Fade to Black (Talis)
“You’re it!”
“You are a fast one, little brother.”
“Hah! I know!”
Large shadows were sporadically cast over the tree tops as the two dragons played in the sky. Black Talis and his older brother, Gold Song, loved the sky. There was so much freedom. On land their large bodies were often confined, and they had to be extra careful not to crush or break things small than themselves. In the sky though, they could do anything they wanted. They could be kids. Gold Song hovered in the air and smiled at Black Talis.
“We should head back. It’s getting late. You know how mother gets…”>br?
“Aww…but I want to play some more!”
“I know, little one. We will tomorrow, I promise.”
“Ok…”
The ten year old black dragon hung his head and followed his brother across the sky. The setting sun shone blood red, and a cool evening breeze kissed the faces of the two dragons. The sky was a peaceful, tranquil place. Much more so than the earth. The heavens were free of those who would do one harm, where on the ground, more malicious forces roamed.
“Do you have one in your sights?”
“Yes sir.”
“Fire.”
Gold Song let out a roar as an arrow pierced his underbelly. He paused to look at his wound, when another arrow hit him in the neck. He fell to the ground, making it tremble with his impact.
“Gold Song!” Black Talis began to fly to his brother, when the golden dragon raised his head.
“Get away, Talis. Get away now…”
“No I won’t leave you!”
Gold Song looked over to see another arrow, this one aimed at Black Talis. He raised himself to his feet and stumbled in the way of the arrow, taking it in his head. He fell to the ground, dead. Talis looked on in horror, then fixed his eyes on his brother’s killers. Four knights, dressed in similar black armor that was lined in silver. Each had a silver cape, with a silver plume protruding from each of their helmets. No flesh could be seen on any, save for their eyes which peered over their faceplates. Each knight had silver writings etched in their armor. The writings were in Draconic, and Talis recognized them as names, probably the names of other dragons that the devils had slain. The one with the bow looked up at him.
“Hello there, little one. Are you scared? I’m very sorry. Don’t worry though. Soon you won’t have to be afraid any longer.”
The archer pulled back his bow. Black Talis quickly shifted his gaze back and forth between his slain brother and the knights. He then focused his sight on the archer. The arrow was shot. It zoomed in on the young dragon’s heart. It was about to pierce, when a bolt of lightning struck it, reducing it to ash.
“What the…?” The archer stammered as he looked up and saw that the skies that had been clear just a moment ago were being filled with the blackest, darkest clouds he had ever seen. Another of the knights, armed with a green ax almost as big as himself, stepped forward.
“Astounding. The pup is a Talis…”
Talis roared as the sky began to crackle with electricity. The knights, save for the one with the ax, stared up in fright. Talis’ black eyes grew red, and flames formed at his mouth. The archer began to shoot frantically, but each arrow met the same fate as the previous one. The two other knights joined him, releasing a storm of arrows into the air. None reached their target though. A blast of flame erupted from Talis, joined by a bolt of lightning. The combination of fire and electricity melded into a maelstrom of raw power, and struck the land where the knights stood. There was no time for screams, as all in the radius of the attack: the knights, the trees, and the earth itself, were vaporized. All that remained was the knight with the ax, unscathed, standing in the middle of the crater that was left from the attack.
“My my. Most impressive, pup. Most impressive indeed.”
Talis slowly floated to the ground, too exhausted to maintain flight, too tired to fight anymore. He looked up at the knight who approached him.
“I thought the Talis dragons were nearly extinct. To discover one such as you is truly a most…unexpected treat.”
“How do you know I’m a Talis? Only a…a…”
The knight smiled behind his faceplate. “A dragon? Of course. How else do you think I survived your attack?”
“But…you’re a Darkslayer, aren't you? You kill dragons for a profit! Why would a dragon…kill his own kind?”
“Yes, I am a Darkslayer. None of us had ever been beaten by a dragon until today. You should be proud. I am also a Chaos dragon, however. I keep this human form to hide my origins. You see, my friend, a dark age is coming. Soon our kind will be no more. Only those of us who can pass as humans will survive. Who would ever suspect a dragon slayer as being a dragon? Our kind will be killed anyway. I am just following with the inevitable. If I am to pass as a human, I have to live like a human. Humans require gold, and I make a small fortune doing this.”
“You are a traitor to your kind!”
“Make no mistake. I loathe humans. But I know a lost cause when I see one. I want to live. You can live too. Come with me. With our wisdom and power, if we play our cards right, we can ascend this human ladder and be kings.”
“No! I am a dragon. I am a Black Talis! Our kind will not die! We will live forever! Humans can try to kill us but will fail, and you will pay for what you have done…” Black Talis closed his eyes and fell, having passed out from his exhaustion.
“A pity then. Well, you should be grateful at least. I will not make you suffer, unlike most of our kind who will before they die…”
The knight lifted his ax above his head. He brought it down, but it was caught in mid-swing by another staffed weapon, this one bearing twin sickles.
“That is enough, Jade. This dragon is special. It has defeated your little band, and I am impressed. Only a child too...not even at the height of its power. It could prove useful to me someday. It is under my protection now.”
The knight lowered his ax and backed away from the newcomer. “I do not think he will embrace what is about to happen as well as I have.”
“Perhaps, but it does not matter. I will watch over him. He will obey me, because soon I will be his only chance for salvation. In return, he will be my secret weapon.”
“What if he turns on you?”
“If he is that foolish, then you may finish what you began today, Darkslayer.”
“With pleasure.”
The sun had finished setting, and the sky became enshrouded in black.
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