DISCLAIMER: I do not take credit from Danmachi and its characters.
Read the notes in the first chapter if you haven't done it already.
English is not my native language, so please bear with me. I'll try to correct eventual mistakes if you point them out to me.
Having said that, please enjoy.
Is it Wrong to Try to Stay the Farthest Away from the Dungeon?
-Chapter Two-
Just by a Stroke of Luck
Border between the Empire and the Dragon Valley
Walled City of Preblica
(======)
"Keep firing!" the archers screamed, their words carried by a rumble of thunder.
Arien gulped with a frightened face.
The young man with ashen-white air saw the barrier of magic the monster had destroyed rise once more, twice as powerful as it had been, as the elves and mages above the walls weaved it back into existence with chants and spells. Next to them, the line of archers took aim towards the sky, while the rumble of fire and the screams of the townsfolk echoed in the air like a foul omen.
Bowstrings snapped. Arrows flew.
Over the walls they sailed, into the body of the target. They did no damage. The arrows bounced off upon making contact with the black scales of the beast.
In the clouded sky, the Dragon let out an ear-splitting roar, shaking both heaven and earth and making Arien and everyone else jump in fear. Its gigantic frame darted over the sky, casting its mighty shadow over the walled city. The soldiers and civilians cowed in fear.
Gods damn it! I knew I shouldn't have come here! the young man cursed inside his head.
Another roar shook the world, and Arien covered his ears as he hid behind a wall of stone. Townsfolk bolted down the streets, running in every direction. They were headed towards the city's exits, seeking safety and hope, desperately trying to run away from the living disaster that had attacked their city, their home.
But it was too late. Quick as lightning and silent as death itself, the black dragon flew over Preblica, spewing forth from its jaws a river of flames and fire over the walled city. The fire engulfed everything, flooding the streets like a tide and setting fire to the buildings. Those who were hit by the flames vanished immediately, their bodies reduced to ashes and cinders in less than three seconds. There was no defense against the dragon's wrath, no matter how strong they were.
Hidden behind the alley wall, Arien yelped in horror as he watched the flying monster spit its flames on the northern part of the city, creating a veritable wall of fire that split the city in two. Around him, the terrified screams and death rattles continued to echo as people fled and died, and the burning buildings collapsed like felled trees on the side of the streets.
It burned.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!
The entire city burned.
Why is that monster here?! the young man cursed with growing panic. The old hag said it had fallen asleep fifteen years ago!
The wood gave away, the horses bolted and neighed, the survivors screeched in panic. The flames were getting closer. Arien stumbled from the street's blaze, wheezing. If it weren't for his Undine Cloth covering his body from head to toe, the heat would have burned him too.
"Loose!"
Arien turned away and fled towards the city's main exit, following the townsfolk. From the walls, the archers and mages fired another volley of spells and arrows. It did nothing, as before, and the young man openly grimaced when he saw the Dragon crash against them, his pitch-black paws clawing against the walls and soldiers. The defense was obliterated, the barrier shattered, and the stone wall surrounding the city was breached. Stone and wood and debris flew in the air while the ground shook, raining down on the fugitives and survivors.
He really should have followed King Larfal's advice and stayed into Alf's Royal Forest, but no matter. At least he could help the people here.
Wasting no time, he charged into the blaze, faster than all the men around him. He grabbed a few children in his arms, then leaped away with a powerful jump as rubbles and debris fell on the spot, threatening to bury them alive. Around him, more and more flames were enveloping the buildings, and wood quickly began to burn and collapse on the streets. The young man cursed as he released the children and handed them back to the other fugitives, his eyes narrowing in silent horror as he dashed towards another group of people that risked of being engulfed by flames and stones.
He managed to push them away like before, ordering them to keep running. At the same time, a dwarf threw himself to the ground in front of him, his body covered in red flames. Arien watched with wide eyes as the poor victim frantically rolled on the muddied ground, screaming like an animal and trying in vain to put out the flames.
He reacted on instinct. "Water!" he chanted.
From his hands, magic blossomed. Out of nowhere, a jet of water came to life from his palms, flooding the victim's body and extinguishing the flames with a puff of steam and smoke. The dwarf panted and wheezed, seemingly unharmed except for a few minor burns and his charred beard, and thanked him with a desperate voice. The young man paid him no mind, helping him back on his feet and then pushing him in the exit's direction.
Burning cottages and the shouts of soldiers seared Arien's mind, and it took all the willpower he had to just stand there and take another breath. The air was thick with smoke and fire.
Noticing his abilities, a small group of soldiers broke off from the throng of people on the run and joined him. Two humans, a half-elf and a werewolf. Arien inwardly cursed as he watched them approach. He could already tell that they were Adventurers thanks to his powers. A single glance in their direction had been more than enough for his abilities to put him on edge instantly.
"You!" the werewolf spoke with a frantic tone. Judging by the aura he gave off, he was the leader or at least the strongest one among the group. "Are you an Adventurer?"
Despite the tense situation, Arien fought hard to keep his expression neutral. That question gave him a headache every time. "No I'm not," he answered truthfully. "But I'm confident in my abilities. I can help in my own way."
Suddenly, an earthquake shook the entire city, catching them by surprise. The young man barely managed to keep his balance as the Black Dragon soared above their heads with a powerful hurricane of wind, its terrifying roar splitting both heaven and earth as he spewed forth more of his red-hot flames. More and more buildings burned and exploded in the distance, and the screams and death rattles of the people echoed in the air. The very own wind generated by the monster's wings had been enough to destroy a few buildings of wood and concrete.
The adventurers turned to him once more. "If you can fight, then help us," the werewolf pleaded. "Our duty is to the townsfolk. We can't abandon them."
For fuck's sake! Why did I have to come here today of all days?
Whatever. Now it was not the time to be stubborn. Arien was no hero, but he couldn't allow these people to die without doing anything. He was a monster and a killer, but even he had his own code. He could not simply escape and hope that a miracle would happen. Miracles saved no one. Efforts did.
Arien swallowed his pride and gave a nod.
"You keep helping the people. I'll do something to keep the beast occupied," he stated.
The soldiers looked at him as if he were insane. "Are you crazy?! You cannot fight it!" the half-elf exclaimed in panic. Even the others visibly agreed with him. "Don't you know what that is?! It's the One-Eyed Black Dragon! No one can defeat that monster!"
"That's right! Come with us and help us protect the people instead!" a human soldier cried as well.
Arien ignored them. Logically speaking, they were right. No one could defeat the legendary Dragon. Its existence alone was the sole reason why the Three Great Quests had not been completed. The Zeus and Hera Familias had been able to complete the first two by killing the Behemoth and the Leviathan, but they were defeated in the battle against the One-Eyed Black Dragon. And if those two Familias combined – who were said to be among the strongest Familias that had ever existed – had failed to kill the monster… what chance did he have, who was alone amid a cage of Low Class Adventurers?
He knew it was impossible. Arien was surely stronger than many, perhaps even than most, but he was alone. These soldiers and warriors were all Level 1 Adventurers. Level 2 at most, counting the werewolf. They had no chance against the Dragon, so he could not count on them for backup. It was to be expected, as sad as it was. Outside of Orario, finding strong Adventurers was nearly impossible, since there were no monsters roaming in the world that could allow Adventurers to fight and grow beyond the lower levels. Only elves could actually be considered strong amid all the races and countries of the world, and they usually remained hidden in their damned forests. But here? In this forsaken city? No one among these people was strong enough to even put a dent on that beast's scales.
So, as much as he hated it, that duty now fell upon his shoulders.
The young man turned away from them and took a few steps forward. Noticing a burned body on his right, he kneeled on the ground and took a metal bow and a leather quiver of arrows from the body, uttering a silent prayer to the dead man. "Go," he said to the soldiers instead. "Leave me be."
