The Dragon of Randell: Chapter 2 - The Witch Knight

The Dragon of Randell: Chapter 2 - The Witch Knight
   A large campfire burns on the shore of a lake to the east of Gemstead. Elsie sits near the fire patting the head of Jessa as she lay with her chest bandaged. An extremely large fish sits roasting over the campfire, it's scent filling the forest air. Aldrax sits with a smile watching the fish darken over the flame, nearly drooling from the smell.
"Don't you think that's a bit large for three people?" Elsie asks with Jessa's head on her lap.
"It's not for three people, it's for two women and a dragon. You'd better hope I leave enough for you." Aldrax retorts with a grin.
"R-right..." Elsie says looking away.

"May I ask why you don't leave your human form?" The princess asks.
"No." Aldrax responds without looking away from the cooking fish.
"B-but you said I could ask you some questions..."
"I never said I had to answer them." The dragon says as he lifts the fish from the fire and takes a bite from it.
Elsie pouts and glares at him. Her anger is interrupted by the loud growling of her tummy.
Aldrax stares at her silently chewing his food as she turns increasingly red.
"M-may I please have some?" Elsie asks through her steaming blush.

 Aldrax breaks off a large hunk of his meat and offers it to the princess. The steaming fish meat is clearly scalding hot to the touch, but the heat doesn't seem to bother the man dragon. Elsie pulls out a silk napkin and spreads it out in front of her, where she begins to pick off pieces of the fish with a small knife and fork she pulls from her bag. Despite her delicate style of eating she devours the entire large piece of fish by herself.
"You've got a hell of an appetite to be so small." Aldrax notes.
"H-how rude!" She says as she puffs up her cheeks while wrapping up the remainder of the fish for Jessa later.

  Meanwhile Voltic make shis way to the town of Danseal as the dragon told him. His glassy half concious eyes indicate his shattered will. As he walks through the forest wrapped in a tattered cloak his shoulders shake from the feeling of helplessness overwhelming him.
"Lord Prova will be extremely upset by you Volly.~"
A chill shoots down Voltic's spine and he turns to see the hooded woman seated in a tree branch above him.
"Ajora..." Voltic says as he stares up trembling.
The woman vanishes and appears right in front of the fallen knight, she's quite short even compared to Elsie but her delicate hand reaches up and rubs Voltic's cheek.

"Don't worry big guy, I'll clean up your mess!" The woman in the yellow hood says, her short straw yellow bangs covering her eyes.
"I just need you to do as I say." She says with a whisper, her full lips inches from Voltic's.
The knights eyes go blank and he speaks in a monotone voice.
"Yes... mistress."

 Elsie curls up with Jessa beneath a tree, deep in sleep. Aldrax stares up at the moon motionless. His nose twitches and he bolts into the treeline with inhuman speed. In almost no time the cloaked figure lurking about is subdued by Aldrax and pinned to the ground. When he removes their hood the face of the animated doll glares back at him devoid of life. The dragon man snarls and crushes the head of the puppet with a punch cratering the ground.

  Elsie screams as she's grabbed by a large muscular bearded man back at camp. The man's emotionless eyes stare vacantly into space as he restrains the princess. Sir Voltic stands over Jessa who looks up at him with hate in her eyes as he prepares to thrust his spear downward at her. The woman in the yellow hood sits next to the campfire roasting a marshmallow and humming.
"Finish her.~" She says in a sing song voice.
Voltic thrusts his spear into the ground.

He lets out a grunt as Jessa flips her injured body airborne to dodge the thrust and kicks him in the side of the head.
She moves with alarming agility and speed for an injured person as she delivers repeated unarmed attacks into the emotionless knight.
"Hooo~ I thought you were half dead already.~" The cloaked woman says.
"R-release her grace immediately." Jessa says as she struggles to stand.
"Kill her Volly, she's too weak to actually hurt you... not that you'd feel it anyway.~"
The emotionless dragonslayer thrusts his spear at Jessa.
She side steps it and delivers a violent headbutt to his face, then a knee to his groin and hurls him over her head and against a tree.
"Pathetic... letting yourself be charmed by a witch, and you call yourself a knight." She says as she looks down at Voltic who stands emotionlessly.

"It's better than being a traitor to the crown.~" The hooded woman says.
"If his highness knew that Prova employed a witch as one of his guard he would have you burned at the stake." Jessa snaps.
"You're being obstinate because you know I can't charm women and you're assuming I won't harm the princess. That's cute.~" Ajora says as she lowers her hood and her deep red eyes flash with light.
"Volly, use your most powerful attack to finish her o-"
Like a bolt of lightning Aldrax falls from the sky on top of Voltic shattering the earth as he stomps the fallen knight's head into the ground.

"Eh?..." Ajora says as she blinks.
Aldrax looks up at her slowly as his blue eyes glow faintly and black smoke flows from his mouth.
"Why are you so angry, Mr. Dragon?" Ajora says as she tilts her head to the side with a smile.
"You used charm magic to rob him of his will and distracted me with an animated doll to get close to the human girls... am I to assume your job isn't to slay me then, but just to retrieve them?" Aldrax says, his voice accompanied by a low rumble.
Jessa stares vacantly at the dragon.

