Chapter 18: To Mardel

“Janbo, Raki, wake up. Breakfast is ready,” Reimei called out.

I stirred awake, feeling Janbo still curled up beside me, fast asleep.

With four of us sharing the tent, he had been forced to take the middle spot, squeezed between Lily and me.

Looks like Zid was the first to rise, I thought, noticing his pillow neatly tucked away in the corner.

“Still asleep?” Zid’s voice came from outside.

“Raki’s not really a morning person,” Lily answered with a small laugh.

“And Janbo probably slept longer after stuffing himself last night”, Lily added.

“Bau,” Janbo gave a soft bark, signaling he was already awake, just unwilling to move yet.

A familiar aroma drifted into the tent, pulling me up.

As I stepped outside, Lily handed me a wooden cup filled with steaming curry soup.

“Here, Raki. Curry soup.”

Right, I remembered giving her some curry roux blocks last night.

“I think I still have a couple of fresh loaves, well, they’re still fresh,” I said sleepily, pulling out two loaves of bread and a bag of cured meat.

I passed them to Reimei, who arranged them neatly on a wooden plate.

“We should head for Mardel after breakfast,” Zid said, his expression unusually grim.

“I had a bad dream last night,” Zid added.

“What kind of dream?” Lily asked.

“I saw the town of Flogas was burning,” Zid replied

“That’s… quite an ominous dream,” Reimei remarked.

“If we leave immediately, we can probably reach Lahir by today,” Zid suggested, clearly uneasy.

“Then we should go,” I replied.

After finishing our hearty breakfast, we packed up the camp and prepared to set out for Mardel.

“Raki, are you done storing everything?” Lily asked.

“This is the last one,” I replied as I tucked the short knife into my divine gacha inventory.

Suddenly, the ground dimmed under a vast shadow.

I glanced upward and froze, the sky was pierced by the wings of a massive red dragon, flanked by two smaller ones circling above.

“Grrhh…” Janbo growled, muscles tensed.

“Wait, Janbo!” Reimei called sharply, just as he crouched, ready to pounce on the crimson giant hovering in the sky.

The red dragon landed heavily several meters away, while the two smaller ones remained in the air.

“Wait! I’m not your enemy!” a young woman’s voice rang out.

She slid down from the dragon’s back and approached us cautiously.

“My name is Silvia DragonHeart, a dragon tamer and daughter of Hekken Dragonheart, leader of Flogas,” she introduced herself, her tone steady but urgent.

Her blonde hair and emerald eyes glinted beneath a red cloak as her eyes locked on Zid. “Are you Zid Lightflame?”

“Yes, I am,” Zid answered.

“I see, Father Damian’s description does match up perfectly, silver hair with black cloak”, Silvia stated.

“You know my father?”, Zid asked worriedly

“Your father is in Mardel with the surviving residents of Flogas,” Silvia explained.

“He suffered severe burns while fighting the Death Dragon, Urzuz”, Silvia added

Her next words struck us like a hammer blow.

“My Flogas has fallen and the Death Dragon, Urzuz is nesting on it right now”

A heavy silence hung in the air before she continued, “My father and the adventurers of Flogas are holding the line at Lahir.”

“But it’s only a matter of time before that very defensive line will fall”, Silvia stated with a sad voice.

My chest tightened.

Flogas… gone. And Lahir became the last defensive line.

I thought we were facing a Zombie Dragon, did I mishear? A Death Dragon… Urzuz.

Lena’s worst prediction did happened, I thought.

“Silvia, where are you headed now?” Zid asked, keeping his composure.

“I’m on my way to Ethra,” Silvia replied firmly.

“I must deliver a message to High Priestess Selena Seres, to erect a divine barrier strong enough to halt the advance of the tainted dragons," Silvia added.

She looked directly at Zid.

“These are the instructions of your father, Damian Lightflame”, she continued.

“Do not worry. Your father’s condition was stable last night, he is not in immediate danger,” Silvia said after noticing the worry etched on Zid’s face.

“But I need to secure some Blessed Water and a Blue Lily Potion,” Silvia added.

“Silvia, we were sent by Guildmaster Rion Skyfrost,” Reimei said.

“We have both Blessed Water and a Blue Lily Potion. Can you take us to Mardel?” she added.

