Renegade watched in amusement as a fierce, raptor-like dragonet burst from his shell. The call for the dark hatching had gone up only a few minutes before. In their proud and scornful way, the candidates marched down to the former great hall and formed a ring around the rocking shells that held their future bonds and allies. The red Drasis lord himself stood on the edge of the ring, smirking in smug joy at seeing the others flinch from the heated sands. His toughened scales kept the heat at a bearable level and, even if he did feel it, he would pay it little mind.
The hatchling screeched and shakily stood on his two, powerful hind legs. Like the blood thirty raptor, he stalked around the other eggs, shrieking that he would first destroy then bond. Renegade bit back a chuckle at the hatchling stupidly launched himself at Tenken, rider of the clutch mother. As he predicted, the hatchling was flung back by his mother's long, whip-like tail with the reprimend that he could destroy anything but her bond. The flame marked black dragon hissed fiercly at being denied his fun and immediately turned a blazing red gaze on the candidates.
This one is... amusing. Renegade thought to himself, watching the young one sink sharp claws into a feline woman's black wings. The feline frowned her disapproval and prepared to smite the dragon when Renegade stepped in. Deftly and without thought, he wrapped his large hand around the hatchling's tail and dragged him away from danger. The hy-dragon hatchling whirled on his saviour, hissing his rage at being rescued so unsuitably.
What do you think you're doing?! He roared in Renegade's mind. The tones of his voice were young still, but firm and holding a booming note that would terrify in his adulthood.
"Easy there, Gizath." The Drasis lord purred, fixing his bond with a sly smirk. "If you really want to kill someone I have a special treat for you..." He let the words trail off, hinting at the human snack he had stashed away in the back room. Gizath gurgled his pleasure and accepted the red lord's offer.
Together, eight-foot-tall Drasis and new born hatchling strode from the sands to the place where the dragonets were to be fed. Waiting there was Renegade's spell enthralled human, once again wearing the glittering red jewel he loved so dearly. His new bond shrieked joyously at seeing his gift and prepared to sink needle sharp teeth into the human's thigh. Renegade stopped him with a twitch of his tail.
"Patience, my bond." He purred, standing barely a hair's width from the human. "You'll want an active meal, I know." While Gizath looked on in a mixture of respect and glee, Renegade removed the precious amulet from around the human's neck and returned it to his own. Immediately, the human came back to himself and shrank back in fear. He attempted to run, having no one to hold him back, and was brought down by the raking claws of Gizath.
The cries of agony errupting from the human's throat echoed throughout the hall, providing a sickening song for the hatching of the next four hy-dragons. While Gizath ate, Renegade crouched down on the balls of his feet and studied this wonderous creature.
One head was fully formed on the long, sinuous neck covered in flame marks. Two horn stubs, the beginnings of a golden crown, and a long, fiercly pointed crest adored the back of his skull. Beneath a red muzzle shone rows of sharp, white teeth, perfect for tearing into prey. Eight stubs nestled near the base of his neck. As he grew, they would writher and snake into eight more heads, all dependent on the main head for thought. Sharp tined wings rose from his cat-like shoulders, their tips licked by the red flames that covered his body. Long, slender legs extended from his sleek torso, making him suited for running and fast, deadly dives. Flickers of fire danced along a long, balancing tail that weaved back and forth like a feline's. Low in his throat, the hatchling purred, muzzle buried in the dead human's flesh.
Renegade watched with a smile on his lips and his arms resting on his knees. Around him, other newly bonded were emerging with their dragonets to feed the hungry demons. The Drasis lord ignored them, simply watching with a swell of pride as his bond devoured his meal and informed his rider with a thought that he enjoyed the taste of human flesh. When he had finished, Gizath licked the blood from his red muzzle and looked to Renegade with unchanged, red eyes.
He died too easily. Next time, I will take longer. The announcement pleased Renegade to no ends.
"I will teach you all I know, my little friend." The gentle action of Renegade cupping his bond's head in one clawed hand was made frightful by the mere presence of both beasts. "You and I will do great things."
And we will do them without the consent of the human weakling. Gizath's eyes narrowed and a eerie smirk flitted to his draconic face. Renegade's deep, mirthful laughter sent a shiver down the spine of anyone who heard it.
"Yes, my pet, we will." The feral gleam in Renegade's eyes promised death and destroying, and joy for himself and his bond.
