Flight of Fury

[shenna]

Shenna swoped low across the land, her back legs trailing across the pine trees, and they bent against the resistance. A hearty wind blew her along, and she only occasionally flapped her wings. Her mind was reeling, and her heart was seething. Her king, the dragon Lakieth was now on friendly terms with the humans. She could not let this stand. She was all for loyalty to her kin, but he went to far. Humans and dragons never got along, and that would never change. She would just as soon leave the kingdom than ally herself with the man wearing the hide of her family. She roared in frustration, and a flock of birds rose in fright, squacking loudly as they fled Shenna's shadow.

She had to leave. She could not fight alongside a dragon who talked friendly to men. She just could not do it. He seemed noce enough, and he had helped her in battle, but the fight had not been his. It was true, in that battle, she had faught alongside men, but that was different. It was not all men, and they were a smaller group. She would take the lesser of the two evils anyday. If the rogues got in power and overthrew the king, then the beasts could strike while their kingdom was weak, and deal a blow that they would never forget. Things could return to how they used to be, how they should be. Before men and elves and dwarves came to the land. Before there was two legged creatures, and the world belonged to the plants and the beasts.

[Lady Nala]

Nala's eyes had been exaiming the clouds. Though she saw something appear. It was a dragon! Wonderful, she thought. The dragon king had not appeared when she had wanted him to last time. Without thinking Nala pulled the magic arrow out of it's case, as she spoke a few words to it. Within seconds it had been set on the bow, and out into the air.

As it reached a spot where the dragon could possibly see it, there was a little poof. As it seemed to shine, though then it started falling back to Nala, where she caught it. Hopefully the dragon saw it. Realizing by now that this was not Lakieth, Nala thought of a conversation to bring up. And how to discuss what she needed to think.

Wondering if the dragon might have thought of that as a threat, Nala stood there prepared. Though her hands off of her weapong, so as to appear friendly.

[Lord Commander De Montford]

Arthur looked up at the glimmer of a bright light off to his left. He eyed it curiosuly as it fell back down the the earth. From his vantage point a little higher on a nearby hill he had a good view down into the trees, although there were quite a few trees up here as well. His party was on a picket routine, patrolling the outer boundaries that the Armies of Man could easily reach within a day or two by sea.

He turned back to his Lieutenant, who was in charge of the ten men who was in De Montford's patrol party. "Lieutenant, send a hawk back to the ship. Tell them that we have have encountered unknown contacts and that we will be diverting from the patrol path. They will await further notice and if we aren't back within an hour of the pre-determined arrival time, then they will sail back to Mylithia and report of our absense."

The Lieutenant bowed his head, "As you command my lord." He moved away to one of his men and took a parchment out of his pouch, writing down the message and strapping it to the hawks leg. He flashed a tiny model of the ship they had come from in front of the hawk and it took off with a sqwuak, wheeling in the air and flyign back the way they had just come.

"Alright Lieutenant." Arthur began, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword. "Staggered formation and we'll be heading for that signal. Lets get going..."

[shenna]

OOC: Sorry, she's in a bad mood...

Shenna screeched as the arrow came foreward. It puffed and shone, and she noticed that it was elven made. She was not in the mood to be shot at, even if the intentions were good. She wheeled around and dove, a precarious freefall that sent the ground rushing up to her, and hopefully scaring the one who dared interupt her flight. She landed next to the elf with heavy claws, scattering leaves and debris into the air around them.

"What matter could be so important to you that you dare disturb my flight, elf?" She nearly spat the words out, her white teath glinting dangerously. This impudent elf had better have a good reason...

[Lady Nala]

Nala instinctively took a step back, though when the beast landed she stood her ground. "Hello. I was curious on the status of alliances. Would you happen to know anything about this, or should I continue search for your king." Nala said, with a slight bow of the head. "I'm Lady Nala, Queen of the elves. What is your name?" She asked.

