The Last Dragoon

[Guinea]

Chapter 1

Vixi was pissed. She had been shadowing the Great One for days, unable to shoot it due to it's ceaseless thrashings. It never slept, and roamed constantly, which meant Vixi had to stay awake and on the move too. She only had one bullet, a prototype which the Capital could never recreate. Whatever it was made of, that was it.

The rifle looked like it came straight out of her people's legends. Of course, to her the legends where nonsense about magic and heroes. Vixi had only seen spears forged with steel, not crafted out of light. She carried one of the former.

Even the legend of the Great One was wrong. Long ago, it was not a disease-ridden, mindless destroyer, but a ruler of the land. People worshipped it, and in return they were protected by it. Now it is the final dragon left, and the eons have driven it mad.

Her mission objective was to track it down, shoot it in the head, and end it's rampage. If by some chance her aim wasn't true, she must engage it. Not like she would have a choice.

Vixi stayed far behind her prey. It just wouldn't be still. It was always shaking it's head, clawing at the ground, flapping it's wings. The Great One could no longer fly due to it's wings being torn, so it just wanders aimlessly. Vixi was shocked that it hadn't died of old age.

"Maybe it is immortal," she whispered, "but if only it would stay goddamn still. I'm so goddamn tired."

The Great One, now satisfied with a new crater it had dug into the earth, continued on. Vixi sighed, shouldering the rifle and her spear. She began the chase yet again.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 2

Fighting away thoughts of a place to make camp, Vixi followed the dragon throughout the day, when, by the gods, the Great One had fallen asleep in one of it's craters. Vixi let out a sigh.

"The dastard spent years trying to make a goddamn nest," she whispered furiously. It had also wrecked half of the countryside, and killed every master of the Dragon Arts. Except for her. She was the last.

"And it made me lose seven days of sleep," she continued, removing her weapons. She stuck her spear in the ground, raised the rifle, and touched the trigger. "See you in my dreams, you dastard."

The shot was much louder than she was told it would be. No recoil. A brilliant flash of light.

The Great One was hit, suffering a large wound through one of it's eyes. It awoke immediately, seemingly unfazed, and got to it's feet so fast it took but an instant. It's roar was louder than the shot.

Vixi was deafened, surprised, half asleep, and beyond infuriated. She was the only one left in the Capital who had any chance against this creature, and she was dead on her feet. "Oh goddamn it," she whispered, unable to hear herself.

Vixi brandished her spear, and leapt into the sky.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 3

Whenever she jumped, Vixi always aimed for the nearest cloud. They were so far away. She was reaching her peak ascent, cursing how tired she was. If only she could leap as high as the Dragoons of old. The legends say they could jump to the moon.

The Great One had begun it's thrashing, yet kept its focus on her. Vixi hung in the air for a brief moment, readied her spear, and fell. Her target was the Great One's undamaged eye. If she failed to slay the beast, at least she could blind it.

The unexpected. She was focusing on her target, when suddenly the Great One opened it's mouth, launching a sunbright attack of pure magical energy. Vixi covered her face, saving her from being blinded herself.

Pain. Her armor was strong, made from the scales of Grander Dragons. And yet, the pain. It was like falling through hades. When she passed through the blast, she was met by gnashing jaws. Luckily, she landed on a tooth.

No time. She hopped.

Now Vixi had two options. Fall back down and stab the eye, or use the Old Wind to push her away from the crater, where she could hopefully jump to safety. She stuck to her objective.

"Be sightless," she whispered, stabbing the Great One's other eye. She left the spear in, and jumped back. When she touched down, she ran. But she was so tired. The painful cries of the Great One made her feel like it was chasing her. After about a hundred feet, she collapsed.

She just couldn't stay awake anymore. Vixi dreamed of the past, sleeping inside the crater.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 4

"If the Great One dies, so will the Dragoons and their ways," said the Minister, who ruled over the Capital. "It is the last of the ancient dragons that has shared this world with us. When it falls to your spears and lances, the final legend will be born."

Vixi saluted the Minister, as did all of the other's. They were to leave immediately, and while they began to board the Capital's airship, the Dragoon captain pulled Vixi aside. He waited until all of his dragon knights had boarded.

