The meeting between commanders lasted around an hour since scouts had delivered the message. As soon as it was over, officers sent a group of knights away to deliver a message to the camp outside - apparently, they demanded heavy equipment to be bought for a sake of future combat. Then, all the battle leading commanders stepped out, informing everyone about the details of the attack plan.

… Well, saying that they shared with us the plan's details was a little bit too much, for what we were given was but a general plan. Three well-rounded groups. And, our enemy would be a dragon.

DRAGON!

Like in stories about heroes that I read as a kid! My dead, cold ‘heart’ for a few seconds started to ‘beat’ harder filled with both excitement and fear. Was I ready for a fight with a dragon? Well, I would be fighting side by side with one of the greatest warriors of the Kingdom! Led by one of the greatest tacticians in the House!

Yeah! All I needed to do was to relax, stop thinking, and obey the orders, then, everything would turn out just fine! Wasn’t that a part of all the training drills as well? To repeat maneuvers so many times, that your body would start repeating them on its own as soon as you would hear an order from a commander. Routine saves lives, as the drill sergeant was known to say.

Again, excusing myself from any camp activity, I vanished behind one of the pillars, unsheathing my sword and starting training again as all of my comrades were getting as much rest as possible. They needed to keep taking care of their bodies to be in the best shape possible, I didn’t have to. This was one of the very rare occasions where I thanked the gods for having an undead body, because, despite the fact that it kept on giving me cold and filthy vibes, it was… convenient. Ah, if I only had a body like that back in the village - I could get so many things done!

...Hm? Weird thought, I know, still, even now, I couldn’t help but wonder how my friends and family were doing right now.

Sword up, sword down - I kept on slashing the air ‘warming up’ my bones, preparing for an epic battle.

My mind was being set into overdrive - not only by the mere thought of epic tales that would be sung about me - but because of a far more physiological need - from the tunnel leading to the boss monster, I was able to “smell” its life. Like the aroma of the most wonderful dish - that was the first time I saw anything like that, this thick, red mist literally pouring from the deeper part of the dungeon, calling for me, begging to be feasted on. I knew that if I were to feast on it, that would be the most exquisite meal I ever had… Or would have in a long, long time.

Hours passed, and only once I heard the noises of members of a logistic group rolling into the chamber (literally, as they were leading small carriages) I stopped my workout and moved towards the camp.

As I did, a man with an engineer tag on his arm was yelling at a group of construction workers that were assembling a ballista. I have seen one of those on the city walls whenever I was visiting it to sell crops but in action? - Never, because of that, the little kid in me that always loved playing with all sorts of mechanisms demanded me to stop by and watch it for a moment.

Engineer, noticing me staring, only smiled widely.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” he asked, proudly sticking out his chest. “Indeed, it’s even bigger than the one protecting the walls of Boltward.” “Aye! Trading cities at the time of peace are usually protected by smaller versions, as they rarely are attacked by anything formidable, ot, sometimes a group of bandits wants to try their luck, as so, they need something that can shoot repetitively, y’know, to tell em’ to get fuck’in lost. But dungeons? If you need a ballista, that means you need something that will pierce through something, something you can’t pierce with axes or warhammers, that means, you need ‘Fat Lucy’.” he slapped the side of the ballista “... she is a slow, needy lady and requires three men to be operated… Well, actually only two, but three for maximum efficiency! But fuck me if she can’t shoot well! Top-notch accuracy thanks to the built-in calibrating device of my construction and…”

I knew men like him. Lone self-proclaimed geniuses, enthusiasts with crazy hobbies, loving to boast and brag about their creations, very rarely finding people willing to listen to them. But, if you managed to befriend them, you surely would learn a lot.

“Alabaster!...” I was called from behind by Captain Godric “...Stop bugging people, let em’ work! Also, join your squad already!” “Sir, yes sir!” I yelled in response “...B-but, which team am I supposed to join?” “The middle one, you will be the central shield bearer. All glory to you…You will manage, right?” he added the last in a concerned tone. “Sir, yes sir! Thank you for putting your trust in me!”

Captain only nodded before turning around and leaving. Once again I faced the engineer, to say my farewells.

“Thank you for this wonderful conversation, and I hope that we will be lucky enough to meet next time to continue this conversation!” I slightly bowed my head to the older man. “... I doubt it.” “Eh? Why is that?” Did I somehow offend him? How? When? I was trying to be as tactful as possible. “You are a kid with no experience, right?” “Well, that will be my first time fighting a dragon, yes.” “And they sent you into the middle of the central group?” “Y-yes?”

His eyes became sad.

“... I shouldn’t be telling you this, but that’s a death sentence, kid. Someone didn’t like you and decided to put you into the spot that would receive the first hit. And that’s usually the strongest, as beasts like that usually try to reduce enemy numbers as much as possible at the beginning of combat. Look where other skilled warriors would be placed - on winged formations, and even then on the edges, rather than in the middle…” he patted me on the shoulder “... may the luck be ever in your favor.”

The words that I heard shocked me to the core. They made sense - if the monster attacks the formation, it attacks the middle, and then soldiers on the edges of the formation can attack it from safe spots. That means that the middle of formation should be made either of advanced, durable knights that know how to take blows or cannon fodder.

But why?

The logistics team gently brought a crate off the cart and put it on the ground and opened it with a crowbar, inside, there were dozens of glass vials with greenish liquid.

“Soldiers! Take antidote!” one of the officers yelled, ordering everyone to form a line for their fill.

