Daisy nodded once, moving to stand. As she turned for the door, she felt an odd twinge behind her. A spike of adrenaline lanced into her. Without thinking, she turned on a heel, her dagger drawn. It was just in time to catch a pen. She blinked at what she had parried and followed it down to who held it.

Elina drew her pen back. "I see your instincts haven't dulled from your domestic life, good. You are still a warrior." She flexed her fingers around her writing tool. "You can put the blade away."

Daisy slid the dagger back home, shaking her head with a light smile. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting that." She slapped at her own hips. "I was thinking of visiting a particular dungeon, the first I ever visited. It's not far from here."

Elina cocked her head to the side. "Oh? Why that?"

Daisy laughed. "One bit of unfinished business." She coughed into a clenched fist. "Hopefully short and quick. I'll be back for more of your experiments."

Elina smiled and waved as she sat. "Have fun, but you don't want to be alone in there." She turned her eyes to her notes. "If I were you, I'd take a healer."

Daisy threw up her hands. "I am a healer! But I will take two particular wizards along with me. That should keep me plenty safe."

***

"Are both of you ready?" Daisy pointed down the path she had once ascended. "The dungeon's down there, not on any map I could find. Inside, that dragon." Theo looked nervous, so she patted the fox-man's back. "I fought him to a stand-still last time, and I've only gotten stronger since then, and have you two."

Theo put a hand over hers with a smile. "We're glad you want us along."

Cedric rolled his sleeves, magic already glowing in his hands. "Let's just get in there and deal with it." He drew a staff and clenched it firmly. "We're right behind you, Daisy."

Daisy strode through the entrance, Theo and Cedric close at heel. The walls seemed much less threatening than the previous time she had been here. She wasn't surprised or lost, so they felt like they were an old friend. The boss had been near the exit last time, and they hadn't moved.

They emerged into a large cavern. In it, a dragon was watching them, as if woken up by their approach. "You return." He licked his scaled snout. "I lack a hostage to give you. Why are you here, mouse?"

Daisy clenched her dagger and stepped closer. "I'm here to fight you, that's all."

Theo and Cedric spread out to either side of Daisy, giving them room to strike at any moment.

"Fight me?" The dragon spread his wings as he sat up. "I thought we agreed to go our separate ways, and you return?" He shook his large head. "I have claimed these lands as my own. If you want to try to remove me, I wish your luck."

Daisy's eyes narrowed. "Sounds like you're ready then." She tucked her dagger away and drew her massive hammer. "Big weapons for big enemies." She swung it up to rest on her shoulder. "Don't go easy on me. It's not what I'm here for."

The dragon rose to his feet, tail lashing. He looked between the three others before rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. "I will give you this, of my challengers, you are the most polite. You have given me a chance to defend myself, and attempted no subterfuge." He lashed out a claw at her, forcing Daisy back, but the dragon did not advance. "I will repay your honor by granting your request."

The dragon raised a massive claw and focused on it a moment. It shimmered with power as he brought it down on her. She caught it with her hammer, held in both hands in an overhead parry. She grunted with pain and effort as he drove her an inch into the solid stone beneath her.

To the sides, Cedric and Theo began chanting. Magic swirled around them as they focused on spells. The dragon didn't seem to notice them, focused only on Daisy. His claw began to glow red hot where it touched her weapon, as did the rest of it. She hissed as her hands burned in contact, but she stood strong, trembling with the effort of holding the dragon back.

Theo finished his spell first. He held up one hand, fingers spread, a red orb of power forming at each point. With a grunt of effort, he threw his hand forward and launched the attack. The orbs flew true and impacted all along the dragon's body. He grunted in annoyance, stepping back from Daisy with a sneer. "You didn't come alone? You said you wanted to fight me, but didn't say you'd bring help!"

"Too bad." She swung the hammer into ready position. "They are me. We are one. You fight one of us, you get us all." She grinned with bucked teeth and lunged forward. She slammed the massive steel maul into his stomach. The dragon twisted at the impact, claw lashing out. It caught her arm, but she didn't let go as she flew backwards to land on her feet.

Cedric finished his own spell then. A massive ball of ice appeared in the air behind the dragon, then exploded into hail. The dragon snarled and roared, trying to avoid most of the falling shards, only to take another blow to his side from Daisy's hammer.

A prompt popped up in her eyes, asking if she wanted to attempt conquering the dungeon. She angrilly looked towards the no, just in time to be smashed aside, skidding as she bounced off the ground.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

She rolled upright and took a deep breath. She had taken more damage than the dragon in this exchange. "I need to focus better." She stood up straighter and focused on the massive maul, lifting it into ready position. "But one of us is a healer." Focusing her energy, her wounds ebbed away as she advanced on the great beast. "You have a disadvantage here."

The dragon laughed. "Oh? You think I have a disadvantage?" He turned towards her, wings spread, and he looked almost comical in his smugness. "Only one of us is a dragon, and you three are too close together." She had only a moment to consider his words before searing flame erupted from him in a cone across them all. The three screamed, stumbling.

