"You're quite lucky," stated the last strength dragon as he'd crouched beside me examining storage rune in my arm. "This poison mist is a safety measure against those who wish to enter this tower the 'pit' without a token."
He let my hand fall, "fortunately for you I happen to have this heart cleansing pill on me, it's effects are mostly for detoxifying and opening the asura gate to help peak open realm strength dragons like us who possess no control over hou to break through to a higher realm."
He pulled out the small jade pill, "you might have guessed it but this thing is quite valuable and costly, so if I do save you this one time you're gonna have to repay me, is that ok with you?"
It was getting harder for me to breathe and my body simply refused to listen to me. He was probably aware of this.
"If you understand then undo the rune on your arm." He smiled the smile of an idiot who thinks that he's won.
How do I undo it if I can't move?
"Ah right, the mist doesn't disrupt your control over hou, it simply enters into your body creating dissonance between the nerves and muscles ultimately causing paralysis and asphyxiation."
He can poked at my arm again.
" just release the binding on this rune and I'll choose an item then I'll save you."
Damn it, this guy is simply too much! Taking advantage of me in this situation!
My pride wanted me to hold out and not give in but I couldn't, I don't want to die here, not when I'm so close to saving master.
After everything I'd endured.
This couldn't be it.
It just couldn't.
Damnit!
I channeled hou to the temporary rune on my upper arm releasing the binding and letting all the items fall to the floor beside me.
Including a bag-pack with a change of clothes in case I needed any and other items.
"Wow you, you actually did it." He seemed surprised and I could feel my face reddening. Was he playing around?
He sorted through the items I had which were now all over the floor.
"These are all useless to me."
He eyes my backpack, before reaching towards it and opening it after pulling it closer.
It somehow felt wrong, him looking through my bag like that. Those are my clothes you pervert!
I couldn't speak anyway and even if I could I doubt he'd listen if I couldn't persuade him otherwise probably using force even.
After a while he pulled out a small glass vial from my bag.
The healing pills!
Don't you dare!!!
"I think I'll take these."
Ahhhh nooo!
"Well since the you honored your side of the deal I guess be I should do the same." he paused "but if you can't swallow how do I give it to you? Mouth to mouth?"
I swear my heart skipped a beat when he mentioned this.
"Ha ha that was a joke and I think you'd laugh too if you weren't… like that."
He held the small glasslike green pill and crushed it in his palm before letting the dust from it fall over my face "breathe slowly."
After a few minutes of coughing and dry heaving I had regained enough strength and stability to grab the strength dragon who dared to make a fool of me.
"Give it back," I panted "that vial was given to me by someone important!"
It was one of the things Aurelia had trusted me with before she had disappeared.
He furrowed his brows, "I refuse."
I coughed again. The mist still hadn't been completely cleared from my body and my energy was still drained. "You can take anything I own just not that!"
He looked me over carefully, seemingly lost in thought. "You're human, don't you ever miss your home?" He asked finally meeting my gaze and with so much sincerity that it made me lose what little anger I had.
Leaving me with the awkward feeling of treating someone who was kind to me with contempt.
I let go of his clothes.
"I can't remember much about it."
He sighed, clearly disappointed at my response.
"Hey what's that for?" I started only to end up almost coughing up a lung.
"I'll give them back… if you promise to take me with you when you leave."
I looked at him with shock and bewilderment.
"You." I pushed him away. "Ha ha make fun of the human, I get it."
This routine was getting old and at this point I really couldn't be bothered. I took a deep breath before forcing myself up on not so stable legs.
"No I'm being serious." He tried supporting me in case i fell again. An act I rejected by pushing him away again.
"You don't even know me!" I hissed "You think I'd trust you- a dragon born?"
He backed away a little before, "Ok I guess I deserved that."
"Wait." I paused and grabbed his clothes again pulling him close my anger more than apparent. "When I leave?" I tossed the question at him.
"Ah well you don't have a token or when you entered the mist the token would have protected you." He laughed softly "Also the elders of the profound start holy land forbade anyone from fighting inside this tower."
