Okay, first of all, last time I forgot to write that I don't own OUaT and/or it's characters, actually I own nothing but this story and my OCs.

All mistakes are mine.

Hope you will enjoy.

CHAPTER 2

Getting back to her companions was much easier and faster, she knew the way after all.

Now she is standing at the entrance of room in which the final battle was held. Body of Master Biir already burned to ash. Mirk is here too and is helping Commander in sorting books and scrolls that once belonged to necromancer. The ones which might be useful in future are going to be send to their fortress far on north. It's located near little town called Achitetezo. Fifty years ago this town was in fact two small villages - Achite and Tezo, but due to arrival of Slayers more people came to villages too. They were looking for Slayers protection, what resulted in them settling down in Achite or Tezo and so those grew bigger and bigger till, one day, the leaders of settlements decided to unite. Thanks to that town Achitetezo was created.

The fortress itself was carved in the insides of mountain in case of Dragons attack. There is no better protection from fire, even dragon fire, than solid rock wall. Especially if in addiction it's protected by very powerfull barriers.

Regina is torn from her thoughts by Mirk. - "You're back!" - and then another voice - "You have it?"

She quickly smiles at him, turns to Zidole and answers - "Yes commander."

"Anything else you'd like to share with us?"

"Yes, I've met a pair, woman and man, they were necromancer's prisoners, I'm not sure for how long tough."

"And were are they now?"

"They left. I offered them my help and described a way out when they declined my first proposition. The room in which I found the blood... it's a treasury, full of gold in various forms. I've seen a few magical artifacts and weapons too." - she pauses - "Also, before I came across the prisoners I had to go through a very big room, stockroom for body parts. In there I had to fight necromancer's abomination, there might be more of them."

Zidole nods - "Very well. As soon as we finish here we are going to check the treasury and that stockroom."

"Yes ma'am!" - Mirk and Regina respond in unison and get to work.

After half an hour every single piece of paper, every item in the room is sorted and placed at the appropiate pile.

She and Mirk step aside to make place for Commander, who uses magic and burns the useless items. While they are on fire, three of them stand around that one pile which will be send to fortress.

Commander, Mirk and Regina concentrate and after a while the useful stack is gone from the tower. Their magical abilities combined allow them to transport those things without exhausting them and so they head to rooms mentioned by Regina.

First is the stockroom. They enter it through the same door as Regina before, torch left earlier is still lit, so Regina takes it.

She hears a whistle to her right - "You were not kidding Regina. This room is huge!"

"Mirk, you know I never exaggerate."

"Yeah, sure." - he says dismissively - "All of those containers contain body parts?"

Regina sighs - "Probably, forgive me but I didn't have a time to look what's in all of them."

He keeps teasing her - "Oh really? And I thought you did."

'If look could kill' - she thinks glaring at him and his grinning face.

"Enough! Silence both of you!" - this makes them stop and look at their Commander. - "This room is too big for three of us to cover, so once we are back in the fortress, we will send cleansing team, they will take care of all of this."

'Ah yes, cleansing team. Meaning - all people who, for some reason, were perceived as unsuitable or unworthy of becoming the Slayer. Or someone who failed to pass the final test.' - she frowns - 'But survived.'

"Regina, lead the way to that treasury."

She nods - "Of course Commander." - and leads the way. Soon they pass the table with container, in which is the hand, on it and beast's body. Not long after that there is the door. Regina opens it and moves torch in front of her as she walks down the stairs and forward to treasury.

After few minutes they reach their destination.

"Here we are Commander. The treasury."

Zidole looks around - "Well... We have to send it to the fortress today. News about necromancer's death will soon spread and local people are going to show up. We can't allow this all things to fall in wrong hands." - Commander looks at them meaningly - "But before we do that... You can choose two things, anything form here and take it." - Regina and Mirk look at each other and Zidole shocked, she chuckles and adds - "Think about this as congratulatory gift."

They nod, and still a little surprised, spread to find something interesting.

Regina moved in direction of where the flacon was found. She is intrigued by that mantle... but soon she finds out that the mantle is now gone. She blinks few times - 'Gone? Where is it?' - but there are no signs of mantle or someone else being there in last hours. She notices that scroll isn't here too, or rather, just like with the mantle, it looks like it never was here.

Knowing there is close to nothing she can do about this, she again starts looking around for something that might be useful in the future.

And she finds it. The sword which radiates with weird energy that pulls her to it. She takes it in her hand and unsheathes. The sword, it's edge, central ridge and point are made of steel, fuller and chappe seem to be the parts of it that emanate with said energy, made of unknow to her, black material. Cross-guard and pommel are made of something's horn, grip is made of wood and on it is stretched black leather with scales. It doesn't look spectacular, but seems to be made properly and with a lot of attention. Scabbard is made of the same horn material, trimmed by leather with scales. She sheates sword and fixes it to hip, in place of old one. It will be send to the fortress with rest of items in the room. She is going to collect it and hang on the wall of her bedchamber as soon as they come back. It's small, unofficial tradition of newly promoted Slayers. Master Biir told her that this is supposed to help them remember who they are, what made them themselves - their training and what they had to do to survive it.

