By: Not_Omegon

“Hard right, full load! Full speed, Isharay!” Hatih shouted from my back. I banked hard and saw the flickering torches through the windows of a keep in the dead of night, it was the damned Hesharids and their stubborn lady. They had what was coming, and their guards would fail to see me in the dark for I was black as night.

I could feel Hatih brace herself, “Now!” I unleashed a torrent of acid, opening a massive hole in the side of the keep and flew well away before the keep dwellers knew what was going on. Now it was Karaly and Janir’s turn to do their work as reds and cook any of the troublesome Hesharids inside their own walls. It was brilliant really, Hatih’s planning rarely ever failed, and I built up a massive pile of gold from my time raiding with her. She had earned her right as suzerain of the southern chain islands as far as I was concerned, and I was her lance in the night.

“Hard left now, secure a perimeter,” Hatih calmly ordered, comfortable that all was going to plan.

I slowed down to an easy cruise, “on it. Vargulfs nearby though, should I take care of them?”

“No, they’re not a concern. Keep an eye out for Hesharid guard, Kald reported that they have some hard hitting enchanted weapons that they were using during some sparring. I don’t think you want to discover what those enchantments do, yes?” Hatih started digging around in one of the pouches for her special arrows, so the threat must’ve been quite significant to warrant them.

“From what you are doing, the answer is a hard no. They won’t hide though, they’ll shine bright enough to swat them down before they can do anything. What do you think they were hiding that they refused to hand it over anyways?”

“A bucket of gold and a bad attitude. At least the others will be more willing to pay tribute after this when they will learn that our protection is worth the price. Keep steady, be ready to go back in from the side and knock out that tower in thirty seconds.”

Making a slow turn to do another run on the keep, I quickly decided against it. “Another dragon coming from off island, looks like they are rolling up a royal guard banner by their lantern light. Ascending now!”

“Fuck! Transmitting that now, don’t roll around while I’m tranced.” Hatih twisted her earring and sent word to one of her underlings on each of the other two dragons.

Pushing as hard as I could, I started climbing. Never in all my hundred and twenty or so years have I faced off against the royal guard, but numbers were on our side, and that guard dragon looked heavy with cargo. I was unseen still, which was my biggest weapon. The other two were found though but Hatih relayed the news to them and they took off trying to gain some air.

A minute later Janir and the royal guard were trading blows while Karaly was being swarmed by dragonettes. I kept climbing though, keeping my wingbeats soft and slow so I could strike without resistance. With spit in my mouth and claws up ready to strike, I glided towards the unlucky white royal guard and positioned right above it like I was its shadow, and I stayed there. No one noticed me but the other two free claws, and they made a good effort to not reveal me while also not blasting me with fire. The royal guard dragon dived and weaved, not being steady enough for me to deliver one good and fatal hit, then it started climbing again to dodge a blast from Karaly. It was a valiant effort from the dragon, sure, but it led it straight into a trap. As it looked up, it saw me and I could see its eyes widen in fear, such amazing fear. It knew it had then been bested, but I didn’t let it gain its courage again so I opened my maw and hit it with all that I could muster.

The shrieking, oh the shrieking, it was horrible, but damn if it also wasn’t satisfying for the moment that it lasted. Shortly after, it didn’t have much of a head anymore, or wings, or its front legs. It was dead on impact when the body crashed into the ground, still twitching as it stained the ground a deep blue. And then the dragonettes in the dragon’s crew started yelling in panic at the sight of a very skilled third dragon as they were cleaned up by Karaly and Janir, and then they were all silent, now reduced to mangled corpses before the ruined keep.

Hatih patted me on my head and we went off again, now to collect our tribute from the Sidhal Keep by sunrise. Another easy job for another easy day, it was a good time to be a free claw.