72. Abandoned.
Archer had to constantly dodge the creature's jumps, so he flew higher, and when he did he saw a massive temple in the distance.
Flapping his wings and speeding up, he arrived at the temple in no time.
The old Mahrazian people's temple stood tall and proud, its once magnificent walls now crumbling with age.
He noticed the air was thick with dust, and the scent of ancient incense still lingered, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
The temple boasted ornate pillars and arches, intricately adorned with carvings and mosaics depicting ancient battles and religious ceremonies.
Its grandeur stood as a testament to the wealth and power of the civilization that constructed it.
Even in its ruined state, it remained a breathtaking sight to behold.
Walking inside, wondering what had happened to the builders of such a magnificent structure.
Suddenly, his AD pinged, warning him that enemies were approaching.
He quickly grabbed a hold of Sera while opening a small portal to his Domain and threw her inside just as he was tackled. He was sent crashing into a nearby statue.
It crumbled on top of him, leaving him dazed and wondering what had hit him.
Archer gazed upwards in a dazed and saw a colossal creature, identical to the ones he had been battling, but four times larger in size.
He struggled to get back to his feet, and that's when he heard a voice echoing through the halls.
It was the voice of the sand goddess, angry and fierce.
Her words were like a sandstorm, whipping around him and stinging his ears.
"You dare to enter my temple, greedy dragon?" she screamed.
"You seek to pillage my treasures and desecrate this sacred place. You are not welcome here!"
Archer could feel the power of the goddess in her voice, and he knew that he had angered her.
''Get the lizard out of my temple, and don't think she can save you, boy!''
The loud voice commanded the creature to attack, and it charged forward, closing in on Archer until it was right in his face.
With a swing of its massive fist, the creature slammed into his wing which he raised to defend himself.
The impact sent him hurtling through multiple walls, and he crashed to the floor in a daze.
Before he could regain his bearings, the creature leaped towards him.
He quickly covered himself with his wings, bracing for impact as the thing slammed into him.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood as it grabbed hold of his wing and flung him to the other side of the temple.
Archer lay there with his head spinning, he reached for a health potion from his Item Box.
But before he could retrieve it, the beast stamped on his hand, causing him to scream out in pain as he felt his hand break.
Badly injured, he began to laugh maniacally as he struggled to his feet.
That's when he heard a voice he didn't want to hear.
"Daddy!"
He turned around to see a white-haired little girl with shiny green eyes looking at him with a smile before vanishing into thin air.
"What the hell?!"
Archer's mind was thrown into chaos, and that's when a fist smashed into his upper back.
He was sent flying through multiple buildings before landing on the floor with a bounce and a roll, he came to a stop, his body hurting him.
His regeneration slowly kicked in, repairing his broken body.
Turning his head to the left, he saw the beast slowly approaching him.
The Goddess of Sand spoke once more, her tone laced with frustration.
"Don't kill him. Throw him outside the city. She's already complaining."
The beast nodded as he grabbed hold of the half-dead dragon boy and walked to the entrance.
He wound up his arm and threw Archer out of the city, like a typical looney tunes cartoon he flew out of the city and crashed into a dune.
While he lay unconscious, hours passed by. While he was out cold his body slowly repaired itself.
The cool night air brushed against him, causing goosebumps to rise all over his skin.
His clothes were ruined, and he was covered in blood.
Archer's violet eyes slowly opened, and his vision started to clear up. He saw a beautiful night sky above him.
The stars twinkled like diamonds against the dark blue canvas, and the moon shone brightly, casting a soft glow over everything.
He slowly sat up, his head feeling heavy and fuzzy, he shook it to clear the cobwebs, his body was killing him.
His Regeneration skill may fully heal his injuries but it doesn't dull the pain.
Looking around, he realized that he was still in the Haunted Dunes.
Golden-colored sand stretched out as far as he could see. There were sparse trees and rock outcroppings all over the place.
The beauty of the night sky still remained overhead as Archer stood up and brushed the sand off what remained of his clothes and skin.
Gazing up at the moon, he felt a twinge in his back. He quickly realized that he longed for the comfort of a bed.
With a heavy sigh, he opened a portal to his domain and stepped inside.
When he entered the portal he cast the spell Cleanse on himself, he felt a wave of relief wash over him, and the tension in his muscles began to dissipate.
Stepping into the cottage, a small red blur collided with him.
Archer realized it was Sera, who had nuzzled her head against his cheek.
"I'm fine little girl," he reassured her as she clung to him tightly.
Laughing as he walked into the front room, where he sat down.
Suddenly, a brownie appeared next to him with a smile and spoke.
"Master Archer, would you like some food?"
Archer nodded, and the little creature vanished from the spot.
Soon, it reappeared with a plate of different meats and greens.
The brownie placed the plate on the table and bowed before vanishing again.
Archer sat up and began to eat, while Sera let go of him and sneaked over to the food.
She took a piece of meat before sitting down to eat, after eating she sat there staring at him with her beautiful sparkling red eyes.
He looked at her and asked.
"What is it, Sera?"
Sera got up and walked over to him, jumping up on his shoulder, and started nuzzling his face.
Feeling a little wet lick he looked at her as her little sandpaper tongue licked his cheek, making him laugh.
"What are you doing, silly girl?" he asked, starting to pet her.
She started purring and curled up on his shoulder, falling asleep as her tail wrapped halfway around his neck.
Archer finished eating and drank some Honey Brew, as he finished he got up and made his way to the bedroom.
He gently picked up Sera and put her on the bed as he stripped down and curled up in bed with the fairy dragon crawling up to him.
They both fell into a deep and comfortable sleep.
Archer closed his eyes, expecting to get a peaceful night's sleep.
But as soon as he drifted off, he found himself back in the middle of the road where he had lost his life back on Earth.
The screams of Alexa echoed in his ears as he watched helplessly, reliving the trauma all over again.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared in front of him, wielding a weapon.
He tried to attack the shadow, but his legs felt heavy and unresponsive.
The figure closed in on him. Archer could feel the cold metal of the weapon against his chest.
Just as the figure was about to impale him, he jolted awake, gasping for air.
Looking around he realized he was in his Domain and heard some purring and looked down to see Sera, the cute fairy dragon, curled up on his chest.
Her warm body and gentle purring helped calm his racing heart, and he realized that it had all been a nightmare.
Hugging the silly girl close, grateful for the comfort she provided, Sera started purring even more enjoying the cuddles.
As hours ticked by, Archer fell into a deep slumber, only to wake up with Sera sprawled across his face.
He pushed her off, struggling to sit up and regain his bearings.
The room was quiet, and the only sound was the soft rustling of the curtains in the breeze. Archer rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess.
Getting out of bed he stretched and heard loads of pops from his body.
Archer retrieved a fresh set of clothes from his Item Box and changed, noting that he still had a few sets left.
He decided to purchase more clothes once he arrived in Sunhaven.
As Archer stirred, he sensed the feisty girl's presence, and her eyes snapped open as she instantly lunged at him.
She landed skillfully on his shoulder and wrapped her tail around his neck, settling in for a nap.
Shaking his head at the dragon's clingy behavior as he made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Unbeknownst to him, when he saved her, with both of them being dragons they became bonded to each other.
She thought she had been abandoned by her parents and was on the verge of being eaten until he came along.