Dragons and their Slayers 1X1 {Pupper and L2W}

Ametrine chortles again. He heard the laugh almost audibly and feels her amusement. "Humans and dragons have a bit different definition of mother than humans I think." She flexes her wings before pulling them back to her side. "I bore an egg, named him and trained him. But when he was old enough to care for himself he chose a new name and clan. At that time he became his own Dragon and I ceased to be his mother. Perhaps a better word would be caretaker."
 
"That is really quite strange, Ametrine" Merek was clearly struggling to grasp the considerable differences between the human world and the dragon world. He walked toward the dragon, kicking his toes into the ground. "Should we start with training? We don't want to be up all night."

The dragon nodded, "What do you suggest we begin with?"

Merek smiled the biggest smile since the two of them met "I want to know how to talk to you through your head!" he exclaimed while pointing to his forehead. "If we are connected and you can talk to me in my mind, I should be able to talk to you too without you being the one to initiate it. That way if I am in trouble I can let you know right away."
 
Ametrine lowers her head, so they were eye to eye. Her snout mere inches from his face. "Focus on my voice. Think clearly. Mentally project your thoughts to my mind, the connection between us will do the rest."

 
Merek's composure didn't waver as Ametrine neared his face. He noticed just how beautiful her eyes were now that they were face to face and decided to tease her. "Ametrine, your eyes are breathtaking." A sly grin covered Merek's face once more as he often did not take things completely seriously.
 
Ametrine's chuckles enter his mind. "My mate thinks so too." She raises her head and lets out a long torrent of fire at a pillar right behind him. The stone cracks from the heat. "Dragons don't have a huge variety of magical abilities, despite our well of mana. We use it to breathe fire and heal ourselves. Mana also naturally coats our scales to help defend from magical attacks. That's why its so difficult to kill a dragon with magic. She looks down at him. Humans on the other hand seem to have a much wider variety of different magic they can pull from. You need to learn to control how much mana you pull from me, else you'll leave me vulnerable."
 
"You're right in saying we can use a much wider variety of magic. How much mana I pull from you would be dependent on what I'm doing.. I guess we should start there." Merek took a couple steps back from Ametrine and held a hand out, it began to glow a yellow colour. "Minor healing is a skill that I picked up, I can mend wounds and stop bleeding but I cannot repair deep tissue damage and I cannot the pain completely away." Merek could still feel a slight throb in his the back of his leg where an arrow had pierced him. "When I healed myself in Anheath, could you feel me pulling mana from you then?"
 
"No. Perhaps we were too far away or perhaps you told your body specifically to pull from your own well rather than our connection." She thumped her tail and gestured a pillar. "Try a minor spell, concentrate on pulling from just your well. Then try a different and concentrate from pulling on the connection. See if you can feel the difference."
 
Merek moved over to the pillar and his cleared his mind. He pictured his own mana pulsing through his body and focused drawing a small amount of energy into his fist. Merek raised his hand and punched the pillar lightly, the enchantment caused the impact to be greater despite minimal force being used and the pillar cracked. He could feel the mana leave his body as it was expelled through his arm, into his hand.

Merek closed his eyes, this time trying to focus on the mana flow within Ametrine's body. He had never been connected to another being before and be knew that it would take practice to control just how much, or how little, he would draw. Once Merek had a clear image of Ametrine's mana flow within his mind, he began to focus the energy into his leg and foot. He lifted his leg, kicking the pillar and again, the impact was greater with only using minimal force. The pillar cracked again. Merek turned to Ametrine, expectantly while he waited for her assessment.
 
Ametrine nodded. "Good. Again. This tume, show me what your going to do how much mana you might need and I'll feed it to you."

The Dragon and slayer spent the rest of the daylight practing various abilities and mana exchange. Even sparring at one point to learn to anticipate one anothers moves and attacks.
By nightfall they both collapsed exhausted underneath the shelter of a half collapsed room. A small fire burned before them and a soft cool rain had begun to fall outside.

"Why did you become a slayer, Merri? I felt earlier that perhaps something had happened to your family?"
 
Merri? the man thought to himself, he had never been called by a nickname before. He ignored her question for a few moments, taking the time to stare up at the sky as the rain drops fell on his face. The fire kept him warm enough that the rain was welcomed, rather than bothersome. He pondered whether or not he should tell Ametrine but then realized that being connected to him she would find out one day without him ever having to say a word. It felt almost intrusive yet there was something about it that was comforting; someone that it would always be there.

