A New Beginning

CHAPTER - 7

THE GIRL WHO THOUGHT SHE CAN FIGHT THE WORLD

I never thought it would be this embarrassing that I would fall asleep right after drinking the milkshake Regis offered to me. But after drinking something that sweet and having myself to eat so many new kinds of dishes after a tiring journey I could not help but fall deep in sleep to experience my satisfaction at its peak.

It’s not like I needed to prevent myself from sleeping. I needed to relax after all a rested child grows well.

Anyways, I am sure it’s not because of the narcotic drug, that Regis added to the drink, for the reason that it would have no effect on me. Though it’s not like I appreciate a sedative being mixed in my drinks on a daily basis.

My title [IMMORTALITY] negates all kinds of poisons and magic toxins if introduced into my body system. That would technically mean I will be always healthy and not getting usually sick as I used to be before I reincarnated. But it’s totally another matter if I am physically attacked or sustain some kind of spiritual damage, since I am not immune to pain.

And now she is gone, just like that. Why do I feel like this has happened before and that also for a third time. It makes me feel frustrated about how I am always getting left behind and all alone.

“How unpleasant….” I used wind magic to push away the long curtains that covered the only huge windows that let in the first rays of morning light. Fortunately I was early and it’s still dawn. Except for the guards most of them would be still sleeping.

Well I am not angry about how I have to go out and always search for them, but because why they are the only ones to get the chance to break out in the night under the cover of darkness, when no one’s watching… it sounds so cool, than the kind of pesky job I have to do of stalking them, while making sure from a distance that they are safe is much more difficult and uninteresting.

This will be the last time I am doing this because from next time I will not be the one preventing it but would be breaking out with them. After all I don’t want to catch an odd habit of following girls around. Everyone knows that the more forbidden the thing is, the more stimulating it is.

A problem for a runaway girl is no problem for me.

Then there is probably another reason for my interest in Dragon Island, The Black Emperor Dragon. The servant beast that swore its loyalty to the Royal Demon Family. I just can’t bring myself to resist the urge of having a dragon formula race in this world and if I have his support then that dream would not be that far off to achieve. Even if it means using the family power for a little cause that is totally justified and in the right, which no one would mind in the least.

If Regis would have been in danger then, Al would have probably informed me and she is not that far off from Al’s navigation to not be able to keep track of her location, once she has been marked as long as the range permits. Now all I need to do is follow her around and I will be killing two flies with one swat.

And if she is really planning to go alone, then maybe it’s best for me to join her later, probably when she would find herself in danger. For now its payback time, for what she did to me, since I will be enjoying myself in this room after she went through the trouble of leaving me alone. I am going to read all the books in this room and much better if I find a secret diary, not to forget that I can have a personal bath all to myself. Surely being a princess of a kingdom she would have lots of things to enjoy and I can keep myself entertained until then.

***

REGIS ASCALON

A full night has passed and I had still not made it to the north-western coast after running at full speed with accelerated wind magic. Though it does put a toll on my body to restrain myself from releasing excessive magic in the way I want to, but otherwise I would ruin everything in my path and that would attract monsters from all around.

Not that it is helping presently, I thought to myself after shooting down another magical beast with my arrow.

“That wouldn’t have been a fatal hit… except to slow it down.” The arrow pierced its abdomen, not that deep but surely it will put a damper on its speed.

These types of beasts have never been spotted in the elf kingdom and seem to be coming from the direction in which the Dragon Island is. If they have been changing hunting grounds then there is surely something up there going on. All I need to do is find it and if possible deal with the problem myself.

I have once visited the western coast before with father when I was a little kid, and had been told that if I travel straight in that particular direction where the gigantic clouds seems to gather above a tower like mountain, then that would be the Dragon Island.

As for the plan I have come to think of is to maintain secrecy, infiltrate the Dragon Island and after ascertaining the situation there I would return to the kingdom with the report. Even if it means that now I won’t be welcomed by any one there and after what I did to her. I will be more than happy to leave the kingdom on my own accord. That would certainly free them from a burden and a disobedient daughter like me.

For some reason I could not think lest any further. And it made the inside of my neck hurt, the more I tried to think of staying away from my family.

Since I have been travelling alone I can maintain discretion and find an escape route easily while avoiding dangerous monsters, but surely the militia that was sent here would have attracted tonnes of it. That would have surely spelled their destruction since they wouldn’t be agile enough to avoid them but had to fight their way through them only to dwindle in their numbers.

For now I don’t think I am that far off from the coast and just some few hours more before I reach there. Just a little bit more… I have to endure it until I complete the mission myself. The only person who I need is myself and I won’t be hurting anyone anymore.

After a few hit and run tactic, I was slowly running both out of magic and routes that would help me avoid the monsters. According to my wind search magic, also there were monsters approaching me from everywhere. It couldn’t’ have gotten worse when the sky was dubbed with the screams of an enormous magical beast I never have even heard of.

“This couldn’t have gotten worse….”

Within the next few seconds the morning sky was blotted black by the huge black feather wings of a flying magical beast.

“Kyaaaahhhhhh…..” Letting out its ferocious scream it let its carnivore instinct leak in the surroundings. The land monsters have already diverted themselves from their paths, but it was already too late for me to understand the reasoning behind being afraid of just one.

“KyaaAAAhhhhhh…” The cries of the birds kept on increasing both in intensity and figures, until more than dozens had now made their appearance. Their claws were already huge and looked strong enough to crush a giant boulder. It was high time for me to take cover unless I wanted to become their food.

I took shelter in the branches under the cover of trees, waiting for them to leave… but instead of leaving they started circling directly above me in rounds.

Was I already spotted? I kept on repeating that question to myself as a cold chill went down my spine.

Another screams from those magical beasts and more of their brethrens came pouring in like there was soon going to be a feast. I needed to hold my grounds strong. If I don’t take down the beast that is sending the calling signal, then I would be soon found out and overwhelmed by their numbers. But fighting one alone would be difficult enough in my weak and tired state.

Should I turn back now? If I still go back home and asks for everyone’s forgiveness… but even if my parents forgive me, will she do the same for me too. She was ready to spend some time with me, and yet that’s how I payed her back for her kindness. There is no turning back for me anymore because I had closed all the gates myself.

