Hellfire - A Dragon's Lifestory (Prologue)

Chap. 13 - "And, Just like that... My Journey Begins"

Everything was finally over. That ice demon is gone for good. I couldn't see what happened to it because the light was too bright, but when I came to my senses, it was gone. I think I defeated it... right?

I head back to where Garg and the humans are. When the destroyed cave was in sight, I saw Croc and Niks confronting the two humans with Garg in the middle. I hurry towards them.

"Heeeey!"

Garg: "Ah, Boss-... Gaa!"

Garg and the two humans agasped. Croc's eyes widened and Niks's beak opened. What? What is it? What happened? Why are they making those faces?

Garg: "B-Boss... you look... different."

"Hm?"

I look at myself. My white underbelly is now black and the round shell that Mander pulled out of me is like a crack with blue veins extending everywhere on my chest.

"Ah... don't mind this. More importantly, how are you holding up, Garg?"

Garg: "Me? I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm... fine. But, Mander is..."

I look to where Mander was frozen. It wasn't hard to miss. He's encased inside a large chunk of ice after all. I walk towards him and touch the ice.

"Mander..."

Garg: "Boss..."

The two humans approach me.

Philia: "I... I'm so very sorry for putting you all through this."

The human girl said as she bowed her head. She sounds really repentant over her words.

Croc: "... Boss, who are these humans?"

"............ I feel left out for being the only here who doesn't know a thing about humans."

Niks: "Niks doesn't know too."

Philia: "Amazing! You can all talk!"

Arron: "Philia..."

Philia: "Ah, right... ahem. We're adventurers who were after a rogue demon. We followed its trail and it led us here. However, we didn't expect that the rogue demon was actually the escaped ice demon, Cocytus."

"If you were just after that demon, then why'd you attack me first?"

Philia: "That's... uhh..."

Arron: "Purgatory Dragons are ranked S in the danger scale. If an experienced adventurer ever spots one, they are to flee and report it immediately for subjugation. But, if one finds a young Purgatory Dragon instead, we are prioritized to kill it on sight before it grows and becomes a real threat."

Philia: "Arron!"

Arron: "What? You know I'm right."

Philia(>:T): "..............."

We explained everything to Croc and Niks. About Cocytus. And, about Mander.

Croc: "So what now, Boss?"

Our cave is destroyed, Mander is gone, and we have two humans with us. The chances that the humans are going to become our enemy still stands.

Garg: "Boss... why don't you melt Mander out of this ice?"

"I could... I could... But, I'm scared."

Garg: "What? Why?"

"I might shatter Mander who's inside. Or, worse... he's..."