Elin was surprised that the dragon knew about each of them having a system as well as about the competition. She'd thought that only people like the king knew about it because they'd already…
"Do you have a system?" Elin asked, suddenly realizing that this dragon had to have once been a competitor like the king had been.
The dragon looked at Elin, with what could only be called a surprised expression on it's face. "What do you take me for?" the dragon asked, and although it didn't sound offended, Elin could help but worry that it was. "I'm not powerless weakling that can be pulled to and fro by those who run that ridiculous competition. They've tried to move me as suited them, but they didn't realize that a dragon was more than a match for them."
Elin couldn't help but feel a little insulted by the way the dragon had described that.
"If you're not a previous contestant, how do you know about the competition?" Jonas asked. Elin drew a silent breath of relief as Jonas drew the dragon's attention away from her, even as Jonas continued, "The only people we've encountered who knew about the competition had been previous contestants. So, we didn't think that anyone else knew about it."
The dragon let out it's breath like it was sighing. "I can understand that, it's not something that was even easy to understand when it was first explained to me, so long ago," the dragon answered. "While I'm sure it's been many hundreds of years, to me, it's hardly been any time at all."
"What's your name?" Elin asked, wanting to call the dragon something other than just 'the dragon' as she couldn't say for certain that they wouldn't encounter another one.
The dragon looked at Elin and it's lips curled up into what she could only call a dragon smile, although it looked a little like it might be interested in eating her from how much of it's sharp, pointed teeth she could see revealed. Which made her feel rather nervous, so she quickly moved behind Kim, if only for the comfort of her presence between herself and the dragon.
"You can call be Aquis," the dragon said, it's body rumbling with what Elin could only assume was a chuckle. Not that it made her feel any better about how it's mouth looked.
Elin felt Kim put and arm around her shoulders, which made her feel more secure.
"So, that's your name?" Elmo asked as he walked over to the dragon and started examining the dragon's scales.
"No, that's not my name," the dragon, Aquis, replied. "My name is…" Aquis then proceeded to make a rumbling sound that Elin definitely couldn't understand. "However, I've never met a human who could properly say it. So, the few humans that I've spoken to, including the one who explained to me about the competition and systems would call me Aquis. As it is something easier for them to say."
Elin nodded, accepting the explanation, although she wasn't sure she fully understood if that rumbling sound had in fact been Aquis' actual name or if it was something else. Although, she couldn't think of what else to call it, since she didn't know that much about dragons herself.
"Well, moving on," Kim said, after a minute of silence. "What can you tell us about the fire dragon? We're supposed to locate and slay it for the next main challenge."
The dragon gave another dragon sigh, as if Kim had said something unpleasant. "Of course they'd use one of those abominations for that," the dragon spat.
"Wait, aren't fire dragons also dragons?" Elmo asked, sounding rather confused.
"Of course they're not," the dragon snapped, making Elin wonder if that was the last thing Elmo was going to have said. "Humans tend to call them that just because the flames take on the basic appearance of a dragon. Beyond that, they're nowhere near as strong or as noble as an actual dragon."
"So, why are they thought to be more devastating than a dragon?" Elmo continued, making Elin start to mentally write a euology for Elmo.
"That's because they have to control. Those abominations are no different than a wildfire, aside from the fact that wildfires are easier to tame. Those abominations will keep burning and burning until their fuel is completely spent," Aquis replied, sounding rather disgusted. "The strange thing is, the hotter they burn, the slower their fuel is spent. You also won't find a dragon who will be explain to you why that is. We just try to dispose of those things as soon as we're aware they're around. They are an affront to nature."
"Some might argue that dragons are also an affront to nature," Jonas remarked, making Aquis narrow its eyes at Jonas, which made Elin wonder if Jonas had gone crazy just like Elmo seemed to have done.
"Why would you suggest that, human?" Aquis asked, its tone rather threatening.
Jonas shrugged as if he didn't notice. "Just that the size of dragons should require more oxygen in the air as well as the fact that your wings should be too small to allow you to fly," Jonas replied casually. "As such, dragons couldn't be naturally occurring creatures based on those two points, right?"
While Elin closed her eyes, to spare herself from seeing what she expected would happen to Jonas, she was surprised to hear the dragon making the sound like it was chuckling again.
"You're rather bold for a human," Aquis remarked. "I've rarely encountered one who would say such a thing directly to a dragon before. Especially with how most dragons would kill you for even suggesting such a thing."
Jonas shrugged. "At this point, it's not like we can be certain we'll end up back in our own worlds, right?" he asked, though Elin had a feeling he didn't expect an answer. "Not only that, but there's not telling if something will happen that will end with any of us dying."
"Of the few that I've encountered that were in that competition with the systems, I haven't seen one who viewed the situation like you have. All but one of the others had an air of arrogance about them when it came to how well they'd fare in the challenge," Aquis remarked. "The other one seemed to ntot care one way or the other."
"Fascinating as this is," Kim interjected, "What ways do you know of that we'd be able to slay the fire dragon?"
"Impatient, isn't she?" Aquis remarked, giving Elin had a sinking feeling in her somach as she turned to look at Kim, doubting that Kim would take it very well.
What Elin was confident of was that if Kim attacked, then the dragon would easily kill her. Which would then mean that Elin wouldn't have Kim to not only have fun with their lovemaking, but also she wouldn't have the emotional support that Kim had been providing for her.
Yet, contrary to what Elin expected, Kim didn't seem to react. At least not physically. For which Elin was immensely grateful.
"I'd just like to get to the heart of the matter before we have to set up camp ourselves up here," Kim retorted. "I'd rather not have to walk down the slope and back up it later just to continue this conversation at any point."
"I'm sure he'll get to it soon enough," Elmo said.
"What makes you think it's a 'he,' Elmo?" Jonas inquired.
"Well, that's just how he sounds to me," Elmo replied. "It took me a while, but I finally decided that Aquis is a male dragon."
"For the love of..." Kim said, but then trailed off, clearly getting rather irritated.
"Don't worry about it, Kim," Jonas said. "Just think of this as ironing some of the fine details early on."
"Maybe I'm just worn out, but I'd at least like to get this issue discussed sooner rather than later, just so that way we'll have gotten it done and out of the way," Kim snapped. "We have no idea when we'll encounter the fire dragon, nor do we know when Aquis plans on leaving. So, the sooner we discuss it, the sooner we don't have to worry about either of those possibilities."
"Impatience is still impatience, no matter how yo dress it up," Aquis said bluntly. "Though, I do understand your concerns. Keep in mind, however, that dragons don't move around as humans do. We may spend a long time in a single location before moving on at some point, but we're not constantly in motion like humans seem need to be."
"It's not about staying in motion," Kim replied, just as bluntly. "For me it's the sooner we deal with all of these challenges, the sooner we can get back to our own worlds."
Elin understood what she meant, but for some reason, she couldn't help but feel hurt at that statement. Because if they did go back to their own worlds, then Elin would be separated from Kim. Likely for the rest of their lives.
Even though Elin wanted to see her father again and her home, she didn't want to give up Kim. Even though she knew that doing so would likely mean that the lands that had been in her family for so long could easily end up with someone else. Someone who might not care for them as well as her family had.
"Very well, human," Aquis said. "Give me a few minutes and I'll tell you everything I know about fire dragons."