The dragon's lair was unlike what Mary had been expecting. While it was largely tunnels through the mountain, there was also a manse inside, decrepit, but still grand. Perhaps proving that the dragon did have a human form like Sir Dante claimed.
"Are all dragon lairs like this?" Mary asked.
"They can be," Sir Dante said, "Magical beings of this caliber just don't like straight forward. Drives me crazy."
Eventually they came to a library, the books looked old and tattered, the types of books her father seemed to love. As they made their way through the shelves, Sir Dante felt the need to remind her, "Now, remember, if we see that blue dragon, I have first call. You can get the other one."
Before she could respond, someone else called out Sir Dante's cockiness.
"So arrogant, little brother," came a cold voice. "Here I was growing concerned one of the lesser challengers had bested you."
From around the corner, Lord Vergil walked forward, snapping a book shut and setting it to the side. He still wore fine clothes, and now had an odd foreign sword on his hip. It was alarming to see the two brothers, so identical in every way, except in manner and dress.
"Can't shake me that easily," Sir Dante said, drawing his sword.
"So eager to die?"
Mary blinked. To Sir Dante, she hissed, "What's your brother doing here?"
Lord Vergil looked upon her with amusement. "I see you've brought a squire-"
"I am no squire!" Mary shouted. Sir Dante had been playing her a fool this whole time. Those secrets were more than she had thought.
"Why did you get a human involved in our affairs?" Lord Vergil asked, annoyance clear in his voice. For all his great intelligence, he hadn't put together who she was.
But wait, human? Mary thought back, Dante had said something similar, about human's dying easily. As if he… and his brother were something else. That perhaps their father was well known, just not to humans.
Who would know a dragon better than a dragon after all.
"You're the one who did it first," Sir Dante said, "Besides," He indicated with his head towards her, "this one wants revenge. Can't get in the way of that."
Mary took a step back. Sure he looked like a man, but if his brother was- No- Mary couldn't believe it!
"Lord Arkham is merely a means to an end," Lord Vergil said, "As I am sure he thinks the same of me."
"What do you mean?" Mary asked, "My father consulted you to stop the dragon!"
"Father?" Sir Dante asked.
"Your father is the dragon," Lord Vergil said plainly, "Three years ago he thought consuming the blood of your mother would make the spell permanent."
It couldn't be true.
"Of course, it was amateur work," Lord Vergil continued. "That is why he sought me out."
"And why would you help such a perverse goal?" Sir Dante asked. "I've never known you for your charity."
"I required a healthy amount of human blood," Lord Vergil said, "Which the ill prepared knights gave me in ample supply."
"How could you?" Sir Dante hissed.
"I forget, little brother, you've yet to taste the life blood of a human. There is truly nothing sweeter than the power it can grant. You'll have noticed the extent of my abilities has far surpassed your own."
"I haven't, actually," Sir Dante snapped.
"Regardless, you've come here prematurely," Lord Vergil said, and smiled. It was a cold and cruel expression. "I have more than enough power to deal with you."
The two brothers met in a slash of swords so powerful, Mary swore she saw sparks. They moved with inhuman speed, Mary realized she had seen only a mite of Sir Dante's true potential. During the fight in the dark, it hadn't been the darkness and lightning playing tricks on her eyes. Still, she wondered, half numb with horror, why did they fight like men with swords and not with tooth and claw like beasts?
Mary backed away, jumping when a hand clamped on her shoulder. She turned her head to see familiar heterochromatic eyes. It was her father, although there was something… off about him. Mary nearly collapsed in his arms until she remembered Lord Vergil and Sir Dante's words. She reeled away and drew her crossbow.
"Mary?" he asked.
"Did you do it?" she asked.
"Do what, dear?"
"Did you kill my mother?"
"Who told you that?" he asked.
Mary didn't answer, but her eyes flickered to the brothers fighting.