He gave them no room for discussion. With a single but powerful leap, he jumped away from the street and landed on the broken rooftop of a brunt house, placing the bow and quiver on his shoulder. The Adventurers stared at his retreating form for a few seconds, before sharing a nod and return to their duty to defend the civilians on the run.
At the same time, Arien moved from roof to roof with ease. Jumping from building to building and running across rooftops was a child's play, hardly a box jump for him. After all, thanks to his powers and his accursed nature, he was no mere human in the eyes of the world. He moved at heightened speed, oddly relaxed in the scorching wind as he dashed and leaped incessantly to avoid the flames and damaged buildings scattered throughout the city. All the while, as he ran from one roof to another, more and more explosions and bursts of flames began to echo around him, but the young man paid no mind to that; his gaze solely focused on his target: the black beast flying over the city.
He narrowed his eyes as he reached the highest tower of the city (the highest one left, anyway): the bell tower of Artemis' church. Upon stepping on the stone floor of the tower, he studied the beast with careful attention, doing his best to quell the growing anxiety inside his mind.
A body of pure black, wings like the night sky, and an eye of crimson red. The Dragon was a frightening vision, a horrendous sight, and its frame alone was enough to render his legs weak and make his mind lose focus. His size was massive, enormous, easily reaching 18 meters in height and over 400 feet in length. It was so huge that it looked like a mountain, with a horrifying head with small black horns around it and razor-sharp teeth. It was honestly horrifying, so much so that he could even feel his legs start to tremble in fear at the sight of that beast flying above the city and spitting fire all over it.
Much to his shock, however, from his advantage point the young man realized with no small sense of horror that the dragon was not the only thing which would cause panic in every man's heart. The city below, in fact, was another sight which would have made anyone pause, gods and mortals alike. The city had become a literal sea of flames and smoke, its ruined streets and flaming buildings and destroyed walls greeting his vision completely, stretching all around him as far as the eyes could see. The worst part? All of that had happened in less than five minutes. Five minutes had been more than enough for the beast to create such massive amount of destruction and death.
An entire town, covered by flames. An entire city, destroyed in less than five minutes.
Despite his better judgment and his own Divine nature, Arien couldn't help but feel a massive amount of fear in front of the oppressive scene he was witnessing. The screams and cries echoing all around were not helping either. But all of that was nothing compared to what his Divine nature allowed him to feel.
The sheer amount of negative emotions running through the city.
It was appalling. Nauseating. Asphyxiating. All the fear and panic and desperation echoing amid that chaos; all the horror and sadness and grief oozing off this very same city was… too much. It was too much to bear. So much so that to him, for the first time in a long, long while, his Divine powers and nature now felt more like a curse rather than a blessing. And it wasn't a pleasant feeling. It wasn't pleasant at all. To think that a single creature could cause so much grief and pain…
Just as the stories said, the Black Dragon was a living disaster, a living legend, and a living apocalypse.
Arien clenched a fist to stop his shaking arm. Hera and her books were right, he realized. This beast is no ordinary monster. It is death incarnate.
But now it was not the time for fear. With a shook of the head, Arien steeled his resolve. Therefore, grasping his borrowed bow with one hand and taking an arrow with the other, the young man positioned himself on one knee and took aim towards the flying beast.
The arrow was loosed with careful precision, hitting the target on the belly. However, upon making contact with the Dragon's skin, it bounced off like nothing, unable to pierce its scales.
With a silent curse, Arien did not give up. He took another arrow and uttered a spell. "Thunder."
At his command, the arrow was enveloped in blue and yellow lightning. It roared and hissed and raged above its entire frame, covering the sharp tip with blinding intensity. Then, the young man loosed it again, aiming at the Dragon's head. Once again, the arrow did nothing, leaving the target unscathed. Even the magic spell was useless against the Dragon's thick scales. Archers and mages where utterly useless against him.
Gulping in silent frustration, Arien considered his options. But he had no time for conjectures, because in that exact moment, something happened.
The One-Eyed Black Dragon turned its horrendous head towards him, its crimson eye glowing with hatred.
…fuck. It's looking at me, the young man cursed in horror.
An ear-splitting roar shook the world. The Dragon flapped its pitch-black wings, adjusting its trajectory in the air and descending at maximum speed towards the ground. Towards him.
He wasted no time. Arien uttered a curse, leaping away from the bell tower and running away at maximum speed on the flaming buildings. Not even second later, a gigantic shockwave of wind and air slammed against his back, and the young man was brutally thrown into the air when the Dragon crashed against Artemis' church, his landing causing an explosion of wind and debris that towered above the blazing city for an entire minute and generated another earthquake powerful enough to make a man lose his balance.
The young man screamed, but he could do nothing to defend himself. The wind knocked him out of his feet, sending him on the air and making him crash against the ruined stone wall of a building far way. For the first time in a long while, Arien felt a great amount of pain blinding his vision. As he crashed against the wall, his body broke through the stone and landed inside the building, rolling on the ground for several meters while rocks and rubbles slammed against him.
Grunting and ignoring the ringing of his hears, he stood up and dusted himself off as quickly as he could. He didn't even need to touch himself to feel the warm, wet liquid tickling down his face. The crash had opened a small wound on his temple, drawing a bit of blood.
Arien hissed. The bow in his hand had been completely destroyed by the impact. He tossed it away and leaped out of the breach on the wall, landing on the rooftop of another building.
The sight that greeted him took all the breath away from his lungs.
The Black Dragon towered above him, its massive body now on the ground and its horrifying gaze fixed on him. Arien visibly paled in front of such a terrifying sight, his face covered in sweat. The monster bared its fangs as he glared at him, emitting a low, menacing growl that made his skin crawl while he raised a paw and stepped forward. Said fangs were more swords-like than bone, its claws were as long as spears, and its wings were a hurricane. Its four mighty legs stomped on the ground with animal ferocity, shaking the earth with each step and destroying houses, palaces and the very same ground of the world like nothing.
All the while, screams and desperate pleas could be heard echoing all around. The beast cared not for the lives he had killed, moving and trampling those few townsfolk who had miraculously managed to escape the flames so far with its movements. It did not even lower its head to gaze upon them, killing them like a giant would trample a swarm of ants.
It was unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable.
Rage took place of fear, and Arien felt his mouth twitch in a snarl despite the panic that threatened to make his heart explode.
But then, much to his shock and disbelief, the Dragon opened its maw and did something unexpected. Something that Arien wasn't expecting. Something he would never have imagined, not even in his wildest dreams. Something he would have thought impossible, even after all he had been through and all the things he had seen during in his nineteen years of life.
It spoke.
"WHO are you, that would STAND against ME?"
The young man felt his eyes widen in absolute shock. His mouth hung open despite his better judgment.
I-I-It speaks! he exclaimed inside his head, disbelief coating his thoughts like a veil or a fog. This monster can fucking SPEAK!
The Black Dragon moved its long, horrifying neck forward, fixing the puny human in front of it with a bestial gaze. Its crimson eye – the right one – glowed with anger and hatred, while the left one was closed and swollen, torn by an ancient scar which ran vertically on its scales for two meters.
Arien startled and paled as the gigantic monster took a whiff of air. "Your scent is… peculiar," the beast spoke, whipping its tail. Its voice was rumbling, terrible, horrifying; like the rumble of an avalanche getting closer and closer. "You smell like humans, and yet… different. I don't remember smelling your kind before."
The young man cursed inside his head.
"Tell me: who are you? WHAT are you, to possess such a scent?" the Dragon demanded, slamming one of its paw against a building. The entire complex shattered and exploded like glass under its powerful body.
But Arien was silent. He did not answer. He couldn't answer. For what would he say even if he could?
After all, this monster in front of him was speaking. No, not just capable of speech: it was intelligent. It was questioning him, fixing him with a bestial gaze filled with intensity, and intelligence. He was capable of thoughts and feelings, and the more he gazed upon its gigantic frame the more he was realizing this.
