Fire of the Inquisitor

Lucia spat the blood that had filled her mouth on the ice below her. She had just collided with the dragon’s tail and felt like every bone and her body had just shattered. Lucia smiled and painfully lifted herself off the ground and pointed her sword at the beast.

“Stupid girl,” the beast crawled on its belly toward her, “just stay down, I have no reason to fight you.”

“This is your last chance.” Lucia started walking toward him but found it hard to walk in a straight line. “Leave this village or parish.”

The dragon’s head slithered in the air towards her. “You do realize that I could kill you in an instance.”

Lucia felt her body shake from the coldness of his being. “You haven’t killed me yet.”

The dragon’s forked tongue emerged from his mouth and licked the air in front of her. Suddenly, she could feel the flesh of her back being torn as the dragon dragged its flat tail down her spine. Lucia fell to her hands and knees, struggling to keep herself from blacking out. She could feel the beast’s presence hover above her head.

“Tell me when you’re ready to die,” he said.

Lucia lifted her head and stared into the monster’s diamond shaped eyes. “Not until they’re done with you.”

Before the creature knew what was happening dozens of arrows were falling down on him, their tips burning with a crimson fire. Lucia fell to the ground and watched the battle in front of her in what seemed like slow motion. The dragon reared back on its hind legs and let loose its ice breath. The archers were ready for it, though, spread out in every direction and elevation they were relentless with their volleys.

Outnumbered and weakened the beast tried to retreat, but the jeweled osprey had reappeared to attack his small legs and vulnerable neck. The dragon swatted one of the osprey away with his powerful tail, but the archers aimed to pin down his appendages and the two remaining ospreys dragged him down with their razor sharp teeth. The dragon’s slender head hit the ground in front of Lucia and for a moment the two made eye contact, the young soldier smiled.

Something deep within the dragon exploded and tore opened its body. A mixture of slush-like ice and black and green smog started to our out of the dragon’s body. The monster let out a hellish scream and stood up again, shaking the arrows and osprey off its body. The dragon flesh was quickly dissolving into a cloud of mist, but its piercing red eyes found Lucia.

“You’re coming with me,” a dark voice said.

Somehow finding the strength to move again, Lucia found her sword and used it to lift herself up. She stood, not in pain, but instead feeling euphoria as she pointed her sword at her enemy one last time. The dragon hissed and what remained of his head opened its jaws and sent a blast of black ice toward her. Lucia closed her eyes, but instead of the freezing cold she expected to feel, she felt a warmth surround her.

Lucia opened her eyes to see a wall of flames encircle her. In front of her, the dragon’s bodiless face was getting closer, trying to pierce the flames that protected the young soldier. Lucia could feel someone’s presence behind her, helping her to stay on her feet.

“Finish him,” a familiar voice said in her ear.

The dragon’s eyes know close enough to touch, Lucia started to swing her sword. The flames that had been circling her now engulfed her sword as she sliced through those terrible eyes and cut them in half. A blinding light washed over her and she lost all sense of her body as she slipped into a deep sleep.