"Dragons killed them." Merek said abruptly, "not just one dragon, several. It was night time and no one was even awake to defend themselves." The man's cool expression morphed into a blank stare as he recounted the events of that night. "We awoke to burning. The smell of burning. It was everywhere, it engulfed everything. I remember being carried out of the building and seeing giant masses above the sky. People were screaming, scattering, and panicking. Smoke filled the city, buildings were being destroyed, everything was on fire. There was death everywhere, blood everywhere... The scent of burning flesh replaced the crisp evening air." The man paused again, drawing a breath. "There were so many of them... you only needed one dragon to drop a city to the ground and yet, there were three. It was like they were playing, just toying with human lives. I sat in the streets, dazed until the chaos stopped. It was a miracle I lived, as if something was protecting me from the reign of fire and destruction." Merek continued to stare blankly up at the sky, his hand beginning to clench into a fist, "I never saw them again, my parents, and honestly... the next couple of months are a blur to me, I can't even recall what happened. The worst part is that I can still hear them screaming, the people, my family. I can still feel the heat from the fire and smell the burning flesh." He sighed once more, "It's strange how someone can forget the aftermath but not the actual event itself... I would give anything to erase that cruel day from my memory."
 
Ametrine saw his memory as her own and felt the pain of his loss. She stood scooted closer to him and lifted a wing sheltering him from the rain. Warmth radiated off her body almost as much as the fire gave off warmth. "I am sorry for your loss and that you suffered so at the hands of dragons. Still, I am grateful that you were willing to look past that and trust me. We will find a way to make things right again, together."
 
Merek didn't move, he accepted Ametrine's gesture and broke his stare at the sky, dropping his head. "Everyone has suffered at some point" he looked up at the dragon, "how do you suppose we make things right? We are but two beings. I mean sure, you're a dragon and I may be a demi-god but I don't even really know what that means for me. I may as well just be your average shmuck." Merek fell to the ground, his back resting on the cold earth as he looked up at Ametrine.
 
Her eyes raise up in a smile and she answers him immediatly as if she'd been anticipating the question. "You and I are proof that even a dragon and her would-be slayer can bond and work together in peace. If we can bond...then there is no reason why other humans and dragons can't. We just have to convince both our kin its worth the try and show them what we can do together."
 
"We need to find out what we can do together first. It's probably important you tell me more about yourself, Ametrine. I've only ever hunted dragons, not worked with them. I know how to track your kind and I already know your general weaknesses, but is there anything else I should be aware of that you know, could get me or you killed?" Merek asked.
 
"Hmm..." Ametrine looked up at the sky. "My kind tend to be much more sensitive to the cold. I have heard of dragons who visited the snowy regions and mountains and their internal fires began to die much more quickly, they couldn't generate enough mana fast enough to keep it sustained. If a dragon's fire dies, it is pretty much a death sentence for the dragon. That is why cold magic is more effective than any other attack." She continues to think. "Hmm...at this moment, I can think of nothing else that you should be aware of that you do not already know. And anything I should be aware of for you?"
 
Merek thought about their first encounter when he defended her and he had a surge of power. He felt the man's neck break underneath his fingers momentarily. There had only been one other time when he felt power like that, it was years ago when he was ambushed by 10 men. They had come running at him, he remembered the mana within him boiling and then nothing. It went blank, and when he regained his consciousness he stood in the middle of a crater with bodies scattered around him.

"Once I lost control. I don't know what happened but when I came to everything around me was destroyed." Merek thought again, "and then when we fought together, that slayer... I've never had power like that before without falling unconscious. It's new to me."

"I also don't have a lot of ranged abilities. They take a lot of my mana to cast, I'm much more adept at medium to close range combat."
 
Ametrine nods. "That is good. Because I am much more effective with ranged combat than sticking around on the ground. We'll fight together well." A yawn emanates from her body and she stretches out around the fire. Her wing fully covered Merek now, becoming a makeshift tent, safe and warm from the weather outside. A few minutes later the presence of her mind faded to the background of his mind and he could hear the deep breaths of her sleep.

For Crimes against the Prince​

They took flight again the next day, crossing distances vaster than Merek had thought possible in a single day. The joys of flying rather than walking were becoming increasingly apparent. They made small talk as they flew. Getting to know one another little by little. She trumpets happily as a cluster of hills come into view later that evening. The lower half was covered in heavy boulders while the top half was green and lush. The sun was just beginning to set in the horizon. "We carried boulders here for over 20 years to create a safe haven that would be difficult to access if you were a human. One wrong step and you have a landslide that'll kill you. Humans eventually learned to stop trying to access this place." She chortles.

Her mind and emotions become extremely serious, almost on the verge of panic. Her flight turns chaotic, dropping suddenly in altitude as an overwhelming sense of loss fills her mind.
"Something's wrong...I can't...I don't feel him."

She doesn't answer Merek’s questions as she regains her altitude with determination driven by fear. Merek was already holding on for dear life, which saved him as she puts on a burst of speed he didn't know her capable of. The wind nearly whips him off her back as she dove for the hills. Their eyes widen as they come into view. He was pretty sure this surreal nesting ground was not supposed to be scorched black or on fire. Her own thoughts and horror confirmed this. Then...they saw the bodies. Dragon bodies. At least 8 of them. Had slayers managed to get to this place somehow anyway? And yet there were no telltale signs of slayer plundering.

