Tail of the Dragon

by Craig Halloran

  Their pain-filled screeches could have shattered glass as they writhed in the sky.

  Eeeak! Eak Eaak Eeeeaaaaaak!

  “That’s only a sample of what I have in store for—Agh!”

  From out of nowhere, razor-sharp talons dug into his back. A knot of four dragons latched onto him like leeches. Fangs bit into Nath’s hard scales. Liquid fire dripped like venom from their mouths, causing him excruciating pain.

  Nath let out a tremendous roar.

  “RAWR!”

  And then he turned loose his own assault. The end of his tail coiled around one dragon’s neck and ripped it free of him. Using it like a club, he started swatting away at the others.

  Whop! Whop! Whop!

  He knocked one more off his legs, but two more latched on. Wings beating with fury, Nath fought to keep up in the air.

  Rising higher, two more dragons darted in and attacked his wings.

  Nath lost control and tumbled through the sky. Battling for his life, he hit the hillside hard.

  Whoom!

  “Enough of this!” Nath yelled in Dragonese. Eyes hot with fire, he unleashed his vision heat on the first dragon he saw. The beams of light turned the creature’s dark armored scales to ash, leaving only a pile of bones. Ignoring the burning sensation of claws and teeth digging into him, he reared back his head and struck like a snake. His jaws clamped around another dragon’s neck. With tremendous force, he bit down and broke its neck.

  The dragon brood went into a frenzy. They struck and bit. Spat out small geysers of flame. They latched onto Nath’s chest and coiled their tails around his great neck.

  Unrelenting, Nath and the brood thrashed through the hill. Trees snapped under their weight. The branches caught fire.

  Nath stomped one dragon’s face in the dirt.

  Another dragon spat hot flames in Nath’s eye.

  Nath snatched it by the neck and with his breath, he turned its head to ashes. He huffed for breath. The strain of battle was starting to take a toll on him. His inner flame was going dim.

  Don’t these things give up or tire? I’ve already killed six of them!

  The evil throng battled on. Their teeth and claws were tiny razors digging deep in between his scales. They were merciless, and Nath was covered in them.

  He bit one’s tail and slung it off his back.

  Another dragon whipped his eye with its tail.

  “Argh!”

  Nath made it pay. He slammed it into the ground and pulverized it under his paws.

  Back and forth they battled, the dragon versus the drag-ons.

  Nath matched their savagery with his own. They were strong and quick. He was stronger and quicker. But their numbers gave them the advantage. They stayed latched onto his arms. His legs. His wings. They started taking him apart a tiny piece at a time. Their fiery venom crept in between his scales and into his flesh.

  Nath unloaded one more blast of fire, vaporizing two more of them.

  Eight down! At least I think so.

  His great strength had faded. He felt drained. His sight started to dim.

  This can’t be happening to me. I’m the King Dragon.

  CHAPTER 13

  Fighting to stay awake, Nath’s mind went through his known cache of abilities, but it was sluggish. Even the pain had begun to subside.

  I have to get these things off of me before they drag me off somewhere. Or eat me!

  He pushed up off the ground and belly-rolled over, crushing one of them underneath his girth. Still, his limbs became heavy. He flailed his tail but couldn’t get a sense of where it was going. A dark shadow fell over them.

  “Screeeeeeech!” the dragon brood cried out in unison.

  Guzan! What now?

  Through blurry eyes, Nath saw a black-winged bulk drop out of the sky.

  It landed hard on the ground.

  Oh no! They come in bigger sizes!

  It closed in on Nath.

  With tremendous strain and effort, he closed in on it.

  One of the smaller dragons darted in between them and shot out some fiery breath.

  The bigger dragon swatted it away with its tail and began pummeling it into the dirt.

  Wap! Wap! Wap!

  The bigger dragon finished it off with a blast of scorching fire.

  “Huh?” Nath said, barely able to keep his eyes open.

