Dragon's Legacy: Revanche

[Blaze the Dragon]

This is a story that I've been writing for well over a year. It reached thirteen chapters, but now I'm revising those chapters before continuing any further. Anyway, this is the first chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. And a huge shout out to my friend, mentor and editor, Shade105. Any criticism/advice is welcomed and appreciated.

Relationships Bloom


The Throndarn Forest was a picturesque scene. So serene and soothing, one could not help but feel content within its boundaries. Such was its beauty and mystique, even the fae folk; the elves and other magical creatures came to regard it as perhaps the greatest place anyone could be. A lithe, colorful figure made its way through the trees. The scourge of mankind as many regarded the species: dragons.

The ice blue scales of the dragoness glimmered in the golden rays of the sun. The sapphire blue membranes of her wings billowed as a gentle wind swept through the forest. Her radiant cerulean blue eyes closed as she enjoyed the feeling of the zephyr's gentle caress. The azure spines down her back, and her smoothly curved midnight blue horns gave her a semblance of majesty; the different shades of blue her body was composed of complimenting each other perfectly.

Sometimes, I feel I could just forget about all of the worries we're going through, while in this forest. Not a single dragon has survived this accursed war with the humans, the graceful dragoness thought. Her powerful muscles rippled with each step she took. As her lustrous blue eyes opened, there was a gleam of tristesse within them; the fate of this proud race in question within her mind. In the labyrinth that was her mind, images too ghastly to describe flooded through, sending chills down her spine.

Then, a single image burned into her mind, a lone figure. The one responsible for her disconcerting thoughts. Raugasin... or as we all refer to him, le fléau des dragons, she thought. Venomous ideas concerning what she would do to this man raged in her mind like the very fires of Hell.

Her reverie was shattered however, by the din of clashing steel off in the distance. The sound seemed to echo within the forest; the conflict obviously taking place in the depths of the heavily wooded area.

Common sense normally would have told her not to go off in the direction the sound was coming from. Blades striking each other betrayed the presence of knights; most likely in the middle of a sparring session. But there was always the chance one of them possessed a sacred blade; one of the few weapons that could slay a dragon outright in a single blow. They were few and far between; but with Raugasin's presence and that accursed ebony-bladed zweihänder he hefted with but a single hand, Schwarz, anything was possible.

Curiosity took the high-ground in her mind, and as such she found herself drifting towards the cacophony in the stagnant forest. All sense of rational thought she still possessed was screaming at her to cease and desist, yet she found herself throwing caution to the wind.

At the source of these jarring sounds, two knights were to be found. Their silver blades flashed and whirled through the air as the weapons struck each other. The two figures ducked, evaded and spun to avoid the foe's sword.

One of them stood at five feet and nine inches, a sharp contrast to the other who stood about five or six inches shorter. Long, straight locks of gold flowed to his upper-back. Deep, royal blue eyes peered out from his face, gleaming in determination. Emblazoned upon his steel chest plate was a golden dragon. Clasped in his right hand was a long sword, its blade slender, yet firm. Upon its jeweled hilt was an inscription, "I am the sword Durendal, which Trojan Hector wore." His steel armor had parts of gold upon it; specifically the pauldrons, greaves and gauntlets. A scarlet cloak hung from his neck, billowing with his movements.

The other had piercing green eyes, and tresses of a rich chocolate hue. His armor wasn't as elaborate as his dueling partner's; due in part that he was not of noble blood. The visage of a black lion was upon his chest plate, an emerald cloak at his back.

"You hold your blade too loosely Michael," the fair-haired knight spoke. To prove his point he struck out against the blade, wrenching it from his opponent's grip from the impact. A sharp backhand blow to the russet-haired man's face floored him. In a fluid motion, the tip of the blade was at Michael's throat. "Were I a knight of another lord, or king, you would be dead."

Michael slowly closed his eyes, effectively cutting off his gaze from the victorious knight, beaming. "You always were a talented swordsman Daniel. They say that each defeat imparts wisdom. I guess all these bruises you've given me are going to be worth it."

