Blackheart

The Dragon

Alexander stretched and yawned as he awoke. The knight sat up in his bedroll and looked around the tent. It was now full of creatures of all shapes and sizes, all fast asleep. He had gone to bed early, and woken up early, it seemed. Strangely, the creature from before...the large, snoring reptile, was now gone. Alexander shrugged and got up, beginning to dress for the day at hand.

The day he would meet a dragon.

Alexander never thought he'd see one since the monsters were exiled, yet here he was. His heart thudded as his mind wandered to a dragon raining hellfire from its maw, covering the knight in flames rivaling magma. He shook the thought from his mind and forced himself to exit the tent. Alexander looked up. The sky was even darker than when he first arrived. He assumed it was before sunrise, meaning there was even less light to shine through the fog at the moment.

Leianna smirked. "Mornin', sleepyhead."

"What?" Alexander shook his head. "It's not even sunrise yet, is it?"

"On the contrary, it's after sunset."

"What?!"

Alexander's face fell into an unamused grimace as Lieanna began laughing. "Hilarious." The knight crossed his arms.

"Merely a jest, my friend."

"Whatever. Where's Lexius? Is he ready?"

"Here I am." Lexius emerged from a small tent near the holy shrine, waving at the knight. The priest was still dressed in the basic, minimalist chainmail, and carrying an iron sword and small, square wooden shield. The shield had a white cross crudely painted on the front.

"Are those...your first choice?" Alexander eyed the sword and shield skeptically.

"T'was all I could scrape together before I left the monastery."

"Okay..."

Leianna shrugged. "Monastery priests are generally, as a rule, dirt poor. Food, water, shelter and education are all they are provided."

"Mmhm." Alexander nodded. "So, shall we go?" Lexius and Leianna nodded.

"Yes, I am ready."

"Let's do this."

Alexander led the group down the alley, away from the trapdoor to The Citadel. The sky had become a greyish-blue, some sunlight beginning to pierce through the thick fog. The three humans quietly snuck into the main roads of the city, eying each alley they passed. The group was wary, and was ready to charge or hide if they saw anything.

The city road began sloping up harshly as the city entered the mountain, the builders apparently hoping to throw up a few more buildings before the mountain's incline made it impossible.

Now at the wall, it took considerable effort to climb to the top, even with the ladderlike holes the whole way, likely intended to get soldiers and guards in the city up to wall, and able to fire at the enemy quickly. Alexander heaved himself over the edge of the wall, slamming into the ground a few feet below. While this would have been suicidal anywhere else, the wall rose only a few feet off the ground on the mountain's edge.

Leianna rolled as she landed, ending standing up. Lexius thudded into the ground face down, remaining motionless for a moment before rolling over and groaning. "Come on, no time for waiting around." Leianna yanked the priest to his feet, letting go and nearly letting him fall over.

The three began scaling the mountain, first on foot, and then having to crawl as the incline became more and more vertical. After several minutes of strenuous climbing, Alexander hoisted himself up onto a flat cliff ledge, gasping for air.