His Arrival

The soldiers dropped to their knees, the captives quieted, and the dragons returned and took up a position around the village. Evrah inched closer, putting her face against the wood, trying to see what had caused everything to stop. A deep voice spoke. The kind that caresses flesh, as it slowly spreads poison against the skin.

Smooth and venomous.

Evrah could not see the body the voice belonged to, but his words found her ears just fine.

“Where is she?” the voice demanded.

A soldier, just outside the wagon, stood and spoke in her language.

“We did not find her, Master. She must have been warned and fled before we arrived. We have checked everyone...alive. She is not here.”

She didn't see what happened, but she watched the man's dead body fall, shaking her hiding place, as it bounced off and landed on the ground. The light through the hole, flashed as a dark robe swished, scraping the wooden wagon as it went by, shouting.

“Find her! She is here...or she is close...What of her family? Have you found her family?”

Another soldier, out of her line of vision, spoke. “Master, we think they might have fled with her...However, sir, if we knew her exact identity, perhaps one of the captives would know where she can be found.”

“I will know her when I see her...”

“Master, we have captured many and separated the men from the women. Perhaps, she is in one of the caged wagons. Would you like me to drag them out before you?”

“No, no... I can feel her presence, yet it's not as strong as before...like something is blocking her from me. She is in this direction somewhere, the wagons are the opposite way.”

“Master, what would you like us to do? You need only whisper your command, and we will follow.”

Evrah grabbed the wood harder, her gaze darting quickly from left to right, trying to get a closer look. She spotted a big shimmering black dragon that seemed to be looking right at her. The big eye blinked, its big frame fidgeting a bit. A huge black and silver mass of scales and muscles sat directly across from her, its ginormous purple eyes had her dead to rites, and they both knew it.

“Please don't give me way,” she whispered, shaking from fear. She cursed that her curiosity had gotten her noticed. The dragon blinked a final time and averted its eyes somewhere else as if it had heard her whisper and honored her plea.

That was weird.

Although the dragon had looked elsewhere, Evrah couldn't help but stare at it. She watched the destruction and chaos it brought to life. The obliteration it seemed to revel in. All of them seemed to be enjoying their devastating results.

She had watched them chase folks down, spitting the elements and flame in the direction of her fellows. She had watched as they set everything ablaze, their massive wings fanning the flames as they burned the brightness and vibrancy of existence into nothingness.

Now, a black splotch of scorched acreage, lying dead.

Yet, something about them had her intrigued. She had to admit, she was impressed given their size, how they moved with such grace and elegance, as if they were the true rulers of life and death.

How they stayed at just the right height as they maneuvered through the sky, swooping in and out as if they were playing a child’s game of chase with smoke and fire. She watched as intelligence swam behind the eyes of the dragon that had found her, yet never gave her away.

They were as magnificent as they were deadly.

She fell back onto her hands, confused about how she could be in awe of such vile creatures.

What has come over me?