Nick Smith

Adventurer Level: 7

Human - American

My knee throbbed in pain while Regent Oakmor spoke to the High Dragon in a language that I couldn't understand. Oddly, though, every once in a while I would hear something that I understood. It didn't take long to put two and two together.

'Are they speaking High Drakon? The same language that was on the pods?' I asked Ten.

'Probably. What they are speaking is fairly similar to Drakon,' Ten said. 'The translation program is even triggering on some of the words, as you've likely noticed. It would seem they share root words.'

'Can you translate it?'

'No, not yet. I've already been trying to extrapolate a translation, though. We'll see how it goes.'

The regent and the dragon continued talking to each other. It wasn't hard to tell that the dragon seemed upset about something, and Oakmor looked confused. Then Oakmor turned to me.

"Nick, have you been in contact with gods?" he asked.

I looked at Yulk, Nash, and Renv. I hadn't exactly lied to them, but they're bound to be confused. Should I lie? A glance at the dragon answered that question for me. Okay, the truth then. I took a deep breath and steeled myself.

"I... think so," I said. "When we were on our way here, we were attacked by bandits. There was an explosion, and one of our friends was hurt really bad. I used a healing spell on him, but ended up using all of my magic and passing out. While I was out, I had a weird dream that I'm not sure is a dream, and there was a thing in my dream that said mortals call it a god."

"I see," Oakmor's brow furrowed. "Did it demand anything from you?"

"It didn't feel like a demand, more like a suggestion," I replied, trying not to look at Nash and Yulk. "It said that if I didn't go to see the High Dragon, I wouldn't find my way home."

"Did it say anything else? Any suggestions as to what to do when you saw King Yssinirath?"

"It said is that I needed to see the dra... King Yssinirath because some stupid mer were about to do some stupid things which would prevent me from going home, and that my path would be clear after seeing him," I answered. "Oh, it also said that other gods are watching me because I'm amusing. That's all it was able to say."

"Able to?"

"Yes, it was under a pact and had bright red chains all over it."

"Understood," Oakmor turned back to the dragon for a moment, then turned back to me. "Wait, what was the other choice? Besides seeing King Yssinirath?"

Shit.

"Well... It said that Yulk would want to see some scholars that he knows to get the words translated, but the translation wouldn't get us anywhere. It told me that he would decline an invitation to see the High Dragon, and that I would need to make sure he didn't decline the invitation."

"Ohhh," Yulk whispered.

Oakmor nodded and turned back to the dragon. The two began to speak once more, and after a few moments the ember-red eyes of the High Dragon took on a slightly pink tint and he began to look at me. It felt like he could see everything about me, and I got the distinct impression that I couldn't hide anything from him. It was an uncomfortable feeling, like someone walking into the bathroom with you and not leaving.

The two continued talking, when suddenly Oakmor prostrated. He gave a speech, and Yssinirath growled at him. After a quick back and forth, Oakmor raised his head. The king said something angrily, and Oakmor stood. He began gesturing dramatically, which was a confusing turn of events.

'Done,' Ten said. 'Applying translation patch.'

"...simply exceptional that his motives are driven by love, and love is such a rare form of motivation in the world. This is why I beg that you to aid him any way you can."

"I will consider it. How would my assistance be applied?" Yssinirath asked.

It may not be the smartest move to speak up now, but I get the feeling that the king will be less mad at an interruption than he would be at eavesdropping. I took a deep breath and gathered my nerve once again.

"Um... excuse me, your majesty," I interrupted. "Can you understand me now?"

It felt like every eye within listening distance turned to look at me. A quick glance around confirmed my feeling to be factual, and I suddenly felt very, very nervous. Like I had committed the sort of taboo that is so obvious that everyone should know not to do it.

"I can," Yssinirath said warily. "Explain."

Explain? Explain what? I looked at Oakmor, but he was completely dumbfounded and at a loss for words. The almost glowing eyes of the High Dragon narrowed at me, and I felt the sudden urge to improvise like my life depended on it. Before I could open my mouth, Ten stepped in.

'Repeat after me...'

"I have a machine in my head that translates languages, your majesty," I parroted. "It did not know High Drakon, but it knows Drakon and was able to decipher what yourself and Regent Oakmor were saying by the context of our situation and comparing the two languages in real time."

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King Yssinirath took a deep breath in through its nose, which immediately made me think of all the dragons I've seen in media that breathed fire. I tensed, but the flames never came.

"Surprise after surprise," he grumbled. "Regent, tell the civilians to go on about their business. I would speak to this boy."

"Yes, sire," Oakmor bowed.

As Oakmor began telling everyone present to go back to what they were doing, which appeared to confuse the chaperone of a group of children, Yssinirath lowered his head nearer to me.

"You are trying to get back home to your ailing lover, yes?" Yssinirath asked softly.

"Yes, your highness."

"And what, pray tell, will you do if she is dead by the time you return?"

The question caught me off guard. It had been nagging at me somewhere in the back of my mind, but I had consciously avoided actually thinking about it. As if thinking about it would somehow turn it into a reality. Being directly confronted with the truth of the possibility like this made me realize that I had been acting childish, pretending that it can't happen simply because I don't want it to happen.

"I would grieve, your majesty," I answered, unable to meet his eyes.

"As one should," Yssinirath said, his head returning to where it had been. "It would be wrong of me to prevent the reunification of lovers, and it would be outright malicious of me to prevent one from mourning. I will aid you, boy."

"Thank you, sire."

"There is still the matter of how. I do not have the ability to transport you to your world, nor am I aware of any means to do so."

