by Ryan Johnson
Vaeludar felt the bite but not the pain. Vaeludar lost his balance and fell, gripping the sword tightly. The bite felt like a pounding of a slapping hand.
Then the Gorgon began slashing her tail at the still disguised hybrid, who was rolling out of the whipping tail. Even though the Vaeludar was going to be immune to the strikes, he still needed to have a chance to fight back. And getting himself stung by the scorpion-like pointy-end of the Gorgon’s tail wasn’t going to do him much. Vaeludar needed to think faster than the Gorgon’s flashing attacks if he is to liberate this town from the Gorgon’s rule.
Vaeludar stopped on his belly and hastily got up. His left hand ripped out of his disguised clothing and held the sword with his two hands.
The Gorgon whipped her tail again and Vaeludar struck his sword at the whipping tail. His swings were just inches from cutting the tail off the creature. After many missed slashes, the Gorgon halted its attacks.
“Not just a peasant, a warrior,” said the Gorgon. “This should be entertaining for me.”
“Believe me, you won’t find me that entertaining. I have abilities you do not know I possess. I will be the death of you, Gorgon. I can’t be killed by you.”
“We’ll see about that,” she hissed. She lunged her tail forward.
Vaeludar stood his guard and stood like a rock, wanting the Gorgon to strike him. In a direct hit, the Gorgon’s tail whipped at Vaeludar’s heart. But thanks to his indestructible skin hiding under the peasant clothing, he was able to withstand the trying-to-penetrate tail but at the impact that sent him back to the ground.
However, Vaeludar fell with many sounds of ripping and snipping. His wings and legs and tail torn through the clothing and, with great jumping reflexes like a ninja, Vaeludar’s wings flipped him back up. His wings torn through the clothing, the claws of his dragon feet ripped the underparts, his tail snapped from the lower parts.
The townspeople got up in awe but fearfully. The Gorgon snapped in fear and slithered backwards from the straight instant she gazed her snaky eyes on the tormenting hybrid. “W-what are you? You are not human, but yet not a dragon–wait–I do know you. You’re that hybrid. You’re–”
Vaeludar blew a weak but very hot liquid fire, which was very liquidly like molten fire, on his torn disguise. Burning his clothing down to a flat layer ash that fell to the ground, the hybrid strolled forward, flipped his sword to the sky, showing them his naked hybrid body, and announced: “I am Vaeludar, son of Ralenskrit, Slayer of the Five-Headed Dragon, and Liberator of the Northern Region. I am here to liberate this village from you, Gorgon, and find an armor artifact. Prepare yourself, for you are about to meet your creators of evil.”
The Gorgon shook the fear from out of her mind and loudly like a loud girl’s screaming. She charged with great speed.
Vaeludar was ready. Since she took to the land, he decided to take to the air. Land creatures couldn’t try to reach for the air. Vaeludar flew like a blowing leaf in the sky on a windy day and swung around the village like a terrorizing fire-breathing Dragon.
With the magical abilities of the sword and the arm armor, Vaeludar glided toward the attacking Gorgon. With his own rock-like tail, he pounded at the Gorgon in its spot, smashing the creature into the dirt like an asteroid landing into the earth. Vaeludar landed into the seconds after the tail smashed the Gorgon. Removing his tail from the dead-looking Gorgon, Vaeludar signed and turned away.
Then the Gorgon’s tail tied around his neck and squeezed like a snake squeezing its helpless, weakly victim. Vaeludar instantly lost his grip of the Crystal Sword and soared afar. The Gorgon’s tail whiplashed Vaeludar’s choking body in circles and roundabouts like a rollercoaster. The injured Gorgon’s human part of its body slowly crept up the smashed hole Vaeludar’s tail made.
“I’ll show you what I do around here when someone tries my patience.”
“On the contrary,” said a chocking Vaeludar, “you try my patience and therefore tried my strength, Gorgon.” Vaeludar sliced, with the spikes on his arms, the Gorgon’s scaly tail.
The Gorgon felt the pain of the blundering spiked-elbows skinning her snaky scales of her flesh.
