FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 13

Multicolored trees passed far below Lyyreth's wings as the green dragon pounded them against the crisp morning air. His breaths came steadily as he gazed out to the countryside, where the sun had just barely risen from the horizon. He thought back to the previous hour or so, when he had finally been able to pull his weakened form from the stone floor. He had been delighted to learn when he stretched, and arched his neck, that the soreness from the previous night had faded. A_nd they will face two dragons today, fully healed, and a score to settle._

Lyyreth angled his wings as the next passage of wind below them brought the faint scent of mortals, old leathers, and dragons. Good...We are on the right path. He thought as he narrowed his eyes to the winding and beaten road below him. It's brown path snaked through the tapestry of trees and parting it like the sea. It was this path, it seemed the hunters had decided to take on their flight back towards the tower they sought. Would make sense...It is a well traveled path...Would be ideal for a cart...The cart that contains my brother. With his thoughts on the green dragon that he had grown up with, Lyyreth found that a snarl had come to his snout. Luckily this path also makes you predictable...Cause I won't let what happened to Infinity happen to you...That also goes for you Jerry. He chuckled in the back of his mind as he pictured the wrinkled old man spouting out snarky insults to the collected hunters. Perhaps he would make fun of their faces, and give them a few choice nicknames that would generate snickers from the gathered crowd.

The delightful image of laughing humans, and a knee slapping Jerry brought a smile to his stern looking face. However that smile soon died when he thought to the pain they may inflict onto the man. He may have had a fierce tongue that he could fight with the best of him, but he was still old. His body would be weaker than a normal human male, and would probably not last long during any sort of interrogation that the hunters or the undead lich would subject him to. If you have hurt a single hair on his wrinkled head. He found his thoughts imagining scenarios were he would inflict the same amount of pain back onto the mortals that dared to take the only sibling he had. He shook his head softly in surprise at his thoughts. Almost like it was a different mind lurking in his head. Don't take my brother from me. That is the lesson they will learn. Lyyreth swallowed his feelings of surprise with the next beating of his wings.

The green dragon looked to his left to see that the onyx dragon he had decided to find was easily keeping pace with him. It hardly looked like it was any effort in order for her to flap her wings in tandem with his. He felt his frills turn a darker shade of green when he noticed how her wings looked in the sunlight. He knew they were supposed to hide her from the ground at night with their pattern, but in the golden rays they shone off of them and made them sparkle just like the stars they were supposed to be imitating. His eyes then went to the rest of her scared, scaled body, and how at home in the air she looked. Course that could be said of any dragon, but the way her face stared out to the vast countryside with determination ever present on her snout it looked like the shivering dragon of the basement was gone. He was actually surprised how little effort it required for him to convince the black beauty to come with him on this rescue mission. He knew she had said she would help him get his brother back, but that was before Jerry got involved.

She had looked at him when he mentioned it and rolled her eyes. "Do you think I'm heartless? No one deserves to be subjected to the liches tests..Dragons..Mortals...no one." He continued to fly along side of her, a smile tugging at his snout with each beat of his wings, and breeze upon his snout. He could practically taste their victory on his tongue. We just can't lose. His frills fluttered as he angled his wings for a turn and thought back to wise words his mother had offered him. He was reminded to not get ahead of himself, remain focused. Lots of things can happen after all.

"How much farther?" Infinity asked, swooping under him, and taking position to his right. Her wings were spread wide into a glide, her tips nearly touching his own.

Can she not make out the faint smell? He thought, flaring his nostrils and taking another whiff of the scent that was still in the air. Maybe it was something to do with the tower, and all the time she spend within it. "Not much farther." he replied with a slight growl in the back of his throat as his thoughts turned to the hunters. "Not long until we over take them. They had to take this road."

"Easy to follow. Are you sure you don't want me to fly ahead and start the attack? My wings can carry me much faster after all."

Lyyreth thought about her words for a moment, his eyes peering out to the clouds that darted the sky. It would certainly be an advantage of hers to do what she asked. It is better to do it together. "We should hit them together." he finally said after a few wing-beats of silence. "It may take a tad longer to get there, but when we do we will be much harder to take down. They won't get to attack us piecemeal." Lyyreth growled as his gaze fell back towards the road beneath them. "They will have to deal with two angry dragons at once."

