Chapter the 7th!

The eldest dragon lay peacefully beside her mate, and gazed down at his sleeping form. For that, she decided, was what he was. Seeing his memories had convinced her. There were VERY few like him left alive in the world today. And he wasn't even FROM this world, to boot. Which, was intriguing in itself. Part of his mind was walled off, with a shield of a strength she had never encountered before. It almost appeared… god-like. There was no path or doorway through it. Not way over or under. Something was behind there, that someone definitely wanted to remain hidden. Sealed. Intriguing indeed.

He stirred and opened his eyes. She grinned widely.

"What? Again?!"

"Yep!" she replied gleefully.

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When I finally left the cave again, it was late evening, and considerably cooler than the daylight hours. Gargamel, Glenn and Angelax sat huddled together around a campfire, still in their bathing suits.

"What the hell are you all doing?? Go put on regular clothes!" I exclaimed.

"We didn't want to interrupt. You were in there a LONG time. Everything…okay?" Reginax said, struggling to retain a deadpan expression.

"Yep. She'll awake tomorrow morning. Probably won't walk right for a few days tho…"

Gargamel turned even redder than the hue cast by the campfire. Glenn tried desperately to stifle his laughter. Reginax didn't even try…

"HAHAHAHAHA…isn't THAT the truth? Been there… HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

Oh. Damn. That's right.

I looked at the hero, apologetically.

"Sorry, Glenn. Didn't mean to go there…"

"NOT a problem, Sir, since I was inhabiting your form at the time. No worries!" he replied cheerfully.

I smiled and looked at my feet sheepishly.

"it's not as if you remember any of it anyway, correct?" Reginax chuckled.

"Nope. Not a bit." I sighed.

"If you WISH to, you KNOW it is alright by…" the Hero began.

"NOPE. Especially now. I do NOT want to piss off the Redhead."

"She wouldn't mind. It's already been discussed." The black haired beauty grinned.

I sighed and shook my head.

"Not my way, Reg."

"Dragons are patient, John. We have nothing but time." Still smiling.

"Hey, what am I now? Chopped liver?? I waited a thousand years for you." Glenn said, poking his woman pointed in the shoulder several times for dramatic emphasis.

"I LOVE chopped liver!!" the Black Dragon Queen's bellowing laugh filled the little cove.

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I slept deeply that night. When finally Angelax DID let me sleep. I can honestly say; never have I ever rested so well. So this what what lack of frustration, rage and loneliness ended up feeling like. Hrm. Nice. Except…the dreaming was vivid and WAY weird…

I was behind a great wall. Tall and stretching off in both directions, as far as I could see. Behind me, I heard the familiar sound of hospital equipment, keeping someone alive. Probably against their own wishes. I turned and walk toward the sound. Curtains. A dim light. I entered without thinking. There I lay, on the hospital bed. Drained. Shriveled. Near death. My eyes were closed. Quietly, I moved the nearby chair and sat down beside myself. The tired, old me sighed, stirred and opened his eyes.

"Ah. You've found your way around the wall. The end must be near indeed if I've weakened that much."

"Who...?"

"I am god. Well, not YOUR god. 'A' god. Of THIS universe you've been transported into."

"I have you to thank for this little gift?"

"Well, yes. And no. It's not going to BE such a gift I think, at some point. You've going to feel it a curse, as I have."

" ?"

"I brought you here. Traded places with you, so to speak. I took your dying body and gave you the one you have now. My own."

"...oh…"

"I held on to my power, til this body fails and I pass on to…whatever. Then, all that I am, shall naturally seek you out and you will become the vessel of god again."

"...how did you manage to get me out of there? I mean, didn't the god of MY universe try to stop you??"

The dying god chuckled and shift himself around in bed.

"To be painfully honest with you, that guy doesn't pay attention to much. I had debated taking over his domain, as he has been mentally absent SO long from it. But, decided against it. Shame for all the lives He is wasting. I just picked you randomly. Brought you here, and gave you my shell for yours. You wanted to live. You wanted a chance at happiness. I wanted an end…to endlessness. An end to eternity."

