Riley groggily opened his eyes but saw nothing. The cavern had been plunged in darkness since the serpent had died. The mossy crevices which had illuminated the cavern before no longer worked. They had fed on the serpent's essence for power.
He pumped essence into the lantern and looked around. Lucy had been sitting nearby. Yara was not too far.
Lucy's eyes were blank and tired, every muscle in her body seemed to twitch from the small breeze. She looked up at Riley, a meek smile playing at her lips before laying down and sleeping.
"She's been protecting us this whole time."
He was proud of his teammate. And even more so as an older brother.
Yara however was shaking and sniffling. Her eyes wouldn't tear away from the spot Dari had been killed. A part of Riley wished to let her be.
"I am… sorry about Dari. I failed to anticipate that attack."
She looked up, her expression blank yet tears continued to fall.
"…monster."
"Excuse me?"
She rose to her knees and shoved her fist into his stomach.
"You are a monster."
Riley fell back onto the ground. Looking up at Yara.
Her punches were not strong. Yet they hurt him more than any blade could. Tears rolled down his own cheeks while he accepted every hit she could muster.
Yara's broken sobbing continued for half an hour, withering away slowly into laying limply on his chest. She clutched his shirt with her nails digging into Riley's skin, not sharp enough to draw blood.
"I…loathe you."
Her voice was crisp and had no real emotion entwined in it. Her heart thumped against his own, ready to break free from her chest and end his own.
At last, she stood up and looked down at him with contempt.
"Let's leave. Once this nightmare is over, I will have justice for Dari."
She turned her back and marched toward the exit of the cavern.
Riley continued to lay down alone. His mind was blank. Mouth dry. But he wanted comfort that he felt he didn't.
"Get up."
His gaze swept to Lucy who had managed to get up somehow. Every inch of her body was covered in small cuts, yet she dragged him up. Her hands were firm yet soft on his arm.
"Do you hate me too?"
"Should I?"
He smiled and stood up beside her, lifting her up in his arms.
"I can always count on you."
She smiled back and fell asleep in his arms. Allies were dropping left and right, but at least she stuck by his side. And he could no longer count on Yara, so he had to protect his found little sister.
====
Their trip back was silent and uneventful. The camp greeted them in secrecy and each went their separate ways.
Riley had ordered a few guards to watch out for Lucy in her compromised state. And even some for Yara, but she declined any support he offered. Sir Baltamor even personally offered to stand guard near his tent.
"Tired?"
"…Yeah."
He sat back on the bed. Lydia's arms wrapped around his shoulder from behind, planting soft kisses on his neck that he didn't care to shrug off. Her touches only grew more intimate, drowning away what little willpower he had left.
"Could you…mmmf…relax for a bit?"
Lydia nipped at his earlobe and whispered.
"Is that what you really want?"
Riley didn't respond. He just nudged her back and left the tent to bask in the mountain air. A primal war cry threatened to break his silence. It boiled in the depths of his soul, but as a leader, he had to maintain his composure.
The time for mourning would come after his battle was fought.
His feet carried him forward toward a small tent located in the back. One with roughly ten guards sitting around drinking booze and lazily chatting.
"M-My lord!"
They shot to their feet and saluted.
"At ease."
Riley pushed through and entered the tent. The lantern's fire danced across the fabric walls, shadows traced her calm face. A flurry of butterflies rushed from her body and fled through the seams of the tent.
"LUCY!"
He rushed to her side, shaking her awake. She rubbed her eyes and looked at him with confusion.
"W-What's wrong?"
He stopped and looked across her body still shrouded by the fabric. Every cut that had previously drawn blood, was now gone, leaving no trace or scar. Riley's fingers brushed against her skin, and it slid as if it were marble.
"You are…better. That's good."
A moment passed before Riley let go, allowing her some privacy to get dressed. She stepped out of the tent with a slight blush on her face.
"Surely you could've waited till morning."
"I was worried."
She smiled at him before pulling him along with her toward the bustling dining area. It was full of drunks and soldiers, but it was lively. That was the sort of energy that he needed in that moment, both of them did.
They sat down at the table and ordered some food. Lucy ordered a stew. Riley a steak.
An amulet slapped itself against the table. It was crafted of the serpent's blue scales and housed a crystal version of its yellow eye in the centre. It pulsed a faint yellow every time she brushed her hand against it.
"I got this memory after breaking the final disk. But, I don't know what it does."
Riley picked up the charm and inspected it closer. It swayed toward him, ripping essence from his soul core with every second that ticked by. It was slow, but noticeable. And he somehow felt a sort of familiarity to it.
"Once the nightmare is over, I'll take a proper look at it."
He handed it back and it dissolved into a sea of sparks.
Riley placed a hand on her head and rubbed it jokingly.
"Now. Congratulations are in place! You killed a damn dragon!!"
He slapped her shoulder and laughed. She joined in with her own giggling and they let the night melt into a bittersweet victory.