Nala could not keep her curious eye from looking at the beast in detail. Admiration shone in her eyes, as she looked at the beasts strong claws and scales. Suddenly Nala thought she heard something, but it was of no interest to her.

[shenna]

Shenna growled and lowered her long, sinuous neck. "I am no longer sided with Lakieth. I can not call another dragon my King if he speaks on friendly terms with humans." She shot Nala a look of utter loathing, "Or other bipeds for that matter." The scales on her neck bristled slightly, the mottled green and brown catching the light.

"You can call me Shenna, but I doubt we shall meet again. And if you see Lakieth, let him know that he can no longer call me his subject. The only hierarch I serve now is myself." She caould tell that the elf was being friendly, and in the very back of her head, a voice protested at her hostility. But her anger toward Lakieth was blinding her, and she would take it out on whoever was closest. If the elf would only give her a reason to attack...

[Lord Commander De Montford]

Arthur looked up in dismay as he saw a dragon fly overhead and lower itself into the treetops. "Oh damnit," he said to himself, but his Lieutenant heard him and saw the dragon as well.

"Is that the dragon you fought on the plains mi'lord?" he asked respectfully. "The one that you defeated and sent flying?"

"I didn't defeat it Lieutenant, but she didn't defeat me either." The High Lord thought for a moment, but common sense overcame his curiosity for once. "I don't think this dragon is of any concern to us, lets get back to the path and return to the ship."

"Yes mi'lord," The young officer said. He gave the orders and the small party turned and started back up the hill.

It wasn't long before Arthur knew something was wrong. There were rustles in the bushes all around him and he could hear low gutterall grunts now and then, the snap of a twig, the rustle of the leaves, the glimpse of a shadow. And he wasn't the only one, some of the more aware soldiers were glancing around warily. Searching the trees for anything. They still hadn't reached the safety of the path yet, and the trees were dense here.

"Lieutenant, start marching the men at double time. I have a feeling we..." but he never finished the sentence as two massive shadows dropped out of the trees and landed on two of Arthur's men, crushing them instantly. He caught the glimpse of two enormous bipeds, covered in thick scales and wielding horrible looking battle-axes. They each wore a huge helmet, which Arthur suddenly realised with dread he had seen before.

"To arms!" Arthur called just as a third and a fourth beast leapt out of the trees on either side of the party. "Defend the clearing!" Arthur drew his sword and rolled his shield off his back, his dragonscsale cloak billowing behind him and he turned. In actual fact it was barely a clearing at all... just not as dense as the rest of the trees around them. "Form a ring and defend the centre. Keep the turtle!"

Arthur jumped in the thick ring of soldiers as their weapons rang against the beast's. But they were so terribly powerful, and their axes tore through two and three men with each stroke. "For the King!" Arthur called and he charged towards the nearest beast. Its back was turned and he slashed at the back of its leg.

The beast let out a loud roar and turned, its huge axe falling on top of the High Lord. He raised his shield and took the blow up high, forcing him down to the ground and making his teeth hammer together and his bones compress. He angled the shield and pinned the axe to the ground as he lunged out with his sword, slashing across the beast's neck and drawing blood.

As the axe was raised Arthur knew there was no way he could fight against four of these beasts, and then he remembered the dragon. "Oh hell with it!" he yelled as he pulled a horn out of his belt and put it to his lips, blowing a long, loud note into it which echoed across the valley liuke thunder.

The battle paused brifely, just long enough for an axe to shatter through the horn mid-breath, sending Arthur reeling, but he raised his shield and ran again at the beast...

[shenna]

The sound of the horn caused Shenna to look up, her sensitive nose gulping in the smells. She could smell men, and something new, something forign. She could not place the scent. She lifted her head and stoo on her powerdful haunches so that her head lifted above the trees. She saw the man she had faught on the plain, and a group of his soldiers, but there was something new to her vision. It was huge, slightly bigger than she was, and it was covered in scaley hide. Despite the creature's intimidating bulk, she smiled to herself. It was a dark grin, and her eyes shone with bloodlust. Now she could take out her anger. She turned to the elf, and towered her head so she was eye level.

