Chapter 101: Death of A Warrior

It was the first time in a while since I got to chat with someone, other than Amelia. This is the first person that has coherent speech. The language we spoke has not changed a bit in thousands of years.

I took my watch out in the middle of our conversation to show him how to tell time. It also gave me an excuse to check the time. It was nearly five in the… who knows…

"So that's how you check time nowadays?" The dragonslayer said, intrigued by the device.

"We have also changed our ways of transport," I began to explain. "We now use horses to travel, along with striders,"

"Those small creatures?" He chuckled. "It must be quite easy being so small and nimble. Especially when you can ride on horses,"

"Well, recently we moved past horses for long-distance travel," I curl my lips into a prideful grin.

"What may that be?" He asked, curious about the newest inventions.

"Steam locomotives, a creation by yours truly,"

"Explain more,"

I felt a sense of Deja Vu as I began to explain the workings of a steam locomotive. It feels like I've explained this more than a few dozen times now.

"Wow… this is truly fascinating," He gasped and held his mouth. "And you are the one who made it?"

"Yep!"

"Truly! A genius!" He clapped and praised.

"Since you've asked me a lot of questions, may I ask one now?"

"Ask away," He laid back on the wall behind him.

"What is your name?"

"Asim," He answered right away. "Asim Ur"

"Asim Ur… Such names are rare nowadays,"

"What is yours?" He asked me back. "And your dragon's?"

"Artorius, Artorius Dorman. King of Faunus Kingdom," I answered him back. "My dragon is Amelia. She is only a few months old,"

"King…" He said softly. "Do you rule the humans?"

"I only rule a portion. There are two kingdoms for an empire. Each kingdom has a king,"

"Who is the other ruler?" He asked, getting eager to learn about the new world.

"Alyssa Meyer," She is a newly crowned queen, after her father's death,"

"Did you kill her father?"

"Yes,"

"Did you have an honourable reason?"

"Yes,"

"Would you… care to explain?"

"Of course,"

I began to explain to him the family trouble we have had since the beginning–since Grandfather Erik. He listened to my long tale with great interest.

He was most fond of moments where death and killing is mentioned. His warrior mentality showed. He only knew murder and death.

"How tragic," He said as I finished the tale. "You two must have poor relations,"

"Not anymore," I sigh in relief. "We made amends and she understood my reasons,"

"That's… very well,"

He suddenly seemed much more melancholic and down than before. As if he was reminded of a past he wished to forget.

"Is there something on your mind?" I asked him, hoping to lend him a helping hand.

"Yes, there is," He said truthfully. "There is something I regret even after a thousand years,"

"Speak, if it gives you any solace,"

"It was my tragic tale, it is what turned me into the dragonslayer I am now," He began his story.

Before he could start, Amelia quickly turned into her fox form. The dragonslayer was surprised at first but held the questions back for now. Amelia came to me and curled up next to me, listening along to his story.

"I was once fond of a woman, a beautiful woman. Dalila was her name. I have liked her since we were mere children. To cut out the unnecessary details, she met an unfortunate end,"

"How did she die?" I asked, being too straightforward.

"In front of my eyes. I saw her fight against a dragon. Before I could reach her… she was being burnt alive by the dragon,"

"And you swore vengeance?"

"Yes…"

"You are really stupid,"

"I… agree,"

Even though I should not be lecturing about vengeance, I've learnt it the hard way. He must've learnt as well before going into slumber.

"Did you meet anyone like that in your life, Artorius?" Asim asked me back.

"Someone like Dalila…" I muttered.

Even though I've lived a life before and currently living in this one, I haven't found someone I'm very fond of. Only one person comes to mind and that's Kathlyn.

"Not really," I answered. "There is someone but… I'm not sure what Dalila was to you,"

"Dalila was someone I loved, someone I swore to protect with my life," Asim spoke softly. "She was the sun in my rainy days,"

"Very romantic," I teased.

"Do you not have anyone you wish to protect with your life?" Asim asked the same question, albeit worded a bit differently.

"Someone I wish to protect…"

The only person I wish to protect right now is Amelia. Since her birth, I've protected her identity as a dragon… though I have let it slip a few times. She is someone I swore to protect.