This one truth; this one realization.
As impossible as it seemed, the One-Eyed Black Dragon was an intelligent monster.
And that made it even more dangerous than it already was.
The young man felt a shiver running down his spine. One, single thought entered inside his terrified mind.
It has to disappear. This beast has to die. It cannot be left loose on the world. It is too dangerous to be left alive. It could―
Suddenly, a realization dawned upon him.
It blossomed inside his mind on its own, despite the disbelief. It grew and grew and grew, no matter how impossible it sounded and how scared and reluctant he was feeling upon realizing it. It simply came upon him, solemnly ad silently, like a hushed whisper coming from a distant past; compelling him to move, forcing him to obey.
He had no choice over the matter. He simply had to do it. This realization would not leave him be as long as he was alive. It would not stop until its purpose was fulfilled. There was nothing he could do to ignore it, for the moment he had realized it, it was already too late.
Perhaps it was due to his nature. Perhaps his connection to the world and the gods had played a role in this… but it didn't matter. His goal was now clear for some reason; his target was standing right in front of him. There was no time to ponder. There was no need to hesitate.
He had to do it. Simply and clearly. No matter what or how or why… he simply had to.
Right here and now, he had to kill the Dragon.
Yes, he had to end it. Here, now, today; he had to succeed in what not only the greatest hero of the world, but also the Zeus and Hera Familia had failed to do before. He had to succeed in the one quest that every race and spirit of the world considered impossible. No matter how implausible it sounded, no matter how hard it would be, that duty had now fallen upon his shoulders for some reason.
And as such, he had to comply and dedicate his life to that duty.
That was all he understood right now. That was all that mattered to him.
Even if he had to forfeit his life to do so, it was fine. Somehow, despite his own stupor, the prospect of dying was not a scary one at all.
For he was no Hero, and death would be his final reward.
The one and only demi-god of humanity steeled his resolve with a powerful glare.
"Go fuck yourself, you over-sized lizard."
The One-Eyed Dragon bared its fangs as it stomped on the city.
"Is THAT your answer? You think you have a SPECK of a chance against ME?" he growled with a bellowing roar. "You really believe a treacherous creature such as yourself can lay me low? Insect, no useless WORM like you can end me!"
The world stopped as the Dragon recoiled its head back, his belly and throat glowing a bright red.
Arien widened his eyes.
"You will BURN!"
With cataclysmic fury, the monster spewed forth a torrent of red-hot flames from its mouth, engulfing the city and the streets completely. The fire raged and consumed, destroying everything it touched and setting even more buildings and people ablaze. A column of smoke rose towards the sky, like a tower reaching to the heavens.
But none of that mattered to the young man fighting for his life.
"Water!"
Arien reacted on instinct, relying on his Divine powers. A torrent of water came forth form his hands, enveloping him entirely as he leaped away, covering his body and face along with the Undine Cloth. Despite his impressive speed and swift reaction, however, the flames slammed against him all the same, enveloping the young man in a river of death that took his breath away and blinded him in excruciating pain. If it weren't for the cloth and the water spell surrounding his body in its entirety, he would have been reduced to ash, no doubt.
He shot out of the fire like an arrow, falling upon a ruined street with a crash and a grunt of effort. Despite his previous attempts to protect himself, the heat of the flames had managed to dispel the water and burn him slightly on the arms and legs, his body fuming and smoking due to the unbearable heat of the Dragon's attack. Not even the his highly-expensive cloth could sustain such a powerful flame and shield him from the heat. Arien openly hissed in pain as he forced himself on his feet.
In the distance, the beast roared and trashed, destroying more and more sections of the city as it moved and slashed with its paw, moving to claw its way towards him. The young boy released his restraint with a silent curse, unleashing his Divine powers in full for the first time in more than three years.
He brought one hand above his chest. "Heal," he whispered.
A white light surrounded him as he released his spell, enveloping his body and soothing the pain like a splash of cold water. Once he could breathe again, the young man focused his mind. He knew he had no chance of defeating that monster on long range. Arrows and spells had been completely useless against him so far, and even if he were to unleash all his powers in a spell, he doubted that would actually harm the Dragon. Its scales were simply too strong to break. It felt like its whole body was made of iron, like an armor which could not be broken from the outside.
Consequently, if he wanted to find a chance to hurt the beast, he had to fight it on close range.
With a deep breath, Arien started to run. "Come," he ordered, stretching his hand forward.
In a flash of white and black, his weapon appeared to life. Gurthang, a medium-sized sword made of silver with an elegant pommel. It was his most faithful companion, his favorite weapon, and the only ally that had never betrayed him before. For that reason, it was the one and only friend he could trust in this situation.
Then, as soon as his hand grasped the hilt of the sword, the young man broke into a sprint and charged at the beast directly.
Dragon and human clashed with a roar of wind.
The air moaned and cried when the battle became a melee, with the Dragon lunging at the tiny human with its claws, forcing him to block the beast's massive paw with his blade and knocking him off his feet. Then, the Dragon brought its jagged fangs down towards the young man, forcing him to roll away at the last second and leap away. The dragon's head slammed on the ground, and Arien tried to return the favor by slashing its nose with a lightning-fast swing. The black beast reared up onto its back legs, roaring with a bestial fury as the blade slammed against its face.
But the monstrous "King of the Monsters" would not be hurt by such a futile assault. Much to the young man's shock, it held on with its sharp claws, stabbing them into the ground and then using its tail like a whip to force him away. The black tail slashed the air with an invisible speed, and Arien barely managed to leap away at the last split-second, avoiding the slash by miracle. Then, the young man roared his rage and charged again, batting the Dragon's claws away and slashing it furiously on the neck and shoulder.
The monster roared and growled in rage, surprised by the speed of its opponent, but the attacks did no damage despite his speed and strength. Gurthang was a fine blade, sharp and resistant thanks to its composition, but it wasn't enough to pierce the scales of the One-Eyed Dragon. Its armor was simply too powerful to be broken with his attacks.
For the first time ever, Arien realized how a fly would feel while fighting against a giant. And it wasn't a good feeling.
Once again, the Dragon reacted with overwhelming power. Its roar alone made the air shook and the ground tremble, and the young man cursed and screamed in surprise as a shockwave generated by the roar slammed against him, throwing him away like – ironically – a fly. As he crashed against a building placed a few dozens of meters away from the beast, Arien spat a bit of blood from his lips and ignored the pain in his ribcage. All the while, the towering King of Monsters slashed and trashed and spat fire from its maw, destroying the city and killing everything along its path. If it weren't for his powers, Arien would have been dead already.
Still, his survival did little to assuage his guilt. The young man could still feel the death and destruction around him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. His mind was doing its best to shield him from the onslaught of negative emotions that this battlefield was drowning in, but his Divine nature simply could not ignore all these raw feelings echoing in the air. There was so much death already, as far as the eyes could see, and no matter how powerful and skilled he was, he had no way to save the people from the monster's wrath.
Arien struggled to get up from the debris, his chest throbbing with pain due to the impact. His boots sunk deep into muck that was equal parts mud, water, and blood; while fires that wouldn't be extinguished by rain licked the ground hungrily around him. On the right, corpses formed mounds that quickly began to resemble hills, and the screams of civilians and people hung desperately in the wind.
He hated it. He hated it all.
He hated it and yet his enemy seemed to revel in the death. For every soldier and Adventurer of the Empire that it killed, or crushed, or burned; the Dragon's assault and onslaught only grew, relentlessly. Its pleasure and amusement could clearly be seen in its crimson-blood eye, followed by an aura of cruelty and enjoyment. The beast was killing and ravaging and destroying, finding a great pleasure in doing so. It killed and devoured with a smile on its face and glee in its eye. Arien couldn't understand how someone could love death so much.
