as hot as a sauna every time it exhaled. Its scales felt solid and hard in her grip, and its fangs looked quite capable of biting her in half.
Think... think! Why am I having this dream? There had been two dragons, black ones, yesterday. They’d attacked Phailon and Aerigo more or less took care of them by himself. Not too long ago, she’d gotten hit by two poison darts, and her memory went fuzzy until she woke up to vomit. Aerigo was there. He was alive. His eyes were glowing yellow. He was... scared. He really was scared. “Aah!” Roxie snapped her concentration back on the dragon and pushed against it with a fresh burst of adrenaline. The beast growled--or was it a laugh? Whatever it was, the dragon doused her with more of its foul, sweltering breath. She wanted to cover her stinging nose so bad, but all she could do was hold on as tears slid down the sides of her face. “Aerigo!”
His name escaped her before she even realized she’d said it. It was such a stupid thing to say in the middle of a nightmare. Of course he couldn’t come to the rescue here. She was on her own in this test. At least he’d given her the strength and endurance to survive this far. But still, she couldn’t help but wish he was there.
Desperate, she searched the gloom and found him lying maybe five feet from her. He was here! But how? She called his name again and, to her surprise, he sat up in alarm. “Aerigo, help me!” Aerigo turned, then gasped. He reached into the pale ground and lifted his dagger, surged to his feet, and took two steps and jumped for the dragon’s neck. With one swift motion, he sliced the neck right behind the head, and landed in a crouch a few feet to Roxie’s side.
The dragon hadn’t so much as flinched. Roxie had almost relaxed and let go, but there was no blood. The body didn’t topple over, the head didn’t fall off, and the dragon didn’t stop breathing or bearing down on her. She snuck a glance at Aerigo, who no longer held his dagger. He lunged at the dragon’s head. “Get away from her!” He swung with both fists and passed right through, his body disappearing like a ghost walking through a wall. Rox stole a glance past her thighs when she heard stumbling footfalls by the dragon’s forelegs. Aerigo caught his balance and launched a series of fierce kicks and punches at the dragon’s nearest leg, but every blow passed through as if the beast were made of air. He held out a hand with his palm facing the dragon’s neck. “ Leave her alone!” A red glow formed in front of his hand and a fireball erupted, flying towards the dragon’s neck. The fireball sailed unimpeded up and into the darkness. Aerigo cast a series of elemental spells, each one aimed at the dragon’s neck, and each one yielding no results. Panting, Aerigo let his arms fall to his sides. He backed away from the dragon and towards Roxie, his eyes never leaving the beast.
“Aerigo?”
“I’m here, Rox,” he said, dropping to his knees beside her, “but... I can’t help you.” Aerigo’s eyes were glowing yellow and he wore a look of hopeless despair. “I can’t help you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not giving up.” She didn’t know what else to say. If she’d dreamed up Aerigo, this wasn’t how she’d have expected him to behave.
“There has to be something I can do.”
“Well, this is my nightmare, not yours. Maybe that’s why you can’t. How did you get here anyway?”
Aerigo tore his gaze from the dragon’s maw and looked at her. He looked upside-down from her vantage point, but oh well. “I don’t know. I’m asleep right near you. I heard you call my name. I had to go wherever you are.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here. It’s better than being alone with the dragon.”
“Do you remember getting poisoned?”
“Yeah.” Her voice came out all shaky, like when trying to talk while doing a plank exercise. Aerigo hadn’t sounded much steadier. “Dragon venom?”
Aerigo nodded.
Think... think! Why am I having this dream? There had been two dragons, black ones, yesterday. They’d attacked Phailon and Aerigo more or less took care of them by himself. Not too long ago, she’d gotten hit by two poison darts, and her memory went fuzzy until she woke up to vomit. Aerigo was there. He was alive. His eyes were glowing yellow. He was... scared. He really was scared. “Aah!” Roxie snapped her concentration back on the dragon and pushed against it with a fresh burst of adrenaline. The beast growled--or was it a laugh? Whatever it was, the dragon doused her with more of its foul, sweltering breath. She wanted to cover her stinging nose so bad, but all she could do was hold on as tears slid down the sides of her face. “Aerigo!”
His name escaped her before she even realized she’d said it. It was such a stupid thing to say in the middle of a nightmare. Of course he couldn’t come to the rescue here. She was on her own in this test. At least he’d given her the strength and endurance to survive this far. But still, she couldn’t help but wish he was there.
Desperate, she searched the gloom and found him lying maybe five feet from her. He was here! But how? She called his name again and, to her surprise, he sat up in alarm. “Aerigo, help me!” Aerigo turned, then gasped. He reached into the pale ground and lifted his dagger, surged to his feet, and took two steps and jumped for the dragon’s neck. With one swift motion, he sliced the neck right behind the head, and landed in a crouch a few feet to Roxie’s side.
The dragon hadn’t so much as flinched. Roxie had almost relaxed and let go, but there was no blood. The body didn’t topple over, the head didn’t fall off, and the dragon didn’t stop breathing or bearing down on her. She snuck a glance at Aerigo, who no longer held his dagger. He lunged at the dragon’s head. “Get away from her!” He swung with both fists and passed right through, his body disappearing like a ghost walking through a wall. Rox stole a glance past her thighs when she heard stumbling footfalls by the dragon’s forelegs. Aerigo caught his balance and launched a series of fierce kicks and punches at the dragon’s nearest leg, but every blow passed through as if the beast were made of air. He held out a hand with his palm facing the dragon’s neck. “ Leave her alone!” A red glow formed in front of his hand and a fireball erupted, flying towards the dragon’s neck. The fireball sailed unimpeded up and into the darkness. Aerigo cast a series of elemental spells, each one aimed at the dragon’s neck, and each one yielding no results. Panting, Aerigo let his arms fall to his sides. He backed away from the dragon and towards Roxie, his eyes never leaving the beast.
“Aerigo?”
“I’m here, Rox,” he said, dropping to his knees beside her, “but... I can’t help you.” Aerigo’s eyes were glowing yellow and he wore a look of hopeless despair. “I can’t help you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not giving up.” She didn’t know what else to say. If she’d dreamed up Aerigo, this wasn’t how she’d have expected him to behave.
“There has to be something I can do.”
“Well, this is my nightmare, not yours. Maybe that’s why you can’t. How did you get here anyway?”
Aerigo tore his gaze from the dragon’s maw and looked at her. He looked upside-down from her vantage point, but oh well. “I don’t know. I’m asleep right near you. I heard you call my name. I had to go wherever you are.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here. It’s better than being alone with the dragon.”
“Do you remember getting poisoned?”
“Yeah.” Her voice came out all shaky, like when trying to talk while doing a plank exercise. Aerigo hadn’t sounded much steadier. “Dragon venom?”
Aerigo nodded.
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