Dragon Slayer: Pt 1 - The Ride In
She wanted to throw up. Traveling by ship never sat right with Dahlyah. It wasn’t just seasickness or vertigo, though the ailments definitely played their parts. It felt so cold and isolated out at sea. No firm earth or warm fire for miles and miles. She felt like a fish out of water. In reverse.
But she didn’t let it show. Not with this group. She could already feel their eyes upon her. Staring. Piercing her with judgmental gazes, and murmurs to back it up. Alliance soldiers, sworn to Lord Alconbury of Stormwind Nobility fame.
The majority of them were humans, all of them dressed in identical standard issue Alliance armor. There was a Draenei among them, too– a blue one, not one of the gilded ones. His primal dress suggested he was a shaman. He was quiet and kept mostly to himself, but occasionally would look in Dahlyah’s direction and nod. Smiling here and there. Polite… but weird.
Then there was another dwarf. A Bronzbeard. No smiles from him, which she quite expected. His black beard was trimmed neatly, hair on his head cut short into a flat top. Despite being a Bronzie, he too wore the same bland Alliance plate as his human counterparts. His distaste for the Dark Iron was ever present on his countenance. Again, no surprise to her.
Finally, the only one Dahlyah recognized; Wil Demonte. Formerly of Stromgarde's Sixth Calvary, the young officer had moved up in the world. He sported a nice and shiny Captain's insignia now! He’d also let his hair grow out a bit– both out from his head, and down from his chin. A distinguished cut. Though not nearly as chipper and doe-eyed as he was last time they met, Wil still carried himself with the polite and professional demeanor she remembered from their initial encounter.
The years had hardened him up though. Matured him. Maybe even jaded him a bit. Dahlyah was apprehensive to meet him again, after receiving his letter. Not many folks took killing their superior officer right in front of them too well. And though Dahlyah was justified by the Alliance in doing so, she wasn’t confident Wil saw it that way…
Thankfully, he hadn't reached out in vengeance. Rather, with this job opportunity. After Arathi, Wil was reassigned to Stormwind where he swore oath to Lord Alconbury. Smart career move, honestly. And over the years, he had moved up the ranks to eventually become his Guard Captain.
The timing was fortuitous, too. Apparently, Lord Alconbury had become fascinated with the legend of Dragon Isles long ago in his youth. So when the Alliance was invited to join the Dragon Flights at their ancestral home, the nobleman was all too eager to visit them personally. However, tidings were cautionary; with word that powerful primordial dragons were clashing with the Flights– and their mortal allies– Lord Alconbury demanded an expert dragon slayer join along with his escort. And Wil knew of only one.
Or so were the details Dahlyah was given. She didn’t particularly care why, as long as she got paid. And both the promised payment and the “retainer” Wil gave her was plenty enough reason to join in on the excursion. Even if it meant toughing out a voyage by sea.
At least Ridley was with her. Dahlyah’s companion always helped her through hardships on and off the job. He wasn’t just as a combat ally, but also her closest friend. Ridley just being there for her helped tremendously. Even though he, too, was having difficulty at sea, he still stumbled up beside her and nuzzled her hand. The two were of comfort to one another through the voyage.
“Land ho!”
Not a moment too soon. Dahlyah looked as the crewman in the crow’s nest called out from above. Sure enough, she saw it– the silhouette of land up ahead! Tall trees, snow-laden fields, and mountains even further in the distance!
“So that’s them, aye?” she commented to no one in particular. “Th’ Dragon Isles.”
“So it seems!”
Wil descended from the command deck, and took a place beside the Dark Iron. She still couldn’t believe how mature and knightly he looked now. Not that she knew him all too well before; they’d only shared a singular exchange just after the Fourth War. Back then, he seemed like this naive, bright-eyed squire. Now, though, he carried himself like a real soldier. She was glad to see it, oddly enough. It suited him.
Ridley, of course, approached Wil immediately and demanded pettings and attention from the Knight Captain. Wil was too happy to oblige, smiling warmly as the Bloodhound’s snout pressed against his hands.
“Looks like you’re managing alright. I know the sea isn’t to your liking, but I’m grateful you came along anyway.” he smiled to Dahlyah, idly petting her companion.
“Price were right, s’pose.” she shrugged in response.
