The Eternal War: The Dragon's Valkyrie

Drakes of Grass

As they began their descent into the valley, Saidy's heart raced as she imagined all the possibilities she would encounter when the oni saw her.

Would they assume she was Yrden's slave? Maybe they would throw her in a dungeon for being out during the day? Perhaps they'd just kill her on the spot. She shook her head. No, they wouldn't be able to because she would take as many as she could before she let an onian blade take her life.

Saidy pushed her fears from her mind by focusing on a couple of travelling entertainers ahead. She had seen similar ones preform in the slave arena where she fought in official tournaments. They would always dance or preform their act before the arena became littered with body parts.

Most of them wore flamboyantly colored translucent clothing that was intended to be provocative. Saidy never cared for the men, but she remembered watching the women through the cracks in the holding cell as they danced with a grace that was beyond the mortal realm.

These travelers were no different. Saidy could see the bright colored, see through fabric poking out beyond the edges of their cloaks. However, her brow furrowed as the grass behind them seemed to move unnaturally against the wind in a snaking pattern.

Yrden had noticed it too and waited to see what Saidy would do. He knew exactly what fate awaited these travelers if they were left to their own devices.

"Do you feel it?" he asked.

"Feel what?"

"The intent to kill."

A look of horror crossed Saidy's face as she turned back to look at the strange grass. As she did, a dreadful monster leapt from the grass. It had been as thin as the grass blades and slithered between them until it lunged, then it was large enough to swallow a man whole. The beast was scaled and green as the grass.

"Look out!" Yrden hollered.

The entertainers turned to see what the commotion was just as the beast sunk its fangs into one of their shoulders. The man fell as the beast's body shrunk back to a blade of grass again.

Then, another one pounced.

"They won't make it if someone doesn't help them," He said as Saidy watched in horror.

Time seemed to slow. She had never seen monsters before, much less fought them. The second entertainer managed to avoid the second monster's lunge as it too became one with the grass again.

"What will you do?" Yrden prodded.

"I..."

"Help us!" the entertainer who hadn't been struck by the monsters called to Saidy and Yrden.

They waved their hands frantically, pleading for help.

"Will you save them?" Yrden pondered.

"I don't..."

"Will you save those who bare the same mark of the ones who tortured you or leave them to a torturous fate?"

"They're..."

"They're oni, yes, but look, no horns. Surely you know of the oni who renounced their dark ways?"

"I..."

"What will you do, girl?"

"Help us!"

Saidy looked back at the travelers. Behind the one that was still standing, she saw the grass slithering once more.

What should I do... she thought? Her heart beat furiously in her chest. Fighting slaves was one thing; however, monsters weren't predictable. They didn't fight for survival—they hunted, they killed, and they did so without mercy.

Saidy had learned early on to kill quickly. The longer a fight dragged on, the more they learned each other's fighting styles, and the more energy they expended. Prolonged fights were more dangerous because there was more room to slip up.

However, Saidy didn't think about her next actions as the monsters began to pounce again. She just ran. Drawing her swords, she closed the distance between her and the traveler faster than she'd thought she would.

The front of the monster was even more ferocious than she'd imagined. Two long whiskers extended from the sides of a mouth riddled with fangs. It had a forked tongue and red eyes with black vertical irises. Just behind the eyes was a mane of scales that flared out, slowing the beast's lunge so it could control its direction with its body midflight.

Saidy swung, chopping the beast in its lower jaw, sending it hurtling over her and back into the grass. Droplets of purple blood stained the ground and her, searing her skin and clothes where it landed. However, she didn't flinch because even a moment of hesitation might be her last.

She stood back up and extended her arm, holding the blade horizontally as the second monster tore itself in half like paper on its edge.

"Stay behind me!" she ordered to the traveler. "Yell if you see the other one!"

The two stood back to back in the grass as Yrden looked on, watching the redhaired girl fight.

"Look out!" Saidy yelled as she kicked the feet of the entertainer out from under them.

The monster leapt over them both as Saidy bent forward. She then spun, striking off the tail as the beast arced its body for the grass. Unfortunately for the monster, the loss of its tail altered its trajectory, and the beast slammed into the ground and slid in the grass—hissing in pain.

It writhed on the ground, unable to right itself and slither away. Saidy walked over to it as steam rose around the area where its hacked off tail thrashed, throwing blood in all directions. It was then she noticed small claws on its bottom. She skewered the monster, ending its misery with her sword, holding a cold stare as the life left it.

"Tolmen!" the traveler cried.

Saidy turned to look as the traveler who'd been struck by the first monster howled in pain. The shoulder where he'd been bitten festered and bubbled and the veins in his neck had turned a deep purple. Tears ran plentifully down his cheeks, allowing the sun to reflect off his red eyes like polished marble.

"Can you do anything?" the traveler cried as her partner writhed in agony.

"No. He's been poisoned by the drake's bite," Yrden said coldly as he walked up on the three.

"Surely there must be an antidote!" the traveler pleaded.

"Yes, but it's too late for him to administer it. His hearts are likely halfway liquified by now, and no number of potions or healing spells can bring him back from that." Yrden looked to Saidy. "Show him the mercy those drakes would not."

Saidy nodded and shoved the other traveler out of the way. She gazed upon the suffering boy. His eyes were red, but his hair was black as night. He was only half oni liker her brother. She stifled the thought and shoved her blade through the boy's head, snuffing out his life. Tears threatened to overflow the bottoms of her eyelids as she thought of her brother possible suffering a similar fate. She closed them and looked away, burying her face into her cloak.

"Good job," Yrden said with a dark enjoyment.