Chapter Eight
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen,” I announced with a broad grin. “Who’s ready to save a city?”
I made a new savepoint, just in case we encountered trouble on the final stretch of the road, and then I looked over the anxious faces of my crew.
“I will follow you into death,” Mahini declared in a solemn tone.
“Hey, nobody’s dying today,” I laughed, and the desert goddess’ blue eyes lit up with courage.
“Not as long as we are with you,” Elissa chirped in a squeaky voice that belied her fear.
“The Great One will destroy the beast once and for all,” Eva said with a firm nod. “And I will be there by your side when you do.”
“Leave the dragon to me,” I insisted with furrowed eyebrows. “I’ll handle it.”
“What is your command, sir?” Riondale asked, and the young lieutenant swallowed hard as he fretted with his reins.
“We ride as fast as we can,” I replied in a calm tone. “Then we kick ass and take names.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” the lieutenant answered.
We still had several miles left to go before we would arrive at Vallenwood, but we rode hard for the next couple of hours as an air of urgency swept through the group.
Riondale’s facial expression was hardened, and I could tell he was reliving our previous experience with the winged beast. The other men also looked like they were battling their fear, but I kept on a brave face as we rode. I needed to be an example of bravery for the people who followed me into battle, and I wasn’t about to let them down.
The girls all did their best to mask their worry behind tight lips and focused eyes, and they leaned over their horses’ manes to lessen the weight on their steeds. I was proud of them for following me without complaint, even though the trail led to the most terrifying creature we’d ever seen.
It just showed how much faith they’d put in me and my abilities. I couldn’t let them down, and the people of Vallenwood were counting on me, too. Being a god was a full-time job, but I was happy to have the gig, so I nudged Goliath with my heels to encourage him to go even faster.
We galloped toward the palace while the fires raged before us, and the glow of the flames rivaled the rays of the setting sun. The golden walls of the city reflected the blaze, which cast the surrounding forest in an orange hue, and it would have been a beautiful view if it weren’t for the deadly beast flying through the sky above the palace.
I got a better look at the home of the king as we approached, and it was breathtaking. Several spires curled above the walls toward the sky, and the metallic-gold color glowed with reflected light. The mountain behind the city created the perfect backdrop, and it almost resembled the opening credits to a Disney movie.
I wished I had the time to truly appreciate the scenery, but the landscape was a blur as we rode past at breakneck speed.
Then we rounded a curve in the road, and we were immediately met with a chaotic scene as people ran in all directions toward and away from various fires that burned outside the city. Screams pierced the air from beyond the walls, and the smell of smoke and burning flesh was thick around us.
The city guards desperately tried to maintain order as the people rushed away from the burning city, but then a loud screech echoed overhead, and everyone screamed and ran in random directions.
“Form a line, steady now!” the guards called out to each other as they tried to both funnel the horde of people out of the gate and protect them at the same time.
It was nearly impossible for us to continue riding forward, though, since the press of bodies halted our progress down the road.
“Run for your lives!” a man shouted at us as he pushed past.
A flood of bodies poured out from the city gates and filled the entire road as well as the farmland to either side. Everyone’s faces were streaked with soot and tears, and many limped or helped carry another.
There had to be a way to get through. I didn’t see the dragon in the sky at the moment, but that didn’t mean it was gone, so I aimed for the line of guards who tried to keep the people moving in an orderly fashion.
“What do we do?” Mahini asked with a worried look as she followed right behind me on Warrior’s back.
“Let’s try to get some answers,” I said, and I jerked my head toward the gates. “We have to get into the city somehow.”
I nudged my heels against Goliath’s flank to urge him forward into the crowd, but it was slow going. The mass of bodies pressed against us like a tidal wave, and the guards still seemed impossibly far away after we’d been trying for what felt like hours.
“What happened here?” I questioned someone who passed by me.
“A dragon is destroying the entire city,” the man wailed, and he shook his head as he continued to stagger by me. “I lost everything…”
I frowned, but I clenched the reins in my fist and kept going. I had to help these people before it was too late.
“Move out of the way!” I shouted to the people, but only a few heard me over the din of their wailing cries and the screams echoing from inside the city walls. The smell of burning flesh and ash grew stronger as we fought through the crowd toward the gates, and I wondered how many had lost their lives to the dragon already.
“Make way!” the others called out in an effort to lend their voices to mine.
More people tried to move out of the way, and a dent was carved in the horde of bodies for us to ride through. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Still, my heartbeat thudded inside my chest as my anxiety rose to an all-time high.
