A Slave to Falsehood [part 2]

The knight limped towards Gyric's Den.

Compared to the obscurity of mist, a forest void of life, black trees populating in every direction with no end, the dragon's den of the slumbering dragon was far more beautiful.

Almost incomprehensibly more beautiful.

Sodifery noted that it must be the experiences he had and the losses he faced during the time spent in that treacherous forest that the view of granite and basalt beside the pastel colours of the seashore just seemed tickle his sore heart.

He feels the wind passing lightly, a soothing touch on his skin which lead to a cave facing the sunset. At the entrance, there were hexagonal stones of different heights, pieced together like a puzzle, stopping all water and waves from reaching inside.

Sodifery took nimble steps up the cavern. The sun was a glowing, red circle nestled between grey clouds.

Perhaps, the sandy breeze blew something in his eyes, but his vision became a blurry mess until all he saw was a blurry acrylic painting.

'…I'm sorry for dragging all of you into this.'

The geometry of cooled lava housed wildflowers that were rare and difficult to find, he recalled that they grew in harsh environments and replenished little mana. As far as he could see, the entire entrance was filled with these flowers. It reminded him of something he had seen before.

As he walked inside, guided by the golden hours of the sun illuminating deep inside, his mana, energy, and cuts healed slowly.

However, he couldn't shake off the empty, decrepit feeling inside him.

'What do I have to do?' He asked the Light Deity after the 'Dragon Slayer Ceremony'. Of course, he already knew, but there was nothing wrong with getting clarification from the Light Deity itself.

'Can't you see I'm busy? You seriously don't know?' It spoke similarly to the granny who took care of him one time. 'You must have lived under a rock, why did someone like you have to be the Dragon Slayer.'

'...'

'You slay the dragon Gyric. What else could it be?' And as if the conversation was done one-sidedly, 'Now leave me alone.'

There was a time he wondered if the Light Deity was juggling jobs or was just really lazy. But the legend in fairy tales was as sufficient as it could get.

There was just one job for the 'Dragon Slayer': He needs to slay the dragon before it awakens- no, it was more precise that he had to stab the sword with the Light Deity's power to weaken the Dragon into another a really long nap. Through a lousy method such as this; catching the dragon unawares made him feel really powerless.

He doesn't know what to call the battles he fought in the Misty Woods. It wasn't that the monsters were overwhelmingly powerful, there was something about the terrain...

Ah yes, he notes, it was a battle of endurance... and time.

At some point on the way, he had wondered why did they have one year? Why did the Dragon Slayer Ceremony began a year before the predicted Dragon's awakening?

Putting the Demonic Dragon Gyric to sleep for another one thousand years, weakening the Dark minions which feed on the power emanating from the Dragon, and pray that the Light Deity returns to choose another Dragon Slayer in time to prevent it from awakening again? Was this the only countermeasure the Light Deity could think of.

Of course, the more he knows the better, but the ball of light was just that and equally as unhelpful. And he did spend nights at the royal library, but nothing there was out of the ordinary. There wasn't even a record of the previous Dragon Slayers besides the line,

'...And so the Xth Dragon Slayer brought peace to the realm for another 1000 years...'

It might be understandable since the establishment of the kingdom was so long ago that there weren't any records of that either. When he asked the Yowan, he didn't know either.

.

As a boy, Sodifery remembered the silly curiosity of wanting to see the Demonic Dragon up close.

The elders and the common folk often mentioned the Dragon Gyric to scare the children into obedience. The more he heard, the more his excitement piqued.

He wasn't the only child who liked the tale of the Light Deity, the Dragon Slayer, and the Demonic Dragon Gyric. As soon as he learnt how to read, he felt drawn to the Demonic Dragon King.

Looking back, even before his parents died and he was left in the care of his uncle, he felt a separation between him and those of his peers.

He would collect pictures from books of the dragon, and when he couldn't do that, he began making copies out of scriptures, creating a mural on all four walls of his room.

It only took one flame and all the burnable paper in that one room to burn everything down.

That day, he discarded his passion. Afraid that it would burn away the lives of others just like his parents.

The reason why he got into working as a mercenary in the first place was to fill a certain void. He would hear the story out of the mouths of local villagers, and when he was breaking into aristocratic mansions, he couldn't help but flip through the books entailing of the same legend.

Then he returned to enlist as a Knight after gaining recognition from hunting down Dark Minions together with the Palace Knights.

He would never have imagined that his wish as a child would come true.

He cursed at himself.

It was as if the child who drew pictures, ripped pages of books, solely of the antagonist, the calamity to humanity, has returned.

The excitement of not knowing anything, the horror when his collection was burnt to the ground, together with the fire that killed his parents… just who exactly did he shed his tears for?

He was a hypocrite. A sardonically happy liar.

The light Deity chose the worst person to become the 'Dragon Slayer'.

---

Nearing the end of the journey, Sodifery walked along the enormous tunnel, one gloved hand tracing jagged walls like the walls of a gothic church. The hexagonal steps raised and grew high, meeting together at the center of the ceiling in an arch. The buttresses which supported the cavern twisted together in patterns reminiscent of flowers.

Ahead, the beam of golden light soon met a large circular door like a vault. It seemed to be made of burnt timber and volumes of melted steel. He thought it might have been locked by an intricate spell.

But as soon as he got close, the ensignias glowed at his arrival, like clogs found in a clocktower, the circles turned slowly at different intervals. It was the most complex spell he had ever seen. And at the same time, he understood how to worked, the same sensation whenever he started using magic.

