Arise the Dragonslayer [⚔️The Flash warrior series #1⚔️]

Chapter twenty: One step ahead

"MaXabiere, MaXabiere, MaXabiere. Kid!" I was startled and jolted awake as Claes' voice screamed into my eardrums. I looked around, surprised. I was on the ground. Despite the cold temperature, I was completely covered with sweat. Behind the captain was Sean. For the first time, I have never seen him so terrified and panting hard. Lenard and Victor watched me in horror as if they witnessed a murder. What worried me the most was when I saw Chloriette covered her mouth. Her eyes moistened. "What happened?" I asked, looking at every single one of them. But they didn't answer my question.

"You need to see Doctor Callieway," said Sean. "She might know what is happening to you."I changed my outfit to a plain white shirt and white pajamas. For the first time not wearing the pink one. After my check-up with Doctor Callieway in the Recovery room, she went to the exit where Commander Grayson and Giuseppe stood. Somehow I heard their conversation from seventeen feet away from here. And come to think of it, my sense of hearing was getting stronger. "What happened to him?" the commander asked.

"Well, this boy might have been faltering. His skin went pale. His eyes changed color. His hands were a little bit shaky." The doctor gestured her hand to me. I could see the concern in her emerald eyes. She looked like a typical nurse with her straight red dress with a white apron, holding a clipboard and a pencil. She's more likely in her forties. And her curly blonde hair was tucked back in a bun.

"How's the boy?" Giuseppe peered over the doctor to have a look at me. "Is he still feeling uncomfortable?"

"Oh, no, no," she said with a soft melody. "He told me plenty of times that he's fine whenever I asked him if he's okay and while checking for symptoms." Suddenly, I remembered the time when she kept checking on me. "Are you feeling okay, dear?" she asked one time.

"I'm fine, thank you." I simply replied.

"Does your head hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"How do you feel?"

"Fine."

"Do you still feel any pain?"

"I'm fine."

"Can you still use your magic?"

"I know this doesn't sound related, but I'm fine."

"Well, that does sound fine to me," the commander smiled by the time the flashback ended.

"May we have a word with him?" she stepped aside and said, "Oh, yes. Please just call my name if everything goes the opposite of fine."

"Not to worry, doctor," Giuseppe assured with a grin. "We will make sure to keep it that way."

The words made Doctor Callieway's spirit lifted. She clasped her hands. "Wonderful! I'll just go to Kelben in the emergency room. He has awful diarrhea." That made me wonder if Kelben went on a mission that was cursed with diarrhea which shook the castle. Or he just ate something very terrible.

Commander shook his head. "Poor Kelben, does he always have to attend the volcanic cocoa eating contest? It seems that the competition was canceled."

"Hmm, maybe it was something else," Giuseppe muttered as he watched the doctor go to the other room. Commander is sporting his formal black uniform with blue pants and black boots while Giuseppe wore his violet robe. He sat on a wooden chair beside my bed while the wizard just remained hovering with his arms crossed. "I know what you dreamed of." Commander Grayson's delightful, friendly voice turned into a serious tone.

"What?" I was shocked.

"I can read minds, remember?" He narrowed his brow.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." I leaned my head on the soft cushy pillow.

"I saw other rare warriors have this kind of condition," Giuseppe chimed. "You're not sick. You have this other spiritual magic that is called dream-traveling. Your consciousness travels to another location when you sleep."

"And thanks to that, kid. We might know the location of the three-headed dragon's hideout."

"You mean its actual hidden chamber." I squinted at the window where the sun burned white from the blue background.

"Yes, it has returned to its home and it is our chance to take our battles in there." The commander nodded like he accepted something. Giuseppe rummaged through his coat pocket, and then he revealed my Slayer's Enchiridion. "We saw this under your bed after you were sent in here. This book is extremely rare and ancient. Only the Almighty knows the author of it." I grabbed the book and looked at it one more time. The carved dragon from the cover looked so real that you thought it might burst into this room.

