She Spars With Sir Drago Part 2

Robin sighed. Then she looked up at the large black reptile.

"Just look at you, huh! You have no sword, so we can't cross blades anymore. Moreover, with this ridiculously big body of yours, You're more likely to knock down the castle than defeat me. How am I going to spar with you now!" She scolded.

"Moreover, you lied! You said you were only 18 years old! As a dragon that big, I refuse to believe that you are a mere 18 years old!" Robin continued.

"Urgh. That was how long I've been in that human form. I can't very well tell everyone that I'm almost a millenium, can I?" the dragon answered, being unable to meet Robin's eyes.

Christian's jaw had dropped to the point you could stick an egg in it. Robin was scolding a dragon!?

Sir Drago bent his head to look down at Robin. "You are right. It seems we can no longer continue our spar as things are. Such a pity. but I can't go against my master."

"Master?" Robin asked, then noticed a collar on Sir Drago. As it had been obsidian black as well, it had blended in with the scales. The collar was a smooth metal band except for the circular medallion at the base of the neck. It looked like there needles radiating from behind the medalion. No, it was not a medallion. The smooth pearl white stone was actually a scale.

'A dragon's reverse scale' Robin realized. This was probably a slave collar created specifically for dragons, as it targeted the dragon's only weak spot. Robin's eyes narrowed. Why was it slavery again! 

"Come on, general! I don't have all day! Win this match so that I can end this farce!" Prince Wilbur called out. Sir Drago's eyes shuddered as he reluctantly had to continue fighting.

"I am sorry, little one. I have no choice." Sir Drago sighed as he swung his tail at Robin. 

"Robin be careful!!" Christian called out shocked, about to run in and help.

"STAY THERE, CHRISTIAN!" Robin called out, her voice sharp. Christian paused in surprise at Robin's sudden ferocity. 

She explained. "Here, hold on to Skye. If you interfere, then that will invalidate this spar!"

Skye looked reluctant to leave Robin's side, but even if he was a spirit beast, he couldn't stop a dragon under the influence of a slavery collar, so he flew over to Christian.

"You can beat him, Robin! I'm rooting for you!" Skye told Robin encouragingly through their mind link, as it landed on Christian's shoulder.

Prince Wilbur, watched on with a pleased grin, allowing Sir Drago to halt for a moment as he watched this exchange.

"That's right. If you rush in to help, I win by default." Prince Wilbur smirked.

"You!" Christian was so enraged that he grabbed Prince Wilbur, lifting him up by his lapels.

"Striking me will also make me win. What a shame. Such a poor loser." Wilbur said, his smiling face asking to be struck. While Christian's face was black, he had no choice but to put Wilbur back down, and turn back to the fight.

"But Robin, you can't fight alone! That's a dragon! It's not some stupid wyvern!" Christian called out, worried.

"Yeah, it's not some stupid wyvern." Wilbur laughed. "Hey, dragon! You may damage the flagstones, but you're not allowed to destroy this castle! I still haven't given you permission to use your flame breath, either. Remember that!"

"I'll be fine! Just who do you think I am!?" Robin called back. Instead of frowning, or crying, or looking solemn, a smile had bloomed on Robin's face. She had truly been angered.

'This kingdom is rotten through.' Robin realized. 'Then, the things that will happen next are of its own making.' 

She tightened her grip on her blade, bringing it up before her. "You know what I said about not cutting things?" She muttered to it. "I've changed my mind. Help me cut off the roots of this worthless kingdom."

The hero blade hummed. Robin jumped away as Sir Drago's tail crushed the courtyard where she had stood. She continued to dodge, using the limited space to hamper the dragon's movements.

'Robin, why? Why do you continue to fight like this?' Christian watched from the side, anguished. He had no choice but to retreat until he stoodjust outside the courtyard. He stood in the doorway, watching Robin's seeming one-sided fight. He felt utterly useless, only being able to stand and watch from the side.

