canons and roses

My heart skipped a beat as a familiar tone reached my ears, reminiscent of the past. “that tone..did you hear that leslie?”I asked excitedly

The recognizable strains of Canon in D echoed faintly in the air, and without a moment's hesitation, I followed the sound, drawn irresistibly to its source.

“wait!”leslie called out but I just run away determined locate where the sound is coming …which is something linked to my real world

But then…. I stood in a bustling town square, my surroundings filled with the clamor of townsfolk.

Murmurs rose like ripples—pointed glances, hushed giggles, elders fanning themselves as if I’d walked in wearing sunlight itself.

Now I felt like a peacock in a barnyard. Is it really because of this stupid dress? I walked through the crowd, feeling the weight of curious gazes upon me. People must have noticed the lavish gown Earl had bought me—it certainly stood out against the modest attire of the townsfolk.

“Great” I thought, tugging at the silk sleeves of the gown

“duel between a dragon and a dragonkin? ” i heard a woman chattering

“Excuse me may i know whats going on?”i asked I froze mid-step as the words sliced through the chatter

“theres gonna be a duel between dragon and dragonkin”

My breath hitched. The crowd around me surged like a living current, all streaming toward the town square—excited, feverish.

"Did you not know?" said a vendor nearby, wiping sweat from his brow. "The duel’s in the arena near the castle. Everyone says it’s over some ancient blood oath—one of them isn’t even supposed to exist.

“My heart pounded. Dragon... dragonkin... Earl? The name echoed again in someone's hushed tone: "Earl… that cruel prince who is an absolute racist?”

Suddenly, I wasn’t just annoyed anymore. I was afraid. And I had to get to that arena—

I rush to the location and see a large and imposing structure ahead. The arena is massive, and I immediately feel the energy and tension surrounding this place.

My eyes widened in shock as I saw who it was…..nior I tried to run as close as I can when I felt something grabbed my hands

“are you nuts or what???”leslie said as sigh” his majesty is here.we can’t be reckless good thing I followed you “

“How could they do this?….”I thought as I clutched my first looking at poorly dressed nior walking closer tied in heavy metal chain and a metal collar around his neck

He doesn’t seems to be cautious about his current situation. Calm as ever he just stood up in front of the crowed.

But something was wrong.

His long silvery locks were now stark, inky black—the same deep color as the night sky. was now cropped just above his shoulder , like a raven’s wing… and most shockingly, And worst of all... his horn? The elegant, spiraled horn that was a crowning glory, a mark of power...it was gone

Release the dragon!!”The man yelled and the bars from the other side slowly moving up. a dark shadow appeared “is it really dragon?

The crowd cheered up as the heavy metal bars acting as a barrier between the crowd and the creature behind it slowly lifting up

"A duel between a dragon and the dragonkin is to be held! This duel is to the death, The stakes are high - freedom for the winner “said the acting arbiter

The crowd is roaring with excitement and anticipation, and I can see that they are all eager to see who will come out victorious in this fierce and glorious battle. The crowd is on the edge of their seats as the duel commences and I am at the edge of my seat with them

The duel is announced and a powerful dragon appears from behind him with sharp horns and fangs. This dragon is not one to be taken lightly, but Nior seems to not care. he doesn't seems to be bothered at all.

“Poor nior “ The two participants, Nior and a dragon, stand in the center of the arena and face one another.

The dragon's mere presence is enough to strike fear into the hearts of all who behold it, and it seems clear that this duel will be an intense and epic battle.

“The crown prince earl is the one who organized this kind of fights for entertainments. However, this one seems kinda different” granger said “Earl did what??”

“Yeah this is where they make dragons fight and kill each other but now he's sending a person to fight with a dragon 100 times bigger than him without any weapon!!"he added

I am surprised by this information and it's clear from leslies tone of voice that these duels are not simply for sport, but for something much more serious.

These battles between powerful creatures are not for just for fun; they are deadly and brutal affairs. I feel my fear and anxiety begin to rise once again - what if nior loses this duel? Will he be killed by this dragon?

leslie nodded

That’s cruel “I said in disbelief and covered my mouth "What is he doing??" I though as i watch Nior stand frozen in confusion and inaction, not even attempting to draw any weapon on the ground. He looks like a deer in headlights

The dragon is breathing fire all over the battlefield, destroying everything in its path. The flames are spreading quickly and the heat is intense, but Nior seems to be too clueless to make any movements at all

What is more shocking is that within blink of an eye ,the dragon pop out of nowhere and attacked nior spiting fire all over the battle area Everyone on the crowed gasp in shock I'm afraid that the dragon could have killed him. After witnessing how the dragon destroyed everything in its path

My heart is pounding and I'm terrified, but I refuse to just stand by and watch as someones life is put in danger like that.

”Nior!!”Without realizing it, I called out his name as loud as I can as my voice echoed throughout the hall

The fire slowly turns out blue and there goes nior , not knowing what to do- silently staring at the dragon who is about to execute its second attack. Without any second thought I made my way into the crowed and run straight into nior as i rush over and try to pull him away from the dragon. When he heard my voice he slowly turned in my direction “It’s you Amelia….”he said in a soft voice as he flashed a gentle smile on his face

“What are you doing here?!” At the moment he didn’t do anything however I felt relief Thank god he’s okay

“You found me” he added " Nior says, pulling me close and hugging me tightly. He seems so relieved to see me and it makes me feel relieved too.

“No you have to get out of here “I yelled as I turned around to see the dark shadow “It’s dangerous “I added as I reached out his hand and drag him away I can hear the crowed whispering. All eyes are on me loud footstep approaching.

i immediately went into different direction while dragging nior with me before the dragon smashes its tail down on the ground just close behind us. The sound of the dragon's tail hitting the ground is loud and powerful, and it's clear the dragon is incredibly strong and dangerous. It is incredibly quick and I have no doubt that if we would have stayed put for even a second longer, it would have smashed us with its tail!

but I'm also relieved that we were able to get away before being crushed.

I looked for leslie among the crowd and saw

leslie raised his rifle, aiming steadily at the dragon. Suddenly, a glowing magic circle flared to life before the barrel—and with a sharp crack, a bullet surged forth unlike any other, charged with raw magical force.

The moment it struck the air ahead of us, an invisible barrier shattered violently—glass-like shards exploding in all directions as Leslie lunged through,

We watched in amazement as the barrier, which had previously been invisible, suddenly shattered in thousands of fragments, revealing the true reality

Breaking the spell that had hidden and protected everything. Silence split open… and now, there was no going back.. "leslie !!" I yell excitedly as I see him run towards us with a rifle in his arms. I am relieved that he's here to help

Leslie once again aimed his rifle at the dragon, and suddenly, a magic circle appeared, followed by the sound of bullets being fired.