Chapter 22: Dragon Oh Dragon

About an hour later…

There are various small to large craters that littered the road and the wilderness around me has become a huge mess. Trees had fallen on top of one another and there’s a huge claw mark on the nearby river. Thankfully, that hasn’t obstructed the water flow in any way.

Azul, the once proud Dragon from before, is now looking up to me with eyes wide with tears. My swords are crossed against his neck like a giant scissor waiting to behead him. I killed this Dragon for the twelfth time; if I compare him to the devil, then this is his dying breath.

“What kind of human are you?! Humans… humans are not allowed to be this strong—”

I push the blades forward as my patience runs out. His head rolls off and his body plops on the ruined pavement. There was no need to hear the rest of his ramblings. Again, I don’t care what started this mess between them two, but he brought this ending upon himself the moment he involved his troubles with me. I do not like violence and I do not wish to be its recipient. This is merely an act of self-defense. When someone attacks you, you defend.

I return the swords to inventory and grab a leather canteen. The water from it heals my parched throat and I pour the rest on my face. Whew. Moving at this speed really burns the calories. That was the most exhausting hour of my life. I don’t think I want to experience this again as fighting isn’t really my forte. Still, to kill another sentient being like this and not feel anything afterwards — I really turned into a monster.

Oh well, better return back to Fia and have my shoulders massaged. I turn around, thinking that Minerva owes me an explanation for the trouble she got us into. But as I take my first step forward, a giant shadow looms over me. I drop the canteen somewhere and leap sidewards, avoiding the giant claw that tried to swoop my head.

The ground beneath me trembles as I roll. This is it — he’s preparing a tail attack! I push myself off the ground and dodge the incoming tail. Pulling out a single firebrand as I descend like a bird of prey, I swing down to tear his left wing, but it’s my sword that breaks like a glass instead. I expected the [Dragon Skin]’s in effect, but didn’t think it’s strong enough to resist firebrand. The Dragon’s scales changed from azure to the color of steel. Did he leveled up after his thirteenth death?

Instead on all fours, he’s now standing on his muscular hind legs. If I’m playing a game, I would compare this giant lizard to a Bahamut. The horn on his forehead begins to release electricity, giving me a bad premonition. Should I draw “it” after all?

As I hesitate, the Dragon opens its mouth and electricity starts to gather inside. This is the time where I should strike him, but something flies straight towards the Dragon’s open mouth. Whatever the Dragon was gathering in its mouth exploded in its face, causing the Dragon to groan harshly as it lands on one knee. I look behind me, and see Fia releasing another arrow from her [Black Bow]. *Swoong!* The arrow seems to cut through air and hit the disjointed Dragon straight to its chest. Though the arrow landed with a bang, it doesn’t damage it as much as before. However that attack manages to draw a reaction. The massive lizard shrinks back into his more human-like form.

I take a simple sword in inventory and clasp it with both hands. “It’s the end for you, Azul. If I’m still here, I hope you don’t keep a grudge against me in your next life.”

The now naked man in front of me grits his teeth in anger. “Bastard!”

He accepts my sarcasm at face value and angrily lunges at me with his draconic hand. It’s the end indeed. I purposely chose those words to flame his fury. Clearing my mind, I grip my sword and glance over at the upset guy. I calmly parry his blow and return a single swipe of my own. An upset person’s attack is not a threat if you calmed down. In that moment I turn around, Azul falls to his knees. The limb below his left shoulder is gone. He is now completely broken and could only wait for his death to come. I stand there, unmoved, watching this guy vent his frustration.

“Why?! I never planned for any of this!” Azul reaches a hand in front, to where I see Minerva watching at the corner of my vision. Minerva turns to face the other way, refusing to look at her fallen “friend.”  

“Minervaaaa!” Azul continues to cry her name.

I’ve heard enough. Now is your death.

I level my sword up in the air and end his agony with a single strike.

[Dragonslayer Acquired]

The new title acquisition confirms his death.

“Is that it?” Looking around me, I don’t think I want to get caught around this turmoil.

In the meantime, I gesture Fia to grab our horse.

Minerva rushes in, not looking me in the eye. She gathers the corpse of her fellow Dragon and burns them without mentioning a word.

“There’s probably a lot of things going on in your mind, but we should leave this area first. Wanderers might gather around here soon.”

Minerva nods as I pat her head. “Okay.”

After Fia returns with the horse in tow, we immediately continue our way towards south while avoiding the road. It’s not such a good idea to bring the horse with us in the forest, but I didn’t want to abandon it after the good service it has given me. And whether it’s due to exhaustion or nausea, Fia starts throwing up. She couldn’t tell what’s wrong with herself either. The churning sensation just came all of a sudden.

“I’m sorry, Master, but I’m not feeling well.”

“That’s fine.” I carry Fia on my back. “Minerva, is there any herbs around here we could use for medicine?”

Minerva inspects the plantation around us after I ask. She plucks a single green herb taking root beside a tree. She put it closer to her nose and sniff it then shakes her head. “Not here. But I’ll keep my eyes open.”

