Dragons and their Slayers 1X1 {Pupper and L2W}

Ametrine was already getting to her feet. "Then we must leave." She pulls her wings in, her left wing clearly still injured somewhat. She looks over at merek. "You are a good human. I hope that from here on out you will be sure to check that you are hunting the cruel dragons and not the peaceful ones. We may be your kind's only hope of a war begins."

She stretches out her wings when far enough from the tables and makes as if to fly. However, she is only able to glide a few feet before being forced to land, her left wing dragging at her side.

In the distance Merek can hear the hound dogs of hunters. Torches gleaned over the hill. The slayers were already here.
 
The Slayers were making their advance to the village of Mead, their dogs barking as they went along and their torches blazing. It didn't make sense why there was a group of five of them together, often Slayers killed each other when they met in the plains but maybe they were aware of the dragon they were hunting, the Prince, and banded together to ensure his death. It wouldn't be long before they were in view of Merek and Ametrine.

Merek rose to his feet with Ametrine, clasping his sheath to his back once more. "I've never met a peaceful dragon until now" he exclaimed as he watched her attempt to take flight, only being forced to take refuge on the ground again. In the distance Merek heard the sounds of the Slayers, his gaze moved from Ametrine to where the ruckus was coming from. "Shit" he thought to himself. Merek noticed that Ametrine was now looking in the direction of the commotion and an uneasiness overcame her face. She knew as well as Merek did that a downed dragon was a dead dragon.

He quickly sprinted over to her, drawing his sword. He had not completely recovered yet and debated his following actions, Merek had two choices; he only mildly enchant his blade and meet the oncoming party away in the distance, away from Ametrine, and take them out one by one or he could channel all of his available mana into his sword and send a wave of destruction toward them. If Merek went with the first option there was a chance he could be injured in the process but if he went with the second, there was a chance he wouldn't hit all of them, his blade would break, and a straggler could make it over to them where he wouldn't be able to defend himself any further due to exhaustion.
 
"If you defend me, I will defend you amd give you the power you need."
Ametrine, now connected to his mind could already feel his affirmation before the thought even fully processed in His mind. She shambles over to him, getting uncomfortably close. She lowers her head. Her nostrils glow a bright blue and she opens her mouth slightly.

Instead of blowing fire, Merek felt a powerful flow of mana flow into his sword and then into himself. She backs away. "I'll fight by your side."
 
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Marek tensed as the dragon drew closer to her, debating her words in his head but realizing that he had no other choice. The man was taken aback by the feeling of his mana returning "how is this possible?" he thought to himself and looked down to examine his hands as Ametrine backed away from him. He now possessed the ability to wipe out the oncoming hunters before they reached them but should he miss a few, he would have the ability to defend himself, though without a weapon. He looked at the beautiful creature beside him and nodded his head.

"So be it then," Marek muttered as he channeled the mana into a devastating blow unleashed by the swing of his sword heading toward the Dragon Slayers that were fast approaching them.
 
Ametrine turned towards the slayers now in view, spread her wings and let out a vicious roar that halted them in their tracks. They looked between the slayer and the dragon, unsure why the two stood side by side without killing one another. And then came merek's Dragon enhanced attack.

The slayers scattered, 2 of the 5 were consumed in god-like energy. The other three got wiser and sent their hounds in first. 7 in total. Ametrine consumed the first three in a wave of fire. Scattering the other 4 who looked to surround her. They aimed for her left side, perhaps noticing that she was favoring that wing. The slayers noticed also. Merek heard the leader say to the others, "She's injured! Thomas, john, hit her left side. Leave the slayer to me!"

The leader stalked towards Merek wielding two swords, both of which glowed with an ugly orange magic. He grinned cruelly. "This will be over shortly." He swung his swords in a criss-cross pattern and launched a flaming attack straight at him from 20 yards away.

Ametrine, meanwhile, had slain 2 more dogs and was fending of the other two with her tail while simultaneously trying to keep the two approaching slayers at bay who approached her from both sides. One held cresent daggers shining with a cold blue light. The other was clearly a mage, wielding a staff. He sent a bolt of lightning towards her. It struck her hide in a flash of painful looking sparks. Ametrine roared in outrage and shot a ball of flames back at him.
 
