Hoofsteps thundered forward in a flurry of panic. Any sense of stealth was abandoned there and then as two hundred ponies flew past the Demon of metal, who was yelling for them to run into the forest.

Crackpot ran as fast as his old legs would carry him, which wasn't overly fast. A sea of technicolour fur and manes were at all angles, seemingly crushing in on him, suffocating him. His eyes darted around the massive crowd in search of his wife, but he could not find her. He reckoned she was somewhere in the crowd with him and chose to keep going.

Screams echoed from the front of the stamped as two Elven guards charged out of an alleyway, their armour disheveled and hastily put on. Both carried light spears and proceeded to aim at the crowd, causing the lead ponies to grind to a halt in fear.

Their fear turned into surprise, then back into panic as bloody holes appeared in the heads of the Elven guards. The group surged forward once again and Crackpot could see the forest approaching. A massive explosion in the air caused him to stumble and press his ears to his head. He looked up and to the left, just catching sight of a red star, no, flare falling through the sky on the other side of the city.

Crackpot focused over the sea of bodies and caught sight of a midnight black Pegasus flying in front of them, his head tilting side to side as he looked for any pursuers. After a moment, he turned his head down to the crowd and yelled down to them.

"Follow me! I'll get you to safety!"

The promise of safety spurred everypony forward in a frenzy. But once more, another explosion, this one closer, echoed through the air. Crackpot glanced behind him in time to see a massive fireball erupt from somewhere near the town centre. He shivered slightly before resuming his mad sprint. If the Demon of Metal was helping them, then maybe, just maybe they had a chance.

*****

Two minutes prior to the explosion...

"Common you fuckers!" Dean sprinted head long into the emerging Elven troops. They were all disorganized in some way shape or form: Missing weapons and armour, disgruntled looks, confusion. Dean smirked; he couldn't have picked a better time to save the towns ponies and attack the Elven forces. All he needed to do was hold their army off long enough for Midnight to evacuate the civilians. In that time, he also planned to try and cripple any advantages the Elves might possess. To the average person, this would be suicidal, but to Dean, it was another day at the job.

A Dark Elven warrior leveled his spear at the charging Human, but he wasn't able to get a shot off as his head suddenly exploded into a gory mess. His brothers in arms merely stepped past him, intent on overwhelming the lone fighter who was running at them.

Dean saw them clumped together and smiled. While running, he leveled his SCAR, flipped a switch on the side, and squeezed the trigger. A torrent of suppressed brass flew at supersonic speeds at the rushing Elves. The warriors' armour stood no chance as the bullets ripped through it like tissue paper. Blood splattered as Elf after Elf collapsed to the ground, dead or in brutal agony. Dean swiftly put an end to any cries or screams with a few well placed shots.

With five Dark Elves remaining, Deans rifle clicked empty. He reached around and placed the gun on his back, swiftly exchanging it for his sidearm.

The Elves looked at each other once before running at Dean, easily closing the distance in a few strides. The first Elf lunged forward with his spear, intent on shish-kebabing the metal clad warrior. He was in for a surprise, however, when Dean twisted to the side, letting the spear sail past him. The Elf found himself having his legs kicked out from under him, sending him sprawling to the dirt. He didn't feel again once an experimental piece of metal found its way into his brain.

The next two Dark Elves threw down their spears in exchange for longswords strapped on their hips. They rushed the super soldier with the long pieces of metal raised. The last two stopped and leveled their light spears, intent on pulling the trigger. They had to wait due to their comrades running in front of them.

Dean glared from under his helmet at the two charging Elves; he knew just what to do. Unsheathing his dagger, he sprinted forward, faster than the eye could see.

His legs, powered by the exoskeleton, helped propel him through the air as he leapt at the sword wielding Elf farthest from him. Both his armour encased feet slammed into the Elves stomach at fifty kilometers an hour, shattering his inside like glass. He flew through the air like a ragdoll and slammed into the rifle wielding soldiers, knocking the weapons away and causing them to fall to the ground.

The first Elf had swung his sword where Dean had originally been, but found much to his horror that the human was no longer their. The question of where the metal creature had gone too was answered when his legs were kicked out and a knife ripped into his chest while still in the air, causing him to slam into the ground with an almighty thud. Not a sound was uttered when a bullet pierced his skull.

Dean huffed as he spun the knife once and sheathed it along with his pistol. He was about to continue on when a crushing force slammed into his back, sending him tumbling forward with a grunt.

