How to Ride a Dragon Without Dying

Not just any creature could be summoned.

Only something that resonated with me… or at least matched my power.

"High Magic Entity…"

I gathered magical energy and let it settle on the ground. A triangular rune appeared, glowing as the wind howled through it.

"Be summoned!" I clapped my hands.

POOF!

…

I opened my eyes and looked around—where was my familiar? Did it not work?

Or maybe it was invisible? An invisible saber-toothed tiger, perhaps?

Something rustled in the grass.

I looked down and…

…saw a tiny blue snake. It was squirming awkwardly.

A mana wyrm? Damn, it was tiny.

Yep. Expectations versus reality, right there.

I picked it up. The little lizard barely fit around my finger. It couldn't even crawl properly—just wobbled in circles.

Then it started to glow faint purple. I felt it feeding me a small, almost laughable, amount of mana.

And to think I used up nearly all of mine for this freak. Compared to that, you're practically useless, little guy.

I walked through the corridor back to my room, playing with the wyrm in my hand.

Oh well. I passed the test—that's what matters. Of course, Dean's going to laugh his head off when he sees my "familiar."

The wyrm started squeaking. I think its tiny head was spinning from me tossing it around.

I plopped it on the windowsill and went to sleep. Let morning deal with this tragedy.

That night, under the moonlight, the scales on the wyrm started to click softly. It twisted around, like it was trying to stand.

The next morning.

I woke up to panic and shouting.

…What the hell is going on? Why is there screaming first thing in the morning?

"Oh gods, where did that thing come from?!" Mei Stark shrieked.

"We don't know! We just saw it too!" the maids yelled.

"Damn it…" my father cursed. "Then what the hell is a DRAGON doing here?!"

I quickly got dressed and ran outside. Peace evaporated the moment I saw the giant blue dragon by the fountain.

A twelve-meter monster had pinned the family against the wall. Its roar nearly shattered their hearing. Lirael covered her ears and shut her eyes in terror.

"Where's our damn high spirit?!" their father yelled. "Maids, find Atheron!"

But the maids couldn't even move. They were frozen in shock.

"I'm here! What happened?!"

The whole family looked at me. Even the furious dragon from the annals of history.

"Atheron! I don't know why, but I have this weird feeling… that this cutie is YOUR doing!" Meliora shouted.

I froze. Our eyes met. Eyes like those of an ancient lizard.

Could it really be you? You grew up overnight. I bet you'll get even bigger one day.

"Atheron, don't forget! Summoning a familiar is one thing. It won't accept you until you prove yourself worthy!"

Otherwise, I'll die fighting my own summon. I'd heard the stories. One in a hundred summoners dies to their own familiar.

I dropped into a battle stance.

The dragon turned to me, moving with precision.

"Still mad at me after yesterday? I'll be honest, I'm not great at making friends. Being with me won't be easy."

I stepped toward him slowly. When I reached out to pet his head, he snarled.

"Oh, so you changed your mind? No easy path for me, huh?"

He soared into the sky. His jaws smoked with blue vapor.

I bolted from the palace grounds, sprinting into the forest. The dragon followed.

BOOM!

Blue flames erupted from his mouth, setting the ground ablaze. A moment later, a beam of fire blasted out.

It was so huge, it incinerated trees in moments. Sorry to the rabbits and birds caught in that blast. I'll pray for you later.

Right now… I had to survive.

I ran like hell. I could barely dodge the beam. Its path was impossible to predict.

"You're like a hormonal teenager—full of mood swings."

He stopped breathing fire. Now he dove at me, jaws wide.

I jumped aside.

"Alright, I get it! Say 'hi' to your familiar, and he burns down a forest in response."

The dragon's roar echoed all the way back to the palace. They watched our battle from the gates.

"God help me, I'm going to lose my mind…"

"Father, trust him," Meliora said.

"First a dragonslayer, now a dragon… Sweet daughter, you DO realize summons can't summon other summons, right?"

Meliora froze.

"Huh? Oh… right! I forgot!" She smacked her forehead. "In that case, Atheron is clearly an exception. See? My sweet little sister Lirael is never wrong."

Meanwhile, the dragon and I crashed through thick trees. I could feel him flying right above me. He couldn't see me, which gave me a chance to catch my breath.

Then I heard him crash into the thicket. A few trees behind me.

I'd never held my breath so hard.

Then… I felt it. The urge to run. No idea why. Just pure instinct.

And I trust my instincts more than anything!

I leaped forward. A second later, every tree behind me was sliced clean through.

When I turned back, I saw it.

He conjured a giant sword in his jaws and wielded it like an axe.

You've gotta be kidding me.

I ran. The dragon swung the sword, mowing down trees in bunches.

Screw this, I'm gonna die at this rate!

"Energy Beam!"

I summoned a rune that hovered in the air and fired a beam. The dragon dodged.

It bought me a bit of time.

When he looked back, I was gone. Silence filled the forest.

He crept forward, sword slicing through branches with every step.

Guessing where I am?

SPLAT!

A crystal shot at him from the side. He blocked it with his sword and pounced toward the spot.

Nothing.

"GRRRRAHHH..."

Another crystal from the other side. He chased again. Still nothing.

In fury, he began slashing everything, spinning like a whirlwind.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw me running across the bushes.

"GRRRRAAAHHHH!"

He shot into the air, giving chase.

I knew where to go. Unlike this overgrown gecko, I remembered the geography here. If I ran straight ahead, I'd reach…

The dragon drew close, jaws ready to strike.

I suddenly turned mid-jump and thrust out my palm.

"Witness the Light!"

FLASH!

A sudden burst of light and steam blinded him. He flew into a dense thicket and crashed into a web of vines.

He couldn't move. No matter how hard he struggled.

These vines were special. This forest's magic made them ancient and alive. Long ago, the native yaks used to feed on them. Now…

"These vines are poisonous, buddy. Struggle too much, and the toxins kick in. You'll sleep forever."

They wrapped around his wings, claws, and neck. He stared at me, furious at my trap.

"Wanna get out? Then accept me."

The dragon roared like a hurricane. His scales glowed brighter, blue steam fuming from his mouth.

He was going to burn it all down.

Oh no. Not this again.

Don't tell me… I have to fight this thing to the brink of death?!

I ran. The dragon torched the forest in seconds and broke free from the vines.

"Hey, come on, who wants grilled summoner for breakfast? Let's talk feelings instead! Group therapy, maybe?"

The moment I felt his sword slice inches from my back, I realized I should shut up.

"Alright, here goes nothing!"

No matter the situation, I always knew one thing:

This forest had a cliff nearby. Beyond those trees… a canyon.

No plan. Just instincts. Or I'm toast.

Too soon… Not yet…

The dragon gained on me. Barreling forward like he wanted to end me.

Through the trees, I saw light. Beyond it, nothing. A drop into the unknown.

Was this going to work?

If I miss—I'm dead. If he refuses—I'm dead. But if everything goes to plan…

"Now!"

At the last tree, I jumped. As high as I could.

Before me was a canyon of an enormous deep. The horizon vanished in the mist.

For a moment, the world fit in my palm.

In the next instant, the dragon burst into the canyon after me.

I landed on his back and held on for dear life!