Snippet #2552533

The valley had a deceptive peace and tranquility to it. An untamed beauty full of trees and brush that grew wild and freely without woodsmen to cut them back, and animals of many shapes and sizes that hid amongst it's rivers and groves. It had clear water running through it's streams and a still quiet crisp air with a sweet scent to it. This gem of natural wonder that enticed many who would appreciate such things with it's sights.

And there in lied the trap.

That silence was broken that day. There was a flapping of wings as a shadow zipped over the canopies of the woods with speed and buffeting the tips of the trees by the air displaced by the shadow's owner in his hurried passage. A moment passed. Then a much, much larger shadow followed behind it, darkening the ground bellow with it's size. The wind displaced by this shadow boomed and thunder with terrible force, snapping branches and scattering the frightened animals below to all four directions with it's violent pressure.

Alvalus bayed his mount to fly faster, to terrified to look behind him at the monolith of fire and death that hounded after them with feral determination. For his part his partner, the young bronze drake Akatos, complied to the best of his ability and dwindling stamina could allow as he raced forward with elf rider in tow. They both had heard the stories, but like the impetuous and defiant youths that they were they and their friends had been been lured by the promise of excitement that the valley forbidden to them seemed to promise. Now their friends were dead. And if this beast managed to catch them they would be joining them in a unmarked grave.

Alvalus looked desperately for some escape route. In the open sky's this thing would catch them eventually, and turning to fight it had proven to be suicide when their friends had tried it. Eyes wide and frantic he searched for anything to save them. "There!" He shouted when he spotted a rock formation with a narrow passage between it. "He's to big to fit through that!"

Akatos needed no other prompting and turned hard to aim at the only see able hope for their salvation. A loud crashing followed by a deafening roar behind them signaled that the beast had also adjusted it's trajectory and was starting to gain on them once again. Alvalus shivered, closed his eyes and started pray as he tightened his grip on the saddle. Akatos meanwhile pumped his wings faster and faster, manic fear numbing him to the screaming pain in his sore limbs. Onward and onward they pushed, reaching for the door to a momentary reprieve from this mad chase as the mass of death closed ever closer toward them from behind. When they reached the last stretch the young drake folded it's wings to its size and braced. It was a tight squeeze, one that they only just barely made it to the other side.

But made it they did. Akatos unfolded his wings again to catch himself and Alvalus let out a cry of laughter as relief forced the nervous tension out of him. For the first time in minutes the rider looked behind him to where the beast that had been hunting them had been. However the second he did so the relief died in his chest, replaced with a sudden intake of breath.

The beast had decided not to bother flying around the rock formation as they hopped and simply powered through it. With an ear splitting crash the head of the great wyrm punched through the cliff side. It's massive jaw closed down on Akatos' left wing before they could react and both dragon and rider let out a scream as blood fountained from the wound. Carried by the great wyrm they plummeted to the ground. There was much thrashing, roaring and screaming as they struggled.

After a solid half minute of this horrible noise it was over. Silence had returned to the valley and it's overlord had restored it. Drograh raised his head and sneered down at the remains of his kill. Another group of cowed wretches and their weakling masters they had submitted to. Pitiable creatures. Foolish as well, for it had been a long time since someone had dared to intrude in his domain with such lackluster means of defending themselves. Truly he had done them and the world a favor by ending their sad little lives.

His business now done and his dominance over the valley reaffirmed, the red dragon ascended once more into the sky to continue his patrol of his territory before returning to his lair.