"My father found it in an abandoned lighthouse filled with books," I said to them.

"In that case, there's only one lighthouse that could be a bookstore." Giuseppe landed with a soft sound. "The Librarian candle, one of the oldest lighthouses that are rarely known. It was mostly destroyed because of a horrible war between the Flash warriors and Shadow knights three Eras ago. Fortunately, the Enchiridion was well hidden."

"Good indeed." I flipped through every page that I might have forgotten. "This could be my extra guide."

"That's nice. Now, the location, please? We need to know where it is." Giuseppe is acting strangely for some reason.

"I really can't tell. The view is very horrific for you to hear," I said. Commander chuckled which made Giuseppe feel uneasy. "I dreamed about myself as the three Devastrigon. Anyway, I was going to this island with horrible, burning trees, skeletons, and dumped weapons. I even heard whispers from the spirits." I can see that Giuseppe is thinking this thoroughly. "And there's this massive volcano that almost reached the red sky with other black mountains."

Commander Grayson sighed, leaning back on the chair while crossing his arms, "We all heard about the Devastrigon, it's a rumor that came true from time to time. The dragon's name came from what it is only good at. It caused devastation and brought utter destruction whenever it appeared."

"That sounds familiar. Now come to think about it, I do read the name from ancient texts back at my castle." Giuseppe turned to the commander. "We should also ask the Oracle." Suddenly, a girl flashed through with her silver hair, glaring at us with her white eyes.

"You don't need to," Sibby the Oracle of Prophethia, spoke abruptly behind Giuseppe, who jumped back and almost made the commander trip over from his chair. I also felt surprised too, like my soul wanted to leave my body. "Oh, the Great Almighty of the cosmos, I told you not to do that!" Giuseppe shouted. "You scared the soul out of me!"

"Good," she snapped. "At least now I know that you're alive, gotta make sure you're not a ghost or something."

"I am a ghost!"

"Well, you almost look like one!"

"Why on earth are you here, anyway? We thought you're just thinking alone in your room."

"Hey, I also need a break sometimes, I'm a person! The Oracle I may be, but I can't stay in there forever, I'm getting goosebumps. It's a scary feeling if you ask what it is."

Commander interrupted their argument. "Sibby, do you know about the dream of this boy?" He tossed his head at me. Sibby bumped Giuseppe in the chest.

"Excuse me, Oracle coming through." She smirked with a sassy attitude. Sibby placed her fingers on my forehead. I watched her breathe with ice that chilled my spine, "I see," she said. "You dreamed about a place called Mt. Impyerno. I may not be familiar with this place, but the infamous adventurer Aisle "Seven" McKenzie found it years ago from the last Era because the king of Ascentilia and his crew needed his aid."

"Oh, I see." The commander rubbed his chin. "No wonder why he won't let me join him in the old days. Very sad." She searched for more from my dream.

"That's it." Giuseppe raised his voice. "What if some of the king's crew are still alive? Therefore, we could know about the location of Mt. Impyerno."

"If only . . . ." Commander Grayson's tiny, deep voice echoed in my ear, then suddenly, his eyes opened wide. "Maybe, just maybe . . . wait a minute. I remember the crew that went with the king. One of them did."

"Wow, you know everyone, huh," Giuseppe said.

"They must have remembered the direction to Mt. Impyerno," the commander continued.

"This is getting a lot better than I thought," I said.

"Are you sure you're feeling better?" Giuseppe asked.

"I told you, I'm fine."

"The boy's right." The Oracle turned her furious eyes on Giuseppe.

"See, at least someone finally understands how I feel." I shrugged.

"Good," Giuseppe retorted. "Because it'll be our one step ahead to this journey to slay the Devastruction."

"And your destiny," she added. "Wait, the dragon has a name? How come I never heard of it?"
Commander Grayson slapped his palm into his face. "It's from the ancient texts."


A/N:

See, there's your answer, Xabe can travel through dreams and it was the right time for him to see where the dragon is heading. This can be their chance. So what do you think of Sibby's sudden appearance?