Scales, claws, and a helping hand
(BOOM) Not long after we got separated did the rain begin to pick up again. It was heavy and the lighting was frequent. However, there was one more problem. It was dark, not just faded darkness either; it was, I can’t see pass ten feet, darkness. The occasional flash of lighting revealed the path ahead of me, if only for a few seconds. I tried to keep a constant pace, but it was slow and I tend to trip over the occasional roots that grew a little over the ground. My clothes were damped, my body was shivering, and my legs feel weighed down. Also, I couldn’t get over the feeling that I was being watched. I knew I’ve seen something back there, and now it was following me.
The sound of rain and the splashes from my feet, were the melodies that I continue to hear, through my walk of eternity. However, it could not calm the growing anxiety I felt. Every time I heard a snap or a rustle, I couldn’t help but stop to look, gripping my weapon by reflex. I tried my best to see through the darkness, but I found nothing hidden within. After I released the breath that I didn’t know I was holding, I continued on, trying to let the sound of rain calm me down. ‘I really need to find shelter and fast. I’m about to lose it out here.’
(ROAR) I flinched at the sudden noise in the distance. ‘What was that!’ as I pulled my gun up to my shoulder, I frantically searched my surroundings, hoping to spot whatever made that sound. (ROAR) it sounded more like a wail this time, and it was coming from above. I searched the skies to find anything out of the norm. It was difficult to see through the rain, but I was determined. Before I knew it, I took sight of a large figure soaring through the skies. Its wings were large, its tail was long, and the neck was half that length. ‘Could it be?’
Before I could identify it, I noticed it was heading to the ground at an alarming rate. I soon lost sight of it, then heard a loud crash later on. Without hesitation, I began to sprint towards the crash site. Whatever it is, it needed help. I tread through the mud and muscled through the bushes. I knew I was going the right way, because I eventually encountered broken trees and a dragged path from the impact. The creature wasn’t in sight though. However, at the end of the path I could see small puddles of blood that lead into the forest. It was injured and the amount of blood it seemed to leave behind was concerning.
I followed the trail, trying to stay quiet, so I would not scare it off. As I continued on, the puddles seem to get bigger, indicating that it was slowing down. After a little while, I soon spotted an opening to a small clearing. I leaned up against the closest tree and took a peek. It was exactly what I expected. It had large, sharp claws, and thick, glassy scales. It… was a dragon. ‘A real fire breathing dragon!’ all my anxiety seemed to have been pushed away with excitement, as I looked upon this beautiful creature. Soon after, a flash of lighting revealed to me the dragon’s true condition. Its left wing was torn. The wound was seeping blood, descending down its body onto the floor. There was also a gash on its left back leg, as well as other cuts around its body.
I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to do something; I had to help. Before I could even make a move, the dragon craned its neck back looking towards the sky. I was able to see its eyes, but I was confused. Within, I did not see any anger, confidence, or even defiance. What I see is fear. The dragon tried desperately to get up, but an arrow whooshed by and impaled itself on the dragon’s shoulder. It roared out in pain as it fell back to the ground. Upon seeing it, I took the safety off my weapon, looking around to find the shooters. I didn’t have to look long as a group of griffons swopped down and surrounded the dragon.
There were five of them, and they wore the same outfits as the bandits we fought back in Leafwood but in a black color scheme. Some had crossbows with large pouches filled with bolts, and others with spears.
“Nice try scaly, but it ends here.” Said one of the griffons, who was reloading his bow.
The dragon looked upon the griffon in fear and pain.
“Don’t worry, I know someone who would pay a good price for those scales of yours.” Another griffon mocked, showing no pity.
From there, I knew what they were. ‘Poachers.’ Scum willing to kill or capture anything for money, and this dragon was their target. ‘Not on my watch.’ Once the griffon finished loading its weapon, it took aim at the dragons head, unknowing that I was doing the same at his.
“Time to join your friends scaly.” The griffon uttered the last words to the dragon… or his last words. ‘Right back at ya.’
