She made me stop by a hospital to get checked. I had broken a couple of ribs and there was a fracture in my left arm along with it not being connected right. A doctor looked down at me, raising an eyebrow.
"How are you not hurt at all?" She asked
"I say this all the time, but it's not nearly the worst pain I've felt." The doctor's skeptical eyes landed on my shoulder. She turned to her computer, typed something in and looked back at me.
"Fayha and Mila might be different countries but our hospitals are the same and all have the same data base. Tell me why, though I can't open them, you've laterally been to us hundreds of times. Damn near thousands. It's on your file that you overly use your magic, even at a young age and while being watched by both your parents and others. Are you just blissfully unaware of the harm you do to yourself?"
"I mean, magic and fighting are fun. If it doesn't hurt too bad then it's not bad."
"Heo…" Stella wined before letting the doctor talk.
"You broke multiple ribs and, with one more push, almost completely shattered your arm. Not only that but your legs are close to shattering as well. I didn't mention it when I examined and healed you because I wanted to know if you even felt it."
"Oh."
"Now." She wrote a note and handed it to me. "The only thing that seems to hurt you enough for you to come in here is magic sickness. Which makes sense you're a dragon. It's not really recommended to make a doctor's note for magic potions but this is just for your extreme case." She shooed us out.
It took me back, getting that close to breaking all of them again. When I had been cut in half It was by the grace of the gods I was even able to come back as I did. The monster's claw had cut completely through my left shoulder and all the way down to my right hip. If it had more claws I would look even worse than I do now. The scare always stayed the same size on my body, even as I grew like a curse it enveloped the same amount of space on me.
The Estellé's weren't a popular, strong, or influential family, it was just we were meant, more than other dragons or humans, to fight. The gift all Estellé's are born with is a one time magic item within our horns to bring us back to life, but I didn't have horns then. On another rare chance, I had a silent awakening. They work when magic is grown to the point a dragon can awake and can grow horns but horns don't grow. Instead, the magic in horns continuously does whatever process it does and the magic grows even stronger.
Stella still has her gift, and hopefully never feels what I felt twice within two hours. But a few days after that the gravity treadmill, something used everywhere now, was in my house. I didn't think it could really go high. I didn't know the monsters that existed among humans where a mountain is light to them. Turning the dial all the way my entire body was crushed, every bone shattered to pieces. I guess I just never felt pain the same since?
We cashed in the quest and got thirty dollars. It wasn't really worth going out and killing it mainly because it wasn't a big threat and didn't give us much money. Dungeons and higher ranked monsters are the ones to go for. On the upside, it was perfect timing for this Queen of the night.
We got back to the alley way right outside the restaurant. The lights around it glowed with orange, green and purple colors. On this night it was kinda packed inside.
"Heo, are we ready?"
"Should be. I don't know how to be ready to meet this night Queen but we have to."
We stepped into the alley, almost instantly it warped and shark into itself. We both uttered a surprised reaction before going farther in. Like the world itself hummed, a whimsical waltz played. As if spirits sang as we ventured further in. The world got so small we could barely fit through the alley. Then abruptly it ended, and a familiar giggle resounded to our right. As the sound hit us, the right wall opened up. The space around us was a grand ball room.
Pumpkins hopped and spun and danced. Some of the pumpkins were standing tall, wearing clothes and dancing properly. They almost all had suits on besides a handful of dresses. Each dress was uniquely different from one another. At the center of the room, not on it but next to it, a pumpkin with round glasses sat at the side of a throne.
"Hehehehe! Wonderful you could make the banquet." The quizzical pumpkin spoke.
We walked down the hall passing all the pumpkins. The walls of the room were light pink. The floor was the same perfectly light pink stone, no obvious signs it was cut and pieced together. Dark red accents were spread around the ball room with hot orange lights reflecting off every surface. Thousands of paintings lined the walls, all of a woman who seemed to have the same hair as Paukena but instead of a bright white, a dark purple. She wore a matching dark purple dress that was a different design to Paukena's. In every painting you just couldn't see her face. It was always turned, out of sight, or blacked out entirely.
"Is this where the Queen of the night lives?" I asked.
"It's beautiful." Stella said.
"This is her home you've made it. Heheh. For a second there I thought you two wouldn't figure it out, but it seems I was wrong." The pumpkin's eyes blink once, then a black and white striped ribbon sprouted from the bottom of the pumpkin. He handed us two of the same things Paukena gave us.
"Is this?"
"How'd you get this?"
"Oh don't worry. Paukena isn't the only person able to bestow skills onto people. The better Queen of the night can as well. Now take it, go on."
We did, and the same words popped up. This time the cute pumpkin was gone, as well as the extra magic point each level. I guess I got both from picking cute pumpkin, which makes sense. I either get pumpkin themed magic or a weapon of Paukena. Why would Paukena still pop up though? I guess a weapon, I don't do magic like that.
Like before the tentacles all retracted back into the pumpkin. This time the pumpkin gave a fierce smile before puffing into an orange smoke in my eyes. Stella looked at me and gave me a smile.
"What?"
"We can get five magic points per level now."
"What!?"
"Wait, you didn't pick that?"
"No, it didn't pop up since I got the cute pumpkin."
"Actually." The pumpkin piped up. "Not that you're not allowed to pick it, but you won't gain anymore than four, even when you're next to the charm."
"Aww." Stella pouted, hiding her head in her pirate coat.
"Now, I think it's time you meet the Queen, but does she think it is. Hehehe."
The music got louder and the pumpkins all slowed their dance. They synchronized perfectly. They moved like one big wave of pumpkins, even the flowing different sized dresses all aligned. Giggling bursted from all the pumpkins, then they too harmonized. The giggling sang along to the waltz. The walls and floors darkened to a purple, the orange light dimming to just a small highlight. A soft humming moon appeared with the grand hall, replacing the light.
"What a surprise it is. To think two little adventures would spot me and figure out my riddle. Don't think I'm not glad you did."
A door opened up behind the throne and purple stars filled the room. The stars washed over me and Stella before mixing in with the dancing pumpkins and harmonizing with them. Dark flowing and braided hair and a dark dress. The voice sounded familiar, and when we saw her face all the painting turned and looked at us. It was Paukena.