Lucius nodded. “Let’s do it,” he said resolutely.
They made their way back to the entrance of the dens. Lucius stayed inside the cave while Simeon and Siegfried crossed over to where the men awaited anxiously. A few more explosions sounded in the distance along with dragon shrieks that pierced the eerie calm of Ghadarya. There was no way for any of them to know how Dudley and the others were faring in the battle. Lucius prayed for his friends as he stooped down to open the sack containing the fire strikers. He tucked four of the spiked metal balls into pockets sewn inside his leather jerkin and held the fifth in his left hand gingerly. Siegfried took the rest.
The men approached the entrance with swords drawn, following Simeon into the dark tunnel. Naphtali held the torch Siegfried carried previously and also a bundle with flags of various colors poking through the top. Lucius looked to his brother for any instructions his father might have relayed to the group.
“Slight change of plans. We will keep ten men on the lower level of the cave while five scout the dens nearest to the ground,” Siegfried explained. Lucius gave him a questioning look, and the elf continued. “Your father thinks it’d be best to have men standby for the initial attack rather than spreading everyone out throughout the dens. Each of the five scouts will have a flag and signal the men below if they’ve found something. This way it’ll be easier for all of us to move into position as one rather than being spread out.”
“That makes sense,” Lucius admitted. “Who will the five scouts be?”
“You, me, Naphtali, and two other Uwadi soldiers,” Siegfried said. He handed a small piece of cloth to Lucius.
In the dim light, he realized it was one of Naphtali’s flags. The flag was green and attached to a short wooden rod.
“Come on, let’s move into position with the others,” Siegfried said.
The Ospreys congregated a few feet from the refuse heap the dragons created in the center of the chamber. Naphtali’s torch illuminated the ground around them and cast eerie shadows along the high cavern walls. The young warrior handed the torch to Simeon, who then gestured to Lucius and the other scouts to ascend the nearest stairs to the first level of dens.
“I’ll be watching for any signals. Don’t engage any dragon before we’ve rallied to you.” Simeon reminded them. “We’ll only get one chance to surprise them and then the others will be roused. As long as we stay sharp and fight as one, we might make it out of here alive.”
The grim, but determined faces around him nodded in agreement. With a deep breath, Lucius approached the stone stairs and ascended alongside Siegfried. Naphtali and the other two Uwadi brought up the rear. As they reached the first landing, Lucius could now hear the slow, rhythmic breaths of the slumbering dragons. He followed the sound to the first den he walked by. The other scouts fanned out and slowly entered the other dens on the first level. Lucius watched them disappear into the darkness of each den. The sight was reminiscent of mice scurrying inside a hole only to find a hungry cat waiting inside.
He swallowed hard then entered the first den, stepping carefully into the gathering dark. Deep gusts of air whooshed throughout the interior of the den, but as he moved forward, he realized the sound was uneven. There were two sets of breaths running at different intervals in the cave. He knew this meant two dragons were likely inside—a mother and a hatchling. Though he could only make out the barest outline of a large beast in front of him. The back of the dragon’s body rose and fell in cadence with each breath. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness further, Lucius saw a smaller creature huddled under the massive figure. Based on the hatchling’s size lying down, he estimated the young dragon was around six feet long from snout to the tip of its tail. Despite the beast’s smaller stature, he knew it wouldn’t go down without a fight. The mother would also prove to be another challenge. Though she looked much larger than the sleek, muscled dragon he'd seen earlier, her wings were much smaller and possibly overburdened if she took flight.
The mother suddenly moved her head and Lucius froze in place. She swept her giant tail from side to side then lay still again. Lucius waited a few minutes before daring to move then walked back to the entrance, pulling out the green flag that he’d tucked in his belt. On the landing, he looked down to Simeon who held the torch and scanned the dens for any sign of the scouts. Lucius waved his flag and Simeon saw him immediately. Another flash of movement caught Lucius’ attention. He looked up and saw Naphtali just outside the den he entered, waving his flag eagerly. Standing outside the other dens, he saw Siegfried and the two Uwadi warriors—none of whom signaled the group below. As Simeon gave orders to the men around him, Lucius noticed an orange light penetrate the darkness behind Naphtali. It was faint at first, but it grew more intense in a matter of seconds. Time froze for a moment as Lucius realized what was unfolding before him. He waved his flag vigorously, hoping to get Naphtali’s attention across the chasm that separated them. The young warrior looked at him puzzled and it would be the man's final expression. A massive fireball flew out of the den and consumed Naphtali, leaving nothing but dust and smoke in its wake.