"You shall remain," he whispered. Vixi was perplexed. She wanted to ask him why, but complied with his order instead. Did he doubt her abilities? Or was it to ensure the Dragon Arts would not be all lost should they fail? She received her answer, the following day.

The airship had been destroyed. Not everyone managed to escape, and the few who had all fell to the jaws of the Great One. A scouting party confirmed the death tally. It was the entire unit.

Upon hearing the news, Vixi barged into the court of the Minister. She demanded answers. The court had feared the Great One's power since it had gone mad, knowing that one day it would find the Capital and lay waste to it.

They were working on a weapon that could kill it, they said. The dragon had simply gotten too close to the Capital before the weapon was finished, and they had no choice but to send the Dragoons in full.

They said their sacrifice was the greatest loss in history. They asked her to carry out the mission of testing the weapon. They gave her the strongest armor and the best spear in the Capital. Then they gave her the weapon.

Vixi stirred from her slumber. The Great One was gone. She whispered a curse and leapt from the crater. Picking up the rifle, she ventured back to the Capital.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 5

Vixi was famished. She looked around, and only saw a wasteland. No food, no water. Curses. Curse the Capital, curse the death of the Dragoons, and curse the Great One.

She would kill it. By her spear, it would ravage the land no more. She was determined to kill it. After a few miles of stumbling, she fell to the earth. Curse the Capital. Thoughts appeared in her mind of killing the Minister, but she drove them away. The heat was getting to her.

"The legends," she whispered, catching her breath. "To hades with their nonsense." She searched her item pouch. By the gods, she found some jerky. She ate it greedily.

"After all we have wrought and suffered," she said quietly, "I will not die here, alone, with that creature in a rage. I'll force the Capital to take action. They will not kill us off like this."

Her whispers sounded deadly. Having slept, she did indeed feel better, but the thought of seeing her comrades dead on a cart, and the defective rifle slung across her back... she raged.

"I'll kill them all if they deem me to be punished," Vixi whispered, "this is not a battle to be won alone." She thought about the Dragon Arts. How powerful they were. She spent every day of her life honing these skills. All she ever wanted was to reach the clouds.

The path ahead. So distant. Unforgiving. Vixi continued on, wishing she could dispose of the rifle. It didn't work, after all, and it was heavy. "I will kill them, if they deem me to be punished," she repeated.

After days of struggle, hunger and rage, Vixi could see the Capital up ahead. "How dare they kill us all like cattle. How dare they send us to death," she whispered.

Vixi made it to the gates, and pounded on them.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 6

The halls of the Minister were awash with noise, but when Vixi entered the chamber, everyone grew quiet. She removed the rifle and threw it to the floor. She glared at everyone. "It was all for naught," she whispered, "the beast is still alive."

An outcry from the Elders. The Minister raised his hand. Everyone grew quiet once more. Suddenly, the Court Mage, Derlex, rose from his chair. He was very old, and very stubborn. "So, having missed your mark you decided to flee like a coward," he said.

Vixi was upon him in seconds. She held nothing back. With a swift punch to his jaw, Derlex was rattled and almost knocked unconcious. The Elders gasped, then the Minister stood as well. Vixi pushed Derlex to the ground and faced the Minister.

"Me, a coward? Nay. It is not I who sits here, sending the greatest warriors of the land to die. I used your prototype. I put your bullet through the Great One's eye and my spear through the other," she whispered, her rage building. "I chased the dragon for days. I fainted from exhaustion, and it escaped."

The Elders murmured amongst themselves. Derlex sluggishly got to his feet and collapsed in his chair. Vixi dared them to offer insult. She dared them to accuse her of cowardice again. She would summon forth the Almighty Lance and murder them all. She would.

The Minister looked at Derlex. "You have failed me," he said, and walked over to the rifle. He stared at it for a long time, and shook his head. "There is no more Mythril to forge another bullet." Derlex shook in his seat, and glared at Vixi. She returned the look.

The Minister picked up the rifle and threw it at Derlex. It struck his chest and he screamed out in pain. "The Great One is far more powerful than we expected," he continued, walking back to his throne. He glanced around at everyone in the room. "You have blinded the dragon?" he asked.

