203 - “Stones and Rocks” - Karendle - A Tale of Heroes

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Oh, Creator! Save me! We’re all gonna die! Karendle huddled low behind a stone broken off of one of the pillars lining the bridge. Her breathing was shallow, and her hands and forearms covered her head. Heat and smoke from the flames down the walkway blended with the steam drifting from the pools and the cold winter wind flowing down the canyon. It all made her sweaty face shiver. Her legs shook, curled up to her chest, unable to stand and run. Another growl from the dragon’s throat chilled her spine and made her cower tighter against the stone. It didn’t really provide much cover, but it was all she had.

The dragon took a step forward, and the bridge shook underneath her. It’s a dragon! We are all gonna die! I can’t look. When it had landed on the bridge, it had knocked over several of the pillars on the side like they were candles on a tabletop. Its wings had swept over her and sent her sprawling. As panic gripped her, she had crawled toward the fallen column to hide as best she could.

Now, she just lay on the cold stone of the bridge and felt waves of fear rush over her. Her heart was racing. Or is it stopped? She couldn’t tell. She kept her eyes closed tight and tried to suck in a breath. Her chest muscles were too tense, and she only gasped and coughed. Her hands were clenched so tight that her fingers ached. They each gripped something, but she wasn’t aware of what. It was hard and cold, like stone.

She brought her hands forward, before her face and opened them slightly, looking in her palms. My oculi! She held her two stones, one blue, the other a mix of green and brown.

She could hear shouting, now--  Thissraelle’s and Eddiwarth’s voices. Thissraelle’s father was calling out again as well. The bridge stone below her shook again. Karendle raised her head over the fallen pillar to look. Way up above her was the scaly chest and neck of the beast. Where’s Thissraelle? I can’t see her!

Off to her left was a conflagration making a thick, dark smoke blow her way. Across the bridge, through the smoke, she saw Parith standing with his bow drawn. His aim was fluid, in motion, trying to track the movements of the dragon’s head. He shot, and Karendle saw it bounce off the scales of its face. Parith quickly drew another and loosed it, making the dragon blink. It turned its head and snarled at him, lifting a foot to try and sweep him off the bridge.

Karendle rolled onto her back and focused her will on the boulder she’d been hiding behind. She thrust her arms out and the stone flew up under her power and caught the dragon on the underside of its jaw. Its head jerked back, then snaked toward her, it’s angry eyes flaring and its fanged mouth wide open. She quickly launched a second stone at it, which it easily dodged. A dark greenish-gray fog began to form in its mouth, burping and bubbling out from around its tongue.

Oh, that’s not good. She scrambled to her feet, then reached out with her will to one of the pillars that still remained standing. With a grunt she tried to move it with the mental oculus, but was surprised when it held firm in place.

The dragon sucked in a breath. I can’t break it off!

In a sudden flash of inspiration, she swept the nature oculus forward, cleanly slicing the pillar off near its base. With blue mental oculus in her other hand, she swung it like a giant club at the dragon. It hit the neck, just below the head, knocking it sideways and making it stumble.

It coughed and sputtered. Karendle was gasping for air as well, and the smoke from the fire was burning her lungs. She stepped away to find cleaner air.

The dragon lifted its foreleg and snapped it forward, trying to grab her in its sword-claws. Karendle jumped back to avoid the blow, but slipped on a loose stone and lost her balance. She fell, and her thigh hit the railing of the bridge. She felt herself tumble off the bridge and twisted, trying desperately to grab for the railing. She was already too far off, and her oculi flew from her hands. She fell spinning, screaming into the canyon and the steamy cloud below.

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This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing. If you like this story, support us at our Patreon!
Thank you: Chet Cox, Genevieve Springer!

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