Bjorn was about to argue with the ancient when his sentence was interrupted by multiple roars from above. Their repetitive snarls and razor fanged bellows shook the landscape, the sound overwhelming as they grew closer. He looked up into the sky and saw a trio of his brethren soaring towards Berodach and himself. From their nearing presence he felt as though he could be crushed by their overwhelming desire to kill, their anger made the air thick. These must be the ones who put Berodach in such a horrific state Bjorn thought.
Berodach sighed, "They followed me."
"What do they want from you Berodach?" Björn asked, stepping closer to the ancient's long neck. His head dipping closer to the grass as he fought to remain conscious.
He shrugged, adjusting his trembling wings, blood dripped from his nose and his snake like tongue flicked it away. "My life. There are other ancients, just as old as myself, who want me dead. They sought me out for revenge, for the past."
"I see." Bjorn said coldly, this time moving to stand in front of Berodach. The ancient needed treatment, fast, or just as he said, he would die. How he wished his mother, or even his sister had remained at the homestead for just a few more hours. They were both skilled in healing, using magic or without, they could treat almost anyone or anything. Him though, his magic had only been good for destruction. Healing, being tender, or gentle, he just wasn't cut out for it.
The three dragons closed in on the duo, plummeting to the soil and crushing the remaining crops beneath their bodies. Mother will be displeased once she sees the damage to her gardens. Heads will surely roll. He almost chuckled at the image of his mother finding the damaged field, then swallowed as he realized it might be his head that rolls instead.
Their ancient power radiated from their bodies, but their vicious eyes were filled with nothing but hatred. To a weaker dragon, the power could have forced him to collapse to the ground. But not him, no, not him. After landing, the largest of the amber colored dragons stepped forward speaking in a tone that was threatening and ignorantly rude.
"Step back puny mortal. I am only here for this vile creature." His forked tongue flicked past his lips and slid across his scaled mouth. Golden eyes unwavering.
Berodach growled at the male, barring his bloody fangs while trying to keep his shaky head up from the ground. "Watch yourself Killian, you know not to whom you speak."
The amber dragon snorted, a puff of smoke spurting from its nostrils. "Then step forward murderer, so I may claim your life with my own fangs. You deserve nothing but a slow and painful death for killing my lifemate all those years ago."
Berodach rolled his serpent eyes, "That was hundreds of years ago, find yourself a new mate and move on."
Bjorn glanced over his shoulder when he heard the guttural cough come from Berodach, a thick, bloody phlegm came with the gesture. He wheezed, trying to steady his breath to keep from coughing again. Had they pierced his lungs as well? The two other dragons stepped up to the firsts flank, ignoring Bjorn who kept a steady gaze on their prey, their identical yellow eyes seething with rage.
"You killed our brother! He was one of the first ancients! We will have revenge for him!" The female said, her name unknown to both Björn and Berodach. "You've hidden long enough, it's time to face us!"
Berodach snarled, yet Björn waved his hand at him. Stepping further away from his green scaled friend and staring directly into Killian's eyes. "The events of the war have been placed in the past, where they belong. By order of Eskil, no one besides the Aesir may punish another for their actions during that time. Your current actions are a punishable offense." He stated matter-of-factly.
Killian laughed hysterically, a sound that was sinister. "Step aside boy. Unless you wish to die alongside this traitor."
Bjorn didn't move but narrowed his eyes at the trio once more. "No." he hissed through clenched teeth.
Killian curled his lips over his fangs, "You don't know the countless dragons, our kinsman, that died by that bastards claws. We only plan to give him exactly what he deserves."
Bjorn practically spat the words out, "It is not up to you to decide what it is or isn't that he deserves. Back down. Now."
The three dragons had ignored his presence long enough, he had been insulted more than once, and a friend that was close to his mother, one who had come to her aid countless times, had been gravely injured by the feeling of hatred possessed by these three. How much more would it take for these fools to realize their mistakes?
He glanced behind him once more, Berodach was trembling, simply by attempting to stay conscious and upright. The vibrant greens in his eyes were beginning to pale, and Bjorn could see his consciousness fading. An eerie smirk was on his lips despite his obvious weakness.
Killian and the younger female took another step towards him, as if planning to simply step by him and snap Berodach's neck while he stood idly by. Killian seethed out a deep throated growl, "I shall kill you as well then."
With a chilling roar, Björn's scales overtook his body all at once. His horns grew while his limbs elongated. His short nails become talons, his muscular chest expanded and filled with fire, his tail formed from the base of his spine and slapped the ground. With a silver and blue colored energy, his mortal form exploded into that of a dragon and he now stood in front of his elder kinsmen as the next dragon prince, Eskil's heir.
His large wings stretched out with a massive wingspan. His elegant horns protruding from his skull and spikes down his spine. His deep blue eyes were narrowed, and his large mouth was opened wide as he hissed and snarled a challenge back at Killian. He was just as large as Berodach, and intimidatingly larger than the three amber scaled beasts. Björn rested back onto his hind legs, spread his wings far apart to shield Berodach from their gaze, and roared once again at his offenders. His voice shook the soil beneath their feet, its commanding tone carrying through the air.
"I am NO boy." he snapped, slamming his weight forward onto his wings before biting at the air, magical energy swirling around his body as his rage was beginning to consume him. His mystical eyes were wide and fury welled up inside them, an illuminating light shimmering from the navy pupils. "You will not threaten me."
Killian snapped at the air between them, "Heh, I shall threaten whomever I wish. I will kill whoever, gets in my way. Who are you to challenge me? You are no more than a coward who accepted the curse from the she-elf married to our prince. A weakling, only a weak dragon accepts that curse. So who are you to challenge me?"
Killian bellowed out a roar, lifting his head an curling his lip over his long teeth, snorting flames from his nostrils. "Who are you to challenge me!"
Bjorn snapped his teeth together, lunging forward at Killians nap. His fangs grazed the amber scales of his neck, fire erupted from his throat as he retreated and raised his head further into the air as Killian evaded his flames. "I am Björn!" He hollered, slamming a talon tipped wing onto the ground and shook the dorsal spines from his neck to tail, his raised gaze narrowed as he moved closer to Killian, rightfully challenging the male. "I am the son of Eskil! Your next prince!"