Chapter 623: A True Black Knight

What the hell is that?!"

It was a feminine voice. And the voice sounded utterly shocked.

Noah spun around to find Nami standing at the clearing’s edge. She was maybe fifteen feet away, give or take. Her training clothes suggested she’d dressed in a hurry rather than sleeping gear. Her hair was disheveled, strands falling loose from the braid she normally kept it in.

But none of that mattered because her eyes had gone wide. They were fixed on something past him. On the red mist that was still approaching from the forest edge. On the massive shape moving within that crimson fog. On the heat waves that were making the air shimmer despite the distance still separating them.

She was staring at the phenomenon with her face cycling through confusion, then alarm, then something approaching panic as her brain tried to process what she was witnessing.

Noah stood there between her and the approaching mist. He had absolutely no explanation that would make this make sense.

Behind him, the mist continued rolling forward. It was closer now. Maybe two hundred feet out. The temperature in the clearing was rising in a way that was impossible to ignore. The grass at the edges was wilting where the crimson fog touched ground, leaves on lower branches curling from heat they weren’t designed to withstand.

Then the head emerged.

It was massive. Easily the size of a cart, and that was just the head by itself. Scales caught the moonlight and reflected it back in deep crimson that was almost black in places. Eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. They carried intelligence, awareness, something that went beyond simple animal instinct. Horns curved back from the skull. Each one was thick as a grown man’s torso.

A red death dragon.

The same kind that made entire villages evacuate when sightings were reported. The same kind that dragon knights spent their entire careers learning to fight and usually died trying.

And it was emerging from the mist directly behind Burt. Its massive head was approaching slowly. Deliberately. Like it had all the time in the world.

"BURT!" Nami’s scream tore through the night air. The sound was raw, desperate. "RUN!"

Her knives came out of their sheaths. The movement was so fast it blurred, muscle memory overriding conscious thought. Her body dropped into a combat stance without her even thinking about it. Feet spread for balance. Weight distributed properly. Every muscle coiled and ready despite the absolute terror written across her face.

"GET AWAY FROM IT!" She screamed again. Her voice cracked slightly on the last word. "MOVE!"

Noah didn’t move. He just stood there. Calm. Watching her with an expression that carried something between concern and resignation.

’Why isn’t he running?’ Nami’s thoughts were racing now, panic clawing at her chest like a physical thing. ’Why is he just standing there? Move, damn you, MOVE!’

The dragon’s head drew closer to Noah’s back. Twenty feet now. Then fifteen. Then ten.

Nami’s breathing came in short gasps. Her hands were shaking despite her grip on the knives, despite all the time spent training that should have steadied them. The dragon’s presence was overwhelming. Not just physically. There was something else. An aura that pressed against her mind, that made her hindbrain scream at her to run, to hide, to do anything except stand here facing a predator that could end her without effort.

’Red deaths have fear inducing abilities,’ Nami thought, the information surfacing from lessons she’d barely paid attention to. ’They project terror. Paralyze their prey before killing them.’

She looked at Noah again. At how still he was standing. At how he wasn’t even trying to move despite the dragon approaching from behind.

’He’s stuck,’ she realized, the thought hitting her like cold water. ’The fear aura. It’s got him paralyzed. His body won’t respond no matter how much his mind is screaming at him to run.’

The dragon was even closer now. Its head was maybe eight feet from Noah’s back. Close enough that Nami could see individual scales, could see the way heat distorted the air around its form, could see its eyes tracking Noah with what looked like deliberate intent.

Nami’s mind raced through options. None of them were good.

She could run back to camp. Get help. Bring instructors who actually knew how to fight dragons. But camp was four miles away through dense forest. Even running at full speed, it would take her maybe twenty minutes to get there. Then however long to wake instructors, explain the situation, convince them to follow her back.

Noah would be dead in thirty seconds. Maybe less.

But what could she do? She was one recruit with two knives. The dragon’s scales were probably thick enough that her blades wouldn’t even scratch them. Its size alone made combat absurd. One swipe of its claw, one snap of its jaws, and she’d be paste on the grass.

While she stood there frozen by indecision, the dragon’s head moved closer. Six feet now from Noah’s back. Its mouth was closed but Nami could see the heat shimmer intensifying. Could feel the temperature rising even from where she stood.

’He’s stronger than all of us,’ Nami thought, her eyes fixed on Noah’s unmoving form. ’Faster. More skilled. But it appears his mental strength isn’t on par with his physical strength. I can feel the aura coming off that dragon. It’s powerful. Overwhelming. The same kind Burt supposedly faced before. Now he’s paralyzed by another one.’

She’d been suspicious of Noah since the first night they’d arrived at this hunt camp.

