Draconess

Chapter 35

I use my nose to track him down as my Draconess. The midnight sky shrouds my prowling demonic beast as I prance around trees and stalk my way to Zarcar's precise location.

I could smell his body's scent; daisies, polish, charcoal and sweat. I could hear the dirt softening the heavy step of his boots, the twigs and dried leaves crunching with his walk. Long strides. Angry strides.

I kept believing that one thing. That he was directly angry about something.

As the proximity between us becomes a rather short distance, I slow right down and take each step with silent caution. I wanted to get closer without detection. I wanted to see just how close I could get without my Mystifyer noticing.

In all honesty, I wanted to scare the living demon shit out of his ass. Smack him against a tree, break a few ribs, hear his screams begging for my forgiveness. The feelings I had been left with as I escaped Swendula, were too many too count and too complex to name.

But I needed this.

And I couldn't wait for this.

I look around a cluster of trees in a dip on the soil, looking for Zar's presence. I had seen him a few paces down not long before this moment, yet now as I look into the shadows of the night forest – I see nothing.

I hear nothing.

There seems to be no presence.

Maybe he was about to relieve himself behind a tree?

I stay right where I am, unmoving and crouched low, eyes focused and unblinking. I look for any movement, ignoring the beetles and glow worms.

But the bugs – a few moments after that last thought – stop buzzing. Absolute silence. Not even the howl of wind.

A wolf passing through perhaps? But where?

My instincts scream that there is danger close by. But where was Zarcar?

And then I hear it.

A flare of scorching fire burning to life.

I look to the right and I see trees alight in flames from the roots to the low branches, lighting up a hulking, burnt bronze toned scaled beast between them. The black demonic eyes are focused on me. Unlike my absolute beastly, ugly form that I had witnessed in the water's image – this monster was smoothly designed. Though the teeth and claws were impressive enough to match mine, this Dragon was double my size! That wasn't fair!

I chuff out a short warning to test the opponent.

In response, the eyes of my enemy focus, the Dragon breathes out fire from between their teeth and it distracts me from the ground frosting over, all the way up to my talons...

...which are suddenly frozen solid in the soil.

A loud growl surfaces from the intruder in my territory, and it quickly turns into a snarl. I snarl back, but as I try to rip my claws from the ground from such a low crouching position, I have to arc myself up – making more of me vulnerable.

The moment my claws crack the icy soil and pull out, they land back down and I slip.

My enemy rushes me, pouncing forward onto the frost – using it to slide into my side and go straight for my neck.

I spin at the last moment and our snouts smack into each other. I sneeze on impact and swipe up violently while I'm on my back, but the other Dragon sinks his teeth into my back leg, crushing down across a painful nerve. Now, I just go more crazy.

I try to get up, but the frost is too slippery. I can't get a grip on anything!

My rage is too blind and I can't get any tactical thoughts working in this fight for territory.