《Sunset of the Dragons》


 Chapter 1: Prologue

    On the continent of Shieldrake, dragons flourished and flew the open skies. The common folk barely knew about the lives of dragons. Dragons were beings that gave life to the surrounding lands, but can also destroy it. Some offered protection to cities and towns, while others razed them. But otherwise, people didn''t really know. Humans thought it was a mystery on what dragons thought about.


    Many people knew how a dragon would look like. They were a common sight before. Giant lizard-like creatures with wings that could cause the greatest of storms. Breath that could melt steel armor in seconds. Screeches that could be heard from faraway lands. Their shouts can reach to the heavens, reverberating across the lands. Dragons could even sense when others of their kind are nearby.


    One thing that many people don''t know is that dragons can easily live among people. They are able to morph their bodies into the shape of the common man. They would look like a person, with the exception of scales attached around their neck, arms, and lower body. Even in their human form, they would be able to sprout wings and their tail. Or even breathe out flames. It is unknown what their original form was. Many dragons prefer one state over the other.


    Many people have seen dragons flying above, but not many knew much about them. Many are solitary, but few stay in groups.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    In Shieldrake, there are four ancient dragons that rule upon the continent. They are the oldest, wisest, and most powerful of all the other dragons across the land. Together, they maintain peace between the common dragons. When needed, the four would meet on top of Mt. Geolith, the highest mountain in all of Shieldrake. There they would discuss any problems or tasks that needed to be dealt with.


    The four ancient dragons are peaceful beings and also want to have a peaceful relationship with humans. However, the relationship between humans and dragons have always been hostile. Some dragons would feed on the livestock of farmers or burn down a village, while some people had become dragonslayers that would hunt down any dragons, good or bad.


    This is the story of one such dragon. Called upon by a grand council of dragons. This would be the beginning of the extinction of dragons.


    This is the story of the dragon, Akai. Dragons never carry a last name. Only the first. He was considered one of the most unique dragons to have ever lived, but he was young and reckless.


    Akai preferred his human form over his dragon. He loved living among people. He knew, of course, that his life would far exceed that of a human, so he never really got attached to anybody. As a child, he was abandoned. Never knowing who is father or mother was. He never let it get to him, though.


    Other dragons knew of him. The dragon that excelled in the form of a human.


    Akai was extremely talented using a cross-guard sword combined with his ability to sprout wings in human-form.

 Chapter 2: The Black Dragon

    In the small town of Whistlejen, a hooded traveler was walking through an almost empty street. He came upon the sheriff''s office and looked through the wanted posters. Scanning through the few bounties, he grabbed one and put it in his pouch. He was wearing a grey hood and cloak with black armor covering the rest of his body. He carried a simple sheathed cross-guard sword. He wore no ornaments on his armor that would distinguish him coming from any army. On the outside, he looked like any other human.


    As he left, he noticed three men watching him. As he walked away from the board of posters, they started following him. He took a sharp turn into an alleyway. They quickly pursued. When they entered, they found the man facing a dead end. The three took out their swords. One of them exclaimed "Sorry, but you''re not going anywhere. We don''t need strangers taking our bounties."


    After that statement, the hooded man turned to them and asked "Do you think that you can stop me?"


    Another one of the thugs replied "There are four of us. You''re outnumbered."


    The hooded man thought "Four?" and looked around and noticed a bowman on the rooftop of the building next to them. "Careless of me not to notice", he thought, "but also careless of them to warn me".


    As the three men moved closer pointing their swords and knives at him, the bowman kept his arrow pointed straight at the man.


    "Just hand over that paper and some coin, and we''ll let it go" one of the men said.


    As he ended that sentence, the hooded man unsheathed his sword faster than any of the men could blink. In that moment, the bowman shot his arrow. He deflected it with my blade. The other three men flinched. The hooded man lunged forward. One kick. Two kicks. The pommel of my sword. In seconds, the thugs were knocked out. All that was left was for the archer. He looked towards the roof, and the bowman was stunned for that second. In the next, he ran away. The hooded man sheathed his blade.


    He proceeded to loot the three unconscious thugs. He took some coins that they had and left them where they were.


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    As he left the alley the same way he came in, he noticed a tavern. With the new bag of coins in hand, he walked over there with a smirk. As he entered the tavern, he took off his hood. He was Caucasian with black hair and yellow eyes. He walked over to the counter, while everybody else was drinking. He sat down and ordered a drink of water. He never had a tongue suited for alcohol, but he liked the presence of people enjoying themselves. The bartender poured him a cup of water.


    "Very odd getting just water. You sure you don''t want anything else."


    The man placed some coins that he got off of the thugs on the counter and said "Cook me some chicken legs, too".


    The bartender replied "I meant, a drink"


    "I have a drink." he said "Water".


    "I haven''t seen you around before. Are you some knight?" he askedYou could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "No. I don''t work in any military. I guess you could say I''m a hunter. Both bounties and monsters."


    As he finished that sentence, he drank his glass of water like it was a beer.


    "Can you fill it up some more. Thanks." the man said.


    A young waitress came up and placed a plate of chicken legs in front of me. She looked to be around 10 years of age.


    "Here you go, sir" the waitress said.


    The man smiled and nodded. As he was chewing his food, he said to the bartender "My name is Akai, by the way. You probably heard of me. Stopped plenty of bandits and monsters terrorizing towns."


    "Never heard of you" the bartender said.


    Akai seemed to not have heard him as he continued munching on his food and drinking his water.


    "Agh. That''s enough. Let go of me!" the waitress screamed.


    Akai didn''t look like he was listening and just continued to eat.


    There were two men who were wearing soldier outfits harassing the waitress. They were either soldiers or mercenaries. Akai usually gets the two mixed up as both would act the same, with the exception of noble knights.


    "C''mon, baby. Don''t be like that" One of the mercenaries said as he grabbed the waitress.


    The bartender ran over there screaming "Hey! Take your hands off!"


    As soon as he got there, the other mercenary punched the bartender to the ground. Akai was still eating. He paid no attention to the commotion. Nobody else was getting up from their table. They all tried to ignore the two mercenaries.


    The mercenary grabbed the waitress and put her head on the table. Tears started forming on the young waitress''s face.


    Akai stopped chewing.


    "Maybe, you and I can get a room for some private time." The mercenary said to the waitress while holding her face down to the table.


    The bartender started getting up, but the other mercenary kicked him back down.


    Akai drank the remainder of his water and got up from his table. The mercenary kicking the a bartender down paused and looked at Akai.


    The mercenary opened his mouth "Hey, you looking for some trou-"


    In that moment, a cup was thrown straight at the mercenary''s mouth. It shattered on impact. The skin on his lips were cut open. Blood oozed out of his mouth as he started to scream. He fell to his knees in pain, covering his own mouth. The other mercenary let go of the little waitress and unsheathed his blade.


    "What the hell?" the other mercenary shouted in anger.


    The mercenary started to run towards Akai, but Akai threw his plate of chicken legs at the assailant. The plate hit the mercenary''s sword out of his hand. In the next second, Akai ran in front of him and grabbed both of the man''s arms. He twisted them like it was rubber. The bones being shattered could be heard. There wasn''t even time for the mercenary to react. He didn''t even scream. He just stared for a few seconds at his twisted up arms in disbelief. After those couple of seconds, he was about to open his mouth to scream, but Akai put his hand over the mercenaries mouth and silenced it. Akai''s eyes were burning with rage. He stared into the man''s eyes with a searing rage, but it was over in a second. His rage burned out. He unsheathed his blade and stabbed the man through the heart. The body dropped on the floor. He took the same blade and stabbed the man on his knees. Both men were dead in that instant.


    The young waitress and bartender watched this horrific act of violence and feared for their own lives. Akai realized what he had done and sheathed his blade back. He put his hood on and left a pouch full of coins on the table as he walked out of the tavern.


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    As he walked out of the tavern, some onlookers were wondering what was going on inside. Akai withdrew coolly trying not to make a scene. He left the town and went into the woods to rest. He found a nice tree to sleep under, so he tried brushing off the sticks and stones in order to make a small bed. Akai lied down with his armor on. He took off a ring that was on his left hand. As he removed the ring, his ears started growing out like an elf and black scales started forming on his neck and the back of his hands. The rest of him is already covered up by armor, but scales had been growing underneath as well. Akai put the ring in a pouch and covered himself up with a cloak. He looked up at the trees and fell asleep.

 Chapter 3: The Call

    During the night, Akai awoke to a roar in the air. A calling. The ancient dragons were calling from the top of Mt. Geolith. As the roar faded, another voice reverberated through the air. A frequency that only dragons would be able to hear. No human would be able to understand what the ancient dragons were saying.


    "We call upon Akai" the voice said.


    "Me?" he asked aloud to himself while laid on the ground. He got himself up and wondered why he had been called to go up there. Even if he has acted too much like a human, the ancient dragons never bothered him about it in the past 200 or so years. He removed his cloak and then his pieces of armor. He then proceeded to remove his undergarments. His skin had black scales on his arms, back of his hands, and is lower body. The rest of him still looked like a human, but that was the limit of how much he can look like one. The magical ring that he kept hides his scales and ears making him look exactly like an average person. He placed his belongings next to the tree he laid by.


    He hoped that nobody would steal his stuff, but he didn''t want to keep the council waiting.


    He walked further away from his belongings. Black wings started to form on his back and a tail started to grow out. His body was increasing in size and his legs and arms morphed. His face grew out transforming it into the face of a lizard. His entire body grew to the size of two elephants. As his wings were forming, he began to flap them. His tail touched the dirt. He walked on all fours. He ran on all fours. As he ran, his wings flapped faster and harder. Soon, he wasn''t even touching the ground. He flew up through the canopies of the forest. His body and wings breaking branches with each swing. He flew higher and higher and went up past the tallest tree into the starry night sky. A black dragon. His black scales reflected itself upon the full moon. His yellow eyes glowed brighter than that of any star. He flew higher through small clouds and beyond that. Above the clouds, he stopped flying any higher. He flapped his wings and looked around.


    He said to himself in his dragon form "Which way was Mt. Geolith?" and in a couple of seconds he remembered and started flying in the direction towards the tallest mountain in Shieldrake.


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    As he approached the snowy top of the mountain, he noticed three of the ancient dragons already waiting for him. The top of the mountain was a plateau large enough to carry some dragons. The three ancient dragons waiting for him were named Azor, Aquis, and Kytlmyne. Ruler of the skies, seas, and forest, respectively. There was a fourth ancient dragon, as well, who wasn''t present. His name was Jezeboyah, ruler of the volcanoes. They were self proclaimed rulers, but they were strong and respected enough by the other dragons to keep their title. The ancient dragons were older, wiser, and stronger than any other dragon. They survived many trials and wars to get to where they were, and Akai respected that.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Akai landed in the middle of the mountain, while the other three ancient dragons were already perched on the corners.


    He hoped that he didn''t make them wait too long.


    Azor was the first to speak. "Thank you for attending the call. We have an urgent task for you"


    Akai listened attentively. He may like to be with humans, but he also wanted to prove himself to be a dragon just as worthy as any other. Kytlmyne said "As you can see, we are missing a member. Jezeboyah. He has been surrounded by dragonslayer and is unable to escape"


    "Captured!?" Akai thought to himself in surprise. Jezeboyah being pushed back by some humans. He didn''t even believe that any specialized dragonslayer would be able to accomplish that. Akai looked surprised and worried in a second, but threw his fears away.


    Aquis said "He has been surrounded inside Troll''s cave. We have called for you specifically, as you are  more experienced using your human form than any other dragon, including us. The entrance to the cave is only big enough for a human, but inside there is plenty of space for a dragon to reside in. "


    Akai pondered on this. He asked "How did Jezeboyah get into that situation? He would have had to transform himself into a human to get inside the cave."


    "We are unsure of what happened, but it matters not. All you need to do is to safely rescue him." Kytlmyne replied.


    "Do you accept this task?" Azor asked.


    Akai nodded. "Good. Call upon us here when you have completed your task." Azor said as he started to fly away from the mountain. Aquis and Kytlmyne began to fly away, as well. Akai bowed his head to the three. When they had left, Akai began flapping his wings to make him fly upwards. He then flew back to where he has gone. This is a mission that requires me to be human, he thought as he flapped his wings away from the mountain. Akai was excited to have a task given by the ancient dragons, themselves, but worried about failure. He erased the thought of failure from his mind. He wouldn''t fail Jezeboyah.


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    He arrived at sunrise back to the forest where he left from. He landed near the spot in which he left his belongings. They were all there. He transformed back into his human form and put on his armor and clothes. He made sure that he had everything and then put on his illusive ring. His scales disappeared and his ears turned in a regular human''s ears. He began walking towards the town hoping to rent some wagon that he could use to travel to Troll''s cave.

 Chapter 4: Trolls Cave

    A wagon approached Troll''s cave, but was stopped near the road. Akai was asleep in the wagon, while two armored knights approached the driver. The driver and knights talked for a minute, and in the end, the driver got off the wagon and shook Akai awake.


    "Wake up. This is as far as I can take you. " the driver said while shaking Akai awake.


    Akai yawned and opened one eye. "Just give me a minute" he said as he fell right back to sleep. Akai was being shaken again but harder.


    One of the armored knights told him "Get up."


    Akai sat up on the wagon looking at the knight with somewhat open eyes. There were two knights. Both heavily armored. They weren''t just any knights. Dragonslayers. They held some dragon bones with them. One of them had a necklace with a dragon toot attached, while the other had a hilt forged using melted down dragon bones.


    The dragonslayer that woke him asked "What are you doing here, traveller?"


    Akai yawned and replied with a forced smile "I''ve come to hunt a dragon."


    He smiled with his teeth wide open. Moderately clean teeth for the time. Akai continued "I heard there was a dragon at Troll''s cave. I hoped that maybe there would be some reward for killing it"


    The dragonslayers looked at each other. The dragonslayer grabbed Akai by his arm off the wagon. As soon as Akai was off, the wagon started turning around and left. Akai asked "How far is Troll''s Cave from here?"


    The dragonslayer replied "I''ll take you to our boss. You can discuss any job that he may have from him"


    The dragonslayer grabbed Akai''s arms and pushed him towards Troll''s cave. The second dragonslayer that didn''t wake up Akai stayed where he was and continued to block the road. As they ventured closer, Akai could sense another dragon nearby.


    Dragons had the ability to sense others of their own kind, but their senses weren''t precise enough to find where exactly a dragon was. As Shieldrake was filled with dragon-kind, Akai can constantly sense the presence of others like him. When he is closer to a dragon, his sense perk up and can easily tell that he is near a dragon. These senses are common with all dragons.


    Akai could see a campsite right outside of the cave. Further off was a small town near a river. A very peaceful sight besides the fact that there is a camp filled with military equipment. The town was called Butterton Town, as he recalled from the maps.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Akai entered the campsite while being escorted by the dragonslayer. He saw a whole camp full of dragonslayers. If any of them knew that he was a dragon, then he would be in a lot of trouble. These group of knights knew how to kill dragons. Some of their blades were even forged with dragon scales, which are stronger than most metals. Akai had to be cautious. He still had his illusive ring on which made sure that his scales wouldn''t show. He was being led to a more furnished tent.


    The tent was being guarded by two other dragonslayers clad in armor. The one pushing me waved his hand to them and they let him through.


    Akai entered the tent with the dragonslayer holding his arm. There was some other dragonslayer looking at a map layout of the cave. He must be their leader. This leader was young, tall, and with blonde hair. He had a scar on his right eye from a cut, but both of his eyes were still intact.


    The dragonslayer let go of my arm and bowed to their leader. "Lord Vesuvius." the dragonslayer said.


    A lord, Akai thought. A noble was in charge of this group of dragonslayers?


    Lord Vesuvius looked up and smiled. "Ahh, Pip. And who did you bring with you?"


    The dragonslayer known as Pip got up and said casually "Some adventurer looking to take out a dragon."


    These two must have been friends. Akai jumped in. "I''m here for the dragon inside that cave. I was thinking there must be some reward for hunting a dragon."


    Lord Vesuvius looked at Akai still smiling. "Well, I can''t let you just go in there and start attacking a giant dragon, but I may have a task that you can do. I have amassed some of my dragonslayers to go into the cave to attack the dragon. We already know where he is hiding. If you want a reward, I can pay you a portion if you would be willing to work with a team."


    Akai smiled and said "Sure. I always wanted the chance to hunt a dragon."


    That was too easy, Akai thought, there must be some reason that he''s letting me go in there. Akai was thinking that there may be some plan that he was unaware of, but he couldn''t think about it right now.


    "Pip, take this man to the first squad" Vesuvius commanded of the dragonslayer.


    "Yes, my lord" Pip said. Then, he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the tent.


    "It was nice meeting you, too, lord" I said jokingly as I was being pushed out.


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    As he exited the tent, he noticed some big crossbows being set up outside of the cave. Akai has never seen these weapons, before. They must have been just invented. He also noticed barrels being lined up outside of the cave entrance. Akai was unsure of what these barrels contained. The barrels themselves look to be cast out of metal rather than made of wood. Pip led Akai to a small team of other dragonslayers. There were six other dragonslayers there.


    "Alright. You have one more member. That makes six of you. Captain Jake holds the map and he will be taking you towards where the dragon is. You all will head in there and start attacking the dragon. As the dragon is being distracted, we''ll come in and flank it. Any questions."


    "I have one, yes." One dragonslayer raised his hand. "We are getting paid for this, right?"


    "You''ll get paid when the job is completed." Pip replied. "Now, if there are no more questio-"


    "Is it too late to piss behind the bushes?" Akai said in a joking manner.


    Pip scowled and ordered, "Get in there and give that dragon hell."


    The cave''s entrance could only fit one person at a time. Captain Jake went in first holding the map and a torch. The five dragonslayers went in no specific order. Akai went into the dark cave last.

 Chapter 5: Into the Cave

    The cave''s surroundings began to widen. Akai and the rest of the dragonslayers had more room to walk in. Captain Jake was still in front holding the torch while looking at his map. Everybody else was following that light. Akai asked the dragonslayers "So, how long have you guys been hunting dragons?"


    All of them looked confused. One of them said "I never hunted a dragon, before. I was a fisherman at Butterton Town." That must have been the same town that was nearby.


    Another one said "I saw the dragon flying overhead and then land near the cave. I don''t know how it got into this place, though. We were recruited to help kill the dragon."


    Akai was confused. "What about you, Captain Jake? You''re probably an experience dragonslayer."


    Captain Jake replied while looking at his map and surroundings "I used to be a captain of the military, but I left to have a quiet life. I guess having that sort of life isn''t as easy as it sounds. I was the most experienced of the villagers in warfare, so it would be best if I helped."


    Akai''s confusion turned to worry. "What about those ornaments that you are wearing?"


    Captain Jake looked and said "Oh this necklace? Their commander gave it to me for good luck."


    The other so-called dragonslayers also said the same thing about their ornaments that were made out of a dragon.


    Akai started to sweat. These weren''t dragonslayers. They wouldn''t last a second if they were actually fighting a dragon. Akai calmly breathed in and out. Akai calmed himself down as they wouldn''t even need to fight the dragon. Akai can expain to Jezeboyah himself what is happening.


    Akai didn''t know what Lord Vesuvius'' real plan was, but if it involved sending innocent men to their deaths, then Akai couldn''t forgive him. But for now, Akai focused on the task at hand. The task to rescue Jezeboyah.


    The cave started having multiple paths. The place became a labyrinth, but Captain Jake seemed to know where he was going, so they followed him.


    The cave gradually became bigger and bigger. The cave itself seemed to have been going slowly downhill step by step, but it would be very hard to notice.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Captain Jake stopped as they have entered into a long narrow hallway. "The dragon should be just up ahead. It will be a large area, and it will be very hard to miss it. Is everybody rea-"


    As he was about to finish his sentence, Akai struck him on the back of his head. The other villagers were in shock. One of them screamed "What the hell are you doing?" At the end of that sentence, Akai struck each villager in seconds with his fists. Each one knocked out. None of them were dead. Akai grabbed the torch that was lying on the ground and snuffed it out. His eyes would be able to see in the dark just fine. He looked at the map and put it into his pouch. He may need it on his way out of the cave.


    He walked through the narrow stone hallway. As he got closer, he noticed the walls started to look man-made. It was no longer some cave, but an actual hallway. Akai noticed some luminescent plants lighting the way and noticed the corpses of charred trolls along the sides. As he walked closer, runes that he has never seen before started glowing as well. The more he walked, the hallway became less and less narrow. The hallway would even fit a fully grown dragon. Enough space for Jezeboyah to walk through in his dragon form.


    Akai wondered what that ancient dragon was doing in this place. As he got to the end of the hallway, he noticed a large stone door with carvings. Akai didn''t know what any of the runes meant. He also saw a small altar in front of the door. He tried pushing the door open, but it wouldn''t budge. Akai started to talk to himself "There must be some kind of riddle or password to open this door. " Akai looked at the runes and altar. He looked around trying to see if there were any dragonslayers nearby.


    Nobody was near. Akai, with all of his strength, kicked the large stone doors down. The doors were broken off and pushed away. They fell onto the pavement.


    Akai casually dusted off his armor boots and walked in.


    A giant red dragon was facing Akai. It was Jezeboyah in his dragon form. The large room was lit up by luminescent plants.


    Jezeboyah breathed out of his nose. "So, dragonslayer. Have you come to kill me?"


    Akai stopped for a few seconds and laughed. "Of course. I have come to destroy you and turn your bones into soup, dragon! You will now perish by my blade, dragon!" Akai sarcastically said while ending with a maniacal laugh.


    "So be it. Then, let''s see if you have what it takes to defeat me." Jezeboyah replied while beginning to open his mouth to rain fire upon Akai.


    "Wait. No. I was kidding." Akai said putting his hands up in the air.


    Jezeboyah stopped and said "What kind of dragonslayer are you?"


    Akai took off his ring and his scales showed.


    "Ah. I did sense a dragon nearby. I almost didn''t recognize you, Akai. That ring I gave you is still working, I see. It''s been some time," Jezeboyah realized.


    "Well, I''m here to get you out of here," Akai said as he put the ring back on and continued "I even came prepared."


    Akai took out another illusive ring from his pouch.


    "So, now you can sneak right out of here with me. Though, we may need to find you some fresh clothes," Akai continued.


    "I can''t leave," Jezeboyah interrupted "You have to kill me before I hurt anybody else."


    Akai looked in confusion. "Huh?"

 Chapter 6: The Rescue

    "What are you talking about? I''m here to rescue you. Are your ears still working, old guy?" Akai said jokingly and laughed.


    Jezeboyah had a stern face while Akai''s laughter died down. "Why would I kill you?" Akai asked knowing full well that the dragon in front of him was serious.


    "Because I''m a monster" Jezeboyah replied.


    Akai listened worryingly.


    "My mind is growing weak and regressing back to my animal instincts. When dragons are young, they are like any other mindless beast, but with guidance, those instincts can be controlled."


    Jezeboyah paused and took a short breath. "Let me tell you a tale. I was perched overhead on a local mountain, watching villages and people go about their daily lives. As I was sitting, my mind started to wander and I felt the need to feed. I couldn''t control myself. I overlooked children playing by and my first thought was to feed on them. It was just a moment, and I tried to control myself, but In that moment, I flew down to those children playing by the mountainside and ate them, right then and there. I still remember their screams before I snuffed them out. As soon as I was finished, my mind went back to normal. It caused me great pain and knew that I could have done much worse."


    "It was just an accident, Jezeboyah. It wasn''t your fault. I can take you back to the other ancient dragons and they would know what to do." Akai pleaded.


    "My sweet dragon. I can never leave this place. With guidance, all dragons learn to control their primal instincts to hunt and burn what they see, but as age consumes the mind, their instincts will return. Every dragon will experience this. I have seen it before, even if none of the other ancient dragons believe it. My mind has even started to wander while we speak. I don''t want to hurt you or anybody else ever again. Kill me and be done with it."


    "I can''t!" Akai cried "You were the only dragon that cared for me!"


    "I only took you in because no one else would. I was never a good parent. I only raised you up to the point where you could control your animal urges. Then, I left you to go wherever you wanted. I abandoned you."


    "No. My real parents abandoned me. You raised me to be the dragon I am today."


    "Please, hurry. My mind is starting to go blank. I fear for your life."


    "I...I can''t" As Akai said this he started to smell a strange odor. He turned around and saw green gas starting to pour out.


    "What the hell is tha-" Akai started to say before he coughed.


    "Akai!" Jezeboyah spoke before he too started to cough.


    Akai fell to his knees covering his mouth. Poisonous gas, he thought. The dragonslayers are trying to smoke out Jezeboyah. He couldn''t let them do this.


    Akai''s coughing grew more course and he started to lay on the pavement.


    Jezeboyah roared reverberating the roar throughout the cave. Even the dragonslayers outside could hear it.


    Jezeboyah''s eyes started to twist and become red with rage. His wings expanded. His mouth wide open aimed towards the ceiling. He grabbed Akai lying on the ground unconscious.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Green gas surrounded the room. The giant dragon took one big breath of the poisonous air and spit red flames. At that moment, the gas sparked causing a chain reaction of explosions and fire throughout the whole cave. Jezeboyah kept Akai covered with his arms, protecting him from the fire. The ancient dragon looked to be safe, but rocks started to fall on them. The cave was collapsing. Jezeboyah''s eyes filled with rage as boulders crashed down on them. He breathed in and spit fire. His red flames turned to blue and then to white. He aimed the fire upwards towards the ceilings. The entire room was lit up and the rocks falling on top of them started to melt into lava. Jezeboyah sprung upwards flying spitting out the white flame. Jezeboyah went higher and higher. The rocks around him melted forming a liquid that most dragons would die from. But not Jezeboyah.


    The ruler of volcanoes spent his entire lifetime near lava and swam in them for his own pleasure. He held Akai in his arms covering him from the newly formed lava.


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    Outside of the cave, the dragonslayers were in shock from a sudden explosion coming from the cave system. Some fire burst out of the entrance where their barrels of gas were being pumped into. When the fire struck the metal barrels, they only pushed them back, but not exploding them. Dragonslayers working near it were pushed back from the force of the flame.


    Lord Vesuvius was watching. He was wondering what was happening in their. In his thoughts, the ground began to shake.


    The ground near Troll''s cave was melting. Soon, white flames erupted from the ground. Seconds later, a huge red dragon flew above spitting out white flames. The red dragon hovered above the camp. It had stopped spitting its flames and looked down upon the dragonslayers.


    Everybody was stunned. It was the biggest dragon that they had ever seen. Seconds passed where everybody was in awe.


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    Jezeboyah reached above ground and looked down upon the campsite. His mind was starting to wander and he didn''t have too much control left over himself. He looked at Akai in his hands. A small thing. Akai wasn''t awake. Jezeboyah started to gently poke him and shake him. His eyes teared up. In that moment, a giant arrow flew past him.


    He looked at the camp. Giant crossbows were set up around the site. Dragonslayers started to push them in the direction of the red dragon.


    Jezeboyah took one look at Akai, again. He still wasn''t awake.


    His tears turned to rage. He held Akai in one hand, gently, while the other strained itself.


    Another arrow was shot. Jezeboyah moved a little to the right and it missed. He started to beat his wings faster and faster. His eyes turned red with rage. He breathed in one big gulp.


    He took off straight towards the campsite and shot fire across the landscape. Dragonslayers rushed their arrows and started to fire at the dragon, but it was too late. Fire consumed most of the giant crossbows. Some of them ran in terror. Some abandoned their giant crossbows all together. Their captains gave them orders and the dragonslayers started shooting at the dragon with their usual small crossbows, bows, and arrows. Fire continued to rain down  upon the campsite. People screamed in agony and terror. Jezeboyah landed upon the campsite and blew red flames across every corner that he could see. He saw one of the captains giving the others orders. Jezeboyah turned his flame from red to blue to white towards a line of archers being commanded by the captain. Their bodies began to melt. Their armor and skin fused. The flames turned them into liquid and their captain watched. The dragon''s flames stopped. He looked around. His mind was angry, but still under control. Proof of that was that he didn''t crush Akai in his hand. He looked around and saw the other dragonslayers retreating. Whatever left of their forces realized that they had lost. Jezeboyah took a look at Akai and gently put him on the ground.


    He started to gently tap the small dragon in human form. Tears began swelling up his eyes, again.


    With this, his mind started to go wander. He was feeling hungry and knew that he had to get away from Akai. Jezeboyah took one last look at Akai lying on the ground.


    He began to take off and fly as far away from here as possible. He didn''t want to hurt any more innocent lives. As he began flying up, his mind blanked out. He was hovering above a burning campsite. Bodies of soldiers crawled and gasped for help.


    Jezeboyah tried to shake his head. Some reasoning of him was still in there.


    As he looked at Akai, Akai''s eyes began to open. This gave him relief, but didn''t prevent his mind from reverting back to an animal. He gnawed at his teeth, but in the end, he couldn''t stop it.

 Chapter 7: Destruction

    Akai began to wake up. While laid on the ground, he turned his head with almost closed eyes. He saw the destruction of the campsite. The bodies of dragonslayers burned and melted. He looked up and saw Jezeboyah flying above. Akai smiled and gave one cough before getting himself up.


    "I guess I didn''t need to save you, then. Well, let''s get you back to Mt. Geolith and tell everybody that you''re safe." Akai said aloud to Jezeboyah.


    The red dragon didn''t listen. It''s eyes stared at the town ahead. In a couple of seconds, Jezeboyah began flying towards the village. Akai was confused and ran ahead. Akai stopped and watched what Jezeboyah was about to do.


    ---------------------------------------


    As the red dragon approached the town, people stopped in their tracks and looked. The dragon flew straight towards them. In an instant the red dragon spit red flames straight at the town. Everybody dropped everything and ran. Screams could be heard all around. The dragon shot flames at the buildings and homes as it flew overhead. Innocent families screamed as they were being burned alive. The red dragon landed on top of a women carrying a baby. It ate them whole. The dragon swallowed them and then started to spray fire around the town once more. It flew right back into the air burning everything that it saw.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai watched in terror from the campsite. He could overlook the town being burned. Small screams could be heard before they were stomped out.


    "No. It can''t be." Akai said to himself.


    Akai knew he had to do something. Jezeboyah would never have done this to innocent people. Akai would never believe that an ancient dragon, let alone the one who raised him, would destroy a torn for no reason. But belief didn''t stop the truth. Akai watched the town being burned with his very own eyes. He knew he had to do something.Stolen novel; please report.


    Akai still had his equipment. He grew wings and his tail from his back and flew toward the devastation.


    ---------------------------------------


    When Akai arrived, he saw Jezeboyah chewing on the charred remain of a child. Akai almost puked from the image. He was flying in the air above the red dragon.


    "Please stop this." Akai pleaded, but the giant dragon continued to eat.


    Akai unsheathed his blade. His hands began to shake. Sweat and tears formed. Akai pleaded once more "Please don''t make me do this."


    Jezeboyah stopped and paused for a moment. Akai thought that maybe Jezeboyah regained his senses. Akai began to smile, thinking that Jezeboyah was still in there. The red dragon looked back at Akai with reptilian eyes. It was uninterested in the young dragon and turned his head walking strolling through the town picking up pieces of burnt human flesh. Akai''s face reverted back to sorrow. A scream was heard streets away, and at that moment, the red dragon lifted his wings and faced towards the scream. Akai was already in the air and looked in the direction. He saw a boy crawling away from the carnage. Jezeboyah flew slightly upwards and went towards the screaming boy.


    Akai''s eyes widened. "No! Stop!" Akai screamed.


    Jezeboyah opened his mouth and went for the injured boy. As the red dragon flew towards the child, Akai took his blade and stabbed the dragon on the top of his neck. The dragon roared in pain. Akai held onto his blade and continued to stab the red dragon in the neck. "Please stop. Please stop. Please stop." Akai repeated over and over with tears flowing out of his eyes. Jezeboyah roared and tried to get Akai off of the back of his neck, but his struggling slowed down. The red dragon stopped moving, but Akai kept stabbing it, repeating the same lines over and over. Soon, Akai did one last stab and left go of his blade. He became silent. His entire body was covered in blood and tears. He looked back at the boy and he was safe. Akai collapsed on the red dragon''s neck and went into a fetal position. It was silent. Silence. Silence. Silence. Only the sparks of flames could be heard. And then a cry loud enough throughout Butterton Town could be heard for hours. Akai''s wings and tail went back inside of him as he cried.

 Chapter 8: Aftermath of Destruction

    The morning sun rose. Akai awoke on top of Jezeboyah''s deceased body. The blade still stuck on the neck. Akai wiped his tears and blood off of his face. Then, he took his sword out of the red dragon''s neck. He got off the dragon and dropped to the ground on his feet. He sheathed the bloody blade and started to walk away.


    He noticed the boy still there. He wasn''t dead. Akai could hear the boy''s snoring. Without showing any emotion, Akai kneeled down to the child and checked for any injuries. He seemed to have some cuts, bruises, and burns along his legs. The child wasn''t sick, but was terribly exhausted. He may have feinted before he could get any further away. Akai opened his pouch and took out some bandages and medicinal herbs. He took the herbs and mushed them into pieces. Then, he applied it to the wounds. Akai hoped that it would be enough. Then, he wrapped the boy''s wounds with bandages. It was nothing serious compared to everybody else. Akai didn''t know if anybody else had made it.


    Akai grabbed the sleeping kid and held him.


    As Akai began to walk away from Jezeboyah''s corpse, a group of dragonslayers arrived. They held their swords and crossbows at me.


    Akai didn''t want to fight any more. One of the dragonslayers came up and said "Who are you? Were you the one who killed that dragon?"


    Akai realized that they didn''t see what happened. They must have just arrived, he thought.


    Akai replied without any emotion "Yes. I''m a monster hunter and I slayed this dragon."


    The other dragonslayers looked at each other and eventually they put their blades away.


    One of the dragonslayers came forward with his blade sheathed. He had red hair and was strong-built.


    "I''m Captain Halido. I command these dragonslayers. I can give you payment for slaying this beast, but not here. If you find yourself in King''s City, I can give you a sufficient payment."


    Akai paused for a moment without a care for reward, but nodded his head.


    Halido thought that Akai was tired, but he still had questions.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I actually came here because I heard a dragon had destroyed a camp. Our leader, Lord Vesuvius, was stationed nearby, personally. Do you know where he might be?"


    Akai replied "I don''t know."


    "That''s a shame. Well, I can take you and that kid over to the campsite. We have set up some new tents and brought along a doctor."


    "I would be most grateful" Akai replied still without emotion.


    ---------------------------------------


    As Akai and the dragonslayers entered the ruins of the campsite, Akai took the sleeping boy to the medical tent, and washed his face, hands, and blade. As Akai left the medical tent, he was met with Captain Halido standing in wait.


    "You sure you don''t need any bandages? That dragon was a big one. A far bigger dragon than any I have seen. I wouldn''t be surprised if you got some wounds. " Halido said with a smile.


    Akai didn''t sense that the captain knew what had happened, but he reassured him that he was fine.


    "I''m alright. I just need to walk it off." Akai said as he walked away from the captain.


    Tents were still being set up. Wagons arrived to pick up the dead and wounded. Akai looked back and saw the captain send some wagons towards the town. Captain Halido seems to be a good man, Akai thought. As he walked, he heard some slight breathing in the rubble on his right. None of the other dragonslayers were near him. Akai leaned down and pushed some of the rubble away.


    It was Lord Vesuvius. He tried making sounds, but they were only soft feints. Akai was about to call over the dragonslayers, but stopped himself. He remembered that Lord Vesuvius sent him and other villagers to their deaths. The man was rotten to the core, and Akai felt like he didn''t deserve to live after all that''s happened.


    Akai didn''t see anybody watching him. He looked back at the injured lord trying to make a sound. Akai''s eyes became yellow for an instant, and he picked up a small rock. Nobody was watching them. Akai flung the rock at the lord''s head. The rock penetrated his eye. Vesuvius was dead in an instant.


    Then, Akai shouted "Hey! We got somebody over here!"


    Captain Halido looked and sent two dragonslayers to Akai''s location. The dragonslayers saw the face and realized who it was. "Captain, it''s Lord Vesuvius." Hearing this, Halido ran over while one of them checked his pulse. "He''s dead, sir."


    The dragonslayers including Captain Halido started digging through the rubble trying to get him out. Akai watched them pick off the rubble and moved on.


    "I have to travel to find more work. I hope we meet again." Akai said to Captain Halido, but the captain was too busy trying to bring back his leader from the grave.


    Akai left the campsite and walked into the woods.


    He needed to get far enough to transform into a dragon, and tell the remaining ancient dragons what he has discovered. He couldn''t let Jezeboyah''s death mean nothing.


    Akai stopped and took on last look at the burning town. The smoke could still be seen for miles. Akai closed his eyes to stop himself from crying. He wiped his eyes and walked away with new determination.

 Chapter 9: Belief and Resolve

    Akai flew over to Mt. Geolith. There were no other dragons, there. No dragon would actually be there, unless called by another. The icy winds blew at Akai''s dragon form as he swept in to land. He perched himself on the mountain and gave a call to the skies. A call that would bring the remaining ancient dragons to his location.


    He waited there for some time and the three ancient dragons, Azor, Aquis, and Kytlmyne arrived one after the other.


    "I haven''t heard from Jezeboyah. What happened?" Azor asked.


    "Jezeboyah... is dead." Akai replied in a sorrowful tone.


    The ancient dragons lowered their heads in anguish. "That is most unfortunate," Kytlmyne said, "Please tell us the details of your task."


    Akai explained to the three about his adventure into Troll''s cave and about how Jezeboyah destroyed a nearby town.


    "That doesn''t sound like Jezeboyah to me" Aquis said "Are you sure it was him?"


    "Absolutely. He told me that his mind was reverting back to that of an animal. He also told me that this... degeneration will come to all of us with age," Akai told them.


    "I don''t feel any animalistic urges. Do you, Kytlmyne? Aquis?" Azor asked to the other ancient dragons. They shook their heads.


    "Maybe, it won''t happen today, but I''m sure that it will come in the future for all of us. Jezeboyah killed innocent women and children. That is an act he never would forgive, let alone act."


    "Tell me," Kytlmyne replied having a hard time believing in Akai, "How did our old friend die?"


    Akai paused and looked away for a second. Then, he looked at them and replied "I had to kill him."


    The other dragons gasped in surprise. "I had no choice. He was about to kill a young boy. I had to do something," Akai continued. The other dragons looked at each other and then back at Akai.


    "Please. I know that what I have done is a crime against nature. Killing an ancient dragon and somebody... I felt close to." Akai paused thinking back to the one who raised him when no other dragon took him in. He pleaded to the other dragons. "You can decide any punishment that you see fit, but I''m begging you to look into -"


    "I have heard enough." Kytlmyne interrupted. "I don''t believe there is any such thing as this... degeneration of our minds. I am still able to control my animal urges. As for you, young Akai. Perhaps Jezeboyah did go mad and destroy a village."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He paused. "Or perhaps you did." Akai''s eyes widened at the accusation in fear. Kytlmyne, ruler of the forests, continued while the other two ancient dragons listened. "You''re 200 years old. Young for a dragon. You may not have full control of yourself and you killed our good friend because of your lack of control."


    "I-I would never try to hurt Jezeboyah! He was like a father to me!" Akai started to sweat. He knew what he saw and the others didn''t believe him.


    "Kytlmyne, if what you say is true, then how would this small dragon be able to defeat the ruler of volcanoes?" Aquis asked.


    Akai relaxed, thinking that at least one of them believed him.


    "It is as young Akai said. They were very close to each other. Jezeboyah may have been soft for the child. In that case, if Akai did try to kill our friend on purpose or otherwise, Jezeboyah wouldn''t retaliate in full force. I believe that our friend wouldn''t have tried to harm his precious pet."


    "Pet!?" Akai yelled. His yellow eyes turned to fury. "He would never think of me as some pet!" he said in rage while small breaths of fire spat out with each word. Veins began to pop being shown from his scales.


    "See. This young dragon has no control over himself. He gets angered too quickly." Kytlmyne said.


    At this moment, Akai realized what became of him and relaxed himself.


    "He does seem quick to anger. Maybe, it was too early to trust a task to him. Perhaps, we will never know what happened at that cave." Azor said to the other ancient dragons. The ancient dragons looked at Akai, then they huddled together whispering among themselves.


    Akai''s face showed worry and fear. "At least believe me on the degeneration. You three are the wisest of all dragons. You three would be able to find some way to stop it if you worked together"


    "Silence!" Kytlmyne yelled. "We will decide later what your punishment is for killing our friend."


    As he said this, the ancient dragons began to flap their wings. They started to fly off of the ground.


    "Please, believe me. You three are the also the oldest. You will be the first affected by it!" Akai plead, but the other dragons didn''t listen as they flew away from Mt. Geolith.


    Akai still perched on the mountain. They didn''t believe in any degeneration in their minds. Akai began to cry alone on top of the mountain. He didn''t care what punishment they would deal to him, but the fact that the three remaining ancient dragons didn''t believe him hardened a heavy stone casing around his heart. His tears stopped flowing. He realized crying wouldn''t be able to save anybody. He wanted to save the remainder of the dragons, but he didn''t know how.


    He then thought back to the village burning by Jezeboyah. It could have been much worse, if he, himself, wasn''t there to stop him. The ruler of volcanoes was not just any title. He could ravage entire lands in lava. Erupt volcanoes all across the continent of Shieldrake. What he saw was only a fraction of a fraction of what the ancient dragon could do.


    He looked back towards where the other ancient dragons stood. There was nobody there, but he imagined what destruction they could cause if their minds began to degenerate.


    He imagined Aquis, ruler of the seas, drowning the land and then freezing it to cause an Ice Age. Azor, ruler of the skies, spitting fire from heights that no other living being could ever fly to, burning the continent without any way to stop him. Kytlmyne, ruler of the forests, controlling the plants to overrun cities and him above burning whatever is left.


    The power that only one of them has could cause destruction enough to wipe out life not just on the continent, but on the entire world.


    Akai flew to the tip of the mountain and looked above at the stars. The sky was beautifully lit. His yellow eyes gleamed brighter than any of the stars as his resolve strengthened. His resolve to save the world.

 Chapter 10: Kings City and the Den of Dragonslayers

    It has been days since Akai''s report back to the ancient dragons. Akai hasn''t heard anything about his punishment, as of yet. All the while, he was thinking of ways to persuade the ancient dragons. They were the oldest, wisest, and strongest of them all. If they were convinced, then they could at least gather the other dragons to find some kind of cure. But Akai had to think of something quickly. It was not a matter of if it would happen, but when.


    He was walking on a dirt road. Grasslands surrounded him. A peaceful setting. There was a nearby forest filled with life. Butterflies flew by him and he smiled at the beauty. In front of him were the towering walls surrounding King''s City. A massive city housing hundreds of people. Many gather there to find work. Akai was familiar with the place. He has been there before looking for jobs related to hunting monsters. The pay was good, as well. He loved the food that he could get from taverns at King''s City. The renowned king of Shieldrake resided in the very city named King''s City. Coincidence? Akai didn''t care one bit about politics. The kings change a lot in the 200 years that he was alive. Akai was only interested in mingling with the average humans.


    Akai approached the gates. They were guarded by knights. Wagons were stopped outside of the entrance being searched. Akai walked towards the gate entrance and was stopped by a soldier.


    "What business do you have here?" The soldier asked.


    Akai smiled and said "I''m here to - ". He paused. Akai thought that he would make a joke, but he didn''t want to make any scene. On any other day, if he was asked a question like that, he would make a joke out of it. Akai stopped smiling, coughed, and continued. "I''m here looking for some monster hunting jobs." Akai said seriously. The soldier looked him up and down. After a second, the soldier nodded and let Akai through.


    Akai walked into the bustling streets of King''s City. Everybody hurried along with their daily lives. Every one of them younger than Akai in age, but all the same working hard to stay alive. Akai didn''t need to worry about that. He didn''t need to work hard to make ends meet.


    Akai first checked his pouch for any coins. He had a couple, but not a lot. He remembered that their was supposed to be some reward waiting for him at King''s City. Captain Halido promised Akai some money for killing Jezeboyah. Although, he didn''t approve of it, he still needed some money for food and supplies.


    He was aware of a base where dragonslayers would meet. Their main base of operations. They were like a guild in a sense.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai walked around the city. Children played along the streets. Wagons passed by. Drunk men getting themselves more drunk by the taverns. Shady men and women along the dark alleyways. It was only noon. As he walked along, he found the base where the dragonslayers meet.


    The "Den of Dragonslayers" as the sign said. Akai looked at it and walked right in. He didn''t have any affections towards a guild dedicated to hunting his own kind. However, like people, there were dragons that were considered bad and good. But to dragonslayers, they were all the same. Akai would usually not even bother to step foot inside their guild. But he was craving a bit of chicken, which he couldn''t afford unless he got paid. And he hoped that there was somebody there that would recognize and pay him. It was a long shot, but it couldn''t hurt to try.


    He noticed plenty of tables with dragonslayers talking amongst themselves. A loud bunch of people. If Akai didn''t know any better, he would have thought he had entered a tavern. The walls and floor made up of old wood. There were some dragon skulls displayed as trophies. They were pretty big dragons skulls. None of them as big as Jezeboyah''s head. He noticed a board full of jobs posted. Most if not all were concerned about dragons that were seen or spotted near towns and villages. He walked up to a counter where there was a woman looking at a book. As soon as she saw him coming up, she straightened herself out and greeted him.


    "Good Afternoon, sir. Is there anything that you need?" She politely asked.


    "Uh. No. I''m actually here because of a reward that was promised to me. Captain Halido, I think his name was." Akai told the woman.


    "Well, Captain Halido is a busy right now. Perhaps you would like to wait a few days before workload is free? I can set up a meeting, if you''d like." As she said that, Captain Halido walked out of an office room holding papers and scratching his head.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    As Akai noticed him, he ignored the woman and walked straight towards the captain. The woman tried to stop him, but to no avail.


    "Captain Halido!" Akai yelled in the already loud building.


    Captain Halido didn''t notice the yelling, but as soon as he turned his head towards Akai walking straight towards him, he remembered the face.


    Akai continued, "Captain Halido. I don''t know if you remember me, but you promised me payment for that dragon that I killed." Akai said.


    Halido replied "I remember, but I am a bit busy. There has just been another -" As he said this, a young boy ran out of the room holding a bunch of paper. The boy crashed into Akai''s legs falling back with the stacks of paper falling out of his hand.


    "I''m sorry, sir." the boy said rubbing his head. Akai gave his hand to help the boy up. When the boy saw the hand and looked up, the boy immediately recognized who he was.


    The boy had some scar tissue and burn marks, but seemed to be alright. There was a brief pause. "It''s you!" the boy shouted. Akai was confused. He didn''t know at first, but then remembered the boy that he saved from the burning town.


    "Ahh. Yes. I remember, now. I''m glad you''re doing okay," Akai smiled happily knowing that the boy he saved was safe and healthy. The boy grabbed Akai''s hand and got himself up.


    "Leo, you made a mess, again. Pick up those papers and start posting them around the city." Captain Halido yelled. The boy quickly replied,"Yes, sir" and saluted before picking up the papers. Akai looked at the paper and noticed that it was a recruitment poster. Recruitment for more dragonslayers, Akai thought. As if there weren''t plenty.


    Captain Halido then looked at me and said "I remember who you are. Akai, right? I did promise a reward for that dragon, but something has come up. A dragon has been spotted near Taple Town and I am just about to head out with some of my guys to slay it."


    The captain paused and looked at Akai. "Actually, maybe you could come with us. You seem to be experienced in hunting monsters and you did kill that big dragon."


    Akai asked "What makes you so sure that there is a dragon, and if there was, did it hurt anybody?"


    Captain Halido and Akai began to walk away. The boy, Leo, waved his hand good-bye to Akai with a big smile. Akai smiled and waved back.


    As they left the building, some dragonslayers followed them. Fifteen dragonslayers in armor. All of them carried swords and crossbows. A pretty big hunting party, but not a lot for hunting a dragon, Akai thought. One of them was different than the others. She was chained up from head to toe. And she was forced to wear a magically enchanted mask. It prevented her voice from making any sound. One of the dragonslayers pushed her forward. Akai sensed something off about her. He knew it wasn''t the sensation of a dragon. Maybe, some other magical being he was unaware of. There were runes on the chains preventing any magic being used to break them. Akai thought it was some dark mage that the dragonslayers may be using.


    "This dragon was spotted near the town and landed in the forests nearby. It didn''t hurt anybody, but that''s why we''re going. So, that it doesn''t," Captain Halido said.


    Akai thought for a moment. He wasn''t sure whether the dragon was dangerous or not, but then he recalled the town burning in front of his eyes. The smell of burnt flesh. He didn''t want that to happen again.


    "Then, I''ll come along, but I want to get paid for it," Akai told Halido. He didn''t care about the money this time. He just wanted to make sure that nobody would get hurt again. If the dragon did nothing wrong, he would even help him escape.


    Captain Halido nodded and they went towards some wagons. He understood that many were hunters just for the pay. One of the wagons carried a giant crossbow. There were horses, there, too. Akai never rode a horse before. Not ever in his 200 years did he need to. He was already faster than a horse as a dragon. And he preferred to walk slowly to take in the sights, anyways.


    "I don''t know how to ride a horse, Captain." Akai said to Halido.


    Halido looked at him strangely and replied, "What kind of man doesn''t know how to ride a horse?"


    Akai looked around. He saw the chained woman being handcuffed to the wagon carrying the giant crossbow, with one dragonslayer driving the wagon. The remainder got on their horses.


    "Well, I can''t teach you right now." Captain Halido hopped onto a black horse with white braids. "Hop on. You can ride with me."


    Akai tried to get onto the horse, but failed at every attempt.


    "Just give me you hand" the captain ordered as he reached his hand out. Akai grabbed onto it and got on top of the saddle, sitting behind the Captain.


    The other dragonslayers laughed. One of them commented. "Captain, looks like you finally got yourself a princess."


    "Shut it. We''re off. " Captain Halido said as he lashed the reins of his horse. Akai quickly grabbed onto the Captain fearing that he may fall off.


    Halido started regretting taking Akai with him as the other dragonslayers chuckled behind them.


    The horses weren''t even moving very fast as they were on busy streets. The dragonslayers on their horses surrounded the wagon.


    As they left King''s City, the horses moved faster and ran across the dirt roads. The speed was nothing compared to the speed of a dragon, but for a human, it was faster than any speed that they could achieve. Akai was just holding onto Captain Halido waist as he was afraid of falling off.


    He could see the other dragonslayers riding their horses, as well. They all had a steady pace that wouldn''t be too tiring for the horses, and just enough so that they didn''t go slower than their own wagon.


    And so they went forward to Taple Town.

 Chapter 11: Camp to Taple Town

    Sunset has fallen upon the group. "We''ll set up camp here" Halido commanded.


    The dragonslayers got off their horses and began setting up camp. It should take one more day to arrive at Taple Town.


    Akai got off the horse with a sore butt. He didn''t want to ride a horse for a good while and wanted some rest. He didn''t sense any dragons nearby.


    The dragonslayers started a fire and simple blankets were given out from inside the wagon.


    The chained woman was still cuffed to the wagon, but she didn''t try to resist. Akai looked at the woman and she looked right back.


    Akai noticed and looked away.


    Night has fallen and Akai sat next to Captain Halido who was warming himself up from the fire. Some of the dragonslayers kept watch while others slept.


    "Who is that woman?" Akai asked the captain.


    "Her? Oh, she''s a mage. A dangerous one. The inquisitor''s captured her and put those magical chains on her to prevent her from casting magic." Captain Halido continued "I don''t know what she did, but for now, the inquisition left her with us to use as we see fit."


    "If she''s unable to cast magic, what use would she be?" Akai asked. He was disgusted at the inquisitors. The inquisition hunts down dark mages. The term "dark" mages confused Akai at times. The inquisition employs mages and magic can be used, but when a mage uses magic for destruction or summoning demons, they''re considered "dark". Akai didn''t know what other magics could be considered "dark" to the inquisitors. The inquisitors blamed dark magic for everything. They would even burn down entire villages if they suspected one of them to be a dark mage. It sickened Akai.


    "She is able to cast magic if I command her" Halido said as he took out a stone from his pouch "with this. As long as I hold this, I have control over that witch. She won''t be able to disobey, unless she wants to experience some kind of torment, but I don''t think she''s a masochist. She hasn''t tried anything."


    "What do you think of the inquisitors?" Akai asked wanting to know whether he should trust this captain or not.


    "That''s a dangerous question." Captain Halido said with a smile "Just between you and me, I think they do more harm than good. Yes, they do capture dark mages, but they would trample over anybody else to do it."


    Captain Halido paused. "You''re not with them, are you?" the captain asked casually.


    "Hah. No. I have the same thoughts about them." Akai replied. Captain Halido and Akai both laughed. Akai trusted this captain. He seemed to be a decent man. Far more considerate compared to Lord Vesuvius.


    "Why did you become a dragonslayer? I know plenty of people who hunt monsters and dragons are on that list, but why specifically slaying dragons?" Akai asked.


    "No real reason. My father was a dragonslayer and his father before that. I just wanted to be like my old man, but I know some of these guys with real grudges against them. Some of us do it for revenge."


    Akai listened.


    "I''ve heard stories from my men. Horrifying stories. Stories about dragons coming from above snatching men, women, and children. Stories about a mother losing her child in a fire caused by a dragon. Stories about villages going about their daily lives, but then being burnt down the next moment. I even heard one story of two dragons fighting each other above a village. In that story, the damage that they caused to each other spilled to the village below. You see, these stories - and not just any stories - but these belong to each one of my men. Men and women who have lost something important to them. Compared to other monsters, dragons are considered to be like Gods. And you may ask yourself, how do we kill a God? That is why the dragonslayers exist. To fight against these Gods. People who want to put their own lives to protect others from the dangers that these Gods pose. People who don''t want others to have the same experience they had. "The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Akai never knew anything about this, but as he followed along, he understood what he meant.


    "I may have gone on a little rant, but that''s why we''re here."


    "What happened to your father?" Akai asked.


    "He''s dead. Eaten by a dragon." Halido paused and said "But I''m not one for revenge. I was already a dragonslayer before he died. The dragon that killed my father was killed days later by me. Did it feel good getting revenge? Yes, but only for a while."


    "I''m sorry."


    "Oh. Don''t be. It was a long time ago. But what about you? You''re some kind of monster hunter. Even managed to kill that big dragon. Any wild stories?"


    "Well, for that big dragon, I was just lucky. It was distracted by that young boy who seems to be in your employ. Leo, I think his name was. As for any wild stories, I could tell you a bit of my hunting experience for both criminals and beasts."


    They both talked for a while before both of them fell asleep on their blankets.


    ---------------------------------------


    It has only been around 5 hours later. Akai was sleeping on the ground and he awoke to the sound of a roar.


    He got himself up as well as every other dragonslayer. The lookout was being eaten by a chimera. A large beast with the heads of a lion and a goat. It had wings of a small dragon and a tail of a snake''s head. It''s body was that of a lion with scales.


    The lookout''s screams could be heard for miles. Captain Halido charged at the monster yelling. With this, the other dragonslayers charged forward with their swords in hand. Akai unsheathed his blade and charged forward with the other dragonslayers.


    The chimera''s snake head lunged itself forward towards Captain Halido. It''s speed was incredible and it would have bitten the captain''s eye out. But Akai swooped in and cut the snake''s head. The lion roared.


    Akai with a serious expression on his face ran towards the chimera. The beast tried to swipe at Akai, but Akai dodged each one of them. The other dragonslayers looked in astonishment.


    The young dragon took his sword and cut the chimera''s paw. The beast roared and in a moment, he charged ahead and cut the beast''s goat head and lion head in one clean swing. The heads fell to the ground bloodied. The beast was no more.


    Akai breathed out and sheathed his blade. With that, the other dragonslayers cheered for him.


    "Wow! I never seen anything like that!"


    "That was amazing!"


    "I couldn''t even see what he did!"


    These were the kinds of phrases that Akai heard as they surrounded him cheerfully. Akai was suprised and his surprise turned to embarrassment. He was never good with compliments.


    As Captain Halido approached Akai, the cheering stopped. The captain looked at the young swordsman. Akai was afraid he may have done something wrong. The captain put his hand on the young man''s shoulder and smiled. "Good work."


    Akai smiled, but then remembered about the lookout. He ran towards the dragonslayer who was mauled by the chimera, but it was too late. He was already dead.


    The other dragonslayers looked and each gave a prayer. Captain Halido said to his men "We may have lost a good soldier. But we have to keep moving. There is still a dragon that is terrorizing a town." The other dragonslayers went and started to pack up the campsite. One of them put out the fire. The sun was rising.


    The dragonslayer was buried and Akai looked at the dragonslayer''s simple grave. He was upset, but he couldn''t let it get to him. He got himself up.


    He saw the woman still cuffed to the wagon. The woman was watching Akai, but he didn''t know why.


    As the campsite was cleaned, the rest of the dragonslayers began to continue on their journey towards Taple Town. Halido told Akai to get on the now vacant horse. Akai took a couple of tries, but he managed to get on. He watched how the other dragonslayers hold their reins. Luckily, he didn''t need to do much. The horse followed the horses in front.


    However, sometimes his horse would go off track and graze on the grass. The other dragonslayers laughed at Akai''s inability to control his horse, but the captain was just worried about delays and kept Akai''s horse near his own. This didn''t stop any of the dragonslayers from chuckling.


    One moment, Akai was being praised, and the next he was the clown. This didn''t bother him, though. He enjoyed every minute. He smiled as they went towards the town.

 Chapter 12: Taple Towns Dragon

    They had just arrived at Taple Town. Captain Halido talked to the mayor of the town and was informed that the dragon landed near the forests.


    The dragonslayers went over to the forest. In a clearing right outside of the forest, they set up the giant crossbow and made sure that it worked in case of the dragon flying away. Akai did sense one dragon nearby. It may well be hiding in the forests, he thought.


    Captain Halido held the chained woman like a prisoner. The captain held the chained woman by a leash. Akai didn''t know what crime this woman committed, but felt that the woman didn''t deserve the punishment.


    The dragonslayers kept their horses tied to a tree. Akai tried to get off of his horse, but managed to fall right off as the horse moved over to a greener patch of grass. Captain Halido walked over to him and held out his hand.


    Akai grabbed it and got himself up. He could still hear some of the dragonslayer chuckling behind their breath. Another dragonslayer got the horse and tied the reins to a tree.


    "Alright, men. Listen up and listen well. I want to set up some search parties to find the dragon" Captain Halido began a small speech. During that speech, Akai walked right into the forest and hoped nobody saw him.


    He wanted to find the dragon, first. If the dragonslayers got to the dragon, then they would attack it. Akai wanted to know whether it was any threat, first. He knew especially that not all dragons were a threat, but understood the reasoning behind the dragonslayers.


    He looked back and saw the captain giving orders. They didn''t seem to notice that he was gone, yet, but that would change, very soon. He looked away towards the dark forest and walked right in.


    ---------------------------------------


    The dark forest was covered by trees and bushes. Akai could see giant spiders roaming above. Barely any sunlight penetrated to the ground, but there was still plenty of light for humans to be able to see. Akai continued to wander around the forests until he was far enough from the dragonslayers original location. He grew out his wings and soared up clashing with branches and webs along the way. He could sense the dragon somewhere in the forest, but knew he couldn''t find him by just wandering aimlessly. He reached to the top of the trees, but no higher. He saw some giant spiders climbing around the trees on their webs below him, but they didn''t approach him.


    Akai flew downwards towards one of the giant spiders and said, "Hello. I''m looking for a dragon. Have you seen one?"


    The giant spider looked at him with his 8 bulbous eyes. He was in the middle of sucking out the insides of a bird. The spider stopped and replied to Akai, "Other than you, I has only seen one above flying west of here."


    "Thank you" Akai replied as the spider crawled away carrying the bird in its webbing.


    The giant spiders are considered monsters, but they rarely attack humans and they would be a fool to attack something they knew they couldn''t kill. They prefer their birds and other big bugs to nourish them.


    Akai flew to the top of the treetops and headed west.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai flew west from the spider''s location and looked for any opening where a dragon might have landed towards. As he flew, he noticed some of the branches and the tops of trees have been broken off. An opening in the forest was found near it. Akai flew above the opening and saw a green dragon resting in the clear space.


    Akai flew down and as he did, the green dragon watched. The green dragon didn''t try to attack and instead bowed his head. Akai bowed, as well. Akai landed on the soft grass floor and retracted his wings.


    "You don''t look like you want to cause any trouble." Akai said to the dragon.


    "I-I don''t." The dragon replied.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Drent"


    "Well, I''ll let you know that there are some dragonslayers nearby, so you should get away from here. Go back to your home with the rest of the forest dragons."Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "I can''t. I was banished. I don''t know why, but I felt a need to feed. I went to a neighboring village and grabbed up a child who was playing by the fields."


    Akai''s eyes widened and the green dragon continued.


    "Kytlmyne found out and banished me to fend for myself. So, I flew away and eventually I came here. But my urges are still in me. I saw that town nearby and was about to fly over to grab another meal, but - but I got control of myself. I don''t know why, but it''s getting harder to control my animal urges."


    Akai thought to himself. He wondered whether it was related to that degeneration that Jezeboyah was afflicted with. Akai asked "How old are you?"


    "I''m 1200 years old, but I''m telling you that I was able to keep control of myself for all those centuries until now."


    Not anywhere near as old as any of the ancient dragons, Akai thought. The ancient dragon were around for at least 10,000 years. Nobody is sure exactly how old they were. Akai himself was only 200 years old. The dragons could live forever if nobody tried to kill them.


    Akai then thought to himself that perhaps all dragons have this condition, but the degeneration starts at different times in their lives.


    "I don''t want to hurt anybody." Drent cried and began shedding tears.


    "Maybe, we can call the ancient dragons together. I know about an affliction that causes our species to revert back to more primal urges. We can go to them and prove that what your experincing is an illness."


    "Even if they believe it, it would take time to find a cure. Time that I don''t think I have. I don''t know how long I have until I taste the flesh of man between my teeth. I''m a monster. It would be better to kill me before that happens."


    Akai rubbed the dragon''s head. "It''s okay. It''s okay. You won''t hurt anybody. You''re not a monster."


    As Akai was comforting the green dragon, he began to unsheathe his blade. He looked into the dragon''s eyes and believed him. The hand holding the sword shook, while the other hand comforting the dragon was steady. He began to sweat all around him.


    The green dragon noticed the blade, and closed his eyes.


    Akai stopped rubbing the dragon''s head.


    "I - I can''t. You didn''t do anything wrong. It wasn''t your fault." Akai said as he lowered his blade to the ground, "Just try to relax. We can both fly away from this place. We''ll go straight to Mt. Geolith and call the others. We just need to convince at least one of them."


    "If that is your choice, I''d be willing to he-" Drent said, but was quickly cut off. His nose began to sniff the air. His eyes turned bright green. Saliva and drool dripped out of his mouth like a rabid dog. He began to become agitated and craving for food.


    "Drent, please stop. You can control it," Akai said worryingly. But the words didn''t reach the dragon. However, with a stroke of luck, Drent began to control himself. Enough for him to speak, "The scent of man triggered something within me. I thought I had it under control. It''s... it''s fine. I got it."


    Drent calmed himself down, but it was close. He was on the verge of attacking the nearby dragonslayers.


    "Please," Drent begged, "Please just let it end."


    "I can''t do that. We decided to-"


    "I know. But I doubt I can control myself during our flight. How many villages and towns would we pass? How many unknowing lives could get hurt? I can''t risk it. You will have to prove to them that this disease exists. That this degeneration can happen to any of us."


    "I will prove it. But I need you to do it. They need proof."


    Drent sighed, "It''s not that I fear that I will hurt people. It''s not that I fear that I will have innocent flesh in my mouth. I''m afraid that I might actually enjoy it."


    Akai heard his words and as soon as he finished speaking, Drent began to act up again.


    Tears started to form, but his eyes flashed back to the time when Jezeboyah wanted Akai to kill him. Akai couldn''t kill the ancient dragon when he needed to. The sight of Jezeboyah burning a town to ashes collided into his mind. He remembered the smoke, the charred families, the ancient dragon eating innocent people.


    He held back his tears. Akai smiled gently to the green dragon and rubbed Drent''s head comforting him. The dragon calmed himself down to the smooth touch of one of his own. Drent closed his eyes once more and Akai held his blade to the dragon''s neck. He tried to place the blade between the scales, so that he didn''t have to use much force.


    "I''m sorry." Akai said as he slit the dragon''s throat. Drent didn''t give any resistance. He bled out right there.


    Drent opened his mouth one last time. "Thank you."


    Akai was on the verge of tears, but tried his best to hold them back.


    While he was in front of the dragon''s corpse, he let out a dragon''s roar. Hopefully, he thought, it would bring the rest of the dragonslayers to him. He couldn''t start dragging the body away, otherwise he would get exposed as something inhuman. But he also wanted to spend some time reflecting on his choices. Some from his past. And others of what he could do in the future. But, no matter how much time he had, he was still uncertain.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai waited there sitting by the corpse of the green dragon. He heard foot steps approaching and he got himself up.


    "Hey, guys! I got the dragon, here!" Akai shouted with . Captain Halido came out of the bushes along with the rest of his men.


    "Where the hell did you go!?" the captain yelled angrily.


    "I thought you were about to make a long speech, so I went ahead." Akai said.


    Akai pointed to the dragon. "I was able to sneak up on it while it was asleep." Akai told Halido.


    Halido nodded, but insisted, "Don''t try to do anything like that alone, again."


    He ordered his men to cut the green dragon''s head off, so that they can show it to the mayor of Taple Town as proof. Akai thought it was barbaric, but didn''t try to stop them. Three dragonslayers cut the head and held it together.


    Akai glanced at the witch near the captain. The dark mage was still staring at Akai, but he still didn''t know why.


    Captain Halido then proceeded to march his men, Akai, and the witch out of the forest and back to Taple Town for a reward.

 Chapter 13: Return to Kings City and the Brown Dragon

    Akai was getting used to riding a horse. Captain Halido was still upset that Akai just vanished, but forgave him over the trip back to King''s City. The captain did recognize that Akai killed the dragon without actually getting into a fight. He couldn''t say that any other man could accomplish this.


    ---------------------------------------


    On the way back, Akai gently patted the horse. "Good girl. Good girl. Or boy. Whatever gender you prefer." Akai said as he stroked the horse''s hair with a gently smile.


    Captain Halido watched as he rode his horse and said "I''m glad you''re getting the hang of that horse. You know, I was thinking, that maybe you can join us. You know your way around dragons and you learn quickly. I think you would make an excellent dragonslayer. We''ll just have to work on your discipline and not going off on your own, but other than that, I think you have a real shot with us."


    Akai listened as he smiled to the horse. "Sorry, I''m not interested." he replied.


    "That''s a shame. Maybe, I''ll ask later after your done spoiling the horse."


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai may look like he is enjoying himself, but his mind wandered back to the green dragon that he killed. He believed that he prevented another massacre from happening. Akai thought about what would have happened if he didn''t kill the dragon when he did. He thought back to the burning bodies near Troll''s cave. So many died because he couldn''t take one life. As consequence, a whole town was destroyed killing who knows how many. He believed he made the right choice in killing Drent, even if he has to carry the burden of sacrificing that one life to save Taple Town.


    He looked around at the dragonslayers around him. None of them had to fight the dragon. None of them had to die fighting it. He no longer regretted taking it''s life, but it gave him another question.


    Akai thought that it would take a much longer time for that degeneration to occur, but the age gap between Drent and Jezeboyah were huge. Akai pondered on why and how this happened. He knew that all dragons have animal urges, but they can be controlled. He only recently discovered that over time that control will weaken to the point where the dragon would give in to its urges.


    He came up to the conclusion, while riding his way back to King''s City, that all dragons will eventually lose control over themselves. He was aware of himself, as well. He didn''t have full control over his feelings and he can lose control at times.


    Since, none of the ancient dragons believed in him, he had to figure these problems out by himself. He sighed as he pondered these questions.


    ---------------------------------------


    The dragonslayers almost reached King''s City, but as they got up the hill, Captain Halido noticed smoke coming near the gate. He halted his men''s advance. Akai''s senses perked up. A dragon was nearby.


    "An attack?" Captain Halido asked himself as he took out a pair of binoculars from his pouch.


    Halido looked through the binoculars and saw a dragon attacking the main gate. He noticed wagons and merchants being burned alive. He saw a dragon on the ground breathing fire against the city soldiers, mercenaries, adventurers, and fellow dragonslayers.


    "A dragon attack! Everybody get ready. We''re going to charge at it!" Captain Halido ordered as he put away his binoculars.


    "Another dragon?" Akai whispered to himself.


    Captain Halido and the dragonslayers charged towards the dragon. Akai charged too, but his horse was not following his orders. "Not now. Why''d you have to act like this now!?" Akai yelled at the horse while the other dragonslayers charged forward. They took out their crossbows and started raining bolts of arrows at the dragon.


    It was a brown dragon with scars covering it''s entire body. The dragon breathed fire at the dragonslayers charging at him. The dragonslayers dodged the flames and surrounded the dragon while continuously firing bolts at the dragon. Most of the bolt were being deflected off the dragon scales, but some of them hit in between and into its flesh.


    Akai was able to regain control of his horse and charged forward with his sword unsheathed. He noticed the wagon ahead of him. Two of the dragonslayers were setting up the giant crossbow.


    Akai charged past them and into the fight.


    The brown dragon fired flames around itself and burned some of the dragonslayers and their horses. Akai moved forward and saw some of the dragonslayers trying to extinguish the fires. Akai jumped off of his horse and landed on both of his feet.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He looked at the brown dragon as their eyes locked. It began to shoot fire from its mouth and at that moment, Akai charged forward. In that instant, the dragon stopped itself from breathing fire and whipped Akai with his tail. Akai didn''t expect this and tried to take the hit with his gauntlets. The gauntlets shattered on collision.


    Akai was pushed back but stayed on his feet. The brown dragon continued to be barraged by bolts and saw that more soldiers from the city were being sent out to attack. The dragon began to flap its wings causing the other dragonslayers to be pushed back by the force of its wings. Some of the horses fell over. Captain Halido continued to shoot arrows at the dragon, but the arrows wouldn''t hit their targets. Akai gripped his teeth and held onto the ground with his feet.


    As the brown dragon got into the air, a giant arrow bolt struck the dragon in its right wing.


    Akai looked back and saw the giant crossbow being operated on by the dragonslayers. The brown dragon fell to the ground, but still resisted. Now, that the dragon was on the ground, the dragonslayers operating the giant crossbow couldn''t risk shooting their own men. The brown dragon got itself up and shot a ball of fire straight at the giant crossbow. The two dragonslayers near it tried to escape but were destroyed in the blast.


    It flailed it''s tail and arms at the remaining dragonslayers.


    The dragon looked at Captain Halido and was about to bite down on the captain. Halido continued shooting arrows at the dragon, but it seemed to have no effect. The captain rolled away from the dragon as it bit down at nothing. Akai sprinted towards the brown dragon while it was distracted. Akai slashed at the dragon''s tail and cut it clean off. The dragon roared in pain and spat fire all across the fields. Akai dodged out of the way from the falling fire. Captain Halido did the same.


    The captain ran out of bolts and unsheathed his blade. The captain ran towards the pained dragon and went for the dragon''s neck. The dragon noticed and jumped out of the way. As he jumped, the dragon stared at the captain and began to open its mouth. It started to blast fire towards the captain.


    Halido''s eyes turned to fear. He had no time to react and as he closed his eyes, he didn''t feel the fire touching him. He was surrounded by the fire, but none of it touched. Akai''s eyes widened. He looked back and saw the witch casting magic. The witch''s chains were broken free, but as Akai watched, the chains that imprisoned her were being twisted around her and fashioned into a dress. The chains turned red and forged a barrier around her like thorns on a rose. Her mask was still attached, but her eyes could be seen through it. The runes on her melted into the ground. Her mask turned from pale white to black in seconds.


    The witch casted some sort of defensive barrier around the captain protecting him from the flames.


    The brown dragon stopped its fire and looked towards the witch.


    The dragon began moving towards the witch, but in an instant, lightning obliterated the dragon''s face. The witch casted heavy strokes of lightning from her hands towards the brown dragon. Akai watched as the dragon was being cooked alive by the electricity. The brown dragon staggered back, but wasn''t deterred. As the other dragonslayers and city soldiers continued firing at the dragon with their crossbows and the witch was shooting lightning magic from her hands and fingertips, Captain Halido took his blade and slashed at the dragon''s arms'' and leg''s tendons. The witch''s lightning magic ceased and Akai jumped towards the dragon, took his blade, and stabbed it in the mouth. The dragon flailed its body in pain. Blood spurted all around its body.


    "Curse you, humans. Curse you all to hell." The dragon screamed as Akai was forcing his blade through to it''s brain.


    Akai looked at the dragon''s eyes and quietly asked, "Why did you attack these people?"


    "Curse you." The dragon said one more time.


    Akai thrust his blade deeper and the brown dragon perished.


    Akai got up covered in the dragon''s blood and gave a deep breath in and out. As soon as he finished, he heard the other dragonslayers and city soldiers cheer for him. They clapped and hollered as Akai watched around him.


    Akai looked back at the dragon. "It didn''t look like it had the same degeneration that Jezeboyah had," Akai whispered to himself without anybody else hearing his comment.


    He looked at Captain Halido and he noticed his battle stance was still readied. He was aiming towards the witch. Akai also readied himself against the witch as he turned around toward her. She didn''t move, but she was no longer chained up. As their battle stances were readied against the witch, the cheers stopped and the remaining dragonslayers realized that the witch was free. The city soldiers were the last to realize, but the ones that were sent out also readied their weapons against the witch. The dragonslayers aimed their crossbows at her.


