008 I was depending on you
Prompt: 008 I was depending on you
Universe: Original: tevin_rasku
Genre(s): Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Warnings: Gore.
Words: 1,480
A/N: This is an older prompt, but kabochan's comment to this post made me realize I really should write the scene that comes after it. So...I did. And here it is.
Dario had not slept well. He couldn't get his commanders to agree on what to do next and he couldn't ignore the anxiety he felt. Especially since Tevin had showed considerable promise, but only rebuffed every offer Dario made. If he couldn't even get the commanders to agree on a plan of attack, they would never take back Tugar. It would forever stay in the hands of the Guild, all because of the Merchant's Council. The foolish old men had spoiled everything. He was king, his word was law! Or it had been. They bowed their heads and said the proper words, but it was obvious that they didn't think of him like they had his father. He had lost the throne, lost the country, and gone to war after his parents were assassinated. As far as the rumors went, he was a failure of a prince. He should have been a king, now. And all he had was his ramshackle army encampment.
He had brooded most of the night and then gotten out of bed once it was evident he wasn't going to get much sleep at all. Dario had always been poor at his military studies and it had become apparent after the slaughter by the Guild that even his teachers knew very little of war. Had his people simply been peaceful for too long? Dario rubbed at his eyes and sighed, closing the schematics book he had been staring at for the past hour. Nothing had been particularly enlightening or logical to him. How did Pemato, Yanti, and Ginar read these things?
Rising to his feet, Dario stretched his arms over his head and glanced at his bed. Perhaps he was tired enough to try and get some sleep. The sun had only just risen - perhaps he could be excused for a few hours before the great debate between his commanders began again. He pulled up the bottom of his tunic, but nearly lost his footing when he heard a sound akin to an enormous boulder falling from the sky. Apparently whatever had hit the ground had been close. Yells sounded throughout the camp and Dario let his tunic drop, grabbing his sword from his bed and sprinting out of his tent. Sleep was out of the question now.
The camp had still mostly been asleep, so only a small crowd had swarmed outside to see the commotion. Dario had thought he was used to dragons by now, but the sight of Tevin's beast baring its teeth and advancing towards him was intimidating.
"It killed someone!" a yell went out.
"The dragon's gone free!"
"We're all doomed!"
Of course these soldiers were too disorganized to stand their ground against a dragon. Dario himself was still frozen in place and tensed as the large, reptilian eyes swiveled to meet his own. For a moment, he thought he heard a voice in his head.
Help, it said.
Before he could be sure of what he heard mortal terror swept over him and Dario struggled to keep his body from trembling. He gasped and stumbled back a step, his sword still in hand as he watched the dragon look away from him and continue to look around the camp. The small crowd had dispersed and a handful rushed past him in different states of undress. With most of the people out of his way Dario could finally see the dragon's forepaw better and he put a hand to his mouth. There was indeed a bloody corpse there. One with long brown hair, if he wasn't mistaken. One that looked a lot like...
Tevin.
Dario tried to steady himself and gaped at the scene. All of his vague plans to gain Tevin's help now seemed all for naught. In mad moments, Dario had considered forcing Tevin for advice, but now it was pointless. The dragon had gone and killed him. And would soon kill them all, if it had its way.
Which it should have by now. Dario narrowed his eyes and regained more of his composure, taking a few wary steps closer to the dragon. The camp had cleared entirely around the beast and it stood there with Tevin's body cradled in its paw, eyes searching over the camp as it panted for air. The wings had drooped to the ground and the occasional muscle twitched as if exhausted.
Did it save his life? Dario wondered, walking towards the dragon. Is it trying to save him now?
The approach caught the dragon's attention and the bright eyes focused on Dario's face before drifting to the sword he still held. The lips curled up and it lifted Tevin higher from the ground, almost as if it were trying to cradle him against its chest. Dario slowed his pace and glanced down at his sword. Did the dragon think he was going to hurt Tevin? The protective gaze and posture it was displaying made sense if that were the case.
"I want to help him," Dario said, crouching down and setting his sword on the ground. He kept his eyes on the dragon and stood again as its expression calmed. He took a few more steps forward and was reassured when the dragon not only watched him anxiously, but held out Tevin's body to him. "He's still alive, then?"
The nod that the dragon gave him startled him and Dario swallowed hard, continuing his approach. "I need the healers!" he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth in the hopes that his camp hadn't all fled too far to hear him. Hearing some scampering, he continued to the dragon and reeled back from the overpowering stench of blood.