After unleashing his attack Merek's sword shattered and he felt his mana restoring quickly "is this the power of the dragon?" The man did not have time to contemplate it as the leader had approached him, enchanted weapons in hand and in seconds a flame was headed toward him. Merek had to think quickly and formed a wall of energy in front him, which easily negated the attack from the leader. The man began to channel energy into his fist, he broke through his forcefield and ran in the direction of the slayer. Merek slowed to a halt, now 5 yards away and punched the ground in front of him, unleashing his enchantment into the earth. The ground began to shake and a crevice began to form, heading straight toward the leader with pieces of rock flying in every direction.

Merek could hear the other men attacking Ametrine, he looked over when he heard her roar in outrage. "Hang in there.. I only need a couple more minutes with ths one!"
 
Merek's attacker rolled to the side, avoiding the crevice and threw three shining daggers at his chest, buying him time to close the distance and raise his glowing red sword over Merek's head.

Ametrine snatched on of the dogs in her mouth, crushing it and throwing it to the side. Three more attacked her wings. She yelped as one bit into the sensitive membrane of her wing and then with a puff a fire she turned them to dust. Her firebreath wasn't as strong as before. Something was draining her mana more rapidly than she'd ever experienced. Was it the mage or the slayers? She couldn't tell, nor see any objects on them that would allow them to drain her mana. She'd have to kill them quickly.

The dual-wielding sword'sman on her right cut into the scales on her neck with his enchanted blades, attempting to decapitate her. All it did was make her mad. She spun her head towards him. Much like a serpent she struck down upon him, engulfing his head in her mouth and with a firm bite, decapitated him. His body fell spraying blood on her purple hide. She spat the head at the mage who backpedaled in terror. She growled deeply and took a step towards him. That was all the encouragement the mage needed to flee for his life, leaving the last slayer alone.

Again another wave of mana disappeared from her. She stumbled into the grass, lightly bleeding from the wounds on her neck, causing the grass that was touched by the blood to smoke and wither. She turned her head to the only possible source left to be causing the drain on her mana. Merek...somehow...he was connected to her mana. With everyone of his high-magic attacks, more of her mana left.
Finish him quickly. She urges him from her prone position on the ground. We're still connected somehow. You're drawing on too much of my mana.
 
Merek looked up at his attacker, he was much closer now and stronger than he had thought; he had underestimated the slayer. "Fine then, no more messing around!" Merek grinned now that his attacker was positioned above him, he quickly enchanted his fists once more and punched one into the ground, sending debris toward the Slayer above him. The slayer was forced to cut through the rock with his weapons which gave Merek enough time to get out of the way and circle behind him. Merek channeled another attack into his fist when he felt a sudden pain.

Finish him quickly.. Ametrine's voice echoed in his head, we're still connected somehow. You're drawing on too much of my mana. It was her pain he was feeling, if he wasn't careful he was going to kill her. He had to be calculated, careful, and precise. Whatever he did next he needed to ensure that it was going to kill the slayer, simply throwing a punch and hoping for the best would not suffice.

Merek quickly moved toward the leader using the enchantment in his legs, appearing in front of him now. He grabbed the slayer by the throat with the force of the enchantments and lifted him off the ground, his fingers digging into the slayer's jugular with the weight of 1000 pounds. It happened too quickly for the slayer to defend himself, his feet left the ground and he now dangled by Merek's hands wrapped around his throat; his swords fell to the ground as he lost the grip on them. The man's throat was already crushed underneath Merek's hands and yet Merek held onto him, his head turning up to look at the dangling slayer. An evil grin overcame his face and his eyes were bright yellow; a true Demi-God. SNAP the man's neck broke and crumbled within his hands and the man's lifeless body fell to the ground. Merek's face returned to normal and he stood silently for a moment before turning and running to Ametrine.
 
Ametrine lay prone on the ground. Her right wing was tucked by her side, her left bruised and bleeding from the hound's attacks. Two long cuts along her neck bled onto the grass. It was painful, but not life threatening. She opened her eyes as she heard foot steps approach quickly. Merek...he'd succeeded. That power though, she'd felt it for a moment. A power not possible of mere humans, nor even humans powered by a dragon's mana. "You...you're a demi-god?" She asks in amazement. She'd heard of such humans, but had never met one. Too think a Demi-god slayer was connected to her and her mana.

