A/N: I feel like this chapter might need a T+ or M rating or at the very least a trigger warning for those who are sensitive to blood (and somewhat explicit fight scenes). I dunno, maybe you kids are so desensitized to violence you don't need a warning. The following chapter contains a death match between a human and a dragon, so just be prepared.
There was no warning, only fire.
Amelia was bowled over by the pillar of flames that erupted from the crater. She quickly rolled away putting out the fire on the front of her tunic. A tremor, larger than any she'd felt thus far, sent her staggering as she tried to regain her footing. The firespout finally stopped and she scampered out of the church, drawing her sword and turning to face the beast.
A clawed foot the size of a horse gripped the edge of the hole, then another. The diamond white scales covering it were blinding in the sunlight. Amelia watched with an almost academic fascination as ebony claws the size of spears dug into the earth and huge, sinewy muscles bunched together as the dragon slowly emerged.
It was taller than the tallest tree in Amelia's home forest, and it did indeed have seven heads. Each head peered in a different direction, searching, as the dragon finished climbing out of the hole and wrapped its heavy tail around its legs like an overgrown cat. One of the heads spotted Amelia and in an instant fourteen golden eyes were staring at her. Amelia froze like a bird caught in the gaze of a snake. It seemed as if those burning eyes were peering through her flesh to the very fiber of her soul. Instinct made her tighten her grip on her sword and hold it up higher, a pitiful barrier between her and the monster. The head in the middle began to chuckle, it's forked tongue slipping past jagged teeth.
"Well, it isn't every day we get a meal polite enough to bring along a toothpick."
Amelia flushed, adjusting her stance and puffing out her chest. "Sorry, but using this toothpick comes with certain risks: decapitation, for one."
All seven heads laughed, and as they did globs of spit flew from their mouths. Amelia barely managed to dodge out of the way before a particularly large drop hit the ground where her foot had been. It sizzled and bubbled, letting off a column of steam.
The middle head shook with mirth. "I can't say I'm disappointed. It's been awhile since we got a challenge."
"Aye, and most of the others tried to run off by now," a head to the right said, looking at Amelia with interest. The other heads nodded in agreement.
"How about we give her the first blow?" the middle head asked. "Otherwise this will end too quickly." A murmur of assent passed among the seven heads and they all turned to look at Amelia again. "Make it a good one," the middle head advised, shifting its tail so as to not hinder its legs. For a moment neither beast nor challenger moved.
In that moment, with her heart thudding like a jackrabbit, Amelia's eyes picked up every single detail. She saw how the dragon's heads were fanned out, ready to strike from every angle. She noticed how the dragon was crouched, ready to spring. (It really did act like an overgrown cat.) She realized that a frontal assault would never work, that she'd be torn to pieces after the first blow.
Amelia charged straight for the dragon's heart.
The dragon shivered in surprise. This human, unburdened by heavy armor, was quick. Not very bright, but quick. It watched with lazy amusement as the human yelled, swing the sword high over her head. After they'd chomping the fool into bits they would hunt down the other human hiding in the woods. She almost within reach of its claws.
Then Amelia pivoted.
For a single, terrifying second Amelia thought it wouldn't work. Her left foot was sliding out from underneath her, slipping on the sooty ground. Gravity, the cruel mistress, insisted that Amelia flop to the ground in front of the dragon and utterly spoil her plan. But no, her right foot flailed out and planted itself firmly on the ground. With almost no loss in speed, she charged to the right, away from dragon's heart and instead towards-
Seven bloodcurdling screams ripped through the air as Amelia cut off the dragon's tail with a clean swipe. She barely had enough time to cover her face with her arm before boiling blood splattered all over her. The severed appendage writhed on the ground for a few seconds before going limp. The dragon lashed out with fire, seven tongues of flame scorching the ground around it. Amelia ducked behind a crumbling pillar and was out of sight before any of the heads saw her.
As the dragon turned it stumbled and moaned, off balance without its tail. "You wretch!" the heads hissed, looking in every direction.
Amelia winced as she flexed her hand, now covered with burns from the scalding blood. Her now sticky clothing had protected the rest of her body. She peeked over her makeshift hiding place, watching with trepidation as three heads were slowly weaving their way towards her.
"We can smell your fear, human worm," one of the heads hissed.
Another head had reached the pillar, nosing it curiously. "We would have killed you quickly and painlessly as a tribute to your bravery, but now you'll writhe in agony for your little trick." A drop of venom fell onto the pillar, eating through the stone in a matter of seconds. "If you come out now, we might lessen your sentAAAAAGH!"
The other six heads watched in horror as Amelia sprang to her feet and plunged her sword into the seventh head, going through the eye socket and brain until the tip of the blade poked out of the back of its skull. The head and neck went limp and motionless while Amelia did the exact opposite. In the blink of an eye, she pulled her sword free and sprang at the two other heads nearest her. With two mighty sweeps, she'd decapitated both of them. The dragon scrambled away, tripping over their own feet in an effort to put some distance between them and the sword-wielding maniac.
For a moment Amelia thought the dragon would try to retreat. It was swaying back and forth, the four heads bobbing up and down in confusion. The two neck stumps left two steaming red trails in their wake as blood gushed out. Surely, Amelia thought, it'll die of blood loss before long. Breathing heavily, she lowered her sword.
Something deadly flashed in those eight golden eyes, and the dragon seemed to rally. Amelia yelped as the dragon unexpectedly charged, three heads racing forward in a coordinated attack. They rammed into her with the strength of a raging bull, pinning her to the ground. That's gotta be at least three ribs, she thought as a series of cracks rippled through her chest. The heads reared back, opening their mouths to reveal all of their needle-sharp teeth.
Turning her head, Amelia saw where her sword had landed, just a few feet to her left. If she could just-
The heads whipped forward, fangs ready to sink into human flesh. They only found soot, however, as Amelia rolled out of the way just in time. Ignoring her screaming ribs, she grabbed her sword and shakily got to her knees. The heads charged forward again. Thinking quickly, Amelia dived for the ground and flipped onto her back. Above her were three scaly necks. Swinging wildly, Amelia managed to slice off all three heads.
She then immediately regretted her decision as they all promptly fell on her, one of them pinning her sword hand to the ground. A tortured scream ripped through her body as her abused ribs send schisms of agony through her frame. Gasping, she tried to push the heads off of her chest and legs with her free hand, but their combined weight was too much. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
As everything around her faded to black, she could just make out the sound of the dragon howling with rage, followed by a rumble as the ground shuddered beneath her. A faint impression of grass green eyes followed her as she dived head-first into oblivion.