The Warrior And The Dragon

• Riley Fahey, Grade 9, Brisbane School of Distance Education
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

Ciore scanned the battle crouched upon the mountain ledge. He was young, early twenties, with deep blue eyes and long brown hair. Over his leather tunic and pants, Ciore wore studded armour with sealskin boots and wraps around his ankles and wrists as well as a studded band around his forehead. As he looked back towards the land, which was now engulfed by the smoke, he heard a deafening roar. Through the smoke Ciore saw a massive black shadow. He arose from his crouched position, grabbed his sword and bent his legs slightly before leaping off the ledge. He soared towards the ground and pulled his shield off his back, crouching upon it so it absorbed the impact of the fall as he hit the ground. Slipping his shield upon his back, he set off running through the battlefield, towards his target…
The gravel crunched under Ciore’s sealskin boots as he came upon a large mass of rocks. As he approached the rocks, a wing flew above his head. He dove under it just in time before rolling back to the ground, bringing his shield off his back in one move.
“Tirso,” Ciore said.
“Hello, Ciore,” Tirso said landing upon the mass of rocks. Tirso was a dragon with shining scarlet scales and silver-tipped spikes, with the exception of her horn, which was completely silver. Her long black claws showered the ground with sparks as she slowly scraped them against the rocks.
“You look like you have grown since last time I saw you,” Tirso said with a malicious smirk.
“Don’t small talk me dragon!” Ciore said in retaliation.
“You’d better be careful with that sword. Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to play with sharp things?” She said mockingly.
Before Tirso said anymore Ciore pounced upon her like a tiger, sending his sword into Tirso’s wing. Letting out a bellowing roar, she threw him away slicing his upper arm with her claw. Tirso raised her now useless wings ready to fly up and attack him from the air, before realising what he had done. Tirso looked at Ciore with hatred.
“You will pay for that with your life!” She spat.
“Try me!” Ciore laughed.
They both lunged at each other, Tirso lashed at him with her claws and Ciore blocked her attacks with his shield. As Ciore blocked Tirso’s claws with his shield, she cracked her tail like a whip sending Ciore sprawling on the ground. Tirso pounced upon him locking him to the ground with her left claw.
“I told you that you would pay!”
She lunged her right claw into the spot Ciore lay. She smiled at him maliciously only to realise he returned the look. Then she felt it. Ciore had sent his sword into Tirso’s stomach. She looked at Ciore aghast before collapsing to the ground. Ciore felt a moment of victory before falling off to sleep, Tirso’s claw still deep within his chest…