I punched the bark of the tree as if to force the anger out of myself and decided that I had to move forward no matter what I had to face.

I jumped out of the tree facing upwards as I launched an arrow and avoiding all the other monster birds surrounding, it splashed open the artery of the bird flying at the highest point and calling the others.

Thud... and with a vanishing scream it landed on the floor, blood spewing out of its neck its body writhing in pain, as slowly death engulfed and silenced its soul. I rolled on the ground to avoid the impact of the decent and hid under the next adjacent tree and simultaneously securing my location I launched more of the arrows.

The quiver in which I kept my arrows was actually a magic device enchanted with a special dimensional storage, to store more than enough arrows I would need on this journey. So, I decided to shoot without holding myself back, even if some of my attacks missed. But surprisingly my training paid off, as each arrow successfully took down its prey one by one. I kept on changing positions so that they remain disarrayed and couldn’t pin-point and pick up on me in groups. The rest would depend on my skill to survive against these monsters and how strong I have become.

Usually it took more than five arrows to either defeat or shoo them off. But the numbers were still against me. As one of them even after taking the hit finally decided to chase after. It was not afraid of death and seemed more attached to the sentiment of killing me. I jumped off from the tree and made landing in the middle open surrounded by a corpse or two. The impact on the tree was strong enough to uproot it as I saw one of the pointy branches piercing it through the middle.

“What a foolish thing to do….” I don’t know why I said that, as I stared at my hands which were shaking since I have been repeatedly launching arrows and not using magic has been a downfall on my side. But if I tried doing so then my bow would break and I would be weaponless after that point.

In that second letting myself lost in thoughts, one of the corpses near my leg opened its mouth wide and grabbing my leg it threw me upwards. I lost my balance and support as I was sky high now and below me the monster bird opened its mouth wide. On a quick look I instantly recognized it as the first monster that I shot in the group and somehow it was still alive waiting for the opportune moment to take revenge on me. Within seconds I would have been swallowed in one gulp.

But I was not ready to die yet, holding my bow in horizontal I docked it in between the two wide flanks of its mouth. I thought I could jump on the bow and escape with that… but the force of the mouth shattered the wooden framework and I found myself sinking…., desperately trying to grab hold of something for help. But there was nothing to reach just like the last time… my eyes closed and the magic power inside my body ran wild.

My hands scratched on its neck and the next moment a gale of wind overtaking my body ─ resembling like a ghastly miracle of hell…. The entrails of the monster were crushed inside its body as its body twisted and churned around itself like a merry-go-round playing endlessly sped up.

Years of worth of power that I held back let loose in a moment ─ a girl who didn’t know her place ….succumbed to the unwanted stares of others felt all of that at the same time.

A terribly revolting feeling – made my vision go hazy as I saw my dress and body drenched in blood. My face, my eyes and every inch on my hands was overflowing with blood. Even the monsters were shrieking in fears that were flying in front of me horrified by the fate their fellow monster met. All it took a single touch for me to destroy something completely.

I wanted to scream, I wanted for someone to show up ─ but the world just felt so alone and cold…. That except for me there was no one. No one to judge me, no one to watch me, no one to care for me and neither I had to do it in return.

I was terrified… the world I wanted, how it should have existed for me was there and it rose in my throat – would I feel better if I threw up?

I covered my mouth and fell into panic. Why was I still hiding it now? Questions directed towards me, why was I born like this… why do I have this power… what did I wanted to do with it… were echoing in my head.

“Eh? Ahhh…. No, sorry. I am sorry. Leave me alone!” I murmured to myself. I started running for my life before more of them could attack me and went and hid myself in the bushes.

Remaining low I again looked at my hands still shaking in fear. But what was I really afraid of this time I could not comprehend that myself. If only I knew, then I could stop thinking of it and then maybe I could have stopped shaking.

“Well, that will surely need some cleaning.” I heard a familiar voice, even if it was so new to me. It was so sweet and young that I just couldn’t make myself forget about it even in this awful state of mine.

Turning my head to my right, I saw a face I was just recently introduced to; she had placed one of her finger on her closed mouth. She gave a lonely smile from under the white mask, but as if I had seen a ghost, I screamed and hastily jumped back.

My hands touched the tree beside me and it shattered as all the leaves wilted and shredded into the falling tears of the tree.

“Wahaaaa…” I screamed again as I blew up my cover and let the monsters knew of my whereabouts.

I thought it was my final moments, and seeing her face for the last time was going to be my final punishment like this. For me, I had tried everything but found no meaning in my existence. A befitting end for the fool who thought she could fight against the whole world would brazenly die in this place she herself never knew of.

But picking up on the ghostly new appearance and by her action she was every bit of real, as she rose up from her place.

“I asked you to be quite, didn’t I? Or am I using a wrong hand sign to do that.” I again heard her voice as this time her lips broke into a smile.

She glanced at the horde of monsters speeding themselves towards me as they would devour us. My eyes shut down and after realizing nothing had happened I opened them again and saw bubbles of blood bursting into a small red downpour. It was horrific, but I had just witnessed and caused one myself a while ago. But this was something on an other scale.

So, who did this? If not me… then otherwise.

I turned towards Alicia, who showed up out of nowhere, she looked at the swirling fountain of blood and burst out flesh of the corpses of dozen of monsters like it was nothing, the glow in her red eyes, slowly went dim and she looked at me again without any emotions.

My body shuddered as I fell on my back and lifting myself up, I started moving on my four. I was unsteady and fell down again.

“Stay away…Stay away from me.” I shrieked.

The earth and the environment around me were being churned and I could feel it’s after effects as my skin itself was getting dissolved in it. Probably my skill was reacting out of fear and slowly it would engulf me too.

“Regis calm down.” I again found myself gazing at those clear and precise eyes as they tried to pierce me from within. And just like that my body became stable, my shaking stopped, and I was able to think clearly again.

The first question that popped in my mind was how she was still here. Did she not ingest the drink…. But I clearly saw her drinking it and falling under sleep.

“Alicia… I…” I couldn’t follow up with what I wanted to say. I had nothing left on me. An apology as if that would work… after all just now I was afraid of her. I treated her just like others used to see me in the same light as that of a monster.

Because I cannot control my power, but she can…. And why did my own power stop reacting. Was it her too.

