Kingdoms of Ohm: The Dark Inferno #2

Blood On The Rocks

Trygon struck his shield twice, each hit renting the cavern with a threatening echo. I slapped my tail to the wall in return, wrinkling my lips in a snarl. Had he been born of animal tendencies, he would've done the same, sizing me up just as I did. A worthy fight, from a dragon's eyes, if our instincts put us to the test. But I knew better than most; humans only sought pleasure in their battles.

"Come on..." He sneered, striking his shield again. "Come on, lizard, show me the fire in you."

My nostrils twitched angrily. There were no instincts left in their scaleless hides, no damned sense of fear or power. And the smile crossing the knight's face proved it.

He dove forward with a roar; my claws lashed forward, too slow to strike a blow to his rolling frame. Trygon's reactions were quick, his hands instantly fastened around his lost sword, and the first stab attempt was merely too close to my chest. I quickly reeled away from the wallside and folded my wings in, keeping myself as far away as possible from his sword. He stabbed into thin air again, skimming the outskirts of my hip, and I simply replied with a painful backlash of my tail that ruptured his chest. He let out a gasp, flopping violently onto his back and groaned, grasping his plate in thanks as he brought himself to his feet. I flickered my tail apologetically, wincing at the sudden bruise of his armor upon my flesh. But I didn't want to kill Trygon, that was of last resort. I merely wanted to scare him, to prove the prophecy wrong. I just didn't know how.

"I urge you to stand down, knight!"

"So you can murder my kingdom?!" Trygon retorted, pushing off a rock and slashing his sword toward me. I coiled my armored wings just in time, winning us both a metallic spark in the dark. I grimaced and swung my claw, watching him duck low and slice; another spark. My throat convulsed in surprise, realizing he struck a blow to my neck, one that, had my armor not been there, would have killed me. I slammed my other claws down in another near-miss, snarling in resentment.

Damn it! Trygon slid forward and hopped over another miss of my tail, then leaped eastward in a frantic escape from my harsh attacks. Somehow he made it up my spine, sliding forward upon his knees to my neck and slashed his sword perfectly across my cheek. I gasped, feeling the blade draw a large so deep and warm that it immediately burst of purple blood. Agh! My eyes flashed coldly from the sharp sting; even his face seemed to match the reward as he rolled ahead of me, grinning from ear to ear.

"You should-"

"Shut up!" By the time he stood up, my tail had struck him again. Only this time, his shield was the one flying off his body, not him.

He stared, dumbfounded at his loss for a moment, and grunted, redirecting the sword toward my heart. I slammed my claws into the earth, rendering a warning quake, and hissed. Trygon scoffed.

"You're holding back."

"I'm trying to save your stupid skin!" I growled. "All I want is to go home; I don't want your blood, or anyone else's, on my talons!"

The knight wiped the dragon blood against his sleeve, eying me like a wolf to a shepard. "The oracle says otherwise."

"They are but words spoken upon a lie," I scowled, sizing him up. "Heed my words for once... I beg of you. Killing you is not the answer."

"But it is mine!" He swung again, sending sparks from a hit upon my neck. I doubled back in surprise, then snapped my jaws forward -- a poor choice on my end. With ease, he hobbled off a rock, lifted his sword up high, and plowed the wretched weapon into my shoulder. Every piece of confidence I once had drained away in mere seconds once the sword impaled the muscle. I roared to the stars as blood erupted from the spot and doubled over in agony, curling my claws into the earth as the floor was coated in the color of my flesh. I felt him withdraw and went to snap at his feet, but he was too out of reach. I only found another taste of his sword as it stabbed into my cheek, nearly cutting my tongue out in the process. I rammed my body into the wall, trying to disarm him; his grip only tightened, followed by a third stab deep into my other shoulder.