I needed to get inside the city much faster than this.
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves, and I clicked my tongue to Goliath to urge him into the gap between the press of bodies. Finally, I reached the guards, and I let out an exhale of relief.
“Get back! The city is under attack,” a guard warned me as I drew near.
“I’m here to save Vallenwood,” I explained across the heads of the people who continued to pour from the gates. The massive iron doors were wide open, and there was no end to the line of the crowd. “Is the dragon still here?”
“Aye!” The guard shook his head in dismay. “You’re crazy if you think you stand a chance against that thing! It landed in the business district and flattened three stores at once!”
“Someone has to stop it,” I pointed out in a loud voice. “Where is the king? What’s going on in there?”
“The king is safe, last I heard anyway,” the guard replied. “He’s up in his palace with the nobles seeking refuge there. So far the dragon’s fire hasn’t reached the palace. Listen, if you are so eager to die, go straight ahead. I’m not gonna stop you.”
“I’m eager to save these people,” I countered, and I gritted my teeth as I clicked my heels against Goliath’s flanks once more.
“This is impossible, Great One,” Eva said after we’d continued to fight against the horde of people a few moments longer.
“We’re almost there,” I said in an encouraging tone, and I kept the open gates locked firmly in my vision. People jumped out of the way of Goliath’s hooves as the giant white warhorse carved a path to the city entrance, and a short while later we’d finally made our way inside.
It had taken way longer than I wanted it to, though, and I’d lost precious time by questioning the guard, so I decided to reset back to my save point and try a different route.
Chime.
I was back on the top of the hill where we’d first spotted the burning city.
“I will follow you into death,” Mahini declared in a solemn tone for the second time.
“Hey, nobody’s dying today,” I laughed again, and the desert goddess’ blue eyes lit up with courage.
“Not as long as we are with you,” Elissa chirped in a squeaky voice that belied her fear.
“The Great One will destroy the beast once and for all,” Eva said with a firm nod. “And I will be there by your side when you do.”
“Leave the dragon to me,” I insisted again with furrowed eyebrows. “I’ll handle it.”
“What is your command, sir?” Riondale asked, and the young lieutenant swallowed hard as he fretted with his reins.
“The road is blocked by people escaping the city,” I explained, “so we have to go through the woods.”
“How do you know this?” Eva questioned with wide gray eyes.
“I know all things, remember?” I grinned. “We have to hurry, we don’t have a lot of time, but don’t worry, time is on our side.”
“Such an odd thing to say,” Mahini chuckled, and some of the tension eased from her shoulders.
The fear in the eyes of my followers burned away into courage, so I clicked my tongue to Goliath to urge him into a brisk pace, but I pulled him into the underbrush before the curve where the horde of people flooded the road.
We had to go a little slower due to the trees and the forest growth, but I knew we would still save a shitload of time by going this route. We emerged from the tree line a short while later, and a field stretched between us and the city walls. The gate laid to the right of us, and only a few people were scattered throughout the grass before us.
“Let’s go,” I said before I urged Goliath into a gallop, and I easily dodged the stragglers emerging from Vallenwood’s entrance. The rest of my crew followed behind me, and they managed to keep up with my fast pace across the landscape. We bypassed the horde of bodies pressing down the road, and the alternative route cut a good deal of time off, so I was pleased.
We had to pull up to a halt closer to the entrance, though, since the crowd rushed out from the gates in a thick impassable mass. I urged Goliath forward slowly, and eventually the people began to part before me just enough to let me through.
“Hey, you there!” a voice called at my back, and I recognized it as the guard I’d spoken with during my previous attempt. “Don’t go in there! There’s a dragon on the loose!”
I ignored him and pressed on. I’d gotten all the information from him that I was going to get, and he was right, there was a dragon on the loose.
Directly inside the gate, the street curved around into a wagon wheel pattern, but I knew from my time spent studying the map of Vallenwood that the palace laid to the right, and the military headquarters was situated to the left of the entrance.
I made a new savepoint right then and there since I knew it would be easy to get lost or lose my life during a clash with the dragon inside the maze-like streets of Vallenwood.
“What do we do now, Bash?” Elissa asked in a worried tone.
“Head to the palace,” I directed, and I reached into my pack for the map of the city. “Make sure the king is safe. Take this so you don’t get lost. The streets are winding and circular, so it will be easy to take a wrong turn.”
“How will you navigate?” Mahini asked as her brow furrowed in concern.
