Simplicity

“That’s a dragon!” Nadia yells at the sight of the obvious dragon shaped creature. Yeah, it is a dragon. But why is it colored similar to a tiger?

The dragon lowers its head and poison begins to spew from its mouth. I move my hands and quickly create a wall of water in front of the master. The poison enters the water but goes no further. I was not actually sure that would work, but very glad it did.

“Thanks Lydia.” The woman says stepping back towards the two of us. Goodswell draws his sword. Once she reaches us the master continues “We need to retreat.”

“Yes ma’am.” I reply already stepping backwards.

“Where?” Goodswell asks before he begins to step back as well.

The dragon roars once more in anger. I do not recall dragons being simple beasts here, why was this one acting as if it was? It takes a bite at me because I am the smallest. However, Nadia strikes the creature’s face with her massive sword.

“Back!” She yells at us. The mad dragon roars once again before trying to chomp unsuccessfully at Nadia.

We run back into a small cluster of trees.

“This is bad.” Nadia says after we each hide behind a tree. “Young dragons like this are for a squad of four or more journeymen members.” She explains catching her breath. The woman looks at us before continuing “Not for a master and two applicants.”

“We can’t exactly leave it here though, right?” I reply. Thanks to the divine regeneration I do not even feel out of breath. “Plus it seems to be inflicted with some kind of madness.” I add. It cannot be rabies, the dragon would not be hiding in the water like it did. Or even in a swamp probably.

“No we can’t leave it.” The master responds to my question. “Maybe that madness will make it less of a problem for us.” She continues looking around the tree. “The issue is that orange dragons are attuned to wood element so I’m at a big disadvantage here.” She explains before growling in frustration.

“Well Goodswell is technically perfect to counter it then.” I respond trying to improve morale. “He has affinity with fire and metal!” I add.

“Too bad he doesn’t know magic.” Nadia replies still on the lookout.

“My sword is attuned to those elements as well.” Goodswell finally speaks up.

The woman looks at the boy dumbfounded.

“Okay then.” She responds finding the words. The master turns her head back towards the lake. “I’m sorry.” Nadia mutters. “I’ll be the distraction and you two will have to do most of the work against this thing.” She explains the plan to us.

“That is a terrible plan.” I say before I can think.

“Yes it is. But it’s the only one that’ll really work.” The woman replies.

“What about some traps?” I ask trying to improve the plan enough that she does not just kill herself.

“None of us are trappers.” Goodswell replies.

“I don’t know many traps myself.” Nadia answers.

“But we can still try!” I exclaim. “We’re Slayers! Not Fighters!” I yell at them.

“Shut up.” Nadia orders me. “It’s looking this way.” She says before crouching.

The dragon’s head slams through the top of the tree I am hiding behind. Well fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

Need a plan. Need a plan. Fire and metal. Fire and metal.

The dragon’s gaze lands upon me as poisonous gas begins to spill out of its jaws.

I raise up my hands and point them at the creature’s head.

“Run!” I yell at my squad.

Before they can respond a burst of super heated metal shavings shoot out of my hands into the mark’s face and mouth. The force and heat launches the head upward right before it releases its poison once more into the branches of trees. Hopefully the wood aligned trees will be less effected by the poison.

I run further into the cluster of trees behind the other two Slayers.

“It can knock a tree over with little effort but it should be slowed down enough.” Nadia says to us letting the two of us run past her.

“Should I set your sword ablaze?” I ask the woman.

“No.” She answers curtly. The dragon roars swinging its tail horizontally towards us.

I and Goodswell fall to the ground but Nadia instead jumps upward. The tail breaks through a tree and begins to fly past us while Nadia lands on the tail.

The master quickly shoves her blade into the tail, probably hoping to strike a weak spot or create one. The roar of the dragon is the only real indication I have of the woman’s attack however.

The tail soars past us into another tree, knocking that one over as well.

“We need to do something.” Goodswell growls in anger and frustration standing up to his feet once more.

“William.” I say to him. He looks at me with surprise.

“You never call me that.” He manages to respond.

“Exactly why I knew it would get your attention.” I reply while standing up myself. “I’m going to ignite your sword.” I say to the noble. “I want you to be another distraction.” I explain.

“Are you mad!?” He exclaims at me as the dragon roars once more.

“Always.” I retort with a smirk. “But I’m going to kill this thing with everything I have.” I say stoically.

