The moment I locked eyes with the dragon it went wild, just like before. âFirst I need to weaken it.â I gripped Rafiâs blade and slashed downward with her technique. It slammed into the dragon but the sword just rattled in my hands as they bounced off each other. âWell⦠I got itâs attentionâ¦â
It twisted its neck like a snake and spat circles of flame that scattered sand into the air like powder. I blocked the flame with my metal gauntlet, but it was so hot the metal was melting and taking on a new shape, fusing together the plates. âHow hot is this thingâs breath!â I growled as I held my ground before quickly falling face down to duck under its wildly swinging tail.
âItâs not even trying to kill me, itâs literally just going crazy⦠I guess Iâll have to move it by force thenâ¦â
I took another swing with her sword and again it bounced off the dragon making it roll through the sand and shatter the bones in its wings as it twisted on its back. The muscles around my spine started to twitch uncontrollably as if I could feel the cracking of its bones, but the plan was working. âJust a bit more.â
I circled around it and slashed at it till my hands went numb and my whole body was tingling from the pain, forcing it towards the abyss. When it got to the invisible wall I shifted my soul to open up a small bubble but it felt like I was tearing myself in half, and the dragon refused to go near the abyss, standing its ground.
âI canât feel my hands⦠But⦠Wait, this is my domain right?â I fell to my knees, breathing heavily, and snapped my fingers, making giant ice cream scoops fall from the sky around the dragon, making it shudder until it tripped and rolled toward the abyss. It continued rampaging, hurting itself, screaming and breathing fire, but eventually, I just overwhelmed it, burying it in a delicious avalanche that forced it far enough into the abyss that I could pull my soul around it and completely surround it with darkness. It was completely trapped. Its fire bounced back, and its claws bounced off the darkness. It was helpless.
âNo way⦠Did I just beat a dragon? With⦠Ice cream?â âWell⦠an imaginary dragon⦠But itâs still a win⦠Right?â
Rafi smiled, hugging her sword with open arms as I gave it back. âYou mean that thing? Thatâs like one 36th of a dragon. That was still exciting though.â
âYouâre kidding⦠So what would a normal dragon be like?â
She glanced over at it. âIt would have probably tried talking to you and been less like a baby throwing a tantrum and more like a knight jousting you. Thatâs probably the difference in strength too.â
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âA baby throwing a tantrumâ¦â
âYeah, although, you didnât make a very good mother. You whacked it with a sword and let it break its own wings⦠Poor baby.â
âThereâs no way this is logically related to my parenting skills⦠Right? But then again last time I thought she was crazy when talking about me laying eggs like a lizard⦠And now thatâs a real possibility⦠Well, hopefully not anymore.â
She jumped up onto another invisible step and patted me on the head. âGood job Siya.â
âThanks⦠But, please donât actually start treating me like a dogâ¦â
She sighed. âFine⦠I wonât pet you⦠People still hug other people right? Not just pets?â She jumped off the step and wrapped her arms around me. âGood job Siya.â
I couldnât help but smile and hug her back, even though my hands still hurt. âIâm pretty sure I would be a great mom⦠I have plenty of experience dealing with you and Luâ¦â
Agis was standing calmly, arms folded amidst the scorched flaming remnants of the once peaceful snowy grass field on the mountaintop. âYou think heâs madâ¦â I muttered.
âIsnât he always mad? Iâve only ever heard him yell⦠Bratty nephewâ¦â
âNephew?â
âWell, we're both technically ascended beings, Iâm just a couple thousand years older, so Iâm like the aunty.â
âUhuhâ¦â âOh, one thing though⦠This is my soul, right? Not your respective realms⦠So why are you both here instead of like⦠You know, duking it out somewhere that wonât make my body feel like itâs falling apartâ¦â
Rafi scratched her head with a big smile, closing her eyes for a moment. âWell, you see I canât really leave the abyss, or demons will break the rift and swarm the mortal realm, but because I blessed you you carry me with you everywhere you go, so itâs the only way I can actually talk to him.â
âRightâ¦â I sighed as I carefully walked back over to the split between planes to face Agis, who was patiently waiting till Rafi and I were done. âHey, Agis. Long time no seeâ¦â
âSiyaâ¦â He said slowly. âI really like what youâre doing with place, Although, maybe a little more water and a little less fire, balance is important you know.â
âIâve never seen him mad before⦠I know I should feel bad⦠But hearing his voice is always so calming⦠And when it drops like that⦠Itâs not so much scary as much as it isâ¦â I stopped my train of thought dead in its tracks. âUh, right⦠Iâll keep that in mindâ¦â
He sighed. âThe dragon is contained, good job. Now we just need to deal with this child. Tell her youâre my herald, and that the quest I gave you is your top priority.â
I scratched my head. âThanks to how weak of a body you gave me my top priority has been surviving until just recentlyâ¦â
Rafi bounced across the abyss until she was right by my side, and after quickly glancing at each of us she hugged my arm, gently swaying back and forth. âThis young whipper snapper thinks he's special⦠Although really heâs just jealous he doesnât get you all to himself anymore.â
âThis seems like a⦠Delicate situationâ¦â