The taller knight gripped his vanquished friend's hand and pulled him to his feet, a broad grin on his face. "Hopefully so; Lord Raugasin doesn't take well to knights who don't learn from their mistakes."

A grimace graced itself upon Michael's visage as images of their liege lord's wrath flashed through his mind. "You have first-hand experience with that, after all. He's had you whipped countless times because you refuse to end a dragon's life when you have defeated it."

Just as Daniel nodded, pain shot through his back. Sharp, agonizing pain. He fell to his knees, his metal-encased hands resting upon the earth of the glade. His breathing came out in short, ragged and pained gasps for air. His eyes rolled back as his teeth clenched together. He would not groan in pain, he would not tear. He wouldn't give Raugasin the satisfaction of knowing that he'd been broken during the flogging sessions, and he certainly wasn't going to now.

"Dear God, that's the fifth attack today! Are you alright Daniel?" Michael inquired, his voice permeated with concern.

"Do I look alright to you!?" the downed knight snapped, a sharp edge to his voice. His blue eyes began to focus on the knight now towering over him, an icy glare materializing on his visage. The man attempted to bring himself to his feet; his arms would act as supports for his weight and that of the armor as he would stand. 'Twas in vain however, as he could only lift himself a few inches from the ground before he fell once more to the earth below.

The dragoness, with her keen eyesight, had seen the duel between the two as she lurked in the canvas of shadows within the forest. Their skill was impressive, even by knights' standards. In particular, the man with hair like rays of sunlight seemed very formidable.

A gasp of shock escaped her when the scarlet-mantled knight fell to his knees. Despite the fact that there was no scream to betray the pain wracking his body, the dragoness could sense the agony tearing at his form. It appeared to her that the source of the pain was his back.

They're busy at this moment. While they're more concerned with that affliction, they won't have much time to react. If Raugasin loses two of his knights, that would certainly be a severe blow towards him, she mused.

With a casual gait she stepped out into the open, her cerulean blue eyes gleaming with malice. The two didn't even seem to notice her. She was going to change that. "Well what do we have here, two of Raugasin's knights?"

Michael's gaze snapped upward, his lustrous emerald eyes falling upon the lithe form of the dragoness. An expression of pure terror darkened his visage. She could tear them apart with nary a thought. Those claws, they were sharper than daggers. Those powerful jaws could crush a knight clad in armor easily, as if he were nothing but a piece of talc.

As the chocolate-haired man shuddered where he stood, he extended his right hand towards Daniel."Take my hand. We have to run, now!" His gaze turned to the blond knight, watching as his friend regained his footing. "There's no way we can take on a dragoness, especially with the condition you're in."

The fair-haired man gave an exasperated sigh, looking at Michael beside him. "You still don't get what being a knight is about, do you? A knight never flees his foe. It would bring dishonor to both our names and Lord Raugasin's. Run if you wish, but I will stand my ground."

"Oh come on, don't make the same mistake Roland did at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass! His hubris cost him his own life, as well as the lives of everyone in Charlemagne's rear guard," Michael retorted, his voice as sharp as his liege lord's blade. His bright green eyes locked onto the dragoness menacing them. "Facing a dragoness in the condition you're in now would be foolhardy."

"You're still so naïve Michael. Even if Roland did blow Olifant before the battle began, Charlemagne's forces wouldn't arrive in time. The rear guard would still be slain," the blond knight countered. His royal blue eyes, instead of falling upon the dragoness, peered at Michael instead. "Besides, Roland was never slain; he died because he blew too hard into Olifant and burst his temples.

"And really, even a dragon would fall against a force of four-hundred-thousand soldiers, be they Saracens or Christians. And she can fly, which means she could just fly after us and slay us as we fled," Daniel concluded.

The dragoness let out a gale of laughter, amused by their argument over something so trivial. The taller knight was correct, however. She could easily strike them down if they did attempt to flee. His valor was to be commended, she supposed.

