Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfiction. Hope you have been enjoying the story so far.

Anyway, enjoy the read.

Chapter Cover: Aesyr standing back to back with a man in a long black cloak and long blue hair...

Chapter Five

The End of the Beginning

With the news of the coming attack reaching Dragnov, we returned to the capital had full haste. All of the Dragons and the people who had trained to learn the magic of the Dragon had returned and outfitted with armor for the upcoming battle. It was a mixture of robes and armor with the symbol of the Dragon emblazed upon our front.

The new armor was light upon my form I was nervous about the upcoming battle against the Dragons. Even here in Dragnov, where Dragons and humans lived in harmony with one another, we always knew how powerful the Dragons truly were. Despite learning the power of the Dragon these past few months since then, there was one thought in all of our mind…

Can we really have any difference into this war?

"You look different than before," a familiar voice spoke out.

I turned my gaze toward it finding Ace there. The young man was dressed in similar armor as mine, the look upon his face calm despite knowing we'll be heading out to war in a few hours. His spiky hair seems to have gotten even more unruled in the months since I have seen him and I couldn't help the smile that grew upon my lips at the sight of him.

"Ace…," I whispered.

"You look strong," he said simply.

I stared at him, taking him in.

"You do as well."

Ace let out a small huff.

"Then don't die out there," he said before turning around and walking off.

I stared at his back for a few moments, surprised at the words but then somehow, a warm feeling grew inside my heart. He came all this way just to check on me and despite him not being all buddy buddy with his feelings, I guess deep down within himself, he is still that same boy I knew way back then.

"You come back safe too Ace," I spoke out to him and thanks to the newly Dragon like hearing that we have, I am sure that he heard my words.

"Aesyr."

I turned away from him and walked toward Elassan. The Silver Flame Dragon was looking down at me with an indiscernible look in his eyes. I blinked up at him in confusion at the look.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him.

Elassan shook his head.

"There is nothing wrong," the Dragon said, "There was something that I was meant to give you at the end of your training…but since we never reached it…Here."

He extended his large hand down at me and dropped something in my hand. It was a coin, I realized taking notice of it and upon it was the symbol of the Dragon that was upon form. I stared at it for a few moments before turning it over looking at the word that was upon it's back.

"Dragmount?" I read.

"It's an old tradition from my homeland," Elassan spoke out, "Those who prove themselves worthy warriors of Dragmount were given such coins as proof of their status. It's akin to something like an object of pride."

I stared up at him in shock at what he was giving me.

"And…you're giving me this?" I said shocked.

Elassan nodded.

"The way this has happened may not have been how I envisioned it, but you have managed to not only learn my magic and be proficient at it," the dragon spoke, "You have done well to learn it Aesyr and I think that a reward like that is more than enough in my eyes."

I was lost for words at the gesture he had showed me.

"Thank you…Elassan," I said after a while, "I'll treasure this."

The Dragon nodded and just like that, a few hours later we were headed into war.

The battlefield was a disaster zone. The earth was scorched and destroyed in the worse way. It was completely unrecognizable as the area was completely different than anything I have ever seen before. Despite how much I have trained, I have never realized just how destructive the power of the Dragons could be.

And now I wielded that power as well…

When Lady Irene gave the order, we all launched forward into the battle with the Dragons soaring above us. The enemy Dragons were flying as well thought they were some that were on the ground. Seeing humans among the Dragons, they weren't even taking us seriously at all.

I stared up toward the Dragon in front of me. It was brown scaled as his glowing eyes stared down at me with a jaws filled with teeth.

"Humans should remember their place," the Dragon growled, "You'll make a light snack in the middle of this battle."

I gathered magic within me.

"You really think your magic will be enough against me? There is no magic in this world that you can wield that can surpass that of a Dragon…you're nothing but insignificant creatures that are at the bottom of the food chains…"

I took a deep breath and then I roared…expelling a large blast of magic straight out of my mouth aiming straight at the Dragon in front of me. the Dragon let out a surprised yell at my magic as the breath attack tore through him right in the middle causing him to yell out in shock.

The Dragon crumble down upon the ground, completely taken aback by what had just happened to him. His eyes stared at me in shock at what I had just done.

"How…a human with the power to kill…a Dragon…How?"

I stared at him.

"You Dragon think you can take anything you want…well, you and your kind are going to learn that underestimating humans is the worst mistake you can ever make in your lives."

