5

Humans, and dragons were so alike in our most base instincts. We took what we wanted, and hoarded as much of what we valued as we could until we had so much we could never spend it all in five lifetimes. The only thing that stopped us all from doing that was death. Circumstance determined how fast we accumulated that wealth.

We were willing to kill for the things we wanted. The only difference was what we wanted. Dragons just didn't hide this part of their base nature like we humans did. I wanted to be selfish like a dragon. Maybe that was why they were by far my favorite fantasy creature.

The balls to take what you wanted when you wanted, and the strength to kill those that got in your way. I slammed my fist into the thinnest, and weakest joint I could see. Flames burst through the creatures joint. Blowing that segment of leg free. The beast squealed angrily, and started backing it's way towards me as fast as it could. 

I didn't have time to hit him again. I needed to run, and run I did. The layout of this place was still fresh in my mind. It was one big chamber, and then a bunch of paths that led to the other big chamber. My muscles were screaming as I sprinted down the narrow pathways. 

I needed to give myself another opening. I cut the corner tight. Rushing down another one of the narrow passageways. Whenever he got close I would use my high jump skill in rapid succession to put myself a good distance away. Only to run again as fast as I could once again. 

Circling for any gaps the monster wouldn't be able to follow me into. I knew there were a few. I stumbled several times since the light was barely enough for me to see where I was putting my feet. The floor was shaking as the beast slammed into the narrow walls trying to get to me. Hiding in a crack wasn't going to work forever. 

My mana had regenerated enough that I could land another two or three attacks that were that powerful. I needed an opening. I started circling in so I could get around behind it again. I was really hoping this thing didn't have some sort of regenerative ability. I couldn't have it healing all the damage I was doing. 

It was too big, and too strong for me to fight it if it could just heal away the damage I was doing. I bounded down narrow halls as the world I knew shook, and made me stagger. I could, and would kill this thing, and get out of here alive. I had to believe that with all my heart. If I didn't then I might as well lay down, and die here now. 

I slammed into a wall. Spring boarding off of it to change direction suddenly. Watching the beast slam into the wall really hard when I glanced back over my shoulder. It wasn't able to turn as quickly as I was so it was time to use that to my advantage. I jumped into action. 

Using my high jump skill to bounce around in mid air in a zig zag fashion so the beast couldn't track me as I moved. Each jump accelerated me further. My strength seemed to play into how fast I jumped even though it didn't affect how high I jumped. That was fine by me. It didn't take me long to bounce around behind the beast. 

I was barely in control of my movements. Coming to a stop suddenly made my guts lurch. It was a good thing I didn't have anything in my guts. I might have lost whatever was in my guts if I had anything in them to begin with. I slammed into the nearest joint again. 

It just happened to be on the same leg. That leg was shortened again with another burst of fire. Now there was only a sprig of leg that stuck up in the air. That leg was so much shorter then the others now that it was largely useless. That leg swung around, and sent me flying. 

I slammed into the wall, and all the air was driven from me. My teeth slammed down on my tongue. I tasted blood. I ran for my life. I could barely see straight, and blood was pouring down my throat. 

I slipped into the crack I'd found the first time. Forcing myself into the back of the crack where I couldn't be reached. My muscles tensed as I tried to force myself even further back into the crack. There was nowhere for me to go though. I couldn't force myself further into the crack. 

I stayed where I was safe, and waited for my mana to regenerate as I caught my breath. Hit, and run tactics was the only way for me to beat an enemy this large, and powerful. I was being forced over, and over again to realize just how weak I was. The goblin knight, and now this. I frowned to myself as I waited for my body to catch up with the damage I'd taken. 

My vitality wasn't high enough to heal quickly so I had to wait. It would take me hours to heal fully, but I didn't want to heal fully. I just needed to heal enough to move without restriction. That wouldn't take long. Two or three hours max. 

I needed close to a full day to heal completely. Every time I fell asleep the dream of the blue dragon would come back, and wake me. Each time it woke me it was more violent then the last. My last dream involved disembowelment. My guts hurt a little when I woke up, but it was largely a phantom sensation. 

It faded quickly. It was so realistic though. It creeped me out a great deal. I hadn't had a nightmare that bad in years. Why was it so real?