A shudder of fear passes through her mind. What if he enslaved her somehow, forced her to become his personal lacrima (object that holds magic, typically a ball, which mages drew on aside from their own mana stores). And yet, he'd just saved her life twice, with no thoughts of recompense. Perhaps this human truly was different from all the others.

His hand reached up to her. Careful. She warns wearily. Dragon blood is toxic to humans. Ametrine suddenly realized he probably already knew this, being a slayer, but better safe than sorry. In her own mind she thought, 'I need to find a way to break this connection."
 
Merek examined Ametrine's wounds once he reached her. She was bleeding a fair amount from her neck, she would live but she would need to be tended to. "You... you're a demi-god?" the man looked up to meet her gaze. "Yes. I am but I don't like announcing it as it usually draws unwanted attention." There was something off about Ametrine, as if she was worried about something. He didn't bother to question it, as news of his race usually frightened others. In the past when Merek even came close to unleashing such power he would pass out long before he got there. He was a demi-god, yes, but the history of his people had been lost and Merek was not properly trained to sustain such power on his own. It must've been Ametrine, it is the only explanation as to why I am still conscious right now. But if the man could learn how his ancestors controlled such power, he could become the greatest Dragon Slayer known to man.

Merek reached up to her, and she heard his caution echo in his head. So it would seem she thinks I'm stupid. "I'm not human, remember" he exclaimed in a playful way, trying to lighten the mood. A sigh came from his mouth "I don't know if I can heal you Ametrine. I only know basic healing abilities and I'm not sure they would even work on a dragon. We are going to have to either find a curare or I accompany you home or to wherever you came from, to ensure you aren't attacked and killed on the way." Seeking out a Curare, a wizard trained in the healing arts, would mean finding another human that would get close to a dragon without being deathly afraid of it, or trying to kill it and being her escort would mean that she would have to trust him enough to lead him straight for her people and into her den.
 
"I do not need a human healer. I simply need a safe place to sleep and begin my regeneration process." Ametrine, with much effort, pushed to her feet. "I know a place. One of my nests is nearby here. But you do not need to accompany me. You have aided me enough already, Slayer." The way she said the word slayer in her mind, made it clear she was still wary of his intentions. Especially now that she'd learned he was no mere human and could draw upon her mana at will. She'd heard stories of a time when man and dragon had bonded and connected their mana stores together, pulling on one another as needed and making them twice as powerful as a normal slayer or dragon. Surely, that's what must have happened...but she had no desire to be bonded to this slayer and doubted he wanted to either.

She shuffles towards the forest, moving slower than she would have liked. Part of her was tempted to find a spot under some trees and just curl up to sleep right there. But with Slayers about, that would have been inviting death. Merek appears beside her. Why did he insist on joining her? Was he simply curious about her nest? Was he hoping she'd lead him to more of her kin? Or was he truly concerned for her well-being? His intentions felt pure, but he could have been putting up a false mental reality.

It wasn't but an hour's journey before they reached a massive waterfall with a large river flowing from a crystal clear pool. She doesn't stop but wades right into the water, the flow washing off the blood, dirt and grime from her purple scales. They sparkled like thousands of gemstones beneath the surface of the water. She swam towards the waterfall and pushed through, disappearing into a cavern just beyond it.

Ametrine looked up at Merek as he entered her small nesting cave. There was just enough space for a small fire pit and for her to stretch out across a nest of grass, branches, cloth and gemstones. A man-made lantern burned with a soft glow on the wall, causing the many gemstones around her to light up the cave with many colorful sparkles. So the old-wives tale of dragon's collecting treasure was true. As if sensing his thoughts she explained, "These gems act like lacrima's for dragons. They absorb the sunlight and magic from the air around them. Then when a dragon sleeps among them, they can pull on the magic in the gemstones to replenish their mana more quickly. In my case, these will help me heal more rapidly than I normally would.
 
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Slayer? the man thought in his head. It appeared that Ametrine was more distrusting of him then she had been before. He let her get a couple feet ahead before he joined at her side. "My name is Merek by the way, not slayer." He kept quiet the rest of the journey.