"Well, if you two ladies are finished squabbling, shall we get started?" she mocked. The looks of incredulity that spread themselves upon the visages of the two knights lightened her mood greatly. This just might be enjoyable after all.

The casual insult struck a nerve within Michael. His rage reached its boiling point. His teeth clenched together as his grip on the sword in his hand tightened. His greaves struck the ground; the sound of shifting steel ringing out with each step he took as he charged the massive beast.

Daniel looked out at Michael in disbelief. "You idiot! You never charge a foe; that's reckless!" He averted his gaze; he couldn't bear to witness the fate of his brother-in-arms. Their liege lord warned them many times: emotions have no place in battle. A clear mind is more likely to aid in combat than emotions that were left to grow stronger.

It seemed, to Daniel, that while Michael cautioned him about avoiding the behavioral patterns of Roland; particularly reckless courage, the ebony-maned knight had succumbed to the very trait he cautioned against. How unlike Olivier, Roland's brother-in-law and brother-in-arms. Olivier placed wisdom and clarity of mind in battle over needless death and bloodshed. That clear-headed approach had served Olivier well up until his death at the hands of the Saracen Marganice. His killer did not go unpunished, however. With a single mighty blow from Hauteclaire, Olivier split the heathen's head open.

Durendal and Hauteclaire... wielded by two brothers-in-arms in the past. And now, the former was in Daniel's possession. Oh, how Roland would weep at this moment if he was alive. A man who seemed so much like his best friend and brother-in-law was about to throw his life away in blind rage.

The dragoness observed as Michael recklessly rushed her. A chuckle escaped her maw; this knight had a death wish, it seemed. Courage and recklessness were two different concepts, with a fine line between them. This knight was foolish and had clearly crossed that hairsbreadth division. I suppose I can give him a quick, painless death. Or I could let him go. I see no harm in such a thing. He is actually noble of mind.

Though he won't leave here unscathed, the dragoness of multiple azure hues mused. Her thoughts were broken as her attention snapped to the cold steel blade that was sailing towards her neck. With a mighty flap of her leathery wings, a gale was whipped up. The fierce winds buffeted Michael, halting his assault upon the powerful creature.

The knight stood where he was, thrown off-balance by the sheer strength of the currents of air the dragoness had caused. "You coward, stand and fight! Show me what you've got."

The two combatants went at each other once again, the man ducking and weaving from the swipes of the dragoness' claws. The silver blade of the sword held tight in his hand, Michael rained a flurry of slashes and thrusts upon his foe.

The dragon thanked the Heavens for the nearly impervious scales upon her hide as they rebuffed almost every strike the knight landed. Only a few of them caused wounds, though they were superficial. She noticed, almost immediately, that his movements had become sluggish and his guard had been lowered. The previous duel he had was finally taking its toll. Now was her chance.

She struck like lightning. The claw of her left foreleg whipped out at the fatigued knight. Before he could retaliate, his blade had fallen to the ground as he was caught in her iron grip. She easily lifted him to her face; the armor only causing a slight increase in the amount of effort she needed to use. "Well, I do believe this is checkmate.

"A valiant effort, I must say," the dragoness remarked. A dark look fell upon her visage as she gazed at the knight at her mercy. "Valor won't save you, however. I suppose I could simply devour you and be done with it. But, I have other things in mind."

The knight in her grip struggled; desperate to escape what he believed to be a gruesome fate. "What... would those plans be?" His gaze turned to his friend on the ground. His face remained still as he observed Daniel creeping his way closer to his captor; if he made any sort of smile, the knight who still had some sort of chance would be discovered... and most likely slain by the dragoness.

"I could always crush you to death, slowly. Or I could cut you to ribbons with my claws. I could even strangle you, and watch as your life slowly ebbs away as you run out of air," the dragoness deadpanned.

A flash of steel stroke through the air as the blade caught the sun's light. An earsplitting roar of pain sounded out. Blood spattered the soil of the glade.