    "I didn''t call for you to use magic. You broke out of those magical runes. How?" Captain Halido inquired to the witch as both the captain and Akai were slowly approaching closer to her.


    "I wish to speak to Akai over there." The witch said as she pointed to Akai. Akai kept a stern face.


    "Why did you protect the captain if you were free? You could have escaped." Akai said.


    "I could have escaped, yes. But I didn''t. I think of this as a favor." The witch replied.


    "Have you met this witch?" Captain Halido turned to Akai.


    "No." Akai said as he stared at her. The witch''s gaze could be seen through the small eye holes the mask had. Nobody could tell what emotion she was conveying.


    As the two got closer to her, she gave no sign of resistance.


    Captain Halido took out enchanted handcuffs and placed them on the witch.


    "If that makes you feel better." the witch said. The handcuffs were enchanted to cancel out the wearers own magical abilities, but Akai knew that if she broke out of those before, she can do it again.


    She wasn''t giving any struggle. Akai and Halido pushed her back into the city while the other dragonslayers kept their weapons drawn in case the witch tried to do anything. As Akai walked into the city, he noticed the same smell of burning flesh that he experienced at Butterton Town. This dragon wanted to fight humans, but he didn''t have a degenerating mind. It could communicate unlike Jezeboyah. The brown dragon seemed to hate humans, but Akai didn''t know the reason why. His eyes turned to rage for a moment, but kept himself under control.


    Akai and Halido walked into the city and back to the Den of Dragonslayers with the witch in hand.

 Chapter 14: The Witchs Prophecy

    The witch was placed into a dungeon underneath the Den of Dragonslayers. Akai wondered why there was a cell, and apparently the building was originally owned by the Shieldrake Inquisition. The cell was surrounded by runes that counter magic and would prevent the witch from casting any. Akai worried that it wouldn''t be enough. He was unsure how powerful this dark mage was, but was certain that she was very powerful considering she broke off the previous restraints that the inquisitors placed on her.


    Now, Akai had to worry about his own kind''s degenerative minds as well as a dark mage.


    ---------------------------------------


    As Akai was walking around the den thinking about what to do, he noticed the young boy watching him. The boy named Leo approached and asked "Is something bothering you?"


    Akai stopped and said "Nothing, really. Just thinking."


    There was a brief pause.


    "Thank you for saving me back at the town. I would have been dead if it wasn''t for you." Leo said.


    Akai listened and was full of relief. He remember about saving the boy and gave him a sense of satisfaction. A sense of fulfillment that showed that he wasn''t just killing monsters and dragons, but actually saving people.


    He smiled and said "It was nothing. It was just luck that I was there."


    The boy smiled looking up towards Akai.


    "I''m going to work hard and become a great knight. A great hunter just like you." Leo said in a joyful tone.


    "Don''t you have to do some work or something?"


    "Oh, right. Bye, mister."


    "My name is Akai." Akai said as Leo ran off to clean the tables.


    Akai thought he was a good kid, but as he watched the boy clean the tables, he remembered the ashes of Butterton Town. He closed his eyes as he tried to erase that memory. He didn''t want to be reminded of that massacre. As he opened them, he was back at that town. He heard the screams of men, women, and children. He saw a dragon above, but not Jezeboyah. It was himself spitting fire across the town. As he blinked, the screams ceased and looked around a ruined world. A world bathed in fire as armies of dragons rained fire down upon the ruined landscape. The smoke blocked out the sun. The oceans dried. The forests turned to ash. The mountains spewing lava from its sides. He blinked once more and he returned to watching Leo cleaning the tables.


    He had sweat coming down off of his face and he wiped it off.


    ---------------------------------------


    Captain Halido came out of a hatch that led to the witch''s cell.


    "We locked her up, but she insists on only speaking to you, Akai. So, I want you to get any information out of her. I want to know what she wants before I hand her back over to the inquisition." Halido explained.


    "Fine." Akai agreed and headed down into the dungeons.


    As he went down he saw some rows of cells. All of them were empty with the exception of one. Two dragonslayers were guarding the witch from outside the cell. Akai could see the dark mage sitting handcuffed in her cage. Runes were placed all around the cell preventing her from using magic, but Akai doubted that they would work against her.


    The witch looked up at Akai and smiled, not that anybody could tell because of her mask. "Ahh. There you are. I wanted to speak to you", the witch said.


    Akai was right outside of the cell crossing his arms.


    "I''m here. What did you want to say before they hand you right back to the inquisitors?"


    "I want to speak to you alone. I know a lot about you. Like... for example... Jezeboyah."


    Akai eyes widened in shock. How would she know that name, he wondered. Akai stayed calm and told the two dragonslayers to go back up.


    "We have orders, sir. We can''t leave you alone."


    "It''ll only be 5 minutes. And the captain does want to know what this witch is planning. I need some time to interrogate her."


    The other dragonslayers paused, but nodded after a while. They left the dungeon.


    Now, only the dark mage and Akai were there in that dark, dank dungeon.


    "Who are you?" Akai asked. He didn''t recognize the dark mage.


    As soon as he asked this question, the witch broke off her handcuffs with ease.


    Akai reached for his blade, but didn''t feel any aggression from the mage. The witch raised her pale hands with long claws. She took her right hand and removed the mask that hid her face.


    She took the mask and dropped it to the floor. As it dropped, the mask shattered into glass and the fragments turned to dust.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Her face was white as snow. Lips red with her own blood. Short dark hair. Her eyes were surrounded by black eye-shadow. Akai still didn''t recognize her.


    "You don''t know who I am. But I know you. I have seen you in my visions.", the woman said while the runes around the cell shattered into glass and dust.


    "And I know you saw one of my visions. Upstairs."


    Akai did recall seeing that horrid vision of a destroyed world.


    "So, you put illusions in my head. Very clever, but not even your magic can stop me." Akai replied.


    "Illusions? No. I said visions. Visions of possible futures. Your future."


    Akai continued to listen while he had his hand on his sword ready to unsheathe it at a moment''s notice.


    "I showed you one vision that I have seen. A future of ruin. And you, young Akai, are in the middle of it. When I first saw you playing with those dragonslayers, I knew you were the one in my visions. "


    "How do you know Jezeboyah?"


    "That was my first vision long ago. A vision of you slaying him. A dragon slaying another dragon. But not just any. The fall of an ancient dragon is far more important knowledge. "


    She paused to catch her breath. She smiled gently, but Akai didn''t trust her.


    "Who are you?" Akai asked.


    "My name is Miura Kentworth, self-proclaimed witch of the western seas. You may just call me Miura."


    Akai gripped his teeth. This witch couldn''t be trusted, he thought.


    "Before you take your sword and cut my head off, I have only shown you a possible future. A future where you fail to save the dragons from their own minds. A future where all life will suffer because of your failure. But that is only one future. I can show you another."


    She reached her hand out and in the next moment, Akai was on the ground.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai awoke on the ground rubbing his head. He looked around and saw pillars of glass and steel. Towers that struck the heavens. Higher than any dragon has ever flown. He saw hundreds of people walking around. Wagons made of metal. The streets stone. The bustling people would move right past him without acknowledging his presence. He couldn''t sense any dragons anywhere in the world. A world without dragons.


    He walked forward in awe and put out his hand towards one of the towers. He touched it and a ripple formed like touching a puddle. He laughed, but in the next instant, the tower that he touched began to shake. The ground beneath him shook. The people running in panic. The metal wagons collided with each other causing fire to burst out. The part of the tower that he touched began to crack. The tower began tipping over. Akai tryed to hold the tower together, but as soon as he touched a part of it, that part would turn to dust. The tower cracked like an egg and burst open. Glass fell around Akai and as he looked around, he noticed the other towers bursting open spreading glass to the stone floors. Each tower tipped over and melted like lava. As the melting tower came on top of Akai, his vision went black.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai awoke sweating. The witch still in her cage, but with her hands back down to her sides.


    "What the hell was that!?" Akai questioned.


    "A possible future. A future without people needing to worry about dragons. A world where it''s as if your kind never existed."


    "But when I touched that tower, it broke. It''s not a future, it''s an illusion. You''re trying to trick me." He said angrily as he entered the cage with his sword in hand.


    Miura said without flinching, "I have shown you visions of the future. Your future. You will be the great decider for where this world ends up to be."


    "Shut up." Akai said as he grabbed the witch''s neck. His wings and tail grew out. His eyes turned yellow with rage. He pushed her to the end of the cage wall and pointed his sword at Miura''s face.


    "You saw what happened at Butterton Town. You know that the existence of dragons are dangerous. You know what you have to do."


    Akai calmed himself down trying not to let his violent urges control him. His eyes turned back to normal. His wings and tail retracted. But he still held the witch in his hand with the sword pointing at her.


    "What to do you want?"


    "I want to follow you. I know that whatever the future holds, you will be able to change it. I want to be a part of that."


    Akai let go of her neck, but still kept his sword in hand.


    "Why don''t I just kill you, right now?"


    "You could. But you know I could have escaped here many times. Why would I put myself in danger? Why would I risk being tortured by inquisitors to the point of insanity? It was to find you."


    She paused and looked at Akai in the eyes. Akai looked back and believed that she was telling the truth. He sheathed his blade. His sword would have been useless against this witch, anyways, he thought.


    "I wish to follow you." She bowed like a princess. "I wish to be put under a command spell, if you''d like. So, that I wouldn''t be able to disobey your orders."


    "Why? When you can just break it, anyways?"


    In that instant, she casted a spell on herself and on Akai.


    "What are you doing!?" Akai yelled as he unsheathed his blade, but it was too late.


    In that moment, he noticed a string of runes tattooed onto his wrist. He tried to scratch it, but it wouldn''t come off. He looked at the witch and noticed the same kind of markings on her neck.


    "Now, you may command me as you like with no chance of betrayal", she said while bowing her head.


    Akai looked at the carvings on his wrist and her neck. It looked like ancient master-slave magic that was used hundreds of years ago.


    "You chained yourself? And even I can tell that these magic can''t be undone by any mage. This kind of magic hasn''t been used in a long time."


    He looked at her and asked "Who are you?"


    "I told you. I''m Miura Kentwood -" At that moment, a burning sensation came to her. The carvings on both the wrist and neck were glowing. Then, after a brief moment of respite, she said, "Miura Kentworth. Just wanted to show you that I couldn''t lie to you, either."


    Akai was aware with the kind of magic, and so he began setting rules.


    "Looks like you gave me no choice. I could kill you, but I do think that you are strong enough to take on armies alone. First thing, you can''t hurt anybody without my consent." As he said this, the carving glowed, but didn''t cause any harm to Miura.


    "Also, you can''t use any magic without my consent." It glowed, again. The restraints were setting up rules by the set master. It glowed each time a new rule has been set.


    "You can''t lie, but I guess you already put that one in. You must tell me if you see any more visions. You must inform me of anything that is worth notice." That last rule didn''t make the runes glow.


    "Sorry. That last one was too broad." Miura said with a smug smile.


    Akai was not amused, but he thought that she may be useful to her in other ways.


    "Fine. You''re following me. Come on." With that statement, the runes glowed one more time. Every time Akai gives an order to his newfound witch "slave", the runes on his arms and her neck glow.


    ---------------------------------------


    As Akai opened the hatch to the main floor, he noticed all of the dragonslayers on the floor and tables. He quickly got up and checked up on one of them. He heard them snoring. Each and every one of them.


    "I didn''t want any interruptions. You were very loud." Miura said as she walked up the steps holding her red chain dress.


    Akai looked at the witch and said aloud, "Maybe, I should just kill you and get it over with."


    The witch smiled showing her pristine white teeth and blood red lips. There was no way to tell what she was thinking.


    "Wake them up." Akai commanded.


    With that order, Miura cast a spell around the Den of Dragonslayers and each and every one of them awoke.

 Chapter 15: The Dragonslayers Beginning

    "What the hell!?" Captain Halido screamed as he unsheathed a blade pointed at the witch.


    The dragonslayers getting up from their slumber took some time to get themselves up and were slightly disoriented. Even Captain Halido still looked half-asleep.


    "I can explain." Akai said as he raised his arms. Miura only smiled gently, not saying a word.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai explained to Captain Halido about how Miura was able to break all of those counter-magic runes and cuffs. He also explained that Miura used a master-slave collar spell on himself with the witch acting as the slave. Halido was confused, but skeptical at both Akai and Miura. Akai also explained that she used a spell to make everybody fall asleep.


    "Look. I know that keeping her around is dangerous, but if she wanted to escape, she would have escaped. And if she wanted to kill us all... she would have killed us all and then some." Akai explained.


    He knew that this witch had capabilities far beyond any human and quite possibly, any dragon''s understanding. Akai didn''t want to take a risk in finding out. He inspected the runes. They seemed very difficult to break for any high-level mage or dragon.


    ---------------------------------------


    After seeing those visions of a destroyed Shieldrake and the visions of a possible future where humans create a world that rivals that of a God, he decided.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Captain Halido. I want to join your dragonslayers." His eyes filled with resolve. He knew that if he did nothing, the continent - no, the world would be utterly destroyed. He didn''t have the time to find any other solution.


    Captain Halido smiled in relief at the news and welcomed him fully. "I have seen how you fight. I want you to know that we don''t have a real leader, right now. Our last leader, may his soul rest in peace, died in battle."


    Captain Halido shook Akai''s hand and said "I believe that these men will follow you into any battle. Against any dragon, beast, or monster."


    The other dragonslayers listened. "I would follow him" One of them said who saw him fight the brown dragon and kill a dragon in his sleep.


    They began gathering around the table where Captain Halido, Akai, and Miura were sitting. "I would follow him" Another said.


    "I would follow him!" the young boy, Leo shouted.


    "I would follow him except on horseback." Another said while laughing.


    "I saw you fight that dragon outside the city. If it weren''t for you, I don''t know how many more would have died. I will follow him"


    "I would follow him"


    "I will follow him"


    "I would follow him"


    More and more dragonslayers shouted bringing their swords up for Akai. Some of them saw him fight that chimera. Some saw him next to a dead dragon that he said he killed while it was asleep. They all saw him fight that brown dragon in front of the city. They would all follow him into battle against dragon, beast, or monster.


    Akai stood up as they cheered and he smiled. He felt like he actually belonged somewhere. A family.


    The witch smiled as well, but for more sinister purposes. "The end of the dragons is near, then?", she whispered and paused. She was listening, but no voice could be heard. At least not to anybody else.


    The other dragonslayers shouted and drank their beer for their new member.


    They partied until the late night for their new member. Akai was having fun with the rest of what he would call his new family.


    While they partied into the deep nights, the witch kept to herself in the corner.

 Chapter 16: Forging the Dragonslayer

    After Akai and the rest of the dragonslayers were done celebrating their new companion, Akai needed some equipment. His gauntlets were destroyed against the battle with the brown dragon and his armor was slightly chipped and haven''t been maintained. His sword was also dull in parts.


    His ring hasn''t been damaged, so there was no problem there.


    He asked some of his dragonslayers to help him out with some new armor. They suggested some armor and swords made out of dragon scales, though they also said that it would be expensive.


    He thought to himself.


    "What if I could get the dragon scales. Is there a blacksmith that can forge what I need?"


    One of the dragonslayers said, "Yeah. The blacksmith is nearby. Old man Barb. If you say that you''re a dragonslayer, he''ll give you a big discount for first timers."


    "Thanks," Akai replied.


    ---------------------------------------


    As Akai heard this, he went over to a wagon and rented one to take him to a town. The witch followed wherever he went. The captain didn''t like having that witch around, but trusted that Akai could keep an eye on her. Even Akai didn''t want Miura to wander alone. He hoped that the restrictions he put on the carvings would prevent her from causing any trouble. But that hope only works if the carvings even have an effect on the powerful dark mage.


    Akai and the witch sat on the wagon towards the ruins of a destroyed town. Butterton Town. The two got off the wagon near the entrance as the pathway was full of rubble, and the driver waited for them to return. Akai grabbed an empty crate, while the witch was ordered just to follow along.


    The two went over to the remains of Jezeboyah. He saw ravens and crows picking at the dead remains of the dragon. There were still plenty of dragon scales to use, though. Akai hoped that the dead dragon wouldn''t mind.


    "I hope you forgive me, Jezeboyah," Akai said to the remains as he walked towards the body while the witch followed behind.


    "Are you asking forgiveness on looting your dead father-figure or on becoming a dragonslayer?" Miura asked.


    Akai ignored her and took out his sword. He began cutting off pieces of the dragon scales. Scale-by-scale. Each scale he place in a bucket. The crates were big enough to hold about 500 each, if Akai fills the bucket to the top. He brought five crates with him. He didn''t know how much he would need, but knew that there should be plenty of scales on the ancient dragon. Four of the crates remained on the wagon.


    Miura was watching as Akai worked tirelessly cutting off the ancient dragon''s scales for hours.


    Miura sat on the empty crate in boredom during most of it, until enough scales were on the ground that would fill up the first crate.


    "I think I can speed this process up if you may allow me the use of magic," she said.


    Akai paused and looked back at her. "Well, by all means, go ahead."


    With this, the runes glowed and she used telekinetic magic to rip off the scales by the dozens. They began to gather into a giant ball above them.


    Akai looked at her and asked "Why didn''t you say that you could do that before?"


    "You didn''t ask," she replied with the same gently smile.


    Akai wiped off sweat from his forehead and sheathed his blade. "And I thought I was a wise guy," he said sarcastically.


    ---------------------------------------


    As the driver was sitting by the wagon. He began drinking some water, but as he looked over towards the entrance of the town, he spit his water out in suprise. A shadow loomed over him. A ball of dragon scales was floating above Akai and Miura.


    Akai walked past the confused driver and placed a crate full of dragon scales onto the wagon. He then took out the other four crates and opened them. When they all opened, Miura used her magic to spread the dragon scales evenly among the crates. Each one of the crates were filled to the top.


    With that finished, Akai grabbed each crate and placed them on the wagon. When they were done they went into the wagon and took a seat.


    Akai looked outside and noticed the driver in shock.


    "Well. Come on. Haven''t you seen a mage, before?" Akai said jokingly and laughed.


    When Akai looked at Miura, her face just looked the same with her gently smile.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Akai sighed. The driver got back on the wagon and straightened himself out. He began moving the wagon back towards King''s City.


    ---------------------------------------


    When Akai and Miura arrived to the city, they went straight to Barb''s blacksmith. The wagon dropped them off right in front of it. Akai ordered Miura to use her magic to carry the crates with her. As Akai entered the blacksmith, he was greeted by Barb. An old man, but still strong and rough enough to handle heavy metals.


    Miura gently dropped the crates containing the red dragon scales of the ancient dragon, Jezeboyah. Akai ordered a new gauntlet, graves, and sword made out of these scales.


    Barb looked at the red dragon scales and felt around it. He nodded and said that he would gladly do this job for free. Akai was suprised and said, "Uh. No. I can pay if you want."


    "Nonsense. These dragon scales are some of the finest I''ve ever seen. It''s payment enough for me to try and cast some armor and weapons out of these."


    "Akai, what about your head? If your... thing fails, then wouldn''t a helmet be beneficial?" Miura suggested.


    "Helmets block my vision. Just makes it harder for me," Akai replied.


    Miura took a second and said, "I can enchant your helmet, if you''d like. I would be able to make it so that you would be able to see completely through the helmet, as if it wasn''t even there."


    Akai turned to Barb and asked "Do you think that the amount of scales we acquired would be enough for a helmet, as well?"


    "I think there''s plenty of material to use."


    Akai replied, "In that case" he removed his cape and then his breastplate "I want a helmet and some scales mixed into my armor, as well. I want some of the scales added into my current breastplate."


    He handed over his breastplate and gave it to Barb.


    "Very well. Give me a week and I''ll have it done," Barb replied.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai and Miura both had a room at the Den of Dragonslayers.


    When they entered their room for tonight. There were two separate beds.


    Akai said, "I''ll take the left bed. Don''t try to do anything during the night."


    The runes didn''t glow. "Too broad," she replied, "but don''t worry. I won''t try anything."


    They both slept for the day.


    ---------------------------------------


    A week has passed and they arrived at the blacksmith hoping to get his new armor.


    Akai entered with Miura following behind. Barb said that he just needed to do some finishing touches. Akai noticed the helmet. It looked like that of a dragon. He could tell much craftsmanship went into his new armor.


    Akai waited outside for Barb to call them in.


    As the sun set, Akai was asleep lying by the door, while Miura was still standing over him questioning herself.


    "This guy is supposed end the dragons? That''s getting hard to believe," she whispered to herself.


    As she finished this sentence, Barb ran out the door and yelled, "I finished it! I finished it!"


    He looked down and saw Akai snoring.


    Miura kicked Akai and at that moment, her tattooed collar started to burn her with an intensity higher than any fire a dragon can muster. Akai woke up and said "Is it done?" while Miura was rolling on the ground holding her neck.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai entered and saw the armor. The helmet, greaves, and gauntlets were smooth crimson red. The breastplate was black with red scales on the sides and crimson patterns reflected from the contrast of black. The helmet was in the shape of a dragon. It''s visor covered the face and had openings for where the person would see through. There were two reptilian eyes on the side of the visor made of glass, but Akai couldn''t see through that piece of glass. The greaves and gauntlets were shining red. Then, Barb took out a sword.


    The hilt was stylish and cross-guard. Red lines of the scales were beaming out from the guard. The blade itself was red and reflected the fires from the forge all around the room.


    "It''s beautiful," Akai said, "I must pay you for this work."


    "No. No. Next time, you can pay me double if you like for either more armor or maintenance. I have never worked with scales of this quality. They were harder than any other dragon scale that I worked with," Barb replied, "But please try on the armor."


    Akai took off his cloak and equipped the pieces of armor. First he attached the black and red breastplate. Then, the crimson greaves and gauntlets. He put the cloak back on him. Last, but not least, he held the helmet in his hands and looked at it.


    He held the master crafted helmet and put it on his head with the visor closed.


    Barb and Miura were both surprised. The armor fit perfectly. It felt light-weight and strong at the same time.


    He held his visor open and said, "Miura, I hope you can do some enchantments."


    ---------------------------------------


    When he arrived through the Den of Dragonslayers, the other dragonslayers looked at him in awe. Captain Halido and Leo had their mouths wide open as Akai strolled through as if he was a lord. He gave off a supreme aura that would give a feeling of fear and respect to anybody that saw him. His new armor was far stronger than anybody else''s in that room.


    Akai and Miura went to their room. Miura began enchanting the helmet, so that when Akai wears it, he would be able to have full sight with the extra benefit of protecting his head.


    "I could add more to the rest of your armors," Miura suggested. Akai nodded.


    As soon as Akai agreed she started reinforcing the rest of the armor. Making it stronger to resist other magic and elemental forces. She looked at the ring, and saw that it was still working. She then took the sword. Miura held the sword''s blade and with that, white fire burst out from the dragon scale blade. Miura handed the blade over to Akai and he held the fire in his hands.


    "When you want to turn the fire off, you just need to think it. Same applies to when you want to bring out the flames."


    With that in mind, Akai reduced the flames in his mind and as he did so, the white fire on the blade dispersed. Then, he tried to imagine the fire coming back, and the fire on the blade appeared.


    Akai smiled in excitement. He had full control over the flames.


    Miura watched and said "I was right about you. You are meant to be followed. All of these other dragonslayers know it."


    Akai put away his blade and armor. As he was putting away his armaments, the witch continued, "Are you actually committed?"


    Akai thought for a moment. He knew now that the only way to save the rest of life is to cause the extinction of another. He couldn''t rely on the ancient dragons. None of the other dragons would believe him and every second he wastes, the more likely that the dragons'' minds will degenerate. He had to act quickly.


    "I''m going to start with the ancient dragons. They''re the most dangerous and if their minds become lost... then, I don''t know how many will die. I was lucky with Jezeboyah. But I can''t rely on luck."


    He looked at Miura. "I''m absolutely going to need your help on this one." Akai said, "But two things I need to know. First, what are your most powerful destruction spells? Second... how good are you at heights?"

 Chapter 17: The Last Call

    Akai gave a call out to the ancient dragons. He was in dragon form perched on the sides as he gave out a call. He shouted into the sky with the frequency that only the dragons would hear. "Ancient Dragons, hear my call. I have discovered a very grave threat to our kind. Please come to Mt. Geolith. It is of absolute urgency," Akai shouted into the sky. This was the last chance that he would give to the dragons. He hoped that they would listen.


    The weather was cold and dark. The wind blew snow across the top of the mountain.


    "I think I''m going to be sick," Miura said while hanging onto Akai''s back and holding backpacks full of Akai''s gear. She was unable to understand that call. To her, it was just a shouting roar at the sky.


    "Just deal with it. I''ve already my job. You just have to do yours."


    "I feel like I got the hard job."


    "You''re the one who wanted to follow me. This is how you follow me."


    Akai flew to a clearing that a person can safely land his feet on near the top of the mountain, but not close enough to the actual meeting place. Otherwise, the ancient dragons would be able to know she was there. She wouldn''t be able to see the fight, but have enough range for her magic to take effect.


    "They''ll be here, any moment, now. I need to get myself ready," Akai said.


    Miura climbed off of the dragon and used her chains to latch onto the sides of the mountain. She was able to stand on the side of the mountain with the chains keeping her supported.


    Her breathing was hard. There was a lack of air up on Mt. Geolith and the snow blew into her face.


    As Miura was properly able to stand where she was, Akai transformed himself into a human-form with the wings and tail. He didn''t have the illusive ring equipped, so his black scales showed.


    He landed on the side of the mountain next to where Miura was standing.


    He took the armor pieces from his backpack and quickly put it on.


    He sensed a dragon nearby. He quickly put on his new set of armor and sheathed his blade. He stood to the top of Mt. Geolith and sat as he waited for the dragons to approach.


    Akai''s senses perked. He could sense the dragons coming. At that moment, he stood up on the tip of Mt. Geolith. The ancient dragons arrived one by one. First, Kytlmyne arrived and said "Akai. I hope that you aren''t wasting our time." The ancient dragon of the forests landed on the mountain.


    Then, Aquis arrived. And lastly Azor. The three remaining ancient dragons in the world all gathered in one place.


    ---------------------------------------


    The three ancient dragons perched themselves to the mountain while Akai stood to the tip of the mountain in human form with his wings and tail out. It was a cloudy night sky. The wind picked up snow and dragged it across the dragons'' bodies. Miura was hanging onto the side of the mountain with her magical chains below where the other ancient dragons have landed. The snow covered her body. She shivered as the other dragons had their conversation above her.


    "Welcome, great ancient dragons," Akai said with a bow while standing atop the mountain overlooking the ancient dragons below.


    The other dragons looked in suspicion. They felt that something wasn''t right.


    "Why did you call us here? What threat? And why are you in human form wearing that outfit?" Azor asked.


    "I have told you about the mind degeneration of dragons. Have any of you looked into it?" Akai asked while ignoring the question about why he was in human form.


    Kytlmyne was the first to reply. "As I said before, this degeneration is nothing but a myth. There is no such thing."


    Akai retorted, "Yet, one of your dragons has apparently experienced not being able to control himself. 1200 year old dragon, as I recall. That is quite enough time for a dragon to have full control over his urges."


    Kytlmyne paused. The other two dragons listened.


    "Yes. I remember the dragon. I banished him from our lands, so that he could reflect upon what he has done. It was just a momentarily lapse. Not some indication of a disease," Kytlmyne said.


    "I must admit that it''s unlikely. We have been alive far longer than any other being in the world. The only one that, supposedly, gone mad was Jezeboyah," Azor said.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "I must agree with Kytlmyne and Azor," Aquis said and paused for moment, "but if it true, then that means that we just have to learn to adapt. Learn better ways of control over our animal urges."


    Akai looked at Aquis. She seemed to be the only one with reason, but it wasn''t enough. He knew that no amount of self control would work. If his mentor, Jezeboyah, wasn''t able to take control over himself, then he doubted anybody, including other ancient dragons, can. He thought to himself that maybe he can at least convince Aquis of the looming threat. If that was the case, then his plans as a dragonslayer wouldn''t need to happen. With the help of an ancient dragon, they could surely find some way.


    Akai smiled with relief and opened his mouth, but Kytlmyne intervened.


    "If! If it''s true! The boy''s claim about a degenerating mind is nothing but an excuse he made for slaying our friend," Kytlmyne yelled.


    At those words, Akai''s eyes turned yellow with rage. His helmet hid those features, so none of the other dragons could see it. He regained control over himself very quickly. He became quite confident in control over his own animal urges, even if sometimes they leak out on occasions.


    "Don''t you dare, Kytlmyne. Even before Jezeboyah''s death, you always looked down on me. If you have some personal vendetta against me that I''m unaware of, then look past that," Akai said.


    "Giving commands to an ancient dragon. I do enjoy the vigor of youth," Azor said, "But know your place."


    "I apologize if I have offended, but the dragons'' degeneration of the mind is a grave threat to us all," Akai said and continued, "Aquis, ruler of the seas. I can tell that at least you are thinking on the issue."


    "I haven''t decided whether it even exists, yet. Just hypothetically thinking about it," Aquis replied, "We don''t actually have any proof that it exists. It could very well be that that dragon you mentioned did just lose control for a brief moment. 1200 years old isn''t a long time. Jezeboyah may have lost control, but we don''t actually have proof of it, except-"


    "Except my word," Akai interrupted.


    "Yes. We only have your telling, but as you mentioned that 1200 year old forest dragon, maybe we would be able to meet him and ascertain the truth," Aquis finished.


    Akai''s body moved back.


    "I... I... I had to kill him," Akai said in a sorrowful tone.


    "You what!? You killed another one of us!?" Kytlmyne angrily shouted as he climbed the mountain towards Akai.


    Akai said painfully, "I had no choice. He was a danger to -"


    "I''m sorry," Aquis interrupted with a sigh. She wasn''t completely certain this degenerative disease existed or not. Nonetheless, since there was no proof except for the word of a young dragon pup, she shook her head and said, "Maybe this disease does exist. Maybe it doesn''t. Maybe, you''re just not mentally ready for responsibility. Since, we don''t have any physical proof, I can''t readily believe your claims."


    "No. I swear. I didn''t have a choice," Akai said, but they didn''t believe his words. Even if they did, they had no proof to support them.


    Azor didn''t say anything and only looked down in pity for the young boy.


    Akai''s one last chance to convince the ancient dragons went down in fire.


    He looked inwards to himself. He knew that he couldn''t convince them, now. He thought to himself, was he actually committed to what he was about to do. He knew there was no turning back.


    Akai let out one more statement to try and convince them. It was a shot in the dark.


    "I''ve had visions. Visions that showed the dragons destroy everything. Visions that showed the world in ashes. Visions that -"


    "Enough! I''ve heard enough nonsense from this boy!" Kytlmyne yelled.


    "Visions? You''ve been seeing things? Maybe, there is something wrong with you. I''m so sorry, young dragon," Aquis said worryingly as she shook her head.


    Azor said, "I guess that means there is nothing to worry about. I''ll be heading out, then. Hopefully, we don''t get called upon again by some crazy dragon."


    With that, Akai''s heart broke. Even the one dragon who may have believed him once would no longer give her support. His eyes became yellow as tears burst out. The other dragons couldn''t see behind the helmet, but tears dripped from the bottom of it. He didn''t want to kill any more dragons, but the vision of a destroyed world festered in his mind. He couldn''t let that happen.


    Azor began to fly upwards and as he did, he asked Akai, "By the way, you didn''t answer why you were in human form and why you decided to wear those human toys on you?"


    As Azor ended the sentence, the slits where Akai would usually see from began to glow red. Small fires began to spew out.


    "AGGHHHH!!!!" Akai screamed as he looked to the sky. Red flames fired upon the cloudy skyline. The The fire went from red to blue as he screamed fire out of his helmet''s visor. His scream became a roar. Akai''s broken heart forged into steel as the love for all other life outweighed his love for his own kind. He truly believed that he was the only one who could save the world, even if it means sacrificing one species to save the rest.


    The ancient dragons saw this as just a child making a tantrum. They didn''t take him seriously.


    The other dragons looked at him and they were quite confident that they would be able to subdue a young dragon by themselves. Together, they thought, it would be easy. They had no intentions of putting the young dragon in any real harm. They planned to just knock him out, so they limited their own power. A mistake. They underestimated the young Akai. His spirit along with his enchanted weapons and armor along with the help of a witch gave Akai a unique edge.


    As the blue fire raged towards the sky, the clouds above became darker. They began to form a huge storm right in front of them. As the ancient dragons saw the spectacle, chains penetrated under the mountain floor and through to the three ancient dragons. The chains grabbed Aquis and Kytlmyne in suprise and immobilized them to the mountain''s rough rocks. Azor saw this as he was flying and noticed another set of chains coming towards him. He dodged the chains and they went back into the mountain.


    The storm clouds above formed in seconds. Lightning and thunder crackled as more snow began to cover the mountain.


    Akai''s roar ended as his blue flame dispersed into the air. As he looked back down, his visor''s openings and glass eyes glowed yellow as he stared at the ancient dragons.


    Aquis and Kytlmyne were struggling to break free but they were completely immobilized by the magical chains while Azor was flying above Akai.


    Akai''s wings flapped as he moved higher. He unsheathed his sword. He placed a hand on the dragon scale blade. In a couple of seconds, white fire grew and spewed from the blade as he looked between the ancient dragons.

 Chapter 18: Battle of Mt. Geolith

    Lightning and thunder continued to crackle above them. Aquis and Kyltmyne were chained to the mountain while Azor flew above, but not as high as the storm clouds.


    Lightning bolts struck the mountain missing the ancient dragons and Akai.


    "She did say that she couldn''t properly control it." Akai whispered to himself as he prepared himself. His wings flapped above. His tail swung back and forth in anticipation. His yellow reptilian eyes moved between the dragons waiting for one of them to make a move. He held the sword''s grip firmly while white flames spewed out of it.


    The heat from the fire could be felt by all of the dragons. The snow around him began to melt as they passed by. The tip of the mountain started to melt over.


    Kytlmyne and Aquis tried to escape the chains, but with every movement, the chain constricted more and more. Kytlmyne roared in agony and tried to move his wings off of the chains, but as he did so, the chains squeezed. His wings began to crack and he stopped.


    He roared with all of his might as two trees grew on his back in seconds. Then, vines appeared to grow out of the snowy mountain surrounding the forest dragon creating a protective barrier around himself as he tried not to move.


    Aquis calmly transformed her scales into a hard icy shell as she saw the forest dragon''s resistance was futile.


    They both covered themselves with protection as lightning bolts struck the mountain area.


    Akai looked down upon the ancient dragons. For only a second, he thought that facing the ancient dragons was a mistake, but he shook his head throwing away those thoughts.


    In that moment, Azor charged at Akai from above with speed of lightning. Akai quickly reacted in time to dodge the charge. As he dodged, he noticed giant ice spikes being shot up at him. Aquis formed spikes of ice by freezing the snow around her and shooting them at Akai like projectiles. Akai took his blade and began cutting ice spikes that were going to hit him. As he did so, Kytlmyne''s vines reached up towards Akai. At the same time, Azor began ascending while being below the storm and dodging lightning bolts. Akai saw the vines coming towards him and he flew in the opposite direction of them.


    Azor flew up and breathed out balls of fire towards Akai. Akai was being barraged by balls of fire on one side and ice spikes on another. A lightning bolt almost struck Kyltmyne and he recalled his vines. Kytlmyne focused on the defensive and created a protective barrier around himself using plants and vines. The lightning was shooting faster and more erratically. The winds from the storm sped up.


    Akai dodged back and forth between the fire and ice. Some ice spikes bounced off of the enchanted armor that he was wearing, but some shards penetrated Akai''s skin. Fireballs were being shot at from Azor''s high position. Akai was able to dodge most of the fire, and his armor was able to protect him from the ones that did hit. Luckily, none were able to hit his wings, otherwise, he would be incapacitated. "I''m too small of a target for them. I can dodge their attacks, but if they get one good hit at me, I''m finished," Akai said aloud to himself.


    Lightning began to concentrate themselves on the chained ancient dragons. The witch can''t control where the lightning strikes, but the metal chains were attracting the electricity. Aquis'' ice armor was being hit by lightning and Kytlmyne''s vines and plants were being torched. The forest dragon continued growing more plants from the ground to replace to destroyed ones. Aquis, even though she was being struck at by electricity, continued to fire ice spikes at Akai.


    "Damn it! I''m being pushed back! The lightning is barely having an effect," Akai complained as he swerved from the oncoming barrage of fire and ice.


    As he did so, he flew straight towards Azor and his barrage of fire from above. Akai thought he should focus on the one that isn''t chained to the mountain. The forest dragon formed an opening within the walls of plants surrounding him. Kytlmyne began to shoot his own fire into the barrage from the hole. Red fireballs shot out through the hole and at Akai.


    Akai noticed them and continued to dodge what he could. He still got hit on his armor a couple of times, but they didn''t hurt him as much as they would have.


    As Akai approached closer to Azor, the sky dragon flew himself upwards towards the storm.


    Lightning began to shoot near Azor and Akai. Akai dodged a lightning strike that would have collided with his head if he hadn''t moved. Akai took his white flaming sword and flew closer to Azor.


    The ice spikes and Kytlmyne''s fireballs were too spread out at the height they were at.


    Azor moved higher and higher. Akai''s wings flapped faster with adrenaline. He held his blade pointed at Azor while swerving from the sky dragon''s fireballs.


    As Akai approached closer, Azor flew higher to the point where the storm clouds touched. The moment his wings touched the cloud, lightning struck at Azor. His wings turned black as coal.


    Akai slowed down as Azor descended. He tried to flap his wings, but in that instant, another lightning bolt struck. Zap! Azor''s back was electrocuted. Zap, zap, zap. More lightning struck the sky dragon. His eyes blanked out. Akai saw his chance. As Azor fell, Akai took his blade and striked his sword aiming at the dragon''s neck. However, the sky dragon quickly woke himself up and smacked Akai with his tail.


    Akai was forced back towards Mt. Geolith, but instead of continuing to fall, he kept flying.


    Azor flapped his wings slowly as he descended. His wings were damaged, but still, albeit painful, usable.


    Akai was now in range of Aquis'' and Kytlmyne''s projectiles. The ice spikes and fireballs from the mountain collided with Akai. His armor took most of the blunt force, but he still felt sharp pain all around him. He took a second to readjust himself and then went back to dodging the oncoming wave.


    Azor kept descending even as he flapped. The sky dragon''s breath was short and weak. As he continued downwards, he closed his eyes.


    Akai noticed this and saw the dragon''s weakened state and thought that this was his chance. Akai dodged the barrage of ice and fire as he made his way towards Azor. As Akai got close enough, Azor''s eyes spring open.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Fooled you," Azor said as he flipped his tail and smacked Akai with a more powerful force than his last.


    The force pushed Akai towards the mountain as he was being shot from behind. None of the ice or fire hit him, but he turned his body over, so that if they do, they would most likely hit his armor, rather than his back. He swung at the ice spikes and dodged the fireballs.


    He was able to stop himself near the tip of the mountain.


    Azor flew slowly near the mountain.


    Now, that Akai was close to Kytlmyne and Aquis. The forest dragon grew vines on the tip of the mountain towards the young dragon. The vines grew thorns and tried to grab Akai. Akai swinged his blade at the plants and they burned in an instant.


    Aquis breathed out fire that was cold as ice. Akai flew back away from the mountain avoiding the ice breath.


    He turned around and saw Azor trying to keep flying. The ancient dragon was tired and heavily wounded, but Akai didn''t want to get close in fear of getting tricked again. Akai began breathing red fire out of his visor towards Azor, but the flames were too weak to hurt him.


    Akai looked around the area. Azor was flying above him, while Aquis and Kytlmyne were chained up to the mountain.


    Aquis began forming more ice spikes. Akai was between Azor and the mountain. Lightning still struck around the area, but they weren''t hitting anything. Azor was too weak to shoot out his own flames, but might have been capable to fighting back when Akai gets close to him.


    Akai thought of an idea. He stood still. Aquis'' ice spikes surrounded her. A momentary standoff.


    Aquis looked at Akai before firing off the projectiles. At that moment, he concentrated on his blade.


    "Hotter. Hotter. Hotter," he said to himself as he closed his eyes. He couldn''t feel the fire himself as he was the wielder.


    The snow around him began to melt faster. The snow falling near him turned to water in an instant. As the ice projectiles came nearer. They melted into liquid and then burst into steam.


    Steam surrounded Akai. The ancient dragons were no longer able to see him. In that moment, the steam began to spread across the mountain and above. The ancient dragons were now covered in the steam.


    In that moment, Azor tried to fly away at a faster pace, but the pain was becoming too unbearable. The adrenaline that was pumping through him no longer existed. Azor kept turning his head in the steam. He wasn''t able to see anybody, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Akai.


    The dragon in human form flew to Azor''s location and cut the dragon''s neck, instantly cauterizing it in the process. No blood was ever spilled. The look of suprise was glued to Azor''s face as he died.


    Azor''s body and head fell beneath the steam and down the mountain.


    Lightning continued to strike.


    Akai''s burning fire didn''t last long. The steam shrank around them.


    Aquis created large spikes of ice surrounding herself. She watched for any sign of Akai and waited.


    The steam further shrank. Kytlmyne kept himself covered in vines covered with thorns.


    The steam shrank and shrank until there was nothing left except more snow and lightning.


    But Akai and Azor was nowhere to be seen. He was no longer above the mountain.


    Aquis turned her head downwards, but it was too late. Akai flew up with incredible speed and stabbed an opening that he saw in Aquis'' neck. Aquis tried to scream, but Akai quickly cut the head hoping that he wouldn''t have to make her suffer.


    The wound was instantly cauterized as the head and spikes of ice fell down the mountain. The body continued to be held in place by the chains.


    Akai flew up on the side of the mountain. Kytlmyne''s face was in shock, but the vines covering him kept it hidden. Only his widened eyes could be seen from holes in the barrier.


    Akai flew to the side of the mountain opposite of Kytlmyne and took a long breath. The forest dragon prepared himself and grew more vines surrounding the entire mountain. Flowers began to sprout in the snowiest of areas.


    Akai took his flaming sword and with a mighty roar, he slashed the side of the mountain with the fury of a thousand dragons. His blade created a beam of white fire penetrating through the mountain. Vines reached towards Akai, but were instantly vaporized by the sudden heat. Kytlmyne could feel the heat. His vines began to go out in flames. He continued to grow more and more to replace them, but they weren''t enough. White flames melted through the barrier and struck the forest dragon.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai took many breaths. The top of the mountain has turned into a plateau. The fire on Akai''s sword still glowed, thought less instensely. The top of the mountain was completely destroyed. Lightning bolts struck the now plateau.


    He looked back at where Kytlmyne was and saw the forest dragon still alive. His body was burned to black. His wings were charred and had gaping holes in them. Kytlmyne breathed heavily and coughed profusely. Blood spat out as he coughed.


    Akai was taken aback. He couldn''t believe his eyes. The ancient dragon of the forest still lived after that.


    Akai flew towards the forest dragon, slowly. He noticed that Kytlmyne was weak, but didn''t want to be overconfident.


    The lightning storm still flew above the mountain shooting lightning. Kytlmyne''s barrier was turned to ash and its ash turned to dust, yet the ancient dragon, ruler of the forests, was still breathing.


    The chains on Kytlmyne were still on him. "I can''t believe you survived that," Akai said.


    Kytlmyne stared and coughed, but didn''t respond.


    "You know, you always were -," ZAP!


    A lightning bolt struck Akai''s back. The shock ran through his entire body. He fell to the ground on his knees. He tried to hold himself up from the agonzing pain using his blade. His sword was no longer on fire. He tried to calm himself and get back up, but it was too late.


    Kytlmyne took a long breath in.


    And he fired a large ball of flames at Akai as he looked up at the coming fire.


    The ball of fire hit him and his surrounding area as rocks and ash flew up in the air. Akai was pushed back over the edge of the once great top of Mt. Geolith.


    He fell alongside rocks and his sword. His eyes went dark as he fell from the mountain.


    ---------------------------------------


    Miura heard lots of fighting going on from above. She stayed near the top of the mountain while using her magical chains to hold the ancient dragons and her storm to shoot heavy bolts of lightning around the battle.


    Suddenly a heavy shock jolted inside of her body. Her branded neck glowed with intense heat. Her knees weakened from the pain. Her bloodshot eyes dilated. Her chains clutched her harder than before to keep her from falling off the side of the mountain. She knew that the pain was from hurting Akai. Miura assumed that one of her lightning bolts struck Akai by accident. She was hoping that Akai would be too small of a target compared to the other dragons to actually get hit by one. But hope didn''t alter the facts. Her markings signifying her servant-hood glowed in response to hurting her so-called master.


    A pool of vomit and blood burst out of her mouth. The chains held tighter around her waist as that was now the only safeguard between life and death. The vomit dropped down into the depths below. She wiped off the vomit and sweat from her face, and tried to readjust herself back on the cold icy slopes.


    She continued to latch onto the sides of the mountain, hoping not to fall off from the heavy winds and falling debris.


    Suddenly a loud explosion shook the entire mountain. She kept herself steady with her magical chains.


    "What is going on up there?" She asked herself.


    Time passed and she looked up. She saw Akai fall in front of her. "Oh no!" she screamed as she used recalled her magical chains to grab Akai.


    On top of the mountain, the chains holding Kytlmyne were recalled back into the ground. The storm clouds above turned to sunshine. The winds calmed itself.


    The ancient dragon painfully limped on the plateau. He tried to flap his wings, but pain overtook him. He coughed and wheezed. His throat was burned alongside the rest of his body. His wings were barbecued. His body was charred in black. Even with the pain, he needed to fly away. The forest dragon moved faster and flapped his wings harder.


    He jumped off the plateau and began flying slowly away as his coughs could be heard around the mountain.


    ---------------------------------------


    Miura''s chains reached towards Akai and grabbed his foot. She sighed with relief. Miura looked up and saw the ancient dragon fly away with grievous injuries.


    Akai opened his eyes and his last vision was his blade falling with the rest of the debris. His eyes closed again as his mind fell into darkness.

 Chapter 19: Dormant Memories

    "Jezeboyah. I did it. I made a friend," a very small black dragon said.


    "Oh that''s great, little one. Who is it?" A giant red dragon asked.


    "A human named Marco."


    "A human?"


    "Yes. I was wearing that ring you gave me and I found a kid in the village. He looks like my age, but he''s actually only 5."


    "I see. I should warn you that humans change very fast."


    "I know. He promised me that he will never change. That we''re going to be best friends forever."


    There was a brief pause.


    "I''m sure you will."


    The red and black dragon smiled.


    ---------------------------------------


    "Hey, Jezeboyah!" Akai shouted.


    "Akai, what is it?"


    "I just made more friends. Marco''s friends became my friends."


    "That''s great!"


    "We played in the fields and hid from the farmer. It was so much fun!"


    ---------------------------------------


    "Jezeboyah." the small black dragon called.


    "Yes, Akai?"


    "What is an adventurer?"


    "Why do you ask that? Have you met one?" the red dragon asked worryingly.


    "Marco said that he wants to become an adventurer one day. I''m still not sure what that is."


    "Ahh. An adventurer is somebody who gets paid for exploration, hunting monsters, and other work."


    "Exploration and hunting monsters?"


    "Yes and other things. It''s a very broad job, but they can be necessary for humans."


    "I see. Then, I''m going to become an adventurer, too."


    "Huh? Why would you want to do that?"


    "Because Marcus is going to. He told me that it was plenty of fun and that means we could have fun forever."


    There was a brief pause.


    "I wanted you to experience how humans lived, but having a human job... well, that''s... impossible."


    "Aww. Why impossible?"


    "You''re not a human. You''re a dragon."


    "That doesn''t mean I can''t be with them."


    There was another pause.


    "True."


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai was crying alone in a corner.


    Jezeboyah saw and rushed over to him.


    "What''s wrong, little one?"


    "Marco can''t be my friend anymore!" Akai said as he cried.


    "Why is that? It has only been a couple of days."


    "We were playing and my ring fell off. His mother saw my scales," Akai sniffled and continued, "She called me a monster and took him away from me."


    "Oh my sweet Akai," Jezeboyah comforted him and continued,"You''re not a monster. Their just afraid."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Afraid?" Akai sniffled.


    "Yes. Afraid of something unknown to them. Humans fear us for good reason. Dragons are dangerous. Most know us as fire breathing monsters, while some know us to be gentle. That makes them afraid."


    "How can I be friends with Marco, then, if I''m not human?" Akai cried.


    There was a brief pause.


    "I don''t know if you can."


    "There has to be a way." Akai no longer sniffled.


    ---------------------------------------


    "Jezeboyah! I was right. I was able to make up with Marco. We''re friends again."


    "Really? How did you manage that?"


    "We just play in secret, now. Only his mother wants him to stay away from me, but not him. He wants me to be his friend."


    "I''m happy for you."


    Jezeboyah paused and continued.


    "But please be careful."


    ---------------------------------------


    "Hey, old dragon!"


    "I''m not that old, little one"


    "I just realized something. It''s only been 13 years, and Marco already looks like a grown up."


    "Didn''t I tell you already about how humans and dragons age differently?"


    "Did you? I don''t remember."


    ---------------------------------------


    "Jezeboyah! Jezeboyah!"


    "Hmm?"


    "Marco just joined the adventurer''s guild. I''m going to go with him!"


    "What!? No, you can''t do that!"


    "W-Why not!?"


    "It''s too dangerous."


    "I said I''m going!"


    "No!"


    "So, Akai. I know that you are smaller than me, but I won''t let anything happen to you. You already know how to use the wooden sticks that we used as kids, but now I gotta teach you how to use a real sword."


    "Wow! Okay!"


    Marco smiled with a delightful face.


    "Besides, you''re a dragon. You''ll probably save me far more often than I do you." He laughed.


    ---------------------------------------


    "It hurts. It hurts. Please wake up, Marco." Akai cried bleeding with cuts on his head, arms, and legs.


    "A kid dragon? Well, I think I know some people who would be willing to pay a high price for you." A brutish bandit holding an axe said to the crying child.


    Akai''s tears began to flow and his scream could be heard around the dead team of adventurers in the woodlands.


    A small Akai took up Marco''s bloodied sword as the bandit began walking slowly towards him.


    The bandit said, "Heh. Put that small thing down before you get hu-" but suddenly thorny vines grew from underneath the bandit.


    "What the -" The bandit was crushed between the vines before he could say another word.


    A giant green forest dragon emerged from the forest and saw the child with black scales.


    "I thought I sensed a dragon here." it said.


    Akai let go of his sword and dropped to his knees. He crawled towards the dead body of Marco and began pushing him as if he was asleep. "Come on. Wake up, Marco. Wake up," He said emotionless.


    The forest dragon merely stared at him with no emotion and asked, "Do you know any other dragons?"


    Akai paused at the question. He took a moment and said, "Jezeboyah."


    The forest dragon''s eyes widened. "I see. Well, I can take you to him if you''d like. Have you learned to fly?"


    Akai looked back at the forest dragon with tears flowing from his face, but otherwise emotionless.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai rode on the giant forest dragon''s back.


    His cuts were covered by leaves. There was still a little bit of blood on him. The forest dragon kept flying and asked, "Why were you with those adventurers? Did they capture you?"


    Akai didn''t respond.


    The forest dragon sighed and said, "Look. I don''t know your situation, but it looked to me like that..uh, Marco-guy... He looked to be your friend."


    Akai didn''t respond.


    "I personally don''t like humans at all. And to me, that guy made a mistake bringing you to a fight."


    He paused and looked back at Akai.


    Akai replied, "Humans really are different than us. Aren''t they?"


    There was a silence.


    Akai was on the verge of crying and continued, "I thought Marco was my friend, but he was going to sell me to those bandits. I just didn''t believe it. I didn''t think that he would betray me. We were going to be friends forever. I didn''t believe that he could..."


    Akai''s eyes tears up, again. He wiped his tears as he sobbed.


    The forest dragon believed it. He had only a little faith in humans. He pondered to himself as Akai cried on his back.


    The forest dragon opened his mouth. "That doesn''t mean that all humans are bad."


    Akai still sobbed wiping away his tears and asked, "What?"


    "I said that not all of them are bad. I know only a very small few think highly of dragons nowadays. But still, a few. Dragons weren''t always a symbol of destruction. We used to be saviors in a sense. It''s just that people forget easily."


    Akai wiped away his tears and listened.


    "We are, of course, divine compared to them. But even if we weren''t, I think we could get along, eventually. It will take time and they will forget over and over and over again. But eventually..."


    Young Akai took those words to heart.


    "Well, either way, as long as it keeps you from crying on my back, I''ll say whatever I need to. I personally don''t like humans. Always hunting us and cutting down my forests. It might be better just to get rid of them."


    Akai wasn''t paying attention to the part, afterwards.


    ---------------------------------------


    The forest dragon landed near the volcano where Jezeboyah resided.


    "I forgot to ask. What''s your name?" Akai said as he got off the dragon''s back.


    The dragon stared at him and said quietly, "Kytlmyne." as he flew away.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai walked back into a cave entrance.


    He met with a sleeping red dragon and woke him up.


    "Jezeboyah! It''s me, Akai!"


    "Ahh, Akai. You''re back. How was your so-called adventure?" the red dragon said as he welcomed him back in open arms.


    ---------------------------------------


    Even though he forgot his conversation with Kytlmyne, time passed with young Akai''s new resolve. He wanted to make friends with humans and dragons as a child from then on. 100 years passed as Akai trained himself with human weapons and armor. He was more skilled in human form than any other dragon has ever become. He equipped armor and robes, along with his illusive ring.


    "Jezeboyah, I''m going to be an adventurer."


    "Again? Well, I wouldn''t want to get in the way. You do love humans."


    "Yes. I''m so glad that you raised me." Akai smiled, put on the masked helmet, and left the cave.

 Chapter 20: Recovery

    Akai awoke to the sight of a small wooden ceiling. He laid awake with bandages covering himself. His armor and clothes were unequipped. His scales shown. His wings and tail were out in the open. He rubbed his eyes. He didn''t feel any more pain from his injuries, but when he moved his wings, he felt a slight stinging sensation.


    He recalled that dream that he had. Memories that were lost to time. Childhood memories that he didn''t remember, but led him to where he was. He put his hands on his face and rubbed his eyes once more.


    Akai looked at around. It was a small homely cabin. Lights protruded from the windows.


    He tried to get himself up, but his body was sore. He may not have been able to feel pain, but his body wasn''t ready to move quite yet.


    He fell to the ground as he tried to lift himself up. "Ow. Ow," he said as he touched the ground. He tried to push himself back up.


    A young woman entered the cabin. "Oh my. You''re awake," she said as she hurried over to Akai.


    "Don''t try to move fast. It took some time fixing you up, and I don''t want to re-bandage anything," the woman said as she helped Akai up to sit on the bed.


    She kneeled down to Akai''s level. They looked each other in the eyes. She had short red hair with simple village clothing.


    "Why would you help me? Can''t you see what I am?" Akai asked.


    "Of course I can. Dragon or not, you needed help. What kind of person would I be if I didn''t help somebody in need," she said as she fixed some of the bandages, "I''m Nera, by the way."


    They sat in silence for a couple of seconds as Nera fixed his bandages.


    "I''m Akai."


    She smiled and got herself up.


    "Well, you''re bones aren''t broken. And most of your injuries have healed up, already. I''m always impressed by how fast dragons can heal themselves."


    Akai''s eyes widened.


    "How long was I asleep?"


    "About 4 days."


    Upon hearing that, Akai tried to get himself up, but to no avail.


    "Careful, you''re not mortally in danger, but you''re still weak," Nera said as she tried to steady him.


    Akai thought to himself that the other dragons must know by now that Aquis and Azor were killed. Kytlmyne would have made a call to all other dragons acknowledging his betrayal, he thought. He began to sweat and his teeth tightened.


    As his worry has only began, another presence entered the cabin.


    "Don''t worry, Akai. You''re safe here."


    It was the witch, Miura. She was wearing casual villager clothes.


    "Ahh. Lady Kentworth," Nera said smiling.


    "Nera. I see that my friend is awake. We are in your debt for helping us.," Miura said with a bow.


    Nera embarrassed replied, "Oh. It was nothing. I believe either of you would have done the same."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Akai didn''t believe he would. And he definitely didn''t believe that Miura would.


    Akai slowly got himself up. As he did, Nera ran over and gave a walking cane to Akai.


    "It used to belong to my father. I think you would need it more than him," she said.


    Nera was surprisingly optimistic. Akai didn''t believe that she would help them out of the goodness of their hearts, but hearing these kind words did give a smile to Akai''s face.


    "I don''t know how I can repay you, but if you''d let us, I would like to speak to... Lady Kentworth," Akai said.


    "Oh. Of course. If you need anything, I''ll be right outside," she said as she left the cabin.


    Akai and Miura stared at each other.


    "Did you threaten these people?" Akai asked in a serious manner.


    "No. These people genuinely wanted to help you. When I was walking down the mountain trail carrying you, I met some of these villagers. They immediately dropped what they were doing to help me."


    Akai looked at her and then at his slave markings on his wrist. If Miura lied, she would be experiencing severe pain, but that wasn''t the case.


    Akai sighed and asked, "So, I was asleep for 4 days?"


    Miura nodded and replied, "I know what you are thinking. I know that one of those ancient dragons escaped. And you suspect that he may have told his fellow dragons of what you just did."


    Akai listened.


    "Well, don''t worry. He didn''t send out any call, or anything that would sound like the call you made on top of Mt. Geolith. Even though, to me, it sounded like just a roar."


    "How would you know?"


    Miura smiled devilishly, "I''m a witch. I have other tools to my disposal besides shooting lightning. I summoned my crows to follow your prey. My crows are watching it, as we speak. Apparently, you damaged it, more than it damaged you."


    "So, he''s hurt. That doesn''t mean that he didn''t make a call to the rest of the dragons."


    "I wasn''t finished. This dragon''s throat has been severely damaged. My crows saw it coughing out blood and soot. You must have burned its throat, along with the rest of his body."


    She paused to catch her breath and continued, "And it won''t be flying any time soon either, so you have time before it will move."


    "What do you mean? Kytlmyne''s unable to fly?"


    "I saw it flying away from the mountain, but it''s wings are burned to a crisp. He was only able to fly so far in it''s state. So, that gives you time."


    Akai walked slowly over to a wooden chair and asked Miura, "Where''s my stuff?"


    "For the most part, safe."


    "Most?"


    "I was able to hide your armor. But... your sword and ring. Your ring broke, but I can enchant another one like it. But the sword. The sword."


    Akai''s eyes turned to fear. Fear that his sword was lost.


    Miura continued noticing Akai''s fear, "I couldn''t find your sword. It must have been buried under some rocks or snow. My crows weren''t able to find the sword."


    His fear was realized. He gripped the cane harder.


    "That sword was the only thing that helped me kill Aquis and Azor. It''s power was unlike anything that I have ever seen."


    "That sword was powerful, yes. But there is only one ancient dragon remaining. You can defeat this Kytlmyne and the toughest hurdle would pass."


    Akai sat to a nearby chair and thought to himself. He threw away his fears. He couldn''t let himself be overwhelmed, now. The sword was powerful, but Miura was right. There was only Kytlmyne left to deal with. He looked at Miura.


    "Do you have any plans that doesn''t involve using your lightning storms?"


    She frowned and replied, "No. But there is still time. You still need to recover and your recovery will end sooner than that ancient dragons''"


    Akai paused and believed that the witch was right. Kytlmyne was very hurt before he was struck by a lightning bolt. He thought that the ancient dragon would need a lot of time to recover those wounds.


    "Your crows. Your crows can see him, correct? I''m sure Kytlmyne must have some heavy protection around him as he heals. What kind of protection does he have?"


    Miura nodded and closed her eyes for a moment.


    She replied with her eyes closed, "Treants. Lots of walking trees. And thorny vines moving around the ground like snakes. The thorns also reaching towards the sky like tentacles."


    "Where is he?"


    "In the forest nearby. I can give you an exact position when we travel there."


    She opened her eyes and Akai pondered to himself. He didn''t know what he should do. If he still had his flaming sword, he could easily burn through all of those plants, but now he had to think of a different way.


    "Alright. We still have time," he said, "I''ll have to think about some way to get past his defenses. Your lightning storm could be helpful, but to Kytlmyne, it''s nothing."


    He looked to his burned wings and tried to move them, but every time he did, pain struck him like that lightning bolt.


    Akai closed his eyes in frustration, "You''re not allowed to use that lightning storm, again."


    With those words, the slave markings glowed on Akai''s wrist and Miura''s neck.


    Akai got himself up and walked towards the cabin door. He grabbed the door handle and opened it.

 Chapter 21: Kyte Village

    Akai opened the door and his vision entered a bright uplifted village. He saw Nera next to the door. Akai wondered if she was listening. Nera stared happily into the distance watching as the other villagers did their business. Akai looked at what she was watching.


    His eyes opened in surprise. It was a sunny day. He saw children playing. Villagers happily worked fields of healthy crops. They waved to each other and smiled. This village wasn''t suffering like others he saw during his travels.


    Nera noticed Akai next to her. "Hey, Akai. Are you sure you want to walk around, yet?"


    "Yeah. I''m fine. I need a walk to think," Akai said as he walked slowly using the cane.


    Akai walked slowly, but everybody was friendly with him. Nera followed him to make sure he didn''t trip. Miura left the cabin and watched Akai walk away.


    As Akai walked, the children waved at him with pleasant smiles. Akai smiled and waved back as they went back to playing with each other.


    "Nobody here seems to be afraid of dragons. What kind of village is this?" Akai asked Nera.


    "This is Kyte village and why would we be afraid of dragons? Dragons only give good fortune to us," Nera replied.


    Akai listened and looked around the village. The village looked to be doing well-off. He could tell that the fields were filled with crops. The houses weren''t grand, but they were homely. There were children and elderly.


    "Other villages that I''ve visited would usually be plagued by monsters or have some kind of trouble. But this place. This place seems too good to be true," Akai said.


    "Well, of course, we do have some troubles. We can''t control the rain, and we have the occasional pests."The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "I don''t believe that. The crops are plentiful and everybody seems to enjoy their life here. I don''t know how it would be possible for prosperity for a small village."


    Nera smiled with a young optimistic view.


    Akai continued, "You didn''t quite answer a question I had. I am in human-form, but my wings, tail, and scales are showing. If I was anywhere else, I would be facing soldiers by the dozens. Why isn''t anybody afraid of me?"


    Nera replied, "As I said, dragons are a sign of good fortune for us. I don''t know much outside the village, but here, dragons are sacred. The nearby forest dragons offer us protection. We know how a dragon looks."


    Upon hearing those words, Akai froze.


    "Sacred? Good Fortune? I have never heard those words along with dragons in a long time. For as long as I have been traveling the world, I have never seen a village where dragons believe us to be anything but a monster," Akai said as he looked towards the crops and the nearby forest.


    As Akai looked at the forest, he wasn''t able to sense any nearby dragons, but if Miura was telling the truth, Kytlmyne must be in there. He wasn''t sure about Kyte village. He didn''t know what to believe. He''s never seen anything like this village.


    Akai asked, "What is this village''s relationship with the ancient dragon, Kytlmyne?"


    Nera was bewildered and replied, "Oh, you know Kytlmyne? He''s the dragon that watches over us. I guess I should have expected that dragons would know each other better."


    Akai knew that just because both him and Kytlmyne were dragons, they didn''t personally know each other.


    Nera continued, "There was an old legend of Kytlmyne passed down from parent to parent. It says that he along with many other dragons bring peace to this village."


    Akai looked at Nera, and her smile was contagious. At that moment, Akai began to smile as well.


    But then, he looked back at the forests. He couldn''t sense the dragon nearby, but he knew that if he traveled in there for some time, he would find Kytlmyne eventually.


    "Thank you, Nera. Thank you for everything that you''ve done. Without you, I may be sitting in an early grave."


    Nera blushed and was embarrassed. "Oh. As I said, it was no problem," she said looking away hiding her blush.


    Akai gave off a smile and Nera smiled back.


    "I will still need some days to recover. I hope that it isn''t too much trouble for me to stay."


    "Of course not. You''re welcome here as long as you want, Akai," she said sincerely.


    They both smiled. For a moment, Akai forgot about his mission, but only for a moment. He still knew what he needed to do. He just didn''t know how.

 Chapter 22: Kytlmyne and his Forest

    Kytlmyne was in the forest getting his wounds healed by nymphs, spirits of the forest. Treants patrolled nearby, guarding him from any unwanted visitors.


    It has been around two weeks, but Kytlmyne''s body was still badly burned. He coughed and wheezed out blood, while the nymphs tried to soothe him and his pain. He couldn''t make too much sound as any movement would cause him pain. His wings were badly damaged and torn. The ancient dragon wouldn''t be able to fly for some time.


    While he was being healed by the spirits, he was on constant guard. He had hoped that Akai would have died, but he sensed the black dragon still alive by the time he flew away. The only reason he could fly at all from there was adrenaline and a lack of sensation around his body. Now, even with the spirits soothing his pain, he still felt the burns around his body.


    He whispered quietly to one of the spirits. "That sword was unholy. Made from the scales of a once good friend. No other would be able to produce such a flame."


    His mind wandered back to battle on Mt. Geolith. At that time, the ancient dragons didn''t want to kill Akai. Only to subdue him. He now thought that that was a huge mistake. They underestimated the young dragon and the cost was that two more of his friends died. Only one ancient dragon remained in the world.


    His eyes turned green with rage just remembering what Akai has done.


    "How much longer until my throat and wings heal?" the dragon whispered.


    The nymph replied with whistling sounds that would translate to "I don''t know."


    Kytlmyne calmed himself and his eyes reverted back to normal.


    "As soon as I can give out a call, I will have to bring them sad news..."


    He paused catching his breath.


    "But I will also need them to hunt."


    His eyes began turning green, but he calmed himself again.


    As the nymphs soothed him, he began to fall asleep.


    However, within a few seconds of closing his eyes, his eyes opened up. He could sense another dragon nearby. He got himself up in pain and looked around. He prepared himself, hoping that it would be a friendly dragon, but expected it all the same to be Akai.


    ---------------------------------------


    After a minute, Akai arrived flying above where Kytlmyne was. He wasn''t flying with his wings. No. He was being flown by rows and rows of crows carrying him. It was something out of a circus. As Kytlmyne saw Akai, the treants and nymphs also turned their heads upwards towards the sky. They watched Akai "fly" above them. He had his red and black dragon scale armor equipped with the exception of his helmet. He wore a new illusive ring that hid his scales. Miura created a new illusive ring for Akai.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Kytlmyne! I''m still here!" he yelled.


    The ancient dragon stood his ground. He didn''t want to make any movements as the pain would be too unbearable even as the nymphs healed him.


    Kytlmyne stared Akai and Akai stared back at his gaze. The ancient dragon''s eyes filled with murderous intent.


    Akai smiled confidently, "You know, I thought it would have been more difficult fighting ancient dragons."


    Kytlmyne''s eyes burst green. He tried to shout but his throat wouldn''t let him. Instead, he coughed up blood and the nymphs quickly tried to repair the damage.


    The ancient forest dragon then said in anger, "I should have tried to kill you, rather than trying to just stop you. I should have just destroyed the whole mountain rather than -" As he was about to continue talking, he coughed up more blood.


    Akai looked around and noticed that the other treants were watching him as well.


    He smiled and said, "And I thought my injuries were bad. My wings are still charred from that lightning bolt. I have to be carried around by all of these birds to get up here, and I do say that I look ridiculous like this."


    "Wasn''t that lightning your magic?" Kytlmyne quietly asked.


    Akai could hear Kytlmyne, but only barely.


    "Uhh. Yes. My associate''s magic, really. She can''t really control where the lightning goes from the storm," he said in an embarrassed tone.


    As he said this, Kytlmyne didn''t see any blade on Akai. Not the red dragon scale blade. Not any sword or human weapon.


    "If you really want to finish me, then come down here and fight me," the ancient dragon said while coughing.


    Akai paused for a moment. A crow came up to his ears and flew away.


    "No. I don''t think I will. I''m still quite hurt from that earlier fight," Akai said and paused again. His smile faded, and he continued, "I''m sorry. I don''t want to fight you, but I have no choice. If I don''t do this, now, then there won''t be a future."


    Kytlmyne listened angrily while waiting for his chance to attack.


    Akai took a breath and said, " I remembered something while I was resting. It was some time ago, but you saved me once. Do you remember?"


    Kytlmyne remembered saving a black dragon from a bandit. "I remember, but I don''t care," the forest dragon muttered quietly.


    Nobody would have heard the ancient dragon say this, but Akai heard it. There was a brief silence.


    "Why did you save me?" Akai said but Kytlmyne gave no response.


    "If you hadn''t shown up, I would have been somebody''s pet. At that point, I would have grown to hate humans, but you told me something. Something that made me think otherwise. You told me that dragons and humans could be great friends. I didn''t remember that it was you, but now I know that without you, I would never have had left to become an adventurer."


    Akai smiled, but Kytlmyne didn''t give one back. His smile faded and sadly he said, "But it looks like humans and dragons would never be compatible. Not really. Not when dragons have their so-called divine power. Power to wipe off any life on Shieldrake and beyond."


    He pause to catch his breath.


    "I won''t let that happen. I''m sorry."


    As he said this, a crow flew up to his ears.


    Kytlmyne observed the crow and said, "What are you planning?"


    The crow flew away.


    Akai''s face was somewhat depressed. "I''m sorry."


    As he finished his sentence, green gas began to surround the area where Kytlmyne, the treants, and nymphs inhabited. The forest began to protrude green smoke. As Kytlmyne breathed the smoke in, his coughing became worse. The treants and nymphs were unaffected by the poison, but by the time they had realized that they were surrounded by the gas, it was too late.

 Chapter 23: The Plan

    Akai and Miura were eating soup with Nera at her cabin. Akai needed a plan to defeat Kytlmyne. His wings were still burned. He knew that he wouldn''t be able to fly. Miura knew where Kytlmyne and continued to watch him with her crows.


    Miura and Nera blew on their own soup, while Akai ate it without trying to cool it down. The room was quiet.


    "Akai, so you have been wandering the world as an adventurer, right? You must have seen some crazy things," Nera said to start a conversation.


    Akai finished his soup and said, "Well, I have seen a lot of things. I saw plenty of monsters that I had to hunt. One of the jobs was to hunt down a giant snake."


    Nera smiled and asked, "Can you tell me about it? I want to hear more about outside the village."


    Miura continued to eat her soup quietly and paid no attention to either of them.Stolen novel; please report.


    He smiled and said, "Well, it wasn''t too difficult. I was expecting some kind of fight, but all I did was buy some poison and baited it. I sprinkled some poison on a carcass and as soon as the snake saw a meal, it ate it. It died a few moments later, and I got a reward."


    "Wow. You didn''t even have to fight it. How large was it?"


    "It was the size of three houses. I would have fought it, but when a shop owner noticed that I took the job, he said that there was an easier way to fight it and sold me the poison. I thought that maybe it wouldn''t work or not be enough, but it was -"


    He stopped mid-sentence.


    "Are you okay, Akai?" Nera asked. Miura also stopped eating her soup and wondered what Akai was thinking.


    "Oh. It was nothing. I just got lost in my head is all," He said as he laughed it off.


    ---------------------------------------


    During that night, Akai wanted to talk to Miura.


    "I have an idea on how to take down Kytlmyne, but I will need some help," he said.


    Miura smiled deviously. "Oh. You think you got some idea on how to kill him?"


    "Yes, but I need to know something, first."


    He paused. "How fast would it take for a crow to get to King''s City." He held out a small parchment towards the witch.

 Chapter 24: Akai vs. Kytlmyne

    Akai flew above the poisoned ground being carried by crows.


    "I just needed to distract you and your guards from noticing some dragonslayers setting up their poison gas around you."


    Kytlmyne continued to cough, but as the treants were unaffected they started to run around looking for where the poison was coming from.


    Akai listened to what the crow was saying. The crow in Miura''s voice said, "Captain Halido and his men aren''t outside of the forest, yet. My magical shielding should protect them from the poison, but they need time to get out."


    Akai nodded and at that moment, Kytlmyne''s eyes turned green with rage and shot hundred of vines from the ground up towards Akai. The crows weren''t agile enough to dodge any of the vines, so they let go of Akai.


    As Akai fell, the crows melded together forming a black blade made of feathers and darkened steel in the black dragon''s hand. Another flock of crows flew in and melded into a helmet around Akai''s face. The helmet would protect him from breathing in the poisonous gas.


    As Akai fell, he slashed away at the vines. The vines began to surround Akai, but he cut them down as he descended. Underneath him was a treant ready to strike at it''s falling foe. Akai readied himself. The walking tree swung an arm made out of branches at the black dragon. As the tree swung, Akai took his blade and slashed at where the tree''s fist would be. The treant''s hand splintered, but still pushed Akai back.


    Akai dropped down to the ground still holding his sword.


    Kytlmyne tried to move his wings, but to no avail. The poison ate away at him, as he continued to cough up more and more blood.


    As Akai touched the floor, the ground beneath him began to shake. He looked down as vines with thorns began to grab his ankle. He cut the vines underneath hims and jumped away as more vines started growing from the dirt. He landed on a sturdy branch of an oak tree. As he did so, the tree began to move. The branch turned into an arm and grabbed Akai. A nymph inhabited the tree and began to control it''s movements. Akai took his sword and cut the branch.


    He continued to run and jump around, dodging vines as they sprung up.


    During his fight, flocks of crows started to plunge themselves into the poisonous air. They dove downwards like arrows and shot at the treants, vines, and the ancient dragon.


    As this happened, another flock of crows swooped in and grabbed Akai. As Akai ascended, more vines sprung out towards him. Akai slashed and struck the oncoming waves of vines as he ascended away from the green gas. He flew higher up with the help of more and more crows to replace the ones that died from breathing in the gas.


    From his black feathery helmet, he heard Miura''s voice. "The dragonslayers are out of the forest."


