Suikoden Short Stories - Dragon Awaiting a Favorable Wind

[dragonmasterx]

Dragon Awaiting a Favorable Wind

The Scarlet Moon Empire’s Hundred Man Battalion Commander Humphrey Mintz stood at the Dragon Knights’ Fortress.

The Dragon Knights’ Domain was once nothing more than a province of the Scarlet Moon Empire. But since ancient times, its residents tamed dragons freely, becoming great warriors excelling in air battles, called Dragon Knights. Geographically, the Dragon Knights’ Fortress was a long way off from the capital, and was now completely independent.

The population of the Dragon Knights’ Domain may have been few, but being surrounded by towering mountains and deep forests, its people were well protected within the fortress. They mostly lived alone, rarely intermingling with outsiders. Even Imperial aristocrats could not easily come and go through the Dragon Knights’ Fortress.

Humphrey, who picked up an important task from the Empire, was allowed entry through a large room on the second floor. Wide tables and large sofas filled the center of the room, surrounded by bookshelves packed to the brim with exceptionally thick books. There were no fancy, extravagant ornaments or decorations to be seen.

The same was true for the hallway leading to this room. Neither on the walls nor the doors were there any excessive decorations; the place was sparkly clean everywhere. If this cleanliness reflected the personalities of the residents here, then the master of this fortress would surely be a most agreeable person, thought Humphrey.

The man Humphrey requested an audience with was the master of the fortress, the Lord of the Dragon Knights’ Domain and the Commander of the Dragon Knights, Joshua.

According to rumor, the master of the Dragons Den possessed the power to make dragons obey him, and had now lived for over 200 years.

“I can’t imagine how a 200-year-old elder would look like; but I must show due respect regardless of his appearance,” thought Humphrey.

Humphrey was still contemplating on how he should go about explaining his situation after extending formalities. He wasn’t very skilled at negotiation; in fact, he was downright terrible at it. Taking his sword into the battlefield against a thousand foes would probably be a simpler task.

His sword, along with the rest of his baggage, was taken by the guardsmen upon entering the fortress.

A cool breeze entered through the open window and gently brushed Humphrey’s trimmed hair.

Along with the wind, the resounding laughter of children filled the air. As he tried to find the source of the laughter; a strange roar thundered aloud, piquing his interest.

It sounded like a huge bird shrieking with a dry and cracked throat. Trying to recall if he had ever heard anything like it, he suddenly came to an epiphany. Since this was the Dragon Knights’ Domain, it must have been a dragon.

Humphrey stood tall and peered down the window. Down below appeared to be the knights’ training grounds. There didn’t seem to be anyone training at the moment, but a blonde child and a dark red animal of about the same height were playing around.

On top of being an oversized lizard, it had something attached that looked like the wings of a misshapen creature.

Humphrey stared intently at it.

Humphrey’s battalion kept watch over the Empire’s western borders—neighboring the Dragon’s Den. At times, they could see the majestic dragons flying across the sky high overhead; they flapped their wings with greater ease than birds, their flailing tails considerably longer—watching their elegant form in perfect balance as they roamed they skies was an incredible sight.

As Humphrey looked down, the funny-looking animal waddled towards the child. Such staidness resembled a baby chick chasing after its mother.

“That’s a baby dragon.”

Humphrey must have uttered that a bit too loud, as the baby dragon suddenly raised its head. Being led by the baby dragon’s movements, the child also looked up towards the window where Humphrey stood. Humphrey got a better look at the child’s face and realized it was a young girl of about 10 years old.

Upon noticing Humphrey’s figure, she opened her eyes wide and suddenly, but subtly, stopped her movements.

His well-built frame and rough-hewn face had never given a favorable impression to children. He left the window.

With his eyes having adjusted to the sunlight, the room now seemed darker.

As he slowly returned to the sofa, the door leading to the hallway opened.

A man clad entirely in black entered the room. As Humphrey usually did, he judged the man based on his appearance—taking note that the man was considerably smaller than himself, his muscles did not seem fit for the martial arts, nor did he seem to wield a weapon of any type.

The man was thin, and his age was difficult to distinguish from his facial features. Along with a head full of silver hair, his pupils were also silver. However, his pupils had a light tinge to them, making it hard to distinguish what exactly he was looking at.

Perhaps he could see things that Humphrey could not.

