The First Dragon of Marble

Chapter 17

            I cross the main road in the middle of Melcox and enter the residential district and make my way to the slums. I could tell when I entered the slums because of the smell of raw sewage, rotting garbage, and rundown buildings that have holes in the walls and roofs. Keeping a low profile, I walk to a shop that is a front for an underground casino ran by the gang Stray Dogs. While investigating the locations provided by Jon, I observed the behaviors and patterns of the people coming and going to the locations. I figured out that the members of the gang all had a tattoo of a rapid dog on their arms.

            I enter the store where numerous broken trinkets were displayed on the shelves. There is a human man at the counter carving into some wood and looks up to see me standing in the shop. With a gruff voice he says, “Shop’s closed. Get out.” I walk up to the counter and say, “I’m here to play.” The man goes back to carving the wood and says, “Then play somewhere else.” I smile and say, “I’m here for the casino and clean house.” Again, he says, “Then go play somewhere else. There ain’t no casino here just a humble shop.” As I watch him carve the wood, I see a tattoo peek from under his sleeve and decided to just get rough. With a fast and fluid motion I draw my knife and bring it to his throat. He stopped carving and looked at me in confusion. I grin under my mask and say, “I was not asking. You Stray Dogs messed with the wrong person, and I am here for payment.” I press the knife to him lift up from his seat. “You just fucked up man. The Stray Dogs don’t take kindly to threats!” I shake my head and say, “No it is y’all who’ve fucked up, you fool. Your imbecile of a boss took the orders of an even bigger fool and decided to test me and try to intimidate me. I showed mercy before but here, there is none to stop me.” I lean in closer to ear and whisper, “Every Stray Dog that I find is now considered dead. Now show me the entrance to the casino or I will slit your throat here and now.” He shudders as I release my aura and sweats. “Please, don’t kill me.” “That depends. Do as I say.”

            He moves his hand under the counter and passes mana into a small stone and a door appears on the floor behind him. I look at it and then him and release the pressure on his neck. “Thank you.” Relief shows on his face before his eyes widen in terror from his throat being slit open. He grabs his throat and kneels on the floor. I leaned to his ear and said, “I told you every Stray Dog is dead now. I saw your tattoo and I have been watching your little gang. Did you show mercy when you beat a pleading woman to death?” He could only make gargled sounds now. “May you rethink your life in the next one. If the gods decide to give you a second chance though I doubt it.” I watch him bleed out to make sure he is dead and then head to the trap door on the floor. I open it to see stairs heading down into darkness.

            I proceed down and walk along a corridor of pitch black. Soon I hear the sounds of people talking and yelling. As I get closer a door with light coming from the bottom greets me. I use my Dragon Eyes and see that at least twenty people are in the room. I take a deep breath and still myself. “Remember Ladon control your emotions and only kill the gang members or anyone trying to kill me. Do not turn into a savage with no honor.” I open the door after setting the rules for myself and peek inside to get a better look at the people inside. What I see is some gang members playing cards with some of the locals. I can see their tattoos on their arms. I also see some members looking around the table, most likely bouncers or security. There are a few women dancing or keeping the men company, but I see no tattoo on their arms. “Most likely prostitutes or partners of the men.” I think to myself and then see a sight that surprised me. A dwarf is playing with some other gang members while fondling the chest of a woman who seems to just want to be anywhere else.

            My heart beats in my chest faster and faster as my slit pupils dilate repeatedly. In my field of vision, I see Musir. The dwarf on Noah’s team. The dwarf who simply laughed when he saw me being lifted up by Abel and thrown away like trash to be bait for those kobolds. I close the door and try to calm down grabbing my chest. “Focus Ladon! You can’t let him escape so keep a clear mind.” I take deep breaths and calm my beating heart. Once calm enough to proceed I open the door and shout, “Everyone not part of the Stray Dogs leave now or die!” Everyone looks at me in stunned silence and after a few seconds most of the people laugh even Musir. Then a dog mink that looked like a Doberman on two legs comes up to me looking down at me as he is a head taller than I am and says with a growl, “And who gave you permission to even step…” His words were cut off as his head rolled off his neck. While he was talking, I saw his tattoo on his arm and swiftly used my axe to free his shoulders of his head’s overbearing weight.

