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| Firetongue's Quake | |
| By anna_svit-kona | ||||||
| 28 July 2006 | ||||||
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I love fantasy stories very much and always will which is why decided to give a try at some amatuer writing. This is my first work I have ever published so take it easy on me. Hope you enjoy. Evil may prevail, But love will never fail. Lightning crashed illuminating up a huge cave. The air smelled humid and hot, it smelled like animals had been left in the sun to rot and collect maggots. Rain began pelting down on the backs of the dragon hunters. Bright silver steel glinted deadly in the hunter's hands. The eyes of the hunters gleamed with both anticipation and fear. Thunder rolled angrily far away. The guide had no trouble seeing in the depths of night. His race had always been able to see through the darkness. He led the others to the lair of the dragon, the deep cave that now lay in front of them. They wanted to try to surprise the scaly beast. Many thought it was the only hope of bringing the creature to it's death. The thoughts that appeared in the mind of the Orc guide were simple; I've led them here, picked plenty of pockets to amount to twice of my pay. Now all I have to do is hide and if they live, get even more money. Hide...hide... The human rallier of the expedition had worked long on finding a good group of dragon hunters. The first two had been unsuccessful and the dragon had moved after each. He hoped this one would survive to kill the wicked creature that lived within. It had raided their hunting grounds and recently farms since it had moved into this area. He had seen it the other day flying by the village. It came more frequently that way now.. It was likely plotting to send death their way. All he could think of was blind rage towards this beast, that he was sure it would destroy them, all of them some day. He was going to send the evil creature to it's dark grave and the fiery land beyond. The elf named Varliss thought very differently though. He was the leader of the dragon hunters- whom had been named by the people, Dragon's Bane. The being knew as much as should ever be known about dragons by one who needed to defeat them. But he did his dirty work with his elvish conscience nagging at him. He admired creatures and being an elf was able to understand more than the human race could ever perceive from them. So he could feel the dragons in a way. Sympathy and anger flowed through him as he thought of some of the beautiful beasts he had slaughtered. But he was good at this job and more than once had he saved lives by killing the reptilian-like-animals. He was going to do the job fast with his group and the dragon would be killed and get what it deserved! He would get his money and look for another beast to slaughter. Why did he ever feel pity for dragons? They were creatures of lies and tricks, vicious and deadly. Then they stopped their forward moment. Ahead lay a choasmous cave. Deep down in the earth, far into the rocky entrance a mother dragon watched her three young. They were still small dragonlings and needed an intense eye. She had worried much over them the past few months while she was out hunting. Even though she knew better, that she shouldn't have, the mother had taken some animals off of the civilizer’s lands to be closer to her offspring. She had refined to flying over or near the village to get back to hers swiftly. The female was proud of her babies. They were all strong and healthy and each showed a bit of common-sense and good dragon traits. But she was conscious that if the hunters came while she was away all three would likely be killed. So she was nervous and uptight when she was away from them. As the thunder tolled above and lightning crashed she took time to examine her young as they ate a small plump calf. It was easy for them to sink their razor teeth into. The little red one caught her eyes most often. He was not so fierce as smart. She liked his mind. Dragons over the years were most famed for their cruel, wicked selves. Little did kind or merciful ones ever get mentioned. Dragons were often wise and powerful beasts. They towered far above a one to one combat with a being. Once it took more than seven hundred men to kill a mountainous one, nearly a thousand. So great were their sizes and cunning in battle. The red one knew how to get his way without bloodshed, that's what made him special. He would trick them that they should do something else and he would eat. He could fight if he needed to but he knew that it was not a likely way for him to win. He was not as strong as the black one. The little dragonling knew how to make himself look like a fierce dangerous display and would hiss at the others and sometimes frighten them off. Although it hadn't been working lately. They were sprouting up larger and he was slowly slinking a bit more. The mother had once been an unmerciful greedy dragon known as Emerald Fear. She had burned and pillaged dozens of villages and spared no souls. If one of the avengers from her marauding, which was not far in the past, found her again she would likely not get out as the battle as smoothly as before. She had moved her cave three