Beast fields near dragon gulch upon the lava flows
Boredom. Overwhelming boredom. That was the only feeling I had when not on watch or in the beast fields. Having been banned from the latter by the officers of the guard the only fun I had was sparring with Cerberus. The only other form of entertainment was the rare fights between recruits. Those were unfortunately beaten out of them after the first outbreak. The punishments were swift and brutal. I never got them due to my reputation….and the fear that came with it. All in all was boring when you weren’t fighting or training. I sit down on the stone bench outside my room. My partner was inside changing and even though I’d seen it all before (long story short her armor came off) she still insisted I leave the place. It had been nigh 4,000 years since my arrival. A hundred of which was spent as part of the common damned. The only reason id gotten out was because of her. Imagine my surprise when seven guards had come to kill me for causing trouble. I smiled at their surprise when they saw what I had been doing with my time. Before me was the body of a grand elder dragon. I leaned against the rough wall. I lifted my left arm to study it for the millionth time.
I had lost my arm in the fight with the beast and would have been held back and killed for it. Clover mint, my partner, had stopped them just before they’d let their spears fly. “What is your name soul?” she asked her tone cold and calculating. I grinned and replied “depends, who’s asking?”
I got a snort for a reply. “Hold your tongue lest I cut it from thous mouth.” Hoho a threat I thought mayhap she’ll entertain me for a bit.
“You know seeing as how I killed this and came out cripple from my fight ill make you a deal?”I offered with mock enthusiasm.
“And what could thou possibly offer me that I could not achieve myself?”She countered.
I laughed my little crazed laugh. “Well seeing as how you’re the leader of this little group of pansies …. I could offer you a fight for your life.”
She seemed taken aback by this, unsure if it was bluff or truth, but the light in her eyes screamed interest”. And what pray tell would thou like in return?”
“I want this beasties arm sowed on to me.” She laughed at this obviously thinking I was crazy. Drawing a blade that appeared to be carved from bone she raised it and pointed it at me.
“Very well I accept the terms to your deal.” She looked back to her guards who were nervously looking among themselves. She pointed to three “bane, grim, blister, start salvaging the dragon’s corpse. Leave an arm intact.” They seemed to take comfort in the simple order and circled around me to get to it. They set about descaling it.
Turning back to her I cracked me neck in preparation. “I take it you accept my offer then?”
She smiled a feint feeling upon her face as it seemed out of place. “What do you think?”
I looked up stroking my chin for a moment before responding. “I think ill beat you into submission and then force you to give me a working arm…. And possibly dinner.”
“I’ll have to beat that sense of humor out of you before you’re delivered to the prisons soul. “She said with a slight giggle. This also seemed out of place.
I smiled and drew a short dagger with my only arm. The cracks in the blade glowed blue sending an eerie glow around the blade. She noticed this as well and seemed to have seconded thoughts. “If you think about running and not giving me the arm I will follow and cripple or not I will kill your entire unit and extend my offer to the search party.” My threat was spoken with malice and reassurance. She seemed to be mulling it over.
Without warning she charged me bringing her sword down in a two-handed over head ark fully intent on severing my remaining arm. I lifted my own to meet the blow. The force of the impact could’ve shattered bone had it been completely connected. While she recovered from the blow, her own arms being jarred, I swiped her legs out from under her. To keep my balance I had to take a step with the unmoved foot. The only viable place was to my benefit her face. Bringing it down with far more force than was necessary. It would have been over had she not grabbed my foot throwing it away from her. This caused me to fall directly atop of her, leaving us face to face. I now got a good look at her face. She pale with brown hair and eyes. Pale pink lips with dimples on either side. I took all this in and for a moment I realized I didn’t want to kill her at all. Unfortunately for her that went out the window when the bitch head butted me and I rolled over into a lava crack sending burns all down my back. She took advantage of this and sat atop me and began her attempt at rearranging my face. By this point I just didn’t give a shit. I dropped my blade and with my hands I reached into the lava flow, burning the skin away and slowly everything else, I gave her a face full of molten rock.
She practically flew off of me attempting to put out the flames that covered her face. I stood up grabbing my dagger as I did so. I looked around to see the three guards had stopped scaling and were now watching with interest. The ones that had been watching all along were now looking at me with a mixture of fear and respect. The glow of my blade began to grow as I walked towards her. “Sauna I whispered.
The moment the word left my lips the blue glow left my blade a traveled the span of my body. When it reached my back the charred and burnt skin fell off, quickly replaced by new skin growing at a sickening speed. My hand was restored as muscle and tendon reconnected in much the same fashion. All of the scratches and cuts id received from rolling on the ground (I’m only wearing shorts mind you) closed and disappeared as if they had never happened. I felt completely rejuvenated by my spell.
By now, having put out the flames, she was laying on the ground in too much pain to move. When I reached her I smiled. “I told you, ill beat you into submission. Well do you agree to face the terms of defeat honorably?”
She looked up at me when I said defeat, as if id asked her to kill everything she loved and ever would love. With a bit of visual effort she managed to choke out the words “yes I do” in a barely audible whisper. Her face once pale and dirty was now charred beyond recognition.
I smiled as I raised my dagger, the glow having returned only with less intensity. “Oh and my name is azure,” I thought for a moment “azure flame.” Before I plunged the blade into her, letting its glow wash over her, healing her aches and wounds, before passing out atop of her armored form.
