Green Dragon
The little princess' birthday is one of the most important events in the kingdom and is naturally highly anticipated.
As a guardian, Oreius was very busy. But for some reason, he always had a bad feeling.
He rubbed his bracelet out of habit, and even Aurelius himself forgot where he bought it. The black string wrapped around his wrist, forming a ring. Whenever he touched the bracelet, he felt a sense of familiarity.
"Lord Orelius should be here soon, right?"
"It's really exciting. I heard that he will be the one to be crowned this time!"
"That's great! The knight is handsome and gentle, and he and the little princess are a perfect match."
“.....”
Hearing his own name, the knight suddenly came back to his senses and found that he had been distracted again. He did not intend to disturb the maids who were whispering to each other, and quietly walked away. When there was no one else around, the red-haired young man brushed his hair, looking quite confused.
"What has been going on all this time... Am I old? Why am I always in a daze?"
Maybe it was the aftereffect of the fight with the green dragon last time. Although he cut off the green dragon's wings, he was also severely whipped by the dragon's tail. He would have to go see a doctor when he had time.
Oreius did not dwell on this question for too long, as there were more important things to do today. He regained his composure and looked up at the building in front of him. The magnificent palace was clean as new, loyal knights were guarding the gate, nobles in gorgeous clothes were passing through the castle gate, and the brilliance of jewels was as bright as stars, but all of this was not as special as the most special part of today.
The most beautiful pearl in the kingdom had been waiting here for a long time. Her beauty was even more beautiful than the sun and the moon. The generous and dignified king sat on the throne, smiled at his impatient daughter, and announced the official start of the banquet.
The knight in silver-white armor walked into the hall, holding the crown that would crown the princess. Everyone present looked at him, marveling at what an honor it was.
Gold and silver were carefully crafted into an intricate and beautiful branch-shaped crown, with a clear dragon crystal from a green dragon inlaid in the center. The craftsmanship of the dwarf craftsmen is second to none, and each line is as smooth as the feathers of a bird, with jade and gemstones as decorations, fresh and gorgeous yet precious.
The strong and handsome red-haired knight stopped in front of the princess and put a crown on her head that symbolized adulthood and glory. Then he knelt on one knee and leaned over to kiss the back of the girl's delicate white hand with a gentle and affectionate voice.
"Happy birthday, Princess."
"Thank you, Oreius."
The little princess' heart was filled with the sweetness of being drunk, and the emerald dragon crystal in the center of the crown glowed faintly, and the shimmering light was intoxicating. Everyone gave her gifts and celebrations, and her emerald eyes only reflected the figure of the other person.
No matter the luxurious banquet or the beautiful crown, it is not as exciting as the person who crowned her. When the other person knelt on one knee for her, the girl heard the sound of petals falling in her heart.
People who saw this scene applauded and sent their blessings to this couple who had not yet begun to fall in love. The king stroked his beard with a smile, and he felt that the future was promising.
She is the little princess of the kingdom, the apple of everyone's eye. Her love is so pure, who can not love her?
Only the person she loves doesn't think so.
Being stared at like this, Aurelius did not react. As the banquet passed, the bad premonition became more and more intense, until the knight could not sleep day and night. He gradually found that he was living in a frivolous story that would never turn the page. The familiar things around him became extremely strange, and sometimes he would have the illusion that he did not belong here.
In this trance, he often felt that he was split into two people. One was a loyal knight who was loyal to the kingdom, and the other was lurking in his body, watching the world with a frighteningly calm gaze. No matter how confused he was, things continued to happen in an orderly manner.
Because he had killed the green dragon, even though it had committed many evil deeds and was regarded as a cancer in various countries, Oreius had already made plans to go to Dragon Island to explain to the proud dragons and avoid future troubles.
At this critical moment, the border that had not seen friction for a long time suddenly reignited the flames of war. This made the strongest knight in the kingdom unable to deal with everything. In his busyness, the pair of beautiful eyes staring at the back gradually became sad and sorrowful.
The little princess became depressed because her knight could no longer accompany her. This made the girl's heart full of lovesickness. At some point, she would hear a voice in her ears, tempting her to kill someone.
At first, the princess thought it was an auditory hallucination and even went to the church for purification, but the sound still persisted. Until one day, she accidentally dropped a weak rabbit on the ground. Facing the animal's stiff corpse, before she could shed tears, a faint warm current surged in her body.
magic.
She sensed the magic.
The little princess, who had no magic talent since birth, was extremely surprised. A strange voice came in and guided her to master magic to help the knight. When the little princess made her first prediction, she really received the astonished gaze of the knight and the praise of the whole kingdom. They praised the little princess's prediction and praised her for saving the kingdom's warriors from bloodshed.
Isn't it worth it to sacrifice the lives of animals in exchange for the survival of our people?
The little princess' heart was pounding. For the first time in her life, she realized the weight of a secret. She knew that telling this matter would cause criticism, so she only did it secretly. However, Oreius, who was busy with the war, had no time to care about her affairs. After ensuring the safety of the little princess, he once again threw himself into the battlefield.
