Joseph was following the noises of the terrible creature when a gut-wrenching sound caught his ear. It was the cry of a human, a voice that he recognized.

"Fleece! Where are you?!" Joseph hollered.

The only response was a great howl, and the ground beneath him began to shake as enormous feet pounded the earth, heading right for him.

"Uh-oh," he muttered.

Then was when a beast unlike anything he'd ever seen burst through the trees, knocking aside great oaks as easily as a man might burst through a neat row of corn.

The beast was massive, roughly forty hands to its withers, and quadrupedal. It was shaped like a fire salamanka, but was bigger than any Joseph had ever seen. Even the one he had fought in the bowels of the Khosani stronghold of Saanavarh was dwarfed by the size of the specimen before him. And yet, it was also different in that it had wings, pitch black scales, and golden eyes that blazed like lanterns in the night.

Great, leathery wings were folded tightly against the creature's scaly hide, and its mouth seemed longer, reminiscent of the crocodiles that had roamed through the swamp of Ikaemos.

This creature, whatever it was, was not of this world, and could only have been brought about by one thing: the Demon of Darkness, which had been set free when the Demon Rings were destroyed.

Whatever the beast was, it seemed to focus entirely upon Joseph, and a let loose a low, rumbling bellow that made the Summoner vibrate in his boots. The hind quarters of the massive creature tensed and bulged with muscle as it fell upon its haunches, preparing to pounce.

'As soon as I make a move, it's going to attack,' the Summoner realized.

But he had to find Fleece. She was out in those woods somewhere, probably wounded, if that scream earlier was anything to go by. Joseph's heart sank a bit when he pictured her laying in a bank of snow, ringed by a pool of her own blood. It put a knot in his gut and lit a fire within him. Whatever this creature was didn't really matter; it was in his way.

With slow, steady movements, Joseph hefted his blade, and kept the tip between his and the beast's line of sight. The winged salamanka-demon hissed, but did not approach. Its amber eyes burned with insidious intent as its long, black pupils contracted. It bared its ivory teeth, which were probably about as long as Joseph's arm.

And then, it pounced, but the Summoner was already on the move. He charged forth, moving with all the serene fury of a perfect storm. He ducked beneath a raking claw attack that ruffled his dark hair and sank to his knees, sliding right beneath the scaly demon as it dove over his head, aiming for where Joseph had been seconds ago. As he slid across the snowy ground upon his knees, Joseph reeled back with his blade swung it with all his might, right into the nightmarish creature's hind leg.

He slid to a stop, got to his feet, and made a mad dash for a pair of trees that had grown closely together. He slipped between them, narrowly avoiding the razor-sharp talons that tore the bark right from the wood, and left long gashes in the towering oaks.

He ran so hard that he developed a stitch in his side that burned with every breath, choosing his path carefully as he zigzagged between the thickest, strongest trees he could find. With luck, he found his strategy worked; between the demon's injured leg, and the great trees, he had managed to outpace it for the moment, and the sound of its earth-shattering steps grew distant.

And that was when a hand grabbed him by the hood of the cloak he wore, and dragged him behind a tree, clamping a hand over his mouth to stifle the gasp that he almost let loose.

It was at that moment that Joseph realized how truly lucky it was that Fleece was on his side, for had she been an enemy, she could have buried her knife in his gut before he knew what had happened. Her ability to move silently and discreetly was without equal.

"Fancy meeting you here," she breathed into his ear, her dark eyes alight with mischief as a tart smile flitted across her lips.

"I heard you scream," Joseph replied in kind, taking several deep breaths through his nose to steady his breathing.

Fleece pursed her lips, suddenly looking cross, "That damn thing was quicker than I thought it would be, and it managed to track me down using my scent. It caught me on the leg before I could get away."

Joseph turned his gaze downward, only to recoil in shock. Fleece's right leg sported a gory wound, starting at her hip and running all the way down to her knee. Blood leaked onto her dark, slim-fitting armor, and dripped into the snow at her feet.

"If you hadn't called out for me, the creature may very well have finished me off then and there," she laughed, speaking rather casually for someone with such a terrible wound. Her face was frightfully pale in the moonlight, and Joseph could see her leaning heavily against the tree they were hiding behind.

Without a word, he fell to his knees before her, and carefully began to tend to her wound. Her armor and flesh had only been hit with a single claw from the look of it, but the cut was deep and ragged. Fleece was lucky to still be conscious.

The Summoner reached out, and laid a hand upon the wound, only for Fleece to suck in a sharp breath. Stars and galaxies danced before her eyes as her vision grew dark form the pain. She involuntarily kneed Joseph in the head, making him grit his teeth as he tried not to swear.

"S-Sorry," she whispered, sinking a little lower into the tree as Joseph glared up at her.

"Be still," he muttered sternly. He gently laid a hand upon her thigh, making the thief whimper slightly, and with a few quiet words, he activated a healing spell.