    Hearing this, Akai slashed faster and faster against the vines. Soon, he was outside of the green cloud. As he exited the green gas, huge flocks of crows gathered nearby being controlled by Miura to sacrifice themselves. The vines also left the green gas only to be attacked by crossbows.


    Akai looked and saw Captain Halido alongside other dragonslayers being dragged by crows.


    "How are you holding up, Akai!?" the captain asked while shooting bolts of arrows at the vines, cutting them. The other dragonslayers there also continued to barrage the cloud from above. They shot arrows down underneath into the green cloud of poisonous gas.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "This wasn''t part of the plan. But I''m glad you guys are here."


    Their arrows struck treants and many of them fell. Kytlmyne defended himself by creating a barrier of vines around him. Though the barrier, itself was weaker than usual, as he was unable to breathe properly. The arrows shot through the weakened vines and struck Kytlmyne. The ancient forest dragon was stuck where he was.


    Kytlmyne''s eyes grew tired and weak, but he was not dead, yet. He wouldn''t allow himself to die. Especially not to some humans.


    Kytlmyne coughed out more blood and gave out one loud roar.


    With the last of his strength as he was getting impaled by arrows, he muttered, "I hope you all suffer. Especially you, Akai. Especially you."


    With this, the ancient dragon laid down as more arrows struck him. The vines that were being controlled by him fell to the ground and instantly rotted away. The nearby trees began to rot away. The soil turned to poison with the gas. The flowers and grass turned black. The surviving treants cried as they were being shot at from above and slowly rotting. The nymphs began to cry as they tried to wake Kytlmyne. They tried to heal the ancient dragon''s wounds, but with no results.


    The cloud became too dense to see through as the dragonslayers continued their barrage.


    ---------------------------------------


    Away from the forest, Miura smiled with malicious intent. "Everything is happening smoothly. A new, brighter future will await us."


    Nera slowly walked towards Miura. The green gas was able to be seen from where they stood.


    Nera began to worry and asked, "What is happening? I thought they were here to hunt some monster. Is that the work of the creature? "


    As she turned her head to Miura, she saw that the woman''s face contorted with a smile as she watched the forest. Nera''s heart pounded in fear from Miura''s grin. A green cloud rose from the forest and continued to rise.


    ---------------------------------------


    The cloud rose and with it, the crows began to lift the dragonslayers further away from it. The ground beneath had the most concentration of the gas, but as it rose the poison dispersed into the atmosphere. As it dispersed, it no longer had the potency to kill anybody.


    The dragonslayers stopped their barrage as they watched the ground beneath them. The gas started to disappear leaving behind blurry silhouettes. Akai watched. As the poison dispersed, they could see Kytlmyne''s body surrounded by dead vines and treants. The nymphs disappeared. Hundreds of dead vines and crows laid on the dirt. The surrounding trees near Kytlmyne died and collapsed.


    There was silence from the forest. They couldn''t hear any animals down in the woods. Only the caws of the few crows remaining that lifted the dragonslayers.


    ---------------------------------------


    The crows descended slowly into the dead forest area. As they reached the ground, there was still some green gas hovering above the dirt.


    The other dragonslayers looked in awe at the size of the dragon. From above, it didn''t look very large, but now that they were on the ground, it made them realize that they killed a dragon the size of the one near Troll''s cave without any loss.


    "Seems your plan worked, Akai. I was a little hesitant to bring over our entire supply, but the payoff was quite worth it," Halido said, but Akai wasn''t listening. Akai dropped his sword and it shattered into black feathers. He took off his helmet and he dropped it to the ground. It too shattered the same.


    Akai approached Kytlmyne''s corpse walking over the dead vines, treants, and crows. Akai slowly walked over and took his hand near Kytlmyne''s head. He laid his hand on the corpse and it was cold. He looked over the body emotionlessly and Kytlmyne was indeed dead.


    He still knew that there were more dragons that he needed to kill. He didn''t feel any satisfaction. He only felt that this was the just the beginning.


    "It''s not over, yet," he said as he began walking away from it.


    He looked at the other dragonslayers and all of them smiled.


    "We''re going to get drunk tonight, boys!"


    "This was a great hunt, Akai!"


    "I can''t believe we were able to kill that!"


    In one moment, they cheered. The silence of the forest broke as the cheers of the dragonslayers resonated. They yelled triumphantly in unison.


    Akai closed his eyes and smiled. Captain Halido came up to Akai and grabbed him up.


    "Woah! What are you doing!?" Akai yelled in suprise flailing his arms.


    "Let''s all cheer for our new dragonslayer! We wouldn''t be here if it wasn''t for Akai!"


    With that, the other dragonslayers cheered for their new comrade. Akai blushed and felt embarrased by the cheers.


    As they walked away from the forest in triumph, they held Akai high in the air.


    "You can let me down, now. I still feel a little pain," Akai said, but was drowned out by the noise of the cheering dragonslayers.

 Chapter 25: Celebration at Kyte Village

    Akai, Captain Halido, and the squad of dragonslayers that was brought over came back into Kyte Village at night.


    Nera rushed over to Akai and the others thinking that they were all adventurers.


    "Akai! Are you alright!?" Nera screamed as she went over to check if he had any wounds. She was worried whether the monster that created the green gas she saw may have hurt him.


    "I''m fine, Nera," Akai said with a smile.


    Nera smiled back and gave Akai a big hug.


    Captain Halido and the other dragonslayers watched. Halido smiled and quietly commented to himself, "What a lovely couple."


    ---------------------------------------


    Later that night, the villagers set up a feast for their victory. They were eating meals that a king would eat. The dragonslayers drank barrels of beer. Miura quietly ate some chicken legs. Akai was being praised by the other dragonslayers including the captain.


    Nera helped bring out some food.


    One of the villagers came up to Nera and said, "Do you really think that we should be serving these men?"


    "Of course. I saw what that monster could do from outside the forest. They risked their lives. They deserve to be treated like heroes."


    "I overheard them. They''re dragonslayers. The monster they hunted was a dragon."


    "You must have heard wrong. Why would Akai be affiliated with dragonslayers?"


    "I don''t know."


    "You probably misheard them. They''re adventurers. I wouldn''t be surprised if they hunted some dragons from the stories that Akai has told, but either way, they helped protect this village. The least we can do is offer them a full belly."


    The villager looked nervous and walked away carrying wooden plates and cups.


    ---------------------------------------


    Nera walked closer to Akai as he was laughing with his friends.


    Akai saw Nera and smiled.


    "Hey, Nera. I love what your village made for us. I''m so grateful for everything that this village has done."


    Akai got up from his chair and bowed.


    Nera embarrased said, "It was no problem. You all risked your lives, and yet you all returned unharmed. You must all be great warriors."


    The other dragonslayers laughed. Captain Halido said, "These guys? Great warriors? I think I saw some chickens that can fight better than them."


    One of the dragonslayers drunkenly said, "Hey. I-I think we can fight much harder than a chicken, boss." He burped.


    "Akai, I was a little worried when you left. We thought you left us," Captain Halido said.


    "Oh. I didn''t want to worry anybody. I just wanted to... see how strong my sword was. So, I decided to hunt some monsters. I went all the way over the Mt. Geolith to find some strong monsters to try out my sword," Akai said trying not to hide what he did.


    "You''re sword? Was it that red sword you had? Where is it now?" one of the dragonslayers asked.


    "I... I lost it. An ice troll jumped me and my sword fell somewhere."


    "Aww. It was such a cool sword, too. The blacksmith did a really good job making it. I only saw a glimpse of it as you walked, and I could tell that it was something far beyond our weapons."


    "Yeah, I know. Miura even enchanted it for me like the rest of my armor. It would grow flames."


    "I don''t believe you. A flaming red sword. That''s something that you got off of some legend or something," another said.


    Nera smiled as she enjoyed watching the adventurers having a fun time.


    "Akai, can you tell me about the monster you killed? I want to know about what happened."


    Akai paused knowing that dragons were considered sacred at Kyte village and replied, "Oh. It was nothing. Just a creature."


    "Oh, don''t be so modest, Akai. It doesn''t look good on you especially while you''re wearing all of that dragon scale armor," one of the drunk dragonslayers said.


    Nera''s eyes widened.


    "Dragon scale armor?" she asked. She had no idea how dragon scale armor looked like until now. It looked much more refined than the other pieces of armor that the others wore.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Miura looked towards Akai and Nera. She got herself up from the table.


    The drunk dragonslayer continued, "It was a giant forest dragon. Bigger than any I''ve ever seen."


    Nera''s heart froze. She couldn''t believe what she was hearing.


    "You...you killed a dragon?"


    Another dragonslayer replied, "Yes, we did. All thanks to Akai''s plan. He found the dragon near this forest. We wouldn''t have known about it otherwise."


    Akai realized what was said. The other villagers began to quiet down and listen. He began to sweat.


    Especially, since most if not all of the villagers knew that he was a dragon, himself.


    Nera still couldn''t believe it.


    "It was quite an expensive plan, but I think it was worth the price. We had to use our entire supply of manufactured poison gas. We laid down barrels around the dragon. And if it wasn''t for Akai''s distraction, those walking trees probably would have seen us setting everything up,"  a dragonslayer said as he drank another cup of beer.


    Upon hearing this, Nera began walking away silently.


    "Nera," Akai said as he raised his hands towards her. As he did so, Miura appeared from the shadows and said to Akai, "You knew this was inevitable." Akai started to walk towards her.


    The other dragonslayers went back to their drinks as though nothing had happened and continued to have fun.


    Captain Halido drank another cup and watched Akai. He noticed that what they said must have hurt the girl, but didn''t want to get involved.


    Akai put his hand on her shoulder, and she started to run away.


    "Nera," Akai said.


    As Nera ran away, Akai was about to run, too, but Miura interrupted. "What did you expect by killing something that they worship? She won''t forgive you. She never will."


    Akai began to run towards Nera and Miura summoned crows to follow him.


    Nera ran faster and Akai ran to chase her.


    "Wait. Stop, Nera. I can explain," he said.


    Nera ran on open fields as Akai followed while crows around him.


    The crows continued to speak to Akai in Miura''s voice.


    "She''s not important. What you''re doing is far more important than the opinion of one village."


    Nera ran further and further away. She didn''t want to look back at Akai. Somebody that she believed to be some kind of hero.


    "Stop following me! You''re just a monster!"


    Upon hearing this, Akai''s eyes widened and he began to slow down. A monster, he thought.


    The crows continued, "If you really want to save her, the best thing you can do is leave. You''re not a monster. You''re a hero. You''re the only one who can save the world. She''ll live because you prevented that ancient dragon from going mad and destroying Kyte village."


    Akai started to slow down to a halt as he watched Nera run further and further away into the night. His breath started to go away. He coughed and some blood spit out onto his hands.


    "Blood!?" Akai said to himself in surprise.


    "You breathed in some of the poison gas. You''ll be fine if you relax," the crows said in Miura''s voice.


    The stars shined brightly as the crows surrounded him. The fields'' plants were dying away.


    Akai looked up towards the sky. "I''m sick of saying it. Always saying one line. I''ve said it so much more recently than ever before. But I''ll have to say it, again. I''m sorry. I''m sorry, Nera," Akai said.


    ---------------------------------------


    Nera ran further and further away into the night. She didn''t want to believe that Akai was such a kind dragon and yet he kills them, as well. She looked back and didn''t see Akai anywhere. She stopped to a halt and went down to her knees.


    Nera began sobbing and wiped away her tears. She got herself up wiping away the dirt and tears. For the whole night, she continued to walk forward with her head down sniffling, hoping that it was just a bad dream. As she walked, she noticed the weather becoming colder and colder. The ground started to show snow. She shivered and looked up from the ground. She was nearing Mt. Geolith.


    "How long have I been walking?" she asked herself expecting no answer to come to her.


    As she walked closer to the mountain, she shivered.


    "What am I doing here? I should just go back. I''m sure Akai must be worried."


    She paused and asked herself, "Why should I care about Akai? He''s just a murderer. He killed one of his own kind and for what?"


    She shook her head. "No. No. There has to be some reason. Akai..."


    As she walked, she tripped over a pile of snow. She picked herself up and looked to where she tripped.


    "Stupid pile of snow," she said as she slapped the snow away hitting her hand against something hard.


    "Ow. Must be some kind of rock," she said, but as she looked closer, it was something metal. Something was shining from the snow.


    She wiped away the snow to reveal the hilt of a blade. She wiped away more of the snow and found a red sword stuck to the ground. The blade was shining red.


    "This... This must be Akai''s red sword that they were talking about."


    She pulled the sword out of the snow and tried to hold it. It was heavy yet it looked slender. The sword wasn''t chipped or damaged at all. It was still shining red.


    "Wow. It is beautiful. I don''t know much about swords, but this is like a piece of art," she said to herself.


    As she looked at the blade, she heard some howling sounds.


    She looked behind her and noticed a lone dire wolf. It growled at Nera. She instinctively moved back in fear.


    "Nice dog. Nice dog," she said as she tried to calm it.


    The wolf bared it''s teeth and moved closer to Nera.


    In a single second, the wolf charged at Nera. She screamed and closed her eyes while the wolf jumped on top of her. However, Nera didn''t feel anything. She opened her eyes and saw the dire wolf stabbed between the heart. The red sword pierced through the wolf as if it was nothing. The blood dripped onto her arms. The beast died in an instant.


    She began to tear up. Tears flowed on her face while the direwolf''s blood covered her body and face.


    She pushed the wolf to the side and took the sword cleanly out of it''s body.


    "Is this what it feels to kill something?," Nera said as her hands were shaking.


    She couldn''t let go of the sword. Her hands were glued to it as her mind was in shock.


    "Is this what Akai feels every time he killed a monster?" she asked herself.


    "This feeling... I..." Nera''s entire world was destroyed in an instant. Kyte village never had any trouble with monsters, and now she had just killed one.


    She looked around at every corner. Every shadow. Everywhere she looked, there might be some kind of monster. Eyes glowed as they peered from the darkness. The only illumination was the bright moon and clear skies filled with stars. And even that wasn''t enough to illuminate the shadows.


    "I have to get back to the village," she said as she ran off still holding tightly the red sword.


    As she ran, she thought that the outside world is full of fearsome creatures and that Akai must have had an explanation for what he was doing. "That''s right. Akai''s a dragon. He must have had a good reason for hunting another dragon. I have to know," she said as she ran off clutching the sword in her hands, "I have to bring back Akai''s sword, at least. He would need it far more than me."


    She ran back with new determination trying not to falter from the fear of the outside world. Her face glowed with resolve and she took off towards the Kyte village.

 Chapter 26: Neras Good-Bye

    It was morning and the dragonslayers were ready to leave. Carriages carried the squad of dragonslayers. Captain Halido brought his horse. There was also an extra carriage filled with green dragon scales of Kytlmyne.


    Akai was about to get on the carriage to go back to King''s City.


    He took one long look back at Kyte Village. The landscape transformed from a bright and optimistic land to a dreary one. The crops began to slowly die out. The soil was turning black. He saw the nearby forest having dead trees where green lush plant would have been a day ago.


    Akai looked at Miura and asked, "Do you think we really did the right thing?"


    Miura was unsure whether he was referring to killing Kytlmyne or using that green poison. She looked down at the dying grass and then back up to his face. Akai looked at the village and saw the dying crops. The soil had been poisoned.


    Miura replied, "It''s for the greater good. One village or the entire world? You know my visions are real. If the dragons aren''t killed, then life perishes."


    "I know. I know." He sighed.


    Akai paused and asked, "Nera is safe, right? Your crows are still following her."


    "My crows followed her. She''s safe," Miura lied as the crows only followed her up until the point where Akai was and as far as the witch knows, the village girl was safe the last time she saw her. So, the slave markings didn''t burn her and Akai noticed it. He had no reason to think she was lying.


    Akai looked away and she gave a devious smile for a split second. As far as she was concerned, the only thing she needed to do was keep the black dragon alive. She couldn''t care less for some naive girl.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Akai smiled and said, "That''s a relief. I wish I was able to catch up to her. My body feels a lot better after a good night''s rest. I was just worried about Nera, but if she is safe, then we can go."


    Captain Halido heard and said, "You sure you don''t want to at least say good-bye to her. She seemed to really like you and I''m sure that you two could make-up if that''s what you''re worried about."


    Akai shook hid head. "No. It would just make it harder on both of us. I have an important job that needs to be fulfilled."


    The captain sighed and continued, "Well, alright. I sure hope you''re sure."


    "I''m sure," Akai said as he got on the carriage. Captain Halido looked back at Akai as he got on and saw that he was biting his lips.


    Miura then entered the carriage, hiding a devious smile underneath, and took a seat.


    ---------------------------------------


    Nera had just arrived to the Kyte village with her clothes all bloodied from the dire wolf. One of the villagers noticed and asked whether she was alright.


    Nera nodded and immediately asked, "Where''s Akai?"


    As soon as she heard that they were leaving, she ran over to where the carriages were.


    She ran holding the red blade in her hand.


    "Wait, Akai. I don''t want you to leave, yet. I''m sorry that I called you a monster. I want to hear the rest of your story. I want to know all of your stories," she said to herself as she ran as fast as she could in an exhausted state.


    She ran past farmers that were cutting down crops that were yielding far less than usual.


    "I want to hear it from you. I know now that the larger world is scary, but even so, I want to know more about it. Maybe, you could even take me with you," she muttered to herself.


    She ran as fast as she could. Faster and faster until her legs gave out, but it was too late.


    She arrived to where the carriages were, but they had already left. She didn''t see any carriages or horses. They had left far before she arrived.


    Nera''s hair flew in the wind as she looked up at the cloudy sky. Tears flowed down her face, but she still smiled.


    "Akai... I know you''ll come back one day. Wherever you are, I know you''ll come back one day."


    She held up the red sword to her face as tears fell onto it.

 Chapter 27: The Crimson Black Knight

    Akai and the rest of the dragonslayers that joined his hunt for Kytlmyne arrived at King''s City. As they entered the Den of Dragonslayers, Akai requested Captain Halido for a meeting with all of the dragonslayers. Halido accepted, but said that he would need time to gather all of the dragonslayers.


    But first, Akai visited Barb, the local blacksmith. Akai handed over all of Kytlmyne''s dragon scales for a huge order. Over the next couple of days, Akai bought a newly forged green dragon scale blade. He thought that it should be just as durable as the red one. The rest of the scales were being used to create new armor sets for the rest of the dragonslayers. Akai paid Barb the amount for the blade, and promised to pay the rest when the other armor pieces are finished.


    ---------------------------------------


    Miura tried to enchant the green dragon scale blade, but to no avail. She was unable to make it produce a fire like the previous sword. Fortunately, the blade itself is still quite sharp and durable.


    ---------------------------------------


    News of the dragonslayers defeating a giant forest dragon quickly spread around King''s City and even beyond to other villages. Stories about Akai, the recent newcomer who was stronger and smarter than any other man or beast, spread. Tales of how he defeated a sleeping dragon and a chimera. Tales of how he protected King''s City from a brown dragon. Now, he was considered a legend after stories of him and a group of dragonslayers defeated a giant forest dragon guarded by treants.


    As Akai casually walked around the city, many women flocked around him. Many men and children who saw his black and red armor were awe-struck. A knight with black and red dragon scale armor with a red helmet that looked like a dragon. Akai''s presence loomed over the crowds of people as if he was royalty. His cape fluttered behind him.


    ---------------------------------------


    Days passed and as Akai entered the den, he noticed a huge crowd of dragonslayers waiting for him.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Well, Akai, you wanted to have a meeting and considering your valor, I brought over as many of the dragonslayers as I could," Captain Halido said.


    "Thank you, captain."


    Akai looked at the crowded den. More dragonslayers have gathered in this one spot. He saw Leo standing on top of another dragonslayer in the back of the crowd. Miura stood next to Akai.


    Akai took a deep breath before continuing.


    "I know that I''m new here. And I know that many of you have your own reasons for hunting dragons. But I suspect most of you to have a personal vendetta against them. I understand why. They are dangerous and a threat to all of us. They are considered as powerful as Gods, but I''m here to say that it is not true."


    The other dragonslayers quietly listened.


    Akai continued, "I say that we shouldn''t have to wait for a dragon to attack. Why should we react to an attack, when we could attack them at their homes."


    "Sir, we don''t know where any of their nests are."


    "I can find them," Miura interrupted, "I know where some of them are right now."


    "This witch is under my control. She is able to control and summon crows which can be used to see far off places. She is aware of some of the dragons'' nests right now."


    The other dragonslayers looked at each other and Akai continued his speech.


    "I know that it will be far more dangerous, but if you really want to protect families and homes, then let''s take the fight to them!"


    "Yeah! Let''s take the fight to them!" one of the dragonslayers screamed and with that the others yelled a battle cry in unison.


    Akai began to smile, but his smile faded away. He looked at his illusive ring. He couldn''t let anybody know what he really is. Miura noticed, but didn''t care. She stayed silent during the yelling.


    The dragonslayers took their blades out, pointed them upwards, and cheered, "The Crimson Black Knight! The Crimson Black Knight! The Crimson Black Knight!" They repeated over and over. Captain Halido and Leo even cheered the name.


    Akai looked at them. "The Crimson Black Knight?" he asked, but nobody but Miura heard him.


    "I overheard some of the children calling you that. They must have given you a nickname from seeing you in the flesh and now everybody is calling you that," Miura said smiling.


    "Ahh. Well, I''m not too fond of nicknames, but I think it will work to rally others. A legend," Akai said as he took his green blade out and pointed it upwards alongside his dragonslayers and comrades.


    "We won''t fail! Soon, the world will no longer need to fear God''s wrath coming from above them," Akai said as the cheering continued to resonate.


    "The Crimson Black Knight! The Crimson Black Knight! The Crimson Black Knight!"

 Chapter 28: Forest of Dragons

    Near the forests of Kyte Village and beyond where Kytlmyne was slain, there was a group of dragons inhabiting the forest. Among dragons, a group of them would be considered rare, but for forest dragons, they consider each other as family. Many dragons tend to be isolated or loners, but not the forest dragons.


    The energetic forest was far from human interaction. The nearest village was Kyte village and even if any of the villages ventured that far into the forests, they wouldn''t hurt another dragon.


    The elder forest dragons napped as young ones played with each other. Nymphs watched the young dragons as they explored the forests. Other forest dragons conversed with one another. Treants walked by them without any conflict. Flowers bloomed in the sun, while the shade was perfect for dragons to rest.


    Among this group of forest dragons, the dragon named Nia was the youngest member of the group. She was 100 years old, but with the mental capacity of 10. A small green fledgling of a dragon, but with a big heart. In dragon form, she was barely bigger than an average human. She had light green scales. She didn''t know how to fly very well, but practiced almost every day.


    She slept quietly under the shade of a tree. Small butterflies flew around her. A peaceful nap as she snored away.


    Another young dragon shook her awake.


    "Hey, Nia! Come play hide and seek with us. We need a seeker!" a young dragon only a couple of years older than her said.


    Nia rubbed her eyes open and saw the dragon. He ran away to a group of four other young dragons only a couple of years and decades older than her. Two of them were females, while the remaining were males.


    She smiled and got herself up. "Alright, big brother. I''m coming to find you all," she said with a huge child-like smile on her face.


    She ran towards the group of dragons. "You have to close your eyes for 10 seconds, first. Then, come find us, remember?" another dragon said.


    "Oh, right," Nia acknowledged and turned around. She closed her eyes and as soon as she did, she heard the other dragons running to the forests.


    "1...2...-"


    While she counted, other dragons, who were more mature, discussed between themselves."


    "Did you hear anything from Kytlmyne, lately?"


    "No. I haven''t. He usually comes to check up on the surrounding dragons."


    "-3...4...5...-"


    "Well, it''s probably nothing to worry about. He''s an ancient dragon."


    "Yeah. You''re right."


    "-6...7...8...9-"


    "But still..."


    "10!" Nia opened her eyes and turned around. "Here I come!" she yelled as she ran towards the forests.


    "...I just...I don''t know."


    ---------------------------------------


    Nia ran to the forests. The other dragons left footprints going the same direction. Nia followed them, as she listened for any sounds. As she followed them, their footprints turned smaller. To that of a human.


    "Oh. They''re hiding in human form? They must think they can hide in some small bushes or holes. Well, I can also play like that."


    As Nia said this, she transformed herself into human form. She had the body of a ten-year old human. She was covered in light green scales, and her wings and tail were extended out. Her hair was dark brown. Her face and human skin that was shown was slightly dark.


    She ran following the footprints. As she trekked the forest, she heard crows cawing from above the tree lines.


    ---------------------------------------


    The five young dragons in human form ran to a field of reeds in the middle of the forest. A clearing. "Hmm. You guys want to hide around here, somewhere? We can probably hide among the treetops or inside a bush," one of the dragons said.


    They smiled and another dragon replied, "Well, why don''t we split up here? I''m sure that-" In that moment, an arrow flung past the dragons, barely scraping the face of one of them.


    "What the hell!?" one dragon yelled out. They looked around trying to figure out where the arrow came from. The dragons slowly walked backwards, but then a flurry of arrows appeared from the dark corners of the forest.


    The dragons quickly spread themselves out and transformed into their dragon forms.


    "We have to get out of here!" one of them yelled. They all had similar dragon forms. All with green scales and slightly larger than an average human. They began to flap their wings and take to the skies. However, now that they were a bigger target, the arrows were able to hit the young dragons. Arrows pierced their body and wings.


    "Aghh. It hurts," one of them cried. One dragon took an arrow to his eye and screamed in agony. The dragon fell to the ground and removed the arrow as blood flowed out. Another dragon flew down to protect his fallen friend and began to breathe fire at the direction where the arrows were coming from. But in an instant, a knight wearing black and red armor ran to the reed field.


    "Miura, take the men to the nest. We can''t be distracted here. I''ll meet up with you in a few minutes," the knight said as he ran to the field. He wore elegant armor with a helmet that resembled a dragon, but also wore a simple cape. The arrows stopped firing, and the dragonslayers hiding in the bushes and dark corners moved away towards where the other forest dragons were.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He ran towards the dragons with speed that no human could ever achieve. The young dragon aimed is fire towards the knight and breathed out red flames that burned the nearby reeds. The knight dodged the fire with finesse and took out a green dragon scale blade.


    The knight charged at the young dragon breathing fire and decapitated the dragon. The other dragons looked in shock at what happened.


    The dragon with blood flowing out of his eye began to flap his wings and took off to the air. Two other dragons flew down and charged at the knight with their sharp teeth bared at him.


    "You killed him!"


    "You murderer!" they said in succession one after another. From their voice, the knight could tell that they were females.


    As they charged, the knight jumped back and readied his blade for a counter-attack. As they both flew at him, in one singular strike, he cut both of the young dragons'' necks. The two young dragons fell past him to the ground. The knight and the surrounding field was bloodied.


    The knight looked and saw only two more dragons. One that was injured and tried to fly away but barely being able to get off the ground, while the other in shock at what he has witnessed already in the air.


    The knight locked eyes with the dragon that was shocked. In that instant, the young dragon began to fly away towards the nest in fear. The knight jumped on the back of the barely flying, injured dragon and quickly made an incision on the wings. The injured dragon screamed once more as he was falling back to the ground. As the injured dragon fell, the knight jumped further up towards the fleeing dragon. The fleeing dragon looked back and feared what he saw. A dragonslayer with black and red armor in his sight coming closer and closer to him. Even though, he was flying, the dragonslayer''s leap was powerful enough to lift him to the same height. The knight took his blade and swiped at the dragon. The fleeing dragon dodged and the blade missed it''s mark. The dragon laughed as it just escaped death''s grasp, but it''s smile faded as the knight threw his sword straight at the dragon''s neck. The small moment of hope fled as the sword came closer and closer. The knight''s eyes glowed yellow through the visor as they locked eyes. The sword pierced through his neck and painfully making it''s last roar as it fell.


    The knight rolled to the ground and got himself up as the dragon hit the ground. The dragon''s face was glued with horror as his flicker of hope faded.


    ---------------------------------------


    Nia ran across the dirt as she followed the footprints. As she followed them, she heard strange sounds coming from the sides.


    "We''re going the right way, yes?" she heard.


    Nia slowly hid in a nearby bush and peeked through. She saw some knights carrying crossbows, swords, daggers, and all sorts of weapons walking through the forests. They wore regular metal armor with a mixture of other kinds of green metals. She didn''t recognize it as green dragon scale armor. She kept herself quiet and didn''t mutter a sound. She also noticed a women with pale skin and blood red lips. She wore a dress made up of chains.


    "Yes, we''re going the right way, Captain Halido. Put some trust in me. I know where we''re going."


    "Even if you''re supposedly helping us, I doubt I''ll ever come to trust you. You''re just a bad influence. When we''re done with you, I hope he throws you back to the inquisitors."


    "Aww. Captain, I thought we were really getting along. I guess not."


    Nia listened as they walked past her. She never saw an actual human, before. Only stories; both good and bad.


    As she didn''t hear any more of them, she got out of the bushes and onto her hands. Her body was covered in dirt and bugs. She shook herself like a dog, getting the bugs, dirt, and leaves off. She got herself up and said, "I have to find them, soon. I need to tell them that there are some people here."


    She looked down at the dirt and looked for the footprints that she was following. She tried to see footprints of bare human feet and ignore the prints of armored shoes.


    She found a set and followed it. This time, she ran.


    ---------------------------------------


    As she approached closer to the reed fields, she heard a roar of one of the young dragons. It was hoarse, but the roar was definitely from a dragon, she thought. She looked up at where the roar was coming from and saw one of her friends fall as blood trickled down with it.


    Nia was about to scream, but closed her mouth. Tears began to flow down her cheeks. She ran towards the reed fields. As she got closer, she noticed a knight in the middle of the fields. She hid behind a tree, frightened by him. She didn''t see a human, but a demon. A demon wearing black and red armor covered in the blood of her friends. Yellow eyes protruded from the visor for some seconds, before disappearing. She looked around and saw each and every one of her friends slaughtered in a pool of blood.


    Nia saw one dragon without his head, while two others had their necks cuts like cattle. Then, the dragon that fell from the sky had a sword stuck in his throat. In the back, she saw one of them crawling away slowly while his eye was gouged out by an arrow. Her knees shook in fear. She looked away and fell to her knees with her mouth covered. She tried not to make any sound.


    She looked back at the carnage and saw the monster walking towards her fallen brother with the sword stuck in his throat. The red and black demon took the sword out of the dragon''s throat and wiped the blood off of it with his cape. The blade was shining green with slight hints of red blood.


    As her other friend slowly crawled away, the demon looked back at him.


    The monster walked quickly over to the injured dragon and quickly stuck his blade through the back of her friend''s head. The dragon gave a quick roar, and then nothing as Nia watched.


    She looked away, breathing heavily with her mouth covered by her hands.


    She looked back and saw the demon rubbing the bloodied dragon''s head.


    "I''m sorry that you had to suffer like that," he said quietly to the now-dead dragon as he sat down next to it and rubbed it''s head.


    Nia''s fear overtook her and she got herself up. As she did, she stepped on a stick and broke it. As the sound was made, Nia froze up.


    ---------------------------------------


    Akai patted the dragon, but then he heard the sound of a stick breaking in the forest. He immediately stopped rubbing the dead dragon''s head and looked in the direction of the sound. He got himself up on his two feet and took his green dragon scale blade out of the carcass.


    The entire field was red with dragon blood. He slowly walked over to the direction of the sound.


    However, in a second, an out of breath dragonslayer came out of the bushes next to him. He turned away from where the noise came from and looked at the tired dragonslayer.


    "What are you doing here, slayer? I thought I told everybody that I''d meet up with the rest of you guys in a minute," Akai said to the dragonslayer.


    "The witch.... told me to....tell you....that the assault started," he said as he breathed heavily.


    "I see. Then, I suppose I better hurry," Akai said as he turned back to where the noise came from. The dragonslayer got his breath back and asked, "Mr. CBK, is there a problem?"


    Akai stared at the forest, and he sensed that there was at least one dragon nearby, but he knew that there were many dragons in the forest, anyways, so he didn''t give a second thought about his senses.


    "It''s nothing. Let''s hurry," Akai said, but then as he began to run towards the nest, but he looked back at the dragonslayer.


    "CBK?" Akai inquired.


    The dragonslayer caught his breath and replied, "Oh. That''s just a nickname that I decided to give you. The Crimson Black Knight seems too long of a title. Is it a problem, sir?"


    "No. I don''t really care," Akai said as he ran off towards the dragon nest. He couldn''t care less about his title right now. The other dragonslayer wheezed and ran slowly behind him.


    As Akai ran to the forest, he checked behind the tree where he heard the noise. There was nothing there, so he continued running ahead.

 Chaper 29: Escape from Slaughter

    Nia ran and ran towards where the other forest dragons were. As soon as she saw that that demon was distracted by the other knight, she took off towards the nest.


    "I have to warn them. I have to warn them," she said as she ran on the dirt while footprints of the other dragonslayers was evident across the land.


    She tripped on a root and quickly got herself up. She looked back hoping that the demon hadn''t caught up to her. The sun was setting.


    She pushed branches and bushes away trying to get to the nest, but by the time she got there, it was too late. It was night, but when she approached the nest, the light began to shine brighter.


    Nia stopped in her tracks as she was in clear view of a bloody battle. Fires sweeped the trees and fields. Dragonslayers shot flurries of arrows with green arrowheads that pierced through the scales of the dragons. The forest dragons shot fire at the knights as they approached with swords, axes, and battle hammers. Bodies of burned dragonslayers and arrow-filled dragons filled the forest. The smell of burned flesh burned through her nose. Smoke filled the air. She looked in horror, frozen at the mere sight of it all.


    Crows started falling from the sky as they shot downwards towards the dragons. They clawed and pecked at the eyes of the dragons. From the corner of her eye, she saw knights jump onto the backs of one dragon and start stabbing and slashing at him. Another dragon was breathing out fire against a group of dragonslayers, but a magical barrier protected them. The next thing she saw, was the smiling woman wearing a chain dress shooting lightning out of her hands against hordes of dragons.


    Nia took a step back, slowly, as fear overtook her mind.


    I have to run away from here, she thought, far away.


    Her whole body shook at the mere sight of everybody that she ever knew being brutally killed.


    She tried to move back more, but she wasn''t able to control her body. She tripped onto the ground. At that moment, the demon that killed her friends zoomed past the small girl and towards the carnage. It was just a moment, but she saw the armored monster''s yellow eyes through the visor. The demon''s eyes looked at her in that moment, but his current speed was too fast for him to stop, so he continued to charge towards his original target of a larger dragon.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Nia''s entire body shook, but she knew that she couldn''t stay. She quickly got herself up, and as she did so, she heard the demon speak to some of his men.


    "There''s a little dragon, over there. Go and kill it, quickly. Don''t let it suffer," the red and black monster said as it pierced another dragon through the heart.


    Three other dragonslayer complied and looked over to where Nia was. Nia immediately started running and the small group of dragonslayers gave chase. She didn''t think about anything else, but her own survival. She couldn''t do anything to save the others. She could only take care of herself.


    She ran towards the dark forest, while the knights shot bolts and arrows with their crossbows. As the forest and dark skies hid Nia from sight, the dragonslayers gave chase while continuously shooting arrows. None of them hit their marks in the shadows of the forest. Nia continued to run and run, while arrows flew by her.


    She began flapping her wings in human form, but in that moment, an arrow struck her right wing and tore through it. She gasped in pain, but kept running. She ran past a dragonslayer who was gasping for air, but as soon as he saw Nia with her wings and tail extended out, he took out his crossbow and started giving chase, as well. "Hell, yeah! A dragon!" he yelled in excitement.


    Arrows and arrows flew past her. All the dragonslayers needed was a lucky shot in the dark. Nia kept running past bushes and branches. She evaded trees on her run, while the dragonslayers were behind her. She didn''t know where to go. She ran through pushing branches out of the way, and eventually she hit a dead end. She suddenly stopped at a slope down to a riverbank. Arrows flew past and one arrow hit its mark. Nia''s bottom leg was pierced by a bolt. Pieces of bone chiseled out and in that second, she gasped and tumbled down the slope. She rolled down hitting branches and rocks to the water.


    The three dragonslayers ran to where she was, but didn''t find any sign of her. One of them looked down into the riverbank, but it was too dark to see anything such as blood. The trail for the dragonslayers went cold.


    The dragonslayers talked to each other.


    "Damn it. Let''s go back. Mr. CBK still needs help taking down that nest."


    "Mr. CBK?"


    "You know... Crimson Black Knight."


    "We''re calling him CBK, now?"


    "It''s just a nickname that I made up. His regular title''s too long for me."


    "Uh... right. Who are you, again?"


    "Dragonslayer Lebazno," he said while saluting.


    "Uh-huh. Let''s just go back and deal with the nest."


    They headed back as there was no sign of the little dragon they were chasing.


    Nia''s eyes closed as her body dragged along the river''s current.

 Chapter 30: Recurring and Subsiding Nightmare

    Nera walked alongside the river, picking up herbs and berries into different baskets as she went along. There were a lot of dead plants where she walked, but some bore fruit. She picked up an apple that looked to be edible from a half-dying tree. She felt around it, and it seemed good enough to eat, so she put it in the berry basket. Much of the forest where she resided in was gray, but there were few exceptions near the riverside. She held the red dragon scale sword in a sheath just in case of a monster attack.


    As Nera took her stroll, carrying small baskets of herbs and berries, she looked down at the riverside and stumbled upon a small child by the river. She gasped, dropped the baskets, and ran over to child. She noticed the scales, wings, and tail, and knew that the little girl was a dragon.


    Nera carried her out of the riverside and onto dry land. Nera saw that her wing had a tear and her leg had an arrow through it. There were many bruises and scratches on the small girl''s body. Nera checked for a pulse, and there was one albeit weak. She leaned in to hear for breathing, and it was faint. She carried the small girl, as well as the baskets of herbs and food, and hurried towards the village.


    ---------------------------------------


    Nia stared across a field of dead dragons upon dragons. The ground was flooded with blood up to her ankles. Her face twisted in fear. She was stuck in human form with her wings and tail retracted.


    "Hello!? Is there anybody still here!?" she screamed and as the voice echoed throughout the empty red fields, the blood underneath the dead dragons materialized.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The blood transformed into knights and dragonslayers holding crossbows and swords. Nia turned around. She ran and ran and ran, but as she turned around, the knights still looked as if they hadn''t moved at all. She ran faster and faster, but to no avail. Eventually, she tripped and fell to the bloodied floor. As she got herself up, her entire body was covered in blood. She looked at her hands and noticed her scales peeling off one-by-one only to reveal bone underneath. She got herself up and kept running without looking back. She knew that they were still chasing her.


    Soon, she reached a wall made up of dragon skeletons with no way around. She looked up to the blood-shot sky, however, there was no sky. Instead, the sky was made up of burned human and dragon carcasses alike. She tried to climb up the dragon bone wall, but each time she climbed up, the wall sank further down, while new bones piled on. She climbed faster and faster, but no progress was made. As she hurried, she lost her footing and fell down the wall. Luckily, the fall was only a couple of feet down as she landed on her behind. She stared up at the carcasses as their hands reached downwards towards her. She sat up with no emotions and turned around.


    This time, there were no groups of dragonslayers in wait, but rather a giant winged demon.


    The demon was coated in red and black metals with a hundred yellow eyes on it''s face. It had the wings of a black dragon and the tail of one, too. It held a green longsword and pointed it towards Nia. It''s eyes aimed at the little dragon.


    She crawled back to the dragon bone wall in fear. The great demon approached with fiercely and growled without showing any signs of teeth.


    Her body trembled in fear of the enormous monster. With her back against the wall, she saw no escape. No escape from the inevitable.


    In that moment, a gentle white butterfly flew out of the blood and in front of Nia. She took her hand towards the butterfly and as she did so, a calm aura filled the air. The monster melted and dripped below to the bloody floor. The whole area began erasing itself into white as her mind drifted off and her eyes closed. The air became warm as Nia drifted peacefully to sleep.

 Chapter 31: New Life

    Nia''s eyes opened to see a wooden ceiling. She laid on a simple bed in human form. Although it was unfamiliar to her, the bedding felt soft especially compared to the ground she usually sleep. A wet towel was placed on her forehead. She sat herself up, but as she did a shock went through her leg. She clutched where the pain resonated. Her leg was wrapped in bandages along with her wing. As she moved, the towel fell to the ground. Her entire body had small bandages covering scratches.


    She slowly sat on the soft bed, trying not to put any pressure on her leg and looked around. She has never seen a cabin before. There was light protruding from windows and small cracks in the wood.


    The door opened and a red-haired woman entered with a basket of plants and berries. She held a sword holstered in a sheath. The woman saw that Nia was awake and pleasantly smiled.


    "Ahh. You''re awake. I was becoming worried for you."


    As Nia saw the sword, she quickly jumped back as it reminded her of the same sword that the dragonslayer held. As she jumped back, she bumped to the back of the wall, hitting the back of her head and injured leg in the process. Nia held her leg in pain, but felt more fear from the human in front of her.


    The woman dropped her basket and went over to comfort the little dragon. As she ran over to her, Nia said, "Stay back!"


    But as she yelled, the woman gave a comforting hug. Nia froze.


    "It''s alright. It''s alright," the woman said as she rubbed the little dragon''s head. Nia couldn''t understand what was happening or why this human was caring for her, but tears overflowed. She began to cry into this stranger''s arms.


    "There, there," the woman said as she comforted the crying dragon. Nia cried and cried.


    ---------------------------------------


    As the little dragon settled down, Nera laid her sword on the ground near a cooking pot. She started to make vegetable soup for the little dragon. Nia sat on the bed. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. This was all a dream, she thought. Although she thought it was a pleasant dream, she pinched herself and softly slapped her cheeks to try and wake herself up.


    "No. This isn''t some dream," she said as the woman looked back with a pleasant smile still preparing the soup.


    "What''s your name, little one?" the woman inquired casually.


    They looked at each other''s eyes. Nia believed that the woman was sincere and caring, otherwise her wounds wouldn''t have been healed.


    "I''m Nia", she replied.


    "Nia. What a beautiful name. It''s almost the exact same name as my own. I''m Nera."


    With that, Nia''s eyes sparkled, forgetting about the horrific events that haunted her before.


    "Really!? Nera. Nera is such a nice name!" Nia shouted with a big smile. Nera was glad that the little dragon had opened up, but she knew that she had to get Nia back to her family of dragons.


    "Nia, do you know where your parents are?" Nera asked and as she did, Nia''s memory flooded back. Memories of fire burning through human flesh. Memories of dragons being shot at with arrows. Memories of her friends being slaughtered by that man.


    Nia looked down to the wooden floor and Nera noticed immediately that she walked into a landmine.


    Nera was about to open her mouth, but Nia replied, "I don''t actually know my parents." Nia tried to keep a smile, but it was obvious that she was scared and upset.


    She continued trying to maintain her smile, but it was ineffective, "You know, dragons don''t usually have last names. I don''t even remember how to get back to where the forest dragons were." Her smile faded. "I don''t think there is a home to go back to."


    Nera was shocked, but tried to keep a calm composure to keep Nia from getting depressed.


    "Well, Nia, I actually don''t have a last name, either. I never knew my parents. But I''m sure that we can find your home with the rest of the forest dragons," Nera said.


    Nia looked at Nera and said, "I''m sorry."


    "Oh. Don''t be sorry. It''s no trouble."


    Nia looked away and as she did, Nera began to worry. Nera went back to cooking the soup. Silence across the cabin, but was broken as Nia turned her attention towards the red blade.


    "That sword. Where did you get it?" she asked aloud.


    "Oh, this thing. It''s not actually my own. It belongs to a good friend of mine. I''m just holding onto it, so that he can pick it up when he visits."


    "That sword. That red sword. Who did it really belong to, then?"


    Nera smiled as her memories of Akai flooded in. She believed that he would come back and still believed it.


    "Actually, it belonged to a dragon."


    Nia eyes widened in surprise. "Another dragon? A dragon that uses a sword?"You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Yes. He wanted to see the world in human eyes, so he essentially became a monster hunter. He protects other humans from dangerous monsters and he is doing so as we speak."


    Nia leaned in wanting to know more about this mysterious dragon.


    "A monster hunter?"


    Nera smiled while she reminisced at her first window to the outside world, but then also remembered how they never said good-bye to each other. She remembered how she left their relationship off. Nera remembered that he was also with dragonslayers and on a hunt to kill a dragon like himself. Her smile dimmed, but only for a slight moment. She reminded herself that he must have had a reason to be with those people.


    "I patched him up after he was wounded from a fight. He was kind and sweet for the short time that I was with him. My first time looking outside of this village. His recovery was extremely fast. I never thought that the healing process would be so quick for a dragon. Even you are healing faster than any human."


    Nia looked at her bandaged leg and remembered an arrow piercing through it. She''ll never forget that pain, but even though it still hurts, it was nowhere near as painful as before she fell into the river.


    "So, that sword belongs to him?" Nia said as she pointed at the red blade.


    Nera held the sword up and nodded.


    "I know he will return one day, at least to find his old sword. It''s still plenty sharp and luckily I have not needed to use it in a while."


    Nia shocked at that statement said, "You...you killed with it?"


    Nera looked at Nia and said, "Only in self-defense. The occasional monster or beast that strolls by. Without it, I would have died near the bottom of Mt. Geolith."


    Nera smiled, but Nia didn''t give the same expression. She was in deep thought. She thought that the red sword was very similar to the green sword that that demon was carrying back at the forest. She shook her head. There was no way that whoever this woman was referring to was the same man or monster who killed her friends, she thought. Why would a dragon even consider joining up in a hunt against other dragons, she asked herself in her thoughts. She shook her head once more. It''s probably a coincidence or maybe the sword was made at the same blacksmith, she thought trying to make an excuse to explain why the swords were similar.


    "Oh, I think that''s enough tales from my own. Do you want to talk about what happened to you? " Nera asked compassionately.


    Nia shook her head. Nera tried to maintain her pleasant smile for the child, not wanting to worry her.


    "I see. Well, I''ll give you some soup, and you can rest."


    Nia nodded, not wanting to


    "And after you''re done healing. I''ll escort you back to your home," Nera said as she took a bowl of soup out.


    Nia''s eyes widened.


    "I don''t even remember where it is," Nia said.


    "I''m sure we can find it by retracing your steps. I''m sure that whatever happened, your family - the other forest dragons - would be happy to have you back."


    Nia looked down and agreed, not wanting to argue with the person who saved her life. Nera held the hot soup bowl carefully. She took a wooden spoon and picked up some soup with it. She blew on the soup to cool it down and fed it to the little dragon in human form. Nera smiled to keep the little dragon comfortable all while Nia sat on the bed slowly sipping the soup.


    ---------------------------------------


    After a few days, Nia''s wounds healed to the point where she was able to walk without feeling any pain. The wing that used to have a hole through it was also healed. She was able to move her body much better after a few days'' rest. There was only a scar where her leg was pierced through.


    Nera walked into the cabin carrying some villager clothes as Nia stretched out her wings and legs.


    "I brought you some of my old clothes. I think you are well enough to come walk around the village," Nera said as she tossed the clothes to Nia. The little dragon grabbed the clothes in bewilderment.


    "Aren''t these the things you wear, Nera?" Nia asked, "How do I put these on?"


    Nia attempted to put the small clothes on, but was having trouble going through the right holes. Nera chuckled. "Here. Let me help you."


    Nera helped Nia put the simple clothes on.


    "These used to belong to me when I was younger. They fit you perfectly, if I do say so myself," Nera said. The clothing hid most of the scales on the young dragon''s body, but not the light green scales that showed on her neck and sides of her face nor on her lower legs or wrists.


    "Your hair''s a bit of a mess. Let me clean that up for you," Nera said as she walked to a drawer and got out a brush.


    Nia wondered what that was. Nera came closer to her and brushed Nia''s hair. Nia closed her eyes, but the brushing felt nice to her suprise.


    "You know what you''re like, Nera?"


    "Huh? What''s that?" Nera asked as she continued to brush Nia''s hair.


    "You''re like a mother," Nia said with a smile.


    Nera blushed and felt embarrasment. "I''m not that old. I''m not old enough to be a mother, yet."


    "Oh." There was a brief pause. "What about like a big sister, then?"


    Nera blushed, again, and Nia continued, "Yeah. Can I call you a big sister? I was the youngest dragon where I was and I called everybody a big brother or sister."


    "Well, I don''t know. I thought that dragons were supposed to be a lot older than they appear."


    "Aww. I''m only 100 years old, silly," Nia pouted.


    "Well, wouldn''t that make me your younger sister?"


    Nera continued to brush the dark brown hair as Nia thought to herself.


    "Well, you act more like a big sister than a younger sister. You would either be a mom or a big sister," Nia said with a big smile.


    Nera laughed. "Alright. I can be your big sister, then," she said with a smile.


    Nia turned around and immediately hugged Nera.


    "Alright. Then, from now on, I''ll call you big sister Nera," she said with a big smile.


    Nera gave a smile back and patted the dragon''s head.


    "Alright. Alright. But I think it''s time that we find your other big brothers and sisters," Nera said.


    Nia held back her tears. Deep down, she knew that there was no home there for her.


    Nia let go of Nera and nodded with a smile. Even if she thought that her home was destroyed, she believed that maybe there were some other survivors. That the other forest dragons may have survived and fixed the place up. She didn''t see what happened at the end of that bloody battle, so all she had was belief.


    "Oh. One more thing," Nera said as she walked towards a closet and pulled out some robes with a hood.


    "Just in case, I''m going to have to put this on you," Nera said as she put the hooded robes on Nia. The robes were larger than her, but it hid the scales on the lower leg and wrists, as well as covering up the scales on her neck. However, if somebody were to look closely at her face, they may realize that there are some scales on the sides, but nonetheless the shadows from the hood covered it up and Nera didn''t have anything else to use.


    "Is there a problem outside? Do the villagers not like dragons?" Nia asked.


    "No. I''m not worried about villagers or whoever has stayed, anyways. I definetely know that the other villagers would treat you with kindness. It''s just that..." Nera paused and looked away.


    She looked back and continued, "It''s just in case of any dragonslayers."


    Nia''s eyes widened and shook with fear. "Dragonslayers?"


    Nia realized that there may be some more of those people that attacked them still in the forests.


    "Don''t worry. I saw them leave the forests and pass our village. I doubt that we will run into any... but it''s just a precaution," Nera said giving off a reassuring smile. Nia nodded and her fear dissipated.


    "Ok, big sister Nera. I''ll follow you," Nia said. Nera sheathed the blade in leather around her waist.


    "Let''s go," Nera said as she opened the cabin doors.

 Chapter 32: Home in the Forest

    As Nia walked through the village, she noticed that the soil wasn''t as soft as the ones back where she lived. It was the first time she had been inside a human village. She looked at all of the houses. The farmers working the fields, but even she could tell that the food that was being harvested wasn''t plentiful. There were some houses that were left abandoned. Nera held Nia''s hand. It was gentle, soft, and warm. The air was cold and the sun was barely up. Just barely dawn.


    "Well, this is my home. It''s not much, but this is Kyte Village. I''m sure it''s a bit underwhelming," Nera said.


    "Oh, no. It''s quite... strange to me. I have never needed to go far from the forests. I have never even seen a village from faraway."


    Nera''s eyes looked away and whispered, "You''re like me."


    "What was that, big sister?"


    "Nothing. Let''s find your home and see if we can reunite you with the rest of the forest dragons."


    As Nia followed Nera as they held hands, she noticed a couple of children looking around the corner of a house.


    Nia smiled and waved at them. As she did so, three young children came out of the corner and waved back. Each had a small genuine smile. Nia became joyful at the thought of making new friends.


    Nera noticed and smiled to herself, as well.


    ---------------------------------------


    There were no dragonslayer in sight, but Nera made sure the Nia''s hood didn''t come undone. She didn''t think that any dragonslayers were still searching for any remaining dragons, but she couldn''t take any chances.


    In the forest, Nera and Nia reached the river where they she had found Nia washed up.


    "Alright, since the river''s current goes towards the right, we should head left," Near said aloud still holding onto Nia''s hand making sure that she doesn''t trip or lose her.


    They moved left following the river. "Tell me if you recognize where you are," Nera said. Nia nodded.


    While walking, Nia was on high alert. She thought that a dragonslayer could show up at any moment. There was plenty of sunlight, so she didn''t think that they could be snuck up on. Nera also held one hand on her sheathed blade, in case of any monsters that may appear.


    As they walked alongside the river, Nia recognized where she fell off from. There was a patch of dirt on the other side of the river that looked different from the rest. It felt like Nia had been there before. She let go of Nera''s hands.


    "Hey! Don''t go off alone!" Nera shouted, but Nia didn''t listen as she jumped across the river, grew out her wings creating tears through the robes and clothes, and flew to the top of the slope on the other side of the river. She landed gently and immediately got flashbacks to the time when she was being shot at by knights.


    "This is where I fell," Nia said to herself. She flew back to Nera and said to her, "That''s where I fell."


    "Fine. Just don''t go off alone. I don''t know what''s out there," Nera replied.


    "I''m sorry, big sister Nera," Nia said apologetically.


    Nera smiled. "It''s alright. I see that you can just fly across, but I''m going to have to find a way across."


    She looked around for anything that could get her around or across the ravine, and as she did, Nia grabbed her hand and flew her to the other side of the river and to the top of the slope, where she fell from before.


    Nera suprised said, "I didn''t think you''d be strong enough to lift me."


    "I didn''t know either. So, I tried."


    Nia retracted her wings and as she did so, Nera noticed that there were holes on the back of the little dragon''s clothes.


    "Well, so much for my childhood clothes."


    NIa began to worry if her big sister was angry at her, but upon seeing Nera''s grin, they both laughed it off.


    "Do you know your way back home from here?" Nera asked.


    "Yeah. It''s just straight ahead from here," Nia replied pointing to the direction in which the forest dragons supposedly were.


    Nera nodded and with a serious tone said, "Let me go in front. And when we''re near the place, I''m going to check it out first, and you''ll wait behind me. Got it?"


    Nera worried that something really horrific may have happened to the forest dragons and wanted to protect Nia from seeing anything that she should never see. Nera held her sword''s grip tightly with one hand holding Nia''s.


    The little dragon nodded and Nera smiled. They walked off towards where Nia said the nest of dragons would be with Nera in front and Nia right behind.


    ---------------------------------------


    They cautiously walked for some time, but Nia knew they were getting close. As they walked the forest, they both noticed hints of blood and arrows stuck on the trees and dirt. The arrowheads themselves were made of some green metal that neither could recognize. As they got closer and closer, they both heard a small noise and stopped in their tracks.


    Nera motioned to the little dragon to not make any sound. They moved quietly closer towards where they were heading. The forest trees blocked out most of the sun from coming through, but there was still plenty of light to see from the cracks between the green leaves.


    As they got closer, the sound became more and more apparent.


    Nia''s ears were far more tuned into the sound. It came from the direction they were coming from. So far, she didn''t sense any dragons nearby, even though they were getting close.


    As she honed her hearing, she could recognize some of the sounds. It was some kind of roar. As they got closer, she could absolutely tell what it was. A dragon''s roar went into her ears.


    "That sound..." she said as she let go of Nera''s hand and jolted towards the nest.


    "Nia! Wait!" Nera yelled and soon ran off after her, but the speed of the little dragon surpassed that of the village girl.


    ---------------------------------------


    Nia ran and as she got closer and closer, the roar was far more clear. "A dragon. There are still dragons, there!" Nia happily said to herself as she ran through the forest.


    She ran faster and faster into a sprint, pushing branches and dirt behind her. The hood and robes fluttered behind her. As she got through the last branches and bushes, she appeared at an opening where her nest was. Her big smile slowly faded at the sight. The dragon''s roar still echoed through the nest.


    Nia was facing a giant bug. A bug that was using the sound of dragons as it sat upon the corpse of one. A giant wasp moth with the face of a human as it sucked the remains of a decaying dragon corpse. The land was burned and filled with bodies of both humans and dragons. Rotting and burned cadavers laid on the ground. Small rats and flies picked at the bodies, while the giant wasp moth was sucking out nutrients, while still mimicking a dragon''s roar. The wasp moth was black with polka dots. It had the body of a moth, the wings of a wasp, and the staring pale white human face. It''s mouth had tubes that connected to the dragon that it was standing on top of.


    It made the roar one last time, but as soon as it noticed Nia, the creature stopped eating and giving out the cries.


    Nia''s eyes looked in horror at the aftermath. She remembered that the knights and dragons fought, but didn''t want to believe that they were all dead. She then realized that her senses have not picked up any nearby dragons. There weren''t any dragons left alive besides her. She should have known that the roar was too good to be true, and she fell to her knees in defeat.


    No tears came, but her eyes looked dead.


    "Ahh, a fresh morsel. A child dragon, too. I didn''t think that my sounds would attract another dragon. I only hoped that it would keep other mosnters away. When I kill you, does your body revert back to dragon form? I would prefer to have your fresh and chewy meat last longer," the wasp moth said and it began flapping its wings picking up soot and ashes along with it.


    Nia didn''t listen. "There''s nothing left. There''s nothing left." She sat with her head down looking at the dirt.


    "Either way, I''m sure that you would be tastier than any of the corpses left behind by those dragonslayers. I had to wait around until they all left before I could take satisfy my hunger. But now, I think that fate may be on my side. I was given a buffet and fresh meat to boot." The wasp moth said and as it finished, it charged at the kneeling dragon who had given up hope.


    "Not even going to try and run. Too bad since no other dragons are going to come and save you." And as it said that, Nera ran out of the bushes. As the wasp moth charged at Nia, Nera swooped in, took her blade, and cut straight through the wasp moth''s head. Nera easily sliced the wasp moth in half. The disgusting bug was split in two. Blue blood splattered all across Nera and Nia.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The little dragon looked up and saw Nera in front of her holding the blade. Life sprung back into Nia''s eyes.


    "Impossible. How could a blade be so sharp to cut me with ease," one half of the wasp moth said as it choked on it''s own blue blood. It threw up large amounts of blood before wriggling around. It''s movement slowed to a halt and died with blue bloodshot eyes.


    Nera wiped the blood on her skirt and sheathed the red blade. She looked over to Nia and marched quickly over. Her face was serious. Nera quickly grabbed Nia up and walked her out of the clearing.


    As they got back into the forests, Nera crossed her arms and looked at Nia. Silence came down upon the forest.


    Nia was about to open her mouth, but a hard slap came upon her face.


    "I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO OFF ALONE!" Nera shouted, "YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED!"


    Nia was shocked and put her hand where the slap occurred. She looked down to the dirt.


    Nia quietly said, "Perhaps it would have been better."


    Slap. A harder slap came after those words have been muttered.


    "I DON''T WANT TO HEAR THAT AFTER I RISKED MY OWN LIFE TO SAVE YOURS."


    Nia didn''t give any response. She only looked down. Nera sighed. She felt sorry that she had to slap the little dragon not once, but twice, though she wouldn''t say it. Nera scratched her head wondering what she should do.


    She took out a clean cloth from one of her pockets and silently wiped off the blue blood and dirt on Nia''s face.


    After wiping Nia''s face, Nera asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"


    Nia didn''t respond, but after a few seconds she shook her head. "Are you hurt?" Nia asked as she looked back up to her.


    Nera was glad that the little dragon was ok and said, "No. I''m fine." Nera''s face saddened and said, "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have made you come back here. I was hoping that there was at least one forest dragon hiding out."


    Nia shook her head. "No. I don''t sense any other dragons nearby." Nera gave Nia a long hug. For a few seconds, Nia didn''t return one, but she slowly did. As she did so, tears started swelling up. She cried onto Nera''s dirty clothes. Nera patted her head and said, "At least you''re safe, now."


    They continued to hug there, and when Nia was done crying, they both walked back towards Kyte Village.


    ---------------------------------------


    When they arrived by the riverside, Nera said, "I think it would be a good idea to wash up, here. The river''s current isn''t too strong, right now." Nia nodded as she grew out her wings and flew Nera to the side of the river.


    "I''m going to need the clothes. Better wash up everything, before we head back. We wouldn''t want to be coming home smelling like the inside of a bug," Nera said jokingly trying to lighten the mood. Nia gave a small laugh. The little dragon will remember what she saw, but she didn''t want to hurt her new big sister. Nera looked up at the sky. She estimated that it would still take two hours before sunset.


    Nera took off Nia''s clothes and began washing them. "Nia, could you quickly wash yourself in the river."


    Nia gave a big grin and transformed into her dragon form. In dragon form, she was only slightly larger than Nera. She looked in astonishment at the light green dragon as it walked into the river and washed itself.


    After Nera washed Nia''s clothes and placed them on a branch to dry, she took off her own clothes to wash. Nia continued to relax in the water after her body has been cleaned.


    As Nera washed her clothes, Nia said, "Big sister Nera, the water is nice and warm. You should come into the water."


    "Oh, I''m not a very good swimmer." Nera said as she raised her hand to decline the offer.


    A fish started swimming by the dragon and as it jumped into the air, Nia grabbed it with her mouth and ate it.


    "My goodness. You could have at least cooked it first," Nera said in surprise. Nia grinned and splashed around the waters. Nera was glad that she could take the dragon''s mind off of what happened. When she hung up her clothes on the branch, she put her sheath on the ground next to the same tree.


    "Nia, I''ll go in the water for a little bit to wash myself up," Nera said as she got into the water. Nia''s eyes sparkled.


    "Really!? Yay! Big sister Nera''s coming in the water with me!" the dragon yelled.


    Nera walked halfway into the warer and said, "Just please don''t splash on me" and as soon as she said that, Nia doused water onto Nera immediately. Nia covered her mouth while Nia''s hair covered her face. A silence overcame them, but was broken as Nera began to laugh. And as she laughed, Nia laughed as well. Nera started splashing water on the dragon and Nia lightly splashed back in retaliation. The fish underneath paddled themselves away from what they thought was a storm.


    They both laughed and played in the water until the sen began to set.


    "Alright. I think we''ve had some funfor today. Let''s head back to the village. I''m sure that the clothes are dry enough, now," Nera said as she walked out of the river.


    "Aww. So soon, big sister Nera?," Nia complained.


    Nera turned around and replied, "We can come back tomorrow, if you''d like. Maybe even play with the other kids."


    Nia''s eyes lit up and her tail wagged like a dog. "Ok. Oh, I''m already so excited for tomorrow."


    Nera smiled and walked back up to land where she put the clothes to dry. As Nera wasn''t facing the little dragon, Nia''s face turned to sorrow over what she saw. She looked up to the sky as she didn''t want to worry her big sister. She looked back down and walked to shore. As she walked, her body shifted and by the time she got to land, she was in human form.


    As Nera walked towards the hanging clothes, a man appeared out of the shadows of the forest. She stopped in her tracks and turned to Nia and shouted, "Stay right where you are, Nia!"


    Nia froze in place. And in the moment, she saw the man appear out of the forest. However, she recognized the man.


    An armored knight pointing a crossbow at the little dragon.


    "I''ll be damned. I didn''t expect to see two lovely ladies out tonight," he said while still aiming the crossbow, "Well, one lady and a dragon, anyways. Mr. CBK might actually give me some praise after bringing you."


    Nia''s eyes widened. She recognized that voice. There was only one dragonslayer that referred to the demon as Mr. CBK and it was that dragonslayer who distracted the demon and shot arrows at her.


    Nera slowly went for her blade, but the dragonslayer noticed and took a small dagger out and pointed it in front of her. "I wouldn''t do that. Don''t worry, I''m only here for the dragon," he said with a sinister grin.


    Upon seeing Nera being threatened with the knife, Nia started to remember what happened to all of her friends. She couldn''t let that happen, again.


    The dragonslayer continued to gloat, "I personally wanted to come back and find that little dragon''s body and make a sword out of her scales... but dragons are definitely harder to kill."


    "I remember you. You were there. You shot through my leg. Do all of you dragonslayers enjoy killing or is it just you?" Nia asked with a slight hint of green in her eyes.


    Nera looked at Nia worryingly. She didn''t want to provoke the knight. Nera looked at her sword, but if she made one wrong move, she would be on the wrong end of the blade.


    The dragonslayer pointed his dagger to Nera''s neck while still aiming the crossbow at the little dragon. He wanted to make sure that he could get an instant kill, so that he didn''t need to actually fight. He wasn''t confident that he would be able to make the shot.


    "Why don''t you come closer and find out? These days, it''s quite busy for us dragonslayers. We''re actively looking for dragons, now, instead of waiting for a request."


    While the dragonslayer was talking, Nia noticed behind the dragonslayer more men. She began to worry that there would be too many of them to handle, now. She only thought that she had to find a way to deal with one knight, but a squad of them would prove too difficult.


    As she looked closer, that wasn''t the case.


    The dragonslayer continued to talk not noticing the people behind him, "It''s fortunate that dragons parts are quite hefty and pay the den good money. However, I do wonder how much a live baby dragon would make on the black market. I''m sure I could find some buyer."


    As he finished that sentence, he was struck by a giant rock held by one of the villagers. The small group of villagers and the three young children right behind them. The dragonslayer fell to the ground firing his crossbow, but the arrow only struck the water behind Nia.


    "Oww. My head," the dragonslayer complained and looked back at the group of villagers. Each held a rock or a tool and started beating the dragonslayer to near death.


    Nera ran over to Nia and covered her eyes. As the dragonslayer screamed and begged for his life, Nera guided Nia to the dry clothes all while trying to close Nia''s eyes. She quickly put the clothes on Nia and herself.


    Nia could still hear the screams of the dragonslayer as he was being beaten by rocks and tools.


    Nera kicked the crossbow and dagger towards the river and grabbed her sword.


    As Nera held her sword in plain view with Nia turned away from the gruesome scene, the other villagers backed off. Although Nera doubted that Nia would be affected by seeing the downed dragonslayer considering what the little dragon experienced before, she didn''t want the little girl to see any more bloodshed.


    "How did you all know where we were?" Nera asked to the other villagers.


    One of them responded, "The kids here said that they saw a dragonslayer sneaking around the forest, so we came to look for you."


    "Thank you, little ones," Nera said as she looked towards the three small children with a pleasant smile. They nervously said, "You''re welcome" one by one.


    Nera''s smile vanished and told the villagers, "Take Nia back to Kyte village. I''ll deal with this knight."


    "Are you sure?" one of the villagers said, but after looking into Nera''s cold eyes, he understood. Nera pushed Nia with the other three children.


    "Big sister Nera..." Nia said as the other villager turned her away from the messed up dragonslayer.


    Nera smiled and said, "Go, Nia. I''ll be right behind you."


    Nia moved the villager''s hands out of the way and took a look at Nera''s smile. Nia nodded and ran back to the village with the rest of the villagers.


    As Nera couldn''t see Nia anymore, her smile faded and she looked down at the dragonslayer in disgust.


    The knight was coughing out blood with his face completely bashed inwards. His arms and legs were already twisted in places they should never twist.


    His eyes were still working, and he still breathed out of his mouth, but only barely.


    Nera took her sword and pointed it down at the dragonslayer''s eye.


    "Did Akai send you?" Nera asked.


    "No," the dragonslayer coughed out, "I came here to prove myself to him."


    Nera''s face twisted in anger. Night fell upon the forest.


    "You think killing a child would get Akai''s respect? Do you really think that''s the kind of dragon he is!?" Nera yelled.


    The dragonslayer coughed, "Dragon? What are you talking about?"


    Nera took her sword and gouged out the dragonslayer''s eye. He made a barely audible scream.


    "Of course you don''t know." Nera looked away and took her sword out of the eyes. She held the sword above the other eye. She has never hurt another person like this before. Never took pleasure in it. But she didn''t think of this man as a person.


    "Your men slaughtered innocent forest dragons who never once bothered any village. I don''t care that you threatened me, but aiming a crossbow at Nia - a small dragon - is unacceptable! I know Akai wouldn''t do anything like that" she said.


    There was a couple of seconds of just barely audible gargling.


    "You don''t know Mr. CBK very well, do you?" the dragonslayer replied.


    "Is that what you call him? You gave him a stupid pet name? I''ve hunted monsters who came near my village before. They were only animals. For all the monsters I''ve heard about from Akai or killed myself, I don''t think any of them can compare to the likes of you. You''re worse than any monster."


    The dragonslayer started to tear up from the other eye. "Please, just let me go. I''ll never come back."


    "As if you could walk. You died a long time ago. I just wanted you to feel the same fear that she felt."


    The dragonslayer began to cry, but his cries were hollow and his tears would hurt.


    "I don''t think that you can feel the same fear she felt because I''m not her. But if I did, I know that I would want to kill you myself. I won''t let her do that. She''s a good girl. She doesn''t need that on her shoulders, as well."


    She sighed. "Even so, you''re still worse than any human. I hope Akai has a good reason for having things that are worse than monsters."


    Nera took her blade and held it inside the dragonslayers mouth. She took both hands and pushed downwards. Blood spurted up like a fountain. She pushed with ease as the blade hit the dirt below hit. The dragonslayers stopped moving at all. Not even a twitch.


    She took her blade out of his mouth. "I''m going to have to wash this ten times over before giving it back to Akai. I do hope Akai knows what he is doing. I know that he has a good heart."


    Nera dragged the body and let it flow down the river. As she did she took her blade and washed it ten times over.

 Chapter 33: Where We Belong

    As midnight rolled over the village, Nia was being entertained by the three children inside the cabin. They played with small wooden toys and Nia was very much interested in them, but her mind was preoccupied. Her mind was busy thinking about her big sister, Nera. She didn''t know why she was taking so long. Light from the candles continued to brighten up the cabin through the dark night.


    The other adult villagers stayed outside the cabin waiting for Nera to return. One by one, the children slept on the wooden floor. Nera was the last awake and sat on the bed. Her mind wandered and she felt her eyes closing. She yawned and fell asleep on the bed.


    After a few minutes, the other villages came into the cabin to see the children soundly sleeping. The villagers took their own children and left the cabin. Nera walked into the cabin with mud and dirt on her clothes. She found Nia fast asleep with a loud snore. The village girl graciously grinned. She took a chair and sat next to the sleeping little dragon. She rubbed her head and although Nia was fast asleep, her face brightened with a gentle smile.


    Nera whispered into the sleeping dragon''s ear, "You can stay here in this village, if you want. I know we''re not your actual family. I just want you to be where you think you belong." She kissed the little girl''s cheek and continued to rub the sleeping dragon''s head. Nia awoke for a mere moment to see Nera. Then, she began to fall asleep once more.


    "Let me tell you a story. A story of a kind dragon named Akai," Nera said quietly. Nia listened to the story as she drifted back into her slumber.


    ---------------------------------------The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Birds chirped outside. Nera''s eyes slowly opened. As she got up, she noticed that Nia was gone. She leapt up out of her chair.


    "Nia!?" she screamed wondering where she went. Nera ran to outside of the cabin and saw the little dragon. Her heart relaxed upon seeing that Nia was safe and she sighed.


    Then, she saw that Nia was swinging a branch against a dummy made of straw and a bucket for a head. Nera smiled and asked, "Nia, are you playing make-believe fighting? I''m sure that the other kids would play with you."


    "Big sister Nera, you''re awake!" Nia shouted with excitement and dropped her branch to hug her big sister.


    "Yes. I''m awake. Do you want some breakfast, Nia?"


    "No, thanks. I did play with the other kids, today, while the other villagers were working. We had some cooked chicken," Nia said with a large smile.


    "Oh, that''s good. I guess I must have been so tired from yesterday."


    "That remind me, big sister."


    "Hmm?"


    "I wasn''t playing a make-believe fight. I was practicing. I saw how you fought that monster and I want to be able to do the same. I''m going to practice every day until I''m big and strong like you, big sister Nera. Big and strong enough to protect everybody."


    Nera made a little laugh.


    "Aww. I was being serious," Nia pouted.


    "I know. And I think that''s a wonderful idea. When you''re old enough and we have the funds, I''ll buy you an actual training sword. How does that sound?"


    Nia''s eyes widened with joy. "Oooooh. An actual sword?"


    "A training sword," she stressed and then asked, "but while you''re here, would you mind helping me out with foraging for herbs and food?"


    Nia nodded her head and said, "You got it, big sister Nera!"


    And she ran off towards the forest.


    "Woah! Don''t forget me!" Nera yelled and as soon as Nia heard, she slowed to a halt.


    Nera smiled and picked up her sheathed blade and wooden buckets. As she did so, Nera looked back at Nia and saw her laughing with the other children. The laughs resonated throughout the village. Her bright smile brought back joy to the once prosperous then gloomy village.

 Chapter 34: Time Goes Up and Down

    Nera watched as Nia practiced using her wooden training sword that she saved up money for. Memories went back towards when she had to find a wagon to take her to one of the towns to find a general store.


    The land was recovering and the crops began turning up healthy again. The village turned back to becoming a prosperous farming village. The village had enough money to spare.


    The first time she was really outside of the village. She wanted to take Nia with her, but was too afraid that somebody might found out that she was a dragon. Nera was astounded by the different buildings and people. The carts and wagons that flooded the streets. An unfamiliar place to her. However, she felt bad about leaving Nia in the care of the other villagers. She bought some practice swords from a smithy and decided to rent a wagon back to


    While she was there, she happened upon a merchant who was selling magical items. He was a strange man who didn''t really try to interact with other people. He wore silver armor and his face was cloaked. Nera couldn''t even see the man''s eyes, but the merchant came over to her.


    "Hello, maam. Would you be interested in seeing my magical wares?"


    "No, thanks.


    "What about a magical wand that turns people into chickens, or a mask that transforms one into a vampire."


    Nera ignored the merchant''s goods, but she froze to ask, "Do you have anything that can change appearances? For example... changing an ugly person to a beautiful one."


    "Well, maam, you are certainly not ugly, but I do have one thing."


    The merchant pulled out a ring.


    "This ring can change the appearance of the one wearing it. It''s called an illusive ring. It can change anything to a regular average-looking human. From skeleton to... a human-form dragon."


