I looked around while my head spun like a broken carousel.
The dizziness wasn't just physical; it was as if my very soul were staggering inside me.
I walked a few steps after giving the medicine to the man, but when I turned around I felt my legs no longer obeyed.
Keeping my balance was an impossible feat, like walking in a dream where the ground tilts without warning.
I had an absurd urge to vomit, and at the same time I felt my whole body wanting to give up and collapse right there, on the cold mine floor. Out of pure instinct, I reached out and managed to hold onto the wall before falling to my knees.
The man, upon seeing me, opened his eyes as if he had witnessed a ghost.
—Hey… hey, knight, do you really look okay? You seem… unwell —he said with a trembling voice.
—Calm down, calm down… I'm completely fine…
I couldn't say anything more.
My entire body convulsed as if an electric current were running through me inside, and I fell defeated to the ground. An infernal burning consumed me from skin to bone.
Even though I had returned a few minutes back, my body still remembered the indescribable pain of the dragon tearing my flesh. Every fiber of my being burned as if I were still trapped under those colossal claws, unable to escape.
In the middle of that darkness I felt myself sinking into a bottomless pit.
Then I heard them.
Four voices.
Four figures.
All different, but at the same time dressed in a strange fashion, almost identical to each other. Human shadows in a formless void.
Their faces were stained with scribbles and cross-outs, as if someone had tried to erase them from the world. I couldn't recognize them or understand what they were saying to me. Their words were distorted murmurs, as if filtered through black water.
Except one.
One figure spoke with icy clarity, so real that I felt it behind my ear, like a forbidden secret.
—Where is Alicia?
And upon hearing that name, something inside me broke.
The vision shattered and I woke up with a gasp.
I was lying on the ground. On my chest, over the armor, Leaf slept peacefully, breathing softly, as if floating in a carefree dream. I didn't know when she had arrived, but damn it… she had come at the worst possible moment. I couldn't take her with me into that battle. I didn't want to see her die cruelly again.
I sat up slowly so as not to wake her, while she continued hugging me as if I were a warm pillow. The man was still leaning in the corner, but now he could move a little; the herbs were starting to take effect.
—Hey, knight… —he said with a firmer voice— You still look tired. Take that shield next to me, it'll help you more than me.
I turned to look at him.
Next to him was a hand-held iron shield, practically new, almost without a scratch, as if it had never seen battle.
—But… I can't accept this. What if a beast comes? At least the shield would help you defend yourself.
—Don't worry, knight —he replied with a tired smile—. Look, I have my sword, and I'm very good at using it. Don't worry. Take that shield and continue your journey. I'll catch up with you later. Just… go.
I took a deep breath.
That determination wasn't fake.
—Alright… thank you very much.
I took the shield leaning against the wall.
When I lifted it I was surprised at how light it was. It weighed nothing. As if the metallurgy itself obeyed a magical purpose. I equipped it on my left hand just as Leaf began to wake up.
—Ohhh, you're awake~ —she said with her cheerful little voice—. When I got here I found you lying on the ground and you were breathing very, very fast. I gave you some magic potions to recover, no need to thank me hehehe.
—Thank you, Leaf… really. I wouldn't know what to do without you.
Leaf did a graceful spin in the air, twirling with her wings spread like a tiny dancer full of light.
—Hehehe. Well… I have to go now, it's gotten very late for me. I already slept with you enough for today~. You were unconscious for like five hours, so please take care of yourself. Don't push yourself so hard~
As she said goodbye, she waved her hand and her tiny body began to glow. In a green flash she teleported to the Sacred Forest using the bonfire. And just like that, I was left completely alone in the abandoned mine.
I took a deep breath.
Knowing I had to keep going.
I walked along the same path I had taken with Leaf before the dragon's attack. Everything was the same… too much the same. The darkness, the rubble, the smell of dampness and iron. The echo of my steps seemed to mock me, reminding me of the death I had already suffered there.
Finally I reached the place.
That damn place.
The dragon was there, just as I remembered it. Giant, imposing, its black skin shining like burning coal, its red eyes fixed on me with an instinctive hatred that knew no limits.
I unsheathed my sword without thinking, raised the shield and prepared for the fight.
The dragon roared. The air vibrated. A sound so deep it pierced my chest.
And then it lunged.
A colossal projectile of muscles, scales and fury. It came at me like a war train, trying to crush me against the wall.
I rolled to the side just in time. The ground shook with the impact.
My sword began to glow. It wasn't a weak glow; it was a burst of burning yellow light, like a divine fire awakened after centuries.
When I slashed it, I discovered its true power: every cut released a fierce flame that clung to the monster's scales, burning it from within.
The dragon roared, but I screamed too, more from pain than bravery.
Every one of its blows against my shield sent me several centimeters backward. It was too strong, too heavy.
The shield was starting to bend.
It was cracking.
It was about to break.
My arms trembled.
I felt my bones were little more than sticks held together by determination.
I couldn't keep going like this.
I had to think.
And then I remembered her.
Dorothy.
My teacher.
She could end this. One of her spells would be enough to wipe the dragon off the map.
While dodging another claw swipe, I gathered my strength and spoke her name:
—Dorothy, I need you!
The air tore behind me and Dorothy appeared in a blue flash. She looked at the dragon, then at me, then at the dragon again.
—What the fuck is this thing… —she said with absolute calm—. Well, if we leave this thing alive, nothing good will come of it. Better kill it right here. And… it was about time I showed you a bit of my power, student. I've increased it recently, so don't fall asleep or faint on me.
Her voice was sharp, but in her eyes shone a mischievous pride.
She began preparing a spell.
I stood in front of her, raising the shattered shield, taking the dragon's blows to buy her time.
—Sorry, monster! —shouted Dorothy— But I have to teach my student what real magic is. NUCLEAR MAGIC!
As she raised her hand, a small magic circle appeared next to the dragon. A tiny circle, almost adorable… until it exploded.
A white light devoured the darkness.
A gigantic explosion swept the entire tunnel.
I would have died if Dorothy hadn't extended another protective circle that covered us like a heavenly bubble.
The dragon screamed, a heart-wrenching roar that filled the cavern. When the light faded, its body was shattered, full of smoking wounds.
Dorothy smiled, proud as a child showing off a newly made drawing.
—Hehehe. See, apprentice? This is the true power of magic. When you get back, you're going to start learning it for real, because monsters like this will crush you if you don't get your act together.
—You're right, teacher… —I breathed heavily—. Can you finish it off?
—Mmm… alright. It's still breathing.
Dorothy created another spell, this time a larger circle. A final explosion shook the cave and the dragon fell, lifeless, finally defeated.
Dorothy snapped her fingers with satisfaction.
—Well, the job here is done. Now keep doing your thing. Summon me again if you're in trouble. Bye~
And with a blue flash she teleported away, leaving me alone among smoking stones and the echo of a brutal battle.
Really… she was a complicated woman.