A vicious growl echoed from the den. The dragon mother lumbered out of her cave and peered down at Simeon and the others, who scrambled up the stairs. A hatchling also hopped out to join its mother. The young beast had razor-sharp teeth and red eyes set against dark scleras. At its mother’s prompting the hatchling took flight and targeted the running figures below. It spiraled down from its roost and headed directly toward the leader of the group—Simeon.
“Father, watch out!” Lucius yelled.
Simeon reacted to Lucius’ warning and wheeled around a second before the hatchling’s claws sunk into him. His father raised his wooden buckler, catching the dragon’s talons in the wood. The young dragon flapped its wings violently to tear itself away from the shield. Three Uwadi flanked the airborne enemy and unleashed a barrage of blows against it. Simeon dealt the killing blow by stabbing the hatchling in the throat. The dragon gave an agonized screech then fell lifeless to the ground. Its mother let out a visceral roar fueled by rage. She opened her mouth and let out a stream of flames at the stairs. But Simeon and the Uwadi were already on the move, dodging the fire hailing down around them. There was a momentary pause in the flames and Lucius saw the mother had turned her attention to Siegfried and the two Uwadi closest to her. She approached them as quickly as her lumbering gait would allow. Siegfried shot four arrows in her direction. The arrows struck the dragon in the head and the neck. She let out a fierce cry of pain and stumbled forward, careening slightly. The two Uwadi next to Siegfried pressed the attack, cutting at the creature with their swords.
A sudden bellow from behind Lucius alerted him to the danger he was now in. He turned around and saw the monstrous shape of the mother in the den behind him approach. Her hideous face came into the dim light of the torch below and he could see malice and fury in those red eyes staring down at him. She opened her mouth and within it, Lucius saw a small flame quickly ignite into a fireball that would consume him like it did Naphtali. Holding the fire striker in his hand, he took aim and tossed it inside the creature’s massive jaws. The heat of the fire combined with the impact of the fire striker created a massive blast that knocked Lucius backward onto the ground.
Propping himself on his elbows, he could see the blast had completely decimated the creature's head, and she lay still on the ground. A slow rumbling came from the ceiling above causing rocks and debris to fall down on the lifeless beast's body. The blast made the dragon den unstable prompting Lucius to get up and run to the walkway outside. As more rocks poured down into the den, the hatchling inside flew out and tackled him to the ground with its legs. Lucius’ face hit the jagged rock hard. Blood poured out from his cheek and forehead as the young dragon hiss pinned him to the floor. He fumbled with the sword on his belt, seeking to unsheathe it. But it was a fruitless effort. Though the dragon was much smaller than its mother or an adult male, its weight kept Lucius incapacitated. He w
ondered if this would be his final moment. Death did not frighten him — he'd already experienced it once. But the pain of dying in such an awful place without putting up much of a fight saddened him.
Before he braced himself for the hatchling's killing move, he felt its weight suddenly lift off him.
“Lucius, are you all right?” Siegfried shouted from across the chamber.
He rolled onto his back and saw the hatchling lying dead next to him. A single shaft of a familiar arrow stuck between its eyes. “I’m much better now!” Lucius waved his hand in gratitude at his brother.
But the momentary victory did not last long. Above them more dragon mothers and their offspring were stirring in the dens. They poked their heads out from their lairs and urged their brood to attack the invaders of their sanctuary. A dozen hatchlings flew down to meet them on the first level. Sharp screams and streams of fire followed them.
“Rally to me!” Simeon yelled at the Ospreys.