“I memorized the map already,” I informed her in a reassuring tone. “Get any civilians you see off the street, and if you can, direct them up to the palace. Hopefully, they will be safe there.”
“Be safe, Great One,” Eva said, and her steely-gray eyes betrayed her worry.
“We will see you soon,” my wife added with a nod. Then she lifted her chin and put on a brave face, and my heart swelled with pride at the woman she’d become in such a short period of time. “Kick his ass for me.”
“I will protect these two,” Mahini vowed as a smirk tugged on her lips. “And keep them out of trouble.”
“What about us?” Riondale asked, and the other guardsmen pulled their horses closer and gave me anxious looks.
“I want you guys to touch base with the city’s defenders,” I commanded. “See what tools we have at our disposal, and then work with them to battle the fires.”
“Yes, sir,” the men all said simultaneously, and then my party split up into three groups.
The women rode toward the right in the direction of the palace while the guards headed to the left toward the military headquarters. I went straight, and I made a beeline for the dragon’s location.
I was able to track the beast’s movements through the sky by watching his tail swerve in and out of the clouds. The reptilian appendage twisted in the opposite direction the creature moved in, so it was a simple enough matter to figure out its trajectory. I had the urge to dismount and use my griffon feather boots to get me through the city swiftly, but I reminded myself this was my first attempt, and I had limitless restarts I could use, so I decided to take my time and gather information.
The dragon would always fly in the same direction, but I wondered if I could get him to land. It had been easier to damage him when he’d landed on Kane’s tower back in Bullard, and flashbacks of that day went through my mind’s eye.
The spear had remained lodged in the beast’s eye when he’d flown off, so I no longer had access to the True Aim weapon, but I could find other spears and throw them just as hard. It was a shame the spear had been lost during my last encounter with the dragon, though, and I wondered if it was still stuck in the creature’s amber eye.
At least I had my obsidian bow now, so my chances were higher than they would have been without it, but I would miss the magical spear I’d used before.
I was directly below the dragon at this point, and I slowed my horse down to see what the great Smiguel would do next. His crimson scales were illuminated in the light of the flames, and he roared out in defiance before he poured a river of molten hot fire onto the city below.
The thatched roofs of the buildings were quickly engulfed by the blaze, and I could feel the heat radiating from the fire from two blocks away. Then a scream of pain pierced the air, and a woman ran out of a burning building with her clothes smoldering and smoking.
She ran wildly into the street, so I urged Goliath forward with a touch of my heels to his flanks, and then I held out the palms of my hands while I said the word of power for ice.
“Chs!” I cried out with all my might, and jets of ice shot from my hands toward the burning woman. She collapsed to the cobblestone street, and she rolled around to aid in diminishing the flames.
I bathed her in icicles until the flames were doused, and the ice began to melt into liquid. Then the woman let out a sigh of relief and rolled onto her back. Her brunette hair was stuck to her sweaty face, and she had red welts on her exposed arms where part of her now charred dress had burned away, but her wounds did not look life threatening.
“Thank you so much,” she rasped in an earnest voice, “whoever you are…”
“My name is Sebastian,” I informed her in a comforting tone, “and I am the God of Time. Can you get to the palace, or do you need help?”
“I-I think so,” she said, and she gingerly tested her scorched limbs. “I seem to just be tender. You saved my life, how can I ever repay you?”
“By getting to safety in the palace,” I answered with a soft smile. “I can get a guard to help you if you want?”
“No, no, I can walk.” The woman pushed herself to her feet and brushed the ashes from her soot-stained dress. “I’m fine, thanks to you.”
“Very well.” I nodded once I could see for myself that she would be okay. “I’m going to see what I can do about that stinky sky rat.”
“Y-Y-You’re going to f-fight the d-dragon?” the woman gasped, and her hands shot to her mouth.
“What else would a god do in this situation?” I shrugged my shoulders, and I shot her a wink. “Don’t worry, I’ve battled this dragon before.”
“How do you know it’s the same one?” she asked in a shrewd tone.
“Same color, same power.” I wiggled my eyebrows playfully. “I just have a sense for these things, I suppose.”
“Hmph.” The woman pushed her hair away from her face and eyed me closely. “Must just be a god thing.”
“Must be,” I laughed, and then I inclined my head to her. “Get to the palace as soon as you can. This could get messy.”
“Yes, your greatness,” she murmured, and then she limped a little as she walked down the street.
If she hadn’t insisted she was capable, I would have gotten her a ride to the palace, but she seemed stubborn, and I didn’t have time to waste on one person when I had an entire city to save.