I also joined the line, for the sake of pretending to be a regular soldier before my fellow brothers in arms. As I reached the man disturbing the potions, he looked at me with an understanding look, giving me a bottle with transparent liquid.

“You are Alabaster, right? I had heard you were resistant? In that case, just water for you. I have no idea why you need to pretend that you take one... but... Aye, not my business.”

I took it, moved to the side, and poured vial’s continent on the stones, keeping an “eye” out just in case, while I kept on wondering why I was given that task.

Captain Godrick was always honest and just. Harsh, but never pretended to be someone else. He spoke openly about his motives, never pretending to like the idea he disagreed with, and I couldn’t find even one reason why he would act this way.

The excitement was gone, only a small point of pulsating panic remained. Everything in my existence was yelling at me to fight for survival.

Fuck! I gazed towards the officers discussing far away from the rest of the raid group. Captain Godric was talking with Sergeant Adam, and after a few words, they both looked towards me in unison and seeing that I was gazing at them, their expressions turned a bit grim.

I didn’t need to be a master spy to join the threads. It was almost sure that it was Adam that “suggested” me to take that spot. He thought that I was “techno-crafted”, a living weapon. Then, his chain of thought would be justified. Why risk the life of a knight if you can send a walking puppet to take the main blow.

… Liar. Bloody liar.

I felt rage surge through my joints, intoxicating my mind.

“...You are almost one of the Lions, so act like one!”... he said to me. Was he only trying to boost my morale? To befriend me so I would be more obedient?

I will ask him. After it all ends, I would ask him how can he act like such a two-faced, venom spitting viper! Because I will survive. Everyone else in my group might die, but not me!

Not only because I have a very certain someone to kill, not only because I have someone I want to hold in my arms… Right now, I have another reason. To survive against all the odds, and as I would rise up from this encounter in triumph, I would spit in the face of the one who sent me to death!

Do you think I am just a doll, Adam? That I am a disposable pawn that you can sacrifice to protect those that YOU find worthy? … Choosing who will live and who would die just out of your whim! - How are you any different from Michael?

Warning! Hostile intentions detected Do you want to add [Seargant Adam] to your |List|? [Yes] [No]

My hand hovered above the panel for a few seconds, as I was hesitating.

Eventually, I swiped the message away, pressing [No].

My list is meant for very specific types of people. Adam, in my eyes, was a scum. But not a death-worthy monster. Maybe, in some twisted way, he hoped for the best? I would most likely sacrifice the lives of other people if that meant saving Liz’. But, I at least wouldn’t lie about it, befriending people just to give up on them the very next day!

“Soldiers! Into formations!” the voice of Godric resonated across the chamber.

Dozens of legs moved, as soldiers changed places creating perfect, square-like formations. I could hear the ballista being dragged on a platform exactly behind our team.

“Soldiers! Before us lies the Dragon’s Den! It might be a Draconis Vulgaris, but it is still a bloody dragon! Fight proudly, but with a cold mind! I don’t want any 'heroes' rushing towards certain death! Is that clear?!” “Sir, yes, sir!” several dozens of lungs yelled in unison. “Very well! Onward, Lions! Let’s show the world why we hold the titles of the strongest in the kingdom! ONWARD, LIONS! MAKE THE EARTH TREMBLE! MAKE THE SKY WEEP OVER THE FATE OF OUR ENEMIES! DUTY AND HONOR!”

All teams moved out, down into the maw of the dungeon. As I stepped into a deeper, darker tunnel, my feelings died once again. Again, I was an empty husk, filled with no fear, nor anger. Only pure, cold motivation and resolution.

Eventually, we reached another, truly colossal chamber, bigger than the cathedral in the Boltward.

In the middle of the room, I was able to see rotating stairs leading deeper into the lower floors of the dungeon.

Much further in the distance, at the back of the room, there were several massive columns, on which a huge, dark shape rested. Seeing us taking stances all over the room, it descended onto the ground, readying itself for battle.

It looked like a colossal snake, over thirty meters long and two and a half meter tall. Its eyes were disproportionally big compared to its head, Its scales had weird, irregular shapes, overlapping on one another.

Woken up from its slumber, the beast ‘yawned’ showing off its teeth, longer than my arm.

Standing in the line, with my shield raised, I was awaiting for the command to attack. My comrades on my side trembled with anticipation, some cursed, some prayed under their breath.

But not me. I felt exactly the same as in the moment I fought with the Queen, praetorians, snakes, or goblins.

Before me, I didn’t see a dragon. I saw another, annoying obstacle.

… and dinner. But mostly - an obstacle.

Viperrus - Terra Draconis Vulgaris

When people say "Dragon" they usually mean four-limbed, fire breathing, winged, and intelligent monster.

That's not always the case, as family and subfamilies of Draconics come in many forms and shapes.

Draconis Vulgaris is the same thing to Royal Dragons as an ape is to humans. Deprived of magical and higher intellect they are a peak of reptile evolution.

Viperrus - known also known as a King of Venoms, just as his name suggests, is equipped with a mixture of several deadly toxins, unique for each individual, this is why curing its bites proves to be so very difficult.

Evolved from a snake that grew up in an extremely harsh environment, this far "Cousin of Basilisks" proves to be a very difficult enemy due to his incredible agility. Its scales, despite being fairly soft as for a member of the Draconis family, due to its specific shape are not allowing his enemies to land a clear hit.

If you want to fight it, it is advised for you to bring antidotes for more than one venom. And friends.

Lots of antidotes.

And lots of friends.