novelraw Chapter 28: Coming of Age Ceremony
Chapter 28: Coming of Age Ceremony
"Ice blocks, Ketira red leaves, Crackedstone..."
The lake they found was quite expansive. Surrounded by lush forest, it resembled a giant pupil reflecting shimmering, scale-like light under the sun.
The materials Korriri had bought were quite primitive. Clearly, the Dragonkin tribes didn’t use anything that required precision manufacturing for their coming of age rituals.
Ice was valuable to these relatively primitive Demi-humans. Ketira red leaves grew deep in underground rivers, and Crackedstone came from deep in the earth’s veins. Though these were different substances, they shared the same function—
Heat absorption.
Before the medical revolution, humans often used Ketira red leaves to treat severe fevers. They were clinically effective, but often caused frostbite to internal organs, leading to severe complications. No doctors use them anymore.
Fischer watched as Korriri fed Raphaëlle a blackish-red leaf. He reached out and touched her forehead. The effect was immediate—her body temperature quickly dropped, though she still felt like a scorching furnace.
"You... you realize this, right? Once I come of age, I will try to assassinate you again. If you help me complete the ritual, don’t regret it later... A fully awakened Dragonkin warrior is something you humans rarely get to see."
True enough—most Dragonkin captured were still in their immature state. Adult Dragonkin were hard to catch, and even if caught, they were usually dead or gravely injured—completely useless.
Dragonkin were born warriors. Once they came of age, their combat form would fully blossom. But Fischer didn’t care. He simply nodded and said,
"You still owe me two assassination attempts... and one punishment."
Raphaëlle froze for a second, then smiled. Suddenly, she clumsily switched to Nary language and said to Fischer,
"You... will... see..."
That last word, “see,” was probably meant to be something else, but she couldn’t recall the proper term and just used an imprecise replacement.
She was picking up Nary at a remarkable speed. Just one night and she’d already memorized a lot of new vocabulary. The human belief that Demi-humans had the intelligence of livestock was clearly nonsense.
"...I'm looking forward to it."
At that moment, Korriri floated over the lake toward Fischer and said,
"Lord Fischer, the ritual is ready."
The sun gradually dipped, and on the opposite side of the sky, a full moon rose, cooling the temperature. At the center of the lake, Korriri had Sia haul in a pile of Crackedstones to form a platform. The moment they were placed, a thin layer of ice formed beneath them, keeping the stones from sinking.
On top of those stones, ice blocks were arranged into a bed, with several Ketira red leaves laid beside it.
"Have your companions come help. During the ritual, no clothing is allowed."
Korriri had just reached out to help undress Raphaëlle when she touched the rough cloth and instantly recoiled from the heat. She had no choice but to let the other Dragonkin assist.
Mir and Fassil stepped in to help remove the clothes. Raphaëlle instinctively glanced over to see if Fischer was watching. She only saw his back, lighting a cigarette in the distance.
Raphaëlle pressed her lips together as a few Dragonkin lifted her onto the ritual platform. The moment her skin touched the ice bed, steam surged into the air, making the place look like a mystical realm.
"Raphaëlle, I must remind you—every Dragonkin experiences the coming of age ritual differently. For some, it’s just a long sleep. For others, it's excruciating pain... Your reaction so far is stronger than any Dragonkin I've ever seen. If it gets unbearable, eat the Ketira red leaves beside you. Take as many as needed—they’ll lessen the pain."
Korriri’s phantom body swayed in the growing heat from Raphaëlle. She wiped away nonexistent sweat and looked down at the falling scales. Even Dragonkin scales were igniting, and the flame burned through the ice and dropped down onto the stone below.
"Once you're ready, I’ll begin chanting to guide your transformation."
Raphaëlle took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Mm... let’s begin."
Korriri nodded and floated back to the shore. From her robes, she pulled out an old parchment scroll and looked solemnly at the center of the lake beneath the night sky.
The other Dragonkin clenched their fists, staring nervously in that direction, silently praying for Raphaëlle’s successful rite.
The moon rose higher, covering half the sky like a sheet of ice. The lake surface turned entirely silver.
Fischer lit another cigarette with a blank expression. His hand rested on his knee, eyes fixed on the steam-shrouded figure in the lake.
"Κάψτετο, ψυχήδράκου"
Korriri took a deep breath and began chanting words in ancient Dragon tongue—words even Fischer couldn’t understand. Her voice wasn’t loud, but when they reached Raphaëlle’s ears, something invisible and volatile stirred within her.
