I regained consciousness feeling the warmth around me, but groaned in pain as my body ached. I opened my eyes and noticed the soft body under mine, my breath hitched as I quickly got down and looked at Rune who lay unconscious on the ground.
There was blood on his head and his breathing was low; he grabbed me during our fall and cushioned my fall using his body. I gritted my teeth as I realised that a child of 13 years old had risked his own life to protect me.
"Hey, Rune, wake up," I spoke as I nudged his shoulder but he didn't respond.
I cursed under my breath as I gently probed his body to check the injuries that he had sustained from the fall.
Head injury, busted elbow, scraped knees and sprained ankle. His head injury seemed serious. I quickly tore the sleeve of my shirt and tied it over his head trying to stop the bleeding.
This was the major reason why I didn't want to bring him along, he was a child and risking his life like this...
I cursed myself over and over again for including him in the plan, I shouldn't have listened to the system and the Patrons.
I shook my head shoving the useless thoughts away, first and foremost, I had to bring Rune out of this damn cave and to the doctor.
I groaned slightly as I lifted him from the ground and somehow placed him on my back, he was heavy but I had no other choice. Besides, I could see the light from a bit of a distance so, we were probably close to the entrance.
If only I could find help sooner then it would be the best.
I trudged ahead feeling the brightness growing and I turned the corner only to stand stunned.
"What the..." I gasped as I realised that I wasn't at the exit of the cave.
It was something completely different. I was in yet another huge cave-like place but this cave had several huge, shiny crystals growing from everywhere.
[Congratulations you have found the Dragon's grave.]
The system notification popped up and I couldn't help but feel frustrated.
"I don't care about that right now!" I hissed.
The child on my back needed medical attention right away. I kept walking ahead and my ears perked as I heard the sound of water. I walked some more and noticed the lake up ahead with the glowing blue water.
"Water!" I sighed with relief and slowly let Rune down carefully laying him on the ground.
I ran over to the lake to fetch some water, I dipped my hands in the water and suddenly I felt as if some force pulled me inside. I didn't have any time to react as my body was dragged under the surface and even if I tried to struggle it seemed to be in vain.
My consciousness seemed to dwindle as the water rushed inside my nostrils and mouth and just when I thought I'd lose my life all over again, I felt the force of some explosion before I was thrown out of the water.
I coughed violently throwing up water as I sat beside the lake but before I could recover, I felt a presence behind me.
It was completely different from anything I'd ever experienced before. The sheer force of this presence was so unsurmountable that I felt as if my body would be crushed I was barely able to keep my head up.
[Defender of Divine Glory has gifted you the Shield of Invulnerability.]
[Passive skill: Shield of Invulnerability has been activated.]
The pressure that was crushing me just a moment ago suddenly disappeared and I breathed heavily quickly turning around to see a glowing silhouette hovering over the surface of the lake which somehow had frozen over.
When did it freeze? I wondered before I looked at my fingertips which were covered in white frost.
It didn't take long to connect two and two.
Did my Frost attribute unlock because of the dire situation I was in?
[Frost magic unlocked.
Level: Apprentice.]
I didn't get to celebrate the unlocking of my magic because the mana presence in front of me seemed pissed.
"ᚺᛟᚹ᛫ᛞᚨᚱᛖ᛫ᚢ︍ᛟᚢ᛫ᚹᚨᛚᚲ᛫ᛁᚾ᛫ᛗᚢ︍᛫ᚲ︍ᚨᚠ︍ᛖ!" I winced slightly as the loud voice boomed across the walls of the cave.
"What the hell is that?" I wondered.
"ᚨᚱᛖ᛫ᚢ︍ᛟᚢ᛫ᚾᛟᛏ᛫ᛊᚨᛏᛁᛊᚠᛁᛖᛞ᛫ᛖᚠ︍ᛖᚾ᛫ᚨᚠᛏᛖᚱ᛫ᛗᚢ︍᛫ᛞᛖᚨᚦ︍?" The voice continued speaking but I didn't understand a thing.