  The big black dragon’s head whipped around just in time to confront another small attacking dragon. With its breath, it turned the little serpent into dust. Then the huge black dragon spoke to Nath in Dragonese. “Get up and fight, Lazy Bones!”

  Nath’s head perked up. His dragon heart began to race. “Selene?”

  The big black dragon ripped a smaller one off his hide, smashed its bones into the ground, and said, “Do I really need to answer that?”

  Charged up with renewed energy, Nath tore another small dragon away from his arm with his tail. He bashed it into the rocks until it moved no more.

  Selene continued to rip them off of him and then crush them with her mighty paws or use her breath weapon and turn them into pixie dust.

  In less than a minute, all the hostile dragons were dead.

  “Gather them in a pile,” she said.

  “Why?” Nath said, shaking out the cobwebs inside his head.

  Sarcastically she said, “Oh mighty King Dragon, will you please just do as I say.” With her mouth she dragged one across the ground and into another, starting the pile. “And don’t miss any.”

  Wary, Nath did as she asked. Strange dead dragons were piled up before them. “So, now what?”

  Selene opened up her great mouth and covered them in flame.

  The pile burned and popped. Nath fought the urge to cover his nose. The stench watered his eyes. The dragons burned—scales, horns, bones, and all—until there was nothing but ash left.

  Finally, he said, “What did you do that for? Now I’ll never know what they are.”

  “You almost weren’t going to know anything else ever again, King Dragon.”

  Nath approached her with a smile.

  Covered in black scales with a long, sensuous tail, Selene was the most beautiful dragon he’d ever seen. Her lashed violet eyes were radiant beneath her exquisite crown of horns, streaked with silver.

  Heart pounding inside his chest, he said, “Thanks, Selene. It’s good to see you. I didn’t think you could stay away from me forever anyway.”

  “Hah!” she laughed. “Me, seeking you? Nothing could be further from my quest.”

  He frowned. “Quest? What do you mean, quest?”

  Selene’s violet eyes drifted onto the pile of ash. “Tracking down these vermin and killing them.”

  Irritated, Nath fixed his eyes on her. “So you know what they are, then?”

  “Sadly,” she said, neck drooping a little. “I do. They are called wurmers.”

  “Wurmers? What tongue is that?”

  Without batting an eye, she said, “An ancient one. Long forgotten until … sometime around now.”

  Nath spread out his wings and winced. Turning his head around, he noticed one of his wings was dangling. “Blast!”

  Selene’s eyes widened. “That’s a horrible wound. You should be more careful.”

  “Thanks, Selene. I’ll remember that the next time I’m assaulted by a bunch of renegade dragons.” He snorted. “Don’t guess I’ll be flying anywhere too soon. It should make Brenwar happy.” He focused his attention on Selene. “You were saying these things had been long forgotten until sometime around now. So you knew of them?”

  Sitting back on her haunches and clicking her clawed front paws together, she said, “Let’s just say I’ve encountered them before.”

  Nath’s eyes narrowed. “Is this something that Gorn Grattack had a hand in? That you had a hand in?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “That’s not an answer, Selene. And I don’t like it. What do you know about these creatures? And how in Nalzambor did they get here?” He
brushed his tail through their remains. “And is it bad that I killed them?”

  “Don’t fret, Nath,” she said. “The wurmers are more dragon-like than dragon. They aren’t flesh and blood like other life on Nalzambor. That I’m certain of.”

  Nath eased his tone. “Well, that helps a little. Keep talking.” He half flapped his broken wing. “I’m not going anywhere soon.”

  “The wurmers are a creation of other evil mages and clerics who preceded Barnabus. They hated dragons, and through their collective efforts they created a creature to slay dragons. They used dragon parts and magic and turned them into bloodless, living things, like insects.”

  “Oh, I see,” Nath said. “Isn’t that pretty much what you did with the draykis? How many of them are still running around?”

  “I’m pretty sure there aren’t any.”

  “Pretty sure, well,” Nath said, rolling his eyes, “that’s reassuring.”

