A few moments before Ash battled the salamander, Olivia breathed heavily as she finished climbing up the mountain. She had a feeling Ash would do something like this, so she had trailed after him and the two other boys.
"Shit." She cursed when she saw the glowing blue portal that was waiting for her. "It's actually here." She reached for her phone and looked down at it and cursed again when she saw it wasn't responding.
Olivia bit her lip and glanced at the glowing blue portal, which rested in the center of the cave's entrance. Entering a dungeon was illegal if you weren't an Arcane Knight. This was because dungeons contained monsters, and messing with them could piss them off and cause them to come out and attack people. It was also illegal because the air within a dungeon was deadly to mages. It wouldn't cause much harm if a person was in there for a bit or even for a day or two, but stay in one for long enough and it'd get bad…
"I shouldn't do this." She knew she shouldn't. It was stupid. At the same time, though, she really wanted to know what it looked like. Since dungeons broke phones and cameras, it was impossible to get footage of one, and most Knight battles happened inside a dungeon. "Just a peek won't hurt." It'd be quick. In and out.
That's what she told herself, but as soon as she stepped through the portal and appeared on the other side, she heard screaming, and from where she stood, she saw Ash and the salamander, the creature looming over him. They were at the end of the hallway at the entrance to a larger room, and neither of them had noticed her yet. Olivia went to step forward but then stopped.
Was she really about to endanger her life for Ash's sake? She didn't hate the boy, but she didn't like him either. He was a jerk. He always was mean and picked on not just her, but others as well. Besides, what hope did she have to kill the salamander? It wasn't like she'd be able to come to his rescue.
She was useless, after all. At least, that's what Ash was always saying. If she fought this thing, she would surely die. And not just because of how crappy her magic was, but also because of how hard it was to even properly use it in a dungeon.
The mana of a dungeon would clash with a mage's, weakening their spells and control while strengthening the monster. On average, most mages got around twenty percent weaker just stepping into a dungeon. She was already pretty weak, so to have a big debuff on top of all that was a little much.
The smart thing to do was to leave. She hadn't even bothered to tell Rosco where she was. If she hurried, she'd be able to get him, but doing that would mean Ash would die.
Was that bad, though?
It was his life or her life.
The smart thing to do would be to run. Leave Ash and the others and call for help. It would mean three boys died, but in the grand scheme of things, it'd save the others. Staying would be stupid. She'd only put herself in danger, and there was no guarantee she'd be able to save Ash. It could result in all four of them dying, and then no one would be around to warn the town, and after what Ash did, the salamander was likely pissed and would seek out the town to destroy it.
It was obvious what she needed to do.
Olivia watched as the salamander went to bring its foot down, and without thinking further, she slashed her wand out and formed a barrier of blood around Ash. The barrier was able to bounce the salamander's paw off of it, and she charged into the cave as she chucked a rock at the monster's eyes.
"Run! Get out of here, Ash!" She shouted. The salamander did what she wanted it to and turned to follow after her.
She ran as fast as she could, the creature hot on her heels. The cave grew darker as she forced her way in deeper, and the crystals along the wall grew less and less. Her body felt hot, and she could feel the intense heat coming off the salamander as it began to catch up to her.
"Why am I doing this?" Olivia hissed as she jumped out of the way just in time, dodging another fireball. "Seriously? He's a jerk! Why am I saving him? Row Blood Ball!" She was already on her second spell and getting light-headed but fought through it and launched her blood at the salamander's face. She knew the attack wouldn't harm it, but it would give her the chance to escape. Her blood hit it head-on, and the ball popped, covering the salamander's eyes in red liquid, blinding it. "Take that!"
Olivia grinned and let out a cheer. Now that it couldn't see, it was her chance to escape. She had been foolish and hadn't bothered to wake anyone up. She was regretting that choice now, but it didn't matter. She ran back through the cave and arrived in the room with crystals. Ash was gone, along with Trent and Nev. He'd likely be heading back to the village and would alert everyone. Now that she knew it was a salamander, she was confident she could tell Rosco how to kill it.
As she ran, she could feel the heat on the back of her neck, and Olivia flung herself to the ground just in time to dodge the salamander's fireball. The attack soared out of the opening in the cave. She hadn't been able to blind it for very long, as it turns out.
