Cody awoke and immediately winced from the pain in his head, he glanced around and noticed that he was laid out on a couch in the entrance way. As he sat up his feet touched something and he noticed his boots placed against the couch. He slipped them on as he stood up. His sword and sheath were leaned against the wall next to the couch, he grabbed them and buckled it around his waist just as Clara walked past with a tray of cookies held on her hand. He stepped forward and caught her attention.

"Hey, where's Maria?" He asked her, she paused before giving a courtesy, a little bow with the lifting of one side of her skirt, before replying.

"She's in her office, it's almost lunchtime." She told him as she turned and led the way towards the office. He followed and as they reached the door he opened it for her, eliciting a smile from the young fox maid. Maria was at her desk, working on paperwork.

"Glad to see you settling in." Cody spoke as he approached her desk.

"I've been cleaning out the city guards and knights." She said, sighing, "Most of them were on Seraph's payroll." She pushed the stack of papers to the side. "You look like you drank too much."

"How come you don't have a hangover?" He asked her as he leaned his back against her desk and looked down at her, she laughed.

"Cody, I'm fourteen, I was drinking Sparkling grape juice not wine." She leaned back in her chair laughing, there was a lack of stress in that face. As much as she had allot of fun while with Cody, her father had given her a decent amount of worries and he could feel that a large weight had lifted from her shoulders.

"Oh yeah, true." Cody smiled as his thoughts returned to last night and the celebration. "Thanks for last night."

"Of course, anything for my close friends, though, if you're really grateful. . ." She looked at him seriously. "Get me registered as an adventurer."

"Maria!" Clara exclaimed, "You have too much work for that." She crossed her arms, "Seriously you complain as it is, you'd never get anything done if you were out there adventuring. Besides, I don't think I could handle worrying that much."

"Yeah, you're right Clara. Never mind Cody, forget I asked." She smiled as she began to work again.

"I'll come by again in a few days for more training." Cody waved at her as he pushed off from the desk.

"Yeah, sorry about making it once every three days, I just have so much work."

"It's fine, you have a city to take care of." he reassured her before heading out the door. Cody frowned softly as he descended the stairs, he was thinking about his mission. He'd actually come to Aguris a bit early to inspect the markings beforehand however due to all the excitement very soon the church would begin their own investigation and he'd have to cut his little excursion short. Cody headed towards the guild as his thoughts returned to the girl in his vision and he overlayed her with Skarlet as he slowly cemented the belief that Skarlet was either the key or a piece of escaping what Gia had laid out for him.

Gahh, that makes me sound like a religious fanatic huh! Geez, I don't really believe in Gods, that may sound ridiculous but I still have yet to see anything that would make me Believe Gia is anything other than a very powerful mortal from this world.

As Cody's thoughts wandered once more he pushed open the guild doors and stepped inside only to be immediately jumped by an familiar face. The air of the place was kinda solemn, as the dog Lithian with beautiful purple eyes approached him eagerly.

"Please Cody, you gotta help Aiko she's trapped with a dragon!" The girl exclaimed, that's when Cody noticed their was a constant whispering and that the receptionists looked nervous. Cody sighed and let the girl lead him to the counter.

"Has something happened?" He asked as he reached the receptionist, she nodded.

"Yes, Skarlet seems to have gone to complete a commission for a Red Dragon without going through the guild." The receptionist paused, "It was brought to our attention due to Amethyst here who's party member known as Aiko followed Skarlet into the den right before the entrance collapsed."

"Where is the location?" He asked, impatience weighed in his voice as he rushed her, the receptionist was taken a back, so was the rest of the guild. It was the first time he'd lost his cool.

"It's in the forest on the way to Otalos, here." She pulled a map out and showed him, he frowned before looking at her with a serious expression.

"Compile all the info you have on the one who set up the slay commission, and by my authority please take it down." Cody gave an order before dashing out the door. Not everyone was aware as it has been a long time since dragons were considered a living species, but Cody did his research on the Capitol. The dragons weren't enemies if humanity, in fact most were quite amicable however if attacked. Well let's say very few dragon hunters ever arose in history and the ones that did have a legacy of dying to the combined attacks of a multitude of dragons. The species has a habit of solitude but were very respectful of each other and had an unseen bond among them. They don't take kindly to their kind being murdered. It's not quite understood why though, but even old religious texts consider the dragons sacred. Whoever put up the commission either didn't know the mistake they were making or it was a deliberate trap.

He ran down the main street, he pushed past the guard who recognized him and didn't stop him. Cody ran through the trees, a demon wolf jumped at him, Cody drew his sword and cut it in half in a single fluid motion. He sprinted on, leaping a creak, he cut down several more creatures that stood in his way as he went. The forest melted past in his speed, and he paid little attention to the detail of his surrounds

He came into contact with a group of large demon wolves that forced him to slow down, they circled him, Cody drew his sword.

