A/N: I like dragons! Bella does too! Yay! I like stating the obvious. I haven't eaten all day, and feel a bit lightheaded after writing this chapter. I'm just glad it's done. I can't vouch for it being particularly well written, and no proofreading has occurred. Woo… action… there will be action.
Chapter 21: Dragons
"Miss? The grounds of Lord Woltar's estate are open for public viewing, but his home is currently off limits to strangers."
"Inform Lord Woltar that Bella Lecross is here to see him," Bella said, standing within the front door of Woltar's fine estate. She waited for the servant to return with an invitation, or an apology. Either way, Bella was determined to speak with Woltar again.
"He is in his office, miss. He permits your company - but please do not keep him long. He is a busy man," the servant cautioned. Bella nodded primly to the servant, and followed her up the stairs to a hallway. The second door was motioned to her, and she quietly thanked the servant and knocked. In response, she heard Woltar's voice invite her in.
"I'm amazed you keep allowing me a word with you when you seem so busy," Bella said before Woltar could get more than a cordial greeting out. He cleared his throat, and simply gestured his hand to a chair. Bella took the seat, watching the old man at work at his desk, swamped with papers.
"The mind needs and engaging break every now and then," he responded. He set his hands down on the desk, setting aside his current project neatly. "It would be best, however, to keep things brief."
"Alright. I supposed I'll forego those human traditions of polite inquiries and discourse on the weather," Bella said, cocking her head to the side. Woltar patiently waited for her to speak as to the purpose of her visit. Bella cleared her throat and leaned back in her chair. "I stopped in on my way to the Mountains of Barr. I wanted to inquire as to Albel. I'm usually frank enough to ask him myself, but I somehow doubt he'd be in, or make himself readily available…"
"Albel? He's gone off somewhere. I have my theories, though, that the boy has set out to train in solitude. I can see his pride has taken some battery…" Woltar responded. Bella blinked.
"But he was wounded when I left…" Bella asserted.
"He's capable of surviving with a few injuries; I'm sure he's proven that thoroughly," Woltar responded calmly, a certain amused glint in his deep-set eyes. Bella frowned for a moment, but slowly nodded her head. Before Bella could respond, she heard his slow, rhythmic tones speak up. "I imagine, though, that he had a similar destination in mind…"
"Really? That's a surprise… then I'll seek him out. We have some unfinished business," Bella responded, rising to her feet. Woltar studied her with surreptitious amusement. Bella hesitated a moment. "Is there something… that amuses you?"
"Most of those who have unfinished business with Albel turn up dead… but I don't suppose your business is about vengeance or warrior pride," Woltar surmised. Bella nodded her head.
"It isn't an unfinished fight… but still a challenge to reissue…" Bella said cryptically. This seemed to satisfy Woltar, who held back the small urge to chuckle. "I should let you return to your affairs."
"Bring the boy as unscathed as one could hope for, in his circumstances," Woltar bid. Bella smiled and nodded again, before whisking out the door. Something told her that Woltar had a very good guess as to her intentions. Or, perhaps, Albel had actually mentioned something of the happenings in the pit trap. Either way, Bella preferred him guessing than her outright stating it. It made her all the more fond of him.
…
Once again, Bella arrived at the Mountains of Barr. This third time would be her true trial, but she looked forward to it. Her body tried to hold her back with the twittering of anxiety, but her resolve was stronger as she pressed onward. This time nothing would get in her way; not even the end of the world. She let that delay her last time, and it nearly earned her banishment from her goal. Confident that another such crisis would not present itself before her again, Bella stood at the base of the mountain, facing the narrow rocky passage that led further into dragon territory. She planted her feet firmly and lifted her face to the sky.
"BOAZ!" she called in a loud, clear tone. She heard her voice bounce off of the rocky surfaces until it faded into nothing. Silence ensued. Bella took a few more steps forward. "BOAZ, I HAVE COME FOR THE CHALLENGE!"
There was a tremulous hesitation before Bella took another step forward. Before her foot landed, she could feel shaking all around her. Loose rocks tumbled down the mountain sides. At first the rumbling was so low her human ears could not detect it, but soon enough it raised itself to her aural threshold. Bella stood firmly with her feet grounded and did not flinch or cower. Soon enough shadows swooped over her, and the magnificent form of an air dragon came spiraling down. Bella waited patiently, until the magnificent creature hovered above her, its neck extended to bring its large face close to her insignificant body.