    "So, if I put this on, my appearance would change?"


    The merchant handed the ring over, so that she can wear it. As Nera equipped it, the merchant held out a mirror towards her face. The ring changed her appearance from red-hair to black-hair and white skin to brown. She turned her face over to the sides.


    "Are you sure it works on other creatures...like...for example... a dragon?"


    The merchant paused and said, "Of course. I have sold it to dragons before, though don''t tell anyone."


    Nera took off the ring and said, "Well, I don''t have too much money left, but how much would you give it to me?"


    "How about 5000 gold coins!"


    Nera''s mouth dropped at the absurd price.


    "5000 gold coins! I doubt anybody can afford that."


    "You drive a hard bargain. What about 2 silver coins."


    Nera''s mouth dropped again at the price but for the opposite reason.


    "Why would you drop it down to 2 silver coins?"


    "3 silver."


    Nera shut up and handed 3 silver coins to the merchant. She looked at the illusive ring and put it in her pocket. As she looked back at the merchant to say thanks, the silver armored merchant disappeared as if he was never there.


    She felt around her pocket for the ring and it was still there. It wasn''t some hallucination. She held the training swords and had the ring in her pocket. Nera hired a wagon to take her to Kyte village. She was glad that she didn''t need to walk far to find a wagon. She sighed and said to herself, "Next time, I''ll bring you, Nia."


    ---------------------------------------


    Nia swung her sword up and down. Up and down. Up and down.


    Nia''s optimism towards a better tomorrow never faded. She wore the illusive ring that magically would fit the child''s finger when it was equipped. It worked as the merchant advertised. The light green scales were hidden and she looked like a normal village girl.


    Up and down. Up and down.


    Time flied. Dragonslayers continued to hunt dragons around the world, and the remaining dragons dwindled. Nera was lucky that they haven''t visited Kyte village since that fateful day. But even so, she still wanted to see Akai. Nera still regretted that she was never able to see him again. She looked back at her red blade and wondered if she was going to hold the sword forever, but she still held hope that she would see the black-scaled dragon, again. Nia was aware of Akai from her stories. A dragon with black scales that told her stories from his adventures. Nera retold the young dragon about Akai''s stories that he told her and how this black dragon visited Kyte village. However, that was the extent. Nia never knew about Akai as somebody who hunted dragons. Sometimes, She would catch Nera drifting out the windows thinking about whether she would meet the black dragon, again.


    And over the years, Nera still feared that somehow somebody would realize that Nia was a dragon, so she didn''t want to take the chance of taking her outside of the village. Nia never complained. Even though she had the mental capacity of a ten year old, she understood the dangers of the outside world.


    Time flied. Years moved ahead. Back at the dragonslayers den, Akai, Miura, and Captain Halido continued to work against finding and slaying dragons. Miura''s crows continued to scout places where dragons may hide. However, the crows were like sentries only looking for creatures that were either big scaly lizards with wings or humans with scales. They wouldn''t be able to tell if a dragon was wearing an illusive ring, and Miura was completely aware of the fact, however, she didn''t have a means of counteracting against it.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Up and down. Up and down. Nia continued swinging her sword every day. Practiced every dawn and night. In the middle of the day, she would help the villagers with their work or help Nera forage for herbs. As she did so, the other children followed suit helping her in whatever Nia did. Wherever the green dragon went, she tried to keep a pleasant smile like her big sister''s.


    "I won''t let anything happen to my family, again," she muttered under her breath as sweat pored to the ground.


    Up and down. Up and down. Practice again and again. Up and down. Up and down. Eventually, she practiced with the real thing. An actual sword. Nera allowed Nia to practice using the red blade as long as it was maintained and cared for.


    Years and years passed.


    Up and down. She breathed out bathed in sweat holding the red blade''s grip firmly.


    Nia looked up towards the bright village. Her body developed to that of a young adult in just under 30 years, even though she was 130 years old. Her constant training has built her body from a petite girl to one that could fend for herself.


    She wore simple village clothes and continued to wear that illusive ring.


    She hasn''t been in dragon form during that time skip as she didn''t want to bring attention to herself and more importantly to the rest of Kyte village.


    Nera, the old farmers and the children that grew up to become fathers knew about Nia being a dragon. No new villagers flocked to the village. Kyte village was very much left alone with the exception of carts coming to trade and buy crops.


    Nia smiled as she looked towards the horizon as the sun rose. She thought, the future is getting brighter and brighter every day. Nera looked out the window of her cabin and smiled. She was older than most the villagers, but she didn''t look anywhere near as old. She only looked to be at most 30 years old. Her body was completely healthy with only a few occasions of back pain. Her simple beauty struck many in the village and those who came to trade. She finished drinking her tea and got up.


    "Nia, I may need some help finding some more herbs. Would you be able to help me?" Nera asked as she walked outside.


    Nia turned around and said, "Of course, big sister Nera. But you may want me to carry all of the heavy buckets."


    "Seriously? I''m only 45 years old. I''m nowhere near old. You''re 130. You''re the elder in this family."


    Nera and Nia shared a laugh as they both held empty buckets towards the forest. Nera was still healthy and able to fend for herself, although she hasn''t used her sword in a long time. Not many monsters have attacked Kyte village and the few that do get fought back by Nia.


    ---------------------------------------


    Meanwhile, Akai, Miura, Captain Halido, and the recently promoted Captain Leo continued to hunt dragons, but with the lack of dragon activity, their numbers dwindled. Dragonslayers felt that they have done a satisfactory job and most moved onto other jobs. Some have become mercenaries, monster hunters, blacksmiths, shopkeeps, and some moved onto having families. Still, some stayed as a dragonslayer for their own personal reasons. But Akai knew that his work wasn''t finished. He could sense that dragons were still alive. As a dragonslayer, he deepened his voice and kept his helmet on at all times, so that nobody could tell how old he was.


    At the dragonslayers den, there were still enough dragonslayers to still go on raids and check any location that may have any dragons.


    In an office, Akai looked over requests for both dragons and other monsters. He thought that perhaps they needed to branch out to other monsters to get some extra funds. He essentially became the leader to fill in the void.


    Miura had her eyes closed while sitting in a corner. She looked almost the same as when Akai found her. A pale woman wearing a chain dress. Akai never told her to sit there. He trusted that she wouldn''t get into any trouble. His helmet was on his desk, but the door was locked so that nobody could see his face. The windows were shut and covered. Only torches lit the room with some small openings of sunlight. She worked every day controlling crows to find more dragons, but even so, it would be very difficult to find any. Akai has already traveled during his 30 years to other biomes to kill any dragon.


    Miura''s eyes opened.


    "The future still hasn''t changed. It''s been delayed, but it will still happen."


    Akai heard and continued to look over requests and rumors hoping to find some hidden dragon somewhere.


    "My crows haven''t alerted me to anything, either. Their able to send a shock through my body when one finds a giant lizard with wings or a human covered in scales, but nothing has come up."


    "There must be some dragons still alive. In hiding. I''m glad that there hasn''t been any dragons attacking people for a long time, but still... I can''t let that future happen. There must still be some dragons left in hiding."


    "Well, it''s too bad that my crows wouldn''t be able to tell if somebody was wearing an illusive ring like yours. And it''s still a shame that we can''t tell any other dragonslayers about it. Otherwise, they may start piecing together your own ring."


    Akai scanned through reports of possible dragon sightings until one of them sparked his interest.


    ---------------------------------------


    "Captain Halido" a voice called out.


    Captain Halido stood up and said "Yes, Crimson Black Knight. Did your...witch find us a dragon?"


    The old captain was the oldest member of the dragonslayers, besides Akai and possibly Miura considering that Miura almost looks the same as she did 30 years ago, so nobody really knew how old she was. Though, nobody wanted to actually ask or talk to the witch in fear that she may do something. Since, nobody knew how old Miura was and how old Akai actually was, Captain Halido was considered the senior dragonslayer. He had many wrinkles, however, he was in top shape for an old man. He still trained his body and was still stronger than most of the other dragonslayers in terms of raw strength.


    Akai in his crimson black armor and cloak along with his dragon-like helmet replied, "Not exactly. There were some rumors from passing wagons and carts who say they have seen a girl who has barely aged for almost 30 years. If she exists, I think that she may be some dragon."


    "Alright, so you want me to find out if this ''30 year-old girl'' exists, right?"


    All dragonslayers including Captain Halido were aware that dragons have a human form, but they would show scales and features such as wings and a tail. Nobody knew about the existence of illusive rings that would hide such features.


    "That''s not what I was concerned about. The rumors are scarce, but they all point towards a certain... village. Kyte village."


    "Kyte village? I remember that nice place. Well, wouldn''t that be a perfect opportunity for you and that girl to meet again? "


    Akai looked away as he remembered the last time they met. She knew that Akai was a dragon and yet also killed dragons. He couldn''t bring himself to go back there after blaming himself over ruining his relationship with Nera and essentially destroying the plant life near the village. He believed for 30 years that he was the cause of bringing bad fortune to Kyte village by either killing Kytlmyne or using that manufactured gas. "Well, besides the fact that she''s not a small girl anymore, I don''t think it would be a good idea to show my face around there."


    Captain Halido sighed and disappointingly said, "Well, that''s just too bad. It''s just that for 30 years, you have been focused on hunting dragons rather than living a life. My life was over a long time ago, but yours was beginning."


    Akai seemingly ignored Halido''s last statement, but he knew that 30 years for a human was far longer than 30 years for a dragon. He directed the conversation back to the matter at Kyte village.


    "Take a couple of dragonslayers with you. Also, make sure to bring Captain Leo with you. It would be good practice for him to lead some men."


    The boy that Akai rescued 30 years ago became a captain recently. Since, Leo never had a last name as an orphan even before he was save, they just referred to him as Captain Leo.


    "Alright. I''ll go... but I really think that you should come, too."


    Akai walked past him ignoring that last statement, but as he walked away, he could only think of one real reason that was holding him back. He just didn''t have the courage to confront her.

 Chapter 35: Run

    Over the next couple of days, Captain Halido, Captain Leo, and three other dragonslayers were on a carriage towards Kyte village.


    Captain Leo was the same child who Akai saved all those years ago. He was naive, but also brave and courageous. He trained to be a dragonslayer ever since he joined up with them as a child. Captain Halido taught him how to use a sword and crossbow, but Leo wanted to be like Akai. The man who saved him, even though he suspected something about the crimson black knight that others did not. He remembered the day that Akai saved him. He remembered Akai''s black wings as he flew down upon the red dragon. Though, over the years, he believed that it was a part of his imagination. He never confirmed what he saw, and never asked Akai about it.


    They wore a mixture of dragon scale armor. They no longer could afford to use up dragon scales for arrows, so they carried steel arrows. Captain Halido''s and Leo''s blades however were made up of dragon scales. They were no where as sturdy or light as Akai''s blades since they weren''t made from an ancient dragon, but they were still hard to break.


    Captain Halido wore a helmet with his visor down, so that others won''t think he was some grandpa. Captain Leo didn''t wear any helmet. He had short black hair and was decently built.


    The carriage rode from King''s City to Kyte village in a couple of days. By the time they arrived, it was already night. A starry night surrounded the village although it was lit up by torches.


    Captain Halido and Captain Leo proceeded to get off of their carriage as soon as they arrived. The other dragonslayers followed suit.


    The other villagers stayed inside their homes. Some looked through their windows, but none of them gave a welcome. Their cold stares reverberated through the town giving the dragonslayers a hostile feeling. Captain Halido was the only one who has been to Kyte village, before. The reception was far different than when he first arrived 30 years ago. The dirt and crops were better than when they had left.


    "Alright, we''re here at the village. Everybody, stay sharp," Captain Halido ordered.


    "Yes, sir," the three dragonslayers replied.


    "Captain Leo, what do you suggest we do?" Halido asked wanting to test Leo''s skills as a captain.


    "I think we should go house to house asking the villagers about this girl and any dragon sightings.  Also, we should send some men to search the surrounding forests, afterwards," Leo replied.


    "Well, Captain, shouldn''t you tell that to your men?" Halido asked.


    Leo stiffened, and looked towards his three men and ordered, "Dragonslayers, go house to house and ask the villagers about any information regarding dragon sightings and look for any young girls who may be trying to hide their skin. Every detail counts."


    The other three dragonslayers saluted and were about to check with the other villagers, but suddenly a woman came out of one the houses.


    A red-haired woman who Captain Halido barely recognized. It was that girl who he thought Akai should have seen. The girl was all grown, now, though she was beautiful. He became slightly upset that Akai didn''t come to see her, though Halido didn''t show it.


    The woman opened her mouth and said, "That won''t be necessary. I''m Nera, and I''m the one in charge of this village''s safekeeping. I can answer any questions you knights may have."


    "Nera... Well, what a surprise. I don''t know if you remember the last time dragonslayers came to this village," Captain Halido said.


    "I remember. Were you one of them?" Nera asked not recognizing the knight by his body or voice.


    Captain Halido nodded and introduced himself "I''m Captain Halido and this is Captain Leo" he said as Leo gave a small smile. Captain Leo didn''t know what to think of the village or the girl. They felt cold towards him.


    "Well, what would you like to know?" Nera asked.


    The breeze grew colder as the torches rustled. Leaves blew in the wind from the neighboring forest.


    "I''ll just get straight to the point. Have you seen any dragons, nearby?" Captain Leo asked in a straight-forward manner.


    Nera paused and said, "No. There haven''t been any dragons around here for a long time."


    Captain Halido replied, "I see. Well, if it''s all the same to you, we would like to just check with everybody else. May we continue our talk inside your cabin?"


    Without a word from Nera, Leo sent out his other dragonslayers towards the other villagers. She wasn''t worried that the other villagers would give up Nia, but was worried that they may try to hurt them.


    Knowing that the dragonslayers wouldn''t leave, Nera gave a convincing smile and said, "If you need to be sure, you men can look around. Come, Captain...Halido, was it? I don''t mind continuing our conversation, but I don''t want your dragonslayers to start messing up the village."


    Captain Halido understood and yelled towards the other dragonslayers.


    "Come back, men!"


    The other dragonslayers stopped in their tracks as Halido motioned his hand to call them back. Nera was relieved.


    Nera and Captain Halido walked to her cabin.


    As they approached the entrance, Captain Halido said to Leo, "I''ll speak to her privately. Just wait outside with the rest of the men."


    Captain Leo nodded in agreement.


    Nera and Captain Halido went inside the cabin.


    As the doors closed, Leo whispered to his men. "Let''s go talk to the other villagers."


    He took two dragonslayers and himself and walked over to the other houses. He left one dragonslayer to stay outside of Nera''s cabin.


    ---------------------------------------


    As Captain Halido entered the cabin, he looked around the warm and cozy room. There was a teenage girl sitting by the table reading a book. The girl was dark skinned with brown long hair. She didn''t seem to notice the dragonslayer.


    "That''s my niece, Nia," Nera said as she waved at the teenage girl.


    Captain Halido was unaware that Nera had any siblings or family, but he never asked.


    "Your niece? She doesn''t look like she would be related to you in any way," Halido questioned. He was sent here to find a girl who was apparently didn''t age a day. He would have remembered if there was a dark skinned girl in the village before.


    "My brother was a traveling merchant. She got most of her looks from her mother. They died of a griffon attack," Nera said.


    "Oh. I''m sorry to hear that," Captain Halido replied as he walked around the cabin.


    The floors creaked as he took slow steps.


    Nia put her book down on the table and calmly got up. She breathed slowly trying to hold back fear. She looked at the dragonslayer and her mind would go back to that time 30 years ago. But she couldn''t show it.


    "Yes. Bi - Auntie Nera has been taking care of me for the past couple of years," Nia said calmly with a smile trying not to give away hint of what she really was.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Captain Halido walked closer to the teenage girl. She wore a simple villager dress. There were no scales showing on her skin, so the captain didn''t think that she was a dragon. He believed Nera''s tale.


    Nia gave a small smile and bow to the knight.


    "I''m Nia, good sir. Shall I brew some tea?" Nia said calmly.


    "That would be lovely. Thank you," Halido replied as he slowly walked around the cabin.


    Nia didn''t recognize this particular knight from 30 years ago, but the fact that there was a dragonslayer so close to her made her feel uneasy. She breathed in and out trying to calm herself.


    Nia walked away and began to brew some tea.


    "So, Nera, you may not remember me, but I remember you. You were that girl who had a crush on Akai."


    Nera''s eyes widened. Nia listened, but continued to brew the tea over a small fire.


    "Is he alright?" Nera knew that Akai was a dragon, but didn''t know whether the other dragonslayers knew that.


    "Oh, he''s actually got quite a name for himself." Captain Halido paused and continued, "He wanted to come, but..."


    He took a second to think of something to say, "...he was busy hunting other monsters. He''s quite a busy man."


    Man. That word trickled in Nera''s mind. That would mean that the dragonslayers didn''t know that Akai was a dragon. She gave a relieving sigh thinking that he was alright.


    "Well, as long as he''s safe."


    Captain Halido then thought to himself that perhaps coming to Kyte village was fate. His mind wasn''t focused on finding any dragon. He could tell that Nera was still that young girl who cared deeply for Akai. Nia finished brewing some tea and poured it into a cup.


    The captain said, "Perhaps, it was fate bringing us here. Maybe, I could take you to King''s City and have you meet up with Akai."


    Nera was utterly surprised by the dragonslayer''s words. At first, she didn''t think that the knight was the honorable sort, but now she wasn''t sure. The dragonslayer really was genuine. Nia didn''t know, however.


    "I..I don''t know if I can." Nera blushed as if she was a teenage girl, again.


    "Nonsense. I think you and Akai would still be perfect for each other. He really does need to get more of a social life, anyways. He never shows his face, anymore. I''m sure one of the other villagers could look after this place."


    Captain Halido truly hoped that he could bring those two togethor. He really believed that Akai has done wonders and miracles for the dragonslayers. And he wanted to give back to the knight.


    Nia took the cup of tea. Captain Halido looked over to who he thought was her niece.


    "You can even bring along your niece."


    Nia''s hands began to shake. Captain Halido genuinely wanted to help Akai and Nera, but Nia didn''t know the dragonslayer. All she saw was a man who killed dragons. She thought that the dragonslayer was trying to trick them. She recalled her memories of the other forest dragons being slaughtered. Then, the memory of that demon who killed her friends.


    She placed the cup of tea on the table as her hands shivered.


    Captain Halido noticed and asked, "Are you okay?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing. It just gets a bit chilly at night," She said in a calm manner trying not to draw attention. It was true that the air in the house sometimes got cold from the outside winds.


    Then, the captain looked closely at Nia''s forehead. Sweat began to pour down. The captain felt that something was wrong. He thought that perhaps the girl was ill. He didn''t suspect that she was a dragon. There were no scales showing on the girl''s skin and nobody knew about the power of illusive rings.


    "Are you unwell? I think I have some medicinal herbs in my pouch if you''d like."


    As Captain Halido moved closer, she instinctively walked back.


    "No. I''m fine."


    Nera jumped into the conversation knowing fully that Nia''s calm manner was breaking down.


    "She''s alright. She just gets nervous around men," Nera said.


    Captain Halido heard and replied, "I see."


    He took out some medicine from his pouch and said, "But just in case, you may want to take these."


    He held out his hand of herbs towards Nia. She breathed in and out slowly to calm herself.


    She held out her hand to grab the herbs. They shook slightly and both Halido and Nia noticed.


    As Nia grabbed the medicine, Captain Halido noticed her shaking hand. There was a ring. It looked familiar to the old dragonslayer.


    "That ring."


    Nia and Nera became frozen in fear. They thought that the dragonslayer knew about illusive rings, even though that none knew.


    Captain Halido tried to recall where he had seen the ring, before. Then, he remembered that Akai wore a similar ring. He didn''t think anything of it, but was curious to see it. The same kind of ring that Akai wears was something that sparked the captain''s interest. Though, he still didn''t suspect that Nia was a dragon.


    "May I take a look at the ring? It looks familiar."


    The captain slowly motioned to take the ring, but Nia took her hand back covering it.


    "You don''t have to be scared. I just want to see it," the captain said, but Nia was sure that the dragonslayer knew about illusive rings. If the dragonslayer took it off, then Nia''s scales would show and she wouldn''t allow that to happen.


    She quickly backed away and kneeled down. The captain was confused by this action, but it only reaffirmed that the girl was ill. He didn''t want to hurt any of them, but Nia didn''t believe that.


    Nera began to open her mouth, but it was too late.


    Nia took a piece of the floorboard with one hand and threw it at the dragonslayer. The armored knight flinched at the unexpected attack. He was completely unprepared. The force from the wooden plank made the dragonslayer took some steps back.


    Nia quickly grabbed a sword from under the floorboard. It was sheathed in leather. She unsheathed the blade and dropped the sheath on the ground. Captain Halido''s eyes widened in shock. It was a red dragon scale blade. Nera backed away from both Nia and Halido, and as she did she tripped to the ground.


    The teenage girl charged at the dragonslayer as he quickly unsheathed his own blade. He blocked the blade with his own. Sparks flew from the one clash. The captain didn''t know what Nia was. She didn''t show any scales, yet had the strength to throw that board of wood. Their sword stuck to one another as they both pushed back in equal strength. But Captain Halido pushed back. He walked two steps closer pushing Nia back the same distance.


    Nia looked in fear of the dragonslayer. Her legs and arms shook. She felt that she was inching ever closer to death.


    Nia looked at the dragonslayer in full armor. She couldn''t let herself end there. Her memories boiled up. Fire and ash. The dead dragons laying on the bloodied grass. Birds and bugs eating the remains. All of it in part due to the dragonslayers. The dragonslayers took that away from her. And she never forgave them.


    Her eyes turned green with rage. The red blade became hotter and hotter. Halido''s blade started to crack. He looked at Nia''s green eyes. A tail and wings sprouted from Nia''s back creating holes through the clothes. Her teeth gripped.


    Captain Halido now knew that he was dealing with a dragon, but it was too late.


    The red blade seared in bright white fire and cut right through Captain Halido''s dragon scale blade. His eyes looked at the fire and that was the last thing he saw. The blade cut through his armor''s pauldron and across his neck, decapitating him. His head dropped to the ground.


    Nia''s eyes reverted back to normal and she saw the headless dragonslayer. Fear overtook her, again. She killed him. Her body frozen, but her grip on the red blade was tightened. The flame from the sword died out. The body fell heavily onto the floor.


    "I killed him. I killed him," Nia said unable to move.


    Captain Halido didn''t even bleed. His wound was instantly cauterized. No blood dirtied the ground, Nia, or the dragonslayer.


    The cabin door opened.


    "Sir, is there a prob- CAPTAIN HALIDO!" a dragonslayer yelled as he entered the cabin after hearing noise that sounded like a struggle. He saw the fallen body of his comrade. His captain.


    In shock, he looked at the teenage girl holding the red blade with light green wings and a tail.


    The dragonslayer in anger took out his crossbow, but Nera ran and pushed the crossbow out of the way shooting a bolt towards the wall.


    She struggled against the dragonslayer, but she was pushed to the ground. Nera was no match for a trained dragonslayer. Nia was stunned in place.


    The dragonslayer aimed at the dragon.


    Nera looked back at Nia and said, "Run."


    Nia''s body forced itself to move. It felt like time had slowed down for the young dragon. Blood rushed throughout her body. The dragonslayer shot his arrow, but the red sword, as if it directed its own course, deflected the bolt to the side. Nia quickly ran, pushing up dust and wood splinters from the wooden floor. As she charged towards the dragonslayer, he rolled to the side, but he wasn''t fast enough. The red blade cut through the dragonslayer''s leg as he was rolling.


    She did not turn back. She continued to run as tears flowed down her cheeks. She flapped her wings and took off towards the forest.


    "AGHH! Hey! We got a dragon!" the dragonslayer yelled in pain to his fellow comrades, "Dragon!"


    The dragonslayer coughed up blood and laid on the floor with blood spurting out of his leg.


    ---------------------------------------


    Captain Leo was questioning the other villagers about any dragon sightings. He was also checking if there were any girls that were covering themselves in areas where dragon scales would show, but he didn''t see any who could be a dragon.


    However, the villagers didn''t want to give any answers. They only wanted the dragonslayers to leave. Captain Leo started to think that getting any clues from these people were a waste of time, but he didn''t want to give up.


    As he was questioning a villager outside, that was when he heard it.


    "Dragon!"


    A scream coming in the direction of the red-haired woman''s cabin. The other dragonslayers and villagers heard it.


    The villagers visibly began to sweat. They feared for Nia''s safety.


    Captain Leo quickly ran over to where the scream had taken place and the other two dragonslayers followed, as well. But it was too late. There was no sign of the dragon, anywhere. Just the two bodies and Nera.


    Captain Leo went inside the cabin and saw the decapitated body of Captain Halido. His body froze at the sight. He leaned over to the body and yelled, "Oh, no. Captain! Captain!" knowing full well that the captain could no longer hear him. Just the lifeless and headless body. Tears flowed out of his eyes, but he wiped them off. He saw Nera getting up from the floor and asked, "What happened? Where is the one who did this?"


    Nera looked at the distraught captain and said, "Gone, now. And you won''t be able to find him."


    Captain Leo got up from his knees in anger.


    "Captain Leo, the other dragonslayer is dead. And there is no trace of the dragon." one of the dragonslayers said after examining the body of the one-legged dragonslayer.


    In Captain Leo''s anger, he commanded the two dragonslayers, "Round up all of the villagers! One of them has to know where this dragon would go!"


    He looked at Nera with hatred and sorrow in his eyes.

 Chapter 36: Gone with the Nightmares

    Nia landed on a large tree branch in the forest. She didn''t think anybody was following her. Her clothes and sword had some blood on it from the dragonslayer who she cut her leg off.


    She didn''t want to hurt them, but she felt that she had no choice. It was either her or them. That captain definitely knew I was a dragon, she thought as she looked at her illusive ring. The ring that cloaked her appearance hiding away the scales.


    The wind chilled the forest air. Leaves rustled and danced in the cold. Nia shivered, but she was unsure whether it was the weather or what she has done.


    She has only killed monsters and pests before. She never hurt a human. For 30 years, she played in the village with plenty of village children. All of them human.


    But it was different. They were dragonslayers. The same people who hunted dragons for sport.


    As she closed her eyes, she remembered the one dragonslayer from 30 years ago. As she opened them, she saw the forest on fire. Burning. The smell of dead dragons and humans alike.


    "It''s horrible," she muttered.


    Among the corpses of the dead, there was one standing above. The demon who wore red, green, and black. Smoke clouded the demon''s face. The demon''s arm twisted itself into a green blade and pierced through the bodies.


    She wanted to look away, but couldn''t. The fires turned to black and then white. The heat grew.


    As she looked down on her hand, it twisted itself into a red blade. She looked up at the demon. It''s cloak danced around the flames.


    The ground underneath her began to shake. The ground grew up like a pimple and as she looked down, she saw the bodies of dragonslayers. All headless and no blood. Her head turned back up and she faced the demon in front of her. Behind the demon, crows tangled strings on it''s back. The strings made of lightning and feathers. She looked behind her and saw the same string attached. Strings of lightning and feathers being moved around by crows. They cawed and cawed as they tangled the demon and Nera with strings.


    The white fire surrounded their two hill of corpses. One hill of dragons. One hill of dragonslayers. The demon grew wings of black that started to encircle the two. She took up her red bladed arm and as she did so, the demon mirrored her with the green bladed arm. Nera''s eyes turned green. Yellow eyes glowed from the smoke, but eventually the smoke began to fade from the demon''s face.


    As the smoke faded, Nera''s green eyes disappeared. As she did so, the face was clear. It was Nera''s face. A perfect image of Nera. As the green eyes faded, the yellow eyes stayed. The yellow eyes stared into Nera. Her mind wandered until the wings closed them off from the fire. Closed them off until nothing but the yellow eyes staring back.


    The yellow eyes faded. And so, Nera was left in complete darkness. No light. No sound. Not even the sound of her own breathing or heartbeat.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    She closed her eyes, but closed or open looked the same. She opened them, again, but now there was a creature flying in the middle of the darkness. A white butterfly. It soared as the only light within the dark abyss. As it soared, the yellow eyes began to glow again. The yellow eyes moved closer towards the butterfly like a predator eyeing its prey. It moved closer until the eyes were right on top of it. But the butterfly didn''t care. It didn''t change its pace or fly away from it.


    "No. No. No. Not the beautiful butterfly."


    Nera''s eyes turned green, but there was no rage behind it. The yellow eyes twisted and melded itself into metal jaws. It''s jaws wide open to eat the butterfly.


    But Nera was there. She wouldn''t let that happen. Her green eyes charged towards the yellow metal jaws. The jaws opened wider to chomp down on the white butterfly. The green eyes charged forward to protect the butterfly. The jaws began to close.


    And with that, Nia awoke breathing heavily and sweating profusely. She fell asleep on the tree branch. She felt exhausted even though it was just a nightmare.


    She looked up at the morning sky holding the red blade in her hands.


    "I''m not like that demon. Those dragonslayers would have killed me. It was either me or them. I can''t regret it," Nia said to herself. She gave herself the resolve to move forward.


    She began to close her eyes, again, but then remembered about Nera. She had to go back to make sure they were safe. Nia hoped that her big sister Nera was safe. Nia thought, as the name of dragonslayer would imply, that means they would only try to harm dragons and not other humans. That is what Nia had hoped, anyways. She knew she couldn''t stay at Kyte village any longer, but she needed to be sure that they were safe. After she has made sure of that, she would leave to live somewhere else, but she had hoped to say good-bye to her big sister one last time.


    She took off towards the sky and flew towards Kyte village. She approached carefully, flying just above the tree lines. As she approached, she perched herself onto a sturdy branch and looked at the village. She didn''t see any more dragonslayers. As a matter of fact, she didn''t see any of the villagers, either. Nobody was working the fields or tended to the livestock. She needed to get closer.


    She flew down to the fields and retracted her wings and tail. As she walked around the village, there was nobody there. No villagers. She ran to Nera''s cabin and immediately noticed that the bodies of the two dragonslayers were no longer there. The blood stain of one of them still soaked the wooden floor.


    Nia looked around and assumed that the other dragonslayers moved the bodies. But where were the villagers. The dragonslayers heard that there was a dragon.


    She delved into her own thoughts trying to piece together what happened. The village suddenly disappeared and there are no bodies. There were no signs that the villagers were killed. Otherwise, the village would have some bodies.


    Suddenly, some pans dropped to the ground in one of the other houses. Nia quickly ran over to where the noise came from holding her red sword.


    It was a small boy hiding in a corner. Nia recognized the boy from the village, although, he usually kept to himself, so she didn''t really know the kid. He had curly black hair and a slightly tanned skin.


    "They''re gone. They''re all gone," the boy said.


    She put her sword on the ground as she had no sheath with her.


    Nia went over to the boy and kneeled down.


    "What happened after I escaped?"


    The boy shivered with his arms held on his head as he crouched in the corner.


    "The dragonslayers. They took them. They took them all. My dad. My mom," the boy said in a rush.


    Nia tried to calm the young boy and gently said, "It''s okay. Calm down. I''m here. Where did they take them?"


    The boy sniffled and said, "I don''t know. They gathered the villagers up and wanted to know where the dragon. My parents hid me in the cupboard and they told me not to get out, but I was hungry."


    "I understand." Nia got herself up and held a hand out to the boy.


    The young boy stopped sniffling and looked up at the bright smiling girl.


    "I''ll help you find your parents. What''s your name?"

 Chapter 37: New Adventure

    The young boy''s name was Belze Hedeger. Nia knew Belze''s parents when they were younger, although Nia didn''t really know their son. Their son would usually keep to himself and they never really got a chance to meet before.


    Belze told Nia what transpired in the village after she escaped. He could hear what happened outside during that night.


    The other dragonslayers rounded up the villagers including Nera and Belze''s parents. His parents were called Hardo and Shina Hedeger. Husband and wife respectively. Nia knew them more as children.


    They were gathered and tied to each other with rope. Their captain in charge questioned if they knew where the dragon was hiding. None of them gave up anything. Eventually, one of the villagers tried to fight back, but the dragonslayer punched him down. Nera tried to reason with the remaining dragonslayers and tried to explain that the dragon they were looking for is nowhere to be found. But they didn''t listen. The captain believed that they knew something. So, they dragged them away.


    "That''s all I know. After that, I didn''t hear them, anymore."


    Nia heard Belze''s story and thought of where they would take them. As Nia listened, she remembered a promise that she made long ago. She promised to protect everybody at the village. That was why she trained with her blade for so long. She couldn''t just leave them to their fates.


    She looked outside towards where the carriages were and they were gone.


    "The dragonslayers must have taken them somewhere far. Where would they keep prisoners?" she asked herself.


    The boy calmed down, but still sniffled occasionally suggested, "Wouldn''t they take them somewhere where they can hold them and get information out of them? Like a base or something?"This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Nia replied, "That makes sense. So, where would they keep them. Their only dragonslayers. Not an actual country''s military."


    Then, an epiphany occurred.


    "They have one main base that they could take them to. That one dragonslayer captain mentioned it while I was here. King''s City. They should have some sort of base where they could hold them, there," Nia realized and said aloud. After hearing this, Belze smiled.


    "Then, we should go there and free them!" he shouted.


    Nia was pleased that Belze was feeling better and went to pick up her sword. She gave a smile and said, "Yeah, but first..."


    She walked over to Nera''s cabin with the boy following. She grabbed the leather sheath and sheathed her red blade. She went into her closet and grabbed some clean traveling clothes and hooded robes. She grabbed some pouches of herbs, money, and some empty. She wrapped each one around her belt with some string. She also grabbed some clean clothes that would fit the young boy. She knew that she couldn''t leave the child alone, so she has to bring him along. She hoped that it wouldn''t be too much trouble.


    She tossed the clothes to the boy and said, "Belze, I''m going to need you to change."


    He nodded and changed into the clothes in front of Nia. She looked for a second and saw that there were no visible cuts or bruises on the child. She smiled and walked into a private room to change. When she got out, she threw away the slightly blood-stained clothes to the ground. She had on some clean villager clothes and her hooded robes on top. Her hood was down with her long brown hair clearly visible. She thought that it would be helpful if her ring slipped off, but for now she doesn''t need it.


    Nia gave a quick smile towards Belze to reassure him that everything will be okay. "Are you ready to go?"


    Belze gave a thumbs up and smiled back in response. "Let''s go save my parents."


    Nia was glad that he was in a good mood. She grabbed a small sack with a strap on it and put an assortment of food in it. She wasn''t too picky on what she ate. Nia closed the sack and tossed the sack of food towards the boy.


    "Is it fine if you carry that, Belze?" she asked politely.


    "Yes, dragon lady." he nodded with a thumbs up. Nia chuckled at that reply. Everybody in the village did know she was a dragon, but it was kept secret to the outside.


    "You can just call me Nia." she said with a smile as she walked out of the cabin as Belze followed closely behind.

 Chapter 38: First Step Outside

    Belze and Nia walked along the dirt roads. Nia held a map a followed the direction towards King''s City. Belze just followed behind her. The kid didn''t want to complain. He needed to arrive at King''s City to rescue his parents, but as they walked further away from the village, fear began to set in.


    Nia didn''t dwell on it, but Belze did. He never left the village before without his parents, but he kept that to himself. He took one look back at the empty Kyte village and continued forward.


    As soon as Nia figured out how to get to King''s City, she folded the map away into one of her pouches.


    "Alright, I think I know where we need to go, but I have to set some ground rules. Firstly, stay where I can see you."


    Belze nodded and said, "Okay. What else?"


    Nia paused thinking of other rules, but instead said, "I don''t know. I didn''t think that far ahead."


    Belze chuckled and his fear swept away like that. Nia began to chuckle as well. The sky was clear and the gentle breeze stridden across the grasslands.


    ---------------------------------------


    They continued to walk for hours. Nia had the stamina to continue, but not the boy. Belze started to tire as he treaded along the dirt.


    "How far is King''s City, anyways?"


    Nia looked back and saw that the boy was tired. Belze''s face was staring up at the sky. She stopped, but Belze kept walking and eventually his face slammed into Nia. He dropped to the ground, but Nia didn''t flinch.


    "Oh, sorry. Sorry," Belze said.


    Nia sighed realizing that having a child with her would slow her down, but she knew she couldn''t just leave him alone.


    "We''ll take a short break here," she said and as she did so, Belze laid on the ground catching his breath.


    "Can''t we just fly over to the city. You''re a dragon, right? I heard that they can sprout wings," Belze said.


    "Even if you weren''t here, it would be far too risky to fly around. People on the ground would obviously notice. I don''t need to attract the attention."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Belze sighed and said, "That''s too bad." He closed his eyes and rested for a bit.


    Nia took a seat on the grass and overlooked the vast plains. Only a few trees in sight. She was very much used to the sight of trees for most of her life, but seeing a whole new view of the world awakened something in her. Awakened a fascination with the outside world. She wondered what other things could be out there as she watched the plains.


    It was only a couple of minutes, but Nia heard a carriage approaching. She sat up cleaning the grass off of her robes. The wagon was going in the same direction that they were heading towards.


    Nia raised her hand in hopes of getting his attention. Belze''s eyes opened up and jumped up to his feet. The driver waved back and stopped near them.


    "Hello, maam. Are you interested in purchasing some of my wares?" he asked. It was a man wearing silver armor, but his facial features were completely hidden in shadows. His voice seemed to sound young and genuine.


    Nia smiled and replied, "No, sir. I''m just interested if we can just hop in the back. I promise we won''t be a bother."


    "Well, where are you traveling?"


    "We''re traveling to King''s City," Belze said.


    The merchant replied, "Well, I''m heading over to Jaeden town to hopefully sell some of my merchandise. It''s on the way towards King''s City. I don''t mind if you hop onto the back."


    Nia face brightened and bowed. "Thank you, good sir." She noticed that Belze wasn''t bowing and she held the boy''s head down in a bow.


    "Wh-Why are we doing that?" he exclaimed as his head was down.


    The merchant smiled, although they couldn''t see it. "Raise your heads. You don''t have to do that."


    They raised their heads high. Nia was overjoyed that they could find a carriage to ride on. It would hasten the time needed, but she never actually rode on a wagon before. She didn''t know how much time it would take to get to King''s City and the sooner, the better. Now, that she thought of it, she never actually visited another village before. She was excited for the experience. Belze was happy that he didn''t need to walk. His parents took him on a wagon before to go to another town for supplies.


    They got aboard the back of the wagon.


    The merchant hit the reins of the horse in front and the wagon moved. It shook against the dirt and rocks. Nia was surprised at the sudden jolt of movement, but her surprise turned to excitement. She smiled at the young boy, but the boy only sat there feeling depressed all of a sudden.


    "I hope my parents are safe," he said quietly.


    Nia understood the boy''s feelings and gave him a hug.


    "Ehh? What are you doing?" the boy exclaimed.


    "Whenever I feel down, my big sister Nera would give me a big hug," Nia said grinning to the boy.


    He blushed and no longer felt upset.


    "Ok. Ok. I get it. You don''t have to do that," he said.


    The wagon continued to shake and Nia didn''t budge with her hug. But Belze closed his eyes and gave a smile back.


    "Alright. Just for a little while I rest my eyes."


    As he did so, Nia also felt somewhat tired. Belze rested his head on Nia''s shoulder and she closed her eyes, as well. The merchant looked into the back of the wagon and continued on the journey.

 Chapter 39: The Silver Merchant and the Toll road

    The wagon rocked up and down along the dirt road while Nia and Belze slept. The merchant in silver armor continued driving on the trail towards Jaeden town.


    The trail followed through down a thick forest drowned in a layer of fog just above the dirt. Dusk began to set upon the three travelers. Snakes slithered along the trees. black rabbits hopped away.


    All while the two slept, the merchant continued holding the reins of his horses, but his attention was directed towards the road. He noticed a group of ruffians in the middle of the trail they were headed. And the ruffians noticed him and his wagon of cargo. There were four of them in total. One was big with a war hammer. One held a sword. One carried daggers. And one with a crossbow. They all wore cheap and scuffed leather armor. The big one had a helmet equipped with the visor down to hide his face.


    He slowed down thinking that he would be able to handle some bandits. He felt more than capable of dealing with them one way or another.


    The bandit holding a sword held out his hand to halt the wagon. The merchant slowed down the wagon to a halt.


    As he did so, Nia and Belze began to awake from their slumber thinking that they have arrived at their destination. They began to rub their eyes open while the merchant began to speak with the ruffian.


    "Well, look what we have here? A traveling merchant without any bodyguards. Very bold of you, good sir," the sword-wielding ruffian said with a charismatic smile as he approached the merchant.


    The merchant still holding the reins of his horse replied calmly, "I have no need of bodyguards. But perhaps you''d like to buy something. I have many wares that you gentlemen may want. A new sword. Some actually decent leather armor. I could sell them to you."


    "How kind of you, but I''m actually in the middle of work right now. You see, this road belongs to me and my boys here. I can let you pass for a small fee."


    "Oh? I don''t remember there being a toll on this road, before? How much is the fee?"


    "500 gold coins to pass... and, now that I think of it, how about some of that equipment as well."


    The merchant didn''t show any reaction, but instead replied as if he had the situation under control, "500 gold coins? Sounds very steep. And you want some of my merchandise. You highwaymen are the ones who are getting quite bold."


    The ruffian pointed his sword at the merchant and as he did so, the crossbowman pointed his arrows towards the merchant, as well. Nia heard the noise outside of the wagon and took a peak outside. She saw the four bandits. Belze also looked outside. None of the other bandits noticed them.


    "This is bad, Nia," Belze whispered, "Looks like some bad people."


    Nia nodded in agreement. She readied herself and held her hilt without unsheathing the blade.


    "Stay hidden here," she whispered back and slowly got out of the back of the wagon. None of the other bandits noticed her as she hid behind looking around the corner.


    "What about 1000 gold coins, old man?" The ruffian said to the merchant.


    "I''m not that old. I only existed for a little less than the existence of time and space."


    He laughed and replied, "I don''t really care, you crazy old fool. Either pay the toll or turn around. Or maybe, I should just kill you and take everything. But I am feeling a tad generous today, so I''ll give you a choice."


    As he finished his sentence, Nia rushed in, unsheathed her blade, and pointing it directly in front of the bandit''s neck.


    The swordsman froze in place and only raised on hand while the other still pointed his sword at the merchant. The other bandits were shocked. The crossbowman changed his aim towards the woman. The other two bandits readied themselves and took a step forward. Belze hopped out of the wagon and watched from behind the wagon. His jaw dropped in astonishment.


    The merchant shook his head. "I guess we''ll do it this way, then," he said. He let go of the reins of his horse.


    The swordsman smiled giving off a charming aura.


    "Well, miss. I don''t think I''ve had the pleasure. You should really put the sword down before somebody gets hurt."


    Nia looked directly at the swordsman''s eyes with fury.


    "You threatened to hurt someone. A human like you. Somebody that can''t even protect himself."


    "I can protect myself just fine, maam," the merchant interrupted.


    The swordsman continued smiling and replied, "A human like me? I don''t know even know what that''s supposed to mean. But if you put that sword down, I think I can give you a pass. You are a pretty looking girl. Why don''t you come with us. I''m sure we can give you a good time. Maybe, we''ll even pay you after."


    Nia didn''t understand. She has killed monsters, before. But bandits never came to Kyte village. Monsters, she understood. They were like animals. Only pests. She would occasionally need to kill them, but a regular human. Her home with the forest dragons and Kyte village was taken by human dragonslayers. The guy in front of her didn''t look anything like the armored dragonslayers. He looked like an average person that could have been a villager. Nothing out of the ordinary, except that he was holding his sword against another. Then, she recalled back at the village. The one dragonslayer threatened to kill Nera and Nia back at the river. The dragonslayers hurt Nera and took the villagers as prisoners. Humans harmed humans just like any other monster. And monsters, she believed, were the same as what she was. Humans thought of dragons as monsters and hunted them all the same.


    She''s just never realized it before. Humans. Monsters. Dragons. They were all one and the same. They were all creatures that did things to satiate themselves whether it be their hunger or pleasure. She recalled the wasp moth feeding on the corpses of dragons. She remembered that it was only hungry and wanted to eat like any other animal, but it also felt pleasure in doing so. It felt pleasure in seeing a fresh meal. It was the same for the dragonslayer that wanted to kill her at the river. Humans. Dragons. Monsters. They were all the same in her eyes.


    She looked at the bandit in front of her. His face twisted and peeled back. His skin turned blue with veins of red. The face twisted itself into the face of the wasp moth. It was just another monster, she thought. Another monster.


    "Just a monster," she whispered quietly to herself as she looked down.


    The swordsman began to open his mouth once more, but before he could, Nia thrust her red blade through his neck in one clean movement. His eyes shocked by the sudden attack thinking that he could stall for time or distract her. Her furious eyes directly stared at the eyes of the swordsman.


    The crossbowman instantly fired a barrage of arrows directly at Nia, but she grabbed a hold of the swordsman''s body and used it as a shield. The arrows only hit the back of the swordsman


    Suddenly, the bandit carrying knives flung himself forward. He grabbed two knives and jolted upwards. The crossbowman started to reload his weapons with arrows. Nia pushed the body of the swordsman off of her blade and onto the dirt ground.


    As the bandit with the knives dashed from midair down towards Nia like a hawk flying down towards its prey, the merchant said, "What a pain."


    Nia braced herself and readied in a battle position, but in an instant, a beam of light shot through and around the knife-wielding rogue. Its body transformed into a pile of red mush. it splattered on the ground like pudding. Nia looked towards where the beam of light came from which was where the merchant sat. She looked at the merchant in surprise as his hand was up as if it had just casted a spell. His silver armored hand was protruding smoke.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "I may have put too much power in that," he said.


    The crossbowman saw the power and as he finished reloading, he aimed directly at the merchant. Nia noticed the crossbowman about to fire, but was immediately struck to the side by a war hammer. She hit the ground away from the wagon, but she instant got herself up. She spit some blood out, but she could still fight. She looked up and saw the big ruffian wielding the hammer. He was big, but slow.


    She was caught off-guard by the big bandit, but she quickly got her bearings together. Her robes and clothes became torn and ripped. She ran straight at the big man with a scream hoping that she would be able to swiftly finish him.


    As she did so, the merchant watched the two fight seemingly unaware of the crossbowman. The crossbow shot one arrow, but in that instant, the merchant grabbed it without looking as soon as it was in front of his head. He threw it to the ground and stared at the crossbowman who began to sweat and fear for his life. He tried to fire more arrows, but the crossbow was stuck. The trigger wasn''t working. He looked at the trigger and noticed that it rusted. He thought that it must have been some kind of mistake. As he looked at the crossbow in astonishment, it began to rust and the arrows started to turn to dust. He looked back at the merchant who was just shaking his head as if he was disappointed.


    The merchant threw the arrow to the ground and held out his hand. From thin air, particles of light would appear. They looked as if they were fireflies but they were completely white. The particles of light melded together and formed a short sword. He threw the sword straight at the crossbowman. The bandit closed his eyes, but he didn''t feel anything. The sword went straight through him and broke apart back into small particles of light. He opened his eyes again. He looked down at his hands. They were frail and bony. His nails grew at an alarming rate. His body became weak. His clothes heavy. Hair grew out and turned white. He looked back at his hands and they were only bones. His whole body decomposed in seconds. The crossbowman was no more. Just a pile of bones. The merchant looked back at the two fighters and decided to watch the fight unfold.


    Nia continued to fight the huge man. She wanted get a good hit, but was unable to get close enough.


    Belze watched from the corner and was amazed at Nia and the merchant. He continued to watch in amazement, but as he saw that Nia was having difficulties, he wanted to help. With courage, he ran over to a pile of rocks that he could pick up.


    Nia continued battling looking for an opportunity to hit without getting hit. She was being pushed back. Even though the man was huge, his swings and reaction time were fast and strong. She already got hit once and it still hurt. Her ribs were broken but she couldn''t instantly feel it. Now, as her body began to slow down, her pain started to become increasingly a hindrance.


    One swing and another and another, without any sign of slowing down. The man''s endurance was far beyond any normal human.


    Soon enough, one swing came that she wasn''t fast enough to dodge. She saw it coming and instinctively blocked with her sword, but it was no use. She was pushed back. A visible gash on her forehead. Blood bled down over one eye. But she was still standing. Still standing and holding her red sword in a battle position. She breathed heavily.


    The man didn''t seem to tire. He was ready to keep swinging his war hammer.


    Nia wiped off the sweat and blood from her face. As the man moved forward ever slowly towards Nia, she realized that she could easily outrun the man. However, she wouldn''t even think about leaving the merchant or Belze here. She needed to defeat this bandit and continue onward towards King''s City.


    The merchant continued to watch without any sign of trying to help.


    As the man moved closer, a small rock hit the back of his helmet. He stopped and turned around. As he did so, another rock came hurdling at his visor. It hit and caused the giant to stumble back. Nia looked over and saw Belze throwing rocks at the hammer-wielding bandit.


    "Hey, bucket-head, you''re mother is a cow!" Belze taunted and continued to hurdle large rocks at the colossal man. As the man turned his back from Nia and directed his attention towards the boy, Nia dashed forward. She couldn''t allow Belze get hurt. She wouldn''t let that happen.


    Her eyes turned green and as she prepared to strike at the man, he turned back around and swung his hammer at Nia. She dodged under the hammer and stabbed straight through the man''s armpit.


    It was a swift strike. Blood gushed out. Nia held the blade tightly and cut the arm clean arm.


    The man lead out a bloody scream of pain. Blood gushed out of his wound. He dropped his hammer and held to where his arm used to be. He knelt down in pain.


    Nia kicked the large man down to his back. Her eyes reverted to normal.


    She looked back at the boy and Belze jumped in excitement and gave a celebratory cheer.


    She smiled. Glad that he was safe. She looked at the merchant and wondered what he really was, but she could ask later. She saw how the merchant dealt with the other two bandits. She has never seen magic like it before.


    She took off the man''s helmet. He was in extreme agony. She aimed his blade at the man''s neck. Belze started running towards her, but she held out her hand to stop him.


    "Please. No more. I give up," he pleaded.


    "What about those you robbed? Did you answer their pleas as you stole from them?"


    Tears and blood started coming out of his red eyes. His mouth began to vomit from the intense pain of suddenly losing a limb.


    "Just kill me. Just kill me," he pleaded once more as blood and vomit came out of his mouth.


    As Nia held her sword pointed against the man''s neck, she remembered the dragonslayer by the river. The one that Nera killed. Was this the same, she wondered. The same thing that she had to do. She could leave him there, but what good would the man''s suffering do to anyone.


    She brought back her blade as the man''s eyes started to turn inwards. He squirmed pointlessly.


    She turned back to the boy and said, "Turn around."


    Belze realized what she was going to do. He wasn''t close enough to see the gruesome details, but he could still see and hear the bandit moving around. He understood what Nia was about to do. The merchant held the horse''s reins ready to leave towards Jaeden town. He didn''t care whether the man lived or died, but watched anyways. Belze turned away and as he did so, Nia slashed at the man''s neck cleanly decapitating him. The man made no more noise. The body twitched for some seconds, but after it no longer moved.


    Belze still had his head turned away. Nia walked over to Belze and kneeled down to his height. She said, "I told you to stay in wagon. Are you hurt?"


    Belze looked at Nia''s eyes. They were still soft and kind, even with all of the blood on her face. He didn''t know whether is was hers or theirs.


    "I''m not hurt, Nia. I just wanted to help. I tried to stay as farm away from the battle as I could."


    Nia looked at Belze and closed her eyes in relief.


    "Alright. That''s good," she finished, but as she did so, she fell to the dirt.


    "Nia! Nia!" Belze shouted as she shook her trying to wake her up.


    The merchant sighed, let go of his reins, and got off of the wagon. Belze continued to cry trying to get Nia awake. Tears began to flow out of his eyes.


    The merchant approached the fallen girl and kneeled down over her as the boy kept shaking her.


    "Mister, please, can you help her!?" he yelled.


    The merchant listened and still heard breathing from the girl. He held one hand and particles of light flickered around it.


    "Huh? What are you doing?" he asked while sniffling.


    The man moved his hands over her. The particles of light fell down into her body. The wound on her head began to heal and her ribs started to piece themselves and meld togethor back to the way it was before. One by one, the scratches and scruffs disappeared like magic. As if it was never there in the first place. The light particles faded one after another as each cut and scrape faded with them. The blood on her forehead moved back into her body from the same wound it came out of. The gash on her head formed back together. The tears and dirt on her tattered clothes and robes were also fading. The tearing sewed themselves and reverted to the state of the clothes before the fight.


    Her eyes twitched and her breathing became more clear.


    Belze began to smile at the miracle he has just witnessed wiping away the snot and tears from his face.


    Nia''s eyes slowly opened as if waking up from a dream and as she did, Belze hugged Nia tightly while still tearing up.


    "Huh? What happened? Is that you... big sister?" she asked quietly.


    "Nia, you''re okay. You''re okay," Belze joyously said. She realized it was the boy. For a brief moment, she thought that she just woke up from another horrible nightmare. That the dragonslayers never really came to Kyte village. But it was only a respite.


    The particles of light all faded and all of the wounds seemed to have faded with them. The merchant got himself up and walked towards the driver seat of the wagon.


    Nia''s eyes opened more and asked, "Belze, what''s wrong?"


    "Nothing is wrong. Please, next time, don''t overdo it," he cried while still hugging Nia.


    She realized that she must have feinted from her injuries. She touched her forehead and her sides, but the pain was all gone. She thought that she must have hallucinated the injuries, but she could have sworn that she has taken serious damage.


    The merchant looked back and said, "I hope you don''t plan on sleeping here. It''s dangerous to travel at night, but it''s more dangerous staying here. We''re close to Jaeden town. If you want to rest, you should rest there."


    As he said that, Nia got up and patted the young boy on the head.


    "Thank you, Belze. I wouldn''t have been able to beat him if it wasn''t for you," she said sincerely.


    Belze smiled and wiped away the tears. They both started walking and hopped onto the back of the wagon.


    "It was no problem, big sister."


    "Big sister?" Nia exclaimed.


    "Yeah. You''re like a big sister to me. So, I hope you don''t mind."


    Nia smiled. The merchant sat on the drivers seat and held the reins of the horses.


    "By the way," Belze said as he turned towards the driver and walked over to him, "Thank you, sir. Thank you for healing Nia."


    Nia was surprised. So, she didn''t imagine it. She was heavily injured, but the merchant must have healed her wounds. But she didn''t know of any magic that could completely heal her wounds in such a small amount of time. The merchant didn''t give any reaction or response. Instead, he hit the reins and the wagon started moving.


    "Oh, that''s right. We didn''t really have a proper introduction. I''m Belze and this is Nia," he said while pointing to Nia. She looked at the merchant and wondered what he was. She''s never seen magic before and wasn''t very aware of mages. Nia suspiciously looked at the man who was covered in silver armor. She couldn''t even tell what skin color the man had.


    The merchant looked back at Nia and said, "I was never given a name. I usually go by... the silver merchant."

 Chapter 40: Mist Over Jaeden Town

    The wagon kept moving. The two horses kept a steady pace dragging the wagon behind. The silver merchant holding the reins while they trekked under a misty, murky road. The horses became restless as they grew closer to Jaeden town, but their unease dissipated within moments as the silver merchant held the reins. As if the merchant''s aura soothed their agitation. But the unease of Nia and Belze could not be calmed. They both felt a chill behind their backs and that cold air only grew as they approached closer. The two didn''t know how far away the village was, but they could feel they were near. The merchant felt no fear, but knew there was something ahead. The wheels kept turning as rocks, dirt, and mud shot behind. They both watched towards the front of the wagon as the silver merchant continued following the trail that was lurking underneath a thick mist.


    Ahead of them, they saw a dirt mound that was elevated above the mist. The road continued over the hill. The merchant prepared himself and his horses to increase their speed if they were to go over it. As he hit the reins, the horses galloped. Nia and Belze held onto the sides of the wagon and each other. The crates of goods shook along with the contents inside, but none fell out.


    As they wagon got up to the top of the hill, the horses slowed their pace to a stop.


    The silver merchant let go of the reins and looked upon the plains and beyond that was the townscape of Jaeden village. As soon as Nia and Belze got their bearings, their eyes also met the town. They all overlooked the town from above the mound. They were outside of the bounds of the forest and the trail continued down the hill and straight towards the the bustling town. But the town. The town wasn''t busy or filled with people as it usually was.


    Mist and fog covered the town hiding every corner of Jaeden town. No people, villagers, or other travelers could be seen. Only the three of them as they watched the village.


    "Mr. Silver, is the town usually empty?" the boy asked.


    "Mr. Silver? Nevermind. No. It''s always busy. Usually a great place to sell my wares, but now it has been overcome with... something I cannot explain to you," the silver merchant replied in a calm manner. His thought was to go around the town and head to the next one in hopes of selling his merchandise. He had no interest in investigating the place and no interest in fighting anything that he didn''t need to.


    Nia and Belze felt the chill in the air.


    "Nia..." Belze said as he shivered.


    Nia looked at him worryingly, but then gave him a reassuring look as if to say that everything will be fine. She knew that


    She looked at the silver merchant and in a serious tone asked, "So, are we going in there?"


    He shook his head. "Not worth the trouble. We can go around this place and head to the next town over. Then, I can drop you off for you to continue your journey."


    Nia closed her eyes and said, "I understand."


    She remembered her own village. Everybody vanished the day after dragonslayers came. She couldn''t just leave without knowing what happened here. She knew that it would take time away from rescuing Nera, Belze''s parents, and the other villagers, but she realized if they haven''t killed them, yet, then they don''t plan on killing them any time soon. Or at least, she hoped that was the case.


    She opened her eyes and said, "I know this may be troublesome, but could you watch over the boy?"


    Belze and the silver merchant looked at Nia in surprise.


    "Wait, big sis! What are you talking about!?" Belze yelled.


    "Why would I watch over him?" the merchant asked and as he did so, Nia got out of the wagon from the front. She landed on the dirt mound and looked upon the town, again. She couldn''t let fear take a hold of her. Her fear of the dragonslayers held her for too long and she wouldn''t let something else take a hold of her, again. This place reminded her of Kyte village. A now empty place. Nothing there, but the dirt and wood.


    She held onto the hilt of her sheathed blade as she waited for an answer.


    "I need to know whether you''ll watch Belze. You can even leave, as long as you have the boy with you. I don''t know what kind of mage you are, but you have had plenty of chances to hurt us and you didn''t. So, yes or no?" she asked not even looking at the merchant.


    A strong silence filled the air. Only the chilling winds could be heard.


    The merchant sighed and replied, "Fine, but I won''t be leaving. I''ll be staying right here until you get back."


    Belze looked at Nia as she stared at the fog-covered town. He was about to open his mouth, but no words could escape him. He didn''t want Nia to get hurt or go alone, but his whole body froze. He didn''t know why. Something in the town was giving off an aura of unsatisfied hunger. As if going into that village was the same as going into the mouth of a wild beast.


    Nia closed her eyes and took a deep breath to prepare herself. She also felt the same as Belze, but she also felt her big sister Nera wouldn''t turn away from the town. She knew that her big sister wouldn''t turn away somebody that needed help. And the people of Jaeden''s town needed help and she was the only one who could. She began to walk away from the wagon.


    "Wait," the merchant said as he raised his hand towards Nia.


    "I''m not going to turn my back to them," she said and continued walking.


    "I''m not going to stop you. I''m actually going to help you," he said.


    Nia stopped and looked back at the merchant. He let go of the reins, and got off the wagon. Belze watched from inside the front of the wagon. His body was still frozen in fear.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    When the merchant landed on the ground, he continued, "I''m going to help in a different way than what you''re thinking. I''m going to lend you some of my junk."


    With the snap of his fingers, a crate from inside the wagon opened and a set of leather armor floated out from the back of the wagon and onto the silver merchant''s hands.


    Belze and Nia watched in amazement. A simple task done with magic, but it was magic nonetheless. Something that the two weren''t all too aware of.


    "I''m not going to heal your life-threatening wounds every time you head into a fight. So, you''re going to have at least some protection on you," the silver merchant said as he held the pieces of armor and some clothes that would compliment the armor in both arms.


    She walked back to the wagon as she could use the armor. Nia took the leather armor in both arms from the merchant.


    "Just so you are aware, this is a loan. You''ll have to give it back in one piece after you''re done, or you''ll have to pay for it," he said.


    Nia nodded trying to regain her composure as pieces of the armor began to slip away.


    The silver merchant shook his head and continued, "You can change out of your robes into that outfit in the back of the wagon."


    As he said that, he snapped his fingers again and a portal ripped through space underneath Belze. He looked down and screamed as he fell in.


    However, in the next instant, another rip in space appeared to the side of the wagon and the boy fell out of it. He landed on his back with his eyes closed. The rips in space closed on themselves as if they were never there.


    Belze opened his eyes and sat up wiping dirt off of himself. "I''m assuming that that was you, Mr. Silver. Couldn''t you warn me before doing that next time?" the boy said.


    Nia dropped the armor and ran to Belze. "Are you okay?" she asked as she knelt to see if there were any wounds. Before the pieces of armor dropped to the ground, they instead stopped in midair and levitated above the dirt.


    "I''m okay, Nia. You don''t have to worry for me."


    "That''s good. I just don''t want anything to happen to you, that''s all."


    Belze began to grin and they both started to laugh. The fear that the boy had no longer consumed him. His body was no longer frozen in place as his mind wandered away from the town.


    Nia and Belze stood up and suddenly the pieces of armor flew back into her arms staggering her.


    "Couldn''t you have warned me that you were going to do that? I don''t want my wares getting dirtied. Go change in the back of the wagon. I''ll make sure nobody watches," the merchant said as he crossed his arms and looked down upon the misty town. He knew that they were being watched.


    From the corner of the darkness where his eyes would be, he saw a bandit hiding in the bushes below them. As he turned his head in that direction, the bandit scurried away hiding among the mist and various shrubbery. He was aware that there was more than bandits in the town. Something else lurked there, but he couldn''t exactly tell what it was.


    Nia went over to the back of the wagon and gave one look at the town. She had the resolve needed to venture forth. She left her sheathed blade onto the side of the wagon. She entered the back of the wagon and began to change out of her robes and villager clothes. She took off the illusive ring and the light green scales showed across her body. She looked at her scaly arm that she hasn''t seen in a long time. She reminisced about her time as a young dragon just playing around with her friends. Never realizing what dangers hid in every dark corner.


    She threw away those thought and focused on saving Jaeden town and, more importantly, saving Nera and the people of Kyte village.


    She began to put on the new dark green clothes that the silver merchant gave her. They were light-weight and easy to move in. They stuck to her skin and covered her body from her neck down to her ankles. There were dark finger-less gloves that fit perfectly and had plenty of space for her illusive ring. The clothes would hide most of the scales, but still not all of them. Scales still showed on the sides of her faces and the feet.


    She began to put on the green leather armor. She equipped it one piece at a time. They were lined with steel on the sides, but also simply designed. No patterns or symbols that would indicate that it was from a country. Similar to something that a bandit would wear, but it was too clean and there were no scratches or dents. Even bandits would wear armor that once belonged to a soldier, but not this. This armor was like a template for all other kinds of leather armor.


    First, the green leather gauntlets were strapped in. Then, the spaulders on her shoulders. Then, the greaves on her legs. Some leather shoes. The pieces of leather that protected the groin area.


    As she equipped each piece, she could barely feel any difference in her weight. They felt light as a feather as if she was just wearing her regular clothes. She started to wonder whether they would protect her from anything, but the armor certainly felt like real leather as she rubbed her fingers along the pieces.


    As she put on her green leather cuirass, she overheard talking outside of the wagon. It was the silver merchant and Belze talking to each other.


    Belze and the silver merchant standed next to each other. Belze looked at the towering silver merchant, while the merchant looked over the misty town.


    "Mr. Silver, Can''t you just use your magic and get rid of what''s in this town?" Belze asked.


    After a couple of seconds of silence, he replied, "My name isn''t Mr. Silver. I told you that I have no name, so I would be preferred to be called the silver merchant or at least anything that isn''t so... whatever you called me."


    "You''re just trying to change the subject, aren''t you? Besides, what''s wrong with the name?"


    "It''s just... not my name."


    "But you don''t have an actual name. I thought that giving you a name might cheer you up. You always look so gloomy."


    "Gloomy? I don''t know how you can actually tell any facial expressions," the silver merchant said as he turned away from the town and looked at the kid who was pestering him.


    "I can tell. You''re voice seems... well depressing."


    "Belze, this is the voice I was born with."


    Belze chuckled thinking that it was a joke. There was no sign that the silver merchant would laugh and he didn''t.


    As Nia listened, she smiled thinking that they would be good friends. She didn''t know what the silver merchant was, but she felt that if Belze was at ease with him, then maybe the merchant was alright.


    Nia finished putting on the whole set of new dark green clothes and green leather armor. There was just one piece of clothing left. A brown cloak with a hood. She put the cloak over herself and it reached to ankles.


    There were do designs on the cloak that would stand out. Nothing about the armor made it stand out to look like it was from any specific country. It could have been made anywhere. She put on her illusive ring and the light green scales disappeared over her dark skin. Her long brown hair over the hood.


    She got out of the back of the wagon with her cloak hiding most of her armor. Nia looked at Belze and the silver merchant. The sun began to rise, but the clouds began to hide it away. The cold air remained as oppressive as it was during the night. They both turned to her direction.


    "Silver merchant, remember to keep Belze safe. If I''m not back by the end of today, then take Belze and leave."


    "big sis..." he said, but couldn''t think of what to say. He didn''t want her to go alone, but had a feeling that he would be in the way.


    The silver merchant nodded. Nia picked up her sheathed blade and carried it around her waist as she walked towards the town. She walked past the silver merchant and Belze.


    The silver merchant turned to Belze and said, "See. She called me the silver merchant. You can call me that."


    "That''s not a name. I''ll just stick with Mr. Silver," he replied.


    Nia smiled as she walked away knowing that at least the boy would be safe. As she got to the tip of the mounds, she walked downwards along the trail. She walked forwards without looking back at the wagon above the mound. Without looking back at silver merchant. Without looking back at Belze. She knew that she couldn''t die here. If she died, then her big sister Nera would be sad. She marched onwards towards Jaeden town as the mist swallowed her.

 Chapter 41: Jaeden Towns Bandits and Something More

    Nia marched forward with her hood covering her head and darkening her face. Forward until she was no longer on the outskirts of the town. Her resolve wouldn''t fester. Not until she discovered what happened. The mist made it difficult for her to see far, even though her vision as a dragon far exceeded that of an average humans''. She relied on her vision and hearing. As she continued to walk along the empty roads, she heard the slow creaks of signs as the wind blew by. Nobody was in any building. In the alleyways, there were only a few rats that scurried around and hid in the cracks between the walls.


    She was being watched. There were people in the dark corners of the alleyways. If Nia wasn''t a dragon, she wouldn''t have been able to see them in all of the mist. She didn''t believe they were friendly. She held the hilt of her blade, but kept it unsheathed. She was awaiting for the moment that they pounce.


    "You''re quite the brave little person for coming this way. I thought that all this mist would scare away normal folk," one of the men said, but the voice echoed and she couldn''t quite tell which one of them said that.


    Nia stopped in her tracks ready for a fight.


    "Do you know what happened to all of the people here!?" she shouted into the mist hoping for an answer back, but not expecting to get one.


    Laughs ensued between the group of people hiding in the alleys. One of them slowly started to move out of the corners. It was misty, but Nia could see the man clearly. He was slightly taller than her and had a devious smile on his face. He wore dirty ragged steel armor, a bandana, and held a short sword. He was confident that he could sneak up behind her.


    Nia looked straight at him. They locked eyes and at that moment, the man''s expression was that of shock. He was surprised that the girl in front of her could see her. The mist was thick enough to hide, but not thick enough for a dragon. Nia, however, wondered how the man could see her.


    "Damn it! You can see in this, too!? Guys, be careful! This one can see us!" he yelled in fear.


    Nia unsheathed her blade and rushed forward towards the man.


    The man staggered and tripped back. He fell to the ground landing on his butt. Nia continued forward. She didn''t want to kill him as she needed to know what happened to the people of the town.


    However, in that moment, an arrow struck right in front of her feet from behind. She stopped and looked back. From the rooftop of one of the buildings, there was a woman holding a crossbow and a whip. She jumped down from the roof and landed on her two feet.


    "Well, what do we have here? I know that you aren''t a part of our band otherwise I would recognize you. Yet, you can still see in this fog." she said with a devious smile as if she was looking at prey.


    She had messy dark hair and skin. She wore ragged leather armor. There were scars all over her face. In one hand, she held a crossbow, and in the other, a whip. The woman pointed the crossbow at the hooded Nia.


    They were unable to tell what was under the hood except for details such as the eyes, mouth, and nose. Some strands of brown hair came out of the hood.


    The man got up and took some steps back from Nia. He carried his sword shakily.


    The woman slowly walked closer and said, "Well, you can see in the mist, but not completely. It still covered me. You would have been able to see me as I was just sitting up there pondering about these easy days."


    Nia stayed on guard without giving any reply.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The woman shot more arrows, but as she did, Nia quickly ran to the right. Each arrow missed their targets. The crossbow kept shooting more bolts, but Nia kept dodging and hitting them away with her red blade. Her hood fell revealing her long brown hair.


    "That''s a nice sword you got there," the woman said as she shot more bolts. Eventually, the cartridge holding the bolts ran out. As soon as Nia heard the sound that the crossbow made when it fires without any bolt, she stormed forward straight to the woman.


    The woman threw her crossbow to the ground without trying to reload it with more arrows. Her smile grew larger. Her heart rate increased as her enjoyment over the fight grew.


    She lashed out with her whip. Nia froze and dodged one lash. She has never faced an enemy using a whip before. It was unusual. The next lash, the whip wrapped itself around Nia''s red blade. With the flick of the woman''s wrist, the blade fell out of Nia''s hand and towards the woman. The woman grabbed it in the other hand and admired it.


    "A dragonscale blade. Now, what dragonslayer did you kill to get this? Or maybe you killed a dragon yourself?" she taunted as she continued to lash out with her whip. Nia dodged side to side. She was unable to get close to the woman.


    The whip struck Nia''s arm and wrapped around the leather gauntlet. The woman gleefully smiled as blood rushed to her whole body. She tried to pull the whip back at her, but it was stuck. Nia grabbed onto the whip and tugged back with the force of a dragon. The woman was pulled towards the ground and let go of the whip as she scraped her skin on the stone ground. Her other hand dropped the red blade and it slid back towards Nia as if the blade had a conscious mind of its own. Nia unwrapped the whip and threw it behind her. She leaned down and grabbed the red sword.


    The woman got herself up to her knees and as she did so, Nia held the red blade pointed at the woman''s neck.


    The woman laughed and replied, "I can see that you can fight, lady. If you want to join our band, I think I can talk to the boss about it. We sure could use some more women that could pick up everybody else''s slack."


    Nia asked, "Where are the townspeople? What happened to Jaeden town?"


    "Jaeden town now belongs to us. We were just a bunch of nobodies, but now we own this town."


    Nia''s eyes squinted to see whether there were any more people coming out of the corners. Perhaps, she can get more information from their boss.


    "If you''re not the one in charge, then I''d like to speak to him. I don''t need to talk to a lackey."


    The woman laughed again and said, "You got guts. Hey, Marko, go crawl back to hole. I got this."


    As she said this, the man shakily holding his sword nodded and ran away. He must have watched the whole fight and got scared stiff without even trying to help his comrade. He disappeared within the mist.


    She got herself up to her feet.


    Nia still kept her guard up. She was unaware of one bandit, and there were probably more lurking within the mist. It could also be trap to let her guard down.


    "Relax. There are others, but they can see what''s going on. I''m Miranda Levime. What''s your name?"


    Nia relaxed slightly. She was still on guard, but she slowly put her sword away as she locked eyes with Miranda.


    "I''m Nia," she said as she kept her blade to her side unsheathed.


    "Nia. It''s nice to meet another real warrior," Miranda said as she approached Nia with her hands up trying not to show that she was a threat.


    "I just came here to know what happened," Nia said as she took off her hood.


    "And if you find out, what will you do?" she asked.


    Nia paused and replied, "That depends..."


    Miranda licked her lips. She continued to raise her hands showing that she was peaceful.


    "I would actually like it if you could stay with us. Our new boss has big plans and to be a part of it would be grand. Something I never would have dreamed of, but with him on our side, I think it would be possible."


    Nia was puzzled and asked, "What plans?"


    "Just follow me to the tavern. That''s where our boss is. After seeing his power, you''ll want to join, too."


    Nia''s questions only brought new questions. Who was this boss? What were these bandits planning? She knew, however, that if she met with the boss, she can directly get the answers.


    "Alright. I''ll follow you to see this boss."


    Miranda smiled believing that they got a new recruit on their side. She eased her arms back down. She walked forward holding Nia''s hand.


    "By the way, Nia, do you mind if we be friends after you join?" Miranda asked in a cheerful tone.


    Nia looked confused and after a couple of seconds of silence, she continued, "Nevermind. Maybe, that was too strange of a thing to ask."


    She continued to hold Nia''s hand as they walked through the mist.


    "I don''t want you to get lost in this mist. I''ll show you the way through," Miranda said. Miranda was excited thinking that they have gotten a new strong friend, but Nia was only interested in finding the townspeople.

 Chapter 42: The Tavern of Jaeden Town

    The tavern was lit with plenty of candles. The tables were all clean and set. The wooden floorboards were clear of any dirt.


    Behind the counter, there was a white robed man with a hood where a bartender would usually be. His robes had blue circles around the shoulders. His face was covered by a white mask with black patterns. The mask only covered the top half of his face covering his nose and up. His mouth was shown in clear sight. His skin was pale white and wrinkled. His teeth were shaped as those of a shark. Each breath he took, heavy fog would come out of his mouth. The fog dropped to the floor and dissipated.


