novelraw Chapter 99
Chapter 99
Hooo…
Hooo…
Hooo…
The cave fell silent, filled only with the deep, rhythmic breathing of the three sleeping dragons. Garruk sat with his back against the cool stone wall, the chill a small relief to the stinging wounds on his body.
He looked over the sleeping forms. The white dragon was curled around two large cloth sacks. The blue dragon, his new master, was resting her head on the red dragon's flank. His brow furrowed. It was a strange relationship. A red, a blue, and a white—three different species of dragon. Why would they travel together? Their bond seemed genuine, like that of siblings. If they were of the same clutch, it would make sense; young wyrmlings, driven from the nest by their mother, often banded together for survival. But this… this was an anomaly.
His eyelids grew heavy. Leaning against the wall, his eyes slowly closed, and he, too, sank into a deep slumber.
…
Heavy eyelids slowly peeled back, revealing a pair of slitted, crimson eyes that seemed to burn with an inner fire. Aiden pushed himself up on his foreclaws, his gaze sweeping the lair. Nothing had changed.
No, wait. There is a gnoll.
On the three-yard-high stone rack that had recently held his dinner, the gnoll was hanging by its hands, the thick muscles of its forearms bulging as it hauled its body upwards.
A self-disciplined gnoll, doing pull-ups, Aiden thought with a hint of amusement.
“You. Gnoll,” a youthful, cold voice echoed from behind him. “How many days have passed?”
It was the red dragon.
Garruk released his grip, landing silently on the ground. He turned and saw that the red dragon was indeed awake. He immediately dropped to his knees, lowering his head.
“Great Red Dragon,” he said respectfully. “You have slept for one full day.”
Aiden's gaze flickered to the remaining Ridgebolt carcass. There were no flies on it. He then glanced at the pile of offal near the entrance. It was swarming with them, and the scent had soured. With a flick of his long, serpentine tail, he sent the rotting entrails flying out of the cave.
Garruk watched his dinner sail into the open air, a pang of regret in his heart.
Having disposed of the refuse, Aiden looked deeper into the lair. Bianca was still fast asleep, her white claws wrapped protectively around her two large sacks.
The slits of Aiden's pupils began to dilate, widening until they were horizontal bars of blackness. It is time for the little darlings to find a new owner.
He lifted his right claw, and threads of crimson mana coalesced from the air, extending toward the draconic sigil on his foreleg.
*****
Clang!
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A short blade met a cruciform sword, striking a shower of sparks.
The attack having failed, Linda disengaged, her form vanishing into thin air. Her opponent, a young woman with calm, bright golden eyes, showed no trace of panic or fear.
Clang!
Her cruciform sword swung to the right, effortlessly parrying a dagger that seemed to appear from nowhere.
Linda's blue eyes widened in amazement, as if she were beholding a priceless treasure. What terrifying intuition. She didn't even look in this direction.
A sneak attack is impossible, it seems. I will have to face her head-on. Her lady was watching from the pavilion. To be so thoroughly stonewalled by Isolde would reflect poorly on her own competence.
A transparent sheath of wind magic enveloped her twin daggers.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The two short blades became a blur, a furious tempest of steel that left no opening.
She's getting faster, Isolde thought, a thrill coursing through her. Is this Linda's true strength?
Perhaps Isolde herself didn't realize it, but she was ecstatic. The excitement in her eyes was so palpable it was almost a physical presence. The fire in her gaze grew hotter, and the cruciform sword in her hand became a swifter, deadlier blur. She went from struggling to defend to matching the storm, and then to launching counter-attacks of her own.
Linda's jaw tightened. A faint, stinging pain shot up her arms. I cannot let this drag on.
Terrifying intuition, incomprehensible strength… if Lady Isolde continues to develop her swordsmanship, she will one day surpass even the Empire's Legion Commander.
But I will not lose today.
More wind coiled around her daggers, the air itself seeming to sharpen.
CLANG!
With a final, explosive impact, the cruciform sword was sent spinning high into the air. Linda's brow furrowed. It felt wrong. It was too easy. Her eyes shot to her opponent's slender right hand. The sigil on its back was pulsing with a faint, crimson light.
Isolde looked down at her own hand.
It was him. He was calling her.
A pure, untainted smile blossomed on her face.
“Linda, I lose,” she declared cheerfully.
Linda's eyes followed her gaze to the glowing hand. “No, my lady. This was an accident. You have improved again.”
“Hehe,” Isolde giggled, ducking her head happily. I can't keep him waiting. Her left hand shot out, eagerly grasping the thread of crimson mana. A familiar, searing heat traveled up her arm.
…
The connection was established.
“Greetings, contractor.”
“Hello, Mister Aiden!” a sweet voice replied instantly.
She sounds happy. A strange, ephemeral species,
Aiden mused. She seems pleased every time I contact her. Does she enjoy being given orders?“Can you do me a favor?”
“Of course, Mister Aiden! Just tell me what you need!” The reply was, as always, instantaneous.
Excellent. This contractor has a proper sense of duty. A grin split his maw.
“Wait one moment.”
“Okay, Mister Aiden!”
He severed the connection.
He walked over to Bianca and grabbed one of the sacks. He pulled. The sack, and the dragon attached to it, lifted slightly from the ground. The fool… she has a strong grip.
He let go, and Bianca flopped back onto the floor. He lifted a thick, crimson-scaled leg and planted his foot firmly on her head for leverage. He grabbed the sack again and pulled.
Jingle.
The delightful sound of coins shifting inside the bag was music to his ears. The horizontal slits of his pupils stretched even wider. He looked at the sack in his claw. Success. Now for the next one.
He assumed the same posture, ready to repeat the method. But this time, before he could pull, two white eyelids fluttered open. A pair of bright, sleepy eyes blinked up at him in confusion.
Four eyes met.
Aiden's free claw shot out.
WHAM!
His palm connected with her head. With a spray of stone fragments, Bianca's head was driven into the ground. Her newly opened eyes immediately snapped shut. There. She looks so peaceful now. Children need plenty of sleep. It's for their own good.
Scuffle.
A faint sound came from behind him. He turned his head and found himself locking eyes with a blue dragon.
Seeing the gesture, Azure immediately turned her back to him, lowered her head to the ground, and pretended to resume her slumber.
Tactful.
He turned back to his task. With a final pull, the second sack came free with ease. He opened it and peered inside. It was filled with magical weapons, all pulsing with faint mana. These will fetch a great many little darlings, he thought.