I stood, spear still in hand, the cavern silent save for the dragon's slow, rumbling breath. Its eye, half-lidded, drifted lazily to my shattered weapon.
"Hrrm…" the dragon hummed, claws shifting against the stone. "You've… truly ruined this one, haven't you?"
I glanced down, tracing the cracks and splinters along the shaft. A hollow laugh slipped from my lips, rough and brittle. "Yes… thoroughly."
The dragon's claw reached out with ease, pulling the spear from my hand. It idly turned it in its claws, the broken pieces of mana and wooden splinters ringing out as they hit the stone. "Interesting. Most warriors would have wept over a destroyed weapon. You… you just take it in stride. Adorable."
It returned it to me, and I took hold of it, holding the weapon with all the ferocity of a lifeline, the weight of something immeasurably heavier than my body. "Well…" I muttered, my voice subdued, the laughter in the back. A brief one, a bitter one. "...there's not much left to to weep for, is there?"
The dragon's gold eye, purple-speckled, glared upward to clash with mine. For what seemed an eternity, it stared, its lids never fluttering, sizing me up as a fluttering ant would: tiny, delicate, but not near breaking.
At last, with a listless, considering tilt of the head, the claw emerged, pointing toward a dark nook in the cave, where crystal light struggled to penetrate.
"There," it said to me, voice writhing with disdain, "a weapon… worthy. Maybe it'll endure longer than your obstinate little flicker of life."
I followed its gaze. Far back in the cave I saw something crafted, something sharp. A weapon stabbed into the treasure.
I walked through the cave, gold coins and crystals slowing my pace.
As I reached the weapon, I saw that it was a spear. Its blade was large and long and came to a point. Two small flanges jutted out at the base of the blade.
The spear was chiefly composed of black metal, with faint runes carved into it.
I glanced down at my own spear; it was barely holding together.
I took a deep breath and disdematerialized it. Then I pulled the hilt of the new spear and removed it from the treasure.
The spear was taller than me. It did not look like a weapon any ordinary man could wield. It was a killing spear.
I spun it around me, feeling that it was heavy yet light at the same time.
"Whew, it really is a g—ow!" I grimaced in pain. It was almost as if I'd forgotten that most of my bones were still half-broken.
I traced the delicate runes along the length of the shaft, sensing their soft hum, a throb that was almost alive.
Sassafras' attention wandered. She merely nodded her head, shifting back into semi-sleep, but there was still a spark of interest in her eyes.
I walked, spear in hand, through the crystal labyrinth. At last, I came to a pond, whose water reflected the magic of the cavern itself. The liquid gleamed, the drops quivering with pent mana.
I drank. With every swallow, it coursed through me, satisfying not only thirst but repairing the twisted threads of my body. Shattered bones, torn muscles, burning nerves ironed smooth, remade, made stronger.
Seated next to Sassafras, I experienced a soft thrill of pleasure at being intact. The dragon, her eyes now open, lowered her great head in a gradual curve.
"Little ember," she told me, voice a rolling growl, "I can scorch you up in one breath, so do not trouble me."
I smiled quietly, sitting back against the chilly crystal. I sat for a space before I spoke.
"Where is the exit from this cave?"
Sassafras stretched, long and slow. "Do not fret. I can unblock the way out whenever I wish."
I pictured the sheer force it would involve, the sheer devastation to blow a hole in the cave wall. The image made me grin to myself.
"Dragon," I said, staring upwards. Sassafras' eyes opened half-way. "You first begged me to recount my story. Do you… like stories?"
The dragon's pupil contracted, contemplative, hardly there. "I find myself replaying the past deeds. There is little left for me to do but dream. I was given a gift to understand almost all languages and have read many books," she answered finally.
I nodded, silent a moment, letting the weight of her words settle. Then I rose, arms spread wide, voice booming like a declaration against the stillness of the cavern.
"Fine then," I told her, tension coiling my voice. "When I venture out into the external world and return, I'll return and I will bring back every last one of them!"
Sassafras remained silent. I had no idea if she was fine with that.
"For that," she said, her voice low and growling like thunder on the horizon, "You would have to be strong… stronger than any man."
I waited. I had no response. Only the determination that boiled hot in my chest.
There was a momentary quiver through the cavern, a subtle shiver that made the crystals vibrate. Sassafras rolled her massive head nearer to me, her eyes softly alight, her pupils narrowing.
"You want to leave this place and go out into the world," she said. "And I… find your spark… worthy enough to endure."
A single lightning tendril, sinuosely curling blue-white, exploded out between her clawed feet, following the path of my spear. It twirled down the length of the black metal, retracing runes already carved into it, to come to rest finally in my hands as an explosion of uncontrolled force.
I stiffened with sudden warmth and life rushing into my body. Muscles painfully drawn from ancient breaks suddenly buzzed to life. The delicate thrill coursed through my veins, a fire combined with electricity, a power that was alien and yet… utterly natural.
"This… is dragon lightning," Sassafras murmured, voice softer now, almost proud "Use it wisely, little ember. It will test you, temper you… and it will burn for only as long as you can bear it. You will still need to struggle. I have simply gifted you with the ability to learn. So you need to train."
I nodded.
Sassafras nodded as well.
"I have also given you the ability to understand the language of the outer world. There is a standard language and you should be able to understand it now," she said.
I smiled. "Thank you."
She glanced at her claws; they sparked with lightning.
"Little ember," she said.
Suddenly, blue magical particles started to appear around me.
"Our meeting may have been short, but I see a future of both misery and adventure within your soul. I find that amusing and inspiring. I have gifted you with my essence, a fragment of my power. Uphold my name and rise… rise to the top!"
With those final words, she said her goodbyes.
I couldn't help but grin. "I'll try not to disappoint, then."
The particles around me grew denser and denser, quickly enveloping me in a storm of mana. As I felt my body being dragged away by forces outside my control, I looked at the dragon.
"Thank you again, Sassafras!" I said.
With those final words, I vanished—my form dissolving into light, carried away to the world beyond.
Once again, Sassafras stood alone. The silence of the chamber pressed in like a tomb.
"Alaric…" she whispered, her voice trembling between sorrow and knowing.
"Adventure may greet you, but so will ruin. Your very being calls calamity to your side. I only hope… that when the storm comes, it does not devour what's left of you."