times in the last five years, each after she had done battle for her life. What would it come to if she had her young to worry about when she was in combat? She would certainly have to forget her hoard of treasure if she was forced to move quickly again. She looked back to her offspring. The weakest was a handsome sky blue. She felt a glowing affection for the beautiful colored and shaped male. He was timid and his mother guessed would prefer an elusive life. He did not posses very great physical traits but more an average of them all. The last was a gargantuan black. He was far more fierce than the others. His teeth and claws were not just extraordinarily deadly sharp and strong at such an age but knew the right spots to wrack or maul. He could use his wings fairly well to help with his battles. She loved him, but he was not her favorite even though he had the true dragon traits. He was the legendry cruel, greedy dragon. The female had always called herself Gem after she had retired from her old days of wickedness. She was a radiant green color as a gem so what could fit better? The dragon mother had named the blue one Sky. The black one Coal Fire. The red one she fancied as Thorn. She sensed he was a good hearted dragon. Many dragons no longer heeded good. Then she lifted her head up. A noise had come from very near. Gem stiffened, her eyes searching about. She was certain something was in the cave. She listened and heard nothing. Neither could she smell a thing at all. She told her young to hide back, away in a corner. Only the red obeyed. The mother went to the far opening in which enemies would almost have to go to get her. She moved to the side and listened. No noises. No smell. She waited crouched and nervous. Aware as she could be of everything around her. It was at least two hours till she chanced looking out of the opening in the cave. Something wasn't right. Quietly she went just a bit further. She sensed something...it was just beyond her reach.Then it came to her like a bolt of lightning. But her senses had told her to seek cover just a split second to late... Varliss cast a spell of hidden fire for a bit of light. The guide was to lead them no further. The elf beckoned his warriors through the cave entrance, they would have to hurry as silently and quickly as possible. He could not hold the light forever hidden from the eyes of a dragon or he would drain too much of his magic. The cave room where the creature stayed was not as far in as the dragon slayer had dreaded. The tunnel had dipped into a sharp decline and stayed as so for awhile then came to the first room. They had been walking for fifteen minutes only. He signaled them to stop. He could hear the noise of a dragon. A dragon with young... He had an attack of pity, and hatred for himself. It had been getting worse. How could he bare to kill a dragon with young...? What was he doing in this business of wickedness! But he went on through it. Walking further, Varliss tripped over a rock abruptly. His light elvish body thudded lightly on the ground. He held his breath and knew that the dragon was coming to investigate. Quickly he jumped to his feet and motioned the rest to get into the far dark corner. They slipped into invisibility and waited for the right moment. But as the others thought of what was to come the elf leader slipped into his past, the one that gave birth to his hate of dragonkind. He was out with his parents. The world was bathed in sunlight. Not a cloud in the bright blue sky. Bees rumbled deafeningly around them. The smell of honey drifted from a nearby tree, sweet and enticing. Varliss was laughing and playing with his baby sister that he was carrying and his parents smiling and talking quietly. They were holding hands, happier than they had been in a long while. Everything was beautiful. Then the sun disappeared... His throat tightened as he thought of it. His blood beat twice as fast into and out of his heart. He bit the inside of his lip, then went back into his mind. The land was covered in what looked like millions of gems. Glimmering on the ground where the sunlight had been. He looked up. It was a shadow from some creature. Above, over the sun was a mighty dragon. It was roaring and spitting fire. It was maddened. His parents yelled something and they gripped him by the arm and ran. His sister was screaming and he felt like it himself. The dragon dipped low, bloody fangs sparkling. His father stopped and his mother yelled for Varliss to run on with his sister. Tears welded up in his eyes. His parents were making a last stand in hope he would live. He looked back to see his mother dead on the ground. Blood was all around her. His father was holding her hand crying full heartedly. Then he looked up at the dragon and willingly let himself be taken. Varliss had stopped there. How could he go on? He had seen his parents killed. Then the dragon caught his eyes. Cold, harsh yet fantastic gems stared straight at him. I haven't forgotten you child. Run...run while you can little fool! The dragon spit and bared his teeth. Blood...his father's and mother's dripped from them, mingled together. The young elf stared terrified. Horrified. Then he bolted. All he remembered later was that he had barely escaped