'One more thing.' - she thinks and again looks around, she notices Commander Zidole who is leaning against the wall with her hands crossed over chest.

After a moment a dagger draws her attention. It's simple, made of silver. Pommel and grip are made to look like vines which, starting on the cross-guard and spreading on hilt and chappe a little, are entwining them. Also, the pommel is made into crescent moon with it's arms open in opposite direction than the blade point. Scabbard is simple, made of brown leather and wood. She decides to take it too and fixes it to her left thigh.

Then she goes back to Commander Zidole and stands text to her.

"You've chosen?"

"Yes Commander."

"Good. What?"

"The sword and dagger." - she points to the items, Zidole eyes them for a moment, then nods and says nothing. Just continues to lean against wall.

For more than ten minutes women wait for Mirk and finally he cames back.

"There are so many nice things... It's almost impossible to choose just two Commander."

"Really Kieldon?"

"Yes ma'am! But I succeed." - he answers, grinning.

"Should I send you a congratulatory letter?" - Regina asks sarcastically.

"No thank you my friend, it's not needed." - he is still grinning and she rolls her eyes. Oh how she wants to wipe this idiotic grin from his face.

"And what exactly you choose?" - asks Zidole.

"An axe..." - it's double bladed, one-handed, made of steel. On blade are engraved arabesques and grip is trimmed by leather. It's fixed to Mirk's back and a little less than half of the handle protrudes above his right shoulder - "and that gauntlet." - he lifts his left hand up, it's covered by leather glove, strengthened by steel. It's fingers looks more like claws and are as sharp. On it are also engraved arabesques, but different kind.

"Very well. Regina, Mirk on positions, when we send all of this to fortress we will be able to go home."

"As you command." - answers Mirk. Regina just nods and moves to stand in the right place. After a while all treasures are gone and they walk to an exit. Soon they are out of tower.

Sun is starting setting down and surrondings look peaceful. They walk down the hill, heading towards north, towards their home. All of them deep in thoughts.

In moments like that Regina reminds herself of question all of Slayers in training ask their teachers. 'If we can transport items with magic on big distances, then why can't we transport ourselfes?' - she asked that question once, but even if trainers change over years, their answer is the same since the begginig of Dragon Slayers Order. - 'We can't transport ourselfes because it is much more exhausting than transporting items. Living organisms must be kept alive during the process and it would be hard to do because, even if it doesn't seem like, they cover the distance. So if the person would like to teleport to place that's about a week away, then he or she would have to use not only amount of energy required to cast the spell, but also energy they would spend during week of travel. And the person wouldn't be able to fight.' - she sighs remembering one of teachers words - 'This mean of tranport is used only in death or live situations, just only, remember that.' - and she does remember, just as other Slayers.

'Slayers...' - she comes to realization - 'Once we are back, the joining ceremony will be held... I'm going to become the Dragon Slayer.' - she thinks excited, scared and sad at once. - 'But at what cost...' - Master Biir's body, covered in wounds and burns flashes before her eyes, she closes and covers them with her hand for moment. - 'Just another normal, easy mission huh master?' - she sighs and shakes head - 'No reason to think about it now.'

They've been walking for few hours. Day changed in night, then they encamped, fell asleep and woke up next day. This pattern have been repeated several times, with slight changes. For example, one day Zidole ordered Regina and Mirk to go hunting. They succeded, each one brought a deer. Thanks to that they had enough food to survive the journey and after five days of walking they reached Ahitetezo and the fortress.

"Go to your chambers, freshen up a bit. Someone will come and take you on ritual." - says Zidole once they are on courtyard, then turns around and walks away.

Mirk and Regina look at each other, he swallows - "It seems our big day has come huh?." - he is clearly nervous and so she puts hand on his shoulder, just like she've done it many times before and smiles at him.

"Yes it seems."

He sighs - "I'll see you later" - he says, but somehow, maybe because of the way he is looking at her or because of, oh how strange, seriousness in his tone, it seems like a promise, not a statement. Regina is so astonished by him in that moment, she can only nod and squeeze his shoulder. Then she passes him and walks to her chamber, as Commander ordered.

Two hours later, when she hears knocking at her door, she is after the bath, in leather pants and boots and white linen shirt, with her new weapons fixed to her hip and thigh.

She opens the door and sees a kid, he must be twelve or thirteen. She remembers him from second year recruits when she was helping Master Biir with his lesson.

