AN: I know, I know, you're all going: "Original Fiction Caroline? You crazy woman!" Calm down, relax, its just an idea. The basic plot for this story was my dream the other night, so I figured, I might as well write it down and see what others think. As far as I can tell, this is going to be a long story, so sit tight and tell me how it goes!
Original Fiction Chapter 1
Kris was traveling again. His body thumped against the saddle of his mare, Tenshi, as his eyes drifted shut. It was dangerous to sleep on the road lately. The clunk of Tenshi tripping over a rock jolted him back from the edge. She was a strong girl, and absolutely bomb-proof. Usually that was a good thing, and her ability to stay calm during a fight on horseback had saved his life many times, but right now her lack of energy seemed to equal his own. It wasn't like he meant to be constantly moving, but his lifestyle had just led him in that direction. A job was a job, and these days, no one passed up an opportunity for good money. Kris knew that he had a reputation, and that was a large part of what kept him employed. It didn't matter what people thought of him, if they needed a guard, a lookout or someone willing to take on a slightly less respectable deed, he was the first they thought to call. He was fine with it that way.
Not that he wasn't friendly. Oh he was, some might say too friendly. He called it...flamboyant. Maybe that was part of what made him so memorable. His charming smile and sparkling personality clashed with his six foot two solid frame encircled by bandoliers and the large hands that could draw his twin pistols faster than the eye could blink. Kris could never be mistaken for a normal traveller on the broken up remnants of the roads and rail tracks that once spiderwebbed their way across the country. With wild blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and tanned skin from days out in the open, Kris cut a handsome figure, if he might say so himself. It was his manner of dress that gave him away. The tight calfskin pants, a plain white wife beater, and a military style dress coat could belong to anyone, but Kris liked his outfits a little more showy. A few metal studs here, some sparkle there, and that was a bit more like it! Kris refused to believe in such a thing as too much glamour to light up your life, when the rest of the world seemed so dead.
Kris' eyes snapped open as Tenshi tensed beneath him, and began to prance left and right. If his normally unshakeable girl was nervous, then there was definitely something bad about to happen.
"Hush girl. What's going on?" As Tenshi stilled, Kris realized exactly what had bothered her. There was a humming in the air, an irritating buzz that rushed over your skin and chafed it like sandpaper. Kris' eyes widened.
"Oh shit."
The ground exploded up around him as four creatures flew out of the sand to surround him. Pale scales covered their entire bodies, with a pearly shine reflecting under the white desert sun. They looked like lizards, but not any natural ones. Their bodies were emaciated, and their flesh clung tightly to their bones. Three smaller creatures faced him, mouths stretched wide open and bleached white bone teeth bared. Heads twitched side to side, as if inspecting their prey. A line of saliva dripped down from the upper jaw of one, curling across an acid green forked tongue and sliding down to wet the desert sand below. Kris knew he should've just stayed quiet, but he couldn't hold back what came next.
"Ewww." As if his word had been a gunshot, the creatures suddenly shrieked and leapt at him. One clambered up Tenshi's hindquarters, while two came from the front, the fourth one held back, watching as the others did the work of taking down that night's dinner. Kris whipped out his pistol and sent a bullet into one's head. It dropped heavily to the ground without another sound. A dagger went into the violent red eye of the next creature, and a screech sounded as it turned away and dug back into the sand. The third one had climbed on Tenshi's back while he was distracted, grabbing Kris and pulling him to the ground, hard. Pinning a stunned Kris against the sand below, the fangs of the creature aimed for his neck. It came closer and closer to Kris, savoring its victory and long-awaited meal. All of a sudden, a broken squeal emerged from the creature and it was lifted free. It slumped lifeless on the ground a few feet away. Kris looked up. Tenshi's back hoof was covered in the slimy green blood of the creature. She turned around and snorted at him. Kris smiled.
"That's my girl." He said as he picked himself up off the ground. There was still one more enemy to go. The fourth lizard approached him more carefully than the other had, its webbed toes curling in the sand as it walked. It's whiplike tail whisked a pattern in the sand behind it. Kris drew his rapier and walked slowly forward, unwilling to startle this one into action. The fourth creature was much taller than the others, standing around seven feet, not counting the head spike. Rising out of the creature's head like a crown, the spike curved forwards into a wicked point, ready to tear open anything that got in its way. The lizard snarled and charged him, long limbs reaching to tear out his throat. A screech sounded as iron met bone, Kris rapier catching the lizard's claws before it could reach him. It growled again, eyes meeting his own. It's head shoved forward and Kris only just jerked his own back in time. The spike had missed his face by an millimeter. But Kris had forgotten that the lizard had other weapons. Faster than he could realize, the lizard's tail flashed upward, and flicked against his right cheek. Kris cried out as a line of blood began to drip down toward his chest. He need to get out of this situation before the tail could strike again. He dropped to his knees, releasing his hold on his rapier and rolling forward. The creature had been putting so much weight against him, that when he disappeared, it fell forward on to the desert floor. Kris quickly turned around and pulled out another knife. He quickly slid it into the the skin at the base of the creatures neck, killing it instantly. He pulled his rapier out from underneath the body, and wiped his weapons off on the sandy ground. Breathing heavily, he dragged himself upward resting his hands on his knees. He stumbled over to a now calm Tenshi, and hauled himself onto her back. One dirty hand rose, and stopped just before touching his cheek.
"That one's gonna scar", he muttered, and pulled out a clean cloth to wrap it with. He clucked twice, and Tenshi continued her earlier journey down the dusty road, cutting a swathe through a barren desert.