It was an accident at first.
Then begin to actively seek strength.
Later, it was for people's admiring looks, for my father's pleased smile, and for... to gain that person's favor.
Killing animals became a daily routine, and death row inmates became targets. The more lives she snuffed out, the better she could help on the front lines.
Whenever he casts his eyes, this heart is filled with joy. But when he turns away, the longing is like poison corroding the bones. With the help of the strange voice, this crazy love continues to mutate, and unknowingly turns into pursuit and obsession. When the knight returns here after the war, he is shocked to find that the princess has changed.
She became beautiful, charming, and the object of the whole kingdom's affection. Her every smile and frown was graceful, and the only thing that remained unchanged was her infatuation with him. She looked at the knight with her beautiful eyes. As long as he gave the order, this perfect white body and mind would all belong to him.
But Aurelius just felt creepy. The person in front of him was like a monster in the skin of a princess. They had nothing in common except their names.
The calm consciousness hidden in his heart whispered to him that something was wrong. No matter how loyal and fervent he was, facing such an abnormality, the knight's heart was temporarily cooled. In the envious eyes of the crowd, the person the princess loved always kept a lukewarm distance from him.
His existence drives the girl crazy, and his attitude makes her intolerable. She is no longer the innocent girl she once was. Now she can have more, more, and more!
She wanted to possess him completely.
This idea came suddenly but was deeply rooted. Over time, it fermented into a firm belief. When that day came, the knight came to the castle according to the princess's order. There was no guard at the gate. When he pushed open the door, the young man's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Red, red, red.
The dazzling red, the slowly flowing red, the red that overflowed from the human body, covered the exquisite and luxurious carpet in depth and light. The servants in long skirts and uniforms fell to the ground. Aurelius took a quick look and saw many familiar faces among them.
His steps slowed down, and as he walked further in, he saw armored guards appearing one after another. They were also lying on the ground, breathless, with blood flowing from their severed necks. There was no sign of resistance, and their faces were filled with astonishment.
Who can kill them in a heavily guarded castle? !
"Tick, tick, tick."
An uneasy premonition filled her heart, the sound of her heels hitting the ground was crisp, and the throne at the end of the road was already soaked in red. The princess held a long sword and stabbed her father's chest with force. The blood stained the king's beard red, and his face was full of shock. He died without understanding why his daughter would attack him.
The little princess turned a blind eye to this, with a look of madness on her face. The magic brought by life poured into her body and distorted her mind.
"Why, why, why why why...!"
"Why—don't you love me?"
Fierce dragon wings burst out from the back, and the long sword in the princess's hand was pulled out from the king's chest, and blood flowed. Her voice changed from crying to roaring, and her emerald green eyes turned into dragon pupils. The dragon crystal on the crown shone, and extended green tentacles to connect with the girl's head.
The beautiful woman standing in the blood turned her head and smiled at the solemn knight, with an arrogant and provocative look. It was like a princess staring at him, and the shadow of the evil dragon could be seen in her: "See you again, knight."
The latter was shocked and angry: "What did you do!?"
"I just used a little trick. Poor worm, you didn't think you could kill me like that?"
A sneer appeared on that beautiful face, and the green eyes were so thick that ink seemed to drip out. If fate is a tree that will bear fruit according to the seeds you plant, then for the green dragon, when the opponent didn't even understand its ability and killed it with force, everything was already destined.
"From the moment you gave her the crown, her body has been mine. How does it feel to kill someone you protect with your own hands? This is all your fault. Ahhh... I know, you must want to kill me, right?"
"Do this. Pierce my heart with your sword, and live your days and nights in fear of my coming. You will shudder when you think of that canyon. I will be waiting for you there. One day, the wrath of the dragon will come upon you again - you lowly reptile! Tremble at the breath of the green dragon!"
The joyful laughter was sweet. It was an evil green dragon that had learned black magic from the dragon lich and could control the bodies of others. How could it possibly be defeated by a human? The red lips spoke words more sinister than venom, and the contemptuous smile stung the other's eyes.
"The place where I fell will become a graveyard for humans, a homeland of poisonous fog and swamps. Those who cut off my wings will live in pain and despair for the rest of their lives!"
The wild laughter was stopped by the knight's trembling sword. The girl's eyes widened, and her jealous thoughts finally calmed down a little. Tears slowly fell, and she called out in a hoarse voice: "Ole, Us...?"
Aurelius had a terrible headache. In his mind, one voice was watching everything calmly, while another voice was crying in agony. The two emotions conflicted with each other. Tears flowed down his cheeks unconsciously. At the peak of the emotional conflict, the knight let go of the sword in his hand, bent over and hugged the other tightly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's my fault, I'm too late. I will definitely kill the green dragon, I will definitely kill it..."
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the black bracelet on his wrist trembled slightly, trying desperately to call back the other person's hazy consciousness. The young man felt as if he was being torn apart, and more scenes flooded into his mind.
