. : D R A G O N B O R N : . (a MCSM fanfic)

Chapter 10: Outcasts

"No!" 

Lukas's scream shattered the forest, echoing out through the clear sky.  His horse reared, kicking her forelegs in the air with a sharp whinny, and Lukas clutched at his saddle, straining to see what was happening.  He saw the dragon right itself and lurch forward, shuddering through the air.  As it plummeted from the sky it seemed almost to skip forward, abruptly vanishing from its position and appearing a short ways ahead.  With a final desperate screech it surged forward, vanishing below the trees.

"No-- no!"  He urged his horse forward, taking off at top speed toward the place it had vanished.  No-- it couldn't be... Petra!

Never once did they slow their gallop until they plunged out into the open.  The dragon's fall was marked by shattered trees and a deep trench in the ground.  At the end of the trench lay the beast itself, still and motionless-- but Lukas saw quickly that it was still breathing, stunned but alive.  Shakily he drew his bow, aiming at the dragon, and climbed down from the horse's back, inching his way closer.

As he approached, the dragon suddenly surged up from where it lay, wings flaring as it clambered to its feet.  Lukas jumped backwards in alarm, shaky hands releasing the arrow too soon and sending it thudding harmlessly into the dirt at his feet.  He quickly scrambled back, reaching for another-- only to find his quiver now empty, his arrows all wasted on the giant.

The dragon crouched low, purple eyes narrowed in suspicion as it surveyed him.  He could see it was a young dragon, nowhere near its adult size, but large enough to pose a serious threat.  It fanned its wings, opening its maw to hiss a warning, and Lukas could clearly see the jagged tear in its right wing where Jesse's arrow had struck home.  At the edge of the clearing, the horse whinnied, stomping fearfully, and looked to Lukas for reassurance.

Lukas stood hesitantly, afraid any sudden move might trigger an attack, and began inching cautiously toward the trees again, circling slightly.  He needed a chance to grab his sword-- without it, he'd be defenseless against any attack...

Never once did the dragon take its eyes off him, but after a few moments it shifted backwards, planting itself firmly and curling defensively around the edge of the crater.  It made no move to attack, but kept its wings spread wide, opening its mouth to display dozens of razor-sharp teeth that Lukas knew could tear him to shreds in moments should it choose to attack.  He sank back into the woods, trembling, but the dragon made no move to attack, defending its position.

He breathed deeply, trying to clear his head.  It wasn't attacking-- it hadn't come for him.  Was it trying to lure him in?  Or was it afraid?  He wasn't sure-- but it didn't seem about to move from its position.  Nevertheless, he didn't dare turn his back on it-- lest it spring at him the moment he looked away.  But he had to search the area... he had to find Petra...

Soren had told him dragons were intelligent, he recalled-- could this one understand speech?  Maybe he could reason with it...

Cautiously, he inched forward again.  The dragon locked immediately onto his movement and gave a long, low hiss, tail lashing dangerously.

"Easy, easy... it's okay," he murmured, stopping quickly to avoid provoking it further.  "It's okay... if you're here in peace, then I am too..."

The dragon's eyes remained narrowed and it watched him warily, claws fully extended.  It made no sound and gave no reply, simply watching-- waiting to see what he'd do?

"Please," he whispered, "I don't want to fight you. I'm just looking for my friend... she could need help!  I have to find her... but I need to get past you..."