In the next instant, every magic circuit in her body lit up. Dense and magma-like, they pulsed far more intensely than when Fischer had seen them before. It was as if they were about to burst through her body.
"Ugh!"
The phantom-like magic circuits moved, as if setting every blood vessel and drop of blood in Raphaëlle's body aflame. The pain struck instantly—fiery bursts like suns exploded inside her, burning away all feeling and thought.
The Ketira red leaves she’d swallowed started taking effect. With every breath, the undigested leaves pumped cold air through her body. But now, this cold medicine was like a helpless firefighter—completely overwhelmed.
Amid the pain, Fischer clearly saw the squirming magic circuits begin to move in sync under Korriri’s chant. A hard protrusion began forming at the circuit convergence near her forehead.
It was Raphaëlle’s horn.
Korriri’s chanting grew faster. All the Dragonkin watching held their breath, afraid that even breathing might disrupt the ritual.
"Lady Raphaëlle’s horn is growing!"
Larr’s sharp eyes caught the sight first. A long, beautiful red horn was now glowing brilliantly—like a small sun.
"So powerful... Lady Raphaëlle..."
BOOM!!
The surging heat burned right through the ice bed. Even the Crackedstones beneath started cracking, the fragments bursting apart.
The horn had fully grown!
Korriri’s chant neared its end. She wiped her brow and looked at the Dragonkin girl shrouded in steam. That single red horn was stunning—more magnificent than any Dragonkin in history.
"It’s done..."
Her soul must be the hottest, strongest among all Dragonkin.
Larr stared in a daze, lost in thought.
But Fischer's eyes, peering through the thick steam, saw something different—Raphaëlle’s magma-like magic circuits hadn’t dimmed. Instead, they moved like they were alive, frantically seeking an outlet.
Wait—this ritual wasn’t over yet!
"Korriri! Her coming of age ritual isn’t finished!!"
Fischer stood up, grabbing his staff, and shouted to the relieved Korriri.
The magic circuits, awakened by the chant, had gone berserk. Energy gushed from the horn but found no proper exit. It overflowed and burst into flames.
All the materials had already been used up. Korriri was stunned, unsure how to handle the sudden change, just staring at the chaos in the lake.
“AAAHHH!!”
Massive portions of the magic circuits remained trapped inside her, wreaking havoc. Raphaëlle’s body curled in agony. Her temperature had skyrocketed—her internal organs felt like they were being incinerated.
"Lady Raphaëlle!"
"Why... why isn’t it over?!"
She couldn’t endure it anymore. Remembering Korriri’s advice, she reached for the Ketira red leaves beside her. But the moment her dragon claw touched the chilling leaves, they burst into flames. Their prized heat absorption ability shattered under the overwhelming heat.
BOOM!
"Wait... Her situation is too unique. Normal Dragonkin wouldn’t—"
Before Korriri could finish, Fischer was already in front of her. He tossed his cloak to the ground and raised his staff.
"Keep chanting."
"...Okay."
That man's voice snapped Korriri back to her senses. She hurriedly returned to the start of the chant, her voice trembling.
The circuits were guided again—but now there was nothing left to suppress her heat.
The stone completely burned through. Raphaëlle's body dropped into the lake. But the moment the water touched her, it vaporized. She kept sinking—her body blazing like the sun—while everyone could only watch the bubbling figure beneath the surface.
Fischer remained calm. He held his staff horizontally, and as he closed his eyes, rings of violet magical light lit up one by one—deep and mysterious like the night sky.
This wasn’t a spell he had carved himself, but he had no choice now.
Eight spinning deep-purple rings orbited him. The world around them seemed to freeze, as if those rings twisted something invisible in reality.
And then, under the moon’s gaze, the massive lake began to rise skyward.
"滴滴..."
"嗒嗒..."
Eight-Ring Spell: Gravitational Celestial Rings.
It lifted everything—water, stones, and the burning Raphaëlle—from the lake bed into the air. Fischer exhaled and dashed toward the glowing figure suspended in the sky.
"Lord Fischer!"
The moonlight was gentle. Above the emptied lake, countless floating water droplets were knocked loose by Fischer’s movement, scattering briefly before freezing again in midair—reflecting back the image of that blazing, sun-like silhouette ahead of him.