Songs from Areth - The Dying World

For Kei-chan

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Prologue

"I ran out of potions." I said in dismay. I felt my tears running down my cheeks.

The undead dragon outside my energy shield keeps on breathing it's frozen flames. Around him was the snow, covered with black blood from the other undead. Bodies of direwolves and a giant. The undead dragon was the only one left. It can no longer fly as Arjin already cut it's huge wings off.

I looked at Erjinn. He's turning into the likes of the one who did this to him. "It's fine, really." He smiled. "It has been fun meeting you in this dying world. I never would've thought that I could meet someone who can bring me back my smile. And give me something to live for."

"You have to hang on..." I said. "If only... if only I studied healing magick..."

"Will you please slit my throat with a smile." Arjin said. "I don't want to be one of them..."

"You're so stupid... dying like this. What about your son. I don't want him to grow up without a father."

"You're... pregnant?"

"Yes. I wanted to keep it as a surprise but... damn those undead. Destroying the village like that." My tears just kept on flowing.

"That dragon will make a good sword. For our son." He smiled.

"I shall give him that sword. I promise."

And that was when I slit his throat and I watched him choke on his own blood.

....

..

.

I jumped out of bed.

I had the same dream again. It has been a year since then. My son died during birth. And ever since then, I stopped doing monster eradication jobs.

I opened up a small shop for adventurers to come and drink. And it was a nice source of income to be honest. But adventure is in my blood. And magick runs from my veins. I know deep inside me that I don't belong here. I was not born to give adventurers ale and food.

Although that was a year ago.

The business was always booming here. It was a small village around the south where the winter is colder. But today, something was different.

"And then, and then!" Yoneise said. Her pointed ears wiggling. "I bought this translation necklace for 500 crystals! And know what! This thing is the best thing there is!" She shoved on my face an obscure item that has humans inside. "High school romance is the best! They go to school to learn things! And that's also where they find their true love! Isn't that great!"

"Yes yes. Now pay your tab!" I said.

"Dark Elves sure are stingy!" She frowned as she handed the crystals that she owe me.

"And High Elves always like to bury themselves in debt." I smile as I took the crystals.

"Keirie, I always see those swords hanging on the wall. Are those for sale?"

"No." I looked at them and smiled. "It was supposed to be for my son."

"What!! Just how old are you?"

"I'll be 56 on the fourth day of winter. Why did you ask?"

"You look younger than I thought."

"Everybody says that. Until I destroy their penises in bed." I smiled at her and we both laughed.

"What happened to your son?"

"He was dead when I give birth for him. And the dragon that bit my husband was the source of material for those swords."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I smiled. "Somehow, I want to learn how to wield a sword. Like Arjinn did. Casting spells while slicing through the enemy."

"That'll be cool." Yoneise said. "We should go on an adventure together."

"No need." I said as I walked towards the sword and wore it's straps around my shoulder and my hips. "The adventure has came to us."

A loud thud was heard as the door broke open. It was an undead. It was a man who often visits this place. Except that his face was rotting and his mouth was filled with blood.

Yoneise nocked and drew her arrow. A shot to the heart. But the undead heeded no mind. I unsheated the buster sword on my back and sliced the undead in half. Since it was made from pure dragon crystals, saying that it's as light as a feather is an understatement. It weighed nothing at all.

"We're leaving now."

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Yoneise followed suit. We rode outside of town with Ember, my red direwolf. He chewed the head of every undead we came across. And unfortunately, everyone on the village has been infected by the undead. And that was when I remembered that Girbelt owns a goddamn dragon. And the only reason why I remembered it was because I heard dragon wings flapping above us.

The undead fire dragon slowly descended. It's former shiny red scales started to rot and becomes a dark purple. The gusts coming from it's winds stopped Ember from it's running. Girbelt jumped down from the saddle of his dragon, his famous spear in hand. Behind him was his dragon. And around us were the towns people who became the undead.

I sighed at the sight before me. It looked like as the same scenery as last year. The undead rushed at us. I drew my buster sword and hacked at everything it reaches. Spinning around like a tornado. Yoneise was aiming at the dragon's eyes. Ember gnawed at every undead that he can.

It was a battle that seems to have no end. Bodies of the undead lied at the snow. Ember was growling next to me, looking tired. Yoneise used all of her arrows. She now has two daggers on her hand. By the looks of it, she looks like she has never wielded them yet before. Her long blond hair swayed by the cold wind. Fear resides inside her blue eyes as she took a stance she never did before. I on the other hand, is tired from all the slicing and hacking. I placed the buster sword back in it's sheath.

I never thought that I would call upon fire from the sky again. But desperate acts for desperate times.

I don't want to use magic anymore. As it reminds me of the times that I have spent with Arjin. But I have no choice.

I surrounded ourselves with an energy shield. The undead ran towards us, trying to force their way inside. But it was too late for them. Raising my right hand and closing my eyes, I began to say my incantation. "I ask the God of Fire, who keeps me warm at the coldest nights. My light in the darkness. Send your flame to my enemies and burn them to ashes. Your servant asks."

And there, balls of fire engulfed the undead, and the village. Flames were everywhere, consuming everything.

But not the fire dragon. For fire was it's fuel. Even though the undead's weakness was fire, a fire dragon could never be killed with flame.

My energy shield lowered, as I consumed all of my mana. I unsheated the long sword on my hip. It's blue crystal blade shone as it was hit by the light of moon next to the Promised World. The big blue planet where there are no undead. No pain. No suffering.

The dragon was the only undead left. It's body was pierced by arrows. It's something that a normal archer could do. It is nearly impossible to pierce it's thick scales by sword. Specially by an arrow.

It snorted flames. Ember growled.

I charged at the dragon. Screaming. Hoping that it would give me enough strength.

And that was when I remembered what my father once told me. "Besides a strong magick, arrow through it's eyes, a dragon can kill another dragon."

I may no be a dragon. But what I am holding is part of a dragon. Which makes sense.

It blew it's flames at me. And I cut through it using my sword.

My long sword absorbed it's flames. The former blue colored steel turned into red. And that's when I jumped to stab it in the heart. I felt it's heart beating from my sword. The dragon roared and fell. Including me. Since I don't have the strength to pull out my sword.

"Keirie!!" The High Elf screamed from the distance as she ran along with Ember.

I got up and was about to pull the sword from the dragon's chest when I saw Girbelt, standing.

"Yoneise!" I shouted. But it was too late. She was bitten by Girbelt. Yoneise screamed in pain. Ember chewed Girbelt's limbs and tore it's body apart untl nothing's left.

I ran towards Yoneise and saw the bite mark on her shoulder. She was crying as she laid on the ground. "I'm gonna turn! I'm gonna turn!"

I hugged the blond elf. "It's fine. I can heal your wounds." I smiled.

"But it won't prevent be from turning!! I don't want to die! Please!" She was crying. "I want to go to another world! I don't want to die here... help me! Please! I'm close on finding the gate to that world!!"

Ember whined. It's ears drooped.

"I'm sorry... if only I was strong enough..."

And just like the last time, I failed to protect what's dear to me. I have lost my lover. My son. And now, my friend.

I feel so worthless.

I wish I could've protected her.

This town.

But now, it's just me.

"I'm sorry." I said as I took my knife under my skirt. "But I don't want you to die as one of the undead."