~ Reign of Fire is amazing-- but owned by the director, the producer,
writers, actors etc and not me. Still, I loved it! ~
~ This starts where the movie ends, or there about. The male dragon has
been destroyed but something sinister is coming.~
Quinn rested a hand on the horse's back and heaved himself up. The stirrups were old and fell off.
"Damn," he hissed, kicking his heels back into the horse's rump. It moved forward half-heartedly and after sometime, Quinn managed to drive him to a gallop. They pounded along the wet earth, the rhythmic drumming echoing through the valleys. Grass grew thickly under the horse hooves. Small white flowers littered the hillside and curving slopes. On the horizon, Quinn could make out the watchtower. Two small figures were waving at him. He raised a hand to reply. The horse reared, flinging Quinn backwards. He landed with a crunch amongst the ferns. His steed was already cantering away, saddle slipped on its side.
"Hoi! Hoi, get back!" Quinn yelled, waving his hands but the horse would not stop and it sped on until it passed down into the valley, out of sight.
And before he knew what was happening, Quinn was on his face, pressed flat to the earth. Out of instinct. Years of preparation.
What do we do in the day? Keep both eyes on the sky
Quinn rolled onto his back and stared up at the grey world above. It was twisting like a snake, wrapping itself into knots. Once in a while, a patch of clear blue would appear, a wound amid the clouds.
What do we do at night? Keep one eye on the sky
The ever-familiar sound was drawing close. The great whoosh of air and grating in his ears. Flapping. Up and down, constantly getting closer.
What do we do when we see them? Dig deep, run hard and never look back
The dragon dived out of the sky, jaws wide, revealing the glands within. Quinn couldn't move. His breathing was ragged and pain rippled along his arms and legs. Waves of fear slid through. The dragon kept coming, eyes fixed on its prey. Quinn had never felt so helpless before. The closest he'd ever come to seeing them.again.
That was why the horse had run. And he had known. The dragon swooped down but was caught in a huge gust of wind and taking off course. A window.
Quinn scrambled to his feet and ran. Tripping on the tangled grass, picking himself up again and running faster. Voices could already be heard. The horizon drew nearer with every step. But the wings were behind him. There was a piercing shriek that seemed to flame.
"Never look back, never look back," Quinn was breathing. His breath came in chokes now. He was nothing but bait. And time was no longer on his side. He fell flat, pressing his face into the earth and screwing his eyes shut. The dragon soared over his head and made for the skies again. Another window.
Quinn pelted down the slope and headed up.
"Hurry, Quinn! Get inside!"
"Oh God, no," he exclaimed as he started struggling up the other side. Alex and Gerald were there. He had led it right to the watchtower. Then again, it had been designed for this. For fire that is. But if a dragon flew into it. Gasping, Quinn reached the summit and what felt like hundreds of hands clutched at him and dragged him inside the doors. Nearby, Gerald was calming the black horse down.
"Bring him in too!" Quinn yelled to him, "Quick-"
The dragon roared past. It was louder than a hundred armies. More powerful than a hundred Hiroshima bombs. And more terrifying than a hundred nightmares together. Gerald hauled the horse behind him as he threw himself inside.
"All the grass's on fire!" he cried. There was a large welt on the horse's rump, which smoked slightly. A spark of that size could kill a grown man. Another sheet of flame rocked the tower.
"It's been a year!" gasped Alex, hands clutching at Quinn.
"It took a year for them to become a thousand. We couldn't expect them to go instantly," Quinn muttered, watching through the flame-proof glass. The dragon was circling now. It would appear now and then and send purple gold fire into the centre of the construction.
"Will it hold?" Gerald shouted, gripping the wall as another blow vibrated the fort.
"It'll hold," Quinn said, "But that dragon ain't going anywhere. Head upstairs, all of you!"
Quinn rested a hand on the horse's back and heaved himself up. The stirrups were old and fell off.
"Damn," he hissed, kicking his heels back into the horse's rump. It moved forward half-heartedly and after sometime, Quinn managed to drive him to a gallop. They pounded along the wet earth, the rhythmic drumming echoing through the valleys. Grass grew thickly under the horse hooves. Small white flowers littered the hillside and curving slopes. On the horizon, Quinn could make out the watchtower. Two small figures were waving at him. He raised a hand to reply. The horse reared, flinging Quinn backwards. He landed with a crunch amongst the ferns. His steed was already cantering away, saddle slipped on its side.
"Hoi! Hoi, get back!" Quinn yelled, waving his hands but the horse would not stop and it sped on until it passed down into the valley, out of sight.
And before he knew what was happening, Quinn was on his face, pressed flat to the earth. Out of instinct. Years of preparation.
What do we do in the day? Keep both eyes on the sky
Quinn rolled onto his back and stared up at the grey world above. It was twisting like a snake, wrapping itself into knots. Once in a while, a patch of clear blue would appear, a wound amid the clouds.
What do we do at night? Keep one eye on the sky
The ever-familiar sound was drawing close. The great whoosh of air and grating in his ears. Flapping. Up and down, constantly getting closer.
What do we do when we see them? Dig deep, run hard and never look back
The dragon dived out of the sky, jaws wide, revealing the glands within. Quinn couldn't move. His breathing was ragged and pain rippled along his arms and legs. Waves of fear slid through. The dragon kept coming, eyes fixed on its prey. Quinn had never felt so helpless before. The closest he'd ever come to seeing them.again.
That was why the horse had run. And he had known. The dragon swooped down but was caught in a huge gust of wind and taking off course. A window.
Quinn scrambled to his feet and ran. Tripping on the tangled grass, picking himself up again and running faster. Voices could already be heard. The horizon drew nearer with every step. But the wings were behind him. There was a piercing shriek that seemed to flame.
"Never look back, never look back," Quinn was breathing. His breath came in chokes now. He was nothing but bait. And time was no longer on his side. He fell flat, pressing his face into the earth and screwing his eyes shut. The dragon soared over his head and made for the skies again. Another window.
Quinn pelted down the slope and headed up.
"Hurry, Quinn! Get inside!"
"Oh God, no," he exclaimed as he started struggling up the other side. Alex and Gerald were there. He had led it right to the watchtower. Then again, it had been designed for this. For fire that is. But if a dragon flew into it. Gasping, Quinn reached the summit and what felt like hundreds of hands clutched at him and dragged him inside the doors. Nearby, Gerald was calming the black horse down.
"Bring him in too!" Quinn yelled to him, "Quick-"
The dragon roared past. It was louder than a hundred armies. More powerful than a hundred Hiroshima bombs. And more terrifying than a hundred nightmares together. Gerald hauled the horse behind him as he threw himself inside.
"All the grass's on fire!" he cried. There was a large welt on the horse's rump, which smoked slightly. A spark of that size could kill a grown man. Another sheet of flame rocked the tower.
"It's been a year!" gasped Alex, hands clutching at Quinn.
"It took a year for them to become a thousand. We couldn't expect them to go instantly," Quinn muttered, watching through the flame-proof glass. The dragon was circling now. It would appear now and then and send purple gold fire into the centre of the construction.
"Will it hold?" Gerald shouted, gripping the wall as another blow vibrated the fort.
"It'll hold," Quinn said, "But that dragon ain't going anywhere. Head upstairs, all of you!"