Chapter 69
Imagine Facing Dragons
Dragons are a classic and often used staple of the fantasy genre. Depending on the creator’s interpretation, they could range from mindless raging beasts to almost divine intellectual beings. Since they are such a big part of fantasy, Five Realms also had them. These creatures were very sought after, as the loot one could get from even the lowest level dragon was very valuable Not to mention, if one managed to tame a dragon, it would be a very powerful ally that would serve you through all of your endeavors. There were even places where you could get the genes of dragon spliced into your character, giving them numerous powerful skills, like breath attacks or high levels of resistance to different elements.
However, in order for one to gain any of these great rewards, they would have to come in prepared even when dealing with a lower level dragon. Even then, victory wasn’t a guarantee. Erin had only once seen Devin and his friends face off against a mid-level one, which ended with the whole group getting wiped out in a matter of minutes.
Back then, it had been a simple video game with no real life dangers to the players. Now, there was an actual dragon right before the redhead. And there was no way in hell that she or any of her companions were prepared for this at all.
“So… That’s a dragon. An actual dragon,” Ryle said with a slight tremble in her voice, as she tried to fight back the fear. “Any of you got experience when dealing with these things? Because I don’t have any.”
“Not me,” Durge replied. “The only thing I was ever told was to avoid them as much as possible, as facing them would only mean certain death.”
“I… sort of saw people I know face one,” Erin said. “It didn’t end well.”
“Well, that’s just fantastic. Guess this leaves only you, Lex,” Ryle said before glancing where the kobold was, only to find him missing. “Uhh… Lex? Where are you?”
“What the hell are you idiots doing!?” Lexton called out to the others. They looked where the sound of his voice had come from and found him hiding behind one of the barricades placed around the arena. “Don’t just stand in the open when a dragon is on the lookout!”
“LEX! YOU COWARDLY SCALY BASTARD!” the blonde yelled angrily.
The shout was so loud that it caught the dragon’s attention. The scaly beast turned its sights on Erin, Ryle and Durge, who could see flames start to build up in the monster’s maw.
“Oh crap…” Ryle muttered.
With a mighty roar, the dragon opened its mouth, shooting out a stream of fire that would turn anyone unlucky enough to get caught in its path into ashes. Erin and her companions had luckily been quick on their feet and had moved out of the way of the oncoming flames just in time. Had they been even a second too slow, nothing would have remained of them.
After avoiding the flame breath of the dragon, Erin and the others regrouped behind the barricade Lexton had been using as a hiding spot. They needed to come up with some sort of a plan of action if they wished to defeat this monster.
“Alright, I’m open for any possible suggestions here!” Erin said in a panicked tone. “Anybody got ideas!?”
“I’ve got one!” Ryle said. “How about we let that thing eat everybody else!? Maybe after that it will be too full to come after us! If we’re lucky, it might choke on one of them as well!”
“...Yeah, I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon,” Durge said as he took a peek from behind the barricade to see the dragon burning the other contestants to ashes with its breath. “It doesn’t seem to be all that hungry. Just very pissed off.”
“How is anyone even supposed to beat that thing!?” Erin asked. “That monster is built like a tank that has a giant flamethrower at the front! There’s absolutely no way we can take on a dragon of all things!”
“Technically we can beat it. We just need the right tools and a good plan,” Lexton said as he observed the dragon. “That thing is actually a Lower Earth Dragon. They’re pretty much at the bottom of the hierarchy when it comes to dragons overall. Not only are they much weaker than other dragons, but they also lack the intelligence the greater dragons have, making it just a simple beast. We should be able to use that to our advantage to maybe lure it into a trap of some kind or-”
The kobold’s speech was cut short, as the dragon took notice of him, turning its gaze and flaming maw in his direction. Knowing what was coming next, the group quickly ran away as the dragon’s flames came out and hit the barricade they had been using for cover. The metal melted from the incredible heat of the dragon’s flaming breath, turning it into a pile on the ground.