That must have been it. Humphrey could sense a strong power emanating from him. He didn’t look like a 200-year-old elder at all. Nor did he seem like an ordinary person.

This man was the master of Dragon’s Den.

Humphrey understood that well.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

Towards the surprised Humphrey, the man did not make a dubious face. He opened his mouth gently and spoke in a soft voice.

“I am Joshua, Acting Commander of the Dragon Knights.”

He flashed a smile and extended his right hand. Humphrey followed his lead as they exchanged a handshake. The man’s hands were white and delicate. It felt as if Humphrey’s rough, dry hands would be smashed into pieces if Joshua had put any more power into the handshake.

“I am Humphrey, Commander of the Scarlet Moon Empire’s Hundred Man Battalion.”

“Please, have a seat.”

Humphrey obeyed and sat on the sofa.

Up until now, Humphrey had never lost his composure when dealing with people of greater rank. He made it a habit to stand erect in front of his superiors. And the man in front of him was the lord of an entire region. Normally, Humphrey wouldn’t sit even if urged on.

Realizing what he had just done, the sofa suddenly felt uncomfortable. But having already sat down, it would have been rude to stand back up. Humphrey was perplexed.

Joshua possessed a mysterious force of attraction charming people into obeying him.

To show at least some courtesy, Humphrey straightened his posture and tried to remember the explanation he was going to give—the explanation he had repeated in his head countless times.

It all started when a report came in from the hunters at the mountain forest in the region that Humphrey’s battalion watched over.

Since morning that day, no traces of the usual beasts could be seen anywhere. To discover the reason for the mysterious occurrence, the hunters ventured deeper into the mountains and felt a presence vastly different from that of the typical beasts.

As they approached the powerful presence with caution, they noticed something of overwhelming size in the cave near the peak of the mountain. From its shape, it seemed to be the rumored dragon.

The mountain beasts must have fled in fear of the dragon.

Hence, the hunters could no longer continue their work. But there was no way a hunter or two could take down a dragon. And so, they appealed to the Empire, hoping the Imperial Army could handle the matter.

Humphrey’s commanding officer General Gilan called for Humphrey, and briefed him on the task at hand starting with the confidentiality of the mission.

Gilan’s room, which was in the deepest part of the barracks, was pitch dark even during broad daylight. All the windows were covered by thick, heavy curtains; the only light in the room was from the single lit candle on the golden candle stand. Humphrey stood on the shaggy carpet while listening to the corpulent Gilan speak from his chair.

“Just think about it. If we defeat the dragon, my unit would be honored throughout all of the Empire. You could search the entire Empire multiple times over and you wouldn’t find dragon-killing soldiers anywhere.”

Gilan, who earned his position simply by being born of aristocratic blood, spoke boldly; regardless of the fact that he hadn’t held a sword in years.

“But unfortunately, not a single soldier of the unit I dispatched to the mountain to investigate the matter has returned. But still, we’d earn more fame by accomplishing this task with a small group. I’d prefer not to mobilize my entire force. I’m a bit reluctant to do so, but I think we should try using the Dragon Knights.”

It did sound like a good idea. Gilan’s tone seemed enthusiastic.

“Asking dragon tamers about dragons would yield the best answers. If you can just butter them up a bit, they could be useful in exterminating the dragon. And if you return immediately, only our fame will spread throughout the Empire. Humphrey, lure out the Dragon Knights, I’ll let you figure out how.”

Humphrey felt as if he should spoken his mind, but being at a loss for words, he silently complied with Gilan’s orders, as unreasonable as they may have been.

Gilan was getting so psyched up by himself that he failed to realize that Humphrey had not yet acknowledged his understanding of the situation.

“Alright. Remember, this mission is confidential. Because that dragon…is my dragon.”

Gilan finally asserted the dragon to be his own, then suddenly put on a serious face and leaned toward Humphrey. Even though there was no worry of the discussion leaking out with only the two of them in the room, Gilan began to speak in a really small voice, making sure that only Humphrey could hear.

“By the way, Humphrey… Assuming that it’s really a dragon…”

Even the air was stale back in Gilan’s tightly shut room. Merely recalling his slimy voice made Humphrey sick.

But the windy breeze, filled with the aroma of luminous sunlight, blew away those negative thoughts. Humphrey slightly turned his head and focused on what he had to say.