Though he was the Summoner, or perhaps because of that, his healing abilities were far beyond what was considered natural. Even Rosalind, who was a practiced and powerful mage, could not match Joseph's raw talent for healing. Within a few heartbeats, the pain had lessened immensely, and the flow of dark blood ceased. Fleece felt the breath that she'd been holding release in a soft sigh as the Summoner's fingers gently moved up and down her thigh, pulling at the skin as he checked for any leftover marks.

Only when the wound was gone did Fleece seem to realize that she was enjoying the sensation for all the wrong reasons. She pouted slightly as Joseph withdrew his hand, looking a little worn out, but satisfied with his handiwork.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a very gentle touch?" Fleece asked coyly.

"No," Joseph mumbled as he got to his feet, brushing the snow from his knees as he took up his position next to Fleece behind the tree.

"Well, you do," Fleece said softly, leaning in dangerously close. "Perhaps there's more to you than just being the Summoner, eh?"

It took a second for Joseph to catch her meaning, and when he did, he turned his head so quickly that his neck cracked unpleasantly. His face was dark with a red flush as he hissed, "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?!"

Fleece opened her mouth to speak when the ground beneath them shook, and a terrible, sonorous howl tore through the woods. The beast was close, much closer than they had thought.

"It's found us!" Fleece murmured angrily, drawing her dagger. "Joseph, is it just me, or does that beast look like a dragon?"

Her words sent waves of disquiet running up and down his spine as Joseph realized that she was correct. Though the creature was obviously supernatural, and more than a little sinister, it did look very much like a dragon.

"Could there be another Dragon ring? Or is this simply a product of nature?" she wondered.

Joseph shook his head. He had all four Dragon rings, and each of the Dragons within them was a force of nature. They were not inherently evil, and they had fought the demons in ancient history. So why did the dragon they were fighting feel like it wanted to destroy everything around it?

"I think this is a creature of darkness," the Summoner mused to himself, "a being created by Machival to track us down and eliminate us. Perhaps he drew some inspiration for its features from the dragons."

"You mean, this dragon is really a demon?!"

"I think so."

"Then how do we stop it? The demons can only be trapped by the rings, can't they?"

Joseph furrowed his brow in thought, "I think only the four primal Demons are truly immortal. If we can defeat this demon-dragon, then it will probably be forced to return from whence it came."

"And just how do you propose we defeat a demon -ragon?" Fleece hissed at him, looking rather vexed.

Much to her surprise, Joseph smiled, and raised his hand. Upon it was the mark of the Summoner, a symbol that gave him the power of a god, and marked him as special from the day he was born. And glittering upon his fingers were four rings of varying colors and shapes, each one brimming with ethereal power.

"I'd wager another dragon will probably help even the odds."

Fleece grinned, revealing her white teeth as she shook her head. "I love it when you're confident."

Joseph looked around and cleared his throat, "Well, I mean, it should work… I think."

He grew a little hot under the collar, and would not meet Fleece's eye. She smirked at Joseph, sidling a little closer to him, and taking pleasure in the way her grew a little redder in the face as his gaze flicked between her and the ground beneath his feet.

"Then I'll distract the creature," Fleece crooned, her breath hot against his ear, "and you summon your dragon."

"Aye."

He looked straight ahead, not looking at the thief, who was now so close to him that the heat of her body could easily be felt through his cold armor.

Fleece bit her lip for a moment before coming to a bold decision. "Oh, and one more thing. For luck."

Joseph turned to her, meeting her sparkling eyes. She was very close now, so close that it was a little awkward for him. And then, through a haze of disbelief, Joseph registered the soft feeling of her lips upon his.

She pulled away before he had the chance to react, batting her long lashes at him. Joseph blinked a few times before rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

"Erm, well that was-"

"Good luck out there. Don't keep me waiting." The thief said, putting a hand upon his chest before unclasping the cloak she had borrowed him. She fastened it about her own shoulders, and pulled up her hood. She shot him one final smile, but he was so busy staring off into space that she didn't think he saw it. Fleece chuckled to herself, and took off into the woods once again, her heart on fire as kicked through the snow as silently as she could.

The battle with the demon-dragon took place in a clearing. Fleece made good use of her cloak, and managed to sneak up and strike from behind it. With every backstab attack, the beast let loose a hoarse cry and spun around, its jaws snapping shut, but she had already darted back into the trees, her dagger dripping with black blood. She would sneak around to the other side of the clearing without making a single sound, and then, she would strike again.

Each time, she aimed for the same spot- a large gaping red slash upon the dragon's hind leg. With each blow the wound grew deeper, and the blood poured from the wound a little more quickly.

Fleece was just about to rush in for another quick stab when another roar shook the clearing, making the very ground beneath Fleece's boots shake. She looked up towards the sky, and there, hovering with its back to the moon, was a stunning, multicolored dragon with four wings. Its triangular shaped head opened, revealing sharp teeth, and it roared again. Upon the dragon's back, his blade glinting in the moonlight, was Joseph. The black demon-dragon stood upon its hind legs, and hissed a ferocious challenge to the airborne dragon.

