The Earthen Monster

Darkness fell upon the Dragon Lands. The clouds of acrid soot and ash being released in plumes rise up and mix with the dark rain clouds. Only the light of magma and fire could be seen through the pitch dark. A pair of young dragons brawl against each other, wrestling and striking, whilst a large amazonite sits in wait for a victor. The young dragons go from first blood to first down to first unconscious. They bleed and claw and bite viciously, as if their very lives depended on it. With a strike of lightning, the final blow lands. One falls, the other hobbles. The victor has revealed himself and claimed his prize.

---~~~*~~~---

Stone ran for as long as she could, but eventually tired herself out, and did so while still a notable distance from where she needed to go. She cradles Obsidian in her arms as Obsidian weakly tries to keep his eyes open, limply holding his entrails in his claws. Fireball was not far behind, carrying Slash on his back. Sparks walked in the rear, watching behind the group. He hoped that Mud-Skin would not pursue them while this vulnerable. The darkness of the cloudy night did not help in any way. Only the distant light of lava and lightning seemed to aid at all.

Far ahead of them stood a tall and mighty spire, roughly hewn from mountain rock. Near the top of this spire was a single burning light. This was their goal. Between bouts of slowing down and speeding up, the young dragons manage to reach the desired location within an hour. A long trail of blood marked where they all had been, leading all the way up to the top of the spire.

Obsidian's eyes have shut completely, his limp arms losing their strength and allowing his intestines to spill forth as the group were entering the one known entrance to the spire. Stone's heart fell even further than before. Her mortified expression was hidden well by her armored scales. She pushed herself one last time, desperate to try to save Obsidian before it was too late. Deep in the spire lie a massive elder dragon, whose form seemed to take up the entire inner chamber. The powerful limbs of the dragon shifted in the faint light of the torches that lined the walls. The thick green shields that were the scales of this great creature gleamed with a smoothness that would make them look like gargantuan gems. A set of glowing eyes peer down at the comparatively small Stone and Obsidian, the emerald eyes seeing all that was before them.

"How may I assist?" The deep rumbling voice shook the body of Stone as she stood.

"Please, can you heal him?!" Stone finally falls to her knees, thoroughly exhausted and full of worry. The rest of the young dragons barely arrive with huffs and coughs for air before the mighty elder can respond to the question asked.

"One cannot heal that which is dead. My condolences, young one." The ancient dragon grumbled to her with a hint of pity, closing his eyes to them.

Stone knelt there, stupefied. She simply stayed as she was, clutching Obsidian weakly. She was too late to save her friend. Now he is dead. Fireball couldn't believe it. Neither could Slash. Both stared at Stone's back, hoping that they would hear Obsidian make a noise or move. Sparks was in his own mind. He knew something like this would happen, he just hoped that having back up would guarantee safety or at least prevent loss. Now he fully understands how wrong he was. A long silence fell in the cave.

"Come closer, all of you." The elder dragon spoke. Fireball, Slash, and Sparks approached the now open eyes. The light that came from the great dragon's eyes grew brighter. Broken scales and bones realigned and set themselves. Gouges and lacerations in the flesh were sealed up. Stones plates were restored. All except for Obsidian were healed.

"Consider your payment null. I will be magnanimous this time, given that you have faced a superior foe."

"How did you know?" Asked Slash.

"He is Norvos The Ancient. He reads creatures like how we read text." Sparks answered without hesitation.

"You speak the truth, lightning dragon. Nevertheless, I must inquire as to what manner of beast you fought."

"It was a new creature. It seemed to have mud for skin, but it wasn't an elemental. It was powerful, fast, and hard to kill. It alone fought all five of us and we were defeated. We did not kill it." Sparks answered Norvos quickly, hoping to not attract his anger.

"Hmm. Is that so? I have not heard of such a being as of yet. I may have to investigate this for myself. Nevertheless, I have offered my service and the debt is payed. Now go and do the rites for your fallen." Norvos spoke with finality. It was clear that he wanted the young dragons to leave. The implication was not lost on them. The group left Norvos in solemn silence, the weight of their loss pressing strongly on their minds. Obsidian, one of the most promising dragons among the hatchlings of yesteryears, has fallen in battle against a creature yet to be seen by the rest of dragon-kind.