Daniel stood at the dragoness' right flank, his knees bent as Durendal's blade hovered ever so slightly over the grass, crimson droplets falling from the tip. A large, deep wound stretched across the ice blue dragoness' side, rivers of her blood trickling down and staining her brightly hued scales.

Another cry of pain pierced the air; this time from a man. A sickening crack was heard by the man on the ground, instantly drawing his gaze upward. His royal blue eyes widened in shock; the dragoness' claw had reflexively tensed after his strike, crushing the brown-haired knight. "No, Michael!"

A vicious snarl sounded from the dragoness as her feral eyes came upon the man who struck her. She then unceremoniously dropped Michael from her clutches, his broken body falling to the earth below; his eyes watering with pain.

Michael was still alive, but barely. His chest rose and fell slowly as he gasped for air. Miraculously, none of his internal organs were severely damaged; his skull and vertebrae being the only bones, by some strange force, that remained intact.

The beast stared at the blond man, daggers in her eyes. "You. You wield a blessed blade." The cerulean blue orbs narrowed in fury as the knight smiled smugly. "Then you will die, as all knights with a sacred sword must."

The knight braced himself. His weight shifted, with both hands gripping his weapon fast. His breathing was labored, his bout of pain earlier afflicting his body even now. "Bold words. But just words. I, however, will put words into action. I normally don't kill a dragon... but I will make an exception.

"You harmed my brother-in-arms. For that, your life shall be forfeit!" Daniel raged.

With haste he made for the towering figure, a bellicose cry issuing forth from his mouth as he charged. Durendal clove through the air towards the dragoness.

She merely dodged, however, taking to the skies above. With a toss of her head back, she prepared a devastating assault. Her eyes rolled downward to peer at the knight, now frozen in fear. The sight amused her. "What's the matter? Was it all just show? How sad; bravado will only get you killed." Her head snapped forward, her mouth wide open. Shards of ice shot from her gaping maw, traveling through the air at deadly velocity.

Daniel swiftly looked about him, searching for something that could protect him from the barrage of frigid projectiles. His eyes saw the edge of the forest. The trees. They should be able to protect me, for now at least. He sprinted off towards the forest, desperation clutching at his heart.

The ice shards began to lodge themselves in the ground around him as he ran. He ducked and weaved, pushing his agility to its limits. He needed to be fleet-of-feet, it was the only way he could survive this. Granted the armor he wore slowed him down; he could most certainly go faster than this if he was in his tunic, as opposed to the heavy steel that he was currently encased in.

The man finally found sanctuary behind one of the trees, a few of the ice shards stuck in the rings of metal that made up the chain mail underneath his armor. Small trickles of blood seeped through the metal; the rings having been broken by the ice, and the ends of the rings as well as the points of the shards breaking his skin. His chest heaved as he gasped for breath. The short respite was a welcome period of time for the knight.

The calm would not last, however. Almost as soon as it began, it was broken as shards of ice struck the tree he was standing behind. Luckily most of them didn't completely pierce the trunk of the tree, though one particular fragment managed to make it through. It nearly impaled his head, missing by just a few centimeters. The near miss caused a panicked expression to form on Daniel's face.

"Come on, didn't you say that a knight never flees his foe?" the dragoness stated. Her eyes were locked on the tree the knight was cowering behind, gleaming coldly. "You supposedly defeated dragons in the past? Don't make me laugh. The very idea is absurd!"

Daniel immediately stepped out from the safety of tree he had taken, rage burning fiercely within him. "You dare to call me a coward? Look where you are! You're in the safety of the skies while I am tied to the ground." His grip on the sacred blade tightened as his eyes narrowed in fury. "If you're more courageous than I am, as you say you are, then prove it!"

"Fine then, I accept your challenge," the creature in the sky answered. With a swift motion she dove straight for the ground, her eyes focused solely on the blond knight. Her body eventually straightened itself as she drew closer to the ground. Her wings flapped in place, causing her to hover gently above the ground. The speed at which the wings beat through the air gradually decreased, bringing her slowly to the ground.

