Maea
Beware the darkness of dragons,
Beware the stalker of dreams,
Beware the stalker of dreams,
It could be worse, but not by much. Two remaining out of the original five - that was a feat anyone could be proud of. One decimated by the summoned spirit, one lying dead behind her feet, and two within sight just up ahead, still held at bay by Liam's staunch defense.
But wait. Something didn't add up. Counting again, and a third time, Maea felt a cold shiver of dread ghost down her spine. And then a snarl sounded from the crest of the mound, a spine chilling sound that announced their defeat in this race for the high ground. Outsmarted - they'd been so preoccupied with the pursuit that neither of them noticed how one body separated from the rest, took the long way around to scale the hill from the other side. And now Liam was in serious danger, caught in a pincer - literally between a rock and a hard place.
Maea's thoughts came to a screeching halt. A shadow rose past terrified pleading and half formed plans of action, summoned by the single, awful possibility of it ending here. Was this how much their promises of forever was worth? Was this all the time they'd been allotted? Was she really going to let these barking dogs get away with spilling her lover's blood, like he was mere prey and not the sun her world had come to revolve around?
No.
An itchy started up in her bones just then, impatient and demanding. When she threw out a hand for the valiant figure of Liam - too far away still for her to reach - it began to shimmer, a ripple of light that extended to the rest of her body. Making it grow. Consuming her pale countenance and trading supple skin and soft hands for ink-black scales and claws, a serpentine neck, and wings that unfurled towards the sky like a clap of thunder.
What reached Liam a moment later was a black dragon's furious roar, and the swipe of a massive paw that sent the fyrhund with his blood on its teeth flying. With a snap of her maw the dragon snatched the fourth hound on top off the mound between her jaws, letting blood rain to the ground – and quite suddenly the soldier's opponents were reduced down to a single one.
But wait. Something didn't add up. Counting again, and a third time, Maea felt a cold shiver of dread ghost down her spine. And then a snarl sounded from the crest of the mound, a spine chilling sound that announced their defeat in this race for the high ground. Outsmarted - they'd been so preoccupied with the pursuit that neither of them noticed how one body separated from the rest, took the long way around to scale the hill from the other side. And now Liam was in serious danger, caught in a pincer - literally between a rock and a hard place.
Maea's thoughts came to a screeching halt. A shadow rose past terrified pleading and half formed plans of action, summoned by the single, awful possibility of it ending here. Was this how much their promises of forever was worth? Was this all the time they'd been allotted? Was she really going to let these barking dogs get away with spilling her lover's blood, like he was mere prey and not the sun her world had come to revolve around?
No.
An itchy started up in her bones just then, impatient and demanding. When she threw out a hand for the valiant figure of Liam - too far away still for her to reach - it began to shimmer, a ripple of light that extended to the rest of her body. Making it grow. Consuming her pale countenance and trading supple skin and soft hands for ink-black scales and claws, a serpentine neck, and wings that unfurled towards the sky like a clap of thunder.
What reached Liam a moment later was a black dragon's furious roar, and the swipe of a massive paw that sent the fyrhund with his blood on its teeth flying. With a snap of her maw the dragon snatched the fourth hound on top off the mound between her jaws, letting blood rain to the ground – and quite suddenly the soldier's opponents were reduced down to a single one.
Beware the talons of power and fire,
Beware one who is not what she seems.
Beware one who is not what she seems.
