Dragons Can Be Cute Too

by Cristian Madalin Dragomir

  I gulped and selected the potion for the cure. This was what I got:

  [Insufficient [Bartender] level to brew this potion. Required level 3]

  [Night Breeze Potion of One Million Deaths]: Requires Grand Master Alchemist to make. Requires Alchemy laboratory. Requires 2000 Magic Energy Points and at least 30% Magic Excellence. Requires the following Normal Herbs and Magic Herbs: Illusory Grass, Tempest Shark Weed, Nocturne, Seven Rainbow Petals, Nightmare Scarlet, Oregano, Rosiette, Golden Dragon's Tear, Ogre Grass. Requires: Bear Bee Honey, Myrian Water.

  The list of ingredients was incredible, but there was no Bloody Mushroom in there.

  If this is the cure, what did Brekkar take until now? I asked myself as I double checked the list in case I missed it.

  After seeing it wasn't there, I looked in the dragon's eyes and asked him bluntly: “You have [Berserker's Burst]?”

  He clenched his teeth and looked down at the ground.

  “In two weeks you are going to die, does Seryanna and Kleo know this?” I asked him.

  “Master?” the servants and butlers were both surprised upon hearing me.

  “No, they don't… I was going to keep it secret and… when I felt my time coming, I was to flee from here in the Seculiar Forest.” he closed his eyes and the servant beside him gasped in surprise.

  “Bloody Mushroom… What did you use it for?” I questioned him.

  “If used with a few other plants, it can alleviate the pain a bit and absorb my Magic Energy, keeping me alive for a bit longer…” he replied and clenched his fists.

  “Then why did you tell Seryanna that it was the cure?” I asked him, trying to remain as calm as I could.

  “I didn't want her to worry... I already came to terms with my imminent demise. That was why I tried to make this quest of hers feel as difficult as possible, so that when I was gone, she would remain with a feeling of accomplishment in her heart, of having tried her best yet failed. I even asked the King for a favor. He ordered the merchants not to sell too much of it to her... That old lizard even made it difficult for her to acquire a much needed [Purse] ring, and I played the fool, pretending to have lost mine...” he showed a sad smile as he took out his own ring from his pocket.

  The old general then looked up at me and asked with a worried gaze in his eyes “Will you tell them?”

  I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead with two fingers.

  Although I found the way he went about it to be foolish, it wasn't like I didn't understand him. Brekkar thought this disease had no cure, that it was hopeless to even dream of one, yet I could find it very hard to forgive him for having lied to his granddaughters. If it was for their own good or not, I didn't know, I couldn't see how it could have been so.

  Now, to save this old geezer, I had to level up my [Bartender] skill and even put a bunch of points in Magic Energy and Excellence. To acquire said points, I was forced to gain some levels, and all of this only if I survived through this whole experience first.

  I sighed.

  Me and my blasted luck… I grumbled and placed the bag in front of him.

  “You are an old fool, Brekkar. No, let me correct myself, you are an idiot! Why didn't you look for a Grand Master Alchemist to make you the cure?” I asked him.

  “What cure? This condition is incurable!” he growled back at me.

  “Says who?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

  “Everyone!” he shouted.

  “Not me.” I told him and shrugged.

  He squinted his eyes at me and then asked me. “You… you know the cure?” he asked.

  At this moment, I realized that I held a valuable trump card in my hand. It was something even Brekkar gave up on finding. More so, he was an old general with a lot of influence and power, not to mention that if I cured him, the war against the humans could take a turn for the worse for them.

  This situation… it's quite dangerous, isn't it? I asked myself, but then I remembered Seryanna's sad expression.

  She put at risk her own social status and career in this kingdom. She worked so hard just to go and fetch those useless Bloody Mushrooms from the forest. Without asking for a reward, she saved me, and this old man took me in his house without even wondering if I was a danger to his family or not. I was a human, and by point of logic, he should have held only hate and anger for me in his heart, yet he didn't or didn't show it.

