Chapter 7: A Twist of Fate

 

“All it takes is a nosey and stubborn attitude. The ability to pry into other people’s problems and make it your business. To not look away when things get ugly. To stay and follow through, no matter how hard the problem gets. That’s all it takes. Nothing special really”

 -Field Priest Verkan.

 

  The thing about waking up is that you have to actually be asleep first.

  But Nina spent the entire night in vigilant watch to even consider sleep, especially not in this paranoid state. The horrific memory of her close encounter with the vicious Northmen still fresh in her mind would give her equally horrific nightmares for a long time. The weather had improved just slightly to allow some sparse sunbeams to go through. She begrudgingly opened her eyes as a stray sun ray struck her in the face, also awakening her newest companion, who spent the night right next to her, resting against her shoulder, and sharing their body heat. The dragon quickly stood up, stretching his back and limbs, making a loud, crunchy sound.

  Paranoia promptly vanished, leaving only embarrassment behind. It was the first time she had spent the night with anyone other than her close family. Even if it was only because of circumstances far outside her power that left the poor girl without another choice. It was a stupid rule, anyway.

 -“Good morning,” Nina greeted the dragon.

-“I thought you would sleep,” the dragon replied, surprised.

-“I couldn't”

-“Too bad” he replied.

  Nina rolled her eyes in annoyance at the dragon’s antics. She couldn’t blame him for his complete lack of tact or manners, but she knew she would probably have to get used to them. Nina closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, knowing it wasn’t his fault as he didn’t know better and only meant well. She was extremely grateful to him for saving her life and dignity but wished that her savior had been a brave, dashing knight in shining armor instead.

  Not that she had anything against Rudo, as she had named the mysterious creature that saved her. But a girl can dream, right? Nina looked forward to paying the dragon back with a decent breakfast, not just for him, but also for herself. Her stomach desperately called for a meal, growling loudly much to her utter embarrassment, recalling that she hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday other than a small cup of soup and some bread slices she had for dinner that she threw up last night after watching the dragon devouring that poor weasel.

-“You only slept for a couple of hours,” she commented.

-“Yeah, but the guys that were bothering you are gone now,” he pointed out.

-“Really?! How can you be so sure?”

-“I can't smell them anymore,” he replied.

-“That’s impressive! Can you really smell that far?”

-“Sure! You can't?” he asked back.

-“Of course not! I can only smell your horrid breath!” she replied jokingly.

  Rudo smiled in return, baring his crooked, yellow teeth and fangs, with small pieces of flesh still stuck between them, much to her utter disgust. Nina smiled awkwardly in return, not sure what else to do. He then jumped down the cliff, much to her shock. He just jumped! That stupid dragon left me! Nina hurriedly looked for him from the ledge he jumped from, taking particular care not to fall to the cliff headfirst while looking down. She spotted the dragon deep down, sniffing the area around, much to her relief.

  She started to feel slightly better after hearing the dragon say that the accursed Northmen were gone. Perhaps they gave up the search after looking for her through the entire forest. Who knows? Nobody on their sane mind would stick around for long, especially after messing with Clan Irfis. There was no way the Clan warriors could have missed the sight of the village burning in the night.

  Unless the warriors were busy elsewhere, of course.

  Either way, she would try not to get her hopes up just in case this mess wasn’t over yet, trying to keep a cool head as long as she could. She quickly retreated from the ledge when she watched Rudo leaping back to their refuge, landing exactly on the spot where she has been looking from previously. He informed her that the area was secure and that it was safe, at least for the time being. He turned his back towards her to allow her to climb on it. Nina braced herself comfortably before letting him know she was ready. The dragon jumped down the cliff like it was nothing. Nina could feel her heart racing, beating hard against her chest as they descended, and feeling as if floating in the air, even though the fall lasted less than a second. They landed over a giant rock on the ground, and the dragon absorbed the blunt force of the fall with his powerful legs. Perhaps it was because she was holding onto him incredibly tightly, or that Rudo absorbed the brutal hit, but she could barely feel any ill effects from the sudden deceleration and the violent impact on the ground that certainly would have killed any other person.