Lucius, now wielding his sword, raced toward his father’s side, as did Siegfried and the others. The terrifying sight of the dragon brood caused the team to waiver for a moment. Then Siegfried released several arrows into the flying formation headed toward them. The shots struck one of the dragon's dead and it’s careening body hit one of its companions on the way down. This created confusion among the young dragons, giving Lucius an opportunity to toss a fire striker at them. The spiked ball flew through the expanse of the chamber and stuck to the scaly skin of a red hatchling. Though it clearly hurt the flying dragon, it did little damage. If anything the move angered it now as it fixed its eyes on Lucius. He intended this would happen, and he quickly gestured to Siegfried.
“There! Can you hit the fire striker with an arrow? It’ll scatter them!” Lucius said frantically.
Siegfried nodded, nocking another arrow and drawing back the bowstring. There was a second of concentration on the elf's face as he lined up for the shot. Then came the familiar thwack of the string striking his forearm followed by the hiss of the arrow. Lucius couldn't track its flight in the dark cavern, but he knew what would follow afterward.
“Everybody find cover!” Lucius said, ducking into one of the empty dens. But his warning could not be heeded in time. An explosion rocked the floor around them and everyone stumbled as the chamber lit up in a display of fire. As Lucius had hoped, the blast killed most of the hatchlings and severely injured those that survived. But as before, the explosion caused a cascade of rocks to fall down from the chamber’s ceiling. Cracks formed in several places along the walls and more dens collapsed into themselves.
“No more of those blasted things unless we need to, Lucius!” Simeon said. He helped several Uwadi to their feet, and they assessed the situation. Two hatchlings survived the explosion, but were limping around the pile of refuse below them. Simeon ordered five men to finish them off, and they happily agreed.
Angry roars startled them from above. The dragon mothers had witnessed the destruction of their home and deaths of their young. Now despite their girth, three of them jumped down from their dens and took flight. They glided down and landed onto the platform nearest to Lucius and the others. They were unable to mount an aerial attack like the hatchlings, but that wouldn't prevent from dealing with the threat inside their home. Two of the mothers approached on their right and the other on their left. The one on their left reared her head back and breathed a fiery blast at the Uwadi on the platform. Most of the men dodged the fire, but four were caught in the flames. Simeon pulled two of them out from the inferno then used his cape to put out the flames. They retreated into an empty den just as the dragon released another fiery breath.
Lucius and Siegfried mounted an attack on the two dragon mothers approaching them on the opposite side of the cavern.
“You take the green one,” Lucius said, indicating the large beast to his left. “I’ll take the red one.”
“Easier said than done. Especially without fire strikers,” Siegfried reminded him.
“If it comes to it, I’ll disobey my father’s order to save ourselves,” he shot back.
A few Uwadi warriors followed their lead and split up behind them to attack each dragon. The walkway they ran on was narrow, making it difficult to maneuver and coordinate an assault. But the dragons had an even rougher time of it. Without the ability to fly, they shuffled along slowly shoulder to shoulder. Occasionally, they bumped against each other on the path inciting a shoving match between them. It was the perfect distraction for Siegfried to strike. The elf unleashed a rapid succession of arrows at the green dragon, aiming for the space between the creature’s eyes. But the dragon moved its head at the last moment and caught one of the arrows in the eye. She screamed violently and her partner blasted a fireball at their attackers.
Lucius ducked, feeling the hot flames singe the hair on his neck and the back of his cloak. One of the Uwadi behind him wasn’t so fortunate. The man’s head was engulfed in flames and he ran frantically around to put it out. Too late he realized his mistake and walked right out off the platform, falling to his death on the jagged rocks below.
The red dragon prepared for another flame burst, but Lucius was already upon her. He swung the Requiem Sword in a high arc that cut across the mother’s left foreleg. She stumbled forward, buckling on account of her massive bulk. He pressed the attack and thrust his sword into her ribcage, hoping he’d struck near the creature’s heart. The dragon roared in pain then swiped at him with her right foreleg. He avoided the sharp talons seeking to disembowel him, but he caught the dragon’s massive elbow in his chest. The blow knocked him against the rock wall next to the walkway and tears flooded his eyes from the impact. He blinked several times to clear his vision.
