Blood and shadows (a Rogue love story)

A job...

Ruby sighed as she looked at a very sick looking Sting and Rogue. Rogue and Frosch were opposite her while Sting was next to her with Lector to his left. She looked put the window of the train they were moving really fast now, she hoped the got there soon. She didn't want to be sicked on by either if the two.

"Motion sickness really is a thing that effects all of you isn't it?" She said.

"That sounds like you know a dragon slayer." Said Lector. "You talk about them like you known them."

"I used to know one yeah. Knew him pretty well but then he was an idiot and went and got himself killed." Even though she was insulting him her voice was soft and caring. Her eyes loving as she remembered her old friend. The look on her face was clear to Rogue that she had been in love with this guy. "That's the things with dragon slayers. They are always so powerful but it is very rare to find one that uses his brain. They tend to just let their instincts take over...and that's when they get hurt."

"Ruby..." Said Frosch seeing her sad face and wanting to comfort her.

"Anyway this job you guys picked out. We just have to take down a monster that has been terrorising some farmers, right?" She asked Lector who had the job description in hand.

"It's a monster that has been eating all their crops. They can't grow anything and the village is suffering for it."

"Sounds simple enough. I didn't need you guys to come along, it's something I'm perfectly capable of handling by myself."

"But our lady..." Lector began

"Yeah I know she told you to come, but when we get back I'm having words with that woman..."

The five followed a short and plump looking man through the town. People began to point and stare at them.

"Their mages from Sabertooth right?" Ruby heard a woman ask her friend.

"Yeah that's Sting and Rogue, the twin dragon slayers."

"Who's the new girl?"

"I don't know but she must be powerful to join Sabertooth. She's gorgeous too, do you think she is dating one of the twins?"

"She doesn't look like the kind of girl to date."

"I guess not but either of them would be lucky to have such a beauty on their arm." Ruby stopped listening. It was becoming to much for her to handle. Her cheeks were bright red, she had never been complimented like that by strangers and the thought of dating either Sting or Rogue made her feel hot and bothered. The dragon slayers and their small partners were walking just behind Ruby. She turned her head to glance at Rogue who was too her right. She saw that he was staring at her and immediately looked away. Why the hell was she blushing so much? The last time she blushed like this was...

"This is the field were the monster lives." Said the Mayor of the town, interrupting Ruby's train of thought. The field before them was a complete mess, the ground was all uneven and the crops were everywhere. "Many have tried to stop it but they were not strong enough. That is why I was forced to call in mages from the Sabertooth guild to deal with the problem." Ruby looked behind her to see that the towns people had gathered to watch the action take place.

"Mayor I'm going to have to ask you to clear your people away from here. This could get dangerous and they will only get hurt." She told him.

"Yes of course. We thank you greatly." He said as he turned and walked off the field. The mages from Sabertooth walked further into the muddy field until they stood in the middle of it. They stood and waited from the monster to show its self but nothing happened.

"Doesn't look like the beast what's to play does it?" Said Ruby looking at the ground. She knelt down and placed a hand in the earth. She listened closely, a trick she leant from the earth dragon slayer she used to know. Close your eyes and listen to what the earth is telling you, he would say. Rube closed her eyes and blocked the noise around her out, then she felt it. A strong presence underneath the earth. Sleeping, the monster was currently sleeping. Ruby opened her eyes and stood up.

"The thing is sleeping and it is huge. Wheather it is a magically monster or not I could not tell."

"You got that from the earth?" Said Sting raising his eyebrows like he didn't believe it. 

"Yes as a matter of fact I did."

"So do we wait until it wakes up?" Lector asked Ruby.

"No, I say let's wake the beast up. Scarlet phoenix's blood fist." Her fist became in covered in blood and she punched the ground with such force that the ground shook and from the it a terrifying monster appeared before then...