NOVEL NEXT 171- All Myrthaxya wants is a new home.
The next day, with Ronan, after thinking it over a lot, I don't ask him to let me handle the boss myself. I've seen that yeti grab a troll and snap it in half like it was nothing. I don't think my earth channeling could protect me against something like that. And probably not against one of its attacks either.
So I have no problem with him calling Myrthaxya. Besides, it's our last day with access to this dungeon, and I can already control stone, so I figure Ronan will want to take her with him.
The dragoness performs just as well as the other times—she tears the head off at the exact same spot. I think Ronan's been keeping the skulls; he's already wearing one, after all—and the total experience I gain isn't bad at all: 1,901 XP for me and 405 for the pup.
By total, I mean the two dungeon runs we do, the second one including the yeti. Since it's just us, we carry the seed by letting it finish off some wolves, bats, and even golems, so it can rack up some experience.
Neither of us has leveled up, and when I ask Ronan, he hasn't either. I did level up my bow mastery, light orb spell, and water channeling though.
Intermediate Bow Mastery. Passive. +2 Agi, +1 Con. Ranged combat with a bow feels natural.
Intermediate Light Orb: Creates a sphere of light with a 10 cm radius. The sphere remains stationary in place or fixed to a surface. Duration: 10 minutes. Cost: 1 mana point.
Intermediate Water Element Channeling: Water element channeling costs two mana points and lasts 5 minutes.
The difference from previous levels is that I gain a constitution point, the light orb is a bit bigger and lasts twice as long, and finally, water channeling goes from 3 to 5 minutes. With earth and fire, I've noticed that at the same spell level, the duration times are different—usually shorter when the spell gives other bonuses, like the explosion possibility. Since water channeling at intermediate level simply goes to 5 minutes, it tells me that maybe at high level the duration will stay the same but I'll get some extra bonuses. All of this assuming the patterns I'm deducing are real.
"However, my lady," Ronan tells me after answering that he hasn't level up, "I think I improved my animate zombies spell, since I felt it getting better, that with the same minimum amount of mana I could raise more zombies. I tried three instead of two and it worked. Four did not work."
From seeing his stats on the stone slab, I think I remember that with one mana point he could raise three skeletons.
"Did your skeleton one improve too?"
"No. I did not expect it to either because I barely used it in the dungeon."
I nod.
"If it's okay with you, let's go to the chest."
That beautiful chest I've been dying to open ever since the dragoness took down the yeti.
We approach it. From the first time we sent the naga warrior and the second time a troll just in case, we already know there are no traps. I do the honors. I can't contain my excitement. And I have to say... yes! We got what we were looking for!
"Awesome!" I shout enthusiastically when I see the third component of Ronan's set.
Even more so when I notice that, apart from the gold coins and non-magical jewelry, there's something else. A ring—a duplicate component from the set, since Ronan already has one—which makes me very happy because I get to keep it:
Frost Earring. 20% freeze resistance. +2 Int. +1 Wis. Part of a set. With 3 frost pieces, grants immunity to freezing.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Frost Ring. 20% freeze resistance. +1 Con. +1 Int. +1 Wis. Part of a set. With 3 frost pieces, grants immunity to freezing.
"Ronan, your new earring is part of the frost set. It gives you +2 to intelligence and +1 to wisdom," I tell him since he can't know that. "Come on, put it on."
When he does, he first has to remove the helmet he crafted from the yeti's skull. Seeing him, I can barely hold back my laughter. It's just that such a delicate earring, with its pristine white snowflake dangling—a miniature copy of the one on his amulet—doesn't quite match the grim necromancer image his robes give him. At least it's discreet, being so small, like jewelry for a little girl, and you can only see it on his ear if you look closely. When he puts his helmet back on, it's completely hidden.
"Hey," I suddenly realize, "did you already have a pierced ear?"
"Of course." He looks at me strangely. "Like all noble children with magic, they pierced mine when I was little."
Right, stupid question. On Earth, girls get their ears pierced as babies. If a boy wants a piercing, he has to go to a piercing shop to get it done. But of course, here there are magical earrings, so it's normal for all mages to get them done as children.
"My lady, now that she has fulfilled her purpose with the yeti, you can bring out Myrthaxya, right?"
"Sure, especially considering she already proved she can make her own way through those spiral stairs. What do you want to do with her?"
I'm afraid to ask. I mean, I know he wants to take her to the goblin village, but for a moment I imagine him flying over the academy riding her. Darius would have a fit for sure—he'd want to join in. And so would many other students, but from the shock.
"We have her fly at a considerable altitude where she is less likely to be spotted and direct her toward the village."
"And once she's there? You're not thinking of burying her like the other undead, are you?"
For a moment, his expressionless features look horrified.
"Of course not. She is an ancient soul, she was a demon lord's mount. I would never do something so disrespectful to her."
I raise an eyebrow, because we certainly buried her here under the forest. But I don't say anything because I understand that was out of necessity.
"Besides, with her claws she can help us excavate and also carry materials. Help us with expanding the caves and building the underground village."
Underground? Hadn't I come to the conclusion that it would be better for them to move to that mountain pass where the orcs came from?
Though I don't think I told him that. Actually, what I told him was that I didn't want external structures that could give away the village to humans.
Well, better to take this one step at a time:
"You're going to have the dragon helping with excavation and construction?" I ask him.
"Of course, she is delighted to help, are you not, Myrthaxya?"
She communicates mentally with him and Ronan pets her head.
Anyway, what stupid questions am I asking? If I'm the supposed future dark lady and he has me making bricks...
"Wouldn't it be better for her to find some quiet place in the nearby mountains?"
"And what would she do there?"
The dragon looks at Ronan and Ronan looks at the dragon, as if she's wondering the same thing.
"Uh... be at peace?"
"My lady, she has already spent centuries at peace. Here she will have friends and be able to meet people, play, work, and help. She has been alone long enough."
The majestic and terrible bone dragon—the one that tore half the yeti's head off in one bite—stares at me with a pleading expression similar to Petunia's when she thought Ronan was going to kill her.
And how can a creature made of bone with dark flames in her eyes be so expressive? That's exactly what I'm wondering. But the damn thing rests her head perfectly on the ground while those flames grow larger and gently beats the ground with her tail vertebrae.
I sigh.
What sin did I commit in a past life? And I don't mean the one on Earth—I was a good girl there.
"All right, Myrthaxya, you can stay. But please, don't let any humans see you."
I suddenly picture her flying over human fields and towns to reach the village. Something doesn't add up.
"Tell me again, Ronan," I ask while the dragon nods at what I just said, visibly relieved. "How the hell are we going to keep her from being seen?"
"Flying very high, my lady. And if she has to fly over towns or busy areas, she will do it at night."
"I know you don't, but does she have some spell that could hide her?"
"I have not asked. I was more interested in how she was doing."
"Ask her."
"Yes," he answers after a few seconds. "Her magic was water, specialized in storm and lightning. And apart from her breath attacks, she has some other spells, like creating thick mist. However, she had those when she was alive, she hasn't tried them now."
Of course, and we can't take her to the academy to touch the slab with one of her claws. She might have even gained some new spell because of the dark magic that now animates her.
"Okay, let's get moving. I want to test something."