11 Slaying of a Dragon.

Boiling mahogany blood spewed out from its injury. Yamada pulled the long sword back over his head, ready to strike again. "Close your eyes!" Jacara called out. The card in his hand now blank. He placed the card into his back pouch drawing another card, with a bright shining star on it. Yamada leapt back shielding his eyes. "Revelation." He chanted holding the card in the air. A blinding golden light engulfed the dragon's eyes. It stumbled back, shaking and crushing the ground, with each step. Jacara stepped back taking deep breaths with sweat beads dripping down his face. Yamada leapt up meeting the dragon's hind leg, plunging the blade deep into its thigh.

The dragon bellowed out another fiery breath, shaking its head and refocusing its sharp amber eyes at Jacara. Yamada was unable to pull the long sword out, pressing both his sabatons against the dragon. He gnashed his teeth together, straining with all his might to free the sword. The dragon roared beating its wings and charged at Jacara, with plumes of fire exuding from its rows of razor sharp fangs. Jacara placed the blank card back into its pouch reaching for another. Gwyneth stepped forward reaching under her cloak, when Encara grabbed her arm. "You can throw him your shield to use, but you will not help." He said with the authority of a king.

She drew a large platinum silver kite shield from under her cape, tossing it towards Jacara. The heavy shield dug into the ground beside Jacara. Yamada clung onto the hilt of the long sword, as the dragon charged towards Jacara. He gripped the hilt with his hand, and cocked back his right fist. Yamada let out a primal roar punching the long sword's pommel. The entirety of the sword disappeared into the dragon's leg. It veered off course collapsing to its side, allowing Jacara to run and put some distance, between him and the dragon. It thrashed violently, engulfing the forest in a torrent of fire, as it stood up. Yamada tumbled off, grabbing the kite shield, and ran towards the wagon of weapons. He quickly grabbed a war hammer, running back in.

The dragon limped back up scanning around for Jacara. It coiled in, before leaping into the air, beating its leathery large wings. Yamada looked up before quickly kneeling and covered himself with the shield. It reeled its head back with plumes of fire leaking out from the corners of its jaw. Jacara was covered in sweat and held a tarot card above him, with a drawing of icicles. "Frost!" He shouted. A large icicle spawned from the card launching into the dragon. It shattered against its snout. Jacara stepped back breathing heavily, before falling onto his hands and knees. "Encara!" Gwyneth exclaimed. Encara stood there with nothing but a smile across his face.

Yamada ran at full speed, dropping the hammer, cracking the ground with each step, and slid into Jacara. He stood over him, holding the shield behind him, as the dragon spewed a surge of fire. Yamada screamed as the shield and his armour, were engulfed in the raging fire. Jacara grit his teeth and took a deep breath, drawing another card. "Get ready to strike!" He ordered. The force of the fire subsided and the dragon took a deep breath, fanning the flames left in the smouldering forest. "NOW!" Jacara shouted, slamming the tarot card into the ground, with the picture of a mountain. "GAIA!" He shouted.

Yamada spun around, strapping the molten red shield to his right arm. The back of his armour red hot and exuding hot fumes. The ground beneath him shot into the sky. The dragon reeled back to let out another fiery roar. The mountain stopped half way launching Yamada higher into the air. He struck the dragon with a right hook of the shield, knocking out a fang. The dragon spiralled down to the ground with Yamada following in suit. Gwyneth clenched her fists. Yamada flipped forward aiming his feet to the ground, and came to a sudden stop in the air, before falling face first into the ground.

Gwyneth and Encara reeled back astonished and impressed. "Did you teach him how to do that?" Encara asked. She shook her head gently. "No, that was meant to be next month's lesson." She said. The dragon twitched and convulsed, rolling onto its legs, letting out a roar as it stepped onto its hind leg. Yamada stood up scrunching his face full of dirt. Yamada crawled onto his hands and knees, seeing the war hammer beside him. He crawled over to it clutching the hammer. "GET AWAY!" Jacara shouted, holding another card up. He was wheezing and drenched in sweat, and struggling to stand on his two feet. Yamada turned back to the see the dragon reeling its front claw back for a swipe.

"Restriction." Jacara said with laboured breath. The tarot card with vines touched the ground, and spawned thick vines around the dragon's claw. It slowed the beast down enough for Yamada to leap out of the way. Jacara fell to his hands and knees, wheezing and gasping for air. Yamada charged in, jumping over the dragon's second swipe, and caved its chest scales. The dragon reeled back gasping for air. Yamada pressed the attack, running under the beast, striking whatever came into distance, and cracking its scales with each strike. The creature stumbled back shrieking in pain.

It beat its large wings, and Yamada ran out from under it, leaping onto its back. He quickly scaled the giant beast, as it took to the skies. Yamada felt the wind rush past him as they flew into the skies, cresting the clouds. He ran along the dragon's spine towards its head, and with a battle cry, brought his hammer down into the beast's eye. Boiling blood spewed out from its amber eyes, as they plummeted towards the ground. He continued to hammer away with boiling blood, scalding his skin with each drop that grazed his skin. The two of them crashed into the ground, with a geyser of dust and rocks shooting towards the sky.