            The laughing stopped at the sight of the dog mink’s head rolling along the floor stopping at a woman’s feet. She screamed and ran past me as I step aside. With a voice full of malice, “I will only say this once. Everyone who is not a Stray Dog. Leave.” Five women and two men stand up and run past me and I make sure to glance at their arms to check if a rabid dog tattoo showed. None did and now only twelve men plus myself remained in the room. Musir stands up and says, “You made a huge mistake boy. The Stray Dogs won’t stand for this. Whatever rival gang you are part of consider war declared.” I look at Musir and say nothing because soon we will have a chat once he is begging for his life. Then two humans rush me and draw their short swords from their waists. I draw my other axe and begin the slaughter.

            I block both sword swings coming from each side and kick a dwarf, not Musir, from the front as he tried to cleave me with a butcher’s knife. From my hands I produced streams of air pressure to push the humans at my side away from me. Once they were pushed back, I rushed the dwarf with the butcher’s knife and swing down at his head and split his skull. Then whirled around with a low kick using the wind element to trip those who were rushing towards me. Then I rush forward and swing my axes decapitating two humans at once. I felt someone coming from behind and saw a monkey mink coming from in front with two daggers. I quickly kicked backwards with my left leg and punched forward with my right fist sending a high-pressure water stream that could cut through stone from both my foot and fist carving out their hearts. They fall to the ground with surprised looks on their moronic faces.

            “Seven left.” I think calmly blocking a hammer strike from a muscled human. He growled at me and says, “You think you can kill my fellow members and walk out of here freely?” I just look at him pressing forward easily and say into his ear, “Yes.” Then I wrap my leg around his and throw him to ground on his head snapping his neck. “Six left.” I mutter. I look around and see that Musir and the rest are more cautious of me know. A human with a short swords yells at me and says, “Take off your mask so we can get a better look at the person who will soon be mutilated beyond recognition!” I just sigh and roll my eyes and think, “Why would I do that when there is always a chance one may get away? I am only hum…a dragon.” I correct my thinking and rush into their ranks. I cut the legs off the one who shouted and used fire to cauterize his wounds so he doesn’t bleed out before I can ask some questions. I then procced to kill the other members with spells and swings of my axes. Within seconds it is only Musir and I standing in the middle the room.

            He looks around and says under his breath, “Useless.” “Oh, good he hasn’t changed.” I thought as I heard his comment towards the people that he just fought with and showed only annoyance. He looks at me and says, “I am not part of the Stray Dogs but we do business with them so I cannot let this stand. Who are you anyway?” I say nothing because he may still be able to escape with a magic item such as an item imbued with the spell Blink that can teleport a person a few yards away. “I’ll have to strip him of his clothes and items before I reveal myself.” I think to myself. “Not going to answer me huh. I guess I’ll just have to rip the cloak and mask off myself then!” He rushes me with his two daggers in each of his hands and performs a series of slashes that are hard to follow.

            He gets a few good cuts on me only to scrape against my scales that I materialized for my natural armor. I try to use my axes to defend but they are hard to use against small daggers. I jump back and put them into my belt. “What do you surrender?” Musir says and smirks at me. I just smile under my mask and materialize my claws. He is shocked and take the advantage to rush to his back and slash with my claws down his back. “AHHH!” He screams from pain turns around and throws a hidden knife from his sleeve that bounces off my chest. He takes my momentary surprise from the knife and takes distance from me. He grunts with pain and says, “What the are you?” I just walk towards him with my claws at my side and say nothing. Suddenly I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder from behind me. I take out the knife and look behind me to see the man I cut the legs off of staring at me with hatred. “So, the legs were not enough to put him out commission.” I pull out the knife and drop it and say, “Wait your turn mongrel.” Then I turn back to Musir who is panting from the pain on his back. “Let’s end this shall we.” I say and rush forward. Musir throws something on the ground and smoke fills the room. “I see.” I mutter as my vision becomes hampered. I pass mana in my eyes and use Dragon Eyes to look for Musir. I see him slowly moving towards the door trying to escape. “I guess he doesn’t have an escape magic item, or he may be saving it in case his plan with the smoke does not work. They are rather expensive.”