I didn't ease up, after all that still didn't explain how he knew and how many others did.
"Wait, although there are many humans in our iron region, none of them have the ability to manipulate hou like you do since their meridians are all destroyed by lady shia'k when she takes them in."
He tapped my hand softly and surprised I let go when I realized I had been holding a bit too tightly.
"It's ok though." He breathed roughly "I'm on your side."
"Yeah and what side is that?" I demanded.
"The dragon realm in its entirety is cruel to humans. Im just tired of the way they treat you all." He seemed genuine with this last statement.
"The hell is wrong with you?!" I hissed. "Ugh, stay out of my way!"
I collected my things placing them in the storage rune once again.
Before heading to the stairs once again.
This one person managed to call up feelings I thought I'd long forgotten.
What am I? Stupid? Dragonborn are Dragonborn, so remember what master said.
.....<<<<<
"Master, why don't the Dragonborn like humans?"
She looked up at me an expression on her face I'd never really seen her wear. "The Dragonborn, they've done many unforgivable things to the us in the past, things that they think are for the best." She seethed "they still don't realize that humans were the lifeblood of the garden. The originals." She sighed "their incredibly stubborn mentality has probably brought the realms to ruin by now, this is why you must never trust them or allow them allow them to cross over. Promise me!"
...…<<<
Poison mist?
I concentrated and brought up the ki-shroud rotating my ki to minimize the amount spent while maximizing the power of the shroud.
The translucent blueish green ki covering me like turbulent flames and roared as it came to life.
I won't allow this little thing won't stop me.
...
I made it up the long flight of stairs with the last strength dragon following me at a distance.
Well I guess this counts as staying out of my way and as annoying as it is to have him follow me like this it was better than him pestering me while doing it.
"My name is Era by-the-way." He called after me.
I inhaled sharply almost breathing a fiery plethora of insults at him but barely managing to stop myself at the last minute and finally just rolling my eyes in annoyance before. "Go away Era. I'm sure the others are missing your timely speeches right about now."
"You know, it's strange how you don't act very ladylike. It's like you don't know how."
I turned and tossed a wind blade close to him. It cut through the mist and sliced a large gash in the stairs beside him.
This was just a warning.
"If you don't shut the hell up I swear… ugh!" I growled, why did I have to be saved by someone like him?
"In case you haven't noticed you're not very manly yourself."
I continued up.
Being one of the very few Dragonborn who didn't have horns his shocking eyes were even harder than others to avoid.
He had short white hair and a very feminine appearance. Light freckles, long eyelashes and full cheeks with pretty lips. If it wasn't for his attire, flat-chest and voice I would probably have thought that he was a… oh god, do I find him attractive?
No no no. I shook the thought from my mind.
That's impossible, and he's not my type anyway.
The climb up the long stairs seemed to be never ending and this was getting exhausting, I hadn't recovered my strength yet and now this.
There weren't that many stairs left but it just seemed like way too many.
When will this end??
Era put a firm hand on my shoulder stopping me in my tracks. He was a lot stronger than he'd let on previously and when did he even get so close?
"Wait." He whispered.
"What? No! Hands off!" The moment I pushed his hands away two metal objects whizzed past my head. The third one he caught, it was aimed at center mass.
If he hadn't caught it I'd have been left nursing a nasty wound.
He let the sharp item fall clinking as it made its way down the stairs. "Īone, Zosia, Thalia, You three, what's the meaning of this?"
The mist slowly shifted. Revealing the three strength dragon girls from earlier.
They looked down at us from the upper stairs.
"Well, we're not as strong as you or her and we thought this opportunity was too good to pass up!" Īone started.
"Yeah and the human told us to 'take advantage of this opportunity!" Thalia added with a smirk.
"So what's wrong with us suppressing her before she has the opportunity to do it to us?" Zosia asked in monotone.
They had already made up their minds and it was obvious that they wanted me dead.
"Don't be stupid." Era sighed "fighting amongst ourselves is prohibited in the tower."
"You're right!" Thalia admitted while shrugging.
"But if there are no witnesses did we really commit a crime?" She laughed wickedly.