The spell dimmed but remained present, as if its use was unlimited. However, the door didn't budge. The circular rolled until a small tiny handle attached to a door appeared in front of him. Without much resistance, the door about twice his height opened.

'Let's go inside.' The Light Deity slipped in before him, 'Don't get too distracted with the stuff inside here, they do look tempting but I know you won't take anything from here.'

Momentarily he wanted to ask how would it know, but he was distracted by the view inside.

It looked like a hall purely made from colossal basaltic formations quickly cooled at careful co-ordinations. Like the underground chambers of a castle, even larger than those he knew of gothic churches, the geometric decoration acting as structure continued far deep within.

A long corridoor with rows of columns, made with five of these hexagonal extrusions making up of each one, looked heavily weathered, with weeds and grass, gold and worn books scattered across the floor.

But surprisingly, it was a place which grew these flowers in abundance. What were they called again?

Sodifery reached into his pouch, and took out the handkerchief that he used to wipe down his sword. He thumbed at the stitching in the corner, a small lilac flower reflected in his eyes.

"Amicor-sustia."

The flowers danced at its name and replenished his already filled mana.

As he walked, his steps rattled from the belts and trinkets on his boots and chained armour. It echoed, his breath also sounded loud in his ears.

In the far distance there was a clearing where even the presence of birds were flying around. At some point, the sun had disappeared below the horizon, momentarily enshrouding his environment into complete darkness.

When his feet stopped at the centre of the clearing, another spell was activated, purple lines drew around the circular platform, it spread like liquid seeping into the cravices of the hexagonal tiles, up the columns, and fire lit ablaze inside dangling lanterns.

His steeled shoes hit against something hard, and he picked it up.

Reflecting the light of the torches, a dagger designed differently from what he knew glittered.

He threw it away.

'Coins… chests… cutlery and chalices. There doesn't seem to be any weapons.'

He reached into a pile of dimes, to find a butter knife among them. It glowed faintly as if beckoning him to do something with it.

He threw it against a plank of wood, and it wedged itself into the nook like a bullet.

He put it into his pocket.

'What are you doing?'

"Not much."

.

Navigating through the cavern was fairly simple, the only downside was that there were four storeys and most of its staircases had been destroyed.

It was as if someone had used to live here.

There were lingering Dark Minions in every room, so he had to remember where he has been and where he hasn't while trying to evade their attention.

"You knew the shortcut up the cliff but you don't know how to get to the dragon?"

'That's only because the Dragon Den is a Labyrinth in of itself.' The light Deity explained, 'by default, its set to change every day, so we need to find the room the Dragon is in before it resets.'

"That sounds convenient."

'I don't know if you're being serious or not but just hurry up.'

It was when Sodifery encountered a mist carpeting his feet that he was able to find a certain staircase.

He made his way up, which lead to the floor he had already been through before, but he entered a completely different space.

'Finally, we're here. Took you long enough.'

He made his way through the sea of gold, silver, patches of grass, and more Amicor-sustains.

An artificial light cascaded down, reflecting the shiny surfaces like light separating from a diamond. There were some precious stones here too, but they were all purple in colour.

'It must be the Dragon's favourite colour.' He figured but cursed once again for allowing himself that thought.

"Where is it?" He said.

'There.'

The Light Deity zipped past the hills of treasure, passing through the rays of light, and hovered around the far end.

'Just wedge the sword here.'

He stopped a few feet away from the end.

"There's nothing here."

'What are you talking about?'

"It's just a wall."

Sodifery eyed the Light Deity with tired scepticism.

The Light Deity shook as if it was angry.

'We. Don't. Have. Time.'

"Fine."

He brought out the same sword, drawn a million times on his way here. This will be the last time too.

Sodifery spread his legs into a bracing position, muscles tightening from memory, and in one swift movement, he pierced into the wall with all his might.

then he takes the sword, the light shifting until the whole place lit up, as if possessed, he stabs the sword into flesh, blood gushing, and the dragons eyes snapped open, blood spilling out of its eyes, and rolled back.

He stepped back, looking at the sword wedged deeply into the thick wall, and doubted anything would happen.

The Light deity passed him, almost knocking his shoulder, and imbued more energy into the sword. It glowed and eventually spread out like it was purifying the blood vessels underneath skin.

The surface cracked from the light's penetration, and a glossy surface could be seen from underneath.

'Is that the body of the dragon?'

As he wondered, his eyes followed where the roots of light trailed, far into the darkness.

It wrapped around something larger than the knight and as he reached out for the obstacle, he jumped back from surprise.

The darkness parted, and a large eye, bearing all of its hostility, a black diamond in a circle of a bright colour.

As it stared awake into the depths of his soul, he saw his reflection.

It started with his eye feeling itchy, then his body trembled as if he was cold.

'Huh? What's happening to me?'

A panic stricken face met him through the reflection of the cornea.

Thin black vessels grew from the side of his face and encased his own left eye.

He watched the gaze writhing about and turn dull, the vibrant magenta which looked far more rich than red, rolled up, turning paler as time passed and eventually blood creeped out of its sockets.

A sense of dread came rushing over him. He knew what was about to come but he wasn't prepared for it.

"Erghh- ackk!"

He fell on all fours, forced to face the puddle of blood. He felt a cool sensation from his eyes and nose, and the taste of metal on his tongue.

He was dying.

He fell face first into the puddle and his vision darkened.

All that remained was faint, mocking laughter, and the last sight of the bird perched on top of his head eyeing him with glee.

'Fucking finally.'