            I sprint towards him and cut his hamstrings with my claws leaving him lame. He screams as he falls face first into the floor. I then cut deeply into his upper arms to sever the muscles to impede movements. Now unable to move Musir lays on the floor whimpering. I use a gust of a wind spell to sweep the smoke out of the room. There is blood and gore all around the room making it look like a scene from a horror movie. I feel nothing from the sight and just look down at my convenient prey. I flip Musir over and set him up against the wall in a sitting position and take all his clothes and items. The only items he has on him is a ring of storage and the daggers he was using. I cast the clothes away and look down at Musir who is trying to use his legs and arms. I just laugh at his efforts and say, “It’s no use Musir I cut the muscles in your body that control movement in your legs and arms. I wasn’t surprised that a dwarf’s body is like a humans, only a little denser I suppose.” He looks at me with wide eyes and says with a pained voice, “You know me?” I nod my head bring down my hood and cloth mask, “Of course I do. How could I ever forget the face of those who used me as bait and left me to die in a dungeon.”

            He looks at my face in disbelief and whispers to himself, “Ladon?!” I raise an eyebrow and say, “Oh, you remember me?” He then looks at the man who threw a knife at my shoulders and no legs and yelled, “Your boss said that he took care of this asshole spreading rumors about us!” The man who was in pain and terrified snaps back at and says, “I don’t know anything about him. I don’t know anything about any of this!” I just chuckle and say, “I see. Well Mr. No Legs I will get to you in a moment.” I turn back to Musir and say, “For now Musir tell me everything you know about the others and where can I find them and their habits.” He furrows his brow and was about to speak but I stopped him and say, “Ah before a single word comes out of your mouth.” I dig my claws into the bottom of his foot as he screams. “I may have cut the muscle in your legs to keep you from moving but you can still feel them.” I take my claws away and ask, “Now first question where are the others?” “FUCK YOU!” Musir yells at me in defiance. “How the hell did some weak ‘E’ rank adventurer escape that situation anyway!?” I put my claw to my lips and tap against them while looking like I was thinking. “Hmm…let’s just say that you and the others gave me the motivation to get out. And well I did. Better than ever if I might say so I guess I owe you four gratitude for that so,” I smile a kind smile and continue, “Thank you, Musir for betraying me and betraying the trust of comradery I had.” He just looks at me baffled and shivers at my smile. “Now you didn’t answer my question, so you know what is coming since I told I you. Did I not.” I dig into his foot again and he screams. This continues for a few minutes before he finally tells me everything that he knows and passes out.

            Musir revealed that Noah and the rest of his crew are now working for the lord’s son full time due to being kicked out of the guild. Noah had Musir go to the Stray Dog gang to get rid of me. Noah and the rest of team had left the day before the thugs came for me. They are still escorting the lord’s son to the capital and are not due back for another few months. He also told me that the lord’s son is basically a waste of human anatomy confirming rumors that he ’plays’ with kidnapped commoners and has people like the Stray Dogs dispose of any evidence. He seems to hide all of this from the lord of the city, his father. “Fucking psychopaths in power as always.” I move away from Musir’s unconscious form and walk over to the remaining gang member that is still alive but with his legs cut off.

            I squat down to eye level with the thug and say, “Now it’s your long-awaited turn. Tell me everything you know about the Stray Dogs. Your crimes, hideouts, leaders, everything.” He just shivers and stares at me in fear from watching me ‘interrogate’ Musir. He shakily says, “You’re a demon…” Caught off by his statement I laugh from deep in my stomach. “Hahahahaha…. So, the concept of demons is still used in today’s day and age. Oh, sorry about that. But no, you little piece of excrement from a worm’s asshole, no I am not a demon.” I lean in and talk into his ear, “I am much worse than a demon and you still have not told me anything.” I dug my claws into his cauterized thigh making him scream in pain almost passing out. I slap him to keep him awake, “No, no, no. No, sleeping until you give me what I want.” And then the ‘interrogation’ continued. He confirmed for me the locations Jon gave me along with a few more that Jon did not know about. I gained the names of the leaders of Stray Dogs and that the Doberman that I killed when I came into the room was the one in charge of this underground casino. I also learned that the crimes were not just running underground establishments. They did a lot of dirty jobs for merchants and lower nobles of the city.