“Lucius, move!” Siegfried cried out.
Lucius looked up, seeing the monster above him. Her mouth was open, ready to burn him to oblivion. With an enormous effort, he surged forward. The heat of the flames was at his back, prompting him to keep running. He rushed between the dragon’s forelegs and dove beneath her chest. Rolling onto his back, he thrust the Requiem Sword upward and pushed the blade deep into the dragon’s chest. He heard a gurgling gasp from the dragon as its life ebbed away. Pulling away his sword, Lucius scrambled out from beneath the dragon mother just as it crashed onto the ground.
Glancing to his left, he saw three Uwadi stabbing the green dragon's flanks as Siegfried released multiple arrows into the creature’s body. The dragon defied death and refused to give them any ground. She whipped her massive tail around, catching the Uwadi warriors by surprise. Two of them were knocked off the walkway—their screams cut off violently by their bodies thudding into the rocks. The last Uwadi stabbed the dragon’s hind leg causing the beast to topple backward. He moved to the right, preparing for a killing blow, but she was quicker. With a backhanded swipe of her talons, she cut a deep gash across the man’s chest.
Lucius reached the man too late, and he watched him fall down helplessly at his feet. The mother was moving to Siegfried now, who had exhausted his quiver. The dragon looked ragged and near death. Multiple arrow shafts stuck out from various places on her green body punctuated by the cuts she’d endured from the Uwadi. Despite her grievous wounds, the creature’s eyes displayed an unrelenting defiance and murderous rage.
She won’t go down easy, Lucius thought.
Siegfried only had a long dagger to threaten the dragon with now. It wouldn’t be enough to take the beast down. As both elf and dragon sized each other up on the platform, Lucius decided upon a different approach.
“Hey you! Dragon swine! Come over here,” Lucius shouted.
The green dragon ignored him, shuffling closer to her prime target. Frustrated, Lucius picked up a large rock and flung it at the creature’s wounded hind leg. The monster yelped then whirled around to face this new threat.
“That’s it. Come on, I’m right here. Show me those pretty teeth of yours,” Lucius taunted.
“What the devil are you doing?” Siegfried asked incred
ulously.
“Saving your life,” Lucius said. He picked up another rock and threw it at the creature. This time she dodged it and glowered at him. “Did that make you angry? Well, why don’t you burn me to death then. Go on.”
The creature raised one of its scaly brows, pleased by the suggestion. And as Lucius had hoped, she took the bait. She reared back and prepared to unleash a torrent of flames. But he anticipated the action. Once the orange glow ignited in her mouth, Lucius hurled the fire striker he held behind him into the growing flames. The resulting explosion knocked the dragon back and straight off the walkway. An enormous crash rocked the cavern and prompted another wave of rocks and boulders to fall. Lucius ran toward his brother and they evaded the avalanche that nearly crushed them.
Smoke and dust filled the chamber, bringing on a coughing spell for both of them. When the dust settled, Lucius scanned the enormous room for his father. He glimpsed movement near the stone stairs leading down to the ground. Simeon was battling a dragon mother on the steps, avoiding her vicious bite and slicing at her with his sword. The remaining Ospreys had either been wounded severely or killed by the dragon. Now his father stood alone against the beast.
“Siegfried, we’ve got to help him!” Lucius said, taking off at a run.
He sensed rather than saw Siegfried following him. Grabbing another fire striker from his belt, Lucius considered tossing it at the dragon’s back. But the large cracks splitting the wall beside the stairs stopped him. He didn’t want to risk another massive collapse of rocks near his father. The cavern’s walls were already unstable and who knew what another blast might do. Instead, he raced toward the fight and saw a fallen Uwadi’s spear on the path. Picking it up with his free hand, he stopped about a yard away from the dragon. He felt the heft of the spear in his hand than judged the distance between him and his enemy. Allowing himself a quick prayer, he drew his arm back then threw the spear forward with all his weight behind it. The long projectile flew in a high arc than came down quickly. Lucius watched the point impale itself between the dragon’s shoulder blades.
Keep of Dragons (The Azuleah Trilogy Book 3) Page 23