"Does Amelia count?" I asked the wise giant.

"What do you see her as?"

"A daughter,"

"That's love," He smiled joyfully. "It's love between a father and a daughter. A father will do anything for his daughter to be away from harm."

The concept of love had gone over my head, even in this life. I was never in love, never felt any love. Especially after living alone, I hadn't felt my parents' love.

"Well, anyway. I suppose you still have a life to live. For me, I've hit the end of the road. After blindly jumping into this vengeful journey to avenge my love, I find myself defeated by the very creature that I swore vengeance on."

He tried to make humour of the situation, hoping to thaw the ice that had built up. I gave him a petty laugh to break it.

"On the bright side, you became quite the notorious being for the time, right?" I said, trying to brighten his mood.

"Of course, but there was no way to fill that void in my heart… if I still have one that's beating,"

"You're still breathing, right?"

"I can't tell," He said while holding onto his chest, hidden behind his armour.

"Take off your armour and check,"

"I think I know the answer,"

"How so?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I should be dead. But a necromancer had kept me alive and told me to fall asleep. I must fulfil the foretold future. If I do not, my afterlife will be misery,"

"I… see," I tried to make sense of his words. "So you are dead?"

"The necromancer must be dead too, but his magic stays until I'm killed,"

So all along, I've been talking to a zombie. I've heard of undead and necromancy, but I haven't seen a real case of it.

To think that my first encounter with an undead would be a first-generation human…

"Do you believe in the afterlife?" I asked him, hoping to give him an answer he would prefer.

"Is there a God of death?" He asked

"Yes, there is. He's called Mori,"

"Then I believe,"

"In the afterlife, I believe the two of you can meet," I told him in a hopeful voice, giving him a joyful smile.

"If that's true, I can die in peace,"

"Before we can finish our conversation, I wish to ask one more question,"

"Please, do ask," He smiled at me. For the first time, this wasn't creepy or disgusting.

"Was there a prophecy about another landmass, another world beyond the sea?"

"I cannot give a definitive answer, but there is a library in this labyrinth. There are scrolls and books of old. Most of them are prophecies made by intellectuals. Perhaps they can come to use of you,"

He pointed behind me towards a wall. There must be a secret door at the wall.

"How do you open it?"

"One of these blue torches is a lever. If my memory serves me right, you have a better chance at finding it opposite the door,"

"I appreciate your willingness to cooperate with me," I said as I stood up. "This was a conversation I will look back to in the future,"

"There's no need to be grateful to an undead like me," He lets out a hearty laugh. "If anyone is to feel gratitude, it should be me. You listened to my sob story before I would pass,"

"It seems we both have helped each other in a way. Even if you are a zombie, I must pay my gratitude to someone who has blessed me with such wisdom,"

"Enough with our goodbyes, let's get this over with," He said as he looked up at the ceiling. "Let your dragon kill me once and for all,"

I turned to Amelia and nodded. She understood the task and began to change forms. Asim watched as Amelia's body went from a fox to a dragon on four legs, standing above him and looking down.

"It would be the most pleasure if you claw my neck off clean. That is how my love died,"

"Do as he asked, Amelia," I ordered her while holding my breath.

Amelia understood the task and stood on her hind legs. She winded up her arms and slowly walked closer.

She took a good look at the foe who had pleaded defeat. The irony of watching the last dragonslayer be killed by a dragon… is amusing. Bringing an end to an epic saga.

"I bid you my fondest of adieu, Artorius. May you find your answers in the library. If there is a heaven, I wish to watch you from above," Asim said with a soft and mellow smile on his rotten face.

"May you find peace in the afterlife, Asim,"

With our final goodbyes, Amelia tore Asim's head from his body. He was staring at me as his head came off from the rest of his body, rolling far away.

No blood came out, as expected. His body was rotten and the blood was dried. His undead hands became lifeless, his final body part to lose any sign of life.

Thus, it brought an end to his story. The story of the last dragonslayer. A poetic ending, which I saw happen before my very eyes.

"That's the end of him," I said while proudly holding onto my hips.

