In the Dark

“Shall we be a little adventurous, Princess?”

That was what Caramello asked Chiffon the next day, as she was deciding what request to take upon. In his hand, he flapped a paper towards her, suggestively.

Chiffon didn’t even need to see the writing to know that he had chosen something rather difficult. Where he stood next to the board was normally reserved for veteran adventuring parties.

Something that a dabbling princess wouldn’t normally invest in.

Given her abilities, even dungeons where the most fearsome beings dwelled would be a cinch. But Chiffon hesitated, considering that there was more to consider than just monsters. She never liked the feeling of isolation when one traveled through labyrinths. It was a venture ill-suited for that of nobility as she associated such dreary places with brutes and thieves.

Chiffon felt no need to prove herself in such a manner. Partaking in the chance of gaining rare materials – that was a venture for those who wished to compensate for their limits. Magic stones, fine metals, and unique components – they were the treasures of the aspiring commoner.

Yet, such fancies were of no use to royalty that had it all.

Chiffon balked at heavy armor that encumbered her movements. She rarely found the glint of metal to be pretty, and enemies could hardly scratch her to begin with. The mallet that she carried around was more priceless than the entire inventory of a store, made of adamantite and magically enchanted to shrink upon command. Its portable size made it cute.

The dungeons were of no interest to her. She preferred to be in the light.

A flower basked in the sun. It danced upon the breeze and spread its colors for the sake of people taking notice of its existence. What use would it do her to bloom in stifled corridors and dark walls?

“Oh? Does my lady fear the dark? Do you need a hand to hold while spelunking?”

Caramello could see the hesitation on her face. He could see past her excuses – the jittering of her knees spoke of her anxiety, not pride. It was not that she found it pointless to go. Rather, her heart felt tight at the mention of it.

Chiffon marched over and snatched the paper in his hand. A familiar name of caverns not far from the capital convinced her. A hand clamped upon her shoulder, a warmth reminding her that she was no longer alone.

“Then… you would go with me?” she meekly asked, uncharacteristic of her nature before.

“Why, I would imagine that you need not my company, as your strength is greater than any beast told in fairy tales! But since you asked, I will gladly be by your side, cheering you on and penning your tales.”

Caramello’s words were encouraging, stroking the confidence that she normally had and fanning it into the unknown. Only with him were the excuses cut away. Fear turning to excitement, the chance to try something new – Chiffon wondered if his teasings were meant to goad her forward. At some point, it no longer bothered her.

“Then, this job will do.”

Caramello nodded, smiling at her acceptance. The gentle touch of his hand upon hers had sealed the deal. She wouldn’t fear the darkness, not with someone at her side.

Early that afternoon, the two of them were walking down a narrow corridor, Caramello carrying a magic torch to light the way. Chiffon gripped her mallet in front of her, carefully listening for any sound other than their clacking footsteps.

Even if she could dispatch every foe with an effortless swing, the atmosphere was her true enemy. But a smile from her knight gave her a sense of relief each time as she turned toward him. Little by little, even the subtle actions of Caramello became a source of comfort.

“The sighting of it should be nearby,” Caramello said after nearly an hour of walking. But then, he stiffened, causing Chiffon’s heart to jump. “Do you hear that? We are close.”

Closing her eyes, Chiffon could feel a rumble, distinct and unnatural. For many, it was a beacon of danger. But for her, she was merely relieved that she could face the beast and be done with their task.

Not one to be discreet, Chiffon raced ahead toward the noise. The faster it was dead, the sooner she could exit this dingy, dark cavern. Her loud footsteps bounced around the walls, and as expected, the rumble in the distance grew noticeably louder.

It was aware that there was company. And suddenly, a roar whipped at Chiffon’s ears. A glowing set of red eyes appeared at the end. It could see her approaching. The magic torch carried by Caramello behind her cast an outline of her figure.

That was enough incentive for the walls to quake. The glowing eyes blinked in the darkness and grew larger and larger with each appearance.

And then, a large, scaly mouth burst out of the darkness – the snout of a land dragon. It could swallow Chiffon whole, but only if she let it.

Seeing the monster before her, Chiffon swung her mallet in an arc, clipping the dragon slightly upon its closing snout. A charging dragon against a swinging mallet – the beast had every confidence that it would win, until the sight of jagged teeth sprinkled upon the ground and its jaw erupted in pain.

The land dragon tried to roar but its broken jaw hung limply. The smashed bits choked its face as blood dribbled from its lips.

