Chapter 104: The Little Girl and the Cave Salamander (Part Two) (Fifth Update)

“Little Dragon, I thought you left me all alone.”
“I was so scared, so scared, boohoo~~~.”

After playing, the little girl’s emotions surged uncontrollably again, and she began to cry once more.
As she wept, she held the salamander’s head close to her chest with both hands.

The salamander didn’t understand why the girl was crying, nor did it grasp what crying truly meant.
But with its developing consciousness, it could sense the deep sadness emanating from her.

So, as the girl sobbed, the salamander responded with low, gentle moans.
It also flicked its tongue softly, licking the tears from her cheeks bit by bit.

Salty.

This was the first time the salamander encountered something so salty.
It didn’t like it.
Because these tears were born from the girl’s pain.

For the first time, the salamander shared an empathetic connection with the girl.
It stayed still, allowing her to hold its head as she wished.

After more than ten minutes, the girl’s emotions finally settled.
She then began to notice the salamander’s changes.

“Little Dragon, why have you grown so big?”
“Yesterday, you were still so small!”

She gestured with her hand toward a broken branch of a tree ahead.

But the salamander couldn’t comprehend her words, only blinking its innocent, wide eyes in response.

Seeing the salamander’s blank stare, the girl suddenly understood.

“Little Dragon, you don’t understand me?”

The salamander remained motionless, still staring.

Realizing this, the clever little girl smiled softly and puffed out her cheeks, feigning annoyance.

“Hmph, Little Dragon, you’re really silly.”
“But if you take me to play with you, I won’t be mad anymore.”

Her eyes shone with longing as she looked at the salamander.
To make her meaning clear, she pointed to the stream below and then to herself and the salamander.

At that moment, the salamander’s eyes brightened — no further gestures were needed.

It extended its tongue to lick her face once more, then suddenly revealed the rest of its mostly hidden body beneath the water.

Its upper body emerged, displaying two enormous silver-white claws.

Startled, the girl covered her mouth in surprise at the sight of the claws.

Before she could overreact further, the salamander gently but firmly hugged her to its chest with both claws.

At about seven and a half meters long, its claws measured only fifty to sixty centimeters, so neither claw alone could hold the girl securely.
Hence, it embraced her with both claws.

The moment it lifted her, the salamander let out a deep, unprecedented call and then swiftly carried the girl downstream along the stream.

—————

The little girl felt as though she were dreaming.

Looking around, at the water’s surface, and at the salamander’s jaw beneath her, she felt like she had stepped into a storybook.

If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

She hoped so deeply.

Yet, without realizing it, her thoughts drifted to her father, mother, stepmother, and the unfamiliar baby brother only a few months old.

Suddenly, a hint of sadness returned to her face.

Perhaps sensing this change, the salamander bent its head down once more and gently licked her cheek.

It emitted a low murmur, as if comforting her.

“It’s so cold!”

The girl exclaimed.

Yet, touched by the salamander’s care, her mood brightened again.

“Little Dragon, you can’t just lick me anytime, your tongue is so cold! If I catch a cold, I won’t be able to play with you anymore.”

She pouted playfully, pretending to be upset.

But the pout lasted only a few seconds, as the salamander began licking her again.

Once more, her laughter rang out like silver bells.

The wind howled, birds chirped softly along the river, and mingled with the girl’s laughter, the entire world seemed to come alive with joy.

Above, the sun shone brightly.

Under its rays, the salamander’s body gleamed with silvery light.

Its lower half swam beneath the river, while its upper body rose close to the surface, moving swiftly in a posture no other aquatic vertebrate could maintain.

Beneath the Altunis Mountains, apart from the little girl’s town, the river widened, surrounded on all sides by forest.

There were no signs of people, no noisy city life.

Everything appeared so beautiful and peaceful.

The girl gazed at her surroundings, feeling the rushing wind by her ears, her heart completely calm.

She glanced left and right, her eyes filled with wonder.

She frequently looked up at the salamander’s massive head.

She feared this was all a dream, and even more dreaded the thought of the salamander vanishing from her world.

Because now, the salamander was her entire world.

It was the only solace for her spirit.

“This is my Little Dragon, mine.”

Her face was full of hope. She no longer looked at the river but turned to embrace the salamander’s strong body with both arms.

In this way, the salamander held the girl, and the girl held the salamander, until she gradually fell asleep.

Watching the sleeping girl in its embrace, a softness never before seen flickered in the salamander’s eyes.

It slowed its pace and soon found a spot bathed in sunlight where it could face the girl directly.

The salamander stood in the river, leaning against the riverbank, quietly holding the girl, its head resting gently against her cheek.

For a time, both the salamander and the girl drifted into sleep.

Time passed slowly.

Birds flew overhead, and small animals scurried nearby.

Though startled at first by the terrifying, unfamiliar “monster,” they soon observed the salamander from afar, sensing the cool aura radiating from it.

Seeing the girl and the salamander together, many animals assumed the girl had become prey.

But the truth was something they could never understand.

Above, the sun climbed higher, and the temperature gradually rose.

The water stains on the girl’s dress slowly evaporated under the sunlight.

Unconsciously, near noon, as the heat increased, the girl furrowed her brow and finally woke.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked around, then at the salamander holding her with closed eyes, and her joy swelled to its peak.

“This isn’t a dream. It’s all real. Little Dragon has grown up, and now we can play together~~~”

“Little Dragon~~~”

Happily, she reached out and hugged the salamander once more.

This gentle movement awakened the salamander, and their large eyes met again naturally.