    The man took a bottle of cheap wine from under the counter. He opened it with his pale wrinkly hands. His nails were overgrown and sharp as claws. He took the bottle and chugged it down. Much of the wine splashed to the ground.


    When he was finished with the whole bottle, so much of the wine dripped from his mouth, but none would dirty his robes. Each drop that touched his robe would evaporate and become a part of the fog. Each piece of the fog would then proceed to float to the outside of the tavern as if it was alive.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The man sniffed and sniffed. He looked down at the wood flooring. With a flick, the wood floor froze over and shattered to thousands of pieces of ice. He leaned down and grabbed a chest. He took the chest and sat it upon the table. There was a steel lock, but in one instant, the lock froze over and shattered. He opened the box wiping away the shards of ice off of the table. The chest was filled with gold and silver coins. He assumed that it was the owner of the bar''s insurance. In any case, it was now property of the white robed man.


    His long nail rubbed over the coins. He grabbed one feeling it up.


    The man stared into the gold coin and said, "Money has always been a powerful object. It can motivate people to do great things like architecture, production of good, and maintaining wars. It can make me more powerful than I already am. An empire cannot be built upon nothing. It must be built upon the bodies of people. More and more bodies need to be stacked to rebuild my empire. And gold will motivate them to throw themselves onto the pile."


    He looked around the empty tavern.


    "More bodies. More bodies," he repeated.


    He put the gold coin back in the chest.


    He sniffed, again.


    He smelled new visitors to his new kingdom of mist. With his sense of smell, he could determine what it was if he has smelled it before.


    He took one long sniff into the air.


    "I haven''t smelled this scent for a long time. So, there are still some left."

 Chapter 43: White Robed

    Thousands and thousands of years ago, there was a man. A wizard who wanted to have the world.


    He was a slave to the king of one such empire. Enchanted chains around his neck that would stop his magic, unless the king permitted him to do so. He studied the use of ice magic and mastered it very fast. Unfortunately for him, he was an elf. A race that has long been extinct, but not during those times. King Veneval''s elite forces captured the elf on suspicion of dealing with dark magic. Their elite forces put him in a cell and cut the tip of his ears believing that they have cured him of being an elf.


    "Now, he was a man," said one of them as blood gushed out of his ears.


    They chained him up in mystical chains that would prevent usage of magic. However, the king was able to bypass the magical chains. With his word, the elf that was now a man was now a complete slave to King Veneval and all of his heirs. His name stripped of him. Eventually, even he forgot. The man laid on the floor with the pigs and chains to keep as blankets to comfort him.


    Every day, the king would command him to cast storms of ice upon his enemies. At the end of each hour, the man was drained of all of his mana. When he feinted, the chains would pump him full of mana again. While the man did the king''s bidding, the king drank wine and counted his tribute from neighboring villages and other countries that didn''t want to become his next target.


    The man continued for years. Eventually, every country, even his allies, fell against the never-ending storms of hail. The once King Veneval grew to become the fat Emperor Veneval. As he sat upon his throne, while the body of the one man was enough to lift him to that status.


    His body grew pale and weak. Every day, the king''s guardians fed him rats to keep him from starving and let him drink the same water as livestock.


    The man''s bones grew weary. Each day, he wanted to die, but each day, the chains wouldn''t let him. If he was too weak to stand, the chains would lift him up with bursts of stinging mana.


    He wanted to die, but death wouldn''t take him.


    However, it all changed one day. One day, it took for his bad luck to run out. One day, the king drank his favorite wine, but it didn''t sit well. One of the king''s advisors poisoned him and his heirs, so that the empire would crumble and be lost to the ages. But the advisor didn''t factor one thing. Who the advisor thought was just a pitiful weapon to be wielded suddenly lashed out in joy. As there were no heirs left to control him, his chains fell off.


    He breathed in and out came fog and mist. Mist covered the castle. From the ground where the king laid, demons of frozen wine sprung from his stomach. The icy red demons chewed through the fat stomach. It had eyes of a fish and teeth of a shark. Horns that could pierce steel. Their hunger and thirt was unsatisfied. They only wanted to eat and drink. They attacked the castle guards feeding on each one. The sudden outbreak of these monsters consumed the whole castle. With each new dead body, the fog birthed another ice demon from the bowels of the killed.


    From his breath, fog covered the entire city, then the country, and eventually the whole empire. His whole empire.


    The man grabbed looked through the king''s wardrobe and grabbed his comfiest robes. He hid his devastated ears with the hood attached to the robes. Soon, he became the white robed emperor as he overlooked the remaining population with an army of ice demons. The man believed himself to be the true emperor to stand above the dead below him. He used the treasury to make sure that his empire wouldn''t fall into chaos by paying off mercenaries to keep track of the peasants.


    "The strong stand above the weak. I was weak once. I shouldn''t have hesitated to summon these demons before getting captured. Now, I''m strong," he said as he chugged a bottle of the previous king''s favorite wine.


    However, his rule as emperor came to an end as he wished to expand his empire. He personally led an army of his ice demons from the comfort of a chariot made of frozen wine. Where he went, the fog followed. When he reached the shores, he wasn''t met with legions of men, but of dragons. Something that his demons could not kill. The dragons flew from above and shot the elements down piercing through the fog. Fire, water, and lightning shot from the skies.


    When the white robed emperor knew that they needed something big to stop these creatures, he forced the ice demons to kill themselves. One by one, they tore out their frozen hearts. As they held their beating hearts in their hand, they shattered them like glass.


    As the ice demons fell, they melded into another bigger creature. They transformed themselves into a goliath made of the bodies of ice demons that towered above to the clouds. The goliath shot a flurry of giant ice shards at the dragons killing most. The goliath''s armor was too thick and the fire wouldn''t melt it through.


    They would have lost, if it wasn''t for the ancient dragons. The ancient dragon, Jezeboyah, swooped down in a blaze of white fire. His white breath collided with the goliath bringing it down to it''s knees. The fire began to melt away it''s arms and body.


    The ancient dragon, Aquis, commanded the sea to flood the ground with boiling water. The water grew hotter and steamed upwards. The goliath melted away from the bottom.


    The ancient dragon, Kytlmyne, created vines that withstood the boiling water and trapped the goliath in place. The vines surrounded the behind the goliath creating a dam, so the boiling water didn''t continue through.


    The ancient dragon, Azor, with the power of the heavens brought down storms of raining fire upon the goliath.


    As these four worked togethor to bring down the ice goliath, the other dragons jumped into the fray. Each one breathing fire upon the giant monster. Eventually, the goliath melted back into the water. With it, the fog began to slowly disappear.


    The four dragons surrounded the chariot carrying the white robed emperor. However, instead of afraid of being killed, he decided to drink the king''s favorite wine one more time and admire a gold coin.


    Instead of killing him, they decided that his fate should be worse for trampling upon the world.


    Aquis buried him under the sea in a dome of ice never to return again.


    The white robed emperor once more became the white robed man, but Aquis referred to him as just a monster.


    He was chained up below the ice with his white robes.


    Once more he slept with the comfort of chains. His chains once more suppressed his magical abilities.


    Every day, he would starve and die, but the chains wouldn''t let him die. He would awake again only to die from starvation every day. The eternal feeling of hunger and thirst that will never be quenched. Although, there wasn''t even a sense of a day, any more for the white robed man. Only darkness.


    Every day, he would dig a hole upon the ice wall, and every day he would die of hunger only to be brought back by the chains.


    Every day as checked the ice wall, they would regenerate the next day as if his work was for nothing.


    Eventually, as the years passed, he would see visions of King Veneval and his king''s guards. The darkness played tricks on him.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Go away. I don''t serve you any more," he muttered weakly.


    One day, he saw the king drinking his favorite wine. It was too much for the white robed man. He scratched out his own eyes with whatever strength he had hoping to never see it again.


    He kept digging and digging, but the ice would just come back the next day.


    He sniffed. Smelled the scent of fish in the ice. He dug deeper and grabbed the frozen fish. He bit deep into the old bloody fish and sucked on its juices.


    His mind reawakened once more. He sniffed more and smelled where there was food. He could smell the water dragons above him as they swam. The scent of dragons would be engraved in him. Every day, he smelled something new. There was always something new. Eventually, he smelled the flesh of a human at one point, although it was too far for him to eat.


    He continued to dig even though he knew it to be pointless as the ice would only regenerate itself.


    Thousands and thousands of years have passed. He dug into the ice with a frozen fish in his mouth. This time, however, the ice didn''t regenerate. He sniffed and couldn''t smell any water dragons above him. He continued to dig and dig and dig. Until one day, he broke through.


    Water rushed into the dome and broke a hole large enough for him to go through. The water pressure crushed his body, but the chains kept him alive. He struggled to rise to the top of the ocean. But he did. As he reached the top of the water, he smelled the air. The creatures all around him. He was able to smell them and he was able to know what they were.


    He swam back to the surface in joyfully. As he reached the land and felt the sand between his fingers, he smiled. His vision was poor and no longer usable. He grabbed a nearby crab and ate it. However, he didn''t need his vision. He could smell the environment better than any other creature. This only amplified his belief that he was meant to rule as emperor.


    He didn''t know how long it was. His chains were still on him, but as he chewed on the crab, he grabbed a rock. He hit the chains day after day. He would easily grab a meal whether it be a crab or a bird. His muscles grew back and he broke free of the chains. He breathed in slowly and breathed out a short breath of fog that fell to the ground.


    The white robed man returned to recreate his empire. But his powers were rusty and weak. He needed time to regain his lost power.


    So, the first thing that he needed was allies and soldiers. Men to be stacked upon each other to reach his empire.


    Upon his travels, he came upon a damaged wagon. It had been looted before, but he smelled something familiar. He sniffed and smelled the presence of gold. He opened a secret compartment under the wagon filled with treasures that the other bandits and looters missed.


    He walked for days covering himself in his white robes. As his powers were regained, he first created a mask to hide his contorted face. He could feel the wrinkles and worms that dug into where his eyes once stood. A mask of ice to hide that imperfection of himself. And the hood to hide his ruined ears.


    One day, as he was traveling, he came upon a campsite full of bandits. It was time for him to test himself. He walked straight in without trying to hide.


    "Hey! We got an intruder here!" one bandit yelled holding his sword in front of him.


    The white robed man sniffed the human. And he could smell the other humans around. They would be useful, he thought.


    More bandit came out of their tents. Fog covered the camp. The white robed man disappeared among the fog right in front of the bandit. He walked hidden looking for the one in charge.


    "Where did he go!?"


    "Search around. We can''t have other people snooping in our camp!"


    A woman came out holding a crossbow and whip. Next to her was a large man holding two morningstars.


    "Boss, where did this fog come from?"


    Perfect, the white robed man thought.


    The fog quickly disappeared. In front of the two was the white robed man.


    "I presume you are their leader. I''m interested in building a better world. Would you be interested in helping?" the white robed man asked.


    The two looked at each other and laughed.


    Their leader replied, "Old man, was that supposed to be a joke?"


    He flailed his two morningstars at the white robed man. In an instant, from the ground, spikes of ice grew and broke through the two morningstars and went straight through the man''s head.


    The woman looked in shock and her surprise turned to anger.


    "Damn you!," she shouted angrily while shooting bolts of arrows at the man.


    A wall of ice grew from the ground and shielded him from the arrows.


    "I''m not here to kill all of you. But I just needed to display my dominance over you in some way," he said.


    The woman wasn''t listening as she continued to fire arrows. She stopped and ran to the side. The other bandits started coming.


    In one swoop, the white robed man froze the feet of all of the bandits including the woman''s.


    A mist covered around the bandits. They were all terrified of what was going to happen to them. The white robed man assumed that they never faced a mage like him before.


    As they started to sweat in terror, the mist faded away revealing gold and jewelry all around the ground. The bandits'' fear turned to surprise.


    "This treasure and much more can be yours as long as you serve me," he said.


    The ice on their feet froze. Slowly, one by one gathered around the treasures. Soon, they were all taking pieces fighting over it.


    However, there was one not going after any of it. The woman stared at the white robed man.


    She said, "Why should we serve you? Because you''re paying us?"


    He replied, "No. It''s because with me as your leader, this whole band can become something bigger. You will all be able to do as you please. After we''re done, everybody here won''t need a coin for their lifetime and their children''s lifetime," the white robed man said. He wasn''t lying. He believed every word that he said.


    The woman was reluctant, but she saw the power that he held. He could have killed each one of them. She put away her whip and crossbow.


    "Fine. So, you want to be in charge?"


    "Yes. With me on top, do you think anybody could stop us?" He asked believing that he was indeed all powerful.


    She looked at the man and thought that maybe they would easily be able to get some easy money with this mage fighting for them.


    "So, what do you need with us?" she asked and as she did the other bandits looked up after they grabbed all of the treasure that they could carry.


    "I need foot soldiers," he said while looking around at his new band, "And with me on your side, no force would be able to stop us. We will take all of the riches of the world. You can all do as you please under my watch."


    They all nodded and agreed that following this mage would be a profitable idea for at least a while.


    "So, let''s get moving. Let''s go to the nearest village and take everything there," one of the bandits said.


    "I like your enthusiasm," the man said as the mist covered the camp, but instead of blocking the view of the bandits, they were able to see clearly through it. The white robed man allowed each of this bandits to see through his fog. They knew it was there, but they didn''t have any vision problems.


    They marched to the nearest village and took it by storm. The white robed man went in first to showcase his power. The thick mist covered the village and spikes of ice from under the ground pierced through any farmer who tried to fight back. The woman and the children ran away, but those who ran were met ice piercing through their hearts. The ones who hid in their homes weren''t harmed at first.


    As soon as the mage was finished, the bodies evaporated and became a part of the mist. No trace of their existence was left.


    "I''m finished. Whatever measly defenses they had are gone. And nobody can escape the fog. You may all go and do as you please. Take what you want and have your fun with the women," the white robed man said and as he looked at the woman who was known as Miranda, "or men, if there are any."


    The other bandits realized how easy it was to take a village without any fighting. They stormed in, taking whatever gold they had and some took turns with the women.


    As Miranda walked into the village, the white robed man grabbed her warm arm. She quickly pulled out a knife at the man''s neck. After realizing what she has done, she put it away.


    "Oh my. I''m so sorry, boss. I didn''t mean to do that," she apologized in fear of what the mage may do.


    "Apology accepted. Actually, I may need you to bring me up to date with the world. This world is very much the same, yet different. I want to know about current events," he said.


    She looked at the mage and said, "Sure. But first, I''m going to quickly loot some gold before the other boys get most of it."


    She ran off into the village with the mage walking slowly behind. Miranda was only interested in becoming rich from standing behind this mage''s power. She thought that she could use him and he knew it. He knew that they all thought that way. They only followed him to stand behind his power and quickly get rich off of it. He accepted and took pride in that. The white robed man truly believed in one thing. That the most powerful should stand above all others and he believed he was the most powerful being that deserved to be on top. But his magic wasn''t as strong as before he was under the ice. They were growing, but too slowly.


    When they were finished, the white robed man killed whoever was left alive and absorbed them into his fog. As they moved onto the next village, Miranda told the mage about what she knew. Most importantly, she told him that dragons were being hunted to extinction which was the news he wanted to hear. The one variable that stopped his reign was no longer around to stop him again. He suspected something happened that weakened his ice barrier, but not that the dragons were being hunted. He grinned showing off his shark-like teeth.


    And so they went to the next village. And the next one. And the next one with the fog covering their tracks every time. The authorities only knew that villages were disappearing.


    Eventually, they reached a town. Jaeden town.

 Chapter 44: Nia and The White Robed Monster

    Miranda held Nia''s hand through the fog as they approached the tavern, the Twelve Flower Inn. The sign was cracked, but still visible. Other bandits gathered in the mist around the two. As Nia got near the front of the entrance, the fog around it had vanished creating a bubble of visible air encircled by mist. The other bandits hid in the mist, while Miranda wanted to introduce her leader to somebody who she thought could be a valuable warrior or perhaps even a friend.


    The tavern''s door opened by itself and the white robed man strolled out as if he owned the town. His feet were cut up and wrinkled. His hands wrinkled with nails that could cut open a carcass. Nia watched the old man suspiciously and braced herself for a fight. There was a menacing aura around him that not just Nia felt, but every single bandit. The chill in the air resonated within and around him. He breathed out bursts of fog revealing his shark-like teeth to the young dragon. The smell of alcohol was pungent in the air around him, as well.


    She looked at the man''s mask made of ice in which he had no way of seeing through. Nia knew that this was no man. Not like the other bandits. She felt a much more sinister presence from the white robed man.


    They stood feet away from each other, yet his presence loomed above her.


    She feared for the villagers, but she couldn''t get emotional. Answers first, she thought. She held her sheathed sword''s hilt ready to take it out in the moment she needed.


    The white robed man stared at the young girl. He knew what she was. He would never forget the stench of the creatures above him for thousands of years.


    "Boss, I would like to introduce you to -"


    "Listen, bandit leader, you''re going to give me answers to what happened to this town!" Nia angrily shouted. She couldn''t delay herself any longer. She wanted those answers and after she would decide what to do with it.


    Miranda facepalmed herself and shook her head at Nia''s impatience. She hoped that she would be able to understand the mage''s power, rather than provoking him. She wanted her to understand that this monster had powers stronger than any human and that if they followed him, they would be able to take the riches that he leaves behind. Miranda didn''t think that Nia was a part of any military force, but a simple mercenary. The kind of person who fights just to make money rather than honor.


    The white robed man sniffed the air and smelled the girl. He was absolutely certain of what he smelled. A dragon. But he could feel that the other lowlife bandits didn''t know that, so he could assume that the dragon was masking herself with magic.


    In an elegant tone, he asked, "You came all this way to ask about the whereabouts of a couple of townsfolk?"


    Nia took out her blade and pointed it towards the white robed man.


    "I won''t repeat myself. Even I can tell that you stink of malice behind all of that mist," Nia said angrily. She had no time for games. Her mind rushed back to Nera and the rest of the villagers.


    The man motioned Miranda to leave. She reluctantly walked back into the mist knowing that they were going to fight.


    "After he shows you a taste of his power, I hope that you''ll listen to what he has to say. You could make some big and easy money from this," she said quietly to Nia as she disappeared into the white haze.


    Nia heard, but ave no reaction. She kept her eyes locked at their leader. His towering presence loomed over Nia as he looked down upon her.


    He breathed in and said, "Very well. I''ll answer your questions. The townsfolk are dead. I killed them."


    Nia was shocked at the straight-forward answer. She expected that he would try to lie, but instead got an honest answer.


    "Were you expecting a different answer? Perhaps a lie? If you came here for curiosity, then are you not satisfied with the simple right answer?" he asked not showing any sign of attacking.


    She looked back at him in anger.


    "What do you mean dead? If you killed them, then where are there bodies?" she asked still pointing her red blade at the man who was unafraid in the slightest.


    He paused.


    "They are dead. That''s the fact. My mist swallowed their bodies. Now, that you know what happened to this little town, what do you plan to do... little dragon?" he said menacingly. A gust of wind blew past him freezing the air. As Nia braced herself, the white robed man made no sudden movements.


    Miranda and the other bandits behind the mist were shocked at the revelation. She only looked like a regular girl. They thought that dragons in human form showed scales, wings, or had a tail.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    How did this man, no, monster, know that she was a dragon, she thought. She still had her illusive ring which hid her scales. But she realized that the monster couldn''t see. This monster was a mage. A mage who became a bandit leader. A mage who controls the fog that enveloped this entire town.


    He took one step forward and Nia took one step back still pointing her blade.


    "Do you plan to fight me, little dragon? Or maybe, you want to join me?" the man questioned.


    Her eyes slightly turned green in her anger. She said while continuing to point her red blade, "You''re just a monster. No. You''re worse. Why the hell would I follow something like you?"


    "I have heard that the humans caused your kind to... near extinction. Your whole race is finished, but that doesn''t mean that you can accept it. You can follow me and you can have revenge against those who wronged you," he said.


    As he said this, Nia made a sudden realization. Her eyes reverted to normal. It was true that her own kind was being hunted down by the dragonslayer. It was true that she wanted revenge against those who took her home from her twice. Her sword began to shake. She never thought that she was capable of getting revenge. But Nia knew that she was going to King''s City to rescue Nera and the villagers. But what about after? She hadn''t thought about what she would do afterwards. Would she continue living at Kyte village or do something more with her life? She didn''t have the power to stop the dragonslayers by herself. She couldn''t. Not alone. She thought that perhaps it would be better to take revenge. Make them suffer the same horrors that she felt 30 years ago. She looked at the white robed monster. She thought that if she could use this monster for her own purposes, she could easily enter King''s City and rescue the ones she need all while destroying the dragonslayers.


    She shook her head. That was only if she could control the creature in front of her. That seemed impossible. The instant they enter King''s City with that white robed monster and his fog, the whole city would turn to the same and Jaeden town. A lifeless, quiet world. She had no chance of controlling him.


    The white robed man sensed Nia''s doubt and lack of conviction towards revenge. He knew himself to be powerful and felt that Nia knew that too. If he was to obtain a dragon under his army, he would need to reassure her that he could be controlled for her own purposes. He would need to act as a slave again, but only temporary, he believed.


    He made a friendly smile and said, "I can feel your power. So much untapped potential. I sense that you can be so much more. Instead of you serving me, it would be the other way around. I will do anything that you ask me of."


    The white robed man wanted to test if he could persuade the young dragon by tapping into her hubris. Just the thought of having a dragon made his bones shiver to the core. His heartbeat increased as blood rushed through his body, but he maintained an elegant composure.


    He casually walked closer and as he did so, Nia took more steps back uncertain about what to do. Every sense in her body told her to either run or fight the monster, but there was a tiny voice in her head telling her that she could use this monster for herself. The path would be easy.


    She stuttered and asked, "I-I-I don''t know. If y-y-you are speaking true, then would you follow my orders to the letter?"


    Fear still overcame her. The monster was clearly more powerful, but his words sounded genuine.


    He smiled as if he was talking to a friend.


    "Of course. The world only follows the strong, and you have the potential to become stronger than anybody else. I want to be a part of that. Whatever you wish me to do, I shall follow," he said with a bow hoping that his bait would work. He didn''t lie. He would have done whatever the dragon wanted to continue to gain trust.


    "D-d-did you see any dragonslayers pass by?" she asked.


    He stopped bowing and replied, "Yes. There was a wagon transporting some dragonslayers and prisoners that passed by us. However, we didn''t do anything to stop their advances. We only let them pass. They probably headed to King''s City and they may have even arrived by now."


    Nia began to lower her blade. She believed that the monster wanted to serve her, but had wasn''t convinced that she could control him. She still believed that the white robed monster would go berserk the moment she lets her eyes off of him. She didn''t want to kill any innocent people. She never even thought about killing the dragonslayers until today. She only wanted to protect Nera and the villagers, and to do that, she was going to have to kill. Kill more dragonslayers and knights that stood in the way. It would have been no different than the bandits that stopped them on the road.


    She stopped and said, "If I let you... serve me, I need you to promise that you won''t hurt anybody except the dragonslayers and knights that stand in the way. No innocents like the ones here in Jaeden town."


    "I promise," he said with a friendly smile and a bow as if he was a butler. The white robed man hooked the dragon with his words. A fine addition to the army, he thought. His road towards regaining his title of emperor was clear to him. A road of dead bodies and a bridge made up of a dragon that led into a castle. His castle. So clear in his view.


    She looked at the disgusting monster and couldn''t believe herself that she would rely on a creature like this, but in her desperation to save Nera, she had to find a way to break through the rows of trained swordsmen and dragonslayers.


    The other bandits were glued to watching in the mist as the white robed mage convinced this young dragon. Miranda was shocked that Nia was a dragon, but now she was happy that she might be able to make a strong friend among this group of ruffians.


    Distracted by his success of his new dragon, the white robed mage was struck on the side of his head by a small rock. He didn''t stagger.


    Nia and the white robed mage looked in the direction of where the rock was thrown. The man sniffed realizing that he was too preoccupied in convincing a dragon to join him that he wasn''t paying any attention to the scents within the mist.


    He sniffed and smelled two new scents. One was a human child, but the other... he was unsure. It was the first time that he smelled something new, but he maintained his towering composure.


    The other bandits looked and saw a patch of the mist that they couldn''t see through. A snap was heard within the fog and the patch dissipated revealing the two hidden ones.


    The bandits saw a young boy carrying rocks in one arm and one rock in his other hand being readied to be thrown. The other was somebody in silver armor.


    Nia looked in surprise. It was Belze and the silver merchant.

 Chapter 45: From Above the Hill

    Above the town from the hillside, the young boy Belze watched the misty town. The silver merchant stood occasionally glancing in the direction. It had only been some time since Nia left to investigate Jaeden town, but Belze was already worried. He had no way of seeing what was happening in the town, but he watched anyways hoping that Nia would come back soon. The clouds blocked any presence of the sun. Only few slimmers of sunlight pierced through the cracks. The two horses grazed while still being attached to the wagon.


    The boy needed some way to get his mind off of the town. Belze rocked back and forth. He tried to draw in the dirt. He started spitting down the mound. But his mind still wandered back towards Jaeden town and Nia.


    The silver merchant gathered some sticks and created a small campfire by shooting a small ball of fire from his fingertip at the pile of sticks.


    "Hey, child! The airs not going to get any warmer. You might as well sit next to the fire," the silver merchant said.


    Belze walked over next to the fire and sat down. The silver merchant sat next to him. The young boy still shivered, but the silver merchant didn''t even budge from the cold.


    "Do you think that Nia is safe?" Belze asked.


    The silver merchant looked back at the misty town.


    "Do you want my honest opinion?"Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "Of course! She''s like a big sister to me. And she promised that she would rescue my parents and the rest of the villagers."


    The silver merchant didn''t react to anything that Belze said.


    "I see. Well, honestly, she might bite off more than she could chew," the silver merchant said.


    Belze looked in fear towards the silver merchant and asked, "Why is that?"


    "You can feel it, can''t you? The chill in the air isn''t natural. This whole fog isn''t natural. It''s magic. Everybody in that town is probably already dead or worse. That is what she''ll find, but not just that."


    Belze looked back at the town in horror. Horror that she went in there alone.


    The silver merchant continued, "Your big sister will find something else in there. A monster that hasn''t been around for ages. However, she does have a good chance of getting out alive."


    Belze didn''t feel any sense of relief. Only discomfort.


    The boy shook his head and got himself up. He tried to rid himself of his fear and began walking towards the town.


    The silver merchant stood up and asked, "Where do you plan on going?"


    Belze stopped and looked back at him. He pointed straight to the town. "I''m going to help her."


    "You? Help her? The monster in there would break you like a peanut the moment you walk into that mouth of fog," the silver merchant replied, "And besides, I was told to watch and protect you."


    Belze smiled. "Exactly," he said as he began descending down the mound and towards Jaeden town.


    The silver merchant sighed and shook his head. "Aghh. Fine," he muttered under his breath and followed Belze.


    As soon as Belze saw that the silver merchant was following him, he began to sprint forward. He thought that his big sister Nia might need help, so he''ll be there just like before with the bandit. And with the silver merchant there, he didn''t feel any danger running straight into Jaeden town''s mouth of mist. He picked up rocks from the ground as he ran forward.


    The silver merchant conjured with the snap of his fingers a patch of fog that would blend with the fog inside as they entered.

 Chapter 46: The Trustworthy Voice in the Mist

    Belze threw another rock at the white robed man. Before it hit his face, the rock froze in midair an shattered like glass. The shards flew around and past the man.


    "Belze!? What are you doing here!?" Nia shouted.


    Belze was about to throw another rock, but Nia shouted, "Wait! He''s with me!"


    Belze froze in confusion. The silver merchant shook his head in disappointment.


    "Do you really believe that this monster is ''with'' you? If you plan to have that thing around you, you''re a fool," the silver merchant said.


    The white robed man sniffed again trying to figure out what the silver merchant was. He could smell the silver armor, but the scent inside was unknown.


    "The one in silver armor... I haven''t smelled your kind before. It''s strange. What are you exactly?"


    The silver merchant didn''t reply.


    "I know that this creature is dangerous, but I can control it," Nia insisted, but her voice shook. There was a sign of disbelief in herself. Within herself, everything about the white robed monster was wrong, but the small sliver of a voice that trusted in the monster''s words was amplified. Its voice grew louder, but everything about it seemed wrong.


    She looked back at the white robed monster. It''s hideous aura. The peeling rotting flesh. His shark-like teeth gnawing themselves in insatiable hunger. The cold wind blew harder. It''s hunger growled wanting to consume more. More bodies.


    It''s hunger could not be controlled. The moment that creature strolls into King''s City, the fog would drown everything. The sun would never show itself, again. Not just over the city, but over every step that the monster takes. Letting this monster walk, let alone exist, would bring horrors to this world.


    But then a voice came to her. A soothing voice.


    "Do not trust the silver one. You only need yourself and the white robed man. Only togethor can you save the ones you love. Only you can save Nera," the voice said within her head.


    She shook her head. It was her own voice, but she couldn''t believe it.


    Nia closed her eyes and remembered. Remembered the horrors she witnessed 30 years ago. Remembered her current quest. To protect her big sister Nera. She can only accomplish that by bringing that monster with her. Then, after, if she needed to defeat the dragonslayers, she would need power like the one that the white robed monster has. And the demon. The demon that wore black and red armor. She needed power to defeat it. And that power was right nex-Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Big sister Nia! Big sis, that monster is obviously trying to trick you! Even I can see that!" Belze shouted.


    She opened her eyes and her thoughts of using the monster vanished. She suddenly realized that her big sister wouldn''t let a malicious creature stay alive like the one next to her. It would be just another monster that needed to be hunted. The young boy was right. Belze was right. The silver merchant was right. The one voice that trusted the white robed man''s words faded into the mist.


    Nia looked back at the white robed monster. The fear she felt was the same when she encountered the red and black demon 30 years ago. But she couldn''t run away and let fear take over her life again.


    She quickly unsheathed her blade and as she did so, spikes of ice grew from the ground in front of the monster towards Nia''s head. She jumped back and gave herself some distance between her and the white robed monster.


    He made no sudden movements besides saying, "So, this is the choice you made. Instead of using my power to fulfill your dreams, you insist on death."


    He sniffed once more and sighed in disappointment.


    "So be it. Bandits, kill the boy and that silver armored thing! I will make sure that this little dragon is stacked onto the rest of the bodies, myself," the white robed man said as he turned towards Nia.


    Miranda froze in fear among the mist. She didn''t want to let a strong warrior go to waste, but fighting against that monster was suicide. The other bandits charged at Belze and the silver merchant. Nia turned and shouted in fear, "Belze!"


    As one bandit approached, the silver merchant grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up with ease. The black void within his armor stared directly at the bandit. He threw the bandit at a group of other bandits. A whole group fell of bandits fell to the dirt, and they tried to get themselves back up. However, Belze continued to throw rocks at the fallen bandits. The boy picked up more rocks on the ground and began throwing them at the other bandits'' heads.


    "Don''t worry about the boy, Nia. Worry about the wannabe emperor in front of you. His strength hasn''t fully recovered," the silver merchant said as he shot a small ball of light at Nia. The ball hit Nia''s forehead, but it didn''t hurt. Instead her eyes saw clearly among the mist.


    Upon hearing this, the white robed mage froze and turned his head towards the silver merchant. Questions raced in his mind. He questioned how that unknown being knew who he was. Even if he read somewhere in a history book about the white robed emperor, how would somebody thousands of years later know be able to recognize him. More importantly, how did the silver armored being know that he was in a weakened state? The white robed man knew that he himself was nowhere near the same level of power that he once had, but if the silver armored being was able to sense his magical abilities, then he would have had to compare his original self to his previous self thousands of years ago. More and more questions were raised, but with no answer. But to the white robed man, there was one question that was the most important of them all.


    "What are you?" he asked quietly. As he did so, Nia charged ahead with her red blade throwing away her cloak. No longer needing to worry about Belze. No longer feeling the chill in the air. She had to remind herself that what she was facing was nothing more than a monster or a pest that had to be killed, otherwise terror would take a hold over her, again. Even if she knew that what she faced was worse than any other monster, she wouldn''t acknowledge it for the fear of freezing up in the middle of the fight.


    "Just a monster," she said as she leapt holding her blade tightly above the white robed monster as she burst down from above.

 Chapter 47: Breaking the Fog

    As Nia leapt among the mist lunging forward towards the white robed monster, he conjured more spikes of ice from the ground like tentacles. The ice grew with their sharp edges pointed towards the dragon girl. As she was headed towards those spikes of ice, her wings and tail repidly grew out of her back, and she dodged to the side of the ice, barely scraping by against her leather armor. As she was still mid-air, Nia breathed out a stream of fire in the direction of the monster. In response, the white robed monster created a wall of thin perfectly see-through ice from the ground that defended him from the oncoming blaze. The ice wall didn''t even look damaged or even slightly melted. More thin walls of ice surrounded the white robed monster and they formed into a cylindrical shape around him. An impenetrable defense, however Nia was undeterred.


    She landed gracefully on the ground with her wings and tail still in view for all to see. Her scales didn''t show on her human skin as the illusive ring hid those, but she didn''t need to hide the fact that she was a dragon. There were no villagers or townspeople that could see. And everybody there was already made aware that she was a dragon. There was no point in holding back, especially against what she faced in front of her. She took a small peak towards Belze and the silver merchant.


    Belze continued running around grabbing and throwing rocks at the other bandits, while the silver merchant followed him and made sure that none of the bandits came near the boy. Most of the bandits tried to attack the silver merchant, anyways. However, the merchant tossed and pushed the other bandits with ease. It didn''t look like he was using any magic or even trying very hard. Simply pushing them away like rag dolls. But it was certainly effective.


    She smiled as she didn''t need to worry about Belze and returned her focus towards the white robed monster as it shards of ice materialized out of the mist. He shot them one at a time at Nia as projectiles. She took her red blade and deflected the oncoming assault of ice. She dodged and weaved avoiding other shards as she continued to approach the magical being. For a moment, she heard some noise coming from underneath her, and without looking down, she flew up to the air. Spikes of ice grew out of the ground beneath her, but her instincts were too sharp and her body was just as fast to react.


    From the spikes, tentacles made up of ice arose towards Nia while shards of ice continued to be shot from where the white robed monster stood. The monster just stood there calmly as he continued to harass the dragon girl. The clear walls of ice still encased him providing him a defense from Nia''s fire. Her blood warmed among the chilly air as any sweat that poured from her body instantly turned to steam.


    She continued to weave around the ice shards that continuously shot from the white robed monster''s location and the icy tentacles beneath her that tried to grab a hold of her with no avail.


    Nia breathed in as she flew higher still within the fog. She looked down and breathed a flaming stream at the tentacles. The heat enough to melt away some of the tentacles, but some were able to slip through their melted counterparts and continued towards Nia. She dodged to the side missing the remaining tentacles lowering her altitude as more ice shards flew by her.


    She took her blade and burst through the air towards the monster deflecting ice shards to the sides that were in her general direction. The white robed monster didn''t react in any way to the closely approaching dragon. Merely stood surrounded by thin walls as shards of ice materializing from the mist around him that fired when they were sharp enough. Fog continued to fall from his mouth as he breathed normally. The icy tentacles squirmed and wriggled as they grew towards Nia from behind her.


    One shard that was formed stayed motionless even though it looked to be fully formed, while others were rapidly being launched. It fidgeted trying to get a good shot, while Nia quickly came near the monster. She held her red blade ready to strike the ice wall. The ice looked thin enough that brute force might be able to break through it rather than her flames melting it. As she held her blade back ready to swing, the stationary shard of ice discharged with a faster speed than any of the other shards of ice. The shard hit the top of the red blade''s hilt, barely scratching the top of Nia''s hand. The force of the shard caused the sword to fall from her hands. The white robed monster grinned showing off his shark-like teeth thinking that the fight was over. Nia looked back at the falling sword with sudden worry in her eyes. Two large spikes of ice ground from the ground besides the white robed monster - one on the left, one on the right - as they pointed towards the young dragon. The white robed monster continued to smile as though he was destined to be victorious from the very beginning. As Nia''s trajectory towards the monster was too fast to slow down, the monster was readying his two giant spikes of ice to pierce through the dragon''s torso.


    But in a sudden movement, Nia slightly lowered her body in the air and grabbed the blade''s hilt with her tail. With her tail, she threw the blade back up to her hands while still moving forward.


    The white robed monster''s eyes widened up. His smile disappeared into a look of fear. He took one step back with his hands shaking. His breathing uneasy. Nia noticed the monster''s terror and smiled.


    She gripped her red blade tightly and prepared to swing while lunging down at the monster in a forty-five degree angle.


    She swung her red sword in an arc across the ice wall. Clang!


    Surprise overtook Nia. The two giant spikes of ice that were besides the monster formed around where she was about to hit the thin ice wall. Her blade only hit the two large spikes.


    The white robed monster''s hand shaking stopped. A droplet of sweat fell from his face. His breathing relaxed as his body calmed itself. He didn''t smile, but he felt relief. His stood back in an upright position as Nia locked eyes with the monster. It was so close, she thought. The red blade stuck itself into the fortified ice made up of the two ice shards that shaped themselves into an X with the sword stuck in the middle. The two ice spikes started to crack, but the blade wouldn''t budge. The tentacles behind her hastened and sharpened their ends into the shape of a blade.


    Nia continued to try to take the sword out, but with no luck. As she did tried to pull it out from the same way she hit it in, the cracks from the ice started repairing themselves. The sides of the giant ice shards formed around the blade until the only thing she could do was pull it out. As she pulled, the red blade slowly moved forward rather than back. The tentacle closed in behind her, but she couldn''t look back. She couldn''t lose her red blade. If the white robed monster took the sword, she would have no way of breaking through his ice wall. And more importantly, she would never forgive herself if she lost it, she thought. It was her only reminder of her big sister Nera and there was no way she would let go of it. Nera''s face was as clear as day to her as if it was right there. The one person who saved her.


    Nia''s eyes momentarily looked back at the white robed man and his smile. A hideous smile of a predator about to feast on a helpless meal. A smile that provoked Nia. Without any words, Nia could hear the white robed man say "I''ve won."


    Nia''s eyes turned green with rage unable to accept that. Her teeth began to sharpen which was unusual even in human form. In human form, their teeth would be that of a regular person, but her teeth began to transform into the shape of sharp dragon teeth. Small sparks flew on the blade as if it had hit iron. The white robed monster sniffed the air. He could smell some smoke coming off of the blade. As more sparks danced, he realized that the blade was enchanted with magic.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    For Nia, it was better to be angry than afraid. Her mind blackened into that of an animal.


    The ice wall behind him quickly shattered away as he jumped back. The icy tentacles behind Nia still moved on their own.


    While pushing away a group of bandits, the silver merchant sensed the power coming from the red blade and looked in the direction of the fight.


    Nia roared with the might of a dragon. The other bandits hearing the roar turned their heads towards the fight to see what was happening. Miranda continued watching from the sidelines. Belze stopped throwing rocks and turned his head towards Nia.


    The red blade set itself ablaze with white fire. The ice instantly melted around it and she spun the blade in a circular motion.


    In that moment, everybody was still, except for Nia. The bandits, the silver merchant, Belze, Miranda, and the white robed monster watched in awe towards the young dragon. Belze dropped all of the rocks that he was carrying. The silver merchant didn''t have any reaction at all.


    The x-shaped ice that held the blade and the thin ice wall melted instantly. The icy tentacles behind Nia were struck with enough force to blow away the surrounding fog from the entire town. The red blade''s fire spread quickly among the tentacles as they burst from within until it reached the where the ground they grew from.


    The entire town''s mist was blown away and the sunlight shined over the town as drops of water fell from the sky as if it was rain. Water poured down above everybody. Belze dropped all of his rocks and the bandits dropped their weapons.


    Nia''s eyes closed and looked up as she felt the combination of warm rain and sunshine on her face. Her red blade''s white fire extinguished itself. Her open mouth drank some of the falling water. Her sharp teeth reverted back to what it usually was. Her eyes opened and they were normal, again. No longer filled with green.


    She looked back at the white robed monster as it''s entire body started to shake and cower. She didn''t smile, but instead glared at the monster with disgust in her eyes. This monster was just a stepping stone to getting to Nera. She couldn''t be stopped here.


    "That sword... that sword has so much untapped potential. It could even burn away the heavens or gods if used in the right hands," the white robed man said as his arms and knees shook. He thought that he needed to escape. His powers wasn''t strong enough to hold back that white fire.


    Nia took one step forward and the white robed man took one step back. Nia was sure that she was going to win. She took up her sword and as she did, she noticed the lack of fire from the blade. She shook that sword trying to conjure up the same fire that she was able to do before. She remembered creating the fire once at Kyte Village against that one dragonslayer, but back then she didn''t really think about it. Now, she''s done it again, but she had no idea how.


    She shook the blade in confusion wondering what was wrong with the sword. She thought that maybe she needed to think about it really hard, and she closed her eyes to think about putting the sword on fire, she was unable to. She opened her eyes back up and scratched her head.


    The white robed monster sniffed the air. There was no sign of any flames. He listened and smelled his surroundings and was able to tell that Nia didn''t know how to conjure the fire. It must have been a stroke of luck that she''s actually done it once, he thought. His legs and arms stopped shaking as he composed himself. Now, he was feeling lucky that the dragon in front of him was incompetent. He began to chuckle as he watched Nia trying to bring back the flames of her blade.


    Belze watched his big sister struggling to create the same fire. The silver merchant noticed


    But in a moment, his ears was able to catch something. The sound of a whip coming towards him. Nia stopped shaking her blade trying to conjure the fire as she noticed an unlikely ally. The white robed monster moved back with his arms up. The whip hit the rotting, ice cold skin off of the white robed monster''s arm. He didn''t need to smell the air. He only knew one person who used a whip among the ones there.


    Miranda Levime. She wrapped her whip back around her arm with a grin. With the one hand the whip and the other in her mouth making a whistling sound. Wheet-whoo. Wheet-whoo. Wheet-whoo. Three consecutive whistles. With that, the other bandits who attacked Belze and the silver merchant suddenly shot up. They were so distracted by what they had just witnessed, that the whistling sounds woke them from their trance. They picked up their weapons and as Belze was about to grab a rock from the floor and throw it at one of them, the silver merchant stopped him.


    "Well, boss - I mean, former boss - me and my boys are now going to resign from your little party. I hope this doesn''t offend you. It''s nothing personal," Miranda said with a devious smile.


    The white robed mage replied, "I wasn''t expecting loyalty from a bunch of bandits. Although, I would have hoped to have been betrayed later."


    "Well, former boss, you ought to know that we follow the strongest. And you are clearly not the strongest. Shaking in your little bath robes against a teenage girl. Not really the ideal picture of strength. We''d rather follow our new teenage leader, Nia, here over a soggy old man."


    "Huh?" Nia exclaimed as Miranda winked at her.


    The other bandits started to surround the white robed monster. Nia watched as this unfolded.


    The white robed monster shook his head. "That is unfortunate..."


    Miranda smiled as she aimed her crossbow at the white robed monster.


    "...for you."


    Miranda dropped her crossbow and whip. Her hands began to fidget. Her body convulsed as she dropped to her back. Her screams of pain muffled as vomit and blood began to rise up from her throat. Her eyes turned red as blood began to tear out of her eye sockets.


    Nia ran over to her in utter shock. "Miranda!" she yelled.


    As Nia dropped to her knees as Miranda''s body twitched. Something inside her body was moving around. One by one, weapons held by the bandits dropped. The other bandits began experiencing the same twisted thing.


    Belze and the silver merchant watched from the sidelines.


    "What''s happening to them?" Belze asked.


    The silver merchant didn''t reply or make any reaction as he watched the group of bandits twist around on the floor.


    The white robed monster breathed out mist that fell to the ground. The fog that was blown away started to consume the town once more.


    As Nia sat close by, Miranda held Nia''s hand tightly. She coughed out more blood and vomit. Her eyes continued to bleed. Something still moved around inside her body, but neither of them knew what.


    "It hurts," Miranda said quietly. It was the only thing she was able to say.


    Nia replied with a comforting tone, "It''s okay. It''s okay. It doesn''t look bad."


    Nia looked back at the silver merchant and yelled, "Please, save them! Save them with your magic!"


    The silver merchant shook his head. He could not save them. His powers were limited in the physical realm. The bandits in front of him were already dead as they breathed the poison in for more time that he could reverse. And even if he could, he was only there to protect the boy. Nothing more.


    Nia''s helpless eyes looked back at the woman. Miranda''s weak, cold hand held onto Nia''s. Her vision blocked by tones of red.


    Miranda muttered quietly and slowly with coughs in between, "I... only... wanted... friends."


    At the end, her suffering stopped as life no longer took hold of her.


    Miranda''s crotch began to bleed. Something started to tear out of her armor and clothes. Nia could only watch in horror as a monster was ripping apart the woman''s insides.


    A small bloody webbed hand made up of fish scales and flash with claws of frozen blood. Nia stood up with her blade in hand. Something was coming out of Miranda''s crotch area. Another hand came out.


    In an instant, a creature jumped out from inside of the female bandit.


    It was a small bloodied humanoid creature in a fetal position. It laid on the ground making a pitiful screech. It''s face was that of a piranha. It''s body was covered in fish scales. Its small hands had claws made up of icy red blood. It''s fingers and toes were webbed together. It looked like it was staring directly at her with it''s large eyes.


    Nia pointed her red blade against it thinking it was some kind of monster. She has seen a lot of different monsters, but never one that came out of a human body like a parasite. Sweat began to pour out of her body as the mist started to surround the whole town, again. But in an the same amount of time that the creature ripped out of the woman, the hideous abomination stopped moving. It died shortly after being removed from its host.


    Belze could only watch from a distance, but the each of the bandits convulsed spitting out blood from their eyes and mouth. Some from their ears, as well.


    Nia kneeled besides Miranda and closed the woman''s eyes. She looked upon the woman, but there was no time to mourn.


    She got back up to her feet and looked directly at the white robed monster. It didn''t move a single step, but its disgusting smile was seen all around the town. As she walked away from Miranda''s lifeless body, Nia''s determination to put down the white robed monster in front of her strengthened.

 Chapter 48: The Red Fog

    Nia looked at the white robed monster. No words were spoken. Nia had nothing to say to it, but the white robed mage had plenty to say about it. The other bandits laid still. Each one dead.


    He said, "They shouldn''t have betrayed me like that. They should have known who was really powerful here."


    Nia made no response. Instead, she gripped her sword firmly. Her tail whipped up the dirt underneath her. Her wings ready to soar.


    The white robed mage continued to taunt against the young dragon. "It was unfortunate that my demon wasn''t old enough to mature. It needed more time to grow before it was ready to live outside."


    As he finished, Nia was about to charge forward, but her ears quickly picked up something unusual. The bandits that laid presumably dead began to convulse again. Nia looked at the bandits that surrounded her and the white robed monster. They were dead, but their bodies still moved. Something was still moving inside of them.


    In one instant, a fish-scaled hand with claws of ice ripped open one of the bandits from the inside of his torso. It jumped out fully grown. It was humanoid and the size of a fully grown adult. It was the same as the small creature that came out of Miranda, but was alive and well. It was covered in blood, and its gills began to breathe in the surrounding mist.


    One by one, the same creatures tore through the flesh from inside of their respective bandit. Some from ripping open the ruffian''s mouth. The whole ground was flooded in blood. The mist felt heavy upon Nia''s shoulders, even though she was still able to see through it with the silver merchant''s magic.


    Belze looked in horror. He stepped back and as he did so, a splashing sound occurred. He looked down upon his shoes and saw blood flooding out from the ground. The silver merchant looked back at Belze and said, "It will be okay. I''m here to protect you."


    "But what about big sister Nia? Who will protect her?"


    "She''ll be fine. As I said before, his powers are weakened. Your big sister is strong. She should be fine as long as she stays focused," the silver merchant said as he casted a protective barrier around the boy, "Stay in that bubble."


    Nia had to worry about the white robed monster and these abominations. The fog turned crimson red.


    One of the creatures started to stretch its arms and walked slowly towards Nia from the front. After three steps, it lunged forward with a screech. Nia took her blade and cut it in half with ease. It''s skin and bones were soft like a newborn child.


    The white robed mage grinned viciously. A hill of dead bodies started to form under the white robed monster. His robes were still perfectly white and clean. He sniffed and smelled the scent of the boy and the silver armored being. They still needed to be taken care of as well. From the blood, more fish-like creatures grew. More and more until a small army of them grew. Their screeches and gargles could be heard all around Jaeden town. Half of them lunged at Nia, while the other half charged towards Belze and the silver merchant while running on their two feet. Blood had covered up to Nia''s ankles. Inside of the magical barrier,Belze could only watch what was happening outside. A nightmarish hellscape. A town drowned in blood covered in murky red fog.


    "You''re lucky that it takes time for these eggs to grow. My bodies have been breathing in the mist for a long time now. Otherwise, all of you would have been dead the moment you breathed in my fog. But that''s as far as luck can get you. Luck won''t bring you to the top of the world. Only strength is needed. Strength to topple down all other pretenders."


    Nia slashed and hacked against the waves of fish-like monsters. She couldn''t let up. They started to scratch against and bite at the leather armor and skin. Blood covered Nia''s body unsure of whose blood it really was. One lunged from behind trying to claw at Nia''s wings, but she retracted it in a moment and turned around, cutting the monster in half. As they fell to the ground, they still crawled around.


    Nia looked at the white robed monster as it stood atop of a hill made up of dead animals.


    He threw away his mask and it shattered in midair. He grabbed one eye from the hill of bodies from that of a shark. He put it near his eye and small tentacles from his eye socket slithered out and wrapped itself around the eye. The eye was jerked into his eye socket. He blinked with one eye and turned the eye around. Although, he was more attuned to his sense of smell, he wanted to see what was happening.


    He sat upon a throne looking down upon Nia as she struggled to fight off the onslaught of piranha-faced monsters. His enjoyment of watching somebody else suffer. Somebody that wasn''t himself.


    The silver merchant shot out beams of lasers against the hordes of monsters. Each one turned into a pile of bloody mush or dust. He conjured a sword made up of light and started swinging it around. With each swing, his blade goes through the monsters without actually cutting them, but whenever his blade made of light touches a creature, they would turn into dust. Belze could only watch. There was nothing that he could do. The ground under him was clear of any blood.


    One of the creatures leapt up and lunged down at the silver merchant. He grabbed it by the throat, but the creature grew a long red spike of ice from the inside of its mouth. The red spike of ice went inside the silver merchant''s head through one of the dark openings. Belze gasped. He fell to the ground still holding creature by the neck.


    "Silver merchant! Silver merchant!" he cried.


    The other creatures surrounded the magical barrier trying to break in. They thrashed their claws and head against the barrier. Belze sat down covering his ears from the screeches outside. He closed his eyes as tears overflowed as he wouldn''t wake up from this nightmare.


    More and more of the creatures came out of the blood. There was seemingly no end to them.


    Nia continued to cut down what she could. One of the creatures scratched her face underneath her eyes. She cut it down shortly after. She breathed out fire at the fish-like monsters. Some were set ablaze, while others jumped away from the fire. Those set ablaze ran back and soaked themselves in the pool of blood underneath them.


    The white robed monster watched Nia from above. One of the fish-scaled monsters trekked the hill carrying a pristine glass and exquisite wine from the tavern. It bowed with its fish eyes looking down as it handed the white robed monster the glass and poured in the wine. A table made up of stacked dead bodies and a layer of frozen blood on top formed itself in front of him. He motioned the creature to leave. He took a sip of the wine. Then, another. Then, consumed the whole thing. He threw the glass over hill. He grabbed the wine bottle and drank directly from that as he oversaw the Nia''s struggle against his creatures.


    "These things are nowhere near as powerful as the ice demons I conjured before. What a shame I have to waste what few bodies I have on the likes of three people. If only my power didn''t rust in that hellish ice box," he said and took a sip of the wine.


    Nia continued to swing her red blade while breathing out fire in every direction whenever she caught her breath. Her breathing became hard and rough. The other creatures started to slow their movements and became wary. Their numbers were dwindling, and less of those creatures started coming up from the blood. They started to circle around Nia like lions. Their fish eyes locked


    From underneath her, a hand grabbed her leg. She was about to strike it, but as she looked down, it was a live villager with bloodshot eyes.


    "Please, save me. It hurts. It hurts," he said.


    As Nia hesitated, blood red claws tore from the villager''s face cutting it in half revealing a lunging fish creature with its mouth wide open. Nia breathed out a stream of fire underneath her burning away the creature''s and the villager''s body.


    The surrounding fish-faced monsters all charged at her at once. From underneath her, more hands came up. Some human hands, while others had fish scales and claws made of frozen blood. She grew out her wings and tail. Nia leap up breathing fire below her. The other creatures leapt up, but they couldn''t reach her. She was high above the other creatures. She looked at the white robed monster who didn''t feel like he was worried at all. Instead, he drank another bottle of wine that was handed to him by one of the creatures.


    Belze continued to sit there among the protective barrier trying to close his eyes and ears. Eventually, the screeching halted. He opened his eyes and looked up from his position. It was the silver merchant without a scratch on him.


    "I promised the girl that I would protect you. Looks like the white robed monster is distracted by your big sister. He stopped sending any here," the silver merchant said.


    Belze stood up in joy. "Silver merchant! I missed you. I thought you were de-" He said before he hit his face against the magical barrier.


    "It would be safe to stay in that bubble. Nia is still facing that monster."


    Belze got himself up and watched the fight unfold as Nia flew above the ground. The buildings were ravaged and destroyed. Only a red fog and an ocean of blood covered the land as far as he could see.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Nia looked down at the ground and noticed the hands that were underneath her moving up. A giant worm-like creature made up of the hands of fallen villagers, townspeople and abominations.


    It writhed upwards towards Nia. It diverged into separate worms and each one with mouths made up of the teeth of various creatures. It was a typhoon of the white robed monster''s unused body parts in the shape of a lamprey. Their mouths


    The fish-faced monsters who were stuck on the ground started to writhe in pain. Their screeches were hoarse. Their backs twisted and bones started to tear out of their backs. Blood poured out of the wound. Their bones grew longer and more complex. They continued to screech in pain. Various kinds of feathers began to grow on their wings. Different shapes and colors. They screeched upwards and began to fly above like angels. There were still hordes of them, even if no more grew from the ground.


    Nia remembered the scenario before. The tentacles behind her while she charged straight ahead. But this time, it was a horde of flying abominations and a typhoon of flesh. She flew up until she was the same altitude as the white robed monster. She looked at the hideous monster that seemed not to notice her existence. A monster that only drank wine while everything below it was a stack of bodies. Nia never faced anything like this and she would never forgive anything like this.


    She gripped her red blade tightly. The white robed monster didn''t even bother to try and shoot any ice shards this time.


    She flapped her wings and burst through the sky straight towards the white robed monster. The typhoon and flying creatures chased behind her.


    The white robed monster conjured a heavily thick dome of frozen blood surrounding the hill. It was thick enough to not see through. The white robed monster took out his eye and threw it upon the stack of bodies.


    Nia knew what she had to do. She needed to bring out the same fire that she brought out before. But how, she wondered. She asked herself in her mind, how did she do it before?


    She had no answer. She had to believe that she could do it. Otherwise, there was no hope that she would even save anybody.


    She yelled a battle cry as she lunged forward with her red blade pointing straight. Straight through the ice, she thought. Straight through with the fire that could melt the glaciers, she thought.


    Belze and the silver merchant watched from below as she bursted through the sky.


    She continued to yell. When she neared the frozen blood, she closed her eyes believing that her blade would alight once more.


    Clang! Her blade pierce through the ice... but it wasn''t enough. Her blade didn''t alight. The red blade was able to pierce through the ice, but was stuck in the middle. Nia''s eyes opened in disbelief. The white robed monster smiled. There was still plenty of frozen blood between himself and Nia.


    The creatures that chased behind her stopped in midair. The multi-headed worm froze.


    The white robed monster chuckled and laughed. His laughter reverberated withing the mist.


    Nia looked around. The laughter came from everywhere. She tried to conjure the fire, but couldn''t. She closed her eyes. Nia needed that fire to win. To defeat the creature.


    "So, you just proved that luck can get you so far. I may not have looked like it, but my heart was racing. Racing to know whether or not you''d actually pull it off. Unfortunately for you, I was destined to be greater. I''m actually quite glad I didn''t have to act as a slave, again. I may have lost a lot of my soldiers, but I gain a dragon out of this exchange, so I think it''s fair to me," his voice echoed within the fog and also came out of the creatures'' mouths. Every single one.


    Nia tried to pull the sword, but it was stuck between the cracked ice.


    "No. No. Not now. I need you to burn through the ice, now," she said to the inanimate red blade. It gave no response. She looked back. The creatures slowly moving towards her in this hellish landscape.


    Belze and the silver merchant watched. Belze muttered in disbelief, "She did it before. How come she can''t do it, now?"


    The silver merchant watched with his arms crossed waiting for what he knew was going to happen.


    Nia punched the ice with one hand trying to free her blade. She breathed out fire against the slow moving creatures, but it wasn''t strong enough.


    She tried to remember what she did to conjure the fire before. She remembered that she was thinking of Nera, and how Nia needed to rescue her like how she rescued her. Those memories didn''t trigger any sparks from the blade.


    She remembered that she wanted to win against the monster in front of her. She really did want to win, but that didn''t do anything.


    Then, there was one other thing. She was angry. For a moment, she felt like she lost control over her body, and resorted to her primal instincts. How would she get herself to that state of anger, she wondered.


    The creatures closed in behind her slowly. The white robed monster wanted to relish in her suffering, but he was hoping that she would at least beg for mercy. Not that he would give any.


    Nia tried to remember what made her angry before. It was the fact that she didn''t want to lose to the monster in front of her. She tried to make herself angry, but it wasn''t working. Her eyes stayed normal.


    Suddenly, her senses perked up. A feeling that was lost for 30 years. A voice came to her.  It was the voice of somebody she did not recognize.


    "Remember your past. Remember the demons that haunted your dreams. Let go of your fear. Do not run away from it. You say that you aren''t afraid, yet you haven''t faced your demon."


    For a moment, she looked ahead and saw the demon in red and black armor. It was large and the space around it curved like water. Yellow eyes glowed from its visor and stared directly down at the little girl. The small girl with no power to defend herself in a dark forest.


    "Fight it."


    The demon approached the little Nia. She took a step back as she looked up to meet it''s gaze. As she did so, the demon lifted a green sword above his head.


    "Do not run. Fight it."


    Nia took a deep breath and made one step forward. The demon swung his blade down and in an instant, her eyes turned green and she breathed out flames of white that swallowed the red and black demon. The green blade melted away before it could hit Nia as her body began to transform into a dragon. The demon fell back as the white flames enveloped it. Her light green scales overtook her entire body. Her arms and legs grew in size. Wings that could render a hurricane. Her tail as long and sharp as a blade. Her body grew and grew. Her face morphed out into that of a lizard''s. The dark forest brightened by the reflection of her scales against the spitting flames. She was not the small little dragon in that forest nor a human villager. Over the years, she has forgotten what she was. She was a dragon.


    Nia opened her eyes and they turned fully green with rage. No longer afraid of the demon that haunted her dreams. It was nothing but ash to her. She could no longer sense the dragon anywhere.


    One of the flying creatures held its hand up and was about to strike down on the turned around dragon.


    The white robed monster sniffed and smelled a slight scent of smoke. His heart skipped a beat. The red blade grew ablaze with white fire. The frozen ice around it instantly evaporated. The creature was about to strike down, but the heat from the flame melted its skin away. The heat melted away the surrounding creatures. Their eyes popped like a yolk. The tremendous fleshy worm lunged forward, but Nia swung her blade at the worm and that white fire expanded like a beam of blue light. It''s heat melted away the heads of the worm flesh and bone without even touching the sword. For a mere second, it was as if it had the power of a star. The endless bloodied floor boiled and turned to steam. Whatever buildings that surrounded her began to melt.


    Belze shielded his eyes from the intensity, while the magical barrier protected him. The silver merchant unhinged by the raw power in front of him only stared at the girl flying above them.


    Nia looked back at the frozen dome made of blood as the ice began to repair itself. She flapped her wings and burst straight through without a second thought. In her eyes, she saw nothing but the red and black demon fleeing.


    Her green eyes reflected upon the frozen blood, but as she moved forward, the white fire melted through the ice before the blade even touched it. The white robed monster panicked and formed spikes of ice from inside the dome that would pierce Nia, but each shard that came near her melted instantly. Knowing, that his ice shards weren''t working, he reinforced the walls of frozen blood with bodies and ice.


    Nia roared the same as a dragon. She kept flying forward with such speeds. No matter how much the monster reinforced his walls, Nia moved forward, melting everything in her path.


    As Nia faced the white robed monster, there was a sudden shock on his face.


    Her blade''s white fire dimmed down to orange, then yellow, and eventually as her blade reached closer towards the demon in her eyes, it pierced its armored chest with ease. She closed her eyes and opened them. They were no longer green. Her blade stuck where the white robed monster''s black heart was. He was still sitting upon his half-melted throne, while the intense flames dimmed faded away from the red blade.


    She looked straight at the monster''s empty eyes. The entire dome turned into liquid and fell to the ground. The hill of bodies sank into the blood soaked ground. The red fog turned back into a normal mist, and then cleared away. Sunlight poured over Jaeden town. The buildings were mostly destroyed. The town was still empty. Nobody would live in this town, again. And it was all taken away by this unholy creature in front of her.


    She slowly flew down while still having the red blade stuck in the white robed mage''s heart. The silver merchant and Belze watched. The magical barrier that surrounded Belze vanished and he ran forward with the silver merchant walking behind.


    The blood was absorbed into the ground as if it was never there. The bodies of the deceased stayed where the were. New bodies of villagers that were never there before popped up around the town as the blood disappeared leaving the remains of whoever the white robed monster killed.


    It coughed out blood on the red blade. Soon, Nia landed to the ground with the monster still stuck to her blade.


    "It can''t end like this. I wasn''t even close to rebuilding my empire," he said.


    Nia scowled and replied, "You''re just a freak of nature. You were never supposed to be born."


    "I certainly wish I was never born. Then, I wouldn''t have had to suffer."


    "I would say you didn''t suffer enough for what you did."


    "But I won''t be the last thing that come crawling out of the shadows."


    The white robed monster''s empty eyes stared at the silver merchant and then back at Nia.


    "What do you mean? You have some friends you want to tell us about?" she asked the monster.


    Nia, Belze, and the silver merchant listened carefully. It coughed before replying, "There was always a balance in nature. That balance has shifted. There are plenty of worse things in the world than me. Demons and other freaks that hide in the cracks. Away from the light in fear of their god-like natural predators above. But those so-called gods are being hunted like any other animal. It will take time, but soon monsters that were never meant to come out of the shadows will no longer need to fear the light. I was just one of the first to test the waters."


    His empty eyes stared back at the silver merchant. Nia looked back at the silver merchant in suspicion, but upon seeing Belze unharmed, she felt that the silver merchant was trustworthy. As she looked away, the white robed monster created a small shard of ice that he would use to stab Nia in the eye. He grabbed the shard and quickly shoved it towards her eye, but a fast beam of light penetrated the white robed monster''s arm and it turned to dust. The shard of ice fell to the ground without leaving a scratch on the young dragon.


    The next moment, the silver merchant fired another beam of light from his fingertips at the white robed monster''s head. It slowly turned into dust as it gave one more remark, "I wish you could have offered my a last drink."


    His head turned to dust and followed by his body as it floated away into the wind never to harm another again. His dream of being on top never being accomplished. But deep down before his body flew away beyond the sun, he was glad that he didn''t have to sleep in chains, again.

 Chapter 49: The Threes Journey

    The silver merchant''s horses dragged the wagon to the desolated ruins of Jaeden town and straight to the location of the silver merchant as if he had called it. Nia was disappointed that she couldn''t save any of them, but she was at least happy that the monster would no longer do any more harm. Her wings and tail retracted.


    Belze shouted Nia, "Are you alright, big sis!? You''re covered in blood and dirt!"


    Nia didn''t respond immediately. Her eyes began to close as she lied on the grass. "I''m fine. Just tired."


    She began to softly snore. Belze scratched his head wondering whether she had any injuries, but shrugged it off. If she was really hurt, the silver merchant could heal her. She left her red blade sheathed while she slept on the soft patch of grass.


    The silver merchant walked up to the sleeping dragon while holding the cloak. It was torn up when he found it, but he fixed it with his magic.


    "Did she just die?" the silver merchant asked.


    "What!? Why would you say that!? She was fine a moment ago! Right, big sis?" Belze shouted, but Nia didn''t reply. Her soft snores were the only reason they knew she was alive.


    The silver merchant placed his hands over Nia''s body. Small orbs of light glowed as they touched Nia. The blood that wasn''t her own and dirt were thrown away by magic. Any scratches that she had during the fight was reverted back to its original state. The blood that was her own filled back into her body from the same wounds before they got closed up. However, there weren''t any major wounds. The leather armor protected her from most of it.


    "You''re lucky that my armor is enchanted. Otherwise, you might have actually ended up -" the silver merchant paused as he held Nia''s left arm and saw a scratch on the left gauntlet.


    "Oh, my monarch!" he yelled while pointing at it with a cry loud enough to wake up Nia.


    "Wha-? What are you talking about?" Nia asked.


    Belze scratched his head and looked at where the silver merchant pointed.


    "It''s scratched. You damaged it, you clumsy dragon! It''s damaged goods!" the silver merchant yelled.


    "That does look like a scratch, Mr. silver merchant," Belze replied.


    Nia was confused, but did see the scratch. It was like a tiny dent. Barely noticeable.


    "I was going to let you have the healing free of charge, but the armor was supposed to be pristine when you bring it back!"


    "Uh...I''m sorry," she said.


    "Sorry won''t cut it. You''re going to have to pay for this, somehow!" the silver merchant yelled.


    Belze shook his head and replied to Nia, "Let me handle this, big sis. I think I know how to swindle a salesman."


    "I''m right here, Belze," the silver merchant replied.


    Belze coughed to prepare his voice. He said, "Since you reverted Nia''s wounds, you must have also reverted the armor. So, in that case, the armor was already scratched the moment she got it."


    Nia and the silver merchant went silent.


    "That... actually makes sense."


    Belze chuckled giving a thumbs up to Nia. She returned the thumbs up back, although she was still very tired. She lied back down. As she did so, the merchant tried to use his magic again to revert the leather armor.


    Nia closed her eyes and remembered the feeling of a dragon nearby. But she didn''t see any dragon. She heard the voice all around her. Maybe, it was a dragon flying by, but she couldn''t be certain. She shrugged it off as a mystery for another time. She did know there were other dragons around, otherwise, she thought, that her senses would be off completely. A feeling that she has never experienced. So, that proved that there were still some dragons roaming around like her.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Ah hah!" the silver merchant yelled startling Nia up from her nap again.


    "My powers don''t work on the leather armor because of it''s magical enchantments. My balls of light just bounce off of it. So, Belze, you almost convinced me, but you didn''t quite get the sales pitch," the silver merchant said as he waved orbs of light over the scratch, but the orbs would just get knocked away.


    Belze moaned in disappointment. "Well, that''s all I got. I don''t know anything about magic."


    "So, Nia, you have to pay me back for the damages. Basically, you have to pay for the whole thing. It''s a set," the silver merchant said.


    Nia looked at the silver merchant half-asleep. Instead of replying, she took her cloak as a blanket and slept of the grass patch.


    "You can''t just sleep away your debt," he said.


    Nia turned around while still lying on her side, "I''m sorry, but I''m a little low on cash right now."


    "Then, you''ll have to pay it back with labor. I''m now hiring you to be my wagon''s bodyguard."


    Nia shot up upon hearing this. "I''m sorry, sir, but I can''t. I need to get to King''s City. I need to resc-"


    Upon suddenly remembering her task, she got up. There was no time to sleep. There was still plenty of sun and she had to get moving. She wiped away the grass off of her armor and bowed to the silver merchant.


    "I''m not exactly sure what you are, but you protected Belze. For that, I''m grateful. But we''re on an important task. I''ll hand back the armor and take back my villager clothes. After I''m done, I''ll come find you and pay back the debt, but for now -"


    The silver merchant interrupted her as if he wasn''t listening, "It''s settled, then. You''ll be my bodyguard. And Belze can be my assistant merchant."


    Belze exclaimed, "Me? A merchant?"


    "Assistant."


    "As if I was talking to a wall. I''ll just change in the back of the wagon," she said as she headed towards the wagon. The horses grazed on the small patches of grass and weeds.


    The silver merchant looked at Nia as she walked away.


    "And our first destination is King''s City," he said. Upon hearing this, Nia froze and looked back at the merchant. So, he was planning to take us there, anyways.


    "You''ll be my bodyguard and Belze will be my assistant while we head straight to King''s City. After that, you''re debt will be paid in full. And I might allow you to keep that armor as a gift."


    Nia smiled. She jumped onto the passenger seat of the wagon.


    "Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked. Her journey to rescue her big sister Nera was just beginning and she had to believe that her big sister was safe. She closed her eyes and breathed in the warm air.


    She won''t let fear take a hold of her, again. This time, she''ll jump straight into the jaws of the dragonslayers to get her big sister back.


    Belze muttered while jumping into the back of the wagon and towards the front of it, "I''m going to be a merchant selling things? I''ve never sold a thing in my life."


    The silver merchant walked over and sat in the driver''s seat. He grabbed a hold of the reins and the horses immediately stopped grazing.


    "By the way, Nia... be careful with your power," the silver merchant remarked.


    She looked at him and asked, "What do you mean?"


    "The power that you hold... that you were born with. It''s not something that can be controlled easily. If you let it, it will take a hold of you until there is nothing, but ashes left around you."


    She remembered her blade''s fire. She was unable to feel the heat coming off of it, but instinctively knew that it was more power than anything that she has ever seen. She thought of the boy, and how if the silver merchant wasn''t there with his magic, he would have been burned away. The mere thought of the child being a pile of ash sent shivers down her spine.


    The silver merchant sensed her worry and consoled, "But that''s alright. If something happens like that again, I promise I''ll be there to protect the kid, at least. And I always keep my promises. If you''re unable to control yourself at some point, I''ll stop you."


    "I don''t need protection and I don''t even think you can against my big sis. What she did was so cool. My big sis here beat that monster and his goons with that big bright fire. I''m sure that she could beat you in a fight," Belze said to the silver merchant.


    Nia chuckled and was determined to be able to control her own strength. She took out her red blade and concentrated. With a single thought, she was able to produce a red flame. It was no where near as hot as the white flames. With another thought, she was able to make it hotter or colder slightly changing the shade of red in the process. Now, she was able to just think about the fire and it would produce one.


    Belze awed at the flaming sword, while the silver merchant was apathetic towards it. With one last thought, Nia extinguished the flame. She was confident that she was able to control the red blade''s power, and sheathed her blade.


    Nia relaxed herself on the seat and closed her eyes. She said, "So, silver merchant, I''ll be your bodyguard for the remainder of the trip. If there is any trouble, I''ll be here to stop it."


    The silver merchant looked away from her as she began to fall asleep.


    "I''m sure that your presence will stop any opportunistic bandit," he said sarcastically.


    He hit the reins and the wagon rode off as the sun shined brightly over the three.

 Chapter 50: Akais Reunion

    A red gauntlet smashed onto the wooden desk. Akai stood up in response to the news that Captain Halido was killed at Kyte Village. Miura sat by in the corner drinking some tea, while Captain Leo gave the sorrowful news.


    "What do you mean he was killed!?" Akai shouted in a rough voice while still wearing his full set of armor hiding his face.


    Captain Leo froze for a second, but maintained his composure.


    "There was a dragon hiding in Kyte Village. Somehow, this dragon was able to overwhelm Captain Halido."


    He paused for a moment to catch his breath and continued, "Captain Halido''s blade and head were cut off. This dragon might have been in human form using a sword of some kind, but it''s strength simply overwhelmed him."


    Akai sat back down in mourning. The man who convinced him to join the dragonslayers was gone. He knew that Halido was going to die before he did. Halido was already one step in the grave, but it still hurt Akai. The last 30 years felt so much longer than the 200 years before that. Beside him during those 30 years, there was Captain Halido and Miura beside him as they hunted down the threat of dragons such as himself. However, compared to the witch, Captain Halido was a far better soul, Akai thought.


    Akai''s mourning turned to rage.


    "I want this dragon found. Do you understand me, captain?," Akai ordered.


    "Yes, sir. I have already gathered the villagers from there to interrogate," Leo replied.


    Upon hearing this, Akai''s eyes widened. Miura stopped drinking her tea as she could feel the dragon''s anxiety.


    "Among them... is there a woman named Nera?" he asked.


    Captain Leo replied, "Yes. As I recall, there was a woman we captured with that name."


    Akai''s memories of his time at Kyte village flooded back. How he spent his days in the care of a young girl named Nera. Her soft hands examining his wounds. Her warm and innocent smile as he told stories of his adventures as a roaming monster hunter. Even as a human, she wasn''t afraid of a dragon like himself. Everything about her gave a feeling of nostalgia and warmth to his chest. Then, the memory of Nera running away from him. How she reacted to finding out that he was a dragonslayer. And how he never chased her to explain why he became one. Back then, he realized that his purpose was needed and to this day, he still believed that. He could still sense dragons and the future that he witnessed will still happen unless he changes it, himself. Nobody else could do it, he thought.


    Miura could vaguely remember Kyte Village. It was a homely place, but she was not fond of it. The witch never showed that malicious side of her, though. She knew that the villagers were helping Akai heal, and they didn''t mind that he was a dragon. If it was any other kind of village, she would have needed to threaten them to heal the dragon. She was grateful that she didn''t need to waste the breath. She continued to sip the tea.


    Captain Leo stood in silence. Akai looked at Leo and said, "Put the villagers in the holding cells below. I will decide what to do with them, later. However, I want you to bring Nera to me, here."


