Megalonia
A\N
This is a very loose fanfiction on the Wings of
Fire series. It does not have spoilers regarding the series and you
don't need to have read the Wings of Fire series to understand the
story. It just as some strong similarities. Hope you like it and happy reading.
Vivid blades of honey gold streaked through the forest canopy, the dappled
light waving over the forest floor. An evening wind was started to blow. The
colors of the forest slowly growing dim as the sun dipped behind the mountains.
The three black dragons crept, silent as mice, under the ancient trees,
their eyes darting from shadow to shadow.
“D-don’t you think we should start heading back now?” the youngest of the
dragons asked, trembling from head to tail. He swallowed the lump building in
his throat and tried to calm his shaking nerves. The night creatures were
starting to play their eerie songs, the shaky notes bouncing through the damp
air. Who knew what was out there, watch him from the shadows? “It’s starting to
get dark and I don’t think stay out is a good idea.”
“Nonsense, Zoltar,” the oldest stated confidently, “We were sent on an
important mission and we’re going to finish it, even it does mean staying out a
little bit longer.”
“But, Scorpus,” Zoltar protested.
“Come, Zoltar. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark now,” sneered another
dragon. Muscles rippled under his obsidian black scales and there was a mean
glint in his eyes, “You really are a looser, you know that? First you’re born
without acid fangs and now you’re scared of the dark. Really, I don’t know why
Scorpus even brought on this mission?” He made a swipe at Zoltar, who leapt out
of reach.
“Mowzan,” Scorpus turned to glare at the younger dragon, “Stop bullying
Zoltar. It’s not his fault he was born with a defect.” He cast a look of pity
in Zoltar’s direction.
Zoltar simply stared at his talons. He’d had this abuse from the day he'd
hatched and although he was used to it by now, it still didn’t dull the pain of
being called an outcast or loser. The last thing he needed was Scorpus’s pity;
it just made him feel more weak and useless.
Sighing, Scorpus moved on, the dry leaves rustling ever so slightly under
his claws. The forest was almost black now. The moon had yet to rise and the
only thing preventing Zoltar from being completely blind was his extraordinary
night vision. It wasn’t exactly the same as seeing during daylight, but was
more like seeing without much color variation. Everything had a slight purple tint
to it.
Suddenly a thundering roar ripped through the night air. Zoltar yelped in
alarm, instinctively jumping back. His heart was now pounding in his chest and
cold sweat was breaking out from between his scales. What had made that
unearthly sound? Now he was sure that this forest was dangerous and that they
had to leave. Before it had just been a feeling that there was something wrong
out there, but now it was a strong urge to flee.
Meanwhile Mowzan and Scorpus had snapped into attention, their ears swiveling
this way and that way as they tried to pinpoint the direction of the sound.
Scorpus had decided that it was coming from the east of the island and was
actually starting to move in that direction.
“What are you doing?” Zoltar hissed in a hoarse whisper, “Why are you going
towards that sound? Wouldn’t the best idea be to turn around and head
in the opposite directing as fast as possible?”
“No, Zoltar,” Scorpus growled in a disapproving voice, “Hisster sent us here
to see if this island was safe and that roar might have come from a potential
threat.”
“But isn’t the roar enough to tell you that it’s dangerous?” Zoltar asked,
almost hysterically. He was shaking uncontrollably and his stomach felt like
claws where slowly being raked across it.
Scorpus shot Zoltar a you’d-better-listen-to-me look, “Zoltar….you still
have a lot to learn about being a soldier, okay? I’ve been a soldier in
Hisster’s army for over thirty years. You on the other paw have only been
training for ten years and have only just became a soldier. I think that makes
me the more experienced Shadow Talon here. Yes?”
“Yes sir,” Zoltar murmured. Scorpus was right. He was the more experienced
of the three and to top it he was Zoltar’s adopting father, so he shouldn’t
really argue with him.
“That’s okay son. You’ll learn as you go?” Scorpus wrapped a vast black wing
over Zoltar, comforting him, “Now come on, let’s go find out what made that
sound.”
Zoltar heard an arrogant snort come from Mowzan’s direction as they
continued on their trek through the undergrowth. Not a bird called for the
trees and not an insect could be heard. The forest had fallen into deathly
silence.
Every nerve in Zoltar’s body was tingling and his legs where tense as they
prepared to run at the slightest sigh of danger. Mowzan and Scorpus were also
strangely silent, their poisonous tails poised to strike.
There was a rustle from the bushes behind them. All three dragons whirled
around, their dagger sharp teeth bared. No one moved.
Suddenly a gigantic reptilian panther lunged out of the bush towards them.