Having managed to once again escape the dragon’s attack, Erin’s group had taken cover behind two other barricades. Erin and Lexton were hiding behind one, while Ryle and Durge were behind another.
“Hey, Lex!?” Ryle called out in a whisper that was loud enough for her companions to hear. “Next time you want to do a freaking nature documentary, maybe do it when we aren’t running for our lives from a horrible monster!”
“I was just trying to tell you guys that we can beat that dragon!” Lexton whispered back. “Don’t blame me for your lack of knowledge, you moron!”
The blonde responded back to the kobold’s insult with a middle finger, not wanting to possibly alert the dragon to their presence again.
“Lex, you said that we could beat that thing, right?” Erin decided to ask. “How can we do that?”
“Well, that thing might be armored like a tank, but it still has certain weaknesses that can be exploited,” Lexton began to explain. “For example, if we can get our hands on something long and sharp, like a spear, we should be able to pierce its eye all the way to its brain. The underbelly also isn’t as protected as its back is, making it an optimal weak point. The last and most effective thing we could do is use its flame breath against it by somehow lighting the flammable liquids at the back of its throat and thus blowing it up from the inside.”
“Oh great! Our options are just fantastic, aren’t they!?” Ryle complained. “We can go for the eyes, thus letting it see us and kill us or we can go under its belly and get crushed! If all of that fails, we can try shoving a matchstick down its throat! Anybody want to go and try any of our options!?”
“Hey! At least I’m giving us some options here!” Lexton said back. “I don’t see you doing anything!”
“I still stand by my plan of letting it kill itself through eating too much!”
“Both of you, enough!” Erin said, stopping the argument between her two companions. “While I appreciate that you came up with something, Lex, we can’t really utilize any of those ideas. We don’t have any tools necessary for it.”
“Are you sure about that?” the kobold asked in response. “I think we just got something delivered to us.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Before the redhead could ask what he was talking about, metal crates fell from the ceiling and landed on the arena floor. A couple of the contestants tried to make their way to them, only to get killed by the dragon.
“Are those-?”
“Weapon crates? Yeah. That’s exactly what those are,” Lexton said before Erin could finish her question. “It kind of makes sense. They want to make things exciting for their viewers, so they can’t simply let the dragon kill us. They need to give us something to defend ourselves with so there’s at least a small chance that we can win.”
“Unless they have a plasma cannon in those things, I highly doubt we actually have a chance!” Ryle said. “Besides, how are we supposed to get them? May I remind you that we have a small fire-breathing issue in the way!”
Erin took a peek at the situation with the dragon and observed it for a short moment. The beast didn’t seem to be all too intelligent, as it appeared to simply attack whatever living being caught its eye at the moment. This gave the redhead an idea.
“Alright, here’s what we’re going to do,” Erin said, getting the attention of her companions. “Ryle and Durge, I want you two to go and keep that thing occupied, while I go with Lexton to look through those crates.”
“WHAT!?” Ryle screamed, before clamping a hand over her mouth. The group waited for a moment to see if the dragon had heard her, but was luckily occupied chasing other people. “Are you nuts!? You’re telling us to go and throw ourselves into the jaws of that thing!? Why don’t you just tie steaks on us while you’re at it!?”
“I’m not telling you to sacrifice yourselves! Just distract that thing, if it starts to move towards me and Lex!” the redhead said. “You two are easily the most physically fit here, so you have a better chance at surviving! Besides, I need Lex in order to pick out the right equipment for the job!”
“Still not exactly the best plan-!”
“Alright, I get it,” Durge suddenly said, cutting off the blonde’s angry response. “Basically, you’re telling us to keep that fat lizard’s attention elsewhere? I should be able to handle it.”
The orc got up and began to make his way towards where the dragon was, leaving the others speechless.
“...Well, since he’s on the job, I guess he won’t need me to help him out, right?” Ryle asked, only to receive glares from Erin and Lexton. “...Oh screw you both! Why do I have to work with that guy anyways!?”