I made a new savepoint so I wouldn’t have to save her life again, but I couldn’t help but wonder how many people had succumbed to the fires already. I couldn’t think about that, though, not when I needed to keep my game face on.
The dragon was wreaking havoc on the city, and it was up to me to stop it.
I managed to locate the beast once more up in the sky, and I galloped through the winding streets to catch up to it. Goliath followed my lead like we were one creature, and I barely had to touch the reins. Instead, I directed him with the pressure of my legs against his side, and my mental intention guided us through the maze-like pathways. We were one entity, and we moved at speeds I didn’t think the horse was capable of in this landscape, but it was exhilarating to experience.
“Over here, you scaly monster!” I yelled up to the sky to get the dragon’s attention.
Who dares address me? a voice said in my mind, but I knew it belonged to the scaled beast flying through the sky above me.
“Remember me?” I asked as I shook my fist into the air. “Last time we met, I took out your eye!”
The dragon swooped into view and did a spiral in the air above me, but it didn’t move to land. Its flight path was sporadic, and it faltered as it bobbed in the air.
That’s when it got close enough for me to see it had one giant amber eye snapped shut. It was indeed the same dragon I’d fought before in Bullard, and the spear was nowhere to be seen. I still held onto the hope of recovering the awesome weapon, but it wouldn’t happen today.
You were the one who hurt me! The dragon roared with rage, and fire poured out from its maw like a waterfall of lava.
Goliath scurried backward away from the blaze, but he skidded across the cobblestones, and it slowed him down. His hooves caught in the fire, and he neighed frantically as he tried to stomp out the flames.
I pulled on the reins and tried to regain control of my steed, but he was out of his mind with pain and terror.
It was a mistake to ride the horse into battle since I cared so much about his well-being. In my eyes, he was another member of my crew, and he was worthy of my protection, so I reset to my savepoint to try a different tactic.
Chime.
This time, I dismounted and grabbed my weapons from my saddlebags before I trotted to catch up to the woman I’d just saved. Then I handed her Goliath’s reins and asked her to ride him to the palace.
“You’ll get there faster,” I urged, “plus, I’ll know my horse is safe.”
“Of course, he will be safe with me. Thank you for the ride.” She gave me a grateful smile and willingly took the stallion away with her.
It was slower going to maneuver the streets without my horse, but I was still hesitant to use my boots’ speed ability. I only had two griffon feathers left, and I wanted them to last, so I didn’t want to wear down the durability any more than I needed to.
By the time I reached the spot where I’d taunted the dragon before, the beast was flying even further out of sight behind the palace toward the mountain, but it was still raining fire down upon the city every so often. I had to keep the asshole creature away from the civilians, though, so I yelled up into the sky in my loudest voice.
“Come here and fight me, asshole!” I called with both hands around my mouth like a megaphone.
The dragon swerved, and its head whipped around. It was trying to find the source of the voice, but it was having a hard time seeing with only one eye. Still, the beast drew steadily closer, and I waited patiently for him to come within range of my bow.
Suddenly, Eva shot by me in a blur on her horse’s back, and she raced down the street and straight toward the approaching dragon.
“Eva, stop!” I yelled as panic sank into the pit of my stomach.
I didn’t have time to react, though, and a blaze of fire rained down upon her head in the next instant. I didn’t even know why she was charging toward the dragon in the first place, but I had a feeling it had something to do with being brave and having an adventure. The dragon must have heard my words and spotted Evangeline right after, so the dumb lizard probably thought she was the one who’d taunted him.
Her scream of pain cut through my very soul, and I couldn’t reset fast enough. I wasn’t going to endure another instant of that horrifying sound, not when I could make it stop with a thought.
Chime.
I dismounted Goliath, and I grabbed my pack, bow, and quiver before I once again handed him off to the woman I’d saved. Then I stomped my foot to activate the fleetness of my boots, and I searched the streets for the duke’s daughter. I found her near the palace, and I skidded to a halt right in front of her, which caused her horse to rear up.
Evangeline kept her seat, but she had to scramble to stay atop her steed.
“Great One!” she greeted. “What are you doing here? Is the dragon coming this way?”
Her eyes lit up with battle lust, and I knew she was just too eager to prove herself to me.
“No, and you’re not headed toward the dragon, either.” I fixed her with a hard look. “I don’t want you to die today.”
“W-What do you mean?” she stammered in a confused voice. Her eyes were wide with sudden fear, and her lips parted slightly as she struggled to find words. “I…”
“I know exactly what you were going to do,” I informed her in a stern voice. “You were going to get yourself killed, and I don’t need that kind of heartache.”
“Your heart would ache if I died?” Eva’s eyelashes fluttered as a blush rose to her cheeks.
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” I said. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Eva. You’re already very important to me. Now, get your sexy butt back to the palace where you’re safe.”
“Yes, Great One,” Eva sighed. “I will return at once.”
“Give my love to Mahini and Elissa,” I requested with a wink. “And tell them to keep up the good work. I’m sure the citizens of Vallenwood are comforted by their presence.”
“They were indeed being very nice to the people stuck inside the palace, and of course I will take your message back to them,” she replied with a small bow of her head, and then she turned her horse back toward the palace. She shot me an apologetic look over her shoulder before she clucked her tongue and trotted away. “I’ll see you soon, Great One!”
I knew she didn’t want to disappoint me, but the call of battle had been too strong for her to ignore. I only hoped that this time, she stayed away and stayed safe. I didn’t like the image of her death being in my memories, and I was determined to prevent it from ever happening again. I already had a strong sense of affection for the duke’s daughter, and I felt protective over her, but that was to be expected with how beautiful and capable she was.
I made a new save point once I knew she wouldn’t be interfering anymore, and then I turned and raced through the city in the opposite direction, and while Eva headed to the palace, I went toward the dragon.
It didn’t take me long to track its position and cut across the distance between us, and then I was staring up into the sky as the lizard asshole swooped through the air in a taunting manner.
“Hey, you bastard!” I called up to the beast. “Come down here and face me!”
As the dragon lowered itself from the air and hovered above the city, its wings flapped haphazardly, like its damaged eye affected its ability to fly. That was good news for me, though, so I let out a small cheer of relief.
Who dares call so rudely? the dragon’s voice echoed inside my head.
“Remember me?” I asked. “The one who took out your eye?”
Ah, yes, I remember you, the dragon said with the equivalent of a snort. You will regret coming before me again.
“Then you need to leave the people of this world alone!” I yelled as I gestured at the burning city around me. “Why are you asking for an ass kicking?”
The dragon roared, and it bathed me in a fiery blaze from head to toe. My skin sizzled, and the stench of burning flesh invaded my nostrils. Searing pain shot through my entire body, and I screamed in agony as the flames devoured me. I was being burned alive by dragon’s breath, and I had to rank it around the top of my list of least favorite ways to die.
Fuck this.
Chime.
I reset back to my savepoint, and as the chime dinged in my ear, my breath came out in ragged pants. Sweat was dappled across my forehead, and my entire body ached. It had been a while since I’d died during combat, and it was harder than normal to shake off the unsettling feeling.
I dashed down the streets away from Evangeline and toward the dragon at breakneck speeds.
I hadn’t even gotten a chance to get a single shot off, and I swore I’d do better during this attempt. I was confident that with enough tries, I could do anything, so I sucked in my breath and continued down the streets of Vallenwood.
I had only jogged down two blocks, though, when I heard someone call my name.
“Bash!” Riondale’s voice cut through the sounds of chaos around me. “We need your help!”
I swiveled to see the young lieutenant running toward me. Soot was smeared across his face, and his armor was streaked with ashes. Bags beneath his eyes showed how exhausted he already was, and that didn’t bode well for the rest of the men who followed his command.
“What’s going on?” I asked in a hurried tone.
“There’s a family trapped inside a burning house,” he explained, and he turned back the way he came and gestured for me to follow him. “None of us can get close enough to them.”
I frowned as I tried to think about how I could be of much help, but then I remembered the guards didn’t have the magical abilities I did. So, I quickened my pace, and I followed Riondale to the burning house. A handful of guards and soldiers formed a line down the street in front of the building, and they dumped bucket after bucket of water onto the blaze.
I shot a quick glance at the king’s soldiers who stood shoulder to shoulder with the guards who’d traveled with me from Bullard. The king’s men wore green tunics with gold trim, and their uniforms were covered in form fitting silver armor. They wore silver helmets engraved with a crest on each side, and upon closer inspection it looked like a big, fancy V surrounded by golden circles. It had to be the symbol of the royal family.
Like Riondale, all the men were streaked with soot and ashes, but the grim looks of determination on their faces spoke highly to their ability to maintain calm under pressure.
It was a pleasant surprise to encounter capable defenses in a town from this world, so I turned my focus to the building they were trying to extinguish. It was two stories tall, and the door was engulfed in flames so hot they were purple. This was where the men directed their buckets, but their efforts were doing little to combat the blaze. So, I held up the palms of my hands toward the flames and uttered the word of power for my ice spell, and a moment later, the door was doused in enough water to kill the fire.