The salamander roared, and its tail slammed into her back before she could stand back up. Olivia screamed in pain and felt her body twist a bit, her eyes going wide. She felt herself vomit up blood, which was already bad but made worse by the fact that she had used a few spells already. The salamander's paw came down and swatted at her from the side, throwing her across the cave wall, and she smashed into it back first, dropping to the ground in a groaning mess.
Olivia struggled to lift her arm, the limb shaking, but she couldn't even muster up a spell. Even if she could, she knew that with how little blood she had left, it'd be over.
Her magic really was useless.
Olivia's eyes met the salamander's. She hadn't warned the others. They wouldn't know its weakness, and she doubted Ash would be smart enough to tell them. Worse yet, with how pissed off the creature had become, there was a chance it could simply charge at the village and slaughter everyone in it. Bruno and Rosco were now in trouble. The Arcane Knights wouldn't arrive in time to save them either. Who knew how long it would truly take for them to show up?
All she had managed to do was buy Ash, of all people, time to escape. Was that truly all her life was worth?
As the salamander reached her, Olivia was reminded of a memory. They say that your life flashes before your eyes, and she supposed that's what this was. She recalled when she had been ten. She stood outside of Fri Village, on the outskirts. Her father clutched her hand, though she couldn't remember his face anymore. It had been so long since she had last seen him.
She remembered what he said, though, clear as day.
"You can't come with me."
"Dad?"
Her father let go of her hand and pushed her forward. "This place is off the map. Nobody would know about it or know that you're here."
"You can't just leave me here!"
"Where I'm going, you can't follow." Her father hadn't looked at her. His eyes had refused to meet hers, no matter how much she cried. "Go."
"No!"
"Yes." Her father said sternly. "You're just not useful, Olivia. You can't stay by my side as you are now."
"I don't want to leave your side, though!"
"You don't? Well? I guess you should become special. Tell you what, just come find me later."
"What?"
"An Arcane Knight." Her father turned away from her. "I need the help of a Knight. A powerful one. So, when you become an Arcane Knight and are useful, just come look for me." And then he simply walked away, still not even glancing at her.
She had cried after he left. Over and over, she wept and wept. He hadn't come back, though. It wasn't until Rosco had been leaving to go on a trip to Lotus that anyone had discovered her. She had stayed out of the village all night, crying in the rain. All because she wasn't special. She wasn't a master thief, she wasn't a powerful mage, and she wasn't a brave knight. She was a complete nobody—a total joke.
She was just Olivia. Not useful at all.
She thought this could have been her chance. She could slay the dragon like an Arcane Knight would in her novels and be useful. She'd have some sort of value and matter. Then, her father would come back and claim her. She'd be allowed to return home, be called important, and not live such a boring life. She'd be someone that mattered.
Instead, though, her actions had just gotten herself and possibly the others killed. She should have never come out here. She should have just stayed useless.
"Somebody." Olivia croaked out the words as she stared up at the salamander. "I don't want to die." She whimpered. Tears filled her eyes, and she dropped her arm, lying there uselessly on the ground. She felt helpless. "Please, someone help me!"
She screamed it as loudly as she could, hoping a miracle would happen. That someone from the village would hear. They were way too far, though, and even if one of them did, it'd take too long to arrive. It was all hopeless. The salamander brought its foot down on her, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
Her eyes instantly shot open when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. The salamander's foot smashed into the ground, leaving a crater, and the creature stared down in mild confusion when it didn't find a body. It turned, sensing the new presence. Someone had appeared in the cave, and currently, they held Olivia in their arms.
Olivia stared up at the new person, her eyes wide and filled with shock. It was a Knight. Or at least, they looked like one, wearing thick armor that covered them from head to toe. A muffled voice emerged from the helmet, and the figure gently placed her on the ground.
"You asked for someone to save you? Well, you're in luck. I'm here."
Olivia was sure that this was an Arcane Knight. It seemed Rosco's quest had been accepted sooner than any of them thought. The figure was tall and was covered head to toe in ebony armor. It looked like plate mail, and only a few sections, like the joints, weren't covered up. Even a novice like her could feel mana coming off of the Knight, a strange, almost bluish fire dancing along parts of the black armor that worked to protect his joints and other weak spots along his suit. The helm itself was rustic and had a thin slit, allowing a set of blue eyes to blaze out.