  “Don’t be smug.”

  “I’m sorry, Selene, but this stinks of your old dealings, and let’s face it. You haven’t been around. There’s no telling what you’ve been doing or who you’ve been doing it with.”

  Selene’s eyes became bright as fire. “Nath! How dare you suggest?”

  “I’m the Dragon King, and I’ll suggest what I will. I have an entire world to protect.”

  “Well, you weren’t doing a very good job of it a few moments ago—unless you were going to protect it as new fertilizer!” She spread her wings. “Good luck to you. I’ll resume this quest on my own.” Her feet started to lift from the ground.

  CHAPTER 14

  Nath snatched her tail and pulled her back down. Calmly. “You aren’t going anywhere, Selene. Sorry. Just tell me more.”

  The flames behind her eyes subsided, and she continued her story.

  “Yes, the Clerics of Barnabus sought to employ the wurmers in our cause, but dealing with them proved difficult.” She sighed. “Very difficult.”

  “How so?” Nath said, brushing his tail against hers.

  “They’re mindless things that don’t discriminate. They’d attack any dragon, good or bad. Both Kryzak and I tried to find ways to control them, but everything failed. I even have some scars to show for it.” She ran her claws over her side. There were some gashes in her scales that had never fully healed. “Kryzak actually saved me. After that, I came up with the draykis. They were my creation. I could control them. But the wurmers, they come from another time. A different magic. I told Kryzak to destroy them. Their larva. Their nests. I was very disappointed when I found out that he didn’t.”

  Nath reached over his shoulder and plucked a torn wurmer claw out from between his scales. Eyeing it, he said, “They are nasty things. How many have you hunted down?”

  “Thousands.”

  Unable to contain his surprise, Nath said, “Thousands!”

  “Give or take a few hundred,” she added.

  “You should have sought me out, Selene. How many of these things do you think are out there?” He stomped his paw into the ground. “And being the King Dragon, I need to be informed of any dire threats to this world.”

  “Don’t stiffen on me, Nath. If you were so worried about any threats, you’d be back at Dragon Home. Instead, you are on a personal quest—which,” she said, eyes saddening a little, “I don’t blame you for.”

  “Regardless, Selene, you should tell me, especially when you are putting yourself in danger.” His tail glided up around her shoulders. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

  Her eyes drifted down over his tail and then found his. “Really? And why is that?”

  Nath swallowed. Nothing in Nalzambor intimidated Nath, but Selene did. Not as a threat but as a woman. A grand one. And his attraction to her was powerful. But he didn’t know how to tell her that. “Because … you’re my friend.”

  Selene’s eyes drifted away, and she let out a huff of smoke. She walked out from underneath his tail. “Oh, I’m elated to know that. And as for the wurmers, the amount I’ve destroyed isn’t so big. As a matter of fact, these are the biggest I’ve seen.” Her brow creased. “I’ve mostly found unhatched nests. You see, the wurmers start out in a larva stage. Much like insects. I find them and destroy them.”

  “How many more do you think are left?”

  “Hard to tell. I found one of the original lairs, but I think there are many more. Especially after seeing a group as big as this flying around.” She swatted her tail through the charred remains. “But these are drones. Which is good. The females lay the eggs. One female, rather. Perhaps a queen for every nest.”

  “So they are like the bees?”

  “No. Bees produce honey; wurmers produce death.” She continued, “Nath, now that the Clerics of Barnabus no longer hunt them, the wurmers will multiply fast. If they get out of control, they’ll swarm all of Nalzambor like locusts. Nothing will remain.”

  Nath tried to get close again, but Selene shifted away. Aggravated, he said, “If it’s so serious, you should take some other dragons with you, then.”

  “It’s my responsibility. I’ll handle it on my own.”

  “I insist,” Nath said.

  “I still have allies aside from yourself,” she said.

  “Really, who?”

  “You focus on your mission, and I’ll focus on mine,” she said. “And I wish you well on your quest to find your mother.”

