I had just completed the complex gestures
required for the summoning when I heard the shouts of alarm from the
crew.
Lost in the familiar throes of light-headed langeur that was the
inevidible
result of channeling hug amounts of magical energies through my body,
it
was easy to ignore the sense of fear and desperation emanating from the
sailors. The unnaturally thick fog appeared to roil off the bow,
gradually
taking the form of a powerful stallion twenty hands high! His hooves
barely
broke the surface of the water as he bobbed up and down to the rhythm
of
the sea. He stared at me with one milky eye, then tossed his head as if
saying, “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
The panicked cries of the crew suddenly came
into focus as the effects of the spell casting disappeared. I glance
over
my shoulder in time to see a glowing cloud of mist begin to engulf the
boat. The cries turned to screams of agony. Where mist touched skin,
blisters
grew like huge translucent mushrooms which burst, leaving twisted
strips
of skin over bloodless white muscle. A brilliant glow encircled me just
before I felt the searing hot kiss of the dragon’s breath.
I leapt upon the phantom steed’s back, mildly
surprised that I was able to stay in the saddle. He twisted his neck
until
a milky eye met mine and bared his teeth as if to say, “Nice try,
french
fry. You’re lucky that I was the one who answered your summons.”
Without
further urging he began to trot around the boat.
I barely had time to enjoy the novelty when
he broke into a spine jarring gallop. With both hands tightly gripping
the pommel and both cheeks being rhythmically and soundly slapped by
the
saddle, it took me a few seconds to realize we were charging straight
for
the dragon. I leaned low and whispered, “Careful…I’d rather we take a
more
roundabout way. I just want to reconnoiter the area to access our
situation.”
The wind of our passage must have impaired my steed’s hearing.
A white flash of light illuminated the
dragon’s
head leaving its dark image floating before my dazzled eyes. I shivered
as a bolt of ice shot overhead covering my damp clothes with a coat of
rime. A thunder-like clap rang in my ears as the bolt glanced off a
scaly
breast, shattering into a thousand shards of glittering ice. Bellowing,
the dragon reared out of the water exposing two squat powerful legs
bristling
with razor share claws.
I belatedly realized that I was screaming like
a berserker. My long sword in front of me was glowing with a pale green
light. As I drew near, it tried to claw me. My steed deftly evaded its
deadly embrace only to swerve right into the path of its gaping jaws.
It plucked me out of the saddle and shook me
like a rag doll. I felt one leg buckle as a huge sharp tooth pierced
the
fleshy muscle of my thigh. I heard a sickening crunch as my ankle
broke.
Three of four ribs snapped as my left side was crushed.
Something thick and warm was bubbling from my
mouth. Surprisingly, I felt no pain. My mind was crystal clear, soaking
up the minute details of my predicament. As the dragon opened its mouth
to swallow me I saw my chance. Summoning every last ounce of strength,
I thrust my sword into the soft upper palate of its mouth. It stuck
halfway
in and I knew my death was but a heartbeat away.
Then a miracle happened. My battered body was
suffused with a sense of well being. With renewed vigor, I pushed
against
my sword. There was a slight resistance before I drove my sword to the
hilt, piercing its brain. The dragon’s jaws opened wide and I was
flung
into the chaotic waves below.
I finally broke to the surface caughing up
frothing
blood and sea water. There, not a few inches away, was a ghostly hoof.
With knotted muscles and twisting guts, I managed to climb onto the
back
of my horse.
And as I lifted my head I saw the dragon sink
beneath the waves. In a hoarse voice I could barely recognize, I
croaked,
“I WANT THAT DRAGON’S SKIN!”