Here is chapter two!
I want to take a moment to thank the amazing skills of Skycord! Once again Sky has made me a wonderful banner for my story. It will be added to this story soon!
Reviews are welcome. No flammers please.
Disclaimer: I only own Nimawae
The wind whipped through her hair as they flew closer to the mountain. She tried not to look down as the landscape became jagged and rocky below. What if he decided to drop her? Her hands gripped at his foot as the ground started to come closer and closer.
The great dragon landed with a loud thud that vibrated through the rock and stone. Now walking with a limp as he continued to carry her. Nimawae looked on as the dragon started to wedge himself through an old collapsed entrance. Great statues stood outside along with carvings of balconies.
Where had he taken her?
With the sound of stone cracking in her ears the dragon pushed through, and now they were in the middle of a great entrance hall. Her eyes went wide seeing all the ruined columns and pillars that were carved from the very living rock. The ceilings were higher than most castles. The further he carried her in the more elaborate the carvins and structures became. Tall stair cases, bridges over enormous gullies and caverns.
They passed by large furnaces that were left where they stood slowly aging away. She felt hot tears falling down her face the further in he carried her.
When, all of a sudden, there was a bright shine of light that blinded her briefly. When her vision cleared all she saw was gold. The entire area of this chamber they were now in was filled with nothing but gold coins, cups, jewelry and many other things. All made of gold.
Her lips parted as a gasp left her lungs at the sight. Her gasp became louder when she felt the release of pressure around her body. The gold chinked and jingled as she fell on top of it. She watched the dragon then walk into the shadows. His long tail whipping about was the last thing she saw as he moved about. She could hear him but she could not see him at that moment.
"Well...now..." Came a deep resonating voice which echoed off the walls of the chamber. "What have I managed to catch..."
She stood up looking around in all directions. She could feel the skin on her cheek tight with dried blood from the cut. Wincing as it cracked when her head turned sharply.
"A little mouse it seems." A deep chuckle followed his words "A sweet innocent little mouse has scurried out of her hole and into the clutches of the beast..." There was a brief silence which chilled Nimawae to the bone.
"I can hear your heartbeat...your breathing is quick. I can sense your fear as well as taste it." He chuckled again "Tell me...little mouse...what is your name?"
Nimawae gulped "I-I do not see the purpose of the revealing of my name when you will merely eat me. Oh great dragon..." Be polite...be respectful...do not give him a reason to kill you...
"Hmmmm how eloquent you are." She heard him stomping around her "you must be a lady of good breeeeding." He spoke carrying out the sound in the word. "But think of this little mouse. If I were merely going to eat you I would have done so right after I killed that Knight. "
"Perhaps you had intended to toy with me? Like a cat who has just captured a bird. Playing with it before it strikes." Her words were interrupted by a deep resonating chuckle. "Or perhaps you have taken me...like the dragons in the old myths..." She heard a pile of gold give way behind her and turned around. She could see many gold coins falling down the mound. She gasped softly feeling as though her voice would betray her at any moment. "T-taking young...young maidens as sa-sacrifices and-"
"Is that what you think?"
Nimawae cried out hearing his voice right behind her only to turn and come face to face with the mighty dragon. Her eyes widened in fear seeing his massive head before her. His molten eyes staring at her intently. The slit pupils held a slight shade of red around them almost matching the shade of his scales.
She gulped eyes growing wider as she stared "I-I do not know what to think."
Smaug looked at her in thought as his head circled her. "The pathetic humans have filled your head with those silly tales. Dragons needing a virginal maiden sacrifice to appease them..." she could see his nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. "You do not smell like those I have encountered before...where do you hail from...if I may ask of you?"
His face drew closer to her causing her to step back "I-I hail from a small city...w-we are-"
"And what be the name of this city?"
"Its not a well known city."
"Perhaps I may know of it." His face drew ever closer.
"De-Dellwyn..." she muttered out before she could cover her mouth with her hand.
"Hmmmmmmm Dellwyn. That is indeed a name I have not heard." Nimawae ducked under a stone overhang and stood behind a pillar. "Oh come now little mouse there is no sense in hiding. I can smell where you are." His head ducked down his eye peeking through the gaps in the over hang. "You can not hide from me forever." His voice grew louder before he chuckled once more.
She heard his wings flap open and then all was quiet. Shakingly Nimawae peaked her head out from behind the pillar. Her eyes gazed around and the dragon was no where to be seen. She let out a long shuddering breath. Gently and as quietly as possible she tried to walk along the gold mounds. She had to escape she had to get away from here.