But it was sickening. Rightfully so. He could not allow this beast to ravage and destroy as it pleased. He had to kill it, no matter what.
With a powerful battle cry, he raised his sword and charged again.
Metal clashed against scales, as the young man darted through the air like a living bullet. The Black Dragon blocked his charge with its claws, roaring and laughing as he pushed the small assailant away with its paw. The small human visible struggled against its immense strength, his legs sinking in the ground as he desperately tried to push the gigantic enemy back and resist.
"Y-You… will not… go further!" Arien hissed through gritted teeth. His arms and legs were shaking, his entire body trembling in pain under the monster's oppressive power. "I won't… allow you to… keep frightening… our lives! Humanity will have its revenge!"
The Dragon mocked him. "REVENGE? I'd sooner devour my own heart than let an INSECT be the end of me!" it roared, increasing its push against the human. Arien cried and spat blood from his lips, unable to resist any longer, and was consequently batted away a second time. "I laid low the warriors of old and their legends! I kill where I wish, WHEN I wish, and none can DARE to resist! No blade can pierce me!"
Arien raised himself from the ground, his body battered and covered in blood. His grey eyes glared at the Dragon with a mighty rage. "Yet, someone wounded you once," he spat back at the beast. A vain attempt to keep himself hopeful in such a desperate moment.
"It doesn't matter. Albert Waldstein is DEAD! I have EATEN him and his people like a wolf among sheep!" the Dragon roared, outraged. It took a step forward, a wooden house collapsing under its weight alone. "Back then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and stronger. The hero who wounded me is long gone, and yet his kin dares to stand against ME?"
The Dragon charged again, slashing at the human with overwhelming strength. Arien leaped away and avoided the charge this time, unwilling to meet the attack head on. His previous attempts had only proved to him that he could never hope to match the Dragon's attacks despite his Divine nature and his powers. Its strength was simply too much to be handled by a mortal body, no matter the race and level.
Yet, the beast did not relent. It kept chasing him and attacking furiously, destroying more and more of the city with each assault in attempt to slash and bite the tiny human fleeing from it. There was no form in its attacks, nothing for Arien to recognize or preempt. It was charging, and slashing and roaring like a mad monster, even attempting to spit fire on several occasions. The One-Eyed Dragon was fighting on animal instinct, and the only defense was instinct.
However, as he was desperately trying to avoid the charge, the young man made a mistake.
He leaped away from an incoming slash too soon, far too soon, leaving him at the mercy of the Dragon's second attack. Panic pricked at his mind, and as he flew in the air he looked over his shoulder to find the Dragon's tail whipping towards him at lightning-fast speed. His eyes widened in horror and fear, and Arien tried to block the attack with his sword, but it was too late.
The tail slammed against Gurthang's blade with a powerful snap, and he paid the blow in full. The impact took all the air away from the young man's lungs, and he was promptly thrown away like a living arrow, sending him to into the air for a at least an entire mile, screaming in pain all the while. Eventually, he landed on the opposite side of the blazing city, crashing against the walls surrounding its borders with an explosion of dust and stone.
For what seemed to be an eternity, Arien's world became darkness. Every sound disappeared all of a sudden, and when he finally took a hold on himself and blinked to regain his sight, he found a deep gash in the side of his leg and one right above his chest, with blood pouring out of them. The pain arrived a moment later, and his eyes almost rolled back inside the head in agony.
"H-Heal!" he managed to stutter, placing a hand above the wounds. The spell managed to close the gashes and stop the bleeding, but his exhaustion remained in full. On the contrary, it was growing by the second.
As much as he hated to admit it, at this rate, he was surely going to get killed.
"It's the Black Dragon! It's coming here!"
"This is the end! There's no hope anymore!"
"Mom! Mom, where are you?"
"Help us! Somebody help us!"
Sobbing and crying echoed around him, and the young man forced himself to stand up, for he wasn't yet ready to give up.
"The gods bless you, boy!" a man shouted at him over the chaos. "The gods bless you!"
Another yowl, this one more frantic than the last, came from the other side of the city. Beyond the smoke and flames, Arien saw the Dragon causing havoc amid the town, attacking the survivors with its massive paws and destroying every house and building around it with its movements. The combined power of its flames and size was a challenge for every soldier and Adventurer out there, for there was no man in the world who could hope to match the beast's power. The Black Dragon was too large and strong for Adventurers to subdue, no matter their stats, their level, and their race.
Moreover, its body was literally impossible to hurt. Those scales covering its body were so thick that Arien thought that neither he nor the Divine wrath of a god would be able to hurt the skin beneath. It was simply a lost cause. There was no hope against such a monster. Even his strength and powers were useless against it.
The young man panted, tightening his grip on the hilt of the sword while another trickle of blood dripped from a wound on his head. His ashen-white hair was stained crimson right now, his body battered and slightly burnt, and the mental exhaustion was growing. The light armor of iron he was wearing was completely ruined now, and it was only thanks to sheer willpower that Arien managed to keep himself on his feet.
Once again, the Black Dragon turned its massive head in his direction. It bared its fangs in some sort of feral grin upon glimpsing his battered frame, as if it were mocking him. "Tell me, WRETCH… how now shall you challenge ME?" he roared, taunting him with a terrible voice.
With a hiss, the monster advanced through the city; each of its steps destroying a house and making the earth tremble. Arien stared at its towering black frame with tired eyes, panting and struggling to find a way to fight him. Somewhere, a child's sobbing echoed in the air, reaching his ringing ears.
What should I do? What can I do? he desperately pondered in his head, trying – and failing – to remain calm. There's no way I'll be able to wound that monster with my powers alone. It's too strong, even for me.
In the distance, the beast was getting closer. It growled and hissed, the scales along its back rippled and lifted like hackles. It spread its wings all of a sudden, not in attempt to fly, but to appear more gigantic and terrifying than it already was.
As much as Arien hated to admit it, it worked.
"You cannot run from the fire. You will BURN!" the One-Eyed Black Dragon roared, glaring at the puny human standing on the city walls with its crimson eye.
Desperation slowly began to build itself inside the young man's heart, no matter how hard and long he fought to remain focused.
There was nothing he could do, nothing he could use, nothing he could think. The beast was too strong for him, its power unmatched, its size too frightening. But despite all of that, he had to do something, because if he didn't then not only he, but this entire city and the few remaining survivors were going to be completely obliterated. But the Dragon was too strong, and the glare it was sending him with its crimson eye was filled with malice and hatred―
…wait.
A small idea blossomed inside his mind.
Realization dawned upon him.
Its eye!
Arien's face shone with hope for the first time ever since the beginning of the battle...
…while the Dragon kept mocking him as it grew closer and closer.
"You are forsaken! You have nothing left but your DEATH!"
A terrifying, ear-splitting roar echoed from the beast's maw. But the young man wouldn't let himself be intimidated this time.
He steeled his resolve, cleared his mind, and brought the silver sword in front of him, pointed at the monster.
He had one chance. One moment. One shot. He could not afford to fail.
The air burned. The earth shook. The world paused.
And the beast was getting closer.
Arien focused all his remaining energy in his legs, placing himself in a battle stance.
Then, the Black Dragon lunged at him with its maw open and a roar.
"RRRAAAAAAAAAWWWWRRRRRR!"
And he uttered one, single spell.
"Wind!"
No one witnessed it. No one saw it happen.
Because it happened faster than a man could blink.
Wind roared and raged around Arien's frame, and a powerful and mighty hurricane covered his legs completely.
Then, the spell was released, and the young man was propelled forward like a living bullet.
Like a shadow flitting through a forest, the young man darted in the air and flew towards the Dragon, faster than any living being around him and lighter than a feather. In his hands, the silver blade of Gurthang shone with a magical starry nimbus, glowing in the smoke and fire as he leaped forward. The boy dashed like a living arrow, flying through the blazing city and charging against the beast with a burst of wind.