I turned away from the Dragon and made my way forward once more.

End of flashback

Aesyr placed the empty cup upon the table in front of her. Ellis and Helen were both looking at her with surprised looks upon their features at what she was revealing. It was still hard for them to phantom that such things were possible as the young woman was telling them her story.

"The battle that day lasted for hours," Aesyr spoke out, "And when the sun rose on the following morning, for the first time since the Dragons invaded Ishgar, there was a victory for the Dragons that wanted coexistence with humans. That first victory brought hope back to us that we could win the war…that the gamble Belserion had bear fruits that would help in the long run."

She looked up at them all, a small smile working its way upon her lips.

"The next few months," she continued, "We were winning the war, pushing back the enemies that invaded our Kingdom. We got good at it…very good at killing Dragons, so good that the people of Ishgar started calling us Dragon Slayers. We bore the name with pride for what we were doing was for the good of our country…"

Aesyr trailed off. Helen must have sensed something for her eyes narrowed lightly.

"What happened?" she asked.

The look on Aesyr's face was grave.

"It all changed."

Flashback

I was on Elassan's back as we flew through the air. My long hair was tied in a ponytail thought that didn't help with the bangs which were falling on either side of my face. I was dressed in my Dragon Slayer armor with a light frown upon my face.

"You've been quiet since we left," Elassan spoke out, "Something's on your mind?"

I let out a small frown.

"The war will be over soon won't it?" I asked, "With the way the Dragon Slayers have turned the tide, it won't be long before the Dragons of the West are defeated."

"That's true," Elassan answered with a light hum, "When the war is finally over, I will return home back to Atlasia."

I stayed silent for a moment.

"Do you think I could come with you?"

Elassan turned his head and I can see his eye looking at me, looking a bit surprised.

"You want to come with me?"

I blushed lightly under his gaze.

"I mean…I have never been outside of Ishgar before," I said, "And we've been working together for months now and it's going to feel weird not having you around anymore…we're partners after all…and it's only right that I can…"

"Aesyr," Elassan interrupted before I could descend into a full-blown babble, "I will be glad to have a friend along."

I feel my eyes widen lightly at the words. He considers me a friend?

Elassan had been fighting side by side with me months now. It was his power that made me what I am today, a Dragon Slayer able to fight for something more than herself. A soft light smile worked it's way upon my lips at the thought. I did consider the Dragon a friend of mine and it seems that the feeling wasn't all one-sided.

"Alright," I smiled, "We'll head out to Atlasia together…as friends."

Elassan let out a deep rumble but I knew that it was because he was laughing. I couldn't help the small smile that grew upon my lips at that. Yeah, I had lost everything I ever had in Ishgar and maybe, I'll be able to find something like that again if I lived with Elassan…

Yeah…once this war is over…

Then a smell hit my nose causing me to blink. It was a smell I had become quite familiar in the many months within the war and from how Elassan reacted, he recognized the smell as well. The smell of death and destruction.

"Was there an attack?" I asked shocked.

"It's coming from the direction of the outpost," Elassan spoke out.

Elassan sped up his flying as we came across where the outpost was situated. What we found was nothing more than destruction with the ground littered with the bodies of the Dragons that were there. Elassan landed down upon the ground as I quickly jumped from his back and unto the ground. All of those Dragons, I recognized them as the ones that supported the coexistence between humans and Dragons…but how did something like this could have happened?

"How could this have happened…was it a surprise attack from the enemy…?" I said shocked.

Elassan was looking around.

"I don't see any Dragon Slayers," he said.

I gave him a glance before searching through the area and sure enough, I noticed that Elassan was right. There were no human bodies within the area at all…all that was around us were the dead bodies of the Dragons.

"But where could they have gone?" I asked, "Could they have escaped the battle…"

"El…Elas…Elassan…," a voice cried out.

The two of us turned toward it, finding a familiar green scaled Dragon there. Darthmir was missing his legs as well as one of his wings as he lied there. I quickly ran toward him and when I got closer, I saw that his stomach was also bleeding heavily from a wound there. It was like something had made a hole through his stomach, blood dripping from his jaws.

"Darthmir," I yelled.

"My friend," Elassan spoke out, "You're hurt badly…If only Grandeeney was here, maybe she could have…"

The green Dragon let out a grumble.