            Once I had all the information, I needed I cut his throat to put him out of his misery and to wipe a stain from Melcox. I moved over to Musir and saw he was still unconscious. “This is the only mercy I will show you Musir.” I knelt down and ripped out his throat and he died while still oblivious of his coming doom. I decided to look around the casino to see if there was anything worthwhile in taking. I found a safe behind another door and ripped the door off its hinges revealing gold and silver coins. I store everything and would count the bounty later on when I was not still enemy territory.

            I go back to the door I entered from and looked around the now destroyed casino and the dead bodies that littered the floor. “I suppose I should clean up a little.” I say to no one. I took a deep breath and puffed my cheeks. Then I let loose a searing purple flame that turned everything to ash soon after being touched. I sweep my head along the room causing the room to become a blaze. I nodded proud of my work and left with the flames quickly following behind me as it burned upward burning everything in its path. I put on my mask and hood again and climb the stairs back into the shop. The man I killed is still lying beside the trap door and I just step over him. The flames from the casino were already close behind burning through the floor. I exit the shop and look up and down the street in the moonlight. With no one in sight I head back to the inn with a fire blazing behind me.

            I reach my room around midnight and see Lucy sitting in the desk’s chair asleep. I smile to myself and shake her softly to wake her. “Mmm…Ladon? You are back.” She sheepishly says as she sees my face as she opens her eyes. “Yes, I am back. Why are you asleep in the chair?” “I…I…I was waiting for you to come back but fell asleep.” Lucy says through stifled yawns. I smile and say, “Thank you but you could have just slept. There is no need for you to wait up for me.” I turn around to go the bathroom to take a shower but soon hear Lucy squeal my name, “Ladon! You’re hurt!” She rushes towards me and almost trips before I caught her. “Easy Lucy you still aren’t recovered fully, and it is only a scratch. There is no need to worry.” “No! Let me look at it and at least clean it for you.” She looks down at the floor and mutters, “It’s the least I can do for you.” I just sigh. “Haa if you wish then so be it. You owe me nothing Lucy. Please do not have that mind set.” I say as I bring her to the bathroom with me. I give her the sterilization alcohol and a rag to clean my wound. I take off my cloak and shirt revealing my tattoos and toned chest and abs. I see her staring at my body and am filled with confidence of my body that I never had in my past life. I turn around to show my stab wound. I look over my shoulder and to see she is still staring my back not making any move towards my wound, so I cough. “Ahem.” She jumps a little and shakes her head and proceeds to clean my wound. I chuckle in my head and think “So this is what is like to have an awesome body. It feels really good.”

            Once she is done, she gives the first aid items back to me and I put them back in storage. She just stands there looking into my eyes in silence, so I speak up first, “Thank you for helping me clean the wound. I do not mind if you stay in here, but I want to take a shower. Do you need help to the bed?” She finally comes back from the daze and I’m sure she is blushing up a storm underneath her fur. “Ah sorry I’ll step out I’ll be fine.” Lucy says in a high-pitched voice and goes outside the bathroom. I chuckle and take a shower washing off the smell of blood and ingrates. Done with the shower I transform into my dragon form and get into bed with Lucy. After I get comfortable Lucy speaks up, “Ladon, what happened for you to gain such a wound. You didn’t tell me about taking any jobs for the guild.” I open one of my eyes to look at her and say, “Do you remember the idiots that attacked me in front of the inn?” She nods. “I was simply repaying the favor. You don’t have to worry Lucy. All you need to focus on is gathering your strength again. In the morning, I am taking you to the training grounds at the guild to help you build yours muscles back up. Try to get some sleep.” She looks at me with worry but says nothing and nods.

            I wake up in the morning and head to the bathroom in my dragon form to transform back into my humanoid form to put on my clothes after I washed them with Cleanse. I come back out and look at Lucy still sleeping. I decide to let her sleep a little longer as I check my personal scroll and the amount of money I got from the destroyed casino.