Vaeludar flew free from the Gorgon’s grip. His mind reached out to the Crystal Sword was the first thing he did when he broke free from the Gorgon’s grip. The glowing sword soared back into the hybrid’s right hand. Suddenly, shivers went up his back, reflecting his arm muscles to block another ambushing tail attack. His left arm grabbed the tail and with the mighty strength of his Crystal Sword cut off the scorpion-like tail, sparking out a light from the ripped off end.
The Gorgon froze and stopped moving. Her human-looking body fell and he dropped the tail to the dirt.
Vaeludar did not hesitate to move in for the killing blow, but before he was going to kill the monster, he slammed the sword into the dirt and just as the sharp edge of the blade touched the Gorgon’s throat-skin, ready to cut right through it. The hilt of the blade was near the creature’s neck. Vaeludar was ready to make the kill at the almost dead Gorgon. But instead of cutting off her head, he could feel that this creature didn’t have connections or dark magic from the Shadow King.
“What are you waiting for, hybrid? Do it. Kill me! Free this village from me.”
Vaeludar did nothing but withdrew the blade from the creature’s neck. He could feel something inside her mind when the sword’s blade touched her throat; Vaeludar sensed deep desires, a very strong sympathy, and a great hatred of great loneliness. He could feel Gorgon’s feelings are the same exact ones as he had: the feelings of an outsider.
“No, I needed to kill, but no. I am not going to kill you, Gorgon. I don’t need to.”
“What! Why?”
Vaeludar placed the Crystal Sword on the ground and held a figure toward the Gorgon’s head. “This is why,” he said. Vaeludar placed his figure on the Gorgon’s forehead, and thousands of images and memories of Vaeludar’s mind went into the Gorgon’s mind; the mind of another outsider.
They both were part of the same leaf. After a few stirring seconds of showing her his memories, Vaeludar pulled his figure free from the creature’s head. “I’ve been outsider too. You shouldn’t have gone turning these people to stone, just to prove you are something special. It’s time for you to start over and ask these people.” Then he placed his figure on the Gorgon’s heart, showing her the powerful happy memories of the Siren: Merina, his foster brothers and sisters, and the sad memory: the passing of a White Knight.
Theo Gorgon’s human face turned from anger into great sorrow. Never before has someone or thing ever understood this Gorgon wasn’t involved in dark magic but as being an outsider. How would this one hybrid that fought a five-headed dragon spare her life or even give her a second chance of life?
Vaeludar walked over towards the wounds. With a wave of an arm, a small icy breeze covered with wounds with chilling feeling for the Gorgon. Then Vaeludar positioned both his hands on several bloody, thin holes his elbow spies pierced to rig himself free when he was being choked.
The touch of his skins made the Gorgon grunt and groan but she held her pouting, feeling the pain from the icy touch. The cold made her felt like the thing she was: a cold-hearted stone-er; a power to turn people to stone, and she had no regrets… until now.
Vaeludar whipped the wounds clean with his hands. After that, he turned his attention towards the cut tail. The Gorgon’s tail was bleeding terribly like lava spewing out of a volcano. His touch the blooding ripped end with his hand and squeezed hard, which made the creature yelled more in her misery. Afterword, Vaeludar pulled out a regular snake tail, not with a scorpion stingy end. The beast he originally planned to kill he had spared.
“But why?” she demanded.
“I’m the opposite of the Shadow King Lusìvar,” answered Vaeludar, walking over to her upper body. “I’ll never be. I believe in second chances; a state to redeem yourself. All living things deserve a second chance if they are given. And I believe every
one and creature have their own unique talents.
“I have talents. Humans are talents. Dragons, Unicorns, and you are talented if you use them for evil also, and you don’t have to be evil to prove that you are more talented than others. Find it in your heart and mind that if you go in the right direction, in the light, you will find something special about you and use it to for the righteousness.” Vaeludar reached out his hand towards her. “Touch my hand and see the light.”
Surprisingly, the Gorgon did and touched the hybrid’s hand. Suddenly, a bright light shined in her eyes. For all of her life, she felt like a complete disgrace for living creatures. Hiding behind her shadows, she could have never belonged to the human world. Then her life went upside-down when this hybrid came, battled her, spared her, and showed her the light. Removing her hand, he faintly breathed. “Never before I felt someone would… like me or even show me kindness.”