"Vergil did?" Lord Arkham asked, "He's trying to trick you like he tricked me. Dragons are endlessly tricky."
That made some sense. Mary's aim waivered.
"That's it Mary, I've only just found out myself, but Vergil was the dragon who killed your mother."
It would be more convenient to believe, but something about it felt wrong.
Her father coughed, and Mary lowered the crossbow. "We need to get you out of here, come on!"
After his coughing fit ended, he said, "I found a secret passage, follow me."
Mary did so, not noticing in the poor lighting that when her father coughed again, there was a cloud of black smoke.
…
Dante breathed heavily. There was no one else who could get him like this. For all of Vergil's big talk they were evenly matched. It was the reason they never killed each other. As much as Vergil insisted on putting his humanity behind him, even the logical side of him knew he would be pressed to find another opponent like Dante.
"You're still too weak," Vergil said, conjuring blades.
"Sorcery in a swordmatch is cheating," Dante protested.
"I need to end this. Lord Arkham appears to be stealing my prize."
"Your prize?" Dante asked, "I'll be the one to win her if I defeat you and her father."
"I am sure your bride will prefer my proposal to yours."
"Death to a dragon," Dante asked, "Or marriage? I'd like to ask the lady herself."
Vergil smiled, it was the smile that meant Dante was missing something. "Unfortunately, you won't."
And the sword pierced Dante to the ground with a sickening splat. Normal swords would have no chance of piercing the steel, but these blades were enchanted. They passed through the armor like butter. Dante could only lay there and stare up at the impassive face of his brother.
"Perhaps I can ask on your behalf," Vergil asked, "And tell you her response."
Dante couldn't respond with a sword in his diaphragm. He lost consciousness soon after.
…
He woke up an indeterminate amount of time later, the magic blade gone.
Dante cursed, feeling blood still soaking into his clothes, and wondered if he was too late.
He ran down the path with a blood trail that was fresh enough for him to think there was still time. Vergil tended to stop bleeding even quicker than himself.
The scene he came upon was not one he'd been expecting.
In a large circular room, there was a standoff between the lady and Vergil. She held Vergil at crossbow point, while Lord Arkham did some incantation behind her with a large book. Dante didn't know much about magic, but that looked like bad news.
"I suppose it makes sense you'd believe your father over me," Vergil was saying, "But you must find it odd that you're in the ritual chamber rather than down the mountain."
As pigheaded as she was, the lady wasn't an idiot. She slowly turned to Lord Arkham, her hand wavering.
Vergil took a step, his mistake, as the lady let the bolt fly instinctively. It wouldn't kill his brother, but it would stun him. The lady seemed almost surprised the bolt hurt him and in that split second, Lord Arkham knocked her out with the large book. She still wore her helmet, but it rang like a bell and she went out like a light again.
The scarred man let out an evil cackle and picked up the lady's spear. It was then that he noticed Dante's arrival in the room.
"So you weren't dead," Lord Arkham said, "No matter, you soon will be! Now I wonder… how powerful will I become after consuming two sons of Sparda!"
Dante leveled his sword. "Consume me? I think you'd choke."
Before he could get any closer, the man pointed the spear at the lady and pushed up her chainmail to stab her leg. Taking the blood on the tip of the spear, he licked it and started to transform. His skin split as scales erupted, his fine clothes ripping as he grew in size. Bat-like wings burst from his back, and he flung the spear across the room.
Vergil came to and grabbed the lady, coming to the smaller hallway Dante emerged from, Dante dove and grabbed the lady's spear and the two ran out of the new dragon's reach to strategize.
"I thought you were going to kill her?" Dante asked as they ran.
"When did I say that?" Vergil asked, "She's the last of her bloodline. I intended to find her a husband she could stand to perpetuate it with. I just cannot imagine a woman wanting to do that with you."
The lady gasped, as she came to and started swinging. At that point they were back in the library, and she caught Vergil in the same move she'd gotten him. Vergil dropped her and finally removed the crossbow bolt from his shoulder. She tried to stand, Dante offered her her spear, which she used to steady herself.