  That was amazing! He’s definitively something else! She thought as she descended from Rudo’s back, still recovering from the sudden thrill. Feeling a mild pain in the chest from the powerful bump with the dragon’s rather prominent spine against her sternum. As much as she wanted to marvel at the creature’s astonishing physical prowess, there were more important matters that required her attention right now, like breakfast, for example. She could hear her stomach growling again, although the dragon didn’t seem bothered, or amused, in the slightest. It’s high time for a decent meal. She had never cooked in his life and wasn’t looking forward to it, either, but knowing she would have to do it lest the dragon take the lead, and deciding to play the surgeon with the remaining weasel again.

  Speaking of which, she still had in her possession the remaining weasel from last night. Nina had wrapped it up in a filthy piece of cloth to bring it with her. She unwrapped the dead vermin, and after a quick inspection, she showed it to her newest companion, much to his utter delight.

-“I still got the rabbit you brought last night. I can try to cook it if you want,” she offered.

-“Cook? What’s that?” he asked in confusion.

-“Let me show you,” she replied, beaming.

  Her smile instantly vanished, however, when she raised her head, finding the creature completely bare, covered with absolutely nothing. Nina couldn’t see anything last night because of the darkness, but she could certainly see everything now that there was enough sunlight. She freaked out instantly, recalling the harrowing memory of her close encounter with the barbaric Northmen just last night. She began to cry again, weeping uncontrollably, turning her head away with revulsion at the disgusting sight of the creature’s equipment. Please Gods, no! Is he going to…? Is he going to…?

-“Are you ok? You are crying again,” he asked with concern.

  She looked up again, finding the dragon staring back at a loss for what to do. Only now the cold, rational part of her mind took control of her thoughts, realizing the dragon simply had no clue, and concluding he just didn’t mind walking nude, and probably didn’t mean any harm. He’s just oblivious, girl. He had plenty of chances to try anything if he really wanted to. Watching his confused reaction finally made her drop her guard, trying her best to calm down and stop crying, taking a deep breath before replying.

-“Please cover yourself!” Nina demanded furiously.

  Righteous indignation swiftly replaced the previous hopelessness, her blood boiling for having to endure the grotesque display, despite that the confused creature didn’t understand what he was doing. Nina stared, dumbfounded for a few seconds, before snapping off her trance. She shook her head, taking a deep breath before unwrapping the dead weasel that would soon serve as their breakfast, extending the filthy piece of cloth with a violent motion. She then walked towards the unsuspecting dragon, carefully tying it up around his waist as an improvised kilt, much to the creature’s surprise.

-“You shouldn’t go walking around like that!”

-“Why not?” he asked, confused.

-“Because that’s not nice, you dummy!” Nina retorted fiercely.

-“Hey! I’m not a dummy!” 

-“Yes, you are! You are just as dumb as you are rude!”

-“Take that back!” he growled defensively.

  Watching him baring his teeth made her recoil. Nina realized she has been not only unfair but also childish and immature. She took another deep breath to calm her nerves down, being reminded by her own growling stomach of the current task at hand. Rudo probably never interacted with other people other than the imperial slavers and, as a result, never learned of taboos like nudity, had no social skills, no concept of personal space, no education, and no manners. At all.

-“Sorry, I didn’t mean it” she apologized, lowering her head, visibly taken aback by his reaction. Seriously! You need to be careful around him, Nina! -“I’ll make our breakfast, to make it up to you, if that’s okay” she offered.

-“That sounds good”

  She was astonished at how fast Rudo dismissed the argument they had, and forget the whole thing as if nothing happened. Any other people would probably have some distrust or resentment, but not him, strangely. Nina gathered some old tree branches and dry leaves to improvise a bonfire in which they could cook their breakfast. Rudo watched her in silence as she struggled with a pair of rocks, trying to light the firewood. It would be a good thing if you could breathe fire, like the dragons from the books. But it wasn’t until she resorted to the small knife Verkan gave to her last night that she finally succeeded. She made a small victory gesture with her arms and fists, giving the dragon a smug look as he watched her in awe.

  She instructed her new companion on flaying the animal carcass before putting it in the fire, even though they wouldn’t have any use for the fur. But to be honest, she wasn’t eager to see the insides of the poor weasel again, but she convinced herself she could handle it this time. This was her first time cooking, so she didn’t want to screw it up. Better keep those fingers crossed, Nina! They didn’t have to wait too long to taste the results, but Nina’s culinary skills were, in her own words, disappointing. Not bad for a first-timer, though. Even though the vermin’s meat was hard and unsavory, at least it was edible, and she needed all the energy she could get out of it.

