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Dragon's Blood

The Rise of the Dragon's Bane

By Savier SilvaPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 10 min read
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Dragon's Blood
Photo by Marc Wieland on Unsplash

There weren’t always Dragons in the Valley.

Aunor Gilje quickly thought of that fact as he looked up into the heavens and could not remove the smell of charred and burned flesh from his very nostrils. He fought the urge to wretch as he turned himself over onto his side and tried in vain to quell the thrumming behind his eyes. What has become of my home? What is going on? What of the others that I was just with? The thoughts plagued Aunor’s mind as he forced himself onto trembling and weak legs. If the sensation of heat that seemed to come from all directions around him was not answer enough, a quick glance gave the young man all the answers that he had been searching for.

Omaeda was not a massive and prosperous Kingdom. It was barely a threat to anyone. Of course they had the same iron swords and shields that the larger more powerful Kingdoms possessed, but he and his people had never been a threat. Nor had they been conquered by the neighboring lands of Kapernaros and Antium. The young man took a step forwards and something crunched beneath his foot and as he looked down, he could not fight the hot acid that came up from the pits of his stomach and he turned to the side to throw up whatever few contents remained within his stomach.

Aunor took a step back as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and fought the urge to dry heave as much as he could. On the ground there was the charred corpse of his friend, at the very least that he could recognize. As though roused by memory, adrenaline flooded every inch of Aunor’s aching body as the roar that filled the night seemed to shake the ground at his feet. More roars followed and Aunor could see that he remained the only fool out in the open. He watched as a star fell from the sky and landed on the ground in front of him so harshly that it sent him flying back. He crashed and rolled in the dirt as he forced himself to look forwards once more, even through the pain that had lit up every nerve ending of his body like fire. As Aunor stared, he was face to snout with a great lizard. It had scales made of the night itself with blade-like teeth filling its putrid maw. Green smoke coiled out from the small gap of its open mouth and Aunor felt as though he could not move.

Dragons were not supposed to be here.

Dragons were supposed to have gone extinct.

He felt a hundred questions fill his mind as he the dragon peered at him with eyes the color of emeralds and it opened its mouth; no doubt to unleash its poisonous breath and kill him where he sat.

“Aunor move!!” a voice called out to his right and he looked over to see none other than Kaine. He was their resident Magus, and he ran towards the Dragon wearing nothing but his silver armor. Kaine tackled the creature and with power augmented by his magik, Aunor was awestruck to see as the monster was forced back onto its hind legs. Kaine raised his right hand and placed it against the creature’s abdomen and called upon power that came from a place that Aunor knew not of. It flashed and burned as a searing light blazed where Kaine’s right hand was and the monster roared out in both outrage and pain. As Aunor was able to bring himself up to his feet once more although his body protested it heavily, he watched as more dragons swooped down and into the valley.

Aunor could feel every muscle in his body, every instinct in the person that he was urging him to flee and as he watched the monsters descend on Kaine, he felt like a cowards as he turned and did the only thing that seemed right to him; the only thing that might have ensured his survival.

Aunor turned and ran as fast as his body would permit to move through the night.

He had a small limp from being thrown around, and every step made pain shoot up his right leg as he hobbled forwards. He could feel the air charge with power as he looked back to see that the black dragon was dead, but Kaine was on one knee. His skin was blistered and burned by what looked like acid and the young man felt his body stop right then and there. He was a coward, yes, he wanted nothing more than to run and live to see another day. But he also knew Kaine, and grew up with the older man. In his twenty years in this world, he and Kaine had forged a close bond. Aunor felt his stomach drop as he turned and ran once more but this time towards the monsters that encircled his friend. You’re going to die! A voice chastised in his head as he did so, but it didn't matter. Aunor reached Kaine and hooked one arm under the man’s armpit and yanked as hard as his body would allow. The adrenaline made him jittery, the fear made it feel as though he was going to wet himself; it was possible that he had done so already.

The three dragons that Aunor had seen surrounding Kaine screamed their outrage as they both ran but the monsters took to the skies rather than give chase. In an instant, their red, blue, and emerald scales melted into the night sky as though summoned by something but Aunor could tell that this meant it was only a matter of time until they descended once more. Quickly, he turned and laid his friend to rest against the side of a stone wall. Aunor reached out and cupped Kaine’s face carefully and he could see the flicker of life within his blue eyes.

“Kaine! Are you alright?”

“You… Aunor you’re going to die here,”

“I know that Kaine. But still, I couldn’t let you die alone,”

Kaine laughed a mirthless laugh. “I was able to use my power and get the citizens out of the Valley. Your mother and father are safe for now,”

“What about Aaimnr?” Aunor couldn’t help but ask about his childhood friend.

“She made it out, she’s the reason I came back now to get you. But it seems as though that it was for naught,”

“I’m so--” Aunor began but he was cut off by the ear-splitting cry of the dragon.

