Here is what was initially going to be a run of the mill story, but ended up as.....this. Don't ask me how, I just typed as I thought.

Bits in italics are Omega's thoughts.

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I thundered my way along a path, feeling the swoosh of the wind as it swept alongside my body; with my eyes closed, I imagined that I could feel it sweeping underneath me, propelling me upwards. I stretched my imaginary wings, increasing my stride so that I could bound upwards, leaping into the air.

For an instant I seemed to hang, feeling my body pushing through the tug of the wind, before my front legs absorbed the impact and I charged on. Once the feeling of despair would have crept over me at that, at the sensation of gravity dragging me down, but now I just laughed, exhilarated at myself. Who cared if this shell resisted the touch of the wind? Not me, not anymore. I’d outgrown it anyway.

Come on, come now!

Calling out in my mind, I extended my senses outwards, eager to catch the first announcement of something approaching. I knew now that it was only a matter of time: I wasn’t going to have to worry about a lack of opponents now. No way.

I sensed nothing, so I chuckled to myself and ran on. Propelling myself through the leaves, I snatched at a falling one, feeling its dry crunch as I bit into it. The dead taste spread over my mouth, the flaky form disintegrating even as I let it just rest on my tongue. Savouring what could only be described as the taste of autumn, I opened my eyes, letting this heavy body slow to a stop. My legs shivered as I slid forwards, shaking slightly at the weight pushing against them, before I slithered to a halt.

My sides were heaving with the effort, but my heart still bounced happily. I rocked backwards and stared joyfully upwards, watching through half-glazed eyes at the clouds drifting overhead. Stretching into tatty strands, they drifted casually across the azure sky.

Soon!

Thud.

I heard the sound throbbing in my ear drums, resonating around my skull even after it had faded from the air. I braced myself. The scent of blood tingled my nose, along with the heavy stench of a carnivore. I hoped I wouldn’t smell like that.

Thud.

The air seemed to vibrate around me; the leaves seemed to shrink back. I edged with them, deliberately taking in a deep breath. Instinct was already screaming at me to be careful; I knew this wasn’t going to be a casual, random encounter, yet deep down, I knew that I meant nothing to what was approaching. I was in no doubt over my position right now. I didn’t even know if help would come if I needed it.

Getting scared, Omega?

The day hell freezes over.

I crouched down, getting myself into the best position for striking. I’d never quit, not now.

Thud.

A dark shadow lurched over the treetops, his darkness contrasting so vividly with the light background beyond him. For an instant or so, he hung there. His massive wings delicately caught the oncoming breeze, allowing him to drift so gracefully above me.

I will not be intimidated! Never!

He seemed to be a creature of such contrast. His muscular arms bulged with power, even in a near-silhouette form, an image seemingly enhanced by the delicate membranes rippling from his long, clawed fingers, writhing its way to merge effortlessly with his bony sides. Curled, dagger like claws were held in place beneath him as easily as if they were glued there, resisting the whirl of wind that I could tell was swirling around him. A slowly shifting tail streamed outwards and away, ending in a vicious looking prong.

Then he banked, lowering his head as he let the wind carry him backwards, letting his body rise upwards. A bony protrusion rose between his shoulders; it should have given him a look of a hunchback, crippled and old. It didn’t. Somehow, it only reaffirmed his authority; that he was able to carry what should have been a physical ailment with such ease.

What are you waiting for, come on!

Our eyes met. His, cold, black, burning.

His bird shaped head sparked images in my mind; unconscious thoughts that intruded as I saw the resemblance between him and my friends. No wonder. He was the only thing left now; he’d helped create them. That was gone now. He was the last in a line of those who’d helped push evolution forwards. We all owed him.

Come on.

The sickly, raw smell of a killer was reaching out, embracing the swaying trees, creeping down to whisper through the undergrowth, sending warnings to all those whose crushing claws he could rip the life out of.

I exulted in it. Who was I kidding? He was just as much a dragon as I was. I smelt the blood that burnished his very sides, inhaling deeply.

Come on, brother.

I remembered standing alongside a crushing river, feeling my claws sink deep into the warm, living flesh, feeling the substance trickling its way down my leg.

Suddenly I wished I’d tasted it.

He blinked.

No matter. It’d come.

In a rush he was streaking towards me; immense wings flat against his sides as he streaked downwards, his eyes still burning outwards, dark, calculating. I could almost feel him approaching, feel the air shuddering away from the pressure tearing through it, listening all the while to the whine and shriek as he scissored his way through it.

A tremor shot through my legs and was suppressed. I was not going to fear him! Not now, how could I? He was an image of what I was going to become.

His wings twisted from his sides in a lithe movement, allowing their membranes to catch the full brunt of the rushing wind. He stalled almost immediately, seeming to hang motionless for an instant.

Then his claws unfurled and he crashed down.

It had all happened in a matter of seconds, but I was ready. As he had plummeted downwards, I had steadied myself, knowing innately where I would have to attack to bring him down. As his claws shot open, I timed my movement and rolled to the side, attempting to bring myself to a position where I had the best chance of striking.

I’d underestimated him.

His opposite wing lashed out, catching the wind and bringing him swinging round; his claws extended and smashed into my side.

The impact was enough to send me tumbling onto the ground; his left claw thumped onto the soil beside me, less than an inch from my face, as his right pressed against my body. His weight instantly told, as I felt my body being compressed as he drove down on me. His scent filled my nose, filtering down over me, seeming to centre in on some primeval part of my brain. I felt myself shudder, the overwhelming lust for blood awakening inside of me. He snorted, leaning over and twisting his neck round so that he could sniff my shell; I could feel the warm air flowing over me.