Dean heard footsteps and a shuffle, causing him to whip around, his pistol raised and ready. His eyes landed on the only remaining Elf, the other having been knocked unconscious from his flying friend. The Elf currently looking at Dean was frozen in fear, his eyes wide and ears pinned downwards. His legs were quaking and his spear was shaking in his grip. He watched as the creature turned and drew his small weapon in an impossible amount of time. That wasn't what scared him, no. It was the face that the creature took a blast from his spear right in the back and survived. The weapon worked on other creatures, even armoured ones, so why did it not work on the creature before him? What was this thing?!

The Sergeant regarded the Elf before him with a hard glare, his hands unmoving and his gun trained on the Elves chest. The Dark Elve looked ready to piss himself, but he held his ground. Very admirable.

"W-w-what a-are you?" The Dark Elves voice was barely above a whisper. Dean smiled at him, showing off his canines in all their glory.

"I? I am the Demon in Metal." Dean's voice lowered into a menacing growl, causing the poor Elven soldier to pale. Dean's eyes hardened.

'"Run."

And so the Elf ran. He ran and ran and didn't look back. The Elf ran from the very thing he had heard stories about. Something that he, until now, didn't think really existed. He ran from the Demon in Metal.

*****

General Ender, otherwise known as the Bloody Baron, stroked his goatee with his right hand. His left was currently occupied with the baby dragon in its grasp. The little bugger had tried to bite him again, but the Baron was not one to fool around. He needed the Dragon as a replacement for his previous assistant as well as other... necessities.

He knew that Dragons, when raised right, where the ultimate companions. When he became this particular reptiles master, he would use it as the ultimate weapon against the Empires enemies; not that it would have any in the coming future.

Ender shook his head, he was daydreaming again and he scowled because of it. His fist tightened ever so slightly, causing the dragon to let out a terrified 'eep.' It's previously purple face was no becoming blue.

'Pathetic.'

Endor threw the dragon to the floor and scowled down at it instead.

"Next time you try to bite your master, the consequences will be far worse. You are stuck here, accept it. I am keeping you alive simply because you make a good pet, and that is all you are good for. You may be sentient now bu--"

Krack-Boom!

The whole building shook as a mighty explosion rocked the city. The Bloody Baron stumbled and looked about. He proceeded to stalk towards a nearby window and peer outside, ignoring the sniveling purple reptile laying on the floor. He caught sight of an airship going up in flames. An alarm bell clanged loudly enough to give the General a small headache. He looked down and saw Elven soldiers streaming out of their barracks and rushing towards the docking yards. He could hear screams off in the distance as well as what sounded like energy spears discharging. He was quickly snapped out of his musings as heavy footsteps pounded down the hall towards his room.

The general did a one-eighty as the door was thrown open and a Sorcerer Elf strode in. His dark green cloak causing him to move across the floor like a wraith. The only part of his body that was shown was his hand holding a massive longbow. The Elf tilted his upper half in a bow before straightening once more.

"General, the pony folk have escaped." This simple words nearly threw the Bloody Baron into a rage.

"What?! How? They don't have the backbone to fight back! It had to be the resistance!" Endor walked past the Elf and opened a large chest sitting on a bench. Inside was a pile of silver armour along with a short sword. A metal gauntlet was laying on top of the whole pile.

"Yes and no, General. It is a single being that has managed to free them and is now wreaking havoc with our forces." The Elf followed Endor with his head, never once showing his eyes.

"Impossible! The only thing capable of that was- was... no, it can't be." Endor turned around and stalked up to the Sorcerer. "Tell me it isn't the Demon. It can't be here!" All it took was a single tilt of the head for the General to fly into a fury.

"No! I won't let that thing ruin my plans! It is the mission of the Emperor that certain towns be executed! If there is to much harmonic magic still alive, the plan won't work! Gah!" General Endor kicked a chair, causing it to shatter against a wall. "Once I have donned my armour, myself and your fellow sorcerers will take the Demon in battle. We must end this little charade before it grown in power and throws the whole plan into chaos!"

The General reached into the chest and lifted his donned his gauntlet, balling his hand into a fist.

"The Demon of Metal's story ends here."

*****

Dean cursed as another bolt of energy flew over his head, exploding against a wooden barrel some ways down the street. He promptly took a kneeling position and fixed his rifle downrange, sighting the offending Elf and blowing his brains out. An Elven civilian wearing nothing but a blouse promptly ran back into their house upon nearly being hit by stray energy, screaming in fear. It was the first time Dean had actually seen an Elven female, but he couldn't focus on that now. He had to keep the Elves away from the forest and act as a distraction. More bolts whizzed over his cover, causing him to duck down.