[Defeated Human X6. Human soul essence absorbed. X6]

[Defeated Dwarf X3. Dwarf soul essence absorbed. X3]

[Defeated Mink X4. Human soul essence absorbed. X4]

{Level up}

            “Hmm…I leveled up again. Haa…I don’t really want scum’s soul essence inside of me. But if it makes me stronger, I won’t complain too hard about it I suppose.” I think to myself as the scrolls disappear. I then bring out the gold and silver that I took last night onto the table. I counted it and came up with thirteen gold coins and seventy-seven silver coins. “Hmm…the casino must have been rather lucrative. Good this will be a good blow to their operations hopefully and the boss will have to show himself to micromanage soon if this keeps up.” I smile to myself with self-satisfaction. I put the coins away and bring out Musir’s ring of storage. I pass mana through it and various items come out as I emptied it. The items made loud noises as the fell on the desk and floor waking Lucy with a start. I look at her with an apologetic look and say, “Ah sorry I didn’t mean for that to happen. There is still some time before breakfast if you want to sleep more.”

            She yawns and shakes her head, “No I’m fine I’d rather be awake with you anyway.” I raise an eyebrow but then I gather up the items that came out of the ring. Coins were all over the floor along with other small things. On the desk was what seemed like extra clothes for Musir, a set of leather armor, chainmail, the daggers I took from Musir’s corpse, and what looked like a letter. I picked up all the coins and other items inspecting them. There were serval small cloth bags, so I opened on to see what was inside. A white reddish powdery substance at the bottom of the bags is found and I quickly close it. “This looks like a drug Jon told me about. I think he called it Wish. It causes hallucinations that manifest your deepest wishes and is highly addictive. I never used any drugs aside from nicotine and alcohol. I have no desire to depend on any substance. I’ll have to dispose of it once I go outside the walls again.” I put the small bags into my earing and look at the other items that fell to the floor. I pick up sixteen small round objects with a drawing of what looked like a small cloud. “Hmm this must be the same smoke bomb that he threw on the ground. These could be useful.” I say out loud and store then in my earring. There are bottles of alcohol of different kinds as well as two small stone like objects left on the floor. I put the alcohol in storage and studied the small stones. I see Lucy looking at them with interest and ask, “Do you know what these are?” “They seem to be some kind of magic items, but I do not know what they do exactly.” “Hmm would you know who to ask about them?” She looks up at the ceiling thinking and says, “Maybe a blacksmith enchanter but they are rare so maybe a store that sells magic items would be the best bet.” I nod and store them as well.

            I look at the clothes and equipment on the desk and see that they are too small for either Lucy or me. Everything on the table needs to stay out of sight so that no one can connect what happens in the slums to me in case someone recognizes them. “I’ll just store them until I can sell them in a different city.” I look at the letter and open it to read it.

            [Musir,

            The rest of the team have orders to escort the lord to the capital. Make sure the little shit that somehow came back from the dungeon is dealt with. Get with the boss of the Stray Dogs to take him out. Also make sure the deals that the lord has with the Stray Dogs is going well. We should be back in a few months; you know how the lord can be.

      Noah]

            “So, I’m a little shit huh. Haha. Oh, how wrong you are Noah. When you come back you will see just how you are mistaken and will rue the day you took advantage of me.” I say to myself forgetting that Lucy was with me. “Ladon?” I snap out of my thinking and look at Lucy. “Hmm.” “Are you okay? You have a strange look on your face, and you are damaging the desk with your claws.” I look down and see that my claws are making scratches in the wood of the desk. “When did I change my hand into claws?” I release my claws and turn back into a hand. “I’m fine Lucy. Here.” I store the money from the ring back inside and put the ring in her hand. “This is yours now.” “What? Why? These are so expensive I can’t possibly take this.” She tries to give it back, but I grab her hand and fold her fingers over it enclosing it in her hand. “Lucy, I already have one see.” I point to my earring on my ear. “This is yours now. Use the money however you wish I have plenty.” She sighs and mutters, “You have done so much for me, and I don’t even deserve any of it.” I kneel down to be at eye level with her and say, “Lucy, you deserve everything that I have given you and more.” She just blinks away the tears forming. “Come on.” I hold my hand out. “Let’s go have breakfast downstairs. I know you are dying to get out of the room.” She smiles and nods but remembers something. “Wait, Ladon let me check your wound!” “Ah it is already healed up only a small scar remains.” Lucy furrows her brow and says in rather scary tone, “Let me see Ladon.” I widen my eyes and just say, “Yes, ma’am.” I take off my shirt and show the scar. “What? How is that possible? And I thought minks healed quickly.” I chuckle at her voice changing from a scary tone to a high pitch surprised tone. I put my shirt back and smile. “My mother said that is just how dragons are and also because of my high Endurance attribute.” “Um…sure.” I grab her hand and head downstairs.

