DRAGON KIN

[dezdimona]

The adventurer followed the path further up into the mountains. If the information he had gotten from the towns folk were true, then he should comes across the dragon’s lair any time now.

 

He thought about the last dragon he had fought and killed and it made him smile. They were pitifully puny creatures and once they exhausted their breath weapons were easy to kill

.

His boots and jerkin were made of dragon hide and his shield also had hide inserts.

He hoped he would find much treasure. There were a couple of lovely’s back in that town that he wanted to get to know better and gold was the surest way to do that.

 

It was pure luck that he had come across that town, and even greater luck that he walked into that tavern. The barkeep had noticed his gear right away and commenced to talk about the two dragons that lived up in the mountains nearby as he brought him a mug of ale.

 

The barkeeper told of how the two dragons fought often and how the townspeople lived in fear of them. He spoke of the fact that the dragons never bothered the town nor the town’s livestock, which to him seemed very strange. As he drank his ale, other townsman entered and they too added to the story about the dragons. The part he found most interesting was that neither dragon had been seen for quite some time. They asked him about his hide boots and jerkin, and of course he embellished on how he had killed off the mighty dragons in the east and now was on the hunt here as well.

The townsmen were impressed and so they bought him jack after jack of the local brew. As he drank he vowed he would go up and see for himself about the dragons and if they were up there, he would bring back their heads.

 

On the morrow they gave him water and food to last him up and back and so he had started off.

 

He rounded an outcropping, found a place and sat down. He drank of the cool water and ate a bit of jerked beef. Not seen in a while he thought to himself that could again be luck on his side. With any chance the two dragons had probably killed each other in battle and all the riches would be his. He gazed down into the valley. This might not be a bad place to settle down he thought. The valley was big with a river and protected from the harsh winds. He watched the pampas grass swaying back and forth in the gentle breeze. The next closest towns were four days from here. Aye he mused, this may be home. With plenty of gold he could build an estate, get a wife and run the valley and the town. Ha, he thought now that’s not a bad idea at all.

 

He walked on for a few more hours; the sun now passed its zenith. Ahead he caught the gleam of something on the rocks. Running forward he came upon the bones of a dragon, not overly big, but big enough. This what the townspeople feared. Bah they were farmers and shopkeepers, afraid of their own shadows. Well he thought, looks like at least one of them is dead, and then he laughed. One to go he thought. He would have course have to think up a good tale to weave about his fight with this one. Ha, they would buy him food and drink all night long, and who knows, that little bar maid might even warm his bed too.

 

He trudged on for another hour when he heard the noise. It was faint but no mistaking the sound of a dragon. He loosed his sword in the scabbard and proceeded warily.

 

As he came around a boulder in the path he saw it, and then laughed. Twas a baby dragon, black as night and about four foot tall. He approached it and it blew out smoke and a foul smelling gas. He raised his shield and pulled the scarf he wore up over his mouth. Drawing his sword he ran forward coughing as the gas and stench assailed his lungs. The young dragon turned to flee and with a sword stroke, separated its head from the body. Well, one less and easy pickens too. He sheathed his weapon, drew a knife and then removed the skin from the body. This will make a fine pair of gloves and anew purse for his soon to be fortune. He picked up the head and stuffed it and the skin in his pack.

 

He advance slowly and soon came across the entrance to a cave, the stink of dragon was everywhere. Once again he drew his sword and entered the cave. He walked deeper into the cave, old bones and pieces of animal hides were everywhere. He moved ever so slow now as he could hear the rustling of scales on stone. He walked into a huge opening, like a vast inner world unto itself. Strange lichen emitted a green glow which cast an eerie look upon everything in the cavern. And then he saw movement and he advanced.

 

He approached a nest and stopped. Inside were four small red dragons, each about three feet high. They puffed smoke at him and scurried around unsure of what to do about the intruder. He smiled. What luck more heads.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash in the green glow, turning he approached it. He stopped dead in his tracks. More gold than he had ever imagined lay piled under the growing lichen like plants. He knelt and ran his hands thru it; coins, ore and jewelry ran thru his fingers. Not only would the valley and town be his, but the people as well. He would make himself a Baron, and rule them as he saw fit. The Gods had truly smiled upon him.

 

Yes, he was in luck, kill the little ones ,load up his pack and head down, periodic trips up here would keep him rich beyond his dreams.

 

He again drew his sword. Time for a little fun he thought and moved toward the nest. He barely had time to raise his shield as a wall of flame engulfed it. He fell to his knees and waited for the flames to subside, the wood on the back of the shield beginning to smoke.