A cheer erupted from the men standing behind me, but I didn’t wait for the go ahead, and I dashed forward to kick in the smoldering entrance. Smoke burst out from the opening, and I coughed into my elbow as I squinted into the interior of the home.
Flames licked at the walls and climbed up the stairs to my left, so the route to the second floor was blocked. The room inside the entryway was empty of occupants, but it had a smoldering couch and a small table, so I took it to be a living room of sorts. I wondered where the people were, but I knew I would find them.
“Is anyone there?” I called into the next room. The air was hot, and the flames on the upper floor radiated heat down onto my head. There was a doorway leading into another room, so I carefully stepped forward.
“Up here!” a voice called from the other room.
I picked up the pace, and I made it over to the other side of what appeared to be a kitchen. The sound was coming from the ceiling, and when I glanced upward, I saw the family of four peering down at me from the second story. There was a mother with dark hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, a father with a worried frown, and two young boys who looked identical.
“My name is Bash, and I’m here to save you,” I explained. “Can you jump down from up there?”
“The children first,” the mother insisted, and she began to shove her children toward the edge of the hole.
I hurried forward and opened my arms, and I caught first one and then the other boy. I set them down on the floor and turned back to the parents, but then the father shook his head.
“Please,” he begged. “Get them out first.”
“Alright,” I replied with a curt nod.
I shook my head in awe at his selflessness, but flames burst into existence in the next room, and I realized I was out of time. I grabbed each kid by the waist, and I stomped my foot to activate my fleetness ability. Then I dashed out of the burning house before the flames could reach me or the two boys.
I deposited them safely on the street outside by the guards and soldiers, and then I ran back inside the house before my fleetness ran out when I stopped.
The mother and father blinked down at me in surprise, and then the mom edged herself closer to the rim. She slid off the second story, and I caught her in my arms. I set her down on the floor and looked up at the father expectantly.
He gave me a firm nod, and then he edged over to the opening and tossed himself over the rim. I managed to catch him, but we both almost fell over in the process.
My main concern was that he was okay, though, and that was enough for me. Now, all I had to do was get them out to the street, and they would be fine. I didn’t know if I could run while carrying both of them since the man was as tall as I was, so I was going to have to take them one at a time.
“Who first?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Her,” the father said, but I wasn’t surprised.
I scooped the mother up into my arms, stomped my foot, and ran out of the building. I put her down on the ground next to where her children stood and waited, but then I went back to the dad. I didn’t stop to talk, and I grabbed him under the arms and hauled him off his feet. We were outside before I came to a full halt, and the family was reunited once again.
“Thank you so much,” the father said, and he turned to shake my hand. “You saved our lives.”
“No worries,” I replied with a grin. “It was actually kind of fun.”
“How can we ever repay you?” the man asked in an earnest tone.
“Get to the palace,” I answered immediately. “Tell them that Sebastian, the God of Time, is going to destroy this dragon.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said with an emphatic nod.
The guards all crowded around the rescued people to see if the family was okay, and I turned to Riondale.
“Ri-man, will you make sure they make it safely to the palace?” I asked as I clapped the man on the shoulder.
“It shall be done, Great One,” the young lieutenant replied with a solemn nod.
“Good.” I mirrored his nod, and then I turned to locate the dragon once more. I unslung my obsidian bow from my shoulder so it would be easy to string, and I trotted down the street after the flying asshole.
The sun had set, but it still seemed like twilight since the light of the fires was bright enough to illuminate the streets. The wagon wheel shaped design was complex, so I was grateful I’d taken the time to study it on the road. While I hadn’t expected to battle the dragon as soon as we arrived, I was more prepared this time.
I made a new savepoint, and then I focused on getting the dragon to come within shooting range.
“Come down here, you scaly dick,” I taunted as I nocked an arrow to the string of my obsidian bow.
How dare you address me in such a vulgar manner, the dragon’s enraged voice boomed inside my head, and an ear-splitting ringing sound followed the telepathic communication.
I didn’t wait for the fire breath, and I released my arrow as soon as the beast was visible, but it went wide as the dragon veered at the last moment. The projectile zipped silently through the air, though, and I suddenly realized what the special ability of my obsidian bow was.
I took a moment to check the stats just to be sure I remembered it correctly, but it was the same as it was before.