            We reach downstairs and I see Cliff at the bar. The elephant mink has a mug in his hand while polishing it. I look at Lucy and ask, “Want a table to sit at or do you want to sit at the bar? Cliff is a friend, so he won’t bite…maybe.” I say loud enough for Cliff to hear. “Hey!” I hear him shout and I chuckle along with Lucy. “I can sit at the bar if you want Ladon.” She says in small, sweet voice. So, we go to the bar and have a seat. I keep an eye on Lucy to make sure she does not fall due to still being weak but surprisingly stronger than yesterday. “So, this is the slave you bought a while back?” Cliff asks rather bluntly. “No Cliff she is no longer a slave.” He looks at me confused. “Don’t ask too many questions Cliff. Just know she is no longer my slave nor anyone’s. The slavery magic is no longer bonded to her. She is as free as you and me.” His eyes widen and just shakes his head. “I thought the whole reason you bought her was so that you would have someone to back you up who would not have the ability to stab you in the back on jobs for the guild. If what you said is true, that she is no longer a slave, then what are you going to do about the harder jobs for the guild.” I sigh and say, “You are very nosy person Cliff.” “I am only nosy to the people who I consider friends and care about, ya asshole.” I smile at him and say, “Well if my friend must know. Lucy is free to do as she wishes once she has enough strength recovered. I would like for her to stay with me, but she is free and can do what she wants. Anything else about Lucy you want to know. Do not be rude and just ask her.” I motion to Lucy who is looking around observing her environment until I said her name. “Hmm?” She hums to me as she was not paying attention to our conversation.

            I smile and say, “Lucy this is Cliff, a friend. Cliff this is Lucy, a person in my care.” Lucy looks at Cliff and smiles putting her hand out to shake Cliff’s hand, but Cliff does not take it and only stares at her with suspicion. “What are your intentions after Ladon helps you recover?” Lucy pulls back her hand and says in a small voice, “What do you mean Barkeep Cliff?” “I mean do you have any intentions of hurting my friend after he has helped you so much. I can tell you are conflicted about something, and it is directed at Ladon here.” I speak up to rein in Cliffs rant, “Whoa Cliff why in the world would you think something like that when just meeting her and I have already told her that she is free to leave if she wants after she gets back on her feet.” He looks at me with a serious face and says, “Call it an elephant mink’s instinct combined with my experience as an adventurer and bartender, but I can tell that she has inner turmoil about something. It’s the same as to how I know you are still suffering from being left for dead in that dungeon even under all your newfound bravado.” I am left speechless as Lucy turns to me with wide eyes at the information of me being betrayed in a dungeon.

            I sigh at Cliff after recovering from his observation of me. “Haa…Listen Cliff, she has been through a lot and the last thing she needs is being drilled about her intentions after finally stepping out of the room these last few weeks. Could you please bring us breakfast? I need to start her physical therapy soon.” He looks back at Lucy and furrows his brow but goes into the back to get our breakfast. “I’m sorry Lucy. He has never been like that before.” She doesn’t look at me and just shakes her head, “It is fine I’m used to it; besides he is not wrong about me being conflicted about you, Ladon. I…” “Stop it, Lucy.” She finally looks up at me confused. “I do not know how many times I have to tell you this, but I do not expect nor want anything from you for the help I have given you. If you want to leave soon and be on your own, I will understand and I will not hold you back. I will not force you to be an adventurer or even travel with me. We barely know each other so I understand being reserved around me. It was only yesterday that you were basically crippled I do not expect an answer from you about being my partner in jobs. For now, just think about it while recovering. Today is going to be hard on you but it will get better every day. I promise.” Before she could answer Cliff came back with our food. Lucy stayed silent as me and Cliff chatted about the jobs he took as an adventurer.

