The Fires of Cerran

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The beast's eyes stared down at the man with a soulless energy. It was raised high above them, the crest of its head parallel to the tops of the battlements of the stronghold. It snorted, thick clouds of dust and ash flew in every direction, and a forked tongue slipped through cracked lips as it smelt the air around itself. Lenren slowly turned one arm from the beam above his head and scrambled the darkness behind him, searching for his quiver bag. He found it, pulled at one of the arrows and brought it to the bow. The beast watched over the courtyard, unmoving apart from its huge amber eyes which searched the corners of the yard for the intruders.

Lenren held the nock of the arrow, placing it softly between the string of his bow. The harsh sound of stretching bowstring caught the beast's attention and it turned its crocodilian snout towards the darkened crevice. Again, it snorted, breathing in the misted air which rose around it. It turned its head, the sound of bone cracking as it did so, betraying the beast's stationary nature since it had taken the stronghold. Lenren dipped between the beams of the crevice and aimed, sighting the neck of the beast which hung in sagged crests of twisted grey-scaled skin. He fired, the arrow flying as true and straight as any he had fired before. It whistled through the wind, hit the beast and the head lodged itself between the scales where the white flesh of the creature lay exposed. The dragon flailed its forearms, snapping away the arrow and gnawing at the wound. Only now did the company see the teeth of the creature, as tall as a man and viciously sharp, each like mountains with jagged edges, the bottoms stained yellow.

The beast shook its head, refocused its gaze and lowered itself down towards Lenren's hiding place. It was blocked however, fallen debris and broken carts lay upon one another like an uneasy tower, but the eye of the beast seemed so bright as to vanquish all shadow about the archer. It blinked, sighting the man and again bared its fangs. The smell of its breath lingered, wrapping itself about Lenren and choking him with the fumes of death and decay. He vomited, bending to a knee, and held himself against the side of the hole. As he did so, and the pattering of his sickness echoed, the dragon roared. Its roar was mighty, like a hurricane cut through with the harshest thunder. Even the beast itself seemed hoarse, like the sound itself caused it pain. Still, it waited beside the cavern, watching for the man as he stumbled to find his quiver.

Astriel watched over the beast, its gaze focused solely on Lenren. She moved quickly; her feet as light as falling snow. But the roar of the beast shook all about her and sent her tumbling into a crumbled ruin of rock and wood. Splinters and jutting stone cut at her cloak and only now did she unbuckle it and move on with her armour alone. She ducked, barely a few strides from the beast, where a cart and barrels shielded her, and drew her blades. She gripped the handles tightly, the shimmering steel glistening in the glum light of the place, and the handles cold to her palms. She moved across, edging to look over the barrels. A quick glance showed her the crocodilian snout of the beast open wide but still focused on Lenren. She let out a deep breath, her heart racing and sweat lining her hands as she readied to make her move. She was quick to roll to the side of the cart, which came to the neck of the creature, before sprinting across the bare yard until she came to pull herself onto the animal. At an instant the dragon swung round, and as she pulled herself onto its neck it shook her with all its might. She slashed at the beast with her blades, aiming for the parts where the scales met and showed thin crevices of snow-white flesh. The beast roared as the blades cut away at its skin, and its jawed snapped wildly as it fought to shake the attacker from itself. Suddenly the beast threw its head back as a blade hit its neck, and the bony crest atop its skull fell down onto the archer. She was knocked away, slammed against the side of the creature as it swung its head to back around to find her. Astriel scrambled to her feet, grasping her blades as she felt the creature find her. Again, it roared, and the shadows of its wings fell over the girl as she ran along the side of it, one blade stuck into the running crevice, blood spurting for the wound as she went along.

The sound of its left horn scrapping against the side of the stronghold, ripping timber and bending metal as it went, rang in Astriel's ears so loud that she felt that her eardrums were sure to burst. The terrible screeching stopped as a part of the wall came down, smashing against the animal as it lifted itself away from the wall's edge. As the rubble fell about her, Astriel turned quickly to glance back, seeing the long snout of the animal closing in on her as it turned its titanic body around.

