Blink of an Eye chapter 2
The young dragon appeared before the Marauders where once stood the brash barbarian youth. Chaos ensues, what can TaL'Khan do and what happened to Toral?
"Dragon, monster, run!" some shouted as they tripped over each other trying to escape via the small cave's entrance.
Its shrieking roar pierced ones ears and shook you to the bone. The small red beast flailed about madly crashing a nearby stock pile of provisions into a small fire: filling the air with thick black plumes of smoke. The maraders escaped into the open only to rally themselves outside by gathing what weapons and armorments that were scattered about the encampment. They were caught off guard, nobody was sure where'd the youth went or how the dragon managed to sneak in upon them. Such a cunning and stealthy beast for something so large.
"Form a wall of shields, bring spear, pike and ready the bows" bellowed the Captian of the maraders.
"Smite is missing sir, the rest are accounted for." Reported one of the grunts.
"Poor Simon," said an older man with a braided beard, "Trampled and left for dead, he took one for the crew. I claim his things!"
"Shut it!" shouted the Captain, "We have other business to attend to. Dragon be rare, practically unheard of in these parts. Well make a small fortune harvesting its organs and scales."
Shrieks and howls came from the smoking cave. It was simon, being eaten alive no doubt.
Simon paralized by fear, quivered in a fetal position pretending to be dead. He'd heard that trick worked on bears: he hoped it worked on dragons too. The red lizard was about 6 ft tall standing atop him, snorting, most possibly furious at the intruders that must have invaded its nest. It had stopped roaring as it began to peer at him with keen intrest at the middle aged human before it taking several jabs at his ribs to measure his reaction. But simon wouldn't make a move or sound. The beast looked around the room, most likely assuming one of the others would return, but would they? Simon fought back tears he didn't want to die like this, dragon fodder.
The beast reached over grabbing a coconut piercing it with its claw, letting the milk run over Simons face, and mouth. Simon screamed having choked on the liquid exposing his possem stance. This seemed to wet the beasts appetitie as it became excited pinning him to the ground with the other clawed hand. "By the Gods be done with me," Simon pleaded in a squeeky voice. "Do not torment me farther by seasoning to taste!"
The Beast's mouth opened but a foriegn sound came froth. It was not a roar nor a shriek but one even as simple as simon could easily phantom as speech. The beast tried again, and the intonations changed. Simon quivered thinking it some vile encantation for who knows what neferious purpose and he prayed to the Sea God for the for whom he'd forsaken several weeks past. "Malkanis I beg you, preserve this unworthy fool!" He peeped.
At the name Malkanis, the dragon became still, tilted its head quizzically for a moment and seemed almost elated. "Do you understand me?" It said. Simon just staired unsure as to the happenings about him. Had he gone mad or was this the workings of malkanis? "Hello, friend are you hurt?" Asked the dragon.
His voice was shrill with a deep accent but Simon could understand and he nodded, it was all he could do really. "Praise Atta! When you said Malkanis it came to me that you must but a southern Islander of Parresh, no?" He nodded again. "Strange happenings here friend." He said in after thought tapping his finger on his chin, "how'd I get here?" Then as if remembering there was a human beneight him he gave a slight start helped the human chap to his feet dusting him off.
"My name's TaL'Khan EmbersFire, sorry for the dreadful mess I made." He said while gnawing at a claw. "Surely you can understand my disorientation, appearing before foriengers, the mutual shock and screaming. I'd tripped over those boxes causing that dreadful blaze." He said bounding over stomping it out. "Oh what havoc this smoke is causing my sinuses" he snorted. "Come let's get out of this stuffy cave and show your friends that all is well." Simon only nodded, he must have gone mad was all he kept telling himself.
The two walked out by the gental prodings of the Dragon where they were meet by the battle ready maraders. There was an aqward moment of silence which the dragon broke saying, "Ah Hail and er well met good fellows?"
They looked stunned for a moment and murmured among themselves. TaL'khan nodded apologetically several times, but then all hell broke loose again when Simon made a mad dash for his crew screaming his head off about dragons, magic and madness.
A volley of arrows insued, though only a few made they mark, it smarted something fierce and the dragon unaccustom to pain screamed letting a small sputter of fire out his mouth which he quickly closed with his hands. "Charge" was the collective shout as shield, spear, and pike raged towards him.
"There's been a misunderstanding!" TaL pleaded shaking hands in surrender, but his voice was drowned out. He knew going back to the cave was a death trap but the only way out and alive was forward. Long had his ancesterial dragons wings waned to two tiny batwing sized orniments on his back: his people having lost the power of flight ages ago. He had to charge though and hope for the best. He was terrified, but he didn't want to die. Not at the hands of these savages at least, not here. "Sorry" he screamed and lunged forward tripping on a rock he'd not noticed because he was so frightened. He barrel rolled into the wall of shields causing a domino effect. He used the good fortune to jump over and threw the tangle of spears and pikes that were not prepaired to pierce at the unexpected close range. TaL's eyes swelled with tears as many of them did prick and lance his flesh and one jabbing his thigh squarely as he pulled away, where he vanished into the brush. He ran till he could run no more, then he walked as far as his trobbing leg would let him terry taking great pains to hide his trail as best he could. TaL was misserable, tired, scared, injured,hungry and now wet. Evidently it was the mansoon season in the Souther Isles as a deligue of warm water fell heavily from the sky. TaL currled up as best he could under a large tree. He covered himself with what follage he could find nearby and then cried himself to sleep.