Rose looked around, surveying the area with her keen eyes. Red rimmed her dark brown eyes, from lack of sleep, as her black hair cascaded down her back, all the way to her butt. The black armour she wore was more of a formality than a necessity, showing more skin than it covered. Both legs were completely armour-less, though her shoulders and midsection were clad in it. "Zeig, hurry up. I can smell the beast." She said, as Zeig rounded a corner of the mountain, and grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry 'bout that." He said, brushing blonde hair out of his light blue eyes. Zeig's armour was much more practical, spanning his body from neck to foot, and dyed blood red. His long blade hung against his back, always ready for a quick draw. It was different from most blades, as it ended with what could easily be called a spike. Without a close inspection it looked like a thin axe. Rose wore hers at her waist, and she carried a rapier, unlike Zeig.
Rose made a quiet motion, and Zeig snuck up beside her as quiet as he could, not disturbing a broken branch, or anything. He looked at what she looked at, and he gasped before he could stifle the noise. "The Darkness Dragon." He said, receiving another motion from Rose for quiet.
The dragon reared its head up, and looked around, swathed in black curls rising from its body, almost as if it were on fire with some black flame. The features it had were blurry, barely discernable as anything at all.
Rose breathed her words at Zeig. "I was reading in Diaz's library that the Darkness Dragon's armour was practically impenetrable. Neither sword nor shield could break it. We have to coax it into using a specific attack. Once made, we only have a second or two to lay the attack down. You draw its attention, and I'll sneak closer. See if you can force it to use what the books called 'Darkness Blast.'" She finished, and motioned to where Zeig should go. He nodded gravely, and swallowed hard. It wouldn't be an easy task.
Standing up, he drew his blade and charged straight east, yelling and kicking as much dirt and rocks about him as he ran. The dragon's head shot up, and looked right at him, eyes burning red. Good. It's moving. He thought, as the dragon unfurled its wings, and roared in challenge to Zeig. He attempted a roar back, but it came out feeble in comparison.
He was doing such a good job; Rose didn't even have to sneak like she expected to get behind the beast. She sat there patiently, waiting for either to fly after Zeig, in which case she'd chase after it and attack, or use the attack the book spoke of, and then she'd land the only blow that could kill such a powerful beast. It didn't take long for it to happen, as a moment later, she felt the air around become colder. Heavy magic was about to be used, and it was sucking the warmth from the air around it. That could only mean the Blast was coming. Rose only hoped Zeig would have the foresight of not getting hurt. She'd have to kill him if he did anything of that sort.
A surge of extreme power and might suddenly leapt from the dragon. A two foot wide, darker than night energy beam shot from the dragon's chest, right at where Zeig stood. He sword loudly, and threw himself as far as he could from the radiance of the attack. Rose nodded to herself, and swiftly moved to the dragon. The attack had ended, and she could see the exposed flesh where the tender under armour had moved to allow the blast through. She thrust her rapier into that flesh, and felt it slide easily deep to the hilt.
The dragon reared back, a throaty cry ripping from its mouth, and knocked back Rose a good ten feet from where she stood. Dazed and in pain from a twisted ankle, she stood shakily and limped backwards a few steps. From the liveliness it was exhibiting, she was no longer sure the book was correct in how to kill such a dragon. It just seemed to be pissed. "Zeig! It doesn't look like it's dying!" She shouted, as the dragon's nostrils flared, and glared at her.
"That could be bad Rosey!" He yelled back, brandishing his sword and running at the dragon.
But, just as he reached the beast, it's red eyes lolled back into its head, and it slumped to the side of itself. The final moments of the dragon's life had been of pain. For this Rose was saddened, but it was not a choice of her own. She needed the Dragon spirit from it, so she could become one of the much-fabled Dragoons: a Dragon Knight. "I am sorry we had to destroy you, Darkness Dragon. But this is the only way for us humans to survive." She said, stroking the dragon softly, sadness deep in her voice.
"Rose..." Zeig said, walking up and standing next to her.
She nodded, tears shimmering in her eyes, and she plunged her blade right into the chest of the dragon once more, and carved out the jewel in it. The jewel dropped to the ground as the dragon slowly crumbled on itself. "It's...real. I always expected...well, I always expected we'd come on a wild goose hunt." She said, amazed.
"I trusted in you, if that counts for anything." Zeig whispered into her ear, putting his chin on her shoulder. "I'll always trust you, my love."
Rose turned her head, and looked at him, smiling. Zeig always amazed her, and how he could behave like such a juvenile, and yet tell her the most sincere things. She looked back at what was left of the Darkness Dragon, and all that sat there was a small dragon, mewling like all babies do, and the jewel that was the spirit. She walked over, and picked the spirit up, and as soon as she did, it glowed with its own internal light. "The jewel is accepting me...that means I was meant to rule dragons." She said, to no one in particular.
"Can we leave now? I never liked being on this mountain..." Zeig said looking around, as Rose began to notice the near-perfect quiet that had taken the mountain in the last few moments.
"That would be a good idea, I am sure. This pseudo-dragon here, though...we must bring it with us; he will be the forefront of our assault on the Winglies. He is of the darkness persuasion, after all." Rose said, and Zeig nodded. "He needs a name. How does...Michael sound?" She looked at him.
"I like it fine. Suits such a cute lil' critter." Zeig smirked mockingly, and Rose ignored the remark.
"Yes, Michael will do fine." She said, and picked him up, as the pseudo-dragon began moving around furiously. But in Rose's hands, it stopped, as if it accepted her as master as well. "I think we have yet a chance..." She said to no one in particular, as her and Zeig began the trek back to civilization.