He had already blown up two of the Elven airships; hulking metal things resembling the air boats from the movie 'Thor.' Dean had never liked their design in the movie, so it was no problem for him when it came to blowing them up.

'Take that Asgard!'

And then, as if a lever was pulled, the shooting suddenly stopped.

"Naur -o i anor!" Dean heard an Elf cry from above. He had just enough time to jump to the side before an arrow impacted where he had been sitting. He was about to return fire when the seemingly primitive device exploded, sending the Human flying through the air.

Dean landed on his stomach and tried to get air back into his lungs. His ears were ringing and his head was aching. Dean still wasn't fully healed from his head injury, evident by the fact that his skull felt like splitting in two.

"Demon of Metal! Your day of reckoning has come!" Dean scrambled for cover as bolts of light began to whiz around him. He found an overturned chariot and promptly threw himself behind it. Not a moment to soon as another cry in the strange language was spoken and another arrow exploded where he had previously been. Rocks and dirt flew through the air from the blow and showered Deans cover in dust. He turned his head away and came face to face with a dead Elf. He snarled in disgust and shoved the corpse to the side before getting to one knee. The battlefield went silent once more and Dean took the chance to peek over his cover. He raised an eyebrow at the sight before him.

An Elf in flashy armour stood in the center of the street, his weapons shining in the morning light. His helm sported a romanesque mohawk and covered most of his head and neck. Long slits fell down his face so as to only show his eyes. He wore a golden breastplate with a large, blood red shoulder pauldron. His left and held a massive metal gauntlet while his right held a short sword. To sum it up, he looked like something out of a fantasy movie. Dean wondered if the helmet hurt the Elves long ears.

Surrounding the imposing looking Elf were about five figures wearing dark green robes with matching hoods. Each one carried a massive longbow along with a quiver. Their faces were entirely hidden. These ones triggered a warning in the Sergeants head. Unlike the Elite Guards he had encountered, these ones seemed more secretive. Something about them was different.

The Elven soldiers who Dean had originally been fighting had backed off, leaving the new group to face him. Dean quickly checked his dwindling arsenal and cursed silently. He had one magazine left for the SCAR and three for the Equalizer. The only thing that gave him reassurance was the two flash bangs and two fragmentation grenades at his side.

A crunch sounded from above, followed shortly by a quick intake of breath. Dean's arm shot out on reflex and gripped something fleshy. His head whipped around to find another one of the hooded Elves in his grip. His hand was wrapped around the Dark Elves throat. Dean quickly took notice of a wicked long dagger in his enemies grip, a wicked long dagger that was making it towards his armoured bisep.

The super soldier reached for his own knife and whipped it out. His knife hand flashed out and deflected the Elven blade in the nick of time, causing sparks to fly. Dean snarled at the enemies attempt to sneak up on him. He hadn't even heard the bastard until it was basically on top of him. It didn't matter though how good at sneaking the Elf was though, for Dean wasn't some rookie.

He snapped the Elves neck like a twig and dropped the body before looking over the barricade again. The Elven leader was speaking once more.

"Fight me, Demon! One on one! My guards will not interfere, as it seems you outmatch them. But I can assure you, you do not out match me. I am the Bloody Baron! General of his majesties armies and sword smaster of the Empire! Come, unless you are a coward!"

Silence reigned throughout the street and time seemed to stand still. Dean contemplated his options. He could take on the General now and hopefully win, or he could continue fighting how he was trained. Dean was no hand to hand expert, but he could hold is own easily enough. he was confident that the swords the Elf used wouldn't stand a chance against his armour.

"Or I could have my guards attack you. I doubt that armour is powerful enough to survive a direct hit from an explosive enchanted arrow, much less five!" It was settled then, Dean had a plan.

He slowly rose from cover, but kept his rifle pointed at the ground. Should the need arise, he could lift it in an instant and suppress the enemy. he hoped the Elves had some sense of honour. He could see civilians peeking out through windows and doors, no doubt curious for why the fighting had stopped.

"Don't worry Demon, I may be a noble of sorts, but I am still honourable. Fight me!" The Elf raised his armoured hand and the hooded warriors backed away, blending into the shadows cast by the nearby buildings. It was now just Dean and the Baron.

"Was it honourable when you decided to enslave an entire species?" Dean started to circle, his whole body tensed and ready for action. His rifle was still facing the ground.