 

  She probably was going to need it.

 

  Rudo, however, was extraordinarily enthusiastic about their meal. If he had to choose between the raw flesh and the overcooked one, he would gladly choose the latter. Nina tried her best to imagine she was eating one of Nana’s delicious dishes, eating until she was full. Rudo hastily devoured his share to the bones, to her shock, cracking them with his powerful mandibles. He quickly finished until nothing but the bare bones remained. She decided to return to the village. Even if it was extremely unlikely, she needed to make sure if there were any survivors left. Since the Northmen would probably be on the move, and wouldn’t stay around the same area for much longer, she thought it would be the safest choice, also if Lord Nero and his clan warriors just appeared, it would be most likely there.

  With that in mind, the pair undertook the perilous trip through the forest and back to the village. Although this time with a much-needed backup. Rudo decided to escort her, driven in part by the promise of delicacies, and to fulfill his part of the deal. But besides that, he began to feel different about her, something strange compressing his insides, prompting him that protecting her was the right thing to do.

  He knelt on the soft ground, offering his back for Nina to climb on to again, which the girl accepted after some hesitation. He then took off violently, much to her complete shock, racing through the woods with incredible momentum, at a speed she didn’t believe was possible. The creature ran faster than any bull, strider, or any other animal that she was aware of, and navigated through the forest and the difficult terrain with such breathtaking agility that she was having a hard time just trying to keep a hold on to him. His long, sharp claws carving the ground beneath him gave him impressive traction even over the most slippery of surfaces. She could feel her own heart pounding violently inside her chest at the same rhythm they were moving, making the world around them a blurring mess of green, brown, and grey. She found the experience both terrifying and exhilarating.           

  By the Gods! This is something else!

  They reached the edge of the forest after just a few minutes of dragon-riding that would have taken hours otherwise. Rudo came to a sudden halt, which took Nina unprepared, hitting her forehead against the back of his head, although she quickly covered his mouth when he was about to complain. Both of them crouched under the tall grass to conceal their presence, just in case there was someone hiding in the burned-down remnants of the village. Rudo sniffed the area, although the powerful scent of charred flesh and burned wood made smelling anything else difficult. Nina’s mood swiftly shifted to a somber one, as an intense dreadful feeling took over her soul, and a sickening knot in her stomach threatened to expel its contents. That same feeling told her something was incredibly wrong, and something deeply sinister hid behind the burnt remains. They began their slow approach to the village, despite that, which for the distressed girl was a monumental effort. Nina grabbed Rudo’s arm instinctively, trying to stop him from his unrelenting advance, but the dragon kept walking at the same pace, undeterred, dragging the poor girl behind him.

  They finally left the concealment that the tall grass provided, spotting the village’s ruins just a few hundred yards ahead. The scent of the charred corpses was so powerful at this point she had to cover her face and nose with the remnants of her torn clothes. They walked the remaining distance, carefully making their way through the same narrow hallways she navigated the night before, walking past the now razed buildings. Her soul slowly giving up to hopelessness, her heart beating powerfully against her ribcage with each step through such a desolate place. She didn’t notice it at first, but she could recognize the charred skeletal remains of both the villagers and the fallen Northmen after a quick examination, only making the uneasy feeling grow in intensity, filling her heart with immeasurable dread and distress. They walked into the village’s central square only to find it deserted, except for a single corpse lying in the center that the flames didn’t desecrate.

 

  Her heart stopped.

 

  An acute pain stroke her in the chest and tears ran down her cheeks as she stared at the lifeless body in the middle of the square. She recognized the signature long, brown leather tunic of the priests, ultimately confirming her deepest fears, and finally breaking down crying in utter despair.

-“VERKAN!”

  She raced towards his corpse, collapsing on her knees right next to it, crying hopelessly over his chest, letting out an anguished wail, along with all the by this time well-known pent-up feelings of pain and despair. Nina knew her mentor had died last night. She already cried and mourned him once, but the sight of his corpse lying on the ground was simply too much for her. All Rudo could do was watch her crying her heart out, completely at a loss for what he was supposed to say or do in this kind of situation. He was already used to this sight, having witnessed it countless times before, but it has never been someone he cared about or even knew. This time, however, it was different. An unfamiliar feeling struck his heart just by watching her. Even if he has known this helpless little girl for less than a day, watching her hurting like this hurt him as well.

