Beyond the Gates

Dragon

Deity

Character

Lyra

Shenlong

Rare

Be careful what you wish for. There are challenges that even the Bravos prefer to avoid.

Black clouds swirl above the valley, crackling with flashes of lightning. Battling the fierce wind and rain, I stand on the ledge, squeezing the last bit of Mana out of myself. In the palm of my hand, Surge is reduced to a mere spark, struggling to even exist in this world. And I can't just let him fade away because of me. During my fight with the Monkey King, worn out and cornered, I had overdrawn from the strength of my Alter Ego. For a fraction of a second, I had become lightning. For an instant, I got ahead of Sun Wukong and snatched victory. But at what cost… Fighting exhaustion and despondency, I summon the storm and all that moves within it. It doesn't matter who may answer my call. All I want now is fire from above.

The clouds part like the swelling sea, and a serpentine figure emerges. It glares at me, its horns glistening like motionless flames. I freeze, my eyes widening at the Eidolon that has just appeared before me. Forgetting the water streaming down my face and the cold chilling my body, I kneel down and raise my hand to present the flickering spark that Surge has become. The dragon growls like rolling thunder. Its mane dances in the air, as though the creature were the very embodiment of the typhoon. Lightning bolts slash across the heavens, while the wind takes on a stormy scent. And then I beg, with all that I have. I pray before the cyclone. Above my head, the clouds open up and begin to whirl. I close my eyes, waiting to be struck by lightning.

It's unwise to incur Shenlong's wrath. Master of hurricanes, lightning, and rain, he can unleash flooding and ravage crops if not properly appeased. In Chinese mythology, Shenlong is the dragon-god of storms, alongside three other types of "Long". Yet these draconic spirits are not malevolent entities. They fertilize the soil and allow for a rich harvest.