Vixi nodded. "Yes," she whispered. The Minister looked very grave, and worried. He touched his forehead, sighing. "I have one last mission for you," he began, but was cut short. Vixi approached the throne so fast everyone grew afraid.

"No," she whispered, then exited the chamber.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 7

All Vixi wanted was something to eat and drink, a nice long bath, everything of worth from the armory and to steal one of the Capital's airships. Whatever mission the Minister had for her, it would be nothing compared to her plan. The Capital could not be protected by a room full of cowards.

With the Great One blinded, it would never see her coming. If she could focus and summon forth all of the Dragon Arts while also crashing the airship into the beast, it would die. She was sure of it.

The Dragon Arts. Three techniques only the Dragoons can use. The Old Wind, the Almighty Lance, and the Sacred Wings. All drained energy from the user, and if all three were used at once, it could kill a dragon knight. But if used together, any enemy would perish. Vixi was prepared. She was not afraid.

She would begin her raid of the armory and the skyport tonight. But first, she needed to eat and wash. Vixi walked through the Capital's streets to a nearby tavern. "Hail, Dragoon!" shouted a man, opening the door for her. Vixi dropped three coins into his hand and walked inside.

Everyone stared at her. She paid them no mind. She approached the bar and ordered a meal, a glass of water, a bottle of wine, and requested the use of their hot springs. She ate in silence, bathed, and donned her armor once more. Vixi left the tavern and returned to the Dragoon barracks.

Empty. Depressing. The Great One will pay for taking them away. Even if it means losing her life, she will go into the afterlife alongside the dragon. Then, when she encounters her comrades again, they will all defeat the beast together.

Ten hours until dusk. Vixi collapsed onto a bed still wearing her armor, and slept. When the moon was high in the skies above, she left the barracks, looking them over for the final time.

The armory was her first destination. The Minister's palace was just ahead, looming over the Capital.

 

[OGSniper]

Chapter 1

Vixi was pissed. She had been shadowing the Great One for days, unable to shoot it due to it's ceaseless thrashings. It never slept, and roamed constantly, which meant Vixi had to stay awake and on the move too. She only had one bullet, a prototype which the Capital could never recreate. Whatever it was made of, that was it.

The rifle looked like it came straight out of her people's legends. Of course, to her the legends where nonsense about magic and heroes. Vixi had only seen spears forged with steel, not crafted out of light. She carried one of the former.

Even the legend of the Great One was wrong. Long ago, it was not a disease-ridden, mindless destroyer, but a ruler of the land. People worshipped it, and in return they were protected by it. Now it is the final dragon left, and the eons have driven it mad.

Her mission objective was to track it down, shoot it in the head, and end it's rampage. If by some chance her aim wasn't true, she must engage it. Not like she would have a choice.

Vixi stayed far behind her prey. It just wouldn't be still. It was always shaking it's head, clawing at the ground, flapping it's wings. The Great One could no longer fly due to it's wings being torn, so it just wanders aimlessly. Vixi was shocked that it hadn't died of old age.

"Maybe it is immortal," she whispered, "but if only it would stay goddamn still. I'm so goddamn tired."

The Great One, now satisfied with a new crater it had dug into the earth, continued on. Vixi sighed, shouldering the rifle and her spear. She began the chase yet again.

Okay, that has to be the best opener I have seen. All I read was that, and I lost it. That is an awesome opener.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 8

The armory was not guarded, and even if it were, Vixi would have no trouble gaining entry. She passed by axes, swords, bows and flails. Not many spears left. She picked one at random, for they were all the same, and shouldered it. She was never much for sword fighting, but a longsword caught her eye. She took that as well.

Crates filled with grenades lined the wall. She put about a dozen in her item pouch, along with a few throwing daggers and two pistols. She grabbed two boxes of ammunition. If she had any skill at archery, she would've taken a bow, but it would only be a hinderance.

She could carry no more. Leaving the armory, she walked through the palace halls, ignoring stealth altogether. Let them try and stop her. She was doing this for more than just revenge. She was doing this for the good of the Capital.

