Alphabet Soup

Harbinger

Harbinger

        The shepherd shielded his eyes against the sun with one hand as he rested the other on his bow. From his position at the top of a hill, he could see his flock grazing in the grassy expanse below. They munched away contentedly, for the most part ignoring the Border Collies that monitored them. The only time the sheep seemed to mind the canines was when they were prevented from wandering a fay from the flock by one of the protective dogs.

        Samuel had been minding this flock ever since he was a boy. At sixteen years old, he was barely old enough to be considered a man; however, it felt like he had known these peaceful creatures for decades. Perhaps that was because they never really did anything out of the ordinary. They just strolled around like fluffy clouds brought down to the ground as they went about their business. Samuel wished he had the same luxury, but it was his duty to protect his flock from harm (with the exception of the occasional sale to the local village’s butcher).

        Once the sun sunk down enough so that it wasn’t hitting him right in the eyes with its rays, Samuel began inspecting his arrows. They had been made earlier that week, but it never hurt to make sure they were all sharp and ready to be shot if the need arose. The stone points were handmade; Samuel could not afford to purchase the more effective metal arrowheads that were sold in the village. They might not be as impressive or elegant as the arrows more financially privileged men used, but these should get the job done. Satisfied with his work, Samuel returned his attention back to the field.

        He did not like what he saw. Flames had sprung up on the other side of the field and were now eating away at the grass much more ravenously that the sheep had ever done. The sheep had begun bleating nervously as the Border Collies formed a tight protective ring around them. Most animals would flee at the first sight of fire, but these dogs had been specifically trained to stand their ground. Shepherds in other regions often had to worry about wolves, but this area was home to something far worse. If the dogs followed their instincts and ran, there would be nothing that could distract that bloodthirsty monsters long enough for Samuel shoot them.

        A jet of fire shot down from the sky as one of the hellish creatures tried to further frighten the already frantic animals below. Samuel could finally make out the outline of the predator now. It had been keeping pace with the sun, taking advantage of its blinding rays to conceal its approach. This particular dragon had been especially active for the last year or two, terrorizing both Samuel and the inhabitants of the village as it hunted. According to local rumors, it had been the cause of the disappearance of the tailor’s daughter just two weeks ago. If it truly was developing a taste for human flesh, someone had to take action before it decided to have a feast.

        Before he could aim his bow at the menacing reptile, Samuel was distracted by a strangely affectionate sounding call from the blood red beast. Its crimson scales shone in the sunlight as it waited for a response. An answering bugle like noise sounded in the distance, followed by a much higher pitched sound moments later. Samuel almost dropped his bow in shock as an obsidian colored dragon approached from the horizon. This beast was somewhat smaller than its partner, but it was still much larger than a cow. The second newcomer on the other hand was not too much larger than a sheep and was made even less threatening looking by the cream color of its scales.

        Taking a moment to cross himself, Samuel readied his bow. Facing three dragons at once was unheard of, nobody was brave or foolish enough to even consider doing so. But Samuel could not let the beasts escape without a scratch. These monsters had to be taught a lesson. Deciding that the youngster would be easier to deal with once its parents were dead, Samuel aimed at the crimson dragon. It had been hunting in this area the longest, so it should be the first one to die. As the monster and its mate guided their offspring towards one of the older ewes, Samuel fired an arrow.

        The creature screamed in pain as the arrow found its mark. Blood gushed from its chest as it plummeted to the ground. It landed with a sickening thud onto the scorched grass below. The black beast landed next to its mate so quickly that it sent up a spray of ashes that showered the traumatized sheep. Its pale yellow eyes rested on the arrow protruding from the other adult’s chest. The juvenile chirped plaintively at the dying creature. If Samuel didn’t know better, he would have expected the youngster to start crying. With a shudder, the largest of the trio perished.

        Samuel readied his bow for what he hoped would be another lucky shot, only to be startled by a roar that made his ears ring. The obsidian dragon was in front of him before he could react. Saliva frothed  from its open mouth and its pearly white teeth glimmered slightly as sunlight hit them. Samuel frantically tried to ready his arrow only for the bow to be swatted out of his grasp by a clawed foot. The livid male (Samuel was close enough to the beast that he could tell its gender now) crushed the wooden bow under its claws. It pressed down on Samuel with that same foot, forcing most of the air to hiss out of his lungs. The male bellowed for his offspring.

        The cream colored dragon obediently fluttered over to his father, eyeing the shepherd with what Samuel assumed was a mixture of curiosity and fear. The adult snorted at Samuel before giving a thunderous growl. The youngster spat a stream of oily liquid onto the helpless man’s chest, scalding him. The adult bent down towards the now howling and screaming man and pointedly opened his jaws above him before looking expectantly at his son. The creature, finally getting the idea, lunged towards Samuel’s neck with his mouth opened wide.