Ametrine trumpets mournfully as she lands, running across the ground up to her fallen kin. With every body she identified, her sorrow grew. "Why would other dragons do this!?" She tenderly touched the head of an fallen elder dragon. "Kafus...who would kill you, gentle soul? Why?"
Merek noted a massive rune burned with dragon fire and magic into a nearby stone. It seemed to be of a language he didn't recognize. "Ametrine. What does this mean?" She looks over her shoulder, eyes narrowing at the rune. "For crimes against the prince." She growls with a deep anger and sorrow. "My clan was attacked because of my actions against the prince. This is beyond wrong! He should not have involved them!"

She lifts her head and Merek nearly jumps out of his skin at the overwhelming sense of panic erupts from her. She leaps forward, gliding through air and coming to land in front of a beautiful green-blue dragon. Merek somehow knew who it was before the thought even entered her mind. Topaz! No! Please...Topaz! You can not leave me now!
She nudged his head with her own, looking desperately for any sign of life.

Finding none she lifts her head, emitting a trumpeting wail. Merek had heard dragons cry on the verge of death before, but none had made a sound of grief or anguish as intensely as Ametrine's was now. Merek stumbled, nearly collapsing from the intensity of her anguish and grief. He almost felt as if he wanted to kill himself just to end it. He'd never thought dragons capable of such strong emotions. Ametrine fell onto her mate's body, still wailing deeply. She wrapped her wings around Topaz, putting her head on his own and drawing upon her well of mana. He could feel her trying to revive him. In his mind he knew she would spend every ounce of her strength to try and bring him back. It wasn't long before she began drawing on his mana well also, desperate...so desperate to save her mate and beloved. If he didn't stop her she might accidentally kill both of them.
 
The wailing of the dragon continued, it echoed through the mountain tops and Merek could feel himself becoming weaker. He couldn't move, he just stared at Ametrine collapsed over top of Topaz. He felt her pain, it sickened his stomach and welled up in his throat. "Ametrine..." he murmured, his voice barely audible. There was nothing he could do to comfort her, he was completely helpless and his mana was depleting quickly. Merek's head dropped, he stared at the ground trying to avert his gaze to the graveyard of dragons before him. The lump in his throat was growing, his eyes beginning to water, he had never experienced such intense feelings before. His legs buckled as he became weaker, he couldn't stand there anymore and let her grieve. They were both going to die if he didn't do something now.

Merek stepped forward "Ametrine" his voice now louder than it was before. She couldn't hear him, she was lost inside her own panicked sorrow. Desperately clinging to her mate, wailing into him. He continued to walk toward her, "Ametrine!" but there was still no response. Each step he took toward her, the more he felt her pain. Merek, now finally at her side, placed his hands on her hide. "You're not going to stop, are you?" tears were now falling from his face, his body becoming weaker. I'm sorry Ametrine he projected into her mind.

Merek's eyes filled with the mysterious yellow glow from before and he walked around her body, his hands following along her hide as he moved toward her head. I promise this won't hurt... His hands began to glow the same yellow colour in his eyes as he held them at her neck, constricting the oxygen flow. He didn't want to kill her, just put her to sleep temporarily. It wasn't long before the dragon's wailing ceased and her body's dead weight fell heavy on top of Topaz. She was unconscious, momentarily free from pain. The glowing in Merek's hands dissipated and the blue of his eyes returned. He looked down at Ametrine, tears still falling from his face; he knew her pain all too well. Ametrine...

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It was several hours before Ametrine woke again. As the dragon pulled herself up, confused as to what happened, she noticed Merek standing in the middle of 9 boulders. The ground beneath the boulders was disturbed, it had recently been dug into. The man was sweating, exhausted, his mana almost completely expelled. He had buried them, every single last one. Merek could sense Ametrine awaken, "I need to know their names..." he exclaimed, without turning, "so that I... so that I..." he was very weak now and fell to his knees. "can write their names..." his body collapsed next "on the..." he fell unconscious. It was clear that he wanted to give Ametrine's fallen kin a proper burial in the only way he knew how. He used the rest of his mana pool to dig them graves, move their bodies (somehow), and place markers for them. They were only missing their names.
 
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Merek woke with Ametrine's wing over him and her mana flowing between them. She had calmed significantly but lay listlessly in the circle of graves, her head right next to Topaz's tombstone. Her grief was still strong but no longer overwhelming. Each of the graves now had their own runes, names of each of the dragons and beneath it an inscription, describing each of them. Through her eyes, he could read them. Topaz's read: Beloved Mate of Ametrine
"Thankyou..." Came the quiet, tired voice into his head. He could feel that she was thanking him for his sacrifice their burial. Her stomach rumbled but she didn't get up to hunt. She had no energy or even desire to move. Her snout caressed the stone, a massive tear rolling down her jaw. "If I hadn't challenged the prince...he would still be alive..."
 
Merek came to, still completely exhausted. He looked around the gravestones, noticing that Ametrine had completed the job. A faint smile appeared on his face but quickly faded away at the feeling of her grief, though not very strong anymore. "The prince..." Merek pushed up his body, he shuffled into a position in which he leaned against Ametrine and placed a comforting hand on her. "This was not your fault, Ametrine. If anyone is to blame it's me, I pursued and you were trying to protect me. Don't blame yourself... blame me for this."
 
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