Nami wasn’t stupid. She paid attention to things other people missed because her survival had always depended on noticing details. Growing up with three younger brothers and a mother who’d died when Nami was twelve meant she’d become the adult of the household early. Had to be. Her father worked the docks from dawn until dusk, came home exhausted, barely had energy to eat before collapsing into bed. Someone needed to make sure the boys were fed, clothed, kept out of trouble. That someone had been Nami.

Being responsible for three energetic boys meant becoming a light sleeper. You learned to wake at the slightest sound because boys got into everything when they thought no one was watching. You learned to notice when things were out of place, when someone was lying, when trouble was brewing before it actually arrived.

Those skills had followed her to the hunt camp.

The first night in their shared tent at the forest camp, Nami hadn’t slept well. New environment, unfamiliar sounds, her body still adjusting after the journey from the training academy. She’d been drifting in that space between wakefulness and sleep when she’d heard movement.

Subtle. Careful. The sound of someone trying very hard to be quiet.

Nami’s eyes had opened to slits, her breathing staying steady and even like she was still asleep. Through her eyelashes she’d watched Noah slip out of his bedroll, get dressed in silence, and leave the tent without making more than a whisper of sound.

She’d almost followed him then. Her curiosity had been immediate and strong. Where was he going? What was he doing sneaking out in the middle of the night on their very first night at the hunt camp?

But she’d hesitated. Told herself it wasn’t her business. Maybe he just needed to relieve himself and didn’t want to wake her. Maybe he was having trouble sleeping in the new location and wanted to walk it off.

Except he’d been gone for over an hour. And when he’d returned, moving with that same careful silence, there’d been something different about him. Not physically. He’d looked the same. But there was an energy around him, a sense of... satisfaction maybe? Like he’d accomplished something.

Nami had filed the information away and waited.

During training at the academy, she’d noticed things about Burt. His speed was exceptional. His strength exceeded what recruits their age should possess. The way he carried himself suggested combat experience that didn’t match his background as a tavern worker. And that incident where he’d casually stopped Werner’s punch before it could hit her, the movement so fast and effortless it had seemed almost on the level of bonafide knights.

But those observations had just been curiosity. Interest in someone who was clearly more than he appeared.

The sneaking out though? That was different. That part felt like Burt had secrets he was actively hidden.

Every night since that first one at hunt camp, she’d stayed awake. Fighting exhaustion, keeping her breathing steady and regular, waiting to see if Noah would sneak out again.

He hadn’t. Not for the next four nights. Just slept normally like any other recruit dealing with the exhausting competition schedule.

Until tonight.

She’d heard him moving again. That same careful silence, that same stealth. This time she’d decided to follow.

Except following Noah turned out to be nearly impossible.

The moment he’d cleared the camp boundary, he’d started moving fast. Not running exactly, but covering ground with a speed that shouldn’t be possible for someone just walking. Nami had tried to keep up, had pushed her own enhanced agility to its limits, but within minutes she’d lost sight of him completely.

She’d been about to give up, to turn back and accept that whatever secrets Noah was keeping would remain his, when she’d noticed something.

The path he’d taken through the forest was visible if you knew what to look for. Not footprints exactly. The undergrowth was too dense and springy for that. But there were patterns. Disturbed leaves here, a bent branch there, places where the natural arrangement had been disrupted by something moving through quickly.

Nami had grown up tracking her brothers through the neighborhood when they’d sneak off to cause trouble. This was the same skill, just applied to forest instead of city streets.

She’d followed the trail. Slower than Noah had moved, but steady. Patient. Letting the disturbed patterns guide her even when they became subtle to the point of nearly invisible.

It had taken her maybe forty minutes to reach this clearing. She’d been moving carefully, staying quiet, planning to observe from the tree line and finally figure out what the hell Burt was doing sneaking around in the middle of the night.

She hadn’t expected to find him lying in a clearing staring at the sky.

She definitely hadn’t expected a dragon to show up.

All of that flashed through Nami’s mind in the space of maybe three seconds. Then her decision crystallized.

’I can’t fight the dragon,’ she thought, her grip tightening on her knives. ’But maybe I don’t have to. If I can snap Burt out of the fear paralysis, if I can break whatever hold the aura has on him, then his speed could get us both out of here before the dragon reacts.’

It was a terrible plan. It relied on too many assumptions. That she could actually break through the fear effect. That Noah would immediately understand what was happening and run instead of freezing again. That the dragon would be slow enough reacting that they’d have time to escape.

But it was the only plan she had.

Nami charged.

She screamed as she ran, wordless sound meant to startle, to shock, to break through whatever mental fog was holding Noah paralyzed. Her knives were raised but not for attacking the dragon. They were for show, for making herself look bigger, more threatening, more present.

"BURT!" She screamed his name again, her legs pumping, grass blurring beneath her feet. "SNAP OUT OF IT! WE NEED TO RUN!"

