Chapter fourteen
A dragon blocks the way
Elizabeth felt herself gently descending through a thick veil of mist and shimmering vapor, her clothing fluttering gracefully around her as if caught in a soft breeze. She didn't pause her descent until the solid earth met her feet with a reassuring thud.
As she straightened up, the landscape unfolded before her—she stood precariously near the edge of a steep cliff, the towering rock face dropping into an abyss of ethereal clouds swirling below. Beside her, Veronica and the other members of their group were catching their breath, their faces flushed and eyes wide with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
"Where are we?" Elizabeth inquired, dabbing at her forehead with a delicate handkerchief, trying to wipe away the remnants of perspiration that clung to her skin.
"I told you — we’ve arrived in the kingdom of dwarves," Veronica replied, a knowing smile dancing on her lips, as though she could read every thought racing through Elizabeth's mind. Cautiously, they navigated their way down the rocky slope, the ground beneath crumbling slightly with each step, until they reached the foreboding entrance of a cavern that yawned open like a dark maw.
Curiosity piqued, Elizabeth tiptoed toward the mouth of the cave and discovered a dwarfish guardian slumped against the rocky threshold, his oversized golden glasses askew on his nose. He intermittently yawned and snorted, his tousled hair suggesting a lack of rest. In his left hand, he tightly clutched a bottle of champagne, the glass reflecting the dim light in an inviting shimmer, while the bandages wrapping around his hand hinted at a recent mishap.
“Sleep,” Elizabeth whispered softly, the word barely above a breath.
In an instant, the dwarf crumpled to the ground, his snores rumbling like distant thunder, echoing off the cave walls. Ecstatic about her newfound ability to influence the world around her, Elizabeth leaped over the slumbering figure, her companions following suit in quick succession.
“Pathetic,” Veronica muttered under her breath as she glided past the dwarf with an air of confidence, her posture relaxed.
“This is easy,” Percy boasted, his voice a tad too loud for the dim, ominous cave, unaware of the unwarranted bravado that hung in the air.
How very mistaken he was.
The dwarf, far from merely sleeping, was just the first obstacle in a series of trials that awaited them. As they ventured deeper into the cave, a sudden silence enveloped them, shrouding the atmosphere in an unsettling stillness. Veronica’s playful whistling came to an abrupt halt, and she skidded to a stop, her finger trembling as she pointed toward the far end of the cave. Straining her eyes through the murky mist, Elizabeth discerned the jagged silhouette of something lurking in the shadows, an ominous presence that sent chills racing down her spine.
A two-headed dragon was snorting on the ground, and ropy, yellowish liquid that smelled a lot like acid was dripping from its mouth, sizzling on the ground. Horrible scars carved through its gigantic, scaled body that blocked their path, filthy, thick vomit flooded underneath it, and cracked, ragged bones that must be its previous victims’ were sticking out from its mouth, revealing repulsive greenish teeth that flickered with dangerous light.
Numerous poisonous snakes slithered over its body, their beady eyes staring right into the intruders.
“Well, this is disgusting!" whispered Penelope, holding her bow, plucking an arrow, ready to strike.
For an awkward moment, no one moved or spoke; all four of them stood there, frozen like statues, as the dragon kept on snoring.
Finally, breaking the oppressive silence that enveloped them, Veronica spoke with an air of determination, “Just walk past it.”
With a steady hand, she unsheathed her slender, pointy sword, its polished blade glinting faintly in the dim cave light. Taking a cautious step forward, she tracked the massive form of the dragon sprawling nearby, its scales gleaming like tarnished metal as it rolled over in its sleep, oblivious to their presence, its rhythmic snores echoing off the cave walls.
Above them, droplets of corrosive acid sizzled and crackled as they fell onto the stone floor below, sending wispy tendrils of steam rising into the air and provoking unease in Elizabeth’s gut. As Veronica and the others boldly maneuvered past the beast, their silhouettes gradually fading into the dark recesses of the cave, Elizabeth grew acutely aware that she was next.
Summoning her courage, she took a hesitant step forward. The oppressive heat radiating from the dragon’s nostrils enveloped her, washing over her like a scalding wave, making her skin prickle with discomfort and the sweat bead on her brow. The heat was intense enough that she could almost envision her clothing spontaneously igniting, while the grotesque visage of the creature filled her with revulsion, twisting her stomach in knots.
Yet, Elizabeth steeled herself, forcing a calm facade amidst the tempest of panic churning within her. With every deliberate stride, she edged closer to the slumbering giant, her trusty dagger clutched tightly at shoulder height. The blade sparkled ominously in the moist cave air, each reflection taunting her with the gravity of the situation. Just as she raised her leg, cautiously lifting it high over the dragon's rough, ridged skin, a thunderous yawn erupted from the creature, rippling through the cavern like a seismic wave, sending vibrations that rattled the very stones around her.
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And what made Elizabeth almost flinch in surprise was that the dragon's eyelids flickered.
She could now feel its dangerous, fiery breath whipping roughly on her skin, a bruise blossomed from her cheek, and her clothes began to smoke. Every scale on its body was vibrating with threats to have her killed nastier, and steam rose from its pale nostrils, turning the air around into an intoxicating perfume. Elizabeth felt she was now trapped on some sort of griddle that was about to suffocate and roast her alive. The blistering wave rushed forward to meet her eyes, and the intake of sultry breath was hard to swallow.