  He sat on the ground next to her and just stared at her, trying in vain to comfort her somehow. He looked at the old man with whom he now shared the name, noticing something exceedingly striking to him; for someone who fought to the death, there were very few wounds or marks on his body other than the small orifice on his forehead. After examining the corpse further, he also noticed a similar wound in the chest that Nina inadvertently covered with her arms.

            This isn’t good.

-“Is this the priest you talked about?” Rudo asked.

  The distressed girl did not reply; being too busy crying, making an asserting moan between sobs instead that he interpreted as a yes. He just shrugged it off in response, not knowing what else to say.

-“I guess these things happen”

  Nina was crying silently at this point and could hear Rudo’s rather untactful comment. She couldn’t help but find it both disrespectful and extremely infuriating. She held her breath for a moment, well aware that the lack of finesse on his part probably wasn’t on purpose. But she wasn’t exactly in the best mood right now, turning to face him, and looking at him straight in the eyes before asking in return:

-“Have you ever lost someone you loved?”

  The sheer fury behind her words made Rudo recoil. He wasn’t expecting such a reaction from her. Although he could understand the meaning of this strange word “love” or why she was so upset, deep in his heart, he couldn’t fully connect with her pain. How could he? No one ever cared about him, nor did he care about anyone before.

-“No, I never had anyone,” he replied.

  The pair stared at each other for what seemed an eternity, and even though Rudo looked confused, and Nina was still in tears, they looked at each other eyes as if looking into a metaphorical mirror. And even though their hearts were hurt in completely different ways, there was an understanding in that gaze. Empathy.

-“I’ll help you bury him,” Rudo offered.

-“Please”

  It was only now that Nina calmed down a bit that she also noticed the strange wounds on her mentor’s dead body. She stopped crying immediately. The cold, logical side of her mind suddenly overtook her, and a scientific curiosity awakened. His body didn’t seem to have the type of wounds that would be normally expected in a sword fight, and what was even more striking; they didn’t drag him inside the blazing buildings to burn unlike the rest of the poor villagers, as she read it was the Northmen’s custom. In fact, they didn’t even touch his body! They left him on the same spot where he died, with his sword still in hand that they would normally take as a trophy. The only explanation she could come up with was that either they feared him that much or they thought he was cursed. She recalled reading they would burn even their most feared and respected enemies, as it was their custom. Although the Clans took this as the ultimate offense, the Northmen didn’t do it disrespectfully. But it makes no sense!

-“What kind of witchery is this?!” Nina complained loudly.

-“It’s a kind of magic” a rough yet calm voice replied.

  She gasped loudly at the unexpected interruption, both she and Rudo turned to find an unknown man wearing long, fancy clothes, a strange hat over his head, and a mask covering the lower half of his face standing lonely at the village’s entrance just a few yards away. Rudo couldn’t smell him, or anyone else until now, because of the powerful scent of the burned corpses masking his otherwise perfumed fragrance, allowing him to sneak around undetected, taking the pair completely by surprise.

-“I knew you would end up coming back, little priestess,” the man commented.

-“Who are you?!” Nina demanded.

-“My name is not important”

  Nina couldn’t help but feel deeply annoyed by the man’s elusive reply, a far cry from the villager’s previous politeness. Seriously! What is with everyone without names?!

-“Why did you do this?!” she asked.

-“Pretty rude to assume I’m the culprit, girly. This is Northmen's doing, not mine,” he replied.

-“Then why are you here?!” she asked back.

-“I came for you, child. Come quietly or there will be trouble,” the man replied, finally making his true intentions clear.

  Rudo bared his teeth in response, adopting an aggressive stance after hearing his reply. The unknown man adjusted his hat, and with only a motion of his hand summoned several other men that slowly walked from behind the buildings, one by one, surrounding them, making her heart race in despair. They looked nothing like the Northmen from last night; however, each one was wearing the same type of armor and gear. There was also the possibility they could be mercenaries, although that didn’t make them any less terrifying. Still, Nina gathered the courage to speak.