“Because we’re in this together! You ass!” Lexton said angrily. “He has a better chance at survival with your help, which in turn will help the rest of us get out of here alive!”
“Yeah, but I don’t have a good chance at survival when I have to work with him!” the blonde argued back. “Haven’t you two listened at all when I-!?”
Ryle’s complaining was interrupted by a slap in the face from Erin, who had quickly run up to her before anyone had realized it. For a moment, the blonde could only stare in shock at the redhead, having been completely caught off-guard by the sudden strike.
“Enough… I’ve had enough of this!” Erin said in a low and angry tone that sent chills down Ryle and Lexton’s spines. “Do you have any idea how bad our situation is right now!? We are facing the biggest monster any of us have ever seen in our lives, yet all you can do is complain like a spoiled child! Meanwhile, the man you keep accusing of all sorts of evil deeds is risking his life out there and has been helping us out all this time! If there is any decency in you, then I suggest you go and help us out already!”
“...Fine,” Ryle said as she stood up. “I know when I’ve lost. Besides, it would totally suck if that guy actually managed to be more useful than me. However, I’m still not going to let go of what I’ve said about him. And I’m sure you will see his true colors soon enough.”
The blonde ran towards where the dragon was, using the barricades to keep herself out of the monster’s sight. With her now gone to do her part, Erin could get to work on what she needed to do.
“Are you ready to go, Lex?” the redhead asked. “Do you still need me to carry you?”
“No need for that. While my foot is still a bit sore, I should be able to move around just fine,” the kobold answered. “Besides, we don’t have time to worry about that right now. Ryle and Durge might be tough, but there’s no way they’ll last long against a dragon.”
Erin nodded in response before the two of them set out to find a weapon that could help them kill a dragon.
While Erin and Lexton were on their way to search the crates, Ryle was doing her best to calm down her furiously beating heart. The reason for the erratic rhythm going in her chest was the fire-breathing beast, also known as a dragon, that was right next to her.
Had it not been for the metal barricade between them, the dragon would have most likely already swallowed the blonde in one go. But while the beast couldn’t see its prey, it could smell that something was nearby, so it was only a matter of time before it found what it was looking for.
“Shit! Shit! SHIT!” Ryle cursed to herself silently. “Why can’t that fat lizard go somewhere else!? Why did it have to come after me especially!?”
The dragon kept inching closer and closer towards the blonde. It wouldn’t be long before the beast found what it was looking for. A couple of tears escaped from the blonde’s eyes, as she was now certain that she wouldn’t live to see another day.
However, just as the dragon was about to discover Ryle, something happened that caught the monster’s attention and made it turn away from her.
“HEY! YOU FAT LIZARD!” Durge called out to the dragon, getting its attention. “Come and get me, if you can!”
While the dragon didn’t possess the ability to understand speech, it was intelligent enough to know when it was being taunted. The mocking of the orc greatly angered the beast, as it began to prepare another breath attack in its mouth.
Seeing how his attempt at drawing the monster’s attention had worked, Durge began to run to the nearest cover. He got behind one of the metal barricades just in time, as the flames from the dragon’s mouth collided with the cover, leaving the orc unharmed.
With the dragon’s attention now focused elsewhere, Ryle was able to move away from the monster safely. She quickly made her way behind another barricade, where she sat back and observed the beast’s movements. Right now, it seemed like it was focused entirely on Durge. The orc was actually in a bad situation, as he didn’t have anywhere to run, much like the blonde earlier.
This became a somewhat of a predicament to Ryle. On one hand, she honestly wanted nothing more than to let the dragon eat Durge, as she still saw him as a person that was too dangerous to keep around. Yet on the other hand, he had saved her earlier and she didn’t like the idea of not repaying such a debt. Not only that, but Erin and Lexton wouldn’t be too happy, if they found out that she had simply left him to die.
“...Goddammit, this is not fair,” Ryle muttered angrily, not happy over the decision she was forced to make.