Shallow movement in Tevin's chest was the only sign of life that Dario could see and it was with trembling nerves that he stopped next to the enormous dragon's paw. The fingers uncurled far enough to give Dario easier access to Tevin's body and it made loud exhalations akin to nervous horses. Dario put out his arms and tried to slide his hands underneath Tevin's body, but quickly shuddered as Tevin's arm fell and looked distinctly broken. The blood was quickly staining Dario's clothing and the smell was getting to him. Could he even help him? Wouldn't he just hurt Tevin worse by trying to move him and dropping him? Could he carry him? Dario had never been the strongest man.
"Healers, I say!" Dario spun around and yelled at the camp, glad that his voice had not trembled.
He smiled when a group of men rounded the corner, one of the scouts leading them. He could see at least three of his healers running to keep up and two other soldiers holding a gurney. The dragon lifted its head higher and stopped the group dead in their tracks with its attentiveness.
"Don't mind the dragon, just hurry!" Dario sputtered, trying not to look down at the blood that had seeped into his tunic sleeves.
"R-right, M'lord!" the scout said and led the group.
Dario stood aside when they arrived and merely watched as the healers cursorily examined Tevin before three of them took him from the dragon's paw and placed him in the gurney,the soldiers carrying him away quickly. The scout and healers followed, sparing Dario a bob of their heads.
Tevin was out of sight soon enough and Dario looked up at the dragon's head. How had the beast withstood so much blood? Weren't they bloodthirsty carnivores? It apparently felt his gaze and met his eyes again, the sheer size becoming more apparent as the head and neck loomed over him. Dario audibly gasped. It closed its eyes for a moment and then gently set its bloody paw on the ground, taking slow steps backwards. It dipped its head at him before lifting the neck high and watching something in the distance. Dario presumed it was Tevin.
A safe distance from him now, the dragon flopped down onto its belly and rested its head on its paws. It still breathed heavily and closed its eyes, folding the wings up tighter to its side. Dario watched it and looked back towards the camp, his eyes falling on the small puddle of blood that had formed where the paw had held Tevin. It was unlikely he would survive, having lost this much blood.
What had happened to him? Dario spared the dragon one more glance and then went to retrieve his sword, wandering back to his tent lost in thought. Whatever had injured Tevin so badly would have to be a powerful foe indeed. Was it so powerful that it could stand against Tevin, Dario and the army? Dario considered his options, and they all seemed very bleak without Tevin's support. He had to live and he had to be persuaded to join the cause, or this campaign would already be lost.
Universe: Original: tevin_rasku
Genre(s): Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Warnings: Gore.
Words: 1,480
A/N: This is an older prompt, but kabochan's comment to this post made me realize I really should write the scene that comes after it. So...I did. And here it is.
Dario had not slept well. He couldn't get his commanders to agree on what to do next and he couldn't ignore the anxiety he felt. Especially since Tevin had showed considerable promise, but only rebuffed every offer Dario made. If he couldn't even get the commanders to agree on a plan of attack, they would never take back Tugar. It would forever stay in the hands of the Guild, all because of the Merchant's Council. The foolish old men had spoiled everything. He was king, his word was law! Or it had been. They bowed their heads and said the proper words, but it was obvious that they didn't think of him like they had his father. He had lost the throne, lost the country, and gone to war after his parents were assassinated. As far as the rumors went, he was a failure of a prince. He should have been a king, now. And all he had was his ramshackle army encampment.
He had brooded most of the night and then gotten out of bed once it was evident he wasn't going to get much sleep at all. Dario had always been poor at his military studies and it had become apparent after the slaughter by the Guild that even his teachers knew very little of war. Had his people simply been peaceful for too long? Dario rubbed at his eyes and sighed, closing the schematics book he had been staring at for the past hour. Nothing had been particularly enlightening or logical to him. How did Pemato, Yanti, and Ginar read these things?
Rising to his feet, Dario stretched his arms over his head and glanced at his bed. Perhaps he was tired enough to try and get some sleep. The sun had only just risen - perhaps he could be excused for a few hours before the great debate between his commanders began again. He pulled up the bottom of his tunic, but nearly lost his footing when he heard a sound akin to an enormous boulder falling from the sky. Apparently whatever had hit the ground had been close. Yells sounded throughout the camp and Dario let his tunic drop, grabbing his sword from his bed and sprinting out of his tent. Sleep was out of the question now.
The camp had still mostly been asleep, so only a small crowd had swarmed outside to see the commotion. Dario had thought he was used to dragons by now, but the sight of Tevin's beast baring its teeth and advancing towards him was intimidating.
"It killed someone!" a yell went out.
"The dragon's gone free!"
"We're all doomed!"
Of course these soldiers were too disorganized to stand their ground against a dragon. Dario himself was still frozen in place and tensed as the large, reptilian eyes swiveled to meet his own. For a moment, he thought he heard a voice in his head.
