12 Dragon Roar!
I can only hope that the medicine brewed by the Evil Dragon Lance won't bring harm to anyone.
On another note, is Dragon Lance even qualified as a pharmacist? In the world of humans, every pharmacist holds a medical qualification certificate. Should an unlicensed pharmacist's mistake lead to a fatality, they would face imprisonment.
Not only imprisonment but substantial financial penalties as well.
Imagine if something went wrong after consuming Evil Dragon Lance's concoction. She neither possesses the means to ask for compensation nor will he bears any legal responsibility.
This thought sent a wave of panic through Lucia. Marooned on this secluded island, she realized that if her condition worsened, no royal pharmacist would be available to aid her.
She silently prayed that this dragon, neglectful of his inherited duties though he might be, had sufficient experience as a pharmacist.
After all, he often shapeshifted into a human to mingle in their world and had even been a member of a valorous squad. Surely, they wouldn't have included him if he weren't dependable.
"Lance, your potion won't harm me, will it?" Lucia finally asked, her voice tinged with nervousness despite her attempts to reassure herself.
This was a matter of life or death. If her questioning angered the dragon, she was prepared to accept the consequences.
"No, I hold pharmacist certifications from several prominent kingdoms and temples across the human world," Lance replied, retrieving a stack of official documents from a space bracelet attached to his horn.
Lucia's eyes widened in astonishment as she observed the certificates in Lance's claws.
Advanced swordsmanship. Senior mage. Elite warrior. And yes, a senior pharmacist certificate. How could someone amass such diverse qualifications?
Instead of pursuing the typical dragon pastimes like abducting princesses or engaging in romantic escapades, why hoard all these credentials?
Hasn't he remained a bachelor for millennia?
Lucia felt a pang of envy. If only she could boast such accomplishments, perhaps then a dragon would eagerly propose a dragon knight contract upon meeting her.
She could then ingest Lance's remedies with confidence and audacity.
"I will match your prowess one day, Lance," she vowed.
"Strive to surpass me, little one" Lance encouraged, a hint of pride in his voice.
"That's a daunting challenge," Lucia admitted as Lance stowed his certificates back into the gleaming loop.
He wondered if the revered Dragon Island offered a variety of certifications. If so, he was eager to earn these distinguished Dragon Island credentials himself.
"Don't worry if you can't breathe fire yet, but you must at least master a formidable roar."
"I suppose my dragon roar is passable," she responded modestly.
Passable? How could he describe his roar, which more closely resembled a cat's growl, as passable?
"Would you care to hear the true dread of a dragon's roar?" Lance challenged.
"Sure, let's hear it."
Without a hint of effort or preamble, Lance unleashed his roar. He did not gather his full strength, yet the sea churned wildly, and fish surfaced, stunned by the vibration.
"Do you notice how my roar differs from yours?"
Lucia rolled her eyes dramatically and collapsed onto the sandy beach.
"Oh dear, I might have overdone it," Lance muttered, realizing his lack of restraint.
Rushing to the stricken young dragon, Lance carefully placed a claw near Lucia's snout to check her breathing.
Relief washed over him; she was still breathing, merely knocked unconscious by the sheer force of his roar.
His roar had been known to shake the very souls of those who heard it, causing even the bravest humans to faint temporarily.
Lucia, still young and not as mentally fortified, was understandably overwhelmed.
"Thank goodness she's not dead. Just stunned," he reassured himself, a flicker of guilt passing through his expression.
Young dragons raised on small prey like voles were notoriously skittish.
Lance retrieved a luminous water source scroll from the magical space bracelet on his horn, contemplating using it to revive Lucia.
"Just a splash of water from this scroll should do the trick," he thought, preparing to tear it open.
But then he reconsidered, knowing the scrolls were costly and perhaps unnecessary for such a mild situation.
With a pragmatic decision, he opted to save the scroll for a more dire circumstance. Instead, he flicked his mighty tail, nudging the unconscious dragon into the sea.
The water enveloped Lucia, and as the waves crashed and bubbles rose around her, the gentle ebb and flow of the ocean began to rouse her from her unintended slumber.
Lucia, having involuntarily gulped down several mouthfuls of seawater, suddenly came to her senses amidst the vast ocean. Startled, she leapt up with urgency.
