Dragonbane

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. And yet, there one was feasting on my horse. Figures. The massive beast was four times the size of my Shadowmere. There’s no way a horse of her size would fill a stomach that massive. The creature would soon be hunting for her rider once it licked the horse’s bones clean.

Scanning the area, I found myself with two options: I could make a break for the tree line, exposing myself to its line of sight, or I could crawl to the rocky mountainside, where there are ample hiding spots, and just wait it out.

Both options were equally dangerous, but within the trees, I would at least stand a chance at survival. That massive wingspan couldn't possibly fly between the trees. But it was a good half mile away, too far to run without drawing attention. Perhaps with my weapons I could at least-

Shit. My damn horse has them.

I peered over my trusted boulder to find them still strapped to her, the clanging of the steel echoing through the valley as the dragon ripped out her intestines.

Alright, I guess I’m crawling.

I lowered myself to the muddied ground, and a sharp pain shot up my right arm— it must have broken when I fell off Shadowmere. I whimpered at the pain as I fell on my left side, my steel armor clattering against my chainmail. Then- silence.

The bone crunching and sounds of ripping flesh ceased.

Shit shit shit!

I could almost feel its eyes burning through my hiding spot and right on its next meal: me.

I could hear my own breathing becoming more and more ragged as I fought through the searing pain now brought to my attention. Not even my adrenaline could numb it at this point.

The dragon made no effort to feast on Shadowmere, nor did it make any steps closer. It just waited.

If I was going to make it out of here, I would need to ditch my armor somewhere. Even with the simplest of movement, the noise drew the beast's attention and right now, I needed stealth. Steel and chainmail just weren't going to cut it.

Perhaps I can throw it in the distance and its sound will be the perfect distraction for me to make a run for the tree line.

But with my bad arm, will I even be able to throw it far enough? With my luck, it would end up a foot away and immediately alert the dragon of my location.

There was no way I was going to be able to crawl with a broken arm. This was the only option left- it had to work.

I laid in the mud, my blood from my broken arm blending with the rich brown, waiting for the crunching noises to return.

Finally, as if answering my prayers, the beast began to resume its snack. One buckle after another, I slowly removed my pauldrons with my good hand. Unbuckling the leather straps on my forearms.

Now, the gorget. I lifted my arm as high as I could, trying to avoid the chainmail scratching on the steel. I took a deep breath and held it, steadying my arm as I loosened the straps. Exhaling slowly, I finished removing the top half of my armor, pausing to tune into the dragon and its breakfast.

Still chewing.

I began to remove my bracers, going as slow as I could in order to not make any sound. My chainmail jangled slightly as I reached, but the dragon kept snacking. One bracer down. Now, to figure out how to get the last one off with the hand on my broken arm.

My eyes darted around the muddied ground for something to bite on— anything to bite on— and they landed upon a thick stick just inches away from the right side of my face.

Great.

I braced myself for the ungodly clattering my chainmail was about to sound out as I reached over with my left arm. I took a deep breath, slowly reaching over, trying to minimize the sound as much as possible. I tapped around the mud, fingers outstretched towards the stick, just out of reach.

Shit.

I would have to be willing to make a bit of noise and position my body if I planned on having something to bite down on.

Here goes nothing.

I inched my body closer to the stick, making sure not to lift my torso from the mud, sliding in it, using my feet to push. The chainmail jingled, but not enough to bring about the dragon’s attention.

Another bone crunch.

I wondered if it would take its time eating me, as it did with Shadowmere. If so, I prayed I would die quickly.

I reached for the stick again. Feeling it with my fingertips, gliding them around its side and gently luring it into my palm.

Finally.

Without a second thought, I placed the stick in my mouth and bit down hard. My right arm shook from the pain as my fingertips fumbled over the straps of my left bracer. Hot tears streamed down my face and I bit down harder. I didn’t dare attempt to move my right arm closer if simply moving my fingers triggered so much anguish.

One strap down, one more to go.

My jaw was already sore from biting down so hard. My cheeks ached from the rough edges of the stick digging into them.

Muddied drool seeped down the back of my throat and the sides of my face. But still, I bit down, the wood splintering and crackling to the force of my jaw.

Another rip into Shadowmere.

My fingers pulled and tugged at the buckle, loosening it and finally freeing my good arm from the bracer.

Now, the chainmail.

Luckily, my chainmail was a tad too big for my size, so shimmying out of it would be much easier. But, the noise would be an issue.

First to free: my good arm. Tugging at the edge of the sleeve, I managed to contort my arm just perfectly. I scrunched it so tight that the metal did not have a chance to clang against itself as I pulled it over my head.