and his little sister was hurt badly in the run. She had only lived a week longer. Even with special care from a healer. Varliss lived his life an orphan. Three years later when he was fifteen he had went off to plan his revenge of dragons. Varliss came back to the real world. It must have been about two hours since they had hid here. He had heard the dragon sniff deeply and the elf clenched his teeth. Then the dragon had stuck her head out. He waved at his spearmen to make ready and gave a look towards the sorcerors to do the same. She crept out further and he raised his hand with a vicious spear. Carefully he aimed then threw it. It whistle through the dead silence like a bomb. A rain of spears followed. A spear hit into her neck, slightly through the scales. Five more searched for a hole in the armor in her sides. A bolt of frosty magic wraked at her head. She heard a yelp from her young. The emerald dragon wielded her head around and saw Sky, a spear protruded out of his chest. She knew she had made a grave mistake and whirled her head back quickly, fire unloosed. But her fire made little difference, only two had been seared before the sorcerers at the back had blocked it. She knew her young one had died. She felt his presence no longer. Rage seared through her like a burning fire transforming her body to a tight ball of muscle and fury. She roared, it ripped through her throat coming out mighty and beautiful but full of pain and sorrow. Then she pounced upon her enemies, exhaling fire. The dragon had gone mad after the baby had been killed. Varliss knew that they should not have killed it. The little dragonling was so young...but he had no time to be thinking of this. The dragon had just flung herself at them. She would be easy to kill now...so mad she could not think. Her body rose then ascended crushing some. It broke the barriers and her fire killed others. He ordered the sorcerers to assault the creature from behind they quickly moved as far from the mad dragon as they could and still hit her powerful as they needed. Weapons were being thrust into the dragon's green scales. Distractions were made so she would not slaughter each person that hurt her. Varliss leapt onto her as she whirled around to meet the sorcerers. He climbed up her tail and was on her back just before she turned around to attack the other warriors poking her. She shielded herself with magic and charged a group. They were scattered for a split second then grouped up again. She had a dangerous wound in her side and one of the warriors had disabled her front leg. Varliss needed her to look towards him. He took a spear and gripping her back with only his legs and struck it into her wing. She roared and turned her head to him. Her jaws opened to make killing bite...The elf felt her pain. He raised his sword to strike her head. He felt her fury. He aimed for the unprotected patch of skin. She realized his trick too late... he sensed her distress. His sword plummeted into her body ....But most of all he had felt her love. The Emerald Fear was no longer. After a few minutes of utter horror Varliss tried to take command again. But he couldn't believe he what he had done. After feeling such love she had for her young. He was confused. He had never accepted before that dragons could love. He had refused to believe it. Now it was out in the open for conflict. He heard someone mention a dragon hoard and turned around to face the living. He would have to speak up now or never. He wanted to be alone to explore the cave. “You...worked well." He said it in a weary drone, " I need you all to start on taking the wounded back to the town. Let's get to the city and rest." So they departed. Unintentionally, yet he did it on purpose. He had planned it in the back of his mind unknowingly yet he was aware of it. He would come back soon and free whatever young she had there. He was not sure how exactly he was going to do it though. The guide had first had intentions of getting his proper pay from them if they came out alive. But he had an even better idea. He would go back into the cave and loot the treasures of the former keeper. So he was glad to put this plan in action when he saw them depart. He went along the cave quietly just in case they had left guards. None were posted. He made his way around the great dragon plucking a few scales and storing them in his pocket. Then he entered the first room. There are many valuables that can be found in a dragon's hoard, many things that could never have been imagined. Items from expensive gold and gems to powerful enchanted weapons or trinkets. There’s no end to the amount of what you might get from selling off just a few things. Dragons were powerful and they were attracted to power. But when the guide came to the first room he forgot about the hoard of legendry items. His eyes only saw the beautiful black scaled young dragon that spitted surprised at him. What riches he could get from such a creature if he could tame it! He could train it to work for him. He could own a dragon hoard. He slowly and calmly as he could went towards the snarling beast. He knew a bit of magic that would be perfect for this situation. He whispered to the dragon a few words. Then it stopped snarling and stood