Awakening

 At first, all I could remember was pain.  It was all I could hear, all I could smell, and all I could see, I could even taste it.  I wallowed in a universe of agony.  Molten lightning coursed through every inch of my existence and everything else ceased to be.  Yet after an eternity of suffering the pain began to ebb in a slow throbbing trickle reality came back; the feeling of hot stone against my back, the cool pommel of a sword at my finger tips, and the taste of warm blood in my mouth.  An immense weight pressed down on my chest and legs.  I painfully mustered the strength to roll the armored body off of me.  As I moved to sit up I realized my left arm would not move.  The sight of my own mangled limb made me retch.  Blood oozed from numerous tears in the flesh and the bones had been broken in at least three places. I struggled to my feet, drenched in sweat and blood, clutching the broken remains of a sword in my good hand.  My helmet was nowhere to be found and the cracking of dried blood on my armor greeted my ears with every movement.  My vision swam in the horrible pain throbbing from my head.

                I stood, bewildered by the scene before me.  War surged on across the jagged black rock stretching from horizon to horizon.  All around me the sounds of battle echoed off the wide valley walls.  Blood gurgled in dying throats, while steel weapons rent armor and cracked bones, tearing flesh accompanied with screams of anger and agony.  Arrows whistled overhead like an angry insect swarm.  The stench of soot, sweat and death assaulted my nostrils as I gazed through the smoke and dust in disbelief.  Everything felt so far away.  Imagery akin to nightmare swallowed my mind.  I was paralyzed by the terrible immensity of the event I had been thrust into.  And thinking about it, I could not remember why I was here.

                Time froze as I pondered the thousand questions that suddenly flooded my mind.  Who are these people?  Which side am I on?  Where is this place?  Questions crashed in my mind like waves on an empty beach; each one more bewildering and frightening than the last.  I would get more answers from the patient vultures circling above than from my own thoughts.  My entire memory seemed to have been wiped clean. I couldn’t even remember my own name much less what I was doing here.  This frozen instant in time was shattered by an angry cry behind me.  I wheeled to see two men holding spears charging toward me.  Looking down at the broken weapon in my hand it dawned on me, this is going to be a very bad day.

                Though I don’t remember obtaining it, I had some knowledge of combat, and as I faced the charge I prepared for the attack about to come.  Out of nowhere, both men were swept to the side by a blow from a massive war hammer in the hands of a mountain of a man.  He stood at least seven feet tall and his rippling physique was apparent even underneath his armor.  I shuddered at the thought of the strength he must possess to wield such a weapon.  Cair, the name shot into my mind like a flare.  I wasn’t sure why or how I knew his name. 

                “Well we seem to have found ourselves quite a pickle now haven’t we?” he said turning toward me with a slight grin. “You always seem to find a way to get into trou…” his words trailed off in shock as he stared at the broken weapon in my hand, mouth slightly agape. 

                I didn’t have much time to ponder his awe as a woman clad completely in green leather, with blue markings on her face and hands leapt over our heads, holding a long thin staff.  I turned just in time to see her dispatch a man behind us with a deft blow to the temple.  Eithne, I knew her name as well, but why?  She turned towards us with an angry glower saying, “Eyes open boys we wouldn’t want one of these kind gentlemen to put a sword in your gut.”   Her face blanched as she noticed the remains of my arm and opened her mouth to speak again but Cair pointed to the sword in my hand and she fell silent in shock. 

                Their silence and distraction concerned me; it was just a sword, wasn’t it? I was not granted the chance to pose the question.  A massive creature smashed into the three of us sending us sprawling onto the ground.  I looked up to a sight that haunts my mind even unto this day.  A massive black dragon settled onto the ground with a thunderous roar.  Muscles tensed under its scaly hide and wicked horns swept back from the reptilian scull, while massive leathery wings folded to its side.  A thick tail lined with long spines swept back and forth like some monstrous cat preparing to pounce.  A man in full plate mail, blacker than the night sky, sat in a saddle on its back, holding long reins attached to the shoulders of the enormous beast.  The dragon’s long neck arched back and a dark red light shone from its eyes. 

With a cry, and a movement very quick for such a large man, Cair kicked Eithne with both feet, sending her rolling out of the way, and rolled away himself hauling me with him.  Fire boiled from the dragon’s throat bathing the rock we had just been laying on, heating it instantly to a dull red glow.  Cair clambered to his feet, blinding pain roared through my shoulder as he crushed my arm into the rock, and leapt at the beast, hammer raised above his head.     His attack halted midair as if some invisible giant caught him by the neck.   The armored man held his hand at arm’s length clenched in a tight fist while Cair clawed at his own throat and his feet swung helplessly through empty air.

Then Eithne was there.  Sailing through the air, she slammed her staff into the man’s helmet knocking him from his fearsome perch.  Cair fell heavily to the ground coughing uncontrollably.  She landed catlike beside him and raised her weapon to strike the prone form.  A large black claw swung down upon her, sending the staff clattering harmlessly away, and pinning her to the rocky ground. With a roar the man in black swept to his feet, drawing a large axe from his back. 

As he approached Eithne’s struggling form, Cair rushed to his feet and charged at the man abandoning his hammer on the ground.  This attack was cut short as the dragon’s tail swept into his chest.  A wet, red spine erupted from his back as Cair was lifted from his feet and flung against the rocks.   Eithne’s scream rent the crisp night air as Cair’s body slumped onto the ground. 

The man watched the scene silently and approached Eithne at a cool walk.  As the axe rose high above his head, our eyes met.  I could feel the malice in that look.   I could sense the pleasure he took in my anguish.  It was because of that look, a look I had seen only once before, that I remembered everything.

Reviews

[Amanda Jane]

I hate that you kept the word "pickle," sir. But I can respect your preferences.

[deeps]

Whoa! very suspenseful I like it so far, Wonderful action in this as well.
You are very creative, I hope to read more from you.