We Live in Dragon's Peak

“Nymia, place a wind barrier around that boy.”
“Nyaa.”

Nymia, with a lovely meow, coils an airy presence around me.

“A wind barrier?”
“The sky is cold, nyan. When mother flies, the wind gets really strong. Without the barrier, you’d be blown away, nyan.”
“Heee, for real?”

I wonder if the flying dragon knights of the Jortenitos Kingdom also have their dragons create barriers for them when they fly across the skies? I mean, I’m riding on the back of a dragon right now. Isn’t this the scenery specially reserved for flying dragon knights?

This is so incredible, my chest is brimming.

“Do flying dragons do things like place barriers around humans? That they can see the same scenery as this with their flying dragons in surprising.”[1]
“Mother can fly higher than flying dragons, nyan.”

Asher-san, at those words, ascends even high in one go.

“Uwaaaaaaah.”

Asher-san ascends at a sharp angle. A franticly grab her fur to keep from falling off.

We break through a cold white haze in an instant. Only then does she stop climbing higher.

Cautiously, I look down.
“What the…?”

The forest spreads out on the ground far below. That white haze just now, could that have been a cloud?

I forget my fear and gaze at the sight below. It’s incredible. I absolutely want to show it to Ruiseine, Priscilla-chan, and Mistral.

“Next time, nyan will show them, nyan.”
“Ohh, so Nymia can fly up this high too.”
“Nyaa.”

Since I’ve never seen a flying dragon soaring above the clouds, this must be a sight not even the flying dragon knight-sama have seen.

It’s absolutely incredible.

“Sightseeing is over. I am going to search for the decaying dragon.”

With those words, Asher-san advances through the sky almost like she’s swimming.

“Uwaa.”

Again, I’m astonished.

As we advance, we come across mountains that reach up even higher than the clouds.

Asher-san flies with a terrifyingly fast speed. Mountains far off in the distance are before my eyes in an instant. She enters mountainous areas without changing her pace, weaving about the peaks and valleys with her wings.

Everything moves so fast, my eyes can only make out a flowing blur of lines. Yep, my eyes aren’t going to be any use in searching for the decaying dragon.

“Can Nymia properly see the everything?”
“I can see, nyan.”
“Ohh, incredible.”

Since I can’t find anything with my eyes, I’ll try searching with the dragon vein. Or so I think as I immediately give up. I entered a deep meditation, but I can’t feel anything.

“The dragon’s vein is the life stream of the ground. It can’t be felt away from the ground.”

Hohou, so it’s like that. I had no idea. But now, when we need more eyes to look with, I’m powerless to do anything.

“Channel dragon ki into your eyes.”
“Like with my hands?”

I kneed dragon ki and pour it into my eyes. At the same time, energy from the dragon vein flows into me. I messed up. I unconsciously absorbed dragon ki from Asher-san.

“I didn’t feel a thing. The dragon power of humans and dragon tribesmen are nothing compared to me. Help yourself to as much as you like.”

Uwaa, saying that so smoothly, I’m once again made to realize how incredible Asher-san is.

I strain my face and look around with my dragon imbued eyes. Now, I can properly make out the scenery. I grasp the fast flowing scenery without any trouble. By concentrating even harder, I can make out animals like the goats on the mountains and the bears by the river.

“Nymia, can you watch the left? I search the right.
“Nyan.”

And Asher-san will cover the front. Her crashing into the mountain due to looking around would be a huge disaster after all.

“I’d do such a foolish thing?”

Guwann, Asher-san gives a large jolt. As I’m about to be shaken off, I cling to her in a hurry.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Funn.”

Asher-san snorts through her nose.

Guugh, upsetting Asher-san’s mood while she’s soaring through the sky is a life endangering deed. 

Sc- Scary.

It’s in my best interest to diligently preforming my duty. I devote my undivided attention to finding the decaying dragon. Nymia and Asher-san also earnestly search.

“Hahaan, there?”

Asher-san groans.  Just how many valleys did we cross, rivers did we follow, and mountain peaks did we go over?

All of sudden, a fireball gets launched at us.

“Hann, like such a dull attack would hit me.”

Asher-san makes a steep climb, letting the fireball pass her by.

Looking in the direction of the fireball came from reveals the eerie appearance of a monster. I can see quite far now thanks to the dragon ki currently within my eyes.

Its scales and skin are a dark violet color. One section has melted off to reveal flesh foaming and dripping with grey blood.

Half its face has been split off, allowing bone to be seen. Also, even though its eyes are missing, the hollowed gaps stare at us with an eerie red light.

Its tongue hangs from its mouth.

The remaining wing on its back has melted down to its bones.

The dark liquid that leaks from its wounds, whenever it touches the ground, decays the soil and grass with a plume of putrid smoke. The path walked by the decaying dragon has been corroded, almost as if a slug had creeped through.

“Uwaa.”

The nauseating sight makes me turn away.

That’s a decaying dragon? Its ghastly appearance is making me faint.

“Those with weak souls will die just by looking at them. Hold on to your resolve.”
“Uwaa, I wish you had said that sooner!”

What would have happened if I were a timid boy?

“Hann, am I to entrust Nymia to a weak male?”
“Onii-chan is strong, nyan.”
“Thanks.”

I smile at Nymia.

While Nymia and I are having a warm moment, Asher-san and the decaying dragon are having a tense standoff.

[1] 「飛竜が人に結界をするものか。それに飛竜程度と同じ景色とは心外」