Durability - 100%
Weight - 5lbs
Quality - Flawless
Magical Aspect - Night
Magical Ability - Whisper
Were the bow’s shots silent when it was night time?
It made sense, but I made a mental note to ask Mahini what she thought about it. The desert goddess was an avid weapons specialist, and I knew she would have some interesting thoughts on the matter.
Maybe there was an enchanter in Vallenwood who could explain some of the finer details of the craft I hadn’t learned from Burnyolf back in Castle Bullard.
I filed the thought away for later and refocused on my opponent.
The dragon’s flight pattern changed again, and he swerved around to come back toward me, so I nocked another arrow to the string. I shot true, and the projectile ripped through the skin of the creature’s leathery wing. Smiguel struggled to keep his balance in the air for a moment, but then he roared and let out another fiery blaze.
I could see the inferno heading straight for me, so I quickly reset to my savepoint to try again.
I ran through multiple attempts, and each time I managed to damage the dragon even more, but this only caused the half-blind dragon’s flying patterns to be erratic and harder to track. It was a double-edged sword since I knew the beast could be wounded, but his wound made him harder to hit.
By the time I’d reset twenty something times, I managed to get three shots off before the beast found me and covered the entire street where I stood with its fire breath.
Then I decided enough was enough, and I reset for what I was certain would be the final time. I gripped my bow tightly in my left hand, and I nocked an arrow while I waited for the perfect moment.
“Alright, asshole, come and taste my vengeance,” I muttered to myself as I took deep steadying breaths. I was determined to land a solid hit before the night was over.
Then Smiguel appeared from within the clouds, and he swooped down to scan the streets with his one good amber eye. He was looking for enemies, but hopefully I would be the only one he would find.
The dragon got closer, and I lifted my bow as I took aim for his chest. I wanted to shoot him straight in the heart, so I fired three arrows in rapid succession, and then I used the ice spell to build a protective barrier around myself to protect me from the inevitable flames.
The dragon roared out in agony as my arrows struck true, and the scream of rage pierced the air and vibrated off the buildings around me like an earthquake. The structures shook and threatened to collapse, and the ground beneath me moved like a wave. I kept my balance, and my ice shield remained standing, but the dragon was obviously experiencing grave amounts of pain.
I’d gotten him good, but I wasn’t sure how good.
So, I peeked around the side of my tall ice shield to see the damage, and I saw two of my arrows embedded in the dragon’s wings and the third lodged in his chest. The beast tumbled through the air, and then he finally caught the wind and regained his balance.
I remember you, the dragon’s ancient voice echoed inside my head. His tone was calm, but I detected a hint of fear in the rich sound.
“You should,” I replied, and I wondered if the dragon heard my words telepathically, too. “I was the one who took your eye.”
I did not know you would be here, Smiguel rumbled, and then he flapped his wings laboriously and turned in the same general direction he did last time before he disappeared above the clouds. The risk is higher than the reward.
I inhaled sharply, and I searched the skies for signs of the dragon, but I didn’t see signs of the crimson creature anywhere. It looked like it had taken off, but I waited a long moment just to be certain.
If it came back, I would be ready for him.
I fingered my bow’s handle for a long moment while I thought about how powerful a dragon truly was. Even a god like me had trouble killing it, but I knew it was mortal to a degree. It was injured, and it was already having a hard time flying since I ruined one of its eyes, but now its wings were also damaged, so I didn’t think we’d be seeing more of the winged beast that day.
What was Smiguel after?
I couldn’t fathom the dragon’s reasoning for attacking both Bullard and Vallenwood, but it couldn’t be a coincidence. The beast was after something, and whether that was an easy meal or something else, I didn’t have the foggiest clue. I’d just have to take things one step at a time until I got more information.
Once I was sure the dragon was gone for now, I moved through the streets of Vallenwood and expelled ice into the flames licking at the various structures. I saved several buildings from utter destruction, and after a while, I began to run out of flames to douse. I didn’t see any survivors, but I also didn’t find any dead, so overall I’d call the day a success.
Still, this wasn’t the last I’d see of Smiguel, that was for sure.
It was tiring work saving Vallenwood from burning to a crisp, and soon my arms ached from the simple motion of raising them upward. Using my magic exhausted the last reserves of energy I had left, and I was barely standing on my feet by the time I ran into Riondale and the other guards.
The young lieutenant was leading Goliath by the reins, and he transferred them into my hand when I approached.
“Found this handsome guy in the stables,” Riondale said with a chuckle.
I gave him a tired smile of gratitude before I mounted my horse, and I rubbed Goliath’s neck affectionately as I got my seat.
