“Don’t apologize to me!” Gabriel said. “It didn’t surprise me at all. Look what you helped me earn!” He handed Jack a cloth bag full of gold coins.
Jack looked inside and said, “Wow! That must be a thousand pieces!”
“I’m at about one thousand and five hundred pieces of gold my friend!” Gabriel said.
“How’d you get it?” Jack asked enviously.
“A friend gave me five hundred during a big battle this morning, and I bet ten people a hundred coins each that you would lose against that destroyer character,” Gabriel said with a smirk. “Let’s celebrate Jack, my friend! Drinks are on me. Eat as much as you want! Eat until you vomit and then eat some more!”
“Whatever you say, Gabriel!” Jack said with his first smile of the day.
Chapter Five
They ate and drank together and reminisced about all the battles they had been in. They had fought evil wizards, enemy shapeshifters, an army of werewolves, Jack had witnessed Gabriel kill the twelve to fourteen dragons.
“It was fourteen I swear to God!” Jack insisted.
“Don’t flatter me. I bought you all these drinks. It was twelve and not a dragon more.” Gabriel said with a laugh. The whiskey was actually started to hit him.
“Whatever you say, Gabriel. I know they say ‘you should never dishonor a man who buys you drinks.’”
“Amen to that!” Gabriel said.
They raised their cups and drank them. Several drinks later Tom reminded them it was probably a good idea to get some sleep. Jack and Gabriel walked up the inn's stairs and said goodnight to each other. Jack went into his room. It was his room. He only stayed there about half of his nights, but he paid Tom extra to keep it free for him. Not that he had to. Tom would have gladly kept it for Gabriel and Gabriel alone without a single golden coin, but Gabriel wanted to make sure he could count on his room.
When he needed his rest, he really needed it and tonight was one of those nights. Gabriel fell asleep almost immediately, and he had his recurring dreams. They involved a beautiful blond girl with bright blue eyes and the most enchanting face he had ever seen. He was halfway through taking her clothes off when he heard shouting. Gabriel woke up and heard screams coming from the town and the inn downstairs.
A powerful knock rang on his door and then it opened. Gabriel’s hand was already at his waist. He held a throwing knife in his right hand and was prepared to bury it deep in the intruder’s neck. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was only Jack.
“Jack you scared half the shit out of me. What the blazes is going on out there?” Gabriel asked.
“I’m sorry Gabriel. We need your help. The enemy is here. They’ve killed a hundred men already. They have a lot of new weapons.” Jack said timidly.
“What sort of weapons? Out with it Jack, this is life or death.” Gabriel demanded.
“They have shifters.” Jack exhaled.
“Dragons?” Gabriel asked.
“No. Boars, badgers, a few lions, a couple of bears and wolves. Lots and lots of wolves.” Jack admitted.
“They’ve always had that. What else? OUT WITH IT?” Gabriel yelled abandoning his calm demeanor for the attitude appropriate for war.
“They have a wolf serpent,” Jack said with horror.
“A wolf serpent huh? Just one?” Gabriel asked standing up out of his bed.
He had never fought a wolf serpent yet. From what he’d heard they weren’t as dangerous as dragons. They didn’t have the ability to destroy catapults and armies of ten thousand in a matter of minutes. But legend had it they could kill dragons. The children’s book called The Dragon and the Wolf Dragon described an epic battle between the two monsters that lasted over a century.
It ended with the wolf dragon or wolf serpent biting the dragon over and over, so the dragon became forced to transform into a werewolf every full moon. The dragon lost a lot of blood which normally wasn’t a problem, but the werewolf transformation required a lot of blood, and of course, a werewolf was forced to transform during a full moon no matter how much blood they had.
The story ends with the now were dragon transforming into a wolf dragon on top of the Valley of Skulls. The original wolf dragon pushes the dragon who falls ten thousand feet to a blood-deprived death via gravity.
“Yeah, just one,” Jack whispered in fear. “How are you going to kill it?”
“I will kill it. You just have to trust me.” Gabriel barked loudly.
He was started to get angry. He was mad at Jack for being such a coward, he was angry he had been awoken in the middle of his sleep and most of all he was angry that a goddamned wolf serpent of all things forced him to enter an otherwise easy battle. He was still tired and still a little drunk.
