~ Chapter 49: A good beating ~

[Alkelios’ point of view]

 Two months and several days went by since I last saw Seryanna... I haven’t seen Kataryna or Kleo either, but I knew they both dropped by this inn from time to time and asked how I was doing.

Whenever I heard Collentra inform me of this, I began to laugh at myself and returned to my room. I didn’t even stay to listen to what else the dragoness had to say, I simply ignored her.

I think it was about a week ago when Kataryna stopped by and told the innkeeper that she would stop paying for my rent. Today was the big day when I was going to get kicked out.

Honestly, I didn’t care... I was a total mess, and I HATED myself for this! I had neither the desire nor the intention to get better.

What was the use of it anyway? I was a human in the middle of a dragon continent where everyone loathed my very existence. I lost the woman I loved because I was an idiot, and to be more specific, I was an even bigger idiot because I, for some reason, believed that I could never TRULY FULLY love her because we were of different species.

Indeed, I was the scum of all scums! I was a malfunctioning product of the human species! I was a failure!

So here I was, sitting on my bed, unwashed since god knew when, with a big grin on my face and a bottle of mead in my hand. That one was just for show, I tried getting drunk once, but I failed as expected. I wore the same unwashed clothes from two months ago. It was a wonder they didn’t disintegrate already.

In this disgusting state, I was going to welcome in my room one of the most powerful dragonesses on this continent: Kataryna Greorg. Today was the big day when she would certainly come over and tell me how much of a failure I was. Why? Because I wished so, and my Luck would certainly make it happen!

Then, finally... the key turned, and the door opened. My heart was beating really fast, and I was frightened, but I had a big grin on my face. The grin of a broken and desperate man... Of someone who believed he had lost EVERYTHING.

Well... with Seryanna marrying Draejan, I did, didn’t I?

When the door was fully opened, I tossed the bottle of mead at her... It broke on the wall, splashing the alcoholic substance everywhere, except her. An ice shield prevented the pungent liquid from touching her fair skin.

I didn’t want to do that... crud. I thought.

“Sooo... Are you here to beg me to give you that baby?” I asked like the worst kind of man on the face of the planet.

I didn’t want to say this! What’s happening to me?! I thought.

Inside, I was in a state of panic, of madness brought to the edge. I was pushing the limits of how low I could get, wondering if I will be able to break it and somehow turn everything upside down. It was that sort of twisted logic my mind was running on.

Two months of seclusion and depression tended to do that to people... Unfortunately, I never expected it to be so bad that one thing I thought and another spoke. Actually, what came out of my mouth was only trash.

“It appears you are doing well, Alkelios.” Kataryna said as she shattered the shield and entered the room.

The frozen mead fell on the floor, and I looked at her from head to toe, but I forced my eyes to stop on her chest.

“Strip.” I ordered with a grin.

“Hm?” she smiled and tilted her head to the left.

“Strip.” I repeated myself.

An ice spike was sent and stabbed at just an inch away from my neck.

I didn’t even flinch. I smirked instead and let that disgusting word escape my lips again.

“Strip.” I ordered.

Kataryna shook her head and let out a sigh.

“Maybe I waited for too long?” she asked herself.

“Who knows? Are you going to strip or not?” I said Please don’t... I thought.

“Tell me... is Seryanna still in your list?” she asked.

“Yes... What of it?” I asked in mocking tone.

“I see... What about me and Kleo?” she asked.

“Yes...” I replied.

“Good...” she nodded.

I moved from the bed and approached her with a staggering walk.

“There’s only the two of us here... I’m young, I can handle more.” I smirked. Someone please punch me... I thought.

And my prayer was answered, Kataryna’s fist came flying straight at my guts. It was such a powerful strike it made me barf all that I had eaten that day.

“You forgot to say ‘please’. Now, I do believe I am the one who needs to apologize here. After one week had passed, I should have known things would end up like this. But I thought of you as a dragon and not a human. For us, it takes a bit longer to reach the pathetic trash-like state you currently find yourself in.” she told me with a smile that sent chills down my spine.

“I’m cough perfectly fine cough!” I retorted and glared at her.

“Really, now?” she said in a mocking tone of voice.

