Dragon Slayer: A Lisoo Dragon AU

Chapter Two: Dragon's Keep

"How long did Yoongi say this trail was?" Jungkook whined.

"Not sure. He's very vague," I answered, cutting through a labyrinth of vines with my sword.

"What exactly are we looking for anyway?" he added. "The princess wouldn't be out in broad daylight for all to see."

"I think a giant, fire-breathing dragon is going to be easy to spot, you dimwit," Taehyung spat.

"Don't let the obvious fool you," I said. "Dragons can be very stealthy."

"And you're the dragon expert now?" Jungkook questioned.

I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, don't you two read? There's so many books in the castle about dragons. Fascinating, really."

"You did research?" Taehyung raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't?" I fired back.

"We didn't need to," he said. "The plan is simple. Slay the dragon and rescue the princess."

"No, the princess comes first, dragon second."

"You just want to save your girlfriend and win a few kisses," Jungkook scoffed.

"I'm only doing what the king wanted us to do and what you two failed to remember," I stated.

"C'mon, Lis," Taehyung persisted. "We know you like her."

"She's the princess. Everyone likes her."

"You know what I mean," he said. "A relationship could be good for you, Lisa."

"Relationships are overrated," I sighed.

"You just haven't found the right girl yet," Jungkook added.

"I'm not going to let a girl get in the way of my work," I explained.

"What happened to optimistic Lisa?" Taehyung tilted his head to the side. "I thought you hated pessimism."

"I'm not being pessimistic!" I glared at him. "I just want to get the princess back to the palace safely. Then, the king might trust me again."

"The king already trusts you," he said.

"Not anymore." I looked down. "I was tasked with protecting her. He took me seriously, and not many people do. And now I let this happen. I know he's furious with me."

"So that's what this is all about." Jungkook nodded slowly.

"Exactly." I affirmed. "Now, tread lightly. We don't know what's beyond."

That shut them up. But their words still had a resonance to them. I never knew what my real feelings were about the princess. I'd held her on a high, unattainable pedestal. I'd been given the responsibility to protect her and I failed. I blamed myself for much more than I was responsible for and I knew it.

We crept around the corner of a large rock to see a giant tower. It was the tallest tower I had ever seen in my life. There was no way I could climb up there, and there definitely wasn't enough time for me to rescue the princess once I was up there. Sure, I was nimble, but that didn't matter. It was all a test of strategy, agility, and stealth.

That's when I caught a glimpse of the dragon.

My eyes widened at the side of it. Taehyung was right. It was giant, at least nine feet tall. Its body was covered in fiery red scales and its wings looked like flames. Thankfully, the dragon was in a peaceful slumber, which would definitely help us in retrieving the princess. That is, if my partners were quiet, for once in their lives.