Path beat her wings, thatch came off of some of the rooftops around her, but she took off anyway. So draining, she thought as her head felt a little fuzzy trying to ward off the feeling of the curse trying to take back her form. She would fly onto the beach, roaring at the monster there, which swung around to face her. Yeah, that’s right, pay attention to the shiny green dragon, she thought. She was not able to find Dainin in the chaos. Guess I’ll aim high, she thought as she had to circle around it.

She knew every moment, every breath she was about to make was going to spend down her time. I need to make sure I land before I run out, she thought, imagining her stupid, soft human body falling from the heights she was at and feeling a chill.

She go lined up with the creature’s weird black, beady eyestalk things and let out a roar of breath right in its face, blue fire curling around the eyes, the top of the ship it was carrying around on its back. Ice congealed everywhere over the creature, the magic searing its way down into the wooden ship, more effective because everything was wet as she banked to avoid a wildly swinging claw. It still did not let go of the mast.

Path heard, rather than saw, Dainin make a noise as he dangled by a leg from the rigging. Guess I better do something about that, she thought as the crab made shrill chirps of distress as her fire cold-burned it, penetrating the soft area beneath the ship.

***

Dainin felt every movement as sharp pain around his chest. He was far off the ground, and he wasn’t looking forward to falling. His foot was caught in some rope, and normally he would have been able to flex his core muscles and reach his way toward his feet, but he could barely breathe with the sharp pains he was feeling.

A green dragon. Why the hell is there another dragon? Was all he could think as the beast circled them. It opened its mouth, unleashing devastating flames on the crab, and as it pitched and swung, he could not help but cry out as his body was whipped about. I’ll just have to endure until I get closer to the ground, he thought as he saw the sand and ocean splashing and swirling beneath it. As long as I don’t get smashed.

But it was not to be. The dragon seemed to appear from beneath him, it’s big red mouth open just inches from his head. No no, he thought, raising his hands above his head to call his blade of chance and make himself a problem for the beast to swallow. But his sword did not answer his call.

He had a moment of panic, wondering if he had dropped the amethyst bracelet off his wrist somewhere in the boiling chaos of earth and water beneath him, when the mouth clomped shut just passed his feet.

He was surrounded in wet heat, hard teeth pressing near his arms when he flailed. The beast jerked its head in a sharp motion, he slid against the teeth and across the tongue roughly, the pain in his chest so sharp he screamed.

I am surrounded in wet, he reminded himself, putting his hand flat and heating the moisture to burn the monster, not carrying what happened after, just being here was obviously a bad plan.

***

Her tongue burned as she bit through and ripped ropes off the mast and then launched off of it. It started out barely tolerable, and then it became searing. She thought an entire string of curses on Dainin as she landed immediately and drooled him out on the beach. “Dainin!” she snarled at him.

“PATH?!”

She growled at him. Her tongue had a big blister on it. “Next time I’ll leave you there, you stupid knight,” she said, her words messed up by the damage.

He groaned and gingerly sat up, covered in muddy sand. “That’s ice?”

“My breath,” she said, feeling a bit woozy. “I don’t think… I can hold this form even another second.”

Scales began to dissolve off her and she felt her world getting bigger.

Dainin would at least have the sense to sit up with a little cry of pain, magic flowing out of him, and around the remnants of Path’s breath on the creature, and then clenched his fist, shattering ice and with it tearing free big portions of the thing’s body and causing the destroyed ship it had on its back to fall with a terrifying crash.

It dropped the mast it had, though it still remained tangled in some of the ropes. It also dropped the ship it was attacking on its side. It made a lot of chittering chirpy noises of distress. Then, from the damage it had taken, it sort of wobbled back, and then tipped over on its side, legs kicking before they curled in on itself.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Path sat down on the muddy beach with a relieved huff, mouth open as the burn still ached so intensely against her tongue. “Did you really have to burn me?”

Dainin flushed, “Now you look here, I had no idea what had me, and I was definitely not into being monster snack.”