"Sounds good." Infinity replied flatly, her eyes never leaving the road. It was like she was mentally preparing herself for what lay ahead.

Lyyreth said not a word more as he flew alongside the strong dragoness. They started to descend towards the earth as they continued their chase of the hunters, startling any wildlife with their passing. He could feel his heart begin to beat faster as they grew closer and closer with each flap of their wings. He shivered as he began to feel his blood start to warm up, preparing him for the ensuing battle that he was sure to take place. They had not been one to talk things though...Just resorting to their weapons...like we were mere prey to them....The wolf does not talk to the rabbit after all.

If they go to surrender, you should show them mercy. The sound of Arcturus' words entered his mind and swirled around like a vortex. He imagined the humans kind face, telling him that with a stern look. I know you're a good dragon Lyyreth, the rest of the world needs to see what your kind can do as well. Don't be the monster from the tales of old. Show them the heart that's beneath your scales. Lyyreth found himself taking a deep breath as they flew over a crystal clear lake surrounded by trees. Arcturus...I am glad to have met you. He looked down to his claw briefly, clenching and unclenching the armored limb. He felt a shiver run from his forelimb up to his shoulder, snaking back passed that until it ran the length of his body and ended at his tail.

Not further now. His eyes looked beyond the path, to the dirt brown mountains that rose from the earth like dragon's teeth to consume the bright blue sky that taunted them from above. From the mountain his eyes fell to a little dot flying above the path. He was certain it was the last wyvern and his rider, acting like a lookout for the others. They might have already seen us. "Infinity, there's the hunters." He pointed to the small dot with a talon. "And that is the wyvern...the last one."

"Mmmhmm." she replied with a flick of her tail as she pounded her wings hard against the air. With a mere touch to her snout the much faster dragoness overtook him and vanished completely from sight.

Good. He smirked as he did the same motion with his forelimb. They will never know what hit them. "Vonuze" he muttered softly. The moment the words left his snout the sensation like an egg breaking over his head filled his senses. He shivered at the tingling sensation as it spread to the rest of his body, and when all his senses were that way he knew he was invisible to the naked eye.

Closer and closer he flew towards the collection of mortals on horseback. He could smell that Infinity was further ahead of him now, almost to the point he was having a hard time pinpointing her exact location. Among the collection of multicolored horses there was a large dark brown wooden card, with his brother bound in sturdy leather straps. This cart was being dragged by a team of well built looking horses, all of them galloping along the path before them.

They are afraid...But still be careful. * He remembered Jaiden petting his snout earlier and saying those same words as she gave him a worried sigh. One that betrayed the calm face that she had been giving him the entire time.

"Don't want ta lose ya too Chip."

"I won't get hurt." he said to her with a reassuring tap of his paw on the earth. "I will also bring Jerry back safe, and as wrinkled as ever." he gave her a smile as she started to laugh."

"That he is, you keep that promise ya hear?" her voice started to crack as she traced the scales of his face with her soft hands. "I can't see Jerry surviving that tower your lady friend survived."

"Don't worry." Lyyreth had spread his wings, giving her a soft bow as he hung his head. He was taken back when she grabbed his head in both of her hands and pulled him tightly against her chest.

"Thank ya Chip...you're like some...Viridian Knight of old."

"I wouldn't go that far." He pushed her away lightly, "I am only doing what is right." He turned around as he heard the steps of Infinity striding over and had spread her wings wide.

"Are you ready?" She had said, staring out to the purplish morning sky.

"That I am." he had tensed his muscles and wiggled his haunches, preparing himself for the flight to get his brother, and the human Jerry.

"Be careful!" Jaiden shouted out as the two dragons bolted into the air, the wind from their wings making her clothes flatter in the wind.

"We will!" he had roared out, carrying himself far above the farm.

* Lyyreth shook his head as the wind battered against his snout and pulled him from the memory of the morning. The breeze made his membranes ripple in the air, causing him to close his eyes momentarily in contentment. No time to relax though. He opened his eyes only after a second to see that they were almost on top of the wyvern now. or at least I think we are. Infinity had continued to fly further and further away from him, until she was now beyond his ability to blindy sense when things were around him.