“If a dragon truly resides there, it could pose a serious threat to the denizens atop the mountain. Also, if we simply leave it be, it may even descend to the foot of the mountain someday. In order for people to live in peace, we must make certain that it truly exists, then decide on an appropriate countermeasure.”

Being careful not to displease Joshua, Humphrey carefully chose his words and spoke slowly. Trying not to come off sounding too much like Gilan, he detailed Joshua only on how the situation came to be.

Joshua listened attentively while nodding, and glanced downwards as Humphrey grew silent.

“That does sound like a dragon.”

Humphrey was confused. He had not actually seen the dragon himself, so he could not easily respond.

Joshua raised his eyes.

“The vast majority of the world’s dragons are right here in Dragon’s Den. That’s not to say there aren’t wild dragons, but there should be very few of them. Besides, dragons are much smarter than humans may think; they wouldn’t attack people without a good reason. Then again, it’s also true that the troops sent in to investigate never returned, eh?”

Actually, this wasn’t something that Humphrey confirmed for himself; but he decided to take Gilan’s word for it and nodded.

“I can think of a few possibilities. For example, it could be a wyvern, which resemble dragons and do not reconcile with humans. If it is indeed a dragon, it must have a good reason for viewing humans as enemies. Also, those on the investigation team may have disappeared due to some obstacle other than the dragon. Perhaps…”

His black gloves, which did not cover his fingers, fit his left hand perfectly. As he folded his white fingers trying to bring up a point, his voice turned into a whimper. Joshua appeared to be entrenched in deep thought.

Humphrey waited, but Joshua’s train of thought quickly returned.

“At any rate, this is an interesting development. I suppose there is a need to head out there, and examine the place thoroughly.”

“Then, may I suggest that we travel together?”

“‘Gladly’ is what I’d like to say, but in my position, I can’t just leave this fortress as I please. I have to persuade a few nagging people first, so would you please wait until tomorrow?”

Joshua sounded worried, but a smile flashed across his face. Surely, it was not as troublesome as he made it out to be.

“Of course, I’ll prepare a room for you,” continued Joshua, and Humphrey thanked him.

“Sir Humphrey, if it’s about the dragon, I can’t say it’s irrelevant to me. I should be the one thanking you for telling me all about it.”

“Sir Joshua, I’m going to feel uncomfortable if you continue to place me on a pedestal.”

Humphrey turned up his head resolutely and looked at Joshua’s eyes.

Joshua’s silver pupils seemed as if they could see straight into Humphrey’s soul. The thought that Joshua might even be able to see Humphrey’s true purpose in coming here frightened him. Yet, Humphrey got the feeling he could not just turn away.

If Joshua was infuriated, Humphrey was prepared to face his wrath head-on.

“Is something the matter?”

“If we manage to defeat the dragon, or the wyvern, or whatever the troublemaker is, can you hand over the corpse to us?”

Joshua’s pupils dilated in surprise.

“The corpse?”

Wrinkles formed on his brow. Humphrey involuntarily straightened his back, but it was too late to take back what he had just said. With determination, Humphrey continued his spiel.

“I absolutely must bring back proof that the creature has been slayed. I apologize if this is an overbearing request.”

Joshua’s eyes wandered around—he seemed hesitant for some reason.

“Fine. I’ll let you deal with the corpse. But for the time being, just concern yourself with having a good night’s rest. We can’t afford to start out fatigued tomorrow. I’ll have someone show you to your room.”

Joshua stood up and called for someone.

This sudden act was unlike Joshua. Of course, Humphrey did not know him well. But the calmness he had shown thus far was likely his natural disposition.

Humphrey’s words must have shaken his repose.

Humphrey felt uneasy, but his mind drew a blank in thinking of what to say if Joshua was truly perturbed. On top of that, he could not apologize and merely follow Joshua’s instructions to leave the room.

What looked like a maid awaited Humphrey in the hallway.

Leaving Humphrey to the maid, Joshua returned to the room.

The shut door consumed Humphrey’s view; it felt as if Joshua was casting him aside.

Humphrey descended to the first floor under the maid’s guidance, and entered into a hallway opposite from the main entrance.

After turning a corner, he heard footsteps approaching from behind.

One set was human. He concluded it belonged to a child from its lightness. The other set sounded like the flat soles of bare feet—the kind of sound that a dragon’s feet would make.