“Yes... I don’t need you, Seryanna, Kleo, Brekkar, or ANYONE ELSE! Just leave me cough alone! I’m a human ain’t I?! Just a fool! A toy for you dragons!” I glared at her and tried to push her away, but she dodged, and I stumbled on the floor.

“I can see that. You are so fine you are living like a swine in a place where the sun doesn’t shine.” she retorted.

“Hah! Good one!” I pointed at her. “So, are you going to strip or not?” I asked her again with a mocking smile plastered on my face.

“First you tell me to leave you alone, then you ask me to strip.” she tilted her head “If I was Seryanna, maybe I would try to comfort you like that, but... I’m wise enough to understand that this isn’t the cure you need.” she smiled.

“And what is?” I asked and then laughed.

I had no idea what happened because the next thing I knew was that I was standing upside down in the middle of the street among a bunch of wreckage. I blinked surprised and looked around at all the startled dragons and dragonesses.

“What the... Ugh! My body hurts...” I groaned.

“To think you couldn’t even dodge something as slow as that. How the mighty have fallen~.” Kataryna said and shook her head.

Following her voice, I looked up, well... down from the position I was in, and saw her walking up to a big hole in the front side of the Brekkar Inn.

This crazy woman actually sent me flying through the wall?! And... I survived? I thought, although I didn’t know which part was more surprising.

“I’m just a bit rusty...” I commented and tried to get back up, but I stumbled on the ground and fell on my bottom.

Bumping into something, I looked back and saw Kataryna standing there with seven Ice Spikes floating behind her. I gulped and jumped out of the way. One of those spikes was stabbed right in the ground where I was at.

“Are you trying to kill me?!” I shouted.

“YES!” she replied with a laugh.

“You are crazy!” I shouted and started running.

“I’m a Breakthrough Awakened! Crazy is my little name!” she shouted and came after me.

As expected, the guards and everyone else was keeping out of our way. Actually, now that I looked better, Kataryna was wearing a chest piece with the emblem of the Third Princess on it. Maybe she put it on in order not to be bothered by the guards and other people. If it was two adventurers quarreling, they would have tried to step in, but if someone like me, who looked no different than a bum, was being chased around by someone who represented a Royal, they certainly wouldn’t have dared to step in.

As soon as I realized this, I tried to run faster, but the spikes she was hurling down at me were no joke. One of them came close enough to scratch me. After that one, I wished hard on the inside that none of them would hit me.

“Stop running and start dying!” she shouted after me.

“No!” I retorted and jumped up on a building.

Running through a crowd of dragons was hard, so I made use of my stats and jumped up on the rooftops. Just as I was about to land on it though, I heard Kataryna shouting behind me.

“An opening!”

When I turned around, I saw her flying towards me with her wings spread open. I tried to block, but before I could even make a wish to not get hit, I was struck. The punch sent me crashing through the rooftop of a building and through the window of another. Several dragons were screaming in fear, startled by the sudden battle.

I coughed and spat out some blood. The punch cut my lip.

Cursing, I pulled myself off the floor, but when I raised my head up, I saw Kataryna standing next to me and grinning. She kicked me as hard as she could in the chest. The hit was so powerful, it sent me flying through a building’s wall and smashing into the giant wall that surrounded Drakaria.

“Don’t worry, the Third Princess will pay for the damages!” Kataryna announced soon after she hit me.

The force of gravity peeled me off the wall, and I fell on the ground with a thud. My whole body was aching from the pain. I coughed a few times before I tried to get up.

Damn it... I don’t remember her being so powerful... Maybe my Luck isn’t working as it’s supposed to? Ungh... I wish... I wish I will get out of this alive... I said in the hope that I wouldn’t die.

Funny how up until now I was looking for death or something to push me deeper into that hole of suffering I was tossed into, and now I was hoping not to die.

“So, do you still want me to strip for you?” she asked with a grin as she landed a few meters away from me.

The dragons around us were startled and ran away, except for one.

“I won’t mind if you strip for me, missy.” a half-drunk idiot replied.

Kataryna didn’t waste even a single second and decapitated him with an ice spike.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” she smiled and then shattered the spike she committed the crime with. “Now, Alkelios... Where were we? Ah yes! I was in the middle of hunting you down!” she nodded in satisfaction.

Is she really trying to kill me? I thought horrified.

