Dragon Skin

Slay the Beast and Save the Girl

The king paced his throne room back and forth Twisting his newly trimmed grey beard. Queen Maria stood by the throne pestering her husband instead of helping devise a

plan.

"We can't just sit around and do nothing! Our daughter is wasting away at Tannin or DEAD by now. Your telling me you cannot think of ANYTHING YOU CAN DO!" Baldor did his best to completely ignore his wife but with every word out of her mouth it grew hard to do so.

"I'm thinking." The king mumbled while still deep in thought.

"THINKING!? Our child could be dying right now! We can't get anyone? A warrior, wizards, a heard elves were helpful!" Baldor stopped in front of his wife, she had reminded him of word going around the town. Word of a dragon slayer in the south.

The letter was sent to the slayer that morning, kingdoms were close by due to the fear of what was over the surrounding mountains. Creatures such as dwarfs, spiders, elves, vampires, skin walkers, ghosts and ghouls, unicorns, fairies, werewolves, puckwedgies, bat people, and much more the people had not encountered. But they would travel over the mountains sometime and live in our land.

~A Few Days Later~

Ellyn sat on the side of her bed with her eyes closed and wrapped with a blanket. To keep her mind off the cold she started singing peaceful music notes that were so gentle that the sleeping birds began to sing along with her. The dragon yawned as the music that made his eyes droopy making him want to sleep. He shook his head back and forth in hopes of waking himself. Ellyn stopped and opened her eyes as she no longer felt the chilly night air coming from the window for Cedric's head was blocking the hole.

"You have a very nice voice." He complemented almost falling asleep at the thought. The princess thanked him while wrapping the blanket tighter around herself trying to capture the warmth escaping. Cedric watched her moves closely like an eagle would it's prey.

"I can see your cold princess." He spoke in his low tone before taking a deep breath and exhaling enough fire to set the wood abroad the fireplace a blaze. Ellyn had felt the heat when he blew the fire. It was said that nothing was hotter than dragon fire.

"Why are you so kind?" Ellyn asked almost in a whisper but Cedric heard it clearly even through each stutter and pause.

"Is it not the right thing to do?" He asked curious of her thoughts towards him. She took a few seconds before answering.

"It is.... But. Your a dragon." Cedric smiled, well if lizards could smile at her remark. He never thought of himself to be able to confuse someone so much before. He sighed and by doing so warmed the room even more by his breath.

"I may be a beast princess but I ashore you I am a chivalrous gentlemen." He confirmed which made the girl smile with a quiet half laugh at his choice of words.

"You mean gentle-dragon." Ellyn smiled at her statement. Cedric turned to her before leaving.

"As you wish princess. Goodnight." When he looked down upon the path riding upwards towards the mountain he saw what looked like people entering Warwick. This puzzled the dragon's brain, if anything people should be LEAVING! Cedric growled loudly mimicking the sounds of a coming thunder storm.

The slayers came in a small party all wearing dark brown cloaks that hid their faces. The robes had rips an tears with twigs and thorns that were stuck inside the threads. Mud and dirk lingered at the bottom and left small almost transparent trails as they all walked.

Baldor and Maria spoke to them in the throne room, they both rambled on about the situation. The five cloaked crusaders stood in their little bundle as one spoke on the far end.

"The dragon wants revenge. Revenge on the kingdom for his passed life." He said in a whisper like tone. Another one answered his cloaked ally while revealing a twisted pipe from his sleeves and taking a few puffs before talking in his musky voice.

"Then the princess still lives?" He asked with a smirk already knowing the answer. The large tall one in the back clapped his large hands together. Making the queen jump.

"Indeed then there is still hope for the kingdom yet." The middle one who looked like the leader because of the staff of lava rock he held tightly in his hand stepped out from the group.

"My name is Alvis." He told them while taking his hood off reviling his features. Alvis was an old man with wrinkles along his eyes and nose. The wizard had grey eyes. His hair which was falling off was whiter than snow and his mustache curved down toward his chin. Alvis turned towards the rest of his group who now also reviled their faces. The one on the far left was a Dark elf with faded blue skin, black eyes, dark black hair that was tied in a high pony tail.

"This is Spider." he turned to the large one in the back who was a Orc. His eyes were an icy blue. His chin came down and formed like a brick. His bottom fangs poked out from his mouth and he had a pony tail as well on the top of his head.

"This is Nash." The short vampire girl next to him had fire red hair with violet eyes that shined like a nocturnal animals would. She had white skin with red lips. Her eyes had dark circles surrounding them looking like black holes.

"This is Penny." Alvis turned to the last member who still smoked his pipe. It was a middle aged man or should I say werewolf with dark brown hair and a full on beard and mustache. His eyes glowed a firefly yellow as Alvis introduced him.

"This is Lupus." Alvis pointed his staff at Penny then Spider.

"You two will go to the mountain and observe the dragon without being seen." The two nodded then ran out the doorway pulling their hoods back over their heads. He gestured the remaining ally's to follow him as they walked out the door.

Alvis, Nash, and Lupus searched the woods for a creature who's blood would end the dragons life. The enchanted horse would be found by fairy houses near rivers and streams. Lupus leaded taking whiffs of the night air. Alvis grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back shushing him with his bony fingers. They listened and could hear faint laughter to what sounded like small wood fairies. Alvis moved a few bushes and tree branches when he spoke into his staff and swung it in front of the brush. The fairies noticed the strangers and flew into dirt holes, tree trunks, or tuck themselves in flowers making it seem as if they were no where to be found. The three wizards walked pass the hiding creatures acting if they had never seen them.

"There." Nash whispered as he pointed to the white horse sipping from a sparkling lake. They sat in the bushes for a few minuets or so eyeing the creature. The horse looked as if if it was the moon itself radiating light through the trees. It was a breathtaking sight.