Post by Arrowbid on Aug 22, 2007 18:42:30 GMT -5
All the kings’ men
Far beyond the field of bones an array of stone structures and carvings jutted out of the ground. Wynd guessed they had been built a long time ago as they were covered with vines and moss. The wagons trail drove right through the statues and seemed to go on until it met with what seemed like a tiny village. “If these guys are already angry just for me taking a horse I doubt the village people will be any different.”
Wynd swooped up in the air with his mighty prize and glided around the trail and he headed back for the forest where he left Streke. The rain poured down harder and slowed him down as it beaded off his scales. The man and the triskagin in the wagon below looked up and Wynd heard a rattling from below. Suddenly something hard and cold had flown through the air and bound itself tightly around Wynd’s hind legs. He gasped as he was pulled down from the sky and he dropped the huge horse carcass to the far earth below. The triskagin who was much stronger than the man, pulled hard on the chain that he tossed at the dragon’s feat; though Wynd was strong he was actually very fragile in the sky. As if flying for such a giant creature as the dragon wasn’t hard enough, he beat his wings hard and the wagon tilted precariously toward the muddy battlefield. The triskagin man tossed the chain around the rim of one of the war carts defensive spikes; he jumped over to the driver’s seat and took the whip from the man and began to urge the remaining horse on. The creature sweated hard as the whip struck and the war horse dashed forward running through the battlefield and on past the dragon. Wynd yanked at the chain and thrashed around in the sky kicking his legs, the chain loosened but just as he was about to slip out the chain tightened again and he was pulled down as the horse drawn wagon rushed past him. The horse neighed and yelled as it past under the dragon and it was yanked hard as the chain tightened, yet the whip struck again and the horse pulled intensely launching forward. Wynd felt a jolt as he was pulled sharply to the ground. There was a large thud as Wynd landed and he looked up out of the mud as the rain continued to fall. The cart continued to pull and it dragged Wynd across the rocks. He leapt up and trotted after the cart, with chain still bound tightly around his hind legs, Wynd flapped his wings and jumped hard into the air yanking the cart once more. But the triskagin pulled the chain tightly sending him falling to the ground again.
Wynd fumbled in the mud and sprawled his chained legs across the dirt trying to stand up. He looked out as the cart stopped and the two men stepped out, Wynd couldn’t breathe fire as his energy reserves were low enough already, he had to reserve what little he had just to get back to the forest. The man pulled out another chain and looked at the triskagin confused “Are you sure his skin would sell well? He looks awfully small for a dragon.”
The triskagin man looked out across the rocky and bloodied field at the green dragon that lay before him. His skull helmet blocked any sign of expression, and all the man could see was a gleam through the triple dotted eye holes. Then the triskagin spoke in a rasped dry voice. “Yesss, he’sss big enough, besidesss his color is dessscent, any one would pay handsomely for that.”
“Good then, let’s take him to the butcher and skin him already. I don’t want to be in this god forsaken place any longer.” The man spoke harshly as he tossed the triskagin a three pronged spear from the ripped opening of the war cart. The rain kept pouring and Wynd scowled as the men approached him, he stood as best he could though his body was bruised rather badly, and he lashed his arrowhead tail back and forth in the mud. The tip could easily severe a head, and with one flick, it could do even worse to something as fragile as a human. The two men stood back as he spat and growled then the triskagin flipped his spear to the other hand and yanked harder on the chain pulling Wynd’s legs out from under him. He yelped surprised and splashed back into the mud, but beat his wings furiously sending the mud splattering across their faces and the horse, which became annoyed and grunted. The men scowled and the triskagin tossed his spear at Wynd’s neck, missing only by inches as the mud splattered and he veered and coiled away from it. Then the man pulled back his cloak and unsheathed a broadsword, as he liked the traditional way of doing things. He leapt at Wynd and brought the hilt down hard across his brow but only to land the sharp edge squarely on his horns, as if they were fencing. Wynd laughed a deep below as only dragons could and tossed his smooth horns at the man gashing his jaw. The man was unaccustomed to fighting a dragon as all he had ever heard were stories of them, that is until the rumors of many coming out of the mountains came to his ears. Then all over were small accounts of witnessing one or fighting one, even from the small villages or the large towns where the war was taking place, a small tale managed to flit through all the hush and stir. The man smiled agitated “So this is a dragon eh? I’ve heard stories of your kind, you evil snakes… But what can I expect from a monster like this, except to play dirty… I must admit though, you’re smaller than I expected.”
Wynd launched at the man and latched on as he dug his teeth deeply into his arm. His strong canines penetrated easily through the steel and chain mail armor and he could taste the flow of warm blood oozing into his maw. Wynd snarled as he lacerated all the way through the upper arm and his whiskers stood on end with anger.
