How dare you?" Gwyneria's roar shook the dungeons' foundation. "How dare you call me a liar?"
She looked very pissed. Very Good.
"I never called you a liar, Gwyneria," I said, keeping my voice steady. "You only need to swear a Bloodtruth covenant. Do that, and I'll free you. That's all."
Gwyneria hesitated, her eyes flaring.
Her pride as a great dragon wouldn't let her do it.
"No. I am Gwyneria, Monarch of The Everblaze. I will not sully my honour by swearing to a Bloodtruth covenant with you."
I lowered my bleeding hand, letting it fall to my side. "Then I won't release you. It's obvious you're hiding the truth from me. If I didn't know any better, the hero sealed you away because you were a threat to humankind."
"That's rubbish," Gwyneria snarled, hot smoke curling from her nostrils. "You don't know the first thing about me, boy. Know your place, or I shall incinerate you where you stand."
I crossed my arms, staring straight into her eyes. Her threat meant nothing to me now.
"I don't think you can do that. Your powers are sealed. You can't harm me even if you wanted to."
Gwyneria glared at me for a long time. I saw her chest swelling with a glow of fire.
I remained unfazed, calling off her bluff.
The seal was a powerful one, nerfing ninety-nine percent of her powers. She wouldn't be able to use her powers against me.
Gwyneria searched my face for any trace of weakness she could use to her advantage.
When she realized I had seen through her bluff, she gave up.
"You cocky bastard," she muttered, the fire dimming in her throat. "I hate you."
A smirk tugged at my lips. "There's no need to pretend, Gwyneria. Tell me why you were sealed in the first place. I want the truth and nothing but the truth."
A lengthy period of silence stretched before us before she finally gave in.
"Before he faced the demon king, the Hero battled me," Gwyneria began. "He needed my dragon's breath to reforge his sword and make it indestructible. Of course, I wouldn't give it to him. I was the last of my kind and I tried to avoid human interaction as much as I possibly can."
She grunted, her claws scraping against the floor. "You wouldn't believe he hunted me down like a beast. I've never fought anyone so relentless. This bastard cornered and engaged me in an intense battle that lasted an entire day. When he realized he couldn't defeat me, he used an ancient seal and trapped me."
I sat on the floor and listened attentively as she continued.
"I demanded to be set free but the damn hero offered a deal instead. I share my dragon's breath and in exchange, he will set me free after he defeats the demon king."
She snarled bitterly. "I held up my end of the bargain, but after his glorious battle with the demon king, he forgot about me. He never came back. Never honoured his word."
I studied Gwyneria and I could tell right away from the pain in her voice that she was telling me the truth.
For the first time since I met her, I felt bad for her now. She wasn't a threat. She was a victim.
"It must've been hard for you to stay locked up in this dungeon for five centuries," I said, my voice softer now. "Who would've thought the old king was such an asshole."
"You have absolutely no idea," she replied, her body sagging "That is why I tried to fool you into freeing me. Dragons and humans don't get along well. I did what I had to even if it means lying to gain your trust. You're the only one with powers comparable to the hero. Only you can break this seal."
Rising to my feet, I approached Gwyneria and faced her, my eyes set.
"Gwyneria, Monarch of The Everblaze. I am not the Hero who imprisoned and abandoned you centuries ago. My name is Archer and I'm going to break the seal and release you."
Before Gwyneria could respond, I raised my hand and began absorbing the magic coursing through the chains.
The chains and shackles began to rattle like serpents in the chamber. I shut my eyes and concentrated hard, feeling my veins burning.
This seal was powerful but it had one major flaw.
It fed on Gwyneria's mana to sustain her prison.
By absorbing it, I could weaken the links in the chains, devouring its energy ultimately.
I snapped my eyes open and uttered one word. "BREAK!"
A deafening explosion boomed through the dungeon as the thousand chains shattered into a million shards.
The shackles binding Gwyneria dissolved like melted wax, freeing her wings and her limbs.
Gwyneria threw back her head and roared.
Fire erupted from her jaws, lighting the dungeon and shaking the very foundation of the earth.
She spread her massive wings, swallowing the chamber whole as she roared again.
"FINALLY, I'M FREE!"