Chương 102: The Dragon’s Cave

Teresa, her Royal Guard and the gnome stood before a cave. It was the very same cave where, centuries earlier, Ugly had fed the Green Dragon. The very place from which the creature had later flown away with its hatchlings. Teresa slowly approached the entrance. She brushed the rock with her fingertips, as though she could still sense what had happened there, relive the past and feel the dragon's presence lingering within those ancient walls.

"Let's go inside", she said. Naomi immediately stepped forward.

"Please wait, My Lady. Let us go in first. It could be dangerous". Teresa tried to object, but her Royal Guard moved in front of her before she had the chance to reply. The gnome watched her curiously.

"You must be a truly important noble to have such devoted guards".

"Something like that", Teresa answered, offering nothing more. Suddenly, a swarm of bats burst out of the darkness, darting over their heads. The gnome instinctively ducked, covering his head.

"By all the spirits, get away from me! You cursed little monsters!" Naomi turned around at once.

"My Lady, are you alright?" Teresa, who had instinctively lowered herself while shielding her face, straightened up. She brushed back her curls and watched the bats disappear into the darkness.

"Yes. They were only bats. Let's keep going". The group continued deeper into the cave. Xia was crouching beside the campfire, cooking a fish. With remarkable delicacy and grace, she moved the fingers of one hand. An invisible cut appeared across the fish's skin. The skin slowly parted, revealing the white flesh beneath, perfectly cooked. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She tore off a piece and ate it.

Even though she was eating with her hands, she carried herself with quiet elegance. Ethan watched her for a moment before speaking.

"You're able to create portals. Why don't we use them to go straight to Nevorak?" Before Xia could answer, Leah spoke instead.

"Because she wants us humans to behave like humans instead of relying on her magic all the time". Ethan sighed.

"I get that, but it would make things a lot easier. Especially considering we're traveling with a chil-" He never finished the sentence. Agnes drove a sharp punch into his shoulder.

"Why did you hit me?!" Agnes looked at him with a serious expression.

"I've decided that every time you call me a child or say something about having to protect me, I'm going to hit you".

"You little brat…" Leah and Xia burst into laughter. In the middle of the night, Felicity continued to groan in her sleep. They were pained moans, as though she were reliving something deeply traumatic. Sweat beaded across her forehead. Then she suddenly jolted awake inside her tent. She brought a hand to her face and slowly caught her breath.

"Damn nightmares…" She stepped outside. The night was even colder. There was no wind, but the temperature had dropped considerably. She stretched her arms above her head before making her way toward the river. There she found Ethan standing motionless, a fishing rod in his hands. The moon hung high enough in the sky to illuminate the river, allowing Ethan to fish without difficulty.

"How's it going?" she asked, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"Still nothing", he replied.

"And I've been doing everything you told me". Felicity walked over. She looked at his hands gripping the fishing rod, then at the spot where he'd cast his bait.

"Be patient".

"I've been waiting for hours. I'd say patience is the one thing I'm not lacking". They stood watching the river in silence for several minutes. Felicity observed him the way a teacher watches a student. Feeling her gaze on him the entire time, Ethan found himself growing slightly tense. Then the rod gave the faintest twitch. Ethan instinctively turned toward her.

"What do I do?"

"Wait", Felicity said calmly.

"Wait?"

"Yes…wait". The tension mounted. This time the fishing line pulled tight. Felicity gave him a firm nod.

"Now". Ethan pulled. This time he felt the weight of the catch. A fish burst from the water, thrashing wildly. Ethan grabbed it with an astonished smile.

"What kind of fish is this? It's pretty big". Felicity examined it carefully.

"A tench. They're not the easiest fish to catch. Not bad for your first one". Ethan happily dropped it into the bucket.

"I've been here for three hours. Then you show up, and I catch something almost immediately. You bring me good luck".

"No. I simply told you when to wait and when to pull. It's not luck, it's knowing how to listen".

"Maybe, but if I didn't have at least some skill, I wouldn't have caught it. I did a good job too".

"Keep telling yourself that if it makes you happy", Felicity said as she walked away.

"Where are you going?"

"To try and get back to sleep…if I can", she replied with a yawn, covering her mouth with one hand. Ethan looked back at the tench he had just caught. Smiling with satisfaction, he baited the hook again and cast his line back into the river, determined to catch another fish.