Seeing her charge up a spell, I immediately aimed my palm towards her and tried to cast a fireball, but it didn’t come out... No, I didn’t have the guts to attack her.

I cursed, dodged the attack and then ran away as fast as my legs could carry me.

“Come on! It just got better!” she said and then came flying after me.

She grabbed me by the back of my clothes and then flew straight up into the sky.

“Argh! Let go of me!” I shouted at her.

“No. I want you to see something first.” she told me.

“What?” I asked and hoped it wasn’t my life flashing before my eyes.

Strange enough, I wasn’t really that afraid of her. For some reason, I felt like she had the intention of killing me, but she wasn’t going to kill me. At most, I had the impression that she was just going to beat me half to death.

“Look down there.” she said when she stopped ascending.

We were at quite the high altitude. We were so high up, that I saw a flying penguin stroll by us.

“Huh?” I blinked surprised when I saw the tuxedo bird with gigantic wings as it continued on its flight, not bothering with us in the slightest bit.

“Alkelios! Forget that stupid bird and look down!” Kataryna barked and shook me in the air.

“Yes! Yes!” I said as I looked down.

What I saw from such a height, besides the smoke coming from the buildings we just wrecked inside the capital, next to its walls, spreading over the whole field was an army camp. Thousand of tents and multiple campfires covered the land. A couple of training fields were made, and next to the river was the Khosinni Cavalry.

“What’s that?” I asked confused.

“That’s the Brekkar Army now under Draejan’s control. It’s three times the size of the one that went to the Scar Battlefield. However, very few if any of the soldiers who originally participated in that battle are present down there... Most of what you see here are nothing but hoodlums and bandits. The commanders are tough dragons with no brain, and unlike how the former army was, this one doesn’t even accept a dragoness as a soldier, let alone one of a higher rank. They are even looking down on them.” she told me.

“And that’s bad, right? But I didn’t know Brekkar’s army had women in it.” I told her.

“They say no one roars louder than a dragoness who had her tail stepped on. And may the gods have mercy on those who anger a pregnant one. But you didn’t actually believe all those servants who were back at Brekkar were ALL local dragons, right?” she asked with a big smirk on her lips.

“They weren’t?” I blinked surprised.

“Those ‘maids’ of his took out more than half of the bandits that invaded the mansion before Brekkar even joined the battle.” she told me.

“It didn’t seem like that to me... Were they always that strong?” I blinked surprised.

“Yes. Brekkar once bragged to me how all of them were fine ladies who were at the top of his army. The best of the best commanders he could find. The butlers, all of them, were no different either.” she replied.

“Does Brekkar have a maid fetish?” I asked.

Pulling me up, Kataryna then whispered to me “I don’t know, but if you like, one day... who knows...” she then let go.

“Huh? YOU DROPPED ME!” I screamed as I plunged towards the ground.

“Tehe~ Oopsie?” she giggled.

This dragoness was having way too much fun beating me to a bleeding pulp. Well, I had other matters to attend to than being angered at her, and that was to somehow manage to land. At the speed I was heading towards the ground, it didn’t matter how high my stat values were, I would end up breaking more than my legs.

“One day, she’s going to pay for this...” I grumbled as I aimed my hands at the ground and then chanted the spell for [Air Barrier].

I cast several of them on top of each other and prayed to all the gods out there that I wasn’t going to die when I hit the ground.

That moment felt like an eternity and spiked my adrenaline to the max. I clenched my jaw, tightened my fists, and had my whole body tense up like a rope pulled on each side by a team of body builders. My life was at stake in this fall, and the only thing that could pull me through were my magic, reflexes, and hopefully a good judgment.

The landing was anything but pleasant. The barriers shattered one after another until the last one went poof, and I hit the ground with whatever force was left. My hands touched the dirt, and I could feel my muscles screaming and giving away as I slammed with my chest into it. Because I came at an angle, the force recoiled me forward, and I did a spin in the air before landing on my back. There wasn’t enough force for a second bounce, so I was left grinding the dirt with my back. My clothes got all ripped up to pieces, but I still had my skin intact.

My Luck made it so that I survived, but my chest hurt so bad, I felt like I was going to faint from the pain each time I took a breath.

“What was that?” someone asked as the dust settled around me.

“Someone fell from the sky.” another replied.

“Maybe some idiot who can’t control his own wings?” someone wondered.