Silvia hesitated, her expression conflicted. “But…”

“Silvia, take them to Mardel. They might be able to help,” a firm voice interjected.

An unfamiliar man stepped forward, his eyes briefly settling on Janbo.

“We will deliver the message to High Priestess Selena and Master Rion,” the man continued.

“Understood. I’ll leave it to you, Uncle,” Silvia replied, handing him an Orbiter. “I’ll take them to Mardel, then head for Lahir.”

“Let’s go, Albert,” her uncle commanded, and in an instant, the smaller dragon and its rider followed him into the skies.

“GRUAAAAHHHHHH!” The red dragon released a thunderous roar, its gaze locked on Janbo.

“Grrrh… ruff!” Janbo growled back, bristling with defiance.

“Lily, Zid, and Reimei you should go with Silvia,” I instructed firmly.

“Janbo and I will follow later to Mardel,” I added.

Before Reimei could mount the dragon, I handed her a Solaria Potion. “Take this.”

“Make sure you come after us,” she said with clear concern, glancing back as she moved toward the towering red dragon.

As Silvia and the others soared into the sky, Janbo and I remained on the ground, the clearing suddenly quiet except for his low growl.

“Bau?” Janbo barked softly.

“Orbiter,” I uttered, summoning the device. I placed a hand on his head.

“It’s alright. I know there are things you can’t stand”, I stated.

But how are we supposed to get to Mardel fast, I thought, asking myself.

I hesitated, then asked, “Janbo… do you have a spell or magic that can make you larger?”

With his current size, the thought of riding him seemed absurd, unless he had such magic.

“Bau, bau!” Janbo barked sharply.

Then he tilted his head back.

“Awoooo!” His howl echoed through the clearing, and before my eyes his body swelled, his frame tripling in size.

“Woof.” He gave a low bark and bent down, signaling for me to climb onto his back.

Now towering at half the size of the massive red dragon, Janbo looked every bit like a beast born to rival it.

“Bau?” He glanced at me, his eyes gleaming, as if asking, Are you ready?

I gripped his thick gray fur and lowered myself carefully onto his back.

“Head that way,” I pointed, aligning the Orbiter in my hand.

Expecting a rough, bone-jarring ride, I clenched his fur tightly.

But as soon as Janbo surged forward, I realized my worries were unfounded.

His stride was smooth, almost like gliding across level ground, even as the world blurred past with the speed of the wind.

We neared the edge of the forest when Janbo suddenly leapt.

Startled, I looked down, only to realize he was no longer running on the ground.

He was running through the air itself.

Or more precisely, he was riding the wind.

High above, I spotted the red dragon’s wings cutting through the sky.

“Bau!” Janbo barked defiantly, eyes locked on his airborne rival.

I could feel his body tense, then accelerate, he was determined to reach Mardel before the dragon.

The race has begun.

For nearly fifteen minutes, we streaked across the sky and land, the great red dragon and Janbo neck and neck.

The dragon roared, “BUOHHHHHHH!!!” shaking the heavens, and Janbo responded by pushing harder, wind currents surging around us.

But the moment the settlement of Mardel came into view, Janbo slowed.

He carefully tempered his speed, not wishing to endanger the people below with the violent gusts his run produced.

The red dragon crossed over Mardel’s wall first, Janbo following close behind.

As soon as I slid down from his back, Janbo’s form shrank, returning to his original size.

Reimei stood there, staring at us in awkward disbelief.

“We did follow,” I said, trying to let Reimei know I just did as I promised.

“Serafina, guard the skies,” Silvia commanded, and in response, the red dragon spread its wings and ascended, circling watchfully above.

“Follow me. I will take you to Father Damian,” Silvia instructed firmly.

We moved quickly behind her, matching her long strides.

As we passed through the settlement, my eyes swept over the people around us, many bore burn marks across their skin, while others carried fresh wounds, evidence of the recent battle.

Silvia finally led us into a modest house.

Inside, a man sat upright on a bed, his body wrapped in heavy bandages that covered the burns across his frame.

His hair, the same silver as Zid’s, caught the dim light.

“Dad!” Zid’s voice cracked with worry as he shouted.

Despite his condition, his lips curved into a gentle smile the moment his gaze fell upon Zid.

“It has been a while, son,” he said warmly.