Comet Burst / Chapter Six: Yun Jud
The screams of the two titanic dragons burned in the chamber, leaving resounding echoes in Garble’s ears as he hid behind the leg of another. Peeking out ever so slightly, he caught a glimpse of Giratina unleashing a torrent of fiery breath at the Alpha, who was roaring and spewing his own emerald fire in return. Numerous scorch marks painted the walls cinder black, and once-glorious piles of golden loot now stood as solid lumps, looking like twisted idols of melting greed. Huge chunks of the stone pillars had been gouged out; long claw marks marred their base while countless fortunes of gold and gemstones cascaded into the yawning lava below.
Giratina shrieked and Garble ducked behind the leg once more, covering his ears and shivering slightly as the dragon he hid behind roared with approval. The ground trembled underneath him as other dragons stomped their claws, cheering on their chosen warrior. Garble shook his head again and dared to look at the battle again; his eyes went wide and his pupils tiny as he saw Giratina struggling to free herself from the Alpha’s claws.
“Fool!” the Alpha roared. “Did you really think you could best me in my own lair? I will crush you like those pathetic ponies!”
Giratina screamed in response, her red eyes burning like small suns. The Alpha grinned for a split second before a howl of pain escaped him; he released his grip on Giratina as acid-green blood dripped down his claws. Giratina flapped her shadowy wings furiously as she kicked away from him. Her golden talons flashed, ripping more scales and skin from his own. She darted to her left as the Alpha’s jaws slammed shut on the space she had been in. She easily flew around him as his empty white eyes traced her path and a low rumbling formed in his chest.
Giratina slowed herself and angled towards the line of obsidian spikes tracing his spine while he again murmured the spell of healing. The flesh began to repair itself, but Giratina extended her claws once more and dug into the hard scales on the Alpha’s back. The force of her slash chipped his proud armor, and she slipped her golden spikes into the gaps between them, anchoring herself to him as he roared again and flared his wings. Pulling one claw out, she planted it farther up as she attempted to climb the base of his neck while his claws flew at her. His errant flailing drew his talons – each the length of his fangs – across the scales right next to her.
She managed to take two more steps before the Alpha’s claw caught her tail and tightened its grip like a vice. He tugged with a force unlike any she had ever felt; he yanked her from his neck like she was a mere toy. He released his grip and Giratina tumbled through the air, flaring her wings to steady herself before she slammed into the solid stone wall. Stars flashed before her eyes and she fell through space, trying desperately to catch her breath once more. The Alpha’s claws flashed at her once more, but she managed to maneuver herself away from his crushing grip as her wings found their strength again.
She ducked and weaved between his swipes, her wings burning, mind cloudy with fatigue and pain. Glancing at him once more, she screamed curses at him as she reached out with her mind. A small dimensional hole appeared in the air before her. She dove through and into the pitch blackness as the Alpha roared once again.
“Hiding from me will not help you!” he said as he sniffed the air once more. His keen senses could trace her scent, even if she did not visually manifest herself. He knew she was circling him, once around to see if she could fool him and then again, edging closer to his back to strike him unawares. Spinning in place, the Alpha opened his maw and let loose his fiery breath once more as Giratina’s crest and striped belly materialized again.
Pinning her wings back, Giratina rolled in the air as the Alpha’s intense fire swept past her, leaving a long scorch mark on her left rear leg and tail. Forcing herself to ignore the pain, Giratina shot towards his face.
The Alpha’s eyes widened; Giratina raised her golden claws and shrieked her all.
The tips met the soft cornea of the Alpha’s right eye.
A piercing scream shook the very air in the chamber as Giratina dug her claws in deeper, feeling the soft tissue shredding at her touch. She roared in delight as the Alpha’s claw fell on top of her, gripping her with all the strength he could muster. She spread her claws further even as her leg bones snapped from his pull. Her roar of delight became one of pain as the front half of her body remained rooted in his eye while he tried to be pull her away by her rear. With gritted teeth, she kept her grip until a loud pop rang out and she was flung back, her claws still rooted in her prize.
The Alpha’s screams reached such a terrible pitch that Giratina felt she might go deaf. She was thrown from him and landed on a pile of rubble; it collapsed under her weight, and she skidded into one of the many golden pillars in the room. She screamed the words of healing to herself and winced as she rose to her claws, her front legs squishing through the shredded remains of the Alpha’s eye. Giratina reared back and roared once again as the eye slipped from her claws and fell to the lava below.
You are nothing to me! she taunted. I have taken your eye. Now you will submit like the whelp you truly are!
The Alpha bellowed long and loud as his claw covered the wound, green blood seeping between his digits. He flailed his other leg around, trying to grab something—anything. He found the craggy wall and gripped it tightly as he turned to Giratina, his remaining eye blazing with rage.
“You dare take my eye and think me defeated?” he shouted back as he removed the claw from the still bleeding hole in his head. “You will pay a thousandfold for crippling me!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Alpha lunged. His speed was impressive, but Giratina jumped straight up and, flapping her wings furiously, managed to dodge the toothy maw of the Alpha once again. The instant his jaws snapped shut, Giratina dropped herself onto his snout and took a deep breath before unleashing a torrent of pink flames at his gaping eye socket. Another howl of pure pain erupted from the Alpha; he jerked his head back, claws closing over the open wound.
With one more triumphant roar, Giratina gave a mighty flap of her wings, summoning a gale of purple wind. The wall of putrid air collided with the Alpha, toppling him onto his back and into the lava with a thunderous splash. As his scaly belly disappeared beneath the molten rock, Giratina looked up to the crowd of other dragons screaming her name and chanting.
