Dragon at the Door

Dragon at the Door
Chapter one
In the year of the crimson stone, peace between the giants and the humans have been obtained. The sun high in a cloudless sky tossed its beams toward a rider. A rider traveled home after years of battle, a decorated captain of the king’s order.
Edwald sighed with relief as from his vista on the back of his horse he could see the outline of his home city of Marwood ahead of him. Taking in a deep breath he could smell the sweet grass in the air mingled with fresh bread bring back memories. Memories of his daughter, Ceara, brought a smile to his face. He wondered how she now looked being the age of twelve, no longer a small child but one on the verge of becoming a woman. Such a thought made him twitch slightly, how did he get so old so quickly?
“Dragon.” A voice cried out from a tower on the town’s white wall. The cities bell began to ring and people on the stone wall began to scramble. Men’s voices shouted out as panic erupted on the city streets.
Edwald’s eyes shot like spears to the sky, cranking his neck he twisted in his saddle as he searched the horizons. There it was in the distance behind him, a figure growing ever closer as it twisted through the air with great speed. His eyes locked on the beast and followed it as it rushed over head. Its blue scales glinting in the sunlight as it passed over. It bellowed as it zoomed over the town, its voice covering the screams and shouts from below.
Jabbing his heels in the sides of his horse Edwald began to move faster toward town. It had passed but Edwald knew better, it will turn around and head back. His father had fought them before, before he died. A dragon knight in the king’s court, he knew their ways, where and how they slept and why they came to town. At bed time his father often told him tales of the dragons. How they use to live among the humans, highly revered for their knowledge and inventions. This is the way it was until the war of Dena. After the war ended abruptly the dragons secluded themselves among the mountains. It is a rare sight to see one and rarer still to see one so close.
Hoofs betted against the earth as his horse moved forward his eyes locked onto the lowering pinnacles, their clicking ringing in his ears. He had to make it inside the city, he was the only one best suited to make sure his daughter did not fall to harm. The dust rolled like a cloud behind him his breath quickened and the sweat trickled from his brow.
Another bellow filled the air. The ringing of the bell stopped and was followed by the sounds of splitting wood. The dragon came back into view spitting out shards of wood from its mouth. Like a dragon fly it hovered over the city, its wing beats creating their own wind and shaking the air so hard he could feel its vibrations in his throat.
The rush of the air is all he could hear and the sight of the pinnacles is all he could see. But it was too late, the pinnacles dropped to the earth locking into place. He pulled his horse to a stop just before them, the cloud following him, drifting past and into the one place he now could not go. One foot of hardened metal bars separated him from the city, from his daughter. Cussing under his breath he looked skyward to the dragon as it sucked in a deep breathe.
“It’s going to breath fire. Run.” He shouted at those who could hear him, those in its path. The people scattered from under it, while others ran out of the homes below it and dashed for cover inside the stone wall. Jumping from the back of his horse he gripped onto the pinnacles his face pressed against them as he looked on. The fire sped form the dragon’s mouth lighting everything in its path with a blaze of fire. His grip shook as it twisted on the pinnacles. They would not budge under his hold but he could feel his whole body shaking, his heart pounding in tune with the dragon’s wing beats. Screaming people ran from the burning building one of them looked familiar. An older version of the girl he remembered so clearly, a girl who now looked so much like her mother it brought a tear to his eye. She wore a blue flowing dress adorned with ribbons. Her chestnut hair swayed behind her as she ran, her direction taking her toward one of the doors in the stone wall.
“Ceara.” He shouted his arm reaching though the pinnacles toward her. The girl stopped running momentarily and looked his direction. A look of confusion strolled over her face as she looked about but was quickly replaced by a smile once she saw him.
“Father.” She shouted back at him. Her feet turned from their heading and now dashed toward him. He smiled, she was safe and unharmed. He always knew she was a smart girl; she took after her mother in that respect. One hand holding her skirt up and the other reaching for him she continued to run his direction.
“I waited up all night for you.” She shouted at him her voice ringing with fear. Hearing it ripped at his heart. Pushing harder against the bars he reached as far as he could toward her, he starred into her eyes feeling sorry he could not have been at town earlier. The dragon’s bellow shook his soul, his eyes shot toward the beast as it turned its eyes toward them. It bellowed once again, a warning perhaps, he did not know, did not want to know why it looked his direction. Jumping higher into the air the dragon twisted and dove toward the pinnacles. Its claws extended as its path took it closer to the ground, its passage throwing dust up from the dirt below. His breath slowed and rang in his ears, looking at his daughter he smiled, her form moving in slow motion. Her fingers reached out to him and touched his hand but as soon as he curled his fingers over hers it was ripped from his grasp. Her face gripped in fear starred at him, deep blue eyes speaking volumes of the horror she felt inside. Her mouth curled into a scream as she was towed away from him. Like a scene etched into stone her look of fear etched into his mind.
“Ceara.” He shouted his arm extended toward her. “Ceara.” His voice cried out as somewhere deep within a hatred for the blue dragons was planted. Unable to do anything he watched as the dragon tightened its grip around her belly and dragged her into the sky. Her screams echoing in his ears louder then any other noise. Stepping away from the pinnacles his eyes followed the dragon as it twisted and dove in the sky until it picked a direction and headed the way it had came.
