I stood over the captain's corpse, then turned my gaze toward the remaining soldiers and villagers.
My strength was fading fast, but I gathered what was left and let out one final roar, loud, sharp, and directed at the battlefield.
It swept across the land like thunder.
And everything stopped.
Heads snapped toward me. For a long moment, there was only silence, dozens of eyes locked onto me, standing tall over the captain's dead body.
"Th-the captain's dead!" one soldier shouted, voice trembling.
"It can't be..." another muttered in disbelief.
The first soldier shook his head and stepped away from the front line. "I didn't sign up for this. I'm not fighting that monster."
Panic spread like wildfire. One by one, the soldiers turned and fled, retreating into the trees without looking back.
Aurora's father looked like he wanted to give chase but stopped. The villagers behind him were wounded, exhausted, and barely able to stand, let alone pursue anyone.
So instead, they all lowered their weapons.
There was no cheer as the enemy ran, the weight of the bodies of their friends lying around them was suffocating.
I looked down, I couldn't maintain my new ability any longer, and the electricity around me dissipated.
The exhaustion and pain that had been blocked out by my power, came flooding back, but it was dulled by a surge of power from killing the captain.
Some of my wounds tightened and closed. My wings grew slightly, gaining a few more inches in length.
"Well, that would've been useful before," I thought, letting out a tired breath.
But it wasn't enough to keep me standing.
My legs buckled, and I dropped to my knees.
Meanwhile, Aurora had stood watching everything, from the moment I killed the captain, to the moment I roared.
"He actually did it…" she whispered, slightly smiling. "He beat the soldier's leader, to save us"
She'd flinched when I roared, covering her ears, but when the soldiers turned and ran, her hands dropped, and she felt a rush of relief.
But that relief quickly turned to worry as she realized severity of my injuries sunk in.
I was bloodied, wounded, and barely standing upright.
"Ryn..." She whispered with worry in her voice. "I need to go help him."
But a seed of doubt still clung to her mind, the sight of my new bloody form still made her nervous.
She took a hesitant step forward… then another.
But the moment she saw me fall to my knees; her hesitation vanished.
And she started running, just hoping I was ok.
I looked to my right and saw her running toward me.
A wave of relief and gladness passed through me.
"Thank goodness she's safe," I thought, as I wearily smiled.
"Ryn!" Aurora's voice rang out as she approached. I weakly raised one claw, trying to signal that I was okay-or, at least, still conscious.
She slowed when she reached me, her boots skidding slightly in the dirt. Her eyes swept over me, the burns, the claw marks, the blood still dripping from my side. She stopped a foot away, frozen.
Then, slowly, she dropped to her knees beside me, breath catching in her throat.
"You've… gone through so much pain to save us." Her voice faltered, caught somewhere between sadness and gratitude. "Thank you."
She wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, then gave me a shaky smile.
"You must've known we were going to be attacked," she said quietly, "and that's why you came to warn us. You destroyed the market… to get us ready for an attack."
Her voice was full of realization, like pieces were falling into place.
I nodded, almost instinctively in confirmation. Half without thinking.
Then I noticed the way her expression changed, her eyes widened, lips parting in disbelief.
"D-Do you… understand me?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
I hesitated. For a moment, I considered staying silent, but I saw no real reason to keep pretending.
So, I nodded again. Slowly and deliberately.
Aurora's eyes filled with wonder.
"That's… incredible," she said. "I've only ever heard legends about dragons being able to understand human speech."
I felt something ease in my chest. For the first time since I'd arrived in this world, I didn't have to put up a front, whether it was fighting like a dragon to survive, or pretending to not understand Aurora, I hated doing it.
But now I didn't have to fear any consequences.
Then Aurora's cheeks flushed a little. She looked away, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Does that mean… you heard everything I said in the shed?"
I nodded again.
She let out a quiet groan and hid her face in both hands. "Oh… I said so much private stuff."
But then, after a second, she dropped her hands… and smiled.
"But it's ok… I don't mind that you heard it; I know I can trust you."
I looked down, feeling something stir in me I that couldn't quite describe. Gratitude. Relief. Something warm.
But then, the exhaustion I'd been holding off started to catch up to me. My limbs trembled, my vision blurred, and I felt myself tipping forward.
But before I hit the dirt, I felt arms wrap around my neck. Aurora's body pressed against me-small and warm and trembling with the effort to keep me upright.
"It's okay, Ryn," she whispered, her voice tight with emotion. "You've done enough today; you can rest now."
