--------------------------A Warriors Heart-----------------------
It was there, upon the ebon stones. That great warrior amongst men, dared to stare into the eyes of that gaping doom, that maw of hell opened before him, prepared to raise the final death stroke upon the neck of that foul beast that stood by reared up like a serpant, its wings seemed to spread across the sky, and markings upon their leathery hides took a vision as of peirceing eyes, put there by the gods, to set a gaze of fear upon mortal flesh. But the great warrior was not detered. He lifted his blade to the heavens, and gave a great cry, that echoed upon the winds that even this wrything leviathan could not falter. With great speed he charged forward, his mighty sword gleaming in the risen sun, his shield flew through the air, propelled by the man's powerful strides, and like a great leaf in the hell of a storm, it moved to and fro, but this did not stop such a determined child of conflict. The dragon looked down upon him, seeing that his wings and stance would not deter such a foe, sleeked out his great girth, and prepared his bowls for the ultimate weapon. For in time inumberable, the gods had granted all dragon borne powerful organs of muscle and nerve. But it was the hearts of dragons that held the greatest threat to mortal man. The muscles in his gullet clutched together, and a great spark erupted from their hold, and the deep gases of the monstrosity burst forth and from the mighty leviathan's mouth a great stream of flame flew to its foe. The shield stood not against such a cruel device of nature, and the great warrior was sorely burned, his arm wretched and in pain, useless now, its veins popping and his skin pealing away, oozes and liquid making their escape from his marred flesh.
But still he charged forward his shield broken, but not his will...And he bore down upon the lizard of the gods, like a waterfall upon the sharpened rocks of a great river. He lifted once more his gleaming blade, and as he got closer and closer, victory filled his mouth, so much so that the taste of it prevailed over all caution and thought. And as he charged forward his wonderfully crafted sword, forged long ago from ingots of steel and meteoric iron, soared straight and true, as if fate herself willed it so. And a great cry was heard, that split the rocks, and rendered the warrior deaf. The dragons hide had met its match, and the sharp blade had found its mark. But the dragon would not give in to death so easily, and with a wide swipe the warrior was bludgeoned back into the cliff side. And the dragon charged forward with lithe body wriggling, and his powerful muscles rippling along under the scaled carapace.
The man though dazed in body and off balance, but still focused in his mind could do nothing but lift his hand, out of instinct, or fate perhaps, but with a great snap his now good hand was naught but gone, and of his once proud arm, only a portion of the fore remained, gushing forth with blood, each droplet sowing the ground like seeds caste by the careless wind.
With nothing more to defend himself but a wretched arm, and naught a drop of energy left to his body, fore it all had left him with each new drop of life that still fell from him. He prepared to die, and give his spirit to the heavens. But from his broken body, his kingly pride gave him new strength, as he looked to the side, and saw his son who had followed him against his bidding, came barreling down toward the beast, with naught but a flimsy dagger of bronze in his child sized hands.
He gave a shrill cry, and jumped from the black cliffs were he had just now ran, and the dragon marveled by the child stood there in confusion, and wonder, his eyes wide open to behold this new creature. And as the gods would will, his eyes would indeed behold not only the boy, but behold his sting.
Twice the boy stabbed, and twice he shouted. An EYE FOR AN ARM, AN EYE FOR AN ARM! And the dragon was now blind, and ever after in his dreams a great fear took him, as his last sight that now haunts him to this day....A simple boy...with a simple love for his father.
-Elenai Elenya-