As she lit upon the ground, she lashed her tail out at the man, the wickedly curved blade-like appendage on the end of her tail scratching the side of his face. The nick wasn't deep, though it did draw blood.

The man flinched slightly at the contact of the blade at the end of his foe's tail. It's as sharp as steel! He drew back slightly, in an attempt to get his bearings on the situation. Content, he struck out with Durendal, intent on striking her in retaliation.

The steel of the blade struck true; a new gash was formed diagonally down her right foreleg. A snarl issued forth from her mouth. Pain shot up her leg as she looked down upon Daniel, furious. "Not bad... but it's time we end this."

The two clashed once more, the steel blade of Durendal meeting the blade that extended from the dragoness' tail. The natural blade that belonged to the dragoness was unusually durable, as strong as her scales. Yet somehow it wasn't damaged by the blessed blade's strokes.

Finally, the slashes through the air on both sides ceased: the two blades were caught against each other. Each of the combatants was pressing against the other, attempting to take control of the present situation. The knight was placing all of his strength behind his blade. Yet the dragoness... she was only using a fraction of her strength.

"With this... it ends," the ice blue creature remarked. She began to apply more force behind her tail blade. It was only a matter of seconds, she knew, before she would overcome the knight.

Daniel's legs buckled under the added pressure from the dragoness. I'm finished. No human could hope to match a dragon in terms of physical strength. The force he was placing behind his blade began to fade.

The sword was then forced out of his grip. It spun backwards through the air, arcing towards his right arm.

A howl of agony rang out. Metal was torn asunder. Blood spurted from flesh.

The dragoness smirked; her victory was assured. The way the man was bellowing in pain, the blade had surely done more than just broken skin. It cut through tendons in his arm and broke the bone of his upper arm. There's no way he would be able to lift that sword in his stronger arm. This battle was over.

Daniel clutched the wound with his left hand, his teeth clenched together. He turned his head back to see that Durendal had stuck itself into the ground behind him. "Very well. You've won. End my life, now. You surely intended to when you revealed yourself."

The graceful creature strode over to him, her eyes gleaming mercilessly. She opened her mouth, as if to devour him. "You know, before I decide to do anything... I'd like to know something. Why do you spare the dragons you defeat? Sheathe your blade. I will not harm you, unless I find reason to."

The man acquiesced; it would be better to do as she says and perhaps stay alive, than to resist and most certainly forfeit his own life. He stepped cautiously to Durendal, wincing as his arm throbbed with pain. He removed his left hand from his right upper arm, which still seeped crimson tears. As he gripped the hilt of the sacred sword, he started to pull.

It took several tugs, much to the observing dragoness' amusement, before the blade was wrenched from where it had once been stuck with in the earth. She watched wordlessly as the gleaming silver of the blade flashed in the light, before vanishing within the black leather sheath that had been made for the man upon his knighthood; which took place three years before the normal coming of age. He had been commended and knighted for his valor on a battlefield as a squire, when his knight was slain. He had led the cavalry and routed the enemy forces.

"Now I will answer your question. I follow chivalry in all of its concepts; duties to countrymen and fellow Christians, duties to God, and duties to women. The first stresses valor, courage, mercy, the protection of the weak and the protection of the poor. I show mercy to defeated foes, be they Christian or dragon," Daniel began to say. His royal blue eyes peered once again at the dragoness. "The second, duties to God, states that a knight must be faithful to God, protect the innocent, be faithful to the church as well as the champion of good against evil, to be generous, and to obey Him above any liege lord or king.

"I follow his laws, the Ten Commandments. Particularly the sixth: 'Thou shalt not murder.' Any who is defenseless, to slay one who is unable to defend themselves would be considered murder. And the third, duties to women, is rather obvious. The only dragons I faced were dragonesses. I take that third section to mean females in general, not just a human woman. And I don't believe in absolutes; not all creatures of a species are evil. Saying that all dragons are evil is like saying all humans are evil," he finished.

