The echo of bones crunching rang through the cave. Vell knew what was coming. Only a few seconds passed before the dragon's humongous head came through the opening of the tunnel. The stone of the cave rattled with each of its breaths. The monstrous being stomped its way to the edge of the pool and fell into it. Water slushed around and out of the pool as his mass settled into the water. It was the first time that Vell had gotten an up-close look at the dragon. Its body was covered fully in scales. Bone protruded from its joints. A series of horns circled the top of its head like a crown. The glow of the magma made its scales glitter. Vell could see the muscles of the beast ripple as it moved its body through the water. Sounds similar to a waterfall echoed through the cave as the water poured from the gigantic monster. Again she watched in awe as it came out of the pool and moved far from the cave's heat source. To her amazement, the dragon used its icy breath to freeze the stone. Then quietly and slowly, the dragon rotated in place a few times, finally coming to a stop when it laid down on the newly frozen spot it had created.
Vell stayed in her place for the following few hours. It wasn't her first choice, instead, it was what her body allowed. She found the fear crippling. Still, she worked up the courage to do what she needed to do. As carefully as she could, Vell removed herself from the pile of death she was in, hoping it would be the last time she was that close to death. Reaching down to the ground she grabbed an already broken bone from the pile. Staying on the pads of her feet she crept closer and closer to the sleeping monster. Hope started to sprout in her being as she got closer to her target. The feeling rushed away from her as she felt her body toppling forward. She rolled forward in an attempt to keep silent. The attempt was in vain. The puddle of water she slipped on made a louder splash as another bone on the floor skipped across it and the stone floor. The single eye of the beast opened staring straight at Vell. Pouncing forward she slammed the bone into the scales of her foe. The bone weapon only shattered into dust. The dragon's arm lashed out, slamming into Vell, sending her crashing into a stone wall.
"Who dares to threaten Yyv?" The ice cracked as he spoke. The words were surprisingly calm yet still powerful, almost as if it felt no fear towards the young cat in front of it. "Do you wish so fully to die at the whim of the ice king?" Vell could only quiver in fear as his voice vibrated her bones. The moment was now and she knew it. Swallowing her fear she dashed forward. Her claws hit the dragon's scales with a loud clang. Yyv didn't even flinch. Again he lashed out, this time with his tail, and again it resulted in her hitting the wall. Her bones crunched as she crashed into the stone. The fire she had become so used to blazing inside of her began to fade. She stumbled off the wall, tripping over herself like a drunk. She tried to shake it off only to catch another leg to her chest. For a third time, she bounced off the wall. This time she crumpled to the ground. Pain shot through her back, spreading to every point of her being. Vell let out a wild scream, releasing all of her pain. The dragon hit her once again. She felt the air push out of her. Her vision went black, her back became cold as the breath of the dragon surrounded her. She became stiffer with every second. The cold started creeping into her core. For the first time since her powers awakened Vell's core fire started to go out, but it fought back.
With a blast the fire raged again, sending the dragon sliding back.
"What is this?" Yyv growled. His claws crunched the stone below him.
Vell pushed off the wall and flew through the air landing her two flaming fists deep into Yyv's side. A monstrous gust of breath escaped him leaving ice stalagmites and stalactites in its wake, the following roar of pain shattered them.
"Now you die pest!"
Vell stood, unafraid of his threat. Her demeanor was not what one would expect of someone facing a dragon. Her face was expressionless. No signs of fear or terror, sadness, or even happiness. Just blank. The fire she had trained continuously erupted from her paws, ready to explode at any given moment. The true battle had now begun.
Vell dashed in at Yyv dodging his tail and claws as they lashed towards her. The rush of attacks was barely missing her. Her entire body hurt with each of her movements, but still, it moved on its own. Finally, her eyes caught the moment she had been waiting for. The dragon's attack swung too wildly. Seizing the moment she struck. As her flaming fist hit the dragon's open chest vell felt the control of her body come back to her. She couldn't let the opportunity go to her waist. She began to rush in with attacks. Every strike landing harder than the first. The attacks were halted by the dragon's tail smashing into her. Crashing and bouncing on the cave floor she skidded to a halt.
Yyv had obviously been hurt. By the way, he moved he stumbled she knew she had done something that Yyv was trying to hide. Yyv began to move in a half-circle around her. On his way back to where he began his pacing she saw just what he was hiding. A scale on his chest had fallen out of place. It dangled by a thin membrane. If she could strike it again she would have her target to end this fight. Dashing in once again, she dodged his claws with the timing only a victim could obtain. With a swift strike, Vell cut the membrane. The scale clattered as it hit the ground. She darted out from under the beast and locked eyes with her enemy. Yyv didn't make a sound, but his eyes said everything Vell needed to know. The dragon lowered its body, readying to pounce. As he did Vell jumped in as well, knowing the first to land their strike would win. The dragon's crown smashed into Vells shoulder., sending her body veering off target. She landed under him. His claws quickly smashed on either side of her head, she was pinned.
"You fought well little kitten, but it always ends this way." Yyv began to lower his jaws towards her head. Vell's eyes caught sight of the opening in its armor. She focused all of her power into one foot and let off one last desperate kick. The strike didn't come close, but the resulting fireball hit flush. Yyv's entire body flinched in pain. The opportunity was all Vell needed. She slid closer to the opening in his scales. Forming her claws into a makeshift spear, Vell stabbed her flaming claws deep into the opening. She felt her arm moving through multiple layers of entrails. Extending her claws she pulled her claws out of the dragon's chest, ripping the muscles and organs she came in contact with. Yyv's shout reverberated the walls and the ceiling with such vigor that the stalactites in the cave began to come crashing down. One after another, the spikes stabbed through Yyv's body. His body thudded limp as the last of the stalactites fell.
All was now quiet. After a few moments, Vell pulled herself out from under the fresh corpse. She navigated the new spikes sticking out of the cave floor. She turned back and saw the damage that had been done to the foe she was losing to just minutes before. The damage was terrifying. The corpse was mutilated to the point it was unrecognizable. He had been decapitated completely. Walking up to it. She began to roll it back to the village.
