Touched By A Dragon

Chapter 12: Past is Present

Somewhere far away from everything that he knew, Mike was struggling with his dark past.
The thing had come back, with a wave of its hand 2d squares were starting to form around the darkness like a pixelated video game, then the squares flipped and soon he was standing in the middle of a dimly lit ring, surrounded by a colosseum.
"Oh, what's wrong mike?" It asked. "Do you not like the games, do you want help? Do you want your pet, your mum or your friends? Well too bad, when the first game starts all that will be far, far away. You barely made it out alive last time, even with your pet. I wonder how you will do this time, without help."
As the last words rang through his ears he heard a grinding sound as though a heavy stone door was slowly lifting.
"Ah," he continued, "I see it already has, shame I won't be able to taunt you any longer, oh well, I will see you soon at the end, if you are still alive!"
With a mocking laugh, it vanished, leaving behind nothing but smoke and then empty arena.
Filled with fear, Mike turned to face the half-open door. Behind it, he could hear the faint sound of growling and sharp, impatient claws scraping, trying to get out. Get out for blood.
He desperately fumbled for the cold handle of his sword. As he drew it the sound of the sharpened steel ageist the tight leather of its cover rang around the quiet space. It was greeted with a deadly snarl of the beast behind the wall. The door was fully open now and the cave seamed empty. But Mike knew his foe all too well to fall for that. Gripping his sword tighter he stayed alert and walked in the cave. Hearing a low growl behind him he spun around. Only to be tripped by a huge spiny tail covered in the blood of its previous victims. This had happened to him last time. But he was tripped and tripped over and over again. This time he could not let that happen. Then he was weak, foolish and would not learn from his mistakes. But that was 6 years ago. In that time he had learnt much. He knew that he would certainly die if he fought it in here. It loomed, lived in the dark. Then in the light, it would be blinded. Yes, this is why it did not come out when the door was opened. So, slowly he edged towards the corner of the cave, all the time making it look like he was losing. He suffered a few minor cuts but nothing that could do any real harm.
He was now nearing the exit of the cave, one more step and he would be out. The creature had now figured out what the miserable, wretched, insufficient, worthless excuse for a gladiator was trying to do. This pitiful, worm was going to draw it out, so it could defeat it. But it had, had lots of practice on other challengers and it only saw them as a game. One whip of its tail and the wimp would die in pain. It lashed out its mouldy, green-grey tail. But Mike saw it coming and dove out of the way just in time. The beast let out an impatient raw and jumped out after mike. Mike's heart was beating out of his chest. He had tricked it into coming out. He then looked up and instantly wished that he hadn't. The hideous thing was slowly coming towards him; sharpening its blood-stained yellow claws on the cracked cobblestone ground, it was gnashing its huge teeth together, opening its powerful jaws and letting out a bloodcurdling raw as it prepared to attack. Mikes brain froze and the only thing going through his head survived, you have got to survive! He cleared his head as Flame told him to do the last time this happened. He then remembered that the only thing that injured the beast, he had learnt that the thing had a week spot between its eyes; it looked like a small red gem. If you hit it with your sword the beast would die. But he couldn't reach it this time because he didn't have Flame. He couldn't throw his sword because if he did there was a chance he would miss then he would lose his only weapon. The beast had trapped him in a corner and was getting ready to deliver the final blow. It reared back its giant claw, spring-loaded mussels ready and waiting for the command, the chance to get revenge. In a last desperate effort to survive mike redrew his sword and desperately looked for what was letting in the little light he had. He found a small hole in the roof or the huge cave that the colosseum held. He looked the beast, right in the eye. The beast blew a bit of smoke from its nostrils and opened its mouth.
"So mike, are you ready to die?" It taunted.
"Brother, please leave the dragon be, it does not deserve this!" Pleaded mike, eyes rimmed with tears.
"H...how did you know," It breathed.
"I feel its pain," Mike wept.
"Yes, I knew you were the gifted one, has mother and father told you yet?" It asked.
"Told me what?" Mike demanded.
"You want me to tell you, oh where's the fun in that? No, I'd rather you just die not knowing. Yes! That would be so much more fun!" He laughed with a smirk.
Mike had, had just about enough of secrets and lies. He positioned his sword so that a lonely beam of light bounced off it and onto the dragons' cheek.
"Brother, this is your first warning!" He shouted confidently.
"Ha, my first warning, oh, how you amuse me; all you can do is sit around a campfire surrounded by your precious guards singing campfire songs! He proclaimed as he told the dragon the attack.
Smoke poured out of the dragon's mouth as it hurred louder and louder.
"I wasn't finished!" Mike yelled angrily. "If you don't give up now I will avenge every helpless soul you took, free all the dragons, take everything you have. I will take back what you stole from them, then what you stole from me!" Then, brother, he whispered. "Then I am coming for you."
There was a moment of silence.
"Try me!" he heard, echoing around the silent nothing.
Mike tilted the sword and the beam fell right into the centre of the gem. The dragon shuddered then vibrated. It vibrated faster and faster. Then slowly its black scales started falling off. They fell to the ground then vanished. After a while, the dragons scales where bright yellow and there was a friendly glint in its eye. It stood there for a second, and then just vanished.