All Hallow's Eve 2: Memories

Chapter 7

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*****

"What, ya just jumped in?" Sean enquired astonished at what he just heard.
Mac nodded with a smile.
"And ya made Niamh go too?" Sandra complained.
The old man nodded again.
"Were ya just trying ta kill the both of ye?" Jamie couldn't get his head around it.

"Look my friends, I had to do what I had to do. Besides, as I said, I had a plan." Mac reassured.
"What kinda plan? One that you burn in the fires of hell!" Sandra retorted.
"Look, I know what it sounds like, I may have embellished a little, exaggerated the extent of the fiery rivers." Explained the old man.

"So, what, you're bullshiting about this whole thing?" Jamie slammed down his cup of tea.
Mac raised his cup to his mouth and nonchalantly drank, severing the taste. The aroma stimulated his senses, or was it from the shot of Potcheen he added to his cup before he came back in?

"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie, things happened back then, things you wouldn't believe. I'm telling a story, I have to keep a captive audience." Mac smiled. "You just have to, kinda suspend your disbelief till I'm finished."
(That goes for you too, Reader!)

"Ooh, ok, so what happened next? Did you get, terribly burned, scared all over your bodies, all grotesque and cool looking? Sean was highly enthusiastic.
"Sean!" Sandra complained, "Mac, was Niamh all right, did she get hurt?"

"Yes, yes, she was fine, now can I get on with the story?"
"But what happened when-"
"SEAN, do you want to hear what happened or not?"
"Sorry."
"Yeah Sean, let the man speak!" Jamie berated.
"I said I was sorry. Jasus!"

"Ok, now where was I?"
"Falling, fire, sudden death!"
"Ah yes, as we were falling...."

*****

As we fell, I told Niamh to reach around and undo my shield strap.
"Now give me the strap and you hold onto the shield," I instructed.
Why, what are you planning on doing?" She asked.
"Just hurry, there's no time!"
She undid the strap and gave it to me.

I told her to put her arms around my neck and hold the shield behind me. Letting her support her weight I held the strap with both hands above my head. I was aiming for a pointed ledge sticking out from the rock face. It was a long shot but it's all I had. I could feel the intense heat the closer we got. My adrenaline outweighed my fear and sure enough, we were on course for the ledge. Just as we were about to reach it, woosh, and something with great force hit me.

Dazed and confused I looked around to see what was happening. When the realization hit me I worried for our lives.
"Red, don't panic, but we're hooked on a dragon's tail! And its spike has wedged under my shoulder strap!"
"A what? Oh shite, are you alright?"
"Sush, keep it down, I'm fine. We're safe enough, this dragon's not that dangerous." I remembered what my father had told me.

"How is this safe?" Niamh aggressively whispered.
"Well, we're not falling, are we? I mean the dragon is not that viscous. See, it's only got a long neck and one head. Now if it had three hea-"
Suddenly their winged transport veered to the right and turned its head in the new direction it was taking. But it still had a head facing forward.

"Oh no!" I thought.
Suddenly a third head raised upwards.
"Oh fuck no!" I said aloud. "It's a Trenc-, Tran-, Elea...., it's a three-headed fire breather!"
I had to think of something quick but I hadn't many options.

Luckily there was a loop at one end of the strap, so I pushed the hand holding the other end through. This created a perfect hold for one hand. Taking out my sword with the now free hand I waited for the opportune time. And soon enough it presented itself.

"You hold on tight now, Red!"
"Why, what are you going to do?"
"Look, you wouldn't ask *Fionn Mac Cumhaill what he would do, would ya?"
"Trust me, you're no Fionn Mac Cumhaill!"
"Oh, I see how it is! Alright, here we go!"
I swung my sword and struck the dragon's tail.

It must have been young enough, the scales hadn't hardened yet and I caused an injury. I continued hacking away until I could see bone. Of course, the dragon wasn't too pleased about this and roared painfully then began whipping its tail over and back. With this my shoulder became free and I held on for dear life until I could see a good spot.

I pulled the strap on through the loop creating a lasso around the beast's tail. Then I slid down to the end of said strap to be closer to the ground. The dragon turned one head in our direction, opened its mouth and breath out a small ball of fire. Luckily it missed, but I wasn't taking any chances.

"Red...., Niamh." She looked into my eyes. "We're going to have to drop. I'm going to have to let go."
She understood what I meant and nodded with a slight smile. Niamh kissed me on the cheek, "For luck." she said and smiled again.

As soon as the rocky ground came to a reasonable distance, I loosened my grip and let go. It wasn't that far and we rolled when we landed. As there was no time to waste I grabbed the shield and secured it on my left arm. We looked for the best cover we could find and secreted ourselves in a crevice in the rocks. We couldn't see or hear the dragon, only the rumbling from the rivers of lava and fire.

A heavy thud came from behind and we knew it had landed. The heat was almost unbearable but the dragon-scaled shield offered us some protection. Loud footsteps moved closer until one clawed foot perched on the rock that concealed us. I held my breath and covered Niamh's mouth as a gasp tried to escape when the claws crushed the top of the rock.

Keeping an eye on the claw I reached down and picked up a stone. Lowering my shield I prepared to throw it and create a diversion. Suddenly one dragon head came into view and I froze. The long neck slowly swayed over and back while the head surveyed its surroundings. I saw my chance, hoping the other heads weren't watching and threw the stone as hard and as far as I could. It crashed against the stone wall and shattered. The dragon didn't move.

I waited. Slowly the dragon lifted into the air and I found it hard to keep my footing with the down draft from the wings. I stayed still making sure one of its heads didn't look back.
"What are ya waiting for?" Niamh said as she leapt out from the alcove and ran in the opposite direction.
"Red, wait!" I turned and ran after her.

She was running toward a tunnel. It didn't take long for the dragon to spot us, turn around and pursue us with anger. It roared from each mouth and it was deafening. I quickly caught up with Niamh and told her to get down. I crouched over her and protected her with my shield. The dragon unleashed a continuous belch of fire. With my shield on the ground and covering us, it protected us from the flames.

We stayed there, still, silent, and the dragon flew away. It couldn't distinguish the blackened shield from the blackened ground around us. We got up and ran again. Niamh made it to the tunnel and I turned back. The pyromaniacal flying lizard was preparing to let loose. I took the Dragon-Slayer from my arsenal of weapons and held it over my shoulder. I saw the yellow flame build up in the middle neck and launched the spear with all my might.

It struck the roof of the mouth and lodged there. The head lifted in the air in pain and the fire spewed out incinerating the wooden handle.
"Dragon-Slayer my arse!" I said when the handle disintegrated. It was still coming so I turned and ran.

Its flight pattern was erratic and looked out of control. "It's a little-known fact, but the centre head of an Ellén Trechend has the dominant brain!" I reached Niamh and we watched and waited inside the cave. The dragon wavered in the air and crashed into the top of the cave entrance. We ran for cover as the cave began to collapse and block the entrance.

A sharp pain grasped my left shoulder and I moaned and dropped my shield.
"What's wrong?" Niamh asked with concern.
"Aw, nothing, I'm fine."
"You certainly are not! Your hurt, your bleeding!"
"I am? I hadn't noticed."

*Fionn MacCumhaill - Finn McCool - Irish legend.