His claw tightened- I felt dry soil flinging against my face as his left claw closed reflexively, digging deep fissures into the ground. I could feel my shell struggling to withstand the pressure. He snorted again and shifted slightly, giving me a second or so of relief before his grip tightened again.

Crack.

Everything seemed to freeze. My mind was blank. Part of me refused to believe that my defences could ever, truly be broken. Not like that, not after I’d pushed my body to its limits, flinging myself from cliffs in my desire, facing off against opponents who’d left nothing more than brief memories in my mind.

Crack.

Again. The pain was gradual, which surprised me slightly. From two points of my sides, a low, pulse seemed to resonate, creeping its languorous way through my muscle until it was able to slip neatly into my brain. Warmth trickled down my sides, drawing his attention closer. His grip relaxed slightly to give him room to sniff at my wound, before I felt his moist tongue flick against my body.

Nobody will drink my blood.

Not you, not anybody.

The primeval part of my identity, the part that had awoken at the scent of blood now rebelled, refusing to accept what was happening. The secret part that only cared about itself sparked and flared, making me attempt to buck my body, throw him off. It didn’t work, of course, but it made his head withdraw, his claw shuffling to get a better grip.

Of course.

I did it again. Then again. Each time focusing intensely on the moment when his hold weakened, as he shifted to try to tighten his grip on me, his prey. I shook my body and tried to get up, arching my back as much as I could. His claws relaxed for a second as he got ready to try to manhandle me into submission. I felt more soil striking my face as his other claw dug into the dirt.

And as his grip relaxed fractionally, I dragged myself forwards, only an inch and twisted round and sunk my teeth into the top of his claw. His skin was rough; echoes of scales flickered across it, in the dry, reptilian feel, and the invisible lumps and granules that were only noticeable by touch. I closed my eyes and sank my teeth in further, struggling against what felt like endless layers on layers of tough, warm skin.

My body shook with impact as he tried to drag me off by sinking his free claw deeper into my body. But the open wounds he’d inflicted had shifted, and he didn’t have the easy option available to him; as he tried to gouge his way through my shell, he screamed aloud, roaring up into the open air, his wings whipping up a hurricane around us as they beat frantically.

I didn’t give. Even as his claws tore against my shell, even as I felt it chip, I didn’t let up. Not until he convulsed and struck me with his free claw, with enough force to simply tear me free, did I let go, my mouth full of his flesh, my eyes never leaving the spot where blood was now leaking its way to freedom.

He didn’t want to give me time to savour the moment. All his mind could interpret was that his prey was fighting back, and so he had to do so to. Raising his wings above his back to make him look more intimidating, he hissed gutturally, mouth creaking open to showcase his glistening fangs, saliva trickling from his jaw as he screeched.

I had an advantage, of course. In-cased as I was within my shell, I had no real areas vulnerable for attack, except my legs, and even they were short and hard to aim at as a target. If he wanted to hurt me, he had to get a good grip and break down through my shell.

He snarled and lunged forwards, his neck snaking towards me, his jaws extended as far open as they could. I let him come, staring into his mouth, seeing beyond his teeth to his tongue, and beyond that, the dark shadows around his gullet. I only had my teeth as a defence.

But that wasn’t going to stop me. As he darted slightly to the side and struck, trying to seize me side-on, I drew my lips back and struck. My movement meant that, although his teeth made contact, they slipped over me, catching slightly on the roughness of my shell and the jagged barbs of flesh, I twisted half-free and plunged my teeth into his lower lip. The flesh was less rough and tenderer here; his head bucked immediately, ripping away from me with a slitting noise. That only meant that I felt his warm blood puddle into my mouth, feeding my desire for more. I stumbled as I caught myself upon landing, licking eagerly at the blood running down my face.

Hissing audibly, he reared back, extending his neck and wings as far as they could go, looming above me, an ominous figure, his breath beating out of him, his eyes locking onto mine again.

I blinked.

Sightless.

Staring at each other, I could see myself reflected in his eyes. Yet nothing stirred there. Nothing glimmered in those cold, dark eyes. No sense of self, no knowledge except the incessant desire, the same primeval need that I could feel had been awakened in me.

But it’s different than that.

I was controlling it, wasn’t I? I wasn’t letting myself go into an all-out frenzy in a need for the taste of blood, warm living flesh, was I? It was there, yes, but I wasn’t letting it- or ever would let it- consume me, until it destroyed the self I had. He didn’t have that. Nothing except the most basic needs, no mind to understand and experience truly what was happening.

Brother.

It couldn’t have been less than fifteen minutes ago when I’d called him that. It was still true, but I knew that it only reflected me on a primeval level. If I let myself go, I’d become him, if I didn’t, if I kept my mind and sense of self, he’d be the part I could use, could control, but refuse to let consume me.

I felt a twinge of pity for him as briefly lowered my eyes in acknowledgment. I doubted that he’d have an inkling of understanding of what I meant, but for my peace of mind, I wanted to thank him, however indirectly.

He stared back silently, then lifted his head and stared at the sky. His wings lifted slowly, hung for a second, then thrust down. The draft crashed into the clearing, sending leaves flying, hurtling around us as he lifted off. I was turning to watch him go when a pain shot through my right leg. My eyes flickered down for an instant, catching what seemed to be a flash of fire jetting over my flesh, vanishing before I could determine what it was.

Thud.

I whipped my eyes up again, but he was gone. I stood motionless, staring upwards. My heart beat, small rivers of blood still ran over and down my aching sides, and my mind tracked the clouds silently.

Nothing stirred.

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After that battle, Omega grows to L46.

I'd like another RBG for Omega please. *Pays* His stats are above.