The dragoness didn't know what to say in response. This man took chivalry to a rather extreme level. Certainly one that the church wouldn't approve of. He was clearly unyielding in his convictions, and unbiased in how he treated others, friend or foe.

She then considered the fact that his liege lord was the very man who had already slain nineteen dragons singlehandedly. Yet the two still seemed so different, polar opposites one could say. There was that conversation between the knight and his friend who, now that she thought of him, still lay where she had dropped him, critically wounded. They had said that this knight standing before her now, clutching his wounded arm, expecting an answer from her, had been whipped many times by Raugasin.

"One more question, if you will allow it," she remarked. His wordless nod registered itself in her eyes. "Your liege lord is Raugasin, or as my kind has referred to him, le fléau des dragons-"

"The scourge of dragons. I believe that's what you said, in French, if I'm not mistaken," Daniel interjected.

The slight interruption wasn't unwelcome on the dragoness' part. At least he isn't a blithering idiot like most knights. Her lips curved upward in a smile.

"As I was saying, he has already slain nineteen dragons, both male and female. Some of them being close friends of mine, and one in particular-" she began to say. She left off as the unpleasant memory returned. She could still see that gruesome display in her mind's eye: an emerald green dragon's head; that of her beloved and soon-to-be-mate, severed from the rest of his body.

"You are most unlike him. I must ask, why do you serve him? Do you respect him? Admire him?" she queried.

The knight shook his head, an amused smile upon his visage. "No. In fact, I downright hate him, for personal reasons I would rather not divulge. I merely serve him because I must; no other lord would accept me as a knight in his service."

So, he hates his liege lord. He could be a valuable ally against Raugasin, the dragoness mused. Her head lifted upwards, her cerulean eyes gazing intently at Daniel. Her tail swished back and forth behind her, slightly anxious as she could see five figures approaching in the distance. They were still quite a distance away, but she had to make this fast. One of the figures... was Raugasin; she'd recognize the ebony armor he wore anywhere.

"I'm going to make this brief. If you want to break all ties with 'Lord Raugasin' and fight against him, tell me immediately. I will get you away from him," she remarked. Her tone had shifted; it now sounded nervous. Rightfully so, considering Raugasin has already slain several dragons, and she was admittedly tired from the brief bout she just engaged this young knight in. "You said you hated him for reasons known only to you, and obviously to him. Those reasons have brought a desire for vengeance, yes?"

Daniel nodded, though he wasn't sure why she had to know right this very moment. It all became clear to him as the sound of greaves stepping upon the grass behind him rang out. He whirled about in place, his left hand still clasped over the fresh wound on his right arm. Walking over to them was the dread lord himself.

The man whose name has been uttered by dragons in fear and contempt stood tall, taller than Daniel, at approximately six feet and two inches. Silky ebony hair fell just a bit past his ears. His tresses had an unusual coloration. At the fringes of each lock of hair, it was a rich shade of navy blue. As one's eyes drifted towards the center of the man's head, it could be seen that the navy blue melded evenly into that deep midnight shade that dominated the color of his hair.

That naturally two-toned hair fell over the left side of his face, covering where the eye would be located. His locks fell that way naturally, though they did serve a purpose. The eye that wasn't hidden behind the raven tresses was a burning scarlet color. A scar ran down his left cheek, a long gash from a battle against a dragon, the last male who hadn't hidden from the knights, only two years previously.

"Daniel, are you alright? Get away from that beast, now!" the older man snapped, concern permeating his voice. His stance shifted slightly upon seeing that his knight's arm was being clasped tightly. "Where is Michael?"

The younger man motioned with his head in the direction of Michael's body. As the eyes of his liege lord drifted towards the barely moving form of Michael, Daniel noticed pity within them.

"Is he..." Raugasin questioned, fearful for his other knight's safety.

