“Know my fire!” Araminth Goldeneye roared, who had just transformed from human to that of her natural form; dragon.
My-re had just enclosed herself in a cylinder crafted by the dwarf, Kildo Hammerhand back on the Isle of the Eye. It comprised of two large shields modified with a curved dome extension at the top, which covered the user’s head and locked into place. The outside was covered in dense leather hide of a mere dragon and the metal was several times thicker than normal. She had slammed them into the sandy ground of the fighting pit, which made a large indention as its massive weight kept it in place. No light came in and shrouded her in darkness.
“My-re! You are dying today!” Varick’s muffled voice bellowed from outside.
She felt a heavy, large impact against the shield enclosure. It moved in the ground. Varick was trying to knock it over. Legs going into a split, she wedged her feet into opposite sides. Her hands and arms wrapped tighter in the shields’ leather straps. Using all of her weight, she dropped low to help secure her base.
Failing to knock it over, My-re felt Varick’s leg smash into the shields with tremendous force. He was using all of his skill and power and turning it into devastating kicks. My-re shrieked in panic as she held on.
There was a sound of a massive creature drawing in breath. Then silence for one heartbeat. Metal rang as Varick used his long sword in a piercingly accurate thrust and cracked the shield. A minuscule beam of light showed through. His blade had pierced it!
“May Undgari’s ravens take you!” Varick spat.
The sounds of a massive furnace ignited. The roar of a thousand-thousand fires thundered to life. The screams of men burning and dying filled the cavern. My-re slammed her plate covered hand over the crack in the shield. It immediately burned her through the metal. She slammed her other gauntlet over it and removed her hand. It had little effect. She slammed her shoulder into the mail gauntlets. The heat passed through all. She screamed as her shoulder burned, blistered, and skin split. She felt the sand turn to glassy-sludge as it melted around the edges of her feet. The heat was unbearable. She was gasping! She couldn’t breathe! Her lungs filled with the last bit of hot air. Within seconds she fought her body’s desire to exhale. If she breathed in the scorching air, her lungs would burn. Outside, the blast of Araminth’s fire was deafening. There was no escaping it! Her ears rang and went into a dull whine. She only had moments before she suffocated. She felt nauseous and light headed. Stars filled her vision. The world spun and turned black as she slumped; the shield enclosure her tomb.
* * *
‘I can sense you are still in there.’
My-re felt a presence in her mind. An invisible hand pulled her from the deep, dark depths. Her consciousness raced to the service. She gasped for air as her eyes snapped open.
‘There you are.’
Standing above here was Araminth in dragon form. She was at least twenty feet in length with outstretched wings twice that long. Her scales were an emerald green as her long neck lowered to get a better look at her prone form. Her golden brown eyes now held a softer kindness behind them.
“I thought I was dead,” My-re whispered.
‘You should be. You are the first human I know to survive a direct dragon blast. However, you should not have been looking for me in the first place,’ Araminth said directly into her mind.
“You need to work on your apologies,” My-re said weakly. She then coughed mucus from her lungs.
‘That was not an apology,’ Araminth replied as her clawed hand picked up Kildo’s shield contraption. It was blackened, warped, and appeared to have started to melt and collapse in on itself. It would not have survived a second blast. ‘What a marvelous human devise.’
“Dwarven,” My-re replied. When she saw confusion on Araminth’s brow she clarified, “A dwarf made it back on the Isle of the Eye. Kildo Hammerhand.”
‘Dwarven make? I should have known. That race has always been skittish about dragons.’
My-re began to rise, but her seared shoulder and hands failed her and she went back to the ground. Agony spread through her body as it began to register its wounds.
‘At least you are feeling pain, as opposed to the alternative. Myself, I do not enjoy pain.’
“Is Varick dead?”
Araminth turned her head towards what appeared to be a massive charred form nearby. She then used her giant clawed foot and stomped on it. Ash scattered into the air. She snorted in a condescending tone, ‘He did not survive.’
Groaning as she rose to her feet, My-re felt the weight of her plate mail armor, especially on her shoulders. Using her burned hands, she attempted to unhook the side straps, but they shook uncontrollably.
‘Let me help. It is the least I can do,’ Araminth said.
Looking at the dragon’s oversized, heavy, sharp claws she wasn’t sure she wanted it. Araminth’s form then began to contract, as her wings and tail retreated into her body. Claws turned into hands, feet, fingers, and toes, as her neck and head shrank, which sprouted red, tawny hair. A perfectly symmetrical, nude Araminth in human form stood in front of her. She was fair skinned with freckles across her nose. She was slender with what appeared to be very delicate bones and couldn’t have weighed more than 100 pounds soaking wet. She then started to coil her long hair into a braid as she went back to her former, destroyed cage and picked up the remains of her clothing; burnt. “The nine hells. My new calf-high boots!”
Returning, Araminth unhooked the straps keeping My-re’s breast plate on. She bent over and let gravity pull it off. Her thin, underneath arming coat was drenched in sweat and clung to her body. It left little to the imagination. She unconsciously thought about covering herself, but Araminth was completely bare, with just a smattering of soot and didn’t have any reservations. She removed her plate boots, which metal was now warped and pinched her feet and toes. She left her rather undamaged plate leggings on.
Dusting some soot from her hands, Araminth exclaimed, “Now that is settled. Onward!”
The two women made their way up the mine. They passed more forms, the pit gladiators, as they tried to flee. None made it far. Their bodies, turned ash, started to fall in among itself. Shortly, they could see daylight in the distance. My-re saw movement outside and saw Shagornan elves amongst the Rirorni forming a defensive perimeter with long spears around the opening. In the distance rose the masts of the landed Unsinkable III.
“We need two sets of clothes!” Araminth yelled, which echoed. They were still a ways from the opening.
“Mint?!” Westwind called back from outside, which also echoed.
“Preferably women’s clothes!” Araminth replied.
Koma came scampering down the tunnel. Sniffing the two women, the mere dragon nudged My-re’s legs. Due to her tender hands, she used her forearms to pet it.
Araminth gave a look of surprise when Koma didn’t come to her. “It seems you made a friend.”
Westwind came running down the tunnel. He lacked any replacement clothing in his hands. “Mint!” he shouted as the picked Araminth up in his arms and they gave each other a long kiss. He then wrapped his cloak around her. After a few heartbeats, Westwind glanced to My-re, who covered her front and said, “Thank the great mother goddess Gheal you are still alive. We saw the blast all the way from the entrance. I’m assuming Varick is dead?”
“He did not survive,” My-re mimicked Araminth’s words to her.
“Good,” Westwind spat. “We were very lucky then.”
“No, not so lucky,” Araminth replied.
“Not so lucky? How?” Westwind asked.
“Transforming back to dragon has sent out a beacon. A Thunder of Dragons is coming. Led by Feriale and Yrioth the Ancient; my parents.”