“Let’s keep moving to our destination.” Alicia said to me as she placed forward her hand in front of me to lift me up.

As if naturally it would come to me, my own palm approached to grab her but before it made contact I backed it off.

Clasps.

Alicia’s hand leapt forward and grabbed mine without any hesitation. Hands which were drenched in blood would surely leave marks on her white gloves which covered her palm leaving her thin and gentle fingers bare.

My eyes closed like a dim-witted person, I thought everything was over. That I was already dead and it was but a dream.

“See everything is fine.”

I first opened my right eye to see Alicia’s face and the left eye focused on the handshake. And somehow I was standing properly on my feet too. The corpses of the monsters but had all vanished while I could still see some bloodstains ─ making me realise that it was everything except for a dream.

“Don’t you have to say something to me first?” Alicia asked to my dejected face.

“Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be…” I saw her cheeks tightening as if she was a bit annoyed. I soon realized my mistake. “I am sorry for what I did. But how are you.”

“Well you see poison and toxins don’t affect me so I woke up after having a good nap.” Alicia said as if she was pleased with herself.

“And for how long have you been following me?” I asked with a neck filled with stagnant air, my voice felt a bit on the heavier side.

“Well it has been quite a while, after I went through your room to enjoy myself, I realized that there was pretty much nothing to do. So I came right here, and was so thrilled to see you fight, that I decided not to interfere unless you really needed me to.” Alicia sounded so delighted.

But the ground from below me was shaken. I was most probably angry, as my cheeks twitched in a stead fast fashion.

“So you were having fun in my room, is that it.”

“Yeah it was way too empty and I did not even find a secret diary. Though I do have to say that I enjoyed the warm bath.” Alicia lost herself in explaining what she did in her absence.

“So you were having all the fun around while I was fighting here huh… Alicia, I want you to go back home.” I ended up with a stiff voice and serious tone. I wanted for her too to understand, why I was doing all of this. But something told me that she didn’t even in the very least.

“I won’t.” She said with a stern face.

“This is not a playground for children and you don’t need to gamble your life with me. So go back to the palace and explain the situation to them. They would surely believe you since you were brought here by the Great Spirit’s revelation.”

“I don’t care about any revelation I am coming with you.” She said with a flustered face.

“You really don’t need to.”

“You need to clean yourself first.”

I dusted off my clothes and taking out a small bottle, I used the water inside it to wash off the dirt from my hand and face. “See I will be travelling like this.”

“You need a weapon since you broke yours.” Alicia this time sounded very optimistic with her argument.

I pulled out another spare bow from the dimensional storage of my quiver.

“I told you I am more than prepared and I don’t need you. Now you have to go back.” I tried to sound a bit harsh and thought she would finally abandon me and give up. That’s fine with me and nothing would change exactly.

But Alicia was still smiling at me, when I looked down and realized that my hands were tightly clenching her palm. I took off my hand and without looking back I continued in my tired state, so my footsteps were loud and heavy.

Step. Step. Step.

step. step. step. Footsteps followed behind me.

.

step. step. step. stop. Not with this again. I turned around.

step.step.step. stop.

“Hey this time I stopped at the right time, didn’t I.” Alicia said with a confused look.

I looked back with a frustrated look,”That doesn’t make it right to follow me around, you idiot.”

Alicia again started playing with her fingers and I finally gave up on being annoyed over it, after all it was thanks to her that I am saved. I took a deep sigh and realized what was wrong here….

“Could it be that you don’t know the way back to the palace this time?”

Alicia repeatedly shook her head up and down.

If that’s the case then if I take her back to the castle then I would surely be stopped. But if I am still able to maintain on this path and after that skirmish no monster seems to be coming near us. So if I am able to keep her away from danger, then everything should work out. But if things get hard then I will be dragging her back to home.

“Fine then, but if you find yourself in danger… then you will be running back with full speed. Don’t expect from me to protect you.”

Alicia did not say another word to my decision but she happily started following me and how she walked and looked around the place with awe, she looked thrilled with everything. She was having a fun time, while I was still annoyed with myself… how I let my guard down.

We kept on walking slowly at our own pace so that I could recover and fortunately we did not encounter any monster after that. Could it be that my good luck finally found me.

It was already evening and the sun would set within an hour, but we finally made it out of the forest region and were now on the vast coast. The sea spread out till the end of horizon, giving me the feeling that it went even beyond it. I was amazed with how the place hadn’t changed a bit from the last time I visited.

Alicia on the other hand was passing through a stage which I would describe as both incomprehensible and beyond my limited understanding of her genius she had shown me. She stared at the sea like she was first time watching it; she looked at the sand and glossed over it… already busy with picking up some sea shells. And other things I would do as a kid for a first time visit.

Wait didn’t she already crossed the sea that separated the human and the demon continent, to come here. Then why is she behaving like she is seeing a coast for the first time.

“Hey Alicia help me pull the boat into the water, if you don’t want me to leave you alone here.”

Some sails were already prepared maybe for the militia that was about to reach here, but was previously wiped out. I spotted one of the smallest boats but was still weak enough to push it to the water myself.

At my warning Alicia, looked at me with an expressionless face as if she was about to burst in anger but for some reason she seemed to be unable to do so, she waved her hand from the direction of boat to the water and in an instant the boat rose upwards in air and sped up towards the water, falling in it with an enormous splash.

She could use telekinesis too. Sure I do have seen some elves use it before but to move such a huge mass I had never heard before in my lifetime.

We both boarded the boat and Alicia sat on the other side still dejected with how I had to halt her exploration activity. Don’t look at me like that. Fine I will let her explore more if we are able to return… no I will make sure of it that we do.

The sun was about to set and we were still far from our destination. Every second counted and if we did nothing we may be ambushed by more of those flying monsters and we won’t be able to protect ourselves. Even if Alicia is strong we cannot be overconfident in our situation. I don’t know what kind of limit she would have on her power or is there any risk to it. But I don’t want to find myself in a situation where I would stake everything on it and put our lives in danger.

I kept on rowing the boat while Alicia at the other edge stared at the water, without looking at me for once as if she had lost all interest on this expedition. The sun finally slept, but I still could not spot the dragon island. But the stars came out as our guide as they sprawled in the dark night sky.