"No, he's still alive. But barely," Daniel calmly answered. His royal blue eyes closed as he thought of his best friend's state of being. Unless their liege lord had come here with a cleric, Michael would die of his wounds within the hour.

The dragoness lowered her head towards the blond knight before her. "It's time. I'm going to take you away from the man you so despise," she whispered. The thought of what method she would use wasn't particularly a pleasant one. In fact, she'd probably regret this later when he gave her the cold shoulder for quite a while. But it's the only feasible thing she could think of at the moment.

"And you're proposing?" the young man whispered in response, his back still turned to her.

The dragoness' long, prehensile tongue slipped out between her pursed lips. It slowly snaked its way to Daniel's form before her, inch by inch, so as not to alert Raugasin too soon. She never took her eyes off of the menacing form of the lord who had slain so many of her race. Finally, her tongue reached the blond knight, coiling itself around his waist quickly.

Daniel immediately looked down to see the foreign object wrapped around his waist. He looked about himself in panic. "What the!?" His head turned back to look at the dragoness who had caught him in a snare, panic in his eyes.

The outburst did not go unheard by Raugasin. His head turned back towards Daniel and the dragoness, wondering what the commotion was about. A gust of wind blew through the clearing, the raven locks floating in the breeze's wake.

Much to the horror and disgust of the fair-haired knight and the dragoness, when Raugasin's tresses that concealed the upper left side of his face lifted away, there was no eye there. Only flesh that had covered the empty socket. What... what happened to Lord Raugasin's left eye? the young knight thought.

Raugasin's left hand reached behind him, gripping the polished silver hilt of the zweihänder on his back. "Release him now, or you'll join the rest of your kind in Hell that much sooner." With a rapid motion of his arm, he drew Schwarz from the sheath on his back that it rested in. The ebony blade caught the light of the sun overhead, the lethal edges glinting brightly.

The dragoness' eyes widened in fear; that accursed blade was stained with the blood of several dragons. And now, that five-foot long blade was drawn, with herself as the intended victim. She could feel some sort of energy about that blade, draconic in nature. Her thoughts then turned to the knight that was ensnared within her tongue. She had to go through with the plan she had formulated. He just may be essential to the process of restoring the dragon race, in some way or another.

Daniel felt a sudden lurch; a tug. He felt his feet lifted from the ground as his weight shifted backwards. His body aligned itself parallel to the ground as the tongue rapidly retracted. His vivid blue eyes were filled with horror; the dragoness' maw was now wide open, and he was being pulled in!

A cry of terror escaped him as he was finally pulled past the row of sharp fangs and into the maw of the beast. The jaws of the dragoness snapped shut around him, enveloping the golden-maned knight in a shroud of darkness. The interior of her maw reeked with the scent of blood, venison and flesh. Oh wonderful... I've been betrayed. I can't believe I didn't see this coming!

The cerulean eyes of the dragoness locked onto Raugasin, making note of the fact that his face had contorted with fury. Amusement flickered within those large orbs; to her, it was ironic. Raugasin whipped Daniel constantly, from what she'd heard from the conversation between the latter and his barely alive friend. Yet now, he seemed to have some soft spot for the knight who was about to become her 'meal'.

She tilted her head back; the swallowing motion for dragons. Her plan was coming to fruition as she kept the knight within her maw wrapped within her tongue. Her idea: to fool Raugasin into thinking she'd swallowed his knight whole, when in fact he was still safe within her mouth, protected by the tongue.

Raugasin's eyes narrowed in rage. His grip on Schwarz's hilt tightened, the metal of the gauntlet shifting as the joints in his left hand were displaced. He stepped back with his left leg, entering a wide stance; his right leg and foot in front as his right side faced the dragoness. The black greaves dug into the grass beneath him. In a slow motion, he lifted the ebony-bladed zweihänder. His right arm crossed over his chest, and his right hand gripped Schwarz's hilt, placed behind his left hand.