"This is were I take my leave. You can follow if you wish, but there is a creature in dragon territory that does not belong. I may not be allied with Lakieth, but that does not mean I can not rid my ancester's land of scum." She opened her giant membranous wings, and beat the air several times, bearing her aloft. With a few more downstrokes and a low-pitched battle cry, she was upon the beast. She dove down, her fore-talons open as she gripped its back. She dug her hindclaws into its waist, and sunk her teeth into it's neck. It's hide was tough though, and she did not reach its jugular. Her tail whipped around, keeping her balance, and the creature roared in pain and anger as it's hot blood spilled over Shenna's maw. It's long, gorilla like arms reached over and grabbed Shenna's leg, pulling her toward the ground. Her claws dug long furrows down its back, and though it screamed, the creature kept pulling and flung her to the ground. She smashed into a tree, but was instantly on her feet. She dared not use her fire in fear of catching the trees aflame, but her other weapons would sufice. She leapt from the groung with her claws outstreched toward the creatures chest.

[Lord Commander De Montford]

Arthur felt the blow on his shield and turned it in his hand, striking out from beside it. His sword slashed down the beast's wrist with almost no effect, but it did flick off some of the outer layers of the scales. The blunt of the axe hit his shield again and he spun around to the ground... just in time.

The dragon flew inches over his head, razor sharp claws outstretched and with a roar she ripped into the beast's flesh, tearing it apart. A powerful monster it may have been, but there were few creatures that take a dragon on one-on-one. Arthur stood back up and called out to his men, "Reform the line! Concentrate your attacks on the second beast, the one in the middle!"

One of the beasts had broken through into the centre of the circle and now every soldier turned on his heel with their spear in hand, ready to throw. "Attack!" Twenty spears flew through the air and hammered into the beast from all angles. Not even scales as thick as theirs could have survived that, and the beast gave a roar of pain and fell to the ground, rolling in agony, hot blood pouring out onto the ground, dieing.

Arthur ran up to the third beast and jumped up so he had and easy shot at its head. He slammed the lip of his shield into the beasts helmet with as much force as he could muster, the helm sent flying through the air, revealing the soft flesh beneath. Arthur landed roughly and staggered back a few paces as more soldiers attacked it. The Lord Commander was tiring and he raised his sword with a heavy hand. They had to finish this fast, or never...

[shenna]

OOC: Ooopps! There are more than one!

Shenna watched from the air as the helmet flew off. The creature had raised it's axe and swung it, taking out a line of men. It was distracted from her, she had to act. She dove down and opened her jaws, opening them as wide as theycould possibly go. She reached the creatures exposed head and clamped on, biting down with the forse of a thousand hyenas. With a sickening crunch, the creatures shreiks stopped, and Shenna's mouth filled with the taste of blood and grey matter. She pushed of it as it fell, and it thumped against the ground, it's head a red pulp. She landed next to it, and roared, a roar so loud that a shockwave seemed to ripple from her. It was the victory cry of a dragon who had satisfied the bloodlust. A half grin formed on her face, and her slitted eyes were small in the bright light. Her whole mouth was red with the blood of the beast, and her leg was slick with her own. She turned to face the men.

[Lord Commander De Montford]

Just as the dragon clamped down on the face of the third beast, the other men managed to bring the fourth and last one down. Every remaining man turned and thrust their spears up towards the beast, some slashing as high up at it as they could, and steel bit the beast everywhere. Most just reflected off the beasts scales but one Corporal managed to fit his spear tip right under the scale grove on the beasts chest, on its left side.

Not even a heart as powerful as its could withstand the steel of men as the beast let out one more guttaral scream and fell to the ground, long dead.