Olivia felt her heart nearly stop as she took in the appearance of her savior. She had seen plenty of Knights, and the ones in the parade had all been magnificent and could almost be described as delicate. This armor was the reverse, being crude and practical, focusing more on survivability rather than being pretty. It almost looked monstrous, and if this was one of her many novels, she was sure this was how the main villain would look.
"I thought I finally caught a break and found that damned Dragon." The voice that came out of the suit of armor sounded almost familiar, but it was hard for Olivia to place it. She could tell it was annoyed as the Knight stepped forward and held his arm out in front of him. The salamander actually took a step back and growled softly at the Knight. "Oh, well. Dragon or not, I'm sure I can still slay whatever this thing is." The blue fire blazed even hotter.
Olivia blinked as she stared at the Knight's back. She had read stories about them but had never seen one in action before. "You're one, right?" She felt her voice nearly break, and her body was shaking. "You're an Arcane Knight! One of the kingdom's protectors!" It wasn't one of the ones in the parade, but there was no mistaking the feeling of power that gushed off of the figure in black.
The Knight didn't bother responding. Instead, he cast his first spell. "Row Shadow Vault." The ground beneath him seemed to bubble and shift as the cave's shadows twitched. The one beneath him, his shadow, almost seemed to rise as if it were a liquid, and something was coming out of the water. The hilt of a sword poked out, and then it began to rise, getting longer and longer, until it reached the Knight's hand, which he pulled, lifting a large claymore out of his shadows. The blade was old, worn down, cracked, and rusted, showing years of use.
The Knight stabbed the sword upwards, and Olivia cringed as his weapon smacked into the cave's roof.
She had to block her ears as a horrible screeching sound echoed around them. The sword scraped along the roof and then stabbed through the stone, impaling it into the rocks above. The claymore screamed and shook, and more cracks appeared along the blade, but by some miracle, it didn't snap. Once it was stabbed thoroughly into the roof, the Knight took a step forward and began to slice it through the stone above, sending sparks flying out as he approached the salamander, who took another step back in fear.
The salamander let out a roar and opened its mouth. A spark of orange flared, and it unleashed one of its fireballs. Olivia screamed out and threw her arms up to protect herself, but the fire never reached her. Instead, it all slammed into the Knight, smashing into him head-on. It looked like it was about to swallow him whole for a moment and flow past him and toward her, but his armor began to twitch along his body, and the fire started to swirl and get pulled in, sinking into the metal. The armor's surface rippled like a lake, and a tiny bit of smoke flowed around him, but that was it. The rest of the fire was gone, as if it hadn't been there in the first place.
She had to admit that it was one of the coolest things she'd seen. This was way better than reading about Knights or even the parade she had seen earlier that same day.
The salamander almost seemed to gawk at the Knight as the armored warrior tightened his hold on his sword. "My turn."
In an instant, the Knight launched forward, tearing his blade out of the roof as he brought it down hard on the salamander. His sword smashed into the snout of the magical beast, and it let out a loud, piercing cry. The blade didn't cut; instead, it was like a saw, grinding into the snout of the salamander and tearing through its flesh and scales. The Knight pressed his sword down as hard as he could and tore his weapon back and forth, but the dull sword couldn't rip through fast enough, giving the animal a chance to strike back.
The monster twisted its body and slammed its tail directly into the armored man, hitting him so hard that he was sent flying through the cave. He smashed headfirst into the stone wall, cracking it.
"No!" Olivia screamed out in horror. Her cry faded, though, as the Knight began to stand back up, not even a second later.
Letting out a grunt, the Knight flung himself at the beast, and this time he used the handle of his sword, ramming it into the salamander's left eye, popping it. Again, the monster screamed, and it unleashed a blast of fire into the swordsman. The flames danced across the Knight's armor, but like last time, the fire was swallowed up by the inky void that formed the metal of his suit.
The Knight grappled with the beast and twisted his sword, the handle digging further into the creature's eye, and it screamed louder. The monster ripped itself away from the Knight, the handle still stabbing into it. It let out a roar of rage and pain. Some of its scales had been peeled off, and blood gushed down the side of its face as its good eye stared at the Black Knight in pure hate.
"Row Shadow Vault." The Knight didn't miss a beat and replaced his weapon. "Get down and cover your ears." It took Olivia a moment to realize he was talking to her, and her eyes bulged when she saw what he held. It was long and in the shape of a rectangle, with one end going over the man's shoulder and the other being held out in front of him. "This is going to be very, very loud."