The green dragon considered flying up to the man, and plucking him from the saddle that held him firmly on the wyvern. He would soar overhead with the terrified man, and discuss his surrender of himself and his friends. Or I can put his beast to sleep...Causing it to plummet to the earth....and I could pluck him the sky that way. He was about to think of a different idea entirely but he did not get the chance to even form the thought.

The rider who was perched ever so carefully on his wyvern had his head suddenly sliced off in one clean cut. Like a sharpened sword had run right through the man's neck, the head slid off and plummeted towards the ground below. The man's body slumped over within his saddle, spilling running rivers of blood onto the wyverns leathery grey hide. Lyyreth saw the culprit appear suddenly in mid air, the sharpened tail of hers was smeared in a thin bright red lair of human blood. The dragoness turned with an angling of her wings, and exposed her teeth with a loud hiss in the air.

The wyvern let out a battle screech of its own, filling the air with it's angry cry. With how fast the thing bolted off towards Infinity, Lyyreth thought that it was sentient for a moment as he angled his wings and continued with his path towards the collection of mortals below.

His eyes traced all of the scrambling mortals, and their horses that were trying to desperately carry them away from the angry dragoness fighting above their heads. He saw several of them draw their crossbows, or energy crossbows in desperation as fear flashed into their eyes. He sailed over their heads, the beating of his wings throwing up a gust that ruffled hair, and made their horses rear up in fear. He thought about just unleashing his poison breath onto the surprised hunters, who were now starting to spread their number in an attempt to deny them clumps to take advantage of. However he realized that until he knew were Jerry was, it would put the old man at risk. For his poison breath did not care who it killed, it just did so.

"It's the black one!" Came the angered shout from the stern, muscled woman from the night before. She had her energy crossbow already drawn and pointed at Infinity, who was busy locking claws and teeth with the wyvern in a deadly dance. "Take aim!"

"What about the wyvern?"

"They were given to us for this purpose! If it has to die in order to get the dragoness, then it has fulfilled that purpose!" the woman growled, taking aim. "Now aim!"

Those that had weapons started to draw bead on Infinity, held within slightly trembling hands. Lyyreth found Jerry almost instantly later, he was propped up against Cordenth. He was tied together with rough looking rope, and had an off-white cloth gag within his mouth. The old man's eyes went to Infinity, and then gave the aiming woman a narrowed gaze.

Time for a little distraction. Lyyreth opened his maw to strafe the hunters with the energy crossbows. He let the emerald colored gas spread out from his mouth to coat three hunters in it's thick embrace. He passed by them with the next beating of his wings, turning around as the humans coughed and gagged on his poison cloud. He saw thin lines appear all over their faces as the poison overloaded their bodies, and started to shut them down almost instantly. When his claws had settled onto the ground, the men had already collapsed dead to the ground. With a mighty roar he felt the sensation of invisibility leave him, he was visible once more.

"The other green one!" came a shout from a hunter, as his horse reared up with a scared winny."

"Yea? So get him!" came the shout of a braver hunter, who lowered a metal spear and decided to spur his mount forward. He held it aloft and gave out a loud battle cry, as two others decided to join him.

Lyyreth snatched the spear out of the man's hands with a simple grab of his maw. The hunter made the mistake of not letting go from his weapon and was pulled from his saddle and tossed to the ground with a pain grunt. One of the other hunters managed to reach the dragon, the tip of his spear striking an armored portion of the green scales, deflecting the attack as the dragon spun away. The last hunter threw his spear as he kept his distance, the metal tip finding purchase in Lyyreth's hide. It was not enough to be a life threatening wound, but it still made him wince as he recoiled from the blow. He spun to face the man whose attack he had deflected, his long tail smacking the hunter who had thrown his spear from his mount. The man let out a loud yelp as he was lifted from the horse and thrown several feet back onto the ground.