Wil laughed lightly, and shook his head. He then turned his gaze back out to the distant coast. The wind blew through his hair, bringing it up sidelong along his face. A picturesque, triumphant pose if Dahlyah had ever seen one. Cliche, but… she caught herself staring up at him for a brief moment until he broke the silence.
“Honestly, though. Thank you for agreeing to this. Lord Alconbury likes to cover all contingencies.” he nodded appreciatively.
“Aye, meant t’ ask yeh ‘bout that…” she scratched her chin idly. “Reckon yer lot’ll be at odds with th’ Dragonflights? Killin’ wild drakes an’ th’ like is fair game, but I dunnae wanna git on th’ Lifebinder’s shit-list, y’know?”
“No, no. The Flights are allies, of course.” the Knight Captain assured her. “We’re leaning on your expertise for if we encounter any hostile drakes. Wild ones, or any of these Primalist-aligned ones we’ve heard about.”
“Oi, I ain’t versed in all that. Heard yer lot murmurin’ ‘bout ‘em, but dunnae know much else. Wot’s their story?”
The human’s brow furrowed a bit as he shook his head. He looked at Dahlyah and sighed.
“We don’t know much, other than they serve an ancient evil. Separate from the Elemental Lords, but still rooted in some way to the elements themselves.” he explained as best he could. “Ancient dragons that had been slumbering until the Primalists recently stirred them. That’s really all we know, for now. But I’m hoping the Dragonflights will explain more when we arrive.”
Dahlyah nodded, pensively. Her own brow knit to a wrinkle as she digested the information. A discomfort knotted up in her stomach. The Primalists, as Wil described them, rubbed her the wrong way. Adherents to ancient elemental beings was a story she’d heard before. And she didn’t like the ending of it.
“Mm. Hope so, then. But if’n they’re jus’ ancient dragons, cannae imagine they’d be much different t’ kill than regular ones.” she shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out, aye?”
She flashed an eager grin at Wil before chuckling and gazing back out to the nearing shoreline.
“We goin’ ashore ‘ere soon?” “Afraid not,” Wil shook his head. “The Aspects indicated that they’ll be awaiting us at a place they call the Wingrest Embassy, which is on the northern shore. We’ve gotta go all the way around.”
“‘Course we fuckin’ do…” the Dwarf sighed.
“If it’s of any comfort, we’ll be sailing along the coast. Milord wishes to see as much of the Isles as possible on our way in.” the Captain nodded. “So feel free to enjoy the view with us.”
She harrumphed… but it was a comfort. Seeing land wasn’t as good as actually setting foot on it, but it was a far cry better than endless seas along every horizon. She was grateful for that much, at least. Even if she didn’t show it. Truthfully, she would’ve rather made it here to the Isles via her mole machine, but it wasn’t functional after her last mission– a goblin target she was sent to bring in sabotaged it. That, and the Isles weren’t exactly mapped out until recently The boat was her only way. Another sigh, then a nod.
“Thanks, lad.” she spoke sincerely.
Silence fell on the pair, but they watched the land go by as the ship continued sailing onward. She was glad Wil was there with her, in truth. It seemed like he earnestly cared about her well being. Everyone else treated her like the gun-for-hire she was. But Wil treated her better. Nice kid, respectful.
Honorable.
Ugh. She recoiled as the word entered her mind. She’d heard it used and misused again and again. A way to highroad, or justify half-measures. Such a relative term. But she couldn’t deny that, by her own loose definition anyway, Wil seemed to personify the idea. So far, in any case. The bulk of this expedition was still laid out in front of them.
Ridley turned, attention drawn to something off the coast. The flame hound's ears were sharply pointed in alarm, his fangs bared in a low snarl. Dahlyah and Wil both turned to examine the beast and follow his gaze.
“Wot is it, boy?”
The ship continued a steady pace in calm, tranquil waters. But as they drew nearer to the coast, a fog began to settle in. It obscured their view of the distant shore, worsening to the point where they could barely see from one end of the ship to the other. The winds changed too… blowing colder. It all made the crew feel rather uneasy.
“... I’d better see if the ship’s captain is diverting.” Wil said, calmly. “We’re too close to shore to be losing visibility like this.”
“Aye, see to it.” Dahlyah agreed, stepping up in his place to comfort Ridley.
