Knights of the Nine - Beginning of the End

Chapter 9: The Serpent Awakens

"Derek! Get the fuck out the way!"

A scream, no a roar broke Derek's ears as he fell from the wings of a serpent. He fell, landing in the sand, burning on his cheeks. Derek cried but could not hear himself. Taylor falling from the upper stadium of the castle pulled Derek in the shade and away from the fire of the serpent. Taylor sliced two Hunters that came from the right as Derek stabbed one in the belly coming from the left. The serpent landed, inhaling the fallen Hunters for energy and fuel. The serpent flew back up again and rained fire below, killing all around. Taylor began removing bricks from the structure and pulled Derek inside.

"Derek, come out when you're worked up again. I could use assistance so make it a speedy recovery!" Called Taylor as he ran out and attacked Hunters.

Derek lay and moaned. He crawled on his stomach to grab hold of his bag. He pulled out a potion of health and energy. He drank them little by little. He heard Taylor cry in pain making Derek leave the health potion half empty. He ran out and saw Taylor getting swarmed by Hunters. Derek rushed in and toppled over all of them, including Taylor.

Derek stabbed the hunters and rolled out of the way as the serpents claws flew down grabbing a body. Taylor climbed back up and pulled Derek up too.

"That's all the fuckin' Hunters. Now, all we got is this lizard."

The serpent roared as if Taylor hurt its feelings.

"It's the dragon that destroyed all of this land and the kingdoms around. We were too slow, dammit! How do we kill an ancient beast." Derek jumped out of the way from the fire.

"Rah! We chain it up. Herd it like a sheep dog herds sheep! Go from the left, make veer right! That'll make it swerve into this chain... hopefully."

Derek rushed up to the crumbling tower and waited for the dragon to fly his way. Taylor was already in position by the time Derek made his way to the top. The dragon flew around and around, burning the castle and the sand. It ate up the bodied as the fire became more dark. The scaled turned blackened, and its roars more demonic. The darkness corrupted the dragons soul.

"Wha-? Oh shit...!" Taylor screamed and the dragon flew right into the chains, throwing Taylor onto solid bricks.

Derek, not seeing Taylor, thought Taylor was okay. The dragon made its way over to Derek and he jumped right at its mouth. The gripped onto the beard of the dragon. Derek struggled to find a better holding and he fell, ripping a chunk of dragons beard off. The beast roared and shot down black goo onto the sand around.

Derek quickly swiped the sand off his face and crawled back to the shade. He called for Taylor multiple times, never getting an answer.

"Damn."

Derek ran under the cover of the shade and went to the collapsed castle wall. He saw dead Hunters but not Taylor's armor. He went behind the castle and saw Taylor sitting up on the outter wall.

"Ha-ha. Derek... what a fuckin' asshole this thing is, ha-ha *coughing*," Derek crouched beside Taylor and looked for his wound. "Oh, hell. Don't bother. It's the Darkness, they hold that dragons balls tighter than a whore, boy. I'm slowly *coughing* being possessed. *sniffs* Please put an end to me, make my pain end *coughing* and I'll save you a chair in hell, ha-ha."

Derek pulled out Taylor's sword and breathed out. Derek sniffed up some snot and spat it onto the sand watching it evaporate.

"I'll be there soon enough, pal. Farewell." Derek wiped a tear away and looked Taylor in the eyes. 

Taylor placed his hands onto Derek's hands and pulled the blade deep into Taylor's heart. Derek closed Taylor's eyes and Derek shut his. He was alone now and without a way to call for help. He had to kill this serpent... for revenge.

Derek rushed out from the shade, grabbed the chain and swung it around. He waited for the beast to dive for him. The dragon launched a black ball at Derek but it missed by a long shot. The dragon did just was Derek wanted it to do. Derek threw the chain at the beasts mouth and the chain went straight down the throat. Pulling Derek into the mouth, Derek grabbed onto a tooth inside of the mouth. He could feel the heat the dragon was getting ready to projectile vomit.

Derek stabbed the blade inside and around the tooth, pulling the tooth out and throwing it down the throat. He could hear the gagging noise the beast was making and quickly began tearing another tooth out. Derek pulled out his long sword and stabbed it into the tongue of the dragon incase the serpent wanted to roar. 

One after the other almost all the teeth went down the dragons throat. It gagged and belched but couldn't vomit due to the chunk of black in its throat. Derek pulled out his long sword slowly as to insure the beast would roar in pain. The dragon did as planned. Derek went out and fell from high up, the castle was nowhere in sight. The dragon was flying away from its resting place.

Derek prayed that the teeth in its throat was enough to make the fire inside boil the insides of the dragon, killing it. Derek saw the dragon fly away, he saw it spew out black goo and the teeth soon came after... along with the teeth. Derek's plan has failed. Derek lay his head into the burning sand and sighed loudly.

"Fuck. I'm sorry, Taylor. How do you slaughter a Darkened Dragon?" Derek asked to the skies. No answer came.

Derek picked himself up and looked to his compass, it read west. It was heading for the Elven kingdom. Derek laughed. "This year is gonna be a son-of-a-bitch, drinks on me if we manage to kill it."

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Wings threw wind harsher than ever before at the beautiful trees of the great Elven city. Jeff and Ciri sat and drank, reading scrolls and books of history. The doors blasted open.

"M'lord Harain! Poa lingeia soa Dragian!"

The eyes of everyone in the bar shot open. The civilians ran cowering under the tables.  Jeff looked at Ciri.

"I'm sorry, but I think Derek and Taylor failed." Jeff said taking one last drink of ale.

"Dammit, Jeff. I'm sure they're fine, it's probably the Hunters that got them stuck their."

"Sure, your opinion. I respect that, but it's obviously wrong, dear. Derek done got his ass roa-"

"Let's just go kill this damn serpent!"

Ciri and Jeff ran out, seeing the blackened dragon fly in from the sea. Launching black goo and fire all around the Elven city. The guards shooting arrows but they were just deflecting off. Ciri knew what had to be done to slay the beast.