Chapter 15-2

After a moment, the darkness cleared around him. Which was not to say there was any light, but at last his draconic vision could see. He was in a large, rough chamber, with an exit on the other side.

And he was not alone. Some sort of demonic being stood before him, looking him up and down.

“HAH! This is all that comes to face me?” It scoffed at him. “Come, little dwarf dragon. Come and die!”

The Infernal was not much larger than he was. “We shall see,” Garkhen growled, readying himself and charging at it. 

 

They met with a crash, claws scraping against steel, mace swinging through the air as it sidestepped. 

“Pathetic! And you call yourself a Warder of Bahamut?” The Infernal crowed. “A hatchling dragon would be a greater defender of the weak than you!”

Garkhen did not bother wasting breath on an answer, instead redoubling his attack. But the demon matched him blow for blow. Even when his strikes connected, they seemed to do nothing to it. The whole time, it continued to taunt him, mocking his combat prowess, his ideals, his heritage... Garkhen could feel his anger rising.

He wasn't quite sure how long he fought, but as he tired, he noticed the demon was larger, its strikes harder. Through his wrath, he felt there was a hint there. Something...

There are no demons here, save those you bring in with you.

Suddenly Garkhen stopped, doing nothing more than defending himself, and striving for calmness. He steadied his breathing, and ignored the creature's continued insults. Soon enough, he could see he was right—it was dwindling before his eyes, its taunts becoming increasingly frantic.

Finally it hardly reached his ankles. Garkhen gazed down upon it. 

 

“You'll never defeat me!” It shrieked at him.

“Perhaps not,” Garkhen admitted, “But I shall master you.”

He walked toward the exit at the other side of the room, ignoring the shrieks and scratches of the little demon. As soon as he passed into the corridor beyond, the demon was gone.

So am I being tested, then? What am I being tested for? 

********************

Perhaps I should have built the tension there for longer. Oh, well.