The creature above had finally ceased its circling and prepared to land. Swooping down gracefully and landing before us within moments, the creature revealed itself to be a beautiful and majestic Dragon with scales that mottled in a dark-green and obsidian color. The membrane around its wings was old and frayed in several places. Two, large horns protruded from the Dragon's skull-like head, which curved around its jaw lines. Perhaps at one point, the Dragon once had a face, but it had long-since decayed. Attached around its neck was a small, glass phylactery which pulsated with a strange, yet, seemingly familiar dark magic within. The Dragon's ebony eyes regarded us with a cold stare, as sickly-green acid drooled from its maws. It cloaked its torn wings about its body and lowered itself to the ground, as though ready to pounce on us all. Something familiar was carried in the Dragon's eyes which brought curious memories.
“ … M … Master Dagg?” I whispered in disbelief.
I heard a small chuckle rumble from Banin. He looked at me briefly, before shifting his attention back to the Dragon. “So,” he smirked, “you have some feeling towards this girl, do you?”
Master Dagg hissed in response and rested his eyes on me. The way he glared into my own eyes told me that he was highly annoyed in my leaving the cave. Normally, he wouldn't care of such things; today, however, he was obviously in a different mood.
“If you would rather have the girl than me, then take her and leave this place,” he growled at Banin. “Never return, or you will face something far more horrid than undead harpies.”
Banin raised his brows in slight surprise at the Dragon's response.
I looked away from both him and Master Dagg, feeling so used and helpless at this point. “No, Master Dagg,” I said weakly, “I don't want to go back with Banin. I would rather die here.”
Banin suddenly dropped me and I fell to the soaked ground with a painful thump. He drew his longsword from its sheath and aimed it at my face. “Perhaps, he has tainted you,” he said in a low tone, eyeing me carefully. “You may not even be a living being. Prove to me that you are not another undead creature and I will spare your life.”
I heard a small chuckle rumble from Master Dagg's large body and I quickly looked back at him in a panic. I was expecting Master Dagg to save me, but he remained in his spot, watching the scene with amused interest.
“H — How am I supposed to do that?” I asked Banin nervously. At first glance, I probably could have easily passed for an undead being. I looked sickly enough, with my skin devoid of all color and the lifeless, morbid gaze that remained in my eyes. “Must you open me up and see my beating heart for yourself in order for you to be convinced that I am not undead?!”
I figured Banin was trying to test Master Dagg's patience, and it appeared that Master Dagg knew this, also. Not much got past that old Dragon so easily. He continued watching us both amusingly, waiting for our little act to finally cease.
I held out my arm for Banin to touch my wrist and feel the pulse of my beating heart which would dismiss all further suspicions and doubts.
He hesitated before eventually taking it and placing his thumb just below my wrist. His eyes remained on Master Dagg as he felt the nervous, little pulse. In a huff, he tossed my arm down.
“Does this girl truly mean nothing to you, Dragon?!” It was evident in his tone of voice that his exasperation of the situation continued to grow.
Master Dagg rested his body on the ground and curled himself up comfortably, appearing non-threatened by the Hemlock Hunters' presence. “If it means being rid of you imbeciles once and for all,” he scoffed, “then, yes — she is as worthless as a piece of lint.”
Banin laughed and faced Master Dagg after shoving me aside. A few of his men approached me and grabbed my arms to ensure I wouldn't run away.
I watched helplessly while the two of them started exchanging words.
“You are not as strong as you used to be, Necromancer.” Banin pointed the clean blade of his longsword at the Dragon's throat.
Master Dagg looked down at him blankly, as though the cold steel aimed at his scaly skin did little to faze him. He flicked his forked tongue out, eagerly awaiting Banin to follow through with his blade.
I watched as Banin's hand never faltered even as he stuck the blade cleanly into Master Dagg's neck, drawing blood from the wound.
A small grunt came from the Dragon and he slumped over weakly, inadvertently drawing the blade deeper as a result.
“NO!” I cried and struggled to stand, despite my injured leg. I was stopped immediately as the armored men restrained my arms and legs then turned my head towards the scene, forcing me to watch Banin withdraw the sword from the Dragon's neck. He drew back and in a swift thrusting motion, Banin used the momentum of his weight to lodge the blade into the Dragon's heart.
Master Dagg did not even bother to fight back. Was this what he wanted all along? I thought.
I struggled violently against their strong grip, attempting to break out of their hold, but my continued efforts were futile.
After giving the Dragon's body a series of stabs and slices through its vital parts, Banin stuck the sword in the swamp water to wash off the excess blood then sheathed it back into the scabbard. He stood back and studied Master Dagg's lifeless form for a few moments before turning his attention back to me.
“That was … too easy,” he said with some disappointment and uncertainty in his voice.
“No. He would rather die than to deal with the likes of you,” I spat at him, “and I would, as well.”
Banin laughed and approached me, lifting my chin to make my eyes gaze into his as he spoke. “Are you daft, Girl? He is a necromancer. He has probably already found a way to turn himself into an undead creature. It is strange, however. I have not known any Dragon to not put up a fight. Tell me what you know about him. What are his plans?”
His questions fell on deaf ears as I kept silent. I was determined to remain uncooperative towards him until he either killed or released me. Unfortunately, neither happened and he only became more persistent with questions that I barely knew the answers to.
“Why do you insist on defending that vile creature?!” Banin grabbed my arm and spun me around so that I was forced to look at him. “Do you really wish me to kill you for your crimes of being in affiliation with a necromancer?!”
I glared at him, remaining silent.
He sneered. “No, on second thought, I think killing you would be far too easy. Tell me why you hold that Dragon in such high regards? What sort of things has he told you?”
The questions never ceased and I remained steadfast against his persistence. I had learned much from Master Dagg, who taught me the value of patience.
Now I truly understand the annoyance Master Dagg has for Dragon-slayers, I thought, seething inside.
Seeing as his questions were getting him nowhere, Banin and his men finally released me.
I held my sore arms and regarded them with a menacing stare. I was not afraid to fight them all to my death, as much as the notion sounded foolish and Master Dagg would never approve of such things. He had always preferred less-conventional methods of getting rid of an enemy.
I diverted my attention over to Master Dagg's heaping Dragon-corpse and limped past the men to tend to the body. I knelt down beside him and ran my hand carefully over the bleeding wound. I could sense Banin and his men watching me, but I did not give them the incentive to attack again. I remained at Master Dagg's side with my face buried into his scaly body, attempting to cry through burning eyes, but the tears would not come. For a moment, I thought I felt the faintest breath of air come from Master Dagg and I examined him closely. Either the old Dragon was truly dead or feigning death well.