He looked up from Kaine’s face as the monster dove and landed in front of them harshly, slamming down to the ground and catching its weight. This dragon was unlike the ones that he had seen before. Its scales were black, but there was pulsing red in a triangular chunk within its chest. As he looked at the great beast's wings, he realized that its wings were strange. They were missing the skin between the bones that would allow the creatures to fly. Instead, they were armored and plated and from the four points where the wings would end, Aunor noticed that they were instead open; almost vent-like. Aunor cursed as he stood and placed himself between the monster and his friend. His legs trembled as he stared into the eyes of the creature and he glanced back at Kaine.

The Magus was not doing well, Aunor could see that something as simple as breathing was becoming harder and harder for him. Left with no time to think, the young man simply stood his ground and screamed as something bubbled up from the pit of his stomach. It was primal, the desire of humankind to simply survive and to continue on. It echoed in the mostly empty streets and once more, foolishly and recklessly Aunor hobbled towards the creature that was in front of him and swung out with his right arm. In truth, the young man did not know what he wished to do with such an attack, perhaps by the Magus behind him enough time to escape; perhaps to make it so that his death was not one full of cowardice and of regret. The monster roared as Aunor swung and it connected but the connection was then severed almost immediately and replaced by white hot searing pain.

It was too much, too great for his already weakened body and before he could even realize what had happened Aunor fell unconscious.

Aunor awoke once more, and there was again the same searing pain that was the last thing that he could recall where his right arm had been.

He reached up carefully and rubbed the side of his head, but immediately, Aunor could tell that something was amiss. Slowly and carefully, he removed his right hand from the side of his head and looked upon it in horror. There was no longer the limb that he had been born with, but instead, Aunor’s right arm was comprised of scales. They were black as the night and he could see the faint red glow that pulsated beneath it. Before him, Kaine once more leaned against a wall and it took Aunor far too long to realize that they were no longer in the same part of Omaeda; he had no idea where they were now. Ignoring the replacement of his right arm, he wobbled over to where Kaine sat and gently nudged the Magus.

“Kaine,” he croaked out, throat dry and scratchy. “What happened?”

“No… time. Sorry,” the Magus whispered to him as he glanced at the arm that was attached to Aunor. “Protect them. They’re your charge now. Slay the Dragons Aunor Gilje. Use their own power against them,” his old friend ordered as he reached out and before Aunor could ask any more questions, pain flared in the back of his mind and once more and unceremoniously, he was rendered unconscious.

For the third time, Aunor awoke but this time there was no pain. He was in bed and the sun filtered its way into the room.

He was unsure as to where he was however but as he tried to bring himself to stand, a familiar voice cried out.

“Aunor! You’re awake!!” a woman cried as he was nearly tackled. The breath left his lungs as he was squeezed but he knew this embrace all too well. He would know this person anywhere in the world, and he reached out to embrace her in return. Aaimnr Rey threatened to squeeze the very life from his body as she held him and buried her face into his neck. He could feel the wetness from her tears press into the heat of his skin as she whispered softly.

“I’m so glad you’re still alive,”

“Me too Aaimnr, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Is Kaine?”

Aunor recalled the last memory he could bring to the forefront of his mind. The armored Magus lying against the wall and his final order. Use their own power against them. At the thought, he brought up his right hand thinking it to have been some dream or some cruel trick but it was still there. His right arm had been wrapped completely in bandages, but he could feel the power that now coursed through his veins. The power of the pinnacle of the phantasmal species.

Dragon’s blood.

“Aunor,” Aaimnr whispered his name carefully and he looked at her and then he shook his head.

“I’m sorry Aaimnr. Kaine… didn’t make it,”

“What happened to you?”

“I… I lost my arm. I think Kaine attached a Dragon’s arm to my body. He told me to protect you, to fight back against the dragons with their own power.”

It was insane to say, to even think about. Dragonslayers existed once, hundreds of years ago but they were no longer needed after the supposed extinction of the great wyverns. Kaine might have used his magik to save him and even speculatively give Aunor the power of one of the monsters, but it was all for naught if he could not discover the ways to slay dragons. It was all too much, far too much. For now he could at the very least take it in strides. Find out where they all were, find the King, other knights or Magi, and if he could learn the way to slay a Dragon, maybe with this power he could avenge his dear friend; murdered by the creatures that had returned from nothing. Aunor swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood on firm and strong legs. Aunor Gilje, the weak coward who he had been prior, was no longer powerless. Now he was something more, something better.

Aunor Gilje was now a Dragon’s Blood. He would hunt the Dragons that destroyed his home.

Resolute in his purpose, Aunor would become Dragon’s bane.

Adventure
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About the Creator

Savier Silva

Hey there! I'm a writer and want to grow my skills as one using Vocal! I love writing fantasy and science fiction stories and I'm always looking to improve my skills. Feel free to stop by and check out my writing! Thank you!

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