Chapter 6: Morning After the Flames
1621 Words
Morning came.
The sun rose quietly, as if nothing had happened.
Its light poured down over the ruins of Nide, exposing the destruction left behind by the Golden Knight. What had been a lively town only yesterday was now reduced to broken stone, scorched earth, and scattered remains.
Burned houses.
Collapsed roads.
Familiar places erased without mercy.
Dragonfolk bodies lay where they had fallen—some in human form, others reverted to their dragon bodies, too large to move, too heavy with loss.
The air was thick with grief.
No one spoke loudly.
Prayers were whispered to the fallen, offered to dragons who had given their lives protecting the things they cherished most—family, home, and peace.
I stood beside Liane, silently watching.
For the first time since I lost my memories, I truly understood what it meant to lose a home.
...
...
...
Afternoon, Liane and I returned to what used to be our house.
Or rather what remained of it.
The roof was gone.
The walls were shattered.
Only rubble and broken beams stood where warmth once lived.
Still, we searched.
Moving debris.
Lifting stones.
Not for valuables.
But for memories.
“Found it…”
Liane’s voice trembled.
She lifted something from beneath the rubble, holding it up as sunlight reflected off its surface.
A pendant.
Inside it was a small picture—Liane and her mother, smiling gently at the camera.
Liane’s face lit up as tears welled in her eyes.
She pressed the pendant tightly against her chest.
“Luckily… it wasn’t destroyed.”
“It wouldn’t be,” I replied quietly.
“That pendant was made from a fragment of a meteor, after all.”
She froze.
“That’s the first time you’ve mentioned that,” she said, blinking.
“Meteor? Is that really true?”
“Your mother told me once,” I said.
“She said it was nearly indestructible.”
Liane smiled faintly.
“My mother would never lie,” she said softly.
“That’s why I believe in you..."
She gently wiped the dust from the pendant, admiring it as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
Then she took a deep breath.
“We should hurry... Miyu’s waiting for us.”
I said.
Today was the day everyone decided their future.
After the destruction of Nide, the dragonfolk gathered to discuss what came next.
No one could stay.
The Golden Knight knew this place existed.
It was no longer safe.
Some decided to head north—toward the legendary Dragon Den, a frozen land so harsh that humans rarely survived there. Others chose to scatter, hiding among remote villages or deep forests, living quietly and cautiously.
The violent explosion last night had dissolved the dangerous weather barrier surrounding Nide.
The storms were gone.
The skies were calm.
For the first time, leaving this hidden land was possible.
Many dragonfolk approached us.
Some invited us to travel together.
Others urged us to join them in the north.
But we had already made our decision.
We would start our own adventure.
Toward a future that aligned with our own goals.
As we walked through the ruined streets, Liane suddenly stopped.
“It’s strange…” she murmured.
“I always wanted to leave this town.”
She looked around slowly.
“But now… I don’t want to let go at all.”
Her voice shook.
“This is where I was born. Where I lived with my mother. This town holds most of my memories.”
I looked at her quietly.
“Liane…”
“I tried to run away,” she continued.
“I thought if I left, I could forget everything.”
“But after almost losing everything last night… I finally realized how precious this small town was.”
I sighed.
“Stop saying depressing things,” I said.
“The town is destroyed. The knight knows this place exists.”
“It’s not safe to stay.”
She turned and glared at me.
“Arthur, you’re always logical and boring!” she shouted.
“That’s what I hate most about you!”
“I’m being dramatic right now—just let me savor the moment!”
I didn’t argue.
I understood how she felt.
But life didn’t stop for grief.
Eventually, everyone had to move forward.
After a while, Liane’s voice softened.
“There’s something I never told you, Arthur.”
I glanced at her.
“About why I really wanted to leave this town.”
I thought I already knew the answer.
“You wanted to see the Seven Wonders of the World,” I said.
She nodded.
“I do want to see them.”
“But that wasn’t my only goal.”
She hesitated.
“I wanted to find my father.”
“…Find your father?”
I stopped walking.
She continued before I could ask.
“After Mom died… I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” Liane said softly. “Who was my father? Why did he leave? Those questions never left my mind.”
She tightened her grip on the pendant before continuing.
“That’s when I started investigating on my own. Eventually, I found the truth—my father is one of the highest-ranking dragons. A White Dragon. They live in the highlands of Liana.”
White Dragons…
High-ranking dragons.
That meant only one thing.
Liane wasn’t just an ordinary Dragonfolk—she carried royal blood.
No wonder the golden-armored knight believed that killing a White Dragon was the greatest honor a human could achieve.
“I see now…” I muttered. “So that means you’re basically a princess?”
Liane puffed out her chest proudly.
“Well, my beauty finally makes sense, doesn’t it? Because I am a princess—just like in those storybooks.”
That familiar pride, that smug smile…
Seeing her act like herself again put me at ease.
“Then what’s your plan?” I asked. “Do you want to join the other dragons and live comfortably?”
Liane shook her head firmly. She clenched her fist and thrust it toward the sky, her eyes burning with determination.
“No!” she declared. “I’m going to punch him.”
“…Punch him?”
“I’ll punch the man who abandoned my sick mother and tell him he threw away a wonderful life with her,” she said without hesitation. “That’s all I want to do.”
Then her expression softened.
“After that, I want to finish my journey—see all seven wonders of the world. And after that…”
She stared straight at me.
My face suddenly felt hot.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, flustered.
“I was thinking,” she said quietly, “that I want to stay with you. Just like how we lived in this town. After we finish all our life missions, I want a peaceful, quiet life—with you.”
“…You’re right,” I replied.
I had no objections. I was already in love with her.
A family between a human and a dragon might be impossible—but if we could stay together, even like this, that was enough for me.
Still, as this new adventure began, I carried my own unanswered questions.
First, who was the girl who appeared before me, claiming she came from the future?
Second, what catastrophic event was about to shake the world?
Third, and most importantly, who am I really, and what is this power flowing through my veins?
For now, these were my only questions. But I knew that as our journey continued, even more would arise.
“What are you two doing? You’re taking forever.”
Miyu approached us with an annoyed expression.
“We were just talking about our future goals,” I replied.
“Goals? Hey! You’re talking about the future without me? That’s unfair!” she complained. “Well then, my goal is to become a great inventor and expand my knowledge of the outside world!”
“You’ve said that a million times already,” Liane replied.
“So we’re not surprised,” I added.
Miyu crossed her arms. “Anyway, we should leave soon. Those knights might come looking for what’s left of the golden knight.”
“She’s right,” I said. “We really need to go.”
Liane gave Miyu a thumbs-up. “Everything’s ready. I packed what we can still use for the journey.”
“How about the balloon?” I asked.
Miyu returned the thumbs-up confidently. “Already repaired. Thanks to the shockwave from last night, the abnormal weather is gone. My hot air balloon will fly perfectly now.”
“Great. Then everything’s settled,” Liane said casually. “Arthur, please carry all our stuff.”
She walked away with Miyu without looking back.
“…You’re not helping me?!” I shouted.
“You’re the boy. Stop whining like a girl,” Liane replied without turning around.
I really hated her bossy attitude—but seeing her like this made me feel strangely at ease.
I picked up all our bags and followed the two girls toward the hot air balloon.
When we reached it, we stopped and looked back at the town we once lived in.
A town filled with memories.
A town we loved.
When it’s time to say goodbye, you have to say it properly.
“Nide Town… thank you for taking care of me all these years,” I whispered.
Then I turned toward the endless horizon ahead of us.
Bravely heading into the unknown future.
Thus began the adventure of the swordsman, the dragon princess, and the inventor.
- Writer