"ᚹᚨᛁᛏ,᛫ᚹᚺᚢ︍᛫ᛞᛟ᛫ᚢ︍ᛟᚢ᛫ᚺᚨᚠ︍ᛖ᛫ᚦ︍ᛖ᛫ᛒᛚᛖᛊᛊᛁᛜ︍ᛊ᛫ᛟᚠ᛫ᛏᚹᛟ᛫ᛞᛁᚠ︍ᛁᚾᛖ᛫ᛒᛖᛁᛜ︍ᛊ?"
[Goddess of Wisdom has gifted you the Knowledge of Linguistics.]
Huh?
[Passive skill: Understanding of ancient language activated.]
"Impossible!" My eyes widened as this time I could understand what that thing said.
"Why would a lowly imbecile like thou hast the blessings of the Divine?" The voice demanded.
"Why don't you ask them yourself?" I muttered.
"Insolent!" I winced again as his voice was too loud.
"How dare thou enter mine house!"
I blinked a few times before it clicked.
"This is your house?"
How could I be such an idiot?
"Yes! And thou are the intruders. I shall dispatch thou e'en if it means angering the divine." The voice claimed and I looked at Rune who was lying a few feet away.
"Wait!" I shouted.
This place was the Dragon's grave so, this figure was most probably the Dragon's leftover mana.
Dragons were the most revered and also feared entities in this world with the mana that could destroy a continent within a night if the Dragon was pissed.
Right now my priority was Rune's safety so, the best course of action would be...
I sat on my knees and bowed my head.
"Please forgive mine mistake, I was unaware that this was thy home. I made a folly and apologize to thou. I am in a desperate situation at the moment, I pray for the great Dragon's aid."
My old English wasn't too good but the dialect that the Dragon was using was similar, I was glad that I had read Shakespeare in my school times.
"Mine brother is gravely injured and requires urgent medical assistance. Should thee be kind enough to show to us a way out, then I'd be forever grateful for thy kindness." I pleaded with the Dragon.
If I were on stage I would have moved the audience to tears. Hopefully, this ancient lizard would fall for it too.
"And why should'st I help a puny human like thou?" He asked making me grit my teeth.
Such beings who were extremely powerful were too prideful.
"Then, I apologize for disturbing thou. I shall take mine brother and leave this present." I said and walked over to my brother.
"Doth thou regard I shall let thou depart so easily?"
I looked at the hovering silhouette of the dragon creeping close to Rune and I stood in between him and Rune.
"Stay away from him." I hissed.
This bastard was testing my patience when I had no time at hand.
"Are thou threatening me?"
"A being so superior to the human race yet, you are so prideful and heartless that you will kill a child?" I shouted.
"Thou dare to raise thy voice against me!" The Dragon's voice thundered making the air around us tremble.
"I apologize for that but I think it's a waste for you to be the holder of such great power if you are only going to use it for the bad."
The dragon was quiet for a moment.
"Thou regard thou canst handle mine power in a better way?"
"Unlike you, I wouldn't attempt to kill the person who is asking for my help!"
The Dragon snorted, "Thou hypocrites!"
I frowned at his words, "What?"
"Fine, I shall assist thou. Yet what shall thou doth for me in return?"
"What do you want?" I had a bad feeling about this.
"Let me use thy body as mine vessel." He demanded.
Damn you, ancient bastard!
I looked at Rune, his face looked so pale and his chest was barely moving. Any more waste of time and he might be in a critical condition and if anything were to happen to me it would be my fault.
I looked back at the Dragon.
"Fine, take it! But you got to promise me one thing!" I shouted.
"And, what is that?"
"You will heal my brother and safely take him out of this cave," I demanded.
"Most well, then I warrant to ensure thy brother's safety."
The Dragon's mana shifted and started surrounding me but before I could do anything else my vision went white.