Knight Fire

by Brad Clark

  Sir Pelmik gave a sharp nod and left with the rest of the knights.

  Marik turned to Hargon and said, “It’s all you, now.”

  Hargon glanced up into the sky hesitantly. They had not seen the dragon since its last attack.

  “Just fire up into the sky to get its attention.”

  Hargon looked at Marik. “What? You want me to call the dragon to us? What are you crazy?”

  “What did you think we were going to do?”

  Hargon looked up at the sky, wondering where the dragon was. “Well, I guess just hide until it comes out.”

  “We need to draw it out before it kills anymore. Look, I know you’re afraid. So am I.”

  “I’m no soldier,” Hargon said. “I’m supposed to be afraid, you’re not!”

  “I’m as human as anyone else. Even trained soldiers know fear. But we learn how to control it and not let it control us. You are special because you have this ability to use magic. And you can use that magic to make a difference. Right here, and going forward. You know how to protect yourself, and you know how to kill. Don’t think. Just do.”

  Hargon took in a deep breath to keep himself from throwing up. “Okay, but what are you going to do?”

  “Julius and I will take cover behind that house. If you can get it on the ground and distracted, we will attack it.”

  “But your arrows did nothing against it?”

  “Those were hunting arrows shot from a distance,” Marik replied. “We have longbows, now. If we can get close enough, we can find flesh not covered by those scales. But it’ll have to be completely distracted by you.”

  Julius and Marik started to walk away.

  “So, you’re leaving me alone? Right here in the open?”

  “You’ll be okay. You remember all those spells, right?”

  Hargon nodded his head and took another deep breath.

  “We’re going to be right over there, behind that building. You know the spell that you used to protect me? You’ll use that to protect yourself. Just don’t panic and try and remain calm so your head is clear to think through what is going on.”

  Hargon had no idea how he was going to keep himself from panicking. Standing alone in an open field with a fire-breathing dragon bearing down on him was surely going to make him panic. But he knew what Marik was trying to say, and he would do his best to trust his spells and his newfound power. Once Julius and Marik were crouched in the shadows behind the nearby building, he closed his eyes and mumbled the words of the spell. The power coursed through his body from his inner being and came out his fingertips. He thrust his hand upwards into the black sky, sending a dozen balls of fire into the sky.

  ***

  In Commoner, her name was Myllia. Dragons did not have a language to themselves, as they communicated between themselves through thoughts and emotions. As Human culture evolved around them, they learned their language using it to not only communicate with the other species around them but with other dragons as well. At first, being able to communicate with the other species of the world proved beneficial, allowing them to interact and coexist. But Humans could not stand to be subordinate to any other species, and they were threatened by the power of the dragons. So, dragons had become the hunted as part of a campaign to rid the world of anything that could pose a threat to humanity’s existence.

  While her sack of burning liquid replenished itself, she coasted, looking for her next victims. She also let her mind drift to the only other remaining dragon. She could feel his anger from afar, but she could also feel that he was unhurt. Having underestimated the power of the ogres, she had made her first mistake, but it would not happen again. At the time, she had been about to attack the ogres herself to free Immerallis, but he had told her to let him be. The ogres had the upper hand and could easily have crushed the bones of his neck, causing him to slowly suffocate. Being immortal did not mean they could not die. It just meant they kept living until someone, or something killed them. It happened to all those that she knew and loved. Except for Immerallis, the last male dragon, who was also her offspring. She would have given herself to free him, but he had insisted that she fly away and leave him. There would be a time when he would be able to free himself, or she could free him. She just needed to be patient.

  Patience came easy to a dragon who lived forever, so she abided by his wishes and left to satisfy her thirst for revenge against the humans who had done all they could to wipe her species out.

  There was no way to know how many times the sun had risen and fallen since they had fled to the cold arctic north, but it had been long enough that she barely recognized the land below her. The mountains to the north were still there, but they somehow looked just a bit different than she remembered. The great forest where the humans lived was not quite as big, or at least she didn’t remember it being as big. The first city she had come across had been so full of Humans that she was amazed. They had always congregated into villages and towns, satisfying a need or desire to be social. It certainly made it easier to carry out her vengeance when they were all together. Eons of pent-up anger released itself that first night as she had toppled buildings, crushed bones between her jaws, and burnt any living creature she could find. It soothed her angry soul to give back to the Humans the pain that she had endured for centuries.

  Now, as she glided above another Human city, the burning anger was not there. The hatred had not left, but she was starting to tire and would need some time to refresh herself. That would have to come later, though, as there were still so many Humans running through the streets of the city below her. Patiently she waited while the liquid fire in her belly was restored. It was taking a long time now, almost too long. That was the first sign that she was starting to get tired. Eventually, she wouldn’t be able to breathe her fire until she rested, but that was still some time away. Until then, she would kill and burn as many of the humans as she could find.