“You tell me!” another voice chimed in. “You work for the Laughing Ogre a couple of years and then do one mistake and this is how it ends!? It’s just not fair!”
The blonde turned to where the voice came from to find a human woman sitting against the barricade, also hiding from the dragon. She had gone completely unnoticed from Ryle, as she had been far too focused on the dragon.
“Since when have you been there!?” the blonde asked.
“Ever since before you came here!” the woman answered. “So if you’re going to cause trouble, I’d like to ask you to go to hell and leave me out of it!”
“And just who the hell are you to tell me what to-!?” Ryle began to say, only to stop herself. It wouldn’t help her to get worked up now. “Never mind. Doesn’t matter if you’re here or not.”
“Well, it should! I used to be in a pretty high position within the Laughing Ogre!” the woman said. “In fact, I was so trusted that I actually used to be the boss’s secretary! You don’t get into such a position with mediocre skills, you know!?”
“...It’s not exactly something worth bragging about, if you only used to have a good job. Normal people brag about a job they actually have,” the blonde said. “Anyways, how did you end up here? Did you try to save one of the gang’s prisoners, like Durge?”
“Hah! I’m not that stupid! My only mistake was to make a comment that the bitch that’s known as the boss’s daughter didn’t like!” the woman complained. “All I did was say that her new slave boy was very cute and that I wouldn’t mind having one for myself! Can you believe me that she actually had me thrown in here because of something like that!?”
Ryle didn’t say anything in response at all. She simply turned to stare at the woman with a cold glare in her eyes that sent shivers down her spine.
During this, the dragon had been getting closer towards Durge. The orc could only close his eyes and hope for the best, whether it was something else catching the dragon’s attention or that his end would be swift and painless.
Suddenly, there was a very loud scream that echoed through the arena. This immediately caught the dragon’s attention and it hurried to where it had come from. It soon found the woman Ryle had just met, who was barely able to let out another scream before the fire-breathing beast had devoured her.
image [https://i.ibb.co/DLyDfk8/Ch-69-Pic-1.jpg]
“...Well, that was certainly fortunate. For me that is,” Durge mumbled to himself.
“Yeah, you better be thankful for that!” Ryle said, as she suddenly sat next to the orc. “Don’t go expecting me to pull stunts like that more in the future!”
“When did you get here?” Durge asked.
“Just now. As soon as I did my thing there, I pretty much ran here while avoiding that thing’s line of sight,” the blonde replied. “It wasn’t fun. Even if that damn lizard was focused on someone else, the mere thought of it turning its sight towards me at the worst time was enough to get my heart pounding.”
“So what exactly did you do anyways?” the orc continued to ask. “Judging by the way you’re speaking, it seems like you had a hand in whatever caught the dragon’s attention.”
“Oh, I didn’t do much. I just broke some lady’s leg in order to make her scream loud enough to catch that thing’s attention,” Ryle said nonchalantly. “And before you ask, she deserved it.”
“I wasn’t really going to go there, but whatever. I suppose that’s good to know,” Durge said with a shrug. “Hopefully we can keep this up, until your friends find something we can use to get this over with. I’d hate to become either ashes or dragon shit.”
“You know, not only do you keep putting up this good guy act, but you’re also seriously holding back. What’s up with that?” the blonde asked. “Out of all of us, you’re the only one who actually has a way to kill that damn thing.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” the orc asked. “Also, you’ve had this weird problem with me that your friends clearly don’t have. What is your issue with me?”
“Oh, I don’t know… Perhaps the fact that you’re a cold-blooded murderer!?” Ryle asked angrily. “You try to hide it, but I know your true nature! A couple of years back, you went on a rampage, where you killed anyone you could get your hands on! No matter if they were an enemy or not, even little kids were crushed by your hands!”
The blonde had expected Durge to get angry and maybe even try to deny her claims. What she hadn’t expected was to see the orc pale in the face with a horrified look, like he had seen a ghost.
“How… How do you know about that?” Durge asked.