Page 6 of Thauglor
Together, Klauth and I execute our plan with the precision of partners who’ve fought side by side for centuries. He climbs high into the bright afternoon sky, sunlight glaring off his crimson hide like polished armor. Then he dives with breathtaking speedand releases a torrent of flame that turns the world below into hell itself.
Fire dances across the treetops with hungry tongues, devouring the dark pockets below where shadow dragons hide from the light they despise. The heat from his flames creates updrafts I ride like invisible highways as I circle in next, my massive wings stirring hot gusts that buffet the forest with hurricane force.
My acid breath spews forth in a concentrated stream of destruction, melting ancient tree trunks and scorching the undergrowth until nothing remains but steaming devastation. The sound is magnificent—the hiss and crackle of organic matter dissolving under the kiss of concentrated death. The acrid smell of melting wood and burning vegetation fills the air, mixed with something else that makes my nostrils flare with savage satisfaction.
Below, Klauth spots a cavern entrance partially hidden by twisted roots and hanging moss, where my acid drains into darkness like a river of destruction seeking its ultimate destination. A guttural growl rattles in my chest as realization dawns. This must be their stronghold, their hidden sanctuary where they’ve been planning their assault on my territory.
I rumble in agreement; the sound shaking the very skies above us and sending smaller creatures fleeing in terror. I swoop in closer, my massive form blotting out the sun as I unleash another stream of acid that floods the cavern entrance. The liquid death pours into their sanctuary like judgment itself, and the agonized roars that echo from within send a dark thrill coursing through my veins.
The moment I retreat to a safe distance, Klauth exhales a concentrated wave of flame onto the lingering acid with precisetiming that speaks to our years of partnership. Sunlight flashes against the sudden chemical reaction, and an explosion roars into a blazing column that reaches toward the heavens like a pillar of divine wrath.
The impact sends me reeling backward through the air, my claws scrabbling for purchase in the super-heated atmosphere as a raw, acrid odor invades my nostrils. The smell is intoxicating—destruction and chemistry combining into something beautiful and terrible. I exult in the discovery that my acid is highly flammable when properly ignited. We exchange excited rumbles of satisfaction, our voices harmonizing in deadly promise. This is a tactic definitely worth using again.
With the smoldering den behind us and the screams of dying enemies fading into memory, I lead Klauth to a rocky outcropping that overlooks the chaos we’ve created. The stone is still hot beneath my claws from the explosion’s heat, radiating warmth that feels like a forge beneath my scales.
Thick plumes of black smoke twist skyward like serpents of shadow, staining the bright afternoon with evidence of our retribution. I settle beside Klauth with predatory grace, my obsidian scales contrasting with his brilliant crimson hide. His long horns cast jagged shadows on the heated stone as we watch the caverns burn with the intensity of a thousand funeral pyres.
Somewhere deep inside me, in some dark corner of my soul where the romantic dreams of finding my mate, a savage part feels pleased beyond measure. They violated my territory, destroyed my carefully crafted displays meant to attract the love of my life, and murdered innocents who might have been my salvation from loneliness.
Now they burn, and the smoke rising from their destruction carries my message to any other shadow dragons foolish enough to consider similar attacks: Blackhaven is protected by forces they cannot comprehend, defended by a love so fierce it will reduce enemies to ash and memory.
The romantic in me whispers that perhaps this destruction clears the way for something better, someone worthy of the displays I’ll rebuild with even greater care. My mate, wherever she is, will never have to fear these particular monsters. And that knowledge fills the empty spaces in my chest with something that might just be hope.
Chapter Six
Klauth and Ispend hours discussing the future of dragonkind in his private study. Our voices stay low and contemplative as we debate rumors of other species mixing with dragons. The leather chairs creak under our weight. Flames dance in the fireplace, casting shifting shadows across ancient maps that tell stories of territories won and lost over centuries. The smell of old parchment and burning wood fills the air.
How would such unions even work? After much debate, we conclude it would only succeed if the female is a dragoness. Either the eggs would be viable hybrids, or they wouldn’t develop at all.