The salamander looked equally shocked as the man dropped to his knee and pointed a freaking rocket launcher at the magical beast. The creature tried to lunge, but before it could, the man pulled the trigger and fired. His rocket went blasting out, and it rammed into the handle of the sword. The rocket exploded, and the entire cave shook. Fire spread out, as well as shrapnel, and the sword was shoved forward, going through the head of the beast, and poking out the back of its head.
The salamander made a strange choking sound, and then it collapsed forward, dead. Olivia stayed seated, leaning against the wall the Knight had placed her against, and she stared, stunned and slightly horrified at what she had just witnessed.
Letting out a grunt, the Knight threw the empty rocket launcher away and stalked forward. Despite being hit with a powerful missile, both the salamander's head and the Knight's sword were perfectly intact. With little effort, the man tore the blade out and turned to look back at her.
Most Knights used magical gear or highly durable weapons that were forged out of metal. Their armor and blades were heavier and sharper than standard weapons since Knights were basically superhumans who went beyond normal magic and needed gear that could keep up with them without having to worry about it shattering in the middle of a battle. Since Knights were so fast and strong, most relied on blades and mixed it with their magic rather than using guns, which many Knights deemed too weak and slow.
Olivia got the feeling the Knight who stood before her wasn't a normal Knight. She doubted most would launch a rocket out in such an enclosed space. It was a miracle the cave didn't come down on top of them.
"Are you okay?" Olivia snapped out of it and looked back up at the Knight, who was facing her.
"You shot it with a rocket?!"
The Knight shrugged. "Needed to get the sword in deeper."
"That was really loud!"
"Almost as loud as your yelling." The Knight said bluntly.
"Hey!" Olivia made a face, but then her eyes went wide with horror. "No! Behind you—"
The monster the Knight had killed hadn't been the dungeon alpha. A dungeon could contain several monsters, but unless the alpha was killed, it wouldn't truly be over.
A second salamander came lunging out of the darkness and screeched as loudly as it could. This one was pitch black and had fiery red eyes. It was nearly twice as big as the last one, and its entire jaw seemed to unhinge, and before the Knight could turn around, it smashed its head down, attempting to bite down and tear his upper half from his lower half. The Knight grunted as the fangs of the salamander began to press in and dent the front and back parts of his armor, and he was lifted off the ground, his legs dangling out of the magical beast's mouth.
To make matters worse, the salamander began blasting out even hotter fire while he was still in its mouth. The flames started to overwhelm the absorption effect the armor had. The armor bubbled and tried to swallow more of the flames, but the fire was spreading faster than it could absorb.
Olivia stared in horror as her savior was being cooked alive within the monster's mouth. The Knight struggled to open the salamander's mouth but couldn't get a good enough grip. His sword had also dropped down and fallen to the floor, lying there. He forced a hand out of the mouth and tried to reach for it, but he was too far up in the air.
Olivia's nails dug into her palm, and she thought about casting a spell or doing something to help the Knight, but her body was so weak and she lost so much blood that she knew using her magic would be a death sentence. "Cast a barrier spell or something!" She shouted at the man. "You're being cooked alive!"
"I can see that!" The Knight's gruff voice hissed out from beneath his helmet. His armor was starting to bubble more, and it actually looked like it was starting to melt. A normal human would have been reduced to ash long ago, but thanks to using mana to reinforce his flesh, the Knight was somehow still alive, but he was losing the battle. Both his arms were busy trying to fend off the salamander's jaws, and the fire was just getting hotter and hotter.
"If you can see it, then do something!" Olivia yelled. "Blast a laser beam through it or summon something to kill it!"
"I can't."
Olivia made a face and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She thought about running away, but there was no point due to the state her body was in. "What do you mean you can't?"
The Knight grunted again, and his arms shook as on either side of him, the jaws began to close tightly. "The only shield spell I have is my armor. I'm at a disadvantage when it comes to fighting a monster like this. My magic is sometimes useless." He said in a blunt tone.
Olivia felt shock ripple through her form. Someone so strong, so powerful, yet he claimed he had useless magic? He was still fighting, trying to keep not just her safe but the others in the village as well. "If your magic is useless, why did you become an Arcane Knight? Why are you fighting?" She demanded.