  The light from below caught her eye, but she ignored it at first. Then she realized it was a small ball of fire being thrown up into the sky. More followed. Twelve in all. They were coming from the other side of the city at the base of a long hill that rose up to the forest. She let out a screech of anger as she also felt the pull of magic from the web. The draw of magic was so slight, she would not have known where it was coming from. But the balls of fire told her exactly where it came from.

  She banked sharply and then pulled in her wings to her side to dive straight for the spot, readying to expunge the sack of burning liquid upon the Human mage who dared show himself once again. She knew that she should have searched harder for that mage the first time she had come across him. Her mind had been focused on the task of destroying the city, not rooting out a couple of Humans. But now that he had foolishly exposed himself, she knew who her next taste of Human would be. As she neared the edge of the city, she saw him and began to salivate. He stood in the middle of the open expanse between the city and the forest. One hand was raised, pointing right at her.

  He had seen her as well, and a series of fireballs were cast directly at her. She turned her body so that they bounced right off her scales. She barely felt them, as they were pure magic and would not affect her at all. As she neared the ground, she released the fire in her belly, sending the super-hot liquid out from its inner sack and directly towards the Human. After she had passed over him, she glanced back to see him standing in the center of perfectly green grass. But around that central circle, the grass was burned black. It is what she had expected. Their first spell had always been the shield spell that could protect from her fire. As she had her limitations, so did those who used magic. Whoever could replenish their power the quickest would survive. But she had the advantage as there would be no spell a Human mage could cast that could protect him from her jaws.

  With a twisting bank, Myllia dove to the ground and landed with a thud. She looked at the man who stood before her. If she could have smiled, she would have. The fear coming out of him gave her a euphor
ia that she had completely forgotten about.

  ***

  With supreme confidence, Hargon had cast the fireballs, tossing them with hardly a thought. It was becoming easier and easier to call forth the power to invoke his spells. Even better, the strain on his body was becoming less. But the dragon had not reacted in any way to being struck by his fireballs. The beast didn’t even flinch. It continued flying right at him, breathing its fire at him, as he expected. The words of the shield spell were already on his lips, and though he shook with fear, the words came out to protect him. It flew over his head. He ducked, even though it was far over his head. It landed some distance from him, and he turned to face it. Hargon tried to call forth the words of another spell, but his mind went blank. His hands began to shake, and he felt tears coming to his eyes. Completely paralyzed by fear, he could not get his feet to move or his voice to cry out for help.

  As soldiers experienced in death and fear, Marik and Julius did not hesitate. Pushing aside any thoughts of what they were attacking, they jumped out from dark shadows and sprinted towards the dragon. Splitting up as they approached, neither thought about survival. If they did, it would only make them think instead of reacting with their warrior instinct.

  Myllia noticed them at once and twisted her body to look back at them. With whip-like action, she struck her tail at Julius. The centurion caught the movement just in time and jumped out of the way.

  Seeing the dragon distracted, Marik lowered his head and pumped his legs as fast as he could go. When he was only steps away, Myllia twisted her body back towards him and struck with one of her forefeet. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of him and sent him tumbling across the field. He tried to hold onto his sword, but he kept rolling and could not maintain a grasp on his weapon. Once he came to a stop, he kicked and flailed as he struggled to get his breath back. For a moment, he thought he was surely going to die, but once he was able to take a deep breath, he rolled over onto all fours and looked for his sword. It was lost in the tall grass somewhere between himself and the dragon.

  Myllia snarled at Marik as she took a step forward. She then lowered her body into a crouch preparing to pounce.

  With the dragon’s back now to him, Hargon broke from his trance and thrust his hands at the dragon. His mind cleared up, and the words of the spell came to him. Tendrils of blue and white lightning exploded from his fingertips and spread across the dragon’s body. Just like when he struck it with fireballs, the dragon did not seem to notice or even flinch. It didn’t even turn towards him. Clearly, the dragon was focused on Marik, and it was about to strike.

  With a blood-curdling scream, Julius lifted his sword with a two-handed grasp and ran at the beast. But, his sword simply bounced off its scaled side, and he nearly lost his grip. Again, he struck, even as the dragon turned its head to look back at him. He even tried to pry the scales apart and drive the sword between them, but he could not find the beast’s flesh.

  Marik could barely move, but he forced himself up onto his feet. If he could have shouted for Julius to run, he would have, but no sound would come from his lips.

  With stunning speed, Myllia thrust her sharp-toothed jaws at Julius, grasping him around the waist. Julius furiously struck at the dragon’s snout trying to free himself. With a final shriek, he dropped his sword as she squeezed her jaws together, crushing his body with a sickening snap. She shook her head, sending Julius’ body tumbling through the long grass. After an ear-splitting shriek,

  Myllia turned to Marik, baring her long, sharp teeth.

  Dropping to his knees, defeat consumed Marik. In that instant of time, so many thoughts and emotions flooded through him. It seemed as if every moment of his life flashed through his mind as images stuck in time. Yet, his only thought was on failing and being known as a failure. First, it was South Karmon, now it would be Tyre. With both cities lost and thousands of people killed, the kingdom would be no more. When Conner and Elissa returned with the Elves, they would find a land ruled by the Deceiver.