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So we continue onward in hopes that we’ll find a better place to camp. Every now and then Minerva would stop me to check the herbs. It seems like she found some as she’s taken a few along with her.

In time, our persevering ends in a success. We find a waterfall feeding into a wide lake.

“This seems like a perfect place to camp,” I say, and Minerva agrees to it.

While Minerva prepares the medicine, I start to gather firewood after setting the weakened Fia against a tree. There’s plenty of wood around so I finish my task in no time. When I get back carrying the wood on my shoulder, Fia is already asleep.

“Did the medicine work?”

“Yes. Noel grass is known for its healing properties. We’re fortunate to find some here.”

“I see.” I set the wood down and have Minerva start the fire. Sorry Fia, but we’ll have dinner without you.

* * *

The night is turning much colder and the wind suggests a chill till dawn. The moon, crescent and high, throws such a light that most tree limbs cast a blue shadow. The brightest of the stars shines out against the indigo sky. I sit on a rock and throw a pebble into the lake to ease my boredom. Fia’s still asleep due to the medicine and Minerva’s taking a bath in front of me.

“You know Azul, he wasn’t like that,” Minerva finally breaks the ice. “But it might also be because that I’ve been asleep for the last twenty-two years that I didn’t notice him change.”

Twenty-two years? That’s more than a long time to sleep. Then again, Minerva is a Dragon. We have different values and common sense. “Dragons sleep that long?”

Minerva laughs — robust and girlish and genuine. “Immortality has its downsides. Sometimes, we grew tired of our longevity. I’m guessing the same thing happened to Azul, yet he chose not to sleep and descended into this continent instead.”

I light a stick before saying, “So you’re saying he got influenced by how we humans lived? But that still doesn’t explain why he suddenly attacked us — attacked you.”

Minerva pools her hair on one side of her shoulder and her eyes glitter as she gazes heavenward. “I know. I find his actions hard to believe as well. That’s why… I revised my plans on searching for the artifact.”

“Meaning?”

“I’ll fly back to the floating continent and inform our chief about this phenomenon.”

My eyes narrow upon hearing her speak those last words. There’s no doubt Minerva has suspicions brewing about me now after witnessing me in battle firsthand. She may be innocent at times, but she isn’t a dumb girl. Did she picked this roundabout way to keep me safe? I wonder. Or is this perhaps just me overthinking like what Fia had always said?

I ask, “When will you leave?”

“I didn’t want to inconvenience Brother any more than this, so I’ll head out before sunrise.”

“Minerva, you’re not an inconvenience. Sure you’re annoying and sometimes aloof, but I don’t hate your company.”

“Is that true?” Minerva stands up from the water.

“Yes,” I answer.

The moment she asked me to be her brother, I didn’t want to view her like “that.” But my pent up libido is obstructing my rationality. Besides, a beautiful girl is a beautiful girl. There’s no denying Minerva is beautiful. And those breasts as well. No man in their right mind would resist that.

“Brother, let’s take a bath together?” Minerva continues in my silence. I extinguish my cigarette as she takes my free hand. Then she pulls my shirt overhead and I unbutton my pants in response. Minerva drops on her knees and takes my remaining clothes off.

She doesn’t have hidden intentions. That’s why she’s so alluring right now. Because she’s doing this so innocently. Nothing more than a bath with her brother. Awesome.

Right after I submerge myself, I feel refreshed. Like some sort of refreshment magic washes over me. Something must be mixed in with this water. It feels smooth, almost silky.

“Feels good? This is mineral water,” Minerva explains as if she’s read my mind. She scoops the water with her palms and pours it on her face.

I don’t exactly understand the difference, but it feels great, and that’s all that matters.

I pick a spot near the waterfall and lean my elbows up on the rocks. “Is there a chance we would see each other again after tonight?”

She made it clear that she’d leave, yet nothing about her returning. It makes me sad somehow.

“It depends.”

“I’ll miss your clumsiness.”

Minerva puffs her cheeks after splashing some water at my direction. “I’m not clumsy!”

“Whatever. Come here, I’ll show you something.”  

Minerva furrows her brows, but still goes along. I sling an arm around her shoulder and point a finger at the sky. The constellations here are different from the ones in my world, but one could always find different things when stargazing. That’s the beauty of it. Minerva points to a side that looks like a deformed dragon. I laugh and tell her my opinion about it, and she laughs too.

While she’s busy and clueless, I grab a golden necklace from inventory and put it around her neck.

Swiveling sidewards, she asks, “What’s this?”

“It’s my gift to you.”

“Gift? But… I don’t have anything in return.”

“I didn’t give that to you because I’m asking for something in return. Just take it.”

Minerva’s quick to acquiesce, giggling with a bright smile. Yet this night with Minerva hits me like a boulder; that blood is still thicker than water. That’s why I have to do my best and find a way back. For their sake as well.

The next morning, Minerva has left.