The midnight blade jutted straight out in the dragoness' direction, its honed cutting edge perpendicular to the ground. "You can't digest him if you have no brain to start the process!" With a shift of his weight, his left foot went forward, commencing his charge. As he ran, the way he held the zweihänder's hilt with his right hand shifted from an overhand grip to an underhanded one, to allow for slashes as opposed to thrusts.

A black blur arced horizontally through the air as the ebony metal-encased man neared the dragoness. Raugasin's intended target: the dragoness' neck. If I can remove her head, Daniel should be safe. He'll be able to climb out, since her throat won't be able to push him down.

A flash of azure stroked through the air. The wickedly curved blade on the dragoness' tail blocked Schwarz's blow that surely would have removed her head from her neck.. The dragoness and lord had their respective weapons pressed against each other. The two applied even amounts of force against the other.

Think Frost, think! There has to be some way to get away from this man, the dragoness thought. She turned her head to look behind her. There, in her field of vision, was a large, beautiful elm tree. Perfect. Elm trees are incredibly resistant to splitting. I think I know what to do. But it all depends on whether or not Raugasin will apply more force. If he does, he'll fall right into my trap.

The man clad in black armor held fast. Determination burned fiercely within his scarlet eyes; he wasn't going to abandon his knight. Even if the young man had not followed his direct orders, one does not abandon another who they swore to protect. That sacred vow was mutual between the two. "This is the endgame, my dear." As the end of his utterance came out, he subconsciously added more strength behind his blessed blade.

The fool... Frost mused. In a rapid motion she immediately bolted off to the side, breaking the conflict. Her tail withdrew from the struggle after her body as she continued to run. To take flight she needed a running start, due to the extra weight within her mouth. It's not that the man himself was heavy; it was the armor.

The momentum Raugasin had placed behind his strike now worked against him. He continued through, unable to stop his attack in time as the dragoness fled. "Cowardly beast!" he exclaimed. The ebony blade of Schwarz lodged itself within the elm tree that had once been behind the creature he attempted to slay.

The dragoness lifted herself into the skies above, the azure membranes of her leathery wings catching the wind below her. Her powerful wings flapped, propelling her through the bright blue sky. The rhythm of her beating wings was kept to a smooth pattern, so as not to startle the knight still within her maw.

Raugasin's eyes followed the dragoness as she flew off, rage boiling within him. "Damn you, you wretched creature! I'll hunt you down. I will slay you, and watch as the light leaves your eyes!" The man began to pull on the silver hilt of his zweihänder.

He heard soft footsteps behind him. One of the men who had accompanied him, with hair as gray as stone and eyes to match, stood there with his head bowed. "Lord Raugasin... I'm sorry about what happened. Will you pursue her?"

"No. By the time I find her, it'll be too late to save Daniel. He'll have been digested by then," the ebony clad warrior answered. His head turned back to the man behind him as he wrenched Schwarz from the elm tree. "Alistair, tend to Michael's wounds. When he's fully healed, I have something to give him." With that he gave one last look at Michael, and walked off.


The dragoness, after half an hour, lit upon the ground in front of her cliff-top cave that was her abode. Finally, we're safe. She then remembered her 'victim' who was still in her maw. Well, I'd better let him out now.

Her jaws unhinged, and the man slid out as the tongue that was coiled around him released its grip. He was coated in her saliva and stood, incredulity etched upon his visage. The look of unadulterated fury the man had greatly amused the dragoness. I'm going to be hearing about this for a while.

"You couldn't have warned me that you were going to do that!?" Daniel shouted, outraged. He threw his left arm out to his side as he spoke, for emphasis, droplets of saliva falling on the red-hued stone of the terrace landing. The translucent, sticky substance was in his golden hair, preventing it from blowing in the breeze that swept past them.

"No, I couldn't. It had to look convincing. Your expression and cries of terror did just that. At any rate, I did as I said I would; your former liege lord believes you to be dead, and you're free of him. You're welcome," Frost answered in a matter-of-fact tone. She turned her back on him, and began to walk into her cave.