Where Darkness Treads: Book Two—Of Tears & Darkness

Chapter Seven: The Battle Within

Into the dark night air, the enormous scaled form of the black Dragon departed from the entrance to its lair. Clouds above, blotted out the moon and stars, rendering everything in inky darkness. Despite, the low-light conditions, Sadeene's eyesight was unaffected, as he studied the terrain below him, with a keen-eye.

Tonight, he would continue to wage war within the minds of the alliance, giving them mind-numbing terror and nightmares. Terror was as effective as any weapon if wielded right. It effectively crippled morale and could turn the Manlings into quivering masses of panic-filled meat.

Wind whistled about the Dragon's massive form, as his large leathery wings flapped once, twice, then a third time, before he adjusted them, in order to glide silently. Far below him, slipped miles of wooded foothills and valleys, as he corrected the direction of his flight. With a rush, Sadeene flapped his wings powerfully, gaining altitude, in order to fly  through a high pass of the Skargtooth Mountain range. Shadowed white, of snow-laden rock swept past him, as he hurtled past, towards Etmindor's Northern regions.

The Manling's had finished building a large, stone and log fort, and had garrisoned it with many mounted soldiers, a month ago. Since then, the existence of this defensive position, had become an exceedingly bothersome problem, as the enemy had shut-down all travel  through a valley of Sadeene's raiders and spies. There, were only two logical approaches, to this problem.

The first, was to go around, which would add weeks of travel, which left only the second, destroying the fort, as an effective means of countering the threat posed by the fortress.

Tonight, the black Dragon would remind the alliance, though the fort was an imposing obstacle to mounted men, and those on foot, it was merely a slight hindrance to a dragon. Tonight, Sadeene would revel in the s*******r of his enemies, and feed well. Envisioning the coming battle, his great winged form increased speed, as he bellowed deafeningly.

An hour later, torches burned in the distance, marking his destination, as Sadeene swiftly approached. Out of the dark heavens, his scaled form dove toward the massive structure below, as he roared and flapped powerfully his immense wings.

The impact of the driven air hurled several soldiers off the fort's wall, to strike the ground below, with heavy thuds. Some of the Manlings did not get back up, as the fall had no-doubt broken their frail bodies. Sadeene's fiery breath engulfed many of those soldiers who were running to supposed safety. But there was no place to hide, as the black dragon destroyed towers, and buildings alike.

Shouted screams of terror filled the air, as the Manling's sought to recover from his sudden fiery attack. Immediately, the black Dragon banked and unleashed his fiery breath upon a cluster of buildings. The wood structures immediately exploded into flames. An exodus of several of half-dressed enemy ensued, who were busily getting dressed and donning their armor and retrieving their weapons.

Another belch of flame-laden destruction was unleashed upon the front wooden palisade, which promptly exploded into bright red flames. The garrisoned men, desperately sought to avoid his terrible wrath, scattering as a covey of quail. Panic-stricken Manlings jumped from their towers, fleeing as best they could from the death and destruction presented by Sadeene. 

Several arrows, arced up to bounce off his heavily scaled hide, prompting Sadeene to grin, before he roared again. In response he unleashed another blistering blast of his fiery breath upon distant wooden buildings. As the black Dragon knew, it held the Manling's horses, which began to stampede. Many of the animals were on fire, trailing bright flames, and glowing red sparks. The smell of burning hair and flesh filled the air.

A man fully armored with a sword strode into view challenging him. As a cat plays with a mouse, Sadeene faced the brave man before him. The black dragon had never before seen such courage, and in a moment of mercy let the man live. He watched the Manling retrieve a horse and allowed him to flee into the darkness.

An approaching blur caused Sadeene to dart to the side, as a large metal-tipped shaft hurtled past him, to vanish into the distance. It, was one of the large missiles, used by the alliance to kill the Giants.

His quick movement had easily avoided the threat, but he felt a savage rage within him grow. He was outraged that the attempt had been made to slay him.

Moments later, he spotted where the projectile had been shot from. Two clusters of men were feverishly working to reload two of the devices, with more of the large vaned shafts.