(BANG) the side of the griffon’s head exploded, as my round penetrated it. Before the griffon’s body fell limp, I moved my sight to the next griffon (BANG), then the next (BANG BANG), then the next (BANG), and the last (BANG). I didn’t give them time to recover, as I dropped them all to the ground. Each shot was fatal, except for the last, hitting only the shoulder. The last griffon wailed in pain, clenching its wound with its claw.
I stepped out of my hiding spot, approaching the wounded griffon. The dragon obviously seen me, but I didn’t care at this point. I still had one last target to take care of. After all, I don’t like letting wounded animals suffer. The griffon desperately tried to reach for its crossbow, probably hoping it will bring him salvation. When the griffon finally gripped the bow in its claw, I stomped my boot on top of it, holding it down with my weight. The griffon was shaking now in pure fear. As it slowly raised its gaze, it spotted the muzzle end of my gun pointed right at him. He continued to shake, as he stared at the unknown terror in front of him. Finally, his gaze met my own, and what I see is beyond fear.
“w-what are you?” he hopelessly asked without thinking.
“Human.” (BANG)
Building bridges
I stood there, staring at the motionless body that laid before me. There was a small hole on its forehead where my bullet penetrated, and a large one on the back where it excited. It was a complete mess. ‘I may have gone a bit too far there.’ I then began to count, in my head, the number of shots I used. I estimated forty-three rounds left in my clip. I sighed at the thought of no ammo. ‘Just have to make it last.’ I thought as I flipped the safety back on. I then remembered about the dragon that witnessed this massacre. I turned my gaze to it, only to see the unchanged, fearful look it gave me.
We were silent, only hearing the drops of rain around us. ‘Crap… what should I do… ummm… uh…’ we stared at each other for what feels like ages. I couldn’t even blink, feeling that any movement could lead to disaster. ‘Um do something.’ we still stood there, ‘say something?’ unmoving ‘come on Daniel; don’t just stand there.’ like stone sculptures. ‘Speak you fool!’
“Uh-“ that was all I was able to put out, before the dragon whipped in the other direction.
In the process, its tail lashed out towards me, slamming me on the side. The impact pushed me off my feet, hitting the muddy ground with a loud splat.
“Not again.” I groaned, feeling my body ache from the impact.
I slowly flopped myself over so I could use both my arms and legs to push myself up.
“Well… that could have gone a lot better.” I said, while I was getting up.
Afterwards, I looked over where the dragon fled. I also noticed a trail of blood, leading in the same direction. ‘A trail of bread crumbs.’ I took a deep breath, checked my gun, and then followed the trail. ‘It’s pretty badly injured. I can’t just leave it alone like that.’ I continued to follow the blood trail, hoping the rain wouldn’t wash it away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jordan
The path down the cliff lead us to a narrow opening, into the forest. As we got deeper, it only seems to get denser. The rain and the mud was not helping in the slightest, as the movement of the carriage was coming to a drag. It became too much to pull that we strapped Andor and Falco on it to give Thrain some relief. Gilda and Ember took their positions as escorts, trying to maintain the same level of protection. The search for the cave was still going, but finding Daniel was main priority. However, the light of the sun was long gone, leaving the forest into a dark abyss. We had lanterns strapped onto the carriage, but its radius only goes so far.
He’ll see us long before we see him. ‘We’re practically walking blind here.’ I made sure to keep a look out for whatever else the light could attract.
“Hey.” I shifted my head a little to see Ember walking next to me.
“What’s up?” I asked.
She stayed quiet for a bit, making me question if she heard me or not.
“Do you remember when-“
“If this is about that fight, I’m sorry but I can’t give you any answers. It’s just as much of a surprise to us as it is to you.” I said, interrupting her mid-sentence.
“… rude much?” she huffed.
“(sigh) sorry, it’s just been a long day and… I’m kind of worried about him.” I said apologetically.
“Its fine; don’t worry about him so much. I can tell he can take care of himself.” she said, trying to cheer me up.
“Yeah, but don’t go telling him that though. He’ll probably do something stupid afterwards.” After I said that, I earned a bit of a chuckle from her.
