Dragon's Salvation
Sunlight burst rays of light and heat between the leaves that blocked it. The angry rays flared with fury as they slowly attempt to burn the resistant rough skin of bark. Trees scattered beyond the landscape and varied in shapes and sizes. A big brilliant blue body of water rested upon the land gleaming brilliantly where it reflected the solar menacing rays. Within the centre sat a small island with a fine smooth golden healthy tree that reached for the sky. Grass acted as a boundary separating the lake and the cragged other trees that lined around its perimeter. Waves crashed upon the bank calmly. Tweets and chirps announced the awakening of the birds in the hours of the early morning. All else was peaceful awaiting the new day. The tree standing alone in the middle of the lake possessed an unusual smooth texture. There were no bumps or cragged scars like that on the trees on the outside of the lake. The other trees looked towards this one tree in envy. It stood high in the sun�s spotlight towering over all the rest of them. Several small clouds covered parts of the sky, the sun still lurked behind the calm foliage still, but were not successful in blocking out its rays from the dominating tree in the centre. A golden creamy coloured path also divided the blades of grass into two sections. The path stemmed from beyond the distance and followed all the way down until it touched the lake, going in the direction of the superior overlooking tree that was resting, waiting idle on the island. Mera took in the breathtaking scenery with an astonished sigh. Her crimson reddish brown hair that usually dropped to her shoulders sway in the gentle wind. She remembered many folk telling her that her hair was one of her best features. But most males were attracted to her slim but fine curved body, which bothered her. However, she warded them off soon enough when she sheathed her sword from her scabbard. Mera was glad of the fact that she was not also a fine woman, but a good swordfighter too and proud of it. She chuckled to herself as humorously, she was better in combat than most that lived in her small village. Mera always had her sword at her side, and gently patted it while observing the scenery. Mera liked to get away from village life once in a while, so she started exploring the woods. While on her journeys, she encountered this beautiful haven. She was thinking she was glad she did, it�s the one of the most beautiful places she had ever visited. However it was also a little mysterious with the big tree in the middle, but Mera didn�t mind that, no-one knew of this place apart from her � that made her happy enough, but with also this amazing. What is it with that tree though? It puzzled her, there was something special about it - she was sure of it. However she didn�t want anyone else to know and keep it as her little secret, and decided she�ll keep it that way. This place was special to her, as it gave time for her to be alone and relax. It was the only place she felt safe, even at her home in the village she felt she was in danger from some drunken men trying to get at her, until she pulled her sword free- -Birds all at once unexpectedly darted out of the trees bursting away to be free, like trying to escape a feared foe. They fly frenzied into each other and every direction to get away from an unseen terror Mera could not see. She looked up towards the sunlight only to see it blocked by a massive dark shadowy form. Her heart raced as her own fear kicked at her. She looked up again but instead of the hellish sight, the light shone back at her. What was that? A deafening roar shook the ground beneath her. She struggled to stay upright as branches and trees snapped behind. Mera turned to look to see a nightmare sitting on the lone dominant tree. She could make out it was a green scaled lizard like creature, with a sandy golden coloured under side. Thorns rose in a couple or rows streaming down its back all the way to its triangular tail. The great behemoth�s revealed spread large wings used for its flight. Yellow� slitted eyes looked towards her � she froze in its glance. �Curses! I knew that tree was bad luck, I didn�t expect a dragon�� she muttered. Do something! Quick! But she couldn�t move - her legs didn�t want to work. Leaves fell earthward and branches snapped off the perfect tree as the dragon leapt and darted for Mera with wings spread wide, gaping jaw open. Don�t make yourself a meal! Get moving! Just in time she managed to dive to the grass. She felt the wind rush past her with the momentum of the beast. She turned to see it flying towards the sky and turning for another chance, this time though she saw glowing molten within the gaping jaws of the monster. She instantly got up and dived into the lake. She heard the roar of flame shoot past, and singe something past her. She raised her head above the water to see the lone tree had been singed and was now in flames. However, she saw no sign of the