Chapter 104: Draconic Dealings

Chapter 104: Draconic Dealings

The Dragon Astintash landed on the plateau we stood on with the three Drake corpses making up our offering, shaking the area and almost pushing me to the ground solely from the shockwave. The initial posting of this chapter occurred via Ñøv€l-B!n.

“You have acquired my attention, Humans,” Astintash boomed. “What do you want from me?”

I steadied myself and looked up at the massive monster’s face staring down at me. Erani seemed frozen in shock, but the Dryad looked like she was the least afraid out of all of us despite the fact that I was the only one that’d actually spoken to this thing before.

“We have an offering for you,” I began. It couldn’t hurt to point out all the trouble we’d gone through for it. “Three Drakes, all slain by our own hand, and all with minimal meat missing. We hope they will fit your tastes.”

It glanced over at the pile of corpses. In comparison to the Dragon’s massive body, the monsters we’d worked so hard to kill seemed tiny. Then it looked back at us. “Hm. That will make a fine snack.”

“Right,” I said. Better than nothing. “We come to you, oh great Mountaintamer, Giantslayer, Kinsbane, Homeholder, Wastelayer, Ashbearer, Chasmcreator, Earthquaker, Humanslaughterer, Wisdomholder, Bearer-of-the-Heavens Astintash, in pursuit of you allowing us to assist you take down the wall constructed by the Humans and Demons in the valley.”

It raised its eyes when I said its whole name without pausing or stuttering to remember the next part – a feat I’d accomplished both from a decent bit of practice before our meeting, and from the fact that I was just repeating what Index whispered in my ear as I spoke – and it looked even more surprised when I said we just wanted to help it with something it already wanted to do. I began to get a bit hopeful that we could do this second try, leaving my last use of Time Loop for the assault on the wall itself.

“And how would you help me?” Astintash said.

“We have inside knowledge about how the shield you’ve been struggling with functions,” I said, going through the list I had in my head, “we are powerful enough to assist with the soldiers within the wall, and we could serve as a distraction if things go poorly.”

“Hm. What is this inside knowledge?”

“We would rather tell you once we have guaranteed that you plan on accepting our offer.”

“Bah, fine,” it rolled its eyes in a massive motion. “Then tell me this: why do you want to help me?”

“W-well, you are so great a being that–”

“No, no,” it interrupted me with a frustrated grunt. “I know how you Humans are. You do not consider me so great as to risk your life for my own sake. This is why I dislike dealing with you Humans. Liars, connivers. What do you gain from helping me?”

Hm. It’d probably just be best to tell the truth here. A sanitized version of the truth that omitted the fact that we were the reason the wall was there in the first place, but still the truth. “We want to pass through this mountain range, and that valley is our only way through without intruding on the territories of the Dragons, such as you. So to respect the Dragons’ territories, we must pass through the wall. And they will not let us through without us destroying it. We have the knowledge to destroy them, but not the power. Which is why we require your assistance.”

At this, Astintash drew a claw to its chin in a surprisingly Human gesture, pausing to think. After a moment it said, “and why did you want my help, specifically?”

Now it was my turn to stop and think. Part of me wanted to give an answer saying that we chose it because it was amazing and fearsome and powerful. Something that wasn’t very true – we’d really pick any Dragon out there – but that would stroke its ego. The other part of me kept in mind what it’d just said about Humans being liars and how it hated us for that. But I couldn’t really think about what to say for too long, so in the end I just spat out something a bit in-between.

“I’m flattered you think of me like that,” Index butt in, to which I couldn’t really respond verbally.

“...Hm. Well I can agree to allowing you to help me,” Astintash said, “but we will see to what extent. Give me the information, and if this is not a trick, I will let you live. I can swear that on my name.”

“Thank you,” I nodded. “The main piece of information about the shield that would help you is what it’s weak to. It’s strong against magic, but against–”

I was interrupted by rumbling. At first, I thought Astintash was about to rear up and stomp on us or something, but when I looked at it, I saw that it was just as surprised as I was. And the noise was coming from behind, not from the beast in front of me.

Erani and I turned around alongside the Dryad, who’d already turned and backed away from the sound. There was nothing there now, but the rumbling was drawing closer and closer by the second.

“What is this?!” Astintash demanded angrily. I could feel the heat coming off of its breath behind us.

“I have no idea,” I said back at it, pedaling away from the sound down the mountain. “Monster attack?”

“No monster would dare draw near me! This is your trickery! You Humans!”

“We have no idea what–”

I was interrupted yet again by sound, but this time it wasn’t just rumbling. Voices – ones I’d heard quite a bit in these past weeks. The voices of Infernals roaring out in anger.

A group of half a dozen or so Demons crashed through the trees, leaping and climbing up onto the plateau alongside us. Their faces twisted with murderous glee upon spotting me. But, of course, Astintash had no idea who it was they were eager to kill.

“I knew it!” the Dragon roared. This time I could feel the full force of its scalding breath on my skin, just barely not hot enough to light my clothes aflame. “You were with them. Leading me into a trap? Pathetic. I’ll show you what a mighty being does against such puny forces!”

“No, wait,” I turned and pleaded, “you don’t understand! The Demons aren’t after you, they’re coming after–”

But I was too late. With a gale of wind that blew me off my feet, Astintash flapped its wings and took to the air, opening its mouth and showing off a dangerous glow coming from its throat. The glow of deadly heat.

I tried to crawl over to a nearby rock to take cover behind, but I knew it was pointless. Nothing would save me from the wrath of a Dragon. With the roar of a monster and the roar of an inferno, the flames rushed across the mountain, engulfing us all, and–

You have died.

And then I was back.