However, the Dragon saw him coming and jerked its body, lunging forward as well and trying to counterattack. When the rumble of wind and fire echoed around them both, the black monster snarled and opened its jaws, painting the world in front of it with a torrent of red fire.
But Arien dove forward, undaunted. For a moment, he lost sight of the Dragon and the world around him as the wall of flames slammed against him, swallowing him up entirely and enveloping him in an excruciating heat that almost managed to take his breath away. However, the wind around him roared and raged all the more, shielding him from the wrath of the fire for only a split-second.
Then, he came into view again, not far from where the Dragon's head hung above the world, darting out of the torrent of flames like an arrow. The ends of his white hair were on fire, his body filled with flames, his armor and Undine Cloth completely burned and ruined, but he did not notice. With three bounding steps on a rooftop, he leaped onto the beast's left forefoot, and from there flung himself towards the side of its head, trailing fire like a comet. Wind and air raged all around him as the Dragon widened its eye and roared in fury.
But it was too late.
"TAKE THIS, YOU DISGUSTING LIZARD!"
And thus, uttering a shout that could be heard throughout the fire and chaos, Arien thrust Gurthang into the center of the Dragon's great, gleaming blood-red eye and buried the full length of the blade within its gigantic skull.
Just like that, it was over.
Metal to flesh, sword to dragon. Limbs trembling, entrails eviscerated. Blood splashed the young man's cheeks, hot and scorching, its source unknown. Regardless, he kept pushing the blade into the beast's head, roaring and screaming in fury as he desperately tried to keep his hold on the sword's handle. The world spun and moaned around him, the wind dissolving like nothing as an inhuman roar of pain spurred his desperation.
The Black Dragon bellowed and twitched, trashing around like the wounded beast it was and emitting an ear-splitting howl of pain that shook both heaven and earth. He slashed the air with its paws, spat fire from its maw like a living inferno, and then he flew into the sky with a howl of agony. It cried and raged and roared; trashing and writhing into the air like a snake, scratching its face and neck in pain as it desperately flew in the air, unable to see and feel anything but pain.
All the while, Arien screamed and fought to keep his hold on the sword, struggling against the bellowing wind raging against him and the beast's desperate trashing threatening to throw him away.
From the fire and smoke in the city below, the few remaining soldiers and survivors stared at the flying beast with wide eyes and incredulous faces.
Until, suddenly and quietly, it stopped.
Everything quieted, the world paused, and the Dragon stilled. Then, slowly and solemnly, the beast's frame slumped and stopped, liquid fire pouring from its maw as its massive body fell sideways towards the ground, completely devoid of life. Sheer silence began to echo around the world, and a dull hiss could be heard in the air as the monster fell towards the ground.
All the while, Arien remained attached to the Dragon's head, desperate and unable to feel the world around him. The wind slammed on his body and billowed around him, putting out all the flames from his hair and body. An eerie silence descended around him, and the young man slowly opened one eye as he felt the power of gravity began to pull him downwards all of a sudden. He finally managed to grasp the situation just a moment before the Black Dragon struck the ground with its frame.
His face paled in incredulous horror.
"Oh shit… you gotta be fucking kid―!"
A powerful, ear-splitting crash echoed for miles and miles away.
The Dragon fell from the sky, crashing above a hill a few miles away from the burning city with a deafening shockwave and earthquake.
Arien's world spun and rotated. His body was brutally trashed around as he felt his chest slam against the Dragon's scales.
Then, everything went black, and he could feel the world no more.
Meteria stared at her with her mouth agape. The disbelief was clearly visible on her gentle face.
"Y-You… You're pregnant?" she breathed.
For the first time ever since they were kids, her sister wouldn't dare to meet her eyes.
Sheer silence echoed inside the room.
Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the woman found herself wrapped in a bone-crushing hug.
"OhmygodohmygodohmyGod!" Meteria cried and laughed and jumped all while, bouncing on her legs like a little bundle of happiness. "I can't believe it! You're pregnant! You're going to have a baby!"
Alfia found herself blushing in spite of the shame she was feeling inside.
"E-Enough, Meteria! Unhand me at once!" she hissed in exasperation, struggling to break away from her sister's hug.
The woman with ashen-white hair finally released her, her face trickling with tears of joy. "I can't believe it! My sister is pregnant… I'm going to be an aunt!" she exclaimed, her face gleaming with glee.
Her sister donned a hand on her face with a groan, trying to hide her ashamed blush.
Sadly, it didn't work.
Darkness. And in that darkness, silence.
When he finally came to be, Arien slowly blinked to regain his sight, feeling strangely numb to the world around him. The silence was strangely comforting as he stared at the night sky. He could breathe, but the air was stale and lifeless, and when he tried to move, a soaring flash of pain shot through his whole body, making him yelp in pain.
Eventually, he gave in. He stopped himself from trying to move and just lay there on the ground, staring at the night sky. He could not feel his arms and legs anymore, but he was painfully aware of the pain in his chest and back. Blood covered his body from head to toe, and while a great amount of it came from the Dragon, he was willing to bet that the majority of it was his. Even the grass around him was wet with crimson liquid, and the air smelled like the taste of iron.
Slowly, he managed open his lips and gulp air. His mouth was dry and his tongue numb, but that simple gesture made his throat burn in pain as soon as air entered his body. His body twitched, and the young man slowly managed to move his head slightly to the left, gazing upon the world with tired, half-lidded eyes.
The Dragon's dead body lay lifeless about ten meters away from him, unmoving and yet towering above him with its shadow. Arien's mind momentarily shut in stunned shock when realization dawned upon him. It had worked. The monster was dead. He had succeeded.
The One-Eyed Black Dragon was dead.
Despite the pain and his better judgment, a low chuckle escaped his lips. He immediately regretted it, for another pang of pain coursed through his body at the gesture. He wheezed and coughed in agony, fighting hard to remain conscious in spite of the exhaustion and pain. But still… he had done it. He had really done it. He almost couldn't believe it.
He had succeeded in the one quest that was considered impossible. He had slayed the King of Monsters.
He wasn't even an Adventurer, and yet he had managed to kill the Dragon.
Tsk. Don't get too cocky, you idiot. You were just lucky, that's all, he inwardly reprimanded himself. Even his inner voice sounded weary and tired due to the heavy exhaustion he was feeling. You managed to kill it by luck. Just by luck. Because you caught it unawares and struck its only weak point. Besides, there's no use in cheering right now. You're about to die anyway.
Indeed, that was a valid problem. Arien could not move, but he didn't need his powers to realize that his body was in bad shape right now. No, scratch that, it was in horrible shape. He had lost a lot of blood, sustained a few burns on his face and limbs, and he couldn't even feel his legs and arms anymore. He probably had some broken bones too due to the previous fall from the sky. Not to mention, moreover, that his mental exhaustion prevented him from casting Heal on his body, and he was barely managing to keep his eyes open due to that.
So… yes, he was in deep shit right now. There was no way he could survive and remain conscious for much longer.
And yet, despite that, the young man sighed and closed his eyes. Whatever… I knew this was the inevitable outcome, he resigned himself with a peaceful mind. I don't fear death, and this is what I've chosen. I can die in peace.
Yes… this was a befitting end for a cursed existence like him. He could finally rest and abandon this shitty world that had offered him nothing but pain and hardships. He could finally leave his powers, his secrets, and his accursed existence behind. He could finally let it go at once.
The young man stared at the starry sky. He smiled a bitter smile.
I'll be joining you soon… Auntie.
He closed his eyes and resigned himself to wait his incoming end.
"No. You shall not die today, young man."
As if it had been reading his mind, a voice spoke to him all of a sudden.
Arien snapped his eyes open, tearing his gaze away from the night sky to stare at the figure that had suddenly appeared next to him out of nowhere. His eyebrow rose, and he felt his eyes widen in mild stupor in spite of himself.