As a dragon no a princess not yet crowned the empress of the Faloran Empire, she certainly couldn't afford to drown just yet.
Thankfully, her childhood lessons in diving and swimming at the age of seven came rushing back to her aid.
With a splash, Lucia's purple dragon head bobbed above the water, catching Lance's attention immediately.
Noticing Lance nearby, she swam towards him with a clumsy dog-paddle, an odd choice for a dragon.
"Dog paddle? Really, Lucia? Most dragons glide gracefully with a flick of their tails, not flail about like a puppy!" Lance teased, observing her approach.
"Did you perhaps learn swimming from a dog? Was your upbringing a bit unconventional?" he joked, knowing her background wasn't the typical draconic upbringing.
Lucia, slightly embarrassed but catching her breath, clambered onto the shore and approached Lance. "Ahem, Lance, why exactly did I end up in the sea?" she inquired, coughing out the last traces of saltwater.
"I noticed a bit of pain in my back too," she added, puzzled.
"You fainted in the sea," Lance explained simply.
"Fainted in the sea?" Lucia echoed, probing her sore back with a claw, a grin flickering across her face as she recalled the overwhelming force of Lance's roar.
"And why does my back side hurt?" she asked, still trying to piece everything together.
"It's likely you struck a rather unforgiving rock when you collapsed," Lance suggested.
"Oh, I see," Lucia nodded, trusting Lance's explanation. "So, I fell victim to your mighty roar, huh?"
Lance smiled, a plan forming in his mind. "Listen to my roar each morning," he proposed.
"What, and faint every time?" Lucia half-joked, half-groaned.
"Exactly. Each time you withstand my roar without fainting, you'll grow stronger. It will steel you against the fearsome presence of formidable foes in future battles," Lance explained, confident in this unorthodox training method.
Lucia's determination lit up her eyes. "Then I'll endure it. I want to become a fearsome dragon, as mighty as you, Lance!"
Lance, assessing her resolve and the spirit behind her fiery gaze, knew that despite her current limitations, Lucia held the potential to transcend her humble beginnings. "Prepare yourself, then. Your journey to might begins at dawn!"
Once she became as formidable as the fearsome dragon Lance, Lucia envisioned herself returning to the Faloran Empire, pledging her loyalty to the feisty Princess Athena. With a mere flick of her tail, she could scatter armies, and a casual roar from her throat might send legions fleeing in terror.
Amidst her daydreaming, a growl erupted from her belly. Lucia clumsily covered her stomach with her claws, her hunger apparent.
"Hungry?" Lance asked, noticing her discomfort.
"Just a bit," Lucia admitted sheepishly.
"Let's have breakfast. What would you like?" Lance inquired, already thinking of what might satisfy her dragon-sized hunger.
"Grilled beast legs," Lucia responded eagerly.
"Roasted meats might be a bit heavy for the morning. How about some porridge instead?" Lance suggested, considering a lighter start to the day.
"I'd rather make meat buns for you," Lucia countered, her craving for meat undeterred.
"Meat buns? You mean meatballs?" Lance questioned, trying to understand her request.
"As long as it's meat, I'm all for it," Lucia declared, her appetite clear.
Meanwhile, in the Faloran Empire, within the royal garden of the imperial capital, Princess Athena, with her striking azure hair, sat on a bench absorbed in a book.
Before her stood a female knight clad in gleaming white and silver armor, alongside a wizard wrapped in dark robes, her identity obscured.
"Have you found any records of the evil dragon who ensnared my reckless sister, the defeated dog princess, in the history books?" Athena inquired, her tone laced with curiosity and concern.
"No, Your Highness. I've scoured all the chronicles concerning evil dragons, and there's no trace of that particular one," the knight reported, her frustration evident.
"Could it be the giant dragon that recently escaped from Dragon Island?" Athena pondered, closing her book with a snap.
"I'm uncertain, Your Highness," replied Eva, the cloaked wizard, her voice muffled by the fabric. "Perhaps we could request to borrow books on evil dragons from the major temples in the capital? It's possible that their archives hold some clues about this dragon."
Athena nodded thoughtfully, considering the new avenue of investigation. "Very well, arrange for it. Any piece of information could be crucial."