-“Are you the one who killed Verkan?!”

-“The old man? I granted him a warrior's death” he replied.

-“Why?! He did nothing to you!” she demanded, breaking down in tears, fueled by righteous anger.

-“He stood in the way, and the same will happen to anyone that does the same” he threatened, making her heart skip a beat. -“Now come!” he commanded.

   She was in shock, paralyzed by fear. Her knees became weaker, threatening to collapse on her at any moment. Feeling icy cold sweat coming down her face, tasting its salty flavor on her lips, and her body shaking violently as she frantically scanned her surroundings looking for a way out when sudden ear-piercing shouting interrupted her.

-“NO! I WON’T LET YOU!” Rudo countered fiercely.

   The sight of the dragon shouting took the man by surprise. -“A dragon that talks!? Now I've seen it all!” he replied, baffled. But his expression promptly shifted back to a sinister, focused one. -“If you understand, then this doesn't concern you, kid! Step aside and I won't have to kill you too!” he threatened.

-“Go to hell!” the dragon replied.

-“Rudo! Please don't! There are too many of them!” Nina begged him to stand down.

-“But... Nina!”

-“I don't want you to die too! Don't you see?!”

-“Listen to the girl, kiddo! This isn’t your fight!” the unknown man interrupted.

-“You shut up!” Rudo growled.

-“What's the matter? Are you also that eager to die?” he asked menacingly, feigning a step forward, sending chills down Nina’s spine.

  Perhaps it was because of the adrenaline that right now flooded her system, or the sheer anger that she felt that allowed the normally shy and meek girl to stand up against her mentor’s murderer. Feeling her heart thundering inside her chest, threatening to burst through her ribcage at any moment. Was she ready to fight? She didn’t know. But what could she possibly do against several armed men by herself?

  That was when it hit her like a ton of bricks.

  The sudden realization brought her heart to a halt. Nina couldn’t move, she could hardly breathe. She finally understood how this unknown man standing in front of her could kill a warrior of such legendary status as Verkan so effortlessly and also why the Northmen refused to even touch his dead body. Now it made perfect sense! She recognized the stylish hat and the fancy choice of clothing from the stories she had read and been told, and slowly connected the dots.

 

  He was a wizard.

 

  Nina collapsed on her knees, staring at the ground, hopeless and dejected. Why does this have to happen to her?! Why were the Northmen after her?! Why now a freaking wizard shows up?! She turned to look at Rudo standing next to her, ready to fight, seeing no point in him risking his life for her. As inhumanly fast and strong as he was, not even he was a match for a wizard.

-“Rudo… it’s ok,” she said, placing a hand on his forearm.

-“What?!” Rudo asked, baffled.

-“I'll never forget what you did for me!” Nina commented, forcing an obviously sad smile at him, a single tear running down her cheeks. -“You don’t have to waste your life away for me! I don't want to watch you die!”

  Rudo could only gape in response, completely speechless, in part from the shock of watching her utterly defeated expression and the soft yet electrifying touch of her hand. What is this?! What could have scared her like this?! Is she going to give up now?! Just like that?!

-“Leave the dragon! Take the girl!” the unknown man commanded, interrupting his thoughts. -“He'll be a good boy and stay put”

  The men surrounding them began their slow approach, walking past Rudo, who remained motionless, looking at the ground, perplexed and confused. They took Nina by her arms and gently lifted her from the ground onto her own feet, feeling her gloved fingers slowly slipping from his arm. She turned towards Rudo, giving him one last apologetic glance before closing her eyes to avert his piercing gaze, slowly walking away and surrendering to her fate. Rudo kept thinking about what had just happened. He had done everything in his power to help the poor girl out, only for her suddenly change her mind, submitting herself to the men she was running away from. He kept thinking about her possible fate. He kept thinking about what little time they had spent together, the weasel they had eaten, and the small rift they had shared. Even though she proved to be rather difficult to be with most of the time, he realized something. She had shown him a few things, but one stood out above everything else.

  This helpless little girl had shown him something he didn’t know, something he had never received in his entire life.

 

  Kindness.

 

  There was simply not much to ponder about. He had made up his mind. There was no way in hell that he could desert the only person who had been kind to him, especially not now, when she was in need.