I leaned into her. Her warmth was real. Her words were real. And for the first time in a long while…
I felt safe.
It seemed like the whole world had become peaceful... for about five seconds.
Then I heard footsteps approaching. My strength hadn't fully returned, but I managed to push myself back onto my feet.
It was Aurora's father.
As he approached, his eyes met mine for just a second, they were uncertain and guarded. I slightly tensed instinctively.
But then his gaze shifted to Aurora, and his expression changed completely.
"Are you alright? Did you get hurt anywhere?" he asked, his voice more emotional and concerned than I'd heard it before.
"I'm fine," Aurora said, brushing her hair back and smiling lightly. "Barely even a scratch, see?" She gestured to her arms as he scanned her quickly for injuries. He let out a breath of relief.
"But Ryn… he's the one who really got hurt," she added, glancing back at me. "Though he's not in as bad of shape when we first met-but still."
"Ryn?" her father echoed, confused. He turned toward me again. "You mean this dragon?"
Aurora nodded, but before she could explain further, he cut in-eyes narrowing. "And did you say you two had met before?"
"It's… a long story," Aurora said quickly, clearly flustered and avoiding eye contact. "But he came here to help us. He saved me-right, Ryn?"
I nodded slowly.
Her father blinked in surprise. "Wait. Aurora… he understands us?"
"Yeah!" she said, smiling again. "Isn't it amazing?"
He didn't answer right away. He just stared at me for a moment, then gave a small nod himself.
"…Thank you," he said. "For saving my daughter. And for saving the rest of us."
I nodded again, slower this time. But I hadn't saved them alone, if it wasn't for the strong fight they put up, the battle's outcome would have been very different.
Then he turned back to her. "Aurora, if you're feeling up to it… do you think you could come help with the wounded?"
"Of course," she said without hesitation.
"let's go then." Said her father.
We returned to the battlefield together.
What had once been grassland was now soaked with blood. There was more red than green on the ground.
Twelve bodies lay scattered across the field. Seven of which were villagers.
And I saw at least ten more wounded-some of them barely conscious.
Even though we had won… the cost was still high. I shuddered as I imagined what would've happened if I hadn't come.
Aurora immediately moved to help the wounded, joined by others who had come out of hiding. Among them was an older man, who looked to be one of the village's doctors, judging by his satchel and the way people made room for him.
I let out a small sigh of relief. With him here, most of the wounded would probably make it.
But then I noticed sets of eyes watching me.
Some of the villagers stared with wary caution. A few others looked genuinely grateful… but the tension in the air was impossible to miss.
After the way I'd stormed into the village before, I couldn't blame them.
I decided it would be best to keep my distance for now.
So, I turned away and walked slowly toward one of the nearby buildings. I sat down in the shade against and leaned against its wall.
From there, I watched, still being able to see almost everything.
As I sat in the shade, watching the villagers tend to their wounded, my eyelids slowly grew heavy. The exhaustion I'd been holding off finally caught up with me.
At some point… I nodded off.
When I awoke, the sun had dipped lower in the sky. The field was quiet. The injured were gone, and the bloodstained battlefield had mostly been cleared.
Then, to my left, I noticed movement. Aurora was walking toward me, carrying a wooden bucket, I could tell she was tired.
I felt a bit ashamed that I had been out here sleeping, while others were working.
As she got closer, she smiled.
"Oh good-you're awake," she said, setting the bucket down before sitting beside me.
"I didn't want to disturb you, but… I thought you might be thirsty."
I gave her a grateful look, then leaned forward and drank. She was right-I hadn't realized how thirsty I was, until after I started drinking.
"It looks like everyone's going to pull through," she said softly, with a look of relief on her face. "They're being treated in the town hall right now."
I was thankful to hear that. Given the chaos earlier… this really was the best outcome I could've hoped for.
She continued, a bit more seriously this time. "The village is holding a meeting tonight-a big meal for everyone. The leaders are going to talk about what we should do next, now that war's broken out."
At the word "war," her expression darkened.
That one word hung in the air like a shadow. I could feel the weight of it settle between us.
But then she brightened again.
"Anyway," she said with a small grin, "after a little convincing, my dad said you could come too… if you want."
The idea of a real meal-actual food not roasted monsters-sent a small jolt of excitement through me. I sat up straighter and gave her an enthusiastic nod.
She laughed softly. "I'll take that as a yes then."
