Gwyneria's predator eyes glanced at me. She drew closer towards me,her massive shadow swallowing me whole.
I held her gaze—and for the first time, raw fear crawled down my spine.
Now that she is released from her prison, she seems to have gotten bigger. Her mere presence was more terrifying than before.
How the hell had that hero beaten her in the first place? She's extremely powerful, possibly the most powerful creature I've ever met.
Maybe freeing her was a bad idea. What if she burns me to ashes? I'm not sure my barrier could hold against a dragon's breath.
What was I thinking? I had doomed this world. She had regained all her powers. She could go on a rampage and no one could stop her.
However, to my shock, Gwyneria lowered her head and bowed to me.
"I owe you a heavy debt for setting me free, Archer," her voice was like thunder. "No words will be enough to express my gratitude to you."
I heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn't going to burn me to crisps.
"I only did what I thought was right," I replied to her. "You're free now. Get as far away from this continent as you can. Live a normal life. Start afresh."
Gwyneria hesitated, instead she kept staring at me. "You know, Archer, I haven't really thought about what I would do with my life after I'm free."
"What?" I grimaced. "Are you for real? You literally had five centuries to make plans and yet you didn't?"
"There's nowhere else for me to go to," she muttered, her voice growing bitter. "I have no home. No kin. I'm the last of my kind. I'll always be hunted down by humans and demons alike."
I sighed. "I wish there was something I could do for you. You could stay in this dungeon. I mean it's safe. No one would come look for you here..."
"Archer," Gwyneria interrupted me, her voice sharp. "Form a contract with me."
My eyes widened. "You want me to do what?"
"I wish to form a contract with you," Gwyneria's eyes gleamed. "You have a limitless amount of mana the likes I've never seen. If you form a contract with me, you would grow into a powerful being, far more powerful than a great dragon."
I was speechless. "Could a human really surpass a great dragon?"
"Surely not," Gwyneria responded. "It's nearly impossible for a human to be stronger than a great dragon. But you have the potential. I want to be your familiar."
A brief silence fell in the chamber as I thought about it.
"A contract with a great dragon," I muttered to myself. "Unbelievable.That's like having a cheat code. I'd be O.P."
"Forming a contract with a great dragon is a rare event. If you accept, this would alter the course of your life," Gwyneria said. "I would like to see what you'll grow up to become, Archer."
It would be foolish to decline Gwyneria. I need to become stronger. This was a massive opportunity that fell on my lap and I'm not going to pass it by.
"I accept," I finally said, a determined look in my eyes.
"Excellent choice," Gwyneria's eyes gleamed brightly.
Suddenly, the air in the cave vibrated with mana.
Gwyneria's voice echoed throughout the cave as she started chanting an ancient pact ritual.
"I, Gwyneria, Monarch of the Everblaze, hereby form a pact with this child, Archer. From this very day, we are bound as one. My strength, my knowledge and my power will be his."
As she finished, a golden light seared itself into my chest.
I gasped as I saw a symbol appear on my chest.
"That's a dragon crest," Gwyneria announced. "It is done. You and I are one. I now share the same amount of mana that you possess. All my powers are embedded in you."
At that very moment, I felt an overwhelming surge of power flow through my veins.
It was as if my magic had multiplied a hundred times.
"This is amazing, Gwyneria," I said, my voice breathless. "I've never felt this powerful before. So this is the power of a great dragon."
"There are no limitations to your powers now, Archer," Gwyneria revealed. "You can do anything you want as long as I'm by your side."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Gwyneria's dragon form began to shrink as she transformed into her human form.
I watched her, my heart racing.
Gwyneria stood tall, her red hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. Her ears were long and pointed.
Two small horns poked from the brow of her head.
Her eyes were slit-like, bold and cute with the right amount of lashes.
Her skin shimmered with a soft sheen of red scales, forming patterns along her arms and down her legs like tattoos.
She wore a red halter top cut very low, accented by gold bangles on her wrists and ankles.
The rest of Gwyneria's outfit was a black leather skirt with high slits on both sides, revealing long slender legs covered in netted stockings.
I couldn't believe my eyes. This lady has been imprisoned for five centuries and yet she looked so young and hot.
"How old are you, Gwyneria?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.
"I'm two thousand years old," she answered, grinning knowingly at me. "What is it? Do I look old?"
"No," I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. "You just remind me of a girl in her mid twenties."
Gwyneria flip her hair. "We dragons don't age. We could go on living for millennials. I'm really not that old. Now that I have a good look at you, you are so adorable, Archer. I like your golden eyes. It's so beautiful."
I saw a sparkle in her eyes that I've never seen any woman give me.
When my eyes landed on her cleavages, I looked away. "Um... There's a dragon crest on your chest. It looks just like mine."
"That's because we are now bound as one. Like a couple," Gwyneria giggled. "Oh, I'm just joking. But on a more serious note, we are one body, soul and mind."
I stared at the dragon crest on my chest and began buttoning my shirt. "Sounds fair."
Gwyneria went down on one knee and bowed her head to me. "I swear my loyalty to you, my liege. As your familiar, I'm fully at your command. Wherever you go, I'll join you. Your enemies are my enemies. Your friends are my friends."
A lot of things have happened since I left home.
First, I saved my sister from high level demon mages, now I've freed a great dragon and formed a contract with her at just ten years old.
I stretched out my hand to her, a warm smile on my face. "Welcome aboard. You will accompany me to Luminis city."