“Turn into a bear you fuckin’ coward. Kill some bad guys, stay alive and there are five hundred gold pieces in it for you. If you fail… I love you, Jack.”
Gabriel said, and then he transformed into a dragon. His head grew larger, his neck elongated and his skull crashed through the roof. The roof of his room exploded, and after one powerful beat of his wings he was in the air and surveying the town for a werewolf dragon.
“I love you, Gabriel,” Jack said looking up into the sky.
Gabriel spotted the wereserpent walking along the ground a few thousand feet away. It was taking its time. It roamed as boars, badgers, bears, and wolves ran around it. It was careful not to step on any of them and ruin their day, potentially crushing them.
Gabriel smiled. He was going to kill his first wereserpent. He flew toward the creature and breathed some warning fire at the ground. He incinerated a few werewolves and other shifter creatures. He heard their screams of agony, and they delighted him. He beat his wings violently until he was a hundred feet away from the weredragon.
Gabriel’s dark green dragon eyes stared straight into the eyes of his foe. He was sizing up his enemy. It looked evil. It had dark yellow eyes and rows of long sharp teeth. The teeth were originally white and clean, but this monster’s teeth were yellow, red and black with plague and blood. Gabriel breathed as much fire as he could into the wolf serpent’s face. Gabriel couldn’t see the damage because of all the fire.
When he stopped exhaling, he smiled at the enormous cloud of smog his lungs had created. It cleared slowly revealing a smiling wereserpent with his mouth closed. The wereserpent opened his large mouth and breathed back at Gabriel. Fire engulfed Gabriel and had he not been a dragon it would’ve killed him.
They smiled at each other. It seemed neither one of them could be hurt by fire. It was time to use their claws and teeth. They charged at each other. Gabriel roared as the wereserpent howled. Gabriel jutted his massive head forward with his mouth wide open. At the same time, the wolf serpent slashed his claws. Gabriel got hit in the face with two giant paws.
Claws ripped at his touch face, but he still managed to feel a bit of pain. He cringed in pain and took a step back. Flames wouldn’t work, neither would biting. He had to get creative. He flew into the air and circled the wereserpent. The wereserpents' giant yellow eyes watched Gabriel as he adjusted his feet to follow Gabriel’s flight. Gabriel flew for a few minutes and then had an idea.
He beat his wings violently and traveled several thousand yards. He was at the back of the battle where enemy creatures were appearing over the horizon and running into the fray. He saw thousands of men marching with swords, axes, and longbows. Gabriel smiled, it was time to do what he did best. He flew toward them and breathed fire. Several of them fell to the ground dead. He breathed again and again and killed most of the enemy soldiers. His body was out of the fire. He would have to wait a while before he could breathe flames again. Gabriel landed on the field with a great noise that rattled everyone around him. A few clumsy soldiers fell down. Gabriel took a few steps toward them and lifted his leg. He smashed it down on a single enemy lying on his back. All of his bones seemed to break with a loud crunching noise.
The men surrounded Gabriel, and he could feel hundreds
of arrows bouncing off his rock hard scales. He turned toward the mass of archers and said, “I am immortal. Do you really think a few twigs could hurt me?” His voice was powerful and could be heard all the way in the town.
“Leave him me. He’s mine.” An equally powerful and loud voice came from behind him. Gabriel turned around, and the archer’s jogged off to join the fray in the town. Gabriel saw the wereserpent walking quickly toward him. Gabriel remembered a male adult wolf weighed about eighty pounds. This wolf dragon must have weighed at least three thousand. It seemed he was too heavy to fly.
“What’s the matter wolfcunt? You can’t fly?” Gabriel teased with a smile.
“I don’t have to. I’ll still kill you, Gabriel.” The arrogant man said.
“What is your name?” Gabriel asked.
“My name is Simon the Gray,” Simon said with a satisfied smile.
“No!” Gabriel shouted. “You can’t be.” Simon was his best friend.
“I am. I will kill you tonight Gabriel the Dragon.” Simon said his smile growing larger.