“I’ll remember that, but I’m still left to wonder. I was only a cub when others discovered that I had the potential to do magic. I soon found my specialty in elemental magic. It took me years of training to control it, and years more to use it in combat. Yet, in one go, your friend was able to do what took me years to accomplish.” I turned my head to her curiously. ‘Where are you going with this?’
“I guess, if you put it that way, it makes sense to be curious.” Her experience with magic had lead me to wonder. ‘Is magic really that difficult? Daniel didn’t seem like he had any trouble… but he was hospitalized afterwards; so what do I know.’
“Do you think your friend is interested in becoming an apprentice?” ‘Say what now!?’ Ember’s question got me through a loop. ‘Apprenticeship, we’re still trying to get pass the fact that he can do magic.’
“Well uh, we never really thought about that.” I said honestly.
“Shame… but if he does, do tell him that I am willing to take him under my wing.” She said with most sincerity. ‘(Sigh) I guess we can add magic school on our things to do list.’
(ROAR) A loud roar could be heard in the distance, making us stop upon reflex. I put my hand on my pistol, while searching for the source of the disturbance.
“What…was that?” Taphy asked, sounding a bit uneasy.
“Dragons.” Ember answered.
“Dragons! Oh hell no!” if Taphy was unsettled before, I’m sure he’s on the verge to freaking out.
“Are they going to be a problem?” I asked.
“They only attack when threatened; so, as long as we can keep our distance, we can avoid them.” ‘Alright that doesn’t sound so-‘ (Bang… Bang… Bang Bang…) ‘oh crap.’
As I faced the directions where the shots came from, I pulled my pistol out and flipped the safety off.
“I never heard that before.” Ember said, sounding a bit curious.
“It’s Daniel.” With that said, I took off into a sprint.
I could hear the others trying to keep up. ‘We’re coming buddy, just hang on.’ (Bang)
Building bridges part 2
‘sixty-eight bottles of bear on the wall, sixty-eight bottles of bear, take one down, pass it around, sixty-seven bottles of bear on the wall…’ now, one may be wondering why I’m not extremely focused in tracking down this dragon. With the broken branches, beaten path, and a blood trial, this dragon is literally paving the way for me to follow. ‘Thirty-eight bottles of bear on the wall…’ it may not be able to hide its tracks, but it sure can keep its distance. I know I’ll catch up with it though. It will stop due to exhaustion or blood loss. I just hope it’s the latter. ‘Twenty-two bottles of- ah there you are.’
The trail eventually lead me to a cavern which the dragon may be using as a shelter. I carefully snuck up towards the edge of the entrance, trying my best not to make myself known yet. I looked down at the trail, leading into the cave. The blood trail looked less like puddles and more like brush marks. This dragon is just dragging itself at this point. ‘Ok, let’s think about this. There is an injured, very afraid, and possibly an extremely, dangerous dragon in a dark, one way in and one way out, cave. Due to my actions, I probably look like the bogyman to it. However, this dragon needs immediate medical attention and I am the only one around to do it… well it could be worse.’ I tilted my head to get a quick peek into the cave, only to quickly jerk back as a burst of flames shot out from the entrance. ‘I really need to stop saying that.’
“G-go away or else!” I heard a shaky voice yell from inside.
“Can we at least talk about this!?” I asked, keeping well away from the entrance.
“n-no, just stay away from me you monster!” ‘Now that’s just uncalled for.’ I knew I had to tread carefully, if I wanted to help this dragon.
“I know you’re scared of me and you have every right to be, but please hear me out! Those griffons were going to kill you, and, if I didn’t do what I did back there, you would be dead right now!” I stopped to let what I said sink in a bit, “all that doesn’t matter right now! What matters is that you are bleeding out and need medical help! I have medical supplies, and I want to help you, if you let me!”
“…”
The dragon said nothing, and, the longer I wait, the more blood it loses. ‘Now or never.’ I removed the strap of my gun and my sword, and slowly moved them towards the entrance of the cave.