  “Selene, don’t rush off. Please. You just got here.”

  “The wurmers are serious business, Nath.”

  “Just for a little while. Please?” he said, forming a long face. “All I’ve been doing is traveling with Brenwar, and it’s not the same … as it used to be. It’s hard being a dragon when all your friends are mortal.”

  “That’s why dragons don’t get so close to the mortals. But you’ll get used to it.”

  “I’m not sure that I want to get used to it.”

  “You can’t have the best of both worlds. You are meant to rule the dragons, not the other races as well. They’ll be just fine without you, Nath.”

  “I suppose.”

  “And if you spent more time among your kind, I’m certain you’d be enlightened.” She ran her tail under his chin. Her eyes smiled into his. “But I envy you, Nath. You understand what it’s like to be both man and dragon. And you have true friends among all the races. Consider it a precious gift. It will give you wisdom that others have never had.”

  “If you say so.” He flexed his bad wing again. “Honestly, please stick around. Not being able to fly is going to be hard enough. And I’m never going to hear the end of this from Brenwar.”

  “You’re such a child sometimes,” Selene said, “but lucky for you I like it. So I’ll come along, but only for a bit.”

  Yes! Pulling his shoulders back and heading back down over the hillside with a bounce in his step, Nath said, “Well, come on, then.”

  On foot it took a few hours to get back to the general area where he’d last seen Brenwar. Putting his nose to the dirt, it wasn’t long before Nath found his oldest friend’s scent. “It won’t be long now.” But an hour later, Nath lost the scent. A sinking feeling crept into him. “Selene, do you smell anything?”

  She shook her head. “I sense nothing.”

  CHAPTER 15

  The vanishing of Brenwar made for a long day—and days were usually nothing to a dragon. Nath ripped another tree out of the ground and flung it away.

  “Nath,” Selene said, “You can’t check underneath everything. Least of all the roots beneath the trees. I’m certain there’s a reasonable explanation for it.” She stroked his back with her tail. “Take a breath and let things come to you.”

  Nath pushed some moss-covered boulders aside. Worms and insects scurried deep into the dirt. “Ah!” He rolled the rocks back into place. “Blast!”

  “Nath, we will find him,” Selene said, being reassuring. “I’m certain of it.”

  He wanted to agree with her, he really did, but B
renwar’s disappearance left him feeling empty inside. Guilt swelled inside him. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing his friend again. After all, Brenwar had almost died once already. Looking at Selene, a thought occurred to him. He couldn’t help but let it out. With wary eyes he said, “It’s been a strange series of circumstances.”

  Selene sat back on her haunches, crushing the brush underneath her tail. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, let me put it together for you. I get a clue about where to find my mother. Not long after that, the wurmers show up, followed by the sudden appearance of you, and now Brenwar disappears.”

  Selene’s dragon face darkened. “Are you suggesting I had something to do with this?”

  “A wise king wouldn’t rule out the possibility.”

  “A wise king wouldn’t insult his friends!” she fired back.

  “Oh yes, a friend who created the draykis, who was willing to let loose the wurmers on dragonkind.” He shook his head. “Huh. Not to mention that you don’t want any help. Look, Selene, you have to admit, is that not the least bit suspicious?”

  She leaned toward him and said with her razor-sharp claws extended, “I ought to rip your tongue out. I just saved your life, you fool.”

  “Fool!”

  Nose to nose, she added, “Do I need to say it in the seven languages to you?”

  He bared his teeth. “You do not speak to me that way!”

  “And you shouldn’t speak to anyone that way.”

  “Hah! Like you care! This, coming from someone who killed if someone batted an eyelash at you. And you dare to judge me?”

  Air rife with tension, Selene cut loose. Her tail lashed out, smiting Nath across his cheek.

  Whap!

  Nath shook it off. His eyes blazed with fury. He rose up to his full height, towering over her. “Why did you do that?”

  “Because if you unleashed one more insult like that, I was going to try and kill you.”