[Eidlevice]: 521.Dragon's Breath

A Tsarina (my own race of elves) is being pursued by her enemies, the Vorgai (my own race of orcs). She runs to the only place that she could be safe. Or so she thought. The Vorgai follow her and she meets a huge beast. Enjoy!

Coral coaxed her mare up the mountainside. Wind threw the elves’ brunette hair, playing at the roots.
The white andalucian’s hooves scrapped against the cold stone. Coral leaned forward as her horse climbed up the rocks. Many small pebbles and stones tumbled down behind the elven warrior. She felt as though she were falling slowly down the mountainside instead of climbing it.
Coral lurched forward as her mare fell onto her knees. The horse squealed and the warrior dismounted. She ran up to her mare and lifted the reins up off of the horn and pulled her horse back onto her feet. Coral ran her hand down both front legs, looking for injury. There was none. A wave of relief swept over the elf. She had to leave the mare, for the mountainous terrain was wearing her out. If she pressed on any longer, her horse would surely die or slip and fall down the mountain. Yet she lamented the horse’s departure.
The elf hugged the snow-white neck and peered into the mare’s beady black eyes. “I must leave you, my friend.” The mare nickered softly, as if saying that she understood what the elf meant. The mare tossed her bejeweled head, rousing the long white mane. The warrior watched with tearful eyes as her beloved friend dissapeared into the white mountain fog.
Harsh breathing and footsteps reached Coral’s ears. She turned in fear towards the sound but found no one. Still lamenting her horse’s departure, the elf climbed the rocks frantically. If she stalled any longer, surely she would be dead. Thick fog cradled the mountain top in its deep and cold arms. It blanketed the warrior’s eyes in white and she was forced to climb blind She had never felt so alone.
Fear flew like a thousand needles piercing her mind. The warrior had never been capable of the strange feeling that pulled her head in every way possible. The feeling was horrid, like no other. She felt like huddling in a dark corner of the rocky mountainside to wait for the strange feeling to pass.
The elf spun on her nimble feet, noticing a strong but elusive presence that disturbed her but calmed her fear.
The voices once again reached the elf’s ears. She climbed now more frantically. Even though all she could see in front of her eyes was white blindness, the elf had an extensive knowledge of the twin mountains that bordered her now destroyed home. She had never been up the two mountains and had no intention on doing so.
Her great-grandmother had been up here for months, not giving any clues why she was up in the mountains. When she came back, she told no one of what she had seen. The only knowledge that Coral had of her great-grandmother’s experience was a single scale the size of her fist. It hung on the finest gold chain around her neck.
Coral ran a fair finger down the middle of the glittering blood colored scale. Her great-grandmother had left some of herself inside the scale. She felt her great-grandmother at her side.
“Guide me with your wisdom, great-grandmother. I need you here with me, I cannot do this alone.”
She soon came to the top and gasped. The twin mountains were completely flat at the top. Bones and skulls of many large animals were scattered everywhere.
As Coral reached the edge of the wall the fog cleared. There a huge maroon beast sat with its back to her. Inside its gigantic jaws, the bones of a huge bear crunched. The beast lifted its head and devoured a hunk of bloody meat, blood dripping down its jaws.
The elf cringed as the beast turned its long neck to the side. The icy blue eyes seemed to drill into Coral’s very soul. They were cold and harsh but held a wonder inside them. She felt the fiery hot eyes on her body.
A low rumble bellowed from the hot belly. Smoke issued from the flaring nostrils. Coral dared not move for she feared that the dragon would swallow her whole and she would live forevermore inside the belly of the beast being slowly digested.
Trembling with fear, Coral crouched low. A roar flew into her ears, beating her eardrums. She covered her ears and emitted a loud scream. Pain pounded into her head. The roar ceased and the warrior could feel the feet hit the mountainous stone.
Coral’s heart pounded. She was knocked onto her face as wind reached her. The dragon folded its wings in front of her. Seeping bear blood dripped from the dragon’s claws. Every step left prints of blood on the rock. The eyes were wide with excessive anger. The dragon’s flat tail whipped wildly and left dents on the mountain floor.
The dragon lifted its lip and glared at Coral. She stared into the slit pupils of the dragon. It snorted, still perturbed.
Coral moved slightly and the dragon threw a paw onto her. She gasped as she fell to the ground, trapped underneath the massive paw.
The dragon snaked its head down. She winced when she saw the threatening teeth. The dragon lifted its head and stared at her neck.
What is that? The dragon spoke inside her head. The dragon reached down with one of its claws. She felt the coldness of the ivory claw reach her neck. The dragon pulled the scale necklace off Coral’s neck.
What’s this? Again the dragon spoke. The dragon held the scale up.
“That’s my great-grandmother’s.” the elf screamed. “Give it back! When she was dying, my great-grandmother gave me this scale. She never had a chance to tell me of its importance.”
The dragon trapped the necklace under its other paw. It jerked its head towards the mountainside. Coral turned and saw her pursuers. The burning red eyes turned to the dragon’s kill. The orcs approached in curiosity and the dragon reacted with anger.
They turned in fear as they heard the piercing roar of the red dragon. It jumped into the air and landed between the orcs and the elf. It swung its tail around and swatted the first few orcs, breaking the bones in their bodies. The others shied away quickly. They were too afraid to use their spears and sword to fight the dragon.
The dragon advanced and Coral watched as the dragon killed many of them. The rest of the orcs began throwing spears at the dragon. As the many spears ticked off of the dragon, the points left slight bruises. The orcs rolled along the ground, trying to get to the soft flesh under the dragon. It reared, glaring down at the tiny orcs.
Dragons had been known to kill livestock and murder many. The dragon seemed to be protecting her. Maybe dragons weren’t at all bad.
As the number of orcs rapidly was reduced, the dragon became weaker. It slowed down more and the orcs were able to pierce the thin wings and chip the horns. Blood gushed from the thin membrane. The dragon roared in pain as spears lodged themselves inside its shoulders and legs. The dragon’s tail shot out lightning fast and demolished a few more.
The dragon’s eyes still burned with anger as it looked at the dead orc bodies. The dragon groaned.
Come here, young one. The dragon crooned. The elf followed its words. I am dying; my life has been fading. I have little time to live.
“Don’t dragons live forever?” Coral asked. The dragon growled.
No! Only a few elves know that we are not immortal.
The dragon whined and blinked slowly. She could feel its life being drained. The dragon handed the maroon scale necklace to Coral. The scale was turning grey. The dragon too was fading.
Take this scale. The dragon showed the elf the scale necklace. Wash this scale in the stream of my tears. From the flames will emit a dragon egg. Take it and treat it with care…as your great-grandmother did so long ago.
The dragon sighed and slowly spoke again. Return the truth to the earth…be careful…many will come to destroy you and my…babe…you are the…beginning. And I am the…end.
Out of the dragon’s mouth came its white breath. Dragon’s breath. She watched as the fog turned transparent. On top of the dragon was a woman. The elf watched as the dragon and its rider flew off into the sunset. She knew the woman was her great-grandmother.
The last words of the majestic dragon sounded in Coral’s head. Let Eleiya be her name.