by Marcus Sloss
“My bad.”
I didn’t know what else to say.
“Well, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
She was mumbling again. How could it not be a bad thing? Did that mean that every sword I held would eventually break when I fought seriously?
“Can I work on controlling my mana in order to preserve the weapon?”
She remained quiet for a minute, thinking something through in her own head, leaving me to wonder.
“I think it would work more in our favor if your sword could use the mana you put into it.”
“That would be great, but isn’t that the whole problem? They keep breaking because of something I don’t even realize I’m doing.”
“Remember how I said that Mithril is the strongest metal you can forge a weapon from without needing to search for a dragon?”
“Yes? You don’t mean…”
The smile on her face answered my question. Apparently, I was to become a dragon hunter now.
“Don’t give me that look. You don’t even have to fight the dragon—if you can manage that. We just need to go to its lair and collect some...samples,” she had to think about the last word.
“Samples?”
“Dragon poop.” She shrugged, giving up trying to soften the blow.
“Exactly how is that going to help our problem?”
“Well, dragons are the most mana rich beasts in the world. They produce metals in their waste, which—since they are processed through a dragon's mana-absorbing body, are able to withstand the effects of mana. Not many in the world can create or control enough mana to bother wasting it on their weapon, so that is why Mithril is the most sought after. You are different though. Having a sword made of -”
“Dragon poop,” I finished for her.
She laughed at my monotone statement.
“Tarragon steel. Don’t worry,” she patted me on the shoulder, “by the time I’m finished with it you would never guess it came from the backside of a dragon.”
Well, at least there’s that.
“Where do we even find a dragon?”
“Hmm...there should be...” she started, staring off into the trees in the distance.
She grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to her, then lifted the ground up under us. We rose higher, the dirt mounding under a flattened slab that acted as a platform for us to stand. As we passed the tops of the trees, our motion halted, Illia scanning the surroundings.
“There!” She pointed out a mountain in the distance. “Typically, dragons live up in the mountains. So, if you can find a mountain, most of the time there is a dragon that lives there.”
“Dragons are different from the lezardic right?”
I remembered Aquina saying they also lived up in the mountains.
“They are in the same family, but dragons are a lot bigger than the lezardic...plus they can fly.”
Great. Bigger with wings. That didn’t sound intimidating at all.
Illia held her hands out in front of her, her fingers making a little square around the mountain as she tried to calculate the distance in her head.
“Maybe four days, round trip, if we use Hercules.”
She began lowering the mound, sinking it back into the forest floor. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she began jogging over to the blacksmith shop.
She entered for only a moment, coming out with her arms filled with the newly made gear. I chuckled softly, shaking my head before helping her with the items.
Her smile bright, we headed toward the stables, expecting Aquina and Cera were still tending to Hercules since they hadn’t joined us yet. Our assumptions were proved correct when we neared the stables, Aquina on the horse's back as she rode him in circles around the trees.
When they spotted us coming, Aquina hopped off the horse, directing Hercules by the reins to come and stand beside us.
“What’s all this?” Cera perked up, watching Illia drop the items on the forest floor.
She grabbed the handle of her battle hammer, recognizing it within the pile.
“It’s so light,” she remarked, taking a few small swings.
“And twice as durable,” Illia added, making sure Cera knew that no strength needed to be sacrificed to make the weapon easier to use.
“This one is for you,” Illia picked the sword back up, handing it to Aquina.
Aquina held it toward the streams of light that filtered into the forest, admiring the sharpness of the blade.
“Thank you, Illia.”
Illia smiled in response before handing out the rest of the pieces.
“Where’s your sword, Nolan?” Aquina asked, realizing I had shown up empty-handed.
“Well...about that.”
“It broke,” Illia said, not sugar coating it.
“Again?”
Aquina looked down at the sword in her hands, feeling the weight once more.
“But isn’t this-”
“Mithril. Yes, it is,” Illia finished for her, shaking her head at the absurdity of the situation.
“Turns out he releases mana into the weapon unconsciously. That’s why they break so easily when he gets serious,” she continued, answering Aquina’s look of surprise.
“So, what’s the plan now?”
“Tarragon steel.”
“That makes sense.”
Aquina and Illia were absorbed in their own conversation as Cera, and I stood by watching the exchange. After a bit of back and forth, I decided it was time to enter the conversation.
“Illia said we can obtain some at the mountain range just east of here.”
Aquina nodded, waiting for Illia’s take on the circumstances.
“Hopefully the dragon there isn’t dormant, and we can quickly collect the material. After that I’d only need a few days to finish the weapon and then our plans can get back on track.”
“How far?”
“Four-five days on horseback... more if we walk.”
“Okay. The two of you should go. It will be quicker in a smaller group and hopefully less likely to alert the dragon. Nolan -” she directed her gaze toward me, “Don’t try to fight the dragon if you don’t need to. Focus on stealth for this mission.”
“I’ll try to avoid anything dangerous,” I responded.
