Amriel swallowed hard and held her breath as the darkness at the cave entrance shifted and churned. Behind her, Meeko had gone completely still, but she could feel his body relax against her leg. She tried to take reassurance from his steady, calm presence.
The air around them seemed to thrum with an unseen energy that made Amriel's teeth ache and the iron ring at her throat grow hot enough that she feared it might brand her skin. Her mind raced.
"Thalon," she whispered hoarsely, "if I die here, I'm going to haunt you for eternity."
"Noted," he replied without looking at her. "Though I should warn you there's quite a waiting list."
A deep, thunderous rumble emanated from the cave. The sound reverberated through the clearing and echoed in Amriel's very bones. Her hand longed for the familiar weight of her blade, but Thalon's warning echoed inside her head. Instead, she curled her fingers into fists so tight her nails bit into her palms.
"Is it..." she swallowed hard, "is it coming out?"
"Patience," Thalon murmured. "The Dral'Mi have a flair for the dramatic. They do love an entrance."
Amriel's eyes narrowed, What kind of creature craves to make an entrance? Certainly none that she knew of. Except perhaps for the human kind.
As if on cue, a pair of eyes ignited in the darkness—two orbs of bright azure with vertical pupils that contracted to thin slits. The eyes blinked once. Slowly. Deliberately.
Thalon murmured to her, "Remember—no size comments, no sudden movements, maintain strong eye contact, and whatever you do, don't laugh."
"Why would I laugh at something called a Winged Terror?" Amriel hissed incredulously.
From somewhere within the cave came a sound like the unfurling of leathery wings. Vapours of steam arose from the yawning cave mouth. The azure orbs for eyes, that seemed to hover in the very darkness of the cave, fixated on Thalon across the silver pool.
"Thalon the Guardian," boomed a voice that seemed to bypass Amriel's ears and resonate directly in her mind. The voice was ancient and multilayered, as if several beings spoke in perfect unison. "You return to our domain."
"I bring an offering and a guest, as promised." Thalon responded, executing a bow so formal it bordered on theatrical.
"We sense the offering," the deep voice rumbled. "The Silfek is...acceptable."
The sounds of talons scraping against stone came from the cave once more, and Amriel braced herself as the darkness within the cave began to move forward. A thin tendril of smoke curled out from the shadows, followed by a plume of steam that cloaked the cave entrance in an ethereal mist.
And then it emerged.
Amriel blinked. Then blinked again.
The creature that stepped into the silvery light was smaller than Meeko. The scales that covered its small, roundish frame gleamed like iridescent opals, catching the light and transforming it into a dancing kaleidoscope of colors. Translucent wings—more like those of a dragonfly than the massive leather appendages Amriel had imagined—fanned out behind it, shimmering with prismatic brilliance. Large eyes, the perfect shade of azure, peered out at them over a rounded, short snout with delicately flared nostrils.
The fearsome talons that had sounded so threatening moments ago belonged to feet no bigger than her palm. Its head, crowned with two elegant spiral horns, swiveled to look at her with those mesmerizing azure eyes.
This was the creature Thalon warned her about?
Wings of Terror?
This wasn't terrifying... this was... adorable.
Relief flooded over her and she had to bite her lower lip to stop the smile that threatened to encroach on it.
The diminutive dragon snorted, and perfect little rings of smoke rose from its delicate nostrils. "Your companion finds our appearance... amusing?" the thunderous voice inquired, somehow still impossibly deep and resonant despite coming from a creature that could probably fit comfortably in her travel pack.
Thalon shot her a withering glance. "Forgive her, Great One. She is unaccustomed to the majesty of the Dral'Mi."
The miniature dragon considered her for a moment, then sniffed—a delicate sound that somehow conveyed centuries of judgment. "Understandable." Its azure gaze dismissed her and returned to Thalon with renewed focus. "Now, the offering, Guardian. You may present it properly."
Thalon bowed with ceremonial precision and lifted the Silfek's body from its resting place.
In an attempt to maintain composure, Amriel bit the insides of her cheeks as the Dral'Mi's enormous eyes widened to impossible proportions as they locked onto the creature that hung limply in Thalon's calloused hands. The azure pupils dilated with delight, transforming from narrow slits to perfect circles that dominated its diminutive face.
The Guardian approached with measured steps, and the tiny dragon abandoned all pretense of dignity. It scampered forward on clawed feet—a movement so reminiscent of an eager kitten that any remaining terror Amriel might have felt evaporated instantly. The Dral'Mi extended a forked tongue, iridescent and impossibly delicate, which flicked rapidly around the grey-scaled corpse. With each taste, small shivers of pleasure rippled visibly through its scales, sending cascades of color across its opalescent body.
The absurdity of the moment—this proclaimed Winged Terror, practically salivating over its treat—finally broke Amriel's composure. A sound escaped her throat, a strangled hybrid of laughter and cough that she failed to smother behind her hand.
The effect was immediate. The Dral'Mi froze mid-lick, its entire body going rigid. With excruciating slowness, it pivoted to face her. Its wings snapped outward with a sharp crack, membranes stretching taut as they caught the light.
"You dare mock the Dral'Mi?" The voice that emanated from the tiny creature dropped even lower, reverberating through the clearing with a bass so profound it seemed to shake pebbles at Amriel's feet. The jarring disconnect between the thunderous sound and its miniature source only made it harder for her to maintain her composure.
