a finger pointing toward the skies were the only things Raya needed to understand. She had to take flight and spit some fire.

  Sigh...Raya was remembering less and less. Day by day, more and more small, insignificant memories of her previous life were being tossed in this bzing bck fire of hate... in her chest.But she could clearly remember the st fifteen years of her life.

  Countless times the soldiers poked and stabbed her with nces or sharp objects to taunt her in her cage. The muzzle prevented her from turning them to ashes.

  Countless times they send the Wyvern to the front. Not even once she registered her temporary freedom as the desire for freedom became fuel for her Wrath. Like many other things.

  Countless times she got shocked afterwards for disobeying orders. Electric magic was the one and only means they managed to find to hurt her... somewhat.

  Countless times they fed her hatred towards this nation.

  Countless times... At some point, Raya stopped feeling anything other than the spark that ignited during that night. That same spark that became a hellish inferno.

  Joy ? Vanished since the attack on her tribe. Hope ? Crushed by countless failed occasions to flee during her first year in captivity. Serenity...? What peace of mind could you find in a pce where you were surrounded by equipment made from your dad's and kin's skin and tendons ? Only Hatred and Vengeance remained. Only Wrath.

  The Wyvern knew what she was supposed to hate and left this sole feeling deep inside of her. It knew that these fmes would not extinguish.Raya had lost so many things. Her tribe, her family, her emotions. And nearly everything that remained was threatened to be consumed by the raging fire of Wrath. Even memories. Everything was fuel for the Wrath she kept for now.

  Ironically, the fire of Wrath left her colder than any ice magic could ever hope to achieve. Without any emotions left but negative and violent ones, times where she wasn't fighting, training or killing were a literal emotional and sensory void. She was on instinctual auto-pilot most of the time now.

  A pathetic existence.

  "Cage. Go in."

  | Endure, my kin. We will be one soon. We shall bath this country in our Wrath... |

  ...

  "When will it be ready ? I've been sinking a lot of gold in this secret project and to avoid father from discovering our toy. I need it soon. Three years at most."

  "Patience your majesty. We believe the Wyvern will be able to recieve the Heart of Wrath in about two years. We've pushed it to the maximum of its abilities, which already surpass by far everything we know in the records." the old magus paused, thinking about what he would say next.

  "If I may add. Take a look at this for example." he asked as he held some scrolls in front of the other party.

  The crowned figure took them and read the lines that seemed the most important."How much ?! Thirty-meters radius as its effective range ? Not bad, not bad... How long can it st ? Three minutes of continuous Fire Breath ? That is seriously impressive. You bunch did a good job. Now I want to see it."

  "Thank you, your majesty. I believe you will be impressed by its growth too. Last time we measured its length two years ago, we were close to seven meters, now the Wyvern is nearing ten. It also has a wingspan of twelve meters."

  "How much muscle ? I wonder if it can hold some siege machines too in the air. And aren't female Wyverns supposed to be weaker ?"

  The old magus let out a chuckle."It seems that the little myth our ancestors spread long ago was not just a lie. This Wyvern is truly gifted. Her blood is getting purer and purer each month passing by ! There is so much draconic power in it that our magi-sensors stopped working over a year ago! We don't even know how it's possible. Its sex matters little. A shame it burnt is genitalia. But please your majesty, you should tell General Sart that he needs to be more careful. He almost got killed this time.But to answer your question, we measured a little bit more than eight tons of muscle. And it should be able to lift six to seven tons, without its armor. So it could theoretically lift its own weight."

  "I want to see the the transfer process."

  ...

  Hateful. Kingdom hateful. I burn it to ashes. Everything hateful... too. Been going... for too long. Patience limited... burnt it... long ago. Burnt everything... I not need... long ago...

  |We are closer to our goal than ever, child. I shall be your power, you shall be my arm and jaw. But be careful... My fmes will burn even you the first time. Even with your pure blood. They will reduce a lot of what remains in you to dust, so preserve what you truly cherish. Because you will truly belong in this world. Because your past memories will all turn into nothingness, maybe even the memories of your... mate. Because we will awaken and set this nd abze. Because I will vanish and you will take my pce... Because you will become Raya The Drake Sin of Wrath, and not a mere Avatar of my Sin. I can only hope that your Wrath will be turned against what you truly hate... do not end up like me. Wield your Wrath against what deserves it first.|

  Of course... won't be like you. Know exactly what will fall. Humans will... All humans of kingdom.

  But... am strong enough. Will avoid this. Wrath will not turn me mad. Will not become Raya.

  | ... |

  Two more years. Everyone who worked for the Prince's secret project had waited for two more years. The Wyvern was finally ready. The purity of its blood had reached ninety-nine percents. And her power had grown even stronger since then.

  The Wyvern was a sight to behold. Fifteen meters in length with a wingspan of twenty meters. Teeth as sharp and long as small daggers. More than thirteen tons of muscle and an effective spitting range of two hundred meters for a fireball, seventy for its Fire Breath.

  These st two years had been very complicated to handle. With her fast growth, came problems the teams were not fully prepared to. Her cage eventually became too small, the restrains that had chained her down for ten years were suddenly not enough and bent whenever she moved. Her movements during battles made countless causalities on the Kingdom's side. Strangely, during these two years, she also got even more docile. Nobody knew why.

  But at st. She was ready.

  Deep underground, the cage opened. The only way was a room with a bloody altar in its center. The altar was holding the Hearth of Wrath.

  Every researcher was torn between the joy of seeing their experiment and hardwork coming to fruition and the loss of such an important relic. The nobles who were in the know about the project and the Prince looked haughtily at the gate of the cage.

  A few minutes ter, the female Wyvern in scaleless form came out of her jail, escorted by the four Runes, the strongest magi of the kingdom. The five of them stood in front of the altar and one of the Runes nudged the living weapon to do something.

  Everyone watched in excitation as the Wyvern's hand touched the Heart. A gentle fme coiled around her outstretched arm, like a Sandstorm Python.The fme's intensity skyrocketed as the relic got closer to the Wyvern's chest. The heat was making many sweat like pigs. This was a marvelous sight. The two entities were linking together.

  "You..." a raspy feminine voice echoed in the chambers.The people frowned. They hadn't heard the Wyvern talk since... since forever in fact.

  "YOU FUCKING IMBECILES !" she let out madly before pushing the relic into her chest.

  ...

  Even in the faraway pins of outer Astria, the people stopped to stare at the sun that briefly formed in the direction of the capital. It was as bright that the real sun itself, and blinded the ones who looked at the light.

  What just happened ? Surely nothing good. But that was royalty and nobility business, not something an honest peasant should worry about.

  ...

  The kingdom was a hateful pce. The Wyvern looked at the smoldering remains of the boratory.The kingdom was a hateful pce. The Wyvern vaporized another fleeing magus.

  The Wyvern felt the Heart of Wrath that repced her own organ, pumping pure magic in its body.The Wyvern and the Heart felt each other's rage, pain and sorrow.

  They felt each other's Wrath. And mutually acknowledge their feelings.

  And if that world turned out to be as hateful and sinful... as this kingdom... Raya vowed she'd turn it to nothingness, just like They did, eons ago...

  MiStraaL