“If you have enough patience like I did waiting in the shadows, a light would have sparked and you would have been ready.”
“What can I do now?” she asked for advice.
“Free these captured souls from their stony prisons. I know they aren’t dead. Release them and ask for the forgiveness from their families. Let them tell you what they felt of losing their loved ones and the feel about you. Do these and within time, could be days, months, or years, you will be accepted into human society like me and live free from evil for the rest of your life and follow the light and don’t stray from its path. If you do, you will become evil again and you won’t be given a third chance. Death will only find you.”
The Gorgon dripped tears from her snake-like eyes, tears of joy and sadness made her eyes turn human. Apparently, there was a human side in that snake body of hers.
Vaeludar nodded at her and departed into the skies and back to find Flavius.
FOREST SPIRITS
Vaeludar managed to find Flavius in the woods since they both traveled to the unknown lands of the Northern Region. Since their discovery of northern clans, they soon learned there were five clans, five kinds of people under the slavery of Lusìvar, the Pied Piper, and the three witches. And after ultimately killing Lusìvar’s five headed dragon body, Vaeludar has been trying to connect the Northern Region the other regions in the south.
For about six months, progress has been steady but slow. Trades are coming slow over the mountain border, the clans of the Northern Region were still scared at the sight of the mythical creatures, and most importantly, Vaeludar was spending time trying to find the laboratory his parents once used.
Now Vaeludar was coming close to his parents’ laboratory. This village he found has to lead it directly to it. His entire search has led him to this village; with potential he will find a villager will lead him directly there.
Vaeludar spent nearly half an hour to find Flavius and his squad of soldiers. Being a half dragon, he used his scent skills to find Flavius. The hybrid managed to catch up to his foster brother through a dense forest. Vaeludar manage to find them at their campsite.
“And he is alive,” announced Flavius. Flavius was standing near a burnt-out fireplace.
“I couldn’t more alive than I am,” replied Vaeludar. “You left quite me little trace. And thanks to me being half dragon, I used my sense of smell to track you back here.”
“Are you so lonely in the woods you’re now sniffing m—”
“Don’t even go there,” Vaeludar interrupted. “I’m marrying a Siren. Remember that, Flavius. Marina is waiting for me to go back home. But we’ve come so far in the borders of the Greenwood Forest. We are getting close to our destination, but very closer if we could ask those villagers if they know anything of my parents’ laboratory.”
“What about this Gorgon?” Flavius asked. “Have you dealt with that evil creature, brother?”
Vaeludar’s eyes exploded with reality; telling about sparing the Gorgon’s life was going to be quite a shocking event to talk about. All Gorgons were ever told to be were wicked and deceitful like Sirens creatures of evil hearts. Vaeludar’s was pounding hard he didn’t know how to answer Flavius. The hybrid spared a monstrous creature that is known for ruthlessly turning people to stone. “Ah, yes, the Gorgon, well… she, er…” he nervously laughed.
“She what? She got the better of you? Was she too fast for you to handle on your own? What happened?” Flavius blurt out endlessly questions as Vaeludar was gulping heavily. Then Flavius stopped his questioning, curious to hear what happen.
“I let the creature go free,” signed Vaeludar.
“WHAT!” gasped Flavius. “You let the monster live? How could you do that? That’s a Gorgon! Those creatures turn humans to stone, and you let one live? That is a monster!”
“So were the Sirens and looked at what happen to them,” stated Vaeludar. “Marina is a Siren and she isn’t that dangerous.”
“Until she greeted those witches with her teeth.”
“Enough talking about monstrous women! We came here trying to find the next armor artifact. We can either stay here or blubber about dangerous women or we can proceed to the next checkpoint and start asking questions about my parents: Ralenskrit and Belverda. Believe me; I want to continue my search for the next armor artifact, since we have managed to come this far from Geraldus’ village. And we can—”
Suddenly laughter roared and water splashes spurred. The laughter of laughing ladies and splashing of water was coming from a position very close to them. Drawn by the strange noises, Vaeludar and Flavius crept slowly, moving away branches and bushes from their view. Vaeludar waved his hands and one of his wings and several bushes were magically moved away without being touched.
