Chapter Two: Snapped String

Even though she promised that she would try to trust him more, it was hard. He was constantly killing more than he needed to, and it was terrifying. She remembered how hard it had been to break him out of his bloodlust before. How difficult would it be this time?

She watched as he tore out the insides of another Forest Runner and her mind took her back to the Dragon Campaign.

"Michael! Help!"

She screamed. The Darkness Dragon was already there, slamming the Virage away from her, thrusting its head straight through the Virage's body. Rose could feel his insane pleasure at the victory of defeating yet another enemy. The yellow-brown blood of the Virage stained Michael's muzzle but all he did was continue to smile, firing more of the black laser and killing more. His bloodlust filled her mind, so that she swung her sword savagely against a Wingly. The sound of metal and flesh rang in her ears and she could feel her lips pulling back in a wildcat smirk.

"Rose! What are you doing?"

She stopped, surprised. "I…I don't know. Did I…"

"It's fine. You're supposed to kill. It's a war, darling. It's what I've been telling you all along." Zieg slashed his sword. "I'm glad you're getting the hang of it. We'll work on it."

The coldness, the firm stating of the facts, was frightening to her but it was when she first learned.

"Michael." She called softly. He stopped and stared at her. "It's enough. Let's go."

I did it again, didn't I?

"Yes."

I'm sorry.

"What makes the bloodlust happen? What started it?"

I start feeling it when I see anything living aside from you. It just happens as if I am looking for a worthy opponent or just someone to slaughter.

"What started it?"

Silence.

"Michael?"

It is of no importance. I will try to contain it, Master. I'm sorry.

"We'll work on it." She replied and she was ashamed at the coldness in her voice.

…

The final string snapped before she could anticipate it. She had been riding on his back, feeling the wind blowing her hair back, the sweet scent of flowers around her as Michael skimmed close to a flower field, knowing that she liked the soft petals. There was a town nearby. She would have a bed to sleep in. She started to calm her mind, breathing in the scent of lilies.

And then the attack came.

It began as a vague dust cloud in the distance. Michael stopped, hovering closer to it. Rose squinted, her hand on her Dragoon Spirit to amplify her senses. Automatically she could see across the distance.

"…A pack of dera. They must have escaped from that town over there." She told her friend. "Come on. Let's go. There's no reason to bother them. The humans will catch them soon enough."

Michael didn't move.

"Michael?" Rose tapped him lightly on his skull. "Come on. Did you hear me? Michael? Are you all right?"

He tossed her into the air before she realized it. One second she was sitting safely on his back and the next second he "reared", sending her flying without her wings.

- No. There's no way he could have thrown me. He never did that before. He would never do that. - Rose 's thoughts were disconcerted and she righted her body in midair so that when she landed, it was heavily but on her feet. The reverberation shook her and she saw him.

But too late did she see him soaring in attack pattern, battle formation.

"No! Don't!"

The Dragon did not heed her words, sweeping up in a large arc, and dove down upon the dera. She saw the skin on his chest stretch open and his ribs rustling to expose the black heart full of energy. No, he was too close to the town. He would kill someone.

"Michael!" She screamed. "No!"

The black energy was like a wave of darkness crashing onto her, through her, into her, so that it pounded at her brain, surrounding her until it was the only thing in her universe. No light. Where was the light? She watched it descend, skimming the edge of the town. Screams. Rose stood. Some part of her was telling her to run before she was caught in the recoil but she couldn't. Not that her body would obey her, but she couldn't leave Michael like this. She couldn't!

The howls of pain from the dera creatures. Her brain flashed. The howls of pain from the Virage as Michael fired the black laser, dissipating their molecules until they no longer existed. But was that a brave Dragon warrior fighting or simple bloodlust taking over?

The screams of the humans. Again another flash. The screams of the Winglies as Michael used his force to crush them against the buildings, or his jagged claws and teeth to rip their veins and watch the blood spurting out. The smell of blood always excited some side of him.

Michael had always loved fighting. Perhaps even more than Kanzas's Violet Dragon. Rose's mind kept showing her that picture as Michael thrust his head through the Virage and savoring the feeling. She shut her eyes silently and she could feel a deep sinking of what was left of her heart.

Michael…

The black energy spread out, the invisible recoil spreading out over its blast radius. And she stood directly in the path.

She didn't even care when she blacked out.