by Neishai
The next night the dragon thieves found themselves shrouded in darkness. The moon had not yet risen, the only light provided by a plethora of stars in a nearly cloudless sky. There were no lanterns; darkness was to be their friend this night.
Or was it?
Shalazan set the pace, knowing exactly where the cave should be. Her footfalls were neither seen nor heard by the others; even to Daemion and Lucifer she appeared an eerie spectre in the dark, her form wavering on one's vision like the mist.
Behind the assassin, Lilian offered her expert tutelage to Cheynoron, and both walked with the slow, silent footfall used by thieves. Vash walked with a naturally catlike stride, smooth and light-footed. To even those nearest him, he was as a shadow. Aquxianal was not so quiet and nor was Lucifer, for though they tried, stealth was not their forte. The man-child, a full-blooded shape shifter, was by nature able to "disappear" into and reappear out of the landscape. Lucifer's half-changeling blood allowed for a different kind of shape-changing ability, which would allow him to seduce whomever he came in contact with. Nevertheless, the group of thieves made their way to the dragon's den without incident.
This particular dragon was nocturnal and had already gone out for the night. On the prowl, it was most likely out causing trouble in the next village, ruining buildings, burning grain stockpiles, chasing and eating the villagers and their livestock. Such was the nature of most if not all the dragons native to this particular realm.
At first, the concept caught the four newcomers by surprise, especially Vash. P*rnese dragons had always been an integral part of human society, not a hazard to its very existence! And Hyshkath had been anything but a danger to others, unless his rider was being threatened. Just thinking about him formed a painful lump form in the man's throat, and a queasy emptiness engulfed his belly. And the very thought of a dragon being this way filled him with immeasurable rage. Should it return to its den this night, I will see that this… beast does not live to see the sun rise!
Suddenly, he felt warm breath tickle his ear. Shalazan's slightly musky, dusty scent had an unmistakably reptilian hint to it, yet it was not unpleasant, reminding him of deserts and dragons. But how had she so easily appeared before him without his knowledge? "It's just up ahead," she breathed. "I will go on ahead with Lilian." Speechless, he nodded and thinking that she probably couldn't see the gesture, he lightly touched her shoulder. He heard a soft hiss as she turned away, which only made to confuse him further.
Then she was gone and Aqu had taken her place beside him. The other said nothing, only waited. Vash felt a twinge of guilt for having dragged him out this way. Aqu had led them off-planet with the hope that his pain might lessen, but this menace had only managed to channel it. At this point, in Hyshkath's honor, Vash might have hunted the foul dragon down and felled it himself. And Aqu would have accompanied him, with no regard to his own safety. He sighed softly, swallowing his anger, and wrapped his arm around Aquxianal's waist.
They could hear the tense whispers of a hushed argument between two men. Aqu tensed, considered breaking Lucifer and Cheyno up, but decided that if he did, he might end up silencing them physically -- and enjoying it far too well. Finally he decided he much preferred his present company and leaned slightly into Vash.
Presently, Lilian and Shalazan returned, describing in hushed tones the cave's layout and contents. Li offered up a pale stone and held it up to the light. The size of a small apple, the gem was flawless. "A diamond," someone whispered in awe.
Daemion nodded with an intense expression on his face. As many gaped at the moonlit gem, the seeds of greed and lust cultivating within, but besides the material wealth they represented, the changeling saw something else: power. Riches such as this would buy him the resources he needed to build his small empire: prime location, quality materials, and enthusiastic workers. The grin that appeared on his face spread from cheek to cheek. "Let's go," he muttered huskily.
The advance was cautious despite everyone's excitement, just because they had reached their goal did not mean they could lower their guard. Two sentries were posted, one on each side of the cave entrance; the others went inside. The cave itself was set into an uneven rock face, hidden on several sides. This worked both ways, allowing for the dragon or other treasure hunters to sneak up on the posts. This relative helplessness unnerved several, but it was reasoned that alertness would suffice.
Inside the cave was pitch-black. Now was the time to light the small lanterns held in hand. What they revealed took the thieves' breaths away. Jewelry, tiaras, loose gems. Silk in rolls or wrinkled, and in various stages of decay. Chests full of bullion: copper, gold, silver, and bronze coins, even a few bars of solid metal. Armor, in tarnished silver and bronze, with rotting leather straps; knives and guns with gilded handles in ivory, leather or metal; swords from various eras. Anything shiny and of value could be found in this cave, anything the thieves could possibly want.
Lilian shoved a few jeweled and carved daggers into her belt, stuffed gems and some old coins in her pockets. Daemion and Lucifer filled theirs with the largest gems they could find. Cheyno stood staring, slowly turning in circles and unable to choose, finally gave up and started grabbing whatever he could carry. Vash had found a sword with a curved blade that almost matched his long-bladed knife. Aqu had just tried on a gauntlet when a commotion was heard outside.
He looked up just as Shalazan shoved past Vash and himself. She pushed Daemion into his son, motioned for them to move to the back of the cave. A sword with an extremely wicked-looking blade in her hand, she found purchase and climbed up the rocky wall as she advanced on the sound. As she reached the mouth, she crouched back into the shadows with a sharp hiss. Her eyes glinted with demonic fierceness in the dark. They all heard the screams and roars then, and rushed forward, drawing their weapons or scrambling for some if they had none. No one was willing to die just yet, nor would they be trapped in this cave!