  My decision could end up influencing the whole war and bring the dragons closer or further away from victory. A single word could bring about the death of countless humans and even earthlings who joined this battle.

  It was natural for me to think about this and maybe request some sort of reward. I could even force him to give me Seryanna, maybe… but then again… I wasn't a scumbag.

  100 Luck my foot… I grumbled in my mind, seeing this whole thing as a result of this one single stat of mine.

  Kneeling next to the old dragon, I placed my hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

  “I'm your friend and you are my friend, right?” I asked him.

  Brekkar looked into my eyes a bit confused and then replied “Yes.” there was no shame or regret in the tone of his voice.

  “Then fear not, I will make the cure for you if your granddaughter helps me a bit to grow in strength. In that bag you have part of the cure. The potion is called [Night Breeze Potion of One Million Deaths]. Only a Grand Master Alchemist with the same amount of Magic Energy and Excellence as Kleo can make it. You will also need an alchemy table, lab, the whole thing as well as the following herbs: Illusory Grass, Tempest Shark Weed, Nocturne, Seven Rainbow Petals, Nightmare Scarlet, Oregano, Rosiette, Golden Dragon's Tear, and Ogre Grass. Then you need some Bear Bee Honey and Myrian Water. You have half of those herbs in that bag.” I told him everything.

  “Why-Why are you telling me something so important? If what you say is true, then this potion could save countless dragons who are suffering from this condition, and if I return to the battlefield, the dragons would become stronger… Aren't you worried about all the humans I could end up killing as a result of this? If you let me be, I'm just a useless crippled dragon, but with your cure… Why?” he asked me.

  Brekkar wasn't a fool apparently, he realized in a moment what implication this potion could have in the battle against the humans, but at the same time, I was a human. My actions simply made no sense for him. He barely knew me, I barely knew him. There was no need for me to offer such an important secret, although, I didn't see it as such, honestly speaking.

  “Brekkar, do you really think I need a reason to save a friend's life? Besides, I owe Seryanna too much, and I like her. If you die, she would be very sad, and if she were to find out I held the cure all along, she would never speak with me again for the rest of my life.” I let out a low sigh, showing that was a situation I pretty much wished to avoid.

  “BWAHAHAHA!” the old dragon burst into a loud laughter. “To think there was a human who was so honorable! Even if you aren't a dragon, I don't think it would be so bad for my granddaughter to keep you company for a few more decades!” he said and then stood up on his own. Looking at me with a serious look in his eyes, he spoke with a loud, clear tone of voice “I, Brekkar Draketerus declare you to be a life friend of my house! If you will ever be in need of help, those of the Draketerus family shall offer it gladly from now on!” he then nodded satisfied.

  “Thanks…” I told him and then thought I really hope I didn't just doom the entire human species… Well, just in case… I wish this war between the humans and dragons will eventually stop someway or somehow, preferably in a peaceful way without the complete destruction of both sides. I then looked in Seryanna's direction.

  “Go, my friend. I'll take care of things here, but do come back alive.” Brekkar said with a serious look in his eyes.

  I nodded and then ran as fast as I could after the redhead dragoness.

  Whatever happens, I hope Seryanna, Kleo, and I will come back alive from this… Now I know there is
a God out there, so I wish this night won't turn into a tragedy! I thought and entered the forest.

  Once more, I forgot to turn on the Kleo radar that came with my skill… I was in a rush…

  Chapter 17: Through sword and blood

  “Damn, she's far!” I stopped to catch my breath.

  Leaning with one hand on the trunk of a tree, I opened my skills menu and looked at [Speedy Rooster], but something told me it was better to put it off for now. With a sigh, I closed the window and looked ahead. The forest was thick, and I would have honestly ended up lost if not for my [Dragon Tamer] skill.