As Merek entered the nesting cave, his eyes widened with wonder. He bathed in the wonder of the gemstones sparkling in the light; Merek could feel their magical properties but did not fully understand why they were there until Ametrine offered the information. "Well I will admit, this is better than Curare. Besides, those Curares are a bit weird anyway." It was obvious that Merek was beginning to relax around Ametrine and his cold Dragon Slayer personality was beginning to be swallowed by who he really was.

Merek moved over to the fire pit, knelt down and snapped his fingers. A small flame appeared in the pit and the man smiled; he cocked his head back and looked at Ametrine "not bad, eh?" He knew that the dragon would laugh at his attempts to create fire, after all, she could breathe fire but Merek found it amusing. Magical beings were common in Askar and so, many types of magic existed. There were enchanters, elementalists, illusionists, curares, and that is just to name a few. When a person possessing magical properties is born, they often pick one area of magic to study as it takes years to master. It was clear that Merek had dabbled in various types of magic, which was uncommon because studying in more than one area meant that you were weak in all areas. The man's enchantments were strong, he had talked about possessing light curare magic and now was showing his ability with elemental magic. At such a young age having knowledge in all three areas would be impossible, clearly, it was only made possible due to being a demi-god.
 
She nodded at his flame and watched as the wood ignited into a warm comforting fire. "How does one become a demi-god? She asks curiously. "And why did you say you are not human when you clearly are, though, with the power beyond that of a normal mage."
 
Merek sat down at the fire, leaned back onto his hands and sighed as the warmth filled the cave. "You become a demi-god when you're born to both a human and a god" the man was in a sharing mood it seemed, "I look human yes, and part of me is. Half human... half god."

He cocked his head toward Ametrine again "you mentioned to me that there are good dragons, where are they then? How did they become to be good dragons?"
 
"You ask that as if dragons are born evil. That is not the case. Just like humans, we are born with the ability to be either good or evil. And our choices direct that path." She shifts, her bruised left wing spreading over her body like a blanket, absorbing the healing magic of the crystals. "Dragons have suffered greatly under the persecution of Slayers. So many of my kin have been killed, in fact, that there are barely a thousand of us left in this world. But they do not merely kill us. They skin our scales, saw off our horns and claws, harvest our blood and grind our bones. All for the purpose of profiting from our deaths. If a dragon were to do that to a human...how much more so would your kind be outraged?" Ametrine's mind replays the horrors she had witnessed against her kin, willing for Merek to see them as well. An innocent dragon and her newborn hunting for their first meal together. Only to be trapped in nets and shot with poisonous arrows. Even the newborn, barely old enough to fly was killed. Both, stripped of their scales, the blood drained from their bodies as she had described. Scenes of her coming upon mass graves of her kin, only the barest of their skeletons and unusable parts left for burial. And worst, the memory that caused her the most pain was the memory of a nest of eggs not yet hatched, smashed to pieces and the tiny bodies desecrated.

"Because these horrors, most of my kin have decided to fight against the humans. To preserve what's left of our people. They only way they know...is to kill everyone human in their path...not differentiating between the innocents and the slayers. We "good" dragons, are the ones who still wish to protect our kind, but also hold no hatred for humans who are simply living their lives and not actively hunting us or participating in selling our bodies."

Her snake like head lowers until she was looking him right in the eyes. "You are a slayer, yet you have defended me twice and escorted me to safety. Does this mean you've changed your mind about dragons?"
 
Merek listened intently to Ametrine, he never took his eyes off of the fire. His eyes darkened at Ametrine's description of the brutality that dragons underwent at the hands of Slayers. His hand moved over to his horn, the symbol of a Dragon Slayer, they were always made out of a dragon's horns and Merek's was sawed off of the first dragon he had ever killed, surely Ametrine knew this. He was like the other Slayers, hunting the dragon's as a sport, he only saw how much they were worth to him and not that they were too a living thing. Merek's face lost its colour when the horrifying image displayed within his head, he couldn't believe what humans had done to their young.

He stared into the dragon's eyes and then pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the edge of the cave. He took the horn off of his belt and examined it carefully with his fingers; he was no better, he had killed countless dragons and for what? Merek gritted his teeth at the thought of the young once more before enchanting his hand that held the horn and crushing it to pieces.