“How goes the fire killing?” I asked.
“Good,” Riondale replied with a nod. “The soldiers of Vallenwood were more equipped to act swiftly than we were in Bullard, so we managed to save many lives. Very few people died today, and we have your quick thinking and bravery to thank for that.”
“I suppose it’s time to meet the king, then,” I said with a thoughtful frown.
“Bash!” Elissa’s voice echoing down the street was a sweet melody among the destruction. “You’re alive!”
“See, I told you so!” Eva grinned and waved enthusiastically at me. “I wouldn’t lie to you, you know.”
“I told her to wait,” Mahini said from behind her, but her blue eyes twinkled with merriment, “but she wouldn’t listen. Seems like a character trait of hers, don’t you think?”
“From my experience with Eva,” I laughed, “she doesn’t like to be told what to do.”
“I wasn’t about to be left behind,” Eva added with a sideways smile. “I was watching from the palace door, and I saw the dragon disappear for good, so I told the others I was going to find you, and they insisted on coming with me.”
“You’re lucky it’s safe now,” I admonished in a loving voice. “I would have sent all three of you right back to the safety of the palace.”
“Oh, Bash, I can’t wait till you see the palace,” Elissa gushed as she clapped her hands and bounced on the balls of her feet. “It’s beautiful.”
“We only went to the dining hall,” Eva said with a roll of her eyes. “Although, it is twice the size of my father’s.”
“As far as palaces go, it’s okay,” Mahini allowed with a wink.
“It is good to see all of you,” I told them in a warm voice. “I was just getting ready to head up to the palace to find you.”
“You have to talk to the king, too,” Eva pointed out. “So, we decided to come see you first.”
“As was fitting,” I laughed. “I’m glad you did.”
“The men are ready to escort you to the palace,” Riondale interjected.
I glanced around, and I realized the men had formed a circle around Goliath. I was the only one on horseback, and I wondered for a moment where all their horses were. They were most likely already stabled somewhere, and I trusted the men to make sure our steeds were in good hands. The men who had traveled with me from the duke’s castle were a self-sufficient bunch, and I was happy to have such helpful people in my group.
“Alright,” I replied with a curt nod. “I’m ready.”
The women took up a position on either side of me, and the men walked in a circle around them. Then our small group made our way through the maze-like streets of Vallenwood, and we headed toward the king’s palace.
As I neared the steps up to the entrance, I paused and considered dismounting my steed, but then I decided to ride Goliath straight to the doors, so I nudged him with my heels to urge him up the stairs. The huge warhorse snorted before he lunged forward and conquered the stone steps, but he seemed pleased with being the only horse around. The white stallion held his head up high, and I sensed pride in his demeanor.
There was a man standing at the top of the steps, and a circle of soldiers in green uniforms standing around him. A crown rested upon his shoulder length brown hair, so he could be no one other than the king. He was wearing gold plated armor embedded with gems, and he held a long two-handed sword with the tip resting on the ground. The weapon was a masterpiece, with intricate metallic engravings along the blade, and swirls of gold finery twirled around the hilt. It was a sword fit for a king, that was for sure.
We looked much more ragged in comparison to the gleaming armor the king wore. My men were covered in ashes and soot, and the haggard expressions on their faces betrayed their exhaustion. The king, on the other hand, looked refreshed and energetic.
“Welcome, Sebastian, God of Time,” the king said in a formal tone. “You have saved Vallenwood from the devastation of the winged beast, and we are in your debt.”
I dismounted Goliath, but I merely bowed my head to the man who stood before me. He wasn’t very tall, maybe three inches shorter than me, and he had a thin, loose form.
“It was the least I could do,” I replied in an equally formal tone.
The king nodded solemnly like he understood some hidden meaning in what I’d said, and then he cleared his throat.
“I would like to bestow upon you one of the highest honors in all the land.” He lifted his sword and inclined his head. “Do you accept a Knighthood of Sorreyal?”
I would be Sir Sebastian, the God of Time.
“Fuck, yeah,” I replied, and I knelt down on one knee before the king. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“With all the power bestowed upon me by the crown, the people, and the gods above, I now knight thee in the name of Sorreyal,” the king said as he touched the sword to my left shoulder, and then he moved the blade to my right. Finally, he placed the sword tip back on the ground, and the king leaned heavily against the hilt. “I pronounce you Sir Sebastian, the dragon slayer.”
Not only was I a god, now I was a knight. My life was pretty fucking awesome.