Alex watched people celebrating the successful taming of the dragon, for a few minutes before they began to retire one after the other.
Watching them leave, he sighed tiredly and got up from the rock where he sat to rest. Looking around the now empty plane, he walked into the cave where he found Krystal seated on the ground, in her human form instead of her dragon form, as if she was waiting for him.
"You are awake?" Alex inquired her with mild surprise.
"Did you like my show?" Krystal asked in return. "I stood beside you and chose you without uttering a word." Her eyes silently shined as if a kid asking for appreciation. She looked pure and sensitive, which Alex didn't care about.
Alex scoffed despite him being relieved at her words and confirmation. "Don't think too much about it." He said. "Even if you had actually been mad, which I do know you were, I could still calm you down."
Krystal sneered. She hated being caught. Her expectations for small praise for him were ruined too making her further disappointed. All her life, she had only feared by humans, how come Alex not be feared by her? She enjoyed his company, but she didn't always enjoy his cockiness and bravery.
"Are you calm now? You're no longer worried?" Krystal asked. "You can rest since you have won the duel which was unnecessary by the way."
Alex shrugged. "I am neither bothered nor worried about it. I always knew I am going to win it."
"Please." Krystal waved him off. "You had no skills whatsoever, you have zero knowledge in fighting or archery or the rest."
"Yes, correct, correct, and correct. But, I also have something which no one else in this kingdom could have."
"A pretty face? Because trust me, your village is full of not-so-pretty people!" Krystal said, chuckling. "No wonder you fell in love with my beauty."
Alex chortled. "Don't ever say that. Never say it again. That's not only wrong, it's also... untrue."
Krystal laughed. "What's the difference between wrong and untrue?" She asked. "In that context?"
"Oh, if you hadn't added the last part, I would have answered you very quickly." Alex bragged. "The difference between Marjun and I is that Marjun relies on his skills and background to battle."
"And you?" Krystal chuckled. "Of course, you can't do that. You have no skills and no background as well."
"Exactly, and that's why I got the skill of words. I call myself a wordsmith." Alex said. "That's the difference. Having said so much and used my words to manipulate people, I have also learned how to strategize and be calculative with my moves."
Krystal nodded. "That's beautiful, Alex. I can see you sustained some injuries."
"Yeah, although it's healing quite well. I think it's because I died and came back. You have never told me how I returned to life too." Alex said. Shamelessly taking off his battle clothes right before Krystal.
Krystal stared at him unfazed as he stripped himself before her slowly.
"However, I did what I did. It is not your business. All you need to know is that you owe me gratitude for bringing you back to life." she said shrugging her shoulders.
"Gratitude? You killed me in the first place. If not for that, there would have been no reason for you to bring me back to life." Alex stated.
"Don't expect me to show any form of gratitude. You don't deserve it."
After speaking, Alex walked into the inner cave, wearing his lowers. Removing the remaining garments, he submerged himself in the nearby lake. Once he was clean, he emerged from the water before putting on a fresh set of clothes and returned to the outer cave. He noticed the small plant he had and plucked the last fruit from it. He savored the taste as he chewed the fruit carefully, relishing the flavor on his tongue.
"Alex, you can't avoid me-"
"I'm not avoiding you, Krystal." Alex refuted. "I'm just very tired now and I need maximum rest. You can return to sleep since that's all you ever do."
Krystal was annoyed. "Just because you think you can manipulate people with words, I hope you know that you are not superhuman. You are still Alex."
"Give me a break," Alex demanded, climbing up to his bed before laying in it. Now, he could pretend to be invisible and that was really what he needed at a time like this.
Krystal ignored him. "Thank you for not allowing Marjun to win the duel. Always remember that you are witty and your words can save you from whatever danger." She said. Alex nodded at her in his bed. He kept silent for a while. When he finally turned to check on her, only to find her asleep already. She had morphed back into her dragon form and had fallen asleep again.
Alex turned in his bed, trying to find a perfect position for his bruised body and his exhausted self. After tossing and turning for a few minutes, causing the bed to dangle left and right, he finally drifted into his sleep.
By the following morning, Alex woke up to the sound, which was louder than the previous day. He looked forward to pestering Krystal all day long, but when he turned in his bed, he couldn't find her in her usual spot. He initially thought that she might have gone out for a walk but then he heard a familiar voice. Alex cursed very loudly not understanding why Marjun was all over him.
"Fret not, Alex. I come here seeking peace." Marjun announced from the cave entrance.
Alex scoffed. "You have wounded me and still announced to everyone that I am in love with a dragon?"
"It's all in the past, Alex. I came to congratulate you and I was hoping to see the dragon but she's nowhere to be found." Marjun said, looking around himself.
Where could Krystal have gone?