Asher the Insane

95 - Papia's... Chase?

The moment I stepped into my room, I felt a wave of overwhelming sensation wash over me.

The furniture was adorned with gold, and even the chandelier was covered to the brim with gemstones. It was gaudy, to say the least, and I couldn't help but feel like it was all too much to handle.

As I kicked off my shoes and let my dress loose, I made my way over to the bed. It was like a fortress, decked out with pillows and other fancy accessories. However, it was surprisingly hard. Most likely because it had probably not been slept in very much. Still, it was better than sleeping outside on the hard ground.

As I lay there with my eyes closed, I started thinking about my life. Sure, the decor was a bit outdated, but I couldn't deny the fact that having servants and gold at my disposal would be kind of nice. I could get used to this lifestyle if I had to.

I dozed off. I don't know for how long, but my dreams were interrupted by the sound of something smashing on the ground in the room next door; Asher's room. I had no idea what he was up to, but I was determined to talk some sense into him. I reluctantly got out of bed, knowing that banging on the walls would be considered impolite, especially since I was supposed to be a lady of high esteem.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and I had no idea what we were going to talk about with the king. The topic of human-elf relations had been thrown around, and it was going to be important.

As I opened my door, I caught a glimpse of Asher hurrying by. Without a second thought- well, just one. I looked inside Asher's room, which was almost the exact same as mine, but the bed was broken, all four legs being snapped.

I guess he was jumping on the bed too hard; how childish.

I followed him, half-stealthily and half-casually. I knew that even if I called out to him, he might not respond or even disappear entirely.

The castle was enormous with dozen of splitting hallways, but Asher seemed to know his way around it, navigating himself as if he had the paths memorized.

Where the hell was he going?

Down a seemingly endless hallway, which stretched far beyond the limits of my vision, he came to a sudden halt. The hall opened up into an enormous chamber, so vast and grandiose that it was almost hard to believe that such a room existed in this castle. As he stopped, I too slowed my pace and cautiously stepped into the room, taking refuge behind the doorway. Although it was devoid of a door to call its own, it was large enough to provide ample coverage, concealing my presence from him as I waited to see what he would do next.

The moonlight filtered in through the room, but there was barely enough light to discern what was happening. In one of the corners of the room, there was something alight. However, from my current vantage point, it was impossible to tell whether it was a flickering lamp or some sort of candle casting its ethereal glow into the darkened room.

Suddenly, Asher's voice rang out in the darkness, calling out in a commanding tone, "Arise, arise!" As the words echoed through the cavernous chamber, the light emanating from the object in the corner grew brighter, illuminating the space surrounding it.

The ground began to tremble beneath my feet, and a violent rush of wind buffeted me from all directions. My eyes widened in terror as a massive creature rose up from the ground, its wings spreading wide and pushing the surrounding air with incredible force. Its claws dug deep into the marble floor, sending sparks flying in all directions as the fiery light radiating from its chest reflected off the polished surface.

It was a dragon.

The magnificent creature was covered in shiny blue scales that shimmered and changed colors when its light shone on them just so. In any other circumstance, I would have marveled at the beauty of the beast, but my fear was so great that it overwhelmed any sense of awe that I might have felt.