Episode 1: Prologue

(P.O.V Bain)

Bain looked at the ravaged scene before him. The forest blazed, and fire quickly spread to everything in sight. Twenty of his most trusted men and women stood behind him, and twenty more lay dead at his feet. An acrid smell filled the air, and Bain grimaced.

Before him, a dragon dark as night arose, his once best friend, his trusted advisor. It had been named the Cursed Dragon by the locals of this small kingdom, and appropriately so. The dragon had killed thousands in a year, destruction following in its wake. Families wept at the sight of it, for they knew it would be their last moments alive.

Bain did not weep. He stood tall, with his band of friends behind him. He protruded confidence, and everyone gathered their last shreds of hope to make a final stand against the beast.

“My friends!” Bain shouted. “Now is our chance to kill the monster that has destroyed so much we love. I have given you powers beyond your dreams, enough power to destroy the beast. In the process, I have made myself weak. Yet I still fight. Together, we will kill my old friend and save thousands of lives!”

A great cheer erupted from the small assemblage, and a few people showed off their newfound powers. Some sent water or ice flying in the air. A man lifted a giant boulder with his bare hands, and another lifted his hands and caused the earth to rumble. A woman caused a jagged strike of lightning to strike the earth..

Bain smiled at the show of power. His troops were successfully emboldened. The Cursed Dragon rose into the air and gave a piercing roar. The trees shook, and Bain’s friend’s immediately stopped yelling. The dragon dove swiftly to meet them, and shot a huge ball of fire at them. It’s thick, black scales reflected with an unearthly shine, and the dragon’s eyes gleamed with malice.

“Attack!” yelled Bain, and the men and women rushed the dragon. Bain stood back, drawing his sword. The dragon sent a ball of ice at the onrushing people, and a few were frozen on the spot. Bain groaned. More losses. He rushed at the beast, working with his team to slash and cut at its thick hide.His sword didn’t make a dent against its tough scales, and the dragon grabbed a few more men and threw them into the distance. They hit a tree with a sickening crunch, and Bain had to look away.

You can’t stop me, a voice mentally roared at Bain. He looked up to see the Cursed Dragon staring at him with purple eyes. You know my abilities. I will finish you in a heartbeat.

Bain gave a scowl. You may still have your powers, old friend, but that doesn’t mean I won’t kill you. You deserve justice for your crimes.

The dragon tilted its head downward and came eye to eye with Bain. A normal man would have cracked under the pressure of being a foot away from a dragon, but Bain stoically stood tall. 

Do your worst, the dragon mentally conveyed, and shot a gust of fire directly at Bain.

One of Bain’s comrades leaped in front of Bain. Labeled the Historian, his power was invincibility, and easily took the blast of fire. The Cursed Dragon reared up in surprise, then shot an icy current of wind at him. The Historian held his ground, and threw an axe at the dragon. It bounce off its scales, but the dragon backed away in surprise.

“Go!” the Historian yelled. “We’ve lost too many soldiers. We can’t lose you too.”

Bain shook his head. “I can’t leave you here to die.” He charged the dragon again. The dragon shot a beam of light out of its great mouth, and Bain ducked under it. With a roar, he stabbed at the dragon again. Its scales were practically titanium.

“Think about your son,” the Historian said, and Bain stopped in his tracks. He paused a second, mulling over the man’s words. A swipe from the dragon’s claws nearly ripped off his head, and Bain then gave the Historian a curt nod. He gave a grim smile back, and Bain started to retreat.

“Fall back!” he yelled to the remaining stragglers. A few men obeyed, but some joined the Historian in holding back the Cursed Dragon. Bain knew they were doomed to die, and he turned away, unable to bear the sight. These people were sacrificing themselves to protect the rest of them. About twelve people started to retreat up the charred forestside,. The remaining were trying to distract the Cursed Dragon, giving them time to escape.

Bain continued to duck under burned branches, his troop of men and women following his lead. All the vegetation was utterly destroyed. Bain looked around at what his former friend had done. Not a living being stirred in the devastated forest. Only the crackling of fire and the furious roars of the Cursed Dragon filled the air.? 

A scream pierced the noise, and Bain whirled around. The small group remaining fighters had been cornered by the Cursed Dragon, and it had just frozen a woman in a block of ice. The Historian hammered his axe down on one of the dragon’s claws, but the blade only sparked off the tough scales. The Cursed Dragon swiped its tail into the frozen woman, shattering the ice instantly, and then threw the Historian across the clearing. 

Bain stopped running, his rage bubbling back up. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t just abandon his team and let them sacrifice themselves so he can escape. 

“Keep on going,” he told the group with him. “I’ll be back.”

He ran back down the scarred slope, going towards the fight. The dragon lowered his head, getting ready to finish off the remaining survivors with a final breath. The Historian uneasily got off the ground and accepted his fate. As Bain ran towards them, he saw faces of courage and honor, and his resolve grew. He wouldn’t let anyone kill his loyal soldiers.

The dragon took a breath, and in that moment Bain leaped from his run straight at its head. In mid air, he drew his sword. With a sickening squish, he stabbed the dragon straight in the eye. The Cursed Dragon gave an anguished roar and thrashed back and forth in a frenzy, but Bain held steadfastly onto his sword. He glanced back at his friends and saw them staring at him in awe.

You fool! The dragon screamed. You’ve condemned me to death.

I’m sorry, old friend, Bain said sorrowfully. Him and the dragon were once like brothers, so closely intertwined. Killing his friend was like trying to rip out his own heart, but Bain steeled himself. Thousands of lives depended on him.

Blood flowed freely down the dragon’s side, and the dragon gave a roar of anguish so powerful that it shook the earth and trees around them. If I’m to die, I’ll take you with me!  With that, the dragon slammed a clawed arm onto the charred earth. A rumble filled the forest, almost like thunder, and the ground split open. A huge crevice appeared, a gaping hole in the ground that stretched across the clearing. The other survivors of Bain’s fighters scrambled out of the way, but a few of them weren’t fast enough and tumbled into the looming darkness. The Cursed Dragon gave one last, desperate shake of its head, then threw itself into the crevice.

As the onrushing darkness approached him, Bain accepted that this was the end. He thought of his son, who was only a year old. Would he be fine without a father to take care of him? He thought of his friends watching. He hoped they would be able to get away safely and used their newly founded powers wisely. 

In his gut, he knew the conflict wasn’t over. Whether it was intuition or just the crazed thoughts right before death, Bain knew that the battle wasn’t over.

He just hoped there would be someone strong enough to fight it.