The bloodhound was tense. Something had him restless. An enemy, perhaps? She followed as he turned about, drawn to something moving overhead. The Dwarf drew her rifle and gripped it tight. Low beats echoed through the air in a steady rhythm. Wingbeats. She recognized the sound immediately.
“Look alive!” she called out. “Best man yer ballistae, we ain’t alone in this fog!”
The unsettled soldiers turned from Dahlyah to Wil, who looked out from over the upper deck.
“You heard her!” he barked. “Set the bolts, and man the turrets!”
Immediately the soldiers and ship’s crew both got to work. They hustled in unbinding the bundle of lance-like ballistae bolts and pieced them out to each of the ship’s four defensive siege weapons. Dahlyah, meanwhile, rushed up the stairs to join Wil on the upper deck, her attention still drawn to the telltale signs of an incoming dragon. Wing beats grew louder… and louder… she popped open her rifle and loaded in a large-bore orange shell. A flare.
“--Wait.”
The hustling on the main decks ceased as every set of eyes turned towards the commanding voice that had called out. A few that were able knelt down as others saluted– Lord Alconbury emerged from below decks.
“My brave soldiers… you are too quick to turn to hostilities!” he declared as if offering some rousing speech. “It’s a poor look to be so aggressive when we haven’t even arrived yet! What if this were an emissary flying out to greet us?”
Dahlyah looked incredulously to Wil, rifle still at the ready. Wil, too, looked flabbergasted– but he carried it much better. Kept his composure. He cleared his throat and approached Lord Alconbury, urgency in his steps.
“--Milord, our priority is to protect you.” he explained, tone bordering on a lecturer’s. “Diplomacy can–”
“Diplomacy is why we’re here, Captain.” he interrupted. “First impressions set the entire tone for–”
“--Oi! Doubt any well-intendin’ emissary’d put on a fog like this!” it was Dahlyah’s turn to interrupt. “We ain’t bein’ welcomed; we’re bein’ hunted!”
“How dare yeh interrupt Lord Alconbury, y’ disrespectful lil’ shite!” the other dwarf exclaimed, drawing his axe! “I’ll teach y’ some fuckin’ manners!”
“Stay your arm, Steelpike.” Wil ordered, before turning to Lord Alconbury. “She may be right, milord. Should we err, better on the side of caution.”
“Enough, Captain. My first act before our dragon allies will not be a mistake! I’ve made up my mind, Stand down your men.” Lord Alconbury instructed, unconvinced. “This isn’t a precursor to an attack… it’s presentation! Dragonkin are very theatrical, after all!”
“Is he fuckin’ serious?”
Dahlyah was dumbstruck. There was no way Lord Alconbury was so naive! Completely disillusioned and detached from the reality of the situation. Meanwhile, the wingbeats grew louder still. Their visitor was close, and Dahlyah wasn’t buying into the whole ‘theatrical emissary’ explanation. She brought her rifle up and took aim towards where the sound was coming.
“I ain’t dyin’ ‘cause yer Lordship’s off ‘is fuckin’ rocker!”
“--Stop her!” Lord Alconbury shouted!
But it was too late. The Dark Iron pulled the trigger and launched the flare. It cut through the fog, lighting up the sky in its path. Most of Lord Alconbury’s knights stayed put, watching the beacon as it traveled upwards. Waiting in anticipation to see who was right.
After a moment, the visitor was revealed– a proto drake, wrought of ice and frost. He didn’t seem friendly in the least. The flare flew right past it, but shone on him long enough for everyone, even Lord Alconbury, to get a good look. That was no emissary.
The moment of stunned silence didn’t last long. The proto drake let loose a bloodchilling roar, before swooping down to attack. The ballistae weren’t ready. The soldiers weren’t ready. No one but Dahlyah was ready… but she wasn’t enough by her lonesome.
Quickly, she reloaded her rifle. This time, popping in a few incendiary rounds. The bastard looked like he favoured cooler temperatures, so lighting him on fire seemed like a sound strategy. She took aim and fired wildly, her salvo intended more to delay the drake’s descent rather than actually hit him. She had to buy the others some time.
But by the time the soldiers and the ship’s crew responded, it was already too late. A hailstorm peppered the ship’s deck and shredded the sails. Riggings were clipped which caused the masts to lose control in the tumultuous winds. The crew scattered, disorganized and panicked, as things above deck began to quickly get out of hand. The soldiers were less concerned about the ship and more concerned about keeping Lord Alconbury safe. It took a moment for them to get sorted, but a handful managed to rally around him and keep him defended from the drake’s attacks.