Elizabeth's heart raced as she paced. The thought of jumping felt like a gamble with her very existence, a bet she wasn’t ready to place.
But deep down, as the would-be fearless warrior she aspired to be, she knew she had to conquer her paralyzing fear and act with bravery. With a determined resolve coursing through her veins, she shut her eyes tightly, inhaled deeply, and clenched her fists until her knuckles whitened. Gathering every ounce of courage, she launched herself into the air, hoping against hope that she might have sprouted wings, an improbable but desperately needed asset in this perilous moment. She silently prayed that the slumbering dragon wouldn't awaken at just the wrong time, ready to unleash its wrath upon her.
Unfortunately, her prayers fell upon deaf ears.
The dragon stirred violently, its eyelids snapping open, revealing a fierce golden glare that radiated desperation and hunger. Elizabeth didn’t hesitate; she sprinted with all her might toward the inner cave, the heat of the creature's fiery breath licking at her heels like a hungry flame. She had no intention of meeting her end in this grotesque manner; that simply was not an option. So much weighed upon her shoulders: rescuing Victoria, completing her mission, and shielding her tribe from the clutches of a tyrant.
To surrender was unthinkable; being devoured by a dragon was not how her story was meant to end. Elizabeth could almost hear Victoria’s scolding voice in her head, filled with disappointment over her hesitation, picturing her friend berating her for merely freezing in fear — shivering uncontrollably as the chilling air enveloped her. Victoria had given up so much to ensure Elizabeth’s safety, risking her life in the process. Deep down, Elizabeth grappled with a painful truth: she feared death, just like any other mortal. To be a hero didn’t mean lacking fear; it simply meant confronting it head-on. Yet, who wouldn't flee at the sight of a fire-breathing dragon ready to incinerate everything in its path? Just as panic threatened to consume her, she heard a chorus of echoing footsteps.
Elizabeth spun around with newfound hope and saw her friends charging toward her, their weapons raised high in readiness. In that moment, Elizabeth felt a powerful wave of warmth fill her chest. She realized she was not alone; there were people who truly cared about her, individuals who accepted her for all her flaws. That sense of belonging was a source of strength she never knew she needed.
Percy dashed forward, his sword glinting like lightning as he slashed at the dragon's heavy tail. Penelope swiftly nocked an arrow, sending it speeding through the air with deadly precision. Veronica, her eyes sparkling with fierce resolve, made a wild but calculated attack against the dragon’s armored chest. The dragon, enraged, let out a deafening roar, sweeping its massive tail in retaliation. In a brutal twist of fate, Penelope was struck mid-flight, crashing against the rocky wall with a sickening crunch. The dragon pivoted, its focus shifting to de Angelo.
Veronica, panic-stricken, called out to Elizabeth just before she was smacked into unconsciousness by the brute force of the dragon’s claw. “Your dagger, it was made of dragon essence!” her voice echoed through the chaos, ringing with urgency.
With no time to waste, Elizabeth hurled her dagger into the air, willing it with every fiber of her being. She focused on the warmth that love and friendship brought her, channeling that energy into her weapon as it spiraled toward the dragon. A shimmering, greenish vapor trailed behind, illuminating the dim cave. As the dagger hung just above the dragon's skull — its sole vulnerability — Elizabeth felt an unmistakable heat spread through her palms. She summoned a bolt of energy toward the ground, channeling her strength into a singular point of impact. At that moment, the frost-imbued dagger plunged downward, splitting the air in a graceful arc, targeting the dragon's temple with deadly purpose. The blade undulated as it ripped through scales and flesh, glowing faintly amidst the darkness while emerald blood poured forth, staining the stone floor. The dragon howled in agonizing fury, its cries echoing off the cavern walls as it writhed in pain. Blinded by suffering, it unleashed one final ball of flickering fire aimed directly at Elizabeth, a desperate retaliatory strike.
But Elizabeth wasn’t ready to fall just yet. At the last possible second, a blinding beam of light surged forth from the necklace around her neck, forming a protective barrier just as the fireball soared her way. Shaking from head to toe, Elizabeth glanced down to see the opal embedded in Victoria's necklace pulsating with energy. In that instant, she realized that Victoria had once again reached out to save her, the only one capable of tapping into the opal's powerful magic.
At the same moment, the frost dagger started to react—its dragon essence shimmered on the dragon's bloody skin, and the crystal on its handle sparkled. A brilliant white light burst from the crystal, filling the entire cave with a holy, sacred glow. With a sickening crunch, the cave trembled and shattered under the energy wave.
When the dust settled, nothing but a pile of smoking ash lingered where the ferocious dragon should have lain. And only the tranquil dagger remained on the ground, as if nothing had happened.
Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder and stared tentatively at her friends; though covered in mud and ashes, they beamed at her with warmth.
Cautiously, she stepped forward and picked up her dagger.
Suddenly, a line from the prophecy floated into her mind: "Fetch the crystal in waves of heat."
She looked down and found the crystal glowing softly in her palm, shining with a golden light.
Curious, Elizabeth asked with a quivering voice, “What exactly is this crystal?”
Percy spoke briskly, "According to the prophecy, it should be one of the jewels we’re searching for.”
Elizabeth looked at Veronica, her eyes sharp with focus.
She didn't say anything, but merely smiled.
And Elizabeth suddenly understood why Veronica had given her this dagger in the first place.
It was not a coincidence.