FA+
Shop
861 submissions
Spring, 1392
The attack came quickly, almost unexpected. Fifty cloaked zealots with spears, clubs, flails, scythes and bows and arrows, as well as ten crusaders in hounskulls and plate with swords, pikes and warhammers descended into the cave. The speed at which they arrived and attacked was stunning. One moment Rargesteyae was just dragging in a deer for dinner, and the next moment she was dodging a volley of arrows and fighting for her life as the cultists flooded in.
*Rargesteyae, there are humans approaching!* Asaewath yelled as he fled from the forest into the cave.
*I noticed, brother!* Rargesteyae snapped in response as she incinerated the front line of the cultists, adding, *You were supposed to guard! You didn’t sense them earlier?*
*I did! It was a decoy force and they sent more men from the other side of the mountain while I was busy! They’re swarming all over!*
Asaewath charged through the cultists, bowing over the Miscabbard archers and through the mob of zealots to join up with his sister. Together the two dragons swung back to back, protecting each other’s rear from attack. As the surviving cultists swarmed around the pair, methodically, like sweeping leaves, Rargesteyae and Asaewath incinerated their assailants, dispatching those that managed to get close with tail and claws or an extra blast of fire. In a few minutes, most of the zealots were dead. The survivors however tenaciously continued their assault, hacking at the dragon pair. Already both of them had sustained some spear and sword wounds.
“All hail the Lord of the Sky!”
*Pull back further into the cave!* Rargesteyae yelled as she dodged the swing of a warhammer, then another spear thrust uncomfortably close to her eye.
The two dragons turned tail, those limbs knocking over the cultists that were too close, and plunged further into the darkness.
“All hail the Lord of the Sky!” The cultists repeated as they charged in after the dragons.
*Fuck the Lord of the Sky!* Asaewath roared back through the dark passageway.
Perhaps the Miscabbards sensed victory. Perhaps they were insane. Perhaps they were just stupid. But they ran right into a trap. As soon as the cultists cleared the central corridor they were immediately ambushed by the two dragons who had positioned themselves in the chambers on either side. Asaewath and Rargesteyae threw their flames, and caught on both sides the attackers were incinerated en-mass. Within seconds all that was left were a writhing mass of charred corpses.
*Fuck the Miscabbards!* Asaewath roared at the corpses.
It had ended almost as quickly as it had begun. This had not been a good fight, Rargesteyae thought as the two dragons walked back over the fight, killing any surviving wounded cultists. The Miscabbards were ill-disciplined. Their tactics were poor. The dragons knew that they would come. Her and her brother were both fine enough fighters. Yet the dragons had still been harried away like foxes before a hound, and only the stupidity of the cultists had led to their victory. She shuddered to think how other, less fortunate dragons would have fared.
Asaewath was also shaking his head.
*Why did dad stay here in our cave? The Miscabbards all know where we live. They’ll come again.*
*I guess he could never get over mom’s death, brother.* His sister replied. As they returned to the main chamber the female dragon came across a screaming zealot clutching his bloody abdomen, and with a sigh of annoyance casually crushed his skull under her forepaw.
The male dragon suddenly stopped. *Well then, I guess we need to put a stop to this.*
*We could always move.*
*No, I mean all of this. The Miscabbards.* Asaewath’s eyes blazed. *They’ll keep hunting us. They’ll keep hunting all dragons. Not just that, all the peoples of the Wilds. They’ll keep at it until we’re all dead. We must destroy them first.*
*It would be easier to just find another home-*
*What do you do in times of crisis? Do you keep your head down and hope for it to pass over? Or do you stand and fight?*
*Don’t be a fool little brother!* The female dragon snapped. *Are you going to try to take on the Miscabbards alone?*
Asaewath stood defiantly, facing his sister. *If I must, I will.*
*Ugh.* Rargesteyae groaned. Her brother was being righteous and stubborn again. He was right. The Miscabbards would come again. The Miscabbards were a threat to all non-humans. The Miscabbards needed to be destroyed. But if father hadn’t been able to destroy the cultists and avenge their mother, the two of them probably had little chance. Still, knowing Asaewath-like that time he got tangled with the Sabines at Giant's Pillar- her brother would indeed go at it alone, and probably get himself killed in the process. Rargesteyae needed to support him.