The green dragon pounced on the closest man. His weight crashing into the horse and toppling it over with a pain filled cry. His foreclaws slashed at the man, slicing through his leather armor and ripping through the man. He was dead when Lyyreth leaped to the next closest mortal, who was still pulling himself from the ground. His jaws sank into that man's shoulder, causing him to scream into the air as the dragon tasted his salty blood.

"Keep firing at the black one!" came the woman's voice, followed by the loud snaps of energy crossbow fire. She spun to face Lyyreth, drawing him with her weapon as her finger hugged the trigger. "Anyone without a ranged weapon, on the green one if you want your share of the cut!" She pulled the trigger, and sent three red blasts of energy sailing through the air.

Lyyreth flicked his tail without a second thought, the word "strakaare" hissed from his maw. Blue energy sparkled around his scales, causing the energy bolts that struck them to deflect off and fly in random directions. He fought the urge to smile as one such bolt struck a hunter square in the chest, causing the surprised half-elf to fly back onto the ground and not get back up. The green dragon avoided a sword swung to his left forelimb, snapping the air with his teeth and making that man retreat. He felt an ax cut into his right forelimb, spreading a ripple of pain through his shoulder. He spread his wings and back-winged to safety, but not before opening his maw and dousing those two hunters and their mounts with more poison. The mounts lazily wobbled with the hunters, and collapsed dead in a matter of seconds.

Well that..was.."Graaah!" Lyyreth hissed as two hunters sailed by him on horseback, slicing into his flank with their swords. He spun around to face them when he felt two arrow heads sink into his back, making him growl in the back of his throat. He flicked his tail, striking one of the archers in the shoulder. The man fell to the ground and was trampled to death by several horse's hooves as they tried to flee from the dragon. "Just surrender." Lyyreth hissed as the two swordsman on horseback eyed him.

"Never beast!" one shouted, charging forward, maneuvering his mount away from Lyyreth's claw strike, to allow his buddy to move in and slash Lyyreth again.

"Taaahhhhh." Lyyreth sucked in as the blade cut deep into his side, and sprayed his blood onto the earth. He quickly lashed out, his jaws sinking around the man's head. He had not meant to, but he had been moving so quickly. With a tug, the man's head was pulled from his neck, with a sickening crack that caused the dripping bloody stump to mix its fluids with the dragon's own. Lyyreth spit out the horrid tasting head, only to catch two more arrows to his back, making him stumble forward into the other rider's next sword swing.

The rider's sword struck Lyyreth right near the base of his neck, cutting a shallow cut along his scales. Luckily for the dragon it seemed he had not been able to throw his whole weight to the attack. Otherwise I might be missing my head. Lyyreth clawed the man, his talons ripping across the man's face and smacking him to the ground a bloody mess.

"We have the green one on the ropes!" the woman shouted out, shooting several more shots of crossbow fire, causing Lyyreth to avoid them as his blue field faded away. "Just a little bit more and our boss will have three dragons!"

"Focken right!" one man shouted, motioning for two other's to keep focus with his sword.

Lyyreth spun around, taking in a deep breath as his hide began to leak blood again onto his scales. He counted thirteen still left on the forest floor, some were still on their mounts, the others having dismounted by choice, or had been smacked to the ground by Lyyreth's tail. There were at least six still firing at Infinity, trying to keep her at bay it seemed with blue energy blasts. Thankfully the black dragoness seemingly was doing a good job, using the wyvern she was battling with as a shield at times. He heard a screech echo out from the flying critter, seconds before it's corpse came crashing down onto two men who were advancing on him on horseback. They did not even get a chance to let out a cry of pain as their bodies were crushed beneath the things bulk.

"Spread out!" the woman cried out, as Infinity descended towards them, bolts of lightning already circling her paws.

The hunters did the best they could as Lyyreth pressed the attack with his claws and teeth. He avoided some increasingly clumsy attacks as fear started to sink into their bones. He tossed three more from horseback with mighty strikes, and doused two others with poison. With Infinity also loosing a lightning bolt that chained to three other hunters, the collection of mortals was quickly whittled down to a handful of survivors. He felt no remorse as he advanced on the last five with Infinity by his side.