She gasped when the gold gave way making a loud noise. Adrenaline hit her and she started to run down the mountain of gold. Her heart felt as though it would explode at any moment. And then a long red scaled tail slammed down in front of her causing her to fall. She fell onto her back her head bouncing off of the gold as she stared up at the dragons face which now held a smile. "There you are dear pet."
Her chest heaved as her breathing increased "Please don't kill me." She begged her eyes closing as they stung with tears.
"Oh come now my little mouse. You need not be afraid I will not kill you."
Slowly her eyes opened connecting with his glowing ones. "You-you won't?" His large clawed fingers rested in the piles of gold on either side of her.
"No," his voice seemed to deepen as it vibrated through her. "Humans...created those myths about my kind. Always making up stories to justify what they do not know or to understand what they are afraid of. We do not require human sacrifices." His snout traveled up her body as he inhaled her scent deeply. She watched his lips part revealing those teeth. Sharp and white gleaming like daggers in the low light of the caves.
She couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her "Th-then what do you do with them?"
His face slowly pulled away from her, but his gaze never faltered. "That, is the part of the stories the humans never got right." His eyes seemed to glow brighter "Saying we eat them, tear them limb from them and having sport!" He bellowed as his body rose up showing his mighty and proud form for her to behold. "The maidens we take we never harm. We may be beasts of the flame. But we care for those we take. Sometimes they are mere companions, pets if you will. Keeping us from going mad from the silence and the loneliness. But others..." he turned his gaze back down to her small form. "Others...take them as brides...as their mates..."
Nimawae could not stop the shock that hit her. The words he spoke both frightened and intrigued her. All her life her father told her nothing but the horror stories of the dragons of old. How they would do such horrible things. Take maidens of purity and have their ways with them before devouring them. "B-H-how is that even possible?" Her voice rose is volumn as she tried to comprehend what hehad just told her. "How woul-" She gasped again as his eye was now right before her. She stared almost in awe seeing her refelction in the molten color of the great eye. It glittered and shown bright just as the gold around them. The slit like pupil slowly moved and was now fuller in shape.
Nimawae felt almost enchanted by his eye. "As I have stated..." his voice became lower now sounding more like a resonating purr of a beast than the sound of thunder as it had before. "You humans do not know much about my kind. Much like the elves of this earth we to hold some sense of magic in our veins."
"Magic?" Nimawae found herself taking a step closer "What kind of magic?"
That deep rumbling sound had returned before it vibrated off the stone walls. Nimawae realized he was chuckling once more. "That...my dear pet...is a discussion for a later time." His head moved away from her before he showed off his full height briefly. Then, he settled himself into the piles of gold and his clawed hands at the ends of his wings came together. The long talons folded together with its partners on the other hand. Almost as if he was attempting to cross them like humans did. They lay there folded as he continued to watch her.
His long tail swooshed about lazily similar to how a cats would whilst it sat. "Tell me..." She spoke tryng to find her confidence. "What..." she took a breath and cleared her throat.
How does a lady speak...
Her mother's voice rang in her ears giving her the strength she needed. "What is your name oh great dragon of the mountain?"
"I am Smaug" He declaired proudly. "Smaug the Mighty. The chiefest of calamites. Destroyer of cities and taker of gold." His long neck lowered his head to her level "and pray tell what is your name Lady of Dellwyn?"
She looked straight into his eyes once more as she slowly found her courage to speak. "I am Nimawae."
"Nimawae." Smaug seemed to purr when her name poured from his mouth. "A lovely name for a woman such as yourself."
"Please...great Smaug..." She began to feel her nerves bundle up when he stared at her. "What do you intend to do with me?"
"That, Nimawae, is a converstation for another time. For now you must be tired from your...journey here." His scaley lips were now upturned in the corner as a smirk was now presant on his face. "Within these walls you will find rooms. Some grander than others. You could have your pick of any number of them...but." His eyes started to glow "I wish to keep all my...treasures...close to me. At the top of the stair case beside you is a tunnel. There in lays the once Kings chambers. That will be your room whilst you remain here."
Nimawae could not stop the wave of relief that flooded her. She would be spared from his deadly jaws and fire. Her hand found her chest feeling her heart pulsate beneath it. "Thank you...oh Smaug the Dragon King of the Mountain."
Smaug hummed "such a title you have granted to me." He purred feeling his greed now settling in upon his new treasure. He liked how she spoke, and now having heard her flatter him he wanted more. More words, more flattery and to see more of her beauty. She was indeed a fine gem to behold. She would make a wonderful addition to his collection.