Dragon's Reign - prologue: The Beast within
This prologue has been on my desk for quite a while now. Well, on my virtual one. Since I had the first idea for this story (after all, that was already a few years ago) I always felt that my story was missing something, so I revised it and upload this prologue as the first part of my English version of Dragon's Reign.
Hope you enjoy reading and please leave a comment...
(Chapter one is on its way)
The threatening clicks of razor-sharp claws on stony ground, emphasized by the quiet rustle of leaves and the crackling of branches, introduced the spectacle: with safe steps, the black-scaled beast crept through the vegetation. Showing his fangs and scanning the air for enemies, his eyes sparkled menacingly through the darkness.
Overhead, birds shot like bullets out of the trees, fled from the danger that radiated from the sheer nearness of this beast. And yet, like an ordinary shadow, the dark-black figure made its way undetected through the shady scenery, intent on avoiding the few beams of light that the treetops passed on that early morning.
Vigilant, it let nothing distract itself - its destination was unmistakably clear; a nearby cliff at the end of the approaching glade, where an untouched valley spread out below.
Green fields and meadows, amidst dense forests, and a river whose crystal clear waters flowed into a nearby lake, made the landscape look like a fantastic painting. The smell of fresh mountain air and hills full of colorful flowers completed this picture.
Only hesitantly the sun rose; the light gained the upper hand over the darkness and the shadows of the wild nature could no longer hide the monster. Inevitably, no unforgivingly, its head flashed in the glow of the rising sun and, finally, it was revealed to every eye - the monster ... was a dragon. A black-red, fire-breathing and scowling representative of this species, now preparing to leap in the air like a cheetah to regain control of the skies again. Finally it had reached its goal; finally I had reached my goal.
With heavy wingbeats, I rose into the air; enjoying the morning sun that unfurled its tingling warmth on my scales, the air with its smell of sea refreshing my lungs and watched in fascination as the blades of rich green grass bowed under the pressure my flapping wings created.
Floating a few feet above the ledge I rejoiced once more at the beauty that passed from that untouched nature, until I went from levitation to a nosedive. As my flight got faster and faster, I quickly approached the valley-ground. And yet I wasn't afraid. On the contrary, in that brief moment courage and joy were my only companions, fear and sadness, only empty, distant, meaningless phrases.
Just before the hard ground, I pressed my wings against the wind. Defying the pressure, I stretched them wide. In an arch I caught my falling body; gained some height again. Still fast, I searched for a destination. Scanning the area, my gaze fixed on the most prominent spot, in the middle of the forest - the lake.
While below me the narrow river with its stony, shallow banks, flowed in curved lines and my gaze wandered thoughtlessly through the landscape, my body arrowed through the air without departing an inch from its course. At the same time, a cool breeze blew gently against me, mingling with the hot sunlight to a comfortable temperature. Further aimless, my eyes wandered through the picturesque landscape.
Even before I saw the flowers and berry bushes that lined the banks to the left and right in front of me, the sweet smell of fruits and grasses found its way to my nose. Crickets chirped, birds sang, and individual calls from wolves and other forest dwellers sounded from the far-off green undergrowth. Although I saw no other creature, nature made it clear - I wasn't alone, just an apex predator, shunned by every inferior soul.
Above me the endless sky, almost cloudless blue; beneath me a landscape, as if from an old tale, awoke in me with this overwhelming sight a voice that held everything just for a dream. But I neither believed it nor listened intimately. Instead, I held on to my destination with continuous wingbeats, still deeply touched.
This unprecedented peace of this place, this isolation from any human confrontation, filled me with reverence and amazement. Everything felt right in that moment; this place, this flight, and finally my body. With every wingbeat I felt more and more like ... home? My thoughts circled from one place to another, almost like detached from my body, until it finally stretched out in front of me to its full size - the lake with its deep blue, clear water, its stony banks and the surrounding forest that appeared as if it tried to encircle the lake.
All this beauty in mind was granted me by this breathtaking panorama just this one, short view, since I should never reach the shore...