“Is he dead?” another asked.

“If he’s dead, I’m taking his coins.”

“Hey! He’s moving! Tch!”

As I laid on the ground, groaning in pain, I realized that I wasn’t surrounded by the best the draconian species could offer. With some of the dust clearing away, I could see better where I had just been dropped... It was right in the middle of the Brekkar Army. If what Kataryna said was the truth, then from the once glorious group that marched to save Albeyater from the human invasion only the name remained.

Then... What use does Seryanna even have? was what I was wondering.

“Hey! Who are you?” someone asked.

“Look at his back... no scales.” another pointed out as I got up.

True, the shirt on my back was gone, and my upper body was there for everyone to see.

“Can’t be... a human?”

“Here? When did humans learned to fly anyway?”

I held my chest, my ribs were hurting, and I could barely stand. If these guys thought about attacking me, I wouldn’t be able to do much.

“Ah! Look at that beauty!” one of them suddenly said.

I blinked confused.

I hope he’s not talking about me... I prayed.

Suddenly I realize that Kataryna had descended as well and landed several meters away from me.

“Look at that booty!” one pointed out.

“Are you alone lady?”

“Finally, a female!” another said in an exasperated tone of voice.

“I was getting tired of hunting the lasses that ventured out of the city... Urk.”

The last one who spoke found himself with an ice spike piercing through the middle of his chest. Kataryna didn’t even flinch as she took his life.

“By the gods! She killed commander Prampus!” someone shouted, and all of a sudden the dragons began to unsheathe their weapons and surround us.

“Who do you think you are?”

“Once we beat you nice and well, we’ll turn you into our camp’s whore!”

“You dragonesses have no right to be here!”

“We’ll kill you!”

“We’ll rape you!”

Their shouts were getting annoying to the point where even I was getting mad, but Kataryna wasn’t even flinching. She just stood there and looked at me.

With her strength, she could easily kill all of them... Why isn’t she even threatening them? I wondered.

Suddenly, one of them moved behind her and tried to attack. Out of reflex, I launched an [Earth Arrow] at him. The stone spike went right through his chest and killed the other two behind him, then continued to fly until it stopped, stabbing halfway through a breastplate armor placed on stand near a tent.

I was shocked by this.

“Hey... Did you see that?” one said in a shaken tone of voice.

“Impossible... What power...” another said.

That was... That attack wasn’t supposed to be that powerful. I thought.

When I looked over at Kataryna, I saw her smirking. I gulped.

“Kill that guy first!” one shouted and about six ran towards me.

Surprised, I raised a [Firewall] and cast a [Wind Scythe] with the same strength and speed I used back when I fought against Draejan. Two of them stumbled and slammed into the wall, screaming in pain from the burns, while the others were chopped up in half because of my latter spell.

In the blink of an eye, I had killed another six dragons.

Then I saw another one rushing towards Kataryna, but she wasn’t doing anything to stop him, so I cast a [Water Ball] at him. The moment the attack struck him, his whole body was ripped apart into several pieces. The dragoness raised an ice barrier to protect herself from the flying guts, but she was showing me a very broad grin.

“Was this what you were after?” I asked as I made my way towards her.

At this point, none of these soldiers dared to approach us. I stopped right in front of her, but my chest was hurting a lot, and I felt a bit of blood in my mouth.

She didn’t reply.

“Hey! Who are you? What are you... and who’s that dragoness?” one asked.

I was just staring at Kataryna who wasn’t replying, just grinning.

I give up... I have to give up! I can’t win against you... I just don’t know what you are thinking... You and your mind games. YOU are driving me nuts! There! You won, you silver-scaled dragoness! I thought and then closed my eyes for a second.

To be honest, at this point, my mind was blank.

Kataryna’s perseverance won against the weak-willed me. I said I wanted to die, but I fled like a coward. I tried to push her back, but I was actually begging her to stay. I tried to show her that I didn’t give a rat’s tail about her, but I saved her when she got attacked. If anything, this stubborn and absurdly powerful dragoness managed to prove to me that everything I spat out at her, my whole gloomy and disgusting self wasn’t the real me... My real intentions, my real self was different.

I gulped and then took a deep breath.

“I’m the one who’ll beat Draejan Andrakaryus Doesya to a pulp.” I opened my eyes and looked at Kataryna “And this one is my friend.” I said.