Help, it said.
Before he could be sure of what he heard mortal terror swept over him and Dario struggled to keep his body from trembling. He gasped and stumbled back a step, his sword still in hand as he watched the dragon look away from him and continue to look around the camp. The small crowd had dispersed and a handful rushed past him in different states of undress. With most of the people out of his way Dario could finally see the dragon's forepaw better and he put a hand to his mouth. There was indeed a bloody corpse there. One with long brown hair, if he wasn't mistaken. One that looked a lot like...
Tevin.
Dario tried to steady himself and gaped at the scene. All of his vague plans to gain Tevin's help now seemed all for naught. In mad moments, Dario had considered forcing Tevin for advice, but now it was pointless. The dragon had gone and killed him. And would soon kill them all, if it had its way.
Which it should have by now. Dario narrowed his eyes and regained more of his composure, taking a few wary steps closer to the dragon. The camp had cleared entirely around the beast and it stood there with Tevin's body cradled in its paw, eyes searching over the camp as it panted for air. The wings had drooped to the ground and the occasional muscle twitched as if exhausted.
Did it save his life? Dario wondered, walking towards the dragon. Is it trying to save him now?
The approach caught the dragon's attention and the bright eyes focused on Dario's face before drifting to the sword he still held. The lips curled up and it lifted Tevin higher from the ground, almost as if it were trying to cradle him against its chest. Dario slowed his pace and glanced down at his sword. Did the dragon think he was going to hurt Tevin? The protective gaze and posture it was displaying made sense if that were the case.
"I want to help him," Dario said, crouching down and setting his sword on the ground. He kept his eyes on the dragon and stood again as its expression calmed. He took a few more steps forward and was reassured when the dragon not only watched him anxiously, but held out Tevin's body to him. "He's still alive, then?"
The nod that the dragon gave him startled him and Dario swallowed hard, continuing his approach. "I need the healers!" he called out, cupping his hands around his mouth in the hopes that his camp hadn't all fled too far to hear him. Hearing some scampering, he continued to the dragon and reeled back from the overpowering stench of blood.
Shallow movement in Tevin's chest was the only sign of life that Dario could see and it was with trembling nerves that he stopped next to the enormous dragon's paw. The fingers uncurled far enough to give Dario easier access to Tevin's body and it made loud exhalations akin to nervous horses. Dario put out his arms and tried to slide his hands underneath Tevin's body, but quickly shuddered as Tevin's arm fell and looked distinctly broken. The blood was quickly staining Dario's clothing and the smell was getting to him. Could he even help him? Wouldn't he just hurt Tevin worse by trying to move him and dropping him? Could he carry him? Dario had never been the strongest man.
"Healers, I say!" Dario spun around and yelled at the camp, glad that his voice had not trembled.
He smiled when a group of men rounded the corner, one of the scouts leading them. He could see at least three of his healers running to keep up and two other soldiers holding a gurney. The dragon lifted its head higher and stopped the group dead in their tracks with its attentiveness.
"Don't mind the dragon, just hurry!" Dario sputtered, trying not to look down at the blood that had seeped into his tunic sleeves.
"R-right, M'lord!" the scout said and led the group.
Dario stood aside when they arrived and merely watched as the healers cursorily examined Tevin before three of them took him from the dragon's paw and placed him in the gurney,the soldiers carrying him away quickly. The scout and healers followed, sparing Dario a bob of their heads.
Tevin was out of sight soon enough and Dario looked up at the dragon's head. How had the beast withstood so much blood? Weren't they bloodthirsty carnivores? It apparently felt his gaze and met his eyes again, the sheer size becoming more apparent as the head and neck loomed over him. Dario audibly gasped. It closed its eyes for a moment and then gently set its bloody paw on the ground, taking slow steps backwards. It dipped its head at him before lifting the neck high and watching something in the distance. Dario presumed it was Tevin.
A safe distance from him now, the dragon flopped down onto its belly and rested its head on its paws. It still breathed heavily and closed its eyes, folding the wings up tighter to its side. Dario watched it and looked back towards the camp, his eyes falling on the small puddle of blood that had formed where the paw had held Tevin. It was unlikely he would survive, having lost this much blood.
What had happened to him? Dario spared the dragon one more glance and then went to retrieve his sword, wandering back to his tent lost in thought. Whatever had injured Tevin so badly would have to be a powerful foe indeed. Was it so powerful that it could stand against Tevin, Dario and the army? Dario considered his options, and they all seemed very bleak without Tevin's support. He had to live and he had to be persuaded to join the cause, or this campaign would already be lost.