  But then, as his eyes focused on the fierce face of the dragon, an odd feeling came over him. He looked forward to the inevitable. No more running or hiding in the damp, wet forest. No more eating cold food or not eating at all. With it ending right here, he wouldn’t have to deal with the world being taken over by the evil creatures of the Deceiver. There would be no more struggle and pain. It would all be over in a moment. Even if he suffered momentarily, it would be a quick death. He could handle that.

  Myllia dipped her head to the ground, her golden eyes narrowing. Marik waited for her to either pounce on him or burn him with her fiery breath.

  “Die, Human!”

  Marik looked around, wondering where the voice came from. It seemed like it was a female voice, but there was no one close to him. If he didn’t know better, he might have thought it was the dragon speaking to him.

  Suddenly, the dragon picked up its head, its pointed ears perked. Marik felt it, too, and it was a feeling that he thought he would never feel again. The ground rumbled and vibrated with the pounding of the large warhorses of Karmon Knights. A moment later, the sound reached his ears, and no longer did he feel hopelessness. The sound of charging Karmon Knights reminded him who he was and who he fought for. He felt ashamed for nearly giving up. It was not in his nature to just give up, nor was it something any Karmon Knight should do. The pounding of warhorses on the grassy field reminded him who he was and who he needed to fight for. He could not just let the world be conquered by these beasts. He might die trying, but he would not go so easily.

  Myllia turned to face the new threat. Fifty horses and their riders came charging out of the city. Half the riders held long lances tipped with a razor sharp points. The other half carried longbows. As they rode away from the city, they spread out wide in a single line.

  Movement caught Marik’s eye and he turned to see more Karmon Knights running towards him from the shadows of nearby buildings. They all carried longbows. Forgetting his sword that lay somewhere in the tall grass, he raced back to meet them.

  With an ear-splitting screech, Myllia lifted up on her hind legs and spread her wings wide. The moment she did, all the bowmen stopped, drew an arrow, and fired their weapons. The arrows struck the dragon from both sides with most of them simply bouncing off her impenetrable scales. But a few went wide of the mark and flew right through her thick leathery wings. As they did, she let out another shriek, but this was one of pain. Pulling her wings in tight, she awkwardly fell forward.

  Hope came back to him. The invincible beast might not be invincible. And maybe, just like the Stone Ogres they had fought back at South Karmon, the dragon had another weak spot. He was close enough that it would be an easy shot as long as the beast was distracted.

  He grabbed a bow from the closest knight, who gave it without question. As his fellow knights around him reloaded their bows, he knocked an arrow and turned to face the dragon. While the knights launched another futile flight of arrows at the back of the beast, Marik pulled back on the bowstring of his weapon and held it.

  Twenty Karmon Knights, their lances held out in front of them, continued their charge at the dragon. The other knights hung back and continued to launch arrows as fast as they could.

  The great, ancient beast arched her back and opened her jaws to expunge fire from her belly. The super-hot fire was aimed at the first knight on the left and then spread quickly to the right across the rest of the mounted knights.

  The screams told him that the horses and his knights did not die quickly. The men fell off their horses, writhing in the last throws of death. His hands shook, not from fear, but from anger. He had to wait for a clean shot, and by waiting, his men were burned alive. Arrows flew from the men around him. None did anything to harm the dragon. But they did get its attention.

  It turned to face them, exposing one of her large golden eyes.

  He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Then he released the arrow. It flew straight and true, sinking
deep into the only exposed part of the dragon.

  ***

  Myllia had never felt such pain. She let out a scream while she twisted and kicked her legs. Instantly her sight in her left eye was gone and the panic that ensued scared her as much as the pain. Instinctively, she put her back to the archer and slashed her tail about, hoping to strike him or at least keep him from attacking again. The pain didn’t subside, but her panic slowly did.

  With her wits finally coming back, she reached her left foreleg forward, tucked her head towards her feet, then yanked the arrow out. It had been embedded deep, but not deep enough to be a fatal wound. With the arrow out, the pain didn’t go away, but it wasn’t a stinging, debilitating pain anymore. It was a sharp ache that she could tolerate.

  More arrows bounced off her body, but she kept her face away from them. They came from her left, which meant she couldn’t see them. With her belly empty of fire, and nowhere near being ready, she knew that the fight was over. She had killed many Humans, including all those that had attacked her from horseback. It had been a courageous, but futile attempt to kill her. The pain that she felt would be a reminder to her that she should never let her guard down around Humans. They had once been able to eradicate every other dragon that had ever lived and they now showed a lack of fear towards her. By the time she was done with them, any that survived her rampage would fear her for all eternity.

  With a bounding jump, she leaped into the air, her flapping wings pulling her body upwards. Her fatigue was obvious as she struggled to gain altitude. Instead of climbing high, she stayed low to the ground, just over the treetops. The tips of the White Mountains were visible with her one good eye. There would be safety among the crevasses and caves where she could rest and recover.

  ***