For a few seconds, anyway.
The proto drake climbed back into the sky, before swooping down in a fury of ice and wind. Icicles coalesced from the freezing air, then hurtled downward in a barrage. Soldiers and sailors alike were impaled. Skewered by the frozen spikes! The deck and hull cracked and split as the icicles tore through them, riddling the ship with holes like a block of Alterac Swiss. The nobleman’s defenders faltered. Those that didn’t die by icicle quickly scattered. A few had the presence of mind to lead Lord Alconbury away at least, shuttling him clear of the attack. The drake swooped back up, ascending– giving the soldiers a moment to regroup.
“Rally on me! Bows and crossbows at the ready!” Wil commanded, raising his blade into the air. “Shoot the bastard down!”
Those that could heeded the call, and rallied beside the Knight Captain. They watched the skies as best they could, tracking the proto drake’s silhouette through the mist… until it faded. A tense moment of silence filled the soldiers with dread, each of their gazes darting about looking for any sign of where their attacker went. Wil exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing as he searched the skies…
“--There! Loose!” he ordered, pointing with his blade off the port bow.
The soldiers let fly, launching their ordinance upwards into the mist. The drake screeched in pain as he was pelted with arrows and bolts. His sweep was deterred as he ascended back towards the skies and into the mist. It was working!
“Reset! Steady!” Wil called.
He watched and listened again, praying to the Light he’d guide his soldier’s aim true one more time. He turned, pointing his blade aft.
“Loose!”
The soldiers fired again, but this time, the drake was ready. A gust of frigid wind scattered their projectiles and the mist both, and buffeted the formation. They scattered again, cowering and covering their faces to keep from being pelted with hail and freezing rain. The drake landed on the upper deck, smashing the wheel and crushing the railing beneath its massive frozen form. He let loose a dominant roar as icicles began to coalesce around him once more. Wil braced himself, watching as a pair of icicles bore down on him–
*BANG!*
Another gunshot. The icicles shattered into tiny fragments in the air in front of him. He turned to see Dahlyah reloading, then taking aim at the drake.
“Git yer lordship off this wreck!” she called out. “Go!”
She fired a few more incendiary rounds at the frost drake, causing the beast to reel in pain. He thrashed, sweeping his wings to topple the dwarf with gusts of wind, but she held steady. Relatively. Fired a few more shots that went wide, before reloading again.
Wil got to work evacuating the soldiers and crew as best he could. Dahlyah was right– the ship was in bad shape, and wouldn’t last much longer!
“Abandon ship!” he called out! “Get Lord Alconbury to a dinghy, now!”
The drake channeled his icy breath in a strafe across the deck, taking out a handful of soldiers as they scrambled to evacuate. Dahlyah fired a few more shots to discombobulate the icy lizard and cut its breath attack short. She was managing to hold him off well, eventually repelling the drake with another berating of shots. The drake took to the air again, leaping back off the ship with another screech of pain. The dwarf reloaded, and took aim again… until a loud cracking sound pulled her attention away. The mast had given out, and began falling towards the front of the ship.
Where Wil stood, directing the evacuation efforts.
“Look out, lad!” she called.
But he couldn’t hear her in the commotion. She charged for him, instinctively, running up and tackling him to get him clear of the falling mast. The two toppled overboard, falling like ragdolls into the frigid waters below.
This was the worst part of it, for Dahlyah. She felt the warmth of her body siphoned out of her instantly. Her iron plate belt and boots were heavy, restricting her movement. She looked around, desperately holding her breath as she tried to orient herself and swim back to the surface. But she caught a glimpse of Wil, slowly sinking down below her. Unconscious.
Fuck.
Her body moved on her own, in defiance of self preservation. She honestly didn’t know why. Didn’t question it, either. Immediately, she started kicking her legs, swimming towards him as best she could. She never really learned how, though. And as the cold began to permeate her body, she felt her vision failing her. The breath escaped her lungs, leaving her that much more incapacitated. The water-muffled noise from above faded away, as she felt her consciousness slipping away due to shock.
Desperately, she reached for Wil’s hand… before everything went dark.
