Azure Chronicle

Anathema

AZ

I looked up to see what was causing the shadow when a wave of stench hit me, my eyes watered and my soul sunk.

A large black dragon flew overhead, its wings covered in purple glowing eyes. 

The air was quiet, filled only by rippling wings.

The beast was black as night. The head was like a flower with three petals, each petal a head, its throat the pistil. The mouth blossomed to spew deadly sulfur. Its eyes seemed look straight at me, its soul burning into mine.

The entire town, frozen in fear.

Then the buildings shook as the beast roared, a fisher split across the ground and the town erupted in a frenzy. 

"Samairus, grab your weapons, Az, come on, we take up arms."

"That's a death wish kid, use your noggin. Get in." The mech reached out its wobbling arm. It stumbled trying to keep balance.

I wanted to stay and fight, die like a warrior. But I couldn't even take down a wild cocrottat, let alone a dragon, I was no warrior.

I raced up the mech's steely arm as another screech rang through the market nearly disrupting my balance.

"Az, you coward" Lon yelled. The words struck deep.

He wasn't wrong, I probably was a coward. But at least I wasn't hiding it under a heroes cloak.

The war trumpets sounded and people grabbed their weapons. The song of dispersement was breaking its aura, but it would quickly regain its azure energy.

I crawled into the cabin as the hood shut. A girl bobbled on his dash, unfitting of the current situation.

"Yer no coward kid, that's no place fer a kid. Now let's kill this bastard"

A bird chirped in a cage near the back. It hopped as if enjoying the chaos.

"Kid, load me sum flak shots"

I looked at the rugged man sideways "Huh?"

"Flak kid. Birdshot. Shotgun rounds."

I rushed to some levers only to realize I had no idea what he meant. "Uh...how?"

"Eh" The man grunted flipping a few levers.

The mech started hurling fiery streaks across the sky, each shot exploding in the air followed by a clunk of the gun reloading.

Boom...boom, clunk.

The shots were landing direct hits lighting up the creatures aura.

"What the hell, this jackhats gotta an aura, I ain't never seen a blight like this."

A banging sound came from the floor as if someone was banging on the underside.

"What in Tarnation, here kid, take over" the old cowboy got up to investigate the sound.

"Uh" I raced to grab the controls. The mech began to turn and lean. An awful grinding sound started.

I quickly returned the levers and the mech started to lean forward sending flak into some nearby buildings. They exploded into sandy chunks.

I hoped no one was in them.

"I'll be damned, its that dame."

"What are you trying to do, destroy an aura with flak? Dumbass." the girl yelled.

"Excuse me miss?" the cowboy said in a condescending tone.

She pushed past him.

"Well no wonder, who's running this mech, you or the kid?"