Its nostrils flared and its eyes narrowed, white nictating membranes enclosed around the amber pupils as flames bellowed forth from nostril and mouth. The girl ducked, sliding along the courtyard until she came to piled rubble of the highest wall to the stronghold, above her the flames burst in wild veins of light, like lightning, and the heat of them scorched at her skin as he huddled herself against a bank of stone. She felt the heat, her armour seemed to crackle as the beast moved closer, still exhaling its hellish breath. Only then was she reprieved of the dragon's flame, as the bellowing cry of Ser Ramon swamped the courtyards, allowing with the rumbling of his boots on the ashen soaked stone. What he said, Astriel could not recall, but to say that they included many expletives, so she had never heard before, would be an understatement.

It was only as the beast turned, its snout momentarily obscured by the grey smoke of its fires, that Ser Ramon of Garth realised what he had brought upon himself. He was open to the elements, not a cart of wagon stood before or behind him, and the beast reared up high above him now. It roared, its wings unfurling to bathe him in shadow. And yet still he ran, knowing his death would likely come within mere moments, but uncaring in that moment for himself at all. He swung his blade at the beast as it came down, catching it on the side of its snout. Its jaws snapped together, whistling foul air past him as he ducked beneath them and held his sword high to cut the beast's neck. His sword scrapped, sparking against the scales, but drawing forth a river of near black blood in his wake. He came toward the beast's right eye now, and again he snatched at it, cutting just below it, leaving a flap of skin hanging as the dragon brought a huge forearm down towards the man.

In the moment between the forearm crashing to ground, sending splintered wood and cracked stone flying in all directions, Ramon scanned the banks of the rubble for Astriel. He saw her, thin whisps of smoke rising from her upper back. Dragon fire had scorched the stones she held as shelter, the heat coming upon her armour and leaving it snapping and crackled. The girl seemed to be shivering, her blades wrapped tightly in her arms as she looked away from them. But that must wait, for the beast was upon him again, shifting its weight and bringing down its head again, snarling and grumbling as it came down to him. He rolled away, feeling the breath of the beast pass him as his blade stuck to something. He felt himself be pulled along with the blade, and as he turned, he saw that he was in the air, the blade stuck into the gums of the dragon's mouth. The creature clawed at the sword. But as it did a quick barrage of arrows came flying towards it, four flew and three found clear marks in the side of it. Again, it roared, tipping its head towards the skies as it bellowed. Ramon held to the grip of his blade but felt his shoulder tiring. Whether it was luck or not that, as the beast swung its head upwards, the blade dislodged, he could not decide. But he fell away, crashing onto the wooden platform that had once been held high above him. He groaned, but for the most part seemed uninjured from his fall. He lifted his head and felt blood trickle down his neck. He patted it and shook himself as shadows encircled his vision. He growled pulling himself from the platform and landing hard against the stone of the courtyard. Here, he felt for the wound, a sizeable lump had started to grow about the cut that still wept his blood.

'Ramon! Gods man, are you alright?' Cried Lenren as he pulled the man towards his hold. Ramon staggered along, shaking himself back to the world as he fought for clearer vision.

'We must get Astriel, she is hurt!' He returned, his voice groggy and hoarse. He turned, seeing Melran in the corner of the place, her own face a field of mud and her nostrils thick with coagulated blood.

'Is she alive?' Ramon asked Lenren as his friend reloaded his bow.

'Aye, but she has not stirred yet.' The archer returned as he ducked down below the beams and fired again, the roar of the beast ringing around them.

'You must cover me, I will get Astriel.' Ramon returned, wiping his bloodied hands against his cloak and his blade against his trousers.

'I have six arrows remaining, and five have hit the beast.' Lenren said confidently. But as Ramon looked at the man, he saw his friend's eyes wild with panic.

He turned towards the beams and ducked below them, eyeing the beast as it searched for them. He took in a deep breath, eyed Lenren and nodded.