“Dragons don’t exactly have hands,” she said back grouchily, each word sounding odd. “And you were tangled and screaming in pain.”

“Well, last I had left you, you were not a dragon,” he huffed, but he called a little bit of floating water into the air above his palm and turned it to ice, “Here, put this on your tongue, it should help.” He winced as he moved.

“How badly are you hurt?” she asked as she put the ice in her mouth.

“I think I could have broken a rib. I can turn my body, but breathing right now hurts. Would have been a lot better to have my armor.” As soon as Path huffed, feeling a little guilty, he spoke again, “I know. You were defending yourself. There was no way we could know that there would be something intense here.”

***

Dainin lay slowly back down as people worked to recover from the situation and separate the injured from the dead. His body hurt. In his upper center of his vision, he saw the pulsing, Quest complete!

He huffed, focusing on it.

The familiar voice of his goddess read to him, You slayed a would be sea-god who was terrorizing a fishing town. This warrants some updates to your skills! You have pleased your Goddess, Mouse-Lion.

Blade of Unusual Chance now has a sharper magical edge so you can cut through thicker materials.

Rag Doll! You really like this ability. I am thinking we better toughen up those bones so that next time you take a blow you don’t break!

Dainin huffed and closed his eyes, feeling sassed by that one. My chest hurts so much. I wish Elene or some capable healer was here.

He focused again on the other upgrades.

Scurrying Mouse. You may now scurry more effectively over uneven surfaces!

Indomitable Lion. Your bravery may influence others.

That was hopelessly open-ended, but there was no other information on it.

Finally, the last two abilities.

Looks like your nature-god slayer now includes sea-gods. Your ferocious aura of death toward these creatures is intensified.

Also, you were the hero of the farmer. You are now the Hero of Farmers and Fisherman. Your good deeds have made you stand out among both these groups, and they will be motivated to try and help you!

He sighed.

There was a splashing of something near his head. He was looking up at a familiar stout woman. “My quest says I should just join your party because dragons and calamity follow each other. You okay, not really an elf?” Elene teased.

“I am probably not the worst hurt here, but I took a blow to the chest.”

“Where’s your armor?”

“Still waiting to get fixed.”

She crouched down, “Well, I like ya, so we’ll start here.”

He felt her healing magic, one moment he was in pain, the next he could not move. When he could move again, the pain was gone. “Do you have something for Path’s mouth? She has a bad burn on her tongue.”

“A what now?”

She moved to Path and looked in her mouth, “Oh wow, what happened? You try to swallow a coal?”

Dainin felt Path’s glower at him as he slowly sat up, coming face to face with Madge who was trying to get into his lap to keep her feet from sinking into the mud.

She gave Path an herb to put in her mouth and did a little healing there. “All right, well, you two should get out of the way, there’s some serious work to be done now. Tell the fishermen to come out of the shelters and help.

He got up, grateful for Elene’s magic. “We’re staying in the mayor’s house. You should come there when you are ready,” he said, scooping his now filthy and muddy dragon. He still had an aching sensation in his chest, like it was terribly bruised, but he could breathe well enough.

“So, you made yourself a dragon after all?”

“I’m exhausted by how much magic it took,” she huffed, laying her head against his neck. “And you are the monster. I was saving you.”

Dainin felt color coming to his cheeks. “You just don’t appreciate how scary your mouth can be.”

She did that awkward growl at him and bit him on the neck.

He convulsed and couldn’t do anything to stop her without dropping her unceremoniously.

“Shut up, I’m mad at you.”

He sighed. The spot on his neck tingled, but while it had been startling, it hadn’t been that hard. “Let’s get back to the mayor’s and get some rest.”

“And when I wake up, I will still be mad at you,” she informed him.

He couldn’t help but smile. Something about her sulk didn’t feel serious and felt more petulant. She saw his smile and only huffed. He decided to just hold his tongue and let her decompress.