“Why Simon, why kill me?” Gabriel asked in confusion
“Someone had to do it eventually. Did you know several people have a million gold pieces on your head? A million pieces of gold! Everyone wants to kill you, but no one has the balls. I met with Arian. We had a werewolf in a cage. He set up a complicated spell. We let the lycan out, and he chanted the spell before during and after the beast bit me. I barely survived. But now I do how easy it is to survive as a monster who is this powerful. Half werewolf half Dragon. I feel invincible!” Simon shouted in excitement.
“So do I Simon. By the time the night is done, we will figure out who is less invincible than the other.” Gabriel said venomously. “You associated with Arian. Don’t you know he is a wanted criminal, an evil warlock wanted for abusive and horrible crimes against humans and gods in seven major cities.
“I think it’s eight,” Simon said.
“Whatever it is I’m going to kill you tonight,” Gabriel said.
“Let’s see. “ Simon said from below the dragon. “I actually can’t fly so you’ll have to come down here unless you want to have another pathetic little fire breathing contest. I’m immune to fire and heat, and so are you.”
“Yes, you are right Simon if only, some way you could fly.” Gabriel thought out loud.
“That would be sweet, brother, but the wolf is so much heavier than the dra… whoa! What are you doing?” Simon yelled.
Gabriel had flown lower and grabbed under Simon’s front arms with his talons, he dug his claws deep into the wolf’s chest and arms. He could feel that as deep as he was it was just a flesh wound. Mildly painful and very easy for Simon to shake off. Gabriel flew high into the air while carrying Simon. Simon was dumbfounded for several minutes. He had no idea why Gabriel would fly him, somewhere.
“A free ride.” Simon smiled.
Chapter Six
Gabriel flew for over a hundred miles. He was pleased to feel Simon just relaxing. He didn’t put up any kind of fight. Gabriel and Simon enjoying watching towns of people and watch them go about their daily lives. Many of them looked up at the dragon carrying a giant wolf in the sky above them. Simon just looked like an enormous wolf. He was a little bigger than an elephant.
Eventually curiously overcame the fun relaxing ride and Simon asked, “Where exactly are you taking me?”
Gabriel paused to think for a second. He saw the Sanctuary of Lunatics in the distance and said, “The Sanctuary of Lunatics of course. You are an evil bloodthirsty monster. You need isolation, imprisonment, and treatment.”
Simon laughed monstrously. Laughter from his wolf form was loud and aggressive. It sounded like the roars of a vicious predator. “There’s no way they could force me to go there. I’m way too big to fit into any door or window. Even the great hall’s entrance is a bit too small for me.
“Maybe they’ll treat you outside and force you to shift back to your human form,” Gabriel said.
Simon laughed. He said, “Impossible, the wizard made me permanent. There’s nothing to shift back to. I’m the first lycan with no human side!”
“So what!” Gabriel said in feigned desperation. “There’s nowhere else for a monster like you.”
Simon laughed maniacally. “Tell me, Gabriel. Have you honestly never killed an innkeeper who disrespected you, or looked ugly. You’ve never killed a prince or king who talked down to you, a bitch who wouldn’t suck your neck?”
“No. Never,” Gabriel said with pride.
“You are really missing it. It feels so good.” Simon said.
They continued to fly, but Gabriel flew right over the Sanctuary of Lunatics and continued traveling. “What! What are you doing? Where the FUCK are we going?” Simon yelled.
“We are going to… The Forest of Lost Souls.” Gabriel lied.
“NO, we aren’t. You know as well as I do that if the Sanctuary can’t keep me behind bars, then the Forest of fuckin’ Souls damn well can’t either. WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU TAKING ME?”
“Just be patient. You’ll get there soon enough.” Gabriel said hopefully. He knew what came next.
Simon bit violently at Gabriel’s foot. Gabriel dropped Simon with one hand, and Simon turned his neck and head to bite the other leg. Gabriel let go of his leg and caught Simon with his other leg and free claws. Gabriel roared in pain and had trouble flying straight. He narrowly missed slamming into a castle. Several humans stared in horror and surprise at the enormous dragon dangling a wolf from his feet.
