Enzo knew he needed to move. His joints were stiff and sore from laying on the cave floor. He had no idea how long he’d been there but surely it had been at least a day. The sun was just rising beyond the tops of the trees.

His lips were cracked and his throat was dry. I’ve got to find some water at least. Slowly, he sat up. He was basically naked; the little that remained of his clothes was charred, and flaked when he tried to move. He looked over his body, gingerly tracing his fingers over his skin.

He was covered in blisters, but that seemed to be the worst of the damage. Enzo thought back to the fight. He glanced down at the insignia on the back of his right hand. She really would have killed me. The only thing that saved me was my own dragonfire.

He lay back down and concentrated, taking deep, steady breaths. For a while nothing happened. Enzo felt the mana around him, reduced to the normal levels he was used to. He tried to build the ambient mana and heat into his core, and release it out with his breath. The tiniest flicker of flame escaped his lips.

Enzo exhaled and collapsed back against the floor. Just that little exertion had robbed him of his strength. I need to find water and food soon. At least I haven’t lost my Affinity. He steadied his breathing again and waited for his heart rate to calm again before he tried to get up.

Gradually, he was able to rise to his feet. He looked around the cave and saw the full extent of the destruction for the first time. Talwen had scorched everything. The rock that formed the mouth of the cave was deformed. Several piles of ash and bone were scattered around the room. Puddles of cooled iron were all that remained of the weapons the men had carried.

No one made it out alive, then.

There was no sign of the child that had saved him. I hope the kid made it somewhere safe. Clearly he must have been a part of the mercenary group, there’s no way he’d have just stumbled on this cave so soon after the fight.

In the center of it all, lay the shattered remains of the egg. Smaller than he expected, Enzo was surprised to see just how hollow the egg had turned out to be. The shards were not more than a finger’s width thick. The dark ruby red of the exterior was solid all the way through. Enzo picked up a piece and held it up in the sunlight. The shell was nearly transparent now, though he was sure it wasn’t before the baby hatched.

Maybe it has something to do with the magic required to hatch the egg? He thought back to the final moments of the fight. His little burst of dragonfire pressing against Talwen’s. While smaller and weaker, it held its own against her might. The only thing that stopped him was the cracking of the egg, breaking his concentration. He set the fragment down and carefully entered the lower room of the cave.

His jugs had been moved around the room, and the berries and wolf meat had been eaten, but everything else seemed to be there. Enzo removed the last remnants of his scarred clothes and put on his only remaining set. He took careful notice of where the blisters were the worst, along his chest, neck and arms, and was careful to leave them intact.

Next, he took up his pots and returned to the forest. Thankfully, Talwen hadn’t seen fit to raze the entire forest in her rage. Enzo looked to the sky and was relieved to not see smoke. Seems she left the village alone too. When I’m a bit stronger, I’ll have to head back there and tell Tobias what happened.

It took most of the morning, but Enzo was able to gather up some water and check his traps. Thankfully, he’d managed to capture a ratkel in the last few days and brought it back to the cave. This time, he was very careful in heating the meal and avoided the wave of exhaustion that threatened to knock him out at a moment’s notice.

After eating and drinking, his strength began to return. Enzo descended into the lower room of the cave again and looked around. The handful of coins he’d saved, his pack with his small collection of tools and a few wolf pelts were all that remained of his life with the dragon. He sighed and grabbed his pack from the bookshelf. No sign of the bow anywhere, looks like I’m back to nothing. The hides will sell at least.

He was about to leave the cave for good, when he remembered Talwen talking about humans taking the eggs and their shells and selling them. He shrugged and gathered up the shards of the egg, filling his pack. The shards were surprisingly light, given how heavy the egg was before the baby had hatched.

Crazy to think I’ve spent my whole time here guarding this egg and now it’s hatched. The day I woke up, I found this cave and the dragon inside and I’ve been anchored here since.

Enzo departed the cave, and didn’t glance back. This feels like a fresh start. It feels like I’m free of a burden I didn’t realize I was carrying until now. His progress through the forest was slow but it didn’t bother him.

The trees, the streams, the bushes filled with ripe blackberries, were all a part of his home and enjoying one last walk through them felt like he was finally moving on. I just wish I’d had a chance to talk to Talwen. He was happy to be joining a community, but he wouldn’t forget his days here, figuring out how to use his Affinity.

I don’t think she’s evil incarnate like Tobias does, but I don’t think she had my best wishes at heart, either. She threatened to kill me numerous times and nearly did in the end. One thing is for sure, though - I need to be much stronger before I see another dragon again.