"Hold up!" The woman pulled Jerry from the cart, and held a blade to his throat. "One more step out of you dragons and the old man gets it!" She shouted, causing Lyyreth and Infinity to freeze in their tracks.

Of all the things. Lyyreth snarled as the woman smiled before his eyes.

"Good. Knew this man would come in handy, although not the way I imagined it." the woman pressed the blade harder against Jerry's neck, drawing a small droplet of blood. "Now you done killed most of our collection of hunters, and we would very much like to live."

Lyyreth looked to the other mortals that were backing away from the dragons. Their weapons were being held with white knuckled hands, their eyes large and full of fear on their dirty faces.

"You attacked us first." Lyyreth hissed, crouching low and twitching his frills. "You deserved everything that was coming towards you."

"That might be, but I currently have the human you don't want dead." She patted Jerry on the shoulder as her eyes drifted to Infinity. "Now you let us go, and we will let this other green one go..Then when we are a good distance up the road, and you're not nowhere to be scene, we will let the old coot go."

"You might break your promise on that one."

"That might be, but its the only choice you got dragon. If you don't agree than I will simply cut the man's throat, and spill his guts onto the ground for you to see."

"Then we will rip you apart piece by piece." Infinity hissed, her spines standing on edge.

" So you agree that we are at an impasse here."

"I agree." Lyyreth narrowed his eyes, his gaze briefly meeting Jerry's own. Who seemed to slightly nod at him.

"Then, with that done you let us go free. We won't bother you none anymore, I think we might have to retire from the dragon hunting business." Her eyes narrowed as the rest of the hunters murmured in agreement

"Then go hunter. I wish to never see you doing this again ." Lyyreth growled in the back of his throat. "If I ever catch you again doing this, I will make sure you are put down permanently."

The woman nodded, and turned her head slightly to look to the rest of the survivors. "That sounds like a go-" she never got the rest of the words out, as Infinity took the opening and closed the distance with a flash. Her teeth were around the woman's neck, and with a yank, a snapping sound filled the air, and the woman fell dead to the ground.

"We surrender, we surrender!" the hunters shouted out, dropping their weapons and sinking to their knees before the two dragons. "Please, don't kill us!"

"Infinity!" Lyyreth hissed, stomping over to her with his tail wagging behind him. "What was..."

The dragoness narrowed her eyes and said not a word as she opened her maw and doused the remaining hunters with blue fire. Their screams filling the air as they collapsed to the ground writhing in pain. "There." She said flatly, snapping her maw to the still shocked Lyyreth. "Now they will be unable to tell the lich where I have been or where I am going."

"They had surrendered!" he roared to her as she bounded into the air.

Infinity did not answer as her wingbeats carried her away from the green dragon, Jerry, and his tied up brother. She was soon high above the treetops, and without another wing-beat she was out of sight. She did not even let out a roar to announce her departure.

Lyyreth wrinkled his snout as he looked to the collection of blood drenched bodies that were spread out on the road. Pieces of mortal and horse thrown together in a grim display of dragon ferocity. He looked down to his blood smeared claws, then to the brother and human he had done this for. It was worth it...It was worth it. He repeated to himself as he strode over to the old man, undoing the rope with a cut of his talon.

"Thank ya Chippy." Jerry said the moment the gag was free from his mouth. The old man looked around at the bodies and let out a sigh. "Ya did good Chip, shame they all ended up dead. But sometimes this sort of thing happens."

Lyyreth nodded as he padded over to his brother, who had started to wiggle and strain against the leather bindings that were wrapped tightly around him. "Hold on, hold on." he said sternly, tracing the leather with a talon before cutting it. With several more cuts all the leathers were free from his brother, allowing the green dragon to bolt up and start to stretch his limbs one at a time.

"Thanks brother." Cordenth yawned, working a kink from his neck. "You have no idea how uncomfortable that was." He chuckled, moving in and nuzzling Lyyreth affectionately. "Thank you. Even if I was not scared in the slightest."

"I know you were...It's okay." Lyyreth laughed, relief spreading to his limbs as he nuzzled his brother back. "I am just glad you were not hurt too badly."