"No, I—" Amriel began, her eyes darting between Thalon and the Dral'Mi. "Please, forgive me."
Thalon closed his eyes and sighed in resignation.
The Dral'Mi drew itself up to its full height—approximately that of a small dog standing on its hind legs—and huffed indignantly. A small jet of flame shot from its nostrils, singeing the ground between them.
With a sound like crinkling leaves, the Dral'Mi's iridescent wings unfurled. It launched upward in a blur of color, settling on a jutting rock formation with precise dignity, now at perfect eye level with the visitors.
An angry hum vibrated through the clearing, a sound that resonated in her ears. It reminded her of when she intruded on the nesting grounds of a purple throated hummingbird, but deeper and more intense. Ripples danced across the pond's mercury surface, concentric circles spreading outward in response to the vibrations.
"Guardian," the Dral'Mi's voice cut through the vibration, each syllable precise and brittle with disdain, "what manner of disrespectful creature do you bring before us? One who mocks what she cannot comprehend?"
Oh gods, Amriel thought, her stomach sinking. I've managed to offend a native being within moments of meeting it.
Atop his rocky perch, the tiny dragon puffed out its chest, which was adorned with scales that sparkled like jewels in the oddly beautiful silver light, and settled its almost comically large azure eyes on Amriel. It lifted its chin with unmistakable pride. "Many have fallen to their knees in our presence. You may do so, and ask for both our forgiveness and our blessing."
Thalon's expression shifted subtly as his gaze traveled from the indignant Dral'Mi to Amriel's frozen form. The tightening at the corners of his eyes and the almost imperceptible shake of his head conveyed volumes: she was treading on dangerous ground, regardless of the creature's size.
"Forgive her presumption, Exalted One," Thalon said, his voice a careful balance of deference and diplomacy. He executed a half-bow that somehow managed to be both respectful and familiar. "She is merely overcome by your presence. Humans possess... limited faculties for processing the extraordinary. Their minds are simple, their perceptions narrow. When confronted with true power, they often react with inappropriate expressions."
Amriel's eyes flashed as she shot Thalon a withering glare. Simple minds? Limited faculties?
As the Dral'Mi's azure eyes narrowed to scrutinize her further, Meeko, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, chose this moment to approach the dragon-like creature with cautious curiosity. The Dral'Mi eyed the cat warily, then, to everyone's surprise, made a chirping sound that was decidedly less intimidating than its previous thunderous tones.
"Your companion shows proper respect," it noted, its voice suddenly several octaves higher and significantly less imposing.
Amriel's breath rushed from her in relief when the creature dismissed her and turned its attention back to the Silfek Thalon had laid at its feet.
It eyed the Silfek with unmistakable hunger, its azure eyes gleaming. Then, with surprising quickness, the diminutive dragon snatched up the creature and Amriel watched in fascination as the Dral'Mi's jaw unhinged like a snake's, stretching impossibly wide. In three quick gulps, the Silfek disappeared down the dragon's throat. Zephyrin closed its eyes in apparent ecstasy, a purring sound vibrating from its chest.
"Been too long since I had Silfek," the Dral'Mi said, licking its lips with that slender forked tongue.
Thalon inclined his head. "Then I am pleased the offering brings you such joy, great Zephyrin."
Zephyrin. The creature's name, Amriel thought.
The Dral'Mi stretched its wings, sending ripples of iridescent color across their translucent surface. Then, with a graceful leap that belied its rotund body, it fluttered up and landed delicately on Thalon's right shoulder. The warrior didn't flinch, though Amriel noticed his jaw tighten slightly.
"You have come to see Vithrax, I assume?" Zephyrin chirped in its natural voice.This time, it matched its size—light, slightly raspy, but with a musical quality that reminded Amriel of wind chimes.
Amriel's eyes widened. Its voice—
Thankfully Thalon spoke and saved her before she could say anything further that might upset the tiny dragon-like creature. "Indeed, I have. Will you grant us passage?"
The creature perched on Thalon's shoulder craned its neck to glance back at her, clearly considering whether or not it was going to let the human female join them.
In hopes of conveying her reverence and respect, Amriel closed her eyes and half bowed her head to the tiny, shimmering creature. After a few long moments, a surge of Power filled the clearing and the Dral'Mi pipped up, "I have opened the way and informed them of our coming, let us proceed through the passage. Vithrax awaits"
Thalon gestured for Amriel to stay close. "Mind your step. The Dral'Mi's domain is beautiful but treacherous."
Amriel nodded, her eyes still fixated on the gem-like creature now perched on Talon's broad shoulder. Its slender claws dug through the thick cloak into the shoulder pads of his armour to help maintain its balance as the warrior set forth.
Vithrax? Amriel wondered as she watched the warrior commune with the shimmering dragon, Another Dral'Mi?
As they entered into the darkness of the cave, Zephyrin inhaled deeply and then expelled a small jet of flame. Instead of dissipating, the fire hovered before them, coalescing into a perfect sphere of azue-white light.
"This will guide us and keep the creepers at bay." Zephyrin explained in its sweet voice.
"Creepers?" Amriel whispered, nervously scanning the darkness that pressed in around the magical light. Her hand instinctively moved to the hilt of her blade where it hung at her hip.
"Nothing to fear," Zephyrin trilled, though Amriel noted its wings had pulled in closer to its body. "Much."
Drawing a slow breath, Amriel considered what she had already witnessed of this far, and could only imagine what these so-called creepers looked like—or what they were capable of.