The land around the fort was nothing but pandemonium and madness, the opposing army ramming their forces into ours in a cacophony of Iron, war cries, and blood.

Flaming boulders sailing through the skies towards either side, as the greater battle was at its peak.

“Come on soldiers!. Move it!!” Our lieutenant barked at us, while our regiment all ran to reinforce the inner sanctum of the fort.

“How the hell did they get inside!?” A soldier to my left exclaimed.

“Maybe they have a wizard with ‘em?!” Another to my right proposed.

“I’m telling you, I heard that last boulder was literaly fucking ‘Screaming’ as it passed over our heads!” Another soldier said behind me, but I could barely hear it over the sound of battle, and the stampede of steel boots.

We charged down the halls, slamming each pair of double doors we came by open as we went, until we reached a gruesome scene on our path.

A big hole adorned the roof above us, with a few licks of flames still lingering around said hole. But it was not only the hole that still had lingering flames, but the whole goddamn corridor hall itself!.

The whole place was caked in sot and ash, with the worst of it being around where the ‘Boulder’ had landed, and the countless amounts of burnt bodies lying about the hall in various stages of unrecognizable states.

But, said boulder which had caused this gruesome scene, was nowhere to be seen, only the crater from where it landed, and what looked to be footprints, burnt into the stone floor, which went off to two, now burning and broken, double doors.

“By the holy father’s name…” I heard someone mutter from behind me, coupled with a few other shuddered and concerned murmurs from a handful of my other comrades. A single flaming boulder should not be capable of doing this much damage!.

*ROOOOAAARRRR!!!*

“What the hell was that!?” A Soldier exclaimed in a bit of a panic, after we all heard that monstrous roar just now, which shook the whole fortress

“It sounded like it came from the main hall!” Another exclaimed shortly after, their hand gripping their weapon in an even tighter grip, as they faced towards the broken doors, from which the roar was determined to come from.

“That’s where the duke is!. What are you all standing here for?! Double time! Move it! move it!” The lieutenant barked at us with renewed vigor when he realized who was in grave danger.

We all hesitated for a moment, before one after the other, we resumed our march with all hast, further into the fort.

The closer we got to the main hall, the more carnage and death did we come across, more brutal than the last, and the more burnt and singed as well. The footprints that we followed, like the carnage around us, was also changing, becoming less and less that of a human’s, to that of a four toed, clawed beast.

And the further in we went, the hotter and hotter it became, like we were entering a dragon’s fieri lair.

“What in the gods' names did those bastards throw at us?!. A damn fire elemental?!” One of my fellow soldiers questioned, their voice sounding a bit parched, most definitely thanks to the heat.

“Don’t be ridiculous!. Last I checked, our enemy doesn't have a single magician at their disposal!” Another barked in retort. Tho, it did not ease any of our minds.

After a bit further into the keep, we began to hear the clash of metal, ring out further ahead of us… Followed by earth shaking crashes and *Booms*, and what sounded like inconceivable curses and swears.

We came to the giant double doors that separated the main hall from the one we were currently running through, and now we could clearly hear the battle that was happening behind those doors, and the heat that emanated throughout the path we ran, now became nai-unbearable to be in, as we stood not so far from those doors.

The commander barked at two of our guys to go and open the doors, which they at first hesitated to do when another hall-shaking roar of anger shook the whole keep. But with another bark of command from our leader, did they move forward to the doors.

However, a few moment after they reached the doors and took hold of their handles, did another roar come forth, but this time, we understood it.

“BAAAAAASSSTTEEEEEEEERRRRRDDDSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!”

*KAABOOOOOM!!!!*

The next second, the door blew open in a fiery blaze, which nocked a good chunk of us all back and onto the floor, me included.

The guys who stood by the door didn’t even get a chance to react, didn’t even let out a scream before they were reduced to nothing but ash.

The rest of my brethren got up quick and readied their arms, and i would have done so to, but the moment i tried, a searing pain shot through my left leg when i tried to stand on it. I looked down and saw a peace of the doors had pierced my leg deeply, and each twitch i did with it would only make the pain worse.

*GROWL….*

*BOOM… BOOM… BOOM…*

I looked towards the sea of fire that consumed two of my comrades, and we all saw the monster that were to blame for all the devastation.

Lumbering out from the heavy flames with earth shaking footsteps, a giant dawning half maulten and melting armor no man could ever, and would ever dream of wielding. Their hands, more claws then that of a human, were bathed in red hot molten metal, with their feet as well, bursting out of their metal shell and looking the same as a dragon’s!. We were even more convinced that this was some horrendous hybrid of a dragon, as a burning tail swung behind the giant.

The beast glared at us all with it’s blazing eyes, before it’s crooked mouth cracked slightly more open.

“RRRAAAAA!!. YoU, iNsIGniFIcAnt, LitTLe, COCKROACHES!!!... I’m going to FFFUCKING burn the lot of Ya’! till there's NOTHING BUT ASHEEES!!!!!” The beast roared at us, before stomping our way at a quick and menacing pace.

In my downed state, all I could do was crawl my way back in fright, while my comrades charged the flaming giant in kind. But their valor and courage was for nought.

The first to reach the beast sliced their sword down upon it’s melting armor, only for their blade to melt in their hands the moment it made contact. The soldier didn’t get time to react, before the burning giant bashed them away with a swipe of their claw, hurling them so hard into the wall, one could hear their bones breaking when they hit.

Two more came up next, as they too, swung their weapons. But the giant acted like their swings weren't there, and merely threw a punch at both of them in quick succession, bashing their heads into steaming piles of mush, while it kept on advancing.