“Yun Jud! Yun Jud! Yun Jud!” they repeated in perfect unison.
A sense of exhilaration washed over Giratina as she roared back at them, listening to the horde cheer her name. Turning back to the lava, she saw the surface arch again before the back and crested head of the vanquished rose from the molten stone, a claw still covering his empty socket.
Begone, whelp! You have no place here any longer!
The former Alpha rose higher from the lava, a hateful gleam in his remaining eye. He drew his chops back into a snarl, but he stayed his free claw.
“No, Drakaina, this is not over. I may have lost, but mark my words. I will return, and when I do…”
He threw his head back and roared one last time at Giratina. Zu’u fen DU hi! came his dragon-voice, causing the rocks to tremble beneath Giratina’s claws.
Turning away from her, he pulled himself upright to grip the remaining pillars for support. The mass of dragons gathered as he rose up to face the platform, each snarling curses at him and some blowing smoke at his face.
“Fallen!” one shouted.
“Disgraced!” another chimed in.
“Exile!”
The fallen, disgraced exile roared at all of them, silencing their words as he spread his gigantic wings. With a mighty flap, he rose from the depths of the lava, revealing his gargantuan body. As the air below his wings swirled, he rose higher and higher, finally disappearing into the darkness above.
A thunderous blast rang out in the chamber, followed by boulders tumbling through the air. Each one matched the surrounding pillars for size, and the lava waves they made washed the walls clean of scorch marks, leaving them glowing with a faint orange light.
Looking up, Giratina saw a small dot of white light at the very center of the darkness and roared at it, raking her claws into the stone below. The blasted fool can’t understand when he has lost, she mused.
“Yun Jud! Yun Jud! Yun Jud!” the crowd of dragons chanted again.
Throwing her head back, Giratina let loose another column of flames into the air as the last boulder splashed into the lava. I am Giratina, Queen of this den! If anydragon disagrees, speak now so that I may gut you!
The dragons roared in response, but not one of them dared to challenge her. Their approval caused Giratina to smile, something she had not done in a long time.
Then fetch some food and feed your new Queen, fools!
As the dragons scrambled back and stumbled over each other, Giratina looked back up at the spot in the darkness and blinked. What was once one shining light was now four, each slowly swirling in the air down to her. Giratina sniffed the air and watched warily as the lights descended, revealing themselves to be glowing chunks of rocks more luminescent than any gemstone.
A sudden urge overtook her as Giratina spread her wings and flew out to the glowing rocks, gathering them before the lava claimed them forever. When she returned to her perch, she set the rocks down and looked at them closer. Each one glowed with an otherworldly aura and seemed to want to float in the air, reminding her of the orange stones from her old prison. Her first instinct was to destroy them, but a nagging thought stuck to her.
Why should I not keep these as trophies?
Giratina sat on a cache of golden coins while each of her new subjects dropped a small pile of gleaming gemstones at her feet, each smiling stupidly as they complimented her new crown of glowing stones, or sang praises of her monumental victory. Giratina snorted at the last one when she bit into an emerald, noting the sweet and minty taste of the gem. Stuffing the rest into her mouth, she chewed and looked at each dragon, observing the dumb grins they wore.
Begone from here, she said, biting into a diamond. Leave your new Jud to enjoy her meal and rest. Should anydragon dare wake me, they too will know the pain of losing an eye.
As one, the dragons all nodded and lumbered back to their alcoves, leaving a timid Garble standing in front of her. Giratina snorted again and glared at her puny charge while she crushed a sapphire in her jaws.
Whelp! I have a job for you.
“Y-yes?”
Go speak to the others while I sleep. I want to know who they are and why they earned ranks here in case I need to make use of them later.
Garble snapped a salute and shouted, “At once, My Queen!”
When he scampered off, Giratina bit into the pile of gems and chewed as much as she could before flying off to one of the remaining outcroppings. Settling herself behind one of the deformed pillars of gold, she closed her eyes and allowed the comfort of rest to overtake her.
Soon, my fiery-feathered foe. Soon.
It has been pointed out to me that to include a translator for Dragonspeak for those not familiar with the Elder Scrolls universe would be a considerate idea.
Have it here, if you want. 
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And this is still why Giratina is my favorite legendary.
....am i the only commenter on this story?
6179281
Guess I published at a bad time?
We're glad you like it, though. Next chapter it's my turn.
Nice chapter. I wonder if this means that the Alpha and Celestia will join forces against Giratina?
One suggestion, though: maybe you can put some translations of the dragon-tongue phrases for those of us who aren't Skyrim fans?
One more thing:
It should be "opened his maw"
6181693
Ta for that.
And about the Thuum, that reminds me: I meant to include a Thuum -> English dictionary in the author's note. Let me get on that now.
I do so love a good bit of speculation.
6181709
Sorry, but what does that mean?
6181717
Oh, "ta" is just Aussie slang for "Thank you." It's one of the first words we teach our children because it's so easy to say.
Oddly enough it can also be used in conjunction with a hand held out as if to say "please give that here." So in theory you could ask "ta," and respond to receiving the item with "ta."
We're a weird bunch of people.
6181779 I didn't know that you were an Aussie. Interesting tidbit. Thanks for the explanation (or should I have said "ta" there?
)
Well, that had to hurt!
6195451
I cringed.
6486481
XD Yeah, I'm seeing why. Great story by the way. Can't wait to see more!