Heart Over Sword-Chapter 274: Frozen Depths

Stopping where the crowds parted to the newcomer, Ger’s gaze locked with Evanna’s. His features were harder, clothes the same as before, bloodied, torn, yet he was standing, his shoulders straight, head held high. Their last moments together flashed between them, Evanna was sure Ger could barely crawl before the dragon fell atop him, yet he was here without any injury.

Evanna’s legs sprang into action even before she had a chance to fully process Arawn’s cautionary words. She eluded Ronan’s outstretched hand and cast aside any concerns for etiquette. The princess raced towards Ger, and the closer she got, the more she realised there WAS something different about Ger. But she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. She jumped towards him, her arms wrapping around his neck as tears trickled down her cheeks.

Ger remained stiff for a moment, allowing Evanna to hang off him until his arms folded around her, his face resting on her shoulder. "I thought you were dead," Evanna whispered, unable to speak any louder, even with the trembling in her voice.

"Me too," Ger replied, his voice more profound and more of a rumble than what she had been used to. What happened to him?

"*Princess, get away from him,*" Garrett’s stern voice spoke sharply, making Evanna turn her head in his direction. His stance was ready for battle though his blade remained hidden. He stared at Ger warily.

Evanna looked back at Ger, blinking profusely when she suddenly noticed another distinct change in him. One of his deep blue eyes had an elliptical pupil. It was like a snake’s.

Evanna didn’t know how to comprehend it. It was no condition for a stroke or other illnesses. Ger seemed strangely perfectly fine.

"Ger?"

. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆. Day of Ger’s Death ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.

The pain of his dying body grew numb as Ger summoned all of his remaining strength for a final strike with the dragon sword, driving it deep into the creature’s chest, right where its heart was. A piercing screech erupted from the dragon as Ger collapsed onto his back, staring at the white dragon above him.

His breathing was laboured, but a smile graced his lips as he heard Evanna scream his name while the dragon fell atop him. "Dragon slayer," echoed in his mind as the crushing weight of the beast broke his bones; blood erupted from his being, with excruciating pain ripping across his skin before everything faded out of existence. A curtain of darkness fell over him, and the pain dissipated.

So, this was death? Would he meet his maker, or would he remain in this darkness, alone with his thoughts? Even his thoughts started to fade away.

With agonising slowness, boiling heat rushed through his body, enflaming him and torturing his blood vessels. His fingers twitched, body and eyes fluttered partially open until they clenched shut again from the intense pain flickering across his body.

The words whispered across his mind again- Dragon Slayer, Dragon Slayer, Dragon Slayer!

Leave me in peace!

Ger’s eyes snapped open as the fire burned brightly behind his chest. He jolted into a seated position, watching tendrils of his hair hovering at eye level. What the...

Ger paused upon seeing his surroundings. He was underwater. His clothing floated as his body slowly rose from the ground until a giant claw pinned the small space between his toes and boot to the floor. Ger’s eyes widened as he followed the claw, the size of half his body, along the scaly white arms until he met the icy gaze of the dragon that killed him.

Was he stuck in the afterlife with a dragon in the icy depths of the lake in Lyvaria?

’Do not be absurd, slayer.’

Ger jolted back in shock, but the dragon’s claw kept him rooted to the lake floor.

You can hear my thoughts?

’Unfortunately. We are connected until my last breath.’ The dragon leaned its face closer to Ger, who stared at the beast, stared at their surroundings as thoughts about his ability to breathe underwater floated across his mind.

’The sword saved you. But it could not save you from my curse.’

Saved... Curse... Dragon... Breathing underwater.

’What curse?’

’I remained in this lake to stay away from my brethren. I’d killed too many to count, and many long and lonely years had passed. The sword has granted you my life, but with it comes the price of killing others of our kind.’

’Our kind?’ Ger was confused, processing the dragon’s words and still processing that he was talking to a dragon. He was dead, right? This was some sort of test or joke...

’You are Dragonkin. A shifter. The sword has returned to a rightful owner... Ger the Dragon Slayer...’

Dragonkin? Dragon slayer? How did this dragon know his name? He stared at the dragon and its magnificence. This was all so surreal. Was he really talking to a dragon?

’A shifter?’

The dragon morphed before him in the water into a man with a long beard and hair; parts of his skin showed scales to his otherwise flawless skin besides the gaping wound over his chest. ’You will learn to change from dragon to man... And I... will finally find peace,’ the dragon man said, sounding happy in the clutches of death.

If he wanted to die so badly, why did he put up such a fight? For an epic battle?

Ger stared at the man who grabbed the dragon sword from the floor, staring at it with a tender smile.

’And if I refuse to kill other dragons?’ This was a curse, after all; there had to be some sort of catch. IF this was all real.

’You will be in a great deal of pain and kill civilians. Each civilian you kill will make you grow closer to the dragon inside of you. You will merely exist and follow your needs as a dragon.’

This man before him was the dragon. It was apparent in his reptilian eyes and the scales on parts of his skin, and the wound on his chest. Ger could tell from the way his eyes were drooping, and his skin was growing grey that the dragon man- Dragonkin was close to death now.

"What is your name?" Ger asked aloud and watched the bubbles float from his mouth before staring through them at the man. He wanted to at least know the dragon’s name. The dragon sounded so sad.

"Levianthian," the dragon replied, his fingers that had long, sharp claws stroking the sword.

’I don’t know whether to call it a blessing or a curse..’ Ger looked down at his body, aware that his movements did not cause any pain.

Was he alive?

"Here." Levianthian threw the sword towards Ger; within the waters, it was slow and steady. Ger stepped towards it just as slowly and accepted it. The moment he caught it, a dazzling light shone brightly between them.

’That is for you to decide. Thank you for setting me free.’

The blinding light began to wane, and Ger’s eyes slowly blinked open. He felt the weight of a substantial body resting upon him, prompting him to attempt to push it aside. To his astonishment, the seemingly weighty burden lifted effortlessly at his gentle touch.

Ger gazed up to behold the dragon’s form suspended in the water, drifting slightly to the side. He furrowed his brow, perplexed by how effortlessly he had managed to displace such a massive presence. As he recalled their earlier conversation, the dragon gradually lowered, eventually collapsing into a crumpled heap on the ground.

Undoubtedly, a transformation had occurred within him. Ger found it challenging to identify the precise nature of this change, except for the undeniable fact that he was now alive and able to breathe underwater.

Surveying his surroundings, he became acutely aware of heightened senses. He could peer through the murky depths of the lake, discerning details beneath its surface, and even catch the distant sound of ice cracking further along the lake.

Ger pushed off the floor with his feet and held the sword tightly as he swam to the surface. The surface had already frozen over thickly. Ger tested his strength and punched through the ice, eyes widening at the effortless act. He pulled himself out of the water and inhaled the cold air, expecting to shiver from being in the freezing water.

But he was not cold. His body was warm, as though it was summer in Dunhurst.

Ger rose to stand, scraping the sword along the lake’s surface and stared at it. So, this sword saved him and essentially took the dragon’s curse and gave it to him. He stared at the mountain’s reflection on the blade before following it.

He recalled the Lyvarian palace was on the side of the mountain.

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