The One Unworthy of Legends - V:1.1 - Maria's Ascension

~ Chapter 29 ~

Skarlet pressed her nails into her palm as she squeezed her fists tighter, her knuckles turned white. She frowned as her gaze traveled to the cave in front of her. A dark yawning abyss that swallowed the light from the sun. the bag of food was warm at her hip and for some reason her sword felt heavier as she thought about the dragon she was to face.

"Maybe I should've brought Cody at least, or maybe joined a party. No they would have stopped me." She sighed as she drew her sword and took her first, uncertain, step into the cave. Unknown to her she wasn't alone out here, as she disappeared beyond the gaping maw of the cave a figure stepped from the forest. Her tabby cat ears twitch slightly as she gave her surroundings a quick survey before heading towards the cave herself.

Skarlet cast a familiar flame spell, the same one she'd used to explore the spider infested ruins from before. Holding her finger up she lit the path, revealing a cavernous corridor she didn't Believe wide enough for a dragon that was too big.

"Maybe it'll be a small dragon and that's why the reward was sketchy." She tried to give a reason for the little hiccup all the while blatantly aware if the fact that this whole quest was fishy as hell.

After a couple minutes of walking she paused as she noticed an odd marking on the wall of the cave, though as she ran her fingers through the cracks she came to the conclusion that they were claw marks, and rather big claws at that. With a new found enthusiasm she leaped into a jog and soon Came to a much larger cavern.

Skarlet extinguished her flame as there was a natural light in this cave, luminous Moss and other fungus like plants lent a blue and orange glow to the whole cavern. And to her utmost delight, ahead, sleeping on a pile of luminous Moss, leaves, and other plants was a massive red dragon about twice the size of the wyvern she'd fight previously.

Skarlet approached cautiously, the beast seemed to be asleep, she stealthily crept towards it neck. When she got within a reasonable distance she quietly chanted the wind spell and leaped while casting it and giving herself a massive boost skyward. She raised her sword high as she faced the dragon, it was a a large lizard like beast with four legs, a tail, and large bat like wings. Two horns grew out from it's majestic head, a beautiful fiery red beast of great power. "I'll slay you with one strike!" She breathed before smashing her sword into the dragons neck.

Skarlet felt her sword strike the red scales on the dragons neck, sparks flew as a pain vibrated up her arm like a bolt of electricity. She struggled to hold onto her sword as she rolled off the dragon and into a patch of glowing shrooms and moss. She was stunned for a moment, her sword that had never failed to cut anything before had just been deflected by the skin of this creature.

She sat up just in time to see the dragon glare at her before a tail the size of a small building smashed into her and sent her flying. She heard and felt her ribs break, she tasted iron in her mouth as blood dripped from her lips and nose. She was sent skipping and rolling across the rocky ground before coming to a painful gasping stop, she felt something wet beneath her.

She lay still for a moment as she caught her breath, then as she say up she realized she'd landed in a small little puddle of water, a droplet landed on her nose and she glanced up to see a stalactite above her. Her back was wet and glowing softly, there was a luminescent algae growing from the moss dipping it's leaves into the puddle. It would have been pretty if not for the circumstance she watched as the water turn a slight red as blood dripped off her chin.

Skarlet Steeled herself and got to her feet, she faced the beast before her as she wiped the blood from her lips. She lifted the sword and placed it in her sheath before leaping into the air with a wind spell. She cast a water ball spell from one hand and a earth spear spell in the other. She smashed the two spells together before launching them at the dragon's face.