I quickly touch the boy’s mithrail blade setting it ablaze. Goodswell gives me a look of concern before readying himself.

“Hey you big walking boots!” Goodswell yells at the dragon. Boots, really? That is the best he can think of. I sigh while raising my hands up.

Fire and metal. Fire and metal. Fire… Metal… Potential energy… Energy… Heat...

The dragon turns its head to the noble swinging his enchanted blade. Nadia comes flying into my view raising her large sword over her head before I close my eyes.

“Energy. Heat.”, I mutter. My entire body feels hot… As if it is being cooked in an oven.

I open my eyes. Everything appears as if it is a slideshow. The dragon takes a bite towards Goodswell. The teen dodges the jaws and quickly strikes the face. Nadia’s sword strikes the dragon’s neck. Flames.

An incredibly thin beam of plasma releases from my hand. It strikes the dragon right between the nostrils. The beam continues to travel through the entire dragon until it burns through the creature’s back.

The two slayers stop and look over at me with looks of shock before my vision goes black.

-- -- --

“And here I thought the hunt would fail.” Skadi’s cold condescending voice says to me. “Well done, reborn.” She says with venom.

I open my eyes to see Eris looking at the dragon’s corpse. Why is no one else here but us two?

“Good job!” Eris exclaims with a whistle for emphasis. “I knew you were the right choice!” She says turning back to me with a smile. “Not many would think to release a plasma beam to burn through a dragon’s hide.” The goddess continues lifting her head up and laughing. I never realized, her laugh is oddly chilling yet enchanting.

“So have I reached my potential?” I somehow manage to ask. The goddess stops laughing and looks down at me.

“Not even close kid.” Eris responds with a smile. “You can do so much more. This is just the first truly amazing feat in your new life.” She explains before laughing once more.

I blink.

“Thank the gods you’re okay!” Nadia exclaims holding my head up.

“I’m fine.” I say the tiredness in my voice betraying my words.

“What did you do?” Goodswell inquires stabbing his still blazing weapon into the corpse continuously.

“A very targeted very hot beam of fire.” I reply. Best to not bother trying to explain what plasma even is to them.

“Congratulations you two.” Nadia says gently to us destroying the tension between the two of us. “Once we carve it up and return to the academy hall you’ll officially be apprentices.” She reiterates.

“Finally.” Goodswell mutters as his blade finally extinguishes.

-- -- --

I look down at the dragon claw in my hand. I already have a necklace.

“How did it go!?” Birta excitedly inquires me before grappling me into a bear hug.

“Successful.” I gasp.

“Oh!” The ogre exclaims before letting go of me. “That’s great!” She continues with a large grin. “I was too!” Birta finishes.

“What did you have to hunt?” I ask once I have caught my breath.

“A shadow wyvern.” She answers. She begins to shadow box in excitement. “It was a fun hunt.” She adds. She stops shadow boxing and looks back at me. “What did you hunt?” The teen asks looking at the claw in my hand.

I look down at the dragon claw in my hands as well.

“We were told it was some wyrm or serpent.” I begin. I look up at Birta before continuing “It was actually an orange dragon.”

“A dragon!?” Birta nearly yells. “And you’re all okay!?” The ogre exclaims in surprise.

“Somehow.” I say breathing a sigh of relief.

“Probably because of you.” She retorts putting her hands on her hips. “What’d you do this time?” She asks in an accusatory tone as if I did something wrong.

“I unleashed a very precise and very very hot beam of flames into the skull of the dragon and it shot out the other side of it because of all that heat.” I explain looking back down at the claw.

“I’m not sure I got all of that.” Birta says. “But I’m glad you made it.” She adds putting a strong hand on my shoulder. Her hand feels rougher than before.

-- -- --

The sun shines brightly over all of us in the courtyard. Xentel paces around the dais in front of all of us former applicants while various masters all stand behind him. A smile crosses the guild master’s face before he begins to speak.

“Well done all of you!” Xentel begins. He finally stops pacing before he continues “You have done the guild proud and more importantly you made the world a little safer!” The masters up on the dais begin to clap. “From this day forth you are all no longer applicants. You are now full fledged members of the Slayer’s Guild.” The guild master continues. “Please come up to the dais and receive your apprentice mark when called.” The troglodyte finishes before he begins to clap for us in celebration as well.