After peeling away lots of leaves, an open area of several shining trees and a large sparkling stream revealed three women playing and laughing. They weren’t human; brown tree bark clung to a woman’s body with leaves as hair, another was blue as the stream and had seaweed as hair, and the third was green as grass and had grassy hair.
“Great! Nymphs! Why did we have to run into forest beauties?” whispered Vaeludar.
Flavius chuckled.
“What?”
“You said let’s find out about Ralenskrit and Belverda. You can ask them about your father and mother,” suggested Flavius.
“Oh, no. No way. I already dealt with enough female power from the creatures, and I’m already having a Siren. No way am I getting tangled with three more female creatures, especially Nymphs. They hate Dragons, due to a reputation of Dragons destroying trees with fire. I’m not going to talk to them.”
“You’re half dragon.”
“Still doesn’t make a difference,” Vaeludar argued. The hybrid scratched his ears, which were growing to be humanoid dragon ears, with his small dragon claws on his fingertips. His hair was curled around his ears and a single touch of his hair felt rough and itchy. Then he shook his head. “Nope, I’m not going in there.”
Flavius chuckled again and moved behind Vaeludar. Then Flavius heavily shoved the hybrid from the bushes and into the view of the three Nymphs.
“Hey,” shouted Vaeludar. Vaeludar was pushed hard his wings pulled out an entire bush from its roots. The claws of his feet sunk into the ground and caught his balance from falling. His wings let of the bush and whipped his tail around a low branch of a tree. “Well, that’s really mature, brother!”
The Nymphs gasped loudly.
Vaeludar looked at the forests nervously and waved. “Hmm, hi. Didn’t mean to drop in like this.”
The trio stared at him in awe.
Why am I having a feeling they want to get somewhere below my belly now, thought Vaeludar. He slowly walked step-by-step so he doesn’t humiliate himself in front of these forest spirits. His wings had folded around his shoulders, and his tail was released from the branch and slightly curved near his legs. If Marina saw me doing this, it would be the end of me, but I’ll make sure to take Flavius with me.
“So,” said Vaeludar, “do you Nymphs know a woman named
Belverda or a Dragon named Ralenskrit?”
The Nymphs only stood up and slurred with their mouths. They walked in a funny way and very inhumanly. They walked round and round and their mouths spoke voices in a charming yet tempting way.
Vaeludar found himself being surrounded by the Nymph trio circling around him. They seemed to have seductive like Sirens. Being half dragon, he was resistant to their beauty and their music singing voices. They were like Sirens but Sirens that lived in a forest and not the sea. He was staring straight forward, softly muttering a dragon grunt.
“Why I can’t my questions be answered already? I’m in hurry.”
The Nymphs were hearing him, but they weren’t listening to him.
Vaeludar shook his head and widen his wings. His wings flapped repeatedly, sending out heavy winds and soared into the air. Vaeludar was flying in the air and away from the three female forest spirits annoying his dragon nerves. “Where is the Dragon Ralenskrit and the human Belverda? My patience is running low!”
“Your patience?” hummed cricket voice.
Suddenly, Vaeludar slapped his ear if a fly was buzzing close to him. There was another buzzing sound near swarming near his legs. Vaeludar soon heard buzzing around him.
“How about your body running low?” said the cricket voice.
Vaeludar felt his wings becoming numb, but his dragon muscles remained strong. A cold wind brewed on his human chest. His eyes were tearing from a coldness shivering up his back. Dozens of sparks bright as the sun and small as fairies shown up from the leaves of the trees. Small flapping of small wings Vaeludar heard in his ears and guessed he was looking at fairies.
The lot of them spun around the hybrid as Vaeludar drifted to the ground. Lots of zaps were shot at Vaeludar, but he didn’t seem to be getting harmed by the little magic of these strange fairies. Suddenly, a branch of a tree slapped his head.
Vaeludar growled and he went landing down, with his legs smashing into the ground and impacting a great big hole. He lifted his head at the Fairies and shouted “Who did that?”