Cedric was the first to react, throwing up a massive shield. Theo threw a spell at the dragon himself, but the air distorted around it and redirected the orb of magic into a wall, where it exploded harmlessly.

Daisy thrust a hand at Theo. "Strike him with mother's blessing!" She could see the shimmer that confirmed the buff landed. "Now try!"

He threw his hand forward and the burst of energy flew true, exploding against the dragon's head. The dragon screamed in pain and rage as it stumbled back. "You dare?"

Daisy charged the beast with quite the smile. "I dare." She slammed the hammer against the side of the dragon's head, causing it to roar and stumble again. Cedric dropped the shield he held, allowing Theo to fire a volley of shots into the creature.

The dragon let out a weak hiss, more like a reptile than a dragon, weakened and staggering. "With my dying breath, I will take you with me..." His eyes closed as he focused, his entire body shimmering. A wave of force exploded from him in a sphere, tossing Daisy and Cedric away. Theo fell flat on his stomach, but he was not pushed away.

The dragon opened its maw, the energy building up between its jaws. "I'll at least take one of you."

Theo crossed his wands, magic sparking where they touched. "Try me. I have my family with me." He also had mother's blessing, but he felt no urge to share that fact with the dragon.

The dragon opened his jaws further. "So be it! Goodbye..." A massive blast of fire exploded forth from his mouth. Theo held himself firm as his magic pulled the air in front of him into a barrier against the blast. The flame washed around Theo, leaving the ground singed, smoldering and hot up to a few inches from the fox. He was, in the end, still intact, if charred.

The dragon, on the other claw, fell, energy spent. He wheezed as he lay flat, only one eye open. "How did you..."

Theo laughed and blew a wisp of smoke from his sleeve. "I had some help." Daisy stepped into the dragon's view, holding her arms up with an almost flamboyant gesture. She swung the hammer around in a circle and brought it down as it came around onto the dragon's skull, causing it to explode like an overripe watermelon, the fight decisively ended.

The dragon's form flickered and vanished, leaving a few items in its place. "And that, is a win." Daisy pumped a fist. "You two were great!" She pulled Theo in for a quick hug, then Cedric, and both of them nuzzled close to her.

Theo picked up the loot, examining it a moment. "I guess we can turn these in somewhere?"

"Heck no." Daisy snatched what looked like a chain shirt. "I can appraise them, remember?"

Cedric rushed to her side, laughing. "That was fun, if a little painful at times. You two were amazing, um, even if Daisy said that."

She pet him between the ears. "I'm just glad you two are alright. This one's mine though." She held up a pair of bracers, as they appeared to be made from wood.

─ Forest's Grace

─ A pair of bracers designed for magic use, enchanted with the magic of the forests. While worn, they enhance the healing and defense spells of the wearer.

"They improve healing. Or Cedric could have it, as they do improve defense spells too. Which will it be?" She pointed at herself and Cedric.

He waved his hands, almost throwing his staff into the air. "No, you keep them." He smiled up at her. "They're better served on you for healing, I think. Besides, Theo and I got it all the last few dungeons. Your turn."

Daisy sighed and strapped the bracers on. "If you say so." She felt her power surge slightly with their magic. She turned her eyes back to that chain shirt.

─ Shimmering Chain

─ A shirt of chainmail links, enchanted to resist magic. This reduces the damage taken by the wearer from magical attacks.

"I like this..." She lifted the links and ran her fingers through them. "A solid defensive item. And they're light. Pretty sure any of us could use this to take less damage from magic attacks, like that fire breath we just experienced."

Cedric picked up an amulet. "This is pretty cool, too." Daisy's eyes scanned over it.

─ Dragon's Roar

─ An amulet in the shape of a dragon's head. While worn, it enhances the fire spells of the wearer, and grants the ability to use a fiery roar once per day.

"I guess that goes to me?" Theo took it from Cedric and put it on. He ran his fingers over the metal, feeling the small bumps and crannies. "I like it. It really emphasizes you don't want to mess with me if you don't want to be burned."

"Good choice." Daisy patted Theo's shoulder. "You're always on point."

Daisy shook the light chain shirt. "Any of us could use this. Who gets it? Cedric? You haven't gotten something today."

He waved his hand dismissively, smiling. "I'm fine, Daisy, really. I can wait until the next one. Besides, you're the one at the front. Defensive items should go to you first."

Daisy smiled nervously. "Point." She turned it this way and that before she tossed it up and caught it with her head, wriggling into it. Thanks to the rules of the world, it fit her by the time she got it on, flowing over her large form easily. She was able to get her shirt over it, concealing it entirely from view.

"Now, before we go back." She pointed inside. "I want to see if those mice respawned, and if they have answers for me."

Cedric tapped at his chin. "They would. You know that, right? When you clear a dungeon, everything comes back."

Theo gently nudged Cedric. "Otherworlder, remember? She doesn't know all the dungeon rules. Still, he's right. They should be back."