 

He looked over the shield and his jaw dropped. There stood a creature unlike any he had ever seen.

 

Huge it was and fiery red, with a massive head and teeth like sabers. “So human, what would you do here?” He couldn’t believe his ears …it spoke to him! With a loud hiss it repeated itself.”Speak man, or I’ll fry you to ashes where you stand.”

 

“I, I,I” he stammered. “I came seeking to see if the tales were true” he spat the words out.

 

The huge creature moved towards him, and he unconsciously took a step back. This thing was huge beyond belief, as tall as many a tree and fierce looking.

 

“You lie” it bellowed. ”I found the carcass of moog’s little one. You come to kill and steal my shinnies”

“No,no” again he stammered.”It’s not what you think”

 

The huge creature raised itself to its full height and great wings unfolded off its back.

 

My God, he thought, this is a dragon, but not one like he’d ever seen in the east.

 

“Again you lie” The slit like eyes seemed to penetrate his very soul. “I was old when Atlantis rose from the sea. I watched as man grew and learned. My kind and the humans lived in peace and we shared our ancient knowledge with them. Our young let them ride upon their backs, spreading mankind across this floating orb. All was peace and harmony. Then my kind fell to warring amongst ourselves and our numbers dwindled. Then man soon followed suit and then they turned on us, hunting us down and killing us. We retreated as we were unable to unite and our in fighting proved to be a disaster to us. Those of us that were smart flew into the far lands where no man had set foot, each of us carving out a territory, and slowly our numbers increased, but still we fought and killed one another. Foolish we were and still are, and now man has once again come to kill our kind and to plunder our trinkets.

 

“Wait “uttered the adventurer.”Let me leave and I promise I’ll keep others from finding you”

Again his shield just barely made it up in time.

 

“You lie….after the fall of Atlantis your kind forgot, kindness and pity and lives only for to collect shiny things like us and to reap havoc on the weak of your own kind. You bring death and disease to all corners of this earth. Your kind has become barbarians like before Atlantis, but now you are cunning and the drive to kill has buried your emotions beyond retrieval.

 

The adventurer took a step forward, his shield blocking his sword arm as he laid his hand upon the hilt. As he began to draw his sword, the dragon reared up and the adventurer hesitated.

 

“I know what you think” the red giant screamed the words at him and he tried to block the sound which pained his ears.

 

“Die” and a blast of fire again engulfed him. The shield began to smolder and the heat became unbearable. He couldn’t breathe as the oxygen in the air around him was depleted. He screamed as his shield burned the flesh on his hand and then flames found his body as the shield turned to ash.

 

The smoldering body lay there. With chirps and whistles she summoned the four young to eat.

 

Then she heard the roar of Moog. She had found her slain young one .It would smell of human and her anger would be turned toward the town. Her retribution would be swift and final. Men, women, children and livestock would die.

 

And then it came to her. What if she helped Moog, what if they united as they once were centuries ago and destroyed every town, village and city they could find. She knew where the other elder dragons were. If they saw her and Moog at peace, then they too would forget the old conflict and then man would suffer. They would scour the earth removing every last vestige of man and then peace would return. She spoke again to her young and then with surprising speed was out the cave and launched herself into the air.

 

She caught up to Moog who thought that she meant to fight, but Kleffa gave her the olden symbol of truce and then conveyed her idea to Moog.

 

Moog contemplated what she had heard, and a wicked grin spread across her huge black head.

With a loud roaring that shook the skies and echoed off the mountains the two dragons dove on the town and the hapless victims in it!

[alex2avs]

Very nice Dezi :)

I liked it.

Will there be a next part ?

[dezdimona]

thank you.No.more to the story.

[jaosals42]

I would've like to have seen what would've happened to the town at least! It was very interesting! :thumbsup:

[dezdimona]

I would've like to have seen what would've happened to the town at least! It was very interesting! :thumbsup:

thank you...Imagination is a wonderful thing...is it not!

[Lady Azura]

Keep it up, veeery nice! :biggrin: :thumbsup:

[alex2avs]

thank you.No.more to the story.

 

 

Aww...too bad.

Anyway , it was great ! Waiting for more stories. :biggrin:

[dezdimona]

I'm working on part VI of my amazon story now

[AzirAphale001]

Very good. Reminds me of Reign of Fire.

[pedantic]

As always dezzi, I loved this story of yours ... thanks.

:thumbsup: