The light was so blinding that I had to close my eyes for a moment. When I opened them again, I was standing in a completely unfamiliar place. In front of me was a dark, gaping cave—likely the dragon’s lair.
“Luminescence!” I murmured, bringing my fingers to my eyes to activate my perception magic.
I doubted the cave would have any light of its own, so I hoped this would help me proceed. Since I wouldn’t need a torch this way, both of my hands would be free.
I stepped into the cave. Thanks to my magic, I could see every last bump and ridge on the ground beneath my feet. With any luck, this would put me at a lower risk of stumbling. I was also genuinely grateful that I had elected to wear shoes with a low heel.
After a while, a warm, moist wind came blowing from the depths before me, carrying with it a subtle hint of blood and decaying flesh. I pooled magic in my hand, just in case, and inched forward, but that was when the bottom of my shoe scraped against something hard. Hardly daring to look, I slowly cast my gaze downward. There on the ground was very clearly a collection of human bones.
As prepared as I thought I had been, I wasn’t quite able to contain a shriek. My heart was hammering in my chest. I gasped for air, and my battered focus was throwing off my perception magic. My view of my surroundings flickered violently.
“Calm... Stay calm, Francheska!” I put my free hand to my chest and focused on breathing deeply. I closed my eyes to temporarily block out any information coming in from my vision, and once oxygen had spread through every corner of my brain again, I noticed my frozen thoughts gradually becoming unstuck. When I opened my eyes again, I could still see the bones, but this time, the sight did not rob me of my composure.
They must have belonged to one of the girls who had been sent here before me. Realizing that the same fate might end up befalling me, I offered her a prayer.
However, I noticed something peculiar.
“I cannot see any bite marks...”
I knelt down to study the skeleton in detail. There truly was something odd about the marks left on the wrapping around them, which I supposed had been a dress. There was nothing to suggest the large fangs of a dragon had hurt her. Instead, there were slashes that must have come from a blade. There were scratches on the bones beneath the fabric that matched them.
“Was she killed by something other than the dragon?” I said with a frown. After all, she had been sacrificed to the dragon.
It was then that my ears picked up on some unusual sounds. There was an unpleasant metal clinking sound and unsettling, husky laughter. I immediately increased the amount of magic I had concentrated in my hand. It wasn’t long until two figures emerged from the cave depths, walking toward me. They were only as tall as children, wore armor, and carried weapons that were half rusted. Their skin was a greenish-gray color.
These were goblins—a type of monster. Judging from the unnatural marks on the skeleton, those single-handed swords they were carrying must have been what killed the sacrifice.
So she really wasn’t slaughtered by the dragon?
But how would that account for the peace that our lands had enjoyed for the past fifty years?
Another spate of the goblins’ grating laughter pulled me from my reverie. Monsters could locate their prey, even in the dark. They must have already known that I was in the cave.
They were getting closer, and I could see the off-putting grins on their faces.
I thrust my hand out in their direction. “Fire Storm!”
The goblins screeched as they were caught up in a violent, fiery tornado, but their screams were quickly muffled by a screen of wind and flame. I took the opportunity to slip past them. My skirt flew up, exposing my thighs, but there was no time to worry about modesty. I just needed to get away from there as fast as possible! I ignored my tired lungs and wobbly feet and hurried deeper into the cave.
A second later, I cried out again. The heels on my shoes might have been low, but they were heels nonetheless, and running on such an uneven surface had been asking for trouble. I stumbled the whole way as I ran, certain that I must have come across as anything but ladylike. I was sure, too, that I had ruined my mother’s dress.
Never mind! What matters most is surviving!
Only when the flaming tornado’s roar and the goblins’ cries of agony were out of earshot did I finally come to a stop. My legs couldn’t hold me up any longer, and I slumped to the floor.
“Where am I now...?” I gasped. I had never been so out of breath before, not even after a dance lesson.
Slowly but surely, I managed to tame my tottering knees and got myself back to my feet. I then realized that my left heel was broken. Although I knew this would make walking difficult, I just had to grin and bear it. Even if it did mean that I had to hop forward awkwardly.
I looked down at my dress. My fall had smeared it with dirt, and not only were the sleeves and hem torn, but it was covered in rips all over. It was a total disaster. I decided that if I came across some sewing supplies, I would fix it as best I could. I was actually rather good at sewing. For example, I had made an embroidered handkerchief as a gift once, as one does when one is engaged. Now that I looked back on that, it had been a total waste of effort.
Catching my breath at last, I slowly surveyed my surroundings. From what I could make out through the blur of my tears, I had come across some derelict ruins. As I got closer, I saw broken and collapsed marble pillars here and there. The floor was paved with stones that no doubt used to be well polished, and there was also an altar that had been chipped in places. I wondered what kind of beliefs had given birth to this place. There were a number of baskets scattered around with pale blue flames inside, and they gave off enough light for me to make sense of my surroundings without the need for perception magic.
“Could these be the ruins of an ancient shrine?”