The sharp exchange of words left a tense silence in its wake. The teasing was over, for now. Rossweise walked to where her clothes lay discarded, picked up her long skirt, and dressed with casual indifference. Leon straightened his own attire with trembling hands, smoothing the wrinkles as if he could erase the memory of what had just occurred.
Once presentable, Rossweise turned. Without a word, she stepped beside Leon, and her tail snaked out, wrapping around his waist. She lifted him effortlessly into the air as if he were weightless. Before he could protest, her dragon wings burst from her back, and she leaped from the high branch, landing with a soft, graceful impact on the forest floor below.
The moment they landed, she unceremoniously tossed him aside. "Let's go," she stated flatly, already walking toward the deep, dark woods.
Leon pushed himself up, brushing the dirt from his clothes. He stared into the dense forest ahead. The journey from the edge of the Empire back to the Silver Dragon Temple was immense. Even for the swift Silver Dragon Queen, the flight took three hours. On foot, through treacherous, monster-infested terrain, it would take a human at least ten days, if not a full half-month.
As Rossweise began to glow, her form starting to shift and expand, Leon shouted, "Wait!" His pride, though battered, flared hot within him. "As a Dragon Slayer, I refuse to be carried back like captured prey. I will walk myself."
Rossweise paused, her transformation halting. "Oh?" she replied, a teasing lilt in her voice. "From here to my temple, it's a three-hour flight at my speed. For a human to walk? That's at least ten days, perhaps half a month." Her tone made it clear she believed the task was beyond him.
"If it is ten days or half a month, then so be it. Do not underestimate human endurance!" Leon declared, jutting his chin out defiantly. He thought of his brutal training days, the pain he had pushed through. Humans could withstand far more than dragons gave them credit for.
After a few steps, Rossweise noticed Leon lagging behind. She stopped and turned. "Hurry up. Our daughter is waiting at home." She said it so casually, as if the Empire and the Silver Dragon Temple were neighboring villages.
If they truly walked the entire way, by the time they saw little Muen again, she might be a fully grown dragon woman. The thought sent a strange pang of sadness through Leon—the idea of missing her childhood, even if she was half-dragon.
Leon had overestimated his current strength. He had just awoken from a two-year slumber, only to be physically and emotionally drained by the mother dragon's revenge. He should have been resting, perhaps reflecting quietly like a sage after such an ordeal. Instead, he was stumbling through this dark, cursed forest with Rossweise. The trees loomed like menacing shadows, roots seemed to leap up to trip him, and the incessant buzzing of insects filled the air.
Not even half an hour had passed before Leon was drenched in sweat, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He staggered to a tree, bracing one hand against the rough bark for support, desperately trying to catch his breath. His legs trembled violently, and a burning ache spread through his chest.
Rossweise stopped and looked back at him. "Can you not go on?" she asked, her tone deceptively calm, laced with a hint of victory.
Leon raised his head, met her gaze, and stubbornly insisted, "I can still walk." He would not give her the satisfaction of seeing him break.
A faint, knowing smile touched Rossweise's lips. "If you cannot walk, you need only tell me. I am not completely heartless." But the words were a taunt, relishing his struggle.
Her phrasing made Leon's mind race. He understood her game immediately. She had suggested walking precisely for this reason—to force him to beg her for help, to shatter his pride completely. She held all the power. The temple was impossibly far on foot, but she could transform and fly them back in an instant. Leon had the entire Empire behind him, yet he was trapped within her sight. If he tried to run, she would catch him effortlessly. Having defiled his dignity, Rossweise had moved to the next phase of her revenge: slowly tormenting his body, making him suffer every step of the long way home.
Clenching his jaw, Leon gripped the dry tree trunk until his knuckles were white, his fingers digging into the crumbling bark. "I said I am not tired. Let's keep walking." He pushed himself away from the tree and forced his leaden feet forward.
"Hmph, only your mouth is tough from head to toe," Rossweise remarked, her eyes narrowing.
Leon walked past her, his shoulder nearly brushing hers. He stared into the dark maw of the forest and said in a low, steely voice, "Your Majesty, besides my mouth, my bones are quite tough as well. Waiting for me to beg you? It will never happen." The words were a shield, hiding the deep hurt and fury her games ignited within him.
He took another step and continued. Rossweise snorted coldly and followed. She felt no urgency; her powerful dragon body was pitted against his weakened human one. It was a contest she would win. She wanted to see how long the great dragon slayer's stubbornness could last. They walked for another ten minutes before a noise reached them—voices, and the crackle of fire.
Looking toward the sound, they saw the flickering light of a campfire, a beacon against the wild forest night. Shadows moved around it, and the murmur of conversation carried on the air.
Leon's dark eyes reflected the bonfire's glow, a spark of hope igniting within them. He opened his mouth, a cry for help on his lips. This was his chance to let the world know he was alive, to get a message out. But the words died before they were born. He glanced sideways at Rossweise. If he called out now, she would slaughter these people without a second thought. Their blood would be on his hands. He could not bear the weight of more innocent lives lost because of him.
Swallowing the bitter pill of this realization, Leon turned to leave. But before he took two steps, a warm voice called from the campfire. "Hello? Is someone there?" As the voice faded, the rustling of undergrowth followed, indicating the group was moving toward them.
