Chapter 5: A Harrowing End

  “On the corpses of lions, the dogs celebrate, believing they have won. But lions remain lions and dogs remain dogs,”

  -Old proverb.

  The mage scanned his surroundings, contemplating what had just transpired, and sighed. Leaving the Northmen marauding on their own proved to be more costly than he had anticipated. It was a simple task: take the girl, leave no witnesses, and leave unnoticed.

  But not only did they fail such a simple task, but razed the entire village to the ground unnecessarily. He knew he had to get out of Clan Irfis territory as fast as he could. Lord Nero wouldn’t take this affront kindly.

  He looked at the priest’s body and frowned. Problems seemed to pile up even more. He would also be at odds with the Church if only he hadn’t planned on putting the blame on the Northmen. But still, he had to find the girl first.

  He turned and walked to where his men were waiting. There were only a few places where she could go. Combing the entire forest was out of the cards, and he didn’t want to stay anywhere near the razed village just in the case the Clan warriors showed up. It would be more convenient to just wait up the morning.

  But he would let the Northmen do their thing, nevertheless. Their leader seemed to take the losses really personaly, and pissed him off immensely. He knew the Northmen. They would probably look through the entire forest for the girl. But it didn’t matter.

  Even if they found her, he would just take her from them later.

  Nina couldn’t stop crying. She just knew in the bottom of her heart that Verkan had just died. She didn’t know how but she knew it. She now had to face the fact that she was all by herself now.

  But the cracking of nearby branches immediately sobered her up. She wiped her eyes with her sleeves, and scanned her surroundings thoroughly but couldn’t see anything.

  She took a deep breath, stood up, and began running again. Maybe she was getting increasingly paranoid to the point of losing her mind, but every single sound in the forest struck terror on her heart.

  Nina tripped, burying her face in the ground. Broken branches on the trail made traversing the already rough terrain even more difficult. Even though her eyes began to get accustomed to the dark, there was just so much she could see. The thick clouds and dense forest canopy above her, blocking the moonlight, only made it worse.

  Get a grip, Nina! She got on her feet again. Her heart clenched, and a knot formed in the mouth of her stomach. Her mind was a mess, and physical sensations overtook any emotions she had up to that point.

  She wandered the forest completely by instinct. She turned every few steps to check behind. She couldn’t help but feel that someone or something was following her. The distinctive Nord language echoed through the woods, somewhat muffled by the distance. The Northmen were still looking for her. The danger was far from over.

  But she had a few miles of advantage so she reduced her pace to a gentle jog to save her strength. Nobody would see through the dark anyway, even if they managed to get close. She would go undetected if she remained silent.

  Exhaustion slowly began to take its toll but she couldn’t stop now. The distant echo of Nordic being yelled was now closer, and the sight of torches in the distance immediately stirred her up. Catching her breath now was no longer an option. She had to keep moving.

  Follow the edge of the mountains and you’ll find a stream. Follow it! She vividly recalled Verkan's instructions. Terrain only got more and more difficult with each step so she figured she was on the right path.

  She then heard the cracking of branches again, now much closer than before. Nina turned immediately. Nothing. She gulped nervously, the clenching in her chest only growing tighter. She kept the pace, turning to check for even the slightest noise, only to find nothing.

  She heard the branches cracking again, now even louder. She turned immediately. Her eyes widened in horror.

  Oh, no!

  Nina raced. The Northmen had found her and were now chasing her like a pack of predators chasing down their prey. They found me! How?!

  She turned briefly. Four blurry silhouettes chased after her. They must have followed me! The world around her promptly vanished, her entire focus being solely on the narrow trail ahead.

  Her heart thumped, and her lungs pumped. Her feet moved on reflex, tearing through the woods as if the devil himself was after her. Her breathing was hard, and she panted so loudly that she wondered if they could hear her.

  Her mind raced just as fast as her heart, but there was no time to think. The Northmen were getting close. She spotted a rather broad chasm just a few yards ahead, and promptly jumped down the ravine without hesitation.