"I'm not going to address that," Dante said. Plenty of women would be happy to perpetuate their bloodlines with him. Probably. "I think we can agree that taking down Arkham is the biggest issue now."
Vergil unhappily agreed.
"He's the dragon that killed my mother," the lady confirmed, "I'm going to kill him."
"Lady, you're in no state to walk down this mountain, much less slay a dragon," Dante pointed out, "leave this to us."
"To two dragons?" she asked, "absolutely not!"
"Look, I understand how you feel," Dante started, "And I'll give you this special deal: you can have the next one."
"The next one?" she grit out, trying to step forward, menacingly only to be hindered by her wounded leg and the fact she was quite a bit shorter than him.
"I agree with my brother," Vergil said, "I cannot allow you to die at this time."
"I don't care what either of you think!" she exclaimed, "My entire soul is screaming at me to avenge my mother, if I can't do even that-"
So overcome, she began to cry. Vergil glared and stated, "An aerial battle will prove annoying. I will go and put down this monstrosity before it can figure out how to fly." and left the pair.
Dante caught her from collapsing, holding her close.
"There's not a lot of time," Dante whispered to her, "I really do understand how you feel."
A thought came to him. "My Lady," he started, "you may not be able to complete this battle, but I could do this in your name."
At that, Lady looked up at him, tears still in her eyes. She hastily wiped them away and said, "How is it I get so far only to be stuck doing the same thing. Have I not grown at all?"
"Has any other human gotten this far?" Dante asked, "You would've gotten here even without me. I think you may have even been able to slay this dragon. But I don't think you would have walked away."
Something liquid in her turned to steel. "Fine," she drew to her full height and appeared as noble as she had been the night they met. "Sir Dante, I send you forth to slay the dragon in my name."
"About that favor?" he asked.
She glared at him but instead of cursing at him, or changing her mind, she held out the spear. "Take this. You'll fight in my mother's name as well."
Dante took the spear, feeling the weight of it in his hand. He grinned. He'd rather have a kiss, but this was almost as good. He'd been hoping to give the spear a spin, but had known better than to ask.
"Just watch, Lady," Dante said, "This is how slaying dragons is done."
…
Lady patched up her leg, and then could do nothing but watch once the side of the mountain sloughed off as the battle did take to the sky.
Her father- no, Arkham had become the very same dragon she'd seen all those years ago. The same one that had killed her mother, consuming her in one bite, leaving her to stare and cry. His wing beats were like thunder, and the power he exuded made her realize Dante had been right.
In the air were two other dragons, both smaller and blue in color. At first it had been hard to tell which was which, but one of the dragons had an odd cant to its flight. That one must have been Vergil.
She didn't feel too bad about that, even if it made the fight more difficult for him. The battle was like two crows attacking an eagle. She wondered why her father was so much larger, if it was age, or if it was due to the magic, or if it was due to something else. Dante disappeared into the clouds, but the stream of fire had her more focused on Vergil's attempts to attack a wing.
Eventually her father faltered, and just as he grew entirely focused on Vergil, a small figure plunged from above, her spear glinting in the sun.
The spear found its home in the dragon's heart, just as the spear's namesake supposedly had twenty years ago. Like a falling star, Arkham dropped from the sky, the two brothers following him.
Lady lost sight of them until they took to the sky, fighting viciously. Even from the distance, she could feel the pure rage the two had. It was the same as when she'd seen them fighting with swords earlier except more visceral. Eventually Vergil roared something and flew off. Lady wondered what he'd said. She began making her way down the mountain. Her horse was quick to run to her and Lady pet the great beast.
Mounting was quite difficult, but walking was worse, so she managed. Dante's horse fell in behind her.
Eventually, she met up with him, walking up the hill. He was dressed as he had been, except his armor had a hole through it. That must be from his brother's strange magic blades.