"Maiden, you come back recklessly soon. No human could achieve enough improvement in a matter of days, or even weeks, to match the challenge I have chosen for you," Boaz said in a low, condescending tone. Bella's face remained firmly neutral.
"I have much to prove, and little time. If I fail, then you can mark me down as another foolish, impudent human. I will be too dead to feel sorry," Bella responded. Boaz regarded her with one yellow eye, and then withdrew his head, lifting it to the sky instead. He was quiet for a time.
"Alright, foolish child. You gamble your life to satiate your pride and instate your importance over men, like many others. Come to the lava caves; we will be waiting," he said grimly. Without another word, he shot back up into the sky, gliding further along the mountain until he was out of sight. Bella watched him the entire time, a hand over her brow. There was no turning back now; she issued the challenge. With this in mind, she made her way steadily to the lava caves. She personally was not looking forward to re-entering the choking, hot caverns, but that mattered little now.
When Bella entered the lava caves for the third time within the last month, there was only Boaz. At least, he was all that she could see immediately. He stood to the side of a pool of magma, waiting patiently. However, some noise caused her to look up; way up. Out of many orifices in the high cavern walls and ceiling were many air dragons, peering down at her with their keen eyes. Bella didn't wonder that they preferred the hot, enclosed atmosphere of the caverns; they weren't required to wear armor or clothes. However, Bella found it odd that both previous journeys through the lava caves did not yield any sign of dragons whatsoever. Encounters with them stopped the moment they entered, and instead they were faced with different and stranger monsters. However, now they all gathered, and looked right in place.
"This is the human who has expressed a desire to rise above the other vermin and be accepted by us. Speak your name, maiden," Boaz instructed. Bella rolled her shoulders and lifted her chin, responding in a loud, clear voice.
"Bella Lecross."
"Lecross. The evaluation of your worth will soon commence," Boaz said, flapping his wings and flying to a large boulder, jutting out from the ground. He peered down at her from her perch. Bella remained still and patient to receive further instruction. After a moment of still silence, another dragon sprang from its perch and made a spiraling descent to Bella. It was a magnificent female air dragon that landed before Bella. The pigmentation of her scales were not at all brilliant, and stood at an vague hue of greenish blue. However, she was larger than some of the steeds Bella had seen among the dragon brigade, but she was no titan among dragons. Her largeness was most noticeable in her hind haunches, which denoted the capability to make a powerful launch from the ground, and the ability to carry much weight in the clutches of her strong talons. She gave Bella an appraising look.
"Before you is the dragon you must tame by asserting your strength. Fail, and she will kill you," Boaz instructed. "Show respect, and bow, Lecross."
Bella quickly bowed before the dragon, who was to be her opponent. She was instructed to rise again and wait for the signal. Bella could see the muscles of the dragon before her tense. Bella clenched and released her fingers with anticipation. Finally, a bolt of fire shot past the both of them. Seeing the dragon leap into the air, she knew it was the signal. Bella's legs sprang into action, to seek cover; the dragon's chest was swelling. A sturdy stream of fire came tumbling down towards her. Bella jumped over a narrow stream of magma, diving behind the boulders that lay just beyond. Bella peeked out over the boulders, not seeing hide or tail of the dragon. A vague sound of air being rapidly displaced reached her ears, and she looked up to see the dragon descending upon her. Bella had little time to run before she was pinned down by one of the dragon's strong feet. Bella felt her chest being crushed with aptly applied force. Bella squirmed against the opposition. Just as she was about to slide out, the second foot came down on her, both being used to grip her. Bella was swooped up into the air, bewildered and disoriented by how rapidly she was losing.
Brilliant sparks began to fly from Bella's gauntlets, with increasing frequency. Soon enough, writhing lines of light crawled and tumbled up and down the metal, the runes she had etched in glowing ominously. She was very high in the air now, and knew she'd soon be dropped. Acting fact, she dug her claws into the resilient hide of the dragon's leg. She kept pushing until she finally felt some give, making a few small punctures. She channeled the magical lightning up the dragon's leg, causing it to creel in sudden pain. The flapping of the wings stopped, and the dragon's body twisted awkwardly. For a moment they were perfectly still, high up in the air, as moment rising caught up with the pull of gravity - and they fought. Finally gravity took its final pull, causing the dragon to begin plunging downward, head first. Air screamed past Bella's ears as the ground rushed towards her. She felt the grip on her weaken, but still was cradled among the talons. Moments before hitting the ground, the dragon regained her composure and spread her wings, giving a defiant flap, causing her to jerk upward. The opposing forces were violent, and Bella slipped from the talons, falling the rest of the way. She hit the ground with a hard thud, but the break in velocity caused her to land with less fatal results. Groaning, she rolled over.
