His father died that night and was buried the next day. Jashion was alone, but he worked in the fields and earned his keep. It was not so unusual for a person to be an orphan in the land of Dargaer. It was lucky if the child were old enough to earn their keep. Times were good and Jashion was fine. He was well fed, happy, and no worse off than most anyone he knew.
"I like ye, ye know," said Siccly. They'd been dancing for a little while without speaking. She'd stopped and had leaned in close as she said it. He could smell the brew on her breath, but it was milder than he expected.
"I like ye, too," said Jashion bravely.
"Course ye does, ye silly. All the boys like me, they do. It's only who me likes that counts," she said mirthfully.
She smiled flirtatiously and Jashion blushed. She may have said it in jest, but truer words could not have been spoken. That silly boy may have noticed the other girls, but I'll have any boy I like, she thought. Now, he only has eyes for me, and I'll keep it that way for as long as it pleases me. Perhaps she would have liked that for some time. The more time she spent with Jashion, the more she liked him. There was something different about him, and he was handsomer than the rest. He required a little effort on her part, and that stood for something too. Plus, what could a girl do with a silly boy passed out on the ground.
Speaking of passed out on the ground, that was the state of the sentinels surrounding Dargaer. A large dark silhouette could have been seen crossing the starlit night sky if anyone had been looking—but they were not. The large dark creature with scorching red eyes flew over the barrier of the guards and looked down on the scene it had expected. There would be no warning and the creature would not be in danger. Dromreign would consume, devour, and destroy the fools of Dargaer. Most were so wasted that they wouldn't know what was happening to them. Dromreign, the fierce black dragon turned its eyes from the guards and then turned its attention to the heart of Dargaer.
Human flesh was a delicacy and the dragon had not feasted like it would that night in quite some time. As Dromreign looked over Dargaer it noticed that each little residence had the after effects of a fire— perhaps some embers, or a little flame. The real fire had not yet begun.
A woman screamed, and it knew that it had been spotted. No matter, the screams were a delight to its ear. Human flesh tasted better when laced with adrenaline. Dromreign roared and belched out a ferocious flame. Already shacks were alight and more screams rung through the air. A larger bon fire caught its eyes; the dragon turned towards it. Dromreign lit up the meager homes that were in its path and headed towards a larger home, with more humans, and a larger fire.
"What's that sound 'n' smell?" ask Siccly scrunching up her nose.
Something was going on but Jashion was in such a trance that it took him a moment to awaken from it. They separated mechanically from each other and began to look around, listening attentively. Another roar shot through the air and Jashion caught the look on Siccly's face. She was stone white and petrified. He looked in the direction that Siccly was looking and caught his first sight of Dromreign. A little fire was still in the dragon's nostrils, and those red eyes penetrated into his soul. With no time to react Siccly was in Dromreign's talons. Dromreign roared in delight and fury as it ignited the Turney's home. Siccly had no ability to scream as her lungs were crushed in its grasp. Siccly would become Dromreign's first meal, with Jashion powerless to oppose the gigantic creature.
The first pass of Dromreign over the Turney's would not be its last. In the next pass, only moments later, it provided an ignominious death to a large group of drunken and passed out partiers, Jarem among that group. Jashion watched in horror and then began to run.
Dromreign saw him running, but elected to ignore him, choosing mass destruction over the chase.
Jashion was filled with horror, disgust, and fright. He ran and hid behind a boulder. He could see and hear some others screaming and running, but it seemed that most were too wasted to move. They, the people of Dargaer, were like sitting ducks. Where had been the guard? Were they drunk, too? Jashion was as powerless as Dromreign was powerful. There was nothing he could do to stop the bloodshed and destruction. Dargaer was going up in flames, his people were dying and being devoured. The sounds and smells of horror and violence were all about him, but he could not shake the memory of the worst smell of all. It was smell of Dromreign as the dragon flew right past him and captured Siccly. It was rank, and putrefying, and vulgar. He, unlike anyone else it seemed, had his wits about him, but he regretted it then. He wished that he had the brew to dampen this experience. He had no desire to take in what his eyes, ears, and nose beheld.
Dromreignhad devoured his fill of human flesh. But, its appetite for cataclysmicdestruction was unquenchable. Jashion collected his thoughts, and saw that thedragon was systematically destroying the homes and the people in its way. Itwas heading away from Jashion, but at some point, it would be back his way. Jashionhad never set foot out of Dargaer, but soon there would be no Dargaer left. Hebegan to run southeasterly out of Dargaer. As he ran past burning homes, andburning flesh, and heard the shrieks and cries, a particular sound caught his ear.e
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Aiden's Quest
FantasyA gifted young man, born into an obscure tribe, quickly becomes the leader of his people. His unparalleled skills, keen intellect, and extraordinary senses, along with his tireless work ethic turn him into the greatest hunter of all time. In his par...