dragon�did it leave? Her question was answered as suddenly she was whisked from the water with a scaled clawed hand. Her stomach lurched as she went airborne. She struggled to move in its grasp as it took her to the summit of the burning tree. Mera reached for her sword and managed to sheath it free. Swaying in the dragon�s flight she attempted to swipe the dragon�s claw�only to miss and to risk the safety of her situation as she almost slipped from its grip. She was helpless. No, keep fighting there is a way, just�just try! Mera went for a second attempt this time aiming for the dragon�s underside. The dragon roared in pain as the sword ripped through its flesh and a line of blood oozed from the wound. The strike was successful enough so that the leviathan lost grip of Mera�but now she was tumbling through the air with no sense of direction. Rolling through the air she went dizzy, she felt her contact with water and seconds later� she blacked out, plunging into the depths. Arthur rushed to the scene as quick as his legs would carry him. His heart pounded for the nightmare he just witnessed. He looked to where he saw the body smash into the water. Looking around the sky for the green behemoth, he darted for the lake. He scurried through the trees snapping and breaking their limbs recklessly. Emerging onto the golden sandy yellow path he searched the sky again�only to find the singing sun staring back at him. Arthur worried about the figure the great green large leviathan dropped into the lake�did they live? He had to check. Did the behemoth throw the figure in? Throwing him into the water, crashing it around as he dived within the big blue body, he dared to open his eyes to have a look�to get nothing apart from a lot of water in his eye. Touch! Use touch! Blinded by the water, he desperately struggled to breath and scurried his arms around to see if he could somehow feel the submerged body. There! That must be it, he thought as he grabbed something soft and flimsy, like that of a dress. He attempted to dive deeper to grab hold of it. Arthur wrapped his arms around it and could feel the warm sensation of a body. Got it! Not pull up! He kicked at the water in desperation for his own life and that of this body�if it even lived. Suddenly the world came back as he appeared waist high in the liquid mass. He looked down at the figure he had managed to fish up. To his surprise, it was a female, with wet crimson red hair spread about and it streamed down her face. Arthur thought she was very fine with nice- -Stop! Don�t think about how attractive she may be, make sure she lives you fool! He instructed himself. With that, he placed her down on the grass that fenced the lake, checked to see if she was breathing. To his relief she was breathing still. Arthur took the moment to see what happened, he noticed a scorched and burning tree on a mysterious idle lonely isle at the centre of the lake. That confirmed his suspicions�a dragon had attacked her, he saw it leave � it looked in as though it was in pain as it couldn�t fly straight. This girl must have somehow hurt it, and must have fallen from its grip and into the deeps of the lake. But where was the drag- -his question was disturbed as the figure he rescued coughed and choked into life. Her eyes opened to peer up at him with a look of perplexity. She started to raise, Arthur gave her his hand to help her stand. �Wha�What happened?� She asked staring blankly at him. �I�m not sure, but I saw you fall in the lake and brought you back up from the water�, he replied. She just looked at him with blank open eyes, then plainly said, �Thank you�. �Are you alright?� �I�ll be fine soon, don�t worry� He wasn�t sure of that himself, but nodded anyway. �I also saw that dragon, I can guess what happened� She hesitated at his words and her face went white with fear. �I remember�what happened now�your words brought the memory back to me�� she struggled to say. Arthur regretted saying his choice of words; he didn�t mean to distress her in any way. �Oh, I�m so sorry�please forgive me, I shouldn�t have said that� he apologized. �It�s fine, don�t worry about it, I�ll be fine� she said forgivingly with what Arthur though, a sweet voice. �Did you see where it went?� she questioned. �I- -He was interrupted in mid-speech by the deafening roar of a monstrous beast. �Question answered�. It peered at them with fury and a look of revenge. The scaled behemoth watched them and it didn�t at all look pleased with them. Mera�s heart raced, full of fear for yet another time. However, the dragon did not seem to want to attack them�yet�just sitting on the now burning mysterious lone tree she had discovered on the island within the lake. �Do not move�� she managed to speak through gritted teeth. The man that had retrieved her from the lake nodded to her instructions, and stood dead still himself. �I want to know one thing�your name? Before anything rash happens� Mera whispered to him. �Arthur� he whispered back �I am I allowed to know yours too? Please?