"You won't stand in my way." He leaped forward, slicing one in half before leaping up, dodging the two who lunged at him, he landed and pierced the second wolf's heart. Light glitter from his fingerd as Cody fired a barrage of light arrows, the wolfs howled as the rain of light killed them.

Before the wolves even hit the ground he was running again, a cliff rose ahead of him, a gaping hole made itself visible as he soon skidded to a stop in the clearing before it. He slowed, cursing his caution as he stepped into the cave.

"Illuminate." Cody spoke and a ball of light manifested in his hand, with a pushing motion he tossed it into the air and it floated above him as he walked through the cave. As he went He noticed claw marks on the walls, but he came to a similar conclusion as Skarlet about the size of the path. He traced his fingers through a deep claw mark digging through the wall.

"Dragon." He said to himself as he pulled his hands back, his fingers were black with soot. He headed deeper, his pace began to pick up as the sounds of fighting were ahead of him. Has she been fighting all night or did she camp and start in the morning? He headed towards the sounds, he broke into a run as a scream rang out. He was forced to slide to a stop as he reached a cave in, in front of him rose a pile of rocks. He approached and noticed a hole that was about the size of an arm allowing him a peak into the cave.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

As he peered inside something landed with a thud and tumbled, he soon realized it was Skarlet, she was missing an arm. She had a dazed look on her face, well what was left. Half her face was torn and ripped, blood dripped down her chin like tears. She was covered in wounds and her clothes looked more like torn rags than an outfit.

She suddenly moved the stub at her shoulder, confusion cascaded down her face as she looked at her shoulder. Her eyes cleared, she looked at something that wasn't visible to him as she dragged her mangled body towards it, disappearing from his view. Cody shook from his surprise, alarm, and fear. He pushed back and drew his sword, "Goddess of life give my sword the power of your holy flames." Cody's sword burned and crackled with golden fire. He swung it at the rocks, it exploded on impact, the fire went out and he pulled his sword back, it glowed weakly. Damn, that spell wasn't strong enough, it would take me days to chip away at it like that. He fell to his knees, I knew she was going to die, how could I let this happen. He slowly got to his feet and began compounding his magic into a large spell. Closing his eyes his hands traced circles, geometric shapes, and cryptic designs. His mentor Annabelle had taught him not only traditional spoken magic but also she taught him how to manifest magic circles using mana like ink with his fingers acting like quils. She taught him the skills of a wizard. After finishing a circle he'd grab it by placing his against it and sliding it out from in front of him.

He pushed all his mana into it, He felt it around him, he pulled it all in focusing it and molding it. javelins of light began appearing in the air around him, one by one they began to fill the cavern working in tandem with the circles and symbols he was spinning to create a mass area he was partially augmenting to be used in close quarters. He felt his mana draining as he worked

He kept having to smooth out the edges and correct the mana flow, casting a spell on this scale wasn't easy, it could take hours. I don't have hours, but I must do this right.

And he did, he stood there for several hours before he finally opened his eyes. He held out his hand, palm open and facing the rocks. He released a deep breath, his mind strained as he controlled the javelins, "Judgment of the Valkyrie!" He called the incantation's activation and the thousands of javelins surged forward, dust and rocks rained from the cavern ceiling. They smashed into the blockage for minutes that stretched on. Cody shielded himself with a holy barrier, he strained to see through the dust, it cleared slowly. Cody deactivated his barrier as the dust finally cleared, he fell onto his knees once more, he'd used all his mana, it would take all day and maybe the night to replenish it.

The cave-in in front of him had been dug out, but still, a wall of boulders stood in front of him. The only difference was that he could now see the other side through some gaps. With a little mana, he might be able to widen those gaps, but for now, he was out. "If I could use the water element, I could have destroyed it entirely. But I can't control it, it's too hectic, in a place like this I'd wash myself away." He sighed, punching the ground, "Damnit, so close." He settled down to wait on his mana, he meditated trying to draw it to him faster. Please, I know I don't pray, I know I don't believe, but if ever I needed a miracle, please! He prayed for the first time in his life.

~

Skarlet felt herself rising, felt like she was swimming to the surface. She broke through, opening her eyes, she felt pain swamp her. She groaned, looking back she saw that her leg was crushed beneath a rock. Her gaze moved around and soon found Aiko who was still unconscious, she was still leaned against the wall in front of her. They were near the caved in entrance, it at been recently disturbed and several rocks tumbled down. A large rock had landed on her foot, she couldn't move it. Her gaze traveled around but she couldn't find the dragon.