"Those ponies are mere animals, along with the other species. The only reason we keep them around is because of their willingness to bend to our will. They had grown lax with the magic they took from us, but now we have control of it again, and soon enough, we will control everything. It is not about honour, it is about pest control. Why do you fight for them, Demon?" The Baron swung his short sword in a circle as he eyed Sergeant Dean. Both warriors moved in sync, their footsteps traversing in a near perfect circle. The audience, who had grown exponentially, was merely watching. Dean slowly placed his rifle on his back, never taking his eyes off the Baron. He slowly drew his combat knife along with his pistol, switching the safety off with a satisfying click.

"They may not look like me, but they are living, breathing creatures. Were I come from, slavery is the single worst crime next to murder. That is enough reason for me to fight, so long as I am breathing, the inhabitants of this world will be free." Dean suddenly brought his pistol up and fired three shots in rapid succession. The Bloody Baron quickly squeezed his gauntleted fist. Dean's eyes widened as the bullets came to a slow stop mere inches from the Barons chest, their smooth metal heads glistening in the morning sun. Nobody moved, not even Dean.

"Fascinating. Some form of metal projectile moving faster than the eye can see. But alas! I am quicker still." The Baron suddenly became a blur of speed, his sword swishing in a deadly arc towards Deans neck. The Sergeant quickly dove out of the way and rolled across the ground. He sprung to his feet in time to narrowly dodge the blade once more by swaying to the side. Dean brought his knife up and made to plunge it between the Baron's ribcage, but he had already moved away.

"Impressive, I have never seen another creature move quite as fast as you. Even with my speed enchantments, I have a hard time catching you." The Baron chuckled. "I've been wanting a challenge for some time."

And so the two fought, Dean usually being on the defensive as the Baron waged a relentless onslaught. But as the battle continued to draw out, Dean couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. He just needed to distract the Baron along with the troops long enough for Midnight to rendezvous. He had given the Pegasus another flare to signal the pick up, but Dean was starting to worry that such a thing wasn't going to happen. He had to remind himself that the black Pegasus had an entire village to relocate to safety, he needed to keep buying time.

But all it would take was one slip up, and that is what Dean just did.

The Baron must've sensed a hesitation in Deans movement and made a quick lunge, causing Dean to move for a block. What Dean wasn't expecting however was a feint, the Elf having positioned his sword just to the side. Dean's arm extended, and the Elf lunged forward, the blade's edge cutting across his thigh. Dean lunged backwards and examined the wound. It wasn't to deep, thankfully, but blood was quickly soaking through the wound. He reached into another pouch and withdrew some gauze while the Baron kept boasting.

"So you see! The Demon of Metal is naught but flesh and blood!" The Baron turned back to Dean, who was tying off the already blood soaked bandage. He lifted his armored fist and strained slightly in exertion. Nothing happened. Dean merely kept doing his knot as he eyed the Baron before him. He reckoned that the Elves had been postponed long enough.

"My magic does not work on your personal being? Intriguing. No matter." The Baron swung his sword sideways through the air, causing a swooshing shock wave to smash into Dean. He was sent tumbling head over heels across the ground before slamming into his previous cover back first. Thankfully, the knot he tied on the bandage was done and did not slip. Dean slowly got to his feet, glaring at the Baron the whole time.

"You are weak, Demon! I have heard stories of how you managed to capture Prince Trignar and kill his Elite Guard. Now I know the truth, they were just that: stories! Mere propaganda made by that pesky resistance. I wonder if that purple princess is there to, being the useless animal she is. I think that once the plan has been put into motion, I will make her my personal broodmare! I will succeed where the Prince failed, I will gain the honour of presenting the last Alicorn to the Emperor! No creature can stand in our way!" Spittle was flying from the Barons mouth at this point, a crazed look in his eye. Dean caught sight of something akin to a shadow for a split second, though it was most likely a haze that was brought upon by the smoking remains of the air boat.

"You're crazy." Dean stated outright, holding up his knife and pistol, the former placed under the latter. "You Elves are nothing but rapists and murders. A rag tag assortment of half-assed fighters. You have some skill, Baron, I'll admit. But I don't back down so easily." Dean felt anger bubbling up inside him. Just the thought of seeing Twilight screaming in pain as this monster raped her from behind was to much to fathom. His emotions instead fueled his rage and strength; adrenaline coursed through his veins and he became numb to the pain in his leg. He started to walk back towards the Baron. Playtime was over.