“And?” she asked.

“And my second woman after Seryanna.” I added.

I can’t believe you made me say something so preposterous in front of these idiots! I thought.

“Good!” she then picked me up.

“Oi!” I glared at her.

“What?” she asked tilting her head.

“Really? Princess-carry?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Because you are my cute little princess!” she giggled and then spread her wings.

“You two! Don’t think you’ll get away with this!” someone shouted.

“Hm? I heard a bug.” Kataryna said and then released a wave of cold air.

In an instant, everyone around us for an area of 50 meters was frozen solid. She showed no mercy to these people. She didn’t even look at them as she did this, she just kept staring at me with a big grin on her face.

“You sure do love your ice sculptures...” I commented.

“I practiced a lot when I was younger.” she replied and then jumped up in the air.

We flew away from the camp, while the sudden appearance of the frozen soldiers was met with a lot of ruckus.

To my surprise, I wasn’t feeling worried at all about the consequences of having killed all of those dragons. In modern times, this example of a mass murder wouldn’t have been taken lightly. The whole country would have mobilized to catch the felon, but here, such things depended on a lot of factors. As much as one would have wanted to catch and cuff Kataryna, they were still dealing with a valuable Breakthrough Awakened, meaning that they had to put into balance the REASON why she killed them.

In the end, worrying about their lives was just a waste of time. Thinking that someone would try to make us responsible was all the same as well.

Some time later, Kataryna landed on the shore of a river. I had no idea where exactly we were just that this place was far away from Drakaria, an hour or so of flight distance.

The moment she set me down, I felt my whole body aching again, and the dragoness tossed me a healing potion.

“I don’t need it...” I stubbornly said.

“Drink it, or I’ll make you drink it.” she showed me her fist and a smile.

I gulped it down like a soldier on command.

Once it was over, I let out a sigh of relief and felt my body starting to heal. It would take more than a potion to get me back to full strength, but it was a good start.

“I’m sorry I had to rough you up like that...” she said and sat down on the grass.

I took a seat next to her and sprawled down.

“Between the two us... I deserved it...” I said.

During this flight, I thought about a lot of things.

“I know...” she nodded.

“But thank you...” I closed my eyes.

“You’re welcome.”

A moment of silence followed as we only listened to the gentle sounds of running water. It was pleasant. From time to time, we heard a fish jumping out and then going back in with a splash. It was surprisingly soothing and relaxing, not the type of feeling I would expect to experience after getting my ass handed to me.

“You know, you’re Luck isn’t that flawless...” she told me.

“I noticed...” I replied.

“If you don’t use it, it’s the same as it is with everyone else.”

“Yes... And I forgot to use it back then in that battle with Draejan... Ah! Because you killed his soldiers, now nobody will go and tell him about my awesome declaration!” I laughed.

“You’ll get another chance.” she giggled.

I heard rustling and opened my eyes. Kataryna sat down behind me and patted her thigh when I looked at her. The dragoness was offering me a lap pillow, and I didn’t dare refuse.

After I settled in my new position, she started stroking my hair.

“You need to take a bath.” she commented.

“I know, but don’t you dare toss me in the river. My ribs are still fusing themselves back together.” I told her.

“Tch.” she clicked her tongue.

Another moment passed by like this, just listening to the sound of the river. The first one to break the silence this time was me.

“Kataryna? Where did I go wrong?” I asked her.

“Depends...” she replied.

“I tried my best since I got here... I tried not to stand out or be a trouble to anyone. You know, a year ago I would have not thought possible that I would ever be able to kill someone and not even flinch, yet I found myself being able to do this with extreme ease... and it scares me. It really scares me...” I said.

“I know...”

“I thought about Seryanna as well... I thought long and hard after you left, but I could only see myself fail. She’s a good woman, a good Knight, I don’t deserve her was what I thought, but I don’t want to give her to anyone else either!” I placed my hand over my face, trying to hide my tears, but she pulled it away.

“Cry if you have to... I want to see the real you.” she smiled.

“But I’m weak... I’m so weak, aren’t I?” I asked.

“You killed those dragons in a split second. You didn’t hesitate to protect me even when you knew I didn’t need it... A weakling can’t do that. A weakling wouldn’t have claimed a Breakthrough Awakened like me to be theirs in front of so many dragons without fear of being killed by me.”

