Chapter 39: Dragon Slayer

At the sight of the dragon, I made some risky skill point allocations in my HUD. This seemed like the now-or-never point for my Dragon Affinity skill, so I bumped it up two levels, not entirely sure what it did. It felt relevant, though.

"I think we're going to stay aerial for this one, buddy," I grunted to Blue as we dove toward the burning field. "Let's just make sure the big guy notices us."

Blue's descent was rapid and fierce. The bite of afternoon wind dried out my sweat as we barreled downward at extreme speeds, pulling up at the last minute as both Blue and I made our attacks. Blue's icy breath spewed a steady stream of brutally-tipped icicles and shards at the red dragon, which was roughly twice Blue's size. I hurled my lance, spearing it in the creature's back down to the haft. It returned to me an instant later.

Molten blood spilled from the wounds we'd made, not in desperate gouts, but noticeable all the same. We corrected our trajectory, ascending fast, using the strong winds to build momentum. Blue glided away from the dragon, but as I looked back, I saw its snapping jaws hot on our tails.

I used my Fire Breath 2 skill to blast the gaping maw of the monstrosity when it closed in on us, letting the wind carry my flames further than they'd normally be able to travel. They blew directly into the beast's face, but to my dismay--if not surprise--they had little effect.

Activating Charm Evil 2 and Dragon Affinity 3, I called out to the dragon. "Please, stop your attack on the farm!" I yelled.

"This one tries to charm Azarius Rex? This one breathes icy hatred into his magnificent hide, spears him with a magic lance, and then tries to bargain?" The voice was more amused than upset. "You are stronger than the last hero I made my dinner, I'll give you that."

"I'm sorry about the attack," I said, thinking fast. "I didn't think it'd really hurt you. I figured you were strong enough that it would only get your attention."

"It got my attention, certainly." The voice was deep and overpowering as it continued to pursue us, closing the gap rapidly. "I can't tell if you're trying to flatter me or insult me. You tell me you think I'm mighty, but then you imply you were wrong in that you managed to wound me."

Shit. Why am I so fucking stupid? "Please, let's just agree to talk. No one has to die."

"We're talking," the Azarius Rex said, laughing, and then he breathed an enormous fireball that managed to make contact with Blue's tail, singing it before the flames were doused by the wind as we flew.

"Alright then," I grunted. "We started it, Blue," I said, patting my dragon-steed's neck, "so let's finish it."

Blue took a dive, picking up speed and gaining distance from our pursuer. Azarius Rex the red dragon groaned with displeasure and made his own descent, but he had trouble catching up--being smaller with larger wings in proportion to his body size, Blue had the edge on dips and dives.

"You can flee if you wish, but you won't elude me!" cried the voice of the red dragon.

"Who's fleeing?" I shouted back, directing Blue to change course and meet the descent of our opponent head on. I stood atop Blue's back precariously, charging flamesword on my long lance blade, then I activated Great Jump 4, leaping in a physics-defying display off of Blue's saddle, ready to strike Azarius Rex with a head-on attack.

The dragon noticed and attempted to pull back at the last minute, but it was too late. A wild look of concern painted its lizard-like face, its head rearing back, carelessly exposing its neck. I took a massive swing and sliced its throat wide open. Azarius Rex attempted to cry out, but it was more of a desperate gurgling sound than anything else.

Its wings flapped wildly to stay in the air even as it spewed molten hot blood on me. Suddenly, I was free-falling, dismissing my lance into the ether with the power of my Blade Bond so that I could shield my face from the magma-hot blood that seared and scarred my arms and neck. I managed to keep most of it off my pretty face, but knew that the recklessness of this attack would end up disfiguring me even then.

"Fuck," I growled, the pain of the flaming hot blood singing practically to the bone. Azarius Rex above lost power in its wings and started falling, too.

Blue dived in and caught me, but I was in no position to grab on tight. I landed roughly on his back and only just narrowly managed to avoid falling off by tangling my wrist up in his reins. "Good boy," I grunted, still wincing from the pain.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Azarius Rex fall, plunging violently past me, and I turned my head to watch the dragon hit the ground with an earth-shaking thud, leaving a crater where he'd landed.

"Down," I grunted at Blue, looking at my mangled and burned arms in horror. They'd never be the same again, that was for damn sure.

Blue obeyed, though I thought I sensed a degree of hesitancy. We made our landing a dozen feet or so from the crater that contained the body of the red dragon I'd just fought. Pulling myself off of my dragon-steed, I steeled myself for whatever was coming next by activating Endure 6, helping me to shrug off the pain I was feeling and stave off exhaustion or trauma for the time being.

I walked cautiously to the edge of the crater and peered inside. The dragon was still somehow breathing, despite the massive gash in its neck.

I summoned my lance and walked down into the pit with heavy steps.

"Come to claim the title of Dragon Slayer for yourself, human?" the voice rasped at me, gurgling as hot blood poured from its maw.

"I didn't want it to go this way, but I can admit I handled it badly. This is not the outcome I wanted, especially knowing now how intelligent you are," I said, sighing. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" the dragon laughed. "Sorry for slaying an enemy in combat?"