Chiffon was not scared of it. She had fought some above ground before. The sight of her injured foe lifted the fear that she had before. Clarity by the light of a torch gave reassurance. Walking forward undaunted, she brought the mallet up and caught it in the chin this time, throwing the dragon backward and onto its back.

It no longer moved as Chiffon walked around the large body. One gaze at its head revealed merely whites of eyes. The skull was set in an awkward angle, unnaturally crossed with the neck. Seeing this, Chiffon gave a sigh in relief.

A monster in the dark was no stronger than upon the surface. Chiffon felt like she had conquered her fear. A pair of hands clapped at her handiwork.

“Well done, Princess. Land dragon request fulfilled.”

“Then, shall we head-”

Caramello suddenly drew his sword, which he rarely did unless he sensed trouble. “It seems like that one isn’t alone."

Chiffon looked further down the tunnel, seeing more pairs of red eyes appear. Two, four, six… until an entire horde seemingly was present. Strangely, she licked her lips, an action noticed by Caramello.

“Let’s go and have some more fun, shall we? Surely, you aren’t satisfied with only one, Princess. There’s even enough to share with me as well.”

Nudging her forward, the two of them raced side by side toward the escalating din of growls. As the sounds were nearly on top of them, the walls widened into a large room. Shiny scales reflected the glow of the torch, all across the room.

They had stumbled upon a dragon’s den. But the smile on Chiffon’s face made it seem like a banquet instead. The two of them parted ways, striking at the nearest one.

A heavy smash tossed one dragon into the wall, where it fell to the ground lifeless. Away from her, another dragon roared after she heard two quick slashes, followed by two more to cut off its scream. The dim cavern should have given the dragons’ better eyesight a distinct advantage, but the two simply followed the red eyes without fear.

The rumble of rock and splatter of blood joined the roars as the two made quick work of the beasts.

By now, Chiffon could feel herself grinning ear to ear, the scent of blood heavy in the air. Her heart raced, and suddenly, she realized.

These walls hide feelings bottled up.

Chiffon’s steps became less cautious, the distance from her foes cut shorter. She could almost feel a voice in her ears whispering.

Indulge in it all! Tear away the darkness around you!

Her mallet greedily slammed downward, crushing a dragon’s spine. Blood spurted out and splashed against her bare legs, but she ignored it and turned to the next. The outlines of the dragons made her feel like she was fighting shadows. And as she stomped upon one of them, she felt no guilt. It was like a child’s game – harm done to the formless, echoes of shrieks long past.

Despite her hesitation before, she was loving every moment of it. Each swing of her arm brought a sickening crunch, and with that, release. She wasn’t the prim and proper princess that had to watch herself. She was free and unleashed.

Her eyes glowed red, just like the dragons. It was enough to bring fear to the beasts if her strength hadn’t already done so. The bloodlust was a callback of nostalgia, a mind that had been forced silent for six long years.

Suddenly, Chiffon paused. Her eyes widened, and she wondered.

Just why did I hold back all this time?

“Oopsie.”

Chiffon flicked her head toward the ominous clatter of an object, recalling that she was a princess with company beside her. And suddenly, she wished she hadn’t lost herself in the moment. Blood rolled down her dress, brutality soaking in where reason had faltered. At some point, she had even forgotten about her knight.

Caramello had stumbled, unused to fighting in such an environment. The magic torch clattered on the ground until a dragon stomped on it. The cavern fell into instant darkness.

“Caramello!”

“Worry not, keep fighting! I just need a moment to pull out a spare!”

A cold chill ran up Chiffon spine. But as red eyes pounced on her, she swung and heard a familiar crunch. More eyes lurked, hoping that their chance would come. Chiffon swatted more away, but fear continued to grow.

Where is he? Where is Caramello? Why hasn’t he lit the torch?

Moments ticked by with growing panic. She called out to him between swings, her voice no longer contained. It didn’t matter anymore if she sounded scared. She didn’t want to be left behind. Not in the dark. Not where she couldn’t feel his hand.

Please answer! Please, please, PLEASE, PLEASE!

She worried – because Caramello was a commoner. Even if he was a skilled knight, his body wasn’t reinforced by the Gods. It was still mere flesh, easily torn by the sharp claws of a dragon. He was not like her. He wouldn’t survive the dark. And then, she would be alone… again.