"You could have just destroyed everything, you know. You made it."

"True. But, would you have wanted to do that? Destroy innocent lives because you were bored?"

"Nope. But I don't have the power of a god, either."

"Well…"

"Okay, DIDN'T have…"

"In any event, my time is finally running out. And I am fine with that, just as you were."

"How long do you have?"

"Well, my godhood has extended the lifespan of this frail shell, somewhat. A matter of days in your time, I'd imagine."

"And then?"

"And then, John Saint George, you will take my place."

"Uh, I don't think I'm such a good choice there. I mean, I'm not very Holy. I like porn. Big Boobs."

"I surmised that much, seeing as to who you've been palling around with…" god said dryly.

"Holiness isn't a mandatory thing. Being a good person is. You are a problem solver. Any universe needs that in a god figure."

"...oi. Yer not telling me something, are you?"

The figure laying on the bed winced.

"Hoisted by my own petard. No. You're going to have to fight to keep what I am giving you. There is another, who thinks they deserve it and are entitled to it. They don't and they most certainly aren't. I have kept them boxed up and boxed OUT of here, since time beyond memory. But with my passing, they WILL return. I can tell and show you HOW to throw them out and lock them up again, but that actual JOB, will fall to YOU to complete."

"You mean like Satan?"

"Lucifer. Your god's original right hand man. NOT a bad guy, really. We've drank socially on many an occasion. He simply disagreed with your god's way of allowing things to develop."

"Can say as I blame him. Not very fond of it myself…" I sighed.

"He was placed in charge of hell as his punishment, for daring to have an opinion different than his creator's."

"Harsh."

The thin shoulders shrugged.

"MY problem is far worse. Imagine if not your 1st lieutenant rebelled, but…your own son."

"Crap. Your messiah?"

"Flesh of my flesh. And I do not even know why it has happened. Maybe I AM a horrible father."

"So he's going to expect to inherit the REST of your strength…"

"WHICH I have circumvented, by giving it to you. Sorry, I am drawing enough off of it to maintain that wall and this little illusion right here. But when I go, the way will be WIDE open. And he WILL come looking. Of that you must have no doubt. He WILL come."

"And I am supposed to…?"

"...fix the mess I made. However you need to do it."

"With what knowledge and skillset??"

"I will be with you as an astral projection, when you need me."

"So, you're NOT really GOING anywhere."

"No no. I'm definitely checking out. But I'll be able to advise. NOT actively intervene to save the world or anything."

"He might destroy the world??!"

"He IS quite vindictive..."

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I sat up in bed side the red dragon queen. I was soaked to the skin in sweat. Angelax looked at me with a deadly serious expression.

"THAT was what I sensed in you. You carry the unequaled power of the Godhead."

"no no no no NO NO NO." my teeth chattered. "That was just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream…"

"Na hardly. Ye were radiating power. I think I may actually be stronger after absorbin what you were giving off…"

"What the HELL was THAT??" Reginax bellowed, slamming open the bedroom door with Glenn on her heels.

"Ah! Ye felt it too, then."

"Anyone with any sensitivity within a thousand MILES felt that…" Gargamel grumbled, pushing past the two larger people and into the room.

"John." Gargamel said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. I could HEAR them all, I just couldn't respond. Fear had frozen me. Fear of total annihilation. NOW, I was no longer so SURE, this world was a great place to be. Especially if there was going to be a fight of these proportions. Even being coached. I wanted nothing to do with it. But, did not have the power to escape. And by the time I DID have it, it would be too late to do anything OTHER than fight to save this world and everything in it. I was babbling my thoughts out loud, apparently. Glenn Eridol responded to them.

"You are not alone, John. We will fight beside you."

"Against a GOD?! I don't want to even fight against a god. I mean all right. He brought me here and gave me this body to live in, but, come on; asking me to whip his son and save the universe?!? That's too much. It's beyond too much!!"

"Aye. Tha it is. But, we will overcome. Tha is wha Heroes do."

"One Hero. Two Dragon Queens" Glenn corrected.

"And a HUUUUUGELY powerful Wizard!! Why does EVERYONE forget the WIZARD?"