"Sorry I made the first attack," I said. "It was fucking stupid of me. Seeing the field on fire, I let the adrenaline take over. I'm a bit afraid of myself, that that was my first impulse. I even have a power called Dragon Affinity, and I used it as an afterthought. So, yes. I'm sorry."

"Dragon Affinity?" Azarius Rex asked. "Impossible. I haven't heard of that power being granted to a hero in over a thousand years.

I activated it again, resetting the power, and stare the dragon in the eyes. "Feel anything?"

"By the gods," the dragon grunted. "It's true. You are him."

I cocked my head sideways, looking at the pathetic dragon as it bled out on the ground. "What do you mean? You've heard of me?"

"You are the one meant to save the race of dragons. Find the Dragon Empress Terastrazia the Iridescent atop the highest mountain the Fields of Desolation. Show her what you showed me, but level it up. You can save us."

"Why would I want to save dragons if they're raiding farms and killing people?" I asked. "That sounds like a non-starter of a proposition to me.'

"She can answer all questions. Just--please. Do as I ask. Consider my... dying wish."

Before I could respond, the eyes of the dragon glazed over with finality and its breathing stopped. The grounds beneath the dragon was scorched and burned from the flow of blood that had poured out from where I'd sliced open its neck. I studied the carcass for a moment longer than necessary, and then I climbed out of the pit and onto Blue's back.

Using a modified, reined in version of Blue's ice breath, we doused the flames of the fields that were burning and looked for any signs of Jammy. We found her, unsurprisingly, quivering in a corner of her own cabin.

"Bucky!" she shouted in surprise, running up to me and throwing her arms around me. "Oh, thank you, thank you! Did you scare it away?!"

"I killed it," I said, a bit of regret in my throat.

"Wow! A dragon slayer!" she looked down and noticed my neck and arms. "You're hurt! Poor thing!"

"I'm alright," I said. "We put out the flames. You should consider getting someone to live here with you. It's dangerous alone."

"I don't think any number of roommates could have helped me avoid danger in this situation, Bucky," she wisely pointed out.

"Well, maybe you should stay in Tater Town for the rest of the season at least," I suggested. "I don't think you're going to be able to reap much of your crops, unfortunately."

She looked like she was about to cry. "Oh, Bucky, that's true, but it's so dreadful to hear!"

"Do you know anyone in town?" I asked.

She nodded. "I have a cousin there. A bunny girl named Bonny."

I blinked at the name. "But you're a jackalope and she's a rabbit."

"Jackalopes are just the magically gifted variant of rabbits," she said. "Just like how holstaurs can give birth to bovinas, and lamias can give birth to nagas. It's just rarer and the resulting child has unique gifts."

"I didn't know any of that," I gasped.

"That's because everyone says you're woefully uncurious."

I cringed at that. It was true. I was too lazy-minded to ask the right questions. Come to think of it, the longer I thought about this, the more I realized that Autumn had explained this concept to me at some point, and I'd simply not been paying attention. What a piece of shit I was.

"What powers do you have?" I asked, trying to put that bit of dismal self-reflection out of my head for the moment.

She looked up like she was trying to remember. "Jackalope girls can get wizard and priestess skills when they level up. That's really about it."

I nodded. "Got any skills that might help with this?" I said, raising up my crackled and burnt arms. "My girls are going to flip out when they see it."

"I can cast Minor Illusion on your arms and neck to make them appear normal, but it'll wear off."

I shook my head. "That's no good. That'd just be the same as lying to them."

"I apologize, Bucky. That's all I have that might be able to help. I have three skill points. If you'd like, I could use Discover to try and see if I get a healing power?"

"Is that something you'd like to do?" I asked. "Or would I be twisting your arm."

"I'd like to help you!" she gushed suddenly, taking my hands. She was every bit as pretty as Bonny, but her hair was black and her skin much darker. As she grabbed my hands in her little ones, I nodded at her.

"Might as well try, if it's all the same."

She clasped her hands together, pulling up her HUD. I couldn't see it, but I watched her eyes dashed through the air. She cleared her throat. "Okay. Ahem," she started. "I've got Repel Undead 1, Holy Bolt 1, and Soothe 1."

"Soothe 1 sounds like it might do something," I shrugged.

She nodded hopefully. "Alright, give me your arms."

I held them out. She gripped them and closed her eyes. Her little hands glowed with white energy and I felt it spilling out from her being and into mine. The pain was almost entirely diminished by the time she relinquished her grip, and I sighed happily--but the wound was still there.

"Did it do anything?"

"It made the pain go away," I nodded. "But it looks like I'm stuck with these scars."

"Bonny's going to kill me," she whimpered.

I looked at her in confusion. "Why's that?"

"She'll blame me for you getting hurt. I don't know if you know this, but last time I saw her she let me know she was nursing a pretty serious crush on you."

I laughed. "Well, I'm more or less aware of that," I said. "She's pregnant with my baby at the moment."

Her eyes went wide. "Wow! Wow wow! That's amazing!! My Bonny!? A mommy? But what do you mean 'baby?'"

I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean what do I mean?"

"Bunny girls have litters of four to ten babies," she said. "Did Bonny not explain that to you?"

My eyes went wide with terror, like I'd just stared into the face of death itself. "No, Jammy. No, she did not."