A flash of memories hit her. A voice on the other side of a wall, a single hand grasping hers in the darkness. It was not herself that she feared for, but him. She was special. She was safe. But not him! Not him!

The sounds of ripping could be heard. Chiffon felt a tug of her clothing. Prickly teeth dug into her skin, but they might as well have been gnawing iron. With a flick of her wrist, she knocked the dragon off. But soon, more teeth dragged across her body.

Fingers tried to hold her down in the darkness. Drool spit upon her existence. Like people that wanted their way with her. Its malicious touch scoured her body until she could bear it no more.

“GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME!”

She spun around, slamming dragons to the ground, crushing them against the wall. She would kill them; she would kill them all!

And then, brightness ignited the room.

“Princess!”

The figure of Caramello sliced through the air, cutting into a dragon. But then, two more showed up, taking out another set. Tears welled up in Chiffon’s eyes as the three Caramellos merged and separated with each attack, confusing the dragons enough for a deadly combination to slit their throats.

Blood dripped from his side, an unlucky hit within the darkness. He gritted his teeth while clearing the enemies in front of him, a strong sense of purpose in his eyes.

There was no question that her dress was ruined and that she was covered in dragon blood. But unlike him, she bore no injuries at all. The dragons’ attacks couldn’t pierce a Royal’s reinforced skin.

Yet, she curled up into a ball, simply watching as Caramello shaved away at the rest of them. His gallant figure confidently drew arcs of death with minimal effort, like he was unbothered by his injury.

The sight was mesmerizing. Chiffon placed a hand over her heart, which was still pounding as furiously as ever. Her body had begun to cool from the adrenaline rush before. Despite that, the beating of her heart never slowed. It made her wonder.

Is this what it feels to be protected?

Again, Caramello had covered for her. Came in her time of need. He didn’t need to; he merely needed to escape. She would have done something eventually, and merely, awoken to a den of the slain. But Caramello wouldn’t have been hurt that way.

Soon, the last dragon had given its last roar. Caramello flicked the blood from his blade before stumbling to his knees. A pair of hands caught him before he fell the rest of the way.

“Heh, I had to get a little serious there. If two can’t handle it, then effort for three it is!”

Caramello cocked a smile at her, but Chiffon could only stare at the dark stain that was growing across his stomach. She tried to be proud, but her voice came out shaky.

“You’re hurt! You needn’t go so far! I was perfectly fine! See, no blemishes at all!”

“I believe that it is my fault for suggesting that we spice up your casual strolls of monster hunting. I’ll be sure to adjust accordingly next-”

Caramello coughed, choking out a bit of blood. He keeled over and passed out. Panicking, Chiffon looked around, wondering what they could even do in the middle of a dungeon. That was one of the dangers of being out of sight. A sense of helplessness almost struck her. But then, she recalled.

“La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo! Come out now!”

The five mysterious ladies that served as her guards appeared instantly.

“Please tell me that you carry some form of treatment.”

Chiffon’s tone was almost begging, though she kept her lip from quivering to hold onto her pride. The five of them nodded, causing Chiffon’s expression to brighten.

“Please, treat him. I order you to.”

A bottle of elixir was brought to Caramello’s mouth, where he swallowed some of the liquid. At the same time, medicated ointments were spread across the wounds on his body. A large gash drew across his stomach, while numerous cuts around his arms and face trickled blood. He had not been able to dodge the attacks in the dark. That was likely why lighting the spare torch had been delayed.

Fortunately, he was in good company. The salves quickly worked their magic, sealing up the wounds incurred. Before long, Caramello’s breathing grew steady. He was patched enough to be in stable condition.

“Why did you not come to our aid?” Chiffon asked her guards, who merely shook their heads.

“Your Highness was in no danger.”

“But Sir Caramello being injured did not count?”

“Our duties pertain only to you, Your Highness.”

“That hardly seems fair….”

But then again, Caramello was committed to proving that he was capable of being her protector. He had vowed to be the ‘Try Hard’ that she so teasingly named him. And now, the thought of him being injured for her sake left a pang in her heart.

She sighed, wondering if her twisted sensibilities were at fault. If it was, then she would need to change. Just as Caramello had stood beside her regardless, she could no longer pretend that he mattered nothing to her.

She put away her mallet, hoisted up Caramello like a princess and headed toward the dungeon exit. It was the least she could do.

And if he happened to wake up in such a position, his expression of bewilderment would simply taste lovely.

She blew on his face lightly to push the hair from his eyes, all the while hoping that he would stir.