Ch 15: The Encounter
Imported from SF2 with no description.
The sun was dipping down from the precipice of it's arch in the green sky above, we'd been flying for what felt like an entire day, but it seemed to be just a couple hours past noon, I was still growing accustomed to the span of the days in this realm. The daunting view below had not changed much which didn't help the feeling of flying in place, a vast cover of jungle spread in all directions. At one point I remember viewing plain fields with cattle roaming around, I ordered Calamity to grab one for our meal for the day. I was still mentally grumbling over the disobedience from my mates, but I couldn't deny at least their loyalty and concern towards me was something to appreciate. Perhaps my ego and pride were more torn than I thought they were, the cost of this mateship I imagine yet absolutely worth while!
My attention was drawn to a slight change in the sea of green below, off just towards the horizon, the temple was coming into sight! Finally, I can see something other than trees. Several totem like towers stretched into the sky. The white marble construction seemed to be both swallowed by a mass of plant life and buried in the small mountain it stood upon. Our destination was upon us!
As we begin to close the gap an enormous dark shadow casts over me, glancing up I see a swirling of dark ominous clouds forming right above us, at first I'd thought it was my sire checking up on us for the delay but it was far too soon, plus he'd never come himself, rather send a lackey, and seeing the supernaturally gathering blackness, I was momentarily confounded by the phenomenon.
A thunderous cry rang out overhead from the foreboding clouds before a flash of green burst out of the swelling darkness. Before I can rationalise what I am dealing with, a streak of blackness within the blur of colour gives me barely a glance at a talon before a plume of red blood sprays as it strikes at Calamity's back. He'd been just as dumbfounded at the phenomenon above as I, and before he could manoeuvre away, he'd been struck.
The green dragon careens over to one side, having started to turn away as the lightning fast enemy had struck towards him, crying out in pain as he began to hurtle towards the ground, still clutching tightly on the cows corpse. I couldn't even signal before Inferno dove immediately down after Calamity, while I'd not signalled her to do so the thought had flashed through my mind and I could tell, somehow, she'd picked up on that and acted immediately on it.
As Inferno dives down I look up to the climbing creature contrasting against the dark clouds, shimmering almost emerald green scales covered the length of it's long serpentine body, contrasting to its body, it's broad red feathered wings easily caught the up drafts of winds aiding the storms growth. The feathers were also just as apparent on the tail of the creature but there was no denying it, with a single pair of short forearms, a serpents body with feathered wings, there was surely no doubt, this was Quetzalcoatl.
Quetzalcoatl! Surely not? The serpent from the swamp did warn me so. Yet the Archives state Quetzalcoatl was slain aeons ago. Surely this serpentine was an impersonator? If not, this brings a major problem to our extraction, along with many questions. Like how is Quetzalcoatl now alive? Does he know of our extraction? Perhaps we were a convenient passing prey to snack upon? No, he hadn't followed through for the kill...This was a warning.
The agony of Calamity's pain finally filters its way through the adrenaline of the attack as my mind races for answers, I needed to retaliate! I shake my head, cursing myself for the distracting train of thought and begin to inhale to use my breath, but my target was far beyond my attack range. Surely I'd not hovered in place pondering upon the creature for that long? Is this beast really so fast? Another confounded question.
If my assumption of the attack being a warning was correct, at least the creature should not bother us for a while. Right now my priority was Calamity whose pain intensified in my mind with our empathic connection of mateship, though it was more than just the wing now, my shoulder, chest and side ached with a phantom pain, as if deeply bruised. With one last glance at the mighty serpent, I dive down to join the other two.