* * * The night was blacker then pitch, shrouded in the greasy folds of a cloak of smoke. Embers, like minature demons of fire, coiled around the thick, black towers, riding them ever higher into the sky before drifting slowly to their death. The calm, peaceful midnight blue of the sky, riddled with points of light like a needle through fabric, was completely obscured for miles in every direction. An eerie red glow illuminated the bottom of the roiling black clouds, flickering over the tangible mass with greedy hunger. The flames that created a pocket of glowing red within the tower of black rose like grasping fingers into the sky. And still there was more to burn.
Screams of terror and death filled the streets as people ran in chaotic circles, unable to escape their doom. Like a caged animal, they became crazed and pawed at exits that quickly caved in upon them. All the streets had been lit by the deadly blaze. All the houses became torches in a blaze of glory and malice. People burned as well. As they ran, they brushed the hungry tongues of flame and were devoured by them. Above all the noise shrieked a glorious, glee-filled voice.
Run! Run, you pathetic little rodents! Beg for mercy under the claw of the Drasis Lord and his bond! The ominous thunder of the voice filled each and every mind, bringing a new terror to their frenzied thoughts.
Gizath dropped from the smoke with an ear-shattering howl of joy. Nine heads swivelled in all directions from the bulk of the Hy-dragon's red chest. A sea of flames, immitating those not far below, swept down his central head and blazed across his body to the tip of his long, whip-like tail. A slender and almost feline body twisted through the air on sharp tined wings, arrowing for the terrifed villagers below. From his throat hissed the beginnings of a fireball. Rumbling up his neck, he exhailed the fiery blast with an audible cough.
Renegade's smile of pride was visible only to himself in all the chaos that surrounded him now. His Drasis warriors were devastating the people still alive and Gizath was having the time of his life, burning things with a single blast from any of his heads. From his hydra heritage he gained the ability to breath fire without suppliments. From his dragon heritage, every head could use the deadly attack. The Red Lord himself hovered over one of the burnt out buildings, watching with a warm glow filling his being. How proud he was to have trained that beauty in the sky!
"My lord!" A sleek, green warrior male swooped down to him with the blood drenched spear still clutched in his dripping claws. "The riders have been spotted. Are we to withdraw?"
Renegade gave a slight nod and waved the warrior off with a raised claw. Out of the corner of his eye he watched the Drasis disperse to deliver the message. One of the reasons he was respected so much was his ability to see all without so much as twitching his head.
I will not withdraw! Gizath's deep, booming voice roared in the mind of his bonded. Behind the words Renegade tasted annoyance and rage at being denied his fun.
We will withdraw. Or would you rather be prey for the dragons? Strong as you are, you are no match for their Fighting Wings. Renegade's response was cool and firm, infuriating the Hy-dragon even more.
Damn you! If you would give me the force of your Drasis, I could beat them! Nine sets of blazing red eyes floated in the oily darkness towards the hovering Red Lord.
Blame it on me if you like. Renegade chuckled in his purring tones. Not even a scale shuddered as the black and red horror stopped inches before him and setttled into a matching hover. Whatever appeases you, my bond.
You're too damn calm for a situation like thissss. With bloodlust pulsing through his veins, Gizath often hissed words at the end of sentences. Black, forked tongues flicked over gleaming white teeth with the sibilent accent.
Darkness soothes me. The Drasis Lord glided over to his bond's back and nimbly settled between the wide shoulder ridges. A hulk like himself had no difficulty sitting astride a beast like Gizath. Their fear and pain has assauged my thirst.
Gizath's bellow split the air with a shuddering screech as he rose on flame-marked wings into the blackest of black nights. An army of multi-colored Drasis fell into line behind him, each one covered in the blood of their victims. Your blood will feed Krent when we return. His Highnessss will not be pleased. The title was hissed, not out of respect, but a lack of it. Neither lord nor Hy-dragon thought highly of the mere human who had Joined the hydra king.
Let him. Renegade laughed out loud and in his mount's mind. In response, he felt a tinge of smugness from the large creature. I care not what that snivelling human has to say.
And his Joined? Gizath had the audacity to ask the second before they went between. His razor sharp teeth gleamed in the blackness of the place, showing from beneath a sly grin on each head.
Renegade had to hold his tongue while they passed through the empty space. He was only annoyed by the chill that crept into his very bones and not entirely affected by it. Waiting the required three wing beats, he began a growl deep in his chest before replying. His Joined is a different matter entirely.