The girl stopped in front of the door and opened it. After bowing to Humphrey, she moved on.

Upon entering, Humphrey brought his gaze to bear upon them. Just as he had suspected, it was the girl and the baby red dragon that were playing outside before. She was holding tightly onto the baby dragon’s neck. They were headed towards the nearby door.

Humphrey let them be and entered the room.

His beloved broadsword and other equipment, which were confiscated upon entering the fortress, were lined up beside the bed. Removing his mantle and sitting on the bed, Humphrey drew his sword from its sheath. It was not that he could not trust the Dragon Knights—inspecting his sword every now and then was habit of his.

After returning the brightly shining blade to its sheath, a soft knock sounded.

Humphrey got up and walked over to open the door. A girl not taller than Humphrey’s back looked up at him with a stern face. Behind her, of course, was the baby dragon.

She bit her lips once and looked at Humphrey with glaring eyes.

“Welcome to the Dragon’s Den, mister. I’m Milia, an apprentice Dragon Knight. Is there anything you need? Shall I bring you a drink?”

Milia sounded completely monotone. She was likely taught to say those words exactly in that manner.

Humphrey eased his eyes.

“I’m okay for now. I appreciate your asking though. I am Humphrey, of the Scarlet Moon Empire.”

“Mister Humphrey.”

Milia seemed relieved to have elicited a response from him. She smiled sweetly.

“There’s something I’ve been very concerned about. Would it be alright if I asked you about it?”

Being looked at with a face full of curiosity, Humphrey was perplexed.

Interpreting his silence as a ‘yes’, she stood up on her toes and continued.

“Sir Humphrey, where are you from? Are all the people that live there this big?”

Now that she mentioned it, the denizens of Dragon’s Den were all short and slender. Perhaps they shaped their body that way in order to ride the dragons.

But that alone did not make all humans outside of the Dragon’s Den large.

“No, I think I’m just bigger than most people.”

As Milia looked up at Humphrey enthusiastically, he realized his neck was hurting from looking down. So he walked back to his bed and sat down. Now they were at eye level with each other.

Milia understood and walked towards Humphrey from the hallway. Of course, the baby dragon followed behind her. It turned its neck and directed its crystal eyes toward Humphrey.

“That’s your dragon?”

Milia’s expression turned into a smile as she embraced it with both arms.

“Yea. Thrash here was only recently born. During the Inter Praesentes Ceremony, Thrash chose me.”

Humphrey nodded. He didn’t fully catch on, but he understood that there was some kind of ceremony for humans and dragons to become acquainted with each other.”

“You acquired a dragon, an apprentice?”

“Because Thrash’s wings aren’t yet capable of flight. They need time to develop. Besides, we have to spend a lot of time training. That’s why I’m an apprentice too.”

“I see.”

“I want to become an official Dragon Knight as soon as possible. Hey Mister Humphrey, do you know if Lady Addie has already been to your place?”

Thinking back a bit, Humphrey could not recall that name.

“Well, I’ve never met her.”

“Oh. I suppose she’s still not there yet. Lady Addie is a splendid Dragon Knight. Right now, she’s journeying around areas outside of the Dragon’s Den with her dragon, Sterling. I get the feeling she’ll be at your place soon.”

“I see.”

“Sterling is a beautiful silver dragon. When Lady Addie rides the skies on Sterling’s back, they give off a glittery shine. But with Thrash, I’ll become a brilliant Dragon Knight too,” announced Milia with a deep red flush. It was as if she saw her own future just by picturing Addie and Sterling soaring through the skies.

The next morning, ten pairs of dragons and their knights lined up at the public square in front of the fortress.

It looked like Joshua, who governed all the dragons, was the only one without his own personal dragon. But in lieu of that, the dragons, all tremendously larger than humans, snuggled up to Joshua like puppies. Joshua called out to the dragons in a soothing voice.

A basket for passenger use was placed on the dorsal side of one of the larger dragons amidst the pack.

The Dragon Knights affixed a saddle on the base of the dragons’ necks, and latched on to the reins attached to their muzzles. The passengers were just trying to keep from being shaken off by clinging to the edge of the basket.

Humphrey, who was not even accustomed to horseback riding, climbed atop the dragon’s back. It felt much more spacious and stable compared to a horse’s back, but just thinking that he would be flying only moments later made him uneasy.