“I don’t care about that... I knew you wanted me to say it. Ever since you said you wanted to have a child with me, I knew you were serious about it, but I was too afraid to accept it. I was too afraid of responsibility, the future, this world, everything... I mean, I’m just 18! Well, almost 19, but still a kid!” I cried.

“Then... grow up.” she said with a smile.

“Grow up?” I looked up at her through my tears.

“Do you know that when I said those words to you, I was expecting you to reject me, to feel disgusted by the idea of having to sleep with a dragoness like me, to make me give up, or basically do anything to push me away...” she said.

“I didn’t see a reason to do so...” I furrowed my brow.

Kataryna leaned down and kissed me on the forehead, when she pulled back, she smiled.

“What was that for?” I asked.

“To see how you would react.” she smiled.

“Did I pass?”

“Yes.” she nodded.

“Good... Now, please, explain... Think of me as an idiot, a baby... Explain... Please.” I begged and closed my eyes.

“Sure. What to start with then... Hm... Ah yes, do you know what a Breakthrough is?” she asked.

“Reaching level 1000?” I replied.

“That’s a Forced Breakthrough.”

“There are variants of it?”

“Yes, but not many know this... You see, back in Zerudan I was seen as a very weak dragoness when I was young. Most dragons picked on me, and if not for some lucky breaks, I would have ended up raped or worse. Back then, dragons weren’t as civilized as they are now, or maybe it was just that the whole Zerudan Kingdom was messed up to begin with.” she said and shrugged.

“How messed up?” I asked.

“The royal family never married outside their bloodline. The nobility, although consisting of just four big families were all blood related. Dragonesses had almost no role in their society besides that of giving birth to lots of eggs for their mates. They practiced slavery, and to some extent the fourth and fifth child of a family regardless of bloodline would always end up as a slave. Half of the army was made out of them. And this was just the light stuff... If you lived in the shadows like I did, you would get the chance to see things that were far worse... Dragon experiments and torture were among the top ten. You see, most nobles tried to figure out how it was best to Awaken someone. They realized there were some conditions behind it, but they never understood what they were. The one who did was my first friend, a dragon with blue scales, who was beautiful, smart, and brave...”

When she described him, I sensed a certain change in the tone of her voice. It was as if she was remembering a lover, not just a simple friend.

“He was like Seryanna, a Superior Draconian of a High element. Unlike her though, his was water and as you would expect, he had striven to become a good healer and farmer. He had a dream of one day planting a field of fruit-baring trees with which he would feed the nearby orphanages.” she let out a soft sigh and then continued her story “Back then, I too thought of myself as being too weak to protect him...”

Two drops of water fell on my forehead. I opened my eyes and saw Kataryna’s contorted expression as she fought with the feeling of loss she held locked up inside. This incredibly powerful dragoness was crying in front of this weak... human.

“I thought I didn’t have enough strength to be by his side. When those sheep jumped in and took a bite out of him, they pushed me away... They blamed me for things I didn’t do.” she shook her head. “So, I ran... thinking that it would be better to first gain strength and then return to his side. I left without saying a word. I hid and grew... but...” she closed her eyes and let out a whimper. “I still keep thinking... What would have happened if I didn’t leave. What would have happened if I asked for help? What would have happened if I simply looked him in the eyes and told him the truth?” she spoke in a trembling tone of voice as her tears kept flowing down her cheeks.

For me, who I believed I was the weakest of them all, seeing this powerful dragoness cry like this simply shocked me. It made me wonder what the true meaning of strength could be. It made me ask myself what did I sought by being strong and what did that mean? When would I achieve it? The weak me asked these feeble questions, and the strong Kataryna replied through her tears.

“That dragon... without anyone by his side, he fought for his little dream. But there was only so much one could handle, and those sheep finally grabbed hold of him by the neck. When I returned... I witnessed his demise, but even then... with a smile on his face, with a forgiving smile... he told me... He told ME, the one who ran away and left him like that, that he loved me. He wished for me to be happy... Despite what was going to happen to him, his last wish... was for me to be happy.” she said and closed her eyes, but the tears didn’t stop.

Lifting my hand up, I gently touched her cheek, and asked her “Is that why you wish for a child?” I asked.

