FIRE AND ICE

 

Rating: PG13 for violence
Genre: Fantasy
Setting: ???

 

Introduction.

 

The air was wracked with a deep breathing, a large creature, panting with fear, and exhaustion. A woman cowered in a cave nearby, wondering what was approaching. It drew nearer. The ground was shaking beneath the woman’s feet. Terror was growing steadily inside her. A feeble sound that may have been air pounded outside momentarily, before there was another shudder. Whatever it was, it had collapsed outside the cave. Now the sounds of what the creature was fleeing from came louder, terrible, high-pitched squeals of pleasure, something was pleased that its prey was weakened. And whatever they were, they were drawing nearer by the second. She heard smaller rushes of air, and guessed that the creatures were swooping onto their prey. Sounds of tearing came next, and the woman shrank back. Gibbering could be heard outside the cave. The woman prayed that they wouldn’t enter. She was afraid to even breathe, for fear they should hear her. She could hear the sounds of their feasting for what seemed like an age. Then, it was all over. A deathly silence filled the air. She sat, a while longer. Then she heard it. A cry of intense pain, and the sound of one who knew their life was over. By the Gods, she thought, the creature is still alive. Cautiously, she rose, creeping through the cave, dreading what she might find. She emerged, bright sunlight causing her to squint, fighting away the brightness that overwhelmed her after her stay in the cave. As she became accustomed to the brightness, see looked around. A gasp left her lips. The creature laid a little away, blood soaked and its skin ripped in many places. Lumps of flesh were missing from its sides, and its wings hung at either side, shredded and useless. Its face remained, as far as she could see, untouched. Two long horns swept back across its skull, and azure scales covered it. Its mouth hung slightly open, and she could see sharp teeth just inside. Its eyes, shaped like opals, were pained, and bloodshot. They seemed dead, no glimmer could be seen. She knew what the creature was, despite its disfiguration at the hands of whatever had pursued it. But it only scared her more. What could possibly inflict this upon a dragon, one of the mightiest creatures in the land? It shifted its head slightly, the unfocused eyes appearing to fix on her. Was it truly still alive? She heard a whisper in her head.

 

I am not long for this world. Take this and find the ones who can help us. It will reveal them to you.

 

The dragon exhaled, its last breath leaving it. It flickered in the air, and a deep glow surrounded it. It glowed brightly momentarily, before fading away. She stared at the place it had been. Was that voice the dragons? And what did its words, if that was what you could call them, for it hadn’t been speaking, mean? She gave a start as she realised a gem was lying where the dragon had been. Without thinking, she walked forward and picked it up. The azure glow surrounded her. A dreadful thought overtook her. Whatever had done this to the dragon was still out there. Not daring to stay any longer, she turned and fled, heading back to her village, wondering what the village elder would say about this.

 

END OF INTRODUCTION