One Bullet

Tres

It's been a few days since I quit and I'm already deep into the woods. I know there will be a town just up ahead and I plan to stop there before I get to this small town right in the middle of the most dangerous woods in the closed off region. This cute little town is very small, a village of maybe one hundred people. They live right on the edge of the Banshee Woods.

The woods before that, however, are probably more inviting than the town. Even with all the wolves and man-eating owls around. Griffins no doubt too.

Reason for my assumption being is that the village looks like it's completely abandoned. There's an eerie mist everywhere and it's so quiet that my heart races with adrenaline and I can hear the beat without feeling it. It was creepy. No I wasn't afraid, I grew up knowing to expect the worst of everything. Especially trees.

"Hello!" I call out after a minute of walking through the village. I hear a window shutter close abruptly and put a hand on the trigger to get my dagger out. "Um, I'm a traveller! Here to venture into Banshee Forest. I need a place to stay just for one night!" I call out again, now knowing that there are... erm... things in the town. I have no idea if it is actual people. Might be humanoids, cannibals, ghosts, anything really. For all I know this mist is a toxic gas just to lure people into thinking there is a town when in fact they are actually surrounded by a man eating plant and are slowly being digested from the inside out. Heh, just a theory.

"You don't just go into Banshee Forest for the adventure. You must be going to New Blood, young traveller." I hear a famillar voice boom. I look around, trying to find the source of the voice to make sure.

"You could say that. I'm in it for the adventure too. Heard all sorts of things from there. Like dragons and vampires. Thinking of becoming a mothman or harbinger." I joke. I feel the eyes of the man stare at me, searching through my decrepid soul, but where are these eyes coming from?

"Blade," the man starts before stepping out of the mist, "remember what I was looking for?" He asks. I look at him up and down carefully. "Yeah, you're the weird man from the corner store. How ya doin' mate?" I joke. He grunts and glares at me, eyes flashing a green.

"I need the statue." He orders. I laugh and take a step back, protecting my loot for my next home.

"No sir. Sorry but Skloth here is not for sale,"

"Then how about a trade?" He offers. That caught my attention.

I raise my eyebrow and cock my head to the side curiously. "A trade? What could possibly be fair with a jaded dragon hand made of the first Royal Dragon Skloth?" I ask curiously. He reaches to his pocket and puls out a revolver. Embroided with weird markings. It seems to emmit a small silver glow, and the gun itself is silver as well.

"A gun with a soul trapped in it. A relic from the earth dragon's kingdom in Mountain Valley." He declares. I hear a slight gasp and look at the gun. Eyeing it suspciously. "A soul trapped gun? Doubt it's real."

"It is supposed to bring you luck, Blade. By your standings I am sure you will apreciate if you are travelling. So, give me the statue and you can be on your way. I will provide you a place to stay for the night also." He offers. I put a hand on my chin and think. If this man is as crazy as he lets on, then this thing might just be real. If he is not, then who the hell knows what it is? Maybe I could get some awesome money on it.

"Fine," I reach into my backpack and hold out the Skloth statue when I find it, "here. Now where do I stay?" I ask after he gives me the gun and takes the jade statue. "You get to stay in a luxury place." He tells me, slapping a hand on my back and taking me into the thick mist. "It's truely lovely, marvelous and amazing." He tells me. I eye him suspiciously and nod slowly. Genuine truth isn't in his voice. He is lying. But again, he might be crazy, so he might always sound like that if he's happy.

"Here," He opens a door and shoves me in, "have a great night, Blade. I will see you in the morning." He laughs before locking the door. I try to shoot the gun at him as he does but it doesn't happen at all. I growl and open the chamber of the revolver. One bullet. Good thing I didn't shoot it.

I get an idea of breaking out, crazy, right? So I go with the idea and start ramming my full weight against the door in attempts to get through to breaking it, I ultimately fail miserably.

"You won't get out, Blade. The door is iron barred." I hear a shaky voice say from the shadows. I turn around and glare into the shadows, seeing any movement. The voice sounded old and frail, so the figure must be shaking. I take off my backpack and set it down slowly. "Erm...miss? Could I see you?" I ask curiously. I see small movement from the corner and rush over, taking off my cloak and putting it around the shaking person. "It's alright, don't move." I say in a gentle voice. The woman puts her fingers on the cloak and one catches my hand slightly. It was an odd feel, almost like scales.

"May I ask how you know?" I ask the woman. I feel her eyes turn to me and look at me up and down. "Because I built this place." She tells me. I raise an eyebrow, this just isn't my night. "You built it?" I repeat.

"Yes, this was a security house in case we were under attack," she coughs horribly, "it worked like a charm until they got in and took all but me, and the food supply went gone." She explains. I nod and get up, letting her keep my cloak around her, and go to my bag to get the last of the food I have. Before asking the next question, I clear my throat; "What are you, ma'am?"

She doesn't at all seem surprised by the question. She seems rather glad to answer to be honest.

"I'm a dragon. My name is Reth." She tells me. I drop the bird and look over at her. "A...A dragon you say?" I ask in surprise. She hums a yes. "I am one of the weaker ones, more human than dragon in form." She adds with a small but sad laugh. I bring her the cooked bird and salad in a skull and hand it to her. "Here, Miss Reth, you need this more than me. So you are a dragon, why are you stuck in here? Can't you just magic your way out?" I ask. She laughs dryly and takes a bite out of the bird. Chewing it slowly and swallowing it gently. She must've gone long without food.

"I cannot do that,  Blade. Only higher dragons can. Like royals and charontes." She tells me in a soft voice before taking another bite. Higher dragons? There is more than Dragon and Royal Dragon?

"So, um...why do they have us in here?" I ask curiously. She is the only one around with more answers than I do for this situation, so it's worth a shot asking.

"I assume only to eat us, Blade. But I wouldn't know. I can only assume since my family has never came back." She tells me. I frown, "I am sorry for bringing up your family, Miss Reth." apologizing and bowing my head slightly. She gestures to let it go with her hand.

"It is alright, Blade, I had let it go." She tells me gently. I nod and look around the dark area. Her breathing is harsh and has a rusty feel to it. I laugh, remembering Rust.

"What is so funny?" Reth asks curiously. I shake my head no and dismiss it, not wanting to explain a dragon that might take offence to the joke.

Soon, though, she is asleep as I watch over her carefully, playing with the gun. Why one bullet? I keep asking myself. What is the point to one bullet?  It makes no goddamn sense.

I wake to the sound of howling of wolves. "Dogs! Get the guns!" A woman yells from out there. Reth is awake and looking over at me in fear. "Keep the cloak on, you may need it. Leave the defending to me." I tell her, getting out my knife that reflects the dim moonlight.

"Okay." She says, half terrified. I nod and run to the shuttered window, forcing my way through it. My shoulder stings, but at least I have a way out, and so does Reth the odd dragon.

I help Reth through the broken boarded up window and look around at the fight. There's a bunch of wolves as expected, going after and fighitng, not killing, off the other 'cannibals.'

"Come on, Blade. We must go!" Reth tugs on my sleeve and I hold her wrist and start running at a reasonable pace for her to keep up with. I still don't know what she looks like in the light, but I won't stop right now. Could mean life or death at this point. Especially when the wolves look hungry and hostile enough take me on.

They can try anyways.