Derpy Hooves: Dragon Slayer

by Yellowcardpony

Lair by Lair

Chapter 14: Lair by Lair

Night had fallen over the plains of Hayen and a pair of ponies continued to run through the darkened field. Balefren lagged a bit behind Derpy. He watched the grey mare push onwards with a glow of fire in her eyes. He hadn’t even dared to ask about stopping to rest, he was just waiting and hoping at some point she would give in.

“Now is not the time to slow down,” she called back as if she knew what he had been thinking.

“What good will we be if we arrive all tired,” Belafren replied.

“I’ve got it covered,” Derpy explained, “The stars light our path, we can push through the night and make it there just before dawn I suspect.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing, I’ll be lucky if I can stand by morning at this rate,” Balefren said concerned. “I know you want to save Earren, but…”

“It’s not about saving her,” Delphina corrected coldly. “Well it kind of is; the longer we wait the more odds there are of her tipping the dragon off that we are coming, and I doubt the dragon would even need to torture her to find out what he wants.”

“You only care about your mission?” Balefren exclaimed surprised. Although deep down he expected her view to be like this.

“That is the reason we have come this far,” Delphina said. “Don’t start bringing emotions into this; she more than likely will be dead before we get there.”

“How can you say that!” Balefren said shocked. “She’s your friend too.”

Delphina shook her head as she looked back at Balefren, “I have no friends, you know that.”

“Don’t lie,” Balefren snorted feeling talked down to. “You came back for us along the river; I saw the concern you had in your eyes. I see the concern you have now.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself unicorn,” Delphina warned.

Increasing his speed Balefren closed the gap with the pegasus. “Then why did you come back for us?”

Delphina looked away from Balefren as she answered, “Because I still have a use for you.”

Balefren, wanted to stop running as the words hit him like a club. He thought about how from the start she had picked him because she had a ‘use’ for him. Is that all she really thinks of me; a tool that will serve her purpose?

Balefren was a second from stopping and turning around when he thought of Earren. He imagined the tan unicorn back in the river. He pictured how her bright red mane had been sweeping around freely in the water, as they fought the current. I have to do this for her, he thought.

Picking up his pace he gave one last look at Delphina. “I miss Derpy,” he commented as he began to pull ahead and take the lead.

The two ponies continued to run through the night. Time passed slowly as Balefren and Delphina traveled without speaking a further word to each other. Balefren lead the way as endless rows of tall grass fell before his magic. Fatigue, hunger and thirst were all blocked out of his mind as he focused on the task at hand.

Delphina followed close behind the unicorn. In her head she focused on the forthcoming battle. She imagined each step she would take, each possible strike or circumstance she could think of, anything that would give her the advantage over the dragon.

After hours of running the tall grass began to get shorter until it was only knee high. The shorter grassed created a clearing that circled the surrounding area. In the dark the clearing seemed ominous and the ponies both slowed their pace a little bit.

“Why is the grass so short here?” Balefren whispered as he slowed to a stop. Looking around he spied the orange glow of the sun as it was starting to rise in the distance.

“It’s been cut,” Delphina responded as she also looked around the area carefully.

“What good is it to cut grass in the middle of a huge field of it?” Balefren questioned. “Its not like you can see it from a distance.”

“Not unless…” Delphina said as she spread her wings and flew up a few feet into the air. “You’re in the air. This is it.”

“This is what?” Balefren said as he looked up at the pegasus.

“The dragon’s lair,” she replied as she quickly returned to the ground.

“A grassy field?” Balefren said surprised. “I would have thought it would be a cave or something.”

“I’m not sure, but I can smell it,” Delphina replied as she sniffed the air. Balefren looked at the mare curiously as he took several loud sniffs himself. “It’s hard to tell in the dark, but I think there is some kind of entrance not far from here.”

“I smell dirt and grass,” Balefren commented. Delphina gave him a slight smile as she turned and began to trot in the direction of the entrance. Balefren followed as he wondered what a dragon smelled like.

With the aid of the rising sun, and a few minutes of searching Delphina stood proudly in front of a dark tunnel that was dug into the earth. It looked like someone had a storage cellar and forgot to close the door. Or perhaps in this case the door had been ripped away long ago.

The pathway inside was slanted steeply as it quickly disappeared into the dark. Delphina took a step inside and tested the slope for footing. “It’s a good incline but we shouldn’t have any problem making our way down,” she said.

Balefren looked at the entryway suspiciously. “How could a dragon fit down there? It’s just wide enough for us to walk down.” He observed.

“I’m sure the dragon has another way in, this looks like it’s an air shaft or old remains of what was here before the dragon moved in.” Delphina explained as she stepped back outside.

Balefren took a few steps forward and suddenly felt his legs start to feel limp. The fatigue of their journey was starting to catch up to him quick. Delphina eyed him as he staggered slightly, and then sat down.

“One minute, I’m barely hanging on here,” Balefren muttered as he suddenly felt light headed.

“Sit tight for a sec,” Delphina said as she was feeling about the same as the unicorn. Carefully she flipped over her red saddle bag and reached inside.

Balefren watched curiously as the grey mare produced a small vile and tossed it to him. Balefren reached out with his hoofs and clumsily batted the vile away in a miss attempt at catching it. It bounced off his hoof and made a soft thud as it landed in the dirt near him.

“It’s ok,” he remarked as he sluggishly bent down and searched for the vile. Meanwhile Delphina retrieved a second vile for herself.

As Balefren picked up his vile, he watched the pegasus pull the small cork from the one she held. Spitting the topper out on the ground she looked at the red liquid inside for a moment, before opening her mouth and drinking it down in one gulp.