*Fine. We will figure out who this Lord of the Sky is, and kill them. Hopefully their death will cause the cult to fall apart.*
The dragons finally came across the charred and broken bodies of the first wave of Miscabbards sprawled across the main chamber of the cave. A few writing figures nearby suggested some were still alive.
*Let’s go find out where this Lord of the Sky is.* Rargesteyae shrugged.
The female dragon found a reasonably intact cultist with obviously broken legs trying to crawl to safety and drove her talon into the man’s leg. The cultist screamed and writhed as blood splashed like wine.
“Wr ar L’r Sk?” The female dragon yelled at the wounded cultist. Her human was always poor.
*Ugh. Translate for me Asaewath!* She complained to her brother.
*Eh, don’t bother, Rargesteyae. They’re just going to kill themselves.* Came the reply.
She turned to her brother. *Everyone values stopping their own pain. I think we can-*
“All hail the Lord of the Sky!” The cultist suddenly gasped, pulling out a dagger and plunged it into his heart. The remaining three cultists nearby also immediately killed themselves. Some flasks slipped out of their cloaks and broke, and whatever contents were in them ignited instantaneously.
*WHAT. IS. WRONG. WITH. THESE. PEOPLE?!* Rargesteyae yelled in frustration as the cultists immediately burst into flame.
Her brother shrugged. *Eh. Can’t do much with crazies.*
The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist
Courtesy of
TheRoguez!
The attack came quickly, almost unexpected. Fifty cloaked zealots with spears, clubs, flails, scythes and bows and arrows, as well as ten crusaders in hounskulls and plate with swords, pikes and warhammers descended into the cave. The speed at which they arrived and attacked was stunning. One moment Rargesteyae was just dragging in a deer for dinner, and the next moment she was dodging a volley of arrows and fighting for her life as the cultists flooded in.
*Rargesteyae, there are humans approaching!* Asaewath yelled as he fled from the forest into the cave.
*I noticed, brother!* Rargesteyae snapped in response as she incinerated the front line of the cultists, adding, *You were supposed to guard! You didn’t sense them earlier?*
*I did! It was a decoy force and they sent more men from the other side of the mountain while I was busy! They’re swarming all over!*
Asaewath charged through the cultists, bowing over the Miscabbard archers and through the mob of zealots to join up with his sister. Together the two dragons swung back to back, protecting each other’s rear from attack. As the surviving cultists swarmed around the pair, methodically, like sweeping leaves, Rargesteyae and Asaewath incinerated their assailants, dispatching those that managed to get close with tail and claws or an extra blast of fire. In a few minutes, most of the zealots were dead. The survivors however tenaciously continued their assault, hacking at the dragon pair. Already both of them had sustained some spear and sword wounds.
“All hail the Lord of the Sky!”
*Pull back further into the cave!* Rargesteyae yelled as she dodged the swing of a warhammer, then another spear thrust uncomfortably close to her eye.
The two dragons turned tail, those limbs knocking over the cultists that were too close, and plunged further into the darkness.
“All hail the Lord of the Sky!” The cultists repeated as they charged in after the dragons.
*Fuck the Lord of the Sky!* Asaewath roared back through the dark passageway.
Perhaps the Miscabbards sensed victory. Perhaps they were insane. Perhaps they were just stupid. But they ran right into a trap. As soon as the cultists cleared the central corridor they were immediately ambushed by the two dragons who had positioned themselves in the chambers on either side. Asaewath and Rargesteyae threw their flames, and caught on both sides the attackers were incinerated en-mass. Within seconds all that was left were a writhing mass of charred corpses.