  Not long after I left Brekkar, I thought about using the tracking function on Seryanna. It was then when I remembered that I used it on the prankster Kleo. It turned out to be a lucky decision, especially since both me and Seryanna were currently trying to find her. With this ability, I knew exactly where to go, but I wasn't certain the redhead dragoness followed the same path I did. Knowing her, she probably got lost at the first intersection. She had that sort of luck.

  For some reason, I imagined her either stopping in front of the Eiffel Tower or on top of mount Everest surrounded by some brave alpinists, wondering how she ended up there. Of course, this was an exaggeration, but just in case she actually ended up finding a wormhole back to Earth...

  I wish Seryanna won't get lost while searching for her sister. I wish we will meet soon, so we can work together to rescue Kleo. was what I thought when I realized that we might end up going in completely different directions.

  The only thing I could do now was cross my fingers and hope my Luck stat worked.

  “I hope you're alright, Kleo…” I said before starting to run again in her direction.

  If I was still my former normal human self, I would have gotten lost three times and a half by now. Not to mention the fact that I would have spat out my lungs from all of this running. I literally ran at least twenty kilometers, and I was still far away from Kleo.

  On the bright side of things, I didn't encounter any of the bastards who attacked Brekkar. In a way, I was sort of avoiding them, but then again, Seryanna was certainly hunting them down. They had a hostage, and she had a temper. The combo didn't look too good for them.

  About ten or so minutes after I took my short break, I suddenly encountered a very suspicious-looking thing. There was a chopped up dragon, half of its body was at about ten meters away from the rest.

  “Eeek!” I made a shriek like a little girl when I saw the bloodbath.

  Not that far away from me was the ripped up upper part. His limbs had been crushed, and his head turned 180 degrees while still stuck to its body. Not far from him was a pair of Spike Wolves that had been slashed in half. They literally stood no chance against the monster who went through this place, but I had the strange feeling I knew that said 'monster'.

  With a gulp, I continued to track down Kleo, but the deeper I went, the body count only went higher and higher. Battle signs were all over the place, but the one they were up against could completely overpower them.

  I even saw this big fellow completely changed into a dragon, but he had his head chopped off. His body was left to rot there.

  “Did Kleo do this?” I wondered for a moment, but then I shook my head. “It has to be Seryanna…” and I left the scene.

  About six minutes later, I heard the clash of swords and the screams of agony of a man. Something went flying in the air, and I squinted my eyes at it.

  What's that? I wondered.

  It was coming straight at me. For a moment, I thought it was a bomb or something, but then I saw the face with the tongue stuck out. With not even the slightest hesitation, I jumped back. The chopped off head fell on the ground, bouncing two times and then rolling to a stop.

  “The hell? It's raining heads now?” I said and then picked up a nearby branch.

  Carefully, I approached it and poked it.

  “Whew! It's dead… Well… duh!” I said But who killed him? I tilted my head to the left.

  “Kill her!” the shout came from ahead.

  Getting up, I ran in that direction, leaving the head there. What was I going to do with it anyway? Use it as bowling ball?

  The sounds of clashing swords was heard again and then a thud. Someone roared and then something went flying to the left. A sharp sword was impaled halfway through into a tree at about twenty meters or so away from me.

  With a gulp, I continued to run.

  After jumping through a bush, I saw the scene of another battle. There were six bandits here, three had been killed with stab wounds to the heart. One was slashed in half at the waist. One was decapitated, and the last one was on his knees, his left hand cut from the elbow, and he was vomiting blood.

  “What the…” I thought as I looked, but just when I was wondering who did this to them, someone pushed me back on the ground and the sharp blade of a sword was at my throat.

  On top of me stood the redhead dragoness. Fury raged in her eyes, her face and armor had been stained by the bandits blood. She was breathing hard as if barely controlling herself, and to put it simply, she looked pissed.

  I gulped.

  “Hey there, honey!” I smiled.

  “Huh?” she knitted her brow and closing in, she took a better look at my face. “Alkelios?” she asked.

  “You can always kiss me to find out. I'm sure you remember the last one!” I smiled like a fool.