Rossweise instantly grew alert, magic coalescing in her hands. Flickering dragon flames danced on her palms, ready to be unleashed. Seeing this, Leon rushed to her side and grabbed her wrist.
The Dragon Flames seared his hand, a sharp, biting pain shooting up his arm. He ignored it, his focus entirely on stopping her. Leon positioned himself in front of Rossweise, obscuring her tail from view. The people from the campfire approached but stopped a respectful distance away, wary.
"Are you two lost?" a young man asked, his voice kind but cautious.
"Oh, no. We're just... um... taking a walk," Leon said, forcing a calm he didn't feel.
"This forest isn't a good place for a stroll, sir. It's full of dangerous beasts. Why not stay at our camp tonight? We can escort you down the mountain in the morning." The young man's offer sounded genuine.
After a pause, perhaps worried Leon suspected ill intent, the young man added, "Oh, by the way, I'm Walker, captain of the Imperial Dragon Slayer Corps, 47th Squad."
The moonlight was faint, and the forest was thick. At this distance, they couldn't see faces clearly. Otherwise, as a fellow Dragon Slayer, Walker would have recognized Leon instantly—the legendary hero.
A perfect opportunity was slipping away. If Leon yelled "Help me!" now, this trained squad would understand the situation and fight to save him. But the cost? They would all be slaughtered by Rossweise's power. Even if one escaped to carry the tale to the capital, the price in blood was too high.
Leon would not allow it. He pressed his lips into a tight line and, in a sudden move, wrapped his arm around Rossweise's waist. The action surprised the queen so much that the Dragon Flame in her hand flickered and died.
"Thank you for the offer, Dragon Slayers. My wife and I have some training. We can handle ourselves," Leon said, his arm a firm band around her, playing the part of a protective husband. "We're just here to enjoy the view. We'll be heading down soon."
Hearing this, Captain Walker didn't press further. "Alright. Oh, here, take this as a gift." He stepped closer and handed Leon a signal flare—a tube that, when activated, would shoot a bright light into the sky to summon help. "If you face any real danger, fire this. We'll come immediately."
Leon took it, nodding his thanks. "Thank you." He felt a genuine surge of gratitude; this was a real tool, a tangible chance for escape held in his hand.
"Not at all—Hmm? Sir, you look familiar. Have we met?" As they had drawn closer, Walker had gotten a better look at Leon's face.
Leon hesitated for a fraction of a second, then smiled and shook his head. "Oh, young man, I just have one of those common faces. When my wife was chasing me back then, she said she liked this face of mine." He forced a jovial tone, using the lie to deflect.
Rossweise: ...
Walker chuckled."Alright, I won't disturb you two any longer."
With that, Walker and his team retreated back toward their campfire. Once they were out of earshot, Leon let out a deep, shuddering sigh, the tension draining from his shoulders.
Rossweise immediately used her tail to push his arm away. "I didn't expect you to be such a skilled liar. 'She chased me?' How absurd." Her eyes sparkled with amused contempt.
Leon glared at her but said nothing, silently admitting the lie had been necessary. A flush of embarrassment warmed his skin, but it had worked.
"You are clever, Leon. No cry for help, no reckless actions. Aside from your stubbornness, I haven't found any other weaknesses in you yet." She sounded almost impressed, though the mockery remained.
"I didn't want to be your husband either," Leon shot back, his voice sharp as a blade.
He tucked the signal flare securely into his pocket, then glanced down at his hand. The skin was red and blistered from her Dragon Flame. It throbbed with a persistent pain, but it was manageable. He could ignore it for now.
Rossweise raised an eyebrow, observing his actions and the injured hand. Leon simply turned and continued walking ahead, not granting her a second look.
Rossweise smiled as if it were of no consequence and followed. They continued their trek and did not encounter any other slayer teams. But eventually, Leon's body reached its absolute limit. His vision swam with black spots, and his legs gave way entirely. He collapsed to the forest floor, his knees buckling beneath him.
Rossweise turned, walked back to him, and half-knelt. She lifted his chin with one finger, studying his pale, exhausted face. A smile played on her lips as she asked, her voice a sweet, cruel whisper,
"You finally cannot walk any further, Leon. Beg me. Beg me, and I will take you home to rest."
"I don't understand what you're saying..." Leon whispered, his eyelids fluttering shut.
"Heh, don't you want to lie on a soft, large bed? To eat a supper prepared by maids? To take a hot bath before sleep? Just ask me once, and in three hours, we will be home." She painted a vivid picture of comfort, a tantalizing temptation.
Leon closed his eyes slowly, mustering the last of his strength. "If you have the guts, leave me here for the wolves."
With that final act of defiance, he lost consciousness completely, his body going limp.
The next moment, a whirlwind of leaves and dust kicked up around Leon's still form. The air shimmered, and a massive silver dragon stood in Rossweise's place. She picked up Leon's unconscious body, tossed him onto her broad back, and with several powerful beats of her wings, launched into the deep night sky. The wind howled around them, the stars blurring into streaks as they sped toward home. Annoyance warred with a grudging respect within Rossweise—a complex emotion she would never voice. The flight was silent, with Leon unaware of it all, lost to the world in his exhausted faint.