Kingdoms of Ohm: The Dark Inferno #2

Of Swords & Staffs

"Submit, drake!"

    The chains suddenly tightened, like lacerations, burning bolts of living fire across my blue scales until I roared. Another wave of the wizard's staff led the chains around my muzzle and squeezed, sealing my maw from poisoning his ungrateful, ancient ears from further torment.

I wanted to tear him apart. Slash out his stomach and let his organs roll free. Turn him into a fleshy pound of pulp and ooze beneath my trembling talons. It would be a satisfying sight to see (and smell)... unless that was my hatred talking. But it wouldn't make much of a difference; I was outnumbered to begin with. And this creature, this 'wizard', was far more powerful than I had ever anticipated.

I was not getting out of this by fighting. Whatever becomes of me is my fault, yes, but only if I let it. I had to stand my ground... for now.

"Your weapon, Trygon," muttered the wizard, gifting the approaching knight with the same metal sword his squire recently turned into a frog. "Apologies on behalf of my dear friend."

"Apology not accepted," Trygon hissed, inspecting his weapon. "I could have died thanks to his insolence."

"He is still learning."

"He is stubborn and scared half to death," the knight retorted. "It does not seem as such from your eyes. You should have him train under my belt."

"Then he would lack the mental clarity to make well informed decisions," grunted the wizard, turning to him. "I do not wish for a fighter under my watch."

"Hmph." The knight crossed his arms, unimpressed. "There's your problem, Rubeus, the runt has no muscle on his bone!"

"You think muscle is what makes man, man?"

The knight sighed, shaking his head. "Nevermind. What's done is done. He's your recluse now."

"A growing recluse. But I admit, Felix's limits have stretched far and wide." The knight scowled, clearly not in agreement.

"Hardly."

The wizard scoffed, returning his eye to me. "Is he alright?" He asked.

"Fine." The knight snorted. "I asked him to travel up the mountain to look for some ginger root. I heard whispers that there are plenty here."

The wizard smiled. "There are. Thank you for keeping him out of this. I know his heart bleeds for all, so it is best he doesn't interfere."

"He'd be dead if he did, Rubeus. Consider him lucky. But enough about him." He waved his metal hands at me. "Please deal with this... thing."

"Very well."

My snarls silenced. Master Rubeus, as the group called him, took that as a sign of complacency and let out a little breath of relief. His staff began to change colors, from golden white to a darkened blue. He raised it to the air and chanted:

    "Gracious tongue of heart and flame. Free yourself of fear and blame-"

"You are wasting your time..." I rasped through the chains, nearly letting the Sight speak for me. The chains tightened a second time. Flames above, any harder and it'd make me break a tooth!

"Let thy word be sacred or I must undue..." the wizard went on, "spill only the truth, and nothing but the truth of you."

    My draconic eyes blazed with golden light. I didn't know if it was fear or anger that forced the Sight to react, but something about this wizard made it snap. Pushing against the binds that held me, I barked out one last sentence: "I compel you to turn it to dust!"