Now, my broken arm. Still biting down on the stick, I began to remove the chainmail from around my busted arm. And that’s when I saw it: the damage.

The bone had been completely fractured, sticking right out of my skin. The linen of my blouse ripped and bloodied around the wound.

Shit.

I needed to see a healer, and fast.

But I’m not going to make it to a healer if I don’t stop the bleeding soon.

My fingers frantically tugged at a hole at the base of my shirt, ripping it further until I managed to tear off a piece long enough to secure around my arm.

I bit at one end of the strip, securing it between my teeth, and wrapped the remaining fabric above the protruding bone. Taking the free end in my left hand, I began to tie the knot. Once I laced the ends together, I snapped my head away from the wound, wincing at the pain as the linen constricted my arm.

One more time.

I clenched my jaw, resecuring my grip as I interlaced them again and pulled. The linen’s fibers screeched in protest as it stretched, tightening the second knot.

Examining my handiwork, I tugged at the edges of the tourniquet.

Seems tight enough.

The dragon’s feasting continued in the distance, growling and grunting. The sound of my horse’s body dragging to and fro. Perhaps it had been struggling with a huge chunk of stubborn flesh, refusing to leave the bone.

Even in death, Shadowmere is looking out for me.

I managed to get into a crouching position as I gathered up my pauldrons and gorget. I didn’t bother touching the chainmail, as it would bring its attention to me before I could even throw it. I peered over my hiding spot to spy the dragon still trying to rip at that prized piece of flesh, my weapons clashing together in the movement.

Maybe if I throw these far enough towards the mountainside, I can make a run for my weapons and then, run for the tree line.

I would need all the weapons I could get, especially if I planned on walking to the village through the woods. Not only was the dragon dangerous, but so were the people who lingered in the trees. Feast for a dragon, or a torture victim? Decisions, decisions.

My eyes darted to the tree line, which still would have been too far for me to make it, not including the distance I would be adding from Shadowmere’s corpse. But I had to try. No way was I going to strut into the forest with a broken arm and no way to defend myself.

At least this would be a good story to tell the other knights when I get home.

If I get home.

I wound my good arm back, and chucked the pauldrons as far as they could go. They landed a good forty yards from my hiding spot, clashing and banging on the rocks. The dragon’s head whipped towards the sound, Shadowmere’s flesh dangling from its jowls. The monstrous beast spread out its wings, showcasing its massiveness in all its glory.

The creature looked towards the mauled horse and then back to the sound, as if deciding whether to investigate or continue feasting. Almost reluctantly, it made a move towards the sound, turning its back from Shadowmere.

Here goes nothing.

I made my move, watching my steps. One foot after another, not daring to remove my gaze from the dragon. I held onto my gorget, just in case I needed to throw something again.

The dragon slowly marched over to the rocks, sniffing and smelling the air around it. Smelling me. Its large tail swung in massive strides, creating a breeze behind it and blowing my scent away from the valley.

As I reached the body of Shadowmere, the dragon arrived at the rocky mountainside, its massive talons gripping the boulders as it peered up and around each one.

Slowly and gently, I gripped the hilt of my sword and pulled it out of its sheath, causing a quiet scraping sound.

The dragon didn’t seem too phased by it, so I continued.

Just beneath the pack, was my bow and quiver. Kneeling down, I tugged at the bow, shimmying it out from under the pack. I grabbed the quiver, but just as I began to rise, every single arrow fell out. One by one, they clattered to the ground.

My heart stopped and my breath halted.

I looked in the dragon’s direction to find that it too had stopped dead in its tracks. Its head slowly turned towards me, its body tense and wings expanded once again.

Shit shit shit!

I scrambled for my arrows; one… two… three…

A roar rang out through the valley, causing the world to tremble at its command. I made a run for it, sword held tightly in my hand and my bow and quiver strapped to my back. The beast’s steps fell in line with mine as the ground trembled and shook with each thud. I stumbled, barely managing to stay balanced with the earth quaking beneath my feet.

I made it back towards my hiding spot, but there wasn’t any point hiding now if the dragon had already seen me, so I kept running. The treeline was still too far ahead; I would never make the distance. My legs had already been sore from my fall and now I had been pushing them to outrun a fucking dragon.

I’m not going to make it.

The earth stopped shaking and I could feel it behind me. Its eyes burning through the back of my head and its hot breath creeping down my neck and back.

This is it.

I turned to face my death, raising my sword. If it was going to feast on my flesh, it was going to have a hell of a time doing it. Its hot breath now on my face, I looked up to see the dragon staring back at me. I could have sworn its eyes flickered with amusement. An elongated grin spread across the monster’s face, baring its bloodied teeth, my horse's flesh wedged between them.