This time around Alicia was now busy with star-gazing and it seemed to me that it was one of the things she liked. I looked up and found them to be eye-catching too, but before today I never found them so attractive… or maybe I never tried looking so deeply at the night sky until today.

Being on a trip with someone did really help to know about others a lot. Also I had recovered most of my strength so I stopped complaining to myself how I was the only one who had to do all the work.

Suddenly my hands stiffened with a strange feeling as I gazed straight up. From the top where the giant black clouds had taken shelter over the peak of the highest mountain all the way down to the vast island that spread across the entire sea. It had its own charm and the beauty that grew along with thorns.

“We are not that far away from the Dragon Island.” I thought of mentioning it to Alicia since it would be her first time watching it, since it is mine too.

Surprisingly she was delighted to hear that word as she rose from her seat and stared at the island in front of us. As usual she had that childish expression of being amazed again to see such a magnificent sight, but the black clouds floating over us in circular pattern also strike her out as if she was unhappy to see them.

Out of the blue Alicia turned towards me for the first time she came on the boat, as she stood at a broad distance from me, staring at the surface of water, thoroughly examining its surface. Dyed in the dark blue of the night sky, soap bubbles formed as a result of repeatedly clashing waves surrounded us.

The wind was unstable, blowing and stopping sometimes from the right, then left and it was a relief when it supported us. Alicia observed one of her licked fingers with the tip of her tongue as if she was imitating someone but was confused with her own observation and lack of skills to do so.

Was she trying to confirm the wind’s direction….?

I too got suspicious as how things were proceeding, when Alicia called out to me as she steadily stepped towards me, glancing at me with a tiny smile, which I would call anything if not suspicious.

“Get ready, I am leaving.” It had a sweet ring to it, but her wild expression said otherwise.

“Huhhh…” before I could completely let out my astonishment. I was now looking straight at Alicia’s face, an oar missing from my right hand; she leaned closer to me as she tightly gripped me around my waist; horizontally holding me in her hands.

I looked below and I was in her arms, she stood on the highest point of the boat - on the eccentric long bow, which gave it a streamlined feature on either ends. As light as a feather, her presence did not even create a single disproportion in the balance of the boat as I thought it would.

“What are you….doi…” before I could finish my words. Alicia leaped widely after kicking the boat half into the water. In a second we were already far from it with a single jump.

But why was I in her arms. No more importantly why did we abandon the boat. I looked back and a huge mouth with sharp jaws, counting beyond hundred just on the upper side, swallowed the whole boat in one go. The ripples and wave had a strange voice to it as it unnaturally tried to follow us. I clenched to something tightly, but this time my hands did reach someone and nothing occurred. My powers for the first time were in my control. Or rather it did not surface at all.

I stared at her face and my cheeks turn beetroot red, realizing my situation of how embarrassing it was to be carried around like this without being informed prior.

‘This is so amazing…. I finally got to run on water with magic like a ninja, a thing a worst athlete like me couldn’t have even pulled off a single step in my previous world;. And not to forget how I get to carry a princess in my arms, this is surely a perfect plot of an eloping princess to a dragon island. But what role then would be mine…” Alicia lost in thought to herself, but came back to her sense after she realized how Regis was tightly holding on to her and scared. She knew probably an arrow wouldn’t be effective in water and she did not wanted to waste time fighting them without knowing their proper numbers. Consequently it was the best idea to give them a slip up as Alicia increased her speed, seeing how the sea-monsters were closing in on them.

I was already amazed to see that we were walking on water; or rather we two were like the wind itself. Her hands were so thin and small and yet how lightly she carried me around. But most frightening was the moment when I thought we would sink, because of the frightening huge heights she was jumping to.

Every step she took, I found myself more drawn to her, about the possibility that there was someone I could finally get along. Someone who was not afraid of my power but rather would have wanted me. But did she really felt the same way I started doing. Or did her sole interest lie in coming here. I wanted to know.

Her gown-like dress frilly swayed beautifully and as if predicting the perfecting timing she would use the wind to speed up her superhuman action that had already left my mouth agape.

Her long boots gently stepped on the water surface each time without disturbing the sleeping sea.

‘Someday… if possible…” but my words only dwelled in my mind. Even if I had implored as before, even if I had made that wish hundreds of millions of times just like I did before. What was so different this time that I wanted to believe things would finally change. But someone like me knew it very well that ─

Happiness and precious things…. eventually falls apart.

Yet she had the most joyful expression on her face, whose radiance I could feel even through the white mask which resembled like a barrier between our true selves. But even so her smile was so pure that it lacked any reasoning and was glowing entirely for the sake of smiling.

.

“I never knew Regis you were so desperate to take a bath.” Alicia innocently made a remark on my pathetic state.

“’Wahh...ahahhhh…” I spitted out the sea water that had entered through all of my openings of my face. My ears, my nose, and my mouth everything felt salty as I spewed out another jet of water from my mouth on the land.

“Well my mind went blank… but why is that you are still dry.” I annoyingly pointed at Alicia’s dry clothes as not a single drop of water had made contact with her body.

“About that… just say I was a bit cautious. Haahaaa… Let’s move to the cave before it gets dark.”

To be honest Alicia was enjoying herself so much that she forgot to put up a small energy barrier for Regis just as she did for herself. But she was too embarrassed to accept that and found it in her best interest to laugh it off.

Our sea voyage finally came to an end and we were still a bit early than planned. But surely we needed to take shelter in the night, while exploring nearby areas and with tomorrow morning we were going to search more thoroughly for clues ─ Of why did the Spirits wanted us to go to the Dragon Island.

I had now turned my attention back to the dragon island on whose soil I was standing then. The clouds above us swirled in a dark typical fashion as it spewed a black fog everywhere around the island and sea. The island looked positively demonic as the high mountain towered beyond the clouds, almost soaring high to reach the sky. There was much more for the island to be contemplated about and it was more than what I had anticipated. I gulped as I saw a much denser forest and the cave in which we thought to take shelter would be perfect near the coast.

We could escape anytime if any anonymous dangerous monster or dragon would hit us. That was the sentiment and plan I had thought of, but should I call it less of a bad luck and more of a good luck that just after entering the cave it was connected to a much larger cave and inside it was sleeping a dragon.