  Nina landed on the sandbank of a stream. A soft spot on the sand cushioned her fall. This has to be the stream Verkan mentioned! She jumped on her feet and promptly took cover against the cliffs.

  The Northmen soon caught up with her. She took a deep breath and watched them from below. She glimpsed the four figures again. She heard their murmur. They seemed confused. She had lost them for now. Good.

  But she couldn’t stay there forever. Nina took advantage of their confusion, and followed the stream down, trying to make as little noise as possible. She carried on until she no longer heard them.

  She spotted an old, giant log bridge over the stream connecting the chasm and quickly hid under it to catch her breath. Her body was starting to feel the effects of exhaustion. She rested against the banks briefly, praying that her pursuers had indeed lost her.

  Nina hid between the tangling roots and shut her eyes, clutching her legs in front of her tightly, trying to become as small as possible. All she could hear was the nightly choir of the forest but no sign of the Northmen.

  She waited for a few minutes that seemed hours. The area seemed safe for now. Nina crawled out from her spot, and followed the stream, as Verkan had said it would lead to the next village. The stream’s loud current and the wind howling through the forest came as a blessing, greatly helping to mask her trace.

  She was making steady progress until a rock tripped her, diving face-first into the waters. Nina got up instantly, shaking her head, and cleaning the mud out of her face. Damn it! The stream became deeper at this point, making it impossible to follow it.

  She scanned her surroundings, looking for a way out of the gulch. She spotted a narrow trail going up the ravine’s walls, and decided to climb it. She just reached the top when something suddenly splashed the waters below.

  Her heart jumped inside her chest. What was that?! She jumped behind nearby bushes, carefully looking over them but found nothing. She let out a loud sigh. She was about to get up when her fingers noticed something strange on the ground. She looked down to check what it was. She froze.

  It was a massive footprint.

  Now Nina began to panic. It wasn’t just any footprint. It was the dragon’s. She recognized it immediately. Just when she finally thought she was evading the Northmen, now some wild animal joined the chase?! Great, just great.

  Hearing distant voices again promptly stirred her up. Shit! Nina followed the narrow trail downhill. But her face met the ground after her entire leg fell into a deep hole in the ground. The whole forest cracked with the noise of broken branches under her body.

  Damn it! She cursed, her body aching. She looked down. Her leg just got stuck in a vermin’s den. She tried to stand but her clothes got tangled with the branches. She heard the voices getting closer.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Shit! Shit! Shit! Nina panicked. She froze, holding her breath, and watching in absolute horror as lit torches emerged from the woods, slowly walking down the trail towards her.

  There was nowhere to run.

  The torches’ light slowly cast away the darkness, revealing four Northmen clad in chainmail and swords in hand. The leading man didn’t see her until practically stumbling on her. He looked down, finding a pair of big, watery eyes staring at her. Her heart stopped.

  -“Den flicka,” he whispered.

  She ran. Her body moved on its own. The Northmen soon chased after her. She raced down the trail, dodging roots, and branches in her way, praying to the Gods that the Northmen would trip on them.

  She looked behind her and never saw the Northman that tackled her from the side. He pinned her to the ground, letting out a painful cry as the man’s weight crushed her.

  Nina tried to free herself but it was in vain. Soon the remaining Northmen caught up with them. Someone dragged her by the hair to a clearing at the side of the trail. A foot came from nowhere and kicked her in the stomach. Another one kicked her thighs and her back. They had her at their mercy.

  They had shown no mercy at the villages, so she expected to be killed soon. But they had something else in store for her. They lifted her off the ground. -“H?ll henne hart!” the eldest one commanded.

  The others complied immediately, each one restraining an arm. The sheer realization of what they were about to do filled her heart with disgust and despair. NO! The man began to unbutton her tunic, and ripped her clothes beneath, groping her body shamelessly.

  Nina fought back as hard as she could. She bit her captor’s hand only to earn a slap in the face. She then kicked the man trying to force her legs open in the face just to get a punch to her stomach.

