Blade in the Earth

A week after their fateful meeting Drakara and the human feline Haritah walked into the small village of Karn. They were greeted with cold stares from the guards at the villages gate. While Drakara had never felt prejudice for Monos from humans, Haritah had felt it all her life. The feline gave them a cold stare back, while Drakara was confused. They passed by a black smith, hammering out iron while showing off armor and blades, a butcher copping on meat, a tailor measuring someone, and various merchants selling goods. While some gave them friendly stares, most didn't. The blacksmith called Drakara over, she was intrigued by the silver necklace he was holding. "Hello young lady. I see that your a lizard child. Can I perhaps interest you in a silver necklace, or maybe a shirt of scale mail." While he was talking Drakara noticed that the fire in his forge was dying out. She pointed this out to him causing him to curse. " Gods damn this fire. This is the last time i let my apprentice buy fuel. Blasted flames aren't hot enough for this hard coal. While he fanned the coals trying to bring the fire back, Drakara took a deep breath, then spat a fist sized fireball over his shoulder into the forge. He jumped back yelling "What the blazes are you doing, trying to kill me. I'll have your hide for th" He looked back at the flames, suddenly unable to take the heat. He turned to her. "How the hell did you do that? Drakara spat another small ball of flame into the fire, making it roar stronger. The smith immediately shoveled in more coal. " Well girl Your no lizard. Are you a salamander or maybe a wyvern." Drakara shook her head, "I'm a dragon child." His face was blank for a second. " Well I'll be damned its been a long time since I've seen a dragon let alone a halfling." He pulled out a sword that had been sitting in the flames, hammering the edge flat. "Already I can tell the difference. Your dragon fire is real, with it I can craft some strong blades. Here hold out your hand. " Using tongs he set the white hot blade in her hand. She pulled back immediately, feeling the intense heat. He laughed pulling the blade back. " See. I know dragons aren't hurt by normal fire, but magical or dragon flame and the heat it causes is different." He set the blade in a water bucket and pulled out a small shirt of scale mail. " I'll give this to you for free." Taking the mail shirt in her arms, she asked. " Won't you lose money because of this?" He shook his head. " Because of the dragon flames I can sell my goods at higher prices." He snatched the mail shirt from her, " I'll even throw in a heat treatment for your mail shirt for free." She watched as he gently set the armor in the flames. " My name is Jorgenson by the way." He stretched out his hand for her to shake. "Mine is Drakara."

While her brand new armor was treated, She returned to Haritah who was sitting at a open tavern drinking ale. The tables around them were filled with people, some looking curiously at them, others hatefully. Haritah downed another cup of ale before looking back at them with equal hate. " Why is it that every time I come here, i'm either a wonder, a monster or both?" what people were really looking at was Drakara, it had been overheard that she was a dragon child and the spy had come straight to the tavern. It had spread like wildfire, and more then a few people were interested in her. One man in particular, dressed in heavy plate, was eyeing her. On his waist he wore a dragon skin belt, with black scales decorating his sword. A wolf skin pelt hung from his back, a sharkskin belt over his shoulder. He was a beast hunter, and now the thing he wanted to hunt was Drakara. Not for her skin or horns or small wings. But he was taking a more personal interest in her. He was preparing to walk over when the two of them got up, heading for the town hall.

Drakara marveled at the huge sword. Being two feet wide, and with a good 3/4 stuck in the ground. even stuck deep in the earth, there was still a good foot and a half of handle poking out. According to a local who told them about the sword, it had been stuck there for 18 years, and showed neither rust nor wear. It stood in front of town hall, drawing people every year who tried to draw the blade. But rumor had it that it was sealed into the earth magically. Drakara was drawn to the blade, like it was calling her. Just as she was about to the the hilt in her hand, Jorgenson the smith walked over, carrying a package. " Drakara here." It was the scale armor, feeling warm to the touch. " I finished the heat treatment, and now its stronger then before. " She put the armor on over her clothes, it fit almost perfectly, just a little loose in the front. A man came up to them, dressed in plate armor. Or rather he came up to Drakara. She had never been approached like this and it put her slightly on edge. He smelled of oil, metal, and blood.