My body was already shaking badly and I think the same went for Alicia. With her whole body stiff only her shoulders shook, but since her head was lowered I couldn’t quite catch her expression. But in front, its body so huge and big almost half the size of the royal palace… it was covered in a faint green magical aura. Big scratches all over its body, its broad bare chest rose and fell down as the strong wind from its nostrils escape the only opening in the cave, through which we entered in.

Even its breath was hot and a hint of sulfur was present in the air. The darkness was kind to his feature, its black scales enveloping its body shone like obsidian, its fingers so huge to crush the kingdom’s walls with a single touch. The scratching noise of its sharp claws on each finger slowly intensified as did my feelings of horror and dread. Was it really asleep or awake? I repeatedly asked that question to myself, but couldn’t figure it out.

More importantly Alicia started walking past around him, as if she was totally avoiding it, her shoulders were stiff again. Backed against the cave wall, without thinking much, I scuttled sideways and followed her.

Suddenly the glow returned to my face, when the dragon did not woke up and just a few meters away in front of us was an opening connecting it to the next cave. Probably we were still below the ground and this cave was like a labyrinth that perhaps might have led us to the base of the central mountain which we saw from far. Most likely there we would discover the truth.

I wanted to say ‘good work, Alicia’, but maybe after we have escaped. It is thanks to her that we were able to avoid a conflict with waking it up. Let’s not disturb the sleeping ones.

“Tcch! I thought I would have got to see a real dragon here.” Alicia shrieked.

“Huh…” For a second I thought I just imagined things but Alicia had stopped moving right in front of the next gate and was staring at the sleeping dragon. My internal scream welled up, pouring out of me, and I looked with a horrified expression at the idiot who for some reason suddenly wanted to see us dead.

What is that idiot thinking to say stuff like this ─ just look at how huge it is. Don’t you have eyes to see its big closed eyelids, mouth releasing steam and probably his teeth would be sharp enough to chew the rocks and its flames bright enough to melt the rocks even with its glimmer of light? Then why did she call it that way.

Probably that wouldn’t have been loud enough to wake up the dragon. I was counting on that fact.

But maybe things haven’t been going pretty well lately with her around or rather it has been filled with madness whenever she shows up.

But from above a black muscular tail came crashing on us and blocked the exit in front of us. The body of the dragon shook and the vast shape that rose up had something strangely beautiful about its appearance – the picture of majestic dignity. It was no ordinary dragon to speak of. It’s beautiful eyes with a glint of black glow narrowed and gleamed on us as it roared and the rooftop was blown away revealing a dark night sky to fit and adjust its neck and head properly.

“What brings a high elf and human girl to my sanctuary.” The dragon opened its mouth and it spoke in our language. A dragon that could speak… I have heard only the heavenly dragons could do that. This cannot be good.

“Regis… let’s go. We don’t need to waste our time on a fake dragon.”

“Rooarrghhhh….” The dragon screamed.

As if the floor from below me had drifted away I fell on my legs and my body felt paralyzed. But my mind was much focused on Alicia and what kind of idiotic thoughts were popping in her head. Was she possessed somehow, she was surely sane before we entered the cave… no probably her normal was already set at low common sense but this was going beyond our means. Now how were we going to deal with this problem?

What if I speak to the dragon as the princess and ask for his forgiveness, while explaining the situation to him as well. Maybe I could uncover the reason our kingdom is suffering. I quickly rose from my fallen position, my legs still not in equilibrium; I managed to somehow open my mouth –

“I am the second princess of the Ascalon Empire, Regis Ascalon and on behalf of the people sufferings in the elven kingdom, the forests spirits and the Genesis Tree… I came to visit the Dragon Island.”I was finally able to pull it off. But now what…

The dragon stared at me for a while and then he again spoke in a deep tone reverberating around everywhere in the interior structure of the cave making us to listen to the message more than twice.

“I am the Black Dragon Emperor, princess of the Even Kingdom. But what would be the introduction to the human standing next to you.” The glares of the dragon shifted to her.

But I was already biting my fingers, or maybe even chewing my very hand. The Black Dragon Emperor. What is he doing here? Didn’t he disappear after the Great War too… so what in the Great Spirit’s name is he doing here now? Don’t tell me the Great Spirits just pulled a prank on us…. no, no, what am I even thinking. It is probably related to the reason of the Black Dragon Emperor’s returning we needed to come to the island in the first place.

So, is he the cause? Most probably not after all he is the guardian of this island and also one of the protectors of the Genesis Tree. He wouldn’t do something like that… so I could even enlist his help if I ask him to. Not that he could have a reason to refuse to, since he acknowledged me as an high elf and princess and that’s evidence enough of my identity.

But what about Alicia, she seems to be oblivious about her own standing in this world and the mask already makes her suspicious. So why did the Great Spirit wanted to guide her here out of everyone.

“Regis that lizard is probably lying.” Alicia again called out to me.

The colour of my face was fading away,… slowly… slowly drifting to the other side. Is she really possessed or did she eat something bad. No we didn’t eat anything in between…. Don’t tell me it was that drug she last ate. So is it my fault that I am going to be buried because of showing disrespect to a heavenly dragon.

“And what makes you think that.” I stared at her as I whispered in her ears, trying to knock some sense in her. But maybe the black dragon heard me because his senses would probably be superficial as he too tilted his head in a quizzical expression, his eyes narrowing into a menacing glare.

Alicia better had a good answer. I it is possible that someone still might be impersonating the black dragon emperor and Alicia already found about it.

“Just look at it doesn’t have a wing.” She shouted at the top of her voice pointing at only one of the wing the dragon possessed.

“Wait so you are not a dragon.” I yelled in surprise, as I was too foolishly caught up in Alicia’s idiotic pursuit.

But I was late to realise that as I acted on impulse after I incurred the wrath of one single being on this island whom I shouldn’t have angered. Father, mother, I think this would be my last mistake I would make as a young girl, just let me grow into a beautiful elven maiden and I promise I won’t make any mistakes anymore.

“Foolish generation. I returned after two-hundred years and this is how you affront the Emperor of all dragons. You will feel my wrath in my hellish flames that bring disaster to whichever land it falls upon.” Its ferocious roar almost made the whole upper ceiling cave in, but a blue glowing thin wall appeared around everywhere and withstood the impact.

