THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

Two weeks later, Anriette, K'nor, and I are heading east as usual. She bought us clothes in the last town we visited and even an armor for K'nor. I say armor, but it is more like leather pieces sewn together that you can place on him. There are four holes in the armor. His legs have to through so that it will stay in place, it doesn't protect his tail and his head, but it is better than nothing, I suppose.

Anriette said that armor was an old one the army used before to protect scout's horses from arrows. She had it for cheap because the army no longer uses that model. For me, she bought a red padded shirt and a black pair of trousers. I told her I didn't want any armor. She bought herself a long dress that reaches the second half of her legs. She also bought a leather armor that she places on top of the dress and a short sword, though she doesn't look like she knows how to use it. She bought other things but wouldn't tell me what they were so I didn't ask again.

"I will pay back all of it.."

Today again, as I look at the leather armor she is wearing, she says that she will pay it back. She has been saying that for two weeks now. She is almost as annoying as Cissa.

Ever since Cissa became stone, she hasn't stopped bothering about finding a dragon. She doesn't even let me train in peace anymore.

***

"Where are you going, Mr.Dragonroad? It's this way."

Again. For the past three days, I have been walking without even knowing where I am going, like I am possessed or something. I wonder why.

Another day passed, and we rest near a road today. Anriette said that it is not a typical road so we can stay there without trouble. It is also easier for her to know where we are going if you stay near roads because there some signs placed here and there from time to time. She bought a map, but it doesn't seem to be accurate enough.

During the night, I feel like somebody is calling me, there, I hear a very faint voice. I walk to it. Gradually, the voice becomes louder, stronger.

"Mr.Dragonroad!! Wake up!"

"Anriette. Where are…" When I come to, it is morning. No, that's not the most important. I am in front of a ravine, a deep one. Was I about to fall? "What happened?"

"When I woke up, you weren't there, so I searched for you, but I couldn't find you. Then K'nor took me on his back and ran over here, and we fond you about to fall. What happened to you?"

"I-I don't know." What is happening to me? I can still hear that voice calling me inside that ravine.

"voice…"

"Cissa."

"Follow…voice."

"Cissa, you finally back." I hear nothing else. But that was clear enough for me. I must follow that voice.

"Anriette, we are going down."

"What?!!" I carry her on my arms and jump, followed by K'nor.

"Hyaa!!!!!" She screams so loud as we fall, my ears are about to burst.

When we reach the ground, I fly a bit to stop my fall and land. K'nor is using physical and wind Angas, so he lands without trouble, just that his landing is louder than mine, way louder.

"You can open your eyes." I put Anriette down, and she falls on her butt. Her legs are shaking.

"What just happened? We are still alive?"

"Yep."

"You are really incredible, Mr.Dragonroad. Your physical abilities are really great. For somebody who uses fire Angas. Your physical Angas might reach the level of a DIZ'KAR in this life if you continue."

Because I haven't been using any other Angas, Anriette thinks I can only use physical and fire Angas. It would be better if it stays this way.

The forest in this ravine is weird, and the fog is thick, there is no sound, I wonder where we are. I follow the voice calling me, and as we are walking, we reach a castle, or the rest of it. It is only the ground floor that has survived the time. But the voice is calling me so it must be there. I advance, but suddenly, a huge rock comes at us at high speed. I evade while carrying Anriette.

From the fog, it appears—another one of those colossal monsters. I immediately remember our last encounter, and I shudder in fear. This time, I don't have Cissa, after all. But this monster seems weaker than the last one. It is not as tall or menacing.

"A gnoll!!! Here!!! This is bad. This is really bad. Mr.Dragonroad, we must flee! These things can destroy entire well-trained platoons of an army by themselves. Even high ranking meisters and generals don't like to deal with them."

"Run inside the castle and hide. Do not come out until I say so."

"What? No, we must flee! You can't die here. Please listen-"

"Go! Now!" Looking at me with teary eyes, Anriette runs to the castle and hides behind a wall. I don't want you to see how I fight. We never know when you could use it to betray me.

K'nor runs to the gnoll and fires a wind ball straight to his head. Unlike the last one, this gnoll is shaken by K'nor's attack and staggers. He is really is weaker. I run to it while bringing out my raizen. Seeing me coming, it tries to use an earth ball, but K'nor uses another wind ball, injuring the monster's left eye. Blood springs out of it as it screams loudly enough to shake the nearby trees.

"GWAOHH!!" I jump on its leg and use TREMOR like last time. Almost all of its leg is blown off. Even the bone inside is nowhere to be seen. The gnoll staggers and screams while trying to catch me with his hand. His eye is now wide open and glaring at me like a madman.

It creates an earth ball and launches it at me with all its strength, but I evade using Disperse and reappears three or four meters above his head. Cissa said that I am using the Angas of Darkness, could it be that this is its effect? If that the case, then it is awesome!!

It's like I instantly move from where I am to where I want to be. I wonder how far I can go with that. I fall on the gnoll using the same attack as the last time: pouring all of my Angas into my raizen and while falling.

Like an arrow, I fall on the gnoll's head before it can even react and pierce it. My raizen penetrates deeply, down the neck, and the monster falls with a loud and heavy sound. I remove my raizen from his head and look at it. It is still in good shape compared to the last time.

***

"Anriette, you can come out." Anriette first looks out a bit. Then she comes out and approaches slowly, with cat's steps.

"Is it really dead? You sure?"

"I do hope so, at least."

"Wow, this… this is not normal. I have never heard of people killing a gnoll on their own so fast. Even the commanders of the eternal army need time to deal with one. Or maybe it is because you have a rare beast."

"Well, K'nor certainly plays a big role."

"No. Even so, you, as his tamer, must also have impressive skills. Rare beasts do not follow the weak. Even if you have tamed it, they eventually leave you or fight you if they don't see you as their master anymore." So, even K'nor could betray me at some point? No, I don't think so.

"Stay here with him. I need to take care of something inside that castle."

"You don't take the gnoll corpse? It is highly valuable, you know. His skin is used to make really solid and flexible armor, its bones also. His meat is highly praised and expensive, and its organs have a lot of use." Anriette is developing the encyclopedia of a gnoll's corpse while looking at it with stars in her eyes.

I touch the body of the gnoll and send it into my bracelet. Then, leaving K'nor and Anriette, I enter the castle, following the voice. I reach a trap door on the floor and open it. A wave of draconic energy hits me and pushes me back a bit. Well, this is interesting. I jump through and land…in a garden.

Just like the garden that appeared with Cissa, I am in a garden again.

"You have come at last." I hear a voice behind me. When I turn around, there is a man, chained, with a stake in the chest. No, he is not a man; he has two pairs of three horns and pointy ears, just like Cissa: A dragon.