The girl's face darkened, her sapphire eyes narrowing at me. She crossed her arms over her chest, her slender fingers digging into the soft flesh of her upper arms.
"Surrender? Tame? You're really overestimating yourselves," she scoffed, her tone brimming with disdain. "I am Aurelia, the Azure Dragon you speak of. Do you really think I would bow down to you humans?"
She unfolded her arms, her posture straightening as she tilted her chin upwards, showcasing her horns in an intimidating display. "I don't care about your threats, human," she continued, her voice reverberating through the cave. "I am not some domesticated beast to be tamed. You've clearly misunderstood who you're dealing with."
"Is that so, Aurelia?" I said, smirking slightly. "I think you underestimate us as well. Maybe you have your pride as a dragon, but we also have our own as adventurers."
"Adventurers?" Aurelia echoed, her voice dripping with condescension. "Are you comparing your human desires for glory and gold to the pride of a dragon?"
Her wings unfurled, stretching out to their full length, casting a shadow that spread across the entire cave. "Fine, have it your way." I replied, my voice steady. "But let's get one thing clear. We're not here for glory or gold. We're here to protect those who can't protect themselves."
The dragon smirked, her eyes glinting dangerously in the firelight. "Very well. Let's see how well you can protect, human."
Aurelia's body glowed with an intense azure light as a massive beam of flame erupted from her mouth. Her long hair billowed in the rising heat, her eyes glinting like two sapphires set aflame. The cave was filled with the sound of roaring fire and the sharp scent of ozone.
My heart pounded in my chest as the wave of fire bore down on us, bathing the cave in an eerie blue light. The temperature rose drastically, and I could feel the heat seeping into my skin, my clothes beginning to singe at the edges.
Reacting on instinct, I moved in front of Sera and Kuroko, my sword held high. The blue flames engulfed us, but I stood firm, channeling my mana into the blade, forming a protective barrier of shimmering air around us.
The heat was intense, almost unbearable. I could feel my grip on the sword slipping as the heat began to warp the metal, its polished surface beginning to bubble and run like molten wax. The roar of the flames filled my ears, making it impossible to hear anything else.
When the onslaught of flames finally ceased, I dropped my sword, the metal too hot to hold. The ground beneath us was scorched and blackened, and the air was filled with the smell of burnt rock and metal.
Aurelia stood at the other end of the cave, her eyes still blazing with blue fire, her wings spread wide. She was panting slightly, but there was an undeniable grin on her face, a wild, fierce joy that spoke volumes about her love for battle.
"Well, well," she purred, her voice echoing around the cave. "You're not as weak as you look, human."
"Sera! Take the right flank! Kuroko, the left flank!" I roared, my voice echoing off the cave walls.
Sera nodded, her face hardened into a determined expression. She swiftly moved to the right, her hands glowing with a crimson light as she channeled her blood magic. The air around her became thick with an eerie, supernatural energy, and the ground beneath her feet seemed to pulse in tandem with her heartbeat.
On my other side, Kuroko moved with catlike grace and speed. Her dual daggers glinted in the eerie blue light, casting sharp shadows on the cave walls. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement as she dashed towards Aurelia, using her agile body to easily navigate the rough terrain.
With Sera and Kuroko in position, I sprinted head-on towards Aurelia. The ground beneath me felt unstable, likely heated by the dragon's flame, but I held my course. I could feel my muscles straining as I pushed myself to the limit, closing the gap between Aurelia and me with each passing second.
My bare fist was enveloped in a shimmering aura of mana, creating an intimidating glow in the dimly lit cave. As I neared Aurelia, I sprang forward, throwing my fist towards her with all the strength I could muster.
The dragonborn seemed to freeze in place for a moment, a wide grin spread across her face as she watched us approach.
"Blood spike!" Sera's voice echoed through the cavern, her hands outstretched towards the dragon-born. Immediately, the air between them shimmered, a viscous scarlet fluid seemingly forming from thin air. With a flick of Sera's wrist, the fluid hardened, forming into a spear-like construct.
With a deafening crack, the blood spike was launched towards Aurelia. It rocketed forward, slicing through the thick, smoky air and careening towards its target with deadly precision. Aurelia, still recoiling from the flurry of daggers, barely had time to react. The spike collided with an old wound on her side, causing a fresh stream of azure blood to spurt out onto the cave floor.
Aurelia's eyes widened in surprise and pain, her teeth gritted as she let out an audible hiss. Just as she was about to recover, Kuroko, who had been waiting for this precise moment, launched herself into action.
"Dagger storm!" she yelled, her voice filled with a kind of savage joy. With a quick flick of her wrist, a shower of gleaming daggers filled the air. They flew like a cloud of metallic locusts, spinning and glittering in the pale blue light.
In an attempt to shield herself, Aurelia brought her arm up to her face. Her scales, sparkling and sturdy, deflected most of the daggers. However, her vision was temporarily blocked by her own defense, which allowed me the opportunity I was waiting for.
I rushed forward, seizing the moment. I slid through the dust-covered ground, skimming past the dragon-born's defenses with adrenaline-fueled agility. With a quick, precise movement, I darted behind her, encircling my arms around her scaled neck.
My muscles strained with the effort, but I managed to keep my grip tight. Aurelia writhed and twisted, but it was no use. She was caught. The sharp intake of breath from Sera and Kuroko told me that they were just as surprised as Aurelia at my success.
For a moment, the cavern was silent, save for the sounds of our heavy breathing and the far-off dripping of water.
All of sudden Aurelia's eyes flared brighter, the azure glow cutting through the dim, cavernous expanse. A low growl vibrated from her throat, rumbling through her torso and into my hands. The eerie, phosphorescent light bounced off the walls of the cave, illuminating her scales in an ethereal glow. Her muscles began to ripple under the scales, a clear indication that she was about to shift.
In an instant, realization dawned on me. She was aiming to change into her colossal dragon form. However, the confined space of the cave posed an evident problem for her transformation. In an ingenious burst of determination, she took off, her muscular legs propelling her forward.
The force of her dash was so powerful that it ripped her out of my hold. I staggered back a step, my fingers scraping against her scales, and then suddenly, I found myself holding onto her whip-like tail.
The world became a blur. I was dragged through the rough terrain at an alarming speed. We shot through the dimly-lit tunnel, the walls a mere blur of rock and moss. Each bump and dip in the ground reverberated through me, each jolt threatening to dislodge my grip.
With a final, powerful push, we burst through the curtain of the waterfall, the cascading water turning into a spray of droplets around us. I squinted through the spray, the sudden brightness of daylight stabbing at my eyes.
The second we cleared the falls, Aurelia spread her wings wide. They were majestic, the leathery membranes reflecting the sunlight into shimmering azure. Her body rose, growing larger as she made the transition to her dragon form. The wind howled around us as we gained altitude, the ground below turning into a patchwork of green and brown.
The view was breathtaking and terrifying in equal measure. Yet, all I could focus on was the intense heat radiating from the dragon's tail. Her transformation was complete, and I was left hanging from the tail of a soaring azure dragon, the earth far beneath us.
The rush of air, the spreading vista below, and the searing heat of the dragon tail I held onto all combined into a surreal tableau of exhilarity and fear. Aurelia's triumphant roar echoed across the skies, announcing to the world that she was free, and I was in for the ride of my life.
Q: How do you deal with people with big egos?