Through the shadow's perspective, he saw himself walking in a milky white mist with dull eyes, his skin constantly cracking and healing. The shadow had spread out, fighting against the invisible mist while pulling and pulling to prevent him from hitting the rocks. The red-haired young man's steps were very firm, as if he had received guidance from the unknown, and he was heading somewhere.
That's where the green dragon died.
He suddenly realized where he was going.
The strong personal consciousness finally destroyed the illusion and made him completely sober from the resonance with the knight. In reality, Mason almost knelt on the ground. He breathed in big gulps of air, and his lungs felt like they were being cut by a knife.
Everything was blurry and hazy before his eyes, but fortunately Mason was very experienced in sorting out different memories, and he quickly sorted out his thoughts. His body was like a piece of melting butter, and he was trying to stand up, but suddenly a concerned voice rang in his ears.
"Can you still stand up?"
This sound is...
The person who would appear at this time was self-evident. Mason blinked hard and looked up. The bright golden hair reflected in his pupils. His lips moved and his voice was very soft: "...Edward."
The blond man seemed to have just arrived. Standing at a distance, he asked with concern, "Did you not take your medicine? Why did you come to such a deep place? Everyone else has gone back. I thought you were lost."
Seeing that he was still conscious, the Dragonborn heaved a sigh of relief. He looked around and smiled bitterly, "I didn't expect you to find this place."
"......"
Edward was not uncomfortable with the silence. He looked into the distance for a while with a complicated expression, and finally made up his mind: "It seems that I can't hide it from you. Do you want to go to the place where the green dragon died? On the way there, I can tell you the story of what happened next.
The red-haired young man said nothing and walked with him. Shrouded by the mist, Mason could only hear his own footsteps and the other person's words.
"After killing the princess, the knight went completely mad. He returned to the place where the green dragon died and took revenge on him. It was a wonderful battle, but unfortunately the knight was lost in the illusion and eventually died here."
Edward led him around the rocks and finally arrived at a deep entrance. This was not an ordinary cave, but a hole formed by a violent impact of an external object. It was unknown how deep it was. But the two of them were strong and naturally did not care about this little problem. They climbed down the rocks, and the stones that occasionally fell off their feet did not even make an echo.
How deep is this cave?
I'm afraid only its maker knows.
After an unknown amount of time, the two finally reached the ground. Mason turned on his eyes to strengthen them, and the cave suddenly became as bright as day. There were bones and broken objects everywhere among the broken stones and walls. Looking up, the entrance had become a tiny dot. If he wanted to get in, he would have to have wings.
"We have to go further. Their second battle affected the terrain, and the green dragon's skeleton was buried deep inside. Later, some people came, but they all died under its trickery. This time, if we join forces, we will definitely be able to kill it."
Edward enthusiastically sketched a beautiful future. Following the rugged tunnel, Mason saw traces of many people, as if someone had been busy coming and going here.
When the blond man stood still, Mason looked up and saw an astonishing scene. A huge skeleton was winding underground, and the back half of the body had merged with the mountain wall, becoming a load-bearing pillar supporting the cave.
Each bone was wrapped with rusty chains, and green flames burned in its empty eye sockets. It was so old that even lowering its head was a luxury. Its bones blended into the mountain wall. There were traces of a tear at the base of the right wing bone, as if someone had pierced through it with a sword.
Under the feet of this huge creature, there are human and animal skeletons, some of which are still fresh. Even though the body has decayed over the long years, there is still a strong sense of oppression in the air. The giant beast that dominates all living things is surprisingly quiet in its last breath after death.
But Edward was obviously full of disgust for it, and his malice came out without hesitation: "It will be free soon. If it leaves here, the curse will become a reality. The wrath of the green dragon will sweep everything and destroy all life."
"We are the only ones who can stop it now. We have to crush its bones and make its soul disappear, and only then can we save this place."
The golden dragon and the green dragon were born to be enemies, and once they met, they would fight to the death. Hatred that ran deep in their bones was inevitable. The dragonborn looked at the dragon skeleton with hatred, and reached out to his companion beside him, seeking help from him.
"As long as you help me kill it, the Noble Association and I will reward you, Oreius."
The other nodded, drew his sword and walked over to him. Just when the dragonborn thought he had agreed, the sharp sword turned around and stabbed the man's abdomen.
“——!?”
Edward looked at him with wide eyes, his face full of disbelief: "Why?"
The red-haired young man did not hesitate and thrust his sword even harder into the opponent's abdomen. There was no blood flowing from the wound, but a blurry ripple-like appearance, which made it easy to tell that this body was not a physical entity.
The wound healed itself, or it was not injured at all. The shock on the man's face slowly disappeared, and he looked at him with a strange look: "How did you find out?"
A sneer appeared in those dark golden eyes, and the long sword was pulled out from the illusion. Although there was no real feeling of blood spurting out, the reflection still hurt the eyes.
"You have so many flaws, Green Dragon. If I were to tell you all, I'd probably have to write them for you."