The Summoner pointed his sword downward, at the ground, and the dragon he rode upon followed his command. With a snap, its wings folded back upon itself, and the Dragon of the Four Winds fell upon the demon, teeth and claws flashing brilliantly in the dim light. Joseph held on as the beasts collided, very nearly losing his grip as the two titans fought. Their battle took them towards the edge of the clearing, and Fleece's eyes were as round as gold coins as she ran around the perimeter, away from the massive tangle of limbs and wings that came crashing through the trees right in her direction.

The black dragon rolled onto its back, and the sound of breaking bones could be heard as its wings were crushed beneath its weight. The long, serpentine dragon coiled around its demonic brethren, squeezing it tightly at is struck with long fangs that seemed to pierce right through the demon's scales. The demon batted at the dragon with long claws, tearing through its beautiful scales, and causing the dragon to cry out with pain. It quickly untangled itself, and with a flap of its mighty wings, it disengaged. However, Joseph was no longer upon the dragon's back.

Fleece looked around, terrified that she would find the Summoner's broken body lying in a pile of snow, or held within the black dragon's claws. Then a bright spear of light caught her eye.

Joseph was falling from on high, right onto the black dragon. He dropped like a comet onto the beast, angling his sword downward, so that all of his weight would be thrust into the blow.

The sword struck true, point first against the dragon's jaw. It sank down, down, down, right up to the hilt, and right into where it's brain would be. Joseph gripped onto the sword for dear life to keep from being thrown off. The mark on his hand burned with a fire that lashed against his nerves and steadily creeped up his arm in waves of agony.

"Begone," he snarled through gritted teeth.

And with a low, bellowing groan, the demonic black dragon began to shrink. It became infused with light, and shot into the sky, streaking away like a stray comet flying back into orbit.

Joseph lay against the cold snow, panting heavily. His hand still burned, but the pain was slowly receding, and the snow was cool and refreshing against his gauntlet. He slowly peeled himself from the ground, and found Fleece leaning against a tree, tossing her dagger up and down expertly. She caught it against the tip of her finger, balancing it easily as she beamed at the Summoner, who smiled back wearily.

"Nice work," she said.

"Not so bad yourself," Joseph replied, raising an eyebrow at the thief before letting himself fall back into the snow.

Rosalind and Jehkar were both walking back across the bridge that led out of Lenelle's marketplace, having managed to find a few healing and mana potions in a ruined market stall on their way out of the city. The night was old, and the sky far to the east was now painted with a few scant traces of twilight. The dawn would be coming, and soon.

They were silent as they walked, crunching through the cold snow with slow, steady footsteps. Rosalind could not help but admire Jehkar's form in the coming light. The way his armor seemed to fit him perfectly, the way it accentuated his bulging biceps, and his broad shoulders, it was all magnificently majestic, and rounded out his stoic frown rather well.

She found herself wishing that he had carried her all the way back to camp, if only so that she might feel his warmth against her.

Her ears grew scarlet at the thought, and she shook her head quickly, as if trying to clear out those thoughts. After all, what would Fleece and Joseph think if Jehkar showed up with Rosalind cradled in his arms, like a princess he had rescued from some tower?

"What is it?" Jehkar asked, a single dark eye peering at her from over his shoulder, "you seem flustered."

"I-It's nothing! Nothing at all!" she said defensively, earning a shrug from the warrior.

He steered them away from the road, and into the trees, heading for the campsite the party had established before he and Rosalind entered the city.

And that was when they saw it, and were frozen in place by sheer surprise.

The campfire, which was been crackling and burning merrily when they had left for Lenelle, was now dark and burnt out. And huddled against a fallen tree were Fleece and Joseph.

They were fast asleep, and both splattered with gore. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, and they were wrapped in Fleece's cloak for warmth. Her fingers were wrapped tightly about Joseph's collar, and her head rested upon his shoulder. She had draped a leg over him, almost protectively. The Summoner had an arm curled loosely over Fleece's waist, and was snoring lightly. At Joseph's side was the Hundred-Fold Katana, which he had claimed from Emperor Murod after his defeat. The blade was covered in dried blood so dark that it appeared to be black. The same could be said of Fleece's dagger, which was impaled in the log next to her.

"By the Gods," Rosalind murmured. "What in the name of Urath happened here?"

Both Joseph and Fleece were alive, and still breathing. Clearly, there had been a great battle, and the dark bags beneath their eyes bespoke of a lack of sleep.

Jehkar could only shake his head, and try to suppress a smirk. "It seems that we were not the only ones to have a rough night."

A/N:

And that wraps up my little writing escapade. Now I have to go back to my other projects, which have been practically abandoned since I got my new computer up and running. Thanks for reading!