A low grumble erupted from the dragon, as if some form of maniacal chuckle. Its lips parted wider, opening wide, exposing a long forked tongue. Light began to glow at the back of its mouth, brighter and brighter. I closed my eyes and gripped my sword tighter, preparing myself for the worst kind of pain.

Hopefully I go quickly.

Another chuckle.

My eyes widened at the audacity. “Well, are you going to kill me, or just breathe on me?”

The dragon’s scales ruffled and its malicious grin returned, wider now. Each tooth was the size of my entire hand, one bite and I would hopefully be dead on contact.

“I’ve never had prey so impatient for death,” it crooned, its voice echoing in my mind. The beast’s forked tongue licked its lips, no doubt weighing the option to have me smoked or rare.

The dragon’s golden eyes watched me intently. Like a serpent smelling its prey, its tongue slithered and flicked in front of me, tasting me.

Now’s my chance.

With one fell swoop of my blade, I sliced into its tongue, the forked end dropping to the ground in a loud thud. The beast craned its neck and roared in pain, shaking the valley once again.

I sprinted for the tree line with that opening I created. My body shook with the burst of adrenaline coursing through my muscles, my chest rattling with each pump of my heart as if it were trying to burst out of my chest.

The tree line bobbed up and down with my vision as the dragon now made its way towards me once more.

I’m not going to make it.

Closer and closer I got, but it still wasn’t enough. My lungs burned as they fought to grasp onto what air I had left.

I was done for.

Closer and closer the beast got until I, once again, could feel the dragon's breath on the nape of my neck.

“Get down!”

I looked towards the forest’s edge— no one in sight. But I did as the voice commanded anyway, diving into the mud. Arrows whizzed above me, barely missing my scalp before I made contact with the ground.

The beast roared behind me, its footsteps stumbling.

Another arrow made contact. The sound of it piercing the dragon's flesh, followed by a powerful growl.

I glanced back at the tree line and began pulling myself towards it. My fingers dug in the mud, snagging roots and uplifting small pebbles. My heels dug into the earth, pushing with all my might.

The dragon’s eyes fixed on me again, amusement completely drained from its face and replaced by fiery rage.

Another arrow whizzed above me, landing straight into the monster’s right eye, perfectly piercing its pupil. The beast let out another monstrous roar as the blood leaked down the side of its face.

I stumbled to my feet, keeping my gaze on the beast. The dragon’s fiery rage seemed to radiate off its body, smoke seeping out of its nostrils. It shook its massive head, shaking the first few arrows out of its body. I held my breath and made a break for the woods.

The creature began to charge again, causing the earth to shake and send me to my knees once more. This time, I landed on my broken arm. I cried out in pain as my bone collided with the ground. The impact had my body quivering and trembling as my heart thudded and banged against my rib cage. The wound throbbed and oozed in sync to the rhythm of my heart beat that echoed in my ears, loud enough to drive out the dragon’s victorious purrs.

With vision blurred by tears, the dragon reared its head in my line of sight. Amusement dancing on its face.

Another arrow.

And another.

And another.

The creature groaned, ruffling its scales and shaking each arrow off.

Again, he focused on me, his prey, groveling in the mud. I was as good as dead, gift wrapped and left at his feet.

I gripped my sword, swinging it in front of me, filling the space between us. The dragon’s good eye widened in response, taking a step back. Just in time for another arrow to collide with its injured eye.

The growl that followed boomed through the valley, strong enough to create a rockslide on the mountain and cause the trees to shiver and groan at its force. Even the blades of grass bowed in its wake, not daring to rise again.

The arrow struck further and deeper this time, feathers barely visible. The dragon stumbled back again clawing at it, attempting to somehow remove it with its talons.

My arm collapsed onto the damp ground, too weak to hold up the sword. I could feel my muscles crying out to me, my body sinking further in the mud as I began to give into its cries. I couldn’t fight anymore.

I just couldn’t.

The dragon’s massive wings began to rise and fall, creating a gust of wind in their wake, debris flying towards me and cutting at my bare skin. I went to shield my face, but my arm didn’t move.

Couldn’t move.

The dragon rose into the sky, but the creature's gaze wasn’t focused on me. Instead, it peered to my left and let out a low growl as its voice echoed in my mind one last time. “We will meet again, Dragonbane.”

I followed the dragon’s gaze to find it staring at my sword lying in the mud, the blood from its tongue sizzling into legible runes down the blade, reading, “Dragonbane.”