Chapter 131: Dragon

Yes, I was looking at a freaking Dragon in front of me. It must have been three stories tall. What is that, thirty feet? It was freaking huge. Its black scales glittered in the moonlight, and if I weren't shaking in my boots and worried about being eaten alive, I would have thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
Atlas, it was terrifying. Complete and utter terror gripped my throat, even more than the ominous darkness that used to chase me home from work. This thing had fangs and claws and wings! It was the embodiment of a predator and it was assigned to kill me.
The thing reeled back its head after in a great roar as if to bellowed out fire on me, the tiny figure standing in front of it. I instinctively rose the Aurora sword in front of me. Instead of normal flame, it blew out a steady stream of black and purple fire. The sword sliced it in half, protecting me. After the breath, it turned its head and gazed at me with one bright golden hazel eye. The fearsome intelligence I saw in it scared me even more. I was going to have to defeat this thing, and it might possibly be smarter than me. It was most definitely stronger.
The colossal beast reared back and swiped a clawed front leg at me. I dropped to the ground and rolled away. It was smooth and neat, thanks to all of Lanie's training. I needed to stop thinking like that. I was me. I was one person. I was... Nami...
The Aurora Sword flared to life at the thought. It grew into a great broadsword that looked big enough to defeat the dragon. Power flowed into me. Great white wings slipped from my shoulders in multifaceted white and rainbow light that sparkles as I beat them. They felt stronger than the pink ones. My entire body felt light yet strong. I pulled at the power in the Aurora Sword. I wanted more protection from it. White armor enveloped me. It was light, thin, but felt impenetrable.
The dragon eyed me. It blasted another bout of black fire, but I zipped away from it with my new wings. It swiped at me again. After I dodged, it took to the air chasing after me as I flew high above the castle.
"Don't you think we can talk about this?" I shouted as I dodged another swipe.
Despite its size, it was fast. I may have been smaller, but this thing was way more comfortable in its own skin.
After another stream of flames, I shouted, "You look reasonable. Truly, we don't have to fight. Please?"
The dragon roared. Its head turned to eye me again. It could have just been me, but I was sure I saw regret in those eyes. It made me pause. My wings flapped silently as I hung in the air. The dragon's head twisted and turned like it was fighting on an invisible chain. It screeched. Black and purple flame spewed forth into the night above it as the dragon reared back. The dragon's eyes blazed with anger. It dove forward. The sword moved of its own accord. It slashed. My wings took me this way and that as the sword steered my movements at the dragon's flesh. The dragon slashed with clawed front legs and snapped at me with its teeth. I felt like a puppet again. The sword was taking over. I was just along for the ride. I wondered briefly between attacks if the dragon felt the same. Maybe we were both prisoners trapped in someone else's battle.
My wings took me higher. Below, I could see the castle positioned on the edge of an active volcano. The heat coming off it made the air hot and sticky. I closed my eyes as I soared through the air. My sword came up over my head. This was it. This was the killing blow.
The dragon batted me out of the air at the last second. I was flung across the expanse of air over the castle. My wings flapped but couldn't overcome the speed of my fall. I hit the ground and rolled like a tumbleweed across the ground. The armor around me protected me from breaking anything, but I must have rolled over a dozen times before I finally stopped. Each roll brought a new bruise. I finally stopped in a sprawl across the ground.
The ground shook as the dragon landed. It loomed above me as it roared into the night sky, throwing its head back. It took in a deep breath for another belch of flame.
I extended my hand out. "Sword!"
Nothing happened. The dragon's maw opened wide, ready to spit flame.
"I am Nami! Sword!"
The Aurora Sword flew from the trees. It landed in my hand just as the black flames extended from the dragon's mouth. The Aurora Sword lengthened and split the flame in two. The sword, my armor, and my wings all emanated white and rainbow light as I held fast against the black flame.
As the flame died out, I lifted my armored head. The dragon's golden eyes blinked at me, almost surprised I was still standing. It raised its head for another large breath. The first shimmers of morning sun started to light the sky. I dove forward, or rather, I was dragged forward by the sword. The blade plunged into the breast of the beast.
The dragon's breath turned into a screaming cry of agony. Black blood spilled from to wound as I withdrew my sword. The dragon slashed at me. I took to the air and zipped around as the dragon desperately flailed, trying to take me down. I felt like a gnat compared to this giant.
Black blood gaped from the wound, but the dragon still seemed very lively. It flapped its great wings like it was trying to take off, but it couldn't. Its long neck turned to watch me as I flew. It belched out a ball of flame that I dodged quickly, but the heat of it sent me flying back away.
I dove in, determined to end it this time. I was done playing. I had to kill it, and that was how it was going to be. Maybe then this nightmare would end. I flew under the neck, dodged an incoming claw, then slashed my sword across the breast again, perpendicular to the first cut. I whipped around in a circle dodging the other front leg and slashed again.
The dragon let out a howl then slowly, like a felling tree, the creature came crashing down. Blood soaked the ground as it pumped out of the wounds I'd left in the beast. The golden hazel eyes swirled. I landed in front of one of its eyes. The Aurora Sword shortened. I slipped it back up my arm with a command.
The dragon gave me a long look. Its whole body disintegrated into shadows. A figure lay in the midst of the black blood. His hand held his slashed heart. His golden hazel eyes looked up at me with a pained expression. My own heart fell to the pit of my stomach.
"Remi," I croaked. "No, Remi! Remi!"
I dashed forward and fell to my knees. My hands pressed his chest where large wounds gaped. Blood poured from the hole.
"I didn't know. Remi, I'm so sorry. No, Remi..." Tears filled my eye as I choked on sobs.
Remi's blood-covered hand laid on top of mine. His hot blood was instantly cooled by his cold hands. They were too cold.
"Kira... I have watched you for so long. Loved you for so long. It's alright. I'm sorry she used me to hurt you."
His hand lifted to my cheek. The slick blood smeared across my face as I leaned down closer to him. My eyes never left his face. I could barely see through my tears, but I didn't want to miss a word he said.
"But, Kira, I'm already dead. Don't cry for me. I had a life. This was only my afterlife. I finally get to be free of the job. I'm finally free of the contract. Don't you see? You've finally freed me for this torment."
I shook my head vehemently. "No, no Remi. I can't let you go. I don't want to."
My tears fell on his face. He blinked them away and pulled me closer. His lips found the top of my head. I laid on his chest, listening to his breathing slow and gurgle in his lungs.
"You were played. We were played. It's alright, but you need to get stronger. You need to defeat her." He hugged me close. "Go get her, Nami."
He took one last exhale and his body disintegrated beneath me. The pool of blood disappeared. I was left alone in the decrepit remains of a forgotten castle on the side of a volcano as the sun rose somewhere far behind me. I curled into a ball and wept. I wept for what had happened, for the loss of my friend, and for what could have been but would never be.