-“I won't...” Rudo mumbled, raising his head just slightly to look at her making her look over her shoulder to meet his gaze again. -“I won't waste my life for you, little priest-ess...”

-“THEY WILL!”

  Nina’s watery eyes widened in shock when she realized what was about to happen next. The pair of thugs escorting her looked at each other, astonished for a brief instant, before trying to react. But it was too late. One of them released her arm, trying to unsheathe his sword when the furious dragon rammed him in the chest, hurling him away against the remains of one of the burned down buildings, causing the barely standing structure to collapse over him. One less.

  Rudo counted eight men plus the unknown man before propelling himself with a powerful leap forward for the sudden strike, taking everyone completely by surprise, except their leader apparently, who, unlike the others, remained silent. The other thug restraining Nina remained motionless, holding her tightly against his body to shield himself from the rampaging dragon, having just witnessed the beast passing right next to him at an astonishing speed, much to his shock.

  The rest of them wasted no time drawing their swords and charge at him. Rudo took advantage of the momentum of his previous attack to slide across the ground, knocking down another foe in his path. He stood up with a quick whipping of his tail, kicking the downed man in the abdomen with such inhuman strength that lifted him from the ground, making him throw up the contents of his stomach, knocking him unconscious. He then propelled himself into the fray, dodging the attacks thrown at him with amazing ease, speed, and agility. Striking back with demolishing force, mowing them down one after the other in rapid succession. Rudo restrained himself from outright killing them, as these mercenaries didn’t hurt Nina as the Northmen tried back in the forest. But with kicks and punches capable of mangling limbs and breaking bones, it was barely a comfort.

   Nina suddenly found the courage to fight back after watching such a breathtaking display of power and bravery. Taking advantage of the commotion, she crushed the toes of the thug restraining her with the wooden sole of her boots, making him flinch in pain, and lose his grip on her just enough for her to get a hold of his arm and bite his hand to free herself from his dominant grasp. Nina quickly jumped out of his reach. He tried to restrain her again, but a powerful flying kick in the face, courtesy of Rudo, sent him flying against the stone building, knocking him unconscious, ending the fight.

  Rudo extended one hand to help Nina stand on her feet. The pair looked at each other briefly before being interrupted by a distinctive sound.

 

  Clap. Clap. Clap.

 

-“Not bad, kid! Not bad at all!” the man spoke awestricken, clapping slowly. -“Those men were the best of the bunch! And yet you wiped the floor with them! I’m impressed!”

-“But enough of games,” he said, changing his tone to a sinister one, producing a strange-looking device out of its hip holster, sending chills down Nina’s spine.

-“Rudo!” she reached out to him with a cracking voice. -“H-He-he's a wizard!” she warned frantically, overtaken by panic.

-“A wizard?!” Rudo asked, confused.

-“A mage! A fire mage! Verkan told me about them! He wields powerful magick!” Nina explained.

-“There is no magick, Nina! I can beat him!”

-“I'm giving you one last chance, kid! Don't force my hand!” the man warned.

-“Rudo, take me on your back and run! Please don’t try fighting him!” she pleaded.

-“I’m not running Nina! I’ll finish this!”

-“Rudo, please! Let’s get out of here! He’s way too powerful!” she urged, desperately trying to prevent the imminent fight. -“Even you don't stand a chance against him! He can kill you with a single spell! Just like he killed Verkan!”

-“Magick doesn’t exist, Nina! I will show you!” he replied, turning to face the mage.

-“YOU DON'T FOOL ME, FAKER! THAT'S NOT MAGICK! THAT'S A MACHINE!” Rudo yelled at the top of his lungs, much to the mage’s surprise.

-“A machine?!” Nina asked, confused.

-“Do you have the slightest idea of what are you talking about?!” the mage asked, intrigued.

-“I know what I'm saying!” Rudo growled, turning again to face her. -“You see that thing in his hand?! I know what that thing is! It's not magick! It's a weapon! Just a weapon! It goes bang very loud and throws small balls through that tube really really fast! But it can only do that! After he spends them all, it's useless! And without it, he is just a man like everybody else!”

