"So this is your idea of the ideal Valentine’s date. A no-holds-barred fight against a dragon."
This bloody battlefield is anything but romantic. Choking smoke curls as it rises from charred stone. Littered bullet casings glint in the moonlight like confetti. The overpowering scent of gunpowder thickens the once crisp night air.
"You know what they say: Love is war."
None of this is romantic by far, not in the least, but you've been waiting and yearning for this fight, damn near begging ol' Sylus to oblige you. After all, why have flowery cuteness when there's guts and glory to be won? You want blood and more blood.
Sylus grins, his glowing red eyes flickering to the newest gash on your thigh.
"You've got quite the collection of scratches, kitten. Maybe you should dodge a little faster."
He vanishes in the split-second it takes the bullet to reach him, reappearing a foot to the right.
"You're one to talk. You may not die, but you sure can bleed." You've already hit his shoulder in a previous strike while aiming for his head. His blood is mixed into the dirt. As for you, you're so high on adrenaline that you don't even feel the gashes or burns on your body. You touch the beading blood on your thigh and taste the iron, watching red hot heat flare in his focused gaze.
"Then come at me," he adjusts his stance.
You lunge first, flipping onto a crumbling boulder before springing with a precisely-aimed killshot. Sylus dodges yet again, but you're already rebounding off a tree and landing a solid kick to his injured shoulder.
You've begun to map and time his vanishing, increasing your accuracy, but his grin only widens.
"Now we're getting somewhere," he looms, tall and menacing, his horns casting eerie shadows against moonlit ruins. The massive ruby embedded in his chest pulses like it's got its own heartbeat, and his tail flicks lazily, sending dust spiraling and mixing into the surrounding smoke.
You twirl your guns, lips curving in an impish smirk. "I’ve always wanted to slay me a dragon."
Sylus tilts his head, amused.
“I’ve always wanted to collect a rare aethercore, but I'll settle for a wiley kitten.”
You brace yourself. Without warning, he's launched his attack, claws flexing as he darts fast enough to take down a lesser fighter in seconds. You duck, weaving under his grasp, and aim for the blood-red gem in his chest. Your bullet ricochets, making Sylus arch a judgmental brow.
"I handed that shot to you. How on earth did you miss? Try again."
"Like this?" You blow a shot through his abs. "Villians should learn not to monologue."
His gaze rakes over your defensive stance like a predator gaging prey.
“Impressive... for a human.”
“I suppose one of us is getting our wish tonight,” you tease with a quick cooling blow across the smoking barrel of your gun.
"Enough talk. Finish the job."
He charges one more, and the battle rages, an exhilarating blur of near-misses, acrobatics, and clashing force. Evol gainst evol, claw against gun. Sylus is relentless—so aggressive that you wonder if he's really trying to kill you. You can't lose much more blood, but he's not stopping. No breaks, no pauses, no warnings. You're out of breath, and the adrenaline is wearing off, letting in the pain and fatigue.
Stubbornly, you huff, reloading. “Please, I can dance circles around you all night. It don't matter to me.”
"Say that again, but try not to pant this time."
With a hard grunt, you strike first and tumble out of the way of his counter. You empty your clip, then fight your way near, so close you can hardly believe it. You strike him with your short blade in his neck while you have the chance.
“Cheap shot," he growls, teeth bared in anguish. He lets out a pained grunt and collapses onto his back with an exaggerated groan. His black and red wings flutter weakly before going still. His tail gives one last, pitiful twitch.
On unsteady legs with burning muscles and wounds, you tower over him and reload, your chest rising and falling with exhaustion.
“Did I… did I actually...”
Sylus moves, and the next thing you know, you're down with a hard, slamming thud--flipped onto your back. His weight cages you and your wrists are pinned above your head.
Your breath hitches, in shock and in something else entirely.
Meanwhile, Sylus leans into your neck, his red eyes glinting with mischief.
“Why don’t we call it a draw?”
“Draw? You did say I could try.” In a last ditch effort, you strain to overturn him with your legs and a knee in his groin. You scoff when he grunts, twisting under him, but his grip is firm. “Oh, you smug-”
“My, my, kitten. You do like it rough.”
Your face heats. "This is not a romantic moment."
“Isn't it? It's Valentine’s Day. You've already slayed one dragon...”
The heat and pressure of his lips on your neck and his bulge against your stomach nearly make you forget the choking smoke and fire that surround you. You look from the battleground scene into Sylus’s warm contrasting gaze, and he chuckles, loosening his grip on you just enough to brush his fingers along your wrists.
"I'm not doing this here," you whisper playfully. "Sylus. We both need medical attention."
"Is that so? Then I have some ointment and bandages back at the base. I'll patch you up and take.. very.. good care of you."
With that, he's off of you, but he bends to lift you into his arms, carrying you a few feet until the two of you ascend over the smoke and into the crisp and fresh night air, cool and refreshing.
Sensing a faint pulse of warmth through his skin, you lean into his chest, fully trusting.
Sylus hums, the vibration reaching your cheek as he leans down just enough for you to feel the warmth of his breath.
“Next time... I’ll at least pretend to be worried.”
tangentwithtanner
andulkaphoto
areudirty
annaxmalina
janainaart
pixelskylines
baratheonpilled