Lady watched with apprehension, unsure about this dragon. Sure, they'd fought alongside each other, but he was a dragon… the thing that had killed her mother. The spear was in his hands, wet with the Dragon Arkham's blood.
He faltered when he saw the distrust in her eyes.
"How come you're coming back here?" she asked. What had he said? That dragons could get weird about women? Was he speaking from experience?
"Had to give you your spear back," he answered, holding the spear out.
Lady looked at it and then to him.
"What?" he asked, "scared I've defiled it somehow?"
She bit her lip before asking, "Why didn't you tell me-"
"That I was half dragon?" he asked, "I don't know, why didn't you tell me you weren't just any Lady, but Lady Mary."
"Don't call me that," she hissed, "I don't want to be called by the name he gave me."
"Whatever Lady," he said, perhaps some real hurt underneath his bravado, "we both had secrets."
"Had you known you would've made me return."
"Had you known you would've blown my cover or shot me."
So they were at an impasse.
She took the spear.
"I guess we return to our nuptials," Dante said with a grin.
"Oh, not anymore," Lady said, relieved suddenly. "Since my father died before I had a son, or even just gotten married, my cousin will inherit the land and title."
"That blows," Dante said, and then added, "You know… if you don't want to lose your inheritance, you could lie, say we got married. You could even bear my child and prove Vergil wrong."
"Why would I do that?" she asked, hackles rising again.
"Well, for the sake of the story, I think we ought to at least sleep together, which could result in a child. I know it's generous of me, but you needn't thank me-"
He was cut off by the smack of the metal handle of her spear.
"I'd never marry, much less sleep with, a dragon!" she exclaimed.
"I take it back then. I would never marry or sleep with a woman who hits me in the head like that!" He rubbed the back of his head, although she doubted he was all that hurt. Besides his provocative words, he hadn't been anything but respectful. Lady figured of the dragons she had met, he was the most tolerable.
He walked his horse by the reins, glancing out towards the castle. "You're really okay with leaving all this to someone else?"
After a moment, Lady said, "I think I'm fine with it going to my cousin. I don't want anything of Lord Arkham's."
"Say… wanna come with me?" Dante asked, "I did promise you could kill the next dragon. I think we work pretty well together."
He had a point. Lady had ran into few men who so easily accepted her want to fight. Much less encouraged it. "Why did Vergil fly off like that?"
"I guess I said something to piss him off," Dante said, and looked away. However, from her angle she saw something glint on his face. Impossible, tears? Could dragons cry? "Not like I thought he was dead this whole time or anything."
She supposed even monsters loved their brothers, as villainous as said brothers could be. "You know, even a dragon may cry if he loses someone he cares for."
Dante hastily wiped his face and said, "Crying? Who's crying? I just need to know if I'm getting paid at all for this."
Lady thought about it. She'd never left her father's lands, but the thought of returning sickened her. "I'm not going to rest until every dragon is dead," she said, "We can use my dowry to fund that quest, if you're serious about helping me."
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Dante exclaimed, "Nothing I love better than being out on a quest!"
And with that, the pair made their way down the mountain, to inform the new lord he would be free from the tyranny of dragons, and collect Lady's dowry.
"I thought you didn't want anything to do with your-" he corrected himself, "Arkham?"
"This is my mother's," Lady said.
Dante smiled and couldn't help but notice it was a healthy sum.
"Where to now?" Lady asked, placing the bags on her horse. She tried to remount the horse, but struggled due to her leg. Dante lifted her up onto it like a child. She hoped her blush came off as one of rage and not embarrassment. As well as something else she refused to admit to. He smirked at her and now it really was rage.
"Well, I have a keep that I think I just thought of a good name for. I figure we go there, recuperate, and then go find you that dragon."
She couldn't help but grin. No more watching from towers. From that day forward, Lady was going to fight her problems. Head on!