" RAA A A A GH !! " The drakes roared, standing their ground.
" SK RE E E! " Relentless screeching ensued as the Amphitheres began flocking around.
One flock, one pack, both of draconic blood, famed for their destructive capabilities.
And one woman, of special origins, stuck between a molten rock and a very hard place. Her usually vibrant brown hair had become a tangled mess, her eyes were bloodshot and she was hyperventilating. With the only thing keeping her sane being the obsidian box that she kept close to her person at all times. The only thing she had on her mind was getting the box to where it belonged, as a gift to the humans.
She saw nothing but rubble and ash everywhere she looked. What was supposed to be a developing human town had been reduced to nothing but wailing echoes and the crackling of fire.
Pandora calmed herself down, albeit to little effect. She took note of what she had, and... she had nothing but the divine clothes on her figure and the blessings she was born with.
It was enough.
Gods were fundamentally, on a different level, after all. To them, a sight like this was nothing but a squabble between vermin. That must mean that a blessing from them would allow her to achieve the same, no?
And so with renewed vigor, she took a step back,
..and ran as fast as she could.
As she had done before, this was the best option. If not for her enhanced mind and senses, she would have been food much, much earlier. Even with all her blessings, she was not well-equipped nor knowledgeable enough to compete with such natural apex predators.
" S K RE E E E ! ! ! " Echoing wails of terrifying squawks resounded around her, it seemed the feathered lizards had noticed her disappearance first, and were catching up.
The Drakes were slower to react, yet they had also started chase. They galloped like scaled and furious horses, their sheer weight shook the Earth as they reached speeds that did not befit their bulky appearance.
And yet, none looked at her, rather, their slit eyes were more interested in another.
The box. They wanted the box, for reasons unknown to Pandora.
A stampede.
From afar, the struggling humans could see a figure sprinting across the ashfall, chased by behemoths beyond their mortal comprehension. Nevertheless, the humans continued to haul the bodies of their fallen family.
They truly knew nothing in the grand scheme of things, yet one could delight in their ignorance, the divine do, that's for sure.
" B O O M ! " An Amphithere ambushed, diving down sharply from above, and ultimately missing Pandora, who used the shadows to her advantage.
' There! ' She thought as she leapt once more, narrowly avoiding an incoming Amphithere.
" Sk r E ee e Ee ! ! " They squawked weakly as they shook themselves, recovering from the impact.
The feathered lizards who struck the ground were about to get up when-
" B O O M ! Crack! " A giant clawed foot crushed their bodies, voices crying in agony as the Drakes stampeded on the fallen lizards.
' Two down, just about 15 more to go.. ' Pandora noted as she entered a particularly big dust and ash cloud that emanated from the molten wreckage.
A sandstorm of ash.
She could not hide here, she knew, the Drakes were practically in their element in here, but this was a risk she was willing to take. As she sped off into the cloud, her murderous entourage followed her in.
" .... Rah!.. Skree!.... " Faint roars and screeching could be heard as Pandora waded through the sea of dust. Once she thought that she had gone far enough in, she crept and stayed low to the ground.
She took the time to catch her breath, careful not too inhale too much dust.
Pandora looked at the box, she had an inkling of what was going on.
A test? Or a simple coincidence? That did not matter, she had to get to survive this!
" Rumble! Rumble!... Rumble! huff!... Grrr... " She watched quietly as towering limbs appeared around her, searching for her with fervor.
She knew they were aware, she knew they knew, that it was only a matter of time. Yet, she had to wait, she had to endure the terror she felt and push back frantic breathing. It took but a moment, as the Amphitheres had caught up, arriving from above, the collective flapping of their wings sending dispelling gales of wind.
" Fwooosh! "
And the cloud had moved, revealing her exceedingly precarious situation. With a start, she sprung back up with desperate vigor. And as the Drakes watched stared ruefully at the approaching flock of Amphitheres, she carefully ran right below the underbelly of one Drake.
Both parties saw this, slit eyes narrowing in desire, almost there! The prey's demise was but a certainty.
However, they underestimated one thing. The impending feeling of victory drilled into their beastly minds, allowing for more... expounded thoughts. The allure... the temptation of the box before them... that familiar scent of power that sent their draconic blood into a frenzy. Their entire monstrous being was screaming, begging for that power.
They must have it for themselves, many eyes narrowed in realization, their primitive minds reaching the same simple conclusion.
And like a lake disturbed, the relatively peaceful waters had rose into the sky, challenging the world.
" RA A A AAA GH!!! " A Drake roared at another, seemingly challenging the other. Another winged one screeched, diving after the mirage of Pandora, but not before getting pinned down by the others.
Complete, barbaric mayhem. A dance of scale and feather, born of greed.
Pandora had been long gone, pushing herself to her limits to running away. Yet she did not leave yet, she knew that there would be a victor among that Chaos, and she would have to fight them...
She gained distance slowly but surely, unsure of what to do next, she had no idea what she was going. By Tartarus, even that plan only worked because of a stroke of luck.
This was a quest isn't it?
--- To Be Continued ---
( Hello! I know it's been a while since an update. I apologize, but my life had become exceptionally busy these days, and I'm afraid that won't change for a while. So forgive me, but I must slow down updates.. But in return, I will also start thinking about future events in the novel, I plan to plan, basically.
Remember to support the novel if you like it. Power stones, comments, reviews especially, anything is appreciated! That's all bye! )