Ch 18: The Sentinel
Imported from SF2 with no description.
The three of us took nary more than a few moments to devise a plan, rather than rushing headlong into battle, while keeping in mind how long the kobold down below could manage to outrun their pursuer. Moving quickly with plan in mind, Inferno and I launched from the top of the hill to engage our assailant head on, drawing attention and giving hopeful reprieve to the kobold. Calamity, still unable to fly, would have to charge down the slope and play catch up, but with the creatures attention on myself and Inferno, he should be able to sneak around. If our assailant was distracted enough, the green dragon may be able to surprise our opponent.
Inferno's feelings of courage inspired my own, while Calamity felt dismay after mentioning he felt useless to us, which bothered me greatly. I should have squashed such doubt with some supportive words, considering his breath attack would have been most useful in this scenario. However now was not the right time, not if we wanted to save that kobold. I noticed dull grey clouds were beginning to slowly formed overhead. Was Quetzalcoatl nearby? Let's hope not for our sakes.
By the time we got in sight of the kobold, she had tripped and landed face first into the muddy grass field. She was just rolling onto her back, to notice her chaser was still rapidly gaining on her and triggered her to try to scurry backwards, her fright only churning up the mud below her. The metal biped took a telling step forwards as it flung its flail at full force towards the kobold, who realized she needed to put her whole body in to twist away, thankfully missing as she rolled out of the way just in time.
I felt Inferno's anxiety and Calamity's fright for her survival, while I felt some kind of relief, otherwise I knew my mates would hold me responsible for not acting sooner. I moved my focus to our target, the metal biped, whom had their back to us, having yet to notice us as it dragged the chain spike ball back for a second strike. Inferno and I were still some distance away. So much for our aerial surprise attack. I roar with great ferocity to gain the metal bipeds attention early, giving the cornered critter a moment to find escape as the metallic creature turned its glowing blip towards the charging dragons announcing themselves to it.
The metal biped stands a moment, staring in our direction. The single red eye moved uncontrollably across the black cross upon its face, searching the horizon for a moment to locate the source of the roar. It found us quickly, then did something unexpected. The thing ignored us with no further hesitation and returned to the pursuit of the dark green kobold, advancing forward on her once again.
Inferno's fury swelled and the rubyesque dragoness burst forward at greater speed, straining herself as I push forward too, slowly overtaking her. She lets loose a jet stream of fire over the metal biped while I dived in below the stream of flames and grabbed the kobold in my talons. I slide besides the biped in kicking range before I launched to the dark skies after I'd passed by. Spinning after a few firm flaps upwards, I turn to face the flames, hovering in place, assessing the situation while making sure my grip on the kobold now in my clutches was secure.
“My Dragon Lord, please be weary, the Sentinel is indestructible" the kobold stately shouts up at me.
“The Sentinel!? Hmph, we shall see how indestructible" I snarl back, dragons were indestructible, at least in my mind we were. This walking piece of metal would not out shine me. The irritation of being ignored, like I was not a threat, had brought my own wrath to the surface.
Rain started to pour dousing the flames as Inferno joined me by my side asking the kobold if she was alright. The kobold answered but I was too focused on the Sentinel who walked unscathed from the flames or maybe not, its movements were more jagged. The plan to cook whatever lived inside the metal biped, this Sentinel, had failed. I check on Calamity's progress, he was sprinting halfway across the glacier fields. The green dragons breath attack would definitely melt the metal. Although my own would obliterate the Sentinel. Why am I hesitating? Surely some missing fields of grass would not make much difference in the economy of this realm plastered with plant life.
Perhaps I am being too hasty. After all, we have the advantage of flight, while this Sentinel construct is stuck beneath us, soon to no longer exist! I was becoming exasperated with myself over mere irritation, which was out of character for a dragon of the Tyrant Bloodline. I calmed myself. Act like the leader you were hatched to be! I regain my senses and revaluate our current strategy.