Cursed Blessing

Days began to run together as the group traveled higher into the mountains. The large forms loomed over their heads. A sense of unease had been growing the last few causing Brina and Christian to be at ease with everyone because neither could find the source. The group traveled more until the sun began to set then found a good place to camp. It was an area where their backs were protected by stone and could see any approach easily. They sat quietly listening and eating.



A light came from nowhere and everyone collapsed on the ground. They were paralyzed, they could hear and see but no matter how they tried their bodies would not move.



Her heart raced in fear of how quickly the attack had come. She laid next to Christian, listening for their attacker. Only someone very powerful could only throw such magic to take out everyone at once.



Another bright light made her eye water and lose focus. Then a man stood in the middle of camp, he looked around and chuckled. The man wore a black robe, golden wrist and ankle guards. A great staff in one hand.



“Well well well…” he said as he walked around the group and poked some of the warriors with his staff just for fun. “What do we have here? Little piggy’s ready for slaughter.”



Her mind race trying to think of something that would free her or Christian, but nothing came. Her hands were useless and she could not speak.



The black robed figure stopped by Christian and she saw him raise his staff and swing hard. He hit him several times. Her wolf snarled and fought, wanting to protect her mate, but she couldn’t change. The sound of wood striking flesh made a sickening sound in the night air.



“You’re a pathetic creature you know that? I don’t even understand what she sees in you” the man in the robe said.



When she heard the man\'s words she knew who it was, there was only one who would speak with so much venom. Freya\'s husband. She struggled more trying to fight against the spell.



The man noticed her struggles and looked at her. “Your women are pretty good looking though; I might just be able to use her. And don’t bother, that spell is far beyond anyone on this world.”



She panted and glared at him. He approached her. She saw his face filled with malice, hatred and anger. Bending over he grabbed her roughly tossing her over his shoulder, giving her backside a good smack.



“Very nice, I am really going to enjoy her” he said and walked off, he stopped for a moment and looked at Christian. “And don’t get up, I know my own way out” he grinned and vanished into thin air.



Her mind raced at the thoughts of what he might do to her. They appeared high in the mountains; the wind chilled her as it blew over them. He walked forward and they were swallowed by darkness. It took some time for her eyes to adjust, when she realized they were in a cave. The smells attacking her made her stomach roll. Decay, sulfur and who knew what else filled the air.

He tossed her on a stone slab just in front of a pool of lava. Her head bounced off the rock causing pain to fill her.



“Have fun getting to know my little friend” he moved his hand in front of him once to release the spell and vanished.



She rolled from the slab onto the floor and crouched there, listening. She peaked over the stone and saw nothing. Gaining her feet she ran back the way the wizard had come. She didn’t know who his little friend was but she was not going to wait and see.



Christian and the men regained their control of their bodies and in that instance Christian took to the chase. His body changed rapidly as he ran. Not really knowing where he was going but he would find her now matter what it took.



She was almost to the entrance when she heard wings, a hard thump, and rocks being crushed. She froze her eyes darted looking for somewhere to hide. A large rock that had fallen from somewhere was not far from her; she ran to it and slid behind it. She had to squeeze in, and then held her breath.



The massive black dragon ducked inside the cave, snorted and scented the air. Slowly it moved its weight further, rocks moved, things crunched. Brina stood behind the rock, mumbling a spell trying to keep her scent hidden. The dragon sniffed the rock and nudged it. Brina held her breath again, but the dragon moved on. Brina peaked around at it. It was black as a moonless night; its body was massive barely fitting into the cave. It laid there with its tail swishing back and forth in the entrance. Brina watched it trying to guess if she could time it just right and slip by.



Christian had lost her scent and it was making him frustrated. He closed his eyes and whispered her name. “Freya”



Freya appeared but had an annoyed look on her face. "What now? I am very busy."



“Yeah, so is the kidnapper that just took your maiden” he looked angrly at her.



She stiffened and tilted her head as if listening for something Rage filled her and she screeched. "Oh how dare him." Then she stopped and began to laugh. "The fool."