Grabbing the horn of his saddle he swung his leg up but something pulled at it stopping him. Eye shooting like darts he glared at what had a hold of his leg. Standing next to him was a creature known as the damok. People of the swamps, deformed humans who had strange and peculiar ways. Hardening his fist he lashed out at the man with his anger much like a serpent lashing out at his prey. The blow landed on his face knocking the creature back away from him, making it release his leg.
“Get off me.” He growled his words ringing in his ears. The damok began to chuckle as it held its cheek. It’s oil black body shinning like darkened glass in the sun’s rays.
“You can leave now but you will never catch up to the dragon. Never see your daughter again, not unless you do what I say.” Edwald turned away from the damok and headed back toward his horse. The idiot did not know anything about his daughter but only wanted to capitalize on his situation like any good filth would do.
“The Galazios’ where right about you after all. You are a coward.” The man’s words stopped him dead in his tracks. Few knew the names the dragons called themselves and most of them where dead, like his father. The whole situation began to seem more and more like a setup. His hand grabbed his dagger. Without thinking he ripped it from its sheath and spun about while his other hand gripped onto the damok’s neck. Pushing him against the stone wall he sucked him a breathe trough his clutched teeth.
“What do you know of my daughter? Speak it or I shall end you.” The dagger paused under the damok’s throat ready to cut, to end his life.
“I can tell you nothing if I am dead, now can I human? Release me.” His words hissed out of his throat. The smell of its breath was of death and rot, the feel of the man’s skin against his grip was slippery like a water snake. Edwald locked eyes with the man. Something screamed from within the damok’s eye, the cries of his last victim echoing like the replay of a story. The sight did not shaken Edwald, he had seen much death in the war, and some even more haunting then what he seen in its eyes. His thoughts refocused after the damok’s twisted face turned into a look curiosity.
“You do not fear.” His words hissed again his breath wheezing from the grip Edwald had on him. Edwald threw the man to the ground releasing his grip as he did. Coughing the damok held onto his neck, taking in a few deep breaths he regained his normal breathing pattern. The smile remained on the damok’s face, the smirked he wanted to beat off him.
“Tell me.” He drew his sword and pointed its shinny tip at the damok’s head.
“Edwald.” A voice called out from within the city. “Stop this at once or I will have you arrested.” Without looking he knew who spoke to him, the captain of the town guard.
“It is a time of peace and this man is a guest within our city.” Edwald looked at him from the corner of an eye while at the same time keeping watch on the damok’s movements. The pinnacles barred the guard form physically making Edwald heed his words. On the guards white chest plate was painted the symbol of the city, an ash tree. A group of citizens stood around watching, their eyes focused on him and their faces in shook from what they beheld. A click sounded and the pinnacles began to edge their way open. He did not have much time to find out what he wanted, what he needed to know. Gritting his teeth he kicked at the damok his foot landing into his gut. Sprawling in pain the damok’s smiled escaped his lips. He held up one hand while the other gripped his aching gut. A sense of accomplishment washed over Edwald as he saw the smile disappear. Now the damok is ready to talk.
“They took her to the mount Breccia.”
“Why?’ his shout made the creature jump.
“Why should I tell you? You are not very nice to me.” The damok lowered his hand and sat up. The smile he had beaten off his face returned as his eyes slipped past Edwald to what was going on behind him.
“And who are they?” Edwald heard the crowd move closer to him.
A hand fell onto his shoulder and gripped it tightly. He did not bother to turn; he knew it was the captain of the guards.
“Edwald lower your weapon.”
“The dragon took my daughter or did you not see?” He said loudly to make sure he heard him over the murmuring of the crowd.
“We all know what happened and can not start to understand your pain but this is not the way Edwald.” The guards hand slightly shook him.
“I need to finish speaking to this damok he knows…”
“You are not speaking. You are beating a defenseless man in the streets.” The guard said interrupting his words. Edwald shook his head as he did not want to hear what the guard had to say. They were taking the side of the damok over him? The guard’s hand disappeared from his shoulder and the clanking of many armored guards walking up behind him made him want to turn around but he could not. He needed to keep his eyes on the sneaking damok. He twitched as he felt several sword points pressed against his back, their points threatening to stab through his leather armor.
Taking a step he lunged at the damok with his sword. His forward motion halted by the many armored hands. A blow from a boot made his sword fly from his hand and he found himself falling. Like a rock sinking into a river he tumbled to the earth, his head pounding against its hardness, his breath sucked from his chest by the impact. Gasping for breath his chest screamed as it stung as if being pocked with a thousand needles. Coughing his breath returned as leaving his lungs relieved but burning. Each breath a accomplishment but leaving a tingle in this throat.
“Time is being lost, I must find her.” Edwald gasped. He could see three armored guards standing above him, one was the captain the other two had their swords targeted on his chest. The captain eyes turned saddened at his words as he shook his head.
“After everything you fought for you would raise your sword so quickly and in doing so start another war. My god Edwald.” His voice shook with anger as he spoke. “Take him away.”