A woman of stunning beauty stood next to his battered body.
A warm, kind smile curved her lips as she gazed upon him. "Brave warrior… I shan't let you die here," she spoke with a soft voice, kneeling over him with a resolute gaze on a gentle face. "You've freed me after an imprisonment of a thousand years. I won't let you succumb to death."
The young man stared at her for a long while. "…who the hell are you?" he asked, unable to form any other coherent phrase. His voice was hoarse and dry as he spoke.
In response, the woman offered him a kind smile with a giggle. Arien couldn't help but stare in wonder as the woman's long, golden hair billowed in the wind, fixing him with eyes shining of the same color. "My name is Aria. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my young savior," she answered, her voice gentle and sincere in spite of her amused smile.
Arien's tired eyes narrowed. "…a goddess?" he pondered warily, more to himself than anything.
The woman – Aria – shook her head. "No, I'm not a goddess. I'm a Spirit," she explained in a soft tone, placing a hand over his chest with a gentle movement. "I've been trapped inside the Dragon for over a thousand years, in an incessant attempt to keep it dormant and prevent it from unleashing its wrath on the world. For as long as I can remember, my soul has remained inside of the beast, struggling to hold its powers at bay and keep it dormant."
"…and yet you failed today," the dying boy spat with sarcasm, unimpressed. There was no spite in his words, despite his sarcasm. He was merely stating a fact.
Aria's smile wavered, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yes. The beast's power nearly overwhelmed me today. I could no longer contain it, and my failure has brought a lot of destruction both to you and to many others," she admitted with sadness, tearing her golden eyes away from him to stare with a regretful expression at the smoking city that could still be seen in the distance. Fire and smoke were still ravaging the town even now, even if more subdued.
Her smile soon returned. "And yet, in spite of the odds, you managed to defeat the beast, brave warrior," she praised him with gratitude. Arien listened to her closely. "You killed the Dragon and freed my soul from its grasp. And now, as a token of my gratitude, I shan't let you perish here. Your wounds are severe, but I still have enough power to heal you before I disappear. I will not let you die."
Arien stared at her, long and hard. He closed his eyes. "Save it," he cut her off with a hoarse tone, catching her by surprise. "I don't need to be saved. No… I don't want to. I wish to die here, so don't you try to ruin this moment for me."
His words were sharp and resolute. Yet, not a single thing he had said was a lie.
The Spirit seemed taken aback by his statement. "…why do you wish to die?" she asked, unable to understand his decision.
The young man scoffed. "If I were to answer that, we would be here for days," he whispered with a weak voice. "And unfortunately I don't have that much time; so let's just say… I'm not exactly fond of my life."
Seeing her silence and expression, he allowed himself to clarify. "I'm not suicidal, if that's what you're thinking. But my life has been nothing but suffering so far, and I just want to let it go. Dying after slaying the world's biggest lizard is definitely a good way to go. At least I'll be remembered in a good way, right?" he mused, smiling in self-mockery with a rueful expression.
Aria's smile returned. It was strangely nostalgic and sad at the same time. "You wish to be remembered as a Hero?" she asked him, her mind steeped in memories of a certain husband of hers in spite of herself.
"Do I look like a fucking kid to you?" Arien glared at her. Or, at least, attempted to. He was so weak that his stare was only a pale imitation of a glare. "I just want to die in a good way. Being useful, you know? I care not for useless notions like 'heroes' and 'honor'. They served me nothing so far, anyway."
He spat those words as if they were a curse.
"Besides, I'm not a good person anyway. I've killed some people in my life," he continued, returning to stare at the starry night with a blank gaze. The Spirit listened to him in silence as he scoffed in disdain. "Yeah, people… if that's what they could be called."
"I can see that. You carry a lot of burdens on you, child," Aria spoke, placing her hand on his chest again.
He eyed her warily. "You know that and yet you would be willing to save me? Perhaps you're not as good as you seem," he smirked with sarcasm, ignoring the pain and fatigue.
Much to his confusion, however, the woman with golden hair smiled in amusement. Her face was gentle and sincere as she stared at his exhausted frame.
"I want to save you because I see goodness inside your heart," she replied softly, amused. "I know what you are, young warrior. You're not the first Divine human I've seen."
His reaction was immediate.
Arien's eyes widened out of all proportions upon hearing that. He stared at the golden woman with an incredulous stare.
"That's impossible," he breathed.
"No it is not. I had a husband once, you know. A human. Together, we had a child, and thank goodness she still lives today. You're not the only one of your kind, little one," she explained to him with a sincere voice, caressing his chest slightly.
He did not show it on the outside, but Arien was inwardly stunned by the news.
"I… I'm not the child of a Spirit," he managed to whisper in the end.
Aria shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Why or how you were born is not important. Your birth and origin do not define what you are. I want to see what you'll choose to be," she reassured him, offering him a smile. "That is not up to debate, young warrior. I shan't let you die here. That I can promise you."
Had he had the strength, the young man would have slapped her hand away. "Why are you doing this?" he demanded, his voice becoming weaker and weaker.
Aria's face twitched with sadness. Arien could see a glimpse of guilt in her eyes. "Because I'm being selfish," she answered. "I want to meet you again, when I'll return. And more importantly… because I have a favor to ask."
His strength was fading, the exhaustion finally starting to take its toll. Arien could barely manage to remain conscious at this point. "A… favor…?" he whispered.
"I want you to meet my child. My daughter. Her name is Aiz Waldstein," she explained to him. "Please tell her that one day, I will return to her once again. I will hold her in my arms once more."
Wald… stein? He mused inside his head, barely managing to think due to the exhaustion. The realization struck him despite everything. She's the wife… of the hero Albert!
"Can't… you tell her… that… yourself?" he managed to whisper, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier by the second.
The Spirit shook her head. "I've been held captive for a thousand years, desperately trying to keep the Dragon at bay. My power is almost entirely gone. I barely have enough to heal you and send you to my daughter before disappearing," she answered with sadness. "But one day, I shall reform again. I don't know how long it will take. Years, I presume. Decades, perhaps. But I will come back one day, and I want you to tell her that."
Before he could open his lips again, the woman placed her other hand on his cheek, caressing him gently.
"And when I do, I'd like to meet you again, my young savior. I shall express my gratitude once more, and apologize for my selfish request," she concluded, smiling at him with a tender expression.
Arien couldn't resist anymore. His exhaustion finally slammed on him once again, even if a sense of warmth began spreading through his body, coming from the hand placed on his chest and making the pain disappear and his mind relax gradually.
The young man closed his eyes, unable to resist the sweet call of slumber that was trying to claim him.
But amid the darkness, the voice of the golden Spirit resounded one last time.
"Before I go, would you please tell me your name, my young savior?"
Despite himself, the dragon-slayer smiled a bitter smile.
"My name… is Arien…"
"Arien Cranel."
"But still! You, pregnant?!" Meteria could not believe it no matter how long she tried to process it. "You, who would always panic and get mad at every man's attempt to approach you? Who would always blush and stutter at the mere thought of something perve―"
"Enough already, Meteria!" Alfia cut her off sternly, blocking her mouth with one hand in a swift movement. Her sister could almost swear she saw tears of shame forming in her heterochromatic eyes. "I get it! It was a mistake! A moment of weakness on my part!"
Her eyes widened. "Mistake? What are you saying, Alfia! You're going to be a mom! What's so wrong about that?"
The woman's gaze fell, her fists clenched in a mixture of fury, and shame, and regret.
"…it shouldn't have happened," she hissed with a broken voice.
Meteria gasped, raising a hand to her lips. "W-What?"
Once again, her sister wouldn't answer, unable to meet her gaze.
A horrible realization began to blossom on the kind woman's face. Her brows furrowed in concern.
"Alfia… who is the father?"
