Fell Dragon
Greetings Readers!
It's time for another update for Fell Dragon. I hope you're all prepared. There are a few parts that allude to a darker future. Also, be prepared for next week when Saita gets an opportunity to come face-to-face with Edzeeker.
Now knowing the forest like the back of her hand Saita was able to find where the Vulpine were gathering tonight. All three tribes had called a truce for those gathering for this event. From what Saita understood this challenge was nothing more than the opening of what would be the reshuffling of the tribes. Trading of youngsters to strengthen various packs and even breeding proposals. Basically, violence first, then peace talks.
She was aware of those walking on either side of her within the brush, but no one spoke. They were all going to the same place. Eventually, Black-Beast found her and escorted her the rest of the way. He seemed nervous, and his hackles were raised.
“You wore no protective clothing?” he asked.
“Wouldn’t that be cheating?” she looked over her long pants and hoodie. “I actually considered not wearing shoes to be fairer.”
“Pink things clearly like to be scarred,” he pointed to her face. “Protect your face and abdomen, and you should be fine.”
“Basic survival skills 101,” she grinned at him.
They soon arrived at a cleared area in the forest, and Saita was amazed at the number of Vulpines that had gathered. She had had no idea there had been so many of them on the planet. She would need to be on her guard for sure. There were several fires lit, and she noticed the young pups running on a mixture of two or four legs, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“I thought you only felt anger,” said Black-Beast when he noticed her smile.
“I like kids,” she said before she could stop herself.
“Win this, and you could ask for one,” laughed Moon-Streak as he padded over.
“What would I do with a kid? I can barely look after myself.”
“You do seem to be getting skinner and skinner every time I see you. Are you unwell? Do we need to reschedule?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Where is Silver-Wind? I would love to get that…”
There was a hush that suddenly fell over the clearing and even the children had run back to their parents. That was when Silver-Wind walked into the clearing with his lackeys. He had decided to walk in on his hind legs.
“He is mocking you,” whispered Moon-Streak.
Saita rolled her eyes and simply called over to the large Vulpine. “Let’s get this over and done with before I get any older.”
And like that, the tension snapped, and the Vulpine launched himself at her. For a second Saita wondered if anyone would stop him, but instead, they all scattered in different directions. The fight was on.
“This is so stupid,” she muttered as she concentrated on summoning the force she would need to protect herself.
As claws flashed in her face, blood erupted and splashed over the trees. Shocked, Saita jumped back to avoid the second swipe coming from her left. There wasn’t just one attacking her. She was glad she had already used her mother’s technique while walking here, otherwise the gash across her chest would have been maddening. Instead of anger bubbling in her chest, there was a sudden urge to leap at the Vulpine before her and rip them to pieces. She almost gave in to that urge as Silver-Wind jumped at her again. She ducked then grabbed at a stump from a fire close by and swung it up. The smell of burning fur leapt into the air, and the howl that echoed caused the other Vulpine to halt their attack.
Saita turned and grinned maliciously when she saw Silver-Wind scrambling in the dirt, clutching his eyes, and howling. Though he had ducked under the stump he had not expected Saita to blow the still burning cinders straight into his face. Something so simple had reduced this threat to a snivelling coward.
“Well?” she turned to the other Vulpine that had attacked with Silver-Wind. “I’m still standing. Coming?”
“Pink thing!” roared the Vulpine behind her as he got to his feet. “Where are you?”
Saita simply moved out of the way of the slashing claws before stabbing the smoking stump between his feet. He turned at the sound and tripped over his feet being caught up on the stump. Once he was on the ground Saita set a foot to his throat. Silver-Wind lay perfectly still but grumbled under his breath.
“So? Do I win?” asked Saita. “Or do I need to face your friends too?”
None of the other Vulpine dared to move. Saita got off of Silver-Wind and sat down next to him. She sighed heavily. “Not what I wanted to do. I expected a fight, not dirty play on both sides.”