    "Yes, sir. I''ll do that at once," he replied with a bow. Captain Leo left the room to bring in the prisoners while Akai sat at his desk seemingly unnerved.


    "What are you thinking about, Akai?" Miura asked.


    Akai sat in silence, but then he stood up and looked at the witch.


    "Leave the room and make sure nobody, but Nera enters. Also, make sure nobody else listens or looks," he commanded.


    As he did so, the markings on Miura glowed and she stood up with a sigh. She hoped that Akai wouldn''t abandon her. She still needed the dragon''s power to accomplish their united goal. Her future visions were still set on having the dragons destroying all life on the world. She began walking away towards the door. For a moment, she regretted of having casted slave markings on herself, but it was the only way that she could see to getting the black dragon''s trust. She left the room.


    Silence filled the room as Akai was alone with his thoughts.


    Moments later, the door opened. Only a mature woman covered in dirt and chains entered as Miura stood guard. The witch gave one last look into the room and closed the door behind the woman.


    She was looking down and clearly tired as bags rolled down her eyes. She was not a young girl anymore, but Akai could easily recognize her behind all of the dirt. He began to take off his helmet.


    "Nera..." Akai said in a comforting tone as his voice became lighter; his rougher voice being a facade behind the enchanted helmet.


    Upon hearing his voice, the woman''s tired eyes opened with new energy. She looked up and saw the man dressed in red and black armor. The same armor that the dragon that she knew 30 years ago wore. It was still the same. His helmet covered his face, but Nera also knew who it was. His voice hasn''t changed at all.


    When he took off his helmet completely, his young bright face was revealed. Akai''s face hasn''t changed at all. His black hair still the same. His skin didn''t show his scales as his illusive ring hid that.


    "Akai, is that really you?" Nera asked shockingly. She had hoped that one day she would reunite with the black dragon who told her about the outside world. And now, there he was.


    They locked eyes. Nera''s shook while Akai''s were steady.


    Akai hurried over to Nera and hugged her.


    "I''m sorry that they dragged you here. Did they hurt you? I never wanted this to happen. Especially to you," he said while wiping away dirt from her face and hair.


    Nera''s tongue was tied. She had no idea how to respond.


    Akai knew that her journey must have been rough and wanted to comfort her the same way that she comforted him when he was injured.


    Akai smiled and proceeded to take off the chains.


    "Let''s get these things off of you."


    "Captain Halido told me that you were given a name. I had hoped that you weren''t with them any more."


    Akai froze, but then continued to take the chains off in silence.


    When he finished, they both looked at each other as if they were back at Kyte Village 30 years ago. Before killing Kytlmyne. Before being fully committed as a dragonslayer.


    "You never did say why you were with them. I was a fool to run away when you only wanted to explain. I still regret that."


    "No. I was a fool for not catching up to you. I wanted to explain, but... well, you were too fast," Akai said with a smile.


    For the first time in a while, Nera began to smile again. She laughed and so did Akai. Their laughter was only for a brief moment, but it felt so good for the both of them. Akai hasn''t made a joke for a long time.


    Nera caressed Akai''s smooth face and put her fingers between his black hair.


    "Show me your real face," she said.


    Akai knew what she meant. His eyes checked whether the door was fully closed and it was.


    He closed his eyes and removed his illusive ring.


    The scales on his body appeared. The black scales showed on his neck and sides of his face. His smooth face became rough and there was a scar underneath his left eye and on top of his lip.


    Nera touched the scar as he closed his eyes, embarrassed of himself. He didn''t feel any sense of pain from the scars, but they were still there. His scales were there, as well. He grew out his black tail and wings. There was some rips on the wings, but they were still usable. The tip of his tail had been cut off, but has grown back since then, leaving a scar showing where it was cut.


    "What happened?"This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Akai opened his eyes and gave a reassuring smile.


    "I can tell the story for another time."


    He looked towards the door, afraid of somebody barging in. The windows were covered, although some light peered through the cracks. The flickering candles lit up the room.


    He retracted his wings and tail, but he didn''t put the illusive ring on, yet.


    Akai looked at Nera''s eyes. They looked no different than before, but he needed to know what happened at Kyte Village. He knew that a dragon killed Captain Halido, but he needed details.


    "Captain Halido. He was killed in your village. Did you know that?"


    Nera looked away and replied, "I''m sorry about your friend."


    Akai calmly asked, "Do you know who did it?"


    "He offered to take me to you. He seemed like a decent person. I had hoped that we meet again, but under different circumstances."


    Akai asked again trying to be calm, but came off as slightly menacing as his body loomed over hers, "Do you know who killed him?"


    Nera looked at him trying to move the conversation away, "You never did explain why you became a dragonslayer. It''s not a job that I would expect somebody like you to be in. Why are you still with them?"


    Akai realized that he needed to tell her about why he was a dragonslayer.


    He took a deep breath preparing himself.


    "I''m going to tell you the truth. Something that I wanted to tell you 30 years ago, but never got the chance to. Since then, I never had the courage to come back and tell you."


    He paused and looked at Nera. He still saw her as that sweet little girl.


    "Not all dragons want to do harm. Some do and some don''t, just like humans. Unlike people, one dragon could do so much damage if it wanted to. I''m a dragonslayer because I want to stop those dragons. It''s that simple."


    Nera breathed a sigh of relief. She believed that Akai wouldn''t be a dragonslayer without a good reason. Although, in her mind, something about his reasons didn''t add up.


    Akai held her arms tightly and pleaded, "Please, Nera. I need to find who killed Halido. He was a good friend of mine. Do you know who killed her?"


    Nera had no time to think about it, but even so, she would never give up Nia even if she did know where she went. She knew that the little dragon didn''t mean to harm him. Nia was just scared, she thought.


    Nera looked away from Akai and replied, "Even if I knew where she went, she''s not an evil dragon. What she did was an accident."


    "Accident!?" Akai yelled while tightening his grip, "This dragon killed my friend. If she was not a threat, then she wouldn''t have done that!"


    Pain flowed through Nera''s body as her arms were being crushed. Akai''s eyes turned yellow. They were cold and distant. Nera couldn''t recognize the monster in front of her, anymore. Akai''s eyes reverted back as he loosened his grip. Then, she remembered what didn''t sit right in her mind.


    "If you only hunted dragons that did harm, then why did you allow the other dragonslayers to slaughter all of the forest dragons. They were all innocent. Our village was never attacked while they were right next to us."


    Akai''s eyes widened and took a step back. His lie was caught, but he composed himself.


    Nera remembered Nia''s recurring nightmares about that massacre. She remembered seeing the piles of corpses as if there was a bloody battle between dragonslayers and dragons.


    "Were you there when they killed the forest dragons near my village?"


    Akai didn''t give a response. It was so long ago, but he vaguely remembered it.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about," he lied and Nera knew it. Nera stared at him with hostility. Akai could no longer see her as that sweet little girl. He saw that she really had matured into a strong woman.


    He chuckled to himself and said, "You have grown into a beautiful, strong, brave, and smart woman."


    Akai''s eyes turned yellow as he took a step closer to her. Nera took a step back in fear. His aura overshadowed everything else in the room.


    "I vaguely remember the attack on the forest dragons, but I do remember it. I slaughtered them all. Well, all but one, anyways. I should have known if one escaped, it would have been at your village."


    Nera couldn''t recognize the dragon in front of her anymore. It wasn''t the same dragon that told her stories back at Kyte village. It was something else.


    Akai took another step forward, and Nera took one back as sweat poured out of her body.


    "I killed the dragons because they are all dangerous. Every single one of them. If I don''t stop it, then nobody else can or will. They''re all destined to become the destroyers of this world, even if they aren''t now. Only I can prevent a world of ash. Only I."


    As he took another step, his vision blurred and the next moment, he was seeing the wasteland of ashes. Dragons still overhead as they burned down what little remained.


    Slap! A hard slap to the face woke him from his vision.


    He rubbed his eyes, and came back to his senses. His yellow eyes gone as he looked back at Nera''s surprised face. He realized what he has just happened, but he didn''t take any of what he said back. He believed it to be completely true.


    "I''m sorry. I should explain it in more detail, so that you actually understand."


    "No. I''ve heard enough. You may have only aged slightly, but I''m not that naive girl," Nera said as she regained her composure, but she couldn''t stop her legs from shivering, "You think by killing all of the dragons, you can essentially save the world. But what about the innocent? The ones who will never burn down cities or attack villages. What about them? What about you?"


    "There are no innocents. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually every dragon will revert back to an animal. And I don''t regret what I did. To those forest dragons. To the water dragons. To the mountain dragons. To any of them."


    Akai paused and looked down. The only thing that he regretted was that he didn''t kill Jezeboyah sooner before the red dragon could lose his mind. He looked back up to Nera.


    "And when this is all over, I''ll put a sword through my heart. That way, there will still be a world to live in because even I will lose control over myself eventually," he said.


    A long silence filled the air. Nera couldn''t believe what she was hearing. She was completely wrong about Akai. Tears flowed down her eyes, but she didn''t cry. There was only silence among the two.


    Akai sighed and put his illusive ring back on. He picked up his helmet and put it on. His voice became deep.


    With a calm but deep voice, Akai said, "I knew that you wouldn''t understand. I still care for you, and even now I have fallen for you. But I can''t be distracted."


    Nera didn''t hear any of that as her mind still couldn''t comprehend how wrong she was about Akai. How much time she wasted thinking about how she would meet him again, she thought. Her entire world broke apart.


    Akai knew that he wasn''t going to get any more information out of Nera. He walked past the shocked woman and knocked on the door.


    Miura opened it.


    "You definitely made sure that nobody was listening?" Akai asked quietly.


    Miura nodded with a pleasant smile. "Yep. Nobody could hear a thing, and my crows haven''t spotted anybody peering in."


    "Good. Good. You no longer need to uphold those previous orders."


    Miura''s markings on her neck glowed in response. Akai shouted past Miura, "Captain Leo, I need you with two others!"


    Leo stood up and saluted, "Yes, Crimson Black Knight!"


    Leo had no time to mourn. He thought that doing his job would be what Captain Halido would want.


    Captain Leo hurried over with a couple of other dragonslayers.


    The Crimson Black Knight walked over to his desk ignoring Nera. She remembered Nia and reminded herself that as long as she was safe, then everything was fine. She had hoped Nia would hide somewhere, but knew that the dragon would try to save her. She looked up to the sky and quietly prayed to any god for the other villagers'' and especially Nia''s safety.


    Akai looked back at Nera and then to Captain Leo. The Crimson Black Knight looked at the couple of dragonslayers that followed and ordered, "You two, take the girl down to the dungeons. Do not hurt or interrogate her. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, sir!" "Yes, boss!" they said in unison. The two grabbed Nera and dragged her away.


    Miura walked into the room as the other two dragonslayers dragged Nera away. From the corner of Nera''s eye, she looked at the same woman who was with Akai when she patched him. For only a split second, the pale witch gave a sinister smile so that only Nera would notice. Nera didn''t understand why Miura smiled like that and thought that she was just too tired to see properly.


    In the room, the Crimson Black Knight, Captain Leo, and the witch Miura stood side by side. Captain Leo and Miura awaited instructions.


    The Crimson Black Knight said, "I have obtained all of the information that I could gather from Nera, althought it is very little. All I was able to get is that we are looking for a female forest dragon. One that has survived and hid at Kyte village for 30 years."


    Captain Leo exclaimed, "As expected of you, Akai - I mean Crimson Black Knight."


    The Crimson Black Knight didn''t care which name was used and continued, "For 30 years, the villagers there have been willingly hiding her. It is safe to assume that the dragon may feel indebted."


    Captain Leo was confused and asked, "The villagers willingly hid the dragon?"


    "The people of Kyte village have a sense of trust between the dragons, since they personally never got attacked by one. Nonetheless, whatever they believe in matters not. Since the dragon was kept safe there for 30 years, she may try to come here to King''s City to rescue her so-called caregivers."


    Miura and Captain Leo listened attentively while Akai continued, "According to your report, Captain Leo, the dragon was able to cut through Halido''s blade and struck his head. All of our blades are made of dragon scales. One of the strongest materials in the world. That means that this dragon is strong and dangerous. But since we are holding this dragon''s caregivers as hostages, she wouldn''t try to burn down this whole city before rescuing them. Captain Leo, I want you to form groups of dragonslayers to patrol the inside and outside the city. I want your men to find any suspicious people, men or women, who may be a dragon in human form."


    "Yes, sir," Captain Leo replied.


    Akai hesitated to say this, but given that Captain Halido may have been attacked without any warning, the dragon might be wearing an illusive ring like himself, so he continued, "Even if they don''t show any scales, if you suspect them to be hiding something, bring them to me or Miura. Either one of us should be able to determine whether they are using magic to hide their appearance."


    Captain Leo understood. He knew that Akai was a dragon, but never told it to anyone. Not even to Akai, himself.


    Miura watched apathetically as he saluted and walked out, closing the door behind him.


    "So, what do you want me to do, Akai?" she asked with a pleasant smile.


    "Continue using your crows to look for dragons. This time, however, concentrate your search to this city, and nearby. Watch every entrance to this place."


    Her markings glowed and she bowed her head.


    As she was about to turn around, she stopped as Akai ordered, "Interrogate the other villagers. They may be hiding more information about the dragon. But under no circumstances do you hurt Nera. Do not harm Nera."


    Miura markings glowed once more. She nodded her head and turned around hiding a vicious smile as she headed towards the exit.


    Akai continued, "I will personally order no other dragonslayer to enter the dungeons. I don''t want any of them to take it upon themselves to hurt them."


    As Miura left the room and closed the door behind her, Akai was left alone. He sat down behind his desk and took off his helmet. Akai looked down on his desk and covered his eyes hiding away his tears. Akai bit his lower lip as blood popped out and flowed down his chin from his bite mark.


    Akai muttered under his breath alone in the empty room, "Today, I lost two people I cared for."

 Chapter 51: Arrival at Kings City

    The horses neighed as the wagon drove further down a stone road at a steady pace. Many other wagons, merchants, and villagers walked to and from the large walls that encircle King''s City. It was high noon. Not a cloud in sight, yet the wind carried a pleasant breeze.


    Nia relaxed as she watched the passing masses from the passenger seat. Her long hair hovered with wind. Warm sunlight hit her face as her hair fluttered in the breeze. Her hood was down as she enjoyed the weather.


    Belze was wide awake and chatted with the silver merchant. They became good friends over their short journey.


    The silver merchant held the reins while concentrating on the roads trying not to crash into any other wagons or people.


    The sides were filled with stalls of people selling and buying various trinkets. The people were happy here.


    Over Nia''s journey, there were a couple of stops in the middle. Sometimes, they would stop at a village for a day for food and a room.


    While at different villages, Belze would help the silver merchant set up temporary stalls. The silver merchant would try to get some people to buy his items, while Belze was told to "watch and learn". However, Belze and Nia both learned that the silver merchant was a terrible salesman. He had a certain lack of charisma. His prices were either extremely high or low. Both of them were surprised that the silver merchant was still able to survive in the business.


    When Belze insulted the silver merchant''s sales skills at one of the villages, the merchant placed a wager that Belze couldn''t do any better. The silver merchant gave some of his inventory and told him how much each item was worth. If Belze couldn''t sell any one of the items that he was given, then he would have to buy one of his items. If he however sold one item, then Belze was allowed to keep the money that he made off of it plus an additional 20 silver coins for each item.


    Turns out, Belze was able to sell the items with ease. His cute face attracted customers and his convincing words was able to let him get quite a good amount of money. Soon, the silver merchant just let Belze start selling all of his items as long as they both got a cut of the profits. The silver merchant actually became a little upset, and occasionally pouted "You were just lucky" at times.


    The journey was also an eye-opening experience for Nia. She learned that each village had their own set of problems. Some were poor and an easy target for monsters. Nia, although hired as a bodyguard for the silver merchant, became a kind of vagabond during her journey. She helped villagers hunt down monsters and beasts that threatened them like she did at Kyte village. Occasionally, there would be simple errands that villagers needed. Sometimes, there was the occasional bandit or monster blocking the path and the silver merchant would wait for me to dispatch them without even getting up from the driver seat. At least, Belze tried to help by throwing rocks at the monsters, but the silver merchant wouldn''t try to fight. But Nia was grateful every time that the silver merchant would create a magical barrier around the boy. Nothing during her journey so far has been as horrifying to her than the white robed monster. That was her most difficult fight, and nothing ever came close to that kind of horror.


    It has only been a short time, but she has seen more of the world than she ever has in her entire 130 year lifetime. But nothing distracted her from why she was there. She always remembered Nera and the other villagers. Every day, Nia would remind herself that she needed to rescue them from the dragonslayers, and now she felt that she was close. They had to be at King''s City, and now she could see it.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    While Belze and the silver merchant talked to each other, Nia decided to listen to what they were talking about.


    Belze chatted, "C''mon. You got to know at least one joke or pun. You could use one or two jokes that could land you a customer. You traveled all around and yet you don''t know any jokes?"


    "I don''t know how jokes could ''land me a customer''. Well... I do know one joke," the silver merchant said while his dark eyes watched forward.


    "See, I knew you had to know at least one. Tell me."


    "A man goes to a doctor and says he''s depressed. He says he feels all alone in a cold world."


    "I see. Go on," Belze said with uncertainty.


    "The doctor says ''Go see the clown - Pagliocci - and that should cheer you up.''"


    "I see. I see. So, what''s the punch line?" Belze asked with anticipation.


    "The man said, ''But doctor... that is only slightly relevant to my problem, a mere momentary sense of relief from my symptoms, and no treatment to the underlying issues of my depression.''"


    There was a long silence between the three.


    "What kind of joke was that!?" Belze yelled, "That''s not funny at all!"


    Upon the broken silence, Nia began to chuckle to herself. She was glad that none of them have been hurt during their adventure.


    "Hey, big sis! Don''t encourage him!" Belze yelled.


    As they approached closer, Nia''s laughter stopped. Her senses perked up. There was a dragon nearby. She was reminded of her time in the fog, thinking about how her senses perked up then, but she never thought of it as anything but a feeling created by her red blade. She looked back at her sword thinking that it may be the same dragon, but she didn''t think so. She looked up at the sky to see if there were any dragons, but the skies were clear. She was glad that there were some dragons still alive. It gave her hope that there were others like herself.


    In front of them, the upcoming wagons halted. The silver merchant held back the reins and the horses stopped in their tracks. Nia and Belze were surprised. The silver merchant looked to the side of the wagon in front of him to see what was holding up the traffic.


    Belze''s head popped out of the wagon towards the front end and exclaimed, "Wh-What''s happening? Is there another monster attack?"


    "A checkpoint. Some knights are stopping the roads. Seems like they are checking people, " the silver merchant replied.


    Nia looked to the side and there was a long line of people trying to get into the city. Many crows cawed as they flew above the crowds. However, the line was so long that she was unable to see the knights at the end of it. Even with her vision being better than humans, she had difficult seeing ahead of the crowd.


    "How could you see them from this far away?" Nia asked.


    The silver merchant just looked at her with his emotionless and blank helmet.


    "Right. Magic," Nia said, "Well, what else can you see? Is there a way around this crowd?"


    The silver merchant looked around and said, "The walls are pretty high. There are guards stationed at each corner. We would be stopped somewhere along the way. However, the ones stopping people aren''t the usual city guards. They... they''re dragonslayers."


    Nia and Belze were struck with fear. She should have known that they might expect her to come, but instead of being worried, Nia smiled. Now, she was now certain that Nera was held captive there. She looked at her illusive ring.


    "Are you able to see what they''re checking?" she asked.


    The silver merchant paused for a moment and said, "It''s too far to see exactly what."


    Nia thought for a moment. She couldn''t risk going through the front entrance. There had to be another way inside.


    The silver merchant said as if he could read Nia''s thoughts, "Every entrance is probably the same. And the entire exterior of the wall is constantly patrolled by guards and... other things. There are eyes everywhere. We should head back and wait for nightfall."


    "Agreed," Nia said, and the wagon began to turn around. Crows cawed above them as they stared down at them. The silver merchant could feel their dark gaze over them, but made no sudden movements to alert them. The crows cawed once more and flew away from them as their eyes scanned over the rest of the crowd.


    The silver merchant had an easy way to get inside the city, but waited until they got further away from the crowd to tell Nia and Belze.

 Chapter 52: One Day

    It has only been a day after Akai discovered about the death of Captain Halido. During this time, Nia had only just defeated the white robed monster, although nobody would ever know about it.


    Akai strolled around the city as if he was royalty. His red and black armor with detailed engravings reflected upon the sun''s holy light. He couldn''t sense any dragon in the city, even though, King''s city covered a large area of land. Dragonslayers also patrolled the city looking for anybody that was suspicious. Crows perched themselves atop of every building. Their caws echoed as regular people walked around following their normal routines. Akai breathed in the air. It was a nice change of pace from sitting at his desk. He watched as two of his dragonslayers began to harass a woman wearing a hood and robes. Akai thought that she may have been some kind of monk, but he knew that it wasn''t a dragon. He ignored them and walked by.


    Meanwhile, in the dark and dank dungeons underneath the den of dragonslayers, Miura was busy interrogating the prisoners. It was covered in black feathers and crows constantly on watch.


    One of the rooms contained Nera, while the other held the rest of the villagers chained to the walls side-by-side. Nera wasn''t in any chains, but her body was filled with dirt. Her cell was just as big as the other rooms, but hers had a rug, table, bedding, and a bucket. Akai ordered the other dragonslayers to give Nera some furniture, yesterday, and they brought them into her cell. Akai couldn''t care about the other villagers. Nera''s cell faced the stairs up to the door, while the others were in a cell in front of her to her right side. The other cell was crowded with men, women, and children. All of them tired, exhausted, and hungry.


    The other villagers'' bodies were bruised and dirtied, but the witch didn''t start to torture any of them.


    The day before, she only checked whether all of the prisoners were there. Then, she let her crows watch Not yet. She didn''t even ask any questions. Only watched them. Miura smiled in anticipation of what she was going to do. Finally, something she would enjoy, she thought.


    A rat crawled out of one of the cracks, and a swarm of crows tore the the rat apart. It''s entrails dragged around the room and pieces of the rat were eaten away.


    A crow flew to her shoulder and gave out a loud caw that echoed within the tight dungeons. The crows stayed silent afterwards.


    "Now, as your warden, I hope to make life here as comfortable as it can get," she said in sadistic tone. She looked down on all of them as if each one of them were just bags of meat.


    "But I''m also here to get some answers. I need to know where that dragon is and one of you will tell me."


    Nera looked at her and shouted while shaking the metal bars, "Nobody here knows where the dragon is! There''s nothing you can get from us!"


    "This same speech? Didn''t we already do this, yesterday?" Miura replied in a condescending tone as if speaking to a child.


    Miura then reverted her tone back to her sadistic side of her. She licked her red lipstick and grinned.


    "You''re lucky that Akai has feelings for you, Nera. Otherwise, you would be the first. Instead, I will ask these nice bags of meat."


    She opened the cell door, while they could only watch. She enterred and stared at the first prisoner in her sight. A dirtied man with a swollen eye. She said in a gentle voice, "Let''s start with something easy. What''s your name?"


    "M-my name is... James Hedeger."


    "Relax, James," Miura said while leaning down. Her face was pale, but was also gentle.


    "No. Don''t hurt him!" the prisoner next to him yelled. Miura looked over and it was a woman.


    "Don''t worry. I''m not going to hurt him. I''m a mage. I''ll be able to tell whether or not you''re lying. So, tell me, miss, what is your name?" Miura asked maintaining her pleasant smile.


    The woman shook in fear. She wasn''t any more relaxed, but she muttered, "Helena Hedeger."


    "Oh, you two are related? What a coincidence that you are both next to each other," Miura remarked.


    "We''re, uh, married," James said.


    "How nice. It must be the power of love that allowed you two be next to each other," Miura said and then looked at the other villagers. There was a whole assortment of people that she could play with.


    She stood up and said, "I am your warden, but that doesn''t mean that you''re all in a prison. When the dragon is found, you can all go home. I already know that you people hid a dragon, so let''s not try to hide it."


    Nera looked at Miura and asked, "Why is Akai doing this? Why are you doing this? We welcomed you both into our village. We healed Akai''s wounds. We gave you both a place to stay. So, why?"The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Miura turned her head towards Nera.


    "I was glad that your people were naive enough to let us stay. If it was any other village, things might have been different. Akai might have died, and my plans ruined. But that didn''t happen because fate is on my side. Akai must have told you what he saw, Nera. A world of ash. If it wasn''t for me, he would never have gone down this path."


    "So, you''ve been manipulating him!? You turned him into that monster!?" Nera shouted.


    Miura chuckled and said, "You were just a distraction for him. He knew that there was a bigger picture. Everything that I told him was true. My visions of the future. My visions that I allowed him to see. My visions that reminded him of what needed to be done."


    Miura sighed and continued, "But alas... the future hasn''t changed. Even after killing so many dragons. I don''t think you could even imagine the amount of dead dragons that he trampled upon. All for the sake of changing the future."


    "I see. So, he really believes that what he is doing is right. Akai believes that he can prevent that future from coming."


    "Correct, Nera. You''re a great listener."


    "But even so... Akai''s noble beliefs doesn''t justify his actions. And you, Miura, led him down that path. I can forgive Akai, but not you. Why do you want to change the future?" Nera asked.


    Miura frowned and said, "I''m the one who is supposed to be interrogating. I don''t have to answer your questions, little girl."


    Miura turned her head back towards James and Helena. Miura looked down on them. Nera could only watch from her cell.


    "James, tell me where the dragon is and I''ll let everybody go."


    James muttered, "I- I don''t know. I don''t know."


    "You don''t know," Miura said and she looked at every other villager, "Who would know? Hmm?"


    She then looked at a small girl. A child.


    "Maybe, I should just ask the children. Children are told to never lie," she said as she walked towards her menacingly.


    "Wait! Stop! Nobody here knows!" Helena shouted and Miura froze in place.


    She looked back at her and smiled.


    Helena breathed heavily in fear and said, "I can tell that you just want to hurt us. But please don''t hurt the children. Hurt me instead."


    Miura smiled and looked at Nera. The witch said, "So, it seems that your people are a bunch of masochists."


    The witch looked back at Helena and leaned down to her level. She said "I promised I wasn''t going to hurt you..."


    There was a silence that fell over the dark dungeons.


    "...but if you insist..."


    As she finished her sentence, the crowd of crows cawed and lifted their wings. They all swarmed towards the woman.


    Helena closed her eyes in fear, but the crows never came to her. The screams echoed throughout. The constant cawing of crows. Helena opened her eyes and looked to her husband. One set of screams came. Every other prisoner froze in fear. Nera shut her mouth with her hands as tears flowed down.


    Helena watched as the crows scratched and pecked out her husband''s eyes out while his screams tore through everybody''s frozen bodies. The swarm of ravens created a black coat around the dungeons as if they were bats. And among them, Miura stood out with her pale white skin. He dress of chains. She began to smile menacingly as everybody around her was a toy to her. Helena could only watch as the crows ripped out one eye and then the other. Then, the crows went after the rest of his face. Blood burst out of every corner of his face. Fear overtook them all. Not a single scream came from them. Every one of them were frozen in terror.


    Helena tried close her eyes and move her face away from the brutality, but Miura grabbed Helena''s face and forced her to look holding her eyes open.


    "I hope this pleases your masochistic senses," Miura excitingly said as blood rushed through her her entire body. The witch hasn''t been able to feel like that for such a long time, ever since she turned herself into Akai''s servant.


    As the crows finished, James was still alive. He was barely breathing, but still alive. His face was torn to shreds. His eye sockets empty. They could see red tissue and ligaments. Some parts of the skull were visible. Yet, the man was still alive. The crows flew away and perched themselves atop of whatever they could hold onto and watched.


    Miura let go of Helena''s face and turned away from them. Everybody was frozen, but Helena was far more shocked. She couldn''t believe what she had just witnessed.


    "This is just a dream. This is just a dream. This is just a dream," she muttered to herself.


    As James tried to speak, blood started to spurt out of his mouth. Helena was unable to comprehend what horror she had just witnessed.


    "You monster!" Nera yelled in anger, "You and all of you dragonslayers! You''re all disgusting monsters!"


    "Ooh. Seems like somebody here has some bark. However, unfortunately, I can''t test whether or not you have any bite," Miura said as the other men, women, and children were unable to move an inch. Miura was ordered not to hurt Nera, but the witch knew other ways of inflicting pain. Akai should have been more specific on his order, she thought.


    Nera growled and shook the metal bars, but they wouldn''t budge. Miura and her crows only watched in silence.


    As James'' breath was hoarse and rough, he struggled to maintain himself. The unbearable pain that coarsed through his body. He made one final breath, until surrenduring himself.


    As soon as he made his last breath, Miura''s pupils narrowed. She turned her back on Nera and stared at the prisoners.


    Nera wondered what the witch was doing. It looked as if she was in a trance.


    In the next moment, the swarm of crows cawed and stormed the room filled with prisoners. They all began to scream as Nera could do nothing, but watch. The crows pecked and scratched against every single person. While everybody panicked and screamed, Helena was frozen in place as she repeated the same words even as the crows began to bite and claw at her skin. The crows attacked relentlessly and without mercy. Even the shrieks of children could be heard as their bodies were torn apart by a black cloud.


    "It''s beautiful," Miura said.


    Nera felt like she was trapped in an endless abyss of suffering around her. While everybody else were being eaten alive by ravenous crows, she could only watch from her cell.


    As Miura turned around and faced her, Nera could only feel dread at seeing the witch''s face. Miura''s eyes were covered in squirming maggots.


    "Finally. I''ve never seen something so beautiful before. Don''t you agree, Nera?," Miura said joyously as blood and maggots dropped to the ground from her eyesockets. She gave a pleasant smile while the blood of the villagers seeped throughout the dungeon. Reality twisted around her as a black curtain of crows and a blanket of chains surrounded every corner of the dungeons outside of Nera''s cell.

 Chapter 53: Every Day

    Miura never told Akai what happened to the other villagers. He had assumed that they were still alive, and although he didn''t feel anything towards them anyways, Miura kept their deaths a secret. Akai only cared about Nera''s safety among them.


    Every day, Akai would walk around the city hoping to sense any dragon that would happen to have come near. He was certain that the dragon would eventually come to King''s City for the villagers. He knew that forest dragons were a small exception to the rule that dragons mostly keep to themselves. The other dragonslayers continued to harass people who they thought were dragons until they had to prove otherwise. Captain Leo was in charge of maintaining order among the groups of dragonslayers. However, he believed that it would waste Akai''s time to bring in a bunch of suspects, so anybody suspected of being a dragon in human form would be personally checked by Leo himself.


    Every day, Miura would go down to check on Nera. She was the only one allowed to go down there, while two dragonslayers guarded it. Every time Miura walked past them, they felt a chill to their spines.


    The crows would constantly keep watch; never sleeping, but Nera would only stay sitting on her bed. The dungeons reeked of death from the rotting corpses. Maggots ate away at their flesh. The crows would occasionally take meal breaks eating there.


    On the next day after the witch killed the other villagers, Miura brought with her one meal for the entire day. It would be the same every day. Miura would bring a slice of bread infested with maggots and a wooden bowl of water. Nera ate it without a second thought. Her spirit and vigor didn''t falter. She wouldn''t let it.


    Miura asked, "What drives you?"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Nera ignored the witch''s questions and continued to eat her meal.


    "Everybody else that you knew have died. You''ll never be able to leave this place. So, why do you bother to struggle?"


    Nera finished her meal and replied, "Because I know that I''ll get my chance to escape. I won''t die here. As long as she is safe, I won''t die."


    "Why don''t you tell me the name of this ''she''? ''She'' is not a very good indicator of who I should expect. Perhaps a description?"


    Nera ignored her and drank the bowl of water. She, then proceeded to do some push-ups. Miura realized that she wasn''t that little girl 30 years ago. She was far stronger than most people, she thought, but that means it''ll be far more satisfying to see her break. Miura was trembling in excitement. At first, she was disappointed that she couldn''t harm Nera, but now, she took it as a challenge.


    "Just so you are aware, I''ll be the only friend you have, now. Akai will be too preoccupied in looking for that dragon who you think will save you. Your dragon friend will die, and you will be trapped in my talons until Akai is eventually bored of you," Miura said with a sadistic expression.


    Nera paused for a moment, but continued to ignore her. Although she knew that the witch was spouting lies, the words still rang inside of her. They echoed constantly. Every day, she was reminded that there was no escape. Still, she continued to give a brave face even though on the inside, the voices of despair lingered.


    Akai was never aware of what was going on, down there. If he was, he would have put an end to it and killed the witch where she stood. Every day, Miura came down to hand her a meal.  Every day, the witch would continue to say things like "Nobody will come to save you" and "Your all alone". Nera continued to ignore these statements, but even so, she had heard them. And the crows would subtly open their mouths and say the same statements in Nera''s voice as if she was hearing things. She tried to ignore them, but the constant ringing of these words continued to seep into her head. However, Nera continued to fight on. She knew that as long as Nia was safe, then she wouldn''t give in to these thoughts. Just the thought of Nia would silence all of those voices.

 Chapter 54: A Sense of Victory

    Akai was sitting at his desk looking through reports. The door was closed and his helmet off. There was not a single person there that was a dragon. And Miura was unable to get any more information from the villagers. He sighed and began to close his eyes. He knew that there were still dragons around from his senses, but none were near. He would have thought that if a dragon would have wanted to go to King''s City, it shouldn''t take too long. Even if they couldn''t fly, Dragons were faster than most humans on their two feet.


    There was a faint flicker in his mind that told him that perhaps the dragon wasn''t coming. That maybe the dragon actually hidden herself rather than come to save her caregivers. He wondered whether he should apologize to Nera for his behavior. Ever since he pushed her away and put her in the dungeons, he couldn''t help feel sorry for what he has done. He tried to think about how Nera must have felt and it broke his heart. He knew that she was a gentle soul, and Akai wanted to at least apologize to her once before continuing his hunt. He knew deep down that what he was doing was right, but understood that it was genocide as well. Genocide for his own people. But there was no time to regret his choices, now. He has already committed 30 years for his cause. A short period of time for a dragon, but a lifetime for many humans.


    Even so, he wanted to apologize even if Nera didn''t understand his motivations. Maybe, he thought, that if the dragon wouldn''t show up after some more days, then he would let them go. Maybe, even give some of the treasury''s money on helping their village. The last time he saw their village, it was in the process of becoming a desolated wasteland. He could only imagine how it looked like, now. Deep down, he knew that his apology would mean nothing to them, and that any chance that he would spend time with Nera would never happen, now.


    He stood up and was about to head down to the dungeons, but suddenly something came over him. A feeling that he hasn''t felt for a long time. His senses perked, and he knew what he has sensed. It was a dragon. He put on his helmet and ran outside of his room. He strode past the other dragonslayers as they relaxed and chatted among themselves. He ran past the entrance of the dungeons being guarded by two dragonslayers. His thoughts of Nera and the other villagers vanished.


    He ran past everybody in a panic, and as other dragonslayers noticed, they began to stand up and follow him.


    When Akai reached outside, he looked up at the bright blue sky. He scanned every area of the sky and looked around. There were only crows. No sign of any dragon.


    "Boss, what''s the matter?"


    "Is there something wrong, Crimson Black Knight?"


    Dragonslayers ran out holding their sheathed weapons by their side. They were worried that something might have happened.


    Although, no expression could be seen from Akai''s helmet, the dragonslayers knew that something was wrong as looked around in a panic.


    After that brief moment, Akai took a deep breath and looked at the sky. If there was a dragon, then it was unlikely that it would be flying overhead without making any sort of noise. It was too quiet. Only the occasional cry of birds that perched themselves wherever they saw fit.


    Akai looked back at his dragonslayers and saw the worry on their faces.


    He calmly said, "I got a report of a dragon sighting, nearby. I want all of you to get back to your stations. It seems that the dragon is heading towards the city."


    "Really?"


    "A dragon coming here? Woudn''t be the first time."


    "A sighting? One of the crows must have spotted something."


    The dragonslayers mumbled to themselves.


    "Back to your stations! I want everybody to be fully prepared!" Akai ordered and all of the dragonslayers stopped their mumbling.


    As Akai finished his order, his senses ceased. He could no longer feel the presence of the dragon. He suspected that it was outside of the city in human form. The dragon must have saw the checkpoints, he thought, and will return to try and sneak past them.


    He believed that it was no coincidence, now. There was a dragon that was coming, and he suspected that it was the same dragon that killed Captain Halido at Kyte Village.


    Akai walked past the dragonslayers and back into the Den of Dragonslayers.


    As he walked past them with an overpowering presence over them, the other dragonslayers yelled, "Yes, sir!" in unison and hurried to get to their posts and teams.


    Akai no longer felt the need to apologize to Nera. After he killed the dragon coming to the city, he would apologize to her and the rest of the villagers, but for now, he had to focus on the task at hand.


    Miura just got done handing over a meal to Nera and left the dungeons. She noticed Akai marching towards her.


    The witch worried that perhaps he knew what she did to the other villagers and what she was doing to Nera, but nonetheless remained calm.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The two dragonslayers holding spears and guarding the dungeons saluted to the Crimson Black Knight. Miura bowed to Akai.


    "Miura, come to my office," Akai commanded as he dragged her by the arm into his room.


    The witch exclaimed, "Huh? What''s happened?"


    As they got into his office, Akai closed the door behind him and took off his helmet.


    Akai''s eyes were slightly glowing yellow. Miura didn''t want to make any sudden remarks, until she knew what was happening.


    Akai took a deep breath and his yellow eyes faded.


    "I sensed a dragon nearby," he said.


    Miura relaxed as Akai was fully ignorant about the villagers''s state. She asked, "Are you sure? None of my crows have seen any dragons. Nor any humans with scales."


    "But your crows can''t tell whether they wear anything like my illusive ring. I know what I sensed. There is a dragon outside the city."


    "Do you still sense it?"


    "No. It must have turned around after seeing the security."


    "I can look through the memories of my crows, but their memory is limited," Miura stated.


    "It was only a couple of minutes, ago. Just look through the crows'' eyes for the past couple of minutes. Tell me if there was anybody suspicious that would suddenly turn back."


    Miura closed her eyes. She looked through many of the crows'' minds at once. So many memories filled in her head, but she limited them to only the ones that were flying over outside of the city. Her mind passed through the consciousnesses of dozens of crows at once. There were crowds of people and wagons on each entrance. Many merchants selling goods outside of the city on each road. So many people. She scanned through the hundreds of people, but it all looked like an ocean. There were so many different people as if it was a school of fish. Plenty of them were armored and covered themselves. Miura''s crows wouldn''t be able to tell whether or not it was a dragon.


    However, she changed her outlook and focused on ones that didn''t go through the checkpoints or leaving from the city. Instead, she looked for anybody that may have turned around. That limited what Miura had to look for. There were only a few that looked at the crowds and turned around. It must have been a hard time to get to the city, so most wouldn''t just turn around. There was a bandit pickpocketing passing people, but his arms were clear of scales and Miura could sense no magic coming off of him. There was an old priest who died of heatstroke. A crowd of people covered and carried him away from the line and prayed for him as they buried him. Her mind split and turned, until there was one that she felt different about.


    There was a wagon. A merchant''s wagon. Probably somebody who wants to sell something. The wagon waited there for a while, but turned around. Perhaps, the merchant decided to set up a stall somewhere, she thought, but as the crows looked closer at it, the wagon just kept moving away. That was strange. A merchant needing to sell his wares wouldn''t just leave.


    She focused on that wagon in one of the crows'' memories.


    The wagon kept riding away until they were no longer in the range of my crows. The crows could see two people. No. Three. There was a man, woman, and child. A married couple, she thought. There was a boy in the wagon with his head sticking out. The woman was dark skinned and wore leather armor. The man was wearing silver armor that covered his entire body. This was strange, the witch thought. She personally controlled a crow that was nearest to where she saw them leave. In real time, she was able to see the wagon as it drove off-road into the forests.


    She opened her eyes. To her, it felt like hours and days, but in reality, it was only a few seconds. She breathed heavily as her body tired from searching. Sweat poured out of her body.


    Akai didn''t bother to check whether she was okay or not. Instead, he wanted only the results.


    Miura said with heavy and fast-paced breathing, "There was somebody suspicious. There was a merchant who suddenly turned around."


    "Why this merchant over anybody else?" Akai asked.


    Miura looked at Akai and replied, "A traveling merchant wouldn''t just turn around from King''s City. Either they would go into the city or set up a stall outside. He left without doing any of that."


    "He? Was this merchant not a female?" he asked knowing full well that the dragon they were looking for was a girl.


    "I couldn''t tell. The merchant was wearing armor all around his or her body. The image wasn''t too clear, but it seemed like this guy didn''t want to show any sign of skin," Miura said.


    "And this merchant just recently left?"


    "Yes. I could see the merchant''s wagon for a split second before heading into the nearby forests."


    Akai was excited. He looked at Miura''s slave markings and it didn''t burn at all. She was telling the truth. He put on his helmet and prepared himself. He hasn''t hunted a dragon for some time, but he was ready as if it was any other monster hunt. His green blade sheathed next to him. His radiant black and red armor. He was convinced that this silver armored merchant must be a dragon.


    "Miura, stay and guard the villagers. Send a couple of crows with us to fly over the forest. We will need vision. I''ll handle the dragon, myself," Akai said as he opened the door and left with no doubt in his mind that victory was assured.


    Miura smiled with content. She purposely left out some details. She did sense powerful magic coming off of the silver merchant, but she didn''t think that he was a dragon. She couldn''t tell exactly whether the merchant was male or female, but she had a strong suspicion that it didn''t matter. She didn''t mention the child or the girl. She closed her eyes and recalled her image of the three. The girl. The dark skinned girl. Her skin was clear of scales, but Miura was almost certain that she was the dragon they were looking for. It wasn''t very clear, but with Miura looking through the crows'' eyes, she could tell that the girl was wearing a ring similar to Akai''s. The witch had an aching feeling that the girl was wearing an illusive ring.


    Luckily, Akai didn''t ask the right questions such as whether she thought that the merchant was a dragon, she thought. He only asked who she thought was suspicious, and that was broad enough to put that silver armored merchant into that category.


    Miura looked up at the dark black ceiling as if praying to the abyss above. She felt a presence that she had not felt since her days on the Western seas. A presence that guided her to where she needed to go. She heard no words, but just knew what she had to do. While Akai had his own plans, Miura was given orders from a far higher being, she believed. She knew what she had to do in order to reach the future that she wanted. The future was shifting, although she didn''t tell or show Akai. It was changing, but not set in stone. She still needed a few more pieces in place to make her future a reality.


    Akai walked through the den of dragonslayers until his eyes met with Captain Leo.


    Leo saluted to the Crimson Black Knight and said, "Sir, I''ve been informed that you discovered a nearby dragon."


    The Crimson Black Knight in a rough voice replied, "Yes, Captain. Prepare a search party in the nearby forests. Gather some men and horses. I will tell you the details along the way."


    As soon as Akai, Captain Leo, and a couple of other dragonslayers rode their horses away, Miura waltzed into the streets and into a local tavern. She needed a room to practice her arts and craft.

 Chapter 55: Abandoned Shack

    Nia, Belze, and the silver merchant slowly rode along as they ventured into the forest. However, this forest wasn''t filled with dark creatures. Only animals such as rabbits, squirrels, and deer. Nia was no longer able to sense the dragon, but she still felt relief by knowing there were other dragons.


    As the horses neighed over the dirt and grass, the silver merchant held to the reins. They moved slowly as there was no trail to follow.


    Eventually, they were facing an open field in the middle of the forest. And in the middle of that field was an abandoned shack made of stone.


    "It''s been a while since I was here. I used this place as storage once," the silver merchant remarked.


    "This place? It''s a piece of junk. There''s not even a hint of wind and I can see the pieces of stone falling off of it," Belze complained.


    Nia sighed and said, "Well, it''s a good place to wait for nightfall. It''s far off the beaten path and away from any roads."


    Nia got off the wagon and proceeded to walk towards the shack.


    The silver merchant let go of the reins and the horses began to graze. Belze then hopped off, then the merchant.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    As Nia walked closer, she opened the crooked wooden door. The lights on every corner inside instantly flickered on by themselves. Inside was a blue room. It had soft chairs and stools. A long sleek table. A closet with a clean design. A large bed made up of wool. The walls were covered in smooth metal, but the room wasn''t hot at all. The floor was carpet made out of soft fur. Small holes on the ceiling would breathe out cool air. Clear glass windows that let them see what was outside. There was a counter covered in a random assortment of junk. Although the room looked clean, there were some mice that scurried away as the lights turned on. Nia was utterly surprised. It was nothing like how she expected. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary old shack, but inside was an elegant room. If it wasn''t for the mice and the random junk, then this place would have been a perfect room for a king.


    Belze walked in with his mouth open in shock. Both Nia and Belze never saw anything like this. Their eyes were stunned with beauty.


    The silver merchant waltzed right past them and into the shack.


    "It''s a little cramped and dirty, but I hope you don''t mind. I haven''t been to one of my storage rooms in a long time," the silver merchant said.


    "Have we all died and got transported to another world?" Nia asked in astonishment.


    "Not to my knowledge," the silver merchant remarked as he sat on a stool.


    Belze pinched his own cheeks to wake himself up from his dream. But it was no dream. It was a room of fantasy in their world. As Nia and Belze walked in, the door closed steadily behind them.


    "Now that we''re inside, I can tell you how you can get inside King''s City," the silver merchant said.

 Chapter 56: Fateful Entry

    "You saw a way in?" Nia asked as Belze threw himself on the soft bed. It was the softest bed that he has ever laid on and he was tired of sleeping on a shaky wagon.


    "I''m just going to take a small nap. Wake me up when we sneak into the city, big sis."


    "Alright. Sleep tight, Belze," Nia said but he was already snoring away.


    Nia looked back at the silver merchant and wondered what he was planning. It was almost sunset outside.


    "I can easily get you into King''s City, but tell me, Nia. What is your plan?" the silver merchant asked.


    "Plan? It''s simple. I get in there, rescue Nera and the others, and get out," Nia replied, "I''ll work out the details when I find out where they are being held. The dragonslayers have to hold them somewhere."


    "Ahh. So, no plan," the silver merchant sighed, "But if they are dragonslayers, then you should be able to find them in the Den of... Dragonslayers. Couldn''t have been more obvious. You can ask around for directions. Now, you know where they are. What''s the next step of your master plan?"


    Nia''s tongue was tied. She had no real plan. The only thing she had on her mind was determination, which the silver merchant knew wouldn''t be enough. Nonetheless, he admired that about the young dragon.


    "I''ll go in and rescue them. When I''m there, I''ll figure something out."


    "Going in there headstrong is a sure way to die."


    "Then, I''ll sneak in."


    "Perhaps. If you do find them in cages, you can easily break them, but how do you plan to sneak out with a handful of villagers?"


    Nia''s mind was stuck. She didn''t have any idea on what to do once she was actually there, but that wouldn''t stop her.


    "I''ll figure it out," she said with confidence.


    "I see. Well, I won''t stop you, but what about the boy? Will you take him with you?" he asked worryingly.


    Nia paused for a moment and looked at the sleeping child.


    "You''re not coming, are you?" she asked.


    He shook his head. They both knew full well that bringing a fully armored man who refused to take off his armor would only attract attention.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Then, I''ll need you to promise me one more time. Promise that you''ll keep Belze safe," Nia requested.


    The silver merchant watched the child.


    "You''re going to leave him with me?" he asked.


    "He''s safer with you than me. I can''t protect him like you can. His parents are in there and I have to get them out of there, as well. After that, life can go back to normal."


    "Normal? Life won''t go back to normal for you after any of this. You''ll always be hunted, and while you''re with them, they too will be hunted."


    "But for Belze it will be."


    The silver merchant shook his head thinking about what he should do. He knew he couldn''t go in there with her, otherwise, they will be fighting against every single soldier there. He couldn''t guarantee that he would control his powers against so many. He may end up hurting or killing innocent people, he thought. Not like the monsters or bandits that they fought before. Just regular people going about their daily lives. Regular people who didn''t relish in harming others. Upon the silver merchant''s thinking about what he should do, Nia began to sense a dragon nearby. She looked outside of the window, but there was nobody there.


    The silver merchant looked back at Nia and stood up. As he did so, Belze sat up in a frown on his face. The young dragon was shocked to see that he wasn''t asleep at all. He heard everything.


    "I heard what you guys were saying. It''s not fair, Nia, to put all the promises on him!" Belze said.


    Nia exclaimed, "Belze..."


    "So, promise me, big sis. Promise me that you''ll come back with my parents. Promise me that you''ll stay with us. With me. Promise me..." Belze said as tears began to flow down his cheek. Nia kneeled down to him and wiped away his tears.


    "Of course. I promise. I promise to bring them all back home safely. And I promise to stay with everybody. When this is all over, I''ll tell them how brave you were."


    Belze sniffled and said, "As long as you''re safe."


    Nia gently rubbed his head and stood up. A full moon in clear view. Nightfall turned on the group and as it did, the horses outside neighed. Nia and the silver merchant both turned towards the noise.


    "Something is coming. Can you feel the tremors. Hoofbeats," the silver merchant said. A crow cawed outside of the shack.


    Nia began to unsheath her blade, but before she did, the silver merchant stopped her.


    "Let me handle them. You have to go, now," he quickly said while raising up one arm near a wall.


    The wall began to crack and splinter like broken glass. With one swift swing of his arm, the wall cut itself and opened up like a book. Reality curved around the cracks, and shards of the wall floated in the air. The shards glowed with white light. As Nia and Belze watched, they saw that what would usually be outside wasn''t there. Instead, it looked to be a dark empty alleyway in the middle of King''s City.


    As they stared in awe, the silver merchant pushed Nia into the portal. She shrieked in surprise, and landed into the shadows. Before the silver merchant closed off the portal, Nia grabbed his arm and said, "You didn''t promise me, yet."


    If the silver merchant was able to smile, he would have. "I never stopped my last promise, and the silver merchant never breaks his promises."


    Nia smiled and let go of his arm. Belze yelled, "Be careful, big sis!" while waving his arms good-bye.


    She waved her hand as her body moved away into the shadows. Her pleasant smile carried a thankful aura. Grateful for meeting both of them.


    The portal closed as she applied her hood over her head and walked away.

 Chapter 57: The Splitting Ride

    Akai rode a black stallion as the Captain Leo followed shortly behind him and the other dragonslayers followed behind both of them.


    Akai continued to follow the crows'' lead as they got further into the forest. Akai could sense it. The presence of a dragon. His heart was beating, although he now wasn''t sure whether it was fear or excitement. Out of all the dragons, he absolutely wanted to get rid of the one who killed Halido, but at the same time, he feared whether the dragon would be too much for him. He thought that this dragon must have been experienced in fighting. One who had to hide in human form and fought in human form like himself. Akai was used to facing off against creatures bigger than him as they were bigger targets. Now, after years of not facing any dragons, he was unsure whether he could win.


    Akai shook all of those thoughts away. He had to kill the dragon, no matter what. If it was for himself or for saving the future. He had to do it. There was no choice.


    One of the crows perched onto Akai''s shoulder and cawed in Miura voice, "The merchant is just ahead. He is hiding in some kind of old shack."


    Akai smiled in anticipation. Captain Leo and the other dragonslayers were ready to fight. They were trained to fight giant monsters and each one of them have killed dragons, before, without Akai''s help.


    The crow flew off of Akai''s shoulder and joined the flock as they flew through the forests for the dragonslayers to follow while one flew above.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Suddenly, without warning, Akai''s senses disappeared. He could no longer sense the dragon even though they were going in the right direction. He stopped to a halt and looked back.


    "Did we pass her?" he muttered under his breath. As he stopped, the other dragonslayers stopped behind him. The crows noticed that Akai stopped in his tracks, flew back, and perched themselves on tree branches.


    They must have passed each other, he thought.


    "Is there a problem, Crimson Black Knight?" Captain Leo asked.


    One of the crows flew to Akai''s shoulder and asked the same thing, "Are you alright? What''s the matter?"


    "Are you certain that this merchant is there, Miura?"


    "Yes. My crow is watching the shack as we speak. They haven''t left," the crow spoke.


    Akai now knew that the silver armored merchant wasn''t a dragon. He turned his horse around and said, "Something has come up to my attention. Captain Leo, take our men and handle this."


    "Sir?" Captain Leo asked worryingly not knowing the reason why the Crimson Black Knight was leaving.


    Akai couldn''t say that he could sense dragons. He had to give a reason. So, he chose one.


    "This will be a test for your leadership. You failed once. Do not fail me, again," he said hoping that would be enough.


    Captain Leo nodded and shouted, "Alright, men! Follow me and the crows!"


    As they rode off, Leo wasn''t convinced. Why would Akai come all this way if he wasn''t going to see this through, he wondered. But he didn''t want to disappoint him. The man who saved him all those years ago. The only reason he was alive was because of Akai. The only reason he has a purpose is because of Akai. All of these men followed the Crimson Black Knight because he was a legend to them. Someone to look up to. They would write tales of him and his conquests. The man who saved Shieldrake from the threat of dragons.


    Captain Leo and the other dragonslayers charged forward following the crows, while one crow stayed on top of Akai''s shoulders.


    Akai hit the reins of his dark horse and rode back towards King''s City.

 Chapter 58: Just Asking for Directions

    As Nia walked out of the dark and empty alleyway, she no longer sensed the dragon nearby. It was strange to her, but she didn''t have time to wonder about it. She had to find the Den of Dragonslayers.


    Upon leaving the alleyway, the lights and grandeur astounded Nia. The city was still so lively even though it was night. She would have thought that everybody would be asleep, yet all the lights still shined brightly over the city. Structures and temples towered over everybody. Man-made buildings made of stone, marble, and other kinds of rocks that she wouldn''t have imagined of. Especially being made by small people, but she knew that when those people work together, they were able to accomplish tasks far greater than the individual. The full moon shined brightly over the city.


    The crowd wasn''t as bustling as the crowds in front of the entrance, but there was still quite a number of different kinds of people. Plenty of well-dressed men and women. Some hid with cloaks. Some with armor. However, there weren''t any children. She thought that because it was night, there was a different kind of crowd than in the light. Some wagons passed by her and she began to walk on the stone road. Nia checked her illusive ring to make sure it was still there. She made sure that her hood wouldn''t fall and walked towards a busy tavern.


    Above her, many crows perched themselves atop of building watching down on people. A never sleeping army of eyes. However, with so many eyes, there was just as much distraction. They were unable to tell whether the girl was anything but a regular human.


    As Nia entered the Guey Tavern, she saw plenty of drunk mercenaries - men and women - enjoying themselves. The waitresses handed out drinks with a smile. Nia strolled over to the bartender without making any unnecessary eye contact.


    She took off her hood and looked at the bartender. The bartender looked at her young face with the conflicting set of armor. He would have been surprised, but he has seen a lot of different types of people during his life.


    "Well, aren''t you a little young to be drinking? Well, as long as you have gold, then it''ll be fine. It''s not like it''s illegal or anything."


    "Actually, I need directions. Do you know where the Den of Dragonslayers are?" Nia asked and as she finished her sentence, the drunk armored man next to her made a loud burp.


    The man said incoherently while slowly moving uncomfortably closer to Nia, "The Den of Dragonslayers? That ol'' place used to be a great way to make some money. But now there aren''t any dragons to hunt! I used to be one, y''know. A dragonslayer."


    Nia leaned away from his dirty breath and said, "That''s, uh, nice."


    "But then I asked myself why I couldn''t broaden out. Now, I''m just a good ol'' monster hunter."


    "Hey, Gerbazo. Stop bothering the young lady," the bartender said.


    Nia didn''t want to make any trouble, here. She just needed to know where the Den of Dragonslayers was before she could plan her next steps.


    "I''m not botherin'' anyone. I''m just tryin'' to - hiccup - have a conversation with this nice lady. Hey, my cup is empty. Bartender, another glass for me and one for my new lady friend, here."


    The man put his shoulder around Nia, and she instinctively pushed him back with both arms. He flew off and hit another table, spilling that whole table full of drinks. It was also a table of fully armed mercenaries.


    "Oh. Now, I''m going to have to clean up a mess, aren''t I?" the bartender said as he prepared himself.


    "Hey, what''s the big idea, chump!?" the huge mercenary said as he grabbed the drunkard from the ground.


    As soon as he did, the drunk man yelled, "Get your dirty hands off of me, pal!" and threw a punch at the mercenary''s jaw.


    "Oh, boy! Another bar fight! The excitement is killing me!" one guy wearing a triangular mask said who was sitting in the corner alone.


    The mercenaries grabbed the man and threw him over to another table. So ensued a cycle of chaos.


    Everybody lunged at each other''s throats. They threw chairs and tables around. The waitresses sighed and walked out of the bar as if this was routine looking for a soldier to break up the fight. The bartender took out a sword and prepared to protect his tavern. One of the drunk men tossed another towards where Nia was. As he got up, he threw a punch towards Nia, but she dodged out of the way. Another punch. Another miss. She punched him once in the nose and tossed him towards another group of crazy armored men and women.


    The man in the mask shook in excitement and was the first one to bring out real weapons. He took out two throwing knives and threw it at one of the mercenary''s eyes. One for each eye. He fell screaming covering his face. As soon as this happened, everybody else unsheathed their weapons. Nia had no idea what was happening. Were all bars this hectic, she wondered.


    More and more people attacked each other. The waitresses outside yelled for soldiers, but there were none in the area and none coming.


    Two mercenaries charged at Nia with their swords. She braced herself and dodged to the sides as they swung their blades down. She didn''t want to kill any of them, however, as she looked around, they were killing each other anyways.


    A huge mercenary grabbed Nia and held her above his head. He tossed her to the wall and grabbed a chair and just before he could swing it down at her, Nia unsheathed her red blade. She swung straight through the man''s armor and created a hug gash in the middle of his belly. Intenstines started to fall out, but the man only looked down at his belly entranced as if he didn''t know he was already dead.


    Nia kicked him to the ground and held her red blade ready for anybody else who may try to hurt her. Nia''s hood fell and as it did so, one by one, the drunk men began to stop fighting each other.


    She was wondering what was wrong, but then she realized that they were all staring at her. She touched the sides of her face and felt the scales. She looked down and saw her illusive ring on the wooden floor. She stumbled, quickly grabbed it, and put it on. The scales disappeared.


    She wiped away some sweat on her forehead and said, "Phew. Man, we must have all drank so much. I could''ve sworn that I was growing scales out of my face." She laughed loudly, but none of the others laughed. They weren''t buying into her trickery.


    The bartender started to run away, but the masked man threw a dagger at his forehead instantly killing him.


    "I heard that killing a dragon would make any man rich. Rich enough to build their own empire. I sure hope that none of you decides to run away and let some one else take the credit," the masked man said with a giggle while spinning a dagger around his fingers.


    The other mercenaries began to focus their attention towards Nia.


    She gulped knowing that she had to kill each one of them, now. She didn''t want to kill any of them, she couldn''t let anyone know that she was a dragon. She took a deep breath and prepared to fight.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The armored mercenaries charged at her yelling a battle cry. The masked man walked over to behind the counter and stole the tavern''s coins.


    Nia sliced away at the mercenaries. One by one, they fell. Sometimes, she would slice their arms or legs. She parried some of their attacks. Sometimes, she dodged and attacked their corners.


    As the last one began to flee, Nia threw her blade at him. Her red blade struck the man through the head. Nia breathed out. She didn''t want to do that, but she was left no choice.


    She walked around the dead bodies and towards her red blade. As he hand reached for it, a dagger hit the hilt and she flinched back. She looked back and saw the masked man sitting with one knee up on the front counter. The triangular-shaped mask was patterned with something that looked like a smiley face, but with a v-shape for a smile. The eyes looked like the side of a fish''s fin. There was no way that the person could see through those. Was this similar to the white-robed monster, she wondered. But she couldn''t feel the same kind of monstrous presence. She wasn''t feeling any chills down her spine. No fear at all. She thought that either the man was just a man or that she may have improved since her encounter with the white-robed monster. She believed the latter.


    "I guess the money for your corpse is all mine, now," the masked man said as he began firing a barrage of throwing knives.


    Nia quickly grabbed her blade. She was near the exit, but she couldn''t leave just yet. She had to kill one more even if she didn''t want to. As one knife headed straight for her, she instinctively dodged it. Her senses as a dragon was sharp. She trained with the sword for 30 years and practiced by fighting monsters, but even without that, her instincts were top notch.


    As Nia swung her blade, the man jumped away from the blade continuing to throw blades seemingly from out of his sleeves. An infinite supply of cheap knives.


    Nia''s eyes turned to outside of the tavern, but no one was looking in except for a couple of birds. The waitresses have ran away to call for help. Nia shot a ball of fire from her mouth towards the masked man.


    "Oh, hell," the masked man exclaimed before dodging to the side, although Nia didn''t hear it. The fire hit the wall and stayed there. The man was distracted by the surprise ball of fire. In that moment, he didn''t notice that Nia has already ran up to where the man dodged to. His face looked directly at Nia, but it was too late. Nia slashed across the man''s neck. The head flew off, and the body fell.


    As the head was in the air, it said, "Well, that sucked..." and it dropped to the ground rolling over to it''s side.


    Nia sighed. She wiped away the blood from her red blade by using her cloak. She then proceeded to sheath her blade.


    She looked back towards her hand and her illusive ring was still on.


    "Now, look what you did!" the head yelled.


    Nia was shocked and quickly unsheathed her blade. She pointed it at what she thought was a talking head. The head stared right at Nia. It didn''t look like it could move.


    "Was I just imagining a voice?" she asked herself quietly and began to relax.


    "Of course not! I''m as real as you!" the head yelled, "What are you looking!?"


    She was surprised by the talking head. She thought that she was going crazy.


    "What the hell are you?" she asked while still remaining vigilant. There was nobody else alive in that tavern except for the two of them.


    He talked quickly full of energy, "I''m me! And you''re you! That''s all that matters. But if you''re that interested, then let me tell you. I''m the Messenger of Chaos. The voice for the only monarch that matters in the world! You should be grateful that I was going easy on you."


    "Ok. Ok. I get it. You''re some messenger of chaos," Nia replied as he was getting a headache by listening to the talking head.


    "THE! THE Messenger of Chaos! There is only one... I think. I sure hope so, anyways. My monarch doesn''t really tell me much."


    "So, you''re some kind of monster? Are you related to that white-robed monster I fought a while ago?"


    "The white-robed what-now? Never heard of him. Who is he? Is he somebody who claims to be the Messenger of Chaos? If so, he is lying. I''m the only Messenger of Chaos. Me!"


    "You are loud and obnoxious. You know that, right?"


    Nia thought for a moment and still needed to know where to find the Den of Dragonslayers. Perhaps, the talking head could help her.


    Nia asked with a smile, "Do you know where the Den of Dragonslayers is, talking head?"


    "Talking head!? How disrespectful. I''ll have you know that''s no way to treat your elders!"


    "I''m 130 years old."


    "So, what? That''s nothing. Now, try asking again, but this time use the proper words like sir or madam - Messenger of Chaos, perhaps."


    Nia sighed and gave in to the annoying head''s demands.


    "Alright. Do you know where the Den of Dragonslayer is... Messenger of Chaos?"


    "Well, the tone was off, but it''ll have to do. The Den of Dragonslayers is to the right after you leave through the front entrance, then left after seeing the first intersection. And if you go straight from there, you''ll eventually find signs for it."


    Nia mumbled to herself to try and remember the directions. She thought that she understood.


    "Okay. So, left first? Then-"


    "No! Right, first. Right, you idiot! Am I cursed to be surrounded by incompetence!"


    "Okay. I think I got it."


    "Anything else?"


    She thought for a second, and realized there was one more question that she wanted answered. She was aware of Akai from her big sister Nera''s stories. A dragon that was injured and Nera brought him back to health. It was a story similar to her own. Nia remembered how her big sister wanted to see him every day, but he never did come back to visit.


    However, she heard that Akai made a pretty big name for himself in King''s City from the dragonslayers. She wondered if it was true, but as she recalled, Nera believed him. If Nera trusted Akai, then maybe she could too. Maybe, she could get him to help her free Nera. She then thought back to her senses. How she sensed a dragon when she was nearing the city. It must have been the great monster hunter Akai that Nera was so fond of.


    "Do you know someone named Akai?" she asked.


    "Akai? Hmm. It sounds familiar. Oh! Oh! I know who that it is! You''ll most likely find that guy near the Den of Dragonslayers if he isn''t showing off his expensive set of armor. Even during night, you should find him there if he isn''t busy. "


    "He''ll be there?" she muttered to herself. Nia thought, perhaps, Akai would stay near the dragonslayers'' base of operations to keep a close eye on them. There was a saying that she once heard. "The closer they are to danger, the less danger they are actually in." She still had no idea if that was true or not, but if it was working for the dragon Akai, then who was she to counter it.


    She couldn''t sense him, now, but she was sure she would eventually feel his presence nearby.


    She unsheathed her blade and walked away from the talking head. As she looked outside there were a large number of crows just cawed at the entrance.


    She wondered whether they were attracted to the large amount of bodies. She bowed her head in response to the dead. She learned the human method to respect the dead in one of the villages. She began to walk away, but the talking head continued to shout words at an incredible pace.


    "Are you really going to leave me? Here!? On the dirty, unmopped floor! This is absurd for someone with my stature!"


    Nia continued to walk away thinking that whatever the monster was, it could do no harm, now.


    "Hey! You''re a dragon, right? Are you planning to kill everybody in the Den of Dragonslayers? A little sweet revenge. Well, how about you take me with you. The night''s still young! I can still fight and kill. I might even enjoy it!"


    Nia froze at that last sentence, but the head thought that the dragon was considering it, so he continued to talk.


    "I see that you have some intelligence, if you stopped for little ol'' me."


    As he continued to talk, Nia bit her lips and turned around. She walked towards the talking head as it continued to talk.


    "All I need is a fresh, living body. Not that I want yours, of course. You can keep your body. Not that We can just take the first person who walks by. Or maybe one of the dragonslayers."


    As Nia got close enough, Nia unsheathed her blade and sliced down at the head. But in an instant, the mask on the head jumped off and evaded the oncoming blade. It turned into a spider-like creature with small tendrils on the bottom of the mask. It landed on it''s eight skeletal legs that surrounded the sides of the mask.


    "Sheesh. Fine. I''ll find another host and leave you alone. The message of chaos must be spread!" it said as it crawled and squeezed itself between the floorboards. Nia tried to chase it, but it was too small and fast to catch up to.


    She remembered something that the white-robed monster said to her and paraphrased it.


    "''Soon monsters that were never meant to come out of the shadows will no longer fear the light.'' Wasn''t that what that white-robed monster said to me before he died? Seems like he told one truth."


    She heard the sound of soldiers marching towards the tavern. Nia unsheathed her blade and put on her hood. She ran quickly through the back door. She didn''t notice it at first, but she was covered in blood. She grabbed a nearby bucket of water and ran into a dark alleyway while repeating the directions to getting to the Den of Dragonslayers over and over in her head.


    Meanwhile, back at the Guey Tavern, the soldiers were looking for any survivors, but there were none. However, one of them could have sworn that they heard something speak under the floor.


    The voice said, "How disgusting! My tendrils touched rat excrement. Scram, you rats! I''m the Messenger of Chaos. You insult me with your presence!"

 Chapter 59: Face Facade

    The moment Akai left King''s City, Miura went to work on a personal project. Whispers in her ear became more clear. As if Miura never had a plan, but was only made aware by something that couldn''t be seen. But she was only given pieces of information. Just enough for one step at a time to reach her goal. The sun was still up and she had a limited amount of time.


    She entered the Guinea Pig Tavern that was near the Den of Dragonslayers. The others knew the witch, but as she walked in, only silence surrounded the room. None of them would even make eye contact with her. As long as she hid behind the Crimson Black Knight''s shadow, she was safe to do as she pleased.


    Miura walked up to the front and dropped a bag of gold coins in front of the bartender.


    "What do you want to drink?" he asked while looking away from Miura''s pale face. Her chain dress slithered ever so slightly.


    "I need to rent a room. That should be enough to cover some time at this establishment," Miura said and the bartender threw her a copper room key. "Room Number 4" was engraved on it.


    The bartender looked away from her. Miura could smell the fear in the room. Flocks of crows cawed outside. Her reputation to be a dangerous witch had been established by following the Crimson Black Knight. However, as long as she was chained to the dragonslayers, people believed that the dark witch would be controlled. But her mere presence would make any who knew what she was capable of wary.


    Miura went upstairs and into her room. It was a simple bedroom with a desk and lamp. Nothing too fancy. There was a wooden chair and she sat down. With the flick of her wrist, the window up was forced up with a gust of wind. In the next moment, her room closed and locked itself by that same wind.


    She cracked her knuckles and prepared to work. A plan formed in her head, not by her own intuition, but something beyond anything she could ever imagine. She could only have faith that after one step, the next would form. With no clear path in front of her, she went to work as flocks of crows stormed into the room. Each one flew in circles. One at a time, a crow would perch themselves on the desk. It would proceed to vomit and convulse. It''s eyes popped out of their sockets. Their tongues ripped out. Their body''s shedding their feathers and each feather would blow out of the room through the window. Then, in one swoop, it popped turning into an amalgamation of flesh and bones. The same would repeat again and again, until she had enough. The remaining crows would continue to fly overhead in the room as she worked.


    The shrieks of birds could be heard throughout the tavern. Each person there began to get up and leave in fear of whatever the witch was doing in her room. The bartender was the first to leave as he walked out with the bag of money. He had only hoped that he didn''t need to clean up the tavern after the witch was done. Nobody gave a second thought about what she was doing. As long as she was tied to the Crimson Black Knight, they thought that she wouldn''t be a problem for other folks. Although, that didn''t stop their primal instincts to leave.


    First, she removed the bones and started to meld them together with her cold, pale hands. She forged a human skull out of the bones of  crows. She lifted it to her face to see whether it was convincing. She shook her head and the bones melted into a form of clay. She continued to mold it, until even she was convinced that it was a human''s.


    Then, the flesh. She took the squishy, pink fluid of the crows and forced them down the eye sockets of the skull. The chains on her dress slithered on the desk and the metal compressed itself. It slithered into the skull, formed into a small knife, and began to cut away at it.


    Then, while the chains worked on the insides of the hand-made skull, she would work on molding the red flesh. She shaped the flesh to go around the human skull while avoiding the holes where the chains would work through. Once she was done, she now needed skin. Miura looked up to the dark ceiling and knew what she had to do.


    One of her crows relayed a message to her that Akai was riding back to the city. She needed more time, but a thought occurred to her. The being that lurked in the back of her mind flickered and showed Miura a live view of Akai from the view point of another crow in the sky.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    While Akai was riding back to the city, his horse started to give him trouble. He was somehow unable to control his stallion''s movements. It neighed and neighed as maggots underneath the ground began to chew on the horses feet. The next moment, the black horse rode away from the city and back towards the forest, while Akai tried to calm it down. Miura''s eyes went back to her reality. She was given the time needed. Now, she had to follow the next step that came to her mind.


    She braced herself for what she thought would be the most painful act that she had to commit. She gripped her teeth and dug deep into her own legs. Her bloody and sharp nails clawed at the flesh. However, instead of feeling extreme pain, something changed within her. She was feeling ecstatic. The oozing red blood was hers, but it looked more beautiful that anybody else''s blood. The pain turned to intense pleasure. More pleasure than any other sin. She moaned as she peeled the skin off of her thighs. The crows cawed in pure ecstasy with her.


    When she peeled enough skin to work with, she rested her eyes for a moment. It was an exhilarating sense of rapture. As she relaxed the pieces of skin moved in the same motion of snails, but quicker. They wrapped themselves around the fleshy exterior of the head. When they surrounded each piece, the skin melded with each other, creating a simple template of a face.


    In that moment, one of her crows was able to spot the dragon. She was able to clearly see a leather armored girl with scales. She had dark skin and long brown hair. She was in the middle of a bar fight in the Guey Tavern. She sent more crows to that location to watch and follow the girl. She could even hear the girl''s voice and her mannerisms. Miura saw the red blade that Akai once used, but wasn''t afraid of it. She scanned every detail of her body. Every motion she made. Everything she needed to know. One eye stared over Akai, while the other on the girl. The girl equipped her illusive ring, but the witch already knew how she looked like.


    Now, there was one eye watching above Akai, while the other watching the girl, yet she still saw in front of her. Both of them were distracted, and that gave Miura enough time to do what she needed to do.


    Miura smiled and prayed to whatever being has brought this to her. One eye kept track of where Akai was, while the other watched the dark skinned, female dragon girl. Now, she had the face she needed. The crows hurried around the city gathering more parts. They stormed into closed local shops in the night and took whatever materials they needed. Pieces of glass from broken windows were swallowed by some of the crows and flown back to Miura. Others went into alchemist shops and brought back different kinds of chemicals and powders.


    One of the crows saw a waitress who was around the same body shape as the girl. She was running into an empty alley towards the barracks. Before she was able to reach there, flocks of crows surrounded her and clawed at her face. First, the tongue cut out and mouth covered in feathers, so her screams were muffled in the shadows. Then, the eyes and the rest of the head. Large talons on one of the crows grew to the size a dagger and cut the waitress''s head clean off. The bodies of crows filled in the hole, so that no more blood would be lost. Miura would need it. They dragged the body into the sky surrounding it by a black cloud of birds. Nobody could see behind their dark wings as they took what they needed among the night sky.


    Miura brought into her room each piece that she needed. As she stood up, some crows filled the bleeding gash in her thighs. Their black feathers were easily noticeable, but as the chains were finished with creating the fine details inside, they wrapped around her wound. The body of the young headless waitress came crashing into the room. Only a small amount of blood had been spilled. It was slightly scratched, but nothing too noticeable, she thought. Other crows came carrying other equipment. Some vomited out brown strands of hair from wherever they could find. One coughed out two eyes that looked like the young dragon girl''s. Another threw up dead lizards with light green scales. Some brought pieces of leather armor, pieces of broken glass, and cloth.


