The Dark Dragon

~Chapter One~

I sat on a branch of a tree that grew a little off the edge of a cliff. Below me, was a battle between a small fire tribe army against a man protecting a girl. At first sight, it looked like the man and girl had no chance against the army but as the battle unfolded, the man seemed to be winning.

The man with black hair and blue coat had a long spear with a large but slightly curved blade. The girl with red hair wore a pink and red dress, and a cloak. She stood behind the man as if he were the knight and she was the princess.

I was mesmerized by how the man fought off the soldiers. The soldiers would charge at him with numbers. But he would swing his spear so strong and fast, it knocked out most of the soldiers. I looked at the girl, and I thought of how they got into a situation like that.

Why were the fire tribe troops after these two?

Minutes during the battle, I got bored of watching them so I slumped against the trunk of the tree and closed my eyes. The soldiers' cries, the man swinging his spear, and soon, the sounds of arrows being snapped was all I could hear.

Who are these people? I asked myself. Whenever I see the girl, my blood felt like it was boiling and I had the urge to protect her. I guess that's just the dragon within me. For some reason, my hand made it's way to my knife. I have always carried my knife with me so I can fool my opponents, thinking that I'm a weapon fighter. The look on their faces when they discovered I'm not a weapon user was quite entertaining for me.

Later, I heard a distressed scream by the girl. That scream made me jump up, and I saw the girl's red hair painfully gripped by man named Kan Tae-Jun, the second son of the Fire Tribe General, and the man protecting her was hanging over the edge of the cliff with blood on his left shoulder.

Without thinking, I grabbed my knife, jumped down the tree, and cut down the girl's hair. Kan Tae-Jun widened his eyes at my sight. I jumped away from him, my knife pointing at him, while the girl ran away, grabbed a sword, and stood in front the man who was protecting her and who was hanging with one hand, and swung her sword at the soldiers. 

"Wh-who are you?" Tae-Jun asked me.

I chuckled, "My name is Day. You must be that brat that I've heard of, Kan Tae-Jun." He made an irritated face. 

"H-how dare you insult me! Get her!" He ordered his soldiers as they charged towards me. I grinned while I swiftly run up to them and sliced their chests with my knife. They wore armour but my knife was a very unique and special knife that can slice through many things, even diamonds. As soldiers fell to the ground, Kan Tae-Jun backed off with fear in his eyes.

"Day... You mean... You're Day, the Elegant Devil..." He muttered. 

I menacingly grinned at him as I took one step towards him, "Exactly, brat. That's me. And since you already know that, I suggest you run off to your dad like the spoiled child you are." 

He gritted his teeth, "Why you...!" 

"Get away!" yelled the crimson-haired girl. I looked back and I saw her charging at two soldiers who were about to kill her protector as he was hanging at the edge of the cliff. "Get away from Hak!" She clumsily spun her sword. Pathetic, I thought to myself, she won't stand a chance against them. My thought was almost correct. One of the soldiers stood behind her and raised his sword. 

I suddenly felt my body getting hot as if my blood was boiling. My breath quickened as my heart raced. What? What is this? Could it be...? No! Day, you have to fight it! 

"No, don't!" yelled Kan Tae-Jun, "Do not hurt the princess!" 

Princess? She's a princess? I looked back at the girl and everything made sense. Ah, I see. This is the missing Hak... and Princess Yona... Wait, her glare...

"But...!" protested the soldier but he could not continue. The glare of the princess was like a flame, just like her hair. 

I...Is that the kind of princess she was? Her gaze, her aura, her fierceness. Everything about her seemed intimidating. 

The soldier soon backed away from her blazing gaze. The princess then placed her sword to the ground as she gripped the hand of Hak. 

"Princess..."

"Hak! I'm going to help you!" 

"No! Run away!"

"No! I will not! I won't forgive you if you die, Hak!" 

At this rate, the soldiers can capture her and kill Hak... 

All of a sudden, she slipped and ended falling off the cliff along with the injured Hak. 

Screw it! I cursed at myself as I jumped off the cliff after them. I extended my hand at them as we fell but they were too far away. I was left with no choice. 

"O Dark Dragon who dwells within me. Awaken!" I felt a powerful surge of power flowing inside my body. At the palm of my extended hand, a dark orb began to form. I aimed it towards the princess and Hak, and fired. The black substance surrounded them as their consciousness faded away. That black substance was like a pillow when they landed, soft and painless. 

Thank goodness... I said to myself but I soon realized that I would have to find away to land safely. I grabbed my knife and pierced it into anything near me in order to slow down my speed and lowering the force of the impact. However, as much I wanted to remember, I only recalled falling to the ground with a loud thud and the light fading away.