Joshua entered the same basket, paying special attention to Humphrey’s posture and hand positioning.

Under Joshua’s signal, the dragon synchronized with the other nine dragons; flapping their wings in unison and soaring towards the skies all at once.

The dragon’s flight was steady. Other than the intense movement during liftoff, shaking was minimal. However, the fierce wind slamming against Humphrey’s face made it difficult for him to breathe at times.

The dragons stopped at Joshua’s cautioning of “it’s dangerous!”Yet, he calmly observed the ground below. On one side of the greenery, a white highway was visible. As they pursued that course, a brown village came into sight. The houses were small and the entire area was covered with what looked like berries.

The dragons of varying colors expanded their wings in the blue sky, reflecting the sunlight and shining radiantly.

The reality that Humphrey was alive in this spectacular scene left him slightly shaken.

The Dragon Knights grasping onto the reins occasionally petted the dragons on their necks. And of course, Milia lovingly hugged the baby dragon’s neck. Such an affectionate act almost seemed like a conversation, albeit a silent one.

They were getting closer to where the wild dragon, or whatever it may have been, was spotted.

The knight of the dragon that Humphrey rode on turned his head over to Joshua and moved his right hand.

Speech did not convey well amidst the fierce wind. Perhaps their only method of communication here was sign language. Joshua too made some kind of gesture using only his hands.

They exchanged hand gestures for a short while. Then the Dragon Knight turned around and petted the dragon on its neck.

The dragon bellowed aloud once.

The dragons flying beside it called out in response.

A mountain down below came into sight. As Humphrey pondered on how they would land on the mountain, the dragons quickly descended one after another toward a wide expanse of flat land at the base of the mountain and folded their wings.

Getting off the basket, Humphrey followed behind Joshua. The dragon shook its head violently.

Joshua walked to the front of the dragon to see what the commotion was.

“Relax, calm down.”

Joshua brushed its nose with his left hand through his glove.

Humphrey looked around and noticed not a single dragon was at ease. The Dragon Knights’ efforts to pacify them had little effect. Instead, the sentiments of the dragons stirred the Dragon Knights, as their eyes started to wander about nervously too.

They were afraid of the mountain.

“Sir Joshua.”

As if he could not hear Humphrey, Joshua tightly embraced the dragon’s neck.

“Everything will be ok, I’m right here with you.”

Whispering into the dragon’s ear, Joshua let go of it and turned towards the Dragon Knights.

“From here on, Humphrey and I will go alone. I do not wish for the dragons to be here a moment longer. The rest of you return to the fortress. Anos.”

The one called upon was the tallest youngster among the group. Joshua looked up at him as he stepped forward.

But before Joshua could say anything, Anos fired his voice.

“We will wait here.”

Joshua smiled bitterly.

“Very well. I’m leaving you in charge here. Well then, Sir Humphrey, let us be on our way.”

Humphrey pursued Joshua as he began walking. Turning back calmly, Humphrey caught Anos bowing at him as if saying “take good care of Joshua,” to which Humphrey nodded.

Moving on, the duo wedged their way into the mountain. Humphrey wondered how well Joshua could handle the sword equipped on his back. Joshua turned his silver eyes upwards towards Humprey, who was determined to protect them both and return to the fortress together.

“No worries, I too once fought as a Dragon Knight. I’m certain my skills haven’t dwindled. Of course, we won’t know how strong our foe is until we fight it. But it’d be best if we could complete the task without fighting at all.”

Joshua’s voice grew dim and slowly faded away. As if he just recalled something important, Joshua looked up towards Humphrey.

“Sir Humphrey, if I end up on the verge of death, I’d like you to escape alone.”

“What?”

“I have a big favor to ask of you.”

Ignoring Humphrey’s look of surprise, Joshua removed the glove concealing his left hand. On the back of his left hand was a dark blue symbol.

“This is called the Dragon Rune. As long as we possess this, dragons will always obey us humans. This rune must remain in the possession of the Dragon’s Den no matter what. If the time comes, I’d like you to take this and bring it to Anos. As long as the Dragon Knights have this, the Dragon’s Den will be ok without me. Anos knows the method for inheriting the Dragon Rune. It won’t be a burden on you at all.”

“You’re prepared to give up so easily?"