Opening her eyes, she nodded “I like you Alkelios, but love is too much for me... not now at least. In time, maybe... but now, I simply can’t love anyone else but him, and you certainly don’t want to be seen as a replacement for him. However, a family was something I always believed would make me happy. To have a child of my own was something I longed for, but not while I was still weak... Funny how my ‘weakness’ might have been his salvation.” she laughed, but she was still shedding tears.

“Am I going to make the same mistake as you? That’s why you’re doing this for us?” I asked.

She nodded.

I gulped.

“What was I going to end up... doing?” I asked.

“You would have left like I did in order to become strong. In that time, Seryanna would have been alone... She would have felt alone, abandoned, and responsible for your departure. This would have eaten her on the inside, and in the end, she would have caved in. She would have made a mistake like that man once did because it’s only natural. We are not gods to be flawless, Alkelios, we have hearts, emotions, and live with the idea that tomorrow and today as well will bring us a smile. And you would have returned when it was too late...” she wiped off her tears.

“Are you certain of this?” I asked.

“Yes...” she nodded. “After you left like that... Seryanna’s energy vanished.”

“What do you mean?” I furrowed my brow.

“The light in her eyes faded, and she felt like a walking husk. Nothing seemed to touch her, but she didn’t have the strength to change either. She was just walking on an empty road towards that sign that said... ‘Stop’.” she looked up at the sky.

I gulped and felt how the strangling barbwire called guilt gathered inside of me. I wasn’t aware that Seryanna was going through something like this, that my departure affected her so much. I thought I was the only one, but... I guess I was wrong.

“Everyone wants to become Awakened in order to ‘grow up’. Then everyone wants to achieve a ‘Breakthrough’ in order to be ‘strong’. But you know, to Awaken, just like the name implies, it means to become true to yourself and accept who you are. It means to awaken as an individual, not to gain a change in your physical appearance as most tend to believe. Awakening for dragons is the moment of MENTAL maturity, but throughout ages, it ended up being confused with PHYSICAL maturity. Meanwhile, a Breakthrough means ‘strength’, but this was confused with the idea that you NEED to reach a Power Number of 1000 according to a temple’s divination. Another misconception... True, reaching that Power Number does offer you a boost in strength, speed, and magic, but... nothing when compared to the TRUE Breakthrough, which you can achieve even at lower Power Numbers.” she looked down at me.

“I see...” I said.

“That’s why even though Draejan is so close to Power Number 1000, he is still so far away from a Breakthrough. He is a dragon who lusts after political and military power, who believes there’s a BIG difference between nobility and commoners, and most importantly whose mentality cannot see past the laws created by the society he lives in. That’s why Nature itself will do everything it can to slow down his growth. At the same time, this explains why yours was so amazingly fast... You didn’t go against it. You tried to adapt, to learn, to grow... In a few months, you achieved what ordinary humans would have in decades and what dragons would have in centuries.” she smiled.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” she nodded “Seeing a human with the mentality of someone who has reached a Breakthrough, yet not even past Power Number 200 is beyond amazing. I fell for you because of that.”

“Yet you don’t love me?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I like you. I will sleep with you. I will let you even impregnate me, but I will not let you have my heart... not yet. For that, you will need to wait until I am ready... if I will ever be. Until then, I’ll be your very best friend.” she showed me a gentle smile.

“I don’t know if I should be surprised or shocked.”

“That’s the same thing.” she giggled.

“Ah! Well... in that case, erm... happy?” I raised an eyebrow.

She shook her head “Be what you wish to be. I’m not going to force you to do any of those things and if I don’t feel like it, I’ll turn you into an ice sculpture if you do try to push them onto me.” she showed me a cunning smile.

“I see...”

She sighed and then said “Well, going back to what we were talking about... a True Breakthrough is something like accepting the world as it is, seeing past it’s laws, and having the inner strength like that. Many tend to shrink back and run away the moment they enter this state. As such, I first became aware of it not long after I witnessed that dragon’s death... I was way below Power Number 1000, maybe around 500? Either way, a month later, I heard that the army of Zerudan was going to face the army of Albeyater. It was going to be a decisive battle.” she smiled.

“What happened? Well... Albeyater won, I know, but tell me what happened to you.” I said.

