[ TT ] [ WP ] The King has sent you , a wandering mercenary , to slay the Dragon and bring the Princess home . However , upon arriving at the Dragon 's Keep , you learn the Princess was not kidnapped , but instead is a runaway .

`` Arik. Arik!'' 
 
 `` Mhm- what?'' 
 
 `` I think this is it.'' 
 
 Blinking, it took Arik a moment to adjust his eyes to the bright sunlight. He used the time to yawn and to rub the sleep out of his face. 
 
 `` This should be the boulder they were talking about, no?'' 
 
 Arik turned in his horse to look in the direction the girl was pointing. They were in the middle of a crossing, the right path leading deeper into dark woods, the left straight to the object of discussion. A red boulder, big as a farmer's house, lay in the middle of the road, which had been enlarged to pass it left and right. 
 
 `` I guess this is gon na be the only red rock around, yes.'' 
 
 Arik turned back to his companion, stroking over his mouth and through his black beard. 
 
 `` They said the cave should be in a radius of half a mile, huh?'' 
 
 `` That's what they said.'' 
 
 `` So, do you have something to find a dragon's lair? A potion? Maybe a spell?'' 
 
 The young sorceress slumped in her saddle. `` I'm afraid not.'' 
 
 `` Well. Then we're gon na have to use my method.'' 
 
 `` Oh. What's that?'' 
 
 `` Walk around until we find it.'' 
 
 _____________________________ 
 
 `` Hanna.'' 
 
 Ariks voice was the shout-whisper one used trying to remain concealed while trying to catch somebody's attention. 
 
 Luckily, the girl had good ears. She turned immediately and, following his hand signals, moved over to him to kneel down at the shrubbery he had taken position at. 
 
 `` Did you find it?'' She craned her neck to look past the shrubbery. 
 
 `` I think so. Do you see that chasm?'' 
 
 Maybe 20 yards off, there was a big rupture in the earth, where the weeds thinned to expose a light stone. 
 
 `` Yes.'' 
 
 `` Look at the tree, a few feet from that. The crowns broken. And the grass at the crack is trampled.'' 
 
 `` I can see it.'' Hanna sounded rather excited. Arik turned to her. `` So. You can do that fire-proof-thing on me.'' 
 
 `` Cast the Spell of Fire Resistance, yes.'' 
 
 `` Yeah, that. I hope it works.'' 
 
 `` Of course it works.'' 
 
 `` Mhmm.'' 
 
 Looking up from the bag she was going through, Hanna threw fiery daggers with her eyes. 
 
 `` Oh that's so typical of you. Why do you doubt me? I do n't question your swordplay.'' 
 
 `` Well, the fact that I can use a sword is a little more apparent than what you're doing.'' 
 
 `` You've seen me use magic!'' 
 
 `` All I'm saying is that I wo n't know if it works until that beast's breathing fire on me. And if it's not working then, I'm gon na be toast. So I'd prefer to know for sure.'' 
 
 `` Oh please.'' 
 
 With a harrumph, she focused on shifting through her bag again. 
 
 `` Here it is.'' She produced a tiny little leather booklet. `` Fire resistance.... F for fire resistance.'' 
 
 `` Aha. Here we go. That should do the trick.'' 
 
 Only a moment and a few magic words later, they were inching towards the earth fissure. Hanna's heart was beating like the devil, while Arik's face was a unreadable mask of concentration. In his left, he held the small kite shield which he had unbuckled from his back. It had gotten its own dose of fire resistance magic. In his right fist he had his sword. That dark beam of steel, ending in a straight, round guard. Hanna carried only her short wooden staff, ending in an apple-sized ball of some magical material. It was weapon and protection at the same time. 
 
 Carefully, they crept on and around the light stone, cautious to make no sound with their leather boots. Finally, they could see the entrance itself, large enough to drive through with a horse cart. Much larger than one could have guessed looking from the other side. 
 
 Bracing themselves, they went into swallowing darkness of the abyss before them. Before Arik could ask for it, Hanna's staff lit up in magnificent white light. More practical than a torch, he had to admit. 
 
 They went on like this for a while, moving forward as silently as they could, finding nothing but increasingly bad air and at some point, much to Hanna's horror, several disfigured bodies and blood sprinkled weapons. 
 
 `` I guess these are the king's good men.'' Arik knelt down, putting his sword away to pick up an axe, lying on the ground. `` Come closer.'' 
 
 `` I'd rather not.'' 
 
 `` Come, see. They wounded it. This is no man's blood.'' 
 
 With an expression like sour milk, Hanna stepped closer, the light of her staff revealing the almost black, thick blood on the blade. 
 Putting the axe back down next to an arm in lack of a body, Arik turned to look up at the girl. 
 
 `` Let's hope they did n't anger the dragon to kill the girl. That's always bad for pay.'' 
 
 Before Hanna could reply anything regarding the morals of this statement, Arik had already unsheathed his sword and walked on. 
 
