Earning Dreamwielder Marks

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Written for “Smogust’s Story Hoard”, prompt 17.

Tanya strode into the cave without hesitation. Mundane darkness was no barrier to a Dreamwielder. And, given the sulphurous tang emanating from the entrance, she suspected she was in the right place.
“Hallooo?” She called, her voice echoing down the large winding passage, rough stone eating the sound before she got a proper sense for how deep the cave went.
A low rumble, seemingly in response, made the floor tremble underfoot. Glowing eyes appeared and approached - and it swiftly became clear that each was larger than her head.
Tanya gave her best professional smile… and kept a hand on her sword hilt. “I am Tanya Meadowsong, of Holt Briar. A Dreamwielder. Are you the one who called for aid?”
“Humph.” The dragon eyed her. “How old are you, elf?”
“Old enough to fight Nightmares.” Tanya retorted archly.
“I find that hard to believe.”
Tanya raised an eyebrow and pulled up her left sleeve, revealing an intricate tessellated tattoo reaching from her wrist most of the way to her elbow. “Seventy-three successful jobs. Two hundred and thirty-six Nightmares slain. There’s a reason I was sent, when a dragon sought our aid.”
“…Very well. Come in.”
The dragon turned and slithered back down the passage, Tanya close behind, until they reached what seemed to be a living space. At least, it had a large pile of dried foliage and was haphazardly decorated with gemstones.
“So.” Tanya rested her hands on her hips and appraised the etherial streaks left by visitors breaching the Veil. Invisible to the untrained eye. “When did the Nightmares find you?”
“Three days ago. The first one came alone. I ate it.”
“Ate…??” Tanya’s gaze snapped to the dragon, who looked bemused at her shock. “How?”
“The usual way.” The dragon’s wings shifted in a shrug. “I don’t recommend it. Tasted terrible, and gave me indigestion to boot.”
“I’m not surprised!” Tanya shook her head. “And the second night?”
“Three of them. And they were not content just to skulk about my room. I did try to fight them, but…” The dragon huffed through its nose. “They are too small. Too quick. And last night I got no sleep at all. That was when I contacted your Grandmaster.”
“And here I am.” Tanya cast another pensive, appraising glance about the space. “Well. If you are capable of touching them untrained, no wonder they are so keen to feed on you.”
She pulled off her bag and cloak, setting both aside where they were to hand but at no risk of becoming trip hazards, and unsheathed her sword. The ivory glow casting the Nightmares’ tracks into sharp relief.
“Hm. Plenty of them… but nothing special.”
The dragon’s ears twitched. “You consider those normal?”
“Yes. I wish I could have seen the one you ate. Whether there was anything unusual about it, or if it is simply the being a dragon which let you swallow it. Either way-”
Tanya paused as she felt a ripple. Distant, on the other side of the Veil in fact, but rapidly drawing closer. Her gaze shifted, the sword swinging into a ready pose.
“Do they usually come so early?”
“No.” The dragon’s head turned, its massive eyes fixing on the same spot she was watching. Interesting. She definitely needed to learn more about dragons. “I think perhaps they are mustering in response to you? I wouldn’t assume there won’t be any ‘special’ ones.”
“Well, well, well…” Tanya smiled as the first dark, half-formed entities oozed into corporeal space. Their intent plain in how they manifested teeth and claws and grasping limbs. “Watch my back?”
“Humph. Don’t let me down, child.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” Tanya’s left hand raised, and blinding light seared a pouncing Nightmare to nothingness. “I have Marks left to earn.”

I took the prompt as “A dragon and an elf fight shadows”.

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