Minutes later, Sadeene swooped in, with darting head and his powerful jaws closed like a vice upon bone and leather armor, a like. With a gulp, the black Dragon swallowed them whole. His cruel sharp talons ripped the top of the structure apart. Manlings, ballistae, and wood, were hurled outward, as he flapped his wings once more, rising into the night sky, amidst their screams.

A second tower shot a vaned shaft at Sadeene, which narrowly grazed him. The slight scratch was more of a minor irritant than a wound and triggered his rage further. Swiftly, he turned and ran toward the structure. His attack shattered the tower, hurling men, wood splinters, and the broken ballistae outward in the air. A quick snap of his jaws closed upon a Manling who was falling. His ire spent the black dragon took his time feeding upon the men from the tower.

Three heavy knights were attempting to escape the fiery c*****e, but the winged-monster pounced upon them, knocking two of them and their horses to the ground. Faster than the eye could track, the black dragon's massive toothed maw snapped up the third, and his mount, and his jagged teeth, crushed the life out of them, before he swallowed them. His attack, had stunned or killed the other two, allowing him to feed ravenously, without interruption.

Without hesitation, Sadeene leaped into the air, to continue destroying the alliance's fort. The enemy would not soon forget this night, the memories would become nightmares, which would plague them throughout their days. A cluster of men became motionless piles of burning flesh, having been subjected to his fiery breath. Their steaming corpses marked where they had fallen.

The black Dragon swooped down, to land upon an outcropping of rock, to survey the swath of fiery death he had created. In a low rumbling voice, which made the night air tremble, he summoned the dead, of which there were now many. They would hunt down any that had survived the savage attack and end the tedious job of doing the job himself.

Immediately, the still forms eyes began to glow sickly green, as they obediently rose to their feet, and armed themselves. Without hesitation, each turned and ran to various parts of the ruined fort. Sadeene knew they could sense the essence of those still alive, and they would hunt them down, to feed, and feed they would.

With grim intent, the undead closed upon their previous friends. A pitched battle ensued, as desperate men fought against those who seemingly could not be stopped. Finally, one man chanced upon the answer, by smashing one of the walking dead's skulls. The move was too little, too late, as the undead were many, and the men were slowly becoming fewer in number. The last man there perished, having been backed into a shadow-filled corner, slashing helplessly at sickly green eyes.

Crouching down, the great winged beast hurled himself into the air, to hunt for any survivors who had escaped. Sadeene would make sure, only one would survive the c*****e, to spread word of the m******e. Word, of this great tragedy would spread far and wide, even into the other kingdoms. Fear, panic, and terror would incapacitate many, rendering them useless on the battlefield, turning them into mindless cripples, bereft of morale.

Below the black Dragon, ran desperate shadowed figures, pursued by those driven by hunger. A band of fighters fought desperately, seeking to escape the crowd of undead gathered around them, but they became slower in their responses. One fell to the ground, falling before the masses. Then another fell, succumbing to the green-eyed tide. That destroyed the group of fighters, one could only fight off the enemy from one direction at a time. Savagely, they fought for survival, but the living was sorely outnumbered, and there was no way to escape. Hunted by the undead and Sadeene, the survivors became rapidly fewer in number.

Silently, the beast widened his search from above, searching for survivors. He spotted five individuals who were running down a wooded ravine, fleeing the scene. Moments later, they were engulfed by billowing flames, which rendered them into burning piles of flesh. More Manlings had escaped, than Sadeene cared to admit, but he patiently hunted them down. One horseman, who was mounted, he had let live, who was most likely a knight.

After, perhaps another hour, Sadeene had killed the last of the survivors, other than the lone rider, he had spared. Satisfied, he flew once more over the ruined fort, now cloaked in flame. Only undead now moved in the firelight below, his task was complete.

The horror-stories and nightmares of tonight's events would live long in the Manling's memories. The black Dragon bellowed once more, and swiftly departed, towards his lair, to digest his meal. In the wake of his passing, death reigned supreme.