A broken, twisted sob of pain was the only answer she received.
Labyrinth City of Orario
Main Gates
(======)
Night had fallen on Orario. The city was eerily quiet, completely opposed to the cheerful and carefree shouting that would normally echo throughout the streets and districts.
The people and Adventurers were unavoidably shaken. Luckily for them, the earthquakes and the seismic tremors that had plagued the city for almost a whole day had ended two hours ago, and even the monster's screams coming from the Dungeon had suddenly halted roughly at the same time. But on the other hand, this fact alone had not been enough to reassure the people and ease their worried minds.
After all, ever since the news had reached the citizens' ears, an air of tension and fear had enveloped the city completely, plunging it into a state of endless terror and alarm.
The news of the Black Dragon's return, roaming free on the world once again.
Finn Deimne didn't like to admit it, but he was shaken too.
He stared with stoic eyes as more and more Adventurers started to gather in front of the city's main gates, creating a confused and hectic coming and going of warriors right in front of him. Around them, a great crowd of people – mostly civilians, gods and low-rank Adventurers – had begun to gather as well, with tense expression in their faces and some silent prayers in their eyes. Shakti and the entirety of Ganesha Familia was here as well, guarding the gates and making sure that everyone was ready for the mission.
A suicide mission, in the pallum's opinion.
As soon as the news about the Dragon's attack on Preblica had reached the Guild and the city, Ouranos had decided to withdrawn his previous order and call back the expedition inside the Dungeon. The earthquakes had halted, after all, and it seemed that Orario was not under threat for the moment. Now, instead, the orders were more severe. Much, much more. A contingent of Adventurers, the best of the best, had been ordered to leave Orario as soon as possible and head towards the Empire's territories, with one and only goal ahead of them: to hunt down the most famous and feared beast of the entire planet.
And slay it.
Obviously, of course, there were only a handful of Familias in the entirety of Orario that possessed enough strength and manpower to embark on such a dangerous quest. That being:
The Loki Familia, since they possessed the best mages and strategist.
The Freya Familia, which had the strongest and fiercest Adventurers.
And the Hephaestus Familia, whose members could craft and forge infinite weapons wherever and whenever they wished despite being part of a non-combat related Familia.
Such was their group, and the contingent of Adventurers chosen to embark on this dreadful quest.
Finn could already feel a migraine coming, along with another long series of curses.
His fellow Familia members were seated all around him, immersed into a deep silence. Gareth, Riveria, everyone… they all wore tense, concerned expression on their faces. Even the prideful and over-confident Bete was silent now, his tail completely still as he sat on a box. Finn did not blame them one bit. He could clearly understand their fear. Heck, if he had to be honest, he was feeling scared too right now.
And how could he not be? Facing the One-Eyed Black Dragon was every Adventurer's ultimate goal. The one and only obstacle that hindered the completion of the legendary Three Great Quests. The last adventure which had brought ruin and shame to both the Zeus and Hera Familias, more than fifteen years ago. The prospect of facing that very same mission, of dealing with that very same weight on their shoulders… it was not easy for his companions.
Many of them would have to remain here. Finn knew that. It had already been decided during the previous meetings. Loki, Raul, and all the Third and Second Class Adventurers of their Familia had to remain here, with Lefiya being the only exception, and only because of her gifted powers in magic. But the rest of the Executives members had been ordered to depart and join the quest, and there was nothing they could do anymore. They could not refuse a direct order from the Guild, and from Ouranos.
Raul, Alicia, Rakta and the others had wept. They had tried to protest and say that they wanted to go as well… but to no avail. Finn did not fault them, nor he had tried to stop them. In spite of everything, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
This could very well be the last time they were together, after all. There was no guarantee of survival from such a mission.
The sight was honestly saddening. Loki was trying her best to remain composed, but she had already hugged (and attempted to grope) Aiz, Lefiya and the others so many times… the tears in her eyes simply wouldn't stop. Lefiya was crying as well, feeling both conflicted and resolute about their duty, while Tiona and Tione were doing their best to cheer her up and remain optimistic. Apart from him, the only ones who were keeping it together in a good way were Gareth and Riveria. The dwarf had spent the last few hours trying to cheer up the younglings and impart to them those that could most likely become his last teachings; and Riveria had done the same with a solemn face and a gentle smile all the while.
But honestly, the one that worried Finn the most right now was Aiz, and rightfully so.
The Sword Princess had been unnaturally silent the whole time, with an expression torn between hatred and fear all the while. The girl had always been quiet, but now her glacial silence was suffocating all around the rest of the Familia, and none of them could blame her. This was her life goal, after all. Fighting the Dragon meant more to her than what Finn and the others could ever hope to understand, and none of them had expected to face this challenge so soon. Not even her.
But that did not stop her Familia from trying to cheer her up.
"Aiz, things will be alright," Tiona said, trying to coax her out of her current state. It didn't work as she continued to stare off into space.
The Amazoness turned to her sister who gave her a sympathetic look, but shook her head. There was nothing they could do. They had tried everything so far, to no avail.
Bete, however, barely liked to admit defeat. He growled and walked over to Aiz, standing before her. "What's your deal, huh?" he spat with a sneer. "You've been even more quiet than usual. Don't tell me you're actually scared of that lizard?"
The glare the blonde sent him was absolutely withering.
"Bete!" Tione called. "Shut up! It's not that simple and you know it!"
"What's not simple about it? All she's done ever since learning our new quest is doing nothing but mope, as if we're about to face a death sentence," he growled back. "Who cares about that monster! No one's seen the thing for years, but I'm definitely not scared of it. He won't be the end of us, and you all know it!"
For once, Finn decided to let him vent and watch, and only because he knew that this was Bete's own way to try and cope with the stress he was feeling right now. Werewolves were an extremely energetic race, and they often needed to vent in stressful situations. Bete especially.
In the end, however, Riveria decided to cut in the discussion before it could escalate. "Enough," she ordered. "I know this is a stressful situation, but we cannot be at each other's throats right now. Things are already getting tenser by the second, and we need to keep calm and focused. If not, things will surely go down in the drain. Is that clear?" she finished, her eyes focusing on Bete and Aiz.
The werewolf growled, but relented with a scoff. Aiz remained completely still.
Finn sighed.
"This has to stop," he said as well, addressing everyone. "I know there are some who disagree with this order," he glanced at Loki and Raul. "And some who are happy to fulfill it," he stared pointedly in Aiz's direction, and this time the girl lowered her eyes a bit under his commanding tone. "But whatever the case, we have to work together," he said, looking at each and every member of the Familia.
"You all are the best of this Familia. Its pride and joy, and its protectors. Right now we've been assigned one of the most difficult mission we've ever received and you need to treat it as such. That means no fighting of any kind, especially not personal attacks," his eyes finally fell to Bete. "Am I understood?"
Everyone but Bete nodded, as he knew he was being singled out.
"Tsk. Yeah, yeah, I got it," he grumbled with a snort.
"Good. Then make sure you're all prepared and ready for the journey. It will take a long while to reach the lands of the Empire, so don't forget to bring everything you need. We'll exchange our goodbyes in ten minutes, when it is time to depart," he ordered.
Everyone moved to follow the orders, without uttering a single word.
While the others were occupied doing their things and checking their weapons, potions and stuff, Finn sighed and pinched his nose, sitting over a wooden box near the walls of the city with a weary expression. For a while, he just sat there, immersed in a deep silence, his hands folded together in front of his face and his expression devoid of emotions, ignoring the noise of people and Adventurers all round. He remained completely still and alone for what seemed like an eternity.
That is, until Loki approached him.
The goddess of mischief said nothing, did nothing. She just sat next to him on the box, with an unreadable expression on her face and a worried aura surrounding her frame. Finn could not miss it even if he tried.
A few moments of silence passed between the two of them.