    As Miura lifted the simple head and as she did so, pink strands of crow brains seeped through the bottom to where the neck was. It writhed and squirmed like worms. The face morphed itself to look like how the girl''s face looked like in both shape and color. She pushed in the two eyes where they should be. In the snap of her fingers, the long brown strands of hair flew to where they needed to be. In another, the light green scales dug themselves into the skin. The holes they pierced from healed themselves, as the scales hid from all light, only to be revealed when she needed them to be.


    As the pink squishy threads continued to wriggle around and attach to Miura''s fingertips, she cast a very slight electrical charge from the tips of her fingers that spread throughout the entire head.


    As she held the head up to her own head. She stared deep into the unblinking eyes of the creation she made. Something that she has never done before. She stared and stared, waiting for a response. The eyes blinked and she knew it worked. Miura smiled with content and knew what she had to do. Not from hearing any whispers from outside forces, but from within herself as her sadism took over.

 Chapter 60: Wraithful Distraction

    As Akai lost control of his dark stallion, they strode the darkened forest haphazardly. Maggots continued to gnaw at the horse''s feet. Akai tried to keep control of his horse, but to no avail. He was getting further away from either the rest of his dragonslayers and King''s City.


    Eventually, Akai had no choice, but to give up his horse. He jumped off of his horse and landed on the black mud below. He looked back at the flailing horse, but there was no stopping it. Eventually, the horse fell to the ground glued to the black mud. It neighed in pain, but Akai could do nothing to help it. He pitied the creature and wanted to end it''s suffering. He unsheathed his blade and walked forward towards the horse watching his step. He wanted to finish the horse quickly and move onto the city. He knew that the dragon had to be there.


    Akai felt a chill in the air and froze. He looked around him and among the dark forests, three creatures faded into existence from the corners of the rotten trees.


    They were floating in the air covered in black sheets. Their elongated grey arms and long red claws. A dark cowl over their heads hid their faces, but revealed large, white human-like teeth. Akai recognized the monsters. They were wraiths, but their existence so close to the city made Akai question how long they have resided there. It was a surprise that nobody has reported that the nearby forests had monsters. The forests never had any dangerous creatures like the ones in front of him before.


    The Crimson Black Knight had no choice, but to ignore the horse''s painful cries, and readied himself for a fight. He lifted his green blade and stood his ground, waiting for a good strike.


    The three wraiths raced around Akai leaving behind a thick black smoke behind them. The dark cover surrounded Akai in a torrent of hatred. As the wraiths charged forward, Akai sliced down at the coming specters, but each one dodged every so slightly from the blade and straight through Akai. He felt a cold chill throughout his body as the specters traversed through Akai''s body and out of his back without actually causing physical harm. As if it was just a projection, but Akai knew the three were real. He has hunted the same kind of creatures, before, and knew that they fed on others'' fear before killing them.


    As they came out of his body from behind, they circles around him. The three wraiths began to morph and change. Their forms turned into spectral projections of three different dragons. Akai recognized the three. Aquis, Azor, and Kytlmyne. The three ancient dragons of the ocean, sky, and forests, respectively. The same ones he killed, but Akai didn''t stagger. Their size and form were as accurate as they could be. However, they were only the heads of them. The rest of their bodies were hidden behind the black smoke. Their misty heads stormed around the Crimson Black Knight, as he waited for another opportunity to attack. They began to speak from their faded mouths. Aquis, Azor, then Kytlmyne.


    "Murderer."


    "Killer."


    "Traitor."


    Those were the words that the three spectral dragons said in succession.


    "Akai, slayer of all dragons."


    "Bringer of death upon all dragons."


    "Bringer of death to your own kind."


    They breathed heavily with evil intent.


    "You''re taunts mean nothing to me, wraiths. Face me," Akai said, but they didn''t listen.


    "You believe you changed the future," they said in unison, "Changed fate. But fate cannot be changed. You will live in failure. All of your work. All of this genocide for nothing."


    The three giant heads with necks made up of black smoke came up above Akai as storms of lightning appeared from above. A number of hands grabbed Akai''s legs. He looked down and saw a number of skeletal dragons the size of babies grab at his armored legs. They clawed to rise higher, but at the same time, dragged Akai down into the mud. Akai took his blade and cut down below him, striking at the skeletons away as their bones clacked between their crying jaws.


    The spectral Aquis coughed out, "You will endlessly drown in the oceans."


    "You will be rejected by the heavens," Azor said.


    "Your body and soul fertilizer," Kytlmyne said.


    They charged down at Akai all at once, but Akai wasn''t afraid. He made one clean strike at the three dragons. Their heads turned to black smoke and covered Akai for but a moment. Akai cleared away the smoke and looked around. The environment changed into a dark wasteland.


    Akai looked in horror. In front of him was the dead body of Jezeboyah. His scales stripped from his body. He dropped to his two knees and lowered his head. Akai remembered how he failed Jezeboyah. How he couldn''t save him. How he couldn''t stop him, before it was too late. Akai murdered him in cold blood.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    A singular voice from the darkness surrounded Akai.


    "In the end, you couldn''t save him. No matter how hard you pleaded, he was gone," it said.


    In an instant, the corpse of Jezeboyah arose with ferocity. Akai jumped back as the red dragon thrashed at him. As Akai looked into who he would consider a father''s eyesockets, maggots crawled out with the speed of cockroaches. In that instant, he remembered. Remembered what Jezeboyah wanted Akai to do him. What had to be done. And it was his inaction that destroyed Butterton Town and it''s inhabitants. A chill was felt on his neck and Akai struck behind himself slashing against the surrounding darkness.


    Akai remembered the reason why he was hunting dragons. Not for any personal reason. Not for himself. But for helping all life. A needed sacrifice for all others to live. If he wouldn''t do it, then the future would be set in the ashes.


    Akai''s slash a cut an opening through the darkness like paper. And from that, the dark fog faded from existence. He looked over and saw the three wraiths all cut in half. Their fading spirits being dragged back into the black mud. It was nothing but an illusion, but it reminded Akai of his purpose and he thanked the shadowy creatures for it as he sheathed his blade.


    As he stared at the three, he realized what kind of creatures they once were. Their original form was that of nymphs. Spirits of the woods. They would usually heal the forests, but the three in front of him seem to have been corrupted.


    As their spirits faded away, he remembered the suffering black stallion sinking into the mud. He looked back towards the horse. If it hasn''t died yet, then he would give it a quick death.


    But something else emerged in his line of sight.


    The horse was alive, but different. It''s face contorted and looked almost human. It maintained it''s long neck, but it''s eyes and mouth felt like staring at a person''s. It''s mouth drooled constantly with a never ending supply of saliva like it had rabies. The rest of it''s body looked like a normal horse. It bowed it''s head staring straight into Akai''s own eyes. As if it could see behind the red dragon-scale helmet. Akai stood shocked and disgusted. It opened it''s long mouth with hoarse breath.


    "Oh, prophet. Dog of death to the Gods above," the horse said.


    Akai thought that it must have been another illusion brought forth by a fourth wraith. He held his hilt in preparation of battle. Though, the feeling was different. It didn''t feel like an illusion like the spectral ancient dragons. Instead, it actually felt like a real creature. He stood his ground in wait for an attack.


    "Do not be alarmed. And do not be insulted by what I''m about to do. I only follow the master''s commands," it said with a hoarse voice while continuing to make eye contact no longer bowing to Akai.


    "Your master? So, this is the work of some mage?" Akai asked while not letting down his guard.


    The horse didn''t reply to Akai''s meaningless questions. Instead, it''s body began to convulse. It broke it''s own bones and grew to triple the size of Akai.


    Over the hundreds of years, he had never fought or seen a monster like this, but didn''t show any sign of fear. He unsheathed his blade and prepared for battle as it''s unblinking wide eyes stared directly Akai all while morphing it''s body.


    The horse stood on two legs and it''s arms twisted into that of a human. The eyes were erratic for seconds, but then focused back towards the black dragon. It''s bones sharpened through where the horse''s heel used to be and pierce through it. It''s forearm and elbow grew with muscle along with the chest and hind legs. It''s continuous stream of drool fell to the ground. It''s spine grew out of it''s back and grew out spider legs made of bone.


    The monstrous human-like horse stood tall over Akai, but he didn''t waver. For him, the bigger the monster was, the easier it would be to hit it.


    The unknown abomination charged forward with it''s sharp bone-like pincers in front. As the monster approached closer, Akai slid his blade under the two sharp bones and he moved forward. He cut the the monster''s two arms clean off. Blood and insect fell out.


    The creature staggered back and said, "Impressive. As expected from our foretold -"


    In a moment, Akai grew out his black wings and tail. He flew up face-to-face with the monster and grabbed it''s neck. Akai''s yellow eyes glowed behind his visor as it seeped through. His heavy grip held the creature''s neck. One drop of sweat fell down from it''s head and just like that, Akai knew that he had won.


    With one hand, he snapped the monster''s neck and pushed it to the ground. It''s tongue stuck out as maggots, spiders, and other various insects crawled out of it''s mouth.


    "I don''t have time for this," Akai said as he hovered above the black mud. He turned his back thinking that it was dead. He sheathed his blade and began to fly over to solid ground.


    "You are just as promised, my lord," it said and Akai quickly turned back to the monster with his red blade in hand as it sank below the black mud, "Thank you for bringing us out of the rot..."


    The creature only needed to distract Akai for a couple of seconds. That was it''s purpose and now it was fulfilled. Akai watched as it slowly sank away lifelessly to make sure that it wouldn''t attack him by surprise, and as soon as the body disappeared, he relaxed himself. He hovered above the black mud and dropped himself off on healthy sturdy dirt beyond the patch of black mud.


    He looked back at the black mud as the trees around it rotted away. He wondered what kind of dark magic was affecting the forest, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. He brought his attention back to the dragon. Akai wondered whether he should notify the inquisitors of the black magic that was occurring in the forest, but knew that meant burning down the whole forest. He would decide what to do with what he found for a later date. To him, it wasn''t a need for immediate concern.


    He retracted his dark wings and tail. Akai covered his blade with his cloak and walked away towards King''s City. The bright moon overhead was all the light he needed as he traversed the forests, but the forest had many shadows. Within them, more eyes locked themselves upon Akai and he knew it.


    Shadowy creatures that hid themselves within the dark crevices between the trees lunged at Akai. In response, he unsheathed his blade and sighed, "I don''t have time for this."


    For a moment, Akai felt that his green blade was heavier, but rather be distracted, he focused his attention towards the monsters.

 Chapter 61: The Silver Sacrifice

    The other dragonslayers followed the black crows by horse. Captain Leo didn''t believe that Akai was just testing him, but instead of thinking about it, he focused on the mission at hand. It was true that he failed Captain Halido, and that he wouldn''t let Akai down again, even if it was just a test.


    "Follow the birds and kill the dragon," he thought to himself.


    One of the crows came up to his ear and said in Miura''s voice, "The dragon is close. He is still wearing silver armor and hasn''t left the old shack."


    "Can you see him?" Captain Leo asked.


    "No. My crows are able to find cracks in the shack, but when they look through they can only see black. Some kind of magic is blocking my view inside. Either this dragon knows a bit of magic, or he has a mage with them. Either way, expect some magical resistance."


    Captain Leo continued onward with the other horsemen following closely behind.


    ---------------------------------------


    The full moon shone a bright light upon the clearing where the abandoned shack stood. Nia had already left through the portal, but the sounds of hoofbeats closed in on them. The silver merchant told Belze, "Stay in the shack. I''ll handle them."


    Belze unafraid nodded. He knew that both Nia and the silver merchant were strong.


    "When this fight is over, can you teach me some magic?" Belze asked.


    "Magic? Why do you need to know any?"


    "Well, since I''m your assistant, it would be proper to teach me as a disciple, too."


    "I don''t know how being a good salesman translates to being a good spellcaster."


    Belze complained, "C''mon. I''m already your better at selling junk. As you know I''m a quick learner. I just want to pick up some small things."


    "What would you use it for? The magic."


    "To protect my family. To protect people like you and big sis."


    "Protect? When you protect somebody, you''ll have to harm another. May even need to kill. Protecting a maiden from a bandit would mean killing the bandit. Although you saved one life, you had to take one. Could you live knowing that you took away another man''s life?"


    The silver merchant paused as he heard the horses come to the clearing. He couldn''t see them, but he knew they were there. He walked towards the door and said to Belze, "I have learned that children tend not to understand the world, but you have experienced more than any other. I''ll teach you some basics of what I do know of your magic, but that''s it. What you do with it is your choice."


    Belze was thrilled that he would learn magic. He thought that once he has learned some spells, he would no longer need to be protected.


    Magic was just a tool, the silver merchant thought. What Belze would do with that tool, he would have to decide for himself. In the end, the silver merchant was still apathetic to Nia, but there was a flicker of emotion that swelled up. He never imagined that he would worry for another person, yet for a moment, he worried what Belze would do once he learned a simple spell.


    The silver merchant opened the door and walked outside facing the group of dragonslayers.


    The inside of the shack morphed as the silver merchant left. Belze watched as the room turned into a dusty and decrepit holding. It was now empty except for an old wardrobe. Belze watched outside through a crack in the wall. He looked upon fully armored knights against the silver merchant.


    The silver merchant stood while the other dragonslayers got off of their horses.


    "I am Captain Leo. There have been reports of a dragon nearby."


    "There is no dragon here. Unless you brought one with you," the silver merchant replied knowing where this path will eventually lead. His horses were continuing to eat the grass calmly. Crows were perched on top of the wagon, the shack, and the surrounding branches.


    One of the crows landed on Captain Leo''s shoulder and whispered, "It may seem obvious, but this is the man... or dragon that we''ve been looking for. Silver armor hiding every single detail of his skin. Ask him to take off his helmet so that we can be sure that he is or isn''t a dragon."


    The crow flew away and Captain Leo asked with a calming smile, "Well, all we need to do is find this dragon. It would be nice to see the face of whoever I''m speaking to."


    "I can''t do that," the silver merchant replied.


    The other dragonslayers were about to unsheathe their weapons, but Leo signaled them to hold.


    "I just need to know whether you''re a dragon. If you''re just a regular man, we''ll leave you alone. Hell, even if you were a some wanted criminal or a skeleton underneath all of that armor, I promise that we won''t come after you. We''re just dragonslayers. I would be alright if you just showed some skin on your arm or something."


    The silver merchant looked into the dark forests and could see the crossbows pointed at him. The other dragonslayers held their unsheathed weapons ready for a fight. The silver merchant only stood in silence.


    Neither the dragonslayers nor the silver merchant were afraid as Belze watched from the crack in the wall.


    The crows started to caw and fly away except for a few that stood on top of the silver merchant''s wagon.


    Captain Leo''s attitude changed as his friendly tone turned violent.


    "If you won''t prove to me that you aren''t a dragon," Leo said while unsheathing his sword as the other dragonslayers unsheathed their weapons, "then you''re only proving that you are one. This is your last chance."


    "I have seen countless genocides before. Acts of violence do not surprise me, but I do not feel anger or empathy towards you or anybody like you. You all seem like regular people who are going about their daily lives like a farmer waking up to go to work. Only doing what you believe is right, and the definition of right is ever changing. A war hero in one view while a butcher in another. With all that said, I do not wish to hurt any of you," the silver merchant said, but the dragonslayers readied themselves for a fight.


    The silver merchant was still for a moment, and the next instant, he dashed straight towards the side away from the shack. In that moment, a barrage of arrows started to fire at the silver merchant.


    The merchant thought that defeating them would be easy, but he had to focus their attention away from the shack. One stray arrow would be all that they need. He couldn''t shield the whole shack in a magical barrier, otherwise they would know that there was something important in there.


    As each arrow hit him, they would only bounce off of his silver armor. The other dragonslayers charged at him while Captain Leo stayed behind with two other masked dragonslayers. One that held a large axe while the other held a chain whip with a scythe head attached.


    The silver merchant dodged the oncoming onslaught without any desire to kill them. He took his fists and struck the armored dragonslayers to the sides. Their armor was thick, yet the blows were able to push them back. They weren''t like the bandits at Jaeden town. They were properly trained to fight things bigger and stronger than them.


    The group of dragonslayers noticed his fighting pattern. One of them took out two daggers made of dragon scales and as the silver merchant tried throw a punch at him, he dodged quickly and stuck the two daggers into the dark opening where the silver merchant''s eyes were. The dragonslayer smiled in victory, but the merchant threw the quick dragonslayer away as the daggers fell to the ground. As the daggers fell to the ground, their blades turned to dust leaving only the hilt.


    The other dragonslayers were shocked thinking that it was over. Captain Leo was surprised at what he saw. He believed that the silver armored man wasn''t a dragon, but also not a human. He was unaware of any type of creature that could turn dragon scales to dust especially after getting stabbed in the eyes. Leo''s eyes were deceived. He knew what he saw, but he showed no fear.


    Captain Leo held his blade to his face. He remembered getting it as a gift from Akai when he first became a dragonslayer. It was made of a blue dragon scales. He saw the reflection of himself on his face from the pristine dragonscales. He hasn''t killed many dragons as there weren''t many by the time he has become one, but each one he did kill, he remembered. Each one of the dragonslayers next to him fought for their own reasons, and each one knew how to fight against monsters.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Captain Leo gave orders to his fellow dragonslayers.


    "Dragonslayers, fall back to me!" He shouted, "Crossbowmen, fire!"


    As the dragonslayers went back, the barrage of arrows pierced through the dark forest towards the silver merchant.


    As the merchant dodged the oncoming arrows, he shot out small balls of light towards where the shots were coming from. He could see the archers as if it was day, but he didn''t want to kill them.


    One of the crows started to squirm as small maggots dug into it''s feet and talons. Soon, it calmed itself and flew to the top of the shack and looked through any holes that it could see through. Miura started to manually control one of the crows while continuing her own plans, although she knew that she was only being guided.


    The crossbows were hit by the balls of light with perfect accuracy and their weapons rotted and turned to dust.


    Captain Leo could only assume that his crossbowmen were killed, but he couldn''t mourn. He ordered the other dragonslayers to continue their assault. The silver merchant focused his attention to the knights coming at him.


    The crow that was looking into shack saw a young boy watching the fight. Miura was aware that it wasn''t a dragon, so the child was of no importance. But a sharp pain struck the back of her head, although there was nothing there. The micromanaging of all of her crows were putting a strain on her own shattered mind.


    But as her crow watched back towards the silver merchant, she realized that the boy must have been important to him. The merchant was preoccupied with fighting off the dragonslayers to notice the crows. Something itched on the back of her head. It wasn''t the micromanaging, but another form of guidance. She heard nothing but the brawl, yet in the back of her mind, she wanted to kill the boy.


    As the silver merchant fought against the assault, he continued to hold back his punches. Occasionally, he would conjure a small sword of light and hit the dragonslayers'' swords turning only the blade to dust, but not the person.


    One of the dragonslayers took out a chain attached with a scythe head. He wrapped the chain around the silver merchant''s leg while the head couldn''t even pierce the armor. When the merchant looked down, another dragonslayer with a heavy axe struck down on the merchant. In that moment, the silver merchant blocked the axe with his silver arms. The other dragonslayer pulled at the chain while the force of the axe pushed him down to his knees.


    Captain Leo whistled and the two dragonslayers jumped back. Before the silver merchant could get up, Leo took out a green-filled glass ball from a pouch and threw it. As the ball hit the ground, it exploded into an eruption of flame. The dragonslayers thought that they have destroyed the merchant, but none would sheathe their blades as they should still be prepared for any unlikely event. Captain Leo especially didn''t think that one explosive would beat whatever this was.


    The silver merchant stood up among the flames and as he did so, the fire started to swirl around him. The burning fire started to be consumed into the openings of his faceplate and disappeared into nothing. The only signs of a fire was of the burned ground underneath him. His armor was still clean. No hint of soot or dirt.


    The crossbowmen came out of the forest and ran towards Leo. One of them said, "Captain. All of the crossbows are destroyed, but each one of us is alive and accounted for."


    Captain Leo was surprised that they all lived. He thought that the silver merchant''s magic was only able to affect non-living things, as he never saw the merchant using any of the magic against his men.


    "Grab your sword and prepare to fight," Captain Leo commanded.


    There was a moment of silence as the dragonslayers faced against the silver merchant. Captain Leo waited for his opponent''s next move, but the merchant was only still.


    Leo looked around his fellow dragonslayers and saw that none were killed. Bruised and some tired, but none dead. He was unsure if the silver merchant was holding back. As the other dragonslayers waited for his command, he had no time to think about his options.


    Captain Leo yelled a battle cry and charged forward. With that, the other dragonslayers charged. The merchant waited.


    As Leo slashed, the merchant defended himself with his armor and nothing else. As the dragonslayers surrounded him, he started to push them away. The silver merchant grabbed Captain Leo from the neck and threw him away. The other dragonslayers started to get thrown around as the silver merchant''s strikes were suddenly stronger and faster than before. As one of the dragonslayers swung his axe down, the silver merchant punched straight into the sharp metal shattering the axe head.


    As the other dragonslayer wrapped his chain whip around the silver merchant''s arm, the merchant merely pulled the whipe towards himself. The dragonslayer held onto the whip and flew towards the silver armored merchant. As he did so, the merchant punched the man''s face breaking his nose while flying away. The silver merchant started to injure the dragonslayers, but still tried not to kill any of them. Some bled. Some bones were shattered like cracked tree bark. But none were killed, again.


    As Captain Leo got himself up, one of the crows landed on the captain''s shoulder and whispered, "The man isn''t a dragon. Don''t jump, but the dragon is inside the shack."


    Upon hearing these words, Leo jolted up and looked at the shack. He was near the walls of the shack and only a couple of feet


    "Where is the dragon?" Leo asked Miura through the crow.


    "Once you enter, he will be in the corner. He is watching the fight, but if you quickly enter, you will catch him offguard and give him a swift death."


    Captain Leo understood what needed to be done. While the silver merchant was busy pummeling the other dragonslayers, Captain Leo could quickly check the shack.


    Belze continued to watch the fight, but didn''t notice as Captain Leo was moving slowly around the walls. Captain Leo kept watch on the silver merchant as he continued to brush off the waves of dragonslayers. Even as bones broke, the dragonslayers continued to fight. A broken arm. A broken leg. Each one of them had their own story of why they were fighting and that gave them the will to keep going against the impossible.


    The silver merchant noticed Captain Leo and saw that he was slowly moving back towards the shack''s door. He was only a couple of feet away from the door, but the silver merchant wouldn''t let him.


    The silver merchant dashed past the dragonslayers and towards Leo. Upon noticing the merchant''s reaction, he realized that whatever was in the shack was important enough to protect. Leo ran towards the shack and as soon as Belze noticed the running dragonslayer, he jolted up.


    The silver merchant shot a beam of light aimed at Leo''s legs. The amount would be enough to just make the leg frail and old. But before the light could hit its mark, a crow flew in the way morphing itself into a frail old bird and eventually dying in front of him.


    Captain Leo had little time to think. He trusted the words of the witch. The silver merchant shot a barrage of light beams, but more crows would fly in front of them killing themselves in the process.


    As Leo appraoched the door, he broke down the door and quickly ran to the corner of the decrepit shack. It was dark and not even a second passed.


    Captain Leo''s blade stuck itself into a body. As the adrenaline faded, he realized what he had done. He was overcome with shock. It was impossible. It was just a child. Not even a one with scales. Just a normal boy. Leo''s blue blade turned red with the boy''s blood as the blade stabbed through his heart and into the old wall.


    Belze could only make weak groaning sounds. Tears swelled up in the child''s eyes and blood started to pour out of his wound onto the blade. Leo looked at the boy and saw himself as a child. Helpless and scared as a giant dragon burned down his town.


    Belze tried to raise his hand up, but it was slow. His vision blurred as he tried to reach towards the dragonslayer in front of him. His entire body became cold. His thoughts ran of his parents. Of Nia. Of the silver merchant. All people who protected him, yet in the end, he felt like he has failed each one of them. With each painful breath, he felt fear. His whole body became numb.


    Captain Leo held the boy''s hand as guilt overwhelmed him. He had no idea how the witch could have made a grave mistake, but he blamed himself most of all. He was too rash and could have prevented this. As he tried to comfort the dying boy, he could only blame himself. The wound was fatal.


    Belze gave out one loud bloody cough and fell silent. His eyes stared blankly at nothing.


    Suddenly, the silver merchant broke through the old wall of the shack and grabbed Captain Leo by the head. The merchant yelled in anger and threw him away from the shack to a far away tree. As soon as Leo''s body hit the tree, he fainted while throwing up some blood. The whole side of the wall was destroyed, but the shack still stood.


    The silver merchant kneeled next to Belze. He took out the blue blade and threw it away.


    "Nothing I can''t fix," the silver merchant said as he spawned small orbs of light that reverted the wounds. The lost blood started to enter back into his body. The color of his body started to rejuvinate. Belze started to even breath as his eyes gained color.


    The silver merchant looked at Belze after the orbs disappeared. Belze made no movement. He breathed and stared. His heartbeat was normal. His body was functioning normally, but something was different, although the silver merchant only thought that it was shock.


    He put his hands on Belze''s shoulder and lightly shook him. "You''re safe, now, Belze. I saved you," the silver merchant said.


    There was still no response. Just an empty stare. The merchant didn''t understand. He reverted the wounds away, but even as the silver merchant shook Belze harder, he wouldn''t even give one response back. Not even any slight movements. Just a steady breath. As the silver merchant looked at Belze''s eyes, he noticed that he didn''t even blink. It looked like Belze was just a doll. For the first time in the merchant''s life, he felt worry. Even if he hadn''t made a promise to Nia, he still worried whether Belze was safe or not. He didn''t understand why Belze wasn''t moving nor his own emotions.


    As the other dragonslayers got up except for the fainted Captain Leo, the silver merchant felt another emotion. Hate.


    The merchant closed Belze''s dry eyes shut.


    "Don''t watch," he said.


    The merchant got himself up and looked at the following the draognslayers. None of the crows were there any more.


    The horses of his wagons started to neigh and with the flick of the silver merchant''s hand, the horses were free to run away.


    The dragonslayers slowly readied themselves to fight. The silver merchant said quietly to himself, "Even with broken bones, they still fight. Admirable, yet pointless. I don''t care what these people would amount to be. I don''t care whether they believe to be righteous. They are like cockroaches."


    The silver merchant yelled in anger at the dragonslayers, "You wanted to see my face. Very well."


    As he finished that sentence, he took off his silver helmet and only a dark void twisted around reality. As the dragonslayers looked upon the shifting dimensions of reality, their minds turned to jelly. Each one of their eyes burst out of their sockets. Their faces melted as they witnessed something that none of them could explain. Something beautiful yet horrifying. The full moon twisted into a torrent in the sky above them. Every single creature that looked upon his face began to kill themselves. The bugs burst into pieces. The rabbits and small animals that came upon him began to hit their heads upon the trees until they either forgot how he looked or died from hemorrhaging. The stars moved away from the black void that came upon everything it touched.


    There were no crows nearby as if Miura knew that she shouldn''t linger nearby.


    After noticing that all of the dragonslayers were dead, the silver merchant contained his head back into his silver helmet. The merchant walked back towards Belze and continued to shake him until he awoke. Captain Leo still laid there unconcious, but alive as his eyes never met with the the silver merchant''s face.


    "Wake up, Belze. Please wake up," the silver merchant repeated while shaking him. There was no response.

 Chapter 62: Saving Nera

    Nera sat with her legs crossed with the smell of rot and disease swarmed the dungeons beneath the Den of Dragonslayers. Her dirty body was covered with old, ripped clothes. The crows'' unending gaze focused on Nera as she sat motionlessly. She thought of how she could escape but to no avail. Miura''s ever-watching eyes continued to peer over her, and above her were groups of knights and dragonslayers. She tried to relax herself from the horrifying sight of Miura, but she couldn''t forget the witch''s horrid maggot-filled eyes.


    Nera felt lucky that she was still alive, but felt sorrow for the others. She blamed Akai, but mostly the witch who turned them into piles of rotten flesh and bones. If Akai hadn''t specifically ordered Miura to not hurt her, then she would have been dead already. Miura''s sadism and bloodlust were only brought back by Akai holding the loose reins over her. Although her bloodlust was kept in check, she had other ways of torturing Nera.


    Nera was calm and breathed normally. Although she hated the smell of the other villagers'' corpses and bird droppings, Nera eventually became used to the disgusting smells. Above her, she could hear the small conversations between the dragonslayers. The two guards outside of the entrance were usually quiet, but she could recognize their footsteps. Nera couldn''t see the two guards, but she could hear two sets of footsteps whenever they would switch to the next shift. She was unaware of the time, but instinctively she knew when the next shift of guards would come in. That was her window of escape. She couldn''t see any other way in or out of the dungeons.


    However, that was the most she could do given the circumstances. The crows continually watched and if she tried to pick up any kind of object from the floor, they would begin to caw loudly as if they were alarms alerting the dragonslayers above. The crows would swarm around the object without causing any physical harm towards me.


    Nera began to lose hope in escaping. Her thoughts dwelled on Nia and whether she was safe, but she had a feeling that the little green dragon would come and rescue her. Nera thought as long as Nia was safe, she would continue to hold onto a glimmer of hope.


    As she sat there staring down at the crows that covered her surroundings, she heard the dragonslayers changing shifts.


    Nera looked back at the crows which occasionally flapped their wings or gave a small caw. If it wasn''t for the crows, she would have found a way out of here by now, she thought to herself.


    For a moment, the entrance of the dungeons opened for a mere moment. Nera noticed, but didn''t hear any footsteps. The crows were unaware.


    From the shadows, Nera was able to discern a hooded figure wrapped in brown cloth. The dank dungeons hid the figure from the crows and even Nera was unable to keep up with it''s speed.


    When the figure was close enough, Nera was able to see figure''s face. It was Nia with her dark skin and light green dragon scales. From the corner of the shadows, Nia motioned Nera to keep quiet, but Nera couldn''t help but give a smile. After a second, she stopped smiling after realizing that the crows continued to watch her. Nera remained calm so that she wouldn''t tip off the crows.


    Although, Nera was the one being rescued, she was more glad that Nia was safe.


    It was over in a single moment. Nia quickly unsheathed a red blade and slashed against the flock of crows in one fell swoop. The crows panicked and one-by-one they fell. Nia''s accuracy was pinpoint accurate as if she could tell where the crows were flying. In one more second, the crows who survived fled towards the entrance of the dungeons trying to escape, but before they could even make a sound, Nia created a small spark from her mouth and the next moment, she breathed fire towards the entrance burning away the remaining crows.


    "So much for stealth," Nia commented upon hearing the panicked footsteps above them.


    When Nera looked back at Nia, her heart skipped a beat as she saw how much the little dragon grew up in a short amount of time. Tears began to swell up and without a second thought to her dirty rags, she wiped them off to see Nia more clearly.


    The dragon walked towards Nera and broke off the cage doors with ease. Nia held out a hand and the same wonderful smile that brightened up the entirety of Kyte village. It was the one thing that hasn''t changed, Nera thought.


    "Let''s get you out of here, Nera," Nia said. Nera was surprised that Nia didn''t call her big sis Nera, but so much was happening that she brisked that thought away. Nia pulled back her hood revealing her long brown hair. Nera could only feel a sense of joy upon seeing her, again.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Is this a dream?" Nera asked as she was about to hold Nia''s hand to pull herself up. Nera thought that the dark dungeon brightened with Nia''s pleasant smile.


    But that pleasant dream was cut short.


    Nera saw Miura walking behind Nia. With each silent step, the fires whisked away. Miura''s sadistic smile created darkened the entire dungeon. Chains from Miura''s dress began to slither across the entire dungeon like snakes.


    Nera shouted, "Behind you, Nia!"


    As soon as she finished that sentence, Nia turned around and the chains came at her. Each chain sharpened themselves into knives. The light green dragon struck against the chains with her red blade. The speed at which the chains attacked Nia was too quick for the human eyes, but for every strike with the chains, Nia would block each strike. No chain would pierce her, but Nia was being pushed back nonetheless. They fought for what seemed like an eternity as Nera could do nothing but be a spectator. The walls were covered in bloodied chains.


    Miura continued to smile as Nia struggled. At one point, the witch conjured lightning from her fingertips without any warning. Nia''s entire body was fried, but she continued to block the relentless chains. Nera watched as Nia struggled, but there was nothing that she could do against the witch. For a moment, she pondered on what to do, and the only thing that she could think of was charging forward. Instead of thinking of her own safety, she thought of Nia as she must have suffered just as much as she. Nera ran forward to surprise of both Nia and Miura. Instinctively, as she charged forward, one of Miura''s chains pierced through the air towards her.


    Nera took a risk. She believed there was a reason that the witch wasn''t able to harm her during her imprisonment, so she had nothing to fear except losing Nia. She stared straight at the sharp end of the chain as it was inches in front of her eye. Miura realized in that second what would happen if she were to harm Nera. Miura''s face contorted in fear for the first time in her life and as soon as Nera saw Miura''s horrified face, she smiled at getting payback.


    A mere pinch would cause severe burns on the witch''s neck. Miura couldn''t imagine what would happen to her if she ended up killing her. A side of her feared what kind of pain she would feel throughout her body, and another side feared whether she would survive from the shock. She couldn''t lose at this point as her plans were so close to fruition.


    Miura''s chains let up on Nia for mere milliseconds, but it was enough time. Nia sprinted towards Nera before the chain struck her eye. With enough force, Nia struck the chain away from Nera and pushed her away.


    As Nera fell to the ground, Miura felt a sharp pain course through her body, but held back the urge to convulse. The markings on her neck glowed and during that time the chains slowed for that moment. As soon as Nera looked back towards the battle, Nia charged ahead with her red blade pointing at Miura''s head. The witch gave one more horrid smile as she knew victory was in her grasp. Within inches of the red blade stabbing Miura''s rotten heart, Nia stopped in her tracks.


    Nera watched in shock. The chains on the walls behind the green dragon coiled onto Nia''s legs, arms, and sword. The more Nia struggled, the more they constricted. During the next few seconds as Nia tried to break free of the witch''s chains, but as she tried to break free, a number of chains came down from the ceiling piercing through Nia''s feet and hands. The green dragon cried in pain, but she didn''t let go of her red blade. Nia inched forward and as the red blade touched Miura''s chest, the chains hardened and tightened their grip. The red blade shattered into glass. The shards fell to the dirty ground. As Nia created a small spark from her mouth, more chains came from behind her and stabbed through her lungs. Instead of fire, the green dragon coughed out raw blood. Her eyes turned bloodshot red as she looked back at Nera in despair.


    Miura felt a surge of joy through her body as she knew that she broke Nera. Having completed her personal challenge of breaking her prisoner without inflicting physical torture pleased the witch. She enjoyed giving an ounce of hope to Nera and then swiftly snatching it away.


    Nera couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    "I''m sorry," Nia said before her body went limp. There was no more resistance as the chains let up.


    "It has to be a dream. This can''t be real," Nera whimpered.


    As Nia''s lifeless body fell to the ground, Miura looked down on both the green dragon and her prisoner. Nera crawled towards Nia. There were no tears as disbelief overcame grief.


    Miura walked away and left Nera by herself. It was all coming together, the witch thought.


    Miura left the dungeons with a smile. The noise within the dungeons caused a number of dragonslayers to take battle positions outside of the dungeons, but as soon as they saw the witch leave the dungeon quiet, Miura was able to convince the other dragonslayers that the situation was handled. She explained that an intruder tried to break into the dungeons, but Miura was able to intervene. They weren''t convinced, but due to Akai''s personal orders, the other dragonslayers wouldn''t dare enter into the dungeons to investigate for themselves without permission from the Crimson Black Knight. As nobody heard any more noise from under the dungeons, they relaxed themselves and went back to what they were doing.


    Nera couldn''t believe what she was seeing. Nia didn''t deserve to die like this, Nera thought. She would rather switch places. It should have been me, she thought. Not my sweet, Nia. Voices in her mind repeated that there was no escape; that she would be stuck in the dungeon alongside Nia''s decomposing corpse for an eternity. "Nobody is going to save you," the voice inside her mind said.


    As Nera held Nia''s cold hands and stared deep into her blank eyes, the only thing she could think of was that it was all a dream. There was no way that any of this was happening. She thought that she might wake up any second. Maggots slowly crawled from the rotten bodies and began to eat away at the recently killed corpse. Within the corner of her eyes, she saw the red shards of the once proud blade that she, Akai, and Nia used.

 Chapter 63: Short Delay

    Nia watched the Den of Dragonslayers from a nearby alley. The streets were filled with lights that drowned out the stars, but even so, the full moon shined brightly overhead. Even with all of the lights, the alleyway was shrouded in darkness.


    Nia wore her brown cloak and hood closely, even though she still had her illusive ring. While she stood leaning on a nearby wall, the civilians, mercenaries, and soldiers went about their business. The regular shops were closed, but the taverns continued to be bustling. There was still plenty of noise as if King''s City never slept. However, where she stood, rats scurried along the shadows and homeless men and women slept next to a bottle.


    She continued to watch the den until she had an opening. Nia wondered whether she would be able to see this Akai that Nera has told stories about. She couldn''t sense any dragon like she did before, so she couldn''t rely on any help. But it gave her comfort knowing that there were other dragons still alive.


    While Nia hid in the dark alleyway, drunkards would occasionally pass by from nearby taverns. Crows were perched on top of every corner of every building. The noise of the city and flocks of crows intermixed until they became synonymous with each other.


    Nia looked at one of the crows and could have sworn that it was glaring at her. She thought nothing of it. While watching the den, she saw a pale woman walking out from it. She wore a dress made up of chains and had markings on her neck. The green dragon didn''t recognize her even though that she was there 30 years ago at the forest. Nia only remembered the Crimson Black Knight - the demon. The others dragonslayers were a blur, however she felt that she had seen the woman before.


    The woman walked slowly. Her body seemed frail and weak. She coughed and coughed. Each cough more hoarse than the next as she covered them with her arm. Nia wondered what that ill woman was doing there.


    Although she wanted to help her, she made no movements to indicate so. Nia merely crossed her arms in wait for an opportunity to get her in and out safely. She has just got there, and rushing in would be suicide, she thought. First, Nia needed information. She needed to figure out where they kept Nera and the other villagers. She thought that she could grab a drunk dragonslayer coming from one of the taverns and get some information out of him, but none have crossed her path, yet.


    As Nia continued to stand by the dark walls, the pale woman slowly walked towards her. Nia looked in her direction as the woman looked down at the stone pavement holding back a coughing spree. As the woman walked closer, Nia looked away feeling slight shame that she was unable to help her and she did so, Nia saw a small maggot crawl into a homeless man''s mouth and swallowed it. The sight of it disgusted Nia, but there was nothing she could do, now that it had been done.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The pale lady walked into the dark alleyways and passed by Nia. The green dragon didn''t think that this ill woman was a member of the dragonslayers. Perhaps, she was a family member of one, she thought. It was for a moment, but she thought that if the ill woman was a family member of one of the dragonslayers, then she could easily hold her for ransom against him, but she quickly threw away that thought. Nia thought that she wouldn''t need to do anything as to take a sick person hostage to rescue Nera. What would big sister Nera think if she had done so, she thought.


    As soon as Nia continued to watch the Den of Dragonslayers, one of the homeless men woke up in a daze.


    He said, "Agh. My aching head..."


    When the man saw the ill woman, he continued slowly as if he were drunk, "Hello, beautiful. It must be fate to bring you here."


    The pale woman coughed and said in a weak voice, "I don''t want any trouble. This is just my way to home."


    The man grabbed the woman and forced her to the sides of the wall. As soon as the woman touched the wall, Nia sprung into action. She had to protect her.


    The green dragon unsheathed her red blade and stuck it near the man''s neck. Nia looked at the man''s eyes in disgust and anger. For a split second, she saw some kind of worm wiggle inside of his eye, but it quickly disappeared. It took moments for the man to realize what was happening and as soon as he saw the blade pressed up against his neck while holding the pale woman in his arms, he let go and put his hands up.


    "I- I don''t want any trouble. This is a misunderstanding," the man pleaded.


    Nia put down her sword and slightly pushed the man sending him to the ground. He picked himself up to his feet and ran away into the shadows picking up his near empty bottle.


    Nia relaxed herself.


    "Miss, are you alright? I think it would be wise to take the main streets. Plenty of knights in the crowd," Nia said.


    The woman coughed and replied in a weak voice, "I''m fine. Thank you, but there are no other routes to my home."


    "No other routes? That doesn''t make any sense. Especially in a city like this."


    "Oh, trust me. There is no other way."


    The pale woman coughed more loudly than before as she fell to her knees. Nia helped lift her up from the cold floor.


    "I guess it can''t be helped. I''ll help you get to your house," Nia said.


    "Oh, I don''t want to impose..."


    "Nonsense. It won''t be any trouble," Nia said as she took one look back at the Den of Dragonslayers. She thought that helping the ill woman would only be a short delay. As Nia was preoccupied looking at the den, the woman gleefully smiled.

 Chapter 64: A Dragonslayers Slave

    The pale woman held Nia''s arm lightly as they traversed the dark alleyways in silence.


    Eventually, the woman stopped and looked around for a couple of seconds as Nia watched around for any thieves or brigands hiding themselves.


    "So, I never asked about the dress," Nia said.


    "My dress? Well, I made it with what I could gather. I found chains lying around the floor at times until I was able to complete it."


    "Like an art project?" Nia asked in amazement. She thought that the woman must have been some kind of artist.


    The woman made no reply, but kindly smiled in her direction. After they took some more steps, they slowed to a halt. It was just an empty dark back alley filled with trash.


    "Here we are," the woman said as she let go of Nia''s arm. The pale woman coughed and walked towards a pile of trash and a wooden box.


    "This isn''t a home," Nia exclaimed.


    "It might not be a house or a room in some tavern, but it is my home," she replied hiding her deceitful smile.


    The woman sat on a soft pile of trash shooing away rats.


    "Thank you for taking me home. Now, I''m sure a nice girl like yourself is busy and I don''t want to take up any more of your time," she said in a pleasant manner.


    Nia wondered for a moment and asked, "I saw you come out of the Den of Dragonslayers?"


    "Did you, now? Well, that is where I work."


    Nia assumed that the woman must have been working as a clerk or janitor. She didn''t suspect that she was in any condition to be a dragonslayer.


    "If that''s true, then why do you live in a place like this?" Nia asked.


    The woman frowned and pointed to the markings on her neck. Nia was unfamiliar with them and the woman could tell.


    "They''re slave markings. I have no choice, but to work for them."


    "Slave markings? I don''t understand."


    "I''m simply a tool for the dragonslayers. I have no choice but to obey them."


    Nia confusingly asked, "What kind of tool? What would the dragonslayers need you as a slave?"


    The woman began to shed a tear, but held it back. She replied, "I''m a mage. I''ve helped them kill dragons."


    The woman held out her hand and created sparks between her fingertips. Nia was stunned at the revelation. She was able to remember where she had seen her, before. 30 years ago, there was a pale woman with the dragonslayers. She looked no different, except for the fact that she seemed to be very ill, now.


    Nia remembered how the dragons were slaughtered and the aftermath. It was not an image she wanted to remember. She breathed in and out calmly and the images soon faded away. The green dragon said, "So, you''re some kind of mage. Doesn''t explain why you''re their slave or why you''re living here."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The woman took a breath before coughing loudly. She said, "I used to practice in dark magic. I was found by inquisitors and captured. The dragonslayers took me in to be used as a weapon. And as long as I have this slave markings, I must obey them. If I use my magic to harm anybody without permission, my markings will fry me. I never hurt anybody before, but I regret ever using the kind of magic that could summon devils from other worlds. When the inquisitors found and captured me, they killed the rest of my family. If I could take it all back, I would."


    The woman spoke both true and false. As both the truth and the lies become one, they meld together to form a new story. The story that Nia would want to hear.


    As she finished her story, fake tears flowed down her cheeks. She sniffled and coughed at the same time. And Nia believed every part of it. There was no reason not to. Enough was presented to be seen as true, so the rest must have been true, she thought.


    Nia didn''t know how to react to the woman, and only froze in place. After a few seconds, she felt sorrow for the lady and knelt beside her.


    "I''m sorry that you had to experience all of that. I... I know what it''s like to have everybody you care about taken from you. I''m sorry," Nia said with sympathy.


    The pale woman wiped away her tears and replied, "I never meant to unload all of that on somebody I just met. It''s just... that it''s very lonely."


    Nia didn''t want to ask about the whether she knew where Nera and the other villagers were, but she needed to find them.


    "I know that you had a hard life. I know what it''s like to lose your family. But I''m trying to find mine. Do you know whether the dragonslayers took in any new prisoners possibly weeks ago."


    The woman coughed loudly and looked like she was thinking about it.


    "I think so. We don''t usually carry prisoners, but we recently captured some villagers. They all got put in the dungeons underneath the Den of Dragonslayers. I think they are still there."


    Nia was glad that the villagers were still safe and now that she knew where to find them, she could start on making plans to get them out.


    As Nia began to get up, the woman said, "Yeah. I''m sure of it. They are still there. There have been multiple dragonslayers going in and out of the dungeons recently. I think they might be torturing them for information about a dragon. It''s somewhat hard to hear, but I can suspect what they are doing. Other prisoners usually get the same treatment."


    Nia froze worryingly and the woman continued, "When they go in, their armor is clean and pristine, but when they leave, their armor becomes muddied with blood or other bodily fluids."


    Nia became increasingly worried. She realized that she had wasted too much time, already. She had to save them immediately after hearing that. She couldn''t think straight and wanted to immediately go there.


    The woman saw that she was about to run off and said, "They''re your family, aren''t they? You''re from the same village as them."


    As she finished that sentence, Nia stood still and looked back at her without giving any response. There was only determination in her eyes. Determination to get her big sister Nera and the other villagers out of that hell. Heat pumped throughout her body quicker than lightning. She needed to know whether the woman in front of her would try and stop her.


    The pale woman coughed and said, "I can help you get in there. I don''t want to see any more suffer under the rule of dragonslayers, inquisitors, or any other group."


    Nia calmed herself down realizing that she could help get herself inside without having to sneak in or fight off against any trained knights.


    "I want to help you," the woman said as she tried to get herself up. She coughed more frequently and louder. When she tried to get up, she fell to the ground on her knees covering up the coughs. Nia quickly went to the woman''s side and gently comforted her.


    "Are you sure? I don''t know if you''ll be able to," Nia asked.


    The woman gave one more cough before standing on her two feet.


    "I''m sure. If I can save at least one person before I die, then perhaps my life is worth something."


    The woman gave a kind smile towards Nia, and the green dragon smiled back.


    Nia and the woman slowly walked away from the piles of trash and into the dark alleyways towards the Den of Dragonslayers.


    "Thank you. I never got to get your name. I''m Nia."


    "My name is Miura."

 Chapter 65: Mouth of the Dragonslayers

    Nia and Miura stood in front of the Den of Dragonslayers. She felt uneasy going straight in without a prior plan, but had confidence that Miura would be able to at least lead her to where her big sister Nera was.


    "Getting in seems easy, but getting out with big sister Nera and the others will be difficult," Nera said.


    "Big sister?" Miura asked in confusion. Her coughs became more frequent, but have quietened since coming near the Den of Dragonslayers.


    "Oh, yeah. We''re not actually related, but I still see her as a big sister. Did you have any relatives that you could look up to?" Nia asked.


    Miura showed a slight hint of worry. She never knew that Nia called Nera big sister. She had hoped that it wouldn''t ruin any of the plans that she conceived beforehand. Nonetheless, she replied, "No."


    Nia remembered that Miura''s family was killed and apologized.


    "I''m sorry. Please forgive me if I was prying."


    "It''s not something I want to discuss."


    Nia and Miura still stood in front of the Den in plain view. The night time crowds rushed past them as if they were stones in a sea.


    Nia still couldn''t sense any dragons nearby. So, that means that the one called Akai wasn''t nearby. She had hoped that she could get him to help, since they were both dragons and as their numbers dwindled, hopefully Akai would be more inclined to give aid. However, there was no time for Nia to search for this dragon. Even if he was nearby, she had no idea how he would look.


    Even so, she was curious to this mysterious Akai that Nera held high regards to. Somebody that Nera waited for during the last 30 years, yet never came. Nia didn''t blame him, however. If he was a dragon, then he must have known that he would be putting the village in danger. Nia wondered whether she should have left long ago before the dragonslayers could figure out her existence, but it was all in the past. Now, she needed to focus on the future. Saving Nera. Saving Kyte village. Then, she could think about whether or not she should leave the village for their sake. And for her own.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Nia looked back at Miura and asked, "Do you know about anybody called Akai?"


    Upon hearing that name, Miura''s entire body went cold. Nia could tell that she knew of the one she was talking about. Miura paused knowing that she had to be careful of what to say. If Nia knew that Miura was lying about anything, then she would suspect every part of her tale as a lie. If that happened, then she would easily be crushed by the dragon''s raw strength.


    "You know him, don''t you?"


    Now that Nia could tell that Miura knew about Akai, the witch asked carefully, "What do you know about him?"


    Nera couldn''t tell the dark mage that either she or Akai was a dragon, so she replied, "Big sister Nera told me stories of him. He was a... knight who went on many adventures. I''ve heard that he may be here. I thought that perhaps he could be helpful, but I know that wasting any more time could be fatal."


    Miura could sense that Nera was holding back on what she knew. But she also could tell that Nia knew nothing about Akai. She only knew as much as what Nera told her. Miura could tell the differences between the lie and truth. The witch believed that was advantageous to her.


    Although Miura knew that both Nia and Akai were dragons, she couldn''t let Nia know that she knew. So, she decided to say, "I have met him, but he is not the kind of man you think he is. He is a monster hunter of sorts, but makes many false claims. He''s not one to be trusted."


    Nia was disappointed by the answer. "Are you serious?"


    Then, she thought that since Akai was hiding the fact that he was a dragon, Miura wouldn''t know too much about him.


    Nia optimistically said, "Maybe. Maybe, I''ll have to meet him myself."


    Nia believed that since Akai was a dragon, that if they had met, they would get along just fine. A big brother, Nia thought.


    Miura smiled deviously and enjoyed every second of tricking a dragon. A creature of immense power that could bring devastation wherever they go. An animal playing right in the palm of a tiny witch. As long as Nia trusted Miura, then all would go according to a divine plan. A plan that is constantly being drawn up by forces not her own, yet followed by Miura all the same.


    "Nia, are you ready? Ready to save your big sister?" Miura asked with a small cough.


    Nia looked at the dark mage with determination and no words were needed to be spoken.


    "I see. Then, let''s go," Miura said as they both entered the Den of Dragonslayers.

 Chapter 66: Dungeon of Loss

    Nia and Miura entered the Den of Dragonslayers as if they belonged there. The other dragonslayers looked in their direction. Some fully armored. Some with average clothes. Some sharpening their blades or refining their armor. Some asleep on their tables with a drink and paperwork next to them. There was plenty of space for the dragonslayers to do whatever they needed. Almost seemed like an overgrown tavern, if Nia didn''t know any better. However, the dragonslayer who were fully armored looked ready to go out on a moment''s notice. Fully armored with their hands on their sheathed blades as they stood by and watched the others. Miura''s coughing became very quiet, so that none of the guards would question anything. The witch was confident that none of them would even look in their general vicinity. But to Nia, it seemed like they were avoiding their gaze in fear, but she thought nothing of it. She kept her cloak and hood wrapped tightly and tried to cover her illusive ring with her other hand. They walked past the clerk and a bulletin board of job listings. Jobs for both freelance mercenaries and employed dragonslayers. The jobs included possible sightings of dragons that others could look into. Also, there was money offered to anybody who would either notify them of any dragons in any vicinity (with confirmation by a dragonslayer) or bodies of dragons themselves as proof of kill.


    They made hunting an entire species a normal job.


    Nia was abhorred by their behavior. To them, dragons were just another... monster, Nia thought. She remembered that was how she thought of anything or anybody trying to hurt her or her family. Just some monsters. From this thought, she looked back at the dragonslayers. She noticed that some veterans had scars and burns. They weren''t fighting and killing dragons for no reason. Some had a personal grudge against them. Nia knew that some were just in it for the money, but she also knew that they actually believed that their actions were justified. They simplified the life of dragons the same as Nia simplified the life of a bandit. Just monsters.


    As Nia and Miura approached the dungeon door, they were stopped by two armored dragonslayers holding spears.


    Miura coughed and said weakly, "Let us pass."


    The two dragonslayers were confused by Miura''s behavior. She was never sick before, but they both shrugged it off. They both thought that the witch was still human enough to get a common cold.


    One of the guards said, "I know you, witch, but I am unfamiliar with your... friend."


    They both looked at the fully cloaked figure. Clearly it was a dark skinned woman.


    The other guard asked, "May we at least see your face?"


    Miura nodded to both the dragonslayer and Nia. Nia took off her hood. Long brown hair flowed down the cloak. The dragonslayers looked at her face and neck for any signs of scales, but none could be found. Nia relaxed herself and remained calm. Nia thought that nobody knew that she was a dragon and her illusive ring made it so. She thought not even Miura knew.


    One of the guards said, "The witch is allowed in, but not the guest. I don''t know who you are, but you should stay away from that dark mage. Even if your both girlfriends, she''ll probably kill you in your sleep and take your organs for some sick ritual."


    Nia was surprised by the remark, but she looked back at Miura who only coughed and wheezed. The green dragon didn''t believe that Miura was capable of such things in her state. She already knew that she was a witch, but she also believed that Miura regretted whatever dark magic she has done in the past.


    Nia was about to say something, but Miura held her arm tightly.


    "These are orders from the Crimson Black Knight. She is to see the prisoners and transfer them to one of the city dungeons," Miura said with full confidence. She knew that Nia didn''t know that the Crimson Black Knight and Akai were one and the same. And she could use that.


    Nia remembered the Crimson Black Knight vividly, but she was no longer afraid of him. It was not a demon to be feared that her childhood self made him out to be.


    The dragonslayers looked at each other and during that moment, Miura winked at Nia. When they both looked back at the two ladies, one of them said, "During this time of night? I haven''t gotten any orders for-" but was abruptly cut off.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "Do you want to tell your excuse when the Crimson Black Knight himself?" Miura asked and then proceeding to rasp.


    The other two dragonslayers didn''t want to argue with the witch, Miura, in fear of what she might do. They respected the Crimson Black Knight, but they feared and hated the witch. While the Crimson Black Knight was in the forefront, the dragonslayers would also notice the dark stain on his armor known as Miura. There were rumors that the witch was able to commit her own atrocities on regular people and atrocities, all while being unknowingly protected by the Crimson Black Knight. Some dragonslayers would occasionally go missing, and the blame would be directed towards the witch. But Miura took no offense. None of the dragonslayers would actually confront her about any of it. While some of the horrors that are mentioned are true, the Crimson Black Knight trusts her as long as she has those slave markings on her neck.


    "Very well, witch. Do as you please," one of the guards said and they both marched away.


    As soon as Miura saw them leave, they continued forward. It was now empty with only the entrance down into the dungeons.


    Nia felt her heart beat faster as she was so close to getting them back.


    As Miura opened the entrance, a chill went down through Nia''s spine. All of that excitement for getting her big sister Nera back faded. Something felt off about the dungeons. It was quiet and the smell reeked of death. The smell was worse than that from the aftermath 30 years ago. The smell of decomposing bodies in an open field compressed into a concentrated dark room. Nia was unable to see in the darkness below even though her sight was better than that of regular humans.


    She covered her mouth and walked down into the dungeons. As the sight became clearer, she gasped as the first thing she saw was a dead body decomposing. The face was already being eaten by maggots.


    Nia needed to find her big sister. She couldn''t accept that she was dead. At the moment, Nia quickly moved a step closer and as soon as she did, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure in the shadows coming after her. Something that not even Miura was aware of that caught her surprise. A trap, she thought as soon as she saw the figure holding a shard of red glass. Nia''s eyes turned fully green as her instincts took over. Nia unsheathed her blade in the blink of an eye, while her teeth sharpened. Without seeing the figure, she cut off it''s arm holding the glass and pierced into where it''s heart should be and lifted the figure above her.


    There was a long pause as Nia''s rage took control. Drip. Drip. Drip. The blood dropped to the stone floor and Nia''s own face.


    Nia couldn''t see the figure''s face clearly as if the dungeon itself was shrouded in a thick layer of black mist.


    The figure held out it''s other arm and stroked Nia''s cheek. It''s softness woke Nia from her draconic instincts as her green eyes faded away. She looked at the figure and it was as clear as day.


    "Nia? You''re... alive..." the figure said in a soft voice.


    "Big sister Nera?" Nia exclaimed as she looked at the face of her big sister in disbelief.


    Both Nia and Nera were in utter shock. Nera looked at her red blade piercing through her chest. Without a second thought, Nia quickly took out her blade and threw it away. She held Nera in her arms and tried to stop the bleeding, but the damage was already done. Nia''s lungwas punctured straight through.


    "No. No. No. No. Not after all that''s happened..." Nia cried. Her disbelief overtook any other emotion. There were no tears coming out of her eyes. She believed it to be another nightmare. There was no way that what she was seeing was real. It was all an illusion, she thought. A falsity created by magic, but there was no such magic being played. Nia tried to shake her head and wake herself up from the nightmares, but nothing worked. After a few moments upon realization that everything was real, tears began to form around her eyes.


    Miura''s face was frozen in shock. She thought that Nera would be completely broken to the point of suicide after witnessing the false Nera''s death. Miura was a firm believer that nobody could bring themselves up after being broken. The witch knew that the red shard was meant for her, and if the witch entered first, then she wouldn''t have expected it. Miura felt a sense of relief that she wasn''t killed in that manner. As Miura looked up, whispered came to her from the shadows and she was confident that the plan hasn''t changed.


    Nera smiled and wiped away Nia''s tears.


    "You have... grown so much," Nera said slowly.


    Blood from Nera''s arm and chest was endless.


    Her big sister Nera tried to comfort the crying Nia by wiping away the tears with her hand.


    "It''s... hard... to see... you."


    "I''m right here, big sister," Nia replied as Nera''s vision faded away.


    Nia looked away and said, "I''m sorry."


    "Sorry... for... what? You''re safe. You did... nothing... wrong," Nera said quietly.


    Nia sat on the dirtied ground and held her like a cradle. She held Nia''s hand to her face while the heat of ther body slowly disappeared.


    Miura thought that the best way to break somebody was to offer them their hope and snatch it away. It was at least more exhilarating to the witch to witness it. She thought that Nera was broken, and her sense of relief turned to disappointment. Miura was never able to break her. Nera died unbroken, she thought with resentment.


    Eventually, Nera''s breath slowed to a stop. Nia cried aloud as she closed her eyes and laid her head down on Nera''s chest. I killed her, Nia thought within herself. It was the only thought going through her mind as she held Nera''s cold and gentle body. All she could do was cry and hope that it wasn''t real. She cried as if she was a child, again. However, unlike her childhood with the dragons or her big sister, there was no one to comfort her. To tell her that it was going to be okay. Not anymore.

 Chapter 67: Dragons Roar

    Akai held his green blade with valor and might against the creatures of the forest. Every second, the blade felt heavier. He needed to put more weight into his swing with every slash. Worms with mouths filled with rows of human teeth came at him from underneath the dirt, but Akai held his ground and faced the creatures. As they approached with speeds faster than any horse, Akai took his blade and cut them down in seconds. White eyes watched him the dark glared at him, but without malicious intent as if they didn''t want to attack. However, whatever the creatures were still chose to surround Akai from every corner of the forest. The branches above began to move and block out any hint of the moon. The moonlight shrank as time passed and while Akai could see the creatures, they also saw his eyes turning yellow through his visor among the darkness. His dragon instincts never left him.


    Akai began to sprint dragging his green blade with great strength. If he wasn''t a dragon, the sword would have already been pulled down to the ground. His armor looked to be heavy, but barely weighed him down compared to the sword. While sprinting away , he struck against any creature that would jump within the shadows. Akai could somewhat see human-like hands with claws coming from the shadows and he would immediately cut them down. When he did so, the hand would drop to the dirt and vanish into thin air as if it never was there. One of the arms reached out among the hundreds and scratched against his armor. Akai noticed that it left a scratch mark even through the dragon scales of an ancient dragon. He thought about using his wings, but upon seeing that they could scratch dragon scale armor, he didn''t bother giving them a bigger target.


    He wanted to head back towards King''s City, but even the forest impeded his movements. As he ran faster, the tree roots sprouted up towards his legs as if it was alive with a grudge against Akai.


    Without his keen senses, he would have tripped over them. He jumped over any vine or root that came up from the dirt, but as his concentration focused on the plants, more creatures began their assault. Akai took his blade and with great power, blew away the creatures with a gust of wing created by his swing. The force of his strike threw the bushes and grass away, and even tipped over trees from the ground that surrounded his immediate area. For a second, the moonlight reflected off of the red and black dragonscale armor. His yellow eyes glowed amidst both light and dark. The green blade continued to resist Akai and only became heavier. Soon, the tip of the blade touched the dirt below. Akai noticed the shadowy creatures'' eyes as they shook afraid for their life.


    "I can smell your fear, ones hidden in shadow," Akai said, "If you fear me so, then you should just leave."


    As they heard Akai speak, they reacted with uncertain eyes and he realized that these monsters were sentient. The creatures paused their advance as if they didn''t want to come in contact with the light of the moon, but as Akai waited, the trees started to fix themselves. Their branches started to close the gaps of light and Akai sprinted once more. He ran through the dark forest avoiding any of their strikes as well as attacking back whenever he saw an opportunity to do so.


    The creatures were hard to see even for Akai and this puzzled him. The creatures within the shadows were unlike anything he has ever fought, but that did not deter him. The forest trying to impede him was more worrying. He would have suspected treants as the cause of the rising roots trying to trip him, but there were no signs of any walking trees. But as he first saw the black mud, he assumed that everything that was going against him was the work of a dark mage. However, he didn''t know any besides Miura who he found to only have powers over crows, lightning, and the occasional future vision. The monsters he was fighting and running away from was something that was both a perversion of nature and nature itself.


    As he ran further away, he saw an opening within the dark forests and sliced his way through.


    As soon as he got to the small clearing, the shadowy creatures stopped just before they could touch the moonlight. Akai could still not see them, except for their white eyes. However, he had time to breathe. A short respite before he could continue. As he relaxed, he noticed the branches from the surrounding trees to slither and grow above the field. They moved alongside and over each other creating shade from the full moon, however it was slow and would take a couple of minutes before they would reach the middle. Leaves formed in seconds right in front of Akai''s yellow eyes. Akai leaned on his heavy blade and took a breather. Upon relaxation, his yellow eyes ceased. He noticed a small lake of water near the ground. Dragonflies still flew over while getting devoured by frogs. Akai went over to the lake and stuck his blade into the ground. He unequipped his helmet and grabbed a handful of clear water. He drank it in one gulp. He sat down next to the pond and drank peacefully as the creatures watched. As Akai looked around him, the white eyes continued to stare, but there was neither hate nor love in them. There was nothing. An empty void. However, as he watched the forest, he noticed the trees turning black and as he put his hand on the green blade, he could feel the hate emanating from the trees. The bushes. The grass he sat upon. The forest had strength, but it was slow. As the green blade connected itself to the roots underneath it, Akai could tell what the plants around him was thinking. He was unaware that the green blade had that ability. All of them with only one desire. To kill the Crimson Black Knight. To kill Akai. But the creatures chasing him were not a part of the forest''s desire or plan. They were a variable outside of the plants'' control, yet they both worked synonymous against Akai unintentionally.


    Akai looked at the white eyes from within the shadows and said, "It is strange to see such monsters working together with nature even if it''s by accident."


    As he watched, the creatures only continued to glare without taking any step outside of the darkness in which they hide, but he could tell that they understood language. While Akai held the green blade, he could even tell that the plants were listening.


    "I know both sides can hear me. I would like to know why either of you want to attack me. Perhaps one of you hiding in the corner could come out and explain. Or maybe even a piece of wild grass, at this point," he said with a joking attitude. He didn''t make conversation like this for 30 years, and it felt good to be like how he acted before becoming the great Crimson Black Knight. But even though it felt refreshing, he still remembered his duty. He still believed that only he can save the world.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    The eyes moved slightly, but none of the creatures came out. The trees continued to grow their branches overhead, but their speed was slowed.


    They listened, but none talked. Akai sighed and and drank one more handful from the pond. He stood up and put his helmet back on. His hand still held the green blade''s hilt, and he continued to monitor what the plants were feeling. Only hate poured through them endlessly. But for a moment, he was able to sense that the plants wanted revenge against him, but Akai was unsure of why. He never knew that the forests were alive, before, so why would they want revenge against him, he wondered, but no answers came to him. Within seconds, his senses perked up. A dragon was nearby.


    He looked up at the clear sky and grew out his large black wings three times his size and a tail.


    Akai grabbed the green blade breaking away the roots that attached themselves to it. It took considerable strength to wield let alone hold it. As he flapped his wings, the blade became heavier. He was barely able to lift himself 2 inches above the ground. Eventually, his wings tired and he dropped to the ground. He breathed heavily trying to lift the blade, with no idea on why it was heavier. He retracted his wings and tail, and suddenly the blade became lighter.


    Was the sword aware of Akai''s wings, he questioned, but he found it ridiculous that a sword would be able to act on it''s own.


    "There must be some strange magic going on in this forest. Did a mage put a curse on my blade? Would one of you white-eyed freaks tell me?" he asked towards the creatures hidden in the dark, but there was no response.


    "It''s like I''m talking to a wall," he commented to himself.


    He was still able to wield the blade, but it took all of his strength to be able to swing it.


    The trees rustled, but there was no wind. Plant life moved away creating a clearing that surprised both Akai and the shadowy creatures. A creature came out from the darkness and into the moonlight walking on two legs. It was three times the size of Akai. It''s gaping mouth with rows of jagged teeth. Six bulbous eyes stared down at Akai. The monster had six arms each holding a cage made up of roses. Within each cage was a trapped wisp. The creature had the wings of a rotten butterfly. Purple mushrooms grew on the back of the creature as well. It had long black hair and was clearly a female by it''s moss-covered breasts. The wisps were erratic trying to break free of their rose cages to no avail. Akai could recognize the creature or what it was supposed to be. It was like a tremendous pixie, but corrupted by disease. She salivated all over the grass accelerating their growth process until eventually they withered away. She had a pugnant odor that smelled of death. It smiled yet at the same time it groaned with pain.


    Akai looked at it like any other monster that needed be hunted. He suspected that it was a product of the forest and the shadowy creatures'' unintentional alliance. Akai''s eyes didn''t fool him. He knew that the trees moved out their way for it. They must have decided to let this creature through. But he also noticed that the shadow creatures were surprised by it, as well, so he thought that nature took it upon themselves to create this creature.


    "A perversion of nature yet accepted by nature. I knew that the forest and dark creatures were working together, but to think that they would merge themselves. You trees must be desperate if they would go that low," Akai said as he prepared to fight against the corrupted pixie.


    The pixie flew towards Akai flapping it''s wings with unparralleled speed. As the monster came closer, the blade became lighter as if it too wanted to end the creature''s miserable life. Akai didn''t understand why his sword was acting the way it is, but had no time to question it.


    The pixie attacked Akai by hitting him with her cages of wisps. Akai stood his ground blocking against the her flailing.  The pixie continued to strike at him with her thorny cages and Akai would dodge each one. When she was about spit a ball of saliva at Akai, the Crimson Black Knight shot out flames within his helmet. The fire went through the visor and straight towards the pixie''s head. The saliva turned to gas in seconds and the pixie''s head was covered in burns. The fire caught onto it''s eyes and wings. She dropped two of her cages and tried to wipe the flames away from her face. In that moment, Akai had his opportunity. His eyes turned yellow with rage that seeped through his visor. His green blade became light as a feather and with all of his strength, he cut off the monster''s head like half-melted butter. Maggots and worms sprung out of the creature''s neck and it fell to the ground. Every plant around it''s corpse began to whither away. The nearby pond turned green. The frogs died where they stood while dragonflies ripped themselves free of their bellies. The mushrooms on the creature''s back burst into purple acid melting the creature leaving no trace of it''s existence.


    Akai''s yellow eyes looked back at the white eyes staring from the shadows. He could still see their fear, yet they refused to run away. His eyes reverted now that the immediate threat was taken care of. He knew that he couldn''t lose control and jump straight into the dark forests, but he also knew that he couldn''t solve anything by waiting around.


    The green blade became heavier once more, and Akai wondered why. He still sensed the nearby dragon, but there was no sign of any around. For a moment, he thought that the blade he held was still alive. A part of Kytlmyne still lived within the green scales, but he had no proof of it. It felt like the sword had a personality that was just recently awakened. A personality that despised Akai, yet at the same time allowed him to kill that godforsaken monster.


    The full moon continued to shine. As Akai pondered, he thought that it was still ridiculous for a blade to be alive. It was just a sword made of scales. The blade never did anything to warrant having a mind of it''s own before that day. Nothing about it could make it a living creature. The blade must be under some magic curse, he thought. He thought about letting Miura take a look at it when he got back to confirm and, if need be, fix it.


    As he took a couple of steps, he heard a loud roar echo through the skies. A roar filled with rage covering up any hint of sorrow. The trees and ground shook for a moment. The white eyes disappeared into the shadows in a panic. Akai looked in the direction of the sound and with a skip of a heartbeat knew that it was coming from King''s City.


    Akai grew his wings and tail. However, the blade gave resistance. It became heavier. Too heavy to fly with, but once he touched the ground, the blade was bearable. He questioned what kind of curse acted this way, but he had no time to think about it. He retracted his wings and tail, and instead dashed through the forests no longer being impeded by the trees or shadowy creatures. Only being slowed by the weight of his green blade.

 Chapter 68: A Dragons Awakening

    Nia with tired eyes laid her big sister on the cold floor wrapped in her cloak. She assumed that if Nera was alive before her arrival, then the others must be as well. Nia stood up rubbing her baggy eyes trying to see among the dark dungeon''s cold landscape. She looked at the woman on the floor with maggots eating the face. It looked to be some kind of mercenary. The body wore leather armor and a cloak. However, the skin had been eaten by other bugs. Only red muscle could be seen and even that looked to be rotten. Nia didn''t know any of the villagers having any kind of armor nor recognized who it could have possible been. Some lone mercenary, she thought. Nobody that she needed to be concerned about. Miura stood by the stairs watching the entrance in case of anybody wanting to come in, however she knew nobody was coming.


    Nia looked at one of the cells with an open door.


    "That must have been her cell," Miura said.


    "I see," Nia said trying not to convey any emotion.


    Then, when the green dragon''s eyes met upon the other cell, her whole body froze in terror. An amalgamation of flesh and blood. Bodies of rotting men, women, and children mutilated. Their body parts and bones all mixed with each other. The mere scraps of cloth were from the village, but none of them she could recognize. Their faces have all become nothing but heaps of flesh. Maggots, flies, and worms chewed erratically among the dead. Even the bodies of dead children being covered by their parents before their death became nothing but food to bugs.


    As Miura walked over, she gasped in ignorance.


    "What the hell is this?" Nia asked in horror.


    Miura puked on the floor before replying, "Their torturers must have done this. The dragonslayers are ruthless. They must have wanted information. Probably of a dragon, but there hasn''t been a dragon for a long time. Their deaths must have been slow, excruciating, and pointless."


    With that, Nia came to a realization.


    "They were tortured... for me. I did this? I''m the reason for all of this death?" Nia said taking a few steps back.


    "No," Miura jumped in, "No. This wasn''t your fault. You came as quickly as you could."


    "I wasn''t fast enough. I shouldn''t have wasted any time helping villages on the side," Nia said. She then remembered Belze and her promise to save his parents.


    "If this all of them? Were any other prisoners kept elsewhere?" she asked.


    Miura shook her head.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I remember them coming in. These are all of the prisoners. I''m sorry," Miura said trying to sound sympathetic.


    Nia fell to her knees in defeat. Her eyes stared at the ground. Everything she tried to accomplish failed. She failed to save the villagers. She failed to save Belze''s parents. She failed to save Nera. She failed her big sister. She failed everyone.


    Miura offered Nia a friendly hand.


    "This wasn''t your fault," the witch said, "It was their fault. The dragonslayers. The knights. The ones who took them from you. Do not put the blame on yourself. Put the blame on them. The race of humans care for nothing but mindless pain and suffering. They stand on the backs of all other life including their own for their own personal gain. They have no care for anything that they trample upon but themselves."


    At this time, the words made sense to Nia. Everything she loved was taken from her twice. Both by the dragonslayers.


    Miura added, "As for killing that woman, you''re not responsible. They brought her here to be tortured and killed once they find their dragon."


    "It was their fault," Nia said, "Even big sister Nera''s death. It was all them."


    The green dragon''s mind was tired and confused. She didn''t know what was real anymore. Her only hope was that it was a dream or magical illusion, but quickly came to the realization that everything in front of her was real.


    Nia gripped her teeth. Emotions flooded in. Rage. Hate. Anger. All directed towards the dragonslayers that took everything from her. Her eyes were enveloped in a green shade. A tail and two green wings shot out from her back.


    Miura gasped as if she was surprised. The ground shook. The dragonslayers and people above thought that there was an earthquake.


    Nia''s teeth sharpened. Her body began to grow. Her illusive ring started to crack and soon snapped in half to the floor. Light green scales covered her entire body. However, her leather armor started to morph as well. They changed in size and continued to fit on Nia''s large and evergrowing body. Miura wondered what kind of magic allowed that. As Nia continued to transform, the witch stepped back to the dark wall. Her face of surprise slowly faded as the shadows covered her. No longer needing to put up a facade, she put up a magical barrier around herself.