"Bah! You are nothing!" The Baron raised his sword once more and swung it vertically downwards, splitting the air and sending another shockwave. Him, as well as the spectators, gasped as the Demon seemed to disappear for a split second, reappearing a few meters to the left. The Baron reached out with his fist and grabbed a nearby wagon, lifting it in his magic and launching it at Dean. The Elves cringed when the wagon made impact with the ground, but all were focused on the metal clad warrior who had quickly slid underneath before jumping up and running forward. The Baron's eyes contracted in fear as he raised his sword to the ready position and crouched down.

Dean raised his pistol and shot two rounds. The Baron quickly raised a shield, causing the bullets to impact and send vibrations and ripples throughout the yellow construct; temporarily blinding him. The distortions in the shield made it seem as if Dean was waving side to side as he ran, but then he was suddenly gone.

"Behind you!" An Elf yelled from the crowd. The Baron had the sense to roll away as a large knife sliced the place where his neck had once been. The Baron swung his sword blindly and heard a dreadful noise. He looked up and saw the Demons metal arm blocking his sword, the edge cutting a small slit in the strange, gray material.

"You were going to execute an entire town!" Dean brought his pistol down with the hand grip facing down, intending to pistol whip the Baron. The Elf kicked out with his leg and rolled to the side. The kick was meant to disorient the enemy, but instead of getting some breathing room, all he felt was pain.

Endor screamed like never before as the Demon grabbed him by his now broken leg and tossed him through the air. He flew a good ten feet before smashing into the ground, crying out as the leg bent in a very wrong way. Dean was on him in an instant.

"Women! And! Children!" Dean dropped his P23 and punched the Baron in three different places around the body with each word. The Elven general let out a quiet whimper as blood pooled from his mouth and into the dirt. Dean smashed his fist into the Generals face for good measure, breaking his nose.

'Why am I so angry all of a sudden? Why do I feel this... rage?'

The world flashed before Dean's eyes as he threw the General once more through the air. Black smoke rose through the air and the sky seemed red with hundreds of fires in the distance. Screams of the innocent and suffering echoed through the air, causing Dean to shiver. He saw a massive structure hover past him, it's turret belching hard light energy towards an unseen enemy. Deans focus shifted back to the Elf on the ground, but it was no longer the General. It had avian features and scaly hands. A sword simmering with energy and power lay discarded to the side. Purple blood leaked from the wounds Dean had inflicted upon the alien, the monster, the Orith invader.

He saw people, and other creatures laying scattered about. His wife and kid, laying sprawled on the ground, their chest imploded and smoking. He saw different ponies, the townspeople, all with various fatal wounds. A few had their heads lopped off, the ]headless corpse spewing blood across the barren earth. Then he saw Twilight.

Her horn was sheared off, cracks spider webbing the remaining length. One wing was missing and spurting blood, and Dean could see the bone it used to be attached to. Patches of fur and flesh littered the ground, seemingly torn off in chunks. Her flanks was bleeding and she had a large gash running down her stomach to her genitals. Dean looked down and saw a purple feather. He reached down and grabbed it, but it morphed into a different shape, a shape Dean recognized all to well.

His P23 Equalizer was being held in his grip, its barrel pointing towards the ground. Dean stalked forward, his metal figure shimmering in the torched atmosphere. His face was cast in shadow with only his eyes peering out.

'Something is wrong.'

Dean shook his head slightly, and the world seemed to warp. Flashes of sunlight broke through various places around him, he saw cobblestone and dirt. A voice was yelling.

"Do not inter... Single com... hold..."

Dean felt something smash into his torso, but he ignored it. His focus was on the Orithian foot soldier before him. The creature looked up at him with terrified eyes. The being tried to grasp its fallen sword, but Dean was already there and stepped down on the weapon.

He placed an armoured boot on the aliens chest and pushed down. The creature screamed as its ribs cracked open. It started to hack and wheeze, and Dean stopped pushing. He did not remove his foot.

Dean blinked. The red hazed environment was gone, the fires were gone, the screams were gone, and the Oritian soldier was gone. In its place was a town filled with smoke and fire. It's inhabitants were watching him with terror in their eyes. Dean glanced down and saw his frontal armour was smoking, someone having shot him to little effect. Dean looked down at the Elf and was surprised to find his pistol's barrel placed against his head.

The only sound was the crackle of flames in the distance and the two warriors breathing.

"Finish it, Demon. This is single combat, so you must end me. Know this though: You will fail, and pony-kind will be nothing but slaves. All hail the Empero-"

Splat!

