Slayer [revised]

Chapter Three

"Ellie, get up now!" I jerk awake as I get ripped from my bed and stumble down the stairs. Savvy has me in a death lock, dragging me away from my warm bed and through the unusually crowded halls. I feel fire lick at my cheeks as we pass a row of soldiers. I thank myself for falling asleep in my clothes so I'm not being dragged around in my night gown.

            "Savvy, what is going on! Seriously, I'm not sick or anything I just didn't feel good last night. Look if this is just about.." My sentence breaks off as a large tremor shakes the entire castle. Soon shouting is everywhere and Savvy loses her grip on my arm. I find myself being prodded down the main hall and up the wide set of stairs that leads to the battlements. I fight against the current of soldiers as they rip open the door and storm out onto the narrow walkway where many soldiers stand shooting cannons and firing flaming arrows. The stench of blood, death, fire, and gun powder  blows in with the breeze as another, smaller tremor shakes the castle.

            Curious I walk through the door and see the devastation of the city below. The east side of the castle has fallen, many shops and even homes are either completely ruined or are ablaze. People fill the streets, running in every direction, whether it be in distress or in aid. I watch as some fall over, getting trampled by the fear in everyone else. Others lay around, whether they are unconscious or dead is beyond me. Finally, I hear an ear piercing scream and find a woman pointing up in the air. I shift my head up just in time to see something large swoop down and perch itself on a battlement across from me.

            The dragon is enormous with jet black scales and piercing white talons that are a few feet long with very pointed ends. It has two small horns, almost like a goat, placed a little above the its grey green eyes, which widely resembles a snakes'. Its wings are massive, possibly a few yards in both length and width with sharp points at the tops of each. Its tail hangs off the battlement, slender and wagging, causing the spiky ball at the end of it to rip chunks from the walls. It opens its jaws, revealing blackened fangs, as it lets out a burst of red hot flames that scorch everything in its path.

            I nearly scream, petrified in place, but quickly get a hold of myself. The last thing I need is that monster hearing me and coming right over to eat me for breakfast. I kneel down instead, making sure that if there is another tremor I won't fall to my death. I scoot to the wall of the battlement and start to crawl my way back to the door. All  of a sudden the dragon screeches and pushes itself off the battlement wall. Everyone takes aim and shoots for the body, hoping to slice or damage vital organs but the scales run all the way around, causing everything to bounce off and just making a bigger mess to the town below.

            I search the body, looking for something, anything, to shoot at that doesn't have scales. The eyes were one thing not covered, but there is a very low chance of actually piercing it from this far away. I scan quickly as it elevates, its wings flapping higher. That’s it! The wings, they aren't covered with anything. "Hey! Hey you, sir, stop!" What a assume to be a Commander turns and glares at me. He is younger, early twenties, clean shaven with short light brown hair and hazel eyes that are filled with stress. His expression is annoyed but it quickly turns into fright and he grabs me and drags me to the door.

            "What are you doing out here! Don't you realize that you are going to get yourself killed up here. Jesus, isn't everyone looking for you? You should be heavily guarded and somewhere where nothing can get you." He gets me to the door and pushes me roughly out, then scans the stairs for a guard. "Hey you, escort the princess to the safe chambers, now." A soldier at the bottom of the stairs starts to run up to meet us as the Commander turns to go back through the door.

            "Wait! You aren't firing in the right place! All your shots are being deflected by its thick scales. You need to shoot for the wings." The soldier grabs me and starts to pull me backwards but the Commander makes him stop.