There was no one around. Not a soul. She should have at least seen a maid, but the halls were empty. Even the steps leading to the skyport were without gaurds, and this raised her suspicions. Regardless, she climbed the stairs and stepped into the docking bay.

There it was. The airship was massive, capable of transporting up to a thousand troops. Luckily, she knew how to pilot it. She had done it before. Without a crew, however, it wouldn't make it very far. But the Great One would be easy to spot from the air. She began walking to the ramp when a voice called out from behind her.

"Ah, I see we have a rat trying to sneak aboard." That voice. It was Derlex. At his back were several knights and gunners. They were all armed, their weapons drawn. "You will not take another step."

Vixi grew furious. She turned around, and faced them.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 9

"Stand down, Derlex," she whispered, glancing over the group. "All of you, leave. Now." Vixi slipped her hand inside of the item pouch, gripping a pistol. Her other hand touched the base of her spear. Two of the knights and one of the gunners hesitated. They knew all too well what the Dragoons were capable of. Especially her.

Derlex laughed. In fact, he bellowed. Tears ran from his eyes and he wiped them away. After a while, he took control of his demeanor, spreading his arms. "You are such a foolish child. The Minister himself has sent us here. If you lay down your arms and surrender, the dungeon will be your only punishment."

Punishment. She would show them punishment. They stood in her way, just another obstacle. She looked them over again. A shame. A shame that their families will weep, not knowing they died trying to oppose salvation. She spat onto the floor. "So be it," she whispered, and jumped.

"Kill the Dragoon! Kill her! Kill her now!" Derlex shouted, and the gunners opened fire. They were poor marksmen. Vixi, however, never missed. She killed several of them, readied her spear, and dropped down amongst the group. One of the knights screamed from her spear impacting his chest.

Vixi swung him around with the tip of her spear, sending him flying into several gunners. She shot four more knights before jumping again, replacing the pistol and removing two grenades with the same hand. She pulled the pins with her teeth and dropped them.

The explosion was spectacular. Limbs and blood burst outward. She fell upon the last gunner, impaling him and snatching his rifle from his dying grasp. She shot the few remaining knights, pulled her spear from the corpse, and looked around.

Derlex was nowhere to be seen. He had fled, the coward that he was. Vixi spat again when the sound of an alarm rang in her ears. There was no more time to waste. She ran up the ramp to the airship and boarded, dashing through the hallways into the cockpit.

She activated the engines, took control of the wheel, and in seconds she was flying out of the bay. The sky beyond looked like an ocean of clouds. Leaving the Capital behind her, Vixi soared back out into the wasteland.

Back to the crater where she collapsed.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 10

Vixi was nearing the area where she encountered the Great One. She covered so much distance in such a short amount of time, pushing the engines to their max. She scanned the horizon, looking for what basically amounted to a moving mountain. The Great One was the largest dragon in recorded history, after all.

She veered north, keeping a lookout for any dust clouds which the Great One could've created with it's ramblings. Suddenly, she felt the muzzle of a pistol pressed against the back of her head. She heard the sound of a hammer clicking back.

"You will turn this vessel around immediately, and return to the Capital's skyport. Do it now, and I will make sure you are shot instead of hanged." Derlex. The old dastard was swift on his feet. She couldn't help but envy how silently he moved.

"There is not enough fuel for a return trip," Vixi whispered, still scanning the horizon. "And I no longer take orders from you, the Minister, or any one of the Elders. Shoot me if you must, but only I can land the ship. Kill me, and you'll die as well."

Derlex was taken aback. He had no idea how to pilot an airship, and the crash would certainly be deadly. Yet, her remark angered him deeply. He was trying to find something to say when suddenly they both heard a sound like endless thunder. It was the roar of the Great One. Vixi spotted a cloud of dust. The beast had been found.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked, slightly amazed at seeing the size of the creature. It was truly what the nightmarish stories described it to be. Vixi accelerated, the sudden burst of speed rocking the ship, and in that moment when she felt the barrel of the gun waver, she turned around quickly and knocked it from his hand. She grabbed Derlex's arm and twisted it, kicking his knee and making him drop down. He grunted in pain.

