Episode 5: The Miracleworker (Part 3)

"Goddammit!" I cursed with all my being as the heavy claws of the dragon zoomed past my face and then raked against the thick ice behind me.

It shrieked, in what I assumed to be frustration, as its eyes darted to track the tiny morsel that I was. My legs shook. Clearly, my instincts were working really hard to keep my alive.

Meanwhile, my companion remained carefree.

"Oh, finally! This is getting exciting," Mr. Han shouted while he reclined on a chair and dipped his fingers in a popcorn bucket. "She didn't introduce herself so she's a feral dragon. Keep your eye out."

Scratch that. He was entertained.

"Remember when I said, I'll bounce when I feel that my life's in danger?" I yelled.

The shadows suddenly shifted. And as I turned around, I managed to duck just in time as the dragon's tail zipped above my head and crashed against a nearby wall.

"I'm feeling pretty dead right now!"

"You don't really think that!" he laughed. "You know how to kill a dragon! Come on, Dragon Slaying 101. Recite the book to me."

The dragon unfurled its wings and with one quick flap, the wind boomed and shot like a cannon towards my direction. Shards of sharp ice and rubble blew past me as I hid behind a stationary ice wall.

Meanwhile, Mr. Han simply put up one hand and the rubble dropped to the ground just inches before it reached him.

"Fine!" I shouted and rummaged through my bag. After a while, I found the item that I wanted: a glove-like contraption made out of leather straps, cogs, and other mechanisms. I quickly inserted my arm into it and pulled the leather straps to tighten it around my biceps.

The dragon, obviously unaware with the concept of waiting, lunged towards where I was with its deadly maw. Feeling the sudden shift in the air, I immediately rolled out of the way and all its mouth could chomp was a massive block of ice.

I grabbed the last piece of the contraption from my bag: a giant dark nail. I immediately inserted it into the contraption. And finally, I have a weapon.

"Ah! Great to see that my toenail clippings are finding good use in the Department," Mr. Han chuckled.

"I could've lived my entire life without knowing that," I quipped.

"Well, enough joking around, Roberts. Come on, start slaying this dragon!"

I groaned internally as I jumped away from another swing from its tail.

"Dragon Slaying 101!" I started. "Preamble: Dragons are inherently prideful. So either prepare to kill one, or die trying."

The dragon shrieked and climbed up the walls to gain a better vantage point. As it did, giant chunks of stone and ice tumbled down and shook the ground. I immediately ducked behind another large pile of rubble to delay it from seeing me.

"What one weakness you specifically have when fighting against one?" Mr. Han asked.

"The wind's volatile since the dragon's wings disturb even the magic in the air with every flap," I replied and took out a shining ball from the bag. "But I can still use it. Can you pass me my hoverboard?"

Mr. Han reached out inside his sleeve and chucked the board towards me. The dragon immediately saw the sudden movements and dove towards my direction. However, before its body slammed into the ground, I managed to climb onto the board and send myself flying above it.

"Next!" Mr. Han shouted again.

"A dragon's ultimate weapon is its breath," I replied.

As I said that, the dragon opened its mouth and produced a clicking noise. Suddenly, my skin crawled as the mana in the air got pulled into the giant maw below me. The mana gathered into a ball that produced a cool, blue glow that grew bigger and bigger with every mana that the dragon gathered.

I smirked.

"But it's pure magic so one anti-magic grenade to the mouth should disable it for a bit," I said and took the glowing ball I grabbed earlier.

The dragon arched its back and dug its nails into the ground. Its breath was about to fire. But before it could, I pressed the button on the ball and threw it into its mouth.

The breath met the grenade. Then, deafening silence.

The green burst of anti-magic met the icy blue breath and ground it to dust. It also evaporated all magic around the dragon's face and sent it reeling instinctively.

"And now, for the finale!" Mr. Han stood up from his seat and glued his eyes for what was about to unfold.

"Only dragons or higher beings can hurt dragons," I yelled as I let gravity take me towards the dragon's neck. "So use weapons made out of dragons or by higher beings to hunt them."

With the nail leading my descent, and with the dragon's mana control temporarily disabled, I used a burst of wind to increase my velocity to reach the speed of a bullet. The boom from my magic attracted the dragon's attention, but before it could react, the nail plunged itself within its scales and drew the first blood. It shrieked in pain and thrashed violently in an attempt to get rid of its attacker. But without it noticing, I already used the sudden gust of wind from its tantrum to get away from it.

"All that effort for a drop of blood..." I said as I labored to catch my breath. The dragon was still lively while I was already exhausted from pushing down my instinctive fear and controlling mana in this volatile environment. Plus, I had to leave the nail inside it because I couldn't pull it out before it started thrashing.

Mr. Han stood next to me and patted me on the shoulder.

"It's fine, kiddo," he said. "The poison from my nail should kill it soon."

I raised an eyebrow and turned my gaze on the dragon again.

Its energy has been zapped. Its once wild nature was subdued and weakened as its veins blackened all over its body. I reached for us. Clawed towards us. Its once mighty roar was replaced by a pitiful whimper. And as it gasped its final breaths, it snorted its frigid breath towards me.

"Oh, boy..." Mr. Han chuckled nervously.

"What is it?" I asked.

But before I received my answer, the dragon suddenly produced a blinding light. I immediately shielded my eyes.

"What's happening?" I yelled.

"Pride is what gives dragons substance," he said "It's not an exaggeration to say that to live as a dragon is to live with pride."

"What're you going in about?" I pressed.

"No one taught this little one how to live as a dragon..." he continued. "She let her fear of dying win over her pride and because of that, she threw it all away and asked you to let her live."

Suddenly, a sharp, burning pain wracked my lungs. I coughed so violently that I keeled over. The taste of iron filled my mouth as I spat out globs of blood with every exhale of air.

"What's... happening... to me?" I managed to say through pained, labored breaths.

Mr. Han knelt in front of me and gave me a reassuring smile.

"Conratulations kiddo," he said. "You managed to make a dragon surrender to you."

Every strength in my body suddenly left and I crumpled completely onto the icy floor. I felt cold. Not just in my body, but somewhere deeper.

"The connection was sudden so you're in shock," Mr. Han continued speaking but his voice has become a bit muffled. "My poison's also affecting you now so your chances of survival's totally dependent on both of you."

I chuckled to myself. I didn't know that Mr. Han's voice could annoy me even further. But here he was, rambling nonsense as I felt every cell in my body scream that I was dying.

"This is interesting," he continued as he eyed me with pure curiosity. "Reaaallly interesting. I heard humans thrive after a near death experience. Be sure to survive Roberts, alright? I'm looking forward to the growth you could potentially have after this."

With all my strength, I urged him to come closer to me with my eyes.

"Huh? You want to tell me something?" he asked and inched his ear closer to my lips.

"Fuck...you... Han," I weakly muttered with a chuckle before darkness eventually enveloped everything.