CROWNS I: Of Desolate Hope | ✔

17. Venaessa in The Wilderness - Part 2

The dragon roared in fury. Anyx struggled to break free of the chains that held her down. The men holding the net screamed in horror as the dragon stomped around and breathed ghastly, crimson fire at them. One poor soul was caught in the flames and ran around manically as his charring body burned.

Anyx saw Venaessa's body on the ground. Blood was gushing out of her neck like a raging river. The dragon turned toward Moff and stormed toward him on her hind legs, screeching like an eagle.

"Nura!" he screamed, to his remaining men that hadn't been crushed or burned alive, "Nura!" The men rushed to their iraks and left the place of blood and fire. Anyx chased after them, hovering just above the ground. The animals' legs were cut from underneath by the dragons long, extended claws. The men tumbled off and tried to grab their torchers as it got darker. The flames had been extinguished. They looked around, all the flames had gone out. The only light now was truly the moon.

There was a terrifying scream as the savages lost one man to the darkness. Moff caught a glimpse of the flames toward his left. He picked up a spear and pointed it in that direction. He turned around to tell the rest of the men to do the same. There were none. They were all gone. He was alone in the deathly darkness.

A low growl echoed around the land in different directions as Anyx skulked nearby. Moff stood his ground and patted his head as the rain started to fall. He looked up to the black sky. The moon had disappeared. There was nothing. Only an endless abyss into the cosmos. 

Fortunately, two lights appeared in front of him. Both were large and yellow. It didn't phase Moff as unusual things often happened in Jados. Suddenly, a peculiar, red cloud appeared above him. It was very hot. He could do nothing but watch as the cloud descended upon him, engulfing him in the flames. It was the last thing he saw before he heard a terrible snap as his head was ripped off of his burning body and swallowed by Anyx. 

The dragon, refusing to touch the ground, raced to Venaessa's body and nudged her. She didn't move. Her bright eyes were wide open as if she'd spotted treasure but she said nothing. The only life left in her was still flowing out of her neck and onto the ground. Anyx could smell a single drop of blood from a mile away but this was an extremely potent smell - as if her whole body had been emptied to form a sea around her.

A strange clicking sound became apparent that scared the dragon. She had no reason to wait for the monsters and so Anyx hastily but gently lifted up Venaessa in her claws and flew away. The dragon didn't know where to go. Their home was too far away and it was too dark to navigate visually, she would have to rely on her nose. She looked down at Venaessa but there was still no movement. She skimmed the clouds as she searched for help but to no avail. 

The blood from Venaessa's throat continued to fall through the clouds like rain. Anyx didn't know what to do. The princess wasn't moving or responding to her continuous prodding. The dragon gripped her slightly tighter and began to descend. There was a strange smell in the air. It was grotesque and pungent like a carcass but there was something about it that caught Anyx's attention. The dragon changed course and followed the scent.

Anyx and the princess flew above the mounds and the small forest, occasionally brushing the tall trees. The dragon expected the princess to react angrily but she didn't. The only reaction she got was from the rustling leaves and the howling wind. The forest was soon behind them and the hard, dusty ground returned and so did the mounds. The scent became much stronger as Anyx flew closer to the ground and eventually landed.

The dragon looked around for any sign of life. If there was, it was expertly hidden from the dragon's sharp eyes. Anyx moved Venaessa and held her in her tail instead. She moved rapidly on all fours as she tried to locate the source of the smell but the wind and the dust made it hard to follow. Eventually, they reached a particularly large mound with a very large hole in it. Most of it was covered with a large but tatty and battered cloth.

An elderly woman with long black hair burst out of it screaming in the same language that the savages had spoken. Anyx reeled her head back as her chest glowed red and she opened her mouth.

"Relax, dragon," she said, stroking her grey hair, "before someone sees you and kills you."

The woman's voice was soothing and Anyx obeyed.

"What brings you here, my friend?" she asked, eagerly.

Anyx presented the princess in her tail. The woman took her from the dragon. She quickly noticed the bloody, red line across Venaessa's throat. 

"You'd better come in, my child," she said to the dragon, solemnly. "I can see that you are afflicted with poison."

The dragon groaned as if to ask about Venaessa.

"She-" she started, cautiously, "I can see that you care about her very dearly but... I'm sure you already know. She is beyond our help. Death has taken her in the cruellest of ways." 

The woman turned and entered the mound, Venaessa's corpse in her arms. Anyx screeched and roared in agony and pain. The cries of the dragon were truly terrible and almost deafening. She had let her princess down.

"Hush, my child," said the woman, reappearing for a moment, "there was nothing you can do. I can not and will not let you succumb to Death as well, you must come in and let me treat you. Do not make me force you."

Anyx winced as she reluctantly and mournfully followed the woman into the mound. The moon was soon hidden completely by the clouds, it's light drained.