Moon Talon by @FlamingPhoenix
The mountains shone a flaming crimson as the sun rose
steadily over the towering peaks. It bathed the Moon Talon village below in
bright ruby and golden copper rays, driving the mist curling around the houses
back to the shadows. The bright green fields surrounding the village blushed
golden emerald as the sun’s light swept over the swaying grasses.
A roaring river cascaded down from the tree covered
mountains behind the village. It twisted and turned like a writhing serpent on
its course down through the fields and out to the far off sea. Willows bowed
over the gushing water, their long vines whipped up by the raging current.
Zoltar sighed contentedly as he let the sun’s heat warm his
back spines. The wind brushed his wing tips and whistled in his ears as he took
a deep breath of the sweet, early afternoon air.
Now that they were out of Sea Talon territory, he could feel
himself relax. It was always nerve racking to fly over the archipelago. Shadow
Talons were permitted to cross over the area so long as they never landed and
remained at high altitude, but it was still an uncomfortable experience. He
could feel the eyes of those below follow him as he flew, their hatred and
distrust clear as the ocean they swam in.
A ripple of nervous anticipation crossed his crystal black
scales like electric sparks as he scanned the ground below with his sharp eyes.
This was the last village before they reached the sea a few
miles away. Like all the other’s they’d passed, this one was quiet, it’s
inhabitants curled up in their mud huts sleeping of the sun cloaked hours of
the day. Come evening this village along with many others across the region
would become a bustling hub of activity as dragons awoke for their slumber.
Zoltar smiled at the few memories he had of this village.
He’d flown over it many a time on his travels back and forth across the
continent. Sometimes he’d stop to rest or to trade for food and water before
continuing on his journey. The Moon Talons were always welcoming towards
strangers, despite the fact that they were from different tribes.
Often when he flew overhead, dragons on the ground would
wave and smile as he passed over. He’d would always try to wave back, returning
the gesture of kindness.
It felt strange to interact with another tribe on such
friendly terms, but the Moon Talons had always been like this. Zoltar sometimes
found himself wondering why other tribes weren’t like this.
His thoughts were disturbed when he felt Scorpus’s wing
brush against his. He turn to face the old commander.
“Well done,” The old warrior smiled warmly at him, “Hisster
told me about the island and what you found. It looks promising.”
“Thank you Sir,” Zoltar said as a surge of happiness filled
him.
Scorpus dipped his horns and took the lead once more,
leaving Nira flying next to Zoltar.
She flashed him an approving smile and Zoltar knew she’d
overheard Scorpus’s compliment. He grinned back, knowing how goofy he must
look. He still felt like a little dragonet around Scorpus, always seeking the
warrior’s praise. He rarely got it, but that’s what made it so special.
His thoughts were broken by the distant roar of waves
breaking onto the shore. Zoltar looked up to see the sparkling, blue ocean on
the horizon, its frothing waves catching the sun’s golden light as they curled.
The Moon Talon village had given way to thick forest, the
emerald leaves dancing in the afternoon breeze. Birds warbled and chirped from
the waving branches and small, silver, winged lizards glided from tree to tree.
It wouldn’t be long before they reached the ocean.
…
Waves crashed onto the golden sand bordering the forest as
group flew overhead. Small fish darted in the shallows, their bright, violet
shapes zipping through the water like shooting stars.
Zoltar breathed in the salty air happily as he soared out
over the sea. His shadow danced on the water below him as he sped along. The
sun’s yellow beams warmed his back and white sea spray cooled his belly.
Open ocean lay as far as the eye could see and before long
the small band was surrounded by the rolling blue waters. Only the angle of the
sun proved a faint idea of the direction they were traveling in.
Zoltar always hated this part of the missions. Flying out
into ocean with no land in sight. It was a chilling experience every time.
It was late afternoon when he saw the small, desert island materialize from the never ending blanket of blue. He remembered seeing it the
last time he’d flown by. They were getting close.
Before long, Scorpus glided in from the front and began flying
in tight formation besides Zoltar and Nira. His eyes were trained on the sea
ahead. Zoltar followed his gaze.
Far off in the distance he could see mist swirling around
tall pillars of seaweed covered rock, their peaks reaching for the sky like
dragon claws.
Zoltar felt his stomach begin to churn. They were here.
“And you say the island is hidden behind that mist?”
Scorpus asked, his eyes still trained on the pillars ahead.
“Yes Sir. We can fly over the columns pretty easily. The
forest is just beyond the beach. From there I’m not sure what we’ll encounter.”
Scorpus nodded, tilted his wings and began to gain height.
Zoltar and Nira followed, beating their wings steadily as they rose.
Soon they were far above the ocean and on course to fly
straight over the maze.
As they passed over, Zoltar couldn’t help scanning below.
The mist swirled below like a writhing sea and strange echoing calls
reverberated from the haze, but he couldn’t see nothing.
He felt a brush on his left wing and looked over to see
Nira flying beside him, her wing just brushing his. Her eyes reflected the unease
he felt, but they pushed on.
Before long they broke through the heaviest of the fog and
landed on a beach. Tendrils of mist snaked over the dark grey pebbles that made
up with coast. Thick forest boarded the beach. Not a blade of the weak afternoon
light could break through the dense foliage as the sun sunk ever closer to the
horizon. The sky was still hazy with mist and it was hard to make out anything
beyond the forest’s edge.
“Are we going to fly over the island or do you wish to have
a look on paw, Sir?” Nira asked Scorpus after a quick look around.
“I think we should go on paw for the moment as Zoltar’s
already scouted the island from the air. We will need to make a pass over the
island soon though as we’ll need to find a cave to rest in for the night,”
Scorpus said as he began to head up the slight incline from the beach towards
the forest. He stopped to sniff the air before entering the tree line, but
proceeded after a few moments.
Sucking in a deep breath Zoltar followed Nira and Scorpus
who were just a few steps in front of him.
He couldn’t help, but feel like he was being watched as he
entered the trees. The dense undergrowth and heavy tree cover made it hard to
make anything out as he scanned around him. Tilting his snout to catch the
faint breeze, he took a whiff of the air. The heavy scent of damp earth and leaf litter
filled his senses clouding out any other odors. If there was anyone out there,
they were staying well hidden.
After one last look around, Zoltar continued after the
others, despite the lingering feeling of unease.
Points: 61
Reviews: 32
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