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They knew that there was an edge somewhere. They just had to run faster, and push through the pain that ripped on their side. They could hear the yelling of men, enemies from an enemy territory that they had stumbled upon. A good battle, the clanging of swords and shields echoed in their ears even after they left the scene.
They had been severely outnumbered. But as a rogue, they were typically alone and always underestimated. The shouts of men were getting closer as their energy began to wane. Breathing hard, they pushed themselves further and harder, all the while blood seeping through their armor, dripping down their leg.
The trees gave little shelter from the pursuers, but that didn’t matter. They knew there was a ledge coming close. They had seen it earlier in the week, passing through the area in secret, or so they thought.
“Stop!” a voice called out.
It was dangerously close, and they couldn’t let those men take them. They had a job to do, and this was not in the plans, not even a little bit. Ahead, they could see the clearing. Their heart thundered in their chest in pain, their lungs burning from the run. It was only a few more yards and then they’d be free.
Suddenly, they were slammed into and thrown to the ground. The air blasted out of their lungs painfully and their head to the ground with a harsh thud. They scrambled to get their arms up under them, but the weight on top of them was too heavy. The assailant was grunting and angry, breath hot and musty on their neck. They managed to turn themselves around and face their attacker. The man was handsome, despite the blood and grime that covered his features.
“Stop!” the man yelled in their face, grabbing onto their collar, and lifting them up only to slam them back down on the ground. The wind was blown from their lungs again and they saw stars. Trying to grasp anything to get the attacker off, they struggled fiercely. The man, however, slammed a fist on their side, causing renewed pain throughout their entire body. They screamed a painful, angry cry that tore at their throat.
They could feel that fire wanting to escape. It was whispering in their mind like a past lover,
“Just call on me…”
But they couldn’t let it happen. Not yet, not with all the trees around and the close proximity. They tried to breathe as best as they could, but the assailant was powerful and not wounded, so the man was in better shape. Desperate, they took hold of the man’s hair and pulled with all their might. Amazingly, they managed to distract the man enough to roll out from under him. Scrambling away, they managed to get to their feet, although they were unsteady.
“Please, run while you can,” they pleaded, their voice hoarse.
The man growled and leaped up at them. They dodged just in time, but the man just kept coming.
“Please! Stop this!” They begged.
“You killed the king! You will perish this day!” The man yelled again, this voice deep and angry.
They tried to catch their breath, but it was becoming more difficult. The man possibly hit a rib and broke it. The pain was getting unbearable. Looking away from the man for a moment, they saw that the edge was near.
Taking their chance, they ran towards it. They could hear the man pursue them, but now that they were clear of the tree line, they would be able to leave. They ran hard until they came to the edge. Their momentum, however, was broken when the man grabbed their back and pulled them back from the ledge. The man threw a punch, and it landed hard on their face, causing their vision to blur. He tried to throw another punch, but they managed to block it and land one of their own on the man’s torso. It wasn’t strong enough to knock him down, but enough to get him out of the way.
They rushed again to the edge and stopped. They looked down at the cliff and grinned. It was high enough to get the job done without too much fuss. Turning back towards the man, who was now hunched over as if he was ready to pounce again, they held up a hand.
“I didn’t kill your king. They disappeared a long time ago.”
The man shook his head, “The king is dead! You were standing over the body!”
“That was an imposter!” They explained, “I am trying to find the real king!”
“Liar!” The man screamed.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you stop me,” They said.
At that moment, the rest of the enemy men appeared through the forest, forming a line along the clearing. They looked at every one of the men there, all of them with similar expressions.
It was like everything suddenly slowed. The fire inside was there again, more persistent this time. The whispering was more powerful but still gentle.
“Just call on me,”
…
“Just call my name...”
They knew that those men were going to kill them, no matter what they said. The only option was to jump. Locking eyes with the assailant, they shook their head.
They stretched their arms out wide and allowed themselves to just drop back off the edge of the cliff.
“… Like you need me…”
The sound of howling wind blocked all other sounds from their ears. As they fell, they could feel the fire begin to flare and spark. They turned their body in the air, holding their arms outstretched once again. As they fell through the air, they could feel their body begin to change. It was a painful process, one that did not always result at the end of the day. But it was of great importance at this time to show the men who they were dealing with.
As the air rushed past them, their skin began to shift. Their clothes ripped and fell away as their body grew in size and shape. The fire in their chest grew stronger, becoming something far more powerful and sinister. Their skin once beautiful ebony now housed black shining scales, all interlocked in an intricate pattern. In the sun’s fading light, they shone and reflected silver and gold, making their descent a swirling mass of color.
The ground was coming fast, and their transformation was nearly complete. At the final moment, they spread their giant, leathery wings out as far as they could to catch the air under them and shot through the air. The burning in their chest grew to its greatest height and they let out a mighty roar. They shot a line of fire into the air and flew through it, making a final seal on their scales to complete their transformation. It would be a long time before they would be human again, so they needed to make it count.
As they soared through the air towards the sky, they looked down at the ledge with their keen eyes. They saw the men standing near, gawking at them with both awe and terror. They flapped their wings once more towards the sky before turning their body toward the men. They saw some of the men begin to scramble, heading into the trees for cover, while others remained stuck in their place. The fire in their chest rumbled again, and as they flew towards the men, they let out another line of fire, incinerating the men that remained. They turned their wings just enough to pass over the tops of the trees as they finished off the men on the ledge.
The sky was beginning to darken, as they flew over the trees and towards the valley. It was time to find the rightful king, and they knew just where to start.
As the day finally turned into night, the newly transformed dragon, the Night Fury, glided through the moonlight undetected.