  Do I really wish to die now? Stupid brain! God! I want a refund! Or a spare… I thought in my mind.

  “Hmph!” she pulled back and got off of me. “What are you doing here?” she asked walking over to the dying bandit.

  “Please… no.” he begged and then slashed his other hand. “ARGH!” he screamed.

  “Where is my sister! TALK!” she growled at him.

  Note to self… If you invite her to your bed, stick with her. No cheating! I thought and gulped.

  For some reason, I covered my crotch with both hands.

  “I don't know, you stupid whore!” he screamed back at her.

  Wrong answer, buddy. I thought.

  She didn't say another word and with one slash, decapitated him.

  Looking back at me, she squinted her eyes at my weird position.

  “What are you doing?” she asked me.

  “Huh? Nothing… just admiring… the trees! Yeah! The trees…” I said and looked to the left.

  A tiny rodent, similar to an Earth squirrel, saw me, poked her tongue out at me, and ran back into its borrow.

  What the? I thought.

  “Trees? Hmph! Go back to my grandfather. This is no place for a puny human like you!” she snorted and sheathed her sword.

  Before I had the chance to retort, she dashed into the forest again. I ran after her.

  “Hey! Wait up!”

  “Go back, Alkelios! There's nothing you can do!”

  “I can always kiss you?” I said.

  “Are you an idiot?” she asked and glared back at me.

  “No, but I can track down Kleo if you want.” I smirked.

  She immediately stopped, and I bumped into her. Hitting a wall of steel at 60km/h was not cool.

  I coughed a few times from the shock.

  “Alkelios! What you said. Is that true?” she asked looking seriously at me.

  “The kiss? Yeah…” Cough! Cough!

  “Not that!” she lifted me up by the collar of my neck and glared at me “About Kleo!”

  “Yes, it's true… She's that way…” I pointed into the woods a bit to the left of where Seryanna was going.

  “If you are lying…” she squinted her eyes at me.

  “When did I ever lie to you?” I asked her and then gently touched her right cheek.

  “Lead the way then.” she said after coldly swatting my hand away.

  “Ow!” I complained, although it didn't actually hurt.

  At least, it didn't take a whole lot of convincing to do. I was sort of expecting her to give me this long, boring speech abou
t how it wasn't good for me to be in this battle, that it was her job, or something along those lines. Basically, the cliché result of a similar confrontation, but apparently, I was wrong.

  Not long after we started running, we sensed movement ahead of us, and Seryanna went to investigate. When I arrived there, I saw the same bloody and gory scene as before with mercilessly killed dragon bandits. The redhead dragoness was like a hurricane of steel and blood, cutting and destroying anything it touched, but which at the same time let out cute moans when I stroked her back scales.

  “You don't mess around, do you?” I asked as I jumped over one of the bodies.

  “In a real battle, those who don't take things seriously end up dead.” she replied in a cold tone of voice.

  “I see…”

  However, not even once did I stop to consider the fact that my calm reaction towards seeing all of this gore and death was not something one would think of as normal. Their inhuman bodies made it easier for me to accept all of this killing.

  We continued to chase after the invisible arrow only I could see, hoping it would lead us to the goth dragoness, but there was certainly no short supply of bandits. Just like a game would cough up group of mobs after group of mobs to try to stop you from getting to your target, so did this forest. That or maybe Seryanna's bad luck simply pulled all of them towards us like a magnet, but then again, my luck should have nullified it.

  Eventually, we reached an opening and stopped in front of a field of grass. On the other side, I could see a huge mountain rising up towards the sky, covered in sharp cliffs unwilling to let anyone try to climb them. In front of us, about twenty bandits rose up from the grass, smirking at us. Seryanna clenched the hilt of her sword and took a stance.

  “You'll need to fight now.” she told me.

  “Me? But I never killed anyone in my life!” I complained.

  Indeed, I came from an ordinary civilian life in a peaceful country. Death and wars were the least of our concern there, being robbed was the first priority. Still, it was ridiculous to believe I could do something like that.