WUMPH! Bella had just barely gotten to her feet, before a thick scaly tail caught her in the gut, sending her flying into a nearby boulder. Winded, Bella slumped to the ground. Bella imagined the amusement of all the dragons watching, at her failings thus far. However, she was not yet dead. As long as she was alive, she had a fighting chance to pull through. Although she knew it wouldn't be quite effective, Bella summoned up three fiery balls, and hurled them at the dragon. All three spread out, then gathered together right before impact. It made the dragon flinch only momentarily, but no pain could be discerned. However, although short, this stall was enough for Bella to seek cover behind the boulder she had been slammed into. There was aching all over her, and a strong feeling of nausea dwelling within. Bella held onto the boulder to steady herself. The Dragon was hovering above her, watching her carefully. There were several other large obstacles, giving Bella a lot of cover. She knew neither foot nor tail could fit in if she ducked and squeezed herself into a narrower space. The dragon knew this too, and patiently waited.
The battle appeared to reach a stalemate. Bella used the benefits of the inferior size of her body to the large bulk of the dragon she faced. The dragon could not reach her, but she could neither reach the dragon. Bella took this opportunity to catch her breath, trying to force a second wind upon herself. She wasn't going to die. She wasn't going to lose. She would prove to the dragons that she was worthy to be treated as equal among them. It was high time to show them her life's work.
Bella slid out from her cover. Instantly, the dragon came down towards her, this time head first. She knew the dragon meant to get her with razor-sharp teeth. Bella quickly rolled aside. Before the dragon could withdraw her head and strike again, Bella slashed out, cutting along the jaw and neck. This caused the dragon to leap back, letting out a grunt of pain and surprise at the sting she received. Bella did not hesitate. Two intricately designed circles, offsetting each other, glowed in front of Bella's face. Within seconds, as the Dragon regained her composure and prepared to attack again, twin streams poured from the magic runes. Licks of brilliant orange fire were seen among a sturdy purple smoke, both catching the advancing dragon. With a loud shriek, the dragon stopped in her tracks, as the spray continue to course over her. Finally, the dragon fell, causing a mild tremor. Bella steadied herself, as the orange and purple faded away into nothingness. She could see two golden eyes leering at her from the prone dragon. Various muscles twitched as she lay there, grudging the paralysis Bella had caused her. Before Bella could advance on her, Boaz landed between the two of them.
"Enough!" Boaz said. There was silence. Slowly, from behind Boaz, the female dragon seemed to have already recovered, raising her head, but otherwise remaining on the ground. Boaz regarded Bella silently for a moment. "Although a narrow window, you could have finished your opponent while she was prone. You survived her continuous onslaughts, and demonstrated some wit to you, human." Boaz craned his neck to look behind him at the fallen dragon. He was silent, and then returned his gaze to Bella. "I've never seen a human emulate the paralyzing dragon's breath. It is… interesting… although I am unsure whether to be impressed or gravely angered."
"I was surprised it worked… even if just for a short while…" Bella said. Boaz jerked his head closer to Bella.
"Not all dragons are immune; most are resistant. Do not believe that trick of yours will continue to be effective against us," Boaz cautioned. Bella just took a step back, and nodded. She was tired, sore, and uncertain whether or not her organs were all in their correct locations anymore. Boaz gave a flick of his tail and took a few steps back. There was a vague hum of noise far above her head, beyond her ability to discern.
"I understand…" Bella finally said, after a moment of awkward silence. She felt as though she ought to be swelling with pride. While she could feel swelling, it wasn't the joyful sort. Instead she just felt uncertain, and there was a tingling in some of her extremities.
"You have proven yourself. As proof of this, Sashua, your opponent, will be your loyal companion. She has been humbled, and her life is now yours; but do not be disillusioned that any disrespect of her will be sanctioned," Boaz said warily. He paused a moment, staring down at Bella. "Although, I've come to understand, you would do no such thing… frail human."
"Yes…" Bella muttered. For a moment she didn't feel the heat, but it suddenly rushed back to her. It was overpowering even. Yet, she felt some chills. Her vision tunneled on Boaz, who stood silently with a critical eye on her. His head turned away, and she was certain he was saying something. She was also certain he wasn't upside down before. After one last attempt to regain her composure, Bella fell into black unconsciousness.