“Please, do not attack me!” I said, taking my slow step of faith.
I made sure to keep my movements slow so to not startle it. So far I haven’t been turned a crisp yet, so I continued on. Soon I was entirely exposed in front of the entrance. Looking inside, it was way too dark to see. However deep within the darkness, I could see two glowing, blue reptilian eyes, staring right back.
“I am putting my weapons down.” I said slowly kneeling down to the ground.
I kept my voice more calm but loud enough for the dragon to hear. After placing them down, I slowly made my way to the dragon, keeping my hands up in a defensive manner.
“That’s it, I mean you no harm.” I know I’m sounding repetitive here but it’s keeping the dragon calm, or at least that’s what I’m hoping.
During my walk, my eyes were adjusting to the darkness and, soon enough, the dragon was coming into view. I still can’t see it clearly but I can get the gist of its features. Based on what understanding I have with dragons in this world, which is close to nothing really. The dragon doesn’t seem fully grown, but it’s not a baby either.
I was now a foot away from it, and I could tell by just looking at its eyes. It was terrified. I slowly knelt down, trying to look less intimidating. Its eyes never left me during all this, watching for any signs of deceit.
“Alright, I’m going to check those injuries.” I said in a whisper.
I slowly reached out my hand to touch its claw, and at that moment its eyes darted to my hand. Its claw began to retract away from me upon reflex.
“Its ok, it’s ok…” I lightly repeated.
I had to make first contact; it’s the only way to break the tension for the both of us. ‘Almost there…’ the anticipation was killing me, as my hand got closer. ‘Almost there…’ my hand was just about an inch from touching. ‘Almost-‘ (BOOM)
Suddenly a loud blast of lighting lit up the cave with a white flash, causing us both to recoil back in fear. I landed on my backside, but the dragon must have agitated one of its injuries because it screamed out in pain. Without thinking, I rushed up, grabbed its claw with one hand, and began to rub its shoulder with the other. The dragon immediately gasped in shock and tensed up.
“Shh, shh, its ok, it’s alright…” I continued to voice out as many gentle words as I can in hopes to calm it down.
Its breathing was erratic and the tension on its arm was extensive. However, I kept trying to sooth it.
To my relief, its breathing was slowing down and the tension on her arm was waning. Once its breathing became normal and the tension was gone, I looked over. My heart fell from what I see. Tears were flowing down the dragon’s face. At that point, I knew I had to do more; so what came to mind was to hum a very familiar tune. (misty mountains) just as I began to hum, I could hear the dragon sniff trying to hold back the tears. Then it leaned closer, and I could feel its claw clenching my hand. As painful as it was, I let it do as it wishes. God knows what it’s been through. Soon enough, its tail wraps behind me, trying to bring me as close as possible. Eventually, it could not hold the tears away any longer. Its head pressed against me for comfort. I continued to hum and rub its shoulder for support. As much as it needed medical attention, it needed this more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
???
I ran; fear gripping me, as I heard the screams of my kin behind me.
“After it!” I ran, hearing the screeches of my pursuers.
“You can’t escape!” I ran, pushing deeper into the darkness.
“You can’t run forever!” as if in some twisted fate, I had tripped on something.
I fell on the invisible floor below me, feeling exhaustion taking over me. ‘I-I have to keep running.’ I tried to push myself back up, but it was already too late. A black silhouette of a griffon stood before me. I could see white pin pricks, peering down at me from those black voids where the eyes should be. I then looked down and see a sword in its claw. It rose it up above itself; ready to swing down at me.
“die.” It said, in a very dry and raspy voice.
“P-please… don’t-“ I begged, hoping for it to spare me, but my pleas fell to deaf ears.
I froze as I watched the sword come down upon me. However before the sword struck me, a loud bang could be heard as the griffon’s head exploded, leaving its body to drop to the ground. Behind it was another creature. It was strange, foreign, and above all terrifying. It was still the same silhouette as the griffon, with the familiar pin pricks in its eyes. What I assume to be its weapon, was now pointed at me.
