I just keep quiet.
But I suddenly see a very bright light a bit far away.
I look at the light.
It is orange.
'So fire.'
"Tsk!"
I suddenly hear the little lass click her tongue.
"Why did the fight have to start now?"
"I was catching up on the things I missed and now you have to start your fight?!"
"Why the hell did you not start it this morning?!"
"Maybe you could've done it the next morning."
She stands up.
Her hair flutters as the bird glows brighter and starts flying at the fastest speed I have ever seen it.
'The light came from quite the distance away, so I doubt we can reach there in less than a few seconds.'
"Oh no, we will get there."
The glow the bird is releasing dims down considerably.
"We have arrived."
I look away from the feathers of the bird and look forward.
"Don't look forward, look up."
I look up.
Its body is covered in large crimson scales that reflect the moonlight, each one shining faintly as it moves.
Its wings are massive, stretching far across the sky, with dark red membranes between its long, powerful wing bones.
Four thick legs hang beneath its body, each ending in large black claws sharp enough to tear through stone.
Its tail is long and muscular, covered in overlapping scales, and ends in a sharp point.
Its neck is thick, leading up to a large dragon's head with a broad snout and rows of sharp teeth.
Two large horns curve backward from the top of its head, while smaller horns run along the sides of its skull.
Its eyes glow a bright orange, almost like flames burning inside them.
Smoke slowly escapes from its nostrils as it breathes, and small flames flicker between its teeth whenever it opens its mouth.
It is enormous.
Just its head alone is larger than my entire body.
The dragon looks down at a small figure in the trees.
It's a human figure covered in black clothing, standing on a branch with her head raised toward the dragon.
From this distance, I can see that the figure looks feminine.
I hear a voice coming from that area.
"Dragon, I just need a few scales for something quickly and I'll leave!"
It sounds like a female's voice
Then the dragon speaks.
"You enter my territory without permission."
Its voice sounds deep and rough as it echoes through the forest.
"And you have the audacity to ask for my scales?"
A booming laugh echoes through the forest.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
"Human, you truly are amusing."
"You stand in my territory, ask for something that belongs to me, and expect me to simply hand it over?"
The woman remains standing on the branch.
"I'm sorry, dragon, but I need those scales right now."
The dragon's eyes narrow.
"My scales are not yours to ask for."
"If you want them, then take them."
The woman tilts her head slightly.
"Okay."
The dragon pauses.
"...You think you can?"
The woman doesn't answer.
The dragon spreads its wings.
"Then come and prove it."
Its voice echoes through the forest.
"But understand this."
"If you fail, I will not let you leave this forest alive."
The woman remains completely calm.
"That's fine."
"I'll just take a leg or two and leave."
" You can grow those legs back later with the help of the one you call spirit of the forest and those legs of yours must have a good number of scales".
She lets out a little laugh after saying this.
The dragon's eyes burn brighter.
Then it opens its mouth.
A bright orange glow suddenly forms inside its throat.
The next moment, a massive stream of fire erupts from its mouth.
The flames crash into the ground, spreading across a huge area.
Trees catch fire almost instantly.
The flames spread from tree to tree, consuming everything in their path.
"I will not give my scales to a human."
The dragon doesn't move from its position.
"Sigh."
I hear a sigh coming from within the flames.
Suddenly, the fire in one particular area disappears.
Not slowly.
It simply vanishes.
The flames surrounding that area continue burning, but the fire around the woman is completely gone.
She is standing in the exact same tree and in the exact same place.
The tree is completely undamaged.
Not even a single leaf has been burned.
Meanwhile, every other tree around her has already been reduced to ashes.
" You decided this for yourself".
Then a dagger appears in her hand.
The dagger look...
I can't see the dagger's details because it is just pitch black.
The same sort of darkness I saw when I sensed that energy earlier.
Black devouring energy starts gathering in the dagger very quickly.
And then stops almost as quickly as it started.
Then the black clothes woman just swipes the dagger in front of her.
Then I hear the dragon release a blood curdling scream.
" Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!".
It echoes loudly through the forest.
I look at the dragon.
And I found it is missing it's legs.
And no blood is coming out of that wound.
Nor the legs that have it the ground.
" DRAGON, I am showing mercy today because killing you would disrupt the balance of power in the forest, making a bit of trouble for me who doesn't live far off".
" But if the next time I come and ask for scales you refuse...".
The dragon drops from the sky.
It lands on the ground with a crash.
CRASH!
The ground shakes.
I hear the woman's voice.
" I will take mine than just your legs".
I then feel like leaves then.
' Prideful dragon getting defeated by a woman with a simple swipe'.
' Not even an attack, just a swipe'.
' Just a simple swipe'.
" Little la...".
I turn my head to the little lass as I start talking.
But I find her hair has turned blue and her eyes red.
And she looks ate with those red eyes.
" I never said call me little lass".
With her tiny body not even as big as my palm, she walks towards me.
And with each step, her hair turns back to red as her eyes become blue again.
But when she reaches me, the smallest part in the middle of her eyes is still red.
And she looks at me.
In my eyes.
" Call me little lass again and I will throw you to the dragon's mouth".
She smiles.
" It probably needs food to aid in it's recovery".
I smile.
" Okay miss little lass".
I wave my hand and look away.
"It was an accident and because I was not paying attention".
" Anyways, how did the woman and dragon not notice us?".