This elicited a smile from her, clearly happy to have my agreement.
“Why are we all not going?” Cera asked, confused.
“If we all go it will take much longer. After all, Hercules can only hold two of us at a time, so we would have to walk. If we want to hurry up and return to the Wen village, it is better to choose the faster option. Plus, if they are careful, there shouldn’t be much danger and I am confident that even if there is they will be able to handle it.”
Cera slumped a bit, but didn’t argue, knowing that Aquina’s reasoning made sense. We decided it would be best to leave the following morning, not wanting to delay our return to the Wen’s for too long.
We hunted that afternoon, finding food for both the trip to the mountain and for Aquina and Cera who would be staying behind in the dwarf village. After we ate, Aquina wrapped the leftovers in leaves, hitting them with her time spell that would allow them to last for a few days.
She packed half of them into a brown satchel, reminding us to eat the meat before it went bad. It felt a little lonely packing for a trip without Aquina and Cera, but I knew we needed to collect the steel if I wanted to be able to wield a sword for more than a day when faced with a serious battle.
The day seemed to speed by with the preparations requiring a lot of our attention. That night, I made sure to shower again, knowing it may be quite a few days before seeing such luxury again. I thought we could spend the night talking, or just enjoying each other’s company, but when I finished with my shower, the girls were already in Illia’s room, the door shut.
I heard whispering coming from behind the door, so I just told them goodnight before heading to my own room. Giggles erupted in response before they
answered in unison. I slipped into my room and collapsed into the bed.
Although nothing compared to the room in the Hivini kingdom, the bed served its purpose, and I thought I should enjoy it since the next four plus days would be spent outside. Wrapping the covers around me, I burrowed into the soft, but thin mat and fell asleep.
∞∞∞
I woke the next morning, stretching out to drive the sleep from my body, my arms landed on Aquina and Cera who rested next to me. They must have come in after I fell asleep. I tried to get up without waking them, but as soon as my feet hit the floor they were stirring, their eyes opening ever so slightly.
“Is it morning already,” Cera asked with a yawn, her arms stretching over her head.
“You can sleep more, it’s ok.” I told them both, already knowing they wouldn’t listen to my words.
“Maybe after we see you off,” Aquina responded sleepily, sitting up in the bed, her feet on the wooden floor.
When I left the room, I found Illia waiting on the bench in the living space, dressed in a tunic and trousers, her hair tied up and bags already on her back. She stood up when I entered the area but sat down when I turned to enter the bathroom.
“I’ll be quick,” I assured her, closing the door behind me.
Not even ten minutes later and we were heading down the trunk of the tree and toward the direction of the mountain, realizing it didn’t make sense to leave from where we entered. Aquina and Cera went to ready Hercules, meeting us at the side of the village.
The horse wore a saddle and empty saddle bags that allowed us to easily place our gear inside. I chose to leave my staff behind but opted to bring the armor Illia made for us. I didn’t have much experience with a horse, so the thought of riding one for almost four days seemed a bit daunting.
Still—how bad could it be? I helped Illia into the saddle first before hoisting myself on top of the beast. I settled into the position behind her, figuring it would be the most comfortable way for both of us to ride. Aquina, holding something in her hands, chanted a spell before sliding what looked like one of her crystals into the saddlebag.
“It should help with Hercules’ endurance during the trip. Be safe. Both of you.”
We finished our goodbyes and circled around with the horse, preparing to jump the wall that encompassed the village. I wasn’t sure if the horned horse would be willing to try such a leap, but when we pulled back on the reins, letting our intentions be known, he seemed eager to comply.
Hercules ran toward the wall, his speed increasing the closer we approached. Finally, he leapt, easily carrying his own body weight plus the weight of the two riders over the barrier.
He whinnied as we landed and Illia and I glanced behind us in time to see Aquina and Cera standing on the wall waving.
Hercules sped forward, easily maneuvering between the forest trees and across the uneven terrain, making me wish we’d had an alternative mode of transportation much earlier in the journey.
At least we had one now, I thought, realizing why Aquina had been quick to let just the two of us search for the tarragon steel.
By mid-day we signaled for Hercules to stop, having found a stream through the river that would make a good resting place. Illia hopped down first, stretching out her muscles when she was back on solid ground. Climbing down myself, I nearly stumbled, the whole of my backside and legs were numb from the constant riding.
I followed Illia’s lead and started stretching, hoping it would mean less pain as the journey continued.
I could already tell it would be a struggle getting back on the horse the longer the mission lasted.
“First time riding a horned horse?” She asked, her hands raised over her head, one pulling the other to the side.
“Is it that obvious?”
Technically, it was the first time I rode a horned horse, but my experiences with Earth horse were limited as well. Plus, they happened so long ago, I didn’t think they counted for much anymore.
When the feeling returned to our lower extremities, we set to work creating a fire to roast some of the meat we had brought on the trip. Hercules seemed content to graze, roaming closer to the river’s edge when he needed a drink. The task didn’t take long, and as soon as we had rested and filled our stomach, we were back on track heading toward the mountain once again.