'No, in this situation, there is something that I can do.' Christian realized. 'I need to find Jasmine.' He concentrated on searching for Jasmine.

-------

Jasmine climbed up the last flight of steps, setting foot upon the rooftop, and glancing around. What soldiers there were up there, were intent upon watching the fight. They took no notice of Jasmine as she smiled mischievously.

She waved her hand, swiftly setting up yet another chain of magic circles, before allowing the circles to disappear as they seeped into the stone roof. Then she found a good spot to observe the fight as well, brushing against a strand of ivy.

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Christian's eyes widened. 'The Roof? Then...' His eyes darted around, searching the rooftops until he glanced a head peeking out from behind a group of guards. 

Turning his eyes back to inside the courtyard, Christian suddenly realised that Wilbur was nowhere to be seen.

"Eh? Where did he go?" Christian looked around. When he looked back up to the roof, he saw Jasmine wave a hand towards him, with a magic symbol. It was a request for mana communication. Only if Christian allowed the linkage of magic power could they communicate via magic. Christian instantly nodded.

Usually, he would hesitate before allowing such a thing. Jasmine had played horrible pranks on him before. But, this time, he was so angered at Wilbur that he was willing to put aside his differences with Jasmine. The two scheming cousins had joined forces. 

"Christian, if you don't give me a good reason for why Robin is fighting a dragon, I'm not sure how terrible a punishment I may come up with." Was the first thing she said when their mana linked together. A cold shiver ran up Christian's spine.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Christian quickly explained what had happened while she was busy. 

"Ho? So that dead man walking is trying to tie your hands up, huh?" Jasmine's words grew sharper. "It seems I'll have to peel more than several layers off his thick skin to get things through his worm-ridden skull."

"Now that we've found you, I'll tell Robin, so he can stop the fight." Christian said, relieved. 

"No. Don't stop it. magic link me to Skye." Jasmine ordered. Christian did so quickly.

Skye's hair rose when it felt someone trying to use magic on him, but it relaxed when it realized the magic user was Jasmine. While cautious, it still allowed the magic link.

"What is it?" Skye asked.

"Skye, can you transfer my words to Robin?" Jasmine asked. Skye sighed. Why was everyone using him as a message hub today? 

"Can." Skye nodded, as it linked Jasmine's voice up with Robin. 

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After fifteen minutes of fighting, Robin was starting to breathe heavier. While usually she had a good amount of stamina, it was more rapidly depleted when going up against a dragon. 

"Robin?" Jasmine's voice came through, startling Robin into almost getting hit. She pinwheeled her arms to regain balance after narrowly dodging another tail swipe.

"Eh? Jasmine? Is that you?" She asked.

"If you want to defeat the dragon without hurting it, then I've got a way." Jasmine said.

"I know, it's the slave collar, right? I need to destroy it, but I can't get close enough!" Robin replied, frustrated.

"That's the self-defense order that is built into the collar." Jasmine explained. "If you want to save your friend, then there's only one way."

"I'm listening..." Robin said, as she dodged a triple claw swipe.

------

Jasmine only spoke one sentence when Christian suddenly called out. 

"Jasmine, look out behind you!"

Jasmine leapt away from her hiding spot, and turned about to come face to face with Prince Wilbur.

"Now, while those two cousins of yours are occupied, I will definitely hear your answer!" Prince Wilbur said, with his gentleman's smile.

If Jasmine had been an ordinary girl, she might have already broken down by now. But she wasn't. Jasmine was the greatest magician in Ekkinshire Kingdom, the niece of King Zephron, and cousin to Prince Christian. She had seen more than her fair share of nobleman's plots and marriage schemes. 

Jasmine swept her eyes about the rooftop. She was surrounded by guards. She looked Prince Wilbur in the eyes and said.

"Has anyone ever told you that women hate persistent men?" Then she triggered a single magic circle.

In the next moment, Prince Wilbur was at the epicenter of a huge explosion.