“Don’t pop a vein, just point me at the direction and I will get her myself. We don’t want you to dirty your hands or break any of your nails”

She glared at him. "She\'s up in the higher elevation in a cave" She flicked her hand in the general direction.



“Alright, why don’t you tell me who I am killing? ”



She smiled. "My husband. He’s the wizard, the fool trapped himself there. Hmmm..." she tapped her lip. "Ohh the sneak he has a dragon."



“A dragon? I thought they were extinct”



"Well apparently not. He found one somewhere and this one is very angry."



“Probably put a curse on it too” he took off without even saying good bye.



She sniffed. "Ungrateful" then vanished



Brina checked the head of the dragon. It neck was stretched, the head lying on the floor. It seemed to be resting. She made her break, carefully watching where she stepped trying not to make a sound. As she got closer to the entrance and the large tail, it suddenly stopped, she bolted but before she could get passed the tail swung back with force, catching her on the side and tossed her sideways into the rock wall. She screamed, until the force of the hit knocked the wind from her. She slid down the wall feeling the rock tear her clothes and skin. She couldn’t move, she was so stunned. Next thing she knew the massive head of the dragon was above her. Brina’s body began to shake when she heard the dragon intake deeply. She threw up her hands with a spell of protection just as it breathed fire down on her. The heat was intense; she could feel her hands blister even with the protection. When the flames stopped, she changed and ran as fast as she could back further into the cave. She could hear the dragon turn and give chase.



He could smell the aftermath of the fire and the smoke coming from the cave. He was sprinting with all his might towards the entrance and it wasn’t long until he came to the mouth of the cave and saw the dragon moving further into the cave. He howled loudly to get its attention.



Both heard his howl. The dragon swung its head around to look at him. It let out a roar then inhaled and blew flames at the new intruder at its back. Brina had stopped trying to catch her breath. Her ribs and arm hurt, no doubt broken but when she had change they were partially healed.



He dodged behind a big rock, the fire sprayed out of the cave out into the open. When the fire stopped, he stepped out and looked at the dragon. “You better let her go or I will rip your skin off your bones”



The dragon turned, growled and snapped its jaws. Brina started to make her way slowly back, when the dragon’s tail hit the wall and ceiling, causing rock and sand to collapse. She leapt backwards, causing pain to erupt from her body. The debris partially blocked her passage. The dragon dropped its head and charged at Christian.

Christian dug his feet to the rock, as the dragon opened its jaws to eat him; he jumped on top of the dragons head and started to run down the length of the dragon.



With the forward movement the dragon had achieved it pushed rubble forward trying to stop. It felt him run down his back, it snapped its tail.



The tail hit him straight on and it made him fling up in the air.



It turned quickly and approached where Christian had landed, stalking him slowly, its head low, tail twitching.



Brina climbed the rubble to the top, managing to peaked out the small opening and saw the dragon approaching Christian. She growled and barked, tried to push through. The dragons head snapped up looked at her then back at Christian.



Christian saw his chance and moved quickly, charging the dragon aiming for its head.



The dragon backed away from him. Snapping and swinging its head trying to catch him in its jaws.



Brina scratched and pulled against the stones trying to make the hole larger.



The dragon backed its way out of the cave, once clear it snapped open its wings and took flight.

Christian had to grabbed hold of big scale on her back to keep himself from falling off and to his death, carefully he climbed up the neck and soon found himself on top of her head.



It shook its head, gaining more height, and then rolled trying to dislodge its unwanted passenger.



Brina finally got the hole large enough to pass her human self through. She scrambled and rolled down the other side. Gaining her feet and ran to the entrance. She looked frantically for them both.



He held on to one of the horns on her head and was about to punch through one of her eyes when the head snapped and his grip wasn’t enough to keep him on the dragon. He tumbled and bumped down the back of the dragon. His claws scratching to regain grip on the scales but it wasn’t enough, soon there was nothing but air for his body to tumble into. He was falling rapidly the rocks of the mountain was rushing towards him welcoming his death.