---~~~*~~~---

Deep within the bowels of the mountains, Mud-Skin slowly walks through the wide tunnels with a torch in hand. Feeling the effects of his recent wounds, he leans against the wall for several minutes and groans to himself. Once he regains some composure, he continues walking. The gouges and slashes are already covered with thick, hard scabs. Deep bruising left welts and the color of his skin turned a dark red and purple underneath what remained of the mud. Mud-Skin traverses the tunnel with familiarity and practiced steps. Through a small gap, jump over a hole, slide down a slope. He can hear the rushing water already. After a moment, the light of the torch bounced off of the surface of clear liquid that fell from high up in the caverns and coalesced into a single massive pool of clean water. The pool filled the natural stone basin and overflowed out towards a distant cave mouth that could barely be seen from within.

"You really took a beating, huh?" Mud-Skin thought to himself with the voice of another, imagining someone else were there.

"Yeah, those dragons are difficult to kill. And difficult to deter." He spoke aloud to himself.

"I'm sorry that you got hurt. Those dragon are so mean! You even let that lightning dragon live! Then they picked a fight when you put up all of those warnings to keep them out. If I were there, I'd give them a two-piece combo! With a side of foot!" Mud-Skin lightly laughed as he could just make out Em shadow boxing in front of him.

"Well, to be fair Em, I was technically hunting him the first time we met. I just didn't expect a dragon to come along. I did leave bait out. Though, it was to lure more of those big reptiles out. I could've sworn they were cannibalistic." He again openly replied, but in a quieter volume as he put down the torch and got into the pool of water.

"Well, I guess that's fair. But you didn't mean it! They obviously know how to talk! They could've just asked about why you beat him! Even if they don't know our language. So unfair." Em expounded on his feelings on the matter, pouting in frustration.

"That's very endearing that you understand and care about my well-being. Thank you. However, I have to remember that this is a harsh land with harsher creatures and the harshest consequences. I cannot afford to assume that any of these creatures are able or willing to understand me, let alone help. It's all up to me." Em let's out some phantasmal tears after Mud-Skin retells of the situation. He scooches over to Mud-Skin.

"It's been over a month since we got here, and we still have nothing to us other than weak stones and soft wood for tools. The scales of these big lizards don't help much either. The teeth of these creatures seem to be the only properly effective tools other than our fists. On top that and your wounds, we're in yet another place where no one understands. At least you have me, right? I understand you. I love you..." Em wraps his ghostly arms around Mud-Skin's shoulders, disappearing soon after. Mud-Skin can almost feel it, wishing harder than ever that there was, indeed, someone to gently and closely hold.

"Yeah..." He let's his mind race and ponder on things that have never been, nor ever will be.

---~~~*~~~---

The young dragons had taken their comrade and brought his broken form to his mother. Her devastation at the loss of her son was great to her. She wailed and cried at the sight of her own progeny being torn asunder in such a way. The young dragons could only bow their heads in shame, as they could not rescue their comrade in time. The mother wiped her tears and looked at them with an intensity befitting a grieving mother.

"Do you know what this means?" Her eyes bearing down on Stone.

"Yes, ma'am. I do. The beast must die. I will make sure of it." Stone could barely hold her fury and sadness in anymore. It took a great deal of effort on her part to not roar and rampage. "Obsidian was a good fighter, a good clutch mate, a good dragon. He might have been the next Dragon Lord. I will avenge him." Stone's claws cracked the inside of her palms as she clenched her fists as hard as she could.

"Yeah, us too!" Slash blurted out with a bit of bloodlust in his eyes. "I want my get-back too! So does Fireball here! And Sparks! We're gonna cut that Mud-Skin into little pieces and cook it up to eat! Make him taste his own guts before we do, just so he can know what it feels like!" Slash cackles to himself at the imagery he has conjured.

"What he said." Fireball has a look of determination on his face that said it all.

"Thank you for understanding, young dragons. I must look after the eggs, or else, I'd come with you. Do right by my son." Obsidian's mother took her son's body and began the burial rites.

After the ceremony was complete, Stone went by herself to one of the peaks of the mountains the encircled the valleys and forests at the edge of the Dragon Lands.

"HEAR ME MUD-SKIN! I, STONE, WILL KILL YOU!!!" She roared loud and long, squeezing every last bit of air out of her lungs. "You took the one dragon who liked me for who I am. My first love. You will pay. I will make sure of it."

Back in the Dragon Lands, Sparks could not be more certain. He was not going back. His fears were all but confirmed on that fateful day. He refuses to ever willingly face that monster again.

"As much as I would like to go avenge Obsidian, I don't want to die in the process. Two close calls is more than enough for me to learn my lesson. I'm not going back. Sorry guys."