She giggled “Yes, they won, but did you know that the Zerudan army was almost twice as big as theirs, yet they didn’t even lose one tenth of their soldiers?” she asked.

“How?” I was baffled.

“Because of me... Reaching a True Breakthrough allowed me to gain a boost in power the likes I never felt before. I wasn’t weighed down by the laws of this world anymore, or to be more precise, the laws of the mortals living on this world. I stepped into battle... and danced. For the one man I loved and could never be together with, I danced... It was my final dance, my final performance, the proof of how powerful I had become. Although I was unable to show him this dance in life, I believed that his soul still saw it. My blades cut the flesh of my countrymen and any of the Albeyater soldiers that strayed too close. I hopped around and cut them to pieces... My Power Number went up faster than I ever thought possible and then... I killed the commander of the army, the Breakthrough Awakened General. That moment was when I also went past Power Number 1000.” she looked down into my eyes.

“You waltzed in and performed the last dance for your departed lover... Do you think he liked it?” I asked with a smile.

“He would have loved just to see me try...” she smiled and then leaned down and kissed me on the lips.

I didn’t push her off and accepted her kiss. It was a long one, but when we parted lips, she smiled and said “You know, if you truly take me up on that offer of granting me a child, you will be the very first male, human or dragon, whoever laid a hand on this body of mine.”

“What?! Then you are?!” I blinked surprised.

She blushed and looked away.

I let out a sigh and shook my head.

“Who would have guessed it?”

“I’m a difficult dragoness, not many can tame me, and I didn’t let anyone try.” she giggled.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was completely dark by now, and the stars were all shinning so brightly up there. It was a different view from the one I got used to back home, well... whenever I was out of Bucharest.

“I want to save Seryanna from Draejan, but I don’t have the physical strength to do it. I want to be the one to punch him in the face not use you or anyone else to do it.” I let my desires be heard.

“I see, so what do you want me to do then? Ask, and for you... I’ll do it.” she smiled.

“Be there for Seryanna. Help her. Keep her safe while I’m gone...” I said.

“So, you do plan on leaving, after all?” she asked.

“Yes, but not without telling Seryanna where, why, and for how long. Not without telling you and Kleo either...” I looked up at her.

“Where do you want to go?” she asked.

“Seculiar Forest... I want to go hunt and train there. I’ll need one of those [Purse] rings and some supplies. I’ll also need new equipment and three or four swords, but after I have gained enough levels, my skills and Luck will do the rest.” I replied honestly.

“When did you came up with this?”

“A week ago, but I was thinking of it more as a way to see for how long I can survive before I end up getting killed by monsters... I wanted to go with the intent of making it my grave, but I realized now that I am too much of a kid and a coward to give up on my life like that. Because of this, I’m going there now with the intent to hunt, train, and return alive.” I showed her a confident smile.

“I’m glad you think that way.” she said.

“I would have wanted to meet this King of Albeyater too. There’s a few things I wanted to say to him, but I fear I can’t get to him that easily...” I sighed.

“If you think like a normal dragon and human yes, but what would a Breakthrough-er do?” she asked.

“Ignore the guards and climb up the window?” I raised an eyebrow.

She smiled.

“You’re serious?”

She nodded.

“Won’t he kill me the moment he sees me?”

She shook her head.

“Why? How can I make it happen?” I asked.

“Take this.” she then took out a small necklace from her [Purse] ring and showed it to me.

It was shaped like a pointed star and had the emblem of Albeyater in the middle, however, it had a deep scratch on it that went from the center to the 2 o’clock mark.

“What is it?” I asked.

“In that battle 500 years ago, the King of Albeyater gave me this medal of honor. He himself made the scratch on it to differentiate it from the rest. At that time, I received it in order to use it as a means of proving my identity in the future. If you take this to him, he’ll know, but I would also recommend adding two fail-safe proofs. Something that belongs to Brekkar, and a letter from the Third Princess vouching for you. I’ll take care of the letter, and you get the other proof from Seryanna.” she told me with a smile.

“Well then, it sounds like a plan!” I laughed.

“Yes. So, how does it feel to have taken your first steps into becoming an adult? How does it feel to finally... grow up?” she asked.

“Good...” I nodded.

That night, Kataryna probably saved my life in more ways than my idiotic 100 Luck ever did.