The Black Dragon
Imported from SF2 with no description.
As she and I sat looking at it in fear trembling, wondering as to its intent. It towered over us, in the black of night I couldn't recognise it. I tapped my friend on the shoulder but she had fainted. The creature just stared at us it's yellow-amber eyes glinting in reflected light from the torches that lit the paths outside nearby villages, when I tried to get up my legs refused to obey. Then reality sank in, a cold realisation spreading up my body and everything went blank.
“Daniel, Daniel wake up, Daniel" cried a voice, it was my father who had come looking for me when I didn't return home.
I gave a moan and rubbed the tender spot on the side of my skull, slowly memories of last night started to filter through the fogginess as I came to.
“It's.. it's alright, I'm okay" I replied, regaining my senses with a few blinks “I had the worst dream"
Recalling the vague images of creatures in the night for my worried father, he dismissed them as just a dream. He told me he had found me and my friend, Alyssa, at the side of the road near an oak tree a few leagues from our home.
“You had a cut across the side of your head, you must have tripped and fallen, imagined the whole thing" he stated, rather crassly, not having much time for my often wild imagination.
“Perhaps I did" I thought to myself, as we made our way home.
That night the moon was full and the sky was clear for the first time in a month, you could see every star clear and distinct. I wondered if the creature was out there; I decided to find out. Waiting until everyone was fast asleep, I took an old oil-lamp and one of the blunt swords that was mounted above the fireplace, it belonged to grandfather and had not seen action for many years since he had retired from the village protectorate. I left the house careful not to make a sound as I closed the door and set out along the winding trail that lead away from our home, passing the oak tree where I was found, I took the path through the 'old' forest that lead towards the mountains. It was hardly a forest anymore thinned for timber that built homes and heated fires all that remained were a few large trees that offered some shelter from the winter storms.
The cold night breeze brought chills to my spine like ice pressed against the skin. I ignored the nagging thought that 'it' was watching me and stopped to rest against one of the largest of the trees. An eerie melancholic tune reached my ears as the breeze gained some strength, the branches swaying and moaning in unison, played like instruments in the night air. I continued along the path for a while longer before reaching an impasse, to my right lay the entrance to a cave and to my left the rotted remains of an old wood-rope bridge that lead across a crevasse in the mountainside, at the bottom flowed a fast stream fed by the snow at the mountain peak. The breeze had ceased without my notice, with little choice I decided to explore the cave.
“Perhaps this is his home" I pondered, rather bravely as my mind flashed back to the fear I felt before.
I crept cautiously trying not to make a sound, if this was the home of something I did not wish to announce my presence, making my way in deeper. I suddenly got the distinct impression that I was being followed, I tried to ignore it but it was like a splinter in my mind, gnawing away at me. As I made my way along I saw a chance, a nook in the wall formed a hidey-hole; I hid and dimmed the lamp. Listening quietly I heard at first only my own heartbeat in my ears and then footsteps, they were not distinct but they didn't sound reptilian. I waited until they got closer and closer, ready to pounce, to surprise it, whatever it was. When it got near enough, I grabbed it and heard a surprisingly familiar voice.
“Get off of me" it protested
“Alyssa?" I queried
“Daniel!" came the answer
“Why did you follow me?" I interrogated, irritated and annoyed at the fright I had gotten earlier “Didn't you know that.. that thing could be here?"
“Yes" she retorted, indignant “I knew you would try and find it, I came to stop you, your father would be pissed if he knew" she added, matter-of-factly.
“Well, whether you like it or not, I'm going to find it and kill it, kill it dead" I stated, stubborn and resolute.
“Fine, but I'm coming with you" she said, equally stubborn and every bit my equal.
We both crept on ahead, hoping that our exchange had not alerted the creature to our presence, taking slower quieter steps. Something was strange though, it felt like something was breathing on us or watching us, an queer sensation to be sure. Stepping further the ground gave way beneath us, with screams we tumbled and fell into the void, slithering and sliding until we hit the bottom. I felt pain in my right leg amplified by my attempt to move, my sword knocked from my hand and I could not reach it. Looking over I saw Alyssa unconscious figuring she struck her head. I was filled with dread, my father would not know I was here and would not know where to find me and I wondered if Alyssa had left a note for her father. Looking up I realised there was no roof over our heads but an open space that would be illuminated by the moonlight if not for one thing, something large and alive.
Looking up at this creature as it descended upon us on a pair of ebony, bat-like wings, it's head was attached to a long neck, it's body had four limbs tipped with four claws, and finished with a long slender tail. It landed almost noiselessly beside us and looked straight at me, giving me a good sniff almost as if to ascertain if I was the same person it had met the night before. It was now that I realised it was not a dream I had yesterday, those events had really happened and the proof was standing over me. This time I was not frozen in fear but in awe, awe for a creature confined to legend and myth.
I tried to get up again, to get a better look but was reminded of the pain from bone-pierced flesh; I was not going anywhere, my leg was fractured from the fall. Sensing my pain, this creature backed away almost as if afraid to be the cause. I was humbled by this act, for it was something that could just as easily kill me.
This was no creature of the devil, this was a great black dragon.