The Flames of Progress, Pt. 2

There was something hypnotic about staring death in the face.

“COTTER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” I heard Calilah shout.

I was trying to ascertain what exactly was wrong with it, my duke.

It didn’t look anything like the intelligent creature I saw that fateful day on the wayward carriage. It looked feral, its eyes were blank…

Were those… metal juts poking around its skull area?

Yes… yes, that tracked. And if I know my fiction tropes like I do… this was the classic “one-sided, non-consensual mind control” special.

“It’s being controlled!” I yelled. “We need to target its head!”

“No shit!”

“No; around the skull! We need to destroy the mind-control device!”

“What nonsense are you sputtering about?!”

Ah, right. To the average fantasy noble, technology having that sort of capability was as believable as “tax cuts for the poor.”

"Again—do you trust me?" I pressed.

He looked ready to burst a blood vessel, but finally snarled, "Fine! COTTER—LOOK OUT!"

I spun around just in time to see the dragon's jaws splitting open. Light blazed between its teeth, getting brighter and brighter!

Calilah shoved me hard. He planted himself between the dragon and us servants like a human shield.

I screamed. “Calilah!!”

Fire erupted past the windows in a roaring torrent, carving molten scars through the marble floor! Calilah slammed his palms down, magic circles blooming around his hands.

The barrier snapped up just as the flames reached us.

[Major Magical Barrier] activated!

"Grk…!" He grimaced, dropping to one knee as the fire hammered against his shield.

The torrent finally ended. I peeked over the shimmering barrier at the dragon outside.

The dragon blew smoke out of its nostrils before deciding it was bored with us. I flew off.

"There's one good thing about this mess!" Calilah declared, sweat beading on his forehead. "It's not targeting civilians. We just need to keep its attention on us!"

Wow. Talk about noblesse oblige.

"Right!" I said. "So... how exactly do we do that?"

Calilah shot me a look that could melt steel. "I was hoping you'd have the answers!"

“Just because I’m good at one thing doesn’t mean I’m good at everything!!”

Suddenly, the doors burst open behind us.

I turned to see if it was an enemy. Instead…

Mother Martha?!

Calilah's jaw dropped. "Not that I'm complaining, but how did you get past the guards?!"

“I sufficiently convinced your Court Mages to let me up here.”

A veritable team of elf mages soon appeared behind her, all wearing the same attire.

"Dear boy,” Martha continued, “Posteria's Chosen go through extensive training. A few palace guards were hardly an obstacle."

Right. Sometimes I forgot Martha was a powerhouse. Which made her willingness to throw herself into chains during that mess of a corruption scandal—purely for politics and keeping the orphanage safe—so damn incredible.

"Mother!" I called out. "We need to trap the dragon inside the palace walls so it can't hurt anyone outside!"

"Ooo, it’d be fun to let loose once in a while!" She beamed. "But I want something in return..."

Calilah nodded frantically. "Anything!"

"You'll let me visit the palace to spoil you rotten!”

“What?!”

“We can't have our youngest Duke go without proper pampering once in a while~!"

I went slackjawed. As expected of Posteria’s chosen! A master tactician always gets what she wants!

He sputtered, then swallowed a gallon’s worth of spit. "Okay, yes! Fine! Whatever!"

"Wonderful~!"

She stepped to the shattered windows and raised her hands.

“Court mages, onto me!”

The mages nodded once and raised their hands in unison.

BEAMM!!!!

[Ultimate Cast: Magical Barrier!!]

Golden light erupted from their palms, washing over and around the entire palace and its surrounds like liquid sunlight. In the center of the shimmering dome, Posteria's Crest blazed!

"Cotter, dear," Martha said. "This spell is hell on my back and requires my complete focus. Make sure our scaled friend doesn't interrupt me while I work!"

She winked.

"Remember your training~!"

Great. No pressure at all!

I racked my brain; I had exactly the spell for this situation. I just needed the dragon to hold still long enough for me to pull it off.

A [White Flame] aimed straight at the dragon’s dome.

This was it. My first real test.

I'd pushed through everything up to now, even when I was scared out of my mind! I'd suffered through training even though I knew—knew—that my friends would always have better killer instincts than me.

I'd buried my dreams of starting some quiet business in this new world, keeping my head down and staying safe, because letting my friends down wasn't an option.

What was one more impossible obstacle?!

“Calilah…" I began. "Make sure everyone is safe. The nobility, your father, everyone!”

“You are going out there, Cotter? Alone?! You’re insane! My father can take care of himself!”

“Well, I have one more trick up my sleeve! And that banks on me getting a clear shot.”

I decided to give the duke no room for argument as I sprinted downward. I turned toward the door before my courage could fail me.

“Cotter!” Calilah shouted. “I’ll do as you say, but you die out there, I will wait until the afterlife to personally haunt your arse!!”

I will keep that in mind!

\\

I burst through the palace doors into the courtyard, my boots skidding on marble debris. 

The dragon loomed above. Its iridescent scales gleamed and reminded me of my mortality.

Okay, Cotter. Just get its attention. Simple.

I raised my hand and fired an ice block straight at its massive head.

THUNK.

The dragon's enormous eye swiveled down to me like a spotlight finding its target.

I'm going to regret this. But screw it.

The beast's head turned fully toward me, jaws parting slightly. I could see rows of teeth the size of swords.

I wanted to pee myself. My knees were definitely shaking, but in this situation you can pay attention to little else that what was in front of you.

I drew on everything I had, feeling that familiar surge of power… the one that felt like it came from somewhere in my Crystal blood.

My ultimate spell. The one I'd never dared use at full power since that fateful dawn in the orphanage.

I aimed directly at the mind control device strapped to the dragon's skull.

[Major White Flame!!]