The next second the black dragon opened its mouth wide as hellish flames were about to burn us. Fortunately before they could reach us they turned black and dissipated in to the cold of the darkness.

I think I had seen those black flames before… so it was her too again. To even empower the flames of the black dragon.

The dragon growled as it did not had much freedom to move with its big size, but it tried to twist its tail and brought its mouth in front of us as a leaping attack. Its mouth revealing the sharp canines that were arranged like perfect set of ornaments. Alicia was in its trajectory, I shouted her name asking her to dodge. But even if she listened she just smiled back at me.

And with my final shout fading in the third second everything went silent as if the chaos never occurred. The falling ceiling was reinforced as a whole with magic while I could sense the change occurring. But most important of all The Black Dragon stood frigid unable to move midway, its jaws just right in front of the Alicia. I saw its eyes focusing on her as I came close and felt Alicia by her hand. I wouldn’t have believed what had happened otherwise.

The dragon was covered in white strings all around its body like a prey caught up in a spider’s cocoon and paralyzed only to be later eaten by the spider. From the dragon’s tail to the very last inch of its mouth was tightly clutched between the white threads…. Strong enough to hold the mighty beast in constrain. Just what kind of magic Alicia wields… I have never seen or even heard of such magic before.

Also seeing Alicia’s hands approaching the dragon, it made me remembered what happened the last time I was in danger. And I couldn’t bring myself seeing her hurt someone unnecessarily.

“It’s alright. There’s nothing wrong.” Alicia said in her soft voice as I pulled back my hand.

Her hands still reached further as it made contact with the dragon’s philtrum, a golden light set ablaze the entire cave as tendrils of it traced its path across Alicia’s hands to the white threads that enveloped the massive body of the dragon and with a blinding flash. The brilliant golden light drove away the last vestiges of darkness huddling in the corners of the cavern. The amount of magic energy being released at the same time was enough to convince to anyone that the source couldn’t have been possibly a normal being.

But what was the light for and soon I saw the claw marks on the dragon’s body healing, a black fog being released from its body in vast amounts, as if it was being forcefully pumped out. The dragon’s new wing grew back first as a small winglet as it grew in size and slowly the light faded. Not only that I could feel as if the light emanated had filled my body with some new kind of energy. And it was all her magic doing it….

Questions at every moment filled my mind with more doubts but I couldn’t just wrap my head around who she is. And there was another one of a kind of healing magic I had never seen before.

Slowly the white threads that had kept the dragon’s movements in check dissolved in the air and permanently vanished.

The dragon once again lifted up its head and scanning its body, determining and judging his new-found healthy condition it roared again, but this time my body was not paralyzed. So he might had been using some kind of mental attack magic before on us and Alicia was even unaffected by that.

“Regis let’s go. We need to get closer to the mountain before its time to sleep.” Alicia had again started walking as if she completely ignored the dragon she healed so brilliantly and nothing special ever happened.

While I stood dumbfounded a hurried cry, but much softer than before echoed in the cavern.

“Wait! Don’t just leave. It’s my home… territory. I cannot allow anyone to freely roam around here.”

To me it just looked like he was more worried about being ignored than the other part he mentioned.

“Alicia I think we can learn something from the Black Dragon Emperor about the state of this Dragon Island.”

Alicia turned back around, as she glanced another look at the dragon waiting for a positive response.

“Yes it is indeed true that my return to this island is related to the adversity that plagues this island and it seems that its effects might have reached the elven grounds as well.”

“My name is Alicia. And I will be calling you emperor from now on.”

“Yes, though it seems to be a shame that in my present weak state, I was overpowered by a human, but to show you my gratitude for healing me, I will accept the name Emperor from you.”

Wait he was already tamed that easily, isn’t he supposed to be the strongest and most ferocious being on this entire world but still he listened to everything she says. No it’s not the time to ponder about it.

After that we exchanged information from the dragon emperor and it seems that he had already predicted our predicament and took shelter near the opening cave after he got injured in the battle.

“So, you are telling me there’s another heavenly dragon called Ouroboros who is spreading some kind of poison on this land that has set the magic and monster unstable in this part of the world affecting the Codra veins below it that binds the world and is slowly poisoning the Genesis tree.” I surmised what the Black Dragon explained to us. And his wounds are from the fight after he came here to stop Ouroboros.

“But that black miasma is not naturally formed, now is it.” Alicia asked a question to the black dragon as if trying to say something indirectly.

“That is indeed true what you have concluded. I am the strongest dragon in this world and yet because of the poison affecting my magical veins, I was succumbed to my injuries and felled down. Unless the magical artifact in his hands isn’t destroyed, the situation will keep on deteriorating. My healing process has been accelerated thanks t you and it will take me three more months, rather than twenty years, till my magic veins properly regenerate itself and I will take down Ouroboros then.”

“Wait we cannot wait that long, even three months is a very long time. The Genesis tree has already shut its gates on us and I am afraid if the condition worsens then…” I could not wait that long because if something happened to the Genesis tree then not only the elven kingdom will be in trouble but also mother’s life would be in danger since she is the tree’s priest maiden.

“I am afraid to say but in my current condition I will be no match for him and defeating it would still be a challenge then.”

Even the Black Dragon wasn’t sure, since no one knows how the situation would change in the future. Then I won’t be able to do anything from here on, and I was able to get for what I came here for. So maybe it is time I give up on this foolish pursuit which would have only made everyone sad.

“Alicia I think we should return to Ascalon and report everything to father.”

“No, I will be staying… its better if you go back home.”

Alicia just couldn’t let the problem stay like this and walk away as if nothing is going on. Primarily she was sent to this world to save it. And most probably this is the kind of situation that job find its purpose. She wouldn’t have accepted it either way because that would be hurting Athena if she knew about it. Alicia hated the idea to leave things done half and it would surely bother her late for not acting when needed to.

Not to forget it was that evil dragon that hurt the Emperor whose assistance Alicia needed and if he is going to serve him then it is well in reason that she has to take care of him after all it was something her father, the True Demon Lord entrusted to her. Also there was the situation of the Great Spirits, about whom she wanted to know more and probably they would respond again if she solves the problem first hand.

