You are too soft my daughter.
Too soft to be a dragon in this land.
I pray that your scales grow tougher than your soft heart.
Rialta Starborn.
El honorable caballero blanco
„In the name of the olden gods I, Vgerfer von Hordes, fourth of the name, Son of the Yefert von Hordes and Lelala von Godrik, knight of the Holly Empire, cavalier of the order of white rose, bearer of the Red lance, defender of justice and follower of rightful path, challenge you!”
“Come out cowardly beast and face my wrath!”
Eh? So they found her already? Erta let out a sigh raising clouds of dust and smoke. She knew this was too good to be true. A fresh, bountiful valley full of prey, clear lakes and nice, warm volcanic caves. There was even a hot spring nearby that made miracles for her scales. It also worked wonders for her aching back. It was all too good to be true. Ah, yes. There was one tiny, itsy-bitsy detail she missed. Humans. She balked at the mere thought of it.
Normally her kin would fight amongst each other for a territory like this but somehow not a single dragon lived here. The absence of her brethren should have been a warning sign but her greed blinded her to such obvious matter. There was only one thing her specie avoided more than each other. Humans.
“Come forth ye filthy beast, unworthy of my blade!”
Encouraged by the lack of response the shouting continued, growing ever lauder.
* I am coming irritant. *
Erta beamed back, adding an earth shattering roar for a better effect and almost instantly cursed her own stupidity. She made her own ears ring while a rain of falling rocks managed to hit just the right, tender spot on her back sending waves of hot, pulsating pain down her spine. With earth trembling under each or her heavy steps, she proudly walked out of her lair.
She had a speech ready, just for such occasion. A little bit of roaring, a little bit of hissing a puff or two of smoke and slightly releasing her aura did all that was needed to scare off most of the intruders. Sometimes just the sight of her approach was enough to send an army fleeing but this time, was there even a need for that? An old man in a rusting armor that perhaps once in some ancient times could been white, was sitting atop even older, grey Oryx. As every knight of the old codex, he had a shield with his crest affixed to his left arm and a long red lance rested proudly in his right arm. Also, like many of his kind she knew, he was accompanied by a squire. Although, contrary to the squires that would follow their masters into the jaws of death, this one reeked of fear and, Erta cleared her nose, suffice to say the squire did not run at her sight just because his brown pants were too full to allow for a quick retreat. Now, if this wasn’t a trap she wasn’t sure what else she could call it. A suicide attempt by the old man? She sat on her hunches where she stood and regarded the knight. It seemed they were alone. No other presence could be felt nearby.
* Well, what do you want? *
“You have invaded upon our lands unsightly beast and I have sworn upon my honor to end your misery or die trying! I demand a fair fight!”
A fair fight he says? Between an ancient dragon and a bag of old human bones held together by no more than will alone? Nonsense. She let out a sigh.
* Very well then, knight of the old codex, follower of the olden gods. I shall respect your challenge, You have one hit. Attack when ready. *
Erta declared completely unmoved. There were so few creatures left in this world that still would abide by the ancient rules that even the loss of this stupid yet honorable man upset her. Unfortunately the knight sealed his own fate. He locked his helmet, raised his lance at her and charged. She didn’t move. She wouldn’t have to. The lance hit her straight in the middle of her chest then bend and shattered while Erta did not feel a thing. Saddened, she looked down on the surprised knight. As many others before him, he had made the same fatal mistake. He aimed for her heart. Would they never learn? Nature protected her amply just from such an attack. Her chest was covered by the thickest and hardest scales on her entire body. What more, just beneath the scales was a skin almost as tough as the scaled covering her. Beneath the skin large pectoral muscles awaited to absorb any hit that would come. And if that wasn’t enough, beneath all those muscles was her massive breastbone that would stop everything else. But the knight knew nothing of that.
* Drop your weapons and submit. *
She gave him one last chance.
“Never!”
The man screamed and assaulted her with his sword. Just like the lance, it made no impression on her. The blade, time and time again, bounced off her chest leaving not a scratch on the shiny white surface of her near polished scales. Disappointed, she flicked his chest with her paw. With a plink of a breaking armor, his body was thrown away several hundred feet where it fumbled to a stop and never risen again.
* Thus died yet another honorable man, killed by his own stupidity. Let his soul rest in peace. *
She turned to address the squire but he was nowhere to be found. Most likely gone before the knight’s body hit the ground. Another disappointment. Out of the three that disturbed her only the old Oryx left, waiting patiently next to her feet. It was so old it had no interest in the world, neither any will to live left in its bones.
* Thank you for the meal. *
With a twist of her claws, she broke the animal’s neck than holding it with her leg, she begun to carefully peel off its armor. Past were the times when she would gulp her prey in one piece. No. She had learn to carefully taste her meal. Especially one such as this. All it needed was a chunk of enchanted metal and her stomach would keep her upset for an entire year. Ah yes, sir Urlik and his enchanted armor… Never again. It took her five years to get rid of that tart taste off her tongue. Remembering that made her chew even more carefully. Suddenly she realized something. She was not alone. With the presence of the knight and his stead gone, her senses picked up one more, hidden away in the bushes.
The squire? No. That one was not bound by fear rather, he was erasing his presence on purpose. A skillful one. She might have not even notice this one had it not let it rage sip away as she ripped apart the carcass.
* Have your parents forgot to teach you it’s impolite to stare while one is eating? *
Erta focused on the bush and let her aura spread even further.
“My apologies oh fair dragon. I’ve been merely waiting my turn.”