"I'm crashing the ship into it," she whispered, turning her gaze to the Great One, "and then, I'm cutting off it's goddamn head."

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 11

Derlex was gasping for breath. The Great One drew ever closer, and he was afraid. Afraid of dying, of the dragon, and of her. Vixi let go of his arm. She had knocked the pistol too far away for him to reach it. He looked up at her, stunned, and submitted.

In his heart, he also wanted the Great One to die. It was too much of a menace, and compared to it, all the other beasts in the land were nothing. He shook his head, and sighed. "Allow me to help you, then, if you are so gung-ho and careless. Do you truly believe the dragon can be slain?"

Vixi looked at the beast. It was moving slower than before, no doubt from it's lack of sight. She looked back at Derlex. "This is it's final day upon the world. No matter what happens to me, in the name of the Dragoons, it will perish," she whispered. Derlex swallowed hard, and nodded. He held out his hand. To his surprise, Vixi helped him to his feet.

"You are the Court Mage," she whispered, "surely you know of spells from the olden times?" Derlex blinked, then chuckled under his breath. "I can do more than sneak around," he said. "There was a reason I obtained my status. Nobody can muster forth the powers of magic like I can. If you could help me to the ground, I will do what I can to injure this monster. Think of me what you will, but I do not want the children of the Capital to die by it's madness."

Vixi considered this. He was telling the truth. "Go to the lower deck," she whispered, "and use the balloon pod. It will lower you to the ground. But make haste." Derlex nodded, and ran out of the cockpit. The dastard really could move, despite his age. Vixi locked the course of the descent to impact the dragon, then she made her way to the bridge.

She saw the balloon pod eject, and fall towards the ground. Now was the time. She focused on her Dragon Arts, and felt a powerful energy course through her. The Sacred Wings appeared on her back, beautiful and shining. In a flash of fire, the Almighty Lance was summoned forth, burning with an intense heat. Vixi grabbed it from the air. She drew the longsword from it's sheath, and approached the side of the bridge. Her energy was draining rapidly.

A flash of intense lightning. Derlex had already cast a spell and assaulted the Great One. The clouds turned dark, rain fell in a torrent, and lightning began striking the beast in rapid-succession. It ceased it's mad journey and looked around blindly, roaring with hatred. Five seconds to impact. Vixi jumped into the sky before the airship hit the Great One. She hung in the air, her wings fluttering wildy. She focused again, summoning the Old Wind, and fell faster than she ever imagined.

She targeted the Great One's neck, slashing into it. She cut through with viciousness, and might. It only took but an instant.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 12

The Great One was as old as the planet itself. Long ago, forgotten in it's memory, it spoke to the people of the world. It offered it's protection, and would lay waste to anything that dared threaten them. It loved mankind and it loved the world. Then, everything grew dark.

It had been subjected to a terrible virus. The virus ate away at it's brain, rotted it's flesh, and drove it mad. Countless other dragons fell victim to this nameless curse, and all were slain. The Great One was no exception. It no longer knew what it's purpose was, and it became feral.

For centuries it tried to nest. Crater after crater appeared on the planet's surface, entire settlements fell, and it became nothing more than a demon. It was tired. It was old. And it was always angry. For countless eons, the Great One was unopposed, and it raged. At least, it had until this day. The airship hit the Great One's side, exploding on contact.

Pain. It's scales were stronger than anything. Stronger than the hardest mineral. Stronger than the long forgotten ore, Mythril. And yet, the pain. Like savage claws digging into flesh, the Great One felt it's neck being pierced, it's body being electrocuted, and it thrashed. It could not see, only feel. And all it felt was pain.

Memories of the past flooded it's dying brain. The attack by the Strange Being from the stars. How the Great One destroyed it, saving humanity. The songs which were sung in it's glory. The offerings and the feasts. The children of men climbing upon it's back, laughing as the Great One shook them gently. The entire world that it protected for them. Then, nothing. It's head was severed, falling to the earth in a sea of blood. After what felt like an eternity, the Great One was no more.