"You know me." Cordenth tapped his scales with a paw, tracing over the scar on his chest. "Tough as nails, and brave as brave can be."

"Sure." Lyyreth rolled his eyes as Jerry placed a hand to his shoulder.

"I'd like to get away from this graveyard if ya don't mind." the old man sighed, patting Lyyreth's shoulder a few times. "Would you care to carry me home?"

Lyyreth looked up to the sky, almost hoping that the dragoness would return. She had risked so much for them, and for Jerry. He just thought she would have stuck around to at least thank the man. "Sorry about the dragoness Jerry. I thought she would have offered her gratitude towards you."

"No need Chip, figure she was skittish anyway. Probably just wanted to hightail it the moment she got what she wanted. Which seemed in this case, to be the hunters gone. And Chip?"

"Yea?"

"I think your title might need to be changed from that Scholar bit."

"What makes you say that?" Lyyreth tilted his head to the side as he led the man away from the cart, with Cordenth right beside them.

"You came in, swoopin in like a true hero that your brother claims to be." Jerry laughed. "Not very scholarly you were."

"But I like books,spells, and other things of that nature."

"You can like those things without making you title that."

"Than what should be my title be then if not what I picked?" Lyyreth grabbed the man with his forelimb, making sure he was firmly held before he waggled his haunches and readied his wings for flight.

"I think you should be callin yourself the Viridian Knight." Jerry grabbed hold of the dragon's limb tightly. "On account of what ya did, and why."

"I can think on that Jerry." Lyyreth smiled, liking the idea of that title. He took a deep breath as he bounded into the sky. He gazed down towards the countryside, with the human held within his grasp. He could not help feeling proud for his deeds the last few days, and the excitement that had coursed through his body the entire time. So this is what it is like to be an adventurer eh? Lyyreth smirked with the next beat of his wings. I think I could get used to this. He glanced a look back, passed his brother and to the sky beyond. He could make out a small dot that he knew was Infinity flying away from them. He frowned as he felt himself wanting to turn around right that moment, follow her,and try to talk her into coming with them. It would have been good for her...especially after all that stuff with the tower.

"Something wrong Chip?" You look right awful."

"It's...the dragoness. I wish we could have helped her more."

"I think ya did Chip, just give some things some time. Just you watch, I think you left a stronger impression than ya thought."

"You think so?" Lyyreth peaked back again, trying to make out her wings.

"Just you watch." Jerry patted the dragon's forelimb. "Now wait till we get back to my farm, I'll crack out some wine, my old violin, and we'll have ourselves a good time. What ya say to that?'

"I say that sounds fantastic you wrinkled bastard!" Cordenth roared out in delight as he passed below them with a grin.

"Yes...that sounds great." Lyyreth smiled, carrying the man back to his farm. His thoughts briefly went back to Infinity, who he knew would be once again on the run. She would most likely find a cave, a large tree, or anywhere she could hide. And that is how she will spend the rest of her life...On the run...and alone...and scared. With the next pounding of his wings, an idea formed in his head. By the time he had set Jerry down onto his farm, it had solidified in his mind.

"I'm not sticking around for the party Jerry." He said softly, as he saw Jaiden come sprinting over with the largest smile on her face.

"Where ya heading to then?" the man replied, raising an eyebrow. "If I didn't already know."

Lyyreth rolled his eyes as the man gave him a coy smile, and wrapped his arms around his thrilled wife. Who was thanking the gods with tears in her eyes. "I think I may need to go visit a cave before we leave for good."

"Does this mean I have to skip the party?" groaned Cordenth, flicking his tail in irritation.

"I think this little trip will just be for me." he brushed against his brother with his scales. "Don't worry brother, I will be back. I'm not just going to leave you here."

"Good." Cordenth nodded, and striding over to the mortals who were still locked in a crying embrace. "Now Jerry mentioned something about getting out his wine?"

Lyyreth said not a thing more as he spread his wings and bolted into the sky. He knew with each beat of his wings that the decision he had made was going to be the right one. With the wind caressing his cheek he guided himself for the direction of the cave he first met Infinity. For he knew she had left something there. Something that she would kill herself for forgetting. How can I live with myself if I just let her leave without it?