My head is the size of his body and he calls me small?! Well, how small will he be without his arm! thought Wynd as he closed his jaw even tighter. The man screamed with horror as the huge creature bit into him. He raised his fists and tried to beat the top of Wynd’s head trying to stun him or make him let go. The triskagin watched from across the field and ran up to his spear prying it from the ground. He turned in a fury of hatred and briskly wielded it high above his head before bringing it down. Wynd grimaced as the hilt struck him full on in the middle of his forehead, the one spot on his crown that he wasn’t protected. He gasped for a moment and let his jaw gape thus loosening his grip on the man’s arm. Blood from his maw trickled down adding to the already red splattered field. The man’s arm dangled from his body lifelessly, and he yelled once more running over to the war cart and took shelter in it. Wynd growled menacingly as he watched the man run and he thrashed his chained legs trying to free them. The triskagin man flipped his spear once more sizing Wynd up and he ran at him wielding it like a javelin. Wynd whipped his long serpentine neck and coiled it around. The triskagin brought the pronged spear down hard, just as he did so Wynd snatched it in his crocodile jaws. They battled forcefully and the triskagin slowly edged the spears tip towards Wynd’s throat. Just as he did so Wynd whipped his neck high into the air, both of them were still holding the spear and as it rose off the ground the triskagin rose with it. Suddenly Wynd was thrashing the spear through the air, back and forth, until the triskagin finally loosened his grip and was flung reeling to the ground. Wynd snickered and plunged the spear through the chain mesh and pulled on it, just enough so that it loosened and he slipped his legs out. Prying the spear out of the ground once more he snapped his jaws tight and broke it in half and flung it to the rocks shattering it to pieces.
The man had hunkered back into the driver’s seat and used the whip with his good arm, but the horse refused to leave. So instead he tossed his broad sword to the trsikagin, but Wynd had had enough, just as the triskagin caught it he swung his mighty tail around and bashed him backwards, flinging him into the cart. The horse reared with fright at the sudden jolt and raced forward flinging both men backwards. The war cart sped out across the battlefield and on towards the small village.
Wynd sighed and struggled to his feat exhausted, he looked around the red field with pleading eyes and spotted his horse he had caught not twenty tail lengths away. Its body was mangled from the fall but it would do. He padded over through the mud and picked it up by the neck, pausing, he looked out through the still pouring sky. Its dreariness sickened him but never the less he held onto his prey tight and launched himself up through the rain and into the clouds. Headed back to the forest he had a long ways to go until he could rejoin his brother and finally eat.
Somewhere else far across the battlefield, a sign of life moved up across the rocks, and paused looking out across the wagon trail. He looked up to the sky as a green figure passed quickly over him, carrying some grazer’s carcass. Just as well, the green dragon that was Wynd didn’t notice the red figure moving upon the field, as it was simply one more red mark on the bloody battle scene. The red dragon crooned a laugh as he watched the young one flee from the rocky highlands. “Is this all we have to worry about then, just two youngsters who are too stupid to handle a couple men properly?”
He scowled as he thought of Zeara’s worries, but then again she never believed in the old ways anymore.
“Still, might as well keep an eye out. If Zeara underestimates the prophecy, than who knows…” he murmured to himself angrily as he thought of his thick headed mistress. But quickly shook the thoughts out of his head, those weren’t his concerns right now. The red dragon yawned sleepily and made his way slowly over the rocky battle grounds. He stopped with surprise as he scanned the grounds, struggles were apparent of innocents dieing, as they never last, but what caught him was the fallen body of the blue dragoness. He quickly trotted over to her and knelt down besides her broken body, “Saphear, you idiot.” He scowled with anger and loss.
“I told you not go, but to stay with me and now you perished because of it!” he hissed and kicked dust at her body, he hated her for never caring for him but at the same time he had cared for her deeply. He turned away from her, “Well now you have the death you’ve always wanted, I hope you’re happy.”
He scowled at her and smirked and walked away as the rain began to come down harder. The wheels of the war cart sloshed and splashed mud as the horse drew the wagon across the trail. His hooves grew dirty with muck and he snorted powerfully as the cold seeped through his coat. His mane grew stringy and it covered his eyes whipping up in the wind and rain, but as long as his masters drove him on he had no choice but to keep going.
The red dragon stepped out onto the wagon trail and remembered songs of fire from the human’s chapels. That is what came to his dark mind, when he thought of the humans, and their wars and weapons. The history of bloody battles and sin filled him with anger, he looked at his print in the mud and lifted his hand from it, watching the rain fill it and turn it back to earth. Then the turn of wagon wheels and trod of the war horses hooves filled his sharp ears, he turned around to face the sound. The wagon pulled up in front of him but didn’t stop; he smelled blood from inside and guessed that they were injured. The red dragon ran at the wagon in anger and hissed as the horse came into view, the men inside yelled with surprise and the driver pulled hard on the reigns. “It’s another one!”
The triskagin raced over from inside the cart as the man yelled again, and the cart tilted precariously as the horse whinnied and reared. “For goodness sake man, get your spear already!”
The horse kicked and neighed at the red dragon and broke free from its harness. He had had enough and ran off past the dragon and down the trail. The red dragon eyed him as the horse passed but let him go for now. The man jumped out of the cart, sword in hand, while the triskagin ran after the horse. The red dragon whipped his tail at the triskagin and turned to the man. His throat gurgled with heat as the hot gas swirled in his mouth igniting and anger flooded his mind like wild fire. “If you survive this, humans… tell them that Razac the red was the one who finished you.”