"Calm yourself… son of Eskil." A rumbling voice said, its tone seeming to attempt to be soothing but was far more dangerous. The combination caused Björn to tilt his head to the side, he recognized this voice. A voice that could send its enemies fleeing to the far corners of the sky, as well as calm a crying child.
"Show yourself." Björn said, this time, much more peaceful.
As the cloud of dust began to settle, the massive dragon stretched its neck out past the blinding cover. Björn stared up into the emerald green eyes of his mother's longtime friend, Berodach. The ancient dragon who was shunned from most of his kin because of his vile deeds in the Great War.
"It is I, Son of Eskil. I do not come for blood shed, there has been enough of that this day."
Berodach stepped out from the haze and approached the boy he had met only a handful of times. The next Prince of Dragons. How he had grown since their last meeting. He looked a true man now, he stood tall and wide with a sturdy, muscular body. His gaze held little of the childish innocence that he'd last seen in his eyes. As the dust settled, Berodach's form was revealed more clearly to the young dragon he hardly recognized. How long had it been since he last visited?
Björn was no longer a boy. He was a man. Standing tall like his father, he was strong with lean muscles that peaked from beneath his clothing. Flecks of black stubble was on his square jawline, and sweat dripped down his chest, absorbed by the open cut shirt he wore.
His hands were calloused with years of hard working labor, his legs long and strong. Fit into snug leather pants and boots that were covered in muck from the animal pasture just a short jaunt down the hill. His ebony hair flickered in the wind with glints of silver on the sunlit strands. Berodach watched him with interest, curious if the man-beast's draconic form was just as magnificent now that he was older.
Björn stared at Berodach curiously, he hadn't seen the dragon in at least eight or more years. The last time he remembered seeing him was during his sixteenth name day, and even that appearance was short. Berodach was a unique creature that way, he was rarely ever seen or heard from.
His jagged scales were the color of brown tree bark coated by moss of varying shades of green. Berodach was one of the few rough-backs still alive. His scales were not smooth and glimmering like the smooth scales Björn possessed, they stood nearly erect from his body. Their scales mimicked the jaggedness of a broken blade. Their edges were a medium shade of brown, transitioning into a dark green to a vivid, almost florescent green at the center. He was slightly larger than his smooth scaled brethren, and he also possessed less protruding spikes from his entire body. Besides the pair of horns from his skull, he only had a few dorsal spines.
Yet the power he had within him, could easily combat the power Björn and his father had within themselves. Eskil, the first born and Vessel of the Gods was also one of the few remaining rough-backs. How he produced a smooth scaled offspring was surprising, however he supposed he had his mother to thank for his refined and elegant features.
Berodach lifted his wings and propelled himself forward out of the field, and it was with these clumsy movements Björn noticed the large beast was covered in horrendous wounds. Blood seeped from all over his body, staining the ground a deep red as the soil sucked in his bodily fluid. With each pulsation throughout his body, blood pooled beneath his body with an audible hiss, as if his blood contaminated the soil it touched.
Björn took a step towards his mother's old ally, raising his hands as if he were going to steady his massive body as Berodach stumbled with each step. One by one his bones ached and it sounded as if they were going to snap under his own weight. Droplets of blood continued to add to the pool of blood beneath his scales. Pained snarls passing his curled lips.
"What happened to you?" Bjorn asked hurriedly.
He ignored his question, "Your mother young prince, is she here?"
Björn's scales and horns slowly began to recede, his tanned mortal skin hiding them once more. "No, her and father left early this morning. They went to the south for political reasons."
"Are they due back soon?"
"Not for a few weeks." Björn stepped to the side as the large dragon continued to limp towards his parent's manor, his wings trembled with fatigue and he was about to collapse at any moment.
"Your sister? Is she here?"
"Astrid? No, she disappeared shortly after our parents left. She said she is going to commune with the gods, but I know that's not true. I unfortunately don't know where she left to."
Berodach cursed, then paused momentarily and shook his long neck, his scales rippling from side to side. With that action Björn watched as blood seeped from the wounds and drained the strength even further from his massive body. Berodach had to have been attacked by another dragon, or multiple dragons, that much was clear.
His entire body was covered in deep bite marks, fangs had punctured his neck and back. Talons and claws had ripped into his body, and fire had seared his skin. The membranous tissue on his left wing was torn to shreds, and it would be a long time before he could return to the skies.
Berodach hissed again as blood spurted from his wounds, the smell of iron clinging to the air and battering both their nostrils. Little slayer… how can this old fool reach you? I've aided you countless times over the years whenever you called for me, but now… now when I am in need of you, I cannot find you. Neither could tell if the blood dripping from his lips was his own or not, was it from licking his wounds or was he wounded there as well? "I am in need of healing." Berodach grumbled.
"I can see that Berodach, however my sister nor mother are here to help you." Bjorn silently cursed to himself. As talented as he was in battle, he was far from being remotely skilled in the healing arts. "I have some supplies in the house-"
Berodach sighed, his hind legs faltering and causing his rump to collapse against the grass. "I shouldn't have come."
"What do you mean?" Bjorn asked with a scowl. "I'll, I'll go inside and get some fresh water and bandages. Just wait here."
He watched Berodach's emerald eyes roll, "Just leave it, it won't help anyways."
"I have to do something!"
"Hush little prince, human remedies will not treat these wounds. No amount of bandages can fix this, I need magic. I need your mothers healing touch or I will die."