  Wait?! What?! Nina was speechless after hearing this revelation. Magic doesn’t exist?! Impossible! No way this could be true! Although Rudo seemed quite convinced, fearlessly facing the wizard. If what he just said was true, it would mean that everything she read and knew about magick, rituals, spirits, and possibly everything else was wrong. Her mind went into a wild whirlwind about the repercussions of this. If Rudo was right about magick, could he also be right about the Gods?!

-“How do you know that?” the mage asked, intrigued.

-“I’ve seen it before!” Rudo countered.

  The unknown man pondered briefly about what the boy has just spoken. The mere fact he was facing a freaking talking dragon had already awakened a spark of curiosity, but now after hearing such a simple yet deep explanation of how his magick worked, completely changed his perception of what was, until now, just a talking animal. Completely decimating a group of seasoned mercenaries by itself only increased his interest.

  This thing is something else!

-“You got me, kiddo, I’m impressed! But don’t underestimate me! I can still kill you with one shot!” the mage threatened, aiming the strange-looking device at Rudo.

-“Only if you can hit me!” Rudo boasted.

-“Bullshit! You think you are faster than a bullet?!”

-“No! But I'm faster than you!”

-“Then make my day!” the mage replied eagerly.

  The dragon and the mage stared at each other for what seemed an eternity for the poor girl watching, her heart pounding so loudly she wondered if any of them could hear it beating. Nina knew her fate was at the stake, trying her hardest to prevent Rudo from fighting such a formidable foe, but without success. It was rather clear that both of them were more than eager to best the other. She mentally cursed Rudo for this massive exercise of stubbornness and futility, as they could have easily just run away with her riding on his back, leaving the wizard behind with that breathtaking speed of his. But No! The fool chooses to face him instead!

  Please, Gods! Help him!

  Rudo leaped with such explosive force he left behind a gigantic cloud of dirt and dust, flipping his body mid-air to connect the mage’s body with the mightiest kick possible, only to be left awestruck when he hit nothing but thin air. The mage already expected an attack like this, contorting his upper body out of the speeding dragon’s path, dodging his attack at the last possible second. Their eyes met just briefly, and Rudo saw in them the confidence of someone who knows exactly what to do. He landed several yards away. Nailing his claws on the ground, drifting across the dirt to reduce the momentum and come to a halt as fast as he could, creating yet another cloud of dust. He saw the mage pointing his weapon in his direction in the corner of his eyes, much to his shock.

  A deafening thunder echoed through the deserted village, making Nina jump in the air from the sudden thrill, falling flat on her butt and scaring her soul out of her body. Rudo could barely react to it, tilting his head out of the way with lightning-fast reflexes, dodging the fiery projectile just barely, feeling it grazing his cheek.

  It was exactly at this moment that Rudo realized that he might have committed a big mistake.

  This guy is something else!

  Rudo charged again at full speed, changing course every few steps to make aiming for his foe as hard as possible. He used one of the still-standing stone buildings to propel himself forward with a powerful leap, surrounding the mage, landing right behind him, but the mage had already turned towards him, aiming his weapon with breathtaking quickness and precision. Another thunder echoed through the buildings, making Nina almost wet herself again. Rudo swiftly crouched, dodging the blast at the last instant, feeling the shot pass right over his head between his quills. Although this time he had enough leverage to charge undisrupted. He changed direction again after a few paces, just in time to avoid a third blast that grazed his tail.

  Rudo leaped again for yet another attack. The mage jumped out of the way, rolling over his back and avoiding the mighty blow by mere inches. He then fired three shots in rapid succession when Rudo was still airborne and unable to move. Rudo saw the flashes and the smoke of the mage’s blasts, immediately contorting his body, making him spin mid-air violently, and feeling the fiery bolts dangerously graze his body, only missing their mark by the most stupid amounts of sheer luck.

  The wizard aimed his weapon again after Rudo landed a few yards away, but a loud metallic click betrayed him, alerting Rudo that the mage’s weapon was now empty. He charged headlong, but the mage pulled another weapon from his back with outstanding speed, pointing it at him. Rudo saw the imminent danger, trying to come to a desperate halt, carving the ground under his feet, forming another cloud of dust, and launching innumerable amounts of debris towards his foe, disrupting his aiming. Rudo jumped above the dust just in time to avoid the mage’s blast that hit the ground he was standing on just a moment ago. The wizard looked surprised, perplexed. Not only had the dragon evaded all of his attacks, but he also wasted all his shots and left him in an extremely disadvantageous position, with his foe right in front and above him, and ready to attack.