"Because." The Knight gritted his teeth and got ready for one last strike. "Even if my magic is useless, that doesn't mean that I am." He stopped fighting the jaws and instead grabbed one of the salamander's teeth. There was a cracking sound, and the beast's flames died out as its eyes went wide with pain. The Knight snapped the tooth off, shattering it, and instead of trying to escape the animal's mouth, he pulled himself further in and stabbed up.
The tooth impaled itself into the roof of the monster's mouth, and it whimpered and howled. It was already over, though. The Knight pulled his fist back and punched up, ramming it into the bottom of the tooth and shooting it through the rest of the way, just like he did to the first salamander.
The struggling instantly stopped. The salamander froze and stopped moving. Through the roof of its mouth, coming out of the back of its head, was the jagged fang. Blood flowed down the top of the beast's head, its brain torn to bits. Slowly, the monster's eyes grew dull, and it crashed to the ground, no longer moving. It rested next to the white one, which was most likely its mate.
The Knight crawled out of the monster and dusted himself off. "And that's that." He picked his sword up once again and tossed it back into his shadow. "Unless there's any more monster that wants to pick a fight with me." He stared into the darkness, but if there were any more salamanders, they didn't come after him.
Most likely, the black one was the alpha monster, so the dungeon would soon close.
Hesitantly, Olivia stood up and nervously made her way over to the salamander corpses. "Are they dead?" She knew the answer, but part of her still had to ask. The creatures just rested there, neither moving, their jaws still forced open, and their eyes dull.
"Yeah. Both of them are dead." Then, the Knight addressed her. "Are you okay?" He asked for the second time.
"I am now." Olivia weakly nodded. "Thanks to you."
"So, this is the second time I saved you." The voice bounced around the helmet and sounded amused. "Do you make this a habit?"
"Second time?"
"Oh, right. My helmet." The Knight reached up and fumbled with his helm before lifting it off. Olivia's eyes went wide when she saw the person beneath the suit. He had raven black hair and bright blue eyes that glowed, along with a jagged scar along the side of his face. "Hey." Davi Hawker said quietly, still speaking in his typical emotionless tone.
Olivia felt a lump appear in her throat, and she was left speechless. The man who had saved her from Ash was an Arcane Knight? That explained how he beat Ash so easily. Finally, she did manage to say something. "You look cooler without your helmet."
"What?" Davi raised an eyebrow at her.
Olivia realized she had blurted it out before she could stop herself. In novels or images, whenever a Knight was depicted, they often didn't have their helmet on, since most people wanted to see the knight's face. From a practical standpoint, it made no sense not to wear a helmet into battle, but seeing Davi's face, the man beneath the armor, she suddenly got it. He appeared a lot more human this way.
"Nothing! I didn't say anything!"
Davi kept his blank look. She was starting to suspect he had a tired resting face since he seemed to show little emotion no matter what was going on. "Right." Was all the man said before he gently grasped her by the shoulder and pulled her closer.
"Um, what are you doing!" She asked in a panic.
Davi looked down at her, keeping one hand on her shoulder and the other on his scar, which he rubbed. "Have you seen a dragon?" He asked flatly.
"A dragon?"
"Yeah. I came when I heard about the fire, thinking it was something else, but it was just that derpy lizard monster. Tell me, please. Have you seen a great big dragon flying around here by any chance?" His eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone sounded a little more urgent than normal.
"N—No! Also, you're a little close; back up!"
The man sighed at her answer and let go of her, still rubbing his scar as he stepped away. "I guess that Dragon really isn't here. Damn. Wrong dungeon."
"You're looking for a dragon?"
"It's a long story." Davi's explanation left her wanting to know more, but he suddenly glanced back at her and looked concerned. "Are you sure you're doing okay? You're kind of messed-up looking."
Olivia blinked and looked down at herself, suddenly feeling light-headed. She was stained in red, and now that she thought about it, several of her ribs and an arm were broken. Adrenaline was a hell of a thing because she had somehow ignored the pain. "Hey, can you do me a favor?"
"Depends?" Davi asked.
"Could you carry me back to the village?"
"What village—" Davi didn't get to finish as, a second later, Olivia crashed to the ground, unconscious, her body finally giving out. Davi looked down at the girl and hummed. He hadn't bothered to look at her until now. She was younger than he expected, with snow-white hair. Her eyes had also been blood red, matching the liquid that flowed from her many wounds, and her skin was pale and ghastly looking. Davi instantly knew he had stumbled upon a treasure. "Well, Sieg, it looks like I ran into someone pretty interesting."