“THIS IS A DRAGON, WE NEED TO EVACUATE EVERYONE AT ONCE!!!” Ruby screamed as she pointed at the beast who had murdered her friends. She reached out for the bow on her back and fired her first shot. The arrow flew through the air and despite the distance between the monster and the ground, it hit with pinpoint accuracy. Considering Ruby was pretty much wasted from the alcohol, it was even more impressing. The Dragon let out a loud roar shacking Ruby to her core. She gulped down her salvia as she fired two more arrows. She knew she stood no chance but the least she could do is buy time for the others.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Jamie looked at her in total confusion. Neither he nor the president had moved a muscle since she told them to evacuate. In fact, the president had happily been drinking his beer and looked as content as he could be. What was wrong with these people?!

“ARE YOU MENTAL?! THIS IS A MONSTER WHO HAS KILLED HUNDREDS, NO THOUSANDS BEFORE AND ALL YOU DO IS DRINK BEER?!!?!” Ruby was enraged, how could one be such irresponsible while facing certain death? Didn’t they care about the other inhabitants?

“Yes, we know. We understood you the first time you told us, no need to get so angry, jeez...” Jamie shook his head and put down his, now empty, bottle. “I can see that this whole thing means a lot to you but you are drunk so maybe you should get some sleep first?” He tried to talk in a relaxing voice but that just caused Ruby to get even more furious.

“I can only agree to that statement, one should never fight after consuming alcohol. Newest research shows us that the more you drink the longer it will affect you.” The president was talking to Ruby like one would to a little child and in turn Ruby completely lost it.

“I SWEAR TO THE GODS YOU TWO HAVE ISSUES!!! JUST WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?”

Then the whole world turned around, or at least it did for Ruby. She had fallen to the cold ground due to the alcohols effects.

“Oh come on, at least pass out in your room and not in front our tavern…” Jamie sighed as he and the president carried the now passed out Ruby back inside the tavern, all while the Dragon was still hovering above the town.

* * * * *

A familiar ceiling greeted Ruby. She had just woken up and her head was hurting like hell. Then she remembered what was going on before she passed out.

“Oh my god, I need to help the others during the escape! They may have been calm back then but by now they should have realized the danger lurking over this town.” Ruby mumbled while tumbling to the door of her new room. She held her head in pain but that didn’t stop her from wanting to help out. After looking around and confirming no one was inside the hallway, she made her way downstairs, but she didn’t meet anyone in the bar or restaurant area neither. Ruby’s vision still hadn’t cleared up but through the tinted windows she could definitely see it. The dancing red of flames were burning high and gave her flashbacks of her friends burning alive.

She stormed outside readying herself for a hard fight, however she wasn’t ready for the scene unfolding itself in front of her. It was already dark outside but various torches were lighting up the area. Where usually the marketplace was, was now something Ruby could only describe as a folk festival. Children were running around with burning torches in their hands while the adults were sitting on improvised tables, eating from a banquet and drinking alcoholic drinks. In the middle of all that the blood red dragon was fast asleep. It looked like he was a cat, Ruby could even make out a sound that reminded her of purring. The children were playing on the beast and laughter echoed through the night as everyone seemed to have the time of their lives.

Ruby rubbed her eyes, not believing her own eyes. This must have been a dream, there was no other way she thought while stumbling through the crowd. Then she spotted the two responsible for all this. Jamie and Dorian were talking with Scan and the three of them were having a good time. Ruby walked towards them in a trance, her mind still dazed from the alcohol.

“Oh hey, there she is! Look Dorian she is responsible for all this!” Jamie talked in excitement and pointed at Ruby.

Dorian took a good look at her before asking Ruby, who had finally reached the group, a serious question. “Ruby, I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me if it was really you who shot this Dragon.”

Ah, now I get it. The Dragon must have died at my hands and now they are having a celebration for me! Was about time I got some respect around here.

Full of pride she answered Dorian. “Yes indeed, I was the one who brought this monster down, feel free to praise me!”

However instead of praise she earned herself a slap from Dorian. It took her by surprise and due to the alcohol she nearly fell to the ground. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked up to Dorian. His face was one full of hate and disgust, it really scared Ruby.

“How can you say that with such pride? Hurting a friend on his birthday and then wanting praise for it? How can you be such a selfish brat, I know you are coming from a rich background but this is inexcusable behaviour.” He talked her down with anger in his voice and Ruby felt like a kid being lectured by her father.

With tears running down her face she began apologizing. “I-I am sorry… Please forgive me, I-I will never do it again, I swear it wasn’t my intention to-” Then she realized what she was apologizing for and immediately stopped. Her guiltiness went away in an instant and her anger returned. “W-wait a second, WHAT did you just say?! A friend?! On his birthday? THIS IS A DRAGON FOR GODS SAKE!!! THIS MONSTER IS THE ONE WHO MURDERED MY FRIENDS!!”

Jamie and Dorian looked at each other while Scan began sneaking away. “Hey are you sure that what you are saying is correct? Was it really that dragon who murdered your friends?” Jamie looked at her with concern.

“Y-yes I am certain about it. I will never forget the day this tragedy happened.” Ruby answered.