"I wouldn't survive long enough…to get to her…," Darthmir spoke out.

"Just what had happened?" I asked, "When we last heard from you, your team managed to clear out this area of enemies…how did something like that happened?"

His eyes turned toward me, and there was a flash of something within that gaze something I didn't recognize but his gaze turned toward Elassan.

"We were wrong Elassan," he said, "We shouldn't…have taught human our magic…"

I was shocked at the words. From beside me, Elassan was just as surprised.

"What are you saying Darthmir? This was the only way to turn the tide in the war…and the humans have been fighting side by side with us for months now…what could have changed…?"

Darthmir shook his head.

"The humans…they were the ones that did this," Darthmir told us, shocking us to our core, "They were the ones that turned upon us…the humans went mad…"

I stayed silent staring at the Dragon. But that was impossible…there is no way that something like that could. I glanced at Elassan but the Dragon was silent, his eyes contemplating the idea of what could have happened.

"I'm sorry Darthmir…I never imagined something like that could have happened," he said softly.

Darthmir didn't answer him. I turned toward the green Dragon but it was still, no longer breathing. I stared at the large creature in front of me, completely taken aback by what had just happened. How could the Dragon Slayers do something so despicable? Weren't we all fighting on the same side? For coexistence between human and dragon?

"Elassan…what is happening?" I asked softly.

The dragon didn't answer me at all and on the way back to Dragnov, the journey was tense and quiet.

Within myself, I was worried. If the magic of the dragons cause people to go mad…then could this happen to me as well? Could it happen to Ace too?

I needed to find him…to make sure that he was okay.

If this world was starting to change…

Then I need to find him…

"Elassan…can you do me a favor?" I asked.

"What is it?"

"I need to find Ace's team," I told him, "He shouldn't be too far from where we are passing right now and maybe he can shed some light into what's going on? He had been out there for months now compared to us who were stationed at the Capital…maybe he can make us understand just what had happened?"

Elassan stayed silent for a moment.

"Getting some information will be beneficial," he said, "However we need to be careful as well. If something dangerous is happening to the Dragon Slayers as a whole…I wonder if it could be a side-effect of learning our magic."

I stared at him.

"You don't think something like that will happen to me…will you?"

"It can happen," Elassan said giving me a sideway glance, "However, since we'll be traveling together. Maybe I can find a way to help you manage whatever is going on."

I smiled lightly.

"Thank you Elassan."

Then in the distance, a sudden explosion took place drawing both of our attentions toward it. I gasped in shock noticing that it was coming from the area where Ace's base was. Elassan sped up and landed down upon the ground noticing the many Dragons that were dead on the ground…many of them being our friends.

"No," I said shocked.

I landed down upon the ground in a crouch glancing and searching the battlefield for Ace but he was nowhere to be found. I ran forward as Elassan flew above me, searching as well for what could have done this but there was no sign of anyone…anywhere until I caught sight of one of the Dragon Slayer upon the ground.

"Hey…are you okay?" I asked him pulling him in my arms, "What had happened here?"

The man was dying as he stared at me. He mouthed some words but I couldn't understand him at all, for his voice was too weak to reach me.

Then I smell a presence behind me causing to glance toward it. A man stood there with a scowl upon his features as he was staring down at me. he had dark skin as well with long blue hair that were oddly spiky. He had a long black cloak upon his form as well as a strange necklace made out of seemingly bones. His eyes stared down at me, blue almost black with the glare that was being directed at me.

"Who…are you?" I said shocked.

"You smell like a dragon," the man said looking at me with contempt in his voice.

What?

The man suddenly raised one of his hand and magic engulfed my entire body causing me to yell out in pain at what was happening to me. I flew through the air and landed down on the ground upon my side, wincing in pain.

What the hell was that…that magic…He is a Dragon Slayer, but I don't recognize him…

I pulled myself up to my knees and then a large shadow of Elassan landed down in between us. The man stared up at him, the look on his face becoming even more bloodthirsty as he stared up at the Dragon in front of him.

"Dragon," he growled, a dark grin growing upon his lips.

In front of my very eyes, the mysterious enemy launched an attack straight at Elassan, tearing through the Dragon's body as blood flew everywhere as he yelled out in pain…

"ELASSAN," I screamed.

The tragedy of the Dragon Slayers begin...

Next Time: Minotaur

Jacques0 out.

R&R