    Nia''s entire body grew and grew. Her neck grew and her face elongated. Two horns grew out of her skull piercing her forehead. Her mind reduced itself to that of an animal of endless hatred. She walked on her fours. Her leather armor continued to fit her all throughout her transformation. As soon as her body grew to the height of the ceiling, she breathed out one large stream of fire above her destroying the Den of Dragonslayers from below. The dragonslayers were unprepared from an underground attack. Their bodies were reduced to ashes in seconds. As the entire building toppled to the ground, Nia''s large green wings emerged from the rubble. Then, the entirety of the light green dragon appeared out of the rubble with all of it''s awe and might. She was in a form that she hasn''t used for a long time and it grew far larger than any time she turned into a dragon before.


    The surrounding people froze in awe and terror. The green dragon casted a shadow from the full moon over King''s City. Nia climbed on top of another building looking down upon the people of King''s City. Her mind was utterly gone. Reduced to nothing but an animal. An animal with an intense urge to burn. As Nia looked at the people, she saw them not as regular civilians. But as dragonslayers. All of them. Which were actually dragonslayers and which were regular people? Her green eyes couldn''t differentiate the difference. To her, everybody wore the same dragonslayer armor. Her green eyes brightened. The green dragon roared into the night sky reverberating all across the city and beyond.

 Chapter 69: Desolation of Kings City

    Everybody began to panic and run away. Nia still stood on top of the adjacent building watching. Her body felt hungry. Her mind angry. Everyone was a dragonslayer in her eyes. But there was a small hint of Nia still inside of her. Something held her back from raining fire from above. She felt that something wasn''t right, but one crossbow bolt was shot towards her leg. It merely scratched her, but the brief moment of pain removed any sign of Nia''s higher understanding. Yet she felt like she was in control of herself even through it all.


    The green dragon looked at where the shot came from and saw a dragonslayer with his legs shaking. In her eyes, she saw more dragonslayers taking position holding crossbows and magical staffs. Before, they could fire at her, Nia breathed out a stream of fire in that direction burning everything in it''s path. She took off to the sky toppling the building underneath her and as she passed over the other buildings, the mere force of her wings caused their rooftops to fall apart. All kinds of people screamed and ran for their lives, but all Nia could see were dragonslayers.


    Miura came out of the rubble unscathed as her magical barrier protected her. She held the red blade in her grip and smiled as she watched the carnage. She took a deep breath of the dead and burning air with satisfaction. She stood up on top of the rubble. Flocks of crows flew over her as she watched Nia burning everything to the ground. The large crossbows weren''t meant to shoot within the city, but as the damage increased, she was sure the nobles would allow them.


    "Dragons have so much raw power, yet they are so easy to manipulate just like any other human," Miura said as she walked away passing the burning corpses of dragonslayers, mercenaries, and soldiers. As well as regular men, women, and children.


    Nia saw every building equipped with large crossbows aiming at her and blew each one of them away. The people below running away looked like dragonslayers taking aim. With every motion, she breathed out a constant stream of fire turning everything to ash. Every part of King''s City turned to flames. Peasants, nobles, kings, and queens were nothing to the power of godly fire striking from above. Whatever fun night they were having would become tragedy.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    As Nia approached the walls, their large crossbows began to fire at her. Large bolts passed by her. The mages fire bolts of lightning, shards of ice, and balls of fire at Nia with seemingly no effect. One of the large bolts hit Nia at her chest, but the giant leather armor she wore bounced the bolt right off. Her armor changed itself to fit onto a fully grown dragon and still contained magical properties for protection. Soon, the fully trained soldiers and knights panicked as nothing had any effect. Nia spit out a large ball of fire and split the wall in two. She flew above the burning city while the beautiful full moon continued to illuminate everything underneath it. The green dragon destroyed only a section of King''s City, but the fires could be seen from hundreds of miles away.


    Nia landed on one of the buildings and looked down at her destructive power. As she saw the dead dragonslayers below her, her mind began to calm itself. She gave out one long and loud roar towards the heavens and stars. She no longer felt the same rage. Her green eyes dimmed. She started to think properly. No longer feeling any danger, her animalistic mind reverted back to her normal way of thinking. Nia began to see things properly.


    She closed her eyes and rubbed her tired eyes for seconds. She thought that only dragonslayers have been killed. That was the only thing she saw and felt no regret over it. At least, until she opened her eyes.


    Nia was shocked to see the piles of bodies that were under her. She looked and saw that none of them were dragonslayers. Merely pedestrians caught in her cross-hairs. Her eyes caught onto one certain family. She saw the burnt remains of a mother protecting their daughter, who was also crisp. Nia looked around her and could only see carnage. In her dragon form, she cried a loud roar of pain. She flew up and looked around her. The constant screaming of people burning rang in her head. The entire city on fire. The temples. The stores. The millions of people turned into ash. Not the actions of dragonslayers and humans, but her own. But the thing she thought was worse, was that it smelled pleasant like a barbecue. Her body was filled with regret and disgust after what she has done.


    Nia flew down and her size decreased along with it. By the time she reached an alleyway surrounded by ruins, she turned back to human. As she landed on her feet, she noticed that her armor was still on, however, her ring was gone. Light green scales showed on her body. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a tattered cloak and she immediately grabbed it. She covered herself and went out into the smoke and fire within the ruins and desolation of a once great city.

 Chapter 70: Encounter

    Nia ran past everything in the burning city. More soldiers came to find the dragon which mysteriously vanished without a trace except for the destruction it left behind. But none could find any such dragon as they held their heads up high looking among the night sky, instead of to their level as Nia would easily be able to run past them without getting any attention. She saw the knights helping and carrying those who have been wounded. Her senses were ringing of a nearby dragon, but Nia concentrated on leaving the city. She had to get back to Belze and the silver merchant to make sure they were safe, but she made no plans for afterwards. A feeling of guilt washed over her with every step she took. Every belief that she was good and righteous within her crumbled. Only a feeling of dread and remorse remained. And above all else, she felt Nera watching behind her and judging her failure. A chill breathed down her neck while the entire city burned around her.


    As she approached the gate, there was only one knight standing watch. The others were sent out to find and kill the attacking dragon, or rescue people in need. She ran past the dead bodies of families and civilians trying to escape, but closed her eyes to the pain she caused. The few unscathed who escaped were lucky. Most were not so fortunate. If they didn''t die immediately, their burns would kill them later without treatment.


    The knight leaned on his sword in pain. His sides were heavily burned and at that point made no attempt to stop anybody from leaving as Nia ran right past him. The moon began to fade as the sunrise made it''s appearance.


    Nia ran as much as she could, but her body became tired and weak. Heavy bags ran down her eyes. The green dragon stopped several feet away from the forest. Her body shook while sweat poured out of her. She tried to hold back a puke, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She vomited ooze on the once clean grass and wiped her face. She breathed heavily trying to forget what she has done. To forget everything that has happened, but the smell of burning bodies was stuck to her.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She looked back at King''s City with complete and utter remorse over herself. Nia no longer believed Miura''s words that the dragonslayers and humans were responsible for her misfortune. It was all her, she believed. She caused only suffering to those around her and everything that happened at King''s City was proof. A heavy gust of wind blew hot air in her face throwing her cloak in the wind. Her long brown hair danced while smoke covered the sky. Even though, the sun began to shine through the smoke, Nia believed her life was over. She thought about what she would tell Belze. Although, she was uncertain about what to do, her senses still picked up a nearby dragon. For a moment, she hoped that dragon would come over her and strike her down.


    A branch broke within the forest and Nia quickly turned around to see where the noise came from. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw a man coming out of the forest. He wore red and black armor made of dragon scales. His helmet was in the shape of a crimson red dragon. He wore a cape made for royalty covered in mud and dirt. He breathed heavily as he dragged his green blade along the dirt. The crimson black knight locked eyes with Nia and vice versa. The green dragon stared blankly no longer having any desire to live, while the Crimson Black Knight looked at her with hatred.


    Dark clouds formed above them as they stared at each other.


    The Crimson Black Knight tired from dragging his green blade, and as he saw the smoke rising from King''s City, his anger only heightened.

 Chapter 71: The Green Dragon and The Crimson Black Knight

    The Crimson Black Knight took another step towards Nia, but his green blade was too heavy to make any kind of dash towards her. A yellow glow seeped through his visor, but he had no choice but to wait for a strike. He only needed one swift strike to end the fight, but he had to wait for the green dragon to make the first move. He didn''t even care to know her name.


    Nia stood with blank eyes. She waited for the demon that she feared as a child to quickly end her life as he ended her friends time ago. She closed her eyes and waited, but the Crimson Black Knight made no move. As she opened them, he still stood there breathing rapidly. His body was tired from running through the forest dragging his blade. He couldn''t waste any more energy, but he saw the blankness within Nia''s eyes. Her lack of will to live could be felt throughout the air. His body became agitated from the trying to control himself. He wanted to just let go of his blade and charge at her with his bare hands, but he felt that unwise. It could be a trick to let my guard down, he thought. His yellow eyes subsided as his need for control over himself outweighed the benefit of going berserk.


    "You''re the dragon from Kyte village, aren''t you? You killed so many people and one of them was a close friend. You destroyed an entire city for what!? Did you even have a reason!?" The Crimson Black Knight asked in anger. Nia made no sudden movements and only looked down in defeat.


    He needed a way to get her to charge at him if he was going to get his one good slash. He gripped his blade ready to end the fight in one attack. If the dragon decided to shoot fire at him, he would have to stand his ground, but otherwise, once she was close enough, he would strike.


    "You''re kind was always nothing but destructive. Are you afraid that I would be too difficult to kill compared to defenseless civilians?" The Crimson Black Knight taunted.


    Some crows flew overhead the two and dropped sharp object from above. The red blade pierced the ground below and stuck itself inside the dirt in front of her.


    The Crimson Black Knight became surprised from seeing his red blade once more. There was no doubt in his mind that it was his sword that he lost so long ago.


    Nia saw the blade, but didn''t reach for it. She saw no reason to fight.


    The Crimson Black Knight wondered how Miura found the blade and whether she had mistakenly dropped it near Nia rather than himself. He didn''t see any another crows flying around, except for the ones which dropped the sword flying in a circle fare above them. He thought about asking Miura afterwards about it, but he felt no anger towards the witch. He knew that accidents can happen and there have been strange magical creatures and curses around the forest that could have tampered with Miura''s own magic. His grip tightened. It took all of his strength to carry the sword above the dirt, but he had enough pent-up rage to use it when he needed to.


    Miura ran to the fields and saw the two staring down each other. Once, she got there, she took a breather, and that is when both the Crimson Black Knight and Nia noticed her. The witch noticed Nia''s darkened expression. Her face already looked to be half buried in the witch''s eyes, and she didn''t want that. Not one bit of it. She needed Nia alive.


    "Nia! Don''t just accept death! Fight!" Miura shouted giving words of encouragement towards the green dragon. Her words entered Nia''s ears, but she wasn''t listening. She just didn''t want to see another day.


    The Crimson Black Knight with surprise said, "What are you doi-"


    But before he could finish his sentence, Miura interrupted acting sympathetic with tears in her eyes, "Nia, I only told you part of the truth. The villagers weren''t killed by just any dragonslayer or torturer."


    As Miura talked, a crow flew over to his shoulder and quickly whispered into his ear, "I will try to motivate her to attack you. Play along."


    And the crow quickly flew away without Nia ever seeing. He looked at the witch with astonishment as he thought that she noticed his own tiring body. He believed that the witch was telling lies to the dragon with light green scales and dark skin to motivate her to attack. Akai had no quarrel with "playing along" with Miura''s plan.


    Miura continued her statement, "The Crimson Black Knight in front of you committed those heinous acts of violence. He mutilated them into nothing but piles of flesh."


    Nia''s eyes began to show color, but Miura wasn''t finished. She coughed twice and continued, "He killed those people. He used them as bait to bring you here. And as for your big sister, the Crimson Black Knight made her watch as all of her friends were tortured in front of her eyes until she gave up your location."


    Akai assumed that the villagers being dead was an elaborate lie. However, he had no idea that one of them could have been related to the dragon in front of him. He would have sensed if any of them were dragons, but continued to follow along with Miura''s story.


    Nia''s blank expression faded.


    "What?" Nia asked.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "It''s - uhh - true. I - uhh - killed them," the Crimson Black Knight said while rubbing his head and looking away with a cough at the end. All of it to confirm Miura''s words. A clever taunt, he thought. Nothing more.


    The witch was about to hide her face from embarrassment and whispered to herself, "Perhaps, I should have taught him some basic acting lessons before all of this..."


    Although his acting abilities was lacking, it was still enough to convince Nia that the man in front of her was responsible for their gruesome death.


    Nia felt a surge of anger rush through her body. She remembered Nera as she laid dying on the floor. She remembered the rotten bodies in the dungeon and remembered Belze''s smiling face. She had no idea how she was going to face the boy to tell him that his parents were dead. That the journey was all for naught. A useless adventure with no gain or reward for their hard efforts. But as those thoughts raced in her mind, a slap across her face struck her. She felt her big sister Nera''s slap across her face when she thought about dying once before. Nia knew that there she couldn''t die. Otherwise, she would fail her big sister, again. She regretted killing all of those innocent people, and believed herself to never be forgiven for it. But also knew that she nor Nera would ever forgive herself for dying without trying to hold on to life.


    A green glow enveloped her eyes as she allowed her dragon-like instincts to take over. She saw the Crimson Black Knight in front of her. Not as a demon, but as a man. Nothing, but a fantasy created by her childish imagination. The knight was responsible for all of her and everybody else''s suffering. She no longer blamed herself for the fate of the villagers or Nera. She blamed the Crimson Black Knight.


    Nia picked up the red blade quickly and dashed with all of her speed. Her eyes green. Her teeth sharpened. The only thing she saw in front of her was just another monster. And there was nothing to fear.


    The Crimson Black Knight smirked behind his red helmet as he prepared himself to strike. His blade heavy, but he was ready to give it his all, even if it meant tearing a ligament to do so. He believed that Miura''s lie was brilliant and that she should be congratulated after it was all over.


    As Nia zoomed through holding her red blade with both hands, the ground beneath her footsteps grew white flowers. With each step, she kicked up a gust of wind and as the dust settled, flowers of different kinds sprouted up from the ground.


    "You took my world from me! You killed everybody I cared about! You took away my big sister Nera!" Nia yelled in anger.


    Upon hearing the words "big sister Nera", Akai froze. He didn''t know what to make of it. He was sure that Miura was playing a trick, but as he looked into her rageful eyes, he knew that the green dragon wasn''t lying. He had a lot of questions for Miura such as the red blade and the story she concocted. Questions that he wanted to ask after he was finished killing the dragon in front of him.


    The Crimson Black Knight readied himself and as soon as Nia jumped up to strike down on him, sharp vines grew from underneath his blade and grabbed his sword and arm to his dismay. She roared with all of her might. As Nia lunged her blade downwards towards his head, the red blade ignited into a fury of red flame. The Crimson Black Knight quickly took his free left arm and blocked the blade from hitting his head. The magical gauntlets protected him from getting cut, but the heat from the fire was too much to bear and his armor only increased the temperature within himself. His skin on his left arm started to boil and meld with his unbreakable armor. For the first time in the Crimson Black Knight''s in a long time, he felt being pushed to the edge. If he was only a millisecond slower, the red blade would have struck his head and if the armor didn''t protect him, he was sure that his face would melt right off.


    Nia roared with all of her might, but the Crimson Black Knight still had plans on ending the fight quickly. The pain only quickened his response. With his left arm, he pushed away the red blade from Nia''s hands with bruteful strength. Nia''s green eyes faded away as she watched the blade fly away from her. The red sword''s fire extinguished itself before landing onto the open grass field.


    In an instant, the Crimson Black Knight held Nia by the neck with his free hand and began to choke the life of her as he held her up with one hand. Nia tried to break free of his grip, but he was too strong. She looked at the knight and saw the yellow glow seething out of his visor. No human could be this strong, she thought. It must really have been a demon.


    She continued to struggle to break free, but nothing would work. She even tried to grow into a fully-grown dragon, but when she attempted it, his grip became tighter to the point where she couldn''t transform.


    The Crimson Black Knight exclaimed, "You''re strong. But unkempt. Sloppy. Untrained. And Undisciplined. Whatever battle took place between you and Captain Halido must have been a fluke. That, or age has caught up to him."


    As she looked into his yellow eyes, she couldn''t help but make a smile. And this intrigued him, letting go of his tight grip.


    "Why do you smile?" he asked, "Do you take pleasure in dying? I wouldn''t blame you. Dragons are too dangerous to be left alive as evident by your knack for random destruction."


    Nia attempted to laugh, but she only managed to cough. "Do you think that you''ll be able to kill every dragon? I know there are more dragons still alive out there hiding in plain sight."


    The Crimson Black Knight relaxed his grip for a moment and said, "Oh. Maybe, you would like to say where any of them are? I''m sure that any information you have would be helpful."


    Akai believed that the green dragon would know where some of them were and any hint towards the location of another dragon would be extremely helpful. His yellow eyes faded and he was willing to listen. Nia thought that if she kept talking that she would eventually break free of his cold hands. She just needed time.


    "Hah. Even now, I can sense a dragon nearby," Nia said arrogantly trying to hold a cocky smile. She continuing to struggle against his tight grip.


    When he heard this, he realized that she knew nothing.


    Nia continued to fight back and said, "Yeah. That''s right. You can kill me, but in the end, you''ll need more than one lifeti-"


    Tremendous black wings sprouted from the Crimson Black Knight''s back casting a shadow over the grass. His long tail whipped against surrounding grass, vegetation, and dirt. His yellow eyes seeped through the visor as it stared straight at the green dragon.


    Nia was frozen. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the giant black wings around her. As she looked at his yellow eyes, she couldn''t believe that what she was fighting - the thing that she feared and hated for most of her life - wasn''t a demon. Nor a human. But a dragon just like her.

 Chapter 72: Deus Ex Machina

    The Crimson Black Knight emitted an aura of fear in which Nia never felt before. It was far more prevalent than that of the white robed monster and far more terrifying.


    "Perhaps, there are no other dragons. Perhaps, the only dragon you sense is me. Maybe, you''re all alone in this world," the Crimson Black Knight said.


    Nia couldn''t say a word. She was frozen the entire time. But when she saw the black wings and tail, she remembered Akai. The stories that Nera mentioned. They were of Akai - a black scaled dragon.


    The Crimson Black Knight''s right arm was slowly being tightened by vines, but his armor protected him from being crushed by them. The pain from his left arm still resonated, but he pushed through it. He still held onto his green blade trying to break it out of the plants'' clutches.


    Nia spoke weakly as she tried to break free of his hand, "You''re... Akai."


    Upon hearing that name, he froze for a moment, but continued to squeeze a moment after. He cared not that the dragon in front of him knew his name. To him, it was a dangerous creature. And he would find the evidence all around the burning site of King''s City. He would not allow the entire world be turned to ash. He wouldn''t let what happened at the city spread to every corner of the world.


    Nia held onto life as much as she could, but as her breath shortened, her sight began to darken. It was too hard to breathe. Her mind slowly faded away. The only thing she thought was to apologize for everything. Apologize to the people she killed in cold blood. Apologize to all of the villagers. Apologize to Belze. And apologize to Nera. But that chance would fade away along herself.


    Suddenly, a bright flash struck down from the clouds above as if heaven was giving divine judgment, or at least that''s what Miura thought about it. A giant strike of lightning came down upon Akai''s left arm holding Nia. The blast loosened Akai''s hand and pushed Nia away awaking back into consciousness. The power of the lightning pushed her further back and she landed straight on her feet. Akai was unprepared for this and the strike was strong enough to send a shock throughout his body piercing the armor''s magical protection. He screamed in agony for a few moments. As the lightning spread throughout his body, he let go of the green blade and it fell to the dirt. As it touched the ground, the vines let go of him and buried the green sword. As it did so, grass grew to fill the patches of recently disturbed dirt. The lightning shock caused a great wall of fire between Nia and Akai. Nia''s eyes lit up with a sudden breath of air. She quickly recovered herself and dashed for her red blade. Her body wouldn''t give up. She readied herself to fight, but Nia knew that it was no coincidence that lightning struck there. She looked towards Miura and saw her kneeling in pain puking out buckets of blood. Nia ran towards her quickly.


    "Miura! Are you alright!", she yelled worryingly. As she approached closer, she noticed her slave marks were glowing. Her neck boiled in front of Nia''s eyes. Pop. Pop. Pop went the skin of her neck.


    Nia held onto Miura''s arms and held tightly.


    "It''ll be alright. It''ll be alright. You better not die, too," she said trying to reassure the witch that nothing would happen to her.


    She coughed out one more pint of blood. Miura looked at Nia hazily and said, "I''ll be fine. I''ve had worse, I think. My head''s getting a little dizzy."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Nia lifted the witch up like she was a friend.


    "I have so much to thank you for. You helped so much," Nia said.


    "I haven''t done anything, really. The pain will subside, but you have to go."


    Miura coughed out more blood, but then continued, "You have to leave here. After today, they will hunt you and everyone you care about forever. You have to run."


    Nia grew out her light green wings. Akai became hazy from the lightning strike, but knew where it came from. Miura, he thought.


    "I''ll take you with me," Nia said wanting to help the witch.


    "No. They can track me. They''ll find you instantly. You have to leave me."


    "I can''t leave you," Nia cried shedding a tear.


    Miura shook her head. "I''ll be fine. I won''t be another victim. But you have to go."


    "I''ll come back for you."


    "Don''t. You just need to escape."


    "Escape to where?" Nia asked.


    Miura paused for a moment and a crow came to her shoulder holding a scratched-up map. The witch grabbed the map and gave it to the green dragon. It showed a marking in the middle of the Saban Deserts. A deserted landscape, but the markings showed that something was there.


    "My crows have scoured the land in search of dragons, but I have found many things that intrigued me. For example, a temple. I have... researched it and discovered that it contained portals to other worlds. A perfect place for those who want to escape. Any of those worlds would be a better place to live in that this one, yes? It would be a difficult journey, but for a dragon you can easily fly there," Miura said pointing on the old map.


    "What? Portals to other worlds? I don''t understand," Nia complained. She was unaware of the existence of such places, but she knew the world was full of magic, so she couldn''t deny the possibility.


    Miura repeated with a lot of pain in her throat, "It is the perfect place to run away to. If you go into one of those worlds, you''ll find a better home."


    Nia didn''t want to cause any more pain towards Miura, so she nodded her head. But she remembered Belze and the silver merchant. Nia would need to see them before going there, but as if Miura knew what she was thinking, she said, "You must have other friends, but if you care for them, then don''t take or see them."


    Nia wondered why and the witch continued with a hoarse throat, "The dragonslayers don''t know any of your friends, but now that I know how you look, they can order me to find you with my crows. Anybody you talk to from now on, I will know about and in essence, they will know. They will take whatever friends you have left and do the same to them."


    And Nia understood. She remembered Nera and the other villagers. They were all taken because they knew her. Although, she knew that she wasn''t responsible for their deaths, even Nera''s was accidental, Nia still felt that her presence would endanger everybody who met her. And she couldn''t take that risk. The cloudy skies dispersed and she looked up. She wanted to see Belze one last time, but felt that it was too much of a risk. Two of the crows lifted the red blade towards Nia. She grabbed it and thanked Miura one last time.


    Nia looked at the map once more and began to fly away. She looked back and Miura who began to cough out more blood. The witch waved her hands trying to smile among her pained body. Nia smiled and waved back feeling only pity for her.


    Nia maintained her sorrowful smile as she really wanted to help her, but as she looked down at Akai from above, she could still feel an dark emenating feeling about him. His yellow eyes pierced through the smoke that would give shivers down any creature. She was nowhere near powerful enough to fight him. He was too well-equipped, trained, and strong. There was nothing that she could do against such a foe. She was sorry that she couldn''t do more.


    Nia flew away with extreme speed following the map.


    As soon as Nia was gone, Miura''s attitude completely changed. She stood up, cracked her neck, and smiled with sinister glee. The intense pain still existed and her throat felt like it was crisp on the inside, but it felt bearable. The witch felt a rush of joy in her as she believed herself to be like a God saving that "poor, helpless dragon".


    With Akai''s large wings, he brushed away the wall of fire and looked at Miura with yellow eyes filled with rage.


    "What have you done? What have you done!?" he exclaimed.


    Miura smiled and replied, "A Deus Ex Machina..."

 Chapter 73: A New Vision

    Akai stomped towards Miura with anger in his eyes and heart. His yellow eyes pierced through everything around him. He clutched his left hand trying to rid of the residual pain she inflicted.


    "Tell me, again, witch. What have you done?" he demanded.


    Miura laughed with a wry smile. Within an instant, her marks began to glow burning her neck. Her smile disappeared into a painful screech as her hands reached her neck, but Miura didn''t give any response.


    Akai repeated, "I order you to tell me what you are doing!"


    "I am helping you," she said and the glow of her marks faded.


    "Helping me? I had her in my grasp. All you did was let her esca-" he said, but was cut off in an instant. A quick vision appeared before him. The world suddenly turned dark. The stars above gave the only sense of comfort. The ground beneath him was covered in maggots the size of hippos as they squirmed over each other. But the vision vanished before his eyes.


    "Oh, my. You weren''t supposed to see that, yet," Miura said knowing what Akai witnessed.


    "What - What did I just see? That was not the future that I saw before, but something... worse," Akai said as his legs began to quake in fear.


    Miura itched the back of her head ignoring his words.


    The Crimson Black Knight commanded the witch, "I order you to show me what the future holds."


    "I suppose it can''t be helped," she said as the world began to spin in front of Akai''s eyes, "It''s not like you can change it, now."


    As Akai opened his eyes, he saw what the future held clearly as if he was there. He didn''t know how long it has been or where he was. It seemed like a completely different world shrouded in a bleak, depressive atmosphere. The ground beneath him was covered in large maggots. The likes he has never seen. Whatever soil was left had been drained. To one corner of his eyes, he saw two men fighting over a puddle of muddy water. In the other, people killed each other for no apparent reason, while monsters wearing the faces of men around them gnawed at their legs.


    Akai looked to his side and noticed a towering pylon made of bugs and flesh. The faces of men were strung up like decorations to the monument. Above the pylon held a giant cradle that touched the heavens. Inside of it was a half-developed fetus. It cried drowning any other sound around the universe.


    And above all else, the ground beneath him shook as a dragon grew from underneath. It grew and grew until it could touch a star and when it did, the star turned black and burst. The dragon was shrouded in darkness, but it''s form was unlike any other dragon. It''s size and power was unrivaled to any man, dragon, or God.


    As Akai looked closely, he noticed within the dark shroud, yellow eyes and black scales that pierced through it. It held a woman in it''s palm as it stood on it''s two tall on two feet. It was the corpse of Nera. She looked mutilated with stitches fixing any cuts around her. Her eyes forced open. Her insides replaced with small maggots. The dragon roared into the dark sky alongside the cries of the fetus.


    Akai watched as the two sounds split the sky in two above the cradle. His ears began to bleed from the excruciating sound. When it was over, he saw a black shroud being created on top of the pylon coming out from the split. The shroud spread consuming every star and galaxy transforming the universe to an eternal night. And within seconds of everything turning to pitch black, eyes began to form from where the stars were destroyed. And each eye began to look directly at Akai who appeared to be floating amidst the vastness of an empty void. His tiny body was merely an ant to what he was seeing. His mind began to shatter trying to comprehend what he was seeing, but there was no explanation. He had no idea how changing the future could lead to this other.


    One of the eyes spiraled downwards like a snake and stood in front of Akai''s face.


    "This isn''t real. Just a vision. Nothing can see me within this. I am not actually here," Akai said as he  stared deep into creature''s bulbous eye.


    "I see you."


    It spoke all around Akai and when he looked at himself, his armor was turned to dust. He was naked and vulnerable against everything around him. The universe''s entire being intertwined with itself. The absolute silence of everything was unbearable for any living thing. As he began to speak, nothing would come out. His ears began to rupture from nothing. Feeling in his body went cold. He closed his eyes and his ears trying to get out of this vision. He went into a fetal position trying to wake up. A hand touched him on his shoulder from within the emptiness. He turned around to see Miura with maggots sprouting out of her eyes. She opened her half-melted mouth.


    "Isn''t it beautiful?"


    And upon a sudden screech, he opened his eyes back to his current world and time.


    His entire body was shaking. Sweat poured out of his body. The pain he felt in his left arm rang within him. Everything about him still looked normal. For him, it felt like a lifetime, but in reality, it was at most a second. His armor was still there.


    "So, what do you think?" Miura asked no longer needing to hide behind a pleasant smile. Instead, she faced Akai with a sinister one.


    "What was that? That can''t be the future," he said with fear in his heart. He couldn''t believe it was real, but at the same time knew that it was. He just didn''t want to believe it. The vision felt the same as before. He knew they were real, but it was far different than the world''s life being destroyed by dragons. Far worse, as well.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "Au contraire, the future is saved. You no longer need to worry about killing any more," Miura said.


    "Saved!? Did you see the same thing that I saw!? The world will be far worse than when we left it!," he yelled turning his fear into anger.


    "You wanted to prevent the future from all life turning to dust. It won''t happen. The future you saw will be a long time from now," the witch said brushing off his comments.


    "I was there. So, was -" Akai said remembering Nera''s corpse in his vision.


    "What did you do to Nera?" he asked.


    "I did what you asked. I did not hurt her in any physical way. You should choose your words more carefully as I do," she replied.


    "What did you do?" he repeated with glowing yellow eyes. The slave markings on her neck began to glow.


    Miura explained calmly, "I merely killed the other villagers. You didn''t care for them, anyways. You gave no explicit orders to protect them. And as for Nera, she was not harmed by me. Nia - the green dragon - killed her."


    "Why would that dragon do that? I could see it in her eyes. She believed that it was me."


    "Accidental, but she still blames you for it, since, you know, you put them in a cage. Anyways, it doesn''t really matter. There is nothing you can do, now. Whatever happens now won''t change what will happen," she said casually.


    "I was able to change the future, once. I can do it, again."


    Then, Akai remembered the black dragon with yellow eyes among the shroud in his visions. He took a step back and said, "Wait. I was there."


    "Yes. Whatever you do from now on, you will be used for a greater purpose. You dragons are so powerful, but you''re like dogs. Easily manipulated by putting a snack in front of them. Even if you die, I''m sure they will use your corpse."


    Akai held Miura with his right hand. His grip began to choke her with one hand. He stood towering over the witch.


    "Who are they? How do I stop them?"


    Miura shook her head and explained to the black dragon, "The only thing that prevented monsters from playing around in this world was the fact that dragons lived above them. They feared the existence of dragons and hid themselves within the shadows, but you removed the dragons. Or at the very least enough of them. I have been having strange itches behind my neck. Something I haven''t felt since I traveled the Western Seas, but stronger. It didn''t want to own over a universe reduced to ash, so I had to improvise a way to stop that. I was able to see visions, so I had to work with that. And you seemed like the best choice of a dragon to use at the time. But recently I felt like something was guiding me towards this future. As if I was directly told what I needed to do. There were some changes to the plan, but everything worked out well. The future is saved."


    Akai repeated in anger, "How do I stop them!?"


    "You can''t. You always had a thick skull. Always believed that only you could save everybody. But you can''t. You''re nothing but a dog vying for a reason - a master - to live for. There was no way to stop them."


    But Akai noticed her markings glowed as she vomited blood on his armor in pain after saying her last sentence. She was lying about not being able to stop them.


    "You''re lying. Tell me how to stop myself from turning into that monster."


    "Damn it. Fine. It all has to do whether Nia goes or not."


    "Nia? The green dragon, correct?" Akai asked to confirm. Her markings didn''t glow.


    Miura smirked, but it was quickly turned to pain as Akai''s grip tightened around her glowing slave markings, but after a few moments, she began to laugh. She laughed as blood began to curl around her throat. A laugh that screeched within Akai''s ears.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll tell you where she is. It will show you how pointless your actions are at this stage. Nia is at an old temple in the middle of the desert."


    A crow flew down and dropped an old map with directions.


    "It''s some old tomb or something. Nothing important except for the fact that I was given visions of an unstable rip in time there. I''ll show you what will happen there," Miura finished and as she did, Akai gained another vision.


    Within his mind, he could hear the witch. "These will be your possible courses of action if you go. If you don''t go there, then you will definitely become what you saw."


    Akai watched the visions play back to him. It was inside an old temple filled with sarcophagi. The room was dark purple. He saw himself standing in front of a tear in space and time. He could not see through it. Then, he saw the green dragon, Nia, charging at the Crimson Black Knight with the red blade. Nia was still an amateur and relied solely on power, as he also did, but his strength and form was far superior.


    In one instance, he dodged the strike and hit her from behind her neck, but with far too much strength. Nia died instantly. And Akai left the temple.


    In another instance, he stood still as Nia pierced through his neck. As he died, Nia went through the one portal closing it from behind leaving behind the body. While the body lingered, maggots and cockroaches grew out of the sarcophagi and used his body as a puppet.


    In one last instance, Akai would hit Nia with just enough strength to knock her out cold after dodging her strike. Nia would live and Akai would drag her out of there. He would try to reconcile with her, but to no avail. She would escape and head back to the temple at a later date going through the portal closing it from behind.


    Akai awoke from the visions and stared at Miura. His grip still tightened against her neck. She smiled with sinister intent.


    "These are the three options that you will have to choose. Either way, I win"


    Her eyes were at the edge of popping out and she laughed. She laughed and laughed at Akai''s misfortune. It was true. Akai didn''t know what to do, but he knew he had only a small period of time before Nia would reach the old temple.


    The laughs rang in his ears as she continuously repeated, "I win. I win."


    Akai has heard enough of Miura''s words. Everything she has done was to bring forth a future far worse into the light. His yellow eyes pierced through Miura''s soul which he once thought of as helpful, but now he realized that everything that he has done was for the benefit of rotten souls.


    "Shut up. Shut up. Stop laughing," Akai ordered, but even with the markings causing significant damage, she wouldn''t stop laughing.


    Akai''s eyes grew even brighter with rage. His yellow eyes never ceased. His red and black armor began to show steam coming from the openings.


    "Stop laughing. Stop laughing!" he repeated over and over, but Miura continued to laugh in glee. To her, she had already won. Nothing Akai could do would change that.


    In his rage, Akai breathed out a heavy stream of fire seeping out of his helmet. "Stop laughing!" he yelled once as heavy fire breathed down on Miura. He was unaffected by his own heat, but for the witch, it was the feeling of hell. Being burned alive. But she still laughed. She continued to laugh through it all even as her eyes melted like a popped egg yolk. Her pale skin turned to melted right off of her face. The flames went into her body and began to consume her brain matter. The stream of fire created a tower of fire where Akai stood. His black wing and tail whipped up dirt, but didn''t do anything to the raging fire. A new wall of flames surrounded the two as Miura roasted, but something in her turned that pain into pleasure just like when she had to take pounds of her own flesh. Crows in every part of Shieldrake began to burst into flames. Their insides turned into piles of flesh while they fell to the ground. Around Akai, the cloudy skies disappeared as flocks of crows would splatter to the ground. The sun shined beneath the raging fire. The witch''s deception was finished. She laughed once more before succumbing to the cold void.

 Chapter 74: Captain Leos Goodbye

    The rising sun hit Captain Leo''s closed eyes. He awoke slowly, but upon seeing all of his comrades dead on the field, he jumped up. He quickly grabbed a sword on the ground and scanned the area, but there was no one there. Just the chirps of birds. The silver armored man and the child were no longer there. He remembered piercing the kid''s heart, but even though he regretted it, there was nothing he could do about. He sheathed the blade he held in his hand, and left in utter shame and defeat. He felt a sharp pain on his sides and chest. He slowly made his way back towards King''s City knowing nothing of what has occurred there.


    Leo walked for a short while and saw one of their horses feeding on the grass. The horse still had a spare crossbow on it. Leo got on the horse and galloped forward holding himself togethor. He tried not to think about what happened. All he had to do was to get back to the city and report his failure. But also he would need to notify the Akai about the enemy they faced. It was an enemy far stronger than any dragon.


    Soon, Leo heard yelling and slowed his horse to a halt. He got off to see what it was about. He held his sheathed hilt and when he approached a corner leading outside of the forest, a burst of flame appeared on the open field. Captain Leo shielded his eyes, but still tried to look. He thought that there was some kind of dragon, and he was right.


    It was hard to see beyond the intense heat of the flames, but it was clear that there was a silhouette of a creature. It was dark, yellow-eyed, and had the wings and tail of a dragon. It''s wings spanned a huge area, but the fire consumed further. He took the crossbow from the horse and aimed it towards the fire, but when the flames ceased and died out, Leo saw him.


    The Crimson Black Knight. Akai. He held the burnt body of the witch by the neck.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I didn''t think it was a hallucination on that day, but it''s always good to confirm it," he whispered to himself as he remembered the time he was saved at his village. The man, or dragon, in front of him coming down from above slaying the red dragon. He could still remember the wings.


    Akai dropped the body of Miura on the burnt fields.


    "Stop laughing. Stop laughing," he repeated as her laughter rang in his head. Her body continued to be consumed by fire until there was nothing left but blackened bones. Her flaming black skull stared back at Akai with a devious smile.


    Captain Leo looked behind the Crimson Black Knight and saw the destroyed city. What the hell, he wondered. He had no idea what happened while he was out. He took a step back as for a moment, he believed that Akai burned down the city. As he did so, he stepped on a branch, and Akai heard.


    The Crimson Black Knight''s yellow eyes filled with rage turned towards Captain Leo hiding in the forest.


    In that instant, Akai''s eyes reverted back to normal. His giant black wings pushed him up to the clouds in seconds. The shockwave below shook the nearby trees and wiped out any remaining fires. Captain Leo held onto a tree while his horse fled. His crossbow flew away along with a pile of leaves and burnt branches. The corpses of crows stuck to the ground like glue. The shockwave only lasted for a second.


    Captain Leo got out of the forest and looked up at the almost clear sky. The sun shining brightly over them, while smoke continued to come from King''s City. Leo needed to find more information about what happened.


    However, Leo had a feeling that Akai wasn''t coming back. He didn''t believe for a moment that he would have burned the city down. The person - or dragon - who saved him wasn''t capable of it. It wasn''t in his character, he thought.


    "Goodbye, Akai. I have a feeling we won''t meet again, but I would like to thank you for everything you have given me," Leo said towards the black winged shadow in the sky.


    Leo looked towards the city and ran over.


    "There is still plenty of work that needs to be done. It''s my turn to help somebody in need. Thank you, Akai," Leo said as he quickly ran towards the city.

 Chapter 75: The Temple Entrance

    Nia flew for hours in both freezing cold and scorching heat. She continued to fly in the desert and followed the markings on Miura''s map. She had to retrace where she left off at times due to the confusing nature of an endless desert and her own speed. She hurried to follow the path set for her and looked for where the temple was marked. Nia wanted to tell Belze about what happened, but the fear of the dragonslayers and the fear of having to tell him in person held her back. Miura''s words rung deep. In any case, she didn''t want to bring any danger to them. Her senses didn''t pick up any dragons, but she was sure that he would come for her. She didn''t know why the Crimson Black Knight was hunting dragons, but she knew that if they faced off again, she wouldn''t be so lucky to come out mostly unscathed. His strength and technique was far refined than that of Nia''s.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Eventually, while she was flying in the face of the sun, she came upon a structure surrounded by sand. A pyramid made of purple sandstone lined with white graphite. As she flew down towards where she could see an opening, she saw the silver merchant standing in wait. There was no sign of Belze or his carriage with him.


    Nia landed and walked towards the lone merchant. She asked, "What are you doing here? Where is Belze?"

 Chapter 76: Silver Remains

    Night still surrounded the sky. The full moon and star shined brightly while the silver merchant continued to shake Belze awake to no avail.


    He didn''t understand why. His magic seemed useless. Belze breathed. His heartbeat was steady. Everything internally was functioning. But there was no other indication he was alive. If he was asleep, he would have made slight movements, but there were none. His body was stiff as if he was dead.


    The silver merchant began to feel worry that he has done something wrong. He worried about the child. He never felt any kind of attachment towards anybody throughout his everlasting life. There was only one thing that he could do. He prayed.


    "Monarch of Time, at your messenger''s request, please save the boy."


    When he finished his plead for help, everything around him tore apart. The worlds as he knew it disappeared into the vast cosmic space. Branches and roots made of white light grew around him at an exponential rate towards infinity. Each root tip branched into another infinite number of white strands, but as each branch grew, the dark space around it grew twice as fast. Among the infinite strands, the silver merchant stood upon nothing. Belze continued to lay in the same position, while there was nothing but an empty bubble around him.


    The silver merchant looked down to his feet standing up. Without looking, he felt a presence in front of him, but he wouldn''t even take a peak to see it. But he knew what it was.


    "Monarch of Time, please save the boy. Please save Belze," he begged.


    A voice loomed among them, "It is unusual for you to request something from me. It seems your excursion has affected you. Has walking slowly like the humans changed your perspective? Why do you want to save this insignificant speck?"


    The silver merchant paused and said, "I made a promise... but that is not the reason. I care for him. I tried to revert the wounds. He''s alive, yet not alive."


    "That is simple. He was dead and believes himself to be so. All you have done is trap his mind in an endless state between life and death. He will never be able to wake up no matter how much time you revert back."


    "Isn''t there something that you can do? Whatever you want in exchange, I shall give. Even my own life."


    "Your life? I created you as an automaton made of nothing but metals superheated in a nova. You do not carry life. You do not have the qualities of life that other creatures possess. And your purpose is to serve me anyways. I have no need of anything from you."


    The silver merchant had no words. He couldn''t speak out against the being who made him, yet something stirred within him. He couldn''t leave things the way they were.


    He asked, "Is there a way to save Belze?"


    "I cannot wake him up. I will not drag a Belze from another timeline and force him into your current timeline. But there is a way. Were you serious that you would risk yourself for the sake of him?"


    "Yes, Monarch. I shall gladly give myself in exchange."


    The Time Monarch paused for a moment to think and said, "I can drag his consciousness into your metal body''s. However, your own consciousness will be erased."


    The silver merchant took a step back, but nodded in agreement.


    The Monarch continued, "There will be side effects. It will take time for him to adjust himself. But you''re already aware."


    "Yes. But as long as he is alive, he can pave through. I believe he will overcome this layer of cold armor. I learned that people are self-destructive, but they can adapt just as well. He will have to crawl, but over time, he will learn to walk. And soon, he will soar through the stars."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Very well. Then, I will begin."


    Before he completely disappeared, a small tear of liquid aluminum dropped from his empty visor. He felt relief that Belze would live once more, but felt regret that he wouldn''t live as a human, but as an endless slave. He will live far beyond after the universe has been erased. And he will live only as a servant to the Time Monarch.


    "It''s a shame that I never had a name. Otherwise, you''d have something to remember me by," the silver merchant said before his mind faded into nothing. His body froze in place. Belze''s body disappeared into dust and each particle consumed within the bubble.


    After a few moments, the body of the silver merchant began to move it''s fingertips very slowly.


    Within this world, he felt nothing.


    "You are awake, Belze," the voice said. When Belze began to look up to see who said that, his mind began to shatter. For a split second, he saw the infinite span of every universe all at once. His armor began to boil and melt.


    But like a dream, he opened his eyes once more. But he had no eyes. He never blinked again. His memory of that what he saw erased itself. But he remembered his body melting. He remembered the aftershocks.


    "The previous messenger never requested anything from me. You must have left an impact on him," it said. But instead of Belze looking towards the voice, he looked away to the sides. He


    His eyes met with an infinite amount of white strands and besides them, there were an infinite amount the silver merchants. Each one looking down or to the side. They all looked the same, yet each one stood slightly differently.


    Belze felt only confusion to where he was. He tried to remember the last thing that happened to him. His thoughts went back towards when he was stabbed. A sharp pain bristled around where he was pierced. As he looked down to see where he was stabbed, he looked upon his body. He noticed the silver armor around him. He tried to take it off, but he couldn''t. As he tried to feel his face, he couldn''t. He could see and hear, but his whole body was cold. There was no sensation of touch or pain. No smells, either. But there was a freezing cold around him. The only thing he could really feel was that chill. He tried to warm himself up, but there was nothing he could do.


    What happened to me, he wondered.


    "You were killed," the Time Monarch said knowing his thoughts.


    Belze tried to talk, but he could only manage moans and screeches. There was no discernible mouth to speak out of. Belze wanted to ask whether this was heaven.


    "No. I will be blunt with you. I am the Monarch of Time. Your body is essentially dead. The Belze that you lived as is no more. You are now my servant. A messenger to spread my influence. But for now, you have no missions to carry out, Messenger of Time."


    It was too much for Belze to take in. He didn''t understand, but the Monarch knew that. Instead of clarifying, he knew that it would be too much for a young mind to handle. The Time Monarch disappeared and the world that Belze knew began to form around him. The pieces of his universe looked like shattered glass coming together.


    Eventually, the he came back to his own world. He felt cold and naked while silver armor covered every part of him. His non-blinking eyes looked around. He was back in the old shack. He tried to talk, but only moans came out.


    He looked down upon the body of himself. His own body laid there motionless, but it continued to draw breath. Belze didn''t understand what was happening to him. He thought that he was Belze. He recalled every instance of himself as a young boy, but the boy in front of him was indeed himself.


    Who was the actual Belze, he thought, but there was no answer. He had hoped that the Time Monarch might tell him, but no voice came back.


    Belze thought that he would feel uneasy by seeing his own body, but instead he was calm and collected. He couldn''t feel any sorrow or rage for what happened to him. He just felt cold. But as he looked at his own body, he felt a deep connection. He felt that it was only a cage. Belze, as if he instinctively knew, held up his hand and shot a small white ball of light at the body. He had no idea how he did that. Only a feeling within himself telling him that he could. In seconds, the body stopped breathing and turned to dust. Belze thought that he would have felt either regret or relief, but there was nothing. Nothing but the freezing cold that enveloped his body.


    He questioned what he was, but had no answers. He was no longer that small boy. He became something that wasn''t human at all. He saw a puddle and tried to take off his helmet. As he did so, he saw nothing but a dark void in space in the reflection. There were no other animals or life to see it. He put his helmet back on and wondered what to do next. He wanted to be able to feel something. And he thought that the logical way to do that was to either see his parents or Nia. When he thought of Nia, a sudden feeling came to him. He had a feeling of where she was heading as if he was being guided by the Time Monarch. Belze created a large portal showing a purple pyramid surrounded in sand. He felt a magical surge within himself as he could sense the rip in space. He entered without looking back closing the portal behind him.


    As Belze stood in front of the entrance into the pyramid, he waited for Nia''s arrival. He didn''t know how or why, but he had a feeling within himself that she was going to arrive here. Everything around him felt different than when he was a human.


    The sun shined brightly against him, but he felt like he was in a never ending blizzard.


    Eventually, Nia arrived as he felt she would.

 Chapter 77: The Fate of Belze

    Nia wondered where Belze was, but the silver merchant didn''t speak.


    She was worried for a second and asked, "Is he safe?"


    The silver merchant nodded his head. He didn''t try to talk as he knew that it would only result in less meaningful moans and screeches.


    Nia sighed in relief. "That''s good. I don''t know how you knew I was here, but I''m sure it was some kind of strange magic that tracked me and brought you here. I don''t really care," she said.


    Nia''s attitude changed as she worryingly said, "I can''t come back."


    The silver merchant was struck back to those words, but he couldn''t ask why.


    Nia walked towards the entrance and the silver merchant grabbed onto her shoulder to stop her. He tried to be as gently as he possibly could have, but his grip was strong enough to stop her. Nia asked, "Can you watch over Belze for me? I know it''s a big thing to ask, but I can''t watch him."


    The silver merchant made no response. Belze wondered why she was leaving.


    Nia looked down in defeat and said, "Please tell him... that I failed. Tell him... that I failed to save his parents."


    Belze felt a sudden shock throughout his body upon hearing that. However, he didn''t know how to feel. On one hand, he felt a sense of relief that Nia was safe, yet on the other, he felt his heart break from the news. He had no idea how he should feel, yet his new body would not allow him to show any emotions.


    She continued, "I know what I''m asking is a lot, but I know that he is safe around you. Please take care of him for me. I will be going"Stolen novel; please report.


    Belze began to struggle to make words. Nia had a hard time understanding him. He tried to concentrate on his words.


    "Wh....Wh....Where?" He asked slowly. That was the only word that he could say, but he felt a sense of satisfaction from getting out at least one word.


    Nia pointed towards the temple entrance and said, "Apparently, there are some portals there that can take me to another world or time. Living here is too dangerous for a dragon, and being here with Belze is too much of a risk. The only thing I can do now is run."


    She faked a smile poorly, but stopped trying after a few seconds. Belze let go of her shoulder.


    Nia walked into the temple with her head looking down in defeat.


    "Tell him I''m sorry," she said quietly, but Belze heard it clearly. He also wanted to say that he was sorry, too. Sorry for being useless throughout the journey, but he just couldn''t say it. He didn''t know whether it was because his voice wasn''t working properly or whether he was just too afraid to say it.


    Nia entered into the dark temple and as she took a step forward, she saw a large spiral staircase made of stone leading downwards. There was only a thick wall above her. There was only one way to go. She dropped herself down the opening into the unknown depths.


    Belze began to walk away having felt relief that Nia was safe, but at the same time saddened about his parents. He had no clue on how he should feel.


    Belze looked back towards the entrance thinking about what Nia said. Logically, Nia made sense. While the dragons were being hunted, she was in constant danger. But Belze felt that there were no portals in that temple. For a reason unknown to him, he thought that if there were rips in time and space, then he would have felt them. He thought that Nia obtained incorrect information, but Belze was fully capable to creating those kinds of portals, although he had no idea how he knew.


    With one hand motion, he opened a random rip in time and space somewhere within the temple. If Nia found it and was determined to run away, then he wouldn''t try to stop her. He knew that she did her best, and if she believed that leaving the world was the best option, then he wouldn''t interfere. His mind wandered. He didn''t want to Nia to leave, but inside of him felt that he was not Belze, so it shouldn''t matter to him, anyways.

 Chapter 78: One of a Kind

    She continued to fall down into the depths of the temple below. It felt like almost endless, but Nia saw the floor below eventually. As Nia fell near the ground, her wings slowed her to a halt as she touched the cold floor. The room was wide and dark. There were a number of sarcophagi and graves surrounding her. The sandstone purple and ancient. And in the middle of the room was a tear in space. Just as Miura said, Nia thought. She walked carefully along the sandstone floor. Scorpions, cockroaches, and mice scurried away from her footsteps. The portal was dark blue with no sign of anything beyond it. Nia was unable to see past the blue glow. It floated in mid-air twisting the space around it. Nia was unsure whether it was safe, but she resolved herself. Either she would find a new home for herself or die on her two feet, she believed. She gulped preparing herself.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Within moments, the graves began to shake. The sarcophagi opened themselves revealing nothing but teeth and insects. It grew two elongated arms on it''s sides made of purple tentacles.


    Nia unsheathed her red blade and dashed forward to fight.

 Chapter 79: Silver and Black

    Akai continued to fly as fast as he could. His wing flaps caused flung away clouds and passing birds. Wind rushed behind him as he tried to catch up towards Nia, but his armor slowed him down. He wanted to throw away his armor pieces, but that was the only protection he had against her blade. His cape flew off of his body as he soared through the sky revealing his bare back free of any armor.


    Eventually, he reached where the temple was. He could sense the dragon nearby, so it wasn''t too late. It was surrounded by sand and there was one other person there. He had hoped it was the green dragon, but he was nobody that he recognized. He landed towards the front of the man. He wore silver armor and stood there motionlessly. Akai''s black wings covered him in shade, but he retracted it along with his tail.


    Akai took a few steps forwards and saw the silver armored man facing in his direction.


    "Are you the guardian of this place?" Akai asked.


    The man shook his head. He made no attempt to fight and looked unarmed, but Akai didn''t let his guard down. Even though Akai had no sword, he could rely on his fists covered in dragonscales and metal.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "You are not surprised that I am a dragon. I will not ask why you''re here, but I need to know if you have seen any other dragon coming through here besides me," Akai said.


    The silver armored man made no response.


    Akai had no time to waste. He began to power walk past him, but the man pushed Akai back flinging him to the sand seemingly without trying to. The man looked at his hands in astonishment of his own strength. Akai got himself up quickly ready to fight, but the man raised his hands up not wanting to start any conflict. He made a grunting sound trying to ask why he needed to go there, but Akai couldn''t understand him.


    The black dragon was also surprised by his power. His armor protected him from most of the blunt damage, but he still felt a stinging sensation from that little push. Without a proper weapon, Akai felt that he wouldn''t be able to win against whatever stood in front of him. He recognized it as not a man, but as some kind of monster.


    He made another grunt, but with effort he was able to speak. He said, "W...Why?"


    When Akai realized it could speak, he realized he could reason with it. He didn''t relax himself, however.


    "I don''t want to fight you. There''s supposed to be a dragon here, and I have to stop her from leaving," Akai said.


    The silver armored thing listened.


    "It''s going to sound crazy, but the future depends on her not leaving. If she leaves, this world is doomed. I have to stop it."


    The thing took a moment and looked like he was listening to somebody else.

 Chapter 80: Silver or Belze

    Belze listened to the dragon in front of him. He had no intention of fighting.


    "It''s going to sound crazy, but the future depends on her not leaving. If she leaves, this world is doomed. I have to stop it," the dragon said.


    As soon as he heard this, something rang in his ears. He listened closely and heard the voice of the Time Monarch.


    "He is telling the truth. Let him pass. Let him make his choice," the voice said.


    Belze then saw a quick glimpse of a dragon shrouded in darkness holding the woman, Nera, stitched together. There was a towering cradle made up of faces and a half-developed fetus. The entire world was filled with darkness while people underneath fought each other while monsters of all kinds did as they pleased. When the world and universe vanished, only a sky of eyes looked back, but the vision was cut short.


    Belze couldn''t tell how the dragon looked like, but it was towering above everything alongside the cradle. The dragon was the only part that was cloudy in his vision. Everything else seemed clear as day.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Belze moved aside and let the Crimson Black Knight pass. He didn''t know what the vision meant or when it would happen. He also had no idea what roles anybody played towards that future. However, he felt no fear from the path ahead as if he wasn''t alone.


    "Thank you," the knight said as he hurried past him.


    Belze didn''t want the knight to harm Nia, yet couldn''t decide whether he should help either of them. He didn''t know whether it was the black dragon in front of him that was prophesied or Nia. Everything was happening too fast for his mind to comprehend. He needed to time to think things over. He looked at his silver body and questioned what he was. He was no longer human, but he didn''t feel like a raging animal, either. As time passed, only questions remained about himself and his choices. Was he the Silver Merchant, messenger of the Time Monarch, or Belze, a child from a small village, he pondered.


    He walked away slowly and as he did, he saw two horses. They once belonged to the silver merchant. Belze took one step closer and saw that they were made of silver gears invisible to the eyes of normal life. With the flick of his hand, one of the horses dematerialized and buried itself in the sand, and the other grew silver reins. Belze looked at his hands and wondered how he could do what he was doing, but no answer came. He hopped onto the silver horse and hit the reins. As the horse galloped faster, Belze opened a portal in front of them and they disappeared.

 Chapter 81: Two of a Kind

    Nia fought relentlessly against the hordes of ghoulish creatures. Their gnawing teeth and squirming tentacles cut like butter with even the blunt force of her blade. As the coffins broke, strange golden spirits rose out of them. The red glint of her blade shined amidst the darkness, but her arms slowed. Her body felt tired. Sweat poured out of her, but she made no hint of giving up. Each step she takes closer towards the portal, the living coffins would push her back two steps. But she never once faltered. She just kept swinging her blade. As a horde of them approached, her red blade flickered into a bright stream of fire. Her eyes glowed green and as she was about to shoot out a torrent of flame, images of burning families appeared in her mind. She remembered what she did at King''s City. The pleasant smell of burning flesh horrified her. The trauma and pain she caused. The destruction. The murder of the innocent. All of it stopping her. Eyes reverted and her red blade''s flame sank into nothing.


    In that moment of hesitation, a tentacle flicked the sword right out of her hand. Clang. Tick. Tack. The blade hit the floor as she faced off against seemingly infinite dark creatures. Her mind went blank and as they were about to sink their teeth into the young dragon, a bright flame from above struck down in front of her melting some, while pushing away the others. Without realizing it, her senses picked up a nearby dragon.


    A dark figure with black wings fell from above. He controlled his descent while still shooting a steady stream of fire through his helmet. The Crimson Black Knight. Akai.


    He flew down towards the red blade and grabbed it. The red blade lit up in his hands. Nia was dumbfounded as his wings and tails recoiled back inside of him.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    A number of the coffins charged towards their new enemy, but before they could even get close, Akai swung the flaming blade with pure white brilliance. The shining flame burned brighter and with extreme accuracy cut down rows of the creatures.


    "What are staring at!?" He shouted without looking back at Nia, "You''re a dragon! Fight like one."


    Nia woke up in that instant, and her hands and knees shook. She just couldn''t forgive herself, but in that moment, she knew that all she needed to do was to survive.


    As more coffins approached with haste towards Nia, a vine touched her leg. She looked down and saw a green blade growing out from the . With no second thought, she grabbed it and cut down the coming waves with ease. More golden spirits filled the room as more coffins were destroyed, however they seemed to be doing nothing but leaving through the walls and crevices.


    Akai hid a smile underneath his red helmet. Together, the black and green dragon fought the waves of coffins without any problem. Nia fought one side of the room, while Akai held off the other. They held their ground as the two fought side-by-side. As Akai''s red blade spewed out fire that would burn through even the strongest of dragon scales, the flames were controlled. Precise and accurate. Not even a spark would touch Nia. And while flames came out of one side, large vines with thorns grew around the green blade. Vines began to grow from every crack within the sandstone floor. Flowers and trees began to puncture through the coffins. And while the vines could hold them back, the fire would burn any monster which still survived into ash and dust. A wall of both fire and plants grew around them. Eventually, the two of them barely had to swing their sword as the creatures were getting tossed around like toy balls.


    More of these haunted coffins came out of the shadows to fight, but each one of those creatures knew that they had lost. Soon, they began to crawl back into the shadows one-by-one hoping to possibly ambush them at a later time.

 Chapter 82: Fates Choice

    The creatures fled into the darkness. The gold spirits that escaped from their cursed coffins floated away towards their own freedom. The flames died out. The vines and plants crept back into the cracks.


    Nia let out a sigh of relief, but she didn''t let her guard down. She looked back at Akai as he walked slowly in front of the portal and stood there, blocking her path. The rip in space called out in the wind. They both stared down each other. Nia couldn''t see his eyes through the visor and had no way of knowing what he was thinking. They both stood several meters away.


    "So, your the demon that killed my family. The Crimson Black Knight. No. Akai," she said angrily. She remembered what he did to the dragons, yet she couldn''t believe that it was a dragon who killed them. And not just any dragon, but one who was close to her big sister. She held her green sword tightly and resolute.


    "So, have you chased me down to kill me? Is that it?" Nia asked.


    Akai looked at Nia''s hard green eyes. They weren''t filled with rage or hate, but with determination. He needed to think. He knew what the witch showed him. The choices that he would be able to make. And how each choice would end up destroying not just humanity or life, but the entire universe itself.


    Nia held up her blade. This time, she thought to herself, this time I won''t lose. I won''t lose. A new life awaits her if she crosses that portal. A life where she and anybody she knew wouldn''t be hunted. There was nothing in this world that she could protect, so she thought that perhaps going to another world would be better. She recalled Miura and how the mage helped her escape. How she was given a second chance because of her. And she wouldn''t waste it.


    Akai only stood there pondering his options. And for moment, he smiled. He let go of his red blade to the astonishment of Nia. The blade hit the floor and he kicked it away. Nia shook her head to focus. She remembered that she was overwhelmed with his strength alone. His red and black armor made of dragon scales and metal only heightened her senses. She knew that it would be tough to penetrate it, but her armor was lighter and suspected to be nearly as or even more sturdy. Nia just needed to clear her mind. She wouldn''t resort going back into the destructive power of her dragon form due to her own fear of going berserk.


    Akai grabbed his helmet and slowly took it off. He threw the dragon-faced helmet to the ground revealing his face. This was the first that Nia had ever seen his face. He always imagined him as some kind of monster, but as she looked at him, he looked like any other mercenary, besides the features that were dragon-like. He looked to be around 30 years old. He had short black hair. White skin with black scales. And scars. However, his irises were yellow, but they didn''t envelop the entire eye.


    It didn''t change any opinion that Nia had. He was still a monster in her eyes. And the only way to get through that portal is through him. However, as she stared at his dead-looking yellow eyes, she couldn''t help but feel some form of pity. It was for a brief moment, but it was a fleeting thought.


    Akai smiled and held out his arms in an open embrace.


    "Do you think running away will solve your problems?" Akai asked, "If you really want to leave this world, you''ll have to get through me. I have no weapons. My face is wide open. I have nothing."


    "Another attempt to get me to charge? I won''t play into your hands this time, demon!," Nia shouted.


    "Demon? I understand, but I believed what I thought was right."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Right!? You slaughtered innocent people!"


    "So have you."


    Nia became silent for a moment and Akai continued, "Not that it matters. I thought I was saving this world. Saving the humans I cared for, but instead I led the world... to somewhere worse."


    Nia readied herself. She needed a plan. She looked around for anything that she could use. She looked at the floor. The dirt and sand.


    The portal was still wide open.


    Nia took one step forward and Akai stopped smiling.


    "I can''t let you leave this place," he said with determination. He dropped his arms down and stood still like a statue.


    Nia and Akai took one long look at each other. There was silence. Blue lights in a large dark room. Droplets of sweat began to fall on the floor of both of them. Neither of them knew what the other was planning, but someone had to make the first move. Without any hesitation, Nia screamed and ran towards Akai with her blade pointing forward.


    Halfway, Nia seemingly tripped and her left arm grabbed some dirt. Akai noticed, but still stood still. As Nia was close enough to throw the dirt in Akai, she motioned her hand to throw, but feigned it right as he began to move his eyes away. She threw the dirt in her hand backwards and grew out her green tail knocking up sand on the other side of Akai. Something that not even he expected. Sand went up into his eyes and for a brief moment, he was blind. Akai thought to himself that he had lost. That the world, no, universe was doomed. Nia thought to herself that this was the perfect moment to dash past him to get through the portal, but as she remembered what he did to her family. What his dragonslayers did to her family twice. She couldn''t help but try to kill him. It was a split second decision, and Nia lunged her green blade''s tip towards Akai''s eye.


    It was not even a second. The blade slightly pierced right underneath his eye. His hand grabbed the green blade. Akai''s quick instincts and reflexes saved him. His hand oozed red as blood spilled onto the green blade. Nia tried to pull back the blade, but his grip was too strong. And in another split second, it was over. Akai pulled the blade back, pulling her back with it. He sidestepped and hit Nia on the neck.


    "Thi-This can''t be," she said with one final breath as she fell to the ground unconscious. The portal mere feet away. Akai let go of the green blade to have it fall near her side.


    He knelt down and checked her pulse and breathing. She was still alive, and he was relieved. He got up and looked back at the rip in space.


    He began to monologue to himself as he walked towards the portal at a slow pace.


    "So, witch, it seems fate has more options. It seems I have beaten fate twice now. The dragons will not die, yet. And... I won''t be in this world to be used as some kind of weapon or turned into some abomination. I wonder if they will tell stories of me. Legends to inspire others. Wouldn''t that be nice... Captain Halido? You always did want me to live a life. Maybe, I finally can this time."


    Akai stood in front of the towering portal. It seemed like it was calling to him. He took one breath of air feeling fulfilled.


    He took one more step and as he did, his heart skipped a beat. His breathing was erratic. It was glimpse of the future. Yet, he didn''t know how he could see it, but he knew it was real. It felt like all the other times. Everything about the vision was the same. A towering cradle made up of a seemingly infinite number of faces. The stars being swallowed. The dragon holding a stitched-up Nera. However, as he looked back at the towering black dragon, it changed. It''s eyes went from yellow to green. It''s scales charcoal to forest. It morphed in front of his eyes. Sweat poured out of him as the vision abruptly ended before the dragon could roar.


    He knew now that he didn''t change anything. He realized that Miura planned this. She knew what I would do after seeing those choices, he thought to himself. He felt like a mere puppet to this witch from the very beginning. He had to go turn back. He couldn''t leave after seeing that. He needed to find another way, but as his foot stepped into the portal, it began to pull him inside with a force greater than any typhoon. His crimson red helmet was dragged in with him as if it was somehow a part of him.


    He took one look back at the girl as he was being dragged away. The young dragon. He had a glimpse and saw the creatures hiding from the shadows. Some of those coffins and others that he has never seen before. They surrounded her and closed in. He knew what those creatures would do, but there was nothing that he could do to stop it. "I failed" was his final thought as he was tossed into a vortex of unknown worlds as the portal closed itself.

 Chapter 83: Fates Second Chance

    Nia laid there unconscious on the sandstone. A cold breeze swept the air. Creatures hiding in the shadows began to appear. Maggots and scorpions crawled out towards the unaware dragon. An easy kill for them. Eyes stared at the fallen dragon from the darkness. As the monsters came closer, the green blade began to shake. The creatures stopped in their tracks. As soon as the blade stopped shaking, one of the creatures came forward. It had horns where it''s eyes would be. The head of an ox with the body of a spider. It jumped at Nia with a loud screech and as soon as it came near, a large wooden spike broke out from underneath the stone and impaled the creature amidst the air. Nia was still alive, but not in control. The creatures took a step back warily and after a couple of seconds of the impaled creature''s dying screeches, a horde of coffins began to flail their tentacles towards her. As the tentacles approached, more pikes of wood grew from underneath the ground around Nia. The green blade shook further trying to protect her, but the other creatures didn''t know what was happening. Within seconds of silences, hundreds of vines sprung up at the monsters. The shadowy monsters that fought back were strangled by the vines and impaled with bark. Others fled back into the shadows. The remaining coffins tried to fight to no avail. Each one crushed and destroyed. Reduced to rubble by the attacking vines. And in the middle of the horde of tentacle-like vines was her. Nia unconscious and unable to do anything. The green blade shook once more and a gentle bush covered Nia keeping her warm from the sudden cold air, while the blade began to sink into the dirt. Vines covered every single part of the room, while the creatures hid away and escaped the carnage. Fate was not finished with this young woman. It had other plans.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    As Nia awoke, she slowly got up while rubbing her neck. As she looked forward, the portal was nowhere to be seen.


    "Where is it?" she asked herself, "It can''t be gone."


    Nia began to scratch at the dirt and look around in a panic. There was no sign of the rip in space, anywhere. As if it just disappeared.


    "That was meant to be my second chance at life. It''s gone. That... dragon took my life away, again."


    She wanted to become angry, but needed to control it. Nia saw the whole room surrounded in vines, and had no idea what had happened. How long was she out, she wondered.


    Within a second, a flicker appeared. The red blade burning brightly nearby. Nia walked towards it and grabbed it. She looked deep into the red flames trying to figure out what happened. She didn''t know why she was even alive, but knew that she would find no answer.


    The green dragon spread out her wings and tail, held her red sword tightly while still being lit, and flew upwards towards the exit. As she got out of the temple, she began to slowly walk away. There was no sign of the silver merchant. The night sky was the only company she had. The stars shined brightly as her world began to collapse. There was nothing left for her to do.


    Nia slowly walked away from the temple. Each step she held back all of her emotions. She didn''t want to feel angry due to the chance of going berserk again. And she held back tears as to not overwhelm herself. The flame of the red blade went out as she sheathed it. She flew away from the temple and among the clear night skies.

 Chapter 84: Kings Citys Prophet

    Belze''s portal led him to outside of King''s City. He rode his horse slowly as he entered the city. There were no soldiers trying to stop him from entering. As he looked around, he saw people help those who were still alive. In his mind, he couldn''t believe that Nia would have done this, but he it was hard for him to feel anything at all. He felt no empathy or remorse, but in his heart, he knew that he had to help the victims.


    He got off of his horse and walked in the city. He saw a young man leading the rescue efforts. He recognized him. He was one of the dragonslayers. The one that killed him. He tried to feel something about it. Hate or anger towards the man who took his life, but there was nothing. When the man turned around to face him, they both took a step back.


    "You''re-", the man said in fear, but Belze raised his arms up meaning no harm.


    "I... want to.... help," Belze said slowly.


    "Help? Alright. I suppose we need all the help that we can get," the man said, "I''m Captain Leo. My men might need your help lifting some of this debris. We believe there are some survivors under ther-"


    And without Leo finishing his sentence, Belze raised his hand and shot small beams of light at the wooden and stone debris of a building. They turned to dust, while the people under it were safe.


    The other knights and civilians were astonished. They had no idea what they were seeing.


    Belze approached one of the injured people who had their skin burned and peeled off. He was laying there on the side ignored as he looked dead. But Belze could just see that he was alive. He didn''t know how. At every second, the world became far more complex, yet clearer to him. He couldn''t understand it, yet felt like pieces of information was spoon fed to him one at a time. He knelt down besides the dying man and laid his palm on his chest. Small lights that looked like fireflies surrounded the body. As he was doing this, the other knights, civilians, and workers watched. The man''s skin was being attached back on. Belze was able to reverse what had happened to him. The burns disappeared, and soon he was able to function properly.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Wha-What happened?" the once burned man said as he looked up at the silver knight in front of him.


    They all looked in wonder at this amazing man. As Belze stood up he was surrounded by people.


    "Is it an angel?"


    "A miracle."


    "The Gods have sent someone!"


    "A prophet. We have been saved."


    Everybody gathered around Belze wanting to touch him as if he was a man sent from the heavens.


    He had no idea how to respond.


    But before he could, he noticed a shadowy creature a ways off. Belze gently pushed the people aside.


    When he went there, the black creature looked like a huge dog the size of a horse, but it had no shadow itself. As the soldiers prepared to attack, another one of these dog-like monsters carried a handful of townsfolk. They gently dropped them towards the soldiers and slowly backed off.


    Surprisingly, the so-called monsters themselves wanted to help in this tragedy.


    Other monsters like vampires and werewolves that would usually hide would come out to take people towards safety.


    Succubi began to heal the wounds of injured soldiers with their black magic. As Belze observed these events, he felt a eerie sensation. Something wasn''t right, but in a time like this, as Leo said to Belze, "I suppose we need all the help that we can get."


    He looked down at some of the ash. He brushed off a little of it, and noticed that some white lilies were growing at a faster than usual rate. The previously burned away grass had been already grown back. However, Belze didn''t feel like it was anything important. He continued to try and help as many people as he can, and at this moment, he was considered nothing short of a miracle. And when it was all over, he was considered the Silver Prophet.

 Chapter 85: New World

    As Akai began to open his eyes, he was falling from the clouds. As he was about to grow out his wings, his body crashed into something metallic. It felt like steel and glass went through him. He penetrated through it and fell even further until he struck stone causing a crater with the impact. The world was so loud. As he opened his eyes, he looked up at a gray sky. A sharp pain struck into his mind. A pain he has never felt before. It was like a thousand needles going in and out of his head. He rolled around in pain trying to get soothe his mind, but nothing helped. This was a new feeling. His senses would normally pick up on dragons. They would be heightened when a dragon was nearby, but now he realized he was in a world that had no dragons. He was the only dragon alive in wherever he fell to. And it felt like hell. He got himself up from the crater and tried to look around. However, there was only smoke. A metal helmet fell from the sky next to him. His crimson dragon helmet. He grabbed it and put it on without a second thought. He climbed up the rocky crater and looked around.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    A tower of glass and metal crumbled in front of him. Smoke and fire rose from other towers that touched the heavens. Metal wagons sped through without any horses. He felt like he had seen this before, but couldn''t quite remember where.


    Other people began to show up. Some ran. While others held rectangular objects pointing them at the crumbling tower. Some of them began to look at Akai. He had no idea what kind of world he had jumped into, but he couldn''t waste any time thinking about it. He looked back his hand still bleeding. Blood oozed onto the concrete.


    Akai grew out his black wings and tail. Everybody around him panicked, and he dashed straight up into the sky whipping up dust and rocks.

 Chapter 86: Back Home

    Nia kept flying. Was it minutes; hours; days? She couldn''t remember. Her mind was preoccupied with everything that has happened.


    As soon as she saw her home village of Kyte village from above, she swooped down. The morning sun lit up the village. As soon as she landed, she saw the entire village ransacked. Dead farm animals laid bare. White butterflies began eating at the dead, but there was one cow being chewed on by strange monsters that she has never seen before. Rabbits with the mouths of a lamprey. No pupils and mushrooms grew on top of their backs. They looked small, but ate the decomposing cow quickly. Nia took a step forward with her wings, tail, and light green scales out for the monsters to see. As soon as they noticed her, they stopped chewing and stared at her. Her wings flapped for a moment. Nia was about to attack them, but as soon as she reached for her red blade they quickly dug underneath the ground and fled.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Nia sighed a breath of relief and relaxed herself. She walked slowly among the village. She touched the rotting wood. She reminisced a very clear picture of children playing. The villagers going about their daily lives. Simple, but happy lives. As she reached the cabin where she and her big sister Nera would stay, the door was already broken down. She stepped into it having a brief feeling of nostalgia and respite. She sat on a chair and looked outside the broken down room. Nia could see her big sister Nera playing with a child. A pretend sword fight with sticks. The child was a small girl with light green scales.


    Nia smiled at the memory, but it faded almost instantly. She had no idea what to do with her life any more. She covered her face as tears streamed down her face. She gently cried. Her tears dropped on the ground. White flowers grew in their place.


    Outside white flowers began to grow where her footsteps once touched. Then a white caterpillar crawled right on one. It squirmed and writhed. But not to end its life, but as to begin its journey to another.