Silver-Wind rolled over and lifted a paw, as if to swipe at Saita, but pulled back as a beam of light shot between him and her. He bounced back, but Saita only looked up. All the Vulpine looked up into the trees. Barik jumped down from it and simply said. “You lost, take it in good graces, or I will blow your head off.”
Many Vulpine growled, but no one made a move. Barik pulled Saita to her feet, and he was grinning. “That was so sharp thinking on your part. How deep is the cut in your chest?”
“Meh, I’ll live.”
“Metal-Meat! Metal-Meat! Metal-Meat!” roared the Vulpine around the fire as claws scratched against trees and boulders.
The noise was annoying, and Saita was about to tell them all to shut up before Black-Beast simply said. “No! Saita!”
Then the forest echoed with her name, and she grinned broadly. There wasn’t rage in her chest now, there was pride and elation. She loved this.
“What do you want?” spat Silver-Wind rubbing at his blinded eyes.
Feeling a little charitable now, Saita reached up and gripped his snout. “Stand still. I haven’t tried this before.”
Milky orbs that were first sunk into burned fur, started to heal, and regain their colour. Then the burns on his flesh seemed to diminish a little before Saita released him and shook her hands in pain. “How does Mother do this without getting hurt?”
“You can heal?” Barik seemed confused.
“I copy techniques but rarely practice these.”
She repeated this a few more times before Silver-Wind rubbed at his eyes again and then chuckled harshly. “Now I owe you a blood debt.”
“Just leave the other humans alone. That’s all I want,” said Saita.
“No! We had a wager. You wanted my coat covered in blood…”
“Not the whole thing, and there is blood on it.” she pointed to his snout. “I got what I wanted.”
“But…” Silver-Wind looked at her in confusion. “This cannot be all you wished for.”
The Vulpine gathered around them stomped their feet while howling and snapping their jaws. Clearly, they were not satisfied with what Saita had asked for. She grumbled something under her breath. Silver-Wind perked up one ear and raised part of their lip in what seemed to be a grin. “Why pink thing, is that all? Is that why you wanted my coat?”
Barik noticed the red in Saita’s cheeks and wondered what she had asked for.
“Have you no mate to draw this comfort from?” chuckled the Vulpine. “What would a pink thing want from us beasts? We have been called monsters by your kind, so why?”
“Saita,” said Barik with a warning in his voice.
“I too, have been called a monster by my own people,” she said softly. “Will you accept my request?”
Silver-Wind looked up to those around him, then started to yip and growl, then ended in a bark before he chuckled. Saita was sure that he had made fun of her.
“What did you ask for?” hissed Barik.
“To sleep with him,” she said simply.
Barik considered her words for a moment and nodded his head. “Should I bring your sleeping aids?”
“No.”
“Do you trust them?”
“Ancient societies like these hold value in warriors. If they had wanted me dead, both of us would be bleeding out on this forest floor.”
“Then I will return to Kiai. I will see you in the morning,” he took one more glance at her chest before asking. “Is that shallow enough not to need immediate attention?”
“It is fine.”
Barik left the young woman to the revelry as the Vulpine had suddenly roared as if an agreement had been reached.
“Sleep well, Princess,” he whispered as he returned to the underground tunnels.
The Vulpine were all over her that night. The young sniffing at her, the females fussing over her wounds, and the other warriors trying to scuffle with her. They had all offered her food, but she had turned all of them down. She was in no mood. The high of the fight was fading now, and the pain in her chest was starting to irk her. The Vulpine all around her were making merry, and she was somewhat confused as she was sure they were meant to be at war with each other.
“You seemed very confused,” said the voice of a large white female that she was leaning against.
She had introduced herself as Ghost, no second name like the others Saita had met. She had simply assigned herself as Saita’s comfort during the various other activities taking place. Saita looked up as the Vulpine looked down at her. The human was astounded by the sheer size of this Vulpine.
“I thought the tribes were fighting.”
“The tribes are always fighting. They are like an ocean. The power between them ebbs and flows with the pull of the moon. Tonight is the outcome of years of struggle.” Ghost chuckled. “Normally there are more fights, but it seems your fight is something none of the young wants to follow up on. Look there.”
