Fate's Dagger, of Bastards and Dragons

The fire's shadow danced along the finely polished wood walls. An Elf and a Nathair argued over cheating and the bard was tuning his lute, the tavern was full of life. Barker got himself another round of Daxian brew and tried to drown everybody out. As the Dagger guzzled down his drink the tavern's doors swung open and slammed against the wall. Five lightly armored men marched in looking quite full of themselves.
"Did you hear the news!" The man in the middle said. "A dragon has been spotted near the mountains! But have no fear people of Xares, your loyal protectors are here to save you!" The other armored men laughed
"Are you here to stroke you ego or are you going to buy something this time Eric?" The barkeep asked drying out a cup.
"A round of Silver Blood for me and the boys keep." Eric replied sitting down next to Barker. He looked to the Dagger, "Maybe I should have what you're having friend, it seems to be working quite well."
"We aren't friends" Barker grumbled, his face still in his cup.
"An attitude eh, careful who you use it on here, could land you in trouble"
"Going to tell on me?"
"Well I certainly could, disrespecting my friends and I could land you in trouble, but I think I like you, what's your name?"
"Another round" said Barker ignoring the man.
Eric saw Barker's sword sitting next to him. "Do you consider yourself a fighter eh?"
Barker ignored Eric once more.
"Perhaps you carry it around to look tough, it would match your attitude."
Barker turned in his stool and stared at the man.
"If you think you are a fighter you should join me and my men tomorrow when we hunt down the dragon. If you are too scared I will completely understand."
"I don't kill dragons. Take my advice, neither should you. Going after a dragon is suicide." Barker warned
"Don't worry "friend". My men and I are professionals. If you grow a pair meet me outside here tomorrow morning at sunrise." The man got up and left. Than Barker saw it, the white bleeding dragon crest on his shoulder, he was with The Order of Valor. Dragon hunting guild or not, it is still suicide, Barker thought to himself, But if the man is right something is wrong. Dragons avoid people, why is one so close to the city? Barker thought about this and more as he climbed into the soft bed he had rented.
Barker waited outside the tavern and watched as the sun climbed above the cities three large stone walls. The city was waking up and getting ready for the day. The bakery had just opened and was starting to make fresh bread, a dancer was setting up her spot on the street and horses hooves clapped against the cobbled streets. Eric was still not here. Perhaps he grew a brain and ran off, the Dagger thought to himself. Yet Barker was not so lucky.
"Ah my friend, looks like you have something between those brawny legs after all!" Eric shouted as he walked down the street with more men than before.
"Don't give me to much credit Slayer, I just want to watch you get torn apart by the dragon"
Eric gave a fake chuckle and lead the party outside of Xares. As the trekked across the plains the men of the Order began laughing to themselves. "So" one of them said still laughing "Who might you be oh mighty swordsman?" Barker opened his voice to speak but was quickly silenced by Eric
"Everybody shut it!" The dragon slayer ordered "Look." Barker got to the front of the line and he saw it. The grass has been charred for what looked like miles. It was like a giant scar on the land. The dragon slayers drew their hooked swords. "We are close now, This is fresh." Eric said leading on. Right before midday they reached Filavandrel's statue, they were on the edge of The Vale and the Mountains now. The statue was quite large, the only thing bigger was the mountain wall behind it, and maybe, the dragon sitting on the statue's head.
The beast let out a horrid screech that ringed in the Dagger's head. The red foe was the size of a large horse and it circled above the men. "We need to get out of here, now!" Barker shouted.
"Run if you are scared pussy! This is what we do!" Eric roared, never taking his eyes of the dragon. The beast darted down and sent a man flying. "The chains now!" Eric ordered. The dragon slayers took out chain nets from their bags started swinging them in place.
"Hold! Hold! Wait for it to come down more!" Eric yelled taking a defensive stance. The dragon reared back its head and its chest began to glow a hot orange. The fire traveled from its belly, to its neck and out its mouth at the men.
Barker rolled in front of the men, launching his hands forward. The fire came and diverted around his hands and around the warriors. The Dagger got to his feet and drew the long sword from his back. He lowered the blade in his hand and stepped back. "Forgive us." The Dagger asked calmly. "My friends are idiots. We will go and not return"
"The hell we will!" Eric bellowed pushing Barker aside "Get him men!" None of the other Dragon Slayers approached. "Fine! Cowards all of you! I knew we should never have let any of you into the Order! I'll do this myself!" Eric raised his hooked blade and ran at the beast. It closed its wings and fell to the ground. It swung one of its large wings and threw the dragon slayer to the side. Barker looked to Eric, he was dead.
The dragon hunched its shoulders and crept forward towards the Dagger. It belly began to glow once more. Barker dropped his sword and raised up his hands. "Forgive us" Barker asked once again. The dragon's neck began to glow now. "Kill me if you must, I am ready, but not them. They are just boys, they can learn, they can do better." The dragon raised it neck! Its throat and belly stopped glowing. The dragon looked towards the mountains and flew off above the snow covered peaks. Barker lowered his hands and looked down in disbelief.
The novice dragon slayers crowded around their leader's corpse. One man gripped his blade and walked towards the Dagger. "This is your fault freak!" He shouted pushing his finger into Barker's chest. If you had followed Captain Eric's orders we would have been fine!"
Barker backed up and gently picked up his sword.
One of the other men stepped in, "Hey man, he didn't kill the Captain, we came underprepared you knew that."
"The Captain knew what he was doing! If this son of a bitch had followed orders we could have killed the dragon and returned home alive!"
"We are only alive," Barker said, "Because the dragon didn't feel like killing us. We got lucky." The Dagger's words did not matter. The dragon slayer swung his hooked blade at Barker! The Dagger blocked the attack but the dragon slayer hooked onto his sword and pulled it away from him! Barker threw a punch to the mans face and he staggered back.
"Fucking die freak!" The man shouted thrusting the hook of his sword towards Barkers shoulder! Barker swung to the side and blasted the dragon slayer with a condensed gust of wind. The dragon slayer fell to his back and Barker kneeled on top of him.
BAM! BAM! SMACK! The Dagger began pummeling the dragon slayers face into the dirt. The whole group could here the man's bones snap and crack. His blood flew into the air and his screams were muffled by the gurgling of blood. Barker stood up from the corpse, the fresh blood dripping off his brown leather gloves. He turned halfway to the other men. "Run." he grumbled. The dragon slayers dropped their chains and swords and ran back to the city. Barker stepped away from the body and layed down on the grass. He drifted off to slumber under the warm sun looking towards the mountains.