He smiled in her direction. "What? Came to say your parting words?" he joked slyly, trying to lift her mood.
It didn't work. "…you brat."
Loki tried to say something, but failed. In the end, she could not say anything. She just stood there, silent and worried, and for once Finn allowed her to remain like that. They both knew what this mission represented. Not only for Finn and his ambition, but for everyone here. For their Familia. For the world. And they also knew what consequences it could bring. It was good to be optimistic, but the cold, hard reality was usually a hard pill to digest. Sugarcoating the situation with encouraging words was meaningless when the enemy they were about to face was the King of Monsters itself.
So… words could not express what was going through their minds right now. It was simply impossible.
Eventually, Loki exhaled a shaky breath. Slowly, tentatively, she patted the pallum's shoulder with a clenched fist. Once, then twice. She kept her eyes closed and her head pointed to the world ahead, unable to look at him in the eyes.
"…make sure not to die out there, you hear me?" she grumbled with a low tone, trying her best to sound commanding. "I know you're smart, but don't let that pride get over your head. I still want to see if you'll manage to fulfill that dreams of yours. So come back in one piece… with everyone too."
Finn smiled a bitter smile. He answered with a sharp nod of the head.
"I'll do my best," he promised. "You take care of the others, and don't drink too much in our absence. I'd like to see you sober when we'll return."
If we ever will.
That poisonous thought remained unspoken. But it crossed their minds all the same.
In the end, the dreaded moment finally came.
The air suddenly grew quiet. The crowd of people and Adventurers became silent and solemn. The whole city of Orario seemed to pause. Finn openly narrowed his eyes and resigned himself with a sigh with the others when he saw the Freya Familia Executives step forward amid the crowd, looking as stoic and unfriendly as ever. Ottar, Allen, Hogni, Hedin, the Gulliver brothers and the others… all of them were here, led by the goddess of beauty herself.
Finn watched as Ottar and the others kneeled in front of their goddess, a few meters away from the gates. Freya took her time to speak with each and every one of them, walking from one children to the other and caressing their cheeks while the crowd watched them in silence. She looked stunning and mesmerizing as ever, but also confident and worried at the same time – which was weird, considering that she was Freya – but unfortunately, the blonde pallum couldn't discern what she was saying.
Because at that moment, his own Familia had begun to gather around him as well, wearing tense and concerned expressions and preparing themselves to exchange goodbyes with each other. Even Aiz looked sadder than usual as she glanced at Raul and the younger members of their family, who were already crying as they hugged Lefiya and the others who were about to depart. Finn felt a great deal of sadness as everyone turned to him at that moment, even Loki herself, and he swallowed his fear for a moment and forced himself to do his duty.
Thus, as the Captain of the Loki Familia and the representative of one of the strongest factions of Orario, he inwardly steeled his mind, grabbed his spear, and prepared himself for what he knew was coming.
"Aiz-san!"
A loud and desperate cry grabbed their attention all of a sudden.
The Loki Familia paused, turning around towards the crowd of people on the left, only to see the tear-stained face of Bell Cranel who was being currently held and restrained by his fellow Familia members, attempting to run towards them. Everyone was confused and surprised by that scene, for they were not expecting to see the Rabbit Foot in this occasion. But knowing the friendly and unexpected relationship between him and Aiz, Finn and the oldest members of the Familia knew it was bound to happen.
Much to everyone's surprise, however, Aiz did not spare him a single glance.
Bell didn't seem to care. "Aiz-san!" he continued to scream, desperately trying to break free from his companion's hold. "Please wait a moment! Aiz-san!"
"Ohi, Bell! Stop it, will you? Don't be reckless!" Welf hissed as he held him firmly with his arms.
"Master Welf is right! Please stop it, Bell-sama! You can't go!" Lily cried in turn.
"Bell-dono!" Mikoto pleaded as well, flanked by a teary Haruhime who looked completely lost and scared.
Next to them, Hestia was watching him with sad eyes, looking as sad and uncertain as he was.
But Bell would have none of it. Finn watched as he broke free from his friend's grasp thanks to his strength and skills as a Level 4 Adventurer, and quickly dashed in direction of the their Familia, screaming all the while with an expression mixed between sadness, desperation and hopelessness.
"Aiz-san!" he panted, stopping right behind the Sword Princess and staring at her with wide eyes filled with concern.
Aiz turned to him slightly, her eyes wavering for a split-second. Then, she turned around swiftly, her golden bangs shadowing her eyes, and did not look back at him.
"…goodbye, Bell."
The white-haired boy widened his eyes in desperation.
"AIZ-SA―!"
Everything suddenly halted when the gigantic gates of Orario were opened with a loud snap.
Finn's head turned to the sight ahead, his eyes narrowing slightly as he noticed that something was off. The gate wasn't supposed to open until two minutes later, as it had been ordered by Ouranos. The others were not ready to depart yet. In fact, Freya had not finished talking with her children yet. Even Hephaestus was still exchanging her goodbyes with Tsubaki and the rest of her Familia behind them, crying and hugging her children with obvious sadness at the idea of having to let them go.
Besides, the Ganesha Familia and the guards looked perplexed as well, since this was not their doing… which meant that the gate had been opened from the outside.
Finn's mind paused. He paid no mind to the sadness that hung in the air around him, his mind already running wild with thoughts and speculations. If the guards outside had opened the gates now, before the scheduled time, it could only mean that something had happened.
He shared a glance with Riveria and Gareth, and given by their furrowed brows, they seemed to have reached his same conclusion.
Once again, the Braver's intuition was proved true immediately.
A man was running through the gates, a human guard. He had wide eyes filled with tears, and a white letter was grasped in his hands.
Finn, Loki, Bell, and the entire crowd of gods, Adventurers and common people stared at the man as he ran inside the city with a mad pace, his tear-stained face gleaming with disbelief and an idiotic smile filled with joy on his lips.
"It's over! It's dead!" the man was screaming at the top of his lungs, unfazed by the looks everyone was throwing at him. He waved the latter in his hands, leaping and jumping in elated disbelief as the Ganesha Familia ran toward him to stop him. "The Empire has sent another letter! The King of Monsters has been killed!"
Everyone widened their eyes with bathed breath. For once, even the beautiful Freya and the stoic Ottar assumed a shocked expression. Finn and the others felt their mind shut for a moment as well.
The Braver shot a glance in Aiz's direction, noticing all too well her wide, incredulous eyes…
…while the guard fell on his knees in front of Ganesha, rising his arms to the sky with a bellowing cry of victory.
"The Dragon is dead!"
ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S NOTES
Yes, I admit it. The Dragon's fight is slightly inspired by the Hobbit's movies. It's not like there are many ways for humans to kill something as big and dangerous as a fire-spitting lizard capable of flight. Killing it that way was the only thing I could come up with without creating something too exaggerated or making Arien too OP. If both the Hera and Zeus Familias combined failed to kill it, then no strategy would have worked against that monster. No powers, no levels, no strategy. Just luck. Pure and simple luck… just like what happened to our strange young man here. Sometimes, that's how things work in real life too.
As I've said in the previous chapter: the truth about our OC will be revealed gradually during the story. Every chapter will give us more clues, more information, and more insight about him as the story progresses. That, of course, includes his powers, his magic, his character, his name, his connection to other characters… everything we've glimpsed about him in this chapter. We will learn everything in due time, and this chapter alone has already a lot of clues in it. But we'll get our answers at a later date. I have everything planned for the future, so I hope I'll be able to rouse your interest.
For those wondering: I know that the Undine Cloth is generally meant to protect Adventurers from water-based environments and attacks. However, according to the Novels, Undine gears contains the properties of a Water Spirit. Therefore, they are naturally meant to work as a counter to fire, and not just water. That's what the Novels say, at least.
Thank you for reading. Comments and criticism are always appreciated, and I will always answer to those who'll let me know their opinion.