Chapter 71 Archer's First Dungeon.
Chapter 71 Archer's First Dungeon.
?
Archer ceased his flight and suspended himself in the sky, observing the caravan from a safe distance.
From his vantage point, he could see that the group was engaged in a fierce battle against a horde of skeletons.
As he drew nearer, he realized that the caravan was on the brink of being overwhelmed.
With a quick idea forming in his mind, Archer began to cast bolts of light, launching them at the skeletal attackers in an attempt to turn the tide of the battle.
The bolts struck the groups, reducing them to dust, and he laughed as he fired more light bolts, completely decimating them.
He descended about 10 meters behind the caravan, and dismissed his Draconis form everyone who was standing by the caravan was just staring at him.
''Where did they come from?''
He saw a group of eight adventurers and about 20 caravan guards, they were all Mahrazian people.
Some were human, while others are Demi-humans, Archer noticed someone walking toward him from the front.
Archer approached the bustling caravan, seeing a tall figure caught his eye.
The man approached him from the front of the group, his confident stride and elegant clothing marking him as someone of importance.
"Good day, young man," the man said.
Extending a hand in greeting so Archer could reach it.
"My name is Yahir Beshara, and I am a merchant of some renown in these parts."
Archer took the man's hand, noting the firm grip and shrewd look in the man's eyes.
''Archer.''
He closely observed Yahir, he noticed that he has a tanned complexion.
The man's brown eyes sparkled with a sense of warmth and friendliness, and his long black hair is neatly combed and falls down to his shoulders in loose waves.
He is wearing a traditional Arabian-like thobe, a long and flowing robe that extends down to his ankles.
The thobe is made of lightweight cotton and is a deep shade of blue. Over his head, he wears a keffiyeh, a traditional headscarf made of cotton or silk.
The keffiyeh is white with a black and red checkered pattern, and it is wrapped around his head in a way that covers his forehead and drapes down his back.
Archer could see that the thobe and keffiyeh are adorned with intricate embroidery and patterns.
The two of them examined the other before Yahir spoke.
"Why is a young boy alone in these parts? It's not safe," the man asked.
He looked at the boy with four beautiful horns coming out of the sides of his head and Archer stared into his eyes as he spoke.
"I'm adventuring and also looking for the dragon-kin people."
Yahir stared at him in surprise.
"I know there are dragon-kin in the port city of Sunhaven, which is on our journey to Aquaria City. Do you want to travel with us?''
Sera popped her head out of Archer's collar as she started staring at Yahir, making his eyes widen with shock.
He stuttered out, "A Tinnin? How did you find one?"
Archer looked at her little head as he stroked her before telling Yahir how he met her.
"I saved her from a group of Jungle Wolves."
Sera crawled up and lay on his shoulder while dismissing the man staring with amazement at her.
"That's quite a shock. Not many people get to see a Tinnin. They're a favorite among Mahrazian children."
Archer nodded and agreed to travel with them but asked him a question.
''Where did the skeletons come from?''
Yahir got a nervous look on his face and didn't want to mention it but Archer insisted.
''There's a dungeon to the west it once was a temple to the sand goddess who the peoples there once worshipped, it seems to be overrun nowadays, we were going to report the skeletons once we were in Sunhaven when we got there.''
Archer's eyes shined and it didn't go unnoticed by the man, he spoke to Yahir.
''I'm going to go to that dungeon, you carry on traveling and il catch up.''
He stepped backward and activated his Draconic Form.
''Draconis.''
Yahir saw his gleaming white wings appear and watched as Archer flexed his claws, he crouched down and launched himself in the air.
He flew west across the hot desert.
Archer soared over the hot and barren desert, the sun beat down on his wings and the dry air scorched his white skin.
Below him, he saw odd-looking beasts roaming around, their bodies adapted to survive in this harsh environment.
The sand stretched out endlessly in every direction, broken only by the occasional rocky outcropping or twisted, gnarled tree.
After an hour of flying, Archer's eyes caught sight of a massive mountain dune that stretched high into the sky.
Its peak was lost in the swirling sandstorms that raged around it, but Archer could sense the power emanating from within.
He knew that this was his destination, With a determined flap of his wings, he soared toward the mountain.
Upon arriving at the dune, he ceased flying and hovered in the air, activating his AD to scan the area.
Archer received a few pings from his left and flew in that direction.
He saw a river of skeletons pouring out of the only entrance of the giant sand dune.
He began firing bolts made of the light element and rapidly mowed down numerous skeletons, effectively clearing the entrance.
Once he didn't see any more skeletons, he descended to the sand as soon as he did Sera stopped clinging to him and started flying around.
Archer watched in awe as the little fairy dragon Sera flitted around him, her wings beating so fast they were a blur.
Her small body seemed to glow with an inner light, and her movements were so graceful and fluid that Archer couldn't help but be mesmerized.
As she darted back and forth, her tail trailing behind her like a ribbon It was as if he was witnessing a small miracle, a creature of pure magic and beauty dancing before him.
He simply stood there, watching her with a smile on his face as he started walking into the entrance of the dungeon.
Archer walked deeper into the desert-themed dungeon, he came across a sight that took his breath away.
In front of him lay a ruined ancient-looking city built by the Mahrazian peoples, its sandstone buildings and minarets rising up from the sand like ghosts of a forgotten past.
The city was a maze of narrow streets and winding alleys, lined with crumbling buildings and deserted marketplaces.
The air was thick with the scent of spices, but they had a hint of decay to them.
Eerie echoes of laughter and chatter made it seem as if the city was still alive with the ghosts of its former glory.
As Archer walked along, Sera landed on his head and held onto one of his horns, watching over him as her little tail swayed.
He didn't dismiss his Draconic Form, as he felt like he was being watched.
The hair on his back stood up, and he knew that danger could be lurking around any corner.
That's when he came across a large, empty plaza.
Archer saw broken stalls and ruined carts, and he continued walking when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.
Spinning around to see nothing there, apart from a breeze that was blowing leaves all over the place, he realized that he was not alone in this deserted city.
As he was searching the city a dense fog descended upon it, when Archer spotted it he sighed as he mumbled to himself.
''For fuck sake, more fog.''
When he was complaining to himself his Aura Detector quickly warned him of a sudden incoming attack, covering him and Sera with his wings as something tried latching on to him but couldn't.
With a flick of his wing, he sent the creature hurtling into a nearby wall, causing it to slump to the floor.
Archer walked over to the corpse and his eyes widened when he recognized the creature, it was similar to the creatures he fought in Blackwood Pass.
But they looked more frenzied, with sharper teeth, longer claws a more refined body, stabbing the beasts with his light sword.
After swiftly decapitating the creature, he retrieved its heart and stowed it away.
With a burst of energy, Archer sprang to his feet, his senses on high alert.
The sound of footsteps echoed in his ears, growing louder and more menacing with each passing moment.
He spun around just in time to see another creature charging at him, teeth bared and claws extended.
Without hesitation, he summoned the power of the cosmos and erected a shimmering violet shield, deflecting the creature's attack with ease.
As more creatures closed in on him, Archer focused his mind and unleashed a barrage of light bolts, sending them hurtling toward his foes.
With each blast, he could feel his strength growing, his confidence surging.
Determined to find anything of value in this desolate city, Archer took to the air, soaring above the twisted buildings and dodging the creatures that pursued him.
[A/N - Leave some comments, power stones, and gifts. It all helps support the book. Artwork in the comments or discord]