CONTENT ADVISORY / TRIGGER WARNING
THIS NOVEL CONTAINS DEPICTIONS/STRONG IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOLLOWING THAT SOME READERS MAY FIND OFFENSIVE OR DISTURBING:
~ BLOOD
~ VIOLENCE
The severity of the battle was unexpected, though he wasn't sure how he did not expect such bloodshed. Gaalin and Libelle had traveled alongside the group of warriors and guards, all appointed to her by the new King whom she said, appeared much saner than his predecessor. A younger man, with a fit physique and a kind eye. He seemed to genuinely wish for the wellbeing of his people, and he seemed to wish for her return.
Now, after riding their horses through empty fields, they reached the base of the mountains that overlooked Edinburgh, at the base of the jagged cliffs. Where they were forced to climb those cliffs on foot, until they reached a plateau to make camp. At least, that is where they'd hoped to make camp.
Instead, they were greeted by a pair of dragons who were aggressively guarding what appeared to be a nest. They were leaning forward on their massive wings, snarling with their teeth barred. Before the last man had reached the top, the dragons had made the first attack, breathing a burst of flame in their direction, trying to push the men back over the cliff.
Yet Libelle stood still, her hands outstretched in front of her, shielding herself and those close enough to her from the fire. When the dragons magic subsided, and Libelle remained standing, unharmed by the blaze, did the real battle begin. Fang clashed with steel, hide was struck by blades and the flesh of men was charred by flames.
Dragons roared, screeching in their own tongue as they swung their tails against the torsos of men and sending them falling from the cliffs to their deaths. Utilizing their wings to force gusts of winds against their foes, knocking them backwards. Breathing their mystical flames, burning the soil, and turning everything, it met turned into ash. Their fangs snapped against the air if their reach missed, if not, their ivory white canines would snap through the men's armor and pierce their tissue and crushed the bone.
The men, shot their arrows, swung their swords and crashed down with the axes against the thick hide of the dragons. Those skilled in magic used spells of fire, ice and shock to try and weaken the strong scales that guarded the dragons hearts. While others tried to heal their comrades when they fell from their injuries. Their attacks landed against their necks, their wings, their tails, yet they couldn't get close enough to strike at their vital points.
Libelle was unfortunately at the front of all of them, including Gaalin. She was doing her best to draw the attention of the dragons, trying to provide openings for Gaalin and the warriors. Yet it was no luck, she was forced to shield them against the dragons breath, to block against the snapping fangs, it was proving more and more difficult to go on the offensive against the pair.
Gaalin was growing more exhausted, he was trying desperately to assist her, yet he watched as Libelle collapsed onto her back after the shield on her forearm was broken from the impact of a dragons tail colliding against it. "Libelle!" he shouted, trying to reach her side with no success, another burst of flames separated them.
She looked at him, her eyes wide with worry. She was beginning to doubt herself, he could see it in her expression. She was looking around, watching as the warriors lost their lives one by one. The number of men had already been halved, and the remaining few were all injured. They would be of no help to her, not without healing which she couldn't provide at the time.
If they didn't defeat the dragons, they would die. "Libelle!" he shouted once more, "Libelle we must retreat!"
She ground her teeth together, and she looked around once more, then back at the two dragons who were regrouping above the nest they were so fiercely guarding. She saw what he saw, there was no retreat. Even if they were able to successfully reach the edge of the cliff, the injured men would not. Gaalin released more arrows, aiming for the dragon's chest, but watched the arrow heads simply bounce off their thick, armor-like scales.
Libelle screamed, throwing the remnants of her shield behind her. She clutched the hilt of her blade, then rushed forward as she ran as fast as she could. His own eyes widened in surprise, what was she doing? Committing suicide?
"Libelle, my lady, don't!" He ran after her, watching as she ran straight for the pair of dragons. One snarled, charging in front of the smaller one towards Libelle while spitting liquid fire. He watched her vanish in the explosion from the creatures throat, where he tripped and collapsed to his knees.