  He was now completely at his mercy.

  Nina watched the entire battle without batting an eye, trembling in anguish, holding her breath, and praying to the Gods. Now she could finally see a spark of hope as victory was near. Rudo twisted his body, hurling the mightiest kick yet aimed directly at the mage’s head, anticipating a gory result. The momentum of the kick was so brutal that Rudo made a complete flip in the air when he missed his target after the mage moved his head out of the way at the last possible second. The gust of wind after the kick was so powerful that knocked his hat out of his head. Rudo crashed violently over his back, flinching in pain, creating yet another cloud of dust. The mage grabbed him by the arm, stepping on his neck, completely restraining him.

 

  Nina’s heart stopped.

 

  The mage then holstered his weapon and opened a small port in the device, ejected a small metallic cylinder out of it, produced a new one from his bandolier, and inserted it in the same place where the spent one used to be. All in amazingly quick succession, using only a single hand. He then took the device out of his hip holster, sliding the rotating mechanism against his forearm, indexing it in the correct position. He pointed the now-ready weapon at Rudo, who could only stare back in disbelief.

-“Did you really think you could win?!” the mage asked shouting. -“You’re not the first dragon I’ve fought! The first one that talks though!”

  Rudo tried his hardest to free himself from the mage’s grasp and tell Nina to escape, but the mage held him fast. Stepping on his neck, preventing him from even speaking. The wizard tricked him into growing overconfident, thinking that he had the upper hand at every moment when, in reality, it was the other way around. Rudo fell head-on in his trap, and now he had him exactly where he wanted.

  And he was about to pay the ultimate price.

-“You're good, kid! I have to admit I'm surprised!” the mage said with a joyful voice. -“But I must take the girl... and this... has to end” he continued, changing his tone to a sinister one.

-“I'm sorry...” he said, pulling a small lever from the device with his thumb, getting it ready to fire. -“Nothing personal”

 

  Clank!

 

  Rudo heard the bluntest metallic clank possible, immediately feeling the mage’s grip loosening. The mage fell to his knees, holding the back of his head with his hands for the excruciating pain. A second, much louder clank sent him face-first right to the ground, unconscious. Rudo immediately pulled himself up, sitting on the ground, desperately trying to catch the breath that the wizard deprived him of. He then looked up to find out who his savior was, only to find a tearful girl standing right next to where his foe was laying, shaking violently, holding an iron cauldron that she salvaged from one of the razed buildings just moments ago on her trembling hands, in the verge of tears.

-“You… saved… me!” Rudo said between breaths, panting rapidly.

  Nina dropped the iron cauldron, racing around the mage’s body, wasting no time kicking the strange-looking device out of his hands as far away as possible. She then turned towards him with a concerned face.

-“Are you alright?!” she asked.

-“I am! Thanks to you!” Rudo replied.

-“I'm so glad!” she replied, throwing herself on top of him into a tight hug, relief washing over her soul. Letting the waterfall gates open, and finally breaking down in tears, whimpering powerfully.

-“Why did you do that, you damned fool?! You could have died! What I’m supposed to do if something happens to you?!” Nina said between sobs, struggling to pronounce the words correctly.

-“A spit shake means you never break your word, remember?!” Rudo replied, looking at her, embarrassed and confused in the same amount by such an unexpected reaction, having never experienced anything like it, and completely at a loss of what he was supposed to do.

  His noble yet childish, almost stupid willingness to uphold his word no matter the costs deeply moved her, warming her heart. She couldn’t blame him for it, as she recalled even Knights were also guilty of the same. Thanking the Gods once again for sending Rudo to her rescue. If last night he had proved his courage, he now also had her complete trust.

-“Please don’t do that again!”

  Nina kept crying for a few minutes more, embracing tightly the strange creature that she could now dare to call a friend. Together, they accomplished something that many people, including her, believed impossible: defeating a mage in combat.

  As she looked at said mage twitching in the ground, trying to awake and regain consciousness, a single question popped up in her mind.

 

  What the hell do they want from me?

 

  She would find it out soon enough.