I Raised A Black Dragon

Muell stretched one hand toward the lake. The train’s pace was still speedy and rough as they traversed down the slope of the mine, but Muell waved his hand freely, dipping it into the lake without a hint of worry. 

A gentle current rose in the lake underneath and small ripples formed.  Noah squinted her eyes and looked over the surface of the water. Somehow, it seemed the ripples followed the same rhythm…

Something popped up on the surface of the water and drew a circle. There were more than one or two of those. The young dragon, apparently the cause of that mysterious phenomenon, looked back at Noah with a look full of anticipation. Noah shook her head once, “Not now. You have to be careful.”

“Can I go later, then?” Muell clenched his small fists, eager to play. It was obvious what the little boy wanted. He desired to return to his original form, but Noah was firm. “No. Don’t get into trouble until we’re done-”

“No.” 

It was unexpectedly Kyle who interrupted her. 

“Sooner or later, no, in a few hours, I think you’ll have to go back to your original form, Mu.”

Muell’s face instantly lit up in delight and clung to Kyle’s arm carelessly.

“Really?”

“Really?”

Kyle laughed as Noah and Muell asked simultaneously and squeezed his grip on Noah’s waist without saying anything more. An intense tremor, with a timely rattling sound, struck the train. The train slowly began to slow down, and the passengers staggered. Far away, they could get a glimpse of the entrance to the workshop.

“The team for the third floor underground , get off!” When the train stopped in front of the entrance, a group of people got off the train. Only then could Noah withdraw a little from Kyle

“What floor did we say we were getting off to? Sixth floor underground?”

“No.” Kyle replied, grabbing Noah’s shoulder as the train rattled again. “We’re not getting off.”

“What? Why?” 

It was only after the train had stopped for three more times that Noah realized the answer to her question. When it was only the three of them, Kyle only said, “Mu, put him to sleep.”

Without delay, Muell complied to Kyle’s instructions as swiftly as he did to Noah. Then, Noah saw the driver of the train slide down his seat. Kyle, who pushed the asleep driver to the side, pulled the manual lever down. The train, adjusted at full speed, began to run along the tracks at a tremendous speed. As Muell snapped his finger, the barrier labeled ‘off-limits’, which had been blocking the rail line, was swept away. 

“How far are we going!” Noah screamed incomprehensibly, tightly clinging to the railing of the train.

“We’re going to the bottom of the off-limits zone. As soon as possible so that other miners won’t notice.”

The workshop closest to the lake was their destination, which was among the places where the miners had gone missing all together and was now restricted. The moment Kyle reunited with Noah and the child, he seemed to start an investigation immediately.

Feeling nauseous by the unpleasant ride, Noah popped her head over the railing and looked down at the lake’s creeping edge. The train was making a big lap around this huge mine, its pace terrifyingly fast, and gradually headed towards the bottommost workshop. Soon, the sunset faded away from their view.

Tuck… Kyle pulled the brake lever. With a screeching sound, the train’s wheels rubbed against the tracks, propelling their bodies forward.

“Mommy!”

“Hold your body well, Miss Noah.”

“I have no sense of balance like yours…” Noah gasped and grabbed the railing. As she raised her upper body, a mist rose before her eyes. Droplets of water then poured down her face. She wiped her face, looked ahead again, and the turquoise lake was just below the train’s path. Something invisible split the current, soared upwards, and then disappeared back into the lake.

What is that…?  Noah rubbed her eyes to see whether her eyes were mistaken, but the same phenomenon occurred before her once more. It was clear that it moved along with Muell’s fingers as he got off the train.

Instinctively, she grasped the restraints on her neck, raising the sensitivity of the mana, and the train that was rattling and shaking stopped completely. A calm silence enveloped the space except for the occasional sound of splashes.

Noah held her breath and looked around. On the right was a huge turquoise lake, and on the left was the entrance to the tunnel where the sign ‘No. 23’ was hung. The entrance was tightly sealed with an iron gate. Kyle, who manipulated the train’s controls, jumped out of the train. 

Then, he beckoned Noah. “Get off, Miss Noah. It’s slippery due to moss, so be careful.”