As night fell, the villagers got to work setting up a massive bonfire. Flames danced beneath racks of meat and an assortment of vegetables. Smoke curled upward into the darkening sky, rich with the savory scent of slow-roasting food.
"They sure don't mess around when they cook," I thought, my eyes drifting toward the feast.
People bustled about, preparing spots to sit and eat. A long table had been arranged for the village leaders to discuss their plans for the future, while the rest of the villagers would gather around the bonfire.
There were around a hundred people here in total.
As we were waiting to eat, I was caught off guard by a loud BANG, which made me jolt upright. I looked over, tense, only to see a woman standing beside an enormous gong, now vibrating from the hit. She held a giant hammer in her hands.
As my nerves slowly settled, Aurora looked up from beside me and said nonchalantly, "Oh! Looks like it's time to eat," then gestured for me to follow.
"Is this how they normally call people to dinner?!" I thought, trying to calm my pounding heart.
As we joined the line for food, I couldn't help but notice that everyone stayed at least eight feet away from me.
The nervous stares began to get under my skin. I'd never liked being the center of attention, but this was worse. I kept my head low and tried to focus on anything else, instead of the wary eyes.
But then, I felt a light tap on my back.
I turned, startled, and was met by an elderly woman.
"I'm sorry to bother you," she said softly. "My son fought in the battle today." Her eyes dropped to the ground. "He was badly hurt…"
I frowned, lowering my head slightly.
"But," she added quickly, "he's going to be okay. And… if you hadn't shown up, he wouldn't be alive at all."
She gave a small bow. "So, thank you."
I blinked, surprised-but nodded slowly.
Her smile was gentle as she turned and returned to her place in line. Somehow, her words made the looks I got from others, feel a little less sharp.
The line crept forward. When we finally reached the food, a man handed me a bowl with trembling hands and a nervous glance, without saying a word.
The aroma hit me instantly-meat, potatoes, fire-kissed vegetables. I felt a growing pit in my stomach. I was starving. After that brutal battle, my body needed this more than I realized.
Aurora pointed to a spot off to the side, between the villagers and the leaders' table.
"Why don't we sit there?" she said casually. "It's a little quieter. It will be easier to hear ourselves think."
I nodded, appreciating the excuse she'd given. But I could guess the real reason for her suggestion-she had seen the looks that I was given from others and thought it would be less uncomfortable for me if we sat alone, away from the circle of villagers. I felt a little guilty for pulling her aside from the others, but she didn't seem to mind at all.
We sat down, and I looked over the food. Everything looked delicious. The chicken was golden and crisp; the potatoes were perfectly browned with a flaky texture; even the vegetables were brightly colored and looked freshly picked.
"The food looks good," Aurora said as she plunged into a piece of chicken with her wooden fork and took a bite.
Her face instantly turned red. "Ah! It's too hot!" she said, as steam rose from her mouth.
I covered my face, trying to hold back a laugh.
She caught me and narrowed her eyes. "Hey! Why don't you try it then-if you think it's so funny."
I smiled a little and picked up a drumstick it looked delicious, and how hot could it really be?
I bit into it-and immediately regretted my decision.
Heat exploded in my mouth like I had just bitten into a fireball. I clenched my jaw and fought the urge to spit it out.
"See!" Aurora laughed triumphantly. "I told you it was hot!"
I frowned, looking at the chicken with slight confusion. How did they even make it that hot? I mean I literally breathe fire, I didn't expect any food could be too hot for me.
Aurora was watching me now with curious eyes, as I looked at the rest of the food, I guess it was my turn to see if the food was safe this time.
I slowly lifted a potato to my mouth and took a bite.
It was pretty warm, but not anything near what the chicken was like. And it tasted amazing.
I sighed in relief and gave a small nod of approval.
Aurora smiled and took a bite of her own, and said, "Mr. Baker always grows the best potatoes around, these must be his."
As we continued eating, I began to feel grateful.
Just a little over a week ago, I'd landed in this world with nothing. I'd come close to dying more than once…
And yet, somehow, I was here. Sharing food. Watching a village that had just faced certain doom, persevere. And I had even made a friend, despite being a literal dragon.
Somehow, it made all the pain I went through to get here, feel worth it.
Aurora chatted casually as we ate-telling me stories about the people in the village, funny childhood memories and even a few bits of gossip.
I could tell how much she loved this village.
Then her tone shifted and became more serious. "I still can't believe we were attacked."