  She then tried to reach the dagger in her boots in a last desperate attempt to free herself, or end her life before the Northmen had their way with her, but they had her firmly in their grasp.

  -“Vad g?r du?!” a young Nord boy yelled, trying to stop his brothers-in-arms. Everyone turned to him. They didn’t say a word but their eyes screamed for him to just shut up.

  He tried to pull their leader away from her only to earn an elbow to the face. -“Hall dig borta, Gonn!” the man yelled. She looked at him, their eyes locking just briefly. Sky blue eyes pleaded icy blue ones for mercy.

  The Nord boy gripped his sword but couldn’t bring himself to unsheathe it. They just stared at each other, weeping. He was simply too scared to stand up to his fellow Northmen. He couldn’t bear it any longer and looked away, horrified by what the others were about to do, but powerless to stop it.

  Her heart sank, and she finally gave in to despair. They were just seconds away from ravishing her. -“Please, No!” she implored, being just mocked with laughter. She then turned to the Nord boy. -“Please, help me!” she begged at him, but he just looked away, crying.

  Finally, she looked at the heavens and begged the Gods, putting all her anger, the fear, the sorrow, and despair into one last desperate prayer.

  Merciful Father, creator of all. Please, open your arms and receive this soul,

  They tore her last piece of clothing, spread her legs, and took her from her waist. Her spirit had completely left her as only a miracle could save her now. Nina let out a painful wail, cursing the heavens, and surrendering to her fate. Now death would be welcome.

  Her life flashed before her eyes. She saw the mother she never met, her mentor Verkan, and others she cared about that had left the mortal world. They were looking at her, waiting for her in the endless fields of Prydain. She begged their forgiveness as she would soon join them.

  CRACK!

  The Northman’s grip suddenly loosened and blood splattered all over her body. What just happened?! She hadn’t recovered from the shock when the Northman’s lifeless body fell between her legs and over her body, pinning her to the ground.

  Realizing she was covered with the insides of someone’s head hit her hard. A fist-sized rock just cracked open the Northman’s head, his brains pouring all over her through the massive opening. A mix of relief and horror filled her heart. What’s going on?!

  She couldn’t move. She could hardly breathe. The gory spectacle shook her to the core. The remaining Northmen were just as shocked. She felt their grip loosening, and she promptly pulled her arms free, wasting no time to push the dead body to the side purely by instinct.

  The Northmen immediately stood up and drew their swords, their confused screams echoing through the forest. They didn’t even bother to try to restrain her. Nina retreated until her back hit a tree, shielding her naked body with her arms.

  -“Show yourself, feg!” a Northman demanded, pointing his sword at the bushes. -“We know you are there!”

  A loud crack behind the bushes alerted the Northmen. There was someone else with them.

  -“Leave. Her. Alone,” a rough, raspy voice echoed in the dark.

  -“WHERE ARE YOU!” the Northman countered.

  What was that?! She wondered, feeling her body stirring up once more. Her fighting spirit slowly returned, filling her heart with righteous wrath. She was about to run when the unknown voice spoke again.

  -“LEAVE! HER! ALONE!” the voice roared.

  The sheer anger in the voice was evident. The Northmen braced themselves as they heard loud steps coming closer. Slowly, a short, hunched figure emerged from the shadows, standing still before the Northmen.

  Every jaw dropped. What in the name of the Gods?! Nina began to shake, not believing her eyes. The Northmen were just as shocked, the mere sight of it startling them even more. They had no idea what stood before them, but one thing was certain.

  A pair of giant, glowing eyes stared them down, and they weren’t human.

  -“En draken,” the Nord boy whispered, earning everyone’s attention. She couldn’t do anything but stare at the creature that had just saved her, instantly identifying it as the dragon that left the footprints at the town. I can’t believe it! It just talked!

  The dragon walked to the Northmen unhurriedly, stopping just a few feet from them, holding a head-sized rock in its massive hands, and growling short, crooked fangs.

  The Northmen pointed their swords at it. The creature responded by twisting its arms behind its back, and clenching its clawless hands into giant fists, crouching slightly, and pointing its broad tail upward as if ready to leap at any moment.