Vixi fell to the ground, the Sacred Wings and the Almighty Lance vanishing. She was weak. She was dying. Losing her vision and her grasp on reality, she saw them. Her fellow Dragoons. They welcomed her with open arms, and she cried. She stumbled through a clouded mist, making her way to them. Finally. Finally they were avenged, and she felt happiness.

Derlex was spent. His heart beat so strong in his chest. He stumbled across the wasteland to Vixi, falling, having to crawl towards her. He used the last of his magical energy to create a healing aura, casting it around her.

"I was wrong, and I am sorry, great hero, I am so very sorry." Barely able to speak. His heart beat for the final time. Derlex fell into the dirt, and died.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 13

The mist became clearer. A sphere of light beckoned. It seemed like a force she could grasp, but not in this state of purgatory. Vixi looked around her, and saw two worlds. One of a dusty crater, the scene of carnage, and healing light. The other, a place with all of her fellow dragon knights, every beast she had slain, and the Great One. Both worlds were calling to her.

Vixi awoke and saw green. Then, when the spell was over, she saw the dragon, and the wasteland. Both the beast and land were dead. She had her revenge. The Great One was just an empty shell that will turn into dust one day. Vixi looked up at the sky. She stared at the clouds for a long time.

"If the dragon dies, so will the Dragoon's and their ways," she whispered. Off to her left, a corpse lie. It was Derlex. So, he had died saving her. The old dastard wasn't that bad after all, and a feeling of sadness overtook her. "May your soul rest peacefully, Derlex," she whispered. Vixi was in shock. She still had her spear, but the longsword was lost. She needed to ground herself.

The item pouch. Guns, bullets, daggers, and explosives. Dangerous things. Her armor, Grander Dragon scales. She had a hand in killing them off, long ago. She was the last remaining Dragoon. Derlex was the only Court Mage.

Together, they killed a false god. A scourge of the land. She no longer believed the legends were untrue, not after this day. It almost didn't seem real. By the gods, she was suddenly tired.

"Now the Capital is safe," she whispered, louder than she had ever spoken before. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Instead, she fell back, resting her head on the earth.

Vixi drifted off to sleep in a river of blood. Her armor was stained red by the time the Capital found her.

 

[Guinea]

Chapter 14

Vixi had a dream where she opened her eyes. At least, she thought it was a dream. It was so vivid. She was completely surrounded by Capital troops. She sat up quickly, her spear already in her hands. Some of the soldiers glanced down at her, but all were fixated on the Great One's corpse. Vixi stood suddenly, looked around, and saw the Minister.

"To hades with this!" she growled, causing a few of the soldiers to stir. None have ever heard a Dragoon speak above a whisper before. Immediately, she jumped, scattering a nearby group out of fear. Vixi landed atop the severed head of the Great One. Everyone looked up at her. The knights, mages, gunners, archers... even the Minister. And he smiled wickedly.

Vixi summoned forth the Almighty Lance and thrust it down into the Great One's skull. She scanned the distance. "Funny," whispered Vixi, "they all arrived in the same airship. I'd like to see them walk seven days back to the Capital. I doubt they have the strength." She was about to leap when suddenly, in a flash, the Minister stood before her. It was the first time she had ever witnessed teleportation.

"Do you know how ironic this is?" he asked her, drawing the Almighty Lance from the skull. It vanished in his hand. "My mission for you involved killing the dragon all along, but not like this... oh, no, not like this," he sighed. He looked Vixi square in the eye, and removed his cape. He drew a rapier the color of jade. "It did not involve several militants being murdered, a Warship being destroyed or the last Dragoon and Court Mage under my command going rogue!"

Vixi stepped back along the skull, raising her spear. She knew what was coming. And she was ready. "Enough," she whispered, glaring with hate, "an age-old terror lies dead beneath us. What's another foul corpse upon that which will rot?" The Minister teleported again, got in close, and snatched Vixi's spear away. Too fast. He grabbed her face, whispered some faint spell, and she was quickly asleep. He dropped her onto the rotted flesh of the dragon.

"You and Derlex have created the final legend, albeit a messy one. However, thanks to you, we can finally, finally revive the god that the Great One took away from us, so long ago." The Minister knelt down close to Vixi's ear. "Are you prepared for nightmares upon waking?"

It was a troublesome dream.