*Fuck the Miscabbards!* Asaewath roared at the corpses.
It had ended almost as quickly as it had begun. This had not been a good fight, Rargesteyae thought as the two dragons walked back over the fight, killing any surviving wounded cultists. The Miscabbards were ill-disciplined. Their tactics were poor. The dragons knew that they would come. Her and her brother were both fine enough fighters. Yet the dragons had still been harried away like foxes before a hound, and only the stupidity of the cultists had led to their victory. She shuddered to think how other, less fortunate dragons would have fared.
Asaewath was also shaking his head.
*Why did dad stay here in our cave? The Miscabbards all know where we live. They’ll come again.*
*I guess he could never get over mom’s death, brother.* His sister replied. As they returned to the main chamber the female dragon came across a screaming zealot clutching his bloody abdomen, and with a sigh of annoyance casually crushed his skull under her forepaw.
The male dragon suddenly stopped. *Well then, I guess we need to put a stop to this.*
*We could always move.*
*No, I mean all of this. The Miscabbards.* Asaewath’s eyes blazed. *They’ll keep hunting us. They’ll keep hunting all dragons. Not just that, all the peoples of the Wilds. They’ll keep at it until we’re all dead. We must destroy them first.*
*It would be easier to just find another home-*
*What do you do in times of crisis? Do you keep your head down and hope for it to pass over? Or do you stand and fight?*
*Don’t be a fool little brother!* The female dragon snapped. *Are you going to try to take on the Miscabbards alone?*
Asaewath stood defiantly, facing his sister. *If I must, I will.*
*Ugh.* Rargesteyae groaned. Her brother was being righteous and stubborn again. He was right. The Miscabbards would come again. The Miscabbards were a threat to all non-humans. The Miscabbards needed to be destroyed. But if father hadn’t been able to destroy the cultists and avenge their mother, the two of them probably had little chance. Still, knowing Asaewath-like that time he got tangled with the Sabines at Giant's Pillar- her brother would indeed go at it alone, and probably get himself killed in the process. Rargesteyae needed to support him.
*Fine. We will figure out who this Lord of the Sky is, and kill them. Hopefully their death will cause the cult to fall apart.*
The dragons finally came across the charred and broken bodies of the first wave of Miscabbards sprawled across the main chamber of the cave. A few writing figures nearby suggested some were still alive.
*Let’s go find out where this Lord of the Sky is.* Rargesteyae shrugged.
The female dragon found a reasonably intact cultist with obviously broken legs trying to crawl to safety and drove her talon into the man’s leg. The cultist screamed and writhed as blood splashed like wine.
“Wr ar L’r Sk?” The female dragon yelled at the wounded cultist. Her human was always poor.
*Ugh. Translate for me Asaewath!* She complained to her brother.
*Eh, don’t bother, Rargesteyae. They’re just going to kill themselves.* Came the reply.
She turned to her brother. *Everyone values stopping their own pain. I think we can-*
“All hail the Lord of the Sky!” The cultist suddenly gasped, pulling out a dagger and plunged it into his heart. The remaining three cultists nearby also immediately killed themselves. Some flasks slipped out of their cloaks and broke, and whatever contents were in them ignited instantaneously.
*WHAT. IS. WRONG. WITH. THESE. PEOPLE?!* Rargesteyae yelled in frustration as the cultists immediately burst into flame.
Her brother shrugged. *Eh. Can’t do much with crazies.*
The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist
Courtesy of
TheRoguez!
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Western Dragon
Size 1136 x 929px
File Size 475.5 kB
Listed in Folders
They're the lost, abandoned figures that represent nothing by themselves alone-but joining with other alikes makes them feel safer, purposeful, proud. Actually i used to put only radical nationalists , but cults could be put in that same category. They mostly consume those who have nothing of themselves
Comments