            When we finished, I had Lucy get on my back as we went to the Adventurer’s Guild. I went inside the guild, and I went to check the board. I looked at the ‘C’ rank board to look at the jobs and noticed one that stood out. It was the job from two years ago to destroy a goblin settlement in the Whispering Woods. The reward now was twenty silver coins and had a stamp on it that said urgent. I saw Sherry at her usual spot behind the counter and walked towards her and greeted her. “Good morning, Sherry.” She looked up from some paperwork and cocked an eyebrow. “Good morning, Ladon. Who is on your back?” I look at Lucy who made a smile embarrassed smile at Sherry. “This is Lucy, she is a friend of mine that I am helping out. As a matter of fact, I came here to use the training grounds for her physical therapy.” She cocks her eyebrow even higher and just shakes her head and says, “I need to stop pondering the words you use. I am guessing physical therapy has to do with helping her walk on her own?” I nod and grin. “You are free to use the grounds in whatever way you want just make sure to stay out of anyone’s way and clean up after using it. After your test with Garrik the grounds were in disarray for a while.” “I’ll try.” I said simply walking through the guild to the back where the training grounds reside. I hear Sherry shout behind me saying, “There is no try about it Ladon. I’m serious.”

            We reach the grounds and find it empty as it is early in the morning. I sit Lucy down on a bench and get to work. I want her legs to gain more muscle so that she can walk more than a few feet. I remember seeing equipment for physical therapy in the hospital of the base I was stationed at. Using them for references I bent my legs shoulder length apart and poured some of my mana into the ground. I closed my eyes and made sure I had a clear image of the equipment and then opened my eyes. I stomped forward and a stone equivalent of one piece of equipment rose from the ground. I stomped forward again and again as I made more equipment rise. After I had four pieces of equipment I stood straight and went back over to Lucy.

            “Ladon, I have never seen anyone use magic like that.” Lucy says as I sit down next to here as looks at me and the equipment I made with sparkling eyes. “Mm…I mostly learned it on my own but refined it with my father’s teachings. If you are interested, I can teach you.” She smiled brightly and nodded. I smile and say, “But first we need to start with your strength. Are you ready?” “Yea let’s do this. The faster I get better the faster I won’t have to be embarrassed being carried around like a child.” I laugh and say, “Aw I think you look cute though being carried on my back.” She pouts and says, “Ladon stop!” I chuckle and guide her to two stone poles side by side. “What is this for?” Lucy asks. “You walk the length of the poles back and forth. The poles are just for support so that you don’t fall.” Lucy looks at me confused and says, “That’s it?” I nod my head and say, “Yes, my cute little rabbit mink that’s it. Try walking back and forth ten times without having to grab onto the poles.” She just shrugs, “Easy enough but I don’t see how this is supposed to help or be hard.”

            Few minutes later after only five passes she is panting and grabbing onto the poles for support. I am beside her to make sure her arms to not give out from supporting her. “Holy shit, Ladon. Why is this so hard? I thought I was getting better.” “You are. Rember you couldn’t even walk to the bathroom without almost passing out. Now look at you. The poles are twenty-five feet long and you have gone down and back five times. That is two hundred and fifty feet. Let’s get you over to the bench to rest and then try another piece of equipment after wards. “Ha…Ha…okay.” I help her to the bench and give her some water from a water bag from my storage. While she is resting, I grab a five-pound dumbbell and bring them over. “What are those for?” Lucy asks as I set them down in front of her. “They are weights to help you build muscle in your arms.” I showed her how to use them and she does three sets of five reps and becomes tired again. “How are you feeling?” I ask. “Tired.” She replies shortly.  I nod and decide that this is enough for today.

            I go over to the equipment and stomp the ground turning everything I made into dust. “You are so amazing Ladon.” Lucy says to me softly as I come over to her and pick her up behind my back. “Thank you, Lucy. It means a lot coming from you.” We go back to the inn and lay her down on the bed. For the rest of the day, we chat and read books. I decide not to have an excursion into the slums tonight to let the heat die down. I stay and sleep in my dragon form by Lucy wishing with all my heart that she will stay by my side.