� he asked her whispering still. She looked towards him and gave him a smile, �Mera�, she whispered. As she turned her head to look back at the dragon � it was gone. Then she heard a loud vigorous roar, and something grabbed her�again. She was shaken and tattered as a scaled claw gripped around her waist. She was trapped in the dragon�s grasp�for the second time. Mera looked went to grab her sword like the first time�to find it wasn�t there. Damn! She must have lost it when she dropped into the lake. She looked to see where Arthur was�but couldn�t see him in the ground anywhere. The dragon was taking her somewhere�she was high in the sky now, the forest scenery and fields of tress were all she saw of the ground. She could still see the blue lake they had emerged from still. She looked at the large scaled leviathan and noticed the scar she gave it in their struggle only hours earlier � it was long and thin, with dark deep rich red where it had dried up. Mera also noticed that the dragons other claw also held cargo�Arthur? Yes, she could see him struggling to break free. It was no use, if they even managed to get free from the dragons hold, then they would have to survive the catastrophic drop back into the woods. The dragon was taking them to their doom. Mera just hoped it will be a quick and easy death for both of them. The behemoth travelled for hours endlessly without rest. It took them to a nearby mount range at the edge of the forest. They stretched beyond the landscape with angry points and cragged scars. The snow that once settled atop these peaks had melted and was just plain rock. There were a lot of rises and drops throughout the mountain trail, but the dragon cheated the obstacles by flying over them. A distant peak larger and more cracked than the rest came into view. It reminded Mera of the tree she at first admired, the tree that mysteriously stood alone atop an island within a lake. However the mountain was quite the opposite in texture, as it was cracked, cragged and gradually became steeper as the mountain rose. The dragon headed for this rocky mountain, and Mera then observed an opening between one of the cracks in the centre of this peak - its lair. She peered over to Arthur � who had long given up to break free, resigning himself to his fate. She too, believed this was the end for her. The leviathan glided into the jaws of the cave and dumped the two of them like lifeless dolls onto the scarred floor. Mera screamed in pain as she hit the ground with a thud. Arthur also grunted when he made contact with it too. What did it want with them? Why is it the beast let them live? She couldn�t fathom it�but it was sure to be unfriendly with what she had done to it. The beast landed itself in front of the pair. It spread its huge wings wide and showed off its great green hide. Again it was looking at them�however it seemed to have lost its anger with them. It once again roared, echoing through the cave - Mera had to cover her ears it was so deafening. �Arise� Who said that? She glanced over at Arthur, who looked as puzzled as she did. �Arise�, the dark deep voice repeated. Without heed, she did as asked, urging Arthur to conform. �Who said that� Mera dared to ask, full of hesitation. Arthur looked at her as if she was mad. She ignored him. �It is I who speak human� Mera then realized it was the dragon�but how can dragons talk?! It can�t be�but it had to be. �Yes human, you are bound to be in a state of confusion. �Our race has matters to attend to�one of which you humans are a big part of. �Yes, they are a big threat to our kind, they must be dealt with� A lump rose in Mera�s throat. What was the dragon going to say, and what will it do with them? Arthur remained quiet. �Dragons have protected this world for longer than humans even roamed it. �Why is it that when a dragon nests near one of your settlements that you instantly think it�s a threat and evil, and that it must be slain so you can live in peace?!� Mera didn�t know what to say to that, so remained quiet as the dragon continued. �The foolish fiends you send to kill only get singed burned or eaten. Its not very logical is it? �We only kill those of your kind to protect our own lives, to be free, is it not that humans have a right to freedom? �Why can�t we have freedom? Instead of being slain or attacked by your kind, it would be nice to have peace, would it not human?� Mera only nodded. Arthur nodded too. �I�ll spare your lives�and those of your kind if you go tell them to just leave us be, and we will not bother you in return, fair is it not?� �Deal� Mera instantly responded �Then go, while you still can�my brethren have not been informed of this, go now...before they return, they will be back here very soon. If you get caught by them, don�t ask what they�ll do. Our kind only does this because we return what you are giving us. �Leave now, or your fate will come quicker than you realize.�
Copyright © 2006 Brian Money |