The Dragonrider

The Dragonrider

Drukana stamped the mud off her boots as well as she could before entering Blackwood Inn. Around her the boisterous room fell silent, all eyes on her, taking in her black and crimson armor. Such interest from commoners didn't bother her; she had grown used to it. Moving without hurry, she lifted off her helmet--a gruesome thing in the shape of a dragon’s head. Her raven black hair settled around her shoulders in an ebony cloud of cascading curls.

The word “Dragonrider” was on more than one pair of lips as Drukana crossed to the bar. Once there, she selected a stool and sat so that she could see the entire room. No one was quite brave enough to meet her dark-eyed gaze.

“I’m looking for someone,” Drukana announced, satisfied that she remained the center of attention. She turned back to the bar and lifted the mug the bartender set near her. She took a slow drink, savoring the foamy liquid. After draining her cup, she set it back down with a clunk and wiped some stray foam from her upper lip. “I’ve had word that she came this way and I won’t leave until I find her.”

No one responded. Quite a few men studied the depths of their mugs as if their ale could save them.

“Come now,” Drukana purred. She slipped off the stool to pace about the room. Her black leather boots sounded very loud in the silent inn. “Someone must have seen her. She’d be kind of hard to miss, seeing as how she’s one of the Skyriders.”

Drukana came to a stop and stared at the balding head in front of her, her lip curling in a derisive sneer. These commoners were such unwashed beasts. None of them seemed willing to talk, but Drukana’s information was never wrong. Her spies were the best--the angel was here somewhere, Drukana knew it. Perhaps these pigs needed a reminder of just who was boss here.

Drukana shrugged a shoulder, uncoiling her whip with the simple movement. She let it hang limp at her side.

“Need I remind you all how dangerous an angel who’s fallen to earth can be?”

Muttered grumblings filled the room.

An angel that had fallen from the sky could potentially kill the land if they remained grounded for too long. One of the responsibilities of the Dragonriders was to take care of any such threats and Drukana took her job seriously. The last fallen angel had created the Desert of Nothingness before she was hunted down and taken care of. Drukana didn’t want to see such destruction here. She had moved quickly to get here and now these commoners wouldn’t cooperate. She gritted her teeth and flicked her whip. A table collapsed in a shower of splinters, causing many nearby drunks to flinch.

“Someone is going to tell me what I want to know,” she spit out, “or there will be much suffering to go around.”

*****

Leiella raised her head, sure that she had heard something, even past the roaring sound that filled her ears. No other sounds were forthcoming, however, and after a moment of intense concentration, Leiella let her head fall back to the pillow.

They promised they would keep me safe, she thought weakly. I just need some rest.

The soft down comforter provided her with a feeling of safety, even though it did little to hide her bulky wings. She had folded them in as close to herself as she could, but they still created quite a bulge. Anyone glancing in would be immediately suspicious, but Leiella was just too tired to care.
The battle had been fierce and one vicious blow had sent Leiella tumbling from the sky to land on the earth, battered and bruised.
Once I am rested, I can return to the sky. It hurt too much just now to flex her wings, but it wouldn’t take her long to recover. She prayed that the land walkers would be able to hide her for a little while longer, even as she spiraled down into a deep, dreamless sleep.

*****

Drukana shook her head and placed the handle of her whip underneath the man’s chin. He cowered before her, sheer terror in his eyes. Drukana felt her heart racing. She loved extracting information from unwilling pigs.

“Now,” she said sweetly, “will you tell me what I want to know?”

“I--I can’t!”

Drukana’s smile dropped off her face, replaced with a frown. “Can’t? Or won’t?”

“P-Please, Mistress!” The man fell forward, bowing at her feet.

Drukana straightened, watching the man grovel for a moment before drawing her foot back and kicking the man’s chin. He fell backward, blood trickling from his mouth. When Drukana turned her attention from him, her eyes settled on the bartender. The man whitened and backed up as Drukana stepped toward him, but the wall behind him stopped his retreat. Glasses rattled.

Drukana grinned and climbed onto the bar, enjoying the height advantage. Her dark eyes swept the room. Many mugs of ale had been spilled. The floor was sticky with the stuff. Men cowered under tables and in the corners of the room. Drunken dogs, Drukana thought. That’s all they are. Her eyes fell on the bartender again and she flicked her whip. It gave a satisfying crack and the man’s eyes widened.

“You are the one most likely to know where she is.” Drukana jumped down on the bartender’s side of the counter, shortening the distance between them. The man had nowhere to go. Drukana looped her whip around his neck and pulled him closer. “Now, you will tell me, or we will listen to your screams.”

*****

A scream caused Leiella to snap awake, her heart racing. She sat up, the blanket pooling into her lap. The rest hadn’t been long enough, but Leiella knew that she couldn’t stay much longer. The Dragonriders had found her. She jumped out of bed and pulled on her white boots. She hadn’t bothered to take off her white dress and now she was glad. She flexed her wings. They were a little sore, but she thought that they would still be serviceable. She had no choice.

Leiella crossed to the window and pushed it open. The grass below had started to turn brown. Leiella didn’t think there would be any lasting damage to her presence here, though the sight of the dead grass sickened her. She climbed onto the window sill, breathed a prayer, and jumped.

*****

Drukana stared down at the broken body of the bartender. A drop of his blood had landed at the corner of her mouth. Her tongue snaked out to lap it up before she headed for the stairs that led to the inn’s rooms. She took them two at a time. The bartender had not been very forthcoming with his information, but finally he had screamed out the room number, hoping that Drukana would leave him alone once she had what she wanted. But the sight of blood always excited Drukana. She had been unable to stop until he had collapsed in a spray of blood.

Drukana reached the second floor landing and headed right, looking for room twelve. She was still caught up in her bloodlust. Her whip trailed behind her, leaving spots of bright red blood on the floor. She found the room she wanted, and without pausing, kicked in the door. It fell off its hinges at the force of the blow.

Drukana stepped past the ruin of the door. With once glance she could tell the room was empty. Letting out a growl of frustration, she moved to the opened window and glanced out and down. Signs of the angel’s blight on the world were evident. The grass had started turning brown and the trees nearest the inn had started losing their leaves. She raised her head and thought she saw something in the distance. Drukana turned and left the room at a near run.

Below, the bar was a shambles. Patrons were still cowering underneath tables, and probably still would be for a long time after she was gone, Drukana thought with a sneer. She didn’t pause to strike more fear into their hearts, however. Something else was on her mind now. She headed out into the bright sunshine.

Time to fly, Mistress? The soothing voice resonated in Drukana’s head.

“Yes.” Drukana moved toward the stables. Her giant red dragon had stretched out alongside the building, warming her scales in the sun. “The angel has flown, but I know where she’s headed.” Drukana patted Flame on the head before climbing into the dragon’s saddle. “It is time for us to rejoin the battle.”

With a might roar, Flame leapt into the sky, her powerful wings taking them quickly above the inn and its surrounding environs.

To the north, a great battle raged, a battle between the Dragonriders and the Skyriders. It had been Drukana’s fault that the angel had fallen to earth and Drukana was not happy that she had eluded her. Once she found her, Drukana would enjoy making her scream.

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ID: 1125854   (Rated: 18+) In The Beginning, There Was A Contest: 2  Round 2: first lines/paragraphs -- WINNING ENTRIES ANNOUNCED by Voxxylady