“Plea-“ (Bang)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My eyes shot open as my head jolted up in mere shock. I looked around to see that I was in a cave which was miserably lit by a small fire. ‘Was that… just a dream?’ I thought hearing the rumble of thunder from the strike that woke me up. Seeing that I was in no danger right now, I began to calm myself down. Once I was able, I tried to push myself up, but I instantly regretted it, feeling a sharp pain on my hind leg. I looked back to see my injured leg that was already mended. ‘What… how did-‘ Suddenly, memories of what happened not long ago came flooding in. I ran into this cave, hoping to hide, since my pain and exhaustion started to take a toll on me. I thought I lost it, but my hopes were crushed as that… creature appeared at the entrance. However, what happened afterwards caught me by surprise. It spoke to me and wanted to help me.
‘I guess that explains the bandages… but where is it now?’ I looked around once more, but all there was is a campfire and a bag. ‘It must be the creatures; so it’ll be back… but do I want to be here before it does?’ I begin to ponder on what I should do. The creature has done nothing but shown me kindness, which is very rare for my kind. Then again it was able to kill without any remorse, and not to mention that weapon of his. Images of that horrific scene flashed before me, making me feel a bit uneasy. I then looked down at the fire, unsure of what to do. ‘Why save me?’ however, before I could decide, I looked over to see it standing there. It held a pile of wood in its claws, and it was staring right at me.
“Uhh… hi?” it said with uncertainty, “please don’t freak out, your wounds were pretty bad and I don’t want you to make it worse.”
It spoke to me again, but I remained silent. I couldn’t help but notice its eyes; they weren’t pin pricks like in my dream, but they actually had detail to them. However, they were still unique. I was soon snapped out of my trance by the roar of thunder outside.
“Heh I have to say, Mukpud sure earned its name.” I looked at the creature again and notice him walking slowly towards me.
Panic begins to rise as he got closer, and I’m sure it caught on, if my heavy breathing was any indication.
“Wow now calm down. I’m just adding wood to the fire.” It said defensively.
Only now did I notice the branches in its claws. Once it got close to the fire, it began to slowly feed the wood to it.
“It wasn’t easy finding wood dry enough to burn.” It said as it fed another stick, “I’m surprised I was able to get one started.”
Placing the last branch in the fire, it turned back and made its way to its bag. Looking at its cloak, I noticed a large insignia on its back. ‘That’s a Gryphonia symbol… it works for the king?’ to my surprise, it removed its cloak revealing a fully clothed figure beneath. However, the next thing I see made my blood run cold.
Hanging under its shoulder was the alien weapon that had brought the demise of my pursuers. It was black as night, and seemed to be metallic in nature. That was all I can get from looking at it, anything else is just a mystery. He removed the strap that held the weapon under his shoulder, and placed it next to the bag. It soon came back and sat right in front of the fire, revealing one of the strangest faces I’ve ever seen. Other than a patch of fur on the top, the rest was just skin. It didn’t even have a muzzle; it was just flat.
“Ah there’s nothing better than a warm fire on a cold rainy day, huh.” It said, looking at me expectantly, and, just like before, I stayed quiet, “not much of a talker I see.”
It lowered its gaze, but suddenly beamed up in realization.
“Oh how rude of me! I didn’t even introduce myself yet.” It said, springing itself up off the ground, “the names Daniel, newly appointed personal guard for the Gryphonian royal family… or at least for one of its members.”
It then looked at me again with glee, hoping that now it will sport a response. As seconds tick by, its demeanor began to weigh from the lack of interaction.
“Uh… what’s your name?” it’s asked in one last effort.
Luckily for it, it paid off.
“A-Amethyst… my names Amethyst of the Kasai tribe.” I said uneasily.
“Amethyst, that’s a nice name. It suits ya pretty well.” It said with much satisfaction.
After that, we just stared at each other. So many things were going through my mind. ‘What’s going on, why am I still here, why am I talking to it… well I can’t consider it an it anymore, since it has a name, but still. What is he, why is he here, why didn’t he kill me like the others?’
“…your wing?” I was snapped out of my thoughts, as he tried to talk to me.