What they saw was horrifying. Blood stained the ground in puddles and streaks, blackish-purple highlights glowing in the icy-blue moonlight. The man stationed on their left was now up against a large stone on the right. One could see that he was missing the upper fourth of his body -- the head, right shoulder and arm. His remaining limbs were bent in such a way that he appeared to be a discarded, life-sized rag doll. The other man, nearer to the cave, was curled up in a ball, body shaking in shock. He moaned softly and wheezed, trying to breathe as blood flowed freely from his nose and mouth.
The man was forgotten when they saw their attacker. It was no dragon that they had ever seen.
"It's a monster…" Lilian breathed, unable to take her eyes away from its terrifying magnificence.
"Abomination," Shalazan hissed, eyes widened in … adoration? Relief?
Daemion gasped. "H … hydra … HYDRA!" he screamed. Not even upon recollection later on, could one tell if it was a gleeful cry, or one of terror. No one had time to consider it, for his shrill voice had caught the attention of the deep red-and-black hydra's heads -- all of them.
Lucifer grabbed the 'child' and stood in front of him. Shalazan stood before both, but looked much happier to see the monster than anything. The four offworlders weren't sure what to do, they had never been more terrified in their lives, nor more certain they would surely die.
Greasy little villagers, the creature, most definitely a he, remarked, licking his lips.
Another voice, one none could identify or locate, asked, Döhösh, are these the ones you seek?
Yes…
Vash saw the second, smaller pair of wings sprouting upward from behind the great mass of heads and his eyes widened in understanding. "They're on search!"
"Yess…" Shalazan smiled widely, mirroring Vash's own gleeful lunatic grin.
Li reeled backwards, putting a hand to her chest. She blinked, still holding a dagger in each hand. "We're not going to die?"
Lucci muttered, "We might still. Look!" Everyone's eyes followed his as he pointed at the sky.
Yet another hydra had appeared, and darker than the first. "There they are! Looks like you were right," shouted a voice, "but it looks like we have company."
The two hydras snarled at one another, obviously wanting the same prize. These candidates are mine! Döhösh hissed, flaring his wings menacingly. Several of his lesser heads snapped at the intruder to emphasize his point. Both monsters made a lunge at the surviving dragon thieves, who had made the potentially fatal mistake of standing in groups. Shalazan and Lucifer were still standing over Daemion; all three were taken by the newcomer. They were not seen again by the others, once the unnamed hydra had disappeared in mid-air.
Vash and Aqu meanwhile, stood in front of Li, who was being clutched tightly to Cheyno's side. She couldn't have broken free at that moment if she had wanted to.
"Put your weapons away," Aqu growled, sizing up the hydra's many jaws. "If you show him any aggression or fear, even any of these smaller heads could bite yours off."
Cheyno snarled at Döhösh as he lunged at them, but made no move in Li's defense, for in the end any effort would have been futile. He eyed his captors -- three of the smaller, black heads -- and nodded. As the others mounted, or dragged as in Cheyno's case, Lilian scrambled up behind the hydra's rider, a drace (a creature of both human and dragon lineage), named Silent Wind. "Where are we going?"
Cy Dragonstake, he said shortly, obviously in no mood to chat. Stupid humans. A better use for any of them would be to feed his hydra. You have been chosen to stand at the Bipedra hatching, to bond a hydra.
"Ugh," Cheynoron gulped. "To bond one of these creepy … er, really fascinating, wonderful creatures?"
The hydra snickered with dark amusement, which translated into a loud, low rumble that rippled profoundly beneath each of his riders.
Silent Wind shrugged. If you survive.
"Cut it out, Cheyno," Li called, patting the red hydra's back, "and come sit by me." She liked the feel of a dragon beneath her, and soon felt not the slightest bit of fear. Cheyno pulled himself free of the three heads and once settled, was soon lulled as well, but watched warily, feeling more protective of his lover than fear for his own safety.
Meanwhile, Aqu hadn't said a word since he'd gotten off the ground. He and everyone else for that matter, still had his flitter egg tucked away in his shirt. He held it protectively and studied the nearest small, snake-like head. It had eyed him hungrily at first, but there was a certain dullness to the eyes that told him that Döhösh had been sated on the kill below. He smirked and reached out to scratch it under the snarling chin. But he had found just the right spot, and the snake found that the sensation was quite pleasurable.
Being a healer comes in handy sometimes, he thought in its direction, not really considering it might have 'heard' him. Nevertheless, he heard a hiss that might have been a "yes."
Vash also studied the small black heads of the hydra, and to a lesser extent, the larger red ones as well.
He was feeling a similar sensation to what he had felt when Hyshkath had first died. The sensations of the creature beneath him, of muscles and sinew that a rider in-tune with his mount always feels; the smell of reptilian hide; the little hissing, breathing and fricative sounds of hide-on-hide; all these, even though Döhösh was a hydra, had deeply affected him. He felt exquisitely heavy, like his very flesh could melt from his bones. Depression dipped so low that it rebounded, giving him a sort of high. He felt like killing everyone with his bare hands, especially Aquxianal, laughing maniacally as he held his bleeding form, and at the same time he wanted to be held and rocked like an infant while he cried in the same man's lap.
He took a deep breath then laughed long and low. "This is going to be fun."