Gabriel had flown for several more feet before he reached his destination. Simon was multi-tasking, between looking at the ground and biting Gabriel’s legs and toes violently he saw where Gabriel intended to drop him. The Vale of Skulls. Simon ate one of Gabriel’s legs furiously. Eventually, Gabriel couldn’t hold on anymore. He dropped the wereserpent who landed in the sand on top of the notorious valley. Simon looked into the sky and howled violently.
Gabriel knew what that meant. He wanted to fight. Gabriel flew over to Simon and circled above him. He flew down and tried to lift him up. First Simon lay in the sand and dug his claws deep into the earth. Gabriel couldn’t move him. Gabriel circled back around and descended. He grabbed Simon the wereserpent by his sides and dug his claws deep into his flesh. Gabriel beat his wings and tried to lift Simon. It wouldn’t work.
Simon laughed maniacally. “You’re going to have to fight Gabriel baby. Come fight me like a man you fuckin’ coward!” He said with a smile.
Gabriel exhaled in frustration. For once he knew Simon was right. Gabriel landed a few feet away from Simon, he stood on all fours and roared. Simon only smiled at the dragon. He charged at him and pounced. Simon’s claws landed on Gabriel’s chest and knocked him to the sandy ground. Gabriel bit Simon’s face and crawled out from under him. He stood up on his two legs and darted his head downward. He tried to bite off Simon’s face, but Simon Jumped out of the way.
Simon growled at him and jumped onto his face. He bit Gabriel’s head several times, and blood fell, and blood fell into the sand. Gabriel flew into the air and pushed Simon off. Simon landed comfortably, but he was dangerously close to the Valley of Skulls. If he fell down, he wouldn’t get out.
Simon was arrogant he tainted, “You can’t kill me, Gabriel. I can run into a town right now and kill everyone. Their flesh will taste so delicious. The entire world will be werewolves, and I will be their king.
“You… are right,” Gabriel said defeated. “But you can’t kill me.”
“That may be true,” Simon admitted. “That gives you two options, either rule with me, or be an outcast. What do you say?”
Gabriel pretended to think about it as he took a few steps closer to Simon. Simon just stood there on all fours smiling with his dark yellow eyes and long white teeth. Gabriel was a few feet away from the evil monster. Gabriel said, “I choose to be with you.” He looked up into Simon’s eyes as he spoke.
“That’s excellent!” Si
mon said with a big smile. “You have no idea what a good decision this is. You will have everything you could possibly ask for. Booze, food, love, women, praise from all the pathetic weak humans and lesser shifters. I’m so happy for you!” Simon said.
Gabriel charged at Simon. Simon had a confused expression for a few seconds before he knew what was going on. Gabriel threw all of his weight against Simon and forced his giant body to fly the final ten feet into the Vale of Skulls. He had a final second to make eye contact with Gabriel and said,
“You are dead you fool.” His body disappeared, and Gabriel walked to the edge. He looked down on saw Simon falling ten thousand feet to his eternal prison. The world was whole again.
Chapter Seven
Gabriel flew back to the town. He was happy to notice with the help of Jack the Bear his beloved townsfolk had killed the enemies. The wizard Arian and his armies had been defeated again. It was a matter of time before he died of old age. Probably a long time, like a few centuries. But the men and werecreatures who fought for him were growing small in numbers. Gabriel turned into a man and patted Jack’s back as Jack transformed back into a human. A few fresh scars appeared on his thin human body. “That was one wild night,” Jack said.
Gabriel agreed. He nodded and said, “First time I fought a wereserpent and I hope it’s the last. He is one tough fucker.”
“Where is he? How did you kill him?” Jack asked with a smile.
“I didn’t kill him. I flew him over to the Vale of Skulls and pushed him down it.
Jack roared with laughter. A hint of a bear could be heard in his laughter. “That’s a smart idea, Gabriel. He shouldn’t find a way out of there for a while.”
“I hope you’re right. He didn’t seem concerned. I think he might have a way out of.” Gabriel said.
“A way out of the Vale of Skulls?” Jack asked. “Only one person did that, and it didn’t count because he was a…”
“Dragon,” Gabriel said with pride.
One Little Letter_A Bad Boy, Second Chance Romance Page 28
