Kingdoms of Ohm: The Lonely Dragon #1 ✓

The Taste of Death

~ ▬ι═══════ﺤ ~

Four magical monstrosities against one armored storm dragon was not a fair fight.

I figured this out long before their crimson feet left the earth, lunging toward me with the desire lust to kill. They've downed all our guards, including the king and queen. Even if I could manage one at a time, they'd overwhelm me.

There was nothing I could do.

So I stood there in terror, making out the retracting stingers flashing in the moonlight, glinting at the venomous ooze that lingered from beneath it's point. Their warm, ragged breaths burned my scales, and their maws salivated like beasts amidst a hunt.

Then again, this was a hunt for the Scorn. They ruled as predators thirsty for draconic blood.

And I was the prey... because a rock told I was.

Screw Katakos.

They didn't desire our fresh-kills, our territories, our youth and elderly, or the treasury lingering beneath the volcano. All they wanted was me.

Just me. An insignificant guard.

One whose sole purpose was to defend the ones in charge, and battle any other predator that sought out one of our own.

But, if I were here to protect the entire kingdom, with my life even, then who was meant to protect me?

Before the Scorn's feet-like daggers impaled me, a huge blue body -- Fidget -- rammed into the first two flying attackers, throwing them to the ground with a violent thud. A third was pounced upon by an armored female of my species, one who's narrowed crystal eyes and powerful snarl made my heart flutter with joy.

"Nayre?!"

"Stay away from him!" she snarled, rearing her neck and fired a blast of blazing blue to the nearest Scorn. Another rogue soon lunged in for her, only to get electrocuted by another stream of blue magic and fall limply to the ground. Fidget, who had first struck the first two, now wrestled the massive creatures to the rocks below. Her eyes widened, struggling to hold down the enemy as they wriggled like spiders beneath her belly.

"Vaanku, run!" Fidget roared out to me. "Go, before they-"

One slipped clean from her grasp and struck her helmet with its elbow, blinding the female. Dazed, Fidget could only watch helplessly as the male Scorn sprinted forward, diving directly toward me.

"Die!"

I shrieked, flailing backward as it's body rammed into my own. Upon slamming onto the ground, I kicked a foot into his snout, cracking at the outside shell. The bug yelped in pain, allowing me time to stand up before the second Scorn scurried in my path, blocking any sort of exit.

"Don't fight fate, dragon," the male snarled, lashing his tail. "It will only hurt more if you try."

Two on one, I thought to myself. I had won this before against Griffins and Phoenix. Never venomous Scorn.

I growled back, raising my wings out and arched my tail. The three of us slowly circled around the bends of the earth, hungrily searching for any opening. At least I was given time to breathe and prey my two attackers. I've never fought a Scorn before, and any weakness it hid remained unknown to my draconic eye.

If it had any that is.

The first male suddenly darted, pouncing toward my shoulder blade and raked the metal cover by its four claws. I reeled back just in time before the second dove to my face, head-butting my skull right the wall.