The Dragonslayer (title is a w.i.p.)

Chapter 12

Armin blinked and was suddenly transported to a dark room. It was very dank; the walls were so moist that lichen and moss had grown all over them. The walls were made of a deteriorating dark-grey stone brick. There was a small lamp in the centre that dimly lit the room, giving Armin just enough visibility to see the whole room but not much detail. In each corner was an unlit torch. He looked around irritably. Nothing. Complete silence and an almost empty room. He picked up the lamp in the centre and looked more closely at his surroundings; he found nothing new. He sat down; he knew this was some trick or trial by some entity, and he didn't really care. He just sat down and waited. After a short while, one of the torches burst into a purple flame. Brownie. A few seconds later, another lit up, then another, then the final one. Once they were all alight, they burned for a few seconds, then they unlit, and the room went pitch black. Armin sat completely still, staring at the centre of the room. Once his eyes had adjusted to the dark and his lantern had relit, Brownie stood in the centre of the room.

"Pretty cool entrance, right?"

Armin said nothing.

"We need to talk,"

Armin said nothing, his stare icy cold.

"Am I correct in saying you plan to kill all the dragons?"

Armin stared directly into Brownie's soul with a mixture of boredom and irritation.

"Yes," he said plainly.

"Well, how exactly do you plan on doing that, because there are a lot of them spread all around the continent?"

Armin said nothing.

"But I do know a way to do it quicker; if you do me a favour and a few other people, they'll get you the stuff you need, and you can do a big blast that will cause them to all swarm to a certain point."

Brownie now has Armin's interest.

"What do you want me to do, and what do the others want? How do I make this 'blast'? I want more details." Armin stared at Brownie's flowing purple eyes.

"Very harsh tone for someone I'm doing a favour for," Brownie muttered. "So if you get e,..." Brownie's sentence was cut off by a crackle. He looked down and noticed a sword in Armin's hand, the one he gave to him. Electricity crackled around Armin and his sword, like an aura of lightning.

"Are you threatening me, human?"

Armin didn't move; he stayed completely silent. The world gained that odd purple filter, and Brownie grew, the room growing to fit him, his legs becoming more powerful, his teeth sharper, and his body becoming more designed for fighting. Armin looked at the new, sauropod-like form Brownie had taken. He tightened his grip around his sword.

"My power cannot be matched by anything short of a fellow Wanderer, and even among them, I am the most powerful defender; I am a God compared to you. Reconsider your choices before I eviscerate you."

Armin said nothing, and no part of his body moved. He simply stared at Brownie. The sound of thunder and the smell of burnt moss. The ceiling collapsed as a ridiculously large lightning bolt burst through and knocked Brownie to the floor.

"No, the sword isn't that powerful; you aren't able to do this."

Another lightning bolt destroyed one leg. He screamed.

"You can't do this. It isn't possible. You have help. Xekk is here. SHOW YOURSELF!"

Armin walked up to Brownie's head on the floor as a second leg was destroyed. He put his head in Brownie's ear.

"I am a man; you are a beast. You gave me the tools that led to your death. There is nobody else here. You have no idea what I'm capable of. Tell me how to get this blast and die. You don't have any other options. You have lost because you are weak. Now tell me."