Night had already fallen. I got so distracted talking to Uuk that I completely forgot about the others. Janeth is going to be furious for being left waiting so long, although I suppose her anger will pass—or turn into pure terror—when she sees me arriving with a sixty-five-foot beast. Anyone would be shocked.
—Hey, I forgot to tell you... —I started cautiously—, I came with some people and left them waiting at my old house. You wouldn't mind if I brought them here?
Uuk snorted, releasing a small cloud of hot steam.
—Are they demons? I don't get along very well with them —he replied with disdain.
—Let's see... they are good people. One of them is the "bitter giantess" I told you about. Besides, they told me that you are a Gondra.
—What is a Gondra? —he asked, tilting his massive head, genuinely confused.
—That's what you're supposed to be —I replied, shrugging.
—But I am a dragon —he stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
—Eh? —I froze, looking him up and down. He has no wings and his body looks more like a mountain of metallic scales... What kind of dragon is this? Then, what on earth is a Gondra? Apparently, there has been a historical mix-up.
—I am a young dragon —Uuk admitted with a casualness that left me speechless.
—But... you told me you were thousands of years old.
—That's true, I am eight thousand years old. We dragons are very long-lived; at fifteen thousand, our wings sprout —he explained, like someone talking about the weather.
Fifteen thousand years for wings to sprout? I felt tiny. Compared to him, I was nothing more than a speck of dust in the wind. Those three years I spent by his side must have been nothing to his perception of time, and yet, he holds me in high regard.
—Seriously?! You're "young" at eight thousand years old?! —I exclaimed incredulously—. I barely have three and I already feel old... I guess it's normal. —I fell silent for a moment, feeling the weight of what I was about to say—. Uuk, there's something I forgot to tell you.
—Tell me.
—I have only one year of life left. The time I almost died... that condemned my soul —I said, looking down at my purple hands.
—Only one year? —Uuk remained silent, and his hot breath brushed my face—. That is indeed a short time. To me, a year is barely a blink.
—You have that luck —I replied with a bitter smile.
—All the more reason I must help my only friend in eons. Bring those demons; I can tolerate their presence for you.
—Alright, I'll go get them.
I left the clearing and headed toward the twins and the others. Upon arriving, I saw them huddled at the base of my old tree; some were sleeping soundly, while Old Siro kept a silent watch.
—I'm back! —I announced, breaking the forest's silence.
—Hello, my Liva friend —Siro greeted me, sitting up with a groan of old bones.
—Wake the others. Uuk has agreed for them to come with me to his refuge.
Between the old man and me, we managed to wake Janeth and the brats. I briefly explained the situation, and we set off. After a few minutes, we reached the clearing, where Uuk was waiting for us right at the entrance, like a mountain of metal under the moonlight.
As soon as the giantess saw him, her warrior instincts kicked in. She stood on guard instantly, muscles tense and ready to launch a desperate attack.
—Easy! Easy! —I crossed her path, waving my arms—. He's not an enemy, Janeth. He is Uuk.
—Is this really Uuk?! —she blurted out, not fully lowering her guard but visibly astonished—. He doesn't look like a Gondra... they say they only measure about seven feet.
Janeth slowly relaxed her posture, though she couldn't stop looking up, lost in the vastness of Uuk's crimson eyes watching us from above.
—See, that's why I don't like demons. They are always ready to attack first and ask questions later —Uuk explained, letting out a puff of steam that ruffled Janeth's hair—. They resemble the "hairless primates" from the legends; it is said that, out of their own stupidity, they ended up killing each other until no trace was left.
I stood like stone. Hairless primates? Is he referring to humans?
My mind began working at a thousand miles an hour. Uuk spoke of them like an ancient fable, like something extinct eons ago. Did humans exist here? Is this some kind of post-apocalyptic world where magic reclaimed what technology destroyed? What kind of crazy god is writing this story? Or is it just a matter of fate? I had too many questions and very few answers.
—Hairless primates?! —I exclaimed, trying to sound casual—. What are those things? Were they rare animals?
—They are tales of the ancestors, Samuel. Weak creatures with complicated minds —Uuk replied, dismissing it with a flick of his tail that made the ground shake—. Now that doesn't matter, come in before I change my mind.
We all entered the clearing. The girls were wide-eyed; it's natural, you don't come face-to-face with a creature of that magnitude every day. Old Siro, on the other hand, remained more stoic than I expected; I was surprised he didn't seem intimidated by my big friend. What kind of things has that old man seen in his years as an explorer?
We laid down beds of leaves and branches on the ground and settled in to sleep, planning to leave at first light. Three days of travel remained to get back; we would arrive just in time for the start of the meeting. I was already savoring the look on those bitter faces when they saw Uuk appear behind me.
The hours passed in a sacred silence until the glow of the first sunbeams illuminated the place, transforming it into a dreamscape. The leaves looked greener, the little birds sang symphonic melodies, and the bluish-pink of the sky had a sublime radiance. I didn't remember everything being so beautiful. In my other life, anyone would have paid millions to live in a place like this, far from the deafening noise of the city and enveloped in the absolute peace of the countryside. It was the perfect balance.
We got to our feet. The carriage was twelve hours of walking away, so we had to leave immediately if we wanted to make the most of the daylight.
—How far is this place we are heading to? —the dragon asked, his voice making the morning air vibrate.
—About three and a half days, more or less —I replied, calculating the slow pace of Siro's Kaplas.
—It's not that far. We could arrive in one day if you climb onto my back —Uuk offered, leaning his colossal body toward us.
—Really?! —Anastasia exclaimed, her eyes like saucers.
—It would be incredible to go on top of you, Mr. Uuk! —Petra was jumping with excitement, completely forgetting her initial fear.
—Is it not dangerous? —Janeth intervened, always with her guard up—. And what will happen to our carriage?
—We'll come back for it later! —Siro exclaimed with a youthful enthusiasm I hadn't seen in him, as he approached Uuk's legs as if he were about to scale a mountain—. We can't waste an opportunity like this!
As always, the giantess was being bitter. She doesn't understand that there are moments when you should just enjoy the ride. After all, it's not every day an eight-thousand-year-old dragon invites you for a spin.
—Well, maybe we should stop at the carriage to at least free the Kaplas. They'll die if they stay tied up —I offered, thinking of the poor animals.
—You are right, little Samuel —Uuk nodded, and his voice made the earth vibrate—. One should never let an animal die for nothing.
We all hurried to climb onto his back. Uuk set off and, following Siro's directions, we reached the carriage in barely thirty minutes. We freed the Kaplas and rescued the essentials of our belongings. Now, with everything ready, we set out for the coastal village of Bigue. I don't know what is about to happen; I still have no idea how to break the bond between Augusto and that mysterious god, but I know that now we have the advantage.
The "Master" is going down. We will recover the kingdom of Divon and free the King; this war has already claimed too many innocent lives and destroyed thousands of families. I only have one year left before I die... perhaps this will be my final act.
Lately, I can't stop thinking: What will happen if I don't kill the Leviathan? Will that Diva goddess get upset with me? Why the hell do I have to follow her orders if I'm going to pass away anyway? Nothing will happen if I don't comply, right? If I'm still alive after the war, I'll try. But if I see it's too difficult, I'll just die peacefully. My story will end just as it began: with a serene death.