She tried to pull herself forward and pain burned through her leg, she dropped onto her stomach panting. She searched, pulling her knife from her pouch, she began sawing at her ankle. Waves of pain flowed up her leg, blood dripped down her wrist, the knife was really sharp, but it was an awkward angle and she couldn't get much force behind it. When she got to the bone she hacked at it and it snapped at the ankle. She gasped, the pain was so much she couldn't even scream. But she felt the release and knew she was free.

She dragged herself forward with her arm and knees, she held the knife in her mouth as she dragged herself out of the rubble, and pulled herself up beside Aiko. She leaned against the wall as she noticed a figure approaching.

She felt her mind growing hazy, her blood loss was an amount that should have killed her already, but for some reason, she felt that something was keeping her alive. She lifted her knife and pointed it at the figure, determined to protect Aiko. I, at the very least, will die protecting someone rather than watching someone die protecting me.

She watched as the figure approaching began to grow blurry before the world faded from her view, her head slumped against Aiko's shoulder as her hand fell and the knife clattered to the ground. Dying from blood loss, and no one to save her, she spiraled downwards.

Skarlet opened her eyes, she was standing on a riverbed, there was a boy waving to her, he looked familiar. He was dressed as an adventurer, his hair was black and wild, his eyes were warm and inviting. Beside him stood a woman, she was younger than him, about fifteen. She had short black hair that was in fluffy pigtails, she also had cat ears and a tail. The black-haired boy seemed to be around sixteen, Cyrus stood on his other side, he also gestured for her to come, Who are you? She asked, the girl and redhead just smiled.

"Come on Skarlet, the boat's leaving soon." The woman called, a small boat was floating beside them, a cloaked figure held the paddle. Skarlet took a step forward when suddenly someone grabbed her arm. She turned to see a demon staring down at her.

"Hah, you're gonna give up like that. They handed you my sword and I thought you'd be a more difficult opponent. I admit your tenacity and willingness to roll the dice is impressive however. . . Are you really gonna die here, do you even realize what you are?" He frowned deeply as he took his hand from her and crossed his arms.

"Huh, the fuck are you on about Galen. Haven't we had this talk before. As long as I live you won't resurrect. . ." Skarlet paused as her mind caught up to her circumstances, she frowned in alarm. "Wait, oh shit."

"Haha, poor cat. You seem to have forgotten for a moment. You're dying right now. No actually, I apologize as I seem to have pulled you from a dream. You must be a bit groggy do you need a moment to collect yourself?" Galen asked with a condescending tone, his eyes narrowing at her.

"No, course not I don't need your pity, makes me feel. . . Icky. Though since you're here can I ask you something." Skarlet gazed back across the river, the water was fast like rapids, ghostly blue lights floated calmly down stream.

"Ha, why not, you're either gonna be my vessel or my replacement. Might as well get to know you huh." He sat down and crossed his legs with a grunt of exertion.

"Why'd you do it?" Skarlet asked, turning to look at him. "The story says the hero and the demon king, is a tragic love story. Why'd you betray that love for a war that would tear the world apart?"

"Oh. . . Haaaaaa, a hard hitter from the beginning. Not that I mind. Let's dig deep into each other's souls why don't we." Galen responded, before gazing off into the distance. "Why did I do it huh? It wouldn't be satisfying if I said insanity would it. . . The sword you wield, it was given to me as well. I was young and in love with a beautiful woman from another world. A Hero among heroes. But I wasn't strong enough to stand beside her, so I sought strength with that sword. I feel so foolish in retrospect because I didn't realize it was driving me mad at the time, eventually I lost my humanity and became a demon. I was driven by an intense rage and hatred for everything so I began a war." Galen finished his explanation then turned to her with a solemn look on his face. "Sounds familiar I bet, why did you pick up that sword huh? Was it for love?"

"Ha, in a twisted sort of way I guess you could call it love. But more like I'm cursed to destroy the people I care about so I need to be stronger, strong enough to overturn any situation. To be able to protect, so I can finally love again. . . So I can make friends again. . . So I don't have to worry about killing anyone who gets close to me." Skarlet replied, "I failed my family and got them killed. Never again."

"Ah, I see. I hope you obtain your aspirations, personally I hope you best me. If I resurrect it will be the me from back then, I've had four hundred years to escape from the influence of that damn sword. I can think clearly, that won't be. . . Oh, it seems someone is calling you. . . I think our time here is up. Come on get up kid, you have to get stronger still!" Galen's response began to fade near the end till he disappeared and suddenly someone grabbed her and dragged her backwards with a massive amount of force. The fuck!!