Dorian sighed. “Okay, follow me…” He led her towards the dragon who was not dead but asleep meaning her initial thought was the correct one. Jamie told the kids to go back to their parents and once the monster was left alone, Jamie sat on the ground and stared at it intensely. Ruby didn’t know what he was doing but it seemed to work because a second later the monster opened its shining blue eyes.

It began speaking with a haunting deep voice which was projected directly into Ruby’s mind. “Who dares to disturb my slumber? I will burn those foolish enough to wake me up during such a time of-”

He stopped talking as soon as he noticed the three in front of him and his voice immediately changed. “Oh my god it’s you guys! Sorry I didn’t notice you standing there! How are you doing and why am I lying here?” Instead of the intimidating voice, this new one was much more welcoming and friendlier.

“Hello there Frave Codanth! Nice to see you too, happy birthday man!” Dorian waved his hand to greet him. “Listen up, this girl here is certain that you murdered her friends and thus she shot you down with a few arrows. That’s the reason you have been sleeping for the last few hours.”

The dragon began standing up. Its height was intimidating Ruby and only then she realized what was in front of her. Dragons were said to be immortal and even if you murder one a terrible curse will befall you, only able to be healed by the pope. What had she done?

“You are the one responsible for the pain in my back?” He glared at Ruby as he spoke. Ruby slowly reached for her bow but before the situation could escalate Jamie stepped in.

“Listen, if you really murdered her friends then she had the right to hurt you back, don’t you think so FC? Tell us why you killed them in the first place.” Frave Codanth or FC as Jamie called him nodded.

“Alright, tell me the names of your friends.” The dragon seemed to really not know who she was talking about.

“It was a whole village! You burned the whole place to the ground!” Ruby was surprised at her own courage to speak this openly with the mystical creature.

Hearing those words FC flinched. “Oh… That town, huh?”

Dorian was watching the whole situation carefully and apparently came to a conclusion. “Oh no- Don’t tell me it’s… Uh, sorry Ruby but it seems like it’s partly my fault.”

Ruby looked at him with a deadly glare. “What did you just say?”

“Well listen, I had just created a new drink and wanted FC to test it, because of his large body the effects are pretty much nullified thus he was the perfect test dummy. So I told him to test it out and fly around for a bit… However once he returned he told me that he- well he puked over a town… A-and when a dragon pukes, it has the same effect as, well fire so… W-wait, put that bow away! Jamie help me!!”

Never before had Dorian seen someone that angry. After thirty minutes of running away Ruby had finally broken down in tears. All the pain she felt now that she knew what had really happened to her friends was unbearable.

“I am very sorry. If there is anything I can do to help you get through this, please tell me.” The Dragon seemed to be as sorry as Dorian was. Both of them were trying to calm Ruby down but nothing helped.

“Hey Jamie I know you want to do it as little as possible but…” Dorian looked defeated while asking his friend for help.

“…I understand, I’ll do it…” Jamie sighed and sat down on the ground once again. He looked at Ruby and…

What? Where am I? I feel… good. What is going on, all the pain is gone! I feel like I can fly…

“ARGHHHHHH”

Who was that? That sounded like my voice. Hey, what the heck is going on?! Let me out! I want to go back to my body and, huh? I-I can see again? But I am not in my own body, it’s like I am a ghost?

“You are doing great Jamie, just hold on a bit longer…”

“Great tip Dorian! FUCK OFF!!!”

W-what’s that? This is my voice and my mouth is moving, but this isn’t me. D-does this mean… Am I possessed?

She had heard of similar cases before, extremely powerful ghosts were able to possess a victim they knew very well while they were alive. There the victim would also leave its body and look at it from an outsiders perspective.

I see, so Jamie is currently possessing me so I don’t have to feel the pain… But he isn’t a ghost and he doesn’t really know me, could it be that this is his special ability? Wow, this is really impressive I mean- hey wait a minute, do I really look like that to others? Wow, not bad if I do say so myself!

While admiring her own body she suddenly felt something pulling her back into her own body and the pain returned. However it wasn’t as bad as it was before, it looked like Jamie really did take a lot of it away from her. She looked over to him and noticed the tears he was crying, her theory was correct.

“Jamie… Thank you…” She bowed down to thank him.

“Listen Ruby, I am very sorry, we didn’t know what would happen when we did that experiment… Can you please forgive us?” Dorian really looked guilty and pitiful and even FC had bowed down to her.

“It’s alright, now that I can think clearly again, I know that I was overreacting. It was partly because of the alcohol but it seems like Jamie took away the effects it had on my body too.” Ruby knew that it wasn’t Dorian’s or FC’s faults.

“Really, just like that you forgive us?” Dorian looked confused.

“Yes, I know it wasn’t your fault… It was the fault of that devils brew, alcohol. So from now on I will have to make sure that you never drink again, right?” She looked so sweet while saying that but her words worked like sharp blades.

Jamie, who had been sitting on the ground unresponsive, stood up with a fearful look. “You are joking, right? Our whole existence is based on the sale of alcohol!”

“I know and you may continue selling it, but you yourself will stop drinking. Have I made myself clear?” Ruby’s voice revealed that she wasn’t joking and that they definitely shouldn’t disagree with her.

After Ruby had left them to get some more sleep, there was one thought going through the minds of Jamie, Dorian and FC:

“We are fucked.”