“Then I will be staying with you.” I frantically said.

“Alright. All I need to do is defeat Ouroboros and that would solve all the problem. Right.” Alicia smiled.

Wait. That was way too easy. I thought she would be against me staying and flaunt how her power would be like the only one that could stand against fighting the dragon if it comes to it and I would only get in her way.

So does she see me as an equal and someone who could help her…. I will be at least glad if she did feel a little like that.

“I see. If you have made up your mind to deal with the problem yourself I won’t stop you. It has been two hundred years since the war and the ages of Gods have been but a history now. I am intrigued to see how the new generation would carry the weight of this world in the near future. As one of the most ancient beings who have seen hundreds of civilization both great and small take birth, prosper and ultimately get destroyed, a single spark is enough to set the world ablaze. But if you can snuff the root of the problem out before its advent…” the Black Dragon stopped as if remembering something from the past, he again spoke, “Allow me to escort you to where the evil dragon Ouroboros resides and I would be a witness to how you shape this world.”

Wait! What kind of boring sermon is the black dragon talking about and why does Alicia looks excited as if she has taken an interest in it. Are these the kind of things that fires her up.

The black dragon continued, “Until then I would suggest that you must rest. Follow me.”

The Black Dragon somehow shrinks a bit in size, enough that he could now easily move around inside the cave and yet, his size was still something to behold. Alicia was again thrilled to see this transformation, well I was too since this was my first time seeing it.

We two followed it around, and I was hoping maybe for a bed to put my head on. Since launching an attack in the dead of night would be only to our advantage since we would not possess night vision like the dragons. But now I think about it, I wonder whether Alicia possess that skill. I have been trying to use appraisal on her but her stats are too weak to fit the power she had displayed until now, to be real and she doesn’t even possess a title for her identification or skill to speak of. It was father who spoke of how exceptional and unbelievable her status window was. But what was it that he saw and I could not.

I was getting desperate to know and finally decided to ask her if we got some lonely time. And I won’t back down unless I found an answer.

After following the black dragon for some time, we reached to a new pocket hole in the cavern which might have almost formed naturally. This place had a different pleasant smell to it, my nose puffed up to intake vast quantity of it as I and Alicia walked in.

“Is that a blue hot-spring?” Alicia walked towards a pool filled with blue water, giving off steam in subtle quantities and probably the cause of the pleasant smell.

The place was surrounded with wild vegetation and trees, which the other parts of the cavern lacked. Fauna was writhing here as well as the land was much softer and fertile. The embedded small blue stones gave off a dim, luminescent glow, giving this untouched piece of land a gentle atmosphere.

“I hope that you enjoy the natural hospitality this Dragon Island has to offer, until we depart tomorrow morning with the first ray of light.” Saying that the Black Dragon Emperor walked away, maybe to continue with his recovery process.

But I still looked in awe at the blue water of the hot-spring and wanted to take a bath as soon as possible. After I was first covered in blood and then drenched in sea water. Only hot water could now make me feel better.

“Regis do you want to take a bath.” Alicia called to me as she slightly waved her hand inside the pond and it must have felt good.

“If you are insisting then I won’t deny you. Haaa…haa.” I don’t know why I weirdly squeaked but I was too embarrassed to accept that I was the one who was eager to take a bath first.

“Okay then let’s get ready.” Alicia then brandished her hand and a small wooden house surfaced into existence from the ground. It was most probably a kind of advanced military magic I heard humans used when they are on a journey or in war to make temporary stay. But since it was one of the most difficult magic very few can do it alone and generally more than one people required saying the chant together. Wait she didn’t said any chant until now for any magic and just did it with a single look.

It is possible to gain supremacy in magic by using the spell while decreasing the chanted words and increasing its power. But I had never heard any kind of chantless magic.

But I wasn’t surprised anymore, as I had already seen her power beforehand. She did not wield any kind of ordinary magic to begin with, so it must have been a secret and maybe that’s why she wears a mask to stand out less. But all these were mere speculation as I was soon going to find it out myself.

I was already half exposed waiting for Alicia to come out of the door. After a long time passed but there was no response and I got worried and called out to her.

She suddenly looked out of the door, her hands trembling, and her face all flustered with light red cheeks.

“Maybe you should go alone without me.”

“What you are giving up after you were the one who proposed it. Now come here and don’t make me wait.”

Alicia slowly like a toddler took very small steps, before she reached close to me only to find her dressed in a loosely fit, short white thin dress covering her from all sides, but it was not a towel and the kind of dress I was seeing first hand. Could it be some kind of special bathing wear in human culture?

It was like a child dressing up as her mother told her and until now she wasn’t conscious of her appearance. Is it possible… that she’s far younger than I think? But her status shows that she is just one year younger than me, though we are almost of the same height, do I not look like the grown one here.

Thinking like that, she faintly resembled a little girl, regardless of her adult-like appearance. But with these thoughts we were getting nowhere and she was still hesitant to take a bath.

“Now tell me what’s your reason.”

At first Alicia hesitated,” I have never taken a bath outside home. So maybe…”

“Well you should be glad that it is my first time too.”

“But what if someone is spying on us. Emperor brought us here, didn’t he?”

Alicia already seemed to be treating the Black Dragon with a pet name and it also seemed to me that he was kind of being obedient. So was I the only weird one who felt the obscurity of the situation.

Could it really be… that it was that old Black Dragon who brought us here for that very reason. I used wind magic to check my surrounding and finding no signs of a living thing I realized I was again caught up in one of her idiotic antics.

“Stop making excuses and just get in.” I wildly pushed Alicia as she plummeted inside the hot spring and I followed behind her by making a small jump in it.

“I am sorry if I hurt you.” Seeing Alicia so quite I realized I might have done something wrong.

“No, it’s not that. Someone has never pushed me inside a bath like that and it felt so amazing for some reason. Why don’t you try pushing me again?” Alicia looked at me with an odd glitter in her eyes.

“No, stop right there. If I push you again now then there would be no point to it.”

“I see you are right, then there would be no element of surprise and that would lessen the fun out of it.” Alicia said in a serious tone as if she had just discovered the truth behind her odd genius.