“What?”
“Your wing, how is it?” he asked.
I looked over to my bandaged wing, feeling a spike of pain as I tried to move it.
“It still hurts.” I said as the pain dulls to a throb.
He looked a bit saddened, after I said that.
“Sorry to hear that. I did the best I could with what I got, but your wounds were pretty bad.” He looked away from me and stared at the fire.
“Oh, i-it’s alright.” I said assuring him, “thank you.”
He seemed to smile a bit after I said that. An awkward silence fell upon us again. However, I couldn’t help, but notice him fidget in place. ‘Is he nervous?’ I couldn’t help but feel confused. Here’s a being that I know nothing about, was able to kill five griffons within seconds, and now he’s sitting across from me looking like he doesn’t know what to say.
“Are… you ok?” I didn’t know why I asked that, but I felt like I needed to.
“Uh, yeah, yeah I’m fine… sorry if I’m making this seem awkward. It’s just I’ve never really met a dragon before, let alone talk to one.” He said scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, “well knowing how most conversations go, you’re probably wondering what I am?”
I only nodded me head in acknowledgement.
“Alright… promise me you won’t freak out when I tell you though.” I didn’t really know why he would say that, but I nodded anyway, “ok, I’m a… human.”
As the word ran through my mind, I was confused at first, but then it hit me.
“I’m guessing you heard of us?” he asked, after seeing my reaction.
“Well only stories my father used to tell me.” I said, digging through my mind for those tales.
“Well let me be the first to say that we’re not as bad as those stories say.” He said defensively.
I begin to ponder on what he said. My father told me of stories of humans deceiving and hurting others, showing no remorse. However, this one saved my life, he treated my wounds, and watched over me while I slept. ‘He doesn’t seem evil to me. He’s actually pretty nice.’
“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what was up with those griffons back there?” after he said this, painful memories began to run rampant through my mind.
He must have noticed, because he said I didn’t have to answer. Yet, he saved my life. He at least had the right to know.
“I came from the west; just passing by as it were. I wasn’t alone either; I was with two others. We were tired and decided to take shelter in the mountains east of here. That’s where they attacked us. I was able to escape but the others… after a while, some of them caught up with me. I-I tried to lose them, but I was so tired. (sniff) T-they attacked me with their s-swords and arrows. (sniff) I-I tried… I d-didn’t…” I couldn’t help but hear the screams of the others in my head.
I immediately closed my eyes, and tried to push those thoughts away. I couldn’t help but stifle a whimper, as I tried to control my emotions. I let out a gasp, as I felt something touch the side of my head I recoiled back and looked over to see Daniel kneeling next to me with his arm stretching out towards me.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just… you looked troubled and I thought…” he began to pull his hand back, after I realized what he was doing.
Knowing that he was only trying to comfort me, I allowed him to do so. I slowly nudged my head back towards him, and soon enough I felt those strange appendages graze the top of my head.
His touch felt strange. Unlike claws, it felt soft and smooth. I could also feel some warmth resonating from it. I felt myself lean closer into it.
“I’m sorry for what’s happened you.” He said softly.
Much to my disappointment, I felt his touch leave me. He then proceeded to sit down next to me. I didn’t feel as nervous anymore. Somehow through his touch, I could actually tell that he meant no harm; that he wanted to help me. For a dragon, it’s hard to find such kindness, even amongst our own kin.
“Thank you.” I said in a low whisper.
“no te mencionarlo.”
“…what?” he threw me back a bit when he said that.
“It’s ‘don’t mention it’ in Spanish.” He explained.
“Oh.” ‘…what’s Spanish?’
I decided to push that question aside for now, since there was something else I wanted to know.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah.”
“What were you doing out here by yourself?” I asked curiously.
“I didn’t come here by myself. I just got separated is all.” ‘There’s more humans out there?’ he looked at me and noticed that I was staring, implying that I wanted to know more.
He took a deep breath, and adjusted himself to sit more comfortably.
“A couple of days ago, me and my friends came across this legend…”