"You have to follow me." - the kid says and turns around, his reddish hair bouncing with his movements. She quickly grabs the flacon and goes after him.

They walk through many corridors, turning left or right from time to time. All of them are lit by torches fueled by magic. Thanks to that there is no smoke to worry about, after all the live in the mountian and can't just open a window to let in a fresh air. The fact they won't asphyxiate is plus too. No one really knows how those torches work, they were always here and nobody cared enough to look for answers. The floor, in some corridors, is covered by carpet.

Few minutes passed but the kid finally stops in front of stairs. No one can use them without permission. - "You have to go upstairs, the Grand Cleric is waiting for you."

"Thank you" - She swallows and starts walking.

After, literally, hundreds steps she reaches the door. Regina opens them and finds herself outside, at the top of one of cliffs, on the northern side of mountian. It's overgrown with grass, but no one else is here. She heads toward edge of cliff and looks ahead.

"Wonderful view isn't it?" - she jumps a little at the voice and turns in it's direction. In front of her stands woman with auburn hair and brown eyes, in long blue gown with long sleeves and gold ornamental belt.

"You must be the Grand Cleric?"

The woman smiles - "Yes, many Slayers calls me Blue." - Regina rises eyebrow at that - "You had to notice that every Cleric wears a differnt color."

"Yes I did, I just never really seen you before."

Blue smiles again - "Not surprising, my duties include much more than you could imagine Regina." - Cleric pauses - "But we are not here to discuss that right? Do you have it?"

"I do" - she shows the flacon.

"Good, now, before we start the joining ceremony... Tell me what you know about beginnings of the order you will soon become a part of."

She is surprised by that question - "Order of Dragon Slayers was estabilished fifty years ago. When one of Dragons, with whom we had an alliance, killed our king, King Leopold when he was close to uniting all kingdoms under his rule. King's knights swore their loyalty to Queen Eve, Leopold's wife and that they will revenge their king and wipe out all dragons."

"Yes, that's the right answer." - Blue rises the sliver goblet with transparent liquid in it - "Once you add Dragon's Blood to it and drink it you are going to feel dizziness, then you will lose conscious. You might never wake up from this. You may die. Are you sure you want do drink it? This is your one and only chance to back away."

"I... And if I'll choose to back away? Am I going to be send to cleansing team?" - she asks

"Yes" - Regina gulps and nods, processing new facts. - "You know why all new Slayers have to drink Dragon's Blood?"

"No" - she answers honestly.

Blue smiles knowingly - "No one talks about it, even after all this years. You drink Dragon's blood to become resistant to many of Dragon's abilities, especially the one, thanks to which they can control living creatures. They can make humans listen the them, obey their all commands and more. Thanks to drinking the blood you will be able to sense Dragons aura, you are going to use that to find the dragon or people it controls. Actually, drinking it's blood is just a first step, to fully control abilities you will receive today you'll have to take part in few more rituals. Only then you are going to control your powers and in the same time, be safe from Dragon's. Also, you'll be able to see ghosts" - Blue pauses and looks at Regina - "I am asking you for the last time, are you sure you want to drink this? Are sure you want to become a Slayer, Regina?"

She hardens her expression, decision made. - "Yes, yes I do."

The Grand Cleric smiles - "Then pour blood into the goblet and drink it."

And Regina does just that, short moment after drinking the liquid nothing happens, but then she starts to feel dizzy and she has a massive headache. She steals last glance at the Blue's face and then everything goes black.

She wakes up several hours later and can feel grass under her fingers, then she opens her eyes.

"Welcome back in the world of living Regina."

"Blue?" - her voice is hoarse

"Who else? - Blue hands her a cup with water in it which she drinks happily.

"I... Did it work? Am I a Slayer now?"

"Look for yourself." - saying that the Cleric hands her a mirror. She looks at her reflection and sees it.

Her brown pupils glowing brightly.

Her bright, glowing pupils being covered and dimmed by fog like thing.

Slayer's eyes.

She is a Dragon Slayer now.

Hope you liked it, leave a comment if you wish.

Again I apologize for any mistakes. Tomorrow, or rather, today only during day, I hope to sit with my computer and edit both chapters to eliminate the mistakes I found already and maybe I will find then. So if you read the story and few hours later notice another uptade - it won't be next chapter.

Also I succeded in uploading story in a week but I can't promise that this situation is going to be repeated. I'll do my best but with the new month and new year coming, very hard and demanding time is coming too.

Happy new year!

P.S

I almost forgot about the most important thing I wanted to tell you. I am aware that you may wonder where is Maleficent. She will appear, but not in the nearest future, probably around seventh chapter or so. My wish for this story is to have as complicated plot as I'm able to create, for the events and meetings to be of cause-effect sort and I hope I'll succeed.