I just wanted to stop going to the trouble of getting out and forcing myself in again and the water already felt so tingly and gentle that I did not wanted to leave. A natural formed water body was way more exceptional than the one I have in my bathroom. But if she is satisfied with that then I won’t go to the trouble of explaining it to her.

After relaxing for a minute or two I looked at Alicia and thought that she is not much of a talker and only either spoke little or when she was interested. She wore that bathrobe around her supposedly perfect body and I always thought that would be the case since she always stood out in that striking and fine-looking outfit of her.

She looked stunning as I realized how pale she looked under that elaborate dress of her as she tried to brush her black hairs with her hands. Except for the mask I could tell with the grin that as usual she was trying to get fun out of everything.

“Alicia what kind of magic do you use.” I tried to start the conversation with a simple question whose answer I have been dying to know.

“Others might see my magic as weir… a bit extreme.”

Wait. Did she just correct herself? So at least she does realise that much.

But in truth Alicia worded it just like how her father the True Demon Lord described her magic to her.

“Alicia can you tell me just who you are?” I put it straight in front of her. Either I would get a response or she would completely deny answering me.

“I told you I am just Alicia. But if I have to add something then I am someone who fulfills others wishes.”

“Huhh… thought so. You don’t need to joke around me if you don’t want to answer to. So what are you going to do now, declare your supremacy by granting this kingdom its wish.” I said haughtily, as I disliked her joke.

“Not at all, let’s say there are conditions one needs to fulfill before getting a wish granted from me. And you Regis fulfill all those conditions.” Alicia said in a plain manner as if reciting something from a pre-historic text.

“So what now I get a wish granted from you. If what you are saying is true then tell me why did you come here in the first place. Was it not because my father and mother asked you to do and become a saviour of everyone.” I failed to control the loudness of my voice and control the frustration within me.

“Not at all, I came here because I wanted to see you…. To help you.” Alicia’s voice was trembling as if she felt uncomfortable with me getting angry.

Usually I was good at just looking at people’s expression and tell whether they were telling the truth or not. Why is all of this happening again? Why do I let down everyone whenever they have expectations from me or come close to me.

But for her I could not tell but wanted to believe that she was speaking the truth because she meant every word of it.

I did not wanted things to go down the wrong path so right now I wanted to wipe off that awful distasteless expression from my face.

“I am glad to hear that.”I said in segmented words.

“Regis why don’t you tell me your wish?” Alicia this time tried to sound considerate because of my sudden unpredictable outburst.

I shrugged at Alicia’s question. My wish. Certainly I have thought of many and I always prayed for them to come true. But the one wish which I wanted to come true had always been beyond my reach. No matter what I did and how much I tried. To come close to the people I cared for, for people to stop being afraid of getting too near to me.

“If what I really wanted…to... if possible… I don’t think you would really understand what I want anyway.” I turned her offer down.

Alicia is always so cheerful and she is the only one who showed me that there’s still a way for me to make my dream a possibility. I didn’t wanted to drag her in with me and labeled as a monster like me. I want her to be the cheerful girl she has been to me. My concerns should not be a burden to her but mine alone and I will overcome them with my own power.

“I am not you, so I can’t understand hundred percent what you are going through. But I want to say this that I promise that if you want me then I would never let you hurt anyone because of your power.”

I rose from my place in the bath and turned away from her. I was feeling awfully uncomfortable and suffocating that she had realized my weakness. But my biggest concern was would she too distance herself from me, now that she knows. And how should I face her myself….

“What would you know exactly about it? I have been always trying to keep this power under my control. Trying to suppress it and locked inside me… every day I am afraid that someday if it loses control of itself then what would I do.”

I silently stood there hoping our conversation would end there.

“People live to use the power they were born with. You too one day will be unable to resist the temptation to use that power to survive. And at present time there is no place for you to go. Regis did you ever tried to use your power instead of shutting yourself off after it broke down.” Alicia said in a voice so cold and reserved that it sounded someone else’s.

I suddenly remembered the horrific incident of my childhood and the painful life I have to endure since then. Why is all of this coming to me at once.

“At least that’s what you think because out of everyone the one who feared the most of your own power was you. And that’s why you were never able to control it because you were afraid more about how it would harm you and others and never thought of controlling and using it for yourself. And even for once you never acknowledged your own power.”

“Haaahaaaa… so you are telling me Alicia that it was me who was responsible for everything I went through. That’s not true… I won’t accept it. I practiced every day, I tried harder than everyone and every day, hoping that one day I would achieve full control over it. But I never dared to unleash it because I was afraid of how this power would affect me. So at the end the one who had least trust on me was me alone.”

This time around I didn’t know when my ability would activate and usurp everything or rather I was relaxed because I thought Alicia was here and so everything would be fine.

“It’s alright now; I know how it feels because some time ago I was just like you.” Alicia too now stood up from her bath as I could hear the water splash.

“You were just like me. You are strong and might have always been like that. You don’t need to tell someone like me who doesn’t even come close to you and how light and easy going you have been. I always tried to do things better and remained serious and careful with whatever I did. And if you are that good then why don’t you head back and for a change try learning to remember directions. It’s not like I have not been trying. If only you haven’t lost your way and didn’t com here. I wouldn’t have met you and then it wouldn’t have hurt me this much.”

I started walking out of the bath without looking back how Alicia felt after all of this and when my anger exploded.

“Regis you haven’t eaten anything yet. Aren’t you hungry and it would leave you weak.” Alicia cried as her voice now was for the first time filled with remorse and pain strong enough that I could feel it without looking at her.

“I am not hungry and I am going to sleep, we need to wake up early tomorrow.” I said in a stiff voice and left.

I walked inside the home Alicia built and finding a single bed there I lied down over it.

I stared at the plane bare wooden ceiling… trying to forget what just happened right now as I always did. Of how I destroyed that little companionship I had in between us with a single fight over something which she was totally right about. When all she wanted was to help me, as the first person other than my own family who stood up for me.

At that moment when she rescued me or stopped me from going berserk, even for an instant she felt so strong that I became envious of her. I was always told that my power was the strongest and at the same time dangerous. So I decided never to use it again. All I wanted was a path for myself where I wouldn’t have to depend on anyone.

And if this monstrous power could become something people could value or help just one person…. If only I could be acknowledged for who I am as my whole self, then I won’t loose anyone anymore.

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