(Cynric Duskbane/Mercenary/Paladin/200cm[6.5f])

The snow white scales of the dragon reflected the light casted on them by the huge torches on the wall. It has light blue eyes and it is around 10 feet tall, 50 feet in length and its wings are massive. I quickly snap out from admiring the dragon to see what is happening.

Jarus, who is closest to it, is currently sitting with a magic sword in hand looking at the dragon. I can’t see his face but I can see that he is shaking. A’lrek is just a few meters behind Jarus holding his backpack, which looks to be full of gold. Liz and Greta are standing next to eachother already combat ready, though they can’t really do anything against a dragon, even I can’t defeat a dragon alone, unless it is very weak.

Okay, focus, I need to get them out of here before the dragon decides to attack us. Jarus and A’lrek are the ones who I need to help the most, after them come the girls. Ok, I thin I know what I will do. I turn to the girls.

”Girls, do you have any ropes?”

They turn to me. Greta quickly answers.

”We do, why?”

”I need you to knot a rope onto the handle of the door on the other side while I get the others out of here.”

Liz looked like she wanted to ask a question, but Greta already started to walk towards the door. When Liz realized that Greta already started walking she quickly ran of to follow her.

I turn towards the others to see A’lrek running towards me, the bag of gold obviously slowing him down. Jarus is still sitting and looking at the dragon. The dragon hasn’t moved an inch since I entered. It is just looking down at Jarus without blinking. It is probably trying to figure out what are a few humans doing here. I run towards Jarus, glaive in hand. A’lrek passes me without a word and continues tor un. After 20 seconds I reach Jarus. I grab his shoulder and shake him.

”Come on you idiot, we have to run”

He shakes his head at my words and looks at me and than back at the dragon. Almost as if he has just woken up. I could see how quickly his expression changed from confused to scared. Before he could say I word I lifted him up by one hand and pushed him towards the exit. He started running, finaly, at least I will be payed more for saving the whole party. Before I could start to run myself, I heard a lot of gold pieces cling and after a few seconds felt a strong wind coming from behind me.

”Oh no”

I turn around to see the dragon somehow flying through the air. I follow it with my eyes as it flies by and lands between me and the rest of the party. It doesn’t even look at me, it is curently focused on Jarus. I know I had to do something or Jarus dies, but if I attack it or distract than I die. Is gold really worth it when a dragon is about to kill you? If I let it focus on Jarus than I might be able to get away, though it only grants me a few seconds. Argh, fuck it.

I start to channel my magic power.

”Command. Halt”

(For those who are not familier with D&D, command allows you to say a word to a creature and it most obey that word, unless of course if it resists it)

The dragon stops. I close my eyes and sigh in relief. Though my relaxation is quickly interupted by words.

”I didn’t think your magic would be strong enough to affect me”

I open my eyes in surprise. Did the dragon just talk? It turned its head slightly toward me. Its light blue eyes are focused on me. If it can talk than I might be able to talk myself out of this position. I have to try it, otherwise I am dead. Should I approach it in a friendly way? Maybe it will work, though I have never talked to a dragon before.

”Me neither, it was a lucky try”

I straighten myself and bring my glaive lower to look less intimidating. It is not the best plan since I can’t react as fast in this stance, but it might just work. The rest of the party already made it out. I just have to find a way out myself. The magics effect will wear off in a few seconds. I can use it again, but this time it will be prepared. It starts to turn towards me. It is now facing me, though it is not moving for some reason. Maybe because I didn’t take advantage of my spell? It starts to talk.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

”Why did you disturb me?”

What kind of question is that? Doesn’t it know that humans lot every dungeon they come across? How am I supposed to aswer that? I will just have to come up with something.

”We were just cleaning this dungeon of monsters. We didn’t know a talking dragon was the master of this place”

It looks at me confused. Did I say something wrong? I probably did. After a few seconds it spoke again.

”Why are you calling my palace a dungeon?”

Her what? Is this supposed to be a palace?

”Umm….I am calling it a dungeon because it is a cave with monsters in it. It is located inside of a mountain.”

”You are lying. My palace is located on top of Griffon pike and it is not a cave.”

On top of Griffon pike? The highest point in the world? That is where S rank monsters are located.

”When was the last time you looked outside?”

She looks away for a few seconds before turning back and answering.

”Around 200 years. Why?”

”This dungeon appeared 2 weeks ago in the side of Starte mountain and since it is close to a village they sent adventurers to clean it out.”

Silence comes over the room. None of us is saying a word I feel uneasy since its eyes are looking into mine. Almost like if it is trying to figure out if I am lying. The silence is broken by some cracking sounds coming from the door behind the dragon. We both turn to see what is happening. The door is slowly closing. Are they seriously gonna close my only escape after I saved them? The dragon is not doing anything. It is just looking at the door. Why is it letting them leave? Does that mean it will let me go as well?

The door closes. My last way out of here is now closed. I drop on my knees. Why? Why would they abandon me? Well, I have a few good answers to that question. They probably left me since I am just a hired gun who gets payed after the mission is done and if I am ’Dead’ they don’t have to pay me. The dragon turns back to me and sees that I am on my knees.

”Why would they leave you? Aren’t you a member of their party?”

I look up. Does this dragon have empathy?

”Not really, I am a mercenary. Usually lower ranked parties hire us so if something goes wrong they have backup.”

”So that is why your spell was able to affect me. The others were so weak I thought you are as weak as them.”

”Well, compared to you I am still very weak”

It chuckled after my sentence. I have never met a monster with this kind of personality. She spoke again after it stopped laughing.

”True, but you can atleast deal damage to me and your spells do work.”

Silence comes over the room again. Both of us are just starring at each other. It finally breaks the silence.

”So, what are you planning to do?”

”I am just waiting to die”

”Are you seriously waiting for me to kill you?”

”Yes, it’s not like you are just gonna let me go after I broke in here”

”I don’t plan on killing you.”

”You what?”

”You haven’t attacked me or stole anything and since you are not an importart person to the party that stole from me there is no reason for me to kill you”

”So you are just letting me leave?”

”Well. What happens if I don’t let you go?”

I think for a few seconds.

”If you leet me leave, than they will ask me what happened and if I say you are alive than they will bring me back with a more powerful party to kill you. If I don’t leave than they will send a powerful party to kill you. Same outcome.”

”What if they came back and didn’t find me?”

I stand up confused.

”How would they not find you?”

”Could you…Turn around?”

It looks flustered as it says this.

”Umm, yeah I can”

Turn around.

”Is this good?”

”Yes, that is good. You can turn around when I say so, okay?”

”Okay”

I can hear it say something in a Draconic.

”Transform”

A few more seconds pass before it says something in a smooth feminine voice.

”You can turn around”