The man in plate grasped her wrist and pulled her away. Haritah went forward to stop them but Jorgenson stopped her. " Don't. Kren is a beast hunter. He could easily beat either of you. Reluctantly she let the two of them go. Kren led Drakara behind the town hall, into the woods within the walls. After stopping he looked at her, examining every part. " Well aren't you beautiful. I have seen many fine creatures, but you are among the most beautiful." She blushed, her skin matching the deep red of her cheek scales. He twirled her spiky hair in his hands, taking in her scent. To him she smelled like fire and metal. A scent he'd known all his life." Wh-what do you want with me?" She was nervous, her instincts screaming at her to get away. " I just want to admire such a fine creature. I have never seen a dragon before. Is it true that you can breath fire, that your stronger then 10 men combined. I know you have wings, so can you fly?" His hand moved down her back to her rear. He stroked her tail with one hand, and groped her butt with the other." Can y-you maybe stop. " She was nervous but, her instincts were confused between fear, and lust. To her animal side, this man who was only a year or two older, was a possible mate. He would give her strong healthy offspring. Her two emotions, fear and lust, fought for control within her. He was bringing his lips down to hers when a melody of screams and roaring burst around them. Smoke began to fill the air, a screaming figure came out of the bushes and knocked them down. Haritah followed after, picking Drakara up" We have to go now, orcs are attacking."

They were both rounding the corner of a building near the gate when something huge and green grabbed Haritah and tossed her like a stone. Drakara tried to run after her, but the large orc grabbed her hair, Pulling her up he kneed her in the stomach before tossing her as well. She flew a a good dozen yards before touching down hard. Dazed for a minute she looked up, seeing a thin edge before her eye. a foot further and she would have been cut on the edge of the sword in the ground. The orc came charging through a burning bush, roaring and laughing. The only weapon she had was a small dagger, and the beast would probably use it for a toothpick. Out of desperation she grabbed the swords hilts and pulled as hard as she could. As the green behemoth drew closer, she pulled harder. Whether it was her inhuman strength, or something else, the blade began inching its way, slowly at first, then faster and faster with each tug. Not fast enough though as the orc swung the club it carried. It made contact in her stomach below her arms, causing her to spit blood as she flew. The blade went with her, removed from its prison, and both went through the side of a wood planked cabin.

Haritah flung a spear into the knee of the orc, drawing a roar. The buildings burned, and the villagers screamed. Jorgenson stood behind her, holding a warhammer and covered in armor. She was holding her two short swords in her hands covered in green blood. After being thrown she had found Jorgenson fighting nearby. Getting his help they'd come back to rescue Drakara. The orc she'd speared pulled out the shaft, tossing the weapon away as it shakily stood up. It turned to them, roaring. Three other orcs came out of the burning wrecks of home, all dressed in various bone and metal armors, one was dragging an **** naked woman. Out of the burning hulk of town hall came the largest orc, with a cow skull helmet and piecemeal armor of different origins. The monster had two female orcs at his side, both scantily clad, wielding swords. The chieftain swung a huge rusty jagged blade into the earth roaring, and laughing. all his fellows joined in howling. Until their howls were drowned out by one single angry scream, that drowned out all other sounds. Everyone covered their ears, even the orc chief. A burning hut exploded, sending wooden shrapnel flying. A blood covered figure emerged from the inferno. The orc nearest the fire charged, yelling. In the blink of an eye his head was gone, sending up a shower of green blood. Haritah gasped. It was Drakara, but something was different about her. The very air around her boiled with heat, and her eyes. Such anger and bloodlust filled those deep red animal eyes.

All she felt was pain. She could feel every wooden shard that impaled through her skin into her body. The broken bones from the orcs hammer, the blood slowly leaking from her wounds. She was angry, very angry and all she wanted, was blood. The stupid orc had charged her and she'd taken off its head with the blade in her hand. Blood spewed into the air, much of it evaporating around her or landing on her skin. She sensed movement. The orc chieftain was making a move toward her. He roared a challenge and she accepted, releasing a ear aching scream, before lunging for his throat jaws ready for the kill.