  She couldn’t watch, but couldn’t look away either, feeling the urge to witness what was about to happen. The remaining Northmen stood before her, and they wanted blood for their fallen brother. -“Kill that sucker!” one of them commanded.

  They charged with bloodthirsty rage, screaming a deafening war cry. The dragon stood still, waiting for them. They swung their swords wildly but hit nothing but thin air.

  The dragon dodged their charge effortlessly. It moved around so fast that they struggled to catch even a glimpse. They turned to face it but it was too late. He kicked one Northman in the chest so hard that it hurled him against a tree.

  A heinous sound cracked through the forest. The other Northman turned to his comrade, finding him twitching on the ground, just barely alive.

  He turned to the dragon again, and charged with deranged fury, launching blow after blow which the dragon dodged effortlessly. The dragon then leaped behind him in the blink of an eye, ready to strike.

  The Northman threw a sideswing but missed, hitting just air. The dragon just dodged the blow. He then rammed him in the stomach, sending him against a tree.

  The dragon leaped at him, throwing a barrage of fist blows in a snap, each blow so inhumanly strong that it dented his breastplate, and broke bones behind it.

  The Northman fell on his knees, throwing up blood all over. The dragon then finished him with a kick behind the head. The brutal blow cracked his skull open, splattering the contents all over the trail.

  The dragon then turned to the Nord boy. He could barely stand, shaking like a leaf after the massacre he just witnessed. The boy didn't stand for long, throwing his sword and making a run for his life.

  The dragon watched him run away but didn’t chase after him. He was no longer a threat. He never was. Nina let out a loud sigh of relief. The dragon turned to her immediately.

  Nina froze. Her breathing was laborious, and her heart pounded harder and harder as the dragon walked to her. She tried to cover her body with what was left of her clothes but it was all in vain, resigning to use her arms.

  Will it kill me too?! Will it eat me?! These thoughts raced through her mind. She just watched the dragon mangling grown men to death effortlessly. Right now she was just as terrified of it as she was from the Northmen.

  But part of her felt she could trust 'him'. As terrifying as it looked, it had saved her from the Northmen. She could swear she heard it talk. And if it talks, then it could understand her. If the dragon hasn’t killed her yet, there ought to be a reason.

  -“Please, don’t hurt me!” she pleaded, shaking nervously.

  Her body shook powerfully. Her heart beat so hard she feared it would burst out of her chest at any moment, desperately wishing to hear something, anything in return, and hoping that what it said before meant something more than just a predator claiming its prey.

  The dragon stood before her. She looked at its eyes but had to turn away. She couldn’t bear the intensity of its stare, feeling each beating of her heart like an eternity.

  She then felt a gentle hit on her feet. Did he just kick me?! She felt it again as if the dragon tried to get her attention. Her whimpering halted immediately. She slowly gathered the courage to look up at him. By the Gods!

  She couldn’t believe her eyes.

  He had crouched before her, extending one of its massive hands to her, its bright yellow eyes looking through hers with care. -“I ain’t gonna hurt ya,” he said tenderly, grinning crooked little fangs. -“Dem won’t hurt ya anymore,”

  Nina couldn’t help herself any longer and finally let the waterfalls flow as overwhelming relief washed over her. She jumped at him and let herself weep onto his chest, sobbing powerfully as all the pent-up fear, and despair left her heart and soul.

  She threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. She thanked the Gods and her ancestors for answering her prayers. -“Thank you!” she said between sobs. The Gods do act in mysterious ways! -“Thank you so much!”

  The dragon just stared at her completely at a loss, awkwardly holding her in his arms, and letting her weep into his chest, patting her on the back, not knowing what else to do.

  As Nina kept whimpering in unknown arms, she couldn’t help but wonder about the dragon that saved her from a harrowing end. She thanked the Gods once again, feeling immensely relieved to be alive, unharmed, and that the nightmare was finally over.

  But little did she know this wasn’t the end.

  It was just the beginning.