 `` Maybe the dragon moved to a different lair after they found him.'' Hanna offered after several more minutes of silent walking. 
 
 `` Possible.'' Arik grumbled in return. `` Depends on how wounded he is. Could be that he just crawled as deep into the earth as he could, hoping that the next folks-'' 
 
 Suddenly, he stopped, tilting his head in the air. 
 
 `` What-'' Arik raised his sword, motioning Hanna to hush. 
 
 `` I heard a voice.'' His whisper was now hardly louder than a breath of air. `` Could be the princess.'' 
 
 Hanna strained her ears, tiptoeing forward. 
 
 `` Kill the light.'' 
 
 With the will of her thought, Hanna extinguished the magical fire in her staff, letting absolute darkness fall over them. 
 
 For a few seconds they remained like this, immobile and without making a sound until they could hear footsteps. 
 
 `` I could swear there was a light...'' The voice of a girl not too far away. Filled with fright. `` But there's nothing. It did n't look like fire, either.'' Worry and confusion seemed to fight a battle in her mind, when Arik cut through it. 
 
 `` Princess Mika?'' 
 
 A gasp. `` GO AWAY!'' Faster footsteps now, veering away from them. 
 
 `` Princess!'' Hanna could hear him take off after her. 
 
 `` NO! LEAVE US ALONE! I do n't want to be rescued!'' 
 
 Hanna ran as fast as her feet would carry her, chasing the heavy steps of Arik, somewhere in front of her. 
 She was too close to react when she heard him stumble, his roar as he fell not enough warning for her not to follow him. 
 With a groan, she went down beside him. 
 
 `` Fuck.'' 
 
 `` You hurt?'' 
 
 `` No. Well. I hit my head, but I do n't think it's too bad.'' 
 
 `` Good. Can you turn the light back on?'' 
 
 `` You think that's a good idea?'' 
 
 `` I'm not keen on falling on my face again.'' 
 
 `` Alright.'' 
 
 The light seemed to return a little apprehensively. Shedding light on the stone walls beside and in front of them. They could now see that the cave bent to the left in a few feet's distance. 
 
 `` Let's go.'' Arik picked himself up by his sword, sighing as he came to a stand. `` I already hate that girl.'' 
 
 `` You scared her. I would run too if you screamed my name and I did n't know you.'' 
 
 Arik did not give an answer, instead making his way to the bend in front of them, Hanna quickly following. 
 As they made the turn, light from Hanna's staff filled the cave. As it seemed, they had finally found the heart of the cavern. 
 
 And with it, the dragon. A creature three times larger than a horse, with a tail long enough to curl around a village well. The head big enough to halve a man with a single bite, adorned with a small horn between the nostrils. And all of it covered in dark scales the size of a man's hand. The large eyes now focused on them, as the dragon lifted his head to turn it to the entrance. 
 
 In front of the beast, spreading her arms protectively, stood the princess. 
 
 `` Do n't come closer! Do n't! Leave us!'' She picked up a rock on the ground and threw it. Arik calmly blocking it with his shield. 
 
 `` You are talking mad, girl. Probably under the dragon's spell. Can they do that? Brainwash girls?'' 
 
 `` Not that I'd know of.'' Hanna replied, glancing at him. 
 
 `` Either way. You have to step aside. Let me take care of this so that we can brng you home!'' 
 
 `` NO! You do n't understand. I do n't want to go home. I do n't want you to kill him! I love him!'' 
 
 For the first time Arik lowered his sword. 
 
 `` What.'' 
 
 `` I love him.'' Tears streaming down her face, she knelt down beside the creature, stroking its head. `` And they try to kill him. They hurt him. It's bad.'' 
 
 `` But- It's a dragon.'' Arik's face was overcome with confusion. `` How can you love a dragon.'' 
 
 `` He's not a dragon. I mean- He's a dragon now but he was n't before. He's a prince!'' 
 
 `` What are you talking about?'' 
 
 `` His name is Samuel and he was cursed!'' 
 
 `` By whom?'' Hanna chimed in now as Arik simply stared at the princess. 
 
 `` There was another who came to my father to ask for my hand. But he was evil and spiteful and my father gave me to Samuel, because I love him. And that terrible boy was mad and threw a tantrum, tossing the gifts he made me in the river as he rode out of our castle.'' 
 
 The princess took a moment to gather herself. Her tears were almost dried as the dragon, Samuel, put his wing over her side. Smiling sadly, Mika hugged the side of his head, taking a deep breath. Only then did she continue. 
 
 `` They say his mother is a witch and that she gave his father a love potion to even marry her. And now she cursed Samuel so that he could n't marry me!'' 
 
 _________________________ 
 
 Okay. Obviously, I'm not finished. I'm going to continue this story tomorrow, this might get quite a bit longer. Hope there's somebody out there who enjoys this: D
