A Dragon's Path - Chapter Two
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A Dragon's Path
Chapter Two:
Plan of Attack
Skytail's belly rumbled again, and she sighed, knowing exactly what she was going to be doing first. As much as she wanted to check in with her friends and family, there was no use doing it on an empty stomach.
Looking down, she gave herself a quick once-over, making sure her appearance was in order. Then, the Nadder looked into the sky and prepared to take off. She crouched down with her legs, and spread her wings. When she was ready, she leapt into the air, and beat her wings down, pushing her higher, and keeping her alight.
When she was airborne, she bent her legs back under herself, tucking them against her tail, and then, with a few flaps of her wings, sent herself flying.
As soon as she was far enough away from the mountainside to properly maneuver, she turned herself around, and faced the human village. She hovered for a moment, beating her wings to stay in air, as she looked for the telltale smoke that signaled where the humans were. Sure enough, a column of grey smoke rose in the air, from the center of their village.
Mmmm... humans, she thought. She pictured them in her mind; their small, delicious bodies rubbing over taste buds, sliding down her throat, bulging out her belly...
She could feel her mouth salivating just thinking about it.
The more she imagined what it would be like, the more she wanted to just hurry up and get there. She needed meat in her belly, and she needed it fast.
As time passed, the distance between her and the village gradually shrunk, and soon, she found herself close. Before she got too close, however, she stopped, and angled herself down to the forest, landing in the middle of the trees.
She had learned early on that stealth was key when attacking humans directly in their village. If she went head to head with the entire population, she'd lose in heartbeat. She could take one or two, or even three on a good day, but when they outnumbered her so much, she wouldn't stand a chance.
The Deadly Nadder would have to find some way to sneak in. This was easier said than done, as she didn't exactly blend into the forest, and she couldn't exactly hide from them easily with her size. But she had done it before, and could do it again.
She was about to head to head to her usual spot, near the cliffs on the edge of their area, when she suddenly remembered the last time she had come here. There had been more humans patrolling than usual, and she had barely gotten out unscathed. She had certainly caused an uproar, and there would be more this time.
But, it was also early in the morning. The village was just waking up, and maybe they weren't on full alert just yet. Maybe she could sneak in.
Still, it was risky. She tried to think of some alternatives. There was her old spot, by the farmland. She and other dragons like her used to feed there, until the humans had strengthened their numbers there, anticipating their raids. She had abandoned that spot for that reason, but it had proven fruitful in the past, and perhaps they had lowered their guard in the months since the last raid.
Or, there was the safe, yet somewhat boring option. There were often humans hunting in the woods, and if she tracked them down, they would be helpless. But there was a lot of patience involved, and she didn't think she was up for that today; plus, there was no guarantee she'd find anything.
But, it was the safer option, and maybe it was worth putting up with for a week or two until things died down.
"Hmmm..." she thought to herself, deep in thought. Once again, she found herself having a hard time coming to a decision.