The next time we stopped, the daylight had begun to fade, making it harder to see in our surroundings. Orbs of fire helped a bit but could only provide so much light. We tied Hercules to a nearby tree, the grass around him luscious and fresh to restore his energy, while Illia quickly created a tent for us to sleep in.
This time she slept beside me, not worrying about keeping a distance. When I woke the next morning, her arm was draped over my torso, her breathing steady.
I listen to her breathing for a while, a soothing sound. When the sunlight began to filter through the trees and into our makeshift dwelling, I knew we needed to get up for the day.
I shook her a bit until she opened her eyes, taking in the surroundings until she realized where we were. When I stood, my body ached, the days’ worth of riding stressing muscles I hadn’t used much in my training.
I stretched a bit, knowing we would need to do the same thing today if we wanted to keep to our schedule.
The morning moved quickly after that. A meal, a bit of clean up for both ourselves and our campsite, and then we were back on the horse. Another few hours later and the scenery began to change. The forest ended, opening to a wide and empty plain with rolling hills of pink grass laid out in front of us.
The mountain didn’t appear any closer to me despite us already having traveled a full day, but Illia assured me we were still on the estimated timeline for our arrival. I decided to believe it, choosing to focus on the surroundings as they sped by, willing the time to pass faster. In the distance another forest could be seen, meaning the open feeling wouldn’t last for long.
About halfway through the plain, the sky opened, rain pelting us relentlessly. Illia raised a shelf of hardened mud above our heads, trying to keep out as much of the rain as she could, but with our constant movement, her plan wasn’t too successful.
Luckily, the weather cleared quickly, the suns returning to dry off our bodies. By mid-day we reached the forest that once seemed so far away. After passing through the tree line, we dismounted, giving ourselves and Hercules a break.
“It shouldn’t be much longer now. I think by the end of today we will reach the bottom of the mountain. It’ll probably be a good idea to camp for the night and then head up in the daylight.”
I nodded, agreeing with Illia’s plan, not wanting to even think about trying to scale a mountain in the dark. The mountain seemed much closer now, making it easier to believe that we would reach it by the end of the day.
Sorting our stores, I found we were running low on food. We had enough meat to last through dinner but would need to prepare for the return trip. Making a mental note, I briefly scanned the area to see if it would be easy when the time came.
A few plants looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure I would be knowledgeable enough to know which ones wouldn’t make us sick. I couldn’t see any beasts in the forest, but I figured it would be easier once we separated from our horned horse. A little rustling in the bushes behind us, an animal trying to hide in fear of us, only further supported my assumption.
“We should head out soon if we don’t want to be maneuvering through the forest at night.” I told her, packing up our belongings before bringing Hercules over from his grazing spot.
The monotonous journey started again, the jostling becoming more painful the longer we rode. We moved slower than we did through the plain, the uneven terrain making travel more difficult for Hercules. Still, he rode quickly, and just as the suns were beginning to set, we reached our destination.
I stared up at the rocky formation, most of it hidden beyond the tops of the trees that grew right up to the base of the mountain.
“We s
hould find somewhere to rest for tonight before the light is gone,” Illia informed me, hopping off Hercules’ back.
My own feet tingled, so I slowly slid myself off his back, not trusting my feet to catch me if I jumped. I walked on pins and needles, trying not to show how I was feeling on my face.
“We can set up around here,” I pointed to an area, somewhat less crowded with forest plant life than the others.”
“How about a cave?” Illia returned, a grin on her face as she grabbed me by the wrist.
We walked by the side of the mountain for a bit, coming to a stop beside a small hole.
“It looks like rainwater has eroded this part of the mountain enough that there is a small cavern past this hole.”
Before I could ask how that benefited us, she raised her hand, the front of the cave crumbling to the ground. The natural cave looked quite spacious, the perfect resting place for the night.
She quickly set up the campsite using her gift, having everything ready in a matter of minutes. She made a fire ring in the middle, softened the rocky floor for us to sleep on and even raised places for us to sit.
“I’ll get some firewood,” I told her as she looked around for anything she could add to the cave dwelling.
Hercules had already begun grazing on the grass just outside the opening of the hole. I patted his neck when I walked by, letting him know to continue.
Deeper in the thick of the woods to the left of our new house, a spring ran through the forest. It really did make for the perfect camping spot, I thought to myself, pulling my near empty canteen from my bag.
As I filled my canteen with water a creature approached, unaware of my presence. When I moved to close my container, the beast froze, realizing it wasn’t alone. The horned rabbit, the first I’d seen for quite some time, glanced around, trying to determine the best means of escape.
We weren’t quite out of food yet, but I couldn’t help but view the situation as a chance. I flung a fire arrow toward it, easily piercing it through the heart. Grabbing it by the horn, I collected the kill and turned to head back to the cave.