Arthur let his sword and shield sag in his hands. His sword was slick with the beast's blood, and his usually stunningly white cloak was now dirtied by dirt and foul smelling blood, both of the beasts and of Arthur's comrades. He let himself take a moment to catch his breath as the men finished the dieing creatures. He was almost exhausted after taking so many heavy blows to his shield and his left arm was throbbing badly.

He turned to face the dragon he had faced before on the battleground. For a sickening moment, he had the vision in his mind that now it would lash out at him, attacking the men just as brutally as it had the beasts. But the attack never came.

"My thanks to you, dragon of they woods," he gasped, his breath still not fully recovered. "They came at us from nowhere and... struck so hard." He eyed the field. Four of the beasts now lay dead, but almost five times that many men lay with them. "We can't continue this. We have to stop these things before they attack in numbers." He looked up to the dragon, hoping that she could see that too...

[shenna]

Shenna looked at the man before her with distain. "If you are insinuating an alliance, you are badly mistaken. The only reason that I faught this thing here was to rid my homelands of the beast. There is nothing that is stopping m from killing you all right now." Her head lowered, and quick as a flash, she grabbed on of his men, holding him struggling within her jaws. She did not, however bite down. She shook him slightly, so that his weapon fell to the ground, and the soldier slipped into unconsiousness. She then raised her neck and placed the man in the crook of a tree, fourty feet up. With a cruel smile, she turned to Arthur.

"That should keep you occupied." But she did not fly, away, not yet. There was fresh meat on the ground that could not go to waste. She wasn't all that hungry, but there was always room for a bite. She walked over to the beast who's head she had crushed, and sunk her teeth in, pulling off a large strip of meat.

[Lord Commander De Montford]

Arthur eyed the dragon as it started feasting on the beast with regret, while wiping the blood on his sword onto one of the beast's carasses. "As you wish dragon."

He turned around to his men and sheathed his sword angrily with the ring of metal dissaperaing from his hand.. "Get him out of the damn tree." He walked over to his Lieutenant who was watching the dragon eat the beast, The officer sheathed his own sword after wiping the blood off the blade. The soldiers pulled out a length of rope and tied a weight to the end. It took several attempts for the men to throw it high enough, but eventually they got it. The soldier in the tree soon regained consciousness and lowered himself down shakily and embarrased with the help of several other guide ropes being held from below.

"Lieutenant, lets return to the ship. There is no more need for us to be here, and it is obvious that we are not wanted." The Lord Commander said to the officer, who nodded briskly, sweat still on his brow from the fight and a nasty looking gash down his left shoulder, where one of the beast's blades ad cut open his ringmail.

"We'll see to the wounded there. We had better march on these things soon. I will send to Aric to marshall our forces. Soon we will march..." He turned around and put his shield on his back, strapping it on. He walked over to the men to start helping the wounded. "...soon we will fight."

[shenna]

Shenna finished her meal, her belly pleasently full. She watched the men fumble around for a few minutes, amusment playing at the corners of her mouth. But she soon grew bored, so she streched her wings, and out of spite, gave one extreamly powerful downstroke, blowing the trees bak and sending a few men falling. She laughed gently, and then took off, rising above the trees in a matter of seconds. Her flight was lazy this time, her anger had cooled with the battle.

The wind was perfect for flying, and she soon found a strong updraft. Shenna flew in large circles around it, only beating her wings occasionally. This was the life. No worries, no King to bend down for, and not one human in her sight. She wished she could stay there forever, just letting the wind sooth her achy wings.

[Lord Commander De Montford]

Arthur had to ground himself to stay upright when the dragon took off. "She just did that on purpose!" The Lord Commander realised in a fury. "God I hate that dragon! Rott in hell for all I care!" He screamed up into the air when he regained himself, but she was already gone, taken into the sky by the winds.

Arthur turned around, supressing his anger, "Form two files! Back to the ship!" de Montford turned and started back towards the ship, what was left of his party following him there. He muttered to himself as he walked in front of the column. "If we meet again dragon, my blade won't be so submissive..."