Joshua grinned against Humphrey’s muttering.

“I certainly don’t plan on going down without a fight. It’s just that I’ve lived a long life, so I’m ready for whatever comes.”

“Having lived long doesn’t mean…”

Humphrey never imagined not knowing what to say could be so irritating.

“I know little about the Dragon’s Den. But having been able to meet and converse with you, I can say without a doubt that if you were to go, I would be grief-stricken.”

“Sir Humphrey.”

“You’re fully well and alive now, you mustn’t die so easily. Your position may be different, but know that you are not alone.”

Finally being able to speak his mind, Humphrey breathed a sigh of relief.

“Is that so?” muttered Joshua quietly.

Without saying anymore, Humphrey silently moved forward. Joshua too did not speak a word. Before long, Humphrey was walking ahead of him.

Thinking it was just a difference in their endurance, Humphrey slowed his pace a bit.

When Humphrey turned around to make sure they weren’t too far apart from each other, Joshua was leaning against a tree, staggering as if fatigued.

“Sir Joshua.”

He held out his arms in confusion. Joshua was standing his ground, but his face turned pure white.

“What’s wrong? Do you feel ill?”

“I’m fine, what’s wrong here is the air.”

“What?” mumbled Humphrey, to which Joshua smiled reassuringly.

“It’s ok. Let’s move on. There’s something I need to verify.”

“And that is?”

Joshua did not answer.

Not a trace of smaller animals could be found on the mountain.

As the two pushed on passing all manner of shrubbery, only the rustling of leaves could be heard. They finally reached the entrance of the cave.

Heavy winds poured out from the cave, bringing forth a scent of decay and making Humphrey tense.

Joshua was having trouble just standing up. But he did not falter and proceeded along the rock wall. Joshua looked determined. Without saying anything to stop him, Humphrey went up to walk beside him.

The rock wall got damper as they proceeded, and the footprints of a small, long animal were engraved on the floor. Humphrey felt something like a soft cloth constantly brushing against his face; he couldn’t tell what it was. The stench intensified, and breathing grew difficult.

As Humphrey tried to wipe the substanceless matter off his forehead, Joshua tugged on his sleeves.

“Sir Humphrey, I might really have to ask you to do that favor for me” said Josh in a forced whisper.

“The beast in here is definitely a dragon. However, it doesn’t seem to be alive. I can feel the spirits of the dead drifting around here. They’re being drawn by the creature inside. Thankfully, these spirits lack the power to deal any major any harm to people, but who knows what might happen over time.

Joshua’s silver pupils turned up towards Humphrey. From the color of his eyes, Humphrey could tell that even if he suggested they retreat for now, Joshua would go on alone.

Humphrey drew his sword and took a large step forward.

They encountered a sudden sharp turn and entered a large spacious room.

The stale air covered their eyes with a yellow mist, making them realize a bit too late that a huge creature lay deep in the back.

Its rotting skin looked as if it could fall apart at any second; yet, its body appeared to be very well alive and commanded a powerful presence, continually swaying back and forth.

“So it is Sterling,” Joshua raised his voice.

The name sounded familiar to Humphrey. Milia said it was a silver dragon, but its color could not be distinguished from the rotting flesh; yet, Joshua still recognized it.

“Sterling, can you hear me?”

Joshua reached out as the dragon reared its head. Its lifeless, gooey eyes caught sight of the two. Humphrey took it as a response to Joshua, but realized otherwise. The dragon latched onto Joshua’s arms and violently swung him away.

The yellow breath gushing from the dragon’s mouth jetted toward where the two were standing just a moment ago.

“Sterling!”

Humphrey ran up to the dragon and slashed across the dragon’s torso with all his might. Noticing the wound on its body, it trembled violently.

The dragon roared in anger.

Looking closely revealed a few arrows stuck on the dragon’s body. Sterling’s body was said to glitter brightly. That must have brought misfortune upon it, as it made Sterling a clear target for enemies.

The dragon bared its fangs at Humphrey. Humphrey stepped back and the moment he readied his blade, the dragon’s yellow breath entered his lungs, causing him to go faint and suffer severe chest burns.

The dragon tried to bite Humphrey, who summoned all his might to defend against the attack using his sword. The tip of the blade slid against the dragon’s fangs, hollowing out a part of its jaw.