"We have some writings. They were found on the alter that I was resting on, and we believe they're written in High Drakon, or a language that is similar to High Drakon," I explained.

I turned to Yulk and whispered for him to show Yssinirath the writings. He didn't hesitate to reach into his robe, but gave me a look indicating that he had many, many questions while he did so. Yssinirath leaned forward to study the rubbings that Yulk had done.

"These do not say much, but their context is grim," Yssinirath explained. "The first five symbols appear to be options. Close, Open, Begin, End, and Destroy. Then there are four directional indicators with the word 'select' in the center."

"That's not much to go on," I said. "We already knew that they were experimenting on me, your highness."

"Indeed, but I now see why the gods sent you to me," his face twisted into what could be called a grin. "Back in my youth, my father tasked me with ridding these lands of a plague. A cult of anonymous individuals who were kidnapping, torturing, and dismembering members of our citizenry. The investigators at the time believed the torture to be experimentation, and the purpose of the dismemberment was to hide their findings and mask their trail. The last time I saw the final symbol on this paper, it was emblazoned upon on their robes."

My heart skipped a beat. Is this it?

"Who were they?"

"We weren't able to find out. Whenever one of their members was captured or killed, they would be incinerated from within by a flame that could not be quenched until they were but ash. Adventurers that were tasked with tracking them were able to discover their hideouts within Bolisir, and my father sent me forth to eliminate them from the land. They were quite magically adept, but no match for even a fledgling High Dragon," he explained with a hint of pride in his voice. "I flew from hideout to hideout, killing as I went. I was even careful to preserve as much as possible, yet the hideouts still did not yield many clues."

"How long ago was this, your highness?" I asked, hoping we could investigate one of these hideouts.

"I eliminated the cult from Bolisir long before the demons invaded, but they remained a problem in other kingdoms. Once the daemons invaded all cult activity ceased, and they were not heard from during the entirety of the daemon occupation. Some claimed that it was the cult that brought the daemons to our world. Others believed that whatever the cult was researching was a threat to the daemons, and the daemons invaded our world to force them to cease and desist."

I paused for a moment to digest this information. A nameless cult that may have had some something to do with the daemonic invasion had somehow kidnapped me from my world and performed experiments on me? Maybe to make me fight for or against the daemons? That definitely sounds like it could be the plot of an isekai, but why would the cult go to such lengths? Wouldn't it be easier to use their own members?

"Sire, do you know anything else about this cult?" I asked.

"I do," Yssinirath said with another grin. "They were most disruptive in a kingdom to the west, ruled by dwarves. At the time, I believed that this was because their leadership had taken refuge there, but my father wisely forbade me from interfering in the affairs of other kingdoms. I made certain that no trace of the cult remained in Bolisir, but it's likely that other kingdoms were less thorough. As a matter of fact, your existence is evidence of that being the case."

"Psst," Yulk whispered. "What's going on?"

I gave Yulk a brief explanation as I thought about what Yssinirath had told me. The mighty High Dragon wasn't going to be able to get me home directly, but he had at least pointed me in a direction. West, to the dwarven kingdom. A small blossom of hope grew within me. The dwarven kingdom has to have something, why else would the creepy god thing have sent me to the dragon?

"The dwarven kingdom to the west would probably be the Empire of Calkuti. It predates the daemonic invasion, and even the Kingdom of Bolisir," Yulk explained.

I nodded and turned back to Yssinirath, "Are you meaning the Empire of Calkuti, your highness?"

"Calkuti is the name, but it was not an empire before the daemons. What is its current status, Regent?" Yssinirath asked.

"It's thriving, milord," Oakmor replied, turning his attention away from a growing flock of civilians.

"Of course the pesky little buggers yet persist," the High Dragon grumbled.

"And... We have a contractual alliance with them, your highness."

Yssinirath's face contorted in disgust and Regent Oakmor tried to hide a smile. I guess the High Dragon isn't a fan of dwarves. I glanced at Renv, glad that he couldn't understand the conversation. I was met with a look of concern and confusion.

"Allied with them?" Yssinirath nearly spat. "What a foolish regent we have. Tell me, Oakmor, what fancy baubles and little luxuries did the dwarven royal family provide, that you and your kin may offer your backs as sheaths for their daggers?"

"The dwarven royal line died out, sire. They fell in battle against the orcs shortly after you entered your slumber. The current ruler, Emperor Jak, is of the Norev family, and though he is crass at times, he is much less prone to subterfuge and dishonesty than the royal family was."

Yssinirath frowned, but I looked at Oakmor in a new light. I thought he was a whimsical and reluctant regent, but he had done his homework. He seemed to know the High Dragon's blind spots and exactly how to compensate for them.

"Fine," Yssinirath sighed. "I give the alliance my blessing, then. Returning to the original matter, Nick, you will need to seek more information on this cult in Calkuti. I hope you are more successful in your investigation than others were in the past. I grow weary, and as such will return to my slumber."

"If I may, your highness," Oakmor interjected. "We have had quite a long while to come up with a potential solution to the daemon within you."

"Oh?" Yssinirath asked, warily eyeing Oakmor.

"If we were to encase the remains in concrete it would prevent the daemon from moving. Then we could load the resulting concrete block aboard a ship. The ship would sail out into the ocean as far as it can, and the crew will dump the block into the water. The block will sink, and the pressure from the water will make it much more difficult for the daemon to escape his new prison."

"And how, pray tell, would we get the daemon out of my stomach?" the High Dragon asked, eyeing the ever-growing group surrounding us.

Oakmor couldn't help but grin as he said, "I do believe a simple extrusion will suffice, your majesty."

Yssinirath's growl shook the ground beneath us.