NOVEL WEB Chapter 89: The survivor
My name is Sari, one of the few survivors of the southern sea tragedy five years ago when the dragons reappeared in the world, destroying the fleets of the academy, and the current youngest female commander of the royal knights of Piya. At that time, I was nothing but a knight apprentice of the Academy when tragedy befell us. I lost my friend, and my companion Ari lost his lover.
All by the hands of a blue dragon, I would never forget his figure, for the nightmares of that dreaded day still haunted me. I hated him with every fiber of my being, everything after that day changed. I and Ari barely survived and were saved from the wreckage by another academy ship that was lucky enough to not get attacked by the dragon.
With the news of more than a dragon emerging to attack our fleets, the survivors hurried back, setting sail towards the Academy. I felt lost when I went back to my empty dorm room. That night, I quietly sobbed in my friend's bed, while clutching her pillow.
I was scared, I did not want to face that monstrosity ever again. That scene of destruction, It was not a fight, It was a massacre. We had been utterly hopeless against that Dragon. The next morning, Ari was missing. He had left the Academy without saying goodbye.
I could not blame him, his lover had passed away in his arms, he was more broken than I was. That day, the Academy announced that It was going to be closing Its doors and that no students, teachers, or servants were allowed in or outside.
Those that wanted to leave would never be able to come back again. Ari was one of those people, the news of the dragons attacking had caused waves of panic admits the higher ranks of the Academy. The leaders were divided into two factions, the ones that wanted to flee and disband It, and the faction that wanted to stay and fight.
Eventually, they came into an agreement to hole themselves inside and raise their magic shields in preparation. Although the Academy was considered to be the largest training ground for Knights all across the continent, they were still no match when It came to a flock of creatures from the legends, the Dragons.
And so the next day, the skull heads of the previously slain dragons that decorated the walls of the academy for more than a century were brought down. None of us students knew what they intended to do with them, but still, we all had an inkling of what was their aim.
After all, was done, they were still afraid of further offending the dragons. We were been slaughtered like pigs, countless brave men losing their lives, my friend included, but still, they were still hoping to salvage the situation? This enraged me, I remember being so disappointed. I once held immense pride in joining the Academy, It was the dream of countless youths since graduating from It guaranteed you a high rank in the military of any country.
Still that Academy I was so proud of was acting helplessly in front of the threat of Dragons. The following three years were spent in complete isolation from the outer world, we remained inside the Academy walls, never quite leaving the island before finally, they seemed to have had enough.
I was supposed to have graduated on that accursed day, that sea expedition was supposed to have been our graduation ceremony, yet It ended in tragedy. Still, I didn't leave the Academy with Ari, I did not want to admit It but I was afraid...
Though I may have silently cursed at the higher-ups for their inactivity, and how they stayed their hands even when countless people died, In reality, I was no different from them...a coward. Still, by the end of the third year, the Academy opened back its gates and I was free to leave or stay behind as an instructor.
Gathering whatever courage I had, I left and made my way to the Piya kingdom, my birthplace. As an orphan, I had no family to go back to, no friends, nothing, and so I devoted myself to the kingdom and joined the army. Being a graduate of the Academy, getting In was easy, still, I dared not slack off in my training for I knew that one day, those dreaded blue scales and golden eyes will come back, and I had to be ready for It.
And that day, was today. As I stood atop my Ashving, blade drawn in my hand. I was once again standing face to face with those cursed golden reptile eyes. The royal knight's vice-captain Krex was by my side, his bloodlust towering into the sky as we faced off against our mortal enemy.
All of the other commanders had already died, the captain was no exception, the mages were useless. The King has no one left to protect him, but that did not matter anymore. I glanced at Krex who gave me a solemn nod, we did not need to say anything yet already understood each other.
The kingdom was doomed, the nobles, merchants, and commoners who could get their hands on an Ashving were already fleeing the city. Yet countless despairing people remained, the once glorious capital was ruined with collapsed buildings, the roads were dyed red, countless corpses littered all over the place.
Seeing all that, was as If I was reliving the nightmare five years ago. Though this time It was my home the dragon came after. I was strangely calm now that It finally came to this, all these years I had lived in constant fear, my eyes scanning the sky every day thinking It would be my last.
But now, I was relieved, It was finally going to be over. Taking a deep breath, I willed my energy to cover my long sword causing It to glow brightly. Krex suddenly spoke by my side, "Sari! I'll give you one chance, be sure to take It!" He said to which I resolutely nodded.
There was no use In stopping him, I already knew that he was planning to sacrifice himself to create an opportunity for me, yet that was our only choice. I did not hold any hope in me surviving past this day, the only thing I wished for was my blade to reach those blue scales.
Lunging forward, Krex led the way, his sword glowing like a miniature sun as he rushed towards the blue dragon. He narrowly avoided a claw strike that almost decapitated him and parried another causing him to cough blood staining his armor red, yet with no regard to his safety, Krex continued trying to close the distance.
The Dragon seemed to have had enough, seeing how two of his strikes were avoided, his arm moved with an abnormal speed, faster than It had before, and tightly grasped Krex in It. The Ashving falling to the ground below, dead. The blue dragon glared at Krex who still defiantly held into his glowing swords.
I watched on with tears in my eyes as I realized what he was trying to do, the sword continued glowing brighter and brighter, the dragon must have sensed that something was wrong yet It was already too late. Krex alongside his sword exploded with a bang in the Dragon's causing a large dust cloud to rise.
I was especially waiting for that moment and immediately made my move breaking through the cloud, I hastily jumped off my Ashving my sword glowing as I hacked at the giant Dragon head that suddenly appeared before me.
"DIE!" I yelled, the dragon's eyes momentarily widened as he tilted his head to the side narrowly avoiding a fatal blow, yet my sword still managed to slash at the side of his chin drawing blood, though that was It.
'Heh, so you do bleed like the rest of us you damn monster!' I bitterly chucked as I crashed into the collapsed buildings below, the world quickly turned dark.