The hy-dragon rumbled smugly as he back-winged to a quick landing on the glassy black surface of Sistarrist Drakan. His nostrils pinched close in the foul air of their banished world. Thick, oily green fog crept into every pore and crevice, already forming a layer of slime at the back of the large beast's throat.
Renegade felt a shift in muscles as his bond landed on all four feet then rose quickly to his hind legs. The Lord rose with him, sliding down Gizath's sleek back and leaping to the ground beside the hy-dragon's taloned feet. Wicked, black claws dug deep into the lifeless black rock, tearing up small chunks as he moved forward. Renegade turned, gathering his forces around him like a comforting cloak before following the tip of his bond's sweeping tail.
Krent was a man of cunning and thought. He knew the actions of each of his hydras, and even had a sense of where their alliances lay; himself, his wife, or the Drasis. So it was that he was the first to greet Renegade and his returning clan. Thick, armored arms crossed across his broad chest, he leaned against the slick wall of hydra lair's entrance and awaited his reluctant ally.
The hy-dragon Gizath passed him without a thought. His long, taloned feet clicked over the smooth rock of the lair's interior. Behind him marched the blood-soaked Drasis of Renegade's clan. The Hydra Lord didn't even blink an eye at their passing, his black gaze fixed on the red assassin himself.
I will see you back at our den. Gizath hissed to his bond. One set of glittering, red eyes pierced the long shadows of the lair's tunnels and found the Drasis waiting at the entrance. If you're still alive. With a mental cackle, the hy-dragon swung his nine heads towards the dark passageway and disappeared.
Renegade paused before passing Krent, his ember eyes flitting uncaringly to the human. As a human, Krent was an imposing figure, but compared to the Drasis lord, he was merely a child. Krent hated being forced to look up at anyone, so Renegade chose to stand infuriatingly close.
"I commanded you not to go." Krent said through grated teeth. His head tilted as little as possible while his eyes roved upwards. The red Drasis stood nearly two feet taller then him, a wide grin on his feral face.
"And I care what you think, human?" Renegade chortled, brushing past Krent with a flick of his tail. His shoulders trust back and his head held high, he started for the hydra lair entrance with a smug joy swimming through him. The alliance between the hydra lord and the Drasis lord was an uneasy one at best, a volatile one at worst. More often then not, they were attempting to over-ride the other's command instead of working together, as the plan had been. As a breath-taking force slammed into his back and froze him in place, Renegade was reminded as to why this mere human was in control of so much power.
Krent stepped slowly around the spellbound Drasis, his hands clasped behind his back and his head bent in thought. Each step was languid and lofty, stopping in front of Renegade and turning to face him. Krent looked up, for once not seeming phased by his need to lift his gaze. Indeed, his face was almost impassionate, striking a warning in the Drasis. Krent was only this calm when he was ready to slit the throat of the person disappointing him.
"You will listen to me, Drasis." The hydra lord spoke in calculated tones. "You will hear my orders and obey, or all of your clan will die." A wry smirk snaked across his thick lips, half hidden by the man's thick beard and mustache. "Maybe math is beyond you, but my hydras outnumber your Drasis by at least half. If you try to escape, or pull another foolish act like this, you will be terminated."
"Terminated, that's rather a big word for you, isn't it?" Renegade's scaled lips pulled back in a grin, revealing rows of sharp, white teeth.
"Don't piss me off, Renegade." Krent snarled, fire dancing in his black eyes. He turned on his heels and began a march down the long corridors that was accented by the sharp thunk of his metal-clad boots on the ground.
Renegade felt the spell leave him like a whoosh of breath from the body. He dropped to the ground, one hand bracing against its cold surface when his legs proved to be insufficent support. Red wings resettling against his back, the red lord slanted a narrow-eyed gaze at the human's disappearing form. Another laughing, manic grin touched his flattened, red face.
Don't piss him off? What a pompus freak! The Drasis lord listened to Gizath's shrieking laughter. His own echoed the hy-dragon's, low and mirthful as it filled the deserted corridors.
Ever so, my bond. And that will make it ever so much easier to kill him. Renegade's thick, booming voice responded with a cool touch. His shoulders jerked up and down with silent laughter as Gizath's mind blazed with longing. Renegade's projection shifted, though his new target could not hear the mental hiss. Soon... soon you will know who is the true master here, Lord Krent. I am more then the Lord of Drasis. I. AM. THEIR. GOD!
Read Renegade's story.
Renegade bonded at: Cy Dragonstake