Following suit Balefren used his magic to open his vile. He looked at the strange liquid and gave it a sniff. He wrinkled up his nose as he held the vile away in disgust. “Eww smells like rotten vegetables,” he said.

“It will give you your strength back,” Delphina explained.

“But it smells awful, what does it taste like?” Balefren said not sold on the idea.

“It tastes like sweet honey,” Delphina said.

Balefren nodded slowly and held his breath so he didn’t have to smell it again. Opening his mouth wide the unicorn lifted the vile up and poured the liquid into his mouth. Instantly me made a frown as the bitter and abhorrent tasting substance crossed his tongue.

“Swallow it quick!” Delphina commanded as she watched the look of great discomfort on Balefren’s face. She could tell he was a moment from spitting it out.

Holding his breath and closing his eyes Balefren forced his throat to retract and swallow. The substance felt like oil as it slid down his esophagus leaving a cold sensation as it traveled through his body.

“Yuck,” he gasped sticking his tongue out. “That didn’t taste like honey at all!”

“Sorry I couldn’t let it go to waste,” Delphina said grinning. Balefren frowned and was about to speak his mind but Delphina cut him off. “How do you feel?” she asked.

“I can’t believe you, just lying like…” Balefren started to say, but stopped as he started to feel a strong refreshing feeling spreading through his body.

The unicorn’s facial expression changed from anger to a confused look as his fatigue was being lifted from his body as if by magic.

“What?” Balefren started to ask.

“It’s a special rejuvenation elixir. It takes years to produce one dose of it,” Delphina explained. “But it makes up for a weeks worth of food.”

“Wow, thank you,” Balefren said as he pranced in place feeling his new energy. “I feel better then when we started.”

“Alright, time to go down the rabbit hole,” Delphina commented as she turned towards the dark tunnel.

“Dragon hole,” Balefren corrected with a grin. Delphina suddenly turned and looked at the unicorn with a stern face.

“This is it Vivid, down that hole waits a dragon, one that is ready to fight and very dangerous. Its time I gave you an idea of your role here,” She said seriously.

“Alright…” Balefren said softly as his grin left his face quickly.

“I want you to be ready to cast your light spell as hard as possible. The moment we come across the dragon, it’s your job to hit him in the face with it. The longer you can blind him, the quicker I can strike and end this,” Delphina said striking her face with her hoof to mimic the dragon being struck with magic.

“That’s all?” Balefren said feeling let down. “You wanted me to come along just for that?”

“You keep hitting the dragon as fast as you can, but the first strike will be the most important,” Delphin continued to explain ignoring the unicorn’s protests. “Can you do this?”

Balefren nodded giving up his complaints. “Yes,” he said.

“Good, let’s do this,” Delphina said as she turned back around and started to walk down the ramp into the dark. “Oh and Balefren.”

“Yeah?” he replied as he started to follow the mare.

“Try not to die either, ok?” Derpy said as she looked back and gave him a wink.

Balefren nodded as he felt a shiver go down his spine again. The seriousness of what was about to take place was starting to set in. The magic elixir had refreshed his body making it feel strong and energized, but it did nothing to quell his mind and the fears that lingered in the back of his thoughts.

Without saying another word the pair of ponies began the descent into the dragon’s lair.

Earren sat in the heart of the lair face to face with the beast. She had a good feeling about the direction things were going as the dragon seemed to be very absorbed by her story. He didn’t interrupt and listened quietly to the whole thing. She was also still alive which she considered to also be a good sign.

“So what do you think?” Earren said once she had finished.

The dragon sat still and unmoving for a moment, before he blew a small puff of smoke. “Quite the story my little pony,” he said. Earren grinned happily in response as the dragon continued. “But I don’t know why you are telling me it, or why you think we could be friends.”

“Well, I’m like you,” Earren said as her grin faded.

The dragon gave a hardy laugh as he lowered his head closer to the unicorn. “I just listened to your little story… What makes you think you’re anything like me?”

“Well, we’re both loners who’ve spent most of their lives all alone,” Earren said thoughtfully.

The dragon laughed again as the pony’s statement. “Little one, all dragons are loners, it is our nature,” the dragon explained.

“But, when I saw you here, I knew you wanted company, that’s why you didn’t kill me!” Earren protested. “I see a creature that’s suffered like me, someone who’s been astray from the rest of the world, and someone who needs a friend, like I did.”

“You are mistaken pony,” the dragon said. “Although your words of friendship did intrigue me, we are nothing alike.”

Earren began to frown as she felt hurt. Had she misjudged things so much? Was she just wishing to meet a dragon and a kindred spirit so much she rationalized something that was not there?

The unicorn's mouth began to quiver as she fought back tears as a wave of strong emotions began to get the better of her. The dragon eyed the little creature skeptically at first, but began to feel a strange empathy for the foolish girl.

“Alright, listen to my story and you can see for yourself,” the dragon offered.

Earren sniffled and cleared her throat before replying. “Really?”

“Yes,” the dragon said sighing slightly.

Earren’s demeanor changed instantly as she hopped up and down in place happily. “A dragon story, I can’t wait,” she exclaimed.

“First off, my name isn’t dragon… It’s Rouw,” the dragon said. “Second off, I will tell you my story, but understand that I am likely to kill you when it’s over.”

Earren sat down in place and nodded agreeing. The dragon crooked one eye as the pony seemed to be fine with his proposal. He had never seen a pony as strange as this melodramatic mare.

“My story starts well over a thousand years ago,” Rouw began.