As the dust settled, Yamada emerged from the dust cloud, breathing heavily, covered in rubble and a blood on his face. He stumbled forward in an exhausted daze, his muscles aching, and light headed. Jacara staggered out, wheezing and looked down at the dragon. Its tongue sat out of its snout, with the war hammer imbedded into its eye. The two of them weakly made their way towards Encara and Gwyneth. The sound of rocks moving, made them turn around. The dragon's claws slammed into the ground, and the beast hissed at them with blood trickling out of its eye.

"Why won't this fucking thing die!?" Jacara yelled angrily. He drew a tarot card from his back pouch, with the picture of a storm cloud. "Fork!" He yelled, summoning a bolt of violet lightning. The dragon fell onto its back writhing in agony, with the lighting surging through its body. Jacara fell to his knees and then the ground exhausted beyond belief. "YAMADA!" Gwyneth called out. He turned around seeing the other war hammer crash into the ground next to him. Yamada went into action grabbing the war hammer, and leapt onto the dragon's underside, and stood over its heart. With a primal roar he brought the hammer down. The first strike cracked the scales, and the dragon coiled in. The second shattered the scales into pieces. The third broke the skin and boiling blood gushed out. The fourth exposed its boiling flesh, and the fifth final strike ruptured its beating heart. The dragon went limp and motionless. Yamada was covered in boiling blood, he was too exhausted to react to the pain, and dropped the hammer. He stumbled off the dragon's corpse, collapsing as he hit the ground.

"HA! Look at that! Our kids just killed a damn dragon!" Encara said filled with delight, jumping up and down. "They did, and you're bringing back its corpse to Abaddon." Gwyneth said marching off. Encara shook his head baffled, leaning his ear closer to her. "I'm sorry, I'm doing what now?" Gwyneth didn't respond, and dragged the wagon to Jacara. She slung his unconscious body onto the wagon, and slid down the crater. Gwyneth unstrapped Yamada's armour, and slung his body over her shoulder, and placed him onto the wagon beside Jacara.

Encara approached grabbing the rope, when Gwyneth snatched out of his hand, scowling at him. "Oh come on, you're plenty strong." Encara groaned, pouting his face. Gwyneth marched off ignoring him. She turned around giving him a sense of hope. "Remember to bring Vexgar's hammers and armour, he'll want those back. And fetch my sword and shield." She said with a smirk, before walking off. Encara let out long breath through his nose, slouching and then rolling his eyes. "Fetch my sword and shield." He said mimicking Gwyneth sardonically, shaking his head.

Gwyneth dragged the two of them to the outskirt of the Citadel, with the sun falling under the horizon. She waved to the knight and mages above, to open the third ring. With a blinding flash of light, Encara appeared beside her, panting and wheezing, and leaning against the dragon's corpse. "Son of a bitch, that thing has a lot of arcane energy." He said wiping his brow. The gate opened and several knights and mages rushed out in awe. "Did you two kill this dragon!?" They asked excitedly, inspecting the dead dragon. "Actually it was these two." Gwyneth said giving Yamada a brief warm smile.

The smile on her face made the other knights and squires feel uncomfortable, as if they had seen an unholy sight. She handed them the rope. "Take them to the Blesseds." She ordered marching away. "Take this to Abaddon in one piece. No cutting it up." Encara ordered following after her. The knights and mages scratched their heads looking at the dead dragon, at how they would complete King Encara's request. Gwyneth and Encara walked side by side towards the Keep. The two of them wore a proud smile across their faces. "Never thought I'd see the day, where you would look at someone with pride." Encara said. "Never thought I'd see the day, where you looked at Jacara with pride." She remarked.

Soel emerged from behind them draping her arms around the two of them. They perked up feeling a cold shiver down their spines. They stared straight ahead with wide bulging eyes, hearing her heavy breathing between them. "Gwyneth." She said calmly. She shuddered at hearing her name. "Can you tell me why I had to repair the Keep's ground?" She asked glaring at her. Gwyneth responded staring straight ahead. "Vexgar...started a fight." She said hesitant to finish her sentence. Encara tried to slip away, and was pulled tightly under her arm. He winced as he tried to free himself from her grip.

"And you. Why were my mages rebuilding the damn third ring!? They saw you up there!" She raised her voice into his ear. "Uh well Gywneth ordered her squire to attack me, with Vexgar's old hammers." Encara said. Soel snapped her head and scowl to Gwyneth. "He dodged the attack." Gwyneth quickly responded. Soel let out a sigh, slamming both their heads together. They both fell down clutching their heads. "My mages handle agricultural duties, maintaining the infrastructure of this kingdom and filtering out the salt from the ocean. They should not be cleaning up after your messes. Am I clear?" Soel said sternly, resting her fist against her hips. The two of them nodded, and Soel walked off in a huff. Gwyneth and Encara were silent as they stood up. "It was your fault." Encara sulked.