The Bloody Baron's brain splattered against the road and Dean stood up, his rage slowly dissipating. He rolled his shoulders as he eyed the massive crowd of Elves before him. Hundreds lay in his way, so he would have to go through them.

"An admirable fight, but sadly, it was for nothing. Now you must die." Dean's eyes went wide as a hooded Elf stepped forward and made that announcement. Every single Elven soldier leveled their spears at the Human, their faces a mix of fury and hatred.

SQUEEEE... BANG!

All heads turned towards the deafening screech and explosion of the flare. Some thought it was an attack and aimed their spears in that direction, others were simply fixated to the red smoke falling through the air. Dean smirked, his hands quickly moving to his sides.

His knife was in his sheath, his pistol and rifle were holstered, but each hand was occupied. Both held a flashbang.

"He's running!" An Elf shouted, but it was to late. Dean primed the flash grenades and threw them forward. He closed his eyes as the helmets sound dampeners kicked in; a second later, the devices exploded.

Elves screamed and fell to the ground, holding their ears. More than a few had blood dribbling between their fingers as they cried. Dean took the chance and took off towards the flare, reaching eighty kilometers per hour in five seconds flat.

He heard shouting and the sounds of running feet, but they were slowly falling behind. An arrow whizzed past his head, causing him to jerk to the side. The resulting explosion threw wood and stone into the air, but Dean ignored it and kept running.

He made it to the edge of town and caught sight of his ride. The chariot was sitting idle on top of a low hill, its driver lazily looking towards the town.

Dean waved his arms and shouted as he ran, causing the Pegasus to perk up and jump to his hooves. The chariot rattled slightly as he began a trot down the hill.

"No! No! Other way, running start!" Midnight halted at Deans words and was about to retort. But then he saw the pursuers. Some fifty or so Elves stormed out of the city, their spears discharging and launching projectiles through the air. One flew past Midnight by a few feet and he yelped. Promptly turning around, the Pegasus began a straight gallop away from the city, though remained slow enough for the Human to catch up. Energy and magical bolts whizzed past him as the chariot gained more speed.

There was a loud thump and Midnight felt some weight behind him. He picked up more speed and spread his wings before promptly taking off. He head a light crack every few seconds and glanced behind him.

Sergeant Dean was aiming his rifle towards the ground and firing into the crowd of Elves. After several minutes, the chariot was far enough away to cruise; Dean slumped back.

"Did you get everyone out?" Midnight nodded.

"Yes, Sergeant. All the civilians are at the rendezvous point. The Elves wouldn't be able to find them if they tried."

"Good, well let's head - GAH!" Midnight heard Dean jump and quickly looked behind him, fearing the worst. Instead, he saw a small green and purple lizard with its head poking over the side of the chariot. It eyed Dean with fear and pushed itself to the side.

"I-I'm sorry! I needed to get away from the Elves! I-I swear, I'm not with them!" Midnight huffed before turning back and adjusting his course. Dean could deal with that.

"How the hell did you get on the chariot? And what the fuck are you?" Dean's eyes were wide and he had his pistol directed at the purple and green lizard before him. He was never very found of reptiles.

"I h-held onto the side and crawled on when the Pegasus wasn't looking. P-Please don't hurt me! My master has already done enough." The lizard was shaking and tried to become one with the chariot, but failed. Dean sighed and lowered his pistol.

"I'm not going to hurt you. What are you?" Dean furrowed his brows at the lizards response:

"I-I'm a-a dragon, Mr. Demon, Sir." The dragon's scaly ear... things folded down and it's eyes grew moist. Dean gave a disarming smile.

"Nothing is going to hurt you anymore, not with me around. You are safe. Call me Sergeant Dean. Do you have a name little guy." The Dragon stopped his quaking and leaned away from the side slightly. His eyes were now full of something Dean was slowly growing used to seeing: Hope.

"My name is Spike, Mr. Demo- I mean, Sergeant Dean." The little reptile took a hesitant step forward and raised his arm. Dean raised an eyebrow before shrugging. He reached out himself and gently clasped the Dragon's claw in a handshake.

"Well met Spike. I'll tell you what, you take a nap; our trip is gonna be a few hours." The Dragon's eyes lit up.

"Really! Thank you!" Spike leaned against the front of the chariot and closed his eyes.

'This dragon is awfully trusting, but I did technically just rescue it.'

"Seriously, thank you." Dean smiled lightly as the Dragon dozed off.

"You are welcome, Spike." Dean shuffled around before staring off into the distance. He smiled and his eyes closed. Within two minutes, he was asleep.