A Good Night

I don’t take anyone with me, it’s just me, the sword and the entire afternoon near the mountains looking for that spikey bastard. I know I shouldn't be here, but I can't let Hiro even think about that dragon.

At least no one mentioned the dragon was now a zombie.

"It's extremely heavy, it can't be too far... I can’t believe we haven’t found him yet." I sigh

“Probably because she already found it.“ The sword whispers.

“No. She couldn’t find it in two days, she won't find it now…“

“Maybe."

"...Yeah. Maybe. If you're not going to help you can just go back at being silent."

"...If I were a dragon made from rocks… I’d hide in a pile of rocks.“

“…Yeah, I would." I look at the sword, surprised. "You’re onto something, I think we know the place.“

The bottom of the mountain isn’t too far from here. I move there as fast as I can, the moon is already up… I can clearly see tracks, but all there’s to this site is rocks and piles. I follow it, but it runs right in front of a tall cliff and stops. "Worms."

I hear steps marching in the distance, and I hide by a tree.

“I know you’re there.“ One footstep slowly after the other with the eyes fixed on the trail. Hiro stops at the dead end, then looks around, and finally looks in my direction. “What have you done with it?“

“Nothing. Couldn’t find it either.“ I shrug.

“And you’re doing what? You were searching under that tree?“

I can barely react, but I can look at her face like I’d rather get punched.

“Hiding. I was lucky it was just you. If Miori knows I’m searching for it, I don’t want to know what she would do to me… Actually, I’m kind of curious, but no. I’m not searching for it.“ I lay back on the tree, relaxing. She turns around and faces me.

“…Then you’re here to…?“

“To see you taking the dragon to your castle so I can tell her? I don’t know, tell me.“ I smile.

Her face doesn’t change, but she takes a deep breath.

“I didn’t save those people because you told me so, I always do that. Meanwhile you…“

“Meanwhile I did suggest we collaborate. You really think you can point out anything about anything I’ve said, when you told them I threatened you?“

Almost unnoticeable, but she shakes. I slowly get up and I take my sword out of the ground

“I wasn’t even going to tell them you did that. Who cares about it." I say looking at her face. "I hate you, you hate me, let’s skip to the part where we can’t beat each other and go home.“

“…You’ve been like that since we were 10, you’ve been like that in your 20’s. Even now at 35 you still can’t use your brain before your fists when it comes to me. We can’t have a conversation before you throw us into another pointless fight.“

“Don’t you dare try and pin that on me. You never gave me the chance to talk, you’ve never planned on considering any of what I had to say. Since you’re such a genius, why can’t you find a reasonable answer to what the fuck is your problem with me?“

“If you’re not willing to discuss what you talk about, it’s not a civilized conversation.“

“And if you start it off by talking to me like I’m less than a person, you’re making sure it won’t be one.“

She shrugs with a smile.

“Your choice.“

“…You hate undead so much… I’m really glad I turned your parents into zombies. It was the best thing to have ever happened to me.“

Staring so hard into each other's eyes they could tear, she can’t pretend to not be angry anymore. I blink, and I am greeted with broken glass on my face as I cough up white smoke. I almost fall to the ground, the world is spinning. She doesn’t hold back when punching my face, My sword drops to the ground.

“I’m going to put you to sleep then throw your corpse into a volcano so you wake up in hell.“

“Great. Do us this favor then. Finally kill me so at least one of us can accomplish something.“ I lower my neck, she lifts her hand holding the flask.

 I can only hear sobs... And then the loudest roar.

“What’s that?“ She looks at that cliff we we're standing in front off, it’s gone.

The two seconds we had since we notice the thing was about to fall on our heads wasn’t enough for anyone to survive it. Buried in rocks, I weakly look to the side to try and find her. She doesn’t seem like she will get up.

"I… I need to get us out of here…" My entire vision becomes white smoke.

So this is how I go… So this is how we go. In the same way we’ve always been.

I can’t fight anymore, so I close my eyes.

You know… I’m dying to see what sleeping feels like after so many years.