Then five came in to try and out man the beast, but it seemed to only infuriate the thing even more. Letting out another anger field roar, the giant both grabbed and crushed the swinging arm of one of my comrades, causing them to scream bloody murder as they started punching the giant’s hand.

Then, before any of them could react, it whipped the unfortunate soldier into the air, and started using them as a living club. Slamming them straight down on one, then up and around down on another, before then spinning around with the now broken and dead corpse of a soldier, directly into the last two. Letting go of their ‘improvised’ club, they send them hurtling away in a bloody streak.

It went on like this for the next minute, while I still backed away in my slow crawl and injured leg.

But then it was only me and the lieutenant left, once the beast had dealt with our last two spear men. Said spearmen did seem to hurt the giant, as their spears pierced the creatures chest armor. But the success of breaching the monster’s defenses were short lived, as said spears began to melt instantly, when large bursts of flames ejected out of the wounds they had caused.

So hot were the flames in fact, that the spearmen caught fire. Dropping their weapons in a panic as they tried to put themselves out, leaving them wide open for the giant to slam one clenched fist down on the helmet of one, half turning them into a bloody and burning smear on the floor, before quickly opening their clenched fist to throw a swipe at the other’s head, ripping their head clean off, as it sailed through the air.

The flaming giant bashed away the headless body, before placing it’s attention on me and the lieutenant. Flaming beacons fueled by nothing but pure wrath.

The beast growled once more. This time their voice sounding more deep and feral then before.

“GGRRRAAAA!!. HoW FuCKinG maNy of YOU aRe gOnNa WASTE mY BlOoDy TIIIIME!!!. JUUUST KeeL OvEr aNd DIIIEE ALREADYYY!!!. YoU shIT EaTIng COCKROACHEEEEESSSS!!!!” They roared, as their body began to morph even more, with the addition of a small yet steadily growing wing, bursting out of his back with a splash of molten steel.

The lieutenant took a step back, his grip on his weapon loosening, looking like he was about to flee for his life. But, with a sudden boost of confidence and courage, he gripped his blade tight and bellowed at the beast.

“In the name of the king!, and the guard regiment duty bound to protect his lord ship!. We shall never surrender to the likes of you!. MONSTER!!!. YAAAA!!!” He shouted at the giant, before charging head first at them, sword held by their side.

“BloOdY DUMBAASSS!!!. RAAAAAA!!!” The beast roared back in kind, cocking their arm back before swinging it down towards the charging lieutenant.

But right as the giant’s hand came down, the lieutenant stepped to the side, letting it collide with the ground beneath, while he spun around the flaming beast.

The beast, annoyed by this sudden dodge, ripped their not only free from the ground, but through it as well, ripping up and throwing bits of the floor towards the lieutenant while simultaneously also trying to hit him with their arm.

But once again, they dodged out of the beast’s swing, while bashing away most of the debri that got thrown at him.

Then, the Lieutenant took up a defensive stance, facing the raging beast as he waited for it’s next move.

“RRAAGG!!, WhY yoU LitTLe CocKY BASTAAAARRRD!!!” They roared once again, running right at them before raising their arms up to try and smash the lieutenant.

They quickly jumped back, letting the giant’s thunderous blow collide once more to the ground, this time creating a large crater around the impact.

But this attack gave the lieutenant the window he needed, to strike the beast down!. Spinning his sword around before whipping the tip of it towards the beast's exposed neck seam, they jumped forward and japped their blade deep down into it’s un-armored insides.

For a moment, i thought he did it, as the beast sat still for a short minut. But my hopes were truly crushed when, with the speed of a viper, the giant’s scaled and molten claw, shot up and grabbed the lieutenant’s head whole.

The lieutenant let go of his sword, as he started punching and scrapping at the sizzling and burning gauntlet in a panic. Smoke and steam starting to whiff off his helmet, as it started to heat up.

The beast slowly rose up, taking the lieutenant with it, lifting him off his feet so all he could do was to cry out in pain, and kick futiliy in the air, while the beast gleared at him with heat of a thousand suns.

The sword, which was run down deep into the opening in the beast’s neck, turned to molten slack in the blink of an eye, dripping and sliding down it’s half molten frame to join the rest of it melting visage.

Done wasting words was the beast, as all it did after was giving a feral growl, before the next second, it set the lieutenant ablaze in it’s iron grip.

His screams of suffering were haunting to hear, right till they ceased, and he was nothing but a dangling charred corpse, in the giant’s grasp.

My soul almost left my body, when the monster’s head, snapped towards me. It’s flaming eyes and maw, beaming with pure hatred.

My breath quickened and my heart pumped like mad, as i quickly got up on my feet, and began to hop my way out of there with my injured leg. I panicked even more when I looked back and saw the beast flinging the charred corpse away like it was nothing, before stomping towards me with thunderous steps.

I didn’t get far before I tripped over something, and fell face first into a small pool of blood. I shake my head in a daze, before swinging it back to see the beast was standing right behind me!. Scared like I've never been before, I started dragging myself away as fast as I could… But I didn't get far, before I felt a claw, slamming down onto my back, digging its sharp claws down into my flesh through my armor.

I cry out in pain, before I feel a kick to my side, knocking me onto my back and making me face the monster’s flaming face.

Before i could do anything, the beast grabbed me by the throat, and lifted me off the floor, just like the lieutenant before me, and gave me it’s perpetual glare.

It growled again, before the crooked maw that was it’s mask, began to crack open even more, as if it was part of it’s body. A torrent of flames, began to swirl around in the sea of flames, which lived inside it’s very being.

The last thing i felt, was an unfathomable and painful heat… Before then turning into a soothing one… And then… nothing…
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This fine piece was done by the absolutely phenomenal and spectacular!  Song Thrush!

So go and give them the praise that they oh so deserve!.