Alex’s POV
“Hey mom, I’m home!” I shouted to my Mom, as I burst through the front door of the house.
“I’m in the kitchen honey,” My mom called back. ‘I had just gotten home from school and I was really excited. Why you ask? I was excited because I was finally able to play the final level on Dragon’s Dogma’s new content, Bitterblack Isle. I had just gotten to Daimon but had to go to bed before I could finish it, but not this time’.
“I’m going upstairs to finish Dragon’s Dogma Bitterblack Isle,” I said dramatically on purpose to be funny as I rushed my way through the house. I headed upstairs with my backpack in tow thinking ‘Nothing can stop me now!’ until my mom spoke up again.
“Do you have any homework?” my Mom asked. Luckily I was prepared for this. I somehow managed to get all my homework done on the bus on my way home. Thank god I am the last stop.
“I got all my homework done on the Bus mom,” I replied back.
I heard my mom chuckle before she responded. “Alright sweetie, go and play your Dragon’s Crogma game.”
“It’s Dragon’s DOGMA mom an-! Wait, how did you know I was going to play it?” I asked, eyebrow raised as I stopped climbing the stairs and looked back.
“You play it every day, son,” She replied back. I could easily imagine the knowing smirk she had on her face. I facepalmed. Of course she would notice by now.
I sighed and shook my head, resolving to worry about it later. “Alright, talk to you later mom!” I shouted as I continued upstairs.
“Bye sweetie!” she called back.
I dashed into my room and slammed the door shut, sighing a bit, before grinning broadly. I then tore open my video game bin looking for my prize. It took about a minute but then I found it. Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen. I quickly powered up my Xbox and got my game controller. Once the loading screen came up I waited patiently for it to start.
~10 Minutes later~
My female Arisen, Aleia, was just walking the stairs up to the final boss of Bitterblack Isle, Daimon. I did some research - via Wikipedia - on Bitterblack Isle and learned everything about the boss, his name, attacks, and lore. I won’t bother you with the lore but basically Daimon is an Arisen who was cursed by the Dragon.
I was a magic Archer with armor decent enough to battle Daimon and not get one-shot since I’m playing this on hard mode. I don’t usually pay attention to what the Armor’s called, I just look at the stats. Judge me however you want, it’s what I do. Deal with it!
Anyway I’m walking up the stairs and start to hear a menacing voice speak.
“I have raged, and wrought destruction,” it started, the sound of the voice making my grin widen and the hairs on my neck stand up. “Naught shall remain,” it finished.
I guessed that was Daimon, and I guessed right when the cutscene started.
(A.N: Daimon is the creature on the cover holding the armored man,)
The camera started to close in on a massive creature sitting in front of an old looking throne surrounded by skulls. The creature looked up toward the screen as it’s eyes glowed an ominous red. It then slowly stood on its clawed legs as its long wings spread out. It then flew up into the air and crashed down in front of my Arisen and towered over them as it flashed it’s menacing claws and whipped it’s tail back and forth. This creature was easily bigger than twice the size of a human. This was Daimon, Final Boss of Bitterblack Isle.
~40 Minutes later~
I was so close to beating him, so close to victory. Then, it happened. I had just stopped Daimon’s Rift Vortex and now he was stunned. I jumped on his arm as two of my pawns were hacking away at him, depleting his health pool. I managed to hit him just enough to send him onto the ground. Now I could punish him.
Soon enough I had about two more hits left and he would be dead. I was so happy I didn’t notice the bottom left side of my TV screen sparking. I only noticed it out of the corner of my eye as the sparks started getting bigger. “Ahhhh!” I screamed and jumped away from my TV. The sparks kept getting bigger and bigger until they covered my whole TV. I was panicking like crazy. My head was spinning and my thoughts were all over the place. I could hardly think straight. I was now on high alert panic mode as my head frantically scrambled for a solution. Finally, I got some common sense and rushed for the door. I was just there as my TV exploded in a flash of purple colored lightning. I was thrown next to my bed, my skin burned and my eardrums ringing. The last thing I heard was my Mom screaming my name from downstairs before I passed out.
If I had stayed conscious a little longer, I would have noticed a black and green, smoke-like vortex sucking up my body.
~Some time later~
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. One thing I knew for certain, my body ached. I felt like I hadn’t moved in days. I slowly reached my hand in front of my eyes to block out the sun when I realised something. “Why does my hand have claws?” I asked myself. I then tried to sit up, which I successfully did. After I was in a sitting position, I felt something weird on my back and right above my butt.
I then stood to my full height and noticed I was in a forest. Looking myself over, I almost fainted. I had clawed feet and clawed hands that were a dark shade of green. I then looked behind myself and saw a familiar looking, lizard-like tail. Suddenly, I felt something touch my face and turned my head to see a rather large wing. I then did one more test to see if my growing assumption was correct.
“Testing, Testing, one two, one two,”. My voice was definitely not this scary or deep before. What is going on. “What in the world, why is my voice so deep”? He asked, starting to panic. I looked around for something to use as a reflection and found a small puddle near a tree.
I ran over quickly and stared into it. I luckily could see my whole head, but was not happy with what I saw. I saw every detail, from the goatee to the curved horns on my head. I couldn’t believe it, and I didn’t believe it.
”I must be asleep, yeah that’s right. I’m asleep and this is all a dream” I said nervously. Wow, I still can’t believe my voice is so deep. I then balled my hand, I mean claw, Into a fist and smashed it against my head. It hurt.
”Ooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww!” I howled in pain. I held my head with both hands before my eyes widened and a horrible realization struck me. If i’m feeling pain, then i’m not dreaming.