He lost her, he thought. He'd lost the young woman whom he'd dedicated several years of his life to, in an instant. She was gone. Except he was wrong, so blissfully wrong. She proved in that moment, the power of an enraged slayer.
Her vibrant blue eyes seemed to glow with the inherited power of her own dragons soul, her speed increased as she lurched towards the beasts, her aura was overwhelming. She raised her sword above her head, colliding against the beasts snout with its length. Smacking its fangs away from herself, in a swift motion she struck her blade into the side of its neck, piercing between its scales and into its flesh. The creature roared, trying to push her away yet she was able to use its movement to her advantage.
Libelle was able to straddle the beasts neck while pulling the blade with her, dragging the sharp sword through its neck, and in another quick movement sliced through its spine. She had severed its neck between a vertebrae, tearing through its spinal cord. The dragon collapsed to the ground and Libelle tumbled from its back beside it. The creatures yellow eyes flickered, as if it were cursing her with its final gaze. Its weight slumped into the soil, and with a slow exhale it drew its last breath.
The surviving warriors cheered, but Gaalin couldn't join them. The second dragon stared at its fallen kin, its eyes narrowed at Libelle. It roared a blood curdling noise, charging towards her at an alarming speed. Using its massive wings, it propelled itself forward, slamming its tail upon the grounds with each heavy step. It snarled, opening its mouth as it prepared to snatch Libelle within its jaw, to snap its fangs together with the slayer within them.
Gaalin pushed himself upwards, throwing his bow aside and drawing his blade while he ran to Libelle. He must reach her in time, he must push her out of the way. If someone were to be victim to the dragons' teeth, it would be him and not her. He must reach her.
He cried out her name as he watched the dragon make impact, its mouth wide open as it lurched on top of Libelle and she vanished within its mouth. The dragons speed was something it could not stop immediately from, and it continued stumbling forward until it collided with the stone cliff of the mountain. There was a thundering boom as the dragon hit the mountain, a cloud of dust erupting from it impact.
The dragon went limp, not moving away from cliffs. He didn't see Libelle, he couldn't, where was she? He screamed her name, rushing to where the dragon ran into the cliffside.
"Libelle! Libelle!" he screamed. "Where are you?"
He looked everywhere, yet all he saw was blood pooling from the dragons mouth. "No." his eyes widened. Was she trapped within the beasts mouth? Did the beast crush her before it seemingly knocked itself unconscious? The surviving men picked themselves up, assisting each other to walk towards Gaalin who was trembling beside the downed dragon.
"The slayer, it killed the dragons. It did it." They all murmured in amazement. "The elf saved Edinburgh."
Gaalin thought he might cry, yet turned to glare at the men, "At the cost of her own life!"
The men away, one may think from shame, but they simply tried to hide their lack of it.
"Gaalin... I need help." He turned swiftly back to the dragon, where he heard her voice. "I'm, I'm stuck."
Gaalin rushed forward, unsteadily rushing over the wing of the beast until he reached the dragons head. It's snout was pressed against the cliffside, its mouth partly open, blood dripping past its teeth where a puddle formed beneath its chin. He pushed downwards, pushing against the dragon lower jaw to try and pry it open further so he could see better, and that is where he found Libelle.
She was trapped within its mouth, her legs tucked beneath her buttocks and her head slumped forward. Her blade, pierced into the roof of the dragons mouth, the point of the sword impaling the beasts most vital organ. She had survived, and she had slain both dragons.
Gaalin grabbed her arm, dragging her from the beasts bloody mouth and holding her tightly within his arms. "I thought I lost you." He whispered into her ear.
She coughed, "I couldn't let your years of hard work go to waste now could I?"
They smiled, even as she winced and clutched her head. The men behind them cheered this time without restraint, their slayer had survived, and the dragons were dead. They could return to Edinburgh and announce their victory, they could celebrate for days on end. They would be rewarded by the king. All of them could return home.
"A slayer?"