She explained that, despite what I'd assumed, Lamia and Lionia hadn't just made peace, because both nations had wanted to stop a dragged-out war.
Lamia had been pretty much defeated, and they asked for a truce as a final act of desperation. Which Lionia had been honorable enough to accept in hope of lasting peace. Lionia was clearly the stronger nation now. Which made Lamia's sudden attack feel senseless.
"Even if they'd been preparing," she said, "Lamia shouldn't be strong enough to invade like this and expect long lasting success. Not unless there's something else going on."
I didn't like that thought. And neither did she, but it was all speculation.
As her words sank in, the voices at the leaders' table rose-louder, and argument was forming.
Aurora and I turned our heads towards them.
We both could now hear what they were saying.
At the head of the table, a broad-shouldered man with a beard streaked with grey leaned forward, his voice rising over the chatter.
"We can't just leave now. It's nearly harvest season. Everything we own is here," he said sharply, frustration flaring in his eyes.
Aurora's father shot back with equal force, "Will you still be saying that when Lamia attacks again?"
The table fell silent for a moment. Some muttered under their breath, but it seemed most of them leaned toward Aurora's father.
However, the older man wasn't finished. He crossed his arms and said, "No, I won't. But that's not going to happen. Lionia will send a full army here in no time. This war will be over almost as quickly as it started."
That made the others nod in agreement. But Aurora's father wasn't done either.
"I agree that it seems unlikely that Lamia will have another shot at attacking us once Lionia's forces arrive," he said, more measured now. "But don't forget,"
He looked slowly around the table, locking eyes with each of them.
"We never thought we'd be attacked in the first place."
The table was silent.
"I'm not willing to take another risk with my daughter's life. I hope the rest of you aren't either. We've already lost too many good men."
His words resonated with everyone, a grim atmosphere spread out; as they remembered the people they lost.
The older man gritted his teeth and sat back in his chair. He didn't say another word. He knew Aurora's father was right.
After a moment, Aurora's father continued, "I'll harvest what's ready… then I'm taking my daughter and heading to the capital. I hope the rest of you will join me."
With that, the discussion tapered off. Murmurs replaced arguments, and the table slowly returned to quiet.
From our spot near the edge of the circle, Aurora and I exchanged a glance.
We'd already heard enough.
Aurora looked down and sighed. "Well… I can't say I wasn't expecting this."
Her hands clenched slightly in her lap. "But I guess I pushed it to the back of my mind all day."
I frowned. In my past life, I'd heard about wars and conflicts in distant countries. People displaced. Lives lost. Tragedies that were just headlines or numbers.
But now, standing in the aftermath of a real battle… I'd seen the consequences with my own eyes.
And I hated it.
Aurora looked back up, her voice steadier now. "I can't just run away, though."
I tilted my head, uncertain what she meant.
She continued, "I heard the capital has special academies-places where the government trains mages and warriors."
She paused, then added with quiet conviction, "And I'm going to enroll in one."
She finished saying, "Even if Dad doesn't agree… I still want to go. I want to become a real mage."
This time her voice wavered, just slightly.
Her words hit me harder than I expected. I didn't like the idea of Aurora going to war and risking her life again. But at the same time… something about the way she said it-like this was the path she had chosen-made it feel right.
I raised my arm and slowly placed a claw on her shoulder.
She looked up, startled for a second. Our eyes met.
Then I gave her a slow reassuring nod.
I wanted to say something. "I believe in you." Or "Don't let anyone stop you."
But I couldn't speak.
Still… she seemed to understand.
Aurora smiled softly. "Thank you, Ryn. I needed the encouragement."
Later, after the meal had ended, the villagers began to return to their homes.
Aurora had suggested that I could sleep in their shed again, and I accepted.
The night sky was now filled with stars, as Aurora and I walked towards her house.
I was glad she made the suggestion, I wanted to stay close to the village just in case anything happened, instead of sleeping far away in my tree.
As I was about to enter the shed, I hesitated while looking up and smelling the fresh air.
I realized I didn't feel like staying in a cramped room. So instead, I found a spot in the grass to lie down.
Aurora looked surprised, "you want to sleep out here tonight?"
I nodded.
She laughed softly, "alright, goodnight then, Ryn"
I gave a small wave to say goodnight, as she went into the house.
Then I laid down and I looked up at the stars.
So much had happened to me in such a short period of time, but I honestly was too tired to think about everything right now.
And I slowly fell asleep.
A silent peace landed on me, that had before evaded me for most of my time in this world.