He turned back to Ametrine, "I've changed my mind about you" Merek paused, "but that doesn't mean I trust the rest of your kind. They have killed so many of us as well, torching innocent villages, killing countless women and children." Pain overcame his face, the dragons even orphaned me. "I'm not going to kill you and I'm not going to kill dragons for sport anymore but if a dragon is terrorizing a village again, I will defend it." He pondered, there had to be another way or else the war between humans and dragons would continue until one of the species was completely wiped out.
 
Ametrine felt the pain in his heart, knowing instinctively he'd suffered at the claws of her kind as well. She also felt the determination in his mind and truth behind his words. She nods. "I too wish to defend the innocents, on both sides." She lays her head down over her leg, preparing to sleep. "Tomorrow...I have something to show you. But it will require my wing to be fully healed. Do not wake me unless there is danger." With that her eyes close and her mind darkens.
****
The day gives way to night, and night gives way to day. Still Ametrine slept. Merek was forced to go fishing in the nearby pond for food and when he returned, she still slept. However, a brighter healthier color had returned to her scales, the bruises had faded and the holes in her wing had nearly mended. The knife wounds on her neck were merely scars now, marring her otherwise beautiful body.

It was nearly night the 2nd day before Ametrine awoke again, yawning massively. She greets Merek then stands, testing her wings. A light-hearted chuckle fill's Merek's mind. "I feel like a youth again." She stretches then leaps out of the cavern taking to the skys. After a few loops around the waterfall Merek hear's her voice in his head, "I'm going to go hunting. I'll be back in a few hours. Please continue to wait patiently." She disappears into the forest.

Merek wakes the next morning to Ametrine standing over him. She had a pair of rabbits in her jaw and dropped them next to the fire. "Eat one and store the other in your pack. We have a long flight ahead of us."
 
Dragon's sleep a bloody long time.. Merek thought to himself as the sun rose and then fell again. He was forced to fish in the pond, though he didn't care for the taste of fish, he knew he shouldn't stray too far away and chance Ametrine being ambushed as she was trying to recover. He still recounted what she had said to him before falling asleep Defend both sides, eh? He had never encountered such a strange creature before, strangely she was growing on him.

On the evening of the second night, the dragon finally awoke, and Merek greeted her like an excited child. "Finally!" he exclaimed, only to be disappointed that she was leaving for a few hours again. As Ametrine took to the sky once more, a bored look overcame Merek's face. "....she knows how to take her time apparently." The man lie on the cold ground and eventually fell asleep.

The man awoke the next day to the dragon in front of him, he did not startle and instead yawned, wiping his eyes with his hands in a tired manner. "Sure sure, I'll cook that rig--- wait, did you say flight?"

Ametrine nodded, but to her surprise Merek didn't respond. He cooked up the rabbit, offered some to Ametrine and put the other in his pack as he contemplated what she had said. While eating his meal he looked at her and asked once more, "did you say.. flight? as in, you and me? Flying?" the man was clearly baffled, a dragon never let a human ride them.
 
"We can't go where we are going on foot. It would take to long and...you wouldn't be able to climb to the top." She states factually. "Do not worry. I've let little children ride me and they have never fallen. You will be safe as long as you do what I say."
She leads him outside. There was a long strand of rope waiting on the ground.

"Tie this firmly around my chest, in front of my forelegs. You can hold onto it as we fly. I'm certain you've ridden a horse, yes? Same concept, use your knees to keep a firm grip. You can rest your feet on the ridges on the top of my legs. She lays down, on the rope, looking at him expectantly.
 
Merek looked at Ametrine, dumbfounded. "I can't believe I'm doing this." he mumbled as he moved closer to the dragon. Merek picked up the rope and tied it firmly around her chest and in front of her forelegs, as directed. Like riding a horse, she says.. horses don't have wings and can't breathe fire. This dragon is crazy.

He reached out to find something to grab onto to hoist himself on top of her but his hand stopped before he made contact. Merek had never touched a dragon other than to kill it before.. and now, he was putting all of his trust into this one. Well I guess if I die, at least I die in an epic way.. "Here goes nothing!" Merek hoisted himself up and sat on the nape of her neck, his feet resting on the ridges on the top of her legs and his knees loose for the moment. "Dragon Slayer to dragon rider.." he mumbled.
 
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