A man in a tattered leather armor emerged from the bushes on his knees, stood up and begun patting out the dust and leaves off himself. Even though he should be under her influence, the man showed no fear, not even the slightest twitch. Rather, he straighten himself and with his thumbs tucked behind his belt he waited with a jovial smile on his face. Not exactly a thing a knight would do. His demeanor placed him as more of a soldier or a cunning mercenary though they would usually try to attack with great numbers and often setting out a trap. Were there even more of those annoying humans hidden among the forest trees? No. They were alone. This time she made sure of that.
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“Ah, fear not oh great dragon. I am but alone.”
Did he felt the spell she cast? A swordsman with a knack for magic? How troublesome. These were the most annoying to deal with.
* Then be gone hume child if you value your life. *
She send out a puff of smoke, devouring the last piece of her meal. The Oryx turned out to be much older than she thought. Old and stringy.
“That I cannot do. The oracle said I must face a dragon hidden in this forest otherwise a great calamity will befall the world shall I fail to do so. Plus it was that or they would let lose my head for a petty theft from the temple treasury...”
* So you choose a dragon over an executioner’s axe? You’ve swapped one death for another. *
“That is not so. Stringed to a stump a man cannot outsmart an ax. Now with a dragon, I may come to reason I hope. “
A peculiar man. Possibly the first one keen to negotiate instead of trying to stick her with a cold blade. He even unbuckled his weapon and tossed it aside.
“That is why, I Varn son of Brine beg you oh great sacred dragon, leave this land in peace.”
He dropped on his knees, lowered his head down to the ground and begged in most humiliating manner a knight would think of.
* And where Should I go then, son of Brine? To the west where more of your people raised cities of stone and gold? To the west where elven bows wait a chance to put an arrow in your back? To the north were only death amidst snow might await me? Or to the south and fight for a scrap of land with my own brethren? No. I shall not leave this land. Tell your people to leave me alone and stay away from my lair then I shall not bother them. This land is rich enough to sustain much more than just your people. *
It was a generous offer. Every other dragon would simply burn each and every town and village until his lands were purged of humans.
“Oh great one, so kind are your words but it is not the people that wish you gone. Each and every village I passed would gladly sacrifice a herd of goats once in a while if that is what you desire. They treasure your presence and live in peace under the shadow of your wings. Those who wish you gone are the people of the golden cites that lust for the riches hidden in the earth underneath your lair. I beg of you, Leave this land!”
* I will not. Human, have the oracle not enlightened you as to my answer? Leave while you can. *
“She did with those words: Thrice you shall beg her with your face deep in the dirt. Thrice she may refuse your words. If she does so, speak to her with your sword.”
He gathered dirt in his hands then spilling it over his own head, he begged once more.
“On my life, my honor and the lives of people that know you, I do not want to raise my sword against you. I beg of you, leave!”
Sad as to what shall happen, Erta spread her wings and broke the silence with a thunderous roar.
* My answer does not change human. I will not leave. Attack if you must. *
And attack he did.
The impact was hard and heavy. His blade ripped off her armored scales, cut through her skin and shattered her bone. Baffled, she stared at her mauled arm that fell limply to her side. Had she not covered her face, she would be blinded by now. That moment of hesitation was enough for what the man needed. Lightning fast as he was, he reappeared just above her, again aiming for her head. Not this time! No trick would work twice on her! Turning around with a speed uncommon for a body this large, she swat him away with her tail. He absorbed the blow with his sword and let force throw him away for a hundred feet where he landed in a well-practiced barrel roll.
Erta waited just for that, her opponent was now amidst an open field where nothing would shield him from the blast. She inhale deeply, mixing mana with the air stored in her lungs then blow out as hard as she could, flooding the world with fire, fanning the flames with her wings.
For a heartbeat the man stood watching the approaching wall of fire then, forcing into his blade all the strength he could master, he made an uppercut as is trying to cut the air alone. Then the impossible happened. Her flames split up as if an invisible cone was wedged between him and her magic. For a moment they gazed upon each other, one marveling at the strength of the other. Suddenly, to her surprise the swordsman doused himself with a water spirit and in a bout of speed again disappeared from her view to reappear behind her with his blade ready to pierce her skull. Had he won?! No. Just before his blade sealed her fate, Erta’s body turned into pure light. Where one her head been, now there was nothing. Shielding his eyes from the sudden brightness he fell through the empty air and hit the ground.
* Human I commend you. Not only have you made me bleed, *
A sudden punch came crushing into his side. At the last moment he tried to block with his sword yet the blade just broke alongside his ribs.
* You are the first one in a thousand years that made me assume this form. *
Coughing out blood, he raised his head. In front of him, half a beast , half a woman stood while flaming white mana swirled all around her. With a flick of her finger an invisible hands picked him up and brought before her, making him hang limply in in the air, his face level with her face. She raised her good arm and aimed it at his chest, ready to pierce his heart.
* Varn son of Brine, you have fought bravely. I shall remember your name. Any last word human? *
He gave her a one las look. Oddly there was a kind of relief on forming on his face. His lips formed into a flirtatious smile as he spoke.
“ I am happy. You have no idea how happy am I that I’ve missed the first hit. You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever saw. Neither pearls nor diamonds would come close to their beauty… “
His eyes traveled from her face down towards her chest.
“… and the rest of you is equally gorgeous…”
A fit of bloody cough silenced him.
“My fair lady, please honor my dying wish for your own safety. Leave this land…”
With his failing body his consciousness faded away. Erta stood there silently with her arm aimed at his heart. She could feel its beat growing weaker ever so slightly with each passing second. She had won. Won just like so many times before and yet, there was no pleasure to be found in this victory. Yet again she have killed an honorable man. First in more than a thousand years that would reason with her. First that had pose a challenge. First that…
She put her hand over his heart, searching for that faint and fickle glint of life it had left.
“Heal”
She whispered and the world burst with magic.