dead still, froze stiff. He was not about to mess with the vicious little devil. About a foot and a half tall the creature was not a thing to be taken lightly. Quickly he took out some thin but strong chain he had had on him from his work earlier and made a sort of halter with it. While the dragon was immobile of moving on its own he strapped the chain around it and put a sort of cruel bit in its' mouth. He released the dragon from the spell and guided the creature out of the cave, all the while explaining that he was saving him. "Don't struggle", he whispered, "We need be as quiet as we can or you will get killed by the hunters. Believe me. It was a horrible thing they did." Coal had not yet been taken up with words very much yet but he knew the meanings and could speak them slightly. He never told his brother it was safe to come out. Another male dragon was an opponent he did not want. He was getting a free way out of death and was taking it. Coal wasn't sure he liked the being all the same. Saving him or not he would not trust the orc fully. His mother had told them that beings such as those were often treacherous. But perhaps she had been wrong. After the loss of his mother any company was nice. After he was sure that the dragonling wouldn't take off on him he carefully took off the chains and put them back in his bag. "You'll grow to be a mighty dragon. I bet you could pillage a few towns when you get older. What do you think?" He suspected the dragon was a bit stupid and didn't even know they could talk telepathically or normal but sure enough words came from it's mind to his, cold and in thought, Yes. The words seemed to float around in the minds of the two plotting partners. The orc was surprised but smiled. Things would go much smoother with a smarter creature. Look out villagers, he thought grimly, because here we come. As fast as he could Varliss returned to the cave. With him he had brought some sort of muzzles and food as well. There were chains for the paws as well if the creature or creatures were extremely vicious. He had a feeling they wouldn't be though. He went down into the cave and respectfully walked past the great dragon. He looked sadly down at the beautiful sky blue one. It was...horrible. A spear thrust through a creature hardly over a foot tall at the shoulder...a dragon spear. The dragon spears were huge things that only the strong could fire, twice the size of any normal throwing one and ten times more deadly. He walked into the room beyond. The cave was huge. As he entered he felt another presence imeddiantly and heard a scuffle. He followed to where he had heard the nose and listened. But before he could reach out with his mind to the creature it contacted him. Why did you slaughter my mother and Sky?? ? His voice was filled with great sorrow and he seemed to not care what happened to him. My mother has committed sins of the past but she was no marauding thief any longer. My brother had nothing bad on his name. Take me as well. I shall go willingly! The elf gritted his teeth. Why was he doing this? Sky, that must be the dragonling they slew. I don't want you dead, dragon. I want you to live. Why do you repent now? What have you for me? The elf paused. Those were hard questions...but then he realized shocked, this dragon was just like him. His mother and brother killed by rage. Varliss had rage towards dragons because the dragon that killed his family had had rage towards beings, possibly because beings killed its family. The generations of this pointless bloodshed could go back centuries. Hate was a horrible thing. It was all ridiculous to him now. He was as filthy and wicked as that dragon...so many years ago. I was not right in slaying your mother...I was a fool. I will not ask for forgiveness for I deserve none. But now I have learned from my mistake and ask you, let me repent! Let us flee from the wicked past and start anew. He was crying now on his knees. He told him his life story. He told the dragon of his memories and what he had just thought of that made him realize this. The dragon came out, beautiful, delicate, scarlet body. Its eyes searched his...quietly the young dragon said, I will go with you Varliss. You truly have a good heart. I forgive your wicked deeds as my mother was never forgiven of hers. Quietly they went into the treasury and the young dragon grabbed a small necklace of sort. My mother gave this to me. She never told me if it could do anything. It's beautiful though. Then they went to her. Thorn sadly nuzzled her massive head. Then after a he said his last goodbyes they went silently up from the cave. Light poured forth from the rising sun. It was marvelous, millions of brilliant hues reaching out to great the world. The dragonling looked at the elf and smiled in a peculiar way. How can you forgive me so easily? Varliss sighed unable to completely understand it. Varliss, when I first saw you I would have never thought of forgiving you. But now I know something. You spoke of hatred back there. Hate, rage and greed, all pointless. But I realized that if we could all just drop all these things...replace them with gratitude, trust...and love...what a beautiful world it would be.
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