The distance between them closed. Twelve feet. Ten. Eight.

The dragon’s head was right behind Noah now. Maybe five feet separating them. Close enough that its breath was probably warming his back. Close enough that one forward movement would bring those massive jaws within striking distance.

Nami kept running, kept screaming, her entire focus on reaching Noah before the dragon struck.

Then something made her slow down.

Not stop. Not yet. But her sprint faltered, her pace breaking as her brain registered something that didn’t make sense.

The dragon’s head was moving. But not to attack.

It was... nuzzling?

The massive scaled head pressed gently against Noah’s back. The movement was careful, almost tentative. Like a dog greeting its owner after a long absence. Like something seeking affection rather than preparing to kill.

Nami’s sprint became a jog. Then a walk. Then she just stopped entirely, maybe six feet from Noah, her knives still raised but her arms lowering slowly as she stared at the impossible sight in front of her.

The dragon’s eyes were half-closed. Its expression, as much as a dragon could have an expression, looked... content? Happy even?

It nuzzled against Noah’s back again, the movement gentle despite the creature’s size. Its head was probably heavier than three grown men combined, but it was being careful. Deliberate. Making sure not to knock Noah over.

And Noah...

Noah wasn’t paralyzed at all.

His posture was relaxed. His breathing was steady. He stood there completely calm while a red death dragon pressed its head against his back like an oversized pet seeking attention.

Nami’s knives lowered completely. Her arms felt numb. Her entire body felt numb actually, like her brain had just encountered something so far outside normal reality that it had temporarily shut down all non-essential functions.

’This isn’t possible,’ she thought distantly. ’Red death dragons don’t do this. They kill. They burn. They destroy. They don’t... they don’t nuzzle people like affectionate dogs.’

But the evidence was right in front of her. It was undeniable and real.

The dragon made a sound. Low and rumbling, originating deep in its chest. The vibration traveled through the ground beneath Nami’s feet. It wasn’t a growl. It was more like... purring? Could dragons purr?

Apparently yes. Because that’s what this one was doing.

Noah finally moved. He raised one hand slowly, reached back, and placed it on the dragon’s snout. His palm rested against scales that should be hot enough to burn skin. He didn’t flinch, didn’t pull away. Just let his hand rest there while the dragon continued its gentle nuzzling.

"It’s okay," Noah said quietly. His voice was calm, soothing even. "You can relax, Nami. He’s not going to hurt anyone."

Nami’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. No words came out.

Her brain was trying to process too many impossible things at once. The dragon being friendly. Noah being calm. The casual way he’d placed his hand on a creature that could incinerate him with a breath. The fact that he’d called the dragon "he" like it was a person rather than a monster.

"I..." Nami’s voice came out as barely a whisper. "I don’t... what...?"

Noah turned to look at her fully. His expression carried apology and resignation mixed together. Like he’d known this moment would come eventually and had been dreading it.

"I can explain," he said. "But I need you to stay calm. Can you do that?"

Nami stared at him. Then at the dragon. Then back at him.

Her knives fell from nerveless fingers, hitting the grass with soft thuds.

"Nami?" Noah’s voice carried concern now. "Are you okay?"

She wasn’t okay. Nothing about this was okay. Everything she knew about dragons, about red deaths specifically, about how the world worked, had just been thrown out the window and stomped on.

But she managed to nod. A small movement, barely perceptible, but Noah seemed to take it as permission to continue.

He turned back to the dragon, his hand still resting on its snout. "Ares, I need you to give us some space. You’re making my friend nervous."

The dragon’s eyes opened fully at the sound of its name. It looked at Noah, then at Nami, then back at Noah. Some silent communication seemed to pass between them.

Then the dragon pulled back slowly. Its head withdrew from Noah’s personal space, the red mist that had been surrounding it intensifying. Within seconds, the massive form had been swallowed completely by crimson fog.

But Nami could still feel its presence. Could still sense that overwhelming aura, that ancient power. It hadn’t left. It was just... hidden. Camouflaged somewhere in the mist that ringed the clearing.

Noah turned to face her fully now. He looked tired suddenly. Like carrying this secret had been exhausting and some part of him was relieved it was finally out.

"Nami," he said quietly.

She didn’t respond. Couldn’t respond. Her eyes were still wide, still fixed on the spot where the dragon had been visible moments ago. Her breathing was shallow, rapid, her chest rising and falling too quickly.

"Nami," Noah tried again, stepping closer.

"Hmm?" The sound came out automatically, her brain barely processing that he’d spoken.

She looked like a deer that had wandered onto a road and frozen in the light of an approaching car. Complete shock written across every feature. Her mouth was slightly open, her hands hanging loose at her sides, her entire body rigid with tension that had nowhere to go.

Noah sighed and sat down in the grass. The movement was casual, unthreatening. He gestured to the ground beside him.

"Sit," he said. "Please. This is going to take a while to explain and I’d rather not have you passing out while I’m talking."

Nami’s legs moved without conscious instruction. She sat. Her movements were mechanical, robotic even. Her eyes never left the red mist surrounding the clearing.

They sat in silence for maybe thirty seconds. Noah seemed to be gathering his thoughts, deciding where to start. Nami just stared at nothing, her mind still trying and failing to process what she’d witnessed.

Finally, Noah spoke.

"His name is Ares," he said quietly. "I met him a few weeks ago. During the hunt that the dragon knights took me on. The one where I supposedly fought off a red death and survived."

Nami’s eyes shifted to him. She didn’t speak, but she was listening.

"I didn’t fight him off," Noah continued. "Not exactly. We fought, yes. He nearly killed me several times. But at the end, when he was injured and I was barely conscious, something happened. A connection formed between us. I don’t fully understand it myself, but suddenly I knew I could... bond with him. Tame him."

He paused, watching Nami’s face for reaction. She gave none, still too shocked to form coherent responses.

"So I did," Noah said simply. "I placed my hand on him and the bond completed. He became mine. Or maybe I became his. It’s hard to explain the relationship. But from that moment, we’ve been connected."

Nami’s mouth moved slightly. Her lips formed words but no sound came out.

Noah waited patiently.

"You..." Nami finally managed actual speech, though her voice was rough, strained. "You tamed a dragon?"

"Yes."

"A red death dragon." she asked.

"Yes." Noah said.

"The most dangerous type of dragon that exists."

"One of them, yes."

Nami’s breathing picked up speed again. Her hands were trembling where they rested on her knees.

"That’s..." she swallowed hard. "That’s not possible. Nobody can tame dragons. Dragon knights spend years learning to kill them, and most die trying. But you’re saying you just... bonded with one? Like it was a dog?"

"I know how it sounds," Noah said carefully. "Believe me, I understand how insane this is. But it happened. Ares is bonded to me. He follows my commands. He won’t hurt anyone unless I tell him to or unless someone threatens him first."

"Nobody knows?" Nami’s voice was getting steadier now, though shock still colored every word. "The dragon knights don’t know you have a tamed dragon following you around?"

"Nobody knows except you," Noah confirmed. "I sent Ares away immediately after bonding him. Told him to stay hidden, to avoid dragon knights, to only come when I called. This is actually our second meeting since the initial fight. I called him here tonight to check on him, make sure he was doing okay."

Nami laughed. The sound was slightly unhinged, bordering on hysterical. "You called a dragon. Like you were checking up on a friend."

"Essentially, yes."

She laughed again, the sound breaking slightly. "This is insane. You’re insane. I’m insane for believing you."

"You saw it yourself," Noah pointed out gently. "Hard to deny when the evidence is nuzzling my back."

That sobered her slightly. Her laughter died, replaced by contemplative silence.

They sat there for several minutes, neither speaking. The red mist continued swirling around the clearing’s edges. Somewhere within it, Ares waited patiently.

"I’ve suspected you were hiding something," Nami said finally. Her voice was quieter now, more controlled. "Since the first night at camp. You snuck out, came back an hour later. I stayed awake every night after that, waiting to see if you’d do it again. Tonight you finally did, and I followed you."

Noah nodded. He’d figured as much.

"I thought maybe you were meeting someone," Nami continued. "Or training in secret. Finding some edge that made you better than the rest of us. Your speed, your strength, the way you handled Werner and that entire standoff situation. You’re not normal, Burt. Everyone can see it."

"I’m aware."

"But I never..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "I never imagined this. That you could control dragons. That’s..."

She went quiet again, her mind clearly working through implications.

"I saw you move during training," Nami said after a long pause. "Your speed is incredible. Your strength is beyond what any recruit should have. The way you fought, the way you handled yourself. You could become a black dragon knight. Not just any Black knight either."

Her eyes met his, and for the first time since the dragon appeared, they showed something besides shock. They showed understanding. Maybe even fear.

"One that doesn’t kill dragons," Nami whispered. "One that controls them."

Noah said nothing, just held her gaze.

"There’s only one man in history said to be capable of that," Nami continued, her voice barely audible now. "Only one person who could command dragons instead of fighting them."

She swallowed hard.

"King Arthur," she said. "Our kingdom’s enemy."

The name hung in the air between them like a physical thing.

Noah’s expression didn’t change, but something shifted in his eyes. Recognition maybe. Understandi ng that she’d just connected dots he’d hoped she wouldn’t.

They stared at each other in the moonlight, surrounded by red mist and the presence of a dragon that shouldn’t exist, while the weight of what Nami had just realized pressed down on both of them.

And in the silence that followed, neither of them spoke.

Because what else was there to say?