The dragon shrieked. But it did not appear to be in pain. It had probably already lost the ability to feel pain.

As a sticky bodily fluid began to flow from its body, the dragon went after Humphrey at full force with its poisonous fangs and breath. Humphrey was distracted, not having realized the dragon had so many means of attack.

“Sir Humphrey!”

At the moment Joshua called out, a large log-like object smashed against Humphrey’s posterior.

A stalactite had landed on the side of Humphrey’s head. With his vision dimmed, he saw the dragon rearing its head.

Humphrey released his sword upon being blown away by the impact. As he stood up to look for it, the dragon’s open mouth quickly drew near.

Humphrey, who stood on guard, spotted a black shadow running towards him.

In order to protect Humphrey, Joshua stood in the dragon’s way.

Joshua readied his sword to face the dragon as they looked hard at each other. But from his posture, it was obvious he had no intent to kill. He was even trembling a bit.

“Sterling, don’t you recognize me? Have you forgotten the power of the Dragon Rune too!?”

The dragon did not respond to his lamenting voice.

Still searching for his sword, Humphrey ran around impatiently.

The dragon attacked Joshua. Although he was in position for a clean counterstrike, Joshua simply dodged the attack.

Humphrey now saw clearly that Joshua bore no intention of harming the dragon.

Joshua was merely deflecting the dragon’s fangs with his sword. He was not swinging his sword to do anything else.

The dragon’s fangs skimmed over Joshua’s body a few times, giving him quite a few injuries. But Joshua still would not hurt the dragon.

The dragon tried to mow down Joshua’s slim body with its tail. He nimbly dodged the tail strikes. His sword brushed against the dragon’s throat, but did not cut into its flesh.

Blood flew from Joshua’s forehead. It was hard to tell since Joshua was fully clothed in black, but there were probably also deep wounds on his shoulder and arms.

“Sir Joshua, Joshua!” shouted Humphrey without hesitation.

“Make no mistake! This is not the dragon called Sterling! It’s trying to kill the leader of the Dragon Knights—No, it’s trying to kill you, Joshua! It’s nothing more than a monster!”

“B-But…”

Joshua took a quick glance at Humphrey. Joshua was still wavering.

“Are you saying it’s ok for Sterling to continue rotting, to become even more than we can handle!? Don’t forget what we came here for! Don’t give up so easily! Don’t die, Joshua!”

At that moment, a powerful light emanated from Joshua’s eyes.

Joshua looked at Humphrey. An indecisive, wavering light could be seen from within Joshua’s pupils.

“Sterling,” said Joshua in a small voice.

Joshua repeatedly blinked as if trying to shake off something.

“Sterling, stop!”

Vroom! His mighty voice consumed the air. Not just the dragon, but even Humphrey came to a complete halt. Joshua placed his eyes on the dragon and stepped back. The dragon ceased all movement. It was bound by Joshua’s vigor.

Joshua took a deep breath. He stepped forward and leapt high. Before Humphrey realized it, in the center of the dragon’s forehead was Joshua’s sword. Joshua had thrust it in deep.

The dragon shrieked in agony.

As if responding to the shriek, the light on Joshua’s left hand grew brighter. Passing through his glove, the light was absorbed by the dragon.

Having landed from planting his sword in the dragon’s forehead, Joshua took some distance from the dragon.

The dragon’s body suddenly began to tremble.

It looked like it was about to collapse along the rock wall behind it, but it held its ground.

Humphrey readied his broadsword, but the dragon showed no signs of attacking. As Sterling simply stared at Joshua, it collapsed towards him.

Any semblance of power it had faded away as it lost the power to support its body. Yet, it still tried to raise its head. When that became impossible, it tried to move its eyes despite not being able to see anymore. As if yearning for Joshua’s presence, the dragon twitched its nose. It bore no hostility. Its facial expression was that of a baby longing for its parents’ loving affection.

On the rock wall was a hole that was hidden by the dragon’s body. A human sat inside.

Humphrey approached the hole. It looked to be a young woman. She was no longer breathing. Her entire body had decayed, yet blood stains were still visible on one side of her chest, probably from taking a few arrows to the chest.

It went without saying that she succumbed to a terrible fate. Humphrey removed his mantle to cover the woman with and carried her out of the hole.

The hole continued further down. It very likely led outside, as a refreshing breeze flew blew over Humphrey’s cheeks.

The foul air rampant in the cave was thrown out of order by the outside wind and slowly began to flow away.

Joshua was seated next to the face of the dragon. As Humphrey approached, Joshua extended his left hand and shut the dragon’s eyes.

“Someone was targeting them. Sterling tried to protect Addie. Even after she died, Sterling felt it had to bring Addie back to the fortress at any cost. Despite these severe injuries, despite its body deteriorating into this rotting flesh, Sterling’s determination to protect Addie to the end never faltered...”

Joshua pet the dragon’s head multiple times. It no longer moved.

“Sterling, thank you for protecting Addie. You did well… Forgive me for not making it on time.”

Lowering his head and sighing in sorrow, Joshua left his hand on the dragon’s head and went quiet.

Humphrey lay the woman down beside the dragon’s body.

“Sir Joshua, can you leave the corpse to me?”

As Joshua sluggishly raised his head, the fierce, repugnant light disappeared from his eyes.

“Yes, as I promised. Do as you please.”

Before they knew it, the mist had completely cleared up. Humphrey went out of the cave alone to gather up some dry, withered vegetation.

When he returned to the cave, Joshua was still standing there—not having moved an inch from the dragon.

Humphrey piled up the vegetation he brought in on the bodies of the dragon and the woman. Then he took out a flint from his pouch.

Observing Humphrey absent-mindedly, Joshua finally understood his intent.

“Humphrey! What about the proof!?”

Humphrey paid him no heed and set the withered grass on fire.

It was not quite the appropriate place to set a fire, but nor was it a place they could easily carry out a dragon’s body from. There was also the fear of accidentally crushing the dragon’s rotting body.

The flame flared up.

Humphrey urged Joshua towards the exit.

“Why did you set them on fire? What are you going to do about the proof, Humphrey?”

“If that is against the Dragon Den’s way, I apologize. However, I do not wish for others to see how the deceased departed. As for the proof, it was all a lie.”

Joshua was shocked at the revelation.

“I was ordered to bring back the dragon’s meat and liver. They’re said to be fantastic for medicine and go for a really high price. That’s probably why Sterling was targeted to begin with. My original goal was to bring back as much of the dragon’s body as possible. However, ever since meeting you, ever since meeting the people of the Dragon’s Den, I’ve come to understand that dragons are our companions.”

Humphrey, who stood still outside the cave, bowed deeply at Joshua.

“I am truly sorry.”

The gray smoke drifted out from the cave. Joshua looked in the direction the smoke was drifting to.

The smoke ascended high into the clear skies. Before they knew it, the smoke faded into thin air.

Moving his eyes downwards, Joshua saw Humphrey’s head was still lowered from bowing. With his left hand, which hid the Dragon Rune, Joshua touched Humphrey’s stiff hair.

“A zombie dragon’s liver doesn’t make good medicine.”

Humphrey raised his head.

“If that’s not persuasive enough, you can report that the dragon crumbled into pieces as we finished it off. If necessary, I can be a witness.”

“Sir Joshua…”

Seeing that Humphrey’s expression and manner of speaking had returned to their usual seriousness, Joshua showed a gentle smile.

“I am grateful, Humphrey, thank you.”

Humphrey departed the Dragon’s Den on a bright morning.

On the occasion of Humphrey’s departure, after ruminating over how unfortunate it was that they had to part, Joshua narrowed his eyes and looked up at Humphrey.

“Don’t ever forget. Humphrey, you are my friend. The Dragon Den’s doors are always open to you. And if you are ever in trouble, we Dragon Knights will assist you. Come visit us anytime.”

“Thank you. And If the Dragon’s Den or the Dragon Knights are ever in need, I’ll be right there. Call upon me at any time.”

The two smiled, exchanged a firm handshake, and parted with a “farewell”.

And under the blue sky, Humphrey embarked on a new journey.

[radynaraya]

and first what i want to say is, How come i'm not visited this thread long ago? uaaawwagghhh *Flamming Arrows burn me
This golden piece of Murayama, Thank You Very Much dragonmaster for bringing it to us, the worldwide fan. I will, with all of my internet rune, spread the words about this story you've translated. I love your work very much. Mou ikkai, ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!!

[KFCrispy]

so these are translated from official publications?

[Raww Le Klueze]

Yes, Suikoden Short Stories.