"Yeppers.~ Lord Prova told me to retrieve the princess because he would just kill you himself once she was out of the cross fire.~"
Aldrax's mouth curls into a toothy smile.
"Those were my orders at least but now that you're here I think I'll just order you to kill yourself and save him the trouble.~" The small witch says as her eyes glow brightly.
A light washes over Aldrax.
"Kneel."
Aldrax says in a low rumbling voice.
Ajora drops to her knees.
"Eh?..."
"H-how are you resisting... I said kill yourself, silly.~" She says as she looks up with a smile.
"Disrobe."
Ajora's clothing vanishes and she covers her modest chest.
"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? WHY CAN'T I CURSE YOU?"
"Red dragons are the Kings of the Sky... they have an innate magic in their voice that allows them to command lesser creatures. Dragon Tongue." Elsie says as the man holding her releases his grip and loses consciousness.
"THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY I CAN'T CURSE HIM, MAGIC RESISTANCE SHOULDN'T STOP CURSES!" Ajora shouts covering her chest.
"Only one curse can affect a creature at a time. I've already been cursed by a magic more powerful than anything you're capable of girl." Aldrax says as he looks down at her.
"Heh... hehe... please..." Ajora says as the dragon man walks towards her smiling.
"Please don't hurt me... I'm sorry..." She says as she trembles.
"Prostrate."

As though her body itself became heavier Ajora falls to her hands and knees with her head lowered.
"I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" She begs in a shrieking voice.
Aldrax crouches and pats the witch's head.
"I don't kill women needlessly." He says in a calm voice.
"Witches shouldn't flaunt their magic like that... learn to use your intelligence to get by without it." He says softly.
"Curse magic especially. It grows weaker the more people you manipulate with it and should be saved for emergencies." Aldrax concludes as he stands up and walks over to Voltic, prying him from the ground and dusting him off before leaning him against a tree.
"You alright?" Aldrax asks as he looks over at Elsie.
"... Yes." she says as she stares dumbfounded.
"Let's get out of here before their boss shows up." He says as he walks towards her.
"I... I agree but... I thought you were looking to hunt down Dragon Slayers." Elsie states.
"Prova, right? He's not the one, but even if he was I'd need to rest first. I've been awake since I destroyed Gemstead." Aldrax says as he pats Jessa on the head.

"Good job. I thought you were a total weakling." He says with a smile.
"Rude..." Jessa says as she turns away and walks over to Elsie.
"Oh right..." Aldrax turns back towards Ajora slightly.
"You will support the fallen knight Sir Voltic loyally in all his endeavors from now forward as penance for stepping on his honorable withdrawl from battle." Aldrax says with a voice sounding more like a roar.
"WHAT?! ARE YOU INSANE? THAT PERVERT ISN'T HONORABLE IN THE SLIGHTEST!" Ajora vehemently objects.
She bursts into flames for only a second until she lowers her head again.
"A-alright... I understand." She says weakly and the flames dissolve into the air.
"What... is honorable about fleeing on my hands and knees?" Voltic says as he stands weakly, his entire body trembling from his injuries.

"RELEASE HER FROM YOUR COMMAND DRAGON!" The knight exclaims as blood trails from his head.
"Volly..." Ajora looks up, seemingly surprised he can stand.
"Accepting the difference in power between you and I is far more honorable than your actions as a Dragonslayer. Not everything honorable is going to look cool." Aldrax says as he walks away with the two girls in tow.
"Understand your weakness and your flaws, and live despite them." He says as he fades from view.
Voltic drops to his knees as tears fall from his eyes.
"You are a dragon... what do you know of honor?" He says.
The knight forces himself to his feet and wraps a cloak around Ajora.
"Volly?..." She asks weakly as she looks up at him.
"Let's go... we're stuck together for now and Lord Prova has no use for failures." He says as he offers the small girl his hand.
".... Where are we going to go?" Ajora asks.
"Who knows... we'll worry about that once we get you some clothes from Danseal."
The two walk off in the opposite direction of Aldrax and the girls.
A few hours later in a cave in the mountains near Gemstead, Elsie treats Jessa's wounds as Aldrax lays on the floor of the cave resting.

"You are cursed..." Elsie says softly.
"It's not an inconvenient curse, I'm fine like this." Aldrax says with his eyes closed.
"How powerful is the witch responsible that you can't force her to lift the curse?"Jessa asks.
"... It's a long story." He responds.
"We have time." Elsie says with a smile as she takes a seat on the ground next to Aldrax.
Jessa stares for a moment before pointing at Elsie.
"You want to sleep with him don't you?" She says with a deadpan expression.
"NO! SHUT UP!" Elsie says with her face red.
"If I tell you the story will you shut up?" Aldrax says as he opens one eye.
"Yes." the two girls both say at once.
Aldrax sighs and stares up at the cieling.
"It was 200 years ago..."