Game Over

• Isobel Bombara, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2013

This wasn’t the first time I’d slain a dragon. Not the first time my sword had tasted blood and my arrows pierced flesh. I was basically the best there was for these sorts of missions. But, of course, my companion thought himself just as great…if not better.
“You ready for this?” Daniel’s cocky grin caused me to roll my eyes.
“Of course. Get your bow ready.” My response was blunt, my voice low; we didn’t want to be detected. Not if we wanted to succeed.
The dragon rested, perched atop a crumbling tower, its claws coated with dried blood and its fangs dripping saliva. We’d made sure we were properly hidden, crouching in the bushes, and equipped with the lightest armour we owned.
“I don’t need a bow,” Daniel responded casually, smirking at my obvious confusion. “I’ve got a sword that can kill a dragon in one swing.”
“That’s impossible!” I hissed, sick of his smug attitude. “The only sword that can do that is –”
“Ragnarok.” Daniel interrupted with a nod, hand reaching for the hilt of his sword. “And I happen to have it right here.”
“Ragnarok hasn’t even been released yet. How the heck did you get your slimy hands on it?”
“No need to get hostile!” Daniel’s blue eyes feigned innocence but were betrayed by the smirk on his lips. “I just know a trick or two, is all…”
The realisation of what he’d done dawned on me. I felt like punching him.
“Those things are unstable! What were you thinking?! I only have one life left and I don’t feel like wasting it because you’re a flaming idiot!”
“Look, Zoey, I’ve only got one life, too, but you don’t see me making a big fuss about it… And, if you’re really that concerned, just sit back and watch a real man in action.”
Daniel’s hand tightened its grip on the Ragnarok replica. He stood, proud and strong, unsheathing the legendary sword and holding it high above his head. It looked impressive, even for a fake. He turned to grin confidently at me, which I returned with a disapproving glare. There was no way that bogus blade was going to do us any good…and, of course, I was right.
Daniel’s mouth twisted into a silent scream of horror as the sword exploded, pixels raining down on him and causing his avatar to glitch something terrible. He found himself unable to move as the dragon glared at him, lifting its head to let out a roar.
“Serves you right for using a cheat code to get a better sword,” I whispered up to him, smirking. “Have fun trying to fix that glitch when you respawn.”
A burst of flame disintegrated Daniel before my eyes. I grinned at the thought of him throwing down his controller in a fit of rage. He always was a sore loser when it came to video games… didn’t help that a girl was a better dragon slayer than he’d ever be.