The philosophical discussion feels important—a glimpse into a future where our kind might need to adapt or face extinction. But those theoretical concerns vanish the moment we step outside.
I walk Klauth out of the extended family quarters. Our boots echo against stone corridors that have witnessed generations of dragon politics. Suddenly, his head whips up with predatory alertness. His nostrils flare as he catches something on the wind.The scent sends ice water through my veins—thick, acrid smoke that speaks of destruction and death. Something burns nearby. The smell carries an undertone of malice that makes my scales prickle beneath human skin.
Klauth roars with volcanic fury. The sound reverberates off the walls as he breaks into a dead run. He shifts mid-stride with violent efficiency. His human form explodes into crimson dragon scales and massive wings. Someone dared to ignite something in his territory. Someone violated the sanctuary he built for future generations.
I give chase, launching myself into the air behind him. My transformation tears through flesh and bone with familiar agony. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth as bones crack and reshape. As we break the horizon, the world drowns in hellfire. The entire landscape glows with an unnatural orange light. Smoke columns rise like pillars supporting a sky painted in shades of red and amber. The acrid smell burns my throat.
Wyverns and shadow dragons work in coordinated attacks to torch his entire territory. Their dark silhouettes move against the burning chaos below like demons against flame.
We separate immediately, falling into battle formations honed by decades of partnership. While he flies toward the heart of his territory to protect the most valuable assets, I position myself to block any chance of escape. No enemy will flee to report our capabilities or return with reinforcements.
I unleash my acid breath on several wyverns in a wide arc of destruction. The caustic liquid sears through the air with a hissing sound. I watch with savage satisfaction as their melting corpses fall from the sky into heaps of bubbling flesh and shattered bone. The acrid smell of dissolving organic matter fillsthe air. It mixes with smoke to create a nauseating cocktail that speaks of death and chemical warfare. The bitter taste coats my tongue.
Each pass doesn’t feel like enough. For every enemy I eliminate, three more emerge from hidden positions among the rocks and trees. Wyverns breed faster than dragons and produce larger clutches. They make perfect cannon fodder for shadow dragon masters who care nothing for the lives they waste.
I do everything possible to keep damage away from the academy. I dive between enemy formations and the buildings that represent our hopes for the future. The new structure stands as a beacon of progress amid the chaos. Their walls remain unmarked by the violence raging around them. We fight the invaders well into the early morning hours. Our roars echo across the mountains like thunder from an endless storm. The sound reverberates in my chest, vibrating through my bones.
By daybreak, we kill or drive off the last of the shadow dragons and wyverns. Bodies litter the landscape like macabre decorations. Their twisted forms serve as testament to the price of challenging our territory. But a small contingent breaks away during the confusion. They vanish into the darkness like wraiths returning to whatever hell spawned them.
Klauth and I land between the dragon and mixed-species dormitories—the heart of the new academy where future warriors will learn to defend our kind. Our massive forms create tremors that shake the ground. Each heavy footfall disturbs ash and debris. The academy itself bears only minor damage. Its walls stand strong and proud despite the night’s violence. The stone feels warm under my claws, heated by the fires that raged around it.
But his fortress suffers greatly. Several exterior walls collapse inward like broken teeth. One tower teeters on the edge of complete destruction, threatening to shatter the foundations his family built over centuries of careful planning. Flames still lick the ruined stone with hungry tongues. The heat radiates against my skin like a bitter reminder of everything we’ve lost. The smell of charred stone mingles with sulfur and smoke.
I slap Klauth on the shoulder with more force than necessary. The sound echoes like an explosion in the smoky air. “We did good, old friend,” I say as we watch flames dance over what remains of his stronghold like funeral pyres for his ambitions.
“We did,” Klauth replies. His voice is tight with fury that threatens to break free at any moment. “Thank you for your help.” He shakes my hand with a grip that could crush stone. His eyes fix on the rubble that was once his pride.
My gaze drifts north toward the distant mountains. Something wrong catches my attention—a glow that shouldn’t be there. Smoke rises from a place that should be safe. The distant orange light flickers against the dawn sky like a malevolent star. I point toward the peaks with a trembling finger. “What’s that?”
