Losing consciousness briefly after falling, I barely opened my eyes while lying on the ground. The entirety of my body ached. Blood dripped from my forehead; I touched it softly to find a bump and gash. I must have hit my head while I fell down the mountainside. Dust from the ground caked the earth, obscuring some of my vision as the landslide carved a chunk away in the rocks. Instinctively, reaching for a sword that was no longer in my possession, I noticed that my blade fell from my hand when I was knocked out.

Getting to my feet hurt and moving my body hurt; yeah, I wasn't going to survive if I didn't get to safety soon. The curse had spread far across my torso and up my neck. My senses were a jumbled mess. Limping slightly on my right leg, pressing forward, and looking for a way to reach Lukia or anyone for that matter.

"What should I do..?" Confusion wracked my brain besides the throbbing headache.

Just as I say those words, there is a rumble through the ground, shaking the gravel of rocks and stones. Fearing for another landslide, I stepped away only to hear the gargled roar of Slyr.

"He's still alive?" I spoke under my breath. I needed to find my sword and get away from it as fast as I could. Leaving without having to deal with him is the ideal position I now stood. Dipping behind some rocks, I tried to spot Tempest anywhere I looked.

The thrashing and rumbling continued as I quietly crouched around, searching for the blade. My heart pounded my chest, anxiety, and stress swirled within me. Until I saw my sword. Stuck in the ground like some sort of legend of old, near the wounded dragon.

Just my luck.

I cursed under my breath. It is evident that the dragon wasn't in much shape of moving but I wouldn't know for sure unless I got a closer look. Shaking my head, I dragged my leg forward and slowly approached. My mind had been made up; if he tried to attack, I would have to defend myself.

After some slow minutes of approaching, Slyr raised its body and wings. A large sound of liquid splashed onto the ground with a soft growl from the terrifying dragon. My eyes locked onto the left side of the dragon. His left arm was twisted, and parts of its bone were showing. Traveling up his shoulder to his wing, it was also in terrible shape. The counterattack I fired back at him was near fatal. Slyr had been taking the time to mend his wounds, but I could sense he was struggling.

With him distracted on himself, I could grab my sword and escape without drawing his attention.

Puddles of dark crimson stained the ground. Streaks of blood dragged through the ground, and a creator led away from the blood. I took a deep breath and approached my sword with caution...

"T...That damn boy..! I've never...NEVER...been so humiliated... Grraahh!" Without warning, the dragon flicked its tail to the side, narrowly striking me in its path; I ducked low and scrambled toward Tempest. My hand touched the cold steel. All this for a magical sword. It was justified if I was crazy even to think that sneaking around a dragon for this would be worth the effort.

With a quiet breath, I gripped the handle of my sword, prying it upwards; it felt stuck in the ground. I let out a grunt through my breath and hoped that I could get it out with my one arm. Timing the dragon's ruckus, I began to pull hard, slowly budding the blade.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

My arm grew tired. Sweat glistened my face with each passing moment. After much trying, I progressed, and the blade moved through the ground. Gravel and rocks clanged off the blade as I pulled it out; I stepped back and sighed.

Then there was a stone-cold chill.

A chill melted by the singular gaze of Slyr's bleeding red eye. Staring at the one who injured him.

The dragon's nostrils flared out and blew a gust of wind through me. Strands of my hair flowed past my face. Staring down the deep abyss, the dark circle beamed forward, giant teeth bared, and a pissed-off dragon ready to crush me.

"You..." The dragon spoke in a low growl. The rage building within its voice. "I commend your tenacity..." Shuttering through its voice, it forced its tone to be deeper, hiding the painful grunts it exhaled. "However, foolish, your life, your efforts, I will claim them as my victory...!"

The lumbering dragon slammed its hand forward, creating a shockwave through the ground. Narrowly falling over, I kick away and try to escape.

"Where are you running to?!" Flicking the massive tail overhead, I come to a crashing halt. My feet leave the ground. Spinning around, I wonder how I got here. Before I could notice that his tail slammed into the ground, which caused my body to recoil into the air, it clutched me within its hand. Trapping my left arm to my torso, I can barely breathe from its grip. Coughing violently as it drew me close to its face.

"G..Gah!..Co..aouugghh!" Tight constrictions around my chest, my ribs begin to crack. With no air to scream, I raise my sword and strike at its finger. To no avail, I can't make a proper cut, and the dragon pulls me further to its face.

"Grown men prostrated in fear of my presence, begged for their lives, offered me anything. Yet, here is a boy, braver than any of them. I can almost respect that." Each breath burned my skin slightly as it spoke. I stared at it with fading consciousness.

The dragon reared its head around as it still suffered from wounds it needed to treat. "Grraah! Still, your life is mine, little one. Tell me your name as a warrior so I may never forget."

His grip loosens slightly; I take a heavy breath before coughing. "C...Caleb...Aris. Son...of Valum Aris..."

"Aris...? That's a name I haven't heard in ages... I knew of your ancestors who led armies against me in the Demon War many years past... Valiant man... His bloodline never weak... Thank you, young Aris... A shame... I...-" His voice stops. He draws his face closer to mine, staring at my eyes. "Your eyes..."

My mind became blank. I couldn't let this be my end. I wouldn't let it be the end.

Gritting my teeth, I strained to channel any magic in my body. The curse pulsated in response.

Meanwhile, the dragon grew increasingly distracted with me... "Are you... You smell..." Confused by his discovery, Slyr slowly loosens his grip further so that my left hand can squeeze out of it. My body burns deeply as the outcry of pain spreading from the curse continues, trying to prevent any magic from accumulating.

"Are you Cassandra's child-" Before the words could finish, there was a violent bright blue light emitting from my body—an explosive shockwave, channeled throughout my body, spreading like a current.

My screams vanish with the loud booming sound of the lighting shooting out of my body. Thinking about surviving, I raise Tempest above my head and slam the blade through Slyr's index finger. Blood bubbles out of the wound as the current through my body flows into the sword directly into the wound.

Occurring all of this in a single moment, I pour everything into the sword; raising my hand; I pull lightning from the skies, which travel through and strike the sword. Using the rebound of my power, the blood reacts to the combustive effects. The finger and part of Slyr's hand explodes in a massive red mist as the blood combusts from within.

Tossed from his hand, I slam into the ground with a massive thud. Flat on my back, my body slowly bleeds from the blowback of my magic. The curse activates and begins to consume the majority of my flesh. I could barely hear the cries of Slyr in the distance, his roar screeching through the skies.

A soft smile crosses my face, and I stare at the clouds...