Ghost pointed with claws to a pair of Vulpine who were playfully tussling with each other. One was white and the other Black-Beast. There would be points in their mock fighting that would cause damage to one individual, but the final blow would always land with a playful tap instead.
“That is my daughter. The fight was meant to be between Black-Beast and Silver-Wind for the right to this fight.”
“And the significance of this fight would be?” asked Saita as she watched the white female swat Black-Beast across the snout.
“She is testing him, seeing if he is worthy of fathering cubs with her.”
“Then there is no marriage amongst your people?”
“Strength through unity, it’s through tribe that which binds us. Silver-Wind is faster, but Black-Beast is stronger. She gets to choose what trait she wants to bring into our tribe.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
“You think of us as beasts. Open your mind to see us as creatures like you but with different practices. I saw the look the other pink thing gave you when you said you wished to sleep with Silver-Wind. He clearly thought that you meant something else,” Ghost put her chin on top of Saita’s head.
Saita closed her eyes and felt the giant animal’s heart beating against her back, and she drew a little comfort from it.
“Whatever you are looking for Saita, it is not here with us.”
The human opened her eyes to see Black-Beast latch on the white female’s tail. She gave a sharp yip and spun to bat the top of his head.
“I know,” she said sadly. “Just...let me feel like I belong for one night. Please.”
“What haunts you, child?”
“I can’t remember.”
Instead of sleeping within Silver-Wind’s fur Saita found herself growing tired and eventually fell asleep against Ghost, and there she remained until she awoke with a start. Her hands were clammy; sweat-drenched her shirt and her heart was racing. In the dim light of morning, she could see that she was surrounded by various Vulpine who had fallen asleep around the dying fires. Silver-Wind had tried to keep his promise by lying over her legs, but she had mostly been encased by Ghost’s fur. He was looking at her through a half-opened eye. At first, Saita wasn’t sure if he actually was awake until he spoke.
“The whole evening you stank of anger, but now you are seeping terror. Your kicks woke me. What terror stalks your mind when you sleep, causing your to almost awake with a scream when you are able to stare down my teeth without flinching?”
She felt nauseous with her racing heart, which only calmed after a few deep breaths. Once calm, she indicated that she wanted to get to her feet. Silver-Wind got up and let her up. Ghost stirred but didn’t open her eyes.
“I should be getting back before they start to worry about me,” she mumbled. “Thank you for honouring my wish.”
Silver-Wind stood up and towered over her. He put a claw against her nose and yipped two syllables before saying. “Call me when you need allies, Princess.”
“Saita, my name is Saita.”
“Princess Saita. I hear a lot of talk of those that move by day. I know who you are. A war is coming and the Vulpine need to reunite for the sake of the lines.”
“Lines?”
“Past, present, and future. You will see. An ancestor and descendant will come here one day, and he will seek to bind us to fight the Great Serpent, but it will not be what they think it is. I pledge my tribe to you, Princess Saita.”
“You are no tribe leader, and I am no Princess.”
“Not now but in the future, we are and will be.” Silver-Wind looked over to where Black-Beast and the white female lay. “This season was not mine but there is still time.”
He lowered his claw and grinned. “And if your dreams bother you again my coat will welcome you and if you want more...well, that’s a discussion for another time.”
These may not seem like the allies that Saita needs for now, but they'll come in quite handy later. I hope everyone enjoyed today's update, and will join for the next one on Tuesday. See you then.
For those of you just joining us, please note that this is the follow on book from Fell Dragon. Follow this link to read it
Fell Dragon Book 1
As the series continues, it will combine with another book series I wrote. To avoid confusion about what is happening, introductory chapters will be introduced separately so that you don't have to be lost. However, these chapters will contain spoilers. You can find these chapters here:
Races Explained
Banishment
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Haven't read the other parts yet? Follow these handy links:
Part 17>>You are Here>>Part 19