Zoltar shrieked and dove out the way just before the beast’s fanged beak could
slam shut on his barbed tail. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of
his chest as he bolted through a patch of bushes, closely followed by Scorpus
and Mowzan. Trees and bushes whipped past, lashing at his eyes. Sticks and
stone flew from under his claws and the wind howled overhead like an angry wolf.
Branches reached out with their clawed fingers, grabbing at the scaly wings of
the three dragons bolting through the forest.
Zoltar’s lungs felt like they were on fire and his breathing came out quick
and shaky. His claws thudded against the wet earth like rocks, but still he ran.
The bloodcurdling screams of the creature vibrated through his skull and body,
willing him to push himself to the brink of exhaustion. He risked a quick
glance over his shoulder and instantly regretted it.
The monster was speeding through the forest at an alarming rate, it was
going to close the gap between them soon. Great oaks parted like water as it
lashed through branches and bark.
Zoltar urged himself to go faster. Creepers snatched at his wings and tail
like a nest of serpents and gnarled tree roots threatened to trip him with
every step he took. He passed a panting Mowzan, his heaving sides brushing
against the older shadow talon's wings for a few fleeting seconds. Scorpus was
only a few meters ahead of him. A giant log loomed only a little way off, near
with each passing second. All three dragons leapt over the fallen tree, their
paws barely clearing the trunk.
The beast burst through the log a few seconds later. A shower of broken
branches and splinters rained down on the three dragons, spearing into their wings
and tails as they swerved this way and that way. The sharp wood cut into the
thin membranes of Zoltar's wings, making him gasp in pain.
Suddenly Mowzan shrieked and fell back. Cold fear clinched Zoltar's heart as
he whipped his head around. Mowzan lay dead with the beast towering over him. Its
spear like tail was dripping with scarlet red blood. The two jagged saber teeth
jutting out from its upper jaw were wet with black saliva and the spikes on its
back shone an obsidian black in the thin blades of moonlight cutting through
the canopy. It screamed in triumph.
Letting out an involuntary cry, Zoltar stumbled backwards. The beast jerked
its mangled black head up from its kill and looked straight at him, its red glowing eyes burning straight through his heart. In
desperation to get away from this nightmare, Zoltar sprinted forwards only to
suddenly trip on a hidden tree root and fall to his knees. He looked back at
the behemoth, terror shimmering in his glowing amethyst eyes. It had stopped
and was slowly stalking towards him like a puma cornering a mountain goat. Zoltar
tried to move, but he felt rooted to the ground. He could smell the beast's
foul, rotten breath and could see its dagger sharp teeth as it crept closer.
“Come on kid! Get up,” Zoltar looked up to see Scorpus helping him to his
feet, “One of us has to distract it or it will get us both,” Scorpus said in a
shaking voice, glancing at the beast. It had stopped and was watching them with
vicious greed in its eyes. It knew it had them.
“Which…” Zoltar started, dreading the answer, but Scorpus interrupted
him.
“I’ll do it."
"No, you can't," Zoltar cried, desperately grabbing hold of
Scorpus's tail, "The Shadow Talons need you. You are their best soldier
left."
The beast was starting to move slowly forward again, saliva dripping from
its open jaws.
"Now is not the time. Just go!” Scorpus shouted, yanking his tail away
from Zoltar as he ran towards the beast, breathing a plume of fire to get its
attention away from Zoltar. He ran off in another direction with the creature
close on his tail.
Shocked, Zoltar stood there in horror for a second before he carried on
running, his heart aching. He knew he couldn't save Scorpus now. His father's painful roars echoed behind him, urging him to stop, but he didn't. He couldn’t
let Scorpus’s sacrifice be for naught. Not after all he's had done for him.
He had to convince the Shadow Talons that the island was not safe and that they
should find somewhere else.
Zoltar could see light ahead of him as the tangled forest gave way to a
wide, open lake. Beating his wings, he soared into the air, skimming the
surface of the moonlit water with his claws as he tried to gain height. He
looked back at the now silent forest. Nothing stirred under the trees, not a
sound could be heard in those dark shadowy woods. There was nothing to show of
what had just happened. The beast had gone.
For those of you who'd like to know what the beast looks like here's a picture. I don't own the picture. I got it off the internet.
[spoiler] Mine doesn't have wings, but this is the closest picture I could get to what mine looks like
The size of a human vs standard dragons size vs the beast
[/spoiler]
The action was fast-paced and very well written; I had no trouble imagining the three dragons fleeing through the woods. The ending resolves the chapter, but I know that Zoltar has a mission to complete, so I want to read the next chapter and find out how he does so. Good job with that! Overall, I absolutely love what I've read so far!
Points: 507
Reviews: 5
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