"A most desired ending to his life," Amelia added. "Thanks to him, we found our way,"

"His journey has come to an end. But the wisdom he bestowed upon us, started our journey,"

"To find new land beyond this,"

I walked towards Amelia's tail and climbed on top. He said the torch opposite the door.

If the door is to be behind me currently, it should be one of the five torches in front of me.

There are five torches in this section. But there's only one directly opposite of the door.

"That torch," I commanded Amelia while sitting atop her head. "Even if that's not our ticket, we can keep going around and trying them all,"

She obediently followed my orders and walked closer to the torch. The closer we got, the hotter it felt. The heat from the torch was blistering but I would have to pull it to test it.

"Here goes nothing," I said as I balanced on her head and stared at the blue flame.

I bit my lip and grabbed the torch. My hands felt as if they were melting, but I powered through. One mighty pull and I would have my answers.

The torch dislocated from its place and broke off. The metallic handle was too fragile. This was not the lever.

"Seems like this will take longer than I wished," I said as I threw aside the torch.

***

"Let's… keep… pushing…" I managed to speak out through my exhaustion.

"Take care of your energy," Amelia suggested. "Your body is using all of its energy to regulate your temperature. The more energy you have, the faster we can work,"

I lost count of how many days it could be. But I can estimate that at least two days have passed since we began fighting. Once we find this library, we can take a break.

After another gruelling search, we were down to the final few torches. But, I was also brought to my knees due to the heat. I would have to think critically if I wished to not die of heat exhaustion.

"Let's go for the one over the proclaimed door," I told Amelia. 'We can save me the torture of trial and error,"

"On it," Amelia said as she skipped past the last few torches.

She stopped right in front of what I hope is the lever. It showed great promise already. I could feel that the heat was less intense, this must be the one!

"Here goes nothing," I said as I grabbed the torch,"

A clicking noise echoed out as I pulled on it. The flame turned off and stayed in place.

"That's it!" I exclaim, overjoyed by the ending of the torture.

The rumbling of stones came from below as soon as I pulled the lever. The walls that were once together, are now parted in two as they slide open.

Amelia gently lets me down from her head. She quickly turns into her fox form, as usual.

I've noticed that she has begun to get more used to her dragon form. Not only that, she's also becoming used to changing back and forth. Before it used to be a grand ordeal. Her body glowed and a blinding light covered her

But now, it's a quick process. Whenever she feels the necessity to become a dragon, she switches to it. When it seems suitable to become a fox, she becomes a fox.

Though, I've noticed she lacks other transformations. As we began walking towards the path that opened, my mind gets filled with questions and thoughts on how to improve her.

After the doors had opened, it led down to a dimly lit staircase. It was lit up by normal-sized torches this time. Strange considering this was made around the time when humans were gigantic.

"Amelia, how do you turn into other creatures again?" I asked her as we started walking down the dim staircase.

"If I eat a creature whole, I can turn into the creature,"

"Does that mean if you eat the Asim, you can become Asim?"

"I'm… not sure…" She said in a feathery voice. "I don't think it will work unless the body has blood,"

"Right, his blood dried up years ago,"

As we went lower, I began to ponder what kind of animal she could turn into. A mammoth perhaps? It would be beneficial to me, especially for moving heavy objects.

Her biggest advantage is flying. It can be helpful to make her into a flying predator.

An eagle? A hawk? Anything that can fly high and have sharp eyes. It would do me well!

The staircase, which at first seemed never-ending, finally came to an end. It didn't take as long as expected. What lies before it, was a shocking sight.

A well-lit hallway, one that can fit the humans from ancient times, lay before us. Still lightened with torches and candles–even after a millennium had passed. Quite a shock.

"Woah… This place is so cool…" Amelia marvelled at the library.

The hallway led to a circular room. In the middle was surprisingly a normal-sized desk with normal-sized books.

"Let's check it out," I told Amelia before picking up my pace.

The desk might have answers that I sought. The prophecy that Asim talked about.

As I entered the circular room, I was shocked to find out the walls were not just simple walls, it was full of shelves. Each wall of the shelf was filled with books to the top.

"This is amazing… This must be a sort of codex,"

A library of ancient wisdom… Filled with ancient books. This place… it's worth more than cities.