Chapter Five.

Zen looked for his opening, as the dragon kept up with it's attacks. It's tail would either smash into the rocks or it would blast crystals straight in Zen direction making huge cyrstals glaciers.

Zen would duck and roll multiple times just out of the dragons reach, narrowly escaping its hits and blasts. It felt like moving at a snails pace, his sprained foot slowing him down as he managed to hide behind a large rock.

The dragon roared angrily, as it did not hit its squirming target. The dragon lifted up his giant paw and stomped the ground, sending shock waves all over the cavern floor. "Whoah there pesky dragon, I don't want to prolong this fight anymore than you do." Zen yelled from behind the rock.

Zen looked for his opening, while stabilizing himself against the rock, he was close but not enough. "I need to get closer, otherwise I'll miss my mark."

The dragon swished its tail, Zen unable to track it's movements. The dargons tail seemingly missed Zen's head by mere inches, as it sent large debries flying. Pleting Zen, the sharp rocks gave him shallow cuts and bruises. Zen's arm was badly hurt as he winced with pain.

"My aim is going to be off now, pesky dragon!" Zen made his way to diffrent rock, the dragon red eyes following him, waiting for Zen's next move. "Not close enough." Zen needed to be under the dragon.

He felt backed into a corner, time to make a decision. Zen observed how far he still to go. "Fifteen feet left, but my leg won't be of use if the dragon is going to blast more crystals at me. Screw it, we need to get out."

Making up his mind, Zen dashed foward pulling out two arrows from his quiver, notching them both as he neared the dragon. "Die you son of a...." he slid on half of his back, the moss covered floor aiding him. He pulled back on the string....

Letting the arrows fly, straight into the dragons unprotected chest, someone had already madea deep wound that refused to heal over time.

The arrows dug into the dragons chest, it roared with pain, scratching where the arrows landed, it was unable to get them out. Its paw swang dangerously close to Zen.

It swiped the floor where Zen lay, he breathed heavily. Zen was sent flying back, straight into a wall sevral meters away. Hitting a wall sevral meters away, his quiver taking some of the inpact. Zen still spat out blood, the impact was to heavy, the dragon ten times stronger than him.

His vision began to blur, the dragon flew up knocking the crystals that hung from the roof of the cavern. Both blue and purple crystals broke off, one piercing the dragons body after it landed. The other was sent straight to where the adventurers were held prisoner's.

Zen held his breath hoping the crystal dome would hold as the crystals landed straight on top of them, he was also thought he saw movement inside the dome, but being this far, he could have made the whole thing up.

The dragon laid dead, blood spraying all over the cavern floor, painting very thing a deep red. Zen smiled faintly, happy to have defeated the monster, his vision now darkening as his injuries were severe.

Zen coughed up more blood as he lay halfway up the wall, his bow a bit cracked. He would have to fix that later he hoped, as his eyes fell shut, he thought he saw someone running in his direction. Was this the end for him?

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Zen's body felt numb, his eyes slowly opening. A faint green light hovered over his body, he let out a low groan. "Easy there, I haven't quite finished healing you."

Zen turned his head, seeing the dark skin girl kneeling quite close to him. "I'm Laurie bt the way, nice to meet you." She gave a soft smile. Zen remained quite, he was still sore from his battle with the dragon.

"Laurie is he awake yet?" The fire user called.

"No Jake, he isn't so stop coming here every five minutes to check. A healing spell this high takes time, so shoo." Laurie scolded him.

"Gees sorry." He walked away like a wounded puppy.

"I apologize for Jake, he can be a bit overwhelming sometimes." Laurie explained.

"Why didn't you tell him I was awake?"

"You look like the type who doesn't like to get close to others."

"Thanks I guess, I'm Zen. Sorry if I can't shake your hand." He turned his head away from her.

"It's okay, besides I need to thank you for saving our lives, I cast a spell over me before the crystal dome formed luckily. We all got out alvie after the dragon died.

"Uh... no problem I guess. Thanks."

"For what Zen?"

"For healing me Laurie, although I don't deserve it."

Slince filtered around them, making the air around them awkward. "Ummm... Zen, I kinda told everyone what you did. They are waiting for you after I'm done here."

"O, uh.. alright. By the way how long was I out?"

"Mmm... I'd say about two hours or so. That dragon really did a number on you, especially after you shot the arrows into its chest."

The green light faded away, Zen sat up his body still ached a little but not badly like before. Zen looked at Laurie, her eyes were a deep stormy grey. "Ummm... thanks again Laurie." She turned her head away.

Zen stood up, streching out his body loosing himself up. Laurie got up too, she was short just reaching under Zen's chin, she fell foward her legs a bit unstable, falling straight into Zen's chest.

Zen froze, Laurie too. "U-u-uh Sorry Zen, I a... I can be a bit clumsy sometimes." She pushed off his chest making her way back to the group of adventurers quickly.

Zen was unfazed over the whole incident, he picked up his belongings making sure everything was there before making his way to the group aswell. The person to first spot him was the golden blond haired boy Leo.

"Aaa.... there he is, the hero of the day." His smile was blinding, Zen however clenched his jaw. "I apologize for what I said earlier, for now we all owe our lives and gratitude, So no hard feelings Zen." he held out his hand towards Zen.

Zen juat gave a stiff nod. "Good, now then about the loot the dragon had dropped, we all agreed to split it among ourselves, if you don't mind Zen."

This ass, just assuming he would be alright with this, he made the kill and saved there asses, now they already divided up the loot, Zen remained quite. "Well since you don't mind then, we have some loot for you too." Zen didn't even try to look happy.

Leo held out a small brown pouch. "Here some gold coins for you, I think about a hundred or so, we just scooped up what was left." By we, he means him. Zen held out his hand, Leo dropped the small pouch in hos hand.

Zen's gripped tightened around the pouch as Leo left him be. "We shall rest here for today guys and tomorrow we will proceed to look for away out." Leo bossed everyone like a true ass.

Zen turned his back on them, looking for a place to be alone, while a worried Laurie could only help by look on worried for him.

Zen bit his lip, drawing blood. "Next time, you'll save your own asses, I refuse to even aid you, if your pulling crap like this in the future."

He scrounged through his back for the tape, he brought with to fix his craked bow. Next he searched for his dried meat. He was hungry after the fight, needing to replenish himself.

Zen watched the adventurers smile and brag about their new items and loot, they carelessly dropped there seemingly old items, he sneered to himself, those were true high class assed jerks. Things would be different from now on, each monster he killed, he would keep all the loot that fell.

He was from a different life from them all, he valued his items no matter how worn, old or broken it seemed.

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With the dragons death, monsters deep with the dungeon stirred to life, their claws and talons scratching the air infront of them, preparing themselves for those who dared intrude.

The dragon being the easiest monster to face despite it hard exterior and defense, they would have to face more dangerous monsters, whose sliva dripped to the floor. As they waited patiently for there next meal to fall in the traps